For a while afterwards, Lady Lan was tortured by illness and lay sickly in bed all day.
This happened to give Mo Qinghuan a chance to recuperate.
On this day, Mo Yao heard the gossiping of the servants and couldn't help but invite Ning Yao to talk behind the rockery.
"Yao Mei, don't worry. It's just a temporary measure. You know that you're the only one in my heart," Ning Yao said.
"We've been going around in circles and enduring for such a long time, all for the key in that stupid woman's hand.
"Now that she's been conferred the title of county princess, it's even more difficult to blackmail her. But I've already figured out a way to control her.
"I'll coax her into a good mood first, then get her drunk. When the time comes, I'll trick out the whereabouts of the key. Then we'll get married immediately. What do you think?"
Ning Yao had a good plan in mind, but he didn't know that his so - called plan had already fallen into someone else's ears.
Bai Ke had been keeping an eye on the general's mansion ever since he sent Mo Qinghuan back.
The main reason was that their lord, for some unknown reason, had taken an interest in the eldest miss and deliberately asked him to come and watch.
"Brother Yao, but I felt so uncomfortable seeing you rush to save her that day," Mo Yao said as she grabbed Ning Yao's hand and placed it on her chest. "These days, whenever I think about it, I feel so stifled."
"Oh? It's okay. Let me take a good look for you."
Bai Ke couldn't bear to watch their subsequent actions for fear of soiling his eyes, so he immediately got up and left.
Back at the Regent's Mansion, Bai Ke knelt on the ground and reported what he had discovered one by one. Finally, he added a comment: "Mo Qinghuan is really stupid. Her good younger sister has already gotten involved with her childhood sweetheart, yet she can be easily coaxed back with just a few words."
"My lord, isn't it a waste of talent for you to send me to watch over such a stupid person?"
Bai Ke thought it was a waste of his ability to watch over a stupid person.
"I've ordered a set of clothes at the Hualing Pavilion. Go and pick them up later and send them to Mo Qinghuan's room," Mu Yanming said, ignoring his subordinate's dissatisfaction and instead assigning him an errand.
"My lord..." Bai Ke drawled his voice, looking reluctant.
However, the next second, Mu Yanming's gaze fell on him.
Bai Ke shuddered and quickly knelt on the ground and said, "This subordinate will go right away."
Then he ran away in a hurry as if there was a Yama chasing him.
After receiving the inexplicable clothes, Mo Qinghuan was a bit dazed. "What on earth does this person mean?"
Fortunately, the confusion in her heart didn't affect her for too long.
The next day, it was heard that Lady Lan had received an invitation from the queen.
The queen had recently noticed that the flowers in the back garden were extremely beautiful.
So she planned to hold a Hundred - Flower Banquet and invited the daughters of various ministers to attend.
As a county princess, Mo Qinghuan was naturally on the list of invitees.
Interestingly enough, it was Ning Yao who brought this news to her.
According to him, he wanted to persuade Mo Qinghuan to ask the queen for marriage on the spot, so that their relationship would be a done deal.
But Mo Qinghuan coaxed him away with just a few words. That scumbag had a good plan, but he didn't know that the one who had loved him deeply was already dead.
Right after he left, Xiao Cui walked over. She was Lady Lan's dowry maid, so she spoke arrogantly.
"Get ready. You'll accompany the young miss to the flower - viewing banquet held by the queen tomorrow."
Although Mo Qinghuan's clothes were shabby, she was half - lying on the stone table, looking lazy. She smiled at the maid, and somehow, she exuded an air of dignity.
"I'm afraid I can't. As you can see, my clothes and jewelry are not presentable. Go back and tell your mistress that..."
Mo Qinghuan paused for a while, then said with a smile, "If there are no jade and emerald jewelry and new clothes, I won't go and make a fool of myself."
Xiao Cui just got up and was about to scold her, but the next second, she saw Mo Qinghuan's half - smiling expression and was so frightened that she quickly ran back to convey the message to Lady Lan.
After hearing this, Lady Lan was furious. "Bitch! Does she really think she's something just because she got the title of county princess? Inviting her to the Hundred - Flower Banquet is an honor for her, yet she dares to make conditions with me!"
She was so angry that she picked up the teacup beside her and threw it hard.
The teacup drew a beautiful arc in the air and flew straight towards Xiao Cui.
Xiao Cui's forehead was bleeding from the impact of the teacup, but she could only endure the pain and kneel on the spot without daring to move.
Lady Lan was smart. In the current situation, she couldn't do anything to Mo Qinghuan. In the end, she sent someone to pick the most ordinary jewelry and a set of clothes.
As for the clothes she sent, Mo Qinghuan looked at them for a few times and then disdainfully threw them aside.
She was so afraid that Mo Qinghuan would outshine her daughter. The gaudy red and green color combination was almost blinding.
Lady Lan had intended to accompany her daughter to the banquet, but because of the poisoning, she could only lie in bed. Before her daughter left, she gave her a thousand exhortations before sending her off.
Mo Yao was wearing a pink dress today, paired with jewelry made of Hetian jade and emerald, looking very delicate.
She thought she was the most beautiful and was smiling smugly.
Then she turned around and saw Mo Qinghuan walking out in a water - blue wide - sleeved dress. Although the jewelry she wore was the inferior stuff that had been sent before, on her, it instead made her look fresh and refined.
Mo Yao immediately recognized that the clothes Mo Qinghuan was wearing were not sent by their mother, so she said coldly, "A low - class thing is always low - class. This set of clothes on you clearly costs a fortune. I wonder which man you've seduced to spend so much money on you?"
Before Mo Qinghuan could say a word, a very majestic voice sounded.
"Bai Ke, how should one who speaks disrespectfully to the county princess be dealt with?"
This person's voice immediately attracted many gazes. Mo Qinghuan subconsciously looked up and saw Mu Yanming standing gracefully in front of the mansion gate in a long black robe embroidered with gold thread.
It's him? Mo Qinghuan sized him up imperceptibly.
Just then, Bai Ke stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, according to the current law, one who speaks disrespectfully to the county princess shall be beaten with twenty big boards."
"What does the county princess think?"
Mu Yanming's cold gaze fell on Mo Qinghuan. His attitude clearly showed that he was supporting her.
So, there was a playful smile on Mo Qinghuan's face.
Realizing that something was wrong, Mo Yao quickly stepped forward and took Mo Qinghuan's arm, smiling sweetly. "The Regent has misunderstood. I was just joking with my sister."