Mu Qingyao had them note down the few details she had pointed out, and after tidying up Mu Qingyao, it was Mu Qingzhu’s turn.
Mu Qingzhu had also chosen several pieces of fine fabric and made several sets of summer clothes.
Mu Qingyao looked at the busy seamstresses in the hall with a bit of boredom.
Just as she was about to leave, she happened to see the second young lady, Mu Qingxiang, who had been standing still, her gaze unintentionally sweeping over the fabrics. She couldn't help but glance at her sideways in surprise.
“Aren’t you going to the palace? Why not choose a couple of outfits?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the First Madam’s face darkened. She gritted her teeth but found nothing to say. With a stern face, she huffed, “Hurry up. If you don’t pick soon, the seamstresses won’t have time.”
The Second Madam and Mu Qingxiang heard the First Madam’s cold words. Instead of being angry, they felt a surge of joy, and their grateful gazes quickly swept across Mu Qingyao’s face.
Her body then moved towards the place where the fabrics were displayed. Mu Qingyao acted as if she hadn’t seen anything and walked away slowly. What had she done?
Outside the long corridor, a line of maids stood. The scorching sunlight shone on their heads, and beads of sweat trickled down their cheeks, dripping onto the stone floor.
Mu Qingyao raised an eyebrow. These poor maids, how could they be so unlucky? She spoke coldly, “Can’t you stand further inside? Is it too cold? Standing in the blazing sun to warm yourselves?” xxs壹贰
At her words, the maids seemed to receive an order. They took a deep gulp, shrank their bodies, and moved into the shade. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
They hadn’t expected that this third young lady, though seemingly cold and distant, surrounded by an aura of chill that kept people at bay, was actually kind-hearted and thoughtful.
“Miss?”
Mei Xin called out and reached out to support her young lady.
“Mei Xin, I want to go out of the manor for a stroll?” As soon as Mu Qingyao spoke, Mei Xin and Lu’er were startled, their faces turning pale. Even the little maids who were huddled nearby turned pale and lowered their heads.
Why did Miss want to go out again? Wasn’t she just beaten by Prince Nan’an yesterday? And now she wanted to go out again.
What was to be done? Mei Xin rubbed her hands together, wanting to find an excuse to stop her young lady from going out. However, before she could speak.
Mu Qingyao’s cold, stern voice rang out.
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
Although it was the hot summer, Mei Xin felt a chill flow over her head. Her heart trembled lightly.
Miss was angry. This was her first feeling. Her second feeling was, oh heavens, please don’t play with me anymore.
Has Miss’s old illness relapsed? She had promised the master.
“Miss? Me?”
Before Mei Xin could finish her words, the First Madam, who had been attending to people inside, suddenly walked out with a smiling face and said.
“Third young lady wants to go out, what are you all standing around for? Don’t you have the carriage prepared yet?”
The ambition was as clear as daylight to everyone. Mei Xin had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.
“Yes, First Madam.” The First Madam smiled with satisfaction and looked at a leading maid under the long corridor.
“Feng Jiao, immediately give the order to prepare the carriage for the Third Young Lady.”
“Yes, Madam.”
In front of the Mu Manor gate, a luxurious carriage with an eight-treasure canopy, inlaid with rubies at the corners.
It was waiting. The driver was a coachman in his thirties. As soon as he saw Mu Qingyao, Mei Xin, and Lu’er, he nimbly jumped down and bowed respectfully, lowering his head, “Third Young Lady?”
He had heard that the Third Young Lady had become as beautiful as a flower and as cold as ice.
It turned out that all of this was true. The coachman dared not even look directly at Mu Qingyao.
Her casual, cold glance just now had made people inexplicably fearful, as if a powerful presence was pressing down on them.
Mei Xin and Lu’er extended their hands to support their young lady into the carriage, one on each side. They followed closely behind. As the carriage curtain was lowered.
A cold voice was heard, “Let’s go.”
“Yes,” the coachman leaped onto the carriage. Not daring to delay at all, he waited until the carriage had driven away.
Two women walked out of the Mu Manor gate, their faces full of smiles, watching the departing carriage. They turned around and beckoned to a servant.
“Follow the Third Young Lady’s carriage and report back if anything happens.”
“Yes, Madam.” The servant raised an eyebrow in surprise, dared not ask any more questions, and flashed away from the Mu Manor…
Lin’an City, the capital at the foot of the Emperor’s throne, was prosperous and thriving. Although it was noon, the streets were bustling with people.
The hawkers’ cries rose and fell in succession, customers’ inquiries about prices, luxurious carriages of all kinds passing by each other, fragrant breezes brushing past, and a surging heat.
On both sides of the street, ancient-style shops, mostly built of solid wood, were of uneven heights.
The tallest were only two or three stories high, while the shortest were only one story. Countless signs swayed ostentatiously in the air, attracting customers.
Mu Qingyao lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. So this was what ancient times looked like. The architecture and everything else were not as good as modern times.
But it had a unique charm. Teahouses and taverns were innumerable, with customers constantly coming and going. Luxurious carriages were everywhere. It seemed that at the foot of the Emperor, there were many rich people.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard an angry roar.
“Damned thing, to dare to trick me, Grandpa!”
Their carriage suddenly jolted violently, lifting high into the air. The coachman quickly pulled hard on the reins, controlling the high-spirited horse that was about to go out of control.
With a neigh, it stopped. The three women inside the carriage were thrown high into the air, hitting the side walls, but Mu Qingyao was fine.
Because she was trained in martial arts, such an incident could not harm her. Pity Mei Xin and Lu’er, the two little maids, were in pain and almost in tears. They rubbed their heads and shouted forward, “What’s going on?”
The coachman spoke in alarm, “Miss, someone has blocked the way?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Qingyao lifted the carriage curtain. In the middle of the street, a dishevelled, thin figure was blocking their path.
If the horse’s hooves had moved forward a little more, they would have stepped on him. At this moment, several burly men stood on the side of the street, angrily pointing at the person lying on the road with his face obscured.
“Damned fellow, to come here to beg for food and drink, and then pretend to be dead.”
Mu Qingyao looked up. It turned out this was an inn. Clearly, this was a down-and-out guest.
He had been kicked out because he couldn’t afford his accommodation. But why was that fellow not moving at all?
Mu Qingyao raised an eyebrow in surprise. She soon noticed that the person moaned slightly. Could he be sick?
As soon as he moved, the men standing beside him, who had been scolding him, seemed to still be unhappy.
One person quickly walked over and raised his foot to kick the person in the middle of the road. If this kick landed, it was likely that the fellow would be as good as dead.