ay will bring our family down.”Ye Li replied quietly, “Did His Majesty not promote you because of your father”Yè Yuē smiled sadly and said, "What else could it be When I first entered the palace, I wa...217. The Rancor of the Ill Scholar

The news of the Mohist army declaring its separation from the Great Chu spread like wildfire within a short time, reaching every corner of the country and neighboring states. Its impact was far greater than what Mo Jingqi had anticipated; not only were common people and literati deeply dissatisfied with the court for feeling betrayed, even the princes stationed across various regions began to show signs of agitation. The frequency of military movements in bordering countries also increased significantly. Not just the northern tribes like Beirong, but small nomadic groups in the north started provocations along the borders as well. While officials and nobles in Chu’s capital might still be angrily cursing, the people on the frontiers were already acutely feeling what losing the Mohist army meant to the Great Chu.

"Mo Xiu Yao! So it is Mo Xiu Yao... Such a scandalous act by the Ding王府！One day, I will exterminate your entire clan!" In the imperial study room, Mo Jingqi raged and smashed everything inside. This time, he was completely outmatched by Mo Xiu Yao. When Mo Xiu Yao dropped this bombshell at his son’s full moon celebration banquet, it had already spread to Chu's capital before anyone could react. Forget about Mo Jingqi wanting to refute or counteract the situation; every day, there were countless petitions from scholars and officials questioning him instead of offering support. Moreover, with concrete evidence and clear reasoning coming from the northwest, no matter how he protested, his arguments seemed feeble. Every time Mo Jingqi saw a petition, it gave him a headache. These literati and common people had almost collectively forgotten about the righteousness of Ding王府’s declaration of independence amid their anger at being deceived by the king and their worries over losing the Mohist army.

"Come here! Announce my order immediately to mobilize fifty thousand troops to punish the traitor Mo Xiu Yao!" Filled with rage, Mo Jingqi shouted loudly. Now, he didn’t want to think about anything else; he only wanted to obliterate the Mohist army and exterminate the entire Ding王府 clan.

Standing in a corner, Chancellor Liu frowned at Mo Jingqi’s erratic behavior, hesitating before advising: "Your Majesty, currently, the Beirong people are eyeing our borders with suspicion. The southwest border near Xiling is also unstable. Moreover… Prince Ding…" Before he could finish, Mo Jingqi interrupted him, saying, "He is a traitor named Mo Xiu Yao!" Chancellor Liu nodded and said, "Mo Xiu Yao dispatched twenty thousand Mohist troops to guard Feihong Pass; we might face difficulty in achieving our goals without proper preparation. I urge Your Majesty to think carefully!" The number of Mohist troops stationed in the northwest was at least forty thousand or more. Although Great Chu had several times as many soldiers, those capable of rivaling the Mohists were few and far between. To pacify the northwest would require Great Chu to put its entire nation on the line. But no matter how one looked at it, this seemed unreasonable.

How could Mo Jingqi not know this truth It was precisely because he understood this that his anger only intensified.

"Get out! All of you get out!" shouted Mo Jingqi angrily. He grabbed anything within reach and threw it. Chancellor Liu, though in his twilight years, was still startled when a flying inkstone missed him narrowly. Glancing at the furious and darkened expression on Mo Jingqi’s face as he leaned against the desk, Chancellor Liu withdrew quickly.

In Ding王府, Ye Li accepted the letter from Zuo Jing with an arched brow. The letter came from Tan Jizhi, reminding her to release Shumanlin who had been detained for quite some time. Though Shen Yang and Doctor Lin had confirmed that the blue lotus flower brought back from Chu’s capital was genuine, Ye Li still kept Shumanlin imprisoned until they developed the medicine. Zuo Jing asked, "Your Excellency, shall we send a reply" Smiling, Ye Li folded the letter carefully and said, "Tell Tan Jizhi it is not because I am unwilling to release her; it’s that Princess Anxi of Nanzhao is now our guest in Licheng. If she were to know that Shumanlin was here, it would be problematic. Please ask him to wait a few more days; once the princess leaves the northwest, we will immediately release her. Rest assured, my men have not mistreated Shumanlin."

Zuo Jing nodded and asked thoughtfully, "Recently, various forces have been secretly moving around in the northwest, even affecting our peace here at Ding王府. Should we release information about the Imperial Seal"

Ye Li agreed with a nod, smiling, "Otherwise, why would Tan Jizhi be stuck in the northwest Spread the word; his identity, the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal, and… he came to the northwest precisely for these treasures. Since he released this news originally, let him enjoy the consequences now." Zuo Jing smiled, "Your Excellency is wise indeed." At the thought of Tan Jizhi being chased by various forces both openly and covertly, Zuo Jing could not help but feel pleased; seeing others suffer truly made him happy.

"Your Excellency, there’s another matter… The Ill Scholar from King's Pavilion appeared in the northwest. He entered the city early this morning and is staying at an inn within." After mentioning Tan Jizhi, Zuo Jing switched to another topic. The Ill Scholar was certainly a key target under Ding王府's surveillance; both his temperament and the enmity he held against Ding王府 made him important. If not for Li Tihan’s favor and their friendship, Ye Li would have no qualms about eliminating this person preemptively.

"Send men to keep an eye on him, and inform Li Tihan that if he dares cause trouble in Licheng, don’t blame me for disregarding King's Pavilion Master." Zuo Jing responded and withdrew. Ye Li frowned, thinking of the blue lotus flower they had brought back from Chu’s capital more than a fortnight ago; with Shen Yang and Doctor Lin locked up every day working on its properties, she wondered when it would bear fruit. Although Mo Xiu Yao appeared fine to her usually, she knew his condition was far from comfortable given the toxicity of the poison in him along with his old injuries. After some consideration, Ye Li decided to visit Shen Yang and Doctor Lin's residence.

The moment she entered, Ye Li could hear Shen Yang and Doctor Lin arguing non-stop. Usually, Shen Yang acted like a gentleman or scholar but he rarely had such undignified arguments with others even if his tongue was sharp at times. Doctor Lin had an odd personality too but during the past few months that they had spent together, Ye Li had never seen him this aggressive before – short of rolling up his sleeves and fighting anyone. Stepping into the courtyard, Ye Li smiled and said, "Mr. Shen, Master Lin, what’s going on" Shen Yang snorted arrogantly as he raised his chin high, “Esteemed God Doctor does not deign to mingle with uncultured ruffians.” Doctor Lin was equally impolite too. He stared at him with disdain, “Uncultured ruffian doesn’t want to associate himself with you either. How dare you call yourself a god doctor when your methods are so rigid Haven’t you killed people through your treatment for the last few years”

Shen Yang suddenly flared up and jumped up angrily, “Old man Lin! You don’t think I’m afraid of beating you just because you’re older than me! How dare you slander my medical ethics!” Doctor Lin sneered. "Afraid Didn’t yesterday’s diarrhea feel good"

Ye Li couldn’t help covering her face and groaning. As the saying went, one mountain could not accommodate two tigers; this courtyard clearly could not have two god doctors either. At first, both men had been eager to get acquainted with each other but why did they end up trying to poison each other after a few months She quickly grabbed the two before they got into a fight and said, "Mr. Shen, please maintain your composure. Master Lin… don’t be angry, let’s talk this out calmly." Doctor Lin snorted, “I won’t countenance you, considering the Duchess of Ding Wang’s face.” Shen Yang huffed even louder than him as he stroked his sleeves and regained a scholarly demeanor. He asked, "Why did the duchess come here" Ye Li was speechless; she wondered if they would kill each other off without her here to stop them.

In reality, it had been completely unnecessary for her to worry so much. These two often disagreed recently and the servants in the courtyard were already used to such scenes. As soon as the two started arguing again, all of them immediately hid far away from them to avoid being caught up in their disputes; they hadn’t even seen any of them kill each other.

The three sat down together, Shen Yang looked at Ye Li and said, "Esteemed God Doctor understands why you came." Ye Li nodded with a smile. “Then I assume that Mr. Shen and Master Lin have made some progress” Shen Yang and Doctor Lin exchanged glances before sighing; they quarreled every day because both of them had progressed but could not reach an agreement on their methods, neither one able to persuade the other. The ancient formula for Forget-me-not flower was lost almost a thousand years ago, and it was extremely complicated – many aspects were written ambiguously, so if anything went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Hearing Shen Yang’s words, Ye Li fell silent. She knew that nothing could be resolved easily; especially not an ancient formula lost over a thousand years ago. But Forget-me-not flower was not common medicinal herb at all – it simply wasn’t possible to test the medicine.

"What are Mr. Shen and Master Lin’s opinions" Ye Li asked, suppressing her momentary disappointment.

Shen Yang looked appreciatively at Ye Li as he said, “A more conservative approach is to use Forget-me-not flower in a temporary medication that would suppress the king’s internal fire and frost poisons for several years.” Ye Li shook her head to reject Shen Yang’s method. Any rational person could tell that things wouldn’t be peaceful in the future – once something went wrong with Mo Xiuyao, it’d be much more comfortable if everyone from his army and household died sooner than later. Moreover, where would they find another Forget-me-not flower After pondering for a long time, Ye Li said, “The king’s body is currently unharmed; please continue your research.” Shen Yang and Doctor Lin did not believe in conservative therapy either but they couldn’t afford to play with Mo Xiuyao’s life. Hearing Ye Li say this, both of them naturally agreed.

After leaving Shen Yang’s courtyard, Ye Li was somewhat gloomy. As she walked down the corridor, she suddenly stopped and said sternly, “Qin Feng, go fetch Illness Scholar, I want to see him.”

"Yes, Your Highness."

Illness Scholar’s skills in poison were unparalleled but his martial arts were unsatisfactory due to his physical condition. Qin Feng knew about his weaknesses and unique traits; it was not difficult for Qilin to invite a guest if he wished.

"Third Pavilion Master, we haven’t seen each other for a long time," Ye Li said with a smile as she walked into the flower hall and looked at the young man sitting inside – his face waxen, expression malevolent. Illness Scholar turned around in response to her words and narrowed his eyes, staring menacingly at the tranquil-looking woman in blue robes. "Ahem… Duchess of Ding Wang It’s been a long time indeed. So Hasn’t Mo Xiuyao died yet" Ye Li did not get angry; she smiled calmly instead. “Third Pavilion Master, you’ve kept me occupied with your concerns. The king is fine. Otherwise, how would you have bothered to travel from Western Capital to Glass City” Illness Scholar glared at her coldly and asked, "Do you still have Forget-me-not flower" When he had been searching for the whereabouts of Forget-me-not Flower, Ye Li’s people hadn’t fought hard enough for it but in the end, it ended up with her. Ye Li lowered her eyes and said coolly, “Did Emperor Jingqi or Tan Jizhi tell you”

Illness Scholar raised an eyebrow; Ye Li smiled calmly as she continued, "When Feng San returned from the capital, he told me that I should have guessed we would meet shortly. But…" She changed her tone and a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes, “Third Pavilion Master, are you not afraid to come into Glass City alone Do you think I don’t dare move against you because of Pavilion Master Ling’s face”

Mentioning Ling Tiehan made Illness Scholar look displeased too. He sneered and said, "I don’t need my brother’s protection! The Duchess invited me here to request something from me, right I heard that God Doctor Shen Yang lives in Ding Wang’s household year-round; has he figured out Forget-me-not flower’s formula" Ye Li curled the corners of her lips into an extremely faint smile and nodded. "Third Pavilion Master is correct – I did ask you to come here for Forget-me-not Flower." Illness Scholar forced a vicious grin onto his malevolent face, “Forget it, don’t dream about me saving Mo Xiuyao. Once I have cultivated Forget-me-not Yellow Springs, I’ll invite Mo Xiuyao to try it!”

Ye Lü sat calmly on the chair, not even flinching slightly at her gaze. The Sick Scholar looked at Ye Lü oddly and asked, "You are really a strange woman. Are you truly Mo Xiuyao's woman"

Ye Lü raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked at him. After sizing up Ye Lü for quite some time, the Sick Scholar asked, "Without the ancient recipe of Forget-me-Not Flower, Mo Xiuyao will surely die. Aren’t you worried about that at all You don't get angry even after hearing what I have just said Ah... I remember now, when we first met in Southern Borderlands you also heard me speak about this then. At that time, you did not reveal a shred of worry and Mo Xiuyao probably doesn’t have as much patience as you." Ye Lü could only smile bitterly at her thoughts. How was she patient She had to pretend to be patient because otherwise she would kill him on the spot. Unfortunately, she couldn't!

The Sick Scholar sized Ye Lü up from head to toe and suddenly smiled. "I have a solution. If you really want to save Mo Xiuyao then there is nothing stopping you. From now on, follow me. I can be generous enough to spare Mo Xiuyao’s life." Ye Lü blinked her eyes and asked calmly, "Follow you What does the Third Pavilion Lord want from me" The Sick Scholar looked at her with disdain and scoffed, "Don’t think that I fancy you. Considering your status, it might not be so bad if you were to serve as my maid." He then added sarcastically, "How do you feel about that"

Qin Feng behind Ye Lü had already changed his expression and took a step forward wanting to attack him. However, Ye Lü raised her hand to stop Qin Feng’s actions. She calmly looked at the Sick Scholar and said, "Third Pavilion Lord, I have this bad habit of making others more unhappy than me when I am unhappy. Therefore… if my husband were to die…" The Sick Scholar sneered lightly and said, "Princess Consort isn't planning to kill my wife then I’m sorry but I haven’t married yet." Ye Lü smiled calmly and continued from where she was cut off, "I would also make others’ entire families die. It doesn’t matter whether it is your relatives or acquaintances, this lady could still easily kill them."

"What arrogance!" The Sick Scholar’s eyes twitched slightly as he said in a cold voice. Did the woman think that they were the number one killer organization in the world and even Western Capital’s imperial family couldn’t look down on them Could she actually move them at her whim or did he, Third Pavilion Lord of King Yama Hall, act like an inexperienced child who could be easily threatened into submission Ye Lü smiled gently and said, "Third Pavilion Lord, you shouldn’t doubt the capabilities of Black Cloud Cavalry and Qilin. Or have you decided to fight against our Prince for so long that you haven’t even figured out your opponent’s strength I don’t understand what great enmity Third Pavilion Lord has with our prince that makes you throw everything away in a blind gamble Anyway, without Forget-me-not Flower, how do you plan on taking revenge when your body could die at any time due to your present condition From the looks of it, Third Pavilion Lord’s current state and complexion seem even worse than back then in Southern Borderlands. Who knows which one of us will be poisoned first or who will die first"

The Sick Scholar twisted his face with hatred as he glared at Ye Lü. He had been unlucky since young, thus leading to a warped personality. If anything, there was no deep enmity between him and Mo Xiuyao. However, in this world, it would be hard to find three people who hated Mo Xiuyao more than the Sick Scholar himself. It all started because Mo Xiuyao had crippled his kungfu with one palm, damaging his meridians and causing a heavy internal injury that prevented him from making any further progress in kungfu. His body also turned into what it was now due to this incident. However, at the end of the day, the reason for all of this could be traced back to King Yama Hall’s initial attempt on Mo Xiuyao's life. Yet, the Sick Scholar had developed an unfathomable hatred for Mo Xiuyao since then and swore to continue hating him until death with no reasoning whatsoever.

After a long while, the Sick Scholar suddenly started laughing sinisterly before stopping abruptly as he raised his chin and said to Ye Lü, "Princess Consort of Ding Wang, whatever you say is all nonsense. I will take Mo Xiuyao down with me when I die. As for Forget-me-not Flower’s ancient recipe, don’t waste your time on it. No one in this world can figure it out. If you accidentally turn the life-saving antidote into a fatal poison then don’t blame me if I didn’t remind you." Ye Lü looked at him silently before slowly smiling back. "If that is so, Third Pavilion Lord should stay as our guest in Ding Wang Manor for now. You may observe and see who lives longer, our prince or yourself. Even without the antidote, as long as our prince is alive he can continue to live an exalted life while you… spend half of your year lying sick in bed. All you are good at is concocting useless poisons and hiding under Pavilion Lord Ling’s protection, a complete waste of space." Ye Lü’s voice was soft and slow but the words spewing out of her mouth were akin to sharp daggers that mercilessly pierced into the Sick Scholar's heart.

The Sick Scholar suddenly widened his eyes in fright. The look he gave Ye Lü was utterly terrifying as he lunged towards her, "Bitch! You are lying!"

However, before he even got to touch Ye Lü, a powerful palm wind flung him out of the way and into a chair on the side. Before he could recover from the impact, a cold voice with an aura filled with killing intent spoke up at the door, "Sick Scholar I don't think you want to be called Sick Scholar but rather Dead Scholar!"

The tall man who appeared by the door was dressed in dark purple brocade robes with cloud patterns around the edges. His snow-white hair was casually tied back and even when he wasn’t looking at them, he exuded an aura of supremacy that no one could match. Who else could it be but Mo Xiuyao

Author's Note: Little Baoball's Growth Record

Moxiaobao started calling "mama" when he was nine months old.

Moxiaobao calls his uncle clearly at the age of one.

Moxiaobao distinguishes between Great Uncle to Fifth Uncle, as well as Uncle Grandfather and Auntie Grandmother without any difficulty when he is one and a half years old.

When Moxiaobao reaches two years old, he still doesn't call his father. Ding Wang becomes furious.

"Call me Father."

"Ding Wang lifts Moxiaobao by the collar with one hand."

Moxiaobao blinks, wondering if Father is something to eat

"Call me King Father." Ding Wang's hand shakes slightly.

Moxiaobao hangs in mid-air and moves his little mouth, can King Father be eaten

"Really not going to call" Ding Wang narrows his eyes and threatens Moxiaobao by lifting him to his chest.

Moxiaobao holds his breath, his small face turning red.

"Whooosh—"

The magnificent royal robe of Ding Wang suddenly becomes wet...

...

(Note: I kept the original HTML tags as requested and only translated the text within them. The tag "DING_WANG一隻手勾起墨小寶的領子。" was present in the provided content, but it seems to be a mixture of Chinese text and an English label. I've interpreted this as a label for the speaker/action performer, so I translated that part accordingly.)one would still not blame her. If they really let Princess Consort Ding lead the troops to war, it would be the face of Chu that would suffer. Mu Yang Hou chuckled dryly and avoided Ye Li’s eyes as he...