Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 190. Transaction Completed

190. Deal Concluded

Leaving the dungeon, Mo Xiuyao walked side by side with Ye Li. Ye Li hesitated and asked, "Is it okay to let Tan Jizhi go just like that?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly. "What’s good or bad about it? If you feel like releasing him, Ah-Li, then do it. If you feel like killing him, then do it."

Ye Li looked at him helplessly and said, "Killing isn’t as easy as cutting radishes; it’s not a matter of mood. Besides, releasing him isn’t a big deal either; after all, the conditions he proposed were quite good. However, I always feel like something’s missing."

Even though the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion was prosperous, the conflict with Mo Jingqi had become inevitable, and the assets of Prince Ding’s Mansion had not remained completely unscathed. One hundred thousand taels of gold was not a large sum, but it wasn’t a small amount either. Coupled with the influence Tan Jizhi had established in the Northwest and the Capital City over the past ten years, if this deal was solely for his attempt to capture her, it was clearly a bargain.

Mo Xiuyao shrugged, mimicking Ye Li’s usual gesture. To him, the difference between killing a man and cutting radishes truly wasn’t that significant. "If we release him, we release him," he said. "If he doesn’t behave, we’ll just capture him again."

Ye Li replied with a smile, "Does the Prince think Tan Jizhi is easy to catch?" If it weren’t for Tan Jizhi’s misfortune of Mo Xiuyao discovering him here in the Northwest, capturing him wouldn’t have been so easy. His ability to lurk beside Mo Jingqi for so long without attracting anyone’s notice was already enough to demonstrate his capabilities.

Mo Xiuyao replied nonchalantly, "There’s no one this Prince intends to kill who doesn’t die. Even if he’s fine now, his day will come eventually."

Ye Li took Mo Xiuyao’s hand as they strolled along the corridor. Mo Xiuyao had truly changed a lot since his return, and Ye Li couldn’t tell if this change was for the better or worse. The Mo Xiuyao of the past was too profound; even Ye Li sometimes couldn’t completely see through him. At times, she even felt that what she saw was only what Mo Xiuyao was willing to let her see. But the current Mo Xiuyao had a bit more casualness and unrestraint. Of course, there was also a strange obsessiveness, for instance, his dislike for Han Mingxi. So, every time he saw Han Mingxi, he would unleash his killing intent without any restraint. Occasionally, Ye Li even worried that Mo Xiuyao might one day kill Han Mingxi behind her back. For this reason, Ye Li had also talked to him when he was in a good mood. At that time, Mo Xiuyao had looked at her earnestly and said, "If Ah-Li is unhappy, I won’t kill him." Ye Li believed Mo Xiuyao’s promise, but what made her exasperated was that as soon as he turned around, he would still direct his killing intent at Han Mingxi. It had gotten to the point where Han Mingxi no longer provoked Mo Xiuyao upon seeing him and would directly take a detour.

Now that Mo Xiuyao had noted down the matter of killing Tan Jizhi, Ye Li felt that even if Tan Jizhi was released, his future days would likely be very troublesome.

"Prince, Princess Consort." Qin Feng appeared at the end of the corridor, bowing to them.

Ye Li nodded and asked with a smile, "Is there any news from Su Zuidie?"

Qin Feng frowned in frustration, his face looking unwell as he said, "Your subordinate was incompetent. Aside from revealing Tan Jizhi’s identity, Su Zuidie refuses to say anything else." Qin Feng felt that his previous underestimation of this woman, Su Zuidie, was definitely a mistake. In all these years, he had never seen a woman who could endure torture so well, especially since this woman was usually so delicate that she would shed tears even if a needle pricked her finger.

"It’s fine; this was expected. Take your time, no need to rush. Just be careful not to kill her," Ye Li said. If Su Zuidie were truly as weak and delicate as she appeared on the surface, she wouldn’t have had the audacity back then to seduce Han Mingyue, betray Mo Xiuyao, then dump Han Mingyue to get involved with the Emperor of Xiling and the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling. It was truly astonishing that a woman from a noble family, who had never even left the Capital of Great Chu, could possess such cunning and skill. Therefore, Ye Li wouldn’t be surprised at all if she had some other abilities. However, Ye Li didn’t want to kill her just yet. She could sense that whatever Su Zuidie was enduring so much for, refusing to confess, was definitely a secret big enough to shake heaven and earth.

"Your subordinate obeys," Qin Feng said, bowing his head.

Mo Xiuyao looked down at Ye Li, who was pondering with lowered brows, and said softly, "Ah-Li, you shouldn’t tire yourself out too much right now. What’s the use of thinking so much?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "It’s nothing much. I just feel that something is off about Su Zuidie." True, Su Zuidie was a woman who could endure, but she definitely wasn’t someone naturally accustomed to suffering—unless confessing would lead to a situation even worse than her current one.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then said to Qin Feng, "Secretly spread the news... that this Prince has found Su Zuidie, the granddaughter of Elder Su."

Qin Feng was taken aback and looked at Mo Xiuyao with some confusion, "Prince..."

Mo Xiuyao toyed with a strand of Ye Li’s hair that lay on her shoulder and said nonchalantly, "No need to make too many moves. Just let those who should know, know. Understand?"

Qin Feng understood. "Your subordinate understands. I’ll go do it immediately."

「Early the next morning,」 without Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li needing to ask, Tan Jizhi had the dungeon guards deliver a message. He completely agreed to all the conditions Ye Li had proposed. As long as Shu Manlin’s safety could be guaranteed, he agreed to have Shu Manlin temporarily held as a hostage in Ruyang City until Ye Li found the Bilo flower.

Neither Ye Li nor Mo Xiuyao were surprised by this. When it concerned one’s own life, it was clear that Tan Jizhi profited no matter what he exchanged for it. After all, if one lost one’s life, those things would just be a pile of waste. Tan Jizhi was not an indecisive person and was very generous when settling accounts. Carrying his seal, the secret guards received 100,000 taels of gold from Tan Jizhi’s hidden forces within the Northwest that very day. This also indirectly proved that Tan Jizhi’s secretly hidden forces were already astonishingly large.

Mo Xiuyao’s mood hadn’t been too bad recently, so he didn’t intend to go back on his word. He immediately ordered Tan Jizhi to be released from the prison cell. Tan Jizhi was anxious to leave the Northwest and directly refused Feng Zhiyao’s attempt—whether genuine or feigned—to persuade him to stay until the next day, stating he would depart immediately. Ye Li didn’t try to keep him either. There was only one last thing: the whereabouts of the Bilo flower.

Tan Jizhi looked at Ye Li, a malicious smile playing on his lips. "Princess Consort, you’ve searched high and low for the Bilo flower, but in reality... the true Bilo flower has always been right under your nose."

Ye Li frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "The Bilo flower is in the Capital of Great Chu?"

Tan Jizhi smiled proudly and said, "Correct. The Bilo flower is indeed in the Capital of Great Chu. Moreover, it’s right in the Palace of Great Chu... in Mo Jingqi’s hands."

"Why would it be in Mo Jingqi’s hands?" Ye Li asked, frowning. Mo Jingqi couldn’t possibly be unaware that the Bilo flower could heal Mo Xiuyao’s body. If he obtained it, wouldn’t he go all the way and simply destroy it?

Tan Jizhi seemed to see her worry and said with a laugh, "Princess Consort, rest assured. The Bilo flower is famed for being able to regenerate flesh on bones and bring the dead back to life. Someone like Mo Jingqi, who cherishes his life so much, would absolutely not destroy it. He would only hide it very carefully, in a place no one would ever think of. To be honest, ever since the Bilo flower came into his hands, even I haven’t been able to guess where he put it."

Ye Li swept a cold glance over him and asked, "Was it you who gave the Bilo flower to Mo Jingqi?"

Tan Jizhi didn’t deny it, smiling somewhat complacently as he said, "Doesn’t the Princess Consort think this was a good idea? Actually, I originally didn’t want to give it to Mo Jingqi either. But ever since I found out that you, Princess Consort, and even the Sickly Scholar of the King of Hell Pavilion were looking for it, I had no choice but to do so. With the methods of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the King of Hell Pavilion, they would sooner or later find out that the Bilo flower was no longer in the hands of the Liang family, and then I might have trouble too. But who would have thought that such a treasure of the mortal world would be in the hands of the Emperor of Great Chu? The thing Prince Ding needs most is in the hands of the person who hates him most. Heh heh..."

"You may leave. Since this Princess Consort agreed to your conditions, I will not go back on my word. However, you had best pray that you don’t fall into this Princess Consort’s hands next time," Ye Li said coolly.

Tan Jizhi wiped the deliberately crafted smile from his face, gave Ye Li a sinister glance, and said, "I will definitely remember the Princess Consort’s words. I will absolutely not give myself another chance to fall into the hands of Prince Ding’s Mansion. Farewell."

Ye Li turned and walked away. "Not seeing you off."

After seeing Tan Jizhi off, Mo Xiuyao immediately turned hostile and unceremoniously threw the envoy sent by Mo Jingqi out of Ruyang City. As for the matter of them coming to retrieve someone... everyone in Ruyang City, young and old, had seen Tan Jizhi leave through the city gates. His own unwillingness to return to the Capital of Great Chu had nothing to do with the Mo Family Army or Prince Ding’s Mansion. Regarding the question of Tan Jizhi’s identity, Mo Xiuyao didn’t plan to tell Mo Jingqi, but he also didn’t deliberately hide it. Whether Mo Jingqi had the ability to find out was none of his business.

「In the room,」 Mo Xiuyao, having just washed up, had his still-damp white hair draped over his shoulders. He glanced with disgust at the white-haired man in the copper mirror. His gaze then shifted to a small black porcelain bottle placed to one side; it was the hair dye Shen Yang had specially prepared for him.

Previously, Mo Xiuyao hadn’t considered himself someone who paid much attention to his appearance, but now, every time he saw his reflection, he found it increasingly unbearable. A head of snow-white hair, coupled with the hideous scar on his left cheek, made his already pale face appear even more grotesque and terrifying. He didn’t want Ah-Li to see such a frightening sight. He wasn’t afraid of scaring her, but he didn’t want her to see him in such an ugly state. His Ah-Li was so perfect, while he... A trace of hatred flashed through his somber eyes. He himself was so damaged and unsightly. Only now did Mo Xiuyao realize it wasn’t that he hadn’t cared about his appearance before; rather, at seventeen or eighteen, he had been blessed with exceptional looks. He had no need to envy anyone. But after he turned seventeen, there was never again anyone who made him feel the need to care about his appearance. He could even imagine what a grotesque picture it would be if he, in his current state, stood next to Ah-Li.

BAM! A palm struck the tabletop before him, neither too lightly nor too heavily. The red sandalwood table let out a pained groan as several cracks quickly spread across its entire surface.

"Xiuyao." Ye Li’s voice sounded from outside the door.

Mo Xiuyao stiffened. If he hadn’t clearly known who was outside, he probably would have sent the person flying with a single palm strike. He felt like hiding, but there was no suitable place in the room for a tall man like him to conceal himself. Besides, Ah-Li clearly knew he was in the room, so how could he possibly hide?

Ye Li walked in slowly, rounded the screen, and looked at the white-haired man sitting before the copper mirror. As if not noticing Mo Xiuyao’s stiffness, she walked over, picked up the towel placed to one side, and gently began to dry his hair. "Why is your hair still wet? Although it’s still quite hot now, you should be careful not to get a headache."

"Ah-Li..." Mo Xiuyao turned, gazing blankly at the gently smiling woman before him. After a few days of recuperation since her return, Ye Li’s complexion had clearly improved a lot. Although she wasn’t as plump and rosy as many women who were seven or eight months pregnant, she still looked very healthy and beautiful.

While Ye Li dried his hair, she asked softly, "What’s wrong?"

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "Nothing."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "It’s good that it’s nothing. Let me help you fix your hair."

The room was quiet. Ye Li gently dried his hair, then her fingers deftly gathered the head of snow-white silver strands, pulling out a silver ribbon from a nearby box to tie it up. Only then did she look at it with satisfaction, nod, and say, "Very good."

Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li into his arms, pressing his face against her round belly, listening to the baby’s energetic movements inside. From time to time, he would even get kicked. "Ah-Li, I’ve become so ugly. Don’t you... despise me?"

Ye Li was taken aback and couldn’t help but break into a smile. But seeing the cautious expression of the man before her, her eyes couldn’t help but sting, and tears almost fell. Gently stroking Mo Xiuyao’s silver-white hair, Ye Li asked softly, "If I became ugly, would you despise me?"

"Of course not. Ah-Li will always be the most beautiful," Mo Xiuyao said solemnly.

Ye Li laughed. "Then that settles it. Besides, you’ve never been handsome anyway." Had Ye Li not seen her share of handsome men? There was Xu Qingchen, otherworldly and ethereal like an immortal; Young Master Mingyue, gentle and refined like the bright moon in the sky; and Han Mingxi, strikingly handsome, seemingly roguish and unrestrained but actually simple and sincere; not to mention famous handsome men of the Capital City like Feng Zhiyao, Leng Haoyu, and others. Compared to them, even if Mo Xiuyao’s features were outstanding, it couldn’t change the fact that half of his face was disfigured. Therefore, in Ye Li’s eyes, Mo Xiuyao truly didn’t count as a handsome man.

Looking at Mo Xiuyao’s stunned expression, Ye Li smiled and said, "However, since you have this awareness and know you’re unsightly, how about we have Mr. Shen and Master take a look at the wound on your face later?"

Mo Xiuyao hesitated. The reason the wound on his face wasn’t treated back then wasn’t because it was untreatable. Rather, at that time, Mo Xiuyao, who was afflicted by a potent poison and severe injuries, mired in agony day after day, simply didn’t want to bother with the scar on his face. He had already lost his healthy body and legs; what difference did it make whether his face was ruined or not? Moreover, Shen Yang had thought several times back then that Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t survive, so naturally, he didn’t have the spare effort to pester him about dealing with the issue on his face. By the time Mo Xiuyao’s condition stabilized and Shen Yang remembered this matter, he was flatly refused by Mo Xiuyao, who was in a somber mood at the time.

He reached out and touched the scar on his face. "It’s been so many years..."

Ye Li laughed. "What’s the harm in trying? I heard that a certain someone didn’t apply any medicine to his face at all back then and let it heal entirely naturally. Truly... remarkable. If that’s the case, why is the Prince suddenly worried about his appearance today?"

Being teased by Ye Li like this, Mo Xiuyao actually felt much more relaxed. Clasping her waist and pulling her into his embrace, Mo Xiuyao said in a muffled voice, "Even if you despise me, Ah-Li, it’s too late. If anyone dares to snatch you from this Prince, I’ll tear them into a million pieces!"

Ye Li patted him helplessly and said, "You’re really becoming more and more like a child. Do you think I’m a gold ingot that everyone desires?"

Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly. His Ah-Li was far more precious than gold ingots. However... she could only be his! Anyone who coveted his treasure must all die!