Mo Li

As the noblewomen left Zhangde Palace, their gazes toward Ye Li were filled with a peculiar mix of emotions—admiration, envy, fear, and even a hint of schadenfreude. Not only in the over a hundred years since the founding of the Great Chu, but even looking back a thousand years, there had never been a woman bold enough to draw a blade in the palace before the Empress Dowager and the Empress, declaring she would kill any woman who dared to become her husband’s concubine. Such audacity and courage naturally evoked envy and jealousy from these noblewomen, who endured households filled with wives and concubines. At the same time, everyone knew that Princess Ding was destined to bear the infamous title of a jealous wife.

"A Li," Madam Xu was already waiting outside the palace hall as soon as Ye Li stepped out.

Ye Li smiled softly and approached her, calling out affectionately, "Aunt." Madam Xu looked at her and sighed, shaking her head. "You silly girl..." Ye Li lowered her head with a smile. "A Li has embarrassed Aunt."

Madam Xu took her hand and led her away, whispering with a gentle laugh, "Our Xu family has never cared much for such superficial reputations. As a woman myself, how could I not understand a woman’s heart? But as for Prince Ding..." Though Ye Li’s actions in the hall today were audacious, given her status as Princess Ding, she wouldn’t face any serious consequences. Matters of taking wives and concubines were, after all, family affairs. As long as Prince Ding stood by her, she would be fine. But if Prince Ding disapproved of her behavior today, Ye Li’s future might become difficult. Ye Li blinked, noticing Madam Xu’s worried expression, and hugged her arm playfully, leaning against her. "Don’t worry, Aunt. I’ll be fine. When you return, please put in a good word for me with Second Uncle, so he doesn’t scold me again." Madam Xu patted her hand and chuckled softly. "You’re far too bold, no wonder your uncle wants to lecture you. You gave me quite a fright earlier in the hall." Coming from a scholarly family, Madam Xu had never witnessed anyone brandishing blades or swords in her presence. When Helian Huimin swung her knife at Ye Li earlier, it was only her cultivated restraint that kept her from crying out in shock.

"A Li knows she was wrong. It won’t happen again," Ye Li said, clinging to Madam Xu’s arm like a spoiled child.

Just as they stepped out of the palace gates, the curtain of the Ding Royal Palace’s carriage was lifted from within. A handsome man in a moon-white robe stepped out, looking down with a smile at Ye Li by the palace entrance. "A Li."

Though the passing noblewomen couldn’t stop to stare, they caught sight of Prince Ding extending his hand toward his princess with a smile. They could hardly believe Prince Ding was unaware of what had transpired in the palace. It seemed Prince Ding truly had eyes only for his princess. Even after Princess Ding’s domineering and willful declaration in the palace—which could have humiliated Prince Ding—he still treated her with the same affection as always. Madam Xu led Ye Li forward to greet him, but Mo Xiuyao stepped aside slightly and smiled. "Madam is A Li’s aunt. There’s no need for formalities among family." Madam Xu smiled. "Propriety must be observed. A Li is young and impulsive. I hope Your Highness will be lenient." Mo Xiuyao glanced at Ye Li with a smile. "You worry too much, Madam. A Li is perfect as she is."

"Why are you here?" Ye Li asked in confusion.

Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly. "I heard my wife drew her blade in Zhangde Palace in a fit of rage, stunning everyone. Shouldn’t I, as your husband, be concerned for your safety?"Ye Li couldn't help rolling her eyes at him. If he was truly worried about her safety, why didn't he enter the palace to find her instead of waiting at the palace gates to put on this act for everyone to see?

Madam Xu observed their interaction with growing relief in her eyes. Just one glance was enough to see that Prince Ding genuinely didn't mind Ye Li's actions in the palace—in fact, he seemed quite pleased about it. With a smile, Madam Xu bid them farewell and headed toward her own family's carriage with peace of mind.

After Prince Ding's Estate's carriage had also departed, the palace gates gradually returned to quiet. Beneath the nearby city wall, Yelv Ye stood silently with Helian Huimin, watching the Ding Royal Palace's carriage disappear into the distance. After a long silence, Helian Huimin finally spoke with unwilling frustration, "Cousin, are we just going to let this go?"

Yelv Ye glanced at her with a faint, mocking smile. "What else can you do? You couldn't charm Prince Ding, and you're no match for the Ding Royal Palace. Unless you truly want to become a lowly cleaning maid there—don't forget what Mo Xiuyao did to the Eleventh Prince, Yelü Ping. Do you really think he's the merciful type?"

At the mention of the still-feebleminded Eleventh Prince, Helian Huimin shuddered. She didn't dare imagine how a perfectly normal person could be reduced to a mindless wreck without any visible injuries or poisoning—nor how much inhuman suffering Yelü Ping must have endured. And all of it simply because he had spoken out of turn at Mo Xiuyao's wedding.

"Then... what should we do now?" Helian Huimin asked anxiously.

Yelv Ye replied indifferently, "We wait to escort the peace-marriage princess back to Northern Rong."

"But I—" Helian Huimin frowned.

Yelv Ye said coolly, "Marrying you into the Ding Royal Palace was just a passing whim—the odds of success were less than thirty percent, and even that depended on the Princess of the State. Now, it seems there isn't even half a chance left. You might as well return to Northern Rong and obediently serve as the Crown Prince's secondary consort."

Helian Huimin paled in horror. "No—Cousin, the Crown Prince will kill me! And... everything that happened in Great Chu will reach Northern Rong. The Crown Prince won't want me—"

A secondary consort... The customs and rules of Northern Rong were entirely different from those of Great Chu. Below the Crown Princess, all concubines were titled as secondary consorts, but in reality, they were nothing more than slaves to the Crown Princess. Those of noble birth might fare slightly better, but for a woman of slave origins like her, even as a secondary consort, she would be forbidden from bearing children, owning property, or having any freedom. Apart from the Crown Prince's occasional visits, her life would be no different from that of any other slave girl. If she were beaten to death, even Helian Zhen—her adoptive father—wouldn't be able to protest.

Worse still, the Crown Prince held deep grudges against Yelv Ye's faction. Women sent by Yelv Ye into the Crown Prince's household rarely lasted more than half a month before being returned—their horrific state haunted Helian Huimin in her nightmares. That was why she had schemed her way into accompanying Yelv Ye to Great Chu for the marriage alliance, and why she had eagerly agreed when he proposed sending her into Prince Ding's Estate. Sometimes, she even thought that as long as she didn't return to Northern Rong, she could make a life for herself in Great Chu—even as a maid, with her skills, she could rise above her station. But if she went back to Northern Rong... death would be the only thing waiting for her."Don't get any foolish ideas. The Helian family didn't raise you all these years for nothing." Yelv Ye glanced coldly at the silent Helian Huimin and said indifferently, "Don't worry, very few people have seen you. The Ronghua Princess has never met you, and as for your name, we can just change it—it's not like you're the only adopted daughter my uncle has. Since you couldn't handle Prince Ding, then obediently accept your fate and go to the Crown Prince's residence. I gave you a chance." Helian Huimin trembled inwardly, well aware of Yelv Ye's ruthless methods. She quickly replied in a shaky voice, "I understand."

Yelv Ye studied her for a moment before nodding in satisfaction and turning to leave. If Helian Huimin hadn't been the most talented among the women in his uncle's household, she would have already been disposed of after the failed plan. However, clever as she was, she was still far from matching Princess Ding. Recalling the intelligence he had gathered in the capital these past days, this Princess Ding not only came from a noble family and was skilled in both literature and martial arts, but she had even led the Black Cloud Cavalry to defend a city in Yongzhou until Prince Ding's reinforcements arrived—her contributions were undeniable. A woman who could command the Black Cloud Cavalry...

The proposed marriage alliance between Northern Rong and the Ding Royal Palace had fallen through, but the reputation of Princess Ding as a formidable woman spread overnight throughout the capital. A woman who dared to brandish a dagger before the Empress Dowager and declare that any woman attempting to enter the Ding Royal Palace would be killed—one or two, it made no difference—left the noble ladies and daughters of the capital trembling in fear. Even more terrifying was that Prince Ding not only showed no displeasure at his wife's declaration but often accompanied her on leisurely strolls through the capital during his free time. Their deep affection made it abundantly clear that if any woman insisted on entering the palace as a concubine and ended up dead at Princess Ding's hands, His Highness would absolutely not intervene on their behalf. For a time, rumors swirled—some said Prince Ding cherished his wife above all else, others claimed he was henpecked—but none of the gossip affected the two involved. At the moment, Ye Li had no time to bother with such idle talk. As the full moon rose in the night sky, her already anxious heart grew even more tense.

Not long after dinner, Mo Xiuyao's complexion began to visibly deteriorate. Ye Li quickly summoned Shen Yang, but after a long silence, the physician only gave one word: Endure! The side effects of the Phoenix Tail Herb had set in—there was no cure, and he had to tough it out on his own.

"A Li, go rest in the side chamber," Mo Xiuyao said softly, seeing the stiffness in Ye Li's delicate features. The episode wouldn't be pleasant to witness, and he didn't want to appear too wretched before her or frighten her. Ye Li sat calmly by his side and replied firmly, "I'll stay with you. Don't be afraid."Don't be afraid... Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but want to laugh, yet his heart seemed more inclined to weep. ** years had passed, countless brushes with death, countless moments of pain so severe that he could scarcely find a reason to keep living. No one had ever asked him if he was afraid. Prince Ding might be formidable, but he was still only human, and when he was first injured, he was merely an eighteen-year-old youth. Of course, he had been afraid too. Every time the Cold Poison flared up, he feared he would never wake again, feared the Ding Royal Palace would fade into obscurity, feared his elder brother's vengeance, his own vengeance, the vengeance of tens of thousands of Mo Family Army soldiers would go unfulfilled. But he could never show his fear in front of anyone; he could only endure. But now, his A Li, his wife, sat beside him and told him not to be afraid...

"Alright, I won't be afraid," Mo Xiuyao said softly, holding Ye Li's hand with a faint smile.

Ye Li almost didn't want to recall how that day and night had passed. At first, the pain in Mo Xiuyao's body was bearable, and she sat by his side, talking to him to distract him. But after midnight, the pain suddenly intensified. Even someone as resilient as Mo Xiuyao trembled uncontrollably, unable to utter a single coherent sentence. Any pain-relieving medicine, acupressure, or silver needles to block acupoints proved utterly ineffective. Ye Li could only watch helplessly as he writhed in agony, tearing apart the embroidered quilt on the bed and pulling down the silk bed curtains.

The sight of the usually composed and elegant man reduced to such fragile suffering finally made Ye Li's tears fall. She had never hated her own helplessness so much. She had vowed to accompany him through this torment, but in reality, apart from watching over him to prevent him from seriously injuring himself, she could do nothing.

That single night felt like an eternity to Ye Li. When Mo Xiuyao finally passed out from the prolonged pain, she carefully let him lean against her, not daring to touch him for fear of causing more pain. She could only hope he would have a brief respite before the next wave of agony struck.

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Mo Xiuyao woke again, this time to even more excruciating pain. This cycle of passing out, waking in pain, and passing out again continued until nearly noon the next day before gradually subsiding.

When Head Steward Mo and Shen Yang pushed open the door after noon, they were met with a scene of utter disarray. The princess consort sat slumped against the bedside on the floor, her face weary as she slept deeply. Before her, the prince rested his head on her lap, his sleep uneasy but clearly deep. The wounds on his body and hands had already been tended to. The sight moved the two men, whose combined ages neared a hundred, to sigh quietly. Shen Yang gestured silently, and they withdrew from the room together.

Having just endured another full moon night, Mo Xiuyao lay in bed once more. This weighed even heavier on Ye Li's heart, already burdened with worry for his health.

"A Li, what are you thinking about?" Mo Xiuyao asked from the bed, smiling at Ye Li, who sat beside him, lost in thought with a book in her hands.

Ye Li looked up at him, frowning. "Is your body really fit for the long journey to Northern Rong?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "One night a month is already much better than before. If it were like last year, it truly wouldn't be possible. But now, my body is no different from anyone else's. Why wouldn't it be?"Ye Li shook her head. This time, she had accompanied Mo Xiuyao throughout the entire process, and what she witnessed was truly horrifying. That kind of heart-wrenching pain was something even she, who had undergone professional interrogation training, could hardly endure—let alone Mo Xiuyao, whose health was already fragile. What was even more terrifying was that this agony recurred every month. The psychological trauma alone was enough to drive a person mad.

Seeing the worry and heartache in Ye Li’s eyes, Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, pulling her closer to him. He whispered softly, “There was a time I thought I’d never be able to stand again. But look at me now—I’m perfectly fine. So what if the pain returns every month? I think it’s worth it. A Li, I want your husband to be flawless. Only then would he be worthy of my A Li…” His slender fingers gently traced the delicate curve of Ye Li’s lips as he murmured.

Ye Li turned her head away, unable to bear the sight of the unhealed scars still marking his hands. She swallowed back the tears in her eyes and said, “Even if your legs never recover, I would never look down on you.” Compared to those so-called talented, ambitious men with perfect limbs, Ye Li could confidently say that Mo Xiuyao surpassed every single one of them. She had never believed that Mo Xiuyao needed to meet any condition to be worthy of her.

“I know,” Mo Xiuyao replied with a tender smile. “But I want A Li to have only the best.”

Ye Li froze for a moment, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. “What if you spoil me rotten?”

Mo Xiuyao pulled her into his embrace. “If A Li desires it, and Xiu Yao possesses it, it’s yours. Even if I don’t have it, I’ll seize it for you.”