Mo Xi and King Shun fought fiercely, and their swords collided with each other, making clanging sounds.
Mu Li watched the situation nervously from the side, ready to help at any time.
At this moment, the Queen Mother's laughter became more shrill, and she shouted: "The Emperor is unkind and disregards the feelings of his brothers. My son is the legitimate son, and the throne should have belonged to Prince Shun!"
"What do you mean it should have belonged to Prince Shun? You are just the queen consort. When you became the queen, His Majesty was already the crown prince!" Mu Li retorted.
"Isn't it all your fault?! My plan of many years was about to succeed, but you were born! It's all because of you that my hundred-year plan has gone to waste!" The Queen Mother pointed at Mu Li angrily, her voice full of anger and resentment.
Her eyes flashed with madness and resentment, as if she wanted to put all the blame on Mu Li. She clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly, as if she would explode at any moment.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You are greedy and now that the matter is exposed, you still blame Ali. It's simply unreasonable!" Mo Xi shouted while confronting King Shun.
Prince Shun took advantage of Mo Xi's distraction and thrust out a sword, about to hit Mo Xi.
Mu Li was quick-witted and quick-handed. She threw the hidden weapon in her hand and deflected Prince Shun's sword.
Mo Xi took the opportunity to counterattack and scratched Prince Shun's arm with a sword.
Prince Shun felt pain and staggered. Mo Xi then slapped him with a palm, and Prince Shun instantly vomited blood and fell to the ground.
"Prince Shun, at this point, why don't you surrender?!" Mo Xi glared at him.
Prince Shun was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
"I have been planning for many years, but failed at the last moment!" Prince Shun said gritting his teeth.
The Queen Mother also calmed down at this time, seemed to have regained some of her sanity, and her eyes were filled with tears of unwillingness.
"It's all my fault. I was too soft-hearted and left the Mu family, this disaster, behind. It harmed myself and Prince Shun." The Queen Mother burst into tears.
"Mother, I don't blame you. It's all my fault for being incompetent! All your painstaking efforts have come to nothing!" Prince Shun struggled to crawl to the Queen Mother, hugged her and cried.
Mo Xi said: "Now that things have come to this, come back with me and apologize to the emperor."
Prince Shun and the Queen Mother were devastated, knowing that the situation was hopeless and they were no longer able to resist.
"Don't think you can sit back and relax after we fall! God wants to kill you, and you have no way out but death! Hahaha..." The Queen Mother suddenly stared at Mu Li viciously and laughed wildly.
"Brother Prince, what does she mean?" Mu Li couldn't understand why the Queen Mother hated her so much.
"Don't be afraid, Ali. No matter what the future holds, I will always be by your side!" Mo Xi held Mu Li's hand tightly and comforted her.
The Queen Mother's laughter echoed in this narrow space, sounding particularly eerie and terrifying.
Mo Xi frowned and said, "Come with me to see the emperor!"
Mu Li stepped forward and said, "Whatever schemes you have, we will crush them one by one."
Afterwards, Mu Li and Mo Xi led Prince Shun and the Queen Mother out of the secret passage.
In the palace, the emperor was anxiously waiting for news.
Seeing Mo Xi and others return, the emperor showed a trace of relief on his face.
"Father, Prince Shun and the Queen Mother have been captured." Mo Xi knelt down to report.
The emperor looked at Prince Shun and the Queen Mother with disappointment and anger in his eyes.
"What you have done really makes me sad!" said the emperor.
Prince Shun and the Queen Mother lowered their heads and remained silent, their expressions unclear.
The emperor frowned in thought and said in a deep voice, "For the sake of our blood relationship, I will spare your lives, but you will never step out of the cold palace in your lifetime."
The Queen Mother and Prince Shun were taken away with expressionless faces.
A palace turmoil was thus settled, and Mo Xi and Mu Li were commended by the emperor for their outstanding performance in this incident.
However, Mu Li always felt a little uneasy in her heart. The Queen Mother's last words seemed like an ominous prophecy, making her feel that things were far from as simple as they had imagined.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, several months have passed.
Today, a special day finally arrived—Mu Li's fourteenth birthday! This day was of great significance to her, signifying that she was about to enter a new stage in her life and begin a brand new journey.
On this day, the entire Mu Mansion was decorated with lights and was bustling with activity. Everyone in the Mu family, Elder Xuanji, and Mu Li's senior brothers had returned to the Mu Mansion early, looking forward to Mu Li's coming-of-age ceremony!
Friends and relatives came to congratulate and give precious gifts and good wishes.
Mu Li, dressed in a pink silk dress with flowing sleeves, looked like a fairy descending to earth. A happy smile graced her face as she moved among the guests, politely responding to everyone's greetings.
Mo Xi also arrived at the Mu Mansion early, holding an exquisite box in his hand, which contained a gift he had carefully prepared for Mu Li.
"Ali, happy birthday!" Mo Xi said gently.
Mu Li accepted the gift and said happily, "Thank you, Prince."
At this moment, Mu Changqing stepped forward and said, "Li'er, today is your birthday. Your father hopes that you will always be happy and worry-free."
Mu Li hugged her father with emotion: "Father, I will."
The banquet began, and delicious dishes were served one by one. Everyone laughed and talked happily, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
However, in this joyful atmosphere, Mu Li discovered that a pair of eyes had been watching her secretly.
Although she had some doubts in her heart, Mu Li quickly put them aside and devoted herself to the joyful birthday celebration.
The guests toasted each other and chatted happily. Mo Xi stayed by Mu Li's side, sharing the joy with her.
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