Chapter 73

Wei Yuewu certainly knew what Mo Huating was trying to say.

In Wei Yan’s case, Mo Huating could accept her as a concubine or even deny her the position of a concubine. In that case, if Mo Huating insisted on marrying Wei Yuewu and she also agreed, their engagement could still count.

After all, it was only Wei Yan who had sought to degrade herself.

However, Wei Yuewu was wondering what was in Mo Huating’s mind. He was the one who had tried to assassinate her. Ever since that, she had repeatedly said that she wanted to cancel the engagement. But now, he told her that there was still possibility between them if she wanted to marry him. Did he really think that he was favourite?

Did he think that every woman who saw him coveted him so much that they wanted to marry him?

Mo Huating’s face blushed when he saw Wei Yuewu refused him without hesitation and then angry embarrassment arose in his heart. No woman had ever been able to resist his offer of affection. However, now, Wei Yuewu had bluntly rejected him without even thinking about it. This was indeed a loss of face to him!

His look turned cold immediately. “Sixth Miss Wei, where was your conscience when you made such a plot against others?”

“Marquis Jing Yuan, this is the first time I’ve entered the palace. I don’t know a single person here. Why did you think that I could be so powerful as to be capable of setting up a trap in the palace? But you, Marquis Jing Yuan, are actually in the Imperial Guards. It should be relatively easier for you to walk about the palace. Like now, you can actually block me in the way at such a place.”

Wei Yuewu looked around as she spoke. “Common people couldn’t be able to find this place, right?”

Indeed, the average person wouldn’t be able to find this place.

This place was very secluded, and Mo Huating came here from behind an artificial hill. Basically, one wouldn’t see him from the angle of the side, or even if one saw his figure, one could only see the corner of his clothes.

Of the two of them, one was unfamiliar with everything here, while the other was very familiar with the palace that was secluded from the outside world, it was actually self-evident as to who was most likely to be the plotter.

At that time, Wei Yuewu had merely asked Jin Ling to make a push and knock Wei Yan and Shuiyue unconscious and then drag them into that room. The rest was all designed by Mo Huating himself.

Mo Huating choked on Wei Yuewu’s cold words. Anger came over his face and he snorted coolly, “Wei Yuewu, do you think I can’t do anything to you without the engagement?”

“Why, what can you do to me without the engagement?” Wei Yuewu turned her head, glanced askew at Mo Huating and uttered those words with a cold smile.

“Sixth Miss Wei, you’d better be prepared. You will beg me to marry you one day.” Mo Huating said coldly. Without waiting for Wei Yuewu to reply, he moved away in a flash and disappeared behind the artificial hill. Like when he had turned up here, no one discovered him.

“Miss, let me go take a look.” Jin Ling took a step forward and wanted to follow him.

Yet Wei Yuewu pulled her back and said, “Don’t. We’re in the Imperial Palace.”

This was the imperial palace. They couldn’t do whatever they wanted. Although Mo Huating could suddenly appear out of nowhere, it didn’t mean that Jin Ling could track him down.

Mo Huating was in the Imperial Guards while Jin Ling was only her maid. If one investigated further, one could find the maid used to belong to Yan Huaijing. Therefore, she mustn’t make oneself conspicuous in the palace and attract people’s attention.

She hadn’t expected that Mo Huating would be so unwilling to accept the result that he specifically came to question her. Her rosy lips curled up slightly with a trace of coldness. Did he have the illusion that she would beg him to marry her?

“I’m too angry at his words. How dared he treat you like that, miss!” Jin Ling did not chase after Mo Huating, but anger was writ large on her face. When she thought about how this Marquis Jing Yuan, who was bent on harming her young miss, came without shame and said her miss would beg him to marry her, she found him particularly unpleasing. She felt that this person really did not know shame.

He seemed to believe her miss could not find anyone to marry else apart from him.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go!” Wei Yuewu shook her head and left with Jin Ling. The banquet was about to begin. As she was now at the eye of the storm, she must be more careful. Moreover, how would Wei Yan possibly give up?

After suffering such a huge loss without even knowing how, Wei Yan was probably eager to swallow her at present. Empress Tu had said that Wei Yan should rest in the palace for the time being and not attend the banquet and that after the banquet, she should return to the manor with the Third Lady and her and explain today’s incident to the Madam Dowager at once.

That was to say, Wei Yan had enough time to scheme against her.

Would she use that hairpin as a trap? Or there might be other follow-up plots… She certainly couldn’t let down her guard now.

Not far ahead was the place for ladies to rest. As soon as Wei Yuewu entered the courtyard, a palace maid there led her into a chamber. As the young ladies who knew each other shared the same rooms in twos and threes, there were quite a few empty rooms.

After she entered the room, Wei Yuewu took off the jewelry on her head first and went to the bed to rest. She had been exhausted by the waves of trouble. Now she felt dizzy in the head.

Jin Ling was sent out by her to make inquiries but soon came back. The maid only went to ask about the Second Young Lady’s cousin, which didn’t take much trouble.

Hardly had Jin Ling helped her lie down when she heard someone knocking on the door. “Is Sixth Young Lady here? This is Shuiyue serving Second Young Lady. May I come in?”

At this moment, Jin Ling was about to jump to her feet when she was pulled by Wei Yuewu. Wei Yuewu silently shook her hand at her, pointed at the door and opened her mouth. She said indifferently, “Go let her in.”

A cold smile flashed through her watery eyes. Sure enough, Wei Yan could not wait any longer …

Jin Ling opened the door and looked coldly at Shuiyue. She blocked the door without the intention to let her in. “What is it?”

Shuiyue peeped in but was blocked by Jin Ling. And as there was a screen inside, she did not see Wei Yuewu. Seeing that Jin Ling was not going to move aside, she could only put on a smile and said, “Sister Jin Ling, I have been ordered by Second Young Lady to see Sixth Young Lady. I have something to say to her.”

“Now that we are in such a situation, what else does Second Young Lady want? Go back and tell your miss that my miss doesn’t have the strength to talk now. Let her talk to the Madam Dowager if she has anything to say. After all, they’re siblings. Although my miss is sad, she won’t complain.”

Jin Ling passed on Wei Yuewu’s meaning with a displeased expression. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for the few ladies who walked by to hear her.

The engagement between the mansion of Marquis Jing Yuan and the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang was widely-known. Wei Yan had stood in the way and taken her sister’s fiancee away. Moreover, the Second Miss Wei’s reputation was now completely destroyed. Yet in such a situation, she was still looking for the Sixth Miss Wei, who had just given up her engagement. How shameful!

Due to today’s unexpected accident, not a single young lady stood on Wei Yan’s side. Hence, a simple sentence was enough to make the listeners use their imagination to interpret what was going on!

They only felt that the Second Miss Wei was showing off her success in taking away the engagement. What a cheap woman she was to take away her sister’s fiancee and still be so relentless to her sister that she made a scene here!

“My miss really has something to tell the Sixth Young Lady.” Seeing Jin Ling wouldn’t let her in, Shuiyue became genuinely anxious. If she couldn’t even fulfil such a little task, the Second Young Lady wouldn’t let her have an easy time.

“Then just say it to me. I’ll pass your words to my miss.” Jin Ling acted like a loyal servant who was protecting her miss, not allowing Shuiyue to enter no matter what. As such, the two of them took turns to speak at the door in a low voice.

Their voices were not loud. However, because Wei Yan had made quite a show today, everything related to her would attract people’s attention. As a result, many people were attracted and appeared not far away from them, some wandering about, others standing at the side waiting for someone else…

Actually, the crowd’s attention was totally on the two maids at Wei Yuewu’s door.

As Jin Ling did not speak loudly, Shuiyue did not notice the change in the surrounding situation. She anxiously said, “Sister Jin Ling, Second Young Lady really has something to tell Sixth Young Lady. She wants to remind Sixth Young Lady. She is afraid that Sixth Young Lady might accidentally provoke the noble ladies in the palace.”

“Did Second Young Lady say that?” Jin Ling’s expression became even more displeased.

“Yes, Second Young Miss instructed so. That’s why she specifically asked me to come here. She’s afraid that Sixth Young Miss would fail to remember that.” Shuiyue nodded her head repeatedly.

“If that’s Second Young Lady’s message, then forget about it. Whatever Second Young Lady said hardly does any good to my miss.” Jin Ling was about to close the door impolitely.

Shuiyue got anxious and hurriedly stretched her hand to the door frame so as to stop Jin Ling from closing the door. “Second Young Lady really said this for the good of Sixth Young Lady.”

“Then what’s the matter? Tell me. If you don’t, I’ll close the door. My miss is not feeling well. Can’t you let her rest?” Jin Ling held the door half closed to stop Shuiyue from entering. With her martial skills, it was very easy for her to block Shuiyue.

“The hairpin, it’s about that hairpin. Tell Sixth Young Lady not to forget to put it on.” Seeing Jin Ling’s resolute attitude, Shuiyue didn’t care much at this time. She had to pass on her miss’s words.

“What hairpin?” Jin Ling was at a loss for a moment, as if she didn’t remember.

“It’s the one in the carriage…” Shuiyue wasn’t stupid. She certainly wouldn’t divulge anything here, so she just hinted.

Jin Ling seemed to have come to a sudden realization. She patted the doorframe on one side and said, “Oh, the hairpin that Second Young Lady gave to Sixth Young Lady?”

“Ye … yes.” Shuiyue did not dare to say more, so she only answered vaguely in a low voice.

“I see. I’ll tell my miss in a moment to wear the hairpin that Second Young Lady gave her.” Jin Ling nodded and closed the door in the face of Shuiyue. She didn’t show the slightest intention of letting Shuiyue in.

Shuiyue helplessly stood at the door for a while with a blank mind, and then went down the stairs and asked a maid who was passing by. After getting the information about the place, she went to another room to ask to see another young lady.

That young lady was, of course, the niece of the Li family, Li Yue’er, the eldest daughter of Li Ying, tutor of the Crown Prince.

Jin Ling did not directly go inside after she closed the door. She looked at Shuiyue through the window, who was in a daze for a moment and then walked out to another chamber. Wei Yuewu had told her to pay attention to that room.

The two nieces of Lady Li were resting in that room.

Jin Ling was increasingly impressed by her miss’ brilliant prediction. She silently moved to the back of the screen after she saw Shuiyue enter that room…