A painting was placed on a broad table. It slowly rolled open and a girl who was smiling brightly appeared in the painting.

The long-sleeved coat was decorated with hibiscus, and the dress was laced with golden begonia. Red and golden pearl tassel made the girl look more charming. Authentic pearls dotted magenta top laced with silver threads were, forming the shape of a Chinese rose. She wore a jade and flying swallow pedant, dancing in front of a bouquet of purple peony. She looked vivid and more delicate than the flowers.

“Your Highness, this is the top beauty in Qin Kingdom, the legal second miss of Ding General Manor. It’s said that the emperor of Qin will marry her either to King Chu or King Yan.” The aide was an elegant-looking scholar in his 30s. He spread his fan and pointed to the beauty in the painting, introducing. He looked casual and seemed to think little of her.

“It’s said that this top beauty is on good terms with both of the two princes. The Emperor of Qin really doesn’t seem to know how to choose.”

Standing beside the table, Bai Yichen sneered and looked closely at the beauty in the painting. He turned around to sit down and said meaningfully. “King Chu and King Yan are in a heated fight over supremacy. I didn’t expect they would also fight for women so hard.”

He was handsome, young, and resembled Bai Yihao. However, he wasn’t as ethereally handsome as Bai Yihao. Moreover, he didn’t look as pure as Bai Yihao. Between his brows, there was more fierceness.

The scholar smilingly lifted his fan and patted on his sleeve, saying, “I heard they are at peace on the surface. But if this doesn’t work out well, the situation won’t last long. They can wait for the country but not the beauty. Soon, there will be a selection for consorts.”

Emperor Zongwen wouldn’t step down in a short while, but the selection was imminent. If not properly handled, it might ignite the war between the two princes.

Bai Yichen said thoughtfully, “If Feng Yuzhen really makes it, we might as well give it a little push. I want to know whether they love country or beauty more.”

This time, Bai Yichen brought Feng Yuzhen back. On the one hand, the Empress demanded it; on the other hand, Bai Yichen offered an opportunity for him. Otherwise, as a royal hostage, how could Feng Yuzhen escape from Bai Yichen’s people and return to Qin Kingdom?

Thinking of the capable and powerful Empress in the central palace, the scholar slightly knitted his brows. Walking to and fro, he stood before Bai Yihao and asked in doubt, “Your Highness, do you really want to marry the newly-promoted Princess Anping? Her Highness hopes you can marry her legal niece, Fifth Princess in the Qin Kingdom. I heard Her Highness’s family all care for the Fifth Princess. Even the emperor of the Qin dotes on her because he has no legal children in the central palace. If you marry her…”

The benefit of marrying her was obvious. The scholar didn’t need to remind Bai Yichen of that. The Empress knew, and the First Prince too. However, why did First Prince give up on the most beneficial Fifth Princess? Instead, he wanted to marry Princess Anping who had no connections whatsoever. She was only recently adopted by Princess Royal Mingzhu.

Because of that painting?

The scholar was restless because of First Prince’s stubbornness.

Seeing his aide doubt his decision, Bai Yichen chuckled. “Do you also think I’m obsessed with her beauty?”

“You mean, you pretended to…” The scholar smiled wryly and shook his head. He had been assisting Bai Yichen long and never believed that his master would fall out with Empress, disobey her, and hurry to head to the Qin Kingdom for some woman. He thought his master had been lured by the woman’s beauty. He didn’t expect that his master could put on such a wonderful show that even he got fooled.

Bai Yichen’s smile slowly faded away. “I surely had acted that prurient and you even bought it. I guess everyone else, including my sharp brother, will think in that way!”

It was a trap for the crown prince.

“Last time you’re here, did you also trick the crown prince? But why did you gift the pair of hairpins that you tried hard to get from the eastern palace?” Though satisfied with his master’s attitude, he felt relieved. However, though he thought his master didn’t betray Empress’s trust, he still had some doubt on his mind and brought it up.

The pair of hairpins took much effort to get. They were said to be closely related to the crown prince, who loved them very much. His Highness had managed to steal them out of the eastern palace. They were supposed to be the trump card during his master’s war against the crown prince at a crucial moment. Nonetheless, His Highness gifted them for no reason. He really couldn’t understand that.

“That day, I met King Xuan and King Chu of Qin Kingdom. I gifted the hairpins to the girl, who is close to King Xuan of the Qin Kingdom. I heard the emperor of the Qin Kingdom cares for this King Xuan. If Bai Yihao gets into a fight with this prince…” Bai Yichen didn’t continue and let the scholar finish the sentence on his own. He raised his lips in a smug smile.

What kind of man was King Xuan, Feng Yuran? He was so arrogant that no one could compare. Should Bai Yihao conflict Feng Yuran for a pair of sword-shaped hairpins, even if he was resourceful, Bai Yihao couldn’t have gotten away safe and sound. Therefore, though Bai Yichen secretly entered the Qin Kingdom, it wasn’t so hard to track him.

The scholar’s eyes lit up and he smiled understandingly. His gaze swept from Bai Yichen to a painting scroll on Bai Yichen’s right. Though closed, he knew the painting portrayed another dancing beauty.

Her dark eyebrows were long. Instead of pearl-decorated tassels, she only wore a pattern hairpin in her dark hair. She put on light makeup and looked as ethereal as an immortal. She danced in the snow and her fair and white skin against the snowflakes made her resemble an immortal from heaven. Such a girl was Princess Anping from the Qin Kingdom.

For the first time, the scholar became interested! He averted his eyes from his master and there was a trace of darkness inside his eyes. He lowered his head to hide his suspicion. “Does he really not care about such a girl? Then why does he always carry the painting with him?”

The news that Mo Manor had been robbed at night spread around the city the next day. The entire town was talking about it. The manor of the lord mayor, who was in charge of the safety administration, should have been stolen. Emperor Zongwen was raged and immediately ordered Mo Huawen to investigate thoroughly. If he found anything suspicious, he could directly arrest them for interrogating with inadequate evidence.

If anyone acted suspiciously, he could be deemed as violating the laws.

Instantly, the entire capital was going through an intense investigation. At that time, those young thieves were all doomed. The patrol found them from all kinds of rats holes and asked them what they were doing last night, as if they wouldn’t let the young men go unless they provided at least some information.

Their immediate boss’s manor had been robbed. How embarrassing that was!

Knowing her brother was involved, in the Caiwei Palace, Consort Yu couldn’t sit tight anymore. She first knelt on the road which Emperor Zongwen took every day and stopped Emperor Zongwen’s imperial sedan chair to beg Emperor Zongwen for sparing Yu Mingyong. She swore and promised that Yu Mingyong absolutely didn’t have the guts to do this kind of thing.

At most, he would only want to do steal some incense or jade!

Kneeling on the ground and begging hard, she promised that she could directly found Yu Mingyong to make him tell the truth.

If he told a single lie, she was willing to let Emperor Zongwen punish him.

Looking at the way his beautiful consort cried, Emperor Zongwen finally felt soft-hearted for her and sent for Yu Mingyong into the palace.

At this time, Yu Mingyong didn’t dare to conceal anything anymore. He told everything from Mo Xuemin’s sending a beauty’s portrait to him to an old woman’s visiting him to plan together. The old woman told her to poison Third Miss Mo’s reputation. He told all of these from the beginning to the end. Moreover, he also told the final part where someone knocked him out for no reason. He told them all in detail and didn’t dare to hide anything.

Somebody fetched the portrait from his house and presented it before Emperor Zongwen along with his confession.

Anyway, it was Mo Manor’s family affairs. Therefore, Emperor Zongwen pushed all this to Mo Huawen.

When Mo Huawen saw this, his face was livid with rage. He directly went into Mo Xuemin’s yard.

Inside her room, looking at the new clothes before her, she couldn’t help but raise her lips in a long-lost elegant smile.

This was her chance, even her one last chance. With her talent and looks, she could easily find a husband better than Sima Lingyun. Before, because she had set her heart on You Yuecheng, she missed many suitors from the aristocracy. Though incomparable to You Yuecheng, they were much better than Sima Lingyun.

If something really happened and someone from the palace saw it, then the man could never get rid of her.

While she was pondering on the idea in a good mood, the yard door was pushed open. Mo Huawen stormed inside and before the gatekeeping nanny reported, he lifted the curtains into the room.

Mo Xuemin was startled for a moment. “Father.” Then, she stood up, as elegantly as usual. If not for the smugness that she failed to completely seal at the moment, Mo Huawen almost thought he was seeing his past graceful and beautiful first daughter.

Mo Huawen stonily looked at her and averted his gaze from her coy face to the glamorous dress aside. “You don’t have to prepare clothes because you don’t need to attend the royal banquet.”

As if struck by lightning, Mo Xuemin couldn’t keep her poised manner at all. She was shocked all over her face. “Why, father, why?”

Mo Huawen didn’t want to say anything. Staring coldly at her, he was about to turn around to leave. Suddenly, he found there was nothing he wanted to say to her. “There’s no why. You just can’t attend the banquet.”

Was this pretentious girl before his eyes really his daughter?

“Father, is this because of that wretched woman, Mo Xuetong? Is it for her again? Because she broke her leg and couldn’t go, so all of us don’t need to go? Why, ever since she entered the manor, all you see is her. Except her, am I not your daughter? And isn’t elder brother not your son? How can you abandon all of us for that wretched woman?”

“You treat Auntie Fang and elder brother like this, now, you even treat me this way. For her, you’ll marry me to the underdog, Sima Lingyun. You drove Auntie Fang away and ignored elder brother. Now, you even want to take away my only chance. You must care so much for her as to treat your daughter, me, like dirt.”

Seeing Mo Huawen cut off her only hope with the snap of a finger, Mo Xuemin immediately broke down.

She suddenly jerked her head up, threw away her previous elegance, and snarled with bloodshot eyes. She looked so vicious that she seemed to be able to tear Mo Xuetong apart if she were present.

She should say something so disobedient.

Mo Huawen was raged and flung his hand in the air to slap her face.

“Slap!” A crisp sound rang in the air. Mo Xuemin was startled. Covering her face, she looked at Mo Huawen in disbelief. Rage and hatred darting out from her eyes seemed to be able to set him on fire.

Like a flow of lava, the accumulated hate rushed out. She grabbed the brocade by her side. Her sharp nails cut into the smooth surface of the silk and she scratched the cloth. Her eyes were so fierce that she looked like she could swallow a person alive.

She said word by word. “You hit me for that wretched woman! I curse her. She will end up more miserable than my mother. People will hate her and disdain her. Her stomach will be torn open and she’ll die in a fire without a complete body.”

She laughed madly. Strands of hair fell from her forehead and scattered on her face. She arrogantly and viciously looked at Mo Huawen. She wasn’t the adorable and delicate young miss anymore.

This was her last chance. However, Mo Xuetong ruined it. How could she not go mad and out of control?

…

Looking at Mo Xuemin who was as hideous as a monster, and hearing her shrill laughter, Mo Huawen felt an ache in the chest, and his vision got blurry.

When did his daughter who always made him proud become so vicious!

“Who did this? If you and Auntie Fang hadn’t framed Tong’er again and again, you wouldn’t end up here today. Now, you should blame it all on others. Well, very good… you don’t have to hate anyone anymore because I’ll marry you into Duke Zhenguo’s manor as soon as possible.” Mo Huawen was livid with rage and the blue veins on his forehead bulged. He kicked the door open and stormed outside the yard.

Furiously, he ordered the servants to lock up the gate. Without his order, Mo Xuemin couldn’t go out or have any visitors.

“No, I don’t want to marry Sima Lingyun, I don’t want to. Father, I don’t want to marry into the declining Duke Zhenguo’s manor. I’m your daughter who always makes you proud…” Behind him, Mo Xuemin’s shrill howling, along with the sounds of the wind, chilled people’s blood in the middle of the night…