Mo Li

In the dungeon of the Governor's residence, Tan Jizhi sat in a corner, his face expressionless as he stared at the pitch-black prison. It had been three days since he was locked up here, yet he had not seen Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li even once. Only Feng Zhiyao occasionally came to check on him, his intentions clear and straightforward—he wanted the whereabouts of the Underworld Flower and the antidote to the poison in Mo Xiuyao's body.

Tan Jizhi, of course, would not easily reveal anything to Feng Zhiyao. He didn’t believe for a second that Mo Xiuyao would actually let him go if he talked. But at the same time, he knew that the longer he stayed here, the worse it would be for him. He had to escape—or silence Su Zuidie—before that wretched woman cracked under pressure and spilled everything.

Shu Manlin was imprisoned in a cell opposite Tan Jizhi, separated by only a few steps, yet they could only gaze at each other from afar. As the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border, Shu Manlin had been raised in luxury and had never suffered hardship. When she was first thrown in, she still had the energy to curse and rage, but after Feng Zhiyao ordered her to go without food for two meals, she quieted down. Now, she merely sat there, weeping pitifully and occasionally casting tearful glances at Tan Jizhi, which only added to his irritation. He ignored her outright, and the two of them had nothing to say to each other. While Tan Jizhi sat lost in thought, plotting his next move, Shu Manlin sat opposite him, sobbing and complaining intermittently.

Footsteps echoed from outside the cell. Tan Jizhi’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes darted sharply toward the door. Surrounded by attendants, a striking couple walked in hand in hand.

Tan Jizhi’s gaze first landed on Ye Li. Gone were the simple, unadorned clothes she had worn before. Now, she was dressed in a lilac-colored Water Cloud Silk gown embroidered with delicate hibiscus patterns, exuding an air of gentle elegance that stood out in the sweltering summer heat. At the same time, it made Tan Jizhi inwardly shudder at the hidden strength of Prince Ding's Estate.

Despite Mo Jingqi having stripped Mo Xiuyao of his title on charges of treason and cutting off all economic ties between the northwest region and the rest of Chu, Prince Ding's Estate, tucked away in this remote corner of the northwest, could still procure the latest Water Cloud Silk from Nanzhao—a testament to its immense wealth and connections.

After all, even the imperial palace received no more than ten bolts of Water Cloud Silk a year, and since the war between the two countries broke out last year, the supply had completely dried up.

Tan Jizhi had never considered Ye Li particularly beautiful—he had seen too many stunning women in his time. But now, he had to admit that Mo Xiuyao’s taste was impeccable. The woman before him was not breathtakingly gorgeous, yet her presence was soothing and reassuring. There was a quiet confidence in her composed demeanor, a subtle radiance hidden beneath her gentle features that suddenly made all other beauties in the world seem insignificant in comparison.

"Hmph!" Mo Xiuyao let out a cold snort, his gaze sweeping over Tan Jizhi with a dangerous glint. A chill ran down Tan Jizhi’s spine, and he hastily averted his eyes from Ye Li. Rising to his feet, he bowed slightly toward the entrance and said with a smile, "This humble official, Tan Jizhi, greets His Highness Prince Ding and Her Highness the Princess Consort."

Mo Xiuyao arched an eyebrow and regarded him coolly. "Very well. You have quite the nerve."

Few people could remain so composed under such circumstances, let alone step forward to greet him with such calm. Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but view the man before him in a slightly different light.

But that still wouldn’t change the fate awaiting him.Behind them, someone brought two chairs with soft cushions and placed them outside the cell. Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li to sit down. Even in this gloomy and filthy prison, the two remained composed, as if they were surrounded by blooming flowers and pleasant scenery. Tea was served, but the prison was hardly an ideal place for drinking. Mo Xiuyao frowned and took the teacup from Ye Li’s hand, setting it aside on a nearby table. Ye Li smiled faintly and turned to Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin.

"Minister Tan, these past few days, His Highness and I have been occupied with pressing matters. We apologize for the neglect. How have you both been?"

Tan Jizhi gave a bitter smile. "You flatter me, Your Highness. I lost fair and square—my skills were no match for yours."

Ye Li nodded, her smile lingering as she asked, "Then... Minister Tan must know what I want. What is your answer?"

Tan Jizhi chuckled. "I understand. Your Highness seeks the Underworld Flower... I imagine you’ve expended considerable effort over the past year. However, I advise you not to waste your time on that merchant surnamed Liang. He will never find the Underworld Flower."

"Oh?" Ye Li’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she rubbed her temple. "Why should I believe you? And even if what you say is true, what then?"

Tan Jizhi replied, "The Underworld Flower is a sacred relic of the Southern Border. Do you truly believe the Nanzhao royal family would entrust such a treasure to a mere wealthy merchant from Great Chu? It’s said that merchants value profit above all—did the Nanzhao royalty never consider he might hoard it for himself?"

Ye Li sighed, looking at him with mild exasperation. "Minister Tan, since you dared to use the Underworld Flower as leverage for your own life, I have no doubt you know its whereabouts. So, there’s no need for such lengthy explanations. However... you must understand that until the item is found, your words are meaningless."

Tan Jizhi’s eyes flickered as he stared at her. "And once it is found? Are you trying to convince me that Prince Ding’s Estate keeps its word?"

Feng Zhiyao, standing behind them, glanced at him with a smirk. "Minister Tan, what choice do you have but to believe?"

Tan Jizhi fell silent. Indeed, now that he was in Prince Ding’s hands, what could he do? Trust might offer a way out, but distrust would only lead to death. Under normal circumstances, he might have gambled, but now he dared not—time was not on his side. If certain events unfolded, even if he revealed the Underworld Flower’s location or handed it directly to Mo Xiuyao, he would not escape unscathed.

Shaking his head, Tan Jizhi said, "Forgive me, Your Highness. Even if you knew the flower’s location, obtaining it would take time. But I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot remain here indefinitely. I presume... His Majesty’s envoy has already arrived in Ruyang?"

He was confident in his earlier arrangements. As long as Mo Xiuyao had not openly declared rebellion against Great Chu, he would still have to show some restraint toward the imperial envoy."Tan Jizhi... Lin Yuan, are you reminding this prince of your other identity?" Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes and asked. Even if he disliked Mo Jingqi, it didn't mean he would let a remnant of the previous dynasty go. After all, it wasn't just the founding emperor who had overthrown the previous dynasty—the ancestors of Prince Ding's Estate had contributed greatly as well, making them natural enemies. Tan Jizhi gave a bitter smile. At this point, he couldn't help but doubt his chances of leaving Ruyang City alive. After a moment of contemplation, he finally said, "Your Highness, whether as Tan Jizhi or Lin Yuan, at least for now, there is no conflict of interest between us, is there? Killing Tan Jizhi would bring no benefit to the current situation in the Northwest or Prince Ding's Estate. Moreover... Your Highness knows His Majesty well. He would surely use this incident to tarnish the reputation of Prince Ding's Estate."

Mo Xiuyao sneered disdainfully, "Do you think this prince cares about that?"

Tan Jizhi remained silent. He truly hadn't seen any indication that Mo Xiuyao cared about the reputation of King Ding's estate. This was what puzzled him the most. Anyone who wasn't a fool or a born tyrant understood the importance of winning the people's hearts. Even someone like Mo Jingqi, who clearly had no regard for the lives of commoners, still placed great emphasis on public opinion. Yet, for the past several months, no matter what Mo Jingqi said, the Northwest had remained completely silent, as if tacitly accepting all his accusations. This reaction unsettled Tan Jizhi. If Mo Xiuyao wasn't simply resigned to letting things fall apart, then he must be preparing to plunge the world into chaos. Either way, war was inevitable sooner or later. Rather than exhaust himself now with futile justifications that would only make him seem hypocritical later, it was better to say nothing from the start.

Tan Jizhi took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his head and said, "This time, I admit defeat at Your Highness's hands. That Imperial Tomb—Her Highness the Princess Consort has already visited it. Consider all the treasures inside as my apology for offending her. In addition, I will reveal the whereabouts of the Underworld Flower in exchange for my life. What does Your Highness think?"

Mo Xiuyao's expression remained indifferent, clearly uninterested. The Imperial Tomb was already within the Northwest's borders—if Mo Xiuyao wished, he could send people to excavate it at any time. There was no need for Tan Jizhi to "gift" it to him. Tan Jizhi hadn't expected it to be that easy either. After a pause, he continued, "I will also offer one hundred thousand taels of gold, along with all my hidden stakeouts in the Northwest and the capital. Does this... demonstrate sufficient sincerity?"

Ye Li watched him with amusement and smiled. "Minister Tan is truly willing to go all out."

Tan Jizhi gave a helpless smile. "Nothing is more important than life. What use is anything else if I'm dead? Princess Consort, I dare say I have not treated you poorly these past days. My earlier discourtesy was merely human nature. Is the price I'm offering still not enough?"Ye Li nodded in agreement with his words. If his only intention had been to capture her to threaten the Mo Family Army, then the price he paid and the compensation offered were indeed not insignificant. After all, he hadn’t actually succeeded in taking her to threaten Mo Xiuyao—one could say he had tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice. However, for some reason, Ye Li felt there was a secret about him even more important than his identity. Lowering her gaze in thought, she asked, “Lord Tan, how did you know about the poison in His Highness’s body and its antidote?”

Tan Jizhi met her gaze calmly and smiled. “I studied His Highness’s medical records from the Imperial Hospital back then. Moreover, Your Highness should know that my father’s medical skills… are no worse than those so-called miracle doctors. Having grown up observing him, I naturally gained some insights.”

Ye Li stared at him quietly for a long time—so long that Tan Jizhi began to wonder if he had inadvertently revealed some flaw—before she abruptly changed the subject. “Lord Tan, how did you come to know Su Zuidie?”

That damned woman! Though he had long known the reason for his identity being exposed, hearing Ye Li mention it still made Tan Jizhi wish he could flay Su Zuidie alive. He had calculated everything meticulously, hiding beside Mo Jingqi for ten years without the slightest slip. He had prided himself on leaving no room for error, yet he had never expected to be tripped up by that wretched woman. He couldn’t help but regret—he should never have hesitated out of fear of Mo Xiuyao and Han Mingyue. There were always ways to kill that woman without those two noticing. But his excessive caution had instead led to this colossal disaster.

“Ah, that…” Though he had already torn Su Zuidie to shreds in his mind, Tan Jizhi’s expression remained flawless. He glanced at Mo Xiuyao with a faintly mocking smile. “Miss Su was once the most beautiful woman in Great Chu. She had connections with more than just me. Even the renowned Young Master Mingyue fell under her spell, didn’t he? Youthful recklessness… I must apologize for making a fool of myself in front of Your Highness.”

The atmosphere in the prison cell grew subtly strange. Everyone present was a trusted subordinate of Prince Ding’s Estate and well aware of Su Zuidie’s identity. By saying this, Tan Jizhi was blatantly telling Mo Xiuyao that his former fiancée had cuckolded him more than once.

Yet Mo Xiuyao remained unfazed. With a slight lift of his chiseled jaw, he asked Tan Jizhi, “You want me to kill Su Zuidie immediately, don’t you?”

Tan Jizhi’s heart tightened, silently reminding himself that going too far would backfire. He smiled and replied, “If not for her, Your Highness wouldn’t even know my identity now, would you? Who would have thought a single misstep in my youth would land me in such a predicament? Naturally, I don’t wish for Su Zuidie to remain alive.”

“Oh?” Mo Xiuyao gave a faint smile and ignored him. Tan Jizhi exhaled inwardly in relief, realizing his life now rested entirely in Ye Li’s hands—and what Ye Li valued most was Mo Xiuyao’s life.

“Young Master Tan,” Ye Li asked softly, “how can I trust that the location of the Underworld Flower you’ve provided is genuine?”Tan Jizhi smiled arrogantly and said, "Because apart from myself, no one in this world knows the true whereabouts of the Underworld Flower." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile, "If that's the case, then I have even less reason to trust you. After all, you're unwilling to stay until I retrieve the Underworld Flower. Isn't this putting me in a difficult position? In that case... Lord Tan may leave, but Miss Shu must stay behind."

All eyes turned to Shu Manlin in the adjacent cell. She had remained silent, knowing she couldn't contribute much, but she never expected the conversation to suddenly involve her. She stood abruptly, gripping the prison bars as she glared furiously at Ye Li. "Ye Li, how dare you! I am the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border—you wouldn’t dare imprison me!"

Ye Li arched a brow but said nothing. Behind her, Feng Zhiyao chuckled in amusement. "The Holy Maiden of the Southern Border? I’ve never seen one before—what luck to finally meet one, thanks to the Princess Ding. But... come to think of it, isn’t the Holy Maiden forbidden from being seen by outsiders, let alone leaving the capital of Nanzhao? Princess Ding, isn’t this an imposter?" Ye Li smiled faintly. "She’s the real deal."

Shu Manlin paled. Though she was deeply favored by the King of Nanzhao, as the Holy Maiden, sneaking into Great Chu and allowing others to see her face was an unforgivable crime in the eyes of the Nanzhao people. If word got out, forget retiring to the Southern Border Sacred Ground—she’d be fortunate not to be burned alive by the Nanzhao populace. This was a centuries-old rule, one that even the King of Nanzhao couldn’t overturn. Worse still, she had a political rival—Princess Anxi—who was watching her every move. If this matter reached Anxi’s ears, she wouldn’t escape unscathed.

Faced with Ye Li’s condition, Tan Jizhi frowned. After a long silence, he finally said, "Princess Ding is indeed exceptionally clever. I have no choice but to concede." His identity had been exposed, meaning his decade-long efforts in the Chu capital were nearly ruined. At the very least, he could never return to Mo Jingqi’s side. With that, Nanzhao became his last bargaining chip—and controlling Nanzhao depended entirely on Shu Manlin. Ye Li had clearly discerned this, hence her demand to detain Shu Manlin. If anything happened to Shu Manlin, even if he escaped the northwest, Prince Ding’s Estate only needed to lift a finger, and he would likely be hunted down by both Chu and Nanzhao. Then, truly, there would be no place left for him in this vast world.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "You flatter me, Lord Tan."

Mo Xiuyao stood and helped Ye Li up to leave. Before departing, she turned to Tan Jizhi with a smile. "Lord Tan, you may consider it overnight. Give me your answer tomorrow morning. Leave Shu Manlin behind, and as long as I retrieve the Underworld Flower, this matter will be settled."

Tan Jizhi gave a helpless laugh. "Do I even have a choice?"

If he could turn back time, Tan Jizhi swore he wouldn’t have cared whether Ye Li was Princess Ding or not—he would have left the accursed Imperial Tomb and fled the northwest immediately. The territory of Prince Ding’s Estate was never a place where someone surnamed Lin should linger with ease.After Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao left, the people in the prison quickly dispersed, leaving only Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin in silent confrontation. After a long while, Shu Manlin finally asked in a trembling voice, "Jizhi... you, are you really going to leave me here?"

Tan Jizhi sighed softly, his gaze filled with tenderness and pity as he looked at Shu Manlin. "Lin'er, you can see for yourself—we have no choice right now. If we don’t agree to their terms, we’ll both die here. Don’t worry, as soon as Ye Li obtains the Underworld Flower, she will naturally release you."

Shu Manlin hesitated. "Are we really giving them the Underworld Flower?"

Tan Jizhi replied gently, "No matter how precious the Underworld Flower is, it’s still just an object—how could it compare to you? As long as we’re alive, we’ll have another chance. Don’t you agree?"

Shu Manlin was well aware that they had no other choice. Even if she refused to stay in the northwest, who would listen to her opinion? Though Tan Jizhi’s words were sweet, she understood that he wouldn’t abandon her. Since there was no alternative, she had to deepen his guilt toward her. With tears in her eyes, she nodded. "I understand, Jizhi. I’ll stay in the northwest. You must be careful too."

Tan Jizhi’s gaze softened even more. "Lin'er, thank you. I will never betray you."

Shu Manlin nodded. "We’ve known each other for so many years—of course I trust you. Jizhi, I’ll wait for you."

Though they were in a gloomy prison cell, the way they looked at each other was filled with deep emotion and tenderness, lending the place an unexpected warmth. Yet what truly lay behind that emotion and tenderness—what schemes and calculations—was something no outsider could discern.

Author’s Note:

Well, I’ll be going out tomorrow. If I return late and the update is delayed, please forgive me. I’ll try to update at the usual time, but even if it’s late, it shouldn’t be by much… It’s so hot lately—everyone, take care to avoid heatstroke!