Regent and Crown Prince

e capital, he paid frequent visits to Ye Li and continued to do so even after moving out of Dingwang’s residence. The envious King naturally forgot that Leng Haoyu was also here.Ye Li sheathed her swo...263. Regent and Crown Prince

Due to the emperor's serious illness, even before the new year was over, the entire imperial palace had already taken on a gloomy atmosphere. These few days, the court was filled with open and covert struggles between the faction of Prince Li and that of Chancellor Liu. All well-informed people knew why the emperor fell ill, and everyone’s eyes were set on the golden throne in the grand hall, even ignoring Hua's plea for help from Zijin Pass. Mo Jingqi lay sick in bed, daily delirious and unable to take care of himself, let alone handle state affairs.

"Your Highness," a eunuch standing guard outside the bedroom was huddling for warmth due to the cold weather. Seeing the finely attired man approaching at great strides, he hurriedly paid his respects with a fawning smile on his face. Mo Jingli stared disdainfully at the eunuch and said in a cold tone, "I need to discuss something with His Majesty."

The eunuch was taken aback and somewhat hesitated, saying, "However, Emperor is now..." Mo Jingli swept him with a stern gaze and retorted coldly, "What Does my wish to see His Majesty require your approval"

Shaken in their hearts, the guards at the door finally stepped aside after some hesitation. They smiled apologetically, saying, "Forgive me... Your Highness, please come in." Mo Jingli snorted and stepped into the bedroom.

The richly decorated furnishings of the grand hall came into view, causing Mo Jingli's eyes to flicker slightly. Watching the listless Mo Jingqi lying motionlessly on his bed, an indescribable sense of satisfaction suddenly arose in Mo Jingli’s heart. He knew that Mo Jingqi wasn't sleeping. With measured steps, he walked up and looked down at the emaciated man from a high vantage point beside the bed. A satisfied smile curled his lips; the secret medicine he got from Southern Border was far more effective than the so-called Five Stones Powder. While there were no noticeable effects when taking it continuously, the results would be astonishingly better once discontinued. In just days, Mo Jingqi had already become gaunt and weak.

After a moment's thought, Mo Jingli slipped an extremely small pill into Mo Jingqi’s mouth. His hazy eyes gradually regained some luster as he saw the person standing by his window. Anger flared in his eyes when he saw who it was, with his throat producing dry rattles. Mo Jingli asked leisurely while tilting his head, "What does Brother want to say"

"You... You still dare come!" Mo Jingqi rasped out. He hadn't spoken or eaten for days, drying out and hoarsening his voice severely. Mo Jingli smiled and said, "Why shouldn't I dare come Brother, your younger brother is worried about you."

Mo Jingqi glared at him with hatred, as if wanting to bite the man dead in one go. Mo Jingli strolled leisurely over to sit by his bed, smiling strangely at Mo Jingqi's resentful look and said, "Brother, you really shouldn't blame me. If anything, blame Mother. If she hadn’t constantly fed me ideas to suppress you back then, and if it weren’t for her own power interests that made her support me against you, perhaps we would still be good brothers who respected each other. Brother… do you know how badly you've failed in life Look at yourself... Mother is dealing with you, your little brother is dealing with you, the royal relatives are indifferent to you. Do you think they don’t know that your illness is suspicious But have they asked about it Blame yourself for being too cruel to the royal clan; now when things happen to you, no one will help you. Even your most beloved Consort Liu and her family… hahaha, surely they’ve already made their own plans."

Mo Jingqi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Mo Jingli didn't mind but asked leisurely instead, "These few days, has Concubine Liu come to visit you No... it makes sense; Consort Liu's heart is all on Mo Xiuyao right now, how could she possibly come see you at this time The Liu family is actively supporting the plan to put her son on the throne."

Mo Jingqi was livid, wanting to yell loudly but his body couldn’t even muster the strength to do so. He heard Mo Jingli continue, "Brother, did you know… if my younger brother were to ascend the throne, you might still have a chance at survival. After all... even out of respect for Mother and Mo Xiuyao, he would make sure you live on. But if Consort Liu's son ascends, I guarantee that you won’t last a month. Because with an emperor above him and an Empress Dowager ruling behind the curtains, how can Consort Liu assume such a role Brother, didn't you know your frosty consort has such ambitions Do you know why she wants to rule as regent Heh heh... She intends to dominate all of Great Chu and vie for Mo Xiuyao with Ye Li. What a romantic woman, don’t you think, Brother"

"Wah—!" Mo Jingqi’s face turned from red to green repeatedly until he finally spat out a mouthful of blood. Lying on his bed without the strength even to sit up, this spray of blood soaked his neck and chest and half of his face was stained with blood, looking both terrifying and pitiful. A great emperor had come to such an end; his anger and despair could be imagined.

Mojing Li looked at him with no trace of compassion, saying, "How is it Have you thought it through, Brother Emperor" Mojing Qi stared at him for a long time before suddenly breaking into laughter. His blood-streaked face and bizarre smile made Mojing Li narrow his eyes in displeasure.

Mojing Qi panted for a moment before saying, "You want to force me to commit a crime Little brother... don't forget that I am the elder brother, and all those tricks you've used are leftovers from my days. Back then… I truly shouldn’t have been merciful toward you!" Mojing Li frowned as he looked at Mojing Qi's smile, feeling an uneasy sense of unease in his heart. At this point, he couldn't think of any further moves Mojing Qi had up his sleeve.

Staring intently at the man who was a mess on the ground, Mojing Li’s eyebrows furrowed tightly together. Mojing Qi looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and slowly said, "Jingli... all these years, you still only have one child under your knees" Mojing Li narrowed his eyes slightly, not understanding why he was bringing this up now. He heard Mojing Qi say slowly, "If I told you that from now on you’ll only ever have this one child, what would you do then"

"What are you trying to imply!" Mojing Li’s expression changed as he stepped forward and grabbed the front of Mojing Qi's clothes, dragging him up off the ground and shouting at him angrily.

For men, having offspring was sometimes even more important than power. Although many people might sacrifice their children for power, that was only because they had multiple children; if they didn’t have any, then all of the significance of worldly power and status would instantly plummet by a lot. Reaching the throne but being unable to pass it down to one’s own offspring seemed akin to someone working hard his whole life to save money, only for another person's son to benefit from it. Although Mojing Li wasn’t without sons, he had only one child—Ye Ying’s son—who was weak and often sickly, so much that people were worried about whether the boy would live past twenty years old.

Hearing what Mojing Qi said made Mojing Li's heart give a jolt; he stared fiercely at Mojing Qi, demanding, "What did you do No… there’s no way you had an opportunity to drug me!" Mojing Li wasn’t someone without vigilance; in fact, he was more vigilant against this brother of his than anyone else. He took extra care with everything he ate and used on a daily basis, so it was impossible for him to have been drugged.

Mojing Qi laughed mockingly as he looked at his angry little brother’s face, clearly feeling good about it; "Jingli, you should thank the fact that I let you keep one child. Blame yourself for not being a proper prince and insisting on opposing me." Mojing Li's expression darkened; after pondering for a while, he suddenly sneered coldly, “You said so yourself: at least this prince still has another son. Do you believe it or not that I can kill each of your sons one by one!”

Mojing Qi didn’t take his threat to heart and smiled faintly, saying, "Do you think the child in your house is really yours Jingli, you don't know; when Lady Li Wang gave birth to that child, I even held him myself. That was a plump little boy who grew well and solidly—your sickly child wasn’t even half his size."

"Damn it!" Mojing Li exploded in rage, slamming Mojing Qi back onto the bed before charging forward, pinching his neck and roaring, "Where did you take my son! Tell me!"

Mojing Qi seemed not to see the hand tightly gripping his throat; his face was yellow and he remained half-closed-eyed even as it turned red from being choked. Eventually Mojing Li could only give up and let him go, for there was no way that he would actually kill Mojing Qi now. After ascending the throne, he’d be branded a criminal who murdered the emperor. Looking at the man lying on the bed, Mojing Li sneered coldly, "Not going to say anything Do you think this prince can’t deal with you I’ll kill one imperial son every day for your viewing pleasure; eventually you'll talk."

Mojing Qi opened his eyes and looked at him calmly, saying, "I’m dying anyway—I don't care about them. Even if you kill all of my sons, so what Changle is still in the northwest right now; she’s your daughter but also my bloodline. And as for you… it's fate that will cut off your line entirely. As soon as you kill an imperial son, I promise that your son will be delivered to your breakfast table by dawn."

At this point, Mojing Li had no choice but to admit that in terms of ruthlessness, he was completely inferior to his brother; "What are you trying to do You should know well yourself that there’s no way for your body to recover. Do you think giving the throne to Concubine Guifei will ensure peace for you" To make sure it would be foolproof, he wouldn’t administer any drug with an antidote. At the mention of Concubine Guifei, a flash of ruthlessness flickered across Mojing Qi’s eyes; after lowering his head and pondering for a while, he said, "What I want to do has nothing to do with you."

Soon after, an imperial decree was issued by Emperor Mo Jingqi. It declared that the eldest son of Consort Liu, Mo Xiaoyun, would be crowned as Crown Prince, and concurrently elevated Prince Li to Regent King in charge of state affairs. Naturally, this news stunned the entire court, but no one could fathom the emperor's intentions. Even those officials who wanted to align themselves with a side were at a loss - should they support the Crown Prince or Prince Li

In the Li王府

As soon as Mo Jingli returned home, Ye Ying and Princess Qixia came forward to welcome him. Princess Qixia was still as stunningly beautiful as ever, but compared to her, Ye Ying appeared pale and thin. Although she was barely in her twenties, she looked almost thirty. She held a little boy who seemed not to be five years old. However, those from the Ding王府 knew that this much-adored young master would actually turn seven soon.

"My lord, congratulations on being honored as Regent King and now holding great power," Princess Qixia said with a bright, gentle smile that was sincere yet not fawning. Even Mo Jingli, who had been in a bad mood, couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.

A trace of jealousy passed through Ye Ying's eyes; she tugged her son forward and said with a smile, "This concubine and the young master also congratulate your highness on being honored as Regent King..." Then she squeezed the boy's hand slightly to prompt him to speak.

The little child had an ashen face and was frail, looking like he might fall over at any moment. He clung tightly beside Ye Ying, seemingly very afraid of Mo Jingli, his father. Ye Ying gritted her teeth inwardly; she simply couldn't understand why their son, who they were not timid or fearful people, would be so cowardly and afraid of his own father. The child raised his head hesitantly, his voice as faint as a mosquito's when he called out "Father," after which he fell silent.

Seeing this trembling child before him, Mo Jingli felt anger welling up inside him, almost ready to burst forth. How could such an unremarkable and frail boy be his son! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, staring at the child as if flames would shoot out from his eyes.

"My lord..." Ye Ying looked puzzled at Mo Jingli; she could tell that becoming Regent King hadn't pleased him. In fact, he was very angry right now. She carefully held her frightened son behind her and asked cautiously.

Mo Jingli gave a cold snort and kicked the child forcefully away. After sending someone to investigate thoroughly, he learned that all the midwives at Ye Ying's childbirth had been arranged by Mo Jingqi; after she gave birth, everyone in the estate was replaced without a trace. Mo Jingli knew then that Mo Jingqi hadn't lied - this sickly child before him wasn't his son. The boy didn’t even resemble either of them and would likely grow up to be unremarkable.

"My lord!" Ye Ying screamed, as did the servants, maids, and even Princess Qixia; they were all stunned. Ye Ying rushed toward the child who had fallen on the ground, vomiting blood and unable to cry, his breaths becoming weaker by the moment. Frightened, she barely dared touch him but shouted, "Son... Quickly! Call a court physician!"

The servants came back to their senses but hesitated, looking at Mo Jingli; it was up to him whether to call for medical help since he had kicked his son. Most people could see that the young master had always been weak and sickly, and such a violent kick surely spelled trouble.

"No one goes!" said Mo Jingli coldly. Ye Ying looked stunned at Mo Jingli with tears in her eyes, unsure of what to do; "M...My lord..."

Mojing Li is now at his peak in detesting Ye Ying; this woman cannot achieve anything good but only brings trouble. He must have been crazy to want to marry her back then, and as a result, he missed out on something...

He grabbed Ye Ying and dragged her towards the courtyard while she was struggling, looking at the child who was gasping for breath and crying incessantly.

"No… Your Highness, it’s the child…" Mo Jing Li's figure appeared behind a wall. The people present looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what to do next. Princess Qixia smirked with schadenfreude as she waved her hand and said, "Let’s deal with this after your highness is done with his business."

Ye Ying struggled the whole way while being dragged by Mo Jing Li but how could a frail woman like her break free She was continuously dragged back into their room where she was pushed hard and stumbled onto a table. Raising her head, Ye Ying said through tears, "Your Highness, why are you doing this That’s our child! How can you be so heartless…"

"Shut up!" Mo Jing Li coldly said as he stared at Ye Ying with icy eyes: "A fool who cannot achieve anything good. You don’t even know that someone replaced your child right after birth, making me raise a bastard for seven years!"

Ye Ying was stunned, completely unable to understand the meaning behind Mo Jing Li's words. Mo Jing Li glared at her coldly and said, "Still not clear That sick boy is not my son! He was replaced right after birth!"

"How… How could this be! This can’t be possible!" Ye Ying cried out.

She had been in pain for years, carefully nurturing her son who wasn’t even her own Then where did the child she gave birth to go

"Your Highness... Where is our child" Ye Ying asked anxiously.

Mojing Li said hatefully: "In Mo Jing Qi’s hands!" Upon hearing this, Ye Ying collapsed into a chair. Throughout these years, she was well aware of the relationship between Mo Jing Li and his brother but would her son still have a chance if he fell into Mo Jing Qi's hands

Seizing onto Mo Jing Li's robe frantically, Ye Ying cried, "Your Highness, save our child. I beg you to save my poor child! Waaaah… Poor me..."

Mojing Li pushed her away in disgust. Of course he would save the child; he had no choice but to do so. Looking coldly at Ye Ying crying beside a table, Mo Jing Li was disgusted by this woman who used to be gentle and adorable: "From today onwards, stay inside your quarters without stepping out again! I don’t want to see you again!"

Ye Ying looked blank; how could she tolerate the news that her son had fallen into Mo Jing Qi’s hands and being confined by Mo Jing Li at the same time

"Why… Why" Ye Ying asked with a vacant look as she gazed at Mo Jing Li.

These years, she had long lost his favor but if not for her son, she would have been forgotten. The affection of old seemed like a dream and now was it all gone

Mojing Li said coldly: "If you hadn’t been so stupid, how could I have no idea where my child is these years Do you know what I’ve lost because of your stupidity"

Thinking back to the gentle woman he had met in Ancheng last year, Mo Jing Li felt a pang of regret. She was still as elegant as ever; if it were her, such a thing would have never happened.

The last look at Ye Ying before leaving, Mo Jing Li swept his sleeves and left without any regrets, leaving Ye Ying in shock, tears silently falling from her eyes. After a long while, the room was filled with sobs.的侍衛就吃了大虧。一片鮮血嚇得女眷們尖叫起來，整座樓上一片混亂。長樂公主躲在葉璃身邊，隻露出一個小腦袋來偷看。葉璃拍拍她的腦門道：“彆看，小心嚇著。”長樂公主連忙縮了回去，有些擔心地問道：“定王妃，我母後和父王會不會有事？”葉璃笑道：“你放心，就是我們這裡的人全部有事他們也不會。”那麼多的侍衛圍著還有事那這樓上的人就該被刺客殺光了。群臣中會武功的也紛紛挺身迎上了黑衣刺客，這不僅僅是為了自己和大家的...