Chapter 2

Pingshun Courtyard was where the second branch family lived: a main hall, two side rooms, east and west wing rooms. The courtyard was especially small and tucked away in a remote spot.
Mu Wanqing stood in the yard and scanned the place; she had the situation figured out, the second branch wasn’t doing well.
Old Master Mu died five years ago. Old Madam Mu was the household matriarch and held the highest standing in the residence.
The Mu household consisted of three branches. The principal eldest branch was Mu Zhongde, the family head and an official-obsessed man; he married Lady Xu and had two sons and a daughter by his wife, plus a son and a daughter born as concubine children.
Mu Zhongping of the second branch held no official post and was just a commoner, raised timid and meek; he married Madam Qian and had two sons and a daughter, all legitimate.
The third branch, Mu Zhongwen, doted on by his parents, was the town’s notorious playboy, always eager to show off; he married Lady Yao and fathered two legitimate daughters and two concubine-born sons.
She had already sorted out the plan. “Second Brother, did you remember what I told you back there?”
Mu Ziang nodded blankly. “I remember.”
Mu Wanqing patted him lightly. “We’ve only got the time it takes one stick of incense to burn, split up and go. Begin.”
At her words, Mu Ziang shot toward the east wing like an arrow from a bow. The two Wuyi guards exchanged a glance, and one immediately followed.
Mu Wanqing dashed into the main room, their parents’ bedchamber.
She went to a cabinet from memory, opened it like she’d done it a hundred times, and pulled out a box filled with bottles and jars, each labeled.
There were things like epidemic-detox pills, heat-relief pills, stomach-regulating pills, and so on, all household staples.
She glanced quickly, with no time to inspect them closely, and shoved everything into the box; it still had a third of its space left.
She was moving so fast she accidentally knocked over the box beside her; a few items clattered out.
She picked them up and saw they were the marriage papers for the three siblings.
Marriage papers? On impulse she rolled them up and tossed them all into the box.
With a little time left, she sprinted to the small kitchen and ransacked it.
“Time’s up.” the guard at her side announced.
Mu Wanqing shut the bulging box and let out a long breath.
Mu Ziang burst out of the east wing, arms full of things. “Sister, I’m done.”
He was just a tool, whatever his sister told him to do, he did it.
Anyway, his mind had short-circuited.
Without another word, Mu Wanqing snatched the men’s outer coats from his hands and, in front of the officers, began pulling them on one by one.
She was the youngest and not yet fully grown, so Mu Ziang’s clothes hung loosely and baggily on her.
She then pulled on the men’s black boots; before long she ballooned out like a plump bun.
The Wuyi Guards gaped in astonishment, amazed at the sight.
When they returned to the main hall, everyone looked up in unison and were instantly stunned.
“Ziang, Qing'er, what have you done…” Second Master Mu stared at his children who had changed so much he could hardly recognize them, bewildered.
Wu Dongming said coldly, “You’re only allowed to bring one set of clothes.”
Mu Wanqing wasn’t the least bit afraid; she stepped forward, spun once, and said, “Sir, it’s one set, isn’t it? I’m cold, wearing a few extra layers isn’t a crime, is it?”
One, two, three, four, she was wearing four outer jackets.
Mu Ziang had also put on four outer jackets, wrapping himself until he was sweating all over.
He was simply following his sister’s orders; as for why, he had no idea.
His sister’s commanding tone left him with no power to resist.
Wu Dongming’s mouth twitched; his gaze, hard to explain, fell to Mu Wanqing’s feet. She casually lifted her right foot and wiggled it. “I want to wear a pair of men’s black boots, that’s not illegal, right?”
They were her second brother’s boots and a bit too large, so she stuffed in two extra handkerchiefs.
“Hand over the box.”
Mu Wanqing’s lips curved slightly, this was tacit permission.
She handed the box over with composure. “Here you are.”
Wu Dongming rifled through the contents and at first glance saw three marriage contracts. “You still pull out marriage papers at a time like this, are you trying to beg someone for help?”
Although the Mu family’s second branch wasn’t highly regarded, when it came to family reputation, once someone reached marriageable age their matches were arranged as a matter of course.
They had arranged Mu Wanqing’s match with the illegitimate son of a fifth-rank official, a reasonably suitable match.
Of course, it couldn’t compare to the matches secured by the main branch.
The Mu family’s faces showed a complicated mix of expressions; with this kind of trouble, they could only hope for help from relatives and friends.
Mr. and Madam Mu instinctively looked to their most prideful daughter, Mu Jinyao’s future in-laws were a first-rank marquisate and had produced an imperial consort. If that consort put in a word with the emperor, she could surely persuade him to change his mind.
The moment the thought occurred, the couple brimmed with excitement, it felt as though they had glimpsed hope.
Mu Wanqing wasn't optimistic; she couldn't change the larger situation and could only go along with it.
Find the plan that benefits you most, take a shot at it, and use the chance to probe the other's stance, that was her grandfather's lesson.
People have always been quicker to add adornments than to offer real help in times of need, but what if this time it's different?
Wu Dongming said nothing, neither agreeing nor denying.
In the box lay an embroidery needle, a few balls of silk thread, and several packets of unidentified substances. He frowned slightly. "What is this?"
Mu Wanqing stepped forward at once to explain, "They're seasonings for cooking, salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper, cassia..."
She was displeased by the meagre assortment of condiments in the tiny kitchen.
But on second thought, this era actually had no concept of stir-frying!
They only steamed, boiled, stewed, roasted, or made cold dishes, culinary practice hadn't developed yet.
Wu Dongming: ...What on earth is this?
He kept leafing through. "Why did you think to bring medicine?"
"People who live on ordinary grains will inevitably fall ill; how could we manage without medicine?" Mu Wanqing said evenly, nodding toward her forehead where emergency treatment had been applied.
Wu Dongming had seen all manner of people, yet she was the only young woman who had caught his full attention.
"But you're being ransacked," he said. "This isn't a household move!"
Did she even grasp what a raid meant? Was she inexperienced, or simply recklessly optimistic?
Mu Wanqing hadn't meant to explain further, but after a moment's thought she changed her mind.
"Here's how I see it: when a household is ransacked, there are three possible outcomes. One, the entire family is beheaded; everyone dies, and that's that. There's nothing more to say."
Perhaps she might return to her own world and start over.
"Another is being returned to your hometown; that's the best result, preparation never hurts."
"The third is exile..." she analyzed calmly.
Exile was the most common form of punishment in ancient times.
Before she'd finished, someone began wailing loudly.
She glanced coolly in that direction, it was the main-house children, the gilded young masters and misses.
Wu Dongming had already seen through her intent and couldn't help feeling some admiration. "Continue," he said.
The Mu family's legitimate eldest daughter was renowned across the capital as a prodigy, yet no one expected the quiet Third Miss Mu to be so astute.
So young, yet already thinking ahead.
Mu Wanqing's greatest skill was adapting her response to different situations.
She could play meek or act brazen; she would tailor her words to the audience, whatever the situation demanded.
"They say exile is worse than execution: the journey kills most, and the places of exile are bitter and unforgiving. Still, a shabby life beats a noble death. If you want to live, medicine and clothing are paramount."
So she'd prepared ahead of time.
She and her second brother wore multiple garments so they'd have clothing to spare.
When all else failed they could still sell a few pieces for money; after all, the clothes were made from fine materials and crafted well.
For practicality she had abandoned cumbersome feminine attire.
The embroidered shoes were lovely, but useless for long treks, so she pulled on practical black boots.
Wu Dongming couldn't help but look at her with new respect. Don't underestimate such things, they can prove invaluable at a crucial moment.
"You're very smart. How have I never heard of someone like you before?"
Not only clever; her character was equally formidable.
Even the third-rank officials hadn't yet accepted the harsh reality; she had calmly anticipated it and prepared for the next steps.
When the Wuyi Guards came to ransack the house, others trembled, but she met them calmly, poised and astonishingly fearless.
Mu Wanqing gave a self-mocking smile. "What kind of notable am I? I'm only a bit clever, I don't dare show off. I try to keep myself an ordinary, meek woman."
Those words were delicate; the room fell silent and all eyes turned in unison toward Mu Jinyao.
In the capital, no one could steal Mu Jinyao's limelight.
In the Mu household, no one could outshine Mu Jinyao.
There was a clear distinction between legitimate and secondary lines; the legitimate eldest daughter's standing was especially weighty.
Madam Mu of the second branch couldn't help but tear up, overwhelmed with sympathy. When she married in she had already known that the matriarch hid a ruthless streak beneath a gentle, loving face. Not only did she keep the second branch down, she would periodically make life harder for them, using filial piety to press down on the whole family until they could hardly breathe.
Don't be fooled by the Mu family's outward splendor, the couple's life was precarious, like walking on thin ice; they kept themselves as low-profile as possible.
Thankfully, adversity revealed true hearts; their mutual support had deepened the couple's bond. The second branch had no concubines and no illegitimate children.
Although their three children were all ordinary, she was content.
Earlier she had even wondered whether her daughter was behaving oddly, perhaps possessed by something foul.
But now she understood: her daughter wasn't suddenly changing temperament; she had been hiding her excellence, afraid to be too outstanding, even deceiving her closest relatives.
My poor girl, why was she born to me?
Master Mu of the second branch blamed himself as well; having struggled since childhood, he had learned early to preserve himself and often taught his children to stay low-key, not to be the first to stand out, and not to contend with the first or third branches.
Wu Dongming immediately understood Mu Wanqing's meaning: she was a secondary-born daughter of the second branch, how could she dare outshine the legitimate eldest?
Had she dared to show her head, the lady of the house would have slapped her down long ago.
Never underestimate women, nor the unseen, bloodless ways the inner court uses to destroy.
"So you're not afraid now?"
Mu Wanqing lifted her chin and looked at the Mu family members sprawled in the mud and the unconscious old matriarch. "It can't get any worse than this, can it?"
Once everyone has fallen into the muck, who's left to claim superiority?
The old matriarch could no longer keep the second branch in check. Filial piety? Reputation? When your lives are at stake, what good are those things?
Wu Dongming looked at her intently. "What a pity."
It's a shame she's female. Were she a son, with her cleverness and sense of timing, she could, so long as the Mu line survived, undoubtedly rebuild the family.
He could see a great many things, but no one in the Mu household understood him. Master Mu had the ability, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
The whole family's attention had already flown out the door; they stared eagerly toward the entrance.
Waiting for a savior to arrive!
He'll come, won't he? Yes, he must come! Maybe others can be doubted, but the Marquis Dingyuan's mansion would not stand idly by.
This marriage was arranged by the favored concubine in the palace; there was no reason it would be abandoned midway!
Time ticked by. They waited and waited, necks craned.
At last, a commotion sounded from outside the gate.
Mu Jinyao's eyes flashed bright, he's here, finally here!
The Mu family flushed with excitement, hearts pounding, all of them fixed on the doorway.
The footsteps outside grew nearer and nearer…