Chapter 354 a.s.sholes Were Caught As Their Scheming Plot Was Exposed
“However, now we can prove that all these items belonged to Mo Manor. How can Second Miss Mo explain this? How can Second Young Sir You explain this?” Official Qian explained.
“Impossible!”
“How is that possible!”
Mo Xueyan and You Yuelian exclaimed at the same time. Mo Xueyan was sharp and talkative, complaining, “Sir, they are spouting nonsense! Those were obviously bought using Grandma’s money.” She then turned around to Mo Xuetong, in a false attempt to convince her, “Third Sister, it’s useless for you to continue holding onto these objects now that your entire household is about to be beheaded. There’s no point for you to get charged for another crime of trying to deceive Grandma and obtaining her properties!”
Her words were extremely harsh and were proudly insidious, especially spewing such toxic words towards her uncle and cousin. The few officials all threw cold and disdainful looks at Mo Xueyan.
“Second Miss Mo, are these really your grandma’s money?” Official Qian asked coldly.
“Of course.” Mo Xueyan had no choice but to insist as she could not change her words at this juncture.
“What if that is not the case?” Official Qian continued probing.
“If not, I am willing to bear all the punishment.” Mo Xueyan replied with resoluteness as she did not know that she was slowly entering a trap, even challenging Mo Xuetong provocatively.
“Come, arrest Second Miss Mo! Her crime will be embezzling personal property and framing government officials.” Official Qian altered his voice into a sterner one and ordered two guards to come over. They came over behind Mo Xueyan and pulled her hands behind her back, disregarding her painful screams. They pulled her up and kicked onto her leg, making her kneel involuntarily.
“Sir…” Looking at her beloved granddaughter, Old Madam’s face turned pale as she became speechless. She stood up anxiously.
Before she could even defend her granddaughter, two more servants came over and pulled her down, making her kneel in the same position as well. However, Old Madam was a little stiff as she kneeled, and that made her lie on the ground and unable to get up, much less speak.
You Yuelian took two steps forward and wanted to talk, but Official Qian spoke. “Sir Mo, show this to Second Young Master You. Let him see if that’s evidence.”
Mo Huawen wiped off the chilly smile in the corner of his lips and pa.s.sed the paper over, explaining, “Second Young Master You, look at this closely. All these were dowries we brought over from Fu General Manor, even with the list of dowries as evidence. It also consists of some objects that His Majesty gifted the wife of Fu General, including the perfume b.a.l.l.s curved with pomegranate flowers and rare birds and the golden comb with jade flower bird carvings. If this does not convince you, Official Qian, you can send someone to Fu General Manor to check the dowry list and compare them.”
There were gifts from the Emperor amongst the dowries of Mo Huawen’s wife?
You Yuelian’s smile froze as his eyes fall on two objects on the list. He was busy framing Mo Huawen when he entered the garden and did not take a careful look at his surroundings, only noticing now that these objects were not purchasable from the market as they were clearly imperial objects.
Furthermore, there was a list as proof!
Clear and convincing physical evidence!
At that moment, he spoke in anxiousness, “Sir Qian, even if all these were made up by Second Miss Mo, it only proves that she was greedy. However, this booklet was clear and concise. Second Miss Mo couldn’t have possibly made up Sir Mo’s crime, could she?”
Even if Mo Xueyan confessed to this crime, it was no big deal for him. He merely needed his brother to use some connections for her to be acquitted. You Yuelian was now more convinced about that booklet. As Mo Xueyan was pressed down and kneeling on the ground, the booklet fell beside her feet and could be easily treated as rubbish.
The two old nannies kneeling at the side reacted immediately and knocked their heads on the floor in a hurry. “Sirs, that booklet really did fall when we were carrying objects. They were not placed in by Second Miss.”
What they wanted was to convince the officials of Mo Huawen’s crime regardless of the price. In comparison, Mo Xueyan’s crime was incomparable to Mo Huawen’s one. The senior officials of the Ministry of Justice would only focus on major crimes, and would easily dismiss Mo Xueyan.
Mo Xuetong stood behind Mo Huawen, still smiling calmly as if she were a gla.s.s of clear ice water, without any temperature. Now that her father was here, there was no need for her to strike. She had sent someone to explain the situation to her father before and she believed that this problem shouldn’t be difficult for Father to resolve.
“Please take a look; this is the accounting book that Second Young Master You insists that I have.” Mo Huawen sneered and ordered his servants to pick up the book and send it over.
Indeed, the thin booklet had words such as “Fu General Manor” written within, as well as objects and their prices. However, this booklet was very similar to that list of dowries before. It was merely an extremely ordinary booklet with a whole list of Mo manor’s dowries. Because Mo Xuetong was about to be married to King Xuan manor, the booklet was exquisitely designed, and there were the prices and origins of each and every object attached in the booklet.
Most of these dowries came from Fu General Manor, which meant they were dowries that Mo Huawen’s deceased wife gifted to her daughter. There was a portion that came from other manors, which were gifts from friends of the princess in Mo Manor, awaiting her return gift. It was an ordinary dowry list, but one that was much more detailed than others, with words written in beautiful cursive, proving that the princess wrote the list herself.
In some subtle places, the gifts’ original owner was also specified. Tiny names of individuals appeared under the objects, which was meticulous and careful. When one examined it closely, one could see that they were all prestigious individuals.
The faces of those officials from the Ministry of Justice all sank.
“Second Young Master You, is this the booklet that you use to frame Sir Mo for bribery?” Even though Official Qian was still smiling, there was not a single tinge of joy on his face. Even though Mingguo Manor was an aristocratic family, he dared not cover their wrongdoings. He came at the order of the Emperor. Even though he did not know how Mo Huawen managed to obtain the Emperor’s order, he knew that the Emperor greatly valued Mo Huawen.
“Sir… is there… anything wrong?” You Yuelian thought that something was amiss and his voice weakened. His eyes turned dark and cold as he looked at Mo Xueyan in suspicion. Did she put the wrong booklet in?
“That’s the booklet. Definitely this booklet.” Mo Xueyan finally recovered from her shock. As she saw You Yuelian’s devious stare, she knew he was skeptical of her and struggled to scream in anxiousness.
“Second Sister, you are wrong. This is not your booklet.” Mo Xuetong turned to her side, explaining with composure and some arrogance. That made Mo Xueyan extremely angry, shouting and screaming while struggling, “That’s the booklet. It’s impossible to be wrong, that’s definitely the booklet! I read it! Second Young Master gave me that.”
Her words alarmed everyone in the garden.
You Yuelian’s eyes could tear Mo Xueyan apart. However, before he could do anything, the two guards came over and arrested him too.
The matter was already settled and the truth was clear to everyone. Hence, it was pa.s.sed down to the Ministry of Justice. They took You Yuelian, the indignant and cursing Mo Xueyan, and the half-dead Old Madam away.
Mo Huawen sent everyone out.
Xu Yan and Mo Xuetong went to Yanyu House nearby.
The two sat down and the servants sent them tea. Xu Yan sipped at it to calm herself down, and her face brightened up slightly. Putting down her teacup, she explained, “Tong’er, who wanted to hurt us? Mingguo Manor?”
You Yuelian had no official position and had no power to set up such a delicate plan.
“Mum, Mingguo Manor used Mo Xueyan to frame Father and attempted to wipe us out. Do remember to keep a distance from Mingguo Manor during your visits outside.” Mo Xuetong exhaled and sipped at the tea. She only spoke when the warm tea heated up her cold heart.
“Why, isn’t it possible for Mingguo Manor to be destroyed as they had committed such a huge crime. Is His Majesty going to protect them?” Xu Yan asked in confusion. The crime of framing government officials should be significant enough.
“Nothing will happen to Mingguo Manor. As long as they pushed You Yuelian out as a scapegoat, nothing will happen to them.” Mo Xuetong exclaimed casually. You Yuecheng was not someone that she could deal with easily. He knew the consequences of failure and thus he sent You Yuelian, the son of a concubine, out to deal with it. Duke Mingguo would at most be punished for his poor education, and it would be impossible for his entire household to be implicated by the crime of the son of a concubine.
In an aristocratic family, the son of a concubine had low status.
Xu Yan asked no more as she thought of that as well. She sighed and remained silent.
The room turned quiet as the atmosphere became solemn. They were now at odds with Mingguo Manor, and it would be difficult to say who would come up on top!
A servant came to invite Mo Xuetong to the front garden as Mo Huawen wanted to talk to her in his study. Xu Yan stood up and sent her to the door. As she watched the beautiful figure leave, deep thoughts flashed across her eyes.
The matter today seemed to be resolved by Mo Huawen. However, if not for the fact that Mo Xuetong had taken early control of the situation, the three individuals would not have been able to be apprehended at once. She had planned her last sentence to make Mo Xueyan mad and scream the evidence out in rage. It was indeed unimaginable for a young girl under 14 to have such charisma.
It seemed that her affection towards the girl was the right decision. If she did bear any child in the future, she would ask them to befriend this sister as well. Xu Yan made a vow to herself to remain true to Mo Xuetong. She believed that Mo Xuetong was outstanding beyond her imagination, and was not someone that a woman like her could deal with.
Inside the study.
Mo Huawen sat behind his broad study table, her face solemn, gloomy and sad.
“Father, did you call me?” A girl outside the door came in, with her beautiful and pure small face that made his heart tender. He should have treated her daughter like his treasure, but instead, she was harmed again and again. His eyes moved from her face to her sleeves and saw that her hands were still injured.
He became even guiltier!
If not for the fact that his weak and fragile daughter had been through so much pain and suffering, she would not have become so strong and composed. His heart ached at that thought.
Suppressing the guilt in his heart, he waved outside as he squeezed out a smile. “Come in, Tong’er.”
Mo Xuetong came over smiling. She bowed and greeted before she came over, pouring a cup of tea for Mo Huawen. “Father, please have tea.”
Mo Huawen sipped on the tea as he felt warmth in his heart. Smiling, he asked, “Tong’er, how did you know that they were not merely interested in those objects?”
“Father, you underestimated Tong’er. If Old Madam did want these objects, she would have ordered her men to move them immediately and would not bother arguing whether they belonged to her. What could Father do if she did move them away forcefully? There was no need for her to create a commotion.” Mo Xuetong pursed her lips and cutely smiled.
Her words made Mo Huawen speechless. He patted Mo Xuetong’s head. In that situation, Mo Huawen still treated Old Madam like family and would not be so stingy. He would have given her those objects based on the many years of grat.i.tude he had for her bringing him up.
“Tong’er, do tell Father if you meet any difficulties at King Xuan’s Manor.” Seeing her daughter’s beautiful smile, he sighed deeply. His tone changed as he thought that his brilliant daughter would not be bullied in King Xuan’s Manor. However, he was afraid that she had not enough subordinates in that manor, and hence informed her.
King Xuan manor was rumored to be the messiest manors out of all the princes. He heard that numerous serving concubines resided in it. If not for the Emperor’s order, he would not want his daughter to marry King Xuan. Luckily, King Xuan woke up and his daughter would no longer be a widow. With her intellect, she should have a firm place in King Xuan’s Manor.
Furthermore, she still had himself, Fu General Manor, and Princess Royal behind her. Even if King Xuan wanted to bully Tong’er, he would be afraid of these forces.
Mo Huawen felt uneasy at the thought of her delicately beautiful daughter marrying that arrogant and promiscuous King Xuan.
“Don’t worry, Father. I know and I will inform Father if anything is amiss so that Father can help me.” Happiness and joy were hidden in Mo Xuetong’s smiles, showing that she was truly delighted and excited about the marriage. That made Mo Huawen a little more relaxed as he comforted himself that Tong’er had himself to count on no matter what happened. He promised himself that he had to remain strong for Tong’er.