Indeed, a hesitant expression appeared on Mo Huawen's face, replacing the look of shock. After a moment, he asked, "If Min'er's face was not revealed, why does everyone know that it was her that Sima Lingyun carried?"
Everyone present said it was Min'er.
"It was said that the scene was really chaotic then, I could not go over because of my ban. I heard people say after that that everyone called out for Third Miss when His Excellency Sima carried a person out. They all thought it was Third Miss because only Third Miss was inside the ancestral hall then. Who else could it be if it was not Third Miss His Excellency Sima saved from the fire? Then, Third Miss came out from the room beside the ancestral hall, and everyone realized that it was not Third Miss. I don't know who called out and said that it was First Miss. After that, everyone found out it was Min'er. It is such a pity, for Min'er had gone to send food to Third Miss out of the goodness of her heart but had gotten into such big trouble. How is she going to live in the future?"
Auntie Fang could not help but cry when she spoke about this. She covered her face with her handkerchief and started sobbing.
Mo Huawen did not speak.
This was really an unexpected calamity that had befallen Min'er. The incident would not have happened if she had not been trying to be kind. Mo Huawen disliked Sima Lingyun the most. The lad used to be polite to him in the past, but how could his behavior be so unmanly.
Even if the Duchess had said something like that, he only had to do what he had to. Min'er would not be relegated to this current state where people gossiped about her. He had already gotten information about how bad the gossip was. The rumors about his daughter were terrible and Mo Huawen was furious.
He felt that his talented and gentle eldest daughter had her reputation ruined by Sima Lingyun.
"Old Sir, the Duchess said that Min'er's status is not high enough and she can only be a concubine." Auntie Fang's last statement made Mo Huawen anxious. He was so angry he almost could not breathe. Was the Duke's Manor trying to get Tong'er to marry into their family as well? His two daughters would marry into the Duke's Manor as main wife and concubine. Did they really think they were that powerful?
"Min'er will definitely not become a concubine in the Duke's Manor." Mo Huawen said angrily. The green veins on his face twitched. If Mo Xuemin were to become a concubine, it would not only be a hinderance to his position as a governor, everyone would look down on Feng'er when he joins the government. If he had an elder sister who was a concubine in the Duke's Manor, he would not be able to hold his head up high ever again.
"But, what are we going to do if we don't do this?" Auntie Fang looked up pitifully and helplessly at Mo Huawen. Her eyes were read and filled with unshed tears. She was beautiful, and she looked as if she was in trouble and did not know what to do. Even though she was not showing yet, she held a hand against her waist and looked up at him.
A woman who was weak and helpless would be doted on most by men. Indeed, Mo Huawen's eyes grew gentler and stopped at her stomach. He reached out to help her sit and comforted her, "I will settle this matter. Don't worry about it. Anyway, I won't let the Duke's Manor ill-treat Min'er. She is both talented and beautiful and she is so kind. Sima Lingyun does not deserve her."
His intent to protect Min'er made Auntie Fang so happy that she almost forgot to pretend to be weak and gentle. Fortunately, her reaction was fast and she hurried to pull Mo Huawen to sit down with her. The two chatted for a while. Mo Huawen told her to take care of herself and said that he would handle Mo Xuemin's situation.
Then, Mo Huawen visited Mo Xuemin's Fuqing Garden. When he arrived, he realized that the doors to Fuqing Garden were tightly shut. He opened the doors to find a servant guarding the door. She bowed and greeted Mo Huawen respectfully when she saw him. When Mo Huawen asked about Mo Xuemin, she replied that she had gone to kneel in the ancestral hall early in the morning and has not returned.
Mo Xuemin's reputation had been ruined but she did not blame anyone. Instead, she had taken the blame herself and gone to kneel at the ancestral hall. When Mo Huawen thought of that, he could not think of anything else. He felt that his daughter was very sensible and obedient. He definitely would not allow her to suffer. He rushed to the ancestral hall.
He was even more determined that Min'er would not become Sima Lingyun's concubine no matter what.
Mo Huawen planned secretly that if no one saw Min'er's face then, they would just have to find a scapegoat. Or perhaps… Qiong'er… He thought of how Auntie Fang had mentioned again and again earlier that Qiong'er was interested in Sima Lingyun. Mo Huawen frowned lightly as a thought struck him.
In Qingwei Garden
The physician had already left. Mo Lan brought a prescription into the room to Mo Xuetong. "Miss, he only just prescribed some medicine and did not say anything else. He only said that you are very delicate and you should be treated with care and that you should not be angered or annoyed."
Should not be angered or annoyed? Mo Xuetong harrumphed coldly and took the prescription that Mo Lan handed her. She had been very careful with medication since her rebirth. She definitely would not allow what had happened in her past life to befall her again where she had mistaken poison someone sent her for medication for her health. The reason for her mother's death was unknown, and according to Mo Xuemin, Auntie Fang was the one who had killed her.
Her mother was the Madam of the Mo Manor. If Auntie Fang wanted to kill her, she could only do it secretly. And poison that was given secretly was more effective than any other! When Mo Xuetong thought of her mother who had long passed away and then at Auntie Fang, who lived blissfully with her children, her heart hurt. That girl who had once been weak and sickly did not know why she had been plagued by illness that could not be cured. However, she did not know that she had been poisoned.
This hatred had been buried in her heart. How could she allow Auntie Fang and her daughter to stomp on her and her mother?
There would be karma for doing something like this. It was not that she was not seeking revenge, it's just that the time is not right yet.
She would not let Auntie Fang and her daughter off…
"Miss, is something wrong?" Mo Lan saw Mo Xuetong staring at the prescription speechlessly and thought that there was an issue.
"There's nothing wrong with the prescription. Go and get the herbs!" Mo Xuetong handed the prescription back to Mo Lan. She pushed the hair at her forehead back as she spoke lightly. She had only just glanced at the prescription. If it was so easy to see what was wrong with it, Auntie Fang would not have been so kind to get someone to treat her.
She had to make herself very sick so that Auntie Fang could not find anything wrong with her. After the past two times, Auntie Fang had become more intelligent and slyer with some pointers from Mo Xuemin. If it was not in the prescription, would she act during the boiling of the medicine? But the people who boiled the medicine were usually maids she trusted. How could Auntie Fang find the opportunity to act?
If Auntie Fang did not want to make a move, why had she especially gotten the physician to come to treat her? It was said that Auntie Fang is two months pregnant. They said that she was depressed about being locked up, which was why she had not noticed. No matter whether Mo Huawen believed it or not, Mo Xuetong did not. Auntie Fang already had two children. She was so intelligent, how could she make such a rookie mistake? Did she really think everyone was dumb?
It was such good timing for Auntie Fang to announce her pregnancy. If she announced it earlier, when Mo Huawen was displeased with her, he would not treat her so well. And any later, Mo Huawen would be busy with his promotion and he would not be so ecstatic. This was the best time, when he received a triple promotion. There was double the good news and someone would spread the rumor to say that the child was a lucky child. Its conception had brought its father a triple promotion. The child would have a bright future.
Or perhaps Mo Xuemin was involved in this too!
But how did Auntie Fang, no, Mo Xuemin, know that her father was going to receive a triple promotion? Even though Mo Xuetong knew, from her previous life, that Mo Huawen would definitely be promoted, she did not know when. How did Mo Xuemin, a noble lady who remained in the house find out about court secrets?
She clenched her fingers subconsciously. Her heart felt as if it had been tugged viciously. The pain suffocated her.
An odd thought formed in Mo Xuetong's mind. However, she could not catch it in time before the thought dispersed. She frowned slightly and thought of Qin Yufeng for some reason. Qin Yufeng was great at planning and had stayed by Mo Xuemin's side in her past life. However, Mo Xuetong discovered that the two had not interacted much in this life. In fact, Qin Yufeng interacted with Mo Xuemin less than Sima Lingyun.
What role did he play in this!
Mo Xuetong thought of the snowy day in which they met when he thought of Qin Yufeng. That precious picture and the reluctance to leave it in his eyes. Yet, he wanted to destroy it because there was a little dirt on it. Since he could not possess it fully, why was there a need to treasure it? He might as well destroy it!
Would a person like this watch as Mo Xuemin married one man after another while he waited silently by the side, not doing anything? That's impossible and did not make sense. What was he hiding? Could it be that he had ulterior motives towards the Mo Manor?
If that was true, what important thing had she forgotten in her past life?
What had caused the greatest tragedy in her past life that she still had not found out even after dying once? If she could not find the cause, would she step on the path towards the tragedy she experienced in her past life? Would the tragedy that was her past life repeat again? The pain, the loss that she felt…
She felt a piercing cold all over as a strong sense of hopelessness spread. She panicked, and felt lost…
Fear, anxiety, lost, confused…
If even she did not know the true reason for her death in her past life, how was she going to fight? How was she going to fight for herself? How was she going to protect those she cared about? What a joke. Was her rebirth a joke from the heavens! Hopelessness and helplessness filled her. She felt a sickly sweetness in her throat. Her hand holding her handkerchief shook slightly. She did not have time to react before she spat out a mouthful of blood. All became dark and only sadness and hopelessness filled her consciousness.
Was she going to die now? That's good too. At least she did not have to suffer before she died! If what happened to her in her past life repeated again, she would rather die right now and be forever submerged in darkness. At least she would not hurt in the darkness and would not be tortured by cruel fate and become a joke to it….
Her eyes shut tightly as two rows of tears slid down from her eyes helplessly!
Mo Huawen was stopped on the way to the ancestral hall. When he heard that Mo Xuetong had vomited blood and fainted, Mo Huawen could not be bothered with Mo Xuemin. He hurried towards Qingwei Garden with his servants.
Mo Xuemin only received the news after Mo Huawen had rushed to Qingwei Gardens. She was so angry that she shattered the dishes of food laid on the altar table.
"Miss, don't be angry. We lost the chance this time, but there will still be next time. Old Sir always feels guilty towards you. Now that Auntie Fang is pregnant, even if he doesn't think of you, he would consider Second Young Master and the unborn child. There won't be a problem making Auntie the main wife." Mo Xiu picked up the shattered porcelain and scattered food while comforting Mo Xuemin fearfully.
Ever since she saw how enraged Mo Xuemin had been the other day, she had been careful when speaking to Mo Xuemin.
"A chance? Do you think getting this chance is easy? I told Auntie Fang to say that she's pregnant at a time like this and then mention how much I suffered that day. I even told someone to stay at the doors to say that I'm punishing myself in the ancestral hall. What do you think my goal was? It was to move Father and use the guilt he feels towards me to make Auntie the main wife! I didn't expect that slut to spoil my plans. I can't accept this. I can't…"
Mo Xuemin was so mad she was almost crazy. Her face was pale and she looked ferocious. The hatred in her eyes made the empty ancestral hall feel sinister and scary. How could she accept it? She had planned every step carefully and reviewed every detail several times. She had used this opportunity when her father had received a triple promotion to release the news of Auntie's pregnancy so that her father would have a sense of double happiness.
The child had come at just at the right time. Father would consider marrying Auntie and making her his main wife. Furthermore, her second brother was her father's only son. She had suffered such a grievance because of her sister at this time, and the Duchess's attitude was proof of herself being maltreated. Yet, she was still kneeling in the ancestral hall right now… She had so many chips in her hands, so while her father was really biased towards Mo Xuetong, he would still be considerate towards Auntie Fang and her three children. Furthermore, Mo Xuemin still had tricks up her sleeves. The Yu family had sent someone to visit the Mo's and give more suggestions to her father.
Her plan was so perfect, and everything was going as planned!
But it had failed in the end!
Mo Xuemin was so furious she was going mad. She wanted to tear Mo Xuetong that slut apart!
It would be best if she fainted and never woke up ever again!