Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 352 - 351. The Fate of Noble Consort Liu

351. The Fate of Noble Consort Liu

"Treason?" Mo Xiuyao’s calm voice echoed across the quiet room. The once confident and defiant face of Noble Consort Liu instantly wilted. Even her once elegant, white silhouette could not help but shake uncontrollably. She knew all too well how ruthless and heartless the man she once adored could be. Although the Great Chu no longer had any connection with Prince Ding’s Mansion, if Mo Xiuyao learned of her deeds... Noble Consort Liu shuddered, terrified as she gazed at the seemingly indifferent man before her.

Although they initially thought it was suspiciously easy for the Beirong invaders to breach the border pass, none had suspected Noble Consort Liu. However, upon serious consideration, the Liu Family, once trusted and influential ministers under the rule of Mo Jingqi—who did not distinguish between civil and military officials and appointed them freely—could very well have known such information. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that the Liu Family had information about the military deployment of the Great Chu. Although Mo Jingqi had completely renounced the Liu Family before his death, and Mo Jingli had always been on guard against them, they had never considered the aspect of defense deployment. On the surface, these matters seemed to have no connection to the Liu Family. Most importantly, the one who leaked this information to Beirong was not any other member of the Liu Family, but the one who should have been the least likely—Noble Consort Liu.

Looking at the pale, white-clad woman before her, Ye Li sighed silently and shook her head helplessly. Though she deeply despised Noble Consort Liu, Ye Li still remembered the proud woman in white who had scorned her all those years ago. Who could have thought that the once-favored Noble Consort Liu would come to such an end?

"Xiuyao?" Ye Li pondered for a moment, still feeling it was best for Mo Xiuyao to handle Noble Consort Liu personally. Noble Consort Liu’s current plight was indeed pitiful, but she was equally hateful.

Mo Xiuyao gently held Ye Li’s hands, smiling as he said, "This matter... actually doesn’t have much to do with us anymore. Send someone to summon Prince Li and Prince Changxing." Now, Mo Jingli was the Regent Prince of Great Chu, and Noble Consort Liu was Mo Xiaoyun’s biological mother, so it was natural for them to handle her. He believed that Mo Jingli, having been tricked by this woman before, would surely ensure a handling that satisfied him.

Mo Jingli arrived quickly. Having recently suffered a great loss and been thoroughly angered by Mo Xiuyao just days ago, he wore a grim expression. Accompanying him were Ye Ying and Princess Qixia, neither of whom looked particularly pleased. However, compared to Princess Qixia, Ye Ying’s appearance wasn’t too bad. If Mo Jingli were to marry Dongfang You, Princess Qixia would be the biggest victim. After all, Ye Ying at least held the title of Princess Consort, while Princess Qixia had gained nothing over all these years. Her previous attempts to visit Princess Anxi in Licheng had been repeatedly refused on the grounds that the queen needed to rest for her pregnancy. If Mo Jingli truly married a woman of such high standing as Dongfang You, would there be any place left for Princess Qixia in Prince Ding’s Mansion?

Following behind Mo Jingli’s trio were Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning.

"Uncle Prince Ding, Princess Consort, what—" Princess Zhenning’s words were cut short when she saw Noble Consort Liu standing to the side; her expression instantly changed. These days, Princess Zhenning had been applying some medicine from Shen Yang, and the hideous scars on her face showed some visible improvement. Perhaps seeing a glimmer of hope, Princess Zhenning’s mood had improved considerably, and the gloom that usually clouded her features had dissipated significantly. While she might not fully recover, at least she wouldn’t frighten people. But upon seeing Noble Consort Liu, Princess Zhenning’s expression still soured considerably. This was not only because of the suffering Noble Consort Liu had inflicted upon her but, more so, because of what Shen Yang had said at Prince Changxing’s Mansion that day. If before Princess Zhenning had resented her mother for the harm she caused, now it was complete and utter disgust and revulsion. A woman who could repeatedly kill her unborn children for the sake of beauty... Princess Zhenning felt that it was no surprise her mother had nearly killed her.

"Why is she still here?" Princess Zhenning frowned in disgust.

Mo Jingli’s face was also dark. He hadn’t forgotten how Noble Consort Liu had tricked him regarding the whereabouts of their child. He had only refrained from acting due to Yelv Ye’s presence. Now that Yelv Ye was gone, this woman was still here... A cold light flashed in Mo Jingli’s eyes, and his gaze, tinged with hostility, fell on Mo Xiuyao as he asked, "Did you summon me just to see this woman?"

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and calmly recounted what Yelv Ye had said earlier. Upon hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, the expressions of everyone present turned exceedingly grim. Not just Mo Jingli and Mo Xiaoyun, but even Princess Qixia and Ye Ying stared at Noble Consort Liu with shock. Although they were all women, and not necessarily paragons of virtue, frankly, none of them had ever contemplated treason. Even Princess Qixia, despite being with Mo Jingli for so many years, had never thought of revealing secrets vital to the survival of the Nanzhao imperial family to him.

"Liu Yunshang!" Princess Zhenning couldn’t help but shriek, her eyes, fixed on Noble Consort Liu, seemed laced with poison, filled with sinister hatred. This woman... this woman is truly insane! Didn’t she consider what would happen to the Liu Family, to her own children, if she led the Beirong army into Great Chu? Remembering the feeling when the Capital of Great Chu was on the verge of being breached, when she and her brother huddled together awaiting death... It turned out their own biological mother was the cause of it all.

"Bitch!" Mo Jingli’s face was grim as he delivered a vicious slap across her face. There was absolutely no mercy in the blow. Even though Noble Consort Liu knew some martial arts, unlike most women of noble birth, this swift and heavy blow sent her staggering to the ground, her forehead crashing against a nearby chair. Blood trickled from her mouth, and Noble Consort Liu clutched her abdomen in pain. She even spat out a tooth along with blood. Although many days had passed, the wound Princess Zhenning had inflicted earlier had not fully healed. Now, having fallen to the ground, the wound in her abdomen throbbed with a burning pain.

A single slap was far from enough to quench Mo Jingli’s fury. This woman... Great Chu had suffered such a crushing defeat, now forced to retreat to Jiangnan, a territory less than a quarter of its original size, all because of this woman! Seeing Mo Xiuyao now occupying vast lands while he himself could only retreat to Jiangnan made Mo Jingli wish he could dice Noble Consort Liu into a thousand pieces and grind her bones to dust.

"Prince Li." Mo Jingli was about to deliver a few more kicks but was stopped by Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Jingli looked at him coldly, scoffing, "Could it be that Prince Ding still wishes to save this wretched woman? Of course... back then, this woman was deeply infatuated with Prince Ding."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Prince Li misunderstands. I meant to say... don’t dirty my floor. And... don’t set a bad example for the children." Everyone was startled and followed Mo Xiuyao’s gaze to see a small head peeking in from outside the door, its round, wide eyes curiously observing the scene inside. Ye Li’s expression turned slightly grave. She said calmly, "Yuchen, don’t come in."

Mo Xiaobao blinked, waving cheerfully at Ye Li. "Mother, what’s happening here?" As he crossed the threshold into the hall, everyone saw that he was followed by a line of small children. Leng Junhan and Xu Zhirui trailed in behind him. One look at Ye Li’s expression, and Mo Xiaobao knew something was wrong. Mother is angry. He quickly put on an innocent smile and dashed towards Ye Li, when suddenly a white figure flashed past. Noble Consort Liu, who had been sitting on the floor, abruptly sprang up and lunged towards Mo Xiaobao.

"AH?!" A shriek of pain rang out in the hall. Noble Consort Liu clutched her right hand, glaring with hatred at the person before her. A deep, grievous gash crossed her right wrist, blood flowing ceaselessly. Mo Xiaobao, who had narrowly escaped danger, was now enfolded in Ye Li’s embrace; Ye Li’s other hand still gripped a blood-dripping short blade. Mo Xiaobao was so frightened his face turned white. Calling out "Mother," he buried his face in Ye Li’s embrace and refused to move. No matter how clever he was, he was still just a child of around seven or eight. It was already brave of him not to cry out after such a fright. A layer of frost seemed to settle on Ye Li’s usually clear, beautiful, and gentle face. For the first time, a raging killing intent flashed in her eyes as she stared coldly at the woman before her.

Noble Consort Liu had long understood that in this unfamiliar Licheng, falling into the hands of Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli meant a dead end. Her lunge at Mo Xiaobao just now could be described as an all-out, desperate gamble. Yet, she hadn’t expected to fail so utterly. Ye Li’s strike had been utterly merciless; even if she survived, Noble Consort Liu’s right hand would be crippled from this day forward. Although she had often heard people speak of how formidable the martial arts of Prince Ding’s Mansion were, Noble Consort Liu had never truly believed it. She had never truly fought Ye Li, nor had she seen Ye Li fight others much. Ten years ago, Ye Li couldn’t even shoot an arrow properly; she never imagined Ye Li’s movements could be so agile and ruthless.

"Mother..." Mo Xiaobao whimpered in Ye Li’s arms.

Looking down at the child in her arms, Ye Li noticed Mo Xiaobao had grown considerably in the past year or so; she already found it a bit strenuous to carry him. Seeing her son’s reddened eyes, Ye Li’s heart softened. She sheathed her short blade, then carried Mo Xiaobao back to Mo Xiuyao’s side and placed him in Mo Xiuyao’s arms.

Although Mo Xiaobao usually didn’t see eye-to-eye with his father, he was exceptionally obedient at this moment. Sitting in his father’s arms, Mo Xiaobao suddenly felt the fright from moments ago subside considerably, and a touch of color returned to his pale little face. Leng Junhan and Xu Zhirui were also quite frightened. Although they hadn’t clearly seen Ye Li’s and Noble Consort Liu’s actions, they had seen the blood on the floor and the expressions on everyone’s faces. Ye Li called someone to take the two children away. These two were younger than Mo Xiaobao and also less brave; it wouldn’t be good if they were badly frightened.

Mo Xiuyao looked down at Mo Xiaobao, who was squirming uneasily in his arms, and somewhat stiffly raised his hand and patted him, as if to comfort him. However, his gaze towards Noble Consort Liu was so dark that even Mo Jingli couldn’t help but retreat two steps. Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning, who were standing to the side in shock, were even more rooted to the spot. No one saw Mo Xiuyao make a move; they only perceived two blurred shadows flash across the hall, and Mo Xiuyao was already back in his chair, holding Mo Xiaobao. Meanwhile, Noble Consort Liu, who had been leaning against a chair, had once again fallen to the ground. Her limbs lay limply on the ground in a very strange manner; she was completely unable to move. But whereas Ye Li’s earlier cut had made Noble Consort Liu scream so loudly that she could be heard outside, this time, despite such a drastic change, she didn’t even utter a groan.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized it wasn’t that Noble Consort Liu didn’t scream. It was because her mute acupoint had been struck, rendering her completely unable to make a sound. One didn’t need to examine her injuries; just looking at Noble Consort Liu’s savage, contorted expression was enough to know how much pain she was in. But such cruel torture inflicted upon a woman as beautiful as a flower did not elicit any sympathy from anyone present. Even the siblings Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning merely froze for a moment, then turned their heads away, not daring to look further.

Noble Consort Liu trembled all over from the pain. Yet, even exhausting all her remaining strength, she couldn’t utter a single word. She could only stare in horror as the people before her watched her with cold indifference. Noble Consort Liu once thought that the days shortly after she left the Imperial Palace were exceedingly painful, so painful that she never wanted to recall that period. But now she understood that, compared to falling into Mo Xiuyao’s hands, she would rather live those kinds of days for the rest of her life.

Mo Xiaobao sat in Mo Xiuyao’s arms, curiously watching Noble Consort Liu writhing in pain on the ground. Since her limbs were completely immobile, she resembled a worm, her body the only thing squirming on the ground. "Father, what’s wrong with her?" Mo Xiuyao casually patted his small head and said, "She’s bored, so she’s lying on the ground playing." Mo Xiaobao blinked his large eyes, a shrewd glint flashing in their dark depths. Father thinks I’m a fool... This aunty is clearly in a lot of pain. Father is so formidable... even more formidable than Mother and Eldest Maternal Uncle...

Only when Noble Consort Liu had writhed until she had almost no strength left did Mo Xiuyao let out a soft snort and, with a light flick of his left fingers, release her mute acupoint. Noble Consort Liu let out a painful groan, already drenched in sweat and looking utterly wretched. Lying on the ground, she still trembled intermittently from the severe pain. "Mo... Mo Xiuyao, you... you’re ruthless..."

Mo Xiuyao glanced at her indifferently, unconcerned by her accusation. She dared to harm his son, and he was still letting her live. Mo Xiuyao was almost moved by his own benevolence.

"Ah-Li, don’t be angry. I’ll properly train Mo Xiaobao from now on." Seeing Ye Li’s still somewhat cold expression, Mo Xiuyao quickly tried to reassure her. He also shot Mo Xiaobao a look that carried an implicit threat. Mo Xiaobao ducked his small head, nodding repeatedly. "Mother, Xiaobao will learn powerful martial arts from Father in the future. When Xiaobao grows up, I will protect Mother!"

Mo Xiuyao shot him a displeased glare. Scram! Protecting Ah-Li is my job.

Mo Xiaobao looked at his mother earnestly, doing his best to look adorable. Ye Li reached out, stroked his small head, and said with a faint smile, "It was Mother’s fault for letting you come in."

"Mother, I’m sorry. Xiaobao shouldn’t have been greedy for fun and eavesdropped outside," Mo Xiaobao obediently admitted his mistake. SOB, SOB. If I make Mother sad, Father will definitely punish me severely.

However, this scene of motherly love, filial piety, and conjugal affection greatly displeased the onlookers. Mo Jingli glared coldly at Mo Xiuyao. "This Prince isn’t here to watch your family’s harmonious display."

Mo Xiuyao was unfazed, raising his eyebrows in good humor. "Is Prince Li displeased that my family is harmonious?"

Mo Jingli snorted softly, his gaze fixed coldly on Noble Consort Liu as he asked, "This woman, how does Prince Ding intend to dispose of her?" Mo Xiuyao’s sword-like eyebrows raised slightly as he said nonchalantly, "Since this Prince invited Prince Li and Prince Changxing over, this woman is naturally yours to handle. However... because of what just happened, I’ve changed my mind."

"What does Prince Ding intend?" Mo Jingli paid no heed to Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning, clearly not intending to consult them. He only looked at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao’s gaze swept coolly over Noble Consort Liu before he stated calmly, "This Prince wants her life. How you wish to deal with her is none of this Prince’s concern, but whoever dares to let her leave Licheng alive will die with her."

Mo Jingli understood Mo Xiuyao’s meaning. Mo Xiuyao didn’t want Noble Consort Liu to die immediately, but he absolutely would not allow her to live well. Therefore, if they wanted to torture Noble Consort Liu, they were free to do so. If they wanted to save her, they could forget it.

Mo Jingli didn’t mind either; he had no intention of saving Noble Consort Liu. However, torturing her for a while to vent some anger was still a good idea. He happened to have a lot of pent-up frustration these days.

Noble Consort Liu gazed in terror at the people in the hall, only to be met with cold, indifferent eyes.

"No... no... Xiaoyun, Zhenning, Mother Consort was wrong... Save me, I don’t want to die..." Noble Consort Liu pleaded, looking at Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning, begging in a low voice. Her once lofty demeanor had long since vanished completely; to survive, she didn’t mind humbling herself to the dust.

Mo Xiaoyun watched her silently, unmoved. Princess Zhenning, however, slowly stepped forward and squatted down in front of Noble Consort Liu. A flicker of joy appeared in Noble Consort Liu’s heart. She knew that compared to her son, who had been taught by his father since childhood, this daughter had always been much softer-hearted. "Zhenning, Zhenning, Mother Consort was wrong... Save Mother Consort, and Mother Consort will dote on you in the future..."

Princess Zhenning raised a hand and slowly pulled away the veil covering her face, revealing the twisted, hideous scars. Because she had applied medicine, they looked even more terrifying than before. Noble Consort Liu couldn’t help but be startled, frightened by the scars on Princess Zhenning’s face. Princess Zhenning looked at her calmly and said, "You are not my mother consort. My mother consort died two years ago. Do you see this? This is the memento my mother consort left for me. Tell me... would I save you? My brother’s life and mine were also saved by others. I cannot save you..."

Saying this, Princess Zhenning replaced her veil, stood up, and turned to leave.

"No... no, that has nothing to do with me. Don’t... don’t go..." Noble Consort Liu tried to reach out and grab Princess Zhenning, but her broken arm was completely useless. Never mind lifting it to grab someone, she couldn’t even move it an inch. She could only watch helplessly as Princess Zhenning took Mo Xiaoyun’s hand and walked towards the door.

"No! Zhenning, you come back!"

Princess Zhenning’s footsteps paused for a moment at the doorway. Then, pulling Mo Xiaoyun, she quickened her pace and disappeared outside.

The last glimmer of light in Noble Consort Liu’s eyes finally died. Gazing in despair at the empty doorway, she couldn’t stop herself from screaming, "Mo Ning! Mo Xiaoyun! You two unfilial children! Why didn’t I kill you back then?! Even as a ghost, I will not let you go! You wicked offspring..."

Outside the door, hearing the hate-filled curses coming from inside, the siblings paused their steps. A patch of the veil covering Princess Zhenning’s face was also wet. Mo Xiaoyun looked down and took her hand. Princess Zhenning took a deep breath and said, "Let’s go home."

Mo Xiaoyun nodded. "Alright, Sister, let’s go home."

Back in the hall, Noble Consort Liu was still cursing endlessly. Mo Xiuyao’s lips curved slightly. With a wave of his hand, a cold light flashed, and Noble Consort Liu’s shrill voice abruptly stopped. A line of blood seeped from her mute acupoint. Evidently, Mo Xiuyao’s strike had directly injured it; from now on, Noble Consort Liu would never be able to make a sound.

Mo Xiuyao completely ignored Noble Consort Liu’s venomous glare and looked at Mo Jingli. "Now you can take her away."

Mo Jingli looked at Mo Xiuyao with a somewhat complicated expression. "You truly are ruthless." Noble Consort Liu’s limbs were all broken, and she was now mute. Even if such a person lived, she couldn’t cause any significant trouble. It was likely that the longer she lived, the more she would suffer.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly. "This Prince can also give her a quick death right now."

"There’s no need!" Mo Jingli said coldly. He beckoned to the guards waiting outside the door to take Noble Consort Liu away. He glanced at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li and said, "I hope you will honor your commitment." He naturally knew about Ren Qining’s visit to Dongfang Hui, but Prince Ding’s Mansion had made no move, which made him somewhat uneasy.

Mo Xiuyao recalled a piece of news he had heard just last night and said with an amused smile, "Jing Li, there’s a saying: ’Rely on a mountain, and it will collapse; rely on a tree, and it will fall.’ Rather than placing your hopes on others, it’s better to rely on yourself."

"You intend to break our agreement?" Mo Jingli frowned, his voice gloomy.

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Prince Li misunderstands. It’s just that... even if we stop Ren Qining, it doesn’t mean the winner will be Prince Li. Does Prince Li understand?"

Discussing such matters with Ye Li always made Mo Jingli somewhat uncomfortable. He retorted irritably, "As long as you honor your agreement, that’s all that matters. Other matters don’t require your concern."

Ye Li nodded indifferently. "Since that’s the case, Prince Li can rest assured."

Mo Jingli snorted coldly and, ignoring Ye Ying and Princess Qixia who stood by looking bewildered, turned and walked out himself. Princess Qixia and Ye Ying had no choice but to hurry after him.

Only the family of three remained in the hall. Ye Li then turned and looked calmly at Mo Xiaobao. Mo Xiaobao’s small face tensed, and he squeezed out a pitiful smile. Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, casually lifted Mo Xiaobao from his lap, and set him aside. He’s seven or eight years old and still wants to be held, how unseemly!

"Mother..."

Ye Li looked at him calmly. "Why were you in the Mansion today?"

Mo Xiaobao pouted his small lips. "Isn’t this Xiaobao’s home? Mother, saying that makes Xiaobao very sad."

"Stop pretending to cry. You don’t even have half a teardrop." Ye Li mercilessly exposed his little ploy. Mo Xiaobao could only sheepishly lower the small hands covering his eyes; sure enough, they were dry, without even a hint of redness. Mo Xiaobao carefully sidled forward two steps and said with a cheeky smile, "Mother, did Xiaobao do something wrong..."

"Where did you go wrong?" Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiaobao began to count seriously on his small fingers, "Xiaobao shouldn’t have skipped the academy to study, shouldn’t have played with Leng Xiaodai and Zhirui, and shouldn’t have eavesdropped on Mother and Father’s conversation. I shouldn’t have..." He really couldn’t think of anything else he shouldn’t have done, but seeing that his mother still seemed unmoved, Mo Xiaobao had to secretly appeal to his father for help.

Mo Xiuyao watched with amusement as the little rascal, who usually delighted in opposing him, blinked his eyes at him. Rarely feeling charitable, he said, "Alright, Ah-Li. This boy just needs a good lesson. I’ll teach him properly in the future. Don’t upset yourself."

Seeing her son looking at her with such pleading eyes, how could Ye Li still be angry? Rather than being angry at Mo Xiaobao, it was more that she was angry with herself. If she hadn’t called Mo Xiaobao to come in earlier, Mo Xiaobao wouldn’t have been nearly harmed by Noble Consort Liu. However, daring to be lazy and skip the academy—this tendency absolutely must not be encouraged!

"Copy what your great-grandfather taught yesterday twenty times and submit it to him for review tomorrow. Additionally, write a self-criticism. Understood?"

Mo Xiaobao drooped his head dejectedly. So it wasn’t just Father who liked to punish by making him copy things; now Mother did too. WHIMPER, WHIMPER. Great-grandfather, Xiaobao was wrong...