“Did you write the poem?” Queen picked up the poem and frowned. She didn’t like such love poems, which shouldn’t be from the hand of an unmarried girl from a rich and famous family.
“To answer Queen’s questions, it was written by me.” Mo Xuemin concealed her smile and replied obediently with her head lowered. She loved the letter at first sight. She thought it was so beautiful and delightful. But she didn’t expect it would win Queen’s appreciation and felt quite proud.
“This poem is too gloomy and sentimental for your young age. You’re not supposed to be so maudlin as a young miss from a famous family.” Queen said and put it on the table. Imperial Concubine Su took it over and then said to Mo Xuemin, who was speechless and aggrieved at Queen’s words,
“This poem is so nice that so many sirs like it. Grant her a reward!”
A maid behind Imperial Concubine Su came out holding a jewelry box. It was pretty clear that there was something precious in it from its magnificent look.
But Mo Xuemin didn’t dare to accept it when Queen had just criticized her poem. Now that Imperial Concubine Su wanted to award her was actually to go against Queen’s idea. Mo Xuemin didn’t dare to do such a thing.
So she knelt down trembling with no answer.
“First young miss Mo, please take the award.” Seeing that she didn’t take the award, the maid got impatient. She was Imperial Concubine Su’s confidant, and knew that she was going against Queen’s idea in public. Everybody in the palace knew Imperial Concubine Su had a bad relationship with Queen. Queen had a respected status but no son. First Prince was the eldest and the most respected, which gained him much recognition from Emperor Zongwen. She couldn’t offend either of them.
“Imperial Concubine doesn’t have to be so polite. Before my mom finishes her reward, you can’t wait to award her. Please wait for my mom to finish her words. By then, my mom will give your accessory to her as well.” Fifth Princess smiled and saved Mo Xuemin from the dilemma. She noticed Queen’s cold face and said lightly.
Talking and giving an award in front of Queen was not actually an award, but an excuse to make Queen ashamed. Although Imperial Concubine Su dared to do this, she didn’t dare to admit it. If Emperor heard what Fifth Princess said, she would have to suffer.
This Fifth Princess who looked innocent was much more difficult to deal with than Queen.
Though Imperial Concubine Su was impudent, she didn’t dare to disgrace Queen in front of these misses and ladies, especially after being exposed by Fifth Princess. She held her handkerchief in front of her lips and smiled, “Fifth Princess is right, and I haven’t thought it through. I just wanted to award her for Queen, but I was too impolite. I shall beg Queen to forgive me!”
Imperial Concubine Su acted as she didn’t do it on purpose. She titled her head to Queen and looked delicate.
Queen was very angry but didn’t know what to do with her. She was in no mood to talk about the poem any more and just thought Mo Xuemin was the same like Imperial Concubine Su, who was coquettish. She even admired her love poem. So she just said coldly, “Of course it doesn’t matter to me whether Imperial Concubine Su likes first young miss Mo or not. Now that Imperial Concubine Su likes first young miss Mo, I shall marry her to King Chu. King Chu is so grown up that he needs a main wife. Once first young miss Mo marries him, she could not only take care of King Chu, but also manage the inner yard.”
She would marry Mo Xuemin to King Chu Feng Yuxuan just because she wrote a good poem?
All was lost in complete silence!
Mo Xuemin who was kneeling before Queen held the hem of her dress and was lost in ecstasy.
She didn’t expect this sudden joy.
She was so lucky and she almost wanted to thank Queen already.
Queen’s words made Imperial Concubine Su hesistate for a while, but she didn’t refuse it. Mo Huawen was quite trusted by Emperor recently, and if his daughter became her son’s concubine, it would be an honor for the Mo’s. And then Mo Manor would be by her son’s side and it would be of great use for her son’s future.
Now that Feng Yuxuan had his own manor which was called Great Qin, he could have a Queen, two side Queens and four normal Queens as well as main concubines and other concubines. But only the Queens were able to be on the pedigree of the royalty, which was admitted by the royalty. Mo Xuemin didn’t have a respected status, and it would be an honor for her to become a normal Queen. And it was partly because her father’s status.
Imperial Concubine Su didn’t say much. But Queen was regretful to have said those words out of anger. Mo Huawen had always been Emperor Zongwen’s confidant, and though he wasn’t in a highly respected position, he had real power. If he helped Feng Yuxuan, it would be definitely harmful for Feng Yulei.
However, she couldn’t take it back now that her words were not opposed. So she was about to promise the marriage.
“Emperor, that poem is not written by first young miss Mo but my elder brother.” An angry voice came from behind.
In the crowd, Sima Heyan came to the front and knelt down gently before Queen. She responded to Queen’s words obediently. All the ladies and misses were shocked at her words and started to discuss over it. The meaning behind the sentence shocked them all.
It’s such a shame to steal other people’s poem. But it’s worse for an unmarried girl to go into a man’s study. Although Mo Manor and Sima Manor had a close relationship, she couldn’t go to Sima Lingyun’s study in private. After thinking over it carefully, it was this improper relationship that was even worse.
Besides, it happened to Mo Xuemin who had a good fame, which made them astonished!
“Is that true?” Queen’s face suddenly darkened and proud filled her eyes. Such a thing happened when Imperial Concubine Su was about to award Mo Xuemin. She must be more than embarrassed. She glanced at her and found her facial expression turned terrible and anger filled her face. She felt much more relieved and interested.
“All that I said was true.” Sima Heyan replied with certainty.
“Queen, that’s not true. I stay at home every day and haven’t even been to Duke’s manor. So how could I steal His Excellency Sima’s poem? If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to ask if I went to Duke’s manor!” After feeling rattled, she calmed down, lifted her head hurriedly and said with watery eyes innocently.
She had a gentle appearance and she acted like she had been framed, which made her quite believable and more sympathetic than Sima Heyan who was so angry. Almost everyone believed her after her words. The duchess was ill, and the misses always accompanied her, so they had no chance to organize a party. It was known to all that almost everybody there had never been to Duke’s manor. Mo Xuemin also didn’t have a chance to go into Duke’s manor.
Seeing that everyone looked at Mo Xuemin sympathetically, Sima Heyan got anxious and explained, “That poem is actually written by my big brother. There is collection of poems and this poem is on it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask someone to look into it.” Sima Heyan knew that poem was from her hand and it couldn’t be wrong.
“Miss Sima, I don’t know how I’ve offended you to make you frame me like that. That poem was written by me just now and it couldn’t be your big brother’s. Your big brother is on the island right in front, and you can send someone to ask him directly.” Mo Xuemin had tears in her eyes and bit her lips. Besides, she looked at Sima Heyan with her beautiful eyes with innocence and anger.
Mo Xuemin was hurry-scurry! In the crowd, Mo Xuetong stepped back and lowered her eyes to hide her disdain.
Sima Heyan was so imprudent, but she didn’t believe Sima Lingyun would be the same. She didn’t expect that such a change would happen to her before her frame against Mo Xuetong. She was just being happy for that she might be married to King Chu’s Manor when such a horrible accusation fell on her. It made her want to tear Sima Heyan apart.
She couldn’t imagine Sima Heyan could be so stupid. She and Sima Lingyun would be both ashamed! She hadn’t expected she would be in such a dilemma because of this stupid Sima Heyan.
If it is believed to be true, she would not be able to get married! Even a normal family would not be willing to marry a girl who had improper relationship with others.
To ask her big brother? Sima Heyan didn’t think it was a good idea. Because she knew clearly that it was written by herself. Though it was in Sima Lingyun’s collection of poems, but her big brother might have not read it, not to mention remember it. So the best way was to find the collection of poems from her big brother’s study. But she couldn’t deny Mo Xuemin’s proposal. If it was written by Sima Lingyun, he couldn’t have forgotten it.
“Someone go and get Sima Lingyun here.” Queen ordered. The truth was quite a confusion, and both sides seemed reasonable. So she just asked Sima Lingyun here to ask about the truth.
After a while, Sima Lingyun was taken here with several servants. Several ladies with sharps eyes found the servants were not those servants who had just went out. And there were three of them who went their separate ways. It was clear that the three dukes got the message and sent someone for more information.
“Sima Lingyun, is it written by you?” After Sima Lingyun’s greetings, Queen’s maid took the letter to Sima Lingyun and Queen asked.
It was such a big accident that people on the right island had already knew. Sima Lingyun didn’t expect that his own blood younger sister would be against Mo Xuemin and was very worried. There must be someone wrong between them, but he didn’t know who it was. Queen’s maid came to him when he didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t dare to admit it was his letter. The three dukes were just joking over the poem and most of them chose the poem for fun. They just wanted to see who wrote the poem, or else there wouldn’t be so many crosses on the letter. Sima Lingyun was one of them. He still remembered himself making fun of it, “I wonder who this miss is to have written such a love letter. She must have someone in mind to miss.”
Besides, if he admitted the poem was written by him, his relationship with Mo Xuemin would be exposed, which would definitely disgrace his reputation. Especially when he was trying to get the position of the duke, he would lose the position completely if his reputation got disgraced, which he would never be willing to see.
But if he didn’t admit, it would be his younger sister trying to frame Mo Xuemin, which would definitely ruin her future.
