In the end, Mu Wan couldn’t finish listening to the juicy romantic gossip about Marquis Zhenbei because Mu Rou, who had been rescued, suddenly fainted from a high fever. Shen-shi and the Mu family’s servants were frantically bustling to hurriedly bring Mu Rou back home, while Li Yichen escorted them with a worried expression.
These disturbances couldn’t be concealed under the public’s eye, and so the gossip shifted from the Marquis Zhenbei to whether Sixth Young Master Li would overcome obstacles to be with the Second Miss Mu. What a disaster would it be if he was forced to marry the Eldest Miss instead?
Seeing Yunling about to explode in anger, Mu Wan quickly took her away.
In the early days of the third month, the mountains still bore the spring chill and were especially cold after nightfall. Yet, the backyard of a small suburb estate at the foot of Linglong Mountain was steaming with warm white mist.
“Hey, Mu A’wan, I heard your fiancé has been chasing after your younger sister, is that true? What exactly are you planning…” Nanxi Xiangjun1 burst into the yard energetically, but her words halted abruptly upon seeing the scenery inside.
Unlike the sprouting green in the mountain, the garden here was lush with large peonies competing in beauty amidst the white mist, yet they could not overshadow the vivid colors in the hot spring.
The girl soaking in the pool looked about sixteen or seventeen, with smooth, milky-white skin resembling pure jade. Her white inner robe, soaked and clung tightly to her body, outlined her delicate collarbones and the faint curve of her chest, further accentuated by the long black hair cascading down her back. Thanks to the hot spring bath, her stunning face flushed slightly like a ripening peach…
Zhu Nanxi subconsciously swallowed, experiencing a tangible sense of the phrase ‘a masterwork defying perfection.’
Yet the girl seemed unaware of her own allure, lazily closing her eyes with an expression of carefree contentment. If Zhu Nanxi hadn’t known this girl as a friend, she might have thought she had stumbled into some divine territory or even fallen into the spell of some charm demon. “My dear Xiangjun,” hearing Zhu Nanxi’s voice, the girl turned her head and lazily spoke up. “You surely are well-informed. Weren’t you accompanying your grandmother to worship at the temple? How come you’re here?”
Seeing her friend soaking comfortably, Zhu Nanxi didn’t hesitate and ordered the servant girl to undress her, “I heard you were wronged and came over in a hurry. Apparently, that Li family’s sixth son had an appointment with you today, and then he just left you behind after one look without a single word? That’s really rude.”
“I thought I’d have to comfort a pitiful friend of mine today, but instead… wow… this is too comfortable,” Zhu Nanxi stepped down the steps at the edge of the hot spring. In the cold night, the warm water gradually enveloped her body, bringing a deep sense of contentment. “You really know how to enjoy life,” she sighed comfortably.
Zhu Nanxi had just finished speaking when a servant girl put a few wooden trays in the water. “Fine grape wine, glass cups, cold watermelons, and lychees. People said that I am the number one prodigal girl in the capital, but they should see you. When it comes to enjoyment, who can compete with our Eldest Miss Mu here? I’m truly far behind.”
Mu Wan picked up a piece of watermelon with a skewer and gave her friend a glance, “Oh please, don’t ruin my reputation.”
“Do you still need me to ruin your reputation?” Dismissing the accusation, Zhu Nanxi also picked a piece. She then clicked her tongue, “I heard that the day you returned, the Mu family was so enthusiastic, even the stone lions at the gate were spotlessly polished. Anyone who didn’t know better would think your family was expecting some high official. Not even your father’s homecoming was greeted with such pomp.”
“And that younger sister of yours, in the days before your return, she took the young misses from various families to your courtyard under the pretense of checking if anything was lacking. What they found was such an exquisitely prepared boudoir, filled with carefully selected items. Truly an eye-opener, they said.”
Mu Wan chuckled, “All just for show, those paper kites look fancy but are of common make and don’t fly high. The storybooks are outdated, the game stick lacks quality, and only the parrot is somewhat interesting, but it’s not of any expensive breed…”
She shook her head and sighed, “Such perfunctory effort.”
Zhu Nanxi: “…”
“Why are you still lazying around, then?” She couldn’t hold back, “You’re already seventeen, by all accounts, you should be discussing your marriage date with the Li family the moment you returned to the capital. First, your stepmother tarnishes your reputation, and today that sixth son of the Li family publicly shamed you. I don’t believe you have no plans.”
Despite the rumors of Eldest Miss Mu being an arrogant, domineering, good-for-nothing ignorant, Zhu Nanxi had witnessed with her own eyes how eloquently Mu Wan argued with scholars to persuade wealthy merchants for famine relief, ultimately influencing the government’s decision. This girl was barely fifteen back then, and despite her achievements, remained behind the scenes.
Such a significant matter Mu Wan could handle, let alone a marriage already advantageous to her? Unfortunately, she was usually too lazy, preferring an idle life of leisure over exerting her brain.
But what no one knew was that Mu Wan had lived such a life before. In her previous life, Mu Wan had overworked her brain, and while she managed to sit in the position many couldn’t even dream of, she ultimately lost her life in the pursuit.
Only in her dying breath did she realize how her less than thirty years of life left many regrets, and that’s why she cherished this second chance from heaven. In this life, she intended to truly enjoy living and to love herself sincerely.
“Well, you have to explain clearly,” insisted Zhu Nanxi, leaning over, “or you won’t have peace today.”
Mu Wan took advantage of the close proximity to enjoy the soft embrace of a beauty, while her other hand casually picked up a glass cup from the wooden tray and took a sip. The slightly cool liquid, tinged with alcohol, slipped down her throat. Savoring the fruity aftertaste, she jokingly asked, “How will you disturb my peace, my dear Xiangjun?”
Natural beauty was indeed something else—even when doing such a flirtatious pose, there was no vulgarity on Mu Wan. Instead, it only added an indescribable allure to her charm.
Despite their friendship, Zhu Nanxi was not immune to Mu Wan’s charm, causing her to blush inadvertently. Suddenly she sat up with a realization, asking, “Has that sixth son never seen your true face?”
Mu Wan casually leaned back against the edge of the hot spring pool, “Hasn’t had the chance.”
“I knew it,” said Zhu Nanxi. She didn’t believe Li Yichen could remain unmoved if he had really seen Mu Wan’s face. “So, what exactly are you planning?”
Mu Wan smiled, no longer teasing her, “I don’t have any plans yet, just watching how things unfold.”
Zhu Nanxi picked up a cup of wine, puzzled by her words, “Just watching? Could it be that Shen-shi and her daughter would give up on this marriage with the Li family?” As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, “I heard that this afternoon when that sixth son tried to save her, she refused him.”
Mu Wan replied, “The palace is already preparing the selection list for the draft.”2
Zhu Nanxi also knew about this, “His Majesty has been on the throne for three years, and indeed the court is preparing the selection list for the draft. According to tradition, the candidates are usually daughters of officials of fifth rank or higher. Mu Rou isn’t qualified, is she?”
“Do you know that there aren’t enough candidates this year?” Mu Wan casually replied.
Zhu Nanxi blinked, “How do you know?”
Mu Wan explained, “My family supplies jewelry to the palace.” This kind of information could easily be inferred from the volume of orders.
Zhu Nanxi marveled at her friend’s acuity, but she was still puzzled, “How could there not be enough candidates?” There had always been too many, never too few.
This, Mu Wan also had a ready answer: “As the one in charge of managing the household, would your mother be willing to see the wife of your shu-brother3 usurping her authority?”
Zhu Nanxi blurted out, “Is she worthy?” and then realized the implication.
The current Emperor ascended to the throne by chance following the Five Princes Rebellion three years ago. Up until he was picked up to sit on the dragon throne, he was merely a neglected prince born from a dancer. He had no significant presence before, let alone developing a power base, which allowed the current court to be controlled by his nominal mother, the Empress Dowager.
Opening a draft meant that the inner palace would welcome new figures to share the Empress Dowager’s authority. Who would risk offending the Empress Dowager by sending their daughter to a puppet emperor? With the court mainly dominated by the Empress Dowager’s faction, trying to gain the Emperor’s favor through a daughter would only backfire, leading to losses rather than gains.
Seeing Zhu Nanxi get the point, Mu Wan continued, “But the Emperor’s first draft can’t be too shabby either, so I guess the Empress Dowager will lower the standards for candidates. But not too low, to avoid giving people a handle to criticize. There’s a precedent from the previous dynasty where the candidates were chosen from daughters of officials of seventh rank or higher. I guess this year they’ll use that standard.”
“Anyone still stuck at the seventh rank despite being old enough to have a daughter of marriageable age is definitely lacking in ability. Not only is the family too powerless to provide assistance to the emperor, but the girl herself would be helpless enough to easily be controlled by the empress dowager, which is the optimal solution.” Mu Wan explained. “My father made a donation and was bestowed with a seventh-rank position last year, which meets the criteria.”
“If you were a man, you could rival Marquis Zhenbei.” Listening to her perfectly reasoned speculation, Zhu Nanxi felt a chill. Who else could deduce so much information from a simple shopping list?
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- Xiangjun (乡君): Lady of the Third Rank or Commandery Lady. A title usually granted to the daughters or granddaughters of a junwang (prince of the second rank, usually grandson of an emperor).
- Draft: A selection process that gathers various girls to be selected as concubines and consorts for the imperial family members, mainly the emperor. Depending on the dynasty, the main wife of princes could also be selected from such drafts.
- Polygamy System: China’s polygamy system acknowledges only one legal wife, with the rest being concubines (consorts for the imperial clan). Children born from the legal wife (or registered under the legal wife’s names) are called di children (嫡子), while children of concubines shu children. It’s not as simple as di being legitimate with shu being illegitimate, since shu-born children are equally recognized by their paternal clan and recorded in its genealogy. By modern standards, they are legitimate enough. It was children born from outside mistresses, whose mothers aren’t even proper concubines, who are considered illegitimate.
Love the FL already!!!