Chapter 93 - Three Years Older (1/2)

Shi Junhe got stiffened and didn’t dare to move.

But Mo Xiangbin looked at him with expectancy, so Shi Junhe had to answer, “Yes, my little daughter is named Qingxue. She will have her sixteenth birthday in June.”

“She is a clever girl. I have seen her several times. She is obedient and witty and knows how to make my mother happy!” Mo Xiangbin said casually, but told the truth.

It was not easy for the busy emperor to remember a young girl with no official rank. It was true that Shi Qingxue was extraordinarily capable.

But Shi Junhe didn’t feel happy to hear that. Instead, he was more terrified.

Then Mo Xiangbin spoke in a careless way again, as if he didn’t fear that he would scare somebody to death. “I hear that your daughter is a friend of my fourth son Junhao. He is always picky, but he praised that girl in front of me for several times!”

Shi Junhe responded in panic, “His Highness is so kind.”

Mo Xiangbin waved his hand and looked down, finding that Shi Junhe was trembling with his head lowered. He believed that he had given enough hints and shouldn’t push him too hard. Then he said, “We just talked about our children. Don’t be overcautious. I will consider Infanta Baoning’s marriage. Go back and think it over.”

“Yes!”

Although Mo Xiangbin didn’t tell him what to think over, Shi Junhe left in a hurry without asking.

After he walked out of the imperial palace, he finally sighed deeply and wiped the sweat emerging continuously on his forehead.

Probably it was his first time to feel so scared when facing the emperor. He was almost frightened to death.

In the carriage to his mansion, Shi Junhe sat with his back straightened. Without any joy of assurance on his face, he looked serious, as if he was facing many enemies.

In the beginning, he had thought Mo Xiangbin was dissatisfied with him being alone, so he wanted to drag him down into the mess of the royal family, but he hadn’t expected the emperor to make the Shi Family follow the fourth prince.

“Ah! Love is so tiring. That person would do such a thing, and it is so…” Shi Junhe sighed helplessly.

It was said that the emperor Mo Xiangbin doted on his concubine Liu Yiyi, but it was normal for a man with supreme power to have one or two beloved concubines and even to be partial, but unexpectedly, that person would have gone so far.

If Mo Xiangbin just doubted the Shi Family’s loyalty, he could prove that he was loyal. After all, there were other choices to show the loyalty to the emperor except marrying his daughter to a prince, and it was even okay with him if Mo Xiangbin wanted him to help Mo Junhao.

Under the current situation, the crown prince was timid and not powerful enough, and the second prince was numb and powerless. The third prince had relatives who monopolized the power and there would be much future trouble… The fourth prince Mo Junhao could be considered as a choice, especially nowadays Mo Xiangbin was partial to him apparently.

But Mo Xiangbin shouldn’t mention it in this way. Thinking that the emperor wanted Shi Qingxue to marry Mo Junhao, Duke Shi wrinkled his brows tightly.

Till now, he certainly wouldn’t think that his daughter loved Mo Junhao. Moreover, especially when Mo Junhao had a side concubine, the duke didn’t dare to tell Qingxue about Mo Xiangbin’s intention.

He was so worried.

What happened in the emperor’s study made Shi Junhe have a headache as he didn’t know how to refuse Mo Xiangbin’s involvement. While the empress dowager Ling Ruiyin had a meeting with Mo Junyu after she got the news.

“Junyu, do you know your father wants Qingxue to marry your brother Junhao?” Ling Ruiyin didn’t keep him in suspense but went straight to the point.

Mo Junyu was surprised and wanted to play dumb, but he saw his grandma’s grim face. He had to nod, saying helplessly, “Father is always partial to Junhao, and it is not surprising that he wants to find Junhao a reliable wife.”

But their father chose Shi Qingxue from so many ladies. He prayed for Mo Junhao in his heart.

While Ling Ruiyin asked, “Are you willing to let Junhao take advantage of you?”

Mo Junyu thought, “Don’t worry. He wouldn’t take advantage.”

However, he had to say worriedly, “You know that Father doesn’t like me. Even if I am unwilling, I have to bear with it.”

Nowadays, no matter how unwilling he was, he had to hide his capabilities and wait.

“That’s not necessary. I have a way to grab the advantage for you!” Ling Ruiyin suddenly said.

Mo Junyu was stunned and confused. “Grandma, do you mean…”

Ling Ruiyin smiled slyly. “Qingxue is so adorable, and none of you can compare with her. If I don’t think that you are nice and would love her wholeheartedly after marrying her, I wouldn’t be willing to marry her to you.”

The crown prince was speechless.

But Ling Ruiyin misunderstood him and put on a long face, reproaching him, “What? It’s said that men are fickle in love and heartless, forgetting the old one after seeing a new one. You haven’t married her, but you start to consider another woman as your concubine?”

Mo Junyu could neither laugh nor cry and hurriedly waved his hand, explaining, “No, I don’t dare to. I know that if the wife’s position is unstable, the household would be a mess.”

He was a tragedy caused by the unstable position of a wife. Even if he would be lucky and get the supreme position at last, no matter how he disliked his wife, he wouldn’t humiliate her. That was his bottom line.