Chapter 315 The Marquess Forces Mo Xuetong to Marry Him
“The servant said that he escaped with the little princess but he fell because he was in a hurry and left the little princess behind. A nobleman passed by on his horse carriage and the servant was very frightened and hid. He saw the man carrying the little princess onto the carriage and they left. The servant ran after them and saw the words, Fu General Manor, on the carriage…” Hua Xiangfeng said vaguely. One could not tell if he really knew or if he was postulating.
Mo Huawen could hear a crash in his mind and his face turned pale immediately. If he had not always hidden his feelings well, he would have already stood up and questioned the man anxiously.
He did not really know what happened to Luo Xia when she was little. However, from the little details later, he found out who she really was. He had never told anyone else about it. When he heard what Hua Xiangfeng said, he had a vague idea in his mind and his expression changed greatly.
Hua Xiangfeng looked at him coldly and saw a slight change in Mo Huawen. He knew then that it was real. He could not help but sigh at his nephew’s amazing means for he was able to find out about such a secret. He immediately smiled and said, “I don’t know if the person was speaking the truth or not. Why would the princess flee with a servant? I think this must be false, so I had the servants lock him up.”
The royal princess was of the royal bloodline. Mo Xuetong had become a princess because the Princess Royal had named Mo Xuetong her goddaughter. What about the other princess!?
It was said that King Jin had had two beautiful daughters and they were born princesses. There were rumors that said that the princesses managed to escape the chaos and also rumors that said that they perished together with King Jin. But anyway, they were true princesses!
They were more convincing than Mo Xuetong, who was Princess Anping.
“Lord Hua, why are you telling me this?” Mo Huawen’s expression changed slightly and his voice became harsh. He said coldly, “Shouldn’t you go to Fu General Manor for their matters? Why have you come to me?”
He did not believe that this illusionary servant would be able to convince anyone.
As long as Fu General Manor insisted that the incident did not happen, the servant had no evidence and could not prove anything.
“Sir Mo, don’t be angry. My nephew investigated and found this matter. He even collected some materials because of this. I heard that the First Miss of Fu General Manor had always been ill. The Old Madam brought her to receive treatment and she returned healthily 6 months later. Some people also say that your first wife does not look like the Old Madam nor Old Sir of Fu General Manor.” Hua Xiangfeng watched Mo Huawen closely with a smile.
It was You Yuecheng!
Mo Huawen could not say anything. If it was just a servant, the servant was no match for Fu General Manor, of course. However, You Yuecheng was the son of the Mingguo Manor and also had a position in the army. He was young but Emperor Zongwen thought well of him. Furthermore, if he had evidence, it would not be difficult for the matters back then to surface again.
Ever since Luo Xia passed away, Mo Huawen began to find out traces about her. The more he investigated, the more shocked he was. The woman who had slept beside him for years might be the descendant of King Jin. He felt frightened every time he thought of this and he finally found out everything from Luo Bin’s letter.
If someone were to find out about this, Fu General Manor would be implicated and even Tong’er might die. Mo Huawen knew how important this was!
He gritted his teeth and looked up, saying coldly. “What does Sir You intend to do?”
Since You Yuecheng already guessed what happened then, or perhaps he had evidence in his hands but did not submit it and come to tell him instead, it meant that he wanted something. Mo Huawen heaved a sigh of relief. It was good as long as he wanted something from Mo Huawen. Mo Huawen would try his best to protect Tong’er’s life and Fu General Manor.
It was good as long as he wanted something from the Mo Manor!
Hua Xiangfeng smiled slightly when he saw that Mo Huawen questioned him despite not acknowledging the matter. He took a few sips from his teacup and put it down. Then, he slowly said, “Lord Mo, your daughter, Princess Anping, is a rare beauty. She is also dignified and polite. My nephew likes her very much. It would be great if our families can be joined in marriage. Then, Sir Mo, what concerns you will concern my nephew.”
It was clear from what he was saying that You Yuecheng wanted to marry Mo Xuetong.
The man was interested in Tong’er. Mo Huawen paused when he thought of how You Yuecheng used to pester Mo Xuemin and he was unhappy. There was a hint of darkness in his eyes. He forced down the anger he felt after a few moments and said coldly, “It is a pity that my daughter is still mourning. We have let His Excellency down.”
Tong’er still had to mourn for a year while You Yuecheng was almost 20. He did not think that You Yuecheng could afford to wait.
Hua Xiangfeng froze. He did not think that Mo Huawen would reject him so decisively. He frowned and then said with a smile, “Sir Mo, I heard that your eldest daughter is going to be married soon. Since your eldest daughter does not have to mourn, your younger daughter can be excused as well. Furthermore, Princess Anping is now the Princess Royal’s daughter. She should be filial to the Princess Royal, so why can’t she get married?”
This was rather ridiculous, but it was not entirely wrong too. At least, the Princess Royal was Mo Xuetong’s mother in name now.
“Sir Mo, are you worried about Princess Anping? Rest assured, are you not aware of what kind of man my nephew is? If he likes anyone so easily, the Mingguo Manor would have already been filled with women. Why would the inner courtyard be so quiet? Only Third Miss Mo from your manor is good enough for Yuecheng to ask for her hand so humbly.”
He had especially pointed out that Mo Xuetong was the Third Miss of the Mo family. This also meant that the Mingguo Manor did not care that Mo Xuetong was a princess. Compared to these century-old noble families, Mo Xuetong’s status sounded good enough, but did not pose any threat at all. Even if she were a true princess of the royal family, the son of the Mingguo Manor would be more than sufficient for her.
Mo Huawen fell silent.
To tell the truth, You Yuecheng’s reputation was not bad. Compared to the wealthy playboys in the capital who loafed around, he was much better. He was not only thought highly of by the Emperor, but he was also very self-disciplined. There were not any rumors about there being concubines in the Mingguo Manor. There were only two bed maids and that was considered very good for someone of his status.
Furthermore, he was very promising at a young age. No matter how you looked at it, they were a good match and it even seemed that Mo Xuetong was marrying someone of a higher social position. You Yuecheng was from a noble and wealthy family that had such deep and strong roots. The Mo Manor could not compare to that and even though Mo Xuetong was a princess, her status was still lacking.
Hua Xiangfeng knew that Mo Huawen was interested when he saw that he had fallen silent. He flicked at the corner of his shirt and said, “Sir Mo, think about it. The First Prince of Yan is in the capital now and is saying that he wants to marry a noblewoman. The Emperor’s will is not clear and other than the Princess, your daughter’s status is considered high too. If the Emperor orders that Princess Anping should be married to the Yan Kingdom, can your ‘mourning period’ be used to defy the edict?”
Of course not!
If Emperor Zongwen wanted Mo Xuetong to be married to the neighboring country, she would not be able to mourn even if her mother had just passed away, much less the fact that Luo Xia had passed for many years.
Mo Huawen hesitated a little. This was what occupied his thoughts the most recently. Emperor Zongwen’s attitude was not clear and he did not say anything about marrying the princesses off. There were rumors that Tong’er was the most likely candidate. How could he bear to marry his daughter off to the far away Yan Kingdom? Furthermore, judging by the First Prince’s attitude, he did not seem like a loyal man.
If his attempts at treason in the future failed, Tong’er would die!
Mo Huawen understood that. Bai Yihao was no ordinary person as well.
If he thought about it, even if the First Prince were to become the Yan Emperor, Tong’er was a woman from another country and was not a true royal descendant of the Qin Kingdom. She would not have the backing of her family, so how could she become the Empress of Yan? In the end, she would just die tragically in the Yan palace. Mo Huawen’s heart hurt when he thought of that possibility.
He would not allow Tong’er to be married to the Yan Kingdom. As such, the best way was to settle her marriage before the First Prince of Yan made a decision. Given the Mingguo Manor’s background, the Emperor would not be able to say anything even if Tong’er were to marry You Yuecheng.
But about Luo Xia…
Mo Huawen looked up with a complex look in his eyes. He paused for a moment and then looked at Hua Xiangfeng. He said, “Lord Hua, I cannot give you an answer now.” He had to go back and think about this. He could not doom Tong’er’s future in a rash act.
“Sir Mo, this matter cannot wait. It is not easy to shut the servant’s mouth, and the First Prince of Yan will make his decision soon.” Hua Xiangfeng smiled slightly and sighed. He pulled out a letter from his sleeve and put it down before Mo Huawen. “Sir Mo, please take a look…”
Mo Huawen grew anxious and he grabbed the letter and tore it open. He read the letter and the more he read, the more shocked he felt. He could feel sweat running down his back. The information in the letter was more detailed than what he already knew. He was the Lord Mayor of the capital and also an expert in punishments. He naturally knew what the letter meant.
The person had written this willingly! There was not a hint of hesitation in his writing and the strength of the brush was strong. How could an ordinary servant write something like that? The idea Mo Huawen had was verified and his hand holding the letter shook slightly.
You Yuecheng did have evidence!
“I will definitely reply in the next two days.”
When Hua Xiangfeng left, Mo Huawen calmed himself down and picked up the letter again. He moved it to the incense and lit it. When the letter was reduced into ashes, he threw it into the incense pot and wiped his hand carefully with a handkerchief. He sighed deeply before returning to Xu Yan’s Yanyu House.
A maidservant caught sight of him and hurriedly reported it to Xu Yan. Xu Yan went to welcome him at the entrance and the two entered the room. Xu Yan personally made Mo Huawen a cup of tea that he liked the most and handed it to him. She said with a smile, “Old Sir, why do you look so tired after a trip out? I went to visit Tong’er earlier and she is a little tired. She might have received a shock yesterday and went to the Princess Royal to take care of her. She has probably fallen ill from all that rushing about but it is not serious.”
Mo Huawen recalled what happened in the palace when Xu Yan mentioned the matter. He thought of how while his daughter was smart, she was not liked by the Fifth Princess. The Fifth Princess had worked together with the young lady from the Ding General Manor to plot against her. If Tong’er had not been smart, her reputation would have been ruined. To tell the truth, it was because Tong’er did not have much of a background and that was why the princess and young ladies bullied and shamed her. It seemed that it was not a bad marriage if Mo Xuetong were to be able to be married into the Mingguo Manor.
Furthermore, there was the thing with Luo Xia that could not be found out by others.
“I want to marry Tong’er to the Mingguo Manor, what do you think?” Mo Huawen put down the teacup in his hand, turned to look at Xu Yan, and said seriously.
“Marry her to the Mingguo Manor?” Xu Yan was startled. She did not expect Mo Huawen to suddenly talk about Mo Xuetong’s marriage. She said subconsciously, “But Tong’er is still in mourning. This… how can she discuss her marriage now?”
“Since Min’er can be married off, so can Tong’er. She can continue mourning after she marries into the Mingguo Manor.” Mo Huawen suddenly retorted angrily with a frown. His voice grew louder without him realizing it.
Could what concerned Mo Xuemin be compared to what concerned Mo Xuetong?!
Even though Xu Yan did not agree, she did not dare to say anything else when she saw how determined Mo Huawen looked. She said gently, “The Marquess Mingguo is a talent even the Emperor praised him. I heard that he only has two bed maids who have been with him for many years and no one else. If Tong’er is to be married to him, she will be the Duchess of Mingguo. That’s not too bad.”
“Alright, that’s settled then.” Mo Huawen did not know why, but he felt disinterested. Even though Xu Yan was right, he felt anxious when he thought of Luo Xia. He was not in the mood for anything now. He stood up, waved his hand and gestured for Xu Yan, who was about to pour him another cup of tea, to stop.
“I will go and visit Tong’er now!” Then, without waiting for Xu Yan’s reply, he left for Qingwei Garden, leaving behind Xu Yan, who looked aggrieved. She did not know what she had said wrong to upset Mo Huawen!