Only you alone

  Only you alone

  “Lì ér……” Upon hearing this, Huā Tiān Xiāng was taken aback, lightly biting her red lips as she gazed at the sparkling eyes of Yè Lì. She knew that Yè Lì was in a difficult position, as the Emperor had entrusted such an important matter entirely to the Dìng Guó Wáng Fǔ to handle. On the surface, it seemed like a great honor and trust had been bestowed upon the Dìng Wáng Fǔ, but in reality...

  The Wang Fu has been pushed to the forefront. Ye Li's easy agreement to Chang Le Gong Zhu's request made Hua Tian Xiang both happy and worried.

  Ye Li stretched out her hand and gently patted the hand that was tightly grasping her sleeve, smiling: "People's hearts always have a few biases. Moreover, no matter what, it's all about offending people, why can't I choose something that makes myself feel more at ease?"

  Changle Princess didn't seem to understand the difficulty, and happily threw herself into Yelü's arms, laughing: "You really are a good person, I like you." Yelü raised an eyebrow, smiling: "If I don't agree, will Your Highness not like me?" Changle Princess looked at her with difficulty, entangled for half a day before saying

  "The Empress Dowager said that no matter who you marry, it's not your fault. Because... because these things were never your responsibility to begin with."

  Down, pinched the small face of Princess Chang Le and smiled: "Thank you to the empress dowager on my behalf. The empress dowager is right, so no matter who is sent for a marriage alliance, it's not the princess's fault. The princess doesn't have to be too sad." Princess Chang Le blinked her eyes, hesitated, and nodded: "If this princess grows up..."

  "Go and see your relatives yourself."

  Ye Li had never had a good impression of the imperial princesses and noble ladies, but she hadn't expected this little princess to not only be cute but also have such thoughts. Rubbing her soft little face, Ye Li smiled: "The Empress Dowager and the Emperor can't bear to part with you, Princess. Besides... do you even know what an arranged marriage is?

  "In other countries, it's not necessarily the case that one can stay in a place like Da Chu with an easy heart." Princess Chang Le glared at Ye Li, grabbing her hand which was caressing her own cheek and said: "I know, Mother Empress told me before that as a princess, although I enjoy wealth and glory, marriage is something that cannot be controlled by oneself. Even Mother Empress herself cannot..."

  "If you and Father Emperor choose Long Le for me, then Long Le cannot be reckless. Because this is the responsibility of being a princess."

  After hearing what Chang Le Gong Zhu said, Ye Li and Hua Tian Xiang could only sigh in their hearts.

  The palace is not a good place to talk, even if the three of them hide in secret, they can't avoid being found by the eunuchs and palace maids. Yelü Liri pulls Longle Gongzhu up, "We've said enough, let's go." It's better to take the initiative to leave than to be found by others. The dignified Crown Princess is not like a little princess.

  Hiding in the fake mountain heap, if someone sees it, both inside and outside will be lost. Princess Changle naturally also heard the distant call getting closer, her shallow eyebrows furrowed into a knot, "The empress dowager won't always restrain me, these people are the most annoying, afraid that I, the princess, will say one more word to someone else." Ye Li took the lead

  Down from the fake mountain, he turned around and stretched out his hand to pick up Princess Chang Le, then helped Huatian Xiang down.

  As she walked out, she saw the palace staff rushing towards her and Huatian Xiang smiled helplessly: "Now I'm not convenient to come find you, originally thought we could have a chat, looks like the palace really isn't a place where one can speak freely."

  Ye Li smiled and said, "If there's anything inconvenient, you can come find me whenever you're free." Hua Tian Xiang thought for a moment, shook her head and said, "Forget it, I know you're busy now and can't spare any time to play around." Ye Li thought about it and indeed, she had only been back for two or three days and was really busy.

  Nai's smile said, "It's been too long since I've been in the capital, and things are bound to be a bit more complicated. I haven't even seen my sister Zhen'er yet." Huatian Xiang rolled her eyes and said, "You're all going to be one family anyway, Zhen'er is being kept at home by her mother for marriage preparations, you want to see her but it's not necessarily possible." Glancing at the palace maid who was already approaching, Ye Li whispered

  He smiled and said: "If you weren't so picky, wouldn't it have been settled long ago? What's the hurry now?"

  Hu Tianxiang was taken aback, her pretty face suddenly flushing red. The palace maid who had been searching for someone had already arrived in front of them, and she could only glare at Ye Li with a hateful gaze, unable to say anything.

  Back in the pavilion, Yun Fei and Wang Zhao Rong were no longer there. The Empress Dowager saw that Hua Tian Xiang's delicate face was slightly flushed, then looked at Long Le Gong Zhu who was winking at her, as if she had understood something. With a hint of gratitude, she nodded slightly towards Ye Li. Ye Li smiled faintly and pulled Long Le Gong Zhu into the pavilion to sit down. The only ones left in the pavilion were

  Princess Zhaoyang, Princess Zhaoren and Lady Yonghua were still there. The other noblewomen, although they had the intention to plead for their daughters, also knew that the palace was not a place where one could act arbitrarily, so they did not come forward to disturb them.

  As soon as Ye Li sat down, she felt two not-so-friendly gazes coming from across the room. Zhao Ren Gongzhu was still her usual critical and disdainful self, while Rong Hua Junzhu's gaze towards Ye Li had even more resentment than her mother. Just as Ye Li picked up the tea that the palace maid had just brought over and lifted the lid of the cup, Qing Yu suddenly spoke up from behind her:

  "The princess, you've been overworking and your body is weak. Mr. Shen has instructed that you should avoid drinking green tea recently." Ye Li's hand paused, holding the teacup as she took a light breath, regretfully sighing: "This excellent pre-rain Longjing tea is wasted on the empress's good taste." The empress's eyes flashed, her eyebrows...

  A hint of coldness flashed across his face as he smiled at Ye Li, "This Longjing tea is indeed good, but one's body is more important. If you like it, I can have some sent to the Ding Wang Fu."

  Ye Li didn't stand on ceremony either, smiling and saying: "Then thank you, Your Majesty the Empress. I hope you won't blame me for being greedy."

  Chang Le Gongzhu sat in Ye Li's arms, her clear eyes blinked, and she stood up and said: "Mother, Chang Le is going to practice writing."

  The queen, who doted on her daughter, nodded and said, "Go."

  Waiting until Princess Chang Le ran out of sight, Rong Hua County Lady looked at Ye Li with a critical eye and hummed: "Isn't the Crown Prince's Consort both literary and martial? When did her body become so weak that she can't even drink a cup of tea?" Ye Li smiled and said: "County Lady is joking, but what does my body have to do with anything?"

  It's better to see a doctor as soon as possible if you're not feeling well. Hiding one's illness and avoiding doctors isn't a good thing, what do you think, Princess?" Princess Ronghua raised an eyebrow and took a sip of tea from her cup, saying: "I've never heard that when one is unwell, they can't drink tea."

  "Alright, Ronghua." Seeing Ronghua, the young lady of the county, being so overbearing, Princess Zhaoyang furrowed her brow in displeasure and said: "You're an unmarried girl who can't even speak properly? What's with this rude and impetuous attitude?"

  "I'm going to be married off to the Northern Rong, what does it matter whether I speak nicely or not!" The Princess of Yonghua said angrily, and then glared at Ye Li with a fierce gaze, clearly this sentence had been bottled up for quite some time. Ye Li sighed inwardly, as the imperial marriage was decided by the Emperor, what did it have to do with her? She turned around...

  She handed the teacup to Qingyu behind her, and Yeli made up her mind not to speak. Princess Zhaoren on the side couldn't help but ask, "Ding Wangfei, what do you plan to do about the marriage proposal?"

  Ye Li secretly shook her head in her heart, this Zhao Ren princess and Rong Hua princess were of the same temperament. Probably because they were used to being in the imperial family with high spirits and arrogance, even at times like these, their words carried a commanding tone. "The list of candidates that His Majesty has chosen is on the flower name register, which was just brought back by Wang Ye yesterday, I haven't had time to look at it yet. As for the princess's question, I really can't answer."

  "The person the Emperor favors is Hua Tian Xiang, who doesn't know that?" Yun Hua Jun Zhu blurted out, "You're saying this obviously wanting to exclude her, thinking I don't know?"

  Ye Li furrowed her brow and smiled, looking up at Princess Yonghua with a puzzled expression. "Does the Emperor really intend for Miss Hua? If so, why didn't he directly issue an edict ordering Miss Hua to go on a diplomatic marriage instead of having me choose a suitable candidate? Since that's the case... it just so happens we're all in the palace today, why don't you ask the Emperor himself if he really intends for Miss Hua? To avoid choosing someone later who doesn't meet with the Emperor's approval. Princess Yonghua, what do you think?"

  "I..." Rong Hua, the county princess's face turned pale with anger. Although she didn't understand court politics, it didn't mean she knew nothing. Why didn't the Emperor directly issue an edict to have Hua Tian Xiang go and be betrothed? As a member of the imperial family, even if she couldn't think of it herself, others would tell her. If she really went to ask the Emperor, she was afraid she would become the only candidate for marriage. This Ye Li, actually dared to scheme against her! Indeed, just like Ye Ying that woman, people with the surname Ye are not good people!

  "Princess Dingwang." Princess Zhaoyang looked at the resentful face of Princess Yonghua and sighed helplessly. She had no children, and Princess Zhaoren also only had this one daughter, so she couldn't help but spoil her too much, but didn't expect to raise such a reckless and brainless personality. This Princess Dingwang lost her mother at a young age and was half a year younger than Yonghua, but just by looking at her demeanor, it's clear that Yonghua can't compare to her. "Yonghua has a quick temper and doesn't know how to speak properly, I hope Princess Dingwang won't take offense."

  Ye Li also knew that Princess Zhao Yang had always doted on this niece, and didn't mind saying with a smile: "Your Highness is being too serious. Although the Emperor has entrusted me to handle the marriage, Your Highness also knows that I'm still young and have never dealt with such matters before. There are many things that I don't fully understand. Therefore, I dare not rush to make a decision. That's why I couldn't answer Princess Zhao Ren's question just now, please forgive me."

  Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Zhaoren also asked more questions because he was anxious about Ronghua. The princess doesn't have to take it to heart."

  "Please report to Her Highness, the Emperor has arrived." The little palace maid outside the pavilion announced.

  The queen turned her head to look at Ye Lian and smiled: "It's said that the King and Queen are deeply in love, but I didn't believe it before. Now I do. How can the King wait no longer? Please invite the King over."

  Before long, Mo Xiuyao walked slowly over and stood outside the pavilion, scanning the people inside with a faint smile. "I'm disturbing Her Majesty the Empress," he said.

  The queen smiled and said: "King Ding, is this coming to take the princess back?"

  Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly, a smile in his eyes as he looked at Ye Li and said: "I and Ah Li still have some things to attend to before returning to the palace, so we'll come back later to disturb Your Majesty's leisure. Please forgive us." The Empress waved her hand with a smile and said: "Alright, it's no wonder that the Duke and Duchess are inseparable after being apart for so long. Today I also wanted to see how the Duchess was doing after such a long time. Now that we've met, the Duke can take the Duchess away." Mo Xiuyao thanked her softly, reached out to pull Ye Li up, nodded slightly at Princess Zhao Yang before taking his leave and departing.

  Two people walked hand in hand strolling in the imperial garden, and the noblewomen admiring flowers in the garden also retreated one after another. Mo Xiuyao's body had already recovered, but the mask on half of his face still made many people fearful. After all, there were rumors that the emperor's fiancée was scared to death by his disfigured face. Moreover, the current situation in the imperial court was delicate, and even if someone admired the king's demeanor, they would not dare approach him in the imperial garden.

  It's great that Yelü Rong can leave the palace early, and she feels pretty good. The faint fragrance in the imperial garden is refreshing, and Yelü Rong strolls alongside Mo Xiuyao, enjoying this peaceful time. She doesn't forget to ask about Mo Xiuyao's mood, "What's wrong? The emperor said something that made you look unhappy." Mo Xiuyao turns his head to glance at her and asks, "Was there something in the tea just now?"

  Ye Li looked at him in surprise, how did he know what just happened in the pavilion so quickly?

  "There's probably something like musk rose. Qingyu went to check, and after going back, there should be results." Seeing that he didn't look too good, Ye Li still said what she knew, and was also curious about the things in her tea. Those things did have some effects on the body, but for her now, the impact was really limited. She really couldn't understand why those people would take the risk of putting that stuff in her tea, it would be more useful to put a laxative instead. Mo Xiu Yao stopped in his tracks, turned his head and looked at Ye Li, "Does Miss Li know what effects those medicines have?"

  "Activating channels and collaterals, promoting blood circulation... relieving pain..."

  "A Li, after returning to the manor, you will follow Mr. Shen to study pharmacology for a month." Mo Xiuyao finally spoke up after a long silence.

  Pharmacology? Ye Li's lips twitched slightly, okay, she wasn't unaware of the two rumored effects, but... it was also said that those were completely unreliable. Moreover... didn't they have no effect on them at all? Mo Xiuyao was angry and still hadn't let go of Ye Li's hand, pulling her towards the outside of the Imperial Garden. Seeing Mo Xiuyao not speaking to her, just walking forward silently, Ye Li felt a bit surprised - she had never seen Mo Xiuyao get angry, or rather, she had never seen Mo Xiuyao get angry at her. She tugged on Mo Xiuyao's hand that was holding hers, "Xiuyao..." Mo Xiuyao glanced at her sideways, still not speaking. Ye Li let out a helpless sigh, okay, it was her fault for being too careless.

  "Are you really angry? I'm not ignoring it, it's just... this doesn't affect us much so I'm not that tense..." Ye Li couldn't help but despise herself in her heart. Mo Xiuyao was only not speaking to her, what was she explaining? Of course, she was angry about being drugged in the palace, and she could also guess who was behind it. She had even considered a counter-gift. It's just that the other person's move was a bit beyond her expectations, so she seemed more casual than usual. Why wasn't Mo Xiuyao angry at the person who drugged her, but instead at her? And most importantly, why did she still feel like she needed to explain herself to him?

  "Doesn't it have any effect?" Mo Xiuyao lifted Ye Li's delicate face towards himself, his deep eyes locking onto Ye Li's somewhat worried gaze. Ye Li wasn't used to being in such a disadvantageous position and struggled uncomfortably for a moment before saying: "Yes, I know that medicine is said to have some kind of effect... but do we really... and that rumor doesn't seem very reliable. Besides, I didn't even drink it." Mo Xiuyao wouldn't actually be worried that if she were given that medicine, she would... be unable to bear children in the future, right? Ye Li thought to herself as she looked at Mo Xiuyao's still gloomy expression.

  "A Li..."

  "King Ding, King Ding's consort, what are you doing here?" Just as Mo Xiuyao was about to speak, a cold and clear female voice covered his. The two of them turned their heads at the same time, and not far away, under a tree with white flowers, Liu Guifei in a white dress looked like an ice and snow fairy.

  Liu Guifei's gaze swept lightly over Ye Li, paused for a moment on Mo Xiuyao, and finally landed on the hands clasped together by the two. Mo Xiuyao seemed to be unaffected by Liu Guifei's gaze, nodding calmly: "Liu Guifei, this king and Ah Li will take our leave now." Liu Guifei's clear and cold face flashed a complex and indistinguishable expression for an instant, lightly biting her red lips as she gazed at Mo Xiuyao for a long time before turning to Ye Li with a slight frown: "Ding Wangfei, the palace has something it wants to discuss with Ding Wang alone." Ye Li raised an eyebrow in surprise - shouldn't asking to speak with Mo Xiuyao alone be a question for him? Was Liu Guifei's intention that she should voluntarily step aside? Indeed, as the most favored concubine in the palace, her presence was unmatched by other consorts.

  Ye Li was about to speak when Mo Xiuyao tightened his grip on her hand. Ye Li looked up and met Mo Xiuyao's deep, angry gaze, then turned to apologize to Liu Guifei: "I'm really sorry, I have some urgent matters to attend to with the king and must leave the palace immediately. I'm afraid we won't have time to chat today." Liu Guifei furrowed her brow and looked at Mo Xiuyao, who calmly said: "We'll take our leave."

  Liu Guifei's face turned pale, and her hand clenched tightly under her sleeve. She gave Ye Li a deep look, then turned around silently and left.

  Watching the figure of Liu Guifei leaving resolutely, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao with some concern, "She... won't have any trouble, will she?" Ye Li had also heard about Liu Guifei's feelings for Mo Xiuyao, although in Ye Li's knowledge, these two people seemed to have never met alone. However, it was undeniable that Mo Xiuyao's ruthless rejection made her mood much better.

  "Let's go back to the mansion." Mo Xiuyao seemed to have completely ignored her question and pulled her around.

  Out of the palace gate and back to the mansion, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao who was still frowning and refused to speak with a sigh. "Are you still angry?" People who don't usually get angry are so difficult to deal with when they do get angry? Not saying a word on the way back, Ye Li was used to Mo Xiuyao's gentle smile and voice, but now that he was silent or frowning, Ye Li found himself very unaccustomed. "I know you're worried about me, it's my fault for being so careless, okay?" Ye Li comforted himself in his heart, he was throwing a tantrum, and he couldn't stoop to the level of someone who was throwing a tantrum. Heaven knows she really didn't mean to belittle this matter! Mo Jingqi, you wait for me!

  Mo Xiuyao gave her a faint glance and turned around to sit down on one side.

  Ye Li only felt the blue veins on her forehead jumping, she had only heard of men coaxing women, how did it become the other way around when it came to her? Mo Xiu Yao, do you have to be so childish? Alright, Ye Li, you should be more magnanimous!

  "Xiu Yao... you're still angry, huh. Well... I'll go to the study and deal with today's matters, let's talk when you've calmed down." Basically not good at coaxing people, Ye Li reluctantly decided to retreat. It wasn't that she was impatient or timid, but rather that Xiu Yao's angry expression made her feel uneasy all over. His normally warm and elegant face was now expressionless, looking more like he was about to get hurt than angry. Seeing this, Ye Li couldn't help but wonder if she had really done something terribly wrong. If she continued, she might end up going to great lengths to apologize and please him. So... sensing a hint of danger, Ye Li decided to make a swift retreat.

  "A Li..." A hand was pulled back, Mo Xiuyao exerted a bit of force and pulled the woman who was about to escape back into his arms. Ye Li felt somewhat embarrassed to find that their current posture was rather ambiguous, Mo Xiuyao sat on the stool and she had no choice but to sit on his leg after being pulled into his embrace. Although they had been sleeping together for quite some time, their relationship was absolutely platonic, but this situation made Ye Li feel a bit flustered.

  "That... Moxiuyao, can you... please let me go?" Ye Li swallowed her saliva, feeling a little tearful. She didn't want to appear so useless either, she could always handle herself well no matter who she faced, but somehow when facing Moxiuyao, she occasionally doubted her own IQ. Moxiuyao looked at her quietly, his eyes deep and dim, "A Li, what do you take me for?"

  "What... what person?" Ye Li was on the verge of tears, she must be crazy to think that Mo Xiuyao was in distress. What she should do now is to break free from Mo Xiuyao and leave quickly, her special forces instincts told her that if she stayed any longer, something bad would happen. "That... didn't we get married a long time ago? Of course, I consider you my husband..." His deep eyes blinked slightly, "So... have we always forgotten one thing?"

  "What... did I forget?" Ye Li said somewhat dazedly, Mo Xiuyao leaned against her neck, his warm breath sprayed onto her smooth neck, the refreshing and clean scent made her feel a wave of heat and weakness.

  "Round house." Muxi Yao whispered two words in her ear.

  Boom!

  Ye Li's mind was as if it had gone through a massive explosion, instantly blank. But Mo Xiuyao didn't intend to give her time to think, slightly lifting her small chin, lowering his head to cover that soft fragrant lip.

  "Moyu... Moyu Yao..." Compared to the last time at Shui Xue Guan, Moyu Yao seemed even more gentle this time. But it was precisely this gentleness that made Ye Li unable to muster up any resistance. Perhaps among all married couples who hadn't consummated their marriage after a year, they were the only ones left. Ye Li knew clearly in her heart that Moyu Yao was giving her time to mentally prepare herself. It's just that she... didn't know if she had prepared herself well enough to accept Moyu Yao. Or rather, did she... love Moyu Yao?

  "Ah, Lǐ..." Soft kisses trailed along Yè Lǐ's lips, brushing against her jade-like cheeks, intimate touches on her small earlobes, and elegant neck. "Ah, Lǐ..."

  Perhaps it was the ambiguous atmosphere in the room, or perhaps it was Mo Xiuyao's low and gentle call, or maybe it was because of that lingering and delicate light kiss. Ye Li disliked how she always seemed to be at a disadvantage when facing Mo Xiuyao, so she made a bold decision. She sat up, reached out to wrap her arms around Mo Xiuyao's neck, and then took the initiative to offer her rosy lips, "Mo Xiuyao... do you like me?"

  Mo Xiuyao's expression changed slightly, and he smiled calmly: "Yes, didn't Ah Lian already know?"

  Ye Li tilted her head and gazed at him with a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling like stars. "In that case, I, the princess, permit you to like me."

  A dizziness, Ye Li found herself lying on the bed with Mo Xiuyao leaning on her shoulder, laughing softly. After a long while, he raised his head and looked at her condescendingly, "Ye Li, just liking you is not enough." Ye Li's heart skipped a beat, a bright smile spreading across her lips as she reached out to hook Mo Xiuyao's shoulder, raising an eyebrow, "Then I, the princess, permit you to love me."

  "If the price is that you can never leave me again, would you permit it, Ah Lian?" Mo Xiuyao asked in a low voice.

  Ye Li was taken aback for a moment, "Forever... maybe it's possible. Then similarly, you also only belong to me?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

  "So... I love you, Ah Lian... As you wish, in this life, only Ah Lian alone..." He lowered his head and recaptured the tender lips that belonged to him. It was as if all passion had been ignited in an instant, and the light curtains were set aflame with red waves. Soft moans and gasps escaped from behind the heavy curtains, while the maid standing guard outside the door cleverly closed it for her master and left with a smile.

  After a long time, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

  Mo Xiuyao leaned against the bed, gazing at the woman beside him who was still fast asleep. The faint marks on her shoulders and the gentle flush on her cheeks that had not yet faded made her look even more serene and captivating. Mo Xiuyao raised his hand and gently stroked the woman's small face, then bent down to plant a light kiss on her lips. The gloom and melancholy between his eyebrows seemed to have completely dissipated, replaced by an air of joy that radiated from his warm and gentle eyes.

  "Ah Li... Ah Li..." Recalling the tender moments just before, Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but gently kiss the sleeping woman's face. His Ah Li, finally... was his. How many days and nights, how many times he resented the heavens for their injustice, resented those who wronged him. His imperfect body made him afraid to touch this one-of-a-kind person in the world. Now, he could finally fully possess her. For this, he was willing to give up everything...

  "Hmm... Xiāo..." Ye Li slowly opened her eyes, still dazed from the intense lovemaking that had exhausted her. She gazed sleepily at the man in front of her and whispered softly.

  Mo Xi Yao gently planted a kiss on her lips. "It's alright, go to sleep first. We can talk about anything when you wake up."

  "En." Ye Li nodded randomly and snuggled into his cool embrace once again, falling back asleep.

  "Ah Lian, in this life, there is only you..."

  Digression

  This chapter is a bit stiff, bear with it for now, I'll think about whether I can revise it later. The plot won't be affected much anyway. Just hope it doesn't get more and more melodramatic... I flipped through my old writings, seems like all the "that" stuff was just briefly mentioned within 100 words, not even worth referencing. A Yao is so sentimental... this guy is absolutely a hopeless abdominal black hole~ I'll tell you guys later, haha