The First Jasmine - Chapter 115

Chapter 115 - Farewell

In the training courtyard of the Prince of Ding's Manor, Yelu Ye gazed with knitted brows and focused eyes upon the woman in white opposite him. Neither of them made a move to strike first. Looking at the calm yet razor-sharp woman before him, Yelu Ye kept his surface expression completely neutral while inwardly feeling a deep sense of shock. Now he perhaps somewhat understood why Princess Lingyun, renowned for her exceptional archery last year, had fallen in defeat to a Prince Consort of Ding who was not even familiar with gripping a bow. When masters exchange blows, what is tested is not merely physical strength, speed, combat forms, and internal energy, but even more importantly, the unyielding will to win and the overwhelming momentum that suppresses one's opponent. Just how high the martial arts of the woman before him actually were, Yelu Ye could not tell, but based solely on her unflappable poise under pressure and the razor-sharp momentum shimmering within those calm eyes like the edge of a drawn blade, the Prince Consort's state of mind was already sufficient to rank her among the ranks of top-tier martial artists.

The atmosphere in the training courtyard grew gradually heavier. Yelu Ye frowned, reached behind his waist, drew a soft sword, and said, "Please, Princess!"

Ye Li stood with her hands clasped behind her back and said calmly, "Prince, please go first."

Yelu Ye could not help letting out a bitter chuckle in his heart; it seemed this Prince Consort of Ding was fully determined to let him strike the opening blow. When he had previously suggested sparring with Ye Li, aside from wanting to get a look inside the estate, it had actually been mostly idle chatter intended merely to strike up a conversation. Yet now, the pretense had turned into reality, and he couldn't even back out of it. With a helpless shrug, Yelu Ye smiled and said, "Since that is the case, this small king will not stand on ceremony." With a flick of his wrist, the soft sword in his hand unfurled a sword flower in the air, and Yelu Ye lunged toward Ye Li using a thoroughly conventional opening stance. Ye Li frowned slightly, shifting swiftly to the side as a cold flash swept from her sleeve, her iron-cutting dagger thrusting straight toward Yelu Ye's heart. After exchanging just a few moves, Yelu Ye finally put aside the easy, relaxed attitude he had held in his eyes. He finally understood why Ye Li had dared to yield the initiative to him so magnanimously—it wasn't due to self-righteous arrogance and ignorance, but because she genuinely possessed the strength to stand toe-to-toe with her opponent. Within the span of a few moves, Yelu Ye had already realized that if he insisted on sticking to such a lukewarm set of sword forms, it would be utterly impossible to defeat this seemingly petite and delicate woman in white. Ye Li's moves were fierce, agile, and laced with hidden lethality at every turn. Completely different from the average woman's techniques, which always carried a hint of gentle beauty, she didn't care in the least whether her forms looked graceful or pleasing; the only thing she cared about was whether a move was effective. His initial contempt made Yelu Ye uncharacteristically constrained for once.

Having grasped Ye Li's strength, Yelu Ye no longer held back. With a flick of his soft sword, his moves grew equally fierce. The people of Northern Rong were naturally fierce and valorous, making them inherently unsuited to practicing soft, pliable weapons like the soft sword; yet Yelu Ye had mastered his swordsmanship exceptionally well. Moreover, as Ye Li had observed during his sparring match with Mu Yang that night, Yelu Ye did not walk a purely pliable path—his mastery of rigid, vigorous martial arts was also remarkably profound, making him a rare martial arts expert who perfectly blended hardness with softness.

Inside the training arena, the two fought to a standstill. Outside the arena, Steward Mo watched the two combatants with intense focus, his deep, aged eyes filled with both worry and profound relief. The current Prince of Ding's Manor looked endlessly glorious on the surface, but hidden crises lurked beneath; such times demanded a decisive and wise Princess Consort. Seeing that the Princess was not only intelligent and resolute, but possessed martial arts that could rightfully be called top-tier, left Steward Mo pleasantly surprised and inwardly compelled to offer silent thanks to the protective blessings of the Prince of Ding's ancestral lineage.

In the blink of an eye, over a hundred moves had passed. Yelu Ye gazed at the woman opposite him, whose expression remained calm and whose breathing showed not the slightest sign of disorder, and could not help letting out a silent, inward sigh. It seemed this woman before him would bring him surprises time and time again. He had originally assumed that even though Ye Li's moves were fierce, she was ultimately a woman and therefore destined to fall short of men in physical stamina. Furthermore, Yelu Ye had sensed from the start that Ye Li's internal energy was not particularly profound; as long as the fight dragged on, no matter how exquisite her combat forms might be, it would all be to no avail. Yet he never expected that after such a long engagement, she wouldn't show even a hint of exhaustion, as though she could continue this endless, tangled duel indefinitely. Yelu Ye's gaze darkened slightly as his longsword swept a swift, bright rainbow through the air, his entire body blasting backward to disengage. Ye Li's eyes flashed, and she firmly planted her stance without giving chase. Seeing her withdraw, Yelu Ye let out a quiet, inward breath of relief; since he could neither injure nor kill her, if they kept fighting like this, no matter who won or lost, the one looking foolish would be himself.

"I never expected the Prince Consort of Ding to truly possess such nimble and vigorous combat skills; this small king is deeply impressed." Reaching behind his back to holster the soft sword around his waist, Yelu Ye laughed heartily.

Ye Li knitted her brows slightly and said, "Since the Prince feels that is sufficient, please head to the front hall for tea, and we can discuss formal matters then."

Yelu Ye nodded indifferently, and Steward Mo, who had been standing to one side, stepped forward to escort Yelu Ye to the main hall.

Ye Li returned to her chambers to change into a fresh outfit, and her subsequent conversation with Yelu Ye naturally involved another round of verbal sparring. This Northern Rong prince bore not the slightest resemblance to the image of Northern Rong people held in the hearts of the people of Great Chu; by comparison, he acted much more like someone from Great Chu or Xiling—cunning, sharp, and refusing to yield an inch when interests were at stake. The two of them went back and forth for quite a while over the roster of capital maidens Ye Li had compiled beforehand, ultimately narrowing the marriage alliance candidates down to Princess Ronghua, Liu Yu (the niece of the Liu family's Noble Consort Liu), and Princess Qingyi (the youngest granddaughter of Mo Jingqi's sole paternal uncle, the aged Prince Jia). However, Princess Qingyi was the aged Prince's only surviving grandchild and had only just turned thirteen this year. The only reason she was included on the list was simply to make the roster look more presentable, as the Great Chu imperial family historically suffered from an abundance of princes and a scarcity of princesses, leaving virtually no eligible princesses or commandresses worth putting forward. Yet matters would likely remain just like this; whether out of regard for the aged Prince's face or because Princess Qingyi was too young and in less-than-robust health, the final candidate would inevitably have to be chosen from either Princess Ronghua or the young lady of the Liu family.

Ultimately, these three candidates required Yelu Ye to inspect them in person before a final decision could be made. Ye Li was unconcerned either way; managing to persuade Yelu Ye to narrow his inspection down to just three candidates was already a commendable feat. If Yelu Ye had insisted on viewing every single noble maiden under consideration, the noble and influential families of the capital would have found life completely unlivable. Presumably, once the Northern Rong betrothal escort delegation departed this time, quite a few joyous weddings would be held across the capital once again.

Having sent Yelu Ye off, Ye Li had barely had a chance to get up and return to her rooms when someone from below came to report that Lady Yao Ji was requesting an audience. Given Yao Ji's identity, she naturally couldn't be invited into the estate to wait while word was sent to the Prince and Princess like Yelu Ye had been; she could only wait outside the side gate for the Princess to decide whether to grant an audience or not. Hearing this, Ye Li paused in surprise; amidst the hustle and bustle of the past two days, she had completely pushed Yao Ji's matter to the back of her mind. Frowning slightly, she said, "Invite her in."

Before long, Yao Ji followed the guiding maid into the courtyard. Unlike her usual alluring attire, today Yao Ji wore only an ordinary, pale-yellowish-brown autumn-toned dress, making her appear somewhat less ravishing and more refined, almost resembling an ordinary, respectable maiden.

"This subordinate greets the Princess." Yao Ji lowered her head and offered a slight curtsy.

Ye Li waved her hand and said, "Rise. Is there something on your mind? Sit down and speak."

Yao Ji raised her head to look at her, offering a soft note of gratitude as she said, "I truly never expected that Your Highness would still be willing to see me." Ye Li smiled faintly, "If you had truly been certain I wouldn't see you, why would you have come?" Although their interactions had been sparse, Ye Li could tell that Yao Ji was an immensely proud woman who would never subject herself to humiliation by seeking out a pointless rejection. Yao Ji was slightly taken aback, then nodded with a bitter smile, "Your Highness speaks the truth." Looking at Yao Ji's emaciated and pale visage, Ye Li hesitated for a moment before asking, "How have you been?" Yao Ji smiled indifferently and said, "What is there to speak of as good or bad? I have come here today, brazenly imposing upon Your Highness, because there is indeed a matter I wish to beg the Princess to help me with."

Ye Li nodded and said, "Speak. If it is something I can assist with, I will certainly not shirk from it."

Yao Ji said, "I intend to close down the Qingcheng House, but... I myself will be fine alone; however, there are many young women left within the Qingcheng House... They are all wretched souls. If no one looks after them, the lucky ones might end up in other brothels, while others will have no idea where they might drift and be cast away. It was originally my fault that failed them... Therefore, I wanted to ask the Princess whether the Prince of Ding's Manor would be willing to purchase the Qingcheng House. Yao Ji is willing to sell it at half-price, provided that the older staff within the Qingcheng House can be given a modicum of care and consideration." Ye Li frowned slightly. "The Qingcheng House is hailed as the premier pleasure house in the capital; as long as you wish to sell it, there are bound to be plenty of people scrambling to buy it. Why must you..."

Yao Ji's smile carried a trace of bitterness as she looked at Ye Li and said, "What kind of scoundrels are capable of running brothel businesses in this capital? Do you think I wouldn't know? If the Qingcheng House falls into the hands of those people, there's no telling what kind of wretched state it would be reduced to. Furthermore... I hope news of the Qingcheng House changing owners won't leak out until at least half a year has passed."

Ye Li furrowed her brows, instantly comprehending Yao Ji's underlying intent. "You... what are your plans?"

Yao Ji lowered her head, unconsciously stroking her still-flat abdomen, and smiled faintly, "I plan to head south and take a look. The climate in the south is far more comfortable than the capital, isn't it? Over the years, I've managed to save quite a bit of silver; even if I want to live in luxury and comfort for the rest of my days, it won't be a problem."

Ye Li frowned slightly. She certainly wasn't asking about financial matters; even for a dancer, someone of Yao Ji's caliber had no need to worry about money. Yet, leaving aside the fact that the southern region was currently unstable, just considering Yao Ji's present physical condition, undertaking a journey of thousands of miles down to Jiangnan was entirely unsuited. Massaging her brow, Ye Li shifted the topic and asked, "Feng San has already returned to the capital; you haven't seen him yet, have you?" Yao Ji smiled, "He came to see me yesterday morning, but he is also quite busy. Therefore... Your Highness, you needn't mention these messy affairs of mine to him." Ye Li remarked, "I thought your relationship with Feng San was quite good."

Yao Ji smiled, "Third Young Master Feng is my friend—my only... true friend. Your Highness, you don't need to probe me; Third Young Master Feng does not harbor that kind of feeling toward me, and of course, I genuinely treat him as a friend. We are simply... you could say fellow sufferers of mutual pity."

Ye Li softly uttered an apology; she knew Feng Zhiyao held someone deep in his heart, though she had never heard Feng San or anyone else mention who that person was. Perhaps Mo Xiunyao knew, but this was ultimately Feng San's private matter, and Mo Xiunyao wouldn't proactively tell her, nor would she pry. Yao Ji shook her head generously with a smile, "I know Your Highness is concerned for me, but this sort of matter truly needn't be told to Feng San. Although Third Young Master Feng always appears carefree and indifferent toward everything, he is also the most unforgiving toward evil and injustice. He originally intended to go look for Young Master Mu, but I've already told him that we settled things between us long ago, so the marriage alliance between the Marquis of Muyang's Estate and the Sun family has nothing to do with me."

"You intend to keep the child?" Ye Li frowned. After Yao Ji said so much, if she still didn't understand what she meant, she would have lived through these past years in vain. It wasn't that her heart was ruthless, but in this era—leaving aside Yao Ji's background as a courtesan—even an ordinary woman who bore a child out of wedlock faced a harsh reality, and things would be even harder for the child in the future.

Yao Ji looked at her, a trace of faint tenderness crossing her beautiful features, and nodded, "Yes. This is my child..."

Ye Li was left speechless. Women of this era were nothing like those of her past life who treated abortion as casually as eating a meal. Even a woman like Yao Ji, steeped in the dust of the pleasure quarters, would still feel her heart soften toward her own child, let alone when it was the child of the man she deeply loved. Given Yao Ji's temperament, to be willing to submit herself to Mu Yang meant she must have loved him to the extreme; unfortunately, even a woman like this still had her moments of irrationality.

After a brief silence, Yao Ji raised her head and said to Ye Li, "Everything Your Highness said, Yao Ji understands. Thank you for your concern, but... as for the child, I have already made up my decision. As for the Qingcheng House..."

Ye Li sighed softly, nodding as she said, "I will buy the Qingcheng House. Since you have already made up your mind, I will say no more. Take good care of yourself. Later on, I'll have someone send the silver notes over to you."

Yao Ji said with gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Ye Li gently shook her head, "Take care."

"Farewell."

After seeing Yao Ji off, Ye Li sat alone in a daze within the floral hall, failing to notice even when Mo Xiunyao walked in.

"What is Ah Li thinking about so deeply?" Mo Xiunyao asked with a smile.

Ye Li shook her head and recounted the matter of purchasing the Qingcheng House, omitting only Yao Ji's pregnancy. Naturally, Mo Xiunyao cared nothing about the fate of a courtesan, so he nodded and smiled, "The Qingcheng House is indeed a good property. Although Feng San used to utilize the Qingcheng House frequently to gather intelligence, it ultimately belonged to someone else, and he still had to maintain consideration for his friendship with Yao Ji. Buying it for ourselves is fine, but... it cannot be registered under the name of the Prince of Ding's Manor." Ye Li nodded; she hadn't intended for the Prince of Ding's Manor to purchase it outright in the first place. "I'll have Mingxi handle it later." Registering it under Chu Junwei's name would neither draw too much attention nor invite suspicion. Should anyone investigate, they would naturally discover that Chu Junwei owned several modest shops across various regions, with the most lucrative one located in Guangling City.

Mo Xiunyao naturally paid no mind to such trivial matters. Sitting down beside Ye Li, he asked, "Did Yelu Ye spar with you today?"

Ye Li smiled lightly, "We just exchanged a few casual moves. However, this Northern Rong prince doesn't look like a Northern Rong person at all."

Mo Xiunyao raised an eyebrow. "Born in the imperial family, whether in Northern Rong or Great Chu, political infighting is unavoidable. For him to stand out among the Northern Rong King's many sons, his cunning and methods are naturally extraordinary. Still... to dare act presumptuously within the Prince of Ding's Manor, this prince has truly underestimated him. I just wonder if he has prepared himself to face the consequences of offending this prince?"

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiunyao in surprise, though upon a moment's reflection she instantly understood his train of thought. She merely gave a light smile without attempting to dissuade him, "The candidates for the marriage alliance have probably been finalized; it's either Princess Ronghua or the Liu young lady, though in my view, the probability for Princess Ronghua is likely higher. There will still be plenty of chaos when that happens." In terms of status, Princess Ronghua ranked higher than the Liu young lady, and in terms of appearance, Princess Ronghua was also among the foremost beauties of the capital. Moreover, given the Liu family's current soaring momentum, they likely wouldn't wish to marry off a legitimate daughter. After all, even becoming the Crown Princess would mean being far away from the imperial center, offering no substantial help to the Liu family. What the Liu family needed far more right now was to intermarry with various influential noble families. As for Princess Ronghua, while she was nominally Princess Zhaoren's beloved daughter, so what? Princess Zhaoren could not even command autonomy over her own marriage, let alone that of her daughter.

Mo Xiunyao said indifferently, "Let them fuss however they like; you needn't pay attention to them. If it gets too troublesome, you can push it onto the person in the palace. If you find it annoying, you can go visit the Imperial Aunt; the two of us could even take a short trip out of the capital for a few days."

Remembering that elite bunch she had left behind in Black Wind Valley, Ye Li smiled involuntarily and said, "That works too. In a few days, I happen to need to head out to handle some matters."