Chapter 447: The First Ancestor’s Jade, Given to Shen Ningning

Chapter 447: Chapter 447: The First Ancestor’s Jade, Given to Shen Ningning

In the nick of time.

King Shu’s Hidden Guards finally made their move. Just as they were about to rescue him, a savage light glinted in Mo Lingwei’s cold eyes.

He cracked his whip.

The two Hidden Guards instinctively used their left hands to block the whip.

Mo Lingwei’s pupils constricted.

A chorus of screams erupted from the crowd. Just when everyone thought King Shu was about to be trampled to death, the horse beneath Mo Lingwei screeched to a halt.

It smashed through three tables and chairs.

King Shu collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. His face was pale as he stared at the horse’s hooves, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Meanwhile, the youth seated high on the horse’s back arched a dark, cold brow.

"My apologies, Uncle. This horse is still unfamiliar with me. It hasn’t been properly trained yet. Are you alright?"

Princess Shu had already rushed over, pushing through the crowd to help King Shu to his feet.

King Shu’s legs were weak, but under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he forced himself to look composed and waved his hand.

"I’m fine. This activity is too dangerous. Lingwei, you should be more careful."

Princess Shu’s eyes were red as she chided him with concern, "Isn’t this your fault for insisting on a horse race? Our family’s training grounds are small. You can’t blame Lingwei for this."

When it came to her own nephew, Princess Shu was even more protective of him than King Shu was.

Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The Ninth Prince, who had won the race amidst the chaos, now hurried over, showing great concern for King Shu.

"Uncle, are you alright?"

"He won’t die," Mo Lingwei said coldly, tossing the Jade to the Ninth Prince. "It’s yours."

However, the Ninth Prince failed to catch it!

The moment he reached out, the Blood Jade fell to the ground and shattered with a CRACK.

Mo Lingwei’s eyes narrowed. "Tsk. So useless?"

The Ninth Prince stared at the blood jade bracelet, now broken into several pieces. "This... this... Crown Prince, you threw it without any warning. Of course I couldn’t catch it."

Given King Shu’s personality, he should have said something to support the Ninth Prince at this moment.

However, he had just been thoroughly terrified by Mo Lingwei.

He still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

’That brat Mo Lingwei really almost trampled me to death!’

’All over a piece of Jade. To think he’d react with such malice.’

Shen Ningning ran over. "Brother! Oh, the Jade..."

The little girl’s dark eyes filled with regret.

’It’s broken. The Immortal Realm definitely won’t eat it now.’

"Don’t worry, I’ll find you a better one."

Mo Lingwei tossed the reins to a stable boy.

Then he looked at Princess Shu. "Aunt, I’ve already given your gift to the housekeeper. I’m not in the mood to stay any longer, so I’ll be leaving now."

He then grabbed Shen Ningning’s hand and pulled her away with long strides.

With them gone and King Shu still shaken, the guests naturally dispersed quickly.

The Ninth Prince stayed until the very end.

Only when King Shu, Princess Shu, and Mo Zhirou remained did he sigh. "Uncle, I apologize to you on behalf of the Crown Prince. That horse must have frightened you."

Mo Zhirou added, "This was supposed to be a happy occasion, but Father was badly frightened. Now Mother’s birthday banquet will be tinged with regret."

King Shu’s expression turned grim.

Before he could speak, Princess Shu knitted her delicate brows. "Don’t say that. Lingwei didn’t know the horse would be startled."

"Fortunately, he’s alright. What would we have done if he had fallen off the horse? As long as he is safe and sound, my birthday banquet has no regrets."

Hearing Princess Shu speak so partially to Mo Lingwei, the other three pressed their lips together, each lost in their own thoughts.

After seeing off the Ninth Prince, Mo Zhirou also returned to her courtyard.

King Shu sat on his chair, his expression icy, and refused to speak to Princess Shu.

"My lord, are you angry?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

King Shu said in a low voice, "Are you too indulgent with Lingwei? You didn’t see it clearly from the side, but I saw it plainly. He deliberately controlled the horse to retaliate against me."

"To harbor such malice just to snatch that Jade for Princess Funing... if he ascends the throne in the future, will he slaughter the common people whenever he’s displeased? How can someone like that be a qualified emperor!"

Princess Shu sat down, frowning. "Aren’t you exaggerating, my lord? I think that child Lingwei is wonderful. He’s just a bit hot-tempered, that’s all. It shows he has character."

"Besides, I feel that ever since you returned to the capital, you’ve been paying far more attention to the Ninth Prince. Otherwise, why would you promise the Jade to Lingwei, only to set up a competition so the Ninth Prince could also contend for it?"

At this point, Princess Shu grew more suspicious.

King Shu was the Emperor’s own elder brother, so naturally, he should be closer to the legitimate son born of the Empress.

Why then, did she feel that her own husband was constantly praising the Ninth Prince for his noble character and proper learning?

Mo Lingwei was a bit hot-headed, but the boy was competent in everything he did. When it came to matters of the court, he was anything but muddle-headed.

Faced with Princess Shu’s questioning gaze, King Shu quickly concealed his true feelings.

He sighed slowly, feigning distress.

"My dear, you are too soft-hearted and naive. You think too little of these things. Lingwei is the Crown Prince; he is destined to ascend the throne."

"My actions today were simply to test him. If he cannot even tolerate such a small matter, how can he become a good emperor in the future?"

Princess Shu laughed. "You, test him? The Emperor is here. Why must you trouble yourself with such concerns?"

King Shu was at a loss for words, and a deep dissatisfaction with his wife grew in his heart once more.

’His wife was always like this, never going along with his wishes, always having a different opinion.’

’Unlike that person in the palace, who was the true soulmate of his life.’

「The next day.」

Mo Lingwei took the initiative to go to the Emperor’s Imperial Study Room and brought up what had happened at Princess Shu’s birthday banquet.

The Emperor slammed his hand on the table, annoyed. "You dare bring this up? Your uncle was nearly scared to death by you! The Imperial Physician I sent to diagnose him returned saying his heart palpitations are abnormal. You, you... why must you always be so hot-tempered?"

Mo Lingwei’s dark brows were calm, and he even seemed impatient with the Emperor’s questioning.

"I already said it was the horse that lost control. If he really has heart palpitations, should I send a few more people to have a look?"

The Emperor waved his hand. "Don’t. Let him recover first. And you need to fix that foul temper of yours, sooner rather than later."

Mo Lingwei sneered. "I probably get it from you."

The Emperor’s eyes flew open in anger. "You!"

He was about to scold the brat for his disrespect, but then the Emperor thought about it. He, too, had a terrible temper when he was young.

So, he said, a little sheepishly, "Rest assured, your uncle is fine. You didn’t need to come here just to report on this."

Mo Lingwei’s cold, dark brows lifted. "I didn’t come for him."

The Emperor’s hand, reaching for a memorial, paused. "Not for him? Then what is it?"

"Father Emperor, I recall that when the First Ancestor forged the Jade Seal, he used a piece of purple raw jade. After the seal was carved, there was a small piece left over, which was made into a Jade Bell. Is that correct?"

The Emperor hesitated. "Yes, that’s right. Why?"

Mo Lingwei pressed his lips together, his smile not overtly arrogant, but his thin, dark eyes held a look of absolute determination.

"I want that piece of Jade."

The Emperor was stunned.

"Nonsense! How can I just give it to you? That is a peerless Jade found by the First Ancestor himself!"

Mo Lingwei’s dark eyes were calm. "Sooner or later, all of this will be mine anyway. I’m just withdrawing it early."

The Emperor’s face turned ashen. "No! Absolutely not! I may indulge you, but I won’t let you do whatever you please with everything. This is a Jade left by our ancestor!"

"I want to give it to someone."

"It doesn’t matter who you’re giving it to. Back then, when your uncle wanted it to give to your aunt, I didn’t agree either."

"I want to give it to Shen Ningning."

The moment Mo Lingwei finished speaking, the Emperor’s frowning, disapproving expression suddenly froze.

A moment later, the Emperor recovered and looked up. "For the little girl, Ningning?"

Mo Lingwei nodded. "She has always liked Jade."

The Emperor pressed his temples. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? There’s no problem giving it to her. After all, that child is far more reliable than you are."

Seeing the Emperor agree so quickly, Mo Lingwei couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

However, the Emperor suddenly changed his tune. "Giving it to her is fine, but you must agree to one condition."

Seeing the smile forming at the corners of the Emperor’s eyes, Mo Lingwei instinctively sensed a trap.

"What condition?" the young man asked, frowning suspiciously.