Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 148. Sentimental

148. Sentiment

The Governor’s Mansion in Xinyang City had become the temporary headquarters of the Mo Family Army. All the army’s Chief Generals, including Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, were residing here temporarily. After the bloody slaughter, the city, originally populated by hundreds of thousands, was decimated. The entire city had practically become a military encampment and was under martial law. The once bustling streets were absent of pedestrians and enthusiastic vendors, replaced by disciplined soldiers marching back and forth. Even the occasional civilian passing by was consumed by melancholy and numbness.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, walking down Xuanwu Street, the busiest street in Xinyang City, sighed at the desolation. Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze to see her despondent expression and wordlessly reached out to hold her hand. Ye Li raised her head, giving him a small smile. "I’m okay. Just a bit lost seeing the largest city in the Northwest turned into a ghost town." Mo Xiuyao reassured her softly, "After the war, in just a few years, this place will thrive again." Ye Li shook her head in response, "However prosperous it becomes, the people living here will not be the same." A touch of sadness flickered in Mo Xiuyao’s eyes. "In times of war, innocent civilians inevitably suffer casualties."

"Indeed... ’For every one hero made, a bone-deep waste ensues...’" Ye Li whispered to herself.

" ’For every one hero made, a bone-deep waste ensues...’ " Mo Xiuyao contemplated the proverb. His Mo ancestors were famous for their wartime successes, but was the Mo Family Army’s immense reputation not built upon countless sacrifices? The King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion had always prided itself on protecting the people of Great Chu. But for the innocent civilians who died in wars, had he himself ever truly felt remorse or unease on their behalf? Ye Li, walking ahead of him, turned back to look at him with a faint, reminiscent smile and spoke slowly, "You know? Someone once told me that a soldier’s duty is to protect their country and its people. The greatest shame for a soldier is to witness their people experiencing war right before their homes." Mo Xiuyao fell silent; her nostalgic expression rendering her fleeting yet profoundly beautiful, causing an unexplained ache in his heart. He abruptly felt the urge to pull her close, as if she would disappear in the next moment. Yielding to his impulse, he pulled her into his arms, his chiseled chin resting on top of her head, murmuring, "This event has indeed brought us profound shame."

Ye Li chuckled softly and shook her head. "That’s not what I meant. Just disregard it as my tiresome babble. This... was not your fault."

"And it was not yours either, Ah-Li, you did your best," Mo Xiuyao reassured her softly. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Just as Ye Li was stepping back from his embrace, a pleasant voice brimming with joy and slight resentment echoed from behind them, "Xiuyao, you’re here?" They both turned and saw a stunning woman standing not far away, her face filled with joy at the sight of Mo Xiuyao. Ye Li sighed internally. Su Zuidie was not merely a beautiful woman but one who knew well how to leverage her advantages. In these hard times in Xinyang City, she, an unpopular guest of the Prince and Princess Consort, naturally couldn’t have anyone arranging luxurious outfits and jewelry for her. Still, she stood here magnificently in her plain white ensemble, seemingly as ethereal as a goddess descending upon the mortal world. Her loose raven hair, held loosely by a white ribbon, Su Zuidie, already twenty-five years old, appeared no more than a few years older than the fifteen-year-old Ye Li.

"What are you doing here?" Mo Xiuyao asked with a slight frown, looking at her indifferently.

Su Zuidie’s hands hidden within her sleeves clenched tightly as she looked at Mo Xiuyao with a touch of sadness. "You don’t want to see me, do you?" His impassive face betrayed no emotion while his gaze piercingly focused on her. He replied, "I am asking you, what are you doing here?"

Su Zuidie hesitated, letting out a mournful laugh. "I see, you still resent me. Do you still blame me for leaving you alone back then? I didn’t have a choice, why can’t you forgive me? You regard me as your enemy, don’t you? Can’t I even have a leisurely stroll? If you hate me so much, why don’t you simply put an end to me?" Mo Xiuyao frowned, ignoring Su Zuidie’s words and gestured towards the deserted streets, "Someone, attend to me!"

Two figures appeared from around the corner almost immediately, waiting patiently for their orders. Mo Xiuyao pointed towards the sobbing Su Zuidie at his side and ordered coldly, "Take her away. If I see her leaving her quarters again, punish yourselves."

"Understood, sir!" both answered in unison.

Su Zuidie looked at Mo Xiuyao with shock. In a state of disbelief, she said, "Are you putting me under house arrest? Xiuyao, you’re so cruel... My grandfather will not allow you to do this to me!"

Mo Xiuyao spoke in a calm voice, "Do you want Elder Su to know that you are still alive?"

Su Zuidie was momentarily rendered speechless. She could predict her grandfather’s temperament; if he knew about what she had been doing all these years, he would undoubtedly kill her! She glanced at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, who still held hands. Su Zuidie was reluctant but had no choice but to follow the two secret guards and leave. It would be even more humiliating if she were forcibly escorted back.

Ye Li casually shrugged off the resentful look in Su Zuidie’s eyes as she left. No matter how gorgeous a beauty was, one would get used to it after seeing them enough times. She always believed that a true beauty should be just right; being too beautiful... could often be a flaw.

After accompanying Mo Xiuyao around the city examining defenses and comforting the surviving citizens, the two returned to the Governor’s Mansion. The moment they entered the mansion, Mo Xiuyao was called away by Feng Zhiyao. Ye Li also returned to her study to handle the affairs that required her attention.

Collections of various organized documents and petitions, prepared by Zhuo Jing and Lin Han, were already laid out on the study desk. Seeing Ye Li enter, the initially busy Lin Han and Zhuo Jing quickly rose to pay their respects. Ye Li waved them off, signaling that formalities were unnecessary. Following her guidance over the last two months, both Zhuo Jing and Lin Han met the requirements for their position as assistants. Specifically, Zhuo Jing, who had spent more time in Ye Li’s presence than Lin Han, was more adept at understanding Ye Li’s intentions. Many times, a single gesture was all it took for him to grasp what she needed, easing her workload enormously.

"Has there been any news from Darky Two?" Ye Li asked as she sat down and picked up the petitions that needed handling.

Lin Han presented a petition and explained, "This was received earlier today. Darky Two sent it back by fast horse." Upon reading it, Ye Li found that it was densely filled with writing about Su Zuidie’s details. It included information about her present status in Xiling and the power that lay behind her, the Bai Family. There was also a lot about her activities inside the palace and her relationships with the Emperor of Xiling and his consorts and princesses. As Ye Li read on, she found herself marveling at the account; Su Zuidie had not only captivated the Emperor of Xiling but was also rumored to have a close and ambiguous relationship with the Southern Garrison Prince. Despite their hostile relationship, Su Zuidie had narrowly escaped multiple attempts on her life by Empress Bai, thanks to the Southern Garrison Prince. He even went as far as suppressing the Empress directly, effectively reducing her to a puppet in the palace. Ye Li was puzzled; what was a woman like Su Zuidie, who practically owned the palace, doing in Great Chu, so far from home? Was she not afraid that Mo Xiuyao would still hold a grudge from their past and kill her on sight? Or was she excessively confident in her own charm, thinking that Mo Xiuyao would fall for her again?

After reading Su Zuidie’s life story, which read more like an unofficial legend, Ye Li pursed her lips with a hint of disinterest and instructed, "Send it to the Prince when you’re free."

Nodding, Lin Han placed the petition aside to take it to the Prince after finishing his current task.

"Zuidie seeks an audience with Third Miss Ye," a soft voice floated in from outside the room. Frowning, Ye Li gave it some thought and granted, "Noble Consort Bai may enter."

Outside, Su Zuidie looked at the two guards at the entrance, her pretty face tinged with anger. She challenged them with a raised eyebrow, "May I enter now?" However, to the two loyal guards, the angry yet charming beauty might as well have been a stone puppet. They respectfully replied, "The Princess Consort has permitted Noble Consort Bai to enter."

The term ’Noble Consort Bai’ both frustrated and embarrassed Su Zuidie. The title constantly made her wonder if it was a deliberate mockery. However, she was overthinking it. Most members of the Mo Family Army were aware that Mo Xiuyao’s former fiancée, the world’s most beautiful woman Su Zuidie, was dead. They did not care about her self-proclaimed identity; it bore no importance until Mo Xiuyao himself acknowledged it. Furthermore, since both the Prince and the Princess Consort addressed her as Noble Consort Bai, it was only natural for their subordinates to do the same.

Scoffing, Su Zuidie stepped into the study. As she entered, she saw Ye Li sitting behind her desk, engrossed in reading a petition. A short distance away, two tables piled with an assortment of ledgers, petitions, and files were pushed together. Lin Han and Zhuo Jing were sitting by the table, handling their own tasks without sparing a glance for the world’s most beautiful woman. It wasn’t that they were not interested in beautiful women, but that they had run into Su Zuidie too many times, thanks to her constant ’coincidental’ encounters with the Prince. These encounters mostly took place in Ye Li’s presence, whom they were usually accompanying. Therefore, they were bound to see Su Zuidie frequently. People often savor the beauty of a woman because it is normally unattainable. But if the same woman constantly throws herself at you, even the most beautiful woman can lose her charm.

Seeing Ye Li engrossed in her work, Su Zuidie’s resentment grew. Back when she was with Mo Xiuyao, he wouldn’t even let her into his study, let alone ask for her help in handling affairs. Yet now, Ye Li was sitting behind Mo Xiuyao’s desk, attending to the affairs of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. Was it fair that an inferior person like Ye Li had achieved what she could not? How could Su Zuidie ever accept this?