Leng Haoyu and Murong Ting’s sudden visit was certainly not just a casual one. After taking their seats, Leng Haoyu frowned and said, “Our people have brought news that the Liu family seems to have learned something about Mo Jingli’s son.”

Having just returned to Chu Capital, Feng Zhiyao naturally didn’t know what had happened in the city over the past two months. He asked puzzled, “Mo Jingli’s son? The one born to Ye Ying? Was he kidnapped?”

Leng Haoyu clapped his hands and laughed, “Your information is quite outdated. Recently, after Mo Jingli became the Regent, he returned to his manor and kicked his son to death. Although this news was suppressed and not widely circulated, most of the nobility in the capital know about it.”

Feng Zhiyao raised his eyebrows. Not being a fool, he immediately understood. He smiled and said, “So… Mo Jingli raised someone else’s son for several years? What’s happening now? Is his biological son in the Liu family’s hands?”

“A Li, what do you think?” Mo Xiuyao turned to Ye Li and asked.

Ye Li frowned, thought for a moment, and said, “I think the possibility is quite low. Mo Jingqi was extremely cautious and never trusted even those close to him. If Mo Jingli couldn’t find any clues after spending so much time and effort, it proves that Mo Jingqi handled everything very cleanly at the time. There’s no reason the Liu family could find anything, and… the timing is too convenient.” It was suspicious that just after Mo Jingqi’s death, before the new emperor’s coronation, the Liu family would reveal news about Li Prince Manor’s only son.

Mo Xiuyao looked at Leng Haoyu, who shrugged and said, “They haven’t gotten any specific information, just that the Liu family has been making many moves in secret lately, and they could only vaguely tell it’s related to Mo Jingli’s son. But whether that child is Mo Jingli’s son still needs time to verify.”

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled, “No need to investigate further. It’s a waste of time.”

Leng Haoyu looked at him confused, and Mo Xiuyao asked, “Whether it’s true or not, what difference does it make to us?”

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. Indeed, they had no intention of getting involved in these matters. So whether that child was Mo Jingli’s son or not had no significance to them at all.

Mo Xiuyao stood up and looked at Leng Haoyu with a smile, “Instead of spending your energy on this, you might as well investigate the matters in the Northern Border. Anyway, Feng San is in the capital now, and your business in the capital is closed. Why not take a trip to Zijing Pass?”

Leng Haoyu was tempted. Currently, Zijing Pass is in the midst of battle. Although dark guards were protecting in secret, he was still worried about Leng Huai’s dark guards.

“I’ll go too,” Murong Ting quickly said.

Although Leng Haoyu was from the Prince Ding Manor, Murong Ting wasn’t. Mo Xiuyao naturally had no authority over Murong Ting; this was Leng Haoyu’s family matter. Leng Haoyu hesitated and said, “Zijing Pass is currently in battle, it’s too dangerous.”

Murong Ting snorted, “You think I’ve never seen a battlefield? I grew up at the border with my father, and besides, I participated in defending Yonglin City back then, didn’t I?”

“Jun Han is alone in the capital with no one to take care of him, can you bear that?” Leng Haoyu continued to persuade.

Murong Ting frowned; this was indeed a problem. Her son had never been away from her side since birth. Her gaze fell on Ye Li sitting to the side, and Murong Ting’s eyes lit up as she looked at Ye Li hopefully, “Li’er…”

Ye Li covered her mouth and smiled, “As long as you don’t mind Jun Han being bullied by Chen’er, feel free to send him over.” Whether taking care of one child or two, it made little difference. Besides, although Mo Xiaobao occasionally liked to cling to people, his self-care ability was quite good, and they didn’t need to spend much effort on him.

However, for some unknown reason, Mo Xiaobao had decided that Leng Jun Han was a soft little bun that could be bullied. Every time they met, he would either pinch or bite him. Ye Li suspected that Mo Xiaobao might be transferring his resentment of being bullied by his father onto Leng Jun Han. Every time she saw the white, tender, and soft little Jun Han with tears welling up in his eyes but stubbornly refusing to let them fall after being bullied by Mo Xiaobao, Ye Li’s heart ached terribly. What’s more peculiar was that Leng Jun Han had decided Mo Xiaobao was a good big brother, forgetting about being bullied right after it happened, and would still affectionately call him “Yu Chen Gege” the next time they met. No wonder Mo Xiaobao called him Leng Xiaodai. Even Leng Haoyu, his father, couldn’t help but cover his face when he saw his son’s silly appearance. What sins must he have committed in his past life to have such a silly son?

“It’s fine. We’ve spoiled Jun Han too much. I don’t know who he takes after with such a soft personality. It’s good to let him stay at your place to toughen him up a bit,” Murong Ting said with a wave of her hand.

With the lady of the house having made up her mind, Leng Haoyu, being the devoted husband he was, could only comply. However, he still maintained some fatherly concern and looked at Mo Xiuyao, cautioning, “Please don’t let the young prince bully my son too much.” Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow – was this something he could control? He was the Prince of Ding, not a nursemaid.

“Cold Second, you don’t think this prince asked you to go just for a family visit, do you?” Seeing Leng Haoyu’s conflicted expression, Mo Xiuyao said flatly. As an excellent and capable subordinate, shouldn’t one always try to understand their superior’s every action and decision? What was with Leng Haoyu’s mix of joy at visiting family and worry about leaving his child behind?

Leng Haoyu helplessly lowered his head, knowing it wouldn’t be so simple, “Awaiting Your Highness’s instructions.”

Mo Xiuyao slightly curved his lips and said, “No need for formal instructions. Within half a year, if the Northern troops step one foot into Zijing Pass, you need not return. Go hang yourself on the southeastern branch. Also… this prince values talent. Hmm?” Leng Haoyu’s eyes changed, looking at Mo Xiuyao with some joy. Mo Xiuyao smiled without speaking, and Leng Haoyu said loudly, “Your Highness can rest assured. This subordinate will not disappoint Your Highness’s good intentions.”

“Go then, don’t worry about your son. If you can’t make it back in time, this prince can take him to the Northwest. It happens that Master Qingyun is free now and can help with his education.”

Both Leng Haoyu and Murong Ting were delighted. Since having their child, they had been staying mostly in the capital. While this wasn’t particularly good for Leng Haoyu’s various business affairs, they weren’t comfortable letting Murong Ting raise the child alone. If Leng Jun Han were taken to the Northwest, there would be no need to worry about safety. Having Master Qingyun personally guide his early education was an opportunity others couldn’t even dream of. Cold Second Young Master attributed Mo Xiaobao’s clever witty, intelligent, and wise nature to Master Qingyun’s excellent teaching methods.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Early the next morning, Leng Haoyu and Murong Ting secretly left for Zijing Pass. Since they weren’t highly regarded in the Cold family and didn’t attract much attention in the capital, their departure went unnoticed. Leng Jun Han was sent to the Prince Ding Manor that evening. Although the four-year-old baby was somewhat hurt about having to leave his parents, after hearing he would be living with Brother Xiaobao, Cold Little Dummy quickly forgot about his parents’ departure and expressed his wish to sleep with Yu Chen Gege. Seeing his son’s rare expression as if he had swallowed a fly, the Prince of Ding was quite pleased and agreed to Cold Little’s request. He also indicated to Mo Xiaobao that he must take good care of his little brother and not let him suffer any grievances.

Thus, the days at the Prince Ding Manor passed leisurely amidst Mo Xiaobao and Cold Little Dummy’s daily chase and play, with one bullying and the other silly-smiling. As for the occasional news such as the yet-to-be-crowned Tenth Prince suffering several assassination attempts, the Empress Dowager who didn’t want to be buried with the emperor causing some trouble, or the Liu family and Li Prince Manor having several secret confrontations – all these were ignored by the people of Prince Ding Manor. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the new emperor’s coronation.

Mo Jingqi’s spirit tablet had been temporarily placed in a side hall on the westernmost side of the imperial city. Perhaps because Mo Jingqi never thought he would die so early, his imperial tomb hadn’t been completed yet. The time needed to build imperial tombs for successive emperors couldn’t be completed in a day or two. Therefore, Mo Jingqi couldn’t be buried for the time being and could only be temporarily placed in a palace hall. The spirit coffin would be sent to the imperial tomb after its completion on an auspicious day.

Traditionally, the ascension of a new emperor of Great Chu would be celebrated with congratulations from all directions. Even when Mo Jingqi ascended the throne, although Regent Mo Liufang had passed away, Great Chu still had Mo Xiuwen’s support, along with the renowned young general Mo Xiuyao. The entire Great Chu was still quite stable and prosperous. Including Western Ling and other neighboring countries, all naturally sent envoys to offer congratulations. This time, however, except for Nanzhao and several extremely small neighboring countries sending envoys, there was no news from neighboring powers Western Ling and Northern Rong. With just a seven-year-old emperor, two opposing factions harboring their thoughts in court, and Prince Ding Manor having long separated from Great Chu, Western Ling, and Northern Rong, the two great powers, indeed had the right to not take them seriously. Moreover, they had no interest in congratulating Great Chu’s new ruler now – they were eyeing Great Chu like a piece of fat meat, watching it covetously.

The Tenth Prince’s coronation ceremony was set for the twelfth day of the third month, a fairly auspicious date. The Prince Ding Manor had naturally received their invitation early, and a few days before the coronation ceremony, Ye Li was summoned to the palace by the Empress.

This wasn’t Ye Li’s first time seeing the Tenth Prince, this child who had originally lived quietly in a corner of the palace like a shadow before suddenly being thrust into the most prominent position after Mo Jingqi’s death. Over the past half month, he had suffered much trauma. When Ye Li saw him, he was sleeping nestled in his birth mother’s arms. Just looking at his sallow, thin face revealed how poorly he had been faring these days. Hearing Ye Li’s footsteps, the Tenth Prince immediately opened his eyes, his bewildered eyes filled with terror and fear. As he began to whimper and was about to cry, his birth mother hurriedly covered his mouth in panic, looking helplessly at Ye Li and the Empress.

The Empress frowned and sighed helplessly, “Let him go. The Princess of Ding won’t take issue with a child.”

Only then did the woman wearing elaborate clothes but with ordinary features carefully remove her hand from covering the Tenth Prince’s mouth. She looked anxiously at Ye Li before softly comforting the Tenth Prince in her arms. After crying for a while, the Tenth Prince seemed to tire and dozed off again. The Empress wanted someone to carry him to rest but worried about waking him again. Ye Li walked over and pressed a few acupoints on the Tenth Prince, then said softly, “Take him to rest. He won’t wake if you’re careful.”

“Thank you… thank you, Princess of Ding.” After trembling thanks to Ye Li, she took the Tenth Prince to the inner hall to rest.

Watching them leave, Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked the Empress, “What happened?”

The Empress smiled bitterly, “What else could it be? This child… I originally thought the Sixth Prince was just temperamental and spoiled, feared unfit to rule. But this Tenth Prince… he might be even more troublesome than the Sixth Prince. It’s hard on this child too, he’s probably barely seen his imperial father growing up. His birth mother isn’t capable of teaching him either. These days he’s suffered many frights, and can’t even sleep well. Now… never mind anything else, I fear he won’t even be able to handle the coronation day.”

Seeing the Empress’s exhausted expression, Ye Li could only sigh. The Tenth Prince’s birth mother was just a palace maid who happened to be favored by Mo Jingqi, originally from a poor farming family, naturally unable to teach the Tenth Prince anything. However now, because the Tenth Prince was about to ascend the throne, people in the palace respectfully called her Empress Dowager. But even that magnificent ceremonial dress couldn’t change a person’s bearing and capability. Wearing that splendid phoenix robe of the Empress Dowager only made the already small and unremarkable woman appear even smaller and more insecure. While outside affairs were still supported by the Li Prince, Huaguo Duke, and civil and military officials, palace affairs fell solely on the Empress’s shoulders. If anything happened to the new emperor now, even if she wasn’t directly blamed, she couldn’t escape the charge of failing to protect the young ruler – no wonder the Empress was so exhausted.

Seeing the Empress in this state, Ye Li almost couldn’t bear to bring up Feng Zhiyao’s matter.

The Empress noticed Ye Li’s slightly distracted expression and smiled, “Do you have something to say? We’re not strangers, just speak directly.”

Ye Li looked up at her and said softly, “Feng San has returned.”

The Empress froze, staring blankly at the white jade bracelet on her wrist. Ye Li didn’t rush her, quietly sitting beside her drinking tea. After quite a while, the Empress came back to herself, smiling apologetically at Ye Li, “I’m making a fool of myself… Wasn’t he doing well in the Northwest? Why has he come back at this time?”

Ye Li calmly looked at the Empress without speaking. The faint smile on the Empress’s face gradually faded away. She looked at Ye Li helplessly and said, “Since the Princess has come to tell me this, I assume… you also know about those past matters.” Ye Li nodded, saying softly, “What happened in the past wasn’t Your Highness’s fault. Feng San’s unwillingness to give up is his obsession, not Your Highness’s fault either. If Your Highness truly has no feelings, I will tell him not to disturb you anymore. But if Your Highness isn’t truly indifferent, why not give each other a chance?”

“A chance?” The Empress smiled bitterly, shaking her head at Ye Li, “Thank you, Princess. I know you’re not one to meddle in others’ affairs, it’s already kind of you to say so much. Please tell him… I think of him just like Xiuyao, as a younger brother I watched grow up, nothing more.”

Ye Li frowned, “He wants to see Your Highness once. He wanted to come to the palace as soon as he returned to the capital, but His Highness and I stopped him. But if I return with such an answer, he surely won’t accept it. Then he’ll still try to see Your Highness anyway.”

The Empress shook her head, “There’s no need to meet. The palace is under strict guard inside and out, and with the new emperor’s coronation approaching, I have no mind for such matters. Please tell him not to come to the palace, I have no time.”

Ye Li fell silent. No time – indeed, it was a good excuse for rejection. When someone doesn’t even have time to see you, it naturally shows enough of their indifference. From any perspective, the Empress was an extremely intelligent woman.

“What are Your Highness’s plans?” Ye Li asked with furrowed brows.

The Empress looked up at Ye Li, puzzled. Ye Li pressed her lips into a faint smile, “If Your Highness wants me to convince Feng San, you must give me sufficient reason. At least… let him know that without him, Your Highness can still live extremely well, even better than with him, right?” The Empress understood and said solemnly, “When the new emperor ascends the throne, I will become Great Chu’s Empress Dowager. Isn’t that enough?”

“Perhaps it is,” Ye Li sighed.

The two fell silent for a moment, then commotion erupted outside, “Outrageous! Tell the Empress to come out! This Dowager wants to see her!”

“Your Highness Empress Dowager, the Empress is currently receiving the Princess of Ding. Please wait a moment,” the palace maid pleaded.

“How dare you! This Dowager is the Empress Dowager, must we wait to see her? You surnamed Feng, come out!”

Ye Li frowned and asked puzzled, “Wasn’t there talk of burial sacrifice? Why is she still causing trouble? Is Noble Consort Liu still here too?”

The Empress smiled faintly, “The Liu family and Prince Qin’s side both oppose Noble Consort Liu being buried with the emperor, and crucially, the Regent’s stance has also wavered. Since Noble Consort Liu is still alive, naturally the Empress Dowager can’t be moved for now. Those families are still arguing with the court officials and scholars. I heard there’s a proposal to wait until the Emperor is buried before the burial sacrifice. That wouldn’t violate the imperial edict either.”

“But what does that have to do with the Empress Dowager? The late emperor has been buried for almost twenty years.”

“Who knows what they’re thinking? In matters like this, anything I say would be wrong. Better to let them argue among themselves.” As the noise outside grew more chaotic, the Tenth Prince inside seemed to have been awakened again and began crying softly. The Empress frowned and called out, “Please let the Empress Dowager enter.”

The outside fell quiet for a moment, and shortly after, the Empress Dowager swept into the main hall with her entourage.

Looking at the Empress Dowager before her, Ye Li couldn’t help but be shocked. She remembered when she first met the Empress Dowager at Zhangde. Back then, the Empress Dowager was high and mighty, elegant and noble, the mother figure of the nation. But now, it was as if overnight all that elegant nobility and imperial dignity had vanished completely. Her graying hair, wrinkles that even powder couldn’t hide, and the fierce, savage look in her eyes – she looked less like the mother figure of a nation and more like a beast trapped in a cage.