Too high to reach

Chapter 333 A new journey
Anxious and worried, Mo Yuan finally came to the Prince Qi's residence again.

A few days after she lied and refused the crown prince that day, he came looking for her again.

But coincidentally, that day was the exact day of her period, and the Crown Prince was wondering, "Why is it taking so long?"

Mo Yuan said with regret and guilt, "My menstrual cycle is a bit irregular."

So, the two played chess. However, Mo Yuan was restless. This time, she was quite pleased with the Crown Prince's victory and left happily.

Before leaving, he squeezed her hand, touched her waist, winked at her, and said ambiguously, "I'll come see you again in a couple of days..."

He left happily, but Mo Yuan was extremely anxious.

She truly lacked the ability to dance calmly with death. The fact that she didn't break down in front of the Crown Prince already showed she was at her last gasp.

Moreover, under normal circumstances, the Crown Prince's Palace does not arrange for concubines to avoid bearing children.

If she gets pregnant: then... her death is truly imminent.

Zhang Debao would definitely think of her, but he couldn't do it. Right now, the only one who could save her was Mo Yi.

So she resumed her visits to the Prince Qi's residence, going there every day.

The crown prince knew everything, but he smiled and remained silent...

However, at the Qi Prince's residence, instructions had been given at the gate that only polite phrases should be used, such as "Princess Qi is not here," "Consort Tian is not here," and "Miss Zhou Jiu is not here."

They just wouldn't let her in.

Despite making two trips in one day without success, facing a life-or-death predicament, Mo Yuan was patient and thick-skinned. After two consecutive days of waiting, she finally caught Mo Yi returning home from outside.

"Your Highness! It's my sister! She has something urgent to tell you! It really is urgent, Your Highness..." she called from outside the carriage.

Mo Yi frowned. "That's really something..."

As soon as they got off at the second gate, Mo Yuan jogged up to them.

"Yi Yi, I need to talk to you urgently, really."

With the help of the maid, Mo Yi stepped off the carriage and onto the stool before turning to look at her. She was clearly not in good condition; after taking a few steps, her face was pale and she was panting heavily.

"Come in," Mo Yi said, and walked inside.

Mo Yuan quickly followed behind her. She didn't say a word the whole way. Thinking back to the past, she used to talk nonstop, so her silence today seemed strange, but Mo Yi ignored her.

The maids and old women we encountered along the way all bowed respectfully. They were at the gates of courtyards and houses.

Mo Yi calmly entered the house and asked the maid who had stayed at home, "Has the prince returned?"

"Your Majesty, the Prince has not yet returned."

Is something wrong at home?

"Madam came to see Ninth Miss on Friday, and she hasn't left yet."

Mo Yi thought for a moment, then turned to Mo Yuan and said, "Please sit down first." Then she went inside.

Wash your hands, change your clothes and shoes, and have the maid remove the jewelry from your hair and wash off your makeup.

He tidied himself up before coming out and slowly sat down.

He took a sip of tea before looking at Mo Yuan. "Did you need something?"

Mo Yuan had been watching her younger sister's "empress-like demeanor," and this girl... had changed again, looking like she had grown two years older.

Every move she made was graceful and elegant... she looked every bit the empress.

Looking at myself... I'm like a stray dog...

She opened her mouth, her voice choked with emotion: "Yes, it's something important I need to tell you, something I want to talk to you about alone."

Princess Qi merely gave a signal with her eyes, and the maids bowed and politely withdrew.

Mo Yuan stood up and knelt before Mo Yi. "Your Highness, Fifth Sister! Everything I did before was my fault. Please save my life."

Mo Yi's face immediately darkened. "Mo Yuan, you need to know that I don't fall for that at all. The more you do this, the more counterproductive it will be..."

Mo Yuan was stunned for a moment, then silently got up on her own.

He personally moved a chair and sat down in front of Mo Yi. "That day... I overheard the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince talking. He said he was taking me as a concubine just to annoy Prince Qi."

Mo Yi took a sip of tea without any expression. "That's it?"

"He also said that he wouldn't let me have his child, and that he would kill me once he succeeded." After saying this, tears streamed down her face.

She only thought about wealth and glory, never considering that she would face death in the prime of her life.
"You were able to overhear these words?" Mo Yi was a little puzzled. She knew that Mo Yuan was quite capable, but this seemed a bit exaggerated.

"Going from the backyard to the frontyard, the first thing you see is the Crown Prince's small study. Sometimes, after he finishes his business, he doesn't want to go back to the backyard and will rest there. The gatekeeper in the middle is called Xiao Shuan. I saved his father and even redeemed his parents from the mansion. He helps me with chores." Ha, he's quite capable indeed.

“I’ve been to that little study a few times. That night, it was very late, and there was no one left in the garden. When I sneaked over, the Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince were drinking and chatting inside. They probably didn’t expect anyone to be eavesdropping. Or maybe he was in his study and didn’t even notice.”

“But Mo Yuan, with your…” Mo Yi pointed to her temple, “your intelligence, you never expected this? Is this surprising to you?”

Mo Yuan lowered her head and remained silent.

"I understand your thinking: whether it's a scheme or a coincidence, if there's a chance to get close to the Crown Prince, you'll act decisively. Right?"

That's the Crown Prince! He'll inherit the throne one day. With your looks and intelligence, and what you consider to be without greed, becoming a concubine shouldn't be too difficult, right? Maybe even a Noble Consort? That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Mo Yuan didn't speak, and wiped away her tears.

"I'm afraid there's another wishful thought that I dare not admit right now: to have another successful son. Then, under your strategic planning, he might even become the crown prince."

“Yi Yi…” Mo Yuan looked constipated, but she couldn’t refute it; that was indeed what she thought.

So I wanted to appear more sincere...

“Your plan is perfectly clear. But think about it again: Why did the Crown Prince bring you into the Eastern Palace? Yes, you are good-looking, quite intelligent, and charming. But are there few people like you in the capital? Aren't there any in the Eastern Palace? So why would he pay such a high price to take you into his household?”

"There are only two possibilities. One is to annoy the prince. The other is to use our relationship to gather useful information. And now it seems..." Mo Yi looked at Mo Yuan sarcastically.

"You've accomplished both of those. You may still be of some use for now, but there will come a day when you're no longer useful. Every position around a crown prince, or even a monarch, is valuable. In the face of power, what use are your little bit of looks and cleverness?"

Mo Yuan completely admitted it: "You're right, it was me who was blinded by wealth. Now I know how dangerous it is, Mo Yi, please save my life."

"Who do you think I am? Someone who can do anything?" Mo Yi sneered.

"Then you can give me some advice, or ask the Prince for me... Yi Yi, I don't want to die like Consort Zhang... silently."

Mo Yi said, "Consort Zhang is beautiful, comes from a good family, her father and brothers serve the Crown Prince, and she has two sons. But that's all. You?! You think you can do so much..."

Seeing that Mo Yi only scolded her but didn't offer any advice, Mo Yuan became extremely anxious. "I... I even went to find Zhang Debao..."

Sure enough, Mo Yi frowned. "Mo Yuan, you'll only drag him down. And he can't help you. This man is the best man in the world to you. You've already wronged him, so don't hurt him anymore. Don't be so selfish."

Mo Yi looked very annoyed.

Mo Yuan lowered her eyes and almost said: But as soon as I said it, he thought about me and worried about me... unlike you!

But how could she dare to say it out loud?
"He gave me an idea..."

Mo Yi scoffed, "Zhang Debao is a coward!"
"Then I'll listen to how Young Master Zhang will rescue Consort Mo from this inferno!"

"...He said he could get me a new identity and then let me escape from the capital and go to his hometown."

Mo Yi clapped her hands: "This arrangement is excellent! Highly skilled and daring, and flawless! The loyal and brave Earl's heir assists his beloved... the Crown Prince's concubine in escaping. This creates a thrilling tale of heroism rescuing a beauty, a timeless legend! Then, the Mo family and the Zhang family, hand in hand, head to the execution ground..."

“Mo Yi…” Mo Yuan sobbed, “What should I do? Don’t just watch me die…”

Mo Yi shook his head and remained silent.

Mo Yuan wiped away her tears and looked steadily at Mo Yi: "Mo Yi, I was really wrong. I was selfish, foolish, and vain. I didn't listen to you... I admit all of that. But I don't deserve to die!"

After crying for a long time, Mo Yi still ignored her. Her face was filled with despair and madness. "If that's how I'm destined to end up, then I'll strike first..."

"What do you want to do? Kill the Crown Prince?" Mo Yi found himself both shocked and secretly pleased.

That person deserved to die, but… “Mo Yuan, you’ve really gone mad. Murdering the crown prince… In the entire Mo family, I’ll probably be the only one who escaped with my life…”

Seeing Mo Yi speak so calmly, Mo Yuan burst into tears again, "Please save me, you can't do it, but the prince can definitely do it."

"But why should the Prince do it? I might still consider the Mo family and our fragile sisterly bond... But what about the Prince? Why would he help you?"

“Then…” Mo Yuan’s eyes darted around, a sudden inspiration striking her: “Mo Yi, I’ve also realized that the Crown Prince and the Prince may become mortal enemies in the future. So… if I can help the Prince overthrow the Crown Prince, could the Prince spare my life?”

Her eyes immediately brightened. Her whole demeanor returned to normal…

Mo Yi felt helpless; this person was simply...

"You? You'll probably get arrested before you even accomplish anything. Then you'll say it was the Prince and me who ordered it... wouldn't we be unjustly killed?"

"Don't worry..." Once a path was cleared, Mo Yuan immediately embarked on a new journey... "I can definitely do it. I will..." She blinked, imagining all sorts of possibilities, "As long as you and the Prince don't act like the Crown Prince and have no conscience."

"I didn't ask you to do anything, nor can I guarantee anything. It's just that, even though our relationship is as thin as ice, we're still sisters. As for the outcome, I have no idea..."

Mo Yuan suddenly stood up... squinting at the door, her gaze hardening.

I wrote over two thousand words that day, but lost it due to improper operation. I lost it in the Qidian backend and can't retrieve it... so I'm posting it now as soon as I finish writing it. I'll correct any mistakes later.

This chapter is quite long, so the next one might be very late. Things have been so chaotic lately…