When it's time to cut, don't hesitate.

  107. Cut off, yet unbroken.

  "The princess has a good technique." Yelü Ye said, turning his head to praise Ye Li. The assassin just now was too close to Yao Ji, and the position where the princess was located was also somewhat off. The jade pendant thrown by the princess could hit the flying dart without hurting Yao Ji, which was absolutely not something that could be done by luck. Eyesight, technique, and strength were all indispensable. Ye Li didn't have time to appreciate Yelü Ye's compliment, just now she had nothing suitable for a hidden weapon around her, so she casually tore off a piece of jade pendant from Mo Xiu Yao's body and threw it out. Only after the person was rescued did she have time to worry about Mo Xiu Yao's jade pendant. After all, what he could carry with him must not be something ordinary. Taking steps towards where the jade pendant fell, Mo Xiu Yao pulled her back, raising an eyebrow and asking: "What are you doing?"

  Ye Li said with a hint of concern: "I'll go take a look at that jade pendant. That... won't be a problem, will it?"

  Mo Xiu Yao smiled and asked, "What should we do if it's really valuable?" Ye Li furrowed her brow in distress. If it was just expensive, that would be one thing, but if it had some special use or sentimental value, that would be a problem. Seeing Ye Li looking at him pitifully, Mo Xiu Yao's mood became even more pleasant. He pulled Ye Li into his arms and said with a bitter face, "Although it's not something important, it's still my favorite jade pendant. Wife, what do you think we should do?" Ye Li looked up at him, "I'll compensate you with a new one?" Mo Xiu Yao nodded generously.

  "Alright, it's settled then. You have to choose it yourself." Seeing him so happy, Ye Li couldn't help but feel even more guilty. She secretly reflected on herself, wondering if she had neglected him too much. Ever since they got married, Mo Xiu Yao had taken care of all her needs, from food and clothing to daily expenses, but as for her... Ye Li felt a pang of conscience as she thought about how she seemed

  It was just last year's birthday that she gave him a piece of clothing, which was still reminded by people around her. Thinking of this, Ye Li felt more and more that she had not been good to Mo Xiu Yao, and nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll go pick it out myself."

  "My daughter is really good..." Mo Xiuyao smiled with satisfaction.

  Although Mo Xiuyao said he didn't mind, Ye Li still went over to pick up the broken jade with her handbag. The two of them were warm and affectionate on one side, but on the other side, the atmosphere was cold and oppressive, making even Ye Lüye, who was watching the play, stand back a bit. Yao Ji's face turned pale, and she no longer had the flirtatious charm she had on stage earlier; the night wind in June made

  She couldn't help but shiver and hugged her own arms tightly, the colorful cloud-patterned clothes only making her look even paler and more haggard. Mu Yang silently gazed at the woman in front of him, a complex glint flashing across his eyes, and sighed heavily before saying in a low voice: "Let's go, I'll send you back." Yao Ji took a step back, her voice cold as she said: "No need to trouble the young master, Yao Ji knows

  "The road will return on its own."

  "Yao Ji!" Mu Yang called out in a deep voice, with a hint of displeasure, "Haven't you caused enough trouble? Throwing an embroidered ball in a place like this... do you want to ruin yourself?"

  Yao Ji raised her head, a bitter smile on her pale face. "So the young master is saying that it's okay for me to throw the embroidered ball in Qingcheng Alley? Here are just ordinary city people, but Qingcheng Alley is where the nobles and wealthy merchants come and go. At least I won't tarnish the name of the number one dancer in the capital, right?" Mu Yang's eyes flashed with a hint of regret, his voice low as he said...

  Dao: "You know I didn't mean it that way." Yaoji was highly respected in the capital, not only because she had the backing of Feng Jia San Gongzi, the third son of the Marquis of Shuoyang, but also because she never received guests privately and had a reputation for being chaste. If today Yaoji really... then from tomorrow on, those people in the capital who had been eyeing her would probably...

  Yao Ji's drooling three feet of noble silk is about to trample the city's alleys. At that time, no one can help her, after all, the Murong Hou Mansion and the Feng family cannot afford to make an enemy of the entire city's nobility for a lone woman.

  Yaoji glanced at Ye Li standing aside, her eyes filled with sadness and envy. She stepped forward slowly and bowed slightly to Mu Yang, "Thank you, Young Master, for taking care of me these past few years. I'm deeply grateful. However... after you return, it's best if we don't meet again."

  "Yao Ji!"

  Yaoji didn't look at him, but nodded to Ye Li and turned around step by step, walking towards the end of the street. Ye Li frowned and made a secret gesture for the bodyguards to follow her and escort Yaoji back to Qingcheng Fang. Although it was already curfew, it was still somewhat dangerous for a woman to be out alone at night in the capital city. Mu Yang furrowed his brow, wanting to chase after her, but Ye Li opened

  He was stopped by someone shouting, "The prince, wait!"

  Mu Yang looked back at Ye Li with an uncomprehending expression. Ye Li asked in a low voice, "What did the young master want to do by chasing after her?" Mu Yang furrowed his brow and said, "Of course he wanted to send her back." Ye Li said, "Even if she's sent back, what then? I also have some connection with Princess Yaoji. Why don't I let someone else take care of it? Or... does the young master not trust me?" Mu Yang hesitated slightly

  Looking at Ye Li, "But..."

  "If the young master cannot give Yāo Jī a future she desires, it's better to break off the engagement. Although breaking off the engagement is painful, I think Yāo Jī has the strength of character to get over it. But if the young master continues to hesitate, he may end up hurting the hearts of both women."

  He even emphasized the tone. Reminding him that he needs to be responsible for not only Yao Ji but also Sun Xiao Jie who has a marriage contract with him. Mu Yang's body shook, and he glared at Ye Li angrily: "You don't understand anything!" Ye Li was silent, she indeed didn't understand anything. She didn't know about the emotional history between Yao Ji and Mu Yang, nor did she know about his relationship with Sun Xiao Jie...

  Miss Sun is in a difficult situation. If she were to enter the Marquis of Shuoyang's household as a concubine, either with her own consent or that of the marquis, it might have been possible. However, given the current state of affairs, whether it be Miss Sun's unwillingness, the marquis' disapproval, or the Sun family's objections, it is clearly not feasible. In this case, Shuoyang's present hesitation does not seem to be a good thing.

  "Let's go back." Ye Li raised her head and said to Mo Xiu Yao after a moment of silence.

  Mo Xiuyao nodded, glanced at Mu Yang and said lightly: "Given the relationship between the Mu Yang Hou Mansion and the Sun family, Mu Yang Hou will never accept Yao Ji." After finishing speaking, he didn't care about Mu Yang's reaction, nodded to Ye Luyu and pulled Ye Li towards the direction of the Ding Wang Mansion. It seemed that Mo Xiuyao's words made Mu Yang's expression even more unpleasant, standing still for a while before finally turning around and going in the opposite direction. Ye Luyu, who was left behind, looked at the departing figures of the two people with interest, raising an eyebrow, "Interesting woman, it seems that Mo Xiuyao is indeed deeply infatuated with the Ding Wang Fei..." The jade pendant that Ye Luyu saw clearly was given by the Taizu Emperor to Ding Guo Wangye Mo Xuan Yun during the opening of the Great Chu. It can be said that it is a symbol of the identity of the Ding Guo Wangye. However, as time went on, the Ding Guo Wang Mansion became more and more majestic, and there was no need for a jade pendant to represent their identity. This gradually became an ordinary decorative jade pendant. But for the Ding Wang Mansion, the significance of this jade is still not comparable to that of an ordinary precious stone.

  "Moxi Yao, Moxi Yao... Is it really okay to expose such an obvious weakness in front of people? Or... did you simply not put this prince in your eyes?!"

  The night sky hung with a gentle, crescent moon, making the quiet streets seem somewhat desolate and cold. The two walked hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and Mo Xiuyao softly laughed: "Is Ah Li still worried?"

  Ye Li was taken aback, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Isn't Ye Li worried about Yao Ji?" Ye Li sighed helplessly and said, "Yao Ji is such an outstanding woman, it's just a pity that she was born into a humble background, otherwise her life wouldn't be so difficult." Mo Xiuyao looked down at her and said, "Does Ye Li want to help her? If Ye Li speaks up for her, perhaps the Mu Yang Hou Fu will accept her." Ye Li shook her head and said, "Not to mention whether Yao Ji is willing or not, as the Crown Princess, forcing the Mu Yang Hou Fu to accept someone they don't want to accept would only make Yao Ji's life more difficult. Besides... isn't that Sun Miss the rightful fiancée of Mu Yang? What has she done wrong to be forced to accept a rival in love? If Mu Yang truly loves Yao Ji above all else, he will naturally handle everything well. If not... there aren't many things in this world that can be easily resolved. I still say what I said before: when it's time to let go, then let go; when it's time to cut ties, then cut ties." Mo Xiuyao sighed softly and said, "Ye Li is really heartless, if Ye Li speaks up for Yao Ji, both the Mu Yang Hou Fu and the Sun family will give Ye Li face."

  Ye Li gave him a sidelong glance and said, "If someone came to me and asked me to consider taking in a woman as a concubine for the king, I would directly reject her. The king is so concerned about this issue, but does he also have such worries? No problem... I'm very easy-going, as long as the king personally tells me, it's settled." Ye Li smiled warmly at Mo Xiu Yao, who looked like he was smiling but not quite. Mo Xiu Yao rubbed his nose in frustration and said, "This king will never have such worries in this lifetime, Ah Li can rest assured." Ye Li let out a soft hum, choosing not to comment on his assurance.

  As soon as they returned to the mansion, Mo Xiuyao was summoned to discuss matters and left. It was clear that the people of Ding Wang Fu had already received news of Ye Luyu's appearance in the capital. Ye Li had just turned around and returned to her room when Qin Feng appeared in front of her with a somewhat strange expression. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a smile: "What's wrong? Has training been too easy lately? Why don't you go back and rest?" Qin Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Your Highness, that Miss Yaoji..."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow, suddenly enlightened. "Was it you who sent Yao Ji back? Qin Tongling really has the leisure time to do so. It seems I should mention to An San that your training can be further improved. What happened to Yao Ji?"

  Qin Feng frowned and said, "She fainted on the side of the road before we even reached Qingcheng Square."

  "So?" Ye Li looked at him with a hint of mockery in her eyes. Qin Feng had no choice but to force a smile and say, "There's nothing... I just sent her back, I came to inform the princess."

  Ye Li sighed softly, looking at Qin Feng: "Do you think she's pitiful?" Qin Feng remained silent, Ye Li said in a low voice: "I also think she's pitiful, but many things aren't something we can do just because we feel sympathetic. Maybe there are people who will become equally pitiful because of our so-called kindness." Qin Feng understood and nodded: "Your subordinate knows his mistake, please forgive me, Your Highness." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly: "The moon is bright, the stars are sparse. The night is quiet, my heart is worried."

  Qin Feng was taken aback and quickly turned around to rush out, "Withdraw!"

  Watching Qin Feng sprint away like he was running for his life, Ye Li couldn't help but smile wryly. Recalling the stiff and straight figure of Yao Ji when she left, only a soft sigh remained.

  She agreed to personally select a jade pendant for Mo Xiuyao, and also remembered that his birthday was approaching. The next day, Ye Li took a few maids out of the house. After visiting several shops they usually went to, they didn't find any meaningful jade pendants or jade stones. Ye Li wasn't in a hurry either, as truly top-quality jade was hard to come by. Some good jade had already been carved into shape but didn't meet her expectations, while others were not satisfactory in color. If she directly took something from the warehouse of their own estate, it would seem insincere. Walking on the street, Ye Li thought with a headache.

  "King's consort, what a coincidence to meet again?" Just walking out of a jade shop, a bright and clear voice came from behind. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and turned around to look at the man standing not far away with his arms crossed, nodding: "Yelü Wangzi. Hasn't the prince gone to the palace to pay respects to the emperor yet?" Yelü Ye didn't mind laughing: "The welcoming procession for the marriage will take a few more days to arrive in the capital. I'll just consider these few days as private relaxation, so I won't bother your esteemed emperor for now." Ye Li nodded and smiled faintly: "In that case, I won't disturb Yelü Wangzi's relaxation." Coincidence? In such a big city, they had just met last night and now ran into each other again this morning - wasn't it really a coincidence? Yelü Ye seemed to completely ignore Ye Li's aloofness, laughing: "Speaking of which, I'm in Chu Jing for the first time, and it's really unfamiliar. I wonder if the king's consort can show me around as a local?"

  Ye Li pursed her lips and smiled faintly, her elegant face filled with apology. "I'm really sorry, I don't usually go out, so I might not be as familiar with Chu Jing as Wang Zi is. I'm afraid I won't be able to show Wang Zi the way." She paused, then continued, "Speaking of which, Wang Zi mentioned yesterday that he would visit our royal residence, and my father, the king, waited at home early this morning to welcome him. It seems now that he will have to wait in vain."

  Yelü Yu's mouth twitched, and he smiled: "Princess, please forgive me. To be honest, the young king felt that since he had not yet paid his respects to your majesty, it would be inappropriate for him to visit the palace of King Ding privately, lest it cause trouble for King Ding and you, Princess. What do you think?"

  Ye Li smiled faintly and said: "The prince is thoughtful, I still have some things to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

  Watching Ye Li turn around and leave without hesitation, Yelü Ye's eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips: "A few days ago, I got a top-quality piece of jadeite. I don't know if the queen is interested."

  Yelü Ye listened to his words, and Yeli didn't turn around, nor did her footsteps pause for a moment. Yelü Ye's eyebrows rose slightly as he continued, "Does the princess not want to know what the jade pendant you smashed yesterday actually was?"

  Ye Li slowly turned around, just as Ye Luoye revealed a hint of a triumphant smile, and calmly said: "Since the king didn't say anything, it means he doesn't care. Whatever jade pendant is already broken. If I want to know, I will naturally go ask the king myself, why bother learning from outsiders? Prince, don't you think so?"

  Yelü Ye's smile gradually faded, and he gazed thoughtfully at the departing figure of the woman in front of him. "No wonder she can gain Mo Xiuyao's favor, indeed interesting. Empress Dingwang, we will meet again."

  Digression

  Uh-uh... Yaoji is not a mistress, at least I didn't set her up as one. Muyang isn't a scumbag either. It'll be explained later, but they might not end up together~