Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao were having a rare moment of leisure chatting in the study when Butler Mo hurriedly came to report, “Your Highness, My Lady, Prince Li is fighting with someone in the front courtyard.”

Hearing this, Mo Xiu Yao’s eyes flashed with annoyance as he frowned, “Are the guards of the Prince Ding Manor eating for nothing? Tell them to throw them out, no need for courtesy!”

Butler Mo hesitated before adding, “But… the person fighting with Prince Li is the King Consort of Nanzhao.”

Ye Li stood up and smiled at Mo Xiu Yao, “How did these two end up fighting? Our guests deserve courtesy, let’s go take a look.” With Ye Li’s words, Mo Xiu Yao had no choice but to follow her to the front courtyard, despite his displeasure.

The fight was taking place in the main courtyard just inside Prince Ding Manor’s gates. The front courtyard was decorated in an elegant yet simple style, with an enormous screen wall depicting nine soaring dragons dividing the spacious yard. Anyone entering would be struck by the sight of nine lifelike flying dragons, their majestic presence inspiring awe. Behind the screen wall stood the main hall at the front of the manor’s central axis. Outside the hall, two male figures were brawling. Most alarming was that they weren’t engaged in martial arts practice, but rather fighting like common people with punches and kicks. One could hardly tell that one was the Regent Prince of Da Chu and the other the King Consort of Nanzhao.

Not far away, Princess An Xi, Princess Qi Xia, and Ye Ying stood watching. Two black-clad guards stood in front of Princess An Xi to prevent the fighters from accidentally injuring the pregnant princess. Unlike Ye Ying and Princess Qi Xia’s worried expressions, Princess An Xi appeared completely composed, showing no concern that her husband might lose or be injured. Princess Qi Xia, however, burst into tears when she saw Pu A land an unrestrained punch on Mo Jing Li’s face. She grabbed Princess An Xi’s sleeve, pleading, “Royal Sister, tell him to stop! He’s hurting His Highness!”

Princess An Xi gave her sister a cool look, gently removing the hand from her sleeve while frowning, “What’s a few injuries to a man? As for you, Qi Xia, after all these years away, I thought you would have learned Da Chu’s customs better, but it seems you’ve regressed from your time in Nanzhao.”

Princess Qi Xia anxiously responded, “But… but, Royal Sister…”

Princess An Xi’s face darkened, “You’ve been removed from the Nanzhao royal family. I am not your royal sister.” Her disgust for Mo Jing Li was no less than anyone else’s. She would never forget the difficulties Mo Jing Li and Shu Man Lin had caused her when they conspired together, even turning her sister against her. Had it not been for Xu Qing Chen’s secret help, she might have been killed by these people. Seeing Princess Qi Xia now pulling at her sleeve for Mo Jing Li’s sake made Princess An Xi’s expression even colder, her hatred for Mo Jing Li growing stronger.

“Royal Sister, how can you be like this!” Princess Qi Xia glared at Princess An Xi with reddened eyes, “You already have the throne, what more do you want? Why must you keep causing trouble for His Highness and me!”

“Causing trouble?” Princess An Xi let out a contemptuous laugh, “Does this king need to cause you trouble?” What did she mean by ‘already having the throne’? She had been named Crown Princess from childhood and shouldered all the responsibilities that came with it. While Qi Xia was playing and having fun, she was studying governance with countless texts. While Qi Xia was dramatically pining for Mo Jing Li, she was staying up all night handling Nanzhao’s affairs. How dare Qi Xia suggest the throne was something she had given up to her?

The guards protecting Princess An Xi couldn’t stay silent any longer. One spoke up, “Young lady, Prince Li was the one who started trouble with the Nanzhao King Consort.”

Princess Qi Xia choked, simultaneously displeased with the guard’s form of address. Without legitimate status, others might call her Princess out of respect for Mo Jing Li. But Prince Ding’s people wouldn’t give her that courtesy, addressing her only as ‘young lady.’ Yet no matter how beautiful Princess Qi Xia might be, it couldn’t change the fact that she was already twenty-five or twenty-six. Being called a ‘young lady’ at that age was hardly a compliment.

“Even so, he shouldn’t hit His Highness!” Princess Qi Xia gritted her teeth.

The two guards silently rolled their eyes skyward. What did she mean by ‘hitting His Highness’? The two men were fighting each other equally – she was making it sound like Prince Li was being beaten one-sidedly.

“What’s going on here?” Amidst the fighting and arguing, Xu Qing Chen’s sudden voice was like heavenly music to the onlookers’ ears. Turning around, they saw Qing Chen approaching in white robes. Though over thirty, he still looked as he had seven or eight years ago, his years of administrative work having done nothing to diminish his grace. His extraordinarily handsome face wore a slightly puzzled smile that made all three women’s hearts skip a beat.

Princess Qi Xia fell silent, embarrassed. Even though she loved Mo Jing Li deeply, no woman would want to appear unseemly before such a breathtaking man.

Princess An Xi’s eyes showed a moment of reminiscence and nostalgia before quickly returning to calm. She smiled and nodded to Xu Qing Chen, “Qing Chen, it’s been a long time.”

Xu Qing Chen looked at Princess An Xi, his gaze falling on her slightly protruding belly. His eyes showed a flash of contentment as he smiled, “It has been long. The Princess seems to be doing very well, congratulations.” Xu Qing Chen had been busy with affairs these past few days, and though Princess An Xi had arrived yesterday, he hadn’t had time to meet her. He hadn’t expected to return to the manor to such a scene. Raising an elegant eyebrow in confusion, he looked toward the utterly undignified men fighting before them.

Princess An Xi smiled somewhat embarrassedly and briefly explained the situation to Xu Qing Chen. Apparently, after leaving the manor, Princess An Xi had discovered she’d left behind a sachet she usually carried with her. While this wouldn’t normally be important, the sachet contained an imperial token of Nanzhao. So she and her consort had returned to Prince Ding’s manor to look for it. Just as they entered the courtyard, they encountered an angry Mo Jing Li rushing toward them. Mo Jing Li focused only on moving forward, had nearly collided with the pregnant Princess An Xi. Such an incident could have been resolved with a simple apology, but Mo Jing Li was in a foul mood and not only refused to apologize but immediately started hurling insults, mocking Princess An Xi for being pregnant yet still running around carelessly. Princess An Xi was not one to be bullied and responded with equal venom, taunting him about being childless at his age and jealous of others’ pregnancies. This happened to strike Mo Jing Li’s raw nerve, and his face darkened as he moved to attack Princess An Xi. As her husband, Pu A naturally wouldn’t allow anyone to bully his wife, and thus the two men had ended up brawling in Prince Ding’s manor.

After fighting for so long, Princess An Xi’s anger gradually subsided. She signaled to Pu A in the Nanjiang language to stop fighting, and upon hearing her words, Pu A immediately ceased and rolled to the side. Seeing him stop, Mo Jing Li also gave up the fight and stood up, casually wiping blood from his lips.

When Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao arrived, they found the two men had already stopped fighting but were still glaring at each other defiantly. Both faces bore numerous injuries. Pu A’s face was badly swollen in one area, while Mo Jing Li’s lip was bleeding and one eye was blackening. The sight left everyone present speechless. Ye Li stood beside Mo Xiu Yao, secretly amused. For years, they had been accustomed to scholars settling matters with words and warriors with martial arts. Even common soldiers in the army wouldn’t fight like village peasants. Seeing Mo Jing Li in such a state, she could barely contain her laughter.

“Prince Ding, My Lady, I apologize,” Pu A stepped forward and apologized to Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li in somewhat stilted Da Chu language.

Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly, “It’s fine. Is the Nanzhao King Consort uninjured?” Pu A shook his head and moved to stand beside Princess An Xi. She looked at his swollen cheek and took out a handkerchief to wipe the dirt from his face, then addressed Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao, “We were discourteous, please forgive us.”

Having heard the story from Butler Mo on their way, Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao naturally wouldn’t blame Pu A. Ye Li smiled lightly, “It’s our fault for allowing the Queen to nearly be injured in Prince Ding’s manor.”

Meanwhile, Princess Qi Xia and Ye Ying had gathered around Mo Jing Li, fussing over him and wiping his face. Mo Jing Li glanced at the harmonious scene around Princess An Xi, then irritably pushed away Princess Qi Xia and Ye Ying who were trying to clean his face, turning to leave in a huff. Princess Qi Xia froze for a moment, looked back at Princess An Xi, stamped her foot, and hurriedly chased after him. Only Ye Ying remained, staring dazedly at Mo Jing Li’s retreating figure, a bitter smile touching her lips. She nodded to Ye Li and the others before departing.

Watching Mo Jing Li leave, Princess An Xi asked, “Who upset him?”

Ye Li smiled, “Someone like Prince Li can work himself into a rage without anyone provoking him. Are you alright? Should we call a physician?” Princess An Xi shook her head, “I’m fine, he just pushed me a little, no injury.” Only then did Ye Li relax, nodding with a smile, “That’s good.”

Princess An Xi looked thoughtfully at the entrance. After a moment, she still said to Ye Li, “You should be careful. Given that Prince Li’s temper, there’s no telling what trouble he might cause.”

Ye Li appreciated Princess An Xi’s warning and thanked her again. She then invited the Princess and her consort to stay for lunch before returning home.

At the Da Chu embassy in Li City, Ye Ying walked into the hall to find Mo Jing Li sitting there drinking tea. One look at his face told her his mood was still very poor. After these years, Ye Ying was no longer the naive girl living in beautiful dreams and naturally didn’t want to approach him now. Experience had taught her that getting close at such times would only make her his target for venting anger. She paused in her steps, intending to leave.

“Where are you going?!” Mo Jing Li’s cold voice rang out behind her.

Ye Ying started and looked back at him, “I’m going to rest in my room.”

“Why are you only returning now?” Mo Jing Li demanded. Ye Ying couldn’t help but smile bitterly. When Mo Jing Li had stormed off earlier, Princess Qi Xia had followed right behind him. By the time she had stepped out slightly later, the entire Prince Li manor’s entourage had already left. It was quite rare for the Princess Consort of Prince Li to be ignored to such an extent.

“I took a walk outside, so I’m back a bit late,” Ye Ying said quietly.

Even as Mo Jing Li asked the question, he had already remembered what happened. But looking at the seemingly pitiful Ye Ying before him was like a constant reminder of what he had lost. Especially after just seeing Ye Li and being mercilessly mocked by her. Countless times, Mo Jing Li had wondered if everything would have been different if he hadn’t ended up with Ye Ying if he had married Ye Li instead. He didn’t know when it started, but every time he saw Ye Li standing beside Mo Xiu Yao with her radiant smile, it felt like a venomous snake was viciously gnawing at his heart.

After a moment of silence, Mo Jing Li looked at Ye Ying and asked, “The other day when Ye Li pulled you aside to talk, what did you discuss?”

Ye Ying’s heart went cold, and she lowered her eyes, saying quietly, “Nothing much. Princess Consort Ding said that Grandfather and Father are also in Li City and that I should visit them when I have time.”

“Just that?” Mo Jing Li frowned in dissatisfaction. Ye Ying nodded, “Just that. My relationship with Princess Consort Ding isn’t good, we don’t have much to talk about.”

“Is that so.” Mo Jing Li pondered for a moment before saying, “In that case, you should go back to see them.” Ye Ying nodded silently, “I understand. I’ll go rest in my room now.” After Ye Ying left, Princess Qi Xia emerged from inside and sat down beside Mo Jing Li, asking, “Your Highness, do you believe what she said?” Mo Jing Li turned to look at her and said coldly, “What do you mean?”

Princess Qi Xia’s heart jumped in alarm, and she quickly smiled, “I don’t mean anything particular, I just thought that since she and Princess Consort Ding talked for so long that day, they must have discussed more than just the Ye family matters.” Mo Jing Li snorted lightly, “Whatever she and Ye Li discussed, it won’t escape my control.” He knew Ye Ying’s capabilities better than anyone and had never considered her capable of posing any threat to him. Casting a cool glance at Princess Qi Xia, Mo Jing Li said, “You should also behave yourself and stop provoking her. She is still the legitimate consort of Prince Li’s manor, and she’s Ye Li’s younger sister. I need to show some respect to Ye Li.”

Princess Qi Xia’s smile froze, and suppressing her hatred for Ye Li, she said coquettishly, “I understand. Haven’t I followed you all these years without status or position, and have I ever said anything?” Mo Jing Li nodded with satisfaction, “That’s good. Don’t worry, I won’t mistreat you in the future.”

Nestling obediently in Mo Jing Li’s embrace, Princess Qi Xia’s beautiful face had already twisted in hatred. Her once bright eyes were now filled with resentment. She had given up her status as a princess for Mo Jing Li, following him without any official position for ten years. It would be impossible to say she had never regretted it – she was no longer the Nanzhao Princess who had recklessly followed Mo Jing Li to Da Chu regardless of the consequences. But what use was regret now? She had been removed from the Nanzhao royal family, and even if she returned to Nanzhao, she would only face the contempt and disdain of her subjects. She could only stay by Mo Jing Li’s side. Yet Mo Jing Li, for the sake of Ye Li, kept delaying the removal of Ye Ying’s position as princess consort with various excuses. Brother Jing Li, how could you treat me this way?

Similarly holding Princess Qi Xia, Mo Jing Li was also distracted, absently playing with her hair while deep in thought. He remembered… he still had one piece left unused on his chessboard.

However, whatever schemes and thoughts occupied those in the embassy, Li City itself presented a scene of prosperity and celebration. Early the next morning, the final distinguished guests arriving for the birthday celebration reached Prince Ding’s manor gates. Once again, Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao personally went out to welcome them. Looking at the group standing at the entrance wearing Northern Rong attire so different from Central Plains fashion, a cold smile touched Mo Jing Li’s lips.

“Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding, what a pleasure to see you after so many years!” Northern Rong Crown Prince Yelü Hong stepped forward first, clasping his hands and speaking with a bright laugh. In contrast, Yelü Ye standing to the side maintained a cold expression, showing more arrogance and hostility. The Northern Rong army was still in a standoff with the Mo family forces in the north, and as the Northern Rong army’s commander, Yelü Ye naturally wouldn’t show any warmth toward Mo Xiu Yao.

Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly, “The Crown Prince is too kind. After many years, Your Highness’s presence is even more imposing.” Yelü Hong looked at Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li with genuine envy and sighed, “Not as impressive as the Prince and Princess Consort’s eternal youth.” The Northern Rong frontier people tended to age quickly, and though their age differences hadn’t seemed so great when they met a few years ago, now after six or seven years, the once-young Northern Rong Crown Prince had grown a short beard, and even his figure was no longer as tall and straight as before. Yet Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li still looked as if they were in their early twenties, ethereal and graceful. Standing together, they looked like an immortal couple, how could one not feel envious?

“The Crown Prince flatters us,” Ye Li smiled gently, then noticed Xu Hong Yan who had returned with them and showed a genuinely warm smile, “Second Uncle, you’ve finally returned. The journey must have been tiring, was everything alright?”

Compared to the Central Plains, the Northern Rong was much harsher, and even though Xu Hong Yan had only been gone for a few months, he had noticeably lost weight. Xu Hong Yan looked at Ye Li with a smile, “Everything was fine. I wasn’t able to make it back for your childbirth. How are the two children?” Ye Li smiled, “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. They’re both doing well.”

Mo Xiu Yao held Ye Li’s hand and smiled, “A-Li, let’s invite the Northern Rong Crown Prince and Seventh Prince in for tea before we continue talking. Uncle must be tired from the journey, shouldn’t we let him go in and rest first?” Ye Li apologized and nodded, “Crown Prince Yelü, Seventh Prince, please come in.” Yelü Hong nodded with a smile, but as Yelü Ye passed by Ye Li, he looked down at her condescendingly, showing obvious disgust. This expression made Ye Li raise her eyebrows in curiosity – although her relationship with Yelü Ye had never been good, he had never shown such obvious contempt for her before. No one had ever shown such obvious disgust in front of Ye Li, which made her quite curious.

Upon entering the manor, Xu Hong Yan went directly to wash up and rest. Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li led their guests to sit and drink tea in the main hall. Ye Li’s assessing gaze fell on the veiled woman in white sitting beside Yelü Ye, rather than on Princess Rong Hua, who was the Northern Rong Crown Princess. Seemingly noticing Ye Li’s scrutiny, Yelü Ye glared at her fiercely, his expression unfriendly. Sitting across from him, Yelü Hong frowned slightly, apparently displeased with his brother’s behavior.

Mo Xiu Yao leaned back in his chair, casually keeping one hand at Ye Li’s waist, calmly observing the people before them.

Ye Li put down her teacup and nodded to Princess Rong Hua, smiling as she asked, “It’s been almost ten years since we parted in the capital of Chu. Has the Princess been well in Northern Rong?”

Princess Rong Hua smiled gracefully, showing more of the frontier’s openness while retaining the nobility of the Central Plains royal family compared to her time in the Chu capital, “Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. I have been very well in Northern Rong. His Highness treats me exceptionally well.” She looked up and gave Yelü Hong a gentle smile, which he returned, showing that their marital relationship hadn’t been much affected by Northern Rong’s attack on Da Chu.

“That’s good,” Ye Li smiled, then turned to look at the veiled woman beside Yelü Ye, raising an eyebrow, “Seventh Prince, is this your Princess Consort?”

Yelü Ye nodded, “Indeed, this is my beloved consort, Qing Yi Na.”

Ye Li smiled lightly, “If I’m not mistaken, Qing Yi Na means ‘the most beautiful woman’ in the Northern Rong language. Your Princess Consort must be an exceptional beauty.” Yelü Ye didn’t deny it, nodding, “Indeed, my beloved consort is truly a rare beauty in this world.” He turned and took the Seventh Princess Consort’s hand, his eyes showing gentle affection and doting love as if competing with Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao’s couple in showing affection. Given Yelü Ye’s typically high self-regard, any woman who could gain such devotion from him must indeed be extraordinarily beautiful.

Ye Li paid no attention to Yelü Ye’s provocative words, smiling as she said, “Not being able to see the Seventh Princess Consort’s beautiful face is quite a pity for me.”

From the side, Princess Rong Hua smiled faintly and said, “Princess Consort need not feel disappointed. The Seventh Princess Consort is indeed a beauty, but Da Chu has never lacked beauty. When Princess Consort was still in the Chu capital, didn’t you see quite a few beauties?” Ye Li’s eyes flickered slightly, her gaze passing lightly over the woman in white as she smiled, “The Princess speaks truly. Not to mention others, just the beauties of the capital described by Master Mingyue were each capable of toppling kingdoms with their beauty, but it’s a pity… well, never mind. Seventh Prince, His Highness and I weren’t aware of your wedding, we must ask for a celebratory drink from you later.”

Yelü Hong smiled, “Princess Consort need not worry about that, it’s not too late. You can ask for that drink when my younger brother and sister-in-law have their wedding.” His words implied that Yelü Ye and this woman weren’t married yet. This woman couldn’t be considered a legitimate Seventh Princess Consort.

With so many hints, Ye Li had formed a good idea of the woman’s identity in her mind. She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, “In that case, I should offer my early congratulations to the Seventh Prince. I hope the Seventh Prince won’t be stingy with the wine when the time comes.”

Yelü Ye stared at Ye Li for a long moment before finally speaking, “When the time comes, I will certainly invite Prince Ding and Princess Consort to grace us with their presence. I hope you won’t find it beneath you.”

Ye Li turned back to Mo Xiu Yao with a smile, “Your Highness, the Seventh Prince is inviting us to his wedding. Should we go or not?”

Mo Xiu Yao looked down at Ye Li, his eyes full of tenderness as he said softly, “Whatever A-Li wants, we’ll go if you want to go, and we won’t if you don’t want to.”

Ye Li smiled with satisfaction, and when she looked up, she indeed caught a glimpse of hatred in the beautiful eyes visible beneath the white veil.