Mu Rou couldn’t possibly tell her mother that she had lived another lifetime, but fortunately, she was no longer the naïve Mu Rou of the past. She carefully analyzed the situation of the inner palace for Shen-shi and then said, “…Even if Mother doesn’t believe me, you can go out and ask around. If this were really a good opportunity, why would the Empress Dowager lower the selection criteria? All the daughters of high-ranking officials and other prestigious families are either already married or claiming to be ill—none of them are willing to enter the palace.”
Seeing the hesitation on Shen-shi’s face, Mu Rou leaned in close to her ear and whispered, adding a heavy chip to her argument, “The emperor’s health isn’t good, not only is he unlikely to have children, but his life is also expected to be short.”
Shen-shi was shocked. “How do you know this?”
Mu Rou replied, “Brother Yichen serves the emperor closely at the court. He knows well how the emperor’s health is.”
Shen-shi was immediately convinced. Without the hope of giving birth to a child and the emperor’s short life expectancy, entering the palace would mean heading to the imperial mausoleum after only a few years—what kind of life would that be for a young woman? Now it made sense why the high-ranking officials were all reluctant to send their daughters to the palace.
“If it’s really like that, then let that wretched girl enter the palace. We can allow her to enjoy a few years of glory first.” Even after making this decision, Shen-shi still felt somewhat dissatisfied. Now that there were better options, Li Yichen no longer seemed as appealing. Her eyes suddenly flickered again, “What did Marquis Zhenbei say to you today? If that Lord Wu causes trouble again and Li Liulang isn’t enough, we could always turn to Marquis Zhenbei…”
Mu Rou’s expression changed immediately, and her voice sharpened, “Mother! What are you thinking?”
“Why not? Every girl in the capital dreams of marrying Marquis Zhenbei!” Shen-shi was confident. “No wonder he’s so renowned in the capital. That day, Lord Wu was so arrogant, and even Li Yichen had to be very cautious. But all it took was just one glance from Marquis Zhenbei to make Lord Wu flee in terror…” Saying this, she couldn’t help but sigh, unwilling to give up. “What if Lord Wu targets you again? Maybe we can seek help from Marquis Zhenbei?”
“Stop daydreaming.” Recalling that man’s coldness and ruthless methods in her previous life, Mu Rou felt a chill rise in her heart. “Even if Marquis Zhenbei wanted to marry, it wouldn’t be me.”
Deep down, Shen-shi understood this too, but she couldn’t stop herself but fantasizing. In the end, she could only sigh regretfully. “It was unfortunate that you were born in this family. Otherwise, with your talents and beauty, you’d definitely be a match for him.”
Mu Rou, worried her mother’s fantasy would grow out of control, quickly changed the subject. “It’s already fortunate to be able to marry into the Li family. Without this connection, I’d be lucky to marry the son of a sixth- or seventh-rank official.”
Hearing this, Shen-shi became proud. “Exactly. What does it matter how arrogant that Xu bitch was? The marriage she carefully selected for her spawn ends up paving the way for my daughter. It’s karma, a karma!” Full of fighting spirit, she added, “Don’t worry, my daughter. As long as Li Liulang stands by you, this marriage is already halfway done.” Then, realizing the benefits of sending Mu Wan to the palace, she said, “I was worried that swapping brides like this might displease Old Madam Li. But now it’ll look like Mu Wan is the one who wants to climb higher, while you, on the other hand, are faithful in your love. The old madam will only cherish you more.”
Mu Rou’s lips curled up inadvertently at the thought of a loving marriage and the prosperity and wealth she would enjoy in this life. However, since nothing was confirmed yet, she remained cautious, “Hurry and have Father submit her name.” She whispered to her mother. “Bring her back quickly, but don’t tell her the reason yet. If she refuses…”
Although Shen-shi was temporarily convinced by her daughter, she still found it frustrating to let Mu Wan take advantage of the situation. “What reason would she have to refuse such a good thing?” She muttered, vexed.
Mu Rou, having lived decades longer and knowing more about Mu Wan than Shen-shi did, tried to convince her mother again, “She loves her comforts but hates being confined. Think about it—she couldn’t even stand staying at home, always running wild outside. Entering the palace would be like being imprisoned for life. You know how her mother raised her, spoiled to the point of being ignorant of the ways of the world. Who knows? She might actually refuse.”
Shen-shi scoffed, “What if she does refuse? She has no say in this matter!”
Seeing that her beloved daughter was still uneasy, Shen-shi reassured her, “All that prodigal girl knows is to eat, drink, and play. When it comes to real matters, what can she possibly do? Just look at the marriage with the Li family—it was indeed hers, but yesterday, Li Liulang had eyes only for you and didn’t spare her a glance. What did she do? She didn’t dare say a word and behaved obediently. She may act tough inside our family, but now that Xu bitch is dead, I don’t believe she can hold on to that fortune for long. Once she runs out of money…” At this point, Shen-shi’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if struck by inspiration. “You’re right. We need to settle this quickly. I’ll write to your father right away and have him return immediately.”
When Mu Xingde was mentioned, Mu Rou’s expression turned cold. Remembering the favoritism Mu Xingde had shown toward Mu Wan in her previous life, she hesitated and asked, “Will Father agree?”
“How could he not!” Shen-shi was very confident. “You have nothing to worry about! Your father will be eager to send her to the palace.”
…
When the messenger Shen-shi dispatched came to fetch Mu Wan, she and Zhu Nanxi were at the Kanyun Temple atop Linglong Mountain.
Last night, the two were chatting about how kite flying season was approaching when Mu Wan suddenly came up with the idea of making a skeleton kite, one with limbs that could move around. Picturing such a bizarre kite among a sea of butterflies and birds, Zhu Nanxi had grown excited and couldn’t wait, dragging Mu Wan to the mountain early in the morning to chop bamboo.
But when they reached the dilapidated gate, Mu Wan hesitated. “What’s going on here?”
On the lush mountaintop stood a solitary, desolate Taoist temple, giving off a suitably eerie vibe. Ever since her transmigration, Mu Wan had developed a cautious respect for the unknown and no longer dismissed ghosts and spirits as mere figments of imagination. “Why is no one here?”
Though the people of this dynasty were mostly Buddhists, Taoism still had a steady number of followers. In the past, when she lived in the capital, she would often come to visit this temple, and it had never been this deserted.
Zhu Nanxi put on a mysterious tone, “Because this place is too effective.”
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What a mother-daughter pair. Tsk tsk
I love how headstrong she is, looking forward to how she’ll turn plots on their heads. Also appreciate that the travel has left a mark on her spiritualism (or previous lack thereof) not because a lack is an innate problem but because when people are extremely skeptical for plot purposes in other regression/transmigration novels it seems a bit odd!