ut inner strength."Eh Big brother, did you meet Miss Ye San" Han Mingyi asked in surprise as he took his brother's pulse.Han Mingyue forced himself up and narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. "Ho...Sibling Affection

Sibling Affection

Within just two days of Ren Qining's arrival in Li City, Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting also arrived successively. Moreover, the time difference between their arrivals was not significant either. While Mo Xiaoyao and Ye Li were welcoming Lei Zhenting at the door, someone reported that the Great Chu Li King, Mo Jingli, had arrived. Although there hadn't been any conflicts between Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli recently, it was still uncomfortable for them to be across a river from each other. Moreover, people under Lei Zhenting's command were occupying some territory north of the Jiang River as well. One cannot tolerate others sleeping beside their bed; thus, the atmosphere when these two met wasn't particularly pleasant.

However, Ye Li and Mo Xiaoyao didn't mind much because the atmosphere between Mo Xiaoyao and Lei Zhenting wasn't any better either. Previously, Mo Xiaoyao had severely outmaneuvered Lei Zhenting and even seized the Western Capital while Lei Zhenting was mobilizing troops. Moreover, he had killed off most of Lei Zhenting's trusted subordinates as well. If Lei Zhenting didn't have a grudge against Mo Xiaoyao, it would be quite surprising indeed. But now that Lei Zhenting was inwardly wishing to whip Mo Xiaoyao's corpse, he still had to maintain a calm expression and attend Qingyun Scholar's birthday banquet because if he didn't show up, the Western King would come instead. With Lei Zhenting having lost his upper hand over the Western King, it wouldn't be wise for him to team up with Ding王府 to scheme against himself.

Now that Mo Jingli held significant power, the grandeur of his entourage was even more impressive than before. He was followed by a large number of guards and eunuchs, not falling short in splendor compared to a king's retinue. Yet, accompanying him were still Ye Ying and QiXia Princess. Despite Mo Jingli having gained control over most of Great Chu, Ye Ying hadn't become more regal; instead, she appeared more frail and haggard. On the contrary, QiXia Princess standing beside Mo Jingli remained as radiant and beautiful as ever. Witnessing this scene, Ye Li somewhat understood why the Ye family chose to head northwest rather than south. Perhaps life for Ye Ying in Jiangnan wasn't so smooth either

Mo Jingli's expression was still as arrogant and disdainful as usual, looking down upon everyone with contempt. However, he added a touch of viciousness when he saw Mo Xiaoyao standing beside Ye Li. Clearly in no mood to greet him, Mo Xiaoyao merely raised an eyebrow faintly. After sizing up Ye Li and Mo Xiaoyao, Mo Jingli glanced at the clearly just arrived Lei Zhenting with a slight humph: "So the Southern King had already arrived. Why stand outside the door then"

Lei Zhenting wouldn't take this minor provocation to heart; he laughed aloud instead and said, “This king was merely chatting amiably with Prince Ding and Princess Consort. I didn’t expect Your Majesty would arrive so soon. It’s fortunate we can enter together."

Mou Jingli stared at Lei Zhenting coldly and asked, "Oh May this king also hear what you were discussing"

Lei Zhenting laughed and said: “This king was congratulating Prince Ding on recently acquiring Changxing City and welcoming his new-born heir. It’s a double celebration!"

Hearing this, Mo Jingli's face darkened instantly. Lei Zhenting talking about Changxing City here was like slapping him in the face. Didn’t Chu Capital belong to those he had abandoned Looking at Lei Zhenting with a raised eyebrow, Mo Jingli forced out a cold smile: "Not just double celebration, last year wasn't it when this king seized the Western Capital Is Southern King’s heir and family well" It was true that Chu Capital fell into Mo Xiaoyao's hands; so did the Western Capital. Not only that, most of Lei Zhenting's close subordinates were killed by Mo Xiaoyao as well. Their grandson and granddaughter didn't survive either. Who looked worse wasn't yet clear.

With this statement, even Lei Zhenting couldn’t laugh anymore. Although he hadn’t personally lost the Western Capital, it was at least due to his tardiness in returning troops for its defense.

Ye Li who stood on the steps sighed inwardly; hosting a banquet now invited nothing but trouble. Among these surrounding countries, none appeared to be friends of Ding王府, especially those two currently standing outside discussing their lost capitals. Could they expect Mo Xiaoyao to regurgitate what he had swallowed

Smiling faintly, Ye Li suggested: "Both kings have traveled far and must be tired. Why not enter the hall for a cup of tea before catching up"

Hearing this, both glanced at each other with disdain; neither wished to reminisce. Leading them into the courtyard and seating everyone, Ye Li only smiled when servants brought tea: "My grandfather is elderly and rather worn out recently. He might be unable to receive you two today. Please understand."

Both knew that Mr. Qingyun was already eighty years old, and the reason Ye Li mentioned couldn't be faulted by anyone. Lei Zhen霆 nodded and said, "We're here to wish Mr. Qingyun a happy birthday; we can't trouble the venerable old man. We'll pay our respects on the day of his birthday banquet."

Ye Li smiled her thanks. The atmosphere in the grand hall became awkward. Clearly, none of the three men present were friends and there was nothing to talk about. Ye Li didn't have a good feeling towards Lei Zhen霆 or Mo Jing黎 either, so she wasn't interested in making small talk. She turned to Mo Xi堯 with a smile and said, "I'd like to speak with my fourth sister; will the Prince of Southern Jin and the King of Li entertain each other"

Mo Xi堯 nodded nonchalantly. Ye Li then stood up and gave Ye Ying, who was sitting next to Mo Jing黎, a faint smile. "Fourth Sister, let's go for a walk."

Ye Ying clearly had something she wanted to say to Ye Li too; without saying anything else, she got up and followed Ye Li out of the hall. With their departure, only Princess Qixia was left in the grand hall as a woman. She looked at the door for a moment before getting up and saying, "I'd like to go for a walk."

Very soon, there were just three men left in the spacious grand hall; the atmosphere became even more solemn.

After some time, Mo Jing黎 sneered. "Mo Xi堯, what an impressive move you made. Last year, did everyone play along with your game" Lei Zhen霆's expression darkened as he looked at Mo Xi堯. In this year and a half, several countries had fought each other to no avail; none of them gained any advantage. The only beneficiary was the lazy-looking old man sitting in his chair. The Ding王府 not only obtained large tracts of land and two capitals from Western Ling and Great Chu, but more importantly, this war finally allowed the Mo Family Army to completely free itself from the constraints imposed by Great Chu. Nowadays, no matter where it wanted to attack, the Mo Family Army could claim its actions were justified; there was nothing anyone could say against them. So, from the very beginning, Mo Xi堯 had been waiting for North Rong and Western Ling to invade Great Chu. As a former minister of Great Chu, he couldn't have acted first even if he wanted to. Now, this constraint had been broken.

Anyone could figure out this strategy after some time, but it was too late now; Mo Xi堯 had already gained the upper hand in these past twelve months. Even proud Lei Zhen霆 couldn't help but admire Mo Xi堯's patience and scheming.

Mo Xi堯 looked lazily at Mo Jing黎 with a mocking smile playing on his lips. "I'm magnanimous, I don't mind if the losers rant."

"Mo Xi堯!" Mo Jing黎 roared; facing Mo Xi堯, he always seemed to be the loser. But never had he wished that Mo Xi堯 didn't exist more than at this moment. Because of his calculations, he had lost half of Great Chu's territory and its capital city, only able to hold a corner of it now. Even though he held power in southern China, every time he heard people talking about Mo Xi堯, he felt their mockery and discontent in his heart. This was because the capital that he had lost was saved by Ding Wang; but this rescued Chu Capital no longer belonged to Great Chu. All of this was due to Mo Xi堯...

Mo Xi堯 raised his eyes lazily. "I didn't come here to listen to you ranting; if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Turning to Lei Zhen霆, he asked, "Prince of Southern Jin, is there anything more you want to say If not, I must excuse myself."

Mo Jing黎 was ashen with fury and his knuckles cracked from clenching them so tightly. It was only Lei Zhen霆 who remained calm; smiling politely, he said, "What's the urgency that makes Prince Ding rush to see your little princess"

Mo Xi堯 smiled smugly. "I need to go back and see my little princess."

The news of Lady Ding giving birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins was well-known, but looking at Mo Xi堯's expression, he obviously loved his daughter more; this made Lei Zhen霆 curious. After all, most people still thought sons were more important, and Mo Xi堯 only had two sons now, which wasn't many. Compared with Lei Zhen霆's calmness, a trace of envy was visible on Mo Jing黎's face. For Mo Jing黎, Mo Xi堯 flaunting his achievements was like rubbing salt in his wound.

"May I have the pleasure to meet Prince Ding's little princess" Lei Zhen霆 asked.

Mo Xi堯 naturally wouldn't agree. "My daughter is just a month old; she can't be exposed to wind. This might disappoint you, Prince of Southern Jin."

Ray Zhenling wasn't surprised by this either. He and Mo Xiuyao's relationship was never good enough for him to feel comfortable approaching the newborn child of Prince Ding. Ray also didn’t mind Mo’s refusal, merely smiling faintly: "That’s a real pity." With a wave of his hand, Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, “Prince Nan doesn't have to beat around the bush.”

Ray Zhenling lowered his gaze and smiled, saying, "Prince Ding is straightforward indeed. Very well, then. Prince Ding must have a plan in mind for inviting nobles from various nations at this time. But does he have any spare time to meet with me"

Mos Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile: “Of course there’s no problem with that, but I’ve been busy recently. How about we wait until after my grandfather's birthday” Ray Zhenling nodded contentedly and said, "In that case, this prince will look forward to meeting Prince Ding."

In the garden at the back of the palace residence, Ye Li was strolling around with Ye Ying. She turned her head and glanced at the younger girl who trailed a step behind her. She couldn’t help but recall what Ye Ying had been like before their marriage. Back then, she had just been a fourteen-year-old maiden whose beauty and talent surpassed all others in the capital, admired by many women and envied by men. But now over ten years had passed, and the girl standing in front of her was only left with a thin figure and pale complexion. Even though her face still looked beautiful, she no longer carried the charm or vitality that once characterized her.

Pulling Ye Ying to sit down under a pavilion, Ye Li asked softly: "How are you doing these days"

Ye Ying raised her head and glanced at her. A myriad of emotions flashed across her eyes before she settled back into calmness. She forced out a bitter smile, saying, “Why wouldn’t Third Sister know about the matters of Prince Li’s residence It's just daily life after all, but you... must have been living very well these past years.” Ye Ying looked at Ye Li in front of her with even more sour feelings. The girl she had once looked down upon was now someone she could never hope to match up to. Back when they were still the Shangshu family, her radiance had been overshadowed by others, leaving only a common and ordinary impression on people. Yet Ming Zhu, no matter how obscured it might be, would eventually shine again. From the very beginning, Ye Li was different from them.

Ye Li smiled faintly: "I’m indeed doing well these days. My father and grandmother are in Licheng now. If you’re free, why don’t you go see them"

Ye Ying hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and saying: “Forget it, I can't bring any wealth or glory to the Ye family at present. Grandmother and Father probably wouldn't want to see me anyway.” Since the Ye Family had chosen to side with Ye Li instead of going south to find her, Ye Ying already understood. Her father and grandmother must have been disappointed in her all along as well. However, this decision was indeed correct. If the Ye family were truly to go south, without any power or authority, where could they rely on when even she was treated like someone banished On the contrary, despite how distant Ye Li might be with their family, at least she could offer them a stable place.

Staring at the slim figure in front of her, Ye Li seemed to ponder for a moment and said: "Fourth Sister has changed so much."

"Could I not change" Ye Ying sighed softly. Ever since discovering that her beloved son wasn’t actually her own flesh and blood, she had truly come to understand what kind of person Mo Jingli was. The affection they once shared turned into smoke in the wind, leaving only cold indifference and irritation from him, as well as smug smiles from Princess Qixia. Although Ye Ying was talented and beautiful, she lacked political insight, even falling short compared to some noblewomen who were better at handling affairs due to their limited perspective. However, over these years, no matter how reluctant she had been to admit it, she gradually realized that Mo Jingli's decision back then to marry her instead of Ye Li wasn’t out of any special affection for her as she once thought. Her marriage had merely been a way for him to get away from Ye Li. And now when he regretted his choice, she inevitably bore the brunt of it.

"Do you remember what I said before If there were anything troubling you, you could tell me and maybe I could help out. But it seems that Fourth Sister didn’t trust me; we haven't been in touch these years..." Ye Li looked at the teary-eyed Ye Ying with a gentle expression and sighed softly.

"Third Sister...I..." At this point, Ye Ying was reminded of what Ye Li had said to her back when they were in Prince Li's residence. However, their vastly different circumstances over these years, as well as the resentment she harbored inside her made it impossible for her to seek help from Ye Li no matter how hard she tried. Now listening to Ye Li bring up this topic again, all the grievances that had been bottled up inside Ye Ying suddenly gushed out. She felt deeply ashamed of having targeted Ye Li so much in the past; now the whole Ye family remembered only her.

Ye Ying bit her lip and said softly: "Third Sister...I beg you...can you help me find my child"

"Your child" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Although most of those with information channels knew the truth about Prince Li’s little prince being killed, the official story was still that he had died from a disease. Ye Ying nodded and said with a bitter smile: "I’m sure Third Sister knows what happened in Chu Jing two years ago. My child...when I thought of my child whom I never even got to see after birth..." She couldn’t help but shed tears when she recalled her child who was nowhere to be found. Before, she had relied on this child to compete with Princess Qixia for favor, but it wasn't until later that she truly felt heartbroken and desperate upon learning her child's whereabouts were unknown. If only she could find her child and at least know that they were safe...

Through tears, Ye Ying told Ye Li everything about how Mo Jingqi had switched the baby with a substitute and even mentioned the possibility of Mo Jingli no longer having any descendants. Though Ye Li already knew many details beforehand, she couldn't help but marvel at how far Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli would go to achieve their goals. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li nodded: "Don’t worry, as long as your child is still alive, I will definitely find her for you."

Ye Ying was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked, "Thank you, Third Senior Sister. I..." Seeing Ye Ying's guilty expression, Ye Li smiled gently, saying, "When we were young, we didn't understand much; let’s put the past behind us. Don’t worry, as your fourth sister, I won’t allow that Southern Zha princess to bully you." Ye Ying nodded repeatedly and felt even more grateful towards Ye Li, "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for It's just a simple favor. When you have some free time in two days, go back home and see Father and Grandmother again. In the past, at home, Father and Grandmother loved you the most. Furthermore, I advise that you seek your grandmother’s advice on many matters. Although Mo Jingli might not tolerate Princess Qixia too much because of me, there are still many things where I can’t assist you." Ye Li reminded her gently.

Ye Ying nodded; she understood what Ye Li was referring to. Her grandmother and mother had once taught her the skills needed for a high-ranking noblewoman, but she had dismissed them as unimportant back then. When she regretted it later, either Mo Jinqi confined her or she was in the Li王府 where no one would teach her anymore. Even now that the Regency Prince's Mansion still fell under the control of Lady Xiao Zhao, Princess Qixia could still use some authority, but Ye Ying who was shunned and neglected by Mo Jingli had nothing.

In fact, regarding the skills needed for a high-ranking noblewoman, Old Madam Ye and Wang Shi couldn’t really impart much useful knowledge to Ye Ying. Both of them came from commoner families after all. If Ye Li truly wanted to cultivate Ye Ying, she would invite Lady Xu or Empress Hua to teach her. However, there were no such conditions currently, nor did Ye Li need Ye Ying to become too intelligent.

Seeing Ye Ying’s makeup messily smeared from crying, Ye Li called someone over and had them take her down for a fresh wash-up. As she watched the figure of Ye Ying gradually disappearing away, the gentle smile on Ye Li's face slowly faded as she asked, "Qin Feng, am I being too harsh"

Outside the pavilion, Qin Feng’s expression was calm and he said in a serious tone, "What Your Excellency has done is for the Ding Prince Family and Mo Jingjun. Besides, Princess Qixia isn’t an innocent person."

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "You’re right. Ye Ying was taught selfishness by Wang Shi from young. At this moment, she’s grateful to me but if one day I harm her interests, she will surely bite back at me without hesitation. Unfortunately... She won’t have such an opportunity." By asking such a question, it wasn’t that Ye Li was being hypocritical. It was just that in the current situation of the nation, Ye Ying did seem quite innocent. However, once one had already involved themselves deeply within this web, if they didn't possess the strength to control their own fate, they could only become someone else's chess piece. This was Ye Ying’s destiny or rather it was destined when she chose to marry Mo Jingli that her misfortune would come. Mo Jingli was never a decent man.

Ye Li stood up and left the pavilion as she saw Princess Qixia coming towards her. After all these years, Princess Qixia had become much more steady in character compared to before when she used to whip anyone who disagreed with her. Seeing Ye Li, she merely raised an eyebrow indifferently, "Ding Prince Family, isn’t Ye Ying with you"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Princess Qixia, Fourth Sister is still the legitimate wife of a prince according to the rites. It’s not appropriate for you to address her by her name."

Princess Qixia raised an eyebrow in disdain and said, "So what She's just a woman that Mo Jingli despises. Do you want to protect her with your status as Ding Prince Consort" Ye Li covered her mouth and smiled as she swept her beautiful eyes over Princess Qixia once before smiling again, "No, I’m just curious. Actually, Mo Jingli has been quite devoted towards the princess these few years. Why hasn’t he given you an official title If it were earlier on, then perhaps there wouldn't be a problem, but now that Mo Jingli is in power, why haven’t you gotten such a status yet As far as I remember, the Southern Zha Kingdom had already stripped your princesshood long ago. You should just be called Miss Qixia."

Ye Li’s words instantly made Princess Qixia look extremely displeased. These few years, she followed Mo Jingli but he didn’t marry her officially even though he hadn’t wronged her either. Although Southern Zha wasn't as concerned about these rituals compared to the Central Plains, it was because of this lack of title that even now with Mo Jingli in power, she still couldn’t hold herself up among high-ranking noblewomen.

"In a couple of days, Queen of Southern Zha will be arriving. If the queen knew her sister was like this... I wonder what her thoughts would be." Ye Li said casually as though it was just a pity. Princess Qixia was Anxi’s younger sister but they had never gotten along since young. Instead, she was extremely close with the former Southern Zha Holy Maiden Shumanlin. In the end, she ignored all propriety and followed Mo Jingli, completely cutting ties with her older sister. Now that her older sister had become a queen while she still hadn’t even received the title of princess consort, she wondered how Princess Qixia would feel when meeting Anxi.

"You don't need to be smug! The Prince will definitely marry me as his legitimate wife!" Princess Qixia said arrogantly.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Miss Qixia is mistaken. I am the Ding Prince Consort; who Mo Jingli marries has nothing to do with me. But I still need to remind you that Mo Jingli’s legitimate wife already exists. Even if he wants another marriage, at most she will only be a secondary consort. In the Central Plains, there isn’t a custom of two main consorts. As a secondary consort, she would still have to bow down to the legitimate one."

Princess Qixia glared angrily at Ye Li before turning around and leaving with a huff.nd said, "I know. I will leave here in three days." According to her calculations, Hongzhou City could hold out for at most three more days. After that, it would be the day when Xi Ling forces breache...