Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, her heart leaped into her throat. Seeing the familiar face, she was stunned for a moment before realizing it was miss, and then quickly looked at her with teary eyes. Never had she felt that miss’s position in her heart was so important.
Seeing her expression, Wu Caiwei knew what she was thinking. She smiled and shook her head. Looking at the pitiful state of the little maid, she didn’t want to tease her anymore and quickly switched back to her identity.
Continuing her martial arts practice, Wu Caiwei couldn’t help but smile when she thought of the lively atmosphere in the Prime Minister’s mansion. If it weren’t for the urgency of time and the risk of exposure, she would have definitely made this matter known to everyone.
Little did she know that what she hadn't done, others had done for her. After all, many young ladies were keeping an eye on Mu Fei. Seeing that she hadn’t returned for a long time, they quietly sent people to search for her.
With the traces Wu Caiwei left behind, they soon found the guest room. The maids accompanying the young ladies were also formidable. Some who knew martial arts quietly slipped in to investigate and were shocked by what they learned, rushing back to report to their mistresses.
Upon hearing this, Miss Li’s spirits rose. Although she thought the other party might have fallen into a trap, she was ecstatic at the thought of Mu Fei suffering. The two had long held a grudge, and she never did things by halves. Only by completely crushing her opponent and stepping on her could she ensure no future threat. She wasn’t foolish enough to think Mu Fei wasn’t ambitious and a definite obstacle in her path.
Of course, she didn’t want to be the one to take the lead. So, she pretended to be unconcerned and said, “Isn’t Miss Mu just changing her clothes? Why is it taking so long? There are noble young gentlemen all over this courtyard; she wouldn’t have offended someone, would she?”
Hearing this, Miss Liu’s eyes rolled, and she suggested, “Why don’t we go and take a look?”
They looked at each other, all eager to act. If it were just a few young ladies, they wouldn’t have dared to join the commotion. But clearly, the more than twenty people present had the same idea. The law wouldn’t punish the masses, and besides, each of these young ladies came from a powerful family; the Mu family was nothing in comparison.
So, a large group of people majestically headed towards the back courtyard, and as they walked, they inquired about Miss Mu’s whereabouts. This commotion naturally alerted the ladies.
Madam Mu looked at everyone, not understanding. Her daughter had recently had trouble, and she had become unusually low-key. However, even if she hadn’t, people were already unconsciously keeping their distance. Hearing that trouble had occurred over there, she followed the ladies.
Finally, guided by those with ulterior motives, they arrived at the guest courtyard. The Prime Minister’s son quickly blocked their path, panting, “There are distinguished guests inside. May I ask why you are all here?”
When the noble ladies heard about distinguished guests, their eyes lit up immediately. Thinking that Mu Fei was currently alone with the distinguished guest, they were filled with jealousy and decided they had to go in this time. Firstly, to be seen by the distinguished guest, and secondly, to see if they could disrupt their affair.
“Someone saw a young lady go in and hasn’t come out for a long time. We want to go in and see,” Miss Li hesitated before stating the purpose of their visit.
The Prime Minister’s son hesitated. He hadn’t expected this. From his understanding of Xu Minghui, he wasn’t the type to do such things. But what if? In any case, he decided at that moment that he couldn't let them in, but he was afraid of damaging the young lady's reputation. He was at a loss as to what to do.
“Did something happen to Miss Mu? Let’s go in quickly and see.” With that, Miss Li led the way. The Prime Minister’s son desperately wanted to stop them, but the maids beside her were not to be trifled with. They casually blocked his path. No matter how much the Prime Minister’s son resisted, everyone still entered.
When the ladies arrived, they saw the Prime Minister’s son standing at the door with a dejected expression.
Madam Prime Minister wanted to ask her son what had happened, but then a scream came from inside.
Without a word, she quickened her pace and hurried in. It was her mansion hosting the flower banquet today, and no matter what happened, she couldn’t escape responsibility.
When she entered the courtyard, she saw all the young ladies turn their heads, covering their eyes with their hands, their faces flushed with embarrassment. Her heart sank. She quickly stepped forward, saw the scene inside, and her old face turned red. She quickly ordered someone to close the door and asked all the young ladies and ladies to leave.
Although the courtyard was empty, everyone who needed to know now knew. Seeing the disdainful expressions of everyone, Madam Mu instinctively felt that her daughter was to blame.
Indeed, a moment later, Madam Prime Minister’s wet nurse invited her in. The moment she saw the situation in the room, her heart turned cold. She saw her daughter lying on the bed, disheveled, with tears in her eyes. Young Master Xu sat beside her, constantly drinking tea to quell his anger.
Such a thing happened at her banquet, especially since the engagement had been broken off. Madam Prime Minister looked at Madam Mu with some displeasure, thinking she had failed to discipline her daughter. But it was too late for regrets. She looked at Xu Minghui with a questioning gaze.
If this had happened before, and the deed was done, Xu Minghui would have been ecstatic and happily returned home to have his mother propose. But she clearly didn’t think highly of him. He had already broken off the engagement; why did she come to his room now? In his eyes, Mu Fei had schemed against him.
Mu Fei didn’t understand what had happened. She was certain that the woman who had brought her to the guest room had a problem. She quickly cried out to Madam Prime Minister, pleading her innocence.
Madam Prime Minister glanced at her most capable wet nurse, who immediately understood and led people to search the rockery. They soon found her personal maid. After splashing her with a basin of water, the maid was brought before Madam Prime Minister as soon as she woke up. Seeing the scene, the maid’s legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, knowing she was finished. Crying, she described the events, which were no different from what Mu Fei had said.
Madam Prime Minister made Madam Mu and her daughter wait in the mansion for two hours. After all the young ladies and ladies had left in the afternoon, she summoned all the stewards of the mansion.
When Mu Fei saw Madam Liu, she gritted her teeth in hatred. This was the woman who had ruined her. She pointed at her without hesitation.
Madam Liu didn’t know what had happened, but when she woke up in the alley, she had a premonition that something bad had occurred. However, when she returned to the Prime Minister’s mansion, no one had discovered her absence, which was unbelievable. Before she could report to Madam, she held onto a sliver of hope.
When she was dragged to kneel before Madam, she quickly recounted the day’s events to her. “You mean someone impersonated you today?”
“This servant doesn’t know. I only know that I went out in the morning and returned in the afternoon, and no one noticed. That’s not right. Besides, I have no enmity with this young lady, and I don’t even know who she is. How could I be involved with her?” Madam Liu was filled with dread, not knowing if she was beyond redemption today, and only hoped Madam would believe her.