After leaving Jingxin Garden, Mu Yunjin strolled beside Chu Li. Master Huaiyuan furrowed his brow and bowed to Mu Yunjin. “This old monk has failed in his discipline. I apologize for startling the Sixth Prince’s Consort earlier.”

“It’s fine. The misunderstanding has been cleared up,” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, thinking of the scene in Jingxin Garden earlier, and took a small breath.

Master Huaiyuan nodded and said nothing more.

When they reached the temple gate, Chu Li stopped and glanced sideways at Master Huaiyuan. “This Prince will return to the residence first. Regarding the matter I entrusted to Master today, please keep it in mind.”

“Certainly, certainly. Your Highness and this old monk have been close friends for many years. This minor request—this old monk will naturally fulfill it for the Sixth Prince,” Master Huaiyuan said.

Chu Li made a sound of acknowledgment, then walked slowly toward the temple gate.

……

On the return journey, Mu Yunjin, just as on the way there, leaned against the window frame, looking outside the carriage.

Chu Li glanced at Mu Yunjin, seeing her gazing out the window, her fingers occasionally tapping the windowsill. He couldn’t help but let a faint smile grace his lips as he shook his head helplessly.

…

…

When they returned to the residence, both went to Liquan Pavilion. Just as Mu Yunjin was about to return to her room, Chu Li called out to her.

“Hmm?” Mu Yunjin turned to look at Chu Li.

Chu Li extended his hand toward Mu Yunjin, his gaze clear as he looked at her. “Hand over the Xuanling True Scripture for this Prince to keep.”

“…” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, standing in place without moving. “Why?”

“Those two already know your identity. Having the Xuanling True Scripture with you will do you no good,” Chu Li said calmly.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin pursed her lips. “It’s fine. I can keep it safe myself.”

“Are you sure?” Chu Li gave Mu Yunjin a long look.

This look somehow made Mu Yunjin feel less confident. After thinking for a moment, she still nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Mm.” Chu Li nodded, then walked toward the room diagonally opposite.

After Chu Li entered his room, Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together, curled her lips into a smile, and also went to her room.

As soon as she entered her room, Mu Yunjin immediately walked to the cabinet, opened the door, felt around for the hidden compartment inside, and when she found the book, took it out. She looked at this hot potato with a complicated expression.

After a moment of silence, Mu Yunjin suddenly had an idea.

Putting down the scripture, Mu Yunjin walked to the door, opened it, and called to Zixiang outside. “Zixiang, go prepare some writing materials for me.”

“Yes, Young Mistress.”

Soon after, Zixiang came in with writing materials.

“Good, now leave. Don’t let anyone disturb me without my orders,” Mu Yunjin said.

Zixiang nodded and walked out, closing the door behind her.

With only Mu Yunjin left in the room, she walked to the wardrobe, looked through it, and selected a winter cloak.

After taking out the cloak, Mu Yunjin picked up a pair of scissors nearby and cut the cloak along the seams. Soon, Mu Yunjin had completely removed the silk wadding from inside the cloak, and the fabric was cut into two pieces.

What had once been a heavy cloak was now completely dismantled by Mu Yunjin.

After dealing with the cloak, Mu Yunjin laid it out on the ground, turned to the first page of the Xuanling True Scripture, dipped her brush in ink, and began copying the illustrations onto the inside of the cloak.

Mu Yunjin considered herself a good artist, and in no time, she easily completed the illustration from the first page…

……

“Done!”

Two hours later, Mu Yunjin collapsed on the floor, raising her hand to rub her sore neck. She lowered her eyes to look at the illustrations she had just drawn on the cloak.

After comparing them carefully, they were identical to the illustrations in the Xuanling True Scripture.

After the ink had dried completely, Mu Yunjin found a needle and thread, refilled the cloak with cotton wadding that had been cut open earlier, and began sewing along the edges.

After finishing everything, Mu Yunjin looked at the stitches, which were of much poorer quality than before, but at first glance, one could hardly notice anything amiss. Who would know that she had hidden all the techniques of the Xuanling True Scripture inside this cloak?

After putting away the cloak, Mu Yunjin bent down to pick up the Xuanling True Scripture from the floor, tucked it into her bosom, and walked out the door.

Outside, the sky had already darkened.

Mu Yunjin walked out of Liquan Pavilion on her own, heading toward the kitchen of the residence. When she entered the kitchen, she saw that everyone was busy preparing the evening meal, running around in a flurry.

“Greetings to the Princess Consort.” When the servants in the kitchen saw Mu Yunjin, they all bowed somewhat anxiously.

Mu Yunjin nodded faintly, walked to the stove, looked at the crimson flames underneath, took out the Xuanling True Scripture from her bosom, pressed her lips tightly together, and then threw the Xuanling True Scripture into the fire.

Watching that scripture turn to ashes in the fire, Mu Yunjin felt as if she had discarded a ticking time bomb.

After returning to Liquan Pavilion, Mu Yunjin had initially intended to go straight back to her room, but when she glanced at the tightly closed door diagonally opposite, she paused for a moment and walked toward Chu Li’s bedroom.

“Knock, knock, knock.” Reaching the door, Mu Yunjin raised her hand and knocked.

After a moment, the door was opened by a gust of wind. Mu Yunjin looked inside, saw Chu Li’s figure, and walked in.

Chu Li seemed to have just finished bathing, wearing light sleeping clothes, sitting in a rocking chair in the room. When he saw Mu Yunjin enter, he gave her a cool glance.

“Um…” Mu Yunjin walked up to Chu Li. “I burned that Xuanling True Scripture.”

Hearing this, Chu Li slightly furrowed his brow. “Burned it?”

“Yes, I just threw it into the kitchen stove,” Mu Yunjin said with her hands behind her back, adding, “Now no one can get this scripture anymore.”

After a while, Chu Li laughed softly, lowered his eyes, and nodded. “Good.”

“Mm, I’ll go now.” Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li, then walked out.

After leaving Chu Li’s room, Mu Yunjin let out a long breath, ran back to her room, walked to the wardrobe, and looked at the cloak again.

After confirming there were no major flaws, Mu Yunjin lay down on the couch, looked at the ceiling, and closed her eyes slightly.

As soon as she closed her eyes, whether because she had just copied everything or for some other reason, every move and technique from the illustrations in the Xuanling True Scripture appeared clearly before her eyes, refusing to dissipate.

……

Early the next morning, Zixiang knocked on Mu Yunjin’s door.

“What is it?” Mu Yunjin spoke with some displeasure, still drowsy.

“Young Mistress, the Prime Minister has sent someone to inform us that today is the Fourth Young Miss’s homecoming banquet. He requests that Young Mistress return home for the gathering,” Zixiang called from outside the door.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin made a sound of acknowledgment and sat up from the couch.

Half an hour later, Mu Yunjin had finally prepared herself and left the Prince’s residence, heading toward the Prime Minister’s residence.

Stepping into the Xiang residence, she saw that Mu Lingzhu was already sitting in the front hall, lowering her eyes and quietly sobbing, using a silk handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Prime Minister Mu sat in the main seat, watching Mu Lingzhu crying and complaining non-stop beside him, his face ashen, his brow tightly furrowed.

After Mu Yunjin entered the front hall, Prime Minister Mu’s brow finally relaxed slightly. “Ah, Yunjin is here.”

Upon hearing that Mu Yunjin had arrived, Mu Lingzhu wiped away her tears and stopped crying. She glanced at Mu Yunjin, then looked away.

“What’s going on?” Mu Yunjin sat down, looking at Mu Lingzhu, whose face was still streaked with tears, raising her eyebrow slightly.

“Alas!” Prime Minister Mu let out a heavy sigh. “This Prince Rong, Chu Zhen, is truly too much! When he proposed, he promised a thousand good things, but now, on the very first day after Zhu’er married him, he accompanied Princess Rong to go boating in the suburbs, leaving Zhu’er to return home alone.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin understood.

“That Princess Rong is from the Qin family. The Qin family’s position at court is now at its peak. Prince Rong, considering the Qin family’s status, will naturally comply with Princess Rong’s every demand,” Mu Yunjin said softly.

“Yunjin, although that may be true, our Prime Minister’s residence is not to be trifled with either. Prince Rong’s actions today show no face to our family. Isn’t he trying to curry favor with the Qin family?” Luo Ningyu couldn’t help but speak up.

Mu Yunjin propped up her head, laughed lightly, and glanced at Mu Lingzhu to the side. “Let him curry favor if he wants. Princess Rong, after all, is just a woman who has married out. The Qin family won’t necessarily give Prince Rong what he wants just because of a daughter who has married out. Given enough time, Prince Rong will naturally understand this.”

“Third Sister, do you find it amusing to speak so coldly?” Hearing Mu Yunjin’s indifferent tone, Mu Lingzhu spoke with displeasure.

“What do you want me to say?” Mu Yunjin rubbed her temples, raising her eyebrow slightly. “That you’re a bride meant to bring good fortune and dispel illness?”

“You…” Mu Yunjin’s words choked Mu Lingzhu, causing an inexplicable bitterness in her heart.

Mu Yunjin laughed coldly. “For now, Fourth Sister would do better to figure out how to serve Princess Rong well. After all, she is the primary wife and ranks above you.”

“Oh, and Princess Rong comes from a military family. If I’m not mistaken, she probably knows martial arts as well. Sister, you should be careful…”

Mu Lingzhu was nearly infuriated by Mu Yunjin’s words, biting her lip and snorting heavily.

From yesterday’s wedding onwards, her mood had never been smooth. During the ceremony, Qin Shuning had already put her in her place.

Including last night when she and Prince Rong were halfway through their wedding night, Prince Rong was summoned away by a maid sent by Qin Shuning.

This caused her to spend her wedding night alone. Later, when she finally managed to fall asleep, before dawn, she was awakened by Qin Shuning’s maid, who told her to pay her respects to Qin Shuning.

When she went to Qin Shuning’s quarters, she was made to kneel for nearly half an hour just to pay her respects.

This was truly frustrating.

In that moment, Mu Lingzhu felt that given the current situation, compared to that old woman Qin Shuning, Mu Yunjin didn’t seem so hateful after all.

Thinking about it, Mu Lingzhu’s eyes shifted, and she softened her demeanor, looking toward Mu Yunjin. “Sister, you always have the most ideas. Won’t you help your younger sister think of a solution?”

“Those Qin family people are truly shameless. Princess Rong Qin Shuning constantly suppresses me, and her niece Qin Muyue clings to the Sixth Prince daily. We sisters are both at the mercy of the Qin family. This frustration is truly hard to bear.” Mu Lingzhu said.

Mu Yunjin could tell that Mu Lingzhu was trying to use her as a pawn. She smiled insincerely, tugging at the corner of her mouth. “The Qin family is large and powerful; they cannot be brought down in the short term. If you want to escape your misery, why not ask Prince Rong for a divorce letter…”

“Bang—” Mu Lingzhu slammed the table heavily, stood up, and pointed a trembling finger at Mu Yunjin. “Mu Yunjin, you are too much!”