Not wanting to face the crowd’s pointing fingers, Mu Xingde quickly ushered his wife and daughters back into the residence.
When they reached the second gate, Mu Wan bowed to the family of three and said with a smile, “Father, Madam, and Second Sister, your sentiments today—Mu Wan shall remember them well and repay you someday.”
“Today has been quite a tiring day. Allow me to head back first to rest.” With that, she returned straight to her Wutong Courtyard.
Shen-shi felt uneasy, “What does the eldest girl mean by that? Could it be that she also thinks we were trying to harm her?”
Mu Xingde, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked Shen-shi, “Who told you that Wanwan had been kidnapped by Lord Wu?” He then turned to his younger daughter, “And when did you go out, Rou’er? Who told you to go looking for help?”
Before Mu Rou could answer, Shen-shi stepped forward, shielding her daughter, looking deeply wronged. Her eyes were red as she retorted, “What do you mean by that, Master? It’s one thing for outsiders to speculate, but do you also suspect us?”
“So many people on Rongchang Street saw Lord Wu chasing the eldest girl’s carriage—didn’t you go and confirm it yourself? As for Rou’er, she overheard by chance and, thinking her sister was in trouble because of her, rushed out to seek help. Her actions may have been reckless, but that’s hardly reason to accuse her of deliberately harming her own sister!”
Mu Xingde glanced at Mu Rou, who looked thoroughly frightened, making it hard to determine if her mother’s claim was true or not. After all, Lord Wu’s high-profile pursuit had indeed been witnessed by many.
“Fine. Though I’m not sure how Wanwan managed to get Marquis Zhenbei’s protection, at least she’s unharmed, and her reputation is intact—that’s what matters most.”
After much deliberation, Mu Xingde decided he’d go speak to Mu Wan. The courtesy Mingjing Bureau’s people showed her was intriguing and worth exploring—sometimes, a crisis could indeed open the door to new opportunities…
While he was ready to let the matter drop, Shen-shi was not. “She may be fine, but now my daughter and I have to bear the stain of being malicious schemers!”
“Master, I can accept it, but Rou’er is at a critical stage in finding a marriage. If she’s labeled as a malicious woman who framed her sister, how will we ever secure a good match for her?”
“Besides, whatever Marquis Xie said may satisfy the public, but many people saw Lord Wu chasing the eldest daughter. Even with the Marquis’ clarification, do you think the Li family would believe it?”
Mu Xingde knew that Shen-shi was pressuring him to speed up the marriage arrangement between the Li family and Mu Rou. He had, in fact, planned to find the right moment to broach the topic with the Li family, but Marquis Zhenbei’s visit today had made him reconsider. Though the Marquis spoke only briefly, his support for Mu Wan was unmistakable, causing Mu Xingde to hesitate again.
Shen-shi, knowing her husband well, grew anxious. “The Marquis only came because he suspected someone was trying to sow discord between him and Lord Wu; he certainly doesn’t care about ordinary families like ours. Everyone knows he has his heart set on the Senior Grand Secretary’s1 eldest daughter. Do you think the eldest girl could compete with her in beauty, temperament, or talent?”
“If we were truly in trouble, the Mingjing Bureau would have taken us away already. The Marquis was only being vague to intimidate us; most likely, the eldest girl pleaded with him, and he just obliged. After all, when Rou’er fell into the water last time, didn’t the Marquis lend a hand as well?”
Shen-shi poured out all the reasons she could think of, worried about the significant damage Marquis Zhenbei’s intervention could do to her and her daughter’s reputation. If things weren’t settled soon, who knew what more changes might occur? Her daughter’s marriage was just within reach—they certainly couldn’t fail here!
However, her reasons no longer convinced Mu Xingde. Regardless of whether it was merely a favor, the Marquis had indeed stood up for Mu Wan. It was always better to be safe than sorry. As a shrewd merchant, being cautious was Mu Xingde’s second nature, and he knew that this high-risk path was one he couldn’t afford. “Let me think about it further,” he finally said to his wife.
With Mu Xingde unconvinced, Shen-shi had no other recourse, no matter how anxious she was. Meanwhile, Mu Rou, who had been in a daze, finally snapped back to reality and began to worry as well. At this moment, she could no longer afford to focus on forcing Mu Wan into the palace; marrying into the Li family was now the priority.
Returning to the Zhushi Courtyard, Mu Rou called her personal servant girl, “Do this for me…”
…
While Shen-shi and Mu Rou were like ants on a hot stove, Mu Wan, having just reached her own quarters in the Wutong Courtyard, collapsed onto the bed. Yunling quickly poured her a cup of tea and asked, “What happened, Miss? Why did Marquis Zhenbei help you?”
When Mu Wan returned with Xie Heng, she happened to run into Yunling, who was rushing back toward the city.
Facing her servant girl’s curious eyes, Mu Wan recalled her encounter with Xie Heng, causing her to shiver slightly. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.” She sighed, then her tone turned stern. “If anyone asked, just say we went hunting at Funiu Mountain today, and not one extra word, understand?”
Yunling nodded vigorously. “Understood, Miss.”
“As for why he decided to help us…” Mu Wan pondered, “Perhaps it wasn’t really help but a warning.”
After Xiao Liu retrieved her carriage for her, she thought that she could finally return home. To her shock, Xie Heng and his men came with her, heading straight for the Mu Manor once they entered the city.
Looking back now, his action made sense. She had just witnessed the Marquis’ great secret firsthand. Even if, for whatever reason, he had chosen to let her go for the moment, there was no way he’d leave her entirely unchecked.
Mu Wan imagined the ruthless Xie Heng’s inner thoughts: “Look, I know where you live, I know your family’s situation, and I know your troubles. If you dare to utter even half a word about what happened today, I won’t need to lift a finger—you’ll wish you were dead! And your whole family will go down with you!”
The more she imagined, the angrier she felt. “What a vicious man!”
“…” Yunling was curious to death. ‘So, what actually happened? If you won’t let me ask, could you at least stop piquing my curiosity?!’
Oblivious to her faithful servant girl’s effort to suppress her curiosity, Mu Wan suddenly sat up, “That’s it—we need to move up the plan!”
Regardless of the reasons behind it, Xie Heng’s actions had undoubtedly drawn a lot of attention to her. A clever girl knows to strike when the iron is hot—otherwise, how else could she make up for today’s traumatic experience?
It was her turn to give a nice shock to some people, in order to soothe her pitiful, bruised heart.
…
The next day, two juicy pieces of gossip swept through the merchant circles of the capital: first, that the Mu family’s second wife intended to ruin the reputation of her stepdaughter, all to snatch the favorable marriage prospect left by the stepdaughter’s mother; and second, that the deed for the Mu family’s flagship Cangzhen Pavilion had been pawned by the Eldest Miss Mu and had apparently been bought by someone, its whereabouts currently unknown.
While the former was mere household gossip, the latter was a matter of serious business. Cangzhen Pavilion was a renowned jewelry shop in the capital, famous for its diverse selection, fresh designs, and unique limited-edition pieces that were highly sought after by the elites. Now, the deed for its building had mysteriously vanished.
If they could get it… the ambitious wasted no time in moving to take advantage.
By mid-afternoon, Mu Wan was in her courtyard working on her skeleton kite when Mu Xingde arrived in a hurry, his usually amiable face dark with anger.
Mu Wan put down her pliers, calmly greeted him with a bow, and said, “What brings you here in such a rush, Father? You could have just sent a servant to fetch your daughter. There was no need for you to come yourself.”
But Mu Xingde had no patience for pleasantries. “Did you pawn the deed to Cangzhen Pavilion?”
Mu Wan showed no surprise. “You already found out?”
Mu Xingde’s brows furrowed deeply. “Everyone in the capital knows by now. How could I not?”
“Wanwan, do you have any idea what Cangzhen Pavilion’s deed means to our family?” The pain Mu Xingde showed was genuine, “Cangzhen Pavilion is the Mu family’s flagship business. To others, that deed may be worth five thousand taels, but to our business, it’s worth ten times as much.”
“Now everyone in the capital is looking for whoever bought that deed. If it falls into the hands of someone with malicious intentions, they could extort us for a fortune. Or rather, the person who bought it must have done so with such intentions from the start. If someone comes out with that deed and demands that we move Cangzhen Pavilion, do you realize how devastating that would be for the Mu family?! If they demand thirty or fifty thousand taels, I would have no choice but to pay. Do you understand?!”
“I know you like to play around, but after spending so much time with your mother—”
Mu Wan smiled serenely and invited Mu Xingde inside. She gestured to the tea table by the window and interrupted him, saying, “Who says I don’t understand? Do you also think I’m a fool, Father?”
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- Grand Secretariat (内閣) is a central government institution during the Ming and Qing periods. Members of this institution are called Grand Secretaries, with the most senior one being the de facto leader, called Senior Grand Secretary (首辅). Since they screened documents submitted to the emperor from all governmental agencies and had the power to draft suggested rescripts for the emperor, some senior Grand Secretaries were able to dominate the whole government, acting as de facto Chancellor.