Chapter 229 The Mysterious Past and the Uncertain Facts
"Elder Sister He Xia, are you feeling better?" Mo Xuetong held her hand and took her pulse.
"I am fine, Miss. I need to see Madam immediately. I have something to tell her." He Xia said firmly. Then, she sighed heavily and slowly calmed down.
"Elder Sister He Xia, Mother has already passed away." Mo Xuetong said slowly, rubbing He Xia's icy cold hands as she looked at her. Her mother had already been dead for two years. He Xia had never returned to the manor but had drifted about outside. Why was this so?
"Madam is gone?" He Xia was stunned. It was as if she could not understand what Mo Xuetong had said. She held Mo Xuetong's hand and asked her the same question repeatedly.
"My mother passed away two years ago. She passed away shortly after you left." Mo Xuetong's eyes filled with sadness. She could almost see her mother's smile when she looked at her mother's ex-maid. She bit her lips softly as tears filled her eyes.
It had been two years. She had been left behind in Cloud City after her mother's death. The people in the Qin Manor had never allowed anyone to mention her mother. They only said that it was bad luck. So whenever she thought of her mother and wanted to pray to her mother, she could only do it secretly. There had never been anyone who cared about her mother. How could she not feel sad upon hearing how emotional He Xia was when she spoke of her mother?
"Madam is gone. No. No, that can't be. Even though Madam was ill, she can't just pass away like that. The physician said that she would be fine with some rest." He Xia held Mo Xuetong's hand anxiously. It was as if she was searching for a different answer from her. How could her Madam be gone?
Madam was so gentle, so kind. She was always smiling. How could she be dead?
"This can't be true. It can't be true!"
"He Xia, Madam is truly gone. Not only is Madam gone, Ying Chun died in front of her memorial table and Xiang Qiu died of illness not long after. In the end, even Xue Dong went mad. You are the only one left of Madam's four maids." Mother Xu said. She was an elder in the manor and had been promoted to this job by the Madam. She used to be close with the Madam's four personal maids and could not help but sigh when she saw how they had ended up.
"He Xia, why did you leave then? How was Mother's health when you left?" Night had fallen and candles were lit in the room. Mo Xuetong's face was equally pale under the light. Now that she had been allowed to live again, she had to find out what happened to her mother. She would make sure her mother received justice.
Her mother was beautiful and gentle in her memories. She had never offended anyone. Why would she die such mysterious circumstances!
He Xia seemed unable to accept what happened. She held Mo Xuetong's hands and refused to let go. She muttered, "Ying Chun, Xiang Qiu, Xue Dong... How could they..."
"He Xia, don't ask about this. Tell me first, what did Mother ask you to do. Why did we not know when you left? The people in the Manor all thought that you disappeared only after my mother's death." Mo Xuetong's face was pale and her lips trembled slightly.
Her mother had passed away, and then, various things had happened to her four personal maids. No one brought the matter up again afterward. Then, it was as if everything were hidden in the mist. In her past life, she had not thought about the suspicious circumstances behind her mother's death even until her own death. She had also never met He Xia. Mo Xuetong had struggled bitterly in the back courtyard and had never once suspected anything.
Yet now, there were some things that she could not help but feel suspicious about.
He Xia looked up and slowly let go of Mo Xuetong's hand. She sat up, her eyes calmed down gradually. She took a cup of tea from Mo Lan and drank it before looking up at Mo Xuetong. She said, "Miss, Madam told me to come to the capital to check the accounts of Xiuning Workshop. That was why I left secretly."
Xiuning Workshop? Mo Xuetong recalled the shop that was a dowry her mother had left her. She had gone to check it last time but it was just an ordinary shop. She did not find anything odd about it other than the fact that the shopkeeper seemed slightly soberer and steadier.
"Why did Mother want to check Xiuning Workshop's accounts? Didn't Mother ask you guys to check it only a few days ago?" Mo Xuetong could hear her own cold voice asking the question.
They only checked the accounts once a year but He Xia went to check it twice. It was just a little shop, was there a need to put in that much effort to travel such long distances to check the accounts again and again?!
He Xia did not expect Mo Xuetong to know about Xiuning Workshop and that she would know that He Xia had gone to check the accounts not too long ago. Since Miss already knew some things, there was no reason for her to hide any longer. While Madam was around, Madam was in charge, but now that Madam was no longer around, Miss was in charge. This was what Madam had told her over and over again back then.
"Miss, the accounts are fake. I came here to meet somebody. I will meet with that person every time I come to the capital using the accounts as an excuse. I will then bring things back for Madam." He Xia told the truth.
"Who is it?" Mo Xuetong could not stay calm any longer. Her voice shook.
"I do not know who the person is either. That person would come alone every time we met in the backyard of Xiuning Workshop. It was a man. The maids stay in the room, and the man would leave some letters at the front. We just had to take the letter and bring it back to Madam. However, the man did not come on a schedule. That is why we had to wait in Xiuning Workshop for about a month sometimes." He Xia recalled.
She knew that meeting the man was a matter of chance. She stayed in the room with Ying Chun that day. When they realized that someone was there, they did not dare to make a sound. They could not see anything in the dark and Madam had told them not to speak. They only had to wait inside. The two of them stayed in the room and saw the tall slender figure put down something before turning to leave. He Xia saw a pair of long black boots when he turned away.
Only court officials wore boots in this style. However, there were so many court officials in the capital. He Xia could only tell that the person was a man because of this.
"Since you were working for Madam and nothing happened all this while, what happened this time?" Mother Xu asked in confusion.
"I was really unlucky. I was not careful when I came out and lost the money bag I brought with me. Then, I had to beg for a living. It took me great difficulty to get to the capital and to Xiuning Workshop. Then, I found someone. I saw him at Madam's before and he threatened Madam with a sword then. Xue Dong saw it and screamed, and he got scared off."
"I caught a glimpse of him while he was escaping. I did not dare to enter Xiuning Workshop when I saw him going in, so I waited outside. However, I realized that there were a lot of people who were walking around outside Xiuning workshop with swords. I waited outside for a few days but could not enter. So I thought of going back to Cloud City."
"But I did not have money, so I could only stay with beggars and led a vagrant life. I was begging outside the capital a few days ago and a few gangsters started hitting the beggars on the street. I was hit by them and ran away in a fluster. Then, I don't know what I knocked into and fainted. I found myself here when I woke up."
They found He Xia on the streets of the capital but hearing what He Xia said, she had already left the capital. So why had she appeared in the capital again and why did she appear right in front of her carriage? Did someone set this up intentionally? Or was this unintentional? After the painful experience of her past life, Mo Xuetong would rather believe that this was all done by somebody.
Someone had threatened her mother with a sword. Who was it? Her mother was just the wife of an official based in Cloud City. Even if she was from the General Manor, it should not matter. Why were there so many suspicious circumstances surrounding her mother?
It was as if there was a thread weaved around a ball of thread. However, there were too many threads in her hands right now and she could not untangle it.
"Elder Sister He Xia, did you know that Auntie Fang was trying to kill Mother? Was she the one who killed Mother?" Mo Xuetong said after a moment of deep thought.
"Auntie Fang did want to hurt Madam. Madam was weak because she had been poisoned by Auntie Fang. But Madam had precious medicine that could neutralize the poison. Madam said that she would recover after eating that. Later, she sent me to the capital and I don't know what happened after that. Madam's condition was not bad then and she would not have died so quickly even if she did not eat the medication," He Xia said tearfully, "or perhaps, Auntie Fang might have increased the dosage after that."
Auntie Fang had indeed poisoned her mother!
Mo Xuetong gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. Auntie Fang had killed her mother just for her mother's position. No wonder Mo Xuetong had told her viciously that her mother had been killed by them while she had forced Mo Xuetong to drink poison. Then, Mo Xuetong had died in their hands, and there was Yu'er...
A blood debt was to be paid with blood. In this life, the vicious mother and daughter pair had killed her mother. She was here for revenge. She was willing to drag them to hell with her.
"Miss, have a cup of water to warm you up." Mo Lan placed a new cup of tea by her hands thoughtfully.
Her hands were icy cold and she sat before the window silently for almost an hour. The room was lit and the faint light outside reflected off the drizzling rain outside. It had started to rain. The snow on the ground outside was slowly starting to melt. The snowfall had been heavy yesterday but the weather was already turning warm today. The weather changes were really quick.
"Put it there. I don't want to drink it." Mo Xuetong said lightly as she looked out of the window. The lights outside the window shone on her face which were marred with two tracks of tears. Her mother's death definitely had something to do with Auntie Fang's poison. Auntie Fang had killed her.
She felt terrible when she thought of how her gentle and kind mother had laid on the bed silent and pale!
She had been so helpless then. Her father had not left Auntie Fang's courtyard and her mother had already passed on. She was only a child of 11. She was so helpless, so afraid. Her mother seemed to be her everything. She did not know anything and could only cry and shake as she held her mother's hand.
She had been so afraid it was as if her entire world had collapsed...
Her mother would not have died if not for Auntie fang. Without Mo Xuetong, her past life would not have been so miserable! She had struggled in hell. She would definitely get revenge even if she were to be crushed into pieces!
"Miss, do you want to have some dinner first? You did not eat much during lunch at the Princess Royal's manor. How can your body take it if you do not eat." Mo Lan persuaded her gently.
"Get someone to set up dinner later. Is anything happening at Lihua Garden recently?" Mo Xuetong composed herself and asked Mo Lan coldly. Auntie Fang and her daughter had not yet gotten what they deserved. How could she fall now?
"Young Master snuck in to visit Auntie Fang once. First Miss did not. However, First Miss' maid, Mo Xiu went several times. She went there at night once. A few maids and elder servants from our courtyard went out when there were works done to the back courtyard." Mo Lan said meaningfully.
"The ancestral hall is almost done, so that matter must be about settled. Sima Lingyun's marriage has been settled, so Eldest Sister must not be able to stay calm for much longer." Mo Xuetong laughed coldly. Mo Xuemin had been defeated by her time and time again and she must be about to reveal her sharpest dagger. Auntie Fang's fall would be the biggest blow to her.
She would never be able to become a legitimate daughter!
Chapter 230 That's Odd. Mo Jin's New Master
Mo Xiu left from the back door late in the afternoon. Everyone in the manor knew that First Miss was feeling poorly these days and needed medicine from time to time. The physician prescribed a medicine that was out of stock in the medicine halls. The shopkeepers only said that the medicine was arriving but they did not know when. As such, Mo Xiu would go to the shops every day to ask about it.
Mo Xiu arrived at Renan Hall and spoke with the shopkeeper before going to the back. Most of the medicine was placed at the back. There were small rooms there where different medicines were stored. The shopkeeper lifted the curtains of one of the rooms and invited Mo Xiu in politely.
There was a woman seated inside who turned around when she heard their voices.
"Mo Xiu, why did you only come now?" She looked rather anxious and she frowned unhappily when she saw Mo Xiu.
"Miss made Old Sir unhappy recently and everyone is making things difficult for her. In the past, we just had to inform someone if we were going out. But now, we have to ask Auntie Qing for a token and she even held me back for a long while to ask where I was going when I was heading out before she let me out." Mo Xiu said angrily as she sat down beside the woman.
"Mo Jin, how are you doing now? The King's Manor must be much better than the Mo Manor." Mo Xiu said enviously.
Mo Jin sighed. She was just a little maidservant in the King's Manor. She did not even get to see the King. Even though she did not amount to much in the past when she was working in the Mo Manor, she was still the head maidservant of First Miss Mo. No one dared to look down on her. Mo Jin did not want for much now. How dare she, when someone took her in and allowed her to live under those circumstances!
What happened in the palace was so shocking and she almost died there. What she did not expect at all was that First Miss would be so vicious. She had pushed her into the pit to save her own life!
If not for the benevolent King Chu who saved her, she would have died long ago.
"It's alright. The King's Manor is not Mo Manor, after all. There are many rules, but the rewards are great too. The pay is several times higher than at Mo Manor." Mo Jin smiled as if it did not matter. She took out a bag and removed a box of rouge from it. She pushed it toward Mo Xiu and said, "This is for you. King Chu rewarded it to me last time, and I have my monthly pay. I don't need so much, so I brought it to give it to you."
"For me?" Mo Jin pulled the box toward her happily. The box was exquisitely made, it was definitely of good quality. First Miss probably didn't have something so luxurious. The King's Manor was really a good place to be. Even a maid was so rich. She opened the box. The rogue was smooth and faintly fragrant. It was indeed an expensive product.
"Mo Jin, thank you for thinking of me. You are lucky that you left. First Miss is getting more and more..." Mo Xiu sighed as she thought of her current predicament. She pushed the box back to Mo Jin and said, "This is such good rogue, but I have no time to use it. I will make First Miss angry if I do."
Mo Xuemin's personal maids knew of her temper. She seemed to be gracious and kind on the surface, but in private, she would hit and scold if things did not go her way. She would vent her anger on her two maids. In the previous years, when things had gone well for First Miss, things were still easy on them. However, ever since Third Miss entered the manor, First Miss' temper grew more and more volatile. It was normal for her maids to wear bruises all over.
"Mo Xiu, don't worry. When First Miss gets through this difficult predicament, her mood will naturally take a turn for the better. She will definitely treat you well then." Mo Jin sighed and comforted her. She pushed the box toward Mo Xiu again and said, "Even though you can't use it now, just keep it and use it when First Miss rises again."
Rise? Mo Xiu's expression grew weary. Did First Miss look like she could rise again!
"Alright, let's not talk about this. This is what First Miss wanted. I got someone to make it for her and used up all the silver that King Chu gifted me the last time. After all, First Miss and I were once mistress and servant. We were once very good friends, please ask First Miss not to look for me if there's nothing going on. I am just a maidservant and do not have the abilities to help her."
Mo Jin pulled up a tightly wrapped bundle from a bag and gave it to Mo Xiu. "This is a sin. If not for First Miss..."
Even though she did not complete her sentence, Mo Xiu understood her. She hurriedly placed the bundle into a bag that she brought. She looked slightly anxious. She stood up after placing the bundle into the bag and hesitated slightly. Then, seeming as if she had made a decision, she put down the bag and held Mo Jin's hands. She said, "Mo Jin, does the King's Manor need another maidservant?"
"Do you want to leave First Miss?" Mo Jin was shocked.
"Look..." Mo Jin pulled up her sleeves which were hiding mottled bruises on her arms. Her arms were completely covered in bruises, burns and needle pricks. She said softly and sorrowfully, "Mo Jin, I can't take it anymore. First Miss keeps using me as a punching bag."
"Mo Xiu, don't worry. I will definitely help you to ask King Chu when I have the chance. You go back for now, and if First Miss is successful this time, then you will not have to suffer any longer." A flash of hatred crossed Mo Jin's eyes. However, she smiled and persuaded Mo Xiu for now. She did not have much to say about Mo Xuemin. If Mo Xuemin could become a better person, she would not have abandoned Mo Jin to the wolves.
If King Chu had not saved her, she would have died a sorrowful death. When she had been used as a scapegoat and to be flogged, First Miss did not even look at her with pity. She had only pushed the blame on her. It was impossible for one to succeed with such a mistress.
But now, in order to repay her debt, she had to console Mo Xiu and appease her so she did not startle First Miss.
First Miss! She could not wait to see Mo Xuemin's fall from grace.
She did not expect Mo Xuemin to still make use of her now. It is a pity that she is no longer the old Mo Xiu from the Mo Manor any longer! A hint of a cold smirk appeared on her lips.
When Mo Xiu left, Mo Jin stood up respectfully. Footsteps rustled from behind the screen. As servant lifted the screen, revealing Qin Yufeng who was drinking tea leisurely.
"Sir Qin, I have done as you ordered and given the things to First Miss." Mo Jin said respectfully.
"You have done well!" Qin Yufeng stood up elegantly. He smiled at Mo Jin lightly and nodded before leaving. The servant threw a bag of money at Mo Jin before following Qin Yufeng out.
Mo Jin only straightened up when Qin Yufeng left. She grabbed the bag of money and left hurriedly. Without King Chu, she would have died. However, without Qin Yufeng, she would also have died. It was much more dangerous in the King's Manor than in Mo Manor. She was just a little maidservant and had to tread carefully.
Her current master was not King Chu or Mo Xuemin. He was Qin Yufeng! She did not dare to ask for much, she just wanted to live. However, if she could see Mo Xuemin get her retribution while she lived, she would be even more pleased!
It was already dark outside Renan Hall. Lanterns were hung up by the door and there were some patrons walking to and fro. Mo Xiu looked around at the entrance before getting onto the carriage stopped outside when she saw that no one was looking at her. The driver brought her around several bends before arriving at the back door of the Mo Manor.
The maids behind the door glanced at her disinterestedly and could not even be bothered to talk to her. Ever since the maid guarding the entrance had been implicated by First Miss and had gotten a flogging, fewer and fewer people thought well of her. Furthermore, after what happened recently, they looked down on her even though First Miss would marry into the Duke Zhenguo's manor and become the duchess.
However, how much power did a duchess with a ruined reputation have? And how long would she be doted on? The servants could all tell. Furthermore, no one knew whether Sima Lingyun would be able to inherit the dukedom.
Mo Xiu saw that she was being ignored and returned to the courtyard after entering fearfully.
The maid guarding the entrance opened the doors for her but stopped her from entering. She said, dragging out her words, "Oh, Miss Mo Xiu, you're back. First Miss was so anxious, she asked about you several times. She said to bring some medicine to Auntie Fang when you get back and to give the rest to First Miss."
Mo Xiu was gripped with cold fear. However, she did not let it show. She answered in affirmative softly and did not dare to go against the orders. She turned around and went to Lihua Garden.
Her hands, which were holding on to the bundle, shook. She almost walked into the tree in front of her in the dark. She felt as if the winds were blowing straight at her heart and she felt very cold. First Miss was indeed vicious. She was plotting against her birth mother. If someone discovered this, Auntie Fang would be the first to get it.
But what about herself? She would definitely be implicated because she had been to Lihua Garden. Then, First Miss would definitely sacrifice her like how she had Mo Jin. She would push Mo Xiu forward as the scapegoat while she escaped scotfree. Mo Xiu had come back at night and did not return to First Miss' courtyard but had headed to Lihua Garden straight instead. If anything, it would be between her and Auntie Fang. First Miss would still be the gracious and generous First Miss, or perhaps, she might even be known to be an impartial person...
Mo Xiu stood at the crossroads for a long while. She suddenly gritted her teeth and walked in a different direction. That was Third Miss' Qingwen Garden.
Sima Lingyun was in a foul mood these few days!
After what happened, he was too embarrassed to take guests. Even though those people did not say anything, their facial expressions made it clear. Even though their expressions were nicer now, there was a rumor about his secret relationship with Mo Xuemin. And these rumors grew as Mo Xuemin's past was dug up. He felt as if he had been a cuckolded!
He knew about what happened at the Repayment Temple. But what about the others? What was this thing with You Yuecheng? And with Li Youmo? And the rumors in the palace, her meeting with King Chu, were they true? He thought about how Mo Xuemin had snuck into the Duke Zhenguo's Manor. He had thought that she was truly concerned for him, which was why she had been in such a hurry to visit. However, now that he thought about it, he felt that it was truly slutty behavior. She had barely stepped into womanhood and she was already meeting men outside of the family secretly. She even had amorous relationships with others. What else was this other than sluttiness!
The most important thing was that he was about to marry the woman. This made Sima Lingyun feel very uncomfortable and annoyed!
His friends, the sons of noble and wealthy families, were all avoiding him. Even those whose statuses were lower than his who used to butter up to him were avoiding him as well. They all looked at him with disdain. This enraged him. If Mo Xuemin had not set up the plot, this would not have happened to him.
Not only had he not gotten the dukedom, he had not even gotten any help!
In the past, some old friends of her father would still try to help him in front of the Emperor on his father's account. However, when he tried to look for those people, they were either busy or ill and could not receive guests. They all had good reasons for not meeting him and refused to help him.
When Sima Lingyun thought about how Mo Xuemin had caused all that, he felt a surge of fire rushing up from within him.
As such, on the second day after the Empress had decreed their message, he listened to his mother and made Yun Yiqiu his concubine.
Anyway, he and Yun Yiqiu had already had a physical relationship long before that and he had to answer to her. On the other hand, this was as good as a slap to Mo Xuemin's face. Sons from noble and wealthy families usually only had maids in the bedchamber but would not have any concubines. However, Sima Lingyun was very much annoyed. Even without Yun Yiqiu, he would still find someone to annoy Mo Xuemin.
He could not be bothered with how she would appear to the public!
When he thought of how he might have been cuckolded, and how his reputation had been completely ruined by Mo Xuemin, Sima Lingyun wanted to hit Mo Xuemin to vent his anger.