Mo Li

Upon returning to Li Cheng, Ye Li set aside her usual tasks to focus on caring for the children. Though they had been separated from their parents shortly after their full-month celebration, perhaps due to the natural bond between mother and child, the two little ones quickly grew familiar with their mother within days. Their clingy, affectionate behavior made it seem as though they had never left her side since birth.

In truth, Ye Li had spent both her past and present lives as a soldier on the battlefield. Particularly for those who had experienced war, an intangible aura of killing intent often lingered. Yet Ye Li was different. No matter how brutal the battles she fought, once she changed out of her armor, she still resembled a gentle lady from a scholarly family, her brows carrying a faint warmth and tenderness. It was no wonder the children were especially delighted to see their mother—little ones were naturally drawn to soft, warm things.

In the main courtyard of Prince Ding's Estate, the spacious room was laid with thick carpets imported from the Western Regions. Every sharp corner of the furniture had been smoothed and covered with cotton cloth. Toys were scattered across the floor, and the two babies were placed there, free to crawl and play. At just eleven months old, they were already learning to walk. The elder of the two, Lin'er, wobbled but could now walk steadily on his own. Xin'er, born slightly later and more delicate, preferred sitting on the floor to play. Seeing her brother toddling about, she reached out her tiny hand to tug at him. The thick carpet cushioned Lin'er’s fall, and instead of crying, he grinned at his sister, clearly amused.

Ye Li sat on the floor as well, watching her children giggle, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Wang Fei, Second Madam Xu and Madam Leng have arrived," a maid announced softly from outside.

Before the guests could enter, Murong Ting's voice rang out from beyond the door, "Li'er, you’re living quite leisurely, aren’t you?" Ye Li looked up to see Murong Ting, Qin Zheng, Hua Tianxiang, Mo Wuyou, and Gu Yunge standing at the doorway. She smiled and said, "What brings you all here? Come in."

Qin Zheng glanced inside, covering her lips with a chuckle. "It’s bustling outside, yet you’re so at ease. You should come out instead. There are too many of us to squeeze in." The room had been meticulously arranged for the children, and with so many people entering, the pristine white carpet would surely be dirtied. Though they were all women, aside from Murong Ting and Gu Yunge, none of these well-bred ladies would feel comfortable removing their shoes in front of others.

Ye Li laughed lightly, scooping up a child in each arm and handing them to Qin Zheng and Murong Ting before stepping out herself. Both Murong Ting and Qin Zheng had children of their own and had grown familiar with the twins over the past months. The little ones nestled comfortably in their arms, showing no shyness. Murong Ting cradled the rosy-cheeked Xin'er, exclaiming how much she wanted a daughter of her own.

"Li-jie—ah, no, Wang Fei!" Yunge approached Ye Li, curtsying gracefully, appearing more composed and demure than she had been back in Jiangnan. Ye Li took her hand with a gentle smile. "Just call me Li-jie. Do you see any of them standing on ceremony with me? Are you settling well in Li Cheng, Yunge?"Gu Yunge nodded and said, "Both Aunt Xu have been very kind to me, and so have Sister Tianxiang, Sister Zheng'er, Sister Ting, and Wuyou. Also... I have a godfather now."

"Godfather?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Mo Wuyou smiled faintly and explained, "It's my master. Didn’t he mention it to Wang Fei before leaving for Flying Goose Pass? Master said Yunge has far more talent for medicine than I do and was utterly delighted with her. So he took her as his goddaughter." Ye Li arched her brows slightly. She recalled that Shen Yang and Yunge’s father were somewhat related, though the generational hierarchy was a bit tangled. But then again, in this world, Shen Yang and Yunge might be each other’s only remaining family. What bond could be closer than that of father and daughter? Since Shen Yang had made this decision, he must have his reasons, so she didn’t dwell on it further.

Gu Yunge nodded eagerly. "Yes! My godfather is amazing at medicine, even better than my father. He said if I study hard, I’ll be just as skilled as him someday." Perhaps due to her family background, Yunge had an innate talent and passion for medicine, and her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke.

"As long as you’re happy," Ye Li said with a smile. She glanced at the group of young women before her and added, "During dinner last night, First Aunt and Second Aunt mentioned how, now that peace has finally returned, they’re eager to arrange marriages for Third Brother and Fourth Brother."

Qin Zheng nodded in agreement. "Li'er is right. Mother and Aunt are truly impatient. But Third Brother was away on the campaign, and Fourth Brother is always stuck in Western Liang, never coming home. Mother even said this time, no matter what, Third Brother must get married first."

"Zheng'er!" Hua Tianxiang blushed furiously and glared at Qin Zheng. "You’re usually so refined and gentle—how could you say such things...?"

Murong Ting rolled her eyes. "Just admit you’re happy. We won’t tease you. Yesterday, the moment Third Young Master Xu returned, he rushed to give you gifts—did you think we didn’t notice?" She then cast a meaningful glance at the delicate pearl hairpin adorning Hua Tianxiang’s head, her expression full of playful mockery. Meanwhile, Mo Wuyou, who was also soon to be a bride, quietly stepped aside to avoid being caught in the crossfire. It wasn’t that she lacked sisterly solidarity—she just couldn’t handle Murong Ting’s sharp tongue.

In contrast, the guileless Gu Yunge beamed with joy. "Sister Tianxiang is getting married? I’ll definitely prepare a wonderful gift for you!" Murong Ting burst into laughter. "Yunge, don’t tell me you’re planning to give her medicinal pills again?"

Yunge blinked. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Ye Li was equally puzzled. "What’s the matter?" Yunge’s skill in medicine surpassed even her master’s, and the pills she crafted were anything but ordinary. Qin Zheng covered her lips with a sleeve, giggling. "Last New Year, Yunge gave each of us a bottle of medicinal pills. Then, during Uncle’s birthday in October, it was another bottle. And this year, for Eldest Brother’s birthday—yet another bottle. Oh, and Eldest Brother has received the most pills out of all of us. Now, the moment he sees a bottle of pills, his face goes stiff."

The others around them struggled to suppress their laughter, and Ye Li couldn’t help but chuckle as well. She was genuinely curious to see what Qingchen Gongzi’s expression would look like when faced with a tiny bottle of pills—would he really turn pale with dread?Gu Yunge pouted her little mouth, looking somewhat bewildered at the crowd. What was wrong with her giving out medicinal pills? The ones she gave to the two Xu aunties were for health maintenance and regulation, the ones for Zheng'er and the other sisters were for beauty, and the ones for the two uncles and Xu Qingchen were for wellness. Originally, the Xu Family saw the girl's innocent sincerity and couldn't bring themselves to lecture her on the etiquette of gift-giving, especially since she had made the pills herself with genuine care. Besides, the Xu Family didn't care much for such formalities—a heartfelt gift was always more precious than a perfunctory one, wasn't it? However, this did put Qingchen Gongzi in a tough spot. Yunge was convinced that Xu Qingchen's severe injury from back then had left lingering health issues, so every time he had the slightest headache or fever, the girl would stuff a handful of various medicinal pills into his hands. Nowadays, whenever anyone in the Xu Family fell ill, they didn't even bother seeing a doctor—they just went straight to Xu Qingchen for pills. After all, Yunge's remedies were far more effective than those prescribed by ordinary physicians.

Ye Li smiled and patted her head, saying, "It's nothing. Yunge's medicine is excellent. Your medical skills must have improved a lot recently."

Yunge's eyes lit up. "Huh? Sister Li, you've used my medicine too?"

Ye Li nodded. "Shen took some to Flying Goose Pass. The effects were very good." Yunge said proudly, "That's great! I'll definitely become the most famous divine physician in the world someday. Then, just like my foster father in his youth, I'll practice medicine to help the people and save many, many lives."

Practice medicine to help the people? Quite an ambitious ideal. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "What did Big Brother say about it?"

Gu Yunge blinked in confusion. "Xu Qingchen? What was he supposed to say? Oh... he said I would definitely become a very skilled divine physician."

Looking at the girl's guileless, cheerful expression, Ye Li couldn't help but cover her face and sigh. She really had been overthinking things. Who would have thought that the marriage of the ethereal, immortal-like Qingchen Gongzi had become such a headache for everyone? Even she couldn't help but try to pair him up with other girls. Since Xu Qingchen didn't seem to have any thoughts on the matter, Ye Li nodded calmly and smiled. "Big Brother is right. Yunge will definitely become a renowned female divine physician."

Murong Ting rolled her eyes at Ye Li. "Right about what? Yunge is a year older than Wuyou, isn't she? At her age, girls should be thinking about marrying into a good family, not whether they'll become divine physicians."

Ye Li glanced at Qin Zheng, who was hugging Lin'er and stifling laughter. Amused, Ye Li's eyes flickered as she signaled to Wuyou, who immediately caught on and pulled Yunge outside to play.

Watching the two girls skip out hand in hand, Ye Li remarked, "Wuyou and Yunge seem to get along quite well." Hua Tianxiang laughed. "Of course! They both have good temperaments, and they study medicine under Shen together. In just a short time, outsiders would think they were the real sisters, not me and Wuyou."

"About Yunge's situation..." Ye Li frowned, unsure how to phrase it.

Murong Ting chuckled. "Madam Xu is quite pleased with the idea of Yunge becoming the Xu Family's eldest daughter-in-law. But the two involved parties—one is genuinely clueless, and the other is feigning ignorance. Madam Xu doesn't dare bring it up directly with the girl for fear of scaring her off. And that Qingchen Gongzi hasn't given any indication either. I heard Madam Xu is quite frustrated about it."Ye Li pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps... Eldest Brother really doesn’t have that intention?"

Murong Ting rolled her eyes. "If he doesn’t have that intention, then he shouldn’t keep stringing along a young girl. As Shen’s adopted daughter and a future divine physician, countless families are eagerly lining up to propose marriage to her." Murong Ting wasn’t joking. Yunge was beautiful, highly skilled in martial arts, and had a bright, pure-hearted personality. While such traits might not be ideal in noble or aristocratic households, they were precisely what appealed to the generals who roamed the battlefield. Many commanders of the Mo Family Army wanted to marry such a girl to their sons, and countless young officers admired her beauty and cheerful nature.

Not to mention, Yunge’s medical skills, which Shen Yang had highly praised, were enough on their own to attract countless suitors bearing betrothal gifts, even if she lacked looks or family background. Unfortunately, beside this lovely and charming girl, there always seemed to appear a snow-white-robed, ethereally handsome gentleman—Qingchen Gongzi—who caused countless admirers to retreat in defeat before they could even make a move.

This was precisely what Murong Ting found most irritating about Xu Qingchen. If he had feelings for the girl, he should be straightforward about it. If not, he should keep his distance and not hinder others from pursuing her. He shouldn’t take advantage of the fact that Yunge had grown up in the mountains and was inexperienced in worldly matters. After all, Yunge was no longer that young. Except for someone like Hua Tianxiang, who was forced by circumstances, most girls in this world were already married by the age of fifteen or sixteen.

"Zheng’er, what exactly is Eldest Brother’s intention?"

Qin Zheng covered her lips with a smile. "Li’er, don’t ask me. I rarely see Eldest Brother either. But... I always felt that he... must treat Yunge differently." After all, Qingchen Gongzi had been so busy over the past year that even Madam Xu often couldn’t find him, yet he still found time to accompany Yunge on outings now and then. It hardly seemed like he had no interest at all. However... Qingchen Gongzi’s thoughts were not something mere mortals like them could easily decipher.

Seeing the three of them discussing Qingchen Gongzi’s romantic affairs, Hua Tianxiang couldn’t help but join in, smiling as she said, "If Qingchen Gongzi really does have feelings for Yunge, I’d say he’s in for a lot of trouble."

"How so?" the three asked curiously. There weren’t many things in this world that could trouble Qingchen Gongzi, so it was no wonder they were so intrigued.

Hua Tianxiang chuckled. "Yunge grew up in the mountains, and her temperament is as innocent as a child’s. If it were any other girl, having Qingchen Gongzi accompany her so often would at least make her feel flattered, if not overjoyed. But look at Yunge—she always looks so miserable whenever she’s around him."

Murong Ting and Qin Zheng exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh. For some reason, despite Qingchen Gongzi appearing perfectly amiable, Yunge seemed genuinely afraid of Xu Qingchen. Around him, she didn’t behave like a lovestruck young girl but more like a clumsy student standing before a stern teacher. If Xu Qingchen truly had feelings for Yunge, his path to romance would indeed be a rocky one.Ye Li took Lin'er, who was reaching out his little hands toward her, from Qin Zheng's arms and smiled, "Alright, I'll ask Big Brother about this matter later. As for Third Brother and Fourth Brother's marriages, what do Aunt and Second Aunt think?"

Qin Zheng smiled, "Mother and Aunt are planning to hold Third Brother and Fourth Brother's weddings together this August. They've already discussed it with Madam Yang, who had no objections."

Ye Li chuckled, "That's good. It seems our family will have many joyous occasions this year. When the time comes... Tianxiang and Wuyou can just get married directly from Prince Ding's Estate."

"Li'er!" Hua Tianxiang's fair face flushed red as she glared at Ye Li. "We came because we heard about Lin'er and Xin'er's first birthday celebration to see if we could help. Why are you teasing me like this?" Ye Li sighed softly and smiled gently, "These matters are already being handled. Tianxiang, you should just focus on being a happy bride. All these years... you've suffered." Truth be told, among their group, Ye Li had married into Prince Ding's Estate early, followed by Qin Zheng and Murong Ting. Now even Mo Xiaobao was nearly ten years old, yet Hua Tianxiang's marriage had been delayed until now. While twenty-six or twenty-seven wouldn't be considered old in her previous life, in this era, a woman unmarried by twenty was already called an old maid. The pressure Hua Tianxiang had endured was unimaginable.

Hua Tianxiang's beautiful eyes reddened slightly as she whispered, "Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine."

Ye Li reached out to pat her hand, smiling, "Yes, and it will be even better in the future."

"Li'er... are you going to become Empress?" Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Murong Ting quickly changed the subject with a teasing smile.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Who said I'm becoming Empress?" Murong Ting grinned at her, "Now that Prince Ding has defeated Northern Rong, Mo Jingli, and Prince Zhennan of Xiling, shouldn't he ascend the throne? Who else could be Empress if not you? We wouldn't laugh at you—having an Empress as a close friend would be quite glorious."

Ye Li smiled faintly, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I won't be becoming Empress anytime soon."

"Why?" Murong Ting looked bewildered. If Prince Ding became Emperor and Ye Li wasn't Empress, the whole world would object.

Hua Tianxiang rolled her eyes, "That's obviously because Prince Ding hasn't planned to proclaim himself Emperor yet. But Li'er... is Prince Ding really..." Ye Li gave a helpless smile. It seemed Mo Xiuyao's ascension to the throne was indeed what everyone expected. Even close friends like Hua Tianxiang and Murong Ting couldn't believe otherwise.

After receiving Ye Li's confirmation, everyone fell silent for a moment. Murong Ting sighed and looked at Ye Li, "Actually, Prince Ding not ascending the throne has its advantages. I've heard many people recently scheming about how to send their daughters into the palace as concubines. Zheng'er, quite a few have been trying to go through the Xu Family, right?"

Qin Zheng nodded silently. Indeed, many people had recently come to the Xu Family to curry favor. Although the Princess Consort's surname was Ye, Prince Ding's Estate clearly only recognized the Xu Family as her maternal relatives. However, since Ye Li had just returned, the Xu Family didn't want to trouble her with these matters and hadn't mentioned them.In truth, such matters were to be expected. Back when Prince Ding's Estate was still unstable and fighting to establish its rule, the situation was ever-changing, and anything was possible. Naturally, no one cared whether Prince Ding married one wife or filled his estate with a courtyard of beautiful concubines. Even if Prince Ding refused to form alliances through marriage to consolidate power, it could simply be said that he was too proud to rely on nepotism. But once the empire was stabilized, whether for the sake of propriety, ancestral laws, the interests of the nobility, or to balance power, expanding the imperial harem would become an inevitable necessity. No matter how formidable Mo Xiuyao was, he couldn’t possibly execute all the opposing ministers, nor could the vast empire be upheld by the Xu Family alone. It was precisely because these people understood this that they took it for granted that once Mo Xiuyao ascended the throne, he would inevitably take consorts and concubines like previous generations of Prince Ding. History was not without examples of emperors and empresses sharing deep affection during the struggle for power, but once they truly ascended the throne, which emperor didn’t end up with a palace full of consorts?

"Li'er..." Qin Zheng looked at Ye Li with concern.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. Xiu Yao will handle these matters."

Murong Ting said uneasily, "Prince Ding..." It wasn’t that she doubted Prince Ding’s character—she had witnessed firsthand how Ye Li and Prince Ding had walked side by side all these years, and she deeply admired their bond. But the throne often came with countless unavoidable compromises and impossible choices.

Ye Li said softly, "I trust him. No matter what happens, we will face it together."

Seeing Ye Li so composed, Murong Ting also relaxed and nodded firmly. "No matter what, Li'er, we’ll always support you."

"Thank you," Ye Li replied with a smile.

"Mother..." The little princess in Murong Ting’s arms squirmed and stretched her tiny hands toward Ye Li. With a helpless smile, Ye Li handed Lin'er to Qin Zheng and took Xin'er into her arms. "What is it, Xin'er?"

Murong Ting watched as Xin'er nestled in Ye Li’s embrace, her chubby little face beaming with joy, and couldn’t help but grumble, "Aunt Xu was right—you’re such an ungrateful little thing. When your mother wasn’t here, Aunt Murong played with you every day. Now that she’s back, you don’t want me anymore."

"Auntie... Mother..." The little princess giggled even more happily in Ye Li’s arms, completely oblivious to Murong Ting’s complaint.

Hua Tianxiang, cradling Lin'er while teasing him, mused thoughtfully, "Lin'er, could it be that Prince Ding refuses to ascend the throne because of this?" It had to be said that Hua Tianxiang, coming from a distinguished military family, had a clearer understanding of many matters than Qin Zheng and Murong Ting.

Ye Li paused, then smiled. "He said he doesn’t want to attend court."

The others were speechless. What kind of reason was that?

"Reporting to Wang Fei, Qingchen Gongzi requests your presence in the study," a guard hurriedly announced from outside the door.

Hearing this, Ye Li raised an eyebrow, immediately sensing something unusual. Mo Xiuyao was also in the study at this time—why was it Qingchen Gongzi summoning her instead of the prince? "What happened?"

The guard hesitated, glancing at Ye Li. "His Highness... His Highness is in a furious rage in the study. Qingchen Gongzi asked for you to come and see.""I understand, you may go." Ye Li sighed, standing up and placing Xin'er into Qin Zheng's arms with a smile. "I'll be back soon." The little princess babbled and clung to Ye Li's hair, refusing to let go. With a helpless frown, Ye Li shook her head and laughed, "Alright then, I'll take you along. Does Xin'er miss her father too?"

"Li'er, perhaps it's better if I keep Xin'er," Qin Zheng suggested. Though she had never witnessed Prince Ding's anger firsthand, she had heard enough about it. It wouldn't do to frighten the child. Moreover, Qin Zheng had a fair idea of what might have provoked the prince's wrath. She added softly, "Pay no mind to whatever others may say."

Ye Li nodded and said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine." After much persuasion, she finally managed to convince the little princess to let go. Ye Li went inside to change her clothes before heading towards the outer study.