Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 518 - 518 519 Smash_1

Chapter 518: Chapter 519 Smash_1 Chapter 518: Chapter 519 Smash_1 Muniang looked at Eunuch Li’s absent-minded appearance with curiosity. An imperial decree? Hasn’t Yu Ze already been “exiled”? Why would the emperor still bother with what he does?

Yu Ze said, “This way, please, Eunuch Li.”

Yu Ze whispered in Muniang’s ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control.”

Only then did Muniang nod her head and, instead of going back to her own room, slumped into the Taishi Chair in the flower hall, pondering what could be the matter.

In the study, Eunuch Li was no longer beating around the bush and handed the imperial edict directly to Yu Ze. “His Majesty suggests that General Yu should personally review it.”

Yu Ze gave Eunuch Li a skeptical glance before he opened the imperial edict to read it.

But almost immediately, his brow furrowed, “His Majesty wants me to establish the Underground Guard in Qinghua City?”

“Exactly. So far, this matter has not been made public; only the emperor is aware of it. His Majesty trusts you, and that’s why he’s entrusted you with this important task. The Underground Guard exists solely to protect the emperor. It is exactly the kind of personal force His Majesty needs. Him sending you to such a remote place is, in fact, a thoughtful consideration of His Majesty’s.”

Yu Ze scoffed inwardly. A thoughtful consideration? If the emperor hadn’t been wary of him from the start, why would he have eagerly wished for him to be as far away as possible? Now that he had stayed put in this place without causing trouble, the emperor was cozying up to him, asking him to establish some Guard. Was it genuine trust, a test, or perhaps just an excuse to trip him up once and for all? He did not believe the emperor trusted him at all.

“General Yu, His Majesty has already sent a hundred elite riders chosen personally for the Guard. The rest is up to General Yu to select. Train them with care; all these men are to serve His Majesty without restrictions.”

Yu Ze nodded, “Hmm.”

Muniang had been waiting eagerly. Seeing Yu Ze come out, she restrained her impatience and didn’t ask immediately. Instead, she accompanied him as they sent off Eunuch Li. Only then did she promptly start inquiring.

However, Yu Ze didn’t want Muniang to be anxious. Ever since she had followed him, there had been nothing but trouble; she was already somewhat fragile. If she had to watch him handle such a hot potato every day worrying for his sake, it would probably be hard on her.

Therefore, Yu Ze nonchalantly relayed the emperor’s request to her, but he did not share his own doubts. Since Muniang didn’t understand these matters very well, she wouldn’t think of the deeper, more intricate interests at stake. Still, she said, “Why does the emperor suddenly trust you so much?”

“He probably feels that his power in the court is unstable and wishes to have a Guard to ease his mind. But looking all over the Daqian Dynasty, it seems that only I, the unfortunate one, am willing to stay in such a desolate place. If not me, whom else could he turn to?”

Muniang nodded, half-understanding, “It seems that by being in this distant place, you have picked up quite the advantage.”

Yu Ze smiled and his lips curled up, but there was a chill in his heart. Whether it was an advantage or a big trouble remained to be seen.

That night, Yu Ze directly summoned the Hidden Guard.

“General.”

“First, I want to know why His Majesty would make such a sudden decision. Who is behind this? Does anyone in the court know about this matter?”

“According to our spies, indeed, no one else in the court is aware of this matter. It seems to be His Majesty’s personal initiative. Even the funds allocated to you, General, are not part of the state account and are unknown to anyone in the court. However, one person in the palace is aware. It seems she had mentioned this matter to His Majesty, who, after several considerations, made this decision.”

“Who?”

“The newly favored Noble Lady Rong, Rong Suqing,”

Yu Ze’s eyes grew cold; a daughter from the Rong family.

Dawn had just broken when Yu Ze quietly got out of bed, for he had to inspect the one hundred Imperial Guards allocated by His Majesty, as well as review the various expenses, to prepare a complete report. The task came upon him suddenly, so there was an inevitable urgency to complete it in time.

Early in the morning, Muniang instinctively snuggled into the space beside her, but after more shifting, she realized something was amiss. Narrowing her eyes, she awoke to find the spot next to her empty. It was the first time she faced the feeling of guarding an empty bed alone, and it left Muniang with an unspeakable sense of discomfort.

“Lady, you’re awake? The master left early this morning to rearrange the Imperial Guards. He was worried that you might feel uneasy waking up alone, so he specifically instructed me to wait at the door,” Qingya said with a smile as she entered.

“Oh,” Muniang felt a hint more warmth in her heart, knowing he was always thinking of her.

“Do you plan to go out today, Lady?”

“I should pay a visit to Mei Garden.”

“Yes.”

Muniang made a point to check on the children, who were now awake and quietly nursing in the wet nurse’s arms. Their eyes lit up at the sight of Muniang, and they made cooing sounds while suckling, as if trying to speak or desiring more milk.

Muniang picked up the other child, intending to feed him herself.

Zhang Yun had gotten used to seeing Muniang behave this way but was surprised to see a noble lady feeding her baby herself. She felt a newfound admiration for Muniang.

“Aunt Zhang, take good care of the children today. I’m going out and will come back as quickly as possible. If they start to cry, use those little toys in the room to calm them,” Muniang instructed.

The “little toys” that Muniang referred to were, of course, the small toys made by Zeng Gang. He had presented these at the children’s full-month celebration; being a close acquaintance, there was no need to be ostentatious with the gift. Zeng Gang, a man of straightforward character, had chosen these, and Muniang found them to be the most precious—imbued with more sentiment than any gold or treasure since they were handcrafted and, indeed, very useful for soothing children.

Zhang Yun laughed, “My Lady, rest assured, I understand.” She thought to herself how deeply the Lady cared for her children.

After giving several instructions to the other maids and matrons, Muniang left the house at ease.

Upon arriving at Mei Garden, the morning performance had just ended. Muniang went directly to the backstage to inquire about the recent sponsorship matters. The practices that worked well in Chatu Town were also effective in Qinghua City, but she was worried about them casually accepting deals that might tarnish her image.

This was especially true for Chen Yuhua, whom she had taken great effort to cultivate a fairy-like aura for. If she were to wear the attire of a high-ranking lady, complete with gaudy rouge and vulgar makeup, even the strongest of fairy-like charms could be utterly ruined.

Muniang was in the middle of her inquiries when she suddenly heard a cacophony of thuds and crashes from the front hall, accompanied by screams—a mix of chaos. Frowning, Muniang saw a servant boy rush in, panic-stricken.

“Lady, there’s someone outside looking for you. I couldn’t stop her, and she ordered her men to start smashing things. The guests have all been scared away, and we can’t hold them back,” he reported.

“Who is it!” Muniang’s face turned cold.

“It seems to be Miss. Yao of the Yao family—she often comes here to watch plays. I have no idea why she’s acting like she’s lost her mind today. She also called you a… bitch.”