The First Jasmine - Chapter 148
Chapter 148 - Melancholy
The Magistrate's Manor in Xinyang City served as the temporary headquarters for the Mo Family Army. All the senior commanders of the Mo Family Army, including Ye Li and Mo Xiurao, resided here temporarily. Following that bloody massacre, less than one-tenth of Xinyang City's original population of several hundred thousand remained; virtually the entire city was comprised of soldiers, operating under strict military control. On the wide avenues, there were no pedestrians coming and going, nor enthusiastic street vendors hawking their wares—only neat, solemn rows of soldiers marching past. Even when a civilian occasionally walked by, their face was filled with grief and numbness.
Walking down Xuanwu Avenue, the largest thoroughfare in Xinyang City, Ye Li and Mo Xiurao looked at the deserted street and could not help but sigh. Lowering his head, Mo Xiurao noticed her downcast expression and silently reached out to take her hand in his. Ye Li looked up, flashed a faint smile at him, and said, "I am fine. It is just that seeing the greatest city in the Northwest turned so empty suddenly makes me feel a bit lost inside." Mo Xiurao said softly, "Once this war ends, it won't take more than a few years for this place to flourish again." Ye Li shook her head and said, "No matter how prosperous it becomes again, those people will not be the ones who originally lived in this city." A trace of gloom flickered across Mo Xiurao's eyes. "When war breaks out, ordinary civilians are bound to suffer injuries and death."
"Yes... A general achieves fame upon ten thousand withered bones..." Ye Li sighed softly.
"A general achieves fame upon ten thousand withered bones..." Mo Xiurao murmured thoughtfully. The past generations of the Mo family's ancestors had performed illustrious military exploits that awed the world, but had the formidable renown of the Mo Family Army not also been forged from millions of living, breathing human beings? The Prince Ding's Manor had always prided itself on protecting the peace of Great Chu's people, yet among the innocent civilians who died in war, had anyone—including himself—ever truly felt uneasy or grieved for them? Walking ahead, Ye Li turned back to smile faintly at Mo Xiurao, her eyes carrying a sense of nostalgia he had never seen in her before as she said softly, "Do you know? Someone once told me that a soldier's duty is to defend their home and nation, guarding the peace of the people. And a soldier's greatest disgrace is to let the people they protect experience the rawest reality of war right outside their own front doors." Mo Xiurao remained silent. The nostalgic expression on Ah Li's face before him made him feel she was ethereal and distant, yet so beautiful it caused an aching sensation in his heart. A sudden wave of panic washed over him, driving a desire to hold on tightly to the woman in front of him, as if she might vanish into thin air in the next instant if he failed to do so. Following his heart, he reached out, pulled her into his embrace, and rested his handsome chin against the crown of her head, saying in a low voice, "What happened this time is indeed a disgrace to the Mo Family Army."
Ye Li let out a soft laugh, shook her head, and said, "That is not what I meant; just consider it my mindless babbling. What happened this time... was not your fault."
Mo Xiurao said gently, "And it was even less your fault. Ah Li, you have already done your best."
Ye Li nodded. Just as she was about to straighten her posture and step out of Mo Xiurao's embrace, a pleasing voice carrying surprise and a faint hint of sorrow echoed from behind: "Xiurao, you are here?" The two turned around and saw a peerless beauty standing not far away, gazing at Mo Xiurao with delight. Ye Li sighed in her heart; Su Zuidie was not merely a woman of peerless beauty, but also one who knew extremely well how to utilize her own advantages. All trades and businesses in Xinyang City were desolate, and as a guest who was clearly unwelcome by both the Prince and the Princess Consort, naturally no one would specifically prepare magnificent attire or fine jewelry for her. Yet looking at the woman before them, wearing only the most plain white dress, she managed to wear it with an unearthly elegance that resembled an immortal maiden descending from the highest heavens into the mortal realm. Her raven-black hair fell loosely over her shoulders, tied casually with a simple white ribbon. Su Zuidie was twenty-five years old this year, yet standing delicately in the middle of the street right now, she appeared barely two years older than the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Ye Li.
"What are you doing here?" Mo Xiurao frowned slightly, looking at her with a calm, aloof expression.
Su Zuidie tightly clenched her hands hidden within her sleeves, bit her lip, and looked at Mo Xiurao sorrowfully. "Are you unwilling to see me?" Mo Xiurao's expression remained unchanged as he stared at her with sharp eyes, demanding in a deep voice, "This Prince asks you: what are you doing here?"
Su Zuidie froze for a moment, let out a miserable laugh, and looked at him sorrowfully, saying, "I understand now. You truly still hate me. You still blame me for abandoning you and leaving alone back then, don't you? But... I had no other choice! Why can't you forgive me? You still guard against me like an enemy; am I not even allowed to come out and catch a breath of fresh air? If you hate me so much, why don't you just kill me?" Mo Xiurao frowned, no longer paying any mind to Su Zuidie, and called out toward the deserted street, "Come forth!"
Two figures quickly appeared at the corner of the street, respectfully awaiting orders. Mo Xiurao pointed at Su Zuidie, who was weeping with her face covered off to the side, and said coldly, "Escort her back. If this Prince catches her coming out again, you can report for punishment yourselves."
"Subordinates obey!" the two voiced in unison.
Su Zuidie looked at Mo Xiurao in shock, her face filled with disbelief as she said, "You want to place me under house arrest? Xiurao, how cruel of you... My grandfather will not allow you to treat me like this!"
Mo Xiurao said indifferently, "Do you want Old Master Su to know that you are still alive?"
Su Zuidie was instantly rendered speechless. Given her grandfather's temperament, if he knew what she had done over all these years, he would definitely kill her! Taking a glance at Mo Xiurao and Ye Li, whose hands were still intertwined, Su Zuidie knew that although she was unwilling, she could only follow the two secret guards back; being forcibly escorted back would be even more humiliating.
Ye Li accepted with a smile the resentful glance Su Zuidie cast her way before leaving, shrugging her shoulders with total indifference. No matter how peerless a beauty was, one got used to it after seeing her enough times. She had always believed that a true beauty should be attractive in just the right measure; when beauty was too excessive... it was sometimes a flaw in itself.
Accompanying Mo Xiurao as they walked all around the city to inspect the defenses everywhere and comfort the surviving civilians in the city, the two only returned to the Magistrate's Manor afterward. The moment they stepped through the door, Mo Xiurao was invited away by Feng Zhiyao, while Ye Li returned to the study to handle the affairs requiring her personal attention.
On the desk lay various documents, files, and official memorials compiled and organized by Zhuo Jing and Lin Han. Seeing Ye Li enter, Lin Han and Zhuo Jing—who were still busy at work—hastily rose to bow and pay their respects. Ye Li waved her hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities, and the two sat back down to focus on the files in their hands. After these past two months of guidance, Zhuo Jing and Lin Han were basically capable of fulfilling Ye Li's requirements for the assistant position. Zhuo Jing in particular, having spent more time at Ye Li's side than Lin Han, understood Ye Li's intentions even better; many times, without a word spoken, a single motion or raised hand from Ye Li was enough for Zhuo Jing to understand what she needed. This freed Ye Li from the daily grind of busy work, requiring her to focus only on important matters that called for her decision-making.
"Is there any news from Secret Two?" Ye Li asked as she sat down, picking up an official memorial that needed processing.
Lin Han rose to present an official report, saying, "This was received early this morning, sent back by Secret Two via fast horse." Ye Li took it and opened it; the memorial was densely covered in handwriting. The contents were entirely related to Su Zuidie, including Su Zuidie's current status and position in Western Ling, as well as all information regarding the clan behind her, the Bai Clan of Western Ling. There were also many matters concerning Su Zuidie in the imperial palace, including her relations with the Western Ling Emperor, the imperial consorts, and the princesses. Reading further down, Ye Li marveled inwardly. She had not expected that Su Zuidie was not only a favored consort of the Western Ling Emperor, but was also rumored to share a very ambiguous relationship with the Prince of Zhennan. Su Zuidie's relationship with Empress Bai of Western Ling was exceptionally hostile; she had almost been killed by Empress Bai on several occasions, only turning danger into safety thanks to the Prince of Zhennan. Afterward, the Prince of Zhennan directly took action to suppress Empress Bai; now, Empress Bai was more like a puppet in the Western Ling palace, and Su Zuidie virtually ruled the roost in the Western Ling Imperial Palace. Ye Li was somewhat puzzled: why would Su Zuidie, who could be said to hold absolute power over the inner palace, travel thousands of miles back to Great Chu? Was she not afraid that Mo Xiurao truly still held a grudge over the past and would strike her down with a sword? Or was she truly far too confident in her own appearance, convinced that Mo Xiurao would definitely fall at her skirt?
Having finished reading Su Zuidie's life story—which resembled an unofficial historical romance—Ye Li twitched her lips with a sense of boredom and said, "Send this over to His Highness later when you have time."
Lin Han nodded, taking the memorial and placing it to the side, preparing to send it over to the Prince once he finished the work at hand.
"Zuidie requests an audience with Third Young Lady Ye," Su Zuidie's soft, gentle voice drifted in from outside the door. Ye Li frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Noble Consort Bai, please come in."
Outside the door, Su Zuidie swept a look full of anger across her pretty face toward the two guards at the door, raising her eyebrows as she said, "Can I go in now?" Unfortunately, the charming appearance of a beauty in anger seemed no different from stone puppets in the eyes of the two loyal guards, who said respectfully, "The Princess Consort invites Noble Consort Bai inside."
The title "Noble Consort Bai" filled her heart with anger and embarrassment in equal measure. Everyone in the Mo Family Army knew that she was Mo Xiurao's fiancée, yet the people around Mo Xiurao and Ye Li all addressed her as Noble Consort Bai. Such a title constantly made her suspect whether it was a deliberate mockery directed at her. In truth, this was entirely Su Zuidie overthinking things. Most people in the Mo Family Army knew that the Prince's former fiancée was the number one beauty under the heavens, Su Zuidie, but what they knew even better was that Su Zuidie was already dead. Even if she claimed to be Su Zuidie, as long as the Prince did not acknowledge it, she was not the real deal in the eyes of these people. What's more, both the Prince and the Princess Consort addressed her as Noble Consort Bai, so the subordinates naturally followed suit.
Giving a soft snort, Su Zuidie stepped into the study. Upon entering, she saw Ye Li sitting behind the desk reading a memorial in her hands. On the other side of the study not far away, two tables pushed together were similarly stacked with various account books, memorials, and files. Lin Han and Zhuo Jing sat upright at the tables busy with the tasks in their hands, without sparing even a single glance for the number one beauty. It was not that they disliked looking at beauties, but rather that this beauty was constantly having "chance encounters" with the Prince over the past few days. Coincidentally, the Prince was beside the Princess Consort most of the time, and they were also beside the Princess Consort most of the time. Thus, the number of times they saw the beauty was inevitably a bit high. Worldly people liked beauties because they were unattainable; if a beauty was constantly clinging to someone and badgering them right before your eyes, no matter how beautiful she was, she would inevitably lose quite a bit of her luster.
Looking at Ye Li's busy appearance, the unwilling resentment in Su Zuidie's heart grew even stronger. Back when she was still by Mo Xiurao's side, leave alone helping him handle official affairs, Mo Xiurao did not even allow her into his study. Yet now, Ye Li sat brazenly in Mo Xiurao's position handling the affairs of Prince Ding's Manor. Something she herself had failed to obtain in the past was obtained by someone inferior to her—how could Su Zuidie be resigned to such a gap?