Taiping Rift 376: The Throne and Bloodline

376. Throne and Bloodline

Two days later, when Mo Jingli sent someone to the Chu Mansion again, the Chu family had already left. Only a letter written by Chu Junwei himself was left, stating that although the Chu family could not be loyal to the king, they could not go against the king and plot to harm him. As for the guards sent by Mo Jingli, no one had ever seen them again.

Mo Jingli was furious when he heard the news, but where could he find any trace of Ye Li?

At this time, Ye Li was already in the deep mountains dozens of miles outside Nanjing. Standing beside a few small huts, Ye Li looked at the scenery in front of him and nodded with a smile, saying: "It's a good place to recuperate."

"Sister Li'er." Yun Ge came out of the hut and saw Ye Li standing outside the hut, smiling at her. She immediately performed Qinggong and landed in front of Ye Li with joy. "Sister Li'er, how did you get in?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "The formation outside is well arranged. It took me more than an hour to get in."

Yun Ge blinked in confusion and said, "But I didn't feel anyone coming in."

Ye Li patted her pink face with a smile and asked, "Brother, are you okay?"

"Oh, I forgot...Xu Qingchen's medicine." Yun Ge cried out in annoyance, and rushed back to the hut without caring that Ye Li was still following her. She had just finished boiling the medicine when she heard a noise outside, and hurried out to see, but she almost forgot that Xu Qingchen's medicine had already been poured out. If she didn't drink it quickly, she would get cold.

Seeing Yun Ge carrying a bowl of medicine out of the house and walking towards another small room, Ye Li raised her eyebrows and followed.

"Xu Qingchen, take the medicine." Yun Ge walked into Xu Qingchen's room with the medicine. Xu Qingchen put down the book in his hand, frowned when he looked at the medicine bowl in her hand, "Yun Ge, can't you make all these medicines into pills?" After this injury, Master Qingchen realized that he was actually afraid of taking medicine. Master Qingchen was naturally not afraid of taking medicine in the past, but this time, for more than half a month, he took medicine three times a day. Moreover, the pills made by Miss Yun Ge were sweet and melted in the mouth. But the boiled medicine was unbelievably unpalatable. Xu Qingchen dared to swear that he had never drunk such an unpalatable medicine in his life. But... he had seen the prescription written by Yun Ge, which was obviously the most common prescription for internal injuries. Xu Qingchen, who knew a little about pharmacology, silently calculated in his mind that even if he added a handful of coptis chinensis when boiling the medicine, it would not be more unpalatable than the bowl of medicine in front of him.

"How can that be possible? Although pills are delicious and easy to preserve, their efficacy is much worse than freshly brewed medicine." Yun Ge flatly rejected his suggestion and said, "This is not a very troublesome medicine that takes a lot of time. It is naturally better to boil it and drink it. This way your injury will heal faster."

Looking at the little girl in front of him with a smile on her face, Xu Qingchen helplessly reached out to take the medicine bowl, brought it to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.

Yun Ge nodded in satisfaction and praised: "Xu Qingchen, you are the fastest person I have ever seen to drink medicine." Yun Ge actually knew how bad this medicine tasted, because she grew up drinking the medicine made by her father. Every time she drank the medicine, she would hesitate for a long time. And most of the people her father had saved in the mountains would refuse to drink the medicine made by her father.

"Since you know it doesn't taste good, you should make the medicine taste better." Xu Qingchen said with a wry smile.

"How can that be? Daddy said that medicines with milder tastes are mostly antidotes. And..." Yun Ge looked at him with a smile and said, "If you know that medicines taste bad, you will behave yourself and get hurt less and get sick less."

Master Qingchen really wants to say, you think too much, I just hope you can make the medicine taste normal.

"Haha, brother, I didn't expect that the world-famous Master Qingchen would be afraid of taking medicine." Outside the door, Ye Li finally couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Li'er?" Xu Qingchen raised his head and looked at the door. Ye Li stepped into the room and looked around. Although it was just a simple mountain hut, the furnishings in the room were only a bed, a table and two stools. But it was very clean. There was a somewhat crude but very lovely wooden vase on the table, with two simple small flowers in it. The whole room was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.

Looking at Xu Qingchen again, perhaps because he had taken more medicine than food during this period, his handsome face looked a little thinner, but his complexion was good. He didn't look like he had any internal injuries at all, and it was obvious that Miss Yun Ge took good care of him.

Seeing Ye Li coming in, Yun Ge remembered that she had left the guest outside. She smiled at Ye Li a little embarrassedly and said in a crisp voice: "Sister Li'er, please sit down. I'll go get you some tea."

"Thank you, Yun Ge." Ye Li sat down on the stool beside the bed with a smile, and watched Yun Ge wave his hand and quickly left the room to pour tea.

"What a lovely little girl. Big brother, don't you think so?" Ye Li said with a smile.

Xu Qingchen smiled and nodded in agreement, "It is indeed very interesting." Ye Li was slightly embarrassed. It turned out that in the eyes of Master Qingchen, little girls were not divided into pretty, cute, and beautiful, but were judged by whether they were interesting or not?

"How is your injury?" Ye Li asked with concern. Xu Qingchen stroked his chest and smiled, "Although Yun Ge's medicine tastes bad, it works well. It's almost healed now."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the disease."

Mr. Qingchen's handsome face, which was always full of fairy spirit, was rarely tangled. He said helplessly, "I feel that I regret my previous decision. Yun Ge said that I have to take medicine for three consecutive months to completely heal the hidden injury." Taking medicine for three months is not terrible. What is terrible is that no matter what kind of prescription it is, it tastes the same when it is boiled by Miss Yun Ge. It will never be more unpalatable than this. Even Yun Ge herself can't do it, because that is already the limit of unpalatable. And with Miss Yun Ge's enthusiasm, she will definitely boil the medicine for him personally. Mr. Qingchen feels that he is not worthy of it.

Seeing Xu Qingchen's tangled look, Ye Li couldn't help but smiled and said, "It's rare to see big brother look like this now. Yun Ge is also kind-hearted. If big brother refuses her, won't it make her sad?" Ye Li's hearing, vision and smell are better than ordinary people. Just now, she smelled the strong and strange smell of Xu Qingchen's bowl of soup outside the door. At the same time, she made up her mind to ask Miss Yun Ge to continue to take care of big brother's injury. It's really rare to see big brother look like this now.

Seeing Ye Li's rare playful smile, Xu Qingchen shook his head helplessly and looked at Ye Li and asked, "Aren't you in Nanjing doing business? Why did you have time to come and see me today? What happened?"

Ye Li sighed: "Brother is indeed very good at predicting things. Something has indeed happened."

"What?" Xu Qingchen raised his eyebrows and asked. Ye Li told her about the Regent Palace in detail. The fact that Mo Jingli suddenly wanted to abolish Mo Suyun and become independent did surprise Ye Li.

Xu Qingchen smiled and said, "Li'er is still soft-hearted. Even if you wrote the edict of abdication for him, so what? Mo Jingli wants to establish himself as the emperor at this time, mostly for the purpose of suppressing the royal palace in terms of status when they face each other on the battlefield in the future. As long as the Chu family comes forward to explain that there is no such person as Chu Junwei in the Chu family, it won't hinder anything."

Ye Li smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying, "Maybe... If I had written the edict that day, I'm afraid that what Big Brother would have heard now is the news that Mo Jingli ascended the throne." Xu Qingchen sighed slightly and said, "Mo Jingli is still too impatient. Li'er, do you feel sorry for that child?"

"It's useless to feel pity, the child is already terminally ill. Even if we save him, he won't live long." Ye Li shook her head. Although she said that, she still couldn't do it herself for a child who knew nothing. Xu Qingchen looked at her with some pity and said, "With the personalities of you and Mo Xiuyao, I don't know how you have lived in harmony for so many years."

In essence, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao have completely different personalities. Ye Li can be ruthless to bad guys, but she can easily be soft-hearted to innocent people. Mo Xiuyao is different. He seems gentle, but as long as he can achieve his goal, he doesn't care who is dragged into the game. Who dares to say that Mo Xiuyao didn't have a hand in the current relationship between Mo Jingli and Mo Suyun? If Mo Xiuyao really wanted to investigate, how could he not find out Mo Suyun's identity? I'm afraid Mo Xiuyao had already guessed it, so he didn't let anyone investigate.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Xiu Yao is Xiu Yao, and I am me. Even if we are husband and wife, there is no rule that we must have the same ideas. As long as we can understand and tolerate each other, that is enough."

"So how do you plan to deal with Mo Jingli? Just let him be like this?"

Ye Li smiled bitterly helplessly, "Brother, do you think I can overthrow Mo Jingli's rule in Jiangnan for many years in just one month?" It is easy to find some trouble for Mo Jingli, but it is difficult to drive him out of office directly in Jiangnan, even if Mo Xiuyao came in person within a short time.

Xu Qingchen looked at Ye Li with a smile, "What is Li'er planning to do?" After so many years of getting along, Xu Qingchen understood Ye Li. If she said that she didn't plan to do anything, that would be impossible. Ye Li pondered and said, "Tell Ye Ying the true identity of Mo Suyun."

"Li'er is still soft-hearted. No wonder Prince Ding is worried about you." Xu Qingchen sighed.

Ye Li shook her head and said, "No, I want to bet... In Mo Jingli's eyes, his son is not as important as the throne. Brother, is Yun Ge's medical skills very good?" Xu Qingchen raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you want Yun Ge to save Mo Suyun?"

Ye Li lowered her eyes and said, "Mo Suyun's illness is no longer curable. I just want him to live a little longer. I also want to see what Mo Jingli will choose if Mo Suyun can't die for a while."

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "I'll ask Yun Ge later."

"What do you want to ask me?" Yun Ge came in with a pot of tea and smiled at Ye Li a little embarrassedly, "I don't have any good tea at home, so you can just drink it." Yun Ge didn't bring any famous tea, but the flower tea she made herself. The faint flower fragrance filled her nostrils, and Ye Li took a deep breath and smiled, "It smells good."

"As long as Sister Li likes it, is there anything you want to ask me?" Yun Ge was also very happy to see that Ye Li did not dislike her crude flower tea. Although she seldom interacted with people, she had been to the city. Naturally, she knew that those rich people living in big houses looked down on these wild things. Moreover, Sister Li was a high and mighty princess. If Ye Li knew what she was thinking, she would definitely introduce Zhang Baiwan to her. At least Zhang Baiwan would definitely not dislike Yun Ge's flower tea, and he might even want Yun Ge to supply it for free 365 days a year.

Xu Qingchen said: "Li'er wants you to save a child. Is Yun Ge willing to go?"

"Okay." Yun Ge nodded and agreed without thinking. Xu Qingchen looked at her with some surprise and said, "Are you really willing?"

Yun Ge said puzzledly: "Daddy said that doctors are like parents, why should I be unwilling?"

Xu Qingchen suddenly felt that he was vulgar. It turned out that being too cunning was not a good thing. Seeing Yun Ge and her father living in seclusion again, he habitually thought that Yun Ge's father was unwilling to practice medicine and save the world because of some accident...

"Thank you, Yun Ge." Xu Qingchen said with a smile.

Yun Ge smiled faintly, "You're welcome. I don't know if I can cure him. Don't blame me for my poor medical skills. I will try my best!" Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "In that case, I will take you to find someone, right? Let's go to the city together later."

Yun Ge nodded without objection and said obediently, "I'll go get things ready."

Of course, they couldn't go back to the Chu Mansion. Ye Li stayed at Yun Ge's house for one night. The next day, they packed up and quietly returned to Nanjing City. This time, they settled in an inconspicuous mansion in a noisy area of ​​the city. Ye Li couldn't come back as Chu Junwei this time. She turned into a beautiful woman with a delicate appearance, and came to Nanjing City to recuperate with her sick brother and young sister.

This place is the most prosperous and chaotic place in Nanjing City. Their low-key residence naturally won't attract anyone's attention. After settling down in the mansion, Qin Feng and Lin Han personally took Yun Ge to Prince Li's mansion that night and asked Yun Ge to deal with Mo Suyun.

In the evening, Ye Li and Xu Qingchen sat in the study room playing chess. Ye Li slowly placed a piece, glanced at Xu Qingchen across from him, and smiled softly, "Brother, your injury hasn't healed yet, why don't you go back to your room and rest. I'll just wait here for Yun Ge to come back."

Xu Qingchen shook his head and said, "It's okay, they should be back soon. I'll wait a little longer to see what's going on. Try not to go out these few days, Mo Jingli's people are probably still investigating in secret." Ye Li smiled and said, "Li'er knows, big brother, don't worry. Qin Feng and Lin Han are both reliable, and Yun Ge is also a master, nothing will happen."

Xu Qingchen slowly put down a piece, looked at her with a half-smile, and said, "Who said I was worried?"

Ye Li shrugged nonchalantly and said with a smile, "I am a little worried."

Xu Qingchen shook his head and stopped talking.

There was a slight sound from outside the door, and soon the door of the study was pushed open, and Qin Feng and the other two walked in. Yun Ge's clear eyes were particularly bright, and her little face was also rosy. It was obvious that she had never done such a thing of breaking into someone else's house late at night, and she was a little nervous.

Ye Li pulled Yun Ge to sit down, poured her a cup of tea and said, "You've worked hard, Yun Ge. Did you encounter any danger?"

Yun Ge smiled and said, "No, Brother Qin Feng and Brother Lin Han are both very good. The guards of the Regent Palace didn't even see us." In fact, Qin Feng and Lin Han might not be as good as Yun Ge in terms of lightness, but their experience in late-night stealth is naturally far better than hers. If Yun Ge, a rookie, went alone, she would have been chased everywhere.

Ye Liqian smiled and touched the little girl's head, and asked, "How is the child's condition?"

After hearing what Ye Li said, Yun Ge's face immediately drooped. Looking at Ye Li with tears in her eyes, Ye Li pondered for a moment and asked, "Not good?" Yun Ge nodded in frustration and said, "The child was born with congenital deficiencies and probably had a bad childhood. The poison in his body completely ruined his body. Even if he hadn't been poisoned, the child might not have lived past the age of 20. But now... the child has been shocked for a long time. Even if I detoxified him, I can only take care of him carefully. If he is frightened a little more, he will die. But Brother Qin and Brother Lin said that he can't be brought back." When talking about the patient, Yun Ge was a little excited. Especially since she has lived in seclusion in the mountains for many years and has not experienced much worldly affairs. Seeing such a poor child, she naturally couldn't help but sympathize with him.

Ye Li nodded and said, "That child is the current emperor. If you take him out of Prince Li's mansion, something bad will happen."

Yun Ge nodded. She was kindhearted but not ignorant. After thinking for a while, she said, "I will make some pills tonight. Sister Li, you can give them to the child tomorrow. Although it can't cure his illness, it can still make him feel better." Ye Li said softly, "You are tired tonight. Don't worry. It's still in time to prepare it tomorrow. I will ask them to prepare the herbs you need for you later."

"Okay...Xu Qingchen..." In fact, among all the people in the room, Yun Ge was most familiar with Xu Qingchen, so she always looked at him involuntarily. After all, the reason why she trusted Ye Li, Qin Feng, and Lin Han, whom she had just met twice, was because they were people Xu Qingchen knew.

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and said, "Yun Ge is tired too, go and rest early."

"Oh. Then...you should take some rest too." Yun Ge nodded obediently and followed the maid waiting at the door back to her room.

After watching Yun Ge leave, the door of the study closed again and the room became silent.

After a long while, Xu Qingchen said, "Li'er, don't think too much. Now that things have come to this... Prince Ding's Mansion can't be considered to have let the child down." Mo Suyun was indeed innocent and pitiful, but who among the common people in this chaotic world is not innocent and who is not pitiful? At least Ye Li gave Mo Jingli and Ye Ying a chance to make amends. Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Brother, don't persuade me, I understand."

That night, a note silently appeared at the head of Ye Ying's bed. There were only three simple words on the note - Mo Suyun.

Ye Ying held the note in her hand in a daze for a long time, and her face gradually became paler and paler.

"Prince! Prince?!"

Early in the morning, Ye Ying's urgent call came from outside Mo Jingli's study. Mo Jingli, who was dealing with government affairs, frowned unhappily. Mo Jingli was already very unhappy because Chu Junwei suddenly disappeared in Nanjing City. At this time, he really didn't have the mood to care about Ye Ying. Originally, he thought that Nanjing City was always under his control, but in just less than a month, Chu Junwei and Dongfang You disappeared under his nose one after another. How could Mo Jingli not be angry and alert?

"Princess, the prince has ordered not to see anyone." The guard's voice of refusal came from outside the door.

"Get out of the way! I have something important to discuss with the prince!" Ye Ying shouted angrily.

"princess……"

Listening to Ye Ying's voice that seemed to indicate that she would not stop until she achieved her goal, Mo Jingli frowned, put down his pen, and said loudly, "Let her in."

Ye Ying pushed the door open and came in. She didn't even bother to salute Mo Jingli. She hurried forward and said, "Prince! I found our child!" Mo Jingli was stunned, but soon came to his senses and said lightly, "What nonsense are you talking about?" It's not that Mo Jingli doesn't believe Ye Ying, but Ye Ying stays in Prince Li's mansion all day and night and has no power. How could Ye Ying know something that even Mo Jingli has no clue about?

Ye Ying said anxiously, "It's true! Prince, please believe me."

Mo Jingli frowned and said impatiently, "Okay, tell me. Where is the child?"

Ye Ying said, "It's the Emperor...Prince, please save him. He is our child."

"You are really crazy!" Mo Jingli pushed him away and said angrily. Ye Ying, who was pushed away, rushed over and grabbed his sleeve and said, "It's true, you believe me. He is really our child, wuwu... please save him, he is dying..."

"How do you know he is our child?" Mo Jingli asked with a gloomy face.

Ye Ying was speechless. She knew that the note was sent by Ye Li, but she couldn't tell it. Once she told about Ye Li, not only would Mo Jingli not let her go, but even the people in Prince Ding's Mansion would definitely not let her go. She shook her head in fear, "No... I can't tell..."

Mo Jingli's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he sneered, "Can't tell? Why did you come to me if you can't tell me? Get out." Ye Ying was stunned, biting her lip and said, "But the child..." Mo Jingli said indifferently, "What child? Mo Suyun is Mo Jingqi's son."

"No! That's our child, Prince, he's your only son." Ye Ying shouted in panic. If Mo Jingli refused to acknowledge the child, then the child, as the son of Mo Jingqi and the current emperor, would have no choice but to die. Seeing Mo Jingli's cold expression without even a flicker of emotion in his eyes, Ye Ying felt cold in her heart. Somehow, she suddenly remembered the day when Princess Qixia died, and she shuddered.

"Someone, send the princess back to her room. No one is allowed to see her without my order." Mo Jingli said in a deep voice.

Unable to resist, Ye Ying was forcibly sent back to her own courtyard by the guards. She fell on the bed and burst into tears when she returned to her room. At this time, she finally understood why Ye Li said she would regret it. Because now, she really began to regret it.

In the study, Mo Jingli's face was gloomy. Although he had ruthlessly driven Ye Ying away, Ye Ying's words still left a deep mark in his heart. Ye Ying certainly couldn't lie about such a thing for no reason, but saying that Mo Suyun was the child who had been missing for many years... For some reason, Mo Jingli didn't feel the slightest joy of finding his beloved son. Instead, he felt more irritable and angry.

At the same time, Mo Jingli also began to think about why Mo Jingqi passed the throne to Mo Suyun. Mo Suyun was the prince with the lowest maternal family background and the worst physical condition and potential among all the princes of Mo Jingqi. Passing the throne to such a prince was simply giving him the opportunity to take power. Could it be that... Mo Jingqi actually wanted to kill his father and son?

Thinking of this, Mo Jingli shook his head fiercely. He had already acknowledged Ye Ying's words in his heart. "Someone, bring the Queen Mother to Prince Ding's Mansion!"

The guards outside the door could not help but shudder. The Queen Mother was naturally referring to the little emperor's biological mother, Li. But even though Li was cowardly and incompetent, she was still the emperor's biological mother and the Queen Mother. The prince had someone bring her from the palace to Prince Li's mansion so casually, which was really a bit...

"Hurry up and go!" Mo Jingli shouted angrily.

"Yes, I will go right away!"

The palace was very close to Prince Li's mansion, and soon Li was brought there. But Li was not alone, and the Queen Mother, who was already under house arrest, came with her. Although he was angry that the Queen Mother once again disobeyed his orders and left the palace without permission, Mo Jingli knew that the Queen Mother was able to leave the palace safely with the guards he sent to guard her, so there must be quite a few people in the palace who belonged to the Queen Mother. But at this time, he was not in the mood to pay attention to the Queen Mother, but just stared at Li, who was already trembling with fear, with a sinister look on his face.

"The Concubine Xianzhao is here." Before she could say anything, the eunuch's sharp voice came from outside the door. Mo Jingli was stunned, stood up and greeted Concubine Xianzhao, looking at her and said, "Why is mother here?" Concubine Xianzhao was sick a few days ago due to the Eastern Ghost Qi, and she has not recovered yet after these days of recuperation. At this time, she was supported by someone and looked a little thin. Seeing the Queen Mother sitting in the study, he was stunned for a moment before smiling faintly, "Sister is here too?"

The Queen Mother was naturally very dissatisfied that her son was so attentive to Concubine Hyeonjo, but kept her biological mother under house arrest. She just looked at Concubine Hyeonjo coldly without answering. Concubine Hyeonjo was stunned for a moment, smiled generously, and sat down opposite the Queen Mother.

Everyone sat down, but only the Queen Mother Li stood alone in the middle of the study, not knowing what to do. Ever since Mo Suyun ascended the throne, Li has been staying in her own palace. Not to mention that everything in the palace is controlled by the Queen Mother, she didn't dare to say a word for her son even though she knew that her son was abused by Mo Jingli. Suddenly caught by the guards of Prince Li's mansion and brought to Prince Li's mansion, Li was at a loss and didn't know how she had offended Prince Li.

Mo Jingli stared at Li with a gloomy expression, which made Li's face turn paler and paler, and her body looked like it was about to fall.

The Queen Mother frowned and coughed lightly, saying, "Prince Li, why did you ask someone to bring Li to Prince Li's mansion? After all, Li is the widow of your brother. It is not a good thing for her to stay in your mansion for too long."

Mo Jingli snorted and stared at Li and said, "When I ask you a question, you'd better answer it truthfully."

Li nodded repeatedly in fear. Mo Jingli asked calmly, "When was the emperor born?"

Li was stunned, obviously she didn't expect Mo Jingli to ask such a strange question. Mo Jingli said coldly: "You'd better think it through before you come back to me." Li was frightened by his sinister face and took a step back before trembling and said: "Reply, reply to the prince, the emperor was born on the second day of September in the twelfth year of Emperor Jing. Doesn't the prince know this?" The birth date of the prince must be recorded in the royal family genealogy. If Prince Li wants to know, he can just ask someone to look up the jade book.

Mo Jingli snorted coldly. Mo Suyun's child was born on the second day of September, while Ye Ying's child was born on the thirtieth day of August, a difference of less than three days.

The Queen Mother was slightly stunned, as if she had thought of something. She looked at Mo Jingli and said, "Why is Prince Li asking about the Emperor's birthday now?" Mo Jingli seemed not to have heard the Queen Mother's words, and his eyes did not turn away from Li at all, and continued to ask, "Have you seen Mo Suyun since he was born?"

Li nodded in fear, "I... I am in good health, I didn't... I didn't faint. So, after the emperor was born, the palace maid brought him to me."

"Very good." Mo Jingli nodded with satisfaction and said, "As far as I know, the emperor should have been born full-term. Why did the imperial physician tell me now that the emperor was born prematurely due to congenital deficiencies?" In fact, the imperial physician did not say that Mo Suyun was born prematurely, but only said that Mo Suyun was born prematurely due to congenital deficiencies. At that time, Li was not favored. If she had not given birth to a little prince and Mo Jingqi had not passed the throne to her, I am afraid that people inside and outside the palace would have long forgotten this mother and son. Who would care whether Mo Suyun was born prematurely or not.

Li's face turned pale and she stammered, not daring to say a word.

Mo Jingli's eyes turned cold, and he slapped the armrest heavily, breaking the solid rosewood armrest. "You're still not telling the truth!"

Li said in panic, "I don't know... I don't know what to say... The emperor is really my son."

Mo Jingli sneered, "Really? Come on, take this woman out and kill her."

"Your Majesty!" The Queen Mother stared at Mo Jingli in shock and anger. She finally understood what Mo Jingli wanted to do and said angrily, "Li is the biological mother of the Emperor. How can you kill her without authorization? How will Prince Li explain to the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty for killing the Queen Mother?" Mo Jingli sneered at the Queen Mother and said, "If Mo Suyun is not the heir of the late Emperor, who should I explain to?"

"No... Your Highness is innocent..." Li was shocked. Even the dumbest and dullest people know what the crime of confusing the royal bloodline is. Li's legs softened and she immediately fell to the ground, "Your Highness is innocent, I... Your Highness is innocent..." She had lived a peaceful life and never thought that she would become the emperor's concubine, nor did she think that she would give birth to a prince, let alone become the queen mother one day. But she didn't expect that after this series of changes that made her panic, there would be such a thing waiting for her.

"Since you don't want to tell the truth, then go to hell." Mo Jingli's voice was cold and ruthless.

"No... I don't want it... I really don't know..." Li cried, "None of my business... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Concubine Xianzhao, who had been silent the whole time, frowned and looked at Li, who was frightened and incoherent, and suddenly said, "You just need to tell me clearly whether the emperor is your son or not." Li was stunned for a moment, looked at the three people sitting on the table, and finally said timidly, "I... I don't know... I held the emperor when he was born... When he was one month old... the late emperor asked someone to bring the child to him for a look. The child has been in poor health since he was sent back, and I thought that the child was young and easy to get sick, so I didn't pay much attention..."

"You are confused!" the Queen Mother said angrily, "The child is already one month old. Don't you know whether the child you brought back is your own or not?" A one-month-old baby has grown up. How can you possibly tell what he looks like?

Li bit her pale lips and dared not speak. A glimmer of understanding flashed across Concubine Xianzhao's eyes, and she said to Mo Jingli calmly: "Your Majesty, I don't think she knows much, let her go back. After all, she is the Queen Mother of a country..."

Mo Jingli had not yet finished his question, and even if he had, he had no intention of leaving Li alive. However, he had always respected Concubine Xianzhao, and did not want to go against her wishes, so he nodded and had Li taken out.

Only the Queen Mother, Mo Jingli, and Concubine Xianzhao were left in the study. The Queen Mother frowned and asked, "What do you mean, sister?" Concubine Xianzhao sighed and said, "Li can't be blamed for this. She was just a low-ranking concubine who was born a palace maid, and the child was taken away by someone personally by the late emperor. Even if she knew that the child was not the original one, how could she dare to say it out? I'm afraid that if she said it out, not only would the child be gone, but her own life would also be gone."

Concubine Xianzhao's words were very calm, but for some reason the Queen Mother always felt that there was something behind her words, and a strange look flashed across her face. She turned her head to look at Mo Jingli and sneered, "In this case, I believe that Prince Li also understands the identity of the emperor. What does Prince Li want to do now?" Staring at Mo Jingli, the Queen Mother suddenly felt a strange pleasure in her heart. She certainly knew what Mo Jingli wanted to do. But now, although she can still barely protect herself, she is no longer able to interfere with Mo Jingli's decision. But now... if Mo Suyun becomes Mo Jingli's son, she really wants to know what decision her son will make.

Mo Jingli said calmly: "This matter has nothing to do with the Grand Empress Dowager. Please return to the palace and rest in peace."

"You!" The Queen Mother could not help but get furious, but when she saw Concubine Hyeonso's indifferent smile, she somehow swallowed her anger, snorted, and turned to leave the study.

"Li'er..." In the study, Concubine Xianzhao looked at Mo Jingli with an unpleasant expression and called softly, "It was your mother who made a mistake in this matter, so whatever... I'll ask the imperial physician to treat the emperor well. I believe he can still be saved. After all, the emperor is your only son."

Mo Jingli was silent for a long time, and said: "This is none of mother's business. Mother is also thinking about your son. Let your son think about it carefully." Concubine Xianzhao nodded and stood up and said: "Then mother will go back first, and you don't think too much. The emperor will be fine..."

"Take care, mother."

Concubine Xianzhao turned around and walked out. When she reached the door, she looked back at Mo Jingli, who was sitting behind the desk with his head down, thinking about something. A faint smile appeared on her lips, which still had a hint of charm.

In the small courtyard where Ye Ying was staying temporarily, Ye Ying sat alone in the room in a daze. Her tears had made her beautiful eyes red and swollen, and her pale and haggard face looked nothing like the charm of the most beautiful woman in Chujing back then.

The door suddenly banged and was kicked open from outside. Ye Ying looked up at the door in shock. Mo Jingli stood at the door with a cold look on his face, staring at the woman inside. However, the backlight made it difficult for Ye Ying to see the expression on his face. Seeing Mo Jingli, Ye Ying seemed to come to her senses suddenly. She jumped off the bed and rushed to Mo Jingli, shouting, "Prince, my child... my child... please save Su Yun."

Seeing Ye Ying's messy face, Mo Jingli's eyes flashed with disgust. He grabbed her hand, dragged her into the room, and threw her to the ground. He looked down at Ye Ying and asked, "Ye Ying, who told you Mo Suyun's identity?"

Ye Ying bit her lips tightly and refused to speak. Mo Jingli was furious and pulled her up from the ground, "Still not telling me?!" Mo Jingli would never believe that Ye Ying had found out this by herself. Ye Ying had never seen the child, so how could she know whether Mo Suyun was the child. Of course, someone else told her, which meant that someone else knew Mo Suyun's true identity, or even... This could be a trap. A trap set up by someone with ulterior motives using the news of his son's disappearance.

"Do you think... I can't deal with you if you don't say anything?" Looking at Ye Ying's stubborn look, Mo Jingli had no sympathy in his heart. He leaned close to Ye Ying's ear and whispered, "Ye Ying, do you believe it or not, I will let Mo Suyun die now?"

"Beast!" Ye Ying finally couldn't help but change color, staring at Mo Jingli fiercely and scolding, "He is your biological son!" She stretched out her hand and tried to grab Mo Jingli's face. Mo Jingli raised his hand and easily suppressed her, "Speak or not?"

Ye Ying gritted her teeth and said, "Mo Jingli, Suyun is also your son." Mo Jingli stared at her, smiled suddenly, and said lightly, "If the king wants a son, he will naturally have one. Besides... even if the king saves Mo Suyun, he will be a sickly child in the future." Mo Jingli originally said this deliberately to scare Ye Ying. But the moment he said it, he suddenly had a feeling of sudden enlightenment. Yes, he will have a son in the future. Although none of the women in the mansion have spread the news yet, the imperial physician also said that it was because he had been poisoned for too long and needed to be recuperated. But his poison was definitely cured. As long as time passes, he will naturally have children. Why bother to take care of such a cowardly, incompetent, and sickly son?

In addition, Mo Jingli has not been very kind to Mo Suyun in the past few years. Therefore, ever since he believed in his heart that Mo Suyun was his missing son, Mo Jingli always felt a little guilty and uncomfortable. But more of it was a kind of anger that he was fooled by Mo Jingqi before his death. So he was not very willing to see his son who was lost and found again. Moreover, Mo Suyun's identity was really difficult to deal with. It was a hassle whether he recognized him or not. Mo Jingli was certainly unwilling to let Mo Suyun continue to stay on the throne, although he could be regarded as the emperor if he recognized Mo Suyun. But how could the title of emperor be as good as that of emperor?

Ye Ying looked at Mo Jingli in shock. She originally thought that Mo Jingli just didn't want to believe her words. But she didn't expect Mo Jingli to say such cruel words. But she soon understood. She only had one son, Mo Suyun, but Mo Jingli could have more sons with other people. Now... Mo Suyun's existence is simply hindering Mo Jingli's path!

"Say it or not?" Mo Jingli asked leisurely.

"I said..." Ye Ying closed her eyes in despair and said painfully. Crystal tears fell from the corners of her eyes but did not arouse the slightest sympathy from the man in front of her. Ye Li trembled and said, "It was someone from Prince Ding's Mansion who told me."

"What did you say?!" Mo Jingli said in a stern voice. Now that Da Chu has formed an alliance with Xiling Beirong, it can be regarded as a formal opposition to Ding Wangfu. Therefore, Mo Jingli has become more sensitive to the news of Ding Wangfu. When he heard Ye Ying say that Ding Wangfu was involved in this matter, how could he not be angry?

Having said it, Ye Ying no longer had any reservations and gritted her teeth and said, "I said it was Prince Ding's Mansion who told me Su Yun's identity."

"You bastard!" Mo Jingli slapped Ye Ying hard on the face, "How dare you collude with Prince Ding's Mansion behind my back? You are so brave!" Ye Ying said with tears in her eyes, "I just want to find my son. What's wrong with that? As long as Prince Ding's Mansion can help me find my son, why can't I help them?" Mo Jingli leaned over and pulled Ye Ying up, "Tell me, what news did you tell Prince Ding's Mansion? Who do you contact on weekdays, and how do you pass on the news?"

Ye Ying was not someone who could handle it. Mo Jingli only spent a little effort to recruit a maid who usually served him and several guards and a steward from the palace. It was a pity that when Mo Jingli sent people to capture these people, they had already escaped.

In Ye Ying's room, Mo Jingli sat in a chair and stared at Ye Ying, who was sitting on the ground with injuries all over her body. Ye Ying endured the pain and said, "I have told you everything I should tell you, Su Yun..."

Mo Jingli said coldly: "Mo Suyun is the late emperor's prince, not your son."

Ye Ying was stunned, staring at Mo Jingli in disbelief. Mo Jingli frowned and said, "Prince Ding's Mansion lied to you." When he said this, Mo Jingli had already decided to abandon this son. Not only because of the throne and his knot with Mo Suyun, but also because the news came from Prince Ding's Mansion. Mo Jingli had to suspect that this news itself was a conspiracy, and his missing child had actually been killed by Mo Jingqi a long time ago. Since he hasn't been found for so many years, why not... just pretend that this son never existed?

"No!" Ye Ying shook her head fiercely, "No, Prince Ding's Mansion will not lie to me about this. I know... Su Yun and my child were born only three days apart, how could it be such a coincidence... I know, you just took Li out of the palace to ask her. She must know, I'm going to ask her!" After saying that, she stood up and was about to go out first.

"Stop!" Mo Jingli said coldly, "The Queen Mother is not feeling well and has returned to the palace to rest. You should stay in the palace. I don't have time to deal with you now, so you'd better behave yourself!"

"No... Jingli!" Ye Ying was stunned, shaking her head in fear, and suddenly ran to Mo Jingli and knelt down, hugging his legs and crying, "Jingli, you know, you know Su Yun is our child. I beg you, let him go. He is your first child and your only child now."

Seeing Ye Ying in tears, Mo Jingli's expression eased a little. He raised his hand to touch Ye Ying's hair and whispered, "He was born with a deficiency and he hasn't been properly taken care of. He won't live long. Be good, we will have other children in the future."

"No...no..." Ye Ying shook her head.

His scalp suddenly hurt. Mo Jingli pulled Ye Ying's hair to make her look at him, and said calmly, "Yes, as long as you behave yourself. I will make you the queen after I ascend the throne."

Ye Ying's eyes moved, and she whispered softly, "Appoint me as queen?"

Mo Jingli nodded and said, "Not bad, as long as you behave. I don't care about your previous connection with Prince Ding's Mansion, but... you have to help me do something. Tell me, which other spies of Prince Ding's Mansion do you know in Nanjing? There must be more than just Prince Ding's Mansion..."

“…”

"I really don't know." Ye Ying lowered her eyes.

Mo Jingli said softly, "Think about it again. I know I treated you badly before. But you see, you are the only one in the palace now. After all, you are the only princess of Prince Li's palace, right? How did those people send the news out? I remember that those people could not go out of the city at will. They must have other people to contact them, right?"

Half an hour later, Mo Jingli walked out of Ye Ying's room with satisfaction. The guards who were originally guarding outside Ye Ying's courtyard also withdrew.

In the room, Ye Ying sat on the floor in a daze. After a long while, a faint smile appeared on her lips, "Mo Jingli... you are so cruel... In this case, don't blame me..."

Long before Mo Jingli came to find her, the secret guards of Prince Ding's Palace who were with Ye Ying and in Prince Li's Palace had already withdrawn. Before leaving, they left a few words from Ye Li, "Seven points are true and three points are false. If you want to save Mo Suyun, you'd better know what to say and what not to say."

This time, Ye Ying did a good job. Mo Jingli only knew about a few unimportant spies in Nanjing. And most of them might have been evacuated by now. As for the really important things, Ye Ying didn't reveal a single thing. She didn't know whether Ye Li could save her son. Mo Jingli was right, the child simply wouldn't live long. And all this... was caused by her as a mother. Because she also coveted the vain glory of the high and mighty empress, so when she knew that Concubine Xianzhao had poisoned the child, she not only didn't stop it, but she didn't even tell anyone in Prince Ding's mansion. She was the one who killed him... Ye Li said she would regret it... She had never regretted it as much as she did now... Now, she just hoped that someone could avenge her son.

Mo Jingli said there would be other children? No, she would never have another child. Even if she did, it would never be this one.