Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 221 - 220. Dealing with Sick Scholars

220. Dealing with the Sick Scholar

Ye Li quickly translated the words on the silk cloth. Thankfully, this time the Great Founding Emperor had not played another trick; the real treasure location was in the Northwest. It was not very far from Licheng, but clearly, this was not a suitable time to go treasure hunting. They would have to wait, at least until the various influential figures still lurking in the Northwest searching for the treasure had all retreated. Ye Li handed the translated text to Mo Xiuyao. He only glanced at it, memorized its contents, and then casually burned both the translation and the original treasure map, leaving no trace.

Ye Li arranged for the members of the King of Hell Pavilion to stay in a moderately sized courtyard in the Northwest corner of the mansion. Although Licheng was still not completely peaceful, it offered a rare tranquility compared to the chaos outside. With no other pressing matters, Ye Li turned her attention to the Bilo flower. Naturally, the first task was to deal with the Sick Scholar, who, in her opinion, sorely needed a beating.

After breakfast, Ye Li went to visit the courtyard where the members of the King of Hell Pavilion were staying. Ling Tiehan and Leng Liuyue were sparring. The Sick Scholar sat alone to one side, his expression gloomy as he stared intently at his elder sworn brother and sister, who moved with dynamic energy as they fought enthusiastically in the garden. His hand gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly it seemed he wanted to leave indentations in the mahogany. Ye Li approached the Sick Scholar with a smile and chuckled casually, "I have long heard that Pavilion Master Leng, despite being a woman, is a renowned expert in the worldly society. Now, seeing her spar with Pavilion Master Ling, they truly are a perfect match."

The muscles on the Sick Scholar’s face twitched. He looked up and eyed Ye Li gloomily. Given her profession in her previous life, Ye Li had encountered all sorts of vicious and mentally unstable individuals; the Sick Scholar’s current level of menace barely registered with her. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and said, "It is rather strange, isn’t it? Pavilion Master Leng must be over thirty this year, yet a woman of her age is still unmarried. Is Pavilion Master Ling truly planning to keep her waiting indefinitely? Perhaps I should mention this to my Prince and ask him to remind Pavilion Master Ling. Third Pavilion Master, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Ye Li!" The Sick Scholar gritted his teeth. This was immediately followed by a violent, earth-shattering bout of coughing. When he moved his hand away from his mouth, his palm was stained with flecks of blood.

Ling Tiehan and Leng Liuyue, who were sparring nearby, naturally heard the commotion. They immediately stopped and hurried over. "Third Brother, what’s wrong?" Ling Tiehan asked in a deep voice. The Sick Scholar, however, did not appreciate the concern. He looked up, glared resentfully at Ling Tiehan, then rose and returned to his room. Ling Tiehan frowned and said to Leng Liuyue, "Liuyue, go check on him." Leng Liuyue nodded silently, put away her pair of short daggers, and turned to enter the room.

Ling Tiehan casually picked up a nearby cloth towel, wiped his hands, then turned to Ye Li. "Princess Consort, my Third Brother’s health is genuinely poor. I hope you can be merciful with your words." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. So, Ling Tiehan realized she had provoked the Sick Scholar into coughing blood. She didn’t deny it. She flicked her sleeve, sat down opposite Ling Tiehan, and said with a smile, "Pavilion Master Ling, even if the Third Pavilion Master is your kin, you can’t be overly biased. The Third Pavilion Master also angered me considerably yesterday. If I can’t vent this frustration, I truly won’t be able to eat or sleep in peace." Ling Tiehan sighed helplessly. His foster brother’s sharp tongue often provoked even him, his elder sworn brother, to the point where he wanted to give him a good thrashing, let alone outsiders. Looking at Ye Li, Ling Tiehan sighed again. "Is the Princess Consort wondering why I always protect my Third Brother, no matter what?"

Ye Li nodded slightly. She was indeed somewhat curious. Given Ling Tiehan’s personality and temperament, he would definitely not take a liking to someone as paranoid, gloomy, and ruthless as the Sick Scholar. It wasn’t that Ling Tiehan himself was exceptionally compassionate. Rather, despite being the master of the King of Hell Pavilion, he was far more honorable and straightforward than some self-proclaimed righteous individuals who secretly engaged in despicable acts. Such a man would surely detest someone with a dark and twisted psyche.

Ling Tiehan sighed with a hint of sorrow. "My two younger sworn siblings and I have known each other since childhood. Although Third Brother was taciturn as a child, he wasn’t like he is now. Back then, we were just children with no real skills, and we endured many hardships wandering the worldly society. One year... Liuyue fell gravely ill. We spent all our savings, but that meager amount was hardly enough for her medical treatment. To save Liuyue, Third Brother sold himself, leaving the money behind and going with those people. After Liuyue recovered, we joined the King of Hell Pavilion. Liuyue trained relentlessly day and night, hoping to find Third Brother one day. When I finally found him, more than a year had passed. No one knows how much he suffered during that time. When we found him, he was severely injured and near death. Third Brother’s innate aptitude isn’t particularly good. Even if he practiced martial arts, he couldn’t reach my or Liuyue’s level. He’s fundamentally unsuited for a place like the King of Hell Pavilion. After he recovered, Liuyue and I hoped he would live an ordinary, peaceful life. With us to look out for him, he wouldn’t be bullied. But who knew..."

Ling Tiehan gave a bitter laugh. "He completely ignored Liuyue’s and my advice and eventually joined the King of Hell Pavilion himself. With his aptitude, if he had focused on martial arts, he could at best have become a second-rate assassin in the King of Hell Pavilion, often used as cannon fodder. So, he chose a different path and specialized in the art of poison. This allowed him to rise and become one of the King of Hell Pavilion’s top assassins. While he is ruthless and cruel to outsiders, he treats his own people extremely well. Although Liuyue is an assassin, being a woman, she sometimes has moments of soft-heartedness. So Third Brother would always proactively take on assignments that she found herself unable to carry out."

Ye Li listened quietly to Ling Tiehan’s account. She hadn’t expected that the three leaders of the King of Hell Pavilion, the most feared figures in the worldly society, would share such a past. But then again, true psychopaths are rare from birth, and the Sick Scholar’s psychological issues hadn’t developed overnight. "Do Pavilion Master Ling and Pavilion Master Leng tolerate him to such an extent because you feel you owe him?" Ye Li asked. Ling Tiehan fell silent, implicitly confirming her words. In his youth, Ling Tiehan had been full of vigor. Being in a place like the King of Hell Pavilion, he had focused most of his energy on improving his martial skills. By the time he refocused his attention on his foster brother, the latter had already become a master of poisons, feared throughout the worldly society.

Ye Li looked thoughtfully at Ling Tiehan. "Speaking of which, even the Third Pavilion Master is approaching thirty this year, yet none of you are married. Why is that?"

Ling Tiehan looked down, lost in thought. After a long moment, he sighed. "I have been solely focused on the path of martial arts and haven’t entertained thoughts of starting a family. Besides, the King of Hell Pavilion is in the business of killing. Those who kill will inevitably be killed... It’s better not to have the encumbrance of a family. However... hearing the Princess Consort mention it today, I realize I may have indeed held up Liuyue and my Third Brother." Ye Li couldn’t help but frown as she carefully observed Ling Tiehan’s candid yet slightly regretful expression. It seemed Ling Tiehan truly had no romantic feelings for Leng Liuyue. The Sick Scholar’s unrequited love for Leng Liuyue was undeniable. If Ling Tiehan felt nothing for Leng Liuyue, things would be much simpler. But what were Leng Liuyue’s feelings? Even an assassin, upon reaching her thirties, would surely have someone in her heart, wouldn’t she? The only men close to Leng Liuyue were the Sick Scholar and Ling Tiehan. If Ye Li were in Leng Liuyue’s shoes, she certainly wouldn’t choose the Sick Scholar over Ling Tiehan.

"Pavilion Master Ling, do you know why I am here?" Ye Li asked softly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ling Tiehan nodded. "Naturally. In the coming days, Liuyue and I will do our utmost to persuade Third Brother to hand over the prescription. After all, this is a mutually beneficial matter. There’s truly no need for it to end in mutual destruction."

"So... could Pavilion Master Ling answer a question for me?" asked Ye Li.

Ling Tiehan was momentarily taken aback but still nodded. "I will speak of anything I know."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and asked softly, "Pavilion Master Ling, how do you view Pavilion Master Leng?"

Ling Tiehan’s sword-like brows furrowed. "Naturally, I regard Liuyue as my own sister..." He reacted swiftly, understanding Ye Li’s implication almost as soon as the words left his mouth. A look of surprise appeared on his composed, handsome face. "The Princess Consort means...?" Just as Ye Li was about to nod in affirmation, they heard the rustle of fabric behind them. Both turned to see Leng Liuyue’s retreating black figure. Ye Li looked at Ling Tiehan with a helpless, wry smile. It seemed Leng Liuyue had overheard their conversation. More importantly, Leng Liuyue likely did have feelings for Ling Tiehan, which was why she had left in distress after hearing his words. "Pavilion Master Leng is unfamiliar with Licheng. You should go check on her, Pavilion Master Ling," Ye Li said. "We wouldn’t want anything to happen." Ling Tiehan knew that Licheng was unlike other places. Prince Ding’s hidden guards, the Mo Family Army’s Black Cloud Cavalry, and the enigmatic Qilin were all concentrated in and around this city. If Leng Liuyue truly caused any trouble, she might not be able to escape unharmed. Nodding, Ling Tiehan rose and pursued in the direction Leng Liuyue had gone.

As Ling Tiehan’s figure disappeared from sight, the gentle smile on Ye Li’s face gradually faded. A cool, detached expression slowly settled on her beautiful features. Ordinarily, the emotional entanglements of the King of Hell Pavilion members were not her concern. However, if this was the Sick Scholar’s sole vulnerability, she wouldn’t hesitate to exploit his feelings for Leng Liuyue to achieve her objective.

Rising to her feet, Ye Li walked towards the room where the Sick Scholar was resting. Even before she reached it, she could hear intermittent coughing from within. Shen Yang and Doctor Lin were right; the Sick Scholar’s illness was indeed terminal. Pushing the door open, she entered. The man inside, hearing the door, turned around abruptly. However, upon seeing Ye Li at the entrance, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. "What are you doing here? As a Princess Consort, don’t you even know the basic courtesy of announcing yourself before entering someone’s room?" Ye Li paid no mind to his rudeness. She walked into the room with a smile and sat down in a chair not far from his bed. She smiled faintly. "A moment ago, I was speaking with Pavilion Master Ling. I wasn’t careful, and Pavilion Master Leng overheard us. Then she ran off by herself."

"What exactly were you talking about?!" A flicker of worry crossed the depths of the Sick Scholar’s eyes before he roared at Ye Li.

Ye Li blinked and said with a smile, "Oh, nothing much. We just happened to be discussing how Pavilion Master Ling said he regards Pavilion Master Leng as his own sister. Is there a problem with that?"

The Sick Scholar paused, uncharacteristically refraining from spewing venom at Ye Li, and instead lowered his head in silence. Seeing him quiet, a faint smile touched Ye Li’s lips. She then said earnestly, "Third Pavilion Master, nothing in this world can be perfect. The key lies in personal choices. Is vying with my Prince for a moment of pride truly more important than spending a lifetime with the one you genuinely love? If there were some deep-seated, family-annihilating feud between my Prince and you, then perhaps your actions would be understandable. But as far as I know, apart from that clash years ago, there has been no contact between you and my Prince, nor any enmity between your birth family and Prince Ding’s Mansion. Why must you be like this? Sometimes, ’taking a step back reveals a wider sky and a broader sea.’ There’s some truth to that saying, don’t you think?"

The Sick Scholar abruptly looked up, glaring fiercely at Ye Li. His expression shifted rapidly, a maelstrom of emotions: fury at Ye Li for seeing through him, hatred and resentment towards Mo Xiuyao, and an indescribable mix of self-loathing and sorrow. "You make it sound so noble, but don’t you just want the prescription?" Ye Li nodded in agreement, smiling. "Of course, I’m saying all this for the prescription, for my Prince’s life. Did you think I was trying to play matchmaker for you, Third Pavilion Master? It’s not like I have nothing better to do. Once I have the prescription and my Prince’s life is saved, I’ll be happy. Whether you decide to pursue Pavilion Master Leng after you recover is your own affair. Speaking of which, if the Second Pavilion Master were to truly fall into your hands, Third Pavilion Master, I would feel rather guilty." In Ye Li’s view, the eccentric Sick Scholar was a thousand times unworthy of Leng Liuyue. Therefore, she was only using Leng Liuyue as a breakthrough point in her conversation with the Sick Scholar and had absolutely no intention of offering him advice on pursuing Leng Liuyue. Of course, a woman like Leng Liuyue was undoubtedly strong-willed; if the Sick Scholar couldn’t move her on his own, advice from others would likely be useless anyway.

"You!" What the Sick Scholar hated most in his life was anyone saying he wasn’t good enough for Leng Liuyue. Although he knew in his heart that he wasn’t worthy of his sworn elder sister, he couldn’t bear to hear others say it aloud.

Seeing that enough had been said, Ye Li rose, preparing to leave. "Third Pavilion Master, think it over carefully. Will you choose to save your life and give it a try, or will you gamble with my Prince to see whose life is tougher? I guarantee... before you die, I will find a suitable husband for Pavilion Master Leng."

Leaning against the headboard, watching Ye Li’s figure depart without hesitation, the Sick Scholar coughed violently again. "Ye Li! You are ruthless..." Ye Li had indeed struck his fatal weakness. He was never the magnanimous type to wish for others’ happiness. Forcing him to watch Leng Liuyue marry someone else would be more agonizing than death itself.

No one knew what Ling Tiehan and Leng Liuyue discussed. Later that day, they returned to Prince Ding’s Mansion, one after the other, as if nothing untoward had occurred.

After dinner, Ye Li and Xu Qingchen were enjoying a rare moment of leisure, playing chess and chatting. The Sick Scholar had a guard from his courtyard deliver a piece of cloth, ancient and worn, covered in archaic script. When Ye Li unfolded it, a satisfied smile spread across her face. She handed the cloth to Qin Feng, who stood behind her, instructing him to personally deliver it to Shen Yang’s and Doctor Lin’s courtyard.

Having finally resolved the matter that had been weighing on her mind for so long, Ye Li appeared much more relaxed.

While pondering over his chess moves, Xu Qingchen asked, "You are so happy about having obtained the prescription for the Bilo flower?"

Ye Li smiled. "Of course, I’m happy. Aren’t you, Big Brother?"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and said with a smile, "A grown daughter cannot be kept at home."

Ye Li felt a twinge of embarrassment at his comment. She’d been married for over two years now, hadn’t she? Xu Qingchen casually placed a stone on the board, smiled, and said, "You deliberately stirred up the emotional entanglements of the three Ling siblings to force the Sick Scholar to submit. Ling Tiehan is currently upset and hasn’t fully processed it yet. Once he calms down and thinks it through, be careful he doesn’t come looking for trouble with you." Ye Li remained completely unconcerned. She nonchalantly placed a stone, capturing several of Xu Qingchen’s white pieces. "Would Ling Tiehan dare cause me trouble? Pavilion Master Leng is over thirty, and her best years have been spent on him. Isn’t it about time he gave her some form of resolution?"

Xu Qingchen’s hand, poised with a chess piece, paused. He looked at her with a smile. "Why do I get the feeling there’s a hidden meaning in your words?"

Being stared at by Xu Qingchen with that knowing, almost-smile sent a chill down Ye Li’s spine. Nevertheless, she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Am I wrong? In this society, what kind of good match can a woman over thirty hope to find? Regardless of whether Ling Tiehan was aware or not, for him, as an elder sworn brother, to let his sworn sister pass thirty unmarried without even inquiring, isn’t that outrageous? To put it nicely, Pavilion Master Ling is engrossed in martial arts and unconcerned with worldly affairs. To put it bluntly, he’s a scoundrel for delaying a woman’s entire life!"

"A scoundrel?" Xu Qingchen’s smile deepened. "Little sister Li’er, if there’s anything else you wish to say to me, your elder brother, you can say it all at once."

Ye Li broke out in a cold sweat, inwardly cursing her own lack of nerve. She didn’t know why she was so afraid of Xu Qingchen, and not Xu Qingze, who had always been more taciturn. Of course, this wasn’t unique to her; in fact, all three younger Xu brothers were more intimidated by the refined and gentle Xu Qingchen. "I wasn’t talking about you, Big Brother! Please don’t take it personally." Xu Qingchen nodded, looked at Ye Li’s uncharacteristically guilty expression, sighed with a hint of resignation, and asked, "Has Princess Anxi been to see you?"

Ye Li felt rather awkward. Xu Qingchen’s romantic affairs were not really her business. "Princess Anxi didn’t mention anything about you, but..." Princess Anxi was the Eldest Princess of her kingdom. The Nanzhao people had a culture vastly different from the Central Plains and had no interest in the so-called Imperial Jade Seal, yet she had remained in Licheng for so long. Ye Li, of course, knew why. Although Xu Qingchen didn’t avoid Princess Anxi, his demanding duties in the Northwest left him with little time to spend with her. Each time Princess Anxi visited Ye Li, her wistful expression and hesitant words made Ye Li feel quite sympathetic.

"Big Brother, what are your true feelings about Princess Anxi? Second Brother is getting married soon, and Uncle and Aunt must have pressured you as well, haven’t they?" After some thought, Ye Li decided to ask Xu Qingchen directly, not just for Princess Anxi’s sake, but also for her eldest maternal aunt, grandfather, and uncle, who had long hoped for him to marry. "Princess Anxi isn’t young anymore, Big Brother. Whatever your intentions, it’s best to be clear with her."

Xu Qingchen nodded. "I understand, and I will handle it properly."

"Big Brother, you..."

"Anxi and I are not suitable for each other," Xu Qingchen stated calmly, a faint smile on his face. "She is the Eldest Princess of the Southern Border and will one day inherit the throne of Nanzhao." Ye Li frowned, unsure if his words implied interest or disinterest. "What if Princess Anxi is willing to renounce the Nanzhao throne?"

"We are just friends."