Old Master Mu was not an emotional person. Although his relationship with Mu Yan was very ordinary, seeing that she still had some value, he quickly moved her to a new courtyard, had the steward redecorate it, and found her some maids and servants.
He even chatted with Mu Yan every day, mostly asking about her diet and daily life, and most importantly, brainwashing her. No matter how high her status and position would be in the future, the Mu family would always be her backing. A woman without a backing would ultimately be abandoned by her partner.
She was to be a prince's consort the moment she entered the household. However, royalty was the most heartless. Without the Mu family as her backing, the numerous women in the Fifth Prince's mansion would surely trample on her. Only when the Mu family prospered could she live better.
If Wu Caiwei were a native woman of this era, even with all the unwillingness in her heart, she would have endured it for her future life and maintained a good relationship with the Mu family. But she had experienced too many worlds and harbored too many secrets. Her acquaintance and love with the Fifth Prince had nothing to do with the Mu family. Even if she were an ordinary woman, the two of them could have overcome class barriers and gotten together. It was just that the Mu family's status and position could reduce some of the obstacles between them.
Although Wu Caiwei often zoned out when facing him, she never embarrassed him. She nodded in agreement to everything he said.
This gave Old Master Mu the feeling of punching cotton. If he said she didn't respect him, she never defied him. If he said she respected him, there was a sense of insincerity, and he wasn't sure if she had truly listened. Perhaps the distance between them was truly unbridgeable. Their meetings always involved him asking a question and her answering, which felt exceptionally dull and often led to awkward silences. Over time, Old Master Mu became too lazy to see her. However, compared to before, her diet, clothing, and accessories had improved by more than a notch.
Since her marriage to the Fifth Prince had been decreed, Wu Caiwei occasionally met with the Fifth Prince privately to inquire about his thoughts. Xuanyuan Xin had no ambition for the throne, but he couldn't help that others perceived him as ambitious.
Regardless, he was a grown prince. Whoever ascended the throne would not fare well for him. How could he tolerate others sleeping soundly by his side? To avoid becoming meat on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at will, even though his time here was very short, he had already begun cultivating his people.
Wu Caiwei had the memories of the original host's past life. She knew the Emperor could only last for at most another year. He was likely gravely ill now. By the time he had cultivated his people, it would be too late. Therefore, the only shortcut was to appease the Empress. Of course, they had no intention of burning bridges. As long as the Empress could lend them a hand, and the Xu family encountered no major mishaps, allowing the Empress to enjoy her twilight years and the Xu family to continue to prosper was achievable. Of course, she wanted Xu Minghui's life.
Xuanyuan Xin agreed after a brief consideration. As for how to appease the Empress, it was obvious; they had to exchange sincerity for sincerity.
The Empress would certainly not agree to Xu Minghui's death, but some things couldn't be done openly; they could be done secretly. She believed Caiwei had plenty of medicine, and having her resolve it herself would be more satisfying.
Wu Caiwei believed in his abilities. Once she told him the direction and made him understand the Empress's status in the Emperor's heart, she was confident he would handle it exceptionally well. After so many lifetimes, she had long learned to conceal her emotions, but today, she was too happy, and a hint of it showed on her face.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Mu Fei, whose face was contorted with jealousy. Seeing her look over, Mu Fei couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Looking at how happy you are, one would think you're already a prince's consort! It's a pity the Fifth Prince is not well-known in the palace and isn't highly regarded. I heard that princes in the past were sent to their fiefdoms after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and none of them lived past forty. Many didn't even leave any offspring. I wonder if your luck will be any better, sister."
"The Fifth Prince is still young, and besides, His Majesty is in good health and doesn't need to worry about this issue for now. I believe His Majesty and the Crown Prince will make suitable arrangements in the future. It's considerate of you, sister, to be worrying about my affairs when you're getting married in a month. However, I've never seen your fiancé visit you or send you any small gifts?" Wu Caiwei looked at her with a half-smile, thinking she was a pushover? Mu Fei had miscalculated.
"I heard he's been entrusted with an important task recently, so he doesn't have time. Besides, it's best for unmarried people to avoid unnecessary contact. Unlike some people who are eager to meet up, be careful not to damage your reputation one day." Mu Fei looked at her with disdain, knowing how envious she was deep down.
"Don't worry, sister. Our marriage was decreed by His Majesty. Even if someone wants to disrupt it, they'll have to consider if they're qualified enough. As you said, unmarried individuals need to be cautious about meeting, but after so long without him showing up, it's hard not to feel like you don't carry much weight in his heart." Wu Caiwei warned her, not believing she hadn't noticed the flickering in the other woman's eyes. She knew Mu Fei was plotting to sabotage this marriage and even ruin her reputation. However, whether Mu Fei would listen was another matter.
"It doesn't matter. We're getting married next month. I'm the first daughter of our Mu family to get married. I believe you, as my elder sister, will give me a grand gift, won't you?" Mu Fei had long heard from her mother that the Liu family behind her was wealthy, and many of the Mu family's good things were acquired through her connections. This made her extremely jealous, and she often wondered why she didn't have such a maternal family.
"That's a given." Wu Caiwei nodded without hesitation, although the "grand gift" they were referring to likely had different meanings.
Wu Caiwei was tired from being out all day and wanted to return to her courtyard to rest. She was too lazy to bother with Mu Fei and left directly. After all, they had already fallen out, and such superficial pleasantries were no longer necessary.
"She's completely ignoring me." Mu Fei muttered to herself. Would she have dared to treat her like this before? When did the servants in the mansion stop being as devoted to her as they used to be? The turning point was the Emperor's marriage decree. Had they forgotten how ruthless Mu Yan used to be? Su Dan Novel Network
The more she thought about it, the more unbalanced Mu Fei felt. Considering her own impending marriage next month, she felt time was running out and she needed to find a solution quickly.
The inner chambers had always been a place of stepping on the low and flattering the high. Although Wu Caiwei had left a ruthless impression on them in the past, looking back now, none of those words were her direct orders. Perhaps she hadn't meant it that way at all back then, but at the time, they were afraid of being associated with her and being dealt with by the Madam.
Now, being willing to appease her was beneficial. Moreover, after interacting with her for a while, they found that the eldest miss wasn't as they had imagined.