Chapter 7 A Gift of Orchid

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 her so far away."

Madam Qin was moved by Mo Xuetong’s display. All she saw was Mo Xuetong's obedience. She had forgotten all the unpleasantness of the past. Besides, the servants by her side kept telling her about the benefits of going to the capital.

She would bring her family with her to the city once her affairs in Cloud City were settled. Her grandsons were old enough. She had to settle their marriage! Especially that eldest grandson of hers. He was very handsome and talented. Some of the women her age already had great-grandchildren.

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The orchid in front of them was indeed a fine flower. The leaves were a shiny jade green and the eight flowers were all growing from one branch. The shape and color of each flower was different and yet they were connected by something small.

"Miss, are we really taking this orchid to pay our respects to Madam?" Mo He asked in confusion, holding the orchid carefully to her chest.

Young Master Xuan had paid a lot of money to find this orchid for Mo Xuetong. She heard that Young Master Xuan had even sold a few of his treasured paintings for the orchid. It was a pity to put it in front of Madam's altar where it would be forbidden to remove it.

Mo Xuetong smiled a bit when she heard that. They would leave tomorrow. Today, she had come to pay respects to her mother. Luckily, Cousin Xuan had found the rare orchid, which improved the odds of her making a good impression. She heard that a certain noble lady loved flowers. She would definitely stop to admire this rare orchid.

Mo Xuetong did not expect much. She just needed the lady to give her an early opening to meddle in her and her husband’s affairs.

In this new life, she had to first find out about the matters between the noble lady and her mother's family. This orchid would give her the opportunity.

"Mo He, later, put down the orchid and go to the temple. Ask them to find out what we need to do a rite. I want to ask Cousin Xuan to do a rite for my mother."

Mo Xuetong did not answer Mo He. She was about to leave and wanted to appease he mother’s spirit first. No matter what, she would get her revenge in this life. She would not let her mother die in vain!

This immediately made Mo He back off. While Mo Xuetong's expression was calm, her eyes were red. Mo Xuetong got upset when she thought of her mother, so she didn’t try and argue. She nodded forcefully in acknowledgment of the order.

As they were speaking, the carriage pulled up to Qingliang Temple. Because she was from a noble family, a little nun came to welcome her.

Once formalities were done, Mo He went to get information from the monks in the temple. Mo Xuetong brought an elderly maid with her and walked to the Longevity Hall to where her mother's altar was.

There were three levels in the Longevity Hall of Qingliang Temple. The outer most level was the biggest and was for those who died in the wild. Their family would help to light their altar lamps. The second level was on the middle floor. Those from the noble families of Cloud City would have their altars here. Mo Xuetong's mother was here. The inner-most level was the most mysterious. It was usually shut, and until today, the people of the Cloud City did not know whose altar was there.

In her past life, Mo Xuetong had chanced across whose altar it was. The inner level held the alter of Eldest Princess Mingzhu’s mother. It was said that she had been an ordinary palace made with no title who had never been doted upon. She’d died not long after giving birth to the princess. The palace was full of such stories, so most people never gave the woman a second thought.

If Princess Mingzhu had not been brought up by the empress, now the empress dowager, nobody would light this altar light. Hearing that the princess’s mother was from Cloud City, a noble had built this annex here to try and win her favor.

This was who Mo Xuetong intended to see the orchid.

In her past life, the princess came to the city around this time. The princess had a disagreement with the general, Mo Xuetong’s grandfather recently. Though Sima Lingyun had orchestrated her grandfather’s downfall, Princess Mingzhu had clearly influenced him. This time, she had to show the princess her goodwill and smooth things over between her and the general.

Since Princess Mingzhu was in Cloud City, she would come to the Buddhist temple to pay respects. Mo Xuetong was confident the princess was in the back hall right now.

When she entered, Mo Xuetong's eyes swept the entrance between the second and third door. She indeed discovered two guards standing there. They looked solemn and stood stiffly. Their gazes were sharp and blood thirsty. There was only one place that trained men like that.

She lifted her skirts and looked down. She found her mother's altar lamp and knelt, praying silently.

The elderly maid stood to the side and waited for Mo Xuetong to finish praying. It was very quiet in the hall. They could only hear a little nun knocking on a wooden fish instrument at the corner and the soft recitations of the Buddhist scripture. There was a sad gentleness in the silence.

The orchid was placed in front of the altar lamp.

Mo Xuetong immersed herself in the chanting . Her eyes were lowered, as was her head. After some time, a group of people hurried in from outside. The person at the very front was a young man in his twenties. He had a gold crown on his head and wore a teal robe with dark print. His smile was like the spring wind and he seemed like a gentle and elegant gentleman. He could not help but make a sound of surprise when he walked past Mo Xuetong. His gaze landed on the orchid in front of the altar lamp.

"Master..." a guard behind him muttered.

The young man waved his hand. He did not look at where Mo Xuetong, still kneeling with her head down. The hall grew quiet again.

Mo Xuetong knelt silently for some time.

"Miss, are you the owner of this orchid?" an older voice asked.

Mo Xuetong looked up. It was a woman of about forty. She was slightly shocked when she saw Mo Xuetong look up, but gave her a smile.

"Miss, may I ask if you are the owner of this orchid?"

"This plant is indeed mine! Does nanny need something?" Mo Xuetong asked, smiling.

"Would Miss be willing to let my master have this orchid?" the woman asked. It was awkward for her too. Her master liked the orchid but did not want to be known for oppressing the weak. It was hard for her to tread the fine line.

"Your master is..." Mo Xuetong smiled and asked unhurriedly.

"Please forgive me, miss. It is inconvenient to reveal my master's identity. He wants to exchange this box of pearls for your orchid. Is it possible?" The woman smiled politely and squatted next to Mo Xuetong, opening a beautiful box of pearls. She took out a beautiful box and squatted down. She opened the box, revealing six large and beautiful eastern pearls.

Eastern pearls were not produced in Great Qin but in the Yan Kingdom. Even in Yan Kingdom, they were rare, and these pearls were large. Each and every one of them was full and round. It was difficult to find one, much less six. The maid by her side was shell-shocked. She came up and looked at Mo Xuetong meaningfully. While the orchid was precious, these eastern pearls were considered priceless. They were far more valuable than an orchid.

Mo Xuetong reached out a pale hand and closed the box while the two servants looked on in surprise. She traced the small characters on the box with her finger. There was a character for "pearl" written in dancing characters. She knew that the eldest princess's title was Bright Pearl and liked to adorn her things with the character "pearl".

She looked up and smiled at the woman.

"Nanny, please take the box of eastern pearls back with you."

Was this a refusal? The woman's expression darkened. She had clearly seen that the girl had traced the character on the box lightly before she spoke. It was obvious that she knew who her master was. Since she knew that, how would she dare to refuse them casually?

She was going to speak when Mo Xuetong continued.

"A precious sword should be given to a swordsman while rouge should be given to beautiful women. Since your master really likes this orchid, I will give it to them. You don't need to give me the eastern pearls. I will be leaving this place and do not have time to care for this plant."

A light fog of sadness appeared on Mo Xuetong's beautiful face. She suddenly stood up and picked up the vase of orchid carefully. She wiped it gently before putting it in the woman's hands together with a handkerchief wrapped around it. There was a look of reluctance on her face.

"Thank you. This is for your master. I hope that she can examine it carefully," Mo Xuetong said meaningfully. She slipped a small object hidden in the handkerchief.

The hidden object should help end the tense relationship between the princess and the general.

Though her and the princess shared a relationship impossible to break. She knew something was coming that would bind the two of them forever.

Mo Xuetong knew that her intentions had been conveyed. She bowed deeply at her mother's altar lamp and turned to leave with the elderly maid. Even the Princess’ servant, who had seen and gone through many things, was shocked. She looked at the orchid in her hands and at the decisive retreating figure. She was surprised that the weak child could be so decisive and generous.

"Give this to the lady," a soft, authoritative voice said.

"Yes!"

The nanny did not dare to say more. She lowered her head and turned away. She bowed respectfully when she passed the young man. She saw that the black boots with golden threads had stopped at where the young lady had knelt before the altar lamp. He did not move for a long time.