Chapter 445: You Like Jade, Here I Come

Chapter 445: Chapter 445: You Like Jade, Here I Come

Mo Lingwei nodded slightly, his tone somewhat cold as he looked at King Shu.

"I heard the Jade Token Princess Consort Qi wore for her birthday came from you, Uncle? And that Aunt was left with only the string you gave her?"

King Shu had his arm around Princess Shu, a smile on his face. But when he heard Mo Lingwei’s question, the look in his eyes stiffened.

Princess Shu also grew flustered and awkward.

She tried to smooth things over. "It’s all a misunderstanding. We’ve already cleared it up."

Shen Ningning snorted under her breath.

King Shu said earnestly, "I was inconsiderate last time. I was only thinking of the Ninth Prince’s filial piety and forgot to explain things properly to my wife."

Mo Lingwei’s cold brows furrowed. "This isn’t a matter of explanation. It’s that you cannot behave this way, Uncle. Aunt is your wife. Anything you give her should be uniquely precious."

"How could you buy a Jade Token, give the precious jade to someone else, and leave the string to fob off your own wife? Aunt has accompanied you for many years. Uncle, don’t do something that would break her heart."

Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes from the side, silently watching Mo Lingwei reprimand King Shu.

Even though Mo Lingwei was of a younger generation, King Shu could only lower his head and repeatedly admit his foolishness as he spoke.

Princess Shu, feeling sorry for her husband, couldn’t help but try to smooth things over. "Ling Wei, your uncle’s feelings for me are true. He’s been this way for so many years. You see, just for this birthday, he’s gone to such great trouble and spared no effort."

King Shu smiled gently and exchanged a glance with Princess Shu. To an outsider, the look that passed between the couple would seem nothing but sweet.

Mo Lingwei, however, pressed his thin lips together, his handsome eyes holding a faint, dark light.

"Aunt, Uncle is a Prince. Arranging your birthday banquet is a simple matter of giving an order. The servants do all the legwork. What hardship could he have possibly endured?"

Shen Ningning nodded furiously.

’Brother said exactly what I was thinking!’

King Shu might have had lotuses planted everywhere in the Capital City that they could grow.

But all he did was give a single command. Specialists were put in charge of the lotuses, from the gardeners to the stewards. King Shu didn’t have to worry about a thing.

’Just how sincere can a love be when it’s just for show?’

Mo Lingwei only said a few more words. Seeing King Shu grow uncomfortable, he finally added, "Aunt is your wife, Uncle. You should treat her well."

Just then, an old friend arrived at the Prince Mansion, and King Shu and his wife went to greet them.

Mo Lingwei then led Shen Ningning toward the rear garden where the banquet was to be held.

The little girl looked up, saw the stern expression on Mo Lingwei’s profile, and couldn’t help but ask, "Brother, I thought you liked Uncle the most? Why were you so harsh with him?"

Mo Lingwei scoffed, leading Shen Ningning into an empty pavilion where they sat down.

Facing the small, sparkling stream that flowed past a rockery, he pursed his lips and said, "Uncle treats me well, but Aunt... she treats me with even greater kindness."

For a time after the late Empress passed away, it was always Princess Shu who would visit Mo Lingwei, bringing him boxes of food.

When he refused to eat or drink, she would sit with him all day like a mother, trying everything she could say to comfort and guide him.

Princess Shu was sincere in her dealings with people, and her relationship with King Shu had set an example for Mo Lingwei.

He hoped his uncle and aunt could maintain their loving and sweet relationship forever, so she wouldn’t be disappointed the way his mother, the late Empress, had been by his father, the Emperor.

Shen Ningning’s eyes widened in realization.

Mo Lingwei looked at the little girl and gave a somewhat helpless smile. "Did you know? Aunt wasn’t always unable to have children. She was pregnant once, but at seven months, she had an accidental fall and miscarried."

Shen Ningning’s eyes flew wide. "So that’s what caused her health problems?"

’At seven months, a fetus was already a child that could have been born and survived.’

’To think it ended up being a stillbirth.’

Mo Lingwei nodded. "After that, her health deteriorated terribly, and she’s been unable to conceive since. It’s been a source of heartache for both her and my uncle."

Fortunately, in all these years, his uncle, King Shu, has never taken a single concubine.

Shen Ningning hesitated before asking tentatively, "Brother, if one day King Shu’s heart changes and he takes another woman, would you..."

She hadn’t even finished her sentence when Mo Lingwei’s expression turned sharp and severe.

"Then I would strip him of his title. We’ll see then if that woman would still be willing to stay with him when he has nothing."

Just as Shen Ningning was about to speak, Mo Lingwei’s expression softened, and he broke into a natural smile.

He reached out and stroked Shen Ningning’s head.

"Don’t worry. My uncle can be foolish at times, but I believe his feelings for my aunt are real."

Shen Ningning silently licked her pink lips. "Mm, I hope so."

’It seems I still can’t tell Mo Lingwei that I saw King Shu and Princess Consort Qi embracing in the bamboo grove the other day.’

The banquet was about to begin. Mo Lingwei took the little girl’s hand.

"The men and women will be seated separately soon. Wait for me in the pavilion after the meal is over."

After the banquet, many high-ranking nobles took the opportunity to curry favor with Mo Lingwei, the Crown Prince.

So, as they had agreed, Shen Ningning waited for Mo Lingwei in the pavilion from earlier.

Just as she was growing weary with boredom, the Ninth Prince and Mo Zhirou walked up together.

Mo Zhirou was holding something, which she placed in the Ninth Prince’s hand.

She wore a gentle, shy smile, stealing glances at the Ninth Prince from time to time before covering her mouth to hide a private giggle.

Shen Ningning pouted, a look of disdain on her pretty little face.

She turned her head aside, trying to pretend she hadn’t seen them.

But Mo Zhirou saw her and raised her voice in a fluster. "N-Ninth Prince, this is a mosquito-repellent sachet I made. I gave one to my mother previously, and she said it’s very effective."

"So I made another one. Please give it to Princess Consort Qi. I hope she likes it."

As Mo Zhirou spoke, she kept glancing toward Shen Ningning.

’Listening to their conversation, Shen Ningning understood everything perfectly.’

’They were deliberately saying this for my benefit, afraid of a repeat of the Jade Token incident.’

’Hmph. As if I could be bothered to care.’

The Ninth Prince understood. He nodded at Mo Zhirou, his voice mild. "I thank you for your kindness on my mother’s behalf."

"Let’s go find my uncle. I heard he’s prepared a treasure to give to a guest at the feast today—what seems to be a rare Blood Jade Bracelet."

The Ninth Prince’s gaze swept over Shen Ningning, but his tone was inexplicably pointed as he spoke to Mo Zhirou. "I heard that a favorite Jade Bracelet of yours was broken when you were young. I was planning to ask him for this Blood Jade Bracelet to give to you. What do you think?"

Mo Zhirou was overcome with surprise and delight, her eyes shimmering like a frightened fawn’s.

"Really? Then... thank you very much, Your Highness."

The Ninth Prince smiled faintly. "After all, I feel a connection to you. Who else would I help?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shen Ningning in the pavilion. As if finding him irritatingly noisy, the little girl had actually plugged her ears with her fingers!

And closed her eyes!

’An expression that screamed, "I’m not listening to this nonsense."’

The Ninth Prince’s face instantly darkened.

Just then, Mo Lingwei emerged from the garden area where the male guests were seated, a brocade box in his hand.

He walked straight past the Ninth Prince and Mo Zhirou, heading for Shen Ningning. A jaunty smile played on his cool, handsome features.

"Shen Ningning, my uncle had a Blood Jade Bracelet. I asked him for it. I’m sure you’ll love it."

Mo Zhirou’s expression instantly turned incredibly ugly!

Her eyes were glued to the box in Mo Lingwei’s hands.

’The Blood Jade the Ninth Prince mentioned... the Crown Prince had actually beaten him to it?’