The guard's words instantly silenced the carriage.
Tao Lengshuang's pretty face was colder than the icy landscape outside. Her hands slowly clenched, like her slowly constricting heart, feeling a pang of pain and discomfort.
Her premonitions upon arriving had come true!
"Tao Lengshuang, believe me, I won't touch those beauties."
Mo Lingxi explained urgently, "I have a way to resolve this properly."
Tao Lengshuang exhaled, saying softly, "I know you have a way to resolve it properly."
Seeing his expression falter, she continued, "You can resolve it properly this time, but what about next time, and the time after that? Furthermore, if the Emperor were to demand you and your wives and concubines do something in public... or even if not in public, they are still your wives and concubines."
She had still thought too simply. The situation Mo Lingxi faced alone made it impossible for him to be with her in the future as he claimed.
Mo Lingxi understood the situation and the Emperor's temperament better than Tao Lengshuang. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain further, but not a single word came out.
After a long pause, his face turned grim. "They are not my wives and concubines. You are my only wife."
Tao Lengshuang's heart skipped a beat, suppressing the fleeting softness. "Even if you don't acknowledge them, they are still your wives and concubines, bestowed upon you by the Emperor's golden decree."
"You know best that the Emperor's bestowed marriages can only be dissolved by the current Emperor or the next. Until then, they are your wives and concubines for life."
Yes, just as she had said, bestowed marriages from the Emperor could not be easily dissolved.
Mo Lingxi held her hand, earnestly promising, "Tao Lengshuang, give me some more time. I promise I can get the bestowed marriages dissolved."
Tao Lengshuang withdrew her hand, looking at him expressionlessly. "And what if the bestowed marriages are dissolved?"
"Our statuses are not matched, and I am unwilling to be confined to such a place, unwilling to see you with a harem... I'm getting sidetracked. Our relationship hasn't reached that point yet. To put it bluntly, we are friends. Even if you have wives and concubines, what does it have to do with me?"
These words greatly displeased Mo Lingxi. He glared at her unhappily, "Is this what you think in your heart?"
Tao Lengshuang pinched her brow, sighing with some annoyance, "Then how should I think?"
"Should I have a big argument with you, make you dismiss those wives and concubines, or force you to swear an oath?"
She gave a self-deprecating smile, "I am not that kind of person, and our relationship hasn't reached that point. Mo Lingxi, there's no need for you to be angry. What's most important for you now is to handle the current situation."
Mo Lingxi also knew that handling the current situation was paramount, but he couldn't bear to see Tao Lengshuang like this. Her demeanor suggested she might leave him at any moment.
"Tao Lengshuang, please consider our relationship carefully."
Tao Lengshuang felt there was no need to consider, but seeing Mo Lingxi's somber expression, she agreed perfunctorily. Even if she considered it carefully, it would be useless; ultimately, she and Mo Lingxi could not be together.
Mo Lingxi was very displeased with her perfunctory response. Just as he was about to say something more, he heard the guard's words.
"Master, you must handle this matter quickly."
Mo Lingxi's brows furrowed. He entrusted Tao Lengshuang with a few words of caution, asking her to think carefully, then got out of the carriage with the guard.
Tao Lengshuang leaned on the carriage window, gazing blankly at the vast white snow, her eyes unfocused.
Meanwhile, Mo Lingxi arrived at Zicheng's residence—the Crown Prince's Mansion!
What should have been a luxurious and noble Crown Prince's Mansion was filled with imperial guards, and there were few servants attending.
Mo Lingxi, familiar with the layout, went straight to the study and saw Zicheng with several court officials.
"Greetings, Prince Mingrui!" several court officials bowed respectfully.
"Uncle."
Zicheng rushed over, anxiously saying, "Uncle, Father Emperor bestowing wives and concubines upon you is clearly ill-intentioned."
"I have inquired about this matter. It was the idea of the Prime Minister and a few court officials, aimed at winning the Emperor's favor."
If the doctor knew about this, who knew how much trouble she would cause for Uncle.
Mo Lingxi gestured for him not to rush, sitting in a chair as cold as frost. "Have you found out why the Prime Minister and others suddenly brought this matter up with His Majesty?"
Zicheng replied that he hadn't found out yet. "Uncle thinks there's something wrong with this matter?"
Mo Lingxi countered, "Do you think there's something wrong?"
Zicheng admitted there was. "No matter how much the Prime Minister and these people want to deal with Uncle, they wouldn't suddenly use this method, unless someone said something to the Prime Minister and the others."
Mo Lingxi looked at him with admiration and then inquired about the Prime Minister and others' recent interactions.
Zicheng said that the Prime Minister and others had been frequently interacting with court officials and merchants, secretly accepting bribes, but no strangers or suspicious individuals had been found yet.
Mo Lingxi tapped the armrest of his chair with his fingers, narrowing his sharp eyes. "Investigate the Prime Minister thoroughly... no, don't investigate thoroughly. Proceed as planned and expose his clandestine activities to His Majesty."
Zicheng nodded understandingly, very worried. "Uncle, how do you plan to arrange the beauties bestowed by His Majesty?"
"If this matter is not handled well, it will bring a lot of trouble."
For example, the doctor was the biggest problem.
Mo Lingxi also knew this, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Those few beauties cannot go to the border, but to resolve this matter properly..."
"Prince Mingrui, I have an idea."
At this moment, a middle-aged man walked out. He was Fan Chun, the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, whom Tao Lengshuang had saved earlier. "I presume these beauties also do not wish to go to the harsh border. We can help them, for example..."
Mo Lingxi pondered the idea and found it feasible. It also served to subtly provoke the Prime Minister.
Therefore, the next morning, the Prime Minister, who had unexpectedly missed the morning court, was discovered by his servants sleeping with several beauties.
Crucially, these beauties were the wives and concubines bestowed upon Mo Lingxi by the Emperor.
Just then, a censor impeached the Prime Minister for secretly accepting bribes, selling official positions, and disrespecting the Emperor.
This time, the Emperor, who had intended to spare the Prime Minister's life, issued a decree to have the Prime Minister's entire family executed, all participating court officials' households confiscated and their families annihilated, and anyone who pleaded for them would also die.
For a time, the populace and court officials were in a state of panic, fearing the Emperor's wrath. Everyone tried to minimize their presence, and the streets were almost deserted.
Only Sheng Li was making a scene.
After being scolded and beaten for several days, Sheng Li finally understood the severe consequences of losing the Sheng family as her backing. So, she ran back to the entrance of the Sheng family's mansion, begging her parents for forgiveness.
However, she couldn't even see General Sheng and his wife.
No matter how she pleaded and cried at the gate, General Sheng and his wife did not come out to see her, nor did they open the gate of the Sheng family.
Finally, Sheng Li returned to the residence where she was temporarily staying. In her courtyard, she met that young man.
"I knew you would come back."