Chapter 205 Meeting Enemies After Returning in Victory

Some time ago, Taizi had wanted to bribe Ke Yun’er’s grandfather. He had ordered several officials to petition the Emperor that Mu army’s successful counterinsurgency efforts were due to the efforts of the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue. They had prepared sufficient army provisions for the army. Thus, they should be conferred a title.

At that time, Ke Yun’er hadn’t dared to say anything, but she had sneered. She knew that the Emperor was suspicious and liked listening to the truth. The reason that he doted on her was because she was naïve and spoke what she thought without hiding anything. So, the Emperor had asked her why she had sneered. She had replied, “Emperor, Nubi doesn’t dare to discuss politics.”

The Emperor had replied, “Zhen will pardon you.”

She had immediately replied, “Emperor, if the soldiers pacifying the rebellion heard about these memorials, wouldn’t their hearts turn cold? According to what Nubi heard, the soldiers ate whatever they could catch in the swamps. They even had to eat grass and tree roots. If Emperor confers a title to Minister of War and Minister of Revenue, then how will you reward the soldiers who suffered and worked hard to counter Nanjiang’s rebellion? Isn’t this posing a difficult problem for you, Emperor?”

The Emperor didn’t blame her and had asked her instead, “But the Minister of War is your grandfather. Don’t you want him to have a title?”

“Yes.” She had pretended to righteously reply, “Who doesn’t want their relatives to enjoy Emperor’s grace and obtain a title? But that has to be because of real effort. He can’t be scolded as not living up to his achievements, right?”

When she had finished speaking, her old grandfather’s Marquis title was immediately lost. You want to look down on my father and be partial towards my step-grandmother’s children? I’ll play with you to death!

Moreover, she had soon taken a leave of absence. She had returned back to Minister of War’s fu and said to her step-grandmother, “Do you know what the Emperor said to me today? He wanted to confer gradndfather as Marquis Yongle. Do you know what I said? I told the Emperor that he isn’t worthy, so the Emperor didn’t issue a decree. So, with me here, don’t ever think that you will be Marquis furen.”

At that time, the vicious woman had spat out blood. Because she had kicked all the servants out, the old woman didn’t have anything that she could use against her. If Ke Yun’er refused to admit it, what could the darned old woman do to her?

Huh! So what if you married your daughter to Taizi? I can still steal Taizi away and tell him not to sleep with her!

………

On the other end, Zi You and the others finally arrived in the capital in autumn.

Mu YingYi noticed that this was the same time as when they had left the capital, whether it was going into the mountains for military triaing or the going to the battlefield. The Emperor had either personally led hundreds of officials to send them off or Taizi had led hundreds of officials to send them off. It was only last time when they were leaving to pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang that the Emperor and Taizi had made excuses that they were feeling unwell to not send them off. Second Wangzi had led hundreds of officials to send them to the gate instead.

They had obviously been treated so coldly. It was a pity that he and his father couldn’t see the Emperor and Taizi’s sinister thoughts. They knew that he and his father would never come back, so they didn’t even bother doing the superficial pleasantries.

Mu YingYi looked at the fake smile on Taizi’s face. He was so angry that his face turned wooden. No matter what Taizi asked, he replied very coldly and never smiled.

Taizi felt extremely awkward until Zi You pushed out Shangguan LingRan, who was disguised as Old General Mu, in a wheelchair.

Taizi quickly went over and pretended to humbly say, “Old General Mu is feeling unwell. You didn’t have to come out.”

“Etiquette should not be disregarded.” Shangguan LingRan imitated Old General Mu’s voice perfectly. “Please forgive Chen for not being able to salute you out of this wheelchair, Taizi. Chen’s legs were bitten by poisonous creatures in the swamp for too long. They’re probably wasted. Chen can probably never stand up and walk again.”

“You’er can’t treat it?” Taizi pretended to look sadly at Zi You.

Sure enough, she was more beautiful now. Even if Chang’e descended from the Moon Palace, she wouldn’t be as beautiful and elegant as Zi You.

She was wearing a light blue upper garment. Her neckline and sleeves were edged with ice blue silver thread. She was wearing a light blue ombre dress embroidered with silver flowers. The light blue made her seem amiable. The ice blue was dazzling. The silver thread flashed. Plus, crystals were sewn between the flower petals. They shone in the sun and blinded people’s eyes.

Zi You didn’t wear any gold or red jewelry. Instead, she had on jade-blue and emerald-green feathers that flashed a deep light. The blue clothing matched them seamlessly. She seemed elegant and leisure, but she still had a low-key refiniement and brilliance. In autumn, the world was a golden color. Her blue outfit contrasting against the gold made her even more eye-catching.

Her appearance and posture were vivid unlike the juvenile air from two years ago. Her whole body was filled with bright and dazzling brilliance. Against the bright background, her skin seemed even more like snow. Her eyes were like autumn water. Her faint smile made her eyes and teeth seem brighter.

She wasn’t as cold and aloof as she was to him two years ago. Instead, she smiled more flirtatiously. Even when she bowed to him, Taizi felt that Zi You deliberately moved elegantly and beautifully, like a dance and like floating clouds.

Her voice was like a warbler and sweeter than it was two years ago. It was as clear and moving as spring water in the mountains. “Chennu pays respects to Taizi. Wishing Taizi good fortune!”

“Please rise, You’er.” Taizi smiled gently and kindly as usual. “It’s been really hard on you! You’ve made great achievements this time. This Taizi will ask Fuwang to reward you greatly.”

“Thank you, Taizi!” Zi You slightly bowed again. “Chennu doesn’t dare to ask for a reward. Chennu is also part of Great Yan. It is Chennu’s duty to contribute to the country and the government and share the Emperor’s worries. Chennu doesn’t dare to claim any credit.”

Zi You smiled at Taizi as she spoke. Her beautiful eyes shimmered, as if they chould hook out his soul.

Taizi’s heart rate increased. He asked somewhat unfomrotably, “You’er…… You’er, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like that?” Zi You deliberately tilted her head mischievously. She smiled vividly and cutely. “That’s because brother-in-law is looking at me. Otherwise, how can you know that I’m looking at you, brother-in-law?”

Taizi was overjoyed! He had never given up on Zi You. Now, he saw that she was more beautiful than two years ago and her personality was livelier and more open.

Two years ago, he had thought that she was indeed very beautiful, but she had lack some vividness, like an unattainable fairy. Now, this fairy had fallen into the mortal world and was within his reach. So, how could he not be excited?

He thought: ‘If you were so easy to get close to now and not kept people a thousand miles away, would I need to expend so much thought and effort to coax Liu Ruixue to invite you to the fu? I would have just done it myself.’

Taizi immediately pretended to smile warmly. “Oh, right. Your Xue jiejie was thinking about you this morning. She said that she really misses you and wants to invite you over. Do you have any time?”

“I also miss Xue jiejie.” Zi You replied very straightforwardly. “Please tell jiejie that I don’t have time right now, brother-in-law. I’ll go visit her when I get everything settled. Besides, I have to prepare a decent gift for my little nephew before I can visit her. I’m a little aunt at the very least.”

Taizi didn’t expect that Zi You would get close to him. He became more and more happy. He was originally worried that Darong Ka had given him up. Now, this concern completely dissipated.

It seemed that what they wrote in their letters were true. When they found Darong Ka, Darong Ka was already dead. Otherwise, Mu Junyuan was so ill that they could have found a reason to prevaricate and stay in Nanjiang.

As if to confirm his guess, Zi You said, “Chennu thank you for your kind regards to Xue jiejie, Taizi.”

Then she playfully shook her head and mumbled to herself, “Eh, look at me. Why am I thanking you? You are Xue jiejie’s husband, so you should treat her well. I’ve said the wrong thing, brother-in-law. Don’t take offense.”

Taizi had originally wanted to ask after Old General Mu’s condition. He had even arranged for some imperial doctors. But Zi You repeatedly joking made him forget about everything else.

Zi You had been joking only with Taizi. Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi were extremely jealous.

Third Wangzi was originally angry that Taizi’s limelight had been suppressing him. Now, he saw Zi You smiling brilliantly at him, unlike when she was closer to him two years ago.

So, he instantly walked over and said tartly, “It seems that Taizi gege is too dazzling and blinded Mu Xiaojie’s eyes. Second brother and I are here, but Mu Xiaojie didn’t even see us.”

Zi You didn’t get angry and went over to bow to Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi. She still had a leisure smile on her face. “Chennu pays respects to Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi! Wishing Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi good fortune!”

“Please quickly get up, Mu Xiaojie.” Compared to Third Wangzi’s publicly expressed dissatisfaction, Second Wangzi didn’t make things difficult for Zi You. His eyes burned as they looked at her with a deep yearning.

Zi You slightly smiled at him. She then looked at Third Wangzi and said, “Third Wangzi, you can’t blame Chennu or Taizi. You can only blame you and Second Wangzi. We haven’t seen each other in two years, but Third Wangzi has grown so tall. Chennu didn’t dare to recognize you because Chennu was afraid to be wrong.”

“Then you can only recognize Taizi gege?” Third Wangzi still asked, still unwilling to give up.

Zi You deliberately looked at all three of them. She shook her head desolately. “That’s because Taizi is wearing a bright yellow brocade robe or Chennu wouldn’t dare to recognize him. After all, Chennu has left the capital for more than two years. Everything in the capital has changed. It’s normal for Chennu not to recognize you, right? Please forgive Chennu, Wangzis.”

“Third brother, don’t be so obstinate.” Taizi reprimanded Third Wangzi in dissatisfaction.

Third Wangzi immediately glared at Taizi like he was an enemy. He asked mockingly, “What? Taizi gege even wants to control me making a joke now? You’re overreaching your authority!”

“You……” Taizi was very angry. He hated this Third Wangzi who went against him on everything and everywhere.

Now that he saw him wanting to fight with him for Zi You, he was so angry that he hated that he couldn’t punch his handsome face.

They were like two roosters fighting as they glared at each other. But they suddenly heard someone shouting nauseatingly, “You meimei, you’re finally back.”

The two of them, no, they along with Second Wangzi, Shangguan LingRan, and Zi You looked towards the sound.

They saw a man wearing a lake blue satin embroidered robe. A wide Hetian jade patterned belt was around his waist. A jade hair crown decorated with gold and red was on his head. He draped on a silver silk plain brocade cloak. If he didn’t limp or had swollen eyes, he could be a prominent family’s elegant gongzi. This person was the slag male Zhao HongXiang.

Zi You secretly sneered. He was here putting on airs and he really wasted his wolf skin.

Everyone saw Zi You’s fiancé come over. Their hearts were stifled. Their faces instantly sunk and they no longer spoke.

Zhao HongXiang’s eyes popped wide open when he saw Zi You. But he knew that he couldn’t go overboard. He quickly went over to greet Old General Mu. “This junior pays respects to grandfather. Wishing grandfather good fortune!”

Zhao HongXiang thought that he was elegant and refined. Although he had a limp, that didn’t prevent women from liking him.

Especially now that he had entered the Ministry of War under Taizi’s arrangements. He was a fifth-rank minister and his career was on the rise.

One reason was because he was young. He would also be a titled Duke in the future. He was from Taizi’s camp and he was Old General Mu’s future grandson-in-law. His future was limitless.

Otherwise, why would Yu Lanxuan wholeheartedly want to marry him and affectionately confess to him? “Xiang gege, I just want to be with you. I’m willing, even as a maidservant or a concubine!”

And what about the maidservants in Duke Yongnan fu? Which one didn’t want to become his woman? It could be seen that he was very charming. Other than his slight limp, he was good in all aspects.

Old General Mu should be very pleased to see his outstanding grandson-in-law. He should be very polite to him. Otherwise, if he was aloof like before, Zhao HongXiang wouldn’t bother serving him.

Shangguan LingRan was angry as soon as he saw Zhao HongXiang. He had already decided to make things difficult for him, so he didn’t speak when he saw Zhao HongXiang bow to him. He just looked at him with eyes that burned like a torch, which gave Zhao HongXiang nowhere to hide.

Zhao HongXiang was originally a lustful and fickle person. He was almost always in a state of excessive lust, so his waist and legs were always sore. He was angry being stared at by Shangguan LingRan and straightened up.

Shangguan LingRan instantly and coldly snorted. “Huh! Did this old man tell you to get up? It has been six months since we’ve seen each other. Did you forget how to respect your elders?”

Zhao HongXiang immediately lost all of his patience. He sneered in dissatisfaction. Even his address changed. “Is Old General Mu dissatisfied with this junior? If this junior did something wrong, you can point it out another day. You and You meimei just came back. Aren’t you tired?”

It could be said that the only thing Zhao HongXiang was satisfied about Zi You was her appearance. As for everything else, if he was interested in Old General Mu’s prestige before, he didn’t care anymore now.

That was because Zhao HongXiang had submitted to Taizi and found a larger backer. Moreover, according to what Taizi had privately told him, Taizi seemed to want to seize Old General Mu’s military power. Old General Mu had nothing worthy of his respect or fear anymore. There was a saying that “a hairless phoenix was inferior to a chicken.” If Old General Mu didn’t have his military power, he wouldn’t even be as powerful as Yu Lanxuan’s father. So what did Zhao HongXiang have to be afraid of?

Xuan’er’s father used to be the Minister of Revenue. But he was demoted two ranks because of Yu Meilian’s involvement in Fourth Gongzhu’s matter. But Old General Mu would be inferior to him if he didn’t have his military power.

Besides, his mother had said, “That Mu Zi You was saved by some expert and had her injuries healed. But who knows if that expert did something to her? If she’s defiled, then we’ll suffer a loss!”

His mother was right. If Mu Zi You’s Shifu really took advantage of her, then wouldn’t he be a sucker?

Would she still think that she is still so outstanding? Therefore, Zhao HongXiang dared to be so arrogant today.

“You…… Cough, cough……” Shangguan LingRan pretended that he was angered and coughed.

Zi You hated that she couldn’t go slap the slag man a few times. But she remembered her plan and bowed to Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi. She said apologetically, “Please forgive us, Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi. Grandather is too ill. He can’t stay out in the wind too long. I’m bringing him into the horse carriage.”

She ordered someone to bring Shangguan LingRan into the horse carriage. Then she turned to look at Zhao HongXiang and coldly smiled. “We haven’t seen each other in more than two years. Shizi’s temper has grown, but your manners have not.”

She then lowered the curtain and blocked everyone’s sights.

On the way into the capital, the streets were filled with people welcoming the Mu army.

They knew that Nanjiang was now a county of Great Yan. They knew that when the Mu army was trapped in swamps, the female medical team Commander and Old General Mu’s granddaughter Mu Zi You saved the Mu army at the most critical moment. Hence, everyone wanted to see Zi You.

The people were very excited. It could be seen that Zi You and Old General Mu were deeply respected and loved by the citizens.

“I heard that Old General Mu’s granddaughter is an immortal now. When she got to the swamps, she waved her hand and saved the soldiers.”

“A military family’s descendant wouldn’t be bad of course. Just take a look at Old General Mu.”

“But I heard that Old General Mu is ill. He was trapped in the swamps for more than ten days! I heard that there were all sorts of demons and ghosts in the swamps.”

“It would be great if we could see Mu Xiaojie and her immortal Shifu.”

“……”

The noise of the crowd outside poured into the horse carriage like a wave. But Zi You and Shangguan LingRan didn’t smile at all.

Zhao HongXiang’s arrogance and insolence made them detect something abnormal.

Zi You thought about it and said, “We should take a two-pronged approach. At the same time I dissolve the engagement with Zhao HongXiang, we have to ruin Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan’s reputations. I want them to wish that they are dead!”

Shangguan LingRan could see deep hatred in Zi You’s eyes. It was the same as when he saw her resentful and vicious gaze at Zhao HongXiang when they were in Zhao HongXiang’s study that time. If she didn’t have a deep hatred for him, YouYou could never dislike someone like this.

He had known her for so long now and really understood her. She was actually a warm, but cold-faced person. As long as you treated her well, she would dig her heart out for you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have rushed over without even thinking about it to save Mu YingYi and the soldiers when they were in danger of the flash flood.

Shangguan LingRan reached out in distress to tightly hold Zi You’s hand. “Why do you hate them so much?”

Zi You was shocked! She then realized that she had no more defenses in front of Shangguan LingRan. All of her emotions were seen by him. This was something that she never even did in front of her grandfather and uncle.

She was a little nervous. She didn’t know how to tell Shangguan LingRan because she couldn’t guarantee what he would do to her after she told him the truth. She was a ghost who had died unjustly!

Shangguan LingRan was even sadder to see her frown with her eyes full of grief. He thought of how she didn’t have her mother’s care and how her father was such fickle scum. Even if her grandfather and uncle doted on her, they were military men who fought in wars. How could they be attentive and understand a girl’s thoughts? Although her aunt also cared about her, how could she compare with Zi You’s biological mother?

Shangguan LingRan then thought about Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan. One was the son of her grandfather’s friend. One was her stepmother’s niece. YouYou must have been humiliated by them and couldn’t tell her grandfather. That was why she wanted to seek vengeance on her own.

Shangguan LingRan pulled Zi You into his arms and comforted softly, “Don’t say it if you don’t want to say it. YouYou, I will never abandon you no matter what! I will always protect you and never let you suffer any little grievance with me here.”

Shangguan LingRan’s appearance of “There’s me for everything” made Zi You’s cold heart warm up again. She snuggled into his arms, as docile as a kitten.

She said cowardly, “It’s not that I don’t want to say it. When the time is right, I will definitely tell you. I just want to say that those two are not good people!”

“I think so too.” Zi You hadn’t finished speaking when Shangguan LingRan said, “Then we’ll let those two hateful pests wish that they are dead. I will support you no matter what you do, YouYou!”

“There’s also that Wang Yiping.” Zi You thought of her uncle’s desolate appearance and couldn’t help but say rensentfully, “I suspect that it’s her plan that that maidservant climbed onto the bed. Only if uncle and aunt are in conflict could she take advantage of the chaos to get the household management back.

“Only when she has power can she embezzle money from the thousands of acres of farmland and more than a dozen shops in the bustling areas. Duke Yingguo furen is also a moneygrubber. I think that half of Wang Yiping’s sixty-eight dowry boxes are empty.”

“Isn’t that easy enough to check?” Shangguan LingRan smiled confidently. “Find the real dowry list and it will all become clear. Leave it to me. I will take care of Duke Yingguo furen.”

Zi You looked coquettishly at him and wanted to speak, but couldn’t.

Shangguan LingRan couldn’t help but reach out to poke her pretty nose. He asked dotingly, “What is it? What can’t you say to me? Is it something difficult to say?”

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