Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Jade Bamboo in Deepening Verdure

Steward Qin had long since watched over Wei Yi, Yun Chun, and the others as they changed their clothes and waited in the front courtyard. Seeing Mu Yunyao arrive, he hurriedly led her inside.

“Miss, please have a look. Are these people still presentable?”

“Greetings, Miss.”

The fifty people bowed in unison. Dressed in white robes and white skirts, their spirits were outstanding, and there was an indescribable vitality about them.

Mu Yunyao felt satisfied. These people had indeed put in bitter effort. Their bearing alone was already countless times better than before.

“Good. Follow me to the entrance and prepare to welcome the lords.”

Su Qingwu and Xu Li rode in the same carriage. Since both served within the palace and were favored before His Majesty, the two had some acquaintance with one another, and their conversation was more casual.

Su Qingwu spoke first.

“Eunuch Xu seems to hold that Miss Mu in rather high regard.”

Xu Li glanced at Su Qingwu with a smile.

“Does Lord Su not also esteem her greatly? Yesterday, had you not asked about Buxian Tower, we would not have become interested enough to come and see it today.”

Su Qingwu’s expression did not change.

“Miss Mu’s heart is pure and kind. To think she could spread such precious embroidery stitches to others, offering her a little support is only proper.”

“I thought the same. It seems I have happened to share Lord Su’s view.”

The two looked at one another and smiled. Their smiles appeared gentle, but what they truly meant was perhaps known only to themselves.

As they spoke, they arrived at Jinxiu Garden in the blink of an eye. The carriage came to a steady stop, and the driver set down the footstool. The two men descended one after the other. Just as they steadied themselves, they were startled by the scene before them.

Mu Yunyao stood at the head, and behind her stood a group of people. At a rough glance, there were forty or fifty of them. The men and women stood separately on either side, all dressed in white. Their waists were drawn in, while their sleeves and hems were somewhat loose and flowing. Each bent at the waist and knees in greeting, white garments fluttering, pale and ethereal, as though untouched by dust.

“Greetings, my lords.”

Su Qingwu studied Mu Yunyao.

The clothes she wore today were especially plain and elegant. Her upper garment was white, while her skirt gradually shifted from white into moon-white. At first glance, she was far less eye-catching than the people behind her. Yet upon closer looking, she only became more and more impossible to look away from.

Especially the fresh magnolia tucked into her hair. Its petals were slender and delicate, its white sheen purer than snow, setting off her charm and clever beauty all the more.

“Miss Mu need not be so courteous.”

Governor Zhang and Cao Yunnian had naturally come as well. It was only that both men deferred to Su Qingwu and Xu Li, so they stood at the side with smiles and did not speak.

Mu Yunyao rose and led them into Jinxiu Garden. Wei Yi, Yun Chun, and the others remained bent in their greeting posture until everyone had entered. Only then did they straighten and follow behind.

Upon entering Jinxiu Garden, a cluster of fresh green filled their eyes. Stalk after stalk of emerald bamboo stood tall and flourishing, their branches and leaves crossing one another with a soft rustling sound. Scattered marks dotted the bamboo stems like traces of tears.

Governor Zhang could not help praising it. “Is this Xiangfei bamboo? It is rarely seen in Jingling City.”

“Through frost it keeps its integrity, though none may see; all day, hollow-hearted, it waits for the phoenix to come. Today, being able to welcome the lords here, even this Xiangfei bamboo seems a little more pleasing to the eye. Does this not answer the meaning of the poem?”

Mu Yunyao’s eyes held a smile.

Governor Zhang could not stop shaking his head.

“Where do Miss Mu’s words come from? It is the scenery here that is good, allowing us ordinary men to enjoy it undeservedly.”

“If Lord Zhang calls himself an ordinary man, then my tea house may as well close its doors later today.”

For a moment, Governor Zhang did not react.

“Why is that?”

“If even you call yourself an ordinary man, then who else in Jingling City would still be qualified to come here and drink tea? If I did not close my doors, what else could I do?”

Mu Yunyao’s smile was sincere, and when the words left her lips, they seemed naturally imbued with genuine feeling.

“Who in Jingling does not know that during Lord Zhang’s tenure as Governor, you have done many practical things for Jingling and Jiangnan? Even now, the children of Jingling City still sing: ‘The Jingling River rises three feet high, its waves rival Qiantang’s roaring tide. Governor and prefect give their orders as one, daring even the crests of waves to bow.’”

Su Qingwu wore a smile all along, but Eunuch Xu, standing to the side, became somewhat curious after hearing this.

“‘Governor and prefect give their orders as one, daring even the crests of waves to bow’? A few years ago, the Jingling River nearly burst its embankments several times. Later, it passed safely through those dangers. Even His Majesty once praised the matter. Governor Zhang’s merit was indeed not small. And the prefect mentioned here must be Lord Cao, yes? I remember that before Lord Cao was promoted to Salt Transport Commissioner, he was the prefect of Jingling City.”

Cao Yunnian hurriedly nodded.

“Yes. Eunuch Xu has an excellent memory.”

“The two lords are truly supported by the people. Only then would even children know of your achievements.”

Governor Zhang and Cao Yunnian both flushed with excitement.

This Eunuch Xu was a favored person before His Majesty. If he could speak even one favorable word on their behalf before His Majesty, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity for them. They truly had to thank Mu Yunyao properly. Later, they would have to make up for it with a generous opening gift.

Mu Yunyao naturally understood that going too far was as bad as falling short. After seemingly praising the two lords unintentionally, she led them around the bamboo grove and farther inside.

The more they looked, the more they found Jinxiu Garden’s scenery distinct and refined. Especially when they passed the winding nine-turn corridor bridge, the lake water was calm, reflecting the trailing willows along the bank. Flocks of gulls played around the lotus blossoms, as though half approaching and half retreating. The beauty of it was almost like stepping out of a landscape painting.

The group paused upon the bridge. For a time, they looked silently at the picturesque scenery. Their minds seemed washed clean, as though they had forgotten the dust of the mortal world.

For some unknown reason, Su Qingwu turned his head slightly and saw Mu Yunyao standing beside him.

One of her hands rested on the white marble railing of the bridge. Her gaze had fallen upon the lotus flowers filling the lake, and a quiet smile rested at the corners of her lips. It was not like the bright innocence she had shown when speaking before, yet for some reason, it made his heart tremble.

A breeze slanted in from the side, stirring the hem of her skirt and lifting the loose strands of hair scattered behind her. One strand happened to brush past his side, sweeping over the back of his hand like a feather. The faint itch seemed to travel all the way into his heart.

His arm stiffened, but his heart could not help swaying.

He had seen many women, imperial princesses and young ladies of noble families. Some flocked to him eagerly, and some dismissed him without a glance. Yet no one had ever made him feel such complexity as Mu Yunyao did.

Mu Yunyao did not notice Su Qingwu’s abnormality. After the group had admired the scenery for a while, she spoke.

“My lords, just ahead is the place I have prepared for you to drink tea. To taste fragrant tea while enjoying beautiful scenery, could anything be more delightful?”

Eunuch Xu could not help sighing softly.

“Before we have even drunk the tea, the mind is already three parts intoxicated. The scenery within Miss’s tea house is truly distinctive.”

“Many thanks for my lord’s praise.”

Not far away stood the six-story building Mu Yunyao had prepared to name Buxian Tower. However, Eunuch Xu liked the scenery by the lake even more, so he suggested drinking tea beside the water.

Everything had already been prepared. It was only a matter of moving it to another place. Mu Yunyao immediately had Steward Qin see to it.

When Steward Qin returned, he took advantage of a moment when no one was nearby to tell Mu Yunyao, “Miss, Madam Jin sent Yin Hong to say that you should focus on receiving the lords for now. She and the other madams will come this afternoon.”

Warmth rose in Mu Yunyao’s heart.

“Good. Since it is only these lords, there is no need to have Wei Yi, Yun Chun, and the others display their tea art. I will receive them myself.”

“Yes.”

A few of them took their seats in the pavilion. The tables were low, and the seats were soft cushions embroidered with lotus patterns. Once everyone sat down, they found their hearts becoming much more at ease. For a time, the atmosphere grew even more relaxed.

* 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

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