Chapter 97 Ending in Failure
“You mean my father invited the old Taoist priest for an exorcism?” Su Muge frowned, standing in the room.
“Yes, I heard from the maid guarding My Lord’s study room that the evil spirits have caused My Lord to be injured for no reason and the Madam and the second Miss to have strange diseases. Even the young master appeared abnormal.”
Su Muge closed her eyes and tapped the table with her fingertips.
“Did that old Taoist priest say how to exorcise the evil spirits?”
“She said she didn’t know; she just went in to serve tea and heard some words.”
“Which Taoist temple is that old Taoist priest from?”
“I heard that he has settled in White Cloud Temple in the outskirts of the capital.”
“Prepare the carriage. I’m going out.”
Yueru retreated in response.
Su Muge changed into a light silk dress, wore a gauze hat, and went out.
“Miss, where are we going?” Yueru asked.
“Jin Mansion.”
“Yes.”
The carriage galloped on the street.
As soon as they left Su Mansion, another carriage followed up.
Su Muge sitting in the carriage was actually a little upset; she didn’t know how Xia Houmo would react to her unexpected visit.
The carriage suddenly stopped on a quiet street.
Su Muge stumbled into the carriage wall.
“Miss, are you okay?”
Su Muge shook her head.
“It’s all right.”
Yueru lifted the carriage curtain and frowned. “What happened? Why did you stop suddenly?”
“Miss, please forgive me. Just now, a carriage suddenly rushed out and blocked our way.”
Su Muge put a cushion behind her back. “Let’s wait until they are gone.”
“Yes.”
It shouldn’t take long for the carriage to move away; however, Su Muge had waited for a while but the carriage didn’t move at all.
“Miss, I’ll go and see what happened.”
“Well, be careful.”
“Miss, rest a.s.sured.”
Yueru lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down. Just as she was about to walk over, she saw a person approaching them.
“The eldest Master Meng?”
Meng Xiuwen nodded. “I want to see your eldest Miss.”
“The eldest Miss Meng, what are you seeing her for?” Yueru had been displeased with what Meng Mansion had done before, so she was a little angry with Meng Xiuwen.
With his eyes fixed on the carriage, Meng Xiuwen stood there in silence.
Yueru had no choice but to inform Su Muge.
“Miss, it’s the eldest Master Meng. He wants to see you.”
Su Muge had already heard the conversation between the two just now.
“Can we move back?”
Yueru shook her head. “This street is narrow; we can only move forward.”
“Then let him come.”
“Yes.”
After informing Meng Xiuwen, Yueru waited behind the carriage with the coachman.
Su Muge slightly lifted the curtain to reveal half of her face and looked at Meng Xiuwen.
He was wearing a light-purple wide-sleeved robe patterned with bamboo, with a jade belt around his waist and his black hair bound up with a jade hairpin, which made him look handsome.
But he seemed to be in low spirits; his eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept well.
“The eldest Master Meng, what can I do for you?”
Meng Xiuwen pursed his lips and clenched his fists in his sleeves, with a struggling heart.
Su Muge was a bit puzzled to see his look, wondering if An had done something that made him embarra.s.sed in Meng Mansion yesterday.
After meeting An in the corridor yesterday, Su Muge explored her whereabouts and knew she went to Meng Mansion.
“The eldest Miss Su, do you really want to marry my second brother?”
This sudden question made Su Muge stunned.
To marry Meng Xiuwen’s second brother?
If she remembered correctly, Meng Changde had only one truth-born son and no son born of a concubine, so his younger brother could only be Meng Xiuze, the truth-born son of the second Lord Meng.
She was to marry Meng Xiuze?
She finally understood An’s scheme!
Meng Xiuze was also a spirited and ambitious young man a few years ago. He loved martial arts and was most eager to lead troops to fight.
A few years ago, somehow, he privately joined the army without permission and was taken as a spy with his legs broken. Because the treatment was not timely, he had been crippled till now.
It turned out that An was scheming to marry her to Meng Xiuze!
She didn’t care that Meng Xiuze was disabled, but she felt An really disgusting!
“The eldest Master Meng, no matter whether this is true or not, it’s really improper for you to be here and stop me to ask these questions.”
“I …” Hearing Su Muge’s words, Meng Xiuwen was choking.
“If you have nothing else, please get on your carriage and leave. We’ve blocked the way, and the carriages behind can’t pa.s.s.”
“I don’t want you to marry my second brother!” Meng Xiuwen finally worked up his courage to express his innermost thoughts and feelings.
Su Muge was shocked.
“Miss Su, Muge, I have a crush on you. Do you understand?”
Blocking the way for a love confession…
It seemed quite romantic…
It was extremely rare to hear such words from a man like Meng Xiuwen who had been restricted by various etiquettes since childhood.
Unfortunately, this handsome young man’s love confession would end in failure.
“It makes no difference whether I understand or not. The eldest Master Meng, can you persuade your parents? Besides, I’ve already gotten a crush on someone else. I’ll pretend to have never heard these words today. Please don’t mention it to anyone in the future.” After finishing her speaking, Su Muge put down the curtain to cut off his sight.
Meng Xiuwen watched the curtain gradually falling, and his eyes suddenly turned red.
He gritted his teeth and turned to his carriage.
Soon Su Muge heard the sound of riding a carriage, and she secretly exhaled a sigh of relief.
She could feel Meng Xiuwen’s faint affection for her, but his affection was too weak to stand any obstacles. So she’d better destroy it by herself.
“Miss?” Yueru came back with the coachman.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Su Muge’s carriage slowly went out of this narrow street. None of them had noticed that they were followed by a few men on horses with an oppressive atmosphere.
Donglin glanced at Xia Houmo secretly, feeling to say something to ease the suppressed atmosphere!
“Your Royal Highness, Miss Su seems to go in the direction of Jin Mansion.”
Instantly, Donglin felt the air around him even more frozen.
They planned to return to the mansion by this road, but unexpectedly heard the eldest Master Meng confess to Miss Su halfway!
They also heard that Miss Su might get married to the second Master Meng!
Donglin silently mourned for the Meng family in his heart.
When they felt the air too frozen to breathe, Xia Houmo rode his horse and left.
The accompanying men all exhaled a sigh of relief heavily.
“It’s … so scary!”
“Useless things. As close followers of His Royal Highness, how can you be afraid of such little pressure? Keep up!” Donglin snorted and followed up.
An imperial guard pouted. “He was clearly scared to death just now.”
Another imperial guard nodded in response. “Exactly!”
“Miss, here we are.”
Yueru helped Su Muge get off the carriage.
It was the first time for Su Muge to visit Jin Mansion. She looked up and saw two stone lions outside the mansion opening their big mouths and revealing their fierce tusks.
Seeing the two big golden characters of Jin Mansion on the red plaque, Su Muge felt that she might be a little rash to do so. Would Xia Houmo help her? She was not sure.
“Your Royal Highness, pay my respects to you.”
Hearing the clip-clop sound from behind, Su Muge turned around and saw Xia Houmo coming over on a horse.
He was wearing the sword-sleeved robe of the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards; the greenish-black auspicious clouds spread up from the bottom of the robe, covering the whole robe like vines, and the slightly standing collar made him look more extraordinary.
He came over against the sunlight, so Su Muge was forced to squint slightly to see him. When she could finally open her eyes, Xia Houmo had dismounted and walked to her.
“Your Royal…”
Xia Houmo just gave her a cold glance and then walked past her into the mansion.
Su Muge froze in situ, wondering if she had offended him. Why did he look so scary?!
“Miss, the King of Jin looks so scary!”
“Don’t … talk nonsense.” It was actually the truth!
“Miss Su, are you coming to see His Royal Highness?” Looking at Su Muge with a confused look, Donglin stepped forward and asked.
Su Muge nodded.
“Miss Su, this way please.”
Su Muge hesitantly glanced at the towering gate of Jin Mansion. Considering Xia Houmo’s low spirits, she wondered if she would be turned into ashes after entry!
But at the thought of her trouble, she decided to go in!
Seeing Su Muge working up her courage, Donglin felt amused and personally led her into the mansion.
Walking on the bluestone path, Su Muge felt the restrained and majestic atmosphere of Jin Mansion, which was very consistent with Xia Houmo’s character.
“His Royal Highness is in Jianyu Hall. Miss Su, please go in.”
Su Muge took a deep breath and pushed the door in.
Xia Houmo was sitting on a chair and seriously wiping a sword which reflected a cold light.
“Your Royal Highness, pay my respects to you.”
Xia Houmo kept on wiping his sword without looking up. “Su Muge, you got a lot of nerve to come to my mansion.”
Su Muge choked. Given that she was coming to ask Xia Houmo for help, she knew that she had to put on a correct att.i.tude and posture.
“I’m over today to ask for a favor from you, Your Royal Highness.”
With a bang, Xia Houmo threw the sword in his hand on the table and looked up at her straightly. “Why do you think I’ll help you?”
“I’ve never thought that you’ll help me, but … I just want to have a try. In case you are in a good mood, you may agree to help.” There was a flicker of slyness in her eyes which was quickly concealed.
Xia Houmo stood up and walked towards her step by step.
“You are a boudoir girl who is about to get married. How dare you … come to my mansion so blatantly? How do you want me to help you?”
Hearing his words, Su Muge always felt a little strange.
“Your Royal Highness, I’m here for this matter!”