Mo Li

Censor's Manor, Study

The simple yet elegant study was filled with the faint fragrance of books. Behind the desk, the usually composed and refined Censor wore an uncharacteristically somber expression as he stared thoughtfully at a letter on the desk.

"Qingfeng, what do you think Consort Xian Zhao means by this?" After a long silence, the Censor finally looked up and asked.

Not far from the desk stood a handsome young man, his hands clasped respectfully as he frowned in contemplation before replying, "Forgive my ignorance, Father. Could it be that she is trying to save face for the Ding Royal Palace, hence this gesture…?"

The Censor shook his head. "In my view, the royal family’s actions are nothing short of a slap to the Ding Royal Palace’s face—hitting them and then offering a sweet? Such tactics might work on ordinary officials, but they hold no weight with the Ding Royal Palace."

Xu Qingfeng’s sharp brows furrowed, his expression indignant. "However the royal family treats the Ding Royal Palace, they should not use Cousin Ye Li as a pawn. The Xu family has had more sons than daughters for generations. In the previous generation, there was at least Aunt Ye’s mother, but in my generation, both branches of the Xu family have only sons." Having grown up in the capital, Xu Qingfeng had often seen his cousin Ye Li as a child and held her in deep affection.

The Censor sighed softly. "In the eyes of the royal family, who isn’t expendable besides themselves? Besides, ever since your aunt passed away, Ye Li has rarely appeared in the capital, and her reputation has long been tarnished by that vile woman from the Ye family. Naturally, Prince Li has no desire to marry her."

Xu Qingfeng scoffed coldly. "I think it’s for the best that Cousin doesn’t marry that Prince Li. Even before the wedding, he’s already taking things for free from his fiancée’s family’s shops—is this the behavior of royalty? If Cousin were to marry him, I fear even the dowry left by Aunt would be squandered by him." The more Xu Qingfeng thought about what Qingshuang had reported, the angrier he became, his opinion of Mo Jingli growing increasingly unfavorable.

The Censor stroked the fine beard beneath his lips and nodded. "Prince Li is indeed not a suitable match for Ye Li. She has always been strong-willed, and I doubt she holds Prince Li in high regard. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed the Ye mother and daughter to act as they did." He recalled how, after his younger sister’s death, he had wanted to bring his seriously ill niece back to the Xu family to raise her, only to be blocked by the old matriarch of the Ye family. Despite her illness, Ye Li had managed to send her wet nurse and maids back to Yunzhou, surviving alone in the hostile Ye household. Though Wang Shi had repeatedly tried to harm her, Ye Li had skillfully avoided each attempt. Now, it seemed his niece not only possessed her mother’s intelligence but also a resilience and sharpness that surpassed her. This filled the Censor with a quiet pride.

"But Prince Ding… Prince Li may be unsatisfactory, but at least he is whole in body. The marriage the Emperor has now decreed is not only an insult to the Ding Royal Palace but also a disgrace to the bloodline of the Xu family."Hmph! Compared to Prince Li, I trust the upbringing of the Ding Royal Palace more. After all, Prince Ding was raised personally by the old King Ding. As he spoke, Censor Xu lit the candle on the table and burned the letters into ashes before saying to his son: "How have your investigations into the Ding Royal Palace been these past few days? In a few days, when your mother visits the Ye family, have her pass the information to Li'er."

Xu Qingfeng replied somewhat helplessly: "Everything about the Ding Royal Palace is easy to investigate, except for Prince Ding himself—he rarely interacts with others. In the past few years, the number of people who have seen him can be counted on one hand. There’s hardly any useful information to gather. Only one thing stands out: some say Prince Ding is cursed to bring misfortune to his wives. Several of his betrothed died before marriage, and one even died of fright on their wedding night."

"Nonsense!" Censor Xu snapped. As a censor, and with the Xu family patriarch having mentored countless students, he naturally knew more than ordinary people. For instance, Prince Ding’s first betrothed was arranged by the old King before his accident. Contrary to rumors, she didn’t die of illness but instead entered the palace and became the Emperor’s favored Imperial Concubine. As for the second betrothed, she was chosen by the current Empress Dowager and had always been sickly—it was no surprise she didn’t live past her coming-of-age ceremony. As for the one who died after marriage, Censor Xu found it highly unlikely she died of fright. He had caught a distant glimpse of Prince Ding when he returned injured from battle—though the scar on his face was somewhat ghastly, it was far from terrifying enough to kill someone.

"Enough, go see your mother. I’ll visit Prince Ding myself later. Right now, I need to draft a memorial."

"A memorial? Who are you impeaching, Father?" Xu Qingfeng asked curiously.

A cold smile appeared on Censor Xu’s thin face. "Impeaching Lord Ye for failing to discipline his daughter, allowing his fourth daughter to engage in improper relations with Prince Li before his previous engagement was dissolved. The Great Chu Dynasty’s laws explicitly state that censors cannot be punished for their words. As long as the impeachment isn’t based on false accusations, the Emperor cannot penalize the censor, no matter what is said. Who among the nobility in the capital doesn’t know about Prince Li and the Ye family’s fourth daughter? It’s just that the Ye family turns a blind eye, so others pretend not to notice. Now that someone is openly submitting a memorial, those idle censors and righteous scholars who despise such behavior won’t let this opportunity slip. On the surface, it’s an impeachment of Lord Ye, but the real target is Ye Ying and Prince Li. I’m afraid even Prince Li’s unjust seizure of his former fiancée’s belongings won’t stay hidden."

"Won’t this make enemies for Li'er?" Xu Qingfeng frowned, his voice tinged with concern.Imperial Censor Xu smiled faintly and said, "If not for this, do you think Prince Li would show any remorse toward Li'er? At the very least, we must make the Xu family's stance clear to Prince Li and His Majesty. We are openly declaring our intention to protect our niece. Since we can't immediately discern Consort Xian Zhao's intentions, let's first give Prince Li's Palace something to occupy themselves with, lest they have idle time to scheme against your cousin."

In Imperial Censor Xu's mind, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't understand why Prince Li would abandon his niece to marry the Ye family's fourth daughter, Ye Ying. Apart from appearance—where one was the legitimate eldest daughter and the other the child of a second wife—in terms of intellect and virtue, someone like Ye Ying, who relied solely on charm to please others, would have long been punished in the Xu family by being made to kneel in the ancestral hall. Even regarding dowry, the Ye family's full financial efforts might not match the lavishness of what the Xu family had prepared for Li'er. The difference between a newly risen upstart and a century-old prestigious family was not just a small gap.

Hearing his father's words, Xu Qingfeng couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Father is always so thoughtful. I take my leave."

Watching his son close the door and leave, Imperial Censor Xu sighed softly, picked up his brush, and began drafting a memorial. He had sons under his care—his eldest, Xu Qingrui, had returned to Yunzhou with his grandfather to fulfill filial duties and study under him. His second son, Qingfeng, had grown up by his side. Though both he and his wife came from scholarly families, Qingfeng had shown a natural talent for martial arts from a young age, while his literary skills were merely passable.

Recalling the words Ye Li had spoken during her New Year's visit last year, he couldn't help but smile wryly: Could it be that the century-old scholarly Xu family is truly destined to produce a military general?

After pausing in thought for a long while, Imperial Censor Xu finally set down his brush, stood up, and walked to the bookshelf nearby. With practiced ease, he pulled out a book from the third shelf and glanced at the bold, vigorous calligraphy on its cover— The Military Canon of the Founding Emperor . Raising his voice, he called, "Attendant!"

Soon, the servant waiting outside the door entered respectfully and said, "Master."

"Deliver this book to the Second Young Master. Tell him he must finish reading it within the year. Additionally, he is to submit a reflection essay every month."

The servant took the book without further questions and withdrew respectfully.

Not long after, Xu Qingfeng's hearty laughter could be heard in the distance—clearly, he hadn't gone far before the servant caught up with him. "This son thanks Father! This son obeys!"

"That reckless boy, utterly lacking in decorum!" Imperial Censor Xu muttered under his breath, though an unwitting smile of relief surfaced on his face.