In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 807 A Great Gift: This is Love
The following day at noon, Mu Jinghe returned to Miaoyinfang.

She was already extremely beautiful, with long, glossy black hair cascading down her slender yet graceful shoulders like a waterfall.
Her figure was even more graceful and captivating, her slender waist so delicate it seemed a mere breeze could sway it.

Her pert buttocks and long legs, accentuated by the well-fitting dress, exuded a graceful and charming figure.
Every step she took was graceful and swaying, exuding a natural charm.

However, after yesterday's ordeal, although her figure is still alluring, it looks somewhat unnatural.

When she moved with light, graceful steps, her pace was slightly slow, and her legs seemed somewhat uncomfortably together.
Occasionally, the straight back will unconsciously straighten and relax slightly, as if relieving the dull soreness in the body.

As soon as I entered, many waiters turned their gazes toward me, looking surprised.

One of the ladies even asked:

"Manager Mu~ You're a bit late today, it's a rare sight to see you."

In response, Mu Jinghe smiled gently, her voice slightly hoarse:

"I had some things to take care of at home, so I'm a little late."

"Really? I heard that Miaoyinfang just acquired a shop in Dagongfang. That's a great location."
The only route for the powerful and wealthy to leave Zhangde Street—what kind of business is Manager Mu planning to conduct?

Another tall, alluring woman asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, many of the women who had been browsing and selecting items gathered around, bombarding him with questions:

"Is Shopkeeper Mu preparing to open a branch?"
This Miaoyinfang is too far from home; it would be good to open a branch sooner rather than later.

"The shops in the large workshops aren't cheap; even the smallest storefront costs over a thousand taels."

Given Manager Mu's wealth, he must have made a large-scale purchase.

Listening to the women inside talking all at once,
Mu Jinghe smiled, exuding a charm like that of a ripe peach, which surprised many people.

Today, Mu Jinghe seems even more captivating and dazzling.

"Ladies, Miaoyinfang will be opening a luxury goods shop at the entrance of the Grand Workshop."

The items sold there are rare treasures from all over the world, and most of them are limited editions.

The shop has just been acquired, and the subsequent setup and renovation will take quite some time.

"Once the shop is ready, ladies, please go and take a look."

Upon hearing this, the tall woman's eyes lit up:
"Even rarer than the items from Miaoyin Pavilion?"

Mu Jinghe smiled gently and nodded slightly:

"That's natural. Right now, there's only one item: a mink coat for winter."

"A coat? Yingtian Trading Company sells such items, and they're not expensive."

Mu Jinghe smiled:

"The mink coats sold at Miaoyinfang are all made from the finest mink furs sourced from the deepest parts of the Liaodong mountains by soldiers of the Duoyan Three Guards."

It was then made in Daning City using the best craftsmen and the finest techniques.

There will also be a unique sorting number on it.
They will ensure that there are no flaws, and even the thread embedding will be done perfectly.

Ladies of noble birth, how could you possibly wear the same clothes as the ordinary women of merchants?

To be honest, many of these mink coats were already pre-ordered even before they were made.

As Mu Jinghe explained, the women present became increasingly interested in the exquisite mink coat.

Money is really just a number on a ledger in their eyes.
If a piece of clothing can make them happy for a while, then the money is well spent.

"Manager Mu, that's a bit unfair of you."

We're regular customers; why didn't you let us know you were selling such good items, letting others snatch them up first?

A plump woman pursed her lips, looking somewhat dissatisfied.

In response, Mu Jinghe bowed slightly, her face showing apology:
"Madam Zhang, to be honest, those who ordered the mink coats are all very important people."

The small shop couldn't afford to offend them, so they didn't dare to make a fuss.

Moreover, shops in large workshops are in high demand.
Without the help of these adults, how could our small shop have had a chance to succeed?
We're placing orders early as a way of expressing our gratitude.

In an instant, a burning passion for gossip ignited in everyone's hearts.

Many people struggled to get closer and continued to ask questions.

"Manager Mu, tell me, who is so well-connected?"

I've heard that the shop at the entrance of the large workshop was coveted by the Transport Commissioner.

"Which shop? It'll probably cost around thirty or forty thousand taels."

Among the ladies were knowledgeable people, and they all looked shocked.

After they chatted for a long time, Mu Jinghe finally spoke with a smile:
"The shops are indeed very expensive, and the small shop was only able to make enough money by piecing together funds from various sources."

"Such a large shop, you'd need at least a ministerial-level official to take it over."

An older woman spoke thoughtfully, her eyes constantly scanning Mu Jinghe.
Having been through it all, she could naturally see the lingering charm in Mu Jinghe.
This has never happened before.

She couldn't help but think that most of the ministers in the court were not young, and there weren't many who could torment women like this.

Mu Jinghe smiled mysteriously, offering no further explanation, and instead changed the subject:

"When the mink coat from Da Ning arrives in the capital..."

Our shop will deliver the goods to the various dukes' mansions first.

The sale may start a little late, please bear with us, ladies.

The Duke's Mansion?
The scene was deathly silent; the older woman was utterly certain.
This famous beauty from the capital city has truly found her match, and not just any person, but a very important one!
Mu Jinghe walked slowly back to her boudoir.

Just as I sat down, the maid Xiaorou rushed in.

"Shopkeeper, you're finally back!"

She ran up to Mu Jinghe and squatted down, looking her up and down. Smelling the fresh scent on her, her expression slowly turned strange.

Xiao Rou spoke softly:
"Shopkeeper, were you at Lord Lu's residence yesterday?"

Mu Jinghe, somewhat weary, propped her head up with her arm, a slow smile playing on her lips, a look of reminiscence on her face. Finally, she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"what"

Xiao Rou gasped sharply, her face showing shock:

"Shopkeeper, oh, oh, oh..."

She stammered and couldn't speak.
Over the years, countless wealthy young men and powerful noblemen have wanted to take the manager into their household.
Even Lord Mao, standing at his feet, had this thought.
But the shopkeeper remained deaf to his words and completely ignored him.

Now, they've actually gotten mixed up with their "enemy"!
"Alright, go get me a bowl of ginseng soup. My body aches all over."

"Lord Lu doesn't know how to cherish a beautiful woman."

Xiao Rou muttered to herself, feeling her legs go weak, and suddenly squeezed them together.

Mu Jinghe blushed, remembering her desperate pleas for mercy, her eyes becoming even more alluring.
"go quickly."

"Yes"

Xiao Rou slowly stood up, turning back every few steps, clearly still somewhat incredulous.

After Xiaorou left, Mu Jinghe took a deep breath.

She stood up shakily and walked out of her boudoir to the empty music room next door.

She opened a secret passage on the bookshelf leading to the underground and stepped inside.

The atmosphere in the underground headquarters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was much more somber than usual today.
Many of the young officials did not show any greedy looks when she arrived.

Instead, they simply glanced at it and went about their business in silence, as if someone was whipping them from behind.

The tense atmosphere made Mu Jinghe's steps become hesitant.

But his gaze kept wandering around, seemingly without him noticing.
She noticed that there were far fewer clerks working there, but the amount of paperwork piled on the desks was still considerable.

"Where did everyone go? Could it be that Mao Xiang is planning to get rid of all these useless people?"

Regardless, Mu Jinghe was already certain in her heart that...

With such a major incident, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is bound to be in turmoil.

Before long, she arrived at the innermost house.
The door was wide open, and she walked straight in.

Mao Xiang, dressed in a black official robe, sat silently behind the table, reviewing the documents.

It was just like any other day, as if nothing had happened.

But Mu Jinghe worked with him for several years.
She could clearly sense that although Mao Xiang was reading documents, he was not paying attention.

So much so that Mao Xiang didn't even look up when she heard her footsteps.

"cough"

It wasn't until Mu Jinghe coughed lightly that Mao Xiang slowly raised his head. When he saw it was her, he seemed even more tired at that moment.

"What are you here for?"

"Lord Mao, regarding matters of money..."

Mao Xiang felt utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes and pinched his brow hard.
"Manager Mu, the Embroidered Uniform Guard just had such a big incident, how could they possibly have money to give you?"

"Lord Mao, the shop has been acquired, and the funds for the subsequent renovations have been raised."

What we lack now is room fees.
If Lord Mao doesn't give me the money, I'll truly be left with nowhere to turn.

"With Miaoyin Pavilion operating well, it can earn a lot of money every day."

Why do you have to open a new shop of all things? I really don't understand you!

"Sir, if you hadn't lent that fifty thousand taels of silver,
This humble woman need not seek to expand her wealth; she can simply focus on tending to the Miaoyin Pavilion.

Mao Xiang was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the retort.

He stared at Mu Jinghe, looking her up and down, and asked:

Do you know where Wei Hua went?

"How would I know?" Mu Jinghe asked in surprise.

"He disappeared after he left here yesterday."
If you find any clues about him, remember to tell me.

Mao Xiang gritted his teeth; his hatred for Wei Hua had reached its peak.

"Lord Wei just arrived from Beiping, what happened to him?"

"He colluded with outsiders to frame me, and to frame you and me."

"I never imagined that after all this scheming and calculation, I'd be blinded by an eagle in the end! How absurd!"

Mu Jinghe nodded, made a note of it, and then asked, "What about the money?"

Mao Xiang suddenly raised his head, looked at Mu Jinghe, his mouth opening and closing several times, his expression somewhat blank.
After a long while, he suddenly laughed, mocking himself:

"Manager Mu, our ship is about to capsize, and you're still worried about money. I truly admire you."

"Lord Mao is a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and enjoys the Emperor's favor."

"We've come this far over the years, how could things turn upside down?"

Mao Xiang shook his head, utterly helpless:
"I'll send you the silver tomorrow, only twenty thousand taels. Don't bother me during this time."

A hint of joy flashed in Mu Jinghe's eyes, and she spoke with a smile:
"Thank you very much, Lord Mao. I'll be leaving now, I won't be in your way."

As he watched her retreating figure, Mao Xiang's gaze suddenly deepened.

"stop."

"What else?"

"Where were you last night?"

"Where am I going? Should I tell Lord Mao?"

Mu Jinghe turned around, her large, bright eyes filled with sarcasm.
"You've been getting so close to Lu Yunyi lately,"

Wei Hua was able to do this because someone was working with him from the inside. Was it you?

Was Yu Qilun's death caused by Lu Yunyi?

"I?"

Mu Jinghe suddenly laughed, her chin slightly raised, her eyes icy cold:
"I think the real mole is you, Lord Mao."
Lord Lu was staying in the capital peacefully, but you insisted on sending people to monitor him. This allowed someone to take advantage of the situation, sow discord, and even resulted in someone dying.

Lord Wei was personally transferred from Beiping by you, and you promoted him from the bottom of your heart. Now he's in trouble too.
From beginning to end, from top to bottom,
This young lady can see it clearly; it's Chairman Mao who's blinded by his own involvement.

Mao Xiang was taken aback. "Am I the mole?"

Soon, Mao Xiang decided to stop arguing with Mu Jinghe:

"Alright, alright, let's go. I'm annoyed!"

"Lord Mao, there's one more thing."

Tell your people not to always take the easy way out and leave through Miaoyinfang.
Now that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is so infamous, every guest who comes here curses them.

If the connection between Miaoyin Pavilion and the Embroidered Uniform Guard is exposed, how can we continue doing business?

Mu Jinghe was so aggressive that Mao Xiang felt exhausted. Why were there so many things going on?
He waved his hand helplessly:

"Alright, alright, I got it."

"Farewell."

Mu Jinghe turned and left, her expression serious.

Once back on the ground, Mu Jinghe returned to her boudoir and met Xiao Rou, who had been waiting there.

"Shopkeeper, the ginseng soup is ready, please come and have some."

Mu Jinghe nodded, sat down at the round table, and unconsciously stirred the soup with a spoon.

The faint herbal scent gradually calmed her down.

After a long while, she whispered the instructions:

"Xiaorou, go to the hidden compartment in the wardrobe and take out that list."

Xiao Rou, standing to the side, was somewhat surprised.

But he nodded in agreement and strode toward the enormous wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Before long, Xiao Rou came over with a blue booklet in her hand.

"Shopkeeper, here you go."

Mu Jinghe shook her head:
"Make a copy and send it to Lord Lu. Be discreet and don't let anyone find out anything."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rou's bright eyes widened in disbelief.

She lowered her voice and said quickly:

"Shopkeeper, this is a list of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which we have painstakingly investigated over the years."

She quickly opened her mouth wide, realized what was happening, and lowered her voice even further:
"Shopkeeper, this isn't some condition Lord Lu offered us, is it? If so, wouldn't you be losing both your wife and your army?"

Mu Jinghe rolled her eyes at her and snapped:

"What nonsense are you talking about? Lord Lu is a gentleman."
How could someone take advantage of another's misfortune in such a situation?

At this point, Mu Jinghe seemed to have thought of something.
Her shapely, taut legs tightened slightly, and her face flushed somewhat.
"Lord Lu has helped us so much, and even persuaded His Highness the Crown Prince to help us."

We should at least repay such a huge favor.
This list is useless to us.

Lord Lu has a deep-seated grudge against the Embroidered Uniform Guard; giving him the list might be of some help.

Mu Jinghe smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with tenderness.

She doesn't seem like a decisive and ruthless female manager at all; instead, she seems like a young woman who has fallen in love.
The maid Xiaorou stared blankly at the shopkeeper in front of her, her lips twitching slightly, and disbelief flashing in her eyes.

"Shopkeeper, you can't side with outsiders!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters is right beneath our feet; if word gets out…

"Nonsense, I'm Lord Lu's man now, how can you say I'm siding with outsiders?"

"Those who died in the north?"

Xiao Rou was even more shocked, recalling the shopkeeper's previous anger about the matter.

"You can't blame Lord Lu for Yueyao's death. Blame Tao Xuan. What's so great about him? He got Yueyao into bed with just a few sweet words."

Xiao Rou could sense the bias in the shopkeeper's words and said in shock:

"Shopkeeper, is the power of love between men and women really that great? You...you've been seduced?"

"Get lost, stop talking nonsense."
I've recently come to understand that Lord Lu isn't afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at all.

If we could find a place to stay, we could escape the Embroidered Uniform Guard sooner.

At this point, Mu Jinghe showed a hint of reminiscence, her voice melodious:

"As for the pleasures of love between men and women, I've heard guests say that it's something that leads to a craving for more."

I didn't believe it before, but now I do, especially since Lord Lu is such a robust and strong man."

For some reason, Xiaorou suddenly felt that the temperature in the room had risen.
This caused a blush to rise to her cheeks and her mouth to become dry.

Her eyes darted around, and she leaned down, asking in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Shopkeeper, can you handle this?"

"You want to try?"

Xiao Rou suddenly held her breath, her cheeks turning bright red.

She nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Lord Lu is young and promising, and handsome. If I could spend a romantic night with him, my life would be worthwhile."

Mu Jinghe's lips curled into a seductive smile:

"We're like sisters. If there's another chance, I'll just beg for forgiveness a few more times."

Xiao Rou felt her hair stand on end and goosebumps rise on her skin.

"Shopkeeper, please stop talking. Xiaorou, Xiaorou, has to go to work."

"Make a copy first, then send it to the Lu residence. Be careful not to expose your identity."

At the Lu residence, it was noon.
Inside the main hall were a huge sand table, maps, and thick documents used in the northern expedition.

Just like yesterday, Duke Li Jinglong of Cao State brought his trusted subordinates to review the battle.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zengshou and Guo Quan also came.
There were also the two sons of the King of Yan.
They moved their stools and sat in the corner, trying their best to memorize the words even though they couldn't understand them.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was speaking fluently and eloquently, leaving everyone present stunned.

At this moment, a guard with a serious expression hurriedly walked in.

He whispered a few words to Feng Yunfang, who was taking notes.

Feng Yunfang was taken aback upon hearing this, put the document aside, and quickly walked out.

At the door, he took the package handed to him by his guard, and with a gentle twist, he found it to be just a thin layer.

"Where did you find it?"

"It was delivered by people from the Xinma Trading Company in Jurong County; they said it was for transporting goods."

Feng Yunfang frowned slightly and nodded gently:

"I understand. You can go ahead."

He turned and went into the main hall.

Not long after, Lu Yunyi came out, carrying a teacup and drinking as he went, his expression somewhat strange.

"Where's the stuff?"

"Sir, here it is."

Lu Yunyi handed over the teacup, then took the document and opened it to read it right there in the pavilion.

The few words that caught his eye made him raise an eyebrow.

[List of personnel from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.]
Lu Yunyi glanced at it, and as if he had thought of something, the corners of his mouth curled up even more:

"Such delicate handwriting, written by a woman?"

"My lord, according to my inspection, it should have been written by a woman, and she used her left hand."

"They don't want us to know their identities. Has the list been verified?"

"Sir, it has been verified. All the spies we have are recorded on it."

"Ah"

Lu Yunyi chuckled softly:
"So, this list is real?"

"I believe it to be true."

"Hahaha."

Lu Yunyi suddenly burst into laughter, somewhat smug:
"See? Being handsome can be very useful."

"Instruct the kitchen staff to prepare some nourishing foods. I need to replenish myself properly; such a generous gift must be repaid with due respect."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)