Mo Li

That evening, back in her room, Ye Li was still frowning over the matter of Princess Changle. Although Ye Li saw the princess as still a child, she had in fact already grown up. Despite her occasional provocations toward Consort Liu, she clearly understood what should and shouldn't be said. Thus, when Ye Li questioned her, she merely brushed it off with a casual excuse. Ye Li understood that despite being a princess, she wasn’t truly free, so she didn’t press further.

"What’s on your mind, A Li?" Mo Xiuyao asked softly, resting his hands on her shoulders from behind. Ye Li turned to glance at him and smiled faintly. "Nothing much… I was just thinking about Princess Changle." It was rather unusual for the mighty Chu to send both an imperial concubine and a princess all the way to Nanzhao just for the wedding of a Southern Zhao princess. Of course, Consort Liu’s presence was even more irregular than Princess Changle’s, but Ye Li was concerned about the princess and had no thoughts to spare for Consort Liu.

Mo Xiuyao sat down beside Ye Li, pouring tea for both of them as he asked, "What about Changle?"

Ye Li said, "Don’t you think it’s strange that Mo Jingqi didn’t come himself for Princess Anxi’s wedding, yet sent a concubine and a princess instead?" While it was somewhat reasonable for a princess to serve as an envoy to another country, sending an imperial concubine alone was particularly bizarre.

Mo Xiuyao set his teacup down on the table and looked at Ye Li. "Mo Jingqi… probably wants a political marriage."

"Political marriage?" Ye Li was momentarily stunned, struggling to process it. "Who? With whom?" Mo Xiuyao watched her calmly without answering, and she quickly pieced it together herself. Frowning, she said, "You mean Princess Changle?! But Nanzhao has no princes—there aren’t even any prominent nobles worth marrying the Chu’s eldest legitimate princess to."

The King of Nanzhao had no sons, nor even any surviving brothers or nephews. That was why Princess Anxi had become the crown princess and the next Queen of Nanzhao. So, who exactly was the princess supposed to marry? Mo Xiuyao replied coolly, "Nanzhao may have no princes, but it still has a king."

"You mean…" Ye Li fell silent, finally understanding why Princess Changle had looked so despondent when questioned.

Though she had never met the King of Nanzhao during her time there, Princess Anxi was already twenty-five or twenty-six years old. The king had likely been around twenty when Anxi was born, meaning he was now approaching fifty. If this were true, compared to Princess Changle’s situation, Princess Ronghua—who had married the Northern Rong crown prince—could be considered fortunate.

There was another point: if two nations genuinely intended a political marriage, they should first exchange diplomatic letters, negotiate through their respective courts, and arrange the wedding before sending an envoy to escort the bride. But now, Mo Jingqi was essentially sending Princess Changle directly to Nanzhao as a gift to the king. Even if they eventually married, the Nanzhao people would have little respect for her.

What on earth was Mo Jingqi thinking?"Mo Jingli has covert connections with the Holy Maiden of Southern Border and several tribes from the region. Princess Anxi has always maintained friendly relations with us due to Qingchen Gongzi. Now that Chu faces internal strife and external threats, Mo Jingqi likely seeks an alliance with the King of Nanzhao," Mo Xiuyao stated calmly.

"An alliance?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Mo Xiuyao smiled, pulling her into his embrace as he rested his chin atop her head. "The current King of Nanzhao is ambitious but incompetent. Years ago, he rashly invaded Chu and was beaten back by me, nearly destroying his own kingdom. In contrast, Princess Anxi demonstrated exceptional political acumen from childhood. By fourteen, she was assisting the king in governing Nanzhao. Without her efforts, Nanzhao wouldn't have recovered so quickly after the war. As for the Holy Maiden... while not politically gifted, her cunning methods and the forces behind her are formidable. The king initially used the Holy Maiden to counterbalance Princess Anxi, but in recent years their conflict has intensified, leaving the king caught between them."

Ye Li understood—this was a power struggle between an incapable father and his two formidable daughters. She nodded. "I see. Though the King of Nanzhao lacks ability, his position alone allows him to contend with Princess Anxi and Shu Manlin. Given that both women have powerful backers, he seeks an alliance with Mo Jingqi? Speaking of which... shouldn't Shu Manlin have retired from her position as Holy Maiden by now and retreated to that Southern Border Sacred Ground?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Rules are made by people." Naturally, they could also be broken. At present, Shu Manlin remained comfortably in her role, enjoying even greater freedom and authority than before.

Ye Li sighed helplessly. Ultimately, this was a power game between Mo Jingqi and the King of Nanzhao, with the innocent Princess Changle as the sole victim.

Mo Xiuyao tightened his arms around Ye Li, pulling her closer. Gently patting her hand, he murmured, "Does A Li feel sympathy?"

Ye Li sighed. "Princess Changle is still a child." Mo Xiuyao countered, "There are no children in royalty. She knows what she must do." Frowning, Ye Li turned to face him. "She asked me for a dagger." After a moment's thought, Mo Xiuyao said, "Give it to her."

Ye Li nodded and leaned back into his embrace. She couldn't save Princess Changle—if it were just the girl herself, she could have arranged for her to be taken away and hidden. But the princess was entangled with the Hua family, the Chu imperial house, the Empress, and countless others whose fates Ye Li couldn't control. Since she couldn't save her... she would at least give her what she wanted.

"Xiu Yao," Ye Li whispered, nestled against him, "I don't want our child to be married off for political alliances in the future."Mo Xiuyao gently stroked her hair, his eyes filled with a faint warmth. "Our son doesn't need to rely on marriage alliances for anything." Hearing this, Ye Li couldn't help but smile in relief. Yes, their son didn't need to sacrifice his marriage for any benefit. At this moment, Ye Li felt immensely grateful that Mo Jingqi had once betrothed her to Mo Xiuyao—not just for herself, but also for their child. "Xiu Yao, have I ever told you that meeting you is the happiest thing in my life?"

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head to gaze into her clear, beautiful eyes, his own brimming with intense emotion. He kissed her fragrant lips tenderly. "No, you haven't. From now on, you must say it every day."

The next day, not only did Mo Xiuyao and his party remain in Yonglin, but Prime Minister Liu and his group also stayed. When they coincidentally met again at the city's finest restaurant, Ye Li arched her delicate brows slightly. Her eyes swept past Consort Liu, who stood beside Princess Changle, as she lightly hooked her arm with Mo Xiuyao's and smiled. "Has the Imperial Concubine and the Princess also come out for a stroll? Why isn't Prime Minister Liu accompanying you?"

Consort Liu silently observed the two standing side by side—Ye Li naturally holding Mo Xiuyao's arm, while Mo Xiuyao showed no sign of resistance, his gaze when looking at Ye Li filled with a tenderness never seen when he regarded others. Her eyes darkened as she replied coolly, "My father is unwell. Thank you for your concern, Miss Ye."

Ye Li had naturally heard about how Prime Minister Liu had been so thoroughly humiliated the previous day that he fainted on the spot. When it came to verbally dismantling others in Prince Ding's Estate, aside from Feng Zhiyao, Zhuo Jing was the most adept. Feng Zhiyao employed open, unrestrained verbal attacks paired with disdainful expressions, while Zhuo Jing, though maintaining the stoic demeanor of a shadow guard, was anything but emotionless inside. His tendency to hold grudges went without saying, and his occasional venomous remarks could easily devastate others. With Prime Minister Liu provoking both of them—and Mo Xiuyao, their irresponsible master who never restrained his subordinates—feigning unconsciousness was the only way he could exit the scene. Rather than being truly unwell, it was more accurate to say he was too ashamed to show his face.

"Is that so?" Ye Li had little interest in Prime Minister Liu's condition, so she merely nodded with a smile. "Then I wish him a speedy recovery. My husband and I still need to dine, so we won't disturb the Imperial Concubine and the Princess any further. Changle... I've prepared the gift you wanted. Shall I have it delivered to you later?" This Consort Liu was even making an issue out of titles—did she think addressing her as "Miss Ye" would strip her of her status as Princess Ding? Princess Changle smiled brightly. "Thank you, Wang Fei."

"Since neither of you have eaten yet, why not join us?" Consort Liu took a step forward, her gaze fixed intently on Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao ignored her completely, while Princess Changle frowned slightly. Though there were no outsiders present at the moment, they were still in public. Her father's beloved consort was being far too indiscreet. "Consort Liu, Uncle Ding and Wang Fei are dining together. What business do we outsiders have interfering? If you're not hungry, let's return to the inn."At this moment, Princess Changle finally understood why Consort Liu, who usually treated her like air, had dragged her out for a meal. She had even claimed to be worried that the food at the inn wouldn’t suit her taste—yet throughout their journey, she had never once shown concern for her meals. If it weren’t for the fact that Princess Changle didn’t want to stay bored in the inn, who would have gone out to eat with her? Staring at that face that pretended to be pure and untouchable would only ruin her appetite! And now, Consort Liu had dragged her here to "coincidentally" run into Prince Ding and Princess Ding. If they were in the palace instead of outside, Princess Changle would have already scolded her mercilessly for her shamelessness! She had heard before that Consort Liu admired Prince Ding, but she had never seen her so brazenly insist on disturbing a couple’s meal.

Consort Liu, however, had no intention of heeding Princess Changle’s advice. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Mo Xiuyao and said, "We are old acquaintances, aren’t we? Surely you won’t refuse to share a meal with us?"

Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly. Just as Consort Liu thought he was relenting and a faint smile began to form on her face, he finally looked up and said coldly, "This prince is not familiar with you." The smile on Consort Liu’s face froze before it could fully bloom. Truthfully, Mo Xiuyao and Consort Liu really weren’t close. In his youth, he had already been betrothed and thus paid no attention to other women. Even without the betrothal, he would never have been interested in the daughter of a family at odds with his father and brother. After Su Zuidie left, he had secluded himself due to illness and injuries, while Consort Liu had already entered the imperial palace. By the time he married Ye Li, no other woman existed in his eyes. So, indeed, he was not familiar with her.

Consort Liu was clearly wounded by his words. Her beautiful face instantly turned deathly pale as she gritted her teeth and said, "Am I truly so unworthy in your eyes?"

Ye Li frowned and tugged at Mo Xiuyao’s sleeve. "I’m hungry. Let’s go in and eat first. Why don’t you both join us?" It wasn’t that Ye Li felt pity and wanted to invite them—rather, though the spot where they stood was relatively empty, it was still a bustling restaurant. Consort Liu might not care about her reputation, but Ye Li didn’t want rumors about her husband and other women spreading. Mo Xiuyao nodded and led Ye Li into the private room they had reserved nearby. As they passed Consort Liu, she hissed under her breath, "I don’t need your fake kindness!" Ye Li paused and turned back, looking at her with a mocking smile. "Then are you coming or not?" Consort Liu’s pale face flushed pink, and after a moment of hesitation, she finally followed them inside.

Mo Xiuyao had never been one for hospitality. This wasn’t entirely his fault—since childhood, wherever he went, others had always been the ones eagerly hosting him. The number of people he had personally entertained could be counted on one hand. So by the time Consort Liu and Princess Changle entered the room a few steps behind, Mo Xiuyao had already dismissed the waiter waiting to take their orders. Unsurprisingly, the dishes he had chosen were all his and Ye Li’s favorites. However, because Ye Li was familiar with Hua Tianxiang and thus knew Princess Changle’s preferences, she added a few dishes that the princess liked.So when the dishes were served, Imperial Concubine Liu's expression grew even more unpleasant. Ye Li watched the gloomy-faced Consort Liu across the table who only picked at a few greens and felt puzzled. Even if the dishes weren't entirely to her liking, surely the restaurant's food couldn't be that bad? Just as Ye Li was wondering, Mo Xiuyao had already placed some of her favorite dishes in her bowl, saying softly, "The chef here is quite skilled. Try some..."

Ye Li took a bite and found it indeed quite tasty. Though it couldn't compare to Prince Ding's Estate's dedicated chefs or the master cooks of Ningxiang Pavilion, it was certainly far better than her own cooking. Not being a picky eater, she could enjoy even her own simple home-cooked meals, let alone food of this quality. She picked up a piece of well-seasoned chicken for Mo Xiuyao and said, "Try this, it's delicious." Mo Xiuyao's expression immediately softened further. Though he frowned at the chicken, he still lowered his head and ate the entire piece. Watching him eat so earnestly, Ye Li smiled faintly and occasionally served him more dishes. Due to his decade-long injuries, Mo Xiuyao had developed a preference for light vegetarian fare and disliked meat. But Ye Li believed that while vegetables were necessary, a balanced diet was essential. So she would often serve him some meat. Fortunately, though Mo Xiuyao didn't care for it, he would silently finish whatever Ye Li gave him. Over the years, this developed into a habit where Ye Li would serve him during their private meals. Once, when Ye Li was distracted during a meal and forgot to serve him, she later discovered Mo Xiuyao had already eaten half a bowl of plain rice, leaving her both amused and exasperated by his childishness.

"Uncle Prince Ding and Wang Fei are so close," Princess Changle remarked with evident envy as she observed the couple. Though she'd seen many affectionate couples putting on displays of devotion, she found this scene particularly heartwarming and enviable. In the palace, her father the Emperor had every dish tested repeatedly for poison, with eunuchs and maids sampling them before he would eat. Under such circumstances, which consort or child would dare serve him food? In Changle's memory, her mother the Empress and the Emperor had always dined separately.

Ye Li glanced at her and retorted, "What does a little girl like you know about relationships? Your Uncle Prince Ding is terribly hard to please."

"Miss Ye, you know full well His Highness dislikes those foods. Why deliberately serve them to him?" Imperial Concubine Liu suddenly interjected, her face dark. Under everyone's gaze, she placed some stir-fried bamboo shoots in Mo Xiuyao's bowl, smiling faintly, "I recall His Highness particularly enjoys bamboo shoots." The room fell silent instantly, the atmosphere growing tense. Mo Xiuyao had just set down his chopsticks and was drinking the mushroom and ginseng soup Ye Li had served him when he saw Imperial Concubine Liu's action. His expression darkened immediately. Setting aside the half-finished soup, he suddenly hurled the bowl straight at Imperial Concubine Liu.Consort Liu was no delicate flower either. The moment she saw the soup bowl flying toward her, she swiftly dodged to the side. Unfortunately, the table wasn’t large to begin with, and the distance between them was short. Though she managed to avoid most of it, half her shoulder was still splashed with chicken broth. The exquisite white porcelain bowl shattered with a loud crash against the wall behind her.

"Prince Ding, you—!" Consort Liu never imagined Mo Xiuyao would treat her so directly and harshly. Her face turned deathly pale, and for a moment, she was speechless.

Ye Li felt not an ounce of sympathy seeing Consort Liu’s humiliated expression. If not for maintaining some semblance of propriety, she would have outright cursed: Have you no shame?!

The act of serving food to someone—whether in this era or even in her past life—was something only done between those who were intimate or on very good terms. As for Consort Liu, Ye Li truly couldn’t fathom what was going through her mind.

"Get out," Mo Xiuyao said coldly, his gaze fixed on Consort Liu.

"You…" Consort Liu bit her lip in mortification, staring at him.

Mo Xiuyao remained unmoved. This time, his command was even more succinct. "Out!"

In the end, she was still a woman. Faced with such heartless treatment, Consort Liu finally rose and rushed out of the room. Mo Xiuyao looked at the bamboo shoots in his bowl with disgust and pushed it aside. Silently, Ye Li placed the untouched bowl of chicken broth from her own side in front of him and said softly, "Have a little more." Only then did Mo Xiuyao pick up the bowl and slowly take a few sips, his tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxing.

Ye Li then took an unused bowl from the side, filled it with rice for him, and only then picked up her own chopsticks to continue eating.

Princess Changle watched the two with an amused smile. "Of course, I know how well Uncle Ding and Wang Fei get along. Even if Wang Fei serves Uncle Ding something he dislikes, he’ll eat it all without complaint. But if someone else serves him his favorite dish, Uncle Ding will smash the bowl. Wang Fei, don’t you think I’m right?"

"Such a little know-it-all," Ye Li chuckled, pressing her lips together.