A faint flutter stirred in the man's heart, a premonition of something amiss. Sure enough, the next moment, a graceful figure appeared at the door of his room.
When he saw that figure wearing a half - smile, he immediately turned his head away. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a twinge of discomfort in his heart and subconsciously wanted to explain.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has misunderstood. I have no idea where that woman came from. Perhaps someone with ulterior motives deliberately arranged for her to be in my room. In fact, nothing happened between me and that woman."
Hearing his explanation, Shi Muyuan, being rather oblivious, didn't notice anything amiss. She simply waved her hand casually.
"If the Imperial Advisor is really in need, I'll make the decision for you and find you a few concubines. This way, you can also share the Emperor's burden."
Although there was nothing wrong with what the woman said, to the man, it just didn't sound right, and a wave of annoyance welled up in his heart.
"The Empress Dowager isn't any better. There are so many suitors around you. Sort out your own affairs before trying to manage mine."
Shi Muyuan pouted. Fine, she wouldn't manage. Why was he being so fierce? One moment he was so agreeable, and the next, he seemed like a completely different person.
Moreover, she was just joking. This man was so petty. He couldn't even take a joke.
"The Imperial Advisor is right. I'm afraid no one in this world can out - argue you."
With that, she turned around and left.
The man had won the argument, but he felt rather glum. He scratched his head restlessly, lay down on the bed, and decided to settle the score with the county magistrate's wife the next day.
On the other side, Miss An rushed back to her home. To her surprise, her mother was still awake, sitting in the main hall as if waiting for something.
Seeing this, she stepped forward and began to question.
"Mother, didn't you say it was just to find me a better place to rest? Why was there a man in the room? And that man said it was originally his place. What on earth is going on?"
The county magistrate's wife hadn't expected her daughter to return so soon. Seeing that her daughter's clothes were neat and there were no signs of dishevelment, she frowned tightly. Had her plan failed?
"Why did you come back like this?"
Only after the words left her mouth did she realize her mistake, but it was too late to take them back. Helplessly, she braced herself and admitted the whole thing.
"Mother did this all for your own good. You're almost at the age to get married. After much thought, mother felt that there was no one in this small place worthy of you. So I planned to marry you into the capital city. I've already inquired from your father. That man has a remarkable background. He is the current Imperial Advisor who wields great power in the court."
Miss An didn't understand her mother's actions at all. She retorted.
"Daughter has no intention of getting married. I've already said that I'll always stay by my parents' side. That man won't let tonight's matter go easily. Mother, you'd better think about how to explain it to him tomorrow. Daughter will go back to her room first."
She had done everything for her daughter, but now her daughter not only gave up the opportunity but also threw her under the bus to bear the Imperial Advisor's anger. Anger burned in the county magistrate's wife's heart.
"Meng'er, how can you talk to your mother like this? Mother did all this for you. Moreover, mother never intended to harm you. If you could become the Imperial Advisor's wife, future wealth and honor would be within your reach."
Miss An impatiently pulled her hand away. "Daughter understands mother's intentions, but daughter has different aspirations. I want to fight on the battlefield like those great generals, not just fiddle with the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting in the inner courtyard."
These words almost infuriated the county magistrate's wife to death. She had been trying to cultivate her daughter into a gentle and virtuous lady, but under the influence of those novels, her daughter was drifting further and further away from her.
Finally, she attributed all this to those novels.
Thinking of this, her voice was cold and firm.
"From today on, you're absolutely not allowed to read those novels in your room. They'll only ruin your future."
It was always like this. Every time, her mother would shift the blame onto those novels. An Meng'er felt exhausted both physically and mentally. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Mother, all this is what I pursue. It has nothing to do with those novels."
These words made the county magistrate's wife gasp for breath in anger.
She raised her hand, wanting to slap her daughter, but thinking that the girl in front of her was the one she had carried in her womb for ten months and cherished for so many years, she just couldn't bring her hand down.
However, An Meng'er had already anticipated this move from her mother. She slowly closed her eyes and silently endured everything.
When the county magistrate rushed over after hearing the news, this was the scene he saw.
He was so anxious that he was sweating all over. He stepped forward to separate the two.
"Madam! Meng'er! What are you two doing? Instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, you're arguing here."
The county magistrate's wife seemed to finally find an outlet for her anger. She turned away.
"Just ask your precious daughter what she's done. I finally managed to arrange things and send her there, but she just gave up such a great opportunity and came back on her own. She got nothing and even betrayed me."
An Meng'er bit her lips, her face full of grievance.
"What are you talking about, mother? You sent your daughter to a strange man's bed. Are you not even allowing your daughter to escape? Or did you already plan to catch us in the act?"
The county magistrate was listening on the side. The amount of information was too much for him to process at once.
After his daughter finished speaking and left, he finally found the opportunity to ask his wife.
"Madam! Is everything Meng'er said true? Did you find a man for her?"
The county magistrate's wife rolled her eyes. After being married for decades, she naturally knew what he was thinking.
"How could I send my daughter to some low - class people? Of course, I was finding a good future for my daughter. Didn't you say that all the people living in that courtyard are important figures in the court? So I sent her directly to the Imperial Advisor's room. I did all this for the two of you."
The county magistrate was stunned. He stared at his wife, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Finally, the county magistrate's wife couldn't stand his surprised look anymore and said, "If your daughter doesn't understand my intentions, don't you understand either? Or are you two of the same mind, thinking that I'm wrong?"
At this moment, the county magistrate really didn't know how to answer.