“For A’Li’s sake, this prince will never regret it.” Mo Xiuyao stood behind Ye Li, looking down at Mo Jingli.
Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, Mo Jingli’s already displeased expression grew even darker. He gave a cold laugh, “Is that so?” Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said, “Of course. This prince isn’t like those blind fools.” He lazily sat down on the chair beside Ye Li, ignoring Mo Jingli’s ugly expression. He looked at Ye Li with some displeasure and said, “Why is A’Li speaking with him alone here?”
Ye Li raised her eyebrows and looked at him with a half-smile, asking, “Is your concubine not allowed to speak with others alone?”
Mo Xiuyao hurriedly apologized with a smile, “How could that be? It’s their honor that A’Li is willing to speak with them. However, some people have ill intentions, A’Li must be careful.”
Ye Li smiled silently, looking at him with a faint smile. When it came to ill intentions, how many in the world could compare to Prince Ding? Mo Xiuyao didn’t mind Ye Li’s teasing gaze, tilting his head to lean against Ye Li as he asked, “Does Prince Li have anything else to say?”
Even if Mo Jingli had anything else to say, Mo Xiuyao’s presence had already made him forget most of it. He gave a light snort and stood up, saying, “This prince came to take Ying’er back to the inn.”
“I see.” Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, “Then Prince Li may go as you please. Oh, by the way… Prince Li, the sage says one shouldn’t abandon a wife who has shared hardships. Although Princess Li may not count as such, she has been with Prince Li for many years. Now Prince Li wants to demote your wife to a concubine without hesitation for the sake of the lady from Cangmang Mountain. This will make people think Prince Li favors wealth over loyalty. It’s not good for Prince Li’s reputation.”
Mo Jingli gritted his teeth, “Prince Ding worries too much, this prince has no such intention.”
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows indifferently, clearly not believing Mo Jingli’s words. Mo Jingli had no patience to explain to him and left with a dark face.
Watching Mo Jingli’s retreating figure, Ye Li smiled at Mo Xiuyao and said, “Your Highness came at just the right time.” Mo Xiuyao replied with a beaming smile, “I knew A’Li didn’t want to talk to Mo Jingli either.” Ye Li helplessly looked to the sky – wasn’t she just praising him?
“A’Li, do you think Mo Jingli has a good chance of marrying Dong Fangyou?” Mo Xiuyao asked curiously.
Ye Li frowned slightly and said, “If Mo Jingli doesn’t use any underhanded methods, the chances are probably not high.” Dong Fangyou might not be clever, but Dong Fanhui was not someone easy to deal with. With Dong Fanhui watching from the side, Mo Jingli might not get his wish.
Mo Xiuyao said calmly, “Just now, Dong Fanhui sent someone to relay a message saying that Dong Fangyou’s marriage could be treated as if it never happened. Cangmang Mountain is still willing to assist the Prince Ding Manor.”
“You refused?” Ye Li asked without any doubt.
“Of course I refused,” Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, “This prince and the Prince Ding Manor’s plans have no room for Cangmang Mountain’s interference.” Though Dong Fanhui might be clever, there was still a difference between great families with centuries of heritage. The Xu family’s influence might be far less than Cangmang Mountain’s, but the Xu family was closer to this mortal world. Over hundreds of years, they had slowly integrated into the hearts of common people – silent but penetrating. Even if the Xu family were to fall, their mark would forever remain in the history books. But Cangmang Mountain had placed itself in too transcendent a position. Each appearance seemed to shock the world, shrouding themselves in an air of mystery that people looked up to. But precisely because they were too detached from the mortal world, they had grown accustomed to their lofty position. Even someone as clever as Dong Fanhui had never put herself on the same level as most people in the world.
“Dong Fanhui will be very angry.” Indeed, Dong Fanhui was very calculating and clever, but having been born as Cangmang Mountain’s heir and being its master for decades, she actually couldn’t tolerate others’ refusal and defiance even more than Dong Fangyou.
“So what if she’s angry?” Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows.
Ye Li smiled gently, “Indeed, so what if she’s angry?” The Prince Ding Manor had never feared powerful enemies.
In the newly established Dongfang Manor, Dong Fanhui dismissed the person who had returned from Prince Ding’s manor, her expression turning cold. Dong Fangyou stood before her, saying with worry, “Master, Prince Ding…”
Dong Fanhui said slowly, “Prince Ding refused.” Dong Fangyou was stunned and frowned, “If it was previously because of my reason, now… we’ve already withdrawn the marriage proposal. Why do they still refuse?”
Dong Fanhui gave a cold laugh and said, “Haven’t you guessed it too? Prince Ding Manor never intended to cooperate with Cangmang Mountain from the beginning.”
Dong Fangyou frowned and said, “That doesn’t make sense. With our help, Prince Ding Manor would naturally become much stronger. Dealing with the Northern Rong, Northern Border, or even Xiling would be twice as effective with half the effort. Why wouldn’t Prince Ding agree?”
Dong Fanhui smiled faintly and said, “Youer, although you’re clever, you were never born with the mindset and thoughts of a ruler. This is what worries your master the most. Prince Ding Manor’s power is already strong enough, and they have the Xu family’s support. If Mo Xiuyao has his sights set on the world, he will achieve it sooner or later. Although without Cangmang Mountain’s power, it might take longer, there would be… no future troubles.” Cangmang Mountain’s power was coveted but also feared. If Prince Ding Manor cooperated with Cangmang Mountain, Mo Xiuyao would probably worry about future problems of the tail becoming too large to control, and being constrained by Cangmang Mountain.
“But Mo Xiuyao shouldn’t forget, without Cangmang Mountain’s assistance he might achieve his goal, but if Cangmang Mountain helps others…” Dong Fanhui’s expression changed as she said coldly. She could understand Mo Xiuyao’s thoughts but couldn’t accept them. Mo Xiuyao’s unhesitating refusal wasn’t just about being wary of Cangmang Mountain; he probably didn’t take Cangmang Mountain seriously at all.
“Master…” Dong Fangyou was startled, looking at Dong Fanhui with worry.
Dong Fanhui’s expression softened somewhat as she smiled at her, “What does Youer want to say?”
Dong Fangyou frowned and said, “Is Master planning to choose someone else to support? But… in today’s world, besides Lei Zhenting, probably no one can match Mo Xiuyao. But Lei Zhenting… from what this disciple has seen, he probably doesn’t intend to cooperate with Cangmang Mountain either. And his age…” Lei Zhenting was much older than Mo Xiuyao. Even if Prince Ding did nothing but wait, he could outlast Lei Zhenting. Moreover, Lei Zhenting’s son Lei Tengfeng had always been mediocre, barely competent enough to maintain what he had, but probably would find it difficult to dominate the world.
Dong Fanhui nodded approvingly. As long as it didn’t involve human relationships, Dong Fangyou’s insight and thoughts were quite accurate and clear.
“Then what’s your opinion?” Dong Fanhui asked.
Dong Fangyou looked at her hesitantly, wanting to speak but stopping herself. Dong Fanhui saw this and her expression darkened as she said, “If you’re still thinking about Xu Qingchen, I advise you to give up that thought early. The Xu family… appears gentle and refined but treats outsiders with cold hearts and no feelings. You won’t catch their eye, and they won’t show you any pity. Going after them would only bring humiliation to yourself.”
Dong Fangyou looked at her master with confusion, somehow feeling that her master’s words about “cold hearts” had a somewhat vengeful tone. But her master had always been composed, rational, and elegant in front of her, so Dong Fangyou was stunned for a moment and dismissed it as overthinking. Remembering Xu Qingchen’s cold rejection and Xu Qingyan’s sharp mockery, Dong Fangyou had to admit her master was right. But even so, asking her to give up and choose someone else left her unwilling. Not just because of her lingering feelings for Xu Qingchen, but also because compared to Mo Jingli and Ren Qining, no matter how she calculated it, she still favored Prince Ding Manor the most. If the master chose others, she felt the chances of failure would be very high.
It must be said that precisely because Dong Fangyou didn’t understand human relationships, her way of looking at things was less likely to be swayed by emotions. For instance, someone as clever as Dong Fanhui would think about supporting others against Prince Ding Manor after being rejected, wanting to teach Mo Xiuyao a lesson in her anger. But Dong Fangyou would only fail to understand Prince Ding Manor’s decision, feel sad, but rarely angry, so she could see more clearly that Mo Jingli was far behind Prince Ding Manor. There might be some personal feelings involved, but her perspective was correct.
“Master, I don’t like Mo Jingli and Ren Qining,” Dong Fangyou frowned and said.
Dong Fanhui smiled lovingly and said, “If you don’t like them, your master hasn’t planned to marry you to them, what are you worried about?”
Dong Fangyou frowned slightly and said, “But, if it’s Mo Jingli and Ren Qining, they will demand to marry me.” Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t believe in Cangmang Mountain’s sincerity. Hadn’t the previous generations of Cangmang Mountain done the same? If Cangmang Mountain’s heir didn’t marry them, how would they believe they were Cangmang Mountain’s chosen ones?
“If that’s the case…” Dong Fanhui hesitated for a moment but didn’t say that if that were the case, she wouldn’t force her disciple. Instead, she said, “Your master will consider it carefully. You go rest first.” Dong Fangyou bit her lip and carefully asked, “Master, if I have a way to make Young Master Qingchen marry me…”
Dong Fanhui didn’t believe her disciple had such ability. She raised her eyebrows and said, “Wait until you have that capability before speaking of it. Go rest first, I need to think carefully.”
A hint of hurt flashed across Dong Fangyou’s beautiful face, and she could only silently withdraw. As she turned to close the door, seeing her master’s frowning thoughtful expression inside, a determined light flashed across Dong Fangyou’s gentle face.
“Madam, Northern Border King Ren Qining requests an audience.” Inside the room, Dong Fanhui’s expression showed something between sorrow and joy, finally changing to faint regret and resentment as she recalled something. At the door, the servant’s report startled her awake. She collected her expression, stood up with a slight frown, and said, “Ren Qining, what is he here for?” The person outside replied, “The Northern Border King says he has important matters to discuss with Madam.”
“Please ask him to wait in the main hall,” Dong Fanhui commanded calmly.
“Yes.”
Dong Fanhui adjusted her appearance before heading to the front hall. Sure enough, Ren Qining was already waiting there. Seeing Dong Fanhui enter, he quickly stood up and went forward, respectfully bowing and saying, “Junior Lin Yuan, pays respects to Madam Dong Fang.”
Dong Fanhui raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at Ren Qining with a smile, “Lin Yuan? Isn’t the Northern Border King’s surname Ren?”
Ren Qining smiled somewhat helplessly and said, “As a survivor of the previous dynasty, I dare not walk through the world with my real name, truly failing my ancestors.” In fact, how could Ren Qining not want to restore his original name? But in the past two years, the timing wasn’t right. First, he still needed much support from the Northern Border people. His late queen, though a Northern Border woman, was remarkably intelligent and astute. If he was too eager to change his name or even the state name, it would only cause dissatisfaction among her and the Northern Border nobles. Second, once he truly restored the name, of Lin Yuan, whether it was Prince Ding Manor, Xiling, or Mo Jingli, they would all become his enemies. After all, the previous dynasty fell because of both Da Chu and Xiling. At that time, he would become everyone’s target.
Dong Fanhui studied him for a long while before saying calmly, “For generations, descendants of the previous dynasty have tried to restore their kingdom, but all have failed on the brink of success. Your current achievements are quite remarkable.”
Ren Qining lowered his eyes with a faint smile and said, “Madam is too kind. The wishes of my ancestors – Lin Yuan has not dared to forget for even half a moment in his life. Back then, Cangmang Mountain also had blood ties with our dynasty. This junior earnestly requests Madam’s assistance.” Dong Fanhui remained silent, and Ren Qining understood she was considering, so he didn’t rush to persuade her. He sat quietly at the side waiting for her answer. After quite some time, Dong Fanhui finally said, “Master Ren, to be frank, I greatly admire your ability and determination. However… restoring your dynasty won’t be so easy.”
A ripple flashed through Ren Qining’s eyes as he respectfully said, “Please enlighten me, Madam.”
Dong Fanhui didn’t stand at on ceremony. After pondering for a moment, she said, “First, you initially married a Northern Border princess to establish your kingdom, and now your queen is also a woman from the Northern Border. Not to mention anything else, it will be extremely difficult for you to lead an army into the Central Plains and gain recognition from the Central Plains nobility. Additionally, I’ve heard that the Northern Border court is currently unstable, with former officials of the previous dynasty and Northern Border nobles constantly fighting – this hasn’t been a recent development. That your internal factions are already killing each other before you’ve secured the world is not a good omen. Even if you eventually take control of the Central Plains, will this truly be the Northern Border or the previous dynasty?”
Ren Qining fell silent, having to admit that every word Dong Fanhui said hit upon his current predicament and future hidden dangers. It wasn’t that he didn’t know these things, but circumstances at the time had forced his hand. “What does Madam mean?”
“Although Cangmang Mountain has always stayed out of worldly affairs, we are still people of the Central Plains. We will never assist foreign forces in invading the Central Plains. Please understand, Master,” Dong Fanhui said seriously.
A flash of gloom crossed Ren Qining’s face. The rise of the Northern Border and the current Northern Border court relied heavily on foreign tribes. This wasn’t just a weakness others criticized, but also the greatest hidden pain in the hearts of Ren Qining and those who prided themselves as former officials of the previous dynasty. Ren Qining gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, “If I can guarantee that the future court and royal family will be entirely composed of people from the Central Plains, would Madam be willing to assist?”
Dong Fanhui lowered her eyes and said calmly, “If that were truly the case since you are the legitimate heir of the previous dynasty, that would naturally be different.” Ren Qining’s heart leaped with joy as he said, “Thank you, Madam. I hope Madam will keep her word.”
Dong Fanhui said, “How could Cangmang Mountain ever break its promises?”
Ren Qining nodded with satisfaction and was about to say something when someone hurriedly entered from outside and whispered a few words in his ear. Ren Qining’s expression changed slightly as he stood up and said to Dong Fanhui, “I have some urgent matters to attend to. I’ve disturbed Madam, and will take my leave now.” Dong Fanhui didn’t try to keep him and had someone escort him out.
“Master, do you plan to help Ren Qining?” Dong Fangyou walked out from inside, frowning slightly as she looked toward the door.
Dong Fanhui gave a light snort and said, “When did I say I would help him? Descendant of the previous dynasty, whether true or false… The Northern Border princess could be said to have shown Ren Qining the greatest kindness, yet he could kill her without hesitation. Such a person is destined to be cold-hearted and ungrateful. I fear that when he gains the world will be the time when he discards those who have served their purpose.”
“Then Master just now…” Dong Fangyou said in confusion.
Dong Fanhui said, “It was just to appease him temporarily. Since he brought up his ancestors’ relationship with Cangmang Mountain, I naturally couldn’t directly refuse him and break ties. Moreover, do you think he can resolve the conflict between the Northern Border and the former officials of the previous dynasty so quickly? He’ll likely only weaken his power further.”
A look of bewilderment flashed across Dong Fangyou’s face, not quite understanding why her master didn’t simply refuse Ren Qining. However, it was a good thing that the master didn’t choose Ren Qining. As for Mo Jingli… she had plenty of ways to deal with him!
In the guest house where the Northern Rong envoys were staying temporarily, after several days of rest, Noble Consort Liu’s injuries seemed to have improved somewhat. Yelü Hong and Princess Ronghua were also preparing to return to Northern Rong. Although Yelü Ye wanted to keep Yelü Hong in Li City for a few more days to facilitate arrangements at the Northern Rong royal court, he really couldn’t find any suitable reason to stay in Li City. He could only invite Yelü Hong to stay for a few days in one of his garrison cities in Da Chu. Originally, he thought Yelü Hong wouldn’t agree, after all, everyone knew about the brothers’ relationship, and even Yelü Ye himself wouldn’t go alone to Yelü Hong’s territory. Unexpectedly, Yelü Hong only considered briefly before agreeing.
After the brothers had settled their upcoming itinerary, they naturally had to go to Prince Ding’s manor to bid farewell to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao before leaving.
Looking at Noble Consort Liu beside Yelü Ye, Ye Li’s eyes held a few traces of faint sighs. Perhaps because her identity had been exposed, Noble Consort Liu hadn’t worn her veil this time. But Ye Li would rather she had continued wearing it because just thinking about how she maintained her beautiful, well-preserved appearance made Ye Li feel nauseous.
“The Crown Prince and Seventh Prince have come from afar. If this prince has been remiss in any way in hosting you, please forgive me,” Mo Xiuyao smiled as he looked at the brothers Yelü Hong and Yelü Ye. Yelü Hong smiled and said, “Prince Ding is too kind. We have been the ones imposing for so long. As we take our leave today, if Prince Ding and the Princess Consort ever grace Northern Rong with your presence, please allow me to return the hospitality.”
Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, “This prince and the princess have long admired the grassland scenery. We will surely have the opportunity.”
Yelü Hong understood and smiled, “In that case, I await the Prince and Princess Consort’s visit.”
Yelü Ye looked suspiciously at Mo Xiuyao and Yelü Hong as they exchanged veiled words, feeling that these two had hidden meanings in their conversation. His having Noble Consort Liu write to the Northern Rong King accusing Yelü Hong of colluding with Mo Xiuyao to betray the country was certainly false, but now he had some doubts. Lost in thought as he glanced at Yelü Hong, Yelü Ye said, “Royal Brother, Sister-in-law, it’s getting late, we should go.”
Yelü Hong didn’t object, nodding and saying, “Seventh Brother is right, we should indeed leave. Prince Ding, Princess Consort, we bid you farewell.”
Ye Li smiled and nodded, “Crown Prince, Princess, Seventh Prince, have a safe journey.”
Noble Consort Liu, sitting beside Yelü Ye, stared at Ye Li and suddenly said, “I want to take two people with me.”
Hearing this, everyone frowned. Yelü Ye shot Noble Consort Liu a warning glare, but she ignored his look and said to Ye Li, “I want to take Xiaoyun and Zhenning with me.” Ye Li tilted her head with a slight smile, “Under what authority does Miss Qing Eina wish to take Prince Changxing and Princess Zhenning?”
Noble Consort Liu’s expression changed as she raised her chin and said, “They wounded me, shouldn’t I have the right to deal with them?”
Ye Li’s expression remained calm as she said leisurely, “Wounded? This princess thought it was you who attempted to assassinate Prince Changxing and Princess Zhenning and were injured by accident. Since you mentioned it, the Seventh Prince, Prince Changxing, and Princess Zhenning also need this princess to give them an explanation. Please leave Miss Qing Eina here.”
“You dare! I am the Seventh Princess Consort of Northern Rong!” Noble Consort Liu shouted fiercely.
Yelü Ye frowned and said to Ye Li, “Princess Consort, this seems inappropriate.” It wasn’t that he cared about Noble Consort Liu, but rather that he still needed her to speak for him to the Northern Rong King. Moreover, officially Noble Consort Liu was still his future princess consort – if she were left in Li City, it would be a loss of face for him.
Yelü Hong suddenly spoke with a smile, “This Crown Prince seems to remember that Seventh Brother’s wife passed away several years ago. When did you remarry? Ah, right, Father King said that upon returning to Northern Rong, he would hold a grand wedding ceremony for Seventh Brother.” The original Seventh Prince Consort had also been a daughter of a major Northern Rong tribe, who died of illness several years ago. Yelü Ye hadn’t taken another primary consort since then but unexpectedly had produced such a woman. Yelü Hong had also suffered some losses from Noble Consort Liu’s poisoning of the Northern Rong King’s ear against him. Since Princess Consort Ding wanted to keep her here, Yelü Hong was naturally happy to help.
Yelü Ye’s face darkened as he looked at Noble Consort Liu, his heart also wavering. Now that the Northern Rong army was in a standoff with the Mo family’s army, Noble Consort Liu’s original usefulness had naturally ceased to exist, her only value being her influence over the Northern Rong King. But as Yelü Hong said, once they returned to Northern Rong, Father King would likely hold a wedding ceremony for him, and he had never thought of actually taking Noble Consort Liu as his primary consort – he didn’t even want her as a secondary consort or concubine. Should he take Noble Consort Liu back, or take this chance to get rid of her? This was a question.
Seeing the thoughtful look flash across Yelü Ye’s face, Noble Consort Liu’s heart couldn’t help but panic. If she were left in Li City, Noble Consort Liu knew very well what she would face, and she couldn’t help but secretly regret her earlier impulsiveness. Over these years she had caused many injuries, but this time she had not only completely lost face in front of Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, but more importantly, the person who had caused her such harm was her daughter. How could she swallow this anger, which was why she had asked Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li for Princess Zhenning and Mo Xiaoyun? But she hadn’t expected that she would end up paying the price herself.
Meeting Ye Li’s calm, smiling gaze, Noble Consort Liu’s heart suddenly went cold. Looking at Mo Xiuyao’s seemingly unsurprised expression, Noble Consort Liu suddenly understood that from the beginning, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had planned to keep her, whether or not she asked for the others.
“No, I don’t want to stay in Li City!” Noble Consort Liu said decisively, “I want to return to Northern Rong. Yelü Ye, take me with you!”
If her tone hadn’t been so forceful, Yelü Ye might have still considered it. Before Noble Consort Liu’s words had fallen, Yelü Ye’s face turned cold as he raised his hand to brush away hers and said to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, “Since she has injured Prince Changxing and Princess Zhenning, I’ll leave her to Prince Ding and the Princess Consort to deal with.”
“No! Yelü Ye, you can’t do this to me! Don’t forget, if it weren’t for me…”
Yelü Ye gave a cold laugh and said, “Do you want to tell Prince Ding and Princess Consort how you betrayed your country? Indeed, it was with your help that this prince so easily captured Da Chu’s border and several cities. So what?” He swept a mocking glance at the terrified Noble Consort Liu, deeply feeling that his decision was not wrong. He was Northern Rong’s noble Seventh Prince, how could he let this woman make him the laughingstock of all Northern Rong’s nobles?
“Prince Ding, Princess Consort, farewell.” Ignoring Noble Consort Liu, Yelü Ye turned and left without hesitation.
Yelü Hong cupped his hands toward Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao and followed. Princess Ronghua followed behind Yelü Hong, smiled at Ye Li, and stopped briefly beside Noble Consort Liu, saying in a low voice, “Noble Consort Liu, I suppose we won’t meet again. Don’t worry, Prince Ding and Princess Consort will surely take good care of you, you… traitor.”
“No… no, take me with you!” Noble Consort Liu cried in terror.
Princess Ronghua gave a cold laugh, shook off Noble Consort Liu’s hand, and stepped out the main door.