Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Yue Wang Arrives

Steward Qin finished securing the swing frame and looked toward the cautious figures moving one by one across the frozen lake. The corners of his lips lifted. Snow had fallen for several days in a row, and even the lake in Jinxiu Garden had frozen over. Miss Mu had brought the apprentices onto the ice to play. He had not expected that girls who looked so light and nimble on ordinary days would turn into rolling gourds the moment they stepped onto the ice. Yet the more they tumbled, the more spirited they became. Even without Miss Mu leading them, they insisted on going up and testing themselves again.

Yu Yi came to stand beside him. “Steward Qin, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I wonder how His Highness is doing.”

Steward Qin sighed. “His Highness only returns to the capital once for the Emperor’s birthday. On all other days, even the New Year, he is required to remain in Yuexi. This year will likely pass the same way. Still, with the ginger tea and the silver we sent over, at least he should be able to have a decent New Year.”

“Alas. If only His Highness could come here as well.”

“What nonsense. How could His Highness come here?”

Yu Yi’s eyes suddenly widened, as though he had seen something impossible. He stared behind Steward Qin and cried out, “His Highness?”

“What are you shouting for? Do you not know His Highness’s identity must be kept secret? Besides, shouting so loudly—do you think His Highness will simply appear before you?”

Yu Yi hurriedly tugged at Steward Qin. “His Highness… behind you! Turn around and look!”

Steward Qin turned. One glance was enough to make his eyes widen, and his tongue freeze in his mouth. “His… His Highness?”

The man behind him, wrapped in a fox-fur cloak and carrying the cold, cutting air of winter in his gaze, was indeed Yue Wang.

Steward Qin stood dazed for a moment before delight spread across his face. He hurried forward to greet him. “This old servant pays respects to Master.”

“Uncle Qin, rise quickly. Why are you outside?” Steward Qin’s waist had never been well; the ailment had been left behind from the years he had cared for him. Thus, when someone had needed to take charge in Jiangnan, Eunuch Cheng had insisted that Steward Qin come here, all so his days might be easier.

The smile on Steward Qin’s face deepened. “My waist has long been much better. It is all thanks to Miss Mu. Do not be fooled by her young age—her medical skill is exceedingly profound. With only a few needles, most of the old pain in my waist was relieved.”

Suddenly, cheers rose from a short distance away.

“Miss, hurry and come down!”

“We are all waiting for you. Today, we must win back what we lost!”

By the lakeside, Mu Yunyao had just arrived when Jin Lan, Jin Qiao, and the others began hopping in place and challenging her. Their words made her laugh. “You had better think carefully. If you keep losing, all the silver you earned these past few months will end up in my hands. Do not cry when the time comes.”

“Miss, do not look down on us. These past two days, we have practiced with great effort. We will certainly win our silver back from you. When that happens, you must not go back on your word!”

“Rest assured. If you can win, I shall take out another hundred taels of silver as your reward.”

“Good!”

Seeing Yue Wang’s gaze shift in that direction, Steward Qin narrowed his eyes slightly. “His Highness, Miss Mu, and the maidservants are holding a contest on the ice. This old servant finds it most interesting. Why not have a look as well?”

Yu Heng, standing to the side, tugged the corner of his mouth. Inwardly, he thought: His Highness has traveled all this way through wind and dust. In the dead of winter, his body must nearly be frozen stiff. How could he still be in the mood to watch a few young ladies play on the ice?

Before the thought had fully settled, he saw Yue Wang lift his foot and walk toward the lake. Yu Heng froze where he stood and could only stare blankly at Steward Qin. “Steward Qin, this…”

Yu Yi hurried forward and pulled him aside, then smiled at Steward Qin. “Do not worry. I will take him aside and teach him properly.” After these days, he had come to understand one thing clearly: whenever Miss Mu was involved, Steward Qin became especially unreasonable. If Yu Heng said anything unsuitable, he might very well be dealt with by Steward Qin in secret.

Steward Qin nodded. Only then did he turn and follow Yue Wang’s steps toward a pavilion beside the lake.

The pavilion stood on slightly higher ground, giving a clear view of the lake. Those on the ice, however, would not notice what was happening inside the pavilion unless they deliberately raised their heads to look.

Yue Wang sat in the pavilion, his gaze fixed on the frozen lake.

By the lakeside, for the sake of moving easily on the ice, Mu Yunyao had changed into a newly made outfit. At a glance, it looked like a gauze skirt, but the hem had been slightly gathered. It was not as elaborate as ordinary skirts and had been shortened slightly, revealing the full surface of her shoes and making it easier for her to glide across the ice.

She moved her body lightly to loosen herself, then put on her ice shoes and stepped onto the lake. With a deliberately provocative glance at the female apprentices, she said, “Have you prepared all your silver? If you cannot take it out, beware—this Miss will strike your palms.”

Nan’er, who was watching from the lakeside, quickly brought over a wooden box. When he opened it, there were scattered bits of silver inside. “Miss, I have been keeping watch for you. All the elder sisters have placed their silver inside.”

Mu Yunyao nodded approvingly. “Well done. Watch me win all their silver, then I shall reward you with money to buy sweets.”

Nan’er jumped in place, his face full of joy. “Good! Many thanks, Miss.”

Jin Lan, Jin Qiao, and the others immediately protested. “Miss, we have not even competed yet. How do you know you will certainly win?”

“Then let us see the truth with our own hands.”

Everyone glided to the southern side of the lake. At the command, Mu Yunyao shot forward across the ice like a light, nimble swallow, easily leaving the apprentices behind her.

Her figure was light and her speed swift. As she moved, the wind lifted the hem of her skirt until it bloomed like a flower, breathtakingly beautiful.

By the time Jin Lan, Jin Qiao, and the others reached the northern side of the lake, Mu Yunyao was already waiting for them with a smile.

“Miss, we will compete again in three days. We will certainly beat you then.”

Mu Yunyao laughed softly. Nan’er had already run to her side, clutching the wooden box with a face full of delight. “Miss is truly amazing. You won again!”

Mu Yunyao nodded. Seeing that Jin Lan and the others were still unwilling to concede, her own competitive spirit was stirred. “Do you think moving on ice is only about who is faster? Since I am in a good mood today, I shall show you something with a bit more flair.”

“More flair? What kind of flair can there be on ice?”

Mu Yunyao smiled without answering. She glided forward for a long stretch, then pulled down a length of red silk from the lakeside. After checking its length, she nodded in satisfaction and wound the silk around her arm. Then, all at once, she began to move.

Her speed was astonishing. The silk unfurled like rosy clouds, and she seemed to fly above the ice as though riding the edge of the heavens. The red silk in her hands danced with her movements, like a crimson lotus blooming beneath the morning sun, so beautiful it made people hold their breath. Her movements alternated between swift and slow—arriving like thunder that had not yet spent its fury, ending like rivers and seas condensed into clear light. Upon the broad frozen lake, her brilliance unfolded in dazzling splendor.

Gradually, everyone’s breathing quieted. Their eyes held only Mu Yunyao, spinning suddenly upon the ice. They did not know what words might describe it. In the end, only one word surfaced in their minds: beautiful. Beautiful beyond compare.

At last, Mu Yunyao stopped. Slightly breathless, she released the red silk. Seeing that everyone had yet to return to themselves, she smiled with a touch of pride. “I told you all…” Suddenly, she felt the strange sensation of being watched. Before she could finish speaking, she swept her gaze around the area. Then her eyes narrowed sharply.

Yue Wang!

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