Last year's imperial banquet, if he remembered correctly.
Fang Chuanzhou attended with his wife and eldest daughter Fang Mingzhu. Emperor Shunwu took a liking to their daughter at first sight.
Taking advantage of the drinking, Emperor Shunwu unabashedly disregarded propriety and wanted to take Fang Mingzhu into his harem.
Unexpectedly, Fang Mingzhu was unwilling and publicly refused Emperor Shunwu's "kind intentions" on the grounds that she already had a marriage agreement.
Fang Chuanzhou was also unwilling for his daughter to enter the palace and compete with so many women for favor. He knelt down to speak up for Fang Mingzhu.
With so many ministers present, Emperor Shunwu could not forcibly keep her in the harem. He could only reluctantly let her leave.
The second day after leaving the imperial banquet, Fang Mingzhu hurriedly married someone.
Based on Mo Jiuye's understanding of this emperor, he must have resented this and would take this opportunity to confiscate the Fang family's property and exile them, while also adding to his own troubles.
As for the Li family and He family, they had never gotten along well with Mo Jiuye to begin with. It was easy to guess the reason why the Emperor sent them along to be exiled with him.
Seeing He Zhiran was still sitting there deep in thought, he gently hooked her finger.
When He Zhiran looked back, he said softly: "I'll tell you about these families' matters when there is a chance in the future."
Hearing Mo Jiuye say this, it meant he had already figured out the situation.
Since someone understood clearly, the Mo family didn't need to play blind. He Zhiran simply didn't want to get further involved.
"Okay." She casually responded, indifferent to whether Mo Jiuye would tell her or not.
She had already made clear her own purpose, which was first to change Mo Jiuye's fate of dying on the road to exile.
The sister-in-law felt that she had explained her matter clearly and didn't want to continue disturbing the young couple's rest.
"Younger brother and sister-in-law, this sister-in-law will go back to rest now."
He Zhiran had gotten on the wagon to help Mo Jiuye escape, and although the purpose was already accomplished, they should have gone their separate ways to avoid awkwardness.
But if she laid down for a bit and then left, it might make the Eighth Old Zhou suspicious.
Helpless, she could only stiffly lie back down in her original position.
To let her sleep more comfortably, Mo Jiuye deliberately shifted over a little.
Although tired from the journey, He Zhiran was wide awake now.
Mo Jiuye seemed to sense she hadn't fallen asleep, and asked softly:
"Can't sleep?"
"Mm." He Zhiran responded absently.
"Is it because of what sister-in-law said?" Mo Jiuye asked.
"I guess so!" He Zhiran didn't even know why she was having insomnia. Perhaps it was suddenly being in a strange environment and not quite used to it yet.
However, she didn't want to mention any of this to Mo Jiuye.
Mo Jiuye didn't read between the lines and only heard her tone, failing to realize He Zhiran was being evasive with him.
"The He family and Li family have had some friction with me."
Since Mo Jiuye took the initiative to speak, He Zhiran had nothing better to do with her insomnia, so she might as well listen carefully.
"What friction?" she asked.
"He Zhiyuan was originally the Minister of the Ministry of War. When I led troops in battle, he deliberately embezzled military provisions to line his own pockets. I had memorialized this matter to the Emperor at the time.
The Emperor sent people to thoroughly investigate the matter, but I don't know why, for such a big deal, the Emperor only demoted He Zhiyuan's position. He went from Minister of the Ministry of War to Vice Minister of the Ministry of War."
After listening to Mo Jiuye's account, He Zhiran had another guess in mind.
"According to what you said, it sounds like the Emperor had long intended to act against the Mo family. He didn't immediately deal with He Zhiyuan, but kept him around to make things difficult for you?"
Mo Jiuye didn't expect this woman to analyze things so thoroughly.
It had taken him almost a full day to think things through clearly and arrive at this conclusion after careful consideration.
He felt more and more that He Zhiran was extraordinary.
Since they had already talked this far, He Zhiran was also intrigued.
"What about the Li family then?"
When it came to grievances with the Li family, Mo Jiuye didn't know how to bring it up for a moment.
After deliberating, he still chose to tell the blunt truth.
"My grievance with the Li family can be said to stem from Li Rou'er."
Hearing the implication in Mo Jiuye's words, it sounded like he and Li Rou'er were somewhat involved.
Thinking this, her interest grew even stronger.
"What was your relationship?"
At the same time, He Zhiran also searched the original host's memories, looking for whether Li Rou'er had ever mentioned Mo Jiuye to her.
She searched for a long time until her head hurt, but still came up empty-handed.
This showed that Li Rou'er had never spoken a word about Mo Jiuye in front of the original host.
"We didn't have any relationship." Mo Jiuye answered decisively.
"Then why did you say your grievance with the Li family started because of her?"
Hearing He Zhiran's probing question, Mo Jiuye instinctively felt this woman might be jealous.
So he quickly explained.
"Her carriage went out of control on the street, charging around recklessly. I happened to run into it and helped control the horse out of good intentions.
At the time, I didn't think much of this incident. I thought it was all over, but unexpectedly, Li Liang brought gifts to my residence the next day, saying it was his daughter thanking me for saving her life.
And he mentioned sending Li Rou'er to the Duke's Mansion as a concubine. I rejected it on the spot, saying I already had a marriage agreement with you, and that it is a Mo family rule that Mo men do not take concubines.
Li Liang didn't have any abnormal reaction when I refused him. It wasn't until three days later when I went out again that I ran into Li Rou'er once more.
You could say she deliberately waited outside the Duke's Mansion entrance.
I was going to ignore her and leave directly, but her two maidservants blocked my way.
Li Rou'er claimed we already had intimate physical contact and I had to take responsibility for her.
When I helped control her horse, there was no contact between us at all. This was clearly her being shameless.
Therefore, I didn't give her any face and didn't explain, directly riding away on horseback.
After that, I noticed Li Liang opposing me in everything, no matter what I said, he would rack his brains to refute it.
Aside from the Li Rou'er incident, I can't think of how else I offended Li Liang..."
After listening to Mo Jiuye explain so much, He Zhiran also figured out one fact. Li Rou'er deliberately got close to her and talked about how bad the Mo family was every day, in order to make her regret the marriage so Li Rou'er could marry Mo Jiuye instead.
"Did what you said happen early this year?"
"You know about it?" Mo Jiuye asked back.
Since they had talked this far, He Zhiran didn't intend to hide it either.
She recounted in full detail how Li Rou'er had persuaded her not to marry into the Mo family, and this incident happened right after Mo Jiuye rejected Li Rou'er.
Hearing this, Mo Jiuye's dark eyes sank.
"I didn't expect a young lady to have such sinister intentions. She really is despicable."
"Very despicable indeed. She pretended to care about me in front of me before, but couldn't wait to reveal her true colors after being exiled for a day."
Speaking of Li Rou'er, He Zhiran was very contemptuous.
This was a thoroughly despicable character that He Zhiran looked down on the most.
Seeing He Zhiran unhappy, Mo Jiuye thought it was because of the baseless affair between him and Li Rou'er.
To ease the atmosphere, he added: "I've already read your father's letter."
