At the Lishan Academy

Master Qingyun sat serenely in the bamboo grove behind the academy, savoring his tea as he always did. The Lishan Academy had long since found its proper course, and given Master Qingyun’s advanced age, he was no longer suited to teach regularly. Apart from the occasional lectures, he would give to all students, he spent most of his time in leisure.

Today, however, the bamboo grove was extraordinarily lively. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had brought Mo Xiaobao, Lin’er, and Xin’er, along with the entire Xu family. Though Master Qingyun had grown to prefer tranquility in his later years, seeing his descendants gathered around him still brought more smiles to his face.

“Tomorrow is Lin’er and Xin’er’s first birthday celebration. Why did you all come out of the city today?” Master Qingyun asked while drinking the tea Ye Li had personally brewed. Ye Li smiled and replied, “It’s precisely because of the little ones’ birthday celebration tomorrow that we came to escort Grandfather back to the city.”

Master Qingyun looked at her with amusement. “Am I so old that I can’t return to the city by myself?”

Mo Wuyou, leaning against Ye Li, covered her mouth and laughed softly, “It’s clearly because the Princess said she hadn’t paid her respects to Master Qingyun since returning, so she wanted to come personally. Who knew everyone else would want to tag along?” Yun Ge, who had been brought along by Xu Qingchen, smiled at everyone and said, “The outskirts are fun, that’s why everyone wanted to come.”

Ye Li looked at Master Qingyun with guilt. Despite being back for nearly a month, she hadn’t found time to visit her grandfather outside the city. Even Fourth Brother and Qingyan, who had just returned from abroad, had already visited – she had truly been unfilial.

Master Qingyun looked at Ye Li with loving kindness and smiled, “You all have important matters to attend to. Your grandfather has always been here – what difference does it make when you visit? Why trouble yourself over such small matters?”

Ye Li smiled gently, “Li’er has been unfilial, making Grandfather worry and allowing those people to disturb you.”

Master Qingyun shook his head, indicating Ye Li needn’t mind. Looking at Ye Li and then at Mo Xiuyao sitting beside her, and the children before him, he nodded with satisfaction. Initially, when arranging Ye Li’s marriage to Mo Xiuyao, Master Qingyun wasn’t been entirely pleased, but circumstances had left them no choice. He had always felt guilty about not being able to better care for his daughter’s only child. Fortunately, Li’er’s personality was quite different from his deceased daughter’s, and over the years, the couple had become what others envied as an immortal pair. Master Qingyun could see that Mo Xiuyao valued his granddaughter above all else. Seeing Ye Li so happy, Master Qingyun was thoroughly satisfied – how could he still mind such minor matters?

“I hear there’s been quite a bit of trouble lately. Has the Queen of Nanzhao been found yet?” Master Qingyun asked.

Xu Qingchen frowned slightly and said, “Please rest assured, Grandfather. Princess Anxi and the Prince should be fine. In these two days… we should have results.” After all, it was within the Prince’s territory – if they truly let Mo Jingli run circles around them, the Prince’s manor might as well give up. The manor’s secret guards had already tracked some of Mo Jingli’s movements, but they had to consider Princess Anxi’s safety and couldn’t press too hard. However, they absolutely would not allow Mo Jingli and his remaining followers to escape Licheng again.

Master Qingyun no longer cared much for such matters. Hearing Xu Qingchen’s words put him at ease, though he still cautioned, “As the saying goes, a cornered dog will leap over walls. The temperament of these Da Chu royal family members…” The old master shook his head and sighed, “In any case, you must all be careful, lest Mo Jingli decides to destroy everything in his desperation.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded, “We will heed Master Qingyun’s teachings.”

Ye Li, holding Master Qingyun’s arm, smiled and said, “Grandfather, actually we came today with another matter to seek your guidance.” Master Qingyun raised his eyebrows and smiled, “You’re all doing very well. What could there be that needs this old man’s attention?”

Ye Li smiled, glancing at Xu Qingfeng, Xu Qingbai, and others sitting to one side, then at the two Madame Xus on the other side, and said, “First Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, and I have been discussing that after Lin’er and Xin’er’s birthday celebration, we should arrange Third Brother and Fourth Brother’s marriages. That’s why we need Grandfather to return and oversee everything.”

The Xu family members hadn’t expected Ye Li to suddenly bring this up. Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbai were fine, but Mo Wuyou and Hua Tianxiang immediately blushed. Master Qingyun looked kindly at the two young women, nodded with a smile, and said, “That would be good. I remember… the twenty-sixth of this month would be an auspicious date, but… isn’t it too rushed? Will there be enough time?”

“There’s enough time, enough time. Our family has been preparing for quite a while,” the two Madame Xus quickly assured. Having waited so many years for their sons to marry, now that it was finally happening, they would make it work even if it were tomorrow, let alone having some days to prepare.

Master Qingyun nodded and smiled, “That’s good then. Let’s set it for that day. Qingfeng, Qingbai, you’re not young anymore. After marriage, you’ll be fully independent adults. You must take good care of Tianxiang and Wuyou.”

“Yes, Grandfather,” Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbai responded in unison. The Xu family children typically married late, with some like Xu Qingchen remaining single even past thirty. Thus, even before marriage, they were already quite capable of handling matters independently. Master Qingyun had full confidence in his grandsons, and these words were merely an elder’s expression of care for the younger generation.

After instructing Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbai, Master Qingyun’s gaze passed lightly over Xu Qingchen and Yun Ge, shaking his head slightly without saying more. Because of the marriage topic Ye Li had brought up, everyone became excited. Except for the brides-to-be Hua Tianxiang and Mo Wuyou, all eagerly discussed how to arrange the weddings. Even the usually steady and composed Xu Hongyu and Xu Hongyan showed more smiles than usual.

“Your Highness, Princess,” Qin Feng hurried over and reported solemnly.

Mo Xiuyao asked, “What is it?”

Qin Feng said, “We have news of Princess Anxi of Nanzhao.”

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao exchanged glances and stood up together. Mo Xiuyao said, “Let’s discuss this when we return.” Ye Li nodded apologetically to everyone and said, “We’ll take our leave first.”

Xu Qingfeng smiled, “Don’t worry, Li’er. Third Brother guarantees to safely escort Grandfather and Father back to Licheng.” As the commander of the Qilin, with Xu Qingfeng present, Mo Jingli wouldn’t dare to make a move against Master Qingyun even if he lost his mind. Ye Li nodded, patted Mo Xiaobao’s head telling him to behave, and then left the bamboo grove with Mo Xiuyao.

Watching the couple’s departing figures, Master Qingyun smiled calmly and said, “You all came over so early this morning because you were worried Mo Jingli might make a move against Lishan Academy?” Xu Qingfeng rubbed his head and smiled, “Better safe than sorry. Who can guarantee that madman Mo Jingli won’t target this place?” Master Qingyun glanced at everyone indifferently and said, “Then with so many of you rushing over here, aren’t you just making it easier for them to catch everyone at once?”

Hearing this, those who had come to join the excitement, like Xu Qingyan, quickly shrank back, mumbling something about looking around before swiftly departing. In moments, the previously bustling bamboo grove was left with only Master Qingyun, Xu Hongyu, Xu Hongyan, Xu Qingchen, Xu Qingze, and Xu Qingbai.

“Is there something else?” Master Qingyun calmly asked his children and grandchildren before him. Xu Hongyu hesitated before saying, “Indeed, there are some matters we need to consult Father about.”

Master Qingyun’s snow-white eyebrows twitched. “Is it related to Qingfeng and Qingbai’s marriages?” If not for this, Li’er wouldn’t have suddenly brought up Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbai’s marriages. Although their arranged marriages were indeed due to be carried out, there was no need to rush.

Xu Hongyu nodded, “Yes, lately many noble families have visited, expressing their desire to form marriage alliances with the Xu family.” Master Qingyun’s brows furrowed slightly, showing rare displeasure, “Don’t they know Qingbai and Qingfeng are already engaged?”

Xu Hongyu smiled bitterly with some helplessness. In this world, those rules and etiquette were merely for show, meant for ordinary people who didn’t know the truth. Which prestigious family with deep historical roots didn’t have some unspeakable matters? Even a family like the Xu clan had a history of betraying their lord and killing their sovereign. Therefore, as long as they could achieve their goals and obtain their desired benefits, why would these people care if the Xu family’s young masters were already engaged? Moreover, although Hua Tianxiang and Mo Wuyou were of noble birth, in these people’s eyes, they could only be described as one thing – fallen nobility. Most importantly, even if Xu Qingbai and Xu Qingfeng married, the Xu family’s most important young master – Xu Qingchen – was still single.

“What did Li’er say?” Master Qingyun asked calmly.

Xu Hongyu smiled faintly and said, “Li’er said that court matters need not involve marriage, and she doesn’t need her brothers and friends to sacrifice their happiness for her sake. That’s why she brought up wanting Qingbai and the others to marry soon today, to cut off these people’s hopes. Li’er’s personality and thoughts are really…” In this world, people had long grown accustomed to connecting court politics with marriage. That’s why the term ‘marriage alliance’ existed, but Ye Li seemed naturally averse to mixing these two matters. It wasn’t simply because the subjects were the Xu family members and her friends.

Master Qingyun nodded approvingly, “Though her thinking differs from the norm, she dares to think and act, and dares to bear the consequences. In this aspect, you all fall short of Li’er.”

Xu Qingchen smiled, “A woman like Li’er, you couldn’t find one in ten thousand. Though it’s probably for the best that there’s only one of her.”

Xu Hongyu gave his son an exasperated look and said, “Don’t stay out of it. After all, this matter isn’t aimed at your third and fourth brothers. Young Master Qingchen… Right Minister of the Prince’s Manor, what do you plan to do?”

There were quite a few unmarried people over thirty in the Prince’s Manor, such as Han Mingyue, Han Mingxi, and even Feng Zhiyao. However, there were very few who, like Young Master Qingchen, held high positions yet showed no interest in women. Previously, with the Prince’s Manor constantly dealing with various matters, no one paid attention to this. Now that peace reigned, and Xu Qingchen had become the Right Minister of the Prince’s Manor, second only to two people, naturally more people had their eyes on him. If Xu Qingchen continued to show no interest, all sorts of unsavory rumors would surely emerge. Master Hongyu was always good at preparing for future contingencies, so he naturally had to sound a warning for his son.

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly, showing no signs of concern. Beside him, Xu Qingbai raised his eyebrows, his smile as elegant as a gentle breeze, “Isn’t Big Brother with Miss Shen…?” Having spent years in Xiling, Xu Qingbai was probably the least familiar with Yun Ge among the Xu family, hence addressing her as Miss Shen.

Xu Qingchen gave him a bland look and said, “Fourth Brother, you’re thinking too much.”

Xu Qingbai blinked, a strange smile flickering in his eyes, but remained silent.

However, reminded by his words, Xu Hongyu and Xu Hongyan exchanged glances, and finally, Xu Hongyan spoke, “Qingbai is right. Qingchen, what are your true thoughts about Yun Ge? Your mother, second aunt, and your father all like this young lady. If you have such intentions…”

“Second Uncle, you’re thinking too much,” Xu Qingchen remained elegantly detached, his smile not changing in the slightest.

Xu Qingbai studied his elder brother for a moment, then said with a smile, “I hear Miss Yun Ge is quite afraid of Big Brother. Young Master Qingchen is known for his amiability, how could anyone be afraid? Big Brother, what exactly did you do to the young lady?”

“Xu Qingbai.” Xu Qingchen called out flatly, but his eyes were full of warning when he looked at Xu Qingbai. Qingbai smiled and shrugged, raising his hands to indicate he would stop there. Though this elder brother of his always maintained an otherworldly appearance like an immortal, he could be ruthless when dealing with people. He couldn’t compete with his big brother yet – Xu Qingbai always knew his limits well.

“That young lady called Yun Ge is quite good,” Master Qingyun smiled serenely, making his judgment. Looking at his most valued eldest grandson, he said, “Now your second brother already has Rui’er, and your third and fourth brothers are about to marry. Our Xu family isn’t in a hurry about the matter of descendants. Your father and I have never pressured you about your marriage, but you should think it through properly. Surely you don’t plan to become an immortal through cultivation?”

“Grandfather’s words are too serious. Qingchen understands,” Before Master Qingyun, Xu Qingchen was always agreeable and sincerely obedient.

“Understanding is good. Don’t pressure him too much,” Master Qingyun nodded with satisfaction, speaking to his two sons. “However, since this matter is directed at you, you’ll have to handle it yourself. If you truly fancy a young lady from a noble family, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to marry her. But… your sister is right. The Prince’s Manor doesn’t need marriage alliances, neither does the Xu family. Do you understand?”

“Qingchen will remember Grandfather’s teachings,” Xu Qingchen responded solemnly.

As Xu Qingchen and Xu Qingbai walked out of the bamboo grove side by side, they saw Qin Zheng leading Hua Tianxiang and others, along with several children, playing in a flower-filled meadow outside the grove. Xu Qingbai’s gaze moved lightly from Mo Wuyou to Yun Ge, who was holding a bunch of flowers and smiling particularly brightly. He smiled faintly and said, “In all these years, I’ve never seen a young lady who could smile so happily. We… we’ve all experienced too much, understood too much, and known too much. Even when we’re happy, it’s hard to express it so freely. Big Brother, don’t you agree?”

Following his gaze, Xu Qingchen’s expression softened slightly. The meadow was carpeted with fresh grass, adorned with pale purple, goose-yellow, light blue, and pink flowers decorating this verdant world. The beautiful young lady in yellow held a bouquet of colorful wildflowers, laughing joyfully. Gentle sunlight fell upon her, making her whole being seem to glow with a soft radiance that warmed one’s heart.

Xu Qingbai was right – they had never seen a young lady who could smile so happily. Even doing nothing, just seeing her smile could sweep away all fatigue and displeasure. Perhaps this was because her life had been too pure and happy, never having experienced any of the scheming and darkness from childhood to adulthood. She was very clever, able to distinguish clearly who treated her well and who didn’t. To those who treated her well, she would repay them doubly; for those who treated her poorly, she would simply dismiss from her mind and ignore them. This was another kind of dealing with gratitude and grudges.

“Big Brother, ‘When flowers are ready to be picked, pick them now; don’t wait until there are no flowers to pick,'” Xu Qingbai left these words with a smile as he walked toward the group playing in the meadow.

“Big Uncle, Fourth Uncle!” Mo Xiaobao, who had been playing with Xu Zhirui, immediately ran over joyfully upon seeing the two. Xu Qingbai caught Mo Xiaobao and frowned, “Mo Xiaobao, you’ve gotten fat…”

Mo Xiaobao’s delicate little face instantly froze, and after a while, he raised his little paw pitifully, “Fourth Uncle, I’ll soon be as thin as a rail.”

“Why?”

“Mother punished me with three months of confinement,” Mo Xiaobao said gloomily.

Xu Qingbai patted his little head sympathetically, “Eat more these few days.” Little Bao drooped his head dejectedly.

“Big Brother, Fourth Brother,” Qin Zheng, holding Xu Zhirui’s hand, greeted them with a smile. Xu Qingchen walked forward, nodded, and said, “Grandfather is almost ready, everyone should prepare to return to the city.” Qin Zheng knew that tomorrow was the Prince Manor’s celebration, and there was still much to do. She quickly nodded and said, “Yes, let’s see what else needs to be packed.”

As Qin Zheng led the young ladies and children away, Yun Ge naturally followed beside Mo Wuyou, secretly glancing at Xu Qingchen and letting out a silent sigh of relief.

“Yun Ge, come with me,” Xu Qingchen’s calm voice came from behind.

Yun Ge’s smile instantly froze as she turned back to stare blankly at Xu Qingchen. He walked leisurely to her and asked, “Have you finished the assignments I gave you?”

“Y-yes, finished!” Yun Ge was flustered – from her appearance if they weren’t at Lishan Academy, she would have immediately run to the study to fetch her work for Xu Qingchen’s inspection. Xu Qingchen frowned slightly, nodded, and said, “Let’s go.”

Yun Ge nodded repeatedly, following carefully behind Xu Qingchen, though her view of his back seemed somehow desolate and forlorn.

Watching their retreating figures from afar, Xu Qingbai couldn’t help but burst into soft laughter.

“Fourth Brother, what are you laughing at?” Xu Qingfeng appeared behind him and asked curiously. Xu Qingbai shook his head, turned, and smiled, “Is Big Brother thinking of taking a disciple?”

“Take a disciple? What kind of disciple would Big Brother take?” Xu Qingfeng looked bewildered. What could Xu Qingchen teach – how to become another immortal young master?

Xu Qingbai stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, “But… why do I see Big Brother’s relationship with Yun Ge as that between a student and teacher? Moreover… like a very afraid student and their teacher.”

Xu Qingfeng glanced at the two distant figures and thought for a moment before chuckling. Come to think of it, it did look that way. After a while, the brothers exchanged glances, and a very strange thought occurred to both of them: Could it be that their heaven-blessed talented immortal young master… truly didn’t know the ways of the mortal world and had no idea how to pursue a girl he fancied?

To say that Young Master Qingchen truly saw Yun Ge as his disciple, no one would believe it. Though Miss Yun Ge was clever and lovely, she had no interest in the arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, especially in matters of strategy and politics. Moreover, she wasn’t clever enough to catch Young Master Qingchen’s special attention.

Thinking of this, both brothers shuddered simultaneously.

“In this world… truly no one is perfect,” Xu Qingbai sighed.

“What sin did Miss Shen commit in her past life to catch Big Brother’s eye?” Xu Qingfeng shook his head and said regretfully. Young Master Qingchen appeared gentle and refined, making people feel as if bathed in spring breeze, but when he reprimanded someone, just one cool glance could make you so ashamed you’d wish you’d never been born. No wonder little Miss Yun Ge looked like a mouse seeing a cat whenever she saw Xu Qingchen.

The brothers exchanged glances, both silently offering their most sincere blessings and prayers for young Miss Yun Ge.

In a secluded village outside Licheng, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li stood outside a humble dwelling, Mo Xiuyao’s face as dark as water. Ye Li held his hand and shook it gently. Mo Xiuyao looked down at Ye Li, and his expression softened somewhat.

Qin Feng stood not far from the couple and reported solemnly, “Your Highness, Princess, the person has left.”

Mo Xiuyao gazed thoughtfully at the humble house before him. “Mo Jingli has been living here all this time? How did no one discover him?” Qin Feng nodded and said, “Your servant has made discreet inquiries. A middle-aged man with a large beard has been living here during this period. The timing matches when Mo Jingli infiltrated the northwest, but his appearance was completely different from Mo Jingli himself.”

“A large beard?” An odd expression flashed across Mo Xiuyao’s face. “He used to disguise.”

Qin Feng nodded, “Yes, he used disguise. We found some disguise materials in the room. However… there were no traces of Princess Anxi and the young prince. The nearby villagers also say they haven’t seen any woman or infant.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded, “Mo Jingli has grown cleverer now; naturally, he wouldn’t keep Princess Anxi and the child with himself. However… if he truly lived here, then… Princess Anxi can’t be too far from this place.”

Ye Li nodded in agreement with Mo Xiuyao’s opinion and ordered, “Search for any places that could hide people within a ten-mile radius of here.”

Qin Feng acknowledged and left. Mo Xiuyao turned and took Ye Li’s hand, saying, “Let’s go inside and have a look.”

The couple entered the room, which was somewhat messy from the Prince Manor’s secret guards’ search. But even in its original state, this room couldn’t have been much better. A crude table and four long benches, a bed made of wooden planks, and a worn-out cabinet. Some tattered cotton clothes were strewn messily on the bed. Besides these, there was nothing useful.

Ye Li sighed softly, “He has changed quite a bit. In the past, he could never have stayed in such a place for so long.” Whether one called Mo Jingli ruthless or rash and impulsive, he had never truly suffered hardship, which was why he always maintained that superior, dismissive attitude. Staying in such a crude place for so long was something the former Mo Jingli could never have managed.

Mo Xiuyao smiled wryly, “People always change. If he wants to survive, naturally he must endure things he couldn’t before. Looking at it now… the results are quite good. Mo Jingli’s current complete defeat clearly shows he hadn’t suffered enough.” The saying that only through bitter suffering can one rise above others wasn’t just empty words. If Mo Jingli had gone through these experiences a dozen years ago, perhaps his future would have held more promise. Mo Xiuyao thought with some schadenfreude, completely unaware that he was the primary cause of all Mo Jingli’s suffering.

“What’s this?” Ye Li bent down to pick up an exquisite box from under the bed, frowning. Opening it, she found it contained light red rouge with an osmanthus fragrance. Ye Li frowned in confusion, “How did this get here? Could it be… Princess Anxi was indeed brought here?” Ye Li quickly realized something was wrong and shook her head, “No, even if Princess Anxi has a special status, Mo Jingli wouldn’t provide her with rouge.” But looking at the quality of the rouge box, it didn’t seem like something left behind by the house’s previous occupants. This box of rouge was worth half a year’s expenses for a family in this village.

“Nice item, Qin Feng.” Mo Xiuyao took it for a look, a strange smile appearing on his face as he handed it to Qin Feng who was waiting at the door. Qin Feng took it and sniffed, then said solemnly, “This is ‘Guanghan Fragrance’ rouge that Pinxiang Pavilion in Licheng only started selling last month.”

“You seem quite knowledgeable about this,” Mo Xiuyao gave him an ambiguous look.

Qin Feng lowered his head in embarrassment. Ye Li smiled faintly. She remembered that Yaoji also liked the scent of osmanthus. She shook her head and said, “I recall Pinxiang Pavilion’s rouge is quite expensive, not many can afford it. Look into when this was purchased.” Qin Feng acknowledged and turned to leave to arrange the investigation.

Mo Xiuyao took Ye Li’s hand and smiled, “Let’s go back. We probably won’t find anything else here. Tomorrow is the important day.” Ye Li nodded lightly, “Very well.” Whatever Mo Jingli planned to do, he wouldn’t miss tomorrow. They should indeed make more preparations.

In a remote, dark cave, Princess Anxi held her child, lovingly comforting him. The child had just nursed and fallen asleep. Fortunately, this child was well-behaved; during their days of confinement here, the few times Mo Jingli had visited, the child had been asleep and hadn’t provoked the deranged man.

Counting the days, tomorrow would be the first birthday celebration for the Prince Manor’s young master and princess. Princess Anxi understood that whatever Mo Jingli planned to do would certainly happen in these two days. She sighed softly, looking at the baby in her arms. Don’t be afraid, precious one. No matter what happens, the mother will protect you.

A tall figure appeared at the cave entrance. Mo Jingli entered, carrying an aura of rage. He looked at Princess Anxi with fury, “You seem quite at leisure!”

Princess Anxi looked up at him and said flatly, “I’m confined here, what else can I do besides being at leisure? You’ve never come at this hour before, did something happen?”

Mo Jingli laughed coldly, “The Prince Manor’s people discovered my hideout. But don’t get excited, even so, they won’t find this place.”

Princess Anxi said, “I’m not excited.” Without escaping danger with her child, she couldn’t relax for a moment, and naturally couldn’t feel happy. Mo Jingli gave a satisfied snort and said harshly, “Get up, come with me!”

Princess Anxi started, somewhat confused, “Where to?”

“What? Grown fond of this place? Don’t want to see your husband?” Mo Jingli sneered, “Give me the child!”

Princess Anxi’s expression changed. She quickly held the child behind her and angrily said, “Never!”

“I’ll say it one more time, give me the child!” Mo Jingli said sternly.

“Impossible! What do you want with my child?” Princess Anxi said vigilantly. Mo Jingli didn’t argue with her, directly moving to snatch the child. Princess Anxi was not a helpless woman and naturally wouldn’t submit easily. But with one arm holding the child, and weakened from irregular meals during their days of confinement, she was overpowered after just a few exchanges, and Mo Jingli seized the child from her.

“Shuo’er!” Princess Anxi called out anxiously, “Mo Jingli! What exactly do you want? Give my child back!”

Mo Jingli held the child and gave Princess Anxi a cold glance, “Make another rash move, and I’ll strangle him.” Princess Anxi instantly froze, her eyes fixed unmoving on Mo Jingli’s hand at the child’s neck, terrified that one squeeze would harm the child. Seeing her reaction, Mo Jingli nodded with satisfaction and smiled, “Very good. Someone will come to disguise you, then take you into the city. You’d better behave and not try anything. Otherwise… I guarantee you’ll watch this little thing die a miserable death!”

Princess Anxi’s expression changed, her face instantly turning paper-white, “Don’t harm Shuo’er, he’s innocent. If you have any grievances, take them out on me!” Mo Jingli glanced at her sideways and said in good humor, “Don’t worry, as long as you obey, I naturally won’t harm this child. Such a lovely child. My son… when he was this age, I had never even seen him.”

Princess Anxi steadied herself and said firmly, “You’d better keep your word!”

Mo Jingli laughed coldly, turned, and carried the child out, quickly disappearing from the cave entrance.

Princess Anxi stared blankly at the entrance, lost in thought. After a long while, she finally came back to herself, “Shuo’er, don’t be afraid, mother will save you.” Princess Anxi murmured, a determined light flashing in her eyes.

At the cave entrance, two men in plain clothes slipped in, approached Princess Anxi, and said solemnly, “Princess, His Majesty commanded us to disguise you.”

Princess Anxi gave them a cold glance and said firmly, “Begin.”