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Chapter 13: The End of the Feast
This sentence by Empress Dowager Zheng unwittingly belittled Mu Yunjin’s and Yan Lingchang\'s statuses, making them look really bad.
"Aijia merely wanted to invite these few youngsters to come and drink some light wine and talk. As for Empress Dowager Zheng, you are caring about this too much." Imperial Concubine Qin replied sarcastically while glancing over at Elder Maid Qu.
Elder Maid Qu understood and walked to a corner, pouring a cup of plum wine for Empress Dowager Zheng, "Empress Dowager, please try this wine that Imperial Concubine has ordered us to brew."
Empress Dowager Zheng glanced at the wine cup without any intention to drink it. Instead, for a long time she kept sweeping her eyes over the group below. Eventually, her eyes drifted over to Mu Lingzhu sitting all alone.
"Isn\'t that lady the three-year champion of the great Literary Compet.i.tion, the number one talented lady of the nation of Xiyuan, the Fourth Miss Lingzhu of the Mu family?" Empress Dowager Zheng was shocked that Mu Lingzhu had been relegated to that corner.
When Mu Lingzhu heard what Empress Dowager Zheng had said about her, she finally felt that this was a blessing from heaven and she had gotten some consolation.
She could not help but desire to be a bit more close with this Empress Dowager Zheng.
"Xiangxian, you are at error here! This lady has contributed much to our nation of Xiyuan, how could you leave her in that corner?" Empress Dowager Zheng looked towards her and began to berate her.
Imperial Concubine noticed that Empress Dowager Zheng was intentionally finding fault using Mu Lingzhu as an excuse, so she did not think too much of it. She replied, "Empress Dowager Zheng, you just misunderstand aijia, isn\'t it just that the numbers happen to be uneven? Don\'t tell me that you want aijia to ask Elder Maid Qu to go over and accompany Fourth Miss Mu?"
"Furthermore, don\'t just keep talking about the Literary Compet.i.tion every time you open your mouth, didn\'t the champion this year change? For these kinds of things that always change its champion, there\'s nothing much uncommon about it."
Imperial Concubine Qin merely said these few words, but Empress Dowager Zheng was left speechless.
Mu Yunjin ate the snacks on the table indifferently. However, as she was listening to the conversation between these two elders, her attention drifted over to watch Mu Lingzhu\'s expression when Imperial Concubine Qin mocked her.
As a result, Mu Yunjin\'s eyes were filled with more mirth. If only she could laugh out loud right now, that would be great.
Chu Li saw that face beaming with joy and his heart was slightly moved. He suddenly thought that he had seen this bright and beautiful face before.
"Is that the rumored Third Miss Mu?" Empress Dowager Zheng\'s target changed yet again as she faced Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin heard Empress Dowager call her name so she looked up, meeting the gaze of Empress Dowager Zheng.
After meeting Mu Yunjin gaze, Empress Dowager\'s eyes filled with disdain, "She has really grown up with a nice face, but aside from how beautiful it is, she\'s ruined on the inside."
"If you really want to betroth her to Li\'er, from what aijia can see, she could only be his concubine."
In the face of Empress Dowager\'s blunt verbal attack, Mu Yunjin acted as if she did not hear anything and continued to eat the cake she held in her hands, casually taking bites of it.
Chu Li watched this scene with interest. If he had not seen her true fox-like appearance, seeing the way she acted like the mockery had nothing to do with her now, he really would have thought that she was the same as the rumors.
"Empress Dowager Zheng\'s words are all unfounded." Imperial Concubine Qin retorted once again.
"From the very beginning, a woman\'s virtue is to have no talent. Jin\'er was born with a heavenly appearance so being matched with Li\'er will definitely be a match made in heaven. She is so much better than those women who only know how to fight everyday, living life by killing one another."
Empress Dowager Zheng had been stumped by Imperial Concubine Qin again and again, especially since she brought up the topic of fighting and women killing one another. Her eyes flashed with a certain chill.
"My two grandmothers are going to bicker till their lips are dry. Drink some wine instead; moisten your lips." Chu Qing, who had remained silent the entire time, lifted his wine cup and meaningfully looked at the two above him.
Seeing that Chu Qing had provided her a way out of the embarra.s.sing situation, Empress Dowager Zheng went along with it. She raised her wine cup and lightly took a sip.
After Empress Dowager Zheng finished drinking the wine, she truly felt depressed. Just now she had tried to verbally spar with Qu Xiangxian, but she had been beaten down. She really could not accept it.
"As for all of you, today aijia has invited you and met you in person. In the future, aijia will prepare more feasts like this so you must continue to give me face [1]." Imperial Concubine Qin laughed as she spoke to the younger generation, straightforwardly casting Empress Dowager to the side.
Without waiting for the few of them to reply, Empress Dowager Zheng once again could not help but to say, "Aijia also has a maple tree; it produces red maple leaves throughout the year. Why don\'t you come to aijia\'s place next time to visit?"
This feast hastily ended not soon after Empress Dowager Zheng\'s arrival.
After it ended, Imperial Concubine Qin specially walked over to Chu Li and smiled as she said, "Li\'er, Jin\'er is a stranger to this palace, you should send her off."
Mu Yunjin was standing nearby. After she heard what Imperial Concubine Qin said, she unconsciously touched her neck.
When Mu Lingzhu heard what Imperial Concubine Qin ordered, she immediately walked towards where Mu Yunjin was standing. She stood firmly behind her and snuck glances at Chu Li, before smiling . She looked at Mu Yunjin, "Elder Sister, let\'s walk together."
"Fourth Miss Mu, please accompany aijia in a stroll around the Imperial Garden." Empress Dowager Zheng came down from her seat and walked towards Mu Lingzhu, smiling at her dotingly.
Mu Lingzhu was shocked, but she knew she couldn\'t refuse the Empress Dowager\'s invitation so she bowed to Chu Li and then left with Empress Dowager Zheng.
—
After leaving the Plum Garden, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li walked side by side. Both of them remained silent without any intention of talking to the other.
Once Mu Yunjun left the Plum Garden, she could feel gloomy auras radiate once again from Chu Li\'s surroundings.
She wondered whether this man was someone who was targeted by a.s.sa.s.sins everyday that he would have such mysterious auras surrounding him every single time he went out.
But she was keeping up the appearances by playing the fool so she definitely could not ask him something like this.
After leaving the Plum Blossoms Hall, Mu Yunjin could bear this oppressive atmosphere no longer. She stopped walking and turned towards Chu Li, who was standing beside her, "I know the rest of the way out of the palace, I don\'t have to trouble the Sixth Prince to send me."
"Okay." Chu Li nodded his head slowly. His eyes reflected some mysterious meaning.
Mu Yunjin smiled as if some great burden had been lifted from her and immediately turned around and increased her walking speed.
Chu Li stayed where he was and continued to watch her retreating silhouette.
Ding Xian stood at his side, and followed his family\'s Master\'s line of sight before giving a sigh, "Your highness, you could not possibly have gained an interest in the Mu Family\'s Third Miss, right?"
Hearing this, Chu Li looked over at Ding Xian cooly, "I was merely curious how far she\'s going to take her act of pretending to be a pig that can actually eat a tiger.
"Follow after her to make sure she leaves the Palace safely."
After Ding Xian received the order, he pursed his lips and walked towards the direction that Mu Yunjin had gone in.
Mu Yunjin left the Palace doors very quickly. The moment she walked out of the Palace, she heard Zi Xiang\'s voice come from the road, "Miss".
Mu Yunjin smiled at Zi Xiang and prepared to leave in her family carriage.
Just as she was preparing to get on, she thought of how Mu Lingzhu had been called out by Empress Dowager Zheng for a chat, and she also did not know how long they would be talking for.
She definitely was not willing to wait for Mu Lingzhu indefinitely.
As a result, after thinking for a moment, she said to the cart driver, "You wait here for Lingzhu, Zi Xiang and I will go back on our own."
When the Cart Driver heard what Mu Yunjin had said, he softly grunted in reply. He could not be bothered with Mu Yunjin.
—
Mu Yunjin brought Zi Xiang to the main street and leisurely strolled around. Zi Xiang, who was standing by her side, appeared a bit worried and would caution Mu Yunjin from time to time.
"Miss, why don\'t we return home quickly. If the Fourth Miss reaches home first, it will be hard for us to explain why we\'re late."
Mu Yunjin looked at the people who filled the streets and was completely relaxed. She curved her lips into a smiled, "Look, the world outside is so beautiful but we are forced to return to be cooped up inside the Ascending Blossoms Pavilion."
"Miss…" Zi Xiang knitted her eyebrows together and felt that Miss was feeling aggrieved inside that family. However, right now, she was still afraid that Mu Yunjin would be scolded by Mu Xiang again.
She had been following Mu Yunjin ever since she was young and had seen many instances of bullying directed towards the Miss.
"Alright, alright. I\'ll head back. I really have to admit defeat to you." Mu Yunjin had been nagged by Zi Xiang to no end and could only agree. She turned around to walk towards the Residence.
When Zi Xiang saw that Mu Yunjin was listening to her, she smiled happily and followed by her side.
When they returned to the residence, they walked past the hall. They just happened to see Mu Xiang who had come home from drinking tea with an old friend. When Mu Xiang saw Mu Yunjin, his face pulled into a frown and he looked extremely irritated.
"Father." Mu Yunjin bowed towards Mu Xiang then prepared to walk past him to return to the Ascending Blossoms Pavilion.
"Wait." Mu Xiang stopped Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin stopped in her tracks, looking at Mu Xiang, waiting for further words. At her side, Zi Xiang began to tremble from fear.
"Today Imperial Concubine Qin invited you and Zhu\'er into the palace. Did she say anything of importance?" Mu Xiang asked.
Mu Yunjin shook her head, "Imperial Concubine Qin only held a banquet in the Plum Blossoms Garden, and invited us to drink some plum wine. As for everything else, there is nothing else to say."
Mu Xiang heard this, and his brows furrowed. He just knew that he wouldn\'t get anything out of this brainless girl.
Seeing Mu Yunjin was a bit annoying so he waved his hand, "You may go."
"Yes, Father."
After Mu Yunjin left, Mu Xiang sat in the anteroom by himself, his heart silently thinking about the Imperial power struggle that was to come.
As of now in the royal family, the emperor had not yet named a Crown Prince. And from the available Princes, namely, there were the Third Prince, Chu Qing, the Fourth Prince, Chu Ye, or the Sixth Prince, Chu Li. Any of them could someday become the successors to the throne.
In regards to these three Princes, he still leaned towards Chu Li a bit more.
But today, Imperial Concubine Qin wished to bring Mu Yunjin and Chu Li together. To the Mu Residence, even though this wasn\'t something bad, Yunjin that girl……
Mu Xiang thought about it, slightly sighing, as his finger reached out to dip itself in the tea. On the table, he leisurely wrote the character \'snow\'.
Almost immediately, he used his sleeve to wipe it off.
As he thought, two carriages stopped outside of the residence. Mu Lingzhu slowly walked in. The moment she saw Mu Xiang, she bowed and showed her respect to him.
When Mu Xiang saw Mu Lingzhu, the overcast expression on his face decreased quite a bit, as a rare smile was revealed, "I heard that Empress Dowager Zheng talked to you alone afterwards. Did you say anything of importance?"
Mu Lingzhu heard this and slightly lowered her head, some tears on her face as she replied, "Empress Dowager Zheng thinks that I should marry Fourth Prince, Chu Ye."
"Chu Ye?" Mu Xiang was a bit surprised.
Mu Lingzhu nodded, the rims of her eyes a bit red, "Father, I do not wish to marry Fourth Prince. My heart has been fixed on Sixth Prince, and I will only marry Sixth Prince in this lifetime."
"Shut up!" Mu Xiang glared at Mu Lingzhu, "If your words get out, you\'ll be beheaded!"
"Sit down first. As for what Imperial Concubine Qin said today, and what Empress Dowager Zheng told you, repeat it to me thoroughly."
"Yes, Father."
—
[1] If you give someone face, you\'re respecting them.
Translated by tranzgeek and socksrocker
Edited by Ely