Having considered this possibility, a trace of joy appeared in Mu Yunjin’s eyes. Just thinking that Chu Li might have changed his mind made her steps noticeably lighter.
A change of heart would be wonderful! The sooner he backed out, the sooner she could return to a peaceful life.
Zixiang followed behind, noticing Mu Yunjin’s light footsteps, and hurried to catch up beside her with a puzzled expression. “Miss, what I just told you isn’t good news. Why do you look happy instead?”
“What’s the rush? When the wedding date arrives, someone will naturally worry about this matter for me,” Mu Yunjin replied, glancing back at Zixiang with a crisp voice.
Hearing this, Zixiang nodded, taking Mu Yunjin’s words to heart.
The mistress and maid strolled casually through the streets. Passing by a shop selling rouge and face powder, Zixiang’s eyes lit up with desire, and she insisted on pulling Mu Yunjin inside to look around.
The cosmetics shop was quite crowded at this time. Mu Yunjin typically disliked squeezing into crowded places, but seeing Zixiang’s excitement, she didn’t want to dampen her spirits.
“Miss, look at this,” Zixiang picked up a small jar, gently unscrewed it, and handed it to Mu Yunjin.
Mu Yunjin looked at the peach-red rouge Zixiang offered and smiled slightly. “If you like it, go ahead and buy it. We happen to have plenty of money today.”
…
…
Hearing Mu Yunjin say this, Zixiang didn’t hesitate and happily selected two boxes of rouge, asking the shop owner to wrap them up.
“I thought that voice sounded familiar. Its sister Yunjin.” A familiar voice came from the side of the cosmetics shop.
Mu Yunjin turned to look and saw Yan Lingshang standing there with her maid, Cailu.
“Hello, Sister Yan.” Mu Yunjin greeted Yan Lingshang lazily, showing no intention of further pleasantries, and immediately shifted her gaze away.
Seeing this, Yan Lingshang showed no change in her expression and looked toward Zixiang, who was buying rouge. “Sister Yunjin is truly considerate of her servants, even buying rouge for her maid. By comparison, Lingshang feels quite inadequate.”
“Sister Yan needn’t feel ashamed. Since we’re in a rogue shop, why not select some items your little maid might like? Wouldn’t that suffice?”
Perhaps because Yan Lingshang had previously been close to Mu Lingzhu, Mu Yunjin couldn’t offer a pleasant attitude toward the now seemingly harmless Yan Lingshang.
Hearing this, Yan Lingshang’s face stiffened slightly before she smiled and took out a purse from her sleeve, handing it to the maid beside her. “Cailu, go choose some things you like.”
Cailu took the purse with some anxiety, thanked Yan Lingshang, and walked away.
By now, Zixiang had finished selecting her rouge. When she returned to Mu Yunjin’s side, she proudly waved a box of rouge in front of her mistress. “Miss, I’ve also chosen two items for you. I think they’ll look good on you.”
“Hmm, how thoughtful of you.” Mu Yunjin smiled and glanced at Yan Lingshang, whose eyes showed some surprise.
After a pause, Yan Lingshang laughed somewhat awkwardly and said, “Sister Yunjin is truly kind-hearted. Today, Lingshang has learned quite a bit.”
“Hmm, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.” Mu Yunjin spoke coolly, unwilling to talk further with Yan Lingshang. After speaking, she left with Zixiang.
After they had gone, Yan Lingshang stood in the cosmetics shop, watching Mu Yunjin’s retreating figure with a contemptuous smile. A moment later, she turned to glare at Cailu, who was still selecting rouge.
“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and get over here!”
Hearing Yan Lingshang’s angry voice, Cailu trembled with fear and immediately ran over, still clutching Yan Lingshang’s money purse.
Yan Lingshang snatched the purse from Cailu’s hand and stuffed it back into her sleeve, then spoke disdainfully, “An undisciplined wild girl only fit to keep company with lowly people!”
“I heard her wedding with the Sixth Prince is approaching, yet the Sixth Prince still hasn’t sent betrothal gifts to the Minister’s mansion. What a tremendous joke!”
……
After walking some distance, Zixiang recalled the scene in the rouge shop and asked curiously, “Miss, do you have a grievance with that Miss Yan?”
“No, not at all,” Mu Yunjin replied nonchalantly.
“But I saw that you were unwilling to engage with her much. I thought you two might have had some conflict!” Zixiang said.
Mu Yunjin smiled but said nothing.
Along the way, Mu Yunjin noticed that every commoner who passed by would stop and give her a few extra glances. Their gazes mostly carried contempt and schadenfreude. Some even gathered in groups after she passed, whispering among themselves.
Mu Yunjin became curious and pointed at her face. “Zixiang, is there something dirty on my face?”
Zixiang looked at Mu Yunjin and shook her head.
Hearing this, Mu Yunjin frowned, narrowed her eyes slightly, and turned to walk casually toward a small stall by the roadside. “Auntie, how much is this?”
Mu Yunjin picked up a silk handkerchief from the stall and waved it in front of the woman.
The stallkeeper’s face was initially full of smiles, but upon recognizing Mu Yunjin, her smile immediately became strange and stiff. She then forced a slight smile and said, “Not expensive, just ten copper coins.”
After the woman spoke, Mu Yunjin took out a small silver ingot from the money pouch Su Biqing had given her and handed it to the woman. “This is all for you, but you must tell me what everyone in the streets is talking about regarding me…”
“Third Miss Mu, this…” The woman’s eyes revealed a flash of surprise and fear, and she didn’t dare reach out to take the silver from Mu Yunjin’s hand.
Seeing the woman’s hesitation, Mu Yunjin winked at her and displayed an innocent expression. “Not enough? Then I’ll add a bit more.”
As she spoke, Mu Yunjin took out a few more small silver ingots from the money pouch.
The stallkeeper, looking at this scene, silently cursed her misfortune, then bit her lip, not daring to say a word.
“Hmm?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow when the woman remained silent for a long time.
“Third Miss, please spare me. I have elderly parents and young children to care for. I’m just a handkerchief seller. Please don’t make things difficult for me…” The woman was on the verge of tears as she spoke.
Mu Yunjin frowned and was about to speak when suddenly the previously open area around them filled with commoners who surrounded Mu Yunjin and the small stall.
“They say the Third Miss has an arrogant and vicious temper, and today we’ve seen it. She’s publicly bullying a small merchant. Is there no law in the Minister’s mansion?” A bold middle-aged man standing at the front pointed at Mu Yunjin as he spoke.
“That’s right! Ying Niang is an honest person who has been selling silk handkerchiefs here for many years. Look how she’s being bullied today—she’s almost in tears,” a woman quickly added.
“No wonder the wedding date is approaching, yet the Sixth Prince hasn’t sent betrothal gifts. How could such a vicious and shrewish woman be worthy of the Sixth Prince!”
“Exactly! The Minister’s household has an eldest young master fighting at the border and a Fourth Miss with extraordinary talents, yet they’ve produced someone who tarnishes the family’s reputation. It’s truly a pity for the Minister!”
Mu Yunjin kept her eyes narrowed as she observed the sudden crowd, hearing the accusations flying from all directions. Each comment was sharp, degrading her to worthlessness.
It seemed that what everyone had been discussing was indeed the matter of Chu Li not sending betrothal gifts.
“How dare all of you! How can people of your low station criticize the Third Miss? Are you tired of living?” Seeing so many people surrounding Mu Yunjin, Zixiang immediately moved in front of her mistress, shielding her.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Zixiang finished speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly threw several eggs at them. Caught off guard, Zixiang’s hair and clothes were immediately a mess.
Seeing someone take the lead, those women carrying vegetable baskets also joined in, taking out vegetables and eggs from their baskets and throwing them at Mu Yunjin and Zixiang.
“Miss, quick, run…” Zixiang covered her head, pulling Mu Yunjin to escape.
Run?
Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow. By now, her eyes had completely darkened. She pulled Zixiang behind her for protection—she never suffered wrongs in silence!
At that moment, a burly man standing at the front was reaching into a woman’s basket for more eggs. Seeing this, Mu Yunjin quickly stepped forward, shifted her body, grabbed the man’s wrist, and with a slight exertion of force, executed a shoulder throw, tossing the man’s body away.
During the throw, Mu Yunjin deliberately flung the man toward the crowd of commoners. Seeing the man’s body falling toward them, the commoners immediately scattered in all directions.
“Ouch—”
Falling to the ground, the man felt as if several bones in his body had broken. He lay on the ground, wailing continuously.
The commoners were stunned by this scene, seeing how Mu Yunjin, with her small and seemingly frail stature, could throw a man two heads taller than her to the ground.
After a moment of shock, they immediately fled in all directions, terrified.
After the onlookers dispersed, the anger on Mu Yunjin’s face did not diminish. She bit her lip, looked around, and laughed coldly. “It seems someone is playing tricks behind the scenes again!”
“Miss, what should we do now?” Zixiang asked with a furrowed brow after cleaning off some of the debris from her body.
“Return to the mansion!”
When Mu Yunjin stepped through the main gate of the Minister’s mansion, Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu, whether deliberately or not, were still sitting in the front hall drinking tea.
Noticing Mu Yunjin enter with disheveled hair and somewhat messy clothes, Su Biqing exclaimed with a hint of hidden laughter in her eyes, “Yunjin, what happened to you? How did you end up like this after just going out?”
“Yes, sister, did you fall or were you beaten? If someone beat you, our Minister’s household certainly can’t let the matter rest!” Mu Lingzhu covered her mouth and smiled.
Hearing these words from the mother and daughter, Mu Yunjin knew that the trouble had originated from these two. They couldn’t live peacefully.
“Thank you for your concern, Mother and Sister. Nothing’s wrong. I’ll go back to my quarters now,” Mu Yunjin said and then walked toward Shihua Pavilion.
After Mu Yunjin left the front hall, Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu exchanged glances, both with smug and mocking expressions in their eyes.
“Aunt Li, make arrangements to report to the palace that Mu Yunjin bullied commoners in public and injured an innocent person. Make sure it reaches the ears of His Majesty and Empress Dowager Zheng,” Su Biqing instructed.
“Yes, this old servant will attend to it immediately!”
……
When Mu Yunjin reached the back garden, she didn’t return to Shihua Pavilion first but changed direction and walked toward the back gate of the Minister’s mansion.