Upon hearing Ye Li’s words, the Duke of Hua was momentarily stunned, clearly not having processed what he’d just heard. Mo Xiu Yao remained silent, calmly holding his teacup while waiting for the Duke’s reaction. After a long while, the Duke finally came to his senses and looked at the two composed figures before him, asking, “What is the meaning of this? Your Highness, you…”

Mo Xiu Yao set down his teacup and looked apologetically at the Duke: “This happened suddenly without informing you first, Duke. I sincerely apologize.”

It took the Duke quite some time to truly comprehend the situation. He let out a disapproving “hah” and glared at Mo Xiu Yao, saying, “Who’s asking for your apology? I just want to know why you’ve brought the Empress to Prince Ding’s mansion without any reason. Does Your Highness think there aren’t enough eyes watching the mansion already?”

Hearing this, Ye Li smiled gently and said, “We’ve caused the Duke worry. Indeed, we were young and inexperienced, acting rashly.”

The Duke sighed, looking at Ye Li: “Neither Your Highness nor the Princess Consort are people who act rashly. I won’t ask why anymore. Please bring out the Empress. I’ll find a way to send her back to the palace.”

Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected to convince the Duke to let them take the Empress away with just a few words. But since Feng Zhi Yao had already risked bringing her out, they couldn’t let the Duke take her back until they were certain Feng Zhi Yao truly couldn’t persuade the Empress. Mo Xiu Yao looked toward the Duke and said calmly, “That’s why I apologized to you, Duke. For now, I’m afraid we cannot let you take her back.”

“Why is that?” the Duke asked with furrowed brows.

The fact that the Empress had been taken from the palace by Prince Ding’s mansion was completely unexpected. He had hurried to the mansion hoping to use their influence to investigate the matter. He never expected this outcome. For the sake of both his private relationship with Prince Ding’s mansion and the relations between Da Chu and the Northwest, this matter obviously couldn’t be made public. Therefore, this decision was arguably the best for everyone involved. He couldn’t understand why the Prince and Princess Consort would oppose it.

Ye Li sighed helplessly, realizing the Duke didn’t know about Feng Zhi Yao’s involvement. As such, none of them could predict how the Duke would react upon learning that Feng Zhi Yao had taken it upon himself to bring the Empress out.

Just as Ye Li was about to say something, the Empress’s voice came from the doorway: “I’m sorry to have worried you, Father. I’ll return with you now.”

The three turned to look outside. Having removed her wide cloak, the Empress still wore her imperial yellow phoenix robe. Her expression was calm, revealing nothing of her thoughts. As the Empress entered the hall, Feng Zhi Yao followed. The man in red silk robes had bloodshot eyes and looked exhausted and gloomy – even worse than when Mo Xiu Yao had struck him with his palm the night before.

“What’s wrong with Feng San? He looks terrible. Didn’t he see a physician last night?” Ye Li asked casually.

The Duke’s expression changed the moment he saw Feng Zhi Yao following behind the Empress. However, seeing both Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao present, he said nothing, though his hand on the armrest gradually tightened. Ye Li glanced at the Duke from the corner of her eye and asked Feng Zhi Yao with a smile.

Hearing this, the Empress turned back to look at Feng Zhi Yao in surprise. She had noticed Fan Nao Ge’s poor complexion earlier, but since they were on somewhat bad terms, she hadn’t felt comfortable asking and assumed he simply hadn’t rested well the previous night. Now looking carefully, she realized Feng Zhi Yao wasn’t just looking unwell – his face showed unmistakable exhaustion and pallor.

“It’s nothing, thank you for your concern, Princess Consort,” Feng Zhi Yao said hoarsely.

Ye Li frowned: “Mo Xiu Yao doesn’t hold back. You should still have a physician check you, lest it becomes a chronic condition.”

Feng Zhi Yao silently lowered his head, neither refusing nor agreeing.

With Ye Li’s explanation, the two others present naturally understood what had happened. The Empress’s face went pale, and the Duke’s expression grew even darker.

Mo Xiu Yao waved his hand: “Whatever needs to be discussed, let’s sit down first. Sister Hua, even if you must return to the palace, there’s no rush.”

The term “Sister Hua” brought tears to the Empress’s eyes. Mo Xiu Yao had stopped calling her Sister Hua after she married Mo Jing Qi. This seemingly ordinary form of address made her unable to help thinking back to her carefree days as a young maiden.

The Duke observed everyone present for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh and waving his hand: “So be it. Things have already come to this. A little longer won’t make it worse.”

Only then did the Empress and Feng Zhi Yao sit down, one on each side. Feng Zhi Yao sat across from the Duke, his gaze fixed steadily on the Empress as if everyone else was invisible. Seeing this, the Duke frowned but ultimately said nothing.

“Duke, do you truly wish to send the Empress back to the palace?” Mo Xiu Yao looked at the Duke and asked calmly. “You should know that news of the Empress’s disappearance has already spread throughout the palace. Even if you manage to secretly return her now, this will become leverage for the new emperor or others who might wish to cause trouble for the Empress in the future.”

The Duke glared at Feng Zhi Yao with some annoyance. As someone who had experienced countless matters of state, how could he not understand what was going on when faced with this situation? Looking at his daughter sitting beside him with a calm expression, the Duke sighed helplessly, “What good will come of not returning? If we could have our way, would our Hua family ever have wanted… I understand Your Highness’s meaning, but the Empress’s status is different from others. If people discover in the future that the Empress is in the Northwest, it would be a devastating blow to both Your Highness’s and Prince Ding mansion’s reputation.”

When had the Duke of Hua’s family ever truly wanted to marry their daughter to Mo Jing Qi, who was still a prince then? The Hua family’s prosperity had already reached its peak – as long as he lived, whichever prince ascended to the throne would still show the Hua family some face. A prince’s consort, or even an empress, had never been a good thing for the Hua family. Unfortunately… the late emperor had worried about the Hua family growing too close to Prince Ding’s mansion, so he forcefully tied the Hua family to Mo Jing Qi’s boat, which was set to inherit the throne. When an emperor demands death, his subject cannot refuse to die – how much more so for a mere arranged marriage?

The Duke had always known about Feng Zhi Yao’s existence. But he had never considered Feng Zhi Yao too important. It wasn’t that he looked down on Feng Zhi Yao, but rather that Feng Zhi Yao was several years younger than the Empress. When the Empress married, Feng Zhi Yao was still half a child. Even if there had been something then, he had dismissed it as a child’s temporary infatuation. That’s why on the night before the Empress’s wedding when Feng Zhi Yao snuck into the Duke’s mansion, not only did he not have him arrested, but he allowed him to meet with her smoothly. Otherwise, how could a fifteen-year-old Feng Zhi Yao have so easily infiltrated the heavily guarded Duke’s mansion?

The Duke naturally wouldn’t speak of these things, as he observed the man in red before him. Now over thirty, Feng Zhi Yao was no longer the thin youth who had departed dejectedly in the heavy rain. His incomparably handsome features had gained a steadiness and elegance that hadn’t been present in his youth. More importantly, Feng Zhi Yao, who was the same age as Mo Xiu Yao, hadn’t taken a wife or even a concubine until now, and the Duke naturally understood why. From any perspective, Feng Zhi Yao would undoubtedly have been the most satisfying choice for a son-in-law, if only… As he observed the somewhat thin and haggard but still strikingly handsome man across from him, the Duke’s gaze gradually turned to one of regret and helplessness.

Ye Li’s lips curved in a faint smile as she asked softly: “Duke, does the Hua family intend to support the new emperor?”

The Duke was startled, not expecting Ye Li to ask such a direct question. However, seeing Mo Xiu Yao calmly drinking his tea without objection, and given his understanding of Prince Ding’s mansion and Mo Xiu Yao, he shook his head and answered frankly: “I’m afraid the Duke of Hua’s mansion has the will but not the strength.” Although the younger generation of the Hua family weren’t wastrels, neither were there any particularly outstanding talents among them. While he lived, he could naturally provide some support, but he was already over eighty – who knew how much longer he could hold on? Once he passed away, not only would the Hua family that supported the new emperor face catastrophic disaster, but the new emperor they supported would likely suffer misfortune as well.

“If that’s the case… after the new emperor ascends the throne, how will the Empress conduct herself?” Ye Li asked.

The Duke frowned. As Mo Jing Qi’s principal wife, whichever prince ascended the throne would have to respect her as Empress Dowager – this was the natural order. But the Duke also understood that although the Tenth Prince’s birth mother was weak and useless, and there was no fear of her overwhelming the Empress, the women in the deep palace were the most fickle. Moreover, if the Tenth Prince successfully took personal control of the government, the Hua family, who had remained neutral, would not fare well. When that time came, the Empress’s days wouldn’t be easy either. If something happened to the Tenth Prince, the Empress, as his stepmother, would similarly face unfortunate consequences.

The Duke hesitantly looked at the Empress. All these years, he had felt guilty toward this daughter. She had joined the royal family for the sake of the Hua family, but similarly, because of the Hua family, she could only maintain a dignified appearance in the palace, never gaining her husband’s heart and not even being allowed to have a son. The Hua family had always known – it wasn’t that the Empress couldn’t bear sons, but rather… Mo Jing Qi wouldn’t allow the Empress to bear sons.

“Father need not be like this. Your daughter has lived a life of endless honor, and there is nothing to feel wrong about,” the Empress said with a faint smile, seeing the old man’s guilty eyes. Turning to look at Ye Li sitting beside Mo Xiu Yao, the Empress smiled and said, “I know the Princess Consort means well for me, but some things… are fated to be this way, and cannot be forced.”

Ye Li frowned and asked, “Doesn’t the Empress want to see Chang Le again?”

“Chang Le?” The Duke’s eyes widened. “Chang Le is in the Northwest?” Although the Duke’s mansion had sent men to protect their granddaughter, for safety reasons, those men had never returned to the Duke’s mansion. Therefore, the Duke had only guessed that after Chang Le’s disappearance, she had been rescued by the sent men and hidden away – he hadn’t imagined she was in the Northwest.

Ye Li smiled and said, “Of course. Chang Le is after all a young woman – how could anyone be at ease with her being alone out there?”

The Duke looked at the Empress, then at Feng Zhi Yao, Mo Xiu Yao, and Ye Li, his snow-white brows furrowing tightly. Before he could say anything, Zhuo Jing entered to report: “Your Highness, Princess Consort, someone has come from the Duke of Hua’s mansion. The Regent Prince requests an audience with the Duke.”

Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows, his expression displeased. “Mo Jing Li’s getting quite full of himself.”

The Duke, however, showed no anger. Standing up, he said, “Well, he is the Regent Prince appointed by the late emperor. There’s nothing inappropriate about him summoning me. I’ve troubled Your Highness and Princess Consort enough, I’ll take my leave now.” With that, he walked toward the door.

The Empress also stood up, following the Duke out. Seeing this, Feng Zhi Yao tried to rise but felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him, leaving him immobile. He could only watch helplessly as the Empress walked away.

At the doorway, the Duke suddenly turned back and said to the Empress, “Stay at Prince Ding’s mansion for a few days. We’re not prepared to send you back to the palace now anyway.”

“Father…” the Empress frowned, speaking with concern.

The Duke didn’t give her a chance to object, saying decisively, “That’s how it will be. No need to see me out.”

“Father, I…” As the Empress watched the Duke leave and tried to follow, she heard a thud behind her – Feng Zhi Yao had coughed up blood.

“A Yao!” The Empress exclaimed in shock. Feng Zhi Yao managed a strained smile at her, but blood continued to trickle from his lips, creating countless dark red flowers on his originally red silk robes. The Empress hurried forward to support him, turning to Mo Xiu Yao demanding, “What happened? How did he get injured so severely?”

Mo Xiu Yao remained unconcerned, calmly drinking his tea: “My strike last night wasn’t heavy. Perhaps he’s lost the will to live?” Indeed, Mo Xiu Yao’s palm strike the previous night hadn’t been severe, but he had just added a hidden force, causing Feng Zhi Yao to cough blood without inflicting permanent damage.

“You…” The Empress frowned, glaring at Feng Zhi Yao in anger.

Ye Li quickly said, “Please help Feng San back to his room to rest first, Empress. I’ll send for a physician right away.” Seeing Feng Zhi Yao’s increasingly pale face after coughing blood and his swaying figure, the Empress could only focus on helping him walk out, completely forgetting they could have called servants to help.

Watching the Empress struggling slightly to support Feng Zhi Yao as they left, Ye Li asked her husband with confusion, “These two… will they work out or not?”

Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows: “How would I know? I’ve helped deal with the Duke for him and kept her here. If Feng San still can’t manage, he might as well die. I’m not his father – I can’t think of everything for him.”

Ye Li pinched him in annoyance and sighed, “These two…” She shook her head, not knowing what else to say. She somewhat understood the Empress’s thoughts – beyond her responsibilities as Empress, women of this era were still bound by the concept of never remarrying. Perhaps giving up her position as Empress wouldn’t be difficult, but accepting Feng Zhi Yao might prove even more challenging.

Mo Xiu Yao smiled as he drew her into his arms, saying softly, “Don’t worry. At least this time Feng Zhi Yao should be able to persuade her to go to the Northwest. After all, Chang Le is there.” Once relieved of her responsibilities as Empress, Chang Le would undoubtedly be the most important person to the Empress. As long as she wanted to see her daughter, they needn’t worry about her refusing to leave. But how to make her accept Feng San – that truly wasn’t his concern. He was a prince, not a matchmaker.

Ye Li thought Mo Xiu Yao had a point, and even if they meant well for the Empress, they shouldn’t interfere too much in her personal affairs. Accepting or rejecting someone was the Empress’s freedom. They couldn’t say that just because Feng Zhi Yao had sacrificed the most for her, the Empress must naturally accept him. Besides, things were already much better than they had expected – at least the Duke didn’t seem so intent on taking the Empress back to the palace. As long as the Duke didn’t oppose it, there would be far fewer obstacles to the Empress leaving the capital.

“Didn’t you go too hard on him just now?” Ye Li recalled the blood Feng Zhi Yao had coughed up – that was genuine blood, not an act to deceive the Empress.

Mo Xiu Yao replied indifferently: “Feng San has been brooding these days, and he’s been holding back since being injured last night. Letting him cough up that stagnant blood is good for him. Don’t worry about it.”

Is that so? Ye Li was somewhat doubtful. Was it not because Feng Zhi Yao had caused so much trouble that Mo Xiu Yao took the opportunity for revenge?

Deep within the mansion, in a courtyard sheltered by green trees, the Empress had changed out of her elaborate and eye-catching phoenix robes. A plain white garment made her appear less regal and more gentle, making her look several years younger overall.

After seeing off the physician who had examined Feng Zhi Yao, the Empress held the prescription with furrowed brows. She recalled the doctor’s words about how Feng Zhi Yao’s long-term emotional suppression might have shortened his lifespan. Looking back at the man lying in bed, pale-faced with dark shadows under his eyes, the Empress suddenly felt a pang in her heart and could only let out a soft sigh before turning to find someone to prepare the medicine.

“Don’t go…” Her clothes were caught – Feng Zhi Yao’s voice carried clear weakness. His eyes, as he looked at the Empress, were full of hope, melancholy, and careful hesitation.

The Empress stood in helpless indecision for a moment before finally yielding. She walked to the chair beside the bed and said to him, “A Yao, rest well for a while. I won’t leave. I’ll have someone prepare the medicine after you fall asleep.”

Feng Zhi Yao was unsatisfied: “You can’t leave even when I’m asleep.”

The Empress was troubled – she needed to find someone to prepare the medicine. She wasn’t sure if Ye Li had done it deliberately or if Prince Ding’s mansion was short-staffed, but there wasn’t a single servant in Feng Zhi Yao’s courtyard. To do anything, the Empress had to either do it herself or leave the courtyard to find someone.

Feng Zhi Yao stubbornly stared at the Empress’s face, clearly determined not to close his eyes unless she agreed.

Seeing the Empress’s worried frown, Feng Zhi Yao said softly, “I’m fine… the injury isn’t severe. It will heal without medicine.” In truth, his injury wasn’t serious – after coughing up that blood, the previous heaviness in his chest had lightened considerably. Though it did hurt quite a bit – Feng Zhi Yao knew without thinking that Mo Xiu Yao had deliberately set him up. But for this moment of tender companionship, even if Mo Xiu Yao had seriously injured him, he would only be grateful.

“Nonsense, how can you not take medicine? Do you think you’re still a child?” the Empress scolded gently.

Feng Zhi Yao smiled sweetly, remembering how when he was young and often beaten black and blue by Mo Xiu Yao, he would refuse to apply medicine, and the woman before him would scold him just the same way.

“Wait a while before going. Don’t sneak away while I’m asleep.”

“Alright, rest well,” the Empress said softly. Before her eyes, she seemed to see that stubborn youth from more than a decade ago, not yet ten but already strikingly handsome, and her expression softened considerably.

Having received her promise, Feng Zhi Yao finally closed his eyes contentedly.