Chapter 428 Persuasion, Pay a Visit to Li’s Manor
“Bo’an, you have to make it clear. Why did you ask me to be a witness for you? I know nothing about it.” Feng Yuran shifted off cleanly, shook the teacup in his hands, and continued to say disapprovingly, “Since I married Tong’er, I have never been to that place. So even if I want to prove for you, I can do nothing for you.”
What he meant was that he was incredibly pure now, and just wanted to sit by and do nothing!
Wasn’t he too mean?
Li Youmo looked at Feng Yuran pitifully. But Feng Yuran seemed to detach himself from the matter and even flatter Mo Xuetong by using Li Youmo, which made Li Youmo secretly scold Feng Yuran’s betrayal to friends. But now, Li Youmo was trying to beg Mo Xuetong to persuade Luo Mingzhu, so he did not dare to offend Feng Yuran.
“My Lady, please believe me. I didn’t really want to compete with Yu Mingyong. It was His Highness who asked me to pick up the famous prostitute. Please… please don’t glare at me. I don’t mean you are going to do something. But that prostitute is really useful.” Seeing Feng Yuran took on an innocent look, as if he had known nothing, Li Youmo had no way but to try hard to save himself.
Based on the principle that “being left in the lurch, I have to find a way out”, Li Youmo did not withhold any longer and told Mo Xuetong everything about the matter.
Speaking of this matter, it was not Li Youmo’s fault. The reason why the famous prostitute could attract Feng Yuran’s attention was that she had a jade pendant, which Feng Yuran had seen on Consort Xian. But now the jade pendant appeared in a prostitute’s hands. It was rather suspicious.
Therefore, Feng Yuran asked Li Youmo to take the woman away by visiting the brothel. But out of their expectation, Yu Mingyong took a fancy to the famous prostitute. Then, the disagreement between Li Youmo and Yu Mingyong led to a serious fight. Although Yu Mingyong was defeated, Li Youmo’s dissolute fame became more despicable.
When he went back that night, Luo Mingzhu shut the door in his face. A few days had passed now, Li Youmo was still staying in the study room. How sad and aggrieved he was! So Mo Xuetong’s voice made him pour out all he knew immediately.
How could Consort Xian’s jade pendant appear outside, and now in a prostitute’s hands? Mo Xuetong was dumbfounded at that moment.
“My Lady, since you will hang around later, how about going to visit Mingzhu? These days, she has been in a bad mood and needs someone to talk with.” With an obsequious look, Li Youmo smiled sincerely.
Mo Xuetong was persuaded by his words. She had not seen Luo Mingzhu for many days, and missed her so much. With Luo Mingzhu’s straightforwardness, the misunderstanding of Li Youmo must make her heartbroken. So Mo Xuetong thought it was good to help them to explain it clearly. Then, she turned to Feng Yuran, only to see his blank look as if he did not understand it. Mo Xuetong knew that he was posing again. She pouted her tender pink mouth slightly, grabbed his hand which was holding her hand under the table and twisted it hard.
“Tong’er, is there anything wrong?” Feng Yuran asked with a blank look.
“He is really…” Mo Xuetong gnashed her teeth secretly, but had to put on a gentle smile, raised her charming little face, and asked sincerely, “Your Highness, You see?”
“I see it’s late, and it’s time for you to take a nap. Let’s go back earlier.” Feng Yuran thought for a while, stood up and answered seriously. He was posing to leave now.
“I’m not sleepy today!” Mo Xuetong said prettily. Li Youmo was still waiting beside with a poor look, but Feng Yuran seemed to ignore him totally.
“Even if you are not sleepy, you need to take a good rest, and your health is most important.” Feng Yuran looked unbending and held Mo Xuetong’s hand to go out.
“I am not sleepy!”
“Really not sleepy?”
“Yes!”
“Well, let’s leave now.” Feng Yuran was about to take her away again.
“No.” Mo Xuetong blinked her eyes and said without thinking. After that, she saw the banter gleaming in his beautiful eyes and realized that she was deceived. Mo Xuetong gritted her teeth with anger and reached out her hand to secretly twist her waist. When seeing his grimace in pain, she loosed her hand with satisfaction.
Mo Xuetong went to Li’s Manor by herself. Because the relationship between Feng Yuran and Li Youmo could not be exposed now, Feng Yuran told Mo Ye and other servants to take care of Mo Xuetong and then left with Li Youmo.
When Mo Xuetong’s carriage arrived at Minister Li’s Manor, Luo Mingzhu had got the message and waited at the door. When seeing Mo Xuetong, Luo Mingzhu just called, “Cousin Tong.” Then, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and was too sad to say more.
“Cousin, let’s go inside and talk. It is not appropriate outside.” Mo Xuetong warmly held Luo Mingzhu to walk in. It was at the gate. Luo Mingzhu was a new bride, so no matter what she did, it would be bad to spread to Old Madam Li. Besides, Luo Mingzhu shed tears at the gate. When the outsiders saw it, they might guess if Luo Mingzhu had any complaints about Li’s Manor.
Luo Mingzhu also knew that her state was extremely inappropriate. She sucked her nose, pressed down the grievance at the bottom of her eyes, held Mo Xuetong’s hand, and went to the upper room of the backyard together.
Mo Xuetong, accompanied by Luo Mingzhu, first paid a salute to Old Madam Li and Madam Li and had some chats with them. Mo Xuetong found the two Madams looked kind, and Old Madam Li seemed to pamper Li Youmo too much. It was rumored that Old Madam Li loved her grandson, Li Youmo, so deeply that even her son could not give a lesson to her grandson. Now, the rumor was proved true.
Li Youmo’s mother just complained with Mo Xuetong about her son’s mischievous behaviors a bit, and was interrupted immediately by the noise made by Old Madam Li who hit the ground with her stick angrily. Luckily, Mo Xuetong did not think that Li Youmo was a frivolous man, so she talked to Old Madam Li with some good words for Li Youmo, and Old Madam Li was so delighted at the words that she kept glancing at Madam Li to signal that, “Even the Lady agrees that Youmo is good. Why can’t you see that?”
Seeing Old Madam Li’s childish behavior, Mo Xuetong could not suppress her laughter.
Then Mo Xuetong followed Luo Mingzhu to her yard.
The two sat well in the inner room. After maidservants served the tea, Luo Mingzhu waved her hands, and all her servants retreated. Mo Xuetong knew that Luo Mingzhu had something to say to her, so she also waved her hand to signal Mo Ye and other maidservants to retreat.
Mo Ye retreated to the side of the door, and Mo Lan and other maidservants to a little farther. And Luo Mingzhu’s maidservants stood discreetly beside Mo Lan.
“Cousin, I heard you’re difficult with Li Youmo?” Mo Xuetong raised the corners of her lips and said with a smile.
“You… how do you know?” Luo Mingzhu gave a courtesy answer, but the tears in her eyes could not be held back and dropped suddenly. She hurried to cover her mouth with a handkerchief and choked with sobs.
“Cousin, don’t ask me how I know it, but just tell me during the days when you are married with Li Youmo, do you think he is as ignorant and dissipated as the rumors have said outside?” Mo Xuetong took up the tea on the table and asked softly. She knew that it was useless to persuade Luo Mingzhu now. Only when Luo Mingzhu was convinced that Li Youmo was not good for nothing, could Luo Mingzhu realize something strange in the matter.
Luo Mingzhu let out two strangled cries, wiped the tears, and pushed away the tea handed by Mo Xuetong. She paused and continued to say in a low voice, “But he… but he dared to fight against Yu Mingyong for the famous prostitute, and even caused a big scandal in the capital. His mother tried to beat him with rage, but his grandmother pampered him so much that no one was allowed to beat him, even one of his fingers. I… I have been married to him for such a short time, but this happened. How can I… have the dignity…”
When talking about the heartbroken part, Luo Mingzhu could not restrain her tears any longer. During these days, she was sad every day but could not catch sight of him except when he came to comfort her for a while. Apparently, he did not put her into his heart. The more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt. Worse still, she did not go home to vent her grievances for fear of making her grandmother sad.
Grandmother was in poor health. If she knew what had happened, she would be so sad. Considering the grandmother’s health condition and temper, Luo Mingzhu did not dare to let her know. If something terrible happened to Luo Mingzhu’s grandmother, nothing including death could absolve Luo Mingzhu from the blame.
“Cousin, since you married him, does he treat you well?” Seeing Luo Mingzhu crying so fiercely, Mo Xuetong put down the teacup and handed a handkerchief to her.
“In the past, he treated me well. But this time, he dared…” Luo Mingzhu wept, took the handkerchief, and wiped her tears again.
“Since he treated you well before, why did he do this all of a sudden? And after that, cousin, have you seen the famous prostitute?” Mo Xuetong asked softly.
“Who knows if he was bewitched? Being tired of the good days, and went to ask for trouble! As for the famous prostitute, I thought he was afraid that his father might get angry, so he hid her somewhere.” Luo Mingzhu said indignantly. Her heart was filled with hatred of Li Youmo, so she could not put in a good word for him.
“I heard that his grandmother completely stuck up for him. Even Minster Li was not allowed to beat him. So how could Li Youmo fear his father? And as for the famous prostitute, if he really had a crush on her, he would try every means to give her a title. And the woman coming from that place would be too tough to deal with, and she must pester Li Youmo for an explanation. But you see, Li Youmo did not take the woman to the manor to disgrace you, but still tried to explain to you. So the fact is not as you think.”
Mo Xuetong analyzed carefully.
The remarks made Luo Mingzhu’s tear pause, and she began pondering carefully.
After a long while, Luo Mingzhu looked at Mo Xuetong with uncertainty and asked, “You mean, he did this not only for that woman, but for another purpose? How could he treat me like that. I am his wife!”
Luo Mingzhu was not stupid, and clenched the handkerchief in the hands, looked at Mo Xuetong and asked.
“Cousin, do you still remember that Li Youmo almost married my vicious elder sister? At that time, I saw him for the first time. He did not show any tenderness to Mo Xuemin, and gave a harsh slap on her, which made her face swollen. Mo Xuemin was his fiancée at that time.”
Mo Xuetong handed the tea again and asked with a smile.
Luo Mingzhu heard this for the first time, took a sip of the tea and asked surprisedly, “He was so muddled up to slap Mo Xuetong in your manor?”
“I thought the same as you did at that time. But later, when I was in trouble several times, he would always give a hand to me. Then, I realized that it was too coincidental. Although Mo Xuemin looked beautiful, she was vicious. When Li Youmo slapped Mo Xuemin, it would only lead Mo Xuemin to disgust him. If he was really a playboy, didn’t he love beautiful women the most? Why did he slap her at that time?”
Mo Xuetong asked meaningfully.
“Then you mean…” Luo Mingzhu was startled at Mo Xuetong’s words and now completely followed Mo Xuetong’s thoughts. Mo Xuetong lowered her voice and asked, “You mean that he did this for another purpose?”
“Cousin, just think about that. If Li Youmo was really a playboy, how could Uncle be willing to let you marry into the Li family? With your status, you can have a variety of choices. But Uncle chose him for you and was quite satisfied with this choice. So Li Youmo is not the person that he pretends to be on the surface.”