Time Travel: The Noble Family
Chapter 601 - 241 Mingzhu Comes to Seek Refuge (Part 2)

Chapter 601: 241 Mingzhu Comes to Seek Refuge (Part 2)

Xiang Wei told Yueyao about some royal gossip concerning the Empress Dowager and the Lady of Marquis Jingning, "Miss might not know this, but the Heir Apparent was taken to the front yard when he was just two years old. The two teachers who educated the Heir Apparent were personally invited by the Empress Dowager." Xiang Wei paused, then added, "Mingzhu was raised by the Lady of Marquis Jingning." Miss Mingzhu was almost ruined by Lady Bai, and if the Heir Apparent had been raised by his own mother, he surely would have been ruined as well.

Yueyao sighed, "The Empress Dowager is truly a good sister."

Xiang Wei disdainfully said, "You think the Empress Dowager is good, but the Marchioness doesn’t think so. She feels that the Empress Dowager’s actions that day were intended to drive a wedge between her and her son, and that their lack of closeness now is all the Empress Dowager’s doing. So, unless absolutely necessary, Lady Bai generally does not allow Mingzhu to go to the palace." According to Xiang Wei, this lady is just foolhardy. It’s only because she encountered such a considerate real sister, otherwise, she might have met the King of Hell long ago.

Yueyao felt that having a good sister like that was also a matter of good fortune, something to be envied, "What you just said makes some sense, perhaps the Marquis was truly trying to disgust the Lady of Marquis Jingning!" Yueyao felt that the intelligence of the Lady of Marquis Jingning was worrisome, perhaps the Marquis was indeed trying to fight poison with poison, so he took Bai Han as a concubine.

Of course, this was just something Yueyao thought mischievously after listening to Xiang Wei. The Marquis was no fool, there was certainly a reason for his actions.

Xiang Wei burst into joy, "There really might be that possibility."

Having finished their gossip, Yueyao’s bath was ready. Xiang Wei said, "Miss, Mingzhu will probably stay in the mountains for a while." In fact, Xiang Wei felt that it was a very good thing for Luo Mingzhu to learn from Yueyao. Yueyao could keep Mingzhu in line and make her obey.

Indeed, the people of the Marquis’ household also clearly saw that Yueyao was of pure nature and sincerely kind to Luo Mingzhu before they felt reassured to let Mingzhu come over.

Yueyao smiled, "I understand." Yueyao was actually a bit lonely, sometimes looking for someone to talk to and finding no one. Mr. Yu Shan, after all, was an elder and she had to keep many things from him; now that Mingzhu was here, it was quite nice.

Just as Xiang Wei nodded her agreement, Yueyao said, "Bai Han shouldn’t be able to survive, right?" Even if the Marquis spared him, the Heir Apparent wouldn’t spare Bai Han.

Xiang Wei just laughed out loud.

Yueyao said no more and went back to her bedroom and immediately burrowed into her bedding. Mingzhu had been nesting there for quite a while, and it was warm, but now an ice cube was coming in, making it freezing cold.

Yueyao even deliberately let out a sigh of satisfaction, "So warm!"

Mingzhu pinched Yueyao hard, saying angrily, "You’re warm, I’m almost frozen to death." She had never suffered like this before; even in the coldest beds, they were always warm, unlike now, sleeping in such an icy place. Just when she had finally warmed up the bedding, this wretched girl took advantage of it, making it unbearable for her.

Yueyao laughed comfortably, "Not at all, you are warm all over, not icy at all." She said this to deliberately irritate Luo Mingzhu.

Luo Mingzhu and Yueyao started to quarrel, "You sure talk a lot of nonsense."

Xiang Wei listened at the door and could not help but laugh quietly; it was only in moments like these that Yueyao truly seemed like a child, not like the little old lady she appeared to be on other days. Perhaps it was precisely because of Mingzhu’s naivety that Yueyao saw her in a different light.

After their quarrel settled, the two of them covered themselves with the blanket and lay down.

Luo Mingzhu said somewhat stuffily, "Yueyao, why do they have to do this?" Zhao Yuner did it, and so did Bai Han, why does everyone like to climb into bed with others? She really couldn’t understand her father was of such an old age; how could Bai Han climb into her father’s bed?"

Yueyao turned over and asked softly, "Why do you care about the elders’ affairs? Let them handle their own issues; you just enjoy your little days."

Luo Mingzhu was not surprised that Yueyao knew about this, it was better that Yueyao knew, to spare her from saying it and feeling disgusted herself. Mingzhu grumbled, "Although I’m not comfortable with Zhao Yuner climbing into my brother’s bed, I didn’t think much about it since my brother is young. But Bai Han is my mother’s niece, and my father is over fifty, old enough to be her grandfather; how could she do such a thing?" Luo Mingzhu was most angered because Bai Han was of the same generation as her; the thought of a contemporary becoming her father’s concubine was utterly revolting to her.

Yueyao asked, "How are the Bai family’s days? Are they doing well?"

Mingzhu shook her head, "If it were good, she wouldn’t often come to my house for handouts. I remember when Bai Han first arrived, her clothes were tattered." Mingzhu had never been to the Bai Family’s home, but she knew their days were not good.

Only then did Yueyao smile and say, "What’s there to not understand? In the Marquis’ household, they feast on delicacies from land and sea and wear silk and satin. Although your father is over fifty years old, he can provide her with a lavish life for the rest of her days. Once she has entered the Marquis’ household, she will enjoy endless wealth and honor for life."

Mingzhu shook her head and said, "What of wealth and honor? My father is already over fifty years old, and besides, my mother is her biological aunt, how could she..."

Yueyao, smiling, said, "How could she not? If you lived in the mountains for a month, you would understand the vast disparity, and only then might you reconsider saying that." Even if Mingzhu couldn’t comprehend that some people would trade themselves for wealth and honor, once she suffered hardships herself, she would come to understand the difficulties of life, and she would grow from it.

Luo Mingzhu fell silent.

After a while, thinking she had fallen asleep, Yueyao also closed her eyes to sleep, but Luo Mingzhu suddenly burst out, "Yueyao, I hit Bai Han, and my sister-in-law said I was wrong. Yueyao, do you think I was wrong?" At the time she heard the news, she was so furious, she didn’t care right from wrong!

Yueyao thought for a moment then said, "Actually, there would have been a better way to handle it. There are plenty of ways to teach her a lesson, but you chose the most foolish way. Do you think it was worth sacrificing yourself for her?"

Luo Mingzhu asked curiously, "Why say that I’m sacrificing myself?"

Inside, Yueyao shook her head. How on earth were people taught in the Marquis Jingning’s Residence, no, rather how had the Lady of Marquis Jingning taught Mingzhu? She was truly ruining her daughter.

Yueyao chuckled lightly, "Are you aware that your reputation in the Capital City is not so good?"

Luo Mingzhu’s eyes widened in disbelief, "What nonsense are you spouting? My reputation isn’t bad!" Mingzhu was genuinely unaware of her bad reputation; those around her would never dare to discuss such things with her, as that would be seeking trouble.

Yueyao decided not to speak further.

However, Luo Mingzhu kept pressing Yueyao, "It’s always you who says this or that about me is not right. In fact, Yueyao, your reputation in the Capital City isn’t good either!" Even going so far as to call her a bringer of disasters, showing just how poor Yueyao’s reputation was.

Visibly annoyed, Yueyao said, "Let’s sleep." Only with her temperament could she deal with such comments; a normal person wouldn’t bother with her at all.

Luo Mingzhu realized she had misspoken, gently nudging Yueyao, "Alright, I spoke out of turn, I’m sorry, don’t be mad." She had just blurted out without thinking.

Yueyao sighed slightly, having been naive in her past life, she didn’t expect there to be someone even more clueless here. Although she didn’t know Mingzhu’s ultimate fate, she could imagine that Mingzhu must have had a tough time encountering Ning Lixuan in her past life, and this was the price of cluelessness.

Yueyao said, "I won’t be mad if you promise me one thing." Yueyao wanted Luo Mingzhu to experience hardship; only by enduring tough times would she understand the difficulties of life and begin to change.

Mingzhu cautiously asked, "What would that be?"

Yueyao smiled, "Nothing as drastic as climbing mountains or descending into seas of flame. Simply live day by day the same way I do until someone from the Marquis Jingning’s Residence comes to fetch you. Can you manage that?"

Luo Mingzhu hesitated for a moment, thinking of the food she had eaten that night which had left her feeling unwell, but seeing Yueyao’s half-smiling expression, Mingzhu steeled herself and agreed. After all, she could stay at Zhaohua Temple for just three to five days; how bad could a few days of suffering be?

What Mingzhu did not know was that Yueyao had laid a trap for her to fall into, and there was no way she would let her escape! It was from then on that Mingzhu began her days of torment in Zhaohua Temple.