Chapter 77: Hostage Princess San
The Xuen Empire and the Ning Empire have been fighting to withhold the Wei border for years.
Late last year, the two emperors had decided to share the border in order to stop this never-ending war.
In exchange for this treaty, the Ning emperor brought in his daughter, Princess San, as reassurance.
Though the two empires still prepare in hiding in order to outgrow the other, for now, a marriage alliance was needed to cover the treaty.
No other family suited the emperor’s taste than that of the general’s family, and so Mo Ying found himself being given Princess San’s hand in marriage.
**
Stepping into his yard, Mo Ying saw Fuhan chatting with some maids. Upon seeing his young master, Fuhan excused the maids and walked towards Mo Ying.
"Young master! How was your talk with Madame M—"
Before Fuhan could say another word, a heavy blow landed on his face.
If that wasn’t enough, Mo Ying kicked him again and again. "You idiot! How dare you rat me out to that woman! Who the heck do you think you are, huh!?"
He then bent down and held Fuhan by the collar, punching him with his other hand. "Who are you serving? Me or her? If anything happens to Lin Xu, I’ll kill you!"
He continued punching, but Fuhan didn’t fight back and just collected each beating with his eyes closed.
"Brother! What are you doing!?" Suddenly, the sweet small voice of Mo An was heard as she ran towards her brother and Fuhan to separate the both of them.
"Brother, what are you doing? You are going to kill Fuhan!" she muttered as she successfully managed to separate the two, leaving Mo Ying panting in exhaustion and anger while Fuhan moved a distance to protect himself.
"Even if I kill him, there’s absolutely nothing wrong about it, Mo An," Mo Ying muttered as he wringed his leg, trying to reach Fuhan, but Mo An held him down.
Managing to stand up, Fuhan said, his voice cracking slightly, "Young master, you can do all you want to me... kick me, punch me, or beat me... I’ll accept it all, but you can’t double my loyalty towards you."
"Huh, is that so? Then why did you tell that old woman about my wedding with Lin Xu, huh? Why didn’t you keep that loud mouth of yours shut as you always do?" Mo Ying shouted, meanwhile Mo An pondered over her brother’s words.
"M-married?! Brother, when did you get married? You didn’t even invite me!" She already started crying as Fuhan and Mo Ying exchanged looks before sighing.
Patting her slightly, Mo Ying stroked her head. "Don’t cry... you always look ugly when you cry."
Mo An, second daughter of the Mo family, Mo Ying’s biological younger sister, is the pure jewel of the Mo family.
Smiling, Mo Ying took hold of his sister’s hands as he walked her towards his yard’s table and placed her on a seat.
"How have you been? Huh?"
"Well... since brother left, the house has been so quiet. After father passed away last night, I and grandmother had to go to the temple to pray. We are only just returning," she said in a low voice as Mo Ying pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Don’t worry, I’m back... everything will be alright."
Just then, a male servant ran into the compound as he bowed down, panting in exhaustion.
"Y-young master, y-young mistress... the head eunuch is here to receive you!" he announced, his words causing the two siblings to exchange serious looks.
The Mo courtyard was silent. Everyone stood in a line as the emperor’s head eunuch walked in, his golden robe brushing against the floor.
Madame Mo stood at the front, her face calm but her hands clenched. Beside her were Uncle Mo, his two wives, his two sons, Mo Lan, and Grandmother Mo. Mo Ying and Mo An arrived just in time, taking their place beside the rest of the family.
The eunuch stopped in front of them, his expression unreadable.
"By His Majesty’s order," he announced sharply, "all members of the Mo family, kneel."
They obeyed without hesitation.
He unrolled a golden scroll and began to read. "By decree of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Ning of the Great Ning Empire, the peace between the Ning and Xuen Empires shall be sealed through marriage. The Princess San, third daughter of the Imperial House, is hereby betrothed to the Young General of Xuen, Mo Shen of the Mo family. The wedding shall be held five days after the New Year’s celebration."
The courtyard fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop.
"By His Majesty’s will," the eunuch said, closing the scroll, "none shall oppose this."
He then walked towards Mo Ying, who had already stretched forward his hands to collect the decree.
With his job done, the head eunuch gave a short bow and turned to leave. The guards followed him out, leaving behind a heavy air.
No one spoke for a long moment. Then Madame Mo’s voice cut through the silence. "So it is decided. Mo Shen, you will wed the princess."
Mo Ying kept his eyes on the ground, not saying anything.
Mo An blinked in confusion. "Brother... you’re really marrying a princess?!"
Her words made a few heads turn.
Madame Mo’s eyes hardened. "Mind your tongue, An. This is an imperial decree, not something to question."
Mo Ying clenched his fists quietly as he stood up from where he was kneeling, together with the other family members.
Uncle Mo stepped forward, forcing a smile. "This is a great honor for our family. His Majesty must think highly of you, Nephew."
No one dared disagree. After all, the emperor’s words were final. Dare defy it, and you’re courting death for yourself and your family.
Mo Ying dusted his robe as he handed the scroll over to Fuhan. "Yeah! It is indeed a great honor, something you’ve never accomplished, Uncle."
He began to walk off when Fuhan hurried to him, his face still bruised.
Meanwhile, the entire yard became more silent at Mo Ying’s words. Walking towards his father, Mo Zan frowned in anger. "Just because he’s now the new general, he thinks he can be rude to you, Father."
"Enough! Let’s go!" Uncle Mo turned around and left as his sons followed behind him.
With everyone gone, Madame Mo then shouted as she ordered the maids, "Get everyone lined up in the next one hour. We have a wedding to plan."
She said with a sly smile as she turned around and left.
Meanwhile, Fuhan called out to Mo Ying.
"Young master..." he said softly, "should I inform—"
"Don’t," Mo Ying cut him off, his tone sharp. "Not a word to anyone. Especially not her."
Fuhan lowered his head. "Yes, young master."