Too high to reach

Chapter 291 A Double Meaning

The reaction of the ink pattern...

This surprised and angered Mo Yi.

But after sitting for a while, she figured it out.

As time went by, everyone went their separate ways and forgot about it... That's just her personality!
They strive to excel in everything, going to great lengths to stand out. They want to be superior to everyone, crave flattery, and cannot tolerate being looked down upon. They especially cannot admit their mistakes.

Even the smallest mistake is something that takes a lot of time to erase.

How could she accept that she had given up her good man, married the wrong person, suffered a miscarriage, and faced a future full of shame and hardship?

If this matter is exposed, she, Xu Ke, and the Xu family... will become a laughing stock in the capital, and there will be no way to reverse it...

Let alone her, anyone would find it unbearable, right?

Has Xu Ke gone mad? Even if he doesn't like Mo Wen and doesn't care about her, doesn't he also care about his family?

Grandfather, father, and elder brother—regardless of their reputation or whether they live or die?
How to solve this problem? I rubbed the stone in my hand, unable to think of a solution…

In the evening, the prince ate dinner at home, and his family all went to the dining room.

"What's wrong?" Li Jing noticed her low spirits and asked in a low voice.

“It’s alright…” Mo Yi felt a warmth in her heart.

Having such a caring husband makes life complete.

So-called sisterhood, if it can't be kept, then let it go.

Consort Feng also noticed this detail and sighed inwardly... The prince treated her differently.

Mo Yuan, who was doing very well in the Eastern Palace, started going to the Prince's Mansion again.

Here she is again, looking radiant. "Yiyi, I didn't get a chance to see Wenwen. How is she?"

Seeing that Mo Yuan had come without prior notice, Mo Yi said coldly, "I saw her a few days ago, she's almost recovered." She was about to say, "If you're worried, go see her yourself."

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself. Looking at her beaming face, she must have received some good news... She shouldn't upset that person again.

"Hey, you didn't know, did you? A grand drama unfolded at the Crown Prince's residence, involving both civil and military figures." Mo Yuan winked and smiled.

Thinking about what Princess Yu'an had done, and pondering the Crown Prince, Mo Yi became even more wary.

If the younger sister is like this, how much better can her older brother be? And then there's the Empress...

In the past, Mo Yi wouldn't have asked if it wasn't her business, but now... "What's wrong?"

"It's about Consort Zhang buying medicine, which I mentioned last time. She actually gave it to the Crown Princess, but she was caught red-handed. That fool probably thought that if she couldn't get it in one go, she would keep some of the medicine on hand. Now look what happened: she's caught red-handed!"

If it weren't for that… she would deny it to the death, blaming it on someone else. If the Crown Prince were home, he might have been able to protect her.

Mo Yuan smiled calmly, her demeanor perfectly composed: "A series of coincidences came together, and the case was solved. Of course, if the Crown Princess hadn't been keeping a close eye on this matter, she might have actually succeeded!"

Where is Consort Zhang?

"The Crown Princess went directly to the Empress. These days, there's some kind of grand martial arts competition, and the Crown Prince can use the Crown Princess's father and brothers. So, we can't let things get out of hand like before... so she's locked up on the estate."

"Now, it all depends on the Crown Princess's methods. If she doesn't strike while the enemy is down, the trouble will only get worse once he recovers! Hmph..."

She picked up her teacup and took an elegant sip. She didn't dare mention how successful she'd been lately… she had to keep a low profile to avoid offending the lady.

Looking at Mo Yuan's appearance, Mo Yi was very frustrated: as girls from the same Mo family, regardless of whether things were good or bad, Mo Yuan's thoughts were much more insightful than Mo Wen's.

"How do you want to beat them up?" she continued, trying to get more information out of them.

"If it were me, I'd either kill her or cripple her. I'd strike hard while she's still hot, and the consequences wouldn't be too severe," Mo Yuan said calmly.

"Think about it, Consort Zhang has two sons. As for the Crown Princess, we don't even know if this baby is a boy or a girl. Although things weren't good before, it was just a matter of appearances. But this time, she's going all out."

"Now that we've torn off the mask, we'll have to see the real deal. Otherwise, if Consort Zhang returns, or if the Crown Princess gives birth to another daughter... everything will be over." She was truly anxious. Time is of the essence, Crown Princess, don't be foolish, don't be soft-hearted.

"You're planning to give this idea to the Crown Princess?"

Mo Yuan thought for a moment and shook her head. "I'm not that close to the Crown Princess. Aside from the secret about the medicine, the only advice I gave her was how to show weakness to the Crown Prince so he couldn't vent his anger. That's not a good idea. I understand the principle that things will backfire if they go too far. The Crown Princess is just a decent person, not stupid... She should know what to do."

"Why do I feel like you'd be happy to do this? You even talk about killing people so easily."

"No way! I was just saying, I'm not really doing it. But I am a little anxious. You know, my life has become much easier since Consort Zhang got into trouble..." Mo Yuan put on a truly despicable act.

Mo Yi snorted, "I know you won't listen to anything I say. But don't forget: playing with fire will get you burned. Consort Zhang is a prime example! Tell me, why is she in such a hurry? Even the Crown Prince is still working properly under the Emperor's command, spending his days in the western suburbs under the sun and wind. What is she fighting for?" Mo Yuan blinked and smiled, "The Princess is right. She's just too arrogant, repeatedly bullying the Crown Princess without being punished, which must give her a great sense of accomplishment."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back now!"

"They didn't even leave any food for me, really..." Mo Yuan muttered as she walked away.

A moment later, a maid came in and said, "Your Highness, Madam Mo went to chat with Miss Zhou. Look, Consort Tian went over there too..."

"...Really! Just ignore her."

After chatting for a while, Mo Yuan returned to her residence.

She's certainly enjoying a glamorous life now that she's in the mansion.

Moreover, even though she has recently gained favor, she is not arrogant in the slightest. She continues to show small favors, and everyone likes her.

Halfway there, after thinking for a moment, Mo Yuan headed towards the study.

A few days ago, the Crown Prince had asked her to go to his study once, and now she has come on her own, hoping to pave the way for this path.

Upon reaching the moon gate connecting the backyard to the front yard, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen stood guard there.

"Madam... the Crown Prince is not here!" the young man said, bowing.

"Oh..." Mo Yuan turned around and walked back. She noticed that the voice she heard earlier sounded a bit strange, and glanced at the boy.

Oh dear, her eyes are swollen like peaches, and she's even crying when she speaks.

"What happened to you? Did you get punished for being naughty?" Mo Yuan asked with a smile.

Unexpectedly, the boy suddenly knelt on the ground, begging, "Madam, please save my life..."

Mo Yuan was startled. "Oh dear, get up and talk!"

The boy didn't get up, but kept kowtowing.

"What are you doing? Let's talk this out. I'll help you if I can. But if you ruin the Crown Prince's plans, I can't protect you!"

"No!" The young man looked up. "Madam, it's not him. It's my father. He was working on the estate yesterday when he fell off the roof. He's unconscious... and he hasn't woken up yet. My mother sent someone to ask for money to treat my father."

But... the doctor said it would cost at least fifty taels..." he said, sobbing.

“Logically speaking, since my whole family serves the Crown Prince, fifty taels shouldn’t be considered too much. However, my mother is in poor health and needs medicine every day, and the monthly allowance has been used to treat her illness. My parents only have me as their son, and we have no relatives in the household. We’ve borrowed from everyone we could… but we only have five taels of silver left. Madam, please, Madam, save me.”

What's your name?

"Your servant, Xiao Shuan'er."

"Oh, Xiao Shuan'er...didn't you tell the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess?"

"How could I dare? I only spoke to the steward and the manager, but... they said I've already borrowed several times, and this amount is too large; they absolutely cannot allow it." He then prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed, "Please, Madam, have mercy..."

Mo Yuan looked at him and said, "Alright, lift your head!"

Xiao Shuan'er raised his head, his face covered in tears, his eyes filled with pleading.

Look, this child's eyes are clear and bright, not wandering...

Her thoughts shifted slightly: "It's admirable that you know how to be filial to your parents at such a young age. I, as your wife, value good children, especially those who are filial, intelligent, loyal, and sensible..."

What she said was quite meaningful.

Little Shuan'er is indeed a "sensible" child.

“Madam! As long as you save my father, Xiao Shuan’er’s life will belong to you from now on. You can take it whenever you want.”

“Silly child, what would I do with your life? Fine…” She opened her purse and took out a hundred-tael silver note.

"Here is one hundred taels of silver. Take it to treat your father's illness."

“Madam…you are a living Bodhisattva, the Goddess Guanyin descended to earth…” Xiao Shuan’er cried with joy, her words slurred, “We don’t need that much, fifty taels is enough.”

“When someone is sick, they need to eat well. Besides, your mother is worried, so she might need some herbal medicine too. If she can't work for a few months, her monthly wages will be deducted. Alright, one hundred taels or fifty taels is not important to me. As long as the money wasn't wasted…”

Her words had a double meaning.

"Please rest assured, Madam. Xiao Shuan'er is by no means an ungrateful person..." Xiao Shuan'er's expression was solemn, and his words were also ambiguous.