Her temperament was originally cool, but now she was stirred by yesterday's incident, and her emotions surged for a while, full of hatred and a chilling aura. When her eyes met the other dancers who were discussing, those people were like choking chickens, unable to make a sound. Just then, someone exclaimed, "Sū Mò'er is back!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked over with curiosity, only to see Sū Mò'er, supported by a maid, walking gracefully towards them. Li Ling'er's eyes brightened upon seeing Sū Mò'er and she immediately approached, grabbing her arm, "Sū Jiejie! You're finally back! I thought you wouldn't return to our Yanshui Pavilion after serving the prince in the future!" Hearing this, Sū Mò'er felt a little embarrassed and was about to speak when Liu Feifei walked over. She sneered, "Not coming back? Why not? Just because she's a dancer at the General's mansion? That's a joke! Now she thinks she's going to become the lady of the house soon?" Sū Mò'er already felt uneasy and was afraid that these people would find out that she hadn't actually served the prince. But when Liu Feifei ridiculed her, she couldn't help but retaliate. She smiled gently and said, "We are just dancers after all, doing our job is enough. There's no need to daydream about rising to the top. It's better than falling into debauchery willingly." Liu Feifei's face immediately turned ugly. She had taken the status of a dancer of her own accord, a stain that would never be washed away in her life! Sū Mò'er continued, "I originally intended to continue serving the prince there, but you all know that the prince is a busy man and doesn't have much time to spare. This morning, he left before dawn and specifically instructed me to rest and arrange things for myself when I woke up." As she spoke, she took a step forward but gasped, and Qingyu immediately reached out to support her. Sū Mò'er looked at everyone apologetically, "I'm sorry for the trouble. I sprained my ankle carelessly last night, and the prince personally helped me check it and told me to rest well." As she spoke, she discreetly smoothed out the cloak on her body, and someone immediately whispered, pointing to the cloak, "The cloak was finely stitched, intricately embroidered, and of extravagant quality. It's clearly not ordinary. It's probably..." The rest of the words were left unspoken, but everyone understood very well. It was very likely from the high and mighty prince. With this thought, the gazes of the people towards Sū Mò'er changed, full of envy, curiosity, and hidden resentment. However, Sū Mò'er ignored them, seeing the resentful look on Liu Feifei's face, which was like knives piercing through her. This made her quite satisfied.
Having achieved her goal, she didn't say much more because she knew the truth better than anyone else and was afraid of saying more and making mistakes.
She immediately smiled and said, "I am very tired from last night, and today I feel very fatigued, so I won't chat with everyone." With these words, she immediately prompted further speculation.
However, Su Mo'er didn't say much more either, and she left with Li Ling'er, who was continuously asking questions with curiosity, leaving behind a group of people with mixed expressions.
As soon as Li Feifei entered the room, she accidentally knocked over a set of finely crafted porcelain tea set from the table, shattering it.
Feeling still unsatisfied, she even pulled off the tablecloth and overturned the table and chairs, finally relieving some of the anger in her chest.
Her personal maid, Bao Yue, followed closely and swiftly gestured to drive away others upon seeing the situation, then gently closed the doors and windows before approaching to console her, "Miss, why are you getting angry with a lowly person like Su Mo'er? Getting yourself sick with anger is not worth it."
Li Feifei looked coldly and said, "Why would I be angry? Look at her, that smug look of hers! She used to be sly with her fox-like face, and now that she's shown her true colors in front of the prince, isn't she soaring to the skies?"
She gritted her teeth fiercely, hating each word as if they were coming from her bones, truly gnashing her teeth with anger.
Her eyes flickered with a stormy rage and malice, her face monstrous, no longer resembling the cool and dignified appearance in front of others.
Even Bao Yue was used to her mistress's irritable temperament, and at this moment, she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine, but she could only muster the courage to advise, "Miss, you are letting her get to you. How can you just believe everything she says? How do you know for sure that she really caught the prince's attention? Except for herself, who else knows if what she says is true or false?"
After listening to this, Li Feifei couldn't help but feel her anger gradually subside.
She hesitated for a moment and stared at Bao Yue, "Hearing you say this, do you have an idea?"
Bao Yue carefully said, "You may have a point, but I wonder if it will work."
Li Feifei frowned, "Just tell me if you have an idea."
Bao Yue then said, "Miss, if you really want to know about what happened last night, quietly send someone to investigate, won't that work?"
Li Feifei disagreed, "That's where the prince lives. I can't just investigate at will. If the prince finds out, won't he be angry with me before it even starts?"
Thinking about this, she couldn't help but grit her teeth, realizing that Su Mo'er was taking advantage of this; even if she was making things up, no one would dare to investigate and expose it.
Bao Yue said, "If it were someone else, it wouldn't work, but who are you? You are the legitimate daughter of the Li family, and even in front of a military officer, you still have your dignity. When the time comes, you can throw a lot of money around, and there'll be plenty of people to bring you information. Plus, there is no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. Even the eastern palace of the prince or the imperial palace of the Emperor is full of various rumors. Not to mention a small military officer's residence."
Upon hearing this, Li Feifei thought it made sense, and she began to feel a bit intrigued. Seeing this, Bao Yue added persuasively, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in peril. If you really have some of her information, are you afraid that you can't suppress this little Su Mo'er?"
On hearing this, Li Feifei coldly smiled a few times and said, "Good! Then you go and arrange this matter."
Bao Yue immediately agreed, and in the following days, she made arrangements inside and outside, and indeed, not long after, she brought back the information from the previous night.
Upon learning that Su Mo'er did not spend the night with the prince, but instead stayed in another room in the Dingxi Pavilion, Li Feifei immediately laughed derisively, "I thought Su Mo'er was really capable and could climb up the Prince's high branch, but now it seems not!"
Bao Yue echoed with a smile, "Of course, and just look at what she has to offer the prince. Her family background is nothing, her talents are nothing, and even her looks, the prince has seen all kinds of beauties, how could she have captivated his eyes? If I may say so, there are so many beautiful women in the pavilion, and only Miss has the qualifications to catch the prince's attention."
These words indeed pleased Li Feifei, but after a moment, she frowned and gritted her teeth, "In any case, Su Mo'er is still a scourge, and as long as she is not removed, I will not have peace of mind."
Bao Yue's eyes turned, and she suddenly suggested, "When it comes down to it, apart from her looks and figure, what else does Su Mo'er have? If the prince were to know, Su Mo'er would not be anything more than a broken shoe..."
Li Feifei's eyes lit up at once, and her mind began to work quickly.
She knew that although her elder brother had always been eyeing Su Mo'er, he had only taken advantage of her, saying that he would wait for her to come of age before willingly marrying him.
After staying in the Dingxi Pavilion for one night, she still did not serve the prince. If this were the case, she was still a virgin. But if the prince were to ruin her innocence before taking her...
"Good!" She pressed her hand against her knee, and with a teacup in her hand, she pondered before immediately putting down the cup and instructing Bao Yue, "Get pen and ink ready."
Bao Yue quickly complied and left, and not long after, she left with a freshly written letter.
...
...
Author's Note:
A Little Skit:
One day, Su Mo'er nervously confessed to the prince: "Your Highness, I... I stole your tiger skin, do you mind?"
The prince raised his eyebrows and without saying a word, he pulled up his robe.
Seeing this, Su Mo'er was greatly shocked, "Y-Your... Your Highness, what are you doing?"
The prince calmly said, "You said you stole the tiger skin, so I'll take it off for you myself. Come!"
Looking at the prince lying bare in bed, Su Mo'er: "..."
At this moment, Qingyu, with a happy face, entered and called out as she walked, "Miss! Miss! The servant just received news that His Highness has returned."
"What?" Su Mo'er couldn't contain her joy as she looked up, "Is it true?"
Qingyu nodded, "Absolutely! It was a message from Eunuch Li."
That settled it. Su Mo'er's unsettled heart instantly calmed down, and she hurriedly said with a smile, "Quick, Qingyu, help me change my clothes. I want to go see His Highness."
Qingyu agreed and the master and servant joyfully dressed up. However, before they could leave, Su Mo'er received a message that the Crown Prince had summoned Liufei to serve him.
This news was like a thunderclap, leaving Su Mo'er dizzy and nearly unable to stand.
Li Ling'er, who had brought the message, hurriedly supported her along with Qingyu, saying, "Sister Su, don't worry. Maybe His Highness has something to discuss with her."
Qingyu and the others quickly added, "That's right!"
It was only then that Su Mo'er regained her composure. Looking at the concerned faces of her companions, she felt a slight warmth in her heart and didn't want to show her anxiety. She suppressed the unrest and panic in her heart and forced a smile, "You're right. After all, Liufei is the legitimate daughter of the Liu family and has a distinguished background. His Highness wouldn't ignore her even if he knew her identity."
This was just a show of strength. After all, everyone knew that calling someone over could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Su Mo'er thought to herself that even if there was something urgent, she could always go tomorrow. After all, the Crown Prince's return was still a long way off, and the outcome between them was still undecided. Who would have the last laugh would be the truly successful one!
But in the blink of an eye, she was stunned by the news that Liufei had gone to see His Highness again.
As a result, Liufei went to the Dingxi Tower for three consecutive days, finally stopping on the fourth day. When Su Mo'er wanted to go to the Dingxi Tower again, the Crown Prince had already left!
Upon learning of the news, Su Mo'er was restless and sleepless, looking visibly haggard.
Seeing her like this, Yuan Niang privately reminded her, "What's with your attitude? It's just one time you missed, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. If you keep going downhill like this, you won't even have a chance to compete!"
She further added with a meaningful tone, "To attract a man, apart from means, what's most important is to stand on your own! Relying solely on a man, if one day you lose him, what will you do?"
These words were like a wake-up call for Su Mo'er.
Yes, she had been fixating on things unnecessarily. Why care so much about momentary gains or losses? Thinking long-term was more important!
Moreover, she was not a foolish person. Otherwise, she would not have survived for so many years under the means of the siblings of the Liu family.
In her current situation, she had been forced into a corner by the urgency of the moment, leaving her no room to breathe and causing her to lose her composure.
After Yuan Niang's words, she immediately recovered and rested properly, looking even more radiant.
During this period, Liufei was in extremely high spirits. She had always been aloof, but Su Mo'er, who knew her very well, could see through her.
Originally, Su Mo'er had no intention of paying attention to her, but Liufei, seeing her return to her former self after a few days, seemed to be even more radiant, which stimulated her.
Seeing Liufei turning away, Su Mo'er, instead of the angry response that Liufei expected, smiled softly and said, "Miss Liu, safe travels. If next time you are fortunate enough to spend the night at the Dingxi Tower, don't forget to share your feelings with everyone."
Liufei's figure seemed to freeze for a moment, then disappeared at an even faster pace.
Once away from the crowd, Li Ling'er couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, "Su sister, did you see Liufei's face just now? It was uglier than if she had eaten shit! Hahaha! It's so funny!"
"Alright, watch yourself," Su Mo'er said in exasperation, gesturing to her sides, "Walls have ears."
...
The author has something to say:
Today is another day without His Highness. Goodnight.
Su Mo'er finally left the crowd with Li Ling'er and stopped to enjoy the show. After they were far away from the crowd, Li Ling'er couldn't help but burst out laughing, disregarding her demeanor, "Su Sister, did you see the look on Liu Feifei's face just now? It was uglier than if she had eaten crap! Hahaha! It's killing me!"
"Alright, be careful," Su Mo'er said helplessly, gesturing to the sides, "Watch out, the walls have ears."
Although Yanshui Pavilion was large, it couldn't avoid the many disturbances at the end of the day.
Li Ling'er stopped laughing, but still seemed unsatisfied, "Su Sister, you did a great job just now! I've never liked Liu Feifei. She always bullies people because of her family background. Now that she has visited Dingxi Tower a few times, she's acting like she's the queen."
Su Mo'er gave a bitter smile, "She's different from us. No matter what, she's always supported by her family background. Naturally, her ambitions are grand."
If she didn't already have a deep-seated grudge with Liu Feifei and no room for maneuvering, she wouldn't want to offend such a formidable enemy.
Now, her present situation was simply a twist of fate.
However, precisely because of this, she couldn't afford to let the other side surpass her in the matter of the Crown Prince. Otherwise, she would never find peace in the future and might even bring trouble to her family.
As the two were speaking, they saw a servant standing at Su Mo'er's door from afar. Li Ling'er immediately realized that something was amiss, so she didn't disturb her further.
After bidding Li Ling'er goodbye, Su Mo'er hurried back and asked, "Did a letter come from my family?"
Although they couldn't meet with their families at the Commandant's Manor, they still had several opportunities every month to communicate with their families.
The servant hurriedly replied yes and respectfully handed over a letter from home. Su Mo'er expressed her gratitude and signaled for Qingyu to reward him before dismissing the others, then she went inside alone to read the contents of the letter.
The content of the letter was no different from usual, mainly about some family matters.
Su Zhicheng and Lady Shen had resumed their usual work, and occasionally a few troublesome people would come, but because of her residence at the Commandant's Manor, those people had now disappeared without a trace.
Su Yi, who had been studying hard, had a slight illness not long ago but was now much better. The letter also reminded Su Mo'er to take good care of herself, with her well-being being a top priority, and reassured her that everything was fine at home, telling her not to worry.
As Su Mo'er read, tears welled up in her eyes, and she had to hold back the bitter feeling. But when she flipped to the second page, her expression changed involuntarily.
It was written that not long ago, Liu Yanzé suddenly went to the capital city, and they didn't know why. She was warned to be careful and not leave the manor easily.
Upon seeing this message, she couldn't help but feel panicked. She was so distracted that she accidentally knocked over a cup on the table, and the tea gradually soaked into the ground, mixed with the shattered cup and leaves, creating a deep color.
Qingyu, who heard the commotion outside, hurried in, shocked by the sight, and quickly came to support Su Mo'er, leading her away, "Miss, be careful not to get cut by the shards. Let the servants come and clean this up."
After Qingyu had the area cleaned up and returned inside, Su Mo'er's panicked heart gradually settled down.
Qingyu carefully observed her expression, "Miss, has something happened at home?"
Su Mo'er forced a smile, "No, everything is fine at home. I just got a little upset and accidentally knocked something over."
Only then did Qingyu relax, consoling her, "Miss, don't be sad. As long as you are well at the Commandant's Manor, there will be a chance to see your family in the future if you are chosen."
Su Mo'er nodded vaguely, but in her heart, she was quickly strategizing, thinking, why did Liu Yanzé suddenly come to the capital city? Was it for an important matter, or was it related to Liu Feifei?
The more she thought, the more unsettled she felt. After calming down, Su Mo'er realized that the situation was not optimistic. Regardless of the reason for Liu Yanzé's presence in the capital city, she absolutely could not sit idly by.
When it came to the Crown Prince, she had to seize the opportunity as soon as possible, otherwise, there might be unforeseen circumstances in the future.
She made up her mind to have Qingyu pay close attention to the Crown Prince's place. She had decided that, after the Crown Prince returned to the manor, whether or not he summoned her, she would go to see him.
This opportunity had finally come for her to wait for.
On that day, Su Mo'er had just finished her dance practice and returned to her room at Yanshui Pavilion when she saw Qingyu waiting with a joyful expression on her face.
As expected, Qingyu hurried to her and whispered, "Miss, I just received a message from Li Gonggong saying that His Highness will return to the Commandant's Manor tomorrow."
Since it was a message from Li Gonggong, it was definitely reliable. Perhaps she was the first dancer at Yanshui Pavilion to receive such news.
With this in mind, her mood suddenly fluctuated. She paced around the room for a few circles, then stopped in front of the wardrobe, holding the cloak of the Crown Prince that she had intentionally brought over earlier.
Although she had decided to see the Crown Prince this time, meeting someone also required proper etiquette. If she just rushed over like that, it might upset others.
Fortunately, she had this cloak as an excuse, which could serve as a legitimate reason. Yet, upon closer reflection, she still felt it was not entirely appropriate.
After hesitating for a moment, she immediately instructed Qingyu, "It's my day off tomorrow. Quickly go and gather some ingredients at night, and I will personally make some food."
Qingyu understood and eagerly agreed. Before leaving, Su Mo'er cautioned her, "Take it slow and make sure no one suspects anything."
"Don't worry, Miss. I'll be careful." Qingyu nodded, composed herself, and left.
Seeing this, Su Mo'er felt slightly relieved. This way, it was a double safeguard.
The next morning, Su Mo'er got up early and went to the kitchen to prepare some food. After finishing, she quickly returned to her room for a short rest.
Upon waking up, she inquired and learned that the Crown Prince had returned to the manor, but this time, no one was summoned to serve at the Dingxi Tower.
Knowing this, Su Mo'er couldn't help but think that luck was on her side. She immediately tidied herself up, then, with Qingyu, avoided the crowd and left Yanshui Pavilion.
Although she left discreetly, she was still noticed, and rumors quickly spread. Liu Feifei also got wind of it.
Infuriated, Liu Feifei threw down the things in her hand, "That despicable and shameless Su Mo'er! How shameless of her to run over like this!"
They were all waiting respectfully to be summoned by the Crown Prince, and yet Su Mo'er was so eager to go!
Bao Yue tried to calm her down, "Miss, there's no need to rush. Even if Su Mo'er eagerly goes, she might not receive a favorable response."
Upon hearing this, Liu Feifei remembered the recent news about the Crown Prince being in a bad mood due to the difficulties in disaster relief, and her mood improved.
However, there was still a hint of sarcasm in his words: "I just wonder if you, Su Mo'er, have some extraordinary abilities that can make the Crown Prince worry. Don't let yourself end up in a sorry state!"
...
Su Mo'er indeed wasn't aware of this news, but for her, knowing or not knowing didn't matter.
At most, she just had to make some more preparations. Now that the arrow had been shot, she braced herself and went to the Dingxi Building to seek an audience with Li Gonggong.
Zhao Jinghuan was furrowing his brows as he finished reading a draft, clearly dissatisfied. He tossed aside the official documents and massaged his slightly aching forehead.
...
...
Author's note:
Heroine: I am Su Mo'er, preparing to meet the big shot. Anyway, I'm feeling very nervous, complex, apprehensive, and... Well, no more words, the big shot has called me! Big shot! I'm coming!