Chapter 20: Two Women Vie for Favor, the Ninth Princess Wins a Round
Lately, Mo Shuihan had started to dread coming home. The Ninth Princess had become increasingly whimsical, her unpredictable antics making him feel as though he were walking into a torture chamber every time he returned.
The princess could also see that Mo Shuihan was actively avoiding her, which made her even more anxious. There were only a few days left until the one-month deadline, and she was keenly aware that Mo Shuihan was simply waiting for the divorce. She was unwilling to give up so easily.
When Mo Shuihan entered his room, he subconsciously checked the bed first. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t see the princess. However, just as he finished washing up and was about to change his clothes, a pair of small hands wrapped tightly around his waist from behind. “Prince Consort, are you surprised?”
Mo Shuihan froze. He carefully peeled her hands off and turned around. “How did you get in?”
The princess didn’t seem to mind. She excitedly grabbed his hand and began pulling him out of the room. “Come quickly, Prince Consort. I have a surprise for you.”
With no great expectations, Mo Shuihan let her lead him. When they reached the dining hall, he saw the table was set with six dishes—all of his personal favorites. The fragrant aroma was enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
“Well? Do you like it?” the princess asked expectantly.
Mo Shuihan nodded, wondering why she was making such a big deal out of a few dishes.
“Quick, try them and see how they taste,” she said happily, pulling him into a seat.
Just as Mo Shuihan picked up his chopsticks, Yu Guan rushed in. “Young Master, Mo Kui is injured.”
Mo Shuihan was startled. “What happened?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.
Yu Guan wiped the sweat from his brow. “The Marquis of Chongan’s heir was drunk and tried to force Mo Kui to go with him. He ended up getting into a fight with the son of the Grand Princess Zhaoyang. The Marquis’s heir tried to smash a vase over the Grand Princess’s son’s head—it was almost fatal. Mo Kui jumped in to block the blow, saving his life, but she was injured in the process.”
Mo Shuihan shot to his feet. “I’ll go check on her.”
The princess ran to block his path. “Prince Consort, you can’t go.”
He patiently looked down and explained, “She’s hurt. I have to go see her. As soon as I confirm her injuries aren’t serious, I’ll come right back, alright?”
The princess refused to let go. “You’re not a physician, what good will you be? We can just send a doctor.”
Mo Shuihan’s brow furrowed. “Stop this nonsense. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve seen her.”
She clutched his sleeve, her expression crestfallen. “No. If she’s hurt, you’ll surely feel sorry for her. Then your heart will lean towards her again.”
Mo Shuihan found her reasoning almost laughable. “What are you thinking? I’m just going to check on the situation. This involves both the Marquis of Chongan and the Grand Princess. I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it on her own. With me there, I can at least provide some support. Can’t you just be good and wait at home?”
She still shook her head. “I won’t let you go.”
Yu Guan shot her a subtle, disdainful look and urged, “Young Master, we should hurry. The Marquis’s heir is being very aggressive. If we delay any longer, he might take Mo Kui away.”
Mo Shuihan pulled his arm free from the princess’s grip, but she immediately wrapped her arms around his waist. “At worst, I’ll send my troops to rescue her! I refuse to believe that a princess like me can’t save her. In any case, you are not to leave, and you are not to see her!”
Mo Shuihan was growing frustrated. “Can you not cause a scene at a time like this? If you don’t have even this much faith in me, then what is the point of us continuing on?”
The princess’s face went white, and her hands fell away. The moment the words left his mouth, Mo Shuihan regretted them. Nanny Shen stepped forward, her voice filled with indignation. “Prince Consort, that was too cruel. Do you have any idea that the princess cooked this entire meal for you herself? She has been pampered and revered since birth. She has never so much as poured a cup of tea for His Majesty. But for you, she has set aside her dignity, trying so hard to please you. To win your approval, she has spent days cooped up in the kitchen. Her hands, which have never known a single scratch, are now covered in cuts from knives and burns from oil. To treat the princess this way… you are truly heartless.”
In disbelief, Mo Shuihan looked from the dishes on the table to the Ninth Princess. He stepped forward and took her hands, examining them closely. They were covered in a dense network of small cuts and burns, some of which were red and swollen. A wave of guilt washed over him. “What are you holding on to? What is it about me that is worth all this?”
His tone was one of pure confusion. He truly couldn’t understand what it was about him that made the Ninth Princess so unwilling to let go, so willing to abandon her pride just to win his favor.
The princess looked down, aggrieved, as large tears splashed onto the back of his hands. “I just don’t want you to go to her. Whatever she can do, I can learn to do, too.”
Mo Shuihan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, a dull ache spreading through his chest. He reached out to wipe away her tears, then turned to Yu Guan. “Take the princess’s golden seal and have Yu Qi go handle the matter.”
Yu Guan stared at him, unable to believe his ears. “Young Master, you’re not going? You know Mo Kui wants to see you more than anyone!”
Mo Shuihan glanced at the princess. “I won’t go. It will be the same if Yu Qi handles it. Tell Mo Kui to rest well, and that I will visit her another day.”
Yu Guan, seething with resentment, turned and stalked out. Mo Shuihan sat back down at the table and said to the princess with a gentle smile, “Let’s try the food you made.”
The princess was stunned for a moment. Nanny Shen nudged her, giving her a discreet look. “Showing a little weakness at the right time will stir the Prince Consort’s pity and affection.”
The princess nodded and glanced shyly at Mo Shuihan. She saw that his attitude had indeed softened considerably. It seems Nanny Shen’s tactics aren’t entirely useless after all.
Mo Shuihan’s choice left Mo Kui both panicked and angry. She never imagined that her injuries could lose to a few of the Ninth Princess’s tears. Yu Guan, seeing her distress, was indignant on her behalf. “How could the Young Master do this? After all our years of friendship… how long has that Ninth Princess even been around? She’s so spoiled and willful, yet the Young Master still sides with her!”
“Yu Guan, if you say one more word, the Young Master will be truly angry,” Yu Qi chided with a frown.
Yu Guan shut his mouth resentfully. Yu Qi then tried to console Mo Kui. “The Young Master truly couldn’t get away today. Don’t listen to Yu Guan’s nonsense.”
Mo Kui forced a smile. “It’s fine. I only asked for the Young Master because I wanted to tell him something. I got information from the Marquis of Chongan’s heir. The Fifth Prince Consort’s mistress was introduced to him by the Minister of Personnel. Perhaps we can start our investigation there.”
Yu Qi nodded. “Rest assured, I will tell the Young Master.”
Mo Shuihan knew that the Fifth Prince Consort and the Fifth Princess were at odds over his mistress, to the point of discussing divorce. It was only because the consort’s family held significant power that the Emperor hesitated to intervene. Now it seemed that if this woman was connected to the Minister of Personnel, did that mean the Fifth Prince Consort’s family was now aligned with the Left Chancellor’s faction? Was that why he was willing to risk offending the royal family for this woman?
And what of the Left Chancellor? To allow the Fifth Prince Consort to publicly slap the royal family in the face… did that mean his plans were nearly complete? If so, time was running out. He had to sever the Chancellor’s connections and destroy his network as quickly as possible to stop his ambition and avenge the souls of his slaughtered clan.
“Young Master, what is our next move?” Yu Qi asked.
Mo Shuihan rubbed his fingers together. “It seems we will need the Ninth Princess to make an appearance.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “Marquis Fu is hosting a banquet tomorrow. Go and find out if Lord Jin was invited.”
With the princess using his guilt to keep him from the Spring River Pavilion, Mo Shuihan had no other excuse to meet with Jin Zeshan. The banquet was his only chance.
The true target of Fu Yi’s banquet was, in fact, Mo Shuihan. Mo Shuihan continued to deny his identity, and whenever Fu Yi got close, he would put up all his defenses, leaving the Marquis feeling hurt and helpless. Fu Yi had decided to use the banquet to invite Mo Shuihan and force him to admit who he really was.
Mo Shuihan, however, was oblivious to Fu Yi’s intentions, his mind focused solely on finding Jin Zeshan. But before he could spot his ally, he saw Mo Kui arrive at the banquet with Chu Zhou, the Grand Princess’s son. The Ninth Princess also saw her, and her expression immediately soured. She grabbed Mo Shuihan’s arm and tried to leave.
Mo Shuihan quickly stopped her. He hadn’t found Jin Zeshan yet; he couldn’t leave. He had just managed to placate the princess when Mo Kui walked right up to them and curtsied gracefully. “Greetings to the Ninth Princess and the Prince Consort.”
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