Chapter 48: The Rebirth of the Unfavored Daughter, Part 8

"Exactly. That's why their expectations for love from men are so low; all they want is a meal ticket, and it hardly matters who provides it. As for me, I have money and leisure, so why bother getting married?" As her temper flared, Mu Yin spoke without restraint.

"You..." Liu Ling was taken aback by Mu Yin's bluntness, as if she were saying women only used men for their own ends.

"Why get angry? Did you really believe that after taking a wife and concubines, your wife would still love you deeply, and your concubines would devote themselves to you wholeheartedly? You're dreaming. Have you ever thought about it from the other side? If your wife, after marrying you, also kept two or three lovers, would you still be so affectionate towards her? The so-called virtues and codes you men impose on women only restrict their behavior, not their hearts. Even if women are deliberately belittled or constrained by men, they are still human beings, just like you. Even if their thoughts are caged, they can still preserve a part of themselves." Mu Yin retorted mercilessly, rolling her eyes before turning and walking away.

Liu Ling was left fuming, his fondness for Mu Yin gone, and he stormed off. "Young master, she's gone," someone in the shadows said, and two figures emerged from a corner.

"Find out which family that girl belongs to. She is quite interesting," said the leader, a youth in red, looking around fifteen or sixteen years old, strikingly handsome and delicate.

"Yes, sir," replied the guard behind him, nodding to another inconspicuous figure who quietly trailed after Mu Yin.

After returning, Mu Yin hurried her preparations. Fortunately, she had done her research beforehand. She quickly secured a fake identity and a travel document, then told Madam Zhang she wished to visit a temple to pray for her late mother, especially since her coming-of-age ceremony was near and she wanted to share the news.

Her mother had died when she was three, but thanks to the strict Liu family rules and a kind matron, she had not become a victim of bullying by servants—well, except for her wet nurse, who was dismissed when Mu Yin was six after being found overstepping her bounds.

Chunfen had been with the original Mu Yin since they were five, and their shared struggles had made her fiercely protective. Before leaving, Mu Yin naturally wanted to make arrangements for Chunfen. Fortunately, Chunfen was already engaged to her childhood sweetheart—both had been kidnapped and sold to the Liu family together, a twist of fate that kept them close.

Previously, Mu Yin had already arranged their engagement. Now, before her departure, she withdrew all the shop’s liquid assets, along with her own earnings, which amounted to more than ten thousand taels after five years—perhaps nothing compared to the extravagant sums protagonists in novels seem to acquire, but in a rural family that could barely save even one tael a year, it was a fortune.

Of course, she took only banknotes. She tucked the property deeds for the shop into a compartment of Chunfen’s dowry box, matching the color with an envelope at the bottom, and gave it to her. Then, finding an excuse to pray at the temple, she managed to evade the servants and left behind a letter before slipping away.

Disguised as a man, she had thought everything through—pierced ears, an Adam’s apple, a chest binding. The sort of cross-dressing that fails immediately in TV dramas would not do. Fortunately, young men of this era also wore powder and rouge, and those addicted to certain substances tended to be frail; her slender frame thus escaped suspicion.

She abandoned her feminine mannerisms for a confident stride and upright posture, making her look nothing like a woman. Thus, she swaggered openly back into the city, rented a courtyard through a broker, and settled in.

Her mission wasn’t yet fully complete. Well, she wasn’t aiming for a perfect score, but at least to meet the eighty percent required for success. The remaining part, she reckoned, involved the male lead’s rise. Although romance novels focused on the heroine, the male lead was often her golden finger, making his role significant.

She was acutely aware of the subtle changes in the world’s rules—if not for her unique abilities, she wouldn’t have sensed them. Such minute changes could easily revert, so she had to be careful not to let the plot fall back into its original track.

"What? You say she’s been paying special attention to Fifth Brother, Miss Chen, and my Fourth Brother?" The youth in red—Eighth Prince—looked shocked.

"Yes," the guard replied truthfully.

"Do you know why she’s interested in them?" Was she a spy for another brother? The Eighth Prince’s gaze sharpened as suspicion arose.

"I’m not sure," answered the guard.

"Keep watching her," commanded the Eighth Prince.

But Mu Yin truly was only observing. She used her former connections to help the Fourth Prince secure his position—by importing high-yield foreign crops she’d acclimated to the region, and introducing methods like cowpox inoculation to increase his prestige.

For the Fifth Prince, she had her doctors treat Miss Liu, and placed a little maid beside her to instill ideas that would help her win the Fifth Prince’s heart. As for the heroine, she simply gave her some ways to earn money independently, nothing more.

The Eighth Prince, upon discovering these facts, was left confused. Being close to the Fourth Prince, he had suspected Mu Yin was a spy for another prince and had been on high alert. But the findings left him at a loss.

Meanwhile, after Mu Yin’s disappearance, the Liu family first sent people to search for her, then investigated her circle. They found she had already transferred ownership of her shops to Chunfen, whose servant status had been lifted, and let the matter drop. A few days later, they announced Mu Yin’s death from illness.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Besides leaving a letter of departure, she had also left behind some recipes—only food, since culinary changes wouldn’t alter history much. True historical change required technology or weaponry; as the saying goes, technology is the primary productive force, and it is no mere slogan.

Afterward, she began quietly supporting the Fourth Prince, helping him build prestige among the people. She had little to worry about concerning the emperor. This wasn’t a long-lived monarch like Kangxi, who drove his favorite son to rebellion; according to the story, this emperor had only a few years left to live. Even without the plot, Mu Yin doubted he would last long.

She had attended a palace banquet and secretly observed the emperor herself—mainly out of curiosity to see a ruler of old—only to find a middle-aged man worn out by excess. Though he projected power, it was merely the aura of one accustomed to command, nothing compared to the true presence of a powerful ability user.