When the Imperial Edict of Self-Reproach was issued, it sent three waves of shock through the entire capital. Suddenly, people flocking to pay their respects to Prince Ding at the inn became endless. It seemed as if the scene of Prince Ding’s mansion being restored was already appearing before their eyes. Of course, no one would believe that Prince Ding couldn’t overcome Prince Li, much less think that Prince Ding hadn’t even participated in this power struggle. The nobles who had already pledged allegiance to Prince Li’s mansion or the Liu family couldn’t help but secretly lament their situation, yet there was nothing they could do. It was easy to board the ship but difficult to disembark—it was too late for regrets now.

In the palace at this time, Empress Hua sat on the phoenix chair in her quarters, furrowing her delicate brows as she listened to the Sixth Prince’s indignant account of the humiliation he suffered while delivering the imperial edict. Looking at the child before her, face full of anger and venom, the Empress shook her head in disappointment. Noble Consort Zheng was equally disappointed, and when she heard Mo Ruiyun shouting that Father Emperor must punish them, she finally couldn’t hold back and delivered a slap across his face.

The Sixth Prince was stunned by this sudden slap, touching his face and staring blankly at Noble Consort Zheng, unable to say anything. The Empress sighed and said softly, “What use is there in hitting him now?” During these years she had been confined to the palace, and all authority in the imperial harem had fallen to Noble Consort Liu. While Noble Consort Liu’s interference certainly contributed to the Sixth Prince being taught this way, Noble Consort Zheng, as his birth mother, wasn’t without fault in her duties. Even she as the Empress had… ah…

“Mother, why did you hit me?” The Sixth Prince finally came to his senses and glared at Noble Consort Zheng, demanding an answer. He had clearly been wronged outside, and not only did his mother not help him seek justice, but she even struck him. How could Mo Ruiyun, who had always been spoiled, accept this? Seeing her son completely failing to understand her intentions, Noble Consort Zheng couldn’t help but burst into tears, collapsing into a chair beside her and sobbing. Seeing his mother in such a state, Mo Ruiyun pouted and muttered, “Since Mother won’t help me seek justice, I’ll go to Father Emperor! Father Emperor loves me and will help me! I’ll have that brat from the Prince Ding’s mansion captured and beaten severely, make him my servant!”

“Silence!” Noble Consort Zheng’s face turned pale with fright as she pulled Mo Ruiyun close, saying, “Prince Ding is your elder. Even his heir is a generation above you in seniority. Whatever they say, you should listen carefully and remember it. Don’t talk nonsense.” But Mo Ruiyun wouldn’t listen, saying unhappily, “I am a prince, why should I listen to them? I will have Father Emperor punish them severely!” With that, he pushed away Noble Consort Zheng’s hand and ran outside. The Empress, sitting on the phoenix chair, saw this and her face darkened slightly. She slapped the table and commanded sternly, “Stop the Sixth Prince!”

The Sixth Prince, naturally furious at being stopped, threatened to kill the eunuchs and palace maids. The Empress stared at him coldly and said, “It was I who ordered you to be stopped. Do you want to kill me as well?! Take the Sixth Prince away and watch him. If he escapes, you will all be held responsible!” Mo Ruiyun still held some fear for this legitimate mother whom he had rarely met, and seeing her truly angry, he didn’t dare make more trouble and was obediently led to the inner hall.

The Empress rubbed her temples and looked at Noble Consort Zheng, saying, “Stop crying. Prince Ding won’t bother with a child who doesn’t know better. Now do you see clearly? Is Ruiyun suitable for that position?”

Noble Consort Zheng stopped crying somewhat sheepishly. Coming from a humble background, she couldn’t help but be tempted by the possibility of her son ascending to the throne, which would make her the Empress Dowager, mother to all under heaven. But now, seeing her son’s ignorant behavior, having spent so many years in the palace, she had gained enough insight. One trip outside the palace and he had offended the entire Prince Ding’s household, unable to distinguish even the slightest bit of what was important. Even if he ascended to the throne in this state, he probably wouldn’t last more than a few days before being harmed by others.

“Wuu wuu… it’s all that cheap woman’s fault! That cheap woman corrupted my prince. Wuu wuu… Empress, you must help me seek justice…” Noble Consort Zheng now harbored an intense hatred for Noble Consort Liu. These years, the Emperor had favored Noble Consort Liu, giving her control of the entire imperial harem. As the prince’s birth mother, she could barely see her son twice a year, and now her son had been taught to become like this, destroying her dreams of becoming Empress Dowager. How could she not hate Noble Consort Liu?

The Empress waved her hand impatiently, saying, “Enough, what use is there in saying these things now?” Regarding Mo Jingqi’s proposal, the Empress had completely abandoned it by now. With the Sixth Prince’s character, what good could come from teaching him? She could sacrifice herself for the imperial family because she was the Empress, married to Mo Jingqi as his wife. But she couldn’t sacrifice the entire Hua family for the imperial family, for Mo Jingqi. The Hua family had done enough for the Great Chu…

“This concubine knows her wrong.” Noble Consort Zheng wiped her tears and knelt on the ground, saying, “This concubine doesn’t ask for the prince to achieve great things, only that he may live in peace. His ignorance is all due to my failure as his mother. I beg the Empress to plead with Prince Ding on my behalf, asking him to spare the prince.”

“Rise,” the Empress sighed, “As I said before, although Prince Ding isn’t one for magnanimity, he won’t hold a grudge against an ignorant child. If I get a chance to see the Princess Consort of Ding, I’ll speak to her about it. However, you must truly teach Ruiyun well. To immediately criticize others’ family education—not just in the imperial family, but even in common households, is taboo.”

Noble Consort Zheng hurriedly expressed her gratitude and repeatedly promised to properly educate the Sixth Prince. Only then did she bid farewell to the Empress and go to the inner hall to fetch the Sixth Prince and leave. Watching her departing figure, the Empress sighed softly. How much longer could she remain as Empress? Whether Noble Consort Zheng could properly educate the Sixth Prince probably had little to do with her now. Never mind… at least her Wuyou was living safely in the Northwest. That was good enough…

The eunuch who had accompanied Mo Ruiyun to deliver the edict returned to the palace to report Mo Xiuyao’s refusal to accept it. Mo Jingqi remained silent for a long time before finally waving his hand weakly to dismiss him. The eunuch felt greatly relieved and hurriedly withdrew. However, as he turned to close the hall doors, he caught a glimpse of the emperor sitting on the dragon throne, his gloomy eyes revealing unprecedented brutality and madness. His heart trembled as he quietly closed the doors.

With the Emperor’s edict, the efficiency of those below was extremely quick. The original Prince Ding’s mansion had only been sealed, and because of Prince Ding’s influence on Great Chu, Mo Jingqi didn’t dare repurpose this residence in such a short time. So after the mansion was reopened, people only needed to clean it again, and two days later they came to inform Mo Xiuyao, inviting the Prince and Princess Consort to move back to the prince’s mansion.

Mo Xiuyao naturally wouldn’t be polite about it—this prince’s mansion was the foundation laid by generations of Prince Ding’s ancestors. It had also been the residence of successive Princes of Ding for nearly two hundred years. When they initially settled in the Northwest and abandoned the prince’s mansion, Mo Xiuyao still had people secretly take care of this place, so even after six or seven years, the entire prince’s mansion remained very well preserved. Once the family of three officially moved into Prince Ding’s mansion, naturally more people came to pay their respects. This proved that the previous imperial edict wasn’t empty words—Prince Ding’s mansion was truly going to return to Great Chu and the capital.

Although Mo Xiuyao declined most people’s visits, there were some people whose status made it impossible to refuse. The afternoon they returned to the mansion, the guards outside came to report that Grand Princess Fuxi and Princess Zhaoyang were requesting an audience with the Prince. These two—Princess Zhaoyang was manageable, but the Grand Princess couldn’t be refused. They had no choice but to have them invited in.

The Grand Princess was now eighty years old, having aged considerably compared to a few years ago. Although her spirit still seemed fine, her body was not what it used to be. Supported by Princess Zhaoyang and palace maids, she walked in slowly. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li immediately brought Mo Xiaobao forward to welcome them, “Grand Princess.”

The Grand Princess looked at Mo Xiuyao standing before her, his hair completely white but his expression calm, and her wrinkled face showed a flash of pain and comfort, along with some helplessness as she said to Mo Xiuyao, “It seems you truly hate the imperial family to the extreme, not even willing to acknowledge me as your aunt?” Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes and finally called her “Imperial Aunt.” Only then did the Grand Princess become delighted, her gaze falling on Mo Xiaobao standing to the side, her eyes brightening with overwhelming affection, “Is this little Yuzhen? He looks seven or eight parts like you did as a child.” Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, “Aunt, Zhaoyang thinks this little heir looks even more lovable than Xiuyao did as a child.” The Grand Princess nodded with a smile, “Indeed so.”

Mo Xiaobao wasn’t shy either, standing gracefully beside Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li as he stepped forward to pay his respects, “Yuzhen greets Great-Aunt, greets Aunt Zhaoyang.”

“Good child… good child…” the Grand Princess smiled, taking out a dagger she carried and handing it to Mo Xiaobao, saying, “Great-Aunt hasn’t prepared any proper meeting gifts, take this little thing to play with.” It was an exquisitely crafted small dagger, with precious stones inlaid in both the handle and scabbard. When drawn, the blade gleamed like a mirror and exuded a cold aura, clearly a precious weapon. Mo Xiaobao looked back at his parents, and Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, “When elders bestow gifts, one dares not refuse. Accept it.”

Mo Xiaobao himself also liked this little thing very much, and hearing his father’s words, he naturally became delighted. He accepted the dagger with both hands and said in a crisp voice, “Yuzhen thanks, Great-Aunt.” His adorable face was serious and respectful, pleasing the Grand Princess who repeatedly praised him.

Princess Zhaoyang took out a jade pendant and handed it to Mo Xiaobao with a smile, “Aunt doesn’t have any precious daggers to give you, this jade pendant looks somewhat decent, Yuzhen can keep it to play with.”

Mo Xiaobao accepted it as well, thanking Princess Zhaoyang.

The Grand Princess and Princess Zhaoyang looked at the little dumpling before them, who barely reached Mo Xiuyao’s thigh. Not only was his appearance handsome, but his bearing alone showed extraordinary upbringing. Thinking of the children in the Emperor’s palace—though the Emperor had no shortage of princes, perhaps all those princes combined couldn’t match up to this four or five-year-old child from Prince Ding’s mansion. Looking at the elegant and refined Princess Consort standing beside Mo Xiuyao, they couldn’t help but sigh that only such a woman could give birth to and raise such an outstanding son.

“Imperial Aunt, Princess Zhaoyang, the weather is still a bit chilly. Why don’t we sit inside?” Ye Li said with a gentle smile, leading the two towards the main hall.

Having just moved back, Prince Ding’s mansion didn’t have many people. Including guards, servants, and maids, there were only about a hundred people in total, not even a third of what they had before. Therefore, the vast mansion seemed particularly quiet and desolate.

Entering the main hall, hosts and guests took their seats. The Grand Princess lovingly drew Mo Xiaobao to her side and questioned him in detail. Mo Xiaobao, taking a liking to this kind elderly person who reminded him of his great-grandfather, answered each question earnestly. Princess Zhaoyang, listening from the side, couldn’t help but smile and say, “So the young heir is personally taught by Master Qingyun. No wonder he has such bearing at such a young age. How is Master Qingyun nowadays?”

Ye Li smiled and replied, “Although my grandfather is advanced in years, his health is still robust. He occasionally still lectures at the academy, and Zhen’er has indeed benefited greatly from being raised under his care.”

The Grand Princess smiled warmly at Mo Xiaobao while raising her head to sigh at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, “When the Emperor made that foolish decision back then, was Master Qingyun able to adjust to life in the Northwest?”

Ye Li responded, “Thank you for your concern, Imperial Aunt. Grandfather traveled the world in his youth. Though the Northwest is somewhat harsher than Yunzhou, it’s still manageable. These past few years, grandfather has been more relaxed, and his spirit seems much better than before.” The Grand Princess and Princess Zhaoyang exchanged glances, both falling silent. They naturally understood Ye Li’s meaning, and Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li surely understood their purpose in coming as well. But given their positions, there were many things they had to do even if they were unwilling.

Mo Xiuyao held his teacup, staring at the tea inside with an indifferent expression, saying nothing. Ye Li maintained a smile on her lips but showed no intention of speaking further. For a moment, the main hall was filled with a subtle heaviness and awkwardness.

After a long while, the Grand Princess finally sighed and looked at Mo Xiuyao, “Xiuyao… what do you think of the Emperor’s edict?”

Mo Xiuyao raised his head, smiled faintly, and said, “Imperial Aunt is my elder, and considering how you cared for me in the past, I shouldn’t deceive you. I’ve already said this to the Emperor—Prince Ding’s mansion… has long since severed all ties of grace and righteousness with Great Chu. The Emperor’s edict means nothing to the Prince Ding’s mansion.”

The Grand Princess closed her eyes, her wrinkled face showing more fatigue and haggardness, “Is there truly no way to turn back? After all, the Prince Ding’s mansion and the imperial family are… after all, still family.”

Mo Xiuyao’s smile turned cold, “The vendetta of killing father and brother, the hatred of tens of thousands of Mourning House Army spirits dying unjustly, and the matter of Prince Ding’s mansion leading the Northwest these past few years. Who can forget? The Great Chu imperial family cannot, and neither can the Prince Ding’s mansion, the Mourning House Army, nor I!”

“Enough… I know I can’t persuade you.” The Grand Princess didn’t press further, just shaking her head helplessly. She had watched Mo Xiuyao grow up and experience so much. The current Mo Xiuyao appeared as calm as the sea, unfathomable. But the turbulent waves contained within that sea were no gentler than the burning flames of his youth. Once he chose a path, no matter how difficult the road ahead, he would never turn back. But Great Chu’s current situation… the Grand Princess didn’t know what kind of situation they would face without the support of Prince Ding’s mansion. Looking at the ministers and nobles arguing red-faced in the Qinzheng Hall, the Grand Princess, once known for her iron hand but now gray-haired, felt waves of helplessness washing over her. They had all grown old… Despite the founding emperor’s heaven-sent talent, Great Chu now… had no worthy successor!

With the Grand Princess giving up on persuasion, Princess Zhaoyang naturally had nothing more to say. She didn’t have the Grand Princess’s strategic acumen, but she had devoted her entire life’s happiness to Great Chu. An imperial daughter, married off by nobles and thus called princess. As an imperial princess, she had no right to object. So, when her imperial brother needed to ally with Nanzhao, she had to marry the Nanzhao prince without complaint. When Great Chu no longer needed this Nanzhao consort, she had to remain a widow for life without complaint. And now, if Great Chu were to fall because of the incompetence of its descendants, all she could do was accompany it in death. The Grand Princess understood Mo Xiuyao, and Princess Zhaoyang understood him equally well. So her reason for accompanying the Grand Princess today was simply to see Mo Xiuyao and the young heir she had never met before.

Setting aside their respective positions, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became much more harmonious. The Grand Princess had probably come at Mo Jingqi’s request to try some persuasion, though she had known the outcome before coming. Therefore, she didn’t press too hard. After roughly understanding Mo Xiuyao’s intentions, she let it be. Taking a step back could preserve some of their past relationships.

“Since that’s the case when the Emperor… Xiuyao, you should return to the Northwest quickly. This capital… I’m afraid there won’t be many peaceful days ahead,” the Grand Princess sighed.

“Great-Aunt, why don’t you and Aunt Zhaoyang come back to the Northwest with us?” Mo Xiaobao looked up at the Grand Princess, asking in his crisp voice.

The Grand Princess started, then looked at Mo Xiaobao lovingly and shook her head, “Great-Aunt can’t go to the Northwest with you.”

“Why not?” Mo Xiaobao asked, tilting his little head in confusion. To Mo Xiaobao, Li City had Great-Grandfather, Great-Uncle, Uncle, and many other good people. It was much more fun than this Chu capital. In Li City, he could run around and play by himself, but in the Chu capital, he couldn’t even go out with his guards to play with Leng Xiaodai. Uncle Leng Er said there were too many bad people in the Chu capital, so children couldn’t go out to play.

The Grand Princess said softly, “Because Great-Aunt’s home is here.”

“Oh.” Mo Xiaobao seemed to half-understand. His and his parents’ home was in Li City, and if they asked him to stay in the Chu capital forever, he wouldn’t agree either. So Great-Aunt probably couldn’t bear to leave her home either.

Mo Xiuyao put down his teacup and looked at the Grand Princess, “Imperial Aunt, rather than Mo Jingqi putting effort on my side, he’d better think carefully about future matters. Supporting a young emperor—it’s not that the Prince Ding’s mansion cannot do it, but that we will not do it anymore.” Where did the catastrophe of Prince Ding’s mansion originate? Wasn’t it from his father supporting the late emperor? The Prince Ding’s mansion’s outstanding merits, plus supporting a young emperor and acting as regent, had already raised the imperial family’s vigilance against the Prince Ding’s mansion to the highest level. Throughout history, how many powerful ministers had good endings? Having reached this point, Prince Ding’s mansion would not turn back.

The Grand Princess smiled bitterly and helplessly. It wasn’t that Mo Jingqi still didn’t understand what was important. Rather… he simply had no choice. Among the princes in the back palace, apart from Noble Consort Liu’s two sons, there were almost no promising princes. If they let the Crown Prince ascend to the throne and the Liu family take power, the Grand Princess didn’t need to guess what kind of situation it would be. The current situation truly left the Grand Princess wanting to help but unable to do so. She looked somewhat regretfully at Mo Xiaobao leaning against her side—if just one of the princes had even seven-tenths of the Prince Ding heir’s intelligence, they old folks would fight to their last breath to help that young prince succeed.

But alas…