Chapter 191: The Threat from King Ding
just breached the city walls along with the Black Cloud Cavalry, she watched from atop the city wall. Everyone's gaze was drawn irresistibly to the white-robed man. With his silver spear and agile mo...The Threat from the Prince of Ding
The Threat from the Prince of Ding
Middle of the Night in the Prefect's Manor
In the dark night with a black sky and high winds, it was the perfect time for night travelers. A black shadow quickly leaped onto the wall of the prefect's manor and silently landed in the flower garden beside it. Then, more figures in black quietly entered from behind the walls, heading towards some part within the manor.
In a pavilion not far away, several pairs of eyes watched as the distant figures moved stealthily through the darkness. Inside the dimly lit pavilion, Mo Xiuyao reclined lazily on a soft couch, his gaze fixed on the night scene ahead. Feng Zhirao and Han Mingyu, Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, Mo Hua, among others were also present, seated or standing casually as they watched the black figures' supposedly secret actions. Han Mingyue stood by the window, her face pale and weary, but her eyes never left the black-clad individuals below.
Feng Zhirao picked up an exquisite pastry placed beside him on a table and asked curiously, "Are these people truly stupid or just pretending to be How could they so easily infiltrate Prince Ding's residence without even suspecting anything" If it had been Mo Jingqi or Lei Zhenting’s place, their first reaction would definitely have been suspicion rather than blindly proceeding. Qin Feng sheathed his sword and sighed lightly, "These people might merely be pawns sent to test the waters. The opposition must want to know how stringent Prince Ding's defenses are before taking real action." Mo Hua nodded in agreement with Qin Feng’s statement, noting that these figures were far too inexperienced for professional assassins, “Is it Tan Jizhi”
Zhuo Jing said solemnly, "He can't wait to act even after just leaving Northwest" Han Mingyu smiled softly and lowered her head, saying, "This proves he truly can’t wait to take Su Zuodie’s life. It looks like… Miss Su indeed concealed something quite important Qin Feng, do you guys actually know what you're doing You've had her for several months now."
At this mention of the matter, Qin Feng's expression darkened as he glanced at Han Mingyu standing straight beside him with a hint of complaint in his voice, "This woman is indeed difficult to handle. After折騰了幾個月，差不多什麼都說了，就是關於譚繼之的事情不肯開口。"（Note: The original text uses "折騰" which can mean both "torture" and "aggravate", but the context suggests it means aggravating or dealing with her over time.）
"Everything has been said" Han Mingyu scoffed, clearly not believing him. A group of so-called professional interrogators couldn't manage a seemingly useless woman after months, yet still had the nerve to claim they'd gotten everything out of her
Furious, Qin Feng glared at him and said, "That's right! She even admitted sleeping with several men!" Realizing his slip-up immediately afterward, he thought about how this would look for Prince Ding, who was once Su Zuodie’s fiancé. Would it not be… somewhat awkward Looking cautiously at Mo Xiuyao, he saw the prince supporting his forehead on a soft couch in deep thought, sporting an ambiguous smile that did not seem angry. Qin Feng could only pray that the prince hadn't heard him. Just as he was thinking this, Mo Xiuyao got up, his long white hair casually hanging down, exuding more coldness and distance than usual. He glanced at Qin Feng coolly and said, "No need to hurry. Don’t kill her before getting all information out of her. Of course… if you have other ways of obtaining the information, there’s no need to report it to this Prince or Princess."
It meant that he only wanted the secrets Su Zuodie was hiding and didn't care what happened to her otherwise.
Flinching, Qin Feng wondered if the prince had indeed heard him. Over these few days, he should follow the princess… no, these few days he had some important matters to attend to elsewhere. As for Su Zuodie… looking at Han Mingyu with a troubled expression, he was indifferent about her fate now that the prince didn't care. He could just kill her and find Tan Jizhi later to interrogate him. But… since his relationship with Han Mingyu was rather good and she was also Han Mingyue’s younger brother… maybe it would be better for Su Zuodie to be assassinated by someone else
As the figure of the black-clothed man vanished into a secluded courtyard at the governor's residence, Mo Hua gave an indication to his men to start their operation. Soon after, lights flickered on in the courtyard and faint sounds of clashing weapons could be heard. Mo Xiuyao frowned and said, "Tell them to hurry up; don't disturb the Duchess’s rest." Mo Hua replied, "Your Excellency, please rest assured that the sound won’t reach the Duchess's courtyard." The criminals were put in a cell at the farthest place from the main courtyard precisely so as not to disturb everyone’s sleep. In addition, the dark guards handled things with restraint; they could only hear faint sounds here and there, let alone half a distance away in the Duchess’s courtyard. As expected, less than an hour later, lights were put out in the distant small courtyard again, and the governor's residence returned to its previous tranquility.
Qin Feng frowned as he said, "There will probably be many assassins these days; I don’t understand why Su Zuodie was relocated back here at the governor’s residence."
Zhuo Jing replied, “If they were staying in Qilin's headquarters, there would be no need for them to come here.” Since it was hard to find a place there.
Feng Zhiyao stretched and stood up when he saw nothing urgent. He yawned and said, "Since I have nothing else to do, I will take my leave."
Mo Xiuyao casually nodded, but Feng Zhiyao suddenly remembered something as he walked out of the room and turned back to say, “By the way Your Excellency, according to their pace, Xu Qingze should be here tomorrow. By the way, they are accompanied by another two young masters from the Xu family…”
Mo Xiuyao’s expression darkened as he coldly glanced at Feng Zhiyao and asked, “Why didn’t you mention it earlier” There was a mischievous smile in Feng Zhiyao's eyes as he shrugged his shoulders. "I only learned this news when I had dinner with the Duchess. How could I interrupt Your Excellency"
Mo Xiuyao lightly snorted and said, “Go make arrangements for them to live somewhere else; there’s no room in the residence.” Feng Zhiyao shook his head. "Your Excellency, that might not be possible… The second young master's house is still empty, but if the Duchess asks why the three Xu family young masters are staying outside the residence, how should I answer" In these days, Mo Xiuyao wanted to kick out everyone in the governor’s residence, especially Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing who were often around Ye Li. Unfortunately, Zhuo Jing and the other two assistants designated by the Duchess had been living here all along. As a result, Feng Zhiyao alone shouldered Mo Xiuyao's wrath. But just as he finally experienced the fun of sharing space with everyone, he stubbornly refused to move out to live in a separate residence. Thus, every day, he was busy and suffering under Mo Xiuyao’s threats while still enjoying it. Now that there was an opportunity to give Mo Xiuyao more trouble, Feng Zhiyao naturally made full use of it.
"Feng San…" Mo Xiuyao muttered softly with a grim expression: "Get out."
Feng Zhiyao shrugged his shoulders and didn’t care about what Mo Xiuyao said. Someone who was unhappy had the right to vent their frustration. He gave a slight bow, smiled, and said, "I take my leave now; I will properly arrange accommodation for the three Xu family young masters. Especially Young Master Xu No. 5, who intends to stay in Ruyang to accompany the Duchess. Since he’s still young and can keep her company, she won’t be bored, right Your Excellency" If you yourself are unwilling to work, don't let others do it either! In his opinion, Young Master Xu No. 5 was not someone easy to deal with. He would be annoyed when the time came.
"Feng San," Mo Xiuyao suddenly smiled and looked at Feng Zhiyao, "You reminded me; there’s still one more position that needs filling in this residence: head steward. Uncle Mo is tidying up all our properties right now; how about you take over as the new head steward"
Feng Zhiyao's face turned stiff. He hurriedly retreated and left. The famous young master Feng San became the head steward of the princely residence Compared to various stewards in different residences all around, Feng Zhiyao suddenly felt that his image as a perfect gentleman instantly collapsed.
Others also left, leaving only Han Mingyi and Han Mingyue brothers alone in the study. The room was quiet. Mo Xiuyao poured himself a glass of wine and sipped it absentmindedly while pondering Feng Zhirao's words just now, unable to find the heart to speak. Xu Qingze was in Hongzhou, Xu Qingyan was in Yunzhou, and Xu Qingfeng was at Guannei Military Camp. How did these three people get entangled Most importantly, why were these three people running around in Ruyang Mo Xiuyao didn't want anyone related to Ye Li to appear at the mansion because he wanted to keep Ye Li's attention from being diverted away. But it was obvious that these three were extremely important to Ye Li! While lost in thought, a cold chill unconsciously emanated from him, making the already gloomy room even more solemn and heavy.
"Xiuyao…" After hesitating for a moment, Han Mingyue still spoke up.
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyes to look at him, his eyes brimming with obvious impatience. Then he glanced indifferently at Han Mingyi, who frowned helplessly. In the past, Han Mingyi was able to挑釁 Mo Xiuyao without any burden because he could see through Mo Xiuyao's temperament. But since Ye Li had something happen and then returned this time, Han Mingyi felt more and more that he couldn't understand Mo Xiuyao. Like before, he was certain that Mo Xiuyao would never attack him for Ye Li's sake, but now even though he understood rationally that Mo Xiuyao wouldn't attack him, every time he saw the look in Mo Xiuyao's eyes directed at him, Han Mingyi wasn't so sure anymore. So under normal circumstances, he generally didn't provoke Mo Xiuyao anymore. Upon thinking of this, Han Mingyi couldn't help but苦笑. This was the difference between them; without that strength, he had no qualifications to compete with Mo Xiuyao for Jun Wei's attention.
Han Mingyi knew that Mo Xiuyao was warning him: if Han Mingyue didn't know how to rein himself in, he wouldn't be polite. But what could Han Mingyi do Even if Han Mingyue was foolish, he was still his only brother who raised him since childhood, cared for him, taught him, and shielded him from the wind and rain. No matter how much he couldn't understand why his exceptionally talented brother would give up everything for a woman who wasn't worth it, no matter how angry he was at Han Mingyue abandoning their family and him, when Han Mingyue was in danger, he still had to beg Ye Li for help. Han Mingyi knew all too well why Mo Xiuyao never acted against Han Mingyue: not because of brotherly feelings from the past, but because he knew that Han Mingyue would come to beg Ye Li, and Mo Xiuyao didn't want him to do so, nor did he want them to have more contact.
With a reluctant sigh, Han Mingyi stood up and said, "Big Brother, you should go back first. I still need to talk with the prince."
Han Mingyue frowned at his brother's exhausted appearance and ultimately couldn't bear to continue糾纏, sparing his brother further difficulty. He could give everything for Su Zuodie, but it never included his younger brother.
Watching Han Mingyue leave, Han Mingyi felt relieved and sat back down again. Mo Xiuyao looked at the seated Han Mingyi in front of him with a raised eyebrow, somewhat surprised. Han Mingyi's handsome face was tinged with helplessness as he said to Mo Xiuyao, "Prince, I beg you to help my big brother." A cold smile curled up at the corners of Mo Xiuyao’s lips, “You are begging me Han Mingyi… You want this prince to help your big brother The prince can't see what needs helping about Han Mingyue. It seems he is quite content with his situation. Not to mention, why should I help”
Han Mingyi gritted his teeth and said, "I know Su Zuodie's path is certain death. All I ask is that the prince spare my big brother’s life when the time comes."
"Certain death" Mo Xiuyao sat up straight, sizing up Han Mingyi as he asked with interest, “Why don't you beg this prince to let Su Zuodie off so that she can fulfill Han Mingyue Though I wouldn’t agree, given your relationship with Li’er, she would certainly not turn down such a request from you.” Talking about his relationship with Li’er made Mo Xiuyao grind his teeth in frustration. Among all the people around Ye Li, he hated Han Mingyi the most, but he had promised Li’er not to kill him! And every time he saw that look in Han Mingyi’s eyes when he gazed at Li’er, he wanted to gouge them out!
Han Mingyi was silent for a moment before saying with a bitter smile, "Prince, why ask the obvious If it were earlier, perhaps I would really have begged the duchess to spare her. But now… The secret Su Zuodie is biting on not revealing must be very significant; once she reveals it, she will surely die. Although we don't know what it is right now… When that time comes, even the duchess may no longer control it. Besides…" Han Mingyi sneered and said, "What relation am I to Su Zuodie Why should I beg on her behalf If she had died early, there wouldn’t be all this trouble now!"
"You see things more clearly than Han Mingyue does," Mo Xiuyao said coolly. Both of them knew that it wasn't because Han Mingyue couldn't see through the situation but rather he didn't want to admit it. The renowned Moon Prince who once captivated the entire world, had long fallen into a delusion over Su Zuidie and could never wake up from it. People often say that beauty is the graveyard for heroes; this phrase indeed holds true in his case.
"However, there's one thing you said wrong. There isn't anything in the Prince Dinh王府 that Ah Li cannot make a decision about," Mo Xiuyao continued as he observed Han Mingyi being silent. "As long as Ah Li is happy, it doesn't matter if it concerns something as trivial as Su Zuidie's life or even my own life; I would gladly hand over anything she wants. Of course, you were right not to ask Ah Li for help in the first place. If you ever cause her any trouble, I will make sure everyone else suffers along with you. As for Han Mingyue’s life, keep it yourself—I have no interest in it. But remember this well: if you dare look at my Ah Li with those eyes again, I'll rip your eyes out!"
Han Mingyi felt a bitter taste rise in his throat. Mo Xiuyao's 'looking' wasn't just mere looking; there were many people around Ye Li who were closer to him than himself. Mo Xiuyao didn’t warn Feng Zhirao, Qin Feng, Zhuo Jinglin Wei, or even Lin Wei and Linsi Nv. Yet he chose to warn Han Mingyi, and the reason was clear: although Han Mingyi thought he had hidden his feelings well, he could never deceive Mo Xiuyao who was Ye Li's husband.
Han Mingyi looked up at Mo Xiuyao with a cold smile. "Surely Your Highness knows that Jun Wei is an extraordinary woman hard to find in this world Could it be that Your Highness can prevent everyone from looking at her"
The corners of Mo Xiuyao's mouth turned down into an even colder and merciless smile. "I would never hide Ah Li away like you suggest. No matter where I am, she will always be by my side. But… anyone who dares look at me shall have their eyeballs ripped out!"
Han Mingyi felt a chill rise in his heart; he had no words to say. "You just got lucky and met her first!"
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "So what if I did get lucky Han Mingyi, remember your place. I promised Ah Li not to kill you, but don’t push me to break my word."
Han Mingyi lowered his head in silence for a long time before looking up again with a cool smile. “Your Highness misunderstands. I never had any improper intentions; my friendship with Jun Wei is nothing more than that of gentlemen. Could Your Highness really stop me from it” He knew he couldn't compare to Mo Xiuyao, even though the Prince Fengyue sounded good talking about him. In reality, he was no better than a flower-thieving thief who lacked talent or ability. While Jun Wei didn’t mind his reputation and chose to befriend him, in this chaotic world, he could not protect her safety. Since meeting Ye Li, Han Mingyi had never regretted more than the lazy, uncooperative attitude towards his brother's teachings when he was young. If he were as talented or skilled as his elder brother, even if he couldn't match Mo Xiuyao, he would have the confidence to compete with him.
Mo Xiuyao squinted his eyes suspiciously at the handsome man before him. Although he strongly disliked this exceptionally good-looking person, Mo Xiuyao had to admit that Han Mingyi genuinely wanted to help Ah Li. Moreover... Ah Li needed her own friends. In truth, all Mo Xiuyao felt was jealousy towards Han Mingyi—his looks were better than his and so was his temperament. Despite not being as skilled or distinguished in status, what use did it have If Han Mingyi were the one, he could easily take Ah Li to live a peaceful life deep in the mountains without any hesitation. He was afraid that Ah Li might prefer such a man like Han Mingyi and regret marrying him.
No matter what… No one in this world can ever snatch Ah Li away from me!
"I believe you once, but remember my words; they will always be valid." Mo Xiuyao got up to leave with a cool remark.
Han Mingyi sat alone by the window, watching as Mo Xiuyao descended the stairs and walked through the garden towards the courtyard where Ah Li was. In that place... there was the woman who had moved him in his lifetime. A gentle breeze blew back into the room; Han Mingyi felt a chill rise in his heart.calmed the uneasy baby inside her and said bitterly with a frown, "Master, given my current condition... where do you expect me to go" Not even considering encountering venomous snakes or fierce beast...