Chapter 11: Impersonation
“Why haven’t you promptly brought the eldest legitimate daughter of the Mo family into the royal lineage yet?” A deep, elderly voice echoed from the shadows of the imperial palace, sending a chill that seemed to lodge in the throat.
The Emperor of Huanlan, dressed in resplendent yellow, drew a slow breath, ignoring the fresh sweat beading on his brow. He respectfully acknowledged the command and hastily withdrew into the hidden passage.
Since the cataclysm that befell the Huanlan Continent that day, all factions stirred restlessly—those in the know scrambled to make their moves, while the uninformed merely watched and tracked the unfolding omens.
Some claimed it was a divine blessing, a celestial portent of a new world; others whispered it was a dire omen, a harbinger of calamity, for that day had been cloaked in endless darkness, as if midday had turned into a fathomless night.
Mo Yuan, frantic over the disappearance of Mo Liuli right under his nose, was in turmoil. He took solace only in the fact that his eldest daughter was usually kept secluded, so the elders remained unaware, buying him precious time to search. Yet, a sudden imperial edict was swiftly decreed: a date was to be chosen to bring the Mo family’s eldest daughter, Mo Liuli, into the palace as the Crown Princess.
The decree caught him utterly off guard.
“Father, why not let Yan’er marry in her stead? If word of eldest sister’s disappearance gets out, it could bring greater trouble. Yan’er only needs to alter her appearance slightly—if she resembles Mother even a little, no one will suspect a thing,” Mo Ruyan barged in when Mo Yuan was at a loss, volunteering to stand in as the bride. The imperial sedan chair awaited her.
The Crown Prince had met both her and her sister. Initially, she had worried about being unmasked. However, she had discovered the tampering Uncle He had done while treating the Crown Prince, and since the prince had no memory of entering the Mo household, she felt unafraid.
The wedding procession, grand and imposing, carried the switched bride into the palace. At last, Mo Ruyan had achieved her wish—she was wed into the inner sanctum of the imperial harem.
In the capital of Huanlan, the sudden appearance of such a procession stirred chaos.
“Which noble’s son is getting married? Such an immense spectacle! And yet, there was no prior word.”
“The emblem on the sedan chair… it looks like one from the palace, doesn’t it? Why hadn’t we heard about this before?”
“Who do you think is inside? Such fortune! No need to worry about wealth or status from now on!”
“I heard it’s a Mo family lady getting married—someone saw the sedan chair leave from the Mo estate’s main gate!”
“The Mo family? Didn’t they just announce the engagement of the Mo eldest lady to the Crown Prince? Why the sudden rush? No one knew a thing until now.”
“Hmph! What do you know, commoner? The royal family’s wealth is boundless. Even a rushed wedding will be magnificent, known throughout the realm!”
Mo Ruyan, hearing these whispers from within the sedan chair, grew more triumphant. Such a splendid wedding—even if the Crown Prince’s bride was not under her own name, it was indeed her who was being led into the palace. Once within the royal family, how could she not find her opportunity for revenge?
The sweeter the thought, the more her dreams blossomed amidst the joyous cheers. She even forgot the terror of the recent cataclysm.
“Master, is this truly wise? If Liuli returns and learns of this, she will surely be furious. Yan’er is marrying under her name after all!” Lady Leng, eyes clouded with worry, tugged on Mo Yuan’s sleeve in the side chamber.
Mo Yuan, already agitated, knew this substitute marriage was no trivial matter. If exposed, death would be their only fate.
“You worry only for your precious daughter, but have you considered what will become of the entire Mo family if Yan’er’s deception is uncovered?”