The wedding is off.

  The wedding is off.

  "The future Crown Prince of the Li Kingdom must be born to Lingyun. Most importantly, Princess Qixia can never have any title or position including and above that of a secondary wife. She will never have the flesh and blood of the Li King."

  As soon as the words were spoken, everyone present, regardless of age or sex, was stunned and looked at Leiting Feng with unexpected and dissatisfied eyes. No one dared to believe that Leiting Feng would dare to propose such a bold condition. It is known that King Li had already married his legitimate wife before marrying Princess Lingyun, and Leiting Feng's condition was clearly demanding that the legitimate wife of King Li, who came from a noble family in Da Chu, could not give birth to King Li's children before Princess Lingyun. Most importantly, having a royal heir with the Xiling bloodline is by no means something that anyone in the imperial family would be pleased about.

  "This is absolutely impossible!" The Empress Dowager immediately refused sternly without even considering it.

  Lei Tengfeng smiled and said, "Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say. Farewell. As for today's humiliation... my Great Ling will definitely remember it in their hearts!" After finishing speaking, he turned around and pulled along Lingyun Princess: "Let's go." Lingyun Princess had originally thought this marriage matter would continue on, but didn't expect Wang Brother to give her such a straightforward and sudden surprise, of course not saying anything more. Glancing at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li sitting on the side listening in, she turned around and followed Lei Tengfeng as they quickly left.

  On the day of King Li's marriage to Princess Ping, the bride's elder brother pulled her away by the sleeve.

  The news of the King of Rui and Princess Qi Xia's affair had not spread throughout the capital, but the news of Princess Ling Yun abandoning the King on her wedding day had spread like wildfire within a short period. Lei Ting Feng brought Princess Ling Yun back to the embassy, locked her in her room with a smile on her face, and then strode into the deepest part of the embassy. He kicked open the door and entered, and in the dimly lit room, a woman in black was reclining on a soft couch reading a book. She slowly sat up and smiled when she saw him: "You're back? Was Princess Ling Yun's wedding interesting?"

  "Slap!" Lei Tengfeng stared at her for half a day, then suddenly slapped the face covered with a veil, "You cheap person! I told you not to act rashly." The woman in black was knocked back onto the soft couch by this sudden violence, and when she came to her senses, she lifted her head and glared fiercely at the man in front of her, gritting her teeth: "Lei Tengfeng!"

  "Despicable person! What do you want to do? Do you really think I don't dare kill you?" Lei Tengfeng's gloomy eyes hid a violent aura, and the words that came out of his mouth were devoid of warmth. The black-clothed woman was taken aback for a moment before reacting quickly, laughing loudly: "You've brought Lingyun back, have you? Heh heh... originally when it was said that we would form an alliance with Great Chu, you didn't agree, now isn't this exactly what you wanted? What are you dissatisfied with now?"

  "You idiot!" Lei Tengfeng cursed angrily: "Who do you think you are? In the Eastern Chu capital, there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Do you think your little tricks can deceive anyone? Get out of here, we're leaving the capital immediately!"

  "Leave?" The woman in black was taken aback, with a hint of hesitation in her eyes. Lei Tengfeng sneered and said: "You don't want to go? No problem, I'll send someone to take you to the Ding Wang Fu later. You've always been thinking about Mo Xiuyao, right? Don't worry, when you return to Xiling, Ben Shizi will explain everything for you!"

  "Don't!" The woman in black screamed, getting up and grabbing Lei Tengfeng's arm: "I'll go with you!" No one knew Mu Xiuyao better than her, if she really fell into his hands, she would definitely die silently. Lei Tengfeng disdainfully pushed away her hand and turned to leave. A woman who was both bold and afraid of death, yet still greedy...

  The wedding of the Li Wangfu ended up being a farce, and to make matters worse, the bride ran away before the ceremony even took place. Before long, including Li Wang, Li Wangfei, and Xianzhuang Taifei, all the masters of the Li Wangfu were summoned into the imperial palace by an imperial edict.

  The bride was gone, the groom was gone, and the host was also gone. The guests naturally didn't want to stay and freeload anymore. So, the guests who had only drunk a bellyful of tea water without eating anything all left one after another. Before long, the noisy Li Wang Fu returned to its former tranquility, except for that place

  The red silk with lanterns and streamers somehow always seems a bit melancholy.

  Because the emperor did not summon King and Queen to enter the palace, Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao, who had abandoned their participation in the wedding halfway, also bid farewell and left the Li Wang Fu like other guests. However, just as they stepped out of the Li Wang Fu gate, they met Xu Qingchen, whom they hadn't seen for a long time, dressed in a leisurely attire.

  He's as elusive as a ghost, even if he were a member of the Xu family, it wouldn't be easy to see him just because you want to. After Ye Li got married, she only saw him once on her return visit, so running into him now is quite surprising. They exchanged a few pleasantries before the three of them headed to Chu Xiang Pavilion for dinner.

  "What does the king think about today's events?" Xu Qingchen took a light sip of the fine wine in his cup and softly praised, "It is said that Chu Xiang Ge's fine wines and delicacies are the best in the capital, indeed its reputation is not exaggerated."

  Ye Li ate quietly while listening to the conversation between the two people. After all the commotion this afternoon, she was really a bit hungry.

  "Brother Xu's news is indeed very insightful." Mo Xiuyao praised, Xu Qingchen did not ask what had happened but directly asked for Mo Xiuyao's opinion, which meant that he already knew very clearly what had happened in the Li Wangfu. Xu Qingchen seemed to have not heard his words,

  He let out a soft sigh and looked at Ye Li with some sadness in his voice, saying: "Lier, why won't your husband even call me 'big brother'?"

  Ye Li's throat was stuck, and she forced herself to swallow before looking up at Mo Xiuyao, then at Xu Qingchen, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Xu Qingchen was three years younger than Mo Xiuyao, it would be strange if Mo Xiuyao could call him out. Moreover, even if Mo Xiuyao really could call him out, then so should

  He also had to call Xu Qingze second brother, and even Xu Qingbai fourth brother. Mo Xiuyao handed a bowl of soup in front of Ye Li, watching her take a sip before turning back to smile at Xu Qingchen: "Brother Xu, you're just Ah Lian's cousin."

  Xu Qingchen smiled, "I don't mind being called Big Brother by Your Highness."

  Mo Xiu Yao's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he said: "So I think Brother Xu should still remember... that in the past, I had the honor of receiving guidance from Master Qing Yun on my studies." And you are Master Qing Yun's grandson, while I am Master Qing Yun's student. "Or perhaps, my grandmother and the Madam of the Xu family share the same surname." They come from the same clan, two generations apart in age, but actually of the same generation.

  Of course, Ye Li understood that Xu Qingchen didn't mean to make things difficult for Mo Xiu Yao, he was just joking. Taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe the corner of his mouth, Ye Li smiled shallowly: "Big brother, when did you start caring about titles? If the king really followed my lead in calling him, wouldn't that turn the capital upside down?"

  "Is the first handsome man old?"

  Xu Qing's gaze swept lightly over Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, taking in the scene of Mo Xiuyao naturally handing a bowl of soup to Ye Li earlier. A hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. Upon hearing Ye Li's words, he pretended to be displeased and gave her a sideways glance, sighing softly: "Indeed, once you're married off, your elbows start to bend outward. Father and Second Uncle must be regretting agreeing to marry you off so early." The only daughter of the Xu family in this generation has become someone else's. Ye Li's delicate face flushed with a faint red glow as she said: "Big Brother, did you come specifically to tease me?"

  Xu Qingchen shook his head, wiping the smile off his face and looked at Mo Xiuyao seriously. Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment before saying: "Brother Xu, do you think there's something wrong with what happened today?"

  "Just now... Lei Tengfeng took Princess Lingyun away from the capital." Xu Qingchen said, "Without even bidding farewell to His Majesty, they left directly."

  Mo Xi Yao's left hand unconsciously felt for the warm jade at his waist, furrowing his brow as he said, "Today's events must have been manipulated by someone in secret, but... it won't be Lei Tian Feng. The alliance with Da Chu was decided long before he arrived in Da Chu, and it's impossible that he would suddenly abandon it. Unless... something unexpected happened."

  Ye Li furrowed her brow and asked, "Has Lei Tengfeng's power reached the point where he can do whatever he wants in such matters?" The marriage between the two countries was no small matter, even if both countries had ulterior motives. However, Lei Tengfeng said that breaking off the engagement would be the end of it, and even if Mo Jingli was at fault, it would still be unreasonable for Xiling to make a fuss about it now. Xu Qing smiled blandly and said, "It's not that Lei Tengfeng has this power, but rather his father, the King of Zhen Nan, has this power. The emperor of Xiling is weak and often ill, with only a few princesses and a seven-year-old crown prince as heirs. Although the King of Zhen Nan does not have the title of regent in Xiling, he holds de facto control."

  "So... was the alliance with Great Chu the intention of the Western Hill Emperor or King Zhennan?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

  Xu Qingchen shook his head, Xiling and Da Chu were sworn enemies. The Xu family's news had not yet reached the point of being able to infiltrate the Xiling imperial palace. Mo Xiuyao nodded: "I will send someone to investigate."

  Ye Li thought the two men were thinking too far ahead, and raised her eyes to ask, "Who exactly put Princess Qixia in the Lei Wang Fu?" Even if Princess Qixia was extremely familiar with King Lei and came and went from the Lei Wang Fu as she pleased. She was still a princess, wasn't she? A princess in the Lei

  The day of Wang's grand wedding arrived at the Li King's Mansion, and surprisingly, no one had thought to inform their master about it, which in itself was very unreasonable.

  Xu Qingchen and Mo Xiuyao were both lost in thought, their eyes locked on each other before exchanging a glance. Xu Qingchen suddenly chuckled softly and sighed: "It seems that many things have been overlooked by us. These years of wandering outside have indeed made us somewhat..."

  "I've gotten used to the capital..." Mo Xiuyao slightly furrowed his brow, "Brother Xu is right, it seems that in these few years of seclusion, there have been many changes in the capital that we are unaware of. I will have someone investigate this matter."

  Xu Qingchen nodded and said: "Hand it over to Wang Ye, I will naturally feel at ease. It just so happens that in a few days, I will be leaving the capital anyway, and these things in the capital city probably can't be handled either."

  Ye Li was taken aback, "Big brother, you're going to leave the capital? Return to Yunzhou?"

  Xu Qingchen shook his head and smiled: "No, I plan to go to Nanzhao for a walk."

  "Nanzhao?" Ye Li didn't understand. "I remember hearing from Fifth Brother that Big Brother just went to Nanzhao two years ago."

  Mo Xiuyao held his wine cup and frowned: "Do you think something will happen in Nanzhao?"

  Xu Qingchen sighed and looked at Mo Xiuyao, saying: "I don't believe you can see it now, but anything can happen anywhere." As long as they wait for the downfall of the Dingguo Kingdom, the various forces that have been suppressed by the Dingguo Kingdom for nearly a hundred years will rise up and annex the Great Chu. Whether it's Nanzhao, Xiling, or Beijun, even the island nations overseas, who wouldn't be drooling over the most beautiful and fertile land on this continent? However, those in power only saw the harm caused by the Dingguo Kingdom, on one hand trying to suppress them by any means necessary, while on the other hand fearing the emergence of another Dingguo Kingdom, unwilling to nurture new military talents. Haven't they ever thought that without the Dingguo Kingdom, there wouldn't be enough talent to replace them? What would happen to the Great Chu then? Or does the one sitting high on the dragon throne think he can use his cunning and power to conquer the battlefield as well?

  "Big brother thinks... will Nanzhao make the first move?" Ye Li asked. Although the people of Nanzhao are fierce, they are not as good at fighting as the Beijun or Xiling people. Moreover, after being swept away by Mo Xiuyao in the southern border last year, I'm afraid Nanzhao may not even be able to fight a war with Great Chu now.

  Xu Qingchen said: "Originally it shouldn't be, but now... I'm afraid our man will take action against Nanzhao first."

  "Huh?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mo Xiuyao. From Mo Xiuyao's calm eyes, she saw agreement. "That guy... has he gone crazy? Originally, there were already constant disputes with Beijiang Xiling, if they provoke war with Nanzhao again. Aren't they afraid that the three countries will join forces to attack? At that time, it won't just be that Great Chu doesn't have any notable generals, even if Mo Lan Yun and Mo Liu Fang were reborn in Great Chu, it would still be over."

  Xu Qingchen sighed and said, "When our previous emperor ascended to the throne, he was still young, but the regent king had indeed taught him with good intentions. However... our current emperor probably didn't have time to teach, it seems that it was the empress dowager who brought him up." The previous emperor passed away at the age of 40, and originally thought that he could live for another 20 or 30 years, so he didn't plan to cultivate a successor so early. Who knew that he would suddenly leave this world? And although the empress dowager was known as a legendary woman, she was after all just a palace lady, and what she truly taught was how to scheme and plot. Of course, it was also the empress dowager's methods that allowed Mo Jingqi to smoothly ascend to the throne after the previous emperor's death. However, the schemes and plots used to seize power cannot be used to govern the country. Mo Jingqi had set his goal to become a wise ruler, but he himself knew that his ability to govern the country might not even be comparable to his father's. Therefore, he cherished and guarded his imperial position even more. Anyone who could potentially threaten his throne would be eliminated without mercy.

  Ye Li furrowed her brow and said: "But big brother can't do anything about it in the past either. What if we encounter danger?"

  Looking at the two worried men in front of her, Ye Li couldn't help but sigh. This world is like this, some people are exhausting their minds and worrying about the country and its people, while others are secretly plotting and scheming. Some people suffer greatly when they are sober, while others sing and dance in ignorance.

  Xu Qingchen smiled and said: "I have some relationship with the Princess of Nanzhao, I'll just go take a look."

  The Queen? Ye Li sighed at Xu Qingchen's extensive social connections.

  Mo Xiuyao raised his cup and looked at him, saying: "Thank you."

  Xu Qingchen followed suit and returned the toast, saying calmly: "No need to, this is Father's intention, not for the sake of the Dingguo Wangfu." The Xu family would not betray Da Chu, but the Xu family was also not a savior with no power to turn back heaven. They could only do what they could do.

  After seeing off Xu Qingchen, Ye Li understood that Xu Qingchen had come to bid them farewell on purpose. Even Mo Xiuyao had once praised his uncle as possibly one of the smartest people in this world. Probably from the moment the news of Lingyun Princess's failed marriage alliance came out, Uncle had already foreseen the future direction of Great Chu. Moreover, at a time when everyone, including the person in the palace, had not yet reacted, he had sent his brother to the southern border. "If something happens to Great Chu in the future, can the Xu family escape responsibility?"

  Mo Xiuyao looked at her with a gentle gaze and said softly, "If you're referring to the hidden world, then it's probably not possible." With the Xu family's pride, they would not be loyal to the emperor, but they would definitely die for the great Chu. "A Lian, do you know why the Xu family, as former officials of the previous dynasty, can still enjoy a good reputation in the great Chu for over a hundred years without decline?" Ye Lian raised an eyebrow, and Mo Xiuyao said, "In the late years of the previous dynasty, the world was in chaos. Actually...the last ruler of the previous dynasty was not a tyrant or a foolish king. He had almost no shortcomings; he just wasn't suitable to be an emperor. The ancestors of the Xu family persisted in supporting the last emperor during the crisis, and although they were a scholarly family, at least seven members of the Xu family died on the battlefield. Until the end, our ancestor Mo Lianyun led the army to besiege the capital. The head of the Xu family at that time personally went up to the city wall to direct the battle with his weak body. The army fought for seven days and seven nights but couldn't take down the city. The eldest son of the Taizu Emperor was greedy for military merit and rashly advanced, dying in the chaos of war. The Taizu Emperor was enraged and ordered the soldiers to capture the civilians near the capital and kill them outside the city every day. As long as the last emperor didn't surrender, they would kill 5,000 civilians every day. And on the day the city fell, they would slaughter everyone in the city. On the second day, the head of the Xu family personally killed the last emperor and opened the gates to surrender. The only condition was that they couldn't harm the civilians in the capital and nearby areas. On the day the Chu army entered the city, the head of the Xu family left a letter for our ancestor and then took his own life. And on the same day, the madam of the Xu family led all 73 members of the Xu family to take their own lives and die for their country. They only left behind a 13-year-old son who was far away in Yunzhou at the time, who would later become the young prime minister of the great Chu, Xu Yanli."

  Ye Li was shocked by this unheard-of secret, and a unspeakable sadness stuck in her heart. She regretted and felt remorseful for saying such arrogant words to her uncle earlier. Perhaps she didn't understand the pride of scholars, but as a soldier, she understood and deeply grasped the iron bones and loyalty of soldiers. She dared not imagine the disappointment and sadness in her uncle's heart when she asked such questions. It was simply blasphemy and the greatest insult to the ancestors of the Xu family and the 73 martyrs who died for their country.

  "Then... why..." Ye Li asked with a lowered brow.

  "You want to ask why it's different from the historical records? There's nothing different, Xu Yanli indeed assisted the Emperor of Great Chu with all his heart. The third emperor of Great Chu was even personally taught by him. After the founding of the country, the Taizu Emperor also granted titles and enviable ranks to all the deceased members of the Xu family." Looking at Ye Li's astonished expression, Mo Xiuyao calmly smiled: "The Taizu Emperor fought wars across the land, killing too many people, he needed a benevolent reputation to stabilize his rule."

  "What did the ancestors of the Xujia family leave for Emperor Dingwang?" Ye Li asked hesitantly. Of course, things wouldn't be as simple as Mo Xiuyao said, and Taizu wouldn't have reassigned a prime minister who had died for the previous dynasty with his entire family. Mo Xiuyao shook his head and smiled: "This is already unknown. The ancestors seemed to have given the letter to Emperor Taizu in the end. And that letter obviously saved Xu Yanli's life. After...the fact that the Xujia family died for the people of the capital city was somehow spread, and since the Xujia family was a famous family with a history of several hundred years, it naturally became renowned at that time. Although many places in the historical records of Taizu's court were vague and obscure, many things still gradually took root in the hearts of the people." Many things, even if they have been gradually forgotten, are still passed down from generation to generation through the words of their ancestors, such as the respect for the Xujia family.

  Ye Li finally somewhat understood why the Xus were not allowed to intermarry with the imperial family, even if they had truly forgiven them. However, it was still impossible to deny that the Xu family had been exterminated because of the Great Chu imperial family. This could also roughly explain why, despite the Xu family's consistent display of indifference to fame and wealth and dislike of power, the imperial family had never given up on their idea of suppressing the Xus. It was likely that what Mo Lianyun had done back then was not as lightly dismissed as Mo Xiuyao had said.

  Ye Li furrowed her brow in distress and asked almost desperately: "Will war definitely break out?"

  "It's just a matter of time." Mo Xiu Yao sighed softly: "The Great Chu has been suppressing the various countries for too long, and almost everyone is eagerly waiting for the downfall of the Great Chu. And we... seem to have also gotten used to thinking that we are the strongest." In fact, if it weren't for the defeat seven years ago, he would have thought so too. But when he dragged his battered body with his brother's ashes and nearly half of the elite Mo family army leaving the battlefield, he finally understood that his previous pride was somewhat laughable. Whether it was Xiling or Beijun, perhaps they couldn't compare to the Great Chu, but they weren't necessarily much worse either. The Mo family army and Black Cloud Riders, who had once swept across the world, proved this point with their tens of thousands of corpses. "A Lian... is the Dingguo King's Mansion that destroyed the Great Chu..." After a long time, Mo Xiu Yao finally spoke in a low voice. If it weren't for the Dingguo King's Mansion being too strong all along, the Great Chu might have produced more famous generals and elite soldiers. Without the Mo family army intimidating the borders for over a hundred years, the Great Chu might have been able to go further in times of crisis.

  Ye Li remained silent, unsure of who was right or wrong. How many people in the history of the Chu dynasty had been loyal and dedicated to the royal family for over a hundred years? Had they done anything wrong? Definitely not. Then was it the person they were protecting who was wrong? Not at all, they didn't even know what was going on. After a long time, Ye Li finally spoke in a low voice: "You're not wrong, it's human nature that's wrong." Not every generation of emperors had the broad-mindedness and courage to accept everything, nor did every generation have the ability and demeanor to attract people from all over the world. When the emperor saw his ministers as threats rather than his own arms and legs... The excellence and achievements of the ministers seemed like challenges and intimidation in the eyes of the emperor.

  After hearing Ye Li's words, Mo Xiuyao stared at Ye Li in a daze for a long time before smiling faintly and saying: "Sorry Ah Li, did I scare you with these words?"

  Ye Li gave him a calm glance, was she really that easy to scare? Mo Xiu Yao shook his head, "There's no use thinking about this now, Ye Li, why not guess how the situation with the Lei Wang Fu will be resolved?"

  Ye Li shrugged lazily and said, "What else can be done? The Emperor was furious and killed Xiaya Princess, demoting King Lei? The Emperor was persuaded by the old kings and locked up Xiaya Princess, slightly punishing King Lei. Otherwise... Xiaya Princess would change her identity and marry King Lei." Ye Li always felt that the Empress Dowager, as a mother, accepted Xiaya Princess too quickly. Her eldest son's future consort had an affair with her second son, yet she only scolded her lightly and began planning to bring her back in. It seemed like she hadn't considered the Emperor's possible reaction at all. If it were an ordinary mother of this era, what she would do first might be to get rid of the woman who could harm her sons and cause them to fight each other.

  "What does Ah Lian think is more likely?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

  Ye Li thought for a moment, "The third possibility." She furrowed her brow, so what happened today was either being calculated by others or calculating others? It seems... she needed to reevaluate Mo Jingli's brain, or the brains of those behind him.

  "A Li, stay away from Mo Jing Lei from now on." Mo Xiu Yao reminded. Ye Li Mang nodded absent-mindedly, her mind still thinking about the question just now, "What use does the Princess of Nanzhao have for Mo Jing Lei?"

  Mo Xiuyao seemed slightly surprised and glanced at Ye Li, smiling faintly: "She is the younger sister of the Princess of Nanzhao, much more useful than Princess Lingyun."

  Ye Li's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, "If Mo Jing Lei really had that kind of brain, would I be much worse than Ye Ying?"

  Mo Xiuyao seemed to laugh even more happily, "Believe me, if Mo Jingli really had a brain, he would rather marry Princess Lingyun than you."

  Ye Li's face turned black, was she being disliked this much?

  "But... they may have miscalculated. Mo Jingqi is a person who seems to never play by the rules." Although this emperor wasn't as brilliant as he thought himself to be, occasionally he would make a move that was truly not something ordinary people could handle.

  So, by the time they returned to the mansion, news had already spread from the palace - Princess Qixia had passed away. Of course, this news would take some days to come out. After all, even if high-ranking officials knew what was going on and kept it under wraps, they still needed to find a way to deceive the common people. Today, something happened at the Li Wang Mansion, and Princess Qixia died suddenly that same day. Anyone with half a brain could connect the two events and imagine one, two, three things. As for the marriage between Li Wang and Princess Lingyun? Since there was no indication from the palace, everyone was happy to pretend it had never happened, that the Emperor had never arranged the marriage, and they hadn't even sent gifts to the Li Wang Mansion. Anyway, when Li Wang remarried Princess Qixia, they didn't need to send gifts then either, so let's just say they sent them in advance.

  In the palace, in a elegantly decorated but somewhat cold and deserted hall, Mo Jingqi was venting his anger unscrupulously. The palace staff had long been frightened away, those who couldn't escape could only shrink into a corner, trembling with fear. Various precious antiques and paintings were smashed to pieces on the ground, tables and chairs were overturned, and the shelves for placing objects were also kicked over. Liu Guifei sat calmly on the side of the carved flower couch, her expression cold as she watched the man in front of her who was going crazy. A 7 or 8 year old girl with luxurious clothes and hair ornaments stared at him with terrified eyes, being held in Liu's arms, seemingly too scared to even cry out loud.

  Yu Guifei raised one hand to cover the girl's eyes and looked at the man in the hall who was acting wildly, "Has Your Majesty had enough?"

  Mo Jingqi was taken aback, slowly came to a stop and turned back to look at Liu Guifei's icy face as cold as snow, with a hint of evil air flashing in her eyes full of gloom.

  "Someone, take the princess away." The imperial concubine Liu ordered. The palace people who were kneeling in the corner were overjoyed and quickly got up to take the girl who was already frightened stiff from Imperial Concubine Liu's hands and walked out tremblingly.

  "Empress, don't you want to say something?" Mo Jingqi's voice was completely devoid of the usual loud and clear tone he had in court, instead filled with coldness and venom.

  "Your Majesty wants me to say what?" asked Consort Liu, looking up at him.

  "You're also secretly mocking me, aren't you?" Mo Jingqi pinched the delicate chin of Liu Guifei with one hand and whispered in her ear. The cold breath was like a poisonous snake spitting out its venom, "I know, you're just like them! No...you look down on me even more than they do, don't you? Seeing everyone opposing me, it makes you very happy, doesn't it?"

  "The Emperor says so, then it is." Consort Liu said calmly.

  "Slap!" Mo Jingqi slapped a palm print on Liu Guifei's face as white as jade, instantly leaving several red marks. Liu Guifei raised her head, her calm eyes met his gaze. Mo Jingqi was taken aback, "Yu'er..." staring blankly at the red marks on Liu Guifei's face, Mo Jingqi's expression softened as he reached out to touch them, "Yu'er... it's my fault, I shouldn't have hit you... does it hurt? Why didn't you listen to me... why do you always have to oppose me! Why do you always have to control this and that, why do you want to threaten me, I hate being threatened!" The more Mo Jingqi spoke, the more agitated he became, quickly forgetting his earlier tenderness, his hands grasping Liu Guifei's shoulders, shaking her as he bellowed.

  "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You're wronging the empress!" A little palace maid suddenly ran out of the side hall, anxiously calling out to Mo Jingqi: "Your Majesty, please let go of the empress... it really has nothing to do with her..."

  Jian Mo Jing Qi didn't respond to her words, the little palace maid looked around and found an antique vase that had miraculously survived being smashed. Gnashing her teeth, she walked over and picked up the vase, intending to smash it on Mo Jing Qi's back. Liu Gui Fei's face changed, and she quickly raised her hand to fling a pearl flower from her hair at the little palace maid. With a loud crash, the vase shattered into pieces on the ground.

  Mo Jingqi, who had been frantic, suddenly seemed to be startled awake and froze. The little palace maid was also frightened pale and knelt down on the ground with a thud. When she picked up the vase just now, her mind was completely blank and didn't have time to think about anything else. Now that she's come to her senses, she only thought of what would happen if she really smashed it down.

  Mo Jingqi had apparently calmed down, glanced at the little palace maid not far behind her, and slowly let go of Liu Guifei to stand up.

  He stood up together with Consort Liu, who sat back up again, still calm and collected. If not for the red mark on her face, one would almost think that nothing had happened earlier. "Xiang'er, you rest first. I'll have someone come over to change your clothes later." Mo Jingqi only glanced at Consort Liu once before quickly turning around and kicking away the small palace maid kneeling in front of him as he swiftly departed.

  Liu Guifei stared at the figure that had just flown away, a hint of resentment and mockery flashing in her clear eyes.