Chapter 31: Hidden Schemes Within the Mu Residence

After the palace banquet ended, the Zhongyong Marquis Manor was officially renamed the Mu Residence.

The Old Madam eagerly welcomed the people returning from the banquet. She had desperately wanted to attend, but a sudden bout of discomfort had kept her home. It was rare for Emperor Jun to host such an event—had she been well, she wouldn’t have missed it for the world. After all, she was the matriarch of the Marquis Manor!

“My son, how many days does the Crown Prince have left to live? Did His Majesty grant a marriage between our Fuxing and the Eldest Prince? And that disaster star… did she attend? Did she—”

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Zonghui’s furious voice cut her off. “Mother, mind your words!”

Mu Zonghui himself was at a loss. What could he even say at this point?

“Mind my words?” The Old Madam scoffed. “We’re in our own home—what is there to be cautious about? Just tell me, did His Majesty grant the marriage for Fuxing?”

Concubine Lan approached eagerly. As a concubine, she had no right to attend the palace banquet, but the Marquis and their daughter had informed her beforehand that the Eldest Prince planned to request a marriage decree from the Emperor. Soon, her daughter would become a royal consort!

She cast a mocking glance at Su San when no one was looking, as if to say: So what if you’re the main wife? You’re still being played for a fool! Instead of prioritizing your own daughter, you allowed my child to secure a prince’s hand in marriage!

Once the Crown Prince died, the Eldest Prince would be the most likely heir. Her daughter would not only become the Crown Princess but possibly even Empress one day! When that moment came, she would make sure Su San realized how foolish she had been all these years.

Just as Concubine Lan was convinced that her daughter’s future was set in stone, Mu Yao let out a cold chuckle.

“The marriage has been granted. His Majesty decreed that Mu Fuxing will wed the Eldest Prince in three days. She will indeed become the Eldest Prince’s consort.”

With that, Mu Yao turned and left for his courtyard without another word. The day’s events had left him deeply unsettled—he needed time to process everything.

The Old Madam and Concubine Lan sensed something was off in his tone, but as soon as they heard “the marriage has been granted,” they could hardly be bothered to think about anything else.

The Old Madam rushed forward to embrace Mu Fuxing with delight. “Oh, my dear! You’re finally going to be a royal consort! One day, you might even be the Empress—second only to the Emperor himself! My lifelong wish has finally come true!”

Concubine Lan, however, soon realized something was amiss. “Fubao, did your brother say three days? Is the wedding in just three days? That seems awfully rushed! You’re going to be a formal royal consort—shouldn’t the wedding be grander? Your dowry hasn’t even been prepared yet. We’ll need to hurry…”

“Shut up!” Mu Zonghui snapped, clearly frustrated. “What is there to prepare? Do we even have any money left in this household?!”

The Old Madam scowled, her beady eyes gleaming with malice. “We may not have money, but the General’s Manor does! They’ve been showered with imperial rewards for years. Fuxing is their granddaughter—surely, they should contribute to her dowry! Once my Fuxing becomes a royal consort, they’ll reap the benefits too. Let’s have them provide an 88-carriage dowry—that should be enough. Tomorrow, Su San, go inform them. They’d better not delay.”

Concubine Lan’s eyes lit up. She sashayed toward Su San with a smug expression. “Sister Su, I think the Old Madam is right. Our household is struggling, so the General’s Manor should help out. You should visit them tomorrow—or better yet, take Fuxing with you. Let her personally ask Old General Su. After all, he’ll surely need Fuxing’s support in the future.”

Mu Zonghui looked at them like they were utter fools.

The General’s Manor? Did they not realize that the Su family had already been elevated to a Duke’s household?

Moreover, Old General Su had never favored Su San or Mu Fuxing to begin with. And even if he did, why would a Duke’s household care about a consort married to a disgraced prince? The entire capital was laughing at Mu Fuxing right now! The Crown Prince’s consort was cherished beyond measure—why would the Su family bother with a woman whose reputation was in shambles?

As Mu Zonghui wrestled with his thoughts, Mu Zhu suddenly spoke up.

“Grandmother, I advise you all to stop dreaming. Today—no, never mind. Let me make it simple for you: the General’s Manor is now a Duke’s household. As for us, the Marquis Manor has been stripped of its noble title. We are now commoners. Do you really think the Duke’s household will waste their time on us? Do you still believe they’ll prepare an 88-carriage dowry for Mu Fuxing?

“Oh, and one more thing—after Mu Fuxing weds the Eldest Prince, His Majesty has decreed that the prince will no longer be allowed to participate in court affairs. In other words, aside from his title, the Eldest Prince will hold no power whatsoever.”

A chilling realization crossed Mu Zhu’s face, and he added grimly, “Ah, yes, Grandmother—I almost forgot. There’s some great news. Ever since Mu Ling married into the Eastern Palace in Fuxing’s place, the Crown Prince’s health has fully recovered. At today’s banquet, the two of them even performed a breathtaking dance that stunned the entire capital.

“His Majesty rewarded Mu Ling with a pardon medallion, allowing her to escape the death penalty under any circumstances. And the Empress personally gifted her a phoenix hairpin. You do understand the symbolism of a phoenix hairpin, don’t you, Grandmother?

“So I suggest you wake up and stop daydreaming.”

Mu Zhu turned to leave but paused at the doorway. He muttered, as if to himself but loud enough for everyone to hear:

“His Majesty said that everything that happened to the Marquis Manor today is Mu Fuxing’s doing. So tell me, Grandmother—who is truly the blessing of our family, and who is the disaster?”

The Old Madam’s eyes were bloodshot. She grabbed Mu Zonghui’s arm, her voice shaking. “My son, what does Zu’er mean? I don’t understand a word of it! How can we be commoners now? Wasn’t the Crown Prince supposed to die? And the Eldest Prince—”

Mu Zonghui shoved her hand away in exasperation. “Mother, even now, you still don’t know when to hold your tongue? The Crown Prince’s affairs are not something we can discuss! Do you want to get us all executed?!”

The Old Madam’s hands trembled. She turned to Su San. “Tell me—what is going on? Did that disaster star play some dirty trick again?!”

Su San was still fuming. Earlier at court, Mu Zonghui had openly declared he would divorce her upon returning home. Why should she bother answering this old woman? In fact, she had already decided—once she was divorced, she’d return to the Duke’s household, where she would have real power.

“Old Madam, what more do you want to hear? Didn’t Zu’er already explain? Besides, the Marquis—oh, excuse me, the former Marquis—has already announced he’ll divorce me. Once I have my divorce papers, I’ll return to the Duke’s household. Whether you’re a noble family or mere commoners, it no longer concerns me.”