The torch’s light dazzled people’s eyes, but Mo Junhao still stood there calmly, and slowly opened his eyes until he got used to the light.
This time, he was completely astonished on the spot.
It was not that Liu Yiyi brought people to catch them as he had expected. Those standing in front of him were Emperor Mo Xiangbin, his mother Liu Yiyi, King Rui’s eldest son Mo Junyang and several subordinates.
How could this be?
Hadn’t they just planned that Liu Yiyi appeared alone and they forced Shi Qingxue to marry him? Why did so many people appear here suddenly?
Mo Junhao looked at his mother for help, but with Mo Xiangbin standing next to her, how did Liu Yiyi dare to say a word? She could only wave at Mo Junhao to tell him that something had changed and that he should act accordingly.
Mo Xiangbin yelled at this moment, “How is it proper that you do this in public? Let her go now!”
Only then did Mo Junhao realize that he was still holding who he thought was Shi Qingxue, and hurriedly let go of her. And the latter quickly hid behind him for shelter.
He carefully scrutinized Mo Xiangbin’s look. Seeing that Mo Xiangbin looked gloom and remained silent, he knew that this time it might become serious!
Sure enough, Mo Xiangbin asked, “It’s Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. You don’t admire the performances in the front. What are you doing here? Junhao, who is that behind you?”
In normal days, Mo Junhao was the most obedient son in front of his father, he never crossed the boundary. But at present, this matter happened. He was afraid that his good impression on Mo Xiangbin was all gone.
Immediately, Mo Junhao couldn’t care about too much, but only wanted to tie Shi Qingxue next to him firmly. Since Emperor had seen the scene, it would be impossible that Shi Qingxue didn’t want to marry him this time!
He reached for the person behind him and brought her in front of him. He yanked off her hood suddenly.
“Ah!” The person screamed in a low voice, covering her face with both hands, as if she could escape the embarrassment in this way.
“Father, we are in love with each other. Please permit me to marry Xue…” After Mo Junhao yanked the hood of that person, he started to express his thoughts determinedly to Mo Xiangbin. But before he finished his words, he suddenly found that the person he was embracing before was not Shi Qingxue at all, but Fifth Lady of the Qin Family, Qin Yanyan.
His tone even changed, “How could it be you?”
Qin Yanyan did not hide again at this time. She looked at Mo Junhao who was shocked with shyness, and then looked at Mo Xiangbin. She said in a low voice, “I, I am fond of Fourth Prince, and Fourth Prince has just said that he would like to marry me. Your Highness, please permit us.”
For the first time, Mo Xiangbin saw that the two who were caught doing that thing didn’t panic, but still had the courage to ask him to permit their marriage. He didn’t know whether he should go mad or laugh out for a time.
Liu Yiyi also found that it was not Shi Qingxue whom they hoped to be here. When she was disappointed, she also quickly became conscious. She persuaded in a soft voice, “Your Highness, they can’t help their adoration, and it’s quite normal to hang out here secretly.
Moreover, they are unmarried. It doesn’t matter even if it is spread out. Why should you be angry with them? It’s better to meet their requirement and achieve a wonderful marriage! When mother knows it, she should definitely be pleasant then!”
With Concubine Liu’s words, she could turn black into white.
After hearing that, Mo Xiangbin actually was not that mad. He was reminded that when he was young, hadn’t he decided the marriage with Liu Yiyi in such situation?
At the moment, it was not impossible to permit the marriage of these two lovers, but this was indeed not an honorable thing, and it also had been seen by…
He glanced at Mo Junyang, who did not speak. Seeing that the latter stood aside indifferently and that he seemed not to be a looker-on, however, the Emperor was still uncomfortable in his heart, and became even unsatisfied with Mo Junhao, whom he always thought highly of.
It was okay if they wanted to meet secretly! But couldn’t he pick a good place? The choice of lover was also not good enough. If it had been Shi Qingxue, he wouldn’t have lost face this much when being caught, would he?
“Fifth Lady of the Qin Family, who comes from a noble family, smart and intelligent, is qualified to be a Concubine of Fourth Prince. Today, an imperial decree should be issued that Qin Yanyan is regarded as a Concubine of Fourth Prince and they should choose a great day to finish the wedding.” Mo Xiangbin thought for a while, but only gave Qin Yanyan a position of Concubine at last.
When Qin Yanyan heard that Emperor married her to Fourth Prince, she was overjoyed, not minding that she was just Concubine of Fourth Prince. In her opinion, being able to marry her Brother Hao was the greatest happiness. She immediately knelt down to thank the Emperor.
But Mo Junhao looked mournful, he wasn’t pleased at all. He just wanted his father to take back the decree.
Liu Yiyi saw that her son was in a wrong mood, and quickly reminded him, “Hao, how honored it is that His Highness has permitted your marriage. Quickly kneel down to thank His Highness!”
At the same time, she glared at Mo Junhao secretly as a silent warning, “This matter went like this at this moment. You had to marry Qin Yanyan even though you didn’t want to. Hurry up and comfort your father. Don’t make him angry again!”
Mo Junhao was extremely unwilling, but had to kneel down to show his gratefulness.
Liu Yiyi then came forward and held up Qin Yanyan, saying intimately, “Get up now. If you are injured, it would be a big deal.”
“Your Highness doesn’t know that at the Qiqiao Festival banquet, Yanyan won the second place. Her painting was praised by mother!” Liu Yiyi smiled and said slickly, attracting Mo Xiangbin’s attention with Qiqiao Festival banquet.
Mo Xiangbin asked with interest, “Well? What was Yanyan’s painting?”
“She painted…”
Liu Yiyi gave Mo Junhao a sign, at the same time she pulled Qin Yanyan and Mo Xiangbin away while they were chatting. The three of them went farther and farther, and disappeared in Peach Blossom Forest finally.
At this time, Shi Qingxue let go of Mammy Ru, whose mouth was covered before, and turned around glancing at the two guards under control. She sneered and turned away.
The play was so wonderful, but she was not interested in participating.
“Shi Qingxue, stop!” Mo Junhao’s mad voice arose behind her.
Qingxue ignored it. But after a few steps, her arm was grabbed forcefully by him, so she had to stop.
“What does Your Highness stop me for?” Shi Qingxue didn’t want to see the abominable face, and said coldly, looking down.
But Mo Junhao thought she was guilty in her heart. He shouted even more fiercely, “Shi Qingxue, you are not leaving until you explain this to me today!”
Shi Qingxue heard the words, looked up, and said with a seemingly smile, “I don’t know what Your Highness wants me to explain.”
Mo Junhao didn’t expect that Shi Qingxue would talk back, he was choked for a while.
Yeah, what did he want her to explain to him?
Should he ask why she didn’t go to meet Liu Yiyi? Or should he ask why she didn’t step into their trap?
It seemed that neither of them could be proper to ask.
Mo Junhao was so angry that he simply asked, “Why is your cloak on Qin Yanyan?”
If it weren’t for that cloak, he wouldn’t hug the wrong person at all.
Shi Qingxue thought it even funnier, “It’s just a cloak. Yanyan felt cold, what was wrong with it that I lent it to her for a while? But Your Highness has reminded me that the cloak is rewarded by Empress Dowager and I still need to get it back.”
“You…” Mo Junhao was speechless twice and his eyes suddenly turned sharp. He stared at Shi Qingxue tightly, and he said in a low voice, “Xue, you have changed! Weren’t you the one who defended me the most? We together used to…”
Shi Qingxue’s expression also became indifferent, and raised her voice to interrupt Mo Junhao’s words, “Your Highness!”
When she saw Mo Junhao looked at her in surprise, she calmed down, but her voice remained cold, “I am not a relative or a friend of Your Highness, so it makes no sense to ask me to defend Your Highness. Moreover, Your Highness is married now. I wish Your Highness to be self-respected, in case there is any unnecessary misunderstanding.”
After that, Shi Qingxue mercilessly shook Mo Junhao’s hand off and walked away without hesitation.
She stopped again after she took a few steps. Only then did she find that before she noticed, Mo Junyang had stood in the tree shade aside and looked at them with serious sight. She didn’t know what he was thinking.
But one thing was clear that at such a short distance, Mo Junyang could definitely hear her quarrel with Mo Junhao.
Shi Qingxue pursed her lips slightly, and her heart was messy.
She wouldn’t like Mo Junyang to misunderstand that she was entangled with Mo Junhao, but she really didn’t have the energy to explain anything. She just nodded at Mo Junyang and left right away.
When Shi Qingxue knew Liu Yiyi’s hypocritical calling on her, she guessed it out that Liu Yiyi wanted to make her marry Mo Junhao, and she thought Liu Yiyi should make an appointment with her to develop a closer relationship for Mo Junhao.
If she was really unwilling, she could just be perfunctory.
But what she didn’t expect was that the two were really cruel to this point where they wanted them to be caught doing that thing on the spot!
This was to completely ruin her reputation, so that she had no choice but Mo Junhao.
“What a cruel heart!” Shi Qingxue reluctantly sneered, and she felt like crying.
Obviously she no longer loved Mo Junhao, and she was clearly aware of the man’s viciousness. But when she was forced to experience this again, she still couldn’t bear it.
Once upon a time, she naively thought that this man really loved her. She could give up a lot of things for Mo Junhao, not caring about fame or reputation at all, just like Qin Yanyan at present.
However, when she recalled, she found that this man didn’t love her from beginning to end. He just wanted to marry her, or more precisely, he wanted to marry the force of the Shi Family behind her!
Shi Qingxue bit her red lips so hard that it almost bled. In this way, she suppressed her sorrow and anger. She snorted towards the ground and cursed, “I had been blind before!”
Fortunately, she could see it clearly at this moment and she would never be cheated again.
In the early morning next day, Mo Xiangbin issued an imperial decree that Mo Junhao should marry Qin Yanyan as the Concubine of Fourth Prince six months later.
Not to mention other parties, even those of the party of Fourth Prince were astonished. And Left Prime Minister, Qin Shirong, was even more confused, completely not knowing how his daughter became the Concubine of Fourth Prince.
Although Qin Shirong had shown his loyalty to Mo Junhao, his daughter was married to Mo Junhao at this moment, wouldn’t it mean that the Qin Family entered the party of Fourth Prince?
It was not a wise choice to choose a team at present when the situation was so uncertain. But Mo Xiangbin didn’t give them any chance to choose, and he waved his hand and said, “Well, about Fourth Prince’s marriage, let’s just stop here. If there’s nothing else, you may disband!”
Qin Shirong had to take back his words which had reached his lips. He could only bow and report, “Your Highness has ordered the Ministry of War to prepare the food for soldiers before, but the person who should transfer it hasn’t been decided yet. I propose that Right Director of the Bureau of War, Yan Liang, should be qualified to this position.”
In the old days, Mo Xiangbin liked to let the officials go straight to the point on the court. But this time when he heard that Qin Shirong had decided the person to transfer the food without asking him, he couldn’t help but frown. He thought, “The older this man is, the longer his hand is stretched out. But he still doesn’t teach his daughter well, she could only go crooked ways. And now he even wants to arrange his own person for this position!”
He didn’t respond Qin Shirong’s words, but asked, “Does anyone disagree?”