As expected, Xu Qing Chen was waiting for them in Yong Lin.
When the group arrived at the small city of Yong Lin, Young Master Qing Chen was leisurely sitting in the city’s finest teahouse, enjoying tea with an air of elegant refinement. Seeing them enter, Xu Qing Chen smiled and said, “I’ve been waiting for you all day. I’ve already reserved an entire inn—shall we rest here in Yong Lin for a day before crossing the pass?” Ye Li smiled, “Brother is so thoughtful. Xiu Yao and I were thinking the same thing.” As everyone took their seats, Xu Qing Chen raised an eyebrow and smiled, “It seems everyone didn’t get their fill of excitement on the road?”
Hearing this, Feng Zhi Yao immediately voiced his complaints, “Exactly! Young Master Qing Chen, you don’t know—we spent the whole journey walking and waiting, but even after crossing the Yun Lan River, those cowards never caught up with us. Such a disappointment!” These past few years had been too peaceful; in the Northwest, people even competed for the chance to suppress bandits, to the point where there weren’t even any brigands left within their borders. It was really… making his hands itch. “Mo Jing Qi is truly no fun. If he had issued an official order to intercept and kill us, those commanders wouldn’t have dared to disobey. This young master could have experienced breaking through an army of thousands! But look now, his subordinates cut corners… I wonder if Mo Jing Qi would die of anger if he knew we crossed Sui Xue Pass without losing a single soldier?!”
Xu Qing Chen shook his head with a smile, “Lord Feng San is overthinking it. Mo Jing Qi could never issue an official order. Once an official decree is made public, it would be equivalent to formally declaring war on the Mo Family Army. Before they could even kill us, the Mo Family Army would probably be deployed at Flying Hong Pass. If they could commit all their forces and manage to kill the Prince, that would be one thing, but if the Prince were to return to the Northwest…” The wrath of Prince Ding and nearly a million Mo Family Army soldiers wasn’t something just anyone could withstand. Hearing Xu Qing Chen’s analysis, Feng San could only express regret at Mo Jing Qi’s cowardice.
“Your Highness, a Great Chu envoy requests an audience downstairs,” a guard reported.
“Great Chu envoy?” Feng Zhi Yao was somewhat surprised, looking at Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li, asking, “In the current situation, a Great Chu envoy can still request to see the Prince?” Xu Qing Chen smiled calmly, “Why doesn’t Lord Feng San guess who the Great Chu envoy might be?” Feng Zhi Yao looked at him, “Could it be that Young Master Qing Chen has already met them?” Xu Qing Chen shook his head, “I haven’t met them, but we can make some educated guesses. Nanzhao has sent diplomatic letters inviting various national rulers and nobles to Princess An Xi’s wedding. Great Chu couldn’t send too low-ranking an envoy, but… given Mo Jing Qi’s personality, he wouldn’t come personally.” Mo Jing Qi had always been extremely conscious of his status and vigilant about his safety. Let alone traveling thousands of li to Nanzhao, Mo Jing Qi had never ventured more than a hundred li from the capital in his entire life. Unless necessary, he would remain in his heavily guarded palace, never taking a single step outside.
“Mo Jing Qi has long known about the Black Prince’s connections to the Southern Frontier. So he definitely wouldn’t let the Black Prince take the lead. In the entire capital, among those Mo Jing Qi trusts and who are presentable enough, there’s only the Liu family,” Xu Qing Chen said calmly, though his smile carried a hint of coldness. When Mo Jing Qi suddenly decided to move against the Xu family, the Liu family’s instigation must have played a part. Mo Xiu Yao furrowed his brows, “Liu Chun Feng?” Feng Zhi Yao blinked, “Who’s Liu Chun Feng?” Zhuo Jing laughed softly, “Lord Feng San, Liu Chun Feng is Prime Minister Liu, Noble Consort Liu’s father.” It was no wonder Feng Zhi Yao didn’t know—though Noble Consort Liu was around the same age as Mo Xiu Yao and the others, Liu Chun Feng himself was only about two years younger than the Duke of Hua. In Feng Zhi Yao’s memory, by the time he had noticed this person, he was already Prime Minister Liu, so naturally, he hadn’t remembered his actual name.
Xu Qing Chen nodded, “Correct, I guess the Great Chu envoy is Liu Chun Feng.”
Ye Li frowned slightly, turning to look at Mo Xiu Yao beside her, “Could it be that Your Highness has some connection with Prime Minister Liu?” Mo Xiu Yao sneered, “Prince Ding’s Manor and the Liu family have never been on good terms—what connection could there be?” Years ago, when Mo Liu Fang was still young, the Liu family was headed not by the current Prime Minister Liu but by the now-deceased Old Master Liu. Old Master Liu had become Prime Minister after turning sixty, yet above him was the twenty-something Regent Prince Mo Liu Fang—how could the petty Old Master Liu swallow this? He had created numerous obstacles for Mo Liu Fang over those years, and consequently, Prince Ding’s Manor and the Liu family had never gotten along. This was also why, years ago, when Noble Consort Liu was deeply in love with Mo Xiu Yao, not only was Mo Xiu Yao uninterested, but even the Liu family members hadn’t agreed to the marriage, instead unhesitatingly sending her into the palace.
“Let him come up. This prince also wants to see what he could want,” Mo Xiu Yao commanded indifferently.
Soon after, they were led up to the teahouse, and it was indeed Prime Minister Liu with his graying hair. Although Liu Chun Feng was advanced in years, his body and spirit seemed quite well, with shrewd light still gleaming in his somewhat clouded eyes. However, the people standing beside him gave everyone a start—there were two women. The older one wore pure white robes like snow, her exceptionally beautiful face carrying a faint coldness—who else could it be but Noble Consort Liu? Although Noble Consort Liu was now over thirty, time seemed to have been particularly kind to her; she looked hardly different from five or six years ago. Standing beside Noble Consort Liu was a girl of thirteen or fourteen, wearing a goose-yellow silk dress embroidered with pink and white lotus flowers. Her gradually maturing features already showed hints of extraordinary beauty. One could imagine that in two years, the girl’s beauty would be no less than Noble Consort Liu’s, and those clear, bright eyes revealed a purity and intelligence that Noble Consort Liu could never possess. Seeing Ye Li, the girl’s face lit up with joy and she stepped forward, calling softly, “Princess Ding…”
Ye Li started slightly, looking at the face that somewhat resembled both Empress Hua and Hua Tian Xiang, and her heart stirred as she said, “Princess Chang Le…”
Seeing that Ye Li remembered her, Princess Chang Le nodded repeatedly in delight, stepping forward to approach Ye Li. Behind her, Noble Consort Liu coughed lightly and said coldly, “Princess, as a princess of the nation, you must mind your etiquette. Don’t shame His Majesty by losing your dignity.” Princess Chang Le stopped, turned to look at Noble Consort Liu, and said with a sweet smile, “Thank you for the reminder, Noble Consort, but wasn’t it you who suggested coming up here in the first place? This princess only wanted to catch up with Princess Ding, but I wonder who Noble Consort came up to reminisce with?” Noble Consort Liu’s expression changed as she stared fixedly at Princess Chang Le. Princess Chang Le showed no fear, meeting her gaze without hesitation. After a while, Noble Consort Liu finally said, “Of course, I also wished to catch up with Princess Ding.”
Ye Li stood up, smiling gently, “How fortunate to meet old acquaintances in this border city. Since both Noble Consort and Princess wish to catch up with me, why don’t we find another place to chat? Also to avoid… damaging Noble Consort’s reputation.” Princess Chang Le cheerfully took Ye Li’s hand and smiled, “Princess Ding, it’s been so long—I thought we’d never see each other again. Let’s go somewhere else to talk.” With that, she pulled Ye Li toward a private room. Since Xu Qing Chen had reserved the entire upper floor of the teahouse, there was no worry about them accidentally entering someone else’s room. After taking a few steps with Ye Li, Princess Chang Le turned back to look at Noble Consort Liu, who still hadn’t moved, and said with curved eyes, “Noble Consort Liu, aren’t you coming? Even if this princess’s reputation suffers slightly, it doesn’t matter—after all, an emperor’s daughter won’t lack marriage prospects. But for Noble Consort Liu… hehe… I wonder if Father would like to hear about a plum blossom leaning over the wall?”
“What nonsense are you speaking!” Noble Consort Liu’s face reddened as she glanced at the purple-robed, silver-haired man before quickly following.
Behind them, Feng Zhi Yao finally recovered his senses, pointing in the direction Princess Chang Le had disappeared and clicking his tongue, “That girl is Princess Chang Le?” Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyes to look at him once before lowering them to drink his tea, saying flatly, “Do you have any objections?” Feng Zhi Yao was left speechless—what objections could he have? Although he had only met Princess Chang Le once or twice, he still remembered the innocent and adorable little princess who had been doted on and protected by Sister Hua. He had even been jealous of this little princess once because she had received that person’s complete love and protection. But now, was this what they meant by how girls change when they grow up? How could that innocent and adorable little princess now casually deliver such biting mockery?
Xu Qing Chen lowered his eyes and said quietly, “Princess Chang Le must not be having an easy time in the palace now.” Feng Zhi Yao fell silent, his expression gradually darkening. Several years ago, after the Empress had pleaded for the Xu family, she had been stripped of her power to manage the inner palace. Though everything else remained the same, and thanks to the Empress’s connections and prestige built up over the years in the palace, no one dared disrespect her. But an empress with real power and an empress who had been marginalized were ultimately different.