My Daughter is the Empire’s Lucky Charm

"Is that true?"

The moment Tang Muzhi said those words, even Yun Chuhuan and Cen Yiyi were stunned—and Yun Shu was no exception.

This ancient-era academic prodigy had understood classical texts at her level when he was a child? Did that mean that with enough effort, she too could pass the imperial exams?

Four pairs of eyes turned in unison to Tang Muzhi. He remained composed, his expression calm and serene.

"I was also eight years old at the time. My father had not yet entered officialdom, and my grandfather's position was far less than it is now. In the academy, I was surrounded by children of more distinguished families. One among them thought I was easy to bully and often did things he ought not to. For example, threatening me to complete his assignments."

"And then?" Yun Shu leaned forward with curiosity. "How did you handle it?"

"As it happened, that day the assignment was to annotate a passage from The Doctrine of the Mean. One line included was the same phrase His Highness the Sixth Prince mentioned just now." Tang Muzhi glanced meaningfully at Cen Yiyi. "So I purposely included the same mistake Miss Cen made in that boy's homework."

"That's not the same at all!" Yun Chuhuan scoffed, still oblivious to Tang Muzhi's intention. "You did it on purpose. Cen Yiyi is just genuinely dimwitted."

"Dim one here is you!" Yun Shu rolled her eyes. "I was wondering when Yiyi ever interpreted that passage so...creatively. Ziming, when exactly did she say that?"

"Uh..." Liu Ziming looked sheepish and cast a guilty glance at Yun Chuhuan. "It was in the study room. You had stepped out because the Grand Preceptor asked you to recite. His Highness and I were debating the meaning of a character, and I casually asked Yiyi. Then..."

"You get it now?" Yun Shu snorted and flicked Yun Chuhuan's forehead. "You got mocked to your face and didn't even notice. And you were still laughing at someone else for being slow."

Yun Chuhuan: "?"

What did that mean? Was she saying that dumb Cen Yiyi had implied he was the kind of person who would bully the weak?

No way. When had he ever hit her?

Finally realizing the implication, the Sixth Prince flushed with fury. He turned to demand an explanation, but Cen Yiyi had already sensed his brewing rage and hidden herself behind Tang Muzhi. Not even her topknot was visible.

"You..."

"Yaya! My Yaya!!"

"Move, quickly!"

The sudden uproar in the street below cut Yun Chuhuan off. Everyone looked toward the noise and saw a little girl—no more than four or five—standing blankly in the middle of the road, clutching a bamboo ball. She wore the same style of topknot as Cen Yiyi.

A short distance away, a horse and rider galloped toward her at full speed.

Her mother, standing farther off, panicked and tried to rush forward, but someone nearby held her back. At such a distance, charging in would only worsen the danger.

Clop, clop.

The sound of hooves striking stone echoed sharply. Yun Shu felt her heart leap to her throat.

In that instant, a breeze brushed past her. Her vision blurred. Then, when her eyes cleared, she saw that Tang Muzhi—who had been standing beside her a heartbeat ago—was now across the street, holding the little girl safely in his arms.

Yun Shu: "!!!"

Wait, he can fly?! Did she just witness real-life qinggong?!

Shocked, Yun Shu jumped to her feet. The crowd below, having seen the same breathtaking moment, broke into relieved cheers.

"Brother Tang Muzhi is amazing..." Cen Yiyi leaned on the railing, eyes wide with admiration.

Yun Chuhuan opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again. In the end, he grumbled, "It's not that impressive. When I'm his age, I can do it too."

"Have you even trained in martial arts, Your Highness?" Cen Yiyi hesitated, then asked carefully, "I mean real martial arts, not just horseback archery."

Yun Chuhuan: "..."

Train in martial arts? Of course not.

He had been raised pampered. Noble Consort Liu would never let him suffer the hardships of martial training. But then, wasn't Tang Muzhi a scholar? How could he also know martial arts?

Yun Chuhuan frowned, lost in thought. Yun Shu, too, was pondering.

Except, once the initial shock passed, she suddenly remembered what the original novel had said about Tang Muzhi.

His full name was Tang Wenqing, styled Muzhi.

The novel had always referred to him as Tang Wenqing, which was why it had not clicked before.

In the original plot, his story began twelve years later. By then, the tyrant had been on the throne for two years, and the court was in chaos. The northern Xiang invaded, and the empire desperately lacked military leaders.

At that pivotal moment, Tang Muzhi stepped forward. Abandoning his scholarly path, he took up arms and turned the tide of battle.

Oh, right. He was also the female lead's first love.

Before Cen Yiyi entered the palace, she had once glimpsed Tang Muzhi and secretly fallen for him.

When the tyrant found out, it led to a dramatic, angst-ridden love triangle.

Yun Shu: "..."

She glanced at the three children leaning on the railing, then looked down at Tang Muzhi—a paragon of grace and beauty. Closing her eyes, she sighed inwardly.

For a brief moment just now, she had nearly superimposed the original plot onto this scene.

What a sin.

While Yun Shu was silently repenting, the horseman below had reined in his steed and dismounted in a rush. His face pale, he bowed in apology.

"Muzhi, you... and the child, are you unharmed?"

"We were fortunate today, but we cannot rely on fortune every time," Tang Muzhi said sternly, his usually warm face now clouded. "Why were you galloping through the street, Brother-in-law?"

Brother-in-law?

Yun Shu blinked.

Below, the man named Cao Wenbin offered an apologetic bow.

"I know I was wrong. But your sister came down with a chill last night. This morning she couldn't stop coughing. The servants were too slow, so I rode out myself to fetch her medicine. I never imagined this would happen. Thank the heavens you were here, or I truly do not know what I would have done."

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In traditional Chinese culture, a person—especially men of scholar-official or noble families—often had two names:

名 (míng): the given name, usually given at birth. Here, that's Wenqing (文倾).

字 (zì): the courtesy name or style name, taken upon reaching adulthood (usually age 20 for men), meant to reflect the person's aspirations, virtues, or personality. Here, that's Muzhi (牧之).

So:

Tang Wenqing (唐文倾), styled Muzhi (字牧之) = His birth name was Tang Wenqing, and his courtesy name (used by peers, in formal settings, or after reaching adulthood) was Muzhi.

文倾 (Wénqīng): Wen means "literary" or "culture," Qing can mean "to incline" or "to lean." So possibly "one inclined toward literature or refinement."

牧之 (Mùzhī): Mu means "to herd" or "to tend," and Zhi is a classical possessive particle. "Muzhi" has a literary, poetic flavor—like "He who tends" or "the one who shepherds."

This kind of naming was very common in imperial China, especially among scholars and nobility. Many historical figures are known more by their courtesy names (字) than their given names.