The sound of laughter woke Fang Mo up. As soon as he raised his head, he saw many people dressed in aristocratic clothes around him. He quickly noticed that all of them were glancing at him; he was the source of the joke.
Some showed clear disdain and didn't bother to hide their laughter. Others only stole quick glances and laughed behind their hands.
Where am I? Fang Mo tried to make sense of the situation around him. Didn't I die?
His mind was clouded. He couldn't think straight. With trembling hands, he moved his left hand to the corner of his mouth. An excessive amount of saliva coated his lips, even soaking the clothes on his chest.
I've been poisoned, he concluded. Is this because of the lethal injection?
But before he could reflect further, a flood of information came crashing into his mind. Fang Mo held his head in agony as a searing headache, unlike anything he had ever experienced, assaulted him.
The pain eventually subsided, leaving only ragged breaths and lingering dizziness behind. At the very least, whatever had happened had answered his doubts: he was no longer on Earth.
He was in Baoxiang City, the capital of Southern Zhou Province, located within Wei Zhou State, a part of the Yun Han Empire.
Like those around him, he was also an aristocrat. More specifically, the body he had possessed belonged to Fang Ye, the only son of Fang Peizhi, the lord of the Southern Zhou Province, who had disappeared two months earlier.
As understanding of his situation washed over him, Fang Mo's expression became as tranquil as a still lake. He looked around, taking in the different faces laughing at him. Few were the ones who weren't laughing.
Among those observing in silence was someone the late Fang Ye had been familiar with—his uncle, Fang Da. His uncle looked at him with a frown, as if something unexpected had occurred. Given the current state of his body, how could Fang Mo not understand?
Fang Peizhi was already considered dead by most, including Fang Da. Now, the only thing standing between Fang Da and the throne was Fang Ye. Of course, a person in such a high position as Fang Da would never directly poison his nephew, he needed someone to do the dirty job.
Fang Mo knew he couldn't stay here for long, or his fate would follow in Fang Ye's footsteps. He stood up and prepared to leave the hall, but a warm hand grasped his, stopping him in his tracks.
"Young Lord, are you okay?" a gentle, worried voice asked. The speaker was a young woman with soft features, dressed in a beautiful floral gown. Her beauty was enchanting, but Fang Mo looked at her as if she were a piece of rotten wood.
His cold gaze took the woman aback, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. The late Fang Ye had treated Ren Xiuying, the girl holding his hand, like a treasure.
"I'm fine. I'm going home," Fang Mo said, pulling his hand away from Ren Xiuying's grasp before resuming his walk toward the exit. He was not fine; his body had been poisoned by someone, and he needed to act quickly.
But another busybody got in his way. A man with broad shoulders, a muscular build, and sharp features stepped between him and the entrance.
"Fang Mo, is this how you treat your servants? Little Xiuying is clearly worried about you, and you treat her like this? No wonder you are the joke of Baoxiang City. You don't even know how to treat a lady."
Fang Mo frowned. He felt like slapping the man in front of him, but held back. It was not because of the setting, but because he knew his current body was no match for the gorilla standing before him.
"Get lost, Kong Ying. If you want her so badly, take her. No one is going to stop you from making a servant your concubine."
Kong Ying's face flushed red with shame. "Fang Mo, it is not like that, I—"
From behind Fang Mo, Ren Xiuying also blushed, but she didn't utter a word. How could a lowly servant dare speak of such things to a noble at a public event?
"Save your excuses for someone who cares," Fang Mo said as he walked past Kong Ying, leaving both the gorilla and Ren Xiuying standing there with their mouths agape.
A flicker of doubt crossed Ren Xiuying's eyes, but she quickly concealed it and followed Fang Mo. She was still his servant, and she had a duty to fulfill.
"Is that really Fang Mo? Why did he change so suddenly?" asked a fat man holding a glass of wine, his brow furrowed.
A refined woman beside him laughed in response. "Idiot Fang must have finally realized his place. In a few days, when the envoy from Wei Zhou State arrives, he will no longer be the prince of Southern Qin Prefecture. He will just be Idiot Fang."
Among those in the hall, only Fang Da's expression darkened.
***
"Young Lord, should I call the coachman?" But before Fang Mo had a chance to reply, Ren Xiuying was already moving toward a servant, ready to request a carriage. She knew he hated walking, even if the distance between his residence and their current location was only a ten-minute walk.
In this world, technological advancement lagged far behind Earth in most areas. Cellphones and cars didn't exist, so nobles typically relied on coachmen to drive them around.
"No need. It'll take longer by carriage," Fang Mo replied without stopping. He continued on his way, leaving Ren Xiuying behind, staring at his back with widened eyes.
What's going on with this bastard Fang Ye?! Did the poison, instead of killing him, make him go mad? Ren Xiuying grumbled inwardly.
She also didn't like to walk. Despite being a servant, she considered herself someone of high status for being the direct maid of the province's young lord.
Of course, she wasn't satisfied with just that.
At first, she had charmed Fang Ye. The boy was too innocent and even promised to take her as his wife. Ren Xiuying had made him swear not to make it public until he inherited the lord's position, and so he did.
But after Fang Peizhi disappeared, she realized Fang Ye was too incompetent to succeed his father. So, she turned her attention to Fang Da, using her beauty and charm to seduce him. Once they took care of Fang Ye, she would finally claim the place she truly deserved.
Ren Xiuying swallowed her dissatisfaction and followed Fang Ye. Just a bit more, Xiuying. Just a bit more.
***
Feng Mo arrived in his room. According to his predecessor's memories, his father had forbidden him from taking any money. This wasn't' without a reason, of course. Fang was a useless casino addict who wasted his money on games and was even cheated by scammers thrice.
These events led to his nickname: 'Idiot Fang'.
All his expenses had to pass through Ren Xiuying, but Fang Mo didn't know if Ren Xiuying was involved in his uncle's plans. Whether she was involved or not, he knew for sure the woman wasn't trustworthy. Telling her about his need to visit a doctor or buy ingredients to cure the poison on his body was the last thing he would do.
Fang Mo opened a drawer in his room and took out a small golden ring adorned with a large diamond. It had belonged to Fang Ye's late mother, and Fang Mo planned to sell it. A wedding ring was useless to him, but the same couldn't be said about money.
Unfortunately, Ren Xiuying saw him taking the ring.
"Young Lord, why did you take your mother's ring?" her voice rang out coldly from behind him.
Fang Mo turned to face her and frowned. "What does it have to do with you? This is my mother's ring, not yours, Ren Xiuying."
Ren Xiuying's expression turned icy, her jaw clenched. Fang Ye had promised to give her that ring to propose marriage, but now he was planning to sell it!
"All your expenses have to pass through me. That's your father's order. What do you need so much money for? I won't allow you to waste it on gambling!"
Fang Mo's face turned cold, and for a brief moment, killing intent radiated from his body. He quickly suppressed it, but Ren Xiuying felt it. The sudden pressure made her stagger backward and fall on her butt.
"Y-Young Lord, if you plan to go against your father's wishes, I'll have to call the guards!" she shouted, loud enough for people outside the room to hear.
Fang Mo smiled warmly at her. He couldn't kill her or defy her outright, but that didn't mean he was without options.
"Xiuying'er," he said, using the affectionate tone the late Fang Ye once did. "This is a misunderstanding. I would never sell my mother's ring. I just need to take it somewhere to ensure it's in perfect condition when I ask for your hand in marriage. If you don't believe me, why don't you come with me?"