Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 106

 Chapter 106: If You Are Displeased, Then I Am Content

Mu Yunyao looked at him with feigned surprise. “May I ask where Lord Su has seen my embroidery before?”

Ever since arriving in Jingling City, she had only made clothes for the various madams. Su Qingwu had only arrived yesterday and had been taken away by Governor Zhang for the banquet. The only women he had met, the Governor’s wife and Madam Jin, had not been wearing clothes made by her. Then, where had Su Qingwu seen her embroidery, and how had he known her needlework was extraordinary?

Su Qingwu paused. A faint, rueful smile appeared on his face. “Have I offended Miss Mu in some way, to make you regard me with such hostility?”

Mu Yunyao lowered her eyes and smiled. There were far too many ways in which you have offended me. Yet outwardly, she only appeared puzzled. “What is Lord Su saying? I was merely curious. Did I ask something I should not have asked?”

“I only feel that Miss seems to hold some prejudice against me.”

“How could that be? Lord Su is young and accomplished. Yesterday, the moment you entered the city, your exceptional bearing spread throughout all of Jingling City. At this very moment, who knows how many people are admiring you? Surely Lord Su has noticed how many young ladies have blushed along the way?”

Su Qingwu was someone who had once caused the Sixth Princess of the current dynasty to lose all appetite for tea and food, to threaten a hunger strike, and insist on marrying down to him. She had even forced Su Qingwu to withdraw from the marriage negotiations with the Grand Secretary’s residence. Otherwise, at his age, he would likely have long since married.

“And Miss Mu?” The words slipped out before Su Qingwu could stop them. His lips pressed together at once. The question was extremely improper, yet it had left his mouth before even he could react.

Mu Yunyao’s smile did not change. “Naturally, I also admire you. Lord Su has achieved fame and success at such a young age. It is only that I was born a woman and have no way to enter court as an official. Otherwise, I would certainly learn from Lord Su.”

“Miss Mu spread embroidery stitches and brought benefit to the people of this region. What you have done is better than many officials.” Su Qingwu let out a quiet breath, though a faint discomfort passed through him.

“Lord Su thinks too highly of me. I spread the embroidery stitches for selfish reasons as well.” Mu Yunyao swept a glance around them. The riverbank was quiet, with no one nearby. Only then did she continue. “It was all for silver. There are too few embroiderers in Niyun Pavilion. Once I spread the stitches and more people learn them, I can choose the best among them, make more clothes, and earn more money.”

Su Qingwu gave a light laugh. “Miss Mu’s nature is truly amusing.”

“I am only speaking the truth. It is the same with many officials. Are they truly pursuing the welfare of the common people? Eight or nine out of ten are not. Even those who do benefit the people are often doing so for the achievements recorded under their names, for official caps and plumes, for greater power. In the end, it all still falls upon silver. They simply refuse to admit it. Otherwise, how could there be such a saying: ‘Three years as a clean prefect, a hundred thousand taels of snowflake silver’? The word clean is reputation; the silver is substance. To have both reputation and substance—that is what one calls perfect completeness.”

The smile on Su Qingwu’s face thinned. His fingers moved lightly against one another, and the line of his lips tightened.

The curve at Mu Yunyao’s lips deepened by a trace. Seeing that faint crack in his composure made the air before her seem much clearer.

“Miss is judging the whole by a part. His Majesty is wise and discerning, selecting worthy talents broadly. There are countless good officials in court…”

Mu Yunyao naturally knew her words had been too absolute. Officials such as Lord Cao and Governor Zhang could indeed be counted as good officials. But since her aim was to provoke Su Qingwu, she had no intention of admitting it. She simply turned the topic aside. “We have walked for so long. Lord Su must be hungry. Why not rest at the restaurant beside us and taste some of Jingling’s local dishes?”

Su Qingwu’s words were cut off. His handsome brows shifted faintly. Looking at Mu Yunyao’s smiling, radiant face, he gave a slight nod. “Very well.”

Mu Yunyao led Su Qingwu into a private room at the restaurant and pushed open the window to look out toward the banks of the Jingling River not far away. “Lord Su says that I judge the whole by a part, yet you do not know the suffering of those without power or influence. I taught embroidery and received His Majesty’s praise, yet I have still been bullied and forced to endure in silence. As for the countless ordinary people besides me, one need not even speak of them.”

He had not expected her to bring up the previous topic again of her own accord. Su Qingwu held his teacup, and a glimmer moved through his phoenix eyes. “May I ask what Miss Mu has encountered? Is there anything Su can do to help?” Had all the words she spoke along the way been for this moment?

Mu Yunyao, however, smiled lightly. “I would not dare trouble Lord Su. I will think of a way to resolve it myself. Since I said that today I would show Lord Su the customs and scenery of Jingling City, let us not speak of such vexing matters.”

After they had eaten, Mu Yunyao led Su Qingwu through more than half of Jingling City, visiting nearly every famous and scenic place of note.

Su Qingwu admired the scenery of Jingling City along the way, yet three parts of his attention remained on Mu Yunyao. Listening to her introductions, he could tell that she was exceptionally well-cultivated and possessed no ordinary breadth of knowledge. She did not resemble a girl raised in an ordinary household at all. Moreover, every word she spoke along the way fell pleasantly upon the ear and settled comfortably in the heart, entirely unlike her earlier manner of hiding thorns in every sentence.

“Lord Su, it is getting late. I should return. If you have not yet seen enough of Jingling City’s scenery, how about continuing tomorrow?”

“Very well. I will have someone escort Miss Mu home.”

“There is no need. I have my maids with me, and Niyun Pavilion is not far from here. I can return directly. Farewell.” After speaking, Mu Yunyao turned and left without hesitation.

Su Qingwu’s brows moved slightly. This meeting had originally been meant to test Mu Yunyao. Yet before he could test anything clearly, his own thoughts had first been disturbed.

On his way back, he passed the small embroidery stall at the street corner. With one glance, he saw the kerchief embroidered with orchids. He could not help but walk over and examine it carefully. The cloth used for the handkerchief was ordinary, and though the orchids possessed some spirit, they were not especially stunning. Yet somehow, he had seen it at once.

“Does Young Master like it? It is only eight wen.”

Su Qingwu nodded. The attendant behind him immediately took out copper coins and handed them over.

The stall owner’s smile brightened further. The richly dressed young master before him had an uncommon bearing, and he had just walked past with Miss Mu of Niyun Pavilion, so naturally the stall owner remembered him clearly. “Miss Mu is beautiful, and her character is first-rate as well. There is no one in Jingling City who does not praise her. Who knows which fortunate man will have the blessing of marrying such a woman in the future.”

Su Qingwu gave the stall owner a slight nod, then put away the kerchief and left. When he passed by Jinling Bridge, his fingers moved within his sleeve, lightly touching the embroidered orchids on the handkerchief. Beautiful, yes—but as for her character, that might not necessarily be first-rate. And in the end, did she have anything to do with that embroidered screen or not…

When Mu Yunyao returned to Niyun Pavilion, Su Qing was counting the rewards His Majesty had bestowed. “Yao’er, look at these bolts of fabric. They are truly excellent. I imagine His Majesty knew you were skilled in embroidery, so he specially rewarded you with these to make clothes.”

“If Mother likes them, I will make one and wear it for you tomorrow.”

“That would be wonderful. And these gold ingots—we already have money on hand, so these must be carefully saved. In the future, they will be part of your dowry.” Su Qing’s face shone with delight. It had been a long time since she had smiled so freely.

Thinking of the plan in her heart, Mu Yunyao silently said sorry to Su Qing. In order to deal with Su Qingwu, she had no choice but to pay a price.

“Three years as a clean prefect, a hundred thousand taels of snowflake silver.” This proverb implies that even officials with clean reputations can accumulate wealth, pointing to corruption or hidden gain.

Edited by Little Kitty on 07/06/20

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