Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 282 - 280. Feng Family was raided
280. The Raid on the Feng Family Estate
The Empress’s disappearance from the palace without a trace was definitely an event significant enough to shock both the court and the public. Although Mo Jingli, for some unknown reason, kept the news confined within a certain range, it didn’t prevent those who knew from discussing it secretly. Therefore, when State Duke Hua received the news and rushed to the palace, those along the way who were privy to the information couldn’t help but cast sympathetic glances at this old general who had fought all his life.
During the time when Mo Liufang, the former Regent Prince, was alive, and even when State Duke Hua was still young, the Hua Family was highly honored and renowned. Although Prince Ding’s Mansion prevented them from being called the foremost noble family in Great Chu, they were definitely one of the most prominent. However, after Mo Liufang’s death and as State Duke Hua aged, anyone with eyes could see that the Hua Family was gradually being suppressed by the Emperor. Even with a daughter who became the Empress, this situation showed no signs of improving. And now, the Empress, who was on the verge of becoming the Empress Dowager, had vanished into thin air. How could this not evoke sympathy?
When State Duke Hua arrived, Mo Jingli was in a side hall of the Empress’s Palace. Upon hearing of the Empress’s disappearance, he had rushed to the palace to confirm the news. After all, once the Tenth Prince ascended the throne, the Empress and the Hua Family would most easily grasp the initiative, which would be very unfavorable for Mo Jingli and his faction. If the Empress had truly disappeared, the Hua Family would naturally have no excuse to participate in court affairs. State Duke Hua was elderly, and the remaining members of the Hua Family lacked the qualifications to do so.
"This old official pays his respects to the Regent Prince," State Duke Hua said, his voice trembling.
Mo Jingli quickly stepped forward and helped State Duke Hua up, saying, "I feel truly ashamed for making the Old State Duke come to the palace in person. I hope the Old State Duke won’t blame me."
Tears instantly streamed down State Duke Hua’s aged face. "Your Highness is too kind. How could I not come upon hearing of the sudden disappearance of Her Highness the Empress? The unfortunate Empress... how could she simply vanish from within the heavily guarded Imperial Palace..."
Mo Jingli’s expression stiffened. He had always known that this old State Duke was no pushover; in just two sentences, he had shifted the blame onto Mo Jingli himself. Currently, the security of the Capital City and the Imperial Palace was in his hands. It wouldn’t be entirely wrong if State Duke Hua were to say he was negligent in his command. It might even make people suspect that he had a hand in it and had acted against the Empress.
"Old State Duke, do not be impatient. I believe that Her Highness the Empress, being a person of great fortune, will naturally be blessed by Heaven, and she will surely turn misfortune into a blessing. Please, Old State Duke, sit down and speak." Even if Mo Jingli wished the Empress would never return, he had to say a few pleasant-sounding words. But such comfort was obviously of no use to State Duke Hua. He continued to sob and mumble about the Empress. The sight of the white-haired, elderly man, his face streaked with tears, was enough to make anyone feel a pang of pity.
There were quite a few people in the hall at this time; not only high-ranking consorts from the Empress Dowager’s palace but also princes from the imperial clan had come. Seeing State Duke Hua’s miserable state, the others couldn’t bear to ask more. The Empress Dowager, however, had no such compunctions. She raised her voice and asked, "I heard that the State Duke just came from Prince Ding’s Mansion. May I ask what brought the State Duke to Prince Ding’s Mansion at this hour?"
The people in the room looked at the Empress Dowager with some surprise. It seemed that since the announcement of the posthumous edict, the Empress Dowager had become a different person. If the original Empress Dowager still possessed a hint of the profound shrewdness and heroic demeanor of a capable woman, the current Empress Dowager looked more like an ordinary, ignorant woman. Noble Consort Liu, sitting beside her, had a faint smirk on her lips; she clearly had the upper hand compared to the Empress Dowager. After the initial panic and shock, she had quickly calmed down. She knew how to survive in such a situation.
State Duke Hua looked at the Empress Dowager with a sorrowful expression and said mournfully, "Please forgive me, Your Highness Empress Dowager. Upon hearing the news of Her Highness the Empress’s disappearance, I went to Prince Ding’s Mansion in my haste to seek His Highness Prince Ding for help. It was all due to this old official’s poor judgment. Please, Your Highness Empress Dowager, pronounce my sentence."
The crowd looked dumbfounded. With you putting it like that, who could possibly blame you? Moreover, before Mo Jingqi’s death, Prince Ding’s Mansion had all its titles and reputation restored. Even though Mo Xiuyao refused to accept them, as officials of Great Chu, they couldn’t pretend not to know. Given the status and identity of Prince Ding’s Mansion, there was nothing wrong with State Duke Hua seeking their help first after the Empress disappeared.
Mo Jingli frowned slightly and, looking at State Duke Hua with a rare pleasant expression, said, "Old State Duke, you are overly concerned. Your actions in this matter were not improper. What crime is there? But I wonder what Prince Ding has to say?"
The Empress Dowager, whose words had been rebuffed by Mo Jingli, had a twisted expression but said nothing more. State Duke Hua sighed, "It happened so suddenly. Prince Ding has also just received the news. He has already dispatched people to investigate, and I believe there will be news soon."
Seeing State Duke Hua’s anxious and worried demeanor, everyone felt it was inappropriate to ask further. Only Mo Jingli and a few members of the imperial clan offered some comforting words. Over the years, the Empress’s proper and dignified conduct had earned her considerable prestige within the imperial clan. State Duke Hua simply thanked them and said no more.
"Old State Duke, please stop." At the palace gate, State Duke Hua was about to leave the palace and return to his residence when someone from behind stopped him. Turning around, State Duke Hua looked at the unfamiliar palace maid before him and asked calmly, "What is it?" The young palace maid, who looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, was quite intimidated by an old general like State Duke Hua, who had spent his life in battle. Bowing her head, she said hurriedly, "Her Highness Noble Consort invites the Old State Duke for a discussion." State Duke Hua responded coldly, "The Hua Family has no dealings with Her Highness Noble Consort. I presume there is nothing to discuss. Moreover, these are troubled times; it is highly inconvenient for this old official to rashly enter and exit the inner palace."
The young palace maid, seeing he was about to leave, quickly said, "Old State Duke, please stop. Her Highness said... it concerns Her Highness the Empress. She implores the State Duke to go."
State Duke Hua’s expression darkened. He glanced coldly at the young palace maid and said with his hands behind his back, "Girl, lead the way."
Having finally accomplished Her Highness’s order, the young palace maid secretly sighed in relief and quickly turned to lead the way, taking State Duke Hua to see Noble Consort Liu.
The young palace maid did not lead State Duke Hua to Noble Consort Liu’s residential palace, but to an inconspicuous and remote palace building. They hadn’t encountered a single person along the way. State Duke Hua then knew that Noble Consort Liu was completely different from the Empress Dowager. Even now, Noble Consort Liu still possessed profound influence and power within the palace. Thinking this... State Duke Hua’s heart sank. If Noble Consort Liu truly knew the truth about the Empress’s disappearance...
"This old official pays his respects to Her Highness Noble Consort." Noble Consort Liu was seated under the eaves of the long-deserted palace building, still appearing as lofty and untouchable as a celestial fairy. State Duke Hua had never particularly liked Noble Consort Liu, not because she was a rival in love to his own daughter, but because even when Noble Consort Liu was a young maiden, she possessed an innate air of detachment, as if all of humanity was beneath her notice. He didn’t know where Noble Consort Liu got such arrogance, to believe herself superior to all others, but that arrogance made most people extremely uncomfortable. Therefore, when Noble Consort Liu harbored feelings for Mo Xiuyao, State Duke Hua had seen it clearly but had never approved. How could a young hero like Prince Ding, who was inherently proud and arrogant, ever be interested in such a haughty woman, no matter how beautiful she was?
"State Duke Hua, dispense with the formalities," Noble Consort Liu said, turning her head slightly.
State Duke Hua rose and, without pleasantries, asked, "For what important matter has Your Highness summoned this old official?"
Noble Consort Liu smiled faintly and asked in a leisurely tone, "State Duke, is Her Highness the Empress well?"
State Duke Hua’s eyes narrowed, and he said gravely, "Forgive this old official, but I do not understand what Your Highness means by this."
"If you truly did not know, why would State Duke Hua have come to see me?" Noble Consort Liu said, her gaze lowered. "How could I invite the State Duke without conclusive information? It was quite a coincidence, actually. Last night, a maid from my palace was passing through the Imperial Garden when she happened to see someone carrying something out of the palace. A corner of the object was exposed, and it appeared to be the phoenix-patterned brocade that only Her Highness the Empress is permitted to wear. And what’s more coincidental... although the maid didn’t recognize the person, after she described them, I found the description somewhat familiar." State Duke Hua said coldly, "This old official does not know what Her Highness is talking about. If this is all Your Highness wishes to say, then please forgive this old official for taking his leave." With a cupped fist salute, State Duke Hua turned to depart.
A sharp glint flashed in Noble Consort Liu’s cold eyes. She sneered, "Her Highness the Empress is currently in Prince Ding’s Mansion, is she not? The one who took Her Highness away last night was Third Feng. Does State Duke Hua truly not care in the slightest?"
State Duke Hua turned around and sneered, "Since Her Highness Noble Consort is so confident, why not report it directly to Prince Li and the Empress Dowager? Instead of worrying about the Hua Family and Her Highness the Empress, Your Highness Noble Consort might do better to worry about yourself. The late Emperor’s posthumous edict... is not so easily altered."
Noble Consort Liu’s expression immediately turned unsightly. State Duke Hua was warning her that if she meddled in the Empress’s affairs, the Hua Family had numerous ways to compel the imperial family to immediately execute Mo Jingqi’s posthumous edict. In fact, it was already quite an achievement that Mo Jingqi’s posthumous edict had been delayed this long. It was only because Mo Jingqi had not yet been interred and the new emperor had not yet ascended the throne, coupled with pressure from the Liu Family and Prince Li, that no one had yet raised the matter of accompanying burial. But it had already been proclaimed to the world, and sooner or later, those idle scholars would undoubtedly bring it up. If the Hua Family were to obstruct things from behind the scenes, the matter would become even more troublesome. Watching State Duke Hua turn and walk away, Noble Consort Liu crushed the peach blossom she had been twirling in her fingers. Pale red juice from the flower stained her jade-like hand.
「Inside Prince Ding’s Mansion」
Mo Xiuyao received a message delivered by State Duke Hua’s man. He frowned and casually tossed the missive onto a nearby table.
Ye Li picked it up and examined it, frowning. "How could Noble Consort Liu know about this?"
"To abduct the Empress from the Imperial Palace without any plan, do you expect him to have any sense left?" Mo Xiuyao said. "It wouldn’t be surprising if he was discovered. Besides... Noble Consort Liu likely has a capable person by her side."
"A capable person?" Ye Li wondered. She truly couldn’t imagine what kind of ’capable person’ could be by Noble Consort Liu’s side in the depths of the Imperial Palace. Could it be that the Imperial Palace was truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers?
Mo Xiuyao calmly said, "Noble Consort Liu has always prided herself on her talents. If it’s literary talent, she might indeed possess some. But in terms of scheming, she is far lacking. These recent events do not seem to be her handiwork." Unlike many daughters of prominent families, Noble Consort Liu could genuinely be said to have had a smooth and pampered life. She was born when the Liu Family was at the zenith of its power, was the only daughter of her generation, and possessed unparalleled beauty. The Liu Family truly doted on her, holding her in the palm of their hand; otherwise, she wouldn’t have developed such an arrogant disposition. After entering the palace, she was unreservedly doted upon by Mo Jingqi. She never needed to use her mind for scheming against others. Having always gotten her way, Noble Consort Liu was indeed somewhat wanting in strategic thinking; otherwise, she wouldn’t have aroused Mo Jingqi’s suspicion as he was dying, leading to her efforts being in vain.
Ye Li did not know much about Noble Consort Liu, but after several encounters, Ye Li could also sense that Noble Consort Liu was indeed not adept at scheming. One could tell just from the methods she used to pester Mo Xiuyao. After some thought, Ye Li asked, "Do you have any suspects?"
Mo Xiuyao’s lips curved into a smile as he stated bluntly, "Tan Jizhi."
"Tan Jizhi?" Ye Li was startled. It felt like that name hadn’t been mentioned for a very long time. Ever since Shu Manlin was killed by Princess Anxi, Tan Jizhi’s whereabouts had been unknown. Later, Ren Qining appeared, diverting their attention from Tan Jizhi. They hadn’t expected Tan Jizhi to have secretly returned to the Capital City.
Mo Xiuyao said, "Tan Jizhi inconspicuously stayed by Mo Jingqi’s side for ten years. If he wasn’t genuinely loyal to Mo Jingqi, he couldn’t have done nothing for those ten years, could he? Therefore, I suspect... not only does he know Su Zuidie and Noble Consort Liu, but he might even be acquainted with Mo Jingli." Upon hearing this, Ye Li was alarmed and frowned. "Then the medicine Mo Jingli brought back from the Southern Border..."
"It was Tan Jizhi who revealed the information to him," Mo Xiuyao interjected. "The sacred territory in the Southern Border has always been controlled by Shu Manlin. Even if Princess Qixia’s relationship with Princess Anxi was distant, she is still Princess Anxi’s full-blooded younger sister. Shu Manlin couldn’t possibly have failed to guard against her. The news that such a medicine existed in the Southern Border’s sacred territory could only have been told to him by Tan Jizhi or Shu Manlin herself." Ye Li fell silent. If that was true, then Tan Jizhi likely had a hand in Mo Jingqi’s death as well. Massaging her temples, Ye Li had to admit she was truly not suited for such scheming and plotting. "If so... what are Tan Jizhi and Noble Consort Liu planning this time?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said nonchalantly, "Don’t worry. If they intended to leak this news, they wouldn’t have approached the Old State Duke to discuss it. Since that’s the case, they must want something. We don’t need to do anything; they will come to us themselves." He was right here in Prince Ding’s Mansion. Even if Mo Jingli suspected the Empress was here, would he dare to come in and search? Besides, Mo Jingli probably wished they would take the Empress away, giving him leverage over the Hua Family to prevent them from causing him trouble in the future. Mo Xiuyao had no intention of meddling in the Capital City’s affairs, so he generally let most things run their course. However, Feng Zhiyao and the Empress held a different significance for him compared to ordinary people. Since Feng Zhiyao had already brought her out, he certainly didn’t mind going to a little trouble to help them leave.
Ye Li frowned and said, "Regardless, having someone secretly observing is always unsettling."
Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "Since Ah-Li finds it uncomfortable, then let’s just eliminate him."
"Prince, Princess Consort. Something has happened!" As they were talking, Zhuo Jing rushed in, reporting directly without even performing the customary salutes.
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"
"The Feng Family’s estate has been searched and confiscated," Zhuo Jing reported.
Mo Xiuyao glanced coolly at Zhuo Jing and asked, "Why is this considered an incident?" Although the Feng Family was one of the four great wealthy clans of Great Chu and Feng Zhiyao’s family, they were not affiliated with Prince Ding’s Mansion. Therefore, whether the Feng Family’s estate was searched or not was indeed no major concern to Mo Xiuyao.
Zhuo Jing also looked somewhat sheepish. He had rushed in to report as soon as he received the news, forgetting that, apart from their connection to Third Young Master Feng, the Feng Family had no actual ties to Prince Ding’s Mansion. Ye Li smiled gently. "Never mind. We should still inform Third Feng. After all, it concerns his biological father."
Zhuo Jing assented. Before he could turn to leave, Feng Zhiyao had already appeared at the doorway, saying coolly, "There’s no need. I already know." Feng Zhiyao and the Empress walked in, one after the other, both looking rather unwell. Evidently, Feng Zhiyao had rushed over after hearing the news. His face was still somewhat pale, but much of the gloom in his eyes had dissipated. Feng Zhiyao looked apologetically at Mo Xiuyao. "Prince..."
Mo Xiuyao waved his hand, a slightly forced smile on his face. "No need to apologize to me. Currently, no one in the Capital of Great Chu would dare to cause trouble for me. If you also feel no guilt towards the Feng Family, shall we prepare to return to Licheng?"
Feng Zhiyao smiled bitterly. He held no deep affection for the Feng Family. Yet, he wasn’t so heartless as to remain indifferent when they were implicated and their estate confiscated. Ultimately, he bore no profound grudge against the Feng Family; they had merely chosen different paths. This time, however, the Feng Family had genuinely been dragged into this because of him.
"I will definitely resolve this matter properly," Feng Zhiyao said in a low voice.
Mo Xiuyao eyed him sideways. "And how do you intend to resolve it? Raid the Imperial Palace and then raid the imperial prison? Or turn yourself in and claim that you, Third Young Master Feng, abducted the Empress?"
Feng Zhiyao gazed silently at the languid, white-robed, white-haired man before him. Having known Mo Xiuyao for decades, he understood him well enough. For Mo Xiuyao to speak like this meant he intended to help him resolve the trouble. However, Feng Zhiyao felt deeply unsettled; this incident was indeed a result of his own impulsiveness. If he had restrained himself and discussed it with Mo Xiuyao beforehand, Mo Xiuyao might not have opposed him and might even have helped. But now, his blunder required Prince Ding’s Mansion to clean up after him, making Feng Zhiyao silently regret his rash actions.
"Don’t give me that look. Bring Tan Jizhi to Prince Ding’s Mansion within six hours. Otherwise..." The rest of his words remained unspoken, but the threat was palpable.
Feng Zhiyao’s spirits instantly lifted. He declared loudly, "This subordinate obeys! I will go at once!"
He glanced back at the Empress, who was seated to one side. The Empress smiled faintly and said, "Go attend to your affairs first. I’ll speak with Prince Ding and the Princess Consort."
Hearing this, Feng Zhiyao’s face lit up, and his tone became noticeably lighter. He looked at the Empress and said, "Wait for me. I’ll be back very soon." With that, he strode briskly out of the flower hall, showing no sign that he was still injured.
Watching the striking red-clad figure disappear through the doorway, the Empress sighed helplessly. She looked apologetically at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. "I’ve caused trouble for you both."
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "Third Feng has been exploited by me for over a dozen years; it’s nothing to help him solve a little trouble occasionally. I don’t want to hear anything else. Just wait for Third Feng to return. If he comes back and you’ve disappeared again, I fear I’ll be short one capable general."
The Empress couldn’t help but smile. Shaking her head, she said, "So many years have passed, yet your bond with Ah-Yao hasn’t changed at all. Thank you for looking after him all these years."
Mo Xiuyao waved his hand dismissively. "Third Feng is not just a subordinate of Prince Ding’s Mansion; he’s also a brother I grew up with." Perhaps Xu Qingchen is more intelligent and resourceful than Third Feng, and perhaps Zhang Qilan and others are more skilled in warfare. But only Third Feng grew up with him, a brother who accompanied him through his most painful years. One doesn’t have many such friendships in a lifetime. There might have been a few in the past, but after all these years, only the bond with Feng Zhiyao has remained unchanged.
