Chapter 303: with translation of chapter title

Xiao Yichen now only wants to save his sister, paying no extra attention to Mu Yuanzhi's expression, thinking she's just speaking angrily.

"Mu Yuanzhi, a life is of utmost importance—tell me what you want in exchange for saving my sister; I'll agree to anything." Xiao Yichen said.

"Fine, you go die, and I'll agree." Mu Yuanzhi said with a smile.

When she uttered those two words "okay", Xiao Yichen thought she had softened, but the hope that had just flared up vanished in an instant.

"Mu Yuanzhi, do you really want me dead that badly?" Xiao Yichen asked anguished, his whole feeling like he'd fallen into a massive vortex, tormented beyond endurance, as if even his breathing was strained.

"Exactly, a life for a life is a fair trade, after all you owe me a life."

"But Chuchu never actually harmed your life."

"First, what I said has nothing to do with Xiao Chuchu; second, that was attempted murder, don't whitewash it so cleanly." Mu Yuanzhi sneered.

The anxious Xiao Yichen couldn't fathom what Mu Yuanzhi meant by constantly saying he owed her a life.

But he knew there was no room for negotiation.

She really was that resolute...

"What, you're reluctant to give up your own life? Then you care for your sister no more than that." Mu Yuanzhi summoned a servant: "Someone, see the guest out."

Xiao Yichen stared blankly at Mu Yuanzhi, seemingly hoping she'd change her mind, but in the end he couldn't wait for even a glance from her.

Mu Yuanzhi, you're so heartless!

Xiao Yichen flicked his sleeves and left.

Mu Yuanzhi didn't even register Xiao Yichen's anger; it would be best for him to stay that way and never appear before her again.

Not long after Xiao Yichen left, Gu Rongjin returned, looking exhausted.

"Sit down and rest, I'll give you a massage." Mu Yuanzhi glanced at a servant to prepare tea, then personally kneaded Gu Rongjin's back and shoulders, asking, "Is the situation hard to handle?"

Enjoying his wife's service, Gu Rongjin's expression relaxed considerably; he narrowed his eyes and said, "It's quite difficult to handle, after all he's been my sworn brother for years—I can't bring myself to act, so I let others do the dirty work; I'm truly despicable..."

"It's all his own doing; don't blame yourself." Mu Yuanzhi comforted him, "Don't dwell on it—you should blame that woman Ah Zi."

"I also blame myself for poor governance; I've already petitioned His Majesty to dissolve the Shuangjiang Office, and His Majesty agreed." Gu Rongjin said.

"After all, it's an institution left over from the past; His Majesty may not want to keep it."

"I'm ready to retire and return home—how am I only this age!"

"If you want to, you can resign anytime—you just can't let go." Mu Yuanzhi cut straight to the point.

Gu Rongjin: "Only you, Little Mu Yuanzhi, understand me."

He truly can't let go; the sense of duty he's carried since childhood isn't so easily relinquished.

"By the way, Xiao Yichen came today, asking me to save his sister, who he says is unconscious and terminally ill." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"He still has the nerve to come? You didn't agree to him, did you?"

"I said, 'If you go die, I'll agree,' but he's unwilling to sacrifice his life, or perhaps he thinks I'm just feigning refusal." Anyway, it doesn't matter.

"Let them die; they're not worth pity."

Earlier, his brief collaboration with Xiao Yichen was merely for the new emperor's sake—the new emperor needed support from such a former dynasty senior official like Xiao Yichen, so he gave him a semblance of favor; now it's no longer needed, so who cares!

It would be best if, because of this, Xiao Yichen stopped coming to harass his wife altogether—really disgusting.

After settling back in Jingcheng, Mu Yuanzhi hadn't gone out shopping in a while; today the weather was nice, so she planned to go out for a stroll, and as soon as she stepped out, she saw a carriage parked at their gate.

Who is it?

This kind of carriage doesn't look like that of any high-ranking official or noble.

As Mu Yuanzhi eyed it suspiciously, a lively figure leapt down from the carriage and, upon seeing her, lunged forward: "Master!"

Mu Yuanzhi was delighted: "Hongdou?!"

"Master, there's also the servant!" Linglong also scrambled down from the carriage, rushing over happily.

Having been apart so long, she's practically dying to see her master!

"How did you two come back?" Mu Yuanzhi gazed happily at the two maids, who looked neither thin nor ill, in good shape.

She had always worried about these two maids and Xiao Yunzi and Xiao Nianzi, fearing they'd be implicated because of her; even knowing they'd escaped safely, she constantly fretted that they might be seized any day.

Now that everything has settled, she finally can relax.

Hongdou laughed: "Of course we'll come back to continue serving the master!"

Linglong nodded vigorously: "Exactly!"

"The former dynasty is now just passing clouds; your indenture contracts are void, you're free—no need to call yourselves servants, you can live the lives you want." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Hongdou's face fell with reluctance: "But... we still want to follow the master..."

Linglong also said: "Precisely because we, the servants and Hongdou, want to follow the master, we hit it off and came together; moreover, I've heard the master is pregnant, so we're even more needed to attend by your side."

Mu Yuanzhi still shook her head: "You're just accustomed from childhood to serving in the palace gates; no one is born a servant. Since you think of me that way, you'd be better off finding a stall in Jingcheng to run a business—then you could see me often."

"Go into business?" Linglong and Hongdou exchanged a glance, "But... we servants... we don't know anything at all..."

"Xiao Yunzi knows everything, Xiao Nianzi is smart too—you could team up with them to open a shop; I'll use my influence to find you a premises in the busiest district, a thousand taels should be enough to start, right?"

"No, no, no, we don't need the princess to spend any more— we still have plenty of silver left from the allowance you gave us!" Linglong waved her hand.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Running a business takes a lot of money; just treat it as my investment, and at year's end you can give me a share of the profits."

Overwhelmed by her generosity, Hongdou could only feel endless gratitude: "Thank you, Princess; we'll go contact Xiao Nianzi and Xiao Yunzi!"

"Go, and let me know when you have good news."

Thus, Mu Yuanzhi's outing for shopping turned into a quest to find a good-location shop for Hongdou and the others.

She usually didn't deal with such matters, and suddenly being tasked with it left her a bit at a loss; just as she was pondering whom to ask, a suitable candidate showed up at her door!

"Young Master Yun!"

Since entering the city that day, Mu Yuanzhi hadn't seen Yun Jinglou; the new emperor appointed him Commander of the Naval Forces, a post of extremely high rank.

"Your Highness, you have time to come out for a stroll?" Yun Jinglou, also idle, had come to the street to wander.

"Seeing you, Young Master Yun, is perfect—I have some friends who want to find a shop in the capital to do business; I don't know if you have any suggestions."

She believed that the outsiders of Cloud Mirror Pavilion definitely understood Jingcheng's business ways better than she, a native, did.