Mo Li

"A Li, watch out!"

Lost in thought, Ye Li suddenly heard Mo Xiuyao's voice and swiftly turned around—just in time to see a sleeve arrow hurtling toward her. The dagger in her hand flew out instantly, and in a blur of movement, a figure tackled her to the ground.

"Mo... Xiu Yao..." Ye Li called hesitantly, reaching up to touch his back. Her hand came away wet.

Mo Xiuyao collapsed weakly beside her, offering a faint smile. "It's nothing..."

"Your Highness!" A Jin rushed over to help Mo Xiuyao up. Despite his pale face and furrowed brows, Mo Xiuyao insisted, "I'm fine. Check if there are any survivors."

Ye Li sat up and looked ahead. The person who had fired the sleeve arrow now lay dead, her dagger embedded in their chest. It was the same person she had knocked unconscious earlier—somehow, they had woken up. A bitter laugh rose in her heart. Had she been away from the battlefield for so long that she'd forgotten what vigilance meant? She had left several enemies alive in this skirmish. No—in truth, she hadn't killed any except this last one. If all of them had woken up unnoticed... A shiver ran down her spine.

A warm hand covered hers. Mo Xiuyao looked at her with a faint smile. "A Li, I'm fine."

Ye Li bit her lip, her voice laced with anger. "You call this 'fine'? Then what would count as 'not fine'?" She had A Jin support Mo Xiuyao while she retrieved her dagger, wiped it clean, and carefully cut open the fabric around his wound. The blood flowing out was normal in color—likely, the arrow wasn't poisoned. She let out a small sigh of relief.

Mo Xiuyao murmured weakly, "As long as I'm not dead, it's fine."

Ye Li clenched her teeth and gestured for A Jin and the others to take him back to the Temple of No Moon. Without needing her orders, a shadow guard had already dashed off—likely to fetch a physician.

Upon returning to the temple, they found it undisturbed by the assassins, just as Mo Xiuyao had said. Wen Shi, having received word, was already waiting at the entrance. She hurried forward to guide them to a prepared guest room. Though Mo Xiuyao's injury didn't appear severe at first glance, Ye Li had already examined the assassin's sleeve arrow—each barbed tip would make extraction a bloody ordeal. Worried about alarming Wen Shi, Ye Li asked her to retire for the night. Wen Shi hesitated but eventually left to prepare food for them, her face still etched with concern.

Mo Xiuyao sat on the bed, wincing occasionally from the pain in his back. Ye Li asked worriedly, "Is it unbearable? The physician will be here soon."

Mo Xiuyao gave a pained smile. "The physician will only remove the arrow. Let A Jin do it—he’ll be quicker than any physician."

Ye Li frowned, glancing at A Jin. "Can you extract it? The arrow has barbs." A regular arrow, if not lodged in a vital spot, could simply be pulled out. But barbed arrows were far more difficult—yanking one out carelessly could tear away a chunk of flesh. A Jin shook his head solemnly.

Mo Xiuyao sighed. "If it had gone straight through, it would’ve been simpler."

Ye Li shot him a cold look, unable to hold back her sarcasm. "If it had gone two inches lower and pierced through, it really would’ve been simpler."

"A Li... Are you angry?" Mo Xiuyao sighed, his gaze gentle as if he weren’t the one with an arrow still embedded in his back.I...! Ye Li lowered her head in frustration, taking a long moment to calm down before speaking, "I'm sorry, I'm just angry with myself." If she hadn't been careless and underestimated the enemy, if she hadn't been lost in thought, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have been injured at all. Years of peaceful living had dulled her vigilance to such an extent—if this had happened on the battlefield in the past, she would have died seventeen or eighteen times over by now.

The doctor arrived surprisingly quickly—because he had been hauled over by the collar. This physician had quite the nerve; even after being carried all the way here, he remained unfazed as he stepped forward to examine Mo Xiuyao's wound. After inspecting the injury, the doctor studied the sleeve arrow Ye Li had brought back for a long while before finally speaking, "Either I use a knife to cut open the wound and remove the arrow, or... push it in a little further and extract it from the front. Which do you prefer...?"

"The latter."

"Pull it out from the front."

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao spoke simultaneously, then glanced at each other. Ye Li calmly averted her gaze and asked, "Doctor, what do you think?" The doctor nodded approvingly, "Your choice is wise. Though this method seems more painful, it's only for a brief moment. Cutting the flesh slowly with a knife would prolong the agony, and the wound would heal more slowly."

"Doctor, you seem quite experienced with arrow wounds?" Ye Li asked as she supported Mo Xiuyao, watching the physician skillfully prepare for the procedure.

Without looking up, the doctor replied, "I used to be a military physician."

"I see."

As the doctor cleaned the arrow's tail and then, without hesitation, gripped it and pushed it forward, Mo Xiuyao's body tensed instantly. His hand clenched tightly around Ye Li's arm. Silently, she steadied him while the doctor looped a sturdy strap around the barbed arrowhead now protruding from his chest and yanked it out forcefully. A spray of blood flew out as the entire sleeve arrow was pulled free from Mo Xiuyao's chest. The doctor took the strong liquor handed to him, cleaned the wound, then expertly applied medicine and wrapped it with white cloth. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he finally looked up and said, "Done. It didn't hit any vital organs or bones. Change the dressing daily, and with some rest, he'll recover."

Ye Li glanced at the basin of water now stained red and the pile of bloodied gauze on the floor before asking, "Does he need any medicine? Something to replenish blood, perhaps?"

The doctor curled his lip dismissively, "His Highness is still young and in good health—rest is enough. If you're truly worried, Madam, you could prepare some Four-Ingredient Decoction, Angelica Blood-Tonic Soup, or Red Date Soup." Watching the doctor leave with his medicine box after leaving a few packets of topical ointment, Ye Li felt slightly embarrassed. Why did she feel like those soups the doctor mentioned were for women? This physician... had quite the personality.

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, "He's our household's personal physician. He used to be the Black Cloud Cavalry's military doctor."Mo Xiuyao was injured, and Wen Shi suggested they stay at the Temple of No Moon to recuperate until he was better before returning to the capital. However, Mo Xiuyao refused, and Ye Li didn’t object. Since those assassins dared to openly attack Mo Xiuyao near the capital, they wouldn’t give up after just one failure. Wen Shi had already resolved to stay out of worldly affairs, and their presence would only bring unnecessary danger to her. Once the shadow guards sent by Prince Ding's Estate arrived, Mo Xiuyao left a portion of them to protect Wen Shi and took Ye Li back to the capital.

The fact that Prince Ding had been severely injured near the capital was no small matter, but Mo Xiuyao seemed to have ordered the news to be suppressed. After their return, the nobility in the capital appeared unaware of his injuries. In any case, Mo Xiuyao didn’t need to attend court daily like ordinary officials, so he spent his time recuperating at home. However, one thing left both of them somewhat helpless. The moment they returned to the estate, Granny Sun, citing the need for someone to tend to the prince’s injuries closely, promptly had Mo Xiuyao moved into Ye Li’s courtyard. Mama Lin, Mama Wei, and Head Steward Mo naturally approved, eagerly directing servants to move Mo Xiuyao’s belongings into the bridal chamber. Their cheerful demeanor made it seem as though they had completely forgotten their master had just survived a deadly assassination attempt.

With the entire household united in their efforts, Ye Li had no choice but to take on the task of changing Mo Xiuyao’s dressings daily. Even though Ye Li had once been a soldier who had faced life-and-death situations, the scars on Mo Xiuyao’s body still struck her as horrifying. The sword and knife wounds on his chest and back, along with various other injuries, made it hard to reconcile his battered body with the gentle and refined image he projected. It also gave Ye Li some understanding of what Mo Xiuyao had meant when he said, “If I’m not dead, then it’s nothing.” Surviving such severe injuries must have required enduring unimaginable hardships. Every time she dressed his wounds and saw the man smiling calmly at her, Ye Li’s heart ached faintly. However, she wasn’t one to dwell on such emotions. She quickly attributed this unusual feeling to guilt—after all, Mo Xiuyao had been injured because of her—and threw herself into making amends and improving herself.

Ye Li declined Mo Xiuyao’s earlier suggestion of hiring a skilled swordsmanship instructor for her. Instead, she devoted all her time outside managing household affairs and caring for Mo Xiuyao to training in the estate’s secluded Martial Arts Training Ground. She focused intensely on improving her strength and speed while also practicing the internal energy techniques Mo Xiuyao had recommended. However, Ye Li knew that mastering internal energy wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. As for the rumors that the strongest internal energy could split mountains and shatter stones, she found it puzzling—why would she need to use her hands to split mountains? If she could regain her peak physical condition, she could break a person’s bones with a single punch even without internal energy. What pleased Ye Li was that this body had excellent potential. In Mo Xiuyao’s words, she was naturally gifted for martial arts.Therefore, Ye Li spent most of her days at the Martial Arts Training Ground. She had made quite a few modifications to the original training ground in the palace. Since only she and Mo Xiuyao used it, he didn’t interfere with how she altered it or how she practiced. Occasionally, when he had nothing else to do, he would come by to observe her training. On the other hand, A Jin had been utterly fascinated ever since witnessing Ye Li’s combat skills. Every time he followed Mo Xiuyao, he would blink his eyes longingly at Ye Li, Qingshuang, and Qingluan as they trained together, almost begging Princess Li to take him as a disciple.

Mo Xiuyao, having a military background, initially didn’t see much merit in Ye Li’s training methods. But as time passed, he began to discern their value. Seeing A Jin’s pitiful glances toward the three graceful figures in the training ground, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but speak up on his behalf. Ye Li merely smiled and said, “Right now, I’m only doing recovery training—focusing on strength, speed, and endurance. There’s no secret to it. It’s just that A Jin doesn’t have much time since he follows you around all day.” The term “recovery training” made Mo Xiuyao raise an eyebrow slightly. He chuckled lightly and asked, “A Li, do you think this kind of training can help you stand against martial arts masters?”

Ye Li shrugged helplessly, taking the towel Mo Xiuyao handed her to wipe her sweat. “Each has its strengths and weaknesses. My method is advantageous because it takes less time and doesn’t demand as much innate talent or comprehension. Take the internal energy cultivation technique you gave me, for example. Even if I practiced ten hours a day, how long would it take for me to achieve anything, assuming I lack the necessary aptitude?”

Mo Xiuyao fell into thought. Ye Li grinned at him and continued, “My training might not produce martial arts masters who can leap over rooftops, but within a year at most, it can bring a healthy person’s physical condition to its peak. With targeted skill training on top of that… even martial arts masters only have one life.” Mo Xiuyao understood. There were many physically strong people, but few became true martial arts masters. Not every strong person could become a master, and Ye Li was clearly taking a different path—bypassing internal energy cultivation and using another method to turn someone into a formidable fighter.

“A Li’s ideas are quite unique. I look forward to seeing the results,” Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Ye Li replied. She didn’t mind revealing some of her thoughts to Mo Xiuyao, as he was the only one who could provide the resources she needed.

The only two people in the entire palace who disapproved of Ye Li’s obsession with martial arts were Mama Lin and Mama Wei. The two matrons simply couldn’t comprehend why their once-elegant and refined young lady had suddenly taken up swords and spears after marrying into the Ding Royal Palace. They even went so far as to subtly advise Ye Li that women should prioritize grace and tranquility, warning that being too fierce might make the prince lose interest. Their nagging was so relentless that Ye Li would turn and flee at the mere sound of their voices. Mo Xiuyao, for his part, simply watched the spectacle with amusement, saying nothing as Ye Li endured their endless lectures.

“Your Highness, Princess,” Head Steward Mo presented a grand red invitation adorned with golden dragons and phoenixes, a symbol of marital bliss. Ye Li took it and raised an eyebrow. “Prince Li is welcoming Lingyun Gongzhu as his consort?”

Head Steward Mo, aware that the current Princess Li was Ye Li’s younger sister, explained, “The invitation from Prince Li’s Palace states that he is taking Lingyun Gongzhu as a co-princess consort.”In the past few days, Ye Li had been preoccupied with Mo Xiuyao's injuries and her own affairs, paying little attention to matters unrelated to her. She had nearly forgotten about the marriages of Lingyun Gongzhu and Qixia Princess. Curious, she asked, "So... has Qixia Princess entered the palace yet?"

Head Steward Mo reported, "Qixia Princess is currently residing at Princess Zhaoyang's manor. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager seem to intend to select an auspicious day in August to welcome her into the palace. However, her title has already been conferred—the Emperor has named her Consort Xia. As for Lingyun Gongzhu, since Zhennan Wang Shizi is about to depart for Western Liang, her wedding will be expedited."

What Head Steward Mo didn’t mention was that although Lingyun Gongzhu was to be a secondary consort, a secondary consort was not the same as the principal wife, and thus did not require as much elaborate preparation.

"When is the wedding banquet scheduled?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

"In three days."

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Understood. Prepare a congratulatory gift on behalf of this prince and the princess consort."

Head Steward Mo hesitated. "Does Your Highness intend to attend the wedding? Given the recent assassination attempt, it’s concerning for you to venture out." Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "Surely we can’t stop going out over such a trivial matter. Go and prepare."

"Yes." Head Steward Mo swiftly departed. Not only did he need to prepare Prince Li’s gift, but he also had to meticulously arrange the guards and shadow guards for the prince and princess consort, ensuring absolute safety.

Watching Head Steward Mo hurry away, Ye Li sighed helplessly and turned to Mo Xiuyao. "For some reason, I feel like our peaceful days are about to end again."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "Do you prefer a leisurely life?"

Ye Li nodded. "The best would be a calm and peaceful life, smooth until old age, and then passing away without regrets in bed."

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "If so, why did you still practice martial arts?" He always found Ye Li to be a deeply contradictory person. Though she carried herself with the grace and poise of a noble lady, from the very beginning, she had struck him as different from ordinary noblewomen. At times, she even seemed more like a general’s daughter than Murong Ting. The occasional sharpness in her demeanor was not something an ordinary woman could display.

Ye Li sighed. "Consider it my way of being prepared for danger in times of peace." No matter how much she told herself she wanted a quiet life like a proper noble lady, she knew deep down that it was impossible for her to surrender control of her life entirely to others, as Wen Shi had done. She could compromise on her father’s favoritism, on the tedious rules she disliked, even on her marriage. But she would never compromise on the essence of who she was. She could never allow herself to become a helpless woman who relied on others for everything, incapable of even protecting herself. Many things she prepared might never be needed, but she would rather keep them unused forever than find herself lacking when the time came.

"If you dislike dealing with those trivial matters outside, you don’t have to," Mo Xiuyao said. "The servants will handle them. Besides... Ding Royal Palace doesn’t require much socializing."Ye Li understood. The Ding Royal Palace's silence over the years had perfectly aligned with the palace's intentions. The gradual suppression of the palace's prestige in Great Chu suited them well. If she, as the newly appointed Princess of the State, became too active now, it would only provoke the emperor's wariness. At this thought, a sudden realization struck Ye Li. She abruptly looked up at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Why did Nanzhao and Western Liang suddenly seek marriage alliances with Great Chu? The reasons given to Lingyun Gongzhu earlier were nothing but child's play. Western Liang and Great Chu seem like sworn enemies destined by heaven. If Western Liang suffered disasters, Great Chu would more likely take advantage of their misfortune rather than be appeased by the mere presence of a peace-making princess, wouldn't it?"

Mo Xiuyao's eyes flickered slightly as he replied calmly, "Nanzhao was merely incidental. It was Western Liang that truly sought the alliance with Great Chu."

Ye Li lowered her gaze, her mind racing too fast to grasp any coherent thought. After a long pause, she finally looked up and asked, "If war were to break out again in Great Chu, what would become of the Ding Royal Palace?"

Mo Xiuyao froze, a trace of imperceptible sorrow flashing in his eyes. After a long silence, he said solemnly, "The Ding Royal Palace no longer has anyone capable of taking to the battlefield. Within five years, its century-old prestige will inevitably fade. The people are always forgetful. Even if the Ding Royal Palace has protected Great Chu for over a hundred years, even if they see it as a God of War, once war erupts again and the palace proves powerless, they will forget past glories and remember only its incompetence. Yet... the Ding Royal Palace cannot blame them, for they are not at fault."

"Northern Rong..." The study fell into silence for a long while before Ye Li's voice softly broke it. She sighed quietly as she looked at Mo Xiuyao's expressionless face. "Wouldn't it be better if the world were at peace and everyone lived stable lives? Why drag innocent people into the merciless flames of war for utterly unnecessary reasons?" Ye Li felt she would never understand the mindset of those in power.

Suddenly, she found this man pitiable. He should have been as spirited and illustrious as his ancestors, commanding the world with effortless grace. Instead, he had to step up as a youth when his elder brother died abruptly, salvaging the situation single-handedly. By the age of eighteen, he had already given everything he could to preserve the Ding Royal Palace's unshakable prestige for another century. After losing his health, his robust physique, and his handsome appearance, he still had to tread carefully against prying eyes, schemes, and assassins that could strike at any moment. As intelligent as he was, he had likely foreseen the Ding Royal Palace's future long ago—yet he refused, and could not afford, to admit defeat.

"Can... we retreat?" Ye Li asked, but the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted their naivety. Throughout history, how many meritorious subjects who overshadowed their rulers had managed to withdraw unscathed?

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Mo Xiuyao can retreat. But where would the 800,000-strong Mo Family Army and the 50,000 Black Cloud Cavalry go?"Ye Li fell silent. The Mo family members, as clever as the former regent Mo Liufang and even the previous generations of the family heads, were no less intelligent than her. Though the masters of the Ding Royal Palace could easily leave and disappear into the vast world, the hundreds of thousands of troops loyal to the Mo family and the Ding Royal Palace were not so easily moved. The Great Chu needed them in times of crisis, but once the empire was stabilized, each of them would become a thorn in the emperor's side. If the masters of the Ding Royal Palace were to leave, the best outcome these troops could hope for would be disbandment and suppression—no one dared to imagine the worse possibilities. To the emperor, hundreds of thousands of soldiers might be worth less than a handful of chess pieces.

"If the Northern Rong reignite the war, what do you plan to do?" Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao looked at her calmly and replied, "Lead the troops into battle. A Li, when the time comes, I will send you to Yunzhou. With Mr. Qingyun there, no one would dare to harm you. And if I... the royal family would be even less likely to move against you."

Ye Li frowned, suddenly feeling the absurdity of the situation. They had been discussing Mo Jingli's intention to take a second wife, so how had the conversation suddenly shifted to such grave matters? Clearly... clearly, none of this had even the slightest hint of reality yet. But the faint unease in her heart told her that this conversation wasn't just a figment of her imagination—even if she had lost her mind, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have joined her in such delusions.

Turning her face away to ignore Mo Xiuyao's words, Ye Li casually changed the subject. "Prince Li is taking a second wife. Should I return to the Ye family for a visit?"

Before she could even consider it further, before noon, a steward came to report that Ye Jia Laofuren had requested the princess to return to the Ye family for a discussion.

Upon returning to the Ye residence, Ye Li was immediately summoned to Old Madam Ye's courtyard. The moment she stepped into the Hall of Glory and Joy, she was met with Ye Ying's tear-swollen eyes and Wang Shi's furious shrieks. Old Madam Ye and Lord Ye sat with equally gloomy expressions. Ye Li curled her lips slightly, understanding what this gathering was about. "Grandmother, Father."

"Li'er..." Old Madam Ye's eyes brightened upon seeing Ye Li enter and quickly beckoned her forward. Ye Li's lips twitched imperceptibly as she thought to herself, Surely the old lady doesn't think I can interfere with an imperial marriage decree? As Princess Ding, even if Prince Li wanted to take a concubine, it's beyond my control. "Li'er, you're finally back. Look at your sister... Ying'er is so unfortunate..."

Ye Li approached and glanced at Ye Ying, who was sobbing pitifully in Wang Shi's arms, before taking a seat beside Old Madam Ye. "What happened to Fourth Sister?"

Old Madam Ye said anxiously, "Ying'er has been married for less than a month, and now Prince Li wants to take a principal wife! Where does that leave the dignity of our Minister's household? How is your sister supposed to live with this?"

Ye Li nodded. "His Highness also received an invitation from Prince Li's Palace earlier. Why has Fourth Sister left the palace at such a time instead of overseeing the arrangements?" Wang Shi glared at her and spat angrily, "What did you say?! Ying'er is in this state, and you're blaming her for coming home? Ye Li, have you no heart? Master, look at her—"

"Silence!" Old Madam Ye shot Wang Shi a sharp look and scolded, "Li'er is right. Have you been ignoring everything I've said to you? Prince Li's Palace is preparing for the wedding now. If Ying'er, the principal wife, doesn't preside over it, what will others think?" Wang Shi retorted indignantly, "Prince Li has wronged Ying'er, yet she's supposed to arrange his wedding? Is there no justice in this world?" Old Madam Ye sneered, "The Emperor's word is justice. You were there the night the imperial marriage decree was issued—why didn't you protest then? Stop filling Ying'er's head with nonsense."

Ye Li's mind was still occupied with her earlier conversation with Mo Xiuyao and had little patience for this. She tried to console Ye Ying a few times, but her sister remained inconsolable, clinging to Wang Shi and weeping. "Wuuu... Father, it's all your fault! Why did you force me to marry Prince Li... If not for that, I wouldn't be suffering like this today... This was supposed to be—"

"Ying'er!" Lord Ye growled in a low, restrained voice, his expression dark as he glared at her. The unprecedented severity in his tone made Ye Ying shrink further into Wang Shi's arms, sniffling pitifully. Ye Li lowered her eyes without a word, carefully masking the turmoil in her gaze. So, Ye Ying's entanglement with Mo Jingli hadn't been her own idea from the start? Then... what did it mean for her father to have one daughter seduce another's betrothed?

"Enough. What's done is done—there's no use dwelling on it." Lord Ye waved his hand impatiently and turned to Ye Li. "Li'er, what do you think?"

Suppressing her doubts, Ye Li lifted her head and replied calmly, "The Emperor's decree cannot be defied, especially when it concerns diplomatic relations between two nations. There's likely no room for negotiation."

Lord Ye frowned. "So we just let this go? If it were someone of low status, fine—but this is a princess of Western Liang!"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Precisely because she's a princess of Western Liang, there's nothing to worry about, isn't that so, Father?"Lord Ye pondered for a moment before his furrowed brows gradually relaxed. "Indeed," he said, "Prince Li's future heir absolutely cannot have Western Liang imperial blood. Besides, after that scene the Western Liang princess made in the palace the other day, Prince Li must harbor some resentment toward her. As long as Ying'er can secure control over the household, there's no need to worry about a mere princess sent for political marriage."

"If Fourth Sister wants to establish herself in the household, she'll likely need to start with Consort Xian Zhao," Ye Li said softly.

"What?" Ye Ying couldn't help but shriek. "That old woman has always disliked me! And you want me to flatter her? She's been doing everything she can to torment me! I—"

Ye Li frowned and interrupted her. "Consort Xian Zhao is Prince Li's maternal aunt and the Empress Dowager's sister. If you don't want to flatter her, plenty of others will. And I'm not telling you to flatter her—just avoid giving her any reason to criticize you. Ideally, make her see you as a satisfactory princess consort. Consort Xian Zhao has spent decades in the palace—do you think she's so easily won over by flattery? If you try too hard, you might end up making a fool of yourself."

Ye Ying said bitterly, "Ever since our wedding, she's been nitpicking everything I do! No matter what I do, it's never right! How am I supposed to please her?"

"If she picks on you, just endure it. Take time to learn from Grandmother how to be a proper wife. You're the sister of a Zhaoyi and the daughter of Lord Ye, holding the rightful title of princess consort. You have far more advantages than Lingyun Gongzhu, a princess married off from another country. If even with all this you can't manage, then pack your things and return to Lord Ye's residence. I'm sure Father and Madam wouldn't mind supporting you for the rest of your life."

"You—!" Ye Ying instantly forgot her grievances, her face flushing red with anger as she glared at Ye Li with fiery eyes. She sneered mockingly, "Right, if you couldn't endure things, you'd have long since run back to Lord Ye's residence in tears. No—if I were you, I'd have hanged myself before the wedding even happened."

Ye Li couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Calmly setting down her teacup, she glanced at her and said, "Instead of wasting energy quarreling with me, you'd be better off going back and doing what you need to do."

Ye Ying was about to retort when Ye Laofuren slammed the table. "Ying'er, that's enough! Learn from your Third Sister—look at the state you're in now!"

Ye Ying froze, then, reminded of her situation, burst into sobs again. Wiping her tears, she whimpered, "What state am I in? Who's to blame for this? Half the capital must be laughing at me behind my back! Wuwu... How could His Highness treat me like this? What have I done wrong?"

Ye Laofuren rubbed her temples, her headache worsening from the crying. "Enough! What good does crying do? You're married now—you can't act like a spoiled child anymore. Someone, send for Prince Li to take Fourth Miss back."

"Grandmother—"

Ye Li stopped her. "Since Fourth Sister has come back, let her stay a while longer. Prince Li will likely come to fetch her himself. If we send someone to invite him now, it would only make us seem desperate."

Lord Ye looked at Ye Li approvingly. "Mother, Li'er makes a good point."

Ye Laofuren massaged her forehead and sighed. "She's driving me to distraction."

"Laofuren, Master, Madam—Prince Li has arrived," the steward outside announced.<off-topic>

This section not only covers the male lead's injuries but also the tragic situation between him and the Ding Royal Palace... Some readers might feel their romantic development is too slow, but neither of them are the type to easily invest in emotions. Rest assured though, there will be more to come... Just wait until you see what "offering rivers and mountains to win your smile" truly means, or what "painting thousands of miles red across the land for you" looks like... Mwahahaha~

</off-topic>