Su Zhe entered the study, and Mo Xiuyao rose to greet him respectfully. Su Zhe waved his hand and said, “Your Highness, Your Grace, this old man apologizes for the disturbance.”

After Su Zhe was seated, Mo Xiuyao sat down and smiled, “Minister Su is too formal – have you grown distant from Xiuyao?” Su Zhe gazed at the young couple sitting side by side before him, his eyes lingering on Mo Xiuyao’s snow-white hair before sighing, “Your Highness’s disregard for your health – how can the Regent Prince, the Princess Consort, and your brother rest peacefully in the underworld?” Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, looking down at the white hair falling across his chest, and said, “Xiuyao knows he was wrong. Thank you for your concern, Minister Su.” Su Zhe shook his head, glancing at Ye Li sitting nearby before nodding and smiling, “The Princess Consort’s safe return truly shows the blessing of the Prince Ding mansion’s ancestors.” Ye Li smiled gently and said softly, “Minister Su speaks truly. My safe return was indeed thanks to the ancestors’ protection.” Ye Li understood Su Zhe’s slight dissatisfaction with her, but she didn’t feel angry. She could sense that Su Zhe’s disapproval wasn’t for his own sake but for Mo Xiuyao’s. He blamed her for Mo Xiuyao’s hair turning white overnight because of her. Ultimately, it came from concern for his student Mo Xiuyao, without any personal agenda.

Mo Xiuyao reached out to hold Ye Li’s hand and smiled at Su Zhe, “Minister Su speaks truly. In two more months, Ali will give birth. Then the Prince Ding mansion will have an heir. Xiuyao hopes Minister Su will cherish the child.”

Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, Su Zhe’s expression softened further. He had lost both his son and grandson in his old age, and even his only granddaughter was gone. His life was destined for solitude, so when Mo Xiuyao mentioned the child, his paternal affection naturally overflowed unchecked. He seemed to envision a handsome and brilliant child-like young Mo Xiuyao had been, playing at his knee – how could he maintain any coldness toward Ye Li? Sighing softly, Su Zhe asked, “Your Highness has suffered these years, and we old men couldn’t be of much help. These past two years, thankfully the Princess Consort has taken good care of you.” The Emperor kept a close watch on old officials like them who had ties to Mo Liufang and the Prince Ding mansion. All these years, any contact had to be secretive – they couldn’t offer any real help. Looking at the slender white-haired man before him whose bearing was sharp as a blade, Su Zhe felt a wave of melancholy. After all these years, Su Zhe still clearly remembered what Mo Xiuyao had looked like as a child. The second son of the Ding Guo Prince’s mansion, loved by his father above and protected by his elder brother below. Back then, the brocade-clad youth had been brilliant and noble, galloping through the capital like a bright flame, still carrying a touch of childish arrogance and pride. Shortly after, he led armies to battle, unstoppable, earning the title of Young War God before he was even sixteen. Whenever he returned victorious to the capital, countless noble young ladies would crowd together just to catch a glimpse of the Young War God’s profile – he was the dream of many a maiden’s heart. The Mo Xiuyao of that time had been so full of spirit and unmatched in bearing that countless people could only look up to him, not daring to stand as equals. Yet now, though Mo Xiuyao was only twenty-six or twenty-seven, that flame and brilliance could no longer be seen in his eyes. The occasional flashes of fire in those calm eyes now carried an icy chill, and his handsome features paired with that snow-white hair only made people’s hearts grow cold. If the young Mo Xiuyao had made people look up to him for his peerless bearing, the current Mo Xiuyao was more like the cold snow atop a high mountain that forced people to stop in their tracks. That peerlessly magnificent youth, Great Chu’s future War God… had ultimately been destroyed…

“Minister Su’s guidance to Xiuyao deserves lifelong gratitude,” Mo Xiuyao said with a calm smile.

Su Zhe shook his head, no longer dwelling on memories, and said seriously, “Does Your Highness know why the Emperor sent Prince De and Prince Yu here?”

Mo Xiuyao pondered briefly before nodding slightly, “Though Prince Yu didn’t finish speaking, Xiuyao understood. Mo Jingqi wants me to return to the capital?”

Su Zhe nodded and looked at Mo Xiuyao solemnly, “You cannot return!”

“Minister Su…” Mo Xiuyao was somewhat surprised. Su Zhe was an upright man with complete loyalty to the Great Chu. Though he knew Su Zhe wouldn’t harm him, hearing him explicitly advise against returning to the capital still surprised Mo Xiuyao. Su Zhe wearily closed his eyes, seeming to age years in an instant after speaking those words. Though he rarely involved himself in core court matters anymore, Mo Jingqi’s intentions were far too obvious. He naturally understood what result Mo Jingqi wanted by sending him here. Even for Great Chu’s stability, he agreed that finding a way to make Mo Xiuyao return to the capital would be a good solution, as no one could be certain whether the current Mo Xiuyao still held loyalty to Great Chu. But he also knew that once Mo Xiuyao returned to the capital, what awaited him wouldn’t be the former Prince Ding mansion, or even house arrest, but death itself. Personally, Mo Xiuyao was his student, a junior he had watched grow up. Politically, Great Chu was surrounded by powerful enemies, and Mo Xiuyao and the Mo family army were the only ones who could stand against them. Therefore, he could only prevent Mo Xiuyao from returning to the capital.

Su Zhe opened his eyes and looked at Mo Xiuyao, “Since Your Highness understands the situation, you must already have plans. These words are my opinion, and also Duke Hua’s. Before I left, Duke Hua asked me to convey a message to Your Highness.” Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes and said, “Please speak, Minister Su.” The study was silent save for Su Zhe’s voice echoing in the empty room, “Duke Hua said that the Prince Ding mansion has served Great Chu loyally for generations, never betraying the imperial family or the founding emperor. Now only Your Highness’s line remains of the Prince Ding mansion, and Your Highness must consider the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Mo family army. The Duke Hua mansion has received great favor from two generations of emperors and naturally must serve Great Chu to the death. He only asks that Your Highness… if Great Chu faces danger in the future, please, for the sake of our shared origins, protect Great Chu’s common people from slaughter by foreign tribes.” Mo Xiuyao trembled slightly and looked up at Su Zhe. Duke Hua’s words already assumed that the Mo family army would inevitably separate from Great Chu. As expected of an old general who had spent his life on battlefields – perhaps Duke Hua, though distant from court, saw things most clearly.

“What are Duke Hua’s plans?” Mo Xiuyao asked gravely.

Su Zhe said calmly, “With Great Chu’s fires of war rising on all sides when I left the capital, Duke Hua mentioned planning to submit a memorial requesting to lead troops into battle. The memorial has likely already reached His Majesty’s desk.” Mo Xiuyao frowned and said, “Duke Hua is over seventy… the situation hasn’t reached the point of needing the old man’s intervention.” Ye Li patted Mo Xiuyao’s hand and said softly, “The Emperor won’t easily agree to let Duke Hua command troops.” Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly – Mo Jingqi guarded strictly against these old generals and wouldn’t give military power to Duke Hua unless necessary. Su Zhe said, “His Majesty now… acts contrary to reason, unwilling to listen to loyal ministers’ counsel on governing the state, instead focusing solely on schemes and plots. Great Chu…” He sighed deeply before continuing, “Your Highness is right to remain in the Northwest. Once back in the capital, a vast net will surely have been laid. If General Mo were to be destroyed, Great Chu would fall…” After speaking, Su Zhe stood and said, “This old man has said what needed to be said. Take care, Your Highness, Your Grace. In a few days we must begin our journey back to the capital, and who knows when we’ll meet again.”

“Minister Su, the Emperor sent you to persuade His Highness to return to the capital. How will you account to the Emperor after returning like this?” Ye Li asked softly.

Su Zhe turned to look at her and smiled calmly, “This old man is seventy-three this year. Living to seventy has been rare since ancient times – what else is there to account for?”

Ye Li frowned – Mo Jingqi was not one to show mercy. When Su Zhe returned, even if Mo Jingqi didn’t order his death, any random punishment might be more than he could bear at his age. Ye Li stood up, and Mo Xiuyao sitting beside her hurriedly supported her carefully as she walked to Su Zhe. Ye Li curtsied slightly and said, “The Northwest is far from the capital, and the journey is long and difficult. Minister Su is advanced in years – why not stay in the Northwest to recuperate and enjoy your later years? Wouldn’t that be better than returning to the capital?” Su Zhe smiled at Ye Li and said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Grace. This old man was born in the capital and grew up in the capital. Almost my entire life has been spent in the capital. At my age now, there’s nothing I can’t let go of – I only hope to die at home and be buried in the capital. This Northwestern land, Your Highness and Your Grace govern it extremely well, but unfortunately, it’s not this old man’s home.”

Mo Xiuyao’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly. After helping Ye Li back to her seat, he turned to Su Zhe and asked, “Does Minister Su not want to ask about her news?”

Su Zhe started, his wrinkled face growing even darker, the muscles twitching uncontrollably. After a long moment, he asked in a deep voice, “Is she still alive?” Of course, he knew Su Zuidie was alive – the Emperor had told him this news before he left the capital, even expressing willingness to send people to rescue Su Zuidie. But Su Zhe understood even more clearly in his heart… why had Mo Xiuyao captured Zuidie? His granddaughter who supposedly died of illness nine years ago was still alive – just thinking about the timing and circumstances of Su Zuidie’s reported death, what was there for Su Zhe not to understand? Back then, Mo Xiuyao had just been injured, and the Prince Ding mansion was in chaos with no one in charge, relying entirely on the Imperial Princess’s support. He had sent Zuidie to the Prince Ding mansion to care for Mo Xiuyao’s injuries – though they weren’t yet married, it was only natural for his betrothed to care for him when the mansion had no one else. But his granddaughter had fallen ill the very next day and been sent back. At the time, he had assumed Zuidie, raised in luxury since childhood, had been frightened by the experience, but he never thought… Even so, Mo Xiuyao had let Zuidie go back then – there was no reason to capture her again now. She must have done something else to make Mo Xiuyao so merciless.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said gravely, “She’s here in the Prince Ding mansion.”

Silence fell over the study again. After a long while, Su Zhe asked, “What did she do?”

Mo Xiuyao hesitated for a moment, then rose to retrieve a dossier from a nearby desk and handed it over. It contained records of everything Su Zuidie had done over the past ten years. Su Zhe took it, his withered fingers trembling as he opened the thick dossier and quickly read through it, his expression growing increasingly troubled as he progressed. Ye Li, leaning against the couch, watched Su Zhe’s expression carefully, unable to keep the sympathy from showing on her face. After a long time, Su Zhe looked up from the dossier, his voice trembling, “Well! Well done, Su Zuidie! Well done, Bai Rong! The Bai family of Xiling… Favored Consort Qingrong, Zhennan Prince’s spy… Excellent! What a fine granddaughter of mine!”

“Minister Su…” Seeing Su Zhe’s face alternating between pale and flushed, Ye Li frowned with concern, while gesturing for Zhuo Jing, who had been watching from outside, to summon Shen Yang. Su Zhe waved his hand and collapsed back into his chair, looking down at the trembling dossier in his hands. Had he gone wrong somewhere in raising her? His seemingly gentle and obedient granddaughter had done so many things behind his back. At just fifteen, she had connected with the remnants of the previous dynasty’s royal family, and after her fiancé was seriously injured, she had even manipulated Young Master Mingyue to help her fake her death and escape. In Xiling, she had used the Bai family’s identity to become Xiling’s Imperial Consort, maneuvering between the Xiling Emperor and Prince Zhennan, even reaching the point where she could threaten the Xiling Empress… And then… sending people to assassinate the unmarried Princess Consort – was this his granddaughter? Su Zhe suddenly recalled how years ago the current Emperor had privately expressed interest in bringing Su Zuidie into the palace as a consort, which he had firmly refused because she was already betrothed. In truth, even if Zuidie hadn’t been engaged to Mo Xiuyao then, he wouldn’t have agreed to let his granddaughter enter the palace. But who could have imagined that though she didn’t become Great Chu’s Imperial Consort, she would become Xiling’s Noble Consort?

Finally, Su Zhe seemed to calm down. He stood and said, “This old man is tired and won’t disturb Your Highness and Your Grace any longer. As for that unfilial one…” Su Zhe closed his eyes wearily, his mouth twitching slightly, “do with her as you see fit. The Su family has no such granddaughter!” With that, without looking at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li again, he strode toward the door. Ye Li quickly signaled Lin Han to follow, and sure enough, just a few steps outside they heard Lin Han’s cry, “Minister Su! Minister Su!” Mo Xiuyao rushed outside to see Su Zhe collapsed on the ground, supported by Lin Han, with a dark pool of blood on the ground looking particularly alarming in the moonlight. Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes and said quietly, “Take Minister Su back to his quarters.”

Behind him, Ye Li came to his side and held his hand. As they watched Lin Han and others escort Su Zhe back to his guest quarters, seeing Mo Xiuyao’s indifferent expression, Ye Li said softly, “Why did you have to do this? Didn’t we agree that Su Zuidie’s matter would be left to me?” Mo Xiuyao looked at her silently. Ye Li nestled closer to him and said gently, “I know you don’t want to trouble me, but as the Princess Consort of the Ding Guo Prince’s mansion, isn’t handling these matters my duty? If something were to happen to Minister Su because of this, could you truly be at peace?”

Mo Xiuyao remained silent, only reaching out to hold her in his arms. Even seven months pregnant, Ye Li still looked slim and delicate. The two held each other tightly as moonlight fell silently upon them like silk, bringing an extraordinary peace to their hearts.

In the Chu Palace

The window was half-closed, with silvery moonlight falling quietly on the garden outside, while a strange fragrance permeated the air. Under the wall outside the window, a white flower slowly revealed its incomparably beautiful form. The snow-white flower opened layer by layer like a lotus, yet possessed even more sanctity and nobility than a lotus, like a white-robed immortal dancing alone under the moon. By the window, an exquisitely beautiful woman in white robes leaned lazily against the frame, letting the moonlight fall upon her. Her indifferent eyes gazed absently at the night-blooming cereus silently blooming outside.

“Pure as ice and jade, blooming alone in the deep night, not competing with other flowers for beauty. Isn’t this night-blooming cereus the world’s supreme beauty?” A man’s amused voice rang out in the room, his laughter carrying a hint of mockery.

The woman in white didn’t even turn her head, saying coldly, “Without someone to cherish it, what use is any beauty, no matter how supreme?”

The man laughed, “How could that be? How many people stay up all night waiting just to see this flower bloom, yet fail to catch a glimpse? The cereus shows itself only to Weituo… truly a flower that inspires both love and hate.”

The woman in white – Noble Consort Liu – sat up and turned to look coldly at the man in the hall, “What are you doing here? Mo Jingqi has people searching everywhere for you, yet you dare to enter the palace?!” In the unlit hall’s darkness, a man stepped forward. The slanting moonlight fell upon him, adding an eerie quality to his presence. “I came, naturally, to tell you what I discovered during my time away from the capital. One piece of good news, one piece of bad – which would Noble Consort like to hear first?”

Noble Consort Liu looked at him indifferently, seemingly unmoved. The man smiled helplessly and said, “News about Mo Xiuyao – you’re not interested in that either?”

The cold eyes flickered slightly as Noble Consort Liu stared warningly at the man playing mysteriously. The man said somewhat defeatedly, “Very well. The good news is that your nemesis Su Zuidie is in Prince Ding’s hands. And she’s been tormented to the point where she probably has barely half a breath left. It seems Prince Ding has indeed completely severed ties with her. The bad news is… the Princess Consort is alive and has returned to Ruyang City, and she’s seven months pregnant. In two more months, the Prince Ding mansion’s heir will be born.”

“Ye Li is still alive?!” Noble Consort Liu said icily, “You saw Ye Li?”

The man nodded and said, “She fell into my hands. I had originally planned to use her to threaten Mo Xiuyao, but…”

Whoosh—! A hidden weapon cut through the air, but the man dodged by tilting his head. Noble Consort Liu had risen by the window, glaring at him furiously, “Tan Jizhi! You saw Ye Li – why didn’t you kill her directly?”

The man was indeed Tan Jizhi, who had vanished after leaving the Northwest. Tan Jizhi said helplessly, “If I had killed Ye Li, do you think I could have returned alive?” Noble Consort Liu looked at him with disgust and said, “Don’t forget our deal – I only want Ye Li dead! It seems you’ve forgotten.” Tan Jizhi looked at the beautiful woman before him, cold as ice and snow, a strange light flashing in his eyes as he said, “How could I dare forget Noble Consort’s wish? But surely you can’t expect me to trade my life for Ye Li’s? Don’t worry – once our business is done, not just Ye Li but Mo Xiuyao too can be handed over for you to deal with as you please.” Noble Consort Liu said coldly, “That’s your business – don’t drag me into your sordid affairs.”

Tan Jizhi spread his hands, “Fine, it’s my business. What has His Majesty been up to since I left the capital?”

Noble Consort Liu said coldly, “He was already foolish, now he’s even more so.”

Tan Jizhi’s smile turned dark, “His foolishness aside, I heard he sent Prince De and Prince Yu to the Northwest to try to get Mo Xiuyao to return to the capital. Which idiot came up with that idea? Does he think Mo Xiuyao is as brainless as he is?”

Noble Consort Liu said indifferently, “What does it matter if Mo Xiuyao doesn’t return? Prince De and Prince Yu likely won’t be returning either.”

Tan Jizhi pondered for a moment before smiling, “So it was Noble Consort’s idea… Summoning Mo Xiuyao back was just a pretense while eliminating Prince De and Prince Yu was the true aim. However… I’m afraid Noble Consort will be disappointed – Mo Xiuyao may not kill those two princes.”

Noble Consort Liu shot him a cold look. Tan Jizhi continued, “However since Noble Consort finds them displeasing, this humble one will naturally find a way to accomplish it for you.”

“It has nothing to do with me,” Noble Consort Liu turned back to continue admiring the night-blooming cereus.