It was spring. All the followers bloomed in the Princess Royal’s Manor. Along the corridor, flowers blossomed in a riot of color. What a unique scenery among the corridors and pavilions. Six of them walked into the mall, as they laughed and talked.
Princess Royal arranged the banquet in the inner parlor. Because a few people attended it, and most were close relatives, there was no need to avoid any inconvenience. So the guests were served around one table in the middle of the parlor, chatting and talking with happiness.
Princess Royal sat at the head of the table, with Feng Yuxuan, Feng Yuzhen, and Feng Yuran sitting successively on her right hand while Ling Fengyan, Wang Yueyue, Mo Xuetong on the left. It was proper arrangement in the age order. Feng Yuran was most satisfied with it, because he and Mo Xuetong were the youngest, that was to say, sitting around the table, they could sit side by side finally according to the arrangement.
Feng Yuran said to Princess Royal smilingly, while he was serving Mo Xuetong’s favorite dish for her. “Aunt, you asked us to come here. Is there anything delicious today?”
Princess Royal pointed at the plate of watermelons in the middle of the table and said, “I know you like it. See, it is the fresh fruit given recently. Well, I give it to you first.” It was spring with blooming followers. Although it was late spring, it was not summer, and it was rare to have watermelons to eat.
“Father treats aunt so well. The fruit sent from the south is not easy to transport. It’s said that there are only a few baskets in the capital. And we even don’t have any of it, but aunt has. So please do not hide it today and just let us taste it.” Feng Yuran reached out his hand to take a slice from a little eunuch, gave it to Mo Xuetong, and then, he took another, took a bite and admired. “It does taste good. Father is so partial to aunt.”
“Has Feng Yuran not been given the watermelon?” Feng Yuxuan quietly withdrew his eyes. Although there were just a few watermelons sent from the south, Feng Yuxuan also got two. “How could Feng Yuran, the most favored prince not receive any? Would it be possible that Father Emperor did not like Feng Yuran, so he forgot to bestow Feng Yuran deliberately?”
At that moment, Feng Yuxuan could not guess what Emperor Zongwen thought.
On the other side, Feng Yuzhen also cast his skeptical gaze on Feng Yuran. But Feng Yuran, totally ignorant of the gaze, just ate the watermelon slice by slice bluntly. And only for a while, except several slices he took out for Mo Xuetong, he finished almost half of the watermelons in the plate.
“Eat as you wish. Is your father too serious? Even if he punishes you, he should not deduct your fruit.” Princess Royal shook her head smilingly and asked a servant to send the plate of watermelon in front of Feng Yuran.
“Aunt, when you go to the palace, you should tell Father how poor I am now. Just tell him I cannot eat or sleep well. I am so desperate for fruits that blisters appear in my mouth.” After putting the watermelon, Feng Yuran took on a pitiful look on his handsome face, his eyes flashing. What a poor look he pretended!
Mo Xuetong secretly jerked the corner of her mouth, thinking that the man was really an actor.
Yesterday it was Feng Yuran himself who finished half of a watermelon and still claimed it was not enough!
“I dare not tell your Father that you have blisters in the mouth. If you Father sees what you are now, perhaps he will beat you till you have blisters in the mouth.” When she Feng Yuran act like a spoiled child, Prince Royal’s heart softened and she teased him involuntarily. Although Prince Royal got used to living alone and was not close to people because of the secret of her life, Feng Yuran was a high-maintenance boy who got around her since childhood. So in Prince Royal’s heart, she thought more highly of Feng Yuran than Mo Xuetong, her natural niece.
“Aunt, I know you love me the most. Why don’t you help me? I will listen to Father from now on. When I recover, I will go to the imperial court and help Father deal with the political affairs, so that Father won’t punish me, then?” Feng Yuran looked pure and innocent, as if he had irritated Emperor Zongwen just because Feng Yuran was fun-loving.
Prince Royal scolded smilingly. “Look! Just as you are now, how can your Father set his mind at rest for you? It is not a game to learn to administer affairs of state. Be careful not to ruin it. It will be terrible!”
“Aunt, rest assured, I will study hard in the future, as long as Aunt puts in a good word for me to let Father grants me two watermelons.” Feng Yuran gave a suave smile, and his dark eyes gleamed shiningly with charm. Ling Fengyan sitting beside could not help but set her eyes on his unparalleled and handsome face and fall into a trance for a moment.
But immediately she lowered her head, covered all the thoughts in the corners of her eyes, and regained more chills between the eyebrows.
“Since Eighth brother loves eating watermelon so much, and I have two in my manor, you don’t have to bother Father, and I will send them to you.” Feng Yuxuan smiled elegantly and signaled his servant to come.
“Eldest Brother, don’t trouble to do so. You just keep what you have. Since Father still has some in the palace, how can Father be so partial?” Feng Yuran smiled bewitchingly, reached out his hands to stop Feng Yuxuan, and blinked to him. The bantering look on Feng Yuran’s face seemed to tell that no matter how, he would get two watermelons from Emperor Zongwen. His childish expression could ease people down.
Since Feng Yuran got used to living a free life, how could he bear any responsibility? How?
“Fine, you…” Feng Yuxuan shook his head helplessly, and said with a smile to Feng Yuzhen beside, “Cousin, Eighth Brother is in poor health. Since you live closer to him, please see him at your convenience so as to avoid his making trouble usually and annoying Father.”
“Eldest Brother, don’t worry. Eighth Brother is favored by the Emperor. As long as he doesn’t commit any major matters, the Emperor will let go of Eighth brother, and at most give some light punishment.” Feng Yuzhen replied also with a smile.
They showed love and respect as good brothers should. What a merry scene filled with cheerful chatting and laughing, as if there were no grudges among them!
The king’s consorts joined the conversation occasionally, and the atmosphere was very friendly.
Wang Yueyue and Ling Fengyan sat close to each other and got along well. So seeing Ling Fengyan was not well today, Wang Yueyue occasionally helped Ling Fengyan to the food.
After dinner, the brothers went to the pavilion outside to have some talks and help to digest. Princess Royal left there temporarily, and three of the princes’ consorts chatted in the parlor about what had happened in the capital. However, Mo Xuetong was not familiar, so she stood up after listening to them for a while. She smiled at Ling Fengyan and Wang Yueyue. “Royal sisters-in-law, I will go to see Mother and then, to serve His Highness. So I am sorry that I cannot accompany you now.”
She was the daughter of Princess Royal, and it was a matter of courtesy to see Princess Royal.
Ling Fengyan smiled and tried to make Mo Xuetong stay. “Sister-in-law, don’t be so hurried. Princess Royal is busy now, and she will not have time to accompany you. How about talking with us more? It is rare that the three of us can get together.”
Wang Yueyue came to hold Mo Xuetong to sit down and smiled warmly. “That’s right. Eighth Sister-in-law, just stay with us and have more chats. We are a family, and there is no so much courtesy. It is too lonely that only King Chu’s Consort and I are here. Their Highnesses are talking now, and cannot have a rest at this moment.”
Judging from their words, they both tried to stop Mo Xuetong, as if Mo Xuetong would not treat them as family members if she left right now. They said so sincerely that an outsider might think three of them were really good sisters.
However, Mo Xuetong did not want to stay any longer. Obviously, Ling Fengyan had an ulterior motive. Based on the current situation, Feng Yuxuan was most likely to scheme against Feng Yuzhen, because Feng Yuran had achieved nothing and looked good-for-nothing, who did not deserve a lot of efforts that Feng Yuxuan made to deal with.
But Feng Yuxuan’s thought did not represent that Ling Fengyan would do as he thought. Mo Xuetong did not know what had happened between Feng Yuxuan and Ling Fengyan, and she could sense something weird between them. Ling Fengyan wore heavy makeup on her face but still could not cover her drawn expression. And even Ling Fengyan’s gaze at Feng Yuxuan was not affectionate as before, instead, it became chilly with hatred, the same way Mo Xuetong used to stare at Sima Lingyun.
How could such two people communicate in a heart-to-heart way?
It wasn’t Mo Xuetong’s style to suffer an undeserved disaster, and she did not leave any evidence that could be got held of in the future.
“It would be ungracious not to accept your invitation, but Father Emperor specially sent people to ask me to take care of His Highness, because his leg has not recovered. If he does not take a good rest and suffers the aftereffects of his injury, it will be all my fault. It is not easy to be the King’s consort. If anything goes wrong, I will be responsible for it. So how dare I relax a little? When the King takes the rest in our manor, I am bound to invite two of you to drop in on me and please come at that time.”
Mo Xuetong’s words sounded full of remorse, and still she sincerely planned to invite them to the manor, but actually she took the Emperor as an excuse. Since neither of them dares to disobey the Emperor’s words, Ling Fengyan and Wang Yueyue were unable to reply to that question at that moment.
Ling Fengyan stood up by holding the maidservant, walked to Mo Xuetong and held her hands. Ling Fengyan said with smiles on her face. “Among different Kings’ consorts, you are the most favored. In the Emperor’s heart, he cherished King Xuan most. I have a bottle of vulnerary gained from abroad. It is rare and particularly effective for injury. You can take it to His Highness, King Xuan.”
Ling Fengyan’s hands were cold and greasy as if coated with something. Oily and slippery, her hands clenched Mo Xuetong’s hands tightly, which made Mo Xuetong quite uncomfortable. So Mo Xuetong stood up calmly, took two steps back to avoid Ling Fengyan’s hand, and showed the thankfulness by a bow. “Royal sister-in-law, thank you very much. Well, I will take it. When the King recovers, we will come to give our gratitude to eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law together.”
Feng Yuran was still injured. As a wife, Mo Xuetong could refuse all the gifts except this kind.
Ling Fengyan said with a smile, “Don’t mention it. We’re a family.” And then, she asked her maidservant to submit an opened box of ointment. The light aroma was refreshing and pleasing. Ling Fengyan pointed at the light yellow transparent ointment, about to say something more. But Mo Xuetong asked Mo Lan to take it first, covered the box and retired with a smile.
A hint of chilly and vicious smile flashed in the eyes of Ling Fengyan standing behind, and her eyes full of resentment!
Since she could not get him, she was unwilling to let others get!
Only after walking out of the parlor for a few meters, Mo Xuetong immediately took Mo Lan and Mo Yu to enter an empty room beside. Mo Xuetong took off the clothes on her. Sure enough, she saw a faint oil stain on the wide sleeve cuff. The oil stain was too invisible to spot instantly.
“Mo Yu, go to fetch my clothes from the carriage. Mo Lan, pack up the clothes and ask people to take it back to the manor and check what the oil stain is. And don’t mix it with the ointment”. Mo Xuetong instructed as she pointed at the ointment in Mo Lan’s hands.
“Yes, I will do it now. And I will ask a secret guard to deal with the clothes now.” Mo Yu nodded and retreated hurriedly, as she realized that the situation was serious.
When going out to attend a banquet, the girls from influential families would bring another set of clothes in case of any accident.
The smell irritated Mo Xuetong, and her eyes became cold. She would not smell wrong. In the last life, the incense lit in her room smelt exactly the same as it. But the smell, not stronger than that of the ointment Ling Fengyan gave her, almost made her infertile. Therefore, Mo Xuetong was absolutely sure that the oil stain on the cuff was a kind of guiding drug. If it was mixed with the ointment, the effect would be far stronger than that in the last life.
This was to cut off her possibility of pregnancy!
Was it Ling Fengyan’s idea or Feng Yuxuan’s…
But no matter who it was, Mo Xuetong would spare neither of them. But for the similar experiences in the last life, Mo Xuetong would have been framed up by Ling Fengyan.
Sitting on the side of the couch, Mo Xuetong was still contemplating what she was going to do. Mo Yu hurriedly came in holding the change of clothes, and cried out, “My Lady, something terrible happened. King Chu’s Consort died.”
