The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

Chapter 163

Although he said that he felt displeased, it was only a fleeting emotion. That gaze of hers, however, made it impossible for him to look away. Tang Mujin seemed to realize she was staring at the noble Wang and quickly lowered her head. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but glance at Yueqian, whispering anxiously to her.

“The Wang is injured so badly. What about you?! Are you hurt?” Her concern made it evident to everyone how much she cared for Yueqian.

“I’m fine,” Yueqian shook her head, trying to signal Mujin to calm down. Of course, Tang Mujin wouldn’t refuse her friend’s advice. When the other party told her to calm down, she obediently complied. She resembled a little deer prancing about, but when her mother told her to stop, she stopped immediately.

Seeing this, the highest-ranking person present could only smile. This smile surprised his followers who knew his character well, for it was rare to see the Wang express such feelings.

Someone who caught in the vicious cycle of power struggles like him could not laugh comfortably, because he never knew if today’s jester would be the one holding a sword to his throat tomorrow.  Thus, the person who was a Wang was cautious with every step, not daring even to relax his breath.

Tang Mujin was still unaware of her fate. Just a sympathetic glance at the other party, who had wounds all over his face, had already marked her as a target of this ruthless man!

"The Crown Prince arrives!!" The shrill voice of a eunuch echoed, piercing their ears.

This caused the surrounding soldiers to clear a path for the new arrival. Even Yueqian and Mu Jin had to crawl to the other side. Mu Heng assisted his wife, placing his own cloth under her knees so she wouldn’t hurt them too much. Certainly, his actions were incredibly warm. In Mujin’s eyes, she wished she had a husband like him.

"Your Excellency." When the Crown Prince arrived, he bowed to the foreign Wang once, showing his utmost respect. He recognized that this man could be his supporter. Despite being from another Region, his influence in the Bai Region was significant.

If not for his refusal, he might have been the emperor of Bai Region himself. Given his merits in the Hu Region, this man certainly worthy of being an ally.

When he heard of the attempted assassination on the Wang and the princess from Bai Region, he was deeply concerned. He never expected those thieves to be so bold. So, when he discovered who had helped the Wang, the Crown Prince like him couldn’t help but laugh in satisfaction.

Who would have thought that those people turned out to be the son-in-law and daughter of the Qin family! She even had a status as the former fiancé of Young General. This made them directly connected to his Third Brother. Unexpectedly, when this incident occurred, he initially never paid attention to romantic entanglements, but now, things have changed!

He was now intrigued by the brave man named Mu Heng and the evil, annoying woman named Yueqian. He had heard that Yueqian had been disowned by the Qin family, and her adopted brother and mother had also been expelled. It was clear she wouldn’t reconcile with the Qin family easily.

It seemed Qin Mazhu had lost this game before it even began!

“Crown Prince,” the Wang accepted the greeting with equal respect. Their cordial relationship might have been superficial, but it couldn’t be ignored. His sister’s well-being depended on the Crown Prince’s care. Once his sister became favored, the other party would surely value and honor her.

He could only hope that the peculiar advice—that men in the capital enjoyed playing board games—would prove true! Though his sister wasn’t yet skilled, with frequent practice, she might become a master.

“You’ve had a tiring journey. Please rest at my White Jade Palace.”

“Ah, may my friends join us?” the nobleman asked, honoring the couple greatly. Mu Heng quickly shook his head in distress.

“I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. In fact, we have a small manor in the capital that my wife and I purchased. Please, rest while we return to our manor.”

“Oh? You have your own manor here? Ah... In that case, how about we enjoy some drinks at your manor? Let’s invite the Crown Prince too and taste the fine cuisine prepared by your wife. How does that sound?” The Wang laughed heartily.

Yueqian and Mu Heng exchanged glances. This matter was somewhat unexpected, but Mu Heng sensed that the Wang was already captivated by his wife’s culinary skills.

And that was only part of it. The other part...

“Bring your friend along to help as well. She seems quite concerned about you.” He glanced at Tang Mujin, who had been sitting quietly but was now called into attention. Startled, the young woman raised her eyebrows slightly but quickly lowered her head, realizing her breach of etiquette.

“Thank you, Your Excellency.” Of course, Tang Mujin would be delighted. She wanted nothing more than to stay close to Yueqian, without any other thoughts.

However, while Mujin was unaware, Yueqian certainly understood! Did they take her for a fool who couldn’t see the peculiar looks? It seemed she might have been wrong in seeking allies for Tang Mujin in the Du Region. It appeared she needed to find allies for her in the Bai Region instead.

Still, the Wang wasn’t a bad person. He was the most straightforward person. If he were a man who was duplicitous person like Young General, Yueqian might not have supported him, but this man... if Mujin liked him, she would not object and would even help.

In the end, the large entourage did not head to any prince’s royal palace. Instead, they went to the manor Yueqian had purchased. She had hidden her precious items behind the waterfall, just as before. After all, she had taken the girls to bathe there every day. Otherwise, how could her body have become so strong so quickly?

Huan’er and Qu Yi were not inferior at all. Both of them had improved their complexions a lot. From a child who worked hard, their bodies were thin and not fair. When they received strong natural energy, they changed. They would no longer be stunted in the future, which was a great relief.

“My friend, my sister, and the Crown Prince will go with you to the pavilion. Let my people assist your wife and her friend with the cooking,” the Wang said, effectively forcing Mu Heng to accompany him.

This left Yueqian with the court ladies, kitchen staff, and a number of soldiers. She led them to the spotless kitchen and asked them to start the fire.

As this was her first time cooking for such high-ranking individuals, Yueqian decided to prepare an ample amount of food. She chose an array of exquisite dishes: chicken stewed with herbs, red-braised pork, three-flavor dumplings, mixed bean salad, nine-vegetable steamed buns, pork with sweet and sour sauce, fried spring rolls, stuffed tofu, roast duck, stir-fried noodles, fruit salad, steamed cakes in a clay oven, and various fried items like fried dumplings, meatballs, small fried fish fillets, and even fried mushrooms.

This extensive meal required the Crown Prince’s men to buy ingredients, as Yueqian didn’t dare take them from her own dimension. However, she did use seasonings from her dimension, which she stored in jars. If anyone asked, she refused to divulge her recipes.

After all, how could she explain making fish sauce, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, vinegar, and other seasonings? Here, only salt and very expensive sugar were available. Sour or spicy flavors came from plants, and other seasonings were unique to each cook.

“Yueqian, I never expected you to save the princess. You’re sure to be rewarded!” Tang Mujin said excitedly while in the kitchen with her friend.

The people from the Bai Region could only shake their heads in disbelief at the sight of a woman from a noble family cooking herself. Normally, there were prohibitions against such things, as cooking was considered the task of lower-class labor.

However, after spending a full day and night with Yueqian, they had come to understand her nature. The young woman was unpretentious and didn’t care about her status. Initially, they thought she was just an ordinary villager, but her lifestyle revealed she possessed items more valuable than those of some nobles.

It was clear she was very wealthy!

Her personal character was such that everyone started to get used to it. Seeing her exceptional culinary skills, even the head chef was astonished, nearly bowing to her and asked to be her disciple!

Yueqian didn’t cook everything for everyone, only simple dishes like stir-fried noodles and a few other items. They only got to eat less elaborate food, but they understood why Mu Heng was so infatuated with her.

Not to mention the Wang from the foreign Region, the beautiful princess, and the Crown Prince, who got to taste the full array of her cooking—they almost swallowed their tongues with delight!

The meal comprised more than ten dishes, yet they finished it within half an hour, leaving not even a drop of sauce. It became the most memorable meal of their lives, with even the princess eating without concern for her image.

“This meal is excellent. I truly enjoyed it. Go get the inkstone I brought and give it to her,” the Wang said generously. He had spoken with Mu Heng and knew that Yueqian enjoyed calligraphy. Certainly, her interest surprised the Crown Prince.

He had been in the capital for a long time and was well aware of her notorious reputation. Everyone knew how poor her academic performance was, and they even made fun of it. Nonetheless, he did not object. After all, this meal was beyond his expectations.

“Little eunuch, fetch the silk cloth from the manor. I will reward her as well,” the Crown Prince said, following suit. He rewarded Yueqian, and even Mujin received some small jewelry from the Wang.

Of course, the jewelry was intentionally given by the Wang. From the moment he first saw her, he felt that some of the pieces he had prepared as gifts for the Empress were more suitable for her. He didn’t hold the Empress of the Du Region in high regard, knowing she would eventually oppose his sister. So, why not give the gifts to someone he preferred?

Seeing her brother’s actions, the princess seemed to understand something. She not only rewarded Yueqian but also extended her generosity to Mujin as well. This made the young girl so happy that her face turned red. How could a girl like her not be excited after receiving such beautiful jewelry? This sight alone brought smiles to the faces of the two noble individuals.

Mujin was too straightforward, and she seemed well-suited for the demonic Wang like him!

“Not only did you help me, but this meal of yours has also greatly impressed me. I do not intend to reward you merely with these gifts... Your combat skills are excellent, and your wife is very clever. I will petition the Emperor on my sister’s wedding day to offer you a position in the Bai Region!” the Wang declared earnestly.

This made the Crown Prince almost choke on the tea he was drinking to cleanse his palate!

What? Rewarding someone by inviting them to take a position in another Region?! Such a thing had never happened before. Moreover, shouldn’t ordinary people be afraid of betrayal from those of another Region?

Even the princess, who was to be made Imperial Honored Consort, received such a high position to ensure she could be easily controlled. If she erred and intended to betray them by sending secret information, wouldn’t that put them at a disadvantage?

Who ever heard of inviting someone from an enemy Region to work for them? Isn’t this equivalent to inviting trouble into your own home?No, wait! Could it be that Mu Heng was already a spy for the Bai Region? If so, would his father allow him to go there to act as a spy, or would he take action to stop him before he could reach the Bai Region?!!