The First Jasmine - Chapter 113
Chapter 113 - Secrets in the Peach Forest
Ye Li shuttled swiftly through the somewhat dim palace, as familiar with its layout as though she had walked it a hundred or even a thousand times. Her slender figure landed with nimble grace beneath the eaves of a palace hall. Pulling to a halt, Ye Li raised her head to look toward the rooftop behind her and said indifferently, "Prince Yelu, is there something you need by following this consort at an hour like this?" Having his whereabouts exposed did not fluster Yelu Ye in the least; he openly leaped down from the roof and laughed, "Is the Princess going to find the Prince of Ding? Do you know where the Prince of Ding is?" Ye Li replied calmly, "That hardly seems to concern Prince Yelu. With all the time you're spending on such thoughts, Prince Yelu, you'd be far better off figuring out how you're going to explain the assassination attempt right after arriving in Great Chu."
Just now on the Star-Gazing Pavilion, the assassins had called out Yelu Ye's name directly, and the number of people who heard it at the time was definitely not small. Although few people knew about the assassination that had occurred earlier at the lantern festival, it was far from certain that word wouldn't leak out. If there were any significant casualties or fatalities tonight, those aristocratic and influential families would likely pin eight-tenths of the blame squarely on Yelu Ye.
Yelu Ye looked injured and innocent. "This prince has come from afar. Who could have known that Great Chu is even more dangerous than our Northern Rong?"
Ye Li gave a cold laugh. "Compared to Northern Rong, Prince Yelu looks far more like one of our Great Chu people to me." Without waiting to see what expression Yelu Ye wore, she turned and strode rapidly forward. The two of them walked through the imperial palace, maintaining a distance not too far nor too close, one right after the other. Perhaps because of the assassins, the majority of the guards had rushed toward the Star-Gazing Pavilion, and the palace's inner security at this moment was surprisingly less strict than usual. As she walked, Ye Li could not help frowning slightly; if anyone were to quietly sneak into the palace and hide at a time like this, the consequences would be unthinkable. Yelu Ye followed leisurely behind Ye Li. He had already perceived that the Princess of Ding was not wandering blindly around the palace in search of random places, but was heading purposefully along a specific direction. Yet with his keen eyesight, he had entirely failed to spot a single trace left behind by Mo Xiunyao along the way. After pondering for a long time, he could only attribute it to some hidden marking belonging to the Prince of Ding's Manor that he was not yet aware of.
Before long, the two of them reached the edge of the peach forest at the fringe of the imperial garden.
Yelu Ye frowned and asked, "Princess, are you certain you haven't taken the wrong path?"
Ye Li vaulted gracefully across a stream blocking their path and answered calmly, "I never invited the Prince to tag along." The moment her feet touched the ground, Ye Li strode unhesitatingly into the peach forest. Yelu Ye shrugged and followed with a smile, "The Princess is certainly trusting toward me. Aren't you afraid I might launch a sneak attack from behind?"
"Feel free to try."
Yelu Ye rubbed his nose, left speechless. Though he wasn't lacking in courage, he certainly wasn't fond of courting death. Leaving aside the Prince of Ding Consort's own formidable personal strength, the moment they stepped into the imperial garden, he had vaguely sensed someone tailing them from behind. If that were all, it might have been fine, but he had remained entirely unable to pin down the identity of their stalker—a realization born purely from the instinct of countless brushes with death since childhood. Since the Princess of Ding put it that way, Yelu Ye was well aware that whoever was tailing them had to belong to the Prince of Ding's Manor. In his heart, he could not help but harbor a secret resentment toward the formidable power of the Prince of Ding's Manor. The palace had already turned into a boiling pot of chaos, yet Yelu Ye could guarantee that the Prince of Ding's people didn't have a single guard, not even the most insignificant one, showing the slightest trace of panic.
Not long after entering the grove, Yelu Ye caught the sound of voices carrying from a distance. However, rather than the clash of battle, it sounded somewhat like a female voice arguing over something. Glancing ahead at Ye Li, whose expression was obscured in the shadows, Yelu Ye smiled with keen amusement; following this woman had indeed turned out to be the right choice.
Deep within the peach forest, Princess Zhenning sat bewildered on the ground, staring up at the imperial concubine before her who looked completely different from usual. Having just suffered a scare, she had clearly wanted to fling herself into her mother's embrace and cry, but she could only sit blankly on the ground, not even daring to let her cries escape her throat. For her mother did not even deign to give her a proper glance. Young though she was, she possessed an acute sensitivity that told her mother did not wish for her voice to interrupt her right now.
Mo Xiunyao looked at the woman in white before him and frowned involuntarily. "Since Princess Zhenning is unharmed, this prince will take his leave." Not long after chasing out of the Star-Gazing Pavilion, he had realized that the assassins who snatched Princess Zhenning had no intention of harming her; they had simply wanted to lure him away. Yet Mo Xiunyao had never expected that the mastermind behind the abduction of Princess Zhenning would turn out to be arranged by the woman before him, nor that she could accurately calculate that Mo Jingqi would order him to step in and rescue Zhenning. It seemed he had consistently underestimated Noble Consort Liu's influence over Mo Jingqi.
"Do you truly despise me to such an extent..." Noble Consort Liu murmured softly, her normally cold and aloof voice carrying an inexplicable trace of lingering resentment out of thin air.
Mo Xiunyao frowned, turning his head to look at Noble Consort Liu as he said, "Between the Noble Consort and this prince, we shouldn't even be at the point of discussing whether we despise each other or not."
Hearing this, Noble Consort Liu's face turned pale. She bit her lower lip lightly, unable to utter a word. Such a reply was, in truth, even more damaging than pure hatred. In Mo Xiunyao's eyes, she didn't even possess the qualification to make him feel hatred, because the two of them had never had any relation to begin with.
"Why... Why must you treat me this way?" Noble Consort Liu asked with a trembling voice, her snow-cold visage taking on an added layer of vulnerability and sorrow, making her appear far more delicate and helpless than her usual lofty demeanor. She raised her head to look at Mo Xiunyao, asking with bitter unwillingness, "Why are you never willing to even glance at me? Back then it was Su Zuiedie, and now it is Ye Li. I have never been inferior to either of them. Xiunyao... why won't you look at me..." Whether in family background, appearance, or talent, she had never lost to anyone; even toward Su Zuiedie, who had been peerlessly dazzling across the realm back then, she had never felt the other woman was vastly more beautiful than herself. Yet ever since their youth, this man whom she had fallen in love with at first sight upon their very first meeting had never been willing to spare her an extra glance. In the past, his eyes were only for Su Zuiedie; he would only smile gently at her, only accompany her to play the zither, compose poetry, and paint. He would never notice that there was also a woman standing right beside them. Originally, she thought that once Su Zuiedie was gone, he would no longer treat anyone with special regard, but what about now... As a woman who deeply yearned for Mo Xiunyao with her whole heart, she was more sensitive than anyone else—Mo Xiunyao treated Ye Li with an exclusivity that surpassed even how he had treated Su Zuiedie.
Mo Xiunyao frowned with displeasure. He was not unaware of Noble Consort Liu's feelings toward him. It was simply that in their youth, he had completely disregarded them. As the second young master of the Prince of Ding's Manor whose fame swept the capital, how many maidens harbored dreams in their boudoirs, and across the entire capital, the number of women who had secretly given him their hearts was countless. Furthermore, owing to his mother and father, he had no intention of paying attention to other women around him when he already had a fiancee. Once Noble Consort Liu entered the palace, any such notion became even more out of the question; no matter how much he loathed Mo Jingqi, he would never stoop so low as to flirt with the emperor's consorts. Therefore, he was utterly incapable of understanding what on earth was going on with Noble Consort Liu's current grievances. "Noble Consort, choose your words carefully. This prince's name is not something just anyone can casually shout."
Noble Consort Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Why are you never willing to look at me? Am I truly that unappealing in your eyes?"
Mo Xiunyao frowned and said, "This prince advises you to maintain your self-respect."
"I can discard the status of Noble Consort!" Noble Consort Liu cried out, her voice carrying a trace of weeping. "Do you think I wanted to be this Noble Consort? None of this was my own wish... As long as you... as long as you... I can throw everything else away..."
Mo Xiunyao stared with knit brows at the woman in white who had clearly lost control of herself, turned around with an indifferent expression, and walked away.
"Don't leave!" Noble Consort Liu cried, lunging forward in an attempt to grab the hem of Mo Xiunyao's sleeve. However, although her martial arts were not weak, she was in an entirely different league from Mo Xiunyao. Having no intention of hurting her, Mo Xiunyao merely flicked his sleeve slightly and brushed her aside. Noble Consort Liu's body swayed before she finally collapsed onto the ground. "Don't leave... Xiunyao, I have an important matter to tell you. Mo Jingqi... Mo Jingqi harbors ill intentions toward the Prince of Ding's Manor; he is plotting against you." Lowering his gaze to look at her, Mo Xiunyao said indifferently, "When has the Emperor ever harbored good intentions toward the Prince of Ding's Manor? The several times you protected Ah Li previously, and saving Princess Zhenning today, will be considered this prince returning your favor. The Noble Consort would do well to take care of herself; our Emperor is not someone with a particularly generous and forgiving stomach."
"Why..."
"Tsk... What a heart of iron. This Noble Consort is truly a beauty rarely seen." In the shadows of the peach forest, Yelu Ye chuckled gleefully beside Ye Li.
Ye Li glanced at him indifferently. Seeing Noble Consort Liu here truly did take her by surprise. When she descended from the Star-Gazing Pavilion, Noble Consort Liu had still been by Mo Jingqi's side; just how had she managed to shed herself of notice in such a short span of time and appear here in this peach forest? She had long since known of Noble Consort Liu's feelings for Mo Xiunyao, and was equally clear on Mo Xiunyao's stance. Consequently, seeing these two individuals together hadn't particularly provoked her anger; she was merely astonished by the depth of Noble Consort Liu's romantic obsession and her reckless disregard for consequences. Looking at Princess Zhenning, who was still sitting on the ground and too terrified to speak, Ye Li inwardly shook her head. Harboring a deep, unwavering affection for a man was no crime, but if one cast everything else aside for that sake, it ceased to be a commendable thing. Just how indifferent to her own daughter must Noble Consort Liu be to air her feelings for Mo Xiunyao right in front of her child? One had to realize that although Princess Zhenning was only eight years old, an eight-year-old child in the imperial household was no longer completely ignorant of the world.
"Well now, Princess, aren't you going to step out and take a look?" Yelu Ye smiled. "Seeing the Noble Consort display such deep affection, doesn't the Princess have any thoughts at all? What if the Prince of Ding is moved..."
Ye Li swept an unamused gaze over him. "If the Prince wants to sow discord, use a more clever excuse." Did he take her for a fool to walk out right now? Right now, Noble Consort Liu was likely only consumed by heartbreak and sorrow; if Ye Li were to show herself before her as well, it was entirely possible that Noble Consort Liu's emotions would instantly transform into boundless hatred. Of course, that wasn't to say she didn't hate her already. Ye Li reminded herself inwardly to be a bit more cautious around Noble Consort Liu in the future. The woman's face had already been ruined, yet she could still manage to charm people—clearly, the disfigurement hadn't been thorough enough. Ye Li mentally began calculating. Back in the peach forest, Mo Xiunyao unconsciously felt a chill run down his spine. Glancing at Noble Consort Liu, who was weeping like pear blossoms drenched in rain, he turned around and walked away without the slightest hesitation.
Mo Xiunyao stepped out of the peach forest, stood by the riverbank for a moment, and then turned back to say with a faint smile, "Ah Li, since you're here, why didn't you come out?"
Ye Li strolled leisurely out from the peach forest and smiled lightly, "I was simply afraid of ruining Your Highness's affairs."
Mo Xiunyao fell silent for a moment before saying, "This prince suddenly felt a flutter in his heart just now. Ah Li, you weren't thinking about ruining this prince's face, were you?"
Ye Li glared fiercely at him. She would never admit that her thoughts had been guessed right on the mark. Yelu Ye followed leisurely behind Ye Li, looked at Mo Xiunyao, and smiled, "The Prince of Ding truly possesses an extraordinary demeanor; this humble prince is deeply impressed."
Mo Xiunyao replied indifferently, "Prince Yelu is too polite. This prince cannot compare to Prince Yelu..." Before he finished speaking, Mo Xiunyao turned sideways to look toward the other end of the imperial garden. Yelu Ye remarked, "It seems someone is looking for Prince Yelu..." Yelu Ye raised his eyes to look ahead as several figures hurried toward them—clearly imperial guards of the palace. It appeared that no matter how terrified of death Mo Jingqi was, he hadn't forgotten that an esteemed guest was still unaccounted for. With a soft tsk, Yelu Ye beamed brightly at Ye Li and said, "This prince won't trouble the palace guards after all. Princess of Ding, we shall meet again tomorrow." With those words, he vaulted lightly and vanished into the peach forest.
"This subordinate greets the Prince and the Princess!" Several guards hurried over. Seeing Mo Xiunyao and Ye Li standing side by side, they froze for a moment before hastily stepping forward to pay their respects.
Mo Xiunyao nodded. "What are you all doing here?"
The lead guard replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, during the chaos earlier, it was discovered that Prince Yelu and the Princess of Ding had gone missing, so we subordinates were dispatched by His Majesty to search everywhere."
Mo Xiunyao nodded and said calmly, "The Princess was worried about this prince, so she followed along to check. You can send someone to report to His Majesty that the Princess is with this prince. As for Prince Yelu... continue your search." Naturally not daring to delay, the guards bowed out to the two of them and split up: one to report to Mo Jingqi and the others to continue their search for Yelu Ye.
Ye Li glanced back toward the peach forest and frowned. "Noble Consort Liu..."
Mo Xiunyao pulled Ye Li along as they began walking back, saying with a soft, teasing smile, "Noble Consort Liu has nothing to do with your husband, my lady, so please do not wrong me."
Ye Li shot him a sideways glance. "Will leaving Noble Consort Liu in there be alright?"
Mo Xiunyao replied, "Noble Consort Liu is not as simple as you think. Do you really believe that if she only possessed ordinary martial arts, she could have traveled from the Star-Gazing Pavilion to this place in such a short amount of time? If you are on good terms with the Empress, you'd best remind her to watch out for Noble Consort Liu." Ye Li gave Mo Xiunyao a rather peculiar look. Just moments ago he had claimed he owed Noble Consort Liu a favor—even though he had just paid it off, he couldn't just turn around and treat her like a stranger without a second thought, could he? Smiling, Mo Xiunyao looked at her and said, "Do you honestly think that if I accepted her just now, she would truly throw everything away and run off with me?"
Ye Li raised a brow. Wasn't that the case?
Mo Xiunyao said indifferently, "How could an aristocratic family ever nurture a woman who loses her mind over romance and disregards everything else? If she genuinely wanted to throw everything away as she claimed, how could she have continuously given birth to two sons and a daughter while holding supreme favor in the inner palace? She doesn't truly want to be with me; she simply cannot stomach the fact that back then I treated her as if she were invisible, yet now I treat you so well." Ye Li frowned. She believed that Noble Consort Liu held genuine feelings for Mo Xiunyao. At the very least, it wasn't entirely motivated by ulterior plans; for a woman of such immense pride to plead with a man like that while knowing the odds of success were slim, there had to be a fair share of genuine sincerity and hope mixed within.
Still... sincerity or not, it was useless. Mo Xiunyao already belonged to her, and she refused to let anyone else lay a finger on him.