FAKE PHOENIX, FALSE PHOENIX CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14: Mo Shuihan’s Identity is Doubted

Because of the incident with Fu Yi, everyone was somewhat distracted for the remainder of the gathering. Xiao Heng glanced at Mo Shuihan several times, but Mo Shuihan’s face was a cold mask, and he completely ignored him. Xiao Heng sighed and tactfully sat to the side, no longer trying to approach him. Seeing this, the others, though unsure of what had happened, did not dare to disturb him either.

After making polite conversation for a while longer, Mo Shuihan excused himself. He refused Xiao Heng’s offer to see him off and walked alone through the streets at a leisurely pace, his mind racing as he contemplated his next steps. His unexpected marriage to the Ninth Princess had thrown all his previous plans into disarray. He needed to think carefully about what to do next.

As he reached a secluded area, Mo Shuihan sensed something was amiss. He stopped and called out to the empty space behind him, “Come out. You’ve been following me for a long time. You must be tired.”

Fu Yi emerged from behind a building, his eyes fixed on Mo Shuihan’s face. “You’ve finally returned!”

A sarcastic smile touched Mo Shuihan’s lips. “Is Marquis Fu not yet sober? Or does this official truly bear such a striking resemblance to your old acquaintance that everyone mistakes me for him?”

Fu Yi walked up to him, bending slightly to meet his gaze. “I would not mistake you. I know it is you who has returned.”

Mo Shuihan’s eyes turned cold, and he turned to leave. “The Marquis has had too much to drink. This official will not keep you company.”

Fu Yi grabbed his arm, a complex mix of emotions swirling in the depths of his eyes. “You don’t have to hide from me. You know you can’t fool me. I am not your enemy.”

Mo Shuihan pulled his arm free and offered a false smile. “Oh? Then, may I ask why the Marquis has stopped me? Is there something you wish to say?”

Fu Yi stepped in front of him again, looking earnestly into his eyes. “I will help you with your revenge. I will do anything. But you cannot stay here. Xiao Heng already suspects you, and it won’t be long before Xiao Yushou finds out as well. Your situation will become very dangerous. Listen to me: leave this place at once. As for your revenge, leave it to me.”

Mo Shuihan laughed, his expression light and amused. “This official was under the impression that Marquis Fu and Lord Xiao were on good terms. I never imagined you had such an interesting history. Revenge? How novel. But I’m afraid I must disappoint the Marquis. This official is truly not the person you are looking for. I will treat today’s conversation as a joke, something heard and forgotten, and it will not spread any further. The Marquis can rest assured.”

“You…” Fu Yi stared at him, stunned.

Mo Shuihan gave a detached bow and turned to leave without a moment’s hesitation. Only when he was well out of Fu Yi’s sight did his expression turn to ice.

Wang Zhao and Ling Shi appeared silently behind him, respectfully awaiting orders. “Young Master, that Fu Yi has clearly recognized you. Should your subordinates…”

Mo Shuihan calmly raised a hand to cut them off. “You are no match for him. Send a message to Ying Yi. Have him tail Fu Yi starting today. If he makes any suspicious moves, eliminate him immediately!”

The two men acknowledged the order. Then they asked, “What about that Xiao Heng?”

Mo Shuihan continued walking, a cold sneer on his face. “Debts must always be paid. It is time for him to pay his.”

After his two men had vanished as silently as they had appeared, Mo Shuihan finally stopped and sighed. Fu Yi was right. Xiao Yushou was no fool. His identity would not remain a secret for long. Therefore, he could not delay any longer. He had to go to Guanshan Temple to see Master Huilai at once!

Xiao Heng spent the night tossing and turning, realizing he had been too reckless. Regardless of whether Mo Shuihan was her or not, he should not have used Fu Yi to test him. That person was a wound not only in his own heart but in Fu Yi’s as well. By exposing Mo Shuihan now, he had only given Fu Yi an opportunity and might even attract his father’s attention.

Early the next morning, Xiao Heng rushed to the Hanlin Academy to apologize to Mo Shuihan, only to find that Fu Yi had arrived even earlier. He was currently sitting in front of Mo Shuihan, and though his face was as taut as ever, it was not difficult to see the patience and an attempt at goodwill in his demeanor.

Xiao Heng ground his teeth. I knew it. This Fu Yi is a complete hypocrite!

He squeezed himself between the two of them, forcing a fake smile. “Lord Fu, your visit is a rare honor. You must have important business. But Shuihan has only just joined the Academy. Surely you have the wrong person?”

Fu Yi gave him a bland look. “The Empress Dowager’s birthday is approaching. The top scholar’s calligraphy is excellent, so His Majesty has specially commanded him to compose a celebratory ode. Does Lord Xiao wish to interfere in this as well?”

“You…!” Xiao Heng retorted angrily. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! Since you’ve already said she is dead, why are you still pestering Shuihan? Lord Fu, isn’t it embarrassing to contradict yourself?”

Fu Yi remained calm and composed, and the two went back and forth. Mo Shuihan, growing increasingly annoyed, slammed the document in his hand onto the table with a loud slap and stalked out of the room, his face grim.

Forgetting their argument, Xiao Heng and Fu Yi quickly turned. “Lord Mo, where are you going?” they asked in unison.

“To Hanshan Temple to burn some incense,” Mo Shuihan called back without turning, his voice cold. “To get rid of this bad luck!”

The two men were left speechless. Is it really that serious?

After praying before the Bodhisattva in the main hall of Hanshan Temple, Mo Shuihan found a secluded spot and lit a small flame. A short while later, Master Huilai hurried over. “Young Master.”

Mo Shuihan sat on a stone bench and waved his hand. Several guards hidden in the shadows immediately secured the area, preventing anyone from spying. Master Huilai sat down opposite him. “Young Master has come today. Is there an urgent matter?”

Time was short, so Mo Shuihan got straight to the point. “The network I had you build in the capital, how is it progressing?”

Master Huilai quickly reported, “The capital is full of powerful and complex factions, making it difficult to cast a wide net. However, this old servant has managed to establish a part of it. While it may not be enough for a grand undertaking, it will certainly be sufficient to lend the Young Master a helping hand.”

Mo Shuihan nodded. “Hand it over to me now.”

Master Huilai was taken aback. “Has the Young Master decided? Once you take this step, there is no turning back.”

Mo Shuihan gave a sarcastic smile. “I ran out of roads to turn back on a long time ago!”

Master Huilai hesitated for a moment before taking a piece of paper from his robes. Just as Mo Shuihan was about to take it, he pulled his hand back. Mo Shuihan’s dark eyes studied him. Master Huilai tried to persuade him one last time. “Young Master, please do not get involved. Leave it to this old servant.”

Mo Shuihan’s gaze remained cold, his hand still extended. After a long internal struggle, seeing Mo Shuihan’s unyielding stance, Master Huilai reluctantly handed over the paper.

With the information in hand, and to avoid arousing suspicion, Mo Shuihan immediately stood up to leave. Master Huilai called out from behind him, “Young Master, this old servant will not go anywhere. I will wait for you here. If you are in trouble, I will get you away at once.”

Mo Shuihan turned back and said only, “Keep a close watch on the movements of the capital’s noble families.”

After committing the contents of the paper to memory, Mo Shuihan removed the lampshade and burned the note. Then he summoned Yuqi. “Take my card to the residence of Lord Jin, the Imperial Attendant. Tell him I will pay a visit tomorrow.”

The words had barely left his mouth when Chunlan rushed in again, crying and shouting, “Prince Consort, you must go and see the Princess! She’s taken a pair of scissors and says she’s going to become a nun!”

“What?” Mo Shuihan shot to his feet and ran out. Has this woman gone mad?

As he neared the bedroom, he could hear many voices inside. “Princess, please speak calmly. Don’t do anything rash…”

“Yes, Princess! If you cut your hair, it will take years to grow back. The Prince Consort will surely ignore you even more then…”

Mo Shuihan frowned. What is all this nonsense?

He pushed the door open to see the Ninth Princess holding a pair of scissors while the others desperately held onto her hands, pleading with her. When they saw Mo Shuihan, everyone froze for a second. The Ninth Princess seized the opportunity to wrench her hand free. “Don’t stop me! I am going to become a nun! My own Prince Consort doesn’t want me anymore. What is the point of me staying here?”

Mo Shuihan stood to the side and watched for a moment. Seeing him do nothing, the others began to shout while still trying to restrain the princess. “Prince Consort, quickly, talk some sense into the Princess!”

Mo Shuihan rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and said, “Don’t stop her. Let her cut it!”

“Huh?” Everyone was stunned. Nanny Shen hurried over to him. “No, you can’t! She is a princess of the imperial family. How could she do such a thing? It’s completely improper!”

Mo Shuihan shot Nanny Shen an amused look, then walked over to the Ninth Princess and leaned down, a teasing glint in his eyes. “If the Princess truly wishes to become a nun, you shouldn’t just make a lot of noise and do nothing. As for these servants who are stopping you, I will hold them back for you, to ensure you can cut your hair in peace. What do you think?”

Furious, the Ninth Princess slammed the scissors on the table. “You wretched scholar! You’re just waiting for me to become a nun so you can be free, aren’t you? Well, I won’t give you the satisfaction!”

Mo Shuihan straightened up and sighed with a complete lack of sincerity. “What a pity!”

He glanced at the servants in the room and said as he walked out, “Next time you put on a show, make it more convincing. Hold your princess’s wrist tighter. She’s not made of paper; she won’t break!”

The Ninth Princess glared at her incompetent maids, who lowered their heads in guilt. She pushed them aside and blocked Mo Shuihan’s path. Noticing the height difference made her seem less imposing, she took a few steps back and put her hands on her hips. “You wretched scholar, do you really think I don’t dare to cut it?”

Mo Shuihan nodded seriously. “Yes, I do.”

“You…!” The Ninth Princess lifted her chin and puffed out her cheeks. “I’ll do it! I’ll show you whether I dare to become a nun or not!”

With that, she rushed to the table, snatched the scissors, and held them to her hair. Mo Shuihan turned around to watch her, completely unruffled.

The Ninth Princess swallowed hard. “I… I’m really going to do it!”

The terrified maids rushed to hold her back. “Princess, you can’t!”

Mo Shuihan lowered his gaze, a smile playing on his lips. “Princess, don’t let your hand tremble. If you really can’t bring yourself to do it, I can offer one final act of husbandly kindness and escort you to a temple to have it done… Hey! You’re actually doing it!”

Mo Shuihan lunged forward and snatched the scissors from her hand. Though he was fast, a few strands of hair had already been cut and were drifting to the floor. He stared at her, wide-eyed and still in shock. “Are you insane?!”

The Ninth Princess looked at him triumphantly. “I told you I would really cut it. You were the one who didn’t believe me. You wretched scholar, if you dare mention a divorce to me again, I’ll really cut off all my hair and become a nun, and I’ll make you feel guilty for the rest of your life!”

Mo Shuihan pointed at her, grinding his teeth in speechless fury for a long moment before turning and storming out.

As he walked away, the Ninth Princess called after him in a cheerful mood, “Prince Consort, aren’t you going to take me to the temple? Aren’t you going to offer your final act of husbandly kindness?”

Without turning back, Mo Shuihan threw a sentence over his shoulder. “The sedan chair is too busy. The Princess can go by herself!”

The Ninth Princess bit her lip to stifle a giggle. “You think you can win against me?”

The maids, however, were thoroughly frightened. They clutched their chests. “Princess, if the Prince Consort hadn’t stopped you, would you really have cut it?”

The Ninth Princess smiled and tapped them on their heads. “You silly girls, you don’t understand the Prince Consort. He may seem cold on the surface, but he is a man of deep sentiment and loyalty. He is bound by that sentiment. How could he possibly stand by and watch me cut my hair? I was betting on his inability to bear it. With that as my leverage, he will never escape my grasp!”

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