Chapter 90 – They’re All So Ugly

When Si Yuhuan and Lin Zishu finished washing up and stepped into the courtyard, they were startled to see the ground piled high with books. The girls quickly gathered around in amazement.

Xia Yan gently ran her fingers over the covers. “Wow, why are there so many books here?”

Mu Nanjin came out from the house and said, “See if there’s any rare manuscript you’ve been wanting. If not, I’ll find more.”

“Rare manuscripts?”

Si Yuhuan picked one up at random and flipped through it. It was full of criminal laws. The next one was a book on political strategies.

“These are all pretty common books,” she remarked.

Then Xia Yan suddenly frowned, blinking in confusion. “Huh? What’s this drawing? Why are a man and woman, uh, tangled up… naked?”

Her cheeks flushed with curiosity and embarrassment.

Lin Ziwen leaned over for a glance and instantly blushed crimson. “Ah! That’s not something you should be looking at!” She quickly shut the book. “That’s an erotic painting scroll.”

“E-erotic… scroll?” Xia Yan was stunned.

“Erotic scrolls? There are erotic scrolls mixed in with these books?” Mu Nanjin’s curiosity got the better of her. She flipped open the book, only to be greeted by artwork so ugly it was practically a crime. She immediately lost all interest.

“They’re all so ugly,” she muttered. “Boring.”

Everyone: “….”

That… was really not the point.

Mu Nanjin went back inside and hauled out another stack of books, setting them before Si Yuhuan. “Try these.”

These were the books she had taken from the Emperor himself; they could not possibly be ordinary.

“Epitaphs of the Ming and Tang Dynasties?”

Si Yuhuan flipped through a few pages and her eyes brightened. “It’s authentic!”

“Is that a rare copy, Sister Si?” Xia Yan asked.

“Not unique, but extremely rare. You won’t find it in any bookstore. If we display these in the teahouse, we’ll definitely attract scholars.”

Mu Nanjin asked, “If you copy the content and put the copies in the teahouse, would that still attract them?”

“Scholars come for the knowledge, not the collection itself,” Si Yuhuan said. “Miss Mu, do you mean you want me to copy them?”

Mu Nanjin nodded. “Yes. These books are borrowed. I have to return them once you’re done.”

“Would the owner allow that?”

“Of course,” Mu Nanjin said firmly.

After all, she stole them from the Emperor. Asking for permission was no longer an option, so she could only assume he had “agreed.”

Si Yuhuan turned a page, then froze in shock. Her eyes went wide as she looked at Mu Nanjin. “Miss Mu, this one’s a unique copy! You still want it copied?”

“Copy it.”

Mu Nanjin went back to grab her official hat, putting it on as she said, “I’m heading to duty. If you need money, find Uncle Xu. If there’s trouble you can’t handle, come to the Commandant’s Office.”

“Duty?”

Only now did the girls notice that she was actually wearing an official uniform, the Jinyiwei uniform.

Si Yuhuan stared in disbelief. “Miss Mu… you’re a Jinyiwei officer?”

Mu Nanjin adjusted her hat. “Didn’t you already know?”

Si Yuhuan shook her head. “We thought you were some Jinyiwei lord’s daughter.”

When she returned to the capital, Mu Nanjin had always worn civilian clothes, and the Jinyiwei officers addressed her casually as “Mu girl” or “Miss Mu.”

“No time to talk. I’m going to be late. Captain Liu will start nagging again.”

Mu Nanjin hurried out of the courtyard, not noticing the envy in the girls’ eyes.

“A woman who can be an official… how amazing.”

“I wish I could be one too.”

Lin Zishu thought for a moment. “Two months ago, I heard that the Jinyiwei in the capital had a female officer. People were saying she must have used… improper means to get the position. I thought so too, but seeing her now, those rumors were clearly nonsense. With her ability, even becoming a Zhenfushi wouldn’t be a problem.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Mu Nanjin did, in fact, arrive late, but instead of scolding her, the Jinyiwei greeted her with smiles.

“Congratulations, Master Mu!”

“Congratulations!”

Mu Nanjin blinked in confusion.

“What are you congratulating me for?”

The men just grinned mysteriously and refused to explain.

When she reached the Left Court, Liu Baihu came over beaming. “Ah, Mu Nanjin, there you are! Had breakfast yet? There’s an extra meal in the clerical office if not. Oh, and after duty, I’m treating you and Lord Kan to dinner. Don’t even think about slipping away early.”

Mu Nanjin squinted at him suspiciously.

【I was late and he’s not yelling? He even wants to feed me?】

【What’s gotten into him, why’s he being so nice?】

【He must want something from me again.】

Captain Liu flicked her forehead. “Why the suspicious face? I’m being sincere this time.”

“Oh.” Mu Nanjin nodded.

“Come on, let’s go to the Commander’s office.”

As they walked, passing Jinyiwei greeted them cheerfully again, only this time the congratulations were for Captain Liu.

“Congratulations, Captain Liu. No, wait, shouldn’t we be calling you Colonel Liu now?”

“Congrats on your promotion! Don’t forget to hand out promotion sweets!”

“Stop that,” Colonel Liu scolded lightly, though the grin tugging at his mouth gave him away.

“Everyone already knows,” someone laughed. “It’s practically official!”

Mu Nanjin tilted her head. “You got promoted, Captain Liu?”

“Thanks to you,” he said, still smiling.

He had never expected to move up again, let alone jump straight from Captain to Colonel. His success was not just from the bandit campaign; it was also thanks to Mu Nanjin’s elixirs, which had greatly boosted his strength.

In the Jinyiwei, martial rank mattered as much as administrative skill, and now that he had reached the eighth rank as a warrior, he could easily bear the title of Colonel.

“Congratulations,” Mu Nanjin said flatly.

“Thank you!” Colonel Liu laughed heartily.

When they arrived at the Commander’s office, the Assistant Commander greeted them with a smile. “Ah, our little Flag Officer Mu is here.”

Mu Nanjin frowned. “Flag Officer Mu?”

【What kind of weird title is that? It sounds so awkward.】

The Assistant Commander turned to Colonel Liu. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Nope.”

He knew she didn’t like promotions. Why ruin his good mood by bringing it up?

“Flag Officer Mu, congratulations on your promotion,” the Assistant Commander said cheerfully. “You’re now a Junior Seventh-Rank Flag Officer.”

“Promoted?”

Mu Nanjin’s face immediately soured.

【Great, another promotion. Why can’t they just pay me more instead?】

【The higher the rank, the heavier the burden. This sucks.】

【I was actually hoping to get demoted, not promoted!】

【Maybe if I punch the Assistant Commander, they’ll stop promoting me.】

The poor man nearly broke a sweat.

He had not even been the one to promote her. Why would she want to hit him?!

Colonel Liu leaned close and whispered, “Being a Flag Officer isn’t bad. At least now Xu Cheng and Yang Bo have a place.”

Since the bandits were wiped out, Xu Cheng and Yang Bo had no home or work. They had followed Mu Nanjin to the capital, staying temporarily at Xiao Qinglou, but that was not a permanent solution.

Mu Nanjin raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“As a Flag Officer, you can lead ten Ninth-Rank Jinyiwei. Just recruit those two under you. They’ll be your men. You can send them to handle things you don’t want to do, and they’ll have stable housing within the Jinyiwei compound.”

Mu Nanjin’s eyes brightened. “Ten subordinates, huh…”

【So if I don’t want to stand guard, I can send them. If I don’t want to run errands, I can send them. If I want food or favors, I can send them… That means I can finally be lazy!】

【Hmm. Seventh Rank sounds just fine after all.】

The Assistant Commander: “….”

Only Colonel Liu truly understood her.

Mu Nanjin asked, “So how do I get them officially enlisted?”

“Once my promotion is finalized, that will be easy,” Colonel Liu said, patting his chest.

A Colonel had the right to recruit new members, just as Tang Jingrui had once brought Mu Nanjin in. The paperwork still had to pass through higher ranks, but he was confident the Commander would not object.

Especially not when it was her request.

Soon after, all the promoted officers gathered to receive their new uniforms. The Assistant Commander read out the list and handed out rewards.

By the end, Captain Liu had officially become Colonel Liu.

Mu Nanjin, meanwhile, was now Flag Officer Mu.

Everyone congratulated one another with laughter and smiles.

Tang Jingrui approached her, his expression complicated. “Mu Nanjin… congratulations on your promotion.”

When he had first recruited her, he had never imagined she would rise so fast, and with her abilities, even higher ranks were within reach.

“Thanks,” Mu Nanjin replied casually, then turned to Colonel Liu. “So, Liu, ah no, Colonel Liu, how much reward did the Commander say I get?”

“Three thousand taels,” he said.

In truth, no one ever got that much for a single merit, but they had inflated the reward. It was better to give her silver than let her start eyeing the treasury again.

Being her superior was exhausting.

Mu Nanjin grinned. “When I collect it, I’ll have Tang Jingrui deliver it to my aunt. Tell her it’s my gift of filial piety.”

Tang Jingrui: “….”

For someone so greedy, she sure gave away money easily. Was it genuine filial piety, or guilt?

Later that day, Tang Jingrui returned to the Tang residence and placed three thousand taels before Tang Liuzhao.

“This is…” she began.

“Mu Nanjin’s reward,” he said. “She’s been promoted again.”

Tang Liuzhao froze.

“She’s promoted again?” Madam Tang’s voice rose in disbelief. “Didn’t she just get promoted?”

Old Master Tang frowned. “Didn’t she already move up not long ago? How could she advance again so soon?”

“She earned merit,” Tang Jingrui said simply.

“Merit?” Madam Tang nearly laughed. “What kind of merit could a woman earn?”

“She did,” he said coolly. “She’s now a Seventh-Rank official.”

“Seventh Rank?!” Old Master Tang’s eyes widened. “She skipped Eighth Rank entirely?”

If she earned one more promotion, she would be Fifth Rank, on par with his sons and grandsons.

Jiang Zhenru murmured, “Her rise is really too fast.”

Madam Tang snorted. “There must be some mistake. How could she possibly earn merit?”

“Grandmother,” Tang Jingrui said flatly, “her merit benefits the Tang family too. She can help us now.”

That soothed their tempers instantly.

“We weren’t doubting her,” Old Master Tang said awkwardly. “We were just… surprised. Anyway, tell me, what’s this about three thousand taels?”

“The court rewarded her. She asked me to bring it here for Aunt Liuzhao, as a filial gift.”

Tang Liuzhao’s face darkened. She swept the silver notes off the table. “I don’t want her things.”

Madam Tang rolled her eyes, bent down, and picked them up. “If you don’t want it, I’ll hold onto it for you.”

Tang Liuzhao: “….”

Just then, a guard entered. “Second Young Master, two Jinyiwei are here to see you.”

“Send them to my study.” Tang Jingrui stood and bowed slightly. “Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother, Aunt, I’ll take my leave. Duty calls.”

“Go on, go,” Old Master Tang said.

In his study, the two Jinyiwei entered. It was the same pair he had dispatched earlier to investigate Mu Nanjin’s past.

“Any results?” he asked.

“Yes, my lord,” one said. “We discovered that aside from Mu Qinyi and his sister’s child, the entire Mu family perished in a plague. Mu Qinyi later set out for the capital with his sister’s daughter, but he fell ill and died on the road. A man carrying the little girl returned their bodies home for burial.”

Tang Jingrui’s eyes narrowed. “And the man?”

“He also had the surname Mu and claimed to be a distant relative. After burying them, he left with the child and never returned. We checked the Mu clan thoroughly. There’s no record of such a relative. No one knows who he was. We found nothing more.”

Tang Jingrui sighed, placed a hundred-tael note on the table, and said, “You’ve done well. Take it and go.”

“Yes, my lord.”

After they left, Tang Jingrui went to see Tang Wenzong and reported everything.

Tang Wenzong decided that when Mu Qinyi returned, he would ask her the truth himself.