In the training grounds of the Prince of Ding’s mansion, Yelü Ye gazed intently at the white-robed woman before him. Neither made the first move. Looking at the calm yet sharp woman before him, Yelü Ye maintained a composed expression despite his private astonishment. Perhaps now he understood why last year’s Princess Lingyun, renowned for her archery, had lost to the Prince of Ding’s wife who could barely hold a bow. When masters face-off, the test isn’t merely of strength, speed, technique, and inner power, but more importantly of unwavering determination and the pressure one can exert on their opponent. While Yelü Ye wasn’t certain of the woman’s exact martial arts prowess, her unflappable composure and the sharp blade-like intensity flowing in those calm eyes alone qualified her as a first-rate master.
The atmosphere in the training grounds gradually grew tense. Yelü Ye furrowed his brow and drew a flexible sword from his waist, saying, “Princess, please.”
Ye Li stood with her hands behind her back, calmly responding, “Prince, you first.”
Yelü Ye couldn’t help but laugh bitterly inside. It seemed the Prince of Ding’s wife was determined to have him make the first move. His earlier challenge had been mostly a jest to start a conversation and gain entry, but now it had become real and there was no backing down. Shrugging helplessly, Yelü Ye smiled, “In that case, I won’t be polite.” His flexible sword trembled, drawing a flower in the air as he initiated an extremely ordinary opening move toward Ye Li. She slightly frowned, quickly sidestepping as a cold glint flashed from her sleeve—a steel-cutting dagger thrust straight toward Yelü Ye’s chest. After just a few exchanges, Yelü Ye finally lost the relaxed look in his eyes. He finally understood why Ye Li had been so generous in letting him go first—not out of arrogant ignorance, but because she truly had the skill to match her opponent. Within several moves, Yelü Ye realized that if he persisted with such a lukewarm sword technique, he would never defeat this seemingly delicate white-robed woman. Ye Li’s moves were sharp and agile, each concealing killing intent. Unlike the typically graceful techniques of most women, she cared nothing for how her moves looked, only for their effectiveness. This initial clarity made Yelü Ye unusually restrained.
Understanding Ye Li’s capability, Yelü Ye stopped holding back. His flexible sword trembled as his techniques grew fiercer. Though the Northern Rong people were naturally fierce and not suited to soft weapons like the flexible sword, Yelü Ye had mastered it exceptionally well. But as Ye Li had observed from his match with Mu Yang that night, Yelü Ye wasn’t purely focused on soft techniques—his hard style was equally impressive, making him a rare master of both hard and soft approaches.
In the training grounds, the two fought to a standstill. Outside, Steward Mo watched the combatants intently, his deep old eyes showing both concern and satisfaction. Though the Prince of Ding’s mansion appeared prosperous now, hidden dangers lurked—it needed a decisive and wise princess. Now it seemed the princess was not only wise and resolute, but her martial arts could be called first-rate, making Steward Mo gratefully think that the mansion’s ancestors must be watching over them.
In the blink of an eye, over a hundred moves had passed. Watching the woman whose expression remained calm and whose breathing showed no disorder, Yelü Ye couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It seemed this woman would continue to surprise him. He had initially thought that though Ye Li’s moves were fierce, being a woman meant her stamina would inevitably be inferior to a man’s. Moreover, Yelü Ye had noticed at the start that Ye Li’s inner power wasn’t particularly profound—no matter how exquisite her techniques, they would be useless once time dragged on. Yet unexpectedly, after so long she showed no sign of fatigue, as if she could continue this endless struggle forever. Yelü Ye’s eyes darkened slightly as his sword quickly drew a rainbow arc, his whole person retreating backward. Ye Li’s eyes flashed, and she steadily held her position without pursuing. Seeing her stop, Yelü Ye secretly sighed in relief—unable to harm or kill, continuing would only make him look bad regardless of the outcome.
“I didn’t expect the Princess of Ding to be so skillful indeed. I admire you,” Yelü Ye laughed heartily as he returned his flexible sword to his waist.
Ye Li calmly frowned and said, “Since the Prince feels it’s enough, please proceed to the front hall for tea. We can discuss business then.”
Yelü Ye nodded indifferently, and Steward Mo finally stepped forward to escort him to the front hall.
Ye Li returned to her room to change clothes, and her conversation with Yelü Ye naturally became another battle of wits. This Northern Rong prince didn’t match the Great Chu people’s image of the Northern Rong at all—rather, he seemed more like someone from Great Chu or Xiling: cunning, sharp, and unwilling to yield an inch when it came to interests. The two discussed the prepared list of names back and forth for half a day, finally narrowing the potential brides down to Princess Ronghua, Liu Yu (niece of Noble Consort Liu), and Princess Qingyi (the only surviving granddaughter of Prince Jia, Mo Jingqi’s only uncle). However, Princess Qingyi was the old prince’s only surviving granddaughter and only thirteen this year. Her inclusion was merely to make the list look better, as the Great Chu royal family traditionally had more sons than daughters, with few presentable princesses available. But this was probably adequate—considering both the old prince’s face and Princess Qingyi’s young age and poor health, the final choice would likely be between Princess Ronghua and the Liu family’s daughter.
The final selection would naturally require Yelü Ye to meet them in person. Ye Li was indifferent to this—convincing Yelü Ye to narrow it down to just three candidates was already quite good. If Yelü Ye had to see all the eligible ladies, the noble families in the capital would have their lives turned upside down. Presumably, once the Northern Rong wedding party departed, the capital would see many more weddings.
After seeing Yelü Ye off, before Ye Li could return to her room, someone came to report that Miss Yaoji requested an audience. Given Yaoji’s status, she naturally couldn’t be invited into the mansion first like Yelü Ye and then announced to the lord and lady. She could only wait at the side gate for the princess to receive her or not. Ye Li was startled when she heard—she had forgotten about Yaoji’s matter these busy days. Frowning slightly, she said, “Please invite her in.”
Soon, Yaoji followed the guiding maid inside. Unlike her usual alluring attire, this time Yaoji wore ordinary autumn-colored clothes, appearing less bewitching and more graceful, somewhat like a common well-bred lady.
“Greetings, Princess,” Yaoji bowed slightly.
Ye Li waved her hand saying, “No need for formalities. If you have something to discuss, please sit.”
Yaoji looked up at her and said softly, “I didn’t think you would still see me.”
Ye Li smiled faintly, “If you were truly certain I wouldn’t see you, why would you come?” Though their interactions were few, Ye Li could see Yaoji was an extremely proud woman who would never come to face rejection. Yaoji paused, then smiled bitterly and nodded, “The Princess speaks truly.” Ye Li looked at her pale, thin face and hesitated before asking, “Are you well?”
Yaoji smiled calmly, saying, “What does it matter anymore? I’ve come shamefully today because I have a favor to ask of the Princess.”
Ye Li nodded, “Speak. If I can help, I certainly won’t refuse.”
Yaoji said, “I plan to close Chengcheng House, but… While I’ll be fine alone, there are many girls in the house… They’ve had hard lives. The good ones might go to other houses, but some don’t know where they’ll end up. I’ve originally failed them… So I wanted to ask if the Prince of Ding’s mansion would buy Chengcheng House. I’m willing to sell at half price as long as the elderly in Chengcheng House can be somewhat looked after.”
Ye Li frowned slightly, “Chengcheng House is called the capital’s first pleasure house. If you want to sell, naturally many would rush to buy. Why…”
Yaoji’s smile turned bitter as she looked at Ye Li, “Don’t I know what kind of people run pleasure houses in this capital? Who knows how Chengcheng House would be ruined in their hands? Also… I hope news of Chengcheng House changing owners won’t spread for at least half a year.”
Ye Li frowned, immediately understanding Yaoji’s intention. “You… what are your plans?”
Yaoji lowered her head, unconsciously touching her still-flat belly, and smiled faintly, “I’ll go south to take a look. The climate there is more pleasant than the capital, isn’t it? I’ve saved quite a bit of money over these years—enough to live well for a lifetime.”
Ye Li frowned slightly—she naturally wasn’t asking about money, as even dancers of Yaoji’s caliber had no financial concerns. But leaving aside the current instability in the south, Yaoji’s current condition alone made her unsuitable for such a long journey to Jiangnan. Rubbing her brow, Ye Li changed the subject, “Feng San has returned to the capital. You haven’t seen him yet?”
Yaoji smiled, “He came to see me yesterday morning, though he’s quite busy too. So… Princess, there’s no need to tell him about my messy affairs.”
Ye Li said, “I thought you and Feng San were close.”
Yaoji smiled, “Young Master Feng San is my friend—my only… true friend. Princess, you need not probe—Feng San has no such feelings for me, and naturally, I also truly see him as just a friend. We are just… kindred spirits, you could say.”
Ye Li softly apologized. She knew Feng Zhiyao had someone in his heart, but had never heard Feng San or anyone else mention this person. Perhaps Mo Xiuyao knew, but as it was Feng San’s private matter, Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t volunteer the information, and she wouldn’t ask. Yaoji graciously shook her head and smiled, “I know the Princess cares for me, but there’s no need to tell Feng San about this. Though Young Master Feng San appears indifferent to everything, he abhors evil most strongly. He was going to find Young Master Mu, but I’ve already told him we’ve cleared things up, so the marriage between the Mu Marquis Manor and the Sun family has nothing to do with me.”
“You want to keep the child?” Ye Li frowned. If she couldn’t understand Yaoji’s meaning after all she’d said, she would have lived these years in vain. It wasn’t that she was hardhearted, but in this era, even ordinary women—let alone someone of Yaoji’s status—would have a difficult time as an unwed mother, and it would be even worse for the child’s future.
Yaoji looked at her, her beautiful face showing a trace of gentle tenderness, and nodded, “Yes, this is my child. Princess, please don’t worry. Since I’ve already said I’ve severed ties with Mu Yang, I absolutely won’t use this child as leverage to entangle with him in the future. After leaving the capital this time… I don’t plan to return. I can live out my life under an assumed name somewhere where no one knows me.”
Ye Li shook her head, “That’s not what I meant. Have you considered what will happen after the child is born? What about your future life? Even if you raise the child alone and have enough money to spend, what about when the child grows up? For a daughter’s marriage or a son’s career, which doesn’t require a clean family background? Yaoji, this world is not kind to women.” She was speaking of distant concerns—more immediately, with Yaoji’s beauty and talent, she couldn’t possibly hide in some remote place, and in a prosperous city, a beautiful woman alone couldn’t survive.
Yaoji’s expression darkened, her eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. Her jade-like hand gently touched her abdomen as she said through gritted teeth, “I know all this, but… but this is my child…”
Ye Li was speechless. Women of this era were not like those of her previous life who treated abortion as casually as eating. Even Yaoji, despite her life in the pleasure quarters, still had a soft heart for her child—especially a child with the man she loved. Given Yaoji’s nature, for her to give herself to Mu Yang, she must have loved him deeply. Unfortunately, even such a woman could have irrational moments.
After a moment of silence, Yaoji looked up at Ye Li and said, “I understand everything the Princess has said. Thank you for your concern, but… I’ve made my decision about the child. About Chengcheng House…”
Ye Li sighed slightly and nodded, “I’ll buy Chengcheng House. Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say more. Take care of yourself. I’ll have someone send the bank notes to you later.”
Yaoji gratefully said, “Thank you, Princess.”
Ye Li shook her head gently, “Take care.”
“Farewell.”
After seeing Yaoji off, Ye Li sat lost in thought in the flower hall, not even noticing when Mo Xiuyao entered.
“What has Ali thinking so deeply?” Mo Xiuyao asked with a smile.
Ye Li shook her head and told him about buying Chengcheng House, but kept Yaoji’s pregnancy to herself. Mo Xiuyao naturally wouldn’t care about what happened to a courtesan, and nodded with a smile, “Chengcheng House is a good place. Though Feng San often used it to gather information before, it still belonged to others and he had to consider his friendship with Yaoji. It’s fine for us to buy it, but… it can’t be under the Prince of Ding’s name.” Ye Li nodded, as she hadn’t planned to buy it under the manor’s name anyway. “I’ll have Ming Xi handle it.” It would be put under Chu Junwei’s name—not too conspicuous and not suspicious. If anyone investigated, they would find that Chu Junwei had several modest shops in various places, with the most profitable one in Guangling City.
Mo Xiuyao naturally didn’t care about such minor matters. Sitting beside Ye Li, he asked, “Yelü Ye crossed hands with you today?”
Ye Li smiled faintly, “Just a casual exchange. Though this Prince Yelü doesn’t seem like someone from the Northern Rong.”
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, “Being in the royal family, whether Northern Rong or Great Chu, one can’t avoid scheming. For him to stand out among so many sons of the Northern Rong king, his cunning and methods naturally aren’t ordinary. However… to be so presumptuous in the Prince of Ding’s mansion, I’ve underestimated him. I wonder if he’s prepared to offend me?”
Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao in surprise but quickly understood his thoughts. She just smiled faintly without trying to dissuade him. “The marriage candidates are probably decided—either Princess Ronghua or Miss Liu, though I think Princess Ronghua is more likely. There will be quite a commotion then.” In terms of status, Princess Ronghua ranked higher than Miss Liu, and in terms of beauty, Princess Ronghua was counted among the capital’s beauties. Moreover, given the Liu family’s current ascendancy, they probably wouldn’t want to marry off a legitimate daughter. After all, even becoming the crown princess would be too distant to provide much practical help to the Liu family. What the Liu family needed now was probably marriages with various powerful noble families. As for Princess Ronghua, she was Princess Zhaoren’s beloved daughter, but so what? Princess Zhaoren couldn’t even decide on her marriage, let alone her daughter’s.
Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, “Let them make whatever commotion they want, you don’t need to worry about it. If it gets too difficult, we can push it to the palace. If you get tired of it, you can visit Imperial Aunt, or we can leave the capital for a few days.”
Ye Li thought of the elite group she had left in Black Wind Valley and smiled, “That’s good, I have some business to attend to in a few days anyway.”