“I really didn’t mean it. I just heard… I felt sad…” Ling Mingyan felt wronged, sad, and oppressed. Looking at the charming prostitute, she couldn’t help crying. Tears immediately fell, and she sobbed, “How can I want you to be joked? Don’t you know what I’m thinking in my heart? I am willing to do anything for you, but… but…”
But she just didn’t want to see other women around You Yuecheng.
You Yuecheng waved his hand, and the woman sitting beside him stood up, saluted him respectfully, and retreated.
“Come and sit.” He pointed to the brocade stool beside him. His attitude was gentle.
Seeing that the woman was gone, Ling Mingyan came subconsciously to sit on the brocade stool pointed by You Yuecheng. Her eyes were still full of tears, and she looked like an aggrieved person. No one could think that Ling Mingyan who was arrogant outside was as adorable as a little sheep in front of You Yuecheng.
“Is that woman pretty?” You Yuecheng asked, frowning.
“No.” Ling Mingyan fiercely shook her head. She wasn’t deliberately belittling that woman. To be honest, that woman indeed didn’t look pretty. Her features were far worse than those of the women she had tried to give him in order to pretend to be virtuous.
“Is she pretty compared with the maidservants in our manor?”
Ling Mingyan rubbed her face with her handkerchief, and answered bitterly, “No, her features are medium at best.”
“Since she isn’t pretty, then how could I want an unbeautiful prostitute instead of the beautiful maidservants in my manor? Is my taste really so bad?” You Yuecheng asked lightly.
Ling Mingyan had always known You Yuecheng’s taste. And he had never been keen on women. He only had a few maidservants around him, without concubines. He was the cleanest man among the common big families. Besides, since she married him, Ding General Manor also sent several maidservants to serve him in order to consolidate the position. Ling Mingyan was dissatisfied with them, but she knew that they were very beautiful.
Even so, You Yuecheng didn’t show any interest in them. Ling Mingyan once secretly rejoiced at it.
At this time, she thought that You Yuecheng could not have liked the woman. Her eyes lit up, and she looked up and stuttered, “But… but you, just held… her hand… why?”
“I had something to deal with. Now that you made a scene, I have to find a reason for you, saving others from thinking that you are arrogant and rude. This is a restaurant. If you make big trouble, Mingguo Manor and Ding General Manor will both be humiliated. Are you willing to see that? That woman didn’t come for me. When I heard you coming, I borrowed her from my friend temporarily. They are right next door.”
You Yuecheng rubbed his forehead, with anger covering his face.
At his words, the anger on Ling Mingyan’s face immediately faded away. Her heart was filled with happiness and sweetness, as well as remorse. She felt that she was too impulsive to come here to make trouble. Although You Yuecheng showed no affection for her recently, at least he did not give her the cold shoulder, which was a small improvement since they got married.
What she had done must make him feel disappointed. She raised her head, looked at You Yuecheng, and repeatedly promised, “Your Excellency, I’m sorry, I really thought… I won’t be like this again. I’ll kill that damn old woman when I go back. She dared to stir me up, making me think you really had a private meeting with other women.”
In excitement, she spoke everything out. Ling Mingyan only felt that she was sorry for You Yuecheng at this time. She didn’t care about the life and death of her loyal men, and she really hated the old maidservant who came with her from her parents’ family. She just had a walk on the street, but she told Ling Mingyan that she saw You Yuecheng and a woman enter a private room in the restaurant, which caused her to lose her mind and lead people to rush to catch him and the woman. Damn, she would deal with her after she went back.
“It’s best if you can think like that. You have to remember, you are my wife. As long as you do not cause trouble, you’ll always be my wife in my heart, and give you a decent position being my wife. In the future, you’ll manage Duke Mingguo’s backyard. Those women certainly have to listen to you. As for what I do outside, you are Duke Ding’s daughter, and don’t you really understand that I am in no mood to play at this time!”
You Yuecheng was exasperated at what she had done.
“Well, Your Excellency, I know. If you need my help, just let me know. I will help you. I don’t care if my father and uncle are on whose side, I must be on your side. I’ll do what you ask me to.” She felt sorry for You Yuecheng. This was the height of the competition for the throne. To please You Yuecheng, Ling Mingyan had repeatedly expressed loyalty to him.
In fact, she also thought so.
Her father and Second Uncle supported King Yan first, and then abandon him, but she was different. Since His Excellency was on the side of King Yan, she would definitely support King Yan firmly.
Mo Xuetong took her maidservants upstairs. The private room that Mo Ye had ordered for her was beside the window. She sat down by the window and looked out of it to see that the woman with the veil was just getting on an extremely simple carriage by the side of the road, surrounded by several maidservants. Such a carriage was the most on the street, which had no sign or mark, so it was impossible to see which manor it came from.
“My Lady, the lady looks imposing. Why doesn’t she even have a decent carriage?” Mo Yu also saw it, and looked down curiously, asking in confusion. Just now, the words of that woman’s servants showed that their master’s status wasn’t lower than that of Ling Mingyan. How could she be from a small family?
Mo Xuetong didn’t answer, but smiled thoughtfully, and said to Mo Ye who was standing aside. “Mo Ye, ask Mo Feng to go after them.”
Mo Ye received her order.
“My Lady, is there anything wrong with that lady?” asked Mo Yu who had just taken a tea set from a waiter at the door and was pouring tea for Mo Xuetong.
“There are not many women in the capital, whose manner is more imposing than Ling Mingyan’s!” Mo Xuetong blinked swiftly. There was a trace of a smile tugging at her lips, making her look smart. She took the teacup from Mo Yu and took a slight sip of it.
Ling Mingyan used to be the legitimate daughter of Ding General Manor, and now was His Excellency’s wife in Mingguo Manor. No matter what her identity was, she was as honorable as the daughter of the royal family, and even more honorable than a remote princess. And her servants’ words held a murderous aura.
Where were the most domineering women? The answer was naturally the imperial palace. Moreover, Mo Xuetong had seen a phoenix hairpin on her head. This customization and hairpin type were only available to the master in the palace. With this in thought, she found that that woman’s maidservants were much more agile than the average maidservant.
As the two groups confronted, the one on the upper steps only wobbled, and the woman with the veil standing behind wasn’t touched at all. It could be seen that she was agile and mastered kung fu.
If the woman was from the palace, it made sense.
A consort or a princess? Or someone else? Mo Xuetong didn’t figure it out, but she was convinced that this person was here to meet You Yuecheng. Otherwise, You Yuecheng who was indifference would never take care of this kind of idle business. He dragged a brothel girl out to distract Ling Mingyan’s attention at the risk of ruining his reputation.
Did this mean that Ling Mingyan also knew the woman? Otherwise, You Yuecheng would not be so anxious, and the woman didn’t say a word at all.
A story was formed in Mo Xuetong’s mind.
Ling Mingyan appeared here today because she had received news that You Yuecheng would secretly meet a woman. As the woman got the news and hurried down, she met Ling Mingyan at the stairs. According to Ling Mingyan’s temperament, of course, it was impossible for her to go without a fight.
Seeing that they were making a big deal out of this, You Yuecheng had no choice but to find a prostitute to act with him so as to draw Ling Mingyan’s attention and cover the woman away.
In the whole thing, Mo Xuetong did not understand why You Yuecheng secretly met a woman from the palace. Mingguo Manor was now on the side of King Yan, and King Yan was losing hope, because he irked Emperor Zongwen again and again. You Yuecheng’s meeting with the woman from the palace at this time was a little weird instead of ambiguous.
Mo Xuetong and You Yuecheng had confronted each other many times. She knew that You Yuecheng was ambitious and would never ruin his matter because of a woman, nor would he make something ambiguous for a private meeting with a woman from the palace, which would cause Ling Mingyan and Ding General Manor to be displeased, or attract suspicion from others.
Therefore, that woman must not be simple.
Mo Lan kept behind the curtain of the private room. As she noticed You Yuecheng and Ling Mingyan coming out of the opposite room, she lowered her voice and said, “My Lady, Marquess Mingguo has gone out.”
“Let me see.” Mo Yu put down the teapot in her hand, picked up the dress slightly and walked lightly.
Through the slightly lifted curtain, she saw You Yuecheng strode in front. The expression on his face was still cold and rigorous, and Ling Mingyan behind him had turned obedient and her head lowered, with a sweet smile on her face. She smiled and looked at the tall and handsome You Yuecheng in front of her from time to time, with a look of admiration on her face.
The two walked out one after the other with their servants.
Mo Xuetong looked through the window and happened to see Ling Mingyan’s carriage coming, followed by a dozen of servants who did heavy work with sticks. The corner of her lips curved into a smile.
You Yuecheng also saw these servants and he snorted with displeasure. Then he swiftly got on the horse brought by the manservant, then looked down at Ling Mingyan who was explaining with some awkwardness, and faintly said, “You go back first, I will go out now. I may not come back for dinner, so don’t wait for me. Have dinner yourself.”
“You still have to go out at this time?” Ling Mingyan thought that You Yuecheng would go back with her, and she was wondering the sweet scene that they would in the same carriage as her face had turned red. Since she married into Mingguo Manor, they had never shared a carriage.
“Yes, I have to do something. You go back first. I will come back earlier in the evening.” Maybe because he noticed the longing in Ling Mingyan’s eyes, You Yuecheng said slowly, and his voice was not that cold.
He even spoke to her in such a gentle voice, and said that he would come back early in the evening, which meant that he would come to her room. Ling Mingyan’s eyes lit up immediately, but she acted shyly and twisted the handkerchief in her hands. She was so overjoyed that she had forgotten what she had stormed in to do today.
