Chapter 232 The Empress’ Servant
He Xia was sent away early in the morning. Mo Yu led her out from the back door because they were afraid someone would see her.
Mo Xuetong woke up, did her ablutions and went to greet the Old Madam.
Mo Xuetong stood in the cold for an hour before the Old Madam got up. The Old Madam sat on the heated stove-bed and grew tired after they exchanged a few words. She then chased Mo Xuetong out.
“Miss, put on more clothes when you come to do your greetings. The winter wind is really cold and you might fall ill.” Mo Ye glared at the Old Madam’s courtyard. The female servants told them to wait where the wind was coming in. Mo Xuetong was so cold her face and lips were pale after standing in the cold wind for an hour. Her hands and feet were icy cold.
The handwarmer had long turned cold. Mo Xuetong had always been poorly. She had only stayed in the warm room for a while before being chased out and could only walk with the help of Mo Ye.
“It’s alright. I’ll warm up after walking around.” Mo Xuetong smiled with some effort. She was really cold. It was obvious that the Old Madam was dissatisfied with her father’s decision and was unleashing her anger on Mo Xuetong. It was not true that the Old Madam was still in bed. She could hear Mo Xueyan laughing and talking inside the room. However, when she entered, she only saw the Old Madam.
“Old Madam is too much. She has her own granddaughter, but she doesn’t dote on her and dote on others instead. Old Master is her legitimate son while the other side is a descendant of a concubine.” Mo Ye reached out to hold Mo Xuetong’s hand and warm her up. She was versed in martial arts and was very healthy. She had been moving around and so did not feel cold.
Mo Xuetong was amused at Mo Ye’s righteous anger. She laughed softly and said, “You are wrong. They are her real son and granddaughter. Father and I are not her true relatives.”
“Old Madam is a concubine?” Mo Ye was shocked. She had stayed by Mo Xuetong’s side all this while, and because she had come into the manor late, there were some things that she did not know about the manor. She thought that the Old Madam was Mo Huawen’s biological mother. Mo Huawen was in charge of the family, so that would naturally make him the legitimate son. The mother of the eldest legitimate son would be the matriarch of the family. Mo Ye thought that it was weird that Old Master had not requested for a rank for the Old Madam since she was her mother.
The Old Madam was a concubine! No wonder…
“Old Madam was good to Father when he was a child. She had put in a lot of effort to raise Father.” Mo Xuetong said with a light smile. So many years had passed and her father had never ill-treated the Old Madam. However, the Old Madam was so biased. She vented her anger on Mo Xuetong just because Mo Xuetong’s father did not listen to her and married her niece.
Mo Xuetong did not think that she was responsible for letting the Old Madam vent her anger on herself. She was well aware of her health. If she waited three or four times at the coldest spot outside the door, she would definitely fall ill.
“Get someone to spread the news that Lan Xinru has entered the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to the Old Madam tomorrow.” Mo Xuetong said lightly. She pulled her hand from Mo Ye’s grasp. Even though she was still shaking from the cold, some color had returned to her face.
“First Miss would definitely find out about it if what happened with Lan Xinru spreads in the manor. What will we do when she makes a fuss?” Mo Ye asked in confusion.
“First Miss will not dare to make a fuss nowadays. She would definitely make plans after that matter is settled. If she manages to stop it from being found out, she would definitely have a thousand and one ways to break off the engagement.” Mo Xuetong said unhurriedly with a hint of a cold smirk on her lips. Given Mo Xuemin’s viciousness, the first thing she would think of to hurt Mo Xuetong was to kill her.
The marriage was still some time away. With the help of her backer, King Chu, it would be easy to settle these matters.
However, Mo Xuetong would never be able to imagine that Mo Xuemin’s backer was King Chu, Feng Yuxuan.
Of course, the person she could never imagine being involved was Qin Yufeng!
Mo Jin was still alive and had gone to work at the King Chu’s Manor. Mo Jin had secretly spoken with Qin Yufeng and then Qin Yufeng had gone to King Chu’s Manor. Even though Qin Yufeng had appeared to go casually and it seemed as if it was a chance meeting between him and Feng Yuxuan, Mo Xuetong could sense that Qin Yufeng was Feng Yuxuan’s man.
Then everything had a reasonable explanation!
No wonder Mo Xuemin could go for the Hundred-Flower Banquet that only legitimate daughters could go to. No wonder her carriage had been bumped into by Feng Yuxuan’s when she entered the palace. Mo Xuemin had appeared then and entered the palace naturally then. Given Feng Yuxuan’s abilities, setting up a plot to destroy her reputation in the palace was no big deal.
With Feng Yuxuan’s power, Qin Yufeng’s wits, and Mo Xuemin’s viciousness, it was obvious how she had ended up in her predicament in her past life!
Any one of them was someone that she could not have beaten in her past life. Furthermore, they were working together against her. She was a weak girl who had no means of defeating them. What did they want?
Mo Manor was nothing special. What did it have that Feng Yuxuan, the high and mighty King Chu, was interested in!
Mo Xuetong could be certain that Feng Yuxuan was not interested in Mo Xuemin romantically. Or perhaps, Mo Xuemin did not know that there was someone pulling the strings behind Qin Yufeng! Why was Qin Yufeng doing this then?
“Miss, First Miss would have given up after this and marry into the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor obediently.” Mo Ye said softly.
“She will never give up as long as she is Mo Xuemin.” Mo Xuetong hid the questions that she had and shook her head. She smiled faintly. Mo Xuemin was like a poisonous snake that could not be killed. As long as she was able to, she would definitely extend her fangs and hide in the dark corner, waiting for her chance to strike.
Mo Ye could not understand and she asked in confusion, If Auntie Fang fails this time, would First Miss still be able to come up with anything? Even if she marries into the Duke Zhenguo’s manor, she would just be an insignificant Duchess who will not be doted upon. Would she be able to harm you?”
Mo Ye’s line of thought was linear. To her, a woman would not be able to do much other than being locked up deep inside the courtyard for the rest of her life, much less a woman with a damaged reputation.
A cold smirk appeared on Mo Xuetong’s lips. She shook her head. She and Mo Xuemin had been opponents in both her past and present life. She understood Mo Xuemin. Mo Xuemin would not do nothing about this!
Mo Xuetong could not help but stop as she stood on the path that led to the outer gardens. She saw some maidservants walking towards the outside with fruits and snacks. Mo Ye went up to ask them and quickly returned to Mo Xuetong with information. “The palace has gifted the manor with some things. Old Master is talking with a eunuch outside.”
Gifts from the palace? Mo Xuetong looked at the maids walking past her in confusion. They were all holding precious fruits and food that were usually kept for honored guests. Why did they bring out such things to host a servant from the palace?
“He’s from the Empress’ palace?” Mo Xuetong asked calmly.
“He’s indeed from the Empress’ palace. I heard that he is the lead eunuch who serves the Empress.” Mo Ye had gathered the information and immediately answered with a smile upon hearing Mo Xuetong’s question.
Why did the Empress show her goodwill towards the Mo Manor again and again?
In her past life, she had not interacted with anyone other than those from the Sima family and had never met the Empress. As such, she did not know what the Empress was like. However, in this life, Mo Xuetong could see that the Empress was a cautious and ambitious person from how she had dealt with Ling Fengyan and Feng Yuxuan’s marriage.
A person like this would often have her own goals. She would not show goodwill towards the Mo Manor for nothing!
Mo Xuemin’s matter had already been dealt with, so why was the Empress behaving like this?
Perhaps the Emperor’s consort selection had not ended!
Mo Xuetong could not help but be shocked. She broke out in nervous sweat and had to sit down at a pavilion by the side. She wrung at her handkerchief as her eyes wandered upon the fake mountain in front of her.
The Empress had shown her goodwill towards the Mo Manor again and again. She seemed to be hinting at something! Was she reminding Mo Xuetong that if she continued on the path that the Empress wanted her to, it would lead to a dead end?
No, that would not be. Mo Xuetong shook her head with a bitter smile on her lips. That could not be. She would not be chosen in the consort-selection. There were so many beautiful girls in the palace. Furthermore, even without the selection, there were already many consorts in the palace. The Emperor was not a bad ruler and would not do something like that.
“Miss, shall I go and get more answers?” Mo Ye hurriedly asked when she saw Mo Xuetong’s frown.
“No. Let’s walk around in the garden.” Mo Xuetong answered with a faint smile. She picked up her worries. It was pointless for her to be anxious right now. Since the Empress has already set her sights on the Mo Manor, her target would be none other than her father and herself. It seemed like her father was the more likely target out of the two of them.
The lord mayor was not a high post in the capital. However, the position had military power. If the Empress wanted to do anything, she could control the lord mayor’s military power. Meanwhile, Mo Xuetong was just an underaged girl who was still in mourning. There were some things that the Empress would not be able to say because of her status.
“Miss, Third Miss.” A maidservant ran over from the end of the path. She startled Mo Xuetong from her jumbled thoughts.
“What’s the matter?” Mo Ye stood forward to stop the maid who was hurtling toward them.
“Old Master wants Third Miss to dress up and go to the front.” The maid panted hurriedly, holding on to the pillar.
“The eunuch wants to see Miss?” Mo Ye asked in surprise.
“Yes, the Empress sent a eunuch. He said he wanted to see Third Miss after giving us the gifts that the Empress sent. Old Master told me to send the message immediately.”
The Empress’ man wanted to see her?
What was happening?
“What did Father say?” Mo Xuetong looked up with wide eyes as she questioned the maidservant.
“Old Master says to ask Third Miss to hurry over there and not let the eunuch wait.” The maidservant said hurriedly, thinking that Mo Xuetong did not believe her.
“Alright, then let us hurry over.” Mo Xuetong thought for a moment and understood Mo Huawen’s intentions. She smiled faintly and got up. She looked better but was still very pale. Her lips looked to be a little dry and she seemed more haggard than she usually was.
“Third Miss, Old Master wants you to go there after you’ve cleaned up. I’m afraid that it won’t be right for you to go there like this.” The maidservant said anxiously as she followed after Mo Xuetong.
“What’s not right about this? Making an honored guest wait is not right.” Mo Xuetong said with a smile.
“Third Miss, he’s an honored guest from the palace. What are we to do if you offend him looking like this?” The maidservant said fearfully.
“Are you not going to let me go!” Mo Xuetong smiled coldly.
“Third Miss, I don’t mean that, it’s just because…” The maidservant saw that things were going pearshaped and she hurriedly knelt and asked for forgiveness.
“If you didn’t mean that, then what do you mean? Are you trying to make the Empress’ personal eunuch wait?” Mo Xuetong rebuked her sharply. She stood up tall and looked at the trembling maidservant who knelt in front of her. “Why are you trying to stall me?”
“No, I did not. Miss, you are mistaken. I just thought you might want to clean up. I…” The maid answered anxiously.
“Since you are not trying to stop us, then move aside. Don’t be a nuisance.” Mo Ye walked up to the maidservant coldly and moved her to the side. Then, she turned around and helped Mo Xuetong towards the outside courtyard.
The maidservant stood behind them and shook nervously. Then, she thought about it and ran in a different direction.