Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 149. Seeking Death

149. Seeking Death

"Miss Ye..." Su Zuidie looked at the young woman still engrossed in her tasks before her, frowning in displeasure. "Have you no idea how to treat a guest?"

Ye Li glanced up at her and spoke softly, "There are many Miss Yes in this world, but there is only one Princess Consort Ding. If Noble Consort Bai would show some courtesy as a guest, I would naturally know how to be a host. Please sit down, Noble Consort Bai. Tea will be served." Su Zuidie bit her lip, certain that Ye Li was completely ignoring her, and sat down with a cold snort.

Before long, someone came to serve tea before Su Zuidie and silently retreated.

Ye Li finished writing the last character on the petition in her hand, put down her pen, and looked up at Su Zuidie. "Does Noble Consort Bai need anything from me?" Su Zuidie glanced at Zhuo Jing and Lin Han, who were sitting nearby, and said, "I have something I would like to speak with the Princess Consort in private." Ye Li replied with a smile, "There is no need for that. These two are not only my capable aides, but they are also loyal to the Ding Kingdom and the Prince. No matter what you want to say, there is no need to avoid them." Su Zuidie was irritated by Ye Li’s unresponsiveness but could do nothing about it, as it was clear from Ye Li’s attitude that she had no interest in what Su Zuidie wanted to say. Helpless, Su Zuidie stared at Ye Li and said, "Don’t you want to know my identity?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and said to Lin Han with a faint smile, "Lin Han, let Noble Consort Bai see the petition from just now."

Acknowledging the command, Lin Han rose to his feet and brought the petition to Su Zuidie. She looked curiously at Ye Li before opening the document. As she continued to read, her face grew paler. The petition clearly detailed her activities in Xiling over the years. Although Su Zuidie hadn’t been overly ostentatious in Xiling, even after changing her name, she was, after all, the Xiling Emperor’s most beloved consort. How could she possibly have vanished completely from everyone’s sight? Once it was known that Bai Long was Su Zuidie, investigating her background became exceedingly easy. Somewhat dejectedly, she put down the petition. Looking at Ye Li’s calm expression, Su Zuidie felt even more humiliated. "Xiuyao... does Xiuyao know about all this?" Ye Li said, "I was just about to send it to him."

"I forbid you to show him!" Su Zuidie shrieked. Zhuo Jing and Lin Han frowned in unison. They looked at the extraordinarily beautiful woman who had finally lost her composure with more than a little disapproval; their Princess Consort would never act in such an unseemly and discourteous way.

Ye Li picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip. The slightly bitter, cold tea made her frown slightly. She looked up and asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"Why... why... In any case, I forbid you to show it to him!" Su Zuidie sternly retorted. Ye Li calmly responded, "Noble Consort Bai, you misunderstand. I was asking, why would Noble Consort Bai think that I would listen to you?"

"You..." Su Zuidie’s face alternated between green and white. After a good while, she finally seemed to calm down. She sat down again, even elegantly smoothing her white clothes, and smiled dazzlingly at Ye Li. "I know you’re jealous of me, aren’t you? That’s understandable. After all, I’m the one who grew up with Xiuyao from a young age. Even if I was once insensible and left him, now I’ve returned, and Xiuyao will forgive me sooner or later. You’re afraid, aren’t you?" Ye Li silently looked at Su Zuidie and then lowered her head to continue reading the petition on the table. Su Zuidie covered her lips and chuckled. "Xiuyao and I grew up together. He could never bear to let me tire myself with any work. Seeing as you’ve worked so hard, after Xiuyao and I reconcile, I’ll make sure to leave a place for you to live."

Ye Li rubbed her temples, glanced at the woman thoroughly enjoying her self-scripted drama, and pursed her lips. "Go invite the Prince over. Tell him Noble Consort Bai has hysteria."

Zhuo Jing’s expression twisted for a moment, then he quickly rose and dashed off.

Mo Xiuyao arrived quickly. When he entered, Su Zuidie was glaring at Ye Li, dazed. Su Zuidie now somewhat believed the words of the Southern Garrison Prince: Ye Li was definitely the most difficult woman she had ever encountered in her life. Whether it was Noble Consort Liu, who was nearly her equal in the Capital of Great Chu, or the former Empress and even the current Empress in the Xiling Imperial Palace who had nearly killed her, they were all completely different from Ye Li.

Su Zuidie prided herself on having met many people in her life, but she had never met a woman like Ye Li. Sowing discord or trying to enrage her were completely useless against Ye Li. She seemed incapable of anger or jealousy. Facing her, Su Zuidie even felt like a clown.

"Xiuyao..." Noticing Mo Xiuyao’s arrival, Su Zuidie blinked and stepped forward to greet him. Mo Xiuyao stood at the doorway, his gaze swept past her and quickly fell upon Ye Li, who was still seated behind the desk. He softly asked, "Ah-Li, what’s wrong?" Ye Li nonchalantly pointed her chin at Su Zuidie, who was standing there, looking pitifully at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao walked to Ye Li’s side and sat down. "Ah-Li, you can handle it as you see fit. I was just discussing matters with General Lv and the others." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I wouldn’t dare. Noble Consort Bai grew up with the Prince, after all. There must be some affection there." Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "When I was young, as the Second Young Master of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion, how could I have grown up with a young lady from the Bai Family of Xiling?" Ye Li narrowed her eyes at him. "Then Noble Consort Bai..."

"Isn’t Noble Consort Bai a captive we captured? That being said, allowing a captive to roam freely in the mansion is your dereliction of duty, Ah-Li," Mo Xiuyao laughed.

"Xiuyao, you’re... treating me as a captive?" Su Zuidie trembled, her expression miserable as she asked.

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "You are the Noble Consort of Xiling, are you not? If not a captive, could it be that I am colluding with the enemy and betraying the country by secretly harboring a member of an enemy imperial family?"

"You...you are so ruthless..." Su Zuidie stared resentfully at the two sitting side by side, her tears falling like rain. Mo Xiuyao gave a cold laugh, saying indifferently, "Put away this act of yours. Using it on me is a complete waste. I believe Han Mingyue relayed what I said to you. Or...did you think I was joking?" Su Zuidie shivered. That’s right, Han Mingyue had told her.

But she was too confident in her beauty, always thinking it was because Mo Xiuyao hadn’t seen her for too long. As long as Mo Xiuyao saw her in person, he would certainly forgive her. Mo Xiuyao laughed. "It’s good that you showed up. I was just wondering where to find Han Mingyue. Behave yourself and stay in the mansion for the next few days. When Han Mingyue arrives, I will settle accounts with both of you at once."

Su Zuidie paused for a moment before asking, "In your eyes, am I less important than Han Mingyue? Do you hate me so much that you refuse to forgive me under any circumstances?"

Mo Xiuyao responded, "Han Mingyue is the Lord of the Tianyi Pavilion; his spies and agents are spread throughout the world. And what are you?"

This time, Su Zuidie truly believed that Mo Xiuyao didn’t care about her. Whether as a friend or as an enemy, Han Mingyue, being the Lord of the Tianyi Pavilion, was someone Mo Xiuyao couldn’t ignore. But who was she? The number one beauty in the world? If Mo Xiuyao could truly be bewitched by her beauty, then how could she have had the heart to leave him in the past?

"I love you..." Su Zuidie murmured softly. No matter how many men she had been with, she couldn’t deny that the only man she truly loved was the one in front of her.

Mo Xiuyao glanced regretfully at Ye Li, who was sitting beside him, watching the show with her chin propped in her hand. Ah-Li had never said she loved him. If those words were spoken by Ah-Li... Just thinking about it, Mo Xiuyao felt his heart filled to the brim with happiness and joy. The delight in his heart felt as if it was about to burst forth from his chest.

"Xiuyao..." Seeing Mo Xiuyao lost in thought, Su Zuidie thought he was softening and joyfully reached out to hold his hand. Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze, not even deigning to look, and deflected Su Zuidie’s hand, saying, "Since Ah-Li says you have hysteria, go see a doctor. Zhuo Jing, later, have a doctor invited to Noble Consort Bai’s courtyard." Zhuo Jing got up and responded, "This subordinate obeys. Noble Consort Bai, please!" Su Zuidie gritted her teeth, swatted Zhuo Jing’s hand away, and glared back at Mo Xiuyao, saying resentfully, "I get it, you’re never going to forgive me, right? If that’s the case, I might as well die!"

With that said, she turned and slammed herself hard against a nearby pillar. Zhuo Jing stood just a step away from her; he could have easily stopped her by raising his hand. But who knows what Zhuo Jing was thinking; the hand he had raised was lowered again before it even touched the hem of Su Zuidie’s clothes. Thus, with a BANG, a bloody mark was left on the pillar. Su Zuidie’s body went limp and she slowly slid to the ground, blood from her forehead streaming down her cheek. Su Zuidie looked up at Mo Xiuyao, who remained seated beside Ye Li, unmoved, and gritted her teeth, saying, "You...you’re so ruthless..."

Looking at Su Zuidie, who had fainted, Ye Li sighed inwardly. If she hadn’t known Su Zuidie’s character all too well, she would have felt pity for her at such a scene. Su Zuidie was ruthless to herself, but also incredibly unlucky. She had underestimated the extent of Mo Xiuyao’s ruthlessness. The second-in-line heir of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion, the current Prince of Ding Kingdom, how could he possibly be a kind-hearted person, one who repays grievances with kindness? Ye Li couldn’t claim to fully understand Mo Xiuyao, but she at least understood him a little. For those he loved, he wished them life; for those he hated, he wished them death. If she were Su Zuidie, she would absolutely never choose to appear before Mo Xiuyao again. Looking with some regret at that lovely face, now stained with blood, she sighed softly, "I wonder if it will leave a scar." Mo Xiuyao looked at her with a smile. "Are you worried about her, Ah-Li?"

Ye Li glared at him and scoffed, "No, this Princess Consort is gloating."

Mo Xiuyao nodded in understanding. "I understand. Ah-Li is jealous. Ah-Li, rest assured. In my eyes, no woman in this world can enter my sight except for Ah-Li." Ye Li snorted softly and no longer paid him any mind. However, the slight upturn of her lips still revealed a hint of happiness and pleasure. Mo Xiuyao sighed inwardly, wondering how he could coax Ah-Li into personally admitting she loved him.

On one side, Lin Han and Zhuo Jing tactfully retreated to find someone to take the unconscious beauty back to her courtyard for medical attention. The Princess Consort had no interest in dealing with her, and the Prince also seemed disinclined to bother. Although her forehead wound didn’t seem life-threatening, what if she was unlucky? The world would then lose one peerless beauty.

Su Zuidie was staying in a somewhat secluded courtyard within the Governor’s Mansion. The Governor’s Mansion itself was not considered large compared to the princely mansions and residences of high officials and dignitaries in the Capital City. Originally, it would have seemed quite spacious housing only the governor’s family. But now, the governor of Xinyang City had long since fled, and those who had moved in included not only Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, but also Marquis South and others, as well as most of the high-ranking military officers stationed in Xinyang City. Under such circumstances, for Su Zuidie to be allocated a separate small courtyard in a remote corner of the harem was already considered preferential treatment.

When she woke up, Su Zuidie reflexively touched her forehead. The thick bandage and the acute pain made her feel both hatred and remorse. Hatred for Mo Xiuyao’s heartlessness; she knew how skilled Mo Xiuyao was—if he hadn’t wanted her to die, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to hit the pillar. Remorse for her own impulsive action; if it ruined her peerless beauty... Upon that thought, Su Zuidie quickly got off the bed and rushed towards the copper mirror placed on the table. This small courtyard might have been the residence of some unfavored concubine of the governor. Although women’s necessities were all present, they were completely different from what Su Zuidie was accustomed to using. These items were not at all exquisite; even the copper mirror was too blurry to see clearly. Su Zuidie looked for a long time and could only see a vague shadow in the copper mirror and the thick white cloth wrapped around her forehead. Anxious, Su Zuidie reached out, wanting to unwind the white cloth on her head.

"Oh dear... Miss Bai, you can’t take that off!" The maid attending to Su Zuidie entered from outside and quickly rushed forward to stop her.

"How dare you!" Having been pampered for so many years, who would dare be so rude to her? Su Zuidie sharply rebuked. The maid was startled and quickly said, "The doctor instructed that Miss must not touch the wound before it heals, in case it leaves a scar, which would be bad." Hearing the maid’s words, Su Zuidie finally calmed down. She stared at her and asked, "Are you saying there won’t be a scar on my face?" The maid hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "As long as Miss Bai takes good care of it, it should... not leave a scar."

Having received the maid’s repeated assurances, Su Zuidie finally felt relieved. She sat in front of the mirror, examining her reflection in the blurry mirror, and asked, "Who brought me back?" The young maid said, "Miss was sent back by people dispatched by Lord Zhuo and Lord Lin." Su Zuidie’s hand paused. "Did the Prince come to see me?" The maid glanced at her somewhat strangely but still replied respectfully, "Replying to Miss, the Prince has not come." Hearing Su Zuidie throw the comb onto the table with a CLATTER, the young maid cautiously took two steps back. She was originally a maid in the Governor’s Mansion. Although she had escaped the war, she was now homeless. Fortunately, the Princess Consort was merciful and kept her in the mansion. She had been assigned to serve this beautiful Miss Bai and was initially quite happy; after all, just being able to see such a beauty was a blessing. But after a few days, she felt that this Miss Bai was truly very strange. Initially, hearing the Princess Consort address Miss Bai as Noble Consort Bai, although she didn’t know which Noble Consort she was, she still respectfully addressed her as such. Unexpectedly, Miss Bai flew into a rage and insisted she change it to Miss Su. But Lord Zhuo had said the guest’s surname was Bai. So she had to compromise and call her Miss Bai. Moreover, Miss Bai always mentioned the Prince with great intimacy from time to time. Although she was just an ignorant maid, she could still see that the Prince’s affection for Miss Bai was not even one ten-thousandth of his tenderness towards the Princess Consort.

"Damn it! I don’t believe you really don’t have me in your heart at all!" Staring blankly at her somewhat blurry reflection in the copper mirror, Su Zuidie frowned in annoyance and said, "Go get me a better mirror!"