“Guards! Take this man out and execute him!” the Princess Consort commanded.
Everyone froze for a moment. Yuan Pei glanced at Feng Zhiyao, who turned to look at Xu Qingze, who was sitting quietly reading a book. Perhaps it was Feng Zhiyao’s intense gaze that prompted the usually silent Xu Qingze to put down his book and address Ye Li: “Little sister, in military affairs, we do not execute envoys.”
Ye Li smiled faintly. “Thank you for the reminder, Second Brother. Well then, Master Mo, would you prefer to walk out yourself, or shall I have my people throw you out?”
Mo Fei looked around at everyone and sneered, “So this is how the Princess Consort of Eastern Chu treats her guests?”
Ye Li replied calmly, “A guest is treated with the courtesy befitting an honored visitor. But if the visitor is a bandit, I need not show such courtesy, isn’t that right?”
Mo Fei raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. “Will the Princess Consort truly not consider our Lord’s proposal?”
Ye Li looked down at him coldly from her elevated position, a frigid smile playing on her lips. “Master Mo, do you think I won’t kill you?”
Mo Fei’s smile became slightly stiff. Having been chosen as the Prince of Zhengnan’s envoy to meet Ye Li, he naturally possessed some real abilities. How could he not see the killing intent and coldness hidden in the beautiful woman’s eyes beneath her cyan robes?
Mo Fei forced a smile and nodded. “I understand. In that case… I shall take my leave.” With that, Mo Fei cupped his hands toward Ye Li and turned to leave. When he had come to Jiangxia City, he had thought it would be an easy task. After all, no matter how high-ranking and powerful the Princess Consort was, she was still just a woman whose power came from the Prince. Mo Fei hadn’t taken her seriously, but he hadn’t expected the Princess Consort to give him no chance at all, forcing him to retreat hastily before he could even state his business.
Ye Li watched his retreating figure and smiled faintly. “Stop him.”
Before her words had fully fallen, two shadows quickly appeared at the doorway, blocking Mo Fei’s path. Mo Fei’s eye twitched as he turned back to face Ye Li and said harshly, “Princess Consort, what is the meaning of this?”
Ye Li smiled. “Master Mo may leave as he wishes, but I’m afraid the Prince of Zhengnan will have to stay a while longer.”
Mo Fei’s expression changed slightly. He forced a smile and said, “What Prince of Zhengnan? Princess Consort, what joke is this?”
As soon as Ye Li spoke, everyone present alertly scanned the four people who had accompanied Mo Fei. Passing over the tall, martial-looking warrior, they focused their attention on the three attendants. Feng Zhiyao, Yuan Pei, and Qin Feng quickly changed their positions, while Zhuo Jing casually moved closer to Xu Qingze.
Ye Li smiled as she stared at one of the men. “Your Highness, Prince of Zhengnan, since you’re already here, why hide?”
A moment later, a brazen laugh rang out in the room. The tall attendant in the middle casually wiped his face, and his previously unremarkable features completely transformed. The Prince of Zhengnan was only in his early fifties, his face seven or eight parts similar to Lei Tengfeng’s but with added dignity and dominance. However, the way he looked at Ye Li made people distinctly uncomfortable – any man would understand what the gleam in his eyes meant. Anger and killing intent flashed across the faces of Feng Zhiyao and the others.
Ye Li remained unmoved. In her previous life of over twenty years, what kind of people hadn’t she seen? This level was not enough to make her lose her composure. She calmly watched the arrogantly laughing Prince of Zhengnan without speaking. When the Prince finally seemed to have laughed enough, he sat down in a nearby chair, with Mo Fei and the other four respectfully standing behind him. Even in servant’s clothing, he couldn’t hide his overwhelming aura of arrogance.
“How did the Princess Consort see through it? What remarkable insight. I’m impressed,” the Prince of Zhengnan asked curiously.
Ye Li smiled slightly. “Zhuo Jing, what have I taught you is most important when disguising oneself to infiltrate?”
Zhuo Jing answered solemnly, “To be unremarkable, to not draw attention.”
The Prince of Zhengnan raised an eyebrow. “I can’t think of any flaw.”
Zhuo Jing glanced at the Prince of Zhengnan, then looked up at Ye Li. After Ye Li nodded slightly, Zhuo Jing said, “People with disabilities are not suitable for disguise.”
Everyone’s attention immediately focused on the Prince of Zhengnan’s left arm. The whole world knew that more than ten years ago, the Prince of Zhengnan had been defeated by Mo Liufang, losing an arm and barely escaping with his life. Originally, they hadn’t paid much attention, but now focusing on his arm, those with keen eyes immediately noticed something was wrong. The Prince of Zhengnan had never moved his left arm, and his left hand remained hidden in his sleeve. Although the sleeve wasn’t empty, careful observation revealed it was unnaturally stiff. After all, no matter what object might match the shape, it could never replicate the natural feel of a real arm.
The Prince of Zhengnan’s expression tightened, his eye corner twitching twice, clearly showing that Zhuo Jing’s words had struck a nerve. Being defeated by Mo Liufang was a shadow and shame he could never shake off in his life. However, Mo Liufang had been dead for many years, leaving him without even the chance to win back his honor. In people’s eyes, there would forever remain the impression that he – Lei Zhenting, the Prince of Zhengnan of Xiling – was never Mo Liufang’s equal. This was why he placed even more importance on thoroughly defeating the Mo Family Army and Mo Xiuyao, as this was his only remaining way to wash away his shame.
“Good. The Princess Consort indeed has capable people under her command,” the Prince finally said in a deep voice after a long pause.
Ye Li nodded with a faint smile. “Your Highness flatters me.”
The Prince of Zhengnan sized up Ye Li before asking, “Earlier, the Princess Consort rejected my letter without hesitation. I wonder if you might reconsider now?”
Ye Li propped her head on her hand, shaking it with a light sigh. “I can’t find any reason that needs considering.”
The Prince of Zhengnan laughed heartily. “Does the Princess Consort think I’m inferior to Mo Xiuyao?”
Ye Li tilted her head, thought for a moment, and shook it. “How could that be? At least Your Highness is older than our Prince.”
The Prince of Zhengnan’s eyes flickered slightly. “Princess Consort is indeed no ordinary woman. What if I were to say that if the Princess Consort came with me, I would immediately withdraw my troops from Eastern Chu?”
“Outrageous!” Yuan Pei exploded in anger, slamming the table as he rose, glaring furiously at the Prince of Zhengnan. The others’ expressions weren’t pleasant either. Ye Li raised her hand to stop Yuan Pei and smiled coldly. “Does Your Highness say such things because you think I, as a mere woman, lack the wit to understand?”
The Prince of Zhengnan raised his eyebrows, asking in confusion, “Why does the Princess Consort say this?”
Ye Li let out a cold laugh. “With several hundred thousand Xiling troops invading our Great Chu, having finally reached Jiangxia City, it probably wouldn’t be so easy for Your Highness to withdraw now, would it? Moreover… I think it would be more convenient to use Your Highness directly as an exchange rather than compromising our nation’s dignity to secure your withdrawal. Don’t you agree, Your Highness?”
At these words, the Xiling attendants’ faces immediately changed color. The martial-looking man drew his sword with a clang, moving to protect the Prince of Zhengnan. Ye Li raised her delicate eyebrows, smiling without speaking.
The Prince of Zhengnan raised his hand, pressing down his subordinate’s weapon. “Everyone in this room is a first-class expert. The fact that the Princess Consort allowed you to bring your sword in shows she’s confident it poses no threat. Put it down.” The man glanced at Ye Li somewhat unwillingly but ultimately followed the Prince of Zhengnan’s order and sheathed his sword.
Despite being about to become a prisoner, the Prince of Zhengnan showed no signs of anxiety. As the host, Ye Li naturally showed no hurry either, leisurely sitting and drinking tea. After a while, the Prince of Zhengnan sighed. “Although my sudden visit today was quite risky, meeting the Princess Consort has made it worthwhile. What are your plans?”
Ye Li put down her teacup. “I said, the others may leave, but I invite Your Highness to stay for a few days.”
The Prince of Zhengnan shook his head. “Military matters are pressing. I’m afraid I must decline the Princess Consort’s kind offer.”
“No matter. If Your Highness thinks you can fight your way out of Jiangxia with just these few people… feel free.”
The Prince of Zhengnan lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up with a smile. “How about this: I have someone who might interest the Princess Consort. Consider it a meeting gift from me today.”
Ye Li raised her eyebrows, her heart-stirring slightly, though her face remained impassive as she watched him. The Prince of Zhengnan didn’t beat around the bush, saying directly, “The Southern Marquis’s heir – I hear he’s the Princess Consort’s brother-in-law?”
“The Southern Marquis’s heir is in Your Highness’s hands?” The Prince of Zhengnan smiled without answering. Ye Li asked, “How can I trust Your Highness?”
The Prince of Zhengnan said, “I can let the Princess Consort see him first.”
Seeing his manner, Ye Li knew there was an eight out of ten chance that the Southern Marquis’s heir was indeed in the Prince of Zhengnan’s custody. The same question arose: whether to exchange the Prince of Zhengnan for the Southern Marquis’s heir.
After a long silence, Ye Li finally looked up. “Very well. Once I see the Southern Marquis’s heir, I’ll immediately let Your Highness leave the city.”
“It’s a deal.”
After having people take the Prince of Zhengnan and his group away, the study immediately erupted in discussion. Yuan Pei anxiously asked, “Princess Consort, isn’t exchanging the Prince of Zhengnan for the Southern Marquis’s heir too…” Everyone could see this was a losing deal. The difference in value between the Southern Marquis’s heir and the Prince of Zhengnan was too great.
Ye Li smiled as she looked at Feng Zhiyao. “Feng San, what do you think?”
Feng Zhiyao pointed his fan at his chin, thought for a moment, and said, “We can’t kill the Prince of Zhengnan. If he dies, Jiangxia and all the places occupied by Xiling will certainly face bloody retaliation from Xiling. Also, the Prince of Zhengnan’s heir, Lei Tengfeng, stationed in Xinyang, isn’t someone easy to deal with. If he goes mad with revenge for his father and attacks Jiangxia, we might not be able to hold out. Moreover, if the Prince of Zhengnan dies, the current three-kingdom balance and the court’s view of the Mo Family Army will undergo unpredictable changes. Then we… Additionally, although the Southern Marquis traditionally maintains neutrality and doesn’t like to meddle in affairs, he still has considerable influence in both court and military. If we rescue his heir, even if the Prince’s mansion doesn’t gain an ally, at least we won’t make an enemy.”
Yuan Pei wasn’t ignorant of worldly affairs. After hearing Feng Zhiyao’s explanation and thinking for a moment, he nodded. “I was short-sighted. Please forgive me, Princess Consort.”
Ye Li shook her head. “If we could kill the Prince of Zhengnan, that would naturally be good, but unfortunately, we’re not ready for that yet. Let his head stay on his neck for a few more days.”
Everyone burst into laughter at this, but Ye Li quickly became serious again. “Let’s discuss how to exchange for the Southern Marquis’s heir. Qin Feng, the Prince of Zhengnan is in your charge.”
Qin Feng nodded. “Princess Consort, rest assured. I guarantee no outsider will get even a hair’s breadth close to the Prince of Zhengnan.”