Mo Li

"Help! Prince Li has fallen into the water!"

A piercing scream suddenly shattered the serene and joyful atmosphere on the Lake of Beautiful Women, where soft music had been playing. To the astonishment of those on nearby pleasure boats, a tall figure was seen tumbling out of a large, ornate vessel before plunging headfirst into the lake with a loud splash. When the meaning of the scream registered, everyone was shocked—Prince Li had fallen into the water! Nearby boats quickly converged, with those who had grudges against the prince finding vantage points to watch the spectacle, while his allies hurriedly ordered servants to jump in and rescue him.

With such a commotion outside, those inside the cabin naturally heard it too. Murong Ting and Leng Haoyu were the first to rush in. "A Li, A Li, are you alright?" Murong Ting grabbed Ye Li's hands, examining her anxiously before relaxing slightly with a dissatisfied huff. "What's wrong with that Prince Li? A Li, did he bully you?" Ye Li, still appearing slightly shaken, managed a faint smile. "I'm fine... It's Prince Li. He... somehow fell into the lake."

"His Highness?!" Ye Ying and Qixia Princess exclaimed in alarm, rushing to the window to look. Many people had already jumped into the water to help, but there was still no sign of Mo Jingli. Ye Ying wrung her hands in distress. "How could His Highness fall into the lake? He... he can't swim! Third Sister..." For once, Ye Ying didn't suspect Ye Li—after all, in her eyes, Mo Jingli was a capable and formidable man. It was unthinkable that he could be silently tossed into the water by Ye Li. Seizing the moment to comfort her frightened sister, Ye Li said gently, "Don't worry, so many people are rescuing him now. He'll be fine." Ye Ying, tears welling in her eyes, stared unblinkingly at the lake, too preoccupied to respond. Meanwhile, Qixia Princess glanced around the cabin before turning to leave. Ye Li spoke coolly, "Miss, where are you going?"

"I—I'm going to save His Highness! What's it to you?" Qixia Princess knew Ye Li had recognized her. Remembering how Ye Li had seen her in such a humiliating state, she couldn't stand being in the same room with her. Ye Li pulled Ye Ying aside. "Fourth Sister, take this young lady back to your boat. Since she's Prince Li's guest, as the Princess Li, it's your duty to look after her. Don't let anything happen."

"But..." Ye Ying hesitated. She detested Qixia Princess, and with Prince Li's fate uncertain, how could she care about such trivialities?

"Enough. Remember your position," Ye Li said sternly. "Prince Li will be fine. Don't lose your composure now."

Once Ye Ying had been persuaded to leave, Ye Li smiled at the remaining three and leisurely sat down to watch the rescue efforts below. After a while, Prince Li was finally pulled from the water. Under the sunlight, the usually stern-faced Mo Jingli now had a large bruise on his forehead, though his nose—perhaps due to prolonged submersion—seemed unharmed for the moment. People hastily carried him onto Prince Li's Palace's boat, which had anchored nearby. The crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, leaving Ye Li's side much quieter.

Leng Haoyu studied Ye Li thoughtfully as she leaned casually against the window. "Aren't you worried at all, Princess?"Ye Li smiled faintly, "What is there to worry about? Rest assured, Young Master Leng, Prince Li is blessed with great fortune and won't come to harm. As you just saw, he's still alive, isn't he?"

Murong Ting propped her chin in her hand and asked curiously, "How did Prince Li end up falling into the lake for no reason? It's true that one or two people always fall in during the peak boating season every year, but usually it's just unruly children or delicate young ladies. How could a man like Prince Li, who's trained in martial arts since childhood, fall into the lake?" Ye Li answered seriously, "Even the best horse stumbles. Prince Li... probably stood up suddenly when the boat was unsteady and took a header into the water."

"Was the boat unsteady?" Murong Ting, who had been outside the whole time, wondered silently to herself. "His Light Body Skill should be quite good, right?"

"Prince Li is afraid of water—he must have forgotten in the moment," Ye Li replied without batting an eye. "Light Body Skill isn't omnipotent, especially when one's leg suddenly goes numb. Unless he has someone's ability to fly without using his legs at all. But..." Next time, it probably wouldn't be so easy to trick Mo Jingli again. Ye Li silently pondered that she would have to be careful when she saw Mo Jingli in the future. Hua Tianxiang wasn't interested in how Mo Jingli had fallen in. With some concern, she said, "Lier, if something happens to Prince Li on your boat, Empress Dowager and Consort Xian Zhao might..." Ye Li blinked innocently. "Boats rocking occasionally is normal. If Prince Li couldn't keep his balance after drinking, is that my responsibility? Well... I suppose not closing the windows properly was my fault." Leng Haoyu's gaze swept over the two open windows in the cabin, and he said with a smile, "Though it's only early summer, it's still a bit hot on the lake. I'm sure everyone can understand if the Princess forgot to close the windows properly."

"Thank you for your understanding, Second Young Master Leng," Ye Li said with a smile.

Hua Tianxiang shook her head. "Lier, of course we don't mind. But Prince Li has always been at odds with Prince Ding and has a grudge against you. He'll make trouble out of nothing—you should be careful." Ye Li smiled. "Thank you, Tianxiang. I'll be careful. If Mo Jingli really has the nerve to tell everyone he was beaten by a woman, then I won't mind having a good debate with him." She wouldn't have acted rashly without considering the consequences. Thinking of Mo Jingli's wretched face earlier, Ye Li suddenly felt her fists itching again and regretted not punching him a few more times.

Prince Li's Palace

Mo Jingli was awakened by a fit of sobbing. His entire body ached unbearably, and the intermittent crying made his head feel like it was being split open. "Shut... shut up!"

"Your Highness, you're finally awake..." Ye Ying exclaimed joyfully, throwing herself at him. Qixia Princess also hurried over, squeezing in. "Brother Jingli, how are you? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"Mo Jingli closed his eyes, finally recalling what had happened to him. A stifled breath in his chest triggered another fit of violent coughing. Ye Ying quickly supported Mo Jingli, patting his back to help him breathe. "My lord, are you feeling better?" she asked.

Gazing at Ye Ying's tear-streaked, delicate face and then recalling the cold, indifferent expression of that detestable woman, Mo Jingli felt a surge of irritation. "Stop crying. I'm not dead yet," he snapped. "Where is Ye Li?"

Qixia Princess snorted. "Jingli brother, what are you talking about? Ye Li naturally went back to her Prince Ding's Estate. After you fell ill in her bed, she didn’t even come to see you. How rude!"

Ye Ying glared at Qixia Princess. "No matter what, Third Sister is far more courteous than certain people. Besides, propriety dictates that men and women should maintain distance. How could Third Sister visit the prince while he's in bed?"

Ye Ying wasn’t foolish. She knew that even her own father couldn’t stop Qixia Princess from entering Prince Li's Palace. Though Ye Li had always been at odds with her, she also had a feud with Qixia Princess. Between the two, Ye Li would surely side with her, her own sister.

Remembering how Ye Li had warned her earlier to keep an eye on Qixia Princess and prevent her from running around, and how even the usually critical Consort Xian Zhao had unexpectedly praised her afterward, Ye Ying felt that listening to her Third Sister wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

After all, no matter how capable or clever Second Sister was, she was in the palace now and couldn’t help her. Grandmother was right—once they were married, the sisters ought to support each other.

"You—!" Qixia Princess was furious. That incident had forever humiliated her among the noblewomen of the capital, even threatening to strip her of her identity as the Princess of Nanzhao. Though she could abandon everything and return to Nanzhao, where she would still be the exalted princess even without the title of Qixia, she truly loved Jingli brother. Even without her royal status, she wanted to stay with him forever.

"Jingli brother, look at her—"

"Enough! Qixia, Ying’er, both of you, leave. I’m tired!" Mo Jingli said impatiently. Though neither woman was usually one to back down, they still obeyed Mo Jingli without question. Seeing his darkened expression, they reluctantly rose and left with reluctant glances.

"Li’er."

The room had only just quieted when Consort Xian Zhao entered. Mo Jingli immediately tried to sit up, but she pressed a hand on his shoulder, sitting beside him with a frown. "How could you be so careless?"

Mo Jingli replied solemnly, "This son has troubled Mother."

Consort Xian Zhao continued to scrutinize him. "How did you end up falling into the water for no reason? And on Prince Ding's boat, no less. How many times have I told you not to provoke that Ye Li again? Tell me—did she push you into the lake?"

Mo Jingli’s expression darkened. After a long silence, he finally said, "I fell in by accident.""Careless? How can you still be careless at a time like this?" Consort Xian Zhao reprimanded with dissatisfaction. "This time, your mother won't ask what exactly happened. But... from now on, stay away from Prince Ding's Estate and its people. And don't provoke Prince Ding, understand?"

Mo Jingli raised his eyebrows disdainfully and said, "Mother, you and the Empress Dowager are overestimating Mo Xiuyao."

Seeing his dismissive expression, Consort Xian Zhao sighed softly. "You've been fighting with Prince Ding since childhood, and I know you don't take him seriously. But you must remember—you may disregard Mo Xiuyao, but you absolutely cannot disregard the Ding Royal Palace. Right now, we can neither win over the Ding Royal Palace and the Xu family nor afford to offend them. So, I won’t question today’s incident. Even if you truly suffered a loss, you must swallow it!"

Mo Jingli fell silent for a moment before replying solemnly, "I’ve troubled Mother. I understand."

Consort Xian Zhao nodded and looked at him gently. "I know you're a good child. Sometimes, you can’t act solely on your own preferences. Once you gain everything, won’t you be free to do as you please? Until then, you must endure."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mother. I understand," Mo Jingli replied respectfully.

Ye Li spent a considerable amount of time making clothes, which she gave to Mo Xiuyao as a birthday gift. Of course, due to her unpleasant impression of the Lake of Beautiful Women and the possibility that Mo Xiuyao already had a new love interest, she declined Hua Tianxiang’s suggestion to invite him for a boat ride.

Though she was curious—where exactly did Mo Xiuyao, who stayed indoors even more than she did all year round, find a sweetheart? And if he already had someone in mind, why marry her? Or did he develop feelings after their marriage? Whichever possibility it was, it left her in a foul mood. She wasn’t sure which was worse—being married as a shield or having her husband stray within a month of marriage.

As a result, the servants of Prince Ding's Estate couldn’t understand why the relationship between their master and mistress seemed to regress to the early days of their marriage. Or rather, it was the mistress who was deliberately distancing herself from the prince. Had they quarreled? Yet the two still interacted calmly, showing no signs of conflict.

Mo Xiuyao, of course, noticed Ye Li subtly pulling away—or rather, trying to reset their relationship to its initial state. But it wasn’t entirely successful, because not only had he noticed, but even Ye Li’s personal maids and the usually busy Granny Sun had picked up on it.

However, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t immediately figure out the reason. It seemed... it had started the afternoon Yang Qianru came to deliver birthday gifts. Sitting alone in his study, he pondered silently. He didn’t believe Ye Li was upset about Yang Qianru—they both knew she was insignificant, and Ye Li wasn’t the type to sulk over such a woman.

Then... was it because of their conversation?

Mo Xiuyao held a book but didn’t read it, instead replaying every word they had exchanged that day in his mind...While Mo Xiuyao was lost in thought in his study, Ye Li had already changed into men's clothing and left the palace with Qingluan and Qingshuang. As Princess Ding, her identity ensured she would attract attention wherever she went, so Ye Li was no exception in learning the art of disguise. Fortunately, her skills in this regard were quite proficient. Of course, it wasn't anything as extreme as creating human skin masks—just slight modifications to her complexion, eyebrows, and other details, along with careful attention to features like an Adam's apple and ear piercings. The result was a slightly tanned, handsome young man. Combined with Ye Li's demeanor, which differed from the delicate fragility typical of women of that era, even those familiar with her would have a hard time recognizing her at a glance. Thus, under the astonished gazes of Qingluan and Qing Xia, Ye Li left them behind at the Treasure Trove Pavilion to handle the accounts, while she swaggered out the door, casually twirling a folding fan she had picked up.

The two shadow guards following Ye Li secretly broke into a cold sweat for their lord. Just what kind of princess had the prince married? If they hadn't kept their eyes glued to the room she entered and then seen the handsome young man emerge from it—prompting them to cautiously step inside to check—they would have almost lost track of her. They were the most seasoned shadow guards of the Ding Royal Palace; if they lost the princess, how could they ever show their faces among the guards again? They might as well return to the military camp for retraining. But... watching the graceful young master strolling leisurely ahead, Shadow Guard Three couldn't help but ask, "Does he look like a woman to you, Ah-Three?"

"Not at all, Ah-Four," came the reply.

Ever since she could openly and unrestrictedly practice martial arts, Ye Li felt she was growing increasingly disenchanted with her former way of life. After all, pretense was still pretense—she had never truly possessed the temperament of a refined noblewoman, though she certainly wasn't overly lively or restless either. Still, she believed in indulging in normal human pleasures and leisure. As for the matter concerning Mo Xiuyao, after pondering it for two or three days, she had tossed it to the back of her mind. If Mo Xiuyao truly had a beloved and decided to part ways amicably, she could accept it. She had money, after all, and she doubted Mo Xiuyao would be stingy about alimony. However, this meant plans to nurture their relationship and eventually have children would have to be put on hold. She had no interest in bearing children with someone whose heart belonged to another. Thus, believing there was no need to further cultivate their bond, Ye Li found herself with more free time and decided to venture out more often. A married woman didn’t need to be locked indoors every day.

"Ah-Three, where is the princess heading?" Shadow Guard Four whispered in the shadows as they trailed silently behind.

"How should I know? It seems like she wants to leave the city," Shadow Guard Three replied.

"The prince and princess seem to be at odds. Do you think the princess is planning to run away from home?" Shadow Guard Four suddenly recalled that during yesterday's shift change, Ah-One and Ah-Two had mentioned the prince and princess's relationship had been a bit strange lately.

"That... probably not, right?" Shadow Guard Three hesitated. "How about I keep following the princess, and you go back to report to the prince?"

"What if she really is running away? Could you stop her? And what if we lose her?" Though they hadn't personally tested the princess's combat skills, they knew she was far from the delicate, ornamental type.

"That... we've already lost her!" Shadow Guard Three cursed under his breath. They had just left the city—how had the princess vanished? Had they been too engrossed in their conversation?"Stop the nonsense and start searching!" Two shadow guards emerged from the shadows, scanning the area for the Princess of the State. Although they hadn't dared to follow too closely earlier, they hadn't strayed too far either. In such a short time, the princess couldn't have gone far.

Ye Li sat on a tree branch, watching the two shadow guards muttering below. Their stealth skills were decent, but their personalities were a bit scatterbrained. "I say... do you never look up?" The two passing shadow guards blushed as they looked up at the elegant young man lounging on the tree. "That's because the Prince Ding's Estate has never had a princess who climbs trees before. And we've been circling under this tree for ages without hearing a single breath... P-Princess..." The two shadow guards silently shed tears, already resolved to report to their commander upon returning today. They were unworthy of being shadow guards; they needed to retrain themselves.

Ye Li nimbly jumped down from the tree, landing in front of them. "You've worked hard."

"We dare not claim so."

"I wasn't planning to run away from home." Ye Li smiled at the two nervous shadow guards. Shadow Guard Three quietly sighed in relief and cautiously asked, "Then... why did you leave the city, Princess?"

"I just wanted to see how long you could follow me." Ye Li nodded approvingly. "Overall, not bad. But it would be even better if you could control your eyes a bit. Less than a mile out of the Treasure Trove Pavilion, your stares made it impossible for me to pretend I didn't notice."

"Thank you for your guidance, Princess." Being discovered in less than a mile—was that even a compliment?

Ye Li cheerfully observed the dejected shadow guards before her. "You can keep following me, but... you won't report my daily activities to anyone else, right?" The two shadow guards were overjoyed. "Thank you, Princess! Ever since the wedding day of His Highness and the Princess, the two of us and two others have been assigned exclusively to you. Unless your life is in danger, we will never disclose anything about you to anyone—including His Highness." Shadow Guard Four explained. Ye Li nodded. Mo Xiuyao had mentioned the shadow guards of the Ding Royal Palace to her, and these days she had confirmed that they indeed hadn't reported anything about her to him. Not that it mattered—what she allowed them to see was never a secret anyway.

"Perfect. This master needs a few laborers. Follow me."

Shadow Guards Three and Four exchanged glances. Hadn't they just said they were shadow guards?

On this day, Shadow Guards Three and Four finally transcended the concept of "woman" when it came to the title of Princess of the State. The princess could ride a horse? That was nothing—most women in Western Liang and Northern Rong could ride. The princess knew martial arts? That was nothing either—they'd already known about it in the estate. But who could tell them why the princess was leading two men to storm a bandit stronghold? Well, there were no bandits there now. On the very night the princess was kidnapped, Third Master Feng had led the Black Cloud Cavalry to wipe out the bandit den called Black Cloud Peak. The Black Cloud Cavalry brothers were furious—how dare these blind bandits name their hideout after their revered unit and provoke the prince? It was an insult to their reputation!

Watching Ye Li ride for dozens of miles and then calmly walk up the mountain without showing the slightest sign of fatigue, the now-exposed Shadow Guards Three and Four were utterly dismayed. Ye Li turned back, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Why aren't you moving? Tired?"Their heads shook like rattle-drums. Shadow Guard Three mustered his courage and asked, "Your Highness, why have we come here?"

Ye Li turned back with a smile, "Mountain climbing, taking a stroll, an outing, relaxing... or should I slaughter and sell you two?"

"Your Highness..."

Both Shadow Guard Three and Four had been to Black Cloud Peak before, but as they ascended the mountain, they realized it was completely different from their last visit. The original stronghold on the mountain remained intact, and the traps and mechanisms that once guarded the path had been dismantled, making the ascent much easier. While this meant little to martial experts like them, it made a significant difference for ordinary people. Moreover, there were actually people living in the stronghold now—they could see smoke rising from chimneys in the distance. Could Her Highness be planning to turn bandit? Or had another group of outlaws taken up residence on Black Cloud Peak, and she intended to lead them on a raid?

As the three approached the stronghold, barking dogs greeted them. Soon after, a spirited elderly man in his sixties, accompanied by several other elders and children, came forward to welcome them. Upon seeing Ye Li, the old man smiled warmly, "Young Master Chu."

Ye Li nodded. "Old Wang, how have you been?"

Leaning on his cane, the old man nodded repeatedly. "This old man is doing very well, thanks to your care, Young Master. Please, come inside."

Ye Li gestured for the old man to lead the way, walking beside him as they entered. "I can't visit often. Are you living comfortably here, Old Wang?"

The old man said, "This place is neither too far nor too close to the capital, and everything is fine. We’ve been carrying out all the tasks as per your instructions, Young Master. Would you like to take a look first? Ah… it’s almost time for lunch. You must not have eaten after your long journey. If you don’t mind the humble fare here, perhaps you’d like to have a meal first before discussing matters?" Ye Li, who had indeed left early in the morning without eating lunch, nodded in agreement. The old man was delighted and immediately ordered someone to prepare the meal, personally escorting Ye Li to a simple yet very clean room to rest.

"Madam… this, how is this place…" As soon as the old man left, Shadow Guard Three couldn’t help but ask, though he struggled to articulate his question.

Ye Li sat leisurely in the chair and said, "You’re asking about this place? After my last visit, I thought it was quite nice, so I found a way to buy it. It’s not far from the capital and isn’t some desolate wilderness. These mountains and forests all have owners, but ordinary people dare not interfere because of the bandits lurking here." Shadow Guard Four asked in confusion, "Why did Madam buy this mountain? It doesn’t seem… particularly valuable. Neither the trees nor the plants here hold much worth, and this mountain doesn’t appear to have any gold or silver mines either."

Ye Li blinked. "I never intended for it to have any additional value. It’s just an ordinary mountain. The only difference is that there’s now an estate and a few households at the foot of the mountain."

"At the foot?" Shadow Guard Three recalled that there was indeed a sizable estate not far from the base of the mountain.

The shadow guards were no fools. They knew that even if the estate belonged to Ye Li, she must have had something else on the mountain in mind—otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered climbing up here. The two pairs of eyes silently fixed on the elegant young man before them. Ye Li sighed and closed the fan she had been waving pretentiously. "Fine, I’ll take you to see after lunch. I trust you understand the professional ethics of shadow guards. If not, I’ll personally teach you until you do." Shadow Guards Three and Four shivered involuntarily and instinctively replied, "We understand, Master."

After a simple lunch, Ye Li thanked the old man and led the two shadow guards toward the back of the mountain.

Before long, Shadow Guards Three and Four finally understood why Ye Li had told them she needed laborers. Descending from the cliff at the back of the mountain, they entered an enormous valley filled with towering trees. Even in broad daylight, they could hear distant wolf howls. How could such a place exist near the capital? Ye Li led them through the eerie forest for a while before finally encountering a group of busy people. These individuals were constructing rudimentary houses and setting up equipment similar to what they had seen in the estate’s Martial Arts Training Ground—along with many other things they couldn’t comprehend. What puzzled them most was that they had been following Ye Li all this time without noticing her doing anything related to this. How had this all come about?

A burly man in his thirties approached to greet them. Upon seeing Ye Li, he immediately stepped forward. "Young Master Chu."

Ye Li nodded. "How’s the progress?"The burly man wore a simple, honest smile as he said, "Young master, rest assured, we haven't made the slightest mistake. Everything was done exactly as you instructed. What do you think?" Ye Li nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "I've already looked. You've done an excellent job." The man scratched his head and grinned, "Though we don't know what these things are for, Young Master Chu has been kind to us and given us work. We'll definitely do our best for you." Ye Li chuckled, "No need for formalities. You're earning your keep through honest labor. Today, I've brought new blueprints. Take a look and see if there's anything unclear—we can go over it in detail." Ye Li handed him a thick stack of drawings, which the man opened and scanned before laughing, "Everything in the young master's drawings is clear. I'll take them to show the senior craftsmen. Would you like to come along?"

"I'll look around first and join them when they're done."

The man left cheerfully with the blueprints, and only then did Ye Li turn to the two stunned men. "Ask whatever you want."

An Si glanced around and said, "Your Highness... are you building a Martial Arts Training Ground? Many things here resemble those in the estate."

Ye Li nodded approvingly with a smile. "Good eye. You could say I'm building a fun playground."

"Your Highness has... unique hobbies."

"How did you find this place, Your Highness?" An San asked.

"Ah, I asked someone if there were any hidden yet interesting spots near the capital, and they recommended this place. After visiting once, I agreed it was quite suitable."

An San frowned and looked up. "Isn't this place easy to intrude upon? We just came down from the cliff. And last time, the Lord of Tianyi Pavilion escaped from below, meaning there are multiple entry and exit routes." Ye Li smiled, "If you're referring to the path below, I've already sealed it off. As for entering or exiting through this forest, I've checked—the nearest edge is at least fifty li away, if not farther. One side drops into an even deeper cliff. The woods also have swamps, poisonous plants, and wild beasts. Haven’t you noticed the snake repellent scattered everywhere? It’s practically a perfect Hunting Ground. Finding such a place near the capital is incredibly rare. If you plan to descend from above like we just did... once construction is complete, that path will vanish. And... anyone daring enough can try jumping down with Light Body Skill."

An San and An Si instinctively edged closer to each other. From the princess's tone, the consequences of jumping down seemed worse than braving the forest.

"Your Highness... what exactly are you building this place for?" An San swallowed hard, struggling to ask.

Ye Li beamed. "Didn’t I say? For fun. The estate is too limited and boring. Once this is done, whenever I feel restless, I can come here for a stroll—guaranteed to lift my spirits." An San and An Si paled in horror. They should have known long ago that a princess with such peculiar tastes was anything but normal. The entire capital had been deceived by her... Even if the old prince were resurrected, he’d surely be terrified by such a formidable daughter-in-law.With satisfaction, Ye Li surveyed the surrounding arrangements, her smiling eyes dimming slightly. The days wouldn't remain this peaceful forever, so she couldn't truly pretend ignorance and live carefree as the Princess of the State. Eldest brother had gone to the Southern Border, third brother to the military camp... If not anticipating unavoidable crises ahead, Uncle wouldn't have allowed eldest brother to involve himself in court affairs. Qingchen Gongzi's reputation was already too prominent, and the Xu family needed no further renown. Therefore... before events unfolded, she too must make her own preparations—to protect her family in the coming days, in her own way.