Ning Yao was seething with anger. He lurked outside the General's Mansion, waiting for Mo Qinghuan to return.
After Mo Qinghuan retrieved the custom - made pestle and some other items needed for treating illnesses, she headed back to the General's Mansion. As soon as she stepped through the door, Ning Yao followed right behind.
Hearing the commotion behind her, a golden needle landed in her hand from her sleeve. Just as Ning Yao pounced on her from behind, she dodged nimbly, and the needle at her fingertip pricked Ning Yao's neck.
Ning Yao winced in pain and staggered back a few steps, covering his neck. "You!"
Mo Qinghuan cast a cold glance at him, without a trace of a smile. "Oh, it's you."
Ning Yao sensed that Mo Qinghuan was in a foul mood. He looked at her in confusion. "Huan'er, tell me you're not going to marry the Regent, right?"
Mo Qinghuan let out a sneering laugh and looked at Ning Yao. "Not marry..." Ning Yao's face lit up with joy and he was about to step closer when she continued, "Not marry the Regent. Should I marry you instead? Who do you think you are?"
Ning Yao's face darkened. "Marry the Regent? Heh. Do you think the Regent would want a slut, a woman who's been defiled by me?"
Dan'er grabbed a broom and started hitting Ning Yao. "How dare you spout nonsense! How dare you!"
Mo Qinghuan stroked her ring, a murderous intent welling up in her heart. She had witnessed the power of this ring before. When Mu Yanming had fired the hidden weapon inside the ring, it had shot a horse dead on the spot!
But then she thought better of it. Killing him like this would be too easy on him. It would be better to make his life a living hell.
"Ning Yao, do you still remember where you woke up that time?"
Ning Yao blurted out, "In your side - room!"
"Too bad the woman you slept with in that side - room wasn't me!"
Dan'er held the broom tightly and stood in front of Mo Qinghuan. "That's right. It wasn't our young lady at all. It was you and the second young lady."
Shuang'er saw this scene and rushed over. Hearing Dan'er's words, she burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you two are really a pair of scoundrels and sluts!"
The two sisters joined forces and drove Ning Yao out of the mansion.
Mo Qinghuan looked at these two child - like girls, shook her head with a smile, and walked towards the house.
Looking back, she saw Lan Shi.
Lan Shi was half - leaning on Cui'er. Mo Qinghuan smiled. "I was just looking for you."
Lan Shi stared at Mo Qinghuan with a distorted face, her eyes full of hatred as if she wanted to tear Mo Qinghuan apart.
"Does the princess still need to look for me? Do you still respect me, the mistress of this household?"
Mo Qinghuan walked up to her, holding a golden needle in her hand and whispering in her ear, "I'm telling you, ten days from now I'll get married. If I don't see twenty sedan - chairs of dowry, I'll list all the evil things you've done to me over the years and present them to the emperor."
Hearing Mo Qinghuan's threatening words, Lan Shi nearly lost her balance and tightly grabbed Cui'er's arm. Cui'er didn't dare to say a word and just gritted her teeth.
"Just think about it. What a serious crime it is for the mistress of the household to mistreat the legitimate daughter!"
A venomous glint flashed in Lan Shi's eyes, but she didn't dare to lash out. "Fine, I can prepare the dowry for you, but I have a condition!"
Mo Qinghuan gave a cold laugh. "I know what your condition is, and I can agree to it. But it'll be after my wedding. Only after I've checked that there's nothing wrong with the things in the dowry will I give the medicine to treat Mo Yao's hands."
"No! If you give it to me then, how can I be sure you won't play any tricks?"
Mo Qinghuan dusted off Lan Shi's shoulder. "You can also choose not to give the dowry. I think you've been looking for doctors for Mo Yao these days, haven't you?"
Lan Shi's heart skipped a beat. Mo Qinghuan was no longer the soft - hearted girl who could be bullied. She seemed to know all of Lan Shi's movements.
However, even so, she couldn't show any weakness in front of Mo Qinghuan.
She straightened her back. "Mo Qinghuan, all these years you've been living under my nose. How come I never realized you were such a ruthless person?"
Mo Qinghuan brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "Thank you for the compliment. There's still some time until the wedding. You can think it over carefully. Of course, if you just can't resist and still want to tamper with the dowry, then watch your precious daughter be a cripple for the rest of her life."
She walked around Lan Shi and paused for a moment as she passed by.
"You'd better hurry up, because in a few days, you might not even be able to get out of bed."
Lan Shi glared at Mo Qinghuan. "What did you say?!"
Mo Qinghuan ignored her and returned to her own courtyard.
Lan Shi returned to her courtyard in a fit of rage. The red - dressed woman sent by the Left Prime Minister had already changed into a maid's uniform of the General's Mansion and was standing respectfully at the door.
"Ya Nu, Father sent you to help me. You must help me well."
Ya Nu nodded, her eyes sharp.
Lan Shi looked at Ya Nu, pinning all her hopes on this mute maid who was highly skilled in martial arts and good at disguise.
Mo Yao walked out of the room and shook her head at Lan Shi. "Mother, I've almost finished the medicine you grabbed, but it still doesn't work. My hands are still numb. I can't do anything." Her eyes were blood - shot and there were dark circles under her eyes. It seemed that she hadn't had a good rest for many days.
She didn't know what kind of poison Mo Qinghuan had given her. During the day, her arms were completely numb and she couldn't even take care of herself. But at night, it felt as if there were thousands of tiny insects crawling and biting under the skin of her arms. The pain was so intense that she couldn't fall asleep and even wanted to cut off her arms.
Mother had once told her to beg Mo Qinghuan, but she was not willing to do so.
Although Lan Shi was angry at her daughter's lack of determination, she was still her only precious daughter. Seeing her daughter crying, she lovingly wiped away her tears. "Yao Yao, don't cry. Your arms will be cured!"
Mo Yao looked at her mother in disbelief. She had grabbed so much medicine, but to no avail.
"Really?"
Lan Shi nodded and helped her daughter into the room. "Of course. Mo Qinghuan has already agreed to give you the antidote."
Mo Yao stared blankly at her mother. "Is she really that kind - hearted and willing to give me the antidote?" Lan Shi averted her eyes. Mo Yao leaned closer and asked, "Mother, tell me. What's going on?"
Her mother was proud and she couldn't bear to see her mother begging that woman for her sake.
Lan Shi seemed to understand her daughter's thoughts. She held her numb hands and comforted her. "Don't worry. Since she's getting married soon, she came to ask mother to prepare the dowry for her. Mother just took the opportunity to propose exchanging it for the antidote."
Hearing this, Mo Yao sneered. "In the end, she's still afraid of being looked down upon after she gets married, so she came to beg mother, right?"
Lan Shi smiled at her daughter and nodded. "Anyway, don't worry. Mother won't let anyone hurt you from now on!"
Saying that, she pulled Mo Yao into her arms.
Night fell. The moisture after the rain brought up a thin mist. When Mu Yanming came in, a layer of frost had formed on his black eyelashes.