Mo Xuetong took the handkerchief beside her pillow and wiped away her tears. She tilted her pale face up, deep confusion in her wide, dark eyes as she looked at Mo Zhu. Something about that look made Mo Zhu feel cold and she shuddered, retracting her hand subconsciously. Her words caught in her throat, but she didn’t dare leave.
Mother Xu walked up and pushed Mo Zhu aside, glaring at her. She put thick, lotus pink embroidered pillows behind Mo Xuetong and carefully helped her lean onto them.
“Tong’er isn’t feeling well. Why are you letting her sit up? Don’t make her sicker. Hurry and let her lie down.” Madam Yu sighed. “It is so painful to see how the world treats motherless children. Even their own servants don’t try as hard. Aunt will give you another two maids in a couple of days and change a few servants around so we can get rid of the lazy ones,”
Mother Xu continued to place the pillows
Mo Xuetong had just awakened from a coma after falling in the river. Her face was pale and drawn, helping her look pitiful. She hid the coldness in her eyes and looked up gratefully.
“Auntie, I don’t want to sleep. If I fall asleep, I’m afraid won’t wake up!” she said weakly. “The doctor said I shouldn’t sleep too much. I thank auntie for her good intentions. Mother Xu and the others have worked hard to serve me. They were all left to me by mother. I wouldn’t dare just switch servants.”
Was that a gentle enough rejection?
Madam Yu’s smile froze. She looked her niece over carefully and saw only a gentle smile on her young face. The only difference was her eyes. They seemed brighter than usual, lights dancing against a deep, dark black.
There was a subtle sharpness in her words. It didn’t sound like something the weak and cowardly Mo Xuetong would say. In the past, no matter how she felt, Mo Xuetong would never dare contradict her openly. Could something have happened when the girl fell the water? Madam Yu couldn’t help looking suspicious.
Mo Xuetong pretended not to notice Madam Yu’s wariness.
“Mo Zhu, why aren’t you serving Auntie tea?”
Mo Zhu looked at Mo Xuetong, shocked by her words. She saw Mo Xuetong leaning against a large pillow, watching her. The void in the girl’s eyes felt like cold water running down the back of Mo Zhu’s neck.
It was a look that seemed to see straight into the heart. She shuddered, not daring to speak, and hurriedly turned to get the tea for Madam Yu. She served the tea with a pale face, only calming down when Madam Yu gave her a relaxed nod.
She stood behind Madam Yu with her head and shoulders bowed, making it clear she was Madam Yu’s servant. She told herself there was no reason to be afraid. Her madam would protect her.
Madam Yu was too focused on Mo Xuetong to notice Mo Zhu’s odd behavior, even if it did break decorum. Mo Xuetong glanced at her but didn’t ask her to return.
Madam Yu took a sip of tea before setting it aside and taking Mo Xuetong’s hand.
“If you aren’t willing to part with them, your Auntie will not try to force the issue. I have been worrying about you for two days and you look so weak,” she said gently. “I’ll have somebody bring by some ginseng later. You must take care of your body. A young girl cannot afford to let her body grow frail.”
Ginseng? Mo Xuetong looked down to hide her anger.
In her past life, Madam Yu had sent her rotten ginseng. When Mother Xu saw it, she knew it was unusable and used the century old ginseng she kept for emergencies instead. When Madam Yu found out, she had pretended to be ill, saying she had given Mo Xuetong the only strong ginseng in the house.
In the end, she had gotten Mo Xuetong’s superior ginseng while still looking caring and generous.
“Thank you, Auntie, for the kind offer, but I am afraid you are correct. I am an unfortunate child. Such a precious thing would be wasted on me,” Mo Xuetong said, gently pulling her hand away. “Ginseng only extends the life of the fortunate. If Aunt really wants to help, she can help me send it to grandmother. If grandmother is well, it will be a great comfort to me, and I will surely recover faster.”
She clutched her handkerchief, the very picture of vulnerable innocence. Anyone who looked at her would see an easy target, a cowardly and gullible girl.
Madam Yu sighed in relief. She was overthinking things. What could a neglected orphan do to her?
Seeing the satisfaction on Madam Yu’s face, Mother Xu couldn’t keep quiet.
“Miss, don’t say that. Madam’s been so good to you. It must hurt her to hear you talk like that. And how can you be unfortunate? You are the granddaughter of a lord. That is not something to take lightly. If anything happens to you here, Madam will make sure somebody is held responsible.”
Madam Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She knew Mother Xu had not brought up the lord to comfort Mo Xuetong, but to threaten Madam Yu. Could they have discovered something? Madam Yu tried to force her smile to be even more gentle and warm.
“Tong’er, you must not speak of yourself like that! If there is anything you are unhappy about, please tell me. I won’t let my dear niece suffer. When you’re ready to eat, tell the servants to bring you something.”
Dear niece? Mo Xuetong could have laughed in her face, but her smile stayed sweet. She looked up hesitantly.
“Aunt, can I really tell you why I’m upset?” she asked, biting her lip fearfully. She looked awkward, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the courage.
“Of course, Tong’er. Tell your Aunt. Did somebody bully you?”
Mo Xuetong struggled to sit up and pointed to Mo Zhu.
“Mo Zhu, kneel down! Aunt, please take Mo Zhu away. I cannot bear her service any longer.”
Mo Zhu had not expected to get in trouble, but she still had Madam Yu on her side. She knelt but straightened her neck indignantly.
“Miss, why do you ask me to kneel and say you cannot bear my service? What do I have to do with your misfortune? Are you simply taking your anger out on me because I am only a servant?”
She covered her face and began to sob. Everyone besides Mother Xu hurried to her side, offering comfort.
“You’ve plotted against your mistress. Why should I not send you aw-” Before she could finish her statement, Mo Xuetong coughed violently, clutching her chest as if she was about to faint.
The room was thrown into panic. Only Madam Yu paid any attention to Mo Zhu, staring at her viciously. Mo Zhu reacted quickly, falling to her knees with a thud in front of Mo Xuetong and staying there, even as the physician came in to take Mo Xuetong’s pulse.
Things slowly calmed down, but Mo Xuetong was paler. She looked as if she couldn’t breath in as much air as she breathed out.
After the physician left, Mo Xuetong took a sip from a blue ceramic cut Mother Xu held for her. She looked at Madam Yu with tears in her eyes.
“I am sorry to scare you aunt. My body hasn’t recovered from my fall into the river.”
She turned and saw Mo Zhu again and was suddenly overwhelmed with rage. With a surge of strength, she grabbed her cup and hurled it at Mo Zhu. She was still weak, so the cup shattered against the floor in front of the kneeling girl, a couple steps short of hitting her.
The clear sound of the shattering ceramic surprised everyone.
“Aunt, Mo Zhu has plotted against me! I fell into the late because she pushed me. If you don’t believe me, ask Cousin Xuan... I don’t know what I did to offend her so badly! Sh-She wanted to kill me!”
She was overtaken by another coughing fit. She was certain Cousin Xuan would take her side. In her last life, he had told her that he suspected Mo Zhu.
The coughing panicked Madam Yu. She patted Mo Xuetong’s back gently, glaring viciously at Mo Zhu. The maid was in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“You whore, how dare you try to harm your mistress!? Men, take her outside and give her forty strokes of the cane.”
Madam Yu could not afford to protect Mo Zhu. Mo Xuetong was furious, and she’d even implied Qin Yuxuan could back her up. If she did not respond appropriately, it might even cause problems for her.
Mo Zhu looked around the room. Mo Xuetong was coughing so hard she could not breath and Madam Yu was looking down at Mo Zhu in distain. She realized she was beyond Madam Yu’s protection and threw herself at Madam Yu’s feet. She cried, screamed, bowed until her head touched the floor.
“Shut her mouth and take her away,” Madam Yu said coldly. If Qin Yuxuan had seen the incident, she could not keep this trouble causing girl around.
Mo Xuetong slumped against the embroidered pillow, clutching her chest in pain. The sight of Mo Zhu being dragged out like a dead animal did nothing to soften her heart. She could taste the copper tang in her mouth again, as if she was still in that fire, blood running down her face.
In the end, Mo Zhu only received thirty strokes of the cane. She died before she could receive the other ten. Madam Yu had her body dragged out, then went to comfort Mo Xuetong. Her niece looked weak, but her eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
Considering the problem dealt with, Madam Yu returned to the house with her servants, telling Mother Xu to fetch her if Mo Xuetong needed anything.
Once everyone was gone, Mo Xuetong forced her eyes open and struggled to sit up.
“Mother Xu, help me up. I have to write a letter.”
Madam Yu’s property in Cloud City was far from the capital. It was rare for anything important to happen here and the carriage that delivered letters only came once every five days. It was here today, so if she did not send the letter, it would be five more days until she had another chance. The people Auntie Fang sent would leave soon. She could not afford to wait five days.
She had to find a way back to the capital as soon as possible.
Mo Xuetong and her handmaid Mo Lan left through the main gates of the Qin Manor. Madam Yu had one of her best carriages prepared for them. On this surface, she’d been very kind to Mo Xuetong this visit but both girls heaved a sigh of relief as they rode into Cloud City.They wasted no time going to the inn, afraid to miss the mail carriage. No matter what else Moe Xuetong did in this life, she needed to make sure Auntie Fang’s upcoming plan failed.The carriage sped towards House of Treasures. It was the most popular place for young ladies to get clothing and accessories in all of Cloud City. The most discrete way to the inn involved walking right into through front doors of the shop.Behind House of Treasures was a narrow alleyway. At the end of the alley sat an unassuming door. It was usually shut, but if a customer knew the shopkeeper, he would gladly open it for them. Mo Lan was about to ask Mo Xuetong to wait there as she got the shopkeeper when she saw her mi
Someone else was here? Mo Xuetong withdrew her hand as if she’d been burnt and looked out into the alleyway. The door was mostly closed, so she couldn’t see anything clearly. She could just make out somebody in a leather robe. It looked like a young man.“You go first, big brother. I’ll come soon,” the man next to her replied lazily, stepping to hide Mo Xuetong from sight. He gave her a wicked smile and dropped the hand that had been blocking her. Then he turned around, smoothed his robe, and walked cheerfully outside.She could hear them speaking through the door.“Eighth Brother, I can tell you were off with a girl again. The old man is going to be angry if you don’t stop this.” His voice was warm and gentle.“Brother, if I see a beautiful girl, I can’t just leave and let her down! I have to stay and entertain her. He may not like it, but I don’t have any choice in the matter!” the other voice replied carelessly.As the young men moved out of hearing
They could all tell Mo Xuetong was in a bad mood and left without arguement.The room was silent. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she bit her lip, trying to control the swell of sadness. How many things had she been blind to before? She’d never found her mother’s death suspicious. By the time she realized Auntie Fang was responsible, it had been far too late. She could almost see Mo Xuemin’s cruel smile in front of her right now.This life, she could investigate what had happened and avenge her mother.Mo Xuemin hadn’t revealed many details when she’d given Mo Xuetong the poisoned wine. She’d only said that Auntie Fang had been responsible for her mother’s death. In this life, every evil act that mother and daughter had committed would come to light.Her mother, in a letter she wrote Mo Xuetong before she died, said she had left a jade bangle in her father’s study. She’d wanted Mo Xuetong to have it to remember her by. That felt more important now. She had n
Mo Xuetong sat in the horse carriage, leaning against the seat deep in thought. Mother Xu and the other maids assumed she was ill and did not dare to startle her. The carriage was silent, leaving only the clopping of horse hooves.She had intentionally revealed the incident with Lord Qin’s concubine. It was impossible to hide it from Madam Yu after Mo Yunshu had been beaten to death.The two incidents had happened one after another. Old Madam Qin would definitely start to be suspicious Madam Yu! This time there was concrete evidence that someone wanted to harm Auntie Li's child. Madam Qin would surely see that Madam Yu was a vicious person! If Madam Qin started suspecting Madam Yu, it would be far easier to deal with Madam Yu in the future. Lord Qin was said to be a filial son who obeys his mother, so he would be swayed as well.Before she returned to the capital, she had to calm down and think about how to deal with that deceptive pair!Just as Mo Xuetong ex
Nanny Li dealt with, Mo Xuetong turned to Madam Qin."Grand-Aunt, I am going to the capital. How can I leave you behind? How about you come with me? I will be loyal to you," she said, playing up her cuteness as much as possible. She pulled on Madam Qin’s sleeves as if she could not bear to let go. Looking at her, Madam Qin began to forget how impolite she’d found her earlier."What a good girl. I will go to the capital too, after some time. Come and visit me then." Madam Qin laughed happily."Grand-aunt, you have to come quicker! I’ll miss you so much. If not for you taking care of me while I was here...I might have long been dead..." A thoughtful look appeared on Mo Xuetong's face and tears appeared in her beautiful eyes. She looked at the woman longingly, pulling on the corner of Madam Qin's shirt with her pale and tiny hands, refusing to let go."Alright, I will go to the capital faster... Tong'er is so obedient, how can my heart be set at ease with
Mo Xuetong set off early the next morning.The carriage was waiting outside when she woke. Old Madam Luo from the general manor had sent her own carriage to pick Mo Xuetong up. She was worried that Mo Xuetong might feel uncomfortable. There was a soft seat in the carriage piled with thick leather blankets. There were a few cushions on the side as well along with a small desk. There was a little bookshelf with a few leisurely reads by the window.Cloud City was not too far from the capital, but it was not considered near either. Mo Xuetong and the group of people accompanying her took two weeks to arrive at the capital. Nanny Li, having been taught a lesson by Mo Xuetong in Cloud City, became more obedient. She did not dare to create trouble and treated Mo Xuetong very respectfully on the surface. She asked Mo Xuetong for instructions on all matters and never disobeyed her, seeming to have surrendered.As such, the journey was considered smooth.That day they
All the horse carriages were stopped. Maids and other bystanders watched out the windows of their carriages. As the commotion grew, they started to hear shouts from the city gates."Who is it blocking the road? Make way, make way!"Everyone turned to look at another procession of horse carriages approaching. There were a few young and proud noble young men sitting atop their horses. The servants walking by their sides yelled for people to clear a path. The crowd quickly parted for them.A few beautiful horse carriages arrived at the scene under the escort of the noblemen."What happened here?" the handsome but cold young man at the front asked. He looked annoyed at the inconvenience. "The carriage hit and killed someone! They killed someone!" The elderly man on the ground began to scream louder. He rolled around on the ground hugging his leg looking as if he were in so much pain he could not stand up. Everyone's attention was on the ground and the hors
Mo Xuemin was nervous when she saw the suspicious stares around her. She wrung her handkerchief and her heart skipped a beat. She could only watch as the maids moved to pull the curtains open.The two maids moved quickly, tugging hard at the curtains. The blue cloth curtains were pulled down and floated onto the ground.Everyone stared at the carriage with wide eyes. They could not help but gasp. There were no knickknacks inside. In fact, there was nothing in the empty carriage.Mo Xuetong had been waiting for this moment."I came from Cloud City, which is weeks away, but I would rather let the maids all squeeze in one carriage and leave the last carriage empty? Do you think I'm stupid?" she said angrily. "Or does my elder sister think that I came to the capital just to knock over an old man? Is that why you claimed that I knocked someone down without even consulting with me?"There was no doubt anymore. The driver was obviously framing Third Miss Mo.