Chapter 65: Critical Flaw in the Careful Plan
"That's why I say that Second Older Sister's careful plan had a critical flaw. Although you grasped Ye Zixiao's ambition correctly, you underestimated his feelings for Duan Zirou. There is no smoke without fire. Since the entire imperial city spreads rumors of Ye Zixiao and Duan Zirou's deep love for each other, why did Second Older Sister take this risk?" Yao Mowan scoffed as she looked towards Yao Suluan.
"He actually… This consort was helping him! With Duan Zirou present, he'll never become emperor!" bellowed Yao Suluan. She looked towards Yao Mowan, her eyes filled with anger.
"Second Older Sister was helping him? Or were you helping yourself? Mowan doesn't know if Duan Zirou's existence would prevent Ye Zixiao from becoming emperor, but she'd definitely become a hindrance in Second Older Sister's way to becoming empress. It's just that Second Older Sister ah, why can't you learn to conceal your strength and bid your time? If you endured for a little longer, it wouldn't be too late to initiate your schemes after Ye Zixiao became emperor. Now things are just great. Due to your momentary slip, not only did you cause Yao Zhenting to be thrown into prison, you've also cut off your last road of retreat. If Mowan's guess isn't off, Ye Zixiao probably won't be making any moves for the time being." Yao Mowan shook her head as she looked toward Yao Suluan with a sigh.
"Yao Mowan, you didn't write this message to save this consort at all, you just wanted this consort to live and suffer! You just want to see how much this consort will fall, how miserable this consort will become, and how this consort will ultimately die, isn't that so?" Yao Suluan subconsciously backed away with a horrified expression on her face.
"Yes, Second Older Sister certainly knows me well!" Yao Mowan nodded slightly in agreement.
"Yao Mowan, you're not human! You're a devil! You're a completely cold-blooded beast!" Yao Suluan looked towards Yao Mowan with fear in her eyes. In this instant, Yao Suluan felt like she was in total darkness, and that Yao Mowan was the master of this darkness.
"Let Mowan guess, when Eldest Sister died, she definitely thought the same. Yao Suluan, have you ever thought about it? If Eldest Sister came back to this world, what kind of fate you would face?" Yao Mowan approached Yao Suluan step by step until she forced Yao Suluan against the wall. That cold and sharp gaze seemed to pierce Yao Suluan's heart like a sharp blade.
"That's not possible…" Yao Suluan's voice trembled due to fear and her pupils shrank into two black dots.
"Of course it's not possible. That's why Mowan is doing things in Eldest Sister's stead. It's just that Mowan's methods are a little merciful, so hopefully Eldest Sister won't blame Mowan." Yao Mowan suddenly tilted her head to look at the ceiling as if Yao Moxin was right there above them.
"Lunatic… Yao Mowan, you lunatic!" Yao Suluan rushed out of Guan Osprey Palace in fear with the same momentum as she had rushed in earlier.
The third day after Yao Zhenting was arrested and sent to prison, Ye Hongyi gave an edict to search and seize Prime Minister Yao's residence. All of the money went to the national treasury. The servants were sent to the southwest border. Only one person was kept.
Yao Tu's face was filled with shock as he stood in front of the sumptuous residence doors. It took him a very long time to snap out of it.
"Liu Xing, what is this place?"
"This is Yao Residence, not Yao Zhenting's Yao but Yao Tu's Yao." A pleasant, gentle voice arose. It was like the sound of a yellow oriole, the tinkling sound made people's hearts fill with warmth.
"Noble Consort Yao? This old servant kowtows in salute to Your Highness Consort Yao!" Yao Tu turned around when he heard this voice. It was only now that he discovered Liu Xing who had been standing behind him was now replaced by Yao Mowan.
"Steward Yao, hurry and get up. Let's go inside to talk." Yao Mowan walked up to help Yao Tu up, then she took his hand and pulled him inside the courtyard. She had once said that she would repay Yao Tu for his kindness. Today was the day that she would make her promise reality.
"Your Highness Consort Yao, this old servant doesn't understand. This courtyard?" Yao Tu followed behind Yao Mowan respectfully as he asked this in puzzlement.
"Your kindness that day in paying for my mother's funeral has been ingrained in Mowan's memory. After Mowan recovered intelligence, you secretly helped Mowan several times. Whether it's based on emotion or logic, Mowan should still repay these favors . From now on, you're the master of this residence. Mowan will have Liu Xing hand all of it over to you – the deed of the house, the land, as well as the money to allow you to enjoy the rest of your years," said Yao Mowan firmly.
"This… How can I accept such a favor? All that this old servant did were meager contributions, how could it deserve such a generous reward from Your Highness? This old servant is too ashamed to accept." When Yao Tu heard what Yao Mowan said, he immediately knelt down in front of her. His voice shook as he gave this reply.
"You fully deserve this, Steward Yao. Mowan knows what you're thinking. Don't worry. I've already begged His Majesty to spare Yao Zhenting's life. You can go visit him at any time." Originally, Yao Mowan didn't want to mention Yao Zhenting, but she knew that Yao Tu's loyalty was sincere.
"Your Highness…" Yao Tu still wanted to reject the gift, but Yao Mowan stopped him.
"Yao Tu, as of now, Prime Minister Yao's residence is already gone. This is the only other home Mowan has outside of the palace. If you're unwilling to accept this courtyard, then Mowan will also have no home to return to." Yao Mowan pouted slightly as she swung Yao Tu's arm with both hands in a childish manner.
"All right… All right! Then Yao Tu will stay here and serve as Third Miss's steward for the rest of this lifetime." Yao Tu looked towards Yao Mowan gratefully and time seemed to fall backwards. He seemed to see how she looked when she had once tugged at his sleeve to ask for candy. After so many years, he had already come to view Yao Mowan as his own daughter.
That night, with Yin Xue's help, Yao Mowan slipped secretly into the imperial prison.
In the dark and damp imperial prison, the mice were even more aggressive than humans. They brazenly walked around without fear and ate the leftovers of the criminals' meals. The mice with special preferences even became interested in human flesh, so from time to time, there would be the sound of blood-curdling screams coming from the depths of the prison.
Yao Zhenting was imprisoned in the innermost cell of the prison. As Yao Mowan stood in front of the bars, she couldn't catch sight of Yao Zhenting. It was only when Yin Xue pointed towards the straw pallet that Yao Mowan realized that Yao Zhenting had completely buried himself inside the straw.
"Father, do you think that you can escape from the harsh reality just by doing this?" Yao Mowan's lips slowly curved up as a smile unfurled on her lips.
The moment Yao Zhenting heard Yao Mowan's words, he abruptly pushed aside all of the straw and glowered at her. It had only been a few days, but Yao Zhenting looked as if he had aged several dozen years. He was a very pathetic sight with those few pieces of straw stuck in his disheveled hair.
"Who would have imagined this? That the grand prime minister of the current dynasty would actually fall to such a state? But who's to blame?" Yao Mowan crossed her arms and lifted her brows as she looked towards Yao Zhenting, completely unfazed by his bloodthirsty glare.
"Who's to blame? You still dare to ask this old man who's to blame? Yao Mowan! If it weren't for you, how could I possibly be in this state? It was all because of you!" bellowed Yao Zhenting, his eyes filled with fury. Everything was bestowed by this devil. As of now, he had nothing left.
"Mowan is deeply honored to have such a high evaluation from Father, so Mowan would sincerely be unhappy to find out that it was someone else who caused Father to fall to this point," said Yao Mowan offhandedly. Inside, she was secretly rejoicing in the fact that she had managed to convince Ye Hongyi to spare Yao Zhenting's life. She was even more certain now that living would simply be endless torment for Yao Zhenting
"You knew from the start that I was collaborating with Luminescent Prince, that's why you came up with this kind of plan to frame me?" Yao Zhenting had been thinking over past events these last couple of days inside the imperial prison. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Ye Zixiao would give up on the throne due to a woman, and if it wasn't Ye Zixiao's doing, then it was definitely Yao Mowan's.
"Father truly thinks too highly of Mowan. Even if Mowan had that desire, Mowan still doesn't have the capability to have so many weapons engraved with the Yao character in such a short period of time. In reality, Mowan doesn't find it strange that even now, Father still doesn't believe that this was Luminescent Prince's plot. That's because in Father's eyes, women are worthless goods, regardless if it's a wife or a daughter. In Father's eyes, they're only tools to be exchanged for power or create more descendants. However, Luminescent Prince is different. His feelings for Duan Zirou are able to withstand tests and challenges. As of now, having fallen to this point, Father, do you feel any trace of regret? If Father had been willing to care about women just a little bit more, perhaps you wouldn't have fallen to such a tragic state," said Yao Mowan softly, her eyes completely cold.
__________Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Transcribed by Elara-Moon
[Chiyomira's Corner]Enjoy~
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