“My third brother said he came there to see my first brother. He rushed in hurriedly because he thought something terrible had happened to him. When he came in and saw Ling Fengyan there, the three of them sat together smilingly and pretended nothing had happened!” Feng Yuran smiled and closed the window. He was not interested in what would happen next. He hadn’t expected that the second young Miss Ling had a second thought, which would make the things more complicated in the future…
Mo Xuetong wanted to ignore him, but she was too curious. Seeing him light all the candles inside and smiled at her quite attractively, he looked gentler than before. She felt her face warmer and started another topic. And then she turned over her face to the nine-fold screen pretending nothing had happened.
“King Yan and second young Miss Ling were a good match, and Queen supports King Yan. Therefore, why didn’t she grant their marriage and made second young Miss Ling seem to have a special relationship with King Chu…”
It was a funny play, in which King Yan acted like a husband who caught his wife in a clandestine love affair. But clearly, King Chu didn’t act like a proper adulterer.
When King Yan rushed in angrily, Ling Fengyan was shocked and stood up instantly, and Feng Yuxuan who was holding her sachet almost fell down. But Feng Yuxuan was so brilliant that he didn’t seem to be embarrassed at all. Instead, he let go of sachet and greeted King Yan smilingly like nothing was wrong.
It’s like the one who was intimate with Ling Fengyan just a moment ago wasn’t him!
Mo Xuetong didn’t know what to say. She just wondered what Queen had in mind and why she would let the first beauty be involved with such love affairs…
“Queen won’t let such a beautiful niece go to waste, and there were more than one young ladies in Ding General Manor.” Feng Yuran pursed his lip and said meaningfully.
Looking at the jocose expression on his handsome face, Mo Xuetong suddenly understood what he meant and thought about the possibility. She lifted her eyes unbelievably, blinked her eyelashes and asked surprisedly, “Queen wants to use the beauty trap?”
“If my third brother becomes the next emperor, he would definitely need Ding General Manor’s and Queen’s power. Besides, my third brother was from the Ling’s. The reason why he survived these years was Queen. Therefore, he won’t annoy Queen. And even if Ling Fengyan can’t marry him, with Queen’s power, Ding General Manor would marry another girl to him. The connection between my third brother and Ding General Manor won’t stop, no matter whether it’s Ling Fengyan or not. But my first brother is different…” Feng Yuran took up the teapot from the table and poured into two cups. Then he took the cups to the drawer, putting one in front of Mo Xuetong. After that, he sat down and said smilingly.
“Queen wanted to use beauty trap to get Ling Fengyan into King Chu Manor or to make another preparation. Therefore, she asked Ling Fengyan to hang out with King Chu and then let King Chu marry Ling Fengyan, through whom she could get all information in King Chu Manor. With Ling Fengyan being the mole, King Yan had more chance to win!” Mo Xuetong’s beautiful eyes blinked which showed that she understood. Then she smiled cutely and continued.
Her blinking eyes seemed naughty.
They sat closely together, and Feng Yuran could clearly feel the slight fragrance coming from Mo Xuetong, which seemed to have mixed many different kinds of scents of flowers and smelt mild but strong. It was different from any other fragrance she had used before, but it was even more attractive. There was mischief in her smile and the caution and alienation were gone. She looked so charming and disturbed Feng Yuran’s calm heartbeats.
“However, Ling Fengyan had another plan!” By this conclusive sentence, Feng Yuran ignored his panic and sighed, completely forgetting this strange feeling.
“Second Young Miss Ling is a smart girl who won’t let herself be used as Queen’s stepstone which will be deserted in the end.” Mo Xuetong smiled with understanding and felt normal again. She suddenly realized it was late in the night and if Mo Lan came to see whether she kicked her quilt at the midnight, it’ll be big trouble.
“Your Highness, let’s go back!”
“Does the cut still hurt?” Feng Yuran didn’t make things difficult for her and just gently asked in the light of the candle.
“It’s fine now!” It’s not a big injury and only hurt a bit, which was a little inconvenient. But he was stabbed and still wrapped. Wondering how it was now, her eyes fixed on Feng Yuran’s sleeves. She could see nothing from the wide sleeves and didn’t know how his wound was.
“Don’t go out recently and have a good rest at home. I’ll find some good medicine for you and make it into pills in case you’re found boiling medicine.” Sensing her caring gaze on his wrist, Feng Yuran was quite happy.
She cared for him, and he hadn’t come there for nothing.
“I’m fine and will be all right in two days. Your Highness should stay at home for a good rest!” Feng Yuran’s getting stabbed and hurt was known to others, and he would have many things to deal with in the next few days. Now that she knew his ambition, she knew it would be a dangerous path. She had caused his injury and didn’t want to be his liability anymore. Of course she also selfishly thought she didn’t want to be involved in it.
His affair would cause killing and was not his own thing. She didn’t want to get involved in it when she hadn’t sought her revenge. The reason why she came out was that she felt fretful because of what happened at daytime and wanted to get out of bondage. Therefore, she didn’t obey the rules and went out with him. Now that she calmed down, she felt confused and didn’t know what to say.
She felt her head and frowned, not knowing whether she was right today.
Feng Yuran took Mo Xuetong back to Qingwei Garden and just said “Take care of your health”. Then he left without any words!
Looking at his figure which disappeared quickly, Mo Xuetong quietly closed the windows. She was held in his arms just then and could clearly smell the blood. She had reached her hand to feel his sleeves and felt something sticky. When she lifted her hand now, she could still clearly see and smell the blood.
She didn’t dare to ask about it! So although she knew his wound was bleeding again, she didn’t dare to ask! She was even afraid to have a connection with him.
Using a handkerchief to wipe off the blood, she bit her lips and got into the quilt. It was cold in the quilt, even if she just came back. She huddled herself up and reached out one of her feet. There was the hot water bag Mo Lan placed for her. It was still warm but not too hot, and it was the only warmth she could get.
Feeling the warmth, she sighed and looked at the top of the bed. But she couldn’t fall asleep.
He got hurt badly. What’s worse, he got injured because of her. Then he didn’t take a rest, instead, he watched the fireworks with her. Even if Mo Xuetong was coldhearted, she felt guilty especially when she thought what harm it would bring to her once they had a connection.
She turned her head and cuddled the hot water bag in her arms. That was the warmth she needed. On such a cold night, such a little heat became her only support. She was eager for warmth while she was afraid it was too hot, so she kicked it away at the beginning.
Now she had the same mood towards Feng Yuran!
She turned over and over but still couldn’t fall asleep. Maybe it’s because she spat blood. Although she had taken Feng Yuran’s medicine, she still felt uncomfortable in her throat. As a result, she got up to drink some water but hit herself at the corner of the desk in the darkness.
“Miss, do you need tea?” There came Mo Lan’s voice and the sound of getting up from the bed.
“You don’t have to get up. I’ve had enough.” Mo Xuetong said gently and prevented Mo Lan from getting up. She didn’t really want to drink, but just couldn’t fall asleep. It’s so uncomfortable for her to stay in bed.
“You’re not supposed to drink the cold tea. I’ll change something warm for you.” It’s Mo Lan putting on her shoes outside, and she was clearly worried about Mo Xuetong drinking cold water.
“Don’t get up, since I’ve had it. I’ll be careful for the next time. Go to sleep!” Holding her painful foot, Mo Xuetong returned to her bed and said gently. It’s cold outside and Mo Lan would only wear a robe if she had gotten up. Thus she would easily fall ill. Besides, she didn’t really want to drink. After she was hit, she got distracted and didn’t want to drink anymore.
“Uh, the next time you want to drink water, remember to tell me. It’s too cold outside and your weak body may get ill during the festive days.” Mo Lan hesitated for a moment and then urged even though she didn’t get out of her bed.
“Okay!” Mo Xuetong answered obediently.
She lied down holding her foot. Maybe she was distracted by the pain or actually tired, she fell asleep in a moment.
She was asleep while King Xuan Feng Yuran wasn’t.
What’s more, there were basins of blood taken out from Jingwei Pavilion. The maids and bodyguards didn’t dare to make a sound. They were afraid to agitate the princess, which was more than what they could bear.
King Xuan went to see the lanterns but was assassinated. That horrible news had already been delivered into the palace and made Emperor Zongwen extremely furious. He sent four imperial doctors to treat King Xuan who was badly hurt but didn’t mention that King Xuan went to see the lanterns privately. His preference made the other two owners of the duke’s manors stay awake.
They discussed the next step while watching what happened at King Xuan Manor!
In the tall tower, imperial doctors frowned and stepped out to prepare for the medicine. They discussed how to treat King Xuan. If they couldn’t treat him well, according to Emperor’s words, they would have to pay their lives for it. So they put all efforts in it, sat on the second floor and deliberated over what should be put into the medicine.
In a wide bed on the third floor, Feng Yuran lay there with a pale face, and both his wrist and his chest wrapped in gauze which had blood on it. He closed his shiny eyes on the handsome face which looked weak, and it couldn’t be told whether he was asleep or not.
“Feng Yue, how is it going?” He asked lazily with closed eyes after a while.
“Li Youmo has met first young and fell in love with her at first sight. Perhaps he has followed her to Mo Manor.” Feng Yue jumped in through the window quickly and answered obediently by his bed.
“How are King Yan and King Chu at Xiangman Tower?” Feng Yuran still closed his eyes and asked lazily. If he wasn’t wrapped sluggishly, nobody would believe it was King Xuan who had been stabbed and almost died.
