he withstand the jolting on the road so far Plus, Ye Li’s sarcastic and mocking remarks made her snap.Tan Jizhi glanced at her and noticed that she looked truly terrible. He also remembered that Ye Li...Pitting Against Each Other

What happened to Concubine Liú in the teahouse, ordinary people outside naturally wouldn't know. But it didn’t hinder some special individuals from finding out. For example, Emperor Mo Jingli. Right after Empress Dowager Liú left the teahouse, her haggard appearance and demeanor were already reported back to what was originally the Prince Li’s Manor but now the Prime Minister’s Manor. To talk about it, although Emperor Mo Jingli wasn't very likable either, he obviously knew how to handle people better than Mo Jingqi did. In all these years, the royal family's imperial relatives had been suppressed severely by Mo Jingqi, so they naturally didn’t have any feelings for this emperor too. Even though everyone knew that Mo Jingqi’s illness was definitely somewhat related to Mo Jingli, no one dared speak up on his behalf either. On the contrary, after Mo Jingli became Prime Minister, he often treated his uncles and cousins with courtesy, so their relationship with him improved significantly.

When news reached Prince Li's Manor, King Yu Mo Jingyu was drinking tea at Prime Minister’s Manor. Mo Jingli didn't hide it either; he passed the letter to Mo Jingyu right after reading it. Mo Jingyu naturally felt happy that Mo Jingli trusted him so much. After finishing reading the letter, his brows furrowed in a frown and he slammed the letter on the table. "What's this Empress Dowager Liú trying to do What’s with her family A deep palace consort running out of the capital city to pay respects to the ancestors of Ding Manor like it's nothing. Who does she think she is Is she so shameless as to stop Prince Ding and his wife on the street and invite them for tea Does she know who she’s dealing with"

Ming Jingli coldly replied, "We’re not strangers, are we What else could Empress Dowager Liú have in mind other than her feelings towards Mo Xiuyao"

Mo Jingyu seemed to remember too. Back then, the Empress Dowager’s infatuation with Mo Xiuyao had made all the young lords and noblemen in the capital envious but it was a pity that Mo Xiuyao himself didn’t seem to care at all, so no one dared bring it up before him. A maiden's affection towards a man might be slightly inappropriate for her reputation, but if she truly complemented each other perfectly, it could become quite a beautiful story. But now, Empress Dowager Liú was over thirty and still pining after men without any shame, even going as far as to break the rules.

"Is there something wrong with her mind With a wife like Lady Ding, how blind must Prince Ding be to fancy someone like her" Although he wasn't very familiar with Ye Li, Mo Jingyu still had quite a good impression of her. After all, being able to become Princess Consort at the age she did was rare even throughout history. Just based on the fact that she never abandoned him despite his disability and involvement in the power struggles within the capital city already made people admire her greatly. Speaking these words, Mo Jingyu realized he had overstepped a bit and felt somewhat apologetic as he glanced at Mo Jingli. This man back then also had his eyes closed tightly.

Ming Jingli shook his head to show that it didn't matter, lowering his indifferent gaze slightly to conceal the storm in his heart. After all these years, Mo Jingli was no longer the rash boy who hadn’t thought things through thoroughly before demanding a breakup. He had understood for a long time now. At that time, half of the reason he wanted a divorce so desperately was because of him but another half was due to his imperial brother's subtle encouragement. Mo Jingqi believed that as an heir to the throne like himself, Xu family might help him instead of Mo Xiuyao. But unexpectedly, he ended up pushing Xu Family into helping Mo Xiuyao now. If it wasn't for him... Thinking back to the green-clad woman in the inn’s courtyard that day, Mo Jingli felt a pang in his heart and his resentment towards Mo Jingqi grew even more. Such an elegant and natural lady was originally supposed to be his wife!

"Empress Dowager Liú wants to ally with Prince Ding If Prince Ding agreed to her proposition… It would really disadvantage Prince Li." No matter what, no one in the Great Chu Kingdom dared underestimate Mo Xiuyao. Even if he had no ties to the Great Chu now, it was the hundred years of accomplishments established by the Ding Manor which gave him an unparalleled status among common people and nobles.

"No," Mo Jingli rejected bluntly. "Mo Xiuyao won’t ally with her."

After thinking for a moment, Mo Jingyu smiled wryly and said, "You’re right, if Prince Ding agreed to Empress Dowager Liú he wouldn’t leave the teahouse in such a dispirited state."

Ming Jingli chuckled. "Mo Xiuyao is naturally proud, he would never collaborate with his enemy. Even… Although Empress Dowager Liú had nothing to do with that matter back then, her son is Mo Jingqi’s child. Besides, although Lady Ding appears gentle and composed on the surface, she isn’t any less arrogant than Mo Xiuyao. As for what requirements Empress Dowager Liú would propose, I can guess a bit, but Ye Li won’t agree to them."

Looking at Mo Jingli’s confident talk, Mo Jingyu sighed inwardly quietly. He could understand Lady Ding so well and say such things in this manner; Prince Li must have regretted it long ago. Unfortunately, there were many things in life that once missed would remain missed no matter how much one wished to make up for them later on. After some thought, Mo Jingyu couldn’t help but remind him, "Prince Li, now isn't the time to provoke Prince Ding."

Mo Jingli was taken aback and smiled calmly in reply. "I know my limits, King Yu doesn’t need to worry. It’s true that this isn’t the right time to provoke Mo Xiuyao. We should treat him politely during their stay in the capital city for now. No one from Prime Minister Manor should cause any trouble." Mo Jingyu nodded in agreement. He and his family were always very careful with their actions, so they certainly wouldn't dare to offend Mo Xiuyao.

"However, it doesn't mean that others won't provoke us," Mo Jingli said with a cold laugh.

"Huh" Mo Jingyu was taken aback.

Moi Jingli spoke solemnly, "Tell Mo Jinqi. Tell him... The person he fears the most has returned to the capital." Mo Jingyu fell silent and watched Mo Jingli silently: Do you want to scare Mo Jinqi to death

Mo Jingli didn't care about Mo Jingyu's gaze, saying coldly, "That woman of Empress Liu only cares about Mo Xiuyao. She is not something to be feared. Make sure that the old man of the Li family stays in your sights. I heard that Prince Deyang has been interacting with them recently." Mo Jingyu nodded and sighed helplessly, "Prince Uncle Deyang must have grown old and lost his eyesight. However, considering that the Crown Prince is Emperor’s own son by Empress Liu, it's not hard to understand why he gets along well with the Li family."

Mo Jingli sneered, "Foolish! Do you think that Liu Empress would let her son be emperor peacefully Would an old man like this really follow rules and act as a virtuous minister"

Moi Jingyu frowned, “Crown Prince is the legitimate son of Empress Liu. It shouldn't come to that.” Moi Jingli said looking at him, "You haven’t been close with those in the palace recently. Why don’t you go and find someone to inquire about how Liu Empress treats Crown Prince and the two other princes When she becomes empress dowager..."

Moi Jingyu asked solemnly, “What more can she want when she’s already empress dowager” As a woman, being an empress dowager was already the highest status possible; what else could Liu Empress want

Mo Jingli said, "Perhaps in her eyes... ten positions as Empress Dowager are worth less than one position of Duchess Dingwang."

"What" Mo Jingyu’s eyes widened. He suddenly realized something and angrily threw the tea cup on the ground, “Whore!”

Mo Jingli raised an eyebrow and smiled: Is that not true

In the imperial palace,

The luxurious chamber was silent, permeated with a faintly decaying and rotten smell. Mo Jinqi lay in bed unable to move; his once handsome face had aged and withered by more than ten years. A man in his thirties looked like an elderly patient on the verge of death. He didn’t know what poison Mo Jingli had given him, but he knew it wasn't Wu Shisan. The latter wouldn't cause such severe pain; after stopping the drug, he endured bone-crushing agony every day without any relief as time passed. On the contrary, his body was deteriorating more and more.

Now, just by moving a little bit, he could feel excruciating pain throughout all of his organs. Mo Jinqi knew that he didn't have long to live. But he wasn’t willing to accept it; he truly couldn't bear it. He had spent his whole life scheming and fearing for nothing but comfort in return. Now that Mo Xiuyao was reigning over the northwest, Mo Jingli held the southeast practically without declaring it, while barbarian troops were massing at the northern border with both Western Ling and Beirong eying the region covetously. There were so many things he couldn't let go of; he didn’t know how Chu would change after his death, nor did he dare to face the spirits of his ancestors.

"Someone..." Mo Jinqi croaked.

The chamber was silent and still, no one came in for a long time. Mo Jinqi stared blankly for a moment before bursting out laughing. Then tears streamed down his cheeks as he laughed. After poisoning himself, he realized how miserable of a failure he had been; not a single member of the royal family or court officials would speak up on his behalf. His mother only visited him two or three times and then stopped coming. Even trusted eunuchs and maids went missing. Recently, every day was spent alone in this empty chamber with nothing but the sight of his organs rotting away before his eyes. "Hahaha...

"Send someone! Send someone... I need water..." Mo Jingqi called out in a hoarse voice.

A cup with dragon and phoenix patterns was handed to him by someone. Mo Jingli, dressed in black dragon robe, stood beside the bed holding a cup of tea. He bent down to help Mo Jingqi sit up and brought the water to his lips. Mo Jingqi truly felt thirsty; he didn't care about anything else as he drank more than half the cup before catching his breath. After placing him back on the bed, Mo Jingli turned around and placed the cup on a table not far away before slowly walking back.

"What are you doing here now" Mo Jingqi asked coldly.

Mo Jingli sat down calmly and said, "To tell Brother a piece of good news. Someone who can deal with me has arrived in the capital. Do you think this is good news for you"

"Who is it" Mo Jingqi showed no interest in his ruse. At this moment, he really couldn't imagine anyone capable of dealing with powerful Mo Jingli. Mo Jingli mocked him with a smile and said, "Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao has returned. Brother, are you happy"

"Mo... Mo Xiuyao! Why did he come back Why didn't you order his arrest!" Mo Jingqi was shocked and shouted angrily. But as soon as he finished shouting, another bout of violent coughing followed. Seeing Mo Jingqi's pained face turning pale as he lay on the bedside, Mo Jingli showed a slight hint of pity in his eyes. He said indifferently, "Arrest him Brother... Do you think I'm crazy At present, Chu State is surrounded by enemies. The north border already has enough trouble dealing with them; if war breaks out with the Mo Family Army, Xi Ling and Bei Rong will take advantage of the situation to invade. What would be the solution then"

"Mo Xiuyao is also our enemy!" Mo Jingqi said bitterly.

"Currently, he's only your enemy." Mo Jingli replied calmly, lowering his gaze at him. "You killed Mo Xiwen, and you were responsible for the death of tens of thousands of soldiers from the Mo Family Army stationed on the border back then. You caused serious injury to Mo Xiuyao too. When Princess Consort Ding was besieged in the capital city, it was also your doing. Brother... Who else would Mo Xiuyao seek out Hearing you're not long for this world, he rushed back to the capital immediately. Do you know why" He said, "He came to see you off on your way to death. If Brother wants Mo Xiuyao gone from Chu Capital sooner, then hurry up and die."

"You..."

Mo Jingli stared coldly at him and continued, "Oh yes, there's one more piece of news I forgot to tell you. Your beloved concubine Consort Liu has already visited Mo Xiuyao. Do you know what she said to him"

Mos Jingqi half-closed his eyes, clearly not wanting to hear any more. He knew Mo Jingli's intentions; he wanted nothing but to make him miserable. Mo Jingli didn't mind whether he was listening or not and went on, "Consort Liu said she would share the throne with Prince Ding if only Mo Xiuyao could help her deal with me. It appears... Even without me around, it is uncertain whether Brother's choice for prince can ascend to the throne."

Hearing this, Mo Jingqi changed color and his body started twitching uncontrollably. He opened his eyes wide and glared at Mo Jingli furiously, "You... You're lying!"

"Lying" Mo Jingli sneered coldly. "Everyone in the capital knows that Consort Liu was deeply smitten by Mo Xiuyao even before she entered the palace. If Brother doesn't believe me, you could send people to check whether Consort Liu is still in the palace and when did she leave. But rest assured, Brother, Mo Xiuyao has no interest in your beloved concubine and has already rejected her. Many witnessed Consort Liu's bewildered state as she left a teahouse today at noon."

"You're lying... Lying!" Mo Jingqi shouted angrily. Mo Jingli was too tired to argue with him any further, so he turned around and walked out of the room.

After leaving the sleeping quarters, he ran into Empress Liu coming in his direction before reaching the Imperial Garden.

Meng Jingli did not show any sign of appreciation when he saw how beautiful and ethereal she looked like a snowflake. He had always hated arrogant people since childhood, regardless of their beauty. Empress Liu also disliked Meng Jingli and coldly asked, "Where are you going"

Meng Jingli forced out an insincere smile and replied with indifference, "I am headed back to my residence. Where are you heading"

"Just walking around."

Empress Liu originally planned on seeing Emperor Mo Jingqi to see if she could get any information on Meng Jingli’s actions but decided against it since she couldn’t admit this in front of him. She said with indifference, "Since His Majesty has not summoned me, wouldn’t I be disturbing his rest if I were to visit"

“Is that so Well then, Your Highness will take leave now.” Meng Jingli looked at her mockingly and walked away.

The Empress watched as he left angrily. How could Li Prince dare treat her this way!

"Empress" a eunuch asked cautiously.

Empress Liu frowned and said, "Go check if the Li Prince visited His Majesty." The eunuch accepted his orders and hurried off. He soon returned, whispering to Empress Liu, "Your Highness is wise, for he just came out of His Majesty’s quarters. It seems like he went towards Zangde Palace."

Thinking about the empress dowager who had never treated her well, she felt even colder and snorted in disdain, "She still wants to compete with me She can have sweet dreams!"

The eunuch flattered her and said, "Empress is right. You are the biological mother of the Crown Prince, so when he ascends the throne, you will be the Empress Dowager by right. By the way, Your Highness… I heard a report just now that His Majesty has lifted the ban on the empress and also promoted Zhou Pin to Lady De and Zheng Xiaoruan to Concubine Xian."

“What When did this happen” Empress Liu’s face turned pale as she asked.

The eunuch knew how serious it was, so he quickly said, "Right when I left. The messenger who delivered the edicts had just gone to deliver them to the empress."

"How could this be If we rush over now… It’s too late! Why would His Majesty suddenly issue this edict Could it have been because of Li Prince" Empress Liu felt anxious and hurried towards Emperor Mo Jingqi’s quarters. She didn’t care about the empress or those concubines who were not in favor, but Zheng Xiaoruan had a son already eight years old. He was smart and clever and greatly favored by His Majesty. This was why even though she herself wasn’t loved much, she was still made an imperial concubine rank of a Shaojun and promoted to the Concubine Xian among one of the Four Great Consorts now. With these few people combining forces with the empress would be a big threat to her.

She hurriedly reached the entrance, only to be stopped by someone. Empress Liu said coldly, "What do you mean I need to see His Majesty."

The guards who were in charge of guarding the door belonged to Li Prince and had been posted here so that he could cause trouble for her. They certainly would not let her through easily. The guard blocking Empress Liu said seriously, “Empress, please forgive me but it is an imperial decree that we must wait until the empress brings Lady De and Concubine Xian to express their gratitude before anyone else may enter.”

“What if I insist on entering” Empress Liu threatened coldly.

The guard said firmly, “His Majesty’s edict forbids unauthorized entry into the imperial quarters under penalty of treason.”

Empress Liu gritted her teeth, about to lash out angrily when a distant eunuch announced, "The Empress is here!ired man approaching at great strides, he hurriedly paid his respects with a fawning smile on his face. Mo Jingli stared disdainfully at the eunuch and said in a cold tone, "I need to discuss somethin...