“This servant pays respects to the Crown Prince.”
Eunuch Su bowed toward Mo Han Zhao, and after seeing Mo Han Zhao wave his hand, he smiled and said, “Regarding the matter of the bandits on Moqian Mountain that Your Highness previously mentioned to His Majesty, the Emperor has already dispatched people to investigate thoroughly.”
“This time, His Majesty ordered this old servant to come and request the Crown Prince to visit the Imperial Study to discuss the bandit suppression plan.”
Upon hearing this, Mo Han Zhao immediately set down the wolf-hair brush in his hand and followed Eunuch Su to the Imperial Study.
The mountain road of Moqian Mountain connected the north and south, serving as a shortcut for merchant travel. Once bandits appeared, the flow of goods between north and south would be obstructed, with unimaginable consequences.
As the Crown Prince, Mo Han Zhao naturally understood the seriousness of this matter. Therefore, when his subordinates discovered traces left by bandits while patrolling Moqian Mountain, he directly reported it to his father, the Emperor.
His father had a Dark Eagle Guard that had been trained for many years, capable of searching Moqian Mountain at the fastest speed to locate the bandits’ traces.
It seemed that there was already news at this time.
Mo Han Zhao entered the Imperial Study with familiar ease and, as usual, discussed official matters with the Emperor inside.
He stayed there for an entire afternoon.
The sun set in the west, and dusk arrived.
Zhu Ye seemed to have known long ago that his master would come out of the Imperial Study at this time, waiting outside early with a cloak in hand.
When Mo Han Zhao emerged from the Imperial Study again, he timely handed the cloak to Mo Han Zhao and whispered, “Your Highness, the blood-nourishing medicine you ordered the imperial physician to prepare is ready. Would Your Highness like to visit the General’s Mansion again to see Miss Jing?”
At this moment, Mo Han Zhao’s handsome face showed a slight trace of fatigue. He rubbed his aching temples, “Father has arranged for me to go to Moqian Mountain to suppress the bandits three days from now. Today, we discussed the bandit suppression plan all day in the Imperial Study.”
“I am somewhat tired. I will go tomorrow.”
After all, Yun Mu Jing is the legitimate daughter of the Yun Family. It is likely that after keeping her confined for a while, General Yun and Madam Yun will soften their hearts.
She is their own daughter, after all. How could they truly bear to let Yun Mu Jing suffer?
Perhaps Yun Mu Jing has already been released from the Ancestral Hall by now.
“In addition, prepare a few gifts. This time, I won’t be climbing over the wall,” Mo Han Zhao said.
He and Si Yu were in love with each other, so coming and going from the General’s Mansion was not unusual.
Always hiding and worrying about being exposed was troublesome.
It would be better to visit Si Yu and then, on the way, deliver the medicine to Yun Mu Jing.
“Your subordinate obeys,” Zhu Ye nodded and agreed.
…
A night passed in a flash, and a ray of light filtered through the window into the Yun Family Ancestral Hall.
Yun Mu Jing had stayed up all night copying texts. Even though her wrist ached and became swollen and red, she did not stop for a moment.
After being confined in the Ancestral Hall, the people outside cut off her food supply; she could not even get a sip of water.
Yun Mu Jing was both hungry and thirsty. Later, when Yu Ning learned that she was suffering here, she tried to sneak a steamed bun to her by going around to the window, but was discovered by Granny Li and beaten, who declared it was her father’s order.
Anyone who dared to bring her food would be beaten to death!
Only when Yun Mu Jing admitted her mistake and revealed the identity of that wild man would she be allowed to eat and drink.
Otherwise, even if she starved or died of thirst in the Ancestral Hall, it would be her own fault.
Yun Mu Jing had no choice. Worried about Yu Ning’s safety, she could only focus on copying the texts quickly.
But these fifty copies of Female Virtues were simply impossible to finish in just one or two days. She was so hungry that she barely had the strength to continue copying.
Just as Yun Mu Jing’s face turned deathly pale, swaying weakly as if about to faint, the door of the Ancestral Hall was suddenly slammed open with a loud bang.
Startled, Yun Mu Jing instantly regained some clarity, shrinking her shoulders fearfully. “Granny Li?”
Granny Li entered with several maidservants. Two of them each held a tray containing a brand-new dress and expensive hairpins and ornaments.
“A distinguished guest has arrived today, and the eldest miss is required to receive them. This old servant has been ordered to bring you a change of clothes,” Granny Li said, glancing indifferently at Yun Mu Jing. “Please change into them, eldest miss.”
Who knew what stroke of luck the eldest miss had encountered, to have the Crown Prince bestow gifts upon the masters of the Yun residence.
Even she had benefited from it.
“But… I haven’t finished copying the Female Virtues yet,” Yun Mu Jing sobbed twice, her watery eyes fixed on Granny Li as she gently bit her lower lip. “Will Father and Mother allow me to leave?”
“If this old servant says so, eldest miss should just do as told. Stop dawdling,” Granny Li replied impatiently, signaling to the maidservants behind her.
“You, go attend to the eldest miss.”
The master and mistress had given orders: when meeting the Crown Prince, the eldest miss must be dressed splendidly.
At the very least… they couldn’t let the Crown Prince know that the household favored the second miss, tarnishing the image of the general’s wife in his eyes.
Understanding the hint, the maidservants immediately divided tasks. One closed the door, while two others firmly held Yun Mu Jing down and began tearing at her clothes.
“It hurts… stop!”
The maidservants seemed to do it deliberately, scratching and pinching Yun Mu Jing’s delicate skin one after another. Already covered in injuries, the pain instantly brought tears to her eyes.
As usual, Mo Han Zhao and Yun Si Yu were strolling in the garden not far from the Ancestral Hall. Perhaps the cries were too piercing, catching Mo Han Zhao’s attention immediately.
His dark eyes flickered slightly as he frowned and asked Yun Si Yu, “What is going on?”
Yun Si Yu’s smiling face stiffened instantly, and she replied stiffly, “I’m not sure either. It must be some servant who made a mistake and is being punished. My apologies for disturbing you, Your Highness.”
Though she said this, she knew perfectly well whose cries they were, her fingertips in her sleeves nearly digging into her flesh.
That damned Yun Mu Jing was clearly trying to ruin her plans on purpose!
If she weren’t afraid of damaging Yun Mu Jing so much that Prince Yu wouldn’t want her, she would have taught Yun Mu Jing a lesson long ago!
A servant being punished? A thoughtful expression flashed across Mo Han Zhao’s handsome face.
Why did the voice sound so familiar to him?
Since arriving at the Yun residence, he hadn’t seen Yun Mu Jing at all.
When he asked General Yun and his wife why Yun Mu Jing hadn’t come out to express gratitude, they had hemmed and hawed.
Could it be that the woman had actually spent the night in the Ancestral Hall?
At this thought, the air around Mo Han Zhao grew heavier. He glanced sideways at Zhu Ye, who was hiding not far away.
Zhu Ye naturally understood Mo Han Zhao’s meaning. With a flicker of movement, he quietly slipped toward the Ancestral Hall.
By now, Yun Mu Jing had already changed into the new clothes, but the areas covered by the fabric were all covered in bruises.
Yet, as if still unsatisfied, Granny Li and the servants surrounded Yun Mu Jing, claiming to groom and wash her face while continuing to pinch and squeeze her.
Yun Mu Jing’s pain brought tears streaming down her face. By the time they had their fill and dispersed, she was utterly exhausted, sitting there with her knees hugged to her chest, softly sobbing.
“Wuwu…”
“Truly a beauty that brings disaster, always a temptress skilled at seduction.” Granny Li noticed that Yun Mu Jing’s appearance, now adorned in these new and somewhat luxurious clothes, only enhanced her natural, peerless beauty, making her look as ethereal as a celestial being.
Seeing her cry, Granny Li curled her lip and sneered, “Don’t always wear that bullied expression. The young lady brought this upon herself today, all because of her secret meetings with an outsider man.”
“These tears are fine for now, but if you still look like this in front of the esteemed guest, it won’t be as simple as copying the Female Virtues a few times.”
“Someone, take the young lady away!”