Mo Xuetong cleaned up and went to Xu Yan’s Yanyu House with Mo Xueqiong.
They only sat for a while when they heard someone announce that First Miss and First Sir were here. Old Sir would like the two young ladies to greet them.
Mo Xuetong and Mo Xueqiong left together.
In the study, Sima Lingyun’s expression was one of defeat and his eyes were cold. He was newly married and should be energetic and happy. However, his smile seemed forced for some reason. It did not look like it was sincere at all. He glanced at Mo Xuemin and there was a flash of disgust in his eyes. Mo Huawen saw that and his eyes darkened.
“Father, I heard that you are having a slight cough. Mother told me to bring this hundred-year-old ginseng. She said that one will catch a cough and hurt the lungs easily during this season. You have to be careful.” Mo Xuemin said in concern with a gentle smile on her face. She seemed not to have noticed Sima Lingyun’s forced look as he sat beside her.
If not for the blue swelling at the corner of her eyes, everyone would feel that the two newlyweds were very happy.
Mo Huawen could not help but look at the corner of her eyes. There was a flash of anger in his eyes. Mo Xuemin’s appearance was different as well. Her thick fringe was combed above her eyes. Even so, one could see a large scar on her forehead when she turned.
“I heard that Your Excellency is not satisfied with this marriage?” Mo Huawen pushed away the ginseng Mo Xuemin brought him and spoke coldly to Sima Lingyun.
No matter how bad Mo Xuemin was, she was still his daughter. She had been beaten up by the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor and still had to plead to return home. Sima Lingyun had yet to bring up anything about the wedding. Mo Huawen hated Sima Lingyun even more. While Mo Xuemin was vicious, what about Sima Lingyun? Mo Huawen balled up his hands tightly into fists when he thought of the relationship between Sima Lingyun and Auntie Fang.
Sima Lingyun paused for a moment when he heard Mo Huawen speaking to him in an angry manner. He could not react in time. Mo Huawen had always been friendly for as long as he could remember. He had never seen Mo Huawen like this.
“Your Excellency, if you do not wish to marry my daughter, please go to the palace and ask the Empress for a separation.” Mo Huawen slammed his hand heavily on the table. He stood up and pointed at Sima Lingyun furiously.
“Separation? Ask the Empress?”
Sima Lingyun shivered. He only recalled then that the Empress had bestowed the marriage upon them. If he asked for separation only a few days after their union, this would be an embarrassment to the Empress. He paled immediately and stood up hurriedly, saying, “Father-in-law, why would you think so? Min’er and I grew up together, how can I be dissatisfied with this marriage? What happened on the wedding day was just an accident.”
“Your concubine caused trouble at your nuptials on the day of the wedding. She infuriated the legal wife so much she wanted to teach the concubine a lesson. She miscarried in the chaos and then you make the legal wife kneel in the ancestral hall for an entire night. Your Excellency, that was a great means, you have truly brought honor to the Empress. The Empress even told me that I found a good son-in-law that night!” Mo Huawen did not intend to let Sima Lingyun off.
The Duke Zhenguo’s Manor had not been the only one to be embarrassed by the farce that was the wedding. Mo Huawen had not gotten even on behalf of Mo Xuemin on that day because Mo Xuemin was a disappointment. Furthermore, it was a marriage bestowed upon them by the Empress. It would not be to anyone’s benefit if the matter were to be blown up. As such, Mo Huawen decided to let the matter calm down before he dealt with it. However, he did not expect the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to be so unreasonable to shame and bully Mo Xuemin.
No matter how bad Mo Xuemin was, Mo Huawen would not allow Sima Lingyun to bully and shame her like so.
“Father, it is not Lingyun’s fault. I was at fault too. I caused Younger Sister Yun to miscarry when we jostled around…” Mo Xuemin looked upset. She stood up as well and started to cry before she could speak. She bit her lips and swallowed. Her face, which was red and swollen but covered with white powder, looked pitiful.
Sima Lingyun sweated when Mo Huawen brought up the Empress once more. Mo Xuemin suddenly appeared to help him out, so he could not care less about how he and Mo Xuemin did not get along. He hurriedly smiled and said, “Father-in-law, it was my fault that day. I did not notice that Mother stated the rules to Min’er because I was settling the matters regarding my concubine’s miscarriage.”
No one could say that it was wrong for a new wife to be taught rules by her mother-in-law. While it was a little early, it was also because of the incident that had happened suddenly. As Mo Xuemin’s father, Mo Huawen truly could not make a fuss because of this.
A cold smirk appeared in Mo Xuemin’s eyes. Was kneeling in the ancestral hall also called being taught rules? That slut Yun Yiqiu was in the wrong for having a concubine-born eldest son. Sima Lingyun had been seduced by that woman on their nuptials night. Was that right?
However, this was not the time to be fighting about this. Mo Xuemin had other goals today. As long as she could accomplish those goals, she would be able to live in great fortunes in the future. As such, she could bear with it. She must not only not fight, but she also had to appear virtuous, intelligent, and gracious. In this way, others would not suspect her after the incident happened. Of course, she was very much willing for Mo Huawen to berate and shame Sima Lingyun.
“Father, Min’er was wrong. Mother was right in teaching me and she did not hit me intentionally.” Mo Xuemin pretended to lower her head sadly. She looked frightened and tearful. Inside, she was pleased. Her father would not just abandon her. As long as she seemed weak, her father would stand on her side.
As long as her father stood on her side, Duke Zhenguo’s Manor would not be able to do anything to her!
Sima Lingyun and that slut dared to create trouble for her on her wedding night. She would not let the slut off easily. Furthermore, that person had promised that as long as she killed Mo Xuetong, he would take her away from Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. She would no longer have anything to do with the bastard that was Sima Lingyun.
“Hit you? Did someone hit Eldest Sister?” Mo Xueqiong’s surprised voice could be heard from the door.
The three turned around to see Mo Xuetong and Mo Xueqiong at the entrance.
“Eldest Sister, you were beaten. Who beat you?” Mo Xueqiong entered, making a fuss. She yelled out loud when she saw the injuries on Mo Xuemin’s face as if she had been shocked. This made Mo Xuemin ashamed and angry. Her face became mottled. She had never been so pathetic, having been mocked at by her concubine-born sister whom she had always looked down on.
She gritted her teeth with hate and in secret but smiled gently. “Third Sister, Fourth Sister, you are here. Qiu Qiao, bring the bolts of cloth I brought for the two ladies here.”
“Yes!” Qiu Qiao, who was standing behind Mo Xuemin, quickly presented the cloth she held in her hands.
There were six bolts of beautiful cloth in total. It was obvious at one look that the cloth was the most fashionable Sunset Cloud Cloth from the palace. The beautiful patterns were paired with the colors of the clouds at sunset. It was so bright it blinded Mo Xueqiong. Greed flashed in Mo Xueqiong’s eyes.
“Eldest Sister, you are too kind to give us such beautiful cloth. Thank you.” Mo Xueqiong smiled coyly and gestured for the maid behind her to take all the cloth.
“Third Sister, I will help you take your cloth. Come to my courtyard to pick them out when you are free and we can have clothes made together.” Mo Xueqiong turned to smile at Mo Xuetong.
It meant that she wanted the cloth and did not intend to give even one of them to Mo Xuetong.
Mo Xuetong smirked. She did not want anything from Mo Xuemin anyway. She first curtsied to Mo Huawen and then thanked Mo Xuemin. Then, she nodded at Mo Xueqiong and said in gentle tones, “Fourth Sister, if you like them, you can have all of them.”
Mo Xueqiong’s eyes sparkled and she held Mo Xuetong’s hand with a happy smile. She said, “Third Sister is so generous. Then I shall help myself since Third Sister is a Princess and you’ve seen all kinds of good stuff. I am the most pitiful, I don’t even have a nice set of clothes.”
She sounded miserly as if she were from a poor family and were as pitiful as a beggar. She did not seem like a noble young lady at all. Furthermore, Sima Lingyun was there as well. Mo Huawen stared at her coldly from where he was sitting and sighed to himself. His fourth daughter was really greedy and ignorant.
“Third Sister, Fourth Sister, today is the first time I returned home since my marriage. I want to go to the Repayment Temple outside of the city to light incense for Mother. No matter what Auntie did then, Mother truly doted on and loved me. What Auntie did, I… I feel guilty toward Mother. In the future, I will copy scriptures for Mother in the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor…” Mo Xuemin said sadly and suddenly knelt in front of Mo Xuetong.
“Third Sister, please forgive me for not being able to seek revenge for Mother. No matter what Auntie Fang did, she is still my biological mother. I am willing to live as a fervent Buddhist to pay for Auntie Fang’s sins…”
“Eldest Sister, what’s the matter? Third Sister would not make you kneel before her no matter what had happened. You are her elder sister!” Mo Xueqiong made a fuss and pulled Mo Xuemin, wanting to drag her up. However, Mo Xuemin was very stubborn. She looked up with tears in her eyes at Mo Xuemin, looking as if she would kneel to death and not get up if Mo Xuetong did not forgive her.
What was Mo Xuemin playing today?
Mo Xuetong glanced at Sima Lingyun indifferently and realized that he was equally shocked. It was obvious that he had nothing to do with what Mo Xuemin was planning. She realized that was right when she thought about it. After what happened on their wedding night, an invisible chasm had already appeared between the two. Even though Mo Xuemin was sly and crafty, Yun Yiqiu was not an easy opponent either. How would she allow Sima Lingyun to return to Mo Xuemin’s side?
“Third Sister, quick, forgive Eldest Sister. She is our elder sister, how can she kneel before her younger sister? Furthermore, she’s a newlywed and if brother-in-law sees this, he will think that our family…” Mo Xueqiong said urgently. She called out to Mo Xuetong after she glanced at the confused Sima Lingyun standing beside them.
What would he think about our family? Would he think that Mo Manor did not have any rules? That the sisters of the Mo Manor had a bad relationship? That Mo Xuetong was ruthless and heartless to her concubine-born sister…
All of this was left unsaid. When did Mo Xueqiong learn to speak like that? Furthermore, what was most important was that Mo Xueqiong was so sincere and enthusiastic. She had always enjoyed creating trouble and watching the chaos. Mo Xueqiong enjoyed watching people fight until they bled, but she had such a trick up her sleeves like that. One could not help but lament that a despicable person would have no enemies.
Mo Huawen frowned and his eyes darkened. It was unknown what he was thinking about.
“Eldest Sister, get up. About Auntie Fang hurting my mother, the law will take care of that. Whoever did harm will be punished by God. Since Eldest Sister didn’t hurt anyone, why would you need to beg for my forgiveness?” Mo Xuetong helped Mo Xuemin up gently. She laughed lightly. However, there was not a hint of laughter in her eyes at all.
Blood will be paid by blood. That was the universally accepted principle.
So many lives, so much bloodshed, and hatred. It was not that she was not seeking vengeance but the time was not right yet!
Those with hatred will get their vengeance and those with anger will unleash their wrath. The sea of blood could not blur away the hatred she felt when the blood soared into the skies. The hatred was like the depths of hell, the tears of ghosts, they cried blood in her heart every day. Mo Xuetong would never forget that in this world, only she or Mo Xuemin could exist at one time. In her past life, it was Mo Xuemin. In this, it could only be her!
“Eldest Sister, Third Sister forgave you. Quick, get up.” Mo Xueqiong said happily and helped Mo Xuemin up on her other side.
“Third Sister, have you really forgiven me?” Mo Xuemin seemed delighted as she held Mo Xuetong’s hand excitedly.
“Eldest Sister, you were not in the wrong, so of course I won’t blame you.” Mo Xuetong pulled her hand back without any expression. She hid the coldness in her eyes. She would not blame her if she had not been in the wrong. But what if she had…
“That’s great. Third Sister, Fourth Sister, will you please go with me to Mother to beg for her forgiveness? Let’s go light incense for Mother and tell her that the three of us are all well and have her be at peace.” Mo Xuemin held Mo Xueqiong in one hand and Mo Xuetong in another. Her expression was filled with hope and she smiled happily.
“Father, Min’er was wrong in the past. I will definitely treat my younger sisters well in the future and be filial to you.” Mo Xuemin turned around and knelt in front of Mo Huawen. She cried and looked pained, looking as if she were paying penance for her mistakes. Tears slid down her pale cheeks and red swollen marks appeared. One could not say that she looked beautiful.
What was the slut playing at? Sima Lingyun watched in disgust. He turned his head around and listened quietly for what would happen next.
“You want to go with Tong’er and Qiong’er to light incense for your mother?” Mo Huawen’s eyes were deep and dark and one could not tell what he was thinking.
“Yes, I will not behave as I once did. I want to be filial to Father together with my sisters.” Mo Xuemin looked at Mo Huawen tearfully as she said with thick emotion in her voice. She looked as sincere as she could be.
It was as if she had truly been enlightened, and that she felt regretful and guilty. She even seemed to have struggled in pain. Mo Xuemin kowtowed heavily as if she were not afraid of pain. Her head made loud sounds as she kowtowed, pleading sincerely for Mo Huawen’s forgiveness.
