Chapter 008: Chess Pieces

Upon hearing Mu Wanqing's reproach, Zhi Ning's eyes turned red again, and she lowered her head in silence

At that time, she did not understand what was happening; now she comprehends the situation within the court, realizing that Huo Chen only regarded her as a pawn

Suddenly, a series of sounds erupted in the courtyard, and Mu Wanqing and Zhi Ning exchanged glances, as this did not resemble the sound of the courtyard door being opened

The moonlight is cold and pale like frost, leaving only a faint and hazy outline

He is unwilling, so be it. Mu Wanqing has already lost all hope.

The candlelight is dim, making it difficult to discern even the outlines of people

At this point, Zhi Ning glanced at Mu Wanqing and noticed that she was slightly lost in thought, which made her breathe a sigh of relief, as she was very afraid that the young lady would be unhappy because of that matter

Mu Wanqing remained silent, but the words spoken to her by Chu Qing today still echoed in her ears: "The prince said that as long as the lady manages to steal the Prime Minister's military token, she will be exempt from punishment, and in the future at the royal residence, it will certainly not be like today."

But what does it mean when Huo Chen says that she owes him a life?

However, if Zhi Ning secretly brings back some medicine, it would be troublesome if the wound becomes infected

But just then, someone pushed the door open, and Zhi Ning immediately stood up, exclaiming in surprise: "Young Master?"

Mu Wanqing was taken aback, suddenly recalling that when she was being punished, Chu Qing had come by. She gritted her teeth, enduring the blows without letting out a sound. At that moment, if she had agreed to Chu Qing, she would have spared herself the physical suffering. However, just thinking of Huo Chen's detestable face made her question why she should let him manipulate her

Miss, you have finally awakened. Zhi Ning hurriedly wiped the tears from her face

Mu Wanqing was awakened by a faint sound of weeping

"It was the guard Chu Qing who brought the young lady back," Zhi Ning replied

Mu Wanqing glanced at Zhineng and reproached, "Haven't you learned your lesson after trying it once? You actually believe what Mu Yirou said; she is clearly in collusion with Yingji."

How did I get back?" Mu Wanqing propped her forehead with her hand, preventing her face from resting against the pillow. It seemed that she had an exceptionally unfortunate day, having been slapped in the face and even suffering injuries to her backside. After enduring more than ten strikes, she fainted and had no recollection of how she returned.

Today, while walking on the street, I overheard two maids from the Wang residence whispering to each other, and I realized that Qing'er must have been wronged in the Wang residence. Last time, Qing'er attempted to take her own life by crashing into a wall, yet I was not allowed to visit her. This time, I waited until deep into the night before sneaking in. Mu Yixu spoke while gently touching her cheek, but when he saw her flinch in pain, his heart ached even more

Mu Yuxu had heard about Mu Wanqing's amnesia and could only lament the turbulent fate of his sister. He then took out a small iron box, intricately carved with exquisite patterns, but upon opening it, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

"Just a pawn..." Mu Wanqing murmured

In this case, can we divide the factions in the court into two sides: one led by Huo Chen and the other by Prince Yan? Moreover, Prince Yan is the legitimate eldest son and has the support of the Prime Minister, making his influence substantial. Mu Wanqing could not help but sneer inwardly; so it is, if Prince Yan marries her, then the Prime Minister and Prince Yan would indeed be allied. If Huo Chen were to marry her and Mu Yirou, it would perfectly disrupt this situation. It seems that Huo Chen is quite intent on plotting how to seize the position of heir apparent, as for herself...

"Young Master, it is all my fault, I did not protect the young lady well," Zhi Ning said, her eyes reddening again. "But why have you come, Young Master?"

Mu Yao Xu m.hetushucom .com At a glance, Mu Wanqing was lying on the bed, her cheeks swollen to the point that she was almost unrecognizable, yet her eyes remained bright and spirited. The moment he thought of the suffering Mu Wanqing had endured, his heart ached, and he quickly walked to the bedside, his sword-like brows furrowing: "How dare that Huo Chen treat you this way!"

"Do not cry; what good does it do to cry now? Just do not make the same mistake again in the future," Mu Wanqing said softly. "Do you understand what kind of person Huo Chen is?"

Zhi Ning washed a towel and gently wiped her face, her voice filled with an uncontainable sadness: "The prince refuses to summon a doctor and also refuses to provide medicine. What can be done about the young lady's injury?" After speaking, she glanced at Mu Wanqing's backside. Although she had already changed her into a new outfit, blood still seeped through, resembling clusters of red plum blossoms.

Zhi Ning knew that Mu Wanqing would no longer recognize anyone after hitting the wall. She tugged at Mu Wanqing's sleeve and explained, "Miss, this is the eldest young master, born of the same mother as you."

Seeing the swelling on Mu Wanqing's face diminish significantly, Mu Yixu finally relaxed his tense nerves. He applied the ointment to her left hand as well, then closed the box and instructed, "This ointment should be applied three times a day, and it will soon help reduce the swelling. As for the injury on your backside, you can also use this medicine, but the effect will not be as quick."

First came endless torment, then a rope was thrown out, little did one know, that it was a bottomless abyss

Zhi Ning nodded: "The current Empress is the biological sister of the master, and the Duke of Yan and the young lady are cousins. The young lady often went to the palace to play with the Duke of Yan back then"

Zhi Ning was taken aback, not understanding what Mu Wanqing was saying: "Miss?"

Hearing Zhi Ning say this, she realized that she was taken from the hands of Prince Yan by Huo Chen. Mu Wanqing thought for a moment and then asked, "Is Prince Yan the legitimate eldest son?"

Applying that fragrant ointment, the pain in my cheeks was immediately alleviated, accompanied by a refreshing sensation

Mu Wanqing wanted to start speaking, but her cheeks were so swollen that even moving felt painful. She lay on the bed, feeling an unbearable pain in her backside. She could only stretch out her hand and point to the teacup on the table. Zhi Ning quickly understood and hurriedly poured a cup of tea for Mu Wanqing to drink.

Mu Wanqing felt a tingling sensation in her nose, yet she could not utter a word. Today, having endured so much grievance, apart from Zhi Ning, there was also this "stranger" of a brother who showed concern for her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she quickly nodded.

Mu Wanqing followed the sound and went to the library, where a man was standing at the entrance. He bore a resemblance to her, and when she woke up, Zhi Ning had mentioned that besides her half-sister Mu Yirou, she also had a biological older brother.

Zhi Ning was taken aback, but recalling that Mu Wanqing had lost her memory after hitting the wall, she said: "The prince is the second son of the emperor, and his mother is Concubine Yao. However, after Concubine Yao passed away two years ago, the prince was sent to his fief and only returned to the capital last year." As Zhi Ning was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and found it quite strange, adding: "Originally, the young lady was betrothed to Prince Yan, but for some unknown reason, the emperor later granted the young lady to the prince as his primary consort, while the third young lady became a secondary consort. At that time, the master did not agree, but imperial orders are hard to defy, so he had no choice but to let the young lady marry, who would have thought..."

She is not foolish to that extent yet

"Elder brother brought the medicine. Since you don't like smelly things, elder brother specifically found this fragrant ointment for you." Mu Yixu's voice was gentle, "Is it alright if elder brother applies the medicine on your face?"

The sky had already darkened, yet only a single candle was lit in the room. The candlelight flickered as she opened her eyes and looked for a long time before finally recognizing that it was Zhi Ning sitting at the head of the bed