Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 336 - 335. Overbearing as a Matter of Course

335. Natural Dominance

"Second Sister, you’re leaving just like that after all these years?"

Ye Yue, who had already reached the door, suddenly froze. She glanced at the emotionless black-uniformed guard standing outside the door, and finally turned around, her face pale. She looked at Ye Li, who was sitting on the main seat with a serene smile, and said lightly, "Third Sister, it’s been so long since we saw each other." It indeed had been many years. The last time they saw each other was almost a decade ago. The slightly childish girl in Ye Yue’s eyes had now grown into a Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom, renowned all over the world.

Even in terms of beauty, Ye Yue’s once prideful beauty seemed so frail and ridiculous in front of Ye Li. Maybe Ye Li was not the most beautiful woman in the world, but she definitely had the most unique and attractive temperament. Her calm, elegant, grand demeanor was distinct from any other woman, adding to it the firmness and sharpness that even a man could not match. These contrasting qualities should not exist in one person, but that’s what made Ye Li different from any other woman on earth. No wonder Mo Jingli still missed her and held countless grudges against Mo Xiuyao.

Prince Ding had good luck and a good eye, words that many people had said. Even the arrogant Ye Yue had to admit that her half-sister had the power to make the world-famous Prince Ding bow down to her.

Ye Li looked at Ye Yue’s calm demeanor and a glint of appreciation flashed in her eyes. "How have you been these years, Second Sister?"

Ye Yue lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, "What can possibly be good or bad? I’m barely surviving."

While Ye Yue measured Ye Li with her eyes, Ye Li was also sizing up Ye Yue. No wonder the people from Prince Ding’s Mansion who had been assigned to Ye Mansion had not recognized her. Ye Yue had always lived a reclusive life and was seldom seen. Furthermore, her current appearance also made it difficult to associate her with the vibrant and alluring Ye Zhaoyi of many years ago. Over the years, Ye Yue’s appearance had greatly changed. The former Ye Yue was charming and enticing, but now Ye Yue, while still beautiful, had a more gentle and delicate appearance. If the former Ye Yue was a begonia, then the current Ye Yue was an osmanthus, less dazzling than before, but still memorable upon close observation. If not known in advance, anyone who knew Ye Yue would likely mistake her for a woman who just resembled her.

"If you’re barely surviving, why don’t you just die?" Mo Xiuyao, who was sitting by Ye Li’s side, said indifferently. His words, though devoid of emotion, carried a palpable killing intent.

Ye Yue turned white. In all of Licheng, the person she dreaded most was Mo Xiuyao. If she was dealing with Ye Li, she could at least counter her with words. But in front of Mo Xiuyao, she was helpless. If she could, Ye Yue would never want to confront Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, or even have anything to do with Prince Ding’s Mansion. But maybe, from the moment she set foot in Licheng, it was destined that she would face Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li.

Not only Ye Yue, but Ye Wenhua, Elder Madam Ye, and Ms. Wang also turned pale. Ms. Wang forced back her fear and stood in front of Ye Yue, "What’s your intention, Prince...? Yue’er is a daughter of the Ye Family, is she not allowed to be here?"

Mo Xiuyao, holding Ye Li’s hand with one hand and lightly tapping the redwood armrest with the other, had everyone in the room on edge. After a while, Mo Xiuyao finally smiled faintly, "It seems that Madam Ye has forgotten what your daughter did to Ah-Li back then?" Ms. Wang of Ye Family shivered slightly, "That was so long ago, and besides... Ye Li is fine, isn’t she?"

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his handsome eyes and laughed out of anger, "Well said... in that case, if Ye Yue takes a cut from this Prince, and if she doesn’t die, we can write off the damage done to Ah-Li."

At his words, Ms. Wang of Ye Family nearly screamed out in fear. Ye Yue also clenched her teeth and couldn’t speak. If Prince Ding wanted to kill someone, how could he not kill them with one blow? Ye Yue was not a martial arts master. In fact, she was just a weak woman who couldn’t fight. In terms of martial prowess, she was even less than Murong Ting, who came from a military family, Hua Tianxiang, and Noble Consort Liu, renowned for her literary and martial prowess.

"Li’er," Elder Madam Ye frowned and spoke, "in the past, Yue’er did wrong you, but she was also forced by others. She has suffered a lot over the years. Can’t you just let it go for the sake of your sisterhood?" Ye Li turned her head to look at Elder Madam Ye, her expression suggesting both a smile and a sneer. While it seemed like she was entreating and advising, Elder Madam Ye’s tone wasn’t quite right. Instead, she carried an air of command, of an elder ordering a junior. Although Elder Madam Ye was indeed Ye Li’s elder, she seemed to have forgotten that Ye Li was no longer someone she could command. "Grandmother," Ye Li said, "Second Sister almost killed me back then. Although you’ve always favored Second Sister more, isn’t it a bit too biased for you to treat us, your legitimate granddaughters, in such a way?"

Elder Madam Ye was taken aback. Of course, she knew she was biased. She had always believed that her bias was justified. Compared to Ye Li, who spent most of her time growing up in the Xu Family or with Ms. Xu, Ye Yue was the one who grew up with her. Ye Yue was beautiful, intelligent, and charming; why wouldn’t she be biased towards her? But this was the first time she had heard Ye Li stating it so openly. Elder Madam Ye frowned and said seriously, "I know you were wronged, but now there are only a few of you sisters left in the Ye Family. Can’t you be more magnanimous?"

Ye Li blinked, barely holding back a laugh. Does Grandmother really think I’m complaining about not being favored enough? She looked up at Mo Xiuyao, who raised his eyebrows. Indeed, that was exactly what Elder Madam Ye meant.

Ye Li curved her lip into a smile and asked leisurely, "Grandmother, if I let Second Sister go, how do you plan to handle her?"

Before Elder Madam Ye could speak, Ye Wenhua declared with a serious face, "I shall build a Buddhist Shrine in my mansion. She will stay here, abstain from meat, and dedicate her time to Buddhist scripture; she will never step out of the mansion."

"Nonsense!" Elder Madam Ye’s face fell as she stared angrily at Ye Wenhua. The efforts she had made to convince Ye Li were not meant to add another shrine and support an idle person in their mansion. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, glanced at Ye Wenhua with a smile, and asked, "Then, what is Grandmother’s intention?" Elder Madam Ye looked up and said, "Since you and Prince Ding do not welcome us, your father and I plan to go to Jiangnan with Ying’er. Considering your sisterly bond with Yue’er, let her come with us."

"Father, do you agree with this?" Ye Li looked at Ye Wenhua and asked calmly. She could not believe that Ye Wenhua was unaware of the relationship between Prince Ding’s Mansion and Mo Jingli. If he also chose to leave, it would mean that he was ready to oppose Prince Ding’s Mansion, in which case she would not have to be courteous anymore.

"No." Ye Wenhua shook his head and said, "I will not leave Licheng, nor will Ye Rong. All I wish for is to see Rong’er get married and start a family." Ye Li was pleased with Ye Wenhua’s decision. Even though she did not care much for Ye Wenhua, she could not change the fact that he was her biological father. Ye Li was not the heartless type who would consider killing her father an ordinary thing. Regardless of the circumstances in this life, her more than twenty years of upbringing in a military family in her previous life had instilled in her a strong moral compass. As long as Ye Wenhua did not cause harm to Prince Ding’s Mansion, she saw no problem in supporting his peaceful retirement. But this was as far as she would go.

While Ye Li was content, the others were not. Ms. Wang of Ye Family and Elder Madam Ye, however, were furious and screamed at Ye Wenhua.

In the past, Ye Wenhua had always compromised before his mother and wife, but this time he was uncharacteristically resolute, refusing to budge no matter how much Elder Madam Ye berated him. Having been a public official for half his life, Ye Wenhua’s intuition was sharper than Elder Madam Ye’s, Ms. Wang’s, and even Ye Yue’s. The moment he showed any inclination towards leaving, it would signify the doom of the entire Ye Family. He believed that Ye Li, out of consideration for their father-daughter bond, wouldn’t take his life, but Mo Xiuyao’s notorious ruthlessness was well known across the land.

Mo Xiuyao, who had been standing aside and watching the drama unfold, seemed to tire of the farce. Rising from his seat, he looked at everyone and asked with a faint smile, "Elder Madam Ye... Do you know that Prince Ding’s Mansion and Great Chu are at odds?"

Elder Madam Ye was taken aback, clearly not understanding the meaning of Mo Xiuyao’s words. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Mo Xiuyao then spoke casually, "Since the Ye Family has settled in Licheng, it is a part of Prince Ding’s Mansion. Now you tell this Prince you intend to take this person with your household to Jiangnan, to seek refuge at Prince Li’s Mansion. This is the person who once tried to assassinate my beloved consort. Can I interpret this as an act of... rebellion?" Elder Madam Ye’s eyes widened in fear, unable to comprehend how this issue could be linked to rebellion. But this did not prevent her from understanding the gravity of the crime.

"What nonsense! We are not part of your Prince Ding’s Mansion!" screamed Ms. Wang.

Mo Xiuyao’s lips curved into a slight smile, "Not part of Prince Ding’s Mansion? Then you must be Mo Jingli’s people. In that case... I can treat you as spies. How about this? In consideration of Ah-Li, I’ll let you choose your own preferred method of death." This time, Elder Madam Ye and Ms. Wang of Ye Family were truly frightened. Shaking uncontrollably, they looked at Mo Xiuyao’s mocking and cruelly beautiful face, sputtering, "No... please..."

Ye Yue, who had remained silent, took a step back and helplessly fell into the chair behind her. After all, she had greatly underestimated Prince Ding’s Mansion’s power. She had carefully calculated everything: escaping a war, following Ms. Wang to Licheng, meeting Mo Jingli, and convincing him as she had hoped. But she hadn’t expected to fail at the last hurdle. At the end of the day, she was just a weak woman who had no real power. No matter how cunning she was, without adequate resources, she was no match for the formidable Prince Ding’s Mansion. Clearly, Ye Yue was that sort of person. Her bargaining chips were useful only to Mo Jingli; to others, they were insignificant.

Mo Xiuyao stood up, walked over to Ye Yue, and leaned towards her. From above, he tilted her chin to get a better look at her. After a while, he said detachedly, "You are the first one who dared to harm Ah-Li. This Prince... has never forgotten you." These words, far from bringing her joy, made Ye Yue shudder, her fear clearly reflected in her beautiful eyes.

However, Ye Yue had managed to escape the Empress Dowager’s and the royal family’s attempts to silence her. She had also hidden from Prince Ding’s Mansion’s search, returned to the Ye Family’s ancestral home in the southwest from the Capital City, and even lived peacefully for many years. Naturally, she was not easily frightened. After composing herself, Ye Yue tried to sound calm and said to Mo Xiuyao, "My Lord, it was the Empress Dowager who forced me to do such a thing to Third Sister. I did it against my will and hence beg for your mercy. I, Ye Yue, am willing to express my gratitude if you spare my life."

"You were forced to do it?" Mo Xiuyao laughed coldly, disdainfully letting go of Ye Yue’s chin. "Do you think this Prince would spare that old crone? This Prince doesn’t care whether you were forced to do it or not. Anyone who harms Ah-Li deserves to die. Even if someone forced you, you should have chosen to die yourself. Why didn’t you die? If you had died, perhaps this Prince would have avenged you. This Prince might have even made your son the emperor."

Encountering such an unreasonable person was not new for Ye Yue. However, this was the first time someone had asked her so casually, "Why didn’t you die?" She was taken aback for a while before she trembled and asked, "My Lord, are you suggesting... The Empress Dowager forced me to kill Third Sister, and I should have chosen to die?"

"Yes." Mo Xiuyao nodded approvingly, "Everyone else can die; only my Ah-Li must not be harmed by anyone. Anyone who dares to harm her, this Prince will make them regret ever being born. You’ve lived long enough; you should be satisfied."

"Madman!" Ye Yue said shakingly, turning to her sister and laughing bitterly, "Third Sister, are you really not afraid of being with such a madman?"

Mo Xiuyao’s expression darkened, and his eyes flashed with a brutal glint. He was about to strike Ye Yue when Ye Li, sitting beside him, reached out and caught his wrist, pulling his raised hand back and intertwining their fingers tightly. Seeing the astonished look in Ye Yue’s eyes, Ye Li gave a faint smile, "Why should I be scared? I believe that if there is one person in this world who would never harm me, it would be him. Don’t you think it’s fortunate to have such a person by your side?"

"Happiness?" Ye Yue looked at the two people standing side by side in front of her, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. Only when she looked back did she realize that she had never experienced happiness in her life. The only pleasant days she could recall were her girlhood days before entering the palace. Even those were only after Madam Xu had passed away and Ms. Wang had been instated as the official wife; before that, she had been merely a concubine-born daughter of the Ye Family. Those days lasted only two or three years. Once she entered the palace, where every step felt like walking on thin ice, where was the happiness to be found? Mo Jingqi had never loved her, and of course, she had never loved Mo Jingqi either, so she could not understand the happiness that Ye Li was talking about. But looking at their tightly clasped hands, she felt unbearably envious and lonely.

"Second Sister, tell me, what did you exchange with Mo Jingli?" Ye Li asked softly.

Ye Yue closed her eyes and remained silent. Ye Li didn’t get angry, but smiled lightly, "Second Sister, I don’t want to resort to torture on you. With your frail constitution, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to withstand it, would you?" Ye Yue said coldly, "What’s the difference whether I can stand it or not? Would Prince Ding spare me?" Mo Xiuyao laughed, "No, but... I seem to recall that the person who examined the corpse reported that the child who died in the fire wasn’t the Fifth Prince. Hmm?"

Ye Yue’s face finally turned ugly. "Mo Xiuyao, you dare!"

"Is there anything in this world that this Prince dares not do?" Mo Xiuyao asked. "You’re quite clever, not bringing that child to Licheng. Does that child look a bit like Mo Jingqi? But you weren’t clever enough; you shouldn’t have brought him to the Northwest."

Ye Yue paled, gritting her teeth. "I’ll talk... Back then, the Emperor administered a drug to Mo Jingli, and I have the antidote..."

Mo Xiuyao frowned, "Antidote? I thought there was no antidote?" He had also asked Shen Yang to study the drug, but Shen Yang had glanced at it and casually discarded it, stating that there was no cure.

Ye Yue said, "There’s nothing in this world that has no cure. Wasn’t even the vicious poison in your body, Prince, neutralized?"

"You know quite a bit." Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. If it weren’t for the fact that this woman had indeed crossed his line, he wouldn’t have minded giving her some praise. Ye Yue ignored him and continued, "The reason why that drug can’t be countered is because both the poison and the antidote come from the same plant, and they can’t be replaced. That means, even if we find the same ingredient, the antidote derived from it can only neutralize the poison extracted from the same plant. Therefore, each batch of poison and antidote is unique. The poison that Mo Jingli took—the antidote is with me."

"If that’s the case, it’s no wonder Mo Jingli dared to act under my watch." Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled. For Mo Jingli, even if Ye Yue was of no other use, just having this antidote was enough for Mo Jingli to do everything possible to take her away. After all, having no son is arguably Mo Jingli’s biggest pain and weakness right now, other than the throne. "Where’s the medicine?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

Ye Yue gritted her teeth. Mo Xiuyao calmly said, "This Prince doesn’t need that medicine; this Prince only needs to ensure Mo Jingli cannot obtain it. Tell me... could this Prince achieve that by killing you right now?"

Against such an opponent, there was nothing she could do but retreat. Finally, Ye Yue unwillingly pulled out a rather conspicuous hairpin from her hair and threw it into Mo Xiuyao’s hand. Mo Xiuyao casually tossed it to Qin Feng at the door, saying, "Take it to Shen Yang to have a look."

Having lost almost all her bargaining chips, Ye Yue seemed to feel much more relaxed. She collapsed into a chair and looked at Mo Xiuyao, "I have nothing more to say. What else do you want?"

Mo Xiuyao was about to say something else when a guard outside reported, "Prince, Princess Consort, Prince Li has arrived."

Mo Xiuyao leaned against Ye Li’s shoulder and laughed quietly, "I really hit Mo Jingli’s Achilles’ heel. He’s right on time."

Ye Li glanced at him helplessly. Is it really appropriate for him to be gloating at a time like this?

After Mo Xiuyao had finished laughing, he took Ye Li’s hand and turned to Ye Wenhua. "Father-in-law?" Ye Wenhua had heard Mo Xiuyao call him ’Father-in-law’ only a few times in his life, but at this moment, he felt it would be better never to hear it at all. A little nervous, he stepped forward. Mo Xiuyao said, "Look after Ye Yue for now. If anything goes wrong... your whole family doesn’t need to stay alive."

"Yes... I understand. I absolutely won’t let them mess around." Ye Wenhua agreed, almost with grateful surprise. He had nearly given up hope of a peaceful resolution today, thinking Ye Yue was doomed. He didn’t expect Mo Xiuyao to unexpectedly relent. Naturally, he agreed immediately. After all, Ye Yue was still his daughter.

Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction and led Ye Li away.

In the study, it was only after all the guards outside had departed that Elder Madam Ye and the others finally managed to catch their breath.

Ms. Wang, choking on her tears, tugged at Ye Wenhua’s sleeve. "Husband, what should we do now?" Ye Wenhua’s face was as still as water, staring at the crying Ms. Wang for a long time. Just when she thought he was about to say something, a harsh slap landed on her face. This slap was even more ruthless and heavier than previous ones. Ms. Wang’s head hit the corner of a table, and blood immediately gushed out.

"Husband?!"

"Father!"

"Wenhua, what are you doing?" The three of them screamed in fright. Ye Wenhua glared menacingly at Ms. Wang and said, "Stay quietly in your room. If you dare to step out half a step, you can take the divorce papers and get out."

"Husband..." Ms. Wang was so frightened that she even forgot to cry. After Ye Wenhua finished speaking, he no longer paid her any mind. He turned to Ye Yue beside him, "And you, if you don’t want to die, don’t try to be clever. If you court death yourself, don’t drag the entire Ye Family down with you." Ye Yue lowered her gaze, her hands hidden in her sleeves tightly clenched. "Father, I understand."

"It’s best that you do," Ye Wenhua said in a deep voice.

"Wenhua..." Elder Madam Ye frowned, displeased with her son’s harsh actions. Ye Wenhua, not allowing her to finish, sternly said, "Mother, do you really want to see the Ye Family line end before you’re satisfied?" Elder Madam Ye was shocked. "How could that be? You are Ye Li’s biological father, surely she wouldn’t dare..."

Ye Wenhua gave a bitter smile. "Li’er might not, but when has Prince Ding ever truly treated me as his father-in-law? Do you not know how many people Prince Ding has killed over the years, Mother? Or do you think he wouldn’t be capable of it?"

Elder Madam Ye fell silent. Never mind how many people Mo Xiuyao had killed on the battlefield over the years; just thinking about how many he had killed solely for Ye Li’s sake... At this thought, Elder Madam Ye couldn’t help but shiver.

Ye Wenhua huffed coldly, ignoring the hesitant Elder Madam Ye, then turned and flicked his sleeves as he departed.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao left the study, side by side, heading towards the front hall. Ye Li asked curiously, "What are you planning to do with Ye Yue?" It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Mo Xiuyao, but letting her off so easily was unlike him. Mo Xiuyao looked down, his eyes filled with a gentle smile as he gazed at Ye Li. "Since she entertained this Prince a bit, I’ll let her be happy for a couple of days."

"Ye Yue doesn’t seem like someone who would resign herself to fate." She managed to narrowly escape death in the Imperial Palace back then, let alone now. Besides, Ye Yue is a clever woman; she must have guessed that Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t truly let her go. Leaving her like this will likely lead to more trouble.

Mo Xiuyao gave a faint smile. "This Prince would be worried if she did resign herself to fate. In the past... didn’t she want to burn Ah-Li to death? Dying so simply would be too lenient for her. Ah-Li, don’t concern yourself with her. Come with this Prince, and let’s go tease Mo Jingli." Saying this, he didn’t give Ye Li time to think, grabbed her hand, and hurried towards the front courtyard.

Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin, who followed behind them, couldn’t help but shiver and exchange a glance. Is the Prince planning to burn Ye Yue alive? If so, we almost pity her. It would have been better if the Prince had killed her directly just now. Also, about teasing Prince Li... Your Highness, are you sure you’re talking about Prince Li and not that little white dog from some foreign tribe that Young Madam Xu keeps?