Chapter 74 Control
With fewer people around, Mu Xi noticed the midwife again and stopped her with a look of disgust: "Where... are you from? Are you a servant of the Jun family?"
The midwife had been keeping her head down, trying to minimize her presence, but the more she tried to stay out of the way, the more attention she attracted. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to answer, "This humble woman...this humble woman is not a servant of the Lord's household, but...but..."
Tao'er said, "Her surname is Wang. She is the midwife we found in advance. She lives near the clinic on the next street."
Mu Xi understood immediately and asked directly, "How much money did Granny Qian give you?"
Wang was so frightened that she trembled all over and dared not refuse to answer: "Five...five taels of silver."
"Only five taels? You dare to lie?" Mu Xi didn't believe it.
Wang knelt down on the ground: "This humble woman dares not lie, I really only have five taels of silver."
"Five taels of silver and you're willing to kill someone?" Mu Xi's voice was so cold you could hear the icy chill in it.
Wang hurriedly pulled out five taels of silver from her bosom and offered it with trembling hands: "Granny Qian only said that she would deliver the child and give it to her. I didn't expect things to turn out this way. I don't want this silver."
"Some money isn't something you can just take or leave as you please." Mu Xi looked down coldly, a thought forming in her mind. "I'll punish you by making you take out another five taels of silver for that child's funeral expenses."
"Ah? This..." Upon hearing that she would have to pay an additional five taels of silver, Wang Shi even considered taking back the five taels she had already handed over.
"How can I not be sad?" Mu Xi was also heartbroken over the child's death. "Do you still want to make a living this way?"
Wang felt a pang of heartache, but immediately stopped hesitating: "I'm willing, I'm willing... ten taels of silver, but I don't have any on me right now..."
“That’s easy. Tao’er, you can have someone go with her to get it.” Mu Xi wasn’t worried that a midwife could do anything.
"Yes." Tao'er went to call someone.
Wang also got up from the ground, intending to leave as well.
"Wait..." Mu Xi suddenly called out again, asking in a deep voice, "Is that child... a boy or a girl?"
Lady Wang paused for a moment, then bent down even lower: "Your Highness, it's a boy."
After everyone left, Mu Xi returned to the East Courtyard, exhausted.
Mu Xun then took Mu Chong back to settle in.
After Mu Xi rested for a while, Doctor Luo came over to tell her that Cao Pan'er had woken up and was out of danger; all she needed to do was rest.
Mu Xi was finally relieved. Cao Pan'er gave birth prematurely that day, and with all the commotion in the side courtyard, Cao Pan'er escaped unharmed, and Mu Xi herself gained a lot.
Mu Xi's biggest gain was that she had Mu Chong under her control, which allowed her to keep the Gao family in check.
After that, although Madam Gao sent people to deliver Mu Chong's personal servants and necessities, Mu Xi returned eight or nine out of ten of them in full, citing the need to strengthen her will. She only kept Mu Chong's wet nurse and some basic daily clothing.
Even so, Mu Xi was still worried.
They were worried about the Gao family playing tricks, worried that Mu Chong had run away, and worried that Mu Chong might do something underhanded here.
He further instructed Mu Xun to ensure that Bai Wei and Bai Ji took turns watching over her for twelve hours a day.
"Why didn't you think of controlling Mu Chong earlier? For example, sending him to the Western Border, to the military camp. Isn't that your territory too? Find someone to keep an eye on him and restrain the Gao family? Wouldn't that be better?" On this day, Mu Xi stood on the pavilion on the rockery in the back garden, looking down at Mu Chong squatting in a horse stance below.
Mu Xun, standing beside Mu Xi, also stared at Mu Chong: "He is also Father's son, how should we handle him?"
"Heh, half-siblings, worlds apart. So what if he's the father's son? Didn't he agree to it?" Mu Xi scoffed, but she was indeed having a headache.
Having a living, breathing person by your side is not as simple as raising a dog. You have to feed and water them, and you also have to guard against any unusual behavior from them. These are all things that cannot be anticipated.
Mu Xun sighed, "Alas, it's not as easy as you say. Father can agree now, but he couldn't before. Back then, you weren't in the manor. What was I, the second young master? What right did I have? Even now, Father is still worried about Mu Chong being by your side, afraid that you will expose your identity."
Mu Xi then retorted angrily, "Heh, so what if our identities are exposed? I want to see how Father will choose if Mu Chong really finds out our secret."
Mu Xun knew it was just an angry remark, so he ignored it: "How could you possibly send me to the Western Frontier? Let alone how much effort Father put into getting me familiar with military affairs and giving me control of a portion of the troops, I can only barely make myself known in the army and maintain relationships with my uncles and elders. I still don't have a legitimate claim to the military, and everything in the army still depends on Father's past military achievements. Sending Mu Xun there would only give the Gao family an opportunity to take advantage of me."
"That makes sense." Mu Xi's plan had to fall through, and she couldn't help but ask, "Are you waiting for me, the heir apparent, because you can't rightfully claim the position?"
"That's not what I meant," Mu Xun was about to explain.
Mu Xi waved her hand dismissively: "That's the idea, and it's perfectly normal. That's how it is. I know absolutely nothing about military affairs..."
"Who can't understand?" Halfway through her sentence, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice popped into Mu Xi's mind.
It felt familiar because the voice was almost identical to my own.
The unfamiliarity is obvious; this is a personality I've never seen before.
Ever since the fairy maiden sacrificed her personality, Mu Xi has never looked into the dark void again.
Now that this voice suddenly appeared, Mu Xi decided to pretend she hadn't heard anything.
The voice then said, "I am knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and have been well-versed in military strategy since childhood. I am well-versed in the art of war, and can observe celestial phenomena to know when it is appropriate to attack and when it is appropriate to defend..."
Mu Xi was too lazy to listen to the new personality's ramblings, and was blinded by the reflection of something while looking down.
Mu Xun noticed this at the same time and immediately flew down.
Mu Xi blinked.
Mu Xun had already passed Mu Chong and stopped someone—Cao Pan'er, whom he hadn't seen for many days and who should still be recuperating in the side courtyard.
When Cao Pan'er was stopped, she tucked something she was holding into her sleeve.
Mu Xi raised her voice: "Let her come over."
Mu Xun remained vigilant and instructed Cao Pan'er to ascend the artificial hill via a side path.
Mu Chong was so engrossed in his horse stance that he was completely unaware of the discomfort, repeatedly complaining, "Oh dear, how much longer? How much longer until I can get up?"
Mu Xi found it noisy and didn't really want to call him anything, so she casually instructed, "Bai Wei, take the Third Young Master downstairs and let him have some tea and snacks to rest. As for the time he missed practicing, we can double it later."
"Huh?" Mu Chong complained and plopped down on the ground.
But he had been through a lot these past few days and didn't dare to say anything. He obediently got up from the ground and left to be watched by Bai Wei.
After dismissing Mu Chong, Mu Xi turned around and waited for Cao Pan'er to come up to the rockery pavilion before asking, "What were you trying to do just now?"
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