novelraw Chapter 522 - 166: Long Live the Young Lord!
Chapter 522 - 166: Long Live the Young Lord!
"Is Miss Yao Tao using the young lord to pressure us? That’s really underestimating us. Tonight, I insist on having you accompany me! Madam, I’m offering one thousand taels!" A contemptuous voice rang from one of the rooms on the second floor, seemingly right opposite Shao Fatty’s room.
"Hey, what a temper I have! How dare this kid show up?" Shao Fatty was immediately displeased upon hearing this voice!
Mu Qingge turned her gaze to him and asked, "What’s the grudge?"
Shao Fatty mumbled for a long time but didn’t utter a word.
Mu Qingge furrowed her brows, and he quickly replied, "I don’t know where this kid came from, suddenly rich, only arrived in Luodu after you left last time. Once here, he was extremely arrogant, acting as if he wanted to outshine the two famous rakes of Luodu. I definitely wouldn’t stand for it! I competed with him a few times..."
"Lost?" Mu Qingge calmly remarked, seeing his awkward expression.
"Ah? Ah." Shao Fatty deflated like a punctured balloon, lowering his head.
In such a state, the two young ladies had never seen Shao Fatty before, and couldn’t help but look at Mu Qingge with more admiration.
"Have you investigated his background?" Mu Qingge asked.
Shao Fatty hesitated, "Yes, it seems he’s the son of a merchant from Peng City, and his family has nothing but money. A few months ago, his sister married into the Great General Mansion in Luodu, so the whole family moved here and plans to settle down. Once here, they almost bought half the shops on North Street. With money and the Great General’s signboard, he indeed has the capital to be a rake. If I weren’t unwilling to oppress him with family background, would he still have a chance to show off?" After speaking, he let out a defiant snort.
"What were you competing in? How did you lose?" Mu Qingge continued to ask.
Shao Fatty rubbed his hands sheepishly, "Just those rake things? Competing in style, face, beauties, fine wines, and who knows how to play better. Boss, don’t underestimate him; though he’s not good at anything else, he’s a master at all that rake stuff. Relying on his family’s wealth, he’s put me in difficult spots several times. Sigh, what’s my family compared to a moneylender?"
"Doesn’t he know who you are?" Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow.
This time, Shao Fatty raised his head proudly and said, "He knows." But then he deflated again, "But he said the competition is about real stuff, not about who’s close to the young lord."
He pouted and complained to Mu Qingge, "I just feel that this kid comes from a small place and has never personally experienced how formidable you are! He’s used to being self-conceited."
Mu Qingge smiled without saying a word.
From this newly rising rake in Luodu, she indeed sensed a hint of disdain towards her.
"Fatty, go bid," Mu Qingge suddenly said.
"Huh?" Shao Fatty looked at her in surprise.
Mu Qingge glanced at him and smiled, "What? Didn’t you want to win the beauty?"
Shao Fatty gave an ambiguous smile and then said seriously, "Initially, I was interested, but now... I just want to have a few drinks with you, boss, and catch up."
Mu Qingge smiled, lifting her chin, "Go bid."
At this moment, due to the one thousand taels bid, the originally quiet scene started buzzing with discussions.
They were all discussing who was so fearless to dare snatch a girl from the young lord!
On the stage, Yao Tao turned pale, seemingly not expecting the current situation to go beyond her control. She initially thought that mentioning the young lord’s name would scare off any further bids.
Yet unexpectedly, someone wasn’t afraid of the young lord’s reputation and shouted a high price of one thousand taels.
"One... one thousand taels?" The madam held up a finger, stuttering in shock.
The initial high price of one thousand taels made the madam feel very excited. However, seeing that this dead girl mentioned the young lord, she wondered if she would live to enjoy this money.
"What? Not enough? Then I’ll add another thousand taels!" The arrogant voice sounded again.
This time, he simply doubled the bid.
His voice fell, making Yao Tao’s face grow even paler.
"What? Just a young lord scares you like this? Who knows where he is now, whether he’s alive or dead, and today I’ll sleep with his woman, and what can he do to me?" No one dared to bid, and the voice grew increasingly smug.
Hiss—!
Daring to talk about the young lord like this in Luodu, this was the first.
Many people cast mourning glances at him.
"I bid three thousand taels!" Suddenly, a sharp voice due to excitement shouted a price.
Hiss? Who was this again?
The crowd looked up one after another, only to see Shao Fatty’s round body rolling out like a ball, standing by the railing.
"So it’s Young Master Shao!"
"It’s Young Master Shao!"
"Considering his relationship with the young lord, what’s a single woman?"
"Exactly! In the old days, the young lord and Young Master Shao were the top two rakes of Luodu. They wouldn’t let a woman harm their friendship."
"You’re right! Among us, besides that reckless fool, only Young Master Shao dares to bid. Let’s just sit back and enjoy the show!"
The chatter buzzed, and Shao Fatty held his hands behind his back with great effort, chest out, putting on a true rake posture!
"Shao, you’re against me!" An angry voice immediately came from the opposite room.
The cubicles on the second floor of the Drunken Red House were actually not as the madam said, allowing those on the stage to see the people inside.
For certain privacy, these cubicles were quite deep.
Therefore, unless people inside voluntarily stood by the railing, those outside couldn’t see the situation inside. Just like now, from the stage, the madam could only see the shadows behind Shao Fatty.
Seeing Shao Fatty stand up, the madam felt relieved.
After all, the relationship between Shao Fatty and Mu Qingge was well-known in Luodu. Seeing Shao Fatty stand out to bid, the madam felt her money was coming back, and her life was safe.
Immediately, she said with a beaming smile, "Young Master Shao is generous, bidding three thousand. Is there any higher offer?"
Upon hearing this, everyone sneered. Who didn’t know that asking for a higher bid was just asking that reckless fool if he wanted to continue bidding?
"Zhou Wuwei, tonight is the auction of Yao Tao’s first night. You can bid, so why can’t I? What do you mean by opposing you? Besides, so what if I am?" Shao Fatty sneered.
With Mu Qingge backing him up, he was determined to turn the tables today!
"You! Fine, you want to play with me? Let’s see how much money you have to play with me!" Zhou Wuwei gritted his teeth in anger and stood up from his cubicle, walking to the railing.
He raised his pretentious folding fan towards the stage and shouted, "I bid three thousand taels!"
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"Oh, it’s Young Master Shao!"
"It’s really Young Master Shao!"
"Considering his friendship with the little lord, what’s a mere woman?"
"Exactly! Back in the day, the little lord and Young Master Shao were the top two rakes in Luodu. A woman shouldn’t get in the way of their friendship."
"Yes, yes, I agree! Besides that reckless fool, only Young Master Shao has the stomach to bid."
Shao Fatty stood up, again putting on that roguish air!
"Three thousand and one hundred taels!" An excited voice from nowhere added to the bidding.
Ah? Everyone was looking, if the young master could, he must try his best to leave a good impression!
It was Mu Qingge who said with admiration, "It’s the Great General Mansion’s little brother. He dared to bid against Shao Yueze!"
"I have to say, he’s got some guts."
"""
Yao Tao didn’t dare to think about it, she could only let tears fall from her eyes, soaking her veil and revealing her delicate facial features.
Yao Tao’s appearance was a combination of charm within demureness, and grace with a touch of liveliness.
At this moment, her silent tears added an extra layer of sympathy.
Zhou Wuwei, who was squabbling with Shao Fatty, felt a stir in his heart upon witnessing this scene.
At this time, Shao Fatty shouted again, "I’ll bid ten thousand taels!"
These words were like a bucket of cold water pouring over Zhou Wuwei’s head. He leaned on the railing and shouted at Shao Fatty, "Shao Yueze, you’re using ten thousand taels to block me for a woman!"
Shao Fatty gave him a contemptuous look, full of kingly energy, and said, "Why are you yelling at me? Aren’t you rich? Keep bidding higher!"
Zhou Wuwei suddenly relaxed and smirked coldly, "Oh, yes, I have money. However, do you really have money?"
Shao Fatty wasn’t angered by him, instead, he responded with ease, "That’s none of your business."
These words made Zhou Wuwei’s face instantly darken.
In the time he had been in Luodu, he had never been so humiliated! Even when he had clashed with this damned fatty a few times, he had always won! How could he concede now?
"Fine! You want to compare wealth? I bid fifteen thousand taels!" Zhou Wuwei gritted his teeth.
"Heavens! Is this man insane? Spending fifteen thousand taels for a night at Flower Street!"
"I’m afraid it’s no longer about the woman; it’s about pride."
"Heh, so you can see that too? Let’s wager and see whether the seasoned dandy of Luodu or the rising one has the upper hand?"
"What’s the matter? Afraid to bid more?" Zhou Wuwei sneered disdainfully at Shao Fatty.
In his eyes, he wanted nothing more than to spill Shao Fatty’s blood.
Shao Fatty glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said with composure, "I’ll bid twenty thousand taels!"
"Twenty thousand taels! Oh my God!" The madam was either shocked or overly delighted and fell back onto the ground.
Yao Tao was already numb, standing there like a puppet with strings.
The madam’s antics made many people burst out laughing.
However, the laughter turned into mockery in Zhou Wuwei’s ears.
Zhou Wuwei demanded menacingly at Shao Fatty, "Shao, you want to see this to the end tonight, don’t you?"
Shao Fatty grinned, a smile so bright it was infuriating. "Rest assured, I don’t have as much money as you. I certainly can’t beat you. If you bid higher than twenty thousand, I won’t compete."
Oh? Is he backing out?
The crowd was just getting excited when they heard Shao Fatty’s words and felt a little let down, and somewhat confused. If he didn’t intend to see it through, why did he join in the first place?
Could it be just to make that Zhou spend more money in vain?
The world of dandies, they really didn’t understand!
"Are you serious?" Zhou Wuwei squinted suspiciously.
Shao Fatty raised his chubby neck, snorted from his nose, and said, "Of course! This young lord never goes back on his word!"
"Fine! I believe you!" Zhou Wuwei’s icy gaze swept over Shao Fatty, seemingly remembering Shao Fatty’s deliberate attempt to make him overspend. With a vicious look at Shao Fatty, Zhou Wuwei turned his gaze to the stage, ogled Yao Tao for a moment, and then shouted, "I bid twenty-one thousand taels!"
His voice trembled a little.
The others thought it was excitement. But in reality, he himself knew that spending twenty-one thousand taels for the first night of a courtesan, even if his family had the money, he would have to shed a layer of skin when he got home.
Of course, this would be blamed on Shao Fatty.
"Twenty-one thousand taels!" The madam was overjoyed, sitting on the ground, counting with her fingers, but couldn’t grasp what twenty-one thousand taels meant.
At this moment, her gaze towards Yao Tao was like seeing a money-making tree, filled with delight!
She didn’t bother to get up from the ground, lifting the hand holding the handkerchief and waving it, "Master Zhou bids twenty-one thousand taels, is there any higher? If not, our beauty Yao Tao will belong to Master Zhou tonight!"
Twenty-one thousand taels, only a fool would raise the bid!
The onlookers thought disdainfully to themselves.
This Yao Tao wasn’t some exceptionally rare beauty, not worth this price. Her price was unprecedentedly high only because two dandies were competing out of spite.
After shouting, the madam looked expectantly at Shao Fatty, seemingly hoping he would raise the bid again so she could earn more.
But Shao Fatty remained indifferent, unmoved.
He appeared to observe his promise to Zhou Wuwei, genuinely not raising the bid anymore.
The madam was slightly disappointed, wishing these two wealthy fools would keep bidding.
"Why are you wasting words? I don’t believe anyone dares to offer more! Who dares to court disaster?" The madam’s greediness irked Zhou Wuwei, prompting him to urge repeatedly.
"Ah ah!" The madam picked up her skirt and climbed up from the floor.
But before she stood firm, a calm voice drifted from the second floor, "I bid one tael."
Poof!
Poof poof!
In the hall, and in the second-floor compartments, many people spat their tea and wine out.
They seemed severely surprised.
The madam was stunned, immediately straightening her back, akimbo, and looking around while shouting, "Who? Who’s causing trouble here?"
Zhou Wuwei’s cold voice also came, "Who the hell dares to mess with me? Don’t want to live?"
"It’s me." The same calm two words followed.
However, this time both the madam and Zhou Wuwei, as well as the surrounding onlookers, heard it clearly; the voice came from Shao Fatty’s compartment.
"Shao Fatty, what trick are you playing!" Zhou Wuwei asked with a frown.
But the madam and the others guessed a possibility, falling silent, slowly standing up. The madam’s face turned ashen.
An obscure figure came out leisurely from the shadows behind Shao Fatty, hands behind their back.
When her bright red robe appeared, the entire Drunken Red House fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Yao Tao, in a daze, raised her eyes to look at that coquettish red figure on the second floor.
And when her appearance emerged in people’s view, everyone present seemed extremely shocked. The madam’s face went pale, and she screamed, "Oh my God!" and fell back onto the ground.
"It’s Little Lord!"
"It’s truly Little Lord!"
"Little Lord has returned!"
The crowd awoke from the madam’s screams.
Subsequently, everyone in Drunken Red House, be they commoners or nobility, men or women, young or old, knelt on the ground, shouting in unison, "Welcome back to the capital, Little Lord! May Little Lord live long and prosper!"
Little Lord!
Yao Tao’s eyes widened, her vision went dark, and she fainted on the spot.
Mu Qingge’s clear gaze lightly swept over everyone present, lingering on Zhou Wuwei’s face, which was alternating between darkness and pallor for a few moments, then finally looked at the madam, "One tael of silver, the indenture contract."
The madam dared not defy Mu Qingge, trembling all over, ordered, "Quick, go and bring the indenture!"
"Quick, prepare her to be sent to the Little Lord’s place."
Zhou Wuwei was seething with anger, having spent twenty-one thousand taels to buy the first night with someone, only for her to be handed over for free like that?
What infuriated him more was the latent rivalry he harbored, wanting to have a showdown with Little Lord himself.
But he thought better of it now as he asked, "But what does this mean?"
"""
The people he painstakingly spent money to contend for, the moment he speaks, others eagerly send them away. Isn’t this humiliating him?
What’s there to compete for?
Obviously not even qualified to carry Mu Qingge’s shoes!
At this moment, he finally understood why Shao Yueze unusually boastful; it turns out his backing has returned.
"No need, when she wakes up, send her away from the Drunken Red House. Wherever she wants to go, let her." Mu Qingge uttered lightly, then turned to leave with Shao Yueze.
Even after she had left for quite some time, the people present were still in shock.
Outside the Drunken Red House, Shao Yueze excitedly said to Mu Qingge, "Boss, it’s so satisfying! That little girl used you as a shield, and tomorrow the news will spread around Luodu that the beauty whose first night was absurdly bid up to ten thousand silver was dismissed by the little lord with a mere ounce of cheap silver. Does she want to serve you? Bah! Not even qualified to fetch foot wash water! Our little lord didn’t even glance at her, kicking her out of the Drunken Red House; that’s the biggest humiliation for her! Also, Zhou Wuwei, spent so much effort wanting the woman, yet you dismissed her without a second look. Even if he does get that girl in the future, he’ll only be laughed at for picking up the broken shoes you discarded! Hahahahaha... Tonight is truly satisfying, it’s great to be with the boss!"
Mu Qingge gave him a brief glance and smiled, "Let’s go find a place to drink."
"At your command!" Shao Yueze said obsequiously.
...
Yao Tao woke up groggily the next morning.
Before she understood what happened, she was disdainfully thrown out of the Drunken Red House by the madam, along with her indenture contract.
Yao Tao was so deliriously stunned by the surprise, she didn’t know how she escaped the Bitter Sea.
However, when she took her indenture contract out to the street, people pointed and gossiped about her.
"Look, this is the oiran whose first night was auctioned last night. She was boasting about saving herself for the little lord, using it as a gimmick to hike her value to over twenty thousand silver. But unexpectedly, the little lord was present and wasn’t interested at all in her advances, merely using an ounce... no, the madam didn’t even dare accept the lord’s money, she directly handed over the indenture contract."
"I heard too, it’s said the madam tried to curry favor with the little lord, offering to send her to the Mu Mansion. But the little lord didn’t even look and said, once she wakes, send her away, she can go wherever she wants. Clearly, he found her an eyesore!"
"Pah! With that little harlot’s appearance, she dares to entertain climbing the little lord’s social ladder? Now she’s hit a wall, hasn’t she? Who is the little lord? Many noble ladies from great families want to pounce on him, and yet this mere courtesan dreams of perching like a phoenix?"
All sorts of disdainful and insulting words drilled into Yao Tao’s ears.
She desperately wanted to explain, it’s not like that! She did use the little lord’s name for self-preservation, but it wasn’t as sordid and devious as they imagined.
She regained her indenture contract with pure intentions and should have been happy. Yet as she walked along, she felt filthy inside!
Suddenly, she seemed to realize that today’s ordeal was the little lord’s punishment for her! Punishment for misusing his name!
She calculated against the little lord; hence she must bear the consequences of her schemes!
Unable to endure the public’s judgment any longer, she started running frantically down the street.
She wanted to find her Xu Lang, only he would understand and know her, then they both together could go to a new place and start afresh...
A tea house along the street had its window facing the street open.
Yao Tao happened to run frantically underneath.
Shao Yueze withdrew his head, confusedly looking at Mu Qingge, saying, "Boss, what’s the meaning behind this play? Why release this girl from her indenture?"
Mu Qingge took a sip of hot tea, the rising steam from the cup coiled into a vague mist in front of her.
Putting down the teacup, she said calmly, "Isn’t she wholeheartedly devoted to her lover? I’m fulfilling her wish."
Shao Yueze let out a breath, rolling his eyes, "With this uproar, it’s unlikely that her mysterious lover would accept her anymore."
"That’s her affair. Everyone must face the consequences of their choices, granting her a clean departure from the Drunken Red House; I’ve done my utmost duty. What happens afterward has nothing to do with me?" Mu Qingge said indifferently.
Call her cold-hearted or question why she doesn’t help thoroughly.
She isn’t a savior, doesn’t have an obligation to save everyone.
In past and present lives, she’s seen too many tragic lives. Can you help for a moment or help forever?
Yao Tao left with her indenture contract. If her lover truly cherishes her sincerely, as long as they leave Luodu, anywhere they would be an enviable couple, living a happy life.
If that man isn’t as loving as Yao Tao believes, the final outcome is uncertain. However, these are Yao Tao’s choices, aren’t they?
Choosing that man, choosing to protect her innocence for him regardless of everything.
Then, one must have the courage to bear the consequences of their choices.
Shao Fatty listened, half-understanding. Fortunately, he wasn’t a particularly warm-hearted person. Yao Tao wasn’t much in his heart; he would forget her in a turn.
Compared to Yao Tao, he was more concerned about Zhou Wuwei becoming a laughingstock last night.
"Boss, this morning, aside from Yao Tao, Zhou Wuwei is what everyone in Luodu is talking about the most. In all this gossip, he’s practically become a fool. Who knows, this brat might be jumping up and down in anger at home! I wonder how he’ll act arrogant in front of me in the future." Shao Fatty said with a face full of glee.
Before dawn, he had already sent someone to Zhou Mansion to find out that Zhou Wuwei had broken god-knows-how-many antique vases at home, which filled his heart with joy.
Apparently, he also sent a message to his sister, who married into the Great General Mansion, hoping to use the power of the Great General Family to support him.
Shao Fatty laughed when he heard the news.
This foolish pig, daring to cause trouble without understanding the levels in Luodu?
Is finding the Grand General useful? Even if he goes to the Emperor, the one who ends up in trouble will still be him!
Shao Fatty’s laughter carried a hint of sinister delight; he just let that unlucky kid continue to mess up. It’s also a good way to show him who the actual boss among the playboys in Luodu is!
Mu Qingge glanced at him with disdain and said, "Is a character like him worth occupying your mind? If you have the leisure, better spend it on cultivation."
Mentioning cultivation made Shao Fatty deflate instantly. But he still laughed sheepishly, "I can’t compare to you, Boss, with your monstrous talent. After you left, I made sure to complete my cultivation before going out every day, yet now I’ve barely just entered the Green Realm. Sigh, I’m dragging you down, Boss!"
Though his words sounded defeated, his tone couldn’t hide his pride.
Ever since taking the Genetic Transformation Agent, Shao Fatty’s talent improved daily. Now, he’s the highest in talent and cultivation in the Shao Family, even if he can’t compare to Mu Qingge, it’s still something to be very proud of.
Mu Qingge looked at him with a smile.
This is one good thing about Shao Fatty; even though his cultivation could surpass Zhou Wuwei by several streets, he doesn’t bully him with his spiritual power cultivation. If they’re comparing being playboys, they should do it seriously; nothing else matters.
If Shao Fatty directly used his spiritual power cultivation, how would Zhou Wuwei dare to show off in front of him?
After Shao Fatty was done flaunting, Mu Qingge tossed two martial arts books at him from her bosom.
Shao Fatty picked one up, and his small bean-like eyes immediately widened, stammering, "Heavenly... level... martial... arts...!"
Mu Qingge nodded at him, saying, "Take them back and cultivate well. However, you know the value of these things, so don’t take them out lightly until you can protect yourself."
Shao Fatty took a deep breath, nodded seriously with a grave look, and carefully tucked the two Heavenly Level martial arts books into his bosom.
He didn’t ask Mu Qingge where the Heaven Rank martial arts came from nor what Mu Qingge had experienced. Because he knew if Mu Qingge wanted to say, she naturally would. If she didn’t want to, then there’s no need to ask.
But, to Shao Fatty’s surprise, Mu Qingge threw out a few more bottles of elixirs.
"Take one bottle back for your father; it can cleanse his body’s old ailments and prolong his life. The rest, keep for yourself, some are for treating injuries, and some are elixirs that can help you with breakthroughs." Mu Qingge explained.
Shao Fatty held his breath, tightened his grip on the bottles, and nodded heavily.
There’s no need for hypocritical courtesies between him and Mu Qingge, and no need to utter the word ’thanks.’
...
Yao Tao stumbled her way to her beloved’s house and pushed open the fence-made yard door.
The noise outside caught the attention of the people inside.
He came out, saw Yao Tao, was momentarily surprised, and his eyes immediately turned cold, asking, "Why are you here?"
"Xu Lang! I’m free now, take me away. Let’s leave Luodu and go anywhere, and live a good life!" Seeing her beloved, Yao Tao ran to him with a face full of deep emotion.
She directly stated her purpose, hoping to make the other person feel happy too.
However, she saw a trace of disgust in his eyes. Just as she was about to grab his clothes, he mercilessly avoided her.
Yao Tao staggered, and the smile on her face froze.
She looked at her beloved in disbelief, forcing a smile, and spoke softly, "Xu Lang, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or hungry? I’ll go cook for you."
Saying that she wanted to walk to the kitchen.
However, after just a couple of steps, she was forcibly pulled back, losing her balance and falling onto the dirt-covered ground.
"Xu Lang!" Yao Tao looked up, surprised at the familiar yet distant man before her.
But he just stood there coldly, looking down at her with increasing disdain: "Weren’t you offering yourself to the little Lord to warm his bed? Now that the little Lord doesn’t want you, you come back to me? Do you see me as that lowly? You think I want a woman rejected by others?"
"No! It’s not like that! You misunderstood!" Yao Tao hurriedly explained in panic.
She didn’t expect that rumors could be so terrifying, even her beloved believed the gossip outside.
"How is it not? The whole of Luodu is talking about it. You, who claim to be virtuous, wanted to offer yourself to the little Lord but were scorned by him. Hmph, since you admire him, why come to me? You should go to the Mu Mansion and beg him to take you in!"
Her lover’s heartless words were like knives, leaving scars on Yao Tao’s heart one by one.
She could endure all misunderstandings and despise from others.
Yet she couldn’t bear the misunderstanding of her beloved.
No, it wasn’t a misunderstanding. He loathed her, hated her, even saw her as a woman who seeks vanity.
She racked her brains for him, endured the punishments of the little Lord to maintain her purity, yet he didn’t believe her!
Yao Tao’s heart ached beyond measure, tears silently streamed down her face. She propped herself up from the ground and stood, looking at her beloved firmly, asking word by word, "You don’t believe me?"
But that man only snorted disdainfully, flicked his sleeves, turned his back on her, as if even sparing another glance was an insult.
Suddenly, Yao Tao felt like the sky had collapsed.
And it seemed as though the heavens sympathized with her plight, dark clouds quickly gathered, thunder roared, and a torrential downpour fell mercilessly on her.
Before long, she was drenched to the skin.
As the rain fell, her beloved ran into the house, ignoring her entirely, shut the door without hesitation, leaving her standing in the rain.
Suddenly, Yao Tao felt there was nothing more to say to him.
Wobbling, Yao Tao left the man’s home in the rain, wandering aimlessly, not knowing where her path lay...
Just as Mu Qingge had said, how Yao Tao was faring was no longer her concern.
Now she was in the Purple Realm, with a lifespan of over a thousand years, while Yao Tao was just an inconspicuous passerby in her long life. If not for being implicated, she wouldn’t even spare a glance.
Watching the heavy rain outside the window, Mu Qingge leisurely drank her tea.
For a long time, she hadn’t had the luxury to watch the rain and sip fragrant tea so leisurely.
After the rain stopped, Mu Qingge left the teahouse and headed toward the Mu Mansion.
But as soon as she arrived at the Mu Mansion, she saw a person standing and another kneeling outside its gates.
She recognized the standing person as the Grand General of the time.
The kneeling person was also familiar, it was the fool who competed with Shao Fatty over wealth last night, Zhou Wuwei.
Seeing their stance, Mu Qingge had already guessed their intentions.
Her eyes flashed, Mu Qingge didn’t want to get involved with them, so she turned and entered the Mu Mansion through the back gate.
And by the time she returned to her Chi Yun Garden, the two outside were finally invited into the Mu Mansion by Mu Xiong.
Soon after, the elder’s invitation came from the front courtyard.
Mu Qingge changed into more comfortable clothing before leisurely leaving the Chi Yun Garden, taking two maids with her to the front courtyard.
As soon as she entered the front courtyard, Mu Xiong keenly spotted her and shouted, "There, the one managing the Mu Mansion now is my good granddaughter. Whatever you need, speak to her."
With that, Mu Xiong dismissed and left the scene, swishing his sleeves as he went.
As for Xue Qiao and Mu Lianrong, they were nowhere to be seen.
Upon seeing Mu Qingge, the Grand General quickly greeted her respectfully and had Zhou Wuwei kneel before her.
"Little Lord, this kid is new to Luodu and doesn’t know the rules, please be magnanimous and don’t be offended. I assure you, this kid will never cause trouble again, nor will he offend you, Little Lord!" With that, he forced Zhou Wuwei to kowtow three times to Mu Qingge.
You He and Hua Yue watched curiously.
Mu Qingge however, said indifferently, "It was just a sparring among comrades, nothing serious. Why did the Grand General need to make a special trip?"
Sparring among comrades?
The Grand General’s mouth twitched hard, he could only smile apologetically.
Seeing the Grand General, who his father usually flattered, standing obediently like a watchdog before Mu Qingge, Zhou Wuwei finally realized Mu Qingge’s unshakeable position.
He deflated like a punctured balloon, kneeling on the ground, about to cry.
"However, he seems to have some grievances with Shao Fatty. Hmm, take him to the Shao Mansion." Mu Qingge dismissed the two with one sentence.
Once the two were sent away, You He covered her mouth and giggled, "Little Lord is truly bad. Apologizing to you wasn’t enough, now he has to apologize to Young Master Shao. Does he have to kowtow to him too?"
Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow, "That’s Shao Mansion’s business, not mine." As she spoke, she flicked the folds of her clothes casually and said, "If he has to kowtow a few more times, that’s thanks to Shao Fatty’s skill."
...
Returning to Luodu, Mu Qingge seemed to have only stirred things up at first, reminding the people of Luodu of her wild reputation, before settling down.
Meanwhile, there was no edict from the Imperial Palace summoning her, nor did Mu Qingge take the initiative to visit Qin Jinchen.
However, even so, no one in the court dared to speculate whether there was a rift between the Emperor and the Little Lord of the Mu Family. After all, Mu Qingge’s past deeds were vividly remembered.
Almost a month after her return to Luodu, the Mu Mansion held a grand banquet, sending Mu Lianrong off to her marriage.
On this day, Luodu was bustling, with countless gifts delivered to the Mu Mansion. Even the Imperial Palace sent a long list of gifts, countless rare and exotic treasures added to Mu Lianrong’s dowry, as if they cost nothing.
Mu Xiong alone probably couldn’t cause such a stir.
But with the addition of Mu Qingge, such extravagance and luxury were justified.
For a time, the city was abuzz discussing the background of the groom from the Mu Mansion.
Later, it was rumored that the groom was from a great family of a second-class country, and suddenly all discussions turned into blessings.
In their eyes, this status was enough to match Mu Lianrong, the untitled Princess of Qin Country.
The wedding banquet went on for three days and nights.
During those three days and nights, Mu Xiong was in a drunken haze.
Mu Qingge also drank a lot, fortunately no one dared to force her to drink, so she could maintain her sobriety. But Shao Fatty, as her friend, suffered.
Just because they dared not make her drink, didn’t mean they wouldn’t force Shao Fatty.
In the end, Shao Fatty was carried out of the Mu Family.
With Mu Lianrong’s marriage settled, the Mu Mansion considered a major task completed. Mu Qingge planned to stay at home a while longer before setting off to the Medicine Tower Branch to complete the exit assessment.
There, a few friends awaited her return to fulfill a promise.
Only she didn’t expect that before she made her departure, an unexpected guest arrived at the Mu Mansion.
"Elder Xia." Mu Qingge looked at Xia Tianwu, who descended from the sky, with surprise.
Xia Tianwu smiled warmly at her and said, "Elder Mu, sorry for the sudden disturbance!"
The first time she heard Xia Tianwu calling her ’Elder Mu,’ Mu Qingge felt extremely uncomfortable. This title sounded very awkward.
"Elder Xia should just call me Mu Qingge." Mu Qingge said.
Xia Tianwu and his flying beast’s sudden descent into the Mu Mansion caused quite a stir, and after Mu Qingge briefly explained, she introduced Xia Tianwu to Mu Xiong, as well as Xue Qiao and Mu Lianrong, before bringing him to her residence.
"Elder Xia, why did you suddenly come? And directly to the Mu Mansion?" Mu Qingge asked curiously.
Xia Tianwu chuckled, "Knowing you’re at the Mu Mansion, I came to invite you to the Medicine Tower Branch."
"Oh? What’s the matter?" Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed as she asked.
Xia Tianwu nodded, pulling a scroll from his cloak and handing it to Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge took it, opened it, and after reading the contents, her eyes narrowed sharply, looking up at Xia Tianwu for confirmation: "The Main Courtyard wants to remove Hua Cangzhu from the position as dean of the Branch?"