After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 8

The palace maid in charge of the myna bird felt anxious.

This was the Ciyuan Palace, the place where the Empress Dowager handled state affairs. This bird had always been clever, entertaining everyone with its speech and antics, and was highly favored by the Empress Dowager. Why was it suddenly clamoring at the new Prince Consort?

And what was this about an “immortal”?

No one had ever taught it to say such things.

Furthermore, the myna held a special status here, having been at the Empress Dowager’s side even longer than the maids themselves. If an investigation were to be launched, they might very well be the ones punished.

In the midst of the eerie atmosphere, Ning Bumo smiled and said, “Asu still has such a sharp eye; it recognized Mu Wan’s extraordinary nature at a glance.”

“Asu, come here!” He beckoned, and the bird on the perch flew over expertly, landing on Ning Bumo’s shoulder. However, its head kept tilting toward Mu Wan.

Everyone in the hall actually saw a look of flattery on the bird.

Usually, even when facing the Empress Dowager, it never acted this way. In fact, it often relied on her affection to act spoiled or stubborn.

To be honest, those in the Ciyuan Palace felt uneasy.

Looking at it closely, it felt as though a lively, mischievous child they looked after had suddenly favored an outsider. They could not fathom what charm this new Prince Consort possessed to make the bird behave in such a manner.

It was not just the palace officials and maids who felt this way; Mao Xinyun felt the same.

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes, appraising her new son-in-law.

It was difficult for anyone to look at Mu Wan without being struck by his appearance.

He stood there, elegant and ethereal, with raven-black hair cascading to his waist, held by nothing more than a single jade pin. Though he was rumored to be a simpleton, his eyes were incredibly clear—the kind of beautiful, bright eyes usually seen only in children, yet present here on a young man nearing the age of twenty.

Was he like this because his mind remained that of a child?

Mao Xinyun would not lower herself to bicker with a simpleton. She turned her gaze back to Ning Bumo and said, “You are a married man now; act with more decorum. That is enough, sit down.”

This signaled that she would not hold the bird’s earlier behavior against them. The little maid sighed in relief and, following a signal from the head official, quickly retreated.

Ning Bumo took Mu Wan’s hand and led him to a seat. Seeing this, Mao Xinyun was slightly taken aback.

Everyone assumed that because Ning Bumo had been forced to marry Mu Wan, he would be resentful. Even if he had been magnanimous in the past, after surviving death, losing the use of his legs, and being forced into a marriage for no reason, he should have held some grievances. Even if he did not vent them on Mu Wan, he should not have been acting so intimate with him.

Recalling reports from earlier, she spoke, “I heard you and Assistant Minister Mu had some unpleasantries. The battle of Lingzhou has just passed; I know you are feeling aggrieved, but you must still be cautious in your words and actions.”

Mu Wan did not like her tone. Ning Bumo had essentially stood up for him that day, so what was wrong with his actions?

“He called His Highness a cripple.” Mu Wan fidgeted with the jade tablet in his hand, intentionally being mischievous.

The reason he had not exposed Mu Yan’s wrongdoings in public that day was to wait for this exact moment. Telling the Empress Dowager directly was far more effective than speaking in front of a biased father like Mu Zhe, and it also served as a way to test the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward Ning Bumo.

“Oh? Who said that?” Ning Bumo chimed in quickly, the corner of his mouth pressing down in a way that made his true mood impossible to guess.

“My younger brother.”

After Mu Wan finished saying this with innocent simplicity, he reached out and tapped the myna. Asu immediately pressed its beak against his fingertip, and the two played happily, as if the comment had been nothing more than a casual remark.

But for a simpleton, was it not just a casual remark?

“Is that true?” Mao Xinyun pressed.

“He is a fool; do you think he is capable of lying?” Ning Bumo looked down at his own legs, his expression gloomy. “The Empress Dowager asks me to be cautious in my words, but if I were truly a fool, what would become of the royal family’s reputation?”

Mao Xinyun closed her eyes and turned her prayer beads. She did not speak for a long while before opening her eyes, which, despite being well-preserved, showed faint wrinkles. “The Princess Consort is, after all, a child of the Mu family. Punishing him too severely would affect his reputation. Furthermore, besides the Mu family, no one witnessed the incident; even if we were to investigate, nothing would come of it.”

“So it was for the sake of my and the Prince Consort’s reputation. I had thought the Empress Dowager was worried about chilling the hearts of her subjects,” Ning Bumo retorted with icy sarcasm.

Mao Xinyun did not get angry. She followed his lead and said, “You are my child, so I am naturally looking out for you. As for Assistant Minister Mu’s discipline of his son, I will reprimand him later. If you were dissatisfied, you already taught them a lesson that day; that should count as venting your frustration.”

This made it clear that she knew exactly what had happened at the Mu estate that day. Yet, her calm tone made the situation feel even colder. If the Empress Dowager had become angry or argued, it might have shown a sense of guilt or a lack of confidence, but she showed neither.

In other words, she truly did not care that her son had suffered this slight.

Mu Wan looked at Ning Bumo and found that he did not look disappointed either, as if he had long since seen through the outcome.

Not only was he not disappointed, but he also turned back and winked at Mu Wan. Who knew what he was planning? He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Mu Wan’s ear, putting on a show of great intimacy, and then said, “I forgot, Mother now acts strictly according to the rules; you should certainly understand better than I how to handle such matters.”

“Enough, let us not talk about this anymore.” Ning Bumo took the initiative to stop the conversation and looked at Mao Xinyun with a smile. “Speaking of which, I did not know the benefits of marriage before. Now that I am married, I have discovered that it is better to have a companion by one’s side.”

“If I have found such benefits, I must not forget the Emperor. If I remember correctly, the Emperor should also be at the age to choose a consort and marry. Does Mother have any candidates in mind?”

One sentence was enough to make Mao Xinyun’s expression sink.

Unfortunately, Mu Wan knew too little about their royal affairs, so this gossip did not make much sense to him. He turned his attention to the system waiting quietly in the void and asked it to explain.

Since this did not involve the future and was just background, the system was happy to do its host a favor and immediately began to speak.

“Ning Bumo’s father was the Emperor two generations ago. After he passed away, Ning Bumo’s older brother, the then-Crown Prince, ascended the throne. However, the late Emperor was not in good health and passed away within two years. Mao Xinyun then supported the young Emperor Ning Yu, who was only twelve at the time, to the throne, and she became the Empress Dowager, ruling from behind the curtain.”

For a woman in the Yong Dynasty, this was the pinnacle of power. However, for the court officials, the Emperor was the one they identified with. Maintaining the Emperor’s power was synonymous with maintaining their own.

Thus, as the young Emperor grew older, the calls for the Empress Dowager to return power to him grew louder. And if the Emperor were to marry, the pressure on Mao Xinyun would only increase.

“So, Ning Bumo’s words were meant to pressure the Empress Dowager. Once he, as the Prince of Jing, takes the initiative to urge the Emperor to marry, he will surely receive the support of the officials in the court.”

Not just the officials, but if the Emperor was a man who craved power, he would naturally be happy to see it happen. The only person who would be unhappy was the Empress Dowager.

But with Ning Bumo bringing this up now, it looked less like a sincere suggestion and more like he was applying pressure.

Why?

Mu Wan watched patiently and soon received the answer.

“You may all withdraw first.” Mao Xinyun spoke, dismissing the surrounding female officials and maids.

Once they were gone, Mao Xinyun looked at her son. “I know why you came here today.”

“Du Heguang and the others have already been escorted to the capital. You want them to live.”

“But the loss in the battle of Lingzhou was great. They must pay the price for it.”

“The price?” Ning Bumo repeated the words. The anger he had suppressed since returning to the capital finally erupted. “Winter was approaching, the grass was withering, and the Hu people needed supplies. I had already reported this. If so, why were the military provisions that should have been transported here plundered by the Tieshan tribe? Where did those people go, and where are the officials in charge of this? And why did those people know that I had arrived in Lingzhou at that time?”

Ning Bumo and his men had defended Lingzhou to the death, but they were not met with reinforcements. Instead, they were met with the heads of the soldiers sent to meet them, hanging from banners, blood dripping steadily to the ground.

But that was only the beginning.

Starving and freezing, no matter how iron-willed the soldiers were, their strength would be greatly diminished. Yet, behind them were countless common people of the Yong Dynasty; where could they retreat to?

The military supervisor sent by the court repeatedly tried to interfere with their decisions, delaying the battle. If the people in the city could not get supplies, were they supposed to resort to cannibalism? They had to find a way.

In the process, Ning Bumo was ambushed and suffered injuries.

In the end, Lingzhou was defended, but Ning Bumo and the Wolf Cavalry he led suffered heavy losses. Only then did the court’s reinforcements finally arrive, tardily.

Even more ridiculously, his soldiers were being blamed for the losses.

After returning to the capital, other than the imperial decree ordering the marriage and a steady stream of palace physicians, no one had spoken to him about Lingzhou.

The condemnation from the outside world had been blocked off, so Ning Bumo heard no criticism. By the same token, he could get no explanation for the battle.

No one knew how many memorials they had submitted in advance.

People only knew that the Great Yong had lost the battle, which had made the Tieshan tribe arrogant.

Mao Xinyun closed her eyes again. After a long moment, she finally spoke, “Death penalty can be avoided, but living sins are inescapable. This is state law; it cannot be violated.”

She had finally relented.

Although it was only sparing their lives, it was all she could do at the moment.

Ning Bumo’s hands clenched and then relaxed. “In that case, I will await the good news.”

He then reached out his hand toward Mu Wan. “Let us go.”

His demeanor suggested he did not want to stay for another moment.

Seeing he was in a bad mood, Mu Wan did not do anything extra and took his hand, intending to leave with him.

This panicked Asu. The myna flew off the table, circling them and calling out, “Immortal, you are leaving already, Immortal? Immortal, come back next time!”

“Asu!” Mao Xinyun, who was usually gentle with the bird, shouted coldly. The bird was so startled that it stopped abruptly, tucked its head away, and played dead.

Mao Xinyun was left alone, watching the two figures leave, clutching her prayer beads tightly.

The lonely one.

Once one sits in this position, one must inevitably lose something.

She was not wrong.