Mo Li

"Why doesn't the Princess come take a look for herself?"

The tomb chamber was eerily silent. Peering over the black-clad man's shoulder, Ye Li glanced at Doctor Lin standing opposite them, whose expression was visibly tense. After a moment's contemplation, she suddenly chuckled and voluntarily released the dagger pressed against the black-clad man, stepping back several paces. Meeting Doctor Lin's surprised gaze, Ye Li smiled faintly, "Just a joke. Now that we're all in the same boat, if we keep fighting, none of us might make it out." The black-clad man stiffened slightly, then lowered his head with a quiet chuckle, his voice deep as he remarked, "They say Princess Ding is exceptionally clever. I didn't believe it before, but now I see it's well-deserved. No wonder Prince Ding would go to such lengths for his Princess..."

At the mention of Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li's heart clenched. It had been too long since she'd heard any news of him, and thinking of his health and the circumstances he was in filled her with worry. But now was not the time to reveal even a hint of her thoughts to this man whose motives remained unclear. Calmly, she regarded the black-clad man's back and said coolly, "It seems the Princess and I are indeed acquainted. In that case, why not show your true face?" Without further ado, the man turned to face her.

From what Ye Li knew, Lin Yuan should have been in his early thirties, but the man before her appeared no older than twenty-six or twenty-seven. Dressed in black, his figure seemed even more gaunt and upright, while his otherwise handsome features took on a more sinister and icy cast. Just one glance left an unpleasant impression, and Ye Li frowned slightly. Unfazed by her reaction, the man's gaze lingered on her noticeably rounded abdomen before he smiled and said, "This humble one greets Princess Ding."

Ye Li studied him for a long moment before finally uttering his name in a composed tone, "Tan... Ji... zhi."

The black-clad man's previously gloomy smile seemed to brighten slightly with amusement. "I never imagined the Princess would remember such an insignificant figure as myself. I am truly honored. I am Tan Jizhi, though the Princess may also call me Lin Yuan." Ye Li gave a soft snort and said coolly, "Lord Tan, this hardly seems the time for reminiscing. If we don't find a way soon... we may all end up resting here permanently." Unperturbed by her obvious sarcasm, Tan Jizhi replied evenly, "The Princess speaks wisely." He then turned toward the entrance where the black mist was growing ever denser. They could only be grateful that these things seemed to prefer clustering together rather than scattering chaotically—otherwise, their troubles would multiply. Turning back to Ye Li, Tan Jizhi asked, "Since the Princess seems to know something about these creatures, might you have a way to counter them?" Understanding that bargaining was ill-advised at this moment, Ye Li replied coolly, "These things turn into insects when heated and jade when cooled. Surely Lord Tan needs no further explanation?"

Tan Jizhi stroked his chin thoughtfully before nodding. "Cold, then... Understood. Please wait a moment, Princess."Having said that, Tan Jizhi leaped into the air again and dashed toward the opposite side, clearly searching for something. Simultaneously, hidden weapons and sharp arrows rained down without pause. Fortunately, Tan Jizhi seemed quite familiar with this tomb chamber. Though somewhat disheveled, he remained unharmed, disappearing after a few leaps into the maze of palace-like structures and treasures on the other side.

Ye Li pulled Doctor Lin further away. Doctor Lin glanced at her and took the lead, walking ahead to guide the way. The interior of the tomb was far less safe than the passage they had traversed earlier, filled with traps and mechanisms not easily detectable by ordinary people.

Only when there was no further retreat did Doctor Lin stop and turn to look at Ye Li. "Are you the Princess Ding of this generation?" Ye Li smiled apologetically. "Indeed. I hope Master won’t blame me for concealing it. My surname is Ye, and my given name is Li." Doctor Lin snorted lightly. "Your name means nothing to me. How do you know Lin Yuan?" Ye Li raised an elegant brow. "I’ve met Lord Tan once. He serves as the Emperor of Chu’s confidant in the imperial study. To be honest… my presence here might even be somewhat related to him." Doctor Lin frowned, deep in thought. "Has the Emperor of Chu fallen out with Prince Ding’s Estate?"

Ye Li shrugged without answering. Even if it hadn’t openly come to that yet, it was likely close. She just wasn’t sure how much Tan Jizhi had contributed to the situation. Among the countless civil and military officials, nobles, and generals in the court, this man had managed to deceive them all. The court was full of martial arts experts, yet everyone seemed to regard him as a frail scholar. Even someone as suspicious as Mo Jingqi hadn’t doubted him in the slightest. Truly, his methods were formidable. Doctor Lin studied Ye Li curiously. "If that’s the case, why don’t you seem the least bit worried about your own safety?" Ye Li covered her lips with a light laugh. "Master, forgive my bluntness, but in this ancient tomb… even if Lord Tan abandons you, he won’t abandon me. As long as there’s the slightest hope, he’ll want to bring me out alive." A living Princess Ding and her unborn heir held far greater value than a corpse. Alive, she and her child could be used to threaten Mo Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army, or even negotiate terms. But if she were just a corpse, Tan Jizhi might not dare deliver her to Mo Xiuyao—because that would only provoke him beyond measure.

Doctor Lin lowered his head, silently acknowledging Ye Li’s words. He had raised Lin Yuan for nearly twenty years and knew his thoughts well. In Lin Yuan’s eyes, his adoptive father likely paled in comparison to Ye Li, the strategically valuable Princess of the State.

As the two spoke, Tan Jizhi returned. His Light Body Skill was evidently exceptional—even after dodging over a dozen waves of hidden weapons and arrows, he remained composed. Glancing at Ye Li and Doctor Lin standing by the mercury river in the farthest corner, he wasted no time and charged toward the black mist that seemed on the verge of spiraling out of control.

"Hmm? What’s that?" Ye Li exclaimed in surprise as she looked into the distance. A thick layer of white ice crystals had enveloped the black mist. Though it still struggled weakly, Tan Jizhi continuously poured water from a pouch onto the ice, causing it to thicken further until the mist was completely encased.Doctor Lin's expression darkened as he said coldly, "The Snow Jade Pearl—read the full text of 'The Eight-Year-Old Mad Empress.'"

Ye Li was bewildered. Having been raised under the guidance of Xu Shi and the Xu family, she had a decent foundation in appraising treasures and antiques. But she had genuinely never heard of this Snow Jade Pearl. Doctor Lin sneered, "It's also known as the Corpse-Nourishing Pearl. Once placed in the mouth of the deceased, the body quickly becomes encased in ice crystals, remaining preserved for a century. He tampered with the remains of the concubines buried here."

Ye Li rubbed her cheek uncomfortably and forced an apologetic smile. "Master, desperate times call for desperate measures..." This tomb was at least five hundred years old. Taking something from the mouth of a corpse that old—even Ye Li's smile stiffened. But if it was the only way to resolve their current predicament, she could only silently apologize to those entombed concubines. After all, no one knew what that black mass would ultimately become. Just looking at its rapidly expanding form, Ye Li had no doubt it might eventually corrode most of the tomb chamber—including them, who had nowhere to run.

Seeing that things seemed to be settling over there, the two slowly walked back. Tan Jizhi smiled at them and said to Doctor Lin, "Father, all the mechanisms in the tomb have been activated. If we want to leave safely, we must fully decipher the riddles and treasures left by our ancestors in this hall." Doctor Lin replied coldly, "This old man does not deserve to be called 'Father' by the Young Master. I know nothing of any riddles or treasures. Since the Young Master is the master of this Imperial Tomb, do as you please."

Tan Jizhi's expression darkened slightly. "Father, why must you be so stubborn? Everything I've done has been in accordance with our ancestors' wishes, hasn't it? Even if you don't support me, why must you obstruct me at every turn?" Doctor Lin's face twisted briefly before he turned away in silence. Unfazed, Tan Jizhi turned to Ye Li with a smile. "Your Highness, this tomb is filled with traps. Can I trust that you won't cause trouble?" Ye Li gently touched her abdomen, her smile serene. "Lord Tan need not worry. Even if I disregard my own life, I must still consider the child in my womb." Tan Jizhi nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I have no wish to harm Your Highness or the Little Prince, nor do I wish to make an enemy of Prince Ding."Having obtained Ye Li's promise, Tan Jizhi no longer hesitated and stepped forward to examine the grand doors before the palace. The earlier swarm of black insect mist had caused considerable damage to these white jade doors—what was once pristine white now bore black stains and pockmarks everywhere. Ye Li glanced at the spherical ice crystal that had rolled aside, within which black jade-like objects remained clearly visible.

The puzzle game on the door still existed, with another layer of green jade beneath the strange black jade. This time, Tan Jizhi clearly learned from Doctor Lin's earlier mistake and avoided touching the green jade surface with his fingers. Instead, he retrieved a dagger and carefully shifted the character blocks. The eight-character puzzle wasn't particularly difficult, and soon enough, Tan Jizhi completed it. With two clicking sounds, the green jade split in half and fell to the ground, revealing a peculiar keyhole. The white jade door had no lock—only a circular keyhole.

Tan Jizhi turned to Doctor Lin and said, "Father, please give me the key."

Doctor Lin regarded him calmly and indifferently. "There is no key."

Tan Jizhi frowned, his sinister face darkening with displeasure. Of course, he didn’t believe Doctor Lin lacked the key. If there was anyone in this world besides himself who knew this tomb best, it was undoubtedly the man who had raised him—his adoptive father. After all, everything he knew had been imparted to him bit by bit since childhood.

"Perhaps I could try?" Ye Li suddenly spoke up, watching Tan Jizhi's increasingly stormy expression.

The two men, locked in their standoff, were startled and turned to look at her. Tan Jizhi's gaze held surprise and suspicion, while Doctor Lin's was filled with confusion and concern. Ye Li stepped forward unhurriedly, studying the keyhole for a moment before chuckling softly to herself. Picking locks… had once been an essential skill for her. Besides, this one in particular… She suddenly felt a spark of curiosity about the founding emperor of the previous dynasty.

She reached up and pulled a simple copper hairpin from her hair, then casually began fiddling with the keyhole. The two men behind her watched the woman before them with strange expressions. If Princess Ding's literary and martial prowess wasn’t surprising enough, her ability to pick locks was downright bizarre. Seeing how effortlessly she handled it, Tan Jizhi suspected that even the most skilled thieves and burglars in the martial world might not compare to this woman. At the very least, he had studied numerous mechanisms and locks to enter this tomb, yet this one left him utterly baffled.

After about a quarter of an hour, a soft click sounded from within. Ye Li withdrew the hairpin and took a step back.

The white jade doors groaned and creaked before slowly parting to either side under the trio's watchful eyes, unveiling the very heart of the Imperial Tomb.Inside stood a grand hall, evidently modeled after the imperial throne room of that era. The eternal lamps still burned quietly within, and the resplendent golden hall made one feel as though they had truly stepped into a royal palace rather than a gloomy ancient tomb. Ye Li swept her gaze around the hall but did not see the coffin of the former dynasty's founding emperor, which she had expected to find. Instead, atop the imperial desk at the front rested a sandalwood box, with a portrait of an emperor in court robes hanging directly before it. Clearly, this was the founding emperor of the former dynasty. Tan Jizhi froze for a moment before stepping forward to kneel before the portrait, kowtowing reverently several times. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and glanced at Doctor Lin, who stood nearby with a deeply furrowed brow—he clearly had no intention of paying homage to the former emperor.

After finishing his obeisance to his ancestor, Tan Jizhi stood and said to Ye Li, "Princess Ding, this is my ancestor—the founding emperor of the former dynasty." His voice brimmed with admiration and longing for his forebear, carrying a tone of pride and self-satisfaction when addressing Ye Li. Ye Li politely nodded and smiled, "Congratulations. I've long heard of his fame." Tan Jizhi seemed unbothered by her perfunctory response and quickly ascended the dais, staring intently at the large rosewood box on the imperial desk as he held his breath in anticipation. Clearly, this was the treasure he had painstakingly sought. Ye Li watched the sandalwood box with keen interest, genuinely curious about what kind of treasure could surpass the mountains of gold, silver, jade, and antiques outside.

Tan Jizhi turned to her and smiled, "Is Her Highness also interested? Why not join me in uncovering the secrets of this treasure?"

Faced with his almost condescending expression, Ye Li curled her lips slightly and replied, "No need. Please proceed as you wish, Lord Tan."

Her refusal disappointed him slightly, but the allure of the treasure before him made him dismiss this minor displeasure. Sitting down on the dragon throne behind the imperial desk, Tan Jizhi gazed down at Ye Li and Doctor Lin below with an air of contentment before slowly reaching out to open the box. Fortunately, this time, the box did not present any troublesome mechanisms, and Tan Jizhi easily lifted the lid. Carefully, he retrieved a jade seal from within. Ye Li's delicate brows arched slightly—this was likely the Imperial Jade Seal crafted by the first emperor a millennium ago, inscribed with the eight characters: "Mandated by Heaven, Longevity and Eternal Prosperity." It was said that the founding emperor of the former dynasty had indeed obtained this seal, but none of his successors had ever produced it. After the founding emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty ascended the throne, he ransacked the former palace but failed to find it. Thus, later historical records generally dismissed the former dynasty's possession of the Imperial Jade Seal as mere legend, relegated to unofficial histories.

Tan Jizhi cradled the Imperial Jade Seal with delight, his expression taking on an almost euphoric quality. He looked down from his lofty position as if he already held the power of life and death over the realm, poised to unify the world.

When he finally had his fill of intoxication, he began carefully examining the seal in his hands. Gradually... his expression stiffened, then slowly twisted into horror. "How... how could this be?!"Ye Li was puzzled as she watched him examine the jade seal for a long while before suddenly standing up and sweeping everything off the imperial desk with a furious gesture. Without a second thought, he flung the seal aside. "How could this be?!" Ye Li blinked, dodging the falling objects, and looked at the seal rolling to a stop by her feet. Carefully bending down, she picked it up. It was indeed an exquisite piece of jade, carved with a coiling dragon and the legendary eight characters. Its size and appearance matched the historical records perfectly. But... why was there such a large "imitation" character engraved at the bottom right corner?

Beside her, Doctor Lin picked up the rosewood box that Tan Jizhi had knocked over. Inside was a piece of cloth. Ye Li glanced sideways and saw two lines written in an outrageously bold script: "To the unfilial descendants who dare disturb my imperial tomb—do you really think I’d tell you where the real Imperial Jade Seal and treasure are?" Below it were three even more mocking words: "Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Ye Li couldn’t help but twitch her lips. If she still didn’t understand what kind of person this founding emperor was, she might as well quit. But while most people pranked their fathers, this emperor had pranked his own descendants.

Tan Jizhi, standing above them, naturally noticed the cloth in Doctor Lin’s hands and immediately leaped down the steps to snatch it. The expression that followed made even Ye Li reluctant to look at him. This hopeful descendant of the fallen dynasty had truly been played by his own ancestor.

The cloth slipped from Tan Jizhi’s fingers and fell limply to the ground. Ye Li watched helplessly as he staggered out, looking utterly defeated. She turned to Doctor Lin and said, "Master, do you think he’ll be alright? His mental resilience seems a bit lacking."

With a deep sigh, Doctor Lin hurried after him. Ye Li gritted her teeth, bent down with some difficulty to pick up the cloth, and examined it. A faint smile touched her lips before she tucked it into her sleeve. Glancing back at the portrait of the emperor in full regalia, she turned and followed them out. If those two left without her, she’d be trapped here alone. But... as long as Tan Jizhi hadn’t been driven completely mad by his eccentric ancestor, he probably wouldn’t abandon her.