“Subordinate has followed your instructions and sent the person into the adjacent room.”
Though Changqing understood the importance of a woman’s chastity in this world, he could not tolerate anyone scheming so openly against his own prince.
The prince had merely happened to save this unfavored Second Miss of the Zhao family on the road back to the capital, and unexpectedly, she had developed such intentions.
Simply seeking death!
“Mm, change your clothes and go watch the show.”
Yan Xun lowered his gaze to the light purple robes he wore, vaguely recalling in his mind Mu Yao’s light purple silk dress.
Only then did his gloomy mood improve somewhat. He brought Changqing along and returned unhurriedly to the original room.
When Mu Yao had changed her dress and walked toward the room upstairs, she heard Lu Zhi’s indignant questioning voice, as if interrogating the maidservant who had led the way.
“Did you truly see Miss Mu enter this place?”
From within the room came a continuous stream of ambiguous sounds, causing many noble young ladies to blush with shame—none of them daring to even look at the room’s door.
“In reply to Lu Da Gongzi, this servant, this servant did tell Miss Mu that this was where the boatmen rested. But Miss Mu not only refused to listen, she even scolded this servant.”
“This servant truly had no other recourse, and so thought to invite Zhang Gongzhu and yourself, Young Master, to come. Who would have known… who would have known that Miss Mu would be so impatient…”
These words drew murmurs of shock from those around.
Some who bore grudges against Lu Zhi even spoke with mockery, “Lu Da Gongzi, this Miss Mu would rather have a boatman than you. Your position as the Hou Fu’s young master’s wife is truly…”
The rest of the sentence was left unfinished, but Lu Zhi’s face had already flushed red.
At this moment, how could he dare to say that he had arranged no boatman at all, and had intended to come himself?
But since things had come to this, a lowly woman like Mu Yao—he naturally would not want her anymore!
“Since she has debased herself so willingly, the gates of my Hou Fu should indeed be closed to her. But perhaps there are hidden circumstances today. If she is willing to sincerely repent, my Hou Fu may still, out of past consideration, take her in and look after her.”
The moment Lu Zhi spoke these words, even the surrounding clamor quieted somewhat.
Hidden in the shadows, Mu Yao watched Lu Zhi basking in others’ admiration, a chill running through her eyes.
Zhang Gongzhu had kept a dark face watching the room the entire time. Her disgusted gaze swept across Lu Zhi’s face, and then she signaled Nanny Fang with her eyes.
Nanny Fang led the matrons bursting through the door, blocking others outside.
It could be considered preserving some dignity for the two people inside.
Seeing that they could not catch them in the act, a flicker of regret passed through Lu Zhi’s eyes.
Mu Yao also caught this in her sight, her hands clenching tightly within her sleeves.
“Miss, should we go over now?” Ningzhu gritted her teeth in anger, wishing she could tear apart Lu Zhi’s disgusting facade this very moment.
Mu Yao reached out to stop her, letting out a light breath. “Not yet.”
Zhang Gongzhu glanced at the room. After the screams inside had ceased, her sharp gaze swept toward the little maidservant kneeling on the ground.
“Whose maidservant are you? This palace does not recall having someone like you in the household.”
The little maidservant’s body trembled, stammering as she spoke: “This servant, this servant is, this servant came along with Miss Mu.”
“Oh?” Zhang Gongzhu let out a light laugh, the pressure carried in her words causing no one around to dare make a sound. “This palace does not recall that there is someone like you among the maidservants brought by Mu Fu.”
“Since you claim to be from Mu Fu, then when Miss Mu arrives, we shall let Miss Mu take a careful look.”
“Someone! Tie her up for this palace!”
The little maidservant froze, then suddenly raised her head to meet Zhang Gongzhu’s icy gaze. She was so frightened she did not dare make a sound.
She even forgot to beg for mercy before someone stuffed her mouth, bound her with rope, and tossed her aside.
Lu Zhi’s expression darkened, and he quickly signaled Zhu Xi beside him with his eyes.
Zhu Xi slipped away quietly while no one was paying attention.
Watching this scene, Mu Yao signaled Ningzhu with a glance, telling her to go protect that maidservant.
As the maidservant was being dragged to the end, the door to the room was also opened.
For a moment, everyone’s attention was drawn to the room.
Each person craned their neck to see clearly who it was that Nanny Fang was helping out.
“Kneel!”
With a single glance, Zhang Gongzhu recognized the person before her and immediately shouted in stern rebuke.
The woman wore a cloak that covered nearly half her face.
But the red marks revealed on her body as she knelt drew great contempt from those around.
Lu Zhi was even more furious, gritting his teeth in irritation. He had not expected that after all his painstaking scheming, it would end up benefiting a mere boatman!
But thinking of the image he had established before others, he feigned heartache and bowed to Zhang Gongzhu.
“I beg Zhang Gongzhu, for the sake of the Hou Fu, to spare Miss Mu.”
“Miss Mu was also momentarily confused and made this mistake. I beg Zhang Gongzhu to spare Miss Mu’s life.”
Everyone knew that a woman who had lost her chastity would be thrown into the river.
Zhang Gongzhu said nothing. Supported by Nanny Fang, she slowly took her seat.
She carefully examined Lu Zhi, who stood to the side pleading for the kneeling woman, her gaze indifferent.
“This palace has been curious about one thing since just now—how is it that Lu Da Gongzi believed this person to be Miss Mu based on the word of a single maidservant?”
These words immediately awakened the others, and set off alarm bells ringing in Lu Zhi’s heart.
He could not fathom why Zhang Gongzhu was asking him this, and instinctively glanced at Nanny Fang, only to see her expression equally calm.
He immediately began to doubt whether this person was truly Mu Yao.
But seeing that Mu Yao was not among the crowd of onlookers, Lu Zhi felt reassured.
“Your Highness, Miss Mu was sent by a maid to change clothes just moments ago, and has not been seen since.”
“Combined with what the maid said earlier, and the fact that Miss Mu had followed His Majesty’s decree, I concluded that this person must be Miss Mu!”
The crowd exchanged glances, yet no one dared to echo Lu Zhi’s words.
At that moment, they watched the figure approaching gracefully.
Their looks toward Lu Zhi were full of amusement, as if watching a joke unfold.
“It must be me? Lu Da Gongzi prides himself on being the finest scholar in the capital—since when did you place such unwavering faith in the words of a mere servant girl?”
The woman’s voice rang out with force, every word seemingly laced with anger.
And that voice—Lu Zhi knew it all too well!
He turned in shock to face the one stepping forward, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “How can you be here!”
Mu Yao curled her lips and turned her head toward him. “Where would Lu Da Gongzi have me be?”
Lu Zhi trembled all over, feeling a chill shoot straight from the soles of his feet up through his limbs.
Especially when he caught the faint coldness in Mu Yao’s eyes—that feeling became even more pronounced!
Could it be that she had sensed something?
Impossible!
His plan was flawless!
“I’m afraid Lu Da Gongzi thought that by scheming against Miss Mu, she would obediently walk through the gates of Hou Fu with the Mu family’s generous dowry in tow.”
A man’s mocking voice drew near from a distance.
Mu Yao and the others all turned to look, and saw Yan Xun approaching slowly, with Changqing behind him dragging two people along.
One was the bound servant girl, and the other was Zhu Xi, pale with fright.
As for Ningzhu, she quickly returned to Mu Yao’s side.
Zhang Gongzhu cast a discreet glance at Mu Yao before pointing at the servant girl and Zhu Xi thrown before them, and asked, “Axun, what is the meaning of this?”