Reborn: Femme Fatale First Daughter

Chapter 381 The Marital Fraud at the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor

After entering the room, Mo Lan woke Mo Xuetong up softly. Mo Xuetong pondered as she got up from the bed lightly. However, Feng Yuran caught her and asked lazily, “What’s the matter? Is something wrong? Shall I go with you?”

“It’s alright, you get some sleep. I will get someone to fetch you if something goes wrong!” Mo Xuetong said sweetly. She pushed him away and got up, slipping off the bed easily with the help of his arm.

“Do you really not want me to go with you?” He got up with concern. Even though a charming smile still hung on his lips, there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.

“No!” Mo Xuetong waved her hands. No way! He was ordered to rest and had only just gotten slightly better. He still wanted to participate in these shenanigans with her. He would be “tired out” before the matter at home was settled. That one in the palace was still angry. He might tear her skin off!

“I’ll have Feng Yue take a few men and go with you.” Feng Yuran said gently. He was a little worried. He held her face and kissed her gently on her lips.

“Alright!” Mo Xuetong did not object this time. She nodded and then pushed him back onto the bed. She tucked him in and then carefully arranged the netting around the bed before turning to leave.

Feng Yuran’s phoenix eyes blinked under the red mandarin duck blankets. His eyes shone brilliantly as he smiled brightly!

He flipped around and turned on his side towards the warm spot she left behind. A smile with a hint of devilish coldness appeared on his thin lips. The Duke Zhenguo’s Manor really could not restrain themselves. That’s good. They dare to overestimate themselves and hurt his woman. That was a sin that could not go unpunished. After all, he had always been a good chess player!

The matter started at Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. Duchess Zhenguo brought Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin to the Mo Manor angrily in the morning, all the while yelling that they should get a divorce! She said that the good daughter the Mo Manor brought up was an immoral woman and she suspected the Mo’s of marital fraud. They had intentionally sent that slut over to the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor.

Mo Xuemin and Sima Lingyun’s marriage was decreed by the Empress. Usually, they would not be able to get a divorce or a separation. But if there was really a case of marital fraud, the marriage could be dissolved. They would be able to get a divorce or a separation! The Empress would not be able to say anything but the party who had engaged in marital fraud would have to take great responsibility in the whole matter.

However, the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor blaming the Mo Manor for marital fraud was like the pot calling the kettle black. It was rather ludicrous.

Mo Xuemin and Sima Lingyun had plotted against Mo Xuetong but received retaliation from Feng Yuran, causing the two of them to be found together with their clothes in disarray. Mo Xuemin had pushed Sima Lingyun up in front and lied that Sima Lingyun wanted to rape her. She had tried her hardest to resist, which resulted in what everyone saw. What she said had ruined Sima Lingyun’s reputation completely.

If not for the Duchess asking her younger sister, Duchess Mingyang to push the Lady of Xian to send a message to the palace, the marriage decree would not have passed either!

Then, Mo Manor had not stopped the marriage because the Empress had decreed it. Furthermore, Mo Huawen was extremely disappointed in Mo Xuemin. As such, he had not said another word before accepting the decree. The decree successfully turned what Mo Xuemin spun as being raped into the two of them having a secret affair. The decree had hidden the ugliness behind what truly happened and nobody would be despised in this situation.

The matter was considered to have blown over even though the nobility of the city looked down on Sima Lingyun even more so. Sima Lingyun never again appeared at the places were wealthy men often frequented. Even if he was seen there, he was always subjected to mocking by others. Sima Lingyun was downtrodden and this caused the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to fall even further.

Meanwhile, after Mo Xuemin married into the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor, she caused another scandal!

She was found with a concubine-born son of Duke Mingguo hugging each other tightly outside the main doors of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor. It was such an embarrassment!

No matter what the truth was, it had ruined her reputation. If a woman truly cared about her reputation, she would die without doubts after what happened. Even if she did not kill herself, she would ask to be sent to the family’s temple and stay there to pray and never again care about matters of the world. One could thus see how important a woman’s reputation was in the Qin Kingdom.

However, what happened in the end was unexpected. Nothing happened to Mo Xuemin, the Marquess’ wife. She continued to stay in the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor while the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor did not issue any statement regarding the matter at all. It was as if it was no big deal. Everyone was waiting to watch the spectacle they would make but did not manage to see anything. They just mocked Sima Lingyun even more for being made a cuckold.

The Marquess rarely appeared before others and the matter gradually died down.

However, something else happened just a few months after that incident. It was a grave matter that shocked the entire capital. Duchess Zhenguo dragged Sima Lingyun and Mo Xuemin to the Mo Manor angrily. She mentioned separation and marital fraud, bringing up what happened once more.

She was going to seek justice for Sima Lingyun!

However, she did not expect that Sima Lingyun’s terrible reputation could never be recovered again.

Of course, after hearing about what happened, Mo Xuetong felt that things were not that simple. Duchess Zhenguo had brought the two of them along under the gazes of so many people. If she thought about it carefully, there was something lurking beneath this all.

After staying by Feng Yuran’s side for so long, Mo Xuetong’s way of thinking had become similar to his. She had also become more thoughtful. She felt that things would not be so simple. Why would the Duchess put in so much effort to get rid of Mo Xuemin and restore the name of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor?

Who had given Duchess Zhenguo the confidence to do so? And who had given Sima Lingyun such confidence!

Sima Lingyun had never been a responsible man!

In her past life, he had cheated her of her dowry and tricked her into believing him. In the end, he turned his affections to her father’s favorite and eldest daughter, Mo Xuemin, because of the fall of Fu General Manor. Mo Xuemin would not believe that there were no plots that had led up to this. He had exchanged a disfigured and unloved wife for a beautiful and talented one. The new wife he had gained was also a trusted daughter of Mo Huawen.

No matter how one looked at it, Sima Lingyun did not make any losses!

Furthermore, as long as she died, her dowry would go to Mo Xuemin. Her father would not ask the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor for dowry again. Since his other daughter was going to marry into the same manor, then all of that could be used as dowry!

But in her past life, Sima Lingyun had made every possible effort to get together with Mo Xuemin. He had even hurt his wife and child. In this life, Mo Xuetong did not expect karma to bite him in the arse so quickly. The two of them had only gotten together for a few months before they were now making a fuss to separate. They dared to even go against the Empress’ edict.

Taken seriously, it was as good as slapping the Empress in her face!

“My Lady, just watch the show when you go there later. First Miss has nothing to do with us. Anyway, the fuss is their business.” Mo Yu walked out, holding on to Mo Xuetong’s hand as she muttered softly, “First Miss making a fuss like that was something they asked for anyway.”

She thought of how Mo Xuemin had tried to hurt them again and again after her mistress entered the manor. Mo Xuetong’s maidservants truly did not like Mo Xuemin. In the past, Mo Xuemin was the proud and haughty First Miss who shone in public and was gracious. However, away from the public, she was vicious and evil. Mo Xuetong had almost been hurt by her time and time again. Especially the last time, Mo Xuetong’s hands had been covered in blood from the stabbing by her and Mo Xuetong had almost died.

The maids were furious and they all went today in a good mood to watch what was going to happen!

The three maids were all present. If not for He Xia not being able to appear in the Mo Manor, she would have gone no matter what would happen.

They were going to watch the beautiful snake that was Mo Xuemin get into trouble. It would be extremely satisfying!

“Alright, I know. I will just watch the show later on, alright!” Mo Yu had puffed up in anger and it made Mo Xuetong smile as she answered the servant.

“That’s right. My Lady, don’t stay quiet either. You must be hard-handed when appropriate.” Mo Yu said hurriedly.

“I won’t be lenient to her.” Mo Xuetong guaranteed.

She would not be lenient. A poisonous viper like Mo Xuemin would just retaliate with a bite if she were lenient. In her past life, Mo Xuetong had been so friendly to Mo Xuemin. She had treated her like her sister and thought of her no matter what she did. She even gave Mo Xuemin some of her dowries and did not say anything about that.

But what had happened in the end?

In exchange, she had been betrayed and abandoned, beaten bloody. When she had been rebirthed, she told herself that she would definitely get revenge.

An eye for an eye. She was willing to do that even if she had to go to hell for it!

“My Lady, I heard that the matter today involves what happened to you the last time. The manor has sent someone to invite you over.” Mo Lan said with a frown.

“Was it the time Sima Lingyun held me hostage?” Mo Xuetong thought for a moment before asking.

“That’s right. I took note and interrogated the servant who came to send the message. It was said that Marquess Zhenguo said that he did not do anything that day. He only saved the lady. He really does not know about anything else. He had been framed and ended up in a pile with Mo Xuemin for no rhyme or reason. That was how those rumors started.” Mo Lan answered after some thought.

She was not a reckless person and had gotten all the information before telling them to Mo Xuetong in detail. This would prepare Mo Xuetong so that Mo Xuetong could think of what to say at the Mo Manor. Mo Lan believed that her mistress would be able to handle the matter even better if she understood what happened.

“Were there witnesses?” Mo Xuetong asked lightly with a slight frown.

“I’m not very sure about that. I wanted to get even more information but the servant was very tight-lipped. She shut her mouth tightly after she realized that she might have let something slip. She just joked with me and refused to say anything else.” Mo Lan said with a smile as she recalled what happened.

“Did you know that servant beforehand?” Mo Xuetong asked.

Mo Lan paused for a moment and then understood. She said, “I do not know that servant. I heard that she only entered the manor a few months ago, about the same time as when the lady got married and entered the manor. I heard that she was an old servant from Madam’s maternal family. She came specially to depend on the Madam. Madam saw that she was a capable person, so she kept the servant in the inner courtyard to be a minor steward.”

The maid was from Xu Yan’s maternal family? From Mo Xuetong’s memory, there were not many people left in Xu Yan’s maternal family. If there were, Xu Yan would not have been brought up in Fu General Manor. She did not have many old servants. Furthermore, she was not from the capital, so even if those servants were still around, they would not be very close.

So why did the servant come all the way to depend on a lonely mistress who was leading a hard life?

Only those from the capital knew that Xu Yan had married Mo Xuetong’s father. They were the only ones who knew that Xu Yan was no longer the helpless niece who was being fostered in Fu General Manor.

“Go and investigate when we enter the manor, how many new servants entered the manor this month and how they entered. What are they doing now?” Mo Xuetong’s gaze landed on the horse carriage outside the manor gates. The large and expensive horse carriage had the emblem of King Xuan’s Manor on it. If the carriage had purple pearl door curtains and window blinds… Mo Xuetong would have thought that it was Feng Yuran’s horse carriage.

That man really liked the flamboyant purple color! It was as if he was afraid that others would not know that the person sitting inside was the wealthy, arrogant, and rude master of King Xuan’s Manor…

It was completely unlike the horse carriage of the Mo Manor. The carriage only had the Mo Manor’s emblem on the corner. Even though it was clear, it was not obvious.

“I will enter the manor in a while and find out more from someone I know.” Mo Lan nodded in understanding. She also looked at the beautiful carriage and then turned to look at Mo Xuetong with a smile. She teased Mo Xuetong, “His Highness truly dotes on you. This horse carriage is really a match with his horse carriage. Everyone will know that Your Lady is sitting in it wherever you go.”

She made it sound as if Feng Yuran could not leave Mo Xuetong even for a second. A flush appeared on Mo Xuetong’s pale skin. She said with annoyance, “You don’t have to go if you speak nonsense again.”

“My Lady, I will not speak anymore. Please let me go with you. We won’t be able to see anything if we reach there late.” Mo Lan pleaded with a smile.

They got onto the horse carriage, laughing and talking, and headed towards the Mo Manor!