Mu Yunjin’s eyes flickered as she slightly raised her chin. “Third Prince, how did you conclude that I came alone?”

“Oh? Could it be that Sixth Brother has come too?” After speaking, Chu Qing looked behind Mu Yunjin. Seeing no one behind her, he couldn’t help but curve his lips into a mocking smile.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin coldly smiled, glancing at the group of noble young ladies, then looking back at Chu Qing. She spoke leisurely, “Third Prince has brought so many beauties out today. You shouldn’t waste your energy on me. Please, go about your business.”

Beside them, the noble young ladies had never heard anyone dare to speak to the Third Prince like this. They cast surprised glances at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Lingzhu stood in place. From the moment she saw Mu Yunjin, her gaze had darkened, and she continued to look coldly at her.

“Miss Mu is about to become this prince’s sister-in-law. We’ll soon be family, so it’s only right for this prince, as an elder brother, to spend some energy on you. From your appearance, are you going to find the abbot for a token?” Chu Qing looked down at Mu Yunjin and spoke calmly.

Mu Yunjin didn’t directly answer Chu Qing’s question. She slightly frowned, feeling that Chu Qing was truly annoying. Although he hadn’t done anything to her, he always gave her an irritating feeling.

“Sister, the Third Prince is speaking to you!” Mu Lingzhu, who had been silent until now, spoke up at the right moment. After a pause, she continued, “Both the Third Prince and Fourth Prince here are the Sixth Prince’s elder brothers. It’s one thing for you to defy your parents at home because you’ll be the Sixth Prince’s consort, but here you’d better be more sensible.”

Mu Lingzhu’s words made Chu Qing raise an eyebrow, looking at Mu Yunjin with great interest. “You defied your parents because you’re going to marry Sixth Brother?”

…

…

The words of Mu Lingzhu and Chu Qing caused the others to look at Mu Yunjin differently. Looking around, Mu Yunjin saw that most gazes contained a measure of contempt.

“Lingzhu, I am still your elder sister. You too should be more sensible and speak to me with a better attitude.” Mu Yunjin’s words carried a hint of disdain as she glanced lightly at Mu Lingzhu.

“Sister, I was just kindly reminding you. Don’t vent your anger on me.” Mu Lingzhu slightly lowered her eyes, biting her lip, pretending to look wronged.

Seeing this, Mu Yunjin laughed coldly, folding her arms and speaking mercilessly, “Lingzhu, just because the Sixth Prince, whom you’ve secretly loved for eight years, won’t marry you, do you have to target me like this?”

“Sister, you…” Mu Lingzhu hadn’t expected Mu Yunjin to state this so blatantly. Her face turned pale, feeling extremely embarrassed in front of so many people.

At this moment, the smile on Chu Qing’s face deepened. He curled his lips and looked at the two men beside him. “Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, since Miss Mu can’t have her heart’s desire, why don’t one of you take her? She is, after all, the First Talented Lady of Western Yuan Kingdom.”

Hearing the words “Fourth Brother,” Mu Yunjin was slightly startled. Only then did she glance at the man standing beside Chu Xin, who hadn’t spoken yet.

Fourth Brother—could he be the Fourth Prince, Chu Li?

“Third Brother, this place is boring. Let’s go.” Chu Li snorted lightly and was the first to step down the stairs. As he passed by Mu Yunjin, he gave her a meaningful smile.

Hearing this, Chu Qing and the others nodded and walked down.

Mu Lingzhu was still standing in place. After the others had walked away, her gaze seemed to shoot fire, her eyes crimson as she looked at Mu Yunjin.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Mu Lingzhu, if you hadn’t provoked me first, I wouldn’t have spoken carelessly and revealed your secret.” Mu Yunjin sneered, taking a few steps forward.

When she reached Mu Lingzhu’s side, Mu Yunjin leaned close to her and spoke somewhat helplessly, “That Fourth Prince just now, I heard he’s the groom Empress Dowager Zheng prepared for you? Tsk, now I wonder if he’s still willing to marry a woman who loves his Sixth Brother.”

“What a pity. You were so close to becoming my Fourth Sister-in-law.” Mu Yunjin snickered, watching as Mu Lingzhu glared at her, her body trembling as she struggled to hold back the tears in her eyes.

“Glaring at me won’t help. Blame yourself and that loose mouth of yours, always saying things you shouldn’t.” With these words, Mu Yunjin led Zixiang toward the meditation courtyard.

After Mu Yunjin left, Mu Lingzhu’s legs gave way, and she collapsed on the stairs. Tears continuously rolled from her eyes as she bit her lip hard, clenching her fingers, murderous intent flashing in her eyes.

Mu Yunjin, from now on, it’s either you or me!

…

Mu Yunjin walked to the top of the stairs, where she saw a meditation courtyard named ‘Speaking Zen.’

Looking at the name of the meditation courtyard, Mu Yunjin pouted. Just as she was about to enter, a monk emerged from the shadows, blocking her way.

“Female benefactor, please stop.”

“I want to find the abbot for a token to the thousand-year-old tree courtyard.” Mu Yunjin directly stated her purpose, looking at the monk.

Hearing this, the monk bowed to Mu Yunjin. “The abbot only receives three guests each day. Today he has already met with three honored guests. Please come back tomorrow, benefactor.”

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin felt disappointed. She looked up at the plaque and couldn’t help murmuring, “Meditation courtyard, speaking Zen, what is true Zen?”

With these words, Mu Yunjin turned and left.

After Mu Yunjin had gone far, the previously closed doors of the meditation courtyard slowly opened. An elderly man dressed in a golden kasaya walked out slowly, watching Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure.

“She has finally appeared.”

…

“This temple fair isn’t very interesting. Let’s go back.” Coming down the stairs, Mu Yunjin looked around, unable to muster any interest.

Zixiang was still somewhat disappointed and sighed slightly. “Not being able to see the thousand-year-old tree with my own eyes is a pity.”

“We’ll come again next time. The ancient tree will still be here; it won’t run away.” Mu Yunjin glanced at Zixiang and comforted her.

Zixiang nodded. “Miss, then let’s go. The Third Prince and the others are here, and they don’t seem very friendly towards you.”

“Mm.” Mu Yunjin responded and walked back with Zixiang.

The two hadn’t used any transportation when they came, leisurely walking on foot. But on the way back, they realized that the distance to the city was considerable.

“I wonder if there are any carriage drivers nearby.” Zixiang looked around, speaking with some anxiety.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin smiled faintly. “What need for a carriage driver? Isn’t that a purple sandalwood carriage from the minister’s mansion over there?”

“Ah? But that belongs to the Fourth Miss…”

Before Zixiang could finish speaking, Mu Yunjin pulled her toward the parked carriages. When they reached the purple sandalwood carriage, the driver was dozing off.

“Wake up.” Zixiang went up and gave him a push.

The driver was immediately awakened. Seeing Mu Yunjin standing in front of him, he was slightly taken aback, then bowed. “Third Miss.”

“Mm, take me back.” Mu Yunjin said.

The driver was stunned, somewhat hesitant. “What about the Fourth Miss?”

“Naturally, someone will take her back.” After speaking, Mu Yunjin climbed into the carriage. “Zixiang, get in.”

Hearing this, Zixiang immediately climbed into the carriage and entered the compartment.

Seeing this, the driver didn’t dare say much more. He drove the carriage away from the temple fair, heading toward the city.

In the temple fair, Mu Lingzhu was just about to return with Yan Lingshang and the others when she saw her carriage being driven away. Without thinking, she knew that Mu Yunjin was sitting inside.

This was going too far!

…

After returning to the city, Mu Yunjin didn’t go directly back to the minister’s mansion but found a restaurant, planning to have a good meal first.

In the private room of the restaurant, a table full of dishes was soon served. Mu Yunjin and Zixiang had been traveling all morning and were quite hungry. They picked up their chopsticks and began eating heartily.

“If I had known, we wouldn’t have gone to that temple fair. How nice it would have been to just have a big meal here.” Mu Yunjin spoke with satisfaction after eating several pieces of beef.

Hearing this, Zixiang nodded in agreement.

After they had eaten their fill, Mu Yunjin looked at the time. It was the hour of the goat (1-3 PM). They had done enough sightseeing and had eaten enough; it was time to go back.

She had demanded back all the gift boxes that Su Biqing had kept, and she didn’t know what awaited her back at the mansion.

Thinking of this, Mu Yunjin’s mischievous nature surged again. She immediately paid the bill and left the restaurant, heading for the minister’s mansion.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the minister’s mansion, Uncle Wang saw Mu Yunjin and his eyes seemed to avoid her gaze. Fortunately, Mu Yunjin didn’t speak to him but went directly inside.

The table in the front hall that had been full of gift boxes was now cleared.

When she returned to Tinghua Pavilion, Mu Yunjin happened to meet Su Biqing and Aunt Li at the entrance. The two women’s eyes revealed an inscrutable meaning when they saw her.

“All the collected gift boxes have been placed in your Tinghua Pavilion. I was only helping you keep them safe. I had planned to use some as your future dowry, since our minister’s mansion still has Lingzhu and Xiarou as daughters, and we can’t provide many valuable things for you.”

“Now it’s just as well. These gifts include some precious items. You can select them yourself as your dowry.”

Su Biqing looked sideways at Mu Yunjin, her tone full of contempt and indifference, her eyes filled with disdain.

Hearing Su Biqing’s sarcastic words, Mu Yunjin smiled slightly. “Thank you, Mother. However, the Sixth Prince has already given me thirty thousand taels of gold to use as I wish. As for the dowry, I don’t need your trouble.”

When Su Biqing and Aunt Li heard this, their expressions immediately changed, showing a trace of surprise. Thirty thousand taels of gold?

The entire minister’s mansion combined could probably produce at most one hundred thousand taels of gold, yet the Sixth Prince was so generous as to give Mu Yunjin thirty thousand taels of gold at once?

Could it be that Mu Yunjin had truly bewitched the Sixth Prince?

Seeing the strange expressions on Su Biqing and Aunt Li’s faces, Mu Yunjin immediately added another blow. “I heard that the Third Prince and Fourth Prince now know about the Fourth Miss’s admiration for the Sixth Prince. I wonder if the Fourth Prince is still willing to marry her.”

“It seems that Mother needs to prepare a substantial dowry for the Fourth Miss. Otherwise, in the future, the Fourth Miss will truly have trouble finding a husband…”

After speaking, Mu Yunjin smiled, then pulled Zixiang into Tinghua Pavilion. With a loud ‘bang,’ she heavily closed the door, shutting Su Biqing and Aunt Li outside.

Seeing this, Aunt Li immediately cursed, “This wretched girl has gotten out of hand lately.”

Hearing this, Su Biqing laughed coldly. “Let her be. She won’t last through tonight anyway!”