Chapter 126 - The Problems of the Third Master’s Family

When Mo Junyu and Qu Yuebai were depressed because they couldn’t blackmail Mo Junjiu, Mo Junyang glimpsed at them.

He said casually, “You can get as many such things as you want. What? Do you still want it?”

The two nodded repeatedly.

Mo Junyang smiled faintly and leered at Mo Junyu. “But Mo Junjiu asked me out. Do you want to see him by appointment for me, Your Highness?”

Almost everybody knew that Mo Junyang worked for the crown prince, but if Mo Junyu came out, that would be the intramural fight of brothers, and it was forbidden.

Mo Junyu naturally wouldn’t do something stupid like this and then smiled, trying to please him. “We are brothers. Don’t be so distant. What’s more, you have planned this issue, and I can’t claim all your credit for myself.”

“Your Highness, what do you want?” Mo Junyang was not in the mood to beat around the bush and asked directly.

Mo Junyu answered, “After Zhao Ming died, the position of Minister of Revenue is vacant, and I am afraid that many people covet it. Junyang, what’s your opinion?”

Mo Junyang stayed silent for a while before saying, “The Assistant Minister, Zong Quan. What do you think, Your Highness?”

“Zong Quan?” Mo Junyu thought this name was unfamiliar and frowned. “This man is unknown to the public and has no background. Would it be a waste to make him the head of the Ministry of Revenue?”

More importantly, Mo Junyu was worried that Zong Quan who was not engaged in factional activities in pursuit of personal gains on the surface worked for Mo Junjiu or Mo Junhao. If he promoted this man, would he help others?

“Zong Quan is over fifty years old but is still the Assistant Minister just because he is honest and stubborn and doesn’t know how to flatter.” Mo Junyang introduced Zong Quan’s information calmly.

Mo Junyu always liked the sophisticated people. Such people could be used and were easy to win over. They just sought for profit. Hearing Mo Junyang’s introduction, he wrinkled his brows more deeply. “We can’t make such a person loyal to us.”

The stubborn people paid attention to the principles, which was the most troublesome. No matter how much was given to him, it couldn’t change his original intentions. How could they buy him over?

Mo Junyang sneered. “Your Highness, have you forgotten your identity?”

Mo Junyu was stunned.

Mo Junyang looked into the distance and said leisurely after a short while, “You are so busy and have done so many things. Have you forgotten your original purpose? Or because of your brothers’ means, don’t you remember your greatest advantage?

Your Highness, you are the crown prince and the official heir to the throne. As long as you don’t make mistakes, even His Majesty can’t deprive you of your position easily. So you don’t need to win over your followers anxiously. Only your identity is enough to make many people loyal to you. Why do you confuse cause and effect to lose your majesty?”

Mo Junyu kept silent and was shocked, as if his heart was stricken.

He suddenly thought of what Mo Junyang had told him in the past and couldn’t help but ask again, “How about you? Why are you willing to follow me?”

In fact, when Mo Junyu was dying, lonely and desperate, and even the empress dowager, Ling Ruiyin had given him up, he had asked Mo Junyang who saved him the same question.

And now, Mo Junyang looked at him expressionlessly but said forcefully as before, “You are the crown prince and should ascend the throne.”

At that time, the fated prediction had given Mo Junyu much courage and made him fearless to fight against the fatal attack of smallpox. But now, he heaved a sigh of relief and concealed the complicated emotions, pretending that nothing had happened. “I am afraid I have to depend on you, brother.”

Mo Junyang just nodded at him and stood up to leave.

Qu Yuebai followed Mo Junyang. Till they were on the way back to King Rui’s mansion after leaving the East Palace, he said in a deep voice, “Your Excellency, you are smart and should have known the story that the bow would be worthless and ruined after all the birds are hunted. I think you’d better make plans earlier for something.”

Mo Junyang leaned against the soft chair and smiled casually, asking, “Are you worried that the crown prince would do something to me?”

Qu Yuebai looked serious. “Although he killed the spy around you this time, which showed that he trusts you, we don’t know if this spy was greedy for wealth or was sent by him. He looks calm, and it means that he is guilty. Can’t you see this point?”

“Yes,” Mo Junyang answered simply.

But before his follower was relieved, he added unhurriedly, “But anyway, he is just afraid that I will follow one of his brothers. If he only wants to confirm this aspect, I won’t mind promising to him.”

Qu Yuebai frowned and then asked, “What if he has other plans?”

Mo Junyang fell into silence for a long time. Till Qu Yuebai thought he wouldn’t get an answer again, Mo Junyang patted his shoulder and said solemnly, “Yuebai, I won’t make you regret your choice.”

Que Yuebai was shocked and looked at Mo Junyang, planning to ask more, but the latter had lifted the carriage’s curtain and ordered the driver, “We won’t return home. Go to Duke Shi’s mansion first and head for Xiangyue Pavilion in the evening.”

“Yes!”

After Shi Baojin had been put in prison, Duke Shi’s mansion was a mess. Especially everyone in the Third Master’s Family was nervous and feared that the Zhao Family’s case would implicate them. They were not as lucky as Shi Qingxue, and the token granted by the emperor made her invincible. They hadn’t considered getting Shi Baojin out yet.

Especially after hearing that Shi Baojin was thrown out to suffer by Mo Junyang because she had offended Shi Qingxue, Zhou Ruyu couldn’t help but blame her daughter. “I told that girl not to annoy Shi Qingxue, but she didn’t listen to me and insisted on bothering about Shi Qingxue. Now she has got herself in trouble. What should we do?”

Shi Juncai snorted. “You have raised a good daughter. You spoilt her. I hear from His Highness that King Rui’s heir is very vindictive. Because of our relationship with First Master’s Family, he might even hate us. But your daughter insisted on going to Shi Qingxue to court death. Wouldn’t she implicate everybody in our family?”

Zhou Ruyu was angry. With one hand on her waist, and the other pointing at Shi Juncai, she cursed, “Is Baojin not your daughter? When she pleased Mother and fought with Shi Qingxue at ordinary times, why didn’t you object? Now she is in trouble, and you blame me? Shi Juncai, I tell you. I am not one of your concubines who can let you vent your anger. If you dare to bully me, believe it or not, I will go back to tell Father.”

Shi Juncai patted Zhou Ruyu’s hand away and sneered. “Do you think Marquis of Wuyang is still the first marquis in the capital city as more than twenty years ago? Stop daydreaming! Since your two brothers died in the battlefield, your family has declined. Marquis of Wuyang does nothing now and only waits for death. Oh, I think he would have nobody to collect his body after he dies. He has no descendants.”

“You!” Zhou Ruyu was enraged by the sarcastic words and could hardly breathe. She rushed to Shi Juncai to punch and kick him while cursing in tears, “Why did I marry such an ungrateful guy? Have you forgotten that your brother refused to help you get promoted and my father did that for you?”

Shi Juncai bared his teeth in pain and couldn’t bear Zhou Ruyu’s hot temper. He pushed her away, which made her fall on the floor. And he stabbed her heart with words mercilessly, “Huh? Do you think that I don’t know you wanted to marry my brother at the beginning? Unfortunately, he married Dong Hui and didn’t have any interest in you. He didn’t even want to make you his concubine. Your father wanted to claim ties of kinship with Duke Shi’s mansion and asked my mother shamelessly to let you marry me. As for that official position, it was what you should do. Now you want to claim the credit?”

Zhou Ruyu was insulted and her face got pale. She trembled and pointed at Shi Juncai, but she couldn’t speak a word out of anger.

Shi Juncai was always controlled by Zhou Ruyu and suffered a lot. At the moment, he vent his anger in one breath and wasn’t afraid of offending her. Then he added fuel to the fire with harsh words and made her almost have a heart attack.

“Father, Mother, what are you doing?” Shi Baoyou saw that as soon as she entered the room and then hurriedly helped Zhou Ruyu up to have a seat.

Seeing that Shi Juncai still wanted to irritate Zhou Ruyu more, Shi Baoyou had tears filling her beautiful face and tried to advise, “Father, it’s said that one night of love is worth a hundred of friendship. Even if Mother makes you angry, please don’t irritate her anymore for the sake of me and my brother, okay? After all, she gave birth to children for you.”

Her words hit Shi Juncai’s weakness, and he couldn’t curse anymore. He started to comfort Shi Baoyou in a hurry who was full of tears. “Baoyou, stop crying. I was so anxious because of your sister that I lost my mind. I didn’t mean it.”

Even a hero couldn’t bear to see a beauty’s tears. Moreover, such a charming and weak beauty was Shi Juncai’s daughter. He had to keep his temper and admit his mistake.

Shi Baoyou’s tears were wiped by her father, and she didn’t cry anymore but grabbed his hand, comforting softly, “Father, don’t be anxious. In fact, we have chances to change the situation. At least, all Minister Zhao’s family died, but my sister is still alive and wasn’t sentenced to death. It can be seen that His Majesty didn’t want to get our family involved. Maybe we can even save my sister.”

Shi Juncai heard that and got joyful, but then he said in low spirits, “With our family’s current position, I certainly know His Majesty wouldn’t do anything to us, but His Excellency…”

Who knew if he would be narrow-minded and hurt them to make Shi Qingxue happy?

“I hear that His Excellency loves Qingxue, so as long as she says something, he wouldn’t bother about this matter.” Shi Baoyou calmly analyzed and dragged Shi Juncai back from the abyss of hopelessness once more.

Shi Juncai’s eyes lit up again and he excitedly grasped Shi Baoyou’s hand. “Right. You keep a good relationship with First Master’s Family recently. If you say something, you can persuade Shi Qingxue.”

He was worried that Shi Baoyou would be under pressure and couldn’t make it, so he added considerately, “Don’t worry. It’s fine if you can’t save your sister. As long as His Excellency lets go of our family, it will be great.”

Shi Baoyou bit her lower lip and looked depressed after hearing that, with sorrow in her eyes, but soon she concealed it. Then she replied peacefully, “I am going to talk with Qingxue.”

When Shi Baoyou reached the Luotong Boudoir, it happened that Shi Baoning and Qingxue were in the room.

Looking at the two sisters happily talking about Qingxue’s finished embroidery, Shi Baoyou who was restless had more confidence.

With the soft-hearted Shi Baoning here, Shi Qingxue would be easier to be persuaded.

Shi Qingxue found Shi Baoyou and showed a bigger smile. She stepped forward to hold her cousin’s arm and pointed at her work result, asking, “Baoyou, have a look. How is my embroidery?”