After San Na left, Fuhan stepped into the hall as he walked towards Mo Ying, who was now seated on the chair, his hands massaging his temples.
"They want you to marry the Pri Minister’s second daughter... it’s obviously a sche to control you, young master."
Mo Ying nodded. "Yes... but they think they are smart. They want to marry the Pri Minister’s daughter, but the emperor never specified which one."
Fuhan’s eyes widened slightly. "Don’t tell you are going to..."
"Marry his third daughter? Yes, yes, I am," Mo Ying said with a sigh.
"His second daughter is directly from his first wife. If I marry her, he would use this marriage as a hook over . But if I marry his third daughter, who is from his second concubine, which happens to bear a relationship with the Empress’s family... she would be on my side."
Fuhan frowned slightly, trying to piece it together. "So you plan to use the third daughter to divide their power... clever, but risky. The Pri Minister won’t take it lightly."
Mo Ying leaned back, eyes half-closed. "He won’t dare object openly. The marriage will still bind our families—just not in the way he planned."
Fuhan nodded slowly, understanding now. "The Empress’s family will back you if you choose her. It will keep the Pri Minister from tightening his grip."
"Exactly," Mo Ying said quietly. "Let them think they’re winning. I’ll give them a wedding, but not the one they expected."
He opened his eyes, cold and sharp. "The empire runs on sches and masks, Fuhan. Sotis, the only way to stay ahead is to play the fool while you move the board."
Fuhan bowed slightly. "I’ll send soone to inquire about the third daughter’s temperant. If she’s anything like her mother’s side, she’ll understand the ga."
"Hmm, do that," Mo Ying murmured.
Fuhan hesitated for a mont, then asked, "And Princess San Na? What will you do about her?"
Mo Ying’s hand paused midair, his gaze distant. "She’ll remain my wife. Soon the war between the Ning Empire and ours will start again... this marriage was only a charade to give the two empires more ti to plot for each other’s demise. Once the war draws closer, I’ll divorce her and send her sowhere safe."
"And the child? What happens to the child?"
Mo Ying’s brows furrowed slightly. "I still don’t know if that child truly is mine. That night I do rember falling asleep with her in my arms, but nothing other than that... I woke up to a naked woman, yes, but I didn’t feel anything different other than the aggressive headache from the aftermath of the drug."
"I’m still not fully sure that child is mine... but it will co to light soon, just a matter of ti."
---
At the Wei Lai Pavilion,
"Well... phew, today was one stressful day... thankfully the opening went well." Yan i smiled as she locked up.
"Yeah... it did," Lin Xu replied softly as she then turned around to see Zu Shi and Yiling arriving.
"Mama!" Yiling ran towards her with a bright smile.
Spreading out her hands, Lin Xu let her daughter jump right in.
"How was your day today, baby?"
"It was fine, Mama."
"That’s good to hear!" Facing Zu Shi, Lin Xu smiled. "Thanks for today."
"No problemo... haha... I’ll get going now, see you guys tomorrow."
"Bye!" They all said goodbye to Zu Shi as they made their way into the carriage which carried them ho.
The carriage rolled slowly through the quiet streets until it stopped in front of Lin Xu’s courtyard. The night was calm; the faint glow of lanterns hung by the gate, swaying gently with the breeze.
Yan i stretched as she got down first. "Finally ho... my legs might fall off."
Lin Xu chuckled softly, her hand on Yiling’s shoulder. "Go get so rest. You’ve done enough for one day."
Yan i nodded. "You too. Don’t stay up too late again."
"I won’t," Lin Xu said with a faint smile as she watched Yan i walk off down the narrow path to her own house.
When the gate closed behind her, the courtyard fell silent. Only Lin Xu and Yiling remained.
"Co on, let’s go inside," Lin Xu said, holding her daughter’s hand.
They entered the house. The scent of sandalwood lingered faintly in the air.
Lin Xu stared at the huge courtyard. It was so cold and quiet now. Just months ago, it was filled with so much noise and warmth.
She rembered Mo Bao and Yiling playing around while Fuhan chopped wood, Yan i helping in the kitchen while Mo Ying would play Go with Mo Yuen, not going easy on the small kid.
Yet now, all those days were just mories of the past.
Lin Xu helped Yiling out of her shoes. Now that it’s just the two of them, they sleep together in the sa room.
The boys visit only on the weekends but leave once the new week starts.
In the room, before Lin Xu could guide Yiling to bed, she noticed the little girl kneeling by the low table, carefully wrapping sothing in red silk cloth.
"Yiling," Lin Xu said softly, "what are you doing?"
Yiling froze for a second, then turned around, her small hands clutching the fabric tightly. "I’m... I’m making sothing for Papa Ying," she said with a shy smile. "A gift. For when he cos back."
Lin Xu’s body stiffened. The smile on her face faded.
She walked closer, her voice calm but strained. "You don’t have to do that, Yiling."
"But why?" Yiling blinked, confused. "Papa Ying will co back soon. He’ll be happy if I give him this."
Her innocent tone made Lin Xu’s chest tighten painfully. She knelt down beside her daughter, trying to steady her voice. "Yiling," she began softly, "listen to ... you don’t need to prepare anything for him anymore."
The little girl’s eyes widened. "But why not?"
Lin Xu looked away. Her hands clenched on her lap. "Because... he’s not coming back."
Yiling froze, the words taking a mont to sink in. "That’s not true," she whispered quickly, shaking her head. "He said he would! He promised he’d co back!"
"Yiling," Lin Xu said more firmly this ti, reaching for the red cloth, "he lied."
The little girl jerked the fabric away, tears welling in her eyes. "No! Papa Ying doesn’t lie! He said he’d co back for us! He promised !"
"He’s never coming back!" Lin Xu shouted suddenly, her voice breaking. The sound echoed through the quiet room.
Yiling flinched. The red silk slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
Lin Xu’s breathing was heavy, her hands trembling. "He’s not coming back," she said again, her voice lower now, almost a whisper. "He’s married, Yiling. He has his own family now. His own wife. His own child. We’re not part of that world anymore."
The tears that had been held back spilled down Yiling’s cheeks. "You’re lying," she cried. "He wouldn’t leave us! He said we were his family too!"
Lin Xu reached out and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Stop it," she whispered against Yiling’s hair, her own tears falling freely now. "Stop waiting for him. Stop believing in things that will only hurt you."
"I don’t want to forget him," Yiling sobbed, clutching at her mother’s robe.
"I know," Lin Xu whispered, her voice trembling. "But we have to. We have to forget him, Yiling. We have to move on."
The little girl cried harder, her small body shaking in Lin Xu’s arms.
And Lin Xu held her tighter, closing her eyes as the sound of their sobs filled the empty house.
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