Chapter 47
It was said that Steward Li was an old hand in the palace.
Even someone like him treated the Fifth Young Master with such deference—it was clear that Mu Qing’s husband’s family must hold a position of significant power… Perhaps even more than she had initially imagined.
Could it be that they were of princely rank? Or at least marquises?
At the very least, they had to be a ducal family…
Mu Qing thought it over carefully and felt this possibility was quite high. The more she considered it, the more she realized this whole deal had been an absolute bargain—
A mere one thousand taels of silver to hire a high-quality young man of noble blood, likely a little prince or heir to a great house, as a contract husband? That was certainly value for money.
And thinking about it this way, her husband’s various odd behaviors could be easily explained.
If he was born into such a noble house, there was no doubt the internal power struggles would be intense—fighting over titles, back courtyard scheming, battles between legitimate and concubine-born sons…
And as for external matters, they were probably intertwined with imperial politics—like choosing sides in the succession, political rivals undercutting each other…
Truly, nothing was off the table.
No wonder her husband was constantly caught up in assassination attempts or other dangerous affairs, even to the point of being homeless.
Especially considering he grew up in a brothel in Tongzhou… that was highly unusual.
And it carried with it a sense of quiet sorrow and desolation.
Though she didn’t know what kind of backstory lay behind it all, just the outward appearance made it clear her husband must have had a very difficult childhood.
Thinking of her husband’s aversion to being touched, Mu Qing couldn’t help but feel a wave of compassion.
Poor thing—whatever he had gone through to develop such a trauma must have been truly terrifying.
Although the issue had somewhat improved over the past six months—largely due to her gentle, semi-forceful desensitization—it was limited to contact with her alone. He still couldn’t tolerate touch from anyone else.
In such a situation, Mu Qing genuinely felt that being born into nobility wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Who knew—maybe her husband had gone home this time to deal with some nasty family drama.
Which made her all the more suspicious of this Fifth Brother—had her husband really sent him to look after her? Or had he just come on his own initiative?
Especially since he had stirred up so much in such a short time. Mu Qing found it hard to believe his intentions were purely to “take care” of her, his Fourth Sister-in-law.
She wondered if writing a letter to her husband would get her the real story.
Even as she pondered this, her ears were still tuned in. She watched as Steward Li greeted Fifth Brother with a bow and then stood respectfully to the side, awaiting instructions. Mu Qing couldn’t help but quietly marvel.
Over on the other side, Fifth Brother had finished asking his questions—which, unsurprisingly, were just routine inquiries into the current situation with Elder Qin.
And the answers were the same as what Fifth Brother had said earlier: no progress.
After all, “when it comes to the Sage, nothing is ever certain.”
So in the end, all that talk had amounted to nothing.
Mu Qing’s patience was wearing thin. She and Qin Qin had left White Crane Academy halfway through the day, and now the entire afternoon had passed with no results. The anxiety was gnawing at her.
On top of that, she had gradually abandoned hope of getting any real answers from this group. To be fair, it was a bit her fault.
Truth be told, she had put too much importance on Liu Feng, the so-called male lead of the original novel.
Looking back, she realized she’d given him far too much credit—for someone who, outside of that spellbound plot-mandated closeness and forced rewrites of fate, didn’t actually pose much of a threat.
Even with Qin Qin and that brothel madam Yanran, his original “destinies” weren’t immutable.
So all she needed to do was pay attention to a few of the major plot beats from the original work. For the rest of the time, she could live her life however she wanted.
As these thoughts drifted through her mind, she didn’t bother hiding her growing impatience.
Despite his age, Fifth Brother was a sharp one. He quickly picked up on Mu Qing’s mood and stopped making polite conversation with Steward Li. Instead, he turned directly to her and asked, “Fourth Sister-in-law, do you have something to say?”
The way he directly addressed her identity here was a bit of a sneak attack.
Mu Qing felt a flicker of irritation, but didn’t really mind. After all, plenty of people already knew about her identity.
Among those present, the only one who hadn’t met her before was Steward Li—and given his status and connections, learning who she was was only a matter of time.
Better to say it now than explain it all over again later.
While still quietly processing information and strategizing for her next move, Mu Qing appeared slightly distant, but she asked her question without missing a beat:
“Steward, I have something I’d like to ask.”
Steward Li, a veteran who had served in the palace all his life, had a face that betrayed no emotion.
Upon hearing her, he gave a courteous bow and said calmly, “Please ask whatever you wish.”
Despite the formal words, his expression lacked any hint of flattery or deference—not even the surface-level respect he’d shown Fifth Brother. His attitude was downright arrogant.
Mu Qing wasn’t bothered… Regardless of what her husband’s true identity was, she had never intended to stay with him for the long term.
They were in a contract marriage.
Fake was fake. No matter how much time passed, it wouldn’t become real.
Even if, due to unforeseen circumstances, they hadn’t managed to terminate the agreement early…
There were only four months left before the one-year term expired.
Winter was coming. When spring returned, and the flowers bloomed again, it would be time to fulfill the contract.
Then they would each return to their own lives.
This had all just been an interlude.
Of course, true to the spirit of their agreement, she wasn’t going to slack off. She would play her part well right to the end.
With this clarity, Mu Qing’s demeanor became even more calm and composed, entirely free of pettiness or frustration—she certainly wasn’t going to act offended just because of Steward Li’s aloofness.
Her unbothered attitude made even Steward Li take a second look.
He unconsciously straightened his back and grew more respectful in his manner.
Now that was interesting.
Mu Qing found it mildly amusing, but didn’t say much more. She simply asked the two questions she had in mind and then fell silent.
Meanwhile, Qin Qin, who had been in a dazed panic earlier, had gradually regained her composure. She even managed to understand some of Mu Qing’s subtext.
Mu Qing’s questions were straightforward.
The first: “Did Elder Qin have access to ink and brush?”
She knew how strict the palace rules were, but since Steward Li had agreed to meet them, she figured he’d be willing to share a few things.
Of course, even if someone is willing to talk, you still have to know how to ask.
Only a fool would directly inquire whether the aging Emperor was on his deathbed and had summoned Elder Qin to draft a final decree.
Even if someone dared to say it, who would believe them?
After all, while it was true that Elder Qin had once been the tutor for several princes, that had been more than a decade ago.
A lot could happen in ten years. To summon him now for that reason alone was clearly not enough.
So there was only one other possibility.
With that in mind, Mu Qing asked her second question: “Is my husband also in the palace?”
The moment she asked, not only did Steward Li’s face change, even Fifth Brother showed a brief flicker of surprise.
This clearly wasn’t something Steward Li could answer on his own.
Thankfully, he didn’t need to.
Fifth Brother glanced at Steward Li and gave a subtle shake of his head. The steward understood instantly and said:
“Forgive me, my lady, but I cannot speak on this matter.”
Mu Qing wasn’t surprised by the response. Anything involving the royal family was bound to be shrouded in secrecy. Most things weren’t fit to be shared with outsiders.
Still, not being able to say something… was an answer in itself.
Her husband had left in a great rush, without even saying goodbye—clearly, something major had happened. Something that required him personally to return.
She thought for a moment—her husband was skilled in both scholarly and martial pursuits. If he was needed while Fifth Brother was not, then the matter must involve some level of danger.
And with Elder Qin still missing after being summoned to the palace at such a sensitive time, the picture was becoming clearer.
Though Mu Qing had never paid attention to politics before moving to Tongzhou, ever since she joined White Crane Academy, she had absorbed a fair bit through osmosis.
The Academy was staffed with nationally renowned scholars—men of great repute who weren’t just bookish types oblivious to the world.
Several of the instructors had served in the Imperial Academy and came from families with officials in court, so they were well-informed about the goings-on in the capital.
Not only were they informed—they incorporated these matters into their teachings, sharing them with the students.
So even if Mu Qing didn’t know trivial things like how many sons the Emperor had, she still knew about the more prominent princes and their public deeds.
She even knew that the court had already begun to split into two factions.
One was led by the Second Prince and supported by the Noble Consort—his birth mother, who held the highest status among the imperial concubines, second only to the Empress.
The former Empress had passed without children, and the First Prince died young. That left the Second Prince as the eldest surviving and most favored son.
Unfortunately, a cousin of the late Empress had been brought into the palace as the new Empress. Though she had no children of her own, she had adopted the Fifth Prince.
The Third Prince’s mother had low status but was known for her intellect. He had long been aligned with the Second Prince, directly opposing the Empress’s faction.
Such a chaotic power struggle made her husband’s involvement highly dangerous. The same went for Elder Qin—regardless of which side he served, he was likely in deep trouble.
Mu Qing realized she needed to act fast.
So she suddenly turned to Fifth Brother and said, “I wonder how the Madam of the main house is doing lately? When we last met at Fahua Temple, we got along quite well. Would you be willing to pass on a message for me, Fifth Brother? Tell her that Miao Niang would like to see her.”
