am a good-for-nothing wastrelUpon her return to the estate, Ye Li was summoned by an old lady’s maid. She stepped into the Rongle Hall and found that despite it not being a time for kowtowing, the en...404. Traces of the Prince Regent

404. Traces of the Prince Regent

The guards had been sent to fetch someone, and those present in the tent began speculating. Yun霆 touched his head and asked, "Could it be someone from the Duchess's family" They only knew one person surnamed Ye.

He肅 raised an eyebrow and said, "Among the Duchess’s relatives, there is only that young man named Ye Rong who would fit this title’s age. Do you really think he could travel all the way here to the camp" Yun霆 realized his guess was absurd. He had met Ye Rong before; despite being a scholar, he was so overweight that his eyes were barely visible. His appearance lacked any scholarly elegance and sometimes seemed even more vulgar than those who trained in martial arts. To add to it, Lord Ye, the former secretary of state, was once known as a handsome man in Chu Capital. The girls from his family were all beauties regardless of their moral character. It was surprising that they could produce someone like Ye Rong.

Actually, Ye Rong's appearance wasn't ugly at all when he was young. Unfortunately, the Duchess didn’t know how to educate her children properly; as it is said, one’s looks reflect their inner self. Ye Rong not only lacked his father’s talent but was also taught nonsense by the Duchess every day, making him even more vulgar in appearance. Due to his years of overeating and drinking, his figure had become bloated, leaving a very unappealing impression on Yun霆 who had only seen him once.

Li冷淮 shook his head; although he had lived in Chu Capital for decades, he couldn't recall any other notable figures from the Ye family. He smiled and said, "Once we see the person, we’ll know."

A short while later, a man dressed in white entered the tent and greeted everyone with a mild smile, “Hello to you all.”

Li冷淮 and Lu呂近賢 furrowed their brows simultaneously. The man before them had an average appearance that was easily forgotten after seeing him once or twice. However, because of his graceful white attire, they were certain they hadn’t seen him before.

"Sir…" Li冷淮 asked in a deep voice.

“Who are you!” Before Li冷淮 could finish asking, He肅 had already stood up and glared coldly at the man. Everyone turned to look at He肅; he was usually calm and wouldn’t interrupt Li冷淮 unless there were special circumstances.

He肅 narrowed his eyes and said, "His appearance has been altered." Indeed, there were some sophisticated disguises in this world, but very few could fool Ye璃. After all, even the best disguise wasn't a real face; it inevitably had flaws. Since it couldn’t deceive Ye璃, naturally it wouldn’t deceive He肅 either.

After hearing He Su's words, everyone became wary.

The white-clothed man smiled helplessly and sighed, "If I had known you were here too, I wouldn't have gone through this trouble." With a wave of his hand across his face, he revealed an extraordinarily handsome countenance that made the crowd gasp in astonishment. "Y-Y-Your Highness!"

Yun Ting was so shocked that he even fell off his chair. Without considering his status, he pointed at the man before him and cried out, "You...you're some kind of ghost or demon! How dare you impersonate Your Highness!"

No one could blame them for their shock. When the news of Mo Xiuyao's death reached the army a few days ago, Lu Jinxian had almost fainted from fear. Initially skeptical, they came to accept it when they learned that Princess Consort Wang was in Feihong Pass helping Duke Ding enter mourning and even Lord Lei Zhen霆 should be corrected as "Lei Zhen霆" is not correct, the right name might be "Lei Zhenlei" or another form of writing. For consistency and accuracy, let's change it to "Lei Zhenlei." and Emperor Mo Jingli personally went there to pay respects. It was thus that they reluctantly accepted this tragic news. How could they not be startled when Mo Xiuyao suddenly appeared before them now

Mo Xiuyao glanced indifferently at Yun Ting, then waved his hand. A gust of wind blew across the table where Lu Jinxian sat, shattering an inkstone on it. Everyone looked at each other and then back to Mo Xiuyao. Very few people in this world could have such refined and profound inner strength. Yun Ting frowned and asked, "Are you Ling Tiehan or Mu Qingcang" He was certain that the impersonator wasn't Lei Zhenlei, as Lei only had one hand, making it difficult for him to transform into someone with two hands like Mo Xiuyao.

At this moment, He Su calmed down and said after a long silence, "It really is Your Highness."

Mo Xiuyao sighed and took out a dark jade pendant that symbolized his status as Duke Ding. "Now do you believe me"

Upon seeing the black jade pendant, everyone finally snapped back to reality. Lu Jinxian and others were extremely agitated. "Your Highness... Your Highness, how did this happen..." For a moment, they were at a loss for words due to their multitude of questions.

Cold Huai was the first to regain his composure and asked, "Why is Your Highness here"

Mo Xiuyao replied, "I heard you were blocked in Liyang and came over to see."

"Subordinates are incompetent; please punish us, Your Highness." Lu Jinxian and Cold Huai knelt down together to apologize. Mo Xiuyao waved his hand dismissively. "How could this be your fault My sudden accident disrupted your plans.

Lü Jinxian asked worriedly, "Is Your Highness really injured"

Moxiu Yao nodded and said, "Indeed, I have sustained some minor injuries." The more Moxiu Yao downplayed the situation, the more concerned Lü Jinxian and others became. If he had not been seriously injured, how could Prince Ding suddenly go missing At present, this development did not benefit the Mo Family Army in any way. Moxiu Yao shook his head and smiled, "I am truly unharmed. However... I just thought that it presented an opportunity for me to do something else." He certainly didn’t want A Li to think he was seriously injured when he returned home. With Moyu by her side now, A Li would only think he had died intentionally to further his plans and wouldn’t believe him to be injured. Of course, in reality, he hadn’t sustained any serious injuries.

After sizing Moxiu Yao up carefully, the others relaxed when they saw that he was indeed fine. Lü Jinxian asked, "Does Your Highness have a plan" Prince Ding’s sudden arrival here could not possibly be just to visit them as he had said. They must be part of his plans.

Moxiu Yao raised an eyebrow and said, "There's no need to worry about the plan for now. We should first deal with Mo Jingli." Moxiu Yao’s eyes flashed ever so slightly, revealing a hint of killing intent that he did not conceal.

"Your Highness is right," Lü Jinxian said, "Now that Thunder霆 Lei Zhen has brought his troops to Feihong Pass, we must quickly deal with Mo Jingli in order to free the northwest and lift the siege on Feihong Pass." He then explained how Xu Qingfeng would be sent into the city to burn Mo Jingli’s grain supplies. Moxiu Yao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Very good, I will join you."

Lü Jinxian frowned and said, "Although this matter is significant, it doesn't require Your Highness to take such risks personally. Please think carefully."

Moxiu Yao shook his head and said, "I have other matters to attend to."

Seeing that Moxiu Yao was determined to leave, no one tried to persuade him further. Nearby, He Su asked, "Your Highness, does the princess know about Your Highness's whereabouts Should someone be sent to inform her" Moxiu Yao paused for a moment and waved his hand casually before leaving.

Yunti and He Su exchanged glances, and Yunti asked, "What does this mean, Your Highness You aren’t telling the princess about your whereabouts"

He Su frowned slightly and said, "I think it's just a casual matter." Not explicitly saying no meant it was acceptable. Based on His Highness’s personality, he likely had not informed his wife of his whereabouts because... He was injured. Keen-observing He Su naturally wouldn’t miss Moxiu Yao’s still pale complexion and slightly exhausted appearance. Yunti thought for a moment and agreed with He Su's assessment. Nodding, he said, "It doesn't matter." Since the princess would find out where her husband is after Mo Jingli was dealt with, Yunti didn’t think there was much difference in whether it happened sooner or later.

Although Moxiu Yao appeared in the military camp for less than an hour before disappearing again and strictly forbade anyone other than Ye Li from spreading news of his whereabouts, this brief appearance still effectively calmed Lü Jinxian and others' extremely anxious hearts. Given how much His Highness valued the princess, if he wasn’t worried about Feihong Pass, it proved that both the princess and Feihong Pass were safe. Under these circumstances, they naturally didn't feel as urgent.

Moxiu Yao left the military camp and did not go to join Xu Qingfeng and others in entering Liyang. Instead, he waited until it was dark and entered Liyang city alone, as leisurely as ever over the walls. The city was indeed well guarded; although it was only just nightfall, there were no pedestrians on the streets at all. Every household had their doors closed tightly and appeared to have gone to bed early. However, despite this, there were still many soldiers patrolling the streets, with sentries almost every five steps and ten steps. Clearly, Mo Jingli had suffered greatly from the Qilin's attacks and was on high alert for them sneaking into the city.

These strict guard posts did not present any obstacle to Moxiu Yao. He leisurely穿梭於溧陽的大街小巷，根據腦海中的溧陽城地圖，很快就找到了他的目的地。原本的溧陽太守府邸，也是目前墨景黎暫時居住的地方。墨修堯身形一閃，飛身進入太守府，朝著府中最熱鬨的地方而去。

The main hall of the governor's residence was tonight filled with music and dancing, cups clinking as Mo Jingli sat comfortably in a chair, enjoying this beautiful woman who was both alluring and stunning. Although these days had brought him much unpleasantness, overall things were still quite good. Of course, for Mo Jingli, anything could make him happy so long as Moxiu Yao was dead. Therefore, even if the powerful families of Yunzhou did not respect his status as emperor and gave him several sharp rejections, Mo Jingli could tolerate them. Glancing at one guest in particular below, Mo Jingli smiled contentedly. What did it matter that these were powerful families Without power, they were nothing! So he was the one sitting high above, while those beneath had no choice but to sit and smile falsely.

"Mr Chu, is this because I haven’t made you feel welcome enough Why aren't you drinking" Mo Jingli asked blandly, staring at a middle-aged man seated first from the right. His vicious eyes were filled with malice and triumph. This middle-aged man was currently the head of the Chu family, also Xu Family Madam's cousin.

The head of the Chu family answered calmly: "Thank you, Emperor Chu. I am unwell and cannot drink."

A hint of anger flashed in Mo Jingli’s eyes as he sneered: "Emperor Chu So... Mr Chu is not acknowledging himself as a citizen of Da Chu" The head of the Chu family did not back down but said calmly: “The Chu Family naturally considers itself a citizen of Da Chu, but it depends on which 'Da Chu' we are talking about. We only recognize the legitimate royal lineage.”

"Insolence!" Mo Jingli was furious. With Moxiu Yao's death, his greatest fear was that he had come to power illegitimately. Although he forcefully suppressed all discussions in court with his power in Jiangnan, it could not be avoided that Mosuyun died inside the regent’s residence. Even if others did not say so publicly, there were certainly many who secretly condemned Mo Jingli for usurping the throne and murdering the emperor. Previously, Mo Jingli had already decided to kill all of Mo Jingqi’s sons once he returned home, and see who would dare speak further.

Similarly, by mentioning the royal lineage, the head of the Chu family touched on another sore spot for Mo Jingli. He could never have a son of his own again in this lifetime. Thus, not only was there no legitimate royal lineage, but also the imperial line would end with him. In future, he would be forced to adopt an heir from among the royal relatives. Just thinking about it made Mo Jingli's anger rise uncontrollably.

But the head of the Chu family showed no fear at all and calmly faced this vicious monarch. It was not that the Chu Family dared defy Mo Jingli; rather, they did not think much of him as an emperor. A major family spanning generations could stand firm only by positioning itself well. Although it seemed now that Mo Jingli had taken a high position, the Chu Family felt he would never be the one to laugh last. Yet Mo Jingli demanded that all of Yunzhou's prominent families swear allegiance to him. With its rich cultural heritage and many literary-minded aristocratic families, Yunzhou exerted a great influence on scholars across the land. For any family leader with foresight, it was not something they would wish to do.

Even now that Prince Ding had suddenly died and Mo’s army seemed trapped in difficulty, one must remember that Mo’s forces still controlled two capitals—Chu City and Xi Ling Imperial City—and a near-capital city called Li City. They also controlled all the territory east of Han Valley Pass, north of Divine Vulture Mountain, and west of Flying Crane Pass; combined, this area was more than twice as large as Jiangnan. Furthermore, Prince Ding’s mansion had many famous generals, and they were supported by Qingchen Scholar and the Xu Family. The head of the Chu family really could not see where Mo Jingli's advantage lay.

If one openly opposed the Prince Ding now, in case he won later, it would mean disaster for the Chu Family. Even if one managed to narrowly escape, joining the Prince later on would be seen as indecisive and ruin their reputation.

"Chu Shaoying, you dare to be so disrespectful! Do you think the emperor cannot kill you" Mo Jingli揮了一下手中的酒杯，"Bang!" The cup shattered on the ground.

The head of the Chu family lowered his eyes and said, "I am speaking the truth. Even if Emperor Chu kills me, I would still say this."

Mo Jingli suppressed his anger and glanced at everyone below before asking, "What about you all Do you also share the same sentiment" After a while, someone finally could not bear the pressure and stood up, saying timidly, "We are willing to be loyal subjects of the emperor."

Mo Jingli snorted in dissatisfaction. These people were merely from small and medium-sized families; none who were considered top-tier had come forward. Mo Jingli was tempted to take these people out and kill them all immediately, but he could not do that now.

"Mr. Chu, the emperor remembers there is a young master named Chu Junwei in your family" Mo Jingli took a deep breath before suddenly asking. The head of the Chu family looked taken aback for a moment and nodded slightly in surprise, "Yes, he is my nephew from a branch family."

"Oh This young master can be considered an outstanding talent; the emperor once had a pleasant conversation with him when I was in Jiangnan. Why isn't this young master here today" Mo Jingli asked. A hint of confusion passed through the head of the Chu family's eyes, and he frowned as he said, "When did Emperor Chu ever meet my nephew Junwei"

"Several months ago."

"That is impossible," the head of the Chu family said.

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that the emperor is lying"

The head of the Chu family shook his head and replied coolly, "No, it's just... this nephew indeed was a prodigy, but he passed away years ago when he was under twelve years old. It can be considered an untimely death; how could he have had a pleasant conversation with Emperor Chu"

Before the head of the Chu family finished speaking, Mo Jingli's face turned ashen. The patriarchs from various families who were forced to attend the banquet watched as the man in imperial robes above them alternated between pale and flushed faces. How could they not know what was happening They had all been born and raised in Liyang; if there really was such a prodigy in the Chu family, how would the local gentry not be aware of him This clearly showed that Mo Jingli had unknowingly been fooled by someone using the name of the Chu family.

To lose face in front of the heads of these prestigious families made Mo Jingli instantly angry and embarrassed. He glared at the head of the Chu family and said, "What does Mr. Chu mean by this Does he think that I am lying" In fact, Mo Jingli had already guessed that it was probably him who was tricked back then when he was in Nanjing by someone named Chu Junwei. Given how Chu Junwei appeared at exactly the right time, Mo Jingli could almost be certain that this Chu Junwei definitely had ties to the Ding Prince’s Manor. But how would he admit in front of these people that he had been tricked by the Ding Prince’s Manor Besides… The Chu family was related to the Xu family through marriage. Wouldn’t it be unjust if he targeted the Chu family

The head of the Chu family calmly said, "I am not daring to do so, but Lord Junwei of the Chu family did indeed die many years ago. If His Majesty does not believe me, I can bring out the genealogy of our Chu family for him to see."

Of course, Mo Jingli wouldn’t make such a foolish move again. Regardless of others’ expressions, he said with a cold laugh, "The clan of Chu has been privately colluding with the Ding Prince’s Manor and harboring intentions to betray our country. Take them down for me and arrest all members of the Chu family." Luckily, Mo Jingli still retained some reasonability and only wanted to imprison the Chu family instead of executing them on the spot, although he was tempted to do so.

Two guards quickly stepped forward and dragged the head of the Chu family out of the room. Everyone present were shocked at this sight. Most of them came from prestigious families, many of which had once been official families as well. Whichever leader they served would usually give these families a face-saving treatment. Yet, Mo Jingli had only been in Yunzhou for less than half a month, and now the head of the Chu family, the most powerful clan next to the Xu family in all of Yunzhou, was being dragged out roughly.

On one hand, these heads of prestigious families felt an even worse opinion about Mo Jingli. However, at the same time, a chill rose within them. They knew that scholars’ status in society were actually determined by the attitude of those in power. When those above respected scholars, their status was high. But in this chaotic world, when the higher-ups treated scholars as mere insects and grass, there was nothing they could do about it.

Mu Jingli glanced at these shocked-looking heads with a glint of disdain in his eyes. He raised his cup and said with a smile, "You don’t need to ruin your mood over such trivial matters. Here’s to all of you." Whether or not they wanted to, everyone had no choice but to raise their cups this time. Mo Jingli felt content; he supposed that the heads should now know what it meant for someone in power to order them to die.

Outside the main hall, Mu Xiaoyao leaned against a tree outside the house and closed his eyes as he listened to everything happening inside. He only opened his eyes when the head of the Chu family was dragged out by two guards. A smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

The head of the Chu family was being carelessly dragged towards the dungeon in the Prefect’s residence by those two guards, and he was still scheming about what to do next when a very low voice entered his ear. "Don’t worry; no one from your clan will be in danger."

The head of the Chu family was stunned as he saw that neither of the two guards beside him reacted at all. His words had seemed like an illusion, but Mu Jingli was certain that it wasn’t a hallucination and that he truly heard someone’s voice, very far yet also very close to his mind.

Seeming to understand his bewilderment, three words were faintly transmitted to him: "Mu Xiaoyao."

The head of the Chu family lowered his head and hid the shock in his eyes. He finally remembered who this voice belonged to. Back then when Mr. Qingyun was celebrating his birthday, he had also gone to Li City. According to the relationship between the Chu and Xu families, it would have been logical for the Chu clan to submit to the Ding Prince’s Manor as well. However, unlike the Xu family, the Chu family was not a small household; their population was huge. If the main branch of the Chu family moved into Li City, all the other members who were far away might suffer greatly. Besides, back then, the situation at the Ding Prince’s Manor wasn’t clear-cut like it was later on. Therefore, sending someone to attend Mr. Qingyun’s birthday had only been a sign of the close relationship between the Xu and Chu families. It did not mean that the Chu family would submit themselves to the Ding Prince’s Manor.e rest assured; as long as there’s one soldier left in the Black Ink Army, no one from Xi Ling will be able to cross their lines." Ye Li nodded and said softly, "General Sun, thank you for your hard w...