“How have Father and Grandmother been lately?” After the servants served tea and withdrew, Ye Li asked softly.
Minister Ye was taken aback for a moment. After studying Ye Li’s expression, he replied, “They’re both well, but your Fourth Sister…”
Ye Li raised an eyebrow. “Prince Li didn’t take Fourth Sister with him when he left the capital?”
Minister Ye shook his head. It was fortunate that Mo Jingli hadn’t taken Ye Ying with him; otherwise, the Ye family could never have escaped charges of conspiring with Prince Li to rebel. Although Ye Ying was now under house arrest, at least this helped convince the Emperor that the Ye family hadn’t colluded with Prince Li.
Ye Li lowered her head in thought for a moment before asking, “Who did Prince Li take with him when he left the capital?”
Minister Ye had nothing to hide and replied gravely, “He only took that woman from the Southern Frontier. He even left Imperial Consort Xianzhao behind. The Empress Dowager has taken Imperial Consort Xianzhao into the palace, but with Prince Li’s rebellion, the Empress Dowager’s situation isn’t very comfortable either.” Thinking of this, Minister Ye felt deep regret. True, he was Empress Dowager’s man and privately favored Prince Li somewhat, but he never imagined Prince Li would suddenly rebel. Had he known Prince Li would be so reckless, he would have wholeheartedly followed the Emperor instead. At least then he would still have his daughter the Imperial Consort and his imperial grandson. Now he had nothing.
“Fourth Sister is under house arrest by the Emperor?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why didn’t Prince Li take her with him? She’s his lawfully wedded wife after all. Prince Li must have known what would happen to Fourth Sister if he left her in the capital.”
Minister Ye let out a helpless sigh and said, “Ying’er is two months pregnant. She’s in no condition for long-distance travel.”
Ye Li’s thoughts turned, and she looked up at Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye with a faint smile. “Prince Li didn’t know Fourth Sister was pregnant, did he?” No matter how cruel Mo Jingli might be, he wouldn’t abandon his flesh and blood, especially since this would be his only child at present. The only possibility was that he didn’t know about Ye Ying’s pregnancy – she must have made up an excuse to stay behind herself.
Old Madam Ye felt uncomfortable under her gaze and said awkwardly, “That Princess Qixia isn’t easy to deal with, and Prince Li dotes on her greatly. With Ying’er’s limited scheming abilities, the child probably wouldn’t survive the journey to Lingzhou. Besides, Prince Li usually spends most of the year in the capital anyway, so we thought it best to have Ying’er stay here to give birth.”
Ye Li could see right through Old Madam Ye’s thoughts. With Imperial Consort Ye and the young prince dead in the palace, now that Ye Ying was carrying Prince Li’s child, they naturally wanted to keep the child in the capital to maintain ties with the Ye family. They hadn’t expected Mo Jingli to raise an army without even giving them any warning. However, this coincidentally saved the Ye family. Of course, the Emperor’s decision not to punish the Ye family likely had something to do with their connection to the Duke of Dinguo’s manor.
Ye Li sighed softly and looked at Minister Ye. “Father, the Emperor probably already knows about Fourth Sister’s pregnancy. The only reason he hasn’t moved against her yet is likely because he wants to use her child as leverage against Prince Li.”
Minister Ye had naturally thought of this already. His hurried visit to the Duke’s manor wasn’t really about Ye Ying at all. “Then we should…”
Ye Li raised her hand to stop his words and looked at Minister Ye seriously. “Father, I don’t understand much about officialdom. But what rulers hate most is when their subordinates harbor divided loyalties. Surely Father doesn’t think the Emperor is unaware of your actions these past two years? In my view, Prince Li is probably no match for His Majesty when it comes to strategy.”
Minister Ye’s expression changed slightly. “You mean…”
Ye Li took a sip of tea without answering, leaving Minister Ye sitting there with an ever-changing expression.
Old Madam Ye couldn’t sit still any longer and hurriedly asked, “Li’er, what should we do now?”
Ye Li replied calmly, “Father should quickly submit a memorial denouncing Prince Li’s crimes and begging the Emperor’s forgiveness. As for the future… the Emperor will never trust the Ye family again, so Father should also request to be stripped of his position as Minister. After that, it would be best to keep a low profile and focus on teaching young brother Rong.”
“This…” Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye were both stunned, their faces showing unwilling expressions.
After thinking for a moment, Old Madam Ye carefully looked at Ye Li and said, “Li’er, the Duke of Dinguo just achieved merit by putting down the rebellion in Yongzhou. Perhaps if we asked him…”
Seeing Old Madam Ye’s hopeful expression, Ye Li gave a cold laugh and said flatly, “The Duke of Dinguo’s manor has achieved merit in putting down rebellions many times before. Grandmother, even if you don’t know, surely Father knows the current situation of the Duke’s manor?”
Minister Ye could only sigh dejectedly. It was precisely because the Duke’s manor had achieved merit that they were even less likely to plead on his behalf – the more the Duke pleaded, the more the Emperor would suppress the Ye family. Minister Ye now didn’t know whether to feel resentful or not. Because of the Duke’s manor, the Emperor would never employ the Ye family again. But at the same time, it was precisely because of the Duke’s manor, because his daughter was the Duke’s wife, that the Ye family had escaped complete disaster.
“Father, what you can gain, you must also be able to let go. Fight when it’s time to fight, retreat when it’s time to retreat. No matter how good fame and fortune might be, how can they compare to one’s own life?” Ye Li said softly.
Minister Ye was silent for a moment, his face showing signs of struggle. Looking at Ye Li, he said, “If I in the future…”
Ye Li cut off what he was about to say. “Father, watch your words.”
Minister Ye finally lowered his head in defeat, sighing deeply and saying nothing more.
Old Madam Ye also understood that Ye Li had explicitly refused to ask the Duke to intercede, cutting off the Ye family’s last hope. Thinking about how she would no longer be the Old Madam of the Minister’s manor, and how the Ye family would decline from now on, resentment rose in her heart. “Li’er, how can you be so cruel? No matter what faults your father has, he’s still your father. The Ye family is still your maternal family – what good does it do you if the Ye family declines? The Duke’s manor has few relatives as it is, don’t you want someone in court to help out in the future?”
“Help out?” Ye Li murmured, looking up at Old Madam Ye’s pained expression. “Have Father and Grandmother visited Big Sister and the Southern Marquis’s heir?”
Old Madam Ye was speechless. They had gone to the Southern Marquis’s manor as soon as Prince Li’s situation came to light. But the Southern Marquis’s manor had refused all visitors – they hadn’t even seen the Marquis or his heir. Only a few days ago had Ye Zhen quietly returned to the Ye manor once, and her meaning between the lines was simply that the Southern Marquis’s manor could offer no help. After all, rebellion was something no subject dared to get involved with.
“Last year, Uncle mentioned to me that Father had been cautious all his life, but these past two years he’s become somewhat carried away. I mentioned this to my Grandmother too, but at the time, both Grandmother and Father probably thought I was just resentful and jealous of my Second Sister and Fourth Sisters because I was married to the Duke. At this point, not only can His Grace not plead for Father, but even if he could, has Father thought about how he would establish himself in court afterward? On my way back, I also heard that these days the Emperor favors Consort Yun and Noble Consort Wang and has shown signs of wanting to name Consort Liu’s son as Crown Prince. It seems he intends to heavily employ people from the Yun and Wang families, while the Liu family’s influence grows daily. Father, both the Liu family and the Yun and Wang families are established noble houses with deep roots, and more importantly… they’re all at odds with the Ye family. Can Father still not understand His Majesty’s intentions?”
Minister Ye seemed to age ten years in an instant and said hoarsely, “I understand… I’ll submit a memorial asking for punishment when I return.”
Seeing Minister Ye’s defeated and aged appearance, Ye Li shook her head inwardly but felt little emotion. Some people were born valuing fame and fortune above their own lives, and there was nothing to be done about it.
“His Grace has returned.”
The atmosphere in the flower hall was rather depressed when a maid’s voice came from outside. Before she finished speaking, Mo Xiuyao had already entered the hall. After returning to the capital, he didn’t even have time to change clothes before being summoned to the palace by Mo Jingqi. Mo Xiuyao was still wearing white robes, with a trace of fatigue between his brows that outsiders would find difficult to detect.
“Greetings to Your Grace!” Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye hurriedly stood up and bowed.
Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly and sat down beside Ye Li. “Minister Ye, Old Madam, you came to see Ali?”
Minister Ye nodded somewhat awkwardly and said, “Indeed. Li’er had been missing for several months, and this official and my mother were very worried. So when we heard Your Grace had brought Li’er back, we rushed over to see her.”
Mo Xiuyao nodded indifferently, naturally not taking these words seriously. If they had been worried, they would have worried earlier – how could they only start worrying now? In these past couple of months, the Ye manor hadn’t even sent someone to search, let alone sent anyone to the Duke’s manor to inquire. Even the Southern Marquis’s manor had sent people to ask twice. In others’ eyes, the Ye family wasn’t just cold-blooded – they could be called heartless.
“Nanny Sun says you’ve been busy handling manor affairs since you returned. If you’re tired, you should rest first. Those trivial matters can wait a few days,” Mo Xiuyao said softly to Ye Li, turning away from Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye. Ye Li shook her head with a smile.
Minister Ye could see that the Duke of Dinguo held no favor for him and didn’t dare to stay any longer, so he had to stand up and take his leave. Looking at the elegant yet imposingly dignified man sitting beside Ye Li, apart from the silver mask covering half his face, where was any trace of the weak invalid? If the Duke had truly fully recovered, the rise of the Duke’s manor was certain. He could only regret his shortsightedness – back then, he had overlooked them because the Emperor was wary of the Duke’s manor and because of the Duke’s health condition. Now it was too late for regrets.
“Why did the Emperor summon you to the palace so urgently?” After having people escort Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye out, Ye Li turned and asked.
Mo Xiuyao rubbed his brow, frowning as he said, “The Emperor plans to marry a princess to the Northern Rong as a peace envoy.”
“A peaceful marriage?” Ye Li couldn’t help but think of last year’s misfortunate marriage arrangement with Princess Lingyun of Xiling. She frowned in confusion and asked, “Who does the Emperor plan to send for the alliance?” The former Emperor’s princesses were all married off, and among Emperor Mo Jingqi’s daughters, the eldest seemed to be Princess Changle, born to the Empress, who was only eight years old that year.
Mo Xiuyao said flatly, “Naturally, they’ll select someone from among the capital’s nobility or royal clan. The Duke of Hua’s granddaughter is also on the list of candidates.”
“Tianxiang?” Ye Li frowned. The Northern Rong was a bitter, cold place. Besides, everyone knew that the Emperor choosing to arrange a peace marriage now was just to free up his forces to deal with Prince Li. Once Prince Li’s matter was settled, who would remember a peace envoy far away in Northern Rong? If war broke out between the two countries someday, the princess would just be a sacrifice.
Mo Xiuyao said, “You needn’t worry too much. The Emperor can’t ignore the face of the Duke of Hua and the Empress. Besides, if there is to be a peaceful marriage with Northern Rong, they’re most likely to choose someone from the royal clan. After all, the Northern Rong people aren’t so easily fooled.”
Ye Li nodded, asking curiously, “For a matter like a peaceful marriage with Northern Rong, did the Emperor need to especially summon you to the palace for a consultation?”
A trace of mockery curved Mo Xiuyao’s lips as he said, “When the princess marries, the Emperor hopes I will represent Da Chu to escort her, and incidentally attend the Northern Rong King’s sixtieth birthday celebration in September.”
For the Duke of Dinguo to personally escort the bride – this peaceful marriage’s significance was somewhat unexpected. Ye Li frowned in thought, and after a while finally raised her head and said, “The Emperor wants to remove you from Da Chu, but why?” The Northern Rong capital was far in the extreme north. To make it to the Northern Rong King’s birthday celebration in September, the escort party would need to depart by mid-July at the latest. Even if they rushed back immediately after the wedding, Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t return to the capital until October at the earliest. That meant Mo Xiuyao would be away from Da Chu for nearly three months. No one could predict how much could happen in three months.
Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, “The Emperor has made many preparations over the years. It’s hard to guess what he wants to do right now.” The thoughts of clever people weren’t hard to guess, nor were those of fools – it was precisely the thoughts of those with unpredictable minds that were difficult to fathom. Take Mo Jingli for example – even those as intelligent as Mo Xiuyao and Xu Qingchen hadn’t imagined he would raise an army in rebellion at that time. Because any of them could see at a glance that it simply couldn’t succeed. Even if Mo Jingli had allied with the Southern Frontier and broken through the Sueixue Pass, he wouldn’t have gained much advantage. It would only have brought suffering to the border civilians. And as Emperor, how much did Mo Jingqi care about the people’s suffering?
“So did you agree?” Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and said with a faint smile, “Imperial orders are hard to defy.” Ye Li shrugged helplessly, “I understand. I’ll stay in the capital.” Mo Xiuyao shook his head and smiled, “No, you should go to Yunzhou then.” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and looked at him uncomprehendingly. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, “The Duke isn’t the Emperor, and the Duke’s manor isn’t the imperial palace – it doesn’t need someone to guard it. Mo Jingqi… when pressured, he likes to make moves that harm others without benefiting himself. I’ll feel more at ease with you in Yunzhou.” The true core of the Duke’s manor wasn’t in this residence in the capital but in its people. Even if the Duke’s manor were razed to the ground, as long as its masters remained, the Duke’s manor would still be the Duke’s manor.
Ye Li shook her head and said, “That’s even more impossible. If I went to Yunzhou, wouldn’t I be putting Grandfather and the others in danger? Don’t tell me Mo Jingqi won’t move against Yunzhou. If they dare to move against the Duke’s manor, how would they be deterred by the Xu family? Besides, the palace isn’t the Duke’s manor’s only opponent.”
Mo Xiuyao gazed quietly at Ye Li for a long while before finally sighing, “Ali, I seem to never be able to let you live a peaceful, tranquil life.”
Ye Li laughed softly, “Of course, I could live peacefully and tranquility. You could hide me away somewhere no one knows about, but I wouldn’t like that, do you understand? Just like this journey to the Southern Frontier – I didn’t need to go, you could have sent someone else, and even if no one went, Brother wouldn’t have been in danger. Even if I temporarily couldn’t appear in public, I could have lived in seclusion somewhere for a while. I chose to go because I wanted to go out and see things, and I found I prefer life outside.”
Out there, even if there was danger, at least the targets were clear and friends and enemies were distinct. Back in the capital, just thinking about facing all those exchanges – smiling and speaking kindly to one’s face while setting up traps and stabbing backs – gave Ye Li a headache. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it; she just didn’t like it.
“I also think Ali is more… stunning when she’s out there,” Mo Xiuyao said softly with a laugh. In the capital, Ali always wore a faint smile in public, gentle and elegant like a perfectly qualified duchess from a scholarly family. Mo Xiuyao would never tell others that in that instant when he loosed that arrow beneath Yonglin City, he saw before him a woman in black attire no different from the Black Cloud Riders, and her backward glance, a certain cold and proud bearing and the dazzling starlight in her eyes. Never had a moment made him more clearly understand that his duchess wasn’t just that graceful woman reading by lamplight, but also this outstanding figure who could dominate the battlefield. Mo Xiuyao suddenly remembered a nearly forgotten vow he had made many years ago before his father and brothers – “My wife, Mo Xiuyao’s wife, shall be like our ancestor Princess Qingyun, campaigning with me across the four directions and sweeping through the six directions, walking hand in hand to view the ten thousand li of rivers and mountains.” That arrow, Mo Xiuyao felt, perhaps carried not just the shot that saved Ali, but also his heart.
Ye Li’s jade face flushed slightly. Since their reunion at Yonglin City, there had always been something strange when she was alone with Mo Xiuyao. Usually, when they were busy she didn’t think much about it, but whenever things grew quiet, she always felt somewhat uncomfortable. She wasn’t some emotionally stunted wooden block – naturally, she understood that after that kiss outside Sueixue Pass, their relationship was no longer the familiar friendship of before. But facing Mo Xiuyao, she could never summon the ease and casualness she had known in her past life’s romances. These seemingly uncontrollable emotions also made her feel somewhat annoyed with Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao seemed to understand her feelings well and didn’t provoke her too much. But when they were alone together, there was always more intimacy and tenderness than before.
“How are Qingluan and Qingyu? Can they be released now?” Ye Li turned her head and asked softly.
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, “There was never anything wrong to begin with. Keeping them confined was just for their safety. Now that you’ve returned safely, naturally, there’s no problem. I’ll have them released soon.”
Back in her courtyard, Qingluan and Qingyu indeed looked well – no one had mistreated them these past couple of months. Qingxia and Qingshuang also bustled around Ye Li non-stop, bringing tonics and new clothes, as if she had suffered terribly while away. Ye Li could only helplessly allow the maids to busy themselves. When they finally settled down somewhat, she dismissed Qingxia and Qingshuang, keeping only Qingyu and Qingluan with her.
“We failed in our duties. Please punish us, Your Grace,” Qingyu and Qingluan said in unison as they knelt once the room grew quiet.
“Get up,” Ye Li frowned, looking at the two of them. “Have you been well these past two months?” Both Qingyu and Qingluan couldn’t help wiping away tears. Qingluan nodded repeatedly, “We servants have been fine, we were just extremely worried about Your Grace… if anything had happened to you, we wouldn’t have had the face to see the Old Master and Young Master again, even if we died ten thousand deaths.” Seeing the obvious joy and relief in their expressions, Ye Li understood that these two maids must have worried these past two months. She sighed softly and said, “What exactly are you hiding? I understand His Grace’s nature – you’re my people, and if you hadn’t truly concealed something, he absolutely wouldn’t have kept you confined these past two months. Is it something you couldn’t tell His Grace, or something you can’t even tell me?”
The two exchanged glances, looking at Ye Li with hesitation in their eyes. Ye Li didn’t press them, just watched them calmly. After quite a while, Qingyu finally looked at Ye Li, seemingly having made up her mind, and said, “We servants… did indeed fail in our duties. Actually… I had already left before the fire in Yaohua Palace. Later, Qingluan left too, trying to save me. That’s why the guards couldn’t find us after the palace fire.”
Ye Li nodded. “Then… where did you go?”
“I saw someone, so I followed them,” Qingyu said softly.
“I heard Qingyu’s cry of surprise and followed after her,” Qingluan added.
Ye Li frowned. “Who did you see?”
Qingyu said quietly, “Su Meidie, and… His Grace.”
“Su Meidie and His Grace?” Ye Li blinked in surprise. “You’re saying you saw Su Meidie and His Grace together in the palace, so you followed them? Are you sure it was Su Meidie?” Qingyu lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ve seen the ‘Beautiful Women of Chu Capital’ painting that was gifted during Your Grace and His Grace’s wedding – she was at least seventy or eighty percent similar to the woman in the painting. There aren’t many women that beautiful even in the palace. And His Grace… that’s why I…”
Ye Li nodded slightly, understanding now why these maids had been unwilling to tell Mo Xiuyao the truth. “So, you saw His Grace meeting with a woman who looked very much like Su Meidie in the palace, and then coincidentally the Yaohua Palace caught fire and I disappeared, so you deliberately concealed this and wouldn’t tell him the truth.” Qingyu bit her lip and nodded.
Ye Li thought for a moment and asked, “Did you consider… if His Grace’s legs were still impaired at that time, wouldn’t meeting a woman in the palace be rather conspicuous? With His Grace’s martial arts skills, you shouldn’t have been able to get too close, and if you weren’t close, how could you be sure the people you saw were Su Meidie and His Grace?”
Qingyu said, “I can’t be completely certain that woman was Su Meidie. But that man’s voice was His Grace’s.”
Ye Li frowned. She knew Qingyu’s hearing ability – Qingyu had exceptionally good hearing since childhood, even much better than Qingluan who had trained in martial arts from a young age. Once she heard a voice, she would never forget it, let alone someone like Mo Xiuyao whom she saw almost daily.
“What about Qingluan?”
“I heard Qingyu’s cry of surprise. Since Qingyu knows poisons but not martial arts, I rushed over immediately. But I was knocked unconscious just after catching a glimpse of Qingyu’s back.”
Qingyu frowned, “I was startled when I heard His Grace’s voice and then was knocked unconscious. But… it was such a quiet sound, it couldn’t possibly have alerted Qingluan.”
Ye Li smiled slightly, “You’ve both had a difficult two months. Tell me what you think about all this?”
The two looked at each other, and Qingluan carefully glanced at Ye Li before saying, “I… I didn’t think anything…”
Qingyu said, “At the time, I suspected… His Grace and someone… then heard Your Grace had disappeared, so…”
Ye Li smiled, “So you suspected His Grace conspired with someone to harm me?”
Qingyu’s face reddened, while Qingluan stared at Qingyu with wide eyes, looking shocked. Ye Li understood that what they said must be true – after all, Qingluan and Qingyu had been housed separately these past two months and had no chance to meet. The guards had found them in different places too. Unless they had coordinated their stories before the guards found them, there was no reason to doubt their words. These past two months, Qingluan had been very quiet, only crying constantly at first. In contrast, the usually quiet Qingyu had repeatedly tried to escape and always showed hostility toward the manor’s people. If this was because Qingyu had seen Mo Xiuyao while Qingluan hadn’t, it would make sense.
After thinking it over, Ye Li nodded and said, “I understand. Qingyu, don’t mention this matter again. I trust His Grace, understand?”
Qingyu frowned slightly, wanting to say more. Ye Li said calmly, “Sometimes what our ears hear isn’t necessarily the truth. Have you considered – if it was His Grace, with his meticulous nature, would he appear in the palace on the very day he knew I was going there? Moreover, there’s an even bigger flaw – you’re both still alive. You were knocked unconscious because you discovered His Grace, so… Qingluan aside, why are you still safe and sound? This is the Duke of Dinguo’s manor – if His Grace wanted to silence someone, forget about you two servants, even I as his wife couldn’t escape, understand?” Qingyu’s face paled. “Your Grace means to say…”
Qingluan asked in confusion, “If someone wanted to sow discord, did they know Your Grace wasn’t harmed in the fire?”
Ye Li nodded and smiled, “Very possibly. However, if something had happened to me and His Grace knew you were truly innocent, he would naturally have released you. What would Qingyu have done after being released?”
Qingyu said firmly, “Naturally, I would have reported everything to the Old Master and Young Master and Young Lord, to seek justice for Young Miss!”
Qingluan cried out, “The other party wanted to drive a wedge between the Duke’s manor and the Xu family?!”
Ye Li pressed her forehead and said, “Whether they wanted to drive a wedge between His Grace and me or between the Duke’s manor and the Xu family depends on whether they knew about the Yaohua Palace fire. Though it amounts to the same thing – if His Grace and I had a falling out, how could relations between the Duke’s manor and the Xu family remain good?”
Qingyu said with a pale face, “I… I suspected His Grace… did I mess things up?” But what she couldn’t figure out no matter how hard she thought was who that person could have been – she trusted her ears far more than her eyes.
“It’s alright, fortunately, His Grace also suspected you knew something dangerous, which is why he confined you. No real harm has been done. As for that ‘His Grace’ you mentioned… I’ll look into what that was about,” Ye Li said with a slight smile, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Sure enough, the troubles started as soon as they returned to the capital. Well then, let her see if there was a second Su Meidie and Mo Xiuyao in the capital.
Qingyu nodded seriously, “I also want to know what kind of person could deceive my ears.”
Ye Li smiled faintly – even what we see with our own eyes can deceive us, let alone what we hear with our ears. However… she too wanted to know who could understand her and those around her so well.