Mo Li

Upon returning to the residence, Ye Li found herself both amused and exasperated as she cuddled the pitiful little bun (Mo Xiaobao) and pleaded with Mo Xiuyao on his behalf. While it was true that Mo Xiaobao missed his mother dearly, he was far from being so lovesick that he couldn’t function. In fact, over the past few months, freed from Mo Xiuyao’s strict supervision and doted upon by Mr. Qingyun—who treated this great-grandson with far more indulgence than the stern discipline he imposed on Xu Qingchen and his brothers—Mo Xiaobao had run wild like an unbridled colt, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Alas, his joy had led to carelessness, and he completely forgot about the assignments Mo Xiuyao had left for him the night before, which were supposedly to be checked upon his return.

This time, Mo Xiuyao hadn’t deliberately made things difficult for Mo Xiaobao—the tasks assigned were well within his capabilities. The problem, however, lay in Mo Xiaobao’s excessive cleverness. Clever people tend to have a few more tricks up their sleeves than others. So, he procrastinated until the sudden realization that his father was about to return, by which point he had completed less than a third of his work.

"Alright, you’ll have ten days to make up for the assignments your father gave you. Understood?" Ye Li gently ruffled the little one’s drooping head. Truthfully, she didn’t think assigning too much work to a child Mo Xiaobao’s age was beneficial, but since the tasks had already been given, they had to be completed. She didn’t want him developing a habit of cutting corners or relying on luck.

Mo Xiaobao, knowing he was in the wrong, peeked up at Ye Li cautiously and said in a soft voice, "Mother, I know I was wrong."

Ye Li smiled and nodded. "Acknowledging your mistakes and correcting them makes you a good child."

"Then… can I delay going to stay with Grand Tutor for a few days?" Mo Xiaobao fidgeted.

Ye Li couldn’t help but chuckle. "Fine. We’ll visit Grand Tutor tomorrow and tell him you’ll return to the academy in a few days. But you mustn’t do this again. When you study with Grand Tutor, you must learn the importance of perseverance. You can’t neglect your studies for other things, understand?"

Mo Xiaobao nodded obediently. Meanwhile, Mo Xiuyao sat nearby, watching him with a faintly mocking smile. "If you don’t understand, you won’t be studying with Grand Tutor anymore. How about I ask your great-uncle to teach you instead?"

Mo Xiaobao’s face fell instantly. Compared to the refined and elegant but slightly intimidating great-uncle, he much preferred the kind and gentle Grand Tutor.

Ye Li sighed helplessly at the father and son duo, whose mutual irritation was palpable even from a distance. "Xiu Yao, your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. Rest for today, and we’ll discuss anything else tomorrow."

Mo Xiuyao’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded.

Mo Xiaobao’s eyes lit up, and he blinked up at Ye Li with big, hopeful eyes. "Mother, Xiao Bao wants to sleep with you tonight!"

Before Ye Li could respond, Mo Xiuyao unceremoniously plucked Mo Xiaobao up and deposited him on his own lap. Glancing down at the boy, he said, "Kid, you’re almost six years old. Do you really want to be laughed at for still sleeping with A Li?"

Mo Xiaobao pouted and argued back, "Father, you’re over thirty! Why do you still get to sleep with Mother?!"

"Pfft—" Ye Li couldn’t hold back her laughter. When both pairs of eyes turned to her, she quickly waved her hands. "Never mind… I still have some work to do in the study. You two can… discuss this further."

With that, she fled under their combined glares."I want to sleep with Mom," Mo Xiaobao declared firmly.

"A Li is my wife. If you want company, go find your own wife," Mo Xiuyao retorted.

"Mom is my mother. Go find your own mother," Mo Xiaobao glared with wide eyes.

Mo Xiuyao's lips twitched, his expression turning fierce. "Only wives can sleep together. Only cowardly, useless little brats sleep with their mothers."

Mo Xiaobao frowned in confusion. "Where's my wife then?"

Mo Xiuyao remained composed, replying calmly, "You can find one yourself when you grow up."

Outside the door, Ye Li listened to their absurd conversation, her face darkening as she turned and walked away.

As soon as Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao returned to Li Cheng, they were immediately swamped with piles of political affairs. Although Xu Hongyu had been overseeing matters in their absence, many issues still required Mo Xiuyao's personal attention. Foremost among them were the large volumes of intelligence on Ren Qining sent from Da Chu, as well as the military exercises that had been planned even before Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao left Li Cheng.

In the study, Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow at the thick stacks of documents before him. The efficiency of Prince Ding's Estate's intelligence network was commendable—within less than a month, all manner of information on Ren Qining had been delivered to the estate's study. After reviewing the reports, even Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but marvel at how deeply Ren Qining had concealed himself. Ren Qining appeared to be a young man in his twenties, but in reality, he was the same age as Tan Jizhi—already thirty-seven or thirty-eight. While this age might not be considered young for an ordinary person, for someone with ambitions to dominate the world, he was still remarkably youthful. At the age of twelve, Ren Qining had arrived at a tribe in Northern Jin and, over the next two decades, never once set foot in the Central Plains. During these twenty years, he gradually established himself in the northern regions, step by step subduing the various tribes of Northern Jin and effectively unifying the entire northern frontier. Without even Prince Ding's Estate noticing, he quietly expanded the northern territories into a formidable force with over a hundred thousand elite soldiers. To put it bluntly, even if Ren Qining failed to restore his kingdom, his current strength was more than enough for him to declare himself king in the northern regions. In this light, Tan Jizhi, who had been making a spectacle of himself between Da Chu and Nanzhao, seemed more like a smokescreen Ren Qining had placed in plain sight—though it was unclear whether this was intentional or not.

"Leng Haoyu just sent word. Mo Jingqi is preparing to deploy troops to the northern frontier," Xu Hongyu remarked calmly.

"Deploy troops to the northern frontier?" Mo Xiuyao frowned and turned to the generals seated nearby, including Lyu Jinxian. "Can the Chu army stand against the northern forces?"

Lyu Jinxian pondered for a moment before answering, "In terms of national and military strength, the Chu army has no reason to lose to the northern forces. However, in recent years, the northern regions have been plagued by internal strife, with constant warfare among the tribes. Though the northern army numbers only a hundred thousand, they are all battle-hardened veterans. Meanwhile, despite Da Chu having fought a war a few years ago, their performance was... concerning, to say the least."Feng Zhiyao sneered, "What's the point of Wang Ye worrying about whether he can achieve a great victory? Even if you were willing to send troops now to help him pacify Northern Jin, he wouldn’t dare let the Mo Family Army pass through the border. Right now, he’s still deploying the majority of his forces to guard the Flying Goose Pass line." Mo Xiuyao, unusually good-natured, smiled and said, "I’m just concerned that Mo Jingqi is too incompetent. If the Northern army really manages to march straight in, it wouldn’t be good for us either." If he were truly worried about the safety of Great Chu, he wouldn’t have deliberately provoked Mo Jingqi back in Ancheng. He could only hope that the generals under Mo Jingqi wouldn’t disappoint him too much.

Xu Qingchen mused thoughtfully, "If nothing unexpected happens, within three months at most, conflicts will break out on both the northern and southern fronts. What are Wang Ye’s plans?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled, "Plans? Aren’t we supposed to be preparing for military exercises? Western Liang and Nanzhao will fight, Great Chu and the Northern territories will fight—so we’ll just play by ourselves." Everyone was speechless. Playing by themselves? Wang Ye, you truly have a unique temperament.

After discussing Ren Qining’s affairs, the conversation naturally shifted to the military exercises that had been in preparation for several months. Whether for civil officials like Xu Hongyu or military officers like Lyu Jinxian and Zhang Qilan, this was undoubtedly a very novel concept. In this era, wars broke out frequently, so many questioned the practical significance of such so-called exercises. Nevertheless, after months of preparation, everyone was somewhat looking forward to it. When Mo Xiuyao inquired, Zhang Qilan immediately replied, "Wang Ye, rest assured. Everything has been prepared according to your and Wang Fei’s instructions. The location has been set within a 300-li radius centered on Hongzhou." Mo Xiuyao nodded, "The area is large enough—good. Proceed as previously arranged."

"Then, Wang Ye… when will the exercises take place?" Lyu Jinxian asked.

Mo Xiuyao lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at him sideways. "Will the enemy tell you when they’ll launch a sneak attack? Just keep preparing."

"Yes, this subordinate obeys."

"Wang Fei, Princess Changle has arrived." Ye Li was reviewing documents in the small study when Zhuo Jing entered to report. Ye Li was slightly surprised. She had just returned and had a mountain of tasks to handle—truthfully, she had nearly forgotten about Princess Changle. Setting down her brush, she said, "Please invite her in."

Shortly after, Princess Changle stepped into the study. Two months had passed, and the once lively young princess seemed to have grown thinner, as if she had matured considerably. Yet the brightness in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by a trace of sorrow.

"Greetings to Princess Ding." Princess Changle curtsied. Ye Li stepped forward and took her hand, examining her closely before saying, "You’ve lost weight, Princess. Have the servants not been taking good care of you?" Princess Changle quickly shook her head. "Wang Fei, you flatter me. The people of the estate have treated Wuyou very well." After returning to Li Cheng with Feng Zhiyao and the others, Princess Changle had abandoned her royal title and adopted the pet name given by the Empress. Thus, apart from Feng Zhiyao, Zhuo Jing, and a few others who had accompanied her to Nanzhao, the rest of Prince Ding’s household addressed her as Miss Wuyou, and even the surname Mo was no longer mentioned.Looking at Princess Changle, who seemed to have grown up so much all of a sudden, Ye Li sighed inwardly with some helplessness. She pulled the princess aside to sit down and said, "As long as you haven’t suffered any grievances, that’s what matters. If there’s anything the servants haven’t handled well, you can always tell me, or speak to Head Steward Mo or Zhuo Jing. Never let yourself be wronged, understand?"

Princess Changle’s eyes reddened slightly as she gazed at Ye Li gratefully. "Everyone has been so kind to me—how could I possibly suffer any grievances? Today, I came to bid farewell to Wang Fei. I... I want to move out and live on my own."

Ye Li was taken aback and frowned slightly. "Why is that?"

Princess Changle replied, "I know everyone has been very good to me, but Wuyou is, after all, an outsider. Prince Ding’s Estate isn’t like other places, and living outside would give me more freedom."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Do you mean Xiu Yao and I would restrict your freedom here in the estate?"

"No... that’s not what I meant..." Princess Changle floundered, seemingly at a loss for how to explain herself.

Truthfully, Ye Li understood her perfectly. No matter how much she and Mo Xiuyao trusted Princess Changle, the girl was still Mo Jingqi’s biological daughter. Living in the estate inevitably meant she had to tread carefully at every step. Moreover, while few in the city recognized Princess Changle, there were still some who did. If word got out that she was staying in Prince Ding’s Estate, it could lead to complications in the future. Yet, seeing this child of only thirteen or fourteen worrying over such matters pained Ye Li’s heart.

Perhaps sensing Ye Li’s thoughts, Princess Changle brightened with a clear smile and took her hand. "Princess Ding, I know you mean well for me. But I’ve grown up now. Without my mother and grandfather, I must learn to be an adult so they can rest assured, right? Besides, I’m not entirely without resources. My mother left me enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of my life, and when they departed, they also left two trusted Hua family retainers to look after me. And besides, as long as I’m in the northwest, Princess Ding surely won’t let anyone bully me, will you?"

Ye Li chuckled and reached out to tousle the girl’s hair. "You really have grown up. But as a young woman, what plans do you have for the future?"

Princess Changle tilted her head in thought before looking at Ye Li with determination. "I want to study medicine. I know the northwest isn’t as restrictive toward women as Great Chu. Once I’ve learned enough, perhaps I can open a clinic and treat patients."

Ye Li smiled at her and raised a brow. "Then who will you learn from? How will you find a teacher? You must know that few physicians nowadays take young women as apprentices. Medicine isn’t something you can master just by reading a few books on your own."

Princess Changle answered earnestly, "I could disguise myself as a boy and apprentice at a clinic. Or... I could hire a skilled physician to teach me. My mother said that if you truly want to learn, there’s always a way. Besides, I’m not completely ignorant—I’ve memorized the Herbal Compendium and recognize many medicinal herbs. That should make me a more acceptable apprentice than someone who knows nothing at all, right?"

Seeing the girl’s genuine resolve, Ye Li grinned and whispered conspiratorially, "Since you’re so sincere, I’ll let you in on a secret."

Princess Changle blinked at her curiously.

Ye Li lowered her voice. "Prince Ding’s Estate happens to have two divine physicians.""Oh? Is it the renowned Doctor Shen who cured Prince Ding? But I haven't seen him around for so long." Princess Changle's eyes lit up before showing confusion. Ye Li smiled, "Mr. Shen and Doctor Lin found the estate too dull, so they moved to the city to open a clinic. If you can get them to teach you, you won't need to worry about mastering medicine." Though unfamiliar with Doctor Lin, Princess Changle knew Shen Yang's reputation was widespread. Hearing this, she nodded decisively, "Thank you, Princess Ding. I know what to do now."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Shen and Doctor Lin might not necessarily accept you."

Princess Changle said firmly, "I'll do everything to convince Doctor Shen to take me as his student!" Ye Li didn't press further, sighing as she patted the princess's hand. "Since you've made up your mind, I won't say more. I'll have someone arrange suitable lodgings near the estate—please don't refuse. It'll be more convenient with the estate handling matters in Li Cheng." The princess's clear eyes reddened slightly as she smiled gratefully, "Then I must thank Princess Ding."

After their conversation, Princess Changle took her leave. Once she departed, Ye Li pondered briefly before summoning Zhuo Jing. "How has Third Master Feng been treating Princess Changle recently?" Zhuo Jing paused, though puzzled by the question, he answered truthfully, "Nothing particularly noteworthy. The princess stays in the guest quarters and rarely sees Third Master Feng." Ye Li frowned slightly. "And during their journey back?" Zhuo Jing replied, "On the road... Third Master Feng seemed reluctant to approach her. Once, when we camped in the wilderness after missing a town, Lin Han asked him to deliver food to the princess, but he ended up handing it to me instead. Though, he never behaved improperly toward her." Ye Li nodded. "Understood. Have Feng San come see me when he's free."

"Your subordinate Feng Zhiyao requests an audience with Wang Fei." Within half an hour, Feng Zhiyao stood outside Ye Li's study.

"Enter."

Hearing her permission, Feng stepped inside with a grin. "Wang Fei summons me so soon after returning—what an honor. How may I serve?"

Ignoring his playful manner, Ye Li set down her documents and sipped her tea before speaking calmly. "Princess Changle wishes to move out of the estate." Before Feng could respond, she added, "I've agreed."

Frowning disapprovingly, Feng said, "Why? Wang Fei, she's just a child. How will she manage alone?" Ye Li smiled faintly. "A child? She's fourteen. Though Prince Ding's Estate and the Chu imperial family share ancestry, we're well beyond the five degrees of mourning. With no blood relation, how can an unmarried girl remain here indefinitely?"Feng Zhiyao stared fixedly at Ye Li, clearly unconvinced by her reasoning. Ye Li didn’t mind and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Fine, the truth is, I noticed that Third Master Feng seems to have some issues with Princess Changle. Since that’s the case, and given that Princess Changle is just an insignificant young girl while you are Wang Ye’s trusted confidant, naturally, I’d prioritize your feelings." Feng Zhiyao’s expression darkened. "When did I ever have issues with Princess Changle…" Meeting Ye Li’s teasing gaze, he could only silently rub his nose and mutter, "But Wang Fei didn’t have to make her move out. She’s still just a child."

"I already told you—she chose to leave on her own. A girl living under someone else’s roof is bound to be sensitive inside. You’ve been giving her mixed signals the entire journey—can you blame her for feeling uncomfortable in the palace? You know she’s just a child, so whatever grudges adults hold shouldn’t involve her. And it’s not just you—I suspect anyone in the palace who knows her identity harbors some resentment toward her." Though no one would be outright rude, a girl’s intuition is sharp—how could she not notice the way people treated her? No wonder Princess Changle came to bid farewell the very next day after her return. Yet, no one could truly be blamed for this. After all, her father was Mo Jingqi. Everyone knows it’s wrong to take out anger on the innocent, but how many can actually uphold that principle?

"I know I was wrong in this matter. Wang Fei, please let her stay," Feng Zhiyao said.

Ye Li shook her head. "Princess Changle has already decided to seek a master to study medicine. Living outside will be more convenient for her. The reason I called you here was to ask you to find her a suitable residence and look after her when needed. The palace is crowded and complicated—even if we give orders, there’s no guarantee she won’t face mistreatment." Feng Zhiyao fell silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Understood. Wang Fei need not worry—I’ll handle it."