Chapter 52
When Mu Qing said this, her husband’s expression suddenly turned rather strange.
Even Miss Yanran, who had just been speaking with poise and confidence, was momentarily stunned.
She looked at Mu Qing, then at her husband, seeming both confused and suddenly enlightened, and then finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Normally, a beauty of her type would never laugh so boisterously—such exaggerated expressions were far too damaging to her image.
It went completely against the way she’d been raised.
Mu Qing only recalled this part of Miss Yanran’s backstory after seeing her connect with Liu Feng earlier.
She had been taken from her birth mother at a young age, sold multiple times, and was eventually raised as a “Yangzhou Thin Horse” before being sold to Jinling, where she became a courtesan.
The training to become a Yangzhou Thin Horse was extremely strict. No matter how funny something was, she would only smile behind a fan like a proper lady from a noble family, never showing her teeth.
After over a decade of such training, the habit had become second nature, deeply ingrained in her very bones. Even after becoming a “boss lady” with full control over her fate, she had never abandoned that old discipline.
She always carried herself with elegance, never breaking composure—unless she truly couldn’t help it.
And now, clearly, was one of those times.
Mu Qing was left more confused by her laughter, but gradually became a bit self-aware. Still, no matter how she looked at it, she didn’t think it could’ve been because she had guessed wrong.
After all, from Miss Yanran’s earlier explanation, she had already picked up on a few clues—this woman, though clearly trying her best to remain objective, couldn’t help but let a bit of bias slip through in the details.
For example, when speaking about the Second Prince, son of the Noble Consort, she had used a completely neutral tone: “Due to the Noble Consort’s long-standing favor, the Second Prince rose with her status and became a strong contender for the throne.”
But when it came to the Empress and the Fourth Prince, her tone noticeably shifted—
“This Empress, though a second wife, hails from a prestigious family, descended from generals, and carries herself with dignity and strength. What’s more rare is that she dearly loves the Fifth Prince, whom she raised since infancy, and has also given her full devotion to the adopted Fourth Prince.”
From her choice of words, tone, length, and even structure, the difference was clear.
There was an unmistakable bias, subtle but telling.
Most people wouldn’t pick up on something so minor, but Mu Qing had grown up amid the world of business, following her father and older brother through the ups and downs of the trade. Picking up on such micro-expressions and subtle cues was second nature to her.
So, Mu Qing had every reason to believe her earlier deduction was perfectly accurate.
But then why had such a seemingly obvious and correct answer caused such strange reactions from the two of them?
Mu Qing was truly puzzled.
She felt she must have missed some crucial piece of information—possibly in the part her husband had almost “confessed” earlier… which she had deliberately avoided.
Still, since she herself had been holding back as well, she figured it wasn’t worth dwelling on.
Miss Yanran laughed for a while, finally reining it in. She looked at Mu Qing’s calm expression, then at her husband’s seemingly composed but clearly conflicted face, and found herself suddenly unable to keep laughing.
That didn’t mean her smile disappeared, though.
In fact, she merely restrained it, tucking it away at the corners of her eyes and brows.
She was a very clever woman and would never push someone into embarrassment.
She laughed, but didn’t harp on the previous topic.
She only nodded and said, “A-Qing… no, Miao-niang is right. We are indeed aligned with the Fourth Prince. Miao-niang… that name is lovely. May I call you that?”
Her voice carried the soft, playful lilt of someone from the Jiangnan water towns, and now it was tinged with a bit of flirtatious affection—it could melt hearts.
Mu Qing understood that she was smoothing things over, so she quickly nodded and said, “Of course you may. Since you are my husband’s elder sister, you are also mine. However you’d like to call me is fine.”
Miss Yanran let out another hearty laugh. Though it was far from the elegant air of a noblewoman, it was natural and vivid, making her seem even more charming—indeed, if someone is beautiful enough, every expression suits them.
Whether it was a demure smile or an unrestrained laugh, she was stunning.
Seeing Mu Qing and Miss Yanran getting along like old friends, showering each other with compliments, her husband began to look a little displeased.
He looked at Mu Qing and finally couldn’t hold back. “Miao-niang, is there truly nothing you want to ask your husband?”
What?
“Your husband”?
Mu Qing was momentarily stunned. What was with him all of a sudden?
He had never referred to himself this way before. For him to now so deliberately emphasize his identity as her husband—it made her a little uncomfortable.
Was it… necessary to put on a performance even in front of Miss Yanran?
Mu Qing was quite confused. Still, she wasn’t someone who would embarrass others in public.
Thinking it over, perhaps her husband had been a bit affected earlier—for instance, the almost-misunderstanding where it looked like Liu Feng was taking advantage of her. Maybe he really cared about preserving his dignity and role during the contract period.
Since neither Miss Yanran nor her husband denied taking sides, Mu Qing, under their clear expectations, began analyzing the situation again—drawing from her vast knowledge of palace intrigue novels, particularly those centered around princes of a certain queue-wearing dynasty fighting for the throne.
Of course, stories of brothers turning on each other, fighting to the death for power, were as old as time. From official histories to street gossip, they popped up everywhere. In fact, if a story involving royalty didn’t include such drama, it would feel like something was missing.
So when she learned her husband was part of such a succession struggle, Mu Qing wasn’t surprised.
Naturally—any connection to the imperial family would inevitably lead to this kind of mess.
It seemed her husband’s family was truly influential, given their access to such core political affairs. Definitely a clan of elite power.
Only… if she remembered the original plot correctly, the one who ultimately ascended the throne wasn’t the Second Prince, nor the Fourth Prince, but…
Recalling the original story, Mu Qing found herself wanting to say something, but stopped.
Then again, after waking from that “full spoiler” dream and making all those changes, the plot already seemed to have shifted somewhat. Maybe this outcome would also change.
Still, shouldn’t she give her husband a heads-up?
After all, in the original story, this Fourth Prince hadn’t even made an appearance.
As her mind wandered, she suddenly realized the room had gone quiet.
Looking up, she saw the two of them staring at her, as if waiting for her to say something.
Mu Qing hesitated, but didn’t speak up right away.
Honestly, that one question she had asked earlier already went against her usual principles.
After all, she was a merchant’s daughter, born and raised in the world of commerce. She herself was a businesswoman.
Getting involved in things that were risky and unrewarding—it just wasn’t her style. The cost-benefit ratio was far too low.
As for why she had done it anyway—well, people have feelings… or maybe it was just that her husband’s face was too good-looking, and she had a moment of weakness.
Mu Qing sighed silently, realizing that every time she looked at his handsome face, her brain went a little fuzzy—that couldn’t be a good sign. She blamed the intense month spent at the White Crane Academy, immersing herself in classical knowledge, for making her a bit dazed.
Clearly, she needed to find a chance to get out, clear her head, and ideally earn some money to reconnect with her small-time merchant roots.
Thinking of this perked her up a bit. She was about to exchange a few more pleasantries with her husband and Miss Yanran and maybe figure out how her husband had managed to sneak away earlier—so she could slip home for some old-school money-making too.
But just then, her husband suddenly asked, “I heard… Miao-niang, you wish to meet my mother?”
Mu Qing blinked.
Yes, that was something she had said—but she’d said it to that Little Fifth Brother back at Xinghua House.
And right after saying it, she’d regretted it. That Little Fifth Brother hadn’t even responded—she had assumed he’d gone home to ask permission. But before he could even get back, the message had somehow reached her husband, his elder brother.
It honestly made her feel like—do you people have surveillance or what?
After all, from the time she parted ways with Little Fifth Brother and left Xinghua House, only the time it took for one stick of incense to burn had passed.
And after that, she and her husband had been together nonstop. No one had come to whisper any messages.
So how had her husband found out?
Did he really have clairvoyance and super-hearing?
It was bizarre.
Perhaps seeing the confusion in her eyes, her husband suddenly looked a bit embarrassed, as if realizing something.
Next to them, Miss Yanran laughed again at their expressions. Mu Qing, used to her by now, was about to laugh it off too and smooth over the awkwardness.
But unexpectedly, her husband suddenly took her hand, looked into her eyes, and said slowly, “Miao-niang, there’s a long story behind this. I promise you, one day, I will tell you everything.”
This sudden heartfelt declaration left Mu Qing a bit flustered. She could only chuckle and say, “Of course I believe you, Husband. But… isn’t it time we headed back now?”
