riarch was sizing her up but didn’t mind, coldly staring at the manager and saying, “You are different from Manager Wang. You sold yourself to Xu Family as a servant for my mother’s dowry. Mother trea...Mother and Son Ties Severed

"Scum!" Princess Zhenning stared at Consort Liu who was lying on the ground, her face filled with cold resentment and disgust. Shen Yang's words had completely shattered the last shred of hope that Princess Zhenning held for her mother. When Princess Zhenning was drugged in the Cold Palace two years ago, she had been constantly hating Consort Liu ever since, but within this hatred there was also a sliver of hope and filial piety towards her mother. If Consort Liu had sincerely apologized to her tonight with genuine remorse, then Princess Zhenning's golden hairpin would not have pierced into her.

But now in Princess Zhenning’s eyes, there was only pure disgust and hatred. The relationship between the mother and daughter was truly severed from this moment on.

Mu Wuyou no longer hesitated after hearing Shen Yang's words. He quickly pulled out the golden hairpin, causing a flow of blood to pour out at once. Mu Wuyou then ferociously poured the miraculous injury cure that Shen Yang had concocted onto her wound and tore off some white cloth from Consort Liu’s dress to bandage it.

However, Princess Zhenning didn’t stab in a vital area of Consort Liu's body. If she was not considering that there would be no future children, then the only outcome for Consort Liu after this incident would have been death due to blood loss. But since Shen Yang had administered his miraculous stop bleeding medicine, her life was out of danger now. After bandaging up her wound, Mu Wuyou gave Consort Liu a pill from another small porcelain bottle. Moments later, her pale face began to recover its color visibly.

"To give something so valuable to someone like her is a waste, right I’m not giving you such things just for you to mistreat them," Shen Yang said unhappily at Mu Wuyou. Mu Wuyou looked up and sweetly smiled at Shen Yang, "Master, Prince Ding and the princess definitely have questions they want to ask her. How could she answer properly if she’s in that state" Shen Yang harrumphed and said, "You’re smart."

Mu Xi堯 narrowed his eyes as he saw Consort Liu's complexion improve slightly. He nodded indifferently and said, "Since there’s no problem now… Xioyang, what do you think" Mu Xiaoyang lowered his hands and said coolly, "I will leave everything in your hands, Prince Ding."

"Although she has nothing to do with us anymore!" Princess Zhenning suddenly spoke up as she turned her head and glared at Consort Liu’s beautiful face angrily. She gritted her teeth and said, "She still owes me a face."

Upon hearing this, Consort Liu's complexion changed and she stared at Princess Zhenning angrily and asked, "What do you want" Princess Zhenning looked at her with bared teeth as she spat out each word carefully. "You destroyed my face, don’t I deserve compensation for it"

Consort Liu sneered and said, "I gave birth to you; no matter what I did to you, whether I took your life or destroyed your face, you should accept them."

Mu Xiaoyang walked up to Princess Zhenning’s side and pulled her hand as he stared at Consort Liu. “I’ve already said that we have nothing to do with you.”

Consort Liu snorted coldly; how could blood ties be severed so easily To Consort Liu, Mu Xiaoyang and Princess Zhenning were still her children no matter what they did or thought of her. She didn't care about them but neither would she allow them to show disrespect towards her. She forced herself up from the ground and sat in a chair nearby; although her wound had been treated with medicine and bandaged, it wasn’t something that could be healed immediately even with miraculous pills. The intense pain twisted her expression into an ugly one as her eyes shot daggers at Princess Zhenning.

But Princess Zhenning paid no attention to Consort Liu’s gaze; when a person is completely disappointed in another, they become abnormally cold towards them.

Mu Wuyou was also indifferent about the reaction of Consort Liu and Princess Zhenning. If she had cared for her children before, then these two years of suffering had erased even that little bit of concern. Since Mu Xi堯 and Ye Li appeared here, most of Consort Liu's attention had been focused on them. But instead of being infatuated as before, she was filled with hatred towards them both. She hated Mu Xi堯 more than Ye Li at this moment, but she knew that she couldn’t act impulsively anymore. She was well aware of the indifference Mu Xi堯 showed her.

"Prince Ding, what is your intention in sending these two to assassinate me Aren’t you trying to make North Rong enemies with us" Consort Liu raised her chin and stared at Mu Xi堯 haughtily. Her status as a prince consort was not inferior to that of Prince Ding or Ye Li; she no longer had to treat them politely.

Ye Leye was speechless as she quietly glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who sat beside her. Was this the legendary situation where love turned to hate

"What do you mean" Princess Zhenning stepped forward and said, "What does this have to do with Prince Ding’s Manor So what if I want to kill you At most, I’ll pay for my crimes!"

"Elder Sister," Mo Xiaoyun glanced deeply at Concubine Liǔ and then looked at Princess Zhenning. "Let’s see how Prince Ding explains this." Mo Xiuyao tilted his head to look at the princess and Mo Xiaoyun, smiling faintly as he said, "Zhenning, although your father is dead and you have no relation with Dachu now, so long as I recognize you as a princess, you will still be one. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for her Was that why I raised you for so many years Who’s going to compensate me for the losses"

Princess Zhenning was dumbstruck. She wasn’t good at intrigues and knew that acting on impulse wouldn’t solve problems. She lowered her head, saying, "Uncle Ding, it’s my fault."

This time, Mo Xiuyao nodded with satisfaction. He didn’t raise a princess and a prince to play around. If he had to sacrifice his life for Concubine Liǔ, wouldn’t that be in vain Therefore, Princess Zhenning and Mo Xiaoyun were not only not allowed to die but must also live well. Turning to look at Concubine Liǔ, Mo Xiuyao asked gently, "Do I really want a feud with Beirong What do you think Do you wish to return to ask Ye Liye if he’s willing to go to war for you"

"You!" Concubine Liǔ was furious. She could clearly tell that Mo Xiuyao was mocking her.

"And how should I answer" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Your Excellency, Prince Yelü Hong and Princess Ronghua have arrived," said Zhuo Jing from outside the door.

"Oh Tonight’s Longxing Manor is quite lively. Let them in." Soon afterward, Zhuo Jing led Prince Yelü Hong, Princess Ronghua, and Prince Yelü Ye into the room. Seeing the blood on the ground and Concubine Liǔ’s disheveled state, everyone was taken aback. "Madam Wang," said Princess Ronghua with a smile, "what happened"

Ye Leye replied coolly, "Nothing much. Qīng Yīnā suddenly barged into Longxing Manor and attempted to harm Prince Longxing and the princess. The princess panicked and hurt Qīng Yīnā."

"Leaf Green! You’re lying!" Concubine Liǔ roared furiously, but her wound flared up in pain as soon as she shouted, making her bite down on her teeth while breaking out into cold sweat. Prince Yelü Ye walked over and supported the trembling Concubine Liǔ sitting in a chair, asking, "What happened" Gripping her lips tightly, Concubine Liǔ said pitifully, "Your Excellency, it was Prince Ding and Madam Wang who sent that girl to hurt me." The other three women present—all except Princess Zhenning—rolled their eyes at the sky. Was this 34- or 35-year-old woman really able to act so childishly

Prince Yelü Ye clearly had no appreciation for Concubine Liǔ’s coquettishness. He said sternly, "How did you end up here"

Ye Leye smiled coolly and replied, "Is Miss Qīng Yīnā saying that I sent people to kidnap you"

Concubine Liǔ was speechless. She had indeed come to Longxing Manor on her own, but the reason behind it couldn’t be revealed before so many people. Ye Leye looked calmly at Prince Yelü Ye and said, "Prince Yelü, Miss Qīng Yīnā just accused my husband and me of instigating Princess Zhenning to kill her. Now I’m going to say that she attacked the princess and Prince Longxing on a whim and is accusing us."

Prince Yelü Ye frowned. Although the scene before him made him believe Concubine Liǔ, Ye Leye’s words left no room for rebuttal. Moreover, he wasn’t pleased with Concubine Liǔ coming to Longxing Manor by herself either. Prince Yelü Hong sat on one side and watched Ye Leye challenge Prince Yelü Ye without showing any signs of agitation or tension. He only frowned slightly and said, "Prince Ding and Madam Wang wouldn’t treat guests so rudely as the owners of this place. Moreover, it’s too ridiculous to think that they’d send Princess Zhenning to assassinate Miss Qīng Yīnā. As for my younger brother Seven Prince, isn’t Miss Qīng Yīnā always with you Why would she come to Longxing Manor" Ye Leye and Mo Xiuyao instructing Princess Zhenning to carry out an assassination made no sense in terms of both reason and emotion. However, Prince Yelü Hong ignored the fact that it was Princess Zhenning who had attacked Concubine Liǔ and clearly wanted to blame everything on her.

Yelü Yeding frowned and said, "Brother Wang is right. Today's incident might have been a misunderstanding."

The Princess Ronghua covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Seventh Brother is correct. Qing Iena resembles the late Concubine Liu so much that some misunderstandings are inevitable. Longxing Prince and Princess Zhenning visited us just two days ago. Could it be that Longxing Prince and the princess still…" Mo Xiaoyun respectfully bowed to the Princess Ronghua and said, "Princess Aunt is right. It was rash of my brother and I to act without thinking before. The matter has been clarified now, and we have no connection with Miss Qing Iena. We mistakenly identified her as someone else." After saying that, Mo Xiaoyun stepped back and tightly grabbed Princess Zhenning's hand. Princess Zhenning lowered her eyes and hid the hatred in them, ultimately not saying anything more to tacitly accept what Mo Xiaoyun said.

Yelü Hong smiled and said, "It's good that it was a misunderstanding. So tonight's matter..."

Mo Xiaoyun said, "Tonight was also a misunderstanding. Qing Iena suddenly arrived, and there were some conflicts in our conversation. My Imperial Sister thought she wanted to harm us so she injured her. Please forgive Prince Yelü for this. If there are any punishments, Xiaoyun will take full responsibility."

Since they had already said that, of course, Yelü Yeding wouldn't bully a child who was only thirteen or fourteen years old. There was nothing more to do, and the earring Concubine Liu suffered would be for nothing. With a stern face, Yelü Yeding bid farewell to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, supporting Concubine Liu as he walked out.

"Wait."

Shen Yang, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, suddenly spoke up.

Although Yelü Yeding was unfamiliar with Shen Yang, he knew that Shen Yang's status in Ding王府 (Prince's Mansion) was very special. Turning around, he waited patiently for Shen Yang to speak. Shen Yang took a prescription written by Mo Wuyou and handed it over, saying, "As they say, doctors have the heart of parents. Since she is a patient, I cannot just ignore her condition. This lady has suffered too many miscarriages already; she was injured in a place that could cause lasting damage. Take this medicine back to her. Although it doesn't guarantee future pregnancies, it will be good for her health."

The moment Shen Yang said those words, the expressions of everyone in the hall changed. In fact, Ye Li and others already knew about this earlier, but seeing Shen Yang solemnly telling Yelü Yeding these things made Ye Li's smile freeze for a moment. Yelü Yeding's expression was even more terrifying; although the people of Beirong (North Rong) didn't particularly care about women's issues, that applied to ordinary Beirong citizens rather than the imperial family and nobility who were just as meticulous on these matters as those from Central Plains. Even if Yelü Yeding and Concubine Liu weren't what others thought they were, having this matter spoken out in front of so many people was still extremely embarrassing.

The face of Concubine Liu became pale with Shen Yang's unexpected remark; she glared resentfully at Shen Yang and Mo Wuyou before following Yelü Yeding away with a dazed expression.

As soon as Yelü Yeding left, Yelü Hong and the Princess Ronghua naturally didn't stay for long either and also took their leave. Seeing that there was nothing left for him to do, Shen Yang stood up and led Mo Wuyou away too. Passing by Princess Zhenning, he stopped and looked at her saying, "Your girl is quite interesting; come find me in the Prince's Mansion later." Then he walked off without looking back. Neither Princess Zhenning nor Mo Xiaoyun understood what Shen Yang meant, but Mo Wuyou knew. However, Princess Zhenning’s injury was too severe, and even with great confidence in his master's medical skills, Mo Wuyou couldn’t guarantee her recovery. So he said, "Zhenning, remember Master’s words; make sure to come to the Prince's Mansion when you have time." Seeing Princess Zhenning nod, he bowed slightly to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao before following Shen Yang out.

For a moment, only Mo Xiuyao and his three companions remained in the hall. The atmosphere that had been tense and confrontational instantly became calm. Mo Xiuyao frowned as he looked at the young man and woman before him; although tonight's matters weren't many, both of them were things that Mo Xiuyao found very unpleasant. His eyes carried a hint of hostility towards Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning. Even without deliberately releasing it, this pressure from a powerful individual made sweat bead on the foreheads of Princess Zhenning and Mo Xiaoyun.

Seeing how they were forcing themselves to remain calm, Ye Li sighed softly and held Mo Xiuyao's hand while whispering to Mo Xiaoyun and the other, "You two must be tired. Rest well. In future, do not act rashly."

Mo Xiaoyun nodded in agreement. Mo Xiuyao stared at Princess Zhenning and asked, "Do you still harbor hatred towards her"

Princess Zhenning gritted her teeth and said, "I want to tear her into pieces!"

Mo Xiuyao sneered and asked, "On what basis do you say that" Princess Zhenning was taken aback and looked at Mo Xiuyao in puzzlement. Mo Xiuyao said coolly, "Do you have the ability to tear her into pieces It is likely that next time it will be you who ends up torn into pieces when she gets hold of you." Princess Zhenning gritted her teeth; regarding abilities and methods, she indeed was no match for Concubine Liu. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to stand up and said coldly to the two of them, "You both are not allowed to interfere with matters concerning Concubine Liu anymore. Similarly... you also mustn't help her either. If I find out that you have done something wrong behind my back… don’t blame me for being ruthless."

Moxiaoyun's heart skipped a beat. The Prince of Ding was implying that he planned to deal with Concubine Liu. Supporting Princess Zhenning, Moxiaoyun respectfully said, "I and my imperial sister will follow Your Highness' teachings and refrain from taking any hasty actions. She has no more connections with us."

"Very good," Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction before leading Ye Li out.

Back at the mansion, both Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao strictly forbade anyone to tell Mr. Qingyun about last night's events. Actually, Mr. Qingyun was so old that he did not care much about trivial matters anymore, but their filial piety as juniors made them hope that he would not worry about such small issues.

The next morning, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had just gotten up when a guard came to report, "Miss Dong requests an audience."

Ye Li was taken aback. She did not know who this Miss Dong was. Mo Xiuyao curled his lip disdainfully and said, “That one from the Cangmang Mountain. Have Qingchen invite her in. I have other matters to attend to.” The guard took his orders and left. Ye Li asked in puzzlement, "What matters do we have" Mo Xiuyao smiled and replied, "Let's go see my little princess and build our relationship."

In the main hall of the Prince of Ding’s mansion, a woman dressed in white sat quietly sipping tea, seemingly unaffected by her host’s coldness, patiently waiting. Half an hour later, footsteps sounded outside the door. A perfect smile curved the corners of the woman's lips as she raised her head to meet not the handsome man with snowy hair and clothes but another elegant black-haired man clad in white. Although Qingchen was eye-catching, last night she had focused all her attention on Mo Xiuyao and failed to notice Xu Qingchen sitting among his siblings at the Xus'. However, from his graceful demeanor in a fluttering white robe, one could guess who he was. Standing up, she gave an indifferent smile and said, "I am Dong You. I greet you, Mister Qingchen."

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and nodded. "Miss Dong, there's no need to be so formal. Please sit down."

Dong You took her seat and asked Xu Qingchen, "Is Prince Ding around"

"Prince Ding has some matters to attend to and cannot spare the time for you," replied Xu Qingchen with a smile. "I hope you can understand."

“Qingchen,” Dong You raised an eyebrow, “do you harbor ill will towards me If so, I wonder what I have done that displeased Mister Qingchen.” With a faint smile, Xu Qingchen remained silent. Sighing helplessly, she said, "I see, Mister Qingchen is Prince Ding’s wife's cousin, no wonder he is unhappy with me."

“It seems like Miss Dong thinks I am unfriendly towards her,” replied Xu Qingchen indifferently, “Miss Dong has overthought it. Princess Li and Prince Ding are a couple; whether their relationship is good or bad is their own business. The Xus will not interfere.”

“I have no intention of interfering with the relationship between Prince Ding and his wife,” said Dong You.

"That is Miss Dong's personal matter," replied Xu Qingchen.

Extracurricular:

I've been out these few days. I wrote a chapter in the hotel today before rushing off to a meeting. It's rather short, my apologies. About you guys disliking the woman who just appeared, let me say... this is probably the best debut for a female side character. Besides, she may not be likeable, but she has little impact on A'li and Xiuyao. As for mood, if A’li and Xiuyao had a smooth journey without any obstacles, it would seem rather monotonous. Those who are waiting for Qingchen's official love interest may get an allusion in the end, but there won't be much description of his feelings in the main text.

PS: I haven’t replied to comments these few days, please understand. I’ll try my best to collect issues mentioned in the comments and respond in the extracurricular section.ate rushed back in a hurry, wiping sweat from his face while reporting, "Lady Dowager… The groom’s procession hasn't arrived yet."Lady Dowager's originally smiling expression immediately turned seriou...