Phi-Fic Chapter 524 The Mu Family's Worries!
Chapter 524 The Mu Family's Worries!
When Mu Chang'an saw that it was his wife, he laughed and said, "Isn't he our good son-in-law? Haha, it seems that Ah Nuan is a blessed child. The two have been married for more than half a year. So far, the prince has only had Ah Nuan as his wife. He has never taken a concubine or favored any other beauties. I heard that he didn't even touch the ones bestowed by the Empress. Haha, our Ah Nuan is indeed blessed by the heavens."
Li gave him a reproachful look, "Alright, you've had a long day. Have some ginseng tea first."
Mu Chang'an coughed lightly and nodded, but instead of drinking, he pointed to the letter on the table, indicating that his wife should take a look.
After Li picked up the letter on the table and examined it closely, her expression was quite varied!
There was surprise, joy, and an element of disbelief.
After all, Duanmu Chuze's previous performance in the capital was that of someone who was idle and didn't know anything except fighting. Now it seems that he is not only the war god of Dayong, but also a person who is extremely skilled in civil administration. Such talent would probably make even the crown prince pale in comparison.
As Li thought of something, her joyful expression gradually faded.
"My lord, do you think that the prince's outstanding qualities might make some people suspicious?"
"Don't worry. My son-in-law is a smart man. He has many advisors around him now, and even Liu Yi, a famous scholar from Jiangnan, has joined his ranks. To outsiders, it seems that these policies were all proposed by them. Your Highness won't be too blunt about this. After all, Yan cannot prosper by relying on him alone."
Madam Li nodded. "That's true. But I still feel uneasy. I'm increasingly unsure about the Crown Princess. I used to think she was a nice person, very generous and gentle. But ever since the princes left the capital, the Xie family has gradually become more powerful. Especially since almost everyone knows that the Emperor highly values Duanmu Chen, his eldest grandson. Moreover, he has been in the Imperial Study with the Emperor since childhood, so he is undoubtedly the best candidate for the future Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, Mu Chang'an's smile gradually faded.
"The Xie family is indeed becoming more and more outrageous. Our Mu family promised the Emperor that we would do our best to protect the Crown Prince, but that doesn't mean we have to be subservient to the Xie family. Now, I am the Grand Chancellor of the Grand Secretariat. I may not be second only to the Emperor, but I am close enough. I'm afraid the Crown Prince won't say anything, but the Xie family will eventually come after our Mu family."
As Li listened, her heart clenched again. Now in a high position, she had far more to worry about than when she was a vice minister. She slept late and got up early every day, often unable to return home for meals. If it weren't for Mu Xin Nuan's earlier initiative to bring her lunch every day, Li, a mere woman, would probably be too embarrassed to do so.
Fortunately, Mu Chang'an was genuinely busy with government affairs and always had lunch at the yamen. The cook had been carefully trained by Mu Xin Nuan, so the medicinal cuisine was quite well-made.
"Forget it, there's no need to worry. Fortunately, the Crown Prince is still very clear-headed. In recent events, hasn't the Crown Prince chosen to suppress the Xie family? I heard that the Crown Prince has directly requested an imperial decree to grant one of his former favorite concubines the title of concubine. Although that concubine has no children, her family background is quite good; otherwise, I'm afraid the Xie family would cause trouble again."
Upon hearing this, Madam Li sneered, "The Xie family is still causing trouble? Do they really think the Crown Prince was put there by them? They're simply courting death! The Crown Prince's status was given by the Emperor. If the Emperor hadn't been willing to protect the Crown Prince, would he have had the heart to send all the princes out of the capital? Especially the Prince of Chang Le, who is the Empress's favorite. Even the Emperor dotes on this youngest son. Now, for the sake of the Crown Prince, he has no choice but to harden his heart. If you ask me, the Xie family is just courting death."
Mu Chang'an's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't say anything. He picked up the ginseng tea and quietly took a few sips.
After a long while, he sighed softly, "Never mind. We don't need to worry too much. Let's think about how to help our daughter and son-in-law first."
When his son-in-law was mentioned, Mu Chang'an's face lit up with a smile again. He was growing to like this son-in-law more and more.
Upon hearing this, Madam Li laughed as well. "Haoran and his wife, weren't their relationship rather lukewarm back in the capital? Yesterday I went back to the General's Mansion, and my sister-in-law told me that their relationship is getting better and better. Guess what? The Prince actually sent his guards to escort him to the nearest village to his residence. He even assigned someone to guard him. Haoran's heart isn't made of stone. No matter how hard it is, it's now leaning towards tenderness."
Mu Chang'an simply smiled and nodded without saying a word. After finishing a cup of ginseng tea, he looked at the sketch on the table again.
He pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then smiled, "Madam, since you're here, come on, you grind the ink. I'll help him refine this drawing."
"Yes, sir."
Sure enough, a few days later, Duanmu Chuze not only received a reply from Mu Chang'an, but also received an imperial decree.
"Father-in-law, you really didn't make me wait in vain. Good! Now that we have someone more skilled, I have no more worries."
Mu Xin Nuan roughly knew what they were doing. She didn't understand this line of work, so she couldn't help much. After thinking it over, all she could do was put more effort into their diet every day, trying to make sure they ate and drank well, so that no one else would get sick from Duanmu Chuze's workaholic ways.
The chief craftsmen and other personnel sent by the Ministry of Works have all arrived.
Moreover, the blueprints that Mu Chang'an sent back were even more complete. Most importantly, when Duanmu Chuze saw the blueprints, he discovered a problem that they had previously overlooked.
That is fire prevention and theft prevention!
The theft prevention is slightly better; at worst, we can just add more staff.
But what about fire prevention?
Duanmu Chuze let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Fortunately, I consulted my father-in-law first. Otherwise, if such a massive project were to be destroyed by an accident, I would regret it for the rest of my life."
Liu Yi and the others also saw this more complete drawing.
Indeed, they had been too careless.
Liu Yi stroked his beard and couldn't help but admire him, saying, "Everyone says that Lord Mu's rapid promotion is rare in recent decades. Seeing it today, I realize that Lord Mu is indeed skilled in his position. The positions of Vice Minister and Minister of Works have indeed honed his mind to be even more meticulous."