Capital City Rhapsody 31: First Encounter

  First meeting

  "King of Lei, are you dissatisfied with the future queen of our kingdom?"

  The entire second floor was silent, and even the noise from downstairs seemed extremely distant. Everyone's gaze was fixed on a brown-clad youth who had grabbed Mo Jingli's wrist as he reached out to Ye Li, but no one in the room, including Mo Jingli, saw where this youth came from. Mo Jingli glared fiercely at the youth and quickly shifted his gaze towards the source of the voice. Ye Li didn't look at the person blocking Mo Jingli; when the voice sounded, he immediately turned his gaze to the straight, plain-colored back figure standing at the stairwell entrance.

  It wasn't until then that people noticed the man's unassuming plain clothes, and that he was sitting in a stylish wheelchair rather than a chair from the wine house. This was because he had arrived early, and one side of his seat was blocked by a half-person-high flower vase, so not many people had noticed this detail. He seemed to have been gazing down at the scene in the grand hall below from the carved balustrade until then, when he slowly turned his head, revealing half of his handsome face. He raised his hand and exerted some force on the wheelchair, which slowly rotated to face the crowd.

  The man sitting upright in his wheelchair wore ordinary clothes, but unlike most people with disabilities, he didn't have a dejected or disheveled look. Even standing people seemed to be shorter than him, as if they could only look up at him. There are some people who don't need fancy clothes or precious jewels, nor do they need powerful authority or a multitude of attendants; just by being there, they are superior to everyone else. The man's face was handsome and refined, with an air of nobility that seemed innate. A pale-colored mask made of unknown material covered the left side of his face, giving off an aura of mystery that made people want to take a closer look, even though they knew it must be hiding gruesome scars.

  "Mo, Xiu, Yao!" After a long time, Mo Jingli finally slowly spat out three words.

  The three words "Mo Xiu Yao" seemed to have a magical power, and the people who had been stunned finally came back to their senses, looking at the man in front of them with surprise. This man, who had not appeared in public for many years, was still elegant and composed even though he was sitting in a wheelchair. Looking at the man in front of them, who was completely different from what they had imagined, people suddenly remembered that this man had once had an extraordinary and handsome youth.

  This former crown prince, once the sole favorite of the king, was once the object of admiration for all the young men in Chu. His literary talent and martial arts skills were renowned throughout the land, earning him the nickname "Double Wall" alongside the number one scholar in the country. At 15 years old, he had already conquered several countries in the southern border, his military prowess unmatched. He was once engaged to the most beautiful and talented woman in the capital, a union that was the envy of all. However, his good fortune seemed to come to an abrupt end at the age of 18. His older brother passed away, and he hastily inherited the title of King of Ding, only to suffer a crushing defeat in battle. Although he managed to turn the tide of war, he paid a price that could never be erased: severe injuries, disfigurement, and crippling leg damage. It seemed as though heaven was not satisfied with the blows dealt to this proud son of heaven, for three months later, his fiancée of many years passed away, leaving him heartbroken. From then on, only a select few in the capital ever caught a glimpse of the King of Ding's shadow.

  If the Mo Xiu Yao of his youth was dazzling and radiant, like a fierce fire that dazzled the eyes. Then, after seeing him again several years later, he was as warm and elegant as jade, as calm and refined as water. But how much pain had this transformation undergone, and how many people knew?

  "Jing Lei, it's been many years since we last met and you've really made a name for yourself." Mo Xiuyao glanced at Ye Li who was staring at him before shifting his gaze to Mo Jing Lei.

  Mo Jingli's face, which was originally expressionless, became even more rigid, and he said in a hard voice: "What I do has nothing to do with you."

  Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement, "How you want to is none of my business, however... even if you don't care about your own identity, it's best to pay attention to others' identities."

  Mo Jingli's sword-like eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced at Ye Li's face, revealing a hint of mockery. He pushed away the young man who was holding him back, turned around, and looked at Mo Xiuyao, saying: "You want to stand up for her? Mo Xiuyao, you can't be serious about this woman, can you?"

  "You know, our views have been worlds apart since we were young." Mo Xiuyao didn't get angry, and instead, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Also, being disrespectful to the future mistress of the Dingguo royal family, Jing Lei, are you sure you want to do this?"

  Mo Jingli's face sank, and she glared at Ye Li with a fierce gaze. With disdain, she smiled at Mo Xiuyao: "Ha! The future mistress of the Dingguo King's mansion? Mo Xiuyao, are you sure you're talking about this woman?" The concept of the Dingwang Queen and the mistress of the Dingguo King's mansion were completely different for the imperial family. If it was just the Dingwang Queen, it could be ignored, but if this woman really took control of the Dingguo King's mansion... Mo Jingli suddenly realized that persuading her brother, the emperor, to betroth this woman to Mo Xiuyao was a huge mistake.

  "Your Highness King Lei, watch your words!" The brown-clothed youth who had retreated to the side glared at Mo Jing Lei with an unpleasant expression.

  Mo Jing Lei let out a hum, and without saying goodbye, he turned around and went downstairs. The Xue Xia princess who was following him looked at the scene in front of her with some confusion, furrowed her brow and quickly chased after him.

  The play is over, and many people who were stimulated by the information they got today also left in twos and threes, pretending to be nonchalant. In a short while, the entire second floor was left with only Ye Li's table and Mo Xiu Yao's table. Ye Li couldn't help but smile wryly in her heart, thinking that Beijing would definitely be very lively from now on.

  "Cough, cough. I've met the prince before. I suddenly remembered that there's still something I need to buy, Zeng'er and Mu Rong, you two come with me." Hu Tian Xiang lightly cleared her throat, preparing to make a not-so-noble exit.

  Qin Zhen and Murong Ting also nodded hastily, and after seeing Mo Xiuyao nod in agreement, they quickly walked downstairs. Qin Zhen didn't forget to give Ye Li a worried yet encouraging glance as she left.

  Watching her friends' figures disappear at the stairway entrance, Ye Li let out a slightly amused sigh. Did they think she was like other young girls who would be too embarrassed? Well, in this situation, meeting her fiancé for the first time, it seemed that showing some degree of shyness was indeed necessary.

  After thinking about it, Ye Li decided to give up on such a high-difficulty performance and looked straight at Mo Xiuyao, who was also sizing her up. "Your Highness, why don't we change locations? After all...the owner still needs to do business here."

  Mo Xiuyao's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and he silently nodded. The two then moved to the elegant room on the third floor of Chuxiang Pavilion.

  "Miss Ye... it's a bit unexpected." In the only elegant room on the third floor, Mo Xiuyao sat by the open window, looking at the young girl in green clothes who spoke without any restraint.

  Ye Li smiled, "The prince also surprised me a bit." If the man in front of her was indeed the crippled and useless Ding Wang that rumors had made him out to be, then it seemed that the gossip news in the capital had become unreliable to an extreme degree.

  "After all these years... it seems that Jing Lei's vision is indeed problematic." Mo Xiuyao sighed lightly, a hint of smile flashing in his warm eyes. Ye Li smiled shallowly: "It was the prince's attitude that made me sigh. In fact, I always thought I would receive a second letter of divorce."

  "Aren't you afraid?"

  "Afraid?" Ye Li looked at him with a puzzled expression, and soon reflected: "I will try my best to be careful. Besides, the emperor's order is like a mountain. Rather than disobeying the order, why not try moving forward, maybe there will be another chance."

  Mo Xiuyao lifted his hand and removed the mask from his face, revealing the gruesome scars underneath to Ye Li's eyes.

  That slightly ferocious scar indeed has some destructive beauty, but for Ye Li who had seen residual limbs and broken arms, bomb fragments and corpses, it wasn't even enough to surprise her. So she just blinked her eyes and asked with some guilt: "Your Highness is this to scare me?"

  Mo Xiuyao was taken aback, a faint smile playing on his lips. "No, actually I don't like wearing this." Even though half of his face had been disfigured, Mo Xiuyao never wore a mask when he was alone. He wasn't afraid to face himself.

  Ye Li nodded in agreement, "I also don't like people who wear masks." With a mask on, it's hard to see a person's expression and thoughts clearly.

  Mo Xiuyao was stunned. The girl in front of him, Feng Zhiyao's investigation and his own guesses were completely different. Looking at that elegant and calm face, Mo Xiuyao suddenly felt that Feng Zhiyao was right, Ye Li was indeed a very interesting woman, and she was the best one he could choose. A very suitable woman to be the future mistress of the royal palace.

  Digression

  Hmmm...after thinking about it for a long time, I still feel that the first meeting between these two people won't have any intense conflicts, isn't it a bit too bland?