Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Su Qing Is Injured

After Mu Yunyao returned to Niyun Pavilion, she saw Su Qing seated there, unable to settle, her hands tightening and loosening over the handkerchief in her lap.

“Mother, what is the matter?”

“Yao’er, you are finally back. There is something Mother wishes to discuss with you. Come, let us go upstairs and speak alone.”

Mu Yunyao gave Jin Lan and Jin Qiao a look, signaling them to remain below, then followed Su Qing upstairs. “Mother, what do you think of Si Qin and the others?”

Su Qing’s brows had been drawn together all this while. “That is precisely what Mother wanted to speak to you about. I am only one person. How could I possibly need so many people waiting on me? Besides, I keep thinking that the four of them do not seem like ordinary maids. I do not know from whose hands Liu Liang bought them…”

“Mother, all four of them have signed death contracts. Their indenture papers are in our hands, so there is no need to fear that they will not serve with care. What does it matter what sort of people they were before?”

“That is not what I mean. It is only that the bearing of those four is truly uncommon. Whenever they stand before me, I hardly know where to put my hands.” Su Qing could not quite put the feeling into words. She only knew that in front of them, her own voice seemed to shrink for no reason.

Mu Yunyao gently drew her to a chair and sat her down, then began kneading her shoulders with light, careful pressure. “Mother, I now have the ability to let you live more comfortably. Naturally, I should find a few more people to serve you, so that you may enjoy a peaceful life. This is your daughter’s filial heart. You must not refuse it.”

“Yao’er…”

“And they are not merely maids. I told Mother before that I feared the Pacification Commissioner and the others might secretly make trouble. The four of them know some martial arts and can protect Mother’s safety.”

“Then…” Su Qing hesitated for a moment before giving a reluctant nod. “Then very well…”

Mu Yunyao could not help turning the matter over in her mind. In the future, she would have to let Su Qing temper herself more. Otherwise, once they entered the Su family, even a few verbal barbs would be enough to leave her mother washing her face with tears day after day.

Over the next few days, Niyun Pavilion remained rather quiet, yet the whole of Jingling City seemed to have fallen into a strange heat. All kinds of embroidered goods suddenly appeared in greater numbers. Though their quality varied, the stitches and patterns were exceptionally ingenious, leaving many merchants who had come to Jingling City marveling in surprise.

Quite a few merchants sensed an unusual opportunity and began openly purchasing embroidered goods. Whether silk handkerchiefs, ready-made garments, or decorative pieces, so long as the embroidery was fine enough, they offered a fair price. For a time, countless faces bloomed with smiles, and their gratitude toward Niyun Pavilion knew no bounds.

Mu Yunyao, however, grew increasingly low-key. Unless there was a true need, she did not step out of Niyun Pavilion at all.

After roughly eight or nine days, Madam Jin sent Yin Hong to invite her to the Cao Residence. “I have heard that you have not crossed your own threshold in quite some time. Are you preparing the Niyun Beauty Album?”

“Madam has guessed correctly. This album is truly not easy to prepare. Many madams have secretly sent word to me. Whom I choose and whom I leave out—either way, I fear offending someone.” Before Madam Jin, Mu Yunyao had always spoken frankly, and now she did not hide the matter.

“I do not care about others, but there must certainly be a page for me in that album.” As Madam Jin spoke, her palm drifted lightly over her abdomen. A wish cherished for so many years had at last come true; even in dreams, it seemed unreal, as though she feared that once she opened her eyes, it would prove to be nothing more than her own longing.

“Then it seems I must release the album as soon as possible. Otherwise, in another two months, even if the clothes are made, Madam will no longer be able to wear them.”

Madam Jin’s smile deepened. The child in her womb was now what she cared for most. She had even taken a lighter hand in overseeing the teaching of the embroidery stitches. Because of that, many people came to think she was neither greedy nor eager to seize authority. An unintentional act had instead brought about an unexpectedly favorable effect. “You must not tease me. I asked you here today because there is a happy matter to tell you.”

A trace of fitting curiosity appeared on Mu Yunyao’s face. “May I ask what it is?”

“You have always been clever. Guess. If you guess correctly, I shall have the kitchen’s newest pastries sent to you—two plates of them.”

“Madam is growing more and more stingy. Only two plates of pastries?” Mu Yunyao’s tone carried a touch of playful reproach, but her smile was bright and clear, so radiant that one could not help curling one’s lips along with her. “Could it be that some reward has fallen from the heavens?”

Madam Jin lifted a hand to cover her lips as laughter escaped. “Is that not exactly what it is—a reward fallen from the heavens?” As she spoke, she pointed upward and deliberately placed weight on the word heavens.

Mu Yunyao froze. In the next instant, she abruptly stood, nearly knocking over the teacup beside her hand. “Madam, could it be that His Majesty has bestowed a reward?”

“I had always thought you steady, yet it seems even you have moments such as this.” Madam Jin looked at her with a smile, while inwardly thinking that she was, after all, still young. At the mention of a reward from the Emperor, the delight in her eyes could hardly be contained. “The reward should arrive within the next two days.”

The smile on Mu Yunyao’s face would not be suppressed; there was even a lively brightness in it. “Then do I need to prepare anything? Are imperial rewards not supposed to be reverently enshrined?” As she spoke, her expression suddenly turned troubled.

Madam Jin’s curiosity was stirred. “What is it? Did something occur to you?”

Mu Yunyao sat down again and lowered her voice slightly. “Madam, there is one thing I do not understand. If His Majesty rewards me with silver, am I supposed to spend it, or enshrine it?”

Seeing her look as though perfectly good silver might be placed beyond her reach, Madam Jin laughed even harder. “You—when one calls you clever, no one can compare with you; when one calls you foolish, you are foolish through and through. Naturally, silver and such things may be spent. Even if other items are bestowed, there is no need to enshrine everything. Choosing one or two ornaments to place in reverence is enough to show one’s sincerity.”

A faint flush rose over Mu Yunyao’s face. Speaking of this, she truly did not understand much about it. She only knew that whenever the Su family received imperial rewards, they would make a grand affair of offering them up in the ancestral hall.

Madam Jin was in excellent spirits. Seeing that the hour for the meal had arrived, she refused to let Mu Yunyao return. She kept her at the Cao Residence for lunch, then chatted with her for nearly another hour before finally having Yin Hong escort her back to Niyun Pavilion.

Mu Yunyao had only just stepped down from the carriage when she saw Si Qin hurrying toward her. “Miss, Madam is somewhat unwell. Please go upstairs and have a look.”

The color drained from Mu Yunyao’s face in an instant. She did not even have time to ask Si Qin what exactly had happened. Lifting her skirt, she ran upstairs.

Si Qin was startled by her reaction. Only after a brief pause did she hastily follow.

Mu Yunyao’s heart beat like a drum. By the time she reached the third floor, a layer of cold sweat had already broken across her back. She bit her lip, pushed the door open, and rushed inside. “Mother, what happened to you…”

Su Qing was sitting at the side of the bed with her brows knitted. Seeing Mu Yunyao’s appearance, she was the one who was startled instead. “What happened? Why is your face so pale?”

As she spoke, she was about to rise. Si Qi, standing at the side, quickly reached out to support her. “Madam twisted her ankle. You must be careful.”

Seeing that Su Qing’s face was only somewhat pale, Mu Yunyao finally released a long breath. The heart that had leaped to her throat slowly settled back into place. She quickly entered the room and helped Su Qing sit properly. “Mother, when I heard Si Qin say you were unwell, I was frightened.”

Su Qing took out a handkerchief with tender concern and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “It was only that the carriage was startled on the way back, and I knocked myself by accident. It is nothing serious. You, on the other hand, rushed up in such a hurry. Your face was so white it frightened me.”

Si Qin hurried through the door and apologized. “It is this servant’s fault for not explaining clearly and causing Miss to worry. Please punish this servant.”

Mu Yunyao knew this matter could not be blamed on her. It was only that she cared too deeply for her mother and had misunderstood in that moment. “It has nothing to do with you. I was the one who did not ask clearly. But how could the horse have been startled for no reason?”

Edited by Little Kitty on 05/06/20

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