“Wei Lin sent a message by carrier pigeon – Young Master Qing Chen has disappeared!”

“What?!” Upon hearing this, not only Ye Li but also Mo Xiu Yao and Feng Zhi Yao were greatly shocked. Ye Li’s face turned pale, and as she suddenly stood up, she nearly fell. Mo Xiu Yao quickly reached out to support her back into her seat and looked at Zhuo Jing, saying, “Explain clearly.”

Zhuo Jing hastily presented Wei Lin’s secret letter while explaining, “After Young Master Qing Chen finished his business at Cang Mang Mountain, he led Wei Lin’s group northward to return to Li City. However, they were ambushed halfway. Most of his guards were killed or injured, Wei Lin was severely wounded, and Young Master Qing Chen’s whereabouts are unknown.”

Ye Li silently read through Wei Lin’s message. Though it contained only a few words, Ye Li knew well enough about Wei Lin and the Qilin’s fighting capabilities. For Wei Lin to be severely injured, dozens of Qilin to be killed or wounded, and Xu Qing Chen to be captured proved that the opponent was extraordinary and had planned this for a long time. This incident was different from Xu Qing Chen’s disappearance in Nanzhao years ago. At that time, Xu Qing Chen’s capture was somewhat within his calculations, and aside from outsiders who didn’t know the truth, there weren’t many who were truly worried. But this time, for someone to forcibly snatch Xu Qing Chen from the hands of the Prince’s Manor’s most elite Qilin guards, one couldn’t help but worry about Xu Qing Chen’s safety.

Mo Xiu Yao supported Ye Li, saying softly, “Don’t worry. If the opponent wanted Elder Brother Qing Chen’s life, they could have killed him on the spot. They wouldn’t have gone to such trouble to take him away. Since they took him away, they naturally won’t harm him easily.”

Ye Li closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to calm down. They had all become too accustomed to Young Master Qing Chen’s exceptional intelligence and wisdom that seemed divine. Yet they forgot that no matter how capable he was, Xu Qing Chen was still just a scholar without martial arts skills. His brilliant intellect only worked when his safety wasn’t threatened. If any reckless young fighter with martial arts skills came along, Young Master Qing Chen would be helpless.

“Xiu Yao… Big Brother…” Thinking about the danger Xu Qing Chen might be in, Ye Li couldn’t help but feel cold all over. The most brilliant Young Master Qing Chen of recent Xu family generations… if anything happened… Ye Li could almost imagine what would become of the entire Xu family. Steadying herself, Ye Li gripped Mo Xiu Yao’s hand as if drawing strength from it, “This matter, don’t tell Uncle and Grandfather yet.”

Mo Xiu Yao was in no mood to feel jealous now and nodded saying, “I understand. A Li, don’t worry. Elder Brother Qing Chen is incredibly intelligent; he won’t easily come to harm.”

Feng Zhi Yao looked at the nearly collapsing Ye Li, then quietly withdrew with Zhuo Jing.

In the large tent, Mo Xiu Yao embraced Ye Li, letting her lean against his chest. Noticing the slight dampness on his robe, Mo Xiu Yao’s heart ached as he gently stroked her black hair, softly comforting her: “A Li, don’t worry, I’ll send people to find him immediately. Nothing will happen.”

Ye Li said quietly, “Big Brother was that transcendent person who stayed away from worldly affairs. If it weren’t for me… the Xu family and Big Brother wouldn’t…” Mo Xiu Yao held her tightly and said, “It’s not A Li’s fault, it’s all because of me. I’m the one who brought trouble to A Li and Elder Brother Qing Chen. A Li, don’t blame yourself, it’s my fault… However, even if A Li thinks I’m bad, you can’t leave me. I won’t let go.”

“I won’t leave you,” Ye Li clutched his robe tightly and said firmly, “As long as I’m alive, I will never leave you. It’s just… I’m so afraid. If something happened to Big Brother…”

“We don’t know what happened yet, so we’re just scaring ourselves,” Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly. “Doesn’t A Li believe in your Big Brother’s abilities? Do you think he’ll come to harm? Now we should think about what we should do.”

Ye Li quickly calmed down. Whether something had happened or not, finding Xu Qing Chen was most important. Otherwise, what use was there in crying her heart out here? Steadying her thoughts, Ye Li asked, “Who do you think… would want to capture Big Brother?”

Xu Qing Chen pondered for a moment before saying, “In the South, there are only three parties who could snatch someone from Wei Lin’s hands: Lei Zhen Ting, the Western Ling Emperor, and Mo Jing Li. However, the Western Ling Emperor doesn’t have such courage, nor is there any need. As for Lei Zhen Ting… since Elder Brother Xu was in his territory the whole time, he’s our first suspect. If he wanted to capture someone, he might as well have done it directly. Either way, it would mean breaking face, so why bother with such sneaky business?”

“So it’s Mo Jing Li?” A cold glint flashed in Ye Li’s eyes. “Why would he capture Big Brother? To threaten the Prince’s Manor?”

Mo Xiu Yao was also puzzled. Lei Zhen Ting stood between Mo Jing Li and them, so even if he captured Xu Qing Chen, what could he exchange with the Prince’s Manor? Shaking his head, he said, “Mo Jing Li’s thoughts are sometimes quite difficult to understand. Moreover, these are just our guesses. News from the South should arrive soon, A Li needn’t be anxious.”

Ye Li nodded somewhat uneasily. After a moment of silence, she said, “If there’s still no news of Big Brother, I want to go to Jiangnan personally.” Mo Xiu Yao was startled and remained silent for a good while. Just when Ye Li thought he would object, she heard Mo Xiu Yao sigh softly and say, “I can’t accompany you. A Li, please be extremely careful. Try to return before the Northern Rong and Western Ling form an alliance, otherwise, you’ll be in danger there.”

Ye Li nodded and said quietly, “Don’t worry, I’ll return as soon as possible.”

As Mo Xiu Yao had said, early the next morning, Wei Lin sent another secret letter from the South detailing what had happened. It turned out Wei Lin was worried about the carrier pigeons encountering problems en route, so while sending the letter, he had also dispatched someone on horseback to deliver the message. After reading the letter, Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao’s brows furrowed even deeper. Young Master Qing Chen’s disappearance from Lei Zhen Ting’s territory was too significant to not alert Lei Zhen Ting, and according to the letter, Lei Zhen Ting seemed to have subtle intentions of detaining Wei Lin and his people. However, Ye Li wasn’t worried about Wei Lin’s safety; with their abilities, if they wanted to leave, naturally no one could keep them there. Even Lei Zhen Ting, one of the world’s four great martial artists, couldn’t. Moreover, given Lei Zhen Ting’s status, he absolutely wouldn’t personally interfere with Wei Lin and his people.

After reading Wei Lin’s letter, Ye Li could only sigh and say, “It seems I still need to go to Jiangnan personally. I’m afraid… Big Brother has been taken to Da Chu by Mo Jing Li.” Compared to Mo Jing Li, Ye Li preferred dealing with Lei Zhen Ting. Lei Zhen Ting was a clever person, and clever people naturally knew what should and shouldn’t be done. Instead, it was people like Mo Jing Li who would occasionally do things they knew shouldn’t be done, and unfortunately, everything he did tend to be things that shouldn’t be done.

Mo Xiu Yao also knew Xu Qing Chen’s safety was urgent and didn’t say much, only saying softly, “Be very careful.”

Ye Li nodded and promised solemnly, “I’ll return as quickly as possible, don’t worry.”

That night, Ye Li led Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, Xu Qing Feng, and others, along with three teams of Qilin, secretly left the Mo family military camp. They avoided Western Ling and Northern Rong forces, taking a boat down the eastern route to Jiangnan. Along the way, Mo family military spies continuously delivered news from Jiangnan to Ye Li. After learning that Xu Qing Chen was indeed not in Lei Zhen Ting’s hands, Ye Li decided not to provoke Lei Zhen Ting further. They crossed the river directly by boat and landed in the territory of Da Chu, now controlled by Mo Jing Li, which was currently called Nan Chu.

This new Chu capital wasn’t large and was called Nanjing. It was merely the location of the princely manor when Mo Jing Li was Prince Li. After two years of governance, though not large in area, it had become much more prosperous. After all, Da Chu had deep foundations that couldn’t be compared to the castles in the air of the Northern Border. Ye Li disguised herself as a white-robed man. Now that Ye Li was older, unlike when she had disguised herself as a somewhat immature white-robed youth in the past, though still possessing clear features, she appeared transcendent and impressive. Compared to Qing Chen, who was known as the world’s number one young master, she wasn’t inferior in any way.

Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, and others were all Ye Li’s confidants who had seen many people, and they all disguised themselves as well. The visible members of their group numbered more than a dozen. They appeared like servants accompanying a noble young master on an outing. Though Da Chu now maintained a remote existence, it was still a place where culture and talent gathered, so their group didn’t particularly stand out when they entered the capital.

Wei Lin had arrived in Nanjing before Ye Li and her group came. Although Nanjing was now controlled by Mo Jing Li and Cang Mang Mountain, it inevitably had many of the Prince’s Manor’s spies and plants. Naturally, suitable accommodation had been prepared. On a street full of wealthy merchants and nobles, not too far or too close to the Regent’s Manor, hung a plaque with the characters “Chu Manor” above the gate. People nearby only knew that the Chu family was originally a prestigious family from Yun Province. Though not comparable to centuries-old noble families like the Xu family, they were still a scholarly family that had passed down through several generations. This mansion was one of the Chu family’s separate courtyards in Nanjing. These past few days, seeing people coming and going, naturally people assumed it was the Chu family master coming for a short stay. Apart from nearby households sending gifts, it hadn’t attracted any attention.

After Ye Li’s group settled in the Chu Manor, before they could rest, various intelligence reports from Nanjing City continuously flowed into the manor. But what worried Ye Li was that among these, there wasn’t even the slightest information related to Xu Qing Chen. The only clear point was that some days ago, people had indeed seen a group mysteriously taking someone across the Yunlan River. But whether that person was Young Master Qing Chen, and where those people went, nobody knew.

Seeing Ye Li’s deeply furrowed brows, Xu Qing Feng comfortingly said, “Big Brother has great fortune and destiny; he won’t easily come to harm. Li’er, don’t worry too much.” Actually, with Xu Qing Chen in trouble, how could Xu Qing Feng, as his brother, not be worried? But seeing Ye Li so consumed with anxiety, he had to comfort her somewhat. He felt equally guilty – as the elder brother, he should have shouldered this burden. But he also understood that compared to Ye Li, he still had some shortcomings, and he couldn’t bear to see Ye Li so exhausted while still having to worry about Xu Qing Chen’s situation.

Ye Li shook her head helplessly and said, “If it weren’t for us if it weren’t for the Prince’s Manor, how would Big Brother encounter such things?”

Xu Qing Feng shook his head dismissively and said, “Heaven has unexpected winds and clouds, people have fortune and misfortune from dawn to dusk. Big Brother’s situation might not necessarily be because of the Prince’s Manor. Perhaps someone who coveted Big Brother’s beauty has kidnapped him to be their mountain spouse.” Xu Qing Chen said this just to make Ye Li smile, but it reminded Ye Li of when Xu Qing Chen was captured by Shu Man Lin in Nanzhao back then, making her smile slightly and shake her head helplessly.

Amidst her smile, Ye Li suddenly had a thought and frowned slightly.

Xu Qing Feng saw her expression change and quickly asked, “What’s wrong? What did you think of?”

Ye Li frowned and said solemnly, “Have someone investigate what Dong Fang You was doing these past few days.” Although Xu Qing Feng had only met Dong Fang You once at Master Qing Yun’s banquet, he had long heard of this woman who was the first in many years to dare pursue Big Brother so persistently. He frowned and said, “You suspect Dong Fang You is behind this? But… she’s Mo Jing Li’s queen, how would Mo Jing Li allow her to…”

“She’s also the young mistress of Cang Mang Mountain. Although Cang Mang Mountain’s power in Western Ling and the North is nearly destroyed, its influence in Jiangnan remains intact. Moreover, with nearly a hundred years of establishment, their foundation is undeniably thick. I’m afraid even if she wanted to do something, Mo Jing Li might not necessarily know about it,” Ye Li said slowly. Originally, Ye Li hadn’t suspected Dong Fang You, as her personality didn’t seem capable of doing such things. But she had overlooked that Dong Fang You was a woman who had experienced Xu Qing Chen’s rejection and was forced to marry Mo Jing Li – it was hard to say whether Dong Fang You’s personality might have changed. Dong Fang You herself was trained by Dong Fang Hui of Cang Mang Mountain, and even Dong Fang Hui had personally admitted that Dong Fang You’s cleverness surpassed her own. Once Dong Fang You’s personality changed, no longer being as unfamiliar with human affairs as before, she would become an even more terrifying person than Dong Fang Hui.

Speaking of Dong Fang You, Wei Lin frowned and said, “Dong Fang You betrayed Dong Fang Hui.”

Hearing this, everyone immediately turned their attention to Wei Lin. Wei Lin had gone south with Xu Qing Chen this time, staying by his side throughout. This operation against Cang Mang Mountain was also Xu Qing Chen’s responsibility, and Ye Li and others weren’t clear about the specific situation. Hearing Wei Lin say this was quite shocking. Dong Fang Hui had raised and taught Dong Fang You; probably even Dong Fang Hui herself hadn’t imagined Dong Fang You would betray her.

Wei Lin said, “After Cang Mang Mountain was breached, Dong Fang Hui originally had a chance to escape back to Jiangnan. But we received advanced knowledge of several rendezvous points along the Yunlan River where Cang Mang Mountain had arranged to meet her, and we caught Dong Fang Hui right where we waited. Although the person who sent us the information never appeared, Young Master Qing Chen said there was an eighty percent chance it was Dong Fang You.”

“It’s truly unexpected that Lady Dong Fang would die at the hands of her most beloved disciple,” After hearing Wei Lin’s explanation, Ye Li couldn’t help but sigh. Apart from forcefully trying to marry Dong Fang You to Xu Qing Chen, Ye Li didn’t have much ill feeling toward Dong Fang Hui. After all, a woman who could single-handedly support the entire Cang Mang Mountain must have had some exceptionally outstanding qualities. Rather than dying at the hands of her most trusted and beloved disciple, Dong Fang Hui would probably have preferred to die at the hands of Xu Qing Chen and Lei Teng Feng.

“If that’s the case, Dong Fang You is very likely to have taken control of Cang Mang Mountain’s remaining forces. Then, the possibility of Big Brother being in her hands is also much higher,” Ye Li contemplated. Qin Feng asked somewhat doubtfully, “Could someone like Dong Fang You do these things?” In Qin Feng’s view, Dong Fang You was completely just a senseless love-struck fool.

Ye Li shook her head and said, “Dong Fang You’s martial arts are above yours and mine and it’s said her medical skills are not bad either. She’s even mastered everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to strategy and military tactics. How could a woman who could learn so much be a fool? It just depends on whether she’s awakened or not – when not awakened, she appears to be a fool in others’ eyes, but once she understands everything… she becomes the most frightening person. Dong Fang Hui probably died without understanding why Dong Fang You wanted to kill her.”

With a deep sigh, Ye Li said to Qin Feng, “Go send a message to Yao Ji, I have something to ask her.”

Qin Feng was startled but nodded, saying, “This subordinate obeys.”

In Nanjing city, at the finest teahouse called Zhai Xing Lou, a beautiful young madam leading a child who appeared to be eight or nine years old slowly walked in, and everyone in the main hall’s attention was drawn to them. This young madam was naturally Yao Ji, the current secondary wife of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor, and the young master of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor. Since moving the entire household south, the Mu Yang Marquis had become somewhat disheartened and passed the Marquis title to his son Mu Yang, while he spent his days at home enjoying his grandchildren, living freely and easily. Mu Yang was also quite capable and ambitious. Although Mo Jing Qi was gone, the Mu Yang Marquis Manor gradually grew closer to Mo Jing Li, and in these two years, the Mu Yang Marquis Manor became increasingly prosperous. The fact that the manor’s beautifully enchanting secondary wife Yao Ji was almost equal in status to the primary wife naturally became widely discussed in Nanjing. Yao Ji became both the object of hatred for all primary wives and of emulation for secondary wives.

As soon as Yao Ji entered, the shopkeeper hurriedly came forward to welcome her warmly, “Madam Mu, young master, please come upstairs.”

Yao Ji smiled charmingly and said, “Thank you, is my private room still reserved?”

The shopkeeper smiled ingratiatingly and said, “It’s our blessing that Madam Mu enjoys our teahouse’s refreshments. We naturally keep Madam’s favorite room reserved at all times.” Everyone in Nanjing knew that although the current Mu Yang Marquis had several wives and concubines, he particularly favored this secondary wife. Madam Yao Ji was originally a dancer from the Qing Cheng House in the Chu capital, known as the capital’s premier dancer, and her beauty and allure were naturally unmatched by ordinary people. Moreover, because of the Mu Yang Marquis’s deep favor, Yao Ji was extremely generous. Even when she didn’t come, she would have someone buy some refreshments to take home every day, so the Zhai Xing Lou was naturally happy to specially reserve a private room for her as preferential treatment.

Yao Ji smiled and said a word of thanks, then led the child beside her upstairs. All that remained was a lingering fragrance and the sound of clear, enchanting laughter.

After her figure disappeared upstairs, the people downstairs finally let out a breath and began discussing.

“This Madam Yao Ji truly deserves her former title as the premier dancer. Although she’s not young anymore, her beauty is probably unmatched even by the Li King’s consort.” One of the current Li King’s two consorts, Noble Consort Rong Ye Ying, was once known as the capital’s premier beauty. But now all that people remembered about her was her identity as the Prince Consort’s younger sister. How could she compare to Yao Ji’s dazzling beauty?

“The Mu Yang Marquis truly has a great fortune in love, no wonder he so favors Madam Yao Ji.” It was just a pity for the Mu Yang Marquis’s wife who was originally from a noble family, a refined beauty. Unfortunately, she could only fade into the background before the radiantly beautiful Yao Ji.

Yao Ji led Mu Lie upstairs and entered her usual private room, where someone was already waiting for her. Seeing Ye Li sitting in the room drinking tea, Yao Ji couldn’t help but smile and say, “Where did this graceful young master come from?”

Ye Li smiled at her and said, “Yao Ji, it’s been a long time, but your charm remains unchanged. Mu Lie, come sit.” Although Mu Lie appeared to be less than ten years old, he already had the bearing of a little adult-like Mu Yang, and looked at Ye Li curiously a few times before respectfully answering, “Yes, thank you, Princess Consort.”

Ye Li shook her head and looked at Yao Ji, saying, “How did someone with your personality raise such a serious child?”

Yao Ji said helplessly, “How could I teach him? He’s the one teaching me.” Yao Ji also sat down, and when she saw Qin Feng sitting not far behind Ye Li, she paused slightly, then turned her eyes away as if unconcerned.

Yao Ji also knew that with the war starting in the north, Ye Li’s long journey to Jiangnan must be about something important, so without wasting words, she told Ye Li about all the big and small events in Nanjing these days. After listening, Ye Li frowned slightly and said, “You haven’t heard any news about Big Brother in Nanjing either?” Yao Ji smiled bitterly and helplessly, “After hearing about Young Master Qing Chen’s disappearance, I’ve been carefully watching for any movement inside and outside the Chu capital, but there hasn’t been any news of Young Master Qing Chen. Yao Ji dares to guarantee, whether or not Young Master Qing Chen was kidnapped by someone from Nanjing City, at least… Young Master Qing Chen is not in Nanjing City right now.”

Seeing Ye Li frown, Yao Ji’s beautiful brows also couldn’t help but furrow slightly. Speaking of which, this matter was quite strange. Young Master Qing Chen wasn’t just some random passerby. He would be quite noticeable wherever he went. Moreover, with Young Master Qing Chen’s intelligence, as long as he was still alive, he would leave them some clues no matter what. But these days, the Prince’s Manor’s people have almost searched through the entire Jiangnan region without finding even a trace of Young Master Qing Chen.

Suddenly, Yao Ji remembered something and said solemnly, “That’s right before Young Master Qing Chen disappeared, this subordinate delivered a secret letter to him.”

Hearing this, everyone quickly looked over. Yao Ji said, “The secret letter was sent from the Regent’s Manor. Because the Princess Consort and the Prince were at the border, all matters in Jiangnan were transferred to Young Master Qing Chen. So that secret letter was also sent directly to Young Master Qing Chen. At that time… it was the second day after Dong Fang Hui’s death.”

“After Dong Fang Hui was killed, the news that came from the Li King’s Manor…” Ye Li pondered. With such coincidental timing, the news that Ye Ying spread must have been related to Dong Fang You.

“Wei Lin, do you know what was written in the secret letter?”

Wei Lin shook his head somewhat dejectedly and said, “At the time, this subordinate wasn’t by Young Master Qing Chen’s side. Later, Young Master Qing Chen summoned this subordinate, saying he had something to instruct. But just as this subordinate reached the young master’s door, the assassins arrived. Afterward… that secret letter was either taken by the other party or destroyed by Young Master Qing Chen.”

Qin Feng spoke up, “The Regent’s Manor hasn’t spread any unfavorable news about the Li King’s consort, so the secret letter probably wasn’t revealed.”

Ye Li sighed somewhat helplessly and said, “Then we can only find a breakthrough from the Li King’s Manor. Yao Ji, is there any news about Mo Jing Li’s son?”

Yao Ji nodded and smiled, whispering a few words in Ye Li’s ear. Ye Li raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, “Are you sure?”

“Certain,” Yao Ji smiled and said, “It was confirmed two months ago, but because this news was too important, this subordinate was worried about any mishap. I especially had someone personally deliver it back to Li City. Unexpectedly, both Young Master Qing Chen and the Princess Consort came to Jiangnan one after another.”

Ye Li sighed and said, “It’s not completely useless. Mo Jing Li has already gotten the antidote, after this, this information probably won’t be worth much anymore.”

Yao Ji covered her mouth and smiled, “That’s not necessarily true. Mo Jing Li was given a strong poison by Mo Jing Qi, even with the antidote, it will take quite some time to take effect. However, Li King is an impatient person. As soon as he returned to Jiangnan, he took in four or five daughters of court officials into his manor. Unfortunately, there’s still no news. I heard the Li King suspects the Prince gave him fake medicine and is holding in his anger. Moreover, even if it doesn’t work for the father anymore, children will always be effective against their mother.” At this point, Yao Ji couldn’t help but sigh softly, feeling some sympathy for Ye Ying. A mother becomes strong for her children – if it weren’t for her child, how would she have given up her comfortable life in Li City to entangle herself with the Mu Yang Marquis Manor for so many years?

The Mu Yang Marquis Manor had long been resented by the Prince, yet her son was Mu Yang’s son. If she wanted her son to live a peaceful life, she could only be loyal to the Prince’s Manor. Moreover, the Princess Consort had saved her and her child’s lives, while the Mu Yang Marquis Manor… even if Mu Yang knew what those people had done to her and her child back then, he absolutely wouldn’t do anything for them, only loving her in his self-righteous way. Mu Yang thought he loved her, and perhaps he truly did love her. But his love was no longer what she and her child needed. Early on when she brought Mu Lie back to the Mu Yang Marquis Manor, she was no longer the Yao Ji who both loved and hated Mu Yang – she was just a spy, an informant planted by the Prince’s Manor in the Mu Yang Marquis Manor and Da Chu. From then on, there was no love or hate, only position.

Ye Li nodded and said, “I’ll go see Ye Ying later.”

Yao Ji nodded and said, “I’ll try to arrange it. If the Princess Consort has no other matters, we’ll return first.” Ye Li thought for a moment and said, “After we find Big Brother, you and Mu Lie should return to Li City.” Hearing this, Yao Ji couldn’t help but be startled. She had been at the Mu Yang Marquis Manor for more than two years and had become an extremely important agent for the Prince’s Manor in Nanjing. Although she wasn’t irreplaceable, it would still be difficult to handle if she suddenly disappeared.

“Princess Consort, this is…”

Ye Li looked up at her and smiled faintly, “You’ve already done what you needed to do. There’s no need to waste any more of your time in Jiangnan.”

Yao Ji was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “Yao Ji understands. Thank you, Princess Consort.”

As Yao Ji left with Mu Lie, Qin Feng frowned and looked at Ye Li with some concern, saying, “Is it appropriate for Princess Consort to tell her this now?” Ye Li smiled at him and said, “You don’t trust her?”

Qin Feng’s face stiffened slightly, and after a while, he sighed and said, “Perhaps.” Qin Feng himself didn’t quite understand what was going on between him and Yao Ji. He had never forgotten that haggard and thin woman he once knew, but he couldn’t be sure what Yao Ji’s feelings toward him were. If Yao Ji had feelings for him, why would she have unhesitatingly requested permission from the Prince and Princess Consort to leave Li City and return to the Mu Yang Marquis Manor? And if he truly loved Yao Ji, why couldn’t he trust her completely? Why did he immediately worry about Yao Ji’s betrayal when the Princess Consort tested her?

Seeing Qin Feng’s troubled expression, Ye Li smiled gently and said, “Don’t overthink it. It’s natural for you to worry. There’s no such thing as completely unconditional trust in this world. Otherwise, why would I tell her these things at this time? I’d rather she think things through now than have regrets later and stab me in the back.” It wasn’t that Ye Li didn’t trust Yao Ji’s loyalty, but rather that a woman’s life is most easily swayed by two people: one is her lover, and the other is her child. Even Ye Li herself couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t do something she knew she shouldn’t for Mo Xiu Yao and their three children. Giving Yao Ji a buffer now was much better than suddenly forcing her to accept it later. Even if Yao Ji had any issues, they could always find ways to remedy them.

From the moment Ye Li arrived in Nanjing, the fate of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor was sealed. Mo Xiu Yao hated and despised many people, and the former Mu Yang Marquis was undoubtedly one of them. Since she was already here, Ye Li didn’t mind settling this for him in advance. Moreover, once Mo Jing Li agreed to ally with Western Ling and Northern Rong, the Mu Yang Marquis Manor would become an enemy of the Prince’s Manor anyway, so eliminating them first was not unreasonable.

After a long silence, Qin Feng looked at Ye Li and said, “Please let this subordinate handle the matters of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor.”

Ye Li hesitated somewhat, “Are you sure? I originally thought it would be more appropriate to have Zhuo Jing and Lin Han handle this.” Qin Feng smiled and said, “Thank you, Princess Consort. This subordinate will not disappoint your expectations.”

Ye Li sighed lightly and said, “You should know…” If the Mu Yang Marquis Manor was destroyed by Qin Feng’s hands, the future between him and Yao Ji would truly be uncertain. Even if Yao Ji no longer loved Mu Yang, he was still her son’s father.

“This subordinate understands.” Qin Feng’s smile was faint, but his tone was as firm as rock.

“In that case, let Lin Han go with you. If there’s anything inconvenient for you to do, let Lin Han handle it,” Ye Li said. Lin Han nodded and responded, “This subordinate obeys.” Lin Han certainly understood the Princess Consort’s meaning. If it came to a point where Qin Feng needed to personally kill someone from the Mu Yang Marquis Manor, Lin Han could do it instead.

“Thank you, Princess Consort.”

In the Mu Yang Marquis Manor, Yao Ji was calmly leading Mu Lie toward her courtyard when their path was suddenly blocked. Yao Ji looked up at the several women standing before her, her expression darkening slightly.

The former young madam, now the Marquise Mu Yang, looked at the woman before her who was over thirty but still alluringly beautiful, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. She said shrilly, “Where has the secondary wife been?”

Yao Ji was in a bad mood, and her beautiful brows lifted slightly as she said coldly, “What business is it of yours?”

The Marquise Mu Yang’s face stiffened, her originally refined features instantly becoming somewhat twisted. She gritted her teeth and said, “Yao Ji, you’re too arrogant! Don’t forget, I am the Marquise Mu Yang!” Yao Ji glanced at her indifferently and said coldly, “So what? Keep your position as Marquise Mu Yang, no one’s fighting you for it. If you want, you can keep the position of secondary wife too.”

“You…” The Marquise Mu Yang gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear apart the woman before her right then. She, a noble lady from a prestigious family, had lost to a woman from an entertainment house. Over these years, she had not only endured Mu Yang’s coldness but also been ridiculed by other noble ladies outside. At this moment, Marquise Mu Yang had forgotten how much suffering Yao Ji had endured because of her, even nearly losing her life. If she hadn’t persistently pressured Yao Ji back then, Yao Ji would have long ago taken her child and lived a life in anonymity, so how would she have become a spy for the Prince’s Manor and returned to compete for favor?

Yao Ji impatiently glanced at the several beautiful women behind her. These women were all specially chosen by the Marquise Mu Yang in these past two years to show their virtuous nature to Mu Yang or were sent by people in official circles. However, because of Yao Ji’s exclusive favor, these women could only suppress their ambitions and stand behind Marquise Mu Yang to deal with Yao Ji together. Unfortunately, for Yao Ji who had experienced countless things, these people were still too green. Even when they joined forces, they had never gained any advantage over her.

Yao Ji was in a bad mood now and naturally had no time to banish words with these women. She looked up at the Marquise Mu Yang with a smile and said softly, “Madam, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time.”

“What do you want to say?” The Marquise Mu Yang stared at Yao Ji vigilantly. Yao Ji’s smile turned cold, “I’ve always wanted to tell you… your constant targeting of me is useless. If Mu Yang isn’t interested in you, shouldn’t you reflect on yourself? As a woman, yet making your husband feel so bored he doesn’t even want to look at you, I pity you.”

Having said this, without regard for the Marquise Mu Yang’s instantly pale face, Yao Ji swept her sleeves and turned to go to her courtyard.

“You’re in a bad mood?” Mu Lie followed behind her, and although he seemed to move slowly, he maintained a distance of two or three steps from the quickly walking Yao Ji. Only after returning to Yao Ji’s courtyard did Mu Lie calmly ask.

Yao Ji was startled, then shook her head and said, “It’s nothing.”

Mu Lie leaned against a pillar, quietly looking at her, and said, “You’ll be able to return to Li City soon, you’ll be able to see your son, aren’t you happy?” After these years together, Mu Lie developed some feelings for Yao Ji. He was an orphan and didn’t know who his birth mother was or what Mu Yang was like. But whenever he saw Yao Ji missing her son, he still didn’t want Yao Ji to regret for life because of a misstep.

Yao Ji smiled bitterly with some helplessness. Mu Yang was her son’s father, whether she still loved him or not, this was an unchangeable fact – how could she be happy?

Mu Lie looked at her and said, “If you can’t accept it, you can tell the Princess Consort and leave first. The Princess Consort won’t make things difficult for you, I can manage on my own.” Both Yao Ji and Mu Lie were clever people; when Ye Li said to let them return to Li City together, Yao Ji knew that the Princess Consort planned to move against the Mu Yang Marquis Manor. Many people could have been sent to the Chu capital back then, but Yao Ji certainly wasn’t the only choice. The reason for choosing Yao Ji was undoubtedly all because of the Prince’s hostility toward the Mu Yang Marquis Manor. Yao Ji naturally also knew about how the Mu Yang Marquis had led troops to surround Ye Li back then, causing Ye Li to be forced off a cliff by the Southern Pacification King.

Yao Ji pulled out a faint smile and looked at Mu Lie, saying, “Thank you, I’m fine.”

Mu Lie frowned, his young face showing unconcealed worry. Yao Ji raised her hand to rub his little head and said, “You’re just a child, why think so much?”

Mu Lie unhappily swatted away her hand and said, “I’m not a child anymore. Fine, do whatever you want. Just don’t forget your son is waiting for you in Li City. Also… this young master is going back to Li City to join the Qilin, if you make it so I can’t go back… I’ll kill you.”

Yao Ji couldn’t help but smile, watching with amusement as Mu Lie turned to leave. At the door, Mu Lie stopped and turned back to say, “I see Commander Qin treats you quite well, you might want to consider it. Commander Qin is much better than that Mu Yang, at least in all these years you’ve been gone, Commander Qin hasn’t been philandering, right? Looking at your previous taste, this young master is almost too embarrassed to despise you.” Having said this, he ignored Yao Ji’s change of expression and swaggered out with a wave of his hand.

Sighing deeply, Yao Ji reached out to open the jewelry box on her dressing table, and from among the various pieces of jewelry, she dug out an inconspicuous box hidden in a corner at the very bottom. Opening the box, inside was a jade lotus hairpin. She didn’t know why she kept this hairpin with her; when she left Li City for the Chu capital back then, she had already decided to never involve herself with love again. Qin Feng was her life-saving benefactor, the Princess Consort’s confidant, and commanded the Prince Manor’s most elite Qilin forces. Even the Xu family’s third young master, the Princess Consort’s third brother, was under his command. Such a person… even if his reputation wasn’t prominent, he was still not someone a woman like her, from an entertainment house background and with a child, could match.

If she could choose, rather than Mu Yang, Yao Ji would have preferred to meet someone like Qin Feng back then. Perhaps all the good men in the world were in the Prince’s Manor, or perhaps it was because of the Prince’s deep love for the Princess Consort setting an example, but the men of the Prince’s Manor seemed to mostly be faithful. Even though Mu Yang’s favor for her was known throughout Nanjing city, the number of concubines and serving girls in the Mu Yang Marquis Manor was no less than any other household. Mu Yang was a beautiful and romantic dream from her most beautiful years, but when the dream ended, it left only faint sorrow. While Qin Feng was the goodness she hoped for but dared not touch…

Just as she was lost in thought, a slight sound behind her brought Yao Ji back to her senses. These years of life had made her accustomed to staying alert, and when she suddenly turned around to see the man standing behind her, she couldn’t help but be startled.

Compared to Mu Yang’s fame throughout the Chu capital back then, Qin Feng’s appearance was handsome but not flamboyant. The Qilin Commander from a military background had a completely different air from the young master of a noble family. If Mu Yang was like a dazzling precious sword, then Qin Feng was like a famous sword hidden in its scabbard. Though seemingly unremarkable, once unsheathed, its light could illuminate in all directions.

“You… why did you come?” After a while, Yao Ji finally spoke.

Qin Feng’s gaze fell on the jade hairpin in her hand, and his eyes couldn’t help but grow warmer. Yao Ji naturally noticed his gaze and somewhat frantically put the jade hairpin back in the box, “You… coming here now, does the Princess Consort have some instructions?”

A barely visible smile flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes, and he nodded slightly, looking calmly at Yao Ji and said, “Indeed. The matter of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor… the Princess Consort has put me in charge.”

Hearing this, Yao Ji’s hand, which had been busy tidying the table, paused, and her face instantly turned pale.