Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 957 - 959: The Proposal Visits (7)

Chapter 957: Chapter 959: The Proposal Visits (7)

Mu Zhongqing’s tone carried a heavy sense of helplessness and pleading as he hopelessly looked at Cai Wei and Lady Du.

Seeing her father’s attitude, Cai Wei felt much relieved inside. She knew that ancient people held conservative and feudal thoughts, treating filial piety as extremely important—a basic criterion for measuring one’s moral character. That was why foolish acts such as ’entertaining parents with colorful clothes and burying one’s son to feed one’s mother’ occasionally happened.

Her father, deeply poisoned by feudal thinking, would never dare to commit the act of ’disrespect’, which the world would denounce as spineless. Therefore, he wouldn’t expel the entire Da Fang family, but his attitude had already shown that he had no feelings for the Mu Family’s two oldies, merely conforming to the so-called filial piety due to feudal rituals!

Seeing Mu Zhongqing’s attitude, the members of the main house were in an uproar. Mu Zhongli was the first to grab Mu Zhongqing’s collar and furiously said, "Second Brother, what do you mean by this? Can’t you even control your own daughter? Or are you intending to commit a heinous act of rebellion by disregarding your father and mother for this girl?"

Lady Bai, banging on the small table beside the babu bed, hysterically yelled, "Let’s go, let’s go to the Palace to make an imperial appeal, claiming that the son refuses to support his parents, pushing them to their deaths!"

Mu Liankui stared at Mu Zhongqing in disbelief. They had traveled all the way from Qingyun Town, enduring countless hardships, to live as the head of the family under the Second Brother’s roof and enjoy their old age. In his imagination, upon learning of Cai Wei’s actions, his son and daughter-in-law should have been comforting them profusely, severely punishing Cai Wei, the naughty girl, and atoning for her actions, but why had the son become so weak? How had he been held hostage by that naughty girl?

Cai Wei laughed and said, "If you want to make an imperial complaint, go ahead. I can arrange a carriage to take you to the Palace, but I can’t guarantee you won’t be mistaken for assassins and killed by the Imperial Guard on the spot!"

Having finished, she told Auntie Liu, "Go, instruct Zhang to prepare the carriage and send them to the Palace!"

Mu Zhongli certainly wouldn’t let his parents actually make an imperial appeal. Even if the appeal might not be successful, going to the Palace would inevitably mean a complete fallout with the Second Brother’s family, leaving no chance of living in such a respectable mansion anymore. Thus, he quickly supported the incessantly crying Grandmother, consoling her, "Mother, it’s almost dark. Where will you go stirring up trouble at this hour? Why don’t we listen to the Second Brother first, settle down here, and discuss what’s next tomorrow."

As Lady Bai cried and complained, she kept stealing glances at Mu Zhongqing’s family. Seeing the increasingly cold expression on the Second Brother’s face, she realized she had overdone it. Seeing Mu Zhongli come to persuade her, she quickly seized the opportunity to step down.

"Ah, Mother wasn’t really intending to make an imperial appeal; she just felt extremely distressed, randomly venting a bit. Oh, my heart hurts, woo woo woo..."

"Enough!"

Cai Wei sharply interrupted Lady Bai’s sobbing, commanding, "It’s getting late. You all should go to the backyard to rest for now. I’ll send someone to bring you dinner, and you don’t need to come over here."

Lady Bai, stopped by Cai Wei’s command, looked at her son with a wronged expression, but he turned his face towards the window, showing no intention of blaming his daughter.

"Mother, let’s go rest in the backyard. Look how you’ve cried. Wouldn’t Second Brother and his wife care for you? Don’t torment yourself for no reason!"

Lady Li, supporting Lady Bai, hurriedly left. Mu Liankui and Mu Zhongli glanced at Mu Zhongqing, then at Cai Wei’s icy face, and helplessly went out too. Mu Chongfu and Mu Chongcai, originally fearful of Cai Wei and only emboldened by their grandparents’ status, had briefly strutted around. Now, with the elders also in Cai Wei’s grip, they could stir no more troubles and had to leave with their heads down, dejectedly.

Lady Du was sobbing, her emotions extremely low, "We finally had some comfortable days, and now they are causing trouble again. What can we do?"

Fei’er said angrily, "What else can we do? Just live our own lives. Surely they can’t just freeload in our house indefinitely?"

Cai Wei glanced at Mu Zhongqing who wore a conflicted expression, and said in a calm voice, "What does Dad plan to do?"

Mu Zhongqing stammered, "Dad wants Cai’er and Fu’er to work at our restaurant. Your uncle is literate and smart, so I thought he could take care of the accounts at the fabric shop. As for Grandma and Grandpa, they are old now, so it would be best if they just stayed at home to rest..."

Cai Wei said with a cold laugh, "Does Dad want to hand over the restaurant and fabric shop I worked so hard to start up? Mu Zhongli is known in the village for being a tightwad, a goose flying over his house has to lose a feather. Putting him in charge of the fabric shop is like putting a rat in charge of the rice. And Mu Chongcai and Mu Chongfu, that pair of blockheads, neither of them is truly dedicated to working. When they’re at the restaurant, within three days they’ll turn the place upside down, cause chaos, and dishearten our staff. With all the years of education Dad had, can he really not foresee this?"

Mu Zhongqing said hesitantly, "Apart from this, Dad can’t think of any other way to accommodate them. We can’t just kick them out onto the streets!"

Cai Wei held up three fingers and said, "Three thousand taels. Give them three thousand taels in cash to leave the Capital and settle somewhere far away. If they refuse to go, then we rent a small house for them, provide them with one ounce of silver monthly for living expenses. Let them live out their days in the Capital. Two options, let them choose."

"Three thousand taels!"

Lady Du exclaimed, "Where will we find three thousand taels for them? Your marriage is approaching, and we still don’t know where your bridal gifts will come from!"

Cai Wei said coldly, "Just take it from my bridal gifts. Dad, go and talk to them now!"

Mu Zhongqing nodded, then walked out with his head lowered.

Watching her father’s retreating figure, Cai Wei coldly snickered in her heart. Three thousand taels, she wouldn’t give them even three copper coins!

As expected, the moment the family from the main branch heard that Cai Wei was willing to give three thousand taels in cash, they were overjoyed, agreeing on the spot, and even promised to leave the next day after receiving the silver. After Mu Zhongqing relayed this news, he was so worried that he couldn’t sleep all night, and Lady Du was also saddened, nearly staying awake all night long.

The next morning, several horse carriages bearing the insignia of Duke Li Guo’s Mansion arrived grandly at the manor’s entrance, surrounded by dozens of guards.

When Mu Zhongqing and his wife learned of this, they were astounded. King Qin had said the day before that he would come to propose marriage within three days, and they had thought that meant the third day. Yet, unexpectedly, he sent his men on the second day—how hasty!