Chapter 18: Scheming, where does that confidence come from?

Mu Xiaochun looked at the unfazed Mu Qi. Recalling her mother's words that Mu Qi had changed and become incredibly formidable, seeing her remain so composed made her feel a bit uneasy. "Mu Qi, what kind of scheme are you playing?"

Mu Qi let out a light laugh. "Fourth Sister is overthinking it. What scheme could I possibly have? I simply wanted to wait until Sister had finished venting before speaking." Having said that, she turned to Mu Sang and said, "Uncle Mu, do you recognize the Duke of Chen?"

Mu Sang nodded. "This old servant recognizes him. Back when the Marquis was still a General, he fought alongside the Duke of Chen to win a great victory at Fengling Slope."

Mu Xiaochun’s ears were sharp; hearing the master and servant mention the Duke of Chen made her heart hang in suspense. "Mu Qi, what do you want to do?" Mentioning this Duke made Mu Xiaochun feel a chill in her heart.

Mu Qi ignored her and continued, "So, the Duke of Chen also knows you, Uncle Mu?"

"He does. Back then, when the Duke was struck by an arrow in his leg, this old servant carried him on his back for several miles." As Mu Sang thought of the battlefield conditions back then, he felt his blood boil. If it hadn't been for the entrustment of the General and his wife to help look after the Young Lady as she grew up, he would likely still be in the Mu Family Army charging into battle.

How could Mu Qi fail to see the spark in Mu Sang's eyes? However, she truly could not be without him right now, and since the Mu Family Army had been returned to the imperial court many years ago, many things had changed. She would not allow Mu Sang to go back into danger. "That is even better. Uncle Mu, take a guard from the Duke of Chen's estate and go find him. Tell the Duke exactly what the Third Young Mistress just said, word for word."

Upon hearing Mu Qi's words, Mu Xiaochun's body stumbled, and she began to fall straight toward the ground. Had Nanny Liu behind her not reacted in time to catch her, she would have landed in a heap. Mu Xiaochun trembled with rage; that wench Mu Qi was too despicable, actually using such a low tactic to frame her.

Mu Xiaochun knew better than anyone what kind of person the Duke of Chen was. He was hot-tempered and hated evil; he had never looked kindly upon her. If it weren't for the fact that she came from the Marquis of Anding's household, she wouldn't have been able to enter the Duke's estate at all.

In the two years since she married into it, she appeared prosperous to outsiders, but only she knew the truth. Her husband, Chen Musheng, was useless, spending his days idling and causing trouble. The Duke of Chen constantly beat and scolded him. To put it bluntly, as the Third Young Master, he held nothing more than a title; he had no actual status in the Duke's estate.

At the beginning, Mu Xiaochun had served her parents-in-law with all her heart, thinking that showing her face more often might earn some goodwill, so that when the family split its assets, she could obtain more private property. But she later discovered that the goodwill she gained from serving tea for an entire month wasn't even enough to offset a single mess caused by Chen Musheng.

Mu Xiaochun had gradually grown weary. She figured that since she had brought a significant dowry and had the Marquis of Anding's household behind her to scavenge from, she wouldn't mind having a little more or less when the assets were divided.

Therefore, when she heard that Mu Qi wanted to seize the management rights of the Marquis of Anding's household, Mu Xiaochun was the first to object. She had witnessed Chen Musheng's talent for squandering wealth; without the occasional financial support from the Marquis's household, her meager dowry would be wasted within five years.

Mu Xiaochun had calculated everything, but she had failed to expect that Mu Qi would become so shrewd and powerful. Upon their first confrontation, she had already suffered a major setback. Thinking of the filthy, low words she had just uttered, if the Duke of Chen heard them, he would surely demand that her husband divorce her.

Although Chen Musheng was not a capable husband, he was, after all, the Third Young Master of the Duke's estate. If she were divorced, her only fate would be to go to the family temple to become a nun. The thought of living a cold, lonely life for the rest of her days made her unwilling to die.

"Mu Qi, you dare! If you dare go to the Duke, I... I'll have people kill you!" Mu Xiaochun's eyes were full of hatred; she wished she could rush over and tear Mu Qi to pieces. If Mu Qi dared to plot against her, she would not let her off.

Mu Qi met Mu Xiaochun's gaze without a hint of fear. A servant woman without even a formal title dared to act tough before her? She truly didn't know where such confidence came from. "Uncle Mu, add that last sentence as well. I wonder how the Duke of Chen will react when he learns his daughter-in-law is such a vulgar person?"

Mu Xiaochun felt a sudden chill. Even her brand-new cotton clothes provided no warmth, and her body shook uncontrollably. With a slurred voice, she said, "Seventh Sister, for the sake of our sisterhood, please spare me!" Mu Xiaochun no longer dared to be aggressive; she fully believed that as long as the men by Mu Qi's side wanted to leave, the fifty people she brought could not stop them.

"Fourth Sister, if only you had been this sensible from the start. Do you not think it's too late to start acting submissive now?" Mu Qi reached out to lazily stroke the rabbit fur cloak on her body; the white, soft fur felt very comfortable to the touch.

"It's not late, not late, not late at all! Seventh Sister, I beg you!" At this moment, even if Mu Qi demanded she kneel, Mu Xiaochun would comply. Compared to being divorced, being humiliated was nothing.

The corners of Mu Qi's mouth curled up, a flash of cunning passing through her eyes. "It's fine if you don't want me to tell the Duke. I heard that when Fourth Sister married, Auntie added many items from the Marquis's household to her dowry. As long as Fourth Sister returns all those items, I might actually consider letting you go."

Mu Qi held a complete list of Mu Xiaochun's dowry. Seventy percent of the items in it came from the Marquis's household. This morning, she was still thinking about how to reclaim these items, and she hadn't expected such a perfect opportunity to arise. She didn't know if Mu Xiaochun was stupid or just deservedly unlucky, but if it weren't for what just happened, it would have been very difficult for Mu Qi to demand her dowry back from the Duke's estate.

After all, the other party's social standing was not low. Demanding it forcefully might damage the harmony between the two families. Furthermore, the Marquis's household currently only held a hollow title and could not compare to the Duke of Chen's estate. Moreover, this Duke of Chen had some friendship with her cheap father; maintaining harmony might mean he could help her out if she encountered difficulties in the future.

When Mu Xiaochun heard that Mu Qi wanted her dowry, her first instinct was to fly into a rage, but upon reflection, she realized her dowry was so vast and Mu Qi didn't know the specific items. She could just cough up a few things to fool her and get through this immediate crisis. With this thought, her anger subsided. "Good sister, the matter of the dowry is easy to discuss. As long as you don't tell the Duke, Sister will listen to whatever you say."

Mu Qi raised an eyebrow. *I hope my dear sister won't spit blood when she hears what I say next.* "Since Fourth Sister says so, I'll be blunt. I have a list of your dowry right here. Qiaoyu, read out all the items that should have belonged to our household."

The list. The dowry list. Mu Xiaochun lost her composure at the mention of this. She was willing to selectively give up a few items, but she never said she would give up everything. Mu Xiaochun panicked completely and glanced at Nanny Liu behind her, signaling her to go find reinforcements.