Mo Li

Ye Li!

In the garden of Prince Li's Palace, Hua Tianxiang was walking with Ye Li while chatting when a tall figure suddenly appeared before them, blocking their path.

"Li Wang Dianxia, may I ask what the matter is?" Hua Tianxiang stepped in front of Ye Li, raising her beautiful little face as she spoke. Ever since the incident at Chu Xiang Ge, Hua Tianxiang's goodwill toward Li Wang Dianxia had plummeted, now nearing negative levels. Seeing Mo Jingli appear before them with a hostile expression, she immediately assumed he was here to cause trouble for Ye Li.

Mo Jingli frowned in displeasure. "This prince is not looking for you."

Hua Tianxiang retorted bluntly, "Shouldn’t Your Highness be entertaining the guests right now? This garden is currently filled with ladies from various households. Your presence here is rather inappropriate. Even if Your Highness doesn’t care about his own reputation, he should at least consider others."

"This prince has something to say to Ye Li. Step aside," Mo Jingli said impatiently.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it directly. Li’er can hear you just fine," Hua Tianxiang replied.

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I said, step aside!"

Hua Tianxiang was about to say more when Ye Li gently pulled her back. "Tianxiang, why don’t you go check if Murong and the others have arrived? I’ll join you shortly."

"But..." Hua Tianxiang shot a worried glance at Mo Jingli.

Ye Li smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Xiu Yao will come find me once he’s finished speaking with Old Madam Hua."

Hearing this, Hua Tianxiang blinked playfully at Ye Li, her tone teasing. "Xiu… Yao, huh? Alright, I’ll go find Murong. You… be careful." With that, she shot a warning glare at Mo Jingli before waving at Ye Li and turning to leave.

Watching Hua Tianxiang’s uncharacteristically childish behavior, Ye Li couldn’t help but feel both amused and deeply moved. Hua Tianxiang was a true lady of noble bearing—she would never have deliberately provoked Mo Jingli if not for Ye Li’s sake.

As Hua Tianxiang’s figure disappeared around the garden’s corner, Ye Li’s smile faded. She turned to face Mo Jingli, her voice calm. "What does Your Highness wish to say?"

"Ye Li, you’ve got some nerve!" Mo Jingli gritted out.

Ye Li gave him a once-over, her tone still gentle. "I don’t understand what Your Highness means."

"Hmph! Do you think this prince will just let last night’s matter slide?" Mo Jingli sneered at her.

"I thought… that wasn’t for Your Highness to decide." After all, he was the one who had sent men to kidnap her with ill intentions. So why did he now act as though she had wronged him? What was wrong with this world? Ye Li couldn’t help but wonder.

"Are you actually planning to retaliate against this prince?" Mo Jingli mocked disdainfully.

"Not necessary. I usually settle my grievances on the spot if they’re not too serious. If Your Highness has nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

"Stop right there!" Mo Jingli roared, grabbing Ye Li and shoving her behind a rockery.

Ye Li glanced down at the hand gripping her wrist, her expression darkening. "Li Wang Dianxia, please behave with dignity!"

"Dignity?" Mo Jingli scoffed coldly. "Who do you think you are? Just a woman this prince discarded. Do you think clinging to Mo Xiuyao will save you? Tell me… if someone were to see us like this now, would you still have the face to marry Mo Xiuyao? Or perhaps even that cripple would find you repulsive?"

A dangerous glint flashed in Ye Li’s half-lidded eyes. "Li Wang Dianxia, release me.""What can you do if I refuse to let go?" Mo Jingli sneered, eyeing the delicate woman before him like a bird trapped in a cage. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that beneath her fragile and graceful appearance lay a predatory hawk capable of devouring its prey. The corners of Ye Li's lips curled slightly. "What can I do? This!" With swift precision, her free hand seized Mo Jingli's arm, applying just enough pressure to send a sharp, piercing pain through him. Before he could react, she flipped him sideways, sending him crashing to the ground. To make matters worse, since they were standing beneath a rockery, the back of Mo Jingli's head struck the stone, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

Ye Li hadn't anticipated this outcome either. She immediately withdrew her follow-up attack, crouching to check Mo Jingli's condition. Finding no serious harm, she stood up and gave him a few light kicks to vent her anger. Her past profession had made her far more familiar with human anatomy than most, so she knew exactly how to inflict pain without leaving visible marks.

Once her fury subsided, Ye Li couldn’t help but frown. Knocking out Prince Li in his own palace was far from ideal, especially on his wedding day. Still, it wasn’t an unexplainable predicament. Glancing at the unconscious figure on the ground, she calmly stepped over him and walked away with composure.

Leaving the rockery behind, she rounded a couple of bends before spotting Hua Tianxiang and Murong Ting waiting anxiously. The moment they saw Ye Li, they hurried forward. "A Li, are you alright? Did Prince Li do anything to you?" Murong Ting grabbed Ye Li’s arm in concern.

Ye Li smiled. "Do I look harmed? What could he possibly do to me in broad daylight?"

Murong Ting chuckled sheepishly. "I overreacted. Still, you should stay away from him."

Hua Tianxiang nodded in agreement, then asked curiously, "How did you finish talking so quickly?"

Ye Li shrugged. "There wasn’t much to say in the first place."

"Enough about these unpleasant people," Murong Ting said. "Let’s go sit down and have some tea. I really envy Zheng'er—Lord Qin never forces her to attend banquets she dislikes."

Ye Li nodded, linking arms with the two as they made their way toward the bustling crowd ahead.

The wedding proceeded as scheduled, allowing the slightly awkward ceremony—which had already missed the auspicious hour for fetching the bride—to conclude on a hopeful note. That is, if one ignored Li Wang Dianxia’s expression, which looked more suited to a funeral than a wedding. Seated beside Hua Tianxiang, Ye Li noticed Mo Xiuyao across the room, his eyes brimming with amusement as they briefly flicked toward Mo Jingli, who was now walking side by side with Ye Ying, holding the red silk. The mirth in his gaze deepened. Almost instantly, Ye Li realized Mo Xiuyao must have already known about the afternoon’s incident. Yet, judging by his expression, she suspected the matter wasn’t over yet.

So when, halfway through the ceremony, the ceremonial officer loudly announced the couple’s bow to each other—only for the groom to collapse with a thud—Ye Li wasn’t the least bit surprised. Instead, she felt a sense of inevitability. At this moment, she was absolutely certain Mo Jingli would probably never want to hold another wedding in his life. Anyone who fainted three times within twelve hours of their wedding would undoubtedly develop some form of trauma toward matrimonial ceremonies.

"H-How did this happen?" Murong Ting gasped, her jaw nearly dropping in shock.Hua Tianxiang was equally dumbfounded. This... she didn’t know what to say either. In fact, she was starting to feel a little sorry for Ye Ying. Missing the auspicious time for the wedding procession was one thing, but the groom fainting during the ceremony...

Sigh… A Li, this Prince Li’s health is really too poor. Thankfully…

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, but Consort Xian Zhao quickly regained her composure and ordered the newlyweds to be escorted back to their chamber while summoning the imperial physician. Though the groom had fainted, the wedding banquet had to continue—though the guests barely tasted the food. The noblewomen speculated about the real reason for Prince Li’s collapse while mentally preparing for the latest gossip that would spread through the capital by tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ye Li calmly assessed the consequences of having knocked Mo Jingli unconscious that afternoon and, finding no major issues, relaxed and enjoyed the feast with Hua Tianxiang and Murong Ting. Noticing a certain inconspicuous corner where a smug-looking man raised his glass to her with a grin, she gave a slight nod in return. This wedding… is certainly interesting.

--- Author’s Note ---

Honestly, this should be renamed The Most Unlucky Groom . Aside from the groom, no one else really suffered—well, except Ye Ying indirectly. I need to hurry up and get A Li and Xiu Yao married, or else a lot of plotlines won’t work. If you have opinions on the pacing, leave a comment—feedback welcome!