Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 269 - 267. The Princess Consort starts scolding, demonstrating her valour
257. A Scolding, the Fierce Princess Consort
Noble Consort Liu’s face paled and flushed alternately. She had arrived beaming with confidence, yet no trace of it remained. Still, she refused to give in and could not understand Mo Xiuyao’s reasons for rejecting her. Anyone else in the world would have agreed to her proposal without hesitation. So why did Mo Xiuyao reject her? She, however, forgot that Mo Xiuyao was unlike anyone else in this world. And it was Mo Xiuyao, not just anyone, whom she had fallen in love with.
"Did you reject me because of her?" Noble Consort Liu stood up, pointing at Ye Li.
Mo Xiuyao answered with indifference, "Even without Ah-Li, I would never agree to such a brainless proposal."
"I don’t believe it!" Noble Consort Liu shouted loudly. Mo Xiuyao, seeing the already sleeping Mo Xiaobao in his arms, shifted him closer to avoid being awakened by the commotion. He turned his head towards Ye Li with a smile. "Ah-Li, could you explain to her why her proposal is brainless?" Ye Li suppressed a laugh, looked at Noble Consort Liu, and said calmly, "Noble Consort Liu, do you know what kind of relationship Mo Jingqi has with Prince Ding’s Mansion? Or rather... what is the relationship between the imperial family of Great Chu and Prince Ding’s Mansion?"
Noble Consort Liu was astounded, but she quickly understood Ye Li’s implication, and her face turned pale. Two centuries ago, the Great Ancestor Emperor of Great Chu and the first Prince Ding were biological brothers. Over the past two hundred years, the imperial family of Great Chu and Prince Ding’s Mansion shared the same bloodline, working hand-in-hand as wise ruler and virtuous minister. But now, Mo Jingqi was the one who had killed Mo Xiuyao’s father and elder brother, creating a blood feud. The imperial family of Great Chu owed tens of thousands of lives to the Mo Family Army. Nobody knew how much blood ties remained between the imperial family and Prince Ding’s Mansion; however, deep grievances between the two were certain. In fact, given Mo Xiuyao’s temperament, many were surprised that upon initially receiving the news, he did not lead his troops straight to the Capital City. And her son... carried the bloodline of the Great Chu imperial family. She... was Mo Jingqi’s consort.
Gazing at her pale face, Ye Li smiled gently. "Does Noble Consort Liu understand now? Prince Ding’s Mansion would never cooperate with either Noble Consort Liu or Prince Li. As it would be meaningless." Although there are no eternal friends, why bother trying to befriend a known enemy? Instead of helping one enemy defeat another, they would clearly prefer to sit back and let the enemies fight, stepping in only when both sides are severely weakened. Did Noble Consort Liu believe that Prince Ding’s Mansion had forgotten their past enmity just because they had made no statement about it these years?
"Mo Jingqi’s grudge with Prince Ding’s Mansion has nothing to do with me," Noble Consort Liu said, standing by the table, trying to regain her composure.
Ye Li stayed silent, smiling. The notion ’the innocent shouldn’t be implicated’ does not apply in this era; cases of family members being implicated were common. Furthermore, even if truly innocent, Prince Ding’s Mansion would never support a direct blood descendant of Mo Jingqi. Looking at Noble Consort Liu, Ye Li quietly said, "Now that everything has been said, please leave, Noble Consort Liu. We will not participate in any political matters during our stay in the Capital City, so please, don’t disturb us again."
Noble Consort Liu shook her head, staring dazedly at Mo Xiuyao as she asked, "Why?"
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows, clearly not understanding the intentions behind her words. Noble Consort Liu bit the corner of her lip and said, "Why can’t you ever see me? Anything you want, I can bring it directly to you. What am I lacking compared to Ye Li? Will she love you more than I do? Would she die for you? I could do all those things! Is it because my family name is Liu that you disdain me?" The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, as if she were venting all the frustration she had suppressed for years. By the end, Noble Consort Liu was practically shrieking. Mo Xiuyao furrowed his brows, covering Mo Xiaobao’s ears to shield him from the sharp cries. But with the sudden shrill noise, Mo Xiaobao was stirred awake. He languidly raised his hand to rub his eyes in Mo Xiuyao’s arms, confusedly staring at the white-clad woman with a contorted expression before him.
"Why are you treating me like this? Xiuyao, I am the one who loves you the most! I’m the one who met you before Su Zuidie and Ye Li! Why won’t you ever look at me?!" Noble Consort Liu cried somewhat hysterically.
Ye Li raised a cup of tea to her lips, thought for a moment, then put it down. Such a fervent declaration of love would have been considered quite sensational even in her past life. She was truly surprised that Noble Consort Liu, who appeared so cold on the outside, nurtured such fierce passion within. It’s unfortunate that she neither appreciates nor shares this passion. In fact, she’s rather angry. What was wrong with this world? It was one thing for men to be scoundrels, but for her to finally find a good, faithful man, only for it to seem as if even Heaven couldn’t tolerate it?
SLAM! She placed the teacup back on the table. The crisp, heavy sound startled everyone present.
Ye Li watched Noble Consort Liu with apathy. "Her Highness Noble Consort Liu, even if you wish to express your love, shouldn’t you at least respect me, the legitimate wife? To say such things in front of me, do you take me, Ye Li, for a wooden block without feelings?"
Having voiced her thoughts, Noble Consort Liu had thrown all caution to the wind; why should she care whether Ye Li was upset or not? Besides, she had never feared Ye Li’s anger. She glanced at Ye Li and sneered, "I am talking to Xiuyao, what business is it of yours? Do you really think that just because you’re Princess Consort Ding, I would defer to you?" Ye Li lowered her eyes, calmly observing her own fingertips, yet a storm was brewing in her gaze. She had always believed that arguing with other women over a man was demeaning. But for some women, there was only one word: vile!
"I don’t need your deference. I simply want to warn you: it’s your business if you want to be cheap, but don’t extend your cheapness to my man. You can’t afford to tarnish our Prince’s reputation!" said Ye Li coldly.
"Impudent! You dare insult me?!" shrieked Noble Consort Liu in a great fury. Ever since she was young, no one had ever dared to call her cheap.
Ye Li lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "Or perhaps you still think you’re noble? If a man likes to have multiple wives and concubines and you cozy up to him, I’d consider you two of a kind. But when a man dislikes you and you still cling to him, that’s called willfully debasing yourself! Do you know why our Prince doesn’t like you?" Before Noble Consort Liu could respond, Mo Xiuyao quietly reminded her, "Ah-Li, I don’t stink. I smell as nice as you do." Upon hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, Noble Consort Liu’s face darkened even further, but she looked at Ye Li with a hint of confusion. Although she knew Ye Li would never say anything kind, she truly couldn’t understand why Mo Xiuyao disliked her. Even if she wasn’t as good as Ye Li, she was surely no worse than Su Zuidie. Why had she lost to that woman back then?
Ye Li sneered, slowly enunciating each word, "Because you—are—cheap. If you had continued to maintain your original noble and cold demeanor, our Prince might have spared you more than a glance. Furthermore, not only are you cheap, but you are also a wife and a mother, yet you shamelessly chase after another woman’s husband. So, you should add another word—wanton." After saying all this, Ye Li let out a long sigh. Never in her life had she insulted someone with such venomous words. Not even Ye Ying or Su Zuidie had ever angered her to this extent. After finishing what she had to say, Ye Li fell silent, lowering her gaze.
A cup of tea was handed to her. Mo Xiuyao looked at her with a hint of mirth in his eyes. "Are you tired from talking, Ah-Li? Have some tea."
Ye Li was taken aback and couldn’t help but chuckle. Actually, she didn’t really like losing her composure like this in front of Mo Xiuyao, but since it had happened, so be it. After taking a sip of the tea, Ye Li put down the cup and stretched out her hands towards Mo Xiaobao. Bursting with joy, Mo Xiaobao leaped into his mother’s arms and whispered, his eyes crinkling, "Mother, you’re awesome!" Ye Li gently patted his little head and said, "Don’t learn this." Young children loved to mimic adults; if Mo Xiaobao ever started spouting words like ’cheap’ and ’wanton,’ she would regret it for the rest of her life.
"You..." Noble Consort Liu was trembling with anger. She pointed at Mo Xiuyao and stuttered, "You...you just let her insult me like this?"
Mo Xiuyao looked up, puzzled. "How has my beloved consort insulted you? She was merely advising you. Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me? Now, I only want you to do one thing." Noble Consort Liu looked at Mo Xiuyao, flustered. A sense of unease welled up in her heart, and she shook her head involuntarily. Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "Don’t ever appear before me again."
Seeing the incredulous look on Noble Consort Liu’s face, Ye Li smiled gently. "Noble Consort Liu, you said you would do anything for Xiuyao. So... would you dare to go out into the street right now and loudly proclaim to everyone that the man you love is Prince Ding?"
Before recovering from the shock of Mo Xiuyao’s heartless words, Noble Consort Liu was taken aback by what Ye Li had said. Reflexively, she looked at Mo Xiuyao. If Mo Xiuyao were willing to accept her, of course, she would declare her love openly. But if Mo Xiuyao would never accept her, once she made such a declaration, even her status as the Crown Prince’s mother wouldn’t save her. Seeing her hesitation, Ye Li understood and smirked sarcastically. "It seems Noble Consort Liu isn’t as deeply in love as she claims."
Noble Consort Liu was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she looked dismally at Mo Xiuyao, the resentment in her eyes deepening. "You will regret this."
Mo Xiuyao merely raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent. Noble Consort Liu looked at the family of three before her, realizing with a pang that there was no longer any place for her here. Finally, she mustered her pride, turned, and headed downstairs. Earlier, Noble Consort Liu had asked all the maids and eunuchs to wait on the first floor. Now, as she descended the stairs looking lost, her legs gave way on the last step, and she started to fall, scaring the maids and eunuchs, who rushed over to support her. The area below instantly fell into chaos.
Though she wasn’t hurt by the fall, it did bring Noble Consort Liu back to her senses. "Your Highness, are you alright?"
Noble Consort Liu looked back at the empty staircase, gritting her teeth. "Back to the palace!"
Upstairs, Mo Xiuyao looked amusedly at Ye Li’s cold, pretty face and said cheerfully, "Is Ah-Li angry?" Ye Li glanced at him indifferently. "Is the Prince pleased?" Mo Xiuyao tapped his forehead with a finger, smiling broadly. "Quite. This is the first time I’m discovering that Ah-Li can be so sharp-tongued."
"Feeling sorry for her?" Ye Li squinted, asking.
"Why would I? That was a brilliant tongue-lashing! There’s no such thing as ’too vicious,’ only ’more vicious.’ Next time you see her, Ah-Li, curse her soundly in front of everyone. That way, she won’t dare covet your husband!" Mo Xiuyao eagerly stated his stance. Ye Li looked at him with a half-smile. "Covet? Isn’t it the Prince himself who attracts these admirers?" Mo Xiuyao grimaced. "With a fierce wife at home, I wouldn’t dare."
"A fierce wife..."
"A slip of the tongue... With a virtuous wife at home, I wouldn’t want it any other way," Mo Xiuyao corrected himself solemnly. Looking at Mo Xiuyao’s deliberate clowning, Ye Li let out an exasperated smile. "Thank you for the praise, Prince." Mo Xiaobao’s voice piped up from his mother’s arms as he pointed at Mo Xiuyao. "Mother, Father is lying! He’s the one who attracts admirers like bees to honey! Last time he even said that all the women in the world would fall for his charm!"
Ye Li raised an eyebrow, smiling at Mo Xiuyao. He, in turn, looked as if he wanted to snatch the little rascal—who was laughing provocatively at him from Ye Li’s embrace—and toss him downstairs. Finally unable to bear it any longer, Mo Xiuyao plucked Mo Xiaobao into his own arms and started vigorously kneading his chubby little cheeks with both hands!
"You little rascal! What good does it do you to ruin your parents’ relationship? You don’t want a stepmother, but do you think a stepfather would treat you well? Your old man has enemies all over the world; any one of them, even one who seemed decent, would want to crush you, understand?" Mo Xiaobao’s initial glee turned to tearful protests as he was teased. Ye Li covered her face and glared at Mo Xiuyao. "What on earth is this nonsense you’re filling Mo Xiaobao’s head with?"
Mo Xiuyao stared at the teary-eyed Mo Xiaobao with a cold smile. "I’m telling him that if he ended up with anyone but his own parents, his little life would be over. And yet he dares to try and cause trouble all day long."
"Mother, SOB SOB... I was wrong... Save me..." Unable to resist Mo Xiuyao, Mo Xiaobao had to seek help from Ye Li. Ye Li smilingly took Mo Xiaobao from Mo Xiuyao’s grasp and gently patted him. "Let’s see if you dare speak so recklessly again."
"Mmm-mmm-mmm..." I won’t dare anymore! Mo Xiaobao quickly buried himself in Ye Li’s arms, fearful that his father would find another opportunity to torment him. On the empty second floor, although Mo Xiaobao’s whimpers still lingered, the atmosphere felt strangely warm and peaceful.
Outside the back door of the teahouse, Noble Consort Liu, her face sullen, boarded a luxurious sixteen-bearer sedan chair that was waiting. "To the Prime Minister’s Mansion!" she ordered coldly.
In the sedan, Tan Jizhi was comfortably lounging on a wide couch, tasting fresh fruit from the small table. Seeing Noble Consort Liu enter, he smirked. "The imperial palace indeed is an excellent place. One can enjoy such delicious fresh fruit even in early February." With a cold face, Noble Consort Liu swept all the fruit from the small table to the floor. One piece even rolled out of the sedan door. But the people outside dared not intervene or even pause, as though nothing had happened.
Tan Jizhi glanced at her indifferently. "Mo Xiuyao refused you."
Noble Consort Liu remained silent, her face cold. Of course, she wouldn’t tell Tan Jizhi about the humiliation she had suffered upstairs. But Tan Jizhi was no ordinary man. He had been Mo Jingqi’s confidant for ten years, and Mo Jingqi had never doubted him. He had even managed to subtly make the Saintess of the Southern Border heed his every word. His strategic abilities aside, few in this world could match his skill in fathoming people’s minds and reading their expressions. Just one look at Noble Consort Liu’s face, and Tan Jizhi knew that it wasn’t merely a simple refusal from Mo Xiuyao. Moreover, Princess Consort Ding was no pushover, and considering what Noble Consort Liu might have done, he could roughly guess what had transpired.
"Were you put down by Princess Consort Ding? Or perhaps something more severe... she ridiculed you, and Prince Ding helped her?" The reality was far more serious than he had imagined; Ye Li had directly cursed her.
"Shut up!" Noble Consort Liu retorted angrily. The mere thought of the humiliation she had suffered at the teahouse made Noble Consort Liu burn with the desire to tear Ye Li limb from limb. But she couldn’t kill Ye Li, at least not now. So, she could only endure, forcing herself to temporarily forget the incident.
Tan Jizhi shrugged, and as she wished, he dropped the subject. He asked, "Mo Xiuyao isn’t planning to help. Does Your Highness Noble Consort have any plans?"
Noble Consort Liu snorted coldly. "My son is the legitimate Crown Prince. So what if Mo Xiuyao doesn’t help? Once my son ascends the throne..." At that time, she would ensure the humiliation she suffered today was repaid a hundredfold! Tan Jizhi raised an eyebrow. "What if he is the rightful heir? Isn’t the current Emperor of Xiling also the rightful one? What of it?"
"How can my son be the same as the Emperor of Xiling? I have the Liu Family behind me," Noble Consort Liu asserted.
Tan Jizhi pursed his lips. That was even worse. Even if they managed to topple Prince Li, the new Emperor would still be constrained by the Liu family.
"Your Highness, don’t forget that the south is Prince Li’s territory. And he is the true Regent Prince with military power. Honestly... compared to Prince Li, the former Regent Prince Mo Liufang was nothing. No matter how capable Mo Liufang was, he simply had no ambition to usurp the throne. But Prince Li and Prince Pan, on the other hand, most certainly covet the throne. Does Your Highness have the confidence to guarantee that Prince Li won’t force a palace coup in the future?"
Noble Consort Liu frowned. "He won’t... His Majesty must have some leverage over him."
"How can you be so sure?"
Noble Consort Liu sneered. "Who do you think Mo Jingli is? How could the mere position of Regent Prince satisfy him? He clearly had victory within his grasp, yet in the end, His Majesty named him Regent Prince, while my son became the Crown Prince. That must mean His Majesty has some fatal leverage over him. Left with no other choice, he had to compromise, which led to the current situation. If only we knew what that leverage was..."
"Your Highness hasn’t visited His Majesty the Emperor for some days, have you?" Tan Jizhi asked.
Noble Consort Liu frowned. "He hasn’t summoned me. What’s there to see in a bedridden man?"
Tan Jizhi inwardly shook his head. Mo Jingqi must have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck and been utterly blind to have married this woman. Mo Xiuyao’s decision not to choose her was undoubtedly wise and brilliant. "Your Highness should still go and see the Emperor. I fear... that in the Emperor’s heart, he may no longer trust Your Highness or the Liu family much. When that time comes... don’t let the fisherman profit from the duel between the snipe and the clam."
Mo Jingqi was inherently suspicious, and being bedridden had only made him more paranoid. Noble Consort Liu’s current attitude, which might have seemed like cold pride in the past, could now, in Mo Jingqi’s eyes, look as if she were eagerly awaiting his death. "Also, while you’re there, see if you can find out what leverage Mo Jingqi has over Prince Li."
Noble Consort Liu pondered for a moment before nodding. "I understand."
