It was not just the Mo’s and the Duke Zhenguo’s family that was present in the Mo Manor’s Hall.
The matter had blown up. Furthermore, it was a marriage decreed by the Empress. They had to call for witnesses no matter what had happened!
The witness had been invited by the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. No one expected the man to be Grand Secretariat Wang. However, the Grand Secretariat seemed displeased. His daughter was dead. Anyone would be unhappy.
However, the man listened gravely and did not say a single word. He just drank his tea quietly. His eyes were a little cold. No one knew why Sima Lingyun would invite him.
Mo Huawen and Xu Yan were seated on one side of the hall while the Duchess and Sima Lingyun were seated on the other side. Mo Xuemin was present as well. She was a few months pregnant and a maid helped her to sit down beside the Duchess with some difficulty. Mo Xuemin’s eyes were lowered and she seemed to be very careful. Only the corners of her eyes were lifted slightly. When her gaze landed on Sima Lingyun, hatred and viciousness flashed in her eyes.
However, when one looked at her again, she seemed like a docile wife.
She had become very thin recently and her face was tinged with green. Even though her belly was raised high, she seemed very weak. She knew very well that if someone had not helped her secretly that day, she would not have been able to leave the shed alive. If it could be said that she wanted to live her days well with Sima Lingyun in the past, at this present moment, her heart and mind were filled with bitterness and hatred.
The child in her belly was not Sima Lingyun’s son. It was the evil fruit of the punishment Sima Lingyun had planted in her. She must have Sima Lingyun take responsibility for this. She was still his legal wife, and the child that she gave birth to would be his eldest legal son. In the future, everything in the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor would belong to the child in her belly.
Their marriage was decreed by the Empress. Her father had a good position in court. Furthermore, she had the support of Consort Yu and Yu Manor. She did not believe that Sima Lingyun would dare to do anything to her or try to get rid of the child in her belly. She wanted the entire Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to fall with her. Anyway, Sima Lingyun did not dare to say what happened that day. He was too embarrassed to say anything either. As such, he could only acknowledge the child.
Sima Lingyun did not care about her when she lived in the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. She lived carefreely as well. Even though she did not have much to eat or wear, Mo Xuemin felt that it was worth it to make Sima Lingyun suffer such a loss. She wanted that man slut to acknowledge the child in her belly. In the future, everything in Duke Zhenguo’s Manor would belong to her. All her suffering right now was nothing.
There was someone helping her behind the scenes so that she could escape the plotting of the Duchess, Yun Yiqiu, Lan Xinru, and Sima Lingyun.
She would bear with it. She was bearing with it…
In the future, she would get her revenge. She would make sure that those who humiliated and bullied her would die terrible deaths. The Duke Zhenguo’s Manor, and the Mo Manor, she would get revenge on them. This had happened because of that slut, Mo Xuetong. If not for her, would she have been brought together with Sima Lingyun? If not for her, would she have been tied up with another man in front of the manor doors?
It had brought about Sima Lingyun’s ire. She had been raped and they had left a bastard child in her womb.
That slut was probably having a terrible time now!
There was still hope if she bore with it. However, that slut would die. When Mo Xuemin thought of that, she felt that her enduring would bear fruit. As such, she was able to endure and she felt that there was a need to continue to do so…
However, she did not expect that Sima Lingyun was not able to endure any longer. He had sought a different way and brought her to the Mo Manor. He told everyone that she had committed marital fraud and he wanted to have a separation. He wanted to back away from this marriage. Dream on. Since Sima Lingyun dared to leave her to his manservant, then he should be able to take how it felt like to be cuckolded.
He had to acknowledge the child in her belly as well!
She was going to take Sima Lingyun down with her. She was going to see what he could do to her.
“Sir Mo, I did not have any designs on her that day. I was just angry after seeing her do something that would make anyone furious. That’s why I rushed out. Who would have thought that something like that would happen? After I saved Third Miss Mo, Third Miss Mo was afraid and fled, leaving me behind. I could not even explain myself and was forced to marry this evil woman.” Sima Lingyun looked at Mo Xuemin as if she were a poisonous snake. He could not hide the hatred and disgust in his eyes as he spoke to Mo Huawen angrily.
“Your Excellency, this was not what your manor said that day. You only said that you wanted to marry my eldest daughter. I heard you even went to the palace to plead with the Empress. If not for the Empress’ decree, we would not have married our daughter to you. She is already pregnant, and yet you are hashing out the matter now. Isn’t it too late!” Mo Huawen said calmly and coldly. His words were very sharp and he was not as warm and gentle as usual.
He was very disappointed in Mo Xuemin.
However, Sima Lingyun was slapping his face now. He was slapping the face of the entire Mo Manor!
Sima Lingyun said that Mo Huawen’s eldest daughter wanted to plot against his third daughter. If Sima Lingyun had not interfered, nothing like this would have happened. However, he was now pushing all the blame onto Mo Xuemin. She was pregnant with his child now, and yet, he had said something so heartless. Mo Huawen doubted if Sima Lingyun was really a man!
If not because he did not have any piece of evidence then, Mo Huawen would rather have Mo Xuemin become a nun than to marry her to the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor.
He did not care about Mo Xuemin at all now. Even though he was not sure what happened that day, there were various incidents that happened afterward and especially the Emperor’s attitude, that he knew to investigate. After investigation, he realized that his other two daughters had come together to plot against his third daughter. He almost rushed out to beat those two unfilial daughters of his to death.
Xu Yan had held him back. Daughters who were married off were like water that was splashed away. No matter Mo Xuemin or Mo Xueqiong, they had nothing to do with him in the future. He just had to focus on Tong’er and would not allow them to bully her again.
Mo Huawen had learned his lesson and thought it through after that. He would just pretend that those two evil women were never his daughters. In the future, he had nothing to do with them. However, Sima Lingyun was humiliating him right now and was tarnishing Tong’er’s reputation. Mo Huawen would not back down.
The Mo Manor was his and did not belong to those two evil daughters. Even if it was for the reputation of his own manor, he would not allow Sima Lingyun to slander his name.
“Then, my son was slandered and was panicked. That was why he pleaded with the Empress to help him. However, he did not expect the truth to be like that. It was too late to regret by then and we thought we would forget about it. We would just be more careful after she marries into our family. Who would have thought that this vicious slut would cause Yun’er to miscarry on the first day she married in? Then, she caused Yun’er to be unable to have children again. Sir Mo, you have to answer to Duke Zhenguo’s Manor.”
The Duchess thought of what Mo Xuemin did to the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor and then looked at the bastard in Mo Xuemin’s belly. That child would become the eldest legal son of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. The Duchess was furious and was almost going to throw a fuss as she gritted her teeth and spoke hatefully.
“Madam, this happened some time ago. Why did you not say anything then? Don’t you think it’s a little too late to be mentioning it now? Are you not afraid that a child of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor would be left outside the family?” Mo Huawen said to the Duchess darkly.
Nobody could deal with the matter today nicely. He naturally was not interested in playing nice with them!
Mo Xuemin was evil and vicious but Sima Lingyun had never been kind.
To Mo Huawen, the two were a perfect match.
One of them had entered the room of his doted on and arrogant concubine on the day of his wedding. The other had caused the concubine to miscarriage. They were both the same and neither of them was a good person.
“Mother, why are you saying something like that now? You’ve said that you forgive me that day and you said that you will not allow His Excellency to dote on his concubine and ignore his wife. Then, you even asked me to sleep with His Excellency. The baby is already so big, how can you say something like that? I know that you like Younger Sister Yun and Younger Sister Lan. However, you can’t allow a child of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to grow up outside!” Mo Xuemin keenly sensed the opportunity to speak up. She knelt down and spoke shakily and immediately started to cry as she looked at the Duchess incredulously.
The two maids beside her were from the Mo Manor. They held on to her on both sides and yelled urgently, “Madam, be careful. You are pregnant with the young Marquess and must not suffer. If you lose the babe, the Madam will be scolded by other people out there. She can’t even accept the Marquess. How can there be someone like that in the world!”
They were just one step away from calling the Duchess a beast!
The Duchess could not help but curse loudly after being angered by the two maids. The veins on her forehead twitched as she glowered. If Sima Lingyun had not realized that something was off and went to hold her, she would have fainted after ranting at the maids.
Mo Xuemin said that she had forgiven Mo Xuemin and asked Sima Lingyun to consummate the marriage with Mo Xuemin. When did that happen? Why was she unaware of it!
She even said that the child in her belly was a marquess. It was just a bastard.
However, she could not say that. She was so angry that her throat was stiff as blood rushed up to her head. “You slut, you are a slut… You dared to kill a child of the manor. Is that right of you?”
“I had only just arrived at the manor then and was dissatisfied with what happened on my wedding night. The concubine had occupied the groom. That was why I went to confront her. However, I bumped into her and she miscarried. The child in my belly is a replacement for you, Mother. In the future, I will teach him to be filial to Younger Sister Yun.” Mo Xuemin said tearfully. Her expression was one of helplessness and guilt as she sobbed. She looked at the Duchess mournfully as if she were the real victim.
Sima Lingyun was in the wrong with regards to this matter! Mo Xuemin mentioning it was as good as shoving it in the Duchess’ Achilles heel. The Duchess was filled with anger and annoyance but could not explain herself!
She could only glare at Mo Xuemin. Her lips were pale and trembling but she could not say a single word.
“Mother, don’t be angry. You won’t be able to outspeak this evil woman. Let me do it.” Sima Lingyun saw that the situation was going pear-shaped and hurriedly comforted the Duchess. He looked at Mo Xuemin coldly. He was not the Duchess and did not need to keep mentioning all that happened. Those incidents had happened some time ago. There was nothing they could do about them even if they talked about what happened.
“You must, you must chase this evil woman… out.” The Duchess panted. Her face was pale and slightly green. She almost fainted as she spoke hatefully.
Sima Lingyun nodded. He turned around and looked at Mo Xuemin gloomily. A flash of coldness appeared in his eyes, especially when he glanced at her stomach. It was as if he were looking at a cold and sinister poisonous snake. He felt that the woman before him was really a poisonous snake. If he had known this, he would have been more decisive then and just killed her. Nothing would have happened then!
He wanted to act now but she kept evading his plans. There was someone supporting behind her!
However, even though this thought made him fearful, he would not take this lying down. He would not acknowledge that bastard as his oldest legal son!
“Sir Mo, did the horse carriage there that day belong to the Mo Manor?” Sima Lingyun turned around to speak to Mo Huawen, ignoring Mo Xuemin.
The horse carriage that day had broken into pieces. However, the people who investigated what happened could still see the emblem of the Mo Manor. There were records and nobody could deny it!
