In Chu Capital, the newly arrived Ink Army replaced the exhausted Great Chu defenders on the city walls. Seeing the ink-colored flags and black-clad soldiers standing tall in the cold wind atop the walls, the Northern Army had no choice but to temporarily lower their banners and cease operations.

Mo Xiuyao led his people into Great Chu’s imperial palace. Looking at this still-magnificent palace showing signs of desolation under the light snow, a faint melancholy passed through Mo Xiuyao’s cold eyes, along with even more indecipherable complexity. Just as they entered the palace, Mo Xiaoyin, and Princess Zhenning came out to meet them, respectfully bowing to Mo Xiuyao, “Xiaoyin greets Uncle Prince Ding.”

Mo Xiuyao swept Mo Xiaoyin a cool glance – being Mo Jingqi and Noble Consort Liu’s son, he naturally held no goodwill toward him. However, this Mo Xiaoyin was quite different from Mo Jingqi. Raising an eyebrow as he looked at the two before him, he asked, “Where is the Grand Princess?”

Mo Xiaoyin lowered his head and said, “The Grand Princess passed away two days ago, but worried about affecting the defending soldiers’ morale, she ordered us to keep her death private. Her coffin still rests in the palace, with Princess Zhaoyang keeping vigil.” Mo Xiuyao nodded and went first to pay his respects to the Grand Princess.

The Grand Princess was two years older than the Duke of Hua, and hadn’t suffered much illness before death – it could be considered a natural end. After paying respects at the palace hall where the Grand Princess’s coffin temporarily rested, Mo Xiuyao then exchanged greetings with Princess Zhaoyang. Princess Zhaoyang wore plain clothing without makeup, her face showing undisguisable exhaustion and haggardness. The two sat in a side hall, and Princess Zhaoyang looked at Mo Xiuyao with relief, saying, “Originally, I thought you wouldn’t make it in time, that Chu Capital would truly fall to the North. Thankfully…”

Mo Xiuyao calmly related some of the battles in the city, including the Duke of Hua’s death in battle. Hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang’s eyes also reddened, and she could only sigh deeply with nothing to say.

After a moment of silence in the side hall, Princess Zhaoyang finally asked, “What do you plan to do with those two children?”

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, looking at Princess Zhaoyang. She sighed and said, “Originally I didn’t like those two children either – what good could come from that Liu woman and children raised by the Liu family? But after spending time with them these days, these two children are very different from their parents. If possible… spare them a way to live. I know you hate the Great Chu royal family… I’ve hated them too…”

Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, thinking for a moment before saying, “Rest assured, as long as they behave themselves, I won’t harm them.” Princess Zhaoyang was taken aback by his somewhat distant words, but nodded, “Thank you.”

It seemed not long since they’d last met, yet there was nothing they could say. The atmosphere in the side hall made both uncomfortable and soon Mo Xiuyao rose to take his leave. Watching his departing figure, Princess Zhaoyang sighed helplessly. She knew where this sense of distance came from – from now on… this palace still bore the Mo surname, but it was no longer the same Mo as before. And she would forever be a princess of Great Chu, no matter how much she hated it. But fortunately, now she was just… a princess of a fallen country.

With the Ink Army in control, Chu Capital quickly became lively again. Though just days ago the city had been filled with blood and killing cries, with citizens hiding fearfully in their homes, in just a few days people had buried the dead, cleaned the streets, and life gradually returned to the empty city.

Mo Xiuyao quickly ordered posthumous titles for the fallen soldiers and reorganized Chu Capital’s administration. Though tens of thousands of Northern troops still surrounded the city outside, the citizens’ lives gradually returned to their original patterns. Now Chu Capital not only had hundreds of thousands of Ink Army troops, but also many Ink Army and Great Chu commanders – naturally the citizens worried little about the enemy outside. After both armies rested for half a month, Mo Xiuyao ordered the Ink Army to split into two routes – one led by Lü Songxian would leave the city first to engage the Northern Army, giving them no chance to recover and attack again. The other route, led by Murong Shen, would meet Yelü Ye’s Northern Rong army.

That same month, Great Chu’s Prince Xing Mo Xiaoyin, who remained in Chu Capital, announced to the world that the Ink Army and Prince Ding had saved Changxing City. From now on, Changxing City and its people would be under Prince Ding’s command, no longer subjects of Great Chu. This announcement naturally made many people silently furious yet helpless. Among them, the most enraged was naturally Mo Jingli, entrenched in Jiangnan. The city that Great Chu had abandoned, now saved by Prince Ding who had rushed thousands of miles – with the capital’s citizens willingly submitting to Prince Ding, the Great Chu court was like a mute eating bitter herbs, suffering in silence.

The Ink Army had just taken Chu Capital and morale was high. Murong Shen and the father-son Marquises of the South guarding Flying Swan Pass attacked from two directions, forcing the Northern Rong army to repeatedly retreat. With the Northern Rong short on supplies and unable to sustain months of bitter fighting, both sides had to temporarily cease hostilities. The Northern Army, after a month of bitter fighting with no gains and internal disputes arising in their rear, had no choice but to withdraw from Zijing Pass and return in frustration.

Thus, by the third month when spring began, though much of Great Chu’s territory remained in Northern Rong and Northern hands, the Ink Army’s ability to sweep victoriously from east to west and back again in just seven or eight months proved this renowned iron army’s fighting strength remained undiminished. As a result, the territory under Ink Army control stretched from the original Xiling’s Anping Prefecture in the west to Great Chu’s Zijing Pass in the east. Though slightly smaller than Xiling, it was far larger than Great Chu’s court in Jiangnan. More importantly, Prince Ding’s family now controlled two imperial cities, east and west, their reputation unmatched in the world.

After half a year of warfare, every side had exhausted countless resources and supplies. For the moment, none had the energy to fight again, so though the various armies watched each other warily like tigers, they all tacitly agreed to stop and recuperate. As soon as fighting ceased, Mo Xiuyao dumped Chu Capital’s affairs on Feng Zhiyao, Lü Songxian, and others, then quickly rode back northwest. The Ink Army members all knew the Princess Consort was pregnant and understood the Prince’s anxiety, so they said nothing.

“A’Li!”

In mid-April, though spring came late to the northwest, it was already late spring. In Prince Ding’s palace gardens, various beautiful flowers still bloomed in full. Among them, the most magnificent were the peonies transplanted from Cloud Prefecture. Peonies of all colors competed in splendor, decorating the entire garden with elegant luxury, their pure fragrance spreading everywhere.

Ye Li sat on a thickly cushioned stone bench in the garden, smiling as she watched Mo Xiaobao concentrate on swinging a small sword. Leng Junhan and Xu Zhirui, watching from the side, also cheered, though Ye Li rather doubted these two little ones knew good from bad. Under her light cyan cape, her round belly had grown quite large. Ye Li gently stroked her round abdomen while smiling at the sword practice. Though it had been nine months, this belly seemed rather too large – Mo Xiaobao hadn’t been this big. Thinking of Doctor Lin mentioning this pregnancy might be twins, Ye Li smiled faintly. Twins weren’t bad, but she hadn’t told Mo Xiuyao yet. Otherwise, knowing his personality, he might abandon his soldiers on the battlefield and run back.

Hearing sounds from outside the garden, Ye Li paused slightly. Could it be that late pregnancy caused auditory hallucinations?

Mo Xiaobao stopped his sword practice, blinked, and turned to Ye Li with a pout, “Mother, Father has returned.” Though his tone suggested great displeasure, those big dark eyes suddenly brightened.

Ye Li turned around and indeed saw someone covered in road dust standing at the garden gate, smiling at her. “A’Li, I’m back.”

“Xiuyao…”

Seeing her about to stand, Mo Xiuyao quickly moved into the garden in one step to support her, “Don’t move, you…” Seeing her round belly before him, the usually calm and composed Prince Ding couldn’t help but widen his eyes, looking at Ye Li with concern, “A’Li, are you alright? How… how is it so big?”

“Doctor Lin says it might be twins, naturally it’s much bigger than one,” Ye Li said with a gentle smile.

“What?” Mo Xiuyao felt his vision darken and his limbs weaken. One child had already made him worried and afraid, and now it was two! “How can this be?! Where is Shen Yang, have him come to check on the Princess Consort immediately.” Mo Xiuyao said anxiously. Ye Li gave him an exasperated look and said, “You know Master Shen went to Fourth Brother’s place, don’t you? Doctor Lin has checked me, I’m fine and the children are very well.”

“But…”

“No buts!” Ye Li said firmly, pulling Mo Xiuyao along, “You’ve just returned – why not clean up and rest properly? I was just out for a walk and will return soon. Let’s go rest first.” Mo Xiuyao was already in a state of distraction and could only let Ye Li lead him away.

Behind them, the three little ones looked at each other. After a while, Xu Zhirui blinked, maintaining the same serious face as his father, and asked, “We didn’t greet Uncle.”

The youngest, little Leng Junhan, rubbed his little head and said, “Uncle Prince Ding didn’t see us, he won’t be angry.” Uncle Prince Ding hadn’t even spared them a glance, but… thinking of Uncle Prince Ding’s cold gaze, little Cold Blank shuddered and shook his head. Not being seen was fine. Not being seen was good.

Mo Xiaobao stared proudly at his father’s retreating, snorted, and raised his little head, “This Young Master doesn’t care if he sees us, let’s go find Big Uncle.”

The three little dumplings discussed together and unanimously agreed Mo Xiaobao’s suggestion was excellent. Big Uncle (Big Brother, Uncle Xu) was much kinder than Father (Uncle, Uncle Prince Ding).

Returning to their main courtyard residence, Mo Xiuyao came out after bathing and grooming, and Ye Li had already ordered some of Mo Xiuyao’s favorite dishes laid out on the table. These past days Mo Xiuyao had rushed back northwest without eating properly, so seeing these dishes stimulated his appetite. He sat down and pulled Ye Li to dine together.

It wasn’t mealtime, and Ye Li wasn’t particularly hungry, so she only ate half a bowl of porridge before stopping. She sat beside Mo Xiuyao watching him eat, occasionally picking up some meat dishes for him. After so many years, Mo Xiuyao was still a picky eater – if Ye Li didn’t personally choose dishes for him, he only ate vegetables, even more ethereal than Xu Qingchen.

While dining, Mo Xiuyao related some events from Chu Capital, naturally including the Duke of Hua’s death serving his country. Ye Li also had quite liked the old Duke, so hearing of his death naturally saddened her, “We should probably tell Sister Hua and Tianxiang. As for them…” Mo Xiuyao said, “Don’t worry about this, I’ll have someone tell them. Your… the children are most important now, wait until you’ve given birth to these two before anything else.”

Ye Li thought for a moment and could only nod, “The children should be born next month. By their full month celebration, it will be about Grandfather’s birthday.” Furrowing her brow, Ye Li gently stroked her round belly and said, “In that case, we won’t hold the children’s full-month celebration.” The full-month celebration for Prince Ding’s young prince and princess would be no small matter – if it coincided with Grandfather’s birthday, they’d be busy for two months straight. Mo Xiuyao had no particular thoughts about whether to hold the children’s full-month celebration, but raised an eyebrow to ask, “Mo Xiaobao’s full month was celebrated grandly – won’t these two little ones be unhappy when they grow up?”

Ye Li smiled gently and said, “Is Your Highness now concerned about their sibling relationships? What’s so special about a full month celebration – if they would be unhappy about this, then we as parents have failed in our teaching.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded, smiling as he looked at Ye Li’s belly. It’s not that Father Prince doesn’t love you or show favoritism – it’s your mother’s decision.

“Is Li’er here?” Xu Qingchen’s elegant voice came from outside.

The maid standing guard outside quickly bowed and said, “The Prince has just returned and is dining with the Princess Consort.”

Hearing their voices, Mo Xiuyao immediately became displeased. He had just returned and hadn’t even caught his breath – how was Xu Qingchen already at their door? Would they ever let him rest?

Ye Li hadn’t noticed Mo Xiuyao’s displeasure and called out cheerfully, “Big Brother, come in!”

Xu Qingchen entered the flower hall and seeing Mo Xiuyao glowering at him, a slight smile touched his lips, “When did Your Highness return? We didn’t even know.” Ye Li said apologetically, “He just arrived and came straight to our quarters. Big Brother, do you have business at this hour?”

Xu Qingchen naturally couldn’t say he knew Mo Xiuyao had just returned and came specifically to irritate him. He smiled pleasantly and said, “Nothing major, just that it’s about time to draft the invitations for Grandfather’s birthday celebration in two months. I happened to be free today so I came to discuss it with you.” Ye Li furrowed her brow slightly, thinking for a moment before saying, “The nobles and notables from the Northwest, Xiling, and Chu Capital must naturally be invited. But what about other places… should we invite people from Nanzhao, the Northern Rong, the Northern Territories, Xiling, and Jiangnan?”

Mo Xiuyao set down his chopsticks and raised an eyebrow, “Of course, we’ll invite them. After such dramatic changes this past year, even if we don’t invite them, they’ll come anyway.”

Xu Qingchen nodded, “I understand. Also, does Your Highness plan to hold it in Chu Capital or Li City?”

This was also an issue – holding it in Chu Capital would indicate Mo Xiuyao would move the Prince Ding residence back to Chu Capital while holding it in Li City would require reconsidering Chu Capital’s disposition. After all, it was a capital city, unlike Xiling’s imperial city. Xiling’s imperial city could be considered a windfall – good to have but no great loss if lost. But Chu Capital was surrounded by enemies – losing it would be a huge blow to Prince Ding’s prestige.

Mo Xiuyao rubbed his temples, thought for a moment, and asked, “What’s Big Brother’s opinion?”

Xu Qingchen smiled, “Such major matters naturally require Your Highness’s sole decision.”

Mo Xiuyao gave him an exasperated look and declared haughtily, “I order you to speak.” Xu Qingchen remained unperturbed, shrugging as he smiled, “Li City is still too small – even major construction couldn’t be completed quickly. Your Highness stationed in Chu Capital would be a good deterrent to the Northern Rong, Northern territories, and the South.” The implication was that Xu Qingchen favored moving the Prince Ding residence back to Chu Capital.

Mo Xiuyao naturally understood Xu Qingchen’s reasoning was sound. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Chu Capital is too far from Xiling – if anything happens there in the future, we’d be too far to respond effectively.” Li City had its advantages, like its central location on the continent. With insufficient strength, it would be the unfortunate position of being attacked from all sides, but with overwhelming strength, it would be perfect for expansion in all directions.

Xu Qingchen said, “We naturally can’t abandon Li City. However, we currently can’t expand Li City to a sufficient size quickly. The world is truly chaotic now – exhausting the people and depleting resources wouldn’t be good.” Simply put, Li City was too small. Originally when Prince Ding’s residence only controlled the Northwest territory, this wasn’t an issue. But now the territory under Prince Ding’s command was no smaller than any other major power. Continuing like this would seem shabby and more likely to make officials and soldiers feel uncertain. Because Prince Ding had no current plans to ascend the throne, no one knew what the future would hold. Xu Qingchen, handling various government affairs in Li City long-term, naturally knew very well the doubts and rumors among officials and citizens. In the current situation, they either needed to greatly expand Li City or move the Prince Ding residence back to Chu Capital.

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a while, then looked up and said, “Master Qingyun’s birthday will still be held in Li City. Afterward, A’Li and I will temporarily station in Chu Capital, ah… Young Master Qingchen will come too. All Li City affairs will continue as before, with Master Hongyu in overall charge. How’s that?” Xu Qingchen smiled somewhat helplessly, “Since Your Highness has decided, this servant can only obey. Does Your Highness plan to… operate Li City and Chu Capital simultaneously?”

Mo Xiuyao nodded, “Our current territory stretches east to west, the distance too vast. If something happens in the West, by the time news reaches Chu Capital it will be too late. Moreover, after dealing with Ren Qining, Chu Capital’s importance will greatly diminish. Then, Xiling and the Northern Rong will be the focus.” And Li City was closer to Xiling and the Northern Rong.

Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Your Highness truly has extraordinary ambitions. However… I’ve had one question I haven’t asked, which has likely troubled many people for a long time.”

Mo Xiuyao’s eyebrows lifted slightly as he smiled at Xu Qingchen.

“Has Your Highness never considered ascending the throne?” Xu Qingchen asked, “Before when Prince Ding’s residence controlled only the Northwest corner, Your Highness’s disdain for it wouldn’t be surprising. But now Prince Ding’s jurisdiction spans thousands of miles east to west, why does Your Highness…” This question truly troubled many people. Not only those under Prince Ding’s command, but outsiders also couldn’t fathom Mo Xiuyao’s thoughts. Anyone else with such vast territory would have declared themselves king or emperor long ago. Unlike Mo Xiuyao, who showed not the slightest inclination in this direction.

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li’s hand and smiled kindly at Xu Qingchen, “Nothing special – just not interested.”

“Not interested?” Xu Qingchen frowned, inwardly rolling his eyes. It was only because Young Master Qingchen was naturally calm and accepting that he could take this. If it were others like Feng Zhiyao, they’d probably grab Mo Xiuyao’s collar and shake him violently asking “Are you toying with us?!” Xu Qingchen only showed momentary surprise before regaining his composure – well, it wasn’t him becoming emperor anyway. If he wasn’t interested, so be it. Ascending the throne was just a ceremony and titles – under Prince Ding’s authority, who dared say Mo Xiuyao’s power was less than an emperor’s? To hell with legitimacy!

Mo Xiuyao looked at Xu Qingchen rather disdainfully and said, “Since Young Master Qingchen has no other business, please return now. I’m rather tired and want to rest.” A husband and wife reuniting after a long separation – what was he doing hanging around and refusing to leave?

Xu Qingchen seemed blind to his dismissive gaze and smiled at Ye Li, “In that case, Li’er, rest well. I’ll take good care of Xiaobao and the others.”

Hearing this, Ye Li’s face immediately fell. Had she really left the three children in the garden and just walked away – had pregnancy made her so absent-minded? “Big Brother, are Xiaobao and the others with you? I’m sorry for troubling you…”

“No trouble, just that earlier Xiaobao sadly told me his father wouldn’t even look at him before walking away.” Xu Qingchen’s smile was as gentle as a spring breeze.

Mo Xiuyao gave a cold laugh and said coolly, “Then I’ll trouble Young Master Qingchen to care for them briefly, after all, Mo Xiaobao likes his Big Uncle best, doesn’t he?” Saying “likes best,” Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but grind his teeth, deeply feeling he had raised an ungrateful little white-eyed wolf. Seeing Mo Xiuyao was truly about to take Ye Li away, Xu Qingchen stopped provoking him and took his smiling leave.

In the flower hall, Ye Li curiously studied Mo Xiuyao, seeming to want to speak but holding back. Mo Xiuyao smiled at her, “Why is A’Li looking at me like this? Have you discovered your husband has become even more extraordinarily handsome after not seeing him for so long?”

Ye Li looked helplessly at the sky, “You truly have no plans to ascend the throne?”

Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly, saying carelessly, “What’s so good about ascending the throne? Always worrying if someone wants to steal your position, criticized by officials for pursuing entertainment if you want to have some fun, having to listen to old men drone on with endless reasoning if you want to execute someone. Most importantly… I have no interest in accepting the unmarriageable daughters of those old fellows. Does A’Li want your husband to have three palaces and six courts? Hmm… it’s not impossible – after ascending the throne, I could decree future emperors can only have one empress and no consorts. Then… kill all those old fellows who like to remonstrate. How does A’Li feel about me being a tyrannical emperor?”

Ye Li felt utterly helpless and waved her hand, “Let’s discuss ascending the throne another time.”