Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 401 - 400. Confirmed, Mo Xiaobao’s retaliation

400. Confirmation, Mo Xiaobao’s Revenge

Mo Jingli’s group was quickly ushered into the mourning hall of the general’s residence where Ye Li was temporarily staying. Since it was a temporary arrangement, the hall wasn’t too large; the entire space was draped in white cloth, invoking a solemn and desolate ambiance. Mo Xiuyao’s coffin was placed in the center of the hall, surrounded by countless flowers. In front of the coffin, a plaque was engraved: "The Spirit Tablet of Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao."

Standing in the hall, both Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting felt a moment of tension and excitement. They were about to see the body of Prince Ding, and as his enemies, it was hard not to feel a thrill.

"Princess Consort?" Ah-Jin, standing guard in the hall with red-rimmed eyes, watched Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting warily. His gaze was particularly hostile towards Mo Jingli; if it weren’t for the fact that this was Mo Xiuyao’s memorial hall, he would have already pounced. Knowing what he had done to Mo Xiuyao, Mo Jingli became somewhat uneasy under Ah-Jin’s gaze and took a step back. But he quickly cheered up again. Regardless of what I did, Mo Xiuyao is dead. After years of struggle, I finally won. he thought. Plus... Mo Jingli looked at Ah-Jin scornfully. Killing this slightly foolish lad who followed Mo Xiuyao since childhood would still be easy.

Ye Li calmly said, "The Emperor of Great Chu and the Southern Garrison Prince wish to inspect the Prince’s body."

Startled, Ah-Jin glared at Mo Jingli and retorted, "No way! The Prince has already been encoffined. How can it be opened again! And... and he..." He’s the one who killed the Prince, how can he be allowed to disturb the Prince’s eternal rest? Ah-Jin wanted to say.

Understanding Ah-Jin’s thoughts, Lei Zhenting stepped forward and said with a smile, "We genuinely want to pay our respects to Prince Ding. Why don’t I just take a look so as not to disturb the Prince’s tranquility? What does the Princess Consort think?" The displeasure on Ye Li’s face was apparent, but she did not object. Mo Jingli did not object either. Although he regretted not being able to see Mo Xiuyao’s body himself, the most crucial thing right now was to verify whether Mo Xiuyao was indeed dead. He believed that Lei Zhenting had no reason to deceive him on this matter.

Ye Li gently patted Ah-Jin’s shoulder, her voice soft, "Let them see the Prince, and they won’t disturb us anymore." Since Mo Xiuyao’s passing, Ah-Jin trusted Ye Li more than anyone except his own uncle; even his betrothed, Qingshuang, came second. Resigned, Ah-Jin glared at Mo Jingli and proceeded to carefully push open the coffin lid. As the body was to be transported back to Licheng for burial, the coffin lid was not yet nailed shut. With a single light push, it moved aside.

Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting didn’t mind Ah-Jin’s rudeness, their minds wholly fixated on the opened coffin. Lei Zhenting took a few steps forward and detected a rather strong fragrance. This was a type of incense used by the nobility to preserve a body’s freshness, ordinarily only available to deceased princes or those of higher rank. Mixed with the distinct aroma of Phoebe nanmu wood, it caused Lei Zhenting to frown slightly.

In the coffin, a silver-haired man in a white robe embroidered with silver dragons and clouds lay serenely. There were no significant changes to the body due to the cold weather, preservative spices, and the coffin being placed on a massive block of ice. Were it not for the slightly paler, almost death-like hue of his face, one could even describe it as lifelike.

Lei Zhenting’s sharp gaze noticed an injury extending from the inside of the right wrist, which lay exposed by the man’s side. Even though it had been carefully treated, it was still evident. Recalling the news from Mo Jingli... Lei Zhenting stared at the man’s extraordinarily handsome face, his brows furrowed. Finally, he reached into the coffin.

"Southern Garrison Prince, what are you doing?" Ye Li, standing to one side, asked with displeasure upon seeing his action.

Lei Zhenting smiled faintly. "I noticed that Prince Ding’s sleeves were a bit disarrayed. I apologize for the intrusion." Lei Zhenting casually tugged at the white sleeve and turned to Ye Li with a slight, apologetic smile.

Ye Li looked down. "If the Southern Garrison Prince and the Emperor of Great Chu have nothing else... if there’s nothing more..."

"We shall leave now and cease disturbing Prince Ding’s rest," Lei Zhenting smiled respectfully.

"Thank you. Ah-Jin, close the lid," Ye Li quietly instructed Ah-Jin at her side. Ah-Jin snorted at Lei Zhenting resentfully and went forward to close the coffin lid.

「Upon leaving the memorial hall, Mo Jingli and Lei Zhenting were invited to rest in a wing of the general’s mansion.」

Feihong Pass was not Licheng, and it wasn’t yet time for Mo Xiuyao’s official funeral, so there weren’t many visitors. The general’s mansion wasn’t large, but it provided a decent enough arrangement for both Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli.

"Emperor of Great Chu, would you like to have some tea together?" Lei Zhenting suggested. Although they had only come to pay their respects, it was already late, so they would have to stay overnight at Feihong Pass and depart the next day.

Mo Jingli naturally agreed, as he also had many questions to ask Lei Zhenting.

The two of them arrived in Lei Zhenting’s courtyard and dismissed the servant girls who brought tea and snacks. Lei Zhenting finally smiled. "Congratulations, Emperor of Great Chu."

Mo Jingli was taken aback for a moment before he quickly realized what Lei Zhenting was referring to. "The body in that coffin... was it really Mo Xiuyao?"

Lei Zhenting stated, "He lost a great deal of blood, but there were no visible external injuries. The fatal blow likely struck his heart meridian. There was a wound on the wrist of his right hand, with calluses in the center of his palm—signs of long-term sword training. Additionally... the deceased was a martial arts expert in life. There was no disguise on his face; his hair was its natural color. Unless there is another man in this world who looks exactly like Mo Xiuyao, practices swordsmanship, and possesses immense martial arts skills, who has died... then Mo Xiuyao is indeed dead."

After a moment, Mo Jingli muttered, "Mo Xiuyao... is really... dead..."

"Yes." Lei Zhenting softly sighed. "Mo Xiuyao is indeed dead." Such a uniquely brilliant character, dead just like that. A flicker of confusion and desolation crossed Lei Zhenting’s eyes.

Yet, Mo Jingli had no inclination to consider Lei Zhenting’s thoughts. Upon hearing Lei Zhenting’s words, he couldn’t help but burst into uproarious laughter. "This is fantastic! Mo Xiuyao... Mo Xiuyao! You died before me after all! HAHA..."

Observing Mo Jingli’s self-congratulatory demeanor, Lei Zhenting’s eyes glinted with disdain and anger. He, too, wished Mo Xiuyao dead, as he was an enemy. However, to be considered an enemy by someone like Mo Xiuyao was an honor. But to be seen as an enemy by someone like Mo Jingli was a disgrace. Lei Zhenting had never considered Mo Jingli a worthy opponent—he was no more than a petty clown.

Once Mo Jingli had laughed to his satisfaction, he seemed to finally notice Lei Zhenting’s displeasure. Mo Jingli raised an eyebrow and asked, "Isn’t the Southern Garrison Prince pleased that Mo Xiuyao is dead?"

Lei Zhenting managed a wry smile. "My joy certainly doesn’t match that of the Emperor of Great Chu."

Upon hearing this, Mo Jingli grew somewhat uncomfortable. The grievances between Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Great Chu imperial family were likely known by nearly everyone by now. His reaction just now, under Lei Zhenting’s observation... made Mo Jingli, despite his thick skin, blush a bit. Snorting, he stated forcefully, "Mo Xiuyao was a traitor first and foremost. Someone like that deserved to die."

Lei Zhenting took a sip of his tea and replied indifferently, "I had no intention of discussing with the Emperor of Great Chu whether or not Prince Ding deserved to die. Prince Ding’s death benefits me, and that’s all there is to it."

A flash of anger and indignation crossed Mo Jingli’s eyes, and he responded dryly, "Get to the point then, Southern Garrison Prince."

There are people whose unique brilliance makes them the focus of all attention; even their enemies cannot help but admire and respect them. Mo Xiuyao was such a person. And it was precisely because of this that Mo Jingli was insanely jealous.

Lei Zhenting leisurely observed Mo Jingli, who appeared somewhat ruffled, and calmly said, "But Emperor of Great Chu, have you noticed that several key generals from the Mo Family Army are not present?"

Mo Jingli hesitated. From the beginning, his focus had been on Ye Li and Mo Xiaobao, so he hadn’t noted who from Prince Ding’s Mansion was absent. Upon Lei Zhenting’s mention, however, he finally recalled something and nodded. "Exactly, Murong Shen and Marquis South are not here. They..."

"They have most likely been dispatched by Ye Li," Lei Zhenting said.

Mo Jingli frowned. "Dispatched? Doesn’t Ye Li want to defend Feihong Pass anymore?"

Lei Zhenting glanced at him. "It’s precisely because she wants to defend Feihong Pass that she sent them."

"What do you mean by that, Southern Garrison Prince?" Mo Jingli disliked Lei Zhenting’s tone, as if he were talking to an idiot. But he really couldn’t fathom Ye Li’s thoughts, so he had no choice but to suppress his displeasure and hear Lei Zhenting out.

"Feihong Pass has its limits," Lei Zhenting said. "Even if all the generals were stationed there, what difference would it make? But if Murong Shen, Marquis South, and others were dispatched—they are renowned veteran generals. They don’t need to confront us head-on. If they wanted to cause us trouble, they could easily do so. As for the Mo Family Army’s Black Cloud Cavalry, they are known for their swift long-range raids. When the time comes... both our factions are likely to have a real headache."

Mo Jingli clenched his teeth. "Is this Ye Li’s idea?! She’s really cunning!"

With an approving smile, Lei Zhenting commented, "For Princess Consort Ding to stabilize Prince Ding’s Mansion at a time like this, using only her wits as a woman, shows she isn’t ordinary. If Princess Consort Ding were a man... probably..." Lei Zhenting shook his head and let his sentence trail off with a faint smile.

Mo Jingli snorted lightly, inquiring, "What does the Southern Garrison Prince wish to discuss with me?"

Lei Zhenting looked at Mo Jingli. "Let’s abandon Cold Valley Pass and march westward. After our armies join forces, we will besiege Feihong Pass together."

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Such a brilliant strategy, Southern Garrison Prince! It’s a pity I’m afraid of being sold out by you yet again." He hadn’t forgotten the last time Lei Tengfeng had made a fool out of him. How could he trust Lei Zhenting once more?

Lei Zhenting frowned. "Once Feihong Pass is taken, and then we sweep across the entire Northwest, eliminating the foundation of Prince Ding’s Mansion, do you think we will still need to worry about Leng Huai in the Capital of Great Chu and Lv Jinxian at Cold Valley Pass?"

Mo Jingli was by no means a fool. "How can I be sure that once I march westward, Leng Huai and Lv Jinxian won’t pursue us from behind? Won’t I be caught between a rock and a hard place then?"

Lei Zhenting smirked. "So the Emperor of Great Chu is confident in combating Leng Huai and Lv Jinxian alone? I received information that Leng Huai has already started preparing troops in the capital. He will soon be heading to Cold Valley Pass. Cold Valley Pass is indeed the foremost strategic pass in the Central Plains. However..."

With Lei Zhenting’s goading, Mo Jingli’s face cycled through shades of green and white. "What does the Southern Garrison Prince want to do?!"

Lei Zhenting nodded with satisfaction. "I request the Emperor of Great Chu to hold off Leng Huai’s and Lv Jinxian’s troops. I don’t need the Army of Great Chu to win any battles, just buy us time and keep them from meddling."

Although Mo Jingli felt humiliated by Lei Zhenting’s disdain, he was not eager to sacrifice his army in a battle against Lv Jinxian and Leng Huai. He would rather wait for Lei Zhenting and the Mo Family Army to suffer heavy losses fighting each other, and then he could seize the opportunity for his own benefit.

Lei Zhenting clearly understood Mo Jingli’s intentions but merely responded with an indifferent, cold smile.

"Alright, I’ll follow the Southern Garrison Prince’s suggestion," Mo Jingli nodded, agreeing to Lei Zhenting’s proposal.

「Inside the study in the main courtyard, deep within the General’s Residence.」

Ye Li sat behind her desk, sighing at the sight of everyone gathered in the room. Feng Zhiyao glared at her. "Princess Consort, do you know anything about the Prince’s whereabouts?"

Ye Li shook her head earnestly. "I truly have no idea."

Unfortunately, her sincere response did not convince Feng Zhiyao and the others. "Does the Princess Consort expect us to believe her?"

Ye Li raised her eyebrows, looking amusedly at them.

Han Mingyue chuckled. "The Princess Consort must at least know something about Xiuyao, right? Otherwise... how did you know what kind of injuries he should have?"

Indeed, the Southern Garrison Prince’s expression had visibly relaxed after examining Prince Ding’s wounds, and his smile when facing Ye Li held more sincerity. Clearly, the Southern Garrison Prince had prior knowledge of Prince Ding’s injuries, and the wounds on the body matched the information Lei Zhenting had obtained.

With a somewhat helpless sigh, Ye Li said again, "I truly do not know."

"Well, let’s drop the subject then. Since the Princess Consort can’t disclose it, we will stop asking," Feng Zhiyao said, clearly not believing Ye Li was unaware, but rather assuming she couldn’t speak about it. However, this at least suggested Mo Xiuyao was safe. Everyone present secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although they vaguely sensed the Prince must still be alive, the lack of concrete news was always unsettling. Seeing the Princess Consort’s composed manner now, they felt as if a reassuring pill had settled their hearts.

"Mother, can we kill that big villain?" Mo Xiaobao sat next to Ye Li and asked innocently.

Ye Li looked down at Mo Xiaobao, who was staring at her expectantly, and chuckled. "Have you learned to bite people now?" This time, Mo Xiaobao seemed to have completely abandoned any pretense of dignity. Although he was playful, he was also quite proud. Even if he were to make trouble for someone, he would never resort to the common tricks of a naughty child.

Mo Xiaobao grinned. "Did I act convincingly?"

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and turned to Feng Zhiyao, who laughed and said, "The first thing the Young Heir said when he saw Mo Jingli was, ’You’re the bad guy who killed my father! I’ll bite you to death!’ Then he pounced and bit Mo Jingli fiercely. I think he almost bit off a chunk of Mo Jingli’s flesh. What a bite!" The others couldn’t help but cover their faces and chuckle softly.

Mo Xiaobao’s small face crumpled in embarrassment, and he grumbled, "He stinks! This Young Heir had to rinse his mouth so many times. Next time, I must find a better method." However, this method was the most satisfying and the least likely to arouse suspicion. If he had used anything else to harm Mo Jingli, it couldn’t have been dismissed as mere child’s play.

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiaobao curiously. "What else did Xiaobao do to Mo Jingli?" She knew her son well enough; he wouldn’t just impulsively pounce and bite someone to humiliate them or vent his anger.

Mo Xiaobao gave a cheeky smile. "I sprinkled some medicine that Mr. Shen gave me on his hand."

Shen Yang, who was sitting beside them sorting his medicines while listening, suddenly stiffened. He slowly turned his head and stared at Mo Xiaobao. "Young Heir, which bottle of medicine did you use?"

Mo Xiaobao blinked his large eyes innocently. "It’s the bottle that Mr. Shen just finished preparing last night. The one in the small, green... very pretty jade bottle."

Shen Yang swayed and quickly steadied himself against the table, then calmly asked, "Was that the one I gave to the Young Heir?"

"’I asked Mr. Shen if he could give me the bottle, and Mr. Shen nodded,’ Mo Xiaobao said, looking bewildered."

Shen Yang fell silent. The Young Heir had only asked for the bottle, but he had taken the medicine along with it.

Seeing Shen Yang’s strange expression, Feng Zhiyao asked curiously, "What kind of medicine did Mr. Shen prepare? Was it very important?"

Mo Xiaobao chuckled. "I saw something written on Mr. Shen’s small bottle about ’joyful union’ and ’spring’."

"PFFT—" On the other side, Han Mingxi spurted out a mouthful of tea, looking incredulously at Shen Yang. "It can’t be the lust pill, can it? Mr. Shen, why were you preparing... that?" He scrutinized Shen Yang with a look that seemed to say, You’re quite advanced in age and still interested in this? Young Master Han Mingxi, true to his reputation as a man of pleasure, had frequented such scenes for years and was thus intimately familiar with all sorts of exotic concoctions.

Shen Yang twitched his lips and rolled his eyes. "What do you mean ’I created it’? Someone brought it to me a few days ago for me to research and see if there was an antidote."

Han Mingxi looked unconvinced. "Who would look for an antidote for this drug?"

Everyone knows how this kind of drug should be countered, Han Mingxi thought, giving Shen Yang an "I’d-be-a-fool-to-believe-you" look. Shen Yang knew that the more he tried to explain, the worse it would look. Resentfully, he glared at Mo Xiaobao. If it weren’t for this little rascal, I wouldn’t be mocked by Han Mingxi, who’s much younger than me.

Mo Xiaobao hid in Ye Li’s arms, sneakily peeking at Shen Yang with a mischievous smile.

Ye Li sighed in helplessness and patted Mo Xiaobao on his small head. Then she coughed gently and asked, "So... will this drug have any adverse effects?"

Han Mingxi answered with a grin, "No, it’s a top-tier... drug. Even money can’t necessarily buy it. It’s just... it’s very effective in controlling time. It generally takes about ’two hours’ to kick in, and once it does, it’s unstoppable. So... Junwei, cough cough... Third Young Master Feng should probably have someone prepared." Han Mingxi clearly realized this matter wasn’t appropriate for Ye Li to deal with, so he turned to address Feng Zhiyao instead.

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes in annoyance. Having also been a man of the world in his younger years, he was very familiar with what the so-called lust pill was. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Mo Xiaobao stared curiously at everyone, asking, "Prepare for what?"

Ye Li lightly flicked his forehead. "When adults are talking, children shouldn’t interrupt." Mo Xiaobao clutched his forehead, looking pitifully at Ye Li.

Zhuo Jing, who was sitting not far away dealing with some documents, furrowed his brows and looked up. "Princess Consort, right now... it seems Prince Li is in the Southern Garrison Prince’s courtyard." From the time Mo Xiaobao had bitten Mo Jingli until now, just over ’two hours’ had passed.

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. After a moment, Feng Zhiyao and Han Mingxi simultaneously sprang up and rushed towards Lei Zhenting’s courtyard. Of course, they weren’t going to help anyone; they were going to watch the show.

Han Mingyue raised his eyebrows and stood up. "Let’s go have a look. It wouldn’t be good if the Emperor of Great Chu or the Southern Garrison Prince gets hurt."

Mo Xiaobao kicked his little legs excitedly in Ye Li’s arms and stretched his small hands towards Han Mingyue. "I want to go... I want to go..."

Shen Yang grabbed him immediately. "Young Heir, it’s better if you come with me to review the medical texts in the study. You can’t just use any drug you find! Aren’t you afraid that one day you might harm others or yourself!"

Ye Li nodded gratefully at Shen Yang. She really didn’t know how to explain this particular drug to Mo Xiaobao. With Shen Yang, a renowned physician, to give him a proper lesson, she believed Mo Xiaobao would soon understand which medicines could be used and which required caution.

Ye Li, Han Mingyue, and Qin Feng headed towards the guest courtyard slowly. Before they reached the entrance, they saw the maid assigned to attend the guests running hurriedly towards them, her face pale. Seeing Ye Li, she let out a sigh of relief. "I pay my respects to the Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded and asked, "What happened?"

The maid’s face turned even paler, her eyes wide with horror. "Princess Consort, quickly... go and see! The Southern Garrison Prince... the Southern Garrison Prince is about to beat the Emperor of Great Chu to death!"

Everyone was taken aback. Ye Li sighed and said, "Let’s go see."

Before they could even enter the courtyard, a loud commotion could be heard from inside.

Feng Zhiyao and Han Mingxi sat relaxedly on the wall, enthusiastically watching the spectacle, gesturing excitedly from time to time. Ye Li sighed. "Third Feng, Mingxi." Are these two trying to make sure Lei Zhenting knows just how delighted they are?

Feng Zhiyao and Han Mingxi landed gracefully and laughed. "Princess Consort, rest assured. The Southern Garrison Prince is about to lose his mind with rage; he won’t notice us."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and asked, "What exactly is going on inside?" I thought Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli would be in there conspiring, she mused. They’d have to team up sooner or later anyway, so I didn’t mind them plotting on my territory. It’s better than them sneaking off somewhere unknown and creating a situation I can’t control. But even if the drug Mo Jingli took has kicked in, the worst Lei Zhenting should do is throw him out or find someone to... assist him. It shouldn’t have come to blows, surely?

Han Mingxi chuckled softly. "It seems like... the Emperor of Great Chu tried to make improper advances on the Southern Garrison Prince. Also, after the lust pill takes effect, the afflicted person’s strength increases severalfold. So..."

Ye Li couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth. This was the first time in her life she felt her face turn green.