Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Chapter 103 - Su Qingwu
In the Governor's manor, the Governor's wife welcomed Lady Jin and Mu Yunyao with a face full of smiles. "Why are the two of you here so late? If you don't come soon, I'll send someone to invite you. Don't be so polite, get up and come in. "
After a few pleasantries between the Governor's wife and Lady Jin, their gazes landed on Mu Yunyao. Compared to the previous two times when they had seen the Governor's wife. This time her gaze was more passionate. "I've been busy these days and haven't had the time to sit at the Niyunfang. Why does Miss Mu look so much thinner?"
A well-behaved smile appeared on Mu Yunyao's face, "Sorry for troubling you, Madam. My appetite hasn't been good these days, so I ate a little less."
"You need to pay more attention at such a young age. The medicinal food cooked by my family's chef is not bad. In a while, someone will stew a cup for you to bring over."
Mu Yunyao hurriedly stood up with an expression of being overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, "How dare I?"
"I l like you when I look at you. Why do you need to be scared? When you leave, I'll get someone to copy down the prescription for you to take with you. When you get back, you can make some for me every day."
Mu Yunyao hurriedly curtsied and bowed. "Thank you, Madam. I'll stew it every day." Her eyes were bright, and her tone was so sincere. It was clear that The Governor's wife wanted to befriend her, so she naturally could not refuse.
Both The Governor's wife and Lady Jin were quite absent-minded and looked in the direction of the entrance from time to time. About an hour later, a maid hastily ran in. "Reporting to Madam, His Majesty's reward has arrived. Master has sent word to invite you, Lady Jin, and Miss Mu to the front courtyard to receive the decree."
"Alright, we'll go right now." The Governor's wife hurriedly stood up, her face radiant. "Hurry, hurry. The two of you are the main point."
Lady Jin did not continue to be polite and followed The Governor's wife out of the courtyard.
In front of the main hall of the front yard, an incense table and other items had set up.
Governor Zhang and the officials stood respectfully at the side of the incense table according to their respective grades/ranks. On the incense table was a bright yellow imperial edict, emitting a majestic radiance under the sunlight.
Mu Yunyao followed Lady Jin to the front courtyard. She lowered her eyes slightly to look at the ground. Her eyes were calm, but her expression had filled with fear. Governor Zhang said, "Lord Su, everyone's here. We can announce His Majesty's decree now."
Hearing the word Su, Mu Yunyao's forehead twitched, and she subconsciously looked up. When she looked up, her entire body seemed to have been struck by lightning, and she suddenly froze on the spot.
Next to the incense burner stood a young man. He wore in light armor, and his facial features were as pretty as a painting. His phoenix eyes were shining with a bright light, and he looked like a towering pine tree; his entire body was proud and unyielding.
Mu Yunyao looked at him as hatred raged within her heart. It surged into her eyes, causing those black pupils to freeze like a thousand feet of ice, without a trace of warmth or light to be seen: Su Qingwu, it's Su Qingwu!
Su Qingwu held the imperial decree in both hands as he waited for the others to pay their respects. Suddenly, he felt an exceptionally sharp gaze land upon himself. He immediately raised his eyes to look, only to see the kneeling people, and didn't notice anything unusual.
"Emperor's decree, Jingling City …"
Mu Yunyao followed the crowd and kneeled on the ground. Both of her hands intersected and touched her forehead to the ground. Her posture was incomparably respectful, but the hatred in her heart was like an enormous wave that overflowed into the heavens.
Su Qingwu, the Su Clan's most proud first-rate grandson, had been promoted to a first-rate Imperial Guard at the age of twenty. Even those royalty princes and grandsons had to praise Su Qingwu as a rare sight.
In her previous life, to take revenge on her good sister, she used some means to climb onto Jin Wang's bed. This young master who was praised by the world had kicked her in the chest, causing her to spit out three mouthfuls of blood. She always remembered the look in his eyes at that time, it was scornful and disdainful, like looking at a lump of mud on the ground. Afterward, she entered the Jin Mansion and became a concubine. To please the Emperor, Jin Wang personally copied a hundred scriptures of the Buddhist scriptures and prayed for the king's happiness. She accompanied Jin Wang to the temple and imitated his handwriting to help him copy the scriptures.
She had been pregnant in April and had been bleeding after ten times plank. She had lost her child the night when she went back home.
"Mu Yunyao, with a kind heart and a fair heart, bestowed a pair of jade Ruyi*, ten pieces of brocade, and a hundred gold taels."
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| Jade Ruyi* |
The imperial decree was read out for about a quarter of an hour before it finished.
Mu Yunyao retracted the hatred in her heart and did her best to recover her composure as she followed the crowd to pay respects and express her gratitude.
Governor Zhang got up and took the imperial decree, then invited Su Qingwu to the banquet with a face full of smiles: "Lord Su, you have come. I have prepared a thin wine for you and the other guards to welcome you." Even if Su Qingwu had not considered a favored person in front of the Emperor, just because he was born in the Su Family, no one dared to look down on him. Furthermore, he was only twenty years old, so his future was bright and grand.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Governor Zhang."
"Quick, invite him in."
Su Qingwu stood in the same spot, his eyes looked towards Mu Yunyao's direction, "Speaking of which, this official has a private matter. I wonder if Miss Mu, who spread the embroidery needle technique to the Jingling City, is here?"
Hatred surged out from Mu Yunyao's heart that had just calmed down a moment ago. She fiercely gripped her palms and tried her best to appear calm and tranquil.
Seeing that everyone's gaze was on her, she walked step by step towards Su Qingwu. With every step she took, the hostility in her heart grew intense, but her expression was the exact opposite, as she smiled gently: "Mu Yunyao greets Lord Su."
Seeing Mu Yunyao, a hint of surprise flashed across Su Qingwu's eyes. He never thought that Mu Yunyao was so young.
She has an apricot-colored horse-dress skirt, embroidered with a lotus pond moonlight on her dress. At this moment, she was gracefully standing there like a slim and graceful lotus bud. Her entire body carried a delicate and pretty appearance as if the spirit of Jiangnan gathered within her.
Su Qingwu quickly retracted the strange feeling in his heart, and warmly said, "Miss Mu no need be so courteous. I've heard that Miss Mu's embroidery skills are incomparable. I wonder if you could get a screen from Miss's hands to give my grandmother as a birthday present."
"I shouldn't have refused Lord Su's request, but I haven't been able to do anything about it lately. I'm going to disappoint you."
"Why is that?" Su Qingwu sized up Mu Yunyao. From start to finish, she had kept her eyes down, her long and slender eyelashes like two small fans. When the sunlight shone, it was as if there was a rainbow of colors shining, and at such a young age, it made the rejection in his heart feel a lot less displeased.
Mu Yunyao stretched out her hand, and a line of blood appeared on her palm. Her white jade-like skin was exceptionally calm. "I injured my hand a while ago. Please forgive me, Lord Su."
"So that's how it is, I've been rude. It's such a pity..."
Mu Yunyao bent her knees to pay her respects before retreating behind Lady Jin, slightly lowering her head and remaining silent. Su Qingwu swept a glance at her again, and after withdrawing his gaze, his brows moved a bit. He didn't know why, but when he looked at Mu Yunyao just now, there was a kind of unspeakable feeling of unfamiliarity, causing him to be unable to stop himself from paying attention.