The First Jasmine - Chapter 98
Chapter 98: A Secret Tryst?
"Have Father and Grandmother been well lately?" Ye Li asked softly once the servants had served tea and withdrawn.
Minister Ye paused for a moment, glanced at Ye Li's expression, and then replied, "They have been well enough, except for your fourth sister..." Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Prince Li did not take Fourth Sister with him when he left the capital?" Minister Ye shook his head. Fortunately, Mo Jingli had not taken Ye Ying away; otherwise, the crime of the Ye family conspiring in rebellion with Prince Li would have been inescapable. Although Ye Ying was currently under house arrest, it at least allowed the Emperor to believe that the Ye family had not colluded with Prince Li. Ye Li lowered her head in thought for a moment and asked, "Who did Prince Li take with him when he departed the capital?" Minister Ye had nothing to hide and said in a deep voice, "He only took that woman from the Southern Frontier; even Imperial Noble Consort Xianxian was left behind in the capital. The Empress Dowager has already brought Imperial Noble Consort Xianxian into the palace, though with Prince Li's rebellion, the Empress Dowager's days are not particularly pleasant either." Thinking of this, Minister Ye was consumed by bitter regret in his heart. It was true that he was a man of the Empress Dowager, and in his private thoughts he leaned somewhat closer to Prince Li, but he had never imagined that Prince Li would suddenly and randomly launch a rebellion. Had he known earlier that Prince Li's brain was so erratic, he would have been better off wholeheartedly following the Emperor. At least he still would have had a Zhaoyi daughter and an imperial grandson; now everything was gone.
"Fourth Sister is under house arrest by the Emperor?" Ye Li asked with an arched brow. "Why didn't Prince Li take her with him? She is, after all, his openly wedded wife; Prince Li cannot possibly be unaware of what fate awaits Fourth Sister if she is left behind in the capital."
Minister Ye let out a helpless, drawn-out sigh. "Ying'er is already two months pregnant. She is entirely unsuited for a long, arduous journey."
A thought flashed through Ye Li's mind. She raised her head to look at Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye with a faint smile. "Prince Li had no idea that Fourth Sister was pregnant, did he?" No matter how ruthless Mo Jingli might be, he would not abandon his own flesh and blood, especially since the child Ye Ying carried was currently his only offspring. The only possibility was that he simply didn't know Ye Ying was pregnant, and Ye Ying had used it as an excuse to stay behind. Elder Madam Ye looked somewhat guilty under her gaze, stammering awkwardly, "That Princess Xixia is no pushover, and Prince Li dotes on her fiercely. With Ying'er's meager schemes, I fear she wouldn't even have reached Lingzhou before losing the child. Besides, Prince Li spends most of the year residing in the capital anyway, so we simply thought it best to let Ying'er stay in the capital to await her confinement."
How could Ye Li fail to understand Elder Madam Ye's little scheme? With Imperial Consort Ye and the young imperial prince in the palace dead, now that Ye Ying miraculously carried Mo Jingli's flesh and blood, they naturally wanted to keep the child in the capital so that the child could grow close to the Ye family in the future. Yet they hadn't expected Mo Jingli to raise the banner of rebellion without even thinking of notifying them. Still, it had happened by a stroke of luck and thereby protected the Ye family. Of course, the fact that the Emperor had not punished the Ye family today likely owed a fair amount to the influence of the Ding Prince's Estate behind the scenes. Ye Li sighed softly, looking at Minister Ye as she said, "Father, the Emperor likely already knows about Fourth Sister's pregnancy. The only reason he hasn't moved against her yet is probably because he wants to use her child to hold leverage over Prince Li."
Minister Ye had naturally thought of this long ago, and his hurried visit to the Ding Prince's Estate was not truly for Ye Ying's sake. "Then what should we..."
Ye Li raised a hand to cut off his impending words, gazing solemnly at Minister Ye. "Father, I do not understand the ways of officialdom. Yet what rulers despise most above all else are subordinates with ulterior motives; surely Father does not truly believe the Emperor knew nothing of your actions over the past two years? In my view, when it comes to political maneuvering, Prince Li is likely no match for the one inside the palace." Minister Ye's expression shifted slightly. "You mean..."
Ye Li lowered her head to take a sip of tea without answering, leaving Minister Ye sitting there as colors flickered uncertainly across his face.
Elder Madam Ye, however, could no longer sit still and hurriedly asked, "Lili, what should we do now?" Ye Li replied calmly, "Father should quickly submit a memorial thoroughly detailing Prince Li's crimes and plead guilty before the Emperor. As for the future... the Emperor will never trust the Ye family again, so Father would do best to simultaneously petition the Emperor to strip you of your post as Minister. From now on, you should keep a low profile and diligently tutor Rongdi."
"This..." Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye were both startled, their faces displaying expressions of deep unwillingness. After a moment of thought, Elder Madam Ye looked cautiously at Ye Li. "Lili, the Prince of Ding has just rendered great service in quelling the rebellion in Yongzhou; could you ask him to..." Catching sight of Elder Madam Ye's hopeful expression, Ye Li let out a cold, faint laugh. "There have been plenty of times the Ding Prince's Estate rendered great service—does Grandmother not know, or does Father not know the current situation of the Ding Prince's Estate?" Minister Ye could only sigh in despondency; precisely because the Ding Prince's Estate held great merit, it was all the more impossible for him to intercede. The more the Prince of Ding interceded, the harder the Emperor would crack down on the Ye family. Minister Ye no longer knew whether he should harbor resentment or not. Because of the Ding Prince's Estate, the Emperor would never employ the Ye family again in the future. Yet likewise, precisely because of the Ding Prince's Estate—because his daughter was the Princess of Ding—the Ye family had been spared total annihilation.
"Father, what one picks up, one must know how to put down. Fight when it is time to contend, but retreat when it is time to step back. No matter how wonderful fame, fortune, and status may be, can they outweigh your own life?" Ye Li said softly.
Minister Ye gave a start, struggle clearly visible across his face. Looking at Ye Li, he asked, "If I in the future..." Ye Li cut off the words he wished to utter. "Father, choose your words with care." Minister Ye finally lowered his head in utter defeat, letting out a long sigh without saying anything further. Elder Madam Ye also understood that Ye Li had flatly refused to ask the Prince of Ding for mercy, severing the Ye family's last shred of hope. Thinking of how she would no longer be the matriarch of a Minister's estate and how the Ye family would decline from this day forth, resentment welled up in her heart. "Lili, how can you be so cruel? Even if your father has committed a thousand wrongs, he is still your father after all. Our Ye family is also your maiden family; what good could it possibly do you if the Ye family falls into ruin? The Ding Prince's Estate has virtually no relatives; can it be that you intend to have no one in the imperial court to support you in the future?"
"Support?" Ye Li murmured softly, lifting her eyes to gaze at Elder Madam Ye's heartbroken expression. "Have Father and Grandmother gone to visit Eldest Sister and the Marquis of Nanan's Heir?"
Elder Madam Ye was left speechless; as soon as Prince Li's incident occurred, they had indeed gone to the Marquis of Nanan's estate. Unfortunately, the Marquis of Nanan's estate had closed its doors to visitors, and they hadn't even caught sight of the Marquis or the Heir. Only a few days prior, Ye Ying had quietly returned to the Ye residence once, and her words on both sides boiled down to the fact that the Marquis of Nanan's estate was powerless to help. After all, when it came to a matter like staging a military rebellion, no minister dared to touch it.
"Last year, Eldest Maternal Uncle mentioned to me that Father has always been overly cautious in life, yet these past two years he has grown somewhat dizzy with success. I mentioned it to Grandmother as well, but unfortunately, both Grandmother and Father likely only suspected in your hearts that I harbored resentment and jealousy toward Second Sister and Fourth Sister because I was married off to the Ding Prince's Estate. Now that matters have reached this point, let alone the fact that the Prince cannot intercede for Father, even if he could, has Father ever considered how you will stand in the imperial court hereafter? I heard along the road back that during these recent days, the Emperor has heavily favored Consort Yun and Consort Wang, and has even faintly revealed an intention to designate Liu Guifei's son as Crown Prince. It seems he intends to heavily employ men from the Yun and Wang families, while the Liu family's prestige flourishes more intensely than ever. Father, whether it is the Liu family or the Yun and Wang clans, they are all influential aristocratic families with deep roots, and more importantly... none of them are on good terms with the Ye family. Does Father still not understand the Emperor's intent?"
In a single instant, Minister Ye seemed to age ten full years. Speaking in a muffled, hoarse voice, he said, "I understand... I will submit a memorial pleading my guilt to the Emperor as soon as I return."
Watching Minister Ye's defeated and aged appearance, Ye Li shook her head inwardly, feeling little emotional stirring. Some people were simply born valuing fame, fortune, and status far above their own lives, and there was no helping them.
"The Prince has returned."
Just as the atmosphere in the reception hall grew somewhat heavy, a maid's voice rang out from outside. Before the words had faded, Mo Xiuyao had already stepped into the hall. He had not even had time to change his clothes after returning to the capital before being summoned into the palace by Mo Jingqi for consultations; at this moment, Mo Xiuyao was still dressed in white, a trace of fatigue imperceptible to outsiders resting between his brows.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye hurriedly stood up to pay their respects.
Mo Xiuyao nodded indifferently, walking over to sit beside Ye Li. "Lord Ye, Madam, have you come to see A-Li?"
Minister Ye nodded awkwardly and said, "Indeed. Lili has been missing for several months, and both my mother and I were extremely worried. Hearing that the Prince had brought Lili back, we rushed over to take a look." Mo Xiuyao nodded calmly, his heart naturally dismissing such rhetoric. If they had been worried, they would have worried long ago; how could they have waited until now to show concern? Over these past month or two, far from sending anyone to search, the Ye estate hadn't even sent a single person to inquire at the Ding Prince's Estate. Even the Marquis of Nanan's estate had sent people to ask twice over; to outsiders, the Ye family's conduct was not merely cold-hearted, it could practically be called heartless.
"Grandma Sun says you've been busy managing the estate's affairs the moment you returned. If you are tired, rest first; those trivial matters can wait for another day," Mo Xiuyao turned to say softly to Ye Li, ignoring Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye entirely. Ye Li smiled and shook her head. How could Minister Ye fail to see that the Prince of Ding held no regard for him? Unwilling to stay any longer, he could only rise to take his leave. Gazing at the cultured, refined man sitting beside Ye Li whose imposing majesty was impossible to conceal—aside from the silver mask covering half his face, where was there any trace of a sickly invalid? If the Prince of Ding truly made a full recovery, the resurgence of the Ding Prince's Estate was already a foregone conclusion. He could only curse his own blindness for ignoring them in the past simply because the Ding Prince's Estate was feared by the Emperor and because of the Prince's frail health; now, regret came too late.
"Is there any urgent matter behind the Emperor summoning you into the palace so abruptly?" Ye Li asked, turning to him once Minister Ye and Elder Madam Ye were seen out.
Mo Xiuyao rubbed the space between his brows and frowned. "The Emperor intends to marry a princess off to Northern戎 (Northern Rong) for a marriage alliance."
"A marriage alliance?" Ye Li could not help recalling the absurd marriage fiasco with Princess Lingyun of Xiling last year, asking with a puzzled frown, "Who does the Emperor plan to send for the alliance?" The princesses of the previous emperor were all already married out, and among Mo Jingqi's own daughters, the eldest appeared to be the Empress's Princess Changlè, who was only eight years old this year. Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "Naturally, they will select someone from the capital's nobility or the imperial clan. Duke Hua's granddaughter is also among the candidates on the shortlist."
"Tianxiang?" Ye Li frowned. Northern Rong was a place of bitter cold, and everyone knew that the Emperor's sudden push for a marriage alliance was merely an attempt to free up his hands to deal with Prince Li. Once the matter of Prince Li was settled, who would remember that a princess of marriageable alliance was far away in Northern Rong? Should war break out between the two nations at any point, the alliance princess would merely become a sacrificial pawn. Mo Xiuyao said, "You needn't worry excessively; the Emperor cannot afford to disregard the face of Duke Hua and the Empress. Moreover, if an alliance with Northern Rong truly takes place, it is most likely that someone from the imperial clan will be chosen. After all, the people of Northern Rong are not so easily fooled." Ye Li nodded and asked curiously, "Does a matter like a marriage alliance with Northern Rong require the Emperor to summon you into the palace specifically for consultation?"
A mocking curve touched the corners of Mo Xiuyao's lips as he replied, "When the princess departs, the Emperor hopes I will represent Great Chu to escort the bride, and incidentally attend the Northern Rong King's sixtieth birthday in September."
For the Prince of Ding himself to personally escort a bride, the specifications of this marriage alliance were unexpectedly grand. Ye Li frowned in thought for a moment before raising her head. "The Emperor wants to transfer you away from Great Chu—why?" The Northern Rong capital was located in the far northern reaches; to catch the Northern Rong King's birthday in September, the escort procession's itinerary meant they would have to depart by mid-July at the latest. Even if they whipped their horses at top speed on the return journey immediately after the wedding ceremony, Mo Xiuyao could not possibly return to the capital before October. In other words, there would be a span of nearly three months during which Mo Xiuyao would be absent from Great Chu. No one could predict how many events could transpire in three months.
Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "The Emperor has made plenty of preparations over the years; it's truly hard to guess what he's planning at this moment." The thoughts of clever people weren't hard to guess, nor were the thoughts of fools; it was precisely the thoughts of people with such wild, untethered imaginations that were impossible to fathom. Take Mo Jingli, for example—even someone as clever as Mo Xiuyao or Xu Qingchen would never have imagined he would launch a rebellion at that exact moment, because any one of them could see at a glance that success was completely impossible. In truth, even if Mo Jingli had successfully united with the Southern Frontier to breach Fragmented Snow Pass, he wouldn't have gained much advantage; it was merely the border citizens who suffered. As for Mo Jingqi acting as Emperor, just how much did he truly care about the hardships of the common folk?
"Then did you agree?" Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled calmly. "An imperial decree is hard to disobey." Ye Li shrugged helplessly. "Understood, I shall remain in the capital." Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a smile. "No, you will go to Yunzhou at that time." Ye Li raised an eyebrow, looking at him in puzzlement. Mo Xiuyao smiled. "The Prince of Ding is not the Emperor, and the Ding Prince's Estate is not an imperial palace; it doesn't require someone to guard it constantly. Mo Jingqi is the sort of man who... sometimes when pushed into a corner, he likes to resort to moves that hurt others without benefiting himself. You going to Yunzhou gives me greater peace of mind." The true core of the Ding Prince's Estate was never this mansion in the capital, but the people who resided within it. Even if the Ding Prince's Estate were razed to the flat ground, as long as its masters remained, the estate would still be the Ding Prince's Estate.
Ye Li shook her head. "That's even less feasible. If I go to Yunzhou, wouldn't that place my maternal grandfather and the others in grave danger? Don't tell me Mo Jingqi won't take action against Yunzhou. Since they dared to make a move against the Ding Prince's Estate, why would they hesitate to fear the Xu family? Furthermore, the opponents of the Ding Prince's Estate are not limited to just that one person inside the palace." Mo Xiuyao gazed at her quietly for a long moment before finally sighing. "A-Li, it seems I am forever unable to grant you a peaceful and tranquil life." Ye Li chuckled softly. "A peaceful and tranquil life is of course possible; you could find some place where no one knows and hide me away. But I don't care for that, you understand? Just like this trip to the Southern Frontier—it wasn't strictly necessary for me to go; you could have sent someone else, or even if no one went, Eldest Brother would have been fine. Even if I couldn't appear in public for a time, I could have casually found some place to seclude myself for a period. I wanted to go out and see the world of my own volition, and I've come to feel that I prefer life out in the world." Outside, even if there was danger, at least the targets were clear and friends and foes were distinct. Returning to the capital and thinking of having to face all those smiling, honeyed words on the surface while people tripped you up and stabbed you in the back underneath made Ye Li feel waves of headache. It wasn't that she couldn't do it, but rather that she disliked it.
"I also feel that A-Li is even more... breathtaking when she is out in the world," Mo Xiuyao murmured with a low chuckle. In the capital, A-Li always wore a faint smile before others, gentle and graceful like a qualified noble wife born to a family of letters. Mo Xiuyao would never tell anyone that the instant he loosed that arrow beneath the walls of Yonglin City, seeing the woman before him clad in black attire indistinguishable from the Black Cloud Cavalry, her gaze turning back with that cold, proud aura and the dazzling starlight in her eyes—never before had a moment made him more clearly understand that his Princess was not merely that gentle woman reading books by lamplight, but also this extraordinary figure capable of looking down upon all from horseback across a battlefield. Mo Xiuyao suddenly recalled the vow he had made many years ago before his father and elder brother, one he had almost forgotten: "The wife of Mo Xiuyao shall, like our ancestor Princess Qingyun, accompany me on campaigns across the four directions to sweep away the eight wastes, standing shoulder to shoulder to gaze upon the myriad miles of rivers and mountains." In that single arrow shot, Mo Xiuyao felt that what he released wasn't merely the arrow that saved A-Li, but perhaps his own heart as well.
A delicate flush bloomed across Ye Li's exquisite face. Ever since they reunited in Yonglin City, whenever she and Mo Xiuyao interacted, there was always a somewhat peculiar air between them. Normally, when busy with matters, she didn't think much of it, but the moment things grew quiet, it invariably made her feel uneasy. She was by no means a block of wood devoid of romantic perception; ever since that kiss outside Fragmented Snow Pass, she naturally understood that the relationship between the two of them was no longer the intimate yet platonic friendship of the past. Yet facing Mo Xiuyao, she always failed to summon the natural ease and casualness of dating from her past life. This seemingly uncontrollable emotional state also generated a sliver of annoyance toward Mo Xiuyao within her. Mo Xiuyao seemed to understand her mood entirely and refrained from teasing her excessively, yet whenever they spent private time together, a greater measure of intimacy and tenderness always lingered between them than before.
"How are Qingluan and Qingyu? Can they be released now?" Ye Li turned her head slightly to ask in a low voice.
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "There was nothing wrong with them to begin with; keeping them shut away was solely for their safety. Now that you have returned safely, there is naturally no issue. We can have them released later."
Upon returning to her own courtyard, Qingluan and Qingyu's complexions were indeed remarkably healthy; it appeared no one had made things difficult for them over the past month or two. Qingsha and Qingshuang also bustled around Ye Li incessantly, bringing out health tonics and new garments as though she had suffered unimaginable hardships out in the world. Helpless, Ye Li could only let the maidens busy themselves to their hearts' content. Once they quieted down somewhat, she dismissed Qingsha and Qingshuang, keeping only Qingyu and Qingluan by her side.
"This maid failed in her duty, I beg the Princess for punishment," Qingyu and Qingluan knelt down simultaneously as the room fell silent.
"Get up." Ye Li frowned, looking at the two of them. "Have you both been well these past two months?" Both Qingyu and Qingluan couldn't help wiping away tears. Qingluan repeatedly nodded and said, "This maid and the others were entirely well, but we were terribly worried for the Princess... If anything had happened to the Princess, this maid and the others would have felt too ashamed to face the Elder Master and Eldest Young Master even if we died ten thousand deaths." Observing the clear joy and relief etched across their brows, Ye Li understood that these two maidens had likely spent the past two months consumed with anxiety, and sighed softly. "What matters did you conceal? I understand the Prince's temperament; you are my people, and had you not genuinely hidden something, he would never have placed you under house arrest for these past two months. Was it inconvenient to tell the Prince, or was it something you couldn't even tell me?"
The two instinctively exchanged glances, hesitation flickering in their eyes as they looked at Ye Li. Ye Li did not press them, simply gazing at them calmly. After a long while, Qingyu looked at Ye Li and, as if finally resolving herself, said, "This maid... truly failed in my duty. Actually... before the great fire at Yaohua Palace, this maid had already left. Afterward, Qingluan left as well in order to rescue me. That was why the secret guards couldn't find us after the fire broke out at Yaohua Palace." Ye Li nodded. "Then... where did you go?"
"This maid saw someone, so I followed them," Qingyu said in a low voice.
"This maid heard Qingyu's startled cry, which was why I followed," Qingluan added.
Ye Li frowned. "Whom did you see?"
Qingyu spoke softly, "Su Zuiedie, and... the Prince."
"Su Zuiedie and the Prince?" Ye Li blinked in surprise. "Are you saying you saw Su Zuiedie together with the Prince in the palace, which is why you followed them? Are you certain the person you saw was Su Zuiedie?" Qingyu lowered her head in thought before replying, "This maid once looked at the painting of the Chu Capital's Peerless Beauties that someone sent when the Prince and Princess were wed; she bore at least a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to the woman in the painting. There aren't that many people in the palace blessed with such striking beauty. And the Prince... it was because it was the Prince that this maid..."
Ye Li nodded slightly, beginning to understand why these two maidens had consistently refused to tell Mo Xiuyao the truth. "So, you saw the Prince meeting in the palace with a woman who strongly resembled Su Zuiedie, and coincidentally Yaohua Palace caught fire while I went missing, leading you to deliberately conceal it and refuse to tell him the truth." Qingyu bit her lip and nodded.
Ye Li thought for a moment and asked, "Then did you ever consider... if the Prince's legs were indeed inconvenienced at the time, wouldn't it be far too conspicuous for him to meet a woman in the palace? With the Prince's martial arts, he shouldn't have let you get very close; if you didn't get close, how could you be certain the person you saw was definitely Su Zuiedie and the Prince?" Qingyu stated, "This maid certainly cannot be entirely certain whether that woman was Su Zuiedie. But that man's voice was definitively the Prince's." Ye Li frowned; she was well aware of Qingyu's auditory acuity. Qingyu's hearing had been exceptionally sharp since childhood, surpassing even Qingluan, who had practiced martial arts from a tender age. Once she heard a voice, she never forgot it—let alone when she lived by his side and practically saw Mo Xiuyao every single day.
"And what about Qingluan?"
"This maid heard Qingyu's startled cry; although Qingyu is skilled with poisons, she does not know martial arts, so this maid immediately rushed over. But the moment I caught sight of Qingyu's back, I was knocked unconscious."
Qingyu frowned. "This maid heard the Prince and was indeed startled, then got struck unconscious by someone. But... it was such a tiny sound that it shouldn't have been able to alert Qingluan at all."
Ye Li smiled faintly. "You've both had a hard time these past two months. Tell me, what were your thoughts in all this?"
The two exchanged glances once more. Qingluan carefully stole a peek at Ye Li before saying, "This maid... this maid didn't think anything..."
Qingyu said, "At the time, this maid suspected... that the Prince was colluding with someone... and then hearing that the Princess had gone missing, so..."
Ye Li smiled. "So you suspected the Prince conspired with others to harm me?"
Qingyu's face flushed red, while Qingluan stared at Qingyu with wide eyes, looking thoroughly startled. Ye Li realized that what they said was likely the truth; after all, Qingluan and Qingyu had been housed separately these past two months and had no opportunity to meet. The secret guards had also found them in different locations. Unless they had rehearsed their testimonies before the secret guards found them, there was nothing inherently suspicious about their accounts. Qingluan had been very quiet over these past two months, weeping every single day at the start. By contrast, Qingyu—who was normally quiet—had constantly tried to escape and always carried hostility toward the people of the estate. If it was because Qingyu had seen Mo Xiuyao while Qingluan hadn't, that explanation held water.
After a moment of thought, Ye Li nodded and said, "I understand. Qingyu, do not mention this matter ever again. I trust the Prince, understood?"
Qingyu furrowed her brows slightly, as if wishing to say more. Ye Li said calmly, "Sometimes, what your ears hear is not necessarily the truth. Have you ever considered—if it truly had been the Prince, given the Prince's meticulous nature, would he have appeared in the palace on the very day I entered? Furthermore, there is one major flaw: you are both still alive. You were knocked unconscious because you discovered the Prince, so... leaving aside Qingluan, why are you still safe and sound to this day? This is the Ding Prince's Estate; if the Prince wanted to silence witnesses, leave aside the two of you, even I—this Princess—could not escape. Do you understand?" Qingyu's face turned pale. "The Princess means to say..."
Qingluan asked, puzzled, "If the other party wanted to sow discord, did they know that the Princess was completely unharmed in the great fire?"
Ye Li nodded with a smile. "It's entirely possible. However, if something had genuinely happened to me while the Prince knew you were truly innocent, he naturally would have released you. What would Qingyu have done upon leaving?"
Qingyu answered with firm conviction, "Naturally, I would have reported the matter to the Elder Master, the Eldest Master, and the Eldest Young Master to demand justice for the Young Miss!"
Qingluan cried out in alarm, "The other party wanted to drive a wedge between the Ding Prince's Estate and the Xu family?!"
Propping her head in her hand, Ye Li mused, "Whether they wanted to drive a wedge between the Prince and me or between the Ding Prince's Estate and the Xu family depends on whether they knew about the fire at Yaohua Palace. Actually, it amounts to the same thing—if my relationship with the Prince shatters, how could the relationship between the Ding Prince's Estate and the Xu family possibly remain good?"
With a pale face, Qingyu said, "I... I suspected the Prince... could I have blundered things?" Yet what she found completely baffling was the identity of that individual; she placed absolute faith in her own ears over her own eyes.
"Never mind. Fortunately, the Prince also suspected you had stumbled upon something dangerous, which is why he placed you under house arrest. No truly adverse consequences resulted in the end. As for the man you claim was the Prince... I'll look into what happened later," Ye Li smiled faintly, a clear, chilly ripple flashing across her eyes. True enough, the moment one returned to the capital, dramas and complications arrived in an endless stream. In that case, let her see whether there was a second Su Zuiedie and Mo Xiuyao hidden inside the capital.
Qingyu nodded earnestly. "This maid also wishes to find out what kind of person could actually manage to deceive this maid's ears."
Ye Li smiled indifferently. Even things witnessed with one's own eyes could deceive, let alone what one heard with their ears. Still... she also wanted to find out what manner of person possessed such profound understanding of herself and those around her.