Chapter 305

At the Mu manor today, Yueqian sat in the pavilion in the middle of the garden, watching the servants busy with cooking. She took this time to care for Xihao and teach him a few things. At the very least, he could observe the work and cooking of the people around him. Today, Official Yan had taken a day off from his government duties to help manage affairs at home and look after his injured wife, Furen Yan.

When the emperor learned of this, he allowed Official Yan to handle the work at his manor and ensure the well-being of the refugees. The emperor was not too strict with Official Yan, so he ended up sitting with Yueqian in the pavilion.

“Xiao Hao is really strong. When my son was his age, he cried all the time. Furen Mu, you truly know how to care for children,” Official Yan praised, seeing that Xihao was indeed very adorable.

“Xihao is a smart child. He learns quickly,” Yueqian replied vaguely, not even looking up at Official Yan. Objectively speaking, Yueqian wasn’t making advances toward him, contrary to rumors. Moreover, the pavilion was filled with many servants. Even on the pavilion itself, Wan Gui was there to help with various tasks, and Rui Beng was also present. It was far from being a private conversation between just the two of them.

“Yes, indeed. Xiao Hao is very smart. Since I’ve been coming here often, I’ve never seen him act out. He even eats and uses the bathroom on a regular schedule,” Official Yan continued to praise without thinking much of it.

Yueqian said nothing in return, merely nodding at him. Her son was not like other children, so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t behave like a typical infant.

“By the way, do you wish to have more children, Furen Mu?” Official Yan asked, having seen how adept Yueqian was at raising her child. Typically, officials had many children, but not always with just one woman. At the Mu manor, there was only Furen Mu, no concubines or maid concubines. So, if there were to be any talk of children, it would only concern Furen Mu.

However, this question caused the eavesdroppers to become furious. They had been listening to what seemed like a conversation between husband and wife for a while. Initially, it didn’t seem like anything serious from a neutral standpoint, but even that sentence just now!

“What does that mean? Master asking Furen Mu such a thing—doesn’t that imply he wants to father a child with her? Furen Mu isn’t with her husband now, so if she wants more children, it can only be with someone else,” one of the gossiping servants whispered, further fueling Furen Yan’s anger.

She said nothing but continued to listen to the two of them with a sullen expression. In truth, Furen Yan had secretly infiltrated the Mu manor, disguised as a servant, with the help of her own people to conceal her identity. She did this to find out what her husband was really doing here every day.

Upon her arrival, it was just in time to see Furen Mu and Official Yan finishing their work assignments. They had come to sit and rest before supervising the workers delivering food to the refugee grounds.

Because of this, Furen Yan misunderstood, thinking that the two of them were not actually working. She believed they were leaving the labor to the servants while they flirted with each other. This misunderstanding caused her great anguish and heartache.

Her husband, who had always been loving and kind to her, was now acting this way. Although he had many wives, he had always respected her, informing her each time he brought another woman into their home. This was the first time he had dared to lie to her, claiming to go to work but actually coming to see another woman. This showed that her importance had diminished in his eyes.

Furen Yan looked at the beautiful face of Furen Mu, feeling a pang of jealousy. She was older now and not as beautiful as Furen Mu. It wasn’t surprising if her husband had fallen in love with someone else, perhaps even Furen Mu. Nevertheless, how could a woman’s heart ever accept such feelings?

Tears flowed continuously from Furen Yan’s eyes, but she did not dare to reveal herself. She feared being seen as a narrow-minded furen who embarrassed her husband in front of others. So, she swallowed her bitterness and pain.

This was the societal norm of people in this era. Women had to adhere to it always. Men were the supreme authority; whatever they did required their husbands’ approval. If a woman misbehaved or was too vocal, she would be seen as jealous, envious, and unworthy. Most women had to conform to these traditions. Often, they had to suppress their sorrows, never showing them, sometimes even smiling and welcoming new concubines, despite the ongoing pain in their hearts.

Furen Yan looked at Furen Mu, who wasn’t even looking at her husband, only tending to her child, feeling conflicted. Despite the other party’s indifferent demeanor, she somehow remained captivating. Furen Mu never showed any affection toward her husband, yet why did her husband come to see her every day?

Yes, Furen Yan was not angry at Furen Mu at all, but she felt hurt by her own husband and, consequently, envied Furen Mu’s beautiful face as well.

“I haven’t made any plans about that. This matter should be discussed with my husband,” Yueqian said clearly, which reinforced that Furen Mu had no improper thoughts. So, Furen Yan looked at her husband again.

Seeing only Official Yan’s foolish expression, she felt even more frustrated. How could he sit there so obliviously when she had already made it clear that she wasn’t interested?!

In reality, Official Yan hadn’t intended or shown any behavior as his wife had interpreted. His expression and surprise were perfectly normal.

“Hmm? Have you not discussed this with your husband yet? The matter of a family heir is very important. Officials like us need to have more children. I see that Deputy General Mu clearly desires only one wife, so I can’t advise him to take another. But when it comes to children, more must be had.”

Official Yan expressed his concern. According to the beliefs of that era, having more children was a way to expand power, a notion contrary to Yueqian’s desire to raise her children well. She didn’t want many children to increase power. If she wanted power, she would attain it herself.

Why should one place their hopes in children who may not even want to be born? Since it’s the greedy parents who bring them into the world, they must take responsibility and raise them well, not to burden the child who had no choice in their own birth.

Moreover, she did not believe in the idea that a family had to grow large and mighty. Life is simple: birth, aging, illness, and death. Thus, once born, children should come into a ready and prepared environment. Her child should be born into a situation where the parents are ready, so they can live happily. When they grow old, they’ll be prepared to face illness and understand the moments of death.

There’s no need to fear pain and death because they are inseparable parts of life. This is the truth of existence. If parents are prepared and teach their children to understand this cycle, there will be no fear of living a hard life.

In the end, happiness or sorrow resides only in the mind. If she were fixated on power and such values, she wouldn’t have become an outcast of a great family. She would have become like the heroine who knew the plot of the story and returned to seize power from the original heroine.

So, after thinking about how to respond to Official Yan’s question, Yueqian smiled happily.

“If we are to have children, we want to have them when we are ready to care for them. We don’t want to have children just to place our lives and hopes on them. I think it’s a heavy burden for a child. It’s already difficult enough for us to grow up to be adults, so if my husband or I want something, we will strive to achieve it ourselves.”

“Besides, it’s more fun that way, isn’t it? Achieving something on your own is more rewarding, isn’t it? As for the children, if they are happy doing what they want, then let them do it. They have their own thoughts, just like us—they are individuals, with their own spirits, likes, and dreams.”

Yueqian spoke politely, and the more she spoke, the more beautiful she appeared. Even now, Official Yan was astonished by her smile.

It was as if this Furen Mu had transcended all cycles of existence, expressing herself like someone who had attained enlightenment, which was impossible for someone her age. Her smile put everyone at ease, making it arguably the most beautiful smile Official Yan had ever seen.

“Let’s go back,” suddenly said Furen Yan, who had been watching in anger. She had heard every word of Furen Mu’s speech. Those words served as a reminder to her as well.

In the past, why had she wanted to maintain her status as the principal wife of the Yan family? She had forgotten those feelings. When she was about to marry him, how had she felt? Happy, joyous, and at ease, right?

She had sworn to herself that if she could marry a man like Official Yan, no matter what happened in the future, she would not feel pain. She only wanted to be by his side, supporting his happiness, wasn’t that right?

So why, after so many years, had those feelings disappeared? All that remained was pressure, pain, and discomfort. Until she heard Furen Mu’s words just now, it was as if they had unearthed those buried feelings deep within her heart.

If she loved someone, did she need to place all her hopes and expectations on him? Wasn’t it enough just to have him by her side, breathing and smiling at her? Shouldn’t that make her happy? From the beginning, he had many concubines and maid concubines. Why was she happy back then? Wasn’t it simply because she wanted to be by his side?

At that time, did she care about becoming his principal wife? No, she didn’t. She stubbornly wanted to be by his side, no matter the status, right?

However, Furen Yan, who had spoken as if she had let go of everything, was stopped. It was the servant who had been trying to manipulate her all along who confusedly stopped her mistress. In fact, their furen had seen how Furen Mu’s smile had left Official Yan stunned. Why wasn’t she getting angrier? Why wasn’t she rushing in to cause a scene and start a fight?!

If Furen Yan had confronted Furen Mu, it would surely lead to scandalous rumors. This would fulfill the servant’s plan, earning her a large reward from powerful people in the inner palace. But why was it ending so easily? How could she accept this?!

“Furen! How can you leave now? If you go, you’re just giving our master more opportunity to fall under Furen Mu’s charm. Didn’t you see his eyes just now?” The servant said urgently. Furen Yan, waking from her emotional reverie, was surprised by the servant’s reaction.

Initially, she hadn’t thought much because she was engulfed in anger. But now, hearing this, she sensed something amiss.

“I trust my husband. Moreover, Furen Mu hasn’t done anything improper. She’s sitting with my husband in front of so many people; there can’t be any bad intentions.” Regaining her composure, she began to see the truth. Her eyes were opened, and she immediately understood Furen Mu’s intentions.

There were many witnesses present. Even if her outburst harmed Furen Mu’s reputation, the one who would suffer more would be herself.

After these servants spread their explanations, it wouldn’t be any different from labeling Furen Yan as a hot-headed, brainless person, acting like a vicious fool. It would be a clear act of self-destruction. Why would she do that to herself?

“How can you think like that, Furen! Furen Mu is a devil. She pretends not to think anything, but in truth, she’s only doing it to gain everyone’s trust. Didn’t you see our master’s expression? Are you just going to let this slide? If you do, you must be prepared to lose our master for sure.”

“................”

“You must take action, Furen. You must publicly disgrace Furen Mu. How can you remain such a foolish woman? If you don’t fight back, you will be bullied in the future.”

“.................”

“You cannot let our master fall under that devil’s charm. She pretends to be innocent, but she’s actually manipulating him!”

“Oh, if I didn’t know that Furen Yan was Official Yan’s wife, then what I heard just now would make me understand that you’re so blatantly ‘jealous’ of Official Yan...” While the servant was instigating Furen Yan’s anger, a sweet voice of a woman suddenly interrupted from close by, startling everyone who heard it!