t since she is the younger sister of Lady Ye Zhaoyi, I let it go. Now that things have gotten so out of hand, can she still uphold the dignity of the Li Prince's王府門麵？”墨景黎冷眸閃過一絲精光，恭聲道：“她不懂事，以後還請母妃好好教導。...270. Momo Jingqi's "Change"

For decades, the Empress Dowager had been revered as the mother of the empire and enjoyed unparalleled prestige. Even though Momo Jingqi harbored resentment towards her on a personal level, he still showed her due respect outwardly. Never before had she been so openly and directly told to leave by name. Her face turned various shades of color, looking extremely unpleasant like a messy palette of paints.

"Your Imperial Son!" the Empress Dowager gritted her teeth as she came here with the intention of discussing succession issues; naturally, she wouldn't leave so easily.

Momo Jingqi paid no heed and pointed at the Empress Dowager: "Did you hear me Get out! As long as I'm alive, I am the emperor! Leave... You will not have your way... Not in your wildest dreams!" The Empress Dowager suppressed her anger and stepped forward. "I understand that Your Majesty is upset right now. Feel free to vent your frustrations, but please consider the future consequences. Think about the princes and princesses."

Momo Jingqi couldn't help laughing madly, his laughter turning into sobs, with tears of blood streaming down from his eyes. The Empress Dowager was visibly shocked by this sight and took two steps back: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, you..."

Momo Jingqi sneered, "Tell your good son to give up that idea. Even if the Great Chu Empire falls into ruin, I won't hand it over to him. And his precious son... will be buried with me. If he wants the throne, let him fight for it himself. Up there in heaven, I'll watch and see him...斷絕子嗣!"

The final four words dripped with venom so intense that even the Empress Dowager felt a chill run down her spine. Unaware of Momo Jingli's inability to have children again, she assumed it was merely the curse of extreme hatred from Momo Jingqi. Still, seeing Momo Jingqi covered in blood, his face twisted into an evil specter模樣猙獰，血淚長流，太後也被嚇得不輕。無奈之下，太後隻得跌跌撞撞地走出寢殿。守在殿外的人連忙要進來探視，他們一進門就聽到裡麵傳來墨景祈的聲音，“滾出去！朕要靜一靜！”聽上去皇帝聲音中氣十足，並無大礙，門口的人這才放下心來重新守在外頭。

Inside the palace chamber, Momo Jingqi laughed bitterly. His outburst had agitated his lungs and heart; once the Empress Dowager left, his already pale complexion rapidly deteriorated.

"Haha..." a low and pleasant laugh suddenly echoed through the room, followed by slow approaching footsteps. Struggling to open his eyes, Momo Jingqi was instantly more alert when he saw who stood before him—Moxiu Yao. Dressed in white clothes with matching hair, Moxiu Yao had an elegant appearance with sharp eyebrows that seemed to pierce into the air, exuding a stern aura. His snow-white robe was embroidered with silver dragon patterns and clouds, carrying a faint scent of incense that cleared Momo Jingqi's mind from the overwhelming smell of blood.

"Moxiu Yao!" Momo Jingqi said in a deep voice.

"Haha..." Moxiu Yao chuckled softly. "Your Majesty has changed so much since we last met, surprising me greatly."

Standing beside Moxiu Yao was Ye Li holding a little white jade doll dressed in black brocade. The child looked charming and intelligent with large dark eyes curiously observing Momo Jingqi. Despite the bloody mess he was in, the young boy showed no fear but leaned forward to get a better look.

"Is this your son" Momo Jingqi asked.

Moxiu Yao raised an eyebrow and took the little doll from Ye Li's arms. "Indeed, my son—Momo Yuchen." The young boy looked at the man curiously; his father never called him by his full name before. Who was this person that made his father do so "Father... Is this the husband of that white-dressed lady" Moxiu Yao patted his son's head with a smile, saying, "Yes, he is that lady's husband and your sister’s Yuwuu's father."

When Momo Jingqi heard "Momo Yuchen," his face changed. Yet upon hearing about the white-dressed lady and Yuwu, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes, swallowing back his words. "Is Changle doing well in the northwest"

Ye Li replied calmly, "Yuwuu has become a disciple of the Divine Doctor and plans to practice medicine for the benefit of society."

Mojingqi seemed somewhat surprised and struggled to wave his hand, saying, "Alright, I know that you will take good care of her. Huh… Really didn’t expect that you would still come back to see me." Mojingqi looked at Mo Xiuyao, but there was an unusual calm in his eyes. In the past, even when Mo Xiuyao was in his most miserable state and Mojingqi was in the prime of his life, Mo Jingqi’s gaze towards Mo Xiuyao had always been filled with vigilance and jealousy. Such a calm gaze as if nothing had happened was something that he had never experienced before.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, "This king naturally would come back to see you. Otherwise, how could this king give account for the tens of thousands of brave souls who died unjustly in the Ding王府無辜死去的數萬英靈交代？為了趕上送彆你的時間，去年本王可是幫了小半年才能抽出現時曚來啊。”

"你……"墨景祈怔住了。墨修堯點頭道：“冇錯，本王早就知道你會如此。因為當初在南疆…墨景黎買藥的時候，本王就在不遠處看著。為了這事兒，本王還特地請沈先生研究了一下這個毒的藥性。”說罷，墨修堯取出一個小瓷瓶扔到墨景祈**。墨景祈顫抖著手撿起**的瓷瓶打開。裡麵是一粒粒小小的藥粒，看著眼前比黃豆還小的藥粒，墨景祈既想哭又想笑，他就是被這種藥害成這個樣子的，被自己的兄弟害成這個樣子的。他提防了一輩子定王府和墨修堯，到頭來卻是死在了自己的親弟弟手裡。這簡直就是天大的諷刺。

Seeing Mojingqi’s expression, Mo Xiuyao felt rather pleased. "To put it simply… even if you were poisoned with this incurable poison, there was still one chance for you to survive originally. This king remembers that you had a Bile Luo flower originally, right"

Mojingqi's face changed slightly as he said in a hoarse voice, "Bile Luo flower… The Bile Luo flower was taken by you"

Mo Xiuyao readily admitted it. "Isn’t that the case You should have guessed it yourself. If not for your Bile Luo flower, how could this king be completely recovered"

Mojingqi remained silent for a long time before suddenly bursting into laughter, "Haha… Retribution! Truly retribution…" Back then, he had poisoned Mo Xiuyao and disabled him, but Mo Xiuyao snatched his Bile Luo flower to cure the poison. Now that he himself was severely poisoned, there were no more Bile Luo flowers available for use. Was this truly retribution…

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and said, "Whether it’s retribution or not, this king doesn’t care. However, seeing you like this now makes me feel rather relieved. Why don’t you ask this king if there is any antidote Do you yourself no longer want to live As long as you are still alive every moment, everyone around you will remind you of your failure. You know… what you did back then didn’t harm the Ding王府, but completely freed it from the shackles that had bound it for hundreds of years. Truly regrettable… Before long, you won’t be able to live anymore; otherwise this king really wants to let you see what kind of consequences your actions towards Mo Family Army will bring forth. Let you see… who among our great Chu imperial family and my Ding王府 has the right to exist in this chaotic era…"

"Stop talking!" Mojingqi suddenly shouted loudly. He somehow gathered strength to stretch out his hand, grabbing onto Mo Xiuyao’s sleeve and pleading, "Kill me… kill me now as an atonement for the Ding王府. Kill me!"

Mo Xiuyao took a step back, easily breaking free from Mojingqi's grip on his sleeve. Looking calmly down at him, he said, "This king is no longer interested in your life. If you want to die, then do it yourself. However… this king advises you to be careful, as Mo Jingli is eagerly waiting for your death."

Mojingqi panted and looked at him pleadingly, "Help me… help me kill Mo Jingqi and the people from the Liu family."

Mo Xiuyao seemed to have heard something strange, asking, "What benefit would this king gain by helping you" Mojingqi said, "I will issue an edict for Empress Dowager and all princes and princesses except the new emperor to be buried with me. This way I can pay homage to your fallen troops of Mo Family Army. Is that enough!"

"Your Majesty is truly ruthless," Ye Li sighed softly.

Mojingqi stared at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Will you agree Your Majesty may issue a self-censure edict to inform the world about the truth of what happened in the past."

There was silence for a long time in the bedroom before Mo Xiuyao slowly chuckled. Holding Mo Xiaobao, he shook his head and said, "The Ding王府 has nothing left to do with great Chu anymore. Your Majesty should take care of yourself. Li, we’re leaving." Ye Li nodded and followed Mo Xiuyao out from where they came in.

**Mojingqi tried to get up but was completely unable to. From a corner of the room, Mo Xiuyao’s voice rang out, "Although that little bottle contains poison, it can extend your life for several days. Whether Your Majesty wants it is entirely at your discretion."

Long **, Mo Jingqi stared absentmindedly at the small bottle in his hand.

In the winding tunnel, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao were walking side by side. Mo Xiuyao was holding Little Treasure who had droopy eyes from drowsiness. Smiling softly to Ye Li, he said, "Is Miss Glass curious why I gave him medicine"

Ye Li nodded. The medicine in that small bottle was indeed what they had taken from Lei Tengfeng back then. It was exactly the same drug as what Mo Jingli bought from the Sacred Land of Nanzhuan. After Shen Yang's special refinement, although it couldn't save Mo Jingqi's life, if he took it, his lifespan could be extended by a few days. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao both had some understanding of medicine and naturally could tell that Mo Jingqi was already at the end of his life.

Mo Xiuyao said with a smile, "This Mo Jingqi has an eccentric nature and never forgets a grudge. These two days he's been pushed to the brink by Empress Dowager and Mo Jingli as well as the Lius; if we give him this chance for a counterattack, he'll definitely surprise us." Ye Li smiled faintly, "Let's hope it doesn't turn into a shock." She was indeed wary of people like Mo Jingqi. It would be better if they were dead. Mo Xiuyao said with a smile, "Then let’s wait and see."

The next morning, good news indeed spread through the palace—The Emperor ordered all officials to attend the early court session.

Upon hearing this news, even the high-ranking nobles in the imperial city were startled. They had been told that the Emperor definitely would not recover and that Prince Li was handling state affairs on his behalf while he was ill; now they were suddenly informed of an unexpected royal audience. Everyone naturally felt alarmed; some were so frightened that their legs went limp, wondering if the Emperor might have used a trick to deceive them in order to test their loyalty. If this were true, it would be truly dangerous for them.

Upon receiving this news, Mo Jingli was both shocked and angry. His first reaction was disbelief; before giving medicine to Mo Jingqi, he had tested the poison on others and found that there was basically no way to counteract it. Besides, when his mother visited him yesterday, she looked like she was about to die; yet now in the morning he could already hold a court session. How was this possible!

Among those who received news of the early court assembly were former officials such as the retired Duke Huaguo and others from Emperor Jing's era. Since Mo Jingqi ascended the throne, these old ministers had always been a source of concern for him; hence he had found ways to force them into retirement or demotion. Although there weren't many left, they still wielded significant influence in court, and this time Mo Jingqi summoned some of them to come to the palace.

At the palace gate, officials and nobles met with different expressions on their faces. Duke Huaguo was old and white-haired; his son and grandson supported him as he walked slowly along, greeted by several officials on the way.

"Duke Huaguo," said Mo Jingli in a dignified manner wearing his regal robe of authority.

Duke Huaguo squinted with his old eyes, stroking his white beard and smiling at Mo Jingli, "It's Prince Li. It has been several years since we've seen each other; you seem to have grown in power." Duke Huaguo had rested at home for several years and seldom went out, so he hadn't met Mo Jingli for four or five years. Although now he held a high position and great power, Mo Jingli did not want to offend the old duke easily. He smiled and said with clasped hands, "Duke Huaguo speaks well; my abilities are trivial and unworthy of your attention." Duke Huaguo looked at Mo Jingli with a smile, saying, "Prince Li is becoming increasingly eloquent."

As they walked toward the Hall of Diligence where court was being held, Mo Jingli chatted casually, "The Prince Ding has returned to the capital these two days. Has Duke Huaguo seen him"

Duke Huaguo shook his head and said, "I'm getting old; news doesn't reach me as quickly anymore. Thank you for informing me of Prince Ding's return. If he still remembers my friendship with the Prince Ding Mansion, we should be able to meet again in a few days. With so many matters needing attention upon his return, let’s not disturb him." Mo Jingli smiled and said, "Duke Huaguo speaks wisely. Today Emperor has summoned Duke Huaguo into the palace..."

Duke Huaguo said with a smile, "It seems that His Majesty's health is recovering; he must be happy to gather us old men to celebrate."

"Is that so" Mo Jingli did not contradict him and looked at Duke Huaguo apologetically. "Duke Huaguo..." The duke didn't make it difficult for him, smiling and saying, "Prince Li is young; you won’t get along with old men like us. You may proceed first." Mo Jingli smiled and said with clasped hands, "Since that’s the case, Duke Huaguo, I'll take my leave now."

"I won't send them." The Duke of Hua smiled.

Seeing Emperor Mo Jingli stride away confidently, the Duke of Hua's original smile gradually faded. Supporting his son with concern, he said, "Father, His Majesty hasn’t summoned us to court for many years now. This time... it might not be simple." The Duke of Hua sighed helplessly and replied, "When the sovereign wants a minister dead, the minister has no choice but to die. Moreover, this is just about entering the palace to pay respects. It's not just our family. Alright... remember on the grand hall, less talk means fewer mistakes. If you don’t speak, there won't be any mistake. There are things I can help shield for you with my old age."

"Father, it’s all due to this son's inability..." The eldest son of Hua Clan was already over fifty years old and spoke in shame while supporting the Duke of Hua. If not for their descendants lacking ability, why would they need their father who is nearly eighty years old to personally go before the throne to shield them from potential schemes by the sovereign.

The Duke of Hua waved his hand and said, "I don’t know how long I can protect you guys. We'll take it one day at a time. I think today’s matter might be related to the Prince Regent."

"How so" The eldest son of Hua Clan was startled but dared not show any emotion and could only whisper.

The Duke of Hua said, "Earlier, the Prince Li also mentioned that the Prince Regent returned two days ago. Just after he came back, His Majesty recovered. Do you think this is a coincidence"

"But... given the Prince Regent’s temper, there's no way he would save the Emperor." They all watched as the Prince Regent grew up, even if they hadn’t seen him for many years, his fundamental temperament couldn't change. When he was young, he wasn't a refined and generous person; it’s impossible to have nurtured a heart that repays grievances with virtue in these past few decades.

The Duke of Hua sighed and said, "I fear... the Emperor's days might be numbered."

"Father, are you saying His Majesty wants us here for..." To entrust his son with the throne

The Duke of Hua waved his hand, "Let’s go and see."

Today's Qinheng Hall was packed. The number of officials present was much higher than usual during court sessions. Many young officials noticed several old officials who they didn't even recognize standing in front, along with royal family members and princes. They all vaguely knew that something significant might happen today. The timid ones couldn’t help but shrink to the back and dare not say a word. Those closer to the front exchanged whispers of their opinions. From the seating arrangement alone, it was obvious that these officials had divided into two factions. One surrounded Prince Mo Jingli, while another surrounded Chancellor Liu. Their facial expressions towards each other were rather unfriendly. There was also an independent faction separate from the others, but they were extremely small and composed mostly of elderly men beyond their sixties and some nobles without significant power.

"His Majesty has arrived!" A sharp voice rang out in the hall from a eunuch's mouth.

The hall instantly fell silent. Everyone couldn’t help but look up at the vacant dragon throne. Soon, footsteps echoed from behind. Emperor Mo Jingqi, wearing an imperial robe he hadn't worn in a while due to illness, was supported by eunuchs and walked out of the back. Illness had wasted his body; the once-fitting robe now hung loosely on him, creating a bizarre contrast. His complexion remained yellowish, but his lips were a striking dark red, and his eyes were unnaturally bright and sharp.

"We bow before Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Mo Jingqi looked down from above with an indifferent tone, "Ministers, rise. Someone, read out the imperial edict.rince Zhennan still needs to send troops from Xi Ling for assistance… even if he wins, his reputation could be completely ruined." A war god who has fought for decades against Xi Ling and a girl in he...