Mo Li

On the Martial Arts Field of the Ding Royal Palace, Yelv Ye gazed intently at the white-clad woman opposite him. Neither made the first move. As he observed the composed yet sharp woman before him, Yelv Ye maintained a calm expression, though inwardly he was astonished. Now he might understand why Lingyun Gongzhu, renowned for her archery skills, had lost last year to the Princess of the State, who hadn’t even been proficient in holding a bow. When masters duel, what is tested is not just physical strength, speed, technique, or inner energy—more crucial are the unyielding resolve to win and the overwhelming presence that crushes the opponent. Yelv Ye couldn’t gauge exactly how skilled the woman before him was, but her unshakable composure and the razor-sharp intensity in her serene eyes alone were enough to place her among the ranks of first-class masters.

The atmosphere on the Martial Arts Field grew increasingly tense. Frowning, Yelv Ye drew a flexible sword from his waist and said, “Princess, after you.”

Ye Li stood with her hands behind her back and replied indifferently, “Prince, you first.”

Yelv Ye couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. It seemed the Princess of the State was determined to make him strike first. His earlier challenge to spar with Ye Li had mostly been a jest—an excuse to speak with her—but now it had spiraled into a situation where he couldn’t back down. With a resigned shrug, he smiled and said, “In that case, I won’t hold back.” His flexible sword flickered as he executed a simple opening move, thrusting toward Ye Li. She frowned slightly, sidestepping swiftly while a cold gleam flashed from her sleeve—a dagger sharp enough to cut through iron, aimed straight for Yelv Ye’s heart.

Within just a few exchanges, Yelv Ye’s casual demeanor vanished. He finally understood why Ye Li had so generously allowed him the first move. It wasn’t arrogance or ignorance—she truly possessed the skill to match him. In those brief moments, he realized that if he persisted with his restrained swordplay, he stood no chance against this seemingly delicate woman in white. Ye Li’s movements were swift and ruthless, each strike laced with lethal intent. Unlike the graceful, flowing techniques typical of most women, she cared nothing for aesthetics—only effectiveness. His initial underestimation had left him uncharacteristically restrained.

Recognizing Ye Li’s prowess, Yelv Ye abandoned all pretense of holding back. His flexible sword danced with newfound ferocity. The Northern Rong people were known for their fierce and bold nature, making the soft, yielding nature of a flexible sword an unlikely fit. Yet Yelv Ye had mastered it brilliantly. From his duel with Mu Yang that night, Ye Li had also discerned that Yelv Ye wasn’t purely reliant on soft techniques—his mastery of hard, forceful martial arts was equally formidable, making him a rare expert who balanced both styles.

Inside the Martial Arts Field, the two fought fiercely, neither gaining a clear advantage. Outside, Head Steward Mo watched the battle intently, his aged eyes filled with both concern and quiet satisfaction. The Ding Royal Palace might appear prosperous now, but hidden dangers lurked beneath the surface. What it needed was a decisive and intelligent Princess of the State. Now, it seemed, the Princess was not only wise and resolute but also a martial artist of the highest caliber. Overwhelmed with pleasant surprise, Head Steward Mo couldn’t help but silently thank the ancestors of the Ding Royal Palace for their blessings.In the blink of an eye, over a hundred moves had been exchanged. Yelv Ye looked at the composed woman before him, whose breathing remained steady without the slightest sign of fatigue, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed this woman never ceased to amaze him. Initially, he had thought that despite Ye Li's fierce techniques, she was still a woman whose physical stamina would inevitably fall short of a man's. Moreover, Yelv Ye had discerned early on that her inner energy wasn't particularly profound. He believed that no matter how exquisite her moves were, prolonging the fight would render them ineffective. Yet, to his surprise, even after all this time, she showed no trace of exhaustion, as if she could continue this endless duel indefinitely. His eyes darkened slightly as his sword swiftly drew a long arc in the air, and he retreated backward. Ye Li's gaze flickered, and she stood firmly in place without pursuing him. Seeing her withdraw, Yelv Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since he couldn't harm or kill her, continuing the fight would only make him look bad regardless of the outcome.

"I never expected Princess Ding to be so remarkably agile. I am truly impressed," Yelv Ye said with a hearty laugh, sheathing his sword at his waist.

Ye Li frowned slightly and replied coolly, "Since the prince feels it's enough, please proceed to the front hall for tea. We can discuss official matters there later."

Yelv Ye nodded indifferently, and Head Steward Mo, who had been standing aside, stepped forward to escort him to the front hall.

After changing her clothes in her room, Ye Li engaged in another round of verbal sparring with Yelv Ye. This Northern Rong prince bore no resemblance to the image of Northern Rong people in the minds of the Chu citizens. Instead, he seemed more akin to the people of Chu and Western Liang—cunning, sharp, and unwilling to yield an inch when it came to interests. The two went back and forth over the Register of Names Ye Li had prepared in advance, ultimately narrowing down the candidates for the marriage alliance to three: Ronghua County Princess, Liu Yu (niece of Imperial Concubine Liu from the Liu family), and Qingyi County Princess (the youngest granddaughter of Prince Jia, Mo Jingqi's only surviving paternal uncle). However, Qingyi County Princess was the only living granddaughter of the old prince and was merely thirteen years old. Her inclusion was merely to make the list appear more presentable, as the Chu imperial family had always had more males than females, leaving few princesses or county princesses suitable for such an alliance. But this was likely as far as it would go. Whether out of respect for the old prince or due to Qingyi County Princess's young age and frail health, the final choice would probably come down to either Ronghua County Princess or the Liu family's young lady.

Naturally, Yelv Ye would have to meet these three candidates in person before making his decision. Ye Li was indifferent to this. It was already an achievement to persuade Yelv Ye to limit his selection to just three candidates. If he were to meet all the eligible young ladies, the noble families in the capital would be in turmoil. No doubt, once the Northern Rong wedding procession departed, the capital would see a flurry of weddings.

After seeing Yelv Ye off, before Ye Li could even return to her room, a servant came to report that Yao Ji had requested an audience. Given Yao Ji's status, she couldn't be invited into the mansion like Yelv Ye to await the prince or princess's summons. She had to wait at the side gate outside the mansion, uncertain whether she would be received or not. Ye Li was momentarily taken aback—amidst the busyness of the past few days, she had completely forgotten about Yao Ji. Frowning slightly, she said, "Invite her in."Before long, Yao Ji followed the maidservant guiding her into the room. Unlike her usual alluring attire, this time she wore only an ordinary russet autumn dress, appearing less glamorous and more delicate, almost resembling a decent woman from a common household.

"Greetings, Princess Consort," Yao Ji said with a slight curtsy, lowering her head.

Ye Li waved her hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. If you have something to discuss, please sit and speak."

Yao Ji looked up at her and softly expressed her gratitude. "I truly didn't expect you would still be willing to see me." Ye Li smiled faintly. "If you were so certain I wouldn’t meet you, why would you have come?" Though their interactions had been few, Ye Li could tell Yao Ji was an extremely proud woman who would never subject herself to humiliation. Yao Ji paused, then nodded with a bitter smile. "You’re right, Princess Consort." Noticing Yao Ji’s thin and pale face, Ye Li hesitated before asking, "Are you... doing alright?" Yao Ji smiled lightly. "What does it matter, good or bad? I’ve come shamelessly today because I have a favor to ask of you."

Ye Li nodded. "Go ahead. If it’s within my power, I’ll certainly help."

Yao Ji said, "I plan to close Alluring City Quarter, but... while I’ll be fine on my own, there are many girls there... They’ve all had hard lives. If left unattended, some might end up in other brothels, while others could drift into even worse circumstances. It was my fault for failing them... So I wanted to ask if Prince Ding's Estate would be willing to purchase Alluring City Quarter. I’m willing to sell it at half price, as long as the older residents there can be looked after." Ye Li frowned slightly. "Alluring City Quarter is known as the capital’s top pleasure house. If you’re selling, there’d be no shortage of eager buyers. Why—"

Yao Ji’s smile turned bitter as she looked at Ye Li. "Do you think I don’t know what kind of scum runs brothels in this city? If Alluring City Quarter falls into their hands, who knows how it’ll be ruined. Also... I’d like the news of its change in ownership to be kept quiet for at least half a year."

Ye Li’s brows knitted together as she immediately grasped Yao Ji’s intention. "You... what are you planning?"

Yao Ji lowered her head, unconsciously brushing a hand over her still-flat abdomen, and smiled softly. "I’d like to visit the south. The climate there is much more pleasant than the capital, isn’t it? Over the years, I’ve saved quite a bit. Even if I wanted to live lavishly for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be a problem."

Ye Li frowned deeper. Her concern wasn’t about money—even as a dancer, Yao Ji had reached a level where financial worries were nonexistent. But aside from the current instability in the south, Yao Ji’s physical condition made a long journey to Jiangnan ill-advised. Rubbing her temples, Ye Li changed the subject. "Feng San has returned to the capital. You haven’t seen him yet, have you?" Yao Ji smiled. "He came to see me yesterday morning, but he’s quite busy. So... Princess Consort, there’s no need to trouble him with my messy affairs." Ye Li said, "I thought you and Feng San were close."

Yao Ji chuckled. "Third Master Feng is my friend—my only... true friend. There’s no need to test me, Princess Consort. He has no romantic feelings for me, and I genuinely regard him as a friend. We’re just... kindred spirits in suffering, you could say."Ye Li softly apologized, knowing that Feng Zhiyao had someone in his heart, but she had never heard Feng San or anyone else mention this person. Perhaps Mo Xiuyao knew, but since this was Feng San’s private matter, Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t bring it up on his own, and she wouldn’t ask either. Yao Ji shook her head generously and smiled, “I know the Princess Consort is concerned about me, but there’s really no need to tell Feng San about this. Though Third Master Feng may seem indifferent to everything, he is the most intolerant of injustice. He was originally going to confront Young Master Mu, but I’ve already told him that we’ve long since settled things between us, so the marriage between Marquis Muyang Manor and the Sun family has nothing to do with me.”

“Do you want to keep the child?” Ye Li frowned. If she still didn’t understand what Yao Ji meant after all this, then she would have wasted all these years. It wasn’t that she was heartless, but in this era, even an ordinary woman would struggle with bearing a child out of wedlock, let alone someone of Yao Ji’s status. The child’s future would also be affected.

Yao Ji looked at her, a faint tenderness crossing her beautiful face as she nodded. “Yes, this is my child. Princess Consort, rest assured—since I’ve already said I’ve severed all ties with Mu Yang, I will never use this child as a means to entangle with him in the future. After leaving the capital this time… I don’t plan to return. I’ll find a place where no one knows me, live under a different name, and spend the rest of my life there.”

Ye Li shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. Have you considered what will happen after the child is born? What about your own future? Even if you raise the child alone and have enough money to live comfortably, what about when the child grows up? A daughter’s marriage, a son’s prospects—both require an unblemished family background. Yao Ji, this world is not kind to women.” In truth, she was speaking of the distant future. More immediately, with Yao Ji’s stunning beauty and talent, she wouldn’t be able to hide in some remote village. And in a bustling city, a peerless beauty living alone would find it even harder to survive.

Yao Ji’s expression darkened, her eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. Her jade-like fingers lightly brushed her abdomen as she gritted her teeth. “I know all of this, but… but this is my child…”

Ye Li had no words. Women in this era were not like those in her past life, who treated abortion as casually as eating a meal. Even though Yao Ji had lived in the pleasure quarters, she still had a soft spot for her own child—especially since it was the child of the man she loved. Given Yao Ji’s temperament, she must have truly loved Mu Yang to have given herself to him. It was a pity that even such a woman could still act irrationally at times.

After a moment of silence, Yao Ji looked up at Ye Li and said, “I understand everything the Princess Consort has said. Thank you for your concern, but… I’ve already made up my mind about the child. As for the Alluring City Quarter…”

Ye Li sighed softly and nodded. “I’ll buy the Alluring City Quarter. Since you’ve made your decision, I won’t say more. Take care. I’ll have someone send the banknotes to you later.”

Yao Ji said gratefully, “Thank you, Princess Consort.”

Ye Li shook her head gently. “Take care.”

“Farewell.”

After seeing Yao Ji off, Ye Li remained lost in thought in the flower hall, not even noticing when Mo Xiuyao entered.

“What has you so deep in thought, A’Li?” Mo Xiuyao asked with a smile.Ye Li shook her head and recounted the matter of purchasing the Alluring City Quarter, but omitted the detail of Yao Ji's pregnancy. Mo Xiuyao naturally wouldn't concern himself with the affairs of a courtesan either, nodding with a smile as he said, "The Alluring City Quarter is quite a good place. Although Feng San often used it to gather information before, it ultimately belonged to someone else, and he still had to consider his friendship with Yao Ji. It's fine for us to buy it, but... it can't be registered under Prince Ding's Estate." Ye Li nodded in agreement—she hadn't planned for the estate to purchase it in the first place. "I'll have Mingxi handle it later." Registering it under Chu Junwei's name would neither draw too much attention nor arouse suspicion. If anyone investigated, they would naturally find that Chu Junwei owned several modest shops across various regions, with the most profitable one located in Guangling City.

Such trivial matters were of little concern to Mo Xiuyao. He sat beside Ye Li and asked, "Did Yelv Ye confront you today?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "We merely exchanged a few casual moves. But this Prince Yelv truly doesn't seem like a man of Northern Rong."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "In royal families, whether in Northern Rong or Great Chu, schemes and power struggles are inevitable. For him to stand out among the Northern Rong King's many sons, his cunning and methods are certainly not ordinary. However... to dare act recklessly in Prince Ding's Estate—it seems I underestimated him. I wonder if he's prepared to face the consequences of offending me?"

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao in surprise, then quickly grasped his meaning. She merely smiled faintly and didn't try to dissuade him. "The candidates for the marriage alliance are likely already decided—either Ronghua County Princess or Miss Liu. But I suspect Ronghua County Princess has a higher chance. There will be quite a commotion when the time comes." In terms of status, Ronghua County Princess outranked Miss Liu, and in terms of beauty, she was also among the capital's most renowned. Moreover, given the Liu family's current soaring influence, they probably wouldn't want to marry off a legitimate daughter. Even if she became a crown princess, it would be a distant and impractical benefit for the Liu family. What they needed now was likely alliances with powerful noble families. As for Ronghua County Princess, though she was Princess Zhaoren's beloved daughter, what did that matter? Even Princess Zhaoren couldn't control her own marriage, let alone her daughter's.

Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "Let them make as much noise as they like—pay them no mind. If it becomes too troublesome, just push it onto the one in the palace. If you're annoyed, you can visit our imperial aunt, or we can leave the capital for a few days."

Ye Li thought of the group of elites she had left in the Black Wind Valley and couldn't help but smile. "That works. I happen to have some business to attend to outside the capital in a few days."

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Happy May Day, everyone~