Lei Tengfeng’s matter was finally resolved with the Prince of Nanzheng’s compromise, including a five-year peace treaty between Xiling and the Mohist Army, trade agreements between Xiling and the Northwest, and the establishment of direct trade routes to the Western Regions. Additionally, Xiling would sell copper and iron ore to the Northwest at reduced prices annually as compensation for Lei Tengfeng’s actions. Having gained no advantages from this Northwest visit, the Prince of Nanzheng departed Liucheng early the next morning with Lei Tengfeng. However, their originally grand entourage had been reduced to less than half its size for the return journey.
Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao didn’t involve themselves in the negotiations with the Crown Prince and Seventh Prince of Northern Rong and Prince Li of Da Chu, leaving it to Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu to handle. They had complete confidence in both men’s abilities and weren’t worried about them letting the Mohist Army be taken advantage of. After the Prince of Nanzheng’s departure, the three Ling Tiehan siblings who had been staying at Prince Ding’s residence also took their leave. Though the sickly scholar still looked unwell, his breathing seemed much better than before. There appeared to be some strange tension between Ling Tiehan and Leng Liuyue, but that wasn’t Ye Li’s concern.
Within a few days, Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu had settled matters with the remaining individuals. This time, the Mohist Army not only gained numerous tangible benefits but also made the nobility of various countries understand that even though they currently occupied less than one-sixth of Da Chu’s territory, they weren’t to be trifled with. Since Mo Xiuyao’s announcement of separation from Da Chu, the somewhat precarious balance between countries had once again been delicately maintained.
“Your Highness, Prince Li and his Princess have come to bid farewell.” After sending off a group of difficult guests, Ye Li had been relaxing while playing with Mo Xiaobao. Nearly two months old now, Mo Xiaobao had grown increasingly adorable, with chubby snow-white cheeks and large eyes like black crystals. Whenever he gazed at Ye Li with those watery eyes, one couldn’t help but hold him close and shower him with kisses. Hearing Qingluan’s report, Ye Li sat up and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Bid farewell to me?” She hadn’t realized that in others’ eyes, she as Princess Ding had become more important than Prince Ding. If it was because of her relationship with Ye Ying, she had never shared any deep sisterly bond with her. Qingluan nodded, “Princess Li indeed said so. His Highness left early with Second Young Master Xu and likely won’t return in time to see Prince Li off.” Ye Li smiled gently, knowing that Mo Xiuyao was aware of Mo Jingli’s departure today. If he had wanted to bid farewell, he wouldn’t have left the city at all.
After some thought, Ye Li waved her hand, “Very well, please invite Prince Li and his Princess to wait in the flower hall.”
After Qingluan left with her orders, Ye Li changed clothes before heading out. Before she could leave the inner chamber, Mo Xiaobao started calling out with incomprehensible sounds. Hearing this, Ye Li turned back to look—the tiny bundle of joy lay in his swaddling clothes, reaching out his small hands toward Ye Li with an adorable smile, his little mouth continuing to make sounds no one could understand. Nurse Lin smiled, “The young master must be reluctant to part with the Princess.” Looking at the baby’s expectant gaze, Ye Li felt quite guilty. Though the baby was nearly two months old, she hadn’t spent much time with him. Sometimes she wouldn’t see him for a day or two, yet Mo Xiaobao would still smile at her so warmly whenever he saw her. Carefully lifting the baby from his cradle, Ye Li said softly, “Be good, baby. Would you like to go out with Mother?”
Though it was only August, the Northwest weather had already turned cool. When Nurse Lin heard that Ye Li wanted to take Mo Xiaobao outside, she quickly added another soft, warm blanket, carefully instructing them to keep the young master from catching a chill in the wind. Ye Li agreed to everything before carrying Mo Xiaobao out.
When Ye Li entered the flower hall with Mo Xiaobao, she saw only Mo Jingli sitting there lost in thought, with Ye Ying nowhere to be seen. Ye Li frowned slightly in displeasure and called to a maid standing at the door, “Where did Princess Li go?” The maid respectfully answered, “Your Highness, Princess Li said she wanted to take a walk and went toward the garden. Shall I go fetch her?” Ye Li nodded once but was stopped by Mo Jingli, who had risen from his seat. “Wait, don’t call Ying’er. Ye Li, I have something I’d like to discuss with you privately.”
Ye Li turned to look at the man before her, who still maintained his cold and arrogant expression and found it amusing. She waved for the servants to withdraw and stepped into the hall, asking, “What does Prince Li wish to discuss with me?”
Mo Jingli frowned as he looked at Mo Xiaobao in Ye Li’s arms and Wei Lin and Qingyu standing behind her, saying with displeasure, “I want to speak with you alone.”
Ye Li looked at him in confusion, “There are no outsiders here now. If you have something to say, just say it.” Mo Jingli understood that Ye Li would not meet with him alone and had to swallow this grievance as he sat down again. Ye Li took the main seat, carefully holding Mo Xiaobao in her arms, gently playing with his little hands, causing him to giggle toothlessly. This tender scene between mother and child was particularly irritating to Mo Jingli. He snorted lightly and looked at Ye Li, “The matter of breaking off the engagement back then was my fault. I apologize to you for that.”
Ye Li was startled and looked questioningly at the solemn-faced Mo Jingli. She turned to look at Wei Lin and Qingyu: Had Mo Jingli lost his mind? Wei Lin and Qingyu also wore shocked expressions; they hadn’t just met Prince Li yesterday. If you said he might use some underhanded tactics, they’d believe it, but to see him apologize face to face? No one had ever witnessed that before. Seeing the three’s incredulous expressions, Mo Jingli’s face grew even darker. Ye Li had no interest in dwelling on these old matters and just wanted to send him away quickly. She smiled faintly and nodded, “That’s all in the past, Prince Li need not concern yourself with it.”
Mo Jingli stared at her seriously, “How can I not care? I’ve discovered the truth about what happened back then. It was Ye Ying who deliberately ruined your reputation to join the Li Prince’s household. If not for that, you would be Princess Li now.” Ye Li immediately felt speechless and also foolish for thinking that Mo Jingli might have changed after these two years of experience.
“Prince Li, I think there’s one question you’ve never considered. If I hadn’t wanted to break off the engagement… do you think that marriage arrangement would have been so easily canceled?” That was a marriage bestowed by the late emperor himself—how could it have been so easily broken off?
“What do you mean?” Mo Jingli looked at Ye Li with displeasure, naturally hearing the disdain in her words. Ye Li gently held Mo Xiaobao, smiling faintly, “Nothing much. I just wanted to tell Your Highness that what’s happened has happened. There are no ‘what ifs’ in this world and nothing that ‘should have been.’ If Prince Li has no other business, you may take your leave. His Highness left the city this morning on official business, so he won’t be able to see Prince Li and Princess Li off.”
Mo Jingli glared at Ye Li resentfully, “You were originally meant to be my Princess!”
Ye Li raised her eyes and gave him a bland look, “Then what does Your Highness wish to do?”
“Come with me, I guarantee you’ll become the primary Princess Li!” Mo Jingli declared.
Ye Li calmly studied Mo Jingli for a long while before letting out a contemptuous laugh. Sensing the scorn and disdain in Ye Li’s laughter, Mo Jingli said with some embarrassment, “What are you laughing at?” Ye Li stopped laughing and asked calmly, “Your Highness, do you dare to take me away from Liucheng?” Hearing this, Mo Jingli’s expression changed. He quickly glanced at Wei Lin standing behind Ye Li, his face alternating between shades of green and white. Ye Li leaned back leisurely in her chair, holding Mo Xiaobao while playing with him, and said with a smile, “What is the point of Prince Li saying all this? Or has Your Highness’s courage and ambition grown so great that you dare to snatch Princess Ding from the Northwest? If that’s truly the case, you’ll have impressed me. But… even so, why should I go with you? Princess Li? Is that such a valuable position that I should covet it?”
Mo Jingli tightly clenched his hands at his sides, staring intently at Ye Li, “Is Mo Xiuyao so good to you? Are you so willing to disregard everything else to stay with him? He’s only using you!” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, “Xiuyao is naturally good to me. Everyone knows that I am his only wife, controlling half the power of Prince Ding’s household and the Mohist Army, commanding the world’s most mysterious elite force, the Qilin. These things… can you give them to me? Do you dare to? Isn’t Prince Li also trying to use me? Aren’t you after the Xu family of Yunzhou behind me and the Qilin under my command?”
Having his intentions so mercilessly exposed, Mo Jingli’s expression became very awkward. After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and said, “The Mohist Army can be said to be at odds with the entire world. Ye Li, I’m thinking of your good—don’t be so ungrateful.”
Ye Li replied calmly, “I appreciate Prince Li’s kind intentions. Princess Li has been waiting for a while; you should both set out soon. I won’t see you off.” Everyone turned their attention to the doorway, where Ye Ying had appeared at some unknown time, looking at them with a strange expression. Mo Jingli’s face showed a flash of discomfort as he stood up, “Ying’er, when did you return?” Ye Ying stared at him for a long while before saying flatly, “Just now. Your Highness, if you’ve finished saying goodbye to Third Sister, shouldn’t we be leaving?” Mo Jingli cast one last reluctant glance at Ye Li, but seeing her lowered head as she played with the baby in her arms, he could only nod and say, “Let’s go.” Without bidding farewell to Ye Li, he walked past Ye Ying and left first. Ye Ying looked back at Ye Li, saying with a complex expression, “Third Sister, goodbye.” Ye Li nodded and said calmly, “No need to see you out.”
After Ye Ying left, Ye Li let out a soft sigh. Qingyu, who was attending beside her, gently consoled, “Prince Li has always been self-righteous. Why should Your Highness be angry about him?” Ye Li shook her head and smiled, “I’m not angry about him. I’m just feeling somewhat emotional. Think of how proud and pampered Ye Ying was when she was still unmarried. And now…” Ye Ying had been outside the door when Mo Jingli offered to make Ye Li his primary princess. With Ye Ying’s former temperament, she would have inevitably thrown a crying fit. But now, even facing such a situation, Ye Ying had learned to remain silent. It seemed there truly was no one in this world who remained unchanged forever.
Qingyu smiled, “Previously, Fourth Miss was the Minister’s daughter, the Imperial Consort’s sister, and a renowned beauty and talent in the capital—naturally, she was proud. Moreover, Prince Li was just an ordinary prince then. But now, Prince Li controls the richest half of Da Chu’s territory and stands as an equal to the Emperor, while the Ye family has declined. How would Fourth Miss dare to make trouble with Prince Li? The current Prince Li is probably no longer the accommodating husband who used to agree with everything Fourth Miss said.” Ye Li smiled gently—wasn’t that true? Mo Jingli had even brought Princess Qixia to the Northwest, showing how little Ye Ying meant to him now. If not for Ye Ying’s connection to herself and having borne Mo Jingli a son, she would probably have been discarded in some corner by now.
After the various countries’ envoys departed, Liucheng gradually returned to tranquility. However, many merchants came to settle in Liucheng and throughout the Northwest, and many civilians who had fled inland to escape the war gradually began moving back. Under the efforts of Prince Ding’s household, the entire Northwest hadn’t fallen into chaos despite the sudden announcement of separation from Da Chu but rather had gradually gotten on track. By the time Ye Li could finally breathe a sigh of relief, Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng’s wedding day had arrived.
Although Xu Qingze was the first of his generation in the Xu family to marry, everyone from Master Qingyun down to Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng themselves emphasized keeping the wedding simple. Qin Zheng had taken General Zhang Qilan as her adoptive father and would be married from the General’s mansion. For Qin Zheng’s wedding, even Murong Ting, who had been far away in Da Chu, hurriedly came, leaving behind Leng Haoyu, arriving just in time for Qin Zheng’s wedding day.
In the bridal chamber specially prepared for Qin Zheng at General Zhang’s mansion, Ye Li and Murong Ting looked at Qin Zheng, who was particularly striking in her bright red wedding dress. Murong Ting held Qin Zheng’s hand, exclaiming, “I’m so glad I made it, or I would have missed seeing Zheng’er looking so beautiful. It’s enough to make my heart flutter—that wooden block Second Young Master Xu will surely be dumbstruck.”
“Murong…” Qin Zheng’s face turned red as she glared at Murong Ting coquettishly. The festive wedding dress made her even more radiantly beautiful. For Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng’s wedding, even Ye Li, who usually wore plain clothes, had changed into a bright yellow robe embroidered with paired lotus flowers. Standing before Qin Zheng, she looked her up and down and nodded with a smile, “Murong is right, you’re truly more beautiful than flowers. Second Brother is truly blessed to marry Sister Zheng.” Qin Zheng looked helplessly at the two of them, protesting, “璃儿, even you’re teasing me…” Ye Li quickly covered her mouth and laughed, “I wouldn’t dare! After today, you’ll be my second sister-in-law. How could I dare tease my sister-in-law… right, Sister?”
Joyful laughter filled the bridal chamber. Murong Ting turned to retrieve a fairly large sandalwood box from her luggage and presented it to Qin Zheng. Qin Zheng looked at her questioningly, “What’s this?”
Murong Ting explained, “When I was leaving, Madam Qin sent someone with this. She said that since they left in such a hurry, they hadn’t been able to do anything properly. They hadn’t even given you a dowry, so these things were personally arranged by Madam Qin and Master Qin as your dowry.” The previously cheerful atmosphere in the bridal chamber gradually faded as Qin Zheng held the box, tears immediately falling. Murong Ting instantly became flustered, quickly pulling out her handkerchief to wipe Qin Zheng’s tears, “But… this is your happy day, how can you cry? I… I didn’t mean to make you cry… A’Li…” Unable to console Qin Zheng, Murong Ting could only look helplessly at Ye Li. She hadn’t meant to make Qin Zheng cry, but the dowry from the Qin family had to be given to Zheng’er before the ceremony.
Ye Li sat down beside Qin Zheng, gently patting her shoulder and softly consoling her, “Sister Zheng, don’t ruin your makeup. Master Qin and Madam Qin having Murong bring your dowry from so far away show their loving hearts—you should be happy.”
Qin Zheng nodded repeatedly, but how could tears be stopped just by saying so? Ye Li sighed lightly, patting Qin Zheng and smiling, “Well then, if you want to cry, have a good cry. After you’re done, we’ll make you up even more beautifully. Just don’t cry until your eyes are swollen, or you’ll frighten my Second Brother…”
“Pfft…” Hearing Ye Li’s consolation, Murong Ting couldn’t hold back her laughter, glaring at Ye Li, “A’Li, are you trying to console Zheng’er or tell jokes?” Even Qin Zheng couldn’t help but laugh, her beautiful face showing some embarrassment. In front of Ye Li and Murong Ting, Qin Zheng carefully opened the box that represented her parents’ love. Master Qin and Madam Qin had thought it through—given the long distance, Murong Ting couldn’t bring too many things. So the box contained mostly bank notes. Besides two notes worth ten thousand taels each, there were smaller denomination notes and loose silver totaling nearly a thousand taels. Additionally, there were three small boxes full of various jewels and ornaments. With these, even if Qin Zheng did nothing else, she would have enough for a lifetime of comfort and security.
Qin Zheng hugged the box, her clear eyes brimming with tears. She said softly, “Mother and Father have done so much for me, but I’m such an unfilial daughter… I can’t even have them at my wedding…”
“Don’t be silly, as long as you’re well, Uncle Qin and Aunt Qin will naturally be at ease. One day, the family will surely reunite,” Ye Li said. Murong Ting nodded repeatedly, “Exactly, I’ll be returning to the capital after your wedding. You can write a letter then, and I’ll take it back to Uncle and Aunt Qin for you. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of them in the capital.”
Qin Zheng nodded, wiping her tears and saying somewhat shamefully, “Thank you both, Li’er and Murong.”
Murong Ting laughed heartily, “What are you thanking us for? Aren’t we friends?”
Ye Li smiled, “Alright, Heroine Murong, your friend is about to be married. Quickly go add these items to the dowry list. Say they’re the dowry from Zheng’er’s parents.” While General Zhang’s mansion had prepared the dowry, and Ye Li and Prince Ding’s household had also given many wedding gifts, the meaning of a dowry from one’s birth parents was different.
Having just made Qin Zheng cry, Murong Ting was eager to help, taking the list Ye Li handed her and hurrying off to take care of it.
The two watched Murong Ting’s cheerful departure with smiles, looking at each other and laughing, the previous melancholy largely dissipating.
“The groom has come to escort the bride, it’s time for the bride to leave…” the joyful voice of the wedding attendant came from outside. Ye Li checked Qin Zheng’s makeup one last time, personally taking the red veil embroidered with paired lotus flowers and covering Qin Zheng with it. “Zheng’er, I wish you happiness.”
“Thank you,” Qin Zheng said softly.