Mo Li

No sooner had Consort Liu returned to her palace than she found it filled with people—from the Empress Dowager down to the palace concubines of various ranks, all were present. Seated beside the Empress Dowager was Lady Li, who enjoyed the treatment befitting an Empress due to her relation to the Tenth Prince and was referred to by the palace servants as "Madame Li." To the Empress Dowager’s left sat Noble Consort Zheng, the birth mother of the Sixth Prince. The moment Consort Liu stepped into the hall, Noble Consort Zheng shot her a fierce glare, her no-longer-youthful face brimming with schadenfreude. Consort Liu frowned slightly, an uneasy feeling stirring within her.

"Empress Dowager, what is the meaning of bringing so many people into my palace?" Consort Liu lifted her chin haughtily as she fixed her gaze on the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager sneered. "This old one should be asking you—where have you been, as a consort of the late Emperor, instead of observing mourning in the palace while his body is still warm?"

Beside her, Noble Consort Zheng scrutinized Consort Liu before suddenly exclaiming in feigned shock, "Empress Dowager, Sister Consort seems to be injured! Look—even her clothes are torn." All eyes immediately focused on Consort Liu, whose expression darkened as she tightened the cloak draped over her shoulders. She had intended to change her clothes before returning, but having severed ties with the Prime Minister's residence, her pride would never allow her to go back there. Nor would Prince Li's Palace provide her with any garments. Naturally, Consort Liu disdained the clothing worn by commoners or maids, so she had simply covered the bloodstains with her cloak and returned. She hadn’t expected to be ambushed in her own hall.

A cruel smirk flickered across the Empress Dowager’s aged face. "Where have you been and what have you done? Confess at once!"

The expressions of those present grew increasingly peculiar as they studied Consort Liu. These women, having spent half their lives in the depths of the palace, had long honed their instincts for opportunism. They harbored deep resentment toward Consort Liu, who had monopolized the late Emperor’s favor for over a decade. Had Mo Jingqi still been alive and Consort Liu remained favored, none would have dared speak against her. But now that she had fallen from grace, those eager to kick her while she was down were far more numerous than usual. A woman whose husband had just passed away, sneaking out of the palace only to return with torn, bloodstained clothes—everyone’s minds conjured their own scandalous imaginings.

Consort Liu cast a disdainful glance at the women around her, well aware of what they were thinking. With a cold laugh, she raised her head and met the Empress Dowager’s gaze. "What I do is none of your concern, Empress Dowager."

"You shameless wretch!" the Empress Dowager roared. "This old one is the birth mother of the late Emperor and the grandmother of the new Emperor! Do you dare say I cannot discipline you? It was you who sowed discord between the late Emperor and Prince Li, driving a wedge between mother and son! Who do you think can protect you now? The late Emperor’s body is not yet cold, and you—this disgraceful creature—couldn’t resist sneaking off to Prince Ding's Estate! Have you no shame? You’ve brought disgrace upon the imperial family!"

As she raged, the Empress Dowager glared at Consort Liu with undisguised hatred. Had Mo Jingqi not doted on Consort Liu to the point of defying even his own mother, she would never have turned to nurturing her younger son. Was it not because she feared this woman would one day bewitch her eldest son, leaving her no place in the palace? If not for this vile creature, how could their family have come to such a state—mother and son estranged, brothers at odds?Consort Liu curled her lips into a cold, mocking smile. "If you failed to discipline your own son, how can you blame this Consort?"

"Wretched woman... If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll never know your place!" The Empress Dowager sneered. Consort Liu's phoenix eyes flashed. "You wouldn't dare touch me!" The Empress Dowager laughed. "Try me and see if I dare! Guards, drag this shameless wretch out and give her thirty heavy strokes! Let everyone see what happens to those without shame. Furthermore, demote Consort Liu to Noble Lady!"

"You wouldn't dare! Guards!" Consort Liu shouted sharply. Yet her trusted aides, who should have been guarding her palace, did not respond. The Empress Dowager gave her a triumphant smile. The eunuchs waiting outside had already entered to drag her away. Struggling, Consort Liu cried, "You old hag! If you dare lay a hand on me, I won't let you off!"

The Empress Dowager paid no heed to her threats. "Liu Jia has already abandoned you. What could you possibly do to me? Besides... do you really think I still fear Liu Jia now?" Consort Liu was stunned, seeing the Empress Dowager's confident demeanor, so unlike her recent panic. She realized the Empress Dowager must have gained some advantage—otherwise, she wouldn't dare treat her so disrespectfully. "You wouldn't dare—"

"Drag her out! Beat her!" the Empress Dowager commanded.

Soon, the loud thuds of the bamboo rods echoed through the empty hall, startling the more timid concubines, who paled in fear. The Empress Dowager sipped her tea calmly, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes as she listened to the sharp strikes landing on flesh.

"Empress Dowager... isn't this..." Lady Li, standing nearby, trembled as she hesitantly spoke. The Empress Dowager replied indifferently, "One day, you too will be an Empress Dowager. Learn more, observe more. Some people need to be put in their place, or they forget their station." Lady Li bit her lip but eventually nodded meekly. "Yes, Empress Dowager."

Only then did the Empress Dowager nod in approval.

Consort Liu, already covered in wounds, passed out before the thirty strokes were completed. The Empress Dowager, who had long held a grudge against her, had no intention of letting her off easily. Without batting an eye, she ordered water to be splashed on Consort Liu to wake her, then continued the beating until all thirty strokes were delivered. By the end, Consort Liu had fainted multiple times from the pain, wishing for death. After the final strike, she finally succumbed to darkness once more.

In Zhangde Palace, the Empress Dowager dismissed her attendants and entered the bedchamber alone. Inside the opulent room sat an unremarkable palace maid, one who would easily blend into a crowd. Seeing the Empress Dowager enter, the maid showed no surprise nor stood up, merely smiling. "I've already heard what happened earlier. I'm sure Wang Ye will be very pleased."

The Empress Dowager lowered her gaze, her demeanor uncharacteristically submissive for a ruler. Softly, she asked, "Then... what of Prince Ding's promise?"The palace maid smiled and said, "Your Majesty need not worry. Although our Wang Ye has some enmity with Mo Jingqi, he believes in taking responsibility for one's own actions and would never trouble Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty accomplishes what Wang Ye has requested, not only will the matter of burial sacrifice be resolved, but even the power within the palace that originally belonged to Her Majesty the Empress can be handed over to you. At that time... what would Your Majesty have to fear?" Though her appearance was plain, the maid's expression and words were highly persuasive. Especially since the power once held by Empress Hua had long been coveted by the Empress Dowager—obtaining it so easily now was more than ideal.

"Tell Prince Ding to rest assured. This old one will naturally take good care of Consort Liu. Even if Li'er... wishes to protect her, this old one can ensure her death goes unnoticed!" At this point, a flash of killing intent passed through the Empress Dowager's eyes. She couldn't understand why her own flesh and blood would refuse to save his mother yet rush to aid an unrelated wretch. Could it be that Consort Liu was truly some fox spirit, having already bewitched her eldest son and now attempting to ensnare her youngest?

The maid smiled. "We hope Your Majesty can accomplish this. As for the matter of the Empress..."

"After the new emperor ascends the throne, this old one will have it announced that the Empress succumbed to grief following the late emperor's passing," the Empress Dowager assured. The maid's smile grew even more satisfied as she stood and said, "In that case, this servant will not disturb Your Majesty further. Additionally, our Wang Ye has instructed me to remind Your Majesty that if you wish to live in peace, you must protect the new emperor. After all... Prince Li is already a grown man and likely shares the late emperor's dislike for being dictated to."

In the past, the Empress Dowager might have wavered at such words, but after experiencing her son's heartlessness, she knew Mo Xiuyao spoke the truth. Nodding, she said, "This old one understands what must be done."

"Then, this servant takes her leave." The maid bowed respectfully to the Empress Dowager before turning to exit.

In the bedchamber, the Empress Dowager stared blankly at the exquisitely carved incense burner on the table, lost in thought. After a long while, she let out a cold laugh. What did it matter if she collaborated with Mo Xiuyao? All she wanted was to survive—to live a life of dignity and comfort! For that, she was willing to do anything!

In the cold, desolate palace, Consort Liu awoke from her unconscious state. The pain wracking her body drew involuntary moans from her lips. She still wore the bloodstained, tattered robes from her return, and none of the usual attentive maids or eunuchs were by her side. Struggling through the agony to sit up, she realized she was no longer in her elegant, tranquil chambers but lying in a small, dusty, and neglected room. The slightly ajar door carried away any lingering miasma but also let in a chilling breeze that made her shiver uncontrollably—she had been awakened by the cold.It was already the third watch of the night, and a gust of cold wind made her shiver involuntarily. She tried to move and get out of bed but fell back onto the mattress due to the pain in her lower body. The back of her garment was beyond description—more than half of it was stained with blood, turning the original snow-white fabric into a dark crimson that sent chills down one's spine. Recalling the humiliation she had suffered in front of everyone during the day, Consort Liu clenched the bedding beneath her so tightly that her fingernails snapped off, yet she felt no pain even as blood welled in her palms. Her beautiful face twisted into a grotesque mask of fury. How dare she! How dare that old hag treat her like this!

And those wretched women! Those who kicked her when she was down! She would make sure every single one of them died horribly!

Creak... The old, dilapidated door let out a soft sound. Consort Liu looked up to see a teenage girl staring at her in alarm. At the sight of her mother lying wretchedly on the bed, tears immediately streamed down the girl's face. "Mother... Mother, how are you?" The girl hurried into the room and approached Consort Liu, but she dared not touch her upon seeing her blood-soaked state.

Observing her panicked daughter, Consort Liu narrowed her eyes slightly and asked coolly, "Where is this? Why are you here?"

Princess Zhenning sobbed, "This is the Autumn Cool Palace. Grandmother forbade Zhenning and my brothers from visiting you, so I came now... Mother, you must be hungry..." Carefully, she retrieved a silk-wrapped bundle from her sleeve and unfolded it, revealing a few delicate pastries, which she offered to Consort Liu.

Slap! Consort Liu raised her hand and knocked the pastries to the ground, glaring coldly at Princess Zhenning. "Fool! What use are these worthless things? Go and summon your grandfather and brothers to the palace at once to rescue me! And don’t you dare call that old witch 'Grandmother'!"

Princess Zhenning froze, a flicker of hurt flashing in her eyes. She lowered her head slowly and whispered, "Grandfather... Grandfather and my brothers refuse to come. Grandfather said... Mother offended someone she shouldn’t have, and Liu Jia... Liu Jia cannot risk extermination for Mother's sake. My brother... my brother refused to see you and wouldn’t let Second Brother come either..." She had been confined to the palace and didn’t know what had happened to her mother, why her grandfather and brothers had abandoned her. But she couldn’t persuade them, so she had sneaked across half the palace alone in the dead of night to see her. Yet her mother...

Consort Liu's face turned ashen, her features contorted grotesquely in the dim candlelight like a vengeful ghost, causing Princess Zhenning to recoil in terror.

"Mother... Mother, who did you offend? Tell me, and I’ll beg Grandfather and Uncle Prince Li, I’ll plead with Grandmother..."

Consort Liu lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Who had she offended? A name flashed through her mind—in the capital now, aside from Mo Jingli, only one person would dare treat her this way. Mo Jingli wouldn’t move against her yet, so it could only be... The mere possibility of her suspicion sent waves of stabbing pain through her chest. Just because she had insulted Ye Li, he had done this to her. He had even gone so far as to prop up the Empress Dowager—without someone backing her, that old hag, who had nearly broken with Prince Li, would never have dared treat her like this!

Mo Xiuyao! How ruthless you are...

"Mother..."Consort Liu took a deep breath, lowering her eyes as she spoke indifferently, "Mother is in a bad mood. Pick up the pastries for me."

Princess Zhenning was momentarily stunned but quickly gathered the few pieces that were still clean and handed them to Consort Liu. She then took an apple from her sleeve and offered it as well, saying, "Mother, eat slowly. I'll bring more tomorrow. Zhenning will go find Grandfather and younger brother again—I’ll make sure they rescue you soon."

"Mother knows you're a good child," Consort Liu replied flatly.

Hearing praise from her mother for the first time in her life, Princess Zhenning's delicate face flushed with shyness. "Then... I’ll leave now. Mother, rest well. Zhenning will visit you again tomorrow."

"Bring some medicinal ointment next time," Consort Liu reminded, displeased with her daughter's thoughtlessness. Despite knowing she was injured, the girl had only brought useless pastries.

"Yes! Your daughter understands." Princess Zhenning glanced remorsefully at her mother's wounds. She had been too nervous—this was her first time sneaking out alone at night—and had forgotten the ointment. She needed to hurry back and fetch it; her mother seemed badly hurt.

In the silent, shadowy depths of the palace, the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl carefully navigated the narrow paths. The grand pavilions, exquisite rockeries, and rare flowers that appeared magnificent by day now loomed like eerie specters in the darkness. Finally reaching her own residence, she sighed in relief—only to nearly shriek when a hand suddenly clasped her shoulder from behind.

"It's me!" The deep voice carried the clarity of youth yet the steadiness of an adult.

Recognizing the voice, Princess Zhenning quickly covered her mouth, then patted her racing heart before turning to face her younger brother. "Xiao'er, why are you here?" The figure before her was Mo Xiaoyun, Consort Liu's eldest son, who had been demoted from Crown Prince to Prince Qin. Frowning at his sister, Prince Qin said sternly, "You went to see her!"

Princess Zhenning, who had raised this brother herself, felt a twinge of fear. Fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, she murmured uneasily, "Xiao'er, she’s our birth mother."

Prince Qin scoffed. "Birth mother? When has she ever treated us as her own? Do you even realize your own precarious position in the palace? If you endanger yourself or our little brother for her sake—" Despite his harsh words, Prince Qin cared deeply for his elder sister, who had taken care of him and their younger sibling since childhood. Consort Liu had always been cold toward her children, leaving the two-year-older Zhenning to shoulder the responsibility. Now that he had been enfeoffed as Prince Qin and forced to live outside the palace, their eight-year-old brother relied solely on Zhenning’s care.

"Then... is there really no way to save her?" Princess Zhenning ventured timidly.

Prince Qin laughed coldly. "Do you know what she’s done?"

"What?" Princess Zhenning froze. Deep down, she had never imagined her mother could commit an unforgivable act.Mo Xiaoyun said coldly, "She ran to Prince Ding's Estate to threaten him into marrying her as his consort and even insulted Princess Ding. If she truly married Prince Ding, whether as an equal consort or a side consort, what would become of us siblings? Have you thought about that, sister?" Having been raised under Prime Minister Liu's guidance since childhood, Mo Xiaoyun was no fool. Recalling how his mother had hurriedly left the palace right after Prince Ding returned to the capital, followed by his father promoting several princes and concubines in succession, he realized that Imperial Concubine Liu's scheme likely hadn't been conceived only after their father's passing.

Originally, he hadn't believed it. But when he personally witnessed his beautiful, proud mother being thrown out of Prince Ding's Estate in disarray, yet still refusing to give up, his heart completely chilled. His grandfather had been right—their mother had never truly cared about him and his siblings. For his own sake, as well as for his sister and younger brother, he could no longer afford to be associated with her.

"How... how could this be?" Princess Zhenning widened her eyes in shock. Having grown up in the deep palace, she had been taught only the women's precepts and rules by the palace matrons. Every principle she had internalized about proper female conduct made it clear that their mother's actions would be universally condemned.

Mo Xiaoyun looked at her and said, "Do you understand now? If you do, then stop visiting her."

"But... if we don't go, she'll..." She'll die... Even though Princess Zhenning was naive about worldly affairs, she had still grown up in the palace, a cesspool of intrigue. She knew all too well the fate that awaited women consigned to the cold palace, let alone one who was severely injured.

Under her younger brother's resolute gaze, Princess Zhenning finally lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "I understand..."

Seeing her agreement, Mo Xiaoyun's expression softened slightly. Knowing his sister was distressed, he said solemnly, "Sister, I'm doing this for our sake. Rather than letting her cause endless trouble outside, it's better she remains in the cold palace. Do you really want others to know we have a mother who...?"

Mo Xiaoyun left the sentence unfinished, but Princess Zhenning understood his implication. She nodded and said, "I understand."

"Good. Rest early, sister. I need to leave the palace now," Mo Xiaoyun said softly. "Take good care of our younger brother. Don't let him run wild."

"I will," Princess Zhenning replied, then anxiously grabbed Mo Xiaoyun's sleeve. "But how will you leave the palace at this hour?" It was already the fourth watch—the palace gates had long been locked. Mo Xiaoyun smiled. "If I could get in, I can get out. Don't worry. Take care, sister."

Watching her brother depart, Princess Zhenning turned and entered the palace. Strangely, she didn't encounter a single maid along the way. Neglected by their birth mother, their attendants had never been diligent to begin with. Now that Imperial Concubine Liu had fallen from grace, they openly slacked off without fear. That was why no one had noticed Princess Zhenning's prolonged absence.

Returning to her room, she retrieved a stash of medicinal salves she had kept in reserve. Gritting her teeth, she turned and left again.She also didn’t want others to know she had a shameless mother. She was not an ignorant girl who understood nothing—she naturally knew what fate awaited her and her two siblings if Consort Liu succeeded in entering Prince Ding's Estate. Especially her… a princess on the verge of her coming-of-age ceremony. Her mother could not possibly take them to Prince Ding's Estate, and as imperial children, they could not go there either. But even so… she couldn’t let her mother die from untreated injuries.

After delivering the medicine… she would return. Princess Zhenning silently thought to herself.

"...Probably won’t survive..." A faint voice drifted into Princess Zhenning’s ears, startling her so much that she quickly hid behind a flowering tree by the roadside. It was the end of the month, and the dim crescent moon left no trace as it vanished into the shadows. A pair of night-patrolling eunuchs approached leisurely from a distance. Perhaps the late hour made them drowsy, so they chatted idly as they walked.

"Of course. Don’t be fooled by how favored she was in the past. Now that the late emperor has passed, and she’s offended the Empress Dowager… I heard orders came from Zhangde Palace—they’re determined to see her dead..."

"Tsk, tsk… don’t speak carelessly. If word gets out..."

"Eunuch Feng from Zhangde Palace is my godfather. Would his words be false?"

"That’s true… Eunuch Feng is a trusted favorite of the Empress Dowager. I heard Zhangde Palace is about to rise in power again."

"Exactly… I heard she offended Prince Ding. Ah… have you heard about that incident?"

The companion beside him gave a knowing smile. "How could I not have heard? It's probably spread throughout the imperial city by now. People are just afraid to gossip openly out of respect for the royal family's dignity. Everyone knows Prince Ding has been devoted to Wang Fei all these years, never even taking a bedchamber servant. This matter..."

"Who would have thought that someone who always seemed as cold as ice would..." The rest of the words became too vulgar to hear. Fortunately, the two eunuchs gradually walked away.

Under the dim moonlight, a delicate young girl stood pale-faced, trembling slightly as she stared at the now empty path.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

This was Prince Ding's true revenge. Having someone beaten with boards was far too crude for his standards.