Mo Li

"All ministers may rise. Attendant, announce the decree."

The court officials exchanged puzzled glances. To begin the court session by directly announcing a decree without any discussion meant the Emperor had no intention of consulting them—merely informing them of a decision already made. After a brief moment of surprise, someone quickly reacted, "We humbly receive Your Majesty's edict."

Once one had responded, the others could no longer voice objections. The entire assembly of ministers knelt in unison and declared respectfully, "We humbly receive Your Majesty's edict."

The eunuch beside Mo Jingqi unrolled the decree, but his hands trembled slightly. He hesitated for a moment before reciting, but before he could recover, the icy gaze of Mo Jingqi, seated upon the dragon throne, fell upon him. The eunuch shuddered inwardly and hurriedly raised his voice to proclaim:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: We, possessing meager virtue, have inherited the great foundation of our ancestors and have ruled for nineteen years. Since assuming personal governance, the path of honest counsel has been obstructed, while flattery and deceit have reached our ears daily. Sycophants have monopolized power, and corrupt officials have prospered. We, having trusted slanderous words, placed the Ding Royal Palace in peril and wronged loyal subjects... leaving Us with no words to face our ancestors in the afterlife..."

As the eunuch recited the lengthy decree, the expressions of those listening gradually darkened. This was no ordinary edict—it was an Edict of Self-Reproach. And what of the accusations of "sycophants monopolizing power" and "corrupt officials prospering"? If that were truly the case, then what did that make all of them present in this hall? When the decree later mentioned the matter concerning Prince Ding's Estate, everyone gasped in shock. The Emperor had openly admitted his involvement in the incident years ago and was now issuing an Edict of Self-Reproach to confess his wrongdoing. Though rumors had long spread throughout the land and the common people had whispered about it, there was a vast difference between mere gossip and the Emperor personally acknowledging it in an official decree.

By the time the eunuch finished reading, everyone exhaled deeply—only to hold their breaths again, realizing today's affairs were far from over.

Mo Jingqi had kept his eyes closed in repose until the eunuch finished reading and sought his instruction. Only then did he lift his gaze and say, "Issue it. Additionally, by Our decree: Restore Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao, to his title as King Ding, and Ye Li to her title as Princess of the State. Enfeoff Mo Yuchen, Heir Apparent Ding, as the heir of Prince Ding's Estate and grant him the title of Prince Xiang. Lift the seal on the Ding Royal Palace and return all its properties in the capital."

"As Your Majesty commands," the eunuch replied, his hands trembling slightly as he held the decree.

After a moment of thought, Mo Jingqi added, "Have the Sixth Prince deliver the decree."

"As Your Majesty commands. This servant takes his leave."

Watching the eunuch depart with the decree, the assembled officials finally realized the Emperor was not merely putting on a show for their benefit—he truly intended to make the Edict of Self-Reproach public. Moreover, he was not holding Prince Ding accountable for declaring independence from Chu years ago or for occupying the northwest with his own forces. If they still failed to grasp the Emperor's intentions now, they might as well have wasted their lives.

"Imperial Brother! This must not be allowed!" Mo Jingli stepped forward and declared loudly, inwardly regretting that he had not anticipated Mo Jingqi's move and failed to prevent it in advance. Now, before the entire court, even as Regent, he had no authority to recall the decree without Mo Jingqi's permission.

Mo Jingqi looked down at him from his elevated seat and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why not?"Mo Jingli said, "Once this edict is issued, it will greatly damage the dignity of our Great Chu imperial family. How will the people view the royal family and His Majesty? I implore Your Majesty to reconsider." A gleam of satisfaction flickered in Mo Jingqi's eyes as he replied, "No need for reconsideration. By issuing the Edict of Self-Reproach, I acknowledge the fault as mine alone. It has nothing to do with the imperial family or future heirs. Besides... I don't have many days left. By then, I believe the people will see my sincere remorse and regret."

"But..." Mo Jingli, unwilling to concede, attempted to argue further.

Mo Jingqi waved his hand dismissively. "No buts. The past mistakes were indeed mine. Now, I only hope that Prince Ding will assist my heir in stabilizing the foundation of Great Chu, considering my impending demise." These words made it clear to all present that the Emperor had absolutely no intention of passing the throne to Prince Li. In fact, recalling Prince Ding's Estate at this time was likely a move to counter Prince Li.

Ministers aligned with Prince Li's faction were visibly disappointed, yet Prime Minister Liu found little joy in the situation. Having served in court for decades as a veteran of two reigns, his political acumen surpassed most. The Emperor had specifically mentioned "imperial heir" rather than "Crown Prince"—a seemingly minor distinction that carried monumental implications. The Crown Prince might not necessarily be the heir, and an heir who wasn't the Crown Prince could still ascend the throne. Recalling yesterday's news of Consort Liu being denied an audience with the Emperor, the Prime Minister frowned deeply.

Observing the ministers' conflicted expressions and restrained words, Mo Jingqi allowed a faint, cold smile to touch his lips. Calmly, he declared, "Enough. We'll set this matter aside for now. Having been absent from court for some time, I wish to hear updates on the northern border conflict."

Though Mo Jingqi had been ill for months, his authority remained undiminished now that he could rise from bed. When the Emperor commanded a report, none dared refuse. Thus, the morning court session stretched over two hours until the ministers—their legs trembling from prolonged standing—finally exited the Hall of Diligent Governance, only to find the imperial decree had long since left the palace.

The moment court adjourned, Mo Jingli stormed out of the hall with a dark expression, his sleeves flaring in anger. Behind him, Prime Minister Liu also looked grim. Advanced in years and having stood for nearly three hours—while only retired elders had been granted seats—he staggered weakly upon exiting. Attendants rushed to support him. "Your Excellency, shall we return to the estate?"

Pushing away their assisting hands, the Prime Minister said gravely, "We shall visit Her Ladyship the Imperial Concubine and His Highness the Crown Prince." He needed to understand why the Emperor's stance had shifted so abruptly. And the Sixth Prince... what of the Sixth Prince?

At the inn...As it was late winter, the small courtyard still carried a sense of desolation and chill. The imperial eunuch delivering the decree, along with the nine-year-old Sixth Prince Mo Ruiyun, stood trembling in the courtyard. The eunuch held the bright yellow imperial edict with shaking hands, while Mo Ruiyun, standing before him, initially maintained some semblance of reverence. However, after standing for over a quarter of an hour without Prince Ding so much as glancing their way—instead lounging on a spacious couch while playfully teasing a young boy dressed in black—Mo Ruiyun, who had grown up spoiled and indulged by Mo Jingqi in the palace, gradually lost his patience.

"Hey! My imperial father sent me to deliver this decree, and you dare not receive it?" Mo Ruiyun snapped.

At these words, the eunuch behind him nearly collapsed in fright, his legs giving way as he dropped to his knees with a thud. He kowtowed repeatedly to Mo Xiuyao, pleading, "Wang Ye, spare us! Wang Ye, spare us!" Mo Ruiyun glanced back at the eunuch and scoffed disdainfully. So cowardly—and yet this was supposedly his father’s most trusted eunuch.

Unbeknownst to Mo Ruiyun, who had been deliberately raised to be arrogant and ignorant, even his own mother would likely have been trembling on her knees in fear if she were here.

His outburst, however, piqued Mo Xiuyao’s interest. The prince lifted his head and regarded him coolly. "So this is the one Mo Jingqi chose?" he remarked.

The eunuch dared not answer, his face twisted in distress. The Sixth Prince was hardly the emperor’s choice—more like the only option left. Spoiled rotten since childhood by the emperor, with a low-born mother who had no influence, the boy had been raised by palace attendants to be more naive than a child half his age.

Mo Ruiyun puffed out his chest proudly. "Indeed, I am the Sixth Prince. Now that you know, why do you not come forward and pay your respects?"

"Pfft—" Mo Xiaobao, sprawled across Mo Xiuyao’s lap, widened his eyes at the strange prince who seemed to have his nose perpetually in the air. Was he really not afraid of Father at all? Mo Xiuyao chuckled and patted the boy’s head. "What are you laughing at?" Mo Xiaobao blinked innocently. "Father, are you going to pay respects to the prince?"

"Your father doesn’t even pay respects to the emperor. Why would I bow to a prince?" Mo Xiuyao replied with a smirk.

Mo Xiaobao nestled comfortably against his father’s leg, basking in the sunlight. "Good. I don’t want to bow to any prince either." If even his father had to bow to this prince, wouldn’t that mean he’d have to bow to this silly-looking boy too? What a disgrace. Mo Xiuyao pinched his son’s cheek playfully. "If you don’t want to bow, it’s simple—just make sure others bow to you instead. Then you’ll never have to bow to anyone." Mo Xiaobao snorted dismissively. "Of course I have what it takes."

"Oh? 'What it takes'?" Mo Xiuyao grinned wickedly and, out of Ye Li’s sight, mercilessly pinched Mo Xiaobao’s little bottom.

"Ow! Ow! So mean! Mother! Father’s bullying me—" Mo Xiaobao squirmed and flailed in his father’s arms. Mo Xiuyao laughed. "I just taught you this lesson. If you don’t want to be bullied, you need the strength to stand up for yourself. Until then, just endure your father’s teasing. Tattling won’t get you anywhere.""Wuwu..." Mo Xiaobao looked pitifully at his mother, who was watching the scene with amusement. Ye Li smiled and shrugged at him, indicating there was nothing she could do. The young master Mo was quite perceptive and immediately put on a sweet face as he turned to Mo Xiuyao, saying, "Father, I was wrong. Please forgive me..."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ye Li. "When did this kid learn to be so adaptable?"

Ye Li chuckled lightly. "He's always been adaptable." This was the truth. Mo Xiaobao rarely clung to pride at the cost of suffering, except in front of his father. Partly because he couldn’t bear to lose face, and partly because he was certain his father wouldn’t truly punish him harshly. Now, it seemed even the last bit of pride had been set aside. Thus, Young Master Mo was now invincible.

Meanwhile, Mo Ruiyun, standing to the side, felt extremely uncomfortable witnessing this warm and harmonious scene. The sixth prince had grown up pampered in the palace, with Mo Jingqi doting on him even more than on the somewhat reserved crown prince and his brother, who were neglected due to Consort Liu's indifference. Yet, despite this, Mo Ruiyun had never dared to act so unrestrainedly in front of his father. Watching the five or six-year-old boy frolicing in the arms of the handsome, white-haired Prince Ding, Mo Ruiyun felt something strange churning inside him. The smile on Mo Xiaobao's face seemed particularly grating to his eyes.

Mo Xiuyao and Mo Xiaobao continued their playful banter, paying no heed, but the eunuch kneeling on the ground clearly saw the expression on Mo Ruiyun's face. He inwardly groaned. These people before them were not ones a mere sixth prince could afford to offend. If Prince Ding were angered, forget about the emperor’s hopes of gaining his support—Mo Ruiyun might even lose his life here.

"The upbringing in Prince Ding's Estate is rather lacking, it seems!" Mo Ruiyun finally lived up to his attendants' fears, blurting out as he glared at Mo Xiaobao.

At these words, the three who had been smiling fell silent. Ye Li frowned slightly and said to Mo Ruiyun, "The upbringing in our estate is hardly for the sixth prince to judge. Please leave. Our humble abode is too small to accommodate someone of your esteemed status." Ye Li was genuinely angered. Mo Ruiyun's words weren’t just an insult to Mo Xiaobao but also an affront to the entire Prince Ding's Estate and those who had taught the boy. As for his reason for saying this, Ye Li could see it clearly. It wasn’t due to any grudge against the estate—it was simply jealousy toward Mo Xiaobao. A prince who had been spoiled since childhood, yet lashed out with harsh words over such petty envy—such behavior was enough to earn anyone’s disdain.

"I wasn’t wrong!" Mo Ruiyun retorted, displeased that Ye Li had immediately dismissed him. In the palace, even though his mother wasn’t favored, the emperor’s affection for him meant even the sons of the favored Consort Liu had to yield to him.

"The upbringing of our son is a matter for us, his parents. By what authority does the sixth prince intervene?" Ye Li asked coolly.

Mo Ruiyun had no retort and could only glare fiercely at Mo Xiaobao. The latter, however, had no intention of engaging in a confrontation now—it would only make him seem ill-bred. With a haughty sniff, he buried himself deeper into Mo Xiuyao's arms. "Father, I was wrong. I’ll go ask Grandfather to teach me proper manners when we return."Mo Xiuyao glanced at him with a faint, mocking smile and said to Zhuo Jing and the others waiting nearby, "Escort the Sixth Prince out."

With a wave of Zhuo Jing's hand, guards stepped forward to see the guests out. The eunuch still holding the imperial edict remembered his duty and hurriedly said, "Prince Ding... this... this is His Majesty's decree..."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and replied, "What does Emperor Chu's decree have to do with this prince? Take it back. Tell Mo Jingqi that his judgment... is truly remarkable."

The eunuch delivering the decree knew there was nothing more to be done and could only retract the edict, saying, "His Majesty has already ordered the unsealing of Prince Ding's Estate and the return of all the estate's confiscated properties in the capital. This humble inn is hardly suitable—please, Your Highness, return to the estate to rest so as not to inconvenience Wang Fei and the young master." Mo Xiuyao smiled at the eunuch and said, "You certainly know how to speak well. Go back and relay this to Mo Jingqi—this prince accepts his gift."

At least one task had been accomplished, and the eunuch breathed a sigh of relief before respectfully taking his leave.

After seeing off the large group, Ye Li frowned and asked, "What does Mo Jingqi mean by this now? Is this the 'good show' you mentioned?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "Isn't it a good show? I've long said that Mo Jingqi is... capricious by nature, often turning ruthless without warning. For years, he doted on Consort Liu, defied the Empress Dowager for her sake, and ignored the Empress. If not for his concern for appearances, he might have even elevated his concubine over his wife. Yet now, as he nears his end, upon learning of Consort Liu's actions—whether true or false—he will resent her. If his thoughts take a darker turn, he may even come to loathe her. After yesterday's provocation from the Empress Dowager and me, he won't care about the fate of Great Chu anymore. As long as he can exact revenge on Mo Jingli, his mother, and Liu Jia, what wouldn't he do?"

"You're saying Mo Jingqi has completely lost his sanity?" Ye Li asked, her brow furrowed.

"Not entirely. He's always been half-mad to begin with. He never hated Prince Ding's Estate—his earlier actions were simply out of fear that the estate threatened his throne. But now... he's dying, and I pose no threat to his rule. Instead, it's his own mother, brother, and closest confidante who have schemed against him. Compared to me, he will only hate them more. At this point, forget just Prince Ding's Estate—even if I demanded to be regent, he would agree. He's consumed by hatred, thinking only of revenge," Mo Xiuyao said with a faint smile.

Ye Li pondered for a moment and realized it was exactly as Mo Xiuyao had described. In truth, Mo Jingqi's temperament was ill-suited for the throne. He was overly sensitive and suspicious, with only mediocre intelligence. Precisely because he knew his own mediocrity, he grew increasingly insecure, and once he seized power, he was prone to extremes. Take the incident with Prince Ding's Estate—the imperial family's desire to curb the estate's influence certainly didn't begin in his generation, yet none of the previous emperors had acted as brutally as he did. Perhaps it was precisely because of his unpredictability that he nearly succeeded. But fate had other plans for Prince Ding's Estate—it was simply destiny. In short, Mo Jingqi was utterly inept at balance, and yet balance was the most crucial skill for an emperor.

"Did Xiu Yao foresee this all along?"Mo Xiuyao smiled, "After dealing with him for so many years, I still understand him somewhat. It's just a pity... Even though the Prince Ding's Estate has been loyal to Great Chu for generations, this time I will never agree to his demands. His wishful thinking is bound to fail."

"Why?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Although Mo Jingqi's move was reckless, it wasn't entirely foolish. With this Edict of Self-Reproach issued, if Mo Jingqi were to die afterward, the Prince Ding's Estate's refusal would only invite public criticism. It wasn't that the common people couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but rather that the world placed too much weight on the Edict of Self-Reproach. Throughout history, as long as life wasn't completely unbearable, there was hardly any problem that couldn't be resolved with an Edict of Self-Reproach. No matter what a ruler had done, issuing one would earn the people's forgiveness. After all, the idea of loyalty to the sovereign had always been deeply ingrained in every commoner's heart and mind.

Mo Xiuyao sighed softly and glanced down at Mo Xiaobao, who was already asleep in his arms. After all the earlier commotion, Xiao Bao had dozed off within moments of listening to his parents talk, a trail of drool glistening at the corner of his tiny mouth.

"This little one may seem obedient, but he's actually full of pride and confidence—even more so than I was as a child. I doubt he'll grow up to be someone who bows easily to others. Moreover, now that the Prince Ding's Estate has broken free from Great Chu's cage, the future will be up to him. How could I, as his father, personally lock him back in? After everything that's happened these past few years, no one could remain completely unaffected. Otherwise, it would just be a repeat of the Prince Ding's Estate's struggles over the generations."

Ye Li understood his meaning. Even if the imperial family kept their word, and Mo Xiuyao held great power in this lifetime, with the Prince Ding's Estate enjoying unparalleled wealth and prestige, future generations would still fall back into the same predicament—or worse—that they had once endured.

"No matter what others think, Xiao Bao and I will always stand by your side," Ye Li said softly.

"I know. We'll always be together."