Chapter 247 Wang Xiuxiu Framed Xuetong at the Lantern Festival
The night market at the Lantern Festival was fun. Just after dinner, the market was brightly lit. The bright lights shone on the surface of the lake, which made the lights even brighter. With all the lights, the sky seemed sparkling. On the streets, many young men and women walked in pairs. At the Lantern Festival, the manners between a man and a woman weren’t so strict anymore.
From time to time, the street would witness a couple walking by hand in hand, which added a more romantic feeling to the chilly night.
Mo Xuetong was now in charge of the food and drink in the manor. Now, she was holding one half of the token slip and leading a few maidservants out of the door.
Mo Huawen had earlier sent some bracelets and waist pendants, but he didn’t show up in person. After that kind of thing happened, both of them didn’t know how to face each other. Therefore, even after a whole day, they still didn’t meet.
Mo Xuetong’s carriage was riding to the south avenue where there was the most energetic market. It even was the most energetic market in the entire capital. She heard that later, the grand firework show would also be held there. Recently, the weather had been getting warmer, and even the snow that had piled up on the ground thawed. However, at night, it was still cold. Mo Xuetong was dressed in layers of clothes and didn’t feel hot at all.
Her carriage halted by the moat before the south avenue. In front of them, it was packed with people. There were so many people that it was possible for them to get through by carriage. All kinds of luxurious carriage all stopped around there. Luckily, the administration had arranged for people to help manage the parking here. Her carriage slowly came to a halt and then they got off, supporting each other.
Mo Xuetong was wearing an ivory dress. Because it was in the Spring Festival, the dress was decorated with pale pinkish-purple blossoms. She wore a pair of purple crystal earrings and a golden butterfly pattern hairpin. Then, there was nothing else. However, she looked even more fair-skinned, even fairer than the premium jade. Her cherry-like lips were already red without any lip rogues and looked tasty and fresh. Her eyes were as clear as water. When she looked around, her eyes shone.
When she smiled, no one could compare! She was from the capital and grew up fast. In just a few months, she didn’t look childish anymore. Instead, a teenage girl’s tender young branches sprouted.
The moment she stepped off, she attracted attention from many people. They all started to ask which family the young miss came from because she was even prettier than Second Miss Ling who showed up earlier.
Mo Xuetong only had Mo Ye accompany her, letting Mo Yu and Mo Lan hang out on the streets on their own. They seldom got a chance to go out, therefore, when there was such a chance, she should let them have fun.
After reminding Mo Ye again, Mo Lan then left with Mo Yu. Among the three, Mo Ye was the best person to protect the miss. Therefore, Mo Lan felt more reassured leaving the miss to Mo Ye.
A familiar and enthusiastic voice rang from behind. “Third Miss Mo, how coincidental! I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
Mo Xuetong turned around, only to see a girl in a crimson dress laced with golden threads. She was wearing a brocade breast-high dress and a short coat decorated with jade, and casually fastened a few delicate jade hairpins ornamented with jewels. She looked as pretty as a flowering peony. She was Wang Xiuxiu.
Mo Xuetong curtsied and smiled. Toward Miss Wang Xiuxiu who seemed to be popular, Mo Xuetong always felt odd. Last time in Princess Royal’s place, she clearly felt Wang Xiuxiu was trying to drive a wedge between her and the princess. “How coincidental! I didn’t expect to see you either.”
“Are you here alone too?” “Well, we should go together. Or I’ll get bored if I’m alone.” Wang Xiuxiu smiled brightly. “Am I interrupting you?”
Her words sounded cheesy and only applied to best friends, something which they were clearly not now!
Mo Xuetong politely smiled back. She couldn’t figure out why Wang Xiuxiu acted so enthusiastic. However, if Wang Xiuxiu was going to stick with her, she wouldn’t refuse. “You’re being too polite. This is the first I’ve spent the Lantern Festival in the capital. Please show me around if you find me cheerful company.”
Wang Xiuxiu, too, only brought one maidservant. The four people strolled through the crowd. Along the way, Wang Xiuxiu had been very warm to her. As long as Mo Xuetong’s eyes fell on something, Wang Xiuxiu would surely explain it to her. Sometimes, she would quote articles or cite classics, which greatly showed her knowledge. Wang Xiuxiu indeed was cultivated.
Mo Xuetong sat slightly by her side with a smile, hearing her showing off what she knew about the world. Along the way, with the crowd, Mo Xuetong really feasted her eyes.
Wang Xiuxiu pointed at a simple tea concession stand and pulled Mo Xuetong to it while saying, “Third Miss Mo, are you tired? Why don’t we rest for a while here? At this place, you can get a view as good as the one you get from the highly-built restaurants, and even better.”
Since their masters both went in, Mo Ye and the other maidservant had to follow in.
From the way she ordered two cups of tea, Wang Xiuxiu looked like she had frequented here. Her smiling eyes fell on Mo Ye. “Why don’t we talk between ourselves and let our girls go to have fun? It’s once in a year. I don’t want their fun to be spoiled by us.”
Mo Xuetong nodded. “Mo Ye, go enjoy yourself on the street. I’ll have tea here with Miss Wang. You can come back in a while.”
Mo Xuetong didn’t know what Wang Xiuxiu wanted and why Wang Xiuxiu got her accompanying maidservant out of the way. Nonetheless, Mo Feng was watching, hiding somewhere. Therefore, she wasn’t worried that Wang Xiuxiu might do something to her. The two had met by chance. Even if Wang Xiuxiu had a plan, it couldn’t have included her. It wouldn’t hurt to get in Wang Xiuxiu’s plan and watch how it went.
After exchanging a glance, Mo Ye took the order and withdrew with the other maidservant.
“Your girl is competent and exceptionally loyal.” Watching Mo Ye walking away, Wang Xiuxiu was praising her. Then, Wang Xiuxiu turned to Mo Xuetong, her eyes shining. “Third Miss Mo, what happened earlier in your manor? How did your concubine mother even get involved? Was it a rumor?”
She looked surprised as if she were just being curious. Nevertheless, her words didn’t make sense.
The basic rule for a girl from a noble family was that she must be virtuous, pretty, eloquent, and knowledgeable. With a Grand Secretariat father like hers, a noble girl like Wang Xiuxiu must have taken strict lessons at home. How could she recklessly talk about other people’s family affairs like common people? Furthermore, Mo Xuetong’s mother was involved.
Mo Xuetong blandly spoke. Looking sullen, she still refrained from anything harsh, keeping the good manners on the mind. “What do you want to know?”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t get mad at me. I was just wondering how a humble concubine got in charge of the inner residence. Hadn’t your mother felt something? How was she so stupid to…” Having seemed to notice her rudeness, Wang Xiuxiu covered her mouth to smile. “I offer my apology if I’ve offended you. I hope you can forgive me this time.”
Her words sounded very sincere. However, they carried a deeper meaning.
Wang Xiuxiu was just weird today!
Mo Xuetong’s face fell. “As the Grand Secretariat’s daughter, You really are polite to others. Later, once I get to talk with the other misses, I must say that in all the young misses in the capital, Grand Secretariat Wang’s daughter is the best.”
It didn’t matter if Wang Xiuxiu apologized or not. She could forgive and forget when Wang Xiuxiu tried to frame her. However, she could never let Wang Xiuxiu depreciate her mother. She looked up and blankly said, “Miss Wang, you can leave if you’ve got other matters to attend to and you can explain what you said today to others later however you want.”
Not having expected such words from Mo Xuetong, Wang Xiuxiu was choked with embarrassment. At that time, she should not know what to do. Should she leave under the situation or stay to explain?
She didn’t expect a country girl to be so clever. “I’ve just started and she knew I was deliberately provoking her. If she really told others what I said today, my name would be ruined. I would be ruined if people started to take me as a terrible gossip.”
Even if the man took the position, she, as an unvirtuous woman, wouldn’t accompany him at that high position since they were also protecting their secrets from each other.
A trace of grimness flashed across her eyes. Once she started this, she couldn’t stop. Why must Mo Xuetong be so clever? “You can only blame it on yourself.”
Deliberately pausing for a while, Wang Xiuxiu then snapped. “Third Miss Mo, I was just being careless and said a few wrong words. And I’ve apologized too. Will you still not let it go and pester me with that?”
Mo Xuetong looked up and said with a sneer. “Miss Wang, I don’t care about what you want. But, please, don’t try to provoke me with your insults to my mother. Didn’t you want me to witness this when you asked me to hang out with you? Didn’t you want to leave when you snapped on purpose? Wasn’t it so? Not all people want to be made a fool.”
Her voice was not loud, yet Wang Xiuxiu could just hear it perfectly.
Wang Xiuxiu angrily stood up with a livid face. She seemed to really be mad. “Third Miss Mo, you’re too rude.”
“Miss Wang, you first insulted my mother. How will you justify yourself with that?” Mo Xuetong suddenly raised her voice and she even sounded she had been wronged. “Miss Wang poked your nose into my manor’s business and insulted my late mother, saying a concubine can’t run the house. But that’s the way things should be. Miss Wang, in the future, you’ll run the family affairs too. How could you say something like that?”
She suddenly raised her voice, and she even sounded she had been wronged and felt aggrieved. At that time, all the people were looking at Wang Xiuxiu.
The entire capital had known Mo Manor’s matter. Anyone knew the Mo Manor’s concubine killed the legal wife. Then, people were all criticizing those seductive concubines. The entire city now detested concubines. In just today, people had already heard a few cases about concubines harming the legal children and the legal wives.
…
In just one day, a couple dozen cases like this were exposed.
Now, was there another one? While fixing their suspicious eyes on Wang Xiuxiu, they were wondering which family she came from. “Was she born by a concubine? So she was talking nonsense now?”
“A concubine’s daughter is always a concubine’s daughter. Looking like a noble miss, she’s still rotten in her bones.”
“I didn’t see it and thought she’s a decent miss. Who knew she’s so ruthless and speaks for those shameless women?”
“No one will get hurt if you can see through other’s hearts. It’s really rare for a girl to want to be a concubine at such a young age. She must be a maidservant!”
Some rakish man deliberately whistled at her and laughed. “She’s really pretty. If you want to be a concubine, well, come to me, my dear lady. I promise I’ll love you deeply.”
Wang Xiuxiu didn’t expect Mo Xuetong to put on such a fantastic show. Her face was sometimes green and sometimes red. Then, she directly stopped pretending and sneered. “Third Miss Mo, it was a pure slip of the tongue. Since you insist, we’ll separate here. Just wait and see who will laugh to the end.”
She was already threatening.
After that, she put her teacup on the table with a thump. Standing up and not even having paid for the tea, she elbowed through the crowd and stormed out.
Did she just leave in the heat of the moment? Mo Xuetong slightly frowned. “What was Wang Xiuxiu up to? Who did she want to see when she put me in the center of the show?”
It was no ordinary romantic rendezvous!