The Aloof Prince Chapter 31 - All is Fair in War

Mu Yunjin entered the door and saw the gift boxes piled up, as far as her eyes could see, like a mountain, in her garden. She waded her way to her room.

“Xiaojie, wait here first, while this servant goes to tidy up.” Zi Xiang said, bending down to pick up those gift boxes.

Mu Yunjin stopped her as she ruminated and swept her eyes over the boxes. She smiled lightly, “Do you really think that they would return these gifts with good intentions?”

“Xiaojie, what do you mean?” Zi Xiang withdrew her hand, turned to look at Mu Yunjin.

Recently, her Young Xiaojie had really changed a lot. Before, she was filled with pity and sympathy towards her Young Xiaojie, but now she was full of worship and awe, and it was only in a short month's time.

“All is fair in war, who knows if these gift boxes were tampered with.” Mu Yunjin sneered, “For now let us go back to Ascending Flower Pavilion to stay, we’ll look at these boxes tomorrow if there is no problem.”

Mu Yunjin then left in the direction of the Ascending Flower Pavilion. The moment she walked out of the door, Mu Yunjin saw a flash of a silhouette in the corner. She pensively curved the corner of her mouth and continued walking forward. Inside the Ascending Flower Pavilion, Mu Yunjin looked at her empty former house. She sat on the ground. Rushing about all day, she was feeling tired. Zi Xiang thought about all those gifts and was a little unsettled.

“Xiaojie, if those gift boxes really have a problem, then does Furen want to kill Xiaojie?” She anxiously asked.

“What do you think?” Mu Yunjin slightly raised her eyebrows, “In the past when I was here in Ascending Flower Pavilion, she naturally didn’t worry about me. Now, I am conferred marriage to Liu Huangzi, and am already a threat to Mu Lingzhu. She as Mu Lingzhu's Muqin, why won't she try rooting me out?”

“The Furen is extremely daring. Is she not worried that Liu Huangzi will blame her?” Zi Xiang voiced her concern.

“If I died, she would only make it so that I died suddenly of a foul disease. Who would think, Su Biqing as a Muqin would personally harm her own daughter!?”

Mu Yunjin leaned against the wall, as she spoke casually. As Zi Xiang listened to Mu Yunjin's explanation, her heart grew alarmed.

Indeed, in the past when they were in Ascending Flower Pavilion, the Young Xiaojie was not a threat to anyone. At most, it was the Second Young Master and the two Young Misses who came to create trouble but not to the point of taking a life. But now after the Young Xiaojie changed, everything is different.

“Xiaojie, after this wouldn't you suffer from a lot of attempts on your life?” Zi Xiang frowned, a little scared.

“Never mind, different situations call for different actions. Do they really think that I am still a pushover?” Mu Yunjin coldly snorted, her tone full of contempt.

Zi Xiang was indescribably relieved. She’d thought that perhaps by the time her Young Xiaojie married Liu Huangzi they didn’t need to struggle in the Xiangfu.

.........

Nightfall.

Once Zi Xiang fell asleep, Mu Yunjin who was lying down, quietly opened her eyes and walked out. She went out of the Ascending Flower Pavilion, in the direction of the Blue Sky Courtyard. Her figure mottled the trees that created a contrast to the night. Soon she’d arrived at the dimly lit courtyard. Mu Yunjin lied down on the roof transparent under the moonlight, and she looked below.

“Meow...”

A tiny meow stirred the quiet night. Mu Yunjin slightly squinted at the sound, carefully climbed down the roof, and gingerly walked in the direction of the sound. In a few minutes, she was outside Su Biqing's bedroom. She spotted a snow-white cat lying on the blanket. Two years ago, Mu Xiang's trusted retinue had brought back and presented treasures from Serbia. Su Biqing had especially liked this snowy white cat. It was said to be her favorite pet. Mu Yunjin sneered as she stooped to lightly whisk the cat up, and noiselessly made her way out to the Listening Flower Pavilion. She looked around at the gift boxes, lightly stroked the furry feline, and gently tossed it in the garden.

“Meow...”

..........

Mu Yunjin then returned to the Ascending Flower Pavilion, only to hear Zi Xiang's whimper from the inside. Mu Yunjin was startled and immediately rushed inside. As she pushed the door, she discerned in the darkness a man in black, his one hand closed Zi Xiang's nose and mouth and the other around her neck, as she frantically struggled and kicked.

“Who are you?”

Mu Yunjin's eyes immediately surged with killing intent revealing coldness within. She took out a dagger from her sleeves, as she advanced towards the black figure. The man saw the dagger in her hand but didn’t pay her any mind. His hands kept working on Zi Xiang. He was just about to raise his leg to kick Mu Yunjin's dagger when all he heard was a sneer. Soon he saw Mu Yunjin's figure flash like lightning, moving quickly behind him.... Then, in the dark of the night, he saw the cold tip of the blade flash, slashing across his neck. In an instant, blood oozed from his neck and his body collapsed on the ground.

“Zi Xiang, are you okay?” Mu Yunjiin lighted a candle and worriedly looked at Zi Xiang.

Zi Xiang had been scared witless. When the black man loosened his grasp, she gasped for breath. As she saw him slowly drop to the floor into a pool of his own blood, she shuddered.

“Xiaojie, what do we do now?”

Mu Yunjin calmly picked up a handkerchief and softly wiped the blood on her dagger. She walked towards the dead guy, bent down, and took off his mask. When she saw his face, Mu Yunjin's eyes narrowed, the killing intent resurfaced.

“Unexpectedly it is him.”

He was the head honcho of the ‘robbers’ she’d encountered in the outskirts.

It seems that he is one of Mu Lingzhu's people. This Mu Lingzhu is really getting impatient. Earlier in the day, I’d provoked her a little, as soon as night fell, she’s already sent someone to kill me. But Mu Lingzhu is underestimating me, sending just one person.

“It seems that I have to thank her for her trouble.” Mu Yunjin slowly said.

...........

Early the following morning, Mu Yunjin received a message from a servant to go to the front hall. In the front hall, Mu Yunjin saw Mu Xiang sitting on the master's seat, on his side were Mu Lingzhu and Su Biqing. They didn’t look quite well. The mother-daughter duo cuddled together, eyes red clearly from crying. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glanced at the floor. On one side, the black-clothed man from last night lay covered with a white cloth, on the other, was Su Biqing's favorite cat. Except, the snow-white cat had turned purple, it seemed to have been severely poisoned.

“What's going on?” Mu Yunjin asked as she shifted her gaze off the floor.

Mu Xiang suspiciously eyed Mu Yunjin, somewhat complicated, as he coldly opened his mouth. “This black-clothed man was discovered earlier today at Zhu'er's Pearl Building. A dagger slashed across his throat. That cat is your Muqin's favorite pet, today it was discovered dead in your Listening Flower Pavilion. It was severely poisoned.”

Mu Yunjin pretended to be frightened as she turned to Mu Lingzhu, “Si mei, are you alright? You aren’t hurt, right?”

Mu Lingzhu felt something fishy about Mu Yunjin's feigned concern. She gripped her fingers tight as her face turned dark. Cao Pan was her trusted aide for many years. Yesterday she'd sent Cao Pan to kill Mu Yunjin, thinking that she'd cut off her means of retreat and completely root out Mu Yunjin. Who would've thought, waking up this morning she'd find Cao Pan dead in her own courtyard? Mu Lingzhu saw Cao Pan, she realized Mu Yunjin had thrown him away in her courtyard to provoke her. Seeing that Mu Lingzhu remained quiet for a long time, Mu Yunjin looked at the cat again. Soon after she turned her eyes towards Mu Xiang and Su Biqing.

“Yesterday, Muqin returned the gift boxes to my residence. I was tired and didn’t feel like tidying up. So, I stayed at the Ascending Flower Pavilion. What happened to the cat? How did it get poisoned and die in my Listening Flower Pavilion?”

Mu Xiang listened to Mu Yunjin's words, stared at her, pointing to the ground barked, “Do you have any connection with this matter?”

“Fuqin, why do you think that I have a connection to this matter?” Mu Yunjin retorted.

Mu Yunjin took a seat at the side. She faintly swept a glance across Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu.

“Is the Judicial Office not yet open? Yunjin's heart has no shame. Fuqin can directly send someone to investigate this case.”

As soon as they heard her, Su Biqing’s and Mu Lingzhu's faces changed. This was their first experience of suffering in silence without a choice.

“This bizarre incident occurred inside the Fu. It is true that we have to investigate thoroughly otherwise if this happens again, this Xiangfu will be turned upside down.” Mu Xiang said as he pounded on the table.

“Someone come, go to the Justice Office and request Official Chen Pu to come.” Mu Xiang spoke with finality.

“Yes, Master.”

The servant then quickly ran out. Mu Yunjin raised her face suppressing a smile, as she looked at Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu.

“Muqin and Si mei must not feel sad. They say that the Judicial Office is efficient in handling cases, I am sure that everything will be resolved fairly.”

Mu Yunjin looked pitifully at the cat on the ground, “With regards to Muqin, this is just a cat. But still, it truly saved my life and is a benefactor. Otherwise, I fear that the one lying down here would have been me.”

Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu couldn’t endure any longer, they sought Mu Xiang's comfort, “Laoye, this morning Zhu'er and I were frightened. Now we are a little tired, we will go back to rest.”

“Okay, the two of you may rest.” Mu Xiang looked at them with concern.

They nodded and walked out.

.........

Walking out of the Front Hall, Mu Lingzhu could no longer hold in. She pulled Su Biqing over to a secluded corner and wrinkled her brows, “Muqin, that Mu Yunjin has secretly learned some skills. Now she is actually quite impervious to swords or spears.¹”

“Yes, I too am puzzled! I spent a lot of effort on those gift boxes, who could have imagined that she’d easily evade it and even more kill my cat.” Su Biqing was incensed by the thought of her beloved cat.

“What do we do now? An official from the Judicial Office will arrive soon. Something is bound to come out during the investigations, Don't we need to come up with a contingency plan on what needs to be done?” Mu Lingzhu nervously asked. Su Biqing sighed as she looked at Mu Lingzhu, “Muqin is already prepared. If she is still able to escape this time, then Muqin has no more methods.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Impervious to sword or spear1 - means untouchable or thick-skinned (impervious to criticism) but in this case, I think the author meant untouchable in the sentence due to Mu Yunjin`s fighting skills.

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