The First Jasmine - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Ambition and Power

"Your Ladyship?"

Inside the chaotic palace hall, a heavy silence reigned. Only after a long while did the little palace maid kneeling on the floor call out cautiously.

The usual composure had already returned to Noble Consort Liu's face. As though nothing at all had occurred just now, she spoke detachedly: "You may rise. What exactly happened at the Prince of Li’s Manor today? Mo Jing Qi would not fly into a frenzy without rhyme or reason. Today is the day the Prince of Li marries his parallel consort, but other than that, no major event has taken place. Although the Prince of Ding’s return to action after his marriage has made him somewhat anxious recently, it shouldn't have caused him to erupt so suddenly. Therefore, something unexpected must have occurred today."

The little palace maid expressed her gratitude and rose, stepping over to Noble Consort Liu's side before whispering: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager had previously rushed to the Prince of Li’s Manor in a hurry. Afterward, the Emperor summoned the Prince of Li, the Princess Consort of Li, and Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao into the palace. The moment the Prince of Li departed, the Emperor immediately came to see Your Ladyship. This servant lacked the time to report these matters to you earlier."

Noble Consort Liu frowned. "Summoned the Prince of Li into the palace? What about the Prince of Li’s wedding?"

The little palace maid replied: "This is precisely what this servant was about to report to Your Ladyship—the wedding has been canceled. It is said that the Heir Apparent of Xiling’s King Zhennan grabbed the Xiling princess on the spot and departed in a towering rage. It appears... something occurred in the area where the female guests rest at the Prince of Li’s Manor..."

Frowning, Noble Consort Liu waved her hand and said, "Send word back to request my mother to find a way to enter the palace as soon as possible within these next few days." Even if one was highly favored, being confined within the inner palace meant one's grasp of information regarding the outside world would always be a step too slow.

"This servant obeys your command. Your Ladyship... as for the Emperor's side..."

The corners of Noble Consort Liu's shapely lips curled slightly into a cold smile. "It is nothing. He likely suffered a bout of anger at the Empress Dowager's place. When he returns later, I shall simply find a way to help him vent his anger."

The little palace maid pursed her lips and smiled. "It is still Your Ladyship who understands the Emperor best. However... the Master had someone pass a message to Your Ladyship, asking Your Ladyship to... be careful of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager above all else. After all..."

After all, the Empress Dowager was a woman who had fought her way out from among the late Emperor's numerous high-born consorts. Not only had she given birth to two sons, but she had also defeated those women and princes to ultimately support her own son onto the dragon throne. The Empress Dowager was absolutely not a woman who could be easily dealt with.

Noble Consort Liu spoke detachedly: "This Consort is well aware. The Empress Dowager is indeed formidable, but... this Consort is no pushover either! The Empress Dowager is indeed clever and capable, but her greatest blunder is that she has never understood what her own son is thinking."

Did she truly believe Mo Jing Qi was the only one who could not tolerate her desire to control everything? No man with ambition could ever endure it; it was merely that some were unwilling to endure, while others had no choice but to bear it.

The Prince of Ding’s Manor

Deep within the most secluded section of the Prince of Ding’s Manor, upon the hidden martial arts training field, Ye Li stood with a rare, gloomy expression, staring at Qing Luan and A-Jin as they used Qinggong to fly back and forth in front of her. Qing Shuang, whose Qinggong was equally poor, hid to one side while giggling secretly. Even the corners of Mo Xiu Yao's lips, as he sat nearby, could not resist quietly turning upward into a slight arc.

Ye Li truly could not comprehend why—given her physical coordination, balance, and various other physical attributes, coupled with what Mo Xiu Yao described as an excellent constitution for martial arts—she simply could not master Qinggong! Whether it was the plum blossom stakes or any other training stakes, she could navigate them with ease, walking upon them as though walking on flat ground. She had even managed to master inner energy—a concept modern people viewed as profoundly mysterious—so why could she not take flight? To make matters worse, Mo Xiu Yao had specially unearthed a set of Qinggong techniques said to be suitable for women's practice. By now, even Qing Shuang had learned it with decent form, yet she herself simply... felt nothing!

In truth, if it were in actual combat, Ye Li felt that whether one knew Qinggong or not didn't make a significant difference. In any case, scaled walls over a chang high presented absolutely zero pressure to her even without Qinggong. Furthermore, when it came to infiltration and stealth, she didn't believe anyone with high Qinggong could perform better than her. In actual close-quarters combat, Qinggong was even less effective.

But... flying high and traversing distances through Qinggong was the dream of every Chinese person who possessed a wuxia dream, wasn't it? Since it truly existed, and based on the principle that having more skills never burdens the bearer, why shouldn't she learn it?

"Ah Li, what are you thinking about?" Seeing that Ye Li had become uncharacteristically irritable, Mo Xiu Yao showed great grace by not mocking her. However, one only needed to look at the brightness in his eyes to know that it wasn't that he didn't want to laugh, but rather that he was holding it back.

Ye Li shot a resentful glance at the three individuals darting across the entire training field before speaking: "I likely possess no talent for learning Qinggong."

"Learning Qinggong does not require much talent. Only exceptionally profound Qinggong requires talent; that is not something a mere manual can determine—take Young Master Feng Yue, Han Ming Xi, for instance. His martial arts are ordinary and his inner energy is average. Had it not been for that set of Qinggong that is more brilliant than many peak experts, he would have died an unknown number of times."

"This is unscientific!" Ye Li felt the veins on her forehead throb. This fundamentally exceeded the scope of the human body's limits. How could it not require talent, and how could it not require exceptionally high inner energy? Most importantly... humans fundamentally cannot fly!

"What is Ah Li thinking about when you execute Qinggong?" Mo Xiu Yao inquired patiently.

Ye Li felt somewhat dejected, but she still described her thoughts to Mo Xiu Yao in meticulous detail.

Upon listening, Mo Xiu Yao was caught between tears and laughter. "Ah Li, if you consistently think this way, you will never be able to learn Qinggong. How can you execute Qinggong while simultaneously telling yourself that it is impossible for humans to fly?"

Ye Li naturally understood this; it was practically equivalent to self-hypnosis. Ordinary people of this era naturally wouldn't face such a psychological barrier. But Ye Li was different. Even though she had once been the most exceptional soldier, and even though people could fly in the sky aboard airplanes or even venture into outer space, the people of that era still held a deeply rooted, unerasable notion within their hearts: humans cannot fly using their bodies alone. Therefore, Ye Li would always subconsciously want to step on something to borrow force. The moment she failed to find that object and the distance her body left the ground reached the threshold of what her consciousness deemed the human body's limit, her body would subconsciously enter a self-preservation state and plunge back down.

"Ah Li, Qinggong does not allow you to fly out of thin air either. It also requires borrowing force; it is merely that the force required is far less and smaller than what a person without Qinggong needs. It could be a treetop, or some other minor object, as long as you can control it sufficiently well."

Ye Li stared at him expressionlessly. Mo Xiu Yao let out a helpless smile. Striking his right hand against the armrest of his wheelchair, his entire body suddenly leaped upward, soaring toward the martial arts training field not far away.

Following a brief flash of surprise, Ye Li stared unblinkingly at his figure. She watched as his hand tapped against a wooden stake on the training field with extreme speed before turning toward another spot. Next was a treetop at the edge of the training field, then the rope net Ye Li had arranged across the area, before he finally dropped back down into his wheelchair.

"Did you see clearly?" Mo Xiu Yao asked with a smile, extending his hand to hand her a pale yellow flower he had plucked from the treetop.

"This is fundamentally unscientific!" Ye Li gritted her teeth, staring fixedly at Mo Xiu Yao as she spoke harshly. Was this an individual who had difficulty walking? Was he? Was he? In truth, she was the one who had difficulty walking, wasn't she?

"Hmm?" Mo Xiu Yao looked at her in confusion.

"I understand." Ye Li accepted the flower and toyed with it in her hand. "I need to think about it."

Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, "I feel Ah Li is simply thinking too much. Or perhaps you could try imagining the scenario of you falling down from a hundred-chang cliff. With nothing to rely on and nothing to grab onto, there would naturally be no place to borrow force."

Ye Li looked at him silently. She had truly leaped down from a sky of several hundred—no, several thousand feet. If that was all it took... every airborne paratrooper would become a Qinggong expert. "I understand. I shall go give it a try."

Ye Li's version of giving it a try was to have A-Jin carry her up to the top of a wooden pole standing a full twenty meters high at the edge of the training field, and then... leap down!

The first time, she suddenly tumbled down at a height of about ten meters. Ye Li's luck was decent; she was caught briefly by a treetop before falling into the sandpit at the edge of the field.

The second time, she traversed horizontally across nearly half the training field, but failed to find the next point to borrow force in time, falling from a height of five meters. Her body's self-preservation response performed well; she merely scraped a bit of skin.

The third time, she lost control momentarily and crashed straight into a wooden stake on the training field, the pain causing Ye Li to remain incapacitated for a long while.

The fourth time...

The fifth time...

 

Mo Xiu Yao sat at the edge of the field, quietly watching that slender figure leap down, fly up, and tumble down again time after time. Then she would climb up, check that nothing was broken, and leap again, only to tumble again. Mo Xiu Yao did not stop her. Watching her fail time after time, and then try again and again, a certain intense and unfamiliar emotion quietly churned within his calm eyes for the first time. Reflected within his deep gaze was only that slender figure constantly falling and constantly standing back up.

"Mo Xiu Yao, you are actually mistreating a woman?!" Feng Zhi Yao's voice abruptly echoed across the quiet training field. The secret guards silently protecting them from the shadows twitched their lips, nearly tumbling from their hidden perches.

Feng Zhi Yao strolled over while swaying his folding fan. Glancing at Ye Li within the training field, he then looked at Mo Xiu Yao, who sat silently at the edge, shaking his head as he sighed: "A-Yao, that is your wife, not your enemy. I did not expect that as the years passed, you would become increasingly ignorant of how to cherish a beautiful woman."

Mo Xiu Yao lifted his head, delivering a detached sweep of his gaze over him without speaking. Watching Ye Li constantly fall to the ground, his mood was far from pleasant.

Finding himself rebuffed, Feng Zhi Yao rubbed his nose and stood silently to one side. After watching for a good while, he asked with some confusion: "What exactly is Sister-in-law playing at?"

"Qinggong," Mo Xiu Yao stated.

Feng Zhi Yao's expression contorted, his chin nearly getting poked by his fan. "Practicing Qinggong? This... is she not afraid of plunging herself to death? All of us have practiced martial arts since childhood." Feng Zhi Yao himself could be considered to have come from an unorthodox background, never having been formally taught by a master. Yet he had never witnessed this manner of training either. Did women these days value their lives even less than men?

The moment those words left his mouth, he felt a cold beam of light shoot onto his body. Beholding Mo Xiu Yao's displeased gaze, Feng Zhi Yao offered an apologetic smile, stepping aside to watch Ye Li's practice together.

Throughout the entire process, Ye Li herself did not know how many times she had fallen. By the time she could finally land smoothly upon the ground, she felt as though her entire body had been violently beaten up, aching everywhere. Yet a massive sigh of relief escaped her heart; she felt that since arriving in this world, she had never experienced such fulfillment and joy.

Clap, clap, clap—

Outside the field, Feng Zhi Yao clapped his hands, raising an eyebrow at Ye Li with a face full of admiration. Qing Luan and Qing Shuang immediately swarmed forward. Qing Shuang's watery eyes had long since turned red and swollen. Regardless of the presence of others, she threw her arms around Ye Li, calling out "Miss, Miss" as she wailed aloud.

Ye Li looked at her somewhat disheveled self. Amused, she patted the little maid in her embrace to make her stand properly before walking toward Mo Xiu Yao. "Young Master Feng, we meet again."

Feng Zhi Yao sighed: "The Princess Consort has truly opened this one's eyes today."

Ye Li spoke helplessly: "It is exceptionally simple when others learn it, yet it becomes doubly difficult when it comes to me. Since I wish to master it, I naturally have to expend a bit more effort."

Mo Xiu Yao smiled detachedly and said, "Ah Li, let us stop here for today. You may return to wash up and rest, and then have a physician come over to take a look. Feng the Third and I will be in the study."

Ye Li nodded and smiled. "It is nothing serious, just a bit painful from the falls. I shall head back first. Young Master Feng, farewell."

Watching the silhouette of Ye Li departing with Qing Luan and Qing Shuang, Feng Zhi Yao turned and inquired: "A-Yao, what on earth are you doing? Surely the secret guards and the Black Cloud Cavalry are not so incompetent that they cannot even protect the mistress of the Prince of Ding’s Manor, requiring her to personally learn self-defense skills?"

"Young Master Feng, it was the Princess Consort herself who insisted on learning. Only then did the Prince instruct her," A-Jin voiced. He had never witnessed an individual more stubborn and capable of perseverance than the Princess Consort. If the Prince had forbidden teaching the Princess Consort Qinggong, he truly felt the Princess Consort might have broken her own neck from practicing in secret.

"Possessing the ability to protect oneself brings greater peace of mind than relying on others for protection," Mo Xiu Yao spoke calmly. "There is no protection in this world without flaws; even the secret guards of the Prince of Ding’s Manor cannot completely eliminate all danger. Possessing one more capability means one more layer of safety in the future."

Feng Zhi Yao shook his head, sighing: "To possess such willpower and courage, there are few men who can match her. I am truly somewhat curious as to how the Ye family managed to raise such a daughter. Even if it were the Xu family... even the Xu family is unlikely to raise such a woman. The women of the Xu family can be immensely talented and exceptionally intelligent, but I have truly never seen one like Ye Li."

Mo Xiu Yao turned his wheelchair toward the direction of the study. "I did not ask you here to discuss Ah Li."

Feng Zhi Yao blanked. Gazing at the receding figure, he raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Could it be that A-Yao is actually jealous?"

Mo Xiu Yao's study had long since been moved to the courtyard designated for their marriage. This courtyard, specially prepared for the Prince of Ding and his Princess Consort, was the largest courtyard in the entire Prince of Ding’s Manor, even containing an independent library building within. After Mo Xiu Yao moved in, the two had rapidly reorganized the rooms. The second floor of the two-story independent library served as the repository for books, while the first floor was divided into two halves—one side being Ye Li's study and the other being Mo Xiu Yao's study.

Thus, when the two stepped into the study and beheld Ye Li—who had already changed into a fresh set of robes—sitting behind the desk holding a book, Mo Xiu Yao did not feel surprised. He merely asked, "Why didn't Ah Li rest a bit longer?"

Ye Li raised the book in her hand and said, "It is unsuitable to immediately lie down and rest after practicing martial arts. I shall read a book for a while. Do I need to excuse myself?"

Mo Xiu Yao shook his head. "Since you are not yet tired, come over and listen together."

Feng Zhi Yao sized up the study's furnishings. Hearing Mo Xiu Yao's words, he raised an eyebrow in surprise but offered no comment. Ye Li thought for a moment, then walked over with the book in hand and sat down.

Feng Zhi Yao glanced over curiously. "Eh? What manner of book is the Princess Consort reading?" The book in Ye Li's hand was precisely a copy of The Strategy and Essence of Military Classics.

Ye Li looked down at the book in her hand and replied, "I have nothing to do, so I am reading it to pass the time."

Reading military books to pass the time; what a peculiar preference, Feng Zhi Yao grumbled internally. Yet his face was full of interest as he asked, "How do you find it?"

"Not bad," Ye Li replied.

Feng Zhi Yao was somewhat uncertain as to what exactly Ye Li's "not bad" meant, casting a swift glance at Mo Xiu Yao. Mo Xiu Yao remained unmoved, asking with a smile: "Where does Ah Li find it not bad?"

Ye Li hesitated slightly before stating: "The strategic aspect is written decently, but tactically..."

Perhaps it was due to the difference between modern warfare and ancient warfare, but Ye Li felt many tactics described within were fundamentally unreasonable, and could even be considered fantastical. Of course, it wasn't to say that tactics couldn't be fantastical; in fact, the most exceptional commanders often possessed wild and unrestrained imaginations. But what was written in this book... in truth, Ye Li felt it was more appropriate to call it a fictional romance. This author had absolutely never stepped onto a battlefield, Ye Li thought silently to herself.

"Strategy? Tactics?" Feng Zhi Yao raised an eyebrow.

Ye Li felt a touch of annoyance internally, but her expression remained completely calm as she glanced at Mo Xiu Yao and said, "Strategy refers to the overall plan and policy of a war."

Mo Xiu Yao swept a glance over Feng Zhi Yao, calmly taking over the explanation: "Tactics refer to the specific means, deployments, and schemes utilized to achieve the strategy and defeat the enemy. Do you understand now?"

Feng Zhi Yao gazed dejectedly at the calm couple before him. Was this an intentional display of disdain toward his lack of scholarship?

"What does Ah Li think of the tactics?" Mo Xiu Yao ignored Feng Zhi Yao's expression, directing his question to Ye Li.

Ye Li shrugged. "Compared to the Military Canon of the Taizu, I feel this resembles a legendary tale more."

"Ah, ah, ah... you have even read the Military Canon of the Taizu?" Feng Zhi Yao shrieked.

Ye Li looked at him strangely. "Both my maternal uncle's and maternal grandfather's households possess the Military Canon of the Taizu. What is so strange about having read it? My eldest maternal uncle taught me." She wasn't lying; her eldest maternal uncle had indeed taught her military strategy. However, it lasted less than a month, so the Military Canon of the Taizu was certainly not completed. This statement also served to explain why she understood so much military knowledge. The Military Canon of the Taizu was indeed one of the finest military books she had seen in this world.

Feng Zhi Yao wept silently in his heart. Why on earth were you born into the Ye and Xu families? If you had been born into the Murong family, given the Grand General Murong's attitude toward instructing his daughters, perhaps our dynasty could have seen the emergence of a female general. The Military Canon of the Taizu was far from being just a single book. The entire work comprised twenty-nine volumes, documenting the battle cases of seventeen famous generals from both sides during the early years of the Taizu era. It even contained the personal commentary of the Prince of Ding, Mo Lanyun, making it one of the mandatory reading materials for Great Chu's military officers.

"There are many books on military strategy in the front courtyard's study. If Ah Li likes them, you may go there to retrieve them," Mo Xiu Yao offered. This courtyard was originally not a place for handling official business, so the collection of books within this study skewed mostly toward poetry, classics, or miscellaneous studies. There were a few military books, but none were of top tier quality.

Upon hearing this, Ye Li's eyes lit up. The books in this study were numerous, but subtracting the poetry, songs, prose, and celebrity biographies that didn't interest her, what remained were merely books on history, geography, and travelogues. She possessed no interest in the affairs or secret histories of certain dynasties, so she had already thoroughly browsed through the history section before her marriage. Thus, she could only read geographical travelogues and the like, but reading about famous landscapes and customs that she could only see but not touch was rather frustrating.

This couple... this master bows down to you both! Feng Zhi Yao's mind twitched as he rolled his eyes internally.

Once they returned to the main topic, Feng Zhi Yao appeared far more serious and agreeable. Looking at Mo Xiu Yao with a touch of apology, he spoke: "A-Yao, I am terribly sorry. Over these past few years, it appears I have overlooked quite a few areas."

Mo Xiu Yao lifted his eyes to look at him. "Why? Has news regarding the Prince of Li’s Manor arrived?"

Feng Zhi Yao nodded. "Princess Ling Yun assumed she was clever to calculate against Mo Jing Li, but I fear she remains unaware that she was instead calculated against by someone else."

"How so?"

"It is said the Prince of Li’s Manor has already discovered that the incense inside Princess Qixia's resting room was placed by Princess Ling Yun's orders, and Princess Qixia was also placed inside by Princess Ling Yun's people. However... that maid the Princess Consort mentioned, who was the first to charge into Princess Qixia's room that day, was neither Princess Qixia's person nor Princess Ling Yun's person. Rather... she was a little maid Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao brought out from the palace," Feng Zhi Yao spoke with a somewhat solemn expression.

Ye Li frowned, asking, "That maid..."

Feng Zhi Yao said, "That very afternoon, that maid was secretly executed. I have consistently had men keep watch over the Prince of Li’s Manor and the Princess of Zhaoyang’s Manor. When Princess Qixia was taken back, there were no maids accompanying her. It wasn't until midnight that someone transported the corpse of a maid out from the back gate and threw it into the mass graves outside the city. However, that maid's face was destroyed before her death, and she bore nothing on her body to prove her identity."

 

"Then how did you know she was Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao's person?" Ye Li marveled.

Feng Zhi Yao smiled proudly. "The coroner discovered a small amount of jasmine-scented hair oil beneath that maid's fingernails and within her hair. This manner of hair oil is said to be a custom-made blend from the number one fragrance shop in the capital. It is exceptionally expensive; a tiny box costs over a dozen taels of silver. Furthermore, over the past three months, only five boxes of this scent have been sold across the entire capital. Two of those boxes were purchased by Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao's orders. Therefore, I deduce that maid ought to be Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao's hair-styling maid. Additionally, yesterday morning, Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao changed to a new hairstyle. According to the judgment of the individual I sent—who is highly knowledgeable in hair arrangement—that hairstyle was absolutely not created by the same hands as the ones she was accustomed to before."

Ye Li nodded in admiration, stating: "Therefore, the situation is that Princess Ling Yun was unwilling to marry the Prince of Li, so she designed a scheme to assist Princess Qixia into the Prince of Li’s Manor, allowing her to openly break the marriage agreement? And it just so happened that Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao was also dissatisfied with Princess Ling Yun as a daughter-in-law, so she turned the scheme to her own advantage to allow Princess Qixia to take her place? But... this is unreasonable."

"Where is it unreasonable?" Feng Zhi Yao was perplexed.

Ye Li said, "Unless Lei Tengfeng was also involved in this matter, otherwise, if Lei Tengfeng hadn't insisted so firmly on taking Princess Ling Yun away at that time, no matter how much Princess Ling Yun threw a tantrum, she would still have to obediently complete the marriage ceremony in the end, wouldn't she? In that case, her plan would not only fail to succeed but would also add an extra opponent for herself within the Prince of Li’s Manor. Or perhaps she merely wished to grasp a hold over the Prince of Li and Princess Qixia to blackmailed them? In the event that the Prince of Li and Princess Qixia preferred to risk everything to inform the Emperor of her scheme, even if she is a Princess of Xiling, I fear she wouldn't be able to escape unscathed either."

"Why does Ah Li believe Lei Tengfeng departed so urgently?" Mo Xiu Yao inquired softly.

Ye Li thought for a moment. "Lei Tengfeng discovered that Princess Ling Yun had been calculated against?"

Feng Zhi Yao nodded. "If Princess Ling Yun had remained in the capital, once this matter was uncovered, even if the Emperor didn't wish to handle her, he would have no choice. But now that the person is gone, if the Emperor does not wish to destroy the relations between the two nations, he can only behave as though nothing happened. Surely he cannot dispatch troops to attack Xiling over this matter? However, with this farce, Lei Tengfeng’s trip to Great Chu can be considered a waste. A perfectly fine marriage alliance plan was ruined by that foolish woman Princess Ling Yun; Lei Tengfeng must certainly be spitting blood from fury."

Ye Li sighed, turning her head to look at Mo Xiu Yao as she asked, "Should I be glad that I am not worth him expending so much thought to calculate against?"

Mo Xiu Yao smiled gently. "You should indeed be glad. After so many years... Mo Jing Li has truly caused me to view him in a new light."

Feng Zhi Yao curled his lips. "I think that may not necessarily be the case. The one who is truly formidable ought to be the one beside him, right? If he truly possessed that level of scheming mind, how could he have abandoned... and chosen Ye Ying instead?"

Mo Xiu Yao smiled. "How is the Princess Consort of Li? She is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and the biological younger sister of Consort Ye."

Feng Zhi Yao spoke with disdain: "Sister-in-law is also the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and furthermore the granddaughter of Master Qingyun."

"Feng the Third, do you know why the Emperor felt at ease allowing me to marry Ah Li?" Mo Xiu Yao inquired.

Feng Zhi Yao raised an eyebrow. Mo Xiu Yao continued: "The members of the Xu family will not attach themselves to anyone, nor will they become a helping force for anyone vying for the imperial throne. The Emperor understands this principle, I understand it, and Mo Jing Li naturally understands it as well. It is fundamentally impossible for him to obtain any assistance from the Xu family. On the contrary, if he intends to raise troops to cause chaos or plot treason that endangers the commoners, the Xu family might even become his obstacle. The matters of the Xu family's ancestor personally killing the monarch and exerting their hearts to assist several generations of Great Chu's rulers back then are no mere legends. However, Mo Jing Li likely merely assumes the Xu family is blindly loyal to the Emperor; after all, those true hidden secrets are actually only passed down between each generation of the Emperor, the Prince of Ding, and the head of the Xu family."

"Even so, putting the Xu family aside, both are legitimate daughters of Minister Ye. At least the Third Miss was betrothed by the late Emperor's decree, which makes it far more proper and rightful," Feng Zhi Yao argued.

Ye Li pursed her lips into a shallow smile. "Regarding this point, I can likely guess why."

The two men simultaneously looked toward Ye Li. Ye Li lowered her eyes, stating: "My father... ought to be the Empress Dowager's person. He should know the Prince of Li’s intentions and the Empress Dowager's meaning. But if he married me off, he likely believed that what the Prince of Li would value in the future wouldn't be the Ye family, but rather the Xu family behind me. However, the maternal family of the Fourth Sister's biological mother is weak. If the Fourth Sister becomes the Princess Consort of Li... things would be entirely different in the future. The Ye family would scale the heavens in a single step. Currently within the palace, the primary palace has the Empress, the favored consort has Noble Consort Liu, and there are multiple princes beneath them. If Father truly is the Empress Dowager's person, he cannot fail to know that the Second Elder Sister is actually not favored. Therefore, looking from the Emperor's side... the chance of the Second Elder Sister's child wanting... is not high. Furthermore, whether that child can even be successfully born is still uncertain."

Recalling these matters over these past few days, Ye Li felt she practically admired her father somewhat. Everyone assumed he had married Ye Ying to the Prince of Li to support Consort Ye within the palace, yet no one knew that Consort Ye was actually the backup chess piece. What a brilliant strategy of openly repairing the wooden walkways while secretly marching through Chencang. It was merely a pity that the chess piece of Ye Ying was poorly chosen. If there had been two Ye Yues, perhaps Minister Ye's conception might truly have succeeded. In truth, it wasn't that these ancient people were stupid; it was she herself who had been foolish to consistently look down upon them. Given Old Madame Ye's consistent shrewdness and Minister Ye's cautious nature that allowed him to rise smoothly through the official ranks, how could she have assumed those two had lost their bearings merely because Consort Ye became pregnant?

"What an astonishing deduction." Feng Zhi Yao looked at Ye Li, saying, "How could the Princess Consort feel that Minister Ye is the Empress Dowager's person? I fear even the one on the dragon throne wouldn't think of this matter. However, the Princess Consort of Ding has indeed not guessed incorrectly."

Ye Li spoke detachedly: "Father appears to occasionally express dissatisfaction toward the Prince of Li intentionally or unintentionally, but in truth, he has never performed a single action that brought any impact upon the Prince of Li. Since he has already married his most treasured daughter to the Prince of Li, why must he consistently display dissatisfaction toward him? It appears more like a performance meant for someone else to see. Last time when the marriage was designated to Princess Ling Yun, it was said both the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Li were dissatisfied, and Father's attitude was highly unyielding. Within this, there was naturally the intention of worrying for the Fourth Sister's future. But this time, given Father's intelligence, it is impossible for him not to see that Princess Qixia is certainly going to enter the Prince of Li’s Manor. Furthermore, even with a changed identity, Princess Qixia's status within the Prince of Li’s Manor wouldn't be low in the future. Yet this time, Father appeared to say nothing at all. Even when the Fourth Sister returned home, she was sent back by Father on that very same day. The Fourth Sister informed me that Father has already prepared to send the Fifth Sister into the Prince of Li’s Manor as a secondary consort a month from now, saying it is to assist the Fourth Sister in securing her favor, lest Princess Qixia snatch the advantage in the future."

Mo Xiu Yao looked at Ye Li with a detached smile, saying, "What Ah Li says is indeed correct. Minister Ye’s ability to ascend to the position of Minister so early does indeed possess a bit of a relationship with the Empress Dowager. However, I lean more toward the theory that he is playing both sides."

Ye Li blinked her eyes and said, "Are you saying Father intends to first see which side possesses a greater chance of winning before placing his wager?"

"The current ruler's suspicion is absolutely not something an ordinary person can comprehend. If Minister Ye did not display a considerable amount of loyalty, he would not trust him."

Even though she had already figured out many questions herself, Ye Li still felt somewhat shocked. That father of hers—who appeared smooth and slippery, and in truth was indeed smooth and slippery, while appearing thoroughly muddled in domestic affairs—actually played the role of a double agent?

"But what exactly is going on between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor?" Ye Li asked.

Feng Zhi Yao sneered: "What else can it be? Our Empress Dowager is known as a heroine of her generation, a Yao or Shun among women. Initially, she supported the Emperor to ascend the throne during his youth and held the power of the realm within her hands. However, our Emperor is no pushover either; in less than three short years, he gathered all the power back into his own hands and respectfully requested the Empress Dowager to retreat to the rear palace to nurture her old age. Power is something that... if one has never tasted it, it matters not, but once tasted, it is very easy to find oneself unable to stop. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have shared a superficial harmony while harboring internal discord for a very long time; this is a matter that many powerful nobles in the capital understand with a tacit agreement. Although the imperial throne will not change, the individual sitting upon it can change."

"Therefore, the one who truly possesses ambition is not Mo Jing Li, but rather the Empress Dowager?"

"Ambition is something Mo Jing Li naturally possesses; it is merely that he lacked the opportunity before. Now that an opportunity has arisen, how could he not cooperate? The Prince of Li’s Manor is his residence; without his consent, even if Grand Imperial Concubine Xianzhao wished to perform something, it wouldn't be so convenient."

Ye Li was speechless. No wonder the Empress Dowager didn't mind her sons turning against each other; it turned out she fundamentally wished nothing more than for her two sons to fight to the death, didn't she?

"Is power... truly that important?"

Feng Zhi Yao blanked, his expression turning somewhat downcast as he spoke: "To some people, it is likely exceptionally important." Following a mere flash of downcast emotion, Feng Zhi Yao quickly turned playful again, winking at Mo Xiu Yao as he said, "How about it, Your Highness? Since those two in the palace have begun to play their cards, shall we also follow suit? Or otherwise... how about a total sweep?"

"A total sweep?" Mo Xiu Yao cast a glance at him. "And then you shall come to wrap things up? If the inside and outside of the palace are drenched in blood, you shall be responsible; if rebellions break out across the regions, you shall go to pacify them; if Beirong invades, you shall go to block them; and if Xiling also wishes to take a share, you shall go to guard the borders?"

"Uh..." Feng Zhi Yao rubbed his nose awkwardly.

As expected, killing a few individuals wasn't difficult. But the consequences following the deaths of those few individuals were highly troublesome.