The First Jasmine - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: The New Head of the Han Family

When Han Mingxi walked in, he looked like a completely different person from his usual playful and flamboyant self; the smile, which always carried a hint of wicked charm amidst his handsome features, had vanished. In its place were a heavy measure of exhaustion and gloom, along with a lingering sense of being abandoned, wronged, and disappointed. Ye Li could only let out a silent sigh in her heart: Mo Xiuyao had made the decision he deemed most appropriate, while Han Mingyue had chosen the person he considered most important. As for Han Mingxi... in truth, from beginning to end, he was the most innocent one of all.

"Your Highness, Princess," Han Mingxi said in a somewhat stiff voice.

Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly and said calmly, "Please take a seat, Young Master Han." Han Mingxi sat down in silence, his gaze sweeping lightly over Ye Li and lingering for a moment before returning to settle on Mo Xiuyao. "Did the Prince know of my eldest brother's intentions long ago?" Staring intently at Mo Xiuyao, Han Mingxi asked without a shred of politeness. Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly and said, "Han Mingyue understands me, and I understand him. Therefore... I could more or less guess what kind of decisions he would make, and for whom or what. It's just that he probably didn't expect me to arrive so quickly." Han Mingxi fell silent. Indeed, had Mo Xiuyao not suddenly appeared in Guangling, perhaps Han Mingyue would have quietly arranged everything over some peaceful night or day and vanished into thin air. But now, with his entire plan thrown into disarray, Han Mingyue had no choice but to launch a surprise sneak attack on Han Mingxi before fleeing in a panic, leaving behind a massive mess of trouble for the younger brother he had petted and doted on since childhood.

"So, what are Young Master Han's intentions in coming to see this Prince now?" Mo Xiuyao asked in a deep voice.

Staring right at him, Han Mingxi demanded, "If I have no intentions whatsoever, what does the Prince plan to do?"

Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze. "The secret outposts of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion within Guangling City and across the borders of Great Chu will all be eradicated within three days. As for the Han family, this Prince has no authority to dispose of them; however, if the imperial decree truly descends from the capital, Young Master Han should know very well what its contents will be."

"Extinction of the nine familial exterminations..." Han Mingxi murmured bitterly. Eldest Brother, for the sake of that woman, could it be that you truly do not care about me at all, nor care about the Han family in the slightest? After a prolonged silence in the grand hall, Han Mingxi finally raised his head to look at Mo Xiuyao. "The Han family has officially expelled Han Mingyue from the clan registry; from this day forth, Han Mingyue is no longer a member of the Guangling Han family!" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow faintly. Who said Han Mingxi was completely useless? Judging by this decisive and resolute mindset, Han Mingxi was unquestionably far more suited to helm the Han family than Han Mingyue. Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Since that is the case, this Prince will also submit a memorial to the Emperor to clear the Han family's name." Han Mingyue (note: referring to Han Mingxi in the Chinese original context of the dialogue continuation) lowered his gaze slightly and said, "Many thanks, Your Highness." Although he had never harbored favorable impressions of Mo Xiuyao, Han Mingxi could not afford not to thank him. Even if the Han family severed ties with Han Mingyue, the moment Han Mingyue truly pledged his allegiance to Xiling, the Han family would still be unable to escape the fate of being condemned by law. Even if they managed to escape by a stroke of luck, the expenses required to grease the palms of officials and clear the relations would be enough to utterly ruin the Han family. Yet with a single word from the Prince of Ding, not even the Emperor would dare question the Han family's innocence. The enmity between the Ding Prince's Estate and the surrounding three nations could be described as deep as the sea; even if the Emperor himself were to commit treason, the Prince of Ding would never do so.

"This humble subordinate has one more matter, and I beg the Prince and Princess to grant it."

"Young Master may speak freely," Mo Xiuyao said.

A trace of steadfast resolve flashed in Han Mingxi's eyes as he looked at Ye Li. "As the head of the Han family, Han Mingxi is willing to follow and pledge allegiance to the Prince and Princess." Pledging allegiance in the capacity of the Han family head signified that the entire Han family would henceforth support the Ding Prince's Estate.

"What are your conditions?" Mo Xiuyao asked. For Han Mingxi to place such a massive wager, it was naturally impossible to be without conditions.

Han Mingxi said in a deep voice, "I only ask... that if Eldest Brother should happen to fall into the Prince's hands in the future, I beg the Prince to raise your hand in mercy and spare his life." Han Mingxi knew very well in his heart that given Han Mingyue's future status and stance, it was inevitable that he would stand in opposition to the Ding Prince's Estate. What he knew even more clearly, however, was that his eldest brother was still far from being a match for the Prince of Ding. It was not merely because his martial arts and intellect were slightly inferior to the Prince of Ding, but rather because... he lacked the kind of backing and assistance possessed by the Princess of Ding; that vicious woman would only ever bring trouble to Eldest Brother. Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly. "Young Master Han is indeed a man who values deep affection and righteousness. Since Young Master Han has such absolute confidence in this Prince... your wish is granted. From now on, whatever matters Young Master Han has should be handled directly in accordance with A-Li's wishes." Han Mingxi glanced at Mo Xiuyao with a hint of surprise, then shifted his gaze to Ye Li seated beside him. Bowing his head, he said, "This subordinate obeys. I have disturbed the Prince and Princess; I shall take my leave."

Watching Han Mingxi rise and depart, Mo Xiuyao paused in thought before suddenly speaking up, "The reason Han Mingyue dared to let go and leave with such abandon is because he is equally clear on this Prince's style of conduct. He knows this Prince will not strike at the foundations of the Han family."

Han Mingxi's footsteps halted for a fraction of a second before he stepped out of the hall without looking back.

"Why did you tell him that? And why make him follow my directives?" Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao with a puzzled expression. Mo Xiuyao smiled. "Han Mingyue values deep bonds of affection, and Han Mingxi values them just as deeply. However, Han Mingyue places greater weight on personal romance, whereas Han Mingxi places greater weight on fraternal bonds. Rather than letting him harbor lingering grievances and suspicions someday when he discovers this Prince's calculations against the Han family's influence, it is far better to state it plainly and directly right now. He is a clever man and knows how to choose. As for... A-Li, since you have already been dragged into this vortex of strife, no one can extricate themselves anymore. A-Li, you need to possess sufficient strength to protect yourself—strength that would make others hesitate to cross you lightly, even without my presence. Furthermore, Han Mingxi is proud by nature and possesses a degree of strategic cunning. If he harbored resentment toward me, even if he pledged allegiance, he would inevitably resort to surface compliance while defying orders in secret; yet I believe he would never harm you. However, A-Li..." Seeming to recall something, Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with a solemn expression. Ye Li raised an eyebrow as Mo Xiuyao's voice turned soft and gentle, "You must not treat him too well. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Feeling somewhat unnatural under his rather peculiar gaze, Ye Li asked.

"Otherwise, I will kill him!" Mo Xiuyao said in a low voice, yet Ye Li could clearly hear the absolute sincerity behind the words. "At least, not while I am still drawing breath."

A tremor ran through Ye Li's heart. Reaching out to clasp his hand, she said earnestly, "You will be fine." Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, dropping the subject. "Very well, A-Li. Let us return to the topic we were discussing just now." Ye Li's memory was naturally far from poor; raising an eyebrow, she looked at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "What kind of woman could manage to haunt the thoughts of a man like Han Mingyue to such a degree?" Setting aside the sheer number of exceptional beauties Han Mingyue had laid eyes on personally, simply considering his status as the Master of the Mingyue Pavilion, which of the women within the Clear Wind and Bright Moon Pavilion was not both multi-talented and breathtakingly peerless? What manner of transcendent, dazzling woman could charm a man like Han Mingyue to this extent? Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li and uttered three names in a low voice: "Su Zuiedie."

"Su Zui... Su Zuiedie?!" Ye Li was somewhat shocked. "Su Zuiedie didn't die?"

Mo Xiuyao nodded indifferently, seemingly unconcerned that his former fiancée was still alive, nor caring in the slightest that Han Mingyue—his former best friend—was infatuated with his ex-fiancée. In the span of mere moments, countless thoughts and streams of logic had already churned through Ye Li's mind before she finally asked, "The person who wanted Han Mingyue to abduct me last year was Su Zuiedie? Is she currently residing in Xiling... and connected to the Xiling imperial household?" Looking at Ye Li with an apologetic gaze, Mo Xiuyao nodded.

Ye Li could not help massaging her brow while analyzing the information she possessed in her mind. Su Zuiedie had supposedly died of illness three months after Mo Xiuyao was severely wounded, yet now she was alive in Xiling and highly likely to be a member of the Xiling imperial family. Han Mingyue and Mo Xiuyao were good friends, yet Han Mingyue was enamored with Su Zuiedie. After Su Zuiedie's passing, Han Mingyue and Mo Xiuyao had a falling out, but it clearly appeared to be a case of Han Mingyue wronging Mo Xiuyao, which meant... Han Mingyue and Su Zuiedie had done something together that let Mo Xiuyao down. However, there shouldn't have been any illicit romance between the two of them; judging by Han Mingxi's attitude and evaluation of Su Zuiedie, she must have been utilizing Han Mingyue. "Su... that Miss Su's passing from illness—did Han Mingyue help arrange it?"

Mo Xiuyao raised a sharp sword-brow slightly, smiling with indifferent amusement. "A-Li's mind is indeed swift and agile."

K (Wait, rule 6 check: "Separate every single paragraph (including after the chapter title) by putting the text "" on its own line." Let's ensure every single paragraph break has .)

​Ye Li smiled faintly. "That isn't hard to guess. Being able to keep the fact that Miss Su is still alive concealed from so many people would inevitably require immense influence and power. Yet although Elder Su is universally respected and high-virtue, the Su family holds no notable power in the capital. If you weren't the one who helped Miss Su fake her death, then it could only have been done by the Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, who maintained a very close relationship with Miss Su and harbored romantic affection for her. You... certainly wouldn't do such a boring thing, would you?" Judging by his current attitude toward Su Zuiedie, he didn't look like someone who would so readily let his fiancée fake her death and flee from marriage. Mo Xiuyao's expression looked somewhat unappealing, though it carried no trace of anger or resentment—it was simply a pure reluctance to bring the matter up. Tilting her head in thought, Ye Li mused, "Actually, rather than why Miss Su chose to fake her death, I am even more curious about why she went to Xiling after doing so?" If she simply lacked the willingness to marry a severely wounded, disabled man like Mo Xiuyao, given her peerless looks after faking her death, she could easily have found a desirable husband anywhere in Great Chu, or simply chosen to be with Han Mingyue. Putting certain aspects aside, Han Mingyue was unequivocally a top-tier catch in the eyes of women. Given Mo Xiuyao's attitude toward Su Zuiedie and Han Mingyue over the years, even if the two of them truly ended up together, Mo Xiuyao likely wouldn't have retaliated against them. For a young noble lady raised since childhood in the capital to travel thousands of li all the way to the Xiling Kingdom after faking her death...

"Is it convenient to speak of Miss Su's current status?" Ye Li asked curiously.

"Imperial Noble Consort Qingrong of the Xiling Kingdom, Bai Long."

"Imperial Noble Consort Qingrong?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Even with minimal common sense, she still remembered that noble consorts generally held single-character titles; thus, Su Zuiedie's standing within the Xiling Kingdom was clearly far from insignificant. Casting a glance at Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li decided it was best not to press further. It was enough to know that between herself and Su Zuiedie, Mo Xiuyao stood resolutely on her side. As for that Xiling noble consort who apparently still harbored lingering feelings or some unwillingness regarding Mo Xiuyao... she could study the matter herself later. Discussing a husband's former fiancée with him was clearly never a good topic of conversation.

Just as Ye Li decided to drop the subject, Mo Xiuyao had other ideas. With a calm and serene demeanor, he spoke up, "The Bai family is one of the four major surnames of Xiling, and past empresses and noble consorts of the Xiling Kingdom have predominantly originated from the Bai clan, which includes the current Xiling Empress. Bai Long entered the palace seven years ago, at which time she was bestowed the title of Consort Rong and enjoyed deep favor from the Xiling Emperor. Following the Empress's demise, she was elevated to Imperial Noble Consort Qingrong. If the Xiling Empress had not personally besought the Xiling Emperor on her deathbed to confer the title of Empress upon the Huì Noble Consort, who also hailed from the Bai clan, she would already be the Empress of Xiling by now."

Ye Li fell silent. In less than ten years, transitioning from the fiancée of the Ding Prince's Estate's second young master in Great Chu to a Xiling imperial noble consort—and nearly the Xiling Empress at that—one had to admit that this Miss Su's life path had been nothing short of legendary. Observing Mo Xiuyao's attitude of answering every question put to him without reservation, Ye Li hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did you find out that she wasn't dead afterward, or did you know all along?" The corners of Mo Xiuyao's lips dipped slightly as he replied, "My injuries had not yet fully healed at the time; when I found out, Han Mingyue was just about to escort her out of the capital."

"And you didn't do anything about it?" Ye Li wondered aloud. Given Mo Xiuyao's original temperament, even if he hadn't immediately killed Han Mingyue and Su Zuiedie, he shouldn't have let them leave the capital unscathed. Or if Mo Xiuyao had truly loved Su Zuiedie deeply, he would have been even less inclined to let her leave the capital. Mo Xiuyao shot her a sideways glance. "My state of mind at the time was very poor, and I did indeed intend to kill them. However... Elder Su subsequently rushed over and knelt on the ground to plead with me in person. Elder Su was my mentor in my formative years, and Su Zuiedie's father had saved my eldest brother's life, while her older brother had died in that very same battle while trying to save me. Once I calmed down, I let them go."

Ye Li nodded silently. If anyone ever tried to tell her again that Mo Xiuyao loved Su Zuiedie to the marrow of her bones, she would throw them in water to clear their vision. This man spoke of her with a calmness no different from how he might speak of a total stranger. Still, could even a beauty of Su Zuiedie's caliber fail to move Mo Xiuyao's heart? "Did you... ever love Su Zuiedie?" Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with mild surprise, then smiled and nodded. "Of course I loved her." Ye Li furrowed her brows slightly, brushing aside the trace of awkwardness in her heart. "Then why now..."

Mo Xiuyao interrupted her, saying, "She was my fiancée, we grew up together since childhood, and in the future she was to be my wife. Furthermore, she possessed striking beauty, exceptional talent, and a pleasant temperament. Why wouldn't I like her? However... she always seemed to feel that I wasn't good enough to her. After I was injured, she wanted to fake her death and leave; because of her father and elder brother, I granted her freedom. And after that, we had no further relationship whatsoever, didn't we?"

Ye Li nodded. To summarize Mo Xiuyao's words: in the past, Mo Xiuyao considered Su Zuiedie a flawless fiancée, and the men of the Ding Prince's Estate had always been single-minded—not merely in terms of whether love was present, but because once a wife was chosen, one treated her well. That was the truth behind the mutual affection rumored throughout the capital. Since Su Zuiedie ultimately chose to leave, she naturally had nothing more to do with Mo Xiuyao. Therefore, in the eyes of the present Mo Xiuyao, Su Zuiedie was nothing more than a stranger—and potentially, an enemy.

There were not many matters requiring personal handling within Guangling City itself, whereas Han Mingxi acted with extreme swiftness. That very day, news spread throughout Guangling City that Han Mingyue had been expelled from the Han family and that the Han clan had replaced its head with the Second Young Master. As for Han Mingxi himself, even the common folk of Guangling knew very little about him, save for the fact that the Han family possessed such a second young master; everything else remained entirely unknown. Now that the Han family had changed its master, the wealthy merchants and officials of Guangling naturally paid close attention. Amidst this somewhat unexpected commotion, Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li, and their entourage quietly departed Guangling and headed toward the Chu capital.

No sooner had they returned to the capital than Mo Xiuyao was summoned into the palace by the Emperor to discuss affairs of state. Without bothering to concern herself with how Mo Xiuyao intended to explain her disappearance and sudden appearance in Yonglin City, Ye Li was immediately swarmed by the estate's staff offering warm concerns, making it impossible for her to pull herself away. She barely managed to pacify Wet Nurse and Mama Lin, and finished listening to head steward Grand Steward Mo and Mama Sun report on the recent affairs of the Ding Prince's Estate. Just as Ye Li was thinking of visiting Qingluan and Qingyu, who were still recuperating, another servant came forward to report that Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye were requesting an audience.

Compared to his proud and flourishing state the previous year, Minister Ye could be said to have been covered by dark clouds this past year. Not only had his third daughter, who held the position of the Princess of Ding, gone missing in the palace at the start of the year, but his second daughter—who served as a Zhaoyi—and his young grandson had perished in a fire. Before two months had even passed and before the Ye family could catch their breath, his fourth son-in-law had suddenly raised the banner of rebellion. Although the Emperor had not yet vented his wrath upon the Ye family on account of this, Minister Ye's days were hardly comfortable. On rare occasions, Minister Ye even began to suspect whether the heavens simply disliked the sight of him to torment him so. Therefore, upon hearing the news that both the Prince and Princess of Ding had returned to the capital, Minister Ye could no longer maintain the airs of a stern father waiting for Ye Li to return home to pay her respects. Directly bringing Elder Madam Ye along, he came knocking at their doors.

Stepping into the reception hall and gazing at the visibly aged and haggard appearances of Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye, Ye Li raised her brows in slight surprise. "Father, Grandmother."

"Lili, you've finally returned safely. You worried your grandmother to death," Elder Madam Ye lamented tearfully as she pulled Ye Li close. Ye Li smiled faintly and gently. "It was Lili's fault for causing Grandmother to worry."

Minister Ye scrutinized this daughter with a strange expression, sensing that something felt slightly off. Although he had been somewhat reluctant to interact closely with this daughter ever since his wife's passing, it did not prevent him from understanding certain aspects of Ye Li's situation. This third daughter had possessed a calm and quiet disposition since childhood, disliking idle chatter, yet she shared her late mother's inherent aura of noble elegance and poise. However, upon seeing her this time, Minister Ye keenly discovered that something extra seemed to linger between her brows. Even as she sat there quietly, letting Elder Madam Ye clasp her hand with a serene smile, Minister Ye distinctly sensed an edge of sharpness and pressure that had never been present before. This called to mind the rumors he had previously heard about the Princess of Ding suddenly appearing in Yongzhou and assisting the garrison generals under General Murong in holding Yonglin. Although few people knew of this matter, as the father-in-law of the Emperor, Prince Li, and the Prince of Ding, Minister Ye naturally possessed certain unknown intelligence channels. The credibility of the information he acquired was undoubtedly far more accurate than the rumors outside. Gazing at the gentle-mannered woman with a smile at the corner of her lips before him, Minister Ye felt a mixture of complex emotions churn in his heart. He possessed a daughter who kept her true depths hidden away, yet this very daughter had deceived even him—her own father—while he had previously treated her merely as a discarded pawn.