Chapter 565
Chapter 565 – Jinx
His Majesty’s a wife-jinxer?
Ye Zhen couldn’t help laughing at those words. It was just that ridiculous! This could only be said by someone who sought death. By saying that the emperor was a wife-jinxer, wasn’t that saying that the emperor’s women all died because of him?
“Who spread such a rumour? Aren’t they afraid of being beheaded?” Ye Zhen asked with a smile clearly not taking it to heart. She thought it was just a random person spouting nonsense.
“The abbot of Huguo Temple,” Mo Rongyi said in a muffled voice. Then turned his head, glared at Ye Zhen, and continued, “How can you still laugh? Doesn’t that mean you will be jinxed too?”
Ye Zhen almost lost her footing. She stared at Mo Rongyi in surprise, and asked helplessly, “What are you saying? What does this have to do with me?”
Mo Rongyi looked around, snorted softly, and said in a low voice, “I know everything. Imperial Brother wants to marry you and make you the empress. If he is a wife-jinxer, then won’t he cause your death in the future?”
“Whoever told you… That he wants to marry me and make me the empress? I am a princess, and the emperor is my elder brother!” Ye Zhen blushed slightly and stared at Mo Rongyi bashfully, but she was very confused within. She didn’t believe that Mo Rongzhan was really a wife-jinxer, but why did the abbot of Huguo Temple spread such words? If Mo Rongzhan was angered, the entire Huguo Temple would be destroyed.
“Who knows this better than me? You just have the status of a princess but are not truly from the Mo family.” Mo Rongyi cast Ye Zhen a contemptuous glance. “Imperial Brother is really procrastinating. Why isn’t he already decreeing you as his empress? Instead, he made that old bald donkey of Huguo Temple spread such words.”
How many people did Mo Rongzhan tell that he wanted to me as Empress? Ye Zhen was so angry that she wanted to scratch him to death. Her voice became colder as she said, “What’s the use of worrying about all this? If they want to say that His Majesty is a wife-jinxer, then there must be at least some truth to it.”
“There is some truth after all! Didn’t Ye Zhen die at a young age? And there’s also Lu Wushuang… Anyway, there aren’t many concubines in the palace, so everyone is saying that no woman dares to approach him because he jinxes his wives,” Mo Rongyi muttered softly.
Ye Zhen’s heart was full of fury. I am actually dragged into it too?! I died because of Mo Rongzhan, but it had absolutely nothing to do with his fate. “What else did the abbot of Huguo Temple say?”
Mo Rongyi frowned and pondered for a while. “I think… I think that he also said that Imperial Brother will only be able to continue the family line if he marries a wife with a lot of fortune and blessings, otherwise it is very likely that he will die without a descendant.”
“It seems that the emperor’s fate is really tough.” Ye Zhen sneered mockingly. If she still didn’t know what Mo Rongzhan wanted to do, it would be a waste of this second chance at life. First, he wanted to create the illusion that he was jinxed, and make everyone worry for him because it was true that the women around him really did die. In the eyes of the world, Ye Zhen died in a fire as did Lu Wushuang. This coincidence was the reason for Mo Rongzhan’s self-deprecating excuse.
She reckoned that in two days, the abbot of Huguo Temple would spread the news that she, Lu Yaoyao, was a person with precious fortune and blessings. At that time, Mo Rongzhan would propose to marry her as his empress. Even if there were ministers in the court who would object, their objections would not lend any weight, because they were not as important as the emperor’s heirs.
Mo Rongzhan is really… Really going to great lengths in order to marry me!
The coldness in Ye Zhen’s eyes only deepened. In order to get the woman he wants, he won’t hesitate to take advantage of Qin Wangfei’s death? He really doesn’t feel guilty at all!
“Yes, Yaoyao, what should we do?” Mo Rongyi blinked and looked at the other expectantly.
“How would I know what can be done? I’ve been told that I was a person of poor fortune since I was a child. In order not to be jinxed by your Imperial Brother, I’d better stay away from him.” Ye Zhen smiled lightly. “I have been back in the capital for a few days, so I should go to pay my respects to Her Highness Empress Dowager.”
Mo Rongyi was astounded. He had already dropped such a clear hint, how could Yaoyao still not understand? So long as she could let his Imperial Brother know that she was a person with good fortune, she could enter the palace rightfully. Why couldn’t she understand it? “Yaoyao, how can you be a person with poor fortune? You have saved me several times and brought Imperial Brother good luck by being beside him. You…”
“Those were all coincidences,” Ye Zhen said firmly. “All right, let’s stop talking about this matter. His Majesty’s matters are not something that we can discuss.”
“How could it be a coincidence—” Mo Rongyi shouted, but when he wanted to remind Ye Zhen again, he saw a carriage hurriedly rushing to the door.
Ye Zhen turned and saw that it was Old Madam Lu’s carriage. Just as she was wondering why the matriarch would come back so soon, she saw Chen Wei get off the carriage with a heavy face.
“Aunt Chen, why did you come back so soon?” Ye Zhen asked as she turned and went out.
“Third Miss, it’s good that you’re home.” Aunt Chen immediately breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her.
Right behind her was Old Madam Lu. As soon as she saw Ye Zhen, she immediately reached out to hold her hand. “When did you come home?”
Ye Zhen thought that the matriarch was blaming her for leaving the Wu Mansion quietly. She instantly changed her expression, looking every bit guilty and nervous. “Grandmother, I didn’t want to hear Miss Wu pleading for Xu Ji, and was afraid she would pester me, so I came back first. Did I worry you?”
“It’s fine. You were right to leave the Wu Mansion early. What kind of prestigious family is that?! They are just a bunch of despicable people!” Old Madam Lu cursed sharply.
“Grandmother, did something happen?” Ye Zhen stilled for a moment but then caught sight of that Lu Jing who was being helped out of the carriage. She looked very pale.
When Lu Jing saw Ye Zhen, she almost broke down and cried, “Lu Yaoyao, it’s all your fault! You’ve dragged me down!”
“What happened to Fourth Sister?” Ye Zhen frowned. Could it be that something happened to her after I left?
“What does this matter have to do with Yaoyao? If you hadn’t run off on your own, would such a thing have happened? Do you want to go in now, or do you want to embarrass yourself outside the door?” Old Madam Lu shouted sternly.
Lu Jing felt extremely wronged and stared daggers at Ye Zhen. It was obvious her resentment had only deepened. She believed that Wu Congmin had scared her and made her fall into the water because of Ye Zhen. If it wasn’t for Ye Zhen, she wouldn’t be in this state.
“Fourth Miss, hurry into the house.” Aunt Chen motioned to the servant who was helping Lu Jing to bring her in quickly.
“Grandmother, what happened?” Ye Zhen asked in a low voice.
Old Madam Lu sighed and said, “Let’s go in. We should talk inside.”
Mo Rongyi, who was left hanging at the side, rolled his dark eyes. He looked at Lu Jing’s figure then at Old Madam Lu, before turning around and leaving.
It wasn’t until Ye Zhen brought Old Madam Lu back to her room that she remembered the little prince was still outside. She got someone to look for him only to find him gone.
Thinking of what Mo Rongyi said today, Ye Zhen was seething with anger. She knew that Mo Rongzhan would not let her go so easily, but she never thought that he would employ such a method to tarnish his own reputation, and even incorporated his deceased wife* and Lu Wushuang in the ploy.
(*Main wife, cos Lu Wushuang was concubine)
One had to say, the man went to great lengths to marry her. And in an era of four wives and three concubines, it was not only unheard but unimaginable to say nothing that it came from the emperor who was supposed to change wives at the flick of his sleeve.
So, was she moved?
Absolutely not! If anything, she thought Mo Rongzhan was too hateful!
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