Age was the most forbidden topic for any woman, especially for a beautiful woman who was no longer young. The fading of beauty and the whitening of a general’s hair were among the most helpless things in this world. So even the proud Liu Guifei, who normally wouldn’t deign to argue with a barbarian woman like the Queen of Helan, was provoked to anger.
“You wretch, what did you say?!” Liu Guifei trembled with rage as she glared at the Queen of Helan.
The Queen of Helan was only sixteen or seventeen this year, truly in the flower of youth. Though she lacked the delicate fair skin of Central Plains women, her youthful complexion showed an enviable health and fineness in the sunlight. This was exactly what someone of Liu Guifei’s age lacked. No matter how exquisite her makeup, being over thirty, no amount of care could restore the dewy skin of a young girl. Moreover, she had suffered greatly for a period two years ago, almost nullifying years of careful maintenance. Though she had worked hard to maintain her appearance these two years, her beauty could never return to its peak. The Queen of Helan’s words were undoubtedly rubbing salt in her wounds without mercy.
“How dare you!” The Queen of Helan’s expression darkened as she raised her chin and stared proudly at Liu Guifei, “Out of consideration for you being Prince Yelü’s woman, I’m showing you some lenience. Want to bet I could ruin your face? You’re not even a Northern Rong empress yet, I don’t believe the Northern Rong King would trouble me over this!” Liu Guifei glared at the Queen of Helan with eyes that seemed laced with poison. Yelü Ye frowned and said in a deep voice, “Enough. Queen of Helan, Qing Yina spoke rashly, please forgive her. However, you also spoke rudely first. Why don’t we let this matter rest?” The Queen of Helan glanced at Ren Qining beside her, who had no intention of standing up for her, snorted lightly, and turned her head away without speaking further.
Liu Guifei was still unwilling to let it go, but she too backed down under Yelü Ye’s warning gaze.
“Oh, aren’t those Prince Ding and Princess Ding?” The Queen of Helan turned her head to look out the window, just catching sight of Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li walking hand in hand through the crowd. Among the sea of black hair, Mo Xiuyao’s white hair was naturally very eye-catching. Hearing this, the others all looked over. Indeed, they saw an outstanding couple walking side by side through the crowd. They held hands while talking and laughing about something, seemingly dissatisfied about something. Mo Xiuyao wore light cyan robes with silver patterns, a jade belt at his waist, and his silver-white hair flowing freely. Looking down at the black-haired woman beside him, his gentle words and smiles were completely different from his usual cold aloofness.
The woman standing beside him had cloud-like black hair, loosely pinned in a casual bun. A lotus flower with purple stamens was casually tucked in her hair, and an exquisite silver ornament swayed gently by her ear, further accentuating her elegant and graceful beauty that drew all eyes. Ye Li wore a very simple white outfit with silver trim, a silver belt holding a light purple jade pendant. Though they were dressed casually, walking through the crowd they still naturally drew everyone’s gazes.
Mo Xiuyao must have said something, for Ye Li glared at him angrily, reaching up to grab something from his hand, but Mo Xiuyao smiled and dodged, one hand supporting her waist while the other brought something to her lips. Only then did everyone see that Mo Xiuyao was holding a candied haw stick. Ren Qining and Yelü Ye couldn’t help but twitch their mouths – men of their status would never behave this way with any woman, no matter how beloved. Yet Mo Xiuyao did it with natural ease, clearly enjoying himself.
“I’d long heard that Prince Ding and his princess were deeply in love like paired birds, but seeing it today proves the reputation true,” Cloud Consort sighed softly, her tone unable to hide her envy of the princess.
The Queen of Helan rarely agreed with Cloud Consort, “Prince Ding is truly a remarkable man.”
Yelü Ye’s mouth twitched – was buying candied haws on the street the standard for being a good man? Seeing his dismissiveness, the Queen of Helan said unhappily, “Seventh Prince, could you walk the streets holding candied haws for any woman?”
Yelü Ye curled his lip disdainfully – how could he, a noble prince, do something so beneath his dignity for a woman? The Queen of Helan grew more contemptuous, “I thought only Central Plains men were so hypocritical about-face, but it seems you Northern Rong men are just the same. Our Northern Border men aren’t as hypocritical as you. Every one of them is a good man like Prince Ding.”
Seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li about to pass below, the Queen of Helan stood up and called down with a smile, “Prince Ding, Princess Ding…”
Below, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao looked up to see the cheerfully waving Queen of Helan, along with the distinctly unhappy-looking Ren Qining and Yelü Ye. Given the previous alliance between Ren Qining and Yelü Ye against Mo’s army, their simultaneous appearance at a teahouse wasn’t surprising. But for the two factions to be consorting right under the Mo army’s nose in Li City showed too little regard for Prince Ding’s mansion. Ye Li’s lips curved in a faint smile as she nodded to the Queen of Helan, “What a coincidence to find Your Majesty here.” The Queen of Helan leaned out the window smiling, “Are Prince Ding and Princess out shopping? Why not come up and join us?”
“We’d be honored to accept,” Ye Li smiled in agreement, pulling Mo Xiuyao into the teahouse.
As soon as they entered, the teahouse owner excitedly rushed to greet them. Though Prince Ding and Princess lived in Li City, they rarely went out, so no wonder the owner was overjoyed to have them visit his humble establishment. Seeing the excited but flustered owner before her, Ye Li smiled and nodded, “No need to trouble yourself, we can find our way up.” The owner naturally nodded repeatedly, secretly sneaking glances at Prince Ding standing beside his princess. Seeing the prince holding candied haws was really beyond common people’s expectations. Not daring to make small talk, he could only watch as Ye Li led Mo Xiuyao upstairs.
Ren Qining’s group wasn’t sitting in a private room, but the owner knew their special status and had given them the spot with the best view and most privacy in the entire teahouse. Separated by an eight-panel landscape screen, it created its private world, achieving tranquility amid the bustle. Watching the couple approach hand in hand, Ren Qining and Yelü Ye’s gazes were inevitably drawn to Mo Xiuyao’s other hand. Though the candied haws were gone, seeing Prince Ding carrying a box of pastries was equally jarring. It felt like discovering that a divine being worshipped by all still needed to eat, drink, and relieve themselves like everyone else.
Meeting Ren Qining and Yelü Ye’s strange gazes, Mo Xiuyao remained unconcerned. He casually placed the pastries on the table, and only then did everyone see the “Pinlian House” label on the box. This was Li City’s most famous confectionery, and the Queen of Helan’s eyes immediately lit up, “Are these Pinlian House pastries? Their sweets are the best. I’ve gone twice but had to wait in such long lines.”
Of course, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li didn’t need to queue – even if they were willing to, customers in front would immediately give up their spots. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, “Indeed, A-Li likes them too. If Your Majesty enjoys them, please try some.”
The Queen of Helan didn’t stand on ceremony, smiling sweetly, “Thank you, Prince Ding. You truly are a good person.”
Everyone present couldn’t help but twitch – Prince Ding was a good person… how many bad people were there in the world then? Seemingly oblivious to others’ expressions, the Queen of Helan happily began eating the pastries, naturally not forgetting to share half with their original owner.
“In just a few short years, Li City has become so prosperous. Prince Ding and Princess truly know how to govern,” Yelü Ye said in a deep voice. Having attended Mo Xiaobao’s full-month celebration, he naturally saw Li City’s changes over the years. The area alone had more than doubled. Moreover, with the decline of both Xiling’s imperial city and the Chu capital, Li City could be called the most prosperous city of the age. The Northern Rong lands were barren, and their people lived nomadically following water and grass. Even their few cities were small in scale. The Northern Rong’s most prosperous royal court might not match even a second-tier Central Plains city. Thus, the Central Plains’ prosperity inevitably made the Northern Rong people envious. Although the Northern Rong now held several cities taken from Great Chu, while Northern Rong people were unmatched in warfare, governing a nation couldn’t rely on fighting alone. Cities that had been doing quite well fell into decline under Yelü Ye’s rule, showing signs of sunset decline.
Mo Xiuyao responded calmly, “Seventh Prince flatters me. Compared to the Chu capital and Jiangnan, the Northwest is still quite poor. I merely do my best.”
Both men dismissed his modesty. Though Mo Jingli’s dominion over Jiangnan was prosperous and wealthy, possessions that could be lost at any moment were as good as nothing. But Mo Xiuyao was different – at least in the short term, no one dared try to take anything from his hands. Though these days the various powers’ nobles had minimized contact in Li City to avoid suspicion and show respect for their host, they all had their sources of information. At least for now, Xiling, though having lost vast territory but compensated by Great Chu and still strong, showed no intention of provoking Mo Xiuyao. Lei Zhenting had instead focused his attention on Mo Jingli in Jiangnan. If so, they would need to think carefully about competing with Mo Xiuyao. After all, setting aside whether they could win, if they ended up doing others’ work for them, would truly be a losing proposition.
Yelü Ye had also temporarily abandoned thoughts of warring with Mo Xiuyao, as news from within Northern Rong told of his crown prince brother’s frequent movements. Combined with the recent stalemate against Mo’s army, this had somewhat cleared his head which had been muddled by victory. If his crown prince brother gained the upper hand domestically, defeating Mo Xiuyao once or twice at the front would be meaningless unless he could annihilate Mo’s army – otherwise, he would only be depleting his strength. Thinking of how Yelü Hong’s relationship with Prince Ding’s mansion was far more cordial than his own, Yelü Ye’s mind stirred slightly. His gaze at Mo Xiuyao gained more clarity and depth, “Prince Ding, I have some business to discuss with you, what do you say?”
“Business?” Mo Xiuyao seemed to hear a joke, “Seventh Prince, with your Northern Rong’s hundreds of thousands of troops still eyeing our borders, what business could you want to discuss with me?”
Yelü Ye smiled unconcernedly, “You Central Plains people have a saying – there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. Similarly, there are no eternal enemies either, right?”
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, “There seems to be some logic to that. Why don’t you elaborate, Seventh Prince?” Sitting opposite them, Ren Qining’s expression immediately darkened when he saw Yelü Ye trying to negotiate with Mo Xiuyao right in front of him. After all, the Northern Border and Northern Rong were allies. Yelü Ye naturally wouldn’t want to offend Ren Qining, so he smiled and said, “Actually, this matter would benefit everyone. Would the King of the North be interested?”
Ren Qining said coolly, “I’m all ears.”
Beside them, the Queen of Helan frowned and said, “What’s wrong with you men? Weren’t we supposed to be out enjoying ourselves? Yet you sit together and start discussing these tiresome matters. I don’t want to hear this nonsense.” Hearing this, Ren Qining frowned with displeasure and said, “In that case, Your Majesty should return to the courier station first.”
“Return what? I haven’t had enough fun yet.” The Queen of Helan rudely rejected his suggestion, successfully making Ren Qining’s expression even worse. Ye Li stood up, saying with a slight smile, “In that case, would the Queen of Helan like to take a walk with me? Let me fulfill my duties as a host?” The Queen of Helan’s eyes brightened as she happily came forward to take Ye Li’s arm, “Where will you take me to play, Princess? Li City has so many people and interesting things, I want to buy lots to take back.” Ye Li smiled, “When Your Majesty leaves, I’ll have whatever you like sent to you.”
“Princess Ding, you’re such a good person. Let’s go quickly!” Without waiting for others’ reactions, she eagerly pulled Ye Li downstairs. Ye Li waved to Mo Xiuyao to indicate everything was fine, then followed the Queen of Helan down. Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly, watching from the window until he saw the guards waiting outside the teahouse follow them before sitting back down reassured.
“Prince Ding’s deep affection for his princess is truly enviable.” Liu Guifei stared at Mo Xiuyao through gritted teeth. Looking at Mo Xiuyao’s still handsome face and white hair, his imposing presence unchanged, Liu Guifei felt a bitter hatred in her heart as if bitten by a poisonous snake. Mo Xiuyao was one or two years older than her, and if two years ago they had looked about the same age, now if Liu Guifei removed her veil, though still beautiful, she would appear several years older than Mo Xiuyao.
Mo Xiuyao acted as if he hadn’t heard, lowering his head to take a sip of tea before saying to Yelü Ye, “What business would you like to discuss, Prince Yelü?”
The ignored woman’s beautiful face twisted grotesquely beneath her veil.
In another part of the city, not far from the teahouse, in a private room on the second floor of an ornament shop called Fenghua House, Ye Li and the Queen of Helan sat facing each other. Ye Li leisurely sipped the fresh tea brought personally by the owner while smiling as she watched the Queen of Helan curiously play with various exquisite accessories on the table. After a while, Ye Li softly asked, “Does Your Majesty have something to discuss with me?”
Hearing this, the Queen of Helan put down the ornament in her hand and looked up. The bold and curious smile on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by a determination rare among Central Plains women and a wisdom and calmness rare among Northern Border women. This sudden change immediately gave the seemingly proud young woman more gravitas. The Queen of Helan nodded and smiled, “I knew I couldn’t hide it from Princess Ding.”
Ye Li smiled faintly, “Your Majesty showed goodwill toward me from the first day – if I couldn’t see that, wouldn’t I disappoint you? However, what matter requires Your Majesty to speak with me privately, away from the King of the North?” The Queen of Helan gazed deeply at Ye Li and said in a serious tone, “I want to cooperate with Prince Ding’s mansion. No, I should say… we Northern Border people want to cooperate with Prince Ding’s mansion.”
“Northern Border people?” Ye Li paused, then said, “Not the Northern Border nation?” There were now two kinds of people in the Northern Border – native Northern Border people and Central Plains people who considered themselves former dynasty remnants. These so-called former dynasty remnants were nothing more than Great Chu people who had either joined or been brought under Ren Qining’s command in recent years. Ren Qining trusted the Central Plains people more, and in his desire to restore the former dynasty’s orthodoxy, he increasingly suppressed the Northern Border people, eventually needing to completely abandon them. Otherwise, his claim to Central Plains legitimacy would be empty and could never be accepted by Central Plains scholars. Unless he was willing to keep the Northern Border as his nation’s name and rule the Central Plains as a foreign race. But this would not only face resistance several or even hundreds of times stronger, even the Central Plains people originally loyal to him might turn against him. From the beginning, there existed an irreconcilable contradiction between the two peoples. This was why Master Qingyun had told Ren Qining he had been wrong from the start.
After pondering for a moment, Ye Li asked curiously, “Can the Queen of Helan decide such matters?”
The Queen of Helan raised her head proudly, “Since I’m here, naturally I can decide. We Northern Border people aren’t like you Central Plains folk who keep daughters confined in inner chambers. What men can do, we can do too. My family branch has always had few children, and I have no siblings. After my father passes, I should take over as clan leader. And after my cousin’s death, according to the rules, either I or my children should succeed in their clan too. But those annoying Central Plains people around Ren Qining are controlling our Northern Border people’s rights. We just want to take back what belongs to us.”
Ye Li had considered using the Queen of Helan for certain purposes, but she hadn’t expected this young queen to be such an important figure. She was quite surprised for a moment, but being characteristically calm and composed, the Queen of Helan couldn’t detect her thoughts. Ye Li looked at her and said softly, “I heard the previous Queen of the Northern Border was also a remarkable woman, it’s unfortunate we never had the chance to meet.”
At this mention, the Queen of Helan’s eyes immediately reddened. She said through gritted teeth, “If not for Ren Qining, how could my cousin have suffered such indignity? My cousin gave up the clan leadership for him, yet he was constantly wary of her, letting those women bully her. He even found opportunities to kill the people she trusted. If my cousin hadn’t saved him back then, how could this ungrateful wretch have what he has today?”
Seeing the Queen of Helan’s angry expression, Ye Li sighed inwardly. With Ren Qining’s martial arts and power, how could he have so coincidentally encountered danger in a place like the Northern Border? That fateful encounter was likely a scheme from the beginning. However, Ren Qining was willing to pay a high price for his so-called great cause. “Your Majesty, I think you should know. About your cousin’s death…” This wasn’t a secret, and Ye Li thought it best to be clear. Otherwise, being backstabbed halfway through their cooperation was something she had no desire to experience.
The Queen of Helan said firmly, “I know. My father said these grievances can be temporarily set aside. We Northern Border people keep our word – as long as Princess helps us drive out Ren Qining, we won’t oppose Prince Ding’s mansion.” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled, “If that’s the case, what benefit would I receive?”
The Queen of Helan said, “The Northern Border army will completely withdraw to the original border with Great Chu. Though your Central Plains is good, our Northern Border’s white mountains and black waters aren’t bad either. We just want to live our own lives.” It wasn’t that the Northern Border people had no ambition at all, but rather that their development hadn’t reached a stage that could support such ambition. Before Ren Qining appeared in the Northern Border, they had lived in separate tribes. The Northern Border people lived by fishing and hunting, not even farming like Central Plains people or herding horses and sheep like the Northern Rong. The people were naturally quite simple, and Ren Qining had brought too many changes. But not everyone could well accept such dramatic changes in less than twenty years. From occasional fights between tribes in the past to now fighting regular armies from Great Chu and Mo’s forces, the Northern Border people had suffered the heaviest losses. The Northern Border people weren’t all fools – they could almost predict that if this continued, even if Ren Qining unified the world one day, the Northern Border people would likely be all but extinct.
So, they decided to drive out Ren Qining and his confidants, taking back the rights that belonged to the Northern Border people themselves. Perhaps one day they would also participate in this struggle for the world, but that would be far, far in the future, definitely not now.
Ye Li remained silent for a long time before finally nodding, “The Queen’s proposal is very tempting. If Your Majesty sincerely wishes to cooperate, then I think we can.”
Such a quick response surprised the Queen of Helan. In her impression, Central Plains people always liked to think thrice before acting, and Ye Li’s clean and decisive manner was quite rare. “Can Princess make this decision?”
Ye Li smiled gently, “If I couldn’t make decisions, wouldn’t Your Majesty be at a loss for telling me this?”
The Queen of Helan felt somewhat apologetic, “I originally wanted to ask Princess to relay a message to Prince Ding. Also, I’ve heard that Princess is very capable. Perhaps Princess could help persuade Prince Ding – he might not be willing to cooperate with me. You Central Plains people generally don’t like women getting involved in these matters.”
Ye Li smiled, “I can indeed make decisions. However… Your Majesty should show me some sincerity from the Northern Border, shouldn’t you? Otherwise, how can I trust Your Majesty?”
The Queen of Helan nodded and very solemnly took out a box, placing it before Ye Li, “This contains a sacred relic of our Northern Border ancestors. Possessing it can earn you one deed from all people of the twenty-six Northern Border clans. Whatever is requested, all Northern Border people will go through fire and water to accomplish it. This is our Northern Border’s most precious treasure. I’ll temporarily entrust it to Princess’s care.”
Ye Li opened it to find a brown-patterned animal hide, which looked like tiger skin, lining the box. On the hide lay a short dagger that appeared somewhat crude, with many worn and smooth engravings showing its age. The dagger wasn’t made of iron or copper, nor was it the usual ornamental jade – it seemed to be made of some kind of stone. Though Ye Li generally wasn’t superstitious about the binding power of tokens, she knew some peoples’ faith in so-called sacred objects.
“Aren’t you afraid I won’t return it?”
The Queen of Helan said seriously, “If that happened, the Northern Border would exhaust all its people to retrieve the sacred relic. But I believe Princess and Prince Ding aren’t that kind of people.”
Ye Li put away the box and nodded, “By tomorrow at the latest, the Prince and I will give Your Majesty an answer.”
Only then did the Queen of Helan show a smile, nodding, “Then I thank Princess.”