At the same time, Mo Han Zhao had just entered the General’s Mansion.
Today, Mo Han Zhao had no intention of seeing Yun Si Yu, nor did he wish to reveal his whereabouts, so he entered by scaling the wall.
He was just about to go find Yun Mu Jing when, passing by the front courtyard, he inadvertently overheard many maids whispering outside.
“Have you heard? The eldest young lady usually appears delicate and frail, but it turns out she’s so improper in private, even having illicit relations with men.”
“That’s right. Just now, the General and Madam were furious. I always said that a young lady who has been wandering among the common folk for so many years couldn’t possibly be any good.”
“The eldest young lady has probably learned quite a few of those lowly tricks from the outside world.”
“…”
Listening to the servants chattering among themselves, Mo Han Zhao’s dark eyes first flickered with disbelief, and a chill began to emanate from his entire being.
Could it be that the incident between him and Yun Mu Jing yesterday was already known to everyone in the General’s Mansion?
Yun Mu Jing had clearly promised him that she would never reveal this matter, yet she had still broken her word!
Indeed, aside from Yu’er, all women in the world are equally deceitful! Yun Mu Jing’s previous actions were all just to deceive him into trusting her!
If he hadn’t happened to come to the General’s Mansion today, he would likely still be kept in the dark!
Mo Han Zhao tightened his grip on the scented sachet Yun Mu Jing had given him yesterday, his handsome face gradually darkening.
He had a startling suspicion.
Since Yun Mu Jing had approached him with an ulterior motive, could it be that all of this was a trap set by Yun Mu Jing?
Yun Mu Jing was able to prepare a calming scented sachet, proving she had knowledge of medicine! So it wouldn’t be strange if she knew how to concoct Charm Poison!
If that were truly the case, then Yun Mu Jing deserved to die! Once this thought surfaced in Mo Han Zhao’s mind, his gaze swept toward Yun Mu Jing’s residence in the rear courtyard, and he instantly strode forward, his entire being radiating sharpness as he rushed over.
He was going to settle accounts with Yun Mu Jing properly!
Yun Mu Jing’s courtyard was already desolate, and Mo Han Zhao reached her door unimpeded, pushing it open directly.
If Mo Han Zhao had still harbored a sliver of uncertainty before, that uncertainty vanished completely when he personally witnessed Yun Mu Jing preparing herbs.
“Yun Mu Jing!”
“Your Highness?” Yun Mu Jing had been mixing skin-nourishing herbs when she was startled by the violent commotion at the door.
But when she looked up, she unexpectedly saw Mo Han Zhao and couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Why are you here? If someone sees… Mph!”
Before she could finish, Yun Mu Jing’s neck was suddenly seized with great force.
She struggled to breathe, her large, watery eyes fixed on Mo Han Zhao, full of innocence. “Your Highness… why?”
“At this point, what are you still pretending for?” Mo Han Zhao sneered. “Yun Mu Jing, you detoxified me because you wanted to get close to me!”
“I originally thought you were a kind-hearted person, but it turns out you’re just more cunning than the others, able to deceive even me completely!”
“Your Highness!” Yun Mu Jing widened her eyes, her pale lips trembling uncontrollably. “I truly have no such intentions. Yesterday was all an accident…”
“An accident?” Mo Han Zhao tightened his grip, sneering coldly at Yun Mu Jing. “Zhu Ye has been investigating the culprit who poisoned me, but so far, there have been no leads.”
“I was wondering who could have erased all traces so thoroughly that even I couldn’t find them. Now it seems it was a thief from within the General’s Mansion itself!”
“Yun Mu Jing, you’re skilled in pharmacology—you can concoct calming fragrances, and you can also brew aphrodisiacs! You’re the one who poisoned me, aren’t you? You orchestrated all of this just to climb into my bed and get something from me!”
Yun Mu Jing: “…” She stared at Mo Han Zhao, tears welling up in her eyes as she bit her lip and looked at him, her eyes instantly turning red.
“Still looking at me with those eyes? Do you think I’ll be fooled by you again?” Mo Han Zhao sneered coldly. “Now the entire General’s Mansion knows about what happened between us yesterday. You’ve achieved your goal! But I won’t let you have your way.”
“I told you, if you ever dared to speak of it, I would take your life!”
“Your Highness…” The tears brimming in Yun Mu Jing’s eyes suddenly burst forth like a broken dam, streaming down her face. “I didn’t, I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t poison you!”
“Since yesterday, I haven’t left my room. I truly don’t know what’s happening outside.”
“I do know a little about pharmacology. In my spare time, I sometimes make mind-soothing sachets and skin-nourishing ointments, but I have no intention of harming anyone!”
Seeing Yun Mu Jing like this only fueled Mo Han Zhao’s anger. Even now, she still refused to admit it!
His killing intent surged, and he tightened his grip, looking as though he intended to end Yun Mu Jing’s life.
Just as Yun Mu Jing’s delicate, beautiful face turned crimson and she was on the verge of suffocation, a sudden commotion erupted outside the door.
Mo Han Zhao’s expression shifted slightly, his brows furrowing.
Of all times! If anyone from the Yun family discovered he was here, it would be disastrous!
He released Yun Mu Jing and said coldly, “If you don’t want to die without a whole corpse, you know what to do.”
With that, he swiftly retreated behind the room’s folding screen.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Yun Mu Jing coughed violently a few times. Glancing around, she quickly grabbed a silk scarf and wrapped it around her neck, covering the shocking red marks before anyone entered.
Her instinctive action made Mo Han Zhao’s eyes flicker slightly.
What a Yun Mu Jing. If he hadn’t just learned she was a liar, he might have softened again.
As Mo Han Zhao sneered inwardly, Granny Li, who served Lady Yun, entered the room, saying she had been ordered by General Yun and his wife to summon the young lady to the main hall.
“Young Lady, you should know what you’ve done,” Granny Li said with a disdainful expression. “This old servant advises you to be sensible in front of the General and his wife. Confess who that wild man is, and you might suffer less.”
Upon hearing this, Mo Han Zhao’s murderous aura faltered slightly.
What did the old woman mean? Did the people in the mansion not know about him and Yun Mu Jing?
Yun Mu Jing glanced subtly toward the folding screen, then pursed her lips as if making a decision. She forced a faint smile at Granny Li and said, “Let’s go, Granny.”
It seemed her timing was perfect. Granny Li had arrived just in time.
Otherwise, Yun Mu Jing truly wouldn’t have known how to proceed with the next act.
Granny Li chuckled mockingly and walked ahead.
Yun Mu Jing followed behind her, but the moment she stepped over the threshold, a faint smile curled at the corner of her lips.
Last night, when she helped Mo Han Zhao to her courtyard, she had deliberately taken the path where Xiao Jin usually stood guard.
Yun Mu Jing knew that Xiao Jin was close to Yin Suo, the maid by Yun Si Yu’s side, and would definitely tell Yin Suo about this matter.
Yun Si Yu, determined to drive her out of the General’s Mansion, would surely spread this news far and wide, and even take the opportunity to report her to their parents.
When that time came, she would inevitably be punished. She would rather bear all the consequences alone than reveal the Crown Prince’s involvement, but wouldn’t it be a pity if Mo Han Zhao didn’t witness it?
Yun Mu Jing had deliberately refused to accept Mo Han Zhao’s gift earlier because she didn’t want to settle things cleanly with him. She wanted to lure Mo Han Zhao into taking the initiative to seek her out, so that he could “coincidentally” stumble upon this scene and feel heartache for her.
Naturally, she had also intentionally prepared medicinal herbs at this time to deliberately make Mo Han Zhao misunderstand her.
After all, the deeper the misunderstanding, the more intense the rebound would be.
This time, she was determined to leave a lasting mark in Mo Han Zhao’s heart!
“Miss…” Yu Ning had just returned from the kitchen with a bowl of plain porridge when she saw Granny Li leading Yun Mu Jing away. The imposing manner seemed rather hostile.
“Don’t worry about me.” Yun Mu Jing, with reddened eyes, suppressed her grievances and the sour lump in her throat. As she passed by Yu Ning, she whispered instructions only the two of them could hear.
“Later, the Crown Prince might follow. If he acts impulsively, find a way to stop him and prevent him from intervening.”
“No matter what, we must not let anyone know that the Crown Prince is involved with me. We absolutely cannot drag him down.”
The Crown Prince? Yu Ning was momentarily stunned, but after meeting Yun Mu Jing’s gaze, she suddenly understood with a sense of shock and nodded gently to Yun Mu Jing.
Yun Mu Jing showed a relieved expression and followed Granny Li to the main hall.
Mo Han Zhao was standing at a distance and only saw Yun Mu Jing and Yu Ning whispering to each other, but he had no idea what they were saying.
Yet Yun Mu Jing’s delicate face, still glistening with tears, and her nearly shattered expression struck him directly.
Mo Han Zhao’s fingers curled slightly inside his sleeves. She seemed so wronged… Could it be that he had truly misunderstood her?
With this thought, Mo Han Zhao followed Yun Mu Jing and Granny Li, eager to see what was really going on.