Chapter 9 Fight at the Capital Gates

All the horse carriages were stopped. Maids and other bystanders watched out the windows of their carriages. As the commotion grew, they started to hear shouts from the city gates.

"Who is it blocking the road? Make way, make way!"

Everyone turned to look at another procession of horse carriages approaching. There were a few young and proud noble young men sitting atop their horses. The servants walking by their sides yelled for people to clear a path. The crowd quickly parted for them.

A few beautiful horse carriages arrived at the scene under the escort of the noblemen.

"What happened here?" the handsome but cold young man at the front asked. He looked annoyed at the inconvenience.

"The carriage hit and killed someone! They killed someone!" The elderly man on the ground began to scream louder. He rolled around on the ground hugging his leg looking as if he were in so much pain he could not stand up. Everyone's attention was on the ground and the horse carriage that had struck him.

"Third Sister, is it your carriage?" A surprised voice caught everyone's attention.

A gentle, beautiful face appeared in the carriage behind the handsome nobleman. Her colorful clothes brought out the bright features of her face. She wore two shells carved of pearl engraved with gold thread to make them look like flying butterflies. Jade hung from her earlobes. She looked elegant and demure, and while she had clearly put effort into the outfit, she made it look effortless. She was a true beauty.

Mo Xuetong froze visibly when she heard the voice. A hint of coldness flashed through her clear eyes. Mo Xuemin!

It was a name she hated deeply. Even if she returned to hell and was born as a new person, she would remember that name.

Mo Xuemin was indeed waiting for her here! She had come at just the right time...

"Elder sister? Did you come to fetch me upon receiving news of my arrival? There are many people here, so it is not time for us to speak. Your younger sister will thank you first."

A sweet and gentle voice could be heard from the carriage. It was such a moving sound that the chatter of the crowd hushed. Who was this lady with the charming voice?

The young man in the luxurious carriage put down the book in his hands, looking up. For the first time, he listened intently.

"Who is this?" You Yuecheng, a nobleman from the Ming Kingdom, turned to look at Mo Xuemin with a frown. He was part of Mo Xuemin’s party.

"It is my third sister. She's returning to the capital from Cloud City, but I didn't expect her to cause so much trouble. She has led a sheltered life, so I suppose this was all a bit too much for her,” Mo Xuemin explained gently, stepping down from the carriage. She wore a pink patterned dress that made her skin look as pale as snow. She accepted a cape from Mo Jin and put it on regally.

It sounded as if she was helping Mo Xuetong herself, but she was actually confirming that the incident was Mo Xuetong’s fault. She hoped to imply that Mo Xuetong was selfish and domineering. She was so selfish and unsophisticated that she’d tried to hurry her horse carriage through the gates and run it into a crowd of people. You Yuecheng's gaze darkened. He was spoiled, but he hated arrogant behavior. Furthermore, he studied martial arts and had a position in the army. He had the discipline of soldier so, though he had liked her gentle voice, his impression of her immediately soured.

"Eldest Miss Mo, didn’t you say your third sister is the one who's disobedient and disrespectful to her elders? Isn't she the Third Young Miss Mo who showed no skill at music, chess, art, or literature?" another noble daughter asked curiously, lifting her carriage curtains.

"Those rumors aren’t correct,” Mo Xuemin said awkwardly. “My third sister is decent. She struggles with music and chess...but the others are all wrong."

Her weak defense of her younger sister seemed well intended, but it made the others wonder if Mo Xuetong was even worse than the rumors.

Mo Xuemin turned to Mo Jin.

"Mo Jin, give the old man some silver and ask him to see a physician,” she said gently. “He can come to Mo Manor to look for us if there really is something wrong. He's been injured but he's still here and not seeking treatment. That's not right. If his leg is really broken, it'd be hard for him to make a living in the future."

That lifted some of the crowd’s hostility towards her. She treated the man with pity and gentleness.

Mo Jin hurried to take out some silver and gave it to the old man. There was a medicinal hall not far from this street, she told him, and he should hurry and visit the physician.

One sister was so arrogant she hid in her carriage after hitting a man, not even showing her face. She acted as if it was none of her business.

The other treated the old man gently and even gave him money to see the physician. She had not shirked her responsibilities and even told that man that he could go to the Mo manor to ask for money if the injury was severe.

It was obvious who the better person was. Everyone looked at Mo Xuetong's carriage in disdain.

The old man smiled happily when he got the money. He sat up immediately and held Mo Xuemin's hand, thanking her profusely. To him, he said, she was a kindhearted fairy. It was so unfair of God to curse her with such an evil girl for a sister.

A young man by the side ran over and helped the old man off the ground, ready to help him away.

There would be no evidence if they left! Mo Xuemin was indeed vicious. It stung to remember that she had once thought Mo Xuemin had sincerely tried to help her today. Mo Xuetong had done everything she could for that ‘good’ sister. No wonder it took almost until her death to realize it was that good, kind sister who had turned her life into a tragedy.

Mo Xuetong laughed softly.

"Old sir, please hold on,” she asked quietly. “Shouldn't you wait for the truth to be revealed? Elder Sister, why were you so sure that it must have been me who knocked him down?"

"Third sister, you should bear the responsibility if you knock into someone. Don't be afraid. Father will help you sort this out when you return to the manor. It's alright, don't be afraid." The gentle voice seemed to be comforting Mo Xuetong. However, the words were vicious.

Mo Xuetong laughed coldly to herself. However, her voice sounded gentle and somewhat perplexed.

"Elder sister, when did my carriage knock into someone? The manor only sent two carriages for me and only enough maids for two. How many carriages did you think Auntie sent to get me?

Mo Huawen was not a high ranking official. In the capital, where it was teeming with nobility, he was insignificant. The daughters of nobility usually took three carriages when they traveled. Mo Xuetong was just the daughter of a fifth-grade official in the capital. Even if it was a long journey, it would have been absurd for her to have three carriages. Furthermore, why would a stepmother give her stepdaughter so many carriages just to make her look good?

Mo Xuemin's face grew dark under her hat. She had not expected that Mo Xuetong, who had been weak and cowardly since her mother died, would dare to contradict her in front of so many people. And everything said had been turned against her. She was nearly struck speechless, but she knew how to keep her emotions in check.

"Third Sister, it is just a small matter. Father will not blame you,” she said with a smile. “Quick go home. Everyone in the manor knows you're returning and has been waiting for you so long. Shall I help you settle this matter over here?"

She looked full of concern for her little sister. She had completely ignored what Mo Xuetong had said earlier.

Everyone looked at Mo Xuetong with even more disdain. Her elder sister had already stooped to such a compromise, but she refused to admit her mistake. It was so unreasonable!

Mo Xuemin was such a good actress! Mo Xuetong's glittered with amusement. She knew how to pretend to be weak as well.

She accepted a cape from Mo Lan's hands and then got off the carriage daintily, holding the handle. The wind caused her white dress to flutter, making her seem even more thin and weak.

"Many thanks for your worry, elder sister. However, this carriage really isn't mine. I don't know why you insist that it is mine when you just got here. Do you recognize the driver or that the carriage as belonging to our manor? Or did you already know that..."Mo Xuetong let the question trail off meaningfully. Her sweet and gentle voice made it harder for the crowd to think ill of her and the last question started to make others think.

You Yuecheng, still standing to the side, looked at the girl across him with a frown.

The girl was tiny and looked so delicate, but she had an aura of stubbornness. She did not look an inch spoiled or arrogant. He could not help glancing at Mo Xuemin suspiciously.

"..." Mo Xuemin's smile froze on her face and she was speechless. She opened her mouth but could not say anything. A hint of darkness flashed in her eyes. When had the dumb and useless brat learn how to speak so eloquently?

The driver watching from on top of the rogue horse carriage was struck with an idea. He rushed at Mo Xuetong, kneeling in front of her.

"Third Miss, your servant followed you all the way here!” he cried. “How can you ignore me now that something has happened? I have parents and children to feed. You cannot just abandon me."

You Yuecheng's brows furrowed! How could the servant of a wealthy family do such a thing? He had rushed up to Mo Xuetong in the middle of the day, ignoring all etiquette. If he touched his mistress, it would ruin her reputation. How could someone so ignorant of customs come from a wealthy family?

The carriage driver's actions were indeed stupid. Mo Xuemin wondered where her mother found such a stupid creature. She was annoyed but if matters had already come to this stage, she had to keep going. She deliberately ignored Mo Xuetong's questions and changed the topic gently.

"Third Sister, nobody wants something like this to happen. You'd better go back first. I'll settle this."

"You've knocked down someone and dare not admit it. Miss, if the carriage driver belongs to your family, then he belongs to your family. Look, the carriage looks exactly like the ones behind you. You can't shrug this off even if you wanted to," the old man said bitterly. He’d been helped to his feet, and though his voice was not loud, everyone could hear him clearly. Everyone's gazes could not help but stray to the carriages behind Mo Xuetong. Indeed, they looked the same down to the tiniest detail. They were obviously from the same set of carriages.

"Elder Sister, agree and insist the manor sent that carriage to pick me up. Shall I see what's in the carriage? I came from Cloud City and knocked down someone the moment I entered the capital. You say that it is my carriage, so could I really have forgotten how many I brought. Since this is possible, Nanny Shen, open the carriage and let elder sister see whether the carriage she insists is mine is really mine!"

When she mentioned that, everyone nodded. They would be able to see if it belonged to Mo Manor then.

Words were useless. Hard evidence would triumph over any argument!

The carriage driver grew anxious when he heard that. He hurriedly jumped up to stop them, saying that it was just some random knickknacks in the carriage and would not let anyone examine it.

"Since you came with Miss Mo all this way she has asked you to open your carriage, what can you, a driver, say? Did Miss Mo put in something valuable in there? We rushed here from Cloud City and then you behave so secretively. You even put the blame on Miss Mo when you got into trouble in the capital..." Nanny Shen was already furious, not pausing to let the driver speak. She waved her hand and summoned two servants from her carriage, ignoring whatever Nanny Li was saying. Then, she climbed onto the carriage and pulled open the curtains.