Knowing all was well, the two Madame Xus and Qin Zheng took their leave. Shortly after, Mo Xiu Yao returned to find Ye Li holding the restless Mo Bao who refused to sleep, while her other hand held a book to pass the time. He frowned in displeasure. Hearing footsteps, Ye Li quickly put down her book and rose with a smile, asking, “You’re back? Were you injured?”

Mo Xiu Yao let out a light snort, casually picked up the swaddled Mo Bao, and walked toward the bed, frightening Ye Li. Even wrapped in swaddling clothes, handling a month-old infant so carelessly was terrifying enough. Watching Mo Xiu Yao place the baby back in the cradle, Ye Li only relaxed when she saw Mo Bao hadn’t cried and was looking up with his round eyes. Just as she was about to discuss the matter of Mo Bao’s safety with Mo Xiu Yao, lest her precious baby end up mishandled by his father someday, before she could speak, Mo Xiu Yao let out a muffled groan, leaning against the bed as he sat down, a trace of blood seeping from his lips.

Ye Li’s heart jumped in fright, immediately forgetting about scolding Mo Xiu Yao about his parenting. She quickly rose to send someone to fetch Shen Yang for examination. Mo Xiu Yao grabbed her hand and shook his head. Ye Li frowned as she looked him over for a while, noting that aside from his pale complexion, nothing else seemed amiss. Only then did she relax slightly, raising her hand to wipe the blood from his lips as she asked, “Why didn’t you say you were injured internally? Wasn’t it said to be a draw, with the King of Southern Garrison coughing blood?”

Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly and said, “Lei Zhen Ting is one of the world’s four great masters after all. How could one fight him without paying some price?”

Ye Li gave him an exasperated look and said, “So, the King of Southern Garrison coughs blood in front of everyone, while you, my lord, come back to cough blood in private?” Mo Xiu Yao merely snorted and smiled at Ye Li without arguing. He certainly couldn’t tell A Li that Lei Zhen Ting hadn’t meant to cough blood – he’d simply been angered into it at the end. So Lei Zhen Ting’s blood wasn’t from injury but from rage. Recalling that final palm exchange with Lei Zhen Ting, Mo Xiu Yao couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Xi Ling’s greatest master truly lived up to his reputation. If it came to technique and using full strength with the advantage of having both hands, he might surpass Lei Zhen Ting somewhat, but in terms of inner power, he seemed slightly inferior. But it didn’t matter – he wasn’t yet thirty, while Lei Zhen Ting was nearly fifty. If he could already definitively overpower Lei Zhen Ting at this age, then Lei Zhen Ting’s title as Xi Ling’s greatest master wouldn’t be quite so authentic. Either way, he could still kill him without relying on inner power! Just thinking about how that old man had looked at his A Li, killing intent began pouring uncontrollably from Mo Xiu Yao’s eyes. Mo Xiu Yao suddenly felt his final words to Lei Zhen Ting had been too subtle – that old and ugly man wasn’t worthy of even looking at his A Li once. Thinking of something, Mo Xiu Yao thoughtfully raised his hand to touch the mask on his face.

Ye Li looked curiously at the man sitting lost in thought by the bed, raising her hand to feel his forehead as she asked, “What’s wrong? Are your injuries too severe?”

“It’s nothing,” Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, “I was just wondering if Lei Zhen Ting will be able to attend tomorrow’s banquet.” Ye Li sat down beside him and smiled, “What’s there to wonder about? The banquet is just a formality.” The truly important matters were all handled before and after the banquet – the month-old celebration was just for show for ordinary people. As for whether the King of Southern Garrison could attend, surely Xiu Yao hadn’t beaten him so badly he’d be bedridden?

That day, Ruyang City once again boiled with excitement. Although most people hadn’t witnessed the duel between the King of Southern Garrison and the King of the North, there wasn’t a soul in Ruyang City who hadn’t heard about it. After the fight ended, supporters of both sides became dejected, secretly lamenting their lost money. Only the bookmaker Han Ming Xi’s exceptionally handsome face showed an increasingly alluring smile. Who told them to believe the King of the North when he acknowledged a draw with the King of Southern Garrison? When neither side won, naturally Han Ming Xi was the winner.

Located not far from the King’s Estate, the Han residence served as Han Ming Xi’s base in Ruyang City. At this moment, Han Ming Yue was smiling brightly at a table covered with silver notes, ingots, and various jade pendants and jewels. Feng Zhi Yao sat to one side, casting sidelong glances at the delighted Han Ming Yue with obvious displeasure. Han Ming Xi looked up at him, rose, and sat beside him with a smile, saying, “What brings Young Master Feng to my humble abode?” Feng Zhi Yao glanced at the items not yet put away on the table and asked, “How much did you make?”

Han Ming Xi raised an eyebrow and proudly showed him a number. Feng Zhi Yao immediately burned with envy and jealousy, glaring fiercely at Han Ming Xi, “Fifty thousand taels?” Including his own eight hundred taels! Han Ming Xi swept him a contemptuous glance and smiled, “Young Master Feng, you underestimate the King of the North and the King of Southern Garrison. What’s fifty thousand taels? Five hundred thousand taels!” Feng Zhi Yao was immediately stunned, his previous envy and jealousy instantly transforming into deep resentment, looking at Han Ming Xi as though gazing at a tall mountain of gold – worse, someone else’s mountain of gold. No wonder so many people liked to run gambling houses; this was pure profit with minimal investment. No, Han Ming Xi didn’t even need initial capital – it was profit without any investment at all. Han Ming Xi sighed somewhat regretfully and said, “If only the King of the North and the King of Southern Garrison had arranged a public duel. If we’d announced a decisive battle… given two months’ notice throughout Da Chu or Xi Ling. Then…” Never mind five hundred thousand – they might have made five million taels. Losing such an enormous money-making opportunity pained Han Ming Xi deeply. Perhaps the Han family was naturally gifted at making money. Over the past year or more, Han Ming Xi found himself gradually understanding his older brother’s money-obsessed personality from years ago.

Feng Zhi Yao glared at him dissatisfied for a long while before drawling, “His Lordship wants you to send him his share of the money quickly.” Hearing this, Han Ming Xi flew into a rage, staring at Feng Zhi Yao vigilantly, “Why should I? This is money I earned myself!” Feng Zhi Yao sneered, “Don’t be foolish. If His Lordship hadn’t publicly acknowledged it as a draw in front of everyone, do you think you could have taken everything? His Lordship said he’ll only take fifty percent.” Given how the King of Southern Garrison had coughed blood on the spot if His Lordship had insisted he won, no one could have argued. Mentioning this, Han Ming Xi’s anger subsided somewhat, and he asked curiously, “What did the King of the North say to the King of Southern Garrison at the end?” Though his martial arts weren’t great, he did have some insight. After that final palm strike, the King of Southern Garrison hadn’t seemed particularly injured, at least not enough to cough blood on the spot. But after the King of the North whispered something in his ear, a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from the King of Southern Garrison’s mouth. He had been angered by it!

Feng Zhi Yao said lazily, “How would I know? Just hand over the money. I don’t have time to count money with you.”

“So, you came on the King of the North’s behalf to collect money from me?” Han Ming Xi said resentfully. If he’d known this was his purpose, he would have had him thrown out at the door. Feng Zhi Yao raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Is there a problem? Or should I tell everyone in the Mo family army that you and His Lordship secretly conspired to control the outcome?” While the Mo family troops wouldn’t dare trouble His Lordship, they could certainly crush Han Ming Xi. Thinking of those martial artists with their resentful faces after losing money, Han Ming Xi could only rage silently. He grudgingly divided out two hundred and fifty thousand taels from the table for Feng Zhi Yao to take. After collecting the money, Feng Zhi Yao rose satisfied, and took his leave. His Lordship had promised to return his eight hundred taels – he wasn’t greedy, just didn’t want to lose money.

At the Han residence, while Han Ming Xi was still lamenting his greatly reduced profits, Mo Xiu Yao sat in his study looking at the bank notes Feng Zhi Yao had brought him with a satisfied smile. Feng Zhi Yao looked at him puzzled and asked, “Twenty-five thousand from Han Ming Xi, plus various other bets around the city totaling four hundred thousand taels. A Yao, what do you need so much money for?” Most importantly, if the King of the North needed money, couldn’t he get it anywhere? Did he need to resort to such methods? Mo Xiu Yao looked at him leisurely and asked, “Who placed the largest bets?”

Feng Zhi Yao smiled and said, “Need you ask? Of course, it was the envoys and nobles from various countries. How much could the common people of Ruyang City bet, even with their numbers, at just half a tael each? I secretly inquired – Mo Jing Li bet a full fifty thousand taels on the King of Southern Garrison winning. Hmm… Princess An Xi also bet thirty thousand taels, though she bet on your victory.” These were just the people whose relationships with the Mo family army weren’t too bad. As for the Xi Ling people and Northern Barbarians like the Seventh Prince, wouldn’t they bet heavily on the King of Southern Garrison winning? Even if just for pride, they wanted to outdo the King’s Estate in presence. Too bad they didn’t know His Lordship would end up taking everything in the end.

Mo Xiu Yao said, “Well, this money is for Mo Bao’s month-old celebration. You didn’t expect the King’s Estate to pay for it, did you?”

Feng Zhi Yao fell silent – wasn’t the Young Master’s month-old celebration supposed to be paid for by the King’s Estate? My lord, your stinginess should have some limits…

Mo Xiu Yao didn’t care about his subordinate’s silent criticism. Why should he spend his own money to entertain those idiots he couldn’t stand? He waved his hand and said, “Go on, transfer the money directly to Zhou Yu, isn’t he handling all these matters? If there’s any leftover, distribute it as red packets to the city’s common people.” Feng Zhi Yao silently paid his respects – so not only had His Lordship vented his anger by beating the King of Southern Garrison, but he’d also recouped the money needed for the Young Master’s celebration, with enough left over to buy public favor. Compared to His Lordship, Han Ming Xi’s money-making ability was truly negligible.

After nearly half a month of excitement throughout Ruyang City, the King’s Estate Young Master’s month-old celebration was finally held as scheduled. In truth, whether it was a month-old celebration, birthday feast, wedding banquet, or even an imperial coronation ceremony, all such banquets were essentially the same thing, differing only in their scale of grandeur. Like last time, this banquet was again held at the east city tower of Ruyang City.

When Mo Xiu Yao led Ye Li by the hand to their seats at the high table, everyone present was stunned into silence. Mo Xiu Yao, who had always worn a silver half-mask, had finally removed the companion of nearly ten years, but what was revealed to people’s eyes was not the expected horrific scars and disfigurement. Under the lamp and candlelight, silver-white hair fell casually down his back, held loosely by a single silver ribbon. Behind a few strands of silver hair was Mo Xiu Yao’s striking and handsome face. Those seated below could see no horrific scars, not even the smallest mark. What appeared before everyone’s eyes was a man who, though somewhat pale, was striking and elegant. There were certainly other handsome men present, but only Xu Qing Chen, in his white robes and serene expression, could somewhat compare to the seemingly unreachable silver-haired man in royal purple regent’s clothing on the high platform. Yet while Young Master Qing Chen appeared serene, his white robes giving him the air of a celestial being, pure as lotus and calm as the moon, the silver-haired man was like the sharpest sword, the most precious and magnificent jewel, the coldest snow atop the highest mountain. Even his smile seemed to carry a fearsome chill and pressure.

“Worthy indeed of being the King of the North – in this world, who but the Princess Consort could match such bearing?” Even with her heart set on Xu Qing Chen, Princess An Xi couldn’t help but sigh in admiration as she gazed at Mo Xiu Yao.

Hearing this, Mo Xiu Yao lifted his head to look at Ye Li standing beside him, smiling faintly with eyes full of contentment. Initially, when Li’er was betrothed to Mo Xiu Yao, the Xu family felt guilty. If the Li King’s abandonment accounted for half the reason Ye Li was betrothed to the King of the North, the Xu family bore responsibility for the other half. Now, seeing the King of the North standing healthy and whole beside Li’er, the Xu family naturally felt immense joy.

“Princess An Xi speaks truly. I had long heard of the Northern Princess Consort’s exceptional bearing. Indeed, her reputation is well-deserved,” the Northern Barbarian Crown Prince Ye Lu Hong added from another side, his eyes full of appreciation as he looked up at the couple. Ye Li was certainly a beautiful woman, though her features might not be considered world-toppling. What truly drew people was the natural air and spirit she exuded. Standing beside someone like Mo Xiu Yao, even the world’s most beautiful woman would easily become a mere decoration. But not Ye Li – she stood composed at Mo Xiu Yao’s side, wearing a gentle and elegant smile. Her clear, peaceful features and those deep, tranquil eyes made her like a peerless peony blooming quietly. Who said peonies must be magnificent and overwhelmingly splendid? Elegant, dignified, and naturally grand – this was truly the bearing of the king of flowers.

“Greetings to the King of the North and Princess Consort.”

“Please, every one be at ease.” Mo Xiu Yao held Ye Li’s hand and swept his sleeve wide, saying with a clear laugh, “Thank you all for coming from far and wide to attend my son’s month-old celebration. The Princess Consort and I hope tonight’s host and guests alike will observe proper courtesy – none shall leave until properly drunk!”

“Your Highness, since tonight is the Young Master’s month-old celebration, might we have the honor of seeing the Young Master?” someone immediately asked. Though everyone knew this so-called month-old celebration was just a pretext, having come, they could hardly leave without seeing the heir’s face. Mo Xiu Yao smiled calmly and said, “That’s simple enough.” A wet nurse carefully carried the swaddled infant up to the platform, and Ye Li took him with a smile, looking down to find that despite the late hour, Mo Bao was still awake. His round eyes gazed wetly at Ye Li, and whether he could truly see and recognize her or just knew her scent, he immediately began giggling upon reaching her arms. Ye Li lifted him slightly so those below could see Mo Bao’s appearance. The little one showed no fear of strangers, lying obediently in Ye Li’s arms with big eyes gazing at the crowd below, completely unconcerned that he actually couldn’t see the people and things below.

“The Young Master truly radiates intelligence and excellence…” the crowd praised in unison. From his seat below, Ye Lu Ye laughed loudly and said, “Your Highness, has the Young Master been given his name yet?”

Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly and said, “Naturally. Master Qing Yun personally bestowed his name. The characters are ‘Yu’ above and ‘Chen’ below.”

Mo Yu Chen. Many present had already learned Mo Bao’s name through various channels, but hearing it directly from Mo Xiu Yao’s mouth was an entirely different matter. The Nan Zhao, with their completely different cultural customs from Da Chu, didn’t have much reaction beyond praising it as a good name. The Northern Barbarians were frontier tribes, and despite learning from the Central Plains, their understanding was still limited. The ones truly shocked were the King of Southern Garrison from Xi Ling and Mo Jing Li from Da Chu.

Yu Chen – such a name almost completely unveiled Mo Xiu Yao’s expectations for this child or rather his ambitions. Mo Jing Li looked up at Mo Xiu Yao, who sat leisurely embracing Ye Li in the high seat, his heart surging with emotion. He had never quite understood his feelings toward Mo Xiu Yao, but at this moment he knew how much he envied Mo Xiu Yao. Yes, envy. Even though he also controlled his territory, he would never dare to openly give a child such a name. So, Mo Xiu Yao’s son was called Mo Yu Chen while his son could only be named Mo Yun Xiao, following the generation naming convention of the royal family. Even though they both opposed Mo Jing Qi, Mo Xiu Yao could openly invite nobles from various countries, clearly displaying a kingly bearing. Meanwhile, he could only interact with foreign nobles in secret. The King of the North and the Li King had never been on the same level in the eyes of foreign nobles. Not to mention that the beautiful and elegant woman Mo Xiu Yao now held in his arms should have been his wife. Yet even with jealousy flowing like poison through his heart, he could only sit quietly below watching Mo Xiu Yao’s glory and pride.

Ye Ying sat beside Mo Jing Li, naturally observing his expression. A mocking smile touched her lips, but when she raised her head to look at Ye Li, it turned bitter. Once, she had felt immensely proud of pulling Ye Li down to join the Li King’s estate and had occasionally even felt a touch of sympathy for her half-sister who joined the Northern King’s estate. But now, both were royal consorts, yet one sat above tens of thousands, commanding the vast Mo family army and the Northern King’s estate, possessing all the love and sincerity of the most outstanding husband. The other was confined in the capital with a sickly child, and now that she had finally left, found her husband surrounded by concubines, leaving almost no place for her. Who needed sympathy?

“Mo Yu Chen? A fine name,” the King of Southern Garrison praised, his gaze lingering for a moment on the child in Ye Li’s arms.

Mo Xiu Yao accepted the praise without modesty, responding naturally, “Indeed it is.”

Ye Lu Ye stood and smiled, “For the Young Master’s month-old celebration, I have brought a special gift from the Northern Barbarians. I hope the King of the North won’t find it lacking.”

Mo Xiu Yao looked down at Ye Lu Ye from his height, smiling faintly, “How could I be so discourteous when the Seventh Prince has come from so far? I thank the Seventh Prince on my son’s behalf.”

Ye Lu Ye smiled and raised his hand to blow a strange whistle into the air. A screech was heard from above, and a black shadow shot down from the sky, heading straight for where Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li sat. The crowd below couldn’t help but cry out in alarm. When the shadow appeared in the firelight, they saw it wasn’t black at all but a huge snow-white bird, its wings spread wide, fierce talons flashing dangerously in the firelight as it dove toward the three people on the high platform.

Amidst the crowd’s cries, the white bird seemed to hit something several zhang away from the couple, stopping as if it had struck an invisible wall, then continuing to try to charge forward. But there was nothing but empty air before it as if an unseen barrier blocked its path. Only then did people see it was a white eagle.

The white eagle, blocked by the invisible barrier, couldn’t approach Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao but refused to leave, instead desperately ramming forward and screeching. Ye Li frowned slightly, raising her hand to cover Mo Bao’s ears while fixing the eagle with a cold stare, saying, “Silence!”

Even the proud eagle couldn’t help but shiver at the almost tangible coldness, but then it cried out even louder. Mo Xiu Yao smiled coldly, “Impudent!” With a sweep and twist of his wide sleeve, even the mighty eagle was caught and thrown away. The direction he threw it happened to be exactly where Ye Lu Ye sat. Seeing the white eagle being hurled over completely helpless, Ye Lu Ye had no choice but to stand and quickly step back several paces, and the white eagle landed exactly in Ye Lu Ye’s empty chair. Dizzy from being thrown, the eagle could no longer distinguish friend from foe, and as soon as it got up, it charged at Ye Lu Ye.

Ye Lu Ye was greatly alarmed – this white eagle was the fiercest bird of prey on the Northern grasslands, even wolf packs feared it. One strike from its talons would either kill or take half a life. Ye Lu Ye hurriedly blew his whistle trying to control the eagle but having been thrown so hard by Mo Xiu Yao, the eagle saw only spinning stars, and hearing the whistle, charged forward by habit. Ye Lu Ye could only use his lightness skill to dodge aside. Thus the crowd watched as Ye Lu Ye was chased about by his gift eagle, leaving them looking at each other, unsure whether to laugh or pretend they hadn’t seen.

Mo Xiu Yao watched the farce with narrowed eyes while Ye Li held Mo Bao, similarly watching calmly while occasionally teasing the wide-eyed little one. Mo Xiu Yao’s earlier sleeve move hadn’t been so simple – sitting beside him, Ye Li had seen him sprinkle some strange powder on the eagle when he caught it in his sleeve. Though she didn’t know exactly what it was, the eagle’s current behavior made it easy to guess. Most cleverly, with the eagle flying about crashing here and there, even if they caught it later, they might not find any powder left on it. More importantly, since the eagle was a gift from the Northern Barbarians, any issues would be their problem.

Watching Ye Lu Ye being chased in disarray by the dizzy eagle, Ye Li smiled faintly and said, “Enough. Someone come and secure the Seventh Prince’s gift.”

“Yes, Princess Consort.” Two hidden guards emerged from the crowd and moved to flank the eagle. If the eagle had been flying high they naturally couldn’t have caught it, but now the eagle’s body was too heavy to fly up. After a few exchanges, the two together subdued the eagle and locked it in a sturdy cage brought by the people below. Only then did the crowd finally relax.