She could deal with three to five ordinary burly men, but against true internal martial arts masters, she was utterly defenseless. It seemed she should rely less on force in the future.
Since her martial arts were inferior, why continue to fight? Mu Qingyao’s face turned cold.
“Let go. A distinguished Young Master Chu, how can you be so forward in broad daylight?”
Chu Qianyi was startled, quickly releasing his grip. A faint blush spread across his face.
He had been caught up in the heat of the moment and forgotten she was still a woman. Regardless of her past reputation, it was inappropriate to be holding her like this.
“My apologies.”
He looked up at the person beside him, catching a faint, elegant floral scent. The beauty had already swiftly moved away.
Who was she?
During their brief exchange, he could feel that she wasn't playing hard to get; she genuinely wanted to teach him a lesson.
Most importantly, this woman, known for her infatuation, could actually disregard his appearance.
There weren't even ten women in the world who could ignore his looks, yet here was one?
What exactly had gone wrong?
Chu Qianyi stared blankly at the receding figure. A deep hue flickered in his captivating pupils as he pondered. His attendant, Jin, gently reminded him.
“Young Master, the Prince is still waiting upstairs.”
“Ah, let’s go,” Chu Qianyi regained his senses, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. It seemed even someone as idle as himself had something to do now.
“Jin, things are getting more interesting.”
The two turned and headed upstairs. The tense atmosphere in the main hall finally relaxed, and people began to gossip.
The Prime Minister’s daughter and the Right Prime Minister’s son, a perfect match, had actually gotten along peacefully. It was truly surprising. It seemed new rumors would soon spread through the capital.
In a private room at the Phoenix Serenade Pavilion.
Murong Liuzhao was deep in thought. He had observed the situation downstairs.
Mu Qingyao had not pestered Chu Qianyi. When Chu Qianyi blocked her path, he clearly saw a flicker of disdain in her eyes.
Had this woman truly changed overnight? Or, as others said, had a single punch from him woken her up? That seemed unlikely.
“Your Highness?”
Chu Qianyi entered the private room and called out softly. Murong Liuzhao snapped back to attention, giving him a cold, enchanting look, and asked calmly, “What results did your test yield?”
“I suspect she isn’t Mu Qingyao? She’s like a completely different person. Aside from her appearance, nothing else matches.”
After speaking, Chu Qianyi plopped onto a chair, picked up his tea, and took a large gulp. A dazzling light flashed across his handsome and alluring face.
“I will find out what has happened to her. I hope she doesn’t disappoint me.”
“If she’s truly that remarkable, you might not have the time,” Murong Liuzhao said coolly. He stood up, brushed off his clothes, and elegantly prepared to leave.
Since there was nothing else, he had to return to handle his affairs. He was the Emperor’s right-hand man, unlike the idle Chu Qianyi, who lived off his father.
“What do you mean?”
Chu Qianyi reached out and tugged at Murong Liuzhao’s long robe, smiling like a fox as he leisurely pressed for an answer.
Murong Liuzhao’s cold features darkened. The thought of the Emperor’s actions made him feel a sense of futility.
“The Emperor intends to take a daughter of the Mu family as a concubine. If she’s truly as exceptional as you say, she’ll surely enter the palace.”
“What? Enter the palace as a concubine?”
This time, Chu Qianyi’s exclamation was much louder. Hearing his shout reminded Murong Liuzhao of something.
“Oh, I forgot, the one in the palace is your own sister. But what does it matter? The Emperor has many women; he won’t have only your sister.”
Murong Liuzhao said as a matter of course, not looking at the handsome man behind him. He pulled open the door and walked out. Only a few voices sounded simultaneously, “Your Highness?”
“Return to the mansion.”
“Yes,” the footsteps faded away. In the private room, Li Yutang and Zhang Hanshan cautiously approached Chu Qianyi, asking with concern, “Qianyi, are you alright?”
Chu Qianyi’s expression was grim. Helplessness flickered in his beautiful dark eyes, and he sighed.
“Emperors are the most heartless, as always.”
His own sister had been in the palace for barely half a year, and the Emperor was already taking a new concubine. Or rather, perhaps the Emperor was merely seeking a balance. Yu Die truly loved the Emperor.
It was just that she was born into the wrong family, into the Chu family. There was an unbridgeable chasm between the Emperor and the Chu family, and she might never receive the Emperor’s favor.
“Indeed. The imperial palace must have many women. Even my family has several wives, let alone the Emperor.”
Li Yutang nodded in agreement. His father was merely a minor official in the Ministry of War and had married several wives.
Let alone the Emperor. Which man wouldn’t want to marry more wives and bring the most beautiful women in the world into his harem?
“Never mind, let’s not think about it. Let’s go back.”
Because of this matter, Chu Qianyi lost his appetite for amusement. Li Yutang and Zhang Hanshan dared not say anything more. The three bid farewell and returned to their respective mansions.
Three days later, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.
Early in the morning, the backyard of the Mu mansion was filled with noisy voices, rising and falling. Mu Qingyao, who had been sleeping soundly, grumbled in annoyance.
Today, she had stolen a lazy morning, wanting to sleep in soundly, but someone was disturbingly noisy, preventing her from sleeping well. She casually grabbed a silk pillow and covered her head.
Unfortunately, the noise still poured in incessantly. Enraged, Mu Qingyao sat up with a jolt, glaring coldly at the door.
“Meixin, why is it so noisy outside?”
Meixin, hearing her young lady’s resentful voice, had already rushed in and replied cautiously.
“Young Lady, today is the day the eldest and second young ladies enter the palace. Early this morning, the First Madam and Second Madam, along with a group of people, were making arrangements in the adjoining courtyard, which is why it’s a bit noisy.”
The courtyards of the three young ladies of the Mu family were situated side-by-side, so the voices from over there easily carried over.
“It’s just entering the palace, is it necessary to make such a grand fuss? If they actually become consorts in the palace, what then?”
Mu Qingyao reached out and rubbed her messy hair. She moved to get out of bed, intending to find someone to settle the score with.
Meixin was startled and quickly reached out to block her path, “Young Lady, what are you doing?”
“I must go and see what they are trying to do, disturbing my sleep.”
Her expression was cold, and a hint of ferocity appeared between her brows. She clenched her slender hand, about to step out.
Meixin could not let her leave and pointed to her clothes, “Young Lady, you’re going out dressed like this?”
“What’s wrong?” Mu Qingyao looked down at her clothes. There was nothing wrong with them; it was just that the sleeves had been torn by her, and half of the pants were also torn.