Chapter 114 - Karma for Those Who Try to Frame Others (1/2)
“Is this my belly-binder?” A cold and indifferent voice could be heard from outside the crowd. A woman approached slowly. She was dressed plainly and did not look striking. In fact, her clothes were shabbier than all the ladies present. She did not look any different from some maids standing by the side who were dressed nicely.
A n.o.ble lady living under someone else’s roof should look like this!
It had been two years since w.a.n.g Yun was thrown out by Mo Huawen. Mo Xuetong was only 10 then and she looked completely different in terms of size and appearance. The girl did look slightly familiar, so w.a.n.g Yun immediately turned to her and said affectionately, “Tong’er, I’m sorry. I did not mean to tell them about what happened between us. When you gave me this two days ago, I promised that I would not let you suffer. But I can’t not say it today. It is alright. I will not look down on you. In the future, I will give you everything that I have and I will love you dearly. We will go back to the capital together later and ask your father for permission to marry.”
“Are you talking about me?” The girl frowned and sized him up, looking at him with disdain. Her head was lifted highly and her tone of disdain angered w.a.n.g Yun. He thought about how everyone looked down on him after he was thrown out by Mo Huawen. He had been shamed plenty of times after that and he hated Mo Huawen thoroughly. He would go through with this no matter what. “Of course I am talking about you, Tong’er. Didn’t we agree that night after our meeting? Are you going to abandon me?”
He spoke lovingly and tenderly, but this made Mdm Yu who was standing by the side sweat profusely in her anxiousness. She took a step forward and wanted to say something but spotted the cold glance that Mdm Qin gave her. She shut her mouth immediately. No matter how much she did not respect Mdm Qin, she could see the viciousness in her eyes right now. She did not dare to say anything else and could only grit her teeth silently.
“You’re sure it’s me?”
“Of course I’m sure. I am familiar with not only your face but your body as well.” There was a low buzzing from the crowd that made w.a.n.g Yun feel uneasy for some reason. However, he could not tell what was wrong. He looked at the familiar face and hunkered down. He was truly vicious. While he sounded loving and tender, he was exposing the relations.h.i.+p they had.
“Madam discovered you having an affair with a maid at home and you were thrown out by old sir. However, he felt that it was hard for you as a scholar and did not make the news public. However, you have forgotten that old sir was afraid that you might do something in retaliation against the Mo Manor and had you write a confession letter in your own hands with your handprint on it. He had left it at the magistrate before he left. One can find out about this matter should they go and check. I did not expect that you would refuse to be a scholar and do something like this. How dare you ruin my mistress’ reputation now.” Mo Lan glared at w.a.n.g Yun furiously.
Even though it had been some time since the incident, the maid that w.a.n.g Yun had an affair with was her cousin. After the incident, w.a.n.g Yun was thrown out from the manor, but her cousin had been shamed and had committed suicide by jumping into the well. She had thought that w.a.n.g Yun had already disappeared, but she did not expect to see him here and how dare he besmirch her mistress’ reputation.
“Nonsense, we were in love with each other but your father said that because he was afraid that this would besmirch the family name. I wrote that confession under distress because I cared for your reputation. Could it be…” w.a.n.g Yun’s expression grew fl.u.s.tered when he was exposed. He did not care about anything else now and only thought of dragging Mo Xuetong down with him and to have his accusations become fact.
However, he suddenly stuttered when he said that. Old sir, Madam… sweat started running down his back profusely!
How dare he say he was having an affair with a young lady of the Mo family? He had even gotten the person wrong. Everyone present knew then that this person was intentionally trying to frame the young lady.
“Why aren’t you speaking anymore? Go on? Didn’t you say that we were having an affair and that we only met a few days ago? How did you think that Mo Lan was me?” Mo Xuetong appeared from behind Mo Lan with a sneer. She was slender and was not as tall as Mo Lan. w.a.n.g Yun did not see her at all when she stood behind Mo Lan. Furthermore, Mo Lan did not dress up like a maid today but like a young lady from a less wealthy family. When one thought of how she was still in her grieving period, it was easy for one to misunderstand.
Mo Xuetong needed such a misunderstanding.
“I don’t know when I have ever seen you. And even in the Mo Manor, what right do you have as an outsider who is a man to see me? Furthermore, I was just 10 then and was just a child. How could I have an affair with a man who is in his 20s? You were trying to ruin my reputation deliberately today, otherwise, why would your statements not match?”
Mo Xuetong stood there calmly and coldly. Her tone was powerful and her innocent and ethereal expression did not seem angry at this moment. Her beautiful face was sharp as she strode forward and stood in front of w.a.n.g Yun who was sweating profusely. She asked him coldly, “But if I had not brought you here today, who did!”
She looked at w.a.n.g Yun from above as he knelt before her.
This statement had not only brought up the fact that w.a.n.g Yun had tried to frame her. Suspicion towards w.a.n.g Yun grew in the crowd once again.
The women of the court officials were all present. Even the serving monks in the temple were all young monks who were about seven or eight years old. How was it possible for other men to appear unless someone brought him in to get Mo Xuetong into trouble? Who would put in so much effort to bring someone in and set up such a scheme? This person must have grudges against Mo Xuetong.
Everyone glanced at Mdm Yu thoughtfully.
There were many people who witnessed the Yu family’s dispute with Mo Xuetong yesterday. When they saw this scene and recalled what happened yesterday, they could not help but suspect the Yu family. However, no one else in the Yu family was in the mood to admire flowers today. No one else from the Yu family had come except Mdm Yu.
Some of the quick-witted recalled how Mdm Yu had jumped out and said all those things while she tugged on w.a.n.g Yun. The looks of suspicion cast on Mdm Yu grew stronger.
Mdm Yu’s expression grew ugly and she was shocked and fl.u.s.tered. She did not expect the small tweak in Mo Lan’s dressing would cause her plot to fail. According to her plans, w.a.n.g Yun only needed to insist that he had an affair with Mo Xuetong. The crowd would not care how old she was two years ago. After all, it was hard to explain love.
She did not expect Mo Xuetong to not appear but to stand behind Mo Lan. Mo Lan looked like a lady and she had not expected w.a.n.g Yun to just rush forward and treat the maid as Mo Xuetong. His actions were so quick so much so that she had no time to react. By the time she came to her senses, Mdm Qin had glared at her coldly and she did not dare to say anything.
The s.l.u.t was too sly. No wonder Mo Lan was dressed differently today. They had already planned for this! However, there was no use in her being angry right now. The facts were laid bare before everyone. Her plot to frame Mo Xuetong had failed. Mdm Yu did not know what to do next.
The plot that she had been confident in had failed. How could she not be fl.u.s.tered!
Mdm Qin glared at Mdm Yu hatefully and angrily. She was one of the few in the crowds who knew what was happening. How could she not know that Mdm Yu was angry about what Mo Xuetong had done to the Yu family yesterday and had set up such a vicious plot? Mdm Yu had disregarded the Qin family and tried to slander Mo Xuetong.