Mo Li

Su Zhe entered the study, and Mo Xiuyao rose to greet him as a sign of respect. Su Zhe waved his hand and said, "Prince Ding, Princess, this old man is intruding."

Only after inviting Su Zhe to sit did Mo Xiuyao take his seat with a smile. "Elder Su is being so polite—does this mean you’ve grown distant from Xiu Yao?" Su Zhe gazed at the young man and woman sitting side by side before him, his eyes lingering for a moment on Mo Xiuyao’s snow-white hair. He sighed and said, "Your Highness, treating your health with such disregard—how can the late Regent and Princess, as well as your elder brother, rest in peace?" Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, glancing down at the white hair draped over his chest. "Xiu Yao acknowledges his mistake. Thank you for your concern, Elder Su."

Su Zhe shook his head, then looked at Ye Li sitting beside him and nodded with a smile. "The Princess’s safe return is truly a blessing from the ancestors of Prince Ding’s Estate." Ye Li smiled softly and replied, "Elder Su is right. Ye Li’s safe return this time is indeed due to the ancestors’ protection."

Ye Li understood that Su Zhe held some dissatisfaction toward her, but she didn’t feel angered by it. She could sense that his displeasure wasn’t for his own sake but for Mo Xiuyao’s. He blamed Mo Xiuyao for turning his hair white overnight because of her. In the end, it was concern for his student, Mo Xiuyao, without any personal malice.

Mo Xiuyao reached out and took Ye Li’s hand, smiling at Su Zhe. "Elder Su is right. In another two months, A Li will give birth, and Prince Ding’s Estate will have an heir. Xiu Yao still hopes for Elder Su’s affection toward the child."Upon hearing Mo Xiuyao's words, Su Zhe's expression softened further. Having lost his sons and grandsons in old age, even his only granddaughter was gone. His fate had long been destined to be one of solitude, so when Mo Xiuyao mentioned children, the paternal affection in his heart surged uncontrollably. It was as if he could see a beautiful scene before him—a handsome and intelligent child, much like Mo Xiuyao in his youth, frolicking at his knees. How could he still bear to give Ye Li a cold look? With a soft sigh, Su Zhe asked, "Your Highness has suffered these years, and we old men have been of little help. These past two years, it has been thanks to the Princess Consort's care." The emperor had been wary of old ministers like him, who had ties to Mo Liufang and Prince Ding's Estate, keeping a tight rein on them. Over the years, any interactions had to be conducted in secret, making it impossible to offer any substantial assistance.

Looking at the slender, white-haired man before him, whose demeanor was as sharp as a blade, Su Zhe felt a pang of sorrow. Even after all these years, he still vividly remembered Mo Xiuyao as a child—the second young master of the Ding Royal Palace, doted on by his father and protected by his elder brother. Back then, the young noble was radiant and dignified, galloping through the capital like a brilliant flame, brimming with youthful arrogance and pride. As he grew older, he led armies into battle, invincible wherever he went, earning the title of the Young God of War before he was even sixteen. Every time he returned victorious, countless noble ladies would jostle for a mere glimpse of the young war god's profile—truly the dream of many a maiden's heart.

In those days, Mo Xiuyao had been so spirited and peerless in grace that countless people could only gaze up at him, too awed to stand by his side. Yet now, though he was only in his mid-twenties, the fire and brilliance in his eyes had long vanished. The occasional flicker of flame in those calm eyes carried a chilling coldness, and his refined features, paired with his snow-white hair, sent a shiver down one's spine. If the young Mo Xiuyao had inspired admiration with his unparalleled grace, the man before him now resembled the icy snow atop a mountain peak, forcing others to halt in their tracks. That peerless youth, the future God of War of Chu... had ultimately been destroyed.

"Elder Su once taught and guided me, a kindness I will never forget," Mo Xiuyao said with a faint smile.

Shaking his head, Su Zhe pushed aside those memories and said solemnly, "Your Highness, do you know why the emperor has sent Prince De and Prince Yu here?"

After a moment of contemplation, Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly. "Though Prince Yu did not finish his words, I understood. Mo Jingqi wants me to return to the capital?"

Su Zhe nodded, looking at Mo Xiuyao gravely. "You must not go back!""Old Su..." Mo Xiuyao was somewhat surprised. Su Zhe was an upright man wholly devoted to the Chu State. Though he knew Su Zhe meant him no harm, hearing him speak words that would prevent his return to the capital still startled Mo Xiuyao. Su Zhe wearily closed his eyes, seeming to age years in that moment after uttering those words. Though he had long withdrawn from the core of court politics, Mo Jingqi's intentions were all too apparent. He understood exactly what outcome Mo Jingqi wanted from this mission. Even for the stability of Chu, he agreed that bringing Mo Xiuyao back to the capital might be a sound strategy—for who could say whether Mo Xiuyao's loyalties still lay with Chu? Yet he also knew that once Mo Xiuyao returned, he would not find the Ding Royal Palace of old awaiting him, nor mere house arrest, but certain death.

Personally, Mo Xiuyao was his student, a junior he'd watched grow from childhood. For the state, with powerful enemies encircling Chu, Mo Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army were the only ones capable of resisting them. Thus, he had no choice but to prevent Mo Xiuyao's return.

Opening his eyes, Su Zhe regarded Mo Xiuyao: "Since Your Highness already understands the situation, you must have made preparations. These words are my counsel, and also the will of Duke Hua. Before departing, the Duke asked me to relay a message." Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze. "Please speak, Elder Su." The study fell silent save for Su Zhe's voice echoing in the quiet room: "The Duke said—the Ding Royal Palace has served Chu loyally for generations, never failing the imperial family or the founding emperor. Now that only Your Highness remains of the Ding line, you must consider the fate of the estate and the hundreds of thousands under the Mo Family Army's banner. The Hua household has received imperial favor through two reigns, and we shall devote ourselves to Chu until our last breath. We only beg... that should Chu face calamity, Your Highness might remember our shared origins and protect its people from foreign slaughter."

Mo Xiuyao stiffened, raising his eyes to meet Su Zhe's. Duke Hua's words had all but declared the inevitable separation of the Mo Family Army from Chu. Truly the insight of a veteran who'd spent his life on battlefields—though withdrawn from court, Duke Hua perhaps saw clearest of all.

"What are Duke Hua's plans?" Mo Xiuyao asked gravely.

Su Zhe replied calmly, "With war raging across Chu, the Duke intends to petition the emperor for command of troops upon our return. The memorial likely already graces His Majesty's desk." Mo Xiuyao frowned. "Duke Hua is past seventy... the situation hasn't deteriorated enough to require his intervention." Ye Li gently squeezed Mo Xiuyao's hand, murmuring, "The emperor won't readily grant Duke Hua military command." Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly—Mo Jingqi guarded against these old generals fiercely, only relinquishing authority in direst need.

Su Zhe continued, "The emperor now... reverses proper governance, spurning wise counsel while fixating on schemes and intrigues. Chu..." He sighed deeply. "Your Highness is right to remain in the northwest. Returning to the capital would mean walking into a trap. Should the Mo general fall, Chu would perish..." Rising, he concluded, "This old man has said his piece. May Your Highnesses keep well. We depart for the capital in two days—who knows when we might meet again.""Elder Su, the Emperor sent you here to persuade His Highness to return to the capital. If you act this way... how will you explain yourself to the Emperor upon your return?" Ye Li asked softly.

Su Zhe turned to look at her and smiled faintly, "This old man is already seventy-three years old. As the saying goes, 'Few live to seventy since ancient times.' What more is there to explain?"

Ye Li frowned. Mo Jingqi was no benevolent ruler—he was ruthless and merciless. Even if Su Zhe wasn't executed upon his return, a mere punishment might be more than he could endure. Ye Li stood up, and Mo Xiuyao, sitting beside her, quickly supported her as she walked over to Su Zhe. She gave a slight bow and said, "The journey from the northwest to the capital is long and arduous, with high mountains and treacherous roads. Given your advanced age, Elder Su, why not recuperate here in the northwest and enjoy your remaining years in peace? Wouldn’t that be far better than returning to the capital?"

Su Zhe looked at Ye Li with a gentle smile. "Thank you for your concern, Princess. This old man was born in the capital, raised in the capital, and has spent nearly his entire life there. At this age, there’s nothing left to hold onto. I only wish to die at home and be buried in the capital. The northwest is a land you and His Highness have governed exceptionally well, but alas, it is not this old man’s home."

Mo Xiuyao’s brows furrowed slightly. After helping Ye Li sit back down, he turned to Su Zhe and asked, "Elder Su, don’t you wish to ask about her?"

Su Zhe froze. His wrinkled face darkened further, his muscles trembling uncontrollably. After a long pause, he finally asked in a low voice, "Is she... alive?"

Of course, he already knew Su Zuidie was alive. Before leaving the capital, the Emperor had informed him of this and even offered to send someone to rescue her. But Su Zhe understood all too well—why had Mo Xiuyao captured Zuidie? His granddaughter, who had supposedly died of illness nine years ago, was still alive. Just recalling the timing of her "death" and the circumstances back then, Su Zhe could piece everything together.

Back then, Mo Xiuyao had just been injured, and Prince Ding's Estate was in chaos with no one to take charge, relying solely on the Grand Princess to hold things together. He had sent Zuidie to the estate to tend to Mo Xiuyao’s injuries. Though they weren’t yet married, as his betrothed, it was only natural for her to care for him. Yet, the very next day, she fell ill and was sent back. At the time, he had assumed it was due to her delicate upbringing and the shock of the situation—but now he knew better.

Even so, if Xiu Yao had let her go back then, there was no reason for him to capture her again now. She must have done something to provoke his mercilessness.

Mo Xiuyao nodded solemnly. "She is currently in Prince Ding's Estate."

The study fell into silence once more. After a long while, Su Zhe asked, "What did she do?"

Mo Xiuyao hesitated briefly before rising and retrieving a dossier from the desk. It contained a detailed record of Su Zuidie’s activities over the past decade. Su Zhe took it with trembling, bony fingers, flipping through the thick pages rapidly. The further he read, the more his expression darkened.

Ye Li, leaning against the couch, watched Su Zhe’s face closely, her own expression filling with pity.

Finally, Su Zhe looked up from the dossier, his voice shaking. "Good! What a fine granddaughter I have—Su Zuidie! What a fine Bai Long! The Bai Clan of Western Liang... Imperial Concubine Qingrong, a spy for Zhennan Wang... Good! Truly, what an outstanding granddaughter Su Zhe has raised!""Old Master Su..." Seeing Su Zhe's face turn pale and then flush with anger, Ye Li furrowed her delicate brows in concern. She gestured to Zhuo Jing, who had been watching from the outer room, to fetch Shen Yang. Su Zhe waved his hand weakly and slumped back into his chair, staring at the trembling documents in his hand. Had his teachings gone so wrong? His granddaughter, whom he had always seen as obedient and gentle, had secretly done so many things behind his back. At just fifteen, she had befriended the orphaned descendant of the previous dynasty's royal family. After her fiancé was severely injured, she had persuaded Young Master Mingyue to help her fake her death and escape. In Western Liang, she had used the Bai family's status to become an Imperial Concubine, maneuvering between the Western Liang Emperor and Zhennan Wang, even reaching a point where she could threaten the Western Liang Empress... And then... sending assassins after her unmarried fiancée, Princess Ding—was this really his granddaughter? Su Zhe suddenly recalled how years ago, the current Emperor had privately expressed his desire to bring Su Zuidie into the palace as a concubine. At the time, he had firmly refused, citing her prior engagement. Even if she hadn’t been betrothed to Mo Xiuyao, he would never have agreed to let his granddaughter enter the palace. But who could have imagined that instead of becoming a consort of Great Chu, she would become an Imperial Concubine of Western Liang?

Finally, Su Zhe seemed to regain his composure. He stood up and said, "This old man is tired and will not disturb the Prince and Princess any longer. As for that disgrace..." He closed his eyes wearily, his lips twitching slightly. "Do with her as you see fit. The Su family has no such granddaughter!" Without another glance at Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li, he strode toward the door. Ye Li quickly signaled Lin Han to follow. Sure enough, just a few steps outside, Lin Han's alarmed voice rang out, "Lord Su! Lord Su!" Mo Xiuyao stepped outside to see Su Zhe collapsed on the ground, supported by Lin Han, a dark pool of blood staining the moonlight-bathed ground. Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze and said calmly, "Take Old Master Su back."

Behind him, Ye Li walked over and took his hand. The two watched as Lin Han and others escorted Su Zhe back to his quarters. Noting Mo Xiuyao's indifferent expression, Ye Li said softly, "Why must you be like this? Didn’t we agree that Su Zuidie’s matter would be left to me?" Mo Xiuyao remained silent, simply pulling her into his embrace. Despite being seven months pregnant, Ye Li still appeared slender and delicate. The two stood close, bathed in the serene moonlight, their hearts unusually calm.

In the Chu Palace

The window was half-open, silver moonlight spilling quietly over the garden outside, the air filled with a strange, delicate fragrance. Beneath the corner of the window, a white flower slowly unfurled its breathtaking beauty. Its snow-white petals, layered like a lotus yet more sacred and noble, resembled a fairy in white dancing alone under the moon. By the window, a stunning woman in white leaned lazily against the frame, letting the moonlight wash over her. Her indifferent gaze lingered absently on the night-blooming cereus outside.“Pure and flawless, blooming alone in the depths of night without competing with the myriad flowers. Isn’t this night-blooming cereus truly a peerless beauty in this world?” A man’s amused voice echoed in the room, carrying a hint of teasing in its laughter.

The woman in white didn’t even bother to turn her head, replying indifferently, “Without someone who cherishes it, what use is such peerless beauty?”

The man chuckled, “How could that be? Countless people stay up all night just to witness the fleeting bloom of this flower, yet many still fail to see it. ‘The cereus blooms once, only for Weituo’—what a flower that inspires both love and resentment.”

The woman in white—Consort Liu—sat up and turned her cold gaze toward the man in the hall. “What are you doing here? Mo Jingqi has people searching everywhere for you, yet you dare to sneak into the palace?!” The hall was pitch-black, devoid of candlelight, as a man leisurely stepped forward. The slanting moonlight cast upon him, adding an eerie aura to his presence. “I came, naturally, to share the gains from my trip outside the capital. One good news and one bad news—which would Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine like to hear first?”

Consort Liu regarded him with detachment, seemingly unmoved. The man sighed helplessly and said, “Not even interested in news about Mo Xiuyao?”

A faint flicker passed through her icy eyes as Consort Liu fixed a warning glare on the man who was deliberately being cryptic. Defeated, the man admitted, “Fine. The good news is that your nemesis, Su Zuidie, is now in Prince Ding’s hands—and has been tortured to the brink of death. It seems Prince Ding has indeed severed all ties with her. The bad news is… Princess Ding has returned alive to Ruyang City, and she’s seven months pregnant. In two more months, the heir to Prince Ding’s Estate will be born.”

“Ye Li is still alive?!” Consort Liu hissed. “You’ve seen Ye Li?”

The man nodded. “She fell into my hands. I originally planned to use her to threaten Mo Xiuyao, but…”

Whoosh—! A hidden weapon shot through the air, narrowly dodged by the man as he tilted his head. Consort Liu, standing by the window, rose to her feet, her face contorted with fury. “Tan Jizhi! You saw Ye Li—why didn’t you kill her on the spot?”

The man was none other than Tan Jizhi, who had vanished after leaving the northwest. He sighed, “If I had truly killed Ye Li, do you think I’d still be standing here alive?” Consort Liu shot him a look of disgust. “Don’t forget our deal. All I want is Ye Li dead—seems you’ve forgotten.” Tan Jizhi studied the cold, snow-like beauty before him, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. “How could I dare forget Your Majesty’s wish? But you can’t expect me to trade my life for Ye Li’s, can you? Rest assured, once our plans succeed, not only Ye Li but even Mo Xiuyao can be handed over to you for disposal.” Consort Liu replied icily, “That’s your business. Don’t drag me into your wretched schemes.”

Tan Jizhi spread his hands. “Fine, my business then. What has His Majesty been up to since I left the capital?”

Consort Liu’s voice was frosty. “Foolish as ever, only more so now.”

Tan Jizhi’s smile darkened. “His stupidity doesn’t matter. I heard he sent Prince De and Prince Yu to the northwest to coax Mo Xiuyao back to the capital? Whose idiotic idea was that? Does he think Mo Xiuyao is as brainless as he is?”

Consort Liu said calmly, “What if Mo Xiuyao refuses to return? Prince De and Prince Yu may never make it back either.”Tan Jizhi lowered his head in thought for a moment before smiling and saying, "So it was Imperial Concubine Liu's idea after all... Recalling Mo Xiuyao to the capital was just a pretense, while eliminating Prince De and Prince Yu was the real goal? However... I'm afraid Imperial Concubine Liu may be disappointed. Mo Xiuyao might not necessarily kill those two princes."

Consort Liu cast a cold glance his way. Tan Jizhi continued, "But since Imperial Concubine finds them displeasing, I will naturally do everything in my power to accomplish this for you."

"This has nothing to do with me," Consort Liu turned away, continuing to admire the epiphyllum before her.