Too high to reach

Chapter 409 Extra: No Conscience
three years ago.

Empress Dowager Qian and Empress Jiang were both dismissed from their posts, and even Consort De was punished.

With the power over palace affairs left vacant, Consort Dong stepped forward and took it over without hesitation.

For the first thirty years of her life, she never imagined she'd be involved in this kind of thing! She had absolutely no ability...

But she insisted, so the emperor gave it to her; both of them were very stubborn.

Li Jing thought about it and realized that she was in a legitimate position. Then she thought about her ailing father, and her anger flared... oh well, she decided to let it go.

Thinking it might be best to have Granny Zhao assist her, but Consort Dong treated Granny Zhao like a thief, constantly threatening to punish her... and she certainly had the authority to do so.

Mo Yi had to give birth and take care of the child, and Granny Zhao also had a lot to do, so Li Jing simply washed her hands of it. Anyway, there weren't many people in the harem now, and not much to do.

However, everything concerning the Emperor was personally managed by Li Jing, as long as nothing went wrong in this area.

Consort Dong was short-tempered, stubborn, and unwilling to listen to advice. She changed her mind constantly, doing whatever she pleased, and kept everyone in the palace running around like puppets…

There were constant mistakes, but upon closer inspection, they weren't really that serious.

Just as I was relieved, a fire broke out in Consort Dong's palace...

The fire wasn't too big or too small... it only affected Consort Dong's palace.

After the fire was extinguished, several bodies were found in the fire. Although they were not burned to a crisp, they were unrecognizable...

Li Jing led his men to conduct a thorough investigation, and all signs indicated that one of them was Consort Dong.

Upon closer inspection, all of Consort Dong's daily necessities were still there, including her valuable jewelry.

Moreover, just the day before, Consort Dong was still in her palace, dreaming of becoming Empress...

So, it was all an accident, without any planning.

There were some unusual occurrences, but the harem under the control of Consort Dong was never without its share of them!

Li Chen is still in the palace!

Hearing that his mother's palace was on fire, he rushed over, his heart-wrenching cries... which didn't seem fake at all!
...If it weren't for the fact that Prince Yong'an disappeared after "going out to inspect his own properties"...

Li Jing actually believed it!

Now that we know about their relationship, their death and disappearance... is just too much of a coincidence.

Immediately dispatched people to conduct covert investigations in all directions... people were sent to all four directions.

Several months later, the people sent out returned empty-handed.

They didn't catch them.

However, the traces of deliberate and unintentional concealment are very obvious!

It's safe to assume that those two bastards eloped.

"Consort Dong is making a fuss about taking over palace affairs, making people think she's vying for power, but actually she's just making arrangements for her own escape! And she's hiding it very well. There are rumors that she's trying all sorts of ways to get the Empress's position... She's not stupid at all!" Mo Yi shook her head and sighed.

Li Jing was so angry that she couldn't even sit down, pacing around the room: "That bastard!"

There was another phrase, "adulterous couple," that lingered in my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to utter it.

Even though it was his father's business, he still felt ashamed.

It's true that I took my revenge before, but: the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Princess, the Prince... they were all cold-blooded and ruthless, and they showed their ugly side!
To be known to the world.

How will the world view the royal family after this?!
Before this storm had even completely passed, the scandal of the Emperor's concubine eloping with a prince broke out. That truly... ripped away the very fabric of the imperial family's dignity.

"Bastard! I haven't even had a chance to deal with him yet, and he's already given me another piece of disgust! If we catch him, I'll tear this dog to pieces! Keep investigating!"

But as angry and resentful as they were, there was nothing they could do.

The funeral that was to be held had to be carried out. The emperor, who had fainted again upon hearing the news, also needed careful comforting.

Otherwise, if something were to happen to the emperor, the arrangements made for Anian would be disrupted.

Besides, if that bastard had just run away on his own, it would be easier to handle... but he brought the Imperial Concubine with him... what if we catch them both?
Mo Yi chuckled inwardly, wondering which of your ailing but determined fathers—the truth behind Consort Dong's death or her escape—would he rather know?

"They...are they really willing to abandon Little Fifteen? If they're exposed, aren't they afraid you'll harm him?" She thought to herself: If it were me, I would take my son with me at all!
"Hmph! This scourge is so sure that I can't do anything for the sake of my father and the greater good!"

"What about Little Fifteen?"

“What to do… I was thinking of giving him a small, run-down fiefdom to get rid of him! Now… he’ll be stuck under my nose for the rest of his life! They’ll never see each other again!” Li Jing said, feeling much better.

Mo Yi couldn't stop laughing; he had really offended this person.

"So... are we still going to look for him?!"

"Find them! Why don't you look?! Even if you find them, don't bring them back, just kill them!" Li Jing went to court in a huff.

However, three years have passed, and they still haven't found it or managed to kill it.

Now, the Crown Prince has returned.
Although the Emperor was anxious to have the Ministry of Rites arrange his marriage, Li Jing was not in a hurry. Now that he had returned, he had to start familiarizing himself with court affairs. Even the most basic introductory skills would take at least a year and a half to master.

The political situation is currently stable, and there is no need to use his marriage to balance things out.

So, as for the legal wife, he should take his time to decide. It would be best if he found someone he was compatible with.

Li Jing looked at Mo Yi and stroked his beard again: Ideally, someone like me! Let's slowly develop a relationship...

"You're stroking your beard again!" Mo Yi looked at him with displeasure.

He quickly lowered his hand...

"Don't forget about Xiao Shiwu's marriage. I've reminded you twice already! If you don't make arrangements soon, people will say you're mistreating him!"

Li Chen fell seriously ill after his mother's accident. He became a melancholy young man, quietly attending classes every day and avoiding all other activities...

Not long after Mo Yi finished speaking, one morning when the Qi Prince's Mansion opened its gates, they saw a large box in the middle of the road.

A piece of paper was pasted on it, which read: "To His Highness Prince Qi!"

The servants and guards dared not carry it in directly, and reported to the prince.

Li Jing came out and stood on the steps, frowning as she looked at the screen: "Open it."

The box wasn't locked at all; it opened with a simple pry of the long pole.

It was full of ledgers and vouchers... and a letter.

"Bring it in!" Li Jing took the letter, opened it, and read...

Somewhat unexpectedly... there were two letters.

A letter from Prince Yong'an to Li Jing contained very simple information: "I offer up my property, please spare me..."

There was another letter from Consort Dong to Mo Yi, a jumbled mess of words, a jumble of thoughts from heaven and earth. She even asked her what new things she had recently come up with.

After looking for a while, I finally understood the key point: out of consideration for her taking care of my business, I hope Mo Yi can help Xiao Shiwu choose a suitable person.

I don't care about family background, but I want him to like me. Then, I hope Mo Yi can persuade the prince to grant me fifteen fiefdoms, regardless of size, distance, wealth, or poverty; just let me go.

After reading the letter, the couple remained silent.

Three years have passed. These two people haven't completely disappeared, but just when the investigation is almost complete, they vanish again.

A lot of manpower and resources were wasted, but nothing was gained.

Li Jing looked at the silver shop, salt fields, and a whole host of other properties he had been given. All the necessary paperwork was in order…

The fire in my heart was finally extinguished by this wealth... Oh well, let it go!

Can we let Xiao Wu go?!

Dream on!
……

Somewhere far from the capital, there is a mountain villa.

Built against the mountain and facing the water, the village has very high walls, making it exceptionally well-protected.

The owner of the estate, surnamed Wu, was rarely home. However, he had two sons, both in their teens, who lived there. A steward and guards took care of everything, keeping everything in perfect order.

The two boys either went to school or had a tutor. Their lives were very peaceful.

When it was first built, the huge manor housed only these two teenagers. They attracted everyone's curiosity, but as time went on, no one paid any attention to them anymore.

Last year, the owner of the estate, who had been away for many years, returned with his wife...

This lady is the second wife. The two boys in the manor are the sons of the manor owner's first wife...

When they returned, the couple had brought their daughter, who was about one year old.

This mother and daughter were both exceptionally beautiful... and were pampered like precious treasures by the manor lord.

"I wonder if that bastard Li Jing, after taking so much money, will do anything decent!"

Consort Dong, using the alias Zhang Shuzhen, knew that Li Jing had received their letter and gifts, and she kept complaining...

The Prince of Yong'an, now known as Wu Wei, showed her boundless patience. "He has been holding us captive for three years, wasting a lot of manpower and resources. If we don't give him some, he will be resentful... In recent years, Chen'er has been in the palace, without a residence or betrothal... This can't go on forever. This time, we have given him more than half of our family property. We hope he will let us off the hook."

"Release my Chen'er! No matter where the fief is, we'll go find it and the family can be reunited."

"Sigh..." Wu Wei shook his head helplessly, "It all depends on whether he has a conscience..."

Then, the couple spent their entire lives proving that Li Jing had no conscience.

Just one chapter today.

The main text is finished; this is just some wrapping up.

(End of this chapter)