Mo Li

Early in the morning, Ye Li received an imperial summons from the Empress. In truth, she was somewhat impressed by Mo Jingqi’s restraint in not summoning her for questioning the moment they returned to the capital. Given Ye Li’s current status, aside from the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager, no one in the entire capital could casually demand her presence. However, the Empress Dowager was now practically under house arrest by Mo Jingqi. After the incident during Ye Li’s last visit to the palace, Prince Ding could very well refuse any imperial summons for Princess Ding. Hence, the Empress had issued the invitation under her own name instead.

The pretext for the Empress’s summons was a flower-viewing event. It was said that the crabapple blossoms in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom, so the Empress had ordered the noblewomen of the capital to gather for a welcoming banquet in Princess Ding’s honor while admiring the flowers. Seeing the vibrant blooms in the Imperial Garden, Ye Li faintly recalled that this year’s Hundred Flowers Festival had already passed. She couldn’t help but smile wryly—with all the chaos outside, how could she possibly remember the grand events that the young ladies of the capital so eagerly anticipated?

When Ye Li prepared to enter the palace, Mo Xiuyao, regardless of whether he had received an invitation from the Empress, insisted on accompanying her—a blatant display of distrust toward the royal family. Though Mo Jingqi’s face darkened with anger, he could say nothing. After all, the matter of Princess Ding’s disappearance still remained unresolved.

"Prince Ding, surely you don’t believe your wife will go missing under my watch? Or do you not trust me?" Empress Hua remarked with a light laugh as she watched the couple arrive together. Her gaze lingered on Ye Li with a hint of admiration and envy before she teasingly addressed them. The Mo and Hua families had always been close, and Mo Xiuyao clearly held no ill will toward the Empress. He replied calmly, "A Li has never been fond of crowds, and with no elders in our household to guide her, she may be unfamiliar with many customs. Since I happened to be free today, I decided to accompany her. I hope Your Majesty does not take offense."

Such open affection in front of so many people made Ye Li somewhat uncomfortable, and she shot Mo Xiuyao a glance. Yet he remained composed, his demeanor as gentle and refined as jade. The noblewomen and young ladies present couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, though the envious and jealous glances directed at Ye Li multiplied in number. Ye Li clearly noticed Hua Tianxiang standing beside the Empress, her eyes gleaming with mischief, and silently glared at her in retaliation.

"Prince Ding’s presence alone brings honor to this humble gathering. However… today’s event is meant for ladies only. If you stay, I fear the others may grow too shy to enjoy themselves," the Empress said with an amused smile. "So, why not take a stroll elsewhere and spare my flower banquet from disruption?"

Seated nearby, Zhaoyang Princess chimed in with a laugh, "Her Majesty speaks truly. Back in the day, the mere appearance of the Second Young Master of Ding Royal Palace would leave half the capital’s young ladies spellbound. Xiu Yao, you’d best not linger here and cause a stir. With the Empress and myself present, surely you needn’t worry about any harm befalling your wife?"

The usually reserved Zhaoyang Princess seemed in high spirits today, even cracking jokes. Her words, however, caused the young ladies present to blush and lower their heads, not daring to look directly at the striking figure standing before the Empress.

Observing the varied reactions around her, Ye Li suppressed a laugh and said softly to Mo Xiuyao, "If you have matters to attend to, Your Highness, please go ahead. I’ll be fine."Mo Xiuyao nodded softly and said, "I'll go see His Majesty first, then wait for you to return to the residence together later."

Ye Li nodded, and only then did Mo Xiuyao bid farewell to the Empress and Princess Zhaoyang before turning to leave. Hua Tianxiang beside the Empress winked suggestively at Ye Li with a mischievous expression—such public displays of affection were truly envy-inducing...

After seeing off the attention-grabbing Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li took the first empty seat to the Empress's left. Across from her, Princess Zhaoyang smiled kindly, though the same couldn't be said for Princess Zhaoren and Princess Ronghua beside her. Ye Li felt somewhat helpless about this. She held no particular feelings toward Princess Ronghua, but the princess seemed to look down on her as Princess Ding. When Ye Ying had been present, most of Princess Ronghua's hostility had been directed at her. But now that Ye Ying was gone, the princess's focus had clearly returned to Ye Li. Seeing that look of utter disdain, Ye Li secretly laughed to herself: Did Princess Ronghua even realize that a significant part of her future might very well be in Ye Li's hands?

"Consort Yun has arrived! Wang Zhaorong has arrived!" Just as the Empress was about to speak, the sharp announcement of the palace eunuchs echoed from outside. The Empress couldn't help but frown, clearly not particularly welcoming toward the newcomers.

Before long, two women in splendid attire entered gracefully. The one leading had a delicate and charming appearance, her figure slender, with a hint of coquettishness in her demeanor. The woman beside her, though only of average beauty, had long, phoenix-like eyes that exuded a certain allure. The two stepped forward and bowed gracefully. "Your humble servants greet Her Majesty the Empress." Both were favored consorts of the Emperor, with Consort Yun even holding one of the four highest consort positions. Aside from Ye Li and the two princesses, everyone present had to rise and bow in greeting. The Empress glanced at them indifferently and said coolly, "Rise. What brings Consort Yun and Wang Zhaorong here?"

Consort Yun smiled sweetly. "We beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for interrupting. It's just... This humble one and Sister Wang heard that Princess Ding was here today. We have long admired her reputation and couldn't miss this rare opportunity, so we sought His Majesty's permission to pay our respects to Princess Ding." Her words sounded innocent and artless, yet they subtly conveyed to everyone that she had come with the Emperor's approval—and specifically to see Princess Ding. Originally, when the Empress summoned noblewomen, palace consorts without invitations weren't supposed to attend. Her statement thus absolved her of disrespect toward the Empress while simultaneously flaunting the Emperor's favor.

"Respects are unnecessary. Ye Li greets Consort Yun," Ye Li replied with a faint smile, making no move to rise or bow. The Yun and Wang families were Mo Jingqi's staunch supporters. With the Empress lacking Mo Jingqi's trust and Consort Liu being indifferent by nature, it was only natural that Mo Jingqi would send Consort Yun to test Ye Li.Imperial Concubine Yun paused slightly and turned to examine Ye Li sitting nearby. Most women harbored some hostility toward those more outstanding than themselves. Previously, Imperial Concubine Yun had not been particularly favored and thus had never met Princess Ding. However, she had heard much about her in recent days. The Yun family had always been loyal to the emperor, and now that the emperor had abandoned the Ye family to support the Yun family, Imperial Concubine Yun had also gained considerable favor. Though she was not so presumptuous as to challenge the empress or Consort Liu, she held little regard for ordinary individuals. Naturally, she paid extra attention to Ye Li, whom the emperor seemed to fear.

She had expected to see a woman as dignified and noble as the empress or as aloof and stunning as Consort Liu. But when she turned, she saw a woman seated to the empress's right, dressed in a light green gown with silver peony patterns, her dark hair casually tied up and adorned with two pearl-tasseled hairpins. Compared to the other lavishly dressed and meticulously made-up noblewomen present, she exuded a more understated and effortless grace. It was hard to associate her with the woman rumored to command two thousand Black Cloud Cavalry and guard the border city. Even more unimaginable was the rumor that Prince Ding doted on his princess. Imperial Concubine Yun had seen Su Zuidie before—this Princess Ding was beautiful, yes, but she seemed to fall short of Zui Die's peerless beauty.

"Is this Princess Ding? Your Majesty, may I sit beside her? I have long admired her and would love to chat with her," Imperial Concubine Yun said, suppressing her confusion with a bright, charming smile that was hard to refuse.

The empress glanced at her and replied indifferently, "Very well. You and Wang Zhaorong may sit below Princess Ding."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Imperial Concubine Yun's eyes, but she still responded cheerfully and pulled Wang Zhaorong to sit beside Ye Li. Though she resented sitting below Ye Li, she knew Princess Ding would not yield her seat—and even if she did, Imperial Concubine Yun might not dare to take it.

Gatherings among noblewomen were much the same, though today many harbored ulterior motives. Once most had arrived, the empress personally led them to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers. The garden was indeed a riot of blooms, its summer splendor rivaling that of spring. The noblewomen scattered in small groups to chat and enjoy the scenery, while those of higher status, like Ye Li, remained by the empress's side.

After a stroll through the garden, the empress guided everyone to a pavilion and sat down before asking with a smile, "Princess Ding rarely visits the palace. What do you think of the scenery here?"

Ye Li smiled. "Naturally, it is opulent and majestic, like a fairyland."

The empress gave her a sidelong glance. "Now you're just being polite with me. Opulent and majestic, yes—but a fairyland? What fairyland looks like this?" Her tone carried a hint of weariness and indifference as she shook her head. "To me, it's better to let nature take its course. The palace's scenery is exquisitely crafted, but the haphazard arrangement of flowers here and there is rather dizzying. I've been to Prince Ding's Estate—it must suit your tastes perfectly, no?"The Ding Royal Palace was vast in area, yet arranged with such comfort and elegance that Ye Li found it quite delightful. The Zhaoyang Princess nodded in agreement and smiled, "Her Majesty is right. When I was young, I often loved lingering in Prince Ding's Estate and was always reluctant to leave each time."

Ye Li smiled faintly, "Your Majesty and the Princess flatter us too much. The Ding family has been a line of military generals for generations, inevitably making our estate somewhat crude. Both His Highness and I prefer tranquility over liveliness."

Lady Yun, seated beside Ye Li, asked curiously, "I heard from His Majesty that Princess Ding once defended Yonglin in Yongzhou, assisting the garrison commander in repelling Prince Li's rebel forces to ensure the safety of Snowbreak Pass. Could you share with us what happened then? So, you are skilled in martial arts too—no wonder you could frighten the Western Liang princess out of her wits with a single arrow last year." Ye Li replied with a light smile, "Lady Yun jested. It was merely a few basic moves I learned at His Highness's insistence for my safety. The credit for defending Yonglin goes to the border troops, not to me." Wang Zhaorong chimed in, "Princess Ding is too modest. I also heard His Majesty mention it. He said if not for your efforts, Snowbreak Pass might have fallen long ago. You have rendered great service to the Great Chu. It's a pity we, confined to the deep palace, cannot contribute to the nation as you have—truly a lifelong regret."

"Oh? Does Wang Zhaorong also wish to serve Great Chu? Shall I ask Father to send you to the border to contribute? With such loyalty, Father would surely be delighted." A crisp voice rang out from outside the pavilion. Everyone turned to see Princess Changle, dressed in a pink gown, blinking her bright eyes and grinning at Wang Zhaorong.

Wang Zhaorong forced a smile, "The Princess jests. I... lack even the strength to tie up a chicken..." Despite her favor and her family's rising status, she dared not provoke Princess Changle. The princess was the Empress's only daughter and the sole legitimate heir of the Great Chu imperial family. Though Mo Jingqi did not dote on the Empress, he held her in high respect and adored this innocent and lively princess. If Princess Changle were to barge into the imperial study and spout nonsense, Wang Zhaorong would be in trouble.

Princess Changle rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Then why spout such nonsense? I thought you were too shy to ask Father. Since Uncle Prince Ding is also in the study, I’ll plead your case. Perhaps Father will appreciate your loyalty and grant your wish."

"Changle, stop this mischief," the Empress frowned at her daughter's unseemly behavior. The princess stuck out her tongue playfully, then stepped into the pavilion and curtsied properly. "Greetings to Mother Empress, Princess Ding, and my two aunts." The Zhaoyang Princess pulled her close and smiled, "It's been so long—our little princess is growing into a young lady." Ye Li smiled in acknowledgment. Indeed, after just a year, Princess Changle had matured significantly since their last meeting outside Yaohua Palace—at least she no longer seemed the type to dart into bushes. The princess clearly remembered Ye Li, blinking at her from the Zhaoyang Princess's embrace. Ye Li paused briefly before returning a gentle smile.

Lady Yun glanced at the princess nestled in her aunt's arms and teased, "Your Highness, we were just about to hear Princess Ding recount her experiences leading troops at the border. Don’t you want to listen?"Princess Changle's eyes sparkled mischievously as she smiled brightly, "This princess is a lady and would never pry into others' private affairs. Only those wicked women who spend their days scheming and plotting against others would go to such lengths to uncover secrets. Consort Yun, don't you agree?" Consort Yun's gentle smile stiffened slightly as she forced a smile and replied, "Of course, Your Highness is a true lady."

Princess Changle gave a light humph and turned to the Empress, saying, "Mother, may I invite Princess Ding and Cousin Tianxiang to play with me?"

The Empress smiled faintly, "That depends on whether Princess Ding has time to accompany you. You're not a child anymore—what kind of impression does it make to pester others to play all the time?" Princess Changle grinned, "I like Princess Ding." The Empress glanced at Ye Li and said apologetically, "This child is still immature. Please forgive her, Princess." Ye Li smiled, "Not at all. The princess is pure-hearted and adorable. It's my honor to have her favor. Where does the princess wish to invite me?"

Delighted, Princess Changle wriggled out of Princess Zhaoyang's embrace, grabbing Ye Li with one hand and dragging Hua Tianxiang with the other as she dashed outside. "Come with me!" Ye Li, being agile, had no trouble keeping up, but Hua Tianxiang stumbled along awkwardly as she was pulled along. The Empress sighed helplessly and instructed the palace maids to follow and keep an eye on them.

Princess Changle led the two through winding paths in the Imperial Garden, finally stopping behind a rockery in the northwest corner. She glanced back to ensure the attendants hadn't caught up before frowning and complaining softly, "These people are so annoying, following me everywhere."

Ye Li chuckled, "They're only doing their duty on the orders of the Empress and His Majesty. If they lose track of you, they might be punished." Princess Changle waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry. My mother is kind-hearted and wouldn't punish them arbitrarily. But those people are annoying—they love reporting everything I say to Father and the other consorts. I hate them. Come with me."

Beaming, Princess Changle began climbing the rockery, turning back to call out, "This place is huge. If we go up, they won't find us!"

Ye Li surveyed the sprawling rockery—it was indeed large enough to hide in if one didn't search carefully. But... "Your Highness, why are we climbing up?"

Princess Changle looked back at her, patting the pearl-adorned buns in her hair. "Uncle Prince Ding said a bad woman upset you, so he asked me to find a place to hide you until he comes to fetch you later. Oh, and doesn't Cousin Tianxiang have something to tell you too?"

Ye Li was torn between laughter and exasperation. Hide her? She’d bet anything Mo Xiuyao hadn’t phrased it that way to the princess. She glanced at Hua Tianxiang, who looked equally surprised. Princess Changle gave a light humph and resumed climbing. "Who do you think I am? Father wants to marry Cousin Tianxiang off to Northern Rong. I asked my nanny—Northern Rong is a terrible place, full of rude, barbaric people. It's cold and dreary, and the food is awful. I begged Uncle Prince Ding for help, and he said this matter is up to Princess Ding. So now we can talk about it. Come up, you two!"The two had no choice but to follow her up the rockery. Sure enough, there was a secluded spot halfway up where one could hide, and its undisturbed state suggested it was frequently used. Sitting atop the rockery, Ye Li smiled and asked, "So, Your Highness, are you asking me not to let Tianxiang marry into Northern Rong?"

Princess Changle gazed at her eagerly, "Will you agree?"

Ye Li chuckled lightly, "What's in it for me if I do?"

After some thought, Princess Changle offered, "I can give you all my treasures. I have many precious things, all given by Father Emperor. Mother Empress said they're very valuable. Will that do?"

"Changle..." Hua Tianxiang's eyes reddened. Of course, she didn’t want to marry into Northern Rong either. But she, along with her parents and grandparents, knew that even though the Emperor had entrusted Princess Ding with full authority, if the imperial court truly intended for her to marry into Northern Rong, even Ye Li would be powerless to stop it. The Emperor merely wanted Prince Ding's Estate to bear the blame for offending the Hua family. That’s why neither her grandparents nor she herself had ever considered asking Ye Li for help—it would only put her in a difficult position for no reason.

"Why doesn’t Your Highness want Tianxiang to marry into Northern Rong?"

Princess Changle bit her lip and hesitated for a long moment before speaking haltingly, "Mother Empress said... only princesses should marry for political alliances. But we don’t have a suitable princess now, so they have to choose someone else. Mother Empress said... these are royal matters. I... I’m still too young, otherwise I’d go myself... If Cousin Xiang leaves, Grandmother and Uncle and Aunt will be sad. Aunt even cried in front of Mother Empress..." Her words were disjointed, but the two understood. Princess Changle believed Hua Tianxiang was suffering in her stead, which was why she had come so urgently to beg Ye Li. Finally finishing her plea, Princess Changle looked at her hopefully, "Princess Ding, can you please not let Cousin go?"

Ye Li smiled faintly and nodded, "Yes, I promise you."

------------------Author's Note------------------

Finally on vacation, so updates will be fewer while I'm out having fun~ Princess Changle is adorable... but if I give her a tragic storyline, no one will blame me, right?