Mo Li

Mo Xiaobao's eyes sparkled mischievously as he grinned and said, "Got it! Listen to this..." Leaning close to Qin Lie's ear, he whispered conspiratorially. After hearing his words, Qin Lie's eye twitched slightly, and he asked, "Will that work?"

"Absolutely no problem. Just wait for the show," Mo Xiaobao replied with a sly smile.

Qin Lie fell silent for a moment before saying earnestly, "Being too wicked will bring retribution."

Mo Xiaobao rolled his eyes at him. "Don’t act like you’re not interested."

Qin Lie said nothing, and the two exchanged a glance before simultaneously breaking into a knowing smirk. Mo Xiaobao happily pounced on Qin Lie, roughly pinching the delicate face identical to his own. "Good brother, I knew you’d find it fun too." After all, anyone who could thrive in Prince Ding's Estate was hardly a saint.

No sooner had Mo Xiaobao finished discussing with Qin Lie than hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Though the courtyard was heavily guarded, the guards usually moved with extreme caution, making their steps nearly inaudible unless Mo Xiaobao and Qin Lie paid close attention. The only one who would stride so boldly was likely Mo Jingli. Mo Xiaobao shot Qin Lie a glance before swiftly leaping onto the roof beam and disappearing through an inconspicuous hole above.

The moment Mo Xiaobao vanished, the door to the room was kicked open with a loud bang. The child who had been sleeping peacefully on the bed was startled awake by the noise and immediately began wailing at the top of its lungs.

Watching the baby cry so pitifully, Qin Lie broke into a cold sweat. He truly had no idea how to soothe a child—this little tyrant had only fallen asleep earlier thanks to Mo Xiaobao’s efforts.

"Shut up!" Mo Jingli growled, his entire aura dark and oppressive.

Qin Lie rolled his eyes. "If you’re so capable, why don’t you try calming it down? Are you insane? Don’t you know how hard it is to soothe a baby?"

Having just suffered a crushing defeat at Mo Xiuyao’s hands, Mo Jingli returned only to be taunted by Qin Lie, his expression turning even uglier. He stormed forward, grabbing Qin Lie by the collar with a murderous glare. "You looking to die?"

Without hesitation, Qin Lie raised his hand and jabbed straight for Mo Jingli’s eyes. Mo Jingli hastily blocked with his other arm, allowing Qin Lie to flip midair, kick away his grip, and land steadily a few steps back. He lifted his chin defiantly, glaring at Mo Jingli.

This skillful counterattack only deepened Mo Jingli’s scowl. Though he wasn’t worried this brat could actually defy him, the fact that Mo Xiuyao’s son was already so formidable at such a young age—while his own only son was...

Qin Lie scoffed. "You wouldn’t dare kill me. If you harm this young master, you’ll be signing your own death warrant."Mo Jingli's expression was twisted with fury. "Even if I die, having you as my companion in death isn't bad! I'd like to see whether Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li will truly grieve over the loss of a son." Qin Lie clapped his hands and laughed. "Ohoho, Emperor Chu, such lofty ambitions! So your grand aspiration is to see my father and mother heartbroken? So what? Even if you kill me, this world will still belong to my father. I still have younger brothers and sisters. My father and mother will still live out their years in peace. As for this prince... having an Emperor Chu as my burial companion isn't bad either. Who knows... perhaps in his rage, Father might arrange a few more people to accompany me. Like that... Mo Suoyun, maybe even Mo Suiyun. This prince exchanging one life for three generations of Chu emperors seems quite a bargain."

"You truly aren't afraid of death?" Mo Jingli stared intently at Qin Lie.

Qin Lie smiled cheerfully. "Probably just a bit less afraid than you, Emperor Chu. You're welcome to try—see if you can leave Li Cheng alive after killing this prince. Oh... there's also that little prince from Nanzhao, perhaps you could use him as leverage." Though Mo Jingli's expression remained ugly, the murderous aura around him gradually subsided. He understood perfectly well—that Nanzhao infant could only serve as marginal leverage in insignificant matters. If he truly killed Mo Xiaobao, Mo Xiuyao's wrath wouldn't be something a mere Nanzhao prince could offset.

With a cold snort, Mo Jingli finally turned and stormed away. "Stay put and behave yourself. I may not be able to kill you now, but that doesn't mean I can't cripple you!"

"How terrifying," Qin Lie said without sincerity, paying no further attention to the fuming Mo Jingli as he departed. Instead, he walked to the bedside and began clumsily comforting the still-whimpering baby.

At Prince Ding's Estate, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were in no hurry to search for Mo Xiaobao. This entire incident was meant as a trial for the young prince—had they truly wanted Mo Jingli dead, the matter could have been resolved much more simply long ago.

In a dimly lit cell within the estate, Mo Jingyu sat silently in a spacious chair, watching Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li across from him with faint unease. After a long silence, he couldn't help asking, "You truly aren't concerned about the Little Prince's safety?"

Mo Xiuyao glanced at him before returning to the dossier in his hands, replying calmly, "If he could be so easily harmed by Mo Jingli, he wouldn't deserve to be Prince Ding's heir." Mo Jingyu frowned. He had personally witnessed Mo Xiaobao being drugged and taken by Mo Jingli. Yet the composure of Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li made him suspect something was amiss—no parents in the world would remain unconcerned for their child's safety unless they were absolutely certain of it.

"The prince is truly in Mo Jingli's hands," Mo Jingyu insisted.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "This prince is aware. Otherwise, why do you think I allowed Mo Jingli to leave? But that no longer interests me. Mo Jingyu, tell me all of Great Chu's and Mo Jingli's strongholds in Li Cheng."

Mo Jingyu stiffened before saying solemnly, "This matter has nothing to do with Great Chu. My cooperation with Mo Jingli was my own decision."Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. "You don’t need to explain that to this prince. What I want is a complete list of all the strongholds and spies belonging to the Chu imperial family and Mo Jingli." The Chu imperial family had hidden countless spies and covert forces among the people—even Prince Ding’s Estate couldn’t possibly know them all. Without these forces, Mo Jingli would never have been able to stir up so much trouble in Li Cheng.

"I’m merely a royal clansman. Only Mo Jingli himself would know these things," Mo Jingyu replied.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head, unconvinced. He chuckled, "But this prince believes there are many things even Mo Jingli doesn’t know. The one who truly knows should be… the Empress Dowager. And this time, when you came to Li Cheng, she couldn’t have told you nothing at all."

Mo Jingyu froze, lowering his gaze in silence.

Leaning leisurely against the couch, Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "Back when Mo Jingqi was still alive, he planted many spies in the northwest. Naturally, Mo Jingli wouldn’t know about these. But… the Empress Dowager certainly does. Originally, this prince didn’t intend to bother with them—after all, walls have ears. Even if we uprooted these, others would still find ways to sneak in. But this time… Mo Jingli’s actions taught me an important lesson: mercy invites great trouble. So, I’ve decided to sweep those pests clean, spray some insecticide regularly, and maybe even set a fire. Who knows? Perhaps no more pests will grow in the future."

Mo Jingyu’s lips twitched involuntarily. If you call this mercy, then everyone in the world must be a living bodhisattva.

"From the very beginning… were you trying to uncover Chu’s spies in the northwest, or were you after Mo Jingli?" After a long silence, Mo Jingyu finally spoke up. Mo Xiuyao stroked his chin and asked unhurriedly, "Why can’t this prince want both? That old witch from Chu has quite the nerve, using this to negotiate terms with me? The Mo Family Army must not attack Jiangnan for twenty years? How did she come up with such an adorable condition?"

Only then did Mo Jingyu realize that all this misfortune stemmed from the Empress Dowager’s own meddling. He had no idea she had even proposed such terms to Mo Xiuyao—clearly, she still didn’t trust him. Sighing, Mo Jingyu said, "I didn’t know about this. If the Empress Dowager didn’t even tell me this, do you think I’d know the list of Chu’s spies in the northwest?"

Mo Xiuyao sneered. "If you didn’t know, would you have dared to make this trip?"

Mo Jingyu fell silent again. After a long while, he raised his head and asked, "If I tell you, what’s in it for me?" Mo Xiuyao smiled amiably at him. "You won’t be tortured." Mo Jingyu shook his head. "No, you must guarantee my safety. Though I agreed to help Mo Jingli, I haven’t actually done anything. So, I shouldn’t have offended Prince Ding’s Estate, right? I can tell you where the Little Prince is now, but you must promise to let me leave the northwest safely."

Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a mocking smile. "Haven’t done anything? Coercing the young Emperor of Chu to lure Xiao Bao out—does that count as nothing?"

Mo Jingyu’s eyes widened in shock. "How did you—"Mo Xiuyao beckoned, and the door of a nearby cell opened. A boy of about eleven or twelve, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, walked in. Gazing at Mo Jingyu, he softly called, "Uncle Prince Yu."

Mo Jingyu stared at Mo Suiyun in disbelief. "It was you... you told Mo Xiuyao?" Just by looking at Mo Suiyun's appearance, it was clear he hadn't suffered any hardships—meaning Prince Ding's Estate hadn't coerced him. He even caught a glimmer of joy and schadenfreude in Mo Suiyun's eyes, forcing Mo Jingyu to reconsider whether he had underestimated this seemingly unremarkable young emperor all along.

Mo Suiyun blinked, looking at Mo Jingyu with a hint of grievance. "Uncle Prince Yu, I'm sorry. I don’t want to die, and I certainly don’t want to die with you. I’m scared... terrified of Uncle Prince Ding. Haven’t you always told me how formidable he is? Then why did you make me go after his son? People die doing that."

Mo Jingyu felt so furious he could vomit blood. Now he could see it clearly—this kid had been playing the fool to deceive the tiger. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Mo Suiyun, do you even realize what you’ve done?"

Mo Suiyun hesitated but nodded.

Mo Xiuyao lazily remarked, "This child understands his actions far better than you do. How do you think I knew what you were planning tonight? And how did Shen Yang prepare Ice Jade Orchid in the hall ahead of time?"

"It was you?!" Though he knew Mo Suiyun had betrayed him, Mo Jingyu still couldn’t believe the boy had been colluding with Prince Ding's Estate so early on. "You... allied with Prince Ding's Estate? Aren’t you afraid of making a pact with a tiger and getting devoured?"

Mo Suiyun lifted his gaze to meet Mo Jingyu’s, replying earnestly, "Uncle Prince Yu, if I hadn’t allied with Prince Ding's Estate, I might already be dead. By cooperating with Uncle Prince Ding, I at least have a chance to survive. Only by living can I turn the tables."

Mo Jingyu stared deeply at Mo Suiyun before finally slumping back into his chair, utterly defeated. Mo Xiuyao waved his hand, signaling for Mo Suiyun to be taken away. The cell fell silent again. Mo Jingyu looked at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, smiling bitterly. "Prince Ding’s methods and schemes are truly unparalleled—manipulating the world with a mere flick of your wrist." Mo Xiuyao arched a brow but said nothing. Mo Jingyu continued, "From the very beginning, you knew Mo Jingli intended to target the Heir Apparent Ding. You even knew how he planned to do it. So... the ease with which Mo Jingli captured the heir must have been part of your design, right?"

Suddenly realizing that everything had been orchestrated by someone else, Mo Jingyu sobered up. He recalled how even Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting had failed to detect anything amiss when Mo Xiuyao had faked his death. His heart sank as he muttered, "The one Mo Jingli captured wasn’t the heir at all!" No parent could remain so calm and composed if their child had truly been taken, no matter how many guards were secretly protecting them.

Mo Xiuyao sighed softly, regarding Mo Jingyu with a hint of pity. "Mo Jingyu, you’ve always been clever. It’s just a shame... you committed such a foolish act on my turf. I had no choice but to deal with you. What did Mo Jingli offer you to dare oppose me?"

Mo Jingyu’s face paled. Closing his eyes, he uttered hoarsely, "The Imperial Jade Seal.""The Imperial Jade Seal?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with interest, turning to Ye Li and asking, "A Li, do you like the Imperial Jade Seal?" Ye Li smiled at him, "The Imperial Jade Seal? What use does it have?"

"Seems rather useless," Mo Xiuyao mused for a moment. "It's just a bit larger than the seal of Prince Ding's Estate, I suppose." Ye Li shook her head, "If you think it's too small, you could carve the characters of Prince Ding's Estate onto the Nine-Dragon Nation Protecting Seal." Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement. He had no interest whatsoever in the so-called Imperial Jade Seal. Moreover... the one in Mo Jingli's hands could hardly be called the true Imperial Jade Seal—at best, it was just the hereditary jade seal of the Great Chu. If he were interested, he could simply establish a new dynasty and carve a jade seal from any piece of jade to pass down through the ages.

Mo Jingyu's smile was bitter. Not everyone possessed Mo Xiuyao's capability and audacity. For someone with ambitions for the throne, the Imperial Jade Seal was an irresistible temptation. Besides, Mo Jingli had promised him far more than just the jade seal, leaving him no choice but to agree.

Mo Xiuyao looked at him calmly and said, "A mere Imperial Jade Seal shouldn’t have given you the courage to oppose this prince. Is there something else?" Mo Jingyu remained silent. It wasn’t that he still wanted to deny it to Mo Xiuyao, but he truly couldn’t speak. If he did, death would be his only fate.

Seeing his stubborn refusal, Mo Xiuyao sneered, "Do you think just because you won’t speak, this prince won’t find out?"

Mo Jingyu's face paled, and he finally lowered his head, his voice hoarse, "Since Wang Ye already knows, why ask again?"

Mo Xiuyao stared at him and said, "This prince simply doesn’t understand... As a member of the Great Chu imperial clan, why would you sell out your own country for a mere few hundred thousand taels of silver? At least a portion of the northern civilians massacred those two years must be accounted to you, no?" Mo Jingyu’s face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling slightly. He closed his eyes for a long moment before sighing, "Why... I don’t even know why. Perhaps it was just to prove a point. We are all our father’s sons, yet Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli—those two fools—tore Great Chu apart. Still, they took turns wielding power. Even though Mo Jingqi was killed by Mo Jingli, the Empress Dowager would rather tolerate her son’s imprisonment than let outsiders like us take control. They schemed and fought for power, while those of us who worked diligently for Great Chu, though honored in name, could barely scrape together enough to buy even a trinket. Such days... surely Prince Ding has experienced them too? If not for Prince Ding's Estate being as wealthy as a nation, what kind of life would you have lived those years?"

"You think you’re smarter than Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli?" Mo Xiuyao asked with a cold laugh.

Mo Jingyu raised a hand to cover his eyes, his voice despondent, "I used to think so. Now... I don’t know." He wasn’t a deranged traitor. His momentary folly had already led to an irreversible mistake. By the time he came to his senses, Great Chu had already moved south. In the years since, he had served Mo Jingli diligently, but due to his imperial status, Mo Jingli had always distrusted him. And now... had the time finally come for someone to settle these accounts?For a moment, Mo Jingyu seemed disheartened. He raised his eyes to look at Mo Xiuyao and said, “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. As for how you wish to deal with me… do as you please. Only… my children are still in Great Chu. I hope Prince Ding’s Estate can ensure their safety. I don’t ask for wealth or honor—just their peace and well-being.” After speaking these words, Mo Jingyu suddenly appeared to have aged several years.

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Mo Jingyu understood Mo Xiuyao well. Though his schemes made enemies gnash their teeth in frustration, once he made a promise, he always kept it. Mo Jingyu nodded and said, “Bring me paper and ink. I can only tell you what I know, but the Empress Dowager may not have disclosed everything to me.”

A short while later, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li left the prison cell with the information Mo Jingyu had provided. Inside the cell, Mo Jingyu remained seated in the wide chair, motionless as though all vitality had left him. His fate had long been sealed. For those who betrayed their country, neither Mo Xiuyao nor Prince Ding’s Estate ever showed leniency—whether he confessed or not, death was the only outcome. And now, no one would care whether he lived or died.