Hongxia stood beside Mu Lingzhu, addressing Mu Yunjin with a face full of contempt. Hearing her words, Mu Lingzhu cast an admiring glance her way.

After hearing Hongxia’s words, Zixiang immediately became indignant, hands on her hips. “Hongxia, our miss is the Sixth Prince’s Consort. You have no right to speak to our miss in such a tone!”

Hongxia glared at Zixiang. “Everyone in the mansion knows that the Third Miss was driven out by the Sixth Prince. What kind of Sixth Prince’s Consort is that?”

“Hongxia, your words are incorrect. Before the Sixth Prince’s letter of divorce arrives, my sister is still the Sixth Prince’s Consort. Quickly apologize to my sister,” Mu Lingzhu chided Hongxia beside her with a reproachful glance, smiling with pursed lips.

Hongxia immediately realized her error and bowed to Mu Yunjin. “This servant was clumsy with her words. Please forgive me, Sixth Prince’s Consort.”

As she finished speaking, Mu Lingzhu’s entire group burst into laughter.

“Miss…” Zixiang looked worriedly at Mu Yunjin, watching this group who had come to cause trouble.

Mu Yunjin picked at her fingernails, her phoenix eyes slightly raised, her gaze slowly sweeping over Mu Lingzhu, followed by a cold laugh.

After a moment, Mu Yunjin put away her smile and glanced at Hongxia beside Mu Lingzhu. “Hongxia, this lowly servant, has offended her superior. She should be dragged out immediately and beaten to death with sticks.”

…

…

“Beaten to death with sticks? Hehe, Mu Yunjin, there’s no longer a place for you in this mansion. No one will listen to you,” Mu Lingzhu said dismissively, laughing contemptuously.

After Mu Lingzhu finished speaking, the next second, she saw Mu Yunjin take out a jade whistle from her sleeve, place it to her lips, and blow gently. The crisp sound of the jade whistle rang through Shihua Pavilion.

Immediately, purple-armored guards suddenly appeared on the rooftops around Shihua Pavilion. The lead guard jumped down, respectfully bowing to Mu Yunjin.

“Prince Consort, what are your orders?”

Mu Yunjin raised her eyes to meet Mu Lingzhu’s astonished gaze and smiled contemptuously. “Take that lowly servant beside her and drag her out to be beaten to death!”

“Yes, Prince Consort.” As the purple-armored guard finished speaking, he walked toward Hongxia.

“Mu Yunjin, you dare!” Mu Lingzhu had never imagined that Mu Yunjin could summon the legendary guards. Hearing the guard address her as Sixth Prince’s Consort, she knew she had miscalculated again.

“Why wouldn’t I dare? Even if I had all these people behind you beaten to death, what could you do about it?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, cold intent fully displayed in her eyes.

This person, Mu Lingzhu, always forgot the pain once the wound had healed. Since that was the case, she would help her learn a good lesson!

“My grand wedding with Prince Rong is imminent, yet you cause a death in the mansion, doing such an inauspicious thing. Aren’t you afraid of Prince Rong’s blame?” Mu Lingzhu bit her lip, invoking Prince Rong.

“I believe Uncle Prince Rong will certainly support the actions of his nephew’s wife. As for you, Mu Lingzhu, clarify your position before speaking to me.”

“Drag her out!”

As Mu Yunjin finished speaking, several purple-armored guards dragged Hongxia out of Shihua Pavilion. The entire courtyard immediately resounded with Hongxia’s screaming and wailing.

Hearing the screams from outside, Mu Lingzhu found herself completely powerless, still being firmly suppressed by Mu Yunjin.

In an instant, she felt like a joke!

“Mu Lingzhu, don’t think that marrying into Prince Rong’s manor will be your time to rise. Believe me, that’s the beginning of your disaster.” Mu Yunjin’s lips contained a smile as she looked faintly at Mu Lingzhu before walking back to her room.

In the courtyard, only Mu Lingzhu and the remaining few servants stood there.

Mu Lingzhu bit her lip hard, tightly clenching her fists, staring at the tightly closed door before her.

“Mu Yunjin, we’ll see!”

As she finished speaking, Mu Lingzhu turned around and caught sight of someone standing behind her. Her footsteps faltered, her face flashing with fear before she lowered her eyes.

“Cloud has only returned to rest for a few days, and you’re already so impatient?” Mu Yunhan stood before Mu Lingzhu, speaking coldly.

“Big Brother, I…” Mu Lingzhu’s face turned red. Not knowing how long Mu Yunhan had been listening, she couldn’t find words to retort.

Mu Yunhan snorted, his eyebrows slightly raised. “The First Talented Woman of the Western Yuan Kingdom—this title on a woman full of sinister schemes like you is truly a joke!”

“Big Brother, I am your sister too. Why do you always favor Sister?” Mu Lingzhu was somewhat dissatisfied after hearing Mu Yunhan’s disdainful words.

Thinking back to her childhood, she had always wanted to be close to this big brother, but he was always very cold toward her, yet exceptionally close and loving to that embarrassment Mu Yunjin.

“With behavior like yours, are you worthy of my closeness?” Mu Yunhan glanced coldly at Mu Lingzhu, then looked at the people Mu Lingzhu had brought, feeling extremely annoyed.

“Get out quickly, and don’t let me see you causing trouble for Yunjin again!”

Mu Lingzhu bit her lip hard, remembering Su Biqing, who had been killed because of Mu Yunjin, feeling full of grievance. “Big Brother, have you forgotten our mother…”

“That was her fault. What does it have to do with Yunjin? Get out!”

Mu Lingzhu could say no more. After composing herself, she resumed her original gentle and quiet demeanor, bowing to Mu Yunhan. “Sister takes her leave.”

After leaving Shihua Pavilion, a young maid hurriedly ran up to her. Seeing Mu Lingzhu, she immediately knelt on the ground. “Miss, Sister Hongxia is no longer breathing…”

“I know.” Mu Lingzhu spoke faintly. She never expected that in such a short time, she would lose Hongxia’s life.

After walking a few steps, Mu Lingzhu stopped again and summoned a servant. “Go and spread the news about Mu Yunjin beating Hongxia to death. This time, we can’t let Hongxia sacrifice her life in vain.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The servant immediately ran toward the back door. When he reached a tree, he was suddenly struck by a silver needle in the back of his neck, instantly falling to the ground unconscious.

Mu Yunjin walked out from behind the tree, looking at the unconscious person on the ground, smiling faintly as she played with another silver needle in her hand.

“Mu Lingzhu, oh Mu Lingzhu, after all this time, you’re still playing the same tricks!”

……

That night, at the dining table in the Marquis’s mansion.

The incident of Hongxia being beaten to death by Mu Yunjin during the day was known to almost everyone in the mansion. Now Marquis Mu sat in the main seat, glancing at Mu Yunjin eating with lowered eyes, not mentioning the matter.

Mu Lingzhu had specifically come to the front hall to dine, waiting for her father to give her justice, but after a while, no one mentioned the matter.

“Third Sister, eat more of this.” After Mu Xiarou had eaten a few mouthfuls, she picked several ribs for Mu Yunjin.

“Thank you, Fifth Sister.” Mu Yunjin smiled at Mu Xiarou.

Mu Xiarou shook her head, revealing a smile. “Third Sister needn’t be polite. Since you’ve rarely returned to stay for a few days, you must eat and drink well. If you become thin when you return to the Prince’s mansion, the Sixth Prince might come to trouble us.”

Mu Xiarou’s words caused various expressions among those at the dining table.

Mu Lingzhu turned her head to glare at Mu Xiarou, put down her chopsticks, and immediately lost her appetite.

That despicable Mu Xiarou, in the past, when Mu Yunjin was confined to Shihua Pavilion, she would follow her around daily, addressing her as “sister” this and “sister” that, currying favor with her. Now seeing Mu Yunjin in power, she no longer gives her a second glance.

She truly is an opportunist.

“Why isn’t Lingzhu eating?” Luo Ningyu saw that Mu Lingzhu had put down her chopsticks and looked at her warmly.

Mu Lingzhu paused, smiled, and said, “Third Mother, I’m full.”

Mu Yunjin glanced at Mu Lingzhu, seeing that she had only taken a few bites from her bowl of rice. Knowing she had been greatly angered today, she sighed melodiously, “Some people, not content with a good life, always have to cause trouble. But as it happens, some people are born to subdue demons. This back and forth is quite interesting.”

The meaning in Mu Yunjin’s words was naturally understood by everyone present, and the atmosphere became somewhat depressed and awkward.

“Sister, your joke is not funny at all.” Mu Lingzhu sat up, looked around, and seeing no news from the servant she had sent out during the day, became somewhat anxious.

“Don’t look anymore. He won’t be coming back.” Mu Yunjin took a sip of soup and spoke chillingly.

“Mu Yunjin, you…” Mu Lingzhu took a deep breath, and, after a moment, realized what Mu Yunjin meant. Her eyes revealed a trace of surprise and panic.

“Bang—”

Marquis Mu, who had been eating dinner, suddenly slammed the table hard, forcefully placing his chopsticks on the table with a tense face as he looked at Mu Lingzhu. “Before your wedding, you will stay in Mingzhu Tower obediently, not allowed to take a single step out!”

“Father, why is it always me?” Mu Lingzhu found it hard to believe. If Mu Yunjin was the Sixth Prince’s Consort, her identity was indeed different, but she was about to become Prince Rong’s secondary consort. Her status was not much lower than Mu Yunjin’s. Why was everyone in the mansion now favoring Mu Yunjin?

“Li Ping, take the Fourth Miss back to Mingzhu Tower. She is not to come out without my order!”

“Yes, Lord Marquis.”

After Mu Lingzhu was sent back to Mingzhu Tower, the atmosphere at the dining table gradually became lively. Zhuang Yuyan, who had been eating silently, now spoke gently.

“Sister Yunjin, you’ve eaten little today. Is it not to your taste?”

Mu Yunjin shook her head.

“Tonight there’s a lantern festival in the market, which must be very lively. Would you like to go and see it later?” Zhuang Yuyan said with a smile.

“Yes, yes, Sister-in-law, I want to go too!” Mu Xiarou spoke up first.

Hearing Zhuang Yuyan’s suggestion, Mu Yunjin also smiled and nodded.

……

Shortly after, Mu Yunjin, Mu Yunhan, Zhuang Yuyan, and Mu Xiarou left the mansion together.

When they arrived at the street, they saw that the streets were indeed hung with lanterns. Almost every pedestrian held a lantern. Looking at those varied lanterns, Mu Yunjin inexplicably thought of Chu Li.

Thinking of Chu Li, Mu Yunjin knocked her head, feeling somewhat speechless with herself.

“Let’s go to Shuixian Lake,” Zhuang Yuyan said.

A moment later, Mu Yunjin followed them to Shuixian Lake. She saw a long corridor outside Shuixian Lake, with lotus lanterns hanging on both sides of the corridor.

On both sides of the corridor, there were also many vendors selling small lotus lanterns, competing for attention.

Mu Yunjin followed the corridor toward Shuixian Lake. When she reached the end of the corridor, Mu Yunjin could see the lakeshore crowded with young men and women releasing lotus lanterns.

The lake surface was almost filled with floating lotus lanterns. Just as she was watching this scene, a lotus lantern was suddenly handed to her.

Mu Yunjin frowned slightly, turning her head to see Mu Yunhan standing beside her, holding a lotus lantern in his hand. “Here, take it.”