Three days after Cheng Liting returned to the Cheng family manor, the Mu family received news that the delegation from the capital was not far from Qingyun City. It was estimated that within five days, the convoy of carriages from the capital would enter Qingyun City's territory.

    Having received a letter from her son beforehand, Elder Mu Furen ordered the servants to prepare the remaining treasures, valuable items, and luggage at the Mu family manor. This way, they would be ready to be transported to the capital as soon as the delegation arrived.

    While the main house was bustling with preparations, the atmosphere at the east wing was notably serene. The little mistress of the house was leisurely seated on a rocking chair under a large tree beside the residence.

    The weather today was exceptionally pleasant. The warmth of the sun, filtered through the large trees, dispelled the heat, leaving only the refreshing coolness of the breeze. The little figure, busy cutting red paper into auspicious characters, was in a particularly good mood, her face adorned with a constant smile.

    "Miss, this is the servant sent from the central department to serve in our residence,"

    Su Su reported, accompanied by a young man who followed behind with his head bowed.

    Mu Yingying looked up at the figure behind for a moment before turning to Su Su, "Su Su, please call the other servants in our house. I plan to have them help me prepare these gifts."

    "Certainly, Miss."

    Su Su responded and cast a glance at the young man who had come with her before stepping aside to execute the Young Miss's command. Once they were alone, the young man approached and bowed respectfully to the little girl.

    "Lu Jiu pays his respects to the Young Miss."

    Mu Yingying observed the mask covering the right side of his face, concealing the scar. The mask, made of metal, was intricately engraved with numerous overlapping lines, creating layers that covered the entire mask.

    "This mask looks quite nice,"

    She complimented with genuineness. It was unique yet not out of place, effectively concealing Lu Jiu's scars and preventing others from being startled upon seeing them. "Was this Uncle Wang's idea, or yours?"

    "It was my own, Miss,"

    Lu Jiu replied in a calm tone, positioning himself beside and slightly behind the Young Miss, assuming the proper stance of a servant.

    Mu Yingying did not respond, merely smiling briefly and nodding a few times. Lu Jiu proved to be a young man with a unique perspective, his depth of thought surpassing his age considerably. It seemed she had indeed made the right choice.

    As she continued cutting the paper in her hand, she asked, "How has Uncle Wang arranged the people?"

    Lu Jiu surveyed their immediate surroundings for a while to ensure privacy, then reported, "Uncle Wang has sent a total of five of us to the Mu family manor. I am assigned to assist the Young Miss with tasks she might be unable to attend to personally. The other four are positioned to accompany the carriage convoy back to the Mu family manor in the capital."

    "One of the four includes an expert in martial arts from Uncle Wang's side. She was sent to provide assistance and teach the other three girls when the opportunity arises."

    Mu Yingying nodded in acknowledgment. Uncle Wang was as meticulous as ever. Since the time to train her people was limited and many lacked self-defense skills.

    It was wise of Uncle Wang to have planned ahead by sending a skilled martial artist to guide and protect the other three spies when they were in the capital. This would ensure they had the means to protect themselves.

    "And how about the others?"

    Mu Yingying inquired further, gently placing a finished cutout onto a wooden tray. Lu Jiu moved to hold the tray closer to her, so she didn't have to reach out too far. His half-visible face remained expressionless.

    "Uncle Wang had brought people to ensure everyone was well cared for and they had improved significantly within five days. Afterward, he arranged for someone to teach us reading, writing, and arithmetic."

    “After seven days of learning, we were divided into groups based on our abilities and skills before the spy unit was dispatched to the Mu family manor," Lu Jiu explained.

    Mu Yingying nodded and responded, "That's good...In fact, if I don't summon you, you should find an opportunity to continue training with Uncle Wang. You don't need to stay by my side all the time. Uncle Wang has already arranged for top martial artists to protect me discreetly. You just need to take care of tasks for me when I call for you."

    Lu Jiu glanced at the small figure in front of him before bowing slightly and responding in a calm tone, "Understood."

    He had also heard that after the Young Miss returned from that secret manor, Uncle Wang had arranged for personal bodyguards to protect her from a distance. There was no need to worry about her safety; they would appear immediately whenever called upon.

    Currently, he was still too weak and needed to strengthen his martial skills!

    "How is Fei Ren doing now?"

    Lu Jiu paused, recalling the girl named Fei Ren the Young Miss had mentioned, before realizing who she was. "She is much better now, able to speak normally, but she still gets tired easily and lacks strength."

    "Uncle Wang has tested her and found that she has some knowledge of the Four Arts[1]. She is also more intelligent than many others there. Thus, Uncle Wang decided to place her in the spy unit."

    Mu Yingying had a meaningful smile, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Oh...She knows about the Four Arts?"

    It seemed her premonition was correct. No ordinary royal slave could be proficient in the Four Arts unless they were from a significant family.

    How fascinating...

    "Find a chance to tell Uncle Wang to keep an eye on this Fei Ren. If possible, help to investigate her background."

    Lu Jiu raised his eyebrows, "Does the Young Miss suspect her?"

    "Yes, I do," Mu Yingying admitted with a mysterious smile. "I suspect she might be useful to me in the future..."

    "Understood. I will arrange it as you command," Lu Jiu agreed without further questions. As a group of people approached their vicinity, Lu Jiu bowed his head and stepped back to his original position behind her.

    When the group reached the shade of the tree, the servants summoned by Su Su bowed to the young miss, "Greetings, Seventh Young Miss."

    Mu Yingying looked up at them with sparkling eyes and a warm smile, "Please, stand up."

    "Yes, Miss,"

    They replied, rising and looking at each other, wondering why they had been called. Some glanced around with greedy eyes, hoping for some valuable gift from the Young Miss as before. But seeing no such thing, their faces quickly fell.

    "I've called you here because I need help. After this convoy leaves for the capital, there will likely be a celebration for the Second Mother's birthday. I wish to prepare a gift for her,"

    Mu Yingying explained without wincing, although she felt disgusted referring to Bai Lijun as Second Mother. She almost wanted to vomit. Was Bai Lijun worthy of being called a mother at all?

    Certainly not!

    But had she not needed to maintain the pretense of the dutiful Seventh Young Miss to her stepmother in front of Bai Lijun's spies...she would never acknowledge any kinship with her!

    Mu Yingying scanned the servants, aware that many were spies from various quarters, sent to watch her. From Bai Lijun's quarters to those of Xie concubine’s and Lan concubine’s, they were all keen to gather information.

    When the delegation from the capital arrived, they would surely report the changes, especially how the Seventh Young Miss had become the favorite granddaughter of the Elder Furen.

    Bai Lijun's people would undoubtedly become wary and suspicious of her, so she needed to put on a show for these spies, to portray the Seventh Young Miss as the same naive child who adored her stepmother Bai Lijun. This would help to dispel their doubts.

    What she needed to do during this period was nothing more than to perform a grand play for those spies to report back to their masters!

    Even if she had to suppress the nausea she felt every time she had to refer to Bai Lijun as the Second Mother.

    Well, she could always find something to cleanse her mouth and throat later at night...

    "I was thinking of cutting red paper into various auspicious characters to bless Second Mother. But alone, I might not finish in time, so I've asked all of you to help," Mu Yingying said with an innocent face, her eyes reflecting reverence when she mentioned the Second Mother.

    Though the servants were reluctant, they couldn't refuse. So, they helped reluctantly with the task of cutting the red paper into auspicious characters as requested by the young miss.

    Su Su and Lu Jiu also helped with preparing this gift, making the atmosphere within the household lively and harmonious. Everyone was diligently cutting paper under the large tree.

    Mu Yingying, while cutting the paper, couldn't help but smirk cunningly. She indeed prepared a gift for those from the capital, but it wasn't just this simple one.

    There was another big gift she had for the Mu family in the capital, and she was itching to see their faces when her father, who valued the family's power and wealth above his own children, and the greedy Bai Lijun received the 'special' gift from her.

    Ah…just the thought of it made her heart flutter with anticipation!

    Amidst a small valley, a road built for travel from the central parts of Qingzhou Region crossed through the heart of this valley to the southern territories. On this road, a large convoy of more than eight carriages moved at a steady pace.

    As the convoy proceeded, a voice suddenly ordered it to stop, causing the drivers to halt their horses immediately. The whole procession came to a standstill as a figure dashed out from the third carriage towards a large tree by the roadside, followed by continuous sounds of vomiting.

    "Ugh!...Barf!"

    The drivers and servants peeked out curiously, only to turn away in disgust at the sight. The mere sight was enough to make them feel nauseous.

    The woman continued to vomit relentlessly, with no sign of stopping, spreading an unpleasant odor carried by the wind. This caused the passengers waiting in the carriages to become increasingly irritable.

    "Since leaving the capital, she has vomited no less than ten times. Why doesn't she just vomit out her own intestines already!"

    A female servant in her early twenties sitting in the second carriage complained irritably, covering her nose with a handkerchief in disdain.

    This woman, named Luo Hai, was a close servant to Xie concubine from the Mu family, which gave her a somewhat higher status than the common servants in the Mu household.

    The woman who had caused the convoy to stop and then ran out to vomit was Xiang Zi, a close servant to Lan concubine from the Mu family, also enjoying a higher status than common servants.

    "Huff…Puff"

    Xiang Zi, having finished vomiting, leaned against a tree, panting heavily. She took some water from a servant nearby to rinse her mouth and throat, trying to wash away the foul taste.

    "When will we arrive at Qingyun City? I've vomited so much I've got nothing left to vomit!"

    Xiang Zi couldn’t help but complain. She walked and sat down to rest in a nearby clearing. Throughout the journey, she hardly had any respite, vomiting all the way until she nearly wished for death.

    If it weren't for Yi Niang[2]'s orders, she surely wouldn't have subjected herself to such misery!

    While resting, a shrill voice suddenly spoke up not far from her, dripping with sarcasm, "Well, well, Xiang Zi, you're not so young anymore, yet so delicate and frail, acting like a sheltered young miss. It's truly pitiable to watch!"

    Xiang Zi shot a fierce glance at the newcomer, standing up to confront her, "Luo Hai! You're good at nothing but nagging me. Don't you ever look at yourself? Spending all day in the carriage, commanding people to serve you as if you're some noble. Have you forgotten that you're just a lowly servant too!"

    "You're the lowly one!"

    Luo Hai, who was smirking, quickly lost her smile.

    "Anyway, I haven't been such a burden that the entire convoy had to slow down because of me! Not like you, always vomiting, complaining of fatigue, back pain, this ache and that ache, always finding reasons to stop the convoy. If you weren't here, we'd probably have reached Qingyun City by now."

    Xiang Zi glared back, not willing to back down, "So what? Auntie Yang hasn't said a word against me. What right do you have to criticize me?"

    "Hmph!" Luo Hai scoffed, her plump lips curling up into a mocking smile.

    "Xiang Zi, oh, Xiang Zi, even if others don't speak up, you should know yourself! Look at their faces. Who isn't annoyed by you?"

    She said this while glancing at the other servants and drivers in the convoy. When Xiang Zi looked around, she saw the irritated expressions on their faces, especially the carriage drivers who had to keep stopping the horses because of her. They all seemed quite frustrated.

    However, none dared to complain openly because Xiang Zi was a close maid to Lan concubine, the beautiful concubine of Mu Patriarch.

    Regardless of the truth, Xiang Zi didn't care. She held her head high and retorted, "Annoyed? So what? In just a few days, we'll be in Qingyun City. A little delay won't hurt. And if something happens to me, who will serve Yi Niang?"

    "Pfft! Xiang Zi, don't overestimate yourself! Even without you, Lan Yi Niang wouldn't be troubled at all. Just find someone new, and that's it," Luo Hai secretly sulked. Whenever this woman couldn't argue back, she'd always bring up Lan concubine's name. Luo Hai also had Xie concubine to protect her; did she think Luo Hai would be afraid?

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Xiang Zi clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes, "My relationship with Yi Niang is none of your business! But really, I don't think you'd understand anyway. From what I've seen, you've always been acting high and mighty all the way, haven't you? Deep down, you wish to climb into our master's bed, trying to become another Yi Niang alongside Xie Yi Niang, don’t you?"

    Luo Hai, who had been composed, lost her temper immediately. Her eyes turned fierce. If someone who didn’t know the truth heard it and then spread the words, she would definitely encounter something terrible!

    "Xiang Zi...don't speak such nonsense! If you harbor such thoughts, I won't stop you, but don't smear my name!"

    Xiang Zi glared back, "Harbor what thoughts?!"

    "Ah...so you do have such intentions. Don't worry, I'll support you from afar," Luo Hai smirked triumphantly. Unable to counter, Xiang Zi pushed Luo Hai away.

    "Don't talk nonsense!"

    Luo Hai staggered back slightly, glaring at Xiang Zi. Her eyes were so fierce that Xiang Zi flinched. Just as Luo Hai was about to push back, a voice from the first carriage of the convoy called out to stop them,

    "Enough!"

[1] The four arts, or the four arts of the Chinese scholar, were the four main academic and artistic talents required of the aristocratic ancient Chinese scholar-gentleman. They were the mastery of the qin (the guqin, a stringed instrument, 琴), qi (the strategy game of Go, 棋), shu (Chinese calligraphy, 書) and hua (Chinese painting, 畫), and are also referred to by listing all four: 琴棋書畫; qínqíshūhuà.

[2] Yi Niang (姨娘); a term to address the concubine in ancient time.