Chapter 96
"Sir, I heard that Third Miss Mo hasn’t regained consciousness yet. They said that she was possessed by evil spirits and fell ill for no reason and then, her life force started to diminish." The air was fragrant by the lake. The youth wearing a shirt that was as white as snow was playing his instrument elegantly. The sound of the music echoed into the distance. His eyes were closed as he listened to his subordinate’s report calmly. His long lashes remain closed.
His long slender fingers moved on the strings of his instrument and the music stopped suddenly. The waterside pavilion quietened down. The sound of the northeastern wind could be heard. It was very loud as it howled by the curtains. Together with the sound of the running waters, it felt as if the sounds could be heard in one’s heart.
The man was quiet and it made one feel frightened. The secret guard shuddered and did not dare to look up.
"You haven’t heard that Third Miss Mo has any hidden illness, have you??" The voice sounded distant, as if it had come from the skies. It was crisp and faraway. A handsome face lifted slightly and bright eyes landed on the secret guard who stood across him. He could not help but frown slightly as he spoke elegantly.
"Even though Third Miss Mo’s health is poor, she has not had any major illnesses. She is just malnourished and is slightly depressed. Her mother died but her father does not seem to care. It would be hard to bear even if she was a little older. I have already checked. Third Miss Mo is not someone who can be bullied. So it is impossible that she has been bullied so much that she could not take it and vomited blood." The secret guard knew that his young master was a prudent perfectionist. As such, he had done a complete investigation on Mo Xuetong before he came and had even investigated everything about her in Cloud City.
He was surprised by how much thought his young master gave this woman. And yet, he felt that this was natural!
She was such a beauty, and even though she was not yet fully grown, she would be capable of causing countries and cities to fall because of her beauty in a few years. His young master was a master planner, so it was normal for him to have such thoughts. A beauty who could cause cities to fall was the best weapon against one’s enemy. Any man would fall for a beauty. The Empress and First Prince would definitely have a fall out because of this!
However, what surprised the secret guard was that Third Miss Mo, whom the rumors say was arrogant and useless, was actually smart and sly. She did not seem like a person who would accept her lot in life at all. As such, he told everything he knew to his master in detail. He would leave his master to make the decision about what to do.
The secret guard truly admired his master’s decisive judgement!
"Is your information complete?" Bai Yihao stood up. Even though he had just stood up, his tall slender figure had a natural elegance to it. He was noble and graceful. His hair was as black as ink and his face was as beautiful as jade. He was very handsome, and his faint smile made his handsome face even more charming. He was like an elegant fairy.
"Yes, the information is complete." The secret guard heaved a sigh of relief. He knew of his master’s habits. He would either not do anything, or would be very well prepared if he were to do something. As such, the secret guard began to seek information about Mo Xuetong since he found out about the interest his master had in her. He had already arranged information related to Third Miss Mo into a file for his master to read.
"What about the Empress?" Bai Yihao picked on the strings of his instrument lightly. There was a cracking sound that pierced through one’s eardrums, breaking through the silence in the air.
"First Prince has always kept the painting well since he received it. Even his servants around him do not know about it. However, the Empress still heard about it. But she has not done anything about it and treats the First Prince very well." The secret guard did not dare to hide anything from his master, and he reported all the news he received from Yan Kingdom in detail.
"Since this is so, then leave!" Bai Yihao had a mesmerizing smile on his handsome face as he ordered the secret guard to go.
"Yes!" The secret guard answered. He did not dare to say much. His figure flickered and he disappeared from the pavilion.
It was silent in the waterside pavilion. The wind lifted his shirt, and there was an added coldness in his beauty. He sat down again and his eyes turned dark. His fingers tapped lightly on the strings of his instrument, but he did not play it…
"Sir, Young Master Luo is here." The little servant by the water pavilion said loudly. There was still some distance between where they were and the twisty corridors. Furthermore, the wind came from the northwest and the little servant had to speak loudly or the wind would carry his voice away.
"Ask him to come here." There was a hint of a smile in the elegant and handsome eyes as he spoke gently. Luo Wenyou must have come for Mo Xuetong. He had come really quickly. He was so quick, he was rather unlike his usual self. Someone must have told him to come.
Bai Yihao knew that each family was concerned about the matters about their own family. His position in Qin was awkward. He was the most doted on grandson of the Empress Dowager. Emperor Zongwen thought highly of him, but that did not negate his status as a hostage prince. He could ride his horse through the streets and go to banquets with beauties, he could also have many amorous dalliances with disregard for his status, beauty, and talent. He had never doubted his ability to attract those women, and he had never cared.
Since Emperor Zongwen was grooming him to be a licentious person, then he would naturally follow the Emperor’s will. Emperor Zongwen doted on him a lot because of this as well. Even though the Emperor did not accede to his every request, they could speak about everything under the sun. Of course, this was on the premise that he did not involve himself in politics. If he dabbled in politics, he would no longer be Emperor Zongwen’s nephew, but the Qin’s hostage, the Crown Prince of Yan.
Emperor Zongwen’s men all knew that, which was why they admired Bai Yihao’s talent and were proud to see him in the banquets they held. There were many ladies from noble families who would look at him longingly, hoping for him to look at them. However, if it was related to politics, the subordinates of Qin would not dare to be too close to Bai Yihao.
Some of the subordinates were not able to guess Emperor Zongwen’s intentions, so they distanced themselves from him. They only treated him respectfully on the surface and were not friendly with him.
The General’s Manor was one of them. Even though Luo Wenyou interacted closely with him, he did not dare to invite Bai Yihao over to his home often, afraid that he would bring trouble to his family. The Mo Manor was the Emperor’s new favorite. If Luo Wenyou got closer to Bai Yihao now, Emperor Zongwen would grow suspicious of them. Even if Luo Wenyou wanted to help his cousin, he would think twice about it. He would ask the elders of the Luo Manor and Mo Huawen for their opinion, and think about it before he acted. It would take several days for him to come to a decision.
He would not act like this, coming to Bai Yihao mere hours later to ask him for help. Luo Wenyou was doing things that he would not do in the past. It seemed that a new master had appeared behind Luo Wenyou. Bai Yihao was interested in finding out more about this person! It was rare to find a master. Bai Yihao suddenly felt rather interested.
The smile on his lips grew. His long robe fluttered behind him, as did his dark hair. He went up to the door to welcome Luo Wenyou. He looked at the corridor where Luo Wenyou was hurrying up and a cold smile appeared in his eyes.
What a rush he was in! It was obvious that Luo Wenyou’s love for his cousin was not ordinary. The General’s Manor truly cared for that granddaughter of theirs. That was great!
In Qingwei Garden, Mo Xuetong laid quietly on the bed. Her dark black hair and long lashes were beautiful. Her nose was tiny and exquisite and her lips were pale and colorless yet moist. It was a heart wrenching sight. Her long dark hair was scattered on the pillowcase embroidered with lily flowers, making her face look like shiny jade. Even though she was young, she had an indescribable beauty.
She was stunning even though she was lying down quietly.
Bai Yihao’s eyes were grave. He placed his long slender fingers on her tiny pale hand. Then, he slowly closed his eyes.
It was very quiet in the room. No one made a sound. Mo Yu and Mo Lan stood by each side of their mistress worriedly, not even daring to breathe as they watched Bai Yihao take Mo Xuetong’s pulse. It was already nearing nightfall and it was completely dark outside. There were four or five lamps in the room so that Bai Yihao could see clearly.
Mo Huawen was not around. He had been summoned to the palace in the evening. Luo Wenyou accompanied Bai Yihao. He was just as nervous as the two maids. He frowned as he held his hands behind his back, watching Bai Yihao silently. He looked troubled.
Mother Xu waited on the other end of the bed anxiously. She would glance at Mo Xuetong from time to time and then look expectantly at Bai Yihao. She did not seem aware that the sheets she clenched in her hands were soaked in sweat. She did not dare to relax at all as she looked at the two.
Everyone stared at Bai Yihao. All the physicians who came could not give them a definite answer, and their hopes were all pinned on Bai Yihao alone. It was so quiet in the room that it felt as if one could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room. The northern winds that howled outside made everyone feel even more anxious and gloomy.
It felt as if they could not breathe! Sweat beaded on Mother Xu’s forehead, but she remained unaware, twisting the muslin net around the bed in her hands, allowing more light to enter from the side. Bai Yihao could see Mo Xuetong’s color even more clearly.
Some time later, Bai Yihao slowly opened his eyes. Mo Yu opened her mouth anxiously but Mo Lan tugged on her sleeve before she could even speak and she hurriedly shut her mouth.
"How is it? How is my cousin?" Luo Wenyou asked anxiously.
"Your cousin…" Bai Yihao swept his eyes across Mo Xuetong’s face with a faint smile. He turned around and sat down at a chair in front of the window. Mother Xu gave Mo Yu a look. The tea placed there had long cooled. Mo Yu took the chance to make him a new cup of tea.
"Yihao, how is my cousin?" Luo Wenyou followed him.
"Third Miss Mo is very well!" Bai Yihao smiled elegantly as he picked up his new cup of tea and sipped at it.
"Very well? What do you mean?" Luo Wenyou was startled and he asked anxiously. His face was a little pale as he thought that Bai Yihao was speaking the opposite of what he meant. How would his grandmother take it if something really happened to his cousin!
"Very well means that Third Miss Mo is not sick, strictly speaking." Bai Yihao’s eyes were clear as they landed on Mo Xuetong’s tender face. Her tiny face was still child-like, and her long lashes laid close over her cheeks. She looked lifeless and it was a pitiful and heart wrenching sight.
She was a child, but why did she give a sense of hopelessness and despair? He frowned subconsciously and turned his eyes away. Her expression made him feel stifled as if he could not breathe for some reason. He could not even keep the peaceful smile on his face.
He was always kind towards those useful to him. It was like this this time as well! He had to!