Mo Yunzhu smiled inwardly. Her second sister couldn’t wait to provoke her, could she?
“It’s fine. The Emperor feels guilty toward Lan Wang and definitely won’t treat him poorly. Marrying him as Lan Wangfei shouldn’t be too hard on me. Besides, Lan Wang is quite handsome, so second sister needn’t worry about me.”
“But elder sister, no matter how handsome Lan Wang is, he’s still a cripple—far inferior to The Crown Prince.” Mo Huaiqing’s eyes flickered as she continued to provoke Mo Yunzhu.
“Being a cripple is good—it means he has no chance to contend for the throne. The Emperor has so many sons, nine of whom are already adults, all close in age. Do you think The Crown Prince is certain to ascend the throne?”
“Elder sister!” Mo Huaiqing’s expression instantly changed. “What nonsense are you saying!”
Mo Yunzhu noticed her father Mo Tiancheng’s aged face shift slightly before he fell into deep thought.
“Yunzhu, you mustn’t say such things outside,” Madam Mo said, also frightened, before turning to Mo Huaiqing. “Huaiqing, although Lan Wang’s legs are not well, what your sister says isn’t wrong. Lan Wang will live a stable life from now on—isn’t that a good thing?”
Mo Huaiqing quickly agreed, then seemed to remember something and looked at the general. “Father, do you think The Crown Prince might be in danger? Recently, there have been rumors outside that several princes seem dissatisfied with The Crown Prince…”
“Silence!” the general suddenly roared sternly. “Do not speak recklessly. The court is unstable now. If The Emperor hears anything, I fear it will only lead to another storm of bloodshed.”
Mo Huaiqing trembled in fright, then glared resentfully at Mo Yunzhu. Why was it that whatever Mo Yunzhu said was acceptable, while she was scolded for just one sentence?
Was she even their biological daughter?
Mo Yunzhu raised an eyebrow. “Father, Mother, I agree to marry Lan Wang, but I want to meet him first.”
“Elder sister, do you think the rumors outside aren’t ugly enough?” Mo Huaiqing couldn’t resist sneering again.
“Since they’re already ugly enough, what does it matter if they get uglier? Second sister, you should be careful too. Don’t let yourself be framed. If the other party turns out worse than Lan Wang, second sister would be even more pitiful.”
“Elder sister, what nonsense are you saying! How could that happen! I’m not like you—even going out with just one maid and daring to get drunk!”
Mo Yunzhu’s aura instantly turned cold as she stepped forward, closing in on Mo Huaiqing.
“Has second sister forgotten that I was poisoned?” Mo Yunzhu’s gaze was sharp as a blade, chilling Mo Huaiqing to the bone.
“Who told you to be so careless? Why are you threatening me? It wasn’t me who poisoned you!” Mo Huaiqing retorted angrily.
“Is that so? Speaking of which, The Crown Prince still hasn’t found the real culprit. Is it really that difficult?”
“There were so many people that day—anyone could have done it. The Crown Prince has to investigate them one by one. It can’t be that fast.”
“Oh, second sister knows so much about it,” Mo Yunzhu said with a sinister smile.
“I… I just want to know the truth sooner so the villain can be punished quickly.”
“Hmm, truly evil—utterly malicious. If I find out who it is, I will skin them, drink their blood, and give them no chance to regret!”
“Ah!” Mo Huaiqing cried out in fright. “Mo Yunzhu, stop scaring people! Have you been too traumatized? You’ve changed completely.”
“How could I not change? Today, they ruin my reputation; tomorrow, they might take my life. I have to change to protect myself, don’t I? Father, Mother, I’ll go out for a while. The manor feels stifling.”
Mo Yunzhu bowed to her parents and left again.
“Father, Mother! Look at elder sister, she…” Mo Huaiqing stomped her foot in frustration.
“Huaiqing, does Yunzhu have some misunderstanding about you?” Madam Mo frowned.
“How would I know? Elder sister has been acting strange since that day. It’s not that I didn’t want to protect her, but by the time I knew, things had already happened.”
“Huaiqing, you weren’t involved in this, were you?” Mo Tiancheng asked with a dark expression.
“Father! What are you saying!” Mo Huaiqing immediately burst into tears. “How could I do such a thing? She’s my own sister!”
“Then tell me, why did His Highness The Crown Prince privately say he wants to marry you?” Mo Tiancheng coldly stared at his second daughter.
Mo Huaiqing immediately feigned shock, though inwardly she was ecstatic, and quickly shook her head. “Father, I truly don’t know. His Highness The Crown Prince, how could he…?”
“Fine. It seems The Crown Prince is unwilling to let go of the General’s Manor. Since he can’t marry your elder sister, he wants to marry you instead. But I won’t agree. From now on, you must see less of The Crown Prince, understand?”
Mo Huaiqing looked up at her father’s stern, dark expression, her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves. Suddenly, she raised her head and asked, “Father, why can elder sister, but I cannot?”
“Nonsense! Haven’t you seen The Crown Prince’s true character yet? He beat your sister without distinguishing right from wrong, falsely accused her—how could I marry another daughter to him! Does our General’s Manor have no dignity?”
Mo Huaiqing was stunned, then her eyes turned red as she gritted her teeth. “Father, are you doing this to vent sister’s anger, or do you just not want me to become Taizifei?”
“What? You actually want to marry The Crown Prince?” Both Mo Tiancheng and Madam Mo stared at their second daughter in shock.
“Why can’t I? Why do you only protect sister and never care about my feelings!”
Mo Huaiqing seemed completely provoked, her pretty face streaked with tears, her eyes filled with resentment. Her final words were practically shouted.
“Huaiqing, what nonsense are you talking? We are your parents—how could we not care about you? The Crown Prince is definitely not a suitable match.”
“If sister were to become Taizifei, you wouldn’t say that!” Mo Huaiqing retorted angrily.
“Silly child, your sister was betrothed by the Empress Dowager’s decree—there was no choice. Your father and I actually never wanted her to become Taizifei.” Madam Mo sighed deeply.
“Huaiqing, I’m warning you—it’s not allowed, and that’s final! Don’t entertain any thoughts of becoming Taizifei! I will find you a good marriage!”
Mo Huaiqing trembled with rage, tears streaming down her face as she glared fiercely at her father. Finally, she turned and ran out.
“Keep an eye on the Second Young Lady. Don’t let her leave the manor!” Mo Tiancheng immediately ordered his subordinates.
“Yes!” The guards promptly followed her.
Mo Yunzhu had no idea her younger sister had quarreled with their parents. Since she was someone she planned to deal with sooner or later, she didn’t care—let her jump around for now.
Those flirtatious glances between her and The Crown Prince—they had probably already hooked up.
However, regarding this incident, she wasn’t sure whether Mo Huaiqing had bribed Shaoyao to do it, or if The Crown Prince was also involved.
As for the other victim, Lan Wang, she also had her suspicions. So, she first needed to visit Lan Wangfu to meet that illustrious and noble Lan Wang.
At Lan Wangfu, in Xuanji Yuan, Lan Wang’s trusted aide Haojiang saw his master’s lips curl into a mesmerizing smile and couldn’t help but feel pleased.
“Congratulations, Master, on achieving your wish and successfully marrying the eldest daughter of the General’s Manor.”
Lan Wang set down the freshly issued imperial decree and sneered, “The grand wedding is in one month.”
“Master, Mo Yunzhu is in love with The Crown Prince. This blow is severe, and I fear she will not treat you kindly…”
“She is merely a pawn. Once married, she can be placed in Qionghua Yuan.” Jun Huolan sneered disdainfully.
As soon as his words fell, a guard rushed in from outside and announced loudly, “Prince, Miss Mo requests an audience!”
“Cough, cough… Who?” Jun Huolan thought he must be hearing things.