Chapter 197: Comers from Heimu and Ruoshui
Translator: Antonia
Ghost performed his duty diligently, so when Mo Qianxue got up in the morning, the news was all known to her.
Certainly, Mo Qianxue knew that the scholar Ning and Zhao Ergou couldn’t have died due to their fight, and the shameless sister Zhao wouldn’t have killed herself out of fear.
Those shameless people had one thing in common, that was fear of death. As long as they could survive, they would do whatever to this end.
Therefore, this kind of people couldn’t take their own lives. Neither could they somehow beat each other to death.
In addition, a head guard of the Imperial Guard Squad, no matter how drunk he was, couldn’t die just after tripping over something and falling to the ground.
These must have been done by the Xie family under the order of the Emperor. To this point, he must clean up the messy aftermath created by the Empress, because if those two people and Head Zhang were alive, the plot at the peach blossom party would be exposed sooner or later.
If it was revealed, he couldn’t face the imperial family, the nobilities and the many families.
As for how Mrs. Xie was bewitched and how Mrs. An fell into the pond in her own garden during a walk, Mo Qianxue just smiled.
This was naturally done by Mo Qianxue herself.
Yesterday, she asked Ghost to take her to their mansions exactly to visit these two madams and collect some interest first.
The Imperial Tutor and Prime Minister were both officials, so the security system was no too strict. Besides, they didn’t go to kill people but just to scare the two bitches.
Ghost possessed excellent lightness kungfu, who ran like a ghost. Hence…hahaha…
Anyway, after doing these things, Ghost had been pulling a helpless face, but she slept better than anyone.
**
After breakfast, at noon in fact, butler Mo came.
“Lady, there are two people outside requesting to see you.”
Mo Qianxue frowned. Yesterday, upon returning, she had issued an order that she wouldn’t see any guests, so she wondered who these people were that even butler Mo was so cautious that he personally came to report the message against her previous order.
Seeing her frowning, nanny Mo scolded the old butler, “Didn’t lady say that she needs to rest for some days and will not receive guests? Why are you coming to pass the message now?”
Butler Mo didn’t answer but his eyes moved around. Mo Qianxue’s heart was tightened. Nanny Mo was a clever person.
Early in the morning, Shiwu was sent by lady to pick up the group of villager in Yunqi.
Chuyi took Zhizhu and Zhihe to the kitchen to fetch the food they needed for lunch. Now served here were nanny Mo, Zhiqiao and Zhiling.
At once, nanny Mo said: How Chiyi didn’t come back yet from fetching the food. Hence, she asked Zhiqiao and Zhiling to have a check so that the two left.
Seeing there was only Mo Qianxue in the room, butler Mo still reported in a low voice, “Lady, there is a man and a woman, whom I don’t know, but they have the military token of master Mo…”
Butler Mo had served the Founder for many years, so naturally he was familiar with the token.
Mo Qianxue further frowned and ordered, “Take them to the study. I’ll be there soon.” If they were from the army, then she had to meet them.
“Yes.”
The old butler took the order and left. Nanny Mo asked, “Lady, is there any fraud?”
There was something that nanny Mo didn’t know, so it was normal for her to be suspicious. Mo Qianxue shook her head and let nanny change clothes for her.
She had to meet them. As for whether they were real or fake, she could later discern.
It seemed that she was really at odds with the capital. There wasn’t a day that she could rest leisurely.
She got dressed, still in her plain style.
In fact, whether she liked it or not, she could only dress in a plain style.
Otherwise, there would be more criticism.
In a short while, Chuyi took back, with the four servant girls, the dishes for lunch from the kitchen.
Mo Qianxue ordered her to guard the house and took away Zhizhu, Zhihe and nanny. The two gatekeeping nannies wanted to follow them but were stopped severely by nanny Mo.
Seeing Mo Qianxue coming out, Ghost didn’t ask anything but just followed without a word.
In the study, butler Mo was personally serving tea to the two people.
Mo Qianxue stepped in, with nanny Mo holding her arms. Ghost took a glance at the people inside and then stood at the door, swords in his arms.
Mo Qianxue walked in while eyeing the two people.
The man, wearing a dark purple tight clothes, had sculptural features and eyes extremely aggressive.
The woman wore a dark blue dress. She had big eyes and thick brows which gave her a heroic look.
Seeing Mo Qianxue coming in, they both stood up.
As Mo Qianxue regarded them, they were also regarding her.
They saw this girl pacing gracefully over. She, tall and slim, had fair skin, picturesque brows and starry eyes. The features were delicate in separated view, but the air she presented was overwhelmingly domineering and unparalleled noble.
When Mo Qianxue walked to the main chair and turned around, the two greeted her in the military manner of standing on one knee, saying together, “I’m Changmu (Yuxuan). Glad to see you, lady.”
When the two secretly praised Mo Qianxue’s bearing, Mo Qianxue also found them in an extraordinary air, something that was cultivated by years of life in the army.
“Get up.” Mo Qianxue gestured, “Please take a seat. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your aim of seeing me?”
The two weren’t bashful, sat down, and the man called Changmu began to talk in a loud voice, “I’m Changmu, surnamed Chuyu of the Heimu clan.”
The woman also replied in a clear voice, “I’m Yuxuan, surnamed Lezheng of the Ruoshui clan.”
The Heimu and Ruoshui clans?
She had planned to send people in search of the offspring of the two clans, to see whether, as Su Qi had said, she could mobilize military power. If Su Qi was right that she had the two clans and armies hundreds of thousands of soldiers strong, then the Emperor would be daunted in hurting her again.
When observing people, look their eyes. The two people had firm eyes and upright backs. Mo Qianxue chose to believe them at one glance, but she still asked in suspicion, “Why should I trust you?”
One couldn’t be more careful!
Changmu was expressionless but resolute and respectful towards Mo Qianxue, “The military token of the Mo Army has been displayed to the butler.”
Butler Mo looked at Mo Qianxue and nodded as confirmation.
After Changmu explained, he looked at Yuxuan, and then both of them took out a thing respectively from their pockets, “This is the sacred token of our clan. Please take a look, lady.” Then, they handed the sacred tokens to Mo Qianxue.
Nanny Mo took them over and showed to Mo Qianxue.
They were also wooden tokens in black.
Yet, it wasn’t pure black. There were also brown dots scattering on them, one engraved characters of Heimu and the other Ruoshui.
The two wooden tokens didn’t look any special, but when Mo Qianxue held them in hands, she had a familiar feeling.
The same feeling triggered by her own token.
Nevertheless, hers was inky black, seemingly made of wood or something else. Besides, on both sides of her token, there engraved characters, Heimu and Ruoshui.
Feeling the familiarity, Mo Qianxue smiled, “I’m so delighted that you traveled a long way here.”
She didn’t know their attitude yet, so she still needed to test out a little.
“Are you blaming us for coming late, lady?” At the sight of Mo Qianxue’s suspicious expression, Changmu stood up, ashamed, got down on one knee, one arm crossed in front of his chest, and swore, “The Heimu clan has pledged loyalty to the Founder. Now since the Founder deceased, we will then pledge our loyalty to Miss. Mo. We’ll try everything to protect lady.”
Seeing this, Yuxuan also got on one knee, “The Ruoshui clan also pledges loyalty to Miss. Mo and perform our duty until death.”
They, attitude resolute, put on a face which said that if she still didn’t trust them, they would kill themselves to show their loyalty.
She stood to hold them up, “Don’t say so. How could I deserve all this? …”
Changmu didn’t get up, bask straight, and said firmly, “Lady, the Heimu and Ruoshui clans honor promises since ancient time. Since we’ve pledged loyalty to a master, then we’ll keep our words generation by generation. Years ago, our clans pay allegiance to Tianqi, so although later our land was conquered by the Cang, we never regarded them as our master, because they didn’t deserve it.”
The word deserve was emphatic, which also gained Mo Qianxue’s appreciation. But if the test-out continued, the two might feel hurt.
Mo Qianxue sat back to the main chair and said sternly, “If you regard me as your lady, then you should listen to my order. How can I trust you if now you won’t accept the first order?”
This was what an ancient superior should do to build authority. When a superior was too mild and gentle, then the subordinate would feel restless.
As she expected, when Mo Qianxue acted as a superior, the two became joyful and said in unison, “Yes, lady.”
Mo Qianxue raised her hand, “The first order is to get up.”
What kind of order this is? The Two looked at each other, “Thank you, lady.” Then, standing up, they looked relaxed.
To be a good leader, she must get to know them first.
“The tea is not bad. You must be tired from the long travel. Please have some tea.” Mo Qianxue picked up her cup and motioned them to have tea. The two, out of politeness, held the cups and took a sip. Great tea!
Putting down the cup, Mo Qianxue smiled, “Tell me about your people. Are they well?”
The modern cigarettes, wine, and ancient tea was all oil for conversation hinges. Hence, the atmospherics became more relaxing.
Although they called her lady, they didn’t regard themselves as servants. Mo Qianxue understood this. Certainly, she wouldn’t treat them as domestic servants.
What’s more, judging from their speech and demeanor, they couldn’t be servants at all. They were warriors, resolute and decisive, of high ranks in the army.
Speaking of their people, Changmu had a trace of smile on his face and replied, “Thanks to Founder and madam, our people now lives a peaceful life.”
“That’s great.” Seeing the two were still a little restrained, Mo Qianxue laughed and said more, “I’ve never been to the borders or Heimu and Ruoshui. Today, I’m free. Why don’t you tell me stories of my parents in Heimu and Ruoshui… When they went to the western borders, I was under ten years old…”