Chapter 73

Chapter 73

“Vice Minister Mu has arrived.”

When she heard the announcement, Mu Tingting was sitting in front of the mirror, lost in thought.

Today, Lady Rong had originally planned to take her into the palace to meet the Empress.

Ever since Empress Zhang learned that she had arrived in the capital, she had wanted to summon her for an audience.

As luck would have it, the weather had been fine these past few days, and the plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden were all in bloom. Empress Zhang had planned to use “admiring the plum blossoms” as a pretext to have her enter the palace for a meeting.

Because of that, Mu Tingting had risen before dawn that morning.

She had instructed Ying’er to take out all the various clothes from her trunks so she could choose an outfit.

After nearly half an hour, she had finally selected a dress that was neither too plain nor too showy, yet proper for an imperial audience.

But just then, news suddenly came from the palace that Empress Zhang’s headaches had flared up again, and that she would summon her another day.

Mu Tingting’s soaring spirits instantly sank.

Then word came that Mu Zheng had arrived, and her heart gave a violent leap. She hurriedly asked, “Who?”

The maid who had come to report, Rong Shu, smiled and said, “Miss Xia, it is your uncle-Vice Minister Mu.”

“Uncle…”

Mu Tingting pushed away Ying’er, who had been doing her hair, and stood up. Yet for some reason, she hesitated, her emotions surging wildly.

Rong Shu added, “Vice Minister Mu said that the Young Marquis personally paid a visit to his residence yesterday, but he happened to be out at the time. Thinking there might be some matter at hand, he came early this morning to inquire.”

“He also said that if you are busy, Miss, there is no need to see him.”

Mu Tingting’s expression shifted, dark and uncertain.

She knew her father would not come here for no reason.

Something must have happened.

A baseless panic made her clutch her sleeve involuntarily. After barely steadying her expression, she said, “It is rare for my uncle to come all this way. If I refuse to see him, it would hardly be proper.”

“How about this, Sister Rong Shu? Could you ask the Marquis or Lady Rong on my behalf and allow me to meet my uncle in the outer reception hall of the East Courtyard?”

As she spoke, she took an ingot of silver from her dressing case and handed it over.

Rong Shu had not intended to accept it.

But after spending these days with “Miss Xia,” she knew the girl was cautious by nature and mindful of etiquette.

It would not be right to refuse and embarrass her, so she smiled and said, “Miss, you make it sound as if we are strangers. The Marquis and Lady Rong are both reasonable people. How could they forbid you from meeting His Lordship?”

“This servant will go to the front hall and invite Lord Mu over at once.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

Watching Rong Shu leave, Mu Tingting sat back down before the dressing mirror.

Only, for some reason, both her hands would not stop trembling.

Seeing that she was afraid, Ying’er lowered her voice and comforted her. “Miss, you need not worry. Since Lord Mu agreed to let you come to the capital, he will naturally have arranged a way out for you.”

Mu Tingting gave a cold smile at her reflection in the mirror.

She knew her father’s temperament well.

Back then, when Xia Ximo was gravely ill, she had taken expensive medicines every day just to keep herself alive, yet her health had shown no improvement.

Her father had been terrified that if Xia Ximo died, he would lose the protection of Renxuan Marquis Manor.

Every time he wrote home, every word was about Xia Ximo. He had utterly forgotten that he still had a biological daughter of his own.

In the end, it was her mother who had come up with the idea of having her replace Xia Ximo and go meet the Marquise.

She would never forget what her father had said to her mother at the time: If this matter is exposed, you will bear the responsibility yourself. It has nothing to do with me.

He wanted to keep himself completely uninvolved, yet still take all the benefits!

Mu Tingting knew that after her mother’s death, she could only rely on herself.

Her father’s agreement to let her enter the capital had been a reluctant move.

Most likely, he had feared that once the real Xia Ximo arrived in the capital, she would expose the scandal and affect his own official career. Only then had he been forced to play this final “chess piece.”

But in the end, if the matter truly was exposed, who was to say he would not be the first to rush to sever all ties with her?

A short while later, Rong Shu came to report again.

“Miss Xia, Vice Minister Mu is already waiting for you in the reception hall.”

Mu Tingting acknowledged her, then left the East Courtyard together with Ying’er.

Come to think of it, ever since her father had entered the capital to serve as an official, he had rarely returned to Xiling County.
It was rare enough for father and daughter to see each other at all.

Not long ago, she had secretly entered the capital. Afraid of arousing suspicion, the two of them had only exchanged a single letter before she set out.

Now, seeing her father’s figure from afar, a storm of emotions rose in her heart.

After entering, with everyone watching, she called out softly.

“Uncle.”

Mu Zheng’s back trembled. Only then did he slowly turn around, and there was actually a shimmer of tears in his eyes. “Good child.”

The two exchanged a few polite words as “uncle and niece.” Only after Rong Shu and the maidservants of the Marquis Mansion had left did Mu Zheng lower his voice and say, “Tingting, my dear daughter, you have truly suffered…”

Hearing that form of address, Mu Tingting first froze, then sneered inwardly, though her face remained obedient and docile.

Lowering her head, she sighed. “Mother is gone. Father is the only family I have left in this world. Now that I have come to the capital and can be this close to you, I have no regrets.”

Mu Zheng let out a sigh. “If you can marry into the Marquis Mansion, that would naturally be best. But right now, I fear there may be some obstacles.”

Mu Tingting knew at once that something had gone wrong.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “Has the Young Marquis… found out something?”

Mu Zheng glanced outside the hall before answering, “He has already sent men to Xiling County.”

Mu Tingting’s face went pale.

“Then he…”

No wonder he had suddenly and silently returned to the Marquis Mansion.

Mu Zheng explained, “Fortunately, all the servants in the residence have already been dismissed. Only Steward Zhou and a few old servants remain, and they can be trusted.”

“Besides, everything that needed to be explained has already been explained. There should be nothing to fear if he investigates…”

“The only problem is Old Zhang at the gate. When he gets drunk, he runs his mouth.”

Mu Tingting’s heart pounded wildly, but a ruthless gleam flashed through her eyes. “We should never have left him alive in the first place!”

“The Young Marquis is suspicious by nature. He must have discovered something on this trip. Otherwise, he would not have come to me all of a sudden, and then gone to you.”

Mu Zheng was first startled by the look in his daughter’s eyes, then asked, “He… suspects you as well?”

“Yes.”

Mu Tingting answered in a low voice. Her expression changed with astonishing speed, even taking on a trace of sorrow. “From the moment he first saw me, I knew he did not believe me.”

Hearing this, Mu Zheng fell silent for a moment before saying, “It must be because of Ximo…”

Mu Tingting’s heart thudded even harder. “What do you mean? Xia Ximo really is in the capital?”

Mu Zheng nodded.

“Not only did she enter the capital, she even sought out the Young Marquis. In fact, all this time, she has been living in the Young Marquis’s residence.”

Mu Tingting did not know what to feel. She seemed unable to believe it. “She… actually has that kind of ability?”

“No wonder the Young Marquis does not believe me. So it was…”

She collapsed into a chair, her expression already ugly to the extreme.

Then, all at once, she thought of the words she had heard that day at Duke Du’s Mansion…

“Father, you have to help me. If I am exposed…”

Mu Zheng hurriedly glanced outside, then patted her shoulder. “If we want this to succeed, Ximo cannot be allowed to live.”

Mu Tingting seized his sleeve in agitation. “Father, you must not be softhearted. You cannot leave behind future trouble!”

Mu Zheng paused before slowly saying, “Her movements after entering the capital have been extremely strange. She is also often with the Young Marquis, so it truly is difficult to make a move.”

“However, put your mind at ease for now. Since the Young Marquis has not brought her back to the estate, he likely does not trust her either.”

“Stay properly in the mansion. With the Marquise’s trust, you should have even greater certainty.”

Mu Tingting fell silent for a moment.

Her father’s words were undoubtedly telling her that she could only rely on herself.

“Father.”

She suddenly called to him in a faint, eerie voice, then said, “We can no longer sit here and wait for death.”

“Your daughter has found a way out. Would you be willing to try it?”

When his daughter asked him this, Mu Zheng inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.

Then he heard her continue, “Have you ever heard of a place in the capital called Fu Tower?”