How could the Western Bright Emperor not hear the threat in North Lord Wen Feng’s words? His brows furrowed as contemplation colored his expression.
On this Canghua Continent with its four nations of East, South, West, and North, the four countries were evenly matched in strength. Because of this, they had all been wary of each other in recent years, maintaining at least a facade of harmony.
But if he were to fall out with North Lord Wen Feng over someone like Mu Yunjin and provoke a war between Western Yuan Nation and North Ming Nation, it would not be worth it.
Yet to simply let the matter drop—he couldn’t swallow that!
After some thought, the Western Bright Emperor cast his gaze toward Old General Qin at his side.
Old General Qin had not anticipated things would develop this way either. Unable to think of any other strategy at the moment, he could only sigh and shake his head at the Western Bright Emperor.
…
Mu Yunjin had followed Chu Li’s instructions obediently, staying in Liquan Pavilion without going out. Even her meals were brought to her door by Zixiang.
The next morning, Mu Yunjin lay on the soft couch, casually flipping through books that Chu Li had ordered sent to her. She wasn’t sure if Chu Li was worried about her mood or if he was treating her like a child, but the books he’d found for her were uniformly classical joke collections.
…
…
There was a gentle knock at the door, and Zixiang entered carrying breakfast. “Miss, please eat something.”
“Mm.” Mu Yunjin got up and walked to the table, first taking a sip of water. “Where is Chu Li?”
Zixiang hesitated, then pointed in a direction outside the door. “His Highness is in the study.”
Mu Yunjin nodded, pressing her lips together. These past two days, Chu Li had been quite secretive, not clinging to her as usual. He would occasionally come to check on her, give a few instructions, and then leave again.
While eating breakfast, Mu Yunjin’s brows remained furrowed. “Are those imperial guards still outside the gate?”
Zixiang nodded.
Mu Yunjin bit her lip and put down her spoon, her appetite gone. As long as the imperial guards remained, she and Chu Li were like birds in a cage, trapped within the prince’s manor, unable to obtain freedom, and subject to all kinds of suspicion from the common people.
To outsiders witnessing such a grand show of force, it seemed as if she had committed a tremendous crime.
“I’m going to find Chu Li.” Feeling depressed, Mu Yunjin stood up and walked out of the room, heading toward Chu Li’s study.
Seeing that Mu Yunjin was not in a good mood, Zixiang hurriedly followed behind her.
Just as Mu Yunjin reached the entrance of Liquan Pavilion, she nearly collided with Chu Li, who was entering. Chu Li reached out to steady her shoulders, preventing her from falling.
“Why such a rush?” Chu Li looked down at her.
“I was just about to look for you.” Mu Yunjin met Chu Li’s gaze.
Chu Li reached out to stroke her head. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Half of it.”
“Go finish your breakfast first.” Chu Li took her hand and led her back to the room.
Mu Yunjin returned to the room and resumed eating the porridge she had half-finished earlier. Chu Li watched her and pushed some pastries closer to her.
Under Chu Li’s watchful gaze, Mu Yunjin slowly and methodically finished her breakfast, then took another sip of water. From outside came an announcement—
“Imperial edict arrives!”
Hearing the words “imperial edict,” Mu Yunjin was startled. Looking outside, she saw that the person standing there was none other than Eunuch Lu.
Chu Li had let someone in?
Mu Yunjin was somewhat surprised and stood up to walk outside.
Eunuch Lu approached, bowed to Chu Li and Mu Yunjin, then smiled at Mu Yunjin. “Prince Ning’s wife, receive the edict—”
“By the mandate of heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Ning’s wife, Yunjin, disrupted the golden hall days ago and killed the commoner woman Xiao. Although her behavior was rash and inappropriate, I consider our past relationship and hereby give a lenient punishment. Prince Ning’s wife, Yunjin, is commanded to proceed immediately to the Hall of Peace at Shuiyun Temple, where she will be confined for seven times seven, forty-nine days, and must copy three hundred sutras as punishment. By imperial order!”
“Prince Ning’s wife, please receive the edict.” After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Lu presented it.
Mu Yunjin was somewhat surprised. She had imagined a thousand versions of the imperial edict, all contemplating which method of death the Western Bright Emperor would choose for her. She never expected that it would merely be confinement for forty-nine days.
Compared to what she had imagined and to Western Yuan Nation’s actual laws, this confinement was indeed a very light punishment.
With this thought, Mu Yunjin turned to look at Chu Li, seeking his opinion.
Chu Li nodded to her. “Receive the edict.”
Mu Yunjin reached out to accept the edict, expressed her thanks, and gave Eunuch Lu a small reward. Eunuch Lu departed, satisfied.
Before the imperial edict in her hand had even grown warm, another announcement came from outside Liquan Pavilion: “Imperial edict arrives—”
“Hmm? There’s more?” Mu Yunjin was surprised.
The person who entered was a man dressed in a deep green robe, wearing a gauze hat, and holding a bright yellow imperial edict. He slowly walked toward Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin recognized him as one of North Lord Wen Feng’s attendants.
“Prince Ning’s wife, receive the edict—”
“By the mandate of heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Ning’s wife, Yunjin, is my flesh and blood, whom I have sought for many years. Fortunately, heaven has shown mercy, and I have finally recovered my beloved daughter. Today, I specially bestow upon Yunjin the title of Princess Jinhua of North Ming Nation, first among all princesses of North Ming Nation. By imperial order!”
After the edict was read, the attendant extended his hand to present the edict to Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin stood in place, not reaching out to receive it.
At this moment, North Lord Wen Feng and Jiang Qingxue also walked in from outside. Both their expressions showed a mixture of regret and discomfort. Finally, North Lord Wen Feng stepped forward first.
“Yunjin, this belongs to you, doesn’t it?” North Lord Wen Feng presented the jade pendant before Mu Yunjin, looking at her tentatively, suddenly finding himself nervous for the first time when facing another person.
Mu Yunjin narrowed her eyes, the light in their depths profound. She glanced at the jade pendant, then turned to look at Chu Li, biting her lip, instantly understanding everything.
No wonder the Western Bright Emperor had given her a lenient punishment.
Mu Yunjin reached out to take back the jade pendant from North Lord Wen Feng’s hand, tucked it into her sleeve, and said coldly, “Thank you, Lord, for returning my jade pendant.”
North Lord Wen Feng’s hand trembled.
Jiang Qingxue, her hands tightly clasped together, couldn’t help but step forward, speaking softly, “Yunjin, the Lord is your biological father.”
Mu Yunjin’s expression remained indifferent, completely unmoved. After a while, she suddenly gave a scornful laugh.
Original owner of this body, do you see?
Your father is the sovereign ruler of the North Ming Nation, your mother is the revered Holy Maiden envoy, but what about you?
Oppressed in the Minister’s manor since childhood, called a coward and a good-for-nothing by the entire city’s commoners, enduring daily scolding and humiliation, ultimately meeting a miserable end, pinched to death.
Do you want these heartless parents who abandoned you?
Since you can’t answer me, I’ll decide for you…
“Wasn’t I supposed to be confined at Shuiyun Temple? Can I depart now?” Mu Yunjin turned to look at Chu Li.
Chu Li nodded, naturally taking Mu Yunjin’s hand. “This prince will escort you to Shuiyun Temple first. Your clothes and other necessities will be packed and sent over.”
“Mm.” Mu Yunjin acknowledged with a sound, walking outside with Chu Li.
Behind them, North Lord Wen Feng’s heart was filled with a sense of defeat. Looking at the imperial edict still in his attendant’s hand, he sighed helplessly.
“Normally, she doesn’t accept us,” Jiang Qingxue stepped forward to console him.
“I truly feel for this child.” Remembering the attitudes of the Mu family members toward her in the great hall after Mu Liangzheng’s death, he knew her days in the Minister’s manor had not been easy.
Over these years, what sins had they been committing?
…
In the carriage to Shuiyun Temple.
“Keep this safe.” Mu Yunjin took out the jade pendant and placed it in Chu Li’s arms, her tone dejected.
Chu Li held the jade pendant, his fingers lightly caressing it. He smiled faintly. “You’ll be staying in the Hall of Peace for forty-nine days. Do you need this prince to accompany you?”
Mu Yunjin shook her head. “You don’t need to come. This punishment is for me, and I accept it.”
“Very well.” Chu Li readily agreed, his eyebrows slightly raised. “But this prince will still find time to visit you.”
“Otherwise, not seeing you for forty-nine days would drive this prince crazy.”
“Drive what crazy…” Mu Yunjin muttered under her breath, not understanding what Chu Li meant by “drive crazy.” They hadn’t done anything together.
Chu Li laughed softly, reaching out to hold the back of her head, placing a kiss on her lips. “This prince means this.”
Mu Yunjin pursed her lips and snorted.
Throughout the journey to Shuiyun Temple, neither of them mentioned North Lord Wen Feng or Jiang Qingxue. When Mu Yunjin got out of the carriage, she suspected that Master Huaiyuan, having heard of her confinement, was already waiting outside the temple.
Seeing Chu Li and Mu Yunjin approach, Master Huaiyuan smiled and bowed slightly to both of them.
“This old monk has heard that Prince Ning’s wife will be staying in the Hall of Peace for forty-nine days. Prince Ning, please rest assured that this old monk will take good care of her,” Master Huaiyuan said.
Chu Li smiled faintly. “There’s no need for special care. She’s here to be punished, not to be a guest.”
At these words, Mu Yunjin elbowed him in the chest.
Master Huaiyuan laughed and led the two toward the Hall of Peace.
The Hall of Peace was the place in Shuiyun Temple where one could best experience serenity and clarity. This was because it was situated near the temple’s largest Buddhist bell. When reciting sutras each day, accompanied by the sound of the bell, different feelings would seep into one’s heart.
Entering the Hall of Peace, Mu Yunjin looked around. In the center of the hall stood a statue of Guanyin, with only an empty table and chair nearby, presumably for her to copy the sutras.
To one side was a small room containing a bed for Mu Yunjin to sleep in.
“This is nice,” Mu Yunjin said sincerely after looking around.
Master Huaiyuan walked to the side, took a thick book of sutras, and handed it to Mu Yunjin. “These are the sutras the Princess Consort needs to copy.”
“So thick…” Mu Yunjin clicked her tongue several times, remembering that the imperial edict had commanded her to copy three hundred sections.
“Alright, I understand.” Mu Yunjin accepted the book of sutras. As for copying them, there would always be a way.
After everything was arranged, Mu Yunjin looked at Chu Li beside her. “Alright, you can go now.”
Chu Li made a sound of acknowledgment and, after hearing her words, made a show of preparing to leave. However, Mu Yunjin grabbed him. “Are you leaving like this? Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
As she spoke, Mu Yunjin suddenly felt as if she were in prison, about to be locked up for several years.
“Behave yourself.” Chu Li reached out to pinch her face and smiled at her.
Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together and released Chu Li, waving at him. “Well then, goodbye.”
“Mm, goodbye.”
With these words, Chu Li and Master Huaiyuan walked out.
After the two left, Chu Li instructed Song Chun to secretly watch over Mu Yunjin. Seeing this, Master Huaiyuan shook his head helplessly. “With this old monk here, does Your Highness still fear someone will eat the Princess Consort?”