Mo Li

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Ding Royal Palace has no plans to hold a joyous celebration."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence. Almost everyone's gaze converged on Ye Li, the most intense among them being those of Helian Huimin and Consort Liu from the upper hall. Helian Huimin likely never expected that Ye Li would dare to openly reject the marriage proposal in the palace, in front of all the noblewomen and the Empress Dowager. This instead left Helian Huimin in a difficult position. If the Ding Royal Palace adamantly refused to marry Helian Huimin, her dignity would be utterly shattered. Meeting Helian Huimin's eyes, which were filled with suppressed anger and shock, Ye Li responded with a faint smile. Could it be that her usual gentle demeanor had led this young lady to believe she wouldn’t dare to refuse the marriage publicly?

"Princess Ding, what did you say?" The Empress Dowager frowned, displeased, as she stared at Ye Li. In truth, the Empress Dowager currently wanted nothing to do with the Ding Royal Palace. Ever since her youngest son had rebelled without even informing her, leaving her in a dilemma, she had realized this son was unreliable. For a woman in the palace, without a son to rely on, even the greatest abilities were futile. Though her power had been stripped away, the Empress had always treated her with respect, so she now only wished to peacefully enjoy her remaining years in the palace. Unfortunately, while she sought to withdraw, her imperial son had no intention of letting her do so. Thus, after Mo Jingqi hit a snag with Mo Xiuyao, he dragged her out, hoping to pressure Princess Ding instead. Now standing outside the fray, the Empress Dowager saw things more clearly and understood that this Princess Ding was not someone easily manipulated. Though she had no desire to offend Ye Li, she was now caught in the situation and could no longer remain uninvolved.

Ye Li smiled faintly at Madam Xu nearby before turning back to the Empress Dowager, her voice clear and resolute. "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Ding Royal Palace has no plans for any joyous celebrations in the near future. In fact, as long as I remain Princess Ding for even a day, the prince will not take any concubines into the household."

The hall erupted in uproar.

"Princess of the State, how dare you!" Princess Zhaoren abruptly stood, pointing at Ye Li. "As a woman, you have the audacity to brazenly prevent Prince Ding from taking concubines—utterly devoid of wifely virtue! How can such a jealous shrew be a worthy match for Prince Ding?" Princess Zhaoren's only beloved daughter had been sent to Northern Rong for a political marriage, leaving her grievances unresolved. She had long held grievances against Ye Li, and now she was the first to lash out.

Ye Li lazily glanced at Princess Zhaoren. It seemed that from the very beginning, the princess had taken a strong dislike to her. No—rather, Princess Zhaoren had always despised Mo Xiuyao, and by extension, Ye Li as well. On ordinary days, Ye Li might have let it slide, but today’s matter was not something she could simply concede. Thus, she had no intention of humoring the princess. With a faint smile, Ye Li replied, "Your Highness should choose your words carefully. As his wife, it is only natural for me to follow my husband’s lead when he has no wish to take concubines. Should I instead join outsiders in pressuring him? Since Your Highness speaks of wifely virtue, do you not know that a married woman must obey her husband?"Princess Zhaoren's face turned alternately green and pale. Everyone in the capital knew that Princess Zhaoren couldn't bear sons and forbade her consort from getting close to concubines or bedchamber servants, which was why the consort still had no son despite being over forty. Fortunately, he was only the second legitimate son—if he'd been the eldest grandson of the family, even a princess's status wouldn't have been enough to suppress the noble family's discontent. Hearing lectures on wifely virtue from her lips now carried a rather ironic tone. With a dark expression, Princess Zhaoren snorted coldly, "Even so, as Princess Ding of the Ding Royal Palace, you should consider the estate's lineage and expanding the family. Even if His Highness is momentarily confused and bewitched into refusing concubines, as his princess, your failure to advise him makes you unworthy of being called virtuous."

Ye Li raised her eyes with a faint smile. "When did I ever claim to be virtuous? If being a virtuous princess means idly seeking beautiful concubines for my husband every day, then I apologize—I am indeed not virtuous, nor do I intend to become so."

"You... you..." Princess Zhaoren was so furious she could barely speak, her finger trembling as she pointed at Ye Li, who met her gaze unflinchingly, arching an eyebrow with amusement.

The Empress, observing the princess on the verge of fainting from rage, suppressed a hint of amusement and interjected, "Enough, let's speak properly. Princess, don't agitate yourself. Princess Ding, you mustn't be disrespectful to your elders."

Ye Li nodded respectfully. "Your Majesty is right to admonish me. Ye Li will certainly remember the elders' teachings and strive to emulate Princess Zhaoren's example without fail."

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly and coughed before addressing Ye Li. "Princess Ding, this Imperial marriage decree for Miss Helian concerns both family and state affairs. You must prioritize the nation's interests and not act willfully."

Ye Li couldn't suppress a surge of anger. What was wrong with these people? If men were naturally unfaithful, that was one thing—but these women insisted on shoving others into households, practically forcing men to stray. If they enjoyed playing the virtuous role, fine, but why drag her into it? She stood abruptly, her voice icy. "Your Majesty jests. How can an alliance between two nations be so carelessly arranged? During the initial negotiations, the Northern Rong king never mentioned sending anyone to marry into the Ding Royal Palace. If this truly concerns state affairs, where is the diplomatic missive from Northern Rong? Without one, this must be someone's private decision. Does Your Majesty believe the Ding Royal Palace is a place anyone can enter as they please? If Miss Helian wishes to join, she may—we have vacancies for maids to sweep the floors. But with nothing more than an ambiguous 'adopted daughter' status? Miss Helian, come back with a clear identity before speaking to this princess!"

Helian Huimin rose, her delicate face flushed with fury. "Even if you are Princess Ding, I am a noblewoman of Northern Rong! How dare you insult me so wantonly!"

"A noblewoman of Northern Rong?" Ye Li arched a disdainful brow. "This princess has never heard of a noblewoman whose status hinges on being someone's adopted daughter. What kind of noblewoman hides even her parents' origins?"Everyone present understood the implication in Ye Li's words. In Great Chu, even if one's adoptive father held a much higher status than their biological parents, when speaking to outsiders, one must first mention their birth parents, perhaps adding at most a mention of being someone's adopted child. Yet Helian Huimin had not mentioned her birth parents at all, which could only mean their status was not merely low—it must have been extremely low. Considering some customs of Northern Rong, nobles like Yelv Ye, who were handsome and dignified, were rare. Most Northern Rong aristocrats were considered unattractive by Great Chu's standards. Conversely, the good-looking ones in Northern Rong were often slaves—people from other nations sold or captured and taken there, many of whom were descendants of Great Chu's people. Thus, Helian Huimin's refusal to mention her parents inevitably raised suspicions that she might be descended from Northern Rong slaves. If true, the Ding Royal Palace taking her in, even as a concubine, would be a colossal joke. The noblewomen's gazes toward Helian Huimin grew subtly disdainful, laced with disgust and contempt. Slaves in Northern Rong were even lower in status than servants or maids in Great Chu—subject to arbitrary life and death, forced to do the most degrading labor, unpaid, with many female slaves abused and exploited at their masters' whims.

Helian Huimin was far from oblivious to the shifting looks around her, and her eyes burned with resentment toward Ye Li.

The Empress Dowager hesitated, glancing at Helian Huimin. She, too, was unaware of the girl's true origins. If the rumors were true, revealing Helian Huimin's background would only stir discontent in the court over the Emperor's Imperial marriage decree, even leading the military to believe the Emperor intended to humiliate the Ding Royal Palace. "Princess Ding may be overthinking this," the Empress Dowager said. "Since Northern Rong seeks friendship with Great Chu, they surely understand our customs. The women sent for marriage alliances are of noble birth. Perhaps Lady Helian was orphaned young and raised in General Helian's household, hence her habit of omitting her parents."

Ye Li had no intention of pressing the issue of Helian Huimin's origins—if her background was truly disgraceful, spreading it would only harm the Ding Royal Palace's reputation. Rising to her feet, Ye Li met the Empress Dowager's gaze squarely. "Your Majesty, I declare this plainly: Unless His Highness Prince Ding himself agrees to take a concubine, I will not permit anyone to enter our household."

The Empress Dowager seethed inwardly. If Prince Ding could be persuaded, they wouldn’t have wasted words on Princess Ding. "Princess Ding," she said coldly, "the Emperor's decree has been issued. Do you not understand the weight of an imperial command? Or do you expect His Majesty to retract his word?"

Ye Li smiled faintly, lifting her chin. "Then there is only one solution. Let His Majesty and Your Majesty issue an edict for my execution. With me gone and the position of Princess Ding vacant, His Highness may take concubines as he pleases. I would no longer have any say in the matter."

"Princess Ding!" The Empress Dowager was livid. Yet Ye Li remained composed, unflinching. With a frosty laugh, the Empress Dowager challenged, "And what if I insist on Lady Helian entering your household?"

A faint smile flickered across Ye Li's lips as a cold glint flashed in her hand. "Then Your Majesty surely won’t mind if the Ding Royal Palace holds a wedding and a funeral together. I guarantee the funeral will be far livelier than the wedding."The people present couldn't help but gasp as they saw the gleaming short blade in Princess Ding's hand. The few who had harbored ulterior motives quickly abandoned their delusions. Even if an unpopular concubine-born daughter married into a lesser family, she could still be of some use to her family. But marrying into the Ding Royal Palace would not only offend Princess Ding but also be a futile act of cruelty. Looking at the woman before them who still wore a gentle smile, none dared doubt that her earlier words had been anything but serious.

Ye Li swept her gaze over the crowd, pausing on Helian Huimin with a smile. "Well? Does Miss Helian still insist on entering Prince Ding's Estate?"

Helian Huimin took a quiet breath and met Ye Li's gaze defiantly. "Your Highness thinks you can kill me? Don't flatter yourself. A mere short blade won't frighten me." The women of Northern Rong were all raised on horseback, skilled with blades and bows from childhood. Though Helian Huimin came from humble origins, she had been adopted by Helian Zhen and was no weakling in martial arts. In one swift motion, she drew the jewel-encrusted curved blade from her waist and pointed it at Ye Li.

"Miss Helian, how dare you draw your blade before Her Majesty the Empress Dowager? Put it away at once!" the Empress reprimanded sharply.

Consort Liu remarked coolly from the side, "Her Highness Princess Ding drew her blade earlier, yet Your Majesty said nothing."

The Empress smiled faintly. "Have you forgotten, sister? Our ancestors decreed that Prince Ding and Princess Ding are permitted to carry blades within the palace."

Consort Liu snorted and turned away, ignoring the Empress, who simply chuckled and let it pass.

Ye Li watched Helian Huimin brandishing her ornate curved blade with a faint smile.

Helian Huimin frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

Ye Li replied, "It seems... quite a few women have set their sights on my husband. Today, this princess will make an example of you!"

"Arrogant fool!" Helian Huimin sneered, slashing her blade horizontally toward Ye Li. Ye Li sidestepped casually, but Helian Huimin pressed on relentlessly, her strikes unbroken. True to her upbringing on the vast grasslands, her curved blade danced with fierce momentum, far more powerful than the delicate movements of Central Plains women. After deflecting a dozen strikes, Ye Li finally laughed brightly. "Had enough, Miss Helian? Now it's my turn."

Compared to Helian Huimin's overwhelming force, Ye Li's movements seemed unremarkable—so much so that the onlookers barely registered them. In an instant, she closed the distance, one hand seizing Helian Huimin's wrist while her foot intercepted a kick. The other hand flashed coldly as she drove her blade mercilessly toward Helian Huimin's chest.

"Princess Ding, show mercy!" the Empress Dowager and Empress cried out in unison.

Realizing she couldn't break free, Helian Huimin shut her eyes, resigned to death. She was unwilling—she had always believed her martial skills were among the finest of Northern Rong's women, yet she had lost inexplicably to a woman of Great Chu. She hadn't even seen the moves clearly. But none of that mattered now. Even in her unwillingness, she had lost, and death awaited her...After waiting for a while, the expected pain did not come. Helian Huimin opened her eyes in confusion, only to see Ye Li unceremoniously push her aside and calmly sheathe the short blade in her hand. Having narrowly escaped death, Helian Huimin was still in a daze. She could sense that Princess Ding hadn't merely intended to scare her—the overwhelming killing intent had made it abundantly clear that she had just been spared her life.

Struck by such a shock, Helian Huimin stood frozen in the hall, unable to speak for a long while.

The Empress Dowager's face turned livid with anger as she rose to her feet. "Princess Ding, you have quite the audacity! Enough… This old woman is too aged to meddle in such matters. Empress, you handle the rest. I shall retire now." With that, she pressed a hand to her chest and summoned her palace maids to support her as she left.

With the Empress Dowager washing her hands of the matter, the Empress could only smile wryly. Consort Liu turned to the Empress and asked, "Your Majesty, how shall this matter be resolved?"

The Empress smiled. "Naturally, we shall report it to His Majesty for a final decision. But after today… I doubt this issue will be difficult to settle. Don’t you agree, sister?" If Helian Huimin still dared to dream of marrying into the Ding Royal Palace after this, she could only admire her courage.

Consort Liu lowered her gaze to Ye Li below the hall, her eyes filled with even greater complexity and depth. The Empress paid her no mind and continued with a light laugh, "I quite admire Princess Ding’s temperament. Silent until she strikes, and decisive in action. From now on, those who wish to marry their daughters into Prince Ding's Estate will surely think twice." She cast a faint smile toward Ye Li below, her eyes brimming with admiration and envy.

Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Ye Li toyed indifferently with the sharp blade in her hand. Since this matter could not be compromised, she might as well settle it thoroughly in one go.