HomeSheng Shi Di FeiChapter 73: A Leisurely Life Under House Arrest

Chapter 73: A Leisurely Life Under House Arrest

Ye Li awoke from darkness, feeling a throbbing pain in her forehead. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly—she had been too careless. Even knowing Mo Jingqi was wary of the Duke’s mansion, she had been confident he wouldn’t dare harm the Duke’s wife within the palace walls. Yet she hadn’t anticipated Ye Yue would make a move against her. Instead of opening her eyes immediately, Ye Li lay quietly for a while, making sure no one was around before slowly opening them.

The situation seemed much better than Ye Li had initially expected. At least she wasn’t imprisoned in some dark dungeon, but rather in a well-furnished room. It was decorated in the style most favored by young ladies of the capital, with elegant and luxurious furnishings. Even the windows were covered with the gauze that the capital’s young ladies preferred. Ye Li sat up, leaning against the bedpost with a helpless smile. Her body felt weak—clearly, Ye Yue had administered some potent poison. No wonder they dared place her in such an unguarded room without any guards. They must be certain that in her current weakened state, she could barely make it to the door.

With a creak, someone pushed open the door beyond the screen. A young woman in green entered carrying some items. Seeing Ye Li sitting on the bed, she smiled with delight: “Miss, you’re finally awake!”

Ye Li looked at her, frowning slightly, “Where is this place? How long have I been asleep?”

The girl in green placed her items on a nearby table, smiling, “Miss has been sleeping here for over two days. You must be hungry after not eating for so long. Xiao Yun has prepared some porridge—would you like some?”

Ye Li watched calmly as the young woman deftly ladled out a bowl of fragrant rice porridge and brought it to her. Ye Li lifted her hand slightly and raised an eyebrow, “How am I supposed to eat like this?” She could only sit up now because she was leaning against the bedpost, and even raising her hand took tremendous effort. How could she hold her bowl and eat at the same time?

The girl in green smiled apologetically, “Xiao Yun forgot. Let Xiao Yun feed you.”

Ye Li lowered her gaze and said softly, “Thank you for your trouble, miss.”

“I’m just a serving girl, miss. No need for such courtesy.” The girl called Xiao Yun smiled gently and sat beside Ye Li’s bed, carefully feeding her the porridge. Though Ye Li disliked being treated like an invalid, she wasn’t one to harm herself. Going hungry for two days just for the sake of pride and dignity would only be self-punishment. As for this self-proclaimed serving girl, if she was truly just an ordinary servant, then Ye Li was a fool.

After the meal, Ye Li’s strength had still not returned. Xiao Yun called another maid to clear away the bowls and chopsticks, but stayed behind herself, bustling about the room. Ye Li watched her seemingly busy yet purposeless movement and said flatly, “If you have nothing to do, you can find a place to sit. Your pacing is making me dizzy.”

Xiao Yun showed no embarrassment at being caught out. She giggled, “Our master was worried Miss might be lonely alone, so he asked Xiao Yun to keep you company.”

Ye Li smiled faintly, “Your master is thoughtful. Please thank him for me.”

Xiao Yun nodded, winking playfully, “Master will be very happy to hear Miss say that.”

Ye Li smiled silently, quietly leaning against the headboard as she listened to Xiao Yun’s idle chatter without asking questions. This Xiao Yun was well-trained—trying to extract information from her would not be easy and would only make her suspicious. Since she currently lacked the strength to act, Ye Li decided not to waste the effort.

After staying obediently in the room for two days, the wariness and vigilance in Xiao Yun’s eyes finally diminished somewhat. After breakfast one morning, Ye Li asked casually, “I’d like to go for a walk, is that alright? I feel stiff after lying down for two days.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Yun agreed, calling two young maids to help Ye Li go for a walk in the garden.

After two days, Ye Li finally stepped outside her room. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, her previously gloomy mood immediately improved. Allowing the two maids to support her as she walked into the small garden, Ye Li casually observed the courtyard. It wasn’t large, and looking at the tender buds just sprouting on the tree branches visible above the wall, Ye Li smiled faintly, “Help me sit in the garden for a while. Is your master not here now?”

Ye Li pointed to the stone table and chairs ahead. The two young maids had clearly been instructed beforehand—they complied with her request to help her to the stone table but wouldn’t answer her question. Ye Li didn’t mind this, contentedly leaning against the table as she examined the flowers and plants in the garden.

It was early spring, not yet time for flowers to bloom in full glory. The north was colder than the south, and many plants were just beginning to sprout. Ye Li seemed curious about a cluster of unremarkable yellow flowers blooming in the flower bed nearest to her. As she leaned down and reached out to pick one, a cool hand grabbed hers. Ye Li looked up at Xiao Yun who had suddenly appeared before her, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Xiao Yun smiled, “Miss, these little flowers may look pretty, but they’re poisonous. It’s best not to touch them.”

Ye Li frowned, looking at the string of flower buds, “I see these are the only flowers blooming in the entire garden. Though unremarkable, they look quite elegant. I didn’t expect them to be poisonous.”

Xiao Yun smiled somewhat proudly, “Sometimes the most unassuming flowers are the most poisonous. Compared to those bright and eye-catching ones that immediately put people on guard, these inconspicuous flowers are the real treasures.”

Ye Li smiled and shook her head, “How can poisonous flowers be treasures? If Miss Xiao Yun likes flowers, I have several pots of premium orchids at my mansion. They’re blooming this season—I could give you one.”

A strange light flashed in Xiao Yun’s eyes as she smiled at Ye Li, “I forgot, miss has such a noble status, naturally you wouldn’t care for such unremarkable things. However, the flowers in this courtyard are all somewhat dangerous. If Miss likes, tomorrow Xiao Yun can have them all replaced with flowers that Miss prefers.”

Ye Li smiled and shook her head, “That won’t be necessary. Rare flowers and plants have their unique beauty, and common flowers have their charm. Besides, I don’t plan to stay here long, so there’s no need to trouble yourself with renovating the garden.”

Xiao Yun smiled, “Master instructed us servants to take good care of Miss. Whatever Miss likes, just tell Xiao Yun. If master learns that miss is unhappy, we servants will be in trouble.”

Ye Li’s beautiful eyes turned, and she smiled faintly, “Though I haven’t met your master yet, I still must thank him. Since that’s the case… I originally planned to view the peach blossoms with my… husband this year, but now it seems impossible. Could I trouble you to bring me some peach blossom branches when they bloom?”

Xiao Yun hadn’t expected such a simple request from Ye Li. She smiled generously, “Of course! Xiao Yun promises to let Miss see this year’s earliest peach blossoms. Does Miss need anything else? I can have them brought back together.”

Seeing Xiao Yun agree to her request, Ye Li’s smile seemed to become more genuine. She smiled, “If possible, please bring me some cosmetics too. I want cosmetics from the capital’s best shop, jasmine-scented ones.”

“Jasmine?” Xiao Yun started. Ye Li smiled apologetically, “It’s rather common, but I like this scent. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Xiao Yun.”

Xiao Yun shook her head, “No, whatever Miss wants, Xiao Yun will get it for you.”

Ye Li smiled, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

Watching Xiao Yun leave, Ye Li leisurely leaned against the stone table, breathing in the fresh air. Her smiling gaze fell softly on the still somewhat desolate flowers and plants in the flower bed, and the joy in her eyes grew even more pronounced.

In the Duke’s Mansion Study

Mo Xiuyao looked calmly at the documents spread before him and raised his head to ask Feng Zhiyao, who stood beside him, “What news from the palace?”

Feng Zhiyao said seriously, “Our people have investigated Yaohua Palace. It’s a palace newly built during the Late Emperor’s time and has no secret passages. However, the lotus pond in Yaohua Palace isn’t artificially dug—it connects to the palace’s river system. The secret guards suspect the Duchess was taken away through the water. And… probably before Yaohua Palace caught fire.”

“What else?”

“About Consort Ye and the Sixth Prince’s bodies—though they were burned beyond recognition, the secret guards who examined them privately confirm that the female corpse isn’t Consort Ye. As for the Sixth Prince… if Consort Ye’s body is fake, then the Sixth Prince is probably alive too.”

Mo Xiuyao gave a cold laugh, “Excellent. Two people died in the palace, and five people were missing, including Consort Ye and the Sixth Prince. Yet my Duke’s Mansion’s secret guards knew nothing of it.”

Feng Zhiyao sighed helplessly in his heart—since the Duchess’s disappearance, the Duke’s aura had become increasingly frightening. Though he spoke quietly without a trace of anger, his words made people feel chilled to the bone. No wonder others wouldn’t come in and push him to face death instead. “What movements are there among the people in the capital?”

“Mo Jingqi has sent people to search secretly everywhere. It seems he doesn’t know the Duchess’s whereabouts either. Mo Jingli hasn’t done anything—after leaving the palace that day, he went straight back to his mansion and has been going about his usual business these past few days. The others haven’t made any moves either, and there haven’t been any suspicious people entering or leaving the capital recently. It’s as if Ye Li vanished into thin air without a trace.” Feng Zhiyao was also at a loss—who could have imagined someone would dare set fire to a palace and abduct the Duke’s wife? Everything happened so suddenly that by the time they tried to find clues, all useful leads had disappeared.

“If Ye Yue isn’t dead, she must still be in the palace. I want to see her within three days,” Mo Xiuyao said deeply. “Hiding an adult in the palace might not be difficult, but an infant who knows nothing isn’t so easy to conceal.”

“Yes, my lord.” Feng Zhiyao accepted the order respectfully, then hesitated before saying, “There’s one more thing… The Duchess’s secret guards—Dark One, Dark Two, Dark Three, and Dark Four have all disappeared.”

Mo Xiuyao started, “Disappeared?”

Feng Zhiyao nodded, “It happened these past two days. After the Duchess’s disappearance, they were to be punished by the head of the secret guards, but since the Duchess hadn’t been found, the punishment was postponed. However, early this morning, all four of them were discovered missing.”

Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes in thought for a moment before saying, “Don’t worry about them for now.”

“Yes, sir.”

# At a Secret Courtyard Outside the Capital

Ye Li sat idly by the flower bed, staring absent-mindedly at the newly planted peach tree. The two seemingly mute maids who accompanied her daily stood at a moderate distance, waiting for her instructions. She reached out to poke the flower buds on the peach tree, then pouted as she played with the flowers and grass beside her. She had been staying here for five days now, and as Xiao Yun had said, everything was taken care of meticulously—except that Xiao Yun herself persistently drugged her food. However, needing to use every meal indicated that the drug’s effects didn’t last long. And the drug-savvy Xiao Yun didn’t know that some people had remarkably high drug resistance. Perhaps she knew but didn’t believe Ye Li was one of them. Though Ye Li’s current body wasn’t as resistant as before when she had undergone specialized anti-poison training, knowing she would join the Duke’s mansion in the future, she had done some targeted training and conditioning.

Xiao Yun and her hidden master had no intention of truly harming her, so they used drugs that caused no real damage to the body. This inevitably meant the drug’s duration and effectiveness were somewhat inferior, though still sufficient for ordinary people. Now, each time Xiao Yun administered the drug, Ye Li had at least half an hour when she could move freely. However, Ye Li wasn’t in a hurry to escape. Even though she usually only saw Xiao Yun and a few maids who wouldn’t speak, she could keenly sense many others watching her in secret. With her body just recovering from the drug’s effects, trying to escape would likely be difficult.

“Miss, I heard you haven’t eaten much today. Was the food not to your liking?” Xiao Yun appeared in the garden, watching Ye Li pulling at the grass with twitching eyes. “Miss, that…” Ye Li looked up, waving the weeds in her hand at her, “You mean these? They’ll affect the peach tree’s growth if they stay here, so I’m pulling them out. It’s something to do while I’m idle. Did Miss Xiao Yun need something?”

Xiao Yun looked painfully at the weeds Ye Li had carelessly tossed on the ground and forced a smile, “If Miss doesn’t like it, I can have someone clean it. How could we let Miss do it herself? I’ve had some snacks prepared. Would Miss like to try some?”

Ye Li shook her head and sighed lightly, “It’s quite boring here. With nothing to do all day, how can I have an appetite? Could you inform your master that I’ve imposed for too long and should take my leave?”

Xiao Yun smiled impassively, “Master isn’t currently at the mansion. Even if I had the greatest courage, I wouldn’t dare slight master’s guest on my own. So, miss, if you wish to leave, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for master’s return.”

“I understand,” Ye Li said flatly. “I haven’t had much appetite these past two days, so no need for snacks. Miss Xiao Yun, please go about your business.”

Xiao Yun looked at Ye Li for a while, seemingly assessing the truth in her words, before finally nodding, “In that case, if Miss gets hungry, just have someone bring food later. When the master returns, I will immediately ask him to see Miss.” After curtsying, Xiao Yun turned and left. Ye Li watched her departing figure, a cold light flashing in her eyes as her grass-pulling movements became faster.

By the time Ye Li had nearly cleared half the flower bed of grass, Xiao Yun finally came with a strained smile to invite Ye Li to meet her master. Ye Li promptly tossed aside the grass in her hands, casually dusted off her hands, and allowed the two maids to support her as she followed Xiao Yun. She was led to an empty room not far from her own. Upon entering, she saw a tall figure sitting behind a translucent screen. The two young maids helped her to a chair before respectfully withdrawing. Xiao Yun shot Ye Li a resentful glance before withdrawing as well, not forgetting to close the door behind her. Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh—she had guessed Xiao Yun wouldn’t tolerate her much longer. After all, given two more days, she would have pulled up all the precious weeds in her courtyard.

“What’s so funny?” A deep male voice came from behind the screen.

Ye Li leaned back in her chair, smiling brightly as she stared at the shadowy figure, “When I’m in a good mood, I want to laugh.”

“Good mood? Aren’t you worried at all? Don’t you want to know why you’re here? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

Ye Li said lazily, “If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. Why waste both our time? As for why I’m here… I must say, being able to take me from the palace without anyone knowing shows you have quite some skill.” The man seemed to be in a good mood and chuckled, “Taking you from the palace is nothing. It’s been seven days, and you’re right here on the outskirts of the capital, but… whether it’s your useless husband or that high and mighty one in the palace, neither has found even a trace of your clothing, have they?”

Ye Li shrugged, “Well when you put it that way, you do have some skill. And you could even get Ye Yue to help ambush me—I can’t say I was wronged this time.”

The man snorted lightly, “The women of the Ye family, whether they appear clever or foolish, all like to be presumptuous. Getting her help barely required any effort. Ye Li, care to guess when the Duke’s mansion will announce your death?”

“Unless they see my corpse, the Duke’s mansion won’t announce my death,” Ye Li said.

“Presumptuous woman! How important do you think you are to Mo Xiuyao?” The man’s voice carried anger.

Ye Li didn’t get angry, her laughter carrying a hint of mockery, “Whether Mo Xiuyao considers me important seems unrelated to you. Not planning to show yourself? Or… are you disfigured? Mo Jingli.”

The person behind the screen seemed to pause for a moment. The room was quiet for a while before erupting in unrestrained laughter. The man behind the screen stood up, laughing loudly, “Ye Li, I’ve indeed been underestimating you all along.” The man who walked out from behind the screen was tall and straight-backed, his handsome face maintaining a sense of coldness even while laughing—who else could it be but Mo Jingli?

Ye Li sat up, looking calmly at Mo Jingli, “Most people in the capital have been underestimating Your Highness, haven’t they?”

Mo Jingli gave a cold laugh, “You don’t seem surprised at all. It appears you’re not one of those people.”

Ye Li frowned slightly with helplessness, looking at Mo Jingli, “Obviously I was one of those people. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have provoked Your Highness before. Perhaps… I wouldn’t be in this situation now.”

Mo Jingli snorted, moving close to Ye Li and looking down at her, “Do you regret it? I told you, opposing me wouldn’t end well. Mo Xiuyao can’t save you.”

“Did Your Highness ever give me a choice?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow. “In Your Highness’s mind, breaking our engagement and ruining my reputation was your right, but me finding a better match for myself was slapping your face? Prince Li… who do you think you are?”

“Hmph!” Mo Jingli withdrew his sleeve and stepped back, staring at Ye Li with a domineering and vicious gaze. “Ye Li, you’ve always been good at making me angry!”

Ye Li sighed, raising her limp hand, “Your Highness has been mysterious for so long. Shouldn’t you tell me why you brought me here?”

“When did you figure out my identity?” Mo Jingli countered instead of answering.

Ye Li smiled, “About that… There aren’t many people in the capital who bear grudges against me, and even fewer who would dare to kidnap someone from the palace. And among those who would risk it and succeed, after much thought, it seemed only Your Highness fit the profile.”

Mo Jingli wasn’t as hot-tempered as he usually appeared. Hearing Ye Li’s words, he instead walked to the side and sat down, looking at her with apparent leisure, “What made you think I would take such a risk?”

Ye Li replied calmly, “When something happens to the Duke’s wife in the palace, it’s the Emperor’s responsibility regardless of whether he did it or not. Even if the Duke’s mansion didn’t cause trouble for the Emperor, the court officials and common people’s opinion of him would surely change greatly. Isn’t that so?”

Mo Jingli was in a fine mood, raising his eyebrows, “Indeed, my royal brother has thoroughly lost face this time. Do you think I don’t know Mo Xiuyao wants me and my brother to fight so he can benefit? I’ll make him show his hand first—with the Duke’s wife missing from the palace, I’d like to see him sit still! See… he’s been giving my royal brother quite a headache these past few days.”

“Is Your Highness very pleased with yourself?”

“Shouldn’t I be?” Mo Jingli smirked at Ye Li, “Does Mo Xiuyao think I’m still that fool he could toy with when we were young? Even if he knows it wasn’t my royal brother who did it, what can he do? For the sake of his reputation and face as the Duke, he has to cause trouble for my brother on my behalf.”

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, “What if he finds out it was you, Your Highness?”

“Do you think I’d give him that chance?”

‘I think he already suspects you,’ Ye Li thought silently.

“You don’t seem curious about what I plan to do with you?” Mo Jingli frowned as he studied her.

Ye Li looked up at him, “Use me to threaten Mo Xiuyao? I don’t think… I’m that important.”

Mo Jingli examined her, nodding, “To be honest, I also have some doubts about your value to Mo Xiuyao. So, for now, I don’t plan to use you as a bargaining chip with him. Moreover… I’ve suddenly thought of a more interesting approach.”

“I’m all ears,” Ye Li watched him with minimal interest.

Her indifferent response didn’t dampen Mo Jingli’s enthusiasm. His gaze swept over her with satisfaction as he narrowed his eyes, “I remember clearly what happened at Beautiful Lady Lake. I was just joking then, but now… I suddenly think it’s not a bad idea. What if one day everyone knows that Mo Xiuyao’s wife has become my woman…” As if imagining some wonderful prospect, Mo Jingli smiled smugly.

‘Then you fool will be killed by Mo Xiuyao…’

Ye Li did not doubt that Mo Xiuyao could wash away any shame imposed on him with his enemies’ blood. If someone in Mo Xiuyao’s physical condition could persist without being defeated after experiencing such desperate circumstances, and still scheme in the shadows, then he could accomplish anything he wanted. Such a person was also the most terrifying enemy.

“Ye Li, don’t you think this is a good idea?” Mo Jingli’s eyes held more amusement as he looked at her as if watching a little cat trapped in a cage. “Come to think of it, I regret giving you to Mo Xiuyao, but this is all your fault. If you hadn’t deliberately acted mediocre to deceive me, how would I have given you up to marry that fool Ye Ying who knows nothing? Isn’t this perfect now? Everything will be as it was meant to be—you’ll still belong to me.” As he spoke softly, Mo Jingli gradually leaned toward Ye Li, his tall frame making her seem increasingly helpless.

“Your Highness, I don’t recommend you do this,” Ye Li said softly, her voice clear and pleasant.

Mo Jingli chuckled softly, “I don’t need your recommendation. You just need to be obedient. Ye Li, although you’ve consistently displeased me, I’m magnanimous enough not to blame you.”

Ye Li’s smile turned cold as she slowly raised her hand to Mo Jingli’s shoulder, her lips curving into a faint smile as she breathed softly, “Is that so? Then… I assume Your Highness won’t blame me if I do this either?”

Her cool hand fell on Mo Jingli’s neck, appearing as if Ye Li was merely embracing his neck from her seated position. But this scene that should have been tender and intimate somehow emanated killing intent. Mo Jingli felt with absolute clarity something sharp pressed dangerously against his throat, ready to cut with the slightest pressure. Ye Li smiled, “I advise Your Highness not to move rashly. I’ve been pulling quite a few flowers and plants in the garden for some time. If I accidentally cut Your Highness’s noble neck, I wonder if Miss Xiao Yun would arrive in time to treat the poison?”

“Ye Li!” Mo Jingli growled through gritted teeth.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow at him, waving her free hand before him. Her beautifully maintained nails were long and hard, painted with a light touch of garden balsam juice. But around the edges, an ominous deep blue was faintly visible.

“You won’t escape even if you hurt me,” Mo Jingli said calmly, suppressing his anger.

Ye Li sighed helplessly, “As if you would let me go even if I didn’t hurt Your Highness.”

“Ye Li, release me now and I won’t hold this against you!” Mo Jingli warned in a deep voice.

The delicate finger on his neck pressed down slightly, successfully silencing him. Ye Li frowned, “Your Highness, I’m tired of your constant presumptuousness. I hope this is our last interaction.”

“Don’t even think about it!” Mo Jingli laughed coldly.

“Don’t be foolish. With someone else, perhaps we could gamble on who’s faster. But I don’t think you’ll gamble with me, because… you’ve never wanted to die. You still want to live to achieve your grand ambitions, don’t you?” Ye Li smiled.

Mo Jingli took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, “What do you want?”

“Nothing much.” Ye Li smiled sweetly, snapping her free hand’s fingers, “Dark One, Dark Two, Dark Three, Dark Four.”

“At your service, my lady.”

The door was pushed open as one figure quickly flashed in before closing it again. Another figure silently floated down from the roof, surrounding Mo Jingli from behind, one on the left and one on the right. “Dark One, Dark Three, at your service, my lady.”

Ye Li nodded with satisfaction, “Where are the other two?”

Dark Three said, “Two and Four are outside.”

“When did you find me?” Ye Li asked.

“Yesterday afternoon.”

Dark One coughed lightly and asked, “My lady, shouldn’t you… release Prince Li first?” Dark Three looked up at the ceiling, not having seen the seemingly intimate position between his lady and the Prince.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, “Your Highness?”

Mo Jingli snorted coldly, “Release me.”

Ye Li indifferently removed her hand, confident that with two swords at his back, Mo Jingli would know what choice to make if he wasn’t insane. As soon as Ye Li’s fingers left his neck, Mo Jingli immediately stood up and retreated to face Dark One and Dark Three, “How did you get in?”

“We walked in,” Dark Three answered straightforwardly.

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes, beginning to reassess the capability of these two guards in his mind. He knew something about the Duke mansion’s secret guards—they were indeed formidable. But this courtyard had layers of his guards, yet just four people could infiltrate silently…

“My lady, now should we…” Dark One glanced at his unreliable brother and stepped forward to ask for instructions.

Ye Li stood up, stretching her muscles, “Notify Dark Two and Dark Four. We’re leaving. Oh, and Your Highness, please escort us out.”

“Xiao Yun’s drug didn’t affect you?” Mo Jingli stared at her.

Ye Li shook her head, “It did, but the effects wore off.” She wouldn’t tell him that she had also made an antidote from the wild plants she’d pulled from the garden. Though not perfectly matched, such muscle-weakening drugs were all quite similar.

“Just now…”

Ye Li smiled cheerfully, looking at Mo Jingli with good humor, “If you had made any sudden moves earlier, I was planning to disable both your arms. As for this… don’t worry, there’s no poison on my hands. Why would I risk cutting myself?”

Mo Jingli remained silent for a while before finally saying through gritted teeth, “I admit defeat this time!”

“Your Highness needn’t be too concerned about winning or losing—I haven’t won either. Now, shall we, Your Highness?”

“Hmph!”

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