Mo Xiaobao sadly departed with his usual belongings to seek refuge with his most beloved grandfather. Although he had lost another battle for his mother’s attention, Xiaobao firmly believed this was only because he was still too young and his father was using his authority to bully him. He secretly resolved that since the old man had no shame in bullying the young, he wouldn’t mind getting back at him when he grew older.
After delivering Xiaobao to the newly established Lishan Academy just outside Licheng and leaving him with Master Qingyun, Ye Li’s heart ached to see her son standing beside Master Qingyun, looking at her so pitifully. Speaking of which, she had been somewhat neglectful as a mother, fortunately, Xiaobao had always been close to her since he was young. Ye Li thought that she should come to see her son every day from now on and bring him some of his favorite pastries. When Xiaobao was a bit older and they didn’t have to worry about the daily back-and-forth travel, they could let him return to Prince Ding’s mansion to stay. After all, it wasn’t right for children to be separated from their parents for too long.
“Ali, didn’t we agree to visit Xiaobao every other day? Master Qingyun will teach him well, don’t worry,” Mo Xiuyao embraced Ye Li and comforted her softly. “I will double the number of secret guards at Lishan Academy, and a division of the Qilin Guard will be stationed nearby. There’s no need to worry about Xiaobao’s safety.”
Ye Li sighed helplessly. She really couldn’t understand why Mo Xiuyao had such strong opinions about Xiaobao. Every time he saw Xiaobao clinging to her, he would inevitably go and torment the child afterward. Although she knew Mo Xiuyao had his limits and wouldn’t harm Xiaobao, seeing Xiaobao’s pitiful red face every time he was bullied left Ye Li completely speechless. “Xiuyao, do you dislike Chen’er that much?”
Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li innocently and smiled, “Xiaobao is my son, how could I dislike him? Ali, I’m doing this for Xiaobao’s future. As they say, ‘strict teachers produce outstanding students’ and ‘the rod produces filial children.’ If we’re not strict with Xiaobao, what if he grows up to be like the Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli brothers? Wouldn’t that make you sad?” Ye Li looked at him speechlessly before finally saying, “So Your Highness grew up being beaten by the King and your elder brother?”
Mo Xiuyao smiled without answering. His father had been too busy running in circles back then to have time to manage them. His elder brother had indeed been very strict with him. In comparison, Mo Xiuyao didn’t think he was being too harsh with Mo Xiaobao at all. Compared to when This Prince was five years old and had to get up before dawn in the dead of winter to practice martial arts, Xiaobao should be grateful. Hmm… This Prince is truly a loving father. With this comparison, Prince Ding contentedly believed that he was exceptionally loving toward his son, and it was Ali who spoiled the child too much and thus had complaints. Spoiling children is wrong for parents.
As the couple walked down the mountain together, they encountered Xu Qingchen coming up from below. The nearly thirty-year-old Young Master Qingchen was dressed in pure white robes, appearing more mature than before while maintaining an ethereal air. Although his aunt had already become a grandmother these past few years, she had become even more anxious about her eldest son’s marriage. Yet her eldest brother seemed completely unconcerned and had never shown particular interest in any young lady. While it was normal to be reluctant about early marriage – none of the Xu family members except for Xu Qingze, who had been betrothed since childhood, were married – being completely unmoved by emotions seemed a bit strange. Sometimes even Ye Li wondered if her extraordinarily accomplished eldest cousin was planning to become an immortal.
“Elder Brother, have you come to pay respects to Grandfather?” Ye Li greeted him first.
Xu Qingchen looked at their joined hands and a teasing smile appeared on his lips. Unfortunately, Mo Xiuyao’s face was thicker than he had imagined, as he continued holding Ye Li’s hand without changing expression. Xu Qingchen shook his head helplessly and raised a purple-gold letter decorated with intricate patterns, saying, “I have some business. I heard Your Highness and the Princess Consort weren’t planning to return to the city these days, so I had to come personally. Fortunately, I met you here.” Ye Li tilted her head to look at Mo Xiuyao in confusion – she didn’t know they weren’t returning to the city for the next few days. Mo Xiuyao looked at the letter in Xu Qingchen’s hand without changing expression and asked, “Is it from Nanzhao?”
“How did you know?” Ye Li asked curiously. Mo Xiuyao pointed at the elaborate patterns on the letter, “Those are patterns exclusively used by the Nanzhao royal family.”
Ye Li frowned in thought, seeming to recall seeing such patterns in Nanzhao, and felt ashamed of her limited knowledge. She took the letter and asked, “Elder Brother, will you come down the mountain with us, or will you go pay respects to Grandfather first?” Xu Qingchen shook his head and sighed, “I saw Grandfather yesterday, and the old man is angry and doesn’t want to see me. Let’s go down together.” Ye Li was surprised – her elder brother was the most outstanding of the Xu family’s younger generation and was said to be Grandfather’s favorite grandson. How could Grandfather be so angry as to refuse to see him?
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “Perhaps it’s because Young Master Xu is too picky about marriage matters and has finally provoked heaven’s fury and human resentment. Even Master Qingyun with his good cultivation couldn’t stand it anymore?” Xu Qingchen gave Mo Xiuyao a bland look – speaking of provoking heaven’s fury and human resentment, was anyone worse than Prince Ding? Not doing what he should, while insisting on doing what he shouldn’t. It was bad enough dumping his son on Grandfather, but he planned to secretly run away with Li’er. If he hadn’t gotten the news quickly, someone would have already taken Li’er off to who knows where to enjoy themselves.
“Speaking of which, Elder Brother really should get married. Aunt has mentioned it to me many times, but unfortunately, Elder Brother doesn’t fancy any of the young ladies from good families in the Northwest. Who knows how many young ladies in their boudoirs have had their hearts broken… Oh?” While chatting and laughing, Ye Li casually opened the purple-gold letter and couldn’t help but make a surprised sound.
“What is it?” Mo Xiuyao asked with concern. Ye Li waved the letter and glanced at Xu Qingchen, saying, “Princess Anxi is getting married. We’re invited to attend the wedding in Nanzhao.”
Mo Xiuyao wasn’t surprised at all. “Princess Anxi is already twenty-four. Even in the South, she should have been married long ago. What’s strange about that?”
Ye Li nodded in agreement. Ever since Princess Anxi had stayed in Licheng for some time five years before leaving in disappointment, Ye Li knew that she and Xu Qingchen probably had no hope. She still remembered the day she escorted Princess Anxi out of the city, seeing the princess’s dejected figure as she left – even Ye Li couldn’t help wanting to beat up Xu Qingchen. But ultimately, she understood that Xu Qingchen couldn’t be blamed. Matters of the heart have never been something one can control.
Mo Xiuyao took the letter and looked through it – indeed it was a state letter from Nanzhao. “There’s still plenty of time. The wedding is set for the seventh month. If we travel quickly, setting out at the beginning of the seventh month would still be in time.” After reading, he lost interest and handed the letter back to Xu Qingchen with a smile, “Then I’ll trouble Elder Brother to handle these matters. Ali, a few days ago Qingbai and Qingyan wrote saying that the wheat in the north is growing particularly well this year. It’s just starting to form ears now – why don’t we go take a look?” Ye Li finally understood – no wonder her elder brother said if he had come any later he might not have found them. So Mo Xiuyao had sent Xiaobao to Grandfather because he wanted to take her on a trip.
Xu Qingchen held the letter in his hand and looked at Mo Xiuyao very calmly, “Your Highness, I’m afraid you won’t be able to travel far in the short term.”
“Why not?” Mo Xiuyao said unhappily, his snow-white hair floating slightly in the clear wind. “This Prince has worked hard these past few years, finally raised Mo Xiaobao to be bigger, finally resolved the matters in the Northwest – can I not take a rest?”
Hearing this, Ye Li and Xu Qingchen both looked at him, their eyes full of contempt. He had the nerve to say he raised Mo Xiaobao? Perhaps without his occasional tormenting, Mo Xiaobao would have grown up more robustly.
Xu Qingchen smiled calmly and said, “Your Highness, in ten days it will be the Northwest’s first metropolitan examination to select talents. We’ve prepared for four full years – surely Your Highness can’t be absent for the first one? That would give the impression that you don’t take the scholars of the realm seriously. Or does Your Highness believe you can rush back from Fourth Brother’s place in ten days? Moreover, even without this matter, Father’s tax reform proposal for the Northwest that he submitted the other day – he has mentioned it to me several times, asking me to inquire whether Your Highness found any inadequacies that have caused you to delay your response. Furthermore… the annual Licheng merchant assembly is about to begin, and merchants from various countries have already started arriving in Licheng. Your Highness…”
Mo Xiuyao stared at Xu Qingchen in disbelief as he seemed ready to go on endlessly, feeling his teeth ache. He wanted to grab Xu Qingchen’s collar and shake him hard – didn’t This Prince already hand over the Northwest’s affairs to you all to handle? Why, why are there still so many matters requiring This Prince’s attention?!
Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s defeated expression, Ye Li couldn’t help covering her mouth to hide her laughter. She gave Mo Xiuyao a helpless look – it’s not that I won’t accompany you to play, it’s that you don’t have time to go play! The reason there were so many matters was partly because Xu Qingchen deliberately made it so. Perhaps learning from the lessons of the Xu family’s predicament over these many years, although the Xu family had earned Mo Xiuyao’s deep trust, they had always been cautious about avoiding matters of power. Except for the outlier Xu Qingfeng, no one else in the Xu family ever inquired about Mo family military matters. Although they heavily relied on Xu Hongyan, Xu Hongyu, and Xu Qingchen for regular political affairs, they rarely participated in matters that would bring fame, or else they would use Mo Xiuyao as a front, pushing all merit and reputation to Prince Mo Xiuyao. After consulting with Master Qingyun, Xu Hongyu even established a new family rule: from now on, Xu family officials must retire by age fifty-eight at the latest. Moreover, to prevent the Lishan Academy from becoming too dominant, in the past two years Xu Hongyan had strongly supported the establishment of several more academies in the Northwest, changing the previous situation where there wasn’t a single good academy within the Northwest’s borders. The actions of the Xu family members demonstrated an attitude that Ye Li could only sigh softly about in her heart, accepting their sentiment.
“If Your Highness truly feels exhausted, why not take a few extra days of rest when we go to Nanzhao? After all, Your Highness won’t have much to do once we’re there,” Xu Qingchen finally added after seeing Mo Xiuyao’s indignant expression.
“My dear wife, it’s not that your husband is inconsiderate and won’t accompany you on an outing. It’s just that… your elder brother is too fierce. You must stand up for your husband,” Mo Xiuyao gazed at Ye Li plaintively. Ye Li looked amusedly at Mo Xiuyao, whose snow-white hair didn’t make him look old at all. Though already in his early thirties, he somehow looked even younger than when they first met. “Alright, don’t be sad, husband. We’ll spend more time playing in Nanzhao and leave all the matters to Elder Brother and the others.”
Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao shot Xu Qingchen a provocative glance. Xu Qingchen pretended not to see it, looking up at the sky and saying calmly, “Li’er, it’s fine to spoil your husband, but spoiling him too much might damage his mind. Elder Brother and your grandfather and uncles would be distressed. Others who don’t know might think you gave birth to twins. Listen to Elder Brother – a husband should be wise and mighty.”
Ye Li looked back and forth, wisely deciding it was better not to speak. It’s not only men who find it difficult being caught between wife and mother – women find it equally difficult being caught between husband and elder brother. She smiled gracefully, “Elder Brother and Your Highness can chat slowly. I think I see Qin Feng has something to tell me.” Without looking at their expressions, she headed down the mountain first.
Behind her, Xu Qingchen’s smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze. Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes in thought – could it be that Ali truly preferred his wise and mighty appearance and that’s why she left so quickly? He glanced back at the celestial-like figure and inwardly sneered coldly: Trying to damage This Prince’s relationship with Ali? If This Prince doesn’t marry you off soon, This Prince will be failing you and your entire family!
The elegantly smiling Young Master Qingchen inexplicably shivered, and couldn’t help looking up puzzled at the cloudless sky.
Although Princess Anxi’s wedding was still some time away, they didn’t have much time to prepare. As Xu Qingchen had said, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had many matters to handle, and the journey to the South would take at least a month. With both the Prince and Princess Consort away, many matters needed to be arranged clearly. Sure enough, as soon as they returned to the mansion, Mo Xiuyao was invited to the study by Xu Hongyu, who had been waiting.
Watching Mo Xiuyao head to the study with a smile, Ye Li returned to her courtyard to find someone waiting for her as well.
“Aunt, why have you come? Is something the matter?” Seeing Ye Li enter, Madam Xu quickly stood up. Ye Li went forward to help Madam Xu sit down and smiled, “Aunt, whatever the matter is, we can discuss it sitting down. There are no outsiders here, why is Aunt being so formal with Li’er?”
“Have I disturbed you by coming suddenly?” Madam Xu asked with some concern. Although she was a woman of the inner court, Madam Xu knew that her niece’s position as Prince Ding’s consort was different from other inner court women or even other princesses. In the hearts of the entire Northwest’s common people, the Princess Consort’s name was almost as renowned as Prince Ding’s. Just look at Prince Ding’s subordinates and even the Mo family army’s commanders – which one of them wasn’t completely obedient to Ye Li’s words? Ye Li smiled, “What are you saying, Aunt? Li’er is usually busy helping and doesn’t have time to visit Aunt at the mansion. Neither you nor Second Aunt comes to see Li’er – Li’er knows Aunt has spent all her attention on the three brothers and doesn’t love Li’er anymore.”
Teased like this, Madam Xu couldn’t help laughing but worry soon clouded her brow again. She smiled bitterly and said, “Your Second Aunt is truly content now with a grandson, spending all her attention on Rui’er. But I’m truly worried sick every day.”
Ye Li understood and asked softly, “Is it about Elder Brother?”
“Who else could it be?” Madam Xu sighed, “In the blink of an eye, Qingchen is almost thirty yet doesn’t have a single girl he fancies. Your Elder Brother never gave anyone cause for worry since he was young, but on this matter, he’s the most worrisome. If I had known it would be like this, I should have learned from your Second Uncle back then and arranged a childhood betrothal for him. Whether good or bad, at least he would have brought a daughter-in-law into the family.” Ye Li sighed along – Elder Brother’s situation was indeed worrying. The Xu family was certainly considered a rare progressive family. Except for Xu Qingze who was betrothed to Qin Zhong since childhood, none of the other brothers had early engagements. This was natural to carefully select daughters-in-law, avoiding sons marrying wives they didn’t like or who weren’t virtuous. Even when Xu Qingchen passed twenty without marrying, no one in the Xu family forced him. But now that he was about to turn thirty, it was no wonder Madam Xu was anxious.
“Elder Brother’s standards are too high; it can’t be helped that he’s not satisfied with ordinary women,” Ye Li sighed softly. Not just Xu Qingchen himself – even Ye Li felt there were few women worthy of her Elder Brother. The only one who seemed somewhat interesting was Princess Anxi, yet Elder Brother wasn’t interested in her.
“Standards too high?! Does he think he can marry a heavenly immortal?!” Madam Xu couldn’t help wiping tears, complaining angrily, “Does he think he’s so remarkable just because people call him the world’s foremost young master? Does he think no woman in the world is worthy of his attention? He’s still just a mortal with two eyes and a nose! Look at him – never mind his age now, in two more years what good family’s daughter would be willing to marry someone so much older? And because he set a bad example, now your Second Uncle’s Qingfeng and Qingbai and Qingyan are all refusing to marry! It’s all the fault of him as the eldest brother!” Ye Li sighed inwardly – with Elder Brother’s appearance, even at forty there would be no shortage of young ladies rushing to marry him.
Madam Xu was furious, and Ye Li could only comfort her softly while saying, “Aunt, don’t be angry with Elder Brother. He’s the most filial one – if he knew Aunt was this upset, he would be upset too. No one can predict matters of fate. Perhaps tomorrow Elder Brother will meet a girl and chase after her, eager to marry her.” Though the possibility was practically zero. Ye Li really couldn’t imagine Xu Qingchen chasing after and trying to please any woman.
“Does Aunt have any plans?” Ye Li knew Madam Xu wouldn’t have come specifically just to complain to her.
Madam Xu nodded firmly and said, “We can’t let him continue like this. Your Second Aunt plans to arrange a match for Qingfeng. I’ve also looked at two potential matches for him. Please help your aunt think of a way to make him meet these young ladies. This child is too clever – whenever I bring up this matter, he disappears without a trace. Today he says he’s busy with this, and tomorrow with that. I don’t go out often, so how can I catch him?”
Ye Li immediately felt amused – so it was that Aunt wanted to arrange meetings but couldn’t find Elder Brother! Tilting her head in thought, Ye Li nodded firmly and said, “Don’t worry, Aunt. Li’er will make Elder Brother return home then.”
Madam Xu was overjoyed, “Then I’ll trouble Li’er with this.”
Ye Li smiled sweetly, “What trouble? Li’er also wants an elder sister-in-law soon.”