Imperial Capital 73. Leisurely Life under House Arrest

Ye Li woke up from the darkness, and felt a throbbing pain on her forehead. Ye Li couldn't help but smile bitterly. She was careless after all. Even though she knew that Mo Jingqi was afraid of Prince Dingguo's mansion, she was still sure that he would never dare to touch Princess Dingguo in the palace. But she didn't expect Ye Yue to

Attack yourself. Ye Li did not open her eyes immediately, but lay quietly on the bed for a long time, and then slowly opened her eyes after making sure that there was no one around her.

The situation seemed to be much better than Ye Li had expected. At least she was not imprisoned in a dark cell somewhere, but in a room that looked well decorated. The room was decorated according to the style that the ladies in the capital liked the most. The furnishings in the room were all

It was noble and gorgeous. Even the windows were covered with the smoked silk that the ladies in Beijing loved the most. Ye Li sat up and leaned against the bedpost with a helpless smile. Her body was soft and fluffy. It seemed that Ye Yue had indeed put some terrible poison in her. No wonder the other party dared to put her here.

There was no one guarding the room. He was sure that she would have trouble even walking to the door in her weak body.

With a creaking sound, the door outside the screen was pushed open, and a girl in green came in carrying something. Seeing Ye Li sitting beside the bed, she smiled in surprise and said, "Girl, you are finally done!"

Ye Li looked at her and frowned slightly, "Where is this place? How long have I slept?"

The girl in green put the things in her hand on the table and said with a smile: "Miss, you have been sleeping here for more than two days. You must be hungry after not eating for two days. Xiaoyun prepared some porridge. Would you like to have some first?" Ye Li calmly looked at the girl's clever expression.

A bowl of rice porridge with a light fragrance was brought to Ye Li. Ye Li raised her hands and raised her eyebrows and said, "How can I eat like this?" She was able to sit up now because she was leaning against the pillar at the head of the bed. Even raising her hands was very laborious. How could she hold the rice porridge at the same time?

Eat from your own bowl? The girl in green smiled at Ye Li apologetically and said, "Xiaoyun forgot. Xiaoyun, feed the girl."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thank you so much, Miss Lao."

"Xiaoyun is just a servant girl, young lady, you don't have to be so polite." The girl named Xiaoyun smiled peacefully and sat beside Ye Li's bed with porridge and fed her carefully. She was a little unhappy about being treated as a seriously ill patient, but she was not someone who would abuse herself.

He was hungry for two days and still refused to eat for the sake of his so-called dignity and face. He was asking for trouble. As for this girl who called herself a maid, if she was just an ordinary maid, she would be an idiot.

After dinner, Ye Li still hadn't recovered her strength. Xiao Yun called a maid to come in and clear the dishes away, but she stayed and walked around the room busy. Ye Li looked at her, who seemed busy but actually did nothing, and said lightly: "You

If you have nothing to do, you can find a place to sit down. I feel dizzy from swaying around." Xiaoyun was not embarrassed at all by being exposed. She laughed and said, "Our master is afraid that the girl will be bored alone, so he wants Xiaoyun to accompany her." Ye Li smiled and said, "Your master is thoughtful.

, thank him for me." Xiaoyun nodded, winked playfully and said, "The young master will be very happy to hear the young lady say that."

Ye Li smiled quietly, leaning against the bed and listening to Xiaoyun talking about some random things. Please don't interrupt or ask more questions. This girl named Xiaoyun is definitely well-trained. It is not easy to get anything out of her mouth, but it will make her alert. Now that

Since he was still unable to move, Ye Li didn't bother with it.

After staying in the room obediently for two days, the hidden vigilance and precautions in Miss Xiaoyun's eyes towards Ye Li finally dissipated a little. After breakfast in the morning, Ye Li asked casually, "I want to go out for a walk, okay? I feel like I'm going to be stiff after lying down for two days."

Xiaoyun hesitated for a moment and then agreed. He called two little girls to help Ye Li walk around the garden.

After two days, Ye Li finally stepped out of the room. She couldn't help but breathe in the fresh air, and her originally depressed mood suddenly became much better. Letting the two little girls support her as she walked in the small garden, Ye Li casually looked around the yard. This yard

It wasn't big. Looking at the tender buds that had just sprouted from the treetops on the wall, Ye Li smiled and said, "Help me to sit in the garden for a while. Is your master not here now?" Ye Li pointed to the stone table and chairs in front. The two little girls had obviously been warned in advance.

He obediently accepted Ye Li's instruction and helped her sit down at the stone table, but refused to answer her questions. Ye Li didn't care about this, and in a good mood, he leaned against the table and looked at the flowers and plants in the garden.

It was early spring, and there were no flowers in full bloom. The north was colder than the south, and many flowers and plants were just beginning to sprout. Ye Li seemed to be curiously watching a cluster of inconspicuous yellow flowers blooming in the flowerbed closest to her.

Just as she was about to reach out to pick it, a slightly cool hand grabbed her hand. Ye Li raised her head and looked at Xiaoyun who suddenly appeared in front of her, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

Xiaoyun smiled and said, "Girl, this little flower looks beautiful, but it is poisonous. So, you'd better not touch it."

Ye Li frowned, looking at the bunch of small flower buds and said, "I see this is the only one blooming in the whole garden. Although it is inconspicuous, it looks pretty. I didn't expect it to be poisonous."

Xiaoyun smiled with a hint of pride and said, "Sometimes the most inconspicuous flowers are the most poisonous. Compared to those bright and eye-catching ones that make people wary, these inconspicuous flowers are the real treasures." Ye Li smiled and shook her head and said, "Poisonous flowers are considered

What treasure? If Miss Xiaoyun likes flowers, I have several pots of top-quality orchids in my house. They are in full bloom these days. I can give one to Xiaoyun. "A strange light flashed in Xiaoyun's eyes, and she smiled at Ye Li and said, "Xiaoyun has forgotten that Miss's identity is

Being noble, she naturally doesn't like these insignificant things. However, the flowers and plants in this yard are somewhat dangerous. If the young lady likes them, Xiaoyun will have them replaced with the ones she likes tomorrow."

Ye Li smiled and shook her head, saying: "That's not necessary. Exotic flowers and plants have their own unique beauty, and ordinary flowers and plants also have their own unique charm." And I don't plan to live here for a long time, so I won't bother you to manage the garden.

Xiaoyun smiled and said, "Master, tell us to take good care of the young lady. The young lady can tell Xiaoyun whatever she likes. If Master knows that the young lady is unhappy, I will be in big trouble."

Ye Li turned her beautiful eyes and smiled, "Although I have not met your master yet, I still want to thank him. In this case... I originally made an appointment with my husband to go to see the peach blossoms this year, but now I am afraid that we can't go. Can you please wait until the peach blossoms are in full bloom?"

Can you pick a few branches for me when you get back?" Xiaoyun obviously didn't expect Ye Li's request to be so simple, and said with a generous smile: "Of course, Xiaoyun promises to let you see the earliest peach blossoms this year. Is there anything else that Xiaoyun needs to bring back?" Seeing Xiaoyun

Yun agreed to her request, and Ye Li's smile seemed to be more sincere. She smiled and said, "If possible, bring me some more cosmetics. I want cosmetics from the best cosmetics shop in Beijing, with jasmine scent."

"Jasmine?" Xiaoyun was startled. Ye Li smiled apologetically and said, "This is more ordinary, but I like this smell very much. Sorry to bother you, Miss Xiaoyun."

Xiaoyun shook her head and said, "No, Xiaoyun will definitely get what you want."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Then there is Miss Lao."

Watching Xiaoyun leave, Ye Li leaned against the stone table leisurely, breathing in the fresh air. Her smiling eyes fell lightly on the flowers and plants in the flowerbed that still looked a little withered, and the smile in her eyes became even more joyful.

In the study room of Prince Dingguo's palace

Mo Xiuyao looked at the files spread out in front of him calmly, raised his head and asked Feng Zhiyao who was standing beside him, "What's the news in the palace?"

Feng Zhiyao said seriously: "The people in the palace have already explored Yaohua Palace. Yaohua Palace was newly built during the reign of the previous emperor and there are no secret passages. However, the lotus pond in Yaohua Palace was not dug by humans. It is the same as the river in the palace. The secret guards suspected that the princess was taken away from the water. And... it should have been before the fire in Yaohua Palace."

"and?"

"There are also the bodies of Ye Zhaoyi and the Sixth Prince. Although they have been burned beyond recognition, the secret guards who secretly checked are sure that the female corpse is not Ye Zhaoyi. As for the Sixth Prince...if Ye Zhaoyi is a fake, then the Sixth Prince is most likely still alive."

Mo Xiuyao sneered, "Very good, two people in the palace died, and five people including Ye Zhaoyi and the Sixth Prince are missing. And the secret guards of my Dingguo Palace know nothing."

Feng Zhiyuan sighed helplessly in his heart. Ever since the princess disappeared, the prince's aura has become more and more frightening. He only said a few words without even a trace of anger, but the listeners couldn't help but feel cold all over. No wonder others were unwilling to come in and pushed him in to die, "What's going on with those people in the capital?"

"Mo Jingqi is sending people to search for her secretly. I think he doesn't know the whereabouts of the princess. Mo Jingli did nothing. He went back to his house after leaving the palace that day. He has been doing his job as usual these days. There is no movement from other people. There are no suspicious people coming in and out of the capital recently." Ye Li disappeared as if she had disappeared out of thin air. Feng Zhiyuan was helpless. No one could have imagined that someone would dare to set fire to the palace and kidnap Princess Dingguo. It happened so suddenly that when they wanted to find clues, all the useful clues had disappeared.

"If Ye Yue is not dead yet, she must still be in the palace. I want to see her within three days. It may not be difficult to hide an adult in the palace, but it is not so easy to hide a baby who knows nothing." Mo Xiu Yao said in a deep voice.

"As you command." Feng Zhiyao accepted the order respectfully, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "There is one more thing... The secret guards around the princess, Secret One, Secret Two, Secret Three, and Secret Four are all missing."

Mo Xiuyao was startled, "Missing?"

Feng Zhiyao nodded and said, "These two days, they reported to the commander of the dark guards after the princess disappeared. Because the princess has not been found yet, they put it on hold. But this morning, they found that all four of them were missing." Mo Xiuyao lowered his brows and thought for a moment, then said, "Don't worry about them for now."

"yes."

A secret courtyard somewhere outside of Chujing

Ye Li sat bored by the flowerbed, staring at the peach tree she had just planted. The two mute girls who accompanied her every day just stood not too far away, waiting for her instructions. Ye Li poked the flower buds on the peach tree, curled her lips and played with the flowers and plants beside her. She had lived in this place for five days, and everything was taken care of very well as Xiaoyun said, except that Xiaoyun had been insisting on putting medicine in her meals. However, the need to insist on taking medicine with every meal meant that the effect of the medicine would not last long. Xiaoyun, who was proficient in pharmacology, obviously did not know that there was a type of person whose drug resistance was very amazing. Maybe she knew, but she didn't think Ye Li was one of them. Although Ye Li's current body is not as strong as before due to professional anti-toxic training, she has done some targeted training and conditioning since she knew that she would join the royal palace in the future.

Xiaoyun and her master behind the scenes obviously had no intention of really hurting her, so they gave her a drug that was not harmful to her body, which meant that the drug's durability and effect were both poor, but it was still enough to deal with ordinary people. Now, she could move freely for at least half an hour between each time Xiaoyun gave her the drug, but Ye Li was not in a hurry to escape. Even though she usually only saw Xiaoyun and a few girls who refused to talk, she was still able to detect that there were many people watching her in secret. With her body just recovering from the effects of the drug, it would be a bit difficult for her to escape.

"Miss, I heard that you didn't eat anything today. Is it because the servants didn't cook well and it didn't suit your appetite?" Xiaoyun appeared in the garden and looked at Ye Li who was pulling out weeds. Her eyes twitched, "Miss, that..." Ye Li raised her head and waved the weeds in her hand to her and said, "Are you talking about this? Growing here will affect the growth of the peach tree. I'll pull it out. Anyway, I'm free. What's the matter, Miss Xiaoyun?"

Xiaoyun looked at the weeds that Ye Li had left on the ground with a distressed look on her face, and forced a smile, "If the young lady doesn't like me, I'll ask someone to clean them up, but how can I ask the young lady to do it herself? Xiaoyun also asked someone to make some snacks, would the young lady like to have some?"

Ye Li shook her head and sighed, "It's really boring here. I have nothing to do all day and I can't eat. Can you tell your master that I have been bothering you for so long and it's time to leave."

Xiaoyun smiled calmly and said, "The young master is not at home right now. Xiaoyun would not dare to neglect his guests without permission even if she had the courage to do so. So, if the young lady wants to leave, she will have to wait until the young master comes back."

"I understand." Ye Li said calmly, "I haven't had much appetite these past two days, so you don't need to eat snacks. Miss Xiaoyun, go and do your work."

Xiaoyun looked at Ye Li for a long time, as if evaluating the truth of her words, and finally nodded and said: "In that case, if the young lady is hungry, please send someone to bring it over. When the young master comes back, I will immediately ask him to see the young lady." Xiaoyun bowed and turned away. Ye Li looked at her leaving back, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and the movement of pulling weeds with his hands became faster.

When Ye Li was about to strip half of the flowerbed of grass, Xiaoyun finally asked Ye Li to meet her master with a face that could no longer smile. Ye Li waved her hand and threw away the grass in her hand, patted the dust on her hands, and let the two maids help her to leave with Xiaoyun. Ye Li was helped into an empty room not far from her room. As soon as she entered the door, she saw a tall figure sitting behind a translucent screen. The two little maids helped her sit in a chair and then respectfully left. Xiaoyun gave Ye Li a resentful look and left, not forgetting to close the door when she left. Ye Li couldn't help laughing out loud. She also guessed that Xiaoyun couldn't stand her for much longer. After all, if she had just two more days, she would have pulled out all those precious weeds in her yard.

"What's so funny?" A man's deep voice came from behind the screen.

Ye Li sat back on the chair, staring at the looming figure with a smile on her face and said, "I feel like laughing when I'm in a good mood."

"In a good mood? Aren't you worried at all? Don't you want to know why you are here? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"

Ye Li said lazily, "If you wanted to kill me, you would have killed me long ago. Why waste our time? As for why I am here... Speaking of which, you were able to bring me out of the palace without anyone noticing. It seems that you are quite capable." The man seemed to be in a good mood. He chuckled and said, "What's the point of bringing you out of the palace? You have been at the foot of the capital for seven days, but... neither your useless husband nor the one who is high up in the palace could find a piece of your clothes, right?" Ye Li shrugged and said, "Well, you are indeed quite capable. And you were able to get Ye Yue to help you plot against me. It's not unfair for me to fall this time."

The man snorted and said, "Whether the women of the Ye family look smart or stupid, they all like to think they are right. It doesn't take much to ask them for help. Ye Li, when do you think the Prince's Palace will announce your death?"

"Unless they see my body, Prince Dingguo's Palace will not announce my death." Ye Li said.

"Self-righteous woman! How much do you think Mo Xiuyao thinks of you?" The man's voice was filled with anger.

Ye Li was not angry, and her laughter was more playful, "It seems that whether Mo Xiuyao thinks highly of me or not has nothing to do with you? Are you really not going to come out and meet me, or... are you disgraced? Mo Jingli."

The person behind the screen seemed stunned for a moment. The room was silent for a while, and then a burst of unbridled laughter broke out. The person behind the screen sat up and laughed, "Ye Li, I have underestimated you." The man who walked out from behind the screen was tall and straight, and his handsome face still gave people a cold feeling even when he smiled. Who else could it be but Mo Jingli?

Ye Li sat up, looked at Mo Jingli calmly and said, "Haven't most people in the capital always looked down on the prince?"

Mo Jingli sneered and said, "You are not surprised at all. It seems that you are not one of the majority." Ye Li frowned helplessly, looked at Mo Jingli and said, "Obviously I am also one of the majority. Otherwise, I would never have provoked the prince before. Probably... I would not be in the current situation." Mo Jingli snorted coldly, walked up to Ye Li, looked down at her and asked, "Do you regret it? This king told you that there will be no good results if you go against this king. Mo Xiuyao can't save you."

"Did the prince give me a choice?" Ye Li raised her eyebrows. "In the prince's mind, it was only natural for you to break off the engagement and ruin my reputation. And if I find a better affiliation for myself, would that be a slap in the prince's face? Your Highness Prince Li... who do you think you are?"

"Humph!" Mo Jingli brushed off his sleeves and stepped back, staring at Ye Li with a sinister and overbearing look, "Ye Li, you are always very good at making me angry!"

Ye Li sighed and raised her soft hands. "Your Highness has been keeping things mysterious for so long. Now you should tell me why you brought me here, right?"

"When did you know my identity?" Mo Jingli asked instead of answering.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Well... There are not many people in the capital who have a grudge against me, and even fewer who have a grudge against me and have the courage to kidnap someone in the palace. And the only one who is willing to take this risk and can accomplish it, I think, is the prince." Mo Jingli was obviously not as irritable as usual. After hearing what Ye Li said, he walked to the side and sat down, looking at Ye Li leisurely and said, "Why do you think that the king is willing to take this risk?" Ye Li said calmly, "Princess Dingguo has an accident in the palace. Whether it is the emperor's fault or not, it is the emperor's responsibility. Even if the Dingguo Palace does not cause trouble for the emperor, I am afraid that the ministers in the court and the people will have a very different evaluation of the emperor. Isn't it?"

Mo Jingli was in a good mood, and raised his eyebrows and said, "Yes, Brother Emperor has lost all his face this time. Do you think I don't know that Mo Xiuyao wants me and Brother Emperor to fight so that he can benefit? I want him to take the lead first. Princess Dingguo is missing in the palace, and I don't believe he can still sit still! You see... He has been causing trouble for my brother Emperor these days."

"Is the prince very proud?"

"Shouldn't I be proud?" Mo Jingli smiled at Ye Li, "Does Mo Xiuyao think that I have been the fool that he played around with all my life? Even if he knows that it wasn't my brother who did it, what can he do? Even for the sake of his reputation and face as Prince Ding, he has to find trouble for my brother on my behalf." Ye Li raised her eyebrows and said, "What if he knows that it was you, my Lord, who did it?"

"Do you think I will give him this opportunity?"

I think he is already suspicious of you, Ye Li said silently in her heart.

"You don't seem to be curious at all about what I'm going to do with you?" Mo Jingli frowned as he looked at Ye Li. Ye Li looked up at him, "Using me to threaten Mo Xiuyao? I think... I'm not that important yet." Mo Jingli looked at her and nodded, "To be honest, I'm also a little skeptical about your value in Mo Xiuyao's heart. So, for the time being, I'm not going to use you to make a deal with Mo Xiuyao. And... I suddenly thought of a more interesting way."

"I'm all ears." Ye Li looked at him with average interest.

Ye Li's indifferent reaction did not affect Mo Jingli's high spirits. His eyes moved around Ye Li with satisfaction, and Mo Jingli squinted his eyes and said, "I still remember clearly what happened on the Beauty Lake last time. In fact, I was just joking at that time, but now... I suddenly think this is a good idea. If one day everyone in the world knows that Mo Xiuyao's princess has become my woman... what do you think will happen?" As if he thought of some bright future, Mo Jingli smiled proudly.

By then, you, an idiot, will be killed by Mo Xiuyao...

Ye Li had no doubt that Mo Xiuyao was absolutely capable of washing away any humiliation inflicted on him with the blood of his enemies. If a person in Mo Xiuyao's physical condition could persist in not being knocked down after experiencing such a desperate situation and being secretly plotted, then he would definitely do anything he wanted to do. Such a person was also the most terrifying enemy.

"Ye Li, don't you think this is a good idea?" Mo Jingli looked at Ye Li with a smile in his eyes, as if he was looking at a kitten trapped in a cage. "To be honest, I do regret giving you to Mo Xiuyao, but it's all your fault. If you didn't pretend to be mediocre to deceive me, how could I give up you and marry Ye Ying, that ignorant idiot? Isn't it just right now? Everything is still the same as before, and you will still belong to me." While whispering, Mo Jingli slowly moved towards Ye Li, and his tall figure made Ye Li look even weaker.

"My Lord, I don't recommend you to do this." Ye Li said softly, her voice clear and pleasant. Mo Jingli laughed softly, "I don't need your advice, you just need to be obedient. Ye Li, although you always make me unhappy, I am generous and will not blame you." Ye Li smiled slightly coldly, raised her hand and slowly placed it on Mo Jingli's shoulder, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and her breath was as fragrant as orchid, "Really? Then... I guess my Lord will not blame me if I do this?"

The slightly cool hand fell on Mo Jingli's neck, and it looked like Ye Li was sitting in the chair and stretched out her hand to hold Mo Jingli's neck. But this scene, which should have been tender and sweet, made people feel a bit murderous for no reason. Mo Jingli felt very clearly that there was a sharp object dangerously against his neck, and it could be cut with just a little force. Ye Li smiled and said, "I advise the prince not to act rashly. I just spent a lot of time pulling out flowers and plants in the garden. If I accidentally cut the prince's noble neck, I wonder if Miss Xiaoyun will come to detoxify the prince?"

"Ye Li!" Mo Jingli growled through gritted teeth.

Ye Li raised her eyebrows at him and waved her free hand in front of him. Her nails were long and hard, and were painted with a light iris juice. But the edges of her nails were faintly blue, which made people feel ominous. "Ye Li, you can't escape even if you hurt me." Mo Jingli suppressed his anger and said calmly. Ye Li sighed helplessly, "You said it as if I would let you go if I hurt your prince."

"Ye Li, let me go now and I won't bother with you!" Mo Jingli warned in a deep voice.

The slender fingers on his neck pressed down slightly, successfully shutting Mo Jingli up. Ye Li frowned and said, "My Lord, I'm really tired of you being so self-righteous all the time. I hope this is the last time we deal with each other."

"Don't even think about it!" Mo Jingli sneered.

"Don't be silly. Someone else might be able to bet with me to see who is quicker. But I don't think you will bet with me, because... you never want to die. You still want to live to achieve your ambitions, right?" Ye Li said with a smile.

Mo Jingli took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, "What do you want?"

"I don't want to do anything." Ye Li smiled sweetly, raised her free hand and snapped her fingers, "Secret one, secret two, secret three, secret four."

"Your subordinate greets the princess."

The door was pushed open, and a figure flashed in quickly and then closed the door again. Another figure floated down from the roof silently to the ground, and surrounded Mo Jingli from the left and right, "An Yi, An San, see the princess."

Ye Li nodded with satisfaction, "What about the other two?"

An San said, "A Er and A Si are outside."

"When did you find me?" Ye Li asked.

"Yesterday afternoon."

An Yi coughed lightly and asked, "Princess, should you...let go of Prince Li first?" An San looked up at the ceiling. He did not see the princess and Prince Li leaning against each other in a close manner.

Ye Li raised her eyebrows, "Prince?"

Mo Jingli snorted coldly and said, "Let go."

Ye Li let go of her hand without saying anything. At the same time, two swords were pointed at her back. If Mo Jingli hadn't gone crazy, he would know what to choose. As soon as Ye Li's fingers left his neck, Mo Jingli immediately stood up and stepped back to face An Yi and An San. "How did you get in?"

"Walked in." An San answered honestly.

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes and began to re-evaluate the strength of the two secret guards in front of him. He knew a little about the secret guards of Dingguo Palace. They were indeed very powerful figures, but he had deployed many guards in this courtyard. Only four people could sneak into the garden silently...

"Princess, the current situation is..." An Yi glanced at his unreliable brother and stepped forward to ask for instructions.

Ye Li stood up, stretched his muscles and said, "Notify An Er and An Si to leave. By the way, please ask the prince to give us a ride."

"Xiaoyun's medicine is not effective for you?" Mo Jingli stared at her, Ye Li shook his head, "It is effective, but the time limit has expired." She would not tell him that she also used weeds that were plucked from the garden to prepare the medicine. I got some antidotes. Although they are not completely symptomatic, the so-called Ruanjin Powder is actually not too bad.

"Just now..."

Ye Li smiled, looked at Mo Jingli happily and said, "If you had acted rashly just now, I would have cut off your hands. As for this... don't worry, there is no poison on my hands. Am I not worried about accidentally scratching my skin?"

Mo Jingli was silent for a while, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "This time I lose!"

"Your Highness, you don't have to worry too much about the gains and losses. I didn't win either. Now, Your Highness, what do you want to say?"

"snort!"