"Your Highness, you were right. The assistant at the Mayor's manor is indeed King Yan's man. He's been trying very hard to make your business public. The rumors the Emperor heard were also sent to him by King Yan. Of course, King Yan played a huge part in this. Some of the Emperor's guards are King Yan's people. Of which, the assistant director of the guards has only been in his position for a year. While it doesn't look like he has anything to do with King Yan on the surface, we found out after a thorough check that his mother is King Yan's nursemaid's sister." Steward Wang reported the information he found out respectfully.
"The assistant director of the Emperor's guards is a good position. It is a fifth-grade position and he is allowed weapons…"The lazy voice seemed to be laughing. His voice trailed off and he suddenly ordered loudly, "Let Qin Ming do well. If there's a chance, help him get rewarded for his military works and let him join the Emperor's guards and check out the assistant director carefully. Report everything no matter how insignificant they are. You just pick out the important details for me."
"Yes, I will definitely pick carefully. Your Highness, the officials around His Majesty have been moved around a lot recently. The Xie and Yu family who have always been settled far out have all been moved here. It was said that the Yu family even sent a beauty to the law minister who dotes on her a lot. He is also very close to the Yu family. There's nothing odd about the Xie family though. They only interacted with a few families they are close with after coming to the capital, unlike the Yu family who visits everyone." Steward Wang reported.
"You don't have to bother with this matter. Find out who the beauty is related to!" He nodded lazily, drawing on the surface of the table and spoke meaningfully.
"Yes!" Steward Wang understood and answered before leaving.
Shen Kun who was behind him approached. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, just like what you expected, the position of imperial censor to the left cities might go to Qin Zheng. The Emperor issued an edict to reward him for being just and upright. He even gave him a calligraphy piece with "Just" on it. I think the Ling family that the Empress supports is out of the game now. They submitted a report, but the Emperor laughed coldly and threw it to the side after reading it, but he did not say anything about it."
"The Empress has too long of a reach. Father would naturally be unhappy about it. The Ling family is one of the major four families that had helped in nation building and is also the Empress' family. Does he want to prove the rumors in court right? It is rare for the Empress to remember to console me after the matter. She even sent gifts to console me. Give her a hefty present tomorrow and tell her that I cannot return because I have been confined in my own manor. When His Majesty releases me, I will go personally to the palace to thank her."
Feng Yuran nodded. Moonlight shone through the window and upon his handsome face. His face looked as if it was glowing, especially his dark and glittering eyes. They shone, dark and deep with an arrogant and charming aura. His smile was like that of an arrogant victor.
After discussing the matter, Feng Yuran waved his hand and got them to leave. He suddenly spoke just as they were leaving, "Wang Fu, bring my Jinwei Pavilion here."
"Your Highness…" Steward Wang paused for a second and he stopped in his steps. He turned around in confusion. How was he going to move a building!
"Tell them that I can't sleep well at night and want to sleep in a tall building." Feng Yuran waved his hand and stopped Steward Wang from speaking. He suddenly raised his voice and said, "This place is good. I like it here. Renovate the lower level and build a platform outside. I won't have to leave this place when I want to watch people sing and dance in the future. Father won't always scold me for being useless then."
Feng Yuran smiled lazily and charmingly. He did not look like he was ordering his subordinates but was more like trying to show how dissatisfied he felt. It was a dissatisfaction against Emperor Zongwen. There was a slight breeze that blew past the window. His black hair danced in the wind, sweeping across his handsome face. His deep-set eyes shone with an amber light.
"Yes. Does your highness want to invite more female musicians into the manor?" Steward Wang was an intelligent man. His eyes swept across the dark night outside and he asked helpfully. Feng Yue and Shen Kun who were beside him were all versed in martial arts. They all looked grave and did not say anything.
"Forget it, there are enough musicians in the palace. This will do for now. Father is angry at me recently so I shan't anger him or he will call me over and scold me again. It is really nice to admire the fire in this building. I was really bored. The scenery here is good so I shall sleep here tonight. You all can go." Feng Yuran said impatiently.
He was so interested in watching the fire burning someone's home and intended to stay here to watch the drama! He had even extinguished the lights to watch the fire burn. It showed how bored King Xuan was. The figure in the dark watched speechlessly as Steward Wang left respectfully. The figure thought for a moment and then disappeared from its spot on the large tree by the building.
"Your Highness, King Chu's man has left. I fear that King Chu is worried about you." Feng Yue and Shen Kun did not leave. Feng Yue only spoke softly when he heard that the whistle of the wind had stopped.
"Alright, you all can go too. I will rest here for the night. Get Wang Fu to bring my possessions here tomorrow. Since they want to watch me play and do nothing, then they can just watch!" Feng Yuran closed his eyes and said lightly.
Feng Yue and Shen Kun answered in affirmative but did not leave. The two of them entered an inner chamber, opened a secret door and left.
It was quiet in the building. Only the handsome Feng Yuran was left, lying on his gold colored silk pillow. His hair was not tied up since he was in his room. His dark long hair was spread casually on the satin. His eyes were closed and his expression was calm and peaceful. The moon shone on the side of his face and he looked unlike his usual wild and playboy self. Instead, he seemed cold and other than the usual lazy and distant expression he usually had on his expression, one would find it hard that this cold and quiet beautiful young man was the same arrogant, wild and charming man he was in the day.
Some people were never like what they seemed on the surface. And sometimes, what you saw was not the truth either…
In Fuqing Garden in the Mo Manor:
Mo Xuemin's expression was dark. Her expression was ferocious as opposed to her usual gentleness.
Her hair was a little burnt and was stuck to the side of her face. She had not the time to deal with it yet. Her fingers were on the table and she wrung her handkerchief tightly. She shuddered from time to time, gritting her teeth. She was furious and her expression was cold, dark, and venomous.
She really did not want to. How could she be willing to become Sima Lingyun's concubine.
"Miss…" Mo Xiu shook by the side. She wanted to console her mistress.
"You shut up!" Mo Xuemin's face twitched as she glared at Mo Xiu. It was as if she had only just realized she was not the only one in the room.
She picked up a white jade decorative piece and threw it at Mo Xiu viciously.
Mo Xiu could not dodge in time and was hit. She backed away quickly and tripped at the threshold of the door, falling by the door. The decorative piece fell on her and shattered. A few pieces pierced through her skin and blood flowed from her arms and the edges of her skirt. Mo Xiu did not dare to say anything as she looked at Mo Xuemin's current state. She knelt down with difficulty, shaking. One did not know if she was in pain or afraid.
"Go, tell Sima Lingyun that if he does not make me his main wife, I will make what happened today public." She gritted her teeth, enunciating every word carefully. Under the light, her burnt and messy hair and ferocious expression was as cold and sinister as the devil. Anger filled her eyes.
Mo Xiu did not dare say anything else. She clambered up hurriedly, her beautiful face filled with fear. She fell again because of her anxiousness and she cut her leg on the shattered ceramic on the floor. She did not even care to cry out in pain. Instead, she held onto the wall and bore down on the pain, stumbling towards the old madam's courtyard.
This scene made her remember that day when First Miss returned from the palace. She was just as terrifying that day. Mo Jin who had followed her that day had disappeared then. Mo Jin was more loyal to First Miss then her. Mo Xiu did not believe that Mo Jin would do something without First Miss' permission. However, in the end, she had still gotten into trouble because of First Miss.
Mo Xiu had never told anyone about this thought of hers, but it had remained in her heart!
"Fourth Miss, the incident between First Miss and Sir Sima is definitely true. Everyone is talking about her marriage to Sir Sima and no one is talking about what happened to you. Everyone in the manor is all thinking that First Miss is going to marry His Excellency. The Duchess came over just now too and she is talking to the old madam right now. Other than the people the old madam brought with her, only Miss Yan can enter the room. No one knows what is happening inside." Mo Xueqiong's maid, Mo Yan wiped her sweat and entered the room, reporting to Mo Xueqiong.
"Crash." Mo Xueqiong trashed a few teacups, leaping to her feet angrily. She pointed in the direction of Fuqing Garden and yelled, "We are both concubines' daughters. Why can she marry Sima Lingyun and become his main wife while I can only be a concubine? She even said that it was for my good and we have to push Mo Xuetong down. In the end, Sima Lingyun's main wife is not me. She was lying to me. That slut. She's really a slut."
Mo Xueqiong was furious. Her brows were deeply furrowed. How could she not hate Mo Xuemin?
They were both concubines' daughters. Why could Mo Xuemin become Sima Lingyun's main wife after they had skin contact? Did she and Sima Lingyun not reach that step!
Hate filled her heart and her face was flushed. She slapped down heavily on the table!
Mo Xuemin, you want to be better than me and become Sima Lingyun's main wife. Dream on!
It was chaotic in the manor tonight. The mistresses of each courtyard were angrier than the other. The old madam had also smashed a blue ceramic tea cup.
"Old madam, don't be angry. If we were really to talk about this, the Duke's Manor is really not to blame. His Excellency Sima is trying to save a life after all. If we really want him to bear responsibility and make First Miss become his main wife, it would be a difficult thing to do. Others would say that those from the Mo Manor are ungrateful and that we are trying to climb up the social ladder when they saved us." Nanny Hua, the old madam's servant was intelligent. When she saw the old madam smashing a teacup angrily, she gestured to the maid by the side to quickly take the cup away as she tried to console the woman softly.
"It is true that we cannot do without a madam to preside over matters in the manor. All the girls do not know their etiquette and have lost their reputation. They even implicated Yan'er. How terrible! They all want to marry and become someone's concubine. They were really taught by their concubine mothers. How can they appear in society?" The old madam received a fresh cup of tea and drank angrily. She was scalded by the hot tea and spat it out quickly, coughing furiously.
The maids and servants were all flustered. They brought her cold water and towels. The old madam finally stopped coughing after a while and looked at the maids and servants around her. She said hatefully," You all are so worrisome. Leave, all of you. You all make me angry just by being here."
No one dared to say anything else and they left hurriedly. Only Nanny Hua was left trying to console the old madam while she rearranged the teacups.