After sending people to escort Prince De and Prince Yu back to their guest quarters, Ye Li walked out from behind, supported by a maid, and smiled gently, “Just one night, and Prince De has changed quite a bit.”
Mo Xiuyao rose to support her, waving the maid away. “To emerge unscathed from under the previous emperor’s hand and remain stable for so many years, Prince De is indeed a seasoned old fox. He’s just become somewhat careless these past few years. Does he think that because he manages the royal clan’s trivial affairs and Mo Jingqi calls him Imperial Uncle, he’s truly respected as an uncle?” Little did he know that Mo Jingqi most despised those old ministers and elders who pressured him—without any need for instigation, Mo Jingqi would want to dispose of them at the first opportunity.
“Now that he’s taken the moral high ground with fine words to persuade this prince, even if I don’t give him face, I must at least ensure their safe return to Chu Capital.”
Sitting down slowly, Ye Li recalled the two princes’ earlier behavior. If they were meant to be Mo Jingqi’s mediators, they had been rather unconvincing, merely reciting his intentions mechanically and making perfunctory gestures toward Mo Xiuyao. Neither wanted to truly provoke him. Ye Li smiled lightly, “You were planning to let them return anyway?”
Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly, sitting down beside her. “Though these two won’t amount to much, they’re sufficient if I just want to cause Mo Jingqi some trouble. I don’t want to deal with them for the next few months.” He lowered his head to look at Ye Li’s round belly, reaching out to touch it gently just as the baby kicked. Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, seeing Ye Li’s slight frown, and said, “This little one truly doesn’t know how to behave. Once born, he’ll need proper discipline.”
Ye Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but whenever Mo Xiuyao was nearby, especially when he touched her belly, the child would become particularly active. She said helplessly, “It’s still just a fetus—how could it understand anything? Your Highness is becoming more childish.”
Mo Xiuyao’s sword-like eyebrows rose slightly as he inwardly resolved to give the child a proper lesson once it was born.
A few days later, Prince De and Prince Yu bid farewell to Mo Xiuyao, preparing to return to the capital, but Su Zhe had truly fallen gravely ill. When Prince Yu personally went to see him, Su Zhe had become skeletal, lying unconscious. His condition was impossible to fake—forget returning to the capital, even a slight chill could prove fatal if he wasn’t properly cared for. But both princes knew they couldn’t stay long in the Northwest. They could only bid farewell to Mo Xiuyao and leave first, saying they would report to the Emperor and send people to escort Su Zhe back once he recovered. Mo Xiuyao naturally wouldn’t keep them. The two men, along with Mo Jian and less than half their original guards, departed that very day without investigating what had happened to the missing guards. When Mo Xiuyao heard this, he merely smiled faintly and sent Zhang Yu and Lu Jinxian, who were stationed in Ruyang, to personally escort the two princes out of the city.
In the dark dungeon, Mo Xiuyao reclined lazily in his chair, looking at the blood-covered middle-aged man tied to a wooden stake. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards? Xue Chengliang, His Majesty’s trusted general and beloved commander? And also… the Empress Dowager’s nephew and His Majesty’s cousin? Mo Jingqi truly spared no expense, actually sending you to the Northwest?”
The man raised his head, looking at the white-robed, white-haired man before him who seemed untouched by a speck of dust, panic flashing in his eyes. In such a dark and filthy dungeon, such whiteness seemed even more chilling. Mo Xiuyao paid no mind, smiling indifferently, “I hear Commander Xue is known as the top fighter in the palace, his martial arts only slightly inferior to Mu Qingcang. All these years, merely serving as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards—truly a waste of talent.”
Xue Chengliang jerked his head up sharply. He had maintained a low profile in the capital all these years, continuously serving in the unremarkable position of Deputy Commander. He hadn’t expected Mo Xiuyao to have investigated him so thoroughly.
Mo Xiuyao leaned against the chair back, looking at him sidelong, “Having entered my Ruyang City, Commander Xue surely isn’t still fantasizing about leaving safely? This prince won’t have anyone torture you—torture probably wouldn’t work on you anyway. Would you prefer to speak on your own, or should this prince find ways to make you talk?”
Xue Chengliang laughed coldly, “Is Ruyang City yours, Your Highness? All under heaven belongs to the Emperor—does Your Highness think occupying Ruyang makes it yours? I never expected the Prince Ding household would produce such a treasonous rebel! Who knows how Mo Langyun and Mo Liufang can face the Imperial Ancestor and previous emperor in the afterlife?”
Mo Xiuyao remained unmoved by his angry words, his eyes cold as snow. “Unexpectedly, Commander Xue is a rare loyal subject who loves his country—this prince truly admires you. However, I wonder if Commander Xue’s beloved and your newborn son are equally loyal subjects?”
Xue Chengliang froze, panic entering his eyes. Now he truly believed Mo Xiuyao had thoroughly investigated his identity. If Mo Xiuyao had threatened his family, he might not have cared—he was a Xue family concubine’s son, and the Xue family matriarch was the Empress Dowager’s younger sister. He had suffered greatly since childhood and had no particular feelings for the Xue family, including his wife. But the beloved and newborn child Mo Xiuyao mentioned were as dear to him as his flesh and blood. She was his childhood sweetheart, the first woman he had ever loved. She had accompanied him through his most difficult years, and now they had a son together. He had originally planned to ask the Emperor’s permission upon his return to officially welcome her and their child into his home as his wife.
Seeing Xue Chengliang’s change in expression, Mo Xiuyao smiled with satisfaction and raised his hand, moving his fingers slightly. Behind him, Qin Feng took out a painting and unfolded it before Xue Chengliang. Xue Chengliang’s already pale face turned ashen—the people in the painting were indeed his beloved son. Not just their appearances and clothing, but even the courtyard in the background was identical. Xue Chengliang exclaimed in shock, “This is impossible! How could you…”
Mo Xiuyao’s smile was cold and merciless. “This prince indeed didn’t know Commander Xue would grace the Northwest with your presence. But… this prince never said I would never return to Chu Capital. Since that’s the case, it’s only natural to thoroughly investigate what kind of people surround our Emperor.” After the Tan Jizhi incident, Mo Xiuyao ordered the Tianyi Pavilion and his secret guards to thoroughly reinvestigate those around Mo Jingqi. Though they couldn’t be certain they had uncovered all of Mo Jingqi’s hidden pieces, they had made considerable discoveries.
“What do you want?” Xue Chengliang asked hoarsely.
Mo Xiuyao stood up. “Commander Xue has been by His Majesty’s side since age fifteen—you must know quite a bit. No need to rush, you can think it over slowly. Within a month at most, this prince guarantees to reunite Commander Xue’s family. Then Commander Xue can slowly consider what answer to give this prince.” With that, Mo Xiuyao no longer paid attention to the blood-covered, contorted-faced Xue Chengliang bound to the pillar, turning to walk out of the cell. Behind him, Xue Chengliang roared, “Mo Xiuyao, don’t you dare harm them!”
“Oh right, Commander Xue must not think of doing anything foolish like suicide. This prince has no rule against killing women and children, or perhaps you’d prefer your son to suffer in your place?”
“Mo Xiuyao, may you die a terrible death!” Xue Chengliang looked at the snow-white robed and haired man before him with terror, as if seeing some demon or monster.
“A terrible death?” Mo Xiuyao snorted softly. “This prince has already died no less than ten times. This prince doesn’t fear death—does Commander Xue fear it?” Xue Chengliang was speechless. Did he fear death? Of course, he did. He had suffered countless hardships since childhood, and finally had his own family and child—how could he not fear death?
Su Zhe woke up five days after Prince De and Prince Yu left. When he heard from Mo Xiuyao that the two princes had already departed with their men, Su Zhe was stunned for a moment before shaking his head at Mo Xiuyao, “Why did Your Highness do this?”
Mo Xiuyao remained silent for a moment before saying, “Elder Su’s body truly cannot withstand long-distance travel anymore. If Elder Su insists on returning, you must wait until you’ve fully recovered. If Elder Su doesn’t wish to stay in Ruyang City, there’s a villa outside the city where Elder Su can stay temporarily.”
Su Zhe sighed and shook his head without saying more. He simply stayed alone in a quiet courtyard of the prince’s mansion to recuperate, reading books and barely stepping outside, never again inquiring about Su Zuidie’s situation.
When the child reached nine months, the news suddenly spread throughout the nation. It was said that the previous dynasty’s Imperial Ancestor’s treasures and Imperial Seal were within the Northwest borders. The previous dynasty’s Imperial Ancestor was an even more legendary figure than Great Chu’s Imperial Ancestor, and legend had it he had obtained the Golden City treasure that was only recorded in unofficial histories. It was said to be a city built of gold—one can imagine how wealthy the Imperial Ancestor must have been if this rumor were true. Not to mention the Imperial Seal that drew the eager attention of nobles from all nations. Once this news broke, traces of various forces’ activities immediately increased in the Northwest, instantly making the previously peaceful situation tense.
Ye Li’s belly had grown even larger now, and the child could be born at any time after nine months. Mo Xiuyao had early on selected servants and midwives to stay in the mansion, ready at any moment. Moreover, knowing Ye Li’s usual dislike of unfamiliar people serving her closely, Mo Xiuyao specially sent people to bring her original servants from Chu Capital. Seeing that Lord Mo had been transferred to the Northwest, leaving the affairs in the Central Plains unmanaged, Feng Zhiyao cursed repeatedly and sent a message to Leng Haoyu asking him to temporarily take charge of matters in the Central Plains.
Qin Feng, who had gone to fetch the servants, arrived in Ruyang City almost simultaneously with the news about the previous dynasty’s treasures. Mo Xiuyao, who had been accompanying Ye Li on a walk, darkened his expression upon receiving the message Zhuo Jing brought up, saying coldly, “Tan Jizhi! You’re truly eager to die!”
Ye Li took the letter and glanced at it, then nudged Mo Xiuyao, “Go handle it quickly, Feng San and the others must be waiting.” Mo Xiuyao sighed softly and said gently, “I’ll be back soon, don’t tire yourself too much.” Ye Li smiled and nodded, watching Mo Xiuyao leave before turning to look at the others, smiling gently, “Wet nurse, Matron Lin, are you both well?”
The two elderly women were already in tears. If Mo Xiuyao hadn’t been present earlier, they would have rushed to Ye Li’s side crying. “Young Miss… Princess Consort… we thought we’d never see you again…” Qingshuang and the others also gathered around Ye Li, crying and laughing as they spoke, making the room quite lively. Ye Li smiled as she looked at them—though it hadn’t felt long during their year apart, seeing them now made her realize how much she had missed them. Seeing Qingshuang glaring at her while wiping tears, refusing to speak, Ye Li smiled and reached out to pinch her soft cheek, saying, “After a year apart, Qingshuang has grown into quite the young lady.”
Qingshuang’s pretty face reddened as she glared at Ye Li fiercely, “Young Miss is so heartless, not coming to fetch Qingshuang for so long. Qingshuang won’t forgive Young Miss anymore!” Ye Li apologized, saying softly, “Silly girl, what good would come to the Northwest with me do? Wasn’t it better staying in the capital?”
Although Mo Jingqi had ordered Mo Xiuyao’s titles stripped, he still hadn’t dared to openly raid the Prince Ding mansion. However, for safety, Lord Mo moved important items from the mansion, including important people. These maids staying in the capital had the Prince Ding household’s secret guards protecting them, which was indeed better than traveling thousands of miles to the Northwest. If Mo Xiuyao hadn’t directly sent Qin Feng to fetch them, Ye Li wouldn’t have planned to bring them to Ruyang.
“Matron Lin, wet nurse, you must have had a difficult journey.” Looking at the slightly thinner wet nurse and Matron Lin before her, Ye Li felt extremely apologetic. Originally, the wet nurse and Matron Lin had been taken to her second uncle’s mansion, waiting to be sent back to Yunzhou once the situation stabilized. Now they had traveled thousands of miles to Ruyang, separated from their families, and the Northwest’s climate was worse than both the capital and Yunzhou.
Matron Wei wiped her tears and happily examined Ye Li’s belly, smiling, “How can Princess Consort say such things? Being able to serve the Princess Consort and young master is the greatest blessing. What hardship is there? This past year… we were so worried hearing about everything happening to Princess Consort in the capital, but being so far away, we knew nothing…” Matron Lin nodded repeatedly, “Indeed, now that we can see Princess Consort safely deliver the young master, this old servant can face Young Miss.” The ‘Young Miss’ Matron Lin referred to was naturally Ye Li’s mother, Lady Xu.
Ye Li held Matron Lin’s hand and said softly, “In that case, I’ll have to continue troubling you both. You must be tired from the long journey—rest for a few days before we discuss anything else.”
Though Matron Lin and the wet nurse were reluctant to leave, they were indeed not young anymore, and the journey had truly exhausted them. They had to let someone lead them to rest. Though the young maids also showed signs of fatigue, their spirits were surprisingly good as they surrounded Ye Li, curious and delighted, chattering endlessly. Finally, Ye Li managed to calm them down and had someone take them to rest. Watching the hall grow quiet again, Ye Li smiled at Qin Feng who stood to the side, “It’s been a while since it was this lively—I’m not used to it anymore.”
Qin Feng smiled faintly, “Princess Consort doesn’t like being attended to, and others dare not disturb you. But these young ladies have been by Princess Consort’s side for a long time and are quite close to you.”
Ye Li nodded and turned to ask about important matters, “Did you hear any news on your way back?”
Qin Feng nodded, “We did hear some rumors approaching the Northwest, but traveling off the main roads, we didn’t get much important news. Though the news about the previous dynasty’s treasures might have started from the capital first, it wasn’t spread from there alone.”
Ye Li nodded. Qin Feng and his group had traveled quickly—when he left the capital, he hadn’t heard the news, but by the time they reached the Northwest, it was known throughout the world. These rumors hadn’t spread from the capital alone. People must have been secretly spreading them everywhere. Snorting softly, Ye Li smiled coldly, “His Highness is right, Tan Jizhi is indeed eager to die!”
The baby in her belly seemed to sense its mother’s anger, and Ye Li felt two kicks in succession. Frowning slightly, she smiled helplessly and reached down to soothe the baby. This child was already so lively in the womb—it would surely be a mischievous little devil after birth.
Qin Feng looked at Ye Li with some difficulty, seeming to want to speak but holding back. Ye Li smiled at him, “If you have something to say, just say it. Has Commander Qin become shy?”
Qin Feng’s handsome face reddened slightly. Ye Li laughed in surprise, “Could I have guessed right? Did Commander Qin encounter some romance on this trip?”
Qin Feng smiled bitterly, “Please don’t tease me, Princess Consort. I rescued someone on the road and brought them back to Ruyang without your permission. Please punish me as you see fit.”
“Rescued someone? Perhaps an old acquaintance?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked.
Qin Feng nodded, “It’s Miss Yaoji—does Princess Consort remember her?”
Ye Li certainly remembered. Steadying herself while holding her belly, she asked, “What happened? Tell me from the beginning.”
Qin Feng then explained everything from start to finish. After picking up Lord Mo’s group, he had led them off the main roads, traveling day and night, when they encountered Yaoji being pursued and attacked outside a small town three hundred li from the capital. It wasn’t exactly an assassination attempt—at the time, Yaoji was desperately protecting a child, and the pursuers seemed more interested in seizing the child. It was only when Yaoji’s desperate resistance angered them that they decided to kill her to take the child. Qin Feng had met Yaoji several times before and naturally couldn’t stand by watching her die, so he drove off the attackers and rescued her. However, Yaoji’s beauty was too striking, and with warfare everywhere, she had nowhere to go with a child, so Qin Feng brought her back.
Ye Li smiled, “So that’s what happened. Have you investigated Yaoji’s situation?”
Qin Feng nodded, “I had the secret guards investigate that very day—there was nothing suspicious.”
Ye Li nodded, “You’ve always been reliable, and Yaoji is an old acquaintance, so bringing her back is fine. But have you thought about how to settle her?”
Qin Feng looked troubled—he had only thought about rescuing her, not about what to do afterward.
Ye Li covered her mouth and smiled, “Yaoji must have fled in panic from her pursuers, otherwise someone of her capability wouldn’t be in such a sorry state. If she has some money and valuables, we could find her a place to live and work in the city. Have you seen…”
“When I rescued her, I saw her clothes were old and she was thin—I’m afraid she has no money left.” Qin Feng suddenly understood, nodding, “Thank you for your guidance, Princess Consort. I understand now—I’ll find a place to settle her. I have some savings I could give her to use temporarily.”
Ye Li wanted to knock some sense into Qin Feng’s wooden head. She gave him a look and said, “How can a lone woman with a child accept financial support from you, Commander Qin? Though she was once a courtesan, now she has a child to consider. Having finally settled here, she naturally won’t return to her old profession—what about her reputation?” Unless Qin Feng intended to marry her, it would be better not to be too enthusiastic.
Qin Feng deflated somewhat, looking helplessly at Ye Li. Giving money wasn’t right, and not giving money wasn’t right either—how was rescuing someone more troublesome than going to battle?
Ye Li sighed and said, “Invite Miss Yaoji over—perhaps she already has her plans.” Yaoji wasn’t like those sheltered young ladies without their own opinions. Though they had only met a few times, and Ye Li didn’t agree with some of her choices, it didn’t prevent her from appreciating Yaoji’s unique qualities.
Qin Feng relaxed—it was naturally good if the Princess Consort would handle it, as he didn’t know how to settle Yaoji. “Thank you, Princess Consort.”