Mo Li

Outside the palace gates, Ronghua County Princess, dressed in a crimson wedding gown with peony and phoenix design, bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and her parents, the Emperor and Empress, with tears in her eyes. The usually haughty Princess Zhaoren could no longer hold back her tears as her only daughter prepared to marry far away to Northern Rong. Yet, despite her grief, she could say nothing more as she watched her daughter depart. With the Empress Dowager, Emperor, and Empress present to see off the peace-marriage princess, even as the birth mother, she could not delay Ronghua County Princess any longer.

Ronghua County Princess bowed to the Empress Dowager, Emperor, Empress, and her parents one by one before being assisted by her accompanying palace maids toward the carriage. Just before stepping in, she glanced back toward Ye Li, who responded with a gentle nod and a faint smile. Ronghua County Princess lowered her eyes, smiled faintly, then resolutely turned and entered the carriage. The lavishly decorated carriage's curtains, embroidered with peonies symbolizing the princess's noble status, softly fell shut, concealing her radiant beauty and figure. From this day onward, she would live as a princess of Great Chu in a foreign land, perhaps never to see her family again...

"A Li, I'm leaving. Be careful in the capital," Mo Xiuyao murmured softly beside Ye Li.

Ye Li looked up at the elegant man standing before her, clad in dark blue prince's attire embroidered with silver dragons, and nodded lightly. "I know. You take care too. Come back soon." Mo Xiuyao nodded. "I'll be careful. A Li, alone in the capital..." Ye Li interrupted him firmly, "I will guard Prince Ding's Estate well until your return."

Mo Xiuyao paused, then whispered, "As long as A Li is safe, Xiu Yao will be content."

A nearby attendant cautiously approached to urge their departure, silently noting how deeply attached Prince Ding and his consort seemed—truly reluctant to part.

Ye Li stepped back, leaving Mo Xiuyao's embrace, and turned to Lin Han standing nearby. "Lin Han, His Highness's safety is in your hands."

Lin Han nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Your Highness. This subordinate will not betray your trust."

Ye Li gave a slight nod, bid Mo Xiuyao farewell, and retreated into the crowd of well-wishers. Mo Xiuyao glanced back at her once before mounting his white horse and riding off to catch up with the departing procession.

Only when the entire peace-marriage entourage had vanished into the distance did Princess Zhaoren collapse in tears. Princess Zhaoyang ordered attendants to assist her back to the Princess Manor. The Emperor and Empress accompanied the Empress Dowager back to the palace, and the once-bustling palace gates grew quiet. Ye Li stood silently, gazing at the horizon where Mo Xiuyao had disappeared. "Your Highness, His Highness has left the city. We should return," Head Steward Mo reminded softly. Ye Li nodded. "Let's go." The capital without Mo Xiuyao suddenly felt lonely and dull.

With Prince Ding's departure, Ding Royal Palace closed its gates to visitors as usual, settling into quietude. But only those within knew—in just ten days, the palace had faced more covert attacks than in the past several years combined.Late at night, another wave of attacks had ended. Ye Li sat in a chair placed under the eaves, her expression calm as water as she surveyed the courtyard filled with kneeling figures clad in black. Standing on either side of her were Zhuo Jing, Qin Feng, Head Steward Mo, Feng Zhiyao, Mo Hua, Zhang Qilan—who had been specially stationed at the palace due to Prince Ding's absence from the capital—and Han Mingxi. Apart from Feng Zhiyao, who remained as carefree and jesting as ever, the expressions on everyone else's faces were grim. Tonight, the assassins had breached the outer defenses of Ding Royal Palace and nearly infiltrated the main courtyard where Ye Li resided. Mo Hua, the leader of the shadow guards, looked particularly displeased—this was nothing short of a slap in the face for the shadow guards.

"Alright, let’s hear it. Where did this batch come from?" Ye Li asked coolly, glancing at her subordinates' darkened expressions.

The assassins, forced to kneel in the courtyard, flashed looks of disdain and defiantly turned their heads away. Ye Li chuckled. "My mistake. I suppose none of you will confess without some proper questioning. But just so you know... in the past ten days, seven waves of people have come here. Some might even be your companions. However, not a single one has had bones hard enough to resist me to the death. Qin Feng, they’re yours."

Qin Feng laughed heartily. "Thank you, Princess Consort. My men have been learning interrogation techniques these days, and their progress has been remarkable—all thanks to the contributions of so many like these." Feng Zhiyao, standing nearby, snorted dismissively, though his eyes were already fixed eagerly on Qin Feng. "I request to observe," he declared. Feng Zhiyao had once been hailed as the most skilled interrogator in Ding Royal Palace, but ever since Qin Feng brought back a few new recruits, he had come to realize what it meant for talent to surpass talent, and for the new generation to outshine the old. And these interrogation experts seemed to be mass-produced. Qin Feng smirked at him without warmth. "Classified. Outsiders are not permitted." With a wave of his hand, men stepped forward to drag the prisoners away.

Feng Zhiyao glared resentfully at Qin Feng’s retreating figure before turning his pleading gaze to Ye Li. There was no helping it—ever since Qin Feng had begun serving the Princess Consort, he obeyed no one but the Prince and her. Ye Li smiled faintly. "Feng San, Qin Feng isn’t deliberately making things difficult for you. This truly is classified." Feng Zhiyao grumbled, "Interrogation is just interrogation. Even if there are unique methods, how can it be classified?" Ye Li replied, "The interrogators themselves are currently classified."

Feng San rubbed his nose and fell silent. As one of Mo Xiuyao’s most trusted men, he was well aware that the Princess Consort had assembled a secret team selected from various branches of the Ding Royal Palace’s military forces. No one knew what she intended to do with them—not even the Prince knew what had become of those chosen. Were these the people? Feng Zhiyao recalled the recruits Qin Feng had brought in a few days prior to undergo interrogation training. At a glance, they had seemed unremarkable, but his years of battlefield experience and instinct honed in the shadows told him these individuals were anything but ordinary.

Ye Li rose and addressed the group with a smile. "You’ve all worked hard tonight. Let’s retire to the study."Zhang Qilan's face darkened as he said, "The moment His Highness left, these people dared to target Prince Ding's Estate. Are we just going to let this go?" Ye Li smiled faintly, "General Zhang need not worry. Of course, we won’t let it go. This consort... also happens to need some people to practice her skills on." Her gentle tone carried a chilling intent, causing everyone to stiffen solemnly as they followed her into the study.

Once seated in the study, Ye Li turned to Han Mingxi, who was sitting to the side, and said, "It’s time to handle matters concerning Western Liang and the Southern Border. Mingxi, you should set off from the capital tomorrow." Hearing this, Han Mingxi frowned, about to say something. Ye Li shook her head, "No need to say more. You’ve seen the situation in the capital. There’s nothing for you to do here, so it’s better to leave early. My elder brother should still be in Yongzhou. If you encounter any difficulties, you can show him my token and seek his advice." Han Mingxi gave her a quiet glance, sighed softly, and said, "Understood. I’ll leave tomorrow. I’ll go pack my things now."

Ye Li didn’t try to keep him, merely nodding in response.

The moment Han Mingxi left, the atmosphere in the study immediately grew livelier. It wasn’t that the people of Prince Ding's Estate distrusted or guarded against Han Mingxi—it was simply that every one of them had sharp eyes that saw through worldly affairs. No matter how discreet Han Mingxi’s feelings were, they couldn’t escape these people’s notice. And since these individuals were fiercely loyal to Mo Xiuyao, even though they knew there was nothing between the princess consort and Han Mingxi, their coldness toward him was inevitable in the eyes of Prince Ding's most devoted followers.

Ye Li seemed oblivious to their expressions, calmly discussing estate matters with them. Everyone was concerned about the safety of Prince Ding's Estate. Head Steward Mo asked, "Princess Consort, should we deploy more shadow guards into the estate?" The estate had been under continuous attacks these days, leaving the guards and shadow guards exhausted. Today, assassins had even breached the princess consort’s quarters. Ye Li smiled, "No need for such trouble. These people have gone to great lengths to infiltrate the capital and risk their lives breaking into the Ding Royal Palace, known throughout the land as an impenetrable fortress. We ought to at least see what they’re after. Starting tomorrow, capture fewer assassins. Let a few go back."

Feng Zhiyao’s eyes gleamed as he chuckled, "The princess consort wants... to make them think the Ding Royal Palace’s defenses are weakening? Will they believe it?"

Ye Li smiled, "Since they clearly know they can’t break in yet persist in sending wave after wave, if I give them an opportunity, wouldn’t you believe it?"

Zhang Qilan said worriedly, "If this news spreads, the estate will likely become even more unsettled."

Ye Li’s smile turned cold as she replied indifferently, "This consort will make sure the world knows that the Ding Royal Palace is not only an impenetrable fortress—it’s also a hell from which none return!"

The group shuddered, staring in stunned silence at the composed and elegant woman in green before them.

"Princess Consort." Qin Feng pushed the door open, his expression somewhat odd. Ye Li raised a brow, unsurprised as she asked, "No answers?"

Qin Feng replied with a trace of frustration, "One committed suicide, and the rest are just small fry who know nothing."

Ye Li shook her head, "No, the dead one wasn’t the leader."Qin Feng looked at Ye Li with confusion. Ye Li said calmly, "The enemy couldn't possibly be unaware of how formidable Prince Ding's Estate's interrogation methods are. If they were truly determined to die, they would have committed suicide immediately upon capture. In terms of experience, you're still no match for Feng San." Feng Zhiyao smirked triumphantly at Qin Feng and said, "Indeed. At least under my watch, prisoners would never have the chance to kill themselves."

Qin Feng ignored Feng Zhiyao's provocation, his brows furrowing deeply. "Your Highness means that the suicide was merely a cover to protect the real leader?"

Ye Li rested her chin on her hand. "There's at least a fifty percent chance of that. Of course, it's also possible that he was genuinely terrified by your methods and happened to fall into the hands of inexperienced rookies, giving him an opportunity to kill himself. But... your methods shouldn’t be that extreme yet, right?"

Qin Feng frowned in frustration. "Those new recruits are still learning—they don’t know how to control their intensity. If they really ended up killing someone..."

Ye Li lowered her gaze and said softly, "We have time. Try a different approach—take it slow."

"A different approach?"

Ye Li replied, "Breaking the hawk."

"Breaking the hawk?"

Ye Li toyed with the white porcelain cup in her hand and said lightly, "Light up the prison cells as bright as day. Stop the torture. Have the guards take shifts watching them, changing every hour. Just one rule—I don’t want to see anyone falling asleep until they’re willing to tell the truth."

Feng Zhiyao frowned. "Just depriving them of sleep? Will that work?"

Ye Li smiled. "Third Master Feng, you might have tried staying awake for a day or two, but have you ever gone four or five days without sleep? This method can tame even the proudest eagle—let alone a human."

Though Feng Zhiyao remained skeptical, Qin Feng accepted her words without hesitation and immediately turned to relay the orders.

Feng Zhiyao glanced back at Ye Li. "These past few days, has Your Highness formed any thoughts about these assassins?"

Ye Li motioned to Zhuo Jing beside her, who handed her a dossier. She opened it and said, "The intruders these days have been a mixed bag—hired killers, people seeking revenge, and even opportunists looking to take advantage of the chaos."

"Opportunists? Who would dare take advantage of Prince Ding's Estate?" Mo Hua, who rarely spoke, sneered.

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "Whether they were really opportunists is unclear, but for so many criminals to suddenly appear in the capital in just a few days—what have the capital garrison and the city magistrate been doing? Eating idle rice?"

Head Steward Mo said gravely, "The Ding Royal Palace has been attacked repeatedly. Even if the estate is vast and the surrounding residences are sparse, there’s no way the one in the palace hasn’t heard. Yet for days, not a single envoy has come to inquire—as if nothing has happened at all."

Ye Li rubbed her temples and smiled faintly. "The one in the palace probably wants to see just how capable Prince Ding's Estate truly is. Feng San, spread the word tomorrow—this consort has been frightened by the repeated attacks and has fallen ill.""Frightened?" Feng Zhiyao looked at Ye Li's smiling face with a somewhat strange expression. These days, it was debatable whether it was Princess Ding or those unfortunate assassins who had truly been frightened. Ye Li glanced at him and said, "What? Can't I be frightened? After all, I'm still a woman, and the prince isn't by my side. What's wrong with being frightened when assassins come knocking every day?"

Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose and replied respectfully, "No, no. Your Highness is deeply frightened and unwell."

Ye Li gave a light hum and said, "Good. Let them be happy for a few days. I'm too frightened to see anyone. That's it."

Head Steward Mo hesitated for a moment before asking, "What if the palace summons you..."

Ye Li smiled and replied, "I'm too ill to enter the palace. Accept any imperial physicians and rewards sent from the palace, but don't agree to anything else."

"This old servant understands," Head Steward Mo nodded.

After dismissing everyone, Ye Li left the study alone and headed toward her bedroom. She looked up at the nearly full moon and sighed with some worry before turning to a certain spot in the darkness and asking, "Why are you following me?"

From the shadows came Mo Hua's stiff voice, "The prince ordered me to protect Your Highness's safety."

Ye Li gave a faint smile and ignored him, turning to return to her room. Only after she had gone far did Mo Hua step out of the shadows into the moonlight, his eyes still filled with obvious frustration and defeat. Was his concealment ability really inferior to the princess's?

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

Phew, typing away on my laptop in the hotel. Sorry to keep you waiting~