The tenth month of this year would undoubtedly be a time remembered by all under heaven.
For instance, Prince Li Mo Jingli and the Western Ling allied with Nanzhao to attack Da Chu. Or how the Prince of Steadying the Nation personally led 500,000 Mo family troops to meet the three-way allied army. Moreover, the sixteen-year-old Princess Consort of Steadying the Nation, despite being a mere woman, held the northwest. On the fifteenth and sixteenth of the tenth month, she annihilated the Western Ling army at Hongzhou City, Da Chu’s last line of defense in the northwest. With this, the 200,000 Western Ling troops that had been facing off against the Princess Consort in the northwest were utterly destroyed, and the Prince of South Pacification of Western Ling fled in panic westward. When this news spread, the whole world was shocked. Furthermore, while confronting the Prince of South Pacification of Western Ling, she had even split her forces in two, using merely 30,000 troops to trap nearly 300,000 soldiers in a critical valley of Da Chu’s northwest, leaving them unable to advance or retreat. Qin Feng, the Princess Consort’s guard, led a team of only dozens called the Qilin, appearing and disappearing like ghosts. Whenever the Mo family army launched surprise attacks or interceptions, the Qilin would always be at the vanguard, unstoppable. On the seventeenth of the tenth month, the supplies being transported by Western Ling’s reinforcements for Da Chu were burned to ashes in a single fire. A massive Qilin-shaped flame rose into the sky amidst the blaze, and from this point on, the Qilin became renowned, and known throughout the world. Having lost all their supplies and suffered heavy casualties, the 300,000 Western Ling troops had no choice but to retreat in disarray to the Western Ling border.
Yet these were not the most important news. The most shocking news was that on the sixteenth of the tenth month, the Princess Consort of Steadying the Nation fell from a cliff between Hongzhou City and Ruyang City in the Tingyun Mountain Range, her fate unknown. What made it even more strange was that stationed below the mountain were not enemies but over seven thousand Da Chu soldiers. Afterward, the Prince flew into a rage and had all seven thousand soldiers, including all their commanders, put to death without exception. It was said that the crimson blood nearly dyed red the wide river below the mountain. When this news broke, people naturally discussed it endlessly. Some cursed the Prince for his cruelty in killing innocents, some spoke in his defense, claiming it was slander and rumor, while others secretly speculated about the relationship between the Princess Consort’s disappearance and these seven thousand soldiers. However, regardless of how the world discussed it, the Mo family army that had reoccupied Hongzhou City and the Prince showed no reaction whatsoever. As if none of this had anything to do with them.
When the news reached the capital of Chu, it was during the morning court session. The great hall fell silent, with everyone carefully holding their breath while waiting for the orders from the Emperor, whose face was twisted with emotion. Mo Jingqi could barely hold the memorial in his hands, trembling whether from extreme anger or fear. After a long while, he finally roared: “Outrageous! Mo Xiuyao, how dare you?! Seven thousand troops, you killed them all without a word to Us, are you planning rebellion?!” Below the throne, several elderly ministers lowered their heads, their lips twitching imperceptibly. Your Majesty, have you missed the point? The Princess Consort of Steadying the Nation might be dead. Given the Prince’s regard for his Princess Consort and her current prestige among the Mo family army and throughout Da Chu, do you think these seven thousand people are the main issue? Moreover… even if you truly believe the Prince is planning a rebellion, do you need to announce it in the great hall before all the civil and military officials?
“Your Majesty, the Prince of Steadying the Nation privately executed seven thousand imperial troops and several generals, which is utterly treasonous. If not severely punished, it will surely dishearten Da Chu’s soldiers and the common people. Please issue an edict to severely punish the Prince.” The currently influential Prime Minister Liu stepped forward to memorialize. Several other ministers close to Mo Jingqi also stepped forward to support this view. Just as Mo Xiuyao was about to speak, someone suddenly stepped forward: “Your Majesty, you must not.” Mo Jingqi looked up to see it was Su Zhe, the elderly Chief Minister of the Imperial Academy, who was past sixty. Mo Jingqi’s face darkened slightly as he said flatly: “What are Elder Su’s thoughts?”
Su Zhe bowed respectfully and memorialized: “Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Steadying the Nation has met with disaster, and the Prince must now be extremely grief-stricken. He needs consolation, not pressure.” Prime Minister Liu turned to look at Su Zhe mockingly: “So those seven thousand soldiers died for nothing? Elder Su is also a scholar and should understand that princes who break the law should be punished the same as commoners. Moreover, this Prince is merely Your Majesty’s subject. We naturally deeply mourn the Princess Consort’s misfortune, but is the Princess Consort’s life worth more than those seven thousand soldiers? Are they mere weeds?” These words sounded noble and righteous, but who among those standing in this court was a mere bookworm? Princes breaking the law being punished the same as commoners? If this rule were truly enforced, the Liu family, who had been acting so domineeringly lately, would have been executed and their clan eliminated long ago.
Su Zhe looked at Prime Minister Liu, sighed lightly, and continued addressing Mo Jingqi: “Your servant begs Your Majesty to think thrice. Da Chu is currently at war, and while His Highness the Prince has acted extremely in this matter, Da Chu absolutely cannot do without him now. Please forgive the Prince’s transgression.”
Prime Minister Liu snorted lightly: “Cannot do without the Prince? Are all the civil and military officials in Da Chu’s court useless rice bags? Are you saying Da Chu cannot function without the Prince?”
Su Zhe said calmly: “I have heard that Prime Minister Liu’s household has produced a general. I wonder how many troops can young General Liu command, and what are his military achievements. Can he replace the Prince in pacifying the northwestern conflicts?” Prime Minister Liu’s face instantly alternated between green and white. Mo Jingqi slammed the imperial desk heavily and shouted angrily: “Enough! Do you think the royal court is a place for verbal sparring? All of you shut up! Transmit Our edict: The Prince of Steadying the Nation, Mo Xiuyao, has arbitrarily executed punishment and killed innocents, truly deceiving his sovereign. We, mindful of his ancestral merits, spare him from death. His hereditary title of Prince shall be reduced to Prince of a Commandery, and his salary suspended for three years!”
At these words, the great hall fell completely silent. After a long while, someone finally reacted, “Your Majesty, please reconsider…”
“Silence! Our decision is final!”
The news from the court quickly reached the inner palace. Empress Hua had been receiving the courtesies of palace consorts and noble ladies when she heard the news from her trusted palace maid. She nearly blacked out, her body swaying before she finally steadied herself. She waved for the confused palace consorts and noble ladies who didn’t know what had happened to withdraw, then asked in a deep voice: “Is this true?” The palace maid said softly: “The news just came from court, and the Emperor’s punitive edict has probably already left the capital.” The Empress collapsed powerlessly back into her phoenix chair, murmuring: “He’s gone mad… the Princess Consort… the Princess Consort…” The palace maid said: “The family has also received news. The Princess Consort of Steadying the Nation is likely in grave danger.” The Empress thought of that gentle lady she had met several times, who seemed docile and graceful yet always had an approachable feeling and a reassuring presence. That lady… who had amazed the world on the northwestern battlefield, had she now withered away in the next moment? Truly… heaven envies beauty…
The Empress quickly came to her senses and composed her expression, saying: “Go personally out of the palace to see my father. Tell him… tell him to prioritize the Hua family above all else, and not to worry about me.”
The palace maid looked hesitantly at the Empress, who waved her hand saying: “Go, father will understand my meaning.” The palace maid withdrew with concern, and only then did the Empress lean back against her phoenix chair and sigh deeply, her beautiful face full of worry and helplessness.
“Mother…” Princess Changle hurried into the hall with small steps, and seeing her mother’s weary expression, asked worriedly: “Mother, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”
The Empress drew Princess Changle into her embrace, gently patting her back as she said softly: “Nothing’s wrong, everything will be fine. Good child… Mother will arrange everything for you…” Although the Empress wouldn’t speak clearly, Princess Changle’s little heart knew that something major must have happened. She nestled obediently in the Empress’s embrace and said: “Changle will protect Mother too. Changle wants to be safe and sound together with Mother.”
“Good child…”
Hongzhou City
Still in the Prefecture Lord’s mansion, but the atmosphere was completely different from before. Unlike Xinyang, almost no damage had been done to the entire city of Hongzhou except for several city gates. What terrified people was the bloody battle that had raged in the city for a day and a night? When reinforcements reached Hongzhou City, of the original 30,000 Mo family troops, barely more than 10,000 remained, while of the approximately 70,000 Western Ling troops, fewer than 30,000 survived. The entire city was filled with the stench of blood, every step staining one’s feet with dark red blood. The corpses were quickly removed and dealt with, and the blood-stained streets and alleys were swiftly cleaned. Though a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, everything seemed to have returned to how it was before the great battle. But on the city towers, in the Prefecture Lord’s mansion, that seemingly always a leisurely yet reassuring woman in blue robes was no longer there, while the other master of the Mo family army still lay in deep unconsciousness.
In the deepest courtyard of the Prefecture Lord’s mansion, Feng Zhiyao paced anxiously back and forth in the room. Looking at Shen Yang taking the pulse at the bedside, he asked irritably: “Master Shen, when will His Highness finally wake?” Since that day coming down from the mountain, Mo Xiuyao’s already poor health had finally succumbed to days of anxiety, exhaustion, and the sudden massive shock. After coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, he had fallen from his horse and hadn’t woken since. Yet no one dared pause in the search for the Princess Consort—Feng Zhiyao sent out nearly ten thousand people daily to search along the river downstream and even upstream in all directions. But seven or eight days had passed without the slightest news. Feng Zhiyao knew in his heart that there was likely no hope left. Shen Yang looked back at him and shook his head. Feng Zhiyao rushed forward and grabbed him: “What do you mean by shaking your head?”
Shen Yang said: “When His Highness will wake is not something I can predict.” Feng Zhiyao laughed dryly: “What do you mean? You’re not telling me His Highness doesn’t want to live, are you?”
Shen Yang shook his head: “Not exactly. If His Highness truly sought death, he wouldn’t be worthy of being Mo Liufang’s son. What I mean is that His Highness’s body simply won’t allow him to wake now. The toxins in his body were never fully cleared, he’s been weak and ill for long, and now he’s reached an extremely dangerous edge. Once His Highness wakes, he will surely be overwhelmed with rage, and then… even without him wanting it, his body will completely collapse.” Feng Zhiyao, forgetting his dignity, grabbed his hair in frustration: “Then what do we do now? I can handle things for two or three days, maybe struggle through ten days or half a month. But what if His Highness still hasn’t woken after a long time? What about the Mo family army? What about the northwest?”
Shen Yang gave him a blank look and said expressionlessly: “I’m a doctor. Who should I ask about these other matters?”
“Mo Xiuyao still hasn’t woken?” Han Mingxi entered with a dark face, scanning the room.
Feng Zhiyao frowned at him: “Young Master Han, please show some respect.” Han Mingxi gave a cold laugh, “Respect? Respect my ass! A’Li is in trouble and he’s just lying here playing dead? Move aside…” Feng Zhiyao blocked his way, saying deeply: “Young Master Han, I respect you as the Princess Consort’s good friend and give you some leeway, don’t be unreasonable!” Han Mingxi laughed in extreme anger, “Oh, so you still remember your Princess Consort? How rare. Mo Xiuyao, if you can still breathe then get up for your lord! Jun Wei meeting you was truly eight lifetimes of bloody bad luck.” Feng Zhiyao wanted to speak but was pulled aside by Shen Yang, who shook his head, indicating that Feng Zhiyao should stand aside and not interfere.
Han Mingxi snorted lightly, walked to the bedside, and looked down at the paper-white man, finding everything about him disagreeable. If not for this man, would Jun Wei, a proper young lady from a good family, have needed to risk her life on the battlefield? Would she have been forced to continue fighting even while pregnant without proper rest? All of this was caused by Mo Xiuyao’s incompetence!
“Keep sleeping! Sleep yourself to death for all I care. This young master will avenge Jun Wei himself. Hah! Coward, idiot, waste…”
Feng Zhiyao watched dumbfounded as Han Mingxi cursed Mo Xiuyao from head to toe with every insult he knew, without even pausing for breath. Feng Zhiyao’s expression froze, not knowing how to react. Heaven above, probably no one had ever dared curse the Prince of Steadying the Nation like this since the establishment of his household. Having seemingly finally vented the anger that had been pent up in his heart these past days, Han Mingxi’s complexion was notably better. He glanced at Mo Xiuyao and snorted: “If you want to play dead, keep playing! Your lord won’t wait on you!” With that, he swept out like a gust of wind. Feng Zhiyao blinked, looking blankly toward Shen Yang, who looked at the sleeping man, shook his head, and left.
Early morning, Feng Zhiyao was urgently called to Mo Xiuyao’s courtyard. The reason was simple—when the guard entered in the morning to attend to the Prince, he discovered that the man who should have been lying unconscious in bed had vanished. That the Prince could disappear without a trace under the protection of hundreds of hidden guards and tens of thousands of Mo family troops both inside and outside the city sent everyone into a panic. Rushing into the courtyard, Feng Zhiyao didn’t care about anything else and kicked open the half-closed door but was stunned by what he saw.
The bedroom where the Prince had reportedly gone missing was indeed empty. But by the window in the side hall stood a thin yet straight figure, and what shocked Feng Zhiyao was the striking snow-white silver hair hanging down his back. “Y-Your Highness?” Coming to his senses, Feng Zhiyao shouted toward the door, “Please summon Master Shen!” Mo Xiuyao turned around, and looking at him, Feng Zhiyao felt his heartache. The silver-white hair falling casually around Mo Xiuyao’s neck made the already thin man appear even more fragile and pale. But his spirit seemed extraordinarily good, showing none of the physical collapse that Shen Yang had predicted might occur from intense anger. To Feng Zhiyao, he seemed even healthier than before the Princess Consort’s incident. Only those eyes, once gentle yet hiding coldness, now held an additional sharp gleam. It reminded Feng Zhiyao of a blood-tempered blade as if something terrifying lurked beneath that calmness. If one day it broke free… Feng Zhiyao’s heart trembled, and he dared not think further. “Y-Your Highness, are you alright?”
Mo Xiuyao’s lips curved very slightly, but Feng Zhiyao couldn’t sense any warmth in the smile. He heard him ask calmly: “How many days have I slept?”
Feng Zhiyao’s heart quivered slightly, “Nine days.”
“Any news of A’Li?”
Feng Zhiyao lowered his head, saying deeply: “The Princess Consort… has great fortune, she will surely turn misfortune into a blessing.”
“So there’s no news…” Mo Xiuyao said flatly, “Great fortune… turning misfortune to blessing? This king doesn’t believe in ghosts and spirits and doesn’t pray to heaven. If she has perished, this king will turn this world into purgatory, let these ten thousand li of mountains and rivers be her sacrifice!”
Feng Zhiyao’s heart shook, and he shook his head in defeat. If Mo Xiuyao were mad, dejected, or grief-stricken, he could still say something to console him. But faced with a man who could calmly speak such chilling words, he couldn’t say anything at all—he didn’t know what to say, or rather, he didn’t dare.
The room fell silent. After a long while, Mo Xiuyao said: “Tell this king about A’Li’s matters.” Feng Zhiyao didn’t know what to say, but he couldn’t speak, so he carefully recounted everything he could remember that had happened since Mo Xiuyao’s departure. When he inevitably mentioned the child of barely two months, Feng Zhiyao secretly glanced at the silver-haired man by the morning window. Apart from seeing his hands tightly gripping the window frame, his calm countenance showed not a ripple of emotion.
Shen Yang hurried in carrying his medicine box, and Feng Zhiyao immediately fell silent and moved away from the door. Shen Yang stood at the doorway looking at the person standing by the window and also started slightly—clearly, the scene before him wasn’t what he had expected. While cases of hair turning white overnight had been recorded, seeing it in person was another matter entirely. On the other hand, Shen Yang somewhat understood why Mo Xiuyao had awakened so quickly and could stand on his own rather than being bedridden in worse conditions. The original anger, resentment, pain, and sorrow hadn’t left even in his unconscious state, resulting in this head of white hair. But at least it had been released somewhat—as long as the Prince didn’t overly indulge his temper and emotions, he was temporarily safe. Given time, he would surely find medicine to completely cure him. Thinking of this, Shen Yang felt relieved. He stepped forward and said deeply: “Your Highness, please allow me to take your pulse.”
Mo Xiuyao didn’t object, casually sitting in the chair by the window and placing his wrist on the table. Shen Yang stepped forward to take his pulse, examining Mo Xiuyao with some confusion for a while before frowning and saying: “Your Highness’s body… has no major problems for now. However, please don’t overexert yourself, take care of your health.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Master Shen,” Mo Xiuyao nodded.
This time, Shen Yang also noticed something off about Mo Xiuyao. While Mo Xiuyao wasn’t a difficult patient, he was not one to blindly follow a doctor’s orders. His current apparent serious consideration of his instructions somehow made Shen Yang uneasy.
“Your Highness has likely… suffered spiritual injury these past days. I shall prescribe some medicine that Your Highness should take regularly.”
“This king understands,” Mo Xiuyao nodded, then looked at the white hair falling over his shoulder and said: “Please prepare some medicine to conceal this white hair for this king.”
Shen Yang started, then nodded: “Your servant obeys.”
“Reporting to Your Highness, an envoy from the capital has arrived,” a guard announced from outside.
Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, a very faint smile curving his lips, “Let him in.”