Too high to reach

Chapter 264 She Used Tactics
After a busy period at the western suburban camp, Mo Fan and Zhang Debao were able to rest for two days.

They went home together.

As soon as Zhang Debao entered the house, his mother told him the bad news.

Before his mother could finish speaking, he turned and ran outside.

Madam Zhang and Uncle Zhang had anticipated this, and at the same time reached out to pull him, asking, "Where are you going?"

"Father, Mother, let go!" Zhang Debao cried out in desperation.

"Let us finish what we have to say!" Uncle Zhang coughed excitedly, his face turning red.

Zhang Debao didn't dare let his father use too much force or rush, so he stopped.

But the expression on her face made the old couple curse Mo Yuan hundreds of times in their hearts.

Madam Zhang took a breath. "Mo Yuan has already been taken away by the Prince and Princess. You can go to the Prince's residence to look for her? What excuse do you have? And if you find her, what will you say?"

"Yes, son... It's a power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi, two very important figures. A family like ours isn't even qualified to get involved."

"Besides, no matter what happened or what the outcome was, you and Mo Yuan are destined to be apart, son," Madam Zhang said earnestly.

There was something else in Madam Zhang's heart that she couldn't say: The current situation is definitely the Crown Prince's doing, but it may not be something that Mo Yuan didn't expect!
Most likely, she's hoping that after the emperor ascends the throne, he'll make her a concubine. Or perhaps her son will inherit the throne someday.

She seems shrewd, but she's actually a complete idiot!
Zhang Debao hurriedly spoke up for Mo Yuan, "This matter must have been deliberately orchestrated by the Crown Prince! But how could His Highness Prince Qi agree to it? I will go and explain the pros and cons to His Highness Prince Qi, and this matter will definitely not succeed!"

"Son, you're all grown up now, you understand what our family is like. Although thanks to your mother's efforts, life isn't too bad. But your father is incompetent, I can't support the family. If your father dies, even the doorframe will collapse, you silly son!"
Even if Miss Mo and the Crown Prince don't end up together, our family can't tolerate that big shot like her. We can't handle it, son..." Lord Zhang pulled his son aside to persuade him, thinking to himself: If we really bring that girl here, what good will it do when the Crown Prince ascends the throne?

But Zhang Debao was unmoved by reason and only wanted to run away.

Seeing that nothing they said worked, the couple quickly sent someone to fetch Mo Fan.

The result was that Mo Fan led Zhang Debao to the Qi Prince's Mansion.

He introduced himself to the doorman, saying he wished to see the princess.

Actually, this isn't entirely in accordance with the rules. Mo Fan is alright, but Zhang Debao is a completely unrelated man.

Mo Fan knew, but he was also helpless. He was already shocked enough to be home, and then Madam Zhang called him to see Zhang Debao.

Seeing his dejected state, refusing to eat or drink, Mo Fan was at a loss.

When the second gatekeeper reported in, Mo Yi was quite happy to hear it, as it probably let her know the news from outside.

They quickly had someone call them in, and soon they saw Mo Fan and Zhang Debao with two swollen eyes.

"Your Highness!" The two bowed, but before Mo Yi could even invite them to sit down.

"Your Majesty, how is Miss Mo?" Zhang Debao's expression was filled with genuine anxiety and fear.

Upon hearing this, Mo Yi realized that Mo Yuan was indeed not home; the prince had taken her away…

Although she could understand that doing so would make it difficult for the Crown Prince's residence to directly issue orders to her family.

If it weren't for this, the princess wouldn't have bothered with him...

But she was still a little worried. She had never worked with the prince on any major matters and didn't know his way of doing things.

"Don't panic. Please have a seat."

Mo Fan quickly pulled Zhang Debao to sit down.

"Why are you back?"

“We were resting, so we went home to check on things. That’s when we found out that Yuanyuan had an accident,” Mo Fan said.

"What did your family say?"

"My third uncle and aunt are very anxious. They want to come see my fourth sister and ask you how things went, but my father and second uncle won't let them. They said they'll just wait for news at home."

"Your Highness..." Zhang Debao said urgently, "Please talk to the Prince and also persuade Miss Mo. Even if it is the Crown Prince, life will be very difficult for her if she is his concubine."

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have a close relationship. The Crown Princess is known for her virtue and has a stable position in the household. There's also Consort Zhang, who has given birth to two sons and is favored by the Crown Prince; she's very arrogant. And there are quite a few others... Fourth Miss Mo will never rise in rank, and her life will be very difficult.”

He looked at Mo Yi and lowered his head: "You and Your Highness, don't worry that Miss Mo's reputation will be damaged as a result, making it difficult for her to find a husband... No matter what, I will take her in."

Mo Fan sighed.

Mo Yi sighed: What a fine husband he was, but unfortunately, Mo Yuan was too ambitious and unworthy of his heart. "Young Master Zhang, you are a sincere person, and I am very touched that you treat my sister like this. But now..." Mo Yi shook her head, "I'm afraid we can only wait like this."

"But... could you please ask Miss Mo to come out so I can speak to her myself?"

"I'm afraid that won't work. The Prince is arranging everything. I understand what you mean and I will convey it to Fourth Sister. You are the only son in the family, and Father's health is not good. Don't let your parents worry about you. Stay for two days and then go back to the West Suburb Camp."

"Debao, now that we've said our piece, let's head back." Mo Fan reached out and pulled Zhang Debao away.

Xiangye was being handed out, while she secretly chuckled as she watched her second master pulling at Young Master Zhang.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Miss Zhou Jiu on the road.

Mo Fan's eyes lit up the moment he saw her, and he immediately released Zhang Debao, exclaiming, "Miss Zhou Jiu!"

When Zhou Jiu saw Mo Fan, he thought he was seeing things. "Young Master Mo? What are you doing here?" His voice was full of surprise.

"Take two days off and go home to visit. If you have anything to say, talk to the Princess... How have you been, young lady?" Mo Fan's smile was as warm as sunshine.

Zhou Jiu's face flushed red, and she said softly, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, young master..."

Mo Fan chuckled foolishly, trying to find another topic, when Zhang Debao suddenly remembered, "Miss Zhou, could you please call Miss Mo Fourth?"

Zhou Jiu shook his head: "Miss Mo? She's not here!"

"What? She's not here?" Zhang Debao jumped up and down in anxiety.

Mo Fan had no choice but to go back and pull him away. "Alright, alright! Let's go..." He nodded apologetically to Zhou Jiu and dragged Zhang Debao away.

Miss Zhou Jiu kept watching them, and even after they disappeared from sight, she still refused to leave.

In the evening, as soon as Li Jing returned home, Consort Feng came to the front study.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it?" Li Jing asked indifferently.

Consort Feng, unsure of his current mood, could only say, "Just now, the Princess's second brother from her maternal family arrived with a young master named Zhang. The Princess met them in her living room. They also bumped into Miss Zhou Jiu in the garden. Seeing the two young masters pushing and shoving each other, I was worried that an outsider entering the mansion would frighten Miss Zhou Jiu and the Princess, but I didn't want to give the Princess any hints."

Li Jing frowned.

"I don't know what they said, but it was probably about Miss Mo."

“Your Highness, I’ve heard about this from several people. But none of them have said anything good… I understand that the Princess Consort is trying to help her family find a good marriage for her cousin. But sometimes, Miss Mo Yuan’s words and actions are really…”

She glanced at Li Jing; his expression was clearly not good.

She continued, "We both live in the same manor, but Miss Zhou Jiu speaks and acts like a lady from a prominent family. I take care of everything for her without finding it troublesome at all. But Miss Mo Yuan... I really can't say anything about her."

Sometimes, you don't know what you said that upset her, but she'd retort with something that left you speechless. She had absolutely no sense of being a guest in someone else's home. "Your Highness, although she's the one who got into trouble, you're the one who will bear the consequences. The Crown Prince is just looking for opportunities to annoy you..."

"Alright!" Li Jing interrupted her. "That's the Crown Prince. Don't speak so recklessly."

"Yes," Consort Feng replied meekly.

“Oh, there’s something else. It seems the Princess wants to renovate the garden. She asked me to take all the original blueprints from when it was first built… I didn’t really stop her, so I handed them over. However, those blueprints are quite important; we’ll need them for future major renovations of the mansion. Originally, I wanted to delay and wait for you to return before making a decision, but the Princess…”

She gave a wry smile. "I couldn't refuse, so I gave it to her. Please remind the Princess Consort not to lose it, damage it, or make any alterations to it..."

What she said made perfect sense, and Li Jing nodded: "Alright. I will give her some instructions later."

Judging from the prince's expression, does he agree to her moving the garden?

She harbored a secret resentment, but suddenly chuckled and said, "Your Highness, I prepared two jars of osmanthus-flavored aged wine yesterday. I tasted it, and it was exquisite. Your Highness has been working hard for several days now, why don't you come to my courtyard for a couple of drinks tonight?"

Li Jing looked up at her; Consort Feng had dressed up specially before coming.

On weekdays, she has to manage the household and dress herself in a way that exudes nobility and elegance.

Right now, she's wearing a plain white dress and has used gardenia dew. Her whole demeanor is radiant with a smile, exuding a fresh and elegant charm.

Li Jing nodded as if possessed, "Okay!"

Consort Feng was overjoyed and didn't delay any longer. She went back and instructed her maids: "Clean the room again, burn incense, change the bedding... and find some new undergarments."

The Emperor and the Crown Prince haven't given any news yet... Li Jing stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Suddenly two people rushed in from outside, "Your Highness..."