The palace banquet lasted until nightfall.
Upon returning to her residence, Luo Li glanced at Monian’s room. The lights were already out, and it seemed he had gone to bed.
Seeing how late it was, Luo Li didn’t dwell on it further. After washing up, she prepared to rest.
But to her surprise, as soon as she opened the bed curtains, she was startled.
There lay Monian, reclining on his side, dressed only in a white sleeping robe. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, his handsome face slightly flushed, as if with a mix of shame and indignation. His hands were clenched tightly, as though he had resolved himself to something.
Luo Li was taken aback.
“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning. She was about to call for someone to escort him back, but he reached out to stop her.
“This slave… wishes to serve Your Highness, but… I have one request,” he said, his voice trembling.
He was nervous. He couldn’t be sure how long the capricious princess’s interest in him would last.
Nor could he be certain whether, in his current state, she would agree to his request.
But now, he had no choice but to gamble—to bet on her attitude toward him these past few days, to wager his own self in exchange for his younger brother’s life!
Seeing him like this, Luo Li frowned deeply. Unable to pull him up, she simply sat down beside him, yielding to his gesture.
“What happened? Tell me.”
From Monian’s account, Luo Li finally learned the reason.
Luo Li was aware of Monian’s background. He came from the Mo family, a prominent scholarly clan in a neighboring country.
The Mo family held the highest standing among scholarly families in that country, deeply respected and admired by many.
The family had produced numerous exceptionally talented individuals who had contributed greatly to the nation, earning the praise and affection of the people.
Though the neighboring country was small, the struggle for the throne among its royal family had always been ruthless.
Their new emperor was a ruthless figure who had ascended to the throne by killing his own father and brothers.
But having done this, he was unwilling to bear the infamy.
Thus, he sought to use the Mo family’s reputation to legitimize his rule and even attempted to alter historical records, portraying himself as a benevolent and virtuous emperor.
The Mo family, however, was unwilling. Their household upheld principles of integrity and righteousness.
What was done was done; what was not, was not.
Black was black, and white was white. There was no logic in twisting black into white.
But the new emperor was a cruel man, and the Mo family’s defiance naturally enraged him.
Unsurprisingly, not long after, the renowned Mo family vanished overnight. Its members were killed or injured.
Moreover, they were burdened with countless false accusations.
Monian witnessed the deaths of his loved ones with his own eyes and was reduced to the lowest of slaves, repeatedly sold and humiliated.
It was clear how deeply he must have hated the royal family, which ruled by power alone.
But now, he had no choice but to gamble once more.
“Are you certain your younger brother is still alive?”
Luo Li had read about these events in the records, but she and Little Cabbage were both surprised to hear that his younger brother was still alive.
According to the records, aside from him, his parents and younger brother had all died under the blades of traitors that night.
She feared this might be a trap, especially since the outside world was indeed chaotic. Even the smallest incident could affect the larger situation.
Hearing Luo Li’s words, he nodded frantically, his eyes reddening as he retrieved a jade pendant from his embrace.”This is the Mo family’s personal jade, given to every Mo family child after birth.
This one belonged to my younger brother. He was mischievous since childhood and often got hurt. I examined it carefully with a lamp—even the hidden marks inside are identical.”
“The person who brought the jade today also confirmed a secret code known only to my brother and me. He is currently at the slave house where you bought me back.”
“Your Highness, I beg you to save him.”
“After this, I will do anything you ask. He is too young; he cannot survive there.”
By now, his eyes were red, and he lay pitifully by the bed, pleading incessantly.
Upon learning the news, he had considered relying on his limited martial skills to rescue his brother.
But having been there himself, he knew better than anyone how insignificant his own abilities were.
Now, the only one who could help him was Luo Li.
“Host! I’ve checked—it really is Mo Tong! But his condition is very poor.”
At that moment, Little Cabbage returned from outside using space teleportation, panting heavily as she hurriedly reported to her Host.
Hearing this, Luo Li immediately stood up, grabbed the outer robe beside her, and strode out while putting it on.
“Someone, prepare the carriage! To the slave house!”
Mo Nian snapped back to reality and struggled to follow on his battered body.
Luo Li glanced at him but ultimately said nothing.
……..
The slave house owner was startled to see Luo Li arriving in the dead of night.
“Princess Baoyang, I was unaware of your esteemed visit. Please forgive my lack of preparation.” Regaining his composure, he smiled and bowed.
“Bring all the boys under five years old in the house to me.” Luo Li wasted no time and gave the order directly.
Seeing Luo Li’s expression, the owner did not dare delay and quickly brought the requested people over.
Even the one who had suddenly developed a high fever and was near death was not left out.
“Little Tong!” Mo Nian exclaimed as soon as he saw him, quickly scooping the child into his arms.
Luo Li took them back to the carriage and rushed straight to the manor. Before leaving, she had already instructed someone to summon a physician to wait at the manor.
“Hey!” Seeing them leave with the child, the owner’s face darkened as he let out a sigh.
Yu Shuang tossed a bag of gold to the owner and extended her hand toward him.
“Miss Yu Shuang, here you go.”
Seeing the full bag of gold, the owner finally smiled, cheerfully handing Mo Tong’s deed of servitude to Yu Shuang.
Though he appeared polite and appropriately fearful of Luo Li, he was no small figure.
Their slave house did not belong to the Qian Kingdom or any other nation.
Yet their influence spread everywhere, and every slave in their house was exorbitantly priced.
Without exception, none of the slaves in their house had simple backgrounds.
Pick any one, and they would be fallen noble descendants or children of high-ranking officials.
Even members of royal families could be found among them.
This alone was enough to prove the slave house’s extraordinary nature.
….Back at the Princess Manor, several physicians hurriedly examined Mo Tong.
They treated his wounds and worked to reduce his fever. It was not until midnight that the child’s fever finally subsided, saving his life.
Luo Li finally saw Mo Nian’s tense body relax.
Seeing his younger brother sleeping peacefully, Mo Nian finally felt at ease.Turning to see Luo Li looking at him, he was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile.
“Today, thank you, Your Highness.”
Though he did not know what the future held, for now he was willing to believe that she was different from those of the royal family.
[Ding, Favorability Value +35. Current Favorability Value: 30%.]
“Mm.” Luo Li responded softly, also feeling a sense of relief in her heart.