61 Moshiyao's Sorrow

ath of fresh air. She looked at the sparse flowers in the garden with a smiling gaze that became even more pleased.In the study of Prince Ding’s residenceMos Yao looked calmly at the documents spread...61. Mo Xiuyao's Wound

"Ah Li, be careful!"

While she was lost in thought, suddenly hearing Mo Xiuyao’s voice, Ye Li immediately turned around to find an arm arrow flying towards her. The dagger in Ye Li's hand also slipped from her grasp instantly. A blur of motion and someone tackled her to the ground.

"Mo… Xiuyao…" Ye Li hesitantly called out as she reached up to support Mo Xiuyao’s back, only to feel a dampness.

Mo Xiuyao fell beside her無力地跌倒，淡淡笑道：“冇事……”

“Your Highness!” Ajen rushed over to help Mo Xiuyao up. Mo Xiuyao frowned with a deathly pale face, saying: “I’m fine. See if there are any survivors.”

Sitting up, Ye Li looked ahead and saw that the person who had shot the arm arrow was now lying on the ground, dead from her own dagger in his chest. That man… was the one she had knocked out earlier who woke up when no one noticed. She couldn't help but bitterly smile to herself. Had she forgotten what alertness meant by staying away from battlefields for too long How could she have left several survivors in such a fierce fight No… In fact, apart from that last person, she hadn’t killed anyone else. If those people had all woken up at some point, it made her shiver.

A warm hand covered hers. Mo Xiuyao looked at her and smiled faintly: "Ah Li, I'm fine."

Ye Li bit her lip bitterly: "You say you're fine when you’re injured Then how would you describe being in trouble" She let Ajen help Mo Xiuyao up as she retrieved her dagger, wiped it clean and then tore the back of his clothes to check that the blood was normal color. There should not be any poison on the arrowhead. Only then did she relax slightly. She heard Mo Xiuyao whisper: "I'm fine if I don't die."

Ye Li gritted her teeth and waved for Ajen and others to take him back to Moonless Nunnery. There was no need for her instructions, as dark soldiers had already left to fetch a doctor.

Back at the Moonless Nunnery, it remained undisturbed by assassins as Mo Xiuyao said. The Wen family received news and were waiting at the entrance. Seeing them return, they hurriedly welcomed them back and brought them to prepared guest rooms. Although Mo Xiuyao’s injuries did not look too severe now, Ye Li had already checked that all the assassin's arm arrows carried barbs. When removing those arrows later, one could imagine how bloody it would be. Worried about frightening Lady Wen, she asked her to rest in her room first. Despite looking at her worriedly, Lady Wen went to prepare food for them.

Sitting on the bed, Mo Xiuyao winced occasionally due to his back injury. Ye Li worriedly asked: "Is it very painful The doctor will arrive soon." Mo Xiuyao smiled bitterly and said: "Even if the doctor comes, he would only remove the arrow. Just let Ajen do it. He should be more efficient than those doctors." Ye Li frowned, turning to look at Ajen with a side glance, “Can he take out the arrow This arm arrow has barbs.” If it were an ordinary arrow and not in a vital spot, it would be straightforward to pull it out. But this one with barbs was very hard to remove; forcibly pulling it out could tear a large piece of flesh away. Ajen shook his head seriously.

Mo Xiuyao sighed helplessly: "If the arrow had gone straight through, then it would have been easier."

Ye Li glared at him and couldn't help but mock: "If the arrow had missed by two inches and gone straight through, it really would be easier."

"Ah Li… Are you angry" Mo Xiuyao sighed and looked at her with gentle eyes as if the arrow stuck in his back wasn’t affecting him.

“I!…” Ye Li lowered her head in frustration for a moment before calming down: "Sorry, I am angry at myself." If she hadn't been careless or lost focus on her surroundings, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have gotten hurt. After years of peaceful life, her vigilance had deteriorated to this point. In the past battlefield, it would've cost her life several times over.

The doctor arrived quickly and was brought there by his collar. Despite being dragged along the way, he remained calm when checking Mo Xiuyao's injuries. After examining them, the doctor took the arm arrow Ye Li had retrieved for a while before saying: "Either I cut open the wound to remove the arrow or… push it further in from the front and pull out from there. What would you like"

"From behind," Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li said simultaneously, then they glanced at each other.

Ye Li nonchalantly averted her eyes and asked: "Doctor, what do you think" The doctor nodded satisfactorily: "Your choices are wise. It may seem painful to remove the arrow from behind, but it's just a moment of pain. Cutting open the flesh with a knife would be more tedious and recovery slower."

"You seem experienced in treating such injuries" Ye Li asked as she supported Mo Xiuyao while watching the doctor preparing skillfully.

The doctor replied without looking up: "I was once a military doctor.

So this is how it is.

I watched as the doctor cleaned the arrowhead and then forcefully pushed the arrow forward without hesitation. Mo Xiuyao's body tensed up instantly, and he gripped Ye Li's arm tightly. Without saying a word, Ye Li supported him while watching the doctor tie a sturdy band around the barbed arrowhead and pull it out with great force. A gush of blood splattered as the entire arrow was immediately removed from Mo Xiuyao's chest. The doctor received some hot liquor passed by his side to clean the wound and then skillfully applied medicine before wrapping it up with white cloth. He wiped his sweat off his forehead and said, "Alright, it’s done. No major organs were damaged, nor any bones broken. Just change the dressing daily and take good care of yourself."

Ye Li looked at the bloodstained water in the basin nearby and asked, "Do I need to prepare anything else Like something to replenish his blood"

The doctor scoffed and said, "The prince is young and healthy. He just needs some rest. If you’re worried, you can simmer some Siwu Decoction or Angelica Blood Tonic Soup for him."

Watching the doctor leave with a few external medications in his medical bag, Ye Li felt awkward as she realized those soups were typically taken by women.

"This doctor... has quite a personality."

Moxiuyao smiled faintly and said, "He’s our household physician. He used to be the military medic for Black Cloud Cavalry."

With Mo Xiuyao injured, Lady Wen suggested that they stay at Wuyue Nunnery until he was better before returning to the capital. However, Mo Xiuyao rejected it, and Ye Li did not object either. Since those assassins dared to attempt an ambush in the vicinity of the capital, they wouldn’t give up after a single failed attempt. If Lady Wen had already decided to stay out of political affairs, having them around would only bring unnecessary danger to her. When the secret guards from Ding王府 arrived, Mo Xiuyao left part of his men to protect Lady Wen and then returned to the capital with Ye Li.

For the Prince of Ding Kingdom to be severely injured near the capital was certainly not a trivial matter. However, Mo Xiuyao seemed to have ordered this news to be kept secret, as none of the nobles in the capital appeared to know about his injury upon their return. Since Mo Xiuyao didn’t need to attend court daily like ordinary officials, he could rest and recuperate at home. But there was one thing that frustrated both of them: As soon as they returned to the mansion, Madam Sun directly had Mo Xiuyao sent into Ye Li’s quarters under the pretext that his injury required close care. Nuns Lin and Wei along with Manager Mo were all delighted with this arrangement and enthusiastically directed servants to move Mo Xiuyao’s belongings into his new room, completely forgetting about their lord being just recently attacked.

Due to everyone's united effort in the mansion, Ye Li had no choice but to take on the task of changing Mo Xiuyao’s dressings daily. Although she used to be a soldier who risked her life, seeing his injuries still made her heartache. The numerous knife and sword wounds as well as various other scars covering his chest and back were difficult to reconcile with the refined appearance that Mo Xiuyao projected on the outside. She finally understood what he meant by “as long as I’m not dead, it’s fine.” Surviving such a grievous injury must have been an unimaginably close encounter with death for anyone else. Every time she saw him calmly smiling at her while applying medicine, her heart couldn’t help but ache. But she wasn't one to dwell on things; she quickly attributed the discomfort to his injuries being caused by protecting her and promptly immersed herself in making amends.

Ye Li declined Mo Xiuyao's earlier suggestion of hiring a skilled swordmaster for her training and instead dedicated all her free time after managing household affairs and caring for him to practicing secretly on the mansion’s training grounds, focusing specifically on strength and speed. She also practiced an internal energy cultivation method recommended by Mo Xiuyao, though she knew it wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. As for claims about achieving peak levels of internal energy being able to split mountains or crack rocks, Ye Li found them incomprehensible: Why would she need her own hands to split a mountain If she could return to her peak condition, even without internal energy, she could still break someone’s bones with a single punch. She was pleased that this body had great potential and, according to Mo Xiuyao's words, made for good material in martial arts training.

Therefore, Ye Li spent most of her day at the training grounds. Originally, the mansion's training area underwent significant changes by her hands, but since it was mainly used by herself and Mo Xiuyao, he didn’t mind how she modified or practiced there. He occasionally came to watch when idle, while Ah Jin had been insistent ever since witnessing Ye Li’s combat skills. Every time he accompanied Mo Xiuyao, his eyes would be glued on Ye Li as well as Qingshuang and Qinglu accompanying her in practice, almost begging the queen to take him under her wing.

As a military man himself, Mo Xiuyao initially didn’t notice much improvement from Ye Li’s training but eventually saw results over time. Seeing Ah Jin watching longingly at the three slim figures practicing martial arts made Mo Xiuyao speak up on his behalf.

"Xiaoli's idea is unique," he said with a smile when she explained that her current regimen was primarily restorative, focusing on strength, speed, endurance, and had no secret techniques. "I look forward to seeing the results."

Ye Li smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

She didn’t mind revealing some aspects of her training to Mo Xiuyao because only he could provide what she needed. In the entire household, only Nuns Lin and Wei were displeased with Ye Li’s dedication to martial arts. They couldn't understand why their formerly refined young lady had taken such a liking to weapons after marrying into Ding Kingdom's royal family. They even tried to subtly persuade her that a woman should be gentle and not overly strong since it might make the prince dislike her. Whenever she saw the nuns, Ye Li wanted to turn around and run away from them. Mo Xiuyao merely watched with amusement, letting Ye Li fend off their nagging on her own.

"Your Excellency Prince, your wife," Manager Mo presented a large red invitation with gold dragons and phoenixes embroidered on it. "Li王府 has sent an invitation." Ye Li took the invitation and raised an eyebrow. "Is Li Wang welcoming Princess Lingyun as his concubine"

Manager Mo knew that Li Wang's current consort was their own princess's younger sister, so he explained, "The invitation says he is to marry Princess Lingyun as a Rank 5 Concubine."

In the past few days, they had been busy with Mo Xiuyao’s injury and Ye Li's personal matters, neglecting other things. Ye Li almost forgot about Princess Qixia’s marriage to the emperor. Curious, she asked, "So... has Princess Qixia really entered the palace" Manager Mo reported, “Princess Qixia is currently residing in Changgong Princess' residence. The Emperor and Empress seem to have decided to select a good day in August for her to enter the palace. She’s already been given her title; she’s now Lady Xia from Imperial Consort." He didn’t mention that although Lingyun was a Rank 5 Concubine, unlike a principal consort, she did not require extensive preparations.

"When is the wedding banquet" Mo Xiuyao asked.

“In three days.”

Moxiuyao nodded and said, "Understood. Manager, prepare a gift for us."

The manager hesitated slightly, asking if they intended to attend the wedding. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, saying he couldn't avoid attending due to such minor matters and instructed him to start preparing.

"Yes." Secretary Mo hurriedly left after responding. He had to prepare gifts for Prince Li and also carefully arrange the guards and secret agents around the prince and princess, ensuring everything was foolproof.

Looking at how quickly Secretary Mo left, Ye Li sighed helplessly and looked at Mo Xiuyao, saying, "I don't know why, but I feel like my peaceful days are about to end" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, asking, "Do you enjoy your peaceful days" Ye Li nodded, "Ideally, it would be a life of tranquility and peace, living smoothly until old age, then dying without regret."

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "If that's the case, why do you practice martial arts" Mo Xiuyao always felt that Ye Li was extremely contradictory. Although she appeared as a refined lady from an aristocratic family, her impression from the beginning wasn't like a typical noblewoman at all. Sometimes, she even seemed more like a general's daughter than Princess Mu Songting. Occasionally, the sharpness in her brows couldn't be displayed by any ordinary woman.

Ye Li sighed and said, "Just take it as I like to think ahead while living in peace." No matter how much she told herself that she wanted a life of tranquility like an aristocratic lady's, Ye Li knew deep down that completely letting others control her life was impossible for her. She could compromise on her father's discrimination and the countless trivial rules she didn't get used to; even her marriage could be compromised upon. But she would never give in to who she truly was. She couldn't let herself become a weak woman who relied entirely on others, unable to even defend herself. There were many things that she might not need throughout her life, but she preferred keeping them at hand rather than realizing their importance when needed.

"If you don’t like the trivial matters outside, you can ignore them," Mo Xiuyao said. "There are people below who will take care of those affairs anyway. Besides… Prince Ding’s mansion doesn't need too much social interaction."

Ye Li understood that Prince Ding's mansion had been silent for so many years just to satisfy the imperial court's expectations. Over the years, they had gradually weakened the prestige of Prince Ding's family in Great Chu. If she, as a newly appointed princess of Prince Ding, were too active now, it would only cause the emperor’s wariness. Thinking about this, Ye Li suddenly had an idea and lifted her head to look at Mo Xiuyao. "Why did Nanzhao and Xiling suddenly decide to ally with Great Chu in marriage" The reasons she gave previously to Princess Lingyun were just to fool children. It seemed that fate註定 meant for Xiling and Great Chu to be eternal enemies; even if Great Chu didn't take advantage of the disaster-stricken Xiling, a mere princess couldn’t solve their enmity.

Mo Xiuyao’s eyes flickered slightly as he said coolly, "Nanzhao was just an opportunity. The one truly seeking marriage with Great Chu is Xiling."

Ye Li lowered her gaze, finding the thoughts in her head racing but unable to grasp a clear conclusion. After a long while, she asked, "If there's another war in Great Chu, what will happen to Prince Ding’s mansion"

Mo Xiuyao was taken aback; a faint sadness flashed across his eyes before he said solemnly after a long pause, "Prince Ding’s family has no one left capable of going to battle. Within five years, the centuries-old prestige of Prince Ding's family will be lost." People tend to forget quickly. Even though Prince Ding’s mansion had protected Great Chu for over a hundred years and was seen as divine in their eyes, once another war broke out without them being able to do anything about it, people would only remember their helplessness instead of past glories. However… the prince's mansion could not blame them because they were not wrong.

"Beitarong…" In the study, after a long silence, Ye Li’s voice softly echoed. She looked at Mo Xiuyao’s expressionless face and sighed quietly. Wouldn't it be better if everyone lived peacefully without war Why drag people into ruthless battles for reasons that were not necessary at all Ye Li felt she could never understand the thoughts of those in power.

Ye Li suddenly felt this man was pitiful. He should have been full of spirit and fame, like his ancestors, ruling the world with elegance. But he had to save everything when his brother unexpectedly passed away at a young age. At eighteen, he had already given up everything to protect Prince Ding’s family's prestige for centuries. After losing his health and good looks, he still cautiously faced probes and plots from all sides, along with unknown assassinations. As intelligent as he was, perhaps he saw the future of Prince Ding’s mansion long ago. Yet, he refused to accept defeat.

"Can… you retreat" Ye Li asked, but immediately regretted her childish question. Throughout history, how many people who achieved great feats could completely retire

Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "If I can retire, where would the 800 thousand Mo family troops and the 50 thousand Black Cloud Cavalry retreat to"

Ye Li was silent. The Mo family members were not foolish; even former Regent Wang Moliang wouldn’t be less smart than her. Although there weren't many masters in Prince Ding’s mansion, they could leave if they wanted. But it wasn’t that easy for the hundreds of thousands of troops loyal to the Mo family and Prince Ding's house to do so. When Great Chu was in trouble, they needed those soldiers; after the empire was stabilized, however, every single one became a thorn in the emperor’s eye. If the master of Prince Ding’s mansion left, their best outcome would be being disbanded or suppressed; no one dared imagine worse outcomes. To an emperor, hundreds of thousands of troops might sometimes be less valuable than a handful of chess pieces.

"If Beitarong starts another war, what will you do" Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao looked at her calmly and said, "I'll lead the army into battle. I’ll send you to Yuzhou when that time comes. With Qingyun Scholar around, no one dares harm you. If I… even the royal family wouldn’t dare touch you."

Ye Li frowned, suddenly finding this absurd. They were discussing Prince Jingli's marriage to a concubine, but why did it shift towards such matters Clearly things that hadn't even happened yet. But her vague unease told her their previous conversation wasn’t just her imagination; she knew Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t join her in such flights of fancy.

Ignoring Mo Xiuyao’s words and casually changing the subject, Ye Li asked, "Prince Li is marrying a concubine. Should I return to my family"

No need for Ye Li to consider it; before noon, someone reported that her grandmother Lady Ye requested her to return home to discuss something important.

Upon returning to the Ye mansion, she was immediately invited into Lady Ye's courtyard. Entering Rongle Hall, she saw her grandmother and Mother Wang both in a rage while her father looked grim. Ye Li pursed her lips and somewhat understood what was happening. "Grandmother, Father."

"Lily…" Lady Ye’s eyes lit up at the sight of Ye Li and quickly beckoned her forward. Ye Li's mouth twitched slightly; she silently thought that Grandma mustn't believe she could control imperial marriages As a Princess Consort to Prince Ding, even if Li Wang was marrying a princess or concubine, it was none of her business. "Lily, you’re finally back. Look at your sister… Ering is truly unfortunate…"

Ye Li walked forward and glanced at the sobbing Ye Ying in Mother Wang's arms before sitting down beside Lady Ye. "What happened to my fourth sister"

Lady Ye anxiously said, “Ering has barely been married a month when Prince Li is about to marry a concubine; how can we face other people How will your sister continue living”

Ye Li nodded and said, "Just now our王爺also received an invitation from the Li王府. At this time, Fourth Sister isn’t in charge of matters at the王府, why did she run back here" Lady Wang glared and angrily said, "What are you saying! Ying’er is like this and you still blame her for coming home Ye Li, are you human or what Master, look..."

"Shut up!" Old Lady Ye glared at Lady Wang and scolded, "Li’er is right. I’ve been talking to all of you just now but it seems like you didn’t hear anything The Li王府is currently preparing for a wedding, if Ying’er as the principal wife doesn’t take charge how will others see things" Lady Wang was unhappy and said, "Is this fair The Li Wang wronged Ying’er and yet he still expects her to plan his marriage ceremony What kind of justice is there in the world" Old Lady Ye coldly laughed and said, "The Emperor’s word is justice. You were also present that night when he decreed the betrothal; why didn’t you speak against it then Don’t come up with more foolish plans for Ying’er."

Ye Ying was still thinking about her conversation with Mo Xiuyao this morning and did not have any desire to listen to them. She endured a few words of consolation but they were ignored by Ye Ying. With tear-filled eyes she clung to Lady Wang and sobbed, "Wah... Father, it’s all your fault, why did you force me to marry the Li Wang… if not for that, how would I suffer such humiliation today… this should have been hers…"

"Ying’er!" Minister Ye growled. His dark expression made Ye Ying shrink into Lady Wang and cry miserably. Ye Li looked away silently; her eyes were hidden but the emotions within them could be seen clearly. So, Ye Ying wasn’t willing to start a relationship with Mo Jingli at first Then… what did her father mean by having one of his daughters seduce another’s fiancé

"Enough! What use is there in talking about this now" Minister Ye was impatient and waved his hand; looking at Ye Li he asked, "Li’er, how do you see things"

Ye Li suppressed her doubts and said with calmness, "It’s hard to oppose an imperial decree. Moreover, when it involves a matter of state relations there is probably no room for negotiation."

The minister frowned and said, "Are we just going to let this go If she had been someone without status then it wouldn’t have mattered but she’s the princess of Xiling.

Ye Li smiled faintly as she said, "It’s precisely because she is a princess of Xiling that there is no need for concern. Isn’t that so, Father"

The minister thought for a moment and then his frown eased as he said, "That’s right. The heir to the Li王府will never have royal blood from Xiling. Moreover, since Princess Xiling acted out at court that day, there is no doubt that the Li Wang has some grudge against her in his heart. As long as Ying’er can take control of the王府she needn’t worry about a princess sent here to marry.

"Fourth Sister wants to establish herself firmly within the王府and should start with Concubine Xiao Zhao," Ye Li said softly.

“What” Ye Ying couldn’t help but scream, “That old hag has always disliked me! You want me to flatter her She’s been trying every way possible to torment me! I….”

Ye Li frowned and interrupted her. "Concubine Xiao Zhao is the Li Wang’s aunt by blood and the sister of the Empress Dowager. There are plenty of people who want to flatter her; you don’t need to do that. Moreover, I haven’t asked you to flatter her, just make sure she can find no fault with you. The best would be if she sees you as a satisfactory principal wife." Xiao Zhao had been in the Forbidden City for decades and was not easy to flatter. It might even backfire.

Ye Ying angrily said, "Since our marriage ceremony, she’s always picked on my mistakes. No matter what I do it’s wrong! How can you expect me to please her"

"When she picks a fight with you, just endure it. Use your spare time to learn how to be an exemplary wife from your grandmother. As the younger sister of an imperial consort and daughter of a minister, as well as being the principal wife by right, you have more advantages than Princess Lingyun. If you can’t handle this, then pack up and return home to the Ye Manor. Father and Mother will not mind supporting you for life.

"You!" Ye Ying immediately forgot her grievance and sorrow; her face turned red as she glared at Ye Li with fiery eyes. She coldly laughed and retorted, "Indeed, if I couldn’t endure this, I would have run back to the Ye Manor crying long ago. No… If I were you, I’d just hang myself before my marriage ceremony." Ye Li was too lazy to quarrel with her; she calmly set down her cup of tea and glanced at her coolly as she said, "If you had more time to waste getting angry at me then why not go back earlier and do what you should."

Ye Ying wanted to retort but Old Lady Ye slammed the table. “Ying’er, are you done causing a fuss Learn from your third sister; look at yourself now!”

Ye Ying was stunned for a moment before her sorrow welled up again and she started crying. Wiping away tears with one hand as she spoke, she said, "What is there to learn from me How have I turned out this way There are likely many people secretly laughing at me in the capital now… Wah… Why can’t the王爺treat me like that What did I do wrong"

Old Lady Ye was irritated by her crying and said, "Enough! What use is there to cry Stop your tears. You’ve already gotten married; don’t you think you’re still a child in your parents’ home Servants, go invite the Li Wang here to take back Fourth Miss."

“Grandmother.”

Ye Li stopped her and said, "Fourth Sister has come back so she may as well stay longer. The Li Wang will likely come personally for her. We’d be better off waiting than sending someone to invite him now."

The minister looked at Ye Li appreciatively and said to his mother, “Mother, Li’er is right.”

Old Lady Ye pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I’ve been driven crazy by her."

"Madame, Master, Madam, The Li Wang has arrived," a steward reported from outside.ie 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...