The Empress’s mysterious disappearance from the palace was undoubtedly an event significant enough to shake both court and country. Though Mo Jing Li had confined this news within certain limits for whatever reason, it didn’t prevent those who knew from discussing it in whispers. Thus, when the Duke of Hua received the news and hurried to the palace, those who knew the situation along his path couldn’t help but cast sympathetic glances at this old general who had spent his life in battle.
Back when the previous Regent Prince Mo Liu Fang was alive, and even when the Duke of Hua was younger, how glorious and prestigious the Hua family had been. Though they couldn’t claim to be the first family of Da Chu with Prince Ding’s mansion present, they were certainly among the top-ranked noble houses. But since Mo Liu Fang’s death and the Duke’s aging, anyone with eyes could see the Hua family gradually being suppressed by the emperor, a trend that hadn’t improved even with a daughter becoming Empress. And now, the Empress who was about to become Empress Dowager had vanished into thin air – how could people not feel sympathy?
When the Duke arrived, Mo Jing Li was in a side hall of the Empress’s palace. Upon receiving news of the Empress’s disappearance, he rushed to the palace to confirm it. After all, once the Tenth Prince ascended the throne, the Empress and the Hua family would be in the best position to seize control, which would be extremely disadvantageous to them. If the Empress had truly disappeared, the Hua family would naturally have no more excuse to participate in court politics. The Duke was advanced in years, and the remaining members of the Hua family didn’t have the necessary status.
“This old servant greets the Regent Prince,” the Duke said tremblingly as he bowed.
Mo Jing Li hurried forward to personally help the Duke up, saying, “Having the old Duke come to the palace personally makes me feel deeply ashamed. I hope the Duke won’t take offense.”
The Duke immediately broke into tears, “Your Highness’s words are too kind. How could I not come when the Empress suddenly disappeared? Poor Empress… with the palace so heavily guarded, how could the Empress possibly…”
Mo Jing Li’s expression stiffened. He had always known this elderly Duke of Hua was no pushover – in just two sentences, he had shifted the responsibility onto Mo Jing Li’s shoulders. Currently, both the capital’s and palace’s security were under his control. If the Duke wanted to claim it was due to his poor leadership, he could. It might even lead people to suspect that he had deliberately harmed the Empress.
“Duke, please don’t be anxious. I believe the Empress is blessed by heaven and will surely turn misfortune into fortune. Please, sit down and let us talk.” Even though he desperately wished the Empress would never return, Mo Jing Li had to say some comforting words. However, such consolation did not affect the Duke, who continued to sob about the Empress, the elderly man with snow-white hair and tears streaming down his face inspiring pity in all who saw him.
There were quite a few people in the hall at this time, not only the high-ranking consorts from the Empress Dowager’s palace but also princes of the royal family. Seeing the Duke in such a pitiful state, others didn’t have the heart to question further. The Empress Dowager, however, had no such reservations and asked loudly, “I hear the Duke just came from Prince Ding’s mansion. What business did the Duke have there at this time?”
Everyone present looked at the Empress Dowager with some surprise. It seemed that since the announcement of the imperial edict, the Empress Dowager had become a different person. If the previous Empress Dowager had shown the bearing of a shrewd female hero, the current Empress Dowager appeared more like an ordinary ignorant woman. Sitting nearby, Noble Consort Liu’s lips curved in a faint smile – compared to the Empress Dowager, she had the advantage. So after the initial panic and shock, she quickly calmed down, knowing how to ensure her survival.
The Duke looked at the Empress Dowager with a grief-stricken face and said plaintively, “Please forgive this old servant, Empress Dowager. Upon hearing of the Empress’s disappearance, in my anxiety, I went to Prince Ding’s mansion to seek his help. It was this old servant’s oversight – please punish me as you see fit.”
Everyone present looked embarrassed – who could blame him after such words? Moreover, before Mo Jing Qi’s death, he had restored all of Prince Ding’s mansion’s status and honor. Although Mo Xiu Yao refused to accept it, they as officials of Da Chu couldn’t pretend not to see it. Given Prince Ding’s mansion’s status and position, there was nothing inappropriate about the Duke seeking their help first when the Empress disappeared.
Mo Jing Li frowned slightly, looking at the Duke with rare gentleness: “The Duke worries too much. There was nothing improper in your actions, so what crime could there be? But what did Prince Ding say?”
The Empress Dowager, whose face had been slapped by Mo Jing Li, looked twisted but said nothing more. The Duke sighed and said, “It happened so suddenly – Prince Ding had just received the news himself and has sent people to investigate. There should be news soon.”
Seeing the Duke so anxious and worried, others couldn’t bring themselves to ask more questions. Only Mo Jing Li and several royal family members offered some words of comfort. Over the years, the Empress had conducted herself with propriety and measure, earning considerable prestige among the royal family. The Duke merely thanked them one by one without saying more.
“Duke, please wait.” At the palace gate, just as the Duke was about to leave the palace to return home, he was stopped by someone coming up behind him. Turning around, the Duke looked at the unfamiliar palace maid and said flatly, “What is it?” The little palace maid appeared only fourteen or fifteen years old, and facing such a battle-hardened old general as the Duke still made her quite nervous. Looking down, she said hurriedly, “Noble Consort requests an audience with the Duke.” The Duke replied coldly, “My Hua family has no connection with Noble Consort. There should be nothing to discuss. Moreover, these are troubled times – it would be inappropriate for me to enter the inner palace casually.”
Seeing him about to leave, the little palace maid quickly said, “Please wait, Duke. The Noble Consort said… it’s about the Empress. Please, you must come.”
The Duke’s face darkened. He gave the little palace maid a cold look and said, clasping his hands behind his back, “Lead the way, young lady.”
Finally having completed her mistress’s instructions, the little palace maid secretly sighed in relief and quickly turned to lead the Duke to see Noble Consort Liu.
The little palace maid didn’t lead the Duke to Noble Consort Liu’s residence but to an inconspicuous, remote palace building. They hadn’t encountered a single person along the way, and the Duke realized that Noble Consort Liu was completely different from the Empress Dowager. Even now, Noble Consort Liu still maintained extensive connections and power within the palace. This being the case… the Duke’s heart sank. If Noble Consort Liu truly knew the truth about the Empress’s disappearance…
“This old servant greets Noble Consort.” Noble Consort Liu sat under the eaves of the long-abandoned palace building, still appearing as lofty as a celestial maiden. The Duke had never much liked Noble Consort Liu, not because she was his daughter’s rival in love, but because even as a young maiden, Noble Consort Liu had possessed that innate sense of looking down on everything, as if all living beings were beneath her notice. He didn’t know where Noble Consort Liu got such pride to consider herself above all others, but such arrogance made most people very uncomfortable. So when Noble Consort Liu had feelings for Mo Xiu Yao, the Duke had seen it but never approved. How could Prince Ding, already a proud and talented young man, appreciate such a haughty woman, no matter how beautiful she might be?
“Duke, please rise,” Noble Consort Liu said flatly, turning her head.
The Duke stood up and asked directly without courtesy, “What urgent matter does Noble Consort have to summon this old servant?”
Noble Consort Liu smiled faintly and asked casually, looking at the Duke, “Duke, how is the Empress?”
The Duke’s eyes sharpened as he said solemnly, “Forgive this old servant’s confusion at Noble Consort’s meaning.”
“If you truly didn’t know, why would the Duke come to see me?” Noble Consort Liu lowered her eyes and said, “How would I dare request the Duke’s presence without solid information? As it happens, last night a maid from my palace was passing through the Imperial Garden and happened to see someone carrying something out of the palace. That thing revealed a corner that seemed to be phoenix-patterned brocade that only the Empress could wear. Even more coincidentally… though that maid didn’t recognize the person, after her description, I had some impression of who it might be.”
The Duke said coldly, “This old servant doesn’t know what Noble Consort is talking about. If Noble Consort only wanted to say these things, please excuse this old servant’s departure.” With a cupped-hand salute, the Duke turned to leave.
Noble Consort Liu’s cold eyes flashed with a fierce light as she said with a cold smile, “The Empress is in Prince Ding’s mansion now, isn’t she? The one who took her away last night was Feng San. Does the Duke truly not care at all?”
The Duke turned back, saying with a cold smile, “If Noble Consort is so confident, why not report directly to Prince Li and the Empress Dowager? Rather than worry about the Hua family and the Empress, perhaps Noble Consort should worry about herself. The late Emperor’s edict… is not so easily changed.”
Noble Consort Liu’s face immediately darkened. The Duke warned her that if she interfered with the Empress’s matter, the Hua family had ways to make the royal family immediately execute Mo Jing Qi’s edict. It hadn’t been easy to delay Mo Jing Qi’s edict until now. It was only because Mo Jing Qi had not yet been buried and the new emperor had not yet ascended the throne. With the Liu family and Prince Li holding things back, no one had mentioned the matter of burial sacrifices for now, but it had already been announced to the world – sooner or later, those idle scholars would bring it up. If the Hua family stirred things up, the matter would become even more difficult to handle. Watching the Duke turn and leave, Noble Consort Liu crushed the peach blossom she had been holding in her hand. The light red flower juice stained her jade-like white hands.
In Prince Ding’s mansion, Mo Xiu Yao frowned as he received the message sent by the Duke of Hua’s people, casually tossing the letter onto a nearby table.
Ye Li picked it up to read and frowned, “How did Noble Consort Liu come to know of this?”
“When someone can kidnap the Empress from the palace without any plan, what rationality can you expect? It’s no surprise they were discovered. Moreover… Noble Consort Liu likely has someone capable by her side,” Mo Xiu Yao said.
“Someone capable?” Ye Li asked curiously. She couldn’t imagine what kind of expert could be by Noble Consort Liu’s side in the depths of the palace. Could the palace truly be hiding dragons and crouching tigers?
Mo Xiu Yao calmly said, “Noble Consort Liu has always prided herself on her talents. In terms of literary accomplishment, she might indeed have some merit. But in terms of scheming, she falls far short. These recent events don’t seem like her work.” Unlike many noble ladies, Noble Consort Liu had truly lived a life of constant success and pampering. She was born during the Liu family’s most powerful period, the only daughter of her generation, and blessed with exceptional beauty. The Liu family had truly cherished her like a precious jewel, otherwise, they couldn’t have cultivated such an arrogant personality. After entering the palace, she was pampered without principle by Mo Jing Qi, never needing to use her mind for intrigue. Having grown accustomed to doing as she pleased, Noble Consort Liu was indeed lacking in scheming ability, otherwise she wouldn’t have aroused Mo Jing Qi’s suspicions on his deathbed and failed at the last moment.
Ye Li didn’t understand Noble Consort Liu well, but after several encounters, she could sense that Noble Consort Liu wasn’t someone skilled at plotting. One only needed to look at her methods of pursuing Mo Xiu Yao to see that. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li asked, “Do you have any suspects in mind?”
Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said directly, “Tan Ji Zhi.”
“Tan Ji Zhi?” Ye Li was startled. It seemed this name hadn’t been mentioned for a long time. Since Shu Man Lin was killed by Princess An Xi, Tan Ji Zhi had disappeared. Then Ren Qi Ning appeared, which diverted their attention from Tan Ji Zhi. They hadn’t expected Tan Ji Zhi to secretly return to the capital.
Mo Xiu Yao said, “Tan Ji Zhi spent ten years silently by Mo Jing Qi’s side. Since he wasn’t truly loyal to Mo Jing Qi, he couldn’t have done anything during those ten years, right? So I guess… he not only knows Su Zui Die and Noble Consort Liu but might even be familiar with Mo Jing Li.”
Hearing this, Ye Li was shocked and frowned, “Then the medicine Mo Jing Li brought back from the Southern Borderlands…”
“Was information leaked to him by Tan Ji Zhi,” Mo Xiu Yao continued. “The Southern Borderlands’ sacred ground has always been in Shu Man Lin’s control. Even if Princess Qi Xia’s relationship with Princess An Xi was distant, she was still An Xi’s blood sister. Shu Man Lin wouldn’t have failed to protect her. News about such medicine in the Southern Borderlands could only have come from Tan Ji Zhi or Shu Man Lin.”
Ye Li fell silent. If this was true, Mo Jing Qi’s death likely involved Tan Ji Zhi’s handiwork as well. Rubbing her temples, Ye Li had to admit she truly wasn’t suited for such intrigues. “If that’s the case… what do Tan Ji Zhi and Noble Consort Liu want this time?”
Mo Xiu Yao shook his head, saying carelessly, “Don’t worry. If they wanted to leak this information, they wouldn’t have approached the old Duke to talk. Since that’s the case, they must want something – if we do nothing, they’ll come to us themselves.” He was sitting in Prince Ding’s mansion – even if Mo Jing Li suspected the Empress was here, would he dare to search? Moreover, Mo Jing Li probably hoped they would take the Empress away, giving him leverage over the Hua family to prevent future trouble. Mo Xiu Yao had no intention of interfering in the capital’s affairs, so he left most matters alone. However, Feng Zhi Yao and the Empress meant something different to him than ordinary people. Since Feng Zhi Yao had already brought her out, he naturally didn’t mind expending some effort to help them leave.
Ye Li frowned, “Regardless, having someone lurking in the shadows watching us is uncomfortable.”
Mo Xiu Yao smiled, “If it makes you uncomfortable, we’ll simply eliminate him.”
“Your Highness, Princess Consort. Something has happened,” Just then, Zhuo Jing hurried in, too rushed to bow before reporting.
Mo Xiu Yao raised an eyebrow, “What is it?”
“The Feng family has been raided,” Zhuo Jing reported.
Mo Xiu Yao gave Zhuo Jing a flat look and asked, “How is this important?” Although the Feng family was one of Da Chu’s four great wealthy families and Feng Zhi Yao’s family, they weren’t part of Prince Ding’s mansion. Therefore, whether the Feng family was raided or not truly didn’t matter much to Mo Xiu Yao.
Zhuo Jing felt somewhat embarrassed. Upon receiving the news, he hurried to report it, forgetting that the Feng family had no connection to Prince Ding’s mansion except through the Third Young Master Feng. Ye Li smiled gently, “Never mind, we should still tell Feng San – it is his birth father after all.”
Zhuo Jing agreed, but before he could turn to leave, Feng Zhi Yao appeared at the doorway and said quietly, “No need, I already know.” Feng Zhi Yao and the Empress entered one after another, both looking somewhat troubled. Feng Zhi Yao had hurried over after hearing the news, his face still pale though the melancholy in his eyes had dispersed somewhat. Feng Zhi Yao looked apologetically at Mo Xiu Yao, “Your Highness…”
Mo Xiu Yao waved his hand, smiling somewhat artificially, “No need to apologize to me. No one in Da Chu’s capital dares to cause me trouble yet. If you have no guilt toward the Feng family, shall we prepare to return to Li City?”
Feng Zhi Yao smiled bitterly. He had no particular feelings for the Feng family, but not to the extent that he could ignore them being raided. After all, he and the Feng family had no deep grudges, they had merely chosen different paths. This time, the Feng family had truly been implicated because of him.
“This servant will resolve this matter,” Feng Zhi Yao said softly.
Mo Xiu Yao glanced at him sideways, “How do you plan to resolve it? After raiding the palace, will you raid the prison next? Or will you turn yourself in and say that you, Third Young Master Feng, kidnapped the Empress?”
Feng Zhi Yao looked speechlessly at the languid white-haired man in white robes before him. Having known each other for decades, he understood Mo Xiu Yao well enough. Speaking like this meant he planned to help resolve the trouble. But Feng Zhi Yao felt very uneasy – this incident had truly resulted from his impulsiveness. If he had been patient and discussed it with Mo Xiu Yao first, Mo Xiu Yao might not have stopped him and might even have helped. Now his mistake required Prince Ding’s mansion to clean up after him, making Feng Zhi Yao deeply regret his impulsiveness.
“Don’t give me that look. Bring Tan Ji Zhi to Prince Ding’s mansion within three hours. Otherwise…” The threat in his unfinished sentence was unmistakable.
Feng Zhi Yao’s spirits lifted as he said loudly, “This servant obeys. I’ll go right away.”
He looked back at the Empress sitting to the side, and she smiled faintly, “Go attend to your business. I’ll chat with Prince Ding and the Princess Consort.”
Hearing this, Feng Zhi Yao’s face brightened, his tone becoming notably lighter. Looking at the Empress, he said, “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.” With that, he strode out of the flower hall with light steps, showing no sign of his injuries.
Watching the crimson silk robes disappear at the doorway, the Empress sighed helplessly. She looked apologetically at Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao, “I’ve caused you trouble.”
Mo Xiu Yao raised an eyebrow, “Feng San has served me for over a decade – helping him resolve some trouble occasionally is nothing. I don’t want to hear anything else, just wait for Feng San’s return. If you disappear again when he returns, I fear I’ll lose a capable general.”
The Empress couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head, “After all these years, your friendship with A Yao hasn’t changed. Thank you for taking care of him all these years.”
Mo Xiu Yao waved his hand dismissively, “Feng San isn’t just a subordinate of Prince Ding’s mansion, he’s also a brother who grew up with me.” Perhaps Xu Qing Chen was more talented than Feng San, or perhaps Zhang Qi Lan and others were better at warfare than Feng San. But only Feng San had grown up with him, accompanying him through those most painful years. Such friendship doesn’t come often in life – there might have been several such friends once, but after all these years, only Feng Zhi Yao remained unchanged.