Taiping Lie 368. Going South, Yao Ji's Dilemma

"Wei Wei sent a letter via flying pigeon, saying that Master Qingchen has disappeared!"

"What?!" Hearing this, not only Ye Li, but also Mo Xiuyao and Feng Zhiyao were greatly shocked. Ye Li's face turned pale, and she stood up suddenly but almost fell to the ground. Mo Xiuyao quickly leaned over to help her sit down, and looked at Zhuo Jing and said, "Explain clearly."

Zhuo Jing quickly presented Wei Rui's secret letter and said, "After Master Qingchen had settled the matter in Cangmang Mountain, he led Wei Rui and his party northward to prepare to return to Licheng. However, they were ambushed on the way, and most of the guards accompanying them were killed or injured. Wei Rui was also seriously injured, and Master Qingchen's whereabouts are unknown."

Ye Li silently read the message sent by Wei Rui. Although there were only a few words, Ye Li was well aware of the combat power of Wei Rui and Qilin. The fact that Wei Rui was seriously injured, dozens of Qilin were killed or injured, and Xu Qingchen was kidnapped was enough to prove that the opponent was definitely not simple and had obviously planned it for a long time. This time was different from Xu Qingchen's disappearance in Nanzhao a few years ago. Xu Qingchen's capture that time was more or less within his calculations. Except for outsiders who did not know the truth, there were not many people who were really anxious. But this time, the opponent was able to snatch Xu Qingchen away from the most elite Qilin in Dingwang Mansion, which made people worry about Xu Qingchen's safety.

Mo Xiuyao supported Ye Li and said softly, "Don't worry. If the other party wanted to kill Brother Qingchen, they could have just assassinated him on the spot instead of taking him away. Since they have taken him away, they will not easily harm him."

Ye Li closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. They were all too used to Master Qingchen's intelligence and wisdom. But they forgot that no matter how powerful he was, Xu Qingchen was just a weak scholar. His intelligence was based on the premise that his personal safety was not threatened. If there was a young man who knew martial arts and was unreasonable, Master Qingchen would be helpless.

"Xiu Yao... Big Brother..." Thinking of Xu Qingchen being in danger, Ye Li couldn't help but shudder. Qingchen, the most stunning and beautiful young master in the Xu family in recent generations... If something happened to him... Ye Li could almost imagine what the entire Xu family would be like. After calming down, Ye Li held Mo Xiu Yao's hand, as if trying to draw a little strength from him, "Don't tell my uncle and grandpa about this for now."

Mo Xiuyao was in no mood to be jealous at this moment, so he nodded and said, "I know, Ah Li, don't worry. Brother Qingchen is very intelligent, it won't be easy for him to get into trouble."

Feng Zhiyao looked at Ye Li who was about to collapse, and quietly retreated with Zhuo Jing.

In the big tent, Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in his arms and let her lean on him. Noticing the slight dampness on her chest, Mo Xiuyao felt a pang in his heart. He gently stroked her dark hair and said softly, "Ah Li, don't worry. I will send someone to find him immediately. He will be fine."

Ye Li whispered, "Big brother is an extraordinary person who is not involved in the mundane world. If it weren't for me... the Xu family and big brother wouldn't..." Mo Xiu Yao hugged her tightly and said, "It's not A'li's fault, it's all because of me. It's me who implicated A'li and Brother Qingchen. A'li, don't blame yourself, it's my fault... But, even if A'li thinks I'm not good, you can't leave me, I won't let go." Looking at Ye Li with red eyes, Mo Xiu Yao said in a deep voice.

"I won't leave you." Ye Li grabbed his collar tightly and said firmly: "As long as I'm alive, I will never leave you. It's just...it's just that I'm scared. If something really happens to my brother..."

"We don't even know what happened, and we're scaring ourselves." Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Ah Li, don't you believe in your brother's ability? Do you think something bad will happen to him? Now we should think about what to do."

Ye Li quickly calmed down. Whether or not there was any trouble, finding Xu Qingchen was the most important thing. Otherwise, there was no point in crying here. After calming down, Ye Li asked, "Who do you think... is going to capture Big Brother?"

Xu Qingchen pondered for a moment and said, "In the south, there are only three parties who can kidnap people from Wei Rui, Lei Zhenting, Xiling Emperor, and Mo Jingli. However, Xiling Emperor is not so brave, and there is no need for him to do so. Lei Zhenting... Brother Xu is always in his territory, so we should suspect him first. If he really wants to kidnap people, it is better to just arrest him directly. It will cause a quarrel anyway, and it is better to do something sneaky."

"That's Mo Jingli?" Ye Li's eyes flashed with a cold light, "Why did he want to capture my eldest brother? In order to control the palace?"

Mo Xiuyao was also a little confused. Mo Jingli was now separated from them by Lei Zhenting. Even if he captured Xu Qingchen, what could he get in exchange for the Ding Palace? He shook his head and said, "Mo Jingli's thoughts are sometimes very difficult to understand. Besides, this is just our guess. I believe that the news will be sent back from the south soon, so Ah Li doesn't need to worry."

Ye Li nodded somewhat uneasily. After a moment of silence, Ye Li finally spoke: "If there is still no news about my elder brother, I want to go to Jiangnan in person." Mo Xiuyao was stunned and did not speak for a long time. After a long time, just when Ye Li thought he was going to object, he heard Mo Xiuyao sigh softly and said: "I can't go with you. Ah Li, be careful. It's best to come back before Beirong and Xiling form an alliance, otherwise you will be in danger there."

Ye Li nodded and whispered, "Don't worry, I will be back as soon as possible."

As Mo Xiuyao said, the next morning, Wei Rui sent someone from the south to deliver a secret letter, which detailed the whole story. It turned out that Wei Rui was worried that something might happen on the way to deliver the letter, so he sent someone to deliver the letter back on a fast horse. After reading the letter, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao frowned even more. It was impossible for Lei Zhenting not to be alarmed by the disappearance of Master Qingchen in Lei Zhenting's territory. The letter said that Lei Zhenting even wanted to detain Wei Rui and others. However, Ye Li was not worried about Wei Rui's safety. With their abilities, if they wanted to leave, naturally no one could stop them. Even Lei Zhenting, one of the four great masters in the world. Moreover, with Lei Zhenting's identity, he would never personally take action to embarrass Wei Rui and others.

After reading Wei Rui's letter, Ye Li could only sigh and said, "It seems that I still have to go to Jiangnan in person. I'm just afraid... my elder brother was taken to Da Chu by Mo Jingli." Compared with Mo Jingli, Ye Li actually prefers to deal with Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting is a smart man, and smart people naturally know what to do and what not to do. On the contrary, people like Mo Jingli will do things from time to time even though they know they can't do them. He just does things that he shouldn't do.

Mo Xiuyao also knew that Xu Qingchen's safety was of the utmost importance, so he said softly without saying much, "Be careful."

Ye Li nodded and promised in a deep voice: "I will be back as soon as possible, don't worry."

That night, Ye Li led Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, Xu Qingfeng and other people and three teams of Qilin to secretly leave the Mo family army camp, avoiding the forces of Xiling and Beirong, and sailed down from the east to Jiangnan. Along the way, the secret guards of the Mo family army naturally passed the news of Jiangnan to Ye Li. After knowing that Xu Qingchen was indeed not in Lei Zhenting's hands, Ye Li did not intend to provoke Lei Zhenting again, and directly took a boat across the river to the land, and arrived at the territory of Da Chu, which was controlled by Mo Jingli, and was now called Nan Chu.

This new Chu capital is not big, it is called Nanjing. It is just the place where Mo Jingli was the prince of Li when he was the fief. After two years of governance, although the area is not large, it has become much more prosperous. After all, the foundation of the Great Chu is deep and it cannot be compared with the castle in the sky like the northern border. Ye Li disguised himself as a man in white. Now Ye Li is getting older. Unlike the slightly childish young man in white, he is still handsome now, but he looks elegant and outstanding. Compared with the Qingchen Master who is known as the best master in the world, he is not much worse.

Zhuo Jing, Lin Han and others were all Ye Li's confidants, and naturally they had met many people, and they all changed their appearances. There were more than a dozen people in the group. It looked like a family of subordinates traveling with a noble son. Although Da Chu was now in a remote corner, it was still a place with rich culture, and they did not seem to be very conspicuous when they entered the capital.

Wei Rui had already arrived in Nanjing before Ye Li and the others came. Although Nanjing is now controlled by Mo Jingli and Cangmangshan, there are inevitably many spies from the Ding Palace. Naturally, a suitable residence has been prepared long ago. On a street not far from the Regent Palace, which is full of wealthy businessmen and dignitaries, the plaque on the gate has the words "Chu Mansion" hung on it. People nearby only know that the Chu family was originally a prominent family in Yunzhou. Although it is not as famous as the Xu family, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, it is also a scholarly family that has been passed down for generations. And this mansion is a separate courtyard of the Chu family in Nanjing. Seeing people coming in and out these few days, naturally, they thought that the master of the Chu family came here to stay for a while. Apart from a few people nearby who sent gifts, it didn't attract anyone's attention.

Ye Li and his party settled down in Chu's house, and before they had time to rest, all kinds of intelligence from Nanjing City were continuously sent to the house. But what worried Ye Li was that none of them had anything to do with Xu Qingchen. The only thing that was clear was that a few days ago, someone saw a group of people mysteriously taking a person across the Yunlan River. But whether that person was Master Qingchen, and where those people went, no one knew.

Seeing Ye Li's frowning face, Xu Qingfeng comforted her in a gentle voice, "Big brother is blessed with a long life, it won't be that easy for him to get into trouble. Li'er, don't worry too much." Actually, Xu Qingfeng, as a younger brother, was in trouble. How could he not be worried? But seeing Ye Li so worried, he had to comfort her. He felt extremely guilty as well. As a brother, he should have shouldered the responsibility when encountering such a thing. But he also knew that he was still a little inferior to Ye Li, and he couldn't bear to see Ye Li suffer so much and still worry about Xu Qingchen's situation.

Ye Li shook her head helplessly and said, "If it weren't for us, if it weren't for Prince Ding's Mansion, how could Big Brother have encountered such a thing?"

Xu Qingfeng shook his head nonchalantly and said, "Anything can happen to you at any time. What happened to my brother may not be caused by Prince Ding's Mansion. Maybe someone who coveted my brother's beauty kidnapped him to be the leader of a powerful faction." Xu Qingchen said this just to make Ye Li laugh, but it reminded Ye Li of the time when Xu Qingchen was captured by Shu Manlin in Nanzhao. She couldn't help but smile and shook her head helplessly.

While smiling, Ye Li suddenly felt something in her heart and frowned slightly.

Xu Qingfeng noticed that she looked strange, and asked quickly, "What's wrong? What did you think of?"

Ye Li frowned and said in a deep voice: "Let someone check what Dongfang You was doing a few days ago." Although Xu Qingfeng had only met Dongfang You once at Mr. Qingyun's banquet, he had long known about this woman who had dared to pester his eldest brother so much in many years. He frowned and said: "You suspect that it was Dongfang You who did it? But... she is Mo Jingli's princess, how could Mo Jingli allow her..."

"She is still the young master of Cangmang Mountain. Although Cangmang Mountain's power in Xiling and the north is almost completely destroyed, its power in Jiangnan has not been damaged. Moreover, after nearly a hundred years of operation, the foundation is not weak. I am afraid that even if she wants to do something, Mo Jingli may not know." Ye Li said slowly. Originally, Ye Li did not doubt Dongfang You. Dongfang You's personality did not seem like someone who could do such a thing. However, she ignored the fact that Dongfang You was a woman. After experiencing Xu Qingchen's rejection and being forced to marry Mo Jingli, it was hard to say whether Dongfang You's personality would change. Dongfang You herself was a disciple of Dongfang Hui of Cangmang Mountain. Even Dongfang Hui personally admitted that Dongfang You's intelligence was better than hers. Once Dongfang You's personality changes and she is no longer ignorant of the ways of the world as before, she will become a more terrifying person than Dongfang Hui.

Speaking of Dongfang You, Wei Rui frowned and said, "Dongfang You betrayed Dongfang Hui."

Hearing this, everyone immediately turned their attention to Wei Rui. Wei Rui followed Xu Qingchen southward this time and stayed by his side. Xu Qingchen was also responsible for the matter of Cangmang Mountain this time, and Ye Li and others were not clear about the specific situation. Hearing Wei Rui say this, they were surprised. Dongfang Hui raised and taught Dongfang You, and I am afraid that Dongfang Hui herself has never thought that Dongfang You would betray her.

Wei Rui said: "After Cangmang Mountain was breached, Dongfang Hui had a chance to escape back to Jiangnan. But we learned in advance that Cangmang Mountain had several contact points near Yunlan River, so we just waited and caught Dongfang Hui. Although the person who sent the letter to us has never appeared, Master Qingchen said that there is an 80% chance that it is Dongfang You."

"I never thought that Madam Dongfang would die at the hands of her most beloved disciple." After listening to Wei Rui's explanation, Ye Li couldn't help but sigh. Apart from forcing Dongfang You to marry Xu Qingchen, Ye Li didn't have much ill will towards Dongfang Hui. After all, a woman who could support the entire Cangmang Mountain by herself must have some special qualities. Compared to dying at the hands of her most trusted and beloved disciple, I'm afraid Dongfang Hui would rather die at the hands of Xu Qingchen and Lei Tengfeng.

"In this case, Dongfang You is very likely to have already mastered the remaining power of Cangmang Mountain. Then, the possibility of my brother being in her hands is also much greater." Ye Li pondered. Qin Feng asked with some doubt: "Dongfang You is like that, can he do such a thing?" In Qin Feng's opinion, Dongfang You is completely a nymphomaniac.

Ye Li shook her head and said, "Dongfang You's martial arts are better than you and me. It is said that her medical skills are also good. She is even proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, strategy and military tactics. How can a woman who can learn so much be a fool? It depends on whether she can open her mind. If she doesn't open her mind, she will be a fool in the eyes of outsiders. Once she understands everything... she will be the most terrifying person. I'm afraid that Dongfang Hui will never understand why Dongfang You wanted to kill her until she dies."

With a deep sigh, Ye Li said to Qin Feng: "Go and send a message to Yao Ji. I have something to ask her."

Qin Feng was stunned, then nodded and said, "I obey your command."

In the most upscale teahouse in Nanjing, Zhaixinglou, a beautiful young woman walked in slowly with a child who looked about eight or nine years old, and everyone in the hall looked over. This young woman was naturally Yao Ji, the concubine of the Marquis of Muyang Mansion, and the young master of the Marquis of Muyang Mansion. After moving his family south, Marquis Muyang was somewhat disheartened, so he passed the title of Marquis of Muyang to his son Mu Yang, and he just stayed at home every day to enjoy his grandchildren and live a carefree life. Mu Yang was also a very capable and ambitious person. Although Mo Jingqi was gone, the Marquis of Muyang Mansion gradually became close to Mo Jingli, and the Marquis of Muyang Mansion became more and more prosperous in the past two years. The fact that the beautiful concubine Yao Ji of the Marquis of Muyang was almost on an equal footing with the principal wife was naturally a hot topic in Nanjing. Yao Ji became the object of hatred for all the principal wives and the object of imitation for the concubines.

As soon as Yao Ji came in, the shopkeeper hurriedly greeted her attentively, "Mrs. Mu, young master, please go upstairs."

Yao Ji smiled and said, "Thank you very much. Is my chamber still available?"

The shopkeeper smiled flatteringly and said, "It is our blessing that Madam Mu likes the tea and snacks in our small building. I will naturally keep the chamber that Madam likes at all times." Everyone in Nanjing City knows that although the current Marquis Muyang has several wives and concubines, he only dotes on this concubine. This Madam Yao Ji was originally a dancer in the Qingchengfang of Chujing and was known as the best dancer in Chujing. Her beauty and charm are naturally unmatched by ordinary people. Moreover, Madam Yao Ji is very generous because of the Marquis Muyang's favor. Even if she doesn't come, she will ask people to buy some snacks every day. Zhaixinglou is naturally happy to reserve a chamber for her as a special favor.

Yao Ji smiled and said thank you, then took the child beside her and went upstairs, leaving behind only her charming figure and clear and moving laughter.

When her figure disappeared from the upper floors, the people downstairs couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and started talking about it.

"This Madam Yao Ji is indeed the best dancer of the year. Although she is not young anymore, her beauty is so stunning that even the Princess of Li cannot match her." Ye Ying, the current Princess Rong, one of the two concubines of the Prince of Li, was once known as the most beautiful woman in the capital. But now, the only thing people remember about her is the sister of Princess Ding. She is not as beautiful as Yao Ji.

"Marquis Muyang is so blessed, no wonder he dotes on Madam Yao Ji so much." It's a pity that Madam Muyang was originally a lady from a famous family, a beautiful lady. It's a pity that she can only be eclipsed by the dazzling Yao Ji.

Yao Ji led Mu Lie upstairs and entered the private room where she usually stayed. Someone was already waiting for her inside. Seeing Ye Li sitting in the private room drinking tea, Yao Ji couldn't help but smile and said, "Where did this elegant gentleman come from?"

Ye Li looked at her with a smile and said, "Yao Ji, you are still as charming as ever after not seeing you for a long time. Mu Lie, come and sit down." Mu Lie still looked less than ten years old, but he was already acting like a little adult. He looked at Ye Li with some curiosity and replied respectfully, "Yes, thank you, Princess."

Ye Li shook her head, looked at Yao Ji and said, "How could you raise such a serious child with your personality?"

Yao Ji said helplessly: "How can I teach him? He is the one teaching me." Yao Ji also sat down. When she saw Qin Feng sitting not far behind Ye Li, she was slightly startled and turned away as if she didn't care.

Yao Ji also knew that the war in the north was just beginning, and Ye Li had come all the way to Jiangnan for a serious matter, so she told Ye Li everything that had happened in Nanjing in the past few days. Ye Li frowned after hearing this and said, "You didn't hear any news about Brother Si Hao in Nanjing?" Yao Ji smiled helplessly and said, "After hearing the news that Master Qingchen was missing, I have been paying close attention to the movements inside and outside Chujing, but there was no news about Master Qingchen. Yao Ji can guarantee that no matter whether Master Qingchen was kidnapped by the people in Nanjing, at least... Master Qingchen is definitely no longer in Nanjing at this time."

Seeing Ye Li frowning, Yao Ji's eyebrows also wrinkled slightly. To be honest, this matter is indeed a bit bizarre. Master Qingchen is not a passerby like Amao and Age. He is very noticeable no matter where he is. And with Master Qingchen's intelligence, as long as he is still alive, he will leave some clues for them anyway. But this. But these days, the people in Dingwang Mansion have searched almost all of Jiangnan, but there is no news about Master Qingchen.

Suddenly, Yao Ji remembered something and said in a deep voice, "Oh, right, before Master Qingchen disappeared, I sent him a secret letter."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up. Yao Ji said, "The secret letter was sent from the Regent Palace. Because the princess and the prince were both at the border, the affairs of Jiangnan were now in the hands of Master Qingchen. So the secret letter was also sent directly to Master Qingchen. At that time... it was the day after Dongfang Hui died."

"After Dongfang Hui was killed, the news from Prince Li's Mansion..." Ye Li pondered. The news from Ye Ying at such a coincidence must be related to Dongfang You.

"Wei Rui, do you know what is written in the secret letter?"

Wei Rui shook his head in frustration and said, "I was not with Master Qingchen at the time. Master Qingchen then ordered me to go and tell him something. But the assassin arrived just as I arrived at his door. Afterwards... the secret letter was either taken away by the other party or destroyed by Master Qingchen."

Qin Feng said, "There is no bad news about Princess Li from the Regent Palace, so the secret letter should not have been leaked."

Ye Li sighed helplessly and said, "Then we can only find a breakthrough from Prince Li's Mansion. Yao Ji, is there any news about Mo Jingli's son?"

Yao Ji nodded and whispered a few words in Ye Li's ear with a smile. Ye Li raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Are you sure?"

"It's absolutely true." Yao Ji smiled, "It was confirmed two months ago, but the news was too important and I was worried about losing it. I specially asked someone to personally send it back to Licheng. But I didn't expect that Master Qingchen and the princess would come to Jiangnan one after another."

Ye Li sighed, "It's not too late after all. Mo Jingli has already got the antidote. After this, I'm afraid this news will be worthless."

Yao Ji smiled and covered her lips, "That may not be the case. Mo Jingli was given a heavy drug by Mo Jingqi. Even if there is an antidote, it will take a long time to take effect. But the King of Li is impatient. As soon as he returned to Jiangnan, he married four or five daughters of court officials into his mansion. It's a pity that there has been no news. I heard that the King of Li suspected that the prince had cheated him with fake medicine and was holding back his anger. What's more, even if it doesn't work on the father, the child will always work on the mother." At this point, Yao Ji couldn't help but sigh softly, and she felt a little sympathetic to Ye Ying. A mother is strong. If it weren't for the children, how could she give up her happy life in Licheng and stay in Muyanghou Mansion for so many years.

The Marquis of Muyang Mansion had long been hated by Prince Ding, but her son was Mu Yang's son. If she wanted her son to live a peaceful life, she could only be loyal to the Prince of Ding Mansion. Moreover, Princess Ding had saved her and her child's life, and the Marquis of Muyang Mansion... Even if Mu Yang knew what those people had done to her and her child, he would never do anything for them, but just pamper her in his own way. Mu Yang thought he loved her very much, and maybe he really loved her. But his love was no longer what she and her child needed. As early as when she brought Mu Lie back to the Marquis of Muyang Mansion, she was no longer the Yao Ji who loved and hated Mu Yang. She was just a spy planted by Prince Ding's Mansion in the Marquis of Muyang Mansion and Da Chu. From then on, there was no love or hate, only stance.

Ye Li nodded and said, "I will go see Ye Ying later."

Yao Ji nodded and said, "I will try to arrange it. If the princess has nothing else to do, we will go back first." Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "After you find your elder brother, you and Mu Lie can go back to Licheng." Hearing this, Yao Ji was startled. She has been in the Marquis Muyang Mansion for more than two years and has already become an extremely important nail in the Dingwang Mansion in Nanjing. Although it cannot be said that she is irreplaceable, it would be difficult to deal with if she suddenly disappeared.

"Princess, this is..."

Ye Li looked up at her and smiled faintly: "You have done what you should do. There is no need to waste your time in Jiangnan."

Yao Ji was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yao Ji understands. Thank you, Princess."

Yao Ji took Mu Lie out of the door. Qin Feng frowned and looked at Ye Li with some concern, saying, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for the princess to tell her this now?" Ye Li smiled and looked at him and said, "You don't believe her?"

Qin Feng's face was slightly stiff, and he sighed for a long while and said, "Maybe." In fact, Qin Feng himself didn't quite understand what was going on between him and Yao Ji. He had never forgotten the haggard and thin woman he had rescued, but he was not sure what Yao Ji thought of him. If Yao Ji had feelings for him, why would she ask the prince and princess to leave Licheng and return to Muyang Marquis's mansion without hesitation? And if he really loved Yao Ji, why couldn't he trust her completely? But when the princess tested Yao Ji for the first time, he was worried that Yao Ji would betray him?

Seeing Qin Feng's unhappy face, Ye Li smiled and said, "Don't think too much. It's natural for you to worry. There is no completely unconditional trust in this world. Otherwise, why would I tell her all this at this time? I would rather she think clearly now than wait until the future to regret and stab me in the back." It's not that Ye Li doesn't believe in Yao Ji's loyalty, but a woman's life is most likely to be shaken by two people. One is the lover, and the other is the children. Even Ye Li herself dare not guarantee that she will not do something that she knows she shouldn't do for Mo Xiuyao and the three children. Giving Yao Ji a buffer now is much better than asking her to accept it suddenly. Even if Yao Ji has any problems, they can always find ways to make up for it.

As early as the moment Ye Li arrived in Nanjing, it was destined that the Marquis of Muyang Mansion would end. Mo Xiuyao hated and disliked many people. The former Marquis of Muyang was undoubtedly one of them. Since he was already here, Ye Li didn't mind ending it for him in advance. Moreover, once Mo Jingli agreed to form an alliance with Xiling Beirong, the Marquis of Muyang Mansion would become the enemy of Prince Ding's Mansion, so it would be okay to get rid of it first.

Qin Feng was silent for a long time, then looked at Ye Li and said, "Princess, please leave the affairs of the Marquis Muyang Mansion to me."

Ye Li hesitated, "Have you thought it through? Originally, I thought it would be more appropriate to let Zhuo Jing and Lin Han handle this matter." Qin Feng smiled and said, "Thank you, Princess. I will never let you down."

Ye Li sighed and said, "You should know..." If the Muyang Marquisate was destroyed by Qin Feng, Yao Ji's future with him would be in suspense. Even if Yao Ji didn't love Mu Yang anymore, he was still her son's father.

"I understand." Qin Feng smiled faintly, but his tone was as firm as a rock.

"In that case, let Lin Han go with you. If there is anything inconvenient, let Lin Han do it." Ye Li said. Lin Han nodded and said, "I obey your command." Lin Han certainly understood what the princess meant. If the time came when Qin Feng needed to personally kill someone in the Marquis of Muyang's mansion, Lin Han could do it for him.

"Thank you, Princess."

In the Marquis Muyang's mansion, Yao Ji calmly led Mu Lie to her courtyard. However, they were blocked by someone who suddenly stood in front of them. Yao Ji looked up at the women standing in front of her, her face slightly gloomy.

The former young lady, now the wife of Marquis Muyang, looked at the woman in front of her who was already over 30 years old and still charming and attractive, her eyes were full of jealousy and resentment. She shrieked, "Where did Madam Side go?"

Yao Ji was in a bad mood, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she said lightly: "What does it have to do with you?"

The face of Marquis Muyang's wife froze, and her originally pretty face instantly became a little sinister. She gritted her teeth and said, "Yao Ji, you are too arrogant! Don't forget, I am the Marquis Muyang's wife!" Yao Ji glanced at her and said indifferently, "So what? You can keep your position as Marquis Muyang's wife, no one will compete with you. If you want, you can also keep the position of concubine."

"You..." Lady Muyang gnashed her teeth, wishing she could tear the woman in front of her to pieces. She was a lady from a famous family, but she actually lost to a woman from a teaching school. Not only had she been ignored by Muyang over the years, but she was also laughed at by the noble ladies outside. Lady Muyang had forgotten how much Yao Ji had suffered because of her, and even nearly lost her life. If she hadn't pressed her hard, Yao Ji would have lived in hiding with her child for the rest of her life. How could she have become a spy in Prince Ding's mansion and come back to compete with her for favor?

Yao Ji glanced impatiently at the charming women behind her. These women were specially selected for Mu Yang by Marquis Muyang's wife in the past two years to show her kindness, and some were sent by officials. However, because of Yao Ji's exclusive favor, these women could only put aside their ambitions and stand behind Marquis Muyang to deal with Yao Ji together. Unfortunately, for Yao Ji, who had experienced countless things, these people were still too naive. Even if they joined forces, they never got any advantage over her.

Yao Ji was in a bad mood at the moment, so naturally she had no time to chat with these women. She looked up at the wife of Marquis Muyang and smiled, and whispered, "Madam, there is actually something I have wanted to tell you for a long time."

"What do you want to say?" Lady Muyang stared at Yao Ji warily. Yao Ji smiled coldly, "I've always wanted to tell you... Actually, it's useless for you to keep targeting me. Muyang is not interested in you, shouldn't you reflect on yourself? As a woman, you make your husband feel so bored that he doesn't even want to look at you. I really feel sorry for you."

After saying this, without caring about Marquis Muyang's wife who turned pale in an instant, Yao Ji waved her sleeves and turned to go to her own courtyard.

"Are you in a bad mood?" Mu Lie followed her. Although he seemed to be walking slowly, he kept two or three steps away from Yao Ji who was walking fast. After returning to Yao Ji's yard, Mu Lie asked calmly.

Yao Ji was startled and shook her head, "Nothing."

Mu Lie leaned against the pillar, looked at her quietly and said, "I will be able to return to Licheng soon and see your son. Aren't you happy?" After spending these years together, Mu Lie has developed some feelings for Yao Ji. He is an orphan and doesn't know his biological mother is Mu Yang. But every time he sees Yao Ji missing her son, he still doesn't want Yao Ji to regret for the rest of her life because of a mistake.

Yao Ji smiled bitterly with some helplessness. Mu Yang was the father of her son, whether she loved him or not, this was an unchangeable fact, how could she be happy?

Mu Lie looked at her and said, "If you can't accept it, you can tell the princess to leave first. The princess won't make it difficult for you. I can do it alone." Both Yao Ji and Mu Lie are smart people. When Ye Li asked them to go back to Licheng together, Yao Ji knew that the princess was going to take action against Muyang Marquis's Mansion. In fact, there were many people who could be sent to Chujing that year, and Yao Ji would not be a must-have. The reason why Yao Ji was chosen was undoubtedly because of the hostility of Prince Ding towards Muyang Marquis's Mansion. Yao Ji naturally knew that Muyang Marquis led his troops to besiege Ye Li, so that Ye Li was forced to fall off a cliff by Prince Zhennan.

Yao Ji smiled faintly, looked at Mu Lie and said, "Thank you, I'm fine."

Mu Lie frowned, and his young face showed a trace of worry. Yao Ji raised her hand and rubbed his head and said, "You are just a child, why do you think so much?"

Mu Lie slapped her hand away in displeasure and said, "I'm not a child anymore. Forget it, do whatever you want. Don't forget that your son is still waiting for you in Licheng. And... I have to go back to Licheng to Qilin. If you make it impossible for me to go back... I will kill you."

Yao Ji couldn't help but smile, and watched Mu Lie turn around and walk out the door. When he reached the door, Mu Lie paused and turned back and said, "I think Commander Qin is very good to you. You might as well consider it. Commander Qin is much better than that Mu Yang. At least Commander Qin hasn't been philandering for a few years since you left. Look at your previous vision. I am embarrassed to look down on you." After saying that, he waved his hand and walked out without caring about Yao Ji's change of expression.

With a faint sigh, Yao Ji reached out to open the jewelry box in front of the dressing table, and found an inconspicuous box hidden in the corner of the bottom layer from among the various jewelry. She opened the box, and inside was a jade lotus hairpin. She didn't know why she kept this hairpin with her. When she left Licheng for Chujing, she had already made the decision to never get involved in love again. Qin Feng was her savior and the confidant of Princess Ding. He controlled the most elite Qilin in the Ding Palace. In fact, even Princess Ding's third brother, the third son of the Xu family, was his subordinate. Such a person...even if he was not famous, he was not worthy of a woman like her who came from a teaching academy and had a child.

If she could choose, she would rather have met a man like Qin Feng than Mu Yangyao. Perhaps all the good men in the world are in Prince Ding's Mansion, or perhaps it is because of Prince Ding's deep affection for the princess that most of the men in Prince Ding's Mansion seem to be loyal. Even though Mu Yang doted on her to the point that everyone in Nanjing knew about it, the number of concubines and maids in the Marquis Muyang's Mansion was no less than any other family. Mu Yang was a beautiful and romantic dream in her best years, but when she woke up, there was no trace left, leaving only a faint sadness. And Qin Feng was the beauty that she hoped for but dared not touch...

As she was lost in thought, a slight sound behind her brought Yao Ji back to her senses. The past few years had made her accustomed to being alert, and she was startled when she turned around and saw the man standing behind her.

Compared to Mu Yang who was famous in Chujing, Qin Feng is handsome but not ostentatious. The Qilin commander who came from the army and the son of a noble family have completely different temperaments. If Mu Yang is like a shining sword, Qin Feng is a famous sword hidden in the scabbard. It looks inconspicuous, but once it is unsheathed, its light can shine everywhere.

"Why...why are you here?" Yao Ji asked after a long while.

Qin Feng's eyes fell on the jade hairpin in her hand, and his eyes couldn't help but be a little warmer. Yao Ji naturally noticed his gaze, and hurriedly put the jade hairpin back into the box, "You...you are here now, but does the princess have any instructions?" Yao Ji felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, and quickly changed the subject.

Qin Feng's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smile. He nodded, looked at Yao Ji calmly and said, "Not bad. The Princess has entrusted the affairs of the Marquis Muyang Mansion to me."

Upon hearing this, Yao Ji's hands, which were busy cleaning the table, paused and her face turned pale instantly.