As long as she gives birth to another prince, the position of Imperial Concubine is probably not far off. Song Family’s Grand Elder wields great power, and the young master of the Song Family will also enjoy imperial favor, being granted the honor of entering the Imperial Palace to accompany the crown prince as a study companion.
Now the Song Family is indeed basking in the limelight. Mu Houchu once casually mentioned it to her, but Xin He didn’t take it to heart. She didn’t expect that the ancestral home of the Song Family would actually be in Yu State as well.
Xin He subconsciously raised her head to take an extra glance at the situation over there. Already, many people had surrounded and were trying to cozy up to the people from the Song Family.
"Mrs. Lin is too kind. How could I be considered generous? It’s just that my daughter really likes this skirt, so I could only indulge her and fight to get it for her," said an elegant lady with a married woman’s hairstyle. She wore luxurious clothes and even her vermilion hairpin was obviously valuable, highlighting her high-status identity.
Although she spoke modestly, her tone was tinged with unmistakable pride and arrogance.
Just by her brazen bidding, it was clear that she was no humble person.
The girl beside her, who looked about fifteen, had a pretty appearance. At this moment, she didn’t even bother to pretend to be modest as she looked at the people who came to flatter her, exuding an air of condescension and arrogance.
As soon as she wanted this skirt, she certainly wouldn’t want anyone else to wear it. Moreover, she had come a long way for this, so how could she leave empty-handed?
Immediately someone echoed her and flattered her in conversation.
Meanwhile, Madam Chen had already ordered someone to take the skirt set over, and she also went over to exchange pleasantries with Madam Song and Miss Song for a long time.
For business people, the most important thing is to cultivate connections. Madam Chen’s strongest suit is just that, which is why Xin He could still be so tolerant of her even after she had a few mishaps. Although Madam Chen may not be the smartest, she excels at cultivating connections, so it’s quite difficult to surpass her in that regard.
Xin He lost interest and got up, preparing to leave.
All she needed was to sell this skirt at a high price and establish a reputation. As for who she sold it to, she didn’t think it was necessary to deal with.
However, when she went back tonight and told Mu Houchu about today’s events, she mentioned Song Family’s impressive feat.
Mu Houchu sneered: "The Song Family in Yu State? Nowadays, only the main branch of the Song Family is truly in power, and the second and third branches are just basking in their glory. The second branch is even illegitimate, and while the second elder from the Song Family bought an official post in Yu State, he doesn’t have any real abilities, so he’s far from being considered threatening. These two branches often flaunt their connection with the main branch."
Xin He didn’t find this surprising. Judging from the arrogant attitudes of Madam Song and Miss Song, it could be guessed that the Song Family in Yu State was probably not exceptional.
"What happened? Did you clash with them?" Mu Houchu asked, seeing Xin He deep in thought.
"What clash? They were guests, and I was a merchant. I only had to exchange money for goods. There’s no such chaos," Xin He said with a laugh, waving her hand.
She paused and continued: "It’s just that I’m thinking whether his Majesty has left a chess piece in the Song Family to keep an eye on them."
Mu Houchu smiled, "Whether or not they left a chess piece, I don’t know. But I do know that the young master of the Song Family, who was said to have entered the palace to study with the crown prince, is actually staying in the palace, being raised by the Empress Dowager. It seems glorious, but isn’t it also a form of control?"
Xin He exclaimed, "So that’s how it is!"
Mu Houchu laughed sarcastically: "No one knows our Emperor better than I do. He knows that he lacks ability and means, so he doesn’t have confidence in sitting on the dragon throne for fear that someone will overthrow him. Therefore, he doesn’t trust anyone, no matter how much he relies on them."
He was extremely lacking in self-confidence and could even be described as having an inferiority complex.
Mu Houchu knew why he felt inferior. Back when the late Emperor was alive, both the crown prince and the third prince greatly overshadowed the current Emperor. The late Emperor never even considered letting his obscure son take the throne.
Without Mu Houchu’s full support from behind the scenes, how could he have today’s status?
The Emperor knew all too well why Mu Houchu had supported him in the first place – because he was the least capable. He was well aware of Mu Houchu’s ambitions, which only made him more insecure. Even though Mu Houchu had now been "exiled" and no longer posed a threat, the seeds of inferiority had long taken root. It was very difficult for anyone to gain his wholehearted trust.
Xin He furrowed her eyebrows and snuggled into Mu Houchu’s arms, "I’m glad we left. Otherwise, if he really wanted to control our child in the palace in the future, what could we do?"
She had never been a mother, but she knew that every mother cherished her child. To have one’s child become a hostage was unbearable, let alone having to part from their parents at such a young age.
Mu Houchu’s cold eyes warmed instantly, as he saw Xin He’s fear for the first time and it was for this reason. He raised his hand to gently pat her back, "That won’t happen."
Xin He nodded softly. After all, they had left the capital city and were now thousands of miles away. Though they were not completely safe, at least they were beyond his reach and further away from the whirlpool of trouble.
All she wanted was to live a more peaceful life.
"However..." Mu Houchu suddenly changed the topic, looking more serious than usual.
Xin He, seeing him like this, couldn’t help but feel anxious, "However, what?"
Mu Houchu rarely showed such seriousness in front of her because he usually solved problems on his own without informing her. But now, the fact that he was bringing it up meant that it was a problem he had not yet solved or was difficult to solve.
That’s why she was so nervous.
Mu Houchu looked at her steadily, "Aren’t you considering these things a bit early?"
"Huh?"
"To worry about the safety of our future child, don’t we first need to have a child?"
Xin He’s eyes widened, realizing that she had been played!
"Get away from me!"
As Xin He pushed, she failed to move him away and instead met Mu Houchu’s deep gaze: "Xin He, let’s have a child."
Xin He felt both unfamiliar and warm hearing the word ’child,’ but still said a bit uncomfortably, "This isn’t something we can just decide to have."
Mu Houchu nodded solemnly, "You’re right."
Xin He stared at him, surprised that he suddenly agreed so easily.
Little did she know he would then cover her lips directly, pressing her onto the bed: "So we need to work harder."
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