Mo Xiu Yao looked at her mildly and said softly: “If you mean living as recluses, no. I'm afraid not.”

Given the vigor of Xu Family, they might not stay loyal to the emperor, but they would definitely die for Great Chu.

“Ah Li, do you know why Xu Family has stood for hundreds of years in Great Chu as a family who once served the previous dynasty?”

Ye Li raised her brows.

Mo Xiu Yao said: “Towards the end of the previous dynasty, the world turned into a state of great confusion. In fact... the last emperor of the previous dynasty wasn't a tyrant or an incapable ruler. He was simply not suitable to be an emperor, besides that he didn't have any weaknesses. The ancestors of Xu Family continued to support the last emperor in dire peril. Though it was a family of scholars, at least seven of its members died on the battlefield. At last, my forefather Mo Lan Yun led his army and besieged the capital. The master of Xu Family was on the city wall himself to supervise the military operations though he was a frail man. Mo Lan Yun's troops fought for seven days and nights when the capital stood as firm as ever. The eldest son of the founder of Great Chu who was eager to prove himself advanced rashly and died in action. The founding emperor of Great Chu was indignant and ordered his men to tie up and take ordinary people who lived near the capital as prisoners while killing them outside the capital each day. He declared that he would kill five thousand every day as long as the last emperor didn't surrender and would kill all the people in the capital when the city fell. The second day, the master of Xu Family killed the last emperor himself. He opened the gate and surrendered the city, whose only term was for them not to hurt the ordinary who lived in and near the capital. The day that the troops of Chu entered the capital, the master of Xu Family left a letter to my forefather and committed suicide. At that exact same day, Lady of Xu Family committed suicide for her country together with 72 other members of the family. The only one that was left alive was the youngest son of the family who remained in Yunzhou at the time. He was Xu Yan Li, who later became the young chief minister of Great Chu.”

Ye Li was shocked by this inmost secret which she had never heard of and felt a lump in her throat. She was angry at herself and regretted having said something so inconsiderate to her first uncle. She might not understand the pride of a scholar but as a soldier she knew well what a soldier's firmness and loyalty were. She couldn't imagine how disappointed and sad her first uncle was when she asked him that, which was the utmost disrespect and insult to the forefathers of Xu Family and those who died for their country.

“Then... why would...” Ye Li lowered her head and asked.

Mo Xiu Yao said: “Do you mean why it was different from what's on the records? It wasn't that much of a difference. Xu Yan Li did all he could to help the emperor of Great Chu. He even instructed the third emperor of Great Chu himself. Since the start of Great Chu, the founding emperor had granted all the deceased members of Xu Family t.i.tles and ranks that made a lot of people envy.” Seeing how surprised Ye Li was, Mo Xiu Yao smiled calmly: “The founding emperor went on many expeditions and he had much too blood on his hand so he needed a reputation of being merciful to stabilize his reign.”

“What letter did the ancestor of Xu Family left to the late Prince Ding?” Ye Li asked with hesitation. It couldn't have been that easy as how Mo Xiu Yao put it. The founding emperor wouldn't have set his mind at ease and place a man whose family all died out of loyalty for the previous dynasty in such an important position.

Mo Xiu Yao shook his head and smiled: “I don't know about that. It seemed that my forefather gave the letter to the founding emperor which clearly saved Xu Yan Li. Later... the news that the entire Xu Family died for its country and those people in the capital was somehow spread out, plus the fact that it had been a famous family for over a hundred years, its reputation was unparalleled during that time. Though much of the records about how the founding emperor started Great Chu were ambiguous, many things became deep-rooted in the heart of the ordinary by time.”

Though many things were gradually forgotten, many still inherited those memories from their fathers, like their respect for Xu Family.

Ye Li finally understood why Xu Family never marry the royals. Though they might not hate them anymore, there was one thing that they couldn't deny, which was Xu Family was nearly exterminated by the royals of Great Chu. That probably explained why the royals kept suppressing Xu Family though it had always been indifferent to fame and fortune while distancing itself from power. Perhaps back then Mo Lan Yun did way beyond what Mo Xiu Yao touched on lightly.

Ye Li rubbed her forehead with distress and asked almost with despair: “Is war coming?”

“Sooner or later.” Mo Xiu Yao sighed slightly: “Great Chu has been suppressing those countries for too long. Almost everyone is too impatient to wait for its decline. Besides, we... seem to get used to being the most powerful in the game.” If it wasn't for that defeat seven years ago, he would have had the same idea. But only by the time when he left the battlefield with his crippled body, the bone ash of his brother and the Army of Mo Family which had lost half of its best soldiers did he realize how ridiculous his old pride was. Perhaps both Xi Ling and Bei Rong weren't as powerful as Great Chu, but neither was way less powerful which was proved by the hundreds and thousands of bodies of the Army of Mo Family and Hidden Could Soldiers who once swept across the world.

“Ah Li... it's Prince Ding's Manor that's ruining Great Chu...” After quite some time, Mo Xiu Yao finally uttered below his breath. If Prince Ding's Manor wasn't that powerful all this time, there might have been more military commanders and crack troops in Great Chu. If the Army of Mo Family hadn't terrorized surrounding countries for over a hundred years, Great Chu might go further in times of war.

Ye Li was speechless. She didn't know which side was right and which wrong. Prince Ding's Manor had protected Great Chu loyally for over a century. How many could have done that in the past dynasties? Was it wrong? It certainly wasn't. Then were those who were protected by it wrong? No. They knew nothing, to be honest.

Ye Li said in a small voice after a good while: “You are not wrong. It's people's heart that goes wrong.” Not every emperor was broad-minded and courageous enough to let all rivers run into the sea and not all emperors had the ability and manner to bring the whole world together. When an official ceased to be an a.s.sistant in the eyes of an emperor and turned into a threat, the excellence and achievement of the official would turn into a challenge and intimidation towards the emperor.

After hearing from Ye Li, Mo Xiu Yao stared blankly at her for some time before he smiled slightly and said: “I'm sorry, Ah Li. Have I frightened you with what I said?”

Ye Li glanced at him calmly. Was she that easy to scare?

Mo Xiu Yao shook his head. “It's no use thinking about all that now. Ah Li, how about you take a guess. How will the farce of Prince Li's Manor end up?”

Ye Li shrugged, bored: “How else? In a fit of anger, His Majesty kills Princess Qi Xia and relegate Prince Li? His Majesty, persuaded by the elder princes, locks Princess Qi Xia and Prince Li up and gives them a little punishment. Or... Princess Qi Xia marries Prince Li with another ident.i.ty.” Ye Li always felt the Empress dowager accepted Princess Qi Xia too early as a mother. The future consort of her first-born had s.e.x with her second-born while the Empress dowager only scolded them and began to plan to marry that princess to her second born. It seemed that she wasn't considering how the emperor would react to it. If that happened to any other ordinary mother in this age, she might have first found ways to kill that woman who gave rise to the quarrel between her two sons.

“Ah Li, which one do you think is more possible?” Mo Xiu Yao asked.

Ye Li gave it a thought. “The third one.” Then was Prince Li set up or was he the one that set others up? She thought to herself with a frown. It seemed that... she needed to reevaluate Mo Jing Li's ability once more. Or was it the one that was behind him needed reevaluation?

“Ah Li, stay away from Mo Jing Li from now on.” Mo Xiu Yao reminded her.

Ye Li nodded casually, still thinking about the same question. “What use does a princess of Nan Zhao have to Mo Jing Li?”

Mo Xiu Yao was a bit surprised. He looked at Ye Li and smiled: “She's the blood sister of the inheritress of Nan Zhao and she's way useful than Princess Ling Yun.”

Her frown grew deeper. “If Mo Jing Li could have thought of that, then what gave him the idea that I was less useful than Ye Ying?”

Mo Xiu Yao's smile became larger. “Believe me, if Mo Jing Li was smart, he would rather marry Princess Ling Yun than you.”

Ye Li's face turned dark. Was she that unpopular?

“But... that might just be their wishful thinking. Mo Jing Qi...seems to never play by general rules.” Though the emperor wasn't a man of great talent and bold vision as he thought he was, but his unexpected moves would disrupt the plans of the normal.

Therefore, when they were back in the manor, they received a message from the palace that Princess Qi Xia had pa.s.sed away. Clearly, this news would only spread out after a few days. Those n.o.bles knew way earlier what it was all about but they had to come up with something to fool the commons. If Princess Qi Xia pa.s.sed away the same day something went wrong in Prince Li's Manor, everyone who wasn't a fool could piece these clues together and help themselves with their imagination. Since there wasn't any messages concerning the marriage between Prince Li and Princess Ling Yun, everybody would like to pretend that nothing had happened. Neither did His Majesty sanction this marriage nor did they go to Prince Li's Manor to attend the ceremony. However, they didn't have to send them wedding gifts once again when Prince Li married Princess Qi Xia so they just consider themselves sending the wedding gifts ahead of time.

In the palace, at a cold chamber with elegant decoration, Mo Jing Qi was giving vent to his anger wantonly. The servants were already intimidated into hiding outside. Those who couldn't get away with it hid themselves at the corners of the chamber, shaking. On the floor, all kinds of rare antiques, calligraphy and paintings were smashed or torn to pieces. The shelves were knocked down as well. n.o.ble Consort Liu sat on a couch with carved flowers coldly while looking at the man who lost his mind indifferently. A gorgeously-dressed little girl who was about seven or eight years old were in her arms with frightened watery eyes wide-open. It seemed she was scared stiff and didn't dare to make a sound while crying.

n.o.ble Consort Liu lifted one hand and covered the girl's eyes. She looked towards the man in the chamber. “Your Majesty, have you had enough?”

Mo Jing Qi turned still for a second then slowly stopped what he was doing. He turned to look at n.o.ble Consort Liu, who looked as cold as snow and anger flickered past his gloomy eyes.

“Take the princess away.” n.o.ble Consort Liu instructed the servants. Those servants who were kneeling at the corners of the chamber acted as if they had got amnesty and hurriedly stood up while taking the stupefied girl from n.o.ble Consort Liu and going out trembling.

“My love, don't you have anything to say?” Mo Jing Qi voice was less loud and clear than when he was at court but full of coldness and hatred instead.

n.o.ble Consort Liu raised her eyes at him. “What do you want to hear from me, Your Majesty?”

“You are laughing at me secretly as well, aren't you?” He grabbed her beautiful chin and whispered next to her ear. His breath cold as if he was a hissing viper. “I know you are the same as them! No... you think less of me than they do, don't you? You are happy that everyone disobeys me, aren't you?”

“If you say so, Your Majesty.” n.o.ble Consort Liu said with indifference.

Crack! Mo Jing Qi raised his hand and slapped on the jade-like face of hers which turned red in an instant. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes calmly.

Mo Jing Qi went stiff. “Chang-er...” Staring blankly at the red marks on her face, he reached out his hand and wanted to touch her. “Chang-er... it's my bad. I shouldn't have slapped you... Does it hurt? Why don't you listen to me... Why do you always disobey me! Why do you interfere? Why do you threaten me? I hate it!” As he was speaking, Mo Jing Qi grew more and more agitated and forgot about how sorry he felt for her. With his hands tightly on her shoulders, he shook her while asking.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You've wronged My Lady!” A maid who ran out of the side chamber suddenly shouted at Mo Jing Qi worriedly: “Your Majesty, please release My Lady... It's none of her fault...”

Seeing that Mo Jing Qi didn't pay any attention to what she said, the maid looked around her and found an antique vase which was saved from being smashed. Clenching her teeth, she walked over and took the vase, wanting to smash it on Mo Jing Qi's back. n.o.ble Consort Liu's expression changed. She hurriedly took a decoration out of her hair and threw it at the maid. Ping! The vase hit the ground and made a loud crack.

Mo Jing Qi who had been mad was stunned as someone who was woken up all of a sudden. That maid fell on her knees with a thump while her face went all pale. She hadn't given it much thought back when she had taken the vase. Now that she had returned to herself, it suddenly dawned on her what would happen if she had really thrown that vase.

Apparently, Mo Jing Qi had slowly calmed down. He glanced at that maid who was not far behind him. Taking his hands slowly off n.o.ble Consort Liu, he stood up.

Right after that, n.o.ble Consort Liu sat up again, as cold and collected as ever. If it wasn't for the red marks on her face, one might think what had just happened was merely one's imagination.

“Chang-er, you have a rest first. I'll send someone to replace all of your stuff later.” Mo Jing Qi only glanced at n.o.ble Consort Liu briefly, then turned around quickly. Kicking that kneeling maid aside, he left in no time.

Gazing at the figure that left in a hurry, hatred and scorn flashed across n.o.ble Consort Liu's eyes.