Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 113

~ JADE BAMBOO, DEEP IN LAYERED GREEN ~

Steward Qin had been up early, personally watching Wei Yi, Yun Chun, and the others change into fresh clothes and wait in the front courtyard. When Mu Yunyao arrived, he led her inside immediately.

“Miss, take a look. Are they presentable enough?”

“Greetings, Miss.”

All fifty bowed in unison—white robes, white skirts, upright posture, eyes bright, their spirits sharp and clean. There was an indescribable vitality to them now.

Mu Yunyao felt satisfied. They’d clearly worked hard. Just their bearing alone was several levels better than before.

“Good. Follow me to the entrance. We’ll prepare to welcome the lords.”

Su Qingwu and Xu Li rode in the same carriage. They both served in the palace and were both considered “favored figures” before His Majesty, so they had some friendship. Their words were naturally more casual.

Su Qingwu spoke first. “Eunuch Xu seems to hold that Miss Mu in unusually high regard.”

Xu Li smiled and glanced at Su Qingwu. “And Lord Su is not exactly stingy with praise either. Yesterday, if you hadn’t asked about Bu Xian Lou, we wouldn’t have been curious enough to come take a look.”

Su Qingwu’s expression remained steady. “Miss Mu has a pure heart. To spread such a precious embroidery technique so freely, it’s only right to lend a little support.”

“That’s exactly what I thought,” Xu Li said warmly. “Seems we’re of one mind, Lord Su.”

They exchanged a smile, gentle on the surface. Whatever it truly meant, only they themselves knew.

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at Jin Xiu Yuan. The wheels stopped. The driver set down the footstool. The two stepped out one after another, and the moment their feet hit the ground, both paused.

The sight before them was… a little too striking.

Mu Yunyao stood at the front. Behind her, a group of four to five dozen people lined up, men and women on separate sides. All wore white. Their waists were neatly belted, sleeves and hems slightly wide, giving them a floating, airy elegance. They bowed together, white robes fluttering, pale and dustless like figures stepped out of a painting.

“Greetings, my lords.”

Su Qingwu’s gaze lingered on Mu Yunyao.

Her outfit was even more understated than the people behind her. White on top, her skirt fading from white into a soft moon-white. At first glance, she didn’t “shine” like the others. But the more you looked, the more your eyes were drawn back to her.

Especially the fresh magnolia pinned in her hair. The petals were slender, white as snow, making her look even more delicate and spirited.

“Miss Mu, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Governor Zhang and Cao Yunian were naturally present too, but both kept themselves slightly behind Su Qingwu and Xu Li, smiling politely and not interrupting.

Mu Yunyao rose and guided them into Jin Xiu Yuan. Wei Yi, Yun Chun, and the others stayed bowed until everyone had entered, then straightened and followed at a respectful distance.

As soon as they passed the gate, a burst of green filled the eye.

Bamboo rose thick and tall, straight as spears, lush and flourishing. Leaves crossed and rustled softly. On the bamboo poles were faint speckled marks, like tear stains.

Governor Zhang couldn’t help exclaiming, “Xiangfei bamboo? Rare to see in Jingling.”

Mu Yunyao’s eyes curved with a smile. “They say, ‘Holding to its integrity through frost, unseen by any, it keeps its heart empty as it waits for the phoenix.’ Today, being able to welcome my lords, even the Xiangfei bamboo looks more pleasing. Doesn’t it fit the poem perfectly?”

Governor Zhang shook his head again and again, amused. “Miss Mu flatters too much. It’s your scenery that’s good. We’re the ones benefiting, a bunch of crude men.”

“If Lord Zhang calls himself crude,” Mu Yunyao replied, smiling sincerely, “then my tea house might as well close its doors.”

Governor Zhang blinked. “Why is that?”

“If even you are ‘crude,’ then who in Jingling is worthy to drink tea here? If no one is worthy, what’s the point of staying open?” Her tone was light, but it carried a natural sincerity. “Everyone knows that while Lord Zhang has served as governor, you’ve done real work for Jingling and Jiangnan. Even the children in Jingling still chant it:

Jingling River rose three chi high,
Wilder than Qiantang’s roaring tide.
The governor and prefect gave the order,
And dared the waves to bow their heads.

Su Qingwu kept a polite smile, but Xu Li, on the side, looked genuinely curious.

“‘Governor and prefect gave the order, and dared the waves to bow their heads.’ The Jingling River nearly burst its banks several times in past years, and later stabilized. Even His Majesty praised it. Lord Zhang truly deserves great credit. The prefect mentioned there… is Lord Cao, yes? I recall before Lord Cao became Salt Transport Commissioner, he served as Jingling’s prefect.”

Cao Yunian hurriedly nodded. “Yes. Eunuch Xu has an excellent memory.”

“The two lords have the people’s true support,” Xu Li said, pleased. “That’s why even children remember your achievements.”

Governor Zhang and Cao Yunian both flushed with excitement. Xu Li was a trusted figure at His Majesty’s side. If he spoke even one good sentence before the throne, it would be an enormous opportunity. Both men were already thinking the same thing.

They owed Mu Yunyao a huge opening gift.

Mu Yunyao, knowing perfectly well that too much praise invited suspicion, shifted the conversation as if her compliment had been casual and unintentional. She led them past the bamboo grove and deeper into the garden.

The further they went, the more Jin Xiu Yuan revealed its refinement.

When they reached a nine-turn corridor bridge, the lake lay calm, reflecting willow branches that draped like silk. Gulls played in clusters. Lotus leaves and blossoms swayed as if greeting and sending them off. The scene was so beautiful it felt like stepping into an ink-wash landscape.

They stopped on the bridge.

For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone’s minds felt rinsed clean, as if the dust of the mortal world had fallen away.

For some reason, Su Qingwu turned slightly, and his gaze landed on Mu Yunyao beside him.

One hand rested on the white marble railing. Mu Yunyao’s eyes were on the lotus-covered lake. Her smile was gentle and distant, not the bright, sweet expression she wore while speaking. It made his heart tighten without warning.

A slanting breeze lifted her skirt hem, tugged at the loose hair behind her. One fine strand drifted past him, brushing the back of his hand like a feather. The faint itch ran all the way to his chest.

His arm stiffened.

His heart, strangely, wavered.

He had met many women. Royal princesses, noble daughters. Those who chased him, those who looked down on him. Yet no one had ever made him feel as complicated as Mu Yunyao did.

Mu Yunyao didn’t notice his shift at all. After they’d admired the view for a while, she spoke lightly.

“My lords, the place I prepared for tea is just ahead. Enjoying fine tea while admiring such scenery, isn’t it perfect?”

Xu Li sighed softly. “We haven’t even tasted the tea yet, and my mind is already half-drunk. Miss Mu’s tea house scenery is truly special.”

“Thank you for the praise, Sir.”

Not far ahead stood the six-story building Mu Yunyao planned to name Bu Xian Lou, but Xu Li liked the lakeside view even more and suggested drinking tea there.

Everything had already been prepared—it only needed to be moved. Mu Yunyao immediately had Steward Qin arrange it.

When Steward Qin returned, he spoke to Mu Yunyao quietly while no one was near.

“Miss, Madam Jin sent Yin Hong to say this. She wants you to focus on hosting the lords today. She and the other madams will come in the afternoon.”

Warmth rose in Mu Yunyao’s chest. “Alright. Since it’s only the lords for now, we won’t have Wei Yi and Yun Chun perform the full tea display. I’ll receive them personally.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The group settled into the pavilion.

The tables were low, and the seats were soft cushions embroidered with lotus patterns. Once everyone sat down, their posture naturally relaxed. The atmosphere, too, loosened and softened, becoming far more easy and unguarded.

* The poem from Zhang Bi in the Tang Dynasty is titled Yongzhu (Wing Bamboo). The whole of the article is as follows: 

The trees are full of color and clouds, and the king and his grandson are full of court. 

Ling Shuang has no one to see and treats Feng modestly all day. 

Who let the wind add to the singing, the self-pity dashing out of the dust. 

Zhu Men has many leisure areas throughout. 

It’s just time to move the clouds and the green moss.

Edited by Little Kitty on 17/06/20

↞ Previous│❀ Table of Contents ❀ │ Next ↠