w two daughters are betrothed to the Emperor’s favorite Li Prince and Dìng King, the only hereditary king of the Great Chu. Naturally, the Ye family is basking in glory like a ship riding high on risi...432. The Conclusion of King Yu

Moxiaobao's eyes twinkled, and he said with a smile: "I've got it, let me tell you..." He leaned close to Qin Lie's ear and whispered secretly. After hearing his words, Qin Lie twitched the corner of his eye and asked: "Is that okay"

"Absolutely no problem. Just wait and see for yourself," Moxiaobao said with a smile.

Qin Lie fell silent for a moment before saying earnestly: "Being too unscrupulous as a person will bring one's own karma."

Moxiaobao rolled his eyes at him, and said: "Don't pretend like you're not interested."

Qin Lie remained silent. Both of them exchanged glances and simultaneously showed a meaningful smile. Moxiaobao happily threw himself onto Qin Lie, pressing the delicate face that was exactly like his own with force, saying, "Good brother, I knew you'd find it fun too." So, anyone who can survive and thrive in Prince Ding's王府 is no pushover.

Right after Moxiaobao had just finished discussing with Qin Lie, a chaotic sound of footsteps came from outside. Although there were quite a few guards in this courtyard, they usually moved very cautiously. If not for the constant attention to their surroundings, Moxiaobao and Qin Lie would hardly hear any sounds at all. The only one who could walk so arrogantly was likely Mo Jingli alone. Moxiaobao glanced at Qin Lie, quickly leaped up onto the roof beam, and vanished through a small inconspicuous hole above it.

The moment Moxiaobao disappeared, the room's door was kicked open from outside with a bang. The child who had been lying down sleeping on the bed was startled by the loud noise and began to cry loudly again with his mouth pouting.

Seeing how heart-rendingly the little baby cried, Qin Lie felt cold sweat pour down his back. He truly did not know how to comfort a child; it had been Moxiaobao who had put this little lordling to sleep just now.

"Shut up!" Mo Jingli was brimming with low pressure and barked coldly.

Qin Lie rolled his eyes. "Got the skills to sweet-talk then do it. You're sick, huh Don't know that kids are hard to comfort"

Mo Jingli had just suffered a major loss at Mo Xiuyao’s place and was further aggravated by Qin Lie upon his return; his expression turned even uglier. Mo Jingli stormed up, grabbing Qin Lie with one hand while looking grim. "Do you want to die"

Qin Lie didn’t hold back as he raised a hand and jabbed straight for Mo Jingli’s eyes. Mo Jingli quickly lifted his other hand to block, but Qin Lie did an aerial spin kick that knocked Mo Jingli’s hand away before landing several steps back steadily on his feet, chin up and staring defiantly at Mo Jingli.

Qin Lie’s stunning counterattack made Mo Jingli look even uglier. Although he wasn’t worried about this brat defying the heavens, Mo Xiuyao’s son was so powerful for such a young age whereas his only son…

Qin Lie snorted and said, "Are you willing to kill me If you do, wait for your own death."

Mo Jingli looked monstrous. "Even if I die, it’s good to have you buried with me! I want to see whether Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li will be heartbroken after losing one son."

Qin Lie clapped his hands and laughed. "Ah, Your Majesty truly has lofty ambitions. So your dream is for my father and mother to feel heartache while watching me What’s the point Even if you kill me, this world will still belong to my father. I have a younger brother and sister as well. My father and mother will still be able to enjoy their twilight years in peace. This Prince thinks… having Your Majesty buried with me isn’t bad either. Perhaps… when my father gets angry, he might bury another few people for this Prince. Like that Mo Sushe or even Mo Suisheng. It’s a good deal for this Prince to exchange myself for three generations of Chu Emperors."

"Don’t you fear death" Mo Jingli asked Qin Lie.

Qin Lie grinned and said, "Maybe just a little better than Your Majesty Your Majesty can try. See whether you can leave Li City after killing this Prince. Oh… there’s still that Nan Zhou prince. Perhaps you could use him as bargaining chips."

Mo Jingli’s face remained ugly but the murderous intent on his body gradually subsided. He was well aware, the little brat from Nan Zhou would only be useful during times of lesser importance. If he really killed Mo Xiaobao, the anger of Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t be something a prince from Nan Zhou could assuage.

Coldly snorting, Mo Jingli finally turned around and left, "You’d better behave yourself for me! I can’t kill you right now, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t cripple you!"

"This Prince is so scared," Qin Lie said insincerely. Ignoring the furious Mo Jingli who strode away, he walked over to the bed and began awkwardly comforting the wailing little baby.

In Dingwang Manor, neither Mo Xiuyao nor Ye Li rushed off in search of Mo Xiaobao. This matter was a test for Mo Xiaobao. If they wanted to kill Mo Jingli, it wouldn’t have been so complicated; it could’ve been settled much earlier.

In a somewhat dim dungeon within the王府 (Palace), Mu Jingyu sat silently in a large chair, looking at Mu Xiuyao and Ye Li who were sitting across from him, feeling slightly anxious. After a long while, he couldn't help but ask, "You’re really not worried about Young Master Shizi’s safety"

Mu Xiuyao glanced at him before bowing his head to continue reading the documents in hand and said coolly, "If he could be so easily hurt by Mu Jingli, then he doesn’t deserve to be the Young Master of Ding王府 (Princes' Manor)." Mu Jingyu frowned; he had personally witnessed Mu Xiaobao being drugged and taken away by Mu Jingli. However, Mu Xiuyao and Ye Li's calm demeanor made him sense that something was amiss. No parent in the world could bear to not worry about their children’s safety unless they were absolutely sure there was no danger.

"Young Master Shizi is indeed with Mu Jingli," said Mu Jingyu.

Mu Xiuyao nodded, "This this King knows. Otherwise, do you think this King would let Mu Jingli leave Now I’m not interested in this. Mu Jingyu, tell me all of the bases and spy lists that the Great Chu royal family and Mu Jingli have in Li city."

Mu Jingyu was taken aback and said sternly, "This matter has nothing to do with Great Chu; cooperating with Mu Jingli is my own business."

Mu Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "You don’t need to explain this to me. I want you to tell me all the bases of the Great Chu royal family, the spy lists related to Mu Jingli, and the names of the spies." How many spies and hidden forces did the Great Chu royal family have in civilian society was something even Ding王府 (Princes' Manor) couldn’t know completely. Without these forces, it would be impossible for Mu Jingli to create so much trouble in Li city.

"This King is merely a member of the royal family; only Mu Jingli knows this," said Mu Jingyu.

Mu Xiuyao shook his head, not believing him. He smiled and said, "But I believe that there must be many things even Mu Jingli doesn’t know. The one who truly knows should be… the Empress Dowager. And on this trip to Li city of yours, the Empress Dowager surely couldn’t have told you nothing."

Mu Jingyu was stunned and lowered his head in silence.

Mu Xiuyao leaned back against the couch with a relaxed air about him and said coolly, "When Mu Jingqi was still alive, he had already planted many spies in the northwest. Naturally, these matters wouldn’t be known by Mu Jingli. But… Empress Dowager definitely knows. Originally, this King didn’t intend to care as there’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t have cracks. Even if one eliminates those inside, there would always be others who try to squeeze their way in. However, this time, the matter with Mu Jingli has taught me an important lesson: being lenient and compassionate can lead to major trouble. Therefore, I’ve decided to clean up these pests thoroughly, regularly spray insecticide, and even burn them if necessary—maybe then they won’t grow anymore."

Mojingyu couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. He said you were merciful and compassionate, but it seems everyone in the world is a living Buddha then.

"From the very beginning… are you really trying to uncover Chu’s spies in the northwest or just trying to capture Mojingli" After a long while, Mo Jinyu finally asked. Mo Xiuyao stroked his chin and asked slowly: "Why can’t I do both That old witch from Chu is rather bold, using this as leverage against me She wants the Black Banner Army not to attack Southern Jiang for twenty years Where did she come up with such a cute condition"

Only then did Mo Jinyu realize that all these unfortunate events stemmed from the Empress Dowager’s overbearing nature. He had no idea that the Empress Dowager had even mentioned this condition to Mo Xiuyao, which clearly showed that she still distrusted him. Sighing, Mo Jinyu said, "I didn’t know about this matter; the Empress Dowager never told me. Do you think I would know Chu’s list of spies in the northwest"

Mo Xiuyao sneered, “If you don’t know, how dare you undertake such a mission”

Mojingyu fell silent once more and only after a long while did he lift his head to ask, "What benefit can I gain if I tell you" With an amiable smile, Mo Xiuyao said, “You won’t have to suffer any punishment.” Mojingyu shook his head and said, "No deal. You must guarantee my safety first. Although I agreed to help Mojingli, I actually didn’t do anything for him. So, should that count as offending the Prince of Ding王府嗎？我可以告訴你小世子現在在哪兒，但是你必須保證我的安全，並放我離開西北。”

Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a half-smile: "You say you didn’t do anything Forcing Chu’s young emperor to lie to Mo Xiaobao and lure him out, does that count as doing something"

Mojingyu’s eyes suddenly widened. “How did you...”

Mo Xiuyao waved his hand, and the door of a cell not far away opened. An eleven or twelve-year-old boy in a bright yellow dragon robe walked over to him.

The young man looked at Mojingyu and called out softly: “Uncle King Yu.”

Mojingyu stared at Mosuiyun, unable to believe his eyes: "Was it you… was it you who told Mo Xiuyao" Just by looking at the state of Mosuiyun, he knew that he hadn’t suffered any torment; this meant that the people from the Prince of Ding王府的人並冇有逼迫他。我甚至在他眼中看到了一絲喜悅和幸災樂禍的神色，這讓我不得不重新審視眼前這個看似不起眼的小皇帝。”

Mosuiyun blinked his eyes and looked at Mojingyu with a somewhat aggrieved expression: "Uncle King Yu, I’m very sorry. I don’t want to die, nor do I want to die alongside you. I am very scared… very afraid of Uncle Prince Ding. You have always told me how powerful he is, so why would you make me capture his son It’s dangerous."

Mojingyu was so furious that he wanted to spit blood. Now, how could he still be unable to see through this brat who had been pretending to be weak and timid "Mosiyun, do you know what you're doing"

Mosiyun hesitated before nodding his head.

"This child is much more aware of what he's doing than you are," Mo Xiuyao said lazily. "How did this lord find out about your plans for tonight How was Shen Yang able to place the ice orchid in the grand hall"

"You" Even though Mo Jingyu knew that Mo Siyun had betrayed him, he still couldn't believe it. Mo Siyun must have already started collaborating with Ding王府 from such an early stage! "… Are you really not afraid of being as good as dead when working together with the tiger!"

Mosiyun looked up at Mo Jingyu and said earnestly, "Uncle Yujun, if I do not cooperate with Dingwangfu, I would probably be already dead. By cooperating with Uncle Yujun, I still have a chance to survive, and only by surviving can I have any hope of turning the tables." After shooting Mo Siyun a piercing glance, Mo Jingyu finally slumped back down into his seat in silence. Xiuyao waved for someone to take Mo Siyun away. The prison cell was quiet once more. Mo Jingyu looked at Xiuyao and Mo Xiuyao with a bitter smile. "Dingwang really is very good at manipulating people, isn't he With the flick of his wrist, he can toy with everyone in this world." Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Mo Jingyu said, "From the start, you already knew that Mo Jinglei wanted to take action against Dingfang's Crown Prince. You even knew exactly what he was planning to do. Then… it must be that the Crown Prince was also part of a predetermined scheme set by Mo Jinglei"

After realizing that everything had been in someone else’s hands all along, Mo Jingyu suddenly became more lucid. He recalled when Mo Xiuyao pretended to have died, both Mo Jinglei and Lei Zhenting hadn’t seen anything amiss. His heart sank as he realized the truth, "The person who was taken away by Mo Jinglei wasn't actually Crown Prince!" No parent could be so calm and composed if their son had been kidnapped.

Mo Xiuyao sighed softly before saying to Mo Jingyu with a regretful tone, "You’ve always been a smart man, but sadly… you did something foolish on my territory. This has left me no choice but to act against you. What have I done for you that made you dare to oppose this lord"

Mo Jingyu’s face paled and he closed his eyes before saying in a low voice, "The Imperial Seals of Succession."

"The Imperial Seals of Succession" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with interest. Turning to look at Xiuyao, he asked, “Xiyu, do you like the Imperial Seals of Succession”

Xiuyao smiled as she looked back at him and said, "The Imperial Seals of Succession What use are they"

"Seems to not be much use," Mo Xiuyao mused for a moment. "They’re just like Ding王府’s seal but bigger." Xiuyao shook her head. “If you find it small, carve the Nine Dragons Imperial Seal with Ding王府's inscription.” Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement. He had no interest in those seals of succession, and… even if he wanted one, what Mo Jinglei was holding wasn’t a seal of succession either—just something that could be called Chuzhou’s heirloom jade seal. If he were interested, he would just establish his own dynasty with any random piece of jade.

Mojingyu's smile was bitter. Not everyone possessed Mo Xiuyao's ability and resolve. For someone who had ambitions for the imperial throne, the Imperial Jade Seal was an irresistible temptation. Moreover, what Mo Jinglei promised him went beyond just the Imperial Jade Seal, leaving him no choice but to agree.

Moxiuyao looked at him calmly and said, "Just a mere Imperial Jade Seal shouldn't give you the courage to oppose this prince. Is there anything else" Mojingyu remained silent. It wasn't because he still wanted to deny it now; he simply couldn't say it. If he did, his only fate would be death.

Seeing his stubborn expression, Moxiuyao sneered and said, "Do you think this prince can’t find out even if you don’t speak"

Mojingyu's face paled as he finally lowered his head, muttering in a hoarse voice, "Since Your Highness already knows, why bother asking"

Moxiuyao stared at him and said, "This prince just doesn’t understand… As a member of the Chu royal family, why would you sell your country for merely tens of thousands of taels of silver During those two years, how many of the slaughtered civilians in the north could be attributed to you" Mojingyu’s face turned ashen. His lips quivered slightly as he closed his eyes and sighed after a long time, "For what reason… I don’t know either. Perhaps it was just to prove something. All being my father's sons, both Mo Jingqi and Mo Jinglei these fools ruined Chu into pieces, yet they still took turns ruling the country. Even though Mo Jingqi was killed by Mo Jinglei, the Empress Dowager would rather tolerate her son’s house arrest than let outsiders like us take over. They fight for power while we who work hard for the sake of Chu struggle to make ends meet even on a superficial noble level. Such life… wasn’t Prince Ding also familiar with it If not for Prince Ding's family wealth, what kind of life would he have had in those years"

"Do you think you’re smarter than Mo Jingqi and Mo Jinglei" Moxiuyao sneered.

Mojingyu covered his eyes with a hand, dejectedly saying, "Initially, I thought so. Now… I don’t know." He was no madman who sold out the country. His initial mistake had already been irreparable. By the time he realized it, Chu had relocated southward. Over these years, helping Mo Jinglei, he had strived diligently, but due to his royal status, Mo Jinglei always kept him at bay. Now… was there finally someone coming to settle old scores

For a moment, Mojingyu seemed disheartened and looked up at Moxiuyao, saying, "Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you. How you wish to deal with me is your prerogative. Only… my children are still in Chu. I hope the Prince Ding王府 can ensure their safety. Not seeking wealth and honor, just hoping they remain safe and sound." After finishing his words, Mojingyu seemed to have aged several years overnight.

Moxiuyao pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Mojingyu knew Moxiuyao well. Though cunning, he always kept his promises once made. Nodding, Mojingyu said, "Bring me paper and ink. I can only tell you what I know, but the Empress Dowager may not have told me everything." Why would she want to ruin the Ding Wang Fu for Mo Jing Qi It wouldn't benefit her in any way.Su Zui Die was taken aback and looked at Mo Xi Yao, who sat on one side as if he were sleeping. She sneer...