Chapter 78: Why Must Beauty Embrace the Beast?

Chapter 078: Flowers Blooming on Cow Dung

Fang Rulai turned away of her own accord, letting the person behind her cling on like a koala, pressing tightly against her like an oversized blanket—surprisingly warm, not heavy at all. She guessed he must have used his internal energy to cushion most of his weight, a unique kind of thoughtfulness that belonged to him alone.

With a faint smile at her lips, Fang Rulai walked towards Madam Mu, unconcerned about the koala-bear blanket behind her—if he wished to hold on, let him, so long as he didn’t hinder her movements. As for his noisy demands for a kiss or a spanking, she paid him no mind! She didn’t know where the sense of certainty came from, but she just knew he would never disregard her wishes.

Casting a glance at the still-unconscious Mu Zhijin, Fang Rulai asked, “Madam Mu, how is Mu Zhijin? The medicine was given by this one behind me; it should be quite effective.”

Madam Mu, sitting on the ground with Mu Zhijin’s head in her lap, gazed at the strange sight of the petite, bald woman and the flamboyantly handsome young master locked in such a peculiar embrace, at a loss for what expression to use in response.

This man, whose martial skills and looks were second only to her son, was clearly no ordinary person. Since his arrival, every courtesan of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion behind her had tried to catch his eye, yet his gaze never left the bald woman—plain at best, not even as pretty as a daughter-in-law. From the various looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment that kept shooting their way, one couldn’t help but feel it was a case of a flower insisting on blooming atop cow dung. Madam Mu felt the same.

But just as the thought arose, Madam Mu’s gaze met the bald woman’s eyes—and she instantly revised her opinion. Such eyes—calm as still water, tranquil and serene. Whether sneaking into a brothel at night with a monk and a widow, or changing out of monastic robes into the revealing garments of a courtesan, facing Sun Chi, or those Daoists—her eyes remained unchanged. With what she’d learned last night and what she belatedly realized today, Madam Mu finally saw that the entire counterattack’s strategy had largely come from the bald woman’s hand.

Such wisdom—no, mastery—was a quality she’d only ever seen attributed to gifted young generals in plays. Yet today, here it was, alive in a woman. How extraordinary!

A trace of respect, unnoticed even by herself, crept into Madam Mu’s eyes. “Master Rulai…” Her gaze lingered on Fang Rulai’s ample chest, and she corrected herself, “Miss Rulai…” Then, catching sight of the bald head, she faltered again, “No, just… Rulai…”

Madam Mu choked on her words, a bit flustered—how on earth should one address a young lady with a bald head?

Guan Shiyin, clinging to Fang Rulai’s shoulder, flashed a sly grin. “Actually, you can just call her Lady Guan.”

“Guan?” Madam Mu caught on immediately. “Young Master, is your surname Guan?”

Guan Shiyin nodded, taking the opportunity to rub his chin against Fang Rulai’s smooth shoulder, his expression awash with happiness, prompting another collective gasp from the ladies behind Madam Mu.

Guan Shiyin shot Fang Rulai an even smugger look—see, just letting you take the Guan name makes everyone envious.

Fang Rulai didn’t turn her head, just shot him a sidelong glance before looking away. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that, without an internal filter, she’d get nothing done—he flirted incessantly, at all hours.

“Is that pill you gave me really safe? Why hasn’t Mu Zhijin woken up yet?” Fang Rulai asked Guan Shiyin. When Madam Mu first got close to Mu Zhijin, she’d promptly administered the pill—Guan Shiyin had given it to her in advance, claiming it was worth its weight in gold and could revive the dead. So why was Mu Zhijin still unconscious?

Guan Shiyin put on a show of outrage—not at being doubted, but, “Why are you so worried about him? I, your husband, have risked my life for you many times, been through fire and sword, my life hanging by a thread, yet you’ve never once expressed concern for me!”

His tone was full of wounded longing. If Fang Rulai hadn’t just witnessed his formidable palm strike, she’d have swatted him off her shoulder like a buzzing fly.

Fang Rulai took a deep breath, determined not to be led astray. “Sun Chi is dead, Xiao Shi is dead, and with news sent to the Crown Prince and his men on the way, now is the best time to take control of Pingcheng. And Mu Zhijin is the best candidate to do it.”

Wait—Madam Mu was lost. Did she mean her son could enter officialdom? Even if she’d never felt there was anything shameful about her son’s past, could someone who’d once been a courtesan really enter the strict hierarchy of government service?

Guan Shiyin resented being ignored. “Who says he’s the best? Don’t you think your husband is a hundred times more handsome and capable? At the very least, while he’s being knocked down, I’m the one knocking others down! I’m more capable!”

Fang Rulai took him at his word. “Very well, then you take charge of Pingcheng.”

“Uh…” Guan Shiyin was instantly struck dumb. He couldn’t do it. Coming to Pingcheng already skirted danger; if he didn’t return to the capital soon and lingered here, he might undo all the hard-won progress.

Fine, he conceded this round.

“Banxia,” Guan Shiyin called out, and Banxia appeared promptly.

Still draped over Fang Rulai, Guan Shiyin put on a caricature of a rich, boorish lord. “Feed that lovesick Zhijin another ten pills, so he wakes up faster and is ready for whatever Lady Guan may need.”

Banxia, usually so brisk, grew hesitant. “Master, those pills are worth a fortune—one is worth ten thousand taels of gold…” Ten more would cost a hundred thousand.

Fang Rulai was stunned—she hadn’t known the life-saving pill he’d given her was so valuable.

Guan Shiyin took the chance to whisper in her ear, “Don’t worry, my dear. If there’s one thing your husband has plenty of, it’s gold and silver. Whatever you want, just say the word—everything in the Guan family is yours…”

“Madam Mu, you’ll settle the bill in full, won’t you?” Fang Rulai suddenly cut off Guan Shiyin, turning to Madam Mu. A pill worth ten thousand taels—how could she have given it away without warning? She regretted it, but a life saved outweighed the cost. Madam Mu wouldn’t renege, would she?

Madam Mu, momentarily caught off guard, replied, “Oh? Oh!” Yes, such a precious item shouldn’t be accepted without reciprocation. “Aque, when we get home, make sure to pay back Miss Ru—”

Guan Shiyin interjected coolly, “My pill, the payment should go to me.”

Fang Rulai slapped his hand away. “When we left Shengjing, you gave it to me; so it’s mine.”

Seizing the chance, Guan Shiyin grasped her hand, pressing it to his chest. “If you agree to have me, the whole Guan family will be yours.”

Fang Rulai jerked her head back, and Guan Shiyin quickly leaned back as well to avoid a collision.

She refused to entertain any transaction that involved marrying for money. “Madam Mu, pay him.”

“Uh…” Madam Mu, bewildered by their verbal sparring, was about to speak when Mu Zhijin stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

Madam Mu instantly burst into tears. “Zhijiner, you’re awake! Are you alright? Are you uncomfortable? Are you hungry?”

As Fang Rulai turned to leave, she paused and returned. “Then I owe you nothing now.” She referred to her earlier promise in the secret passage—if he died, she’d owe him her life.

But to Guan Shiyin’s sensitive ears, it sounded quite different. “What do you mean, owe? What do you owe each other? Zhijin, you didn’t try to steal my wife while I was gone, did you?”

Although Mu Zhijin’s eyelids looked heavy, his eyes were clear and piercing. “Steal your wife? Don’t worry, your ‘walls’ are barren—so slippery that even a sprig of grass would struggle to climb, let alone be stolen. Besides, believe me, in all of Yaotian, only you would be interested in such barren walls.”

Barren? Zhu Xishi glanced at Fang Rulai’s bald head and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Fang Rulai shrugged off Mu Zhijin’s barbed jabs with ease. “Sister Xishi, get ready. After we bid farewell to Master Zhao tomorrow, we’ll head straight back to Shengjing.”

Zhu Xishi nodded instinctively. “Alright.”

When the word left her lips, she belatedly glanced at Mu Zhijin.

Mu Zhijin lowered his eyes, unreadable.

After a failed attempt to prompt Mu Zhijin to speak, Madam Mu grew anxious and grabbed Zhu Xishi’s hand. “No, daughter-in-law, you can’t go. You haven’t even married in yet—how can you just leave? Since Zhijin will stay to serve as acting magistrate, shouldn’t you stay as the magistrate’s wife?”

Zhu Xishi’s face flushed crimson. “Madam Mu, now that everything’s over, I think you understand the truth by now. What Zhijin told you about marriage was just a temporary expedient. I—”

Though Zhu Xishi spoke rationally, she couldn’t deny the small hope in her heart. The hand that had tenderly shielded her as she boarded the carriage; the arms that had carried her; the steadfastness of a man who had risked his life to protect her for no reason.

Suddenly, Zhu Xishi’s voice softened. “Mu Zhijin, last night in the secret passage—why did you come back for me?” She wasn’t a strategist like Fang Rulai; her talent was butchering pigs, skills of little use to them. Why would he risk his life for someone who served only as a cover for Fang Rulai’s identity?

Mu Zhijin, half-closing his eyes, was silent for a long moment before replying, “No reason.”

No reason? Or simply refusing to give her one? The hope in Zhu Xishi’s heart flickered out. “Then, as the saying goes, ‘great kindness requires no thanks.’ I believe a magistrate who would risk his life for a common woman without reason won’t expect anything in return. So I take my leave, sir. Farewell.”

Just as clean and decisive as her butchering, Zhu Xishi turned to leave. She’d given him the chance to keep her; as he wouldn’t, she let go, a final fulfillment of her own hope.

“My daughter-in-law is so dashing,” Madam Mu sighed, hands clasped to her chest, stars in her eyes. Then she nudged Mu Zhijin to look over.

To avoid weakening their forces and to infiltrate the magistrate’s yamen, Zhu Xishi, like the courtesans of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, had donned an immodest dress. Mu Zhijin hadn’t noticed before, but now, prompted by his mother, he saw that half her back was exposed.

The sun was high and bright, shining on her skin—white and smooth as jade, flawless and tempting. Mu Zhijin’s vision blurred; that retreating, glowing back morphed into the nearly bare form he’d seen in the passageway last night. Sun Chi’s words echoed in his mind: “That little widow’s skin is so smooth and tender—how can a mother of two or three have the skin of a maiden…”

“Big sister, how could you wear that!” a loud voice suddenly rang out, snapping Mu Zhijin from his daze. A black cloak swept into view.

Zhang Sheng, the patrol group leader, hurriedly removed his cloak and draped it over Zhu Xishi’s shoulders. “Big sister, put this on, don’t catch a chill.”

Still stung by rejection, Zhu Xishi gave him a grateful smile, which made Zhang Sheng’s heart leap—he couldn’t bear to let go of her shoulders.

“Big sister, didn’t I promise to protect you?”

Zhu Xishi nodded, walking on. He wasn’t the one she cared for, but his sincerity was worth her attention.

“Then, big sister,” Zhang Sheng followed, carefully matching her pace, “would you let me protect you for the rest of your—”

Suddenly, Zhang Sheng’s knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

Zhu Xishi stopped, surprised. What was going on?

Forcing a pained smile, Zhang Sheng tried again, “Big sister, would you let me—”

Bang! He collapsed like a felled tree.

What was this? Zhu Xishi’s mind raced, but before she could grasp it, Fang Rulai strode over, hooked her arm, and briskly led her away from Mu Zhijin.

“Sister Xishi, let’s get some sleep and pack up. After saying goodbye to Master Zhao, we’ll head straight to Shengjing. I’m craving your braised pork, and I’m sure Jietang and the others are, too. Hurry back to feed those little monks. Perhaps, by chance, you’ll win yourself a devoted young husband!”

The two quickly disappeared into the distance.

Madam Mu, spotting the pebble still in Mu Zhijin’s palm, turned to Guan Shiyin. “Does Master Rulai have many little monks under her care?”

Guan Shiyin grinned mischievously. “Tall, short, fat, thin, cool, wild, silly, cute—whatever you fancy, we’ve got it, dear!”

Crack—the pebble in Mu Zhijin’s hand was crushed to dust.

All right, everyone—time to get to work and stay focused! The year-end bonus is waving at you. Go for it!

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