Chapter 387 The Secret Guards by Luo Xia’s side
Feng Yuran did not have a good reputation in the imperial palace and was well known for creating trouble and being promiscuous and arrogant. If one did annoy him, no one would be able to pacify his anger and thus it affirmed his position as the number one spoiled kid in the imperial city. Furthermore, since his lady had disappeared this time… no one knew how he would act!
Even though Mo Xuetong smiled sweetly, she was obviously threatening the girl.
The woman stopped tidying up the plates and glanced mysteriously at Mo Xuetong, replying, “Wait.”
She then brought the plates and the bowls down. After a while, an ordinary man wearing a long robe came in. His hat was pulled down, with only his mouth exposed beneath it. Behind him, the previous woman followed on and placed two cups of tea down on the table before retreating.
“What do you want me for? Money?” Mo Xuetong picked up the teacup and took a sip leisurely. She glanced at the man sideways who was observing her and smiled gently.
Her comfortable posture seemed to show that she had not at all realized that she was caught and in danger.
“Are you Consort Xuan, the third miss of Mo Manor?” The man wearing the long robe had a low voice, making him sound like someone fifty or sixty years old.
“If that was your question, then congratulations, you did not catch the wrong person.” Mo Xuetong looked at the man in the long robe and replied calmly. She placed down the teacup in her hand and smiled at the man meaningfully.
“The third miss of Mo manor is indeed not simple. Being a lady, it is really admirable that you can remain so composed in this situation.” Seeing her tepid look, the man in the long robe praised her.
“No matter how admirable I am, I am still kidnapped by you. I wonder what business you have with me?” Mo Xuetong placed down the teacup, flickering her eyes and smiling slightly, composed. She did not look like a prisoner. Her watery eyes had a little calmness hidden within, as if she were in no rush at all.
“My lady, do you know who your mother, Lady Mo, was?” The man in the long robe asked.
This sentence connotated a few different meanings. Mo Xuetong was alarmed and raised her head to look at him and saw that his jaw was still as if he was antic.i.p.ating her response. Now, he was merely probing to find out how much she knew. There were few people in the world now who knew Mother’s true ident.i.ty.
“Everyone knows that Mother is the First Miss of Fu General Manor, a true aristocrat. Why did you ask that?” Mo Xuetong replied with a politically correct answer. Everyone knew that and the answer was not incorrect. Regardless of the true ident.i.ty of Mother, she should only be the first miss of Fu General Manor in the eyes of others.
Even though many people knew the truth, they kept the secret to themselves and remained silent to protect Fu General manor. Anyway, King Jin rebelled then and Fu General Manor had committed a hideous crime to have saved Mother. If Emperor Zongwen were insistent about investigating the crime, Fu General Manor would not be spared.
“My lady, you are wrong. The first lady of Mo Manor is not the eldest daughter of Fu General Manor, but the daughter of King Jin, real royal blood and the daughter of heaven. The Princess Royal today should give her position to your mother.” The man in the long robe was excited as his body and voice trembled, his voice inappropriately cracking.
Completely different from the composure he initially showed!
Mo Xuetong could sense that he was eagerly antic.i.p.ating her response. He rushed to expose the secret that he kept for thirty years, the one that Mo Xuetong was interested in and had secretly been investigating…
The man’s goal was to expose her family line? But why?
So what if she knew the truth? Why did they waste so much effort just to tell her what had happened before? What benefit did it serve them? Mo Xuetong did not believe that the man was kind enough to just tell her the truth.
Her fingers tapped on the tabletop as she thought of a plan. She lifted up her watery gaze and did not show any special emotions, not even that of astonishment. Looking at the man in the long robe, she asked calmly, “So what?”
It was as if she were merely saying, “The weather is bad today, but so what!”
Not a single tinge of her emotions was seen.
The man in long robe opposite her turned stiff as he restricted his lower jaw, astonished beyond words!
A secret that he hid for thirty years, a matter that concerned the imperial descendants, a family hidden beneath a b.l.o.o.d.y case and a prestigious position that could have been obtained… such an explosive matter was only met with a “so what” from the gentle girl wearing a calm expression.
Yes, so what?
As if all his emotions were interrupted, the man in the long robe could not continue the conversation, staring at Mo Xuetong in astonishment, as if he was trying to find the hidden fright and excitement from her bright eyes. Actually, he was indeed wrong, the eyes were extremely beautiful, ethereal and seductive. A brief glance was enough to make him intoxicated. However, other than that, there was nothing else.
After a while, he realized in defeat that this small girl was already able to conceal her emotions!
“My lady, do you not wish to seek revenge for your maternal grandfather, and clear the name for your mother?” The man in the long robe asked difficultly, unable to believe that the calm girl in front of him was still under 14 years of age.
“To clear the name for Mother, to reobtain her position as the Princess? Seek revenge for my maternal grandfather, and usurp the throne of the Emperor? As a little girl, how can I have the ability?” Mo Xuetong smiled faintly and suddenly glanced at the man in the long robe sideways, deliberately tricking him. “Shopkeeper Xing, after so many years, are you still attempting to seek revenge for King Jin?”
The other party was suddenly shocked, looking at Mo Xuetong in pure shock under the edge of his hood.
Mo Xuetong merely observed the man in the long robe silently as if they were not talking about rebellions but about business in Xiuning Workshop. There was not the slightest tinge of anger. She heaved a sigh of relief in her heart as she confirmed her suspicions that it was really them. Only they would know the matter regarding Mother and had knowledge about her whereabouts.
It was as if a thousand years had pa.s.sed yet it seemed to be just a second for the man in the long robe as he sighed. He stretched out his hand to remove his hat, revealing the face of Shopkeeper Xing and revealing his clear voice as well. He smiled bitterly, “My lady was indeed sharp. May I know when did your subordinate make a mistake?”
As he self-identified as her subordinate, Mo Xuetong involuntarily and slowly relaxed the corners of her eyes.
“Not only did I know that you brought me over, but I also knew that you have around a hundred men under you.” Mo Xuetong did not answer Shopkeeper Xing directly, merely smiling.
“My lady…” Shopkeeper Xing examined Mo Xuetong repeatedly with an incredulous look. He had many encounters with Mo Xuetong before and only decided that this lady bore the composure of an aristocrat under her gentle nature. Without much exposure to her, he did not expect that she would be so composed when the secret that he had protected for many years was presented to her. That made him respect her.
“Your people should be the secret guard of Mother!” Mo Xuetong sighed as her beautiful eyes turned dark with depression. Ever since knowing that Bai Yichen wanted to marry Fifth Princess, Mo Xuetong asked Feng Yuran to understand the reason why the Yan Kingdom’s imperial family placed such high value on Fifth Princess.
That was because she was the legal princess of the Qin Kingdom. The difference between the legal princess and other princesses of the Qin Kingdom was that she had secret guards belonging only to her. The men inside were all secretly trained, with a man as capable as ten normal guards. Furthermore, they were extremely loyal, being the experts of experts in both a.s.sa.s.sination and protection.
She thought about King Jin’s rebellion and decided that it wasn’t a hoax for her maternal grandfather not only prepared his own troops but even trained his daughters’ secret guards, pa.s.sing it to them. When he did take the throne, her daughters would be the legal princesses.
“Yes, we are the secret guards of the third princess. I am their captain.” Shopkeeper Xing was stunned before kneeling and paying his respects.
“Please raise, Shopkeeper Xing.” Mo Xuetong pretended to help him up.
“Thank you, my lady.” Shopkeeper Xing rose and did not sit anymore. He stood aside like a real subordinate.
“I wonder why did Shopkeeper Xing bring me here?” Mo Xuetong frowned and asked. This huge commotion was definitely not just to explain to her the matters concerning her mother.
“Please forgive me, my lady. His Highness ordered me that if the princess pa.s.sed away, we are pa.s.sed down to her descendants. If the princess’ death was abnormal, her descendants must seek revenge first before obtaining us.” Shopkeeper Xing answered respectfully.
A tinge of obvious pain and frustration flashed across the corner of Mo Xuetong’s eyes.
Even though Mother was right to be afraid of execution if she revealed her ident.i.ty, her body condition turned weaker due to her constant worries. However, the main cause of death was still the poison of Auntie Fang. If not for the poison, Mother would not have died so soon. Even if she was afraid to burden her father and herself, she would not have died.
Thus, Auntie Fang was indeed the murderer of Mother.
Before, even though Father had chased Auntie Fang away, he did not remove her from the ancestral hall. Yesterday, because of the exposure of Mo Xuemin and because of her deliberate words, Father became guilty and thus was forced to open the ancestral hall to chase away Auntie Fang and her daughter, truly avenging her mother.
Hence, the scene today occurred!
If she was still like she was in her past life, with no power to avenge her mother, these people would merely be by the side to witness the drama. They would never save her and would rather see her die in the devious plans of others than to break the promise they made to the old King Jin!
Her long eyelashes flickered as she concealed her coldness.
When she raised her head up, she regained her calmness and elegance. Shopkeeper Xing explained to her the reason why he did not help her, as she did not obtain their approval yet. “Shopkeeper Xing, there’s no need to be polite. I know that you are all honorable men. How can I be a filial daughter if I do not avenge my mother?”
In her previous life, she did not give up on avenging but she was instead fooled as no one bothered to reveal the true intentions of Mo Xuemin and Auntie Fang to her. Mother’s secret guards merely watched at the side, with no one helping her. As secret guards, they lacked any form of faithfulness.
“Thank you for your understanding, my lady. We shall stay at your side to protect you, my lady.” Shopkeeper Xing sighed slightly. Only he knew how difficult it was for a hundred men without additional support and backing to work carefully and in unity. Some people’s faith was already fading.
They felt that there was no end to protecting the daughter of Third Princess!
Unlike a son who could gain power! Disunity started to form.
“It’s not necessary. Just stay at your original bodyguard agency. If I have something that I need, I will find you.” Mo Xuetong thought about it and replied. She did believe in Feng Yuran but these people were too obvious and those who monitored King Xuan’s Manor must be alarmed at the sudden appearance of such a large group of men.