When the boat docked, the sky was tinged with yellow at the horizon.
Beneath the setting sun, the autumn wind was especially biting.
Mu Yao, draped in a cloak and supported by Ningzhu, slowly descended from the boat. A gentle breeze brushed past her skirts, making her already cold and aloof face seem even more unapproachable.
“Miss, look.”
Following the direction of Ningzhu’s voice, she caught sight of a face peeking out from beneath the lifted corner of the carriage curtain of Pingyang Houfu. Her gaze flickered for a moment.
Liu Xiyin, perhaps sensing her gaze, smiled at her with a graceful, radiant smile.
But that smile was full of falseness, with not a trace of sincerity.
Mu Yao said nothing, silently withdrawing her gaze and turning toward the Mu Fu carriage.
“Let’s return to the residence.”
After a day of exhaustion, she was tired enough.
As the carriage passed by the Pingyang Houfu carriage, she could faintly hear Nanny Fang’s warning voice—clearly telling Lu Zhi to stay obediently at home and reflect on his actions before the poetry gathering!
Once the carriage had traveled some distance, Mu Yao, who had been resting with her eyes closed, heard the young maid beside her speak indignantly.
“Miss, after Lu Da Gongzi did such a thing, anyone with eyes can see he was trying to scheme against you. How can the punishment be so light!”
“He is, after all, a member of Pingyang Houfu. Zhang Gongzhu’s actions are not wrong. Besides, being confined to the residence is already the most face-slapping punishment for someone as prideful as him.”
Mu Yao knew that Pingyang Houfu was still the head of the civil officials.
It was only by kneeling at the palace gates with her father’s memorial tablet that she could gain a slight advantage.
If it came to a direct confrontation, she… would not be able to win.
“There’s no need to concern ourselves with Pingyang Houfu’s affairs. The day after tomorrow, we go to Qingshan Si to pay respects to our ancestors. Prepare everything early, and don’t be as careless as last year.” Mu Yao cut the topic short, unwilling to bother with Pingyang Houfu any further.
She added, “Also, go to the study and bring me the poetry collection I used to read.”
Ningzhu blinked, a hint of delight flashing in her eyes.
“Miss is rereading her poetry collection now—she must be aiming for the top prize at the poetry gathering?”
Mu Yao nodded. “The top prize at the poetry gathering comes with the emperor’s golden words. If I win, I can ask the emperor to add to my dowry. Then no one will dare to covet it out of fear of Pingyang Houfu.”
She had always been talented in literature; her parents had taught her nearly everything they knew.
They never thought that, being a girl, she needn’t learn such refined scholarly pursuits.
It was only that in the past, she had held back for Lu Zhi’s sake and didn’t want to stand out.
Now, she naturally wanted to compete for that top prize!
“This servant will fetch it right away!”
While Mu Fu was peaceful and harmonious, Pingyang Houfu was filled with roars of fury.
“You unfilial son! How dare you do such a thing! What is our Pingyang Houfu? We are civil officials! Do you understand what civil officials mean!”
“You dare to scheme against someone with such blatant methods—are you trying to anger your father to death so you can take over the position of Hou Ye sooner?!”
Pingyang Hou’s angry shouts echoed through the courtyard, causing the servants to lower their heads even further.
Even Zhang Shi, who had always doted on Lu Zhi, for once did not speak up in his defense, shaking her head at her son with a look of disappointment.
“My son, stop associating with those worthless friends. Look at the filthy tricks you’ve picked up from outside!”
Even though they, the Pingyang Houfu, wanted to scheme for Mu Yao’s dowry of ten million taels of gold, they didn’t want to bring trouble upon themselves.
Especially not through such despicable means!
Lu Zhi knelt on the ground, his face twisted, his eyes filled with hatred for Mu Yao. “This time was merely luck…”
His words provoked Pingyang Hou to kick him again, sending him flying two meters away.
Startled, Zhang Shi quickly rose from her seat and blocked Pingyang Hou. “Hou Ye, you mustn’t! Zhi’er has been frail since childhood, and this time he truly acted foolishly. If you injure Zhi’er, you’ll only be heartbroken yourself.”
Lu Zhi clutched his chest and climbed up from the ground, looking at Pingyang Hou with a face full of grievance.
“If not for your mother pleading for you, I’d beat you to death today!”
Pingyang Hou pointed at Lu Zhi, speaking with disappointment, when suddenly a thought struck him. He looked at his son, who had knelt back on the cushion.
“Let me ask you—what do you think of that girl from the Mu family? Does she have anything to do with Chu Wang?”
Chu Wang?!
At the thought of Zhu Xi’s death, Lu Zhi silently added another grudge against Mu Yao, and then told him about how Chu Wang had caught him in the act.
Pingyang Hou narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.
After a long moment, he looked at Zhang Shi and spoke: “The day after tomorrow is the Mu family’s annual ancestral worship. Go to Qingshan Si to get a peace charm for Zhi’er, and while you’re there, probe that Mu girl’s intentions. If she truly has something with Chu Wang…”
Pingyang Hou didn’t finish the sentence, but Zhang Shi’s heart trembled.
After years of sharing a bed, how could she not understand what the man before her meant?
If that Mu family miss truly had ties with Chu Wang, they would certainly need to strike first.
They couldn’t let ten million taels of gold fall into Chuwangfu!
“This concubine understands. The day after tomorrow, I will certainly bring back a peace charm for Zhi’er.”
Seeing Zhang Shi agree, Pingyang Hou nodded in satisfaction.
Thinking of the official matters still waiting in his study, he didn’t forget to remind Lu Zhi before leaving—telling him not to sneak out of the residence to find those worthless friends, or he’d break his legs!
Lu Zhi hurriedly acknowledged and watched his father leave before grumbling as he picked himself up off the ground.
“Mother, has Father stopped caring about me? It’s been days since the Shizi position was given to that bastard, and he still hasn’t gotten it back for me.”
Zhang Shi shot him an exasperated glare.
“So you still remember the Shizi position is in someone else’s hands? I thought you’d long forgotten!”
“With the things you’ve done at this critical juncture, even if your father had a death-exempting medal, he couldn’t plead with the Emperor to get it back for you!”
“You’d better put some effort into the poetry gathering, restore your reputation, win first place, and beg a favor from His Majesty. Then your father can take the opportunity to petition for its return.”
“Otherwise, you can just wait to live the rest of your life at others’ mercy!”
Every year, the winner of the poetry gathering was granted a golden word of wisdom from the Emperor—this had been the unchanging rule for years.
Anyone could beseech the Emperor for a single favor.
Lu Zhi curled his lip. “I know, I’ll go prepare now.”
Watching Lu Zhi’s reluctant figure retreat, Zhang Shi let out a deep sigh and glanced at the person beside her.
“Tell me, can that girl from the Mu family really climb up to Chu Wang?”
Though Chu Wang was renowned throughout the capital for his coldness and ruthlessness, in terms of family standing and everything else, he was truly top-notch.
For anyone to marry into the Chuwangfu would be an excellent match.
“This servant observes that Chu Wang holds himself above others. That young lady of the Mu family is nothing but mediocre—merely somewhat pretty. She surely cannot catch Chu Wang’s eye. Today’s matter must have been a coincidence.”
A coincidence?
Zhang Shi’s brow furrowed even deeper. In all her years in the capital, she had never seen Chu Wang take such an interest in helping any young lady.
If one called it coincidence, it was far too frequent.
“No, I must get to the bottom of this that day. If that girl from the Mu family insists on reaching for high branches, don’t blame our Pingyang Houfu for disregarding old ties!”
Little did she know, not long after Mama Fang had gone to prepare things.
Mu Yao had already received word from Granny Wang that Zhang Shi would also be going to Qingshan Si the day after tomorrow. She let out a cold laugh and brought the note close to the candle flame.