Mo Li

"Mo Yuchen, get out here!" Mo Suiyun, clad in imperial robes, stormed in with a sword, murderous intent radiating from him.

Prince Mo, vexed, stood up and leaped onto the pavilion, narrowly avoiding the blade Mo Suiyun swung at him without hesitation. He snapped angrily, "Mo Suiyun, will you ever stop? Over such a trivial matter, you're acting as if I killed your parents!" This was utterly unreasonable and lacking in magnanimity.

Mo Suiyun nearly spat blood—even if Mo Yuchen had truly killed his parents, he wouldn’t be this furious. But now, just thinking about what Mo Xiaobao had done, he wanted to tear the boy into pieces.

"Mo Yuchen, come down here! I’ll kill you!" Mo Suiyun roared, pointing his sword at the black-clad youth crouched atop the pavilion.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Xiao Bao scoffed. He wasn’t about to jump down and let himself be hacked at. If Mo Suiyun missed and ended up dying of rage, the people of Southern Chu might accuse him of assassinating the emperor.

Having thoroughly enjoyed his day, Xiao Bao glanced at the panting, livid Mo Suiyun below and decided it was time to call it quits. Standing up, he dusted his hands and said airily, "It’s getting late. My little Lin'er is waiting for me to come home for dinner. See you tomorrow." Then, under everyone’s gaze, Prince Mo soared away like a black eagle, disappearing beyond the high palace walls in a few leaps.

Watching Xiao Bao depart so casually, Mo Suiyun sighed in defeat. Was he truly inferior to Mo Xiaobao? Despite all his efforts and schemes, could he still not match that seemingly carefree fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy? Were the people of Prince Ding’s Estate truly so divinely favored? He refused to believe it!

As Xiao Bao ambled out of the palace, he felt a slight twinge of guilt for ruining Mo Suiyun’s empress coronation ceremony. But it couldn’t be helped—Mo Suiyun had chosen too well. If the Qian family’s daughter became empress, Mo Suiyun might truly gain full control over Southern Chu’s court, which was the last thing Xiao Bao wanted. He still hoped for a few peaceful years ahead, free from Mo Suiyun and Lei Tengfeng’s schemes. So, the Qian family would just have to suffer.

"Wang Ye, something’s happened!" Qin Lie swiftly approached, carrying Mo Yufeng in one arm, his expression grave as he stood outside the palace gates.

"What is it?"

"Leng Junhan is being hunted down," Qin Lie said.

"How?"

"Because of you! Did you think Mo Suiyun would just take this lying down?" Qin Lie retorted irritably. Instigating Leng Junhan to seduce Mo Suiyun’s fiancée—what a ridiculous idea! Even if Mo Suiyun was incompetent, he was still a ruler. Provoking him like this was akin to trampling his dignity underfoot. While Mo Suiyun might not dare touch Mo Yuchen, killing Leng Junhan to vent his anger was entirely within his power.

Xiao Bao’s handsome face darkened. "Where’s Leng Xiaodai now?"

"He fled the city! Mo Suiyun sent many Imperial Bodyguards after him." This was Mo Suiyun’s territory, after all. In a direct confrontation, they stood no chance.

Xiao Bao cursed under his breath and ordered, "You protect Lin'er. I’ll go find Leng Xiaodai." Without waiting for Qin Lie’s response, he leaped up and dashed toward the city gates.Outside the city of Nanjing, Leng Junhan's white robes were already stained with blood—some his own, some others'. Fortunately, his injuries weren't severe. He glanced down at his wounds with some exasperation, then turned to look behind him. The Inner Court Guards who had been pursuing him hadn't caught up yet, so he allowed himself a slight sigh of relief and leaned against the hillside to rest for a moment.

"This has really gone too far. Mo Yuchen, go to hell!" Leng Junhan muttered irritably.

"Fire... Fire Young Master..." Beside him, Miss Qian, her face pale, looked at the bloodstained youth with tearful guilt. "Are you alright?"

Leng Junhan rolled his eyes. "Didn't I already tell you? My surname isn't Fire, it's Leng."

Miss Qian, tears in her eyes, said, "Whether your surname is Fire or Leng, I'll follow you."

"Idiot," Leng Junhan muttered under his breath. He was an even bigger fool for being soft-hearted—worried that she might be killed by Mo Suiyun's men, and now he was the one suffering for it. Trying to evade the Imperial Bodyguards of the Southern Chu palace while dragging along a helpless woman? If he died, it would definitely be from sheer stupidity.

"Over here!" The voices of the Inner Court Guards rang out again not far behind. Leng Junhan rolled his eyes, grabbed Miss Qian, and swiftly dashed forward.

"Where do you think you're running? Surrender now!" A group of men blocked Leng Junhan's path ahead. He sighed inwardly, mentally cursing Mo Xiaobao's ancestors eighteen generations back, before forcing a polite smile. "Gentlemen, what's the meaning of this?"

Those sent by Mo Suiyun to capture the runaway Empress were naturally his most trusted men—they wouldn't be easily fooled by Leng Junhan. The leader of the guards sneered. "Young Master, why pretend ignorance? Surrender quietly, and we can report back to His Majesty without trouble. If we have to fight, any injuries would be a waste."

Miss Qian stepped forward, shielding Leng Junhan, and declared loudly, "I won't go back! I don't want to be Empress!"

The guard leader's lips twitched. Did she really think the position of Empress was hers to claim? At this point, even if she wanted it, it was no longer possible.

"By His Majesty's order, the Qian family's daughter has betrayed imperial favor and is hereby sentenced to death."

Miss Qian's face turned ashen. She was just a naive, sheltered girl from a wealthy family. Though she had studied court etiquette and laws, she had long forgotten them in the heat of emotion. Now, reminded of the emperor's authority, she suddenly remembered what royal power truly meant.

"Young Master Leng, out of respect for Prince Ding, if you come back with us, we guarantee you won't be harmed in the slightest."

Leng Junhan scoffed. They wouldn't harm him, but they would use him as leverage against Mo Xiaobao to gain some advantage.

"Leng... Young Master Leng..."

Seeing Miss Qian still gazing at Leng Junhan with infatuation, the guard leader sneered. "Miss Qian, do you really think Young Master Leng cares for you? He was just following Prince Ding's orders to toy with you."

At these words, Miss Qian's heart jolted. She whipped her head around to look at Leng Junhan. The bloodstained youth's unusually guilty expression told her this wasn't just the emperor's men trying to sow discord—it was likely the truth."Why... why?"

Leng Junhan sighed inwardly, cursing Mo Xiaobao for being truly wicked. Normally, toying with those who harbored ill intentions was one thing, but deceiving an ignorant young girl who knew nothing of the world—that was truly a guilty conscience. However, Leng Junhan also understood that Mo Xiaobao’s real intention wasn’t just to amuse himself by tricking an innocent girl. This Miss Qian was merely a pawn sacrificed in Mo Xiaobao’s scheme to strike at Mo Suiyun.

"Why... I gave you all my devotion. Why would you treat me like this?" Miss Qian clutched at Leng Junhan’s sleeve, her voice trembling with sorrow.

Leng Junhan rolled his eyes. "Boring."

"You... I’ll kill you!" Enraged, Miss Qian lunged at Leng Junhan, brandishing a dagger she had somehow procured, its blade gleaming coldly. Frowning, Leng Junhan casually flicked his wrist, deflecting the blade. "Stupid woman! If you want to live, don’t cause trouble for this young master!"

"Attack together!"

The nearby Inner Court Guards naturally wouldn’t stand by and watch the scuffle. At their commander’s signal, the group charged forward.

Though Leng Junhan’s martial skills were formidable, the Inner Court Guards were no pushovers either. Before long, he found himself struggling to fend them off. Just as he was about to be captured, a clear, cheerful laugh rang out from nearby. "Hehe... Brother Junhan, why are you fighting with others here?"

Hearing this, Leng Junhan’s heart leaped with joy, and he immediately cried out, "Help me!!"

A white shadow flashed past, and the men surrounding Leng Junhan felt as though a fierce gale had swept through them, sending them sprawling several feet away. In an instant, only Leng Junhan and the Miss Qian he had shielded remained standing, while everyone else had been flung back.

"Who dares—" The guard commander was about to erupt in fury when he caught sight of the figure before him and gasped in shock. The newcomer was clad in white robes, his hair silver-white, his features peerlessly handsome. His mere gaze, calm yet piercing, was enough to make the commander feel overwhelming pressure. More importantly... this was... "Prince Ding?"

White robes, silver hair, peerless martial prowess—who else could this suddenly appearing man be but the long-retired Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao?

"Junhan, what are you doing?" A graceful woman in green robes, her dark hair cascading like clouds, walked over, holding the hand of a little girl dressed in moon-white clothes, her delicate features like carved jade. She frowned at the bloodstains on Leng Junhan.

"Wang Fei..." Seeing Ye Li, Leng Junhan felt even more ashamed. Thankfully, they had run into the prince and princess consort—otherwise, today’s trouble would have been far worse.

Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly. "What mischief has Mo Yuchen gotten into this time?" At the age of fifteen, Mo Xiaobao had finally earned the right to use his formal name. The previous Prince Ding had also come to his senses, realizing that a son about to inherit the title should no longer go by a childish name like "Xiao Bao," lest it tarnish the dignity of Prince Ding’s Estate.

Leng Junhan grinned but didn’t answer. Instead, he eagerly rushed to Ye Li’s side, beaming foolishly at the little girl who was eyeing him curiously. "Xin’er, do you still remember Brother Junhan?"

The little girl hid behind Ye Li and rolled her eyes at the grinning fool. "If I didn’t remember, how would I call you Brother Junhan? Brother Junhan, you’re so dirty.""Uh..." Leng Junhan finally realized with dismay that he was covered in blood. Clearly, the fastidious little girl Yuya wouldn't let him hold her now.

"Your Highness Prince Ding, we..." The leader of the guards, who had just climbed up from the ground, spoke cautiously.

Mo Xiuyao waved his hand indifferently, "I am no longer Prince Ding."

The guard leader choked on his words, looking at the imposing figure before him with uncertainty. Should he address him as Grand Prince? Although his hair was as white as snow, his youthful appearance made it hard to utter such a title.

Ye Li shook her head with a smile, "Don't trouble him. This gentleman can address you as he pleases."

The guard leader gave Ye Li a grateful look, "Thank you, Wang Fei."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, "What did this kid do to offend Mo Suiyun? To warrant being chased by the Inner Court Guards?"

After hesitating, the guard leader recounted the entire incident truthfully. Although Prince Ding had severed ties with Southern Chu, his lingering influence remained. If they pursued someone from Li Cheng without explanation in front of Prince Ding, they would surely face serious consequences.

After hearing the full story, both Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li darkened their expressions—though for different reasons.

"If you have the guts to stir up trouble, you should have the ability to clean up the mess. This kid needs discipline," was Mo Xiuyao's thought.

"The older he gets, the more he acts recklessly. Who taught him this?" was Ye Li's thought.

"Go back and tell Mo Suiyun that I'm taking these two with me. If he wants them, he can come to me," Mo Xiuyao said calmly. Since his own son had caused trouble, he had to deal with it when encountered. Besides, out of respect for Leng Haoyu, he couldn't let them take Leng Junhan away.

"But..." The guard leader hesitated. This time, the Emperor was furious—if not for a shred of restraint, he might have even executed Xiao Ding Wang. If they returned empty-handed, it would be hard to explain to His Majesty.

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes, "What? Do you want me to explain it to Mo Suiyun personally?"

"I... wouldn't dare."

"Junhan!" From afar, Mo Xiaobao swooped in like a large black bird, only to nearly crash into a tree upon seeing the group standing there.

"Brother!" The only one truly delighted was the Mo family's little princess, Mo Yuya.

"Xin'er, my darling!" Mo Xiaobao immediately forgot his worries about Leng Junhan and rushed toward his little sister with glee. After kissing her soft cheeks, he didn't forget to hug his mother. "Mother, I've missed you so much."

Ye Li sighed helplessly, "You... Look at the mess you've made in Jiangnan. Junhan almost got seriously injured."

In front of Ye Li, Mo Xiaobao was always the obedient and adorable son. "Mother, I was wrong. I didn't think things through properly. You and Father left so suddenly, and I was all alone, struggling..."

"With your eldest uncle around, what struggle?" Mo Xiuyao said coolly. Brat, still trying to win A Li's sympathy! He really needs a lesson.

"Mother..." Undeterred, he continued to whine.

Ye Li patted his shoulder with a hint of nostalgia, "Alright, go settle the matter first. If you act recklessly again, I won't forgive you!" Her son had already grown too tall for her to ruffle his hair. At sixteen, Mo Xiaobao had long surpassed Ye Li in height."Yes, Mother!" Mo Xiaobao responded brightly. Holding Xin'er in one arm, he walked up to the captain of the guards and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You all go back first. I'll talk to Mo Suiyun myself later."

"I am right here. How do you plan to talk to me?" Mo Suiyun's angry voice came from not far away. Clearly, he had followed right after Mo Xiaobao left the city. However, Mo Xiaobao had wasted time searching, so they arrived at almost the same time.

Mo Xiaobao raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Brother Suiyun, what brings you out here?"

Mo Suiyun snorted lightly. As he passed by Miss Qian, he gave her a cold glance, immediately causing her to lower her head in fear.

"Nephew greets Uncle Prince Ding and Aunt Princess Ding."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Your Majesty is now the ruler of a nation. The titles of Uncle and Aunt are too much for us to bear. There’s no need for such courtesy."

"Courtesy cannot be neglected. By seniority, it is only proper to address you as Uncle," Mo Suiyun replied.

Ye Li sighed softly, glancing at Mo Xiaobao's playful grin and then at Mo Suiyun's solemn expression. Shaking her head, she said, "My son is mischievous. Please forgive him, Your Majesty."

Mo Suiyun shot a resentful look at Mo Xiaobao, but he couldn’t disregard the face of Prince Ding and Princess Ding. He could only say, "You flatter me, Princess. I also think... the young Prince Ding is still young. I won’t hold it against him."

"Then we thank Your Majesty," Ye Li nodded with a smile.

In the end, Mo Suiyun returned to the city empty-handed with his Inner Court Guards. Not only did he fail to capture Leng Junhan, but he also ignored Miss Qian, merely warning her never to appear in Southern Chu again.

"Mother is amazing. As soon as you stepped in, everything was resolved," Mo Xiaobao praised shamelessly, holding his little sister.

Ye Li gave him a calm look and asked, "What do you plan to do with this young lady?"

Without blinking, Mo Xiaobao grinned. "Isn’t this Leng Junhan’s business? Why ask me? I don’t know her, and she didn’t take a liking to me either."

"Mo! Yu! Chen!" Leng Junhan gritted his teeth. How could there be such a shameless person in the world? Who was to blame for his current predicament? But under Ye Li’s gaze, he could only obediently approach Miss Qian. "Um... Miss Qian..." I didn’t mean to deceive you. All of this was forced on me by that despicable Mo Xiaobao. If you must hate someone, hate him.

Slap! Miss Qian struck Leng Junhan hard across the face. "You shameless scoundrel! Drop dead!" With tears in her eyes, she turned and ran away.

Mo Xiaobao raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you going after her?"

Leng Junhan was furious. "Why should I?"

Mo Xiaobao bared his teeth. "You heard Mo Suiyun’s words. She can’t stay in Southern Chu anymore. A noble young lady like her, now alone with nowhere to go..."

"Mo Xiaobao, one day you’ll get your retribution!" Leng Junhan dashed off in the direction Miss Qian had fled, his venomous curse echoing from afar.

Mo Xiaobao chuckled inwardly. Retribution? That’s just the self-comfort of fools and the weak."Mo Xiaobao..." Mo Xiuyao's voice drifted ominously from behind, "It seems you truly have too much leisure time. Even becoming Prince Ding hasn't made you the slightest bit more responsible. In that case... after returning to Li Cheng, copy all the history books in the study. Reflecting on ancient wisdom might put something useful in that head of yours. I'll have Xu Qingchen supervise you."

Little Prince Mo's previously beaming face instantly fell. He didn't need to wait for someday—his retribution had already arrived.

Thus... Young Prince Mo, justice always prevails in the end. The punishment wasn't absent, merely delayed. Those who dig pits for others will inevitably fall into one themselves.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Wiping sweat... I've been too scared to update, mainly because the delay has been so long that I just wanted to bury my head like an ostrich. Sneaking this up tonight... hehe. These past two months I've been daily updating the new story while also dealing with all sorts of complications regarding the print edition. Now it's finally settled—the print version has been renamed "A Prosperous Fate" and will be released in early August. This being my first publication, I'm extremely nervous. Every time the editor messages me, I agonize for days. That's why the epilogue got delayed so long. Of course, Feng's laziness is also an undeniable factor. Sob, don't scold me.