Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 143

Chapter 143: Yue Wang, Strangely Unsettled 

In the Yue Wang Residence, Eunuch Cheng entered the study, holding a tray with food.

“Your Highness…”

Behind the desk, Yue Wang was about to write when he heard Eunuch Cheng’s voice. He pressed down too hard on the brush, and it snapped, making a sharp cracking sound.

Eunuch Cheng looked up in confusion.

“Your Highness, you’ve been sitting in the study all day. It’s time to eat something.”

“I know,” Yue Wang replied, casually tossing the broken brush aside. He irritably sealed the letter sent by Eunuch Qin.

Eunuch Cheng observed Yue Wang, noticing that although his brow had loosened, his expression seemed more complicated than before. There was anxiety, unease, and even a trace of pleasure. What exactly had Eunuch Qin written in the letter to make the prince show such a complicated expression?

“Your Highness, I see you’re not in a good mood. Did something in the letter from Eunuch Qin upset you?”

Yue Wang had just replaced his brush when he heard this, and again, the brush snapped with a sharp crack. Without any expression on his face, he tossed the broken brush aside.

“This batch of brushes is terrible. Whoever bought them will have a month’s wages deducted. Just put the food down, and Eunuch Cheng, go and rest.”

Eunuch Cheng nodded. “Yes.”

After leaving the study, Eunuch Cheng relayed Yue Wang’s words.

Yu Heng could hardly believe his ears. “The batch of brushes I bought—Your Highness praised them when I first brought them back. Why does he want to deduct wages now?” He had just managed to save a little money and was planning to keep it for later to marry a wife!

Eunuch Cheng snorted. “The prince says they’re good, they’re good. If he says they’re bad, then they’re bad. Don’t ask too many questions. You should learn from Yu Yi, see how well he handles things.”

“Eunuch Cheng, didn’t you say Yu Yi wastes food?”

“When did I ever say that? I was talking about you!” Eunuch Cheng replied, walking off with his hands behind his back, a smile blooming on his face as he thought about the prince’s expression.

This was a good sign. It seemed like things were starting to fall into place! The prince was getting closer to having a female master in the residence. Speaking of which, Miss Mu Yunyao was still quite young, but that didn’t matter. He could marry her first and then raise her properly!

The next morning, Yue Wang called Yu Heng and Yu Yi into the study.

“These two letters, one is for Eunuch Qin, the other for… Miss Mu Yunyao. Yu Yi, you must deliver it quickly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yue Wang nodded, his gaze flicking over the letter meant for Mu Yunyao. He paused for a long moment before speaking again.

“Yu Heng, immediately send someone to the border between Yuexi and Yuxi City to wait. When you see the merchant convoy carrying my token and delivering tea leaves to Yuxi City, escort them into Yuexi.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Yu Heng replied, though he was puzzled. “Your Highness, what is the purpose of sending tea leaves? There’s very little food in Yuexi. The soldiers there barely have enough to eat. Wouldn’t it be better to send some grain instead of tea?”

Yue Wang furrowed his brow, his cold gaze sweeping over Yu Heng.

“What’s wrong with sending tea? I think sending tea is just fine!”

Yu Heng froze and quickly bowed.

“Yes, I also think it’s fine.”

Yue Wang nodded, his expression cooling slightly.

“Go.”

“Yes.”

Once they had all left, Yue Wang carefully placed the letter from Eunuch Qin into the drawer of his desk.

Liu Liang’s people worked quickly. With the end of the autumn harvest at the end of August, grain was plentiful and cheap, so the rice and grain that Mu Yunyao had requested were soon bought and delivered to the estate that Eunuch Qin had mentioned.

Seeing the grain fill the storeroom, Eunuch Qin felt warmth in his heart. He had been careful in establishing their roots in Jiangnan, moving cautiously at every step to avoid attracting unwanted attention. He hadn’t dared to send grain to Yuexi before, but now, with Mu Yunyao boldly using the cover of roasting tea leaves, no one had noticed.

Mu Yunyao got out of the carriage and surveyed the surroundings of the estate. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She had hoped it would be as beautiful as Jinxiu Garden, but to her dismay, the area was full of farmland, and the estate itself was a few simple courtyards.

Seeing Mu Yunyao’s reaction, Eunuch Qin quickly approached.

“Greetings, Miss Mu.”

“Eunuch Qin, no need for formalities. Has the grain been fully delivered?”

“I’ve checked carefully, and everything is in order.”

“Good, then let’s begin.”

From grinding the rice into flour to drying the vegetables and ginger, Mu Yunyao watched closely, giving instructions on what to be careful of. After confirming that the first batch of ginger tea had been roasted properly, she followed Eunuch Qin to a nearby room to rest.

“Thank you for making the trip, Miss.” From the beginning to the end, the process had taken nearly two hours. He had been standing to the side, feeling exhausted just watching. How much more tiring it must have been for Mu Yunyao, a young girl.

“It’s nothing. This type of ginger tea can go bad easily if it’s not roasted correctly. I wanted to make sure, so I stayed and kept an eye on it. Going forward, we must be extra careful. Don’t rush the process, or the results will not be worth it.”

Eunuch Qin quickly nodded.

“Please rest assured, Miss. I’ll make sure the work is strictly supervised.”

Mu Yunyao checked again twice in the interim to ensure the ginger tea was being prepared properly. Once she was satisfied, she felt at ease and turned her attention to matters at Niyun Pavilion and Buxian Tower.

The new batch of garments had already been ordered, and with the help of the many embroiderers, twenty sets were completed in just a few dozen days. However, the two sets for the Governor’s wife and Madam Jin still needed to be made by Mu Yunyao herself. Fortunately, she worked quickly, and it didn’t take long.

Just after she sent the completed garments out, Madam Jin sent word through Yin Hong that the new group of people who came to learn embroidery had arrived. Naturally, the embroiderers from Caiyue Pavilion were included among them.

Mu Yunyao didn’t treat them any differently. As usual, she had the first batch of apprentices teach the embroiderers. To her surprise, Ding Yuelan proactively volunteered to teach the embroidery stitches.

After thinking for a moment, Mu Yunyao happily agreed. However, she still had concerns that Ding Yuelan might be affected by gossip, so she subtly reminded her.

“Madam, these people are here to learn embroidery. If any of them are unreasonable, just drive them out. There’s no need to get angry with them.”

Ding Yuelan understood the underlying message and was very touched.

“Thank you, Miss. Hearing this makes me feel better. After hearing it repeatedly, one becomes numb to it. I’ve decided not to pay attention to it anymore.”

Looking at Ding Yuelan’s smiling face, Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret. The once passionate and fiery Madam Ding might never return. Whether she would be destroyed in the flames or reborn from them, that would depend on her own choice.

Mu Yunyao could only sincerely hope that she would choose the latter…

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