Chapter 482 Only Entrance But No Exit, Arrival of He Yuxiu
“Nothing to do with me.” Feng Yuran saw that there was suspicion hidden in Mo Xuetong’s eyes. He raised up his eyes and felt that he needed to make a proclamation.
“Why is she here?” Mo Xuetong, of course, did not believe that He Yuxiu was here to help her. With knowledge of He Yuxiu’s personality, she was more likely to be using this opportunity to create more troubles. She wondered what scheme He family had up their sleeves.
Before Feng Yuran could answer, she sat upright and pushed him. “Go and have breakfast in Jinwei Pavilion first. I will go and meet her.”
“You are not accompanying me? Feng Yuran looked disappointed as he pulled Mo Xuetong over, unwillingness written over his gaze. He looked even more pitiful than Concubine Qin as if he were an abandoned puppy. No one expected him to be so cold and indifferent just now.
Seeing Feng Yuran’s demeanor, Mo Xuetong laughed out loud. She pushed him and said coyly, “Don’t be mischievous. I am going to see He Yuxiu.”
“Just ask her to leave.”
“How can that be so? She won’t be coming here at such a juncture for no reason.” Mo Xuetong pushed him away again.
Seeing that she was determined, Feng Yuran stood up unwillingly and brought his men to Jinwei Pavilion. He handled most of his matters in Jinwei Pavilion.
Just after he left, He Yuxiu was brought over by a maidservant.
There were no servants next to He Yuxiu. Once she opened the door, her eyes turned red as she cried.
“Cousin-in-law! You need to help me!”
Mo Xuetong was astonished as well by her entrance. She didn’t expect a chubby and bright beauty to turn into such a miserable state. Her face was as sharp as an awl and there was no brilliance in her large pupils as if she was greatly devastated.
Mo Lan’s sharp eyes fell on her dirty and messy clothes. She stepped forth two steps, standing next to Mo Xuetong.
“Second Miss He, what happened?” Mo Xuetong smiled a little and asked politely. She didn’t see a need to be affectionate to He Manor now.
She already caught a glimpse of their scheme. However, she was still skeptical as there was no real evidence.
“Cousin-in-law, cousin-in-law, save me.” Crying, He Yuxiu pushed the maidservants’ hands away. She chose to not sit on the chair but instead kneel on the ground, crying with a handkerchief tightly grasped in her hand.
“Why? What happened again? Did your older sister bully you again?” Mo Xuetong frowned as curiosity filled her watery eyes.
That sentence caused a devious gaze to flash across He Yuxiu’s eyes.
What had happened in Cining Palace was something that she could never forget in her life. Before that, she had a few friends amongst the aristocratic ladies. However, no one bothered to talk to her now. Even when the minister’s wife brought them out for parties, these ladies would only talk to He Yufen instead of her, mocking her or ignoring her instead.
All this was caused by He Yufen, making her full of hatred.
She gritted her teeth as she was determined to ruin them since they were merciless to her.
“Cousin-in-law, cousin-in-law, my older sister… older sister wanted to plot something against my cousin but I knew about it. She…. she wants to kill me.” As He Yuxiu cried, she glanced at Mo Xuetong, seeing that Mo Xuetong was indeed shocked and astonished by that statement. So she acted in a more flustered way.
“She wants to kill you? You have always been nice to each other and are related by blood. Are you sure that it’s not your misunderstanding?” Mo Xuetong’s expression was full of disbelief as she asked. She knew how to pretend too!
“She, she really wants to kill me, because I knew what she wanted to do.” He Yuxiu lifted up her teary eyes as she wiped the tears and repeated her statement, with emphasis on the fact that He Yufen wanted to do something related to Feng Yuran.
Mo Xuetong, however, deviated away from the topic as if she could not understand where the main point was. “How can that be? Your sister has always been a gentle lady. Don’t worry. She will not commit such an act.”
“She really wants to kill me…” He Yuxiu found it increasingly difficult to communicate with Mo Xuetong. Indeed, she was too young, with confusion written all over her eyes as if she completely did not understand what she was talking about. He Yuxiu raised her voice anxiously.
“First Miss He has always been kind. It’s impossible for her to do such a thing.” Mo Xuetong insisted, with determination written over her face. It’s truly curious who gave her so much confidence.
“What kindness? She’s plotting to harm others every day. She might look gentle but she’s, in fact, a shameless…” He Yuxiu almost lost her mind from Mo Xuetong’s insistence. She chided her sister loudly until she saw Mo Xuetong’s bewildered expression. She then immediately wiped tears off her eyes and continued to cry. “Cousin-in-law, I… I am really… my sister is not a good person.”
“What does she want to do?” As if she was traumatized by He Yuxiu’s sharp voice, Mo Xuetong replied slowly after a while.
“There is a packet of tea leaves in my sister’s room. I heard it was for Consort Zhao. I eavesdropped on a conversation between my sister and her maidservant and discovered that my sister placed some drugs inside those tea leaves. Those drugs seemed to be… for men. I heard my sister say that she placed similar drugs into your tea leaves to create misunderstanding between you and my cousin…”
He Yuxiu lifted her chubby white face and sobbed.
Even though her speech was not extremely clear, Mo Xuetong could understand what she meant. She gradually frowned.
He Yuxiu wasn’t making stories up. She indeed overheard a conversation about Consort Zhao’s tea leaves. However, it wasn’t from He Yufen but was instead from the private conversation of the He brothers. Now, she placed the blame on He Yufen in hope of using Mo Xuetong to deal with her.
She was upset that she could only marry an extravagant aristocrat even though she had the same status and upbringing as her sister. She also heard that Yu Mingyong fought with a young master from Ding General Manor and was unable to get up from his bed until now. Hence, when she got married over, not only was she not able to enjoy her life, she had to serve such a disabled man, which angered her further.
“He Yufen was the one who placed the drugs in the tea leaves?” Mo Xuetong’s face turned cold with anger as if she had finally understood what she meant.
“Yes. I wanted to report this matter to my cousin-in-law immediately after I heard the conversation. However, my older sister discovered me while I was leaving and thus sent someone to chase after me. I only escaped into the imperial manor because I have nowhere to go. Cousin-in-law, cousin-in-law, please allow me to hide here. If my older sister chases in, I will lose my life.”
Seeing that Mo Xuetong finally understood the situation, He Yuxiu cried out in sadness. She wanted to grab onto Mo Xuetong’s dress but Mo Lan pulled the dress back hastily, resulting in her failure to do so.
“What is the effect of that drug on men?” Mo Xuetong seemed to ignore He Yuxiu’s begging and asked coldly.
“Then… men… will be unable to control themselves…” He Yuxiu’s face turned red as she mumbled. As an unmarried woman, she naturally could not speak of such acts. However, she had to answer since Mo Xuetong asked and hence she lowered her head and replied timidly.
“Is what you are saying true?” Rage appeared on Mo Xuetong’s face.
“Naturally so. If cousin-in-law does not believe in me, you can conduct an investigation yourself. There are some tea leaves hidden with my older sister now. She wanted to bring it over to the study for my cousin next time she comes here.” To gain Mo Xuetong’s trust, He Yuxiu laid out the entire plan of He Yufen and He brothers.
He Yuxiu had a clear understanding of the location of those tea leaves. “They’re hidden within the secret compartment under my older sister’s bed.”
Tea leaves? Mo Xuetong’s eyes flashed as she remembered her own hidden tea leaves. An idea flashed across her mind but she was unable to articulate it out. She glanced at Mo Lan without speaking much. Mo Lan understood what she meant and returned to the inner room, bringing Consort Zhao’s gifted tea leaves out.
“Is this the kind of tea leaves Second Miss He is talking about?”
“Yes, cousin-in-law, exactly the same.” He Yuxiu took a glance at that before taking a small paper bag out of her pocket, passing some tea leaves within to Mo Xuetong. “Cousin-in-law, see, they are exactly the same. Look at the color and taste of such leaves, and you will know they are exactly the same.”
Mo Xuetong received those leaves and examined them carefully. After comparing them, she nodded in suspicion. “Are you sure He Yufen changed those tea leaves?”
“I am not very sure. I only know that my older sister has it. From her tone, I don’t think Consort Zhao was aware of this.” He Yuxiu wiped tears off her face and replied solemnly. Even though she hated Consort Zhao as well, it wasn’t the right time to complain about her now. If Consort Zhao knew that she was ruining her plans, she would be dead.
However, she didn’t go to absolute certainty with her remarks. If Consort Zhao was indeed involved in that, she could remove herself from this affair. In fact. she was hoping that Mo Xuetong could find out that Consort Zhao was involved and fight her over this affair. If not, she could just say that she was unaware.
Mo Xuetong had a full understanding of He Yuxiu’s plan.
Her gaze fell on He Yuxiu as a cold smile curled up on the corner of her lips. She placed the tea leaves on the tabletop under her suspicious eyes before asking coldly, changing the topic, “My thanks to Second Miss He for informing me about this affair. However, since our imperial manor only allows entrance but not exit, what is the plan for Second Miss He?”
“Cousin-in-law, I… I have no other choice since my sister’s chasing me… I…” He Yuxiu cried and begged her. “Cousin-in-law, please let me stay here.”
“As an unmarried lady, how can you just live in the imperial manor like this!” Mo Xuetong frowned as she feigned her concern, secretly enjoying the performance in front of her!
“Cousin-in-law, cousin-in-law, my older sister will beat me to death! If my father knows about this, they will throw me out as well.” Seeing that Mo Xuetong was unwilling, He Yuxiu cried out loud as she let loose her grievances. It was as if she would be dead if Mo Xuetong did not take her in.
She planned to enter the manor and live here, or Mo Xuetong would gain a reputation of not saving her life!
The only reason for her to live here was when Feng Yuran had an affair with her after she entered the doors of King Xuan’s manor. Mo Xuetong didn’t expect He Yuxiu to still be thinking of Feng Yuran at this juncture. A wave of anger and disgust rose in her heart. Yu Mingyong and her marriage was planned and it should happen soon. What did she want to do when she rushed into King Xuan’s manor for no reason?
For someone who did not know about this affair, they would believe that He Yuxiu and Feng Yuran were having an affair or she would not rush into the manor at this juncture to suffer with King Xuan. Not only did she plot against He Yufen, but she also plotted against Mo Xuetong.
Did she really think that King Xuan’s Consort would be so easily bullied!