“What happened?” Mo Xuetong said lightly. She closed her eyes and leaned against her pillow.
“I am not sure either. A group of people brought her in. Mo Ye heard voices and went out to see. She said that there were a few eunuchs. Old Sir and even Auntie Fang were called. Old Sir is bringing a bunch of people to Fuqing Garden right now.” Mo Lan did not know much, but she knew what happened in the day.
To have gotten into trouble in the palace was a serious matter!
Mo Xuemin had hoped to catch the eye of King Chu. She wanted to become a prince’s wife by her beauty.
Mo Xuetong however, knew that they were just lofty dreams.
In her past life, Mo Xuemin had entered the palace at this time too. However, when she returned to the Mo Manor, she had not heard any news of Mo Xuemin having anything to do with the princes. With Mo Xuemin’s character, how would she attract the interests of the princes? While the duke’s family were noble, they could not compete with the princes in Mo Xuemin’s heart.
No matter in her past life or this life, Mo Xuemin would never dream that the banquet today would end her lofty dreams. In her past life, she had followed behind You Yuecheng for years and yet, there had not been any results. This was most likely an important factor.
“Where is Mo Ye?”
“She told me earlier that she was going to keep watch at Fuqing Garden. She said that she would report to you after that.” Among all the other maids, Mo Lan was the one who knew most about how extraordinary Mo Ye was. She was also usually the closest to Mo Ye.
“Wake me up when she returns.” Mo Xuetong yawned lazily and found a comfortable position to lie down.
“Yes.” Mo Lan left, taking the candlestick with her.
Mo Xuetong slept very well. Mo Ye had already returned when she woke up. Mo Lan helped her to wash up while Mo Ye reported what she had seen and heard.
“First Miss collided with a concubine and offended her?” Mo Xuetong said lightly, seating before her vanity. Mo Lan was helping her comb her long dark hair. In the mirror, was a young, and somewhat child-like girl. Her face was gentle and delicate, looking like fragile porcelain. However, there was a hint of coldness in her features.
“I saw that First Miss had two slap marks on her face. Her clothes were in disarray and her hair was a mess.” Mo Ye had not slept all night, mingling among the maids outside. Even though she was far away, she was still skilled at martial arts. Her vision and hearing were all good and she could get a clear idea of what happened.
There were many concubines in the palace and none of them was someone that Mo Xuemin could afford to offend. However, it must not have been an ordinary concubine for them to trouble eunuchs to send a noble miss back home in the middle of the night.
With Mo Xuemin’s skills, she should be able to hold her temper and not argue with the concubine. Mo Xuetong knew how much Mo Xuemin could bear. She had only revealed her true vicious self when she wanted to poison Mo Xuetong.
“Did Mo Jin come back!” She had a sudden thought.
“No. I did not see Mo Jin. The palace only sent First Miss back.” It was chaotic in Fuqing Garden. The maids and servants were all thrown out. Mo Ye only noticed that only Mo Xiu came out since she kept a close watch. Mo Jin, who was most trusted by Mo Xuemin had not appeared at all. When she asked around, she found out that only Mo Xuemin left the palace.
An insignificant maid would definitely not be able to emerge from this scandal alive. Mo Xuetong had in her past life, once thought that what Luo Mingzhu told her in private were all rumors that could not be trusted. How could her gentle and generous eldest sister do something like that? Now that she thought about it, it was most likely true.
In her past life, Luo Mingzhu had told her to be wary of Mo Xuemin. She had brought up this matter to say that Mo Xuemin’s character was bad. She entered the palace in hopes of meeting King Chu in private. She had even sent a message secretly. However, the eldest prince had not come, but the fifth princess had come instead. She had thrown Mo Xuemin’s secret note in her face.
The note had become concrete evidence of Mo Xuemin shameless seduction of King Chu. Mo Xuemin had been slapped ten times and sent back to the manor. Mo Xuemin’s dreams of entering the palace had been destroyed like that. It was said that the Empress heard about the matter afterward and even sent someone to rebuke her. She sent word, saying, “This woman is loose in morals and goes against the moral conducts of the imperial palace. She is not to enter.”
These few words have destroyed Mo Xuemin’s dreams completely. She no longer had anything to do with true nobility from then on.
The rumors she had heard in her past life was happening right before her eyes. A cold smirk appeared on her lips. In this life, Mo Xuemin did not even have to think about climbing up the social ladder while stepping on her.
Someone was intentionally trying to hide this matter. However, Mo Xuetong did not want to. If it were just that, King Chu would but just gain another concubine and her father would become a highly trusted officer of the Emperor. Why would the Empress be so harsh?
“Mo Lan, go look for Mother Xu to find out what happened in the manor yesterday. Ask a few more people. If anyone brings up Mo Jin, there is no need to hide.” Mo Xuetong said lightly.
“Will Old Sir grow suspicious of you if you ask Mother xu to go”? Mo Lan thought for a moment before she understood what Mo Xuetong planned to do. However, she was still worried.
“I’m just concerned for my elder sister. There are so many people in the manor and many tongues wagging. It is not something I, a Miss who have just entered the manor, can deal with. I heard that Mo Jin’s parents are stewards here?” Mo Xuetong smiled lightly.
“Mo Jin’s father was brought here on the recommendation of Auntie Fang. He’s the second steeward while her mother is in charge of the kitchen. She has a brother who is weakly and does not work in the manor.” Mo Lan and Mo Jin were both born in the manor and knew of each other’s situation.
“Eldest Miss came back but their daughter has disappeared. Someone would be more anxious than us! However, I doubt they know about it right now.” Mo Xuetong stood up leisurely. Her long hair had not yet been pinned up and cascaded down her back. She turned to stand in front of the window. The day got bright later in winter and it was not let completely light outside.
The light of the rising sun could not shine through the last bits of darkness before dawn.
If someone escaped right now, no one in the manor would pay attention to it. Both her father and Mo Xuemin must be exhausted from last night. They would not care if someone escaped.
“Mo Lan, go quickly. Mother Xu knows all the old people in the manor. If there are any doubts, she can clarify them as well.” The news would spread fast too. The masters of the manor had not yet woken up so there was no one to control the servants. Mo Xuemin’s incident would be spread throughout the manor before long.
“Yes, I will tell Mother Xu immediately.” Mo Lan immediately replied when she saw how confident her mistress was. She turned and lifted the curtains before hurrying to the room on the left to look for Mother Xu.
“Mo Ye, you have not been in the manor for too long, but do you know where the back door is?” Mo Xuetong asked with a small smile. She turned to walk to her vanity. Mo Ye picked up the hairbrush and continued what Mo Lan had been doing earlier. She wanted to pin up Mo Xuetong’s hair but was stopped. Mo Xuetong took the brush from her and brushed her hair herself.
“Yes. I know. An old woman guards that place. That door should be open right now. There are two servants guarding it so it would not be easy to go out.” Even though Mo Ye did not know what Mo Xuetong wanted to do, she knew that there were hidden depths to her words. She answered Mo Xuetong’s question.
“Go lure the two servants away. It would not be easy for others to escape if they kept blocking the way.” Mo Xuetong said softly. Her small and light colored lips shone. She looked young and delicate, but also made others wary for some reason. There was not a hint of happiness in her smile.
Mo Ye immediately agreed. She did not say anything else but just lifted the curtains and left. It was as if they were talking about pulling apart two arguing girls at the door.
Mo Ye knew that her mistress was not as gentle or weak as she appeared judging by how Mo Xuetong had submerged herself in a water tank that cold winter night to avoid Sima Lingyun. She was decisive and vicious. It was something not even a highly cultivated man could do.
It was easy to be vicious towards others. But not many could be vicious towards themselves.
Mo Yu saw that the others had left and helped Mo Xuetong with a simple but elegant hairstyle.
Mo Xuetong went to the little kitchen in her courtyard and made porridge and some dishes and snacks. It was still early. Her father had not slept until late last night so he would not wake up early.
Mo Xuetong cleaned up after she was done and brought Mo Yu to Mo Huawen’s study. Mo Huawen had been sleeping in his study every night lately and had not gone to the inner courtyards. The other Aunties had not visited him either. Mo Xuetong entered and saw Mo Huawen’s personal servant squatting under the tree with a worried expression. His eyes brightened when he saw Mo Xuetong. He hurried over and bowed saying, “Greetings, Third Miss.”
“Where’s father?”
“Old Sir just woke up but he was not in the mood to eat breakfast. He is reading official documents now.” The little servant said in troubled tones as he pointed at the food basket beside him.
How could her father sleep now that something like this had happened at home? Furthermore, it had something to do with the palace? He was already up at this time, and Mo Xuetong feared that he had not slept much the entire night. She felt guilty towards her father for some reason. However, the enmity between her and Mo Xuemin meant that one of them would have to suffer. Some things were fated to be and there was nothing she could do about it.
“You can leave. Prepare Father’s clothing later.” Mo Xuetong nodded at the servant. Then, she turned around and took the serving plate from Mo Yu and told her to wait outside before pushing the door open and entering.
It was her father’s rest day. However, since something like this had happened, her father would definitely go out and try to find out what was happening.
Inside the study, Mo Huawen leaned forward with his eyes closed. His brows were tightly knitted and there were obvious dark circles under his eyes. One look at him and one could tell that he had not slept well. He must have worried about Mo Xuemin the entire night. Mo Xuetong felt sad for some reason.
She had been abandoned in Cloud City alone, and she wondered if her father had once thought and worried about her like so. After a few days together with her father, she knew that her father treated her well. He trusted her wholeheartedly.
Her father truly believed in her, and he believed in her out of guilt. But it depended on whom he believed in as well. She could tell him that the concubine he trusted in most was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, that she suspected that Auntie Fang had been the one to kill her mother and that the eldest daughter he delighted in was vicious and plotted against her. If she told her father all these, and that she had died in her past life because of their plots, would her father believe her?
One would not trust in others for no rhyme or reason, and one would not love another for no rhyme or reason as well. She did not fault her father. It was just like how her father had been lied to by them, she had only realized when she died that she had fallen into their traps. She had lost her life to them. She finally understood, having paid the price with her life. However, her father did not know about these things.
“Father, why are you not even eating your porridge. Are you feeling ill? If you are, you have to see a physician. Don’t let it drag out. Tong’er will be worried.” Mo Xuetong stood at the door. She arranged her expression and spoke with a smile before she entered the room.
