The Little Milk Dumpling hugged Madam Mu and began rubbing against her.
Madam Mu could not help laughing, and her cheeks flushed a little.
Old General Mu still had to go find his son. Suppressing his embarrassment, he said, “Lan’er, take care of Little Nianbao for now. If anything happens, just have one of the servants come and call me.”
Madam Mu was still in postpartum confinement, and hearing her father’s words warmed her heart.
She had given birth to five children in the An household, yet that family had never cared about her at all.
Madam Mu’s nose tingled faintly. “Your daughter understands. I was blind and foolish before, and I hurt you. I won’t do that anymore!”
Old General Mu had only one daughter. He immediately said, “All right, don’t be sad. You’re still in confinement, so you mustn’t grieve and exhaust yourself!”
After saying this, Old General Mu’s gaze swept over the wet nurses.
“Look them over and choose whoever is suitable to stay. If none of them are suitable, I’ll find more for you!”
Old General Mu added at the end, “Our family isn’t short of money, so you don’t need to worry about anything else!”
The eight wet nurses instantly perked up, all determined to stay.
Nianbao, however, paid no attention to any of that. At that moment, the little one was ferociously eating from her bowl.
By the time she finished her meal, she was already nodding off.
After Old General Mu left, his eyes instantly sharpened.
If everything his granddaughter had said was true…
Then the An household had truly grown outrageously bold!
Old General Mu went to find his son.
After eating and drinking her fill, Little Nianbao was placed beside Madam Mu.
Madam Mu wore a forehead band and was reclining against the bed.
“Caiyun, have the wet nurses come in together!” Madam Mu raised her voice slightly.
Little Nianbao, who had been about to fall asleep, instantly woke up.
Her new rice bowls!
At the mention of that, she was no longer sleepy.
Suppressing her drowsiness, the little one opened her eyes wide.
Seeing her daughter’s adorable appearance, Madam Mu could not resist pulling her into her arms and kissing her.
The Little Milk Dumpling was soft and adorable, utterly endearing.
Mu Niannian’s little face instantly flushed bright red, and she became a little shy.
【My mother is truly so beautiful!】
The wet nurses entered as well and stood nervously in front of them.
Madam Mu put away the smile on her face and let her gaze fall on them.
Nianbao looked over too, and she could just see the faces of all eight wet nurses.
Madam Mu said nothing, making the wet nurses grow even more nervous.
“Greetings, Eldest Miss!” they all bowed to Madam Mu in unison.
“Which wet nurse does Nianbao like?” Madam Mu looked at the Little Milk Dumpling in her arms and asked with a smile.
Nianbao blinked and looked over each of their faces. Most of them were ordinary enough, but when she reached the last one, the little girl suddenly perked up.
【Wow, wow, is this the legendary spy? If you came to my Eighteen Levels of Hell, I’d definitely give you a proper welcome!】
The Little Milk Dumpling began shouting in her heart, frightening Madam Mu so badly that her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
She truly wanted to know what kind of life her daughter had lived in the An household before.
In the next moment, Madam Mu heard her daughter’s voice continue.
【And this rice bowl—she actually killed her own husband? What? The child is her father-in-law’s…】
Nianbao was instantly wide awake. Her two large eyes sparkled as she looked exceptionally alert.
Beside her, Madam Mu was almost unable to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
She followed her daughter’s gaze.
It was a woman of about twenty-one or twenty-two. A small white flower was pinned in her hair, and she looked gentle and mild.
Though she was not particularly beautiful, she had the delicate charm of a sheltered young lady. Looking closely, one could see that although her clothes were neat and proper, they accentuated her figure extremely well.
Madam Mu composed herself and was just about to dismiss the women when her daughter’s startled cry rang in her ears.
【Wow, wow, my Maternal Grandfather is amazing! The rice bowl he found for me is actually… actually this big…】
Little Nianbao’s gaze suddenly grew fervent.
【As the saying goes, the bigger the rice bowl, the more than one mouthful it can hold…】
Little Nianbao’s eyes shone with excitement.
Looking at her daughter, Madam Mu’s lips curved faintly. She had no idea what the girl had gone through before…
“Nianbao, tell Mother which wet nurse you like. We’ll keep whichever one you choose, all right?” Madam Mu gently stroked her daughter’s soft, chubby cheek.
Little Nianbao swallowed and came back to her senses.
【Choose? My Maternal Grandfather has money, so why choose? We should keep them all!】
Madam Mu pressed her lips together. Hearing her daughter’s thoughts, she truly did not know what to say.
Leaving aside everything else, how could they keep those few whose intentions were clearly impure?
Madam Mu furrowed her brows, finding herself unable to decide for the moment.
At last, Mu Anguo, who had been listening to their conversation from the doorway, spoke up. “Third Younger Sister, our family isn’t short of money. Keep all these wet nurses for Nianbao!”
Madam Mu had still been hesitating, but hearing Second Brother’s words warmed her heart.
【Wow, wow, Second Maternal Uncle is handsome, his voice is so pleasant, and he understands me so well. Sure enough, he’s one of my favorite uncles… one of them…】
Mu Anguo paused, then the corners of his lips curled upward.
The maids and servants at the doorway saw the expression on the Second Young Master’s face and instantly widened their eyes.
The Second Young Master had smiled!
It was the first time he had ever smiled so happily. Everyone felt as though their hearts were about to pound out of their chests.
Mu Anguo seemed to sense something and immediately restrained his smile.
“Then we’ll do as Second Brother says!” Madam Mu called toward the outside.
The matter of the wet nurses was settled, and Little Nianbao, having accomplished her mission, went off to sleep.
At that moment, Old General Mu took a deep breath and turned toward the imperial palace.
That was right—he was going to the palace.
Old General Mu entered the palace in tears, and the common people along the way had already become numb to the sight.
In the palace, the Emperor had just returned to the Imperial Study when he heard about what had happened between the An household and the Mu Family.
The Emperor sipped his tea, a trace of coldness in his eyes.
“Mu Daniu returned to the capital and actually didn’t come to see Me first. Sure enough, he’s a…”
“Your Majesty, Old General Mu is waiting outside the palace in tears!”
The little eunuch knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head as he spoke.
The Emperor paused slightly. A chill deepened in his eyes, and he threw the teacup in his hand directly at the little eunuch’s head.
The little eunuch did not just fail to dodge; he did not even dare to move his body in the slightest.
The Emperor took a handkerchief and gently wiped his fingers. His voice was cold as he said, “Invite him in.”
“Yes!” the little eunuch answered. Only then did he cautiously leave on his knees.
“Tell Me, what does Mu Daniu mean by this? Back then, when I wanted to marry Mu Lan, Mu Daniu said that Mu Lan was crude and unworthy of Me. Yet later, he married Mu Lan off to An Taidi!”
The Emperor threw the handkerchief, now clean, onto the floor, his eyes filled with mockery.
“Never mind. I would like to see what Mu Daniu is trying to do!”
The Emperor gave a cold snort.
A moment later, Old General Mu had already reached the doors of the Imperial Study.
The Emperor had already changed his expression.
“Minister Mu, what is this…” The Emperor hurried forward and supported Old General Mu with both hands as the latter tried to kneel.
Old General Mu raised his head, his large black-and-white eyes opened wide. Then tears the size of beans began to fall, one after another.
“Your Majesty… Your Majesty, this old subject is suffering…”