Chapter 405: Trump Card
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Jinghua was very interested in Mu Yangling, and Wen Cui was also very interested in her. Without needing her to mention it, she took the initiative to approach Mama Wang. On the way back, she met another young lass who often ran out to run errands. Then, Wen Cui ran back to gossip with her madam.
“Madam, Mama Wang said that Miss Mu is as strong as an ox. Once, she lifted the huge rockery in our residence with one hand and even spun it three times
above her head.”
“Nonsense. Won’t the rocks above fall with her spinning the rockery like this?”
Li Jinghua didn’t believe it.
“It’s true.” Wen Cui said anxiously, “It’s precisely because Miss Mu is strong that Fourth Young Master often spars with her. I heard that she even helps Fourth Young Master train his troops. The soldiers under Fourth Young Master are very obedient towards her.”
“Look at how light she was when she carried Master back-it was as if she was carrying a blanket. I heard that she even flew all the way back from East Street.” Wen Cui said dreamily, “She flew back. I heard that all the servants in the magistrate’s residence saw it. At that time, I thought that I was seeing things. Madam, Master was carried back just like that…”
This was what Wen Cui could not accept the most. The wise and mighty master in her heart had actually been carried back by Miss Mu who leaped her way here, and Miss Mu had only entered the age of 14 this year…
That scene was too shocking. Even now, Wen Cui could not forget it.
Li Jinghua looked at Wen Cui and said, “I asked you to go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare dinner. Did you go?”
“Yes, yes. Most of the dishes are meat.” Wen Cui immediately said, “I heard that Miss Mu is like Eldest Young Master and Fourth Young Master, who love to eat meat. She can eat a sheep in just one meal.”
Li Jinghua thought of Mu Yangling’s petite frame and burst out laughing. ‘■You’re bragging again. How can that stomach hold a sheep?”
Li Jinghua thought for a moment and said, “Alright, don’t ask around about this matter. Go to the kitchen and take a look. Military Advisor Rong is eating here too. Make sure nothing goes wrong in the kitchen.”
Over the past few days, the people in the residence had been in turmoil. Moreover, because the spy with unknown background was hiding somewhere, their residence had also been ruthlessly cleaned up. In the process, quite a few problematic people were discovered. There were two such cases in the kitchen, so everything in the residence had to start over.
Wen Cui responded and turned to go to the kitchen again.
Li Jinghua thought for a moment before going to Qi Xiuyuan’s place. Seeing that the door was tightly shut and Qi Xiuyuan’s personal servant, Shi Jian, was guarding the door, she knew that they had not finished speaking. She hesitated and did not go over.
However, Shi Jian saw her and greeted her with a smile. “Madam, you’re here? Why don’t you go and sit in the corridor for a while? I’ll go in and inform them of your arrival now.”
Li Jinghua was about to say no when she heard Qi Xiuyuan say, “Madam is here? Let her in.”
Shi Jian hurriedly invited Li Jinghua in respectfully.
Qi Haoran, Fan Zijin, and Rong Xuan were all sitting in front of Qi Xiuyuan’s bed.
When the three of them saw her enter, other than Rong Xuan, Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin stood up and bowed to Li Jinghua. Qi Haoran scratched his head and smiled. “Sister-in-law, take care of Big Brother. Zijin and I will go back to the room to freshen up first.”
Li Jinghua hurriedly said, “Fourth Brother, go ahead. I’ll get someone to call
you when it’s time to eat.”
Rong Xuan also stood up and bowed slightly to bid farewell. As he had his own room to rest in the General’s Mansion, he went back directly.
Qi Xiuyuan patted the edge of the bed and gestured for Li Jinghua to sit down.
He asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
Having known her for a year, Qi Xiuyuan had an understanding of his wife’s character. She knew that he had someone to entertain here, so she wouldn’t come back if there was nothing important.
Li Jinghua bit her lower lip and said, “Master, when Sister Mu carried you back, many people saw it, so there is an uproar outside. Everyone said that you were seriously injured. Do you want us to step forward and refute the rumors?” Qi Xiuyuan smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Just let them talk.”
Li Jinghua knew that Qi Xiuyuan’s actions had a deeper meaning. “Will it affect
Sister Mu?”
Even if the Northern Lands were more open-minded and did not restrict women so much, it would not be good for her reputation should rumors spread of her flying around with a man in her arms in public.
Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, “Who said that it was Ah Ling who flew on the roof that day? Who said that the person in her arms was me?”
Stunned, Li Jinghua looked up at her husband. Seeing that he was looking at her firmly, Li Jinghua instantly understood. “Yes, Master is right. At that time, that woman was so fast that not many people could see her face clearly, let alone the man in her arms.”
■’SO, I’ll leave the residence to you. It’s fine if you listen to the rumors outside, but you can’t allow such words to spread in the residence.” Qi Xiuyuan leaned against the pillow and said in a low voice, “Jinghua, Ah Ling has been helping Haoran train his troops, but other than us and Haoran’s subordinates, no one knows that she has the ability. There are even fewer people who know that she has good martial arts skills. Many people just think that she’s stronger than ordinary people, that she has planted a lot of land, raised a lot of orphans, and opened a cattle farm. That’s all.
Li Jinghua looked at Qi Xiuyuan’s serious gaze and nodded involuntarily. “Yes, that’s all.”
She walked out of the room in a daze. When the cold wind blew, she came back to her senses and her back couldn’t help but sweat. She understood that Qi Xiuyuan was using Mu Yangling as a trump card and a secret weapon. Just like this time, no one expected Mu Yangling to be the one who led the troops to save him and Qi Haoran.
At the same time, this was also a form of protection. If no one knew that she had these abilities, there would be no harm beyond her ability.
Then, she was touched. Li Jinghua knew that Qi Xiuyuan told her this trump card because he approved of her from the bottom of his heart. He even let her do the cover-up and even placed some power in her hands, just like how Mu Yangling was given the right to lead the army. No, she wasn’t as trusted as Mu Yangling in their hearts now, but she believed that one day, she would definitely obtain this trust.
Li Jinghua was not an innocent girl. She felt that after marrying Qi Xiuyuan, Qi Xiuyuan would have to trust her infinitely. Her father and brother had told her since she was young that trust had a price.
Since she was married to Qi Xiuyuan, it was her duty and power to manage the residence. Qi Xiuyuan had given her all of this, which was way better than how her uncle handled things. Her uncle couldn’t hand over the residence to her aunt, but he did it.
However, her father and brother had said that the power of the matriarch of a family was never limited to the internal matters. It was very related to the external matters, too. Whether she could obtain this power depended on her ability and Qi Xiuyuan’s trust in her.
She felt that there was nothing wrong with her ability. So how could she gam
Qi Xiuyuan’s trust?
There were two ways. The first was to give birth to a child for Qi Xiuyuan. The maintenance of bloodlines had always been the simplest, but after a year, she was still not pregnant. That meant that she could only accumulate it over time, hoping that Qi Xiuyuan could see her heart. And now, Qi Xiuyuan’s willingness to be frank with her was clearly a step forward. Whether she could stand firm with his foundation depended on her ability.
Filled with fighting spirit, Li Jinghua was as happy as a bird riding on the clouds. She was determined to pull Mu Yangling out perfectly and hide her ability.
Mu Yangling didn’t know that Qi Xiuyuan and his wife were busy with her matters. At this moment, she was hugging the blanket and lying on the brick bed, sleeping like a pig.
When Qi Haoran sneaked in with his wet hair draped over his shoulders, he saw her sleeping with her arms and legs spread out. He despised her for a moment, but he still couldn’t help but lean over to kiss her lips..
