Outside the courtyard where Mo Xiuyao was temporarily residing, Feng Zhiyao leaned against the wall, watching Xu Hongyu emerge from the yard. His handsome eyes held traces of scrutiny and vigilance. While the Prince’s current state certainly made him uneasy, Xu Hongyu’s arrival hadn’t brought any additional comfort to him or the Mo Army commanders. True, everyone knew the Xu family’s wisdom was unmatched in the world, but for years, like the Prince’s mansion, they had shown unwavering loyalty to the Great Chu.
If Xu Hongyu had come to persuade the Prince on behalf of the Emperor, given the Prince’s current state and the Xu family’s relationship with the Princess Consort, the Prince might have been swayed by Xu Hongyu. And the Mo Army commanders… did not wish to see such a scenario. Over the years, even when Regent Mo Liufang was still alive, the royal family had begun suppressing the Mo Army. The treatment that the Mo Army and the Prince had endured made all commanders loyal to the Prince’s mansion indignant. While everyone naturally grieved Princess Consort’s tragic fate, the series of orders the Prince issued because of it had given the Mo Army soldiers a glimmer of hope in their hearts.
Xu Hongyu stopped at the courtyard entrance and turned to look at Feng Zhiyao standing in the corner, saying with a faint smile, “Was Third Young Master Feng waiting for me?”
Looking at the unsurprised Xu Hongyu, Feng Zhiyao’s eyes flickered slightly as he raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Mr. Hongyu must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you rest first before Third Feng seeks your guidance?”
Xu Hongyu laughed heartily and shook his head, “This old one would like to drink some clear tea. Would Third Young Master Feng care to join me?”
Third Feng smiled faintly, lowering his gaze, “In that case, I’ll impose on Mr. Hongyu.”
They moved to the guest quarters prepared for Xu Hongyu. He brewed a pot of fine tea, and poured a cup each for Feng Zhiyao and himself before saying with a gentle smile, “This old one understands what concerns Third Young Master Feng.” Feng Zhiyao raised his sword-like eyebrows, looking at Xu Hongyu without speaking. Xu Hongyu smiled and shook his head, looking at Feng Zhiyao’s guarded appearance as if watching an unruly junior, and said, “The Xu family… what they could do a hundred years ago, does Third Young Master Feng think no one would dare do now?”
Hearing this, Feng Zhiyao’s heart shook. The shock on his face couldn’t be hidden as he stared at the elegant middle-aged man before him. He suddenly realized that behind the scholarly refinement of this generation’s great scholars lay several traces of sharp edge. Only then did he remember that a hundred years ago, the Xu family… the Xu family had personally killed the last emperor of the previous dynasty and opened the city gates to let the Founding Emperor enter. Although the Xu family head drew his sword and followed the last emperor in death that very day, it profoundly showed the world that the Xu family’s core had never been purely scholarly foolish loyalty or weakness or integrity, but rather held a decisiveness and ruthlessness that even military generals lacked. Similarly, the Xu family head’s regicide and opening of the gates wasn’t out of loyalty to the Great Chu, but for the common people who had suffered through years of war and to preserve a thread of hope for the nearly extinct Xu clan. Sure enough afterward, the Xu family’s only surviving son, Xu Yanli, became Prime Minister at just nineteen and went on to become a legendary statesman recorded in history. And the Xu family… with the blood of the family head and over seventy relatives, they earned the world’s respect, Xu Yanli’s life, and the family’s prosperity for the next century or two.
If no one deliberately brought it up, in almost everyone’s eyes the Xu family represented scholarly heritage, outstanding talent, and scholarly integrity. Only now did Feng Zhiyao realize that the Xu family also represented blood and warfare, decisiveness, and unmatched wisdom and strategy. For a family that flourished unchanging through two dynasties, especially during dynastic changes, the wisdom and resolve required of its head, as well as the ruthlessness, absolutely couldn’t come from just the ordinary scholar’s compassion for the world. The Xu family didn’t like bloodshed, but that didn’t mean they feared it.
Xu Hongyu leisurely drank his tea, watching the young man’s changing expressions across from him with a silent smile. No family that had continued for hundreds of years was truly merciful, even if they appeared so and constantly strived to be – that was not the reality. The Xu family simply saw too clearly, which was why people found them incomprehensible. Just as they could die on the battlefield as scholars for the previous dynasty’s realm. Just as they could retreat to Yunzhou and no longer participate in court affairs under royal suppression. Just as… they could personally behead a monarch, thoroughly ending a declining dynasty, just as they could sacrifice almost all clan members for the family’s continuation.
“Mr. Xu…” Feng Zhiyao uncomfortably took a sip of tea. He had always considered himself clever enough, but sitting before this refined scholar, he didn’t know what to say. Or rather, he didn’t understand why Xu Hongyu would say these things to him. Xu Hongyu looked at him and said with a gentle laugh, “This old one merely hopes these words can set the minds of the Mo Army commanders at ease. The Xu family… is not an enemy of the Prince’s mansion.” Feng Zhiyao suddenly looked up, somewhat uncertain if Xu Hongyu meant what he understood. He only heard Xu Hongyu continue, “But… Third Young Master Feng… are you truly prepared?”
Prepared? Feng Zhiyao was bewildered. Prepared for what? For chaos across the land and contention for the realm… Feng Zhiyao’s heart trembled slightly, then began racing wildly. Because of Xu Hongyu’s words, something seemed to suddenly pierce through the hazy curtain in his heart.
Contending for the realm… countless Mo Army soldiers harbored expectations of the direction the Prince would lead them. Only those who understood the Mo Army knew that it had once been the mightiest force most likely to unify the realm among all states. However, only because successive emperors were wary of it, it was restricted everywhere to the point that the grand ambition of unifying the realm under Great Chu was never realized. Not only that, the Mo Army seemed to have gradually extinguished its former ambition. And now… were they truly prepared to contend for the realm? The Prince who had just lost his Princess Consort could indeed plunge the world into chaos in an instant, but that was more about wanting to disturb the world, take revenge on those the Prince hated and despised, and maintain an attitude of watching others suffer. The Prince seemed to have given no thought to the Mo Army’s future. Even if they could achieve temporary victory in the early stages by relying on the Mo Army’s valor, such a situation obviously couldn’t be maintained for long. And… the Prince’s health was equally an unstable factor constantly threatening the Mo Army. The excitement, unwillingness, and hostility toward Xu Hongyu in his heart vanished without a trace in an instant. Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. He respectfully looked at Xu Hongyu and said, “Please guide me, sir. Since Mr. Xu has come to Ruyang, you surely won’t just watch as the Prince…”
Feng Zhiyao didn’t finish speaking, but Xu Hongyu sitting across clearly understood what the other wanted to express, and said with a faint smile, “The Prince is merely unclear for the moment. Third Young Master Feng should wait and see.”
Feng Zhiyao smiled bitterly, “The Prince has been like this for several months. It’s all Third Feng’s fault for being too confused to think of… thank you for Mr. Xu’s guidance.”
Xu Hongyu smiled faintly, raising his head to look at the first star rising in the gradually darkening sky, his gaze distant, “The Mo Army has its private interests, and the Xu family has its private interests. That one in the Chu capital…” Xu Hongyu shook his head, saying no more. The Xu family had never been blindly loyal. Not only for the common people and Li’er’s matter but even for the continuation of the Xu family’s century of inheritance, the Xu family would not support Mo Jingqi.
Mo Xiuyao stayed alone in his room for two days, seeing no one. On the third day, he invited Xu Hongyu in for private discussions. Apart from the two involved, no one knew what they discussed. Three days later, Xu Hongyu secretly set out to return to Yunzhou.
The day after Xu Hongyu left, Mo Xiuyao finally emerged from his room. Seeing the man stroll out, Feng Zhiyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Mo Xiuyao before him was still haggard and pale, even paler than before. His eyes still carried a cold and emotionless edge but lacked that alarming danger. Feng Zhiyao knew the Prince had finally truly calmed down. The calmed Mo Xiuyao picked up the affairs he had thrown to his subordinates these past months, methodically issuing various political orders and military deployments. In the smoke-filled world, the originally lifeless northwestern region gradually began to recover its vitality and vigor.
“Your subject Qin Feng greets the Prince!” Qin Feng stood before Mo Xiuyao, a faint scar now marking his young face. His entire bearing had undergone a dramatic transformation from several months ago. If the previous Qin Feng had been a treasured sword in its scabbard, now he was a sharp blade waiting to strike at any moment. These past months, every corner of the northwestern border bore traces of Qin Feng and his Qilin unit. From initially intercepting Western Ling’s three hundred thousand troops and burning their supplies on the Princess Consort’s orders, to after news of the Princess Consort’s fall from the cliff, Qin Feng and the Qilin began fighting independently, frantically retaliating against Western Ling’s border forces. In just three short months, Western Ling’s border forces changed commanders three times, and their military camps burned twice. Even the imperial palace and Marquis of Southern Pacification’s mansion in Western Ling’s capital, thousands of miles away, weren’t spared. Though there were no major losses, it left the Western Ling Emperor and the Southern Marquis’s household in complete disarray. Similarly, the intense and varied combat transformed all the Qilin members into truly battle-hardened elite warriors. Now at the Western Ling border, the name “Qilin” carried even more weight than the Mo Army or Black Cloud Cavalry.
Mo Xiuyao observed Qin Feng for a moment before saying, “This Prince knows of your performance these days. Any casualties?”
Qin Feng was silent for a moment before responding, “Thanks for Your Highness’s concern. Three brothers died in battle, and five were severely wounded.”
Mo Xiuyao asked, “Do you know why This Prince summoned you back?”
“Your subject does not know.” At this point, Qin Feng’s tone grew rigid. They had been planning to advance on Western Ling’s capital to avenge the Princess Consort, but the Prince had sent orders demanding his immediate return to Ruyang. This wasn’t just his unwillingness, but all his brothers were displeased. They had all been trained by the Princess Consort – how could they face her if they couldn’t avenge her death at the Southern Marquis’s hands?
Mo Xiuyao took a document from beside him and placed it on the table, saying, “Lei Zhenting won’t be so easy to kill, and besides, how many lives do you plan to sacrifice to kill him?”
Qin Feng declared loudly, “Even if all of Qilin dies in battle, we must avenge the Princess Consort!”
Mo Xiuyao pointed at the document and said, “Take this and read it. Come see This Prince again when you understand.” Qin Feng reached for it, and looking down at the familiar handwriting on the document, even an iron-blooded man like him couldn’t help his eyes growing hot. He looked up and said, “Your Highness, the Princess Consort showed this to your subject before. She had planned to implement it after the northwestern campaign settled…”
Mo Xiuyao looked at him. “Then, can you do it?”
Qin Feng was silent for a moment before nodding firmly, “Yes! Your subject will not fail Your Highness and the Princess Consort’s expectations.”
Mo Xiuyao nodded, “Very good. This is all entrusted to you now. This Prince gives you one year – I want the name of Qilin to resound throughout the realm!”
“Your subject accepts the command!”
Mo Xiuyao waved his hand, “Go. Whatever you need, seek out Feng San and Zhuo Jing.”
“Yes, your subject takes leave.”
“Also…” Before Qin Feng could exit, Mo Xiuyao’s voice came from behind: “Go find Mo Hua. He has someone to hand over to you. Mo Hua knows what needs to be done.” Qin Feng silently nodded. Since returning, he had already met Zhuo Jing and Lin Han and naturally knew who Mo Xiuyao meant. A cold light flashed in his eyes, unsure whether to be glad that woman was still alive or to despise Mo Hua for failing to kill even a woman.
“Young Master Han.” Just outside the door, he saw Han Mingyue approaching quickly. Qin Feng frowned slightly as he nodded in greeting. Because of Ye Li, almost everyone close to her disliked Han Mingyue, even though Ye Li herself had seemed to maintain a peaceful relationship with him. Han Mingyue looked at the much-changed Qin Feng, concern flashing in his eyes, and nodded asking, “Is the Prince in?” Qin Feng nodded, “This one has matters to attend to, taking leave first.” Watching the quickly departing figure that didn’t pause, Han Mingyue froze and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. These past months, he hadn’t been welcome in Ruyang city. Though Mo Xiuyao hadn’t driven him away, those below clearly showed their unwelcoming attitude. If not for Han Mingxi’s sake, Zhuo Jing and the others would likely have thrown him out directly. Han Mingyue had never imagined there would come a day when he would need to rely on his younger brother’s reputation whom he had raised since childhood. But… he couldn’t leave this place. He didn’t know what Mo Xiuyao was thinking. Though hating Su Zudie to the extreme, he still hadn’t killed her. Han Mingyue could even see that although people were torturing Su Zudie, Mo Xiuyao hadn’t ordered them to deal fatal blows, and even allowed him to visit her every few days. It was precisely because of this that he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Sometimes he even thought it might be better if Mo Xiuyao just had someone kill Zudie directly.
“Xiuyao…” Stepping into the study, he saw Mo Xiuyao sitting behind his desk, lost in thought while looking at something.
Coming back to himself, Mo Xiuyao looked at him calmly, “What is it?”
“What do you ultimately plan to do with Zudie?” Han Mingyue couldn’t help but ask. He had already heard from Mo Hua that today Zudie would be handed over to Qin Feng. He didn’t know what Qin Feng could do, but instinctively felt Zudie’s situation would become worse than now.
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, looking up at him and asking, “Does Su Zudie think This Prince still has lingering feelings for her?”
Han Mingyue remained silent. These past months, Zudie indeed hadn’t suffered any great pain, at least compared to Mo Xiuyao’s ruthless attitude at the cliff edge earlier. Mo Xiuyao had even sent people to heal her hand. So Su Zudie gradually came to believe that Mo Xiuyao truly couldn’t bear to part with her and that keeping her confined and suffering now was just because his anger hadn’t subsided and he needed to put on a show for others. But Han Mingyue knew clearly that this was all just Su Zudie’s self-delusion. From the moment Su Zudie turned away many years ago, she forever lost the ability to move Mo Xiuyao, or perhaps she never had it to begin with. And now, the viciousness in Mo Xiuyao’s eyes when mentioning Su Zudie was even more chilling.
“Rest assured, she won’t die. At least… she won’t die before this October.”
Han Mingyue’s heart jolted, “You… you plan to…”
Mo Xiuyao said calmly, “It’s just as you think. If there’s no news of A’Li by October this year, This Prince plans to use her blood as a sacrifice on the mountain, right where A’Li fell from the cliff. Next year… it will be Lei Zhenting’s turn… What do you think of this idea? One person each year, everyone who harmed This Prince’s A’Li and child, until A’Li returns…” Or until this realm is thoroughly dyed red.
“But…” Han Mingyue said with difficulty. The Princess Consort was already dead.