It was a silent night. The moon was beautiful. The lights in Qingwei Garden were lit.
Mo Xuetong leaned against the couch and watched as Mo Lan packed up her clothes for their journey tomorrow.
It was very quiet in the room. Only the sounds of candlelight flickering could be heard. It was very light, but it disrupted the peace.
"Miss, are we really going to the Repayment Temple tomorrow? Auntie Fang had gone to tell old sir especially, so she must be up to something." Mo Lan could not bear it and asked Mo Xuetong.
"Eldest sister had picked such a good reason. I would be unfilial if I don't go. Even father has agreed, so how can I not go?" Mo Xuetong tapped her long slender fingers on the couch thoughtlessly. Her mind had gone back to what happened these few days.
Mo Xuemin had fallen into her hands again and again since she returned to the capital. How could Mo Xuemin and Auntie Fang be willing to take that lying down? She did not know when Mo Xuetong and Sima Lingyun had gotten together in her past life. However, she could see clearly now that Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin had already been in cahoots long ago.
Sima Lingyun was close with the Mo's because Sima Lingyun had once saved Mo Xuemin when she fell off her horse on a trip out with other ladies and gentlemen. In her past life, Mo Xuemin had liked You Yuecheng, the son of Ming Kingdom's duke. Even though Auntie Fang had eventually become the Mo Madam, her status as a fake true daughter was not enough for the duke's family. As such, You Yuecheng had married someone else while Mo Xuemin became an old unmarried woman.
Was this why she chose Sima Lingyun?
She was not certain of these right now. But there was something that she was certain about. Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin were in cahoots.
Mo Xuemin had brought Sima Lingyun to Mo Xuetong's courtyard today. That was her first step. It seemed that their second step would be at the Repayment Temple tomorrow. What would they do? Would they kill her outright? Or try to ruin her reputation like they did in her past life so that she had to marry Sima Lingyun?
In her past life, she had locked herself in the back courtyards because she had been disfigured. She knew nothing about what was happening outside. Then, she had fallen into the pond and Sima Lingyun had passed by and saved her. Then, she was forced to marry him. It was also because he was warm and kind and did not mind that she was disfigured.
Then in this life, what would Auntie Fang and the others do?
She still did not have enough power. Even though her maids were smart, what could a few weak girls do should danger really occur? Mother Xu and Mo Yu tried to stop Mo Xuemin and Sima Lingyun when they forced her to drink poisoned wine. But the ending was just an additional two deaths.
She had to find helpers so she could go against the vicious and cruel Mo Xuemin.
But the problem was, as a girl in the inner courtyards, while she could act first, how would she find helpers? She had to beg Bai Yihao to help last time. But she could not beg him to help every time. That person was too dangerous...Mo Xuetong looked at the darkness outside the window and thought with a frown.
Mo Lan knew that she was thinking and did not ask any more questions. She quickly packed up the clothing.
Helpers, she needed helpers. She drew thoughtlessly on the couch again. Her gaze suddenly landed on that book.
She had a sudden epiphany and her eyes glowed. She sat up suddenly.
"Miss, would you like some tea?" Mo Lan put down the clothes in her hands and poured her a cup of tea. Mo Xuetong did not take the cup but pulled on Mo Lan's hand urgently and asked, "Where are the books we brought last time?"
The books were mostly leisurely reads and were not precious ancient scripts. As such, they were not in Mo Xuetong's room and she got Mo Lan and the others to pile them at a side.
"I remember Mo He got someone to put them in the eastern rooms. Do you want to read them?" Mo Lan frowned as she thought.
"Go and find them. Find the Memoirs of Great Qin quickly and bring it to me."
"Yes." Even though Mo Lan did not know what Mo Xuetong was up to, she knew that she was very anxious. Mo Lan quickly answered and turned around.
She suddenly recalled something. In her past life, those leisurely reads became part of her dowry and they accompanied her to the Duke's manor. Because she did not think they were important, they were piled up casually in a room. There was a rare occasion when Sima Lingyun went to her room to sit for a while. He picked up a book and flipped through it in boredom. A piece of paper fell out from it. Sima Lingyun picked it up, read it, and then stood up in shock, knocking over the teacup on the table.
Mo Xuetong was doing embroidery and looked up in shock. She wanted to ask him what happened but only saw him laughing madly.
Mo Xuetong picked up the book on the floor and looked at its cover. She remembered that it was a book her mother read, 'Memoirs of Great Qin'.
Then, Sima Lingyun went missing for a few days. When he returned there were two highly skilled secret guards by his side. Those two guards remained by his side until Mo Xuetong died. The guards were extremely skilled when Sima Lingyun plotted against the Fuguo's.
The duke's manor would definitely not be able to nurture such guards!
Coupled with Sima Lingyun's weird actions, it meant that there was something on that piece of paper in the book. The closer she got to seeing the book, the more nervous she was. She clenched her fists tightly.
"Miss, is it this book?" The curtains lifted and Mo Lan entered with a book. The maids have served Mo Xuetong for a while and understood basic words.
"Bring it over." Mo Xuetong took a deep breath and stomped down on the excitement in her heart.
She flipped the book's cover page open with stiff fingers. Indeed, in the inside of it was a piece of yellowing paper. She put the paper under the light. There were only a few characters on the paper. "Secret guards, two!"
There wasn't a name written below. There was only a weird symbol, and beside it, was a location. The Repayment Temple!
The Repayment Temple?
"Miss..."The two faces under the candlelight had turned pale. Mo Xuetong's slender fingers started to shake.
After a while, Mo Xuetong carefully straightened her thoughts and folded the paper in her hands. Color returned to her face and she said slowly, "Mo Lan, don't tell anyone about what happened today. Not even to Mother Xu."
The fewer people who knew about it the better. She felt as if she were in an extremely dangerous situation and could not breathe. Why would there be a piece of paper like this in her mother's book? Even if her mother was the eldest daughter of the General Manor and had a noble status, the existence of such a note felt like just the tip of an iceberg.
And she was slowly approaching the tip...
"Miss, I won't tell anyone." Mo Lan was a careful sort and she nodded fiercely. "But Miss, it is also at the Repayment Temple?"
The Repayment temple was one of the more famous Buddhist temples in the capital. It was said that 30 years ago, the insurgent Qin king had practiced cultivation there before. The Qin king was very close to getting the throne, but had failed in the end. Legend said that the Qin king had left behind many treasures. Many people had gone to find these treasure but to no avail.
Most of the noble families in the capital liked to visit the Repayment Temple partly because of this. And it was also because of the unique and beautiful scenery there.
Mo Huawen had lit an altar lamp for his deceased wife at the Repayment Temple after he moved to the city. That was why Mo Xuemin came up with the excuse to get Mo Xuetong to go there.
"Since they are both at the Repayment Temple, then that's good. Mo Lan, what's wrong with your hand?" Mo Xuetong steeled herself and asked gently.
"I'm fine. I can go with Miss to the Repayment Temple tomorrow. "Mo Lan knew why she was asking and she looked at Mo Xuetong determinedly.
Mo Xuetong breathed out lightly. She reached out to pat Mo Lan's hand. She really could not leave Mo Lan behind. While Mo He and Mo Yu were smart, she liked Mo Lan the most. She was steady and presented herself well. Mother Xu was old and it was not suitable sometimes for her to take her nursemaid along. As such, she had to gain those two secret guards on her trip to the Repayment Temple this time no matter what.
As long as she had two highly skilled guards to protect her on the sly, Mo Xuemin and Auntie Fang would not be able to do anything against her anymore.
"Miss, what should I do?" Mo Lan knew how serious the situation was. She looked at Mo Xuetong with bright eyes.
She would definitely work with her mistress this time and not do things without seeking permission. Something like what happened in the past would not happen again.
"Don't pack any more. Get Mo Yu and the others to pack early in the morning tomorrow. Tonight, embroider this symbol with me and make a pouch so we can use it tomorrow." Mo Xuetong smoothed out the paper in her hand. The symbol did not look complicated under the candle light. They were like words, but not. At a glance, they looked like a blooming orchid.
It was not difficult to embroider it with thread.
Looking at how calm and composed her mistress was and at the slight smile on her face, Mo Lan felt that her mistress had unspeakable confidence. Mo Lan's heart, which had beat wildly because of what was on the paper, finally calmed down. Her mistress was really unlike before. If Madam knew about it, she would definitely feel comforted.
The paper was left behind by madam for miss. Madam loved miss so much, she would not harm miss.
"Alright, I'll go prepare immediately."
The two did not hesitate. Mo Lan prepared the threads while Mo Xuetong copied out the pattern. Then, the two started to sew. It was not difficult to make a pouch. In her past life, Mo Xuetong was very familiar with needlework because she lived in seclusion. She had once embroidered a picture for the Old Madam's birthday.
The night passed without words. Mo Xuetong woke up early. She had not slept for long. She found a plain dress and put it on. After bidding Mo Huawen goodbye, she boarded the waiting carriage. Auntie Fang sent her out with a smile and watched as she got on.
"Has His Excellency left?" Auntie Fang stopped smiling only when she could only make out the faint outline of the carriage. Coldness appeared in her eyes. Slut, how dare she leave in such a stately manner before her? She did not seem a bit respectful at all. She would not let her leave so successfully if she did not think that the little slut would have her reputation ruined and would no longer be able to fight with Min'er.
"His Excellency already sent someone to report. He has gone to the Repayment Temple. You were in the study then, so I could not report." Nanny Li whispered with a smile.
"Good, let the little slut get herself into trouble..."Auntie Fang laughed coldly. She turned to enter the manor, "She's seeking death herself. She can't blame others for it."
"That's right, even if something happens to Third miss in the temple...it has nothing to do with Auntie. Anyway, you didn't go with her, and she was behaving inappropriately. Who can she blame?"
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