105 Yáo Jī

that the content of this assessment is as follows: 1) March westward for one hundred and twenty li, arriving at the designated location before dawn tomorrow morning; 2) Capture all non-civilians from...Diaoji

105. Diaoji

The two of them were sharp-witted and agile, and naturally heard the old man's murmurs as they walked a few steps. Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao with a smile and said, "Someone recognizes us, Your Royal Highness." Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and replied, "It doesn't matter. I used to come here frequently, but I didn't expect the old scholar to recognize me." Mo Xiuyao's life could be considered as being divided at the age of seventeen; since then, his life had taken completely different paths. If one did not know him well, it would indeed be difficult to associate the two people together. Ye Li lowered her head and looked at the flower lantern she had just finished painting, still exuding a faint ink scent, with a slight smile curling her lips.

Holding their flower lanterns, they strolled leisurely down the streets like many young couples. Although their appearance and demeanor attracted curious and envious glances from passersby, it was much more pleasant than the speculative and calculating gazes found in palaces and among the nobility. As she walked, Ye Li curiously examined the various stalls lining the street. The items sold there were not necessarily of high quality; they were generally for ordinary people to use. Though simple and unadorned, it felt more natural and intimate. Mo Xiuyao smiled as he pulled Ye Li to a stall selling jewelry, rouge, and face powder. The small stand naturally did not have any expensive items. The middle-aged couple running the stall could see that the man and woman in front of them were clearly no ordinary people; although they might not value their wares, they still promoted them enthusiastically.

Mo Xiuyao picked up a simple pearl hairpin and looked at Ye Li before shaking his head and putting it back.

A slender jade-like hand reached out to pick up the hairpin again. Meeting Mo Xiuyao's eyes, Ye Li raised an eyebrow with a smile and said, "Why"

Mo Xiuyao sighed softly and replied, "This flower pin would only make Diaoji look dull; she deserves the most brilliant pearls. A few days ago, I ordered some night pearls at Fenghuai Tower. Tomorrow, let's go see what style you like to have them made into" Ye Li looked at the simple hairpin in her hand and smiled, saying, "Even if you're not afraid of me squandering your family fortune, I'm worried that the noblewomen and young ladies in the capital will kill me with their eyes." The jewelry from Fenghuai Tower was famously expensive throughout the Chu Capital. Even for those from prestigious families, owning a few pieces would already be something to boast about. But while others might not know Ye Li, she herself knew very well that since her wedding, almost all her accessories were custom-made at Fenghuai Tower. No wonder even though Ye Li rarely went out and always tried to choose more low-key jewelry when she did go out, there were still many people who would glance at the trinkets on her.

"If buying a few pieces of jewelry could squander our family fortune, then we must be too impoverished," Mo Xiuyao said with a smile as he took the hairpin from Ye Li's hand and gently placed it in her hair. He murmured softly, "I hope that everything Diaoji gets is the best."

Ye Lier smiled slightly, saying, "What one likes is the best. Even if something is of high quality, it's worthless if you don't like it."

Mos Yao’s eyes flickered with a faint smile as he asked softly, "Then does Ah Li like it" He wasn’t sure whether Ye Lier was referring to this hairpin or something else. Ye Lier blushed slightly and turned her head away saying quietly, "It's not bad." After paying for the item, they ignored the couple running a stall who were flattering them and left hand in hand. On their way there, Mos Yao kept glancing at the woman beside him. The inconspicuous pearl hairpin seemed to emit attractive light against her black hair.

"What's happening over there" Ye Lier looked ahead and saw a large crowd gathering in one direction while hearing noise from that side. She could only make out people bustling around as far as the eye could see. Mos Yao raised an eyebrow with a smile, saying, "There’s probably something exciting going on, let's go see." He handed the two lanterns to someone following them casually and pulled Ye Lier towards where the crowd was heading. Turning back, Ye Lier saw the unfamiliar guard holding their two lanterns, furrowing her brows and said, "I almost forgot about it. I haven’t seen Ah Jin since coming back." Ah Jin was usually taciturn; he pushed Mos Yao's wheelchair without showing much emotion when he followed him around. Now that Mos Yao could walk normally again, Ah Jin seemed to be forgotten by everyone.

Mos Yao smiled as he replied, "I told him to take care of something else for me. He has grown up and can't just be my bodyguard all the time." Ye Lier nodded; Ah Jin was the personal nephew of Mos Manager who had devoted his entire life to managing the王府 (Duke's Manor) without children or wife, while his parents died serving the定王府 (Ding Duke’s Manor). Therefore, it made sense for Mos Yao to take extra care of him.

Only after pushing through the crowd did they see that a stage had been set up at the corner of the street. Colored silk had decorated the stage making it look bright and eye-catching. Although there was no one on stage, people below were clearly excited. Ye Lier looked at the middle-aged man beside her who appeared extremely excited with his flushed face, asking softly, "What's happening here" The middle-aged man turned his head to see a beautiful woman standing beside him and was surprised for a moment; then he said kindly, "The famous courtesan Yaorui of Jingcheng is going to perform dancing on this stage. She’s also throwing out a ball…." Halfway through, he seemed to remember that the lady before him was pretty and blushed slightly, his words becoming vague afterwards. Even though it wasn’t clear, Ye Lier still understood what was happening. Surprised for a moment, she turned around towards Mos Yao asking puzzledly, "What did he say… could Yaorui be the one I know"

"Seems correct," said Mos Yao with a faint smile.

Ye Lier frowned; although she only met Yaorui twice before, she had some fondness for her. To put it simply, Yaorui was not just a dancer but also the owner of Jingcheng’s most famous brothel,傾城坊 (Qing Cheng Fang). Although dancers were considered lowly, Yaorui's status might even surpass that of some wealthy merchants in the capital. Such a woman didn’t need to choose either throwing out a ball for marriage or finding someone to be her patron. Moreover, she chose this place where most of the people around were ordinary citizens instead of nobles if she wanted to marry an ordinary man and live a simple life. Seeing Ye Lier frowning, Mos Yao smiled faintly and said in a deep voice, "It is rumored that Yaorui has close ties with Mu Yang; next month Mu Yang will be marrying the granddaughter of Minister Sun from the Ministry of Rites. Could there be any connection"

"Yaorui and Mu Yang" Ye Lier remembered meeting Mu Yang twice before. He was an extremely outstanding man even when seen at a distance without speaking to him. She had also heard rumors about Yaorui, Mu Yang, and Feng Zhiyao; however, based on her understanding of Feng Zhiyao, she thought these rumors might be exaggerated. Unexpectedly, the rumor about Feng Zhiyao turned out to be fake, while there seemed to be some truth behind the one involving Mu Yang. Mos Yao nodded and said, "Yaorui became famous in Jingcheng when she was thirteen years old; it’s been nearly ten years now. In these years, if not for Feng San and Mu Yang's protection, a weak woman like her wouldn’t have been able to keep her brothel running without being troubled by the influential people of Jingcheng. Those who hold power here aren't easy to deal with." Ye Lier nodded understandingly; Yaorui’s beauty was definitely one of the top five in Jingcheng. More importantly, compared to the usual aristocratic ladies’ grand and dignified bearing, Yaorui’s skillful dancing added an alluring charm. Such a beautiful woman being involved in the entertainment industry would inevitably become a target for competition among high officials and wealthy noblemen's sons. If Yaorui was a virtuous woman without any power or support, she wouldn’t be able to fend off those wild bees and waves without help.

Ye Li couldn't understand Yaohui's thoughts. Even if she truly had some connection with Mu Yang, deciding her future through such a method was too irresponsible towards herself. If it were something like martial arts competition or selecting talents based on literary skills at least it could test the opponent’s capabilities. But throwing a flower ball was completely relying on luck. Ye Li vaguely remembered seeing in some TV dramas that a lady would throw a ball but instead of being caught by someone from a noble family, it would be grabbed by a beggar—a clichéd plot twist. Yaohui had specially chosen this place for the event; even if it wasn't picked up by a beggar, there was still a high possibility that commoners would catch it. However, no matter how common a person was, marrying Yaohui properly wouldn’t benefit either party.

"Don't worry. Mu Yang couldn't possibly be unaware of this event," Mo Xiuyao said softly.

Ye Li nodded and looked around but didn't spot Mu Yang. After all, it wasn't easy to talk about matters between a man and woman. Regardless of whether or not Mu Yang showed up here, no one could say if he was right or wrong. He would be getting married next month, and he had to take responsibility for both the Mu Yanghou Manor and his fiancée.

"Miss, is this gentleman your brother..." A man standing beside Ye Li suddenly asked in a low voice. Ye Li turned around and saw that many men were eyeing Mo Xiuyao with unfriendly gazes, causing her to smile wryly. Although Mo Xiuyao was wearing a mask, the side of his face visible was exceptionally handsome. His posture was also very imposing, making him stand out like a crane among chickens, which naturally caused hostility from other men. Holding Mo Xiuyao's hand, Ye Li smiled faintly, "We're just here to watch; my husband won't fight for the flower ball." Everyone’s eyes clearly showed disbelief. Although this woman was no less beautiful than Yaohui, who would mind having more beautiful women This lady was graceful and noble, obviously a high-ranking wife from an esteemed family. Wasn’t it lacking someone as alluring as Yaohui to be embraced by her husband

Mo Xiuyao was in a good mood so he didn't care about the rudeness of others. He pulled Ye Li to him and said to that man, "You don't need to worry. I'm not here for the flower ball. My wife can be quite fierce…"

Ye Li immediately turned black with anger, discreetly grabbing his hand to squeeze it hard. Mo Xiuyao's expression remained unchanged as if Ye Li hadn’t pinched him at all; he smiled at the man across from them and said, "And I don't like women who are too seductive… I prefer my wife’s gentle grace." The gentle and graceful wife secretly grabbed a bit of flesh on his waist and twisted it with force. Mo Xiuyao could only bitterly smile helplessly and held Ye Li's hand to stop her, saying, "Wife, I truly don't like other women."

Ye Li rolled her eyes and silently let go. She recalled a phrase: 'Ruffians aren’t scary, it’s when ruffians become cultured that they become terrifying.' When these gentlemen put on thick skin and acted arrogantly, there was no way to stop them.

The surrounding men finally seemed relieved, offering understanding smiles to Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao didn't mind and nodded with a smile to acknowledge everyone’s goodwill.

"Oh, Miss Yao has come out!" someone exclaimed in surprise. Ye Li turned around to look and saw the stunning woman on stage wearing a colorful brocade dress with an exceptionally beautiful makeup that won her immediate applause as soon as she appeared. Yao Ji nodded slightly at the audience below and smiled sweetly, causing all the men down there to get excited and start calling out to her. She paused for a moment when her eyes passed over Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao's location before smiling faintly at Ye Li and turning back to wave her long sleeves gracefully. Soft music began playing from the side of the stage as Yao Ji moved gracefully with the melody, dancing elegantly with her flowing water sleeves to the applause of the audience.

Ye Li frowned and sighed inwardly while watching the woman on stage smiling brilliantly. This wasn't about throwing a ball for marriage; it was an intentional act to tarnish her reputation. Yao Ji's reputation in the capital city wasn't bad, although there were rumors linking her with Feng San and Mu Yang, but no one had actually seen anything happen between them. Moreover, not many people could even see Yao Ji herself. But now that she’s dancing and throwing a ball here today, most of the men in half of the city would know what Yao Ji looks like by tonight. Today's act will make those who wish to marry her as a concubine or as a wife think less highly of her. Looking at the momentary sadness and sorrow flashing across the woman’s face on stage, Ye Li shook her head inwardly; was it really because of Mu Yang

After the music ended, people below began to call out to Yao Ji, urging her to throw the ball quickly. An elderly madam with a painted smile walked up onto the stage and raised her hand to quiet everyone down before saying with a smile, "Everyone has good luck today because Miss Yao will personally be throwing the ball for marriage tonight. Whoever catches it shall become our Miss Yao’s husband for tonight. I wish all of you well."

Ye Li felt a heavy sense of gloom; she had heard clearly when that old madam said “husband for tonight.” This meant that Yao Ji wasn't truly getting married but only choosing someone to enter her bed for the night. It also implied that after tonight, Yao Ji would no longer be an innocent dancing girl who sold art and not her body. Watching the stunning woman with beautiful eyes standing on stage, Ye Li sighed sadly. Mo Xiuyao whispered, "Ye Li, what’s wrong"

Shaking her head, Ye Li said, "Miss Yao's actions are too extreme; there’s no need to go this far…" If she were asked if she could do something like this for a man, Ye Li knew in her heart that she would never be able to do what Yao Ji did. Not because of love, but… her love had its limits. To give up one's dignity was too heavy a burden for Ye Li.

Mo Xiuyao leaned close and whispered into Ye Li’s ear with a low chuckle, "I will never make my Ye Li do such a thing; I'll remove all obstacles so that she can be the only wife of Mo Xiuyao."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, “Today Your Highness is particularly good at saying nice words.”

"Your husband would be happy to say nice things every day," said Mo Xiuyao with a smile. "Don't worry; Mu Yang may not be the brightest but he's decent person who will definitely show up." be considered a scheming warlord, Mojingli and his brother Mojingqi were anomalies within their family. Even at such a dire situation, they refused to reflect on themselves but instead shifted the bl...