Mo Li

Ye Li swiftly navigated through the dimly lit palace corridors as if she had traversed its layout countless times. Her slender figure landed gracefully beneath the eaves of a palace building, where she paused and glanced up at the rooftop behind her, speaking coolly, "Prince Yelv, is there a reason you're following me at this hour?"

Discovered, Yelv Ye didn’t hesitate and leaped down from the roof with a smile. "Are you heading to find Prince Ding, Princess? Do you know where he is?"

Ye Li replied indifferently, "That seems unrelated to you, Prince Yelv. Rather than concerning yourself with this, perhaps you should think harder about how to explain why you attempted to assassinate Lian Qi the moment you arrived in Great Chu."

Earlier at the Star Plucking Tower, the assassin had directly called out Yelv Ye’s name, and there were certainly no few witnesses. Though the assassination attempt during the lantern festival had been kept quiet, word might still spread. If there were any significant casualties tonight, eight out of ten noble families would likely blame Yelv Ye for it.

Yelv Ye feigned innocence. "I’ve come from afar, only to find Great Chu even more dangerous than our Northern Rong."

Ye Li sneered. "Frankly, compared to Northern Rong, you seem more like one of us Great Chu people." Without waiting to see his reaction, she turned and strode swiftly ahead.

The two moved through the palace at a measured distance. Due to the commotion caused by the assassins, most guards had rushed toward the Star Plucking Tower, leaving the palace defenses unusually lax. As she walked, Ye Li couldn’t help but frown. If someone were to sneak in and hide now, the consequences would be dire.

Yelv Ye followed leisurely behind her, having realized that Princess Ding wasn’t wandering aimlessly but heading in a specific direction. Yet, despite his sharp eyes, he couldn’t detect any traces left by Mo Xiuyao along the way. After some thought, he attributed it to some secret marking system known only to the Ding Royal Palace.

Soon, they reached the edge of the peach grove bordering the Imperial Garden.

Yelv Ye frowned. "Princess, are you certain you haven’t taken a wrong turn?"

Ye Li leaped over the stream blocking their path and replied calmly, "I never insisted you follow me." The moment her feet touched the ground, she stepped into the peach grove without hesitation.

Yelv Ye shrugged and followed with a smile. "You seem quite at ease with me trailing behind you, Princess. Aren’t you afraid I might ambush you?"

"You’re welcome to try."

Yelv Ye rubbed his nose, at a loss for words. Though bold, he wasn’t one to court death. Aside from Princess Ding’s own formidable skills, he had vaguely sensed someone following them ever since they entered the Imperial Garden. Worse, he couldn’t pinpoint who it was—only his survival instincts, honed through countless near-death experiences since childhood, gave him that inkling.

Since Princess Ding spoke so confidently, Yelv Ye understood that their pursuers must be from the Ding Royal Palace. He couldn’t help but resent the sheer strength of the Ding faction. While the palace was in chaos, he was certain that not a single guard from Prince Ding’s Estate had shown the slightest sign of panic.After entering the woods for a short while, Yelv Ye heard sounds coming from afar. However, some didn't seem like fighting but rather a woman arguing about something. Glancing at Ye Li's unreadable expression ahead, Yelv Ye smiled with interest—following this woman had indeed been the right decision.

In the peach grove, Princess Zhenning sat on the ground, staring blankly at her mother who seemed completely different from usual. Though frightened and wanting to throw herself into her mother's arms to cry, she could only sit frozen on the ground, not daring to make a sound. Even at her young age, she was acutely aware that her mother didn't want to be disturbed right now.

Mo Xiuyao frowned at the woman in white before him. "Since Princess Zhenning is unharmed, I shall take my leave." Shortly after chasing out of Star Plucking Tower, he'd realized the kidnappers had no intention of harming the princess—they merely wanted to lure him away. What he hadn't expected was that the abduction had been arranged by the woman before him, who had even anticipated Mo Jingqi would order him to rescue the princess. It seemed he'd underestimated Consort Liu's influence over Mo Jingqi.

"Do you detest me so much..." Consort Liu murmured, her usually cool voice now tinged with melancholy.

Mo Xiuyao frowned, turning back to her. "There's no question of detestation between us—we have no such relationship to speak of."

The words left Consort Liu pale, her vermilion lips trembling wordlessly. This response cut deeper than outright hatred—in Mo Xiuyao's eyes, she wasn't even worthy of his dislike.

"Why... why treat me this way?" Her voice quivered, the snow-like composure cracking to reveal fragility and sorrow, making her appear more delicate and helpless than her usual aloof majesty. Raising her eyes to Mo Xiuyao, she asked bitterly, "Why won't you ever look at me? First it was Su Zuidie, now it's Ye Li... I've never been inferior to them. Xiu Yao... why won't you see me..."

In lineage, beauty, or talent, she'd never considered herself lesser—not even when compared to Su Zuidie, who'd once been renowned as the empire's greatest beauty. Yet since their youth, the man she'd fallen for at first sight had never granted her a second glance. Back then, his gaze had only followed Su Zuidie—his gentle smiles, shared music, poetry and paintings all reserved for her. She'd thought after Su Zuidie's disappearance, he'd never show such partiality again. But now... As a woman who'd devoted her heart to Mo Xiuyao, she sensed with painful clarity that his regard for Ye Li surpassed even what he'd shown Su Zuidie.

Mo Xiuyao's frown deepened with displeasure. He wasn't unaware of Consort Liu's feelings—he'd simply paid them no mind in his youth. As the second young master of Ding Royal Palace who dominated the romantic fantasies of countless noble maidens, such affections were commonplace. Moreover, given his parents' arrangements while already betrothed...Nor would he pay attention to other women around him. After Consort Liu entered the palace, any such thoughts became even more impossible. No matter how much he disliked Mo Jingqi, he wasn’t despicable enough to seduce his consort. Thus, he couldn’t comprehend the source of Consort Liu’s current resentment. "Consort Liu, mind your words. This prince’s name is not something just anyone can call out so casually."

Consort Liu gritted her teeth. "Why have you never looked at me? Am I truly so unworthy in your eyes?"

Mo Xiuyao frowned. "This prince only advises you to remember your status."

"I can give up my position as Imperial Concubine!" Consort Liu cried out, her voice tinged with tears. "Do you think I enjoy being an Imperial Concubine? None of this was my choice... As long as you... as long as you... I can give up everything..."

Mo Xiuyao gazed coldly at the clearly distraught woman in white before him, then turned to leave without a word.

"Don’t go!" Consort Liu shouted, lunging forward to grab his sleeve. Though her martial skills were not weak, they were no match for Mo Xiuyao’s. Unwilling to harm her, he merely flicked his sleeve, sending her stumbling back. She swayed unsteadily before finally collapsing to the ground. "Don’t go... Xiu Yao, I have something important to tell you. Mo Jingqi... Mo Jingqi harbors ill intentions toward Prince Ding's Estate. He wants to scheme against you!" Mo Xiuyao looked down at her impassively. "When has the Emperor ever shown goodwill toward Prince Ding's Estate? You’ve protected A Li several times before, and today you saved Princess Zhenning. Consider this repayment of that debt. Consort Liu, you’d best take care of yourself. Our Emperor is not a particularly forgiving man."

"Why..."

"Tsk... truly, a man’s heart is made of iron. Consort Liu is a rare beauty," Yelv Ye remarked with gleeful schadenfreude from the shadows of the peach grove where he stood beside Ye Li.

Ye Li cast him a sidelong glance. Running into Consort Liu here was indeed unexpected. When she had descended from the Star Plucking Tower, Consort Liu had still been by Mo Jingqi’s side. How had she managed to slip away and appear in this peach grove so quickly? She had long been aware of Consort Liu’s feelings for Mo Xiuyao, just as she understood Mo Xiuyao’s stance on the matter. Thus, witnessing this scene didn’t anger her—only surprised her at the depth of Consort Liu’s devotion and recklessness. Glancing at Princess Zhenning, who sat frozen on the ground, too afraid to speak, Ye Li sighed inwardly. Devoting oneself wholeheartedly to a man wasn’t inherently wrong, but to disregard everything else for that love was another matter. Just how little did Consort Liu care for her own daughter to pour out her feelings for Mo Xiuyao in front of her? After all, though Princess Zhenning was only eight, children of the imperial family understood far more than most at that age.

"Well, Princess Consort, aren’t you going to step forward?" Yelv Ye teased. "Seeing Consort Liu’s deep affection, don’t you have any thoughts? What if Prince Ding is moved..."Ye Li glanced at him with disinterest. "If the prince wants to sow discord, at least use a more sophisticated excuse." Did he think she was foolish enough to go out now? At this moment, Consort Liu might still be merely grieving, but if Ye Li appeared before her again, that grief would likely turn into overwhelming hatred. Of course, that wasn’t to say Consort Liu didn’t already hate her. Ye Li reminded herself inwardly to be more cautious around Consort Liu in the future. Even after being disfigured, she could still attract attention—clearly, the damage wasn’t thorough enough. Ye Li silently calculated in her mind. Meanwhile, deep in the peach grove, Mo Xiuyao felt an inexplicable chill down his spine. He glanced at Consort Liu, who was weeping pitifully, then turned and left without hesitation.

Mo Xiuyao emerged from the peach grove and stood by the river for a moment before turning back with a faint smile. "A Li, since you’re here, why not come out?"

Ye Li stepped leisurely from the grove, smiling lightly. "I didn’t want to interfere with Your Highness’s affairs."

Mo Xiuyao fell silent for a long moment before saying, "Just now, I suddenly felt a strange unease. A Li, you weren’t thinking of disfiguring me too, were you?"

Ye Li glared at him fiercely, refusing to admit he had guessed her thoughts. Yelv Ye followed leisurely behind her and emerged, looking at Mo Xiuyao with a grin. "Prince Ding is truly extraordinary. I admire you."

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "You flatter me, Prince Yelv. I’m hardly a match for you—" Before he could finish, he turned his gaze toward the other end of the Imperial Garden. Yelv Ye remarked, "It seems someone is looking for you, Prince Yelv..." Yelv Ye glanced over and saw several figures hurrying toward them—palace guards, no doubt. Despite his fear for his own life, Mo Jingqi hadn’t forgotten about his distinguished guest. Yelv Ye clicked his tongue and flashed Ye Li a bright smile. "This prince won’t trouble the palace guards. Princess Ding, we’ll meet again tomorrow." With that, he leaped into the peach grove and vanished.

"Your Highness, Your Ladyship!" The guards approached and, upon seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li standing side by side, hesitated briefly before quickly bowing.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "What are you doing here?"

The lead guard replied, "Your Highness, during the earlier chaos, Prince Yelv and Princess Ding were found missing. We were ordered by His Majesty to search for them."

Mo Xiuyao nodded again. "The princess was concerned for me and followed to check on me. You may send someone to inform His Majesty that she is with me. As for Prince Yelv... continue your search." The guards didn’t dare delay. After bowing to the couple, one group went to report to Mo Jingqi while the others continued searching for Yelv Ye.

Ye Li glanced back at the peach grove and frowned. "Consort Liu..."

Mo Xiuyao took her hand and led her away, chuckling softly. "Consort Liu has nothing to do with me, my dear. Don’t wrong me."

Ye Li rolled her eyes. "Will she be alright left in there?"Mo Xiuyao said, "Consort Liu isn't as simple as you think. Do you believe an ordinary person could travel from the Star Plucking Tower to here in such a short time? If you're on good terms with the Empress, you'd better warn her to be careful of Consort Liu." Ye Li gave Mo Xiuyao a strange look. He had previously mentioned owing Consort Liu a favor—though it had just been repaid, was it right to turn hostile so quickly? Mo Xiuyao smiled at her and asked, "Do you really think that just because I accepted her earlier, she would truly give up everything and follow me?"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow—wasn't that the case?

Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "How could a noble family raise a woman who would abandon everything for love? If she truly wanted nothing, how could she have borne two sons and a daughter to dominate the imperial harem? She doesn’t genuinely want to be with me—she just can’t stand that I ignored her in the past but now treat you well." Ye Li frowned. She believed Consort Liu had real feelings for Mo Xiuyao—at least not entirely calculated. A woman so proud wouldn’t beg a man so desperately, knowing the odds were against her, without some sincerity and hope.

But... no matter how sincere, it was useless. Mo Xiuyao belonged to her now, and no one else could lay a finger on him.