Chapter 201: The Mu Family’s Choice

Chapter 201

The Mu Family’s Choice

After Kang Wang and Nie Ying had been back in Huangjing City for some time, her third uncle, Mu Shen, arrived for a visit. When Nie Ying heard the news, she looked at her husband in surprise. She thought the Mu family had cut ties with her, so why would they send her third uncle now? Seeing his wife’s puzzled expression, Kang Wang softly reassured her,

"Something has come up in the capital, but don’t worry about it."

Since Nie Ying was pregnant, he didn’t want to tell her anything that might trouble her regarding her former family. However, he allowed Mu Shen to come in. Her third uncle looked visibly worn out, quite different from the last time they’d met. After bowing respectfully to both Kang Wang and Wang Fei, they exchanged pleasantries. Nie Ying had someone bring out her son for her third uncle to meet. The little boy, chubby and adorable, had an air of auspiciousness about him. Mu Shen gazed at his nephew in Nie Ying’s arms and sighed, his face filled with worry. Noticing this, Nie Ying asked,

"Third Uncle, is something troubling you?"

"I believe His Highness is already aware of the situation, is he not?"

Mu Shen turned to Kang Wang, who nodded in response, before continuing to address his niece.

"Yingying, the Mu family is currently in a difficult position. Jun Wang, your cousin, is in poor health. His life is now sustained only by rare medicinal herbs. Even if he survives, it’s unlikely he will ever regain his strength."

Mu Shen had been tasked with representing the Mu family in negotiations with Kang Wang, as he was the closest to Nie Ying. He spoke openly before both of them, and seeing his niece’s shocked and confused expression, he explained in more detail.

"Jun Wang has been gathering evidence to bring down Rui Wang for many years. Recently, he had one of his subordinate officials present this evidence to the royal court. Rui Wang has been amassing troops and weapons, in direct violation of the royal decree forbidding private armies. Although Rui Wang claims these men are merely bodyguards, financial records that the Mu family has uncovered reveal they are actually a secret force being prepared for unforeseen events. Even though there may not be any intent to rebel against the Emperor, it still poses a threat to the throne. No matter how much His Majesty might favor Rui Wang, it will be difficult to protect him this time."

"His Majesty has long been aware of Rui Wang’s and Empress Pei’s shady dealings, like the Baihua Brothel, but His Majesty chose to turn a blind eye, hoping to use the Empress’s and Rui Wang’s influence to balance the Mu family’s power, did He not? So why would Rui Wang take such a risky action now?"

Nie Ying asked, still confused. In the past, the power in the royal court was well-balanced. No one dared to do anything excessive, so the balance was maintained for many years.

"Father has yet to appoint a crown prince, which has made Rui Wang anxious. Although it appears that both sides have been evenly matched in power, the longer this drags on, the more Rui Wang stands to lose."

Kang Wang was the one who replied to his consort. As one of the Emperor’s sons, Kang Wang understood the political intricacies of the situation all too well.

"Rui Wang is no fool. He knows very well why Father placed him and the Empress in their positions. Father would never grant them more or less power than this. Rui Wang has no choice but to compete with Jun Wang, trying to show Father that he is superior. But the Mu family is too strong, dominating the court for several reigns. How could the Pei family ever hope to compete? Even if Father supports Rui Wang today, once Father is no longer here, Rui Wang and the Pei family will be nothing more than paper tigers[1]. Their influence, built in such a short time, cannot match the Mu family."

Hearing Kang Wang’s explanation, Mu Shen lowered his eyes, acknowledging the truth. If it were a matter of influence in the royal court, the Pei family’s foundation could never rival that of the Mu family, which had weathered many reigns. And if Rui Wang thought to rely on military strength, the Song family had already made it clear that they didn’t favor any power faction other than the Emperor and would never support Rui Wang. The Song family had been military leaders for generations and were highly respected by other Generals and military officials. The stance of Yong An Hou set the tone for the rest of the military officials.

"Rui Wang’s plan was to use military power to seize complete control when the time was right. But our Mu family has been suspicious of this for a long time and has been secretly tracing the financial dealings of the Baihua Brothel and other businesses owned by the Pei family."

"And why did Jun Wang fall ill?"

Nie Ying asked her uncle. Even though she and Jun Wang had not met often, they were family, and Nie Ying couldn’t help but worry about him.

Mu Shen sighed deeply before responding,

"Jun Wang successfully eliminated Rui Wang. The Emperor has stripped Rui Wang of his title and exiled him three thousand li away. The Empress wept bitterly and fell ill from the strain. Without Rui Wang, the Empress and the Pei family are in a precarious position. Mu Guifei now holds the upper hand in the inner palace, and many of the palace women who once sided with the Empress have switched their allegiance to her. But just when no one expected it, Jun Wang was poisoned while visiting his mother at her palace."

Nie Ying’s eyes widened in shock. Mu Shen’s face was filled with bitterness and anger.

"Was it the Empress who did this?"

Nie Ying asked in a whisper. Mu Shen answered through gritted teeth.

"Mu Qiuxiang!"

"That’s impossible!"

Nie Ying gasped, genuinely astonished this time. Every descendant of the Mu family was raised to put the family’s interests above all else. How could one of them turn against their own? But seeing the serious expression on Mu Shen’s face, she muttered in disbelief,

"Impossible...Third Uncle, could it really be her?"

"The rumors she intentionally spread about you had put our Mu family at a disadvantage. She defied the elders’ orders, so the Mu family no longer supported her. Even Mu Guifei turned her back on her. You know how the Mu family deals with those who disobey. Before this, Mu Qiuxiang had already stirred trouble for the Empress and other palace concubines. Once the Mu family cut ties with her, her enemies sought revenge. No one expected this to be the fuse that caused her to harbor hatred. She poisoned Jun Wang and implicated the Empress, aiming to use this chance to take revenge on both sides. In truth, you could say she was manipulated into it. Now, Jun Wang’s condition is still critical, needing to rely on the valuable herbs to prolong his life, and even if he survives, he will never be the same."

Kang Wang noticed his wife’s pale expression and the slight trembling of her delicate shoulders, so he gently embraced her and turned to look at Mu Shen. Seeing this, Mu Shen refrained from speaking further.

"Third Uncle, I understand the purpose of your visit. We are family. If there’s anything you wish to discuss, speak freely. But Yingying is pregnant—let’s not burden her with any distressing matters."

Hearing Kang Wang’s words, Mu Shen bowed deeply, grateful for the permission to speak.

"Your Highness, the Mu family has never sought excessive ambition. The reason we’ve had to fight so fiercely is simply to survive. Now that Jun Wang has suffered misfortune, the Mu family has lost its support. Though the Empress is currently weakened, with her position, she can still promote other princes born from lowly concubines to become her puppets. If she succeeds, the Mu family will have no way out..."

Nie Ying lowered her eyes. While she felt some sympathy for her Mu relatives, she didn’t want to put her husband in an uncomfortable position. She feared that her third uncle would make a request that would be difficult for Kang Wang to grant. It was clear that the Mu family wanted to draw Kang Wang into their camp. Kang Wang, however, merely listened to Mu Shen without revealing much emotion.

"All we ask, Your Highness, is that in the future, you leave a path of survival for us. The Mu family will remain loyal and support you in every way possible. After all, our two families are connected by marriage and Yingying is your consort. Even if the world doesn’t know, Yingying will always be the Mu family’s granddaughter."

Kang Wang was silent for a moment before responding clearly and steadily.

"Third Uncle, Yingying has no desire for life in the inner palace. Since marrying her, I too have abandoned any thoughts of pursuing such matters. We just wish to live happily together. You’ve seen how content we are here. The affairs of the royal court should be left to His Majesty’s judgment."

Hearing that Kang Wang had no interest in political power, Mu Shen’s face fell slightly.

"Your Highness, just because you don’t seek power doesn’t mean others won’t view you as a threat. Though His Majesty has shown leniency regarding Yingying’s hidden identity, that doesn’t mean the Empress won’t harbor suspicions. Now that her and Mu Guifei’s sons are unable to inherit the throne, there’s no doubt she will grow more wary of you. Even if you don’t seek power, one day, if she succeeds in her plans, she will see you as a threat and try to eliminate you."

Mu Shen’s words were not an exaggeration. Even if the Mu family denied any connection to Nie Ying, the Empress would still believe that Kang Wang was allied with them. Kang Wang understood this all too well.

"I’ve thought of this already, Third Uncle. All I want is for Yingying to be happy. But if I agree to help, the Mu family must promise not to use the blood ties to make things difficult for her."

Upon hearing this, Mu Shen immediately knelt and kowtowed. With this promise, the Mu family had secured a path to survival.

"Please rise, Third Uncle. There is one more thing I must ask of the Mu family."

Mu Shen bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"The Mu family must ensure that no official tries to force me to take concubines. I only want Yingying as my wife. The Mu family must help shield us from any such disturbances."

Mu Shen eagerly agreed. Since Nie Ying was already part of the Mu family, ensuring that Kang Wang took no other concubines would indirectly protect the Mu family’s power. With their discussions concluded, Mu Shen took his leave. Before departing, Nie Ying walked him to the palace gates. Mu Shen spoke to his niece gently.

"Yingying, seeing how well Kang Wang treats you puts my mind at ease. I remember when he promised to make you his primary consort after things settled down. At the time, I thought it might be impossible, but now look—your fortune has turned out even better than anyone expected. The elders in the Mu family believe that the position of Crown Prince is bound to go to Kang Wang. No one can predict the future, but if you hadn’t left home that time, you would never have met him. It’s truly fate."

"Third Uncle, I only wished to escape the inner palace, yet here I am, unable to avoid returning to that life."

"But this time it’s not the same, is it? Yingying, I’m truly happy for you."The two bid their farewells, and Mu Shen returned to the Mu family to deliver the news.

[1] Paper tiger is a calque of the Chinese phrase zhǐlǎohǔ. The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful or threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.