Yao Hua Palace on fire

  Yao Hua Palace is on fire.

  Standing in front of the majestic palace, Ye Li let out a soft sigh. This was her third time entering the palace. Given the unpleasant experiences of the previous two times, being summoned by the Emperor this time made her even more cautious and careful. As the Crown Princess of Dingguo, she should have been summoned under the name of the Empress or Ye Zhaoyi in normal circumstances, not directly by the Emperor himself.

  The eunuch who led the way said in a low, slightly flattering tone, "The Empress is inside. Please go in." Ye Li glanced at him sideways and had some impression that he was the same eunuch who came to the Ye Mansion to deliver the imperial edict of marriage.

  Ye Li nodded, Qing Luan and Qing Yu were left outside. The dark guards in the imperial palace couldn't act so freely, Ye Li could only walk into that magnificent golden palace symbolizing power and wealth alone.

  The King of Ding's consort, Ye Shi, had an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor was in good health. In the spacious palace, due to the lack of people, it felt cold and empty. Mo Jingqi sat high on the throne, looking down at the woman kneeling in the hall. After a long time, he said: Consort of King Ding, rise. Ye Li stood up and said: Thank you, Your Majesty.

  Mo Jingqi pointed to the chair on one side, indicating that Ye Li should sit down. With a smile, he asked: Since the beginning of winter, King Ding's body has not been in good condition. I wonder if it is better now.

  Ye Li lowered her eyelids and spoke softly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. Although the weather is getting warmer these days, Wang Ye's body is still not well, but it's much better than during the severe winter." Mo Jing Qi's eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully observed the demeanor of the woman below him. She seemed calm and peaceful, like an ordinary housewife, but this calmness and composure in front of the emperor made her seem not so ordinary after all. Moreover, according to the information he had received, Emperor Ding was quite fond of this queen. Could anyone without any special qualities make Emperor Ding take notice? It seemed... that he had indeed misjudged her initially. Even his arrogant brother, Mo Jing Lei, had been outsmarted by her several times. Recalling how Mo Jing Lei's face would turn black as ink whenever Ye Li was mentioned in front of him, Mo Jing Qi began to truly suspect whether marrying Ye Li to Mo Xiu Yao was an insult to the latter or a blessing in disguise. However, it didn't matter... he would soon resolve these issues.

  Both managing the palace and taking care of King Ding, the queen is truly hardworking. Mo Jingqi smiled and said.

  His Majesty is overpraising me, these are all things Ye Li should have done. Ye Li replied calmly.

  Two people exchanged pleasantries back and forth for half a day, but Mo Jingqi couldn't help feeling increasingly annoyed as he looked at the calm and collected woman below. It seemed that ever since he had been betrothed to the Crown Prince, everything had started going awry. Originally, Mo Jinglei had only made small moves in secret, but now she was making bigger and bolder moves, almost directly confronting him head-on. Due to the Empress Dowager and Lei Wang's actions, there were also whispers of discontent among some officials at court. Previously, General Guan had been sent to guard the Snowy Pass, but he had mysteriously broken his leg after being kicked by a horse, necessitating a change in command. Mo Jingqi had dispatched his trusted aide to the Snowy Pass for two reasons: one was to counter Mo Jinglei's moves, and the other was to defend against the Southern Yan kingdom. Now that General Mu Yongshen had taken over, although he was capable of fighting, he didn't inspire the same level of trust as Guan. Leaving such an important place in the hands of someone who wasn't his trusted aide made Mo Jingqi extremely uneasy. However... after thinking it through, Mo Jingqi couldn't help but admit that there weren't many people with real ability among his inner circle. At least he really couldn't find a suitable candidate to replace Mu Yongshen.

  Just thinking about the news he had just received, Mo Jing Lei actually dared to secretly collude with the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang, and it made Mo Jing Qi's anger burn even more fiercely in his chest. However, he could only endure it, as Mo Jing Lei was his own brother, and he didn't have any evidence to prove that Mo Jing Lei had any relationship with the Holy Maiden. Neither the Empress Dowager nor the officials on court who were related to Mo Jing Lei would agree to him dealing with the King of Lei. He was the Emperor, but many times he found himself not as all-powerful as he had imagined, and even many times making a simple decision required being restrained by various parties.

  "Empress Dowager, when I first betrothed you to King Ding, did you have any grievances in your heart?" Mo Jingqi asked abruptly, staring at Ye Li with an awkward gaze after a brief moment of silence.

  Ye Li was taken aback, thinking quickly in her mind what Mo Jingqi meant, but on the surface she calmly said: The emperor's arrangement of marriage is a blessing to Ye Li, how could Ye Li have any complaints?

  Mo Jingqi lowered his head and gazed at her with interest, smiling: "You were originally the Lei Wangfei who was personally granted marriage by the previous emperor. My younger brother is a talented and handsome man, renowned for his literary and martial skills in the capital city. But you became the Ding Wangfei that everyone pities after receiving an imperial edict. Don't you have even a hint of resentment in your heart?" Ye Li's eyes flickered, and she smiled lightly: "The Lei Wang's withdrawal of the engagement came before, and the emperor's arrangement came after. The emperor's arrangement just happened to resolve Ye Li's predicament. How could Ye Li harbor any resentment?"

  Don't blame me... So, is it King Li's fault? Also, as far as I know, my brother has been taken advantage of by Queen Ding more than once.

  Ye Li's heart skipped a beat, and she smiled faintly: "Your Majesty is joking. What virtue or ability does Ye Li have to let King Lei suffer? I don't know... what instructions Your Majesty has for summoning Ye Li today." If this continues, it will probably be noon before she can leave the palace. A woman of her status being alone with the Emperor for too long without a palace concubine's accompaniment is not a good thing.

  Mo Jing Qi looked at her and smiled: Very well, I like clever people. Since that's the case, I won't beat around the bush with you either, Queen Ding. Do you know about Mo Jing Lei colluding with the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang? Ye Li lowered her head and replied respectfully: Your Majesty, Ye Li is foolish...I don't quite understand what happened between King Lei and some Holy Maiden from Nanjiang.

  "I don't understand?" Mo Jingqi raised an eyebrow, looking at Ye Lian with a hint of a smile. "The King of Ding trusts the Queen extremely, doesn't he? As far as I know, during the King's illness, many matters in the palace were handled by the Queen herself. And now, the Queen is telling me she didn't know?" Ye Lian's eyes flashed with a cold light, and she bowed her head to gaze at the ground. "It's a crime punishable by death to deceive the Emperor." But... if Your Majesty is certain that the King of Ding knows about the matter of the Lei Wang, why not ask him directly? I'm just a woman, even if I'm in charge of the palace, I wouldn't be involved in such court matters.

  How dare you! Mo Jingqi's angry rebuke was accompanied by a piercing gaze at Ye Li, his eyes flashing with malice and killing intent. An ordinary woman might have been intimidated by the murderous aura he exuded, but for Ye Li, this level of threat and intimidation was far from enough.

  A faint smile on her face, Ye Li said boldly, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

  Mo Jingqi hummed softly, staring at Ye Li: The news from the Dingguo Wangfu is more informed than you know. Ye Li, Mo Xiuyao can't protect you for a lifetime, and you may not be clear about Jing Lei's temperament, but Mo Xiuyao must be clear. Why don't you go back and ask him to consider my problem? Ye Li's heart was filled with unease, was the Emperor threatening her?

  Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty. I will consider it carefully. Ye Li said.

  Ye Li was surprisingly so tactless, and the anger in Mo Jingqi's eyes grew even stronger. However, he also knew that he couldn't do anything to Ye Li in the imperial palace. He simply stared at Ye Li for a long time before humming and having someone escort Ye Li out.

  Your Majesty. Watching Ye Li leave, Mo Jingqi's eyes flickered with unpredictable emotions. A young man with an ordinary appearance walked out of the back hall, looking at Mo Jingqi with respect. Mo Jingqi calmed down his anger and said to the man: "It was a mistake to introduce Ye Li to Mo Xiuyao in the first place." What is Ye Wenhua doing? This Ye Li is more difficult to deal with than his four daughters combined! With her, it's unlikely that the Xu family will support Mo Xiuyao. The young man said in a low voice: "The Xu family has not had much contact with the Dingguo King's mansion." Besides, it's really not suitable to provoke the Xu family again now. The young man sighed inwardly, thinking that the Emperor was good at everything, but he was just too suspicious. And while they were secretly competing with the Li Wang and the Empress Dowager, it was really not suitable to make more enemies. If the Xu family were pushed to the side of the Li Wang or the Ding Wang because of the Emperor's suspicions, that would be a loss.

  Young Master Mo Jingqi was not unaware of the advice, but he couldn't fully control the situation, which made him feel extremely anxious. With a wave of his hand, Mo Jingqi furrowed his brow and asked: During the morning court session, Duke Hua of China reported that Great Chu would assist the royal family of Nanzhao in quelling the rebellion, what do you think?

  The young man thought for a moment, nodded and said: "Hua Guo Gong is dedicated to the country, his proposal is indeed beneficial to us. However, we don't have to rush to help them quell the rebellion, just let the King of Nanzhao and the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang kill each other. As long as we provide some assistance when needed, compared to the King of Nanzhao, he will remember the emperor's kindness." Mo Jingqi furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before saying: "You're right, I want to see what my good brother wants to do. He wants to help the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang, doesn't he? I'll just help the royal family of Nanzhao instead. I want to see who wins in the end!" The young man furrowed his brow, looking at Mo Jingqi's cold smile, and finally suppressed the worries in his heart. He hoped that the emperor wouldn't invest too much energy in Nanjiang.

  Met Ding Wangfei, Ye Zhaoyi has an invitation.

  As soon as she came out of the palace, Ye Lian ran into the eunuch who had been waiting for her. Ye Li's brow furrowed slightly. In October, Ye Yue gave birth to a prince, the emperor's sixth son. However, Ye Yue's position in the palace did not rise as expected, and she remained a consort. At the same time, she became the only one among all the consorts who had given birth to a prince but was not of noble rank. This made Ye Yue's status, which had been flourishing just half a year ago, somewhat embarrassing. Even with two younger sisters who were princesses' consorts, Ye Yue's days in the palace were still difficult due to her lack of status. In her heart, Ye Li understood that this was probably Mo Jingqi's warning to the Ye family.

  After some thought, Ye Li said: "I'm not feeling well and would like to return to the palace to rest. Please excuse me, Ye Shao Yi."

  Princess... The eunuch in charge was also taken aback by Ye Li's blunt refusal and stammered: "Your Highness, Ye Shao Yi requests that you see her on the grounds of sisterly affection." Ye Li furrowed her brow. Since Mo Jing Qi had already set his sights on her, it was likely that the Empress Dowager would not be far behind. Going to see Ye Yue now would not bring any benefits to either herself or Ye Yue. Last year, she had said that if Ye Yue wanted to live safely in the palace, it would be best for her not to get involved in those matters again. Now it seemed that Ye Yue was still entangled in them. It was also true that since the Ye family had already become embroiled in this mess, Ye Yue, even though she was in the depths of the palace, might not be able to avoid it after all. Fine, lead the way then.

  Many thanks to the princess. Hearing her consent, the eunuch in charge was delighted and thanked her, then hurriedly led the way to Ye Yue's Jade Flower Palace.

  Compared to the first time Ye Li saw Ye Yue in the Yao Hua Palace, who was pregnant but still radiant and beautiful, Ye Yue now looked much more dull and dispirited. Holding the young prince in her arms and sitting on a soft couch, her beautiful face was filled with worry and gloom. Seeing Ye Li enter, she hurriedly tried to get up, but Ye Li shook her head and said: "Second sister, don't be polite."

  Ye Yue waved her hand to dismiss the people around her, looking at Ye Li who was calm but more elegant than a few months ago. She smiled wryly and said: "I thought third sister wouldn't come see me." Ye Li lowered her eyes and spoke softly: "Second sister should know that meeting now doesn't have any benefits for you or the young prince." Ye Yue hesitated, looking down at the child in her arms who didn't understand anything yet. She smiled bitterly and said: "How could I not know? It's just...third sister also saw my current situation. What does third sister think I can do?" Ye Li furrowed her brow and said: "Second sister now has a young prince, so you should focus on taking care of the child. The emperor won't harm his own flesh and blood."

  Ye Yue hugged the child, staring blankly at Ye Li for a long time before saying in a low voice: "Grandmother was wrong, Father was also wrong. I know Ying Er's temperament, she is not capable of achieving anything but can cause trouble. Regardless of whether the King of Lei wins or loses, Fourth Sister will not bring any glory to the Ye family. And as for the Emperor... when the day comes that the Emperor can make decisions on his own, Father's actions today may bring catastrophic disaster to the Ye family."

  Your Majesty is indeed because of Father's affairs, and has never promoted Second Sister's position? Ye Li said.

  Otherwise, why would it be? Ye Yue smiled and said, with a hint of sadness in her smile. When she first entered the palace, she was also full of ambition and had high aspirations. But gradually, she discovered that the imperial palace was not as beautiful as she had imagined. The emperor's favorite was the stunningly beautiful and talented Liu Gui Fei, while the empress was respected for her noble birth and elegant demeanor. She thought herself to be talented and beautiful, but in this palace filled with beauties, she was nothing. Even the initial favor she received was only because of her father's loyalty. Once the emperor discovered that her father was not as loyal as he had imagined, the ruthless ruler did not even bother to give her a bit of face anymore.

  The emperor is heartless, regardless of whether Ye Yue is willing or forced to take this path, Ye Li cannot give her too much sympathy. Second sister had someone find me, what is it that you want to say?

  Ye Yue looked at her calm and composed expression, but ultimately shook his head and said: "I was foolish to think that. Even if I asked Sanmei for help now, she wouldn't agree, would she?" Ye Li said: "I can't help Erjie now... probably no one can help anyone else either. Since Erjie knows about the Emperor and the Duke of Lei's affair, then she should also know about the situation in Ding Wangfu. It's not any better than Erjie's current situation, is it?"

  Ye Yue sighed and said: In the past, I always thought I was clever, but now I realize that it's actually Sanmei who is the smartest among my sisters.

  Ye Li furrowed her brow slightly and said: Since Second Sister is fine, I'll head back first.

  Ye Yue sat quietly on the couch, holding her child and gazing at Ye Li with a faintly apologetic look in her eyes. Ye Li suddenly felt a sense of alarm and stood up abruptly, but only felt a wave of dizziness and darkness before falling to the ground with a thud. Ye Yue silently watched as Ye Li fell to the ground, softly saying: "Sorry, Third Sister, I'm a mother now. I have to think about my son's future."

  In the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Ping of Chu, in the spring, a fire broke out at the Jade Splendor Palace. Consort Ye and the sixth imperial son perished in the flames. At that time, Princess Ye Li of Dingguo, who was visiting Consort Ye at the Jade Splendor Palace, went missing.

  Your Highness... Your Highness! Something's wrong...... In the Dingguo Wangfu, the usually calm and composed General Manager Mo rushed towards the study located in the east wing of the main courtyard with disordered footsteps.

  Feng Zhiyao was sitting in a chair in the corner of the study, looking like he was enjoying the show. He lazily smiled and said: "A Yao, if it can scare General Mo like this, it must be really bad..." Before he finished speaking, General Mo had already arrived at the door of the study, his face pale as he spoke to Mo Xiu Yao: "Your Highness, Your Highness... The Princess is missing in the palace!" Feng Zhiyao was taken aback and immediately jumped up, exclaiming: "How is this possible? How could she just disappear from the palace?" The two of them turned their heads to look at Mo Xiu Yao, who seemed to have been startled. When they looked over, he slowly put down the book in his hand and asked in a low voice: "What's going on?" General Mo trembled as he spoke: "After the Princess met with the Emperor, Ye Shao Yi from the Jade Flower Palace sent someone to invite her over, saying she had something to ask of her. By the time our undercover guards arrived, the entire Jade Flower Palace was already on fire. Ye Shao Yi and the Sixth Prince died in the flames... The Princess is missing."

  Mo Xiuyao leaned back in his wheelchair, closed his eyes and asked in a low voice: Where did Qing Luan and Qing Yu go?

  Qing Luan and Qing Yu have also disappeared. Mo Zongguan said in a low voice, "Qing Luan and Qing Yu did not follow the princess into Yao Hua Palace, but...the palace's secret guards couldn't find them."

  Very well. Mo Xiuyao's low voice seemed to be without anger, but it made people feel like a cold and icy wind. The entire study was as if it had been frozen with a layer of frost in an instant, the queen was missing, two maids were nowhere to be seen. However, the palace guards knew nothing about it. Very good... Should I praise these years of hard work by the palace guards for being loyal and dedicated?

  The king, please calm your anger. Feng Zhiyao and Mo Zongguan's faces changed at the same time, both kneeling down to apologize.

  Mo Xiuyao didn't even look at the two of them, and with a light wave of his hand, he said: Go prepare, I'm going to enter the palace immediately. Feng Zhiyao, secretly seal off all roads leading out of the capital, I don't want to see any suspicious people leaving the city. Feng Zhiyao stood up and said: Understood. Mo Zongguan hesitated for a moment, then said: Your Highness, your body is probably not suitable... Before he could finish speaking, Mo Xiuyao gave him a light glance with his sharp eyes, making Mo Zongguan's heart tremble, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat. Feng Zhiyao quickly pulled Mo Zongguan out, who furrowed his brow worriedly and said: The king's body can't take this right now... If the queen is missing, he's anxious too, but if the king collapses as well, then the Dingguo King's mansion will be finished without anyone else needing to plot against it. Feng Zhiyao shook his head and said: You know the king's temperament, there's no use saying anything now. Hurry up and invite Mr. Shen over, it would be best if Mr. Shen could follow us into the palace.

  Mo Zongguan also went straight to Feng Zhixiao's words, which made sense, and could only sigh and quickly go to the guest house where Shen Yang was temporarily staying. Feng Zhixiao looked back at the quiet and silent study with worry, and could only sigh in his heart, hoping that Ye Li would be safe and sound.

  In the study, Mo Xiuyao silently lowered his head and stared at his hands placed on the armrest. The back of his hands, which had become excessively pale due to prolonged illness, had unknowingly developed a thin layer of frost. Mo Xiuyao expressionlessly gazed at his hands as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual. Gradually, the frost began to melt into fine water droplets, eventually turning into a faint warm mist that evaporated and disappeared without a trace. A thread of dark red blood slowly trickled down from the corner of Mo Xiuyao's lips. He lowered his head to glance at the bloodstain on his pale blue robe, then calmly pulled out a snow-white handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away the blood from his lips. Mo Jingqi... you're... looking for death!

  The palace was in chaos, and Mo Jingqi's face was gloomy, staring at everyone in the room with suspicion and ferocity. Ye Yue and the newly born little prince had been burned to death, but if there was also a Crown Princess among them, he couldn't ignore it. Mo Jingqi never thought that someone would dare to play tricks on him in his own palace. The moment the incident happened, Mo Jingqi sensed that this was not an ordinary accident, but a conspiracy against him. The Crown Princess had died in the palace, and she was summoned by himself... Mo Jingqi dared not imagine what would happen if the Mo family army and the Black Cloud Riders clashed over this matter, causing a huge stir. Although he had dispatched his trusted guards to patrol the city at the first moment of the incident, his heart was still uneasy and restless.

  His gaze fell on the Empress Dowager sitting at one side, and Mo Jingqi's eyes became even more complex and difficult to discern. If he had to suspect someone, the first person he suspected would be his own mother, the Empress Dowager. Having grown up by her side since childhood, he naturally understood that she was a person who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. From his former admiration and respect for her to his current inability to bear her, Mo Jingqi did not want to admit that he still had some fear of the Empress Dowager.

  Looking at Mo Jinglei sitting on the side, unmoved and uninvolved, the anger in Mo Jingqi's eyes gradually dissipated. He couldn't afford to lose his composure now, as there were even more difficult people to deal with behind him. And he... was the Emperor, he couldn't retreat.

  The emperor has arrived!

  The people present had not seen Mo Xiuyao since last June. At that time, apart from his poor mobility, he looked no different from a normal person, which made many people worry for a moment. However, just a few months later, news came that Ding Wang was seriously ill again, and the Ding Guo Wang Fu was closed to visitors as in previous years. This made many people put down their concerns once more. Now, in early spring, the weather in Chu Jing still carried some cold chill. Mo Xiuyao sat in a wheelchair pushed by A Ning, wearing a pale blue silver silk cloud-patterned cloak with a white embroidered silver dragon imperial robe underneath, visible at the neckline. Even though half of his face was covered by a mask, it could be seen that Mo Xiuyao's complexion was not good. His unusually pale skin showed that he was still ill.

  Chen Wang Mo Xiuyao has met with His Majesty and Her Majesty. He has also met with the Empress Dowager. Mo Xiuyao sat in his wheelchair, speaking calmly.

  In the grand hall, everything was solemn and quiet. Mo Jingqi gathered his thoughts and said in a loud voice: The king is exempt from ceremony.

  Mo Xuyao said: Thank you, Your Majesty. Forgive me for being rude, may I ask where the Empress is?

  In the grand hall, everyone looked at each other in dismay. Mo Jingqi glanced at the Empress Dowager and Mo Jinglei, who were completely unmoved, and then turned to look at the Queen. The Queen gave Mo Jingqi a faint glance, sighed softly in her heart, and spoke: "Prince Ding, Princess Ding was also in the Jade Flower Palace at that time. I'm afraid she has... Please, Prince Ding, restrain your grief."

  What's going on? Mo Xiuyao calmly swept his gaze across the crowd in the hall, and asked in a deep voice: The king's consort was summoned to enter the palace for an audience, but now she is nowhere to be found. Can you tell the king what happened?

  Yao Hua Palace caught fire, Ye Zhaoyi and the six princes as well as the palace staff of Yao Hua Palace have all been found. Only Ding Guo Wangfei is missing. Emperor said that perhaps Ding Guo Wangfei was lucky enough to escape, but it's not certain yet. The Empress Dowager sat up straight, her expression serious, saying that now...Ding Guo Wangfei is nowhere to be seen, neither dead nor alive. This Yao Hua Palace fire...is really very strange indeed.

  Ye Ying sat beside Mo Jing Lei, her eyes already red from crying. She was indeed a little jealous of Ye Yue and also disliked Ye Li, but she never thought that suddenly two sisters would be gone. Moreover, when Ye Yue was at the mansion, she was really good to her, and in the past half year, her relationship with Ye Li had also eased a lot. The life as the queen of the Lei Wang Fu made her understand many things that the Wang family had never taught her. So she clearly knew in her heart that the passing of Ye Yue and Ye Li would absolutely not bring her any benefits. Your Majesty, how could my second sister's Jade Flower Palace suddenly catch fire? How could it be so coincidental that my third sister was also inside? I beg you to do justice for my two sisters!

  Mo Jingli glanced at Ye Ying and hummed: If you want to blame someone, blame Ye Li for being unlucky. She was fine in the palace, but instead she ran around everywhere with her entourage, and didn't she just happen to die with Ye Shao Yi and the Sixth Prince?

  Liu Guifei sat beside Mo Jingqi, and after hearing Mo Jingli's words, she raised her head to ask coldly: "Is the King of Lei saying that someone wants to harm Ye Zhaoyi and the Sixth Prince, and that the Crown Princess was just accidentally implicated?" Mo Jingli sneered: "Isn't this very natural? Who has such a big nerve and ability to set fire and kill people in the palace? And it just so happens that Ye Zhaoyi and the Sixth Prince were burned to death? Who knows if Ye Li saw something and was silenced by someone? Even if she hasn't been burned to death, she should still be in the palace now."

  Mo Jing Qi narrowed his eyes and stared at Mo Jing Li, saying: "What's your opinion, King Li?"

  Mo Jinglei smiled and said: "My brother has no opinion, but since the king's wife is now nowhere to be seen, we must give an account to the officials and the people. We can't just say that the king's wife disappeared in the palace, can we? If so, which of the court ladies will dare to enter the palace in the future?" The empress frowned and said: "What does King Lei mean?"

  "Let's go back to the palace, my younger brother means that it would be best to search the palace thoroughly. If the king's consort is indeed still alive, she must still be in the palace, and perhaps the arsonist can also be found. With so many of us sitting here idly, the culprit won't just come running into our midst, will they? I suppose King Ding also shares the same opinion as me. Moxi Yao, don't you think?"

  Mo Jingqi naturally didn't want to search his own harem, but facing Li Wang's straightforward proposal and Ding Wang's indifferent agreement, he couldn't disagree. It was almost imaginable that by tomorrow this matter would become a joke spreading to every corner of Da Chu. Mo Jingqi secretly resented him, this king brother who had been pampered since childhood now didn't let go of any opportunity to smear his face black.

  Mo Xiu Yao did not participate in the massive search, but instead stayed in the side hall to rest on the grounds of physical discomfort. He was clear in his mind that Mo Jing Lei's so-called search would not be able to find any useful clues. On the contrary, it was very likely to dig up a bunch of messy things from Mo Jing Qi's harem. If it were usual, he wouldn't have minded following along to take a look, but now his mood was extremely bad, and forcing himself to speak calmly with those people in the main hall for a few words was already his limit.

  Master Wang, your body... Shen Yang and Mo Zongguan stood on either side of Mo Xiuyao, asking with concern.

  Mo Xiuyao raised his hand to stop him and shook his head: The king is fine. Tell Feng Zhiyao to give up the imperial palace, Ah Lian is not in the palace.

  Shen Yang raised an eyebrow and asked: Are you so sure that the princess is still alive?

  Since Ah Lian went to visit Ye Shao Yi, she should have been with Ye Shao Yi at that time. Even the remains of the sixth prince were found, but Ah Lian was nowhere to be seen... With Ah Lian's skills, it was impossible for her not to escape from Yao Hua Palace. Mo Xiu Yao furrowed his brow in thought. The big fire in Yao Hua Palace had burned everything clean, and now it was impossible to find any clues. The dark guard had sensed the fire outside Yao Hua Palace at the first moment, but did not see Ah Lian come out. Moreover, the fire in Yao Hua Palace was burning too fast...

  Come on in.

  The eunuch. A humble and unremarkable old eunuch appeared at the side door of the偏殿, respectfully waiting for Mo Xiuyao's instructions.

  Mo Xiuyao said calmly: Go and take a look, is there any secret passage or hidden room in the Jade Flower Palace. Also, who did Ye Shao Yi often come into contact with when she was alive. Finally... send someone who understands medicine to take a look at the bodies of Ye Shao Yi and the Sixth Prince.

  The old eunuch didn't find Mo Xiuyao's orders strange at all, his wrinkled face remained calm and serene as he respectfully said: Your subordinate will obey, I definitely won't disappoint the young master.

  Mo Xiuyao hummed softly and said lightly: This time, Ben Wang will not pursue the matter. If the remaining things are still not done well, you don't need to come see Ben Wang again.

  Thank you, Your Highness, I bid farewell.

  A Li, I know you won't be in trouble... definitely not!