"Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Mu Xingrou asked, nestled on the cushioned couch as she watched Mu Fengqie walk in.
"Can't I come to see you if I have nothing to do?" Mu Fengqie casually glanced around the room as she spoke, but didn't notice anything amiss.
"Of course you can. I wish you'd come every day." Let you see with your own eyes how I'm living a good life and how I'll step on you bit by bit.
Mu Fengqie looked at Mu Xingrou's smug face without saying a word. She just stared at her belly for a while.
"What? Are you envious of the baby in my belly?" Mu Xingrou saw Mu Fengqie staring at her belly and reached out to touch it. Her face was full of tenderness.
"Come to think of it, you once had a child too. But how did you lose it later?" Mu Xingrou looked at Mu Fengqie and stabbed at her mercilessly.
She knew exactly how that child was lost, and this had always been the most painful thing for Mu Fengqie. She didn't mind using it to give Mu Fengqie a good jolt.
Sure enough, Mu Fengqie's face turned ugly after hearing her words. She knew Mu Xingrou was doing it on purpose, but she couldn't do anything to her.
One reason was that Mu Xingrou was now the emperor's woman, and the other was that she was pregnant. If anything happened to her, Mu Fengqie would be held accountable.
But if she was having a hard time, Mu Xingrou shouldn't have it easy either. She could at least give her some heartache. "My child was miscarried because someone plotted against me. If I could be harmed outside, then how much more so in..." the palace.
Mu Fengqie watched Mu Xingrou's face turn increasingly gloomy with satisfaction. It made her feel much better.
Mu Xingrou glared at Mu Fengqie hatefully. This bitch! Wasn't she secretly cursing that her child would be killed?
"Mu Fengqie, what do you mean? Do you believe I'll teach you a lesson?" Mu Xingrou was so angry that her chest heaved.
"Lady Mu, I didn't say anything. Why are you so excited?" Mu Fengqie looked at Mu Xingrou innocently, not caring at all about what she said.
If Mu Xingrou dared to touch her, it would be Mu Xingrou who would end up in trouble.
Mu Xingrou stepped forward and wanted to slap Mu Fengqie, but was held back by a maid. "Your Ladyship, you're still pregnant. You mustn't get angry. Be careful not to harm the fetus."
Mu Xingrou glanced at the maid beside her and slowly calmed down. "You can leave. I'm tired." After saying that, Mu Xingrou let the maid help her to the inner chamber to rest.
Mu Fengqie looked at the maid subtly. It seemed that Concubine Jing was right. There really was a powerful person behind Mu Xingrou.
But what did that person want?
Mu Fengqie thought about it all the way back in the carriage but couldn't figure it out. Finally, she told Jing Xinche about it.
"A Che, who do you think the person behind Mu Xingrou is?" Mu Fengqie looked at Jing Xinche doubtfully.
"It's hard to say. But this really caught us by surprise." Jing Xinche tapped his index finger on the table as he thought.
"Let's go to the palace tonight with Yuan Yuhan and check it out." This was the only way Jing Xinche could think of. It was the fastest and most effective method.
Mu Fengqie nodded. For now, this was the only thing they could do. "But you have to be careful. The maids and eunuchs in Mu Xingrou's courtyard all know martial arts."
"You went to see Mu Xingrou?" Jing Xinche looked at Mu Fengqie in shock. The air pressure around him suddenly dropped.
"Yes. I went to Mu Xingrou's palace after I left Concubine Jing's palace." What was wrong with her going to Mu Xingrou's palace? Mu Fengqie didn't understand why his reaction was so strong.
"You knew it was dangerous in her palace but still went. What would I do if something happened to you?" This was the first time Jing Xinche had shouted at Mu Fengqie. He must have been really worried.
Mu Fengqie wasn't scared by Jing Xinche's angry look. Instead, she felt warm inside.
"Don't worry. Mu Xingrou doesn't dare to touch me now." Mu Fengqie comforted Jing Xinche, trying to calm him down.
"Don't take risks on your own in the future." Jing Xinche hugged Mu Fengqie tightly and rubbed her into his arms. If anything happened to her, how could he live in this world alone?
"Okay, I know I was wrong. I won't do it again." Mu Fengqie felt Jing Xinche's uneasiness and knew she had scared him this time. She wouldn't do it again.
Jing Xinche held Mu Fengqie all through dinner and only let go after he had coaxed her to sleep.
"Let's go," Jing Xinche said as he climbed over the wall and saw Yuan Yuhan waiting in the corner.
"Are you sure there's something wrong with this Mu Xingrou?" The people he had placed in the palace hadn't sent him any news.
"Qie'er said so herself." He believed everything Qie'er said.
Yuan Yuhan looked at Jing Xinche speechlessly. Was this really okay? Usually, the ministers said he was a muddle - headed prince, but looking at Jing Xinche now, he was even more muddle - headed!
The two of them quietly entered the palace and easily avoided the imperial guards. Following the map drawn by Mu Fengqie, they quickly found Mu Xingrou's palace.
"Your Ladyship, the bathwater is ready. You can take a bath now." Mu Xingrou was getting ready to wash up and go to bed. Yuan Yuhan glanced at Jing Xinche. Were they here at a bad time?
Jing Xinche ignored Yuan Yuhan and looked at the furnishings in the room. After making sure there was nothing wrong, he shifted his gaze to the outside of the courtyard.
The people in Mu Xingrou's palace walked lightly. They really didn't seem like ordinary maids and eunuchs. However, it was still necessary to test how good their martial arts were.
"You stay here and watch. I'll go down and test them." Jing Xinche glanced at Yuan Yuhan and was about to go down when Yuan Yuhan stopped him.
"What's wrong?" Jing Xinche looked at Yuan Yuhan in confusion. Did he have something to say?
"I'll go and test them. You stay here and watch." He didn't want to watch another woman take a bath. After saying that, he quietly flew away.
Jing Xinche looked at the inexplicable Yuan Yuhan and shook his head. Maybe it was getting late and his brain wasn't working properly.
Jing Xinche lay down on the roof, listening to the conversation inside the room and waiting for Yuan Yuhan to come back.
"Your Ladyship, Eunuch Hai said you should be careful of Princess Tianlin." While serving Mu Xingrou in the bath, the maid conveyed Eunuch Hai's words.
"I know. That Mu Fengqie was once under my feet, but then for some unknown reason, she directly confronted me." Mu Xingrou got angry just thinking about it.