“Tong’er, rest assured. I will deal with this matter calmly.” Feng Yuran made the promise gently and hugged the young girl who trembled with tears in his arms.
Mo Xuetong also hugged him tightly, refusing to loosen her hands. Her tears ran down silently and then fell in clusters. She did not know why she cried, but only felt her heart broken with bitterness that made her unable to speak for that moment. She just told herself vaguely that he could fulfil his promise, and that he would not make the mistake as he had made in the last life, and he would not suffer like that, and they would live a happy life…
“Tong’er, Tong’er…” Seeing her so miserable but he was unable to find the cause, Feng Yuran just murmured her name again and again. His lips gently fell on her cheeks, eyes, and lips. He was so confused that he did not know how to comfort her, but just kissed her cheeks subconsciously and sensed her warm body as soft as water in his arms.
Mo Xuetong did not stop crying until a long time. She leaned in his arms and found a comfortable place on his chest autonomously. After wiping her face with a handkerchief, she braced herself against his robe contented. The room became quiet, and she could feel his hands tucked some strands of her hair behind her ears.
The serene and cozy atmosphere warmed both of them, and they felt the warmth from each other’s body temperature.
After a long while, lying in Feng Yuran’s arms, Mo Xuetong asked in a muffled voice, “Do you think it was He family behind the scenes?”
She couldn’t wait for others to raise the question but wanted to reveal the truth in front of him little by little herself, so that he would avoid losing his temper in rage if he heard it from others and causing an irreversible mistake. In Mo Xuetong’s view, He family should perish without doubt, and it had much to do with Feng Yuran. But she hoped it was she who uncovered the truth to Feng Yuran.
“The He family is the most likely to do it. And Consort Zhao must have something to do with it.” Feng Yuran narrowed his eyes with a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. At this moment, he returned to himself. If he had not been reminded by Mo Xuetong, he would not think in this way. But with careful thoughts, he realized that since His Majesty had protected his mother so thoroughly, how was Empress able to take the poison to his mother?Read more new novels on Listnovel.com
If there had not been any planted agent, how could Empress come to Feng Yuran’s mother’s Anhe Palace coincidentally when His Majesty had just left the palace? Feng Yuran still remembered that it was Consort Zhao who had handed it to his mother. At that time, Feng Yuran just felt Consort Zhao disgusting. If she could not protect his mother, why had she bothered to come to the palace? Now, when Feng Yuran recalled it again, he realized that Consort Zhao and Empress had collided already at that time.
No wonder Consort Zhao could live peacefully in the palace with Empress for so many years.
“I don’t like Consort Zhao. She always looked gentle, as if my mother were reborn. But how is it possible that there is an uncommon likeness between two people in the world, even their characters are so alike, unless one of them is designed intentionally?”
“Are you going to tell His Majesty?” Mo Xuetong raised her head and asked.
“How can he believe that the woman as gentle as my mother is so vicious? In his heart, perhaps he believes that Consort Zhao is gentle and kind.” When talking about Consort Zhao, Feng Yuran’s tone was rather indifferent, as if he were talking about a stranger. But Mo Xuetong could still feel the coldness under his calm tone. She clung herself deeper to his chest and nuzzled him with her face, and then said with some hesitation, “Since He family are going to come to the capital, they are bound to contact Consort Zhao. I think that Consort Zhao cannot keep calm now. Shall I…”
“No need!” Feng Yuran understood her meaning immediately and interrupted her assertively. He shook his head and said, “You don’t need to step in it.”
He did not want Tong’er to suffer any damage. The imperial palace was the inner court, and sometimes he was unable to control everything he wanted.
“You don’t treat me as yours?” Mo Xuetong looked up and blamed. Her rosebud lips pouted with displeasure, and her long eyelashes fluttered with sorrow in her misty eyes. What a poor look!
“Consort Zhao is not Consort Yu. It is not safe for you to go there.” If it were something else, Feng Yuran’s heart had softened at the sight of her expression. However, as for this matter, he refused her without a second thought.
“You, you don’t think I am yours, and is unwilling to let me avenge our mother. I don’t want you anymore!” Mo Xuetong bit her lip to push him away. Her watery eyes shed tears with grievance again. She had just been pacified, but now cried again. Looking at her blurred eyes full of tears, Feng Yuran thought he was unable to adhere to his persistence any longer.
This woman was the goblin sent by the God to torture him!
“It’s okay to go there, but be careful.” Feng Yuran sighed helplessly and said. And his anger about what He family had done to his mother was dulled for a moment.
“Rest assured. I will act according to circumstances. You ask the person who has tailed He Yuxiu to keep watch on Consort Zhao. Now, the ban on Consort Zhao has been lifted, and just guess where she will go most.” Mo Xuetong asked with a smile.
What would a person want to do most since she had been released from restriction? It could tell the person’s temperament. As for Consort Zhao, Mo Xuetong thought she needed to get to know Consort Zhao’s style before taking the proper action.
“Okay, it’s all up to you.” Feng Yuran smiled. His fingers gently brushed her glossy skin, and he continued to said charmingly, “rest assured. The alliance between Empress and Imperial Noble Consort Su is not so unbreakable. Consort Zhao thought she could do at her will in the palace by the favor she has gained for ten years. I’m afraid that she will be disappointed.”
Ten years ago, Consort Zhao could probably win the favor by her appearance and temper similar to Consort Xian. But how could it be the same after ten years? Just judging from the current situation in the palace, it was easy to see that Emperor changed his favor so quickly that no one could tell where the Emperor’s love would hang around and whom he would favor next.
“When you meet her, you should be careful, too. After all, she is His Majesty’s favorite consort.” Mo Xuetong reminded unassured.
“You don’t have to worry about me. Tong’er, even if she doesn’t like me, she doesn’t dare to expose it. She can ascend to what she is now all because of her temperament and appearance similar to my mother. If His Majesty knows she is always pretending, how can she continue to keep her prime in the palace?”
Feng Yuran’s slender fingers ran on Mo Xuetong’s face caressingly. “Tong’er, you just need to deal with He Yuxiu. Besides, she lives outside the palace and comes to disturb us from time to time.”
Feng Yuran had made clear analysis that the hypocritical He Yuxiu was no Tong’er’s opponent at all. Base on Tong’er’s cleverness, it was a piece of cake to deal with He Yuxiu. And it was much easier to start from He Yuxiu than from Consort Zhao whom they knew nothing at all.
Mo Xuetong contemplated for a while and agreed with the method. In the past, she had just wanted to fish out Consort Zhao by He Yuxiu. And now, Consort Zhao came out, but He Yuxiu was ignored. No matter how sly Consort Zhao was, to have a paternal family member like He Yuxiu was not a happy thing.
“Okay, I listen to you.” Mo Xuetong’s eyes gleamed, with a bright smile. She nodded and continued to say, “I guess even if I won’t go to find her, she will come to see me.”
“Why?” Feng Yuran asked curiously.
“I don’t know who has so many bad romances, and it comes one after another restlessly.” Mo Xuetong said with a bit of resentment. Being annoyed for the unknown reason, she reached out to pull his sleeve and took a hard bite on his wrist. In the past, Ling Fengyan was his crazy adorer, and now came He Yuxiu.
The former one had tried to take Mo Xuetong down before the death. And the latter one did not have that gut before, but now with the backer, Mo Xuetong wondered how He Yuxiu would cause trouble to her. The thought made Mo Xuetong depressed, and she thought why the man looked so enchanting and handsome that a swarm of bad romances flooded to him endlessly, and that being King Xuan’s consort was rather a dangerous thing.
Looking at her peevishly glaring expression, Feng Yuran chuckled and felt his heart melted. Then, he answered with a doting look, “Okay. From now on, I will drive away the bad romances one by one myself, okay?”
As for those women, he felt disgusted. They made grand gestures and showed off ostentatiously, even deliberately played some tricks to attract his attention.
“That’s better.” Mo Xuetong pouted.
With the mouth upward, Feng Yuran gave a fond kiss on her black hair.
After they had made an agreeable plan, Feng Yuran asked servants to freshen Mo Xuetong, and then took her to the banquet. When they had just come out of the Anhe Palace, a sweet voice rang, “cousin, Xuetong, where have you been? I am looking for you for a long time.”
The saccharine voice made Mo Xuetong quiver. How hard did He Yuxiu squeeze her throat that she could make that voice?
Not far from the road ahead, a beautiful lady stood beside the water, her skin as white as snow in that gorgeous palace dress. Her black hair was braided up with some tear-shaped golden hairpins stuck in it. The hairpins would gleam dazzlingly by any slight move. What a compellingly luxurious look! With a careless glance, He Yuxiu did look like a lady from a grand family.
Her slim waist swung lightly and put on different flirtatious airs. But somewhat, she also looked like a prostitute. Had He Yuxiu seen it much outside the palace? Or was there any problems with He family’s cultivation nanny? He Yuxiu displayed herself like a prostitute.
How did He family raise their daughters?
“Tong’er, you go to ladies’ seats, and I will go where His Majesty is.” Feng Yuran put down the hand holding Mo Xuetong, and said to her with a smile, giving no response to He Yuxiu.
The banquet was divided into two sides of seats between gentlemen and ladies. The ladies led by Empress took seats in the inner room, while the ministers and the young gentlemen were arranged outside.
He Yuxiu seemed not be affected by Feng Yuran’s cold shoulders, and walked in front of him to block the way. She turned around to show the jewels on her, and said proudly, “Cousin, do you know what I’ve seen. I’ve seen the young aunt, Her Highness, Consort Zhao. She also granted me this dress and the ornaments. Are they beautiful?”
She totally disregarded Mo Xuetong.
Now, with the Consort Zhao’s support, He Yuxiu was not afraid of Mo Xuetong at all . Thinking that Consort Zhao had promised to let her marry into the manor as the second consort, and to removed Mo Xuetong step by step, He Yuxiu could not conceal the exultation in her heart and behaved rather arrogantly . She dared to pester Feng Yuran who always took no notice of her and kept speaking to him, totally paying no attention to Mo Xuetong, her cousin’s consort.
“It looks good!” Feng Yuran showed a lazy smile on his handsome face and said gently.
The smile made He Yuxiu stunned, and she stood there still to look blankly at Feng Yuran coming to her slowly. She felt her heart was about to jump out of her mouth. She thought Consort Zhao was right, as Consort Zhao had said, “Feng Yuran will love you, as long as you dress yourself up beautifully.”
See, her cousin, who had always been cold to her, smiled to her now…
Looking at He Yuxiu’s infatuated look, Mo Xuetong let out a sigh inwardly and stepped back. She did not want to get into trouble when the trouble would be stirred up later. Feng Yuran was King Xuan with unbearable insolence, while Mo Xuetong was just an oppressed and cowardly King Xuan’s consort. Therefore, they should play their proper roles in the palace.
One should keep a high profile, as high as possible to let everyone know!
The other should keep a low profile, as low as possible not to let everyone know!
Mo Xuetong could only sigh that people were different.
“I’ll dress you up more beautifully. Do you want it?” Feng Yuran’s enchanting smile, matching with his gentle voice, hoodwinked He Yuxiu all right. She did not know what to do but just kept nodding her head. It was the first time for her to be noticed by her unparalleled handsome cousin. Her heart pounded inside her chest, completely unaware of what she was doing.
“Remove this, okay?”
“Okay!”
“This one doesn’t look good. Throw it?”
“Okay!”
“And your bun isn’t pretty . I tie it for you again, okay?”
“I listen to my cousin!”
Her headwear was taken off piece by piece and thrown aside. At the end, even her gorgeous buns were randomly messed up, leaving disheveled hair. Now He Yuxiu’s grand dress up was utterly destroyed, and she looked like a fool, even her eyes became stupid, and were fixed on Feng Yuran, smiling.
Dared to look at him with such obsessive eyes.
A flicker of disgust flashed in Feng Yuran’s eyes, and he turned his head and gave a fierce kick to the foolish He Yuxiu. With a splash, a woman screamed, and then came the guard shout, “Come here. Someone is crazy and drown herself in the river. Come here!”
The guard’s voice soared to the sky and shocked all the people who had heard it. Many people ran all the way to the bank of the river. And Feng Yuran walked to a side road calmly while Mo Xuetong left the scene with the protection of Mo Ye.
