Since things had come to this, Jun Moyi did not conceal it, explaining that Mu Xi was carrying his child.
The advisors were all stunned.
"Your Highness, how could you..."
...not manage your own trousers!
Of course, the advisors dared not voice the latter part of that thought.
"Your Highness is in the prime of his life and has not yet taken a Main Consort. It is likely there was a moment when passion was hard to control. Perhaps in the future, you could settle a few more beautiful concubines in the rear courtyard."
The advisors spoke one after another, causing Jun Moyi to blush deeply, yet he had no way to refute them, only feeling secretly annoyed.
If Mu Xi hadn't seduced him time and again, he wouldn't have ended up conceiving a child with her.
He wasn't some greenhorn who had never seen a woman; Mu Xi's looks were mediocre, far inferior to Mu Ning's!
Truly, one wrong step leads to many!
The bright moon hung high, accompanied by the starry clouds.
The entire Feng Jing City resembled a giant beast deep in slumber.
A figure cloaked in black, utilizing the cover of night, followed a winding alleyway until reaching a dilapidated small courtyard.
"Knock, knock, knock, knock."
After a few rhythmic knocks, the wooden door of the small courtyard creaked open.
The dark figure glanced left and right before stepping into the courtyard and quickly closing the door.
Seeing the person standing in the courtyard, the dark figure removed the hood of the cloak, revealing Jiang Banxia.
"Banxia greets Eldest Young Lady."
Mu Ning turned around, her peach blossom eyes scrutinizing Jiang Banxia from head to toe, and smiled with satisfaction. "I thought you wouldn't come tonight."
Jiang Banxia also smiled. "This servant thought the same, thinking I would never see Eldest Young Lady again."
Mu Ning waved her hand. "Just call me Miss Mu. The Mu Family is the Mu Family; I am me."
Jiang Banxia nodded in understanding.
Mu Ning pointed to the wooden table and bamboo stools in the courtyard. "Let's sit and talk."
After pouring a teacup for Jiang Banxia, Mu Ning asked, "Did Xue Maoming give you any trouble?"
Jiang Banxia held the teacup and shook her head. "No. I originally thought that once he learned my true identity, he would drive me out of the Xue Family, or even hand me over to the Mu Family to secure his future, but he still treats me as before. He even said..."
A trace of sweetness appeared on Jiang Banxia's face. "No matter what I was before, now that I am his woman, he will do everything in his power to protect me completely."
Mu Ning nodded approvingly. "He does have integrity. What about the rest of the Xue Family? Did anyone give you trouble?"
"Madam Xue didn't say much, as this servant has always been respectful since entering the manor. It was only Old Madam who had some reservations about my identity, but those were minor issues. Master always has the final say in the household, so as long as he protects me, I can live peacefully."
Mu Ning held the white porcelain teacup, her smile lazy as she looked at Jiang Banxia.
"If that is the case, you should temporarily remain in the Xue Family. As for Xue Maoming, if he is truly reliable, I might be able to lend him a hand, which will make your days in the Xue Residence easier later on."
Jiang Banxia quickly nodded. "Thank you, Miss Mu. If there is anything you need me to do in the future, please just command me."
Mu Ning turned the teacup between her fingers, pondered for a moment, and said, "Right now, I do have something that requires Xue Maoming's assistance..."
A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Banxia stood up, put on her cloak, and prepared to leave. Mu Ning took out a silver-inlaid red agate ring and handed it to her.
"In an emergency, press the red agate hard, and the tail of the ring will spray a colorless, odorless poison that kills upon contact with blood. Mu Xi is narrow-minded and seeks revenge for the smallest grievance; you must be extra careful."
Jiang Banxia quickly took the ring and put it on her hand. "Miss Mu, you must also be careful."
After Jiang Banxia left, Mu Ning stayed alone in the small courtyard for about a quarter of an hour. When the moon began to set in the west, she stood up, put the teacup, table, and chairs in front of her into her Space, changed into a set of night clothes, covered her face with a black cloth, and then leaped onto the roof, heading in the direction of the Mu Manor.
After infiltrating the Mu Manor, Mu Ning listened carefully for a moment, then followed the direction of the screams.
In a woodshed in the rear courtyard, two maidservants lay on the ground, bloody and mangled. Mu Xi raised the whip in her hand and lashed them repeatedly, tirelessly.
"For betraying me! For betraying me! Today I must beat you two ungrateful wretches to death!"
"Slap, slap, slap, slap..."
At first, the begging for mercy and screams of the two maidservants could still be heard.
As time passed, the sounds of begging and screaming gradually weakened until they disappeared.
Looking at the two maidservants lying on the ground, barely breathing like two dead dogs, Mu Xi hatefully dropped the whip in her hand and turned to instruct the old woman guarding them.
"Go fetch some high-quality wound medicine. Keep their lives hanging by a thread, and then sell them to a brothel tomorrow."
"Yes, Eld-Eldest Young Lady."
Seeing the old woman was so sensible, Mu Xi left with satisfaction.
The guarding old woman quickly brought the medicinal ointment. While applying it to the two on the ground, she shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, what a sin. There isn't a patch of good skin left on their bodies. Why couldn't they just mind their own business instead of provoking the Eldest Young Lady? Alas, beaten like this, it's hard to say if they'll even survive the night..."
On the roof, Mu Ning lifted a roof tile and used a transparent fishing line to suspend a lit bewitching incense into the woodshed.
The guarding old woman soon fell unconscious.
Mu Ning retrieved the bewitching incense, flipped over, and leaped into the woodshed.
After checking the pulses of the two maidservants and examining their injuries, Mu Ning took out two doses of antibiotics from her Space and injected them, then simply cleaned their wounds with alcohol and applied Yunnan Baiyao powder.
After the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, the two maidservants who had been beaten unconscious by Mu Xi woke up one after another.
When they recognized Mu Ning, they instinctively tried to shout out, but a light sentence from Mu Ning silenced them.
"Do you want to wait to be sold to a brothel tomorrow, or come with me? You can think it over carefully."
Fu Dong dragged her bloody body, crawling to Mu Ning's feet, and pleaded weakly, "Please, Eldest Young Lady, give this servant a way to live. This servant is willing to work like an ox or a horse for the Eldest Young Lady."
Mu Ning squatted down slightly, her shimmering peach blossom eyes reflecting the other's pale, colorless face.
"I don't need you to work like an ox or a horse, but your future living expenses will depend on your own hands to earn. If you do well, there will be extra rewards. Are you willing to come with me under those terms?"
Fu Dong nodded.
Mu Ning patted the other's shoulder approvingly and looked up at Yi Cui, who was standing aside in a daze, with a teasing expression.
"Have you thought it through clearly?"
Yi Cui's expression was a mixture of crying and laughing. "Eldest Young Lady, I did so many things to harm you on behalf of the Second Young Lady before. Are you really willing to spare my life?"
"Every wrong has its source, and every debt has its debtor. Your past actions were merely instigated by Mu Xi. Today, I also used you to make her suffer a great loss, so the past grievances are settled. I repeat: come with me. Whether your future life is good or bad depends entirely on yourself. I never mistreat those who work diligently."
Yi Cui gave a bitter smile. "Eldest Young Lady, this servant has no way out left. Please take this servant with you."
Seeing that both were so sensible, Mu Ning satisfactorily took out two gleaming silver needles.
Second Watch~
A quick note: the update time has been changed to 0:00 AM daily.
To the darlings reading this, please help cast a recommendation ticket. During the PK period, if the data is poor, the book will not receive subsequent exposure. I am extremely grateful.