Mu Lingzhu’s resolute and clear voice resounded throughout the front hall, stunning everyone present.

Especially Marquis Mu, who widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

But on second thought, his face showed a trace of sadness. It was clear that Prince Rong intended to marry Mu Lingzhu, and although he held the prestigious position of Marquis in court, he couldn’t easily offend Prince Rong.

After Su Biqing’s death, though he was somewhat disappointed in Zhu’er, she was still once his most prideful daughter. Now she was to marry a man of her father’s generation—how could he feel at ease?

Zhu’er’s answer showed she was still that sensible child, which only made him feel more heartache for his daughter.

Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows slightly and bit her lip, also surprised that Mu Lingzhu would agree to marry Prince Rong. But from what she knew of Mu Lingzhu, she feared that after Mu Lingzhu married into the household, the current Princess Rong’s days would be numbered…

“Hahaha, Fourth Miss Mu is truly perceptive beyond compare. Once you enter Prince Rong’s mansion, I will certainly treat you well,” Prince Rong said with a face full of smiles.

After laughing, he bowed to Marquis Mu. “Marquis, my little niece-in-law recently married Li’er and calls me Uncle Prince. Now that Lingzhu is to marry me, we are truly becoming even closer relatives.”

Hearing this, Marquis Mu nodded somewhat reluctantly, forcing a smile. “This old minister believes that Prince Rong will certainly be a good husband.”

…

…

“Of course, of course. Let’s not delay, then. On an auspicious day, I will prepare an eight-bearer sedan chair to welcome Lingzhu into my home.”

Marquis Mu gave a sound of acknowledgment, then glanced at Luo Ningyu beside him.

Luo Ningyu paused, took out a calendar, flipped through it, and looked timidly at Marquis Mu and Prince Rong. “The eighth day of next month is a good day.”

“Good, then the eighth it is. Lingzhu, do you have any objections?” Prince Rong turned to look at Mu Lingzhu.

Mu Lingzhu shook her head and smoothed her clothes. “I defer to Prince Rong’s decision.”

“Good, then it’s settled. Today my little niece-in-law is also visiting her family, so I won’t disturb your family gathering. Farewell.” With that, Prince Rong nodded to Marquis Mu and walked out, leaving behind a room full of valuable betrothal gifts.

The front hall fell silent for a moment.

Mu Lingzhu composed herself and then looked at Marquis Mu with a smile. “Father, please don’t worry about your daughter. The course of all things is predetermined by heaven. Although Prince Rong is somewhat older, if he truly treats Zhu’er well after I marry him, that will be Zhu’er’s good fortune.”

“Ah, it’s commendable that you can think this way, child. Prince Rong, though relatively kind, already has five or six concubines in his rear court. Though you’ll enter as a secondary consort, you must be cautious of these people,” Marquis Mu advised.

“Zhu’er will be careful,” Mu Lingzhu smiled, then turned her gaze to Mu Yunjin. “Sister, after I marry into Prince Rong’s household, you should still address me as younger sister, not as Princess Rong’s wife, can you? Otherwise, it would make us sisters seem distant.”

Mu Yunjin’s eye twitched. She had initially felt pity for Mu Lingzhu for marrying an old man, but now, hearing her tone, she showed no sign of distress whatsoever.

Indeed, a dog cannot change its habit of eating…

“Fourth Sister is overthinking. You will be Prince Rong’s secondary consort, so it won’t be my place to address you as Princess Rong’s wife,” Mu Yunjin said, glancing faintly at Mu Lingzhu.

Seeing these two children bickering again, Marquis Mu didn’t say much more and turned to walk toward the back garden.

After Marquis Mu left, the atmosphere in the front hall eased slightly.

Mu Xiarou, who had been sitting on the side watching the excitement, suddenly covered her mouth with a laugh and walked close to Mu Lingzhu. “Fourth Sister, that Prince Rong is well-preserved, looking even younger than our father.”

“You…” Hearing Mu Xiarou’s sarcastic remark, Mu Lingzhu glared at her.

“Rou’er, go back to your room. Don’t stay here saying nonsense,” Luo Ningyu scolded Mu Xiarou when she saw the situation turning awkward.

Mu Xiarou pouted and shook her head, walking to Mu Yunjin’s side and pulling her arm. “Third Sister, isn’t it true? Doesn’t Prince Rong look younger than our father?”

As Mu Xiarou asked again, Zhuang Yuyan sighed lightly, walked over, and looked at Mu Lingzhu. “Fourth Sister, don’t take it to heart. This Fifth Sister is still young and doesn’t know how to speak properly. Please don’t be upset.”

“Big Sister-in-law is overthinking. How could I take offense at Fifth Sister? Fifth Sister is still two years away from her coming-of-age ceremony. When the time comes, I, as her sister, will help her find a good family,” Mu Lingzhu said, reaching out to gently stroke Mu Xiarou’s head. Her gaze toward Mu Xiarou carried a hint of warning.

Sensing this look, Mu Xiarou felt a chill in her heart. She stepped back and ran to Luo Ningyu. “Mother, let’s go back to our room?”

“All right.” Luo Ningyu had long noticed the tension here, so she tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’ll take Rou’er back to our room first. You sisters rarely gather, so have a good chat.”

Before leaving, Luo Ningyu specially instructed the servants to remove the betrothal gifts from the front hall. Soon, the front hall became spacious again, with only Mu Yunjin, Mu Lingzhu, and Zhuang Yuyan remaining.

Zhuang Yuyan, caught in the middle, could see that these two sisters didn’t get along well. To prevent any mishaps, she sat to the side, keeping a close eye on Mu Yunjin and Mu Lingzhu.

“It’s rare for Sister to return to her maiden home. Why not stay for lunch before leaving? After all, now that Miss Qin has returned, the Sixth Prince certainly won’t have time to accompany you,” Mu Lingzhu said mockingly as she sat beside Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin propped her head and raised her eyebrows slightly upon hearing these words. She thought to herself that Mu Lingzhu was truly opportunistic.

Not long ago, when she had fallen from favor, she wouldn’t even dare raise her head in Mu Yunjin’s presence. Now, shortly after Prince Rong had left after presenting betrothal gifts, she had reverted to the same acrid tone as when they first met.

“Don’t worry about me. Didn’t Father just say that Prince Rong’s household already has five or six concubines? You should worry about how many nights a month you’ll receive his favor,” Mu Yunjin sneered, taking a sip of tea.

Mu Lingzhu’s expression changed, words caught in her throat. Biting her lip with some anger, she finally couldn’t sit still and stood up. “Mu Yunjin, let’s see how long you can remain smug.”

With that, Mu Lingzhu also left the front hall.

Seeing that Mu Lingzhu couldn’t bear the provocation and left, Mu Yunjin snickered, silently cursing that she deserved it.

“Sigh, the people in your family are truly strange.” Zhuang Yuyan shook her head helplessly, seeing that soon only she and Mu Yunjin would remain.

“Sister Yuyan, what about my brother? Is he strange too?” Mu Yunjin blinked at Zhuang Yuyan.

Hearing this, Zhuang Yuyan’s lips curled slightly. “Yunhan has been appointed by the Emperor as the Commander of all Imperial Guards in the palace these past few days. He’s been so busy that I’ve barely seen him.”

“Really?” Mu Yunjin raised her eyebrows.

“Yes, he hasn’t returned to the mansion for three days now…”

…

Mu Yunjin did not stay for lunch at the Marquis’s mansion. After chatting with Zhuang Yuyan for a while, she returned to the Sixth Prince’s Mansion with Zixiang.

Walking on the street, Zixiang, who had been holding back for a long time, finally opened up. “Miss, do you think Fourth Miss is suffering retribution? She used to be so proud, and now she’s marrying a man so much older than her.”

“Why don’t you think she’s using Prince Rong to rise again?” Mu Yunjin turned her head to look at Zixiang, her eyes containing a faint smile.

“This servant doesn’t think so. I was chatting with Mamma Shen in the mansion before, and she told me that the current Princess Rong is General Qin’s daughter—Miss Qin’s aunt. Now, the Qin family’s position is crucial throughout all of Western Yuan. With the Qin family as her backing, how could Fourth Miss be a match for Princess Rong?”

Hearing Zixiang’s words, a trace of surprise flashed through Mu Yunjin’s eyes, as if she found it hard to believe. “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course it’s true. This servant wouldn’t dare speak falsely,” Zixiang nodded in confirmation.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips slightly. When Prince Rong mentioned Princess Rong at the Marquis’s mansion earlier, his tone was one of disdain. Unexpectedly, this Princess Rong was someone of high status.

The Qin family, it’s always the Qin family’s people.

As she was pondering, Zixiang suddenly stopped and tapped Mu Yunjin’s shoulder. “Miss, look…”

There was a hint of anger in Zixiang’s voice.

Mu Yunjin looked in the direction Zixiang indicated, catching sight of two figures walking out of the Mingxiang Tea House, one after the other. She furrowed her brow slightly, but soon her brow smoothed out, and her expression became impassive.

Chu Li and Qin Muyue naturally also saw Mu Yunjin standing not far away, and for a moment, their expressions varied.

Chu Li watched Mu Yunjin, seeing her dressed in plain clothes standing in front of the Mingxiang Tea House, exuding an indescribable air of elegance and refinement. Her stunning beauty seemed to steal all the colors around her, making it impossible to look away.

Qin Muyue, noticing Chu Li’s gaze, broke into a smile and waved at Mu Yunjin. “Yunjin Sao Sao, what a coincidence meeting you here.”

Mu Yunjin smiled faintly, walked a few steps closer, and nodded to Qin Muyue. “Yes, quite a coincidence.”

“Li-ge and I just finished lunch here, and now I’m planning to take him to Water Cloud Temple to find Master Huaiyuan. That old man heard I’m back and is pestering me to play chess with him!” Qin Muyue said with a full smile.

“By the way, since we’ve met, would Yunjin Sao Sao like to join us?” Qin Muyue asked further.

Mu Yunjin shook her head, her gaze faintly passing over Chu Li beside her, her eyes revealing a hint of coldness. “No, thank you. Rather than wandering around, I prefer to go back and catch up on sleep.”

“All right then, what a pity. It’s getting late, so Li-ge and I should go now. I’ll visit you at the Prince’s Mansion tomorrow,” Qin Muyue said, then jumped onto a waiting carriage nearby.

Seeing Chu Li still standing in place, Mu Yunjin tilted her head to look at him and pulled out an amused smile. “Isn’t the Sixth Prince leaving?”

“This Prince and her, there’s nothing between us.” Chu Li’s heart wavered at Mu Yunjin’s smile, and his expression became somewhat solemn.

As he spoke, he didn’t understand why he felt the need to explain this to Mu Yunjin. He just found that seeing the playful, mocking smile on Mu Yunjin’s face made him feel uncomfortable.

“Whether there is something or not doesn’t matter to me. After all, we both understand the nature of our relationship. We just need to maintain mutual non-interference.”