Too high to reach

Chapter 301 Her Role
Cups and saucers clinked together, and the lamplight flickered.

The pearl hairpins on her head and the silk clothes on her body emitted a faint glow.

The room was filled with the aroma of incense and wine.

The Crown Prince... lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, his jade-like fingers holding a jade flute.

His lips pursed, and he played a mournful tune... Perhaps, he would occasionally glance up at her...

It might also be paired with a dance that makes your mind wander...

Mo Yi got goosebumps; this was a meticulously planned hunt.

And they even targeted themselves... those bastards!

After a long pause, she asked, "Was Consort Feng in charge of the household at that time?"

"Yes." Chuntao took a few breaths, "Granny Zhao is away..."

Mo Yi asked a few more questions, but Chun Tao was, after all, a lowly maid, and didn't know much.

Seeing that she couldn't get any more information, Mo Yi went to the door and instructed Hong Yan: "Go tell the doctor to spare no expense on good medicine and do everything possible to save her life."

Hongyan went out to talk to the doctor, but the doctor shook his head, "Not every life can be saved with good medicine. You can use some ginseng to keep him alive for a while. Anyway, it's no use."

Mo Yi wrote down what Chun Tao had said, read it to her by the bedside, and then had her sign it. He thought that if Chun Tao didn't survive, she would have proof to tell the prince.

At this moment, Chun Tao fainted and wouldn't respond no matter how she was called. After a while, she suddenly woke up, but couldn't hear anything and just kept calling out for her son.

Outside the gate, the head of the estate negotiated with Chun Tao's husband to buy her, spending a considerable amount of money and persuasion before finally getting the indenture signed.

Leading the little boy in, she said to Chun Tao, "Your Majesty is merciful and has already bought you and your son. From now on, you two will no longer be beaten, so don't worry."

Chun Tao looked at her son, her lips twitched slightly, and then she fainted again, never to wake up again.

The doctor came in, shook his head, and said, "The person is already gone."

Mo Yi sighed and told the head of the estate to make arrangements for the funeral.

This incident left Mo Yi feeling terrible; she couldn't even eat, and her mind was in complete chaos.

The head of the estate has brought out all the accounts; if you want a mental refreshment, just look at the ledgers.

She didn't know much about the affairs of the estate, but she had heard her father talk about how the Song family managed their real estate.

Looking at the accounts in my hand, I soon realized that they were very similar to my own.

This estate is neither a loss nor a gain.

"Does the estate have any special products?"

“Your Majesty, our estate doesn’t produce anything special. I’ve been managing it for so many years, and it’s basically been the same every year. Back when the estate was in the Zhou family’s hands, they were clueless about household affairs. They bought this estate to learn from others, hoping for stability and self-sufficiency in case of any trouble…”

"The Zhou family? This estate is part of Princess Zhou's dowry?" Mo Yi asked.

"Yes, Your Highness, this was the former princess's dowry. After Consort Zhou passed away, it was managed by Consort Feng. Our estate isn't big, so no one really cares about it."

Your Highness, if you want special products, you have to invest money. For example, the estate of Prince Yong'an has a huge fire pit that can ensure that the Prince's family has fresh vegetables to eat all winter.

However, the initial investment is considerable, and the daily maintenance costs are also high. A pound of green vegetables might cost a tael of silver… But being able to eat green vegetables in the dead of winter is far more luxurious than chicken, duck, or fish! I've heard that in our household, the prince and princess eat only what they buy. It's even more expensive than what they grow themselves!
In ordinary households in the capital, winter meals consist mainly of pickled and dried vegetables. Wealthy families might have some cave-raised dishes… but that can't compare to the food of a prince's mansion.

The head of the village clicked his tongue in obvious envy.

Mo Yi listened, but found it amusing: Consort Feng had given me the dowry of Princess Zhou…

To say she did it on purpose, right? She was originally in charge of this estate, so giving it to me wouldn't be wrong.

But to say it wasn't intentional... I still haven't received the estate from the Prince's manor!
Let's hold back for now... wait for Granny Zhao to return, then we'll bring the whole family over. That Feng Liniang is just too annoying.

Now, the most important question is: what role did she play in the matter of Princess Zhou?
Princess Zhou had clearly been persuaded not to die, so why did she die in the end?
Was it a miscarriage caused by medication? Or did the Crown Prince find out and silence her? Or perhaps, Ah Ling and her mother… If Consort Feng knew about this, how would she handle it? Would she take the opportunity to kill Princess Zhou?
Thinking too much made Mo Yi feel uneasy even when she went to sleep at night.

She gave the estate to me, surely she has some ulterior motive?

Everyone was on edge. Greenie made a makeshift bed on the floor in the outer room, while Red Beauty and Fragrant Leaf slept on the couch by the bedroom window... and I curled up in bed.

Hearing their even breathing brought me some peace of mind, but my mind just wouldn't stop racing.

Why did Princess Yu'an and the Crown Prince do this?
If it were hatred, given the close relationship between the princess and Princess Zhou, no one would be surprised if she were to use a poison that leaves no trace and take her life.

The current actions are not only driven by hatred, but also by resentment and jealousy; they represent a dark form of revenge.

Ming'an's unwavering devotion to Dongfang would undoubtedly drive Princess Yu'an to madness with jealousy.

Why would the Crown Prince take such a great risk?
Does the prince hate that he is the legitimate son of the first wife?

If that's the case, going back further, Empress Zhao and Princess Ming'an, the death of the former Crown Prince... suddenly, the sequence of events becomes clear, but where is the evidence?

As I thought about it, I suddenly became excited. If it weren't for Consort Feng's scheming towards the estate, if it weren't for the fact that I ended up here while tidying up the garden...

With Chuntao dead, the story of Princess Zhou will probably be lost to history forever.

Going back further... if it weren't for Mo Yuan coming to my house to cause trouble... and even further back, if I hadn't married into the royal family.

This series of interconnected events... could it be that there is a divine will at work at play?
She trembled all over and tears streamed down her face.

In the village, roosters crow before dawn.

Mo Yi barely slept a wink all night, her hair felt heavy, and she couldn't stay at the estate any longer. "Pack your things, we'll leave after breakfast."

A beautiful woman helped her comb her hair.

"Hongyan, after Princess Zhou passed away, how were the people around her dealt with?"

"I was young then and only heard a few things. The head maid who was close to Princess Zhou died for her mistress. Others... when they reached a certain age, they redeemed themselves and left. Some married back into the Zhou family. Some of the younger ones stayed with the princess."

"Here's what you'll do... When you get back, try to find out who else you can contact, preferably someone close to Princess Zhou. Be careful, don't alert anyone..."

"Yes."

Mo Yi was quite satisfied with the estate manager and instructed him: "Consider whether the heated shed can be built on the estate, what can be planted, how much silver it will cost to build, and the daily maintenance. Write something down and let the prince take a look."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Rest assured, this servant has already thought it through." The head steward was very pleased.

……

With neither the prince nor the princess present, Feng Liniang arranged to meet Zhou Dong again.

Now, she truly doesn't treat Zhou Dong as an outsider; the moment they meet, she vents all her emotions.

As he spoke, his eyes turned red.

“I work so hard every day, and not only am I not respected, but I am also bullied by outsiders… Brother Dong, when things come to a head, you find that you are powerless and helpless, and this is how you will be treated.”

Zhou Dong listened patiently until the end before saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to say, please don't be offended..."

"what happened?"

"Zhou Dong feels that you are too hasty in your actions. Moreover, despite being by the Prince's side for many years, you still don't understand him well enough."

"How could you say that?" Feng Liniang was embarrassed.

"You see, isn't that the result? The Prince always does things in a straightforward and decisive manner, with orders being carried out without question. Once a task is assigned, it is simply completed. No matter what emotions one has, they cannot hinder the work. And look at Princess Mo; she doesn't dwell on who is right or wrong in this matter at all, because it's meaningless."

"How is it meaningless? It's just to make the prince dislike Mo Yuan..."

"So what if you're disgusted? The Prince rarely sees that person! Besides, her coming to the Prince's residence to eat and drink doesn't bother you, so why are you making trouble for her?"

"That's not how it works... Many things are like water polishing stone, they just wear you down..."

"Alright." Zhou Dong shook his head. "I told you, go back and think about it again. There's a problem with the medicine we wanted to buy..."

"what happened?"

"After finding a channel, I requested that it be processed. The slip of paper I received had the delivery date and address written on it. As a result, when I went to pick up the medicine, I ran into Meng San's men in the vicinity."

"Then...what next?"

“I had a bad feeling, so I didn’t go to get the medicine and came back. I inquired around the manor and found out that Meng San and the others were indeed out on business. You can’t be too careful in this kind of thing, so I didn’t go to get it. A few days ago, I saw that they had all returned. So I went again, but… it was empty.”

"Did you run into a swindler?" Feng Liniang asked.

"It doesn't seem like it. I think maybe something happened upstream... I just don't know if it's related to Meng San and the others."

"What a coincidence! You're being too cautious!" Feng Liniang said, displeased.

“Your Highness, it’s alright if this matter didn’t work out. I think… given your condition, even if you actually got your hands on that thing, it would be troublesome. The Prince is always at home, this is no joke… if something really happens, not to mention you, even Shao’er won’t be safe.”

He was right, but how could Feng Liniang accept it?

Back then, she bribed someone close to Zhou Li to gather information. As a result, she discovered that that slut Zhou Li was having an affair! She even planned to have an abortion at the hot spring resort.

Then, she arranged for the medicine to be switched, and that was it.

Afterwards, they even silenced several people.

You underestimate me so much...