Episode 5

Seeing Yao Zhen Ting get on the sedan chair and soundlessly leave the Virtue Cloud House Ting Yue immediately panicked.

“Why did lao ye leave? Could it be that Big Madam wasn’t inside?”

“Not possible, I personally saw that Big Madam and Lou Yu Xing were getting hot and heavy on the second floor theatre box…… I can’t let lao ye just leave like this! Otherwise the Third Miss’s intentions will be wasted. I’m going to block the sedan!” Liu Xing spoke rapidly.

“We can’t! Third Miss only instructed us to watch carefully. She didn’t give us any other orders, it’s best if we head back first.” Ting Yue held onto Liu Xing tightly as she firmly spoke.

Inside the inn, when Ting Yue and Liu Xing entered with their heads hanged, Yao Mo Wan was currently sitting next to the table leisurely. Her jade fingers were pinching a tea lid, gently brushing it a few times against the rim of the teacup before taking a sip.

As described on this site.

“You’re back? How did the task go?” Yao Mo Wan set the teacup aside, her long full eyelashes slightly blinked as she looked towards Ting Yue.

“Miss. Sorry, we messed up the task. For some reason lao ye entered the Virtue Cloud House but came out again without a sound. Nothing happened at all.” Ting Yue looked apologetically at Yao Mo Wan.

“What did you think would happen?” Yao Mo Wan’s cherry lips faintly curled as she lifted an eyebrow and looked at Ting Yue. The depths of her eyes were filled with amusement, sure enough it kept in line with her father’s conduct style.

“Catching them on the bed, of course Big Madam would be drowned in a pig cage!” Ting Yue spoke as if it was a matter of course.

“drowned in a pig cage” another Chinese form of punishment sentence usually for people that commit a love affair. The criminal is driven into a pig cage. A light punishment will just consist of dunking you in the river a couple times. A heavy crime will sentence you to drown.

“Yue er, remember well. Even the highest ranking person will face a time where they choke on their knocked in teeth.” Yao Mo Wan softly explained.

“Then didn’t we just rush around for nothing?” Liu Xing looked at Yao Mo Wan, not comprehending.

“All the men in this world, regardless of status or age, the thing they find most intolerable is their women lying in another man’s embrace, regardless of whether or not they love this woman…… Not to mention that Father saw it firsthand. Father is able to conceal it well, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Perhaps right now he might be vomiting blood. Ting Yue, does Father still have the habit of drinking lotus seed soup after supper?” Yao Mo Wan retrained the chill in her eyes, suddenly switching the topic.

“Ah, he does. He’s already had this habit for many years. In the past it was always Mistress that prepared it herself but ever since Mistress’s body became weak, this task was always left to High Mo Mo.” Ting Yue replied according to the facts.

“Is that so……” Yao Mo Wan’s eyes slightly lowered pensively.

“Miss, you had me give all the banknotes to that small actor, so what are we going to use to pay the rent?” Ting er seemed to have abruptly thought of something and suddenly asked.

“Tonight we’re returning to Xiang fu. High Mo Mo treated Mother so well, I must properly repay her.” Yao Mo Wan’s pupils suddenly became cold, a sharp chill burst forth from the depths of her eyes. At the side, Ting Yue and Liu Xing shared a glance, silently astonished.

“You guys come and sit. You guys have been busy the entire day, you should rest.” Yao Mo Wan’s gaze shift as she looked towards Ting Yue and Liu Xing with a gentle smile. That smile was brilliant like the spring wind and refreshing rain, as if she was a completely different person from a few moments ago. At this moment, they were truly convinced. Third Miss has changed, changed to become hard to fathom, wise and calm.

The golden bird of the sun set in the west and the jade hare of the moon rose in the east. Moonlight streamed down like water through the mottled shadows left behind by the tree branches. The wind roused, the tree shadows danced. That swaying silhouette made this night become particularly secluded and cold.

Yao Xiang fu Main Hall

After supper, Yao Tu ordered the servants to clear the food. Dou Xiang Lan rinsed her mouth with tea, then handed the cup to her personal maid, Yu Zhi. Her gaze, out of the corner of her eye, accidentally swept across Yao Zhen Ting’s left thumb. Her heart slightly jolted.

“Yu Zhi, have High Mo Mo hurry up. Don’t let lao ye wait so long. Lao ye, did something unpleasant happen at court today? This qie sees that your complexion isn’t too good?” Dou Xiang Lan cautiously asked.

“The queen had a difficult birth, one corpse two lives. Now that the empress position is empty, all the concubines in the harem are vying for the position. If you have time visit the palace more and remind Su Luan to be careful.” Yao Zhen Ting spoke with a frown, not mentioning a word of the Virtue Cloud House matter.

一尸两命 “one corpse two lives” refers to the situation when the baby dies inside the mother’s womb, so two people die, but there’s kind of only one corpse.

“Rest assured, lao ye. Su Luan has always been clever and sensible, not to mention she has his highness’s adoration and is also gui fei. Naturally she’ll be the first choice for empress, she will certainly bring honor to the family.” Dou Xiang Lan deliberately spoke the words ‘bring honor to the family’ with emphasized bite as her heart felt unspoken criticism. Even if she had lost her feminine virtue, but she had a daughter that was about to become the empress to support her, so she wasn’t afraid.

“It’d be best if it ends up as you desired.” A fleeting cold light flashed for a moment in Yao Zhen Ting’s eyes as he spoke mildly. Right at this time, High Mo Mo with a face of eager attentiveness entered, carrying a tureen containing lotus seed soup.

“Lao ye, the lotus seed soup is here. Please drink while it’s still hot.” As High Mo Mo spoke, she placed the soup tureen in front of Yao Zhen Ting and respectfully lifted the soup lid.

Yao Zhen Ting sighed, lifted the soup spoon and scooped up the lotus seed soup. Just as he was lifting it to his mouth, Yao Mo Wan suddenly ran in with a beautifully tear-stained face.

“Yao Mo Wan really misses Father…… Wuuwuuu……” Yao Mo Wan’s appearance shocked everyone present, especially Dou Xiang Lan. At this moment, Dou Xiang Lan’s pupils flashed with sinister light as she glared fiercely at High Mo Mo while High Mo Mo showed a face of grievances. Yao Tu who was positioned at the entrance was also extremely surprised, and looked with suspicion towards Ting Yue who had entered together with Yao Mo Wan.

“I haven’t seen you around these past two days, where did you run off to?” Yao Zhen Ting subconsciously glanced at Dou Xiang Lan. Originally he thought she would cut the weeds and eliminate all the roots.

“Wuuuwuuu…… High Mo Mo told Mo Wan Mother went somewhere far away and had Mo Wan go find her. But Mo Wan looked for a long time and couldn’t find Mother at all. Mother doesn’t want Mo Wan anymore. Father, Mo Wan only has Father left!” Yao Mo Wan wiped her tears while facing Yao Zhen Ting, sobbing as she spoke disjointedly.

“Lao nu…… this old servant didn’t! Big Madam……” High Mo Mo never would’ve dreamed that Yao Mo Wan would say this, her forehead immediately exuded cold sweat.

“Mo Mo, all the money you gave Mo Wan has been spent…… Wuuwuuu……” Yao Mo Wan wiped her tears with both hands, looking pitifully towards High Mo Mo.

“High Mo Mo, you sure are loyal!” Beside the table, Dou Xiang Lan naturally worked out the clues. Her voice held a chill that stung like ice.

“No…… Third Miss, you can’t say such nonsense!” High Mo Mo fearfully looked towards Yao Mo Wan, her body trembling like a sifter.

“Father, Mo Wan is really hungry……” Yao Mo Wan seemed to not understand High Mo Mo’s difficult situation at all, looking timidly towards Yao Zhen Ting.

“Have this.” Yao Zhen Ting didn’t have the appetite in the first place, treating it as if rewarding a dog, pushed the lotus seed soup in front of Yao Mo Wan. In Yao Zhen Ting’s eyes, daughters were just money costing goods. Even if Yao Mo Xing was appointed empress, Yao Su Luan appointed gui fei, in Yao Zhen Ting’s eyes, they were nothing more than tools to stabilize his position in court.

Yao Mo Wan was naturally overjoyed and immediately moved up to grab the soup tureen. To everyone present, it looked as if Yao Mo Wan was too delighted, so the soup tureen was pulled onto the ground in her excitement. The lotus seed soup splattered all over the floor.

“No etiquette or propriety! Yu Zhi, why haven’t you moved to take Third Miss away!” Dou Xiang Lan’s pupils turned cold, looking with deep meaning towards Yu Zhi.

“Sky Wolf! Come back!” Just as Yu Zhi was about to move up and grab Yao Mo Wan, a black furred green eyed hunting dog with an appearance similar to that of a wolf’s suddenly rushed in from outside. As soon as the dog entered the main hall, it ran straight to the lotus seed soup on the floor and started lapping it up.

“Liu Xing, what’s going on? Hurry and pull it out! Can you afford to take responsibility for shocking lao ye!” Seeing this, Yao Tu immediately reprimanded in a strict voice.

“I apologize lao ye, steward…… This small one will immediately haul it away!” Liu Xing looked fearfully towards Yao Tu and immediately went up to pull Sky Wolf. But, almost at the same time, Sky Wolf suddenly started rolling around on the floor, wailing anguishedly for seconds before it died with its limbs stiff up in the air.

“This…… the lotus seed soup had poison?” Seeing the hunting dog dead on the floor, Yao Tu cried out in alarm, then looked at High Mo Mo. With Yao Tu’s years of steady experience, he naturally knew that all this was not an accident, and also distinguished that Yao Mo Wan had pointedly mentioned High Mo Mo in every sentence. This cry of alarm was just him taking advantage of the situation for his own benefit.

“Preposterous!” Yao Zhen Ting fiercely scowled as he slapped the table and stood up. Striding towards High Mo Mo, he lifted his leg and fiercely kicked her onto the floor, then turned to look at Dou Xiang Lan.

“This is the good person you trained!” Yao Zhen Ting glared with glowering eyes, speaking in an almost roaring growl.

“Lao ye, please see clearly. She…… She came from Mo Chi’s room, it must be Mo Chi……” Dou Xiang Lan hurriedly refuted, but was cut off by Yao Zhen Ting.

“Whose people she is, lao fu has known for a long time!” Just thinking of that scene at the Virtue Cloud House caused Yao Zhen Ting to feel as if his five viscera were boiling, as if he were being twisted and burned.

Most people probably know by now, but in Chinese, the common way to talk about loyalty is by saying person B is person A’s people. At the same time when person A is defending person B from punishment, they might say something like person B is my people, my people I will take responsibility for. Can’t really say ‘my person’ because it’s not referring to the specific individual but the group the person is part of.

“Father…… Mo Wan scared……” At this moment, Yao Mo Wan, like a startled deer, nestled into Yao Zhen Ting’s side, speaking timidly.

“Mo Wan, since you only have Father left, then just stay properly in Yao Xiang fu. Father swears, as long as Father has life, no one will dare to hurt you! Someone come, bring Third Miss back to her room to sleep!” Yao Zhen Ting’s brutally cold gaze shot towards Dou Xiang Lan. His each word contained sufficient warning.

“Lao ye……” Dou Xiang Lan still tried to explain but Yao Zhen Ting had already swept his sleeves and left. Seeing Yao Zhen Ting leave, Yao Tu immediately ordered Liu Xing to carry out the hunting dog’s corpse and instructed Ting Yue to bring Yao Mo Wan back to her room, then angrily withdrew from the main hall himself.

“Lao ye…… lao ye, please believe this old servant. This lotus seed soup doesn’t have poison! How would this old servant dare to poison lao ye, Madam…… Madam, lao nu really did sell Third Miss into Fragrant Harmony Courtyard. Third Miss is lying, all of this is her scheme! Madam, you must believe lao nu!” Seeing Yao Zhen Ting had walked far away, High Mo Mo quickly crawled and kneeled in front of Dou Xiang Lan, her forehead tightly pressed to the ground, her entire body trembling incessantly.

“An idiot can throw a conspiracy? High Mo Mo, you really have humor. Yu Zhi, send High Mo Mo to the Purgatory Room.” Dou Xiang Lan’s pupils were cold as she spoke grinding her teeth. Soon after, ignoring High Mo Mo’s pleads, she turned and left the main hall. In this world, all those that betray her must die. Mo Chi had been so, High Mo Mo will also be so.

“No….. don’t…… Madam! Lao nu has been wrongly incriminated—” The Purgatory Room is the place where domestic servants that have made mistakes in the fu get punished. Usually the servants that enter the Purgatory Room don’t come out alive. Even if they do survive, they’re only left barely alive.

It was past midnight. In the chilly frost and cold snow, High Mo Mo continuously bawled like a pig being killed all the way until 3 am, before finally stopping intermittently.

Opaque Flower Pavilion

The room was tranquil and silent. The candle flame flickered softly, the incense waft through the air in spirals of light smoke. It was dream-like.

“Miss, revenge really feels sweet!” Ting Yue walked from the window to Yao Mo Wan’s side, unable to contain her delight.

Beside the table, Yao Mo Wan had one cheek propped on her hand, the other hand was using a silver pick to lightly tease the candle. Her attention was very concentrated until she heard Ting Yue’s voice. She then placed down the silver pick and leisurely got up.

“It’s time. Accompany me to the firewood room.” Yao Mo Wan slowly got up. Her eyelashes were beautiful as the wings of a butterfly, the radiance in her eyes seemed to contain remote coldness that was shockingly deep as an abyss. Ting Yue was slightly shocked for a moment and Yao Mo Wan had already walked out of Opaque Flower Pavilion.

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