In the blink of an eye, the day of Mo Suiyun's grand wedding was fast approaching, and envoys from various nations had mostly arrived to offer their congratulations. Apart from Lei Tengfeng and Mo Xiaobao, no other ruling figures had come in person. Since his secret discussion with Lei Tengfeng, Mo Xiaobao had uncharacteristically quieted down, not even showing a flicker of emotion upon receiving the secretly signed alliance agreement between Lei Tengfeng and Mo Suiyun.
However, even if Mo Xiaobao behaved himself and caused no trouble, Mo Suiyun's wedding was destined to become a farce simply because he had, in a moment of poor judgment, invited this jinx to attend.
On the eve of the wedding, shocking news reached the palace. The future Empress of Southern Chu, Mo Suiyun's betrothed, had eloped with someone the day before the wedding?!
Upon hearing this, Mo Suiyun snapped the wolf-hair brush in his hand in half.
"Speak. What exactly happened?" Mo Suiyun demanded coldly.
The dispatched guards were quite efficient, returning in less than two hours. "Your Majesty... we interrogated the maids of the... Qian residence. According to them... some days ago, Miss Qian met a young man who claimed to be the illegitimate son of a wealthy merchant from Guangling, surnamed Huo. The two hit it off at first sight... Miss Qian had been in low spirits these past few days. This morning, when the maid brought water to her room, she discovered Miss Qian was gone."
"A young man surnamed Huo?" Mo Suiyun frowned. "What did he look like? From Guangling?"
The guard grimaced. "Your Majesty, it's likely a false name. There are no wealthy merchants surnamed Huo in Guangling." Although Guangling was now under Prince Ding's Estate, it was too close to Southern Chu for them not to be familiar with it. Moreover, the surname Huo was extremely rare—if such a family existed, they would surely have known. "According to Miss Qian's maid, he was a handsome youth dressed in white, appearing to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. Exceptionally beautiful and well-behaved, giving the impression of a good person at first glance."
"A false name?" Mo Suiyun's frown deepened. If the bride had truly eloped due to an affair, that would be one thing. But if someone had deliberately lured her away at this moment, then... Regardless, that woman surnamed Qian deserved to die!
"Send men to find her immediately! I want her found, dead or alive!" Mo Suiyun barked.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard shuddered and hastily withdrew to carry out the order. Whether Miss Qian was alive or dead, or why she had fled the marriage, it was clear she wouldn't survive even if found.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ding requests an audience," a eunuch announced from outside the door.
Mo Suiyun's face darkened. The last person he wanted to see right now was Mo Xiaobao. "Denied!" he snapped irritably.
"Ah, Brother Suiyun. I came all this way to comfort you—how can you be so cold, so heartless?" Mo Xiaobao's lazy, teasing voice, dripping with amusement that made one's teeth itch with annoyance, sounded from outside the door. Without waiting for Mo Suiyun's response, Mo Xiaobao strolled in, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing him like this, Mo Suiyun couldn't help but recall Mo Xiaobao's oft-repeated catchphrase: "Seeing you miserable makes my life complete." This bastard was definitely here to laugh at his misfortune!"What are you doing here?" Mo Suiyun asked irritably. Mo Xiaobao blinked innocently and said, "I heard Brother Suiyun's Empress... well, has gone missing. Didn't I come especially to comfort you? Look, I still have a few people in Nanjing City who can be of use. Should I have them help you search? What if it delays tomorrow's wedding?"
"No need!" Mo Suiyun gritted his teeth. This guy was clearly here to mock him! Did he really think Mo Suiyun was in a hurry to find that woman just for tomorrow's wedding? As if Mo Suiyun had fallen so low that he had to marry a woman who eloped with someone else!
"We've known each other for so long—don’t stand on ceremony," Mo Xiaobao said kindly.
"Thanks for your kindness," Mo Suiyun said through clenched teeth.
Mo Xiaobao nodded generously with a smile. "It’s nothing."
Mo Suiyun barely suppressed the urge to drag someone out and whip their corpse, forcing out a low voice, "I have important matters to attend to. If Prince Ding has nothing else, you may leave first." Mo Xiaobao raised an eyebrow. "Important matters? Hmm... would the whereabouts of Her Majesty the Empress count as important?"
"She is not the Empress!" Mo Suiyun roared.
Mo Xiaobao was stunned by the shout. Blinking, he said somewhat aggrieved, "Oh, in that case, there’s nothing important left. I’ll take my leave now." With that, he headed for the door of the imperial study.
"Stop!" Mo Suiyun bellowed. "Where is that wretched woman?"
Mo Xiaobao stroked his chin and smiled. "Well... before I entered the palace, I think I saw her leaving the northern city gate with a man. Probably heading toward the Cloud Ripple River." Once past the Cloud Ripple River, she’d be out of Mo Suiyun’s jurisdiction, and the vast northern lands would make hiding someone easy.
Mo Suiyun’s face darkened with rage, but he quickly caught on and eyed Mo Xiaobao suspiciously. "How do you even know her?"
"Ah... well..." Mo Xiaobao hesitated, looking somewhat embarrassed. "You see, I happen to know Her Majesty’s... sweetheart."
"Mo Yuchen! Go die!" Mo Suiyun finally lost all restraint. He yanked the decorative sword from the wall beside him and swung it at Mo Xiaobao. Mo Xiaobao’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he gracefully sidestepped the clumsy strike. But Mo Suiyun refused to let it go, gripping the sword and chasing Mo Xiaobao in a frenzy of wild slashes. Mo Xiaobao didn’t fight back, merely dodging with a smile as he stepped lightly away from each attack. The two of them hacked their way from the imperial study all the way into the Imperial Garden. The guards who rushed over upon hearing the commotion initially intended to protect their emperor, but seeing that the aggressor was His Majesty himself and the one being attacked was strolling around with utter nonchalance—while the attacker seemed far more exhausted than his target—they felt too awkward to intervene.
"Brother Suiyun, let’s talk this out," Mo Xiaobao said cheerfully.
"Talk my ass!" In his fury, Mo Suiyun even forgot the imperial "We," cursing outright. He was determined to chop Mo Yuchen to death—ridding the world of this scourge.
"Brother Suiyun, misplaced anger is pointless. It’s not like I was the one who seduced that woman..."
The onlookers were horrified, their expressions clearly saying, "So that’s how it is." Then, realizing what they’d just heard, they wished they could immediately deafen themselves.
"You dare say you weren’t the one behind it?" Mo Suiyun sneered.Mo Xiaobao hesitated for a moment before saying, "I really didn't instigate anything..." He had merely offered some initial suggestions, made a few threats in the middle, and framed someone at the end, that's all.
"I don't believe you. Go die!" Mo Suiyun sneered coldly. With a helpless sigh, Mo Xiaobao tapped lightly into the air and flew to sit on the opposite rooftop, lamenting, "These days, it's really impossible to be a good person."
Mo Suiyun gave him an icy smile, then turned to glance at the guards who were watching the spectacle and barked, "Are you all dead?! Shoot him down for me!"
Naturally, the guards dared not disobey the imperial order. They quickly drew their bows and fired, sending a rain of arrows toward the figure lounging on the rooftop, basking in the sun. Watching the arrows flying toward him, Mo Xiaobao leaped into the air, tracing a black arc as he swiftly retreated to a safe distance. From afar, his agonized wail echoed, "Mo Suiyun, you petty, narrow-minded jerk! No wonder no one wants youuuu..." The cry reverberated for a long while. According to the guards with decent inner energy, they couldn't be sure if the entire populace of Nanjing had heard Prince Ding's earth-shaking roar, but everyone in the palace had definitely heard it.
Mo Suiyun glared at the palace eaves where Mo Xiaobao had disappeared, his face alternating between green and purple, terrifying the guards. After a long silence, he finally gritted his teeth and growled, "Mo Yuchen, I swear I'll kill you!"
After thoroughly enraging Mo Suiyun, Mo Xiaobao felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Indeed... life would be dull without doing something amusing every day. He strolled leisurely through the palace grounds. Although this was the Southern Chu imperial palace and not the backyard of Prince Ding's Estate, most of the guards had become familiar with this young prince who could infuriate people to death without consequence. None dared to stop him. Besides, given Mo Xiaobao's skills—honed from his early years in the Qilin and further tempered by Mo Xiuyao's relentless training—no one could actually stop him even if they tried.
"Your Highness, Prince Ding." Mo Xiaobao was sprawled beside a flower bed in the Imperial Garden, staring intently at a peony in full bloom. At this time of year, it was rare to see such splendid peonies in the Jiangnan region, making it a delightful surprise. Since Li Cheng was located in the northwest, the variety of flowers there paled in comparison to the south. Mo Xiaobao found this majestic Wei Purple peony perfectly matched his taste and style. He debated whether to play the role of a flower thief and transplant it from the Imperial Garden to the flower garden of his estate in Li Cheng.
Turning his head, he noticed Princess Lin'an approaching from the other end of the garden. Losing interest, he turned back to continue drooling over the peony.
"What is Your Highness looking at?" Princess Lin'an felt a vein throbbing on her forehead. Was she, a stunning beauty, less appealing to Mo Yuchen than a mere flower?
Mo Yuchen replied indifferently, "Looking at flowers. Tsk tsk... The climate in Jiangnan really is superior. Look at how well this flower is cultivated—truly the king of flowers. So elegant and luxurious, utterly enchanting."If not for some remaining reason, Princess Lin'an would have grabbed the person sprawled over the flowerbed, staring upward, and shaken them violently while roaring: Are you really okay?! Getting infatuated with a flower while ignoring a great beauty like her. How on earth was such a freak born—someone who looks at inanimate objects as if they were beauties and at beauties as if they were inanimate objects?!
"If Prince Ding likes it, I can ask His Majesty to gift it to you," Princess Lin'an said through gritted teeth, wishing she could destroy the Wei Purple peony trembling gently in the breeze.
"Really?" Mo Xiaobao hesitated. "Mo Suiyun is so stingy, he definitely wouldn’t agree."
Princess Lin'an immediately recalled the earlier shocking scream, her elegant lips twitching involuntarily. Given her brother’s current mood… he probably only wanted to destroy someone. Gift him such a precious Wei Purple peony? He likely wouldn’t even spare a single weed from the Imperial Garden for Prince Ding.
Mo Xiaobao absentmindedly nibbled on his finger. "But it’s fine… I can take it back first. Once Mo Suiyun cools down, I’ll tell him…"
Princess Lin'an’s lips twitched again. She coughed lightly and said coolly, "Wang Ye, I have something to ask you. Could you spare me a little of your time?" The word "little" seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Mo Xiaobao blinked, then finally nodded. Standing up reluctantly, he cast one last longing glance at the flower before him. "Alright, what does the princess wish to say?"
The two walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down. Even so, Princess Lin'an could still feel that his gaze lingered more on the garden than on her. Every word, action, and even expression from Mo Xiaobao told her one undeniable fact—he had no interest in her! What was even more infuriating was that this wasn’t an act. It came naturally, without the slightest hint of pretense—at least, none that Princess Lin'an could detect.
Princess Lin'an clenched her teeth silently. Though Prince Ding was unmatched in looks, power, and ability, if given the choice, she would never want to marry such a man. If the previous Prince Ding had been the epitome of a good husband, this one was the very definition of a scoundrel. Any woman who married him would be cursed for eight lifetimes.
But what Princess Lin'an knew even better was that if she didn’t marry him, she would have to wed one of the spoiled young masters from the noble families in Nanjing that her brother needed to win over. Since the Great Chu’s southern relocation, those aristocratic youths had grown increasingly dissolute. While a few outstanding men could occasionally be found in earlier years, in recent times, anyone with real talent and ability had fled to Li Cheng. Princess Lin'an had no desire to marry an ordinary wastrel and live out her days in obscurity within some grand mansion.
"Princess Lin'an, what did you wish to say?" Mo Xiaobao raised an eyebrow after waiting a while without her speaking.
Princess Lin'an gritted her teeth and asked solemnly, "I want to know—what is it about me that makes Wang Ye unwilling to marry me?"
"Not good enough?" Mo Xiaobao tilted his head, studying her for a moment before smiling. "Well… perhaps it’s because Princess Lin'an is too old?"Princess Lin'an gritted her teeth, "I'm only fifteen years old!"
Mo Xiaobao nodded, "Indeed, but this prince has declared he won't marry until twenty-five. By then, won't you already be twenty-five and considered old?"
Would you still be fifteen or sixteen by the time I'm twenty-five? Princess Lin'an nearly wanted to shout. But she understood there was nothing to be said—men and women were simply unequal in this regard. A man could establish himself at thirty, while a woman at thirty was already past her prime. Princess Lin'an couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for Princess Ding, who had met the right person at the perfect age.
Suppressing her turbulent thoughts, Princess Lin'an said, "Your Highness must know that my imperial brother intends to form a marriage alliance with Prince Ding's Estate. Lin'an can promise that as long as Your Highness agrees... in the future, I will never interfere with any of Your Highness's affairs. No matter... what kind of woman you wish to marry later, Lin'an... will never utter a word of objection."
Mo Xiaobao propped his chin on his hand, studying Princess Lin'an seriously before shaking his head with apparent disappointment. "If that's the case, why would this prince marry Princess Lin'an? What difference would it make from keeping a useless person around for nothing? Moreover, if this prince were to meet a girl he truly loves in the future, wouldn't that just wrong her?"
So you're absolutely certain you'll never like me, is that it?! Princess Lin'an seethed inwardly. Though she had no feelings for this wretched, seemingly immature Prince Ding either, being so casually dismissed as a woman was still a severe blow to her pride. Mo Xiaobao grinned at her and said, "I know why the princess wants to marry me, but in truth, you have a much better alternative."
Princess Lin'an froze. "A better alternative?" What better alternative could she possibly have?
"How about becoming the Empress of Great Chu?"
"Mo Yuchen, get out here this instant!" Just as Princess Lin'an was about to speak, Mo Suiyun's voice rang out from the entrance of the Imperial Garden. Dressed in imperial robes, Mo Suiyun stormed over with a sword in hand, murderous intent radiating from him.
OpenNovel