No one paid attention to how Mo Jingli would deal with Noble Consort Liu. Perhaps Mo Xiaoyu and Princess Zhenning cared somewhat, but they would do nothing more for the woman they once called Mother. Noble Consort Liu’s actions had exceeded all limits of the education they had received since childhood. Moreover, even for the sake of their hard-won peaceful lives, they would not do anything more for this woman. Many days later, after Mo Jingli had left Li City to return to Jiangnan, someone discovered a badly scarred corpse that had been dead for some time on the outskirts of Li City. Mo Xiaoyu and Princess Zhenning buried it where it was found outside the city, but erected no tombstone. When Ye Li heard her subordinates’ report, she merely smiled faintly and dismissed it.

The day Noble Consort Liu was taken away by Mo Jingli, Lei Zhenting also personally came to bid farewell to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, returning to his station. Since Lei Zhenting had left, there was no point in the Western Ling Emperor’s envoy staying either, so they also bid farewell and returned to Western Ling the next day. In all of Li City, only Princess Anxi, Mo Jingli, and Ren Qining remained. Princess Anxi was pregnant, and her journey to Li City had already been difficult. Moreover, with Great Chu and Western Ling currently busy competing in the surrounding areas, and Nanzhao being remote with no major affairs, Princess Anxi naturally was in no hurry to leave. As for Ren Qining and Mo Jingli, they visited the Dongfang Manor even more frequently than Prince Ding’s Manor when they had nothing else to do, their intentions naturally clear as day.

At the Xu Manor

Master Qingchen, who had been busy for several months, had delegated all government affairs to Mo Xiuyao and finally had some leisure time to rest and read at home. Though Master Qingchen was exceptionally talented, for the past year and more, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had been busy with military campaigns, and then Ye Li became pregnant, leaving most of the government affairs of Prince Ding’s Manor weighing on Master Qingchen’s shoulders. It was impossible not to be tired, especially since Master Qingchen wasn’t someone who enjoyed power. These past few days, with most of the distinguished guests gone, he finally had some free time, and Xu Qingchen unhesitatingly pushed the official business to Mo Xiuyao, staying home to read and play his newly acquired Phoenix Zither.

Mo Xiuyao also understood that Xu Qingchen had been working very hard these past couple of years, and thinking about how he might need to rely on Master Qingchen even more in the future, he naturally couldn’t risk offending him. Though unwilling, he had no choice but to take over all government affairs to give Master Qingchen a break.

The jade-white Phoenix Zither produced ethereal, serene music under fingers that seemed to carry a faint ink fragrance, making the already quiet courtyard even more tranquil. Even the people outside the courtyard who heard such music couldn’t help but feel completely comfortable and at ease as if their worries and troubles instantly vanished without a trace.

“Master Qingchen’s zither music is truly beautiful.” In another courtyard, Qin Zheng was hosting Murong Ting and Hua Tianxiang for tea. Hearing the music from outside, Murong Ting couldn’t help but sigh.

Though Murong Ting wasn’t skilled in either art, both Qin Zheng and Hua Tianxiang were quite accomplished. Hua Tianxiang smiled, “After hearing Master Qingchen play, I’m afraid I’ll never dare to embarrass myself by playing in front of others again.” Although they were both quite confident in their zither skills, only upon hearing Master Qingchen’s music did they truly understand the difference and distance between them? Qin Zheng nodded and smiled, “The Third Phoenix Prince is known for his mastery of the zither, and I’ve heard his music too, but I’m afraid he still falls slightly short compared to my brother.”

Hua Tianxiang said, “The Third Phoenix Prince puts too much emotion into his music, sometimes becoming excessively melancholic. It indeed doesn’t compare to how Master Qingchen’s music makes one’s heart soar and become lost in it.”

Murong Ting waved her hand, “I don’t understand all these things you’re talking about, I just know Master Qingchen’s music sounds good. Zheng’er, you’re so lucky, you can often listen to his music.”

Qin Zheng smiled helplessly, “This is also my first time hearing Brother play. These past few years, Brother has been so busy that even Mother couldn’t find him – where would he find time to play the zither?” Murong Ting blinked and said softly, “I heard that Prince Ding and Ali gave the Phoenix Zither that Mo Jingli just sent to Master Qingchen. Master Qingchen must be playing the Phoenix Zither right now.”

Qin Zheng asked curiously, “Murong, do you want to see the Phoenix Zither? The zither is in Brother’s hands, we probably shouldn’t go over there. But later we can ask Qingze to borrow it from Brother to satisfy our curiosity.”

Murong Ting shook her head and sighed, “I don’t understand zithers. I want to see the Fenming Sword.” Thinking about how the Fenming Sword, one of Great Chu’s four national treasures and the world’s finest sword, was in Prince Ding’s Manor, yet she had no chance to see it, made Murong Ting feel anxious and listless.

Qin Zheng and Hua Tianxiang helplessly rolled their eyes – they knew this would happen.

In a certain spot in Xu Qingchen’s courtyard, a beautiful woman in white stood on a tree branch, gazing entranced at the white-robed man sitting on the ground below, playing the zither with a serene expression. Her beautiful eyes flowed with complex, intertwined emotions – admiration, respect, affection, torment, and more. Originally, she had intended to go directly into the courtyard to find him, but upon entering the manor, she heard such beautiful zither music. Following the sound, she came upon the white-robed man under the tree, as otherworldly as an immortal. Her originally confident heart suddenly felt as if it had been struck hard, followed by more uncertainty and panic. Could she have such a man? But just thinking about that slight possibility immediately brought infinite joy and satisfaction. At this moment, she felt that her identity, her mission, and her position were no longer important – as long as she could stay with him.

As the song ended, Xu Qingchen stopped, simply leaning against the large tree and enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

“Master Qingchen.” The woman in white floated down, looking at him with eyes as gentle as water.

Xu Qingchen slightly furrowed his brows, looking at the white-robed woman before him with a calm expression, saying indifferently, “Miss Dongfang, coming uninvited is rather discourteous.”

Dongfang You’s eyes darkened as she said softly, “I have something I wish to discuss with Master Qingchen. I apologize for my rudeness, please forgive me.”

Xu Qingchen carefully put the Phoenix Zither back in its case, stood up, and looked at Dongfang You, saying, “These days, all city matters are handled by Prince Ding. If Miss Dongfang has any business, you should go to Prince Ding’s Manor.” Dongfang You quickly shook her head, “No, my coming to find you have nothing to do with Cangmang Mountain. I just have some words I wish to speak with you privately.”

Xu Qingchen frowned, “I don’t seem to have any relationship with Miss, so there shouldn’t be any private matters to discuss. Please leave.” With that, he picked up the zither case and prepared to go inside.

“No, Master Qingchen…” Seeing Xu Qingchen about to leave, Dongfang You anxiously called out, “Master Qingchen!” In her urgency, she used her lightness skill, floating up to block Xu Qingchen’s path. Dongfang You’s martial arts were good enough to earn Mo Xiuyao’s praise, which was proof enough of their excellence. Meanwhile, Xu Qingchen was precisely a frail scholar who couldn’t even tie up a chicken – the disparity in their abilities was obvious. With Dongfang You forcefully blocking his path, Xu Qingchen naturally couldn’t leave.

“What is Miss Dongfang’s intention?” Xu Qingchen’s handsome face darkened slightly.

“Master Qingchen, you… you won’t even look at me?” Dongfang You looked at the man before her somewhat pitifully. Although she hadn’t interacted with many people since childhood, just from the reactions of those around her and the many entranced gazes she received after coming down the mountain, she knew she was sufficiently excellent and beautiful. But why was Master Qingchen unwilling to even look at her once?

Xu Qingchen frowned silently. Dongfang You murmured, “Master… Master Qingchen, won’t you look at me?”

Xu Qingchen’s elegant brows furrowed even more. Dongfang You’s voice was low and ethereal, yet it gave him a very uncomfortable feeling as if something in his mind was about to break free, and his gaze unconsciously wanted to turn toward Dongfang You.

But Xu Qingchen wasn’t like others – after just a flash of confusion in his eyes, they returned to their calm, unruffled state. Looking placidly at the white-robed woman before him, her face, which wasn’t originally exceptionally beautiful, seemed to suddenly become incomparably vivid and lovely. It was as if in that instant, all the colors of time had faded away, leaving only the woman before him vibrant and bright.

“Master, Master Qingchen… am I not beautiful? Won’t you look at me?” Dongfang You gazed deeply at Xu Qingchen, murmuring.

Xu Qingchen stared fixedly at Dongfang You, silent for a long while.

Seeing him gazing at her motionlessly, Dongfang You’s heart leaped with joy. She stepped slightly forward, her smile becoming more gentle and beautiful, “Master Qingchen… am I beautiful?”

“You… are beautiful…”

Dongfang You was overjoyed and moved forward again, stopping one step away from Xu Qingchen. A faint flush appeared between her brows, making her appear even more enchantingly beautiful, “Master…”

“Miss Dongfang, what exactly do you want to say?” Xu Qingchen’s voice rang out calmly, steady, and unruffled.

“Puh—” Hearing Xu Qingchen’s voice, Dongfang You’s eyes suddenly widened as blood spurted from her mouth. Xu Qingchen stepped to the side, just avoiding her spurt of blood. In an instant, the enchanting allure on Dongfang You’s face completely vanished, replaced by embarrassment and weakness. The secret technique of bewitching hearts was a double-edged sword – if one could control someone, naturally they could make that person infatuated or even completely obedient at will. But if the target’s mind was firm and unaffected, then the one who would be hurt was the practitioner. Dongfang You had been suddenly interrupted by Xu Qingchen at the crucial moment, and suffered the backlash. Her face instantly darkened, and her internal energy churned chaotically, clearly indicating serious internal injury.

“Master Qingchen…” Dongfang You looked at the white-robed man before her in shock, unable to believe she had failed. That night at the banquet, she had only used a fraction of her skills, yet had made so many high officials and nobles lose their composure. She never expected to fail against a man with no martial arts, especially when she had used her most profound secret technique. At this level, even men with deep hatred would typically forget everything and submit to her technique. Did this man truly despise her so much?

“These underhanded tricks – please have some self-respect, Miss.” Xu Qingchen cast a displeased glance at the white-robed woman before him, speaking indifferently. At Master Qingyun’s birthday feast, Xu Qingchen had already witnessed Dongfang You’s unique and strange attraction to men, but in their subsequent meetings, he hadn’t felt that effect. Even if he hadn’t known about Cangmang Mountain’s unique secret technique, Xu Qingchen should have sensed something was wrong – how could he fall for her tricks?

Now, Xu Qingchen wasn’t the unlucky one – Dongfang You was.

This type of charm technique for controlling people’s hearts was even harder to practice than martial arts. Dongfang You could be considered quite talented to have achieved such mastery. Even her teacher Dongfang Hui couldn’t match her in this aspect. But similarly, the price of failing with the technique was also enormous. Her face, which had turned ashen after coughing up blood, gradually began to flush. Her originally resentful watery eyes also gradually became covered with a layer of mist, “Master Qingchen…”

Xu Qingchen frowned slightly and looked up at a certain spot on the courtyard wall, saying calmly, “Won’t you come out?”

As soon as he finished speaking, two men in black dropped down from the wall and respectfully cupped their hands to Xu Qingchen, “Greetings, Master Qingchen.” Xu Qingchen looked at them with a half-smile, saying, “Is this how Ali told you to protect my safety?” For someone to enter the prestigious Xu Manor as if it were uninhabited was one thing, but for the guards specifically assigned to protect Master Qingchen to not have discovered anything after so long – that seemed a bit too fake.

The two guards exchanged glances, somewhat embarrassed, and said, “The Prince said that as long as it didn’t endanger Master’s safety… it would be best not to interfere with Master’s romantic prospects…” So it wasn’t that they were negligent, but rather that the Prince himself wanted to see Master Qingchen in an amusing situation. Of course, if Master Qingchen had fallen for Dongfang You’s technique, they would have intervened.

Xu Qingchen, long familiar with Mo Xiuyao’s character, couldn’t blame them. Looking at Dongfang You, who had collapsed and was now moaning intermittently, he asked, “What’s wrong with her?” One of the men stepped forward to look, coughed awkwardly, and said, “Well, probably… Miss Dongfang was using some kind of charm technique to bewitch men and stir up desires. This… Master Qingchen broke her charm technique, she suffered internal injuries, and then these injuries backfired, so she… she…”

Master Qingchen, who didn’t understand martial arts, frowned as he looked at Dongfang You, “Is it serious?”

The guard lowered his voice and said, “If she finds a man to… well… it won’t be.”

Master Qingchen’s elegant face froze. He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and said, “Take her back to Lady Dongfang.” Since it wasn’t their responsibility, they didn’t need to handle it. As for how Dongfang Hui would treat Dongfang You’s injuries, that wasn’t their concern. They didn’t understand charm techniques after all…

Following Xu Qingchen’s instructions, one guard picked up Dongfang You and leaped over the wall, during which the somewhat delirious Dongfang You took several liberties with him.

In the quiet courtyard, Xu Qingchen sat under the large tree with his zither, deep in thought. Not far away, a guard in black stood in the corner by the wall, staring absently at the sky. Soon, sounds of commotion came from outside the courtyard. The guard in black jumped onto the wall to look, then returned to report, “Master, the Master, Madam, and Lady Dongfang have arrived.”

Xu Qingchen gave him a calm look and said, “Hold them back first, let them in after half a quarter-hour.”

Though not understanding Master Qingchen’s intention for such instructions, the guard obediently went to carry them out. Under the large tree, a flash of coldness briefly crossed Master Qingchen’s handsome eyes.

The guard was indeed very obedient – exactly half a quarter hour, not a minute more or less. Just as Xu Qingchen stood up to walk out, Dongfang Hui had already rushed in with Xu Hongyu and Madam Xu. Xu Qingchen said calmly, “Father, Mother, Lady Dongfang, why have you come?” Since he wasn’t planning to go out today, Xu Qingchen was dressed quite casually. This casualness, in the eyes of those who had just entered, seemed somewhat inappropriately strange. Dongfang Hui’s expression changed slightly as she stared at Xu Qingchen, “What did you do to You’er?”

Before Xu Qingchen could speak, Madam Xu on the side couldn’t stand it anymore. She cast an annoyed glance at Dongfang Hui, her face darkening. What did she mean by “what did you do to Dongfang You”? What could her son possibly do to Dongfang You? She was more worried about what tricks Dongfang You might have used on Qingchen. She stepped forward to examine Xu Qingchen from head to toe, then asked, “Qingchen, did Miss Dongfang come?”

Xu Qingchen paused for a moment, then nodded, “Miss Dongfang came half an hour ago.”

Madam Xu’s heart jumped, and she grabbed Xu Qingchen’s hand, asking, “Are you alright?”

This time it was Dongfang Hui who became displeased. Although it was originally Dongfang You who wanted to use techniques on Xu Qingchen, Madam Xu’s words were quite offensive. Upon learning of Dongfang You’s intentions, Dongfang Hui, for the first time in her life, wanted to strangle this disciple she had raised. Dongfang Hui herself wasn’t skilled in charm techniques. Although it was Cangmang Mountain’s unique secret technique, Dongfang Hui didn’t think much of this ability. In her youth, she had only dabbled in it briefly before setting it aside. The prerequisite for such bewitching techniques to succeed was that the man’s mind wasn’t firm enough, but how could Dongfang Hui respect someone whose mind wasn’t firm enough to warrant using such do-or-die methods to charm them? So these techniques were completely useless to Dongfang Hui.

When she learned that Dongfang You planned to use charm techniques on Xu Qingchen, Dongfang Hui wanted to split open Dongfang You’s head to see what was inside. How could someone like Xu Qingchen be controlled by charm techniques? Though appearing gentle and refined, he was cold-hearted – Dongfang Hui would believe Mo Xiuyao could be controlled by charm techniques before believing Xu Qingchen could be. Worried that something might have happened to Dongfang You, Dongfang Hui quickly dropped what she was doing and rushed over, only to learn that Dongfang You had been here for nearly half an hour without coming out. For a moment, Dongfang Hui wasn’t sure whether Xu Qingchen had fallen for the technique or not. That’s why she tried to probe him, only to be blocked by Madam Xu.

“Master Xu, my disciple came to visit you and hasn’t returned for a long time. Do you know where she went?” Dongfang Hui asked in a deep voice.

“Well…” Xu Qingchen pondered for a moment, looking hesitantly at the three people present.

Seeing his troubled expression, Madam Xu’s heart sank. She feared her son had indeed fallen for Dongfang You’s technique. Xu Hongyu also frowned slightly and asked, “Has Miss Dongfang left? When did she leave? What did she come to see you about, and why didn’t the doorkeeper see her?” Though Xu Hongyu was a contemporary great scholar of noble character, he naturally favored his own family and didn’t want his son to marry someone like Dongfang You. His first question was why Miss Dongfang didn’t use the main entrance for her visit. With this point alone, even if something had happened between Xu Qingchen and Dongfang You, the Xu family could refuse to formally marry her into the family. Who would want to marry a woman who visited an unfamiliar man without using the proper entrance?

Hearing Xu Hongyu’s words, Dongfang Hui’s face darkened. Unfortunately, their side was in the wrong, so she had nothing to say.

Xu Qingchen looked composedly at the three people with their varying expressions and said calmly, “Miss Dongfang did indeed come to visit, but she seemed to suddenly fall ill and become unwell. I had someone escort her out earlier.”

“When?!” Dongfang Hui asked anxiously.

Xu Qingchen thought for a moment and said, “About… two quarters of an hour ago.”

“What happened to her?” Dongfang Hui thought things weren’t good. Xu Qingchen said, “I don’t quite understand this either. Miss Dongfang suddenly coughed up blood and didn’t look well. I guess she might have suffered internal injuries from jumping down from the wall.”

Dongfang Hui silently gritted her teeth – with Dongfang You’s martial arts, let alone jumping from a wall, even jumping from a cliff might not cause internal injuries. “Which way did they leave? Why didn’t anyone outside see them?” Xu Qingchen replied frankly, “Since Miss Dongfang came over the wall, the guards probably thought she didn’t want anyone to know she had come, so they left via the wall as well.”

“Master.” Someone dropped down from the wall – it was the guard in black who had carried Dongfang You away earlier. The innocent guard, who had just been taken advantage of multiple times by someone, had a slight blush on his wooden face. Seeing the sudden group of people in the courtyard, he was startled, “Master, Madam.”

“Where is You’er?” Dongfang Hui asked harshly.

The guard hesitated for a moment before responding, “I escorted Miss Dongfang out.”

“You got her back to the inn so quickly?” Unless using lightness skills, there wasn’t enough time to make a round trip from the Xu Manor to the Dongfang residence in such a short time. But no one would use lightness skills to carry a woman around in broad daylight. The guard shook his head and said, “I met King Li outside, and he said he was just going to visit Lady Dongfang, so he offered to take Miss Dongfang back.”

“You handed You’er over to Mo Jingli?!” Dongfang Hui said sharply.

The guard in black looked somewhat aggrieved, “Miss Dongfang herself agreed to let King Li take her back.” Did they have to personally escort someone who had trespassed? Even if they had escorted her back, they would have missed Lady Dongfang anyway – by the time Lady Dongfang returned, it would have been too late to help Miss Dongfang.

Madam Xu didn’t care what had happened to Dongfang You, as long as her son was fine. As before, she would rather Qingchen never marry than marry Dongfang You! Madam Xu smiled as she reached out to straighten her son’s clothes, gently scolding, “You silly child, how could you not change clothes before receiving guests?”

“Son acknowledges his mistake,” Xu Qingchen didn’t argue, just smiled faintly.

Dongfang Hui had no patience to watch their mother-son affection. She coldly cupped her hands to Xu Hongyu and said, “Brother Xu, farewell!”

Xu Hongyu nodded slightly, “No need to see you out.”

After seeing Dongfang Hui off, Xu Hongyu looked thoughtfully at Xu Qingchen and asked, “Did Mo Jingli happen to meet Dongfang You, or did Dongfang You happen to meet Mo Jingli?”

Xu Qingchen smiled slightly, as bright as the moon, “Father, is there any difference?”

Xu Hongyu thought for a moment and said calmly, “Don’t you understand what difference it makes? As for Dongfang You…” Xu Qingchen smiled and said, “Dongfang You haven’t lost her mind. Even if something happened, it has nothing to do with our Xu family or Prince Ding’s Manor.” Seeing his son’s composed demeanor, Xu Hongyu nodded with satisfaction, “Well done.” If Dongfang You dared to scheme against the Xu family, whatever fate befell her was deserved. The Xu family had never been softhearted fools who returned evil with kindness.