Mu Qingqiang Comes to Visit
Stepping out of Slender Bamboo Courtyard, Zhao Ruyu breathed a sigh of relief, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
It seems she's the only one in the world with a system.
She had already given up hope and stopped comparing herself to Zhao Ruxi.
If someone is two steps ahead of you, you'll still want to catch up with them.
If someone is far ahead of you, and you can only look up to them from afar, unable to catch up no matter how hard you try, you will naturally give up and stop trying to compete with them.
But now, she has a golden finger, she is a person favored by the gods, she is full of confidence, she feels that given time, she will definitely be more outstanding than Zhao Ruxi, marry an excellent husband, obtain a more prominent status, and live a more glorious and happier life than in her previous life.
Zhao Jingli and his companion were frequent visitors to the main house, and this time they came specifically to comfort Zhao Ruxi. Therefore, after leaving Slender Bamboo Courtyard, they did not go to Zhao Yuanxun's place, but went directly to the main gate to return home.
But as soon as they arrived at the gate of Uncle Suiping's Mansion, they saw a luxurious carriage slowly stopping in front of the house. There was a sign on the carriage with a big word "Mu" written on it.
"Huh, the Mu Family's carriage." Zhao Jing'an asked in surprise, "Who in your uncle's family has any dealings with the Mu Family?"
The Mu Family was also a prominent family. Although they did not hold any noble titles, they had a large population and many capable members. Several of them held official positions of the third rank or above, including two high-ranking officials in the provinces and two second-rank officials in the imperial court. The women of the Mu Family had also married into numerous families.
There are many noble families in the capital. People don't care much about your family background or how high your rank is, but rather how much real power you hold.
The Mu Family wielded real power. While their status in the capital wasn't top-tier, they were still considered upper-middle class. Most importantly, like the Peng Family family, the Mu Family remained neutral, not taking sides.
These days, maintaining neutrality is no easy feat. Many people don't actually want to take credit for the cause; the risks are too great, and the rewards are uncertain, but they have no choice.
If a prince tries to win you over and you refuse, you could be killed or constantly sabotaged. If that prince actually ascends the throne, your family will be completely finished.
The Mu Family is able to avoid taking sides entirely because of its large size, extensive intermarriages, and connections with various factions, yet it still manages to maintain a balance.
Faced with the Mu Family, whose relationships were so complex, all the princes had reservations. Even if they wanted to win them over, they would only make a slight gesture and give up if it didn't work. They didn't dare to force them, fearing that the Mu Family would completely side with the opposing camp.
From this perspective, it must be said that the head of the Mu Family is a truly remarkable person.
Upon hearing Zhao Jing'an's words, Zhao Jingli shook his head. "I don't know."
As they were talking, two young women alighted from the carriage. One was dressed in red, but had a cold demeanor; the other wore a pale yellow dress and moved with gentle grace.
If Zhao Ruxi were here, she would know that these are the two sisters Mu Qingqiang and Mu Qinglian.
Seeing Zhao Jingli and his two companions emerge from the Earl of Suiping's Residence, and noticing their attire suggesting they were mistresses, Mu Qinglian stepped forward, bowed, and smiled as she asked Zhao Ruyu, "Miss, is this the Earl of Suiping's Residence? We are classmates of Miss Zhao Ruxi, and we've come to visit her."
They sent their invitations yesterday. If they come today, their maids and servants can simply report to the gatekeeper of the Earl of Suiping's Residence, and someone from the gatekeeper will lead them in.
However, when they encountered the master of the Earl of Suiping's Residence, whether he was a relative or someone else, they could not turn a blind eye and had to personally go up and inquire.
Upon hearing that the two were Zhao Ruxi's classmates, Zhao Ruyu immediately felt jealous.
When she first entered the Capital Women's Academy, her goal was to build connections. Her classmates at the Capital Women's Academy all came from prominent families, and she could gain immense benefits by befriending any of them. Compared to her, the daughters of local gentry or small landlords that Zhao Ruxi could associate with in Beining were worlds apart in terms of social standing.
Unexpectedly, the Capital Women's Academy was an extremely snobbish place, with its own little cliques. She went there, but couldn't squeeze into any of them, and it wasn't easy to curry favor with anyone. In the end, she could only follow behind Qi Xuan and the others as a little follower, and she couldn't even receive an invitation to the year-end banquet.
Zhao Ruxi not only became a disciple of Mister Kumu in Beining, but also formed a close friendship with the County Princess of Qingyang and gained the powerful backing of the Prince of Zhennan's Residence; now she even has classmates from the Mu Family. This truly aroused Zhao Ruyu's jealousy and mixed feelings.
Who is truly God's favorite daughter?
These distracting thoughts vanished in an instant. Zhao Ruyu quickly regained her composure and replied with a smile, "It is indeed the Earl of Suiping's Residence. My Zhao Ruyu, Zhao Ruxi is my cousin."
At this moment, Matron Ruan, who was waiting at the gatehouse, stepped forward and bowed to the two, saying, "You two must be Miss Seventh Mu and Eighth Miss Mu? Our young lady specially sent this old servant to wait for you two."
At this point, she introduced both parties.
After the introductions, she gestured, "Please come in, Miss Mu. My young lady has been waiting for quite some time."
Mu Qingqiang has always been a proud and aloof person who doesn't like to talk to others. She stood silently to the side while Mu Qinglian was exchanging pleasantries. Now that she heard Matron Ruan's invitation, she immediately went inside.
Mu Qinglian was much more thoughtful in her actions. She nodded to the three of them and said, "Let's go in first." Then she followed Mu Qingqiang into the Earl of Suiping's Residence.
Watching their departing figures, Zhao Ruyu sighed, "How did Fifth Sister get to know the Mu Family girls? Shouldn't they all be studying at the Capital Women's Academy Mu Family? Why did they go to Beining?"
Zhao Jingli was originally the heir apparent, and interpersonal relationships in the capital were one of the essential skills for an heir apparent.
He said, "The magistrate of Beining County is surnamed Mu."
At the Earl of Suiping's Residence, Zhao Ruxi had already received the gatekeeper's report and went to the hanging flower room to greet them.
After Mu Qingqiang and Mu Qinglian met up with her, they first went to pay their respects to the old lady and Lady Zhu before following Zhao Ruxi to Slender Bamboo Courtyard.
Mu Qingqiang entered Slender Bamboo Courtyard, sat down, and said, "Your home is quite tranquil."
Mu Qinglian quickly smiled and explained to Zhao Ruxi, "My eighth sister means that your home has a very nice environment, with many flowers and trees, and a serene atmosphere, which she likes very much."
She worried that Zhao Ruxi would misunderstand Mu Qingqiang's implication that the Earl of Suiping's Residence was experiencing a decline in population.
In ancient times, people valued a large and prosperous family. The Mu Family, for example, had seventy or eighty masters, not counting those who served as officials in other places.
Living in the capital is no easy feat. The Mu Family's original status was not prominent, so they couldn't afford to acquire a large plot of land to build a mansion. As a result, their living conditions were somewhat cramped. Zhao Ruxi could live in a large courtyard all by herself, while the other sisters shared one courtyard, which inevitably led to noise and occasional disagreements.
Mu Qingqiang genuinely envied Zhao Ruxi when she said those words. However, these words were bound to be misunderstood by Zhao Ruxi. After all, having a small family was not a good thing, and the division of the Earl of Suiping's Residence due to Lady Wei's child-swapping incident was also a scandal. If Zhao Ruxi misunderstood that her cousin was mocking her, that would be bad.
They came to make friends, not to make enemies.