As soon as Mu Yunjin’s words fell, Chu Li’s face, which had still carried traces of a smile, instantly darkened. A murderous aura emanated from his body, and his deep eyes narrowed, filled with severity.

Seeing Chu Li’s sudden change in attitude and catching the killing intent in his eyes, Mu Yunjin’s heart tightened. She realized she had completely underestimated how taboo this sparrow blindness was to Chu Li.

Just as the atmosphere in the private room grew tense, the door was suddenly pushed open. Accompanied by a chorus of chirping, Ding Xian walked in carrying a birdcage.

“Third Miss, I ran through half the market and finally bought these mynahs from a merchant. I think they’re quite lively…”

Before Ding Xian could finish speaking, she sensed something wrong with the room’s atmosphere. Feeling a cold, stern gaze fixed on her, Ding Xian trembled slightly and looked toward Chu Li.

She saw Chu Li staring coldly at the birdcage in her hand, his eyes filled with anger. Before she could react, Chu Li raised his hand, and a powerful surge of energy shot from his sleeve toward the birdcage.

The birdcage flew from her hand and smashed violently against the wall, instantly shattering into pieces. The newly purchased mynahs didn’t even have time to cry out before they fell to the ground, motionless.

“Your Highness…” Ding Xian’s throat tightened. Having followed Chu Li for so many years, how could she not know that he was in a state of extreme rage?

Looking at Mu Yunjin, she saw her with furrowed brows, eyes downcast, not even glancing at Chu Li—clearly she had angered him.

…

…

Ding Xian hesitated, her gaze falling on the innocent, dead mynahs on the ground, and her face turned pale. Could it be that…

“This servant deserves death. Please punish me, Your Highness!” Ding Xian immediately knelt.

Hearing this, the killing intent in Chu Li’s eyes intensified. He gathered his inner energy in his palm, about to direct it at Ding Xian, when Mu Yunjin lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t blame her! She only revealed your secret to persuade me to give you the jade pendant. She’s very loyal to you. It’s just that she trusted me too much, thinking I would keep this matter to myself.”

Mu Yunjin bit her lip. Seeing Chu Li so enraged that he was willing to kill Ding Xian over this matter, she now understood the seriousness of the situation.

She hadn’t expected that sparrow blindness would matter so much to Chu Li.

“Mu Yunjin, do you think this prince will let you off?” Chu Li glanced at his wrist where Mu Yunjin was holding him, the anger in his eyes deepening.

“If you want to kill someone, come after me. Don’t hurt someone loyal to you.” Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li, gripping his wrist more tightly, afraid he might act impulsively at any moment.

Watching this scene, Ding Xian felt somewhat helpless. This Third Miss didn’t have a bad heart; she just didn’t understand His Highness and didn’t know where his greatest taboo lay.

Today, there was likely more danger than safety.

Chu Li’s face was now dark, his brow shrouded in a heavy gloom. Looking at Mu Yunjin’s somewhat remorseful eyes, he suddenly withdrew the energy from his palm and shook off Mu Yunjin’s hand from his wrist.

Then, his cold gaze met Mu Yunjin’s eyes calmly, and he smiled coldly—

“Ding Xian, relay this prince’s oral decree: on the day Mu Yunjin comes of age, that will be the day this prince brings her into his house as bride.”

…

On the way back to the mansion, Mu Yunjin’s face fell as she sighed, finally understanding what it meant to lose more than you gain.

She had originally intended to use the sparrow blindness to threaten Chu Li into not fulfilling their betrothal, but now she had instead accelerated the development of this matter, and nearly lost her life.

It seemed that when dealing with Chu Li, her skills were still inadequate.

Upon returning to the mansion, just as she stepped onto the entrance stairs, the steward hurriedly came to meet her, looking at her with some contempt.

“Third Miss, the master and madam have been waiting for you in the front hall for a long time.” The steward gave Mu Yunjin a slight bow.

Mu Yunjin frowned and looked at the steward. “Waiting for me?”

“Yes, Third Miss, please hurry in. If you keep the master and madam waiting too long, there will be trouble.” The steward said.

Mu Yunjin nodded. Catching the word “trouble” in the steward’s words, she knew nothing good was waiting for her.

So she walked slowly toward the front hall.

In the front hall, Minister Mu and Su Biqing, who had already been waiting impatiently, saw Mu Yunjin arriving leisurely, and a surge of anger rose in their hearts. Especially Minister Mu, who immediately slammed the table and shouted at Mu Yunjin as she just entered the door—

“Get over here immediately!”

Mu Yunjin had just suffered at Chu Li’s hands and hadn’t recovered, and now, being suddenly shouted at by Minister Mu, she felt as if her heart would leap out of her chest.

Mu Lingzhu, sitting on a chair to the side, saw her father so angry and couldn’t be more delighted.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Yunjin asked directly when Minister Mu shouted, not even bothering with greetings.

Hearing this, Minister Mu was so angry he began to tremble. “Did you injure your Second Brother?”

“Why is Father suddenly asking about this?” Mu Yunjin asked in return.

“Hanqiao just came to the mansion and brought Yi Yang’s clothes from when he was injured. At the injury site, there happened to be a shoe print. I took your embroidered shoes from your bedroom to compare, and the pattern and size match precisely.”

As Minister Mu finished speaking, he threw out the clothing and raised his eyes to look at Mu Yunjin, suddenly feeling extremely unfamiliar with her. He had just begun to think better of this girl, but now he was thoroughly disappointed again.

Mu Yunjin glanced at Yi Yang’s clothes on the ground, bent down to pick them up, and indeed could see a clear shoe print.

Since that was the case, Mu Yunjin had nothing to deny. She patted the shoe print on the clothes, smiled awkwardly, and said, “Over the years, Empress Qin has rewarded me with many gold and silver ornaments, almost all of which Yi Yang came to demand as soon as I received them, to use as gambling stakes. Sometimes I was unwilling to give them, but received many beatings and scoldings from him. Several times I was beaten until my body was covered in bruises.”

As she finished speaking, Mu Yunjin threw down the clothes and looked at Minister Mu and Su Biqing on the main seats. “Father and Mother didn’t know about this, did they?”

“Outrageous! Even if your Second Brother beat and scolded you, as his sister, you should rightfully endure it! I never expected that you would…” Minister Mu was so angry that he slammed the table again, his eyes almost bulging out.

Beside him, Su Biqing also sighed. “Yunjin, in the past, I saw you as quiet and timid, afraid of trouble. I never imagined you would become so lawless. This time, your father and I cannot tolerate you no matter what. Tomorrow, you shall leave this place.”

“Father, Mother,” Mu Lingzhu looked at Minister Mu and Su Biqing in the main seats and spoke with some regret. “I suppose it’s because Second Brother has been used to being overbearing, which is why he offended Sister. To just drive Sister out of the mansion like this, I feel a bit reluctant.”

“Why not handle it according to family law? Punish her with fifty strokes, let Second Mother vent her anger, and then have Sister apologize to Second Mother. How about that?”

Mu Lingzhu’s words made Minister Mu furrow his brows tightly, looking at Mu Yunjin with an expression of bitter disappointment. “Do you admit your mistake in this matter?”

Mu Yunjin looked at the family before her, feeling extremely disgusted. She couldn’t help but recall what Aunt Zhang had said about her not being of the Mu family’s flesh and blood. In her heart, she secretly had some expectations about what her real family might be like.

“I don’t admit any mistake, I won’t apologize, and I won’t accept punishment.” Mu Yunjin said three refusals, her challenging gaze sweeping across all three people in the front hall.

Today, at worst, she would simply break completely with the people of this minister’s mansion. After all, she didn’t care about the identity of Mu Yunjin.

“Bang—”

After Mu Yunjin finished speaking, Minister Mu was so angry his heart was on fire. Without thinking, he picked up a vase from the table and threw it at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Lingzhu watched this scene with some excitement, anticipating the sight of Mu Yunjin with her head broken and bleeding.

But unexpectedly, Mu Yunjin stood still, and just as the vase was about to hit her, she waved her hand, and the vase immediately changed direction, flying toward Mu Lingzhu.

“Ah—” Mu Lingzhu immediately covered her face in fear, completely unprepared for this sudden turn of events.

Seeing this, Minister Mu was shocked. With quick reflexes, he stood up and kicked away the vase that was about to hit Mu Lingzhu. The vase fell to the ground with a bang, shattering into countless pieces.

“Yunjin, how dare you!” Seeing the vase nearly injure Mu Lingzhu, Su Biqing angrily stood up.

“Come here, tie up this rebellious girl! Today, I will beat this unfilial creature to death!” Minister Mu was so angered by Mu Yunjin that he kept trying to catch his breath, shouting at the servants.

Hearing Minister Mu mention “beating to death,” Mu Yunjin’s eyes showed a trace of contempt. She snorted and showed no fear whatsoever.

Mu Lingzhu was somewhat excited, waiting for what would happen next. Truly, heaven rewards those who persevere. This time, Mu Yunjin was going to fall!

Soon, the servants brought a bundle of rope and several sticks. Under Minister Mu’s signal, they were about to tie up Mu Yunjin when a duck-like voice sounded from outside the door—

“Imperial Decree—”

Hearing that it was an Imperial Decree, Minister Mu and the others were stunned, then immediately went to greet the visitor. Seeing Chief Eunuch Lu slowly entering, they immediately knelt to receive the decree.

Mu Yunjin stood coldly in place, unmoving.

Seeing this scene, Eunuch Lu smiled at Mu Yunjin and said, “Third Miss Mu, this Imperial Decree is for you. Come quickly to receive it.”

Hearing that the Imperial Decree was for her, Mu Yunjin was momentarily stunned, her brow slightly furrowed. Nevertheless, she obediently walked over and pretended to kneel on one knee.

“By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Mu Yunjin of the Mu family is of proper conduct and appearance, with a virtuous heart like orchids, deeply pleasing to Us. We specially bestow her in marriage to the Sixth Prince Chu Li, to enter the Sixth Prince’s household on her coming-of-age day. So it is decreed!”

The Imperial Decree exploded like a thunderclap in the front hall of the minister’s mansion. Yesterday at the banquet, seeing the Sixth Prince’s cold manner, they had thought the betrothal would be canceled.

Who would have thought that today, the imperial decree for this marriage would arrive?

Mu Yunjin bit her lip. She had thought Chu Li was merely speaking in anger when he said he would marry her, never expecting that he would go through with it. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

“Third Miss, quickly accept the decree!” Eunuch Lu put away the Imperial Decree and smiled at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin paused, stood up, and took the bright yellow Imperial Decree. “Thank you, Eunuch.”

“No need for thanks, Third Miss. Coming to announce this decree, I am truly happy from the bottom of my heart for the Sixth Prince and Third Miss.”

As he finished speaking, Eunuch Lu’s gaze fell on the ground to the side, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, what are all these ropes and sticks for?”