Mo Li

"Your Majesty is wise. On behalf of General Zhang, Ye Li thanks Your Majesty."

At the main gate, Ye Li emerged gracefully, still clad in white robes. Standing on the steps outside the gate, she glanced down at the gathered nobles with their varied expressions and the slightly darkened face of Mo Jingqi. Slowly, she walked up to Mo Jingqi and gave a slight curtsy. "Princess of the State, Ye Li, welcomes Your Majesty's arrival."

Mo Jingqi was momentarily stunned, his gaze complex as he scrutinized the white-clad woman kneeling before him. However, he refused to show even a hint of hesitation on his face, forcing a pleased smile instead. "It is truly a relief that the Princess of the State is unharmed. This way, We can at least give King Ding an explanation. Were you frightened, Princess?" Ye Li pressed her lips together in a faint smile. "It was indeed quite terrifying. However, the guards of the estate were all personally arranged by His Highness. I believe that as long as they draw breath, no harm will come to me."

"The Princess speaks truly. We swear to protect the Princess with our lives," Head Steward Mo declared solemnly from the side.

"Swear to protect the Princess with our lives!" echoed the guards outside the gate in unison.

Mo Jingqi's expression darkened slightly, his smile stiffening. "The loyalty and courage of Prince Ding's Estate are commendable. The Princess and King Ding are truly fortunate. By Our decree, all guards of the Ding Royal Palace shall be rewarded with ten taels of gold each for their service tonight."

Ye Li smiled. "Many thanks for Your Majesty's grace. Would Your Majesty care to enter?"

Just as Mo Jingqi was about to step forward, his eyes caught sight of the faint traces of blood seeping from within the gate. A light breeze carried the scent of blood from inside, far more pungent than the lingering odor outside. Even without witnessing it, one could imagine the ferocity of the battle that had taken place within Prince Ding's Estate that night. Mo Jingqi's expression froze momentarily before he forced another smile. "Since King Ding is not currently in residence, We and the ministers shall not intrude. The Princess has endured a fright tonight and should rest and recover. Later, We shall have the Empress dispatch imperial physicians to examine the Princess. We shall return to the palace now, as the morning court session will soon begin."

Ye Li nodded respectfully. "In that case, Ye Li respectfully bids Your Majesty farewell."

Mo Jingqi waved a hand and turned to re-enter his imperial carriage. Soon, the carriage, surrounded by palace guards and nobles, departed toward the palace. Ye Li remained outside the gate until the carriage disappeared around the street corner. Head Steward Mo approached her. "Princess..." Ye Li replied calmly, "Let us return."

Turning back into the estate, Ye Li walked slowly through the bloodstained garden corridors, her gaze cold as she watched the bodies being carried away or still lying where they had fallen. Eventually, she returned to the study.

Xu Hongyan was still seated in the study, sipping tea just as he had been when Ye Li left, though now he held a half-read volume of poetry in his hands. Hearing Ye Li enter, he set the book down and studied her for a moment before asking, "Everything settled?"

Ye Li smiled apologetically. "I’ve troubled Uncle with worry."

Xu Hongyan shook his head. "Our family can’t offer much help to you now. Were there any losses in the estate?" Ye Li sighed softly. "Casualties were unavoidable, but it’s manageable. I’ll handle everything properly, so please don’t worry, Uncle."

Xu Hongyan said quietly, "Tonight, I finally realized that you handle matters far more steadily than your second brother. You may proceed as you see fit—I won’t interfere. If there’s anything our family can assist with, just send word to the Censor's manor."

Ye Li nodded. "I understand. I’ve troubled Uncle again.""Your Highness," Feng Zhiyao and the others soon returned after handling matters outside to report. Ye Li nodded and gestured for them to sit, asking softly, "How did things go?" Feng Zhiyao replied with a spirited smile, "Rest assured, Your Highness. We’ve captured all the enemies in one sweep. Though General Sun hasn’t returned yet, surely you have faith in the Black Cloud Cavalry’s prowess?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "I trust General Sun and the Black Cloud Cavalry’s capabilities. Let’s hear each of your reports."

Zhang Qilan declared in a resonant voice, "Reporting to Your Highness, all assassins outside Prince Ding's Estate have been apprehended. Those who resisted were executed!" The imposing general’s mere report exuded an aura of formidable might.

Mo Hua reported solemnly, "All suspicious individuals lurking in the capital have been identified and apprehended by the shadow guards. Thirty-six resisted and were executed."

Qin Feng stood with his hands at his sides, stating impassively, "All assassins who entered Ding Royal Palace were executed without mercy."

Mo Hua glanced at Qin Feng but said nothing. Feng Zhiyao waved his folding fan and chuckled, "Seems we’ve indeed rounded up all those scoundrels tonight. We’ll be busy again these next few days. Qin Feng, don’t you dare steal my work." Qin Feng didn’t even lift his eyelids as he replied coolly, "This subordinate naturally follows Your Highness’s orders." Feng Zhiyao pouted and looked pleadingly at Ye Li, who smiled faintly. "If Feng San is interested, he may accompany Qin Feng to observe and offer some advice. After all, their experience in this area is still limited." Feng Zhiyao’s eyes lit up as he cupped his hands and grinned. "Many thanks, Your Highness."

"Subordinate Sun Yan requests an audience with Your Highness," came Sun Yan’s deep voice from outside the door.

Ye Li smiled. "Please come in, General Sun. We’ve been waiting for you."

Sun Yan entered, surveyed those present, and saluted Ye Li. "Your Highness’s foresight is impeccable. As ordered, my men guarded all key routes out of the capital. At dawn, we indeed intercepted numerous suspicious individuals fleeing the city. Twenty-six were killed on the spot, and seven were captured alive. Awaiting Your Highness’s further instructions."

Ye Li rubbed her temples. "With so many captives, Prince Ding's Estate won’t have space to hold them all. Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, go ahead and sort through them. Those of no use can be handed over to the Ministry of Justice." Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing nodded in unison and left. Feng Zhiyao glanced around and asked with a smile, "Your Highness, what do you plan to do with Mu Qingcang?" Apart from Mo Hua, who had been present during the battle, Zhang Qilan and Sun Yan were stunned. "Mu Qingcang?" Though they served in the military, they had heard of Mu Qingcang’s reputation as the Number One Expert of Great Chu. They never imagined he would fall into the princess consort’s hands.

Xu Hongyan frowned and asked, "Mu Qingcang—that illegitimate son of Marquis Muyang?"

Head Steward Mo chuckled. "Indeed. Though few know of Mu Qingcang’s background, some noble families in the capital are aware. He is the eldest son of Marquis Muyang and the elder brother of the current heir, Mu Yang."Zhang Qilan and Sun Yan were taken aback once more. They only knew of Mu Qingcang's reputation as the top martial artist, but were unaware of his background. However, considering Marquis Muyang had his only son Mu Yang in his thirties, it wasn't entirely implausible for him to have a son as old as Mu Qingcang. The intricacies of noble family secrets, however, were beyond outsiders' knowledge. Xu Hongyan remained silent for a long while before finally sighing deeply and rising to his feet. "These matters are for you to decide, Li'er. This old man is tired and will retire to his room for a while." Ye Li nodded and promptly arranged for someone to escort Lord Xu back to his quarters. Watching Xu Hongyan leave, Feng Zhiyao asked in confusion, "What does Lord Xu mean by this?" Ye Li replied calmly, "Nothing much. Uncle is just disappointed in certain people and matters." With her second uncle's sharp mind, how could he not guess who was truly behind Mu Qingcang's actions?

Feng Zhiyao didn't dwell on it and smiled. "Actually, I'm not particularly interested in how the Princess Consort deals with Mu Qingcang. What interests me more is who those people were who captured him?"

At these words, all eyes in the study turned to Ye Li. She took a sip of tea and glanced at the gradually brightening sky outside, smiling faintly. "They are naturally also part of Prince Ding's Estate. As for who they are... I can't tell you yet, but I believe His Highness will personally inform everyone before long." Zhang Qilan asked excitedly, "His Highness knows about these people?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow in amusement. "His Highness is the master of Ding Royal Palace. Is there anything within the estate that he doesn't know about?" Zhang Qilan realized his abruptness and laughed heartily. "My apologies, Princess Consort. What I meant was... since His Highness is aware of this team, could I request him to assign such a unit to the Mo Family Army in the future? With their assistance, any task would surely be accomplished much faster."

Ye Li arched her delicate brows, observing Zhang Qilan's expression of excitement and exhilaration. Despite his seemingly straightforward and blunt demeanor as a military man, he was remarkably perceptive about battlefield tactics and soldier quality. Not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, she replied with a faint smile, "You may discuss it with His Highness when he returns."

With Feng Zhiyao's expertise in interrogation, the questioning of the captured assassins progressed swiftly. Of course, this was also due to the large number of captives and their diverse origins. By the morning of the third day after the chaos at Ding Royal Palace, a thick stack of interrogation records had been placed on Ye Li's desk. A cursory glance at the contents would shock anyone. The assassination attempt involved factions from Great Chu, Western Liang, Northern Rong, and Nanzhao. After reading through it, Ye Li couldn't help but smile wryly. Over the years, Ding Royal Palace had truly become a target everyone wished to eliminate. However, after this incident, few would dare to set their sights on the palace again. Ye Li turned her gaze to the window, where the garden bloomed vibrantly under the bright sunlight. Though only two days had passed, no trace remained of the bloodshed and terror from before.

"Your Highness, Mu Qingcang requests an audience with you."

Ye Li set down the records and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Has he already reached his limit after just three days?"Qin Feng frowned and said, "Mu Qingcang has been somewhat dispirited ever since we captured him. Following the Princess of the State's orders, we refrained from using any torture on him. It was his own decision to request an audience with you. He refused to say anything until he could see you." Ye Li waved her hand with a smile, "Torture is ineffective against someone like Mu Qingcang. It might even provoke hatred and resentment in him. Bring him here."

Qin Feng disapproved, "Princess, bringing him to the study might be..."

"No matter. He can't cause any trouble now. Go ahead."

Before long, Mu Qingcang was brought into the study. In just three short days, he had transformed from the menacing black-clad assassin of that night into a disheveled and haggard prisoner. His eyes, when they met Ye Li's, were devoid of vitality or light. Ye Li sighed inwardly—Mu Qingcang had indeed aged.

"Dismissed," Ye Li said to Qin Feng, who stood beside Mu Qingcang. Qin Feng's sharp gaze swept over Mu Qingcang like a blade before he silently exited. The study fell into silence, broken only after a long pause when Mu Qingcang spoke, "I never thought the people of Ding Royal Palace would willingly obey the commands of a woman barely in her teens." Ye Li replied calmly, "Whether I'm in my teens or decades older, you must acknowledge my other identity—I am the Princess of the State. That alone is enough for them to follow my orders." Mu Qingcang shook his head, "A Princess of the State who can command the Black Cloud Cavalry and the Mo Family Army... such figures are rare even in the history of Chu." Ye Li smiled faintly, "You flatter me, Mr. Mu."

"What do you want to know?" Mu Qingcang asked bluntly.

Ye Li was equally direct, "What do you want, Mr. Mu?"

Mu Qingcang's expression was indifferent. After a long silence, he asked, "I presume the Princess already knows my identity?"

Ye Li gazed at the man before her, who, though barely forty, bore the weariness of years. She neither confirmed nor denied. Mu Qingcang didn't seem to mind and continued, "Has anyone inquired about me to the Princess these past few days?"

Ye Li lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, "Who do you hope would inquire about you, Mr. Mu? After attempting to assassinate the Princess of the State by breaking into Ding Royal Palace at night, do you think anyone in the capital of Chu would dare associate with you? To speak boldly, even His Majesty the Emperor wouldn't dare acknowledge any connection to you at this moment."

Mu Qingcang's expression darkened as he looked at Ye Li, "Then the Princess must already know my identity?"

Ye Li remained silent, her smile enigmatic. Mu Qingcang's eyes grew more certain, "Truly worthy of being the Princess of the State. I admire you." Ye Li shook her head, "No, I know nothing. I only wish for Ding Royal Palace and my family to remain safe and sound. So, Mr. Mu, what is it you desire?"

Mu Qingcang's eyes were hollow and lost as he murmured, "What do I want..."

Ye Li looked down at her hands resting on the table and said softly, "Since you requested to see me, Mr. Mu, you must have something to trade. Therefore... there must be something you want."

After a long silence, Mu Qingcang raised his head and met Ye Li's gaze, "The Princess must know my identity well. I want to know... what do I mean to them in their hearts?"Ye Li looked at him with a hint of pity and said calmly, "Mr. Mu, why must you be like this? If you wish to break free from these matters, it is not impossible. With your abilities, once you leave the people and affairs of Chu Capital, wouldn’t the world be vast enough for you to soar freely?"

A trace of gloom and sorrow flashed in Mu Qingcang's eyes as he shook his head. "If I wanted to leave, I could have done so myself. Isn’t that right?"

"Have you made your decision?" Ye Li confirmed.

Mu Qingcang nodded firmly. Ye Li gave a slight nod in return and said, "In that case, Mr. Mu, please first show me what bargaining chips you truly possess."

Mu Qingcang replied, "I will certainly satisfy Her Highness the Princess Consort."