NOVEL WEB In the eye of others, Princess Yuhe was drooping down. Even if she did something wrong, she was honest with it and willing to correct herself, without denying or putting on air…
However, what Mo Qianxue saw was the vicious gleam behind her benevolence. She smelled plot.
The words weren’t a blunt apology, but it was already rare for a princess to say so, at least to the officials. Hence, Mo Qianxue would appear unappreciative if she insisted on an apology.
Certainly, Mo Qianxue wasn’t that kind of unappreciative stubborn-headed person. She smiled too, “Princess Yuhe is really as kind and lenient as they say. Believe it or not, I never blamed you.”
Princess Yuhe smiled, and so did she, more than sincerely.
“Miss. Mo has both integrity and talent. I admire you so much…”
“Princess is role model for all females. I should learn from you…”
The two looked so earnest and intimately like sisters. Certainly this incident ended here.
The court took on an air of harmony. Mo Qianxue saved her face, while Princess Yuhe her reputation. All others were touched by the two girls.
Then rang again the prolonged high-pitched voice of the eunuch, “Master Ning requests to meet his majesty…”
According to the rituals, after a new master of the super families took the position, he should come to greet the Emperor and make the news known to everyone.
Having a new master Ning was a huge event in the capital. The Emperor had received a memorial from the Ning clan at the first place. Other official had gotten the news too.
He coming to the court at the moment wasn’t surprising.
This was the original huge event for today’s court. Unexpectedly, it was almost forgotten because of a slandering trifle of girls.
The Emperor was a little awkward. All others came to the realization too.
With the solemn announcement, Ning Shaoqing stepped in.
He was wearing dark-blue clothes which had exquisite embroidery patterns on the lapel of flowers and branches made of silver and gold threads. The patterns were the totem of the Ning clan, exclusive to the master.
A beam of sunlight slanted on him, instantly making him more dazzlingly and echoing with his shining eyes which looked more majestic and noble.
“Your Majesty.”
The master of a super family only needed to bow to the Emperor. Ning Shaoqing certainly didn’t want to break the rules.
A new master Ning in position. Now, there was another person who didn’t have to kneel before the Emperor. He, suffering inwardly, something flickering in his eyes, forced a laugh, “Congratulations on taking the throne of master Ning.”
To that gleaming light in his eyes, Ning Shaoqing just smiled faintly, “Thank you, your majesty.”
Afterwards, he, head slightly tilting, took a secret glimpse at Mo Qianxue. Seeing she wasn’t injured and looked calm, he felt less restless.
Princess Yuhe was standing next to Mo Qianxue. Ning Shaoqing’s eyes were soft as spring breeze when he looked at Mo Qianxue but cold as frost when they past Princess Yuhe.
After seeing clearly Ning Shaoqing’s face, Princess Yuhe was stunned.
So gorgeous! She had never seen such a good-looking man for so many years.
The starry night sky was dizzily beautiful, but not as pretty as this man’s perfect face. Although he was just turning adult, he possessed extraordinary bearing. The inky silky long hair was tied at the back of his head with a ribbon, in the same color of his clothes, which had a shining jade on it, making his look more autocratic.
The brows slanted upwards above the straight high nose. The two eyes were deep and cold as a bottomless lake, which were calm without a ripple when he gazed forward. His gesture and movement all suggested nobility, courtesy, and even indifference.
How could expect such a pretty man to be the high-ranked master Ning? …
Light flashed in Princess Yuhe’s eyes, and her heart beat ever fastest. Only such a man could be her husband.
However, why did he look so impassive when his eyes past her? Was it because of her haggard look which she made deliberately to gain other’s sympathy?
The Emperor didn’t notice the abnormality of Princess Yuhe but only focused on the attitude of Ning Shaoqing towards Mo Qianxue.
Since entering the palace, Ning Shaoqing only glanced at her a little, impassive, not showing the slightest intention to prop her up.
It seemed his earlier judgment was correct. Ning Shaoqing and Mo Qianxue were no longer together.
If Ning Shaoqing really cared about her, he wouldn’t have let her stay alone at the Founder mansion.
If he really cared about her, could he leisurely take the throne of master Ning and show up calmly to greet the Emperor when Mo Qianxue was suffering defamation?
No!
If Ning Shaoqing had the intention, he would have taken Mo Qianxue long ago and then brought her home to make her his concubine, so that he could both get the military power of the Founder mansion and save the position of a wife to absorb another ally.
Any ambitious master would do this. Yet, this Ning Shaoqing hadn’t dared to do it. The Emperor began to despise him. A master so timid as him would destroy the Ning clan in this generation, then he could annex it into his own pocket.
The state treasury was nearly empty, so he must give face to this new master Ning who controlled the wealth of the world.
The Emperor had collected himself, face gently and asking amiably, “Is old master Ning well? I heard he fell ill. I should have visited him in person, yet I’ve been so busy…”
In his tone, besides concerns, there was also the aspiration of benefiting the country and people even it meant sacrificing his own life.
“Thanks for your concern, your majesty. Father has stayed in bed for many days. He gets well just recently.” Ning Shaoqing replied, expressionless. No one could figure what was in his mind.
The Emperor slightly frowned, expressed his sympathy and then yelled at the crowd of officials, “Is the Minister of Rituals here?”
An old minister stood out, “Yes.”
“Make a list of gifts for the new master Ning.” The grants would follow a set of rules. The Emperor or the Minister didn’t need to worry on their own. Everything would be prepared accordingly.
The grants to the new masters of super families would be nothing more than famous wine, weapons, silk, antiques, artist works.
Certainly the Ning family didn’t value these things. Ning Shaoqing didn’t even looked up and folded his fists to express his gratitude, “Thank you, your majesty.”
The Emperor raised his hand, “Don’t mention it, master Ning.”
Ning Shaoqing bowed slightly and said seriously, “I come here for two reasons. The first is to greet your majesty, and the second is ask for a grace from your majesty.”
The Emperor was satisfied with Ning Shaoqing’s attitude. Old master Ning did everything flawlessly and had never asked for any grace.
Even if he did, he wouldn’t display such a humble polite attitude but only talk with him like on a negotiation table or even force him.
Since Ning Shaoqing was asking for something from him, then in the future he was already at a lower lever than him. Approve. No matter what his request was, just approve. As the saying goes, people will say yes to those they owe. The Emperor was delighted and asked loudly, “Please go ahead, master Ning. As long as I have, I’ll give you.”
Ning Shaoqing remained a calm face and not at all smug due to the Emperor’s soft manner. Today was his big day of becoming the new master. The first thing he had wanted to do wasn’t coming to greet the Emperor but sneaking to the Founder mansion to share the joy with Mo Qianxue.
To his surprise, he was just about to order Ghost to distract the spies outside the Founder mansion, when he found Ghost kneeling on the ground, holding a bamboo tube and asking for punishment.
Opening the tube, he hit the roof. There was no time to punish Ghost or ask about more details. He rushed to the imperial palace immediately.
The thought of Mo Qianxue being thrown at with this kind of dirt made Ning Shaoqing frown, “I’d like to ask for your majesty’s consent of the marriage between me and Miss. Mo, the lady of Founder mansion.”
Mo Qianxue had no parents and of a high rank of dukedom. The Mo clan had no say about her marriage. Neither did the Feng clan. Hence, only the Emperor had the say.
His original intention of letting her stay in the Founder mansion was meant to protect her. unexpectedly, the Emperor didn’t let her go easily. If this was the case, he decided to just put everything on the table.
This was his first request after becoming the new master. No matter what personal plan the Emperor had in mind or how much he wanted to prevent it, the Emperor had no other choice but to give consent, as his grace and generosity to the new master.
If Mo Qianxue’s identity changed to madam Ning, even the Emperor didn’t have the right to punish her.
Certainly, even before the wedding, the Emperor must think twice to punish her for any obvious wrongdoing.
His request triggered a tsunami in the Emperor’s heart. His hand tightly clenched the armrest of his chair, as if to smash it into ashes.
In another occasion, he would have sprung up, snorted heavily, forced the officials to kneel down and beg for his peace, and refused him with raging reprimand.
However, this person before him was master Ning… There were only two people in his world who could make him suffer—master Ning and master Su.
It turned out Ning Shaoqing wasn’t a coward at all but with great ambition.
Mo Qianxue was pretty but not overwhelmingly gorgeous. So the reason he hadn’t taken her was to marry her as his wife? But why?
Hum! Want to devour the wealth, hidden power, and military power at the same time? That might be too much to chew. It also depended on whether those rogue people would listen to Mo Qianxue…
The imperial power was the biggest power center in the world, which was also where the ugliest struggles resided in. Having immersed in the political wrestling for so many years, the Emperor was a master in hiding his rage without giving himself away.
Hence, he didn’t display much surprise on his face but only smiled, “Right. Master Ning has turned adult. Now, having taken the position, it’s time for you to get married.”
“Now that you’re sincerely making the request, I should give my consent at once to give you the double-joy. Nevertheless, as you know, the Founder sacrificed his life for the country and deceased only less than a year ago. Mo Qianxue is still in the mourning period and less than fifteen years old. It’s really improper for her to get married.”