Cao Yuei was very satisfied with the plan. Her only problem was that she wouldn't be there to see the look of horror on Cao Luoi's face.
She didn't receive an invite to the wedding and even if Yu Ming could get her one, it would be suspicious if she suddenly attended, after all, she was known for declining invites to events such as this one. Thanks to that entity. Tsk!
That wasn't a problem though, Cao Luoi would be brought back to the Cao family and she would be there to see the horrified look on Cao Luoi's face when she would be forced to marry Ba He.
The next five days were one of the happiest monts of Cao Yuei's life. She wasn't there to behold Cao Luoi's torture but she was comforted by the fact that Cao Luoi was going through what she had gone through in her past life and more was to co.
On the day of the wedding, Cao Yuei decided to take a stroll around the capital. She couldn't attend the wedding but that didn't an she couldn't hang around and wait for news.
Cao Long got up early to go to the imperial palace and accompany the emperor to the Ba's first son's wedding with the rest of the ministers.
Honestly, he didn't want to attend at all. His beloved daughter was missing and he had been reliving the mont when his first wife suddenly disappeared. He really hoped Cao Luoi was alright.
Even if her reputation was ruined, she was his daughter and he would make sure she wasn't bullied. She's been missing for so long and there has been no news whatsoever. What if she was... He didn't dare continue that train of thought.
He soon arrived at the imperial palace and when the other ministers sent him looks of pity, he ignored them and swallowed down his grief.
Yu Ming stepped into the hall then and they all fell to the ground. "Your highness."
Yu Ming waved at them but they remained in their position seeing as the emperor joined them next.
"Long live the emperor," They echoed.
The emperor lips arched slightly. "You may rise."
And then they proceeded to carry out a few formalities before boarding the various carriages reserved for then.
The streets were full or activity, after all, this was a wedding that the emperor himself was attending. The other noble families felt their eyes turn green with envy at how much face the emperor was giving the Ba family because of his favored concubine.
Cao Long took this all in but could not muster a single shred of happiness, his heart was hollow and he operated on auto pilot as the bride and groom perford the various wedding procedures.
During the banquet, Cao Long was just about ready to excuse himself and go back to continue searching for his daughter when he caught sight of sothing.
There were two madams whispering and sending him looks whilst a personal servant stood next to them. He planned to ignore it until he heard,
"Are you sure it was the first miss of the Cao family? I thought she was kidnapped?"
Cao Long's head snapped in their direction and he rushed over to the madams. "What were you saying about Cao Luoi just now? Did you see her?"
His voice wasn't small and the entire hall quietened and they all turned to face him. Even the emperor looked over with interest.
One of the madams held her fan close to her face. "I really don't know left pri minister. It's just that my personal servant here just told that she had lost her way when looking for a place to relief herself and had stumbled upon the third son of the Ba family, Ba He's, courtyard.
-The shocking thing was that she claims to have found your Cao family daughter entering a room together with the Ba family's third son."
SMACK!
The patriarch of the Ba family imdiately hit his walking stick on the ground. "Watch what you say woman! What are insinuating? How could the Cao family miss that has been missing for a week be in my Ba family's courtyard?"
By now, Cao Long had picked up on sothing fishy but before he could speak, the madam beat him to it.
"Master Ba, I'm not making false accusations. I just explained what my personal servant told . Why don't we all go over there so we can clarify for ourselves?"
Cao Long waved his hand. "It's impossible that my Cao Luoi would be in the Ba family's courtyard. It must be a mistake." He turned to the bride and groom. "I apologize for causing a scene. Let's go back to the festivities."
It's not that he wasn't curious but on the off chance that what this madam said was true, he had to make sure that no one saw his daughter! He must protect her integrity at all costs!
Yu Ming scoffed. "Left pri minister. You were always so eager to find your daughter. Now that there is a possibility of her being in the Ba mansion, why are you dismissing it so soon? We all need to know if we've been wasting resources looking for her when she has been here all along."
Cao Long gulped nervously. Now that the crown prince had spoken, if he kept refusing it would seem like he had sothing to hide and that would make all of them even more eager to go. "Let's go see then."
He trusted his Cao Luoi. She wouldn't do sothing so stupid.
The emperor was the first to stand up, with his most favoured consort, Ba Yan, holding on to him demurely. He had sent out his imperial guards to look for this Cao girl so he wanted to know if he had wasted his benevolence.
The rest of the wedding guests followed after them, whispering amongst themselves. When they got to Ba He's courtyard, it looked deserted.
This wasn't a surprise to the Ba family mbers as Be He always hated placing guards or servants anywhere his courtyard because of his 'peculiar' habits with won. The only servant he had was a deaf and dumb girl who was currently squatted at the entrance of the courtyard.
The girl was aware of her master's habits, it was nothing new. What surprised her was the fact that a woman had willingly co to her master a week ago and since then, her master and that woman had been holed up in that room.
It wasn't her business what went on, her job was to deliver food at the right tis every day. Another one of her jobs was to inform her master of any visitors before they got too close and she was about to do just that when a guard rushed forward and held her in a tight grip.
Cao Long noticed the servants girl's actions and he felt uneasy. They soon arrived in front of Ba He's room and ca to a stop. No one was willing to move forward so the madam that had started all this rushed in.
"OH MY!" Ca her voice and then she rushed out, blushing and giving Cao Long a sympathetic look.
Cao Long's heart sank and he rushed in at the sa ti several others did. Before him, were Ba He and his precious daughter, completely naked and wrapped around each other with his daughter's body littered with marks of sex.
He held his chest and slumped to the ground.
Cao Luoi slowly opened her eyes. She felt so weak. What happened? She felt like she'd been slipping in and out of consciousness for a long ti. Where was she.
She held her head and sat up when she finally registered the voices.
"How could a noble lady be this shaless?"
"Quick help the left pri minister."
"The Cao family is truly unfortunate to raise such a wanton lady."
"Co, co, cover your eyes. You're a noble lady that hasn't had her ceremony yet. You shouldn't be exposed to stuff like this."
"Call so physicians, the left pri minister has fainted!"
"Hurry, take all the unmarried ladies away now."
"It's true what they say, a woman without a mother would surely not turn out well."
"Such an unfortunate man. He is loyal to the nation but was unlucky enough to father such a shaless woman."
"I heard that her mother ran away. Who knew what she had committed that made her run away in guilt? Her daughter must have gotten this trait from her!"
"Her engagent with the crown prince was canceled, this must be the reason. The crown prince was so unfortunate to encounter such a dirty woman."
"Help him on the stretcher, quickly!"
Cao Luoi looked to her side and found a sleeping Ba He and her heart sank. No! She looked towards the people condemning her and her eyes finally landed on so n placing her father on a stretcher.
A scream tore through her throat and she rushed over to them.
"FATHER!"
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