Mo Li

"Wretched woman!" Princess Zhenning stared at Consort Liu lying on the ground, her face filled with icy resentment and disgust. Shen Yang's words had completely shattered the last shred of hope the princess held for her mother. Two years ago, when she had been drugged unconscious in the cold palace, leading to the ruin of her beauty, Princess Zhenning had hated Consort Liu every single day since. Yet, intertwined with that hatred had been a thread of longing for her mother's affection—a bond she couldn't sever. Had Consort Liu sincerely apologized tonight, had there been even a trace of remorse or regret, the golden hairpin in Princess Zhenning's hand would never have struck her.

But now, the princess's eyes held nothing but pure loathing and hatred. The bond between mother and daughter was truly severed.

Upon hearing Shen Yang's words, Mo Wuyou no longer hesitated. With swift movements, she pulled out the golden hairpin, causing blood to gush forth. With a fierce expression, she poured the miraculous healing medicine Shen Yang had concocted onto the wound, then tore a strip of white gauze from Consort Liu's robes to bandage it.

Princess Zhenning had not struck a fatal blow. If not for the fact that Consort Liu would never bear children again, her eventual death would have been solely due to excessive blood loss. Now, with Shen Yang's miraculous blood-staunching medicine, there was naturally no danger to her life. After bandaging the wound, Mo Wuyou took out a small porcelain vial and forced its contents down Consort Liu's throat. Moments later, the color visibly returned to Consort Liu's pale face.

"Such precious medicine—wasted on her? Did I give you such treasures for you to squander like this?" Shen Yang glared at Mo Wuyou in displeasure. Mo Wuyou looked up at him with a sweet smile. "Master, Prince Ding and Wang Fei surely still have questions for her. In her earlier state, how could she have answered anything?" Shen Yang snorted lightly. "Clever girl."

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes as he observed Consort Liu's improving condition, then nodded indifferently. "Since she's fine now... Xiaoyun, what are your thoughts?" Mo Xiaoyun clasped his hands behind his back and replied coolly, "I leave it entirely to Prince Ding's judgment. This woman has nothing more to do with me or my elder sister."

"Nothing more to do with us?!" Princess Zhenning suddenly interjected, turning her head to glare venomously at Consort Liu's beautiful face. "She still owes me a face."

At this, Consort Liu's expression darkened. "What do you intend to do?" she demanded angrily. Princess Zhenning clenched her teeth and enunciated each word slowly. "You ruined my face. Shouldn't you repay me for it?" Consort Liu sneered. "I gave birth to you. Even if I took your life, you should accept it, let alone just your face."

Mo Xiaoyun stepped forward to stand beside Princess Zhenning, taking her hand as he addressed Consort Liu. "As I just said, we have no further ties with you."Consort Liu let out a disdainful snort. The bond between a mother and her children wasn’t something that could be severed so easily. In her eyes, Mo Xiaoyun and Zhenning would always remain her children. She could afford to disregard them, but they could never show her disrespect. Struggling to her feet, she moved to sit in a nearby chair. Despite the medicine and bandages, no miraculous cure could heal such wounds instantly. The sharp pain twisted her expression, and the glance she cast at Princess Zhenning was venomous.

Princess Zhenning, however, paid no heed to her gaze. When one reaches utter despair toward another, they become unnaturally indifferent.

Consort Liu didn’t care about Princess Zhenning or Mo Xiaoyun’s reactions either. If she had ever held even the slightest affection for them in the past, the torment of the last two years had erased every trace of it. Since Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had arrived, most of her attention had been fixed on them. But the infatuation she once harbored for Mo Xiuyao had long since turned into deep-seated hatred. In fact, she now despised him even more than Ye Li. Yet she knew she couldn’t afford to act rashly again—she had always been painfully aware of Mo Xiuyao’s mercilessness toward her.

"Prince Ding, what do you mean by sending these two to assassinate me?" Consort Liu lifted her chin, staring haughtily at Mo Xiuyao. "Do you intend to provoke Northern Rong?" She was now the betrothed Wang Fei of Northern Rong, a status no less prestigious than Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li’s. There was no need for her to show them any courtesy.

Ye Li sighed inwardly, casting a silent glance at Mo Xiuyao beside her. So this was the legendary love turned to hatred.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Princess Zhenning stepped forward. "What does Prince Ding’s Estate have to do with this? I wanted to kill you! If it comes to it, I’ll pay with my life!"

"Elder Sister!" Mo Xiaoyun shot a deep look at Consort Liu before turning to Princess Zhenning. "Let’s hear what Prince Ding has to say."

Mo Xiuyao tilted his head slightly, observing Princess Zhenning and Mo Xiaoyun with a faint smile. "Zhenning, though your father is dead and Chu likely has no ties to you anymore, as long as I acknowledge you as a princess, you remain one. Trading your life for hers? After all the effort I spent raising you, is this the return I get? Who’s going to compensate me for the loss?"

Princess Zhenning froze. She wasn’t well-versed in schemes and intrigues, but she knew her impulsive words wouldn’t solve anything. Lowering her head, she murmured, "Prince Ding, I was wrong."

Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction. He hadn’t sheltered a princess and a prince just for amusement—if they threw their lives away over Consort Liu, all his efforts would be wasted. They not only had to live but thrive. Turning his gaze back to Consort Liu, he asked mildly, "What if I do want to provoke Northern Rong? What will you do about it? Why don’t you go ask Yelv Ye if he’s willing to wage war against me—for your sake?"

"You—!" Consort Liu seethed. His casual tone was nothing short of mockery.

"Me?" Mo Xiuyao arched a brow, amused."Wang Ye, the Northern Rong Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince have arrived," Zhuo Jing reported as he entered from outside.

"Oh? How lively this humble Changxing Wang residence is tonight. Show them in." Shortly after, Zhuo Jing led in Yelv Hong, Ronghua Princess, and Yelv Ye. The sight of blood on the floor and the disheveled state of Consort Liu left everyone momentarily stunned. Ronghua Princess smiled and asked, "Wang Fei, what happened here?"

Ye Li replied indifferently, "Nothing much. Miss Qing Yina suddenly barged into Changxing Wang's residence with the intent to harm Changxing Wang and the princess. In her panic, the princess accidentally injured Miss Qing Yina."

"Ye Li! You're lying!" Consort Liu roared, but the pain from her wound made her grit her teeth, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead. Yelv Ye stepped forward to steady the swaying Consort Liu in her chair and asked, "What happened?"

Biting her lip, Consort Liu said pitifully, "Wang Ye, it was Prince Ding and Princess Ding who ordered that girl to harm me."

The three women present, excluding Princess Zhenning, all rolled their eyes skyward. Consort Liu was at least thirty-four or thirty-five—was this kind of coquettish act really appropriate?

Yelv Ye clearly had little patience for Consort Liu's affected fragility and said sternly, "Why are you here?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Miss Qing Yina wouldn’t dare claim that this princess had you kidnapped and brought here, would she?"

Consort Liu fell silent. She had indeed come to Changxing Wang's residence of her own accord, but the reason for her visit was not something she could explain in front of so many people.

Ye Li regarded Yelv Ye calmly and said, "Prince Yelv, just now, Miss Qing Yina baselessly accused this princess and Wang Ye of instructing Princess Zhenning to assassinate her. Now, this princess would like to counter that it was she who barged into Changxing Wang's residence without cause, intending to harm the princess and Changxing Wang, and falsely accused this princess."

Yelv Ye frowned. Though the situation before him made him more inclined to believe Consort Liu's words, Ye Li's argument left him with no rebuttal. At the same time, he was displeased that Consort Liu had come to Changxing Wang's residence without permission.

Seated nearby, Yelv Hong watched as Ye Li confronted Yelv Ye, his expression composed and unruffled. He merely furrowed his brow slightly and said, "As hosts, Prince Ding and Princess Ding would never treat their guests with such discourtesy. Moreover, the idea that they would instruct Princess Zhenning to assassinate Qing Yina is utterly illogical. Seventh Brother, wasn’t Qing Yina with you all along? How did she end up at Changxing Wang's residence?"

Indeed, the notion that Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had ordered Princess Zhenning to carry out an assassination was unreasonable by any measure. However, Yelv Hong conveniently overlooked the fact that Princess Zhenning had acted on her own and instead shifted all blame onto Consort Liu.

Yelv Ye frowned and said, "Elder Brother is right. Today’s incident must have been a misunderstanding."Princess Ronghua covered her lips with a light laugh. "Seventh Brother speaks truly. Qing Yina bears such a striking resemblance to the late Consort Liu that misunderstandings were inevitable. Just the other day, Prince Changxing and Princess Zhenning even paid a visit. Could it be that Prince Changxing and the princess still..." Mo Xiaoyun bowed respectfully to Princess Ronghua and said, "Aunt Ronghua's reprimand is justified. It was indeed reckless of this prince and my royal sister. The matter has been clarified—we siblings have no relation to Miss Qing Yina. We simply mistook her for someone else." After speaking, Mo Xiaoyun took a step back, discreetly gripping Princess Zhenning's hand tightly. Princess Zhenning lowered her eyes, concealing the hatred within them, and ultimately said nothing more, tacitly accepting Mo Xiaoyun's words.

Yelv Hong smiled. "If it was a misunderstanding, then tonight's incident..."

Mo Xiaoyun replied, "Tonight was also a misunderstanding. Miss Qing Yina arrived suddenly, and some conflict arose in our exchange. My royal sister believed Miss Qing Yina intended to harm us, which is why she wounded her. I beg Prince Yelv's forgiveness. If punishment is required, Xiaoyun will bear full responsibility."

With such words spoken, Yelv Ye naturally couldn't bully a child of merely thirteen or fourteen. He had no choice but to let it go—Consort Liu's injury would go unavenged. With a darkened expression, Yelv Ye bid farewell to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, supporting Consort Liu as they turned to leave.

"Wait a moment," Shen Yang, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up.

Though Yelv Ye wasn't familiar with Shen Yang, he knew the man held a special position in Prince Ding's Estate. He turned back patiently to hear him out. Shen Yang took a prescription written by Mo Wuyou and handed it over, saying, "As the saying goes, a physician's heart is like that of a parent. Since this is a patient, I cannot ignore her. This young lady has suffered too many miscarriages, and the recent injury was unfortunately placed. Take this prescription back for her use. While I cannot guarantee she will conceive again, it will be beneficial for her health."

At these words, the expressions of everyone in the hall turned peculiar. Though Ye Li and the others had already known beforehand, seeing Shen Yang deliver this information so earnestly to Yelv Ye still made the corners of Ye Li's lips stiffen slightly. Yelv Ye's face darkened frighteningly—while the Bei Rong people didn't particularly care about such matters concerning women, that applied only to commoners. The nobility and royalty were every bit as fastidious as the Central Plains people. Even if Yelv Ye and Consort Liu weren't involved in that way, having it announced so publicly was still deeply humiliating.

Consort Liu, struck by Shen Yang's unexpected remark, turned deathly pale. She shot a venomous glare at Shen Yang and Mo Wuyou before following Yelv Ye out in a daze.As soon as Yelv Ye left, Yelv Hong and Ronghua Princess naturally couldn't stay much longer either, rising to take their leave shortly after. Seeing there was nothing left for him to do, Shen Yang stood up and prepared to leave with Mo Wuyou. Passing by Princess Zhenning, he paused to look at her and said, "You're quite an interesting girl. Come find me at Prince Ding's Estate later." Without waiting for a response, he walked away. Princess Zhenning and Mo Xiaoyun didn't understand Shen Yang's meaning, but Mo Wuyou did. However, Princess Zhenning's injuries were far too severe, and even Mo Wuyou, who had great confidence in her master's medical skills, couldn't guarantee a full recovery. She could only say, "Zhenning, remember Master's words. Come to Prince Ding's Estate when you have time." After seeing Princess Zhenning nod, she bowed slightly to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao before hurrying out after her master.

In an instant, only four people remained in the hall. The previously tense and confrontational atmosphere settled into silence. Mo Xiuyao frowned as he observed the young man and woman before him. Though the night's events hadn't been numerous, two particular incidents had left him deeply displeased. His gaze toward Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning carried undisguised hostility. Even without intentionally releasing it, the pressure from such a powerful figure caused beads of sweat to form on their foreheads.

Seeing the siblings struggling under the pressure, Ye Li sighed softly and reached out to take Mo Xiuyao's hand. Speaking gently to Mo Xiaoyun and the princess, she said, "You must be tired. Get some rest. Don't act so recklessly in the future."

Mo Xiaoyun nodded in agreement. Mo Xiuyao fixed his gaze on Princess Zhenning and asked, "Do you still harbor hatred for her in your heart?"

Princess Zhenning gritted her teeth. "I wish I could tear her limb from limb!"

Mo Xiuyao gave a cold laugh. "And what qualifies you to do so?" The princess froze, looking at him in confusion. Mo Xiuyao continued calmly, "Do you have the capability to tear her apart? More likely, you'd be the one torn to pieces if you fell into her hands again." Princess Zhenning clenched her jaw—in terms of skill and cunning, she was indeed no match for Consort Liu. Mo Xiuyao stood up, pulling Ye Li with him, and regarded them both coolly. "You are not to interfere with matters concerning Consort Liu. Similarly... you are forbidden from assisting her. If I discover you've secretly done anything you shouldn't have... don't blame me for being ruthless."

Mo Xiaoyun's heart skipped a beat—Prince Ding's words clearly indicated his intention to deal with Consort Liu. Supporting Princess Zhenning, Mo Xiaoyun replied respectfully, "We heed Uncle Prince Ding's advice. Xiaoyun and my elder sister will not act rashly. She has nothing to do with us anymore."

"Good." Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction before leading Ye Li out by the hand.

Upon returning to the estate, both Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao strictly forbade anyone from informing Mr. Qingyun about the previous night's events. At his advanced age, Mr. Qingyun had long since detached himself from worldly affairs and maintained a broad perspective, but out of filial piety, the younger generation didn't want the elderly man worrying over matters they could handle themselves.

Early the next morning, just as Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had risen, a guard came to report: "Miss Dongfang requests an audience."Ye Li was momentarily stunned, somewhat unclear about who this Miss Dongfang really was. Mo Xiuyao curled his lips disdainfully and said, "The one from Boundless Mountains. Go invite Qingchen Gongzi to handle it. This prince and Wang Fei have other matters to attend to." The guard acknowledged the order and left. Ye Li asked in confusion, "What matters do we have?" Mo Xiuyao smiled, "Shall we go see my little princess and nurture our relationship?"

In the main hall of Prince Ding's Estate, a woman dressed in white sat quietly sipping tea. She showed no signs of anger at being neglected by her hosts, merely waiting calmly. Half an hour later, footsteps finally sounded outside the door. The white-clad woman curved her lips into a perfect smile, only to look up and see not the handsome white-haired man in white robes, but another black-haired man whose snowy white garments gave him an ethereal, transcendent air. Though Qingchen Gongzi was striking, she had devoted all her attention to Mo Xiuyao the previous night and had completely failed to notice Xu Qingchen sitting among the Xu Family's younger generation. Yet just from his graceful white-robed demeanor, she could guess his identity. Rising, she smiled faintly and said, "Dongfang You pays her respects to Qingchen Gongzi."

Xu Qingchen smiled lightly and nodded, "Miss Dongfang need not stand on ceremony. Please, be seated."

Dongfang You nodded and sat down, looking at Xu Qingchen as she asked, "Is Prince Ding available?"

Xu Qingchen replied with a smile, "Prince Ding has some matters to attend to and cannot receive you at the moment. Please forgive the discourtesy."

Dongfang You raised an eyebrow at Xu Qingchen, "Does Qingchen Gongzi bear hostility toward me? Might I ask where this humble woman has offended you?" Xu Qingchen merely smiled without answering. Dongfang You sighed helplessly, "I understand. Qingchen Gongzi is Prince Ding's Wang Fei's cousin. No wonder you're displeased with me."

Xu Qingchen shook his head mildly, "I fear it is Miss Dongfang who believes I bear hostility toward you? You overthink matters. Li'er and Prince Ding's relationship is their own affair—whether good or bad, it concerns only them. The Xu Family will not interfere." Dongfang You said, "This humble woman has no intention of coming between Prince Ding and his Wang Fei."

Xu Qingchen responded, "That is Miss Dongfang's own business."

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

I've been traveling these past few days. Today I wrote this chapter in a hotel before rushing out to a meeting. It's a bit short—my apologies, dear readers~ Regarding everyone's dislike for the newly introduced female character...I should say...this will likely be the last supporting female character to appear. Also, while this character isn't likable, she truly has little actual impact on A Li and Xiu Yao. As for emotional matters—if A Li and Xiu Yao were perfectly smooth-sailing and overpowered from start to finish...wouldn't that be rather dull? For those looking forward to Qingchen Gongzi's official pairing, it might be hinted at vaguely toward the end, but the main text won't extensively cover Qingchen Gongzi's romantic relationships~

PS: I haven't been able to reply to comments these past few days—please forgive me. I'll try to collect the questions raised in comments and address them in these author's notes~