Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 546 - 546 547 Awesome Mouth_1

Chapter 546: Chapter 547 Awesome Mouth_1 Chapter 546: Chapter 547 Awesome Mouth_1 Muniang observed Rong Suqing, who seemed to be sizing her up as well. Her beautiful eyes carried a hint of inquiry. Yu Ze’s gaze turned cold, stepping in front of Muniang, his icy stare fixed on Rong Suqing.

Only then did Rong Suqing turn her head and place her hand on Eunuch Li’s arm, stepping ashore with his assistance.

The Emperor burst into laughter upon seeing Yu Ze, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and you seem to be doing well in this small place.”

What was originally a common greeting suddenly sounded boastful to Muniang for some reason. She glanced at the Emperor, and in her heart, she already had a negative opinion of him.

Previously, Yu Ze had told her about things from when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince. Back then, before Yu Jin had been sent away as a hostage, Marquis Chen Mansion held significant sway in the Capital, and the family’s two sons were favored by the sovereign, having been sent to the Imperial Academy for their studies. So, it was as if they had grown up with the Crown Prince.

Even though the Crown Prince had been mediocre in talent, he was kind and gentle by nature. Who knew that after ten years without seeing him, he would turn into this ghastly creature? Indeed, the throne was truly capable of driving a person mad.

With Prince San previously overshadowing him so that he could never turn the tide, the Emperor naturally couldn’t stand seeing Yu Ze succeed now, being better than him in every way. He feared Yu Ze would take his throne just like Prince San tried to in the past.

But what he didn’t consider was, if Yu Ze truly had his eye on the throne, would it have been the Emperor’s turn to wear the crown?!

Yu Ze did not say much, instead, he made a gesture of invitation, “Lord, please proceed to Rong Mansion. Lady Rong must be eager to visit her family home.”

He had obviously changed the subject. Deep down, Yu Ze had little respect for the Emperor and had picked up on his mockery, so he had no wish to continue speaking with him.

Once the Emperor heard that Lady Rong might be anxious, he hastily said, “I nearly forgot. Let’s not dawdle. Prepare the carriage for Rong Mansion.”

Lady Rong smiled faintly, “I’m not in a hurry.”

“Ah, how could you not be anxious? After all, it’s your family home, and you’ve been away for a year. You must miss it dearly. How could I not understand your feelings? You always think about me, often at your own expense, which makes me feel terrible,” the Emperor said affectionately.

“It’s Lord who cherishes me,” Lady Rong said with a coquettish laugh, finally letting the Emperor take her by the waist as they walked away. However, the disdain that flitted across the depths of her eyes did not escape Muniang’s.

Muniang relished Lady Rong’s fleeting glance of contempt, laughing to herself. It seemed this woman was not so keen on the Emperor either; the drama was indeed fascinating.

It was only after the Emperor and his beloved consort boarded their carriage that the Empress and others disembarked from the boat, their eyes inevitably filled with anger, especially Consort Shu’s, which seemed murderous.

After all, it was said that Lady Rong, holding only a minor consort rank, should not have walked ahead of them. But with the Emperor’s favor towards her, she got to walk happily in front, and there was nothing they could do about it.

The Empress appeared much calmer, smiling as she greeted Yu Ze, “We appreciate General Yu coming personally to receive us.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

At the dock, where it was crowded and noisy, it naturally wasn’t convenient to perform any formal greetings, so all such courtesies were dispensed with.

The group consecutively boarded the prepared carriages, and then they were ready to set off in a grand procession.

Yu Ze was to ride horseback as an escort, so naturally, he couldn’t accompany Muniang. He originally didn’t want her to get too involved with that group of women, thinking it best for her to go straight back. Unexpectedly, at that moment, the Empress spoke up, “Lady Yu might as well ride in the same carriage as me, to spare me from boredom, and fortunately, Lady Yu can share some interesting stories about Qinghua City with me.”

Muniang respectfully agreed, and Yu Ze couldn’t say much else, only gently squeezing Muniang’s palm to signal her to take care of herself before he mounted his horse.

At the time, Muniang wasn’t clear about the Empress’s intentions and was extremely cautious in her service, answering whatever the Empress asked.

The Empress was about the same age as the Emperor. She had been made Crown Princess back when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince. Now that the Emperor was already thirty-one years old, her age naturally had increased as well. By now, her beauty and youth could not compare to the new favorites in the palace. Yet, she managed to secure her position as Empress, which evidenced her formidable skills. No wonder she could remain composed despite seeing Lady Rong so favored.

“His Majesty spoke about the Yuyang Embroidery House and Mei Garden in Qinghua City along the way. It turns out that these two places are the most famous in Qinghua City now, and who would have known they are all under your management. It’s clear that General Yu has married an incredible wife,” said the Empress with a gentle smile.

Muniang modestly replied, “My Lady flatters me. I am merely engaging in some small enterprises; they are not worthy of mention. My Lady need not speak of it like that.”

The Empress noticed the distance in Muniang’s tone, but she wasn’t annoyed and simply said, “Yet, by doing so, aren’t you attracting trouble for your husband? His Majesty wishes for General Yu to remain in a place where he never has to stand out, but now Qinghua City is becoming increasingly prominent, and His Majesty doesn’t tolerate even a speck of dust in his eye.”

Muniang’s body shook slightly, and as she raised her head to look, the Empress’s expression remained aloof. Muniang couldn’t help but scoff internally. An ineffectual Emperor, yet jealous of his competent subjects, who constantly gave way, only to be pushed further and further by him. He hoped to see them lay down their lives for him on the battlefield, and when they were of no use, he preferred them dead. Such an Emperor—how was he worthy?

Yu Ze had already been exceedingly tolerant towards that Emperor. He had ignored the assassination attempt and endured being exiled. And now, even the small prosperity of Qinghua City had become intolerable to the Emperor. If he really had the capability, he shouldn’t expect him to join the battle when Qilian Kingdom came knocking on their door.

Muniang didn’t harbor many political notions; she was just a woman. At that moment, she truly felt indignant for her husband. Why was he serving such a lackluster Emperor!

The Empress had thought that her words would intimidate Muniang, yet Muniang’s demeanor had instead grown colder.

“His Majesty is a wise ruler and should understand the contributions General Yu has made to the Daqian Dynasty. Certainly, he wouldn’t be as narrow-minded as Lady Rong suggests.”

Muniang’s tone remained respectful, but now carried a tinge of coolness.

The Empress choked on her words, finding herself at a loss for what to say next. This young woman’s eloquence was formidable. If she contradicted her now, it would seem as though she was acknowledging the Emperor’s narrow-mindedness. If she agreed with her, wouldn’t it be tantamount to slapping her own face? With that one statement, Muniang had effectively shut her down.

“Such a courageous girl, it’s no wonder that you’ve captured Yu Ze’s heart,” the Empress deflected, changing the subject.

Muniang replied softly with a laugh, “You flatter me too much, my Lady.”

After today’s encounter with the Empress, Muniang had come to an understanding. Most likely, it was the Emperor’s idea for the Empress to speak to Muniang about these matters, essentially pressuring her to close down her businesses sooner rather than later, or move them to the Capital. In short, the intention was to prevent Yu Ze from having even a moment’s peace.