Chapter 671: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 671: The Decision to Accept (4)
However, no one had expected that these bandits had been manipulated by Prince Heng and were still hiding in Phoenix Mountain. They no longer engaged in robbery but secretly carried out unsavory tasks for Prince Heng. As a prince, Prince Heng could not directly manage these bandits, so he handed them over to the Lin family, who then passed them to their confidant, Chen Ji. Over the years, Chen Ji had completely subdued the bandit leader and his men. This time, sending these bandits to deal with the Mo family was both to relieve Prince Heng's worries and to avenge himself.
Prince Heng was not a fool. Mo Yan felt that since he knew about the Five Beasts and understood her relationship with Xiao Ruiyuan, he must have guessed that Xiao Ruiyuan would send people to protect her. Therefore, the bandits would never succeed. They were just a decoy, while the real attack would come from another direction. This way, Prince Heng could eliminate her, strike at Xiao Ruiyuan, and avoid arousing Emperor Hui’an’s suspicion.
Given Chen Ji’s role as a confidant of the Lin family and his indirect allegiance to Prince Heng, Mo Yan could easily surmise his involvement in this plot.
Mo Qingze’s face darkened when he heard it was Prince Heng. Clenching his fist on the table, he said, “With such a narrow mind and such behavior, he’s bound to fail. He won’t be able to be arrogant for long!”
The “he” referred to Prince Heng.
Mo Yan, noticing her father’s unusual reaction, tentatively asked, “Father, do you know something?” Why else would he make such a decisive statement?
Mo Qingze’s expression stiffened but then waved his hand dismissively. “What can a mere scholar like me know? It’s just that the Crown Prince’s poison has been cured, and he himself is capable and valued by the Emperor. Even if Prince Heng has great abilities, he won’t be able to stir up much trouble. His small schemes will eventually backfire.”
Mo Yan agreed with this, but she knew that as long as Prince Heng was around, their danger would not be fully resolved. She frowned, “No matter what, he is still the Emperor’s son. As long as the Emperor is alive, unless he commits a monstrous crime, he will remain high and mighty. If he keeps targeting us like this, we won’t be able to endure it.”
Mo Qingze glanced at his eldest daughter, hesitating to speak. After a moment, he said, “Let’s be vigilant. When I become a scholar and take the imperial examination next spring, if I’m lucky enough to pass and secure an official position, he will have to be cautious.”
Mo Qingze was not boastful, so his confidence about passing the examination was notable.
Mo Yan’s eyes lit up, momentarily setting aside her worries. She joked, “Father, once you pass, you’ll be a scholar official. I’ll be able to act like a proper young lady when I go out. Father, you’re truly smart and capable!”
She didn’t really care about appearing as a young lady; what made her truly happy was seeing her father finally achieve his long-desired goal after years of hardship and suffering.
Although being a scholar was also impressive, especially in a village like Liu Yang, where officials wouldn’t make things difficult, having a higher status like that of a scholar opened doors to further advancement.
Mo Qingze was both amused and exasperated by his daughter’s words. He tapped her on the head and said, “You mischievous girl. If I fail the exam, does that mean I’ll become a fool?”
Mo Yan laughed and covered her head, “Of course not! If you don’t pass, it would be the examiner’s lack of vision, not your fault.”
Mo Qingze smiled warmly, looking at his daughter with affection. “A scholar’s daughter is nothing. My daughter deserves better!”
Mo Yan was surprised by her father’s confident words, difficult to imagine coming from the usually reserved man. However, she was glad to see this side of him.
“You’re right, Father. A scholar’s daughter is nothing. My father has talent and looks and deserves better! Don’t worry, I’ll be your strong support behind the scenes!”
In her excitement, Mo Yan almost made a slip of the tongue. Realizing her father hadn’t noticed, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed in relief.
If she had indeed said she would be her father’s “backstage woman,” she wasn’t sure how he would react. However, it was certain that he would make her kneel for a couple of hours before the ancestors and teach her about proper conduct.
As Mo Yan spoke with enthusiasm, Mo Qingze touched her head, his wrinkles deepening.
Although he had not been particularly enthusiastic about becoming an official and had only intended to prove his abilities and improve his children’s lives, ever since he heard General Xiao’s words that night, he had been eager to pass the imperial exam and secure a position to protect his children. Even if he started from the lowest official rank, even if he was seen as insignificant by those truly powerful people…
At this hour, the Mo family was not the only ones sleepless. In the Jing Mountain villa, dozens of miles away from Liuyang Village, Xiao Ruiyuan was also awake after receiving the news.
He was fully aware of the repeated attempts by assassins to infiltrate the Mo family and the ambushes by the hidden guards. Although he had not actively investigated the mastermind, he suspected it was Prince Heng.
He had hoped that the repeated failures would prompt Prince Heng to give up, but he was caught off guard by the more ruthless actions that followed. If the bandits had not been greedy and kidnapped the village children, which Mo Yan had discovered in advance, he shuddered to think what might have happened tomorrow.
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