Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Vexing the Su Family Once Again 

After more than ten days of frantic activity, a merchant caravan set out from Jingling City under the name of transporting tea. It traveled westward toward Yuxi City, the place nearest to Yuexi.

Once the matter of the ginger tea was settled, Steward Qin turned his full attention back to Bu Xian Lou.

The plaque copied from His Majesty’s imperial calligraphy had finally been delivered after more than a dozen craftsmen had carved and polished it with painstaking care. To show proper respect for it, Mu Yunyao discussed the matter with Steward Qin and specially chose an auspicious day. Cao Yunian and others were invited, and after strings of firecrackers had been set off, the plaque of Bu Xian Lou was solemnly hung in place.

Such a grand occasion naturally drew more than half of Jingling City to come and watch. Mu Yunyao then announced that the profits from Bu Xian Lou for the next half month would be used to purchase grain, which would be distributed to poor elderly people, widows, orphans, and those without family support, as a way of expressing her gratitude to His Majesty. At once, a fresh wave of praise rose from all sides.

During this period, the manager of the Charity Hall came to see Cai Qing and tried to take her back. But after hearing that she had already signed an indenture contract, he muttered a few curses about her having no conscience and then left in sullen defeat.

Cai Qing knew very well that Mu Yunyao was deeply disgusted by what she had done before, and so she made no deliberate attempt to hover in front of her. Instead, after she finished cleaning the household, she devoted herself to studying embroidery techniques under Madam Ding. She had good natural talent, and because she had already learned half of it before, she now made decent progress.

Nan’er’s injuries had also improved enough that he could get out of bed and move about. Every day, he followed behind Mu Yunyao, hoping to be of some help to her. But Jin Lan, seeing how he would start coughing at the slightest movement, grew so alarmed that she kept sending him back to his room. After doing this for three or four days in a row, she could no longer bear it and finally went to complain to Mu Yunyao.

After calling Nan’er over and carefully lecturing him, Mu Yunyao at last persuaded him to give up the idea of following her around to help. He turned instead to focusing wholeheartedly on recovering his health, intending to repay her properly once he had fully regained his strength.

Once the Double Ninth Festival had passed, the weather became noticeably colder. As Mu Yunyao changed her clothes and prepared to go out, Su Qing chased after her with a jade-green brocade cloak patterned with kingfisher feathers and draped it over her shoulders.

The pale green cloak made Mu Yunyao’s complexion look even fairer; she stood there fresh and tender, almost like soft bean curd. The sight moved Su Qing so much that she could not help reaching out to touch her daughter’s cheek.

“Go on now. Greet Madam Jin for me, and be careful on the road.”

Mu Yunyao affectionately rubbed against Su Qing’s hand, her eyes curving into crescents with her smile.

“Yes, Mother. Don’t worry. I’ll be back very soon.”

Early that morning, Madam Jin had already sent someone to summon her. Seeing how anxious the maid looked, Mu Yunyao dared not delay. The moment she had changed her clothes, she got into a carriage and headed straight for the Cao Residence.

Yin Hong was waiting anxiously at the gate. The moment she saw Mu Yunyao alight, she hurried forward and curtseyed.

“Greetings, Miss Mu. You have finally arrived. Madam has been waiting for you.”

Seeing how poor Yin Hong’s expression looked, Mu Yunyao’s heart gave a start. She immediately quickened her steps and followed her into the rear courtyard.

Inside the room, Madam Jin lay on the bed with a pale face, while Cao Yunian stood anxiously nearby keeping watch.

The moment Mu Yunyao stepped inside, she caught the smell of medicine and could not help knitting her brows. Seeing Cao Yunian, she hurriedly bent her knees in greeting.

“Greetings, Lord Cao.”

“There is no need for formality, Miss Mu. Please quickly have a look at my wife.”

Mu Yunyao no longer stood on ceremony. She immediately stepped forward to take Madam Jin’s pulse.

Perhaps Madam Jin had heard her voice, for she opened her eyes and tightly seized Mu Yunyao’s hand.

“Yunyao, is the child in my womb all right? You must help me preserve it. It does not matter what happens to me, but this child must not come to harm!”

A thought stirred in Mu Yunyao’s heart. She quickly clasped Madam Jin’s hand in return.

“Madam, please be at ease. I will certainly do all I can. But you must not become agitated now, otherwise…”

Madam Jin turned her head slightly, and tears rolled from the corners of her eyes. Beside her, Cao Yunian paced back and forth. Seeing his wife like this, his expression grew even more anxious.

“Ah, my dear wife, do not grieve. I will certainly give you an explanation.”

No sooner had Cao Yunian finished speaking than Yin Hong entered again.

“Reporting to Master and Madam: Concubine Wang is kneeling outside the courtyard gate.”

Madam Jin’s face turned abruptly cold.

“My appearance is wretched today, and it is not convenient for me to receive Master. You had better go out first.”

The anxiety on Cao Yunian’s face deepened still further. Yet with Mu Yunyao present, there were some things he could not conveniently say. After hesitating a moment, he could only answer slowly,

“Then rest well, my dear wife. I will come back to see you later.”

Once Cao Yunian had left, Yin Hong stepped outside to take a look, then returned to report.

“Madam, Concubine Wang is still kneeling outside the courtyard gate. When Master left just now, she appeared to say something, and Master kicked her.”

Madam Jin merely nodded slightly to show she had heard. Yin Hong then withdrew again and kept watch by the door.

Once there were no outsiders left in the room, Mu Yunyao, who had been keeping her head slightly lowered, finally spoke.

“Why must Madam go to such lengths?”

When she had just felt Madam Jin’s pulse, she had discovered that the pulse was perfectly steady and that there was no real problem. But Madam Jin had deliberately looked pale, and the way she had squeezed Mu Yunyao’s hand had been a clear signal, so Mu Yunyao had simply followed her lead.

Madam Jin sat up and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

“Yunyao, I am truly sorry to have dragged you into this for no reason. These past two days, certain people have been unable to bear seeing me well and have been whispering in Master’s ear, causing a few seeds of resentment to take root in his heart. If those seeds are not pulled out now, they will sooner or later grow into a knot that can never again be untied.”

“As long as Madam is well, that is all that matters. The fact that Madam could call me here at such a time means you have not regarded me as an outsider. How could I possibly mind?”

After a moment’s thought, Mu Yunyao could already roughly guess part of what had happened.

There had long been rumors outside that Cao Yunian’s rise through the ranks owed much to the powerful influence of Madam Jin’s family. Later, Madam Jin’s clothing had drawn butterflies, leading His Majesty to promote Cao Yunian. Then, because of the spread of the embroidery techniques, Madam Jin herself had been granted a patent of honor. People outside all said that Cao Yunian’s greatest good fortune in life was that he had married such an excellent wife. At such a time, if someone deliberately whispered a few poisonous words, it was indeed very possible for him to start thinking in the wrong direction.

“By the way, I called you here today for another matter as well. I told Master about the New Year tribute, and once Governor Zhang heard of it, he became very interested. He wishes to have elders blessed with the five fortunes from various places write out the words fortune, longevity, peace, and health, and then send those samples here to Jingling City for unified embroidery. We need not concern ourselves with gathering the handwriting in the earlier stages—Governor Zhang will send people to handle it. But as for the final embroidered work, it will likely have to be made rather large. Do you think it can be completed?”

Mu Yunyao thought carefully before answering.

“At present the schedule is already quite tight. If the embroidered piece must be made larger as well, it will require even more time. But since Governor Zhang himself has spoken, then even if we must work day and night, we should still strive to complete it. Let the embroidery be made nine chi long and five chi high; that would suit the meaning of the imperial dignity of nine and five. What does Madam think?”

Madam Jin looked at her apologetically.

“That would naturally be best of all. It is only that I will be putting you to great hardship.”

Mu Yunyao smiled warmly.

“To have received His Majesty’s reward, I am already filled with gratitude. No matter how hard the work may be, I will accept it willingly.”

What was more, the New Year tribute she was helping to embroider was meant not only to let her show her face before His Majesty. More importantly, she wanted to use it to vex the Su family once more.

Back then, on His Majesty’s birthday, the Su family had presented the Splendid Rivers and Mountains screen. Not only had it failed to bring honor upon them, but it had also angered His Majesty because the rivers and mountains stained with blood carried an inauspicious meaning. The Su family had suffered for it.

Thinking on it now, the Su family was likely the least willing to see embroidered screens ever again.

And yet she was determined to send another embroidered piece up before the throne. If this one were praised by His Majesty, it would surely make them feel as though a fishbone were stuck in their throats. Even if, stepping back, the embroidered tribute did not win His Majesty’s praise, it would still be enough to remind him of the earlier screen the Su family had presented.

So long as it made the Su family unhappy, she was willing to labor for the next several months.

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