Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 331: Sisterly love?

330. Sisterly Love?

Ren Qining arrived in Licheng less than two days before Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting followed. Moreover, the arrival times of both parties were not far off. As Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were welcoming Lei Zhenting at the door, word came that Prince Li of Great Chu, Mo Jingli, had arrived. Although there had not been any conflicts between Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli thus far, the tension between them was still palpable. Lei Zhenting’s people had even occupied a corner of the land in Jiangbei. As the saying goes, "How can one allow others to snore beside one’s own couch?" Hence, the atmosphere between these two was expectedly tense.

However, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao did not seem to mind. After all, the atmosphere between Mo Xiuyao and Lei Zhenting was not pleasant either. Mo Xiuyao had cornered Lei Zhenting before and had taken advantage of Lei Zhenting’s military expedition to capture the imperial city of Xiling, killing almost all of Lei Zhenting’s trusted men. If Lei Zhenting bore no resentment towards Mo Xiuyao, it would be strange. But now, even if Lei Zhenting, in his heart, wished he could flog Mo Xiuyao’s corpse, he had to appear calm and composed to attend Mr. Qingyun’s birthday banquet. He could not afford not to attend, or the Emperor of Xiling would return. Now that Lei Zhenting had lost the advantage to firmly suppress the Emperor of Xiling, he naturally could not let him collude with Prince Ding’s Mansion to scheme against him.

Mo Jingli currently wielded great power, and his pomp was much grander than in previous years. The number of guards and servants following him could rival that of the king of a country. Yet, the people accompanying him were still Ye Ying and Princess Qixia. Despite Mo Jingli having full control of Great Chu, Ye Ying did not seem more noble or dignified; on the contrary, she seemed more frail. It was Princess Qixia, standing at Mo Jingli’s right, who was still as beautiful as ever. Seeing this, Ye Li could somewhat understand why the Ye Family would rather flee to the Northwest than to Jiangnan. It seemed that Ye Ying was not living comfortably in Jiangnan either.

Mo Jingli’s demeanor remained as aloof and arrogant as ever. Only upon seeing Mo Xiuyao standing next to Ye Li did his expression turn more sinister. Mo Xiuyao, clearly not in the mood to greet him, merely raised an eyebrow at him. Mo Jingli glanced at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, then at Lei Zhenting, who had obviously just arrived, and scoffed, "So the Southern Garrison Prince arrived earlier. Why are you standing at the door instead of going in?"

Lei Zhenting did not pay much attention to his provocation and laughed loudly, "Isn’t this just me having a casual chat with Prince Ding and the Princess Consort? I didn’t expect Prince Li to arrive so soon. Let’s all go in together."

"Oh? What were you talking about? May I be privy to that conversation?" Mo Jingli looked at Lei Zhenting and said flatly.

Lei Zhenting laughed and said, "I was congratulating Prince Ding on his recent acquisition of Changxing City and the birth of his precious child. It is indeed double joy for him."

Upon hearing this, Mo Jingli’s face darkened. Lei Zhenting’s mention of Changxing City was akin to slapping him in the face publicly. Wasn’t it him who had abandoned the Capital of Great Chu? Mo Jingli glanced at Lei Zhenting and managed a cold laugh, "Why just double joy? Didn’t you take over the imperial city of Xiling last year? How are the Southern Garrison Prince’s heir and family doing?" It was true that the Capital of Great Chu had fallen into Mo Xiuyao’s hands, but so had the imperial city of Xiling. What’s more, all of Lei Zhenting’s close subordinates and grandchildren had been eliminated by Mo Xiuyao, so it was unclear who should be more embarrassed.

At his words, Lei Zhenting could not manage to laugh. Although he had not directly lost the imperial city of Xiling, it was due to his failure to provide timely reinforcements.

Standing on the stairs, Ye Li sighed helplessly in her heart. Choosing this time to host guests was definitely asking for trouble. To her, it seemed that none of the surrounding countries were friends of Prince Ding’s Mansion, especially the two before her. Were they really fine with discussing their lost capital cities at the mansion’s gate? Or were they expecting Mo Xiuyao to spit out what he had swallowed?

With a faint smile, Ye Li gently said, "You both have come a long way and must be tired from the journey. Why not come inside for some tea and catch up on old times?"

At her words, both of them looked at each other with distaste. Who wanted to catch up? Moreover, they had no old times to speak of.

Leading the group into the mansion and settling them down in the hall, she waited until the maids served tea before smiling and saying, "My maternal grandfather is getting on in years and has been somewhat tired recently. I’m afraid he won’t be able to receive you two, please don’t take offense."

Both of them knew that Mr. Qingyun was eighty years old, and Ye Li’s excuse was indeed irrefutable. Lei Zhenting nodded and said, "We’re here to wish Mr. Qingyun a happy birthday. It would be inappropriate to trouble him. Let’s wait until the day of the banquet to offer our birthday wishes."

Ye Li answered with a smile, and the atmosphere in the hall turned somewhat strange. The three men present were clearly not friends and thus had little to say to each other. Ye Li had no particular fondness for Lei Zhenting or Mo Jingli and had no interest in smoothing things over. Turning to Mo Xiuyao with a smile, she spoke, "I have something to discuss with my Fourth Sister. Could the Prince please entertain the Southern Garrison Prince and Prince Li?"

Mo Xiuyao nodded indifferently, and Ye Li stood up. She turned towards Ye Ying, who was sitting next to Mo Jingli, and suggested with a light smile, "Fourth Sister, shall we take a walk outside?"

Ye Ying obviously had something to discuss with Ye Li as well, and without further comment, she stood up and followed Ye Li out. Once the two women left, Princess Qixia was the only female remaining in the hall. She glanced at the door, then stood up and said, "I will take a stroll too."

Shortly afterward, the large hall was left with only three men, and the atmosphere became even more tense.

After a while, Mo Jingli sneered, "Mo Xiuyao, you’re quite cunning. You have fooled everyone in the world with your tricks in the past year, haven’t you?" Lei Zhenting looked at Mo Xiuyao, his own expression somewhat grim. You could say that there was no real winner amidst the frequent wars among several countries over the past year. The only person who truly benefited was the white-haired man lounging in the chair. What Prince Ding’s Mansion obtained was not merely vast tracts of land and two capital cities in Xiling and Great Chu. More importantly, this series of events truly allowed the Mo Family Army to break free from the burden and restrictions of Great Chu. Now, whatever place the Mo Family Army wished to conquer was all aboveboard, and no one could find fault with it. Hence, Mo Xiuyao had been waiting from the start for Beirong and Xiling to invade Great Chu. As a minister of Great Chu, even if he had fallen out with Great Chu, he absolutely would not take the first strike against Great Chu. But now, these restrictions had been completely broken by them.

Though it took a while, anyone could see through the cunning scheme. But figuring things out now was too late. Over the past year, Mo Xiuyao had already gained the upper hand. Even the proud Lei Zhenting had to admire Mo Xiuyao’s patience and cunningness.

Mo Xiuyao glanced lazily at Mo Jingli, a sneer curving his lips, "This Prince is magnanimous and doesn’t mind if the defeated party makes some noise."

"Mo Xiuyao!" Mo Jingli roared in fury. Facing Mo Xiuyao, he always seemed to be the losing one. But never before had Mo Jingli wished so strongly that Mo Xiuyao had never existed. Because of his schemes, Mo Jingli lost half the country and the Capital of Great Chu, and was left to rule over a remote corner. Even if he held absolute power in Jiangnan, any mention of Mo Xiuyao left him feeling like it was a taunt and discontentment directed at him. The Capital of Great Chu that he had abandoned was saved by Prince Ding. Yet the rescued Capital of Great Chu was no longer part of Great Chu. All of this was due to Mo Xiuyao...

Mo Xiuyao lazily lifted his gaze, "This Prince isn’t here to listen to your angry rantings. If you’ve got no business, you should return to your inn. Southern Garrison Prince, do you have anything else to say? If not, this Prince will excuse himself."

Mo Jingli’s face was ashen, and his clenched fists creaked. In contrast, Lei Zhenting was more composed. With a calm smile, he said, "Prince Ding, is there a hurry?"

Mo Xiuyao answered with a smug smile, "I need to go see my little princess."

Everyone was well aware of the news about Princess Consort Ding giving birth to a pair of twins. From Mo Xiuyao’s attitude, it was obvious that he doted on his daughter more. This piqued Lei Zhenting’s curiosity as for most people, sons would be more important. Furthermore, Mo Xiuyao had only two sons, not exactly a large number. Lei Zhenting’s composure was a sharp contrast to Mo Jingli, who could not hide the jealousy on his face. In Mo Jingli’s eyes, Mo Xiuyao’s flaunting was akin to rubbing salt in the wound.

"May I have the honor of seeing the little princess of Prince Ding’s Mansion?" Lei Zhenting inquired.

Mo Xiuyao declined, "My girl has just reached her full month and must not be exposed to wind. I’m afraid I will disappoint you, Southern Garrison Prince."

Lei Zhenting was not surprised by this. His relationship with Mo Xiuyao was never on good terms and certainly did not warrant him getting close to Prince Ding’s newborn. He did not take offense at Mo Xiuyao’s refusal, instead laughing lightly, "That’s a real shame." With a wave of his hand, Mo Xiuyao said dismissively, "Southern Garrison Prince, if there is anything to say, you should speak plainly."

Lei Zhenting glanced down, smiling faintly, "Prince Ding sure is candid. Well, I suppose Prince Ding, inviting elites from various countries, has his reasons. I just wonder if Prince Ding has time for a private chat with me?"

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows in amusement and replied, "Of course, that’s no problem. These days have been busy. How about we talk after the birthday banquet of my maternal grandfather?" Lei Zhenting nodded in satisfaction, "In that case, I look forward to your esteemed presence, Prince Ding."

「In the mansion’s harem garden, Ye Li was strolling with Ye Ying.」

Looking sideways at Ye Ying, who lagged a step behind her, Ye Li was reminded of Ye Ying as she was before her own grand wedding. Back then, Ye Ying was just a fourteen-year-old girl, surpassing all in Capital City in both beauty and talent. She was the subject of countless girls’ envy and men’s admiration. In a blink of an eye, a decade had passed. Now, the once vibrant Ye Ying before her had turned into a skinny and pale figure. Even though she still possessed her beautiful visage, the charm and vitality she used to have was gone. She looked merely like an exquisite wooden doll without a soul.

Sitting down with Ye Ying in the pavilion, Ye Li asked in a soft voice, "Are you doing well, Fourth Sister?"

Ye Ying looked at her, various complex emotions flashing in her eyes before subsiding into calm. She responded with a wry smile, "How would you not know about the affairs of Prince Li’s Mansion, Third Sister? I’m merely living my life. I imagine you must be having a wonderful life all these years..." Ye Ying looked at Ye Li before her, feeling extremely bitter. The Ye Li, whom she had used to scorn, had evolved into a figure she could never reach. Back in the Minister’s Residence, Ye Li’s brilliance was overshadowed, leaving only an unassuming impression on the rest of the world. However, a pearl, although shrouded in dust, will eventually shine its dazzling light. Right from the beginning, Ye Li was different from them.

Ye Li smiled faintly, "I am indeed doing well. Now father and grandmother are also in Licheng. If you have time, you may want to visit them."

Ye Ying stared blankly for a moment, and then shook her head, "Better not. I don’t have the ability to bring wealth or honor to the Ye Family. Grandmother and father probably won’t want to see me either." From the moment the Ye Family chose to seek refuge in Licheng with Ye Li, who had a cooler relationship with them, rather than find her in Jiangnan, Ye Ying had understood. Her father and grandmother actually didn’t hold high hopes for her. However, their decision was indeed the right one. If the Ye Family had really gone to Jiangnan, where she herself held no power and was practically ignored—like someone banished to the cold palace—how could she have ensured their safety and settlement? It was more likely that Mo Jingli would have vented his anger on them. On the contrary, Ye Li, even if her relationship with the Ye Family was distant, could at least give them a stable place to settle. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ye Li looked at the thin woman before her and said thoughtfully, "Fourth Sister, you indeed have changed a lot."

"How could I not?" Ye Ying sighed softly. Ever since she discovered that the child, whom she had lovingly raised for several years, wasn’t her biological son, she finally understood what kind of person Mo Jingli really was. The sweetness of the past and the vows of undying love had all become as fleeting as clouds. All Ye Ying faced now was Mo Jingli’s cold and disdainful gaze and Princess Qixia’s triumphant smile. Despite her beauty and talents, Ye Ying herself was not very politically astute. Due to Ms. Wang’s short-sightedness, she was even less adept at handling situations than some accomplished young ladies from prestigious families. But over the years, even if Ye Ying was unwilling to admit it, she had more or less understood. The reason Mo Jingli chose her over Ye Li in marriage was not because he was deeply in love with her, as she had believed. The marriage, which she thought would allow her to crush Ye Li underfoot, was merely a lie Mo Jingli used to rid himself of Ye Li. And now that Mo Jingli regretted his decision, Ye Ying inevitably became the target of his displaced anger.

"Remember when I told you, Fourth Sister, that if you ever felt wronged, you could tell me? Maybe I could help a little. But it seems Fourth Sister doesn’t trust me. We haven’t been in touch for years..." Ye Li looked at Ye Ying, whose eyes were red, with a gentle expression and sighed softly.

"Third Sister... I..." Ye Ying was taken aback, also remembering the words Ye Li had said to her back at Prince Li’s Mansion. But over these years, her fate had contrasted sharply with Ye Li’s, and the pent-up pride in her heart made it impossible for her to lower herself to ask Ye Li for help. Hearing Ye Li bring it up now, years of suppressed grievance welled up in Ye Ying. She felt that her past actions of constantly targeting Ye Li had been utterly excessive. At this moment, after all these years, who among the Ye Family remembered her except for Ye Li?

Ye Ying bit her lips, speaking quietly, "Third Sister, I beg you... Could you help me find my child?"

"Your child?" Ye Li raised her eyebrows. Although the news of Mo Jingli kicking Prince Li’s Mansion’s young heir to death was widely known among insiders, the official explanation remained that the young heir died due to illness. Ye Ying nodded, and said with a bitter smile, "You must know about the incident that took place in the Capital of Great Chu a couple of years ago. My child..." Thinking about her newborn baby, whom she hadn’t even seen since birth, Ye Ying couldn’t help but shed tears. She had once used the child she was raising to compete for affection with Princess Qixia. But when she learned about the disappearance of her own biological child, the pain was unbearable. If she could find her child, to know he was alive and well... that would be enough.

Through her tears, she narrated the whole story of how Mo Jingqi had switched the baby, even revealing the fact that Mo Jingli might never have another heir. Although Ye Li was already aware of much of the situation, she couldn’t help sighing at the lengths to which the brothers, Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli, would go. After some thought, Ye Li nodded, "Don’t worry, as long as the child is alive, I will find him for you."

Ye Ying lit up, "Thank you, Third Sister... I..." Seeing the guilt in Ye Ying’s eyes, Ye Li smiled gently and answered, "We were young and didn’t know better. Let’s leave what’s in the past in the past. Don’t worry, you are my Fourth Sister, and I won’t let that Princess Nanzhao bully you." Gratefully, Ye Ying nodded continuously, "Thank you, Third Sister."

"There is no need to thank me; it was merely a trifling matter. When you’re free in a couple of days, return home to your father and grandmother. They were always the ones who loved you most back at home. Besides, I don’t mean to preach, but there are many things you really should learn from your grandmother. Although Mo Jingli may be lenient towards Princess Qixia for my sake, there are still many matters where I cannot teach you." Ye Li gently advised.

Ye Ying nodded, understanding Ye Li’s implications. Those tactics of noblewomen, passed down from old families, were things her grandmother and mother had tried to teach her, but she had always scorned them. When she later regretted it, she was either confined by Mo Jingqi or stuck in Prince Li’s Mansion where no one was willing to teach her anymore. Right now, the power in the Regent Prince’s Mansion is still in the hands of Grand Consort Wise Zhao, some of which Princess Qixia can also leverage. However, despised and neglected by Mo Jingli, she is not allowed even a sliver of it.

Actually, when it comes to the tactics of a noblewoman, neither Old Madam Ye nor Ms. Wang could teach Ye Ying much of use. Both originating from minor families, their knowledge and skills were quite limited. Had Ye Li truly intended to cultivate Ye Ying, she would have asked First Madam Xu, Second Madam Xu, or Empress Hua to teach her. However, firstly, the circumstances didn’t allow for it, and secondly, Ye Li did not need Ye Ying to become overly clever.

Seeing Ye Ying’s makeup smeared from crying, Ye Li called someone to take her away to freshen up. Watching her gradually disappear, the gentle smile on Ye Li’s face slowly faded. "Qin Feng, was I being too heartless in my actions?" she asked.

Outside the pavilion, Qin Feng maintained a calm expression and said in a deep voice, "Everything the Princess Consort does is in the interest of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army. Moreover, Princess Consort Li is not exactly a purely innocent person."

Ye Li gave a faint smile, "Well said. Ye Ying, raised by Ms. Wang, has been selfish since she was a child. While she is grateful to me now, if one day I threaten her interests, she would most certainly turn on me without hesitation. It’s a pity...she no longer has this opportunity." Asking this was not Ye Li being hypocritical. After all, in the grand scheme of things, Ye Ying was indeed quite innocent in the current turmoil. However, since she was already deeply involved, if she did not possess the power to control her own fate, she could only become someone else’s pawn. Such was Ye Ying’s destiny, or perhaps, it was predetermined the moment she chose to marry Mo Jingli, who was never a good man.

Ye Li stood up and walked out of the pavilion, meeting Princess Qixia directly in front. Over the years, Princess Qixia had mellowed considerably. She was no longer the spoiled princess who used to lash out at the slightest disagreement. Upon seeing Ye Li, she merely glanced at her and asked, "Prince Ding’s Mansion, isn’t Ye Ying with you?"

Ye Li responded with a light smile, "Princess Qixia, Fourth Sister is Prince Li’s legally married principal wife. Is it proper for you to call her by name?"

Princess Qixia disdainfully lifted her eyebrows, asking, "So what if it isn’t? She’s just a woman the Prince grew tired of. Is Princess Consort Ding planning to use her own position to defend her?" Ye Li covered her mouth and laughed, her beautiful eyes swept over Princess Qixia and she replied, "How could it be so? It’s just that I’m a bit curious. Prince Li has always been deeply affectionate towards the princess. How is it that I haven’t seen the Prince give the princess a rightful title all these years? Back then, it might have been understandable. But now that Prince Li holds great power, why hasn’t he thought about it? From what I remember, the princess had long been divested of her princess title in Nanzhao, so it would be more appropriate to address her as Miss Qixia."

At Ye Li’s words, Princess Qixia’s expression turned extremely ugly. Over these years, she had been by Mo Jingli’s side. Although he had not mistreated her, he had not formally married her either. While Nanzhao did not place the same importance on these formalities as the Central Plains did, it was precisely because she did not have this status that she was unable to hold her head high amidst the noble ladies of Great Chu, even while Mo Jingli wielded great power.

"In a few days, the Queen of Nanzhao should arrive. If the queen learns about what her sister has been through... I wonder what she would think," Ye Li speculated, seeming unconcerned. Although Princess Qixia was the younger sister of Princess Anxi, they had never gotten along. Instead, she was extremely close to the former Saintess of the Southern Border, Shu Manlin, and had ended up following Mo Jingli without regard for her status, completely severing ties with Princess Anxi. Now, her own sister was the queen of a country, while she had not even managed to secure the title of princess consort. Ye Li wondered how Princess Qixia would feel when she met Princess Anxi.

"You don’t need to be so smug! The Prince will definitely marry me as his principal wife!" Princess Qixia declared proudly.

Ye Li smiled as she lightly pressed her lips together, "Miss Qixia, you misunderstand. I am Princess Consort Ding. As for whom Prince Li chooses as his principal wife, it has nothing to do with me. However, I must remind Miss Qixia that Prince Li already has a principal wife. So even if Prince Li wants to marry you, you will at most be considered Consort Ping. In the Central Plains, there is no custom of having two principal wives of equal standing. Even as Consort Ping, you will still be inferior to the principal wife."

Princess Qixia cast an angry glance at Ye Li before turning and leaving with a huff.