Everyone eagerly awaited the miserable fate of the eldest daughter of the Mu family, but to their surprise, she nodded seriously, "Alright, I've noted it. You're the first person to be so bold. I like that. Wait for my good news."
Not to mention the crowd, even the guards beside him and the two young noblemen in front looked at him in disbelief, thinking he must be insane. Even those who weren't gossipy had heard of the eldest daughter of the Mu family's reputation. Did he really intend to marry her? Even if he wanted to tease her, he shouldn't joke about marriage.
"Okay, I'll wait at home. You must come," Wu Caiwei leaped with joy, fully embodying the image of an innocent and sheltered young lady.
After the group left, Yan'er cautiously approached her from behind, thinking her mistress was too brave.
At this moment, someone ran up to the second floor to check on those people. Although they had prepared themselves mentally, seeing them lying motionlessly on the ground, the more timid ones couldn't help but scream.
"Miss, they are too terrifying," Yan'er trembled at the thought of her future husband being so terrifying.
"If others don't offend me, I won't offend them. If he were lying on the ground today, no one here would survive. By taking away only one person, at least everyone's lives have been preserved," Wu Caiwei's words were cruel, but they were the truth. She didn't lower her voice when saying this, intentionally speaking so everyone could hear.
Some felt she was being heartless and cruel, while others thought the eldest daughter of the Mu family wasn't as unbearable as rumored.
Wu Caiwei didn't care what they thought of her and hurried back with Yan'er's hand in hers.
In the carriage returning to the palace, the Second Prince and the Third Prince eyed the Fifth Prince. The Fifth Prince touched his face and adjusted his clothes, curiously asking, "Why are you looking at your brother like that, Second Imperial Brother and Third Imperial Brother?"
"What do you think of the eldest daughter of the Mu family?" The Third Prince, being more spirited, couldn't help but ask first.
"Oh, so you want to ask me about this. I think the eldest daughter of the Mu family is quite good. I heard her reputation is terrible, but after seeing her today, I think she's quite cute. As soon as I get back to the palace, I plan to ask Father to bestow a marriage." Thinking of Wu Caiwei, Xuanyuan Xin's entire demeanor softened considerably.
The Second Prince and the Third Prince exchanged glances, thinking this one was beyond help. If they had known this would pique his interest, many of their own consorts had cousins or distant relatives they could have arranged for the Fifth Prince, securing his support and giving them more leverage.
The Fifth Prince did as he said. As soon as he returned to the palace, he rushed to the Emperor, excitedly saying, "Father, I fell in love at first sight with a woman today. I implore you to bestow a marriage."
"Oh? Which family's daughter?" The Fifth Prince was usually low-key and never sought attention, showing no excessive emotion. Seeing him so happy today, the Emperor couldn't help but ask for more details.
"It's the eldest daughter of the Mu family. I know the eldest daughter of the Mu family has a bad reputation, but I met her today, and she's not like the rumors. When I met her, I knew the person I was waiting for had appeared. I will marry no one but her in this life."
The Emperor looked at his foolish son's determined expression and didn't know what to say. Why did they all want to be connected to the Mu family's daughters? Were the Mu family's daughters really that good?
The Emperor trusted the Empress's judgment and decided to let her meet the woman first before making a decision. He intended to dismiss his son for now, but unexpectedly, his foolish son, not receiving a positive answer, was unwilling to leave, looking at him pleadingly.
"Don't worry. Let your mother meet the eldest daughter of the Mu family first. If she's as good as you say, I'll agree to this marriage."
"Thank you, Father." The Fifth Prince was so happy that he kowtowed to him with solid thuds.
Seeing him like this, the Emperor sighed helplessly and immediately sent someone to inquire about how the Fifth Prince and the eldest daughter of the Mu family met.
After learning the truth of the matter, the Emperor's mouth twitched. He felt it was too casual, but since his son had found someone he fancied, he decided to let the Empress summon her and take a good look.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the master and servant couple sneaked back into the courtyard and immediately sensed many unfamiliar presences within the house. Fortunately, before entering the manor, they had removed their disguises, revealing their true faces.
As soon as they entered the room, they saw Madam Mu sitting there menacingly. She slammed a teacup onto the table.
"You finally know to come back? If I'm not mistaken, you crawled out through a dog hole? What kind of behavior is that?" No wonder they didn't react when she left them to fend for themselves. When the maids reported to her, Madam Mu felt she had overlooked something. She had decided to make a surprise visit today and found no one in the room. After searching, she discovered a dog hole at the wall of the back courtyard, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
This infuriated her. Although she was the one who found the Daoist priest to expel her from the Mu family, what the priest said wasn't false. Ever since her return, the household had been in turmoil, and even her nephew was too frightened to consider marriage with the Mu family. As she left, her sister-in-law had blamed her.
Thinking of this, she became even more enraged. She had meant well, but things had gone awry. Since she was confined to the courtyard and couldn't suffer, today was a perfect opportunity to bring out the family laws and punish her openly.
Wu Caiwei had long anticipated this day. She held her head high and followed Madam Mu out of the courtyard. Seeing her acting as if nothing had happened, Madam Mu couldn't help but mock her inwardly, thinking she hadn't seen the Mu family's laws yet and would surely cry for mercy when she did.
While no one was paying attention, Wu Caiwei quietly moved closer to Yan'er, telling her not to interfere later. She had family, while she was alone and had no one to rely on. What could they do to her?
Yan'er was touched. At this critical moment, her mistress was still thinking of her. She felt she had chosen the right person.
Who would have thought that as soon as they reached the main hall, Madam Mu would target her? The excuse was readily available. As a servant, she had indulged her mistress's wrongdoing, and Madam Mu ordered her to be beaten to death with sticks.
Yan'er trembled at the thought of the maid's fate last time and looked pleadingly at her mistress. Wu Caiwei didn't disappoint her. She walked up to Yan'er and, facing the approaching wet nurses, said with a cold glint in her eyes, "You dare touch my people?"
No one took her seriously, thinking the eldest daughter was just a paper tiger. The one who truly held their lives in her hands was Madam Mu. Seeing them advance without hesitation, a cold light flashed in Wu Caiwei's eyes.