At the end of May that year, less than two months after the new Emperor of Da Chu ascended to the throne, most of the power remained in the Prince Regent’s hands. Yet beneath the imperial court, undercurrents continued to flow. Prince Li’s intentions were too obvious, while the upright officials who supported legitimate succession gradually gathered together, forming a subtle counterbalance against the Prince Regent.
On the northern frontier, battles continued before Zijing Pass. Further north, before early summer arrived, the Northern Rong armies had already begun stirring restlessly. On May 20th, the Xiling forces launched another offensive at the southwestern border, plunging the southwestern civilians who had barely recovered from previous conflicts back into the flames of war.
In the northwestern city of Li, not far from the city on the mountain, the Lishan Academy remained as tranquil and elegant as a place beyond this world, hidden among lush forests. Ye Li passed through the quiet bamboo grove, heading toward the distant sound of zither music. In a clearing within the bamboo forest, Master Qingyun sat on the ground, a paulownia wood zither on his lap, gently plucking the strings to produce ethereal melodies. Not far before him sat Su Zhe, his hair equally white with age, leisurely brewing tea while listening to the music.
“Ah, Li’er has arrived?” Master Qingyun stopped playing and turned to smile gently at Ye Li.
“Grandfather, Elder Su,” Ye Li said softly, walking forward to help Master Qingyun up and over to the stone bench near Su Zhe. Su Zhe smiled as he poured tea for both of them, asking, “Why has the Princess Consort come at this hour? Are you here to see the young prince?”
Ye Li smiled, “With Grandfather and Elder Su teaching Little Bao, I’m completely at ease. I hope the children haven’t been disturbing you?” The Lishan Academy now housed not just regular students, but three young children as well. Mo Xiaobao had come to study at the academy, and though Cold Jun Han was still young, he had to follow along. As such, Qin Zhong had also sent her son, Xu Zhirui, saying the three children could keep each other company.
“The young prince is even more brilliant than his father was, by threefold. What effort does it take to teach him?” Su Zhe said with a smile, his eyes filled with affection at the mention of Mo Xiaobao. He had always appreciated Xiaobao’s intelligence, and Xiaobao respected this Elder Su like a grandfather. Naturally, this led the childless Su Elder to dote on him even more deeply than Master Qingyun at times. It must be said that despite his young age, Mo Xiaobao’s ability to flatter exceeded that of many adults.
Master Qingyun looked at Ye Li, his expression warm and kindly, “Li’er, have you come because you’re about to travel far?”
Ye Li looked at Master Qingyun in surprise, “Though Grandfather resides in Lishan Academy, it seems you’re not cut off from worldly affairs. You seem to know all about the state of the realm.”
Su Zhe shook his head with a smile, “Not only is Master Qingyun accomplished in literature, but he’s also versed in astronomy, geography, divination, and medicine. This morning he told me that the Prince and Princess Consort’s stars had shifted position, suggesting imminent travel. And now, here the Princess Consort is.”
“Can it work like that?” Though Ye Li had heard of the art of reading celestial signs, she had never studied it herself. Due to the modern scientific thinking still ingrained in her previous life, she maintained some skepticism about such things. “Then, what else can Grandfather see?”
Master Qingyun stroked his snow-white beard, shaking his head with a sigh, “The realm… is headed for great chaos. Such turmoil… occurs only once in several centuries.”
Hearing Master Qingyun’s words, not only Ye Li but even Su Zhe’s expression grew solemn. Su Zhe asked regretfully, “Is it truly irreversible?”
Master Qingyun shook his head, “This great chaos… was set in motion several years ago, and cannot be undone. Li’er, among this generation of the Xu family, you and your elder brother stand out the most. Especially you… In the struggle for power, death and injury are inevitable, but the common people are innocent. No matter what, you must not let the flames of anger spread to innocent civilians. You and the Prince must remember this.”
Ye Li nodded, saying softly, “Please rest assured, Grandfather. Xiuyao isn’t that kind of person either.” Ye Li understood what Master Qingyun was referring to. This era had no concept of human rights; commoners were viewed as worthless as grass, and countless records of city massacres existed throughout dynastic histories. Even though the rulers tried to cover them up, later generations could still glimpse traces of these atrocities. But Ye Li knew she would never do such things – neither her basic humanity nor her former identity as a soldier would allow it. And she believed Mu Xiuyao would never do such things either.
Looking at the serious, graceful young woman before him, Master Qingyun’s wrinkled face showed a trace of resignation. His wise eyes flashed with worry as he sighed softly, “Well, we’re all old now. The future belongs to you young people. Be careful when you’re away from home.”
Ye Li nodded with a smile, “Don’t worry, Grandfather. But after we leave, only Elder Brother will remain in Li City. Please speak with First and Second Uncles – I fear Elder Brother won’t be able to manage everything alone.” Second Uncle Xu Hongyan had gone to teach at Lishan Academy early on. Although First Uncle was still in Li City, he had recently developed an interest in agriculture, visiting Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother several times this past year. Though this was also important work, having Xu Hongyu handle it seemed like a waste of his talents.
Master Qingyun stroked his beard and smiled, “They were idle before because there was nothing to do. Now that there’s real work to be done, they’ll naturally return. What need is there for me to say anything?”
Ye Li blinked, suddenly understanding, “Thank you for your guidance, Grandfather. Li’er understands now.”
Master Qingyun finally nodded, smiling, “I know you’re very busy, no need to stay here with us old men. Go on.”
Only then did Ye Li rise to bid farewell to Master Qingyun and Su Zhe.
Watching the graceful figure gradually disappear into the distance, Su Zhe shook his head and said to Master Qingyun, “Is the Princess Consort going to follow the Prince into battle? Are you not worried, Master Qingyun?”
Master Qingyun shook his head with a sigh, “The children have grown up. To think that Li’er used to be even younger than Chen’er, just a little girl…”
Su Zhe had also seen Ye Li when she was young, back when the Xu family was still in the Chu capital and Ye Li’s birth mother was still alive. Who could have imagined that tiny, pink-cheeked little girl would grow into today’s Princess Consort, capable in both civil administration and military affairs?
Master Qingyun frowned, “I observe that the murderous intent in the Prince’s heart has not dispersed. I fear that in the future, too much bloodshed will disturb the heavenly harmony. Having Li’er accompany him might help temper him somewhat, which would be better.”
“How can that be?” Su Zhe frowned. Though he hadn’t seen Mo Xiuyao many times in recent years, the few times he had, he noticed that despite his white hair, Mo Xiuyao’s temperament had improved immensely compared to his youth. There seemed to be no trace of murderous intent in his daily manner.
Master Qingyun shook his head, “We all know what the Prince’s temperament was like in his youth, but his current demeanor… is what truly causes unease. Given his original temperament, how do you think he would have treated Mo Jingqi?”
After pondering for a moment, Su Zhe’s expression changed slightly, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth – likely ten times worse. But after so many years, it’s possible the Prince’s temperament has truly been smoothed out.”
Master Qingyun smiled faintly, “The Mo family temperament is all the same – how could it be so easily smoothed out? Even the Prince Regent was considered the most even-tempered of all the Prince’s Mansion’s generations, wasn’t he? Yet did the Emperor survive his final strike before death?”
Su Zhe fell silent. The Prince Regent that Master Qingyun referred to was naturally Mo Xiuyao’s father, Mo Liufang. Even after several decades, Su Zhe still remembered that elegant, refined, and incomparably talented man. Though capable in both civil and military affairs like all generations of the Prince’s family, Mo Liufang had embodied elegance and refinement to the extreme. In the current world, only the Young Master Qingchen could compare with him, though Qingchen’s appearance and temperament were too otherworldly, more like an immortal from beyond this realm. Mo Liufang, however, was truly an elegant and accomplished noble young master of the mortal world, born of an illustrious family – such talent and bearing deserved to be remembered through the ages.
Yet even such a person, when betrayed by the Emperor he had faithfully served, left behind a counterattack before death that was powerful enough to make its mark. The Emperor, in his prime, passed away within three years, his great ambitions relegated to the cold imperial mausoleum. He left behind the young Emperor Mo Jingqi, who was barely in his teens, who also bought the Prince’s Mansion several years of buffer time. Otherwise, with the young Mo Xiuwen and Mo Xiuyao brothers falling into the hands of the already shrewd former Emperor, the continued existence of the Prince’s Mansion today would truly be questionable.
“In that case…” Su Zhe pondered.
Master Qingyun said gravely, “The Prince has been suppressing himself all these years, or rather, he’s been playing a long game in his heart. That’s why he could endure his hatred toward Mo Jingqi and the Da Chu royal family. Even his hatred toward the Northern Rong and Xiling. Even though he seemed uninhibited these years, he was still actually restraining himself. He needed time to arrange his pieces, and now… this arrangement has matured. And the battlefield… is often where people’s truest nature is most easily revealed. Once these years of patience and suppression explode… in this world, besides Li’er, no one can restrain him.” The Prince’s Mansion’s troubles weren’t just about Mo Jingqi – both Northern Rong and Xiling had participated to varying degrees. Moreover, the Mo family army had died directly under the Northern Rong cavalry. All these years, whenever Master Qingyun thought of Mo Xiuyao’s calm demeanor toward the Northern Rong envoys, he felt terrified.
“So that’s how it is.” Su Zhe sighed, his face showing more guilt. If not for Su Zuidie’s theft of the Mo family army’s deployment plans back then, perhaps none of this would have happened. Even though he regretted the loss of his only granddaughter, compared to the tens of thousands of wrongfully dead souls of the Mo family army, Su Zhe felt he didn’t even have the right to feel regret. Who mourned for those warriors who died unclear deaths while fighting for their country? All this, just because his teaching had gone astray.
Seeing Su Zhe’s expression, Master Qingyun understood what he was thinking about. He patted Su Zhe’s hand, saying, “Those things… are past, why dwell on them?”
Su Zhe shook his head, only able to look up at the sky and sigh deeply.
After bidding farewell to Master Qingyun and visiting Mo Xiaobao, Ye Li finally returned to the Prince’s Mansion. As soon as she entered, she saw various officials and military commanders who rarely appeared at the mansion without being summoned, all waiting in the garden. Seeing Ye Li enter, they immediately surged forward to pay their respects. Ye Li raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, “What brings everyone here at this hour? Has something happened?”
Zhang Qilan smiled, “The Princess Consort need not worry, everything the Prince and Princess Consort instructed has been handled properly – nothing’s wrong at all.”
Ye Li smiled, “If nothing’s wrong, could it be that everyone has come specially to pay their respects? Our Prince’s Mansion doesn’t stand on such a ceremony. Since there’s nothing wrong, please return home.”
“Princess Consort…” While others dared not speak, old generals like Lü Jinxian, Zhang Qilan, and Yuan Pei had no such reservations and quickly stopped Ye Li. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled at them. Lü Jinxian was pushed forward and said, “Well… reporting to the Princess Consort, just now envoys from both Xiling and Da Chu sought audience with the Prince at the same time. We wanted to ask… what are the Prince’s intentions?” These days they had also been secretly preparing troops and horses, seeing signs from above that there might be movement soon. This had secretly excited these old generals whose bones had grown stiff from inaction. But today, with envoys from two countries suddenly arriving simultaneously to seek an audience, whichever side the Prince favored would indicate their future direction of action.
“Envoys from Xiling and Da Chu seeking an audience at the same time?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow, having just returned and unaware of this news. Lin Han, standing beside her, rubbed his nose and said, “This is exactly what I was about to report to the Princess Consort. The Xiling envoy arrived first, and the Da Chu envoy came shortly after. However, the Prince received the Da Chu envoy first. Also, the Prince requests that the Princess Consort go to the main hall upon her return.”
Ye Li smiled silently, looking at those gathered around her. Everyone quickly stepped back, “Please proceed, Princess Consort.”
“Then… shall I take my leave?”
“We wouldn’t dare delay the Princess Consort, please go ahead.” So the Princess Consort didn’t know either, everyone sighed helplessly. They could only watch Ye Li leave while anxiously awaiting the outcome. In a corner, Feng Huaiting and Han Mingyue were playing chess, while Han Mingxi hung from the tree above them, watching their game while yawning.
“Does Young Master Mingyue think war will break out?” Feng Huaiting asked calmly. Though he had been in the northwest for less than three months, it had given Feng Huaiting a completely different perspective. The officials and commanders in the Prince’s Mansion were generally young, with Feng Huaiting now being among the oldest. Moreover, the Prince had given him unprecedented authority and trust. When Feng Huaiting once asked Mo Xiuyao why he trusted him so much, the Prince had just smiled half-jokingly, saying he didn’t trust him at all – he only trusted Feng Zhiyao. If he betrayed the Prince’s Mansion, Feng Zhiyao’s head would immediately fall. Feng Zhiyao had been present at the time and showed no displeasure at Mo Xiuyao’s words as if this was exactly how it should be.
Feng Huaiting didn’t understand these young people’s friendship, but as the head of the Feng family, he knew what choices meant. Although the Prince’s Mansion didn’t seem to have the advantage in the current political landscape, for some reason he believed that if there could only be one victor in the realm, it would be the Prince. And for the Feng family, the most advantageous choice was naturally to side with the ultimate winner.
“Of course, there will be war. After so many years… even if the Mo family army doesn’t want to move, others can’t hold back anymore, right?” Han Mingyue said calmly. During these past few years of leisure at home, no one in Li City had targeted him or done anything to him. But similarly, no one needed him to do anything either – he knew it was because Mo Xiuyao no longer trusted him.
After so many years, gradually awakening from the dream of Su Zuidie, he finally understood what he had lost for the sake of his so-called love. But it was too late to remedy now. Han Mingyue wouldn’t humiliate himself by trying to salvage their friendship. He understood Mo Xiuyao – once Mo Xiuyao gave his friendship, he would never abandon you unless you betrayed him. But once betrayed, it meant eternal severance. From the moment he took his first step for Su Zuidie, there was no possibility of reconciliation between them.
So he just stayed by his brother’s side like an idle person, offering occasional guidance when needed. Now… only this brother was his sole remaining family in this world.
Han Mingxi hung from the tree like a bat, saying lazily, “Whether there’s war or not, what does it have to do with us?” They wouldn’t be going to the battlefield anyway.
Feng Huaiting put down his chess piece and stood up smiling, “Of course, it matters to us. Since that’s the case, we should also make preparations.”
Han Mingxi dropped from the tree, watching Feng Huaiting’s departing figure and asking doubtfully, “What are we preparing for?”
Han Mingyue smiled faintly, “Provisions move before the army – the Feng family head is a clever man.”
“Brother…” Han Mingxi looked at his elder brother with both regret and worry. It was one thing when his brother had been obsessed with Su Zuidie before. Now that he had gradually awakened, his brother’s abilities were certainly no inferior to the Feng family head, but past events had determined that he would never have a chance to use his talents in the northwest. Han Mingyue shook his head comfortingly, smiling faintly, “Mingxi… for me, talk of imperial ambitions is just a dream, no, I never even had such dreams. There’s nothing wrong with how things are now…”
“Does the Prince not know that you’ve been giving me advice behind the scenes these past couple of years?” Han Mingxi asked. He had limited abilities and was never afraid to admit when others were better than him. Many tasks the Prince had given him these past two years exceeded his capabilities, which made Han Mingxi suspicious. Han Mingyue smiled gently, patting his brother’s shoulder, “Sometimes it’s better not to know too much. Come on, Master Feng might need your help.”
When Ye Li entered the main reception hall, the Da Chu envoy hadn’t left yet, while the Xiling envoy had been arranged to wait in the flower hall with tea. Upon entering and seeing the Da Chu envoy, Ye Li paused in surprise – it was someone familiar. Prince Yu, Mo Jingyu.
“Ah Li, you’re back?” Seeing Ye Li appear at the doorway, Mo Xiuyao’s face, which had shown traces of impatience, immediately broke into a smile as he rose to welcome her. Mo Jingyu also hurriedly stood to bow, “Princess Consort. You were…?” Ye Li smiled lightly, “Ah, Prince Yu. I just went to the city to see my grandfather. I apologize for not being here to welcome you, please forgive me.”
Mo Jingyu certainly knew about the Lishan Academy on the mountain not far from the city – it had originally been Da Chu’s Lishan Academy, one of the three great academies in the world. And because of Mo Jingqi’s foolishness, it had been handed over to the northwest for nothing. In these two years, the Northwest’s talent selection system had taken shape, with Lishan Academy being the biggest factor in attracting and nurturing a continuous stream of talent. Many students who came from thousands of miles away to study, most chose to stay in the Northwest after completing their studies. Moreover, the significantly increased number of local northwest students in recent years were even more loyal to the Prince’s Mansion.
“Please sit, Prince Yu,” Ye Li said with a smile as she sat down in the main seat alongside Mo Xiuyao.
Mo Jingyu thanked them and sat back down, looking at Mo Xiuyao who no longer had his attention on him, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly, unsure how to continue. Ye Li said apologetically, “Did I interrupt your conversation?”
Mo Xiuyao took one of Ye Li’s hands and placed it on his knee to play with while saying, “What’s there to discuss? He’s here to beg for help, that’s all.”
“Beg for help?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
Mo Jingyu smiled bitterly at Mo Xiuyao’s directness. He had indeed come to ask for help, but having Mo Xiuyao put it in such terms made it rather difficult to maintain face. Ye Li frowned, “Has the situation deteriorated to such an extent? Would Prince Li agree to seek help from the Mo family army?”
Mo Jingyu looked somewhat embarrassed – Prince Li indeed didn’t agree. It had to be said that even though Mo Jingle and Mo Jingqi didn’t get along, they were still brothers after all. Regarding the Prince’s Mansion issue, they were utterly unprincipled in their persistence. Perhaps the only difference was that Mo Jingqi targeted the Prince’s Mansion itself – no matter who was Prince, he would hate them enough to bite. While Mo Jingle focused more on Mo Xiuyao as a person. But the current situation left no room for Mo Jingle to disagree. Perhaps Mo Jingle could retreat with his people to Jiangnan, but others couldn’t – their roots were in the Chu capital. Once the capital fell, everything would be over for them.
“General Cold is now struggling to defend Zijing Pass in the north, and last month both Xiling and Northern Rong launched simultaneous attacks on Da Chu. With Da Chu under attack from three sides, we… hope the Prince could lend a hand, considering we share the same ancestry.”
Mo Xiuyao let out a cold laugh, “Lend a hand? This must be those old men in court’s idea, right? Did Mo Jingle agree? Can Prince Yu guarantee that if I deploy troops, Mo Jingle won’t stab us in the back? The Mo family army has experienced this sort of thing more than once or twice. Prince Yu, please leave.”
“Prince… do you intend to stand by and watch?” Mo Jingyu tried to persuade him again. Although he was close to Mo Jingle, he didn’t want to see Da Chu destroyed, “Perhaps the Prince feels our sincerity is insufficient? If there’s anything else we can do, please just say it.”
“Sincerity?” Mo Xiuyao said calmly, “From beginning to end, I haven’t seen any sincerity. However… it’s not impossible…”
Mo Jingyu was overjoyed, “The Prince need only command.”
Mo Xiuyao’s lips curled into a cold smile, “As long as Mo Jingle is willing to kneel before the Mo family army and apologize on behalf of the Da Chu royal family. I might consider it.”
Mo Jingyu’s expression changed instantly, immediately understanding that his trip had been in vain. Forget about making Mo Jingle kneel before the Mo family army – even getting him to bow to Mo Xiuyao would be impossible. Sighing helplessly, Mo Jingyu finally lowered his head in dejection.
Mo Xiuyao smiled, “It seems Prince Yu has given up. In that case, please take your leave.”
Mo Jingyu looked at Mo Xiuyao’s calm face one last time, finally heaved a long sigh, and rose to leave.