50 Mutated Rumors

married, six handsome men with unique features appeared in front of the main gate of Ye Manor. Leading them were Xu Qingchen and Xu Qingze, followed by Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbo, then came Xu Qingyan...50. Variations of Rumors

The news that Miss Ye San, the future Duchess Consort of Ding王府, was kidnapped by bandits had caused a shock in the capital city. The rumors about it started circulating in various social settings in the city not long after she was taken away. Trying to stop such rumors only makes them grow and spread even further; therefore, no one from Ye Family, Xu Family, or the Li Royal House made any comments on the matter publicly. By the time Miss Ye San returned home with her carriage full of imperial rewards escorted by the second and third sons of Xu Family from their mansion, people's doubts about these rumors started to fade away. After all, anyone who happened to see Miss Ye San’s appearance or heard what she was saying did not seem like someone who had just been kidnapped. Furthermore, even the usually volatile third son of Xu Family looked normal when he saw her off at home. So… Was yesterday's news merely an unfounded rumor

Miss Ye San listened to Qing Shuang’s chatter about what people were saying outside with a nonchalant attitude and laughed inwardly. Third Brother was naturally calm enough to come out and see people because he had already vented most of his anger on those blind bandits last night. Recalling the heavy smell of blood in the mountain village when she left with Mo Xiuyao, as well as Third Brother’s ferocious appearance, Miss Ye San believed that a Xu Family full of scholarly members might indeed produce a military officer. As for how Mo Xiuyao dealt with those bandits, Miss Ye San didn’t intend to ask; it was still good news no matter where the bandits came from.

"Miss Ye San."

A clear male voice came from outside the window. Qing Niao immediately drew her sword toward a young man who suddenly appeared at the window. Miss Ye San smiled and pressed down on Qing Niao's arm, then turned around to smile back at him, "Mr Han, how are you" It was Mr Han Mingyue, whom they parted from last night. Han Mingyue helplessly smiled, “Is it okay for me to look like this in Miss Ye San’s eyes” As soon as he entered the courtyard, he could feel the piercing gaze from somewhere dark. He wasn't doubtful that Tian Yi Pavilion's master would silently erase him if any inappropriate move was made.

Taking out a wooden box from his sleeve and placing it on the windowsill, Han Mingyue said, "This is to comfort Miss Ye San. Also, this can be seen as a congratulatory gift for Miss Ye San's and Mr Mo Xiuyao's wedding. I wonder if I will have time to come for their wedding banquet."

Miss Ye San nodded her head without looking at the box and asked, "Mr Han is planning to leave the capital city"

Han Mingyue laughed, “Recently, there are quite a few unexpected things. I feel more reassured in Jiangnan Province. Miss Ye would be welcome to visit with Mr Mo whenever she’s free; then I can host them properly.” Miss Ye San smiled and said, "Mr Han's words make us feel ashamed." Han Mingyue raised his eyebrows and asked, “Then… Can we forget about the previous misunderstanding” Miss Ye San shifted her gaze slightly and laughed, "Sure, let me settle our misunderstanding." As for your misunderstanding with Mo Xiuyao, it’s none of my business. Han Mingyue felt disappointed but knew that he couldn’t force anyone either; appreciating how Miss Ye San knows her limits, he bowed and said, “Now, I will take my leave.”

"Please go slowly."

After Han Mingyue left, Qing Niao approached the wooden box on the windowsill with dissatisfaction in her voice, "Why did you treat such a person so politely" Miss Ye San turned and sat down, smiling, “He was also very polite to us yesterday.” Miss Ye knew that they wouldn’t have escaped unharmed without Han Mingyue's consideration of Mo Xiuyao from the start. She believed that Han Mingyue feared Mo Xiuyao, but she wasn't sure how much he feared him.

"If not for him, would you… Those outside are still spreading rumors about Miss Ye being kidnapped; it’s really bad…” Qing Niao didn’t believe that Han Mingyue had been polite to them, and if not for him, no one else would have spread those rumors. Miss Ye San said coolly, "It could be someone other than him as well; not everyone knows the prince." She received the box from Qing Niao and opened it with some surprise. Inside was a stack of silver notes neatly arranged in the box. There were two gold tickets worth 10,000 taels each and more than ten silver tickets worth 1,000 taels each. Qing Niao took a look as well and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Miss… This…"

Miss Ye raised her eyebrows with some difficulty in deciding what to do next. Two gold tickets were equivalent to over 200,000 silver taels, which was quite an amount of money even for Miss Ye to accept. Beside the silver notes were a pair of high-quality white jade dragon-and-phoenix pendants; just looking at their quality meant that they must be worth a fortune. After some thought, Miss Ye closed the box and gave it to Qing Shuang with instructions: “Prepare everything; I’m going to Ding王府.”

Qing Shuang carefully held the box, she had seen all this money just now as well. It was her first time seeing so much money in her life; oh, how scary…

"Yes, Miss."

"A-Ge Li! A-Ge Li…" When Mu Rong Ting’s voice reached the door, she immediately rushed into the room. Ye San smiled and stood up to greet her. Qin Zeng and Hua Tian Xiang came with Qin Yu Ling, the younger sister of the capital city magistrate Qin Mu, as well. Mu Rong Ting was the first one in; grabbing Miss Ye San’s hand, she said repeatedly, "A-Ge Li, are you okay" Miss Ye San smiled and replied, “How could I be if I am standing here How did all of you come”

Qin Zeng covered her mouth with a smile, “Ting Er came to me early this morning, insisting that we should visit you. I told her there was nothing wrong with you, but she insisted on coming over and checking up on you.” Mu Rong Ting hugged Miss Ye San tightly and waved her fist in the air, "If I find out who spread those rumors, I will beat him so badly his parents wouldn’t be able to recognize him! It’s really outrageous, even worse than that mixed-up Liang Hao Yu!" Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Miss Ye San smiled at Qin Yu Ling and said, “Miss Qin, thank you for coming specially.”

Qin Yu Ling shyly smiled and said, "Actually… I’m here to apologize on behalf of my brother. He just started as the magistrate and had such an incident happen, causing Miss Ye’s reputation to suffer…"

Miss Ye San shook her head; she knew that Qin Yu Ling must have come alone based on her expression. In fact, it made no sense to blame Qin Mu for this matter either. There was never a place where there were no crimes even if technology was highly advanced in the past life; how could one manage everything perfectly with limited energy

"Mr Qin is the guardian of all people and has the nickname of Iron-Faced Judge, devoted to his duties. Just rumors don’t matter at all. The wise can stop them from spreading."

Hearing Miss Ye San’s words, Qin Yu Ling felt relieved as well. She was raised by her brother since young and knew that this matter involved Ding王府, the Secretariat Household, and Xu Family; she was just a third-rank magistrate while her family had no support from any powerful figures. It wouldn't be strange to become a scapegoat if things weren’t handled properly. "Thank you, Miss Ye."

Hua Tian Xiang smiled and said, “Miss Qin doesn't need to thank her; Mr Qin can't control everyone’s mouth, right A-Ge Li, are you preparing to leave” Hua Tian Xiang noticed that Miss Ye San was changing clothes and asked if it might be coincidental.

"I was just going to the King Ding's residence, but it wasn't important. I can go back later," Ye Li said.

"Oh" Mù Guǎng婷轉動著眼珠，帶著不懷好意的笑容說道，“原來璃兒已經跟定王那麼熟了啊。”

Ye Li glared at her, and Mù Guǎng婷毫不在意地樂嗬嗬道：“乾嘛親自去定國王府呢？送個帖子請他出來一趟不就行了？順便也讓那些多嘴陰險的小人知道，不管他們怎麼費勁也拆散不了璃兒和定王！” Qin Yuling looked puzzled at Mù Guǎng婷，“Miss Mù, do you know who did it”

"Just call me Mùguǎng." Mù Guǎng婷自信滿滿地說道：“還能是誰，肯定是黎王那個見不得璃兒好的人。這輩子真冇見過比他心眼兒更小的男人，和葉瑩真是絕配！”

Ye Li remained silent; Emperor Mo Jinglei was truly being wronged this time. However, could it be that he deserved the suspicion due to his poor luck The other three looked at each other and then silently agreed with Mù Guǎng婷's guess after considering Mo Jinglei's feud with Ye Li. Even Qin Yuling had a face of disbelief at how mean Prince Li was.

Prince Li’s temper wasn’t good, but it wasn’t a secret in the capital city. But if one observed closely, they would find that his temper after the wedding got worse than before. Especially this morning, when he passed by and heard people talking about Ye Li who should have made him feel great. Instead, he found himself being looked at with strange gazes or people quickly changing topics as soon as they saw him. Even drinking tea in a teahouse felt like everyone was staring at him. It should be Mo Xiuyao feeling humiliated because something happened to that woman named Ye Li! Why did it feel like everyone was laughing at him

The citizens of the capital city were mostly kind-hearted, so when they saw Prince Li appear first thing in the morning, although knowing they couldn’t offend his emperor brother, they still gave him a scornful look. Tsk! What kind of person was he Without any reason, he canceled the engagement and even prevented Ye Li from being happy! Before this, damaging her reputation and now spreading such vile rumors If it were an ordinary girl, she would be forced to commit suicide! Such people are trash, no matter if they’re members of the imperial family or not!

"Your Highness… Prince…" The people following Mo Jinglei were frightened by the low pressure aura from their prince.

“What’s going on!” Mo Jinglei asked through gritted teeth.

The guard looked around and sadly realized that he was closest to His Royal Highness. Others had long since fled, so he nervously reported back: “Your Highness… everyone is talking about the matter concerning Young Miss Ye…”

“I know they’re discussing that woman! What does it have anything to do with me!” Mo Jinglei snarled, feeling their disdainful looks. Shouldn’t they be mocking that woman and laughing at Mo Xiuyao getting cuckolded instead (Are you still aware of who you are)

"Someone… someone said Your Highness doesn’t want to see Young Miss Ye happy and is spreading rumors out of spite…" The guard, trying to speak quickly, turned red in the face. Before he could finish, his prince had crumpled the fan in his hand.

“What did you say!” Mo Jinglei’s aura darkened further, making passersby avoid him.

"Y-your Highness…" He wanted to add: “It wasn’t me; it was all those people in the city.” Anyway, Prince Li’s reputation had sunk even lower after this incident following his previous missteps with Ye Li and non-payment for goods.

“Lily, Zeng, come up here. There aren’t many people upstairs, so we’ll sit outside,” a clear female voice interrupted the icy moment for the guard. As soon as he saw his prince's gaze turn to the staircase, he quickly curled himself into a ball and hid in a safe place. Mù Guǎng婷 first ascended the second floor wearing a gorgeous red dress, even turning back to beckon her friends. The child leading the way was close to tears; Miss Mù, there weren’t just few people upstairs, this was one of the best teahouses in town! Everyone had been scared off by Prince Li.

“Eh” Turning around, Mù Guǎng婷 saw Mo Jinglei with a face as dark as ink. She couldn't help but look behind her and consider changing to another teahouse, yet just then Hua Tianxiang and the others also entered. Five girls ended up staring at each other helplessly. Ye Li felt even more helpless; she was starting to wonder if they had some bad karmic relationship in a previous life because no matter where she went, it seemed like she would bump into him whenever she left her home. She didn’t realize that this wasn’t too strange since the capital city, despite being one of the most prosperous cities in Chu, wasn't as large as other big cities in Ye Li's memory. Besides, nobles couldn’t be seen with commoners at every place; they generally visited certain places. So unless someone like Ye Li rarely went out or Mù Guǎng婷 often roamed around, everyone they met would likely know them.

“Lily…” Mù Guǎng婷 apologetically looked at Ye Li; she really hadn’t expected Prince Li to come drinking alone during his honeymoon.

"It's okay, we'll stay here." Ye Li knew it wasn't Mù Guǎng婷’s fault and she didn’t mind avoiding Mo Jinglei. They were all in the same city with connections; there was nowhere to go. She nodded coolly at Mo Jinglei before leading Qin Zeng and Qin Yuling to a quieter corner.

Mù Guǎng婷 stuck out her tongue, pulling Hua Tianxiang along.

“Sigh, do you think Prince Ding will come” Mù Guǎng婷 whispered. She wasn’t raised in the capital city and didn't know Prince Ding well. Hua Tianxiang was more confident: "Don’t worry; my grandfather said Prince Ding is a good person. He’ll definitely come if he got an invitation."

Qin Yuling softly suggested, “We should leave early so we don’t disturb Lily and Prince Ding.”

Mù Guǎng婷 laughed: "It’s too early for that; Prince Ding probably hasn’t left his residence yet. We can change places later when he arrives. Hehe, did you see the looks on people's faces downstairs They turned so weird as soon as we entered.” Hua Tianxiang hummed lightly, “Those people might think Lily is hiding at home crying right now; seeing us would naturally shock them.”

Qin Zeng covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "I haven’t seen so many people dumbfounded at the same time before. It’s my first time being such a focus of attention."

Looking at her few friends discussing their experience for today with excited voices, Ye Li shook her head amusedly. In fact, rumors weren’t as fierce as she had expected. Mo Xiuyao and her uncle must have done something secretly. Most people’s gazes towards her were full of surprise or sympathy, rather than the disdain and contempt that she originally thought would appear. It seemed that most people didn’t believe in the news about Ye Li being kidnapped.

Ye Li and the others sat at a remote corner chatting idly among themselves. Mo Jingli was sitting alone by the window drinking his tea as if it were wine with an unhappy expression on his face. Because he was far from them, he couldn’t hear what they said but he could still feel their good mood and atmosphere, as though rumors hadn’t affected them at all. Mo Jingli gritted his teeth in anger. He had originally expected Ye Li to be the one who would get into trouble while she remained completely unbothered like nothing happened. But now if asked him to rush over for an argument with Ye Li, even Mo Jingli couldn’t bring himself to do so. Therefore, he could only allow the chilling aura to frighten the customers and continue drinking tea.

“Ah! Miss Ye! Prince Ding is here!” Just when she was feeling depressed, she heard Mu Tong’s loud voice from behind which made her whole floor of guests look up in surprise. They saw Mu Tong excitedly leaning against the window looking down below. Qin Zeng pulled her back and smiled at Ye Li saying, "Li'er, go downstairs to meet His Highness." Hua Tianxiang covered her mouth and giggled, waving her hand and teasing, “It’s okay if you don’t come back now because we will go shopping after eating the snacks anyway. Besides, there is no extra seat for Prince Ding.”

After hearing their words, the few remaining guests started regretting choosing a spot close to the wall fearing Mo Jingli’s chilling aura and could only listen carefully as they tried to make out what the girls at the corner were talking about. Ye Li smiled seeing them all looking over in their direction or glancing towards her in different ways. Gossiping was indeed an indispensable human trait that everyone had regardless of era. As she walked down the stairs, people’s gazes followed her and a few openly stared at her while others did so covertly. When passing by Mo Jingli’s table, Ye Li clearly noticed him glaring fiercely at her from his seat. She sighed inwardly—there were some people who just didn’t go well together.

Seeing the third Young Miss Ye calmly walk down the stairs, the gazes and expressions of the diners upstairs grew even more complicated as they watched her. Her calmness when appearing publicly and going to meet Prince Ding seemed to suggest that she wasn’t troubled by anything at all. On the contrary, Mo Jingli was frowning in anger with a vicious expression on his face. He clearly looked like someone who had failed in their scheme and was now furious. People exchanged glances covertly and whispered among themselves. Mo Jingli finally couldn’t stand this strange atmosphere any longer and slammed his teacup back down onto the table before standing up to look out of the half-open window at the street below, then turned around and walked downstairs.

The moment Ye Li came down from upstairs, everyone in the tea house fell silent. When she left with a gentle smile on her face, people were about to start gossiping when they saw Mo Jingli walk out of the building looking gloomy, resulting in another round of silence. However, seeing these two’s performances, more and more people felt sympathy for Ye Li.

At that moment, Ye Li was just stepping down from upstairs while Prince Ding’s carriage had just stopped outside. Jin hurriedly prepared to pull back the curtain so Mo Xiuyao could get out when he heard Ye Li say his name softly. Jin stepped aside respectfully upon seeing her approach. She jumped onto the carriage smoothly and sat across from him, saying with a smile, "Tianxiang and the others said there were too many people inside and pushed me downstairs." “They were very timely in their antics,” Mo Xiuyao replied with a smile.

"What do you mean" Ye Li asked puzzledly. Jin had already started driving again when Ye Li thought for a moment and called out the name of an address. She saw Mo Jingli standing by the entrance to the tea house, glowering at their carriage as they passed him. "Today morning, the whole city was saying that you were being humiliated on purpose," Mo Xiuyao said.

Ye Li froze and suddenly understood why Mo Jingli had looked so upset—his pride wouldn’t allow him to take unfair accusations calmly. She remembered how Mu Tong had been certain in her guess about the rumors, and realized that wasn’t something she could think up on her own.

"Does Miss Ye have anything important to tell me" Mo Xiuyao asked when he noticed her gaze was absentminded.

Ye Li came back to her senses and nodded. "This morning, Han Mingyue sent a carriage with 20,000 taels of gold tickets, over 10,000 silver tickets, and a jade pendant set as a gift for me. Originally I wanted to bring them when I visit Prince Ding’s residence tomorrow but it’s awkward carrying so much money around when going out with Tianxiang." Mo Xiuyao shook his head indifferently. "He gave those to you as gifts. Just keep them." Ye Li was speechless—she had never expected Han Mingyue to give her such a large sum of money, and she wasn’t comfortable accepting it either. “I’ll send someone with the items tomorrow. It’s your call. I have enough money.” Mo Xiuyao sighed helplessly. "Liye… when he sends those things to you, they belong to you. Just keep them in peace. Don’t feel like you owe him anything—he’s so miserly that every extra coin makes him cringe. He was willing to send all these gifts as an apology because he felt it would be worth it. You don’t need to promise him anything."

Ye Li smiled and said, "I didn’t plan on promising anything to him." She had guessed that Han Mingyue must have done something wrong toward Mo Xiuyao in the past so this time he was trying to make amends with this. She hadn’t expected Mo Xiuyao would simply forgive him for it. Han Mingyue probably felt guilty but didn’t know how to remedy his mistake, thus showering her with gifts regardless of cost. Unfortunately, Ye Li had no intention of making up with former friends and so Han Mingyue’s money was wasted.

"So you asked me out today just for that" Mo Xiuyao asked.

Hearing his deep and pleasant voice, Ye Li felt her heart skip a beat. She said uncomfortably, “There wasn’t anything important. I’m sorry to bother you.” Seeing that Mo Xiuyao really didn’t seem interested in the gifts Han Mingyue sent, she couldn’t help but feel curious about how wealthy Prince Ding’s residence was.

"I’m also idle every day," Mo Xiuyao said with a shake of his head. "Since we’re already out, would you come along somewhere with me"

Ye Li nodded and said, “I’m not very familiar with the city but I’ll leave it to your decision.” With Ye Li’s permission, Mo Xiuyao instructed Jin to drive in another direction.

In the carriage, she curiously asked him, "Windflower Tower Are you planning on giving me jewelry as a gift But I have my own store specializing in selling jewelry."

Mo Xiuyao smiled at her and said, “Isn’t it normal for a fiancé to buy his future wife gifts”

Ye Li kept silent. She couldn’t say that he should visit her shop often instead of giving her presents, because she knew it would sound ungrateful even though she wasn't in the habit of dating anyone seriously. But… was Mo Xiuyao doing this to please her Ye Li felt a bit uneasy but looking at his refined and calm expression, there was no way for her to guess what he was thinking. She could only give up helplessly. Although it made her happy that her future husband wasn’t too annoying and was trying to win her over with gifts, she still felt a little uncomfortable about the situation.

Fenghuai Tower is a very famous jewelry shop in the capital, selling mostly jade artifacts. What makes it popular among the ladies of the city's high society isn't just its expensive prices and exquisite goods but also because there are no two pieces that are exactly alike. Each piece was unique, which made this place particularly favored by noblewomen who didn’t like to wear the same jewelry as others. Ye Li once considered taking Cangzhen Pavilion down a similar high-end route, but they lacked excellent designers and craftsmen, and she herself only had limited knowledge about such matters; hence, it wasn't feasible.

As soon as they entered Fenghuai Tower, the shopkeeper immediately greeted them. Even when he saw Mo Xiurao entering in a wheelchair, he was merely stunned for an instant before giving his proper greetings. "It’s His Royal Highness and Miss Ye It’s our honor to have you grace us with your presence. Your Royal Highness, Miss Ye, please come inside."

After welcoming them into the parlor, a pretty young girl immediately served hot tea. Ye Li smiled as she sipped her tea while admiring the elegant and comfortable setting of the room; it was truly a place where guests were treated like VIPs. No wonder Fenghuai Tower was so popular among the city's nobility. Just for such meticulous service, how could they not earn their money

The shopkeeper personally served them because Mo Xiurao was here and asked, "Is His Royal Highness picking out jewelry for Miss Ye This is Miss Ye’s first visit to our shop; may I ask what kind of jewelry she likes"

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiurao. He sipped his tea and said softly, "Let's take a look at some good pieces."

The shopkeeper agreed and personally went to fetch the items. Ye Li asked doubtfully, "Are we really here to buy jewelry"

Mo Xiurao smiled and replied, "Ahli, you’re thinking too much. If we come across something nice, why not buy a few pieces"

Ye Li asked suspiciously, "Does my usual appearance embarrass you" It was indeed possible—she didn’t have many jewelry pieces, most of them being left by Lady Xu before her death. But she never liked to be weighed down and usually kept her attire at the level of not offending others rather than overly extravagant. For a princess-to-be in his position, it could be embarrassing if she dressed too simply.

Mo Xiurao shook his head helplessly and said earnestly, "If you were wearing a lot of jewelry on your head, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. Actually, I didn't know where to go, so I brought you here because Fengzhiyao mentioned this place had nice jewelry."

Ye Li looked at him doubtfully and tried to find any discomfort in his expression but failed as he seemed too calm. Even when he said such pure-sounding words, his face remained elegant and composed, reading an ancient book calmly in the study. Ye Li could only tell herself she was overthinking it. After all, despite now appearing refined and gentlemanly, Mo Xiurao used to be wild back then—riding horses by bridges with ladies throwing themselves at him.

Soon enough, the shopkeeper came back carrying two boxes. He placed them on the table carefully opened them as he said, "This jewelry set is a new design made personally by our boss this year and it’s probably the only one of its kind. Miss Ye, how about it"

Hearing such serious words from the shopkeeper, Ye Li became curious.

This was an exquisite set of green jade jewelry. Green jade wasn’t the most valuable in terms of jade artifacts, but this set's quality was unmatched even at Cangzhen Pavilion and Shende軒, where she had seen better jade before. What mattered more were its simple yet elegant designs, like a delicate white magnolia blossoming under a moonlit night, evoking a sense of quiet serenity in the heart. There’s no woman who can resist beautiful jewelry; Ye Li sighed inwardly.

“This set includes two magnolia hairpins, one bracelet and one chain along with this forehead ornament,” the shopkeeper said when he saw her approving look. He opened another box to show off the forehead ornament inside—a pale green jade without any intricate patterns or gemstone inlays. The simple yet beautiful designs of the ornaments lay quietly in a silk-lined red lacquer box, emitting faint light.

"Do you like it" Mo Xiurao asked with a smile after looking at Ye Li. "It suits Ahli very well."

“Indeed, it’s very beautiful,” Ye Li nodded.

“I’ll send the bill to your residence.”

The shopkeeper appeared pleased seeing both of them satisfied with their purchase and asked, “Miss Ye would like to take this now or should we deliver it” Mo Xiurao said coolly, “Just have it delivered to Miss Ye’s place.”

Author's Note:

Oh my, many readers seem dissatisfied with Nan Zhu’s previous attitude. In truth, his current status means he can’t openly kill anyone. His parents and brother were murdered; should he not seek vengeance Even after his betrothed died, he still hasn't retaliated. All this is for one reason: patience.

Also, Nan Zhu and the main character are not in a romantic relationship at present; they haven’t fallen in love yet. Therefore, the protagonist doesn’t care too much about him, believing that as a former special forces soldier, it's her responsibility to deal with any issues without blaming anyone for failing to protect her. From the male lead’s perspective, he certainly has feelings for her but hasn't reached the point mentioned in the prologue and wouldn’t disrupt his plans for her sake. But who knows what will happen later on There will be moments of protecting their own and punishing bad guys! If there's anything you don't understand, please leave a comment; I’ll review it to see if my writing was unclear.ages. But we don't have an appropriate princess now, so someone else has to be chosen instead. Mother says that this… is a matter of the royal family. I... am still young, if not I would go for the ma...