Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 424 - 421. The Queen of Nanzhao is Assassinated

421. The Queen of Nanzhao is Attacked

In the study of Prince Ding’s Mansion, Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li, Xu Qingchen, and others were discussing matters. Qin Feng appeared at the door. "Prince, Princess Consort, Qin Feng requests an audience."

Ye Li frowned slightly. "Come in. What is it?"

Qin Feng stepped into the study, his gaze sweeping over Xu Qingchen, Feng Zhiyao, Han Mingyue, and the others present. All were trusted confidants of the Prince and Princess Consort. Without further hesitation, he announced in a low voice, "Mo Jingyu secretly met someone at a small teahouse in the city earlier. I suspect this person may be Mo Jingli."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "And where is he now?"

Qin Feng lowered his head, somewhat ashamed. "He slipped away. That teahouse is likely one of Mo Jingli’s secret strongholds in Licheng. I await Your Highness’s punishment." By the time Prince Ding’s men infiltrated the teahouse, it was already deserted. It was clearly a pre-arranged location, complete with a hidden tunnel for escape. Mo Xiuyao waved his hand dismissively. "Secrets always get out; it’s not your fault. Are you certain it was Mo Jingli? What would he want with Mo Jingyu?"

Han Mingyue chuckled. "That Mo Jingli dares to show his face in Licheng speaks volumes about his intentions. As for Mo Jingyu... I fear Mo Jingli has some leverage over him and is blackmailing him."

Xu Qingchen nodded in agreement with Han Mingyue. Turning to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, he added, "We should ensure Xiaobao is especially careful these days." Although Mo Jingli likely harbors more hatred for Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, their capabilities make them exceedingly difficult targets. Mo Xiaobao, still young and vulnerable, would be the most obvious weak point.

Ye Li nodded gravely, taking Xu Qingchen’s warning to heart. Indeed, she was already planning to assign more guards to protect Mo Xiaobao. No matter how clever or quick-witted Mo Xiaobao was, he was still only a ten-year-old child.

Feng Zhiyao frowned. "Mo Jingli has become more cunning; even the secret guards of Prince Ding’s Mansion couldn’t catch him."

Han Mingyue laughed. "It’s not that he’s become more cunning, but rather that he’s like a startled bird, terrified of death. If he were truly smart, he would never have come to Licheng."

Leng Haoyu voiced his concern, "His ability to sneak into Licheng proves he still has some capable men. I’m afraid now that he has nothing left, he might be desperate enough to try and take Prince Ding’s Mansion down with him. Such individuals are always dangerous; we should capture him as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Fools weren’t scary, nor were intelligent people. The most terrifying were madmen who considered themselves clever and had no fear of death, for their actions were utterly unpredictable.

Listening to Leng Haoyu, Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. Xu Qingchen glanced at him. "Does Your Highness have a plan?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "It’s only Mo Jingli; no need to be overly concerned. I have my own plans. Besides, Lin’er and Xin’er’s first birthday celebration is in a few days. You all should focus more on that. It seems many people are coming this year?"

Feng Zhiyao nodded with a smile. "Indeed. Apart from the envoys from Beirong, Great Chu, and Xiling who are already in Licheng, the Queen and Queen’s husband of Nanzhao, Princess Helan from the Northern Territory, and envoys from the various kingdoms of the Western Region are all en route. They should arrive in Licheng shortly."

"It seems Qingbai and Zhang Qilan are doing quite well in Xiling, then?" Mo Xiuyao laughed, stroking his chin. "Xiling’s Imperial City is in the far west, bordering the kingdoms of the Western Region. Historically, relations between Xiling and those kingdoms have often been hostile. It’s rare for them to send congratulatory envoys; even trade routes were frequently disrupted. For years, the trade routes between the Central Plains and the Western Region were maintained through an agreement between Prince Ding’s Mansion and Xiling. Only after the Mo Family Army conquered a large portion of northern Xiling did exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Region truly begin to flourish."

Xu Qingchen chuckled lightly. "I heard there were a few skirmishes initially. Now that Prince Ding’s Mansion is clearly flourishing, even the people of the Western Region know how to read the situation. It’s natural for them to send envoys with congratulations. Speaking of which, Qingbai and the others will be returning with the envoys from the Western Region. They should arrive in about two days."

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Then... shall we assign the arrangements for the envoys from the Western Region to Qingze?" It’s convenient since Xu Qingze and Xu Qingbai are brothers and can communicate any potential issues readily.

Xu Qingchen and Xu Qingze both nodded, indicating no objections.

After the discussion concluded, everyone withdrew. Only then did Ye Li look at Mo Xiuyao and ask, "What are your plans regarding Mo Jingli?"

Mo Xiuyao pulled her into his embrace and chuckled softly. "Don’t worry. Xiaobao has plenty of protection, and he’s no pushover himself. If he really runs into Mo Jingli, it’s hard to say who would come out on top."

Ye Li frowned, displeased. "He’s still a child."

"In Prince Ding’s Mansion, children are no longer considered children after the age of ten. Ah-Li, we can’t be by his side forever. One day, he’ll have to stand on his own."

Ye Li sighed silently. Although she understood Mo Xiuyao was doing this for Mo Xiaobao’s good, she found it hard to accept. In her previous life, even from a military family, she’d had a normal, happy childhood, like any other child. At ten, she was still carefree, chattering and messing around with other children in the large compound.

However, the current circumstances didn’t allow Mo Xiaobao the luxury of a slow upbringing. Given Mo Xiuyao’s temperament and intentions, he was clearly planning to prepare Mo Xiaobao to take over Prince Ding’s Mansion sooner rather than later, so he himself could retire and live a carefree life. To prevent Mo Xiuyao from suddenly shirking his responsibilities one day, leaving Mo Xiaobao overwhelmed and unprepared, starting Mo Xiaobao’s training now was the correct decision.

"Ah-Li, don’t worry. Xiaobao is my son too," Mo Xiuyao softly reassured her, sensing her excessive concern for Xiaobao’s safety. Xiaobao, no matter how much of a little rascal he was, was still his son. As his father, he wouldn’t actually harm his own child, would he? Had he really been too harsh on Mo Xiaobao, making Ah-Li so worried? His Highness Prince Ding felt a rare pang of guilt as he reflected on this.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "I know. I just can’t help worrying. You know... reason and emotion are often two different things." It didn’t matter if Mo Xiaobao was just a ten-year-old boy or if he grew up to be as skilled as Mo Xiuyao, the number one expert in the world; a mother would always worry. "Since you have a plan, I’ll leave this matter to you. I will take good care of Lin’er and Xin’er." If Mo Jingli truly became desperate, Mo Xiaobao wouldn’t be the only one in danger; Lin’er and Xin’er would be too.

"I promise Mo Xiaobao will be safe," Mo Xiuyao pledged solemnly.

"Yes, I know," Ye Li nodded with a smile.

"Prince, Princess Consort, something has happened!" Qin Feng rushed in from outside, his expression grim.

Ye Li stood up. "What is it?" Qin Feng was usually composed. He wouldn’t burst in so recklessly unless something major had occurred.

Qin Feng said in a grave tone, "The Queen of Nanzhao was ambushed not far from Licheng! The Queen and the little Prince are missing!"

"What?!" Not just Ye Li, but even Mo Xiuyao wore an expression of surprise. After a moment’s thought, Mo Xiuyao frowned. "Why would the Queen of Nanzhao bring the Prince to Licheng? Last year, Princess Anxi gave birth to a son, a little prince, in the Central Plains while Ye Li and I were away from Licheng. The child isn’t even six months old. Normally, even if the Queen of Nanzhao came personally to offer congratulations, she wouldn’t bring such a young prince on such a long journey."

Qin Feng replied, "After Princess Anxi and her queen’s husband left Licheng last year, they didn’t return to Nanzhao but continued traveling in the Central Plains. They were about to head back when they heard Prince Ding’s Mansion was preparing a first birthday feast for the young heir and young princess, so they turned back with the little Prince. Unexpectedly, less than a hundred li from Licheng, they were attacked by a group of unidentified assailants. The Queen’s husband is severely injured, and the whereabouts of the Queen and the little Prince are unknown."

"Where is the Queen’s husband? Bring him in quickly," Ye Li said hastily.

Soon, Pu’a, the Queen’s husband of Nanzhao, entered. As expected, his ornate, royal blue Southern Border attire was stained with blood. Pu’a also bore wounds on his arms and face, clear evidence of a fierce battle.

"Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding." Due to Princess Anxi’s good relationship with Ye Li, Pu’a was also acquainted with Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li. He dispensed with formalities and pleaded anxiously, "Prince, Princess Consort, please save Anxi and our child!" As he spoke, he was about to kneel before them. Men from the Southern Border are typically very proud and do not kneel easily. The disappearance of his wife and son had thrown this man from the Southern Border into a state of utter panic.

Mo Xiuyao quickly reached out to support him, saying solemnly, "Pu’a, rest assured. As long as the Queen of Nanzhao is still in the Northwest, I guarantee I will find her. Prince Ding’s Mansion will give Nanzhao a full account of this matter."

Mo Xiuyao possessed a natural charisma that calmed people and inspired trust. Hearing his words, Pu’a visibly composed himself. He took a deep breath. "If there is anything I can do, Prince, please command me. As long as... as long as Anxi and the child can return safely."

Mo Xiuyao patted his shoulder. "Sit down first and tell us what happened. Then go to the guest room and rest. You’re badly injured yourself."

Pu’a nodded heavily. Collecting his thoughts, he recounted the ambush. For the past six months, Princess Anxi and Pu’a had been traveling with their child. During this time, the Central Plains were embroiled in a chaotic three-way conflict. Heeding Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao’s advice, Princess Anxi had remained neutral. Since there was nothing urgent in Nanzhao itself, the couple hadn’t rushed back. They had heard Prince Ding’s Mansion was preparing a first birthday feast for the young heir and the young princess. Given their close relationship with Prince Ding’s Mansion, they naturally couldn’t miss it. So, the couple, who had originally planned to return to Nanzhao, turned back. Unexpectedly, they were ambushed on a desolate stretch of official road not far from Licheng. Pu’a and his guards fought desperately, but the enemy was numerous and highly skilled. Caught off guard, they were at a disadvantage from the start. Ultimately, Princess Anxi and the child were abducted.

Hearing Pu’a’s account, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li exchanged a look, a growing understanding of the situation forming in their minds. Ye Li summoned Chief Steward Mo and asked him to escort Pu’a to rest. Just as Pu’a stepped out the door, Feng Zhiyao and the others, having heard the news, arrived.

"I knew it! That Mo Jingli must be up to some scheme!" Leng Haoyu cursed under his breath. "But why kidnap Princess Anxi? Isn’t he afraid of alerting us? Or is Mo Jingli really so arrogant as to disregard Prince Ding’s Mansion entirely?"

Han Mingyue frowned and looked at Mo Xiuyao. "There’s no point in kidnapping Princess Anxi; Mo Jingli gains nothing from it. The only possibility is... he wants to sabotage Prince Ding’s Mansion’s upcoming first birthday celebration. If the envoys from various kingdoms attending the banquet were to be assassinated or meet with some misfortune..." If envoys from various kingdoms encounter trouble on Prince Ding’s Mansion’s territory, even if the Mansion isn’t directly involved, they would still be obligated to provide an explanation to each kingdom.

Feng Zhiyao said gravely, "If that’s his aim, he won’t stop with Princess Anxi. There’s also Princess Helan, who is due to arrive in Licheng soon, and the envoys from the Western Region." In essence, Mo Jingli simply wanted to embarrass Prince Ding’s Mansion.

Ye Li pondered for a moment, then said solemnly, "Third Feng, tell Mo Hua to dispatch the secret guards of Prince Ding’s Mansion to escort the envoys from the various kingdoms. Ensure they all arrive in Licheng safely. Also, deploy fifty thousand soldiers from the garrison near Licheng, divided into teams of five hundred, patrolling a hundred-li radius around Licheng non-stop, twenty-four hours a day. Relay my order to the Qilin: two units are to guard Licheng, and the other four units are to be stationed around Licheng to the east, south, west, and north, ready to provide support at any time."

"Yes, Princess Consort," Feng Zhiyao nodded, accepting the orders.

"What are your thoughts on the Queen of Nanzhao’s situation?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

Everyone was silent for a long moment before Leng Haoyu sighed softly. "We can only hope that if Mo Jingli... wants to negotiate, he won’t harm Princess Anxi in the meantime. Otherwise..." If the Queen of Nanzhao and her only prince were to die in Licheng, it would severely damage relations between Prince Ding’s Mansion and Nanzhao.

"We must do our utmost to search for them everywhere," Feng Zhiyao said, his voice also tinged with gravity.

Ye Li nodded. "Pass down the order to be extremely careful. We must ensure the safety of Princess Anxi and the little Prince."

Han Mingyue said, "Princess Anxi is no ordinary woman. Mo Jingli can’t possibly move around the vicinity of Licheng with such a woman and an infant less than six months old without leaving some trace. The Princess Consort doesn’t need to be overly anxious."

Ye Li considered this, then said, "In that case, I entrust this matter to Young Master Mingyue." Han Mingyue was once the head of Great Chu’s largest intelligence network; he should be more experienced at finding people than others.

Han Mingyue cupped his hands and smiled. "I will not disappoint the Princess Consort."

Ye Li sighed lightly. "Then I’ll be troubling you, Young Master."

Somewhere in a cave outside Licheng, Princess Anxi awoke from unconsciousness. She rubbed her throbbing forehead; a sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she instantly regained full awareness and hastily scanned her surroundings.

"Are you looking for him?" a male voice, laced with malice and mockery, came from nearby.

Princess Anxi turned towards the sound and saw a man in coarse clothing with a thick beard standing a short distance away, holding a swaddled infant. His grip on the child was clumsy, and he seemed unconcerned, holding the bundle carelessly with one hand. Fortunately, the child was asleep and thus wasn’t fussing.

"Shuo’er! Who are you?!" Princess Anxi stared at the man warily. He looked vaguely familiar, yet when she tried to place him, she realized this man was not in her memory at all.

The man seemed momentarily surprised, then sneered, "The Queen of Nanzhao is quite forgetful. It hasn’t been that long since our last meeting, has it?"

"I?" That was the self-referential term used exclusively by emperors of the Central Plains. Princess Anxi was startled. She took a closer look and said hesitantly, "Are you... Mo Jingli?"

It wasn’t surprising Princess Anxi didn’t recognize him; she had only seen Mo Jingli a few times. Moreover, the man before her, aside from his height, bore no resemblance to the arrogant and sinister Prince Li of Great Chu. His once-handsome face was now sallow and gaunt, his eyes filled with a violent, subtly twisted madness, and his beard, which gave him the incongruous appearance of a mountain bandit chief. No one would doubt it if he were called a bandit fresh from the mountains.

Mo Jingli looked at Princess Anxi and burst into loud laughter. "Yes, I am Mo Jingli! I never expected the Queen of Nanzhao to still remember this Emperor!"

Princess Anxi looked with some trepidation at the child in his hands; his wild laughter caused the sleeping child to stir and begin to struggle, clearly on the verge of waking.

"Give me the child first," Princess Anxi said, composing herself.

"The child? Why should I listen to you?" Mo Jingli stared down at Princess Anxi haughtily and asked. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Princess Anxi said sternly, "Shuo’er is still very young; he doesn’t understand what adults are saying. He’ll surely cry when he wakes up. You wouldn’t want his cries to attract people from Prince Ding’s Mansion, would you?"

Indeed, before Princess Anxi even finished speaking, the child began to whimper, on the verge of a full-blown wail. Mo Jingli, whose nerves had been frayed by such incessant crying during his days as a fugitive, roared furiously, "Shut up!"

How could a six-month-old infant understand his warning? The baby immediately began to wail loudly. Mo Jingli glared fiercely at Princess Anxi, then raised his hand and tossed the child. Startled, Princess Anxi leapt up and caught the child in mid-air. Landing back on the ground, Princess Anxi, still shaken, gently patted the child. "Shuo’er... Shuo’er, be good, don’t cry..."

"Make him stop crying immediately! Or don’t blame me for being ruthless!" Mo Jingli ordered coldly.

Princess Anxi glanced at him but didn’t reply, merely lowering her head and gently coaxing the child in her arms. Back in his mother’s embrace, it wasn’t long before the child’s cries subsided into soft whimpers, and he slowly drifted off to sleep again.

Once the child was asleep, Princess Anxi carefully laid him on a flat, dry spot, even sprinkling a circle of insect-repelling powder around him. As someone from the Southern Border, she was never short of such things.

Only after settling the child did Princess Anxi walk towards Mo Jingli, who stood at the cave entrance. She asked calmly, "For what purpose did the Emperor of Great Chu capture me and bring me here?"

Mo Jingli looked at Princess Anxi with malice, sneering, "What for? Can’t I capture you for no reason at all?"

Princess Anxi shook her head. "I don’t believe that. If Your Majesty had no specific purpose, you could have killed me from the start. Why wait until now? Is it about... Prince Ding’s Mansion?" That wasn’t hard to guess. Although Mo Jingli was deposed by Great Chu’s Grand Empress Dowager and ministers, the root cause was ultimately the war with Prince Ding’s Mansion. If he hadn’t been utterly defeated by Prince Ding’s Mansion, those Great Chu ministers in Jiangnan wouldn’t have dared to rebel against Mo Jingli even if they had ten times the courage.

Mo Jingli stared at her. "You are quite clever. No wonder that woman, Shu Manlin, could never outsmart you. A pity... no matter how clever you are, it’s useless now that you’ve fallen into this Emperor’s hands. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for your meddling in coming to Licheng."

Princess Anxi remained silent. With her astuteness, she had naturally discerned Mo Jingli’s deranged state. If Mo Jingli was determined to kill her, nothing she said would matter. And as the Queen of Nanzhao, she would never stoop to begging for her life.

However, Princess Anxi’s composure further enraged Mo Jingli. He sneered sinisterly at her, "Do you think your queen’s husband will come to rescue you? True, he escaped. But... do you think the people from Prince Ding’s Mansion will be able to find you? Even if they do... this child... isn’t even a full year old yet, is he? Can he hold out until then?"

Princess Anxi asked calmly, "What exactly do you want?"

Mo Jingli laughed. "Nothing in particular. This Emperor just wants to see how capable Prince Ding’s Mansion truly is."

Princess Anxi closed her eyes, silent for a long moment, before speaking, "You abducted me merely to divert Prince Ding’s Mansion’s attention. You have other intentions... you intend to harm the people of Prince Ding’s Mansion."

Mo Jingli tilted his head, studying Princess Anxi for a long moment before sighing. "You truly are a clever woman, far superior to that fool Qixia. Why did this Emperor fall for that idiot back then?"

Princess Anxi clenched her jaw, a flicker of rage in her eyes. When Ye Li’s people had sent Princess Qixia back to Licheng, her severe injuries were still unhealed, and worse, she had the mental state of a seven or eight-year-old child. Although Anxi was furious with her disobedient younger sister, seeing her reduced to such a state by the man she had loved and devoted herself to for over a dozen years, she couldn’t help but feel a profound hatred for Mo Jingli’s cruelty.

"Now that you understand, just stay here obediently. If this Emperor is in a good mood, I might let you both off. If you’re not obedient... this Emperor guarantees you’ll watch your precious son die a horrible death!" Mo Jingli stared down at Princess Anxi with a cruel smile. As if a thought struck him, a hostile glint flashed in Mo Jingli’s eyes, and he sneered, "I guess the people from Prince Ding’s Mansion are all out looking for us right now. But... don’t worry, they will absolutely never find this place. Even if they did... they wouldn’t dare approach, unless they no longer want you alive. By the way, if you want to try escaping, feel free to go out and have a look."

With that, Mo Jingli paid Princess Anxi no further heed and swaggered out of the cave.

Watching Mo Jingli’s figure disappear at the cave entrance, Princess Anxi slowly moved towards it. She quickly understood why Mo Jingli wasn’t afraid of her escaping, nor afraid of people from Prince Ding’s Mansion finding them. This cave was actually located halfway up a cliff. Below the cliff was a vast lake that stretched almost to the horizon. If she were alone, she might have gambled on jumping directly off the cliff. But carrying a child, she truly had no way to escape on her own.

After glancing silently at the lake below, she acknowledged her unfamiliarity with the Northwest and, for the moment, couldn’t determine her current location. After some thought, Princess Anxi turned and walked back into the cave.