Chapter 230 That’s Odd. Mo Jin’s New Master
Mo Xiu left from the back door late in the afternoon. Everyone in the manor knew that First Miss was feeling poorly these days and needed medicine from time to time. The physician prescribed a medicine that was out of stock in the medicine halls. The shopkeepers only said that the medicine was arriving but they did not know when. As such, Mo Xiu would go to the shops every day to ask about it.
Mo Xiu arrived at Renan Hall and spoke with the shopkeeper before going to the back. Most of the medicine was placed at the back. There were small rooms there where different medicines were stored. The shopkeeper lifted the curtains of one of the rooms and invited Mo Xiu in politely.
There was a woman seated inside who turned around when she heard their voices.
“Mo Xiu, why did you only come now?” She looked rather anxious and she frowned unhappily when she saw Mo Xiu.
“Miss made Old Sir unhappy recently and everyone is making things difficult for her. In the past, we just had to inform someone if we were going out. But now, we have to ask Auntie Qing for a token and she even held me back for a long while to ask where I was going when I was heading out before she let me out.” Mo Xiu said angrily as she sat down beside the woman.
“Mo Jin, how are you doing now? The King’s Manor must be much better than the Mo Manor.” Mo Xiu said enviously.
Mo Jin sighed. She was just a little maidservant in the King’s Manor. She did not even get to see the King. Even though she did not amount to much in the past when she was working in the Mo Manor, she was still the head maidservant of First Miss Mo. No one dared to look down on her. Mo Jin did not want for much now. How dare she, when someone took her in and allowed her to live under those circumstances!
What happened in the palace was so shocking and she almost died there. What she did not expect at all was that First Miss would be so vicious. She had pushed her into the pit to save her own life!
If not for the benevolent King Chu who saved her, she would have died long ago.
“It’s alright. The King’s Manor is not Mo Manor, after all. There are many rules, but the rewards are great too. The pay is several times higher than at Mo Manor.” Mo Jin smiled as if it did not matter. She took out a bag and removed a box of rouge from it. She pushed it toward Mo Xiu and said, “This is for you. King Chu rewarded it to me last time, and I have my monthly pay. I don’t need so much, so I brought it to give it to you.”
“For me?” Mo Jin pulled the box toward her happily. The box was exquisitely made, it was definitely of good quality. First Miss probably didn’t have something so luxurious. The King’s Manor was really a good place to be. Even a maid was so rich. She opened the box. The rogue was smooth and faintly fragrant. It was indeed an expensive product.
“Mo Jin, thank you for thinking of me. You are lucky that you left. First Miss is getting more and more…” Mo Xiu sighed as she thought of her current predicament. She pushed the box back to Mo Jin and said, “This is such good rogue, but I have no time to use it. I will make First Miss angry if I do.”
Mo Xuemin’s personal maids knew of her temper. She seemed to be gracious and kind on the surface, but in private, she would hit and scold if things did not go her way. She would vent her anger on her two maids. In the previous years, when things had gone well for First Miss, things were still easy on them. However, ever since Third Miss entered the manor, First Miss’ temper grew more and more volatile. It was normal for her maids to wear bruises all over.
“Mo Xiu, don’t worry. When First Miss gets through this difficult predicament, her mood will naturally take a turn for the better. She will definitely treat you well then.” Mo Jin sighed and comforted her. She pushed the box toward Mo Xiu again and said, “Even though you can’t use it now, just keep it and use it when First Miss rises again.”
Rise? Mo Xiu’s expression grew weary. Did First Miss look like she could rise again!
“Alright, let’s not talk about this. This is what First Miss wanted. I got someone to make it for her and used up all the silver that King Chu gifted me the last time. After all, First Miss and I were once mistress and servant. We were once very good friends, please ask First Miss not to look for me if there’s nothing going on. I am just a maidservant and do not have the abilities to help her.”
Mo Jin pulled up a tightly wrapped bundle from a bag and gave it to Mo Xiu. “This is a sin. If not for First Miss…”
Even though she did not complete her sentence, Mo Xiu understood her. She hurriedly placed the bundle into a bag that she brought. She looked slightly anxious. She stood up after placing the bundle into the bag and hesitated slightly. Then, seeming as if she had made a decision, she put down the bag and held Mo Jin’s hands. She said, “Mo Jin, does the King’s Manor need another maidservant?”
“Do you want to leave First Miss?” Mo Jin was shocked.
“Look…” Mo Jin pulled up her sleeves which were hiding mottled bruises on her arms. Her arms were completely covered in bruises, burns and needle pricks. She said softly and sorrowfully, “Mo Jin, I can’t take it anymore. First Miss keeps using me as a punching bag.”
“Mo Xiu, don’t worry. I will definitely help you to ask King Chu when I have the chance. You go back for now, and if First Miss is successful this time, then you will not have to suffer any longer.” A flash of hatred crossed Mo Jin’s eyes. However, she smiled and persuaded Mo Xiu for now. She did not have much to say about Mo Xuemin. If Mo Xuemin could become a better person, she would not have abandoned Mo Jin to the wolves.
If King Chu had not saved her, she would have died a sorrowful death. When she had been used as a scapegoat and to be flogged, First Miss did not even look at her with pity. She had only pushed the blame on her. It was impossible for one to succeed with such a mistress.
But now, in order to repay her debt, she had to console Mo Xiu and appease her so she did not startle First Miss.
First Miss! She could not wait to see Mo Xuemin’s fall from grace.
She did not expect Mo Xuemin to still make use of her now. It is a pity that she is no longer the old Mo Xiu from the Mo Manor any longer! A hint of a cold smirk appeared on her lips.
When Mo Xiu left, Mo Jin stood up respectfully. Footsteps rustled from behind the screen. As servant lifted the screen, revealing Qin Yufeng who was drinking tea leisurely.
“Sir Qin, I have done as you ordered and given the things to First Miss.” Mo Jin said respectfully.
“You have done well!” Qin Yufeng stood up elegantly. He smiled at Mo Jin lightly and nodded before leaving. The servant threw a bag of money at Mo Jin before following Qin Yufeng out.
Mo Jin only straightened up when Qin Yufeng left. She grabbed the bag of money and left hurriedly. Without King Chu, she would have died. However, without Qin Yufeng, she would also have died. It was much more dangerous in the King’s Manor than in Mo Manor. She was just a little maidservant and had to tread carefully.
Her current master was not King Chu or Mo Xuemin. He was Qin Yufeng! She did not dare to ask for much, she just wanted to live. However, if she could see Mo Xuemin get her retribution while she lived, she would be even more pleased!
It was already dark outside Renan Hall. Lanterns were hung up by the door and there were some patrons walking to and fro. Mo Xiu looked around at the entrance before getting onto the carriage stopped outside when she saw that no one was looking at her. The driver brought her around several bends before arriving at the back door of the Mo Manor.
The maids behind the door glanced at her disinterestedly and could not even be bothered to talk to her. Ever since the maid guarding the entrance had been implicated by First Miss and had gotten a flogging, fewer and fewer people thought well of her. Furthermore, after what happened recently, they looked down on her even though First Miss would marry into the Duke Zhenguo’s manor and become the duchess.
However, how much power did a duchess with a ruined reputation have? And how long would she be doted on? The servants could all tell. Furthermore, no one knew whether Sima Lingyun would be able to inherit the dukedom.
Mo Xiu saw that she was being ignored and returned to the courtyard after entering fearfully.
The maid guarding the entrance opened the doors for her but stopped her from entering. She said, dragging out her words, “Oh, Miss Mo Xiu, you’re back. First Miss was so anxious, she asked about you several times. She said to bring some medicine to Auntie Fang when you get back and to give the rest to First Miss.”
Mo Xiu was gripped with cold fear. However, she did not let it show. She answered in affirmative softly and did not dare to go against the orders. She turned around and went to Lihua Garden.
Her hands, which were holding on to the bundle, shook. She almost walked into the tree in front of her in the dark. She felt as if the winds were blowing straight at her heart and she felt very cold. First Miss was indeed vicious. She was plotting against her birth mother. If someone discovered this, Auntie Fang would be the first to get it.
But what about herself? She would definitely be implicated because she had been to Lihua Garden. Then, First Miss would definitely sacrifice her like how she had Mo Jin. She would push Mo Xiu forward as the scapegoat while she escaped scotfree. Mo Xiu had come back at night and did not return to First Miss’ courtyard but had headed to Lihua Garden straight instead. If anything, it would be between her and Auntie Fang. First Miss would still be the gracious and generous First Miss, or perhaps, she might even be known to be an impartial person…
Mo Xiu stood at the crossroads for a long while. She suddenly gritted her teeth and walked in a different direction. That was Third Miss’ Qingwen Garden.
Sima Lingyun was in a foul mood these few days!
After what happened, he was too embarrassed to take guests. Even though those people did not say anything, their facial expressions made it clear. Even though their expressions were nicer now, there was a rumor about his secret relationship with Mo Xuemin. And these rumors grew as Mo Xuemin’s past was dug up. He felt as if he had been a cuckolded!
He knew about what happened at the Repayment Temple. But what about the others? What was this thing with You Yuecheng? And with Li Youmo? And the rumors in the palace, her meeting with King Chu, were they true? He thought about how Mo Xuemin had snuck into the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. He had thought that she was truly concerned for him, which was why she had been in such a hurry to visit. However, now that he thought about it, he felt that it was truly slutty behavior. She had barely stepped into womanhood and she was already meeting men outside of the family secretly. She even had amorous relationships with others. What else was this other than sluttiness!
The most important thing was that he was about to marry the woman. This made Sima Lingyun feel very uncomfortable and annoyed!
His friends, the sons of noble and wealthy families, were all avoiding him. Even those whose statuses were lower than his who used to butter up to him were avoiding him as well. They all looked at him with disdain. This enraged him. If Mo Xuemin had not set up the plot, this would not have happened to him.
Not only had he not gotten the dukedom, he had not even gotten any help!
In the past, some old friends of her father would still try to help him in front of the Emperor on his father’s account. However, when he tried to look for those people, they were either busy or ill and could not receive guests. They all had good reasons for not meeting him and refused to help him.
When Sima Lingyun thought about how Mo Xuemin had caused all that, he felt a surge of fire rushing up from within him.
As such, on the second day after the Empress had decreed their message, he listened to his mother and made Yun Yiqiu his concubine.
Anyway, he and Yun Yiqiu had already had a physical relationship long before that and he had to answer to her. On the other hand, this was as good as a slap to Mo Xuemin’s face. Sons from noble and wealthy families usually only had maids in the bedchamber but would not have any concubines. However, Sima Lingyun was very much annoyed. Even without Yun Yiqiu, he would still find someone to annoy Mo Xuemin.
He could not be bothered with how she would appear to the public!
When he thought of how he might have been cuckolded, and how his reputation had been completely ruined by Mo Xuemin, Sima Lingyun wanted to hit Mo Xuemin to vent his anger.