Mo Li

After meeting the two princesses.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had just stepped out of the inner room accompanied by the shopkeeper when they heard the attendant at the door greet someone respectfully. The shopkeeper froze for a moment before hurriedly excusing himself and stepping forward to welcome the newcomers. The people who had just entered also noticed the two of them. Princess Zhaoyang was momentarily stunned before exclaiming, "Xiu Yao?" She quickly walked over, stopping a few steps away from Mo Xiuyao, and said softly, "Xiu Yao, are you accompanying Miss Ye on a shopping trip?"

Mo Xiuyao's eyes flickered slightly as he nodded. "Indeed. It has been many years since we last met, Your Highness."

Princess Zhaoyang's face carried a trace of sorrow as she nodded. "It truly has been many years. As long as you... are doing well now, that's what matters. After your wedding, if Miss Ye has free time, she should visit the Princess Manor often to keep an old woman like me company."

Ye Li gave a slight nod and smiled gently. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will certainly visit when the time comes."

Princess Zhaoyang sighed softly and took Ye Li's hand with a smile. "Though this is only the second time I’ve met you, Miss Ye, I was somewhat acquainted with your mother in my younger days. If there’s anything else you like here, consider it a gift from me as an elder."

Ye Li felt somewhat helpless and was about to decline when Mo Xiuyao spoke first. "Aunt Zhaoyang... don’t overwhelm A Li. We still have some matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave now. Weren’t you here with Princess Zhaoren? Don’t let us spoil Her Highness’s mood."

The lavishly dressed noblewoman who had been ignored until now was none other than Princess Zhaoren, whom they had encountered at Mo Jingli’s wedding banquet not long ago. At Mo Xiuyao’s words, she merely let out a faint, disdainful hum.

Princess Zhaoyang frowned slightly before sighing. "Very well. Miss Ye, if you ever need anything in the future, just send word to my manor."

Ye Li thanked her softly before accompanying Mo Xiuyao out of Elegance Pavilion.

Once inside the carriage, Ye Li could clearly sense that Mo Xiuyao’s mood was far from calm. Without saying much, she picked up a book left in the carriage and began reading quietly. However, she couldn’t shake the inexplicable sense of strangeness she felt about Princess Zhaoyang’s words and demeanor earlier.

The princess’s attitude reminded her somewhat of Han Mingyue’s—seemingly wanting to be close to Mo Xiuyao, yet maintaining a certain distance for some unknown reason. There was an undercurrent of guilt and a desire to make amends in her expression. And since Mo Xiuyao clearly wasn’t willing to accept such gestures, they were instead redirected toward her—like Han Mingyue’s silver notes or Princess Zhaoyang’s overtures.

Just what had these two done to wrong Mo Xiuyao?

"I’m sorry, A Li," Mo Xiuyao said softly in the carriage, his eyes tinged with faint remorse.

Ye Li raised a puzzled brow, and Mo Xiuyao smiled wryly. "I originally intended to take you out to relax..."

Ye Li suddenly understood—this man was apologizing for his earlier gloomy mood? But wasn’t it natural to feel upset when encountering someone unpleasant? Or did he think she was acting like a petulant child who needed appeasing?

"It’s nothing. If you’re not in the mood today, let’s head back. We can go out another time when you’re feeling better."

Truthfully, she wasn’t in the mood to accompany a brooding man either—she wasn’t good at comforting people. She’d rather spend her time on other matters. After yesterday’s events, she realized she had a mountain of things to attend to.Mo Xiuyao remained silent for a moment before nodding, "I'll take you back."

Ye Li nodded and instructed A Jin, who was driving the carriage outside, to head towards the Lord Ye's residence. Watching Ye Li's calm and composed demeanor, Mo Xiuyao's expression softened considerably, and he couldn't help but smile, "A Li doesn’t seem worried at all." Ye Li shrugged, "There’s really nothing to worry about. But I suspect the Old Madam at home must be beside herself with anxiety. If I were to be rejected by the Ding Royal Palace again, she’d probably want to send me off to a nunnery. Not only would it disgrace the Ye family’s reputation, but they’d also lose the substantial betrothal gifts already received from Prince Ding's Estate. That would surely pain the Old Madam and Wang Shi for quite some time."

"Nothing will happen. At most, this matter will blow over in a day or two."

Ye Li nodded and didn’t press further. What if she had actually been harmed last night? Such a question remained unspoken between them, a tacit understanding. Perhaps even if something had happened, Mo Xiuyao would have covered it up and still married her—or maybe he would have killed Han Mingyue. Perhaps Ye Li herself would have killed Han Mingyue but refused to marry him. As for who the mastermind behind it all was, Mo Xiuyao had no intention of telling her, and she had no intention of asking. They were prepared to spend their lives together, but neither regarded the other as their most important or beloved person. Just as Ye Li would never consider Mo Xiuyao more important than her own family, Mo Xiuyao undoubtedly had someone in his heart who mattered more than her.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Ye residence, Mo Xiuyao waited until he saw Ye Li step through the gate before lowering the carriage curtain and saying to A Jin, "Let’s return."

A Jin silently watched the slowly closing gate, hesitating before asking in a low voice, "Your Highness, why didn’t you tell Miss Ye..."

"A Jin, return to the estate."

"...Yes, Your Highness."

—This wasn’t a misunderstanding. It was something worse than a misunderstanding. Xiu Yao, you’re in trouble—

As soon as Ye Li entered the gate, Qing Xia and Qingshuang, who had been waiting nearby, hurried over to inform her that her uncles had arrived and were waiting to see her. Ye Li was puzzled—was it her eldest uncle or her second uncle? She had just returned from the Xu family this morning—had something else happened?

Qingshuang said, "Both uncles are here. They’re in the Hall of Glory and Joy speaking with the Old Madam."

Ye Li glanced helplessly at her attire and sighed, "Never mind, let’s go straight there."

Upon entering the Hall of Glory and Joy, she indeed saw both uncles seated and drinking tea. The Old Madam, Lord Ye, and Wang Shi were sitting beside them, their expressions somewhat peculiar. Seeing Ye Li enter, Ye Laofuren finally relaxed and smiled at her, "Li’er, your uncles came specifically to see you. Where have you been running off to? Come and greet them properly." Ye Li stepped forward and bowed as instructed. Xu Hongyu waved his hand, "Enough. Li’er just returned from the Xu family today—there’s no need for such formalities." Xu Hongyan also nodded with a stern face, "Exactly. Originally, my elder brother and I had some matters to discuss with Li’er yesterday, which is why we brought her over. We didn’t expect it would stir up so much trouble. It seems our Xu family was careless in this matter."Ye Laofuren and Lord Ye exchanged an awkward glance. Although Xu Hongyan was speaking of the Xu family's shortcomings, they could clearly discern the implicit criticism directed at the Ye family. After the rumors spread, the Ye family had done nothing—not even sending someone to inquire at the Xu household. How could this not chill the Xu family's hearts? Yet, as Ye Laofuren gazed at the graceful young woman before her, she remained uncertain. She truly couldn’t determine whether Ye Li had indeed visited the Xu family yesterday or if she had been abducted by bandits as the rumors claimed. If something had truly happened, then...

Xu Hongyan gave a dissatisfied humph as he observed Ye Laofuren and Lord Ye. Xu Hongyu, standing beside him, cast a mild glance his way before turning to Ye Li with a gentle smile. "Wasn’t it said that Li'er went out with Miss Hua and Miss Qin? When your uncle arrived, I heard that the young ladies from the Qin and Hua families were dragged by General Murong’s daughter to cause trouble for Leng Er. Surely Li'er didn’t join in such mischief?" Ye Li hadn’t expected Murong Ting to stir up such a scene and quickly shook her head. "Li'er accompanied Prince Ding to Elegance Pavilion, where we encountered Princess Zhaoyang and Zhaoren Grand Princess, then returned. It was Li'er’s fault for keeping my uncles waiting."

"Oh? You went to Elegance Pavilion with Prince Ding? No matter, it’s no bad thing for young people to stroll about." Xu Hongyu seemed quite pleased with Ye Li’s response. Xu Hongyan also nodded, grumbling casually, "Your Second Aunt often reminds Qingze to accompany Miss Qin out, but that boy is as dense as a block of wood—as if speaking an extra word would cost him dearly!" Ye Li couldn’t help but smile faintly, recalling Xu Qingze’s aloof demeanor. Zheng'er was the gentlest and most amiable among them, yet she was betrothed to a man so cold and reticent. Since arriving in the capital, apart from one occasion when Second Aunt sent him to deliver gifts to the Qin family, the two had yet to meet formally.

Ignoring the subtle shifts in Lord Ye and Ye Laofuren’s expressions, Xu Hongyu turned directly to Lord Ye. "I have some matters to discuss privately with Li'er. Would you mind...?" Lord Ye had always been intimidated by his elder brother-in-law and dared not refuse. He quickly replied, "In that case, Li'er, please escort your uncles to your courtyard for a rest. Later, I’ll prepare a banquet and hope both elder brothers will honor us with your presence." Xu Hongyan stood and said indifferently, "Elder Brother has already arranged a game of chess with Elder Su tonight. The banquet won’t be necessary." Seeing Xu Hongyu’s indifferent expression, Lord Ye had no choice but to reluctantly give up and allow Ye Li to lead her uncles away for their private conversation. Ye Laofuren shot her son a displeased glare for his spinelessness, but the current head of the Xu family commanded too much authority for her to intervene.

Upon returning to Qingyi House, Xu Hongyan surveyed the interior and exterior arrangements, nodded in satisfaction, then stepped out, leaving the room for his elder brother and niece to talk.

"Did Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle make this trip especially to give Li'er important instructions?" Ye Li poured tea for Xu Hongyu as she invited him to sit, then took her own seat and asked.

Xu Hongyu studied her for a moment before smiling. "Li'er seems in good spirits, unaffected by those rumors. Is that so?"

After serving the tea, Ye Li sat down and sighed helplessly. "Life must go on, even with rumors swirling. Besides, the current situation is already much better than we initially feared."Xu Hongyu looked at her solemnly and said, "Then, what will you do if the situation turns out worse than you originally thought? Being able to withdraw unscathed last night was indeed fortunate, but if something had really happened... Li'er, have you thought about it?" Ye Li silently gazed at the clear tea before her, nodded, and replied, "Li'er has caused Uncle much worry. But... no matter what happens, one must still go on living. Li'er may not fear death, but as long as there is hope, I will definitely survive. At the very least, I will never die because of rumors." As she spoke, Ye Li unconsciously bit her lip. Even in the relatively open-minded Great Chu, a woman's chastity was still valued far above her life. She didn’t know if her uncle could accept her words, but they were her true feelings. Ye Li would absolutely never give up her life for a mistake that wasn’t her own.

"Good. That’s the daughter of the Xu family," Xu Hongyu said after a long pause, setting down his teacup with a faint smile.

Ye Li was startled and quickly looked up at her uncle. Xu Hongyu’s gaze held a trace of sorrow as he continued, "The men of the Xu family have always been scholarly, but we’ve never lacked resilience. No amount of hardship is enough to make us abandon what is ours. But... the daughters of the Xu family, though intelligent and wise, are also more fragile than ordinary women. Like your mother... If your aunt had even half your strength back then, how could things have come to this?"

"Uncle..." Every mention of her mother always pained Xu Hongyu deeply. Thinking of her frail yet beautiful mother from her memories, Ye Li couldn’t help but sigh. Her mother had been overly sheltered in her youth, making the harsh realities of marriage unbearable, and she had gradually withered away within the walls of the Ye household.

Xu Hongyu waved his hand dismissively. "Prince Ding is an outstanding man—even now, I still believe so. But by all accounts, he is not a suitable choice for a husband. Li'er, do you know why the Xu family did not oppose this marriage?" Ye Li met her uncle’s gentle yet authoritative gaze and hesitated before answering, "Because the imperial decree cannot be defied?"

"That is one reason," Xu Hongyu admitted. "But if the Xu family truly objected, there were ways to resolve it. Your grandfather still holds some influence. If he had personally gone to the capital to request the Emperor to revoke the decree, His Majesty would not have refused." Ye Li was startled and quickly interjected, "That must not happen! Grandfather is advanced in years and has finally escaped the turmoil of the capital. How could he be dragged back into it for Li'er’s sake? Not to mention, he is already over seventy. The thought of him enduring the arduous journey to the capital is unacceptable." A flicker of relief crossed Xu Hongyu’s face as he patted Ye Li’s shoulder. "Your grandfather knows Li'er is a filial and good child."

Lowering her head in thought, Ye Li frowned in confusion. "Li'er truly cannot figure it out. Please enlighten me, Uncle."Xu Hongyu sighed and said, "Because of your identity, if you were surnamed Xu, the Xu family could rightfully refuse the Emperor's arranged marriage for you. You could even marry into an ordinary scholarly family in Bingzhou without issue—the Xu family doesn't need more wealth and honor. But you are surnamed Ye. Your marriage is not only subject to the imperial family but also the Ye family, especially since you were previously betrothed by the late Emperor. Although the Emperor annulled your engagement to Prince Li, he betrothed Ye Ying to him instead. Ye Ying claims to be the legitimate daughter of the Ye family, but in truth, she’s just a concubine-born daughter. The Emperor wants to favor your father, to dote on Ye Zhaoyi, and to satisfy the scholars of the realm. That means you cannot marry someone inferior to Ye Ying. In other words… if you don’t marry Prince Ding, you’ll still be betrothed to another prince, or even… enter the palace as a consort. Entering the palace is out of the question. Your uncle and grandfather considered all the unmarried princes and could only settle on Prince Ding."

Ye Li nodded in agreement with her uncle’s words. In truth, Prince Ding was much better than she had originally expected. Though now she realized… it might be a bit more troublesome than she had thought. But it wasn’t unacceptable, was it? Her uncle had also said that Prince Ding was an outstanding man. Xu Hongyu gave her a strange look and asked, "What did you originally think Prince Ding was like?"

Ye Li smiled awkwardly. "Isn’t it rumored outside that Prince Ding is… disabled, disfigured, and gravely ill? Anyone could imagine how miserable such a person would look. So the current Mo Xiuyao is already far better than expected."

Xu Hongyu could clearly picture it and glared at her in exasperation. "If he were really like that, it would be better to find a way to poison him. Even if you never married in your life, it would be better than marrying a useless man."

Ye Li didn’t really care about marrying a useless man. After all, with Prince Ding's Estate’s status, she wouldn’t have to personally attend to Mo Xiuyao. She could just treat it as living together. Now, the man wasn’t so useless, but the troubles were more than she had imagined. Given that her eldest uncle had personally come to discuss these matters with her, Ye Li could already foresee that her married life wouldn’t be as idyllic as she had imagined.

"Last night, your elder brother mentioned it, and only then did I realize how utterly disgraceful the Ye family has been all these years! And you—after staying in the capital for so long, you’ve learned nothing about the people and affairs here!" Xu Hongyu shot her a reproachful glance. Ye Li quickly lowered her head in a show of remorse. It wasn’t just her father who feared her eldest uncle—she did too. In fact, apart from her elder brother, she had never met anyone who wasn’t afraid of him. Well… perhaps Mo Xiuyao could be counted as another exception.

Her eldest uncle’s scolding wasn’t wrong. Over the years, she had rarely stepped outside, deliberately isolating herself from her surroundings. Of course, Wang Shi had contributed to this, but the main responsibility lay with herself. Even though she had long accepted her current life, deep down, Ye Li still felt that her past life was the real one, while the present seemed more like an unexpected game or dream. Of course, last night’s danger had given her a stronger sense of reality.

"How much of what Hongyan gave you earlier have you understood?" Xu Hongyu asked directly.Ye Li understood that her eldest uncle was referring to the materials about the relationships between the capital's nobility and key figures that her second uncle had given her. She quickly replied, "I've memorized them all." Xu Hongyu shook his head, "Memorizing such things is useless. You need to comprehend the underlying connections. You're familiar with the people from Duke Hua's residence and have met Imperial Concubine Liu in the palace. Can you tell me what you think about the relationship between the current empress and Imperial Concubine Liu, as well as between Duke Hua's residence and the Liu family?"

Ye Li was surprised—this seemed like quite a stretch. Nevertheless, she earnestly pondered Xu Hongyu's question for a long time before answering, "I've never met the empress, but I'm quite familiar with the Hua family and have met Princess Changle once. The empress is His Majesty's first wife. Though she isn't favored, she must be a magnanimous and virtuous woman. As for Imperial Concubine Liu, she's somewhat haughty and aloof. However, she's deeply favored by the emperor and has two sons and a daughter. So... their relationship likely isn't harmonious. On the other hand, I haven't heard of any discord between the Hua and Liu families. Prime Minister Liu and Lord Ye do seem to clash in court, currently at a stalemate. But in the palace, Imperial Concubine Liu clearly holds the upper hand."

Xu Hongyu nodded and cautioned, "Well said, but human hearts are fickle—especially in the palace, where they're even harder to discern. You'll need to work harder on this. It seems Hongyu only gave you recent information, probably assuming you already knew about earlier events." Ye Li felt a pang of shame. During the earlier years, particularly when Mo Xiuyao's incident occurred, her memory had been muddled, and she was physically weak. After recovering, she rarely paid attention to outside affairs, so she truly didn't know about those past scandals. Her second uncle likely never imagined she'd be unaware of those widely discussed events.

"How much do you know about the Ding Royal Palace?"

Ye Li realized her eldest uncle had come specifically to impart foundational knowledge. "The first master of the Ding Royal Palace was Mo Lanyun, younger brother of Emperor Mo Chengtian, the founding emperor of Great Chu. At the dynasty's inception, the emperor granted him the hereditary title of Prince of the First Rank with the honorific 'Ding.' It passed down three generations. During the late emperor's reign, when powerful ministers bullied the young ruler, the then Prince Ding, Mo Liufang, returned from the border to the capital, executed the treacherous ministers, and supported the young emperor, becoming regent. When the late emperor turned sixteen, Mo Liufang returned governance to him. In the twenty-ninth year of the late emperor's reign, Mo Liufang passed away, and his eldest son, Mo Xiuwen, inherited the title. The following year, the late emperor died. In the third year of the current reign, Mo Xiuwen was ordered to campaign against the Rongyi tribe but died of illness en route, leaving no heir. Mo Xiuyao, then only eighteen, inherited the title and led the troops against the Rongyi. They were ambushed, suffering heavy losses. Though he eventually turned the tide with an ingenious strategy, the cost was devastating. Three months later, Mo Xiuyao's fiancée died, and since then, the Ding Royal Palace has virtually vanished from the capital's scene."

"Is there more?"Ye Li frowned slightly and continued, "Each generation of the Ding Royal Palace has produced outstanding talents, excelling in both civil governance and military prowess. In contrast, the imperial family from the same lineage pales in comparison. The most remarkable among them was the first Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun. It is said that if he hadn't married a princess from the previous dynasty, he might have had a better chance than the founding emperor to ascend the throne. Then there was Mo Liufang, who could stabilize the nation with martial prowess and govern with literary talent. As for Mo Xiuyao, he was once hailed as a peerless genius no less than his ancestors. If he hadn't been only thirteen when Mo Liufang passed away, the title of king might have been inherited by him from the start."

The room fell into silence. Ye Li quietly picked up the teapot and poured some tea for Xu Hongyu before hearing him ask, "Indeed, within just five or six years, the Ding Royal Palace was destroyed, its family scattered. A generation of legendary generals thus fell into obscurity, and the undefeated myth of the Ding Royal Palace was shattered. Lier, do you know... the assertion that Mo Xiuyao was a peerless genius no less than his ancestors was originally made by your grandfather? For this, he has regretted it for over a decade."

"Uncle, what do you mean?" Ye Li was taken aback. Political strife has never ceased since ancient times. Even now, with the decline of the Ding Royal Palace, all sorts of private speculations have never stopped. But hearing it firsthand from her uncle still shocked her. Quickly regaining her composure, she said, "I've heard that Prince Ding was indeed extraordinarily brilliant and achieved illustrious military feats in his youth. Even if Grandfather hadn't made that remark, those who targeted the Ding Royal Palace would have done so anyway. Grandfather merely admired his talent—he couldn't foresee the future. This matter... Grandfather need not blame himself."

Xu Hongyu nodded in approval, "Li'er, it's remarkable for someone so young to have such insight. I'm telling you all this so you understand the situation of the Ding Royal Palace. Although in the eyes of outsiders, the Ding Royal Palace has declined to nothing more than an empty title now. But..." Ye Li looked at him and continued, "But the Ding Royal Palace still holds cards that make the imperial family hesitate to act against it, right?"

"Exactly. If not for that, Mo Xiuyao would have long since 'succumbed to illness' these past years. The current emperor dares not move against him precisely because he fears the consequences. The successive deaths of the last two Princes Ding have already raised suspicions. If anything were to happen to Mo Xiuyao now, it might shake the very foundations of the state."

Ye Li sighed softly, feeling a chill as she wrapped her hands around the teacup to absorb its warmth. "Did His Majesty choose me because he also fears the Xu family? Isn't he worried that after the Xu family and the Ding Royal Palace form a marriage alliance..."

Xu Hongyu's gaze turned cold. "As long as the imperial family does not act against the Xu family, our ancestors decreed that the Xu clan shall never betray them."

"Does anyone actually believe such words?" Ye Li asked, puzzled. "Even signed treaties can be torn up at will, let alone mere vows." Xu Hongyu glared at her in displeasure. "This is written into the family rules of the Xu clan. For over a hundred years, the Xu family has established its reputation on integrity." Ye Li shrunk her neck slightly and touched her nose curiously. "Uncle, that... did the Xu family ever make any vows to the previous dynasty's emperor?"

"Ahem..." Xu Hongyu coughed awkwardly, glaring at Ye Li with annoyance. Ye Li could only shrug and rest her chin on her hand in silence. "See? As a prominent family that has survived for centuries, how could we possibly be that rigid? It's not that we never betray, just that the reward for betrayal hasn't been high enough yet." After giving Ye Li one last glare, Xu Hongyu said seriously, "In any case, unless absolutely necessary, the Xu family will not abandon the imperial family. The Xu clan lacks neither fame nor fortune, nor have we ever been obsessed with power. The throne? What use is that thing? To be a wise ruler requires the resolve to work oneself to death, while indulging in tyranny prepares one for eternal infamy."

"Li'er understands. Uncle, who do you think wants to sabotage my marriage with Prince Ding? If it's not the emperor?" Ye Li asked.

Xu Hongyu shook his head. "This is truly hard to say. Qingchen only mentioned it was a woman. But after filtering through nearly all the women connected to Prince Ding, we still couldn't identify who it might be. Prince Ding himself must know—has he said anything?" As he brought this up, a trace of displeasure flashed across Xu Hongyu's refined face. Seeing Ye Li shake her head, he snorted lightly. "He should know his limits. If anything improper happens again, we can simply discard this husband. The Xu family can afford to support our granddaughter."

"I think it might be a woman who admires Prince Ding," Ye Li said without reservation to Xu Hongyu, directly voicing her suspicion.

Xu Hongyu smiled at her. "Someone who admires Prince Ding? If you're referring to his younger days, at least half the noble maidens in the capital admired him back then. But... as for having the capability to bribe the Pavilion of Heavenly Unity... none of them could. Although Han Mingyue loves money as much as his life, he was also Prince Ding's closest childhood friend. He wouldn't provoke Prince Ding's fiancée just for money."

"Then... what about a woman who both admires Mo Xiuyao and has close ties with Han Mingyue?"

Xu Hongyu raised an eyebrow. "There is one, but it couldn't possibly be her."

Ye Li blinked. Xu Hongyu calmly set down his teacup and said, "Consort Liu."This time, it was Ye Li's turn to cough—Liu... Imperial Concubine Liu?

What's so strange about it? Imperial Concubine Liu was once known as the top talented beauty of the capital. Even your elder brother never spared her a glance, yet she was gentle and soft-spoken toward Prince Ding at the time. What a pity... Prince Ding already had someone else in his heart, or they would have made a rare pair. Moreover, Imperial Concubine Liu excelled in painting, and Han Mingyue was also renowned for his artistic skills in his youth. The second volume of his Chu Capital's Peerless Beauties depicted Imperial Concubine Liu, and even now, it’s considered priceless. However, after she entered the palace, the current emperor bought the painting at a high price. For some reason, Xu Hongyu abandoned the heavy topics and began gossiping with Ye Li about old rumors.

Ye Li recalled the cold-eyed woman in the palace, as pure as a pear blossom—she truly deserved the title of "peerless beauty." But why did her uncle say it wasn’t her?

"Your elder brother knows Imperial Concubine Liu. Though he didn’t see the woman’s face, and so many years have passed, he’s certain it wasn’t her. Besides, what kind of place do you think the palace is? Could an imperial concubine casually wander outside the palace in the middle of the night with a group of people?" Ye Li nodded in understanding. She hadn’t seriously believed it was Imperial Concubine Liu either. Though she had sensed the woman’s disdain in the palace, the mysterious woman hadn’t shown any strong hostility or murderous intent toward her.

"Who was Mo Xiuyao’s original fiancée?" Ye Li asked, genuinely curious. What kind of woman could surpass a peerless beauty like Imperial Concubine Liu and win Mo Xiuyao’s heart? Moreover, logically, someone who could become his fiancée must have come from a prestigious family. Yet, after racking her memory, Ye Li couldn’t recall any prominent noble family from seven years ago that had a tragically short-lived, stunning daughter. Xu Hongyu gave her a disapproving look before answering, "Su Zuidie."

Ye Li nodded. "It sounds like a beautiful name."

Xu Hongyu stared expressionlessly at his niece, silently regretting once again that he hadn’t insisted on bringing Li’er back to the Xu family to raise. Look at how the Ye family had raised her! He was talking about her future husband’s former fiancée—even if the woman was already dead, she should at least show some interest! Only now did the renowned Mr. Xu belatedly realize that his niece had never displayed the slightest hint of maidenly shyness when mentioning Prince Ding or Prince Li—not even a blush!

"Which family was this Miss Su from? I don’t recall any prominent Su family in the capital."

"What do you think Elder Su was doing at Prince Ding’s Estate on the day of the betrothal ceremony?"

"Elder Su?"

"Su Zuidie was Elder Su’s granddaughter," Xu Hongyu said flatly.

"Then why was Elder Su there?"

"To see what kind of woman Prince Ding had married—the man who should have been his grandson-in-law. Also, Su Zuidie’s death was a heavy blow to Prince Ding, who was already seriously ill at the time. Elder Su treated Prince Ding like his own grandson, so he came to lend support to Prince Ding’s Estate."Looking at her uncle's displeased face, Ye Li smiled helplessly, "Uncle, Li'er knows what you mean. Prince Ding and I get along very well, you don't need to worry."

Xu Hongyu frowned disapprovingly, "What do you mean by 'very well'? If you're the first one he abandons when forced to make difficult choices, can that be called 'very well'?"

Ye Li smiled faintly, "But if I had to choose between you, Grandfather, Cousin, and Prince Ding, I wouldn't choose him either. How long have I even known him? Family is naturally more important."

"You are husband and wife! You'll spend your life with him, not with your uncle or grandfather."

"Do you think Prince Ding is the kind of man who would abandon everything for someone he cares about?"

"...Yes, as long as you can capture his heart."

---Author's Note---

I usually feel like I have nothing to say, but unexpectedly, this chapter ended up being so chatty. But at least one thing is finally clear—Consort Liu is really not the male lead's ex-girlfriend. Although Consort Liu's personality is indeed a bit annoying, and she's truly not a good person, she doesn't have the means to personally leave the palace to harm the female lead. The Empress, Ye Zhaoyi, and the Empress Dowager, who are waiting to catch her mistakes, aren't just for show.

I’ve seen readers discussing this before, and it even made me think the villainess was Consort Liu.

I’m not usually one for detailed settings, but this chapter briefly introduced the male lead’s family background and his ex-girlfriend. That’s all~