The news of the Northern Rong King sending an envoy to Great Chu naturally couldn’t be kept from Prince Ding’s mansion. In the Mo Family Army camp, Ye Li looked at the just-delivered report in her hand and frowned, “The Northern Rong King sending an envoy at this time… has he begun to distrust Yelü Ye?”
Mo Xiu Yao smiled, “It’s not quite distrust. However… Yelü Ye has suffered consecutive defeats lately, and the Northern Rong army now occupies less than half the territory they once held in Great Chu at their peak. The Northern Rong King is naturally dissatisfied with him. However… the choice of envoy is quite interesting. I fear it’s now Yelü Ye who distrusts the Northern Rong King.”
Ye Li carefully examined the report and pondered for a moment before asking, “This… envoy is Yelü Hong’s man?”
Mo Xiu Yao nodded, his expression quite satisfied, “Yelü Hong hasn’t disappointed this prince after all. To achieve this level… to maintain his position as Northern Rong Crown Prince for so many years, he’s indeed no ordinary person.”
“Yelü Hong wants Yelü Ye to suspect the Northern Rong King doesn’t trust him, making him harbor rebellious thoughts. Isn’t he afraid it might backfire, and Yelü Ye will cause him trouble when he returns to Northern Rong?” Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
Mo Xiu Yao smiled, “Because he’s certain Yelü Ye won’t make it back to Northern Rong. Even if he luckily returns… he definitely won’t have the power to compete with him anymore.”
Ye Li nodded, then thought for a moment and shook her head, “It won’t be so easy for Yelü Hong to control Yelü Ye’s military power. Instead… that envoy might lose his life.” Though she hadn’t interacted much with Yelü Ye, Ye Li understood his character somewhat. He might indeed suspect the Northern Rong King’s distrust and harbor rebellious thoughts, even doing things he shouldn’t. But it wouldn’t be so easy for Yelü Hong to seize military power unless he came personally. Otherwise, his envoys would likely all die at Yelü Ye’s hands.
“Should we help them secretly?” Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiu Yao shook his head, “No need. Let Yelü Ye do as he pleases. If he can’t kill Yelü Hong’s man, we can help him with that.” After a brief contemplation, Ye Li understood Mo Xiu Yao’s meaning. They were temporarily cooperating with Yelü Hong but weren’t friends, so naturally, there was no need to think about helping him at every turn. Moreover, Yelü Hong wanted to control the military power and withdraw those Northern Rong soldiers back beyond the border, while Mo Xiu Yao wanted all these Northern Rong soldiers to be buried within the border. Their positions were different. Since Yelü Hong wanted to seize power, it was perfect to let the brothers destroy each other while they reaped the benefits.
Ye Li nodded and smiled lightly, “Your Highness is quite calculating.”
Mo Xiu Yao, somewhat proudly, smiled at Ye Li, “Does my wife also think her husband is very clever?” Ye Li smiled without speaking, but internally she was sweating. How could Mo Xiu Yao’s scheming be described as merely clever? There were many clever people in the world, but they all lacked something. For example, Xu Hong Yu lacked some ambition. And Clear Dust Young Master lacked some ruthlessness, but Mo Xiu Yao lacked nothing. Most importantly, he could wrap all these qualities in a harmless exterior, otherwise, Mo Jing Qi wouldn’t have tolerated him for so many years. Cleverness, decisiveness, patience, ambition, ruthlessness – Mo Xiu Yao truly lacked nothing. That’s why he could single-handedly transform Prince Ding’s mansion from its precarious state to its current form. That’s why he could begin laying plans many years ago, putting the current situation of the world under his control.
“Ali, doesn’t this prince seem clever?” Mo Xiu Yao insisted, nuzzling against Ye Li, who helplessly replied, “Who in the world would dare say Prince Ding isn’t clever?” Those who truly thought they could intellectually surpass Prince Ding were either fools or genuinely clever people. The former were already dead, the latter knew what could and couldn’t be said.
Mo Xiu Yao finally nodded in satisfaction, placing a kiss on Ye Li’s face, “Therefore, being able to become this prince’s beloved wife, Ali is also the cleverest woman.” Ye Li helplessly rolled her eyes, pushing away his handsome face with her palm, saying, “Does Your Highness plan to keep boasting here with me? Aren’t you afraid others will laugh?”
“Who dares laugh at my Ali, this prince will kill them,” Mo Xiu Yao said softly.
Finally unable to bear striking that increasingly handsome face framed by white hair, Ye Li changed to pinching and kneading his cheeks instead. Over these years, Prince Ding had become increasingly shameless, completely different from when they first met – that elegant, slightly aloof, noble prince. Ye Li suspected something had been wrong with her eyes back then.
“Ali likes this prince’s face, doesn’t she? Can’t keep her hands off? It’s fine, Ali can pinch as she likes if she enjoys it.” Since Ye Li wouldn’t hurt Mo Xiu Yao, he was happy to enjoy it, simply lying back on Ye Li’s lap, closing his eyes, and smiling.
Being told this, Ye Li couldn’t continue pinching. She had to awkwardly withdraw her hand, “Your Highness, I’ve noticed you’re becoming more and more…”
“Your Highness, this subordinate…” Feng Zhi Yao hurriedly entered, then froze at the doorway. Looking at the two people inside, Feng Zhi Yao deeply felt he’d forgotten to check his almanac before going out today. Clearing his throat, Feng Zhi Yao said seriously, “Please continue, this subordinate will withdraw.”
Mo Xiu Yao sat up, looking at Feng Zhi Yao with displeasure, “What is it?”
Feng Zhi Yao waved what was in his hand, “It’s nothing major, that new envoy in the Northern Rong camp seems to be dying.”
“So quickly?” Ye Li asked curiously. Although they had expected the envoy wouldn’t live long, wasn’t two days too quick? Feng Zhi Yao said, “Well… they say it’s due to not adapting to the local conditions.” While the inability to adapt to local conditions wasn’t unheard of, it was rare for it to be fatal. And it usually happens when going from extreme north to extreme south, or from dry cold to humid heat. Though Northern Great Chu was somewhat different from Northern Rong, the difference wasn’t very noticeable this season. It was just less cold than Northern Rong’s winter, who would believe this envoy would die from inability to adapt? However, whether it was believable wasn’t important, having a reason was enough.
Mo Xiu Yao thought for a moment and said, “Send a letter to Yelü Hong’s people. Whether they arrive in time to save him is not Prince Ding’s mansion’s concern.” Feng Zhi Yao understood, nodding and smiling, “This subordinate will have someone deliver the letter soon… no, tomorrow.” It would take at least two or three days to reach Yelü Hong’s people, and by the time Yelü Hong’s people arrived, it would be just right to handle the envoy’s remains.
Seeing nothing else to do, Feng Zhi Yao very consciously touched his nose and said, “This subordinate withdraws.”
Mo Xiu Yao lightly snorted, disdaining to acknowledge him. Feng Zhi Yao shrugged and turned to leave. Standing at the tent entrance, Feng Zhi Yao silently looked to the sky: shouldn’t it be the Princess Consort who blushed and felt embarrassed when caught in such a situation? Why did the Princess Consort remain calm while the Prince’s face turned red?
Watching Feng Zhi Yao leave with a strange expression, Ye Li turned to look at Mo Xiu Yao’s handsome face which had been pinched slightly red, and couldn’t help but laugh quietly. Mo Xiu Yao touched his face, also understanding what she was laughing at. He sighed helplessly and softly said, “Ali… since Feng Zhi Yao already saw…”
“What do you want to do?” Ye Li stared at him vigilantly.
Mo Xiu Yao pounced on Ye Li, happily placing a kiss, and said, “Since we’ve been seen, wouldn’t it be a waste if this prince doesn’t do something? Otherwise, wouldn’t we have given Feng San something to laugh about for nothing?”
“Mo Xiu Yao!” Ye Li feigned anger, her watery eyes glaring at him fiercely.
Mo Xiu Yao was in high spirits, smiling radiantly at Ye Li, “This prince wants to make love in broad daylight!”
Ye Li’s face reddened as she glared at him angrily. Was making love in broad daylight something to be proud of? Seeing Mo Xiu Yao’s smug smile, Ye Li felt frustrated and lifted her head to bite his lip. Mo Xiu Yao was startled and then burst into laughter. Looking down to admire his beloved wife’s peach-colored cheeks and angry watery eyes, “Ali, Ali… you’re so beautiful…”
Before Ye Li could react, her rouge-red lips were captured by someone’s passionate thin lips, and instantly the two fell into passionate entanglement…
The war between the Mo Family Army and Northern Rong continued, but many changes occurring internally were not for outsiders to know. That envoy who had just arrived at the Northern Rong camp, attempting to interfere with the Northern Rong army’s military power, ultimately died of “inability to adapt to local conditions” several days later. By the time Yelü Hong’s people arrived, they couldn’t even collect the body – Yelü Ye had already burned it to ashes.
Yelü Hong’s people were naturally furious, but having witnessed Yelü Ye’s methods, they didn’t dare confront him directly. They immediately sent a secret letter back to the Northern Rong court, reporting everything to the Northern Rong King.
The Northern Rong King was naturally enraged. Originally, after Yelü Ye led troops to attack Great Chu and occupied large territories, his military achievements could be said to crown all the Northern Rong princes and generals. He had already begun to show signs of disobedience. Then in Li City, he let the Northern Rong King’s beloved Qing Yi Na die without cause. After Yelü Hong returned, he naturally added some embellishments, making the Northern Rong King even more wary of Yelü Ye. But even so, he hadn’t felt Yelü Ye would harbor rebellious thoughts, so when Yelü Ye requested reinforcements, the Northern Rong King immediately promoted He Lian Zhen, whom he didn’t particularly like, and sent troops to reinforce him. Unexpectedly, this time when he merely sent someone to reprimand him, the envoy died without reason. If they said it was “inability to adapt to local conditions,” the Northern Rong King simply didn’t believe it. The reason he had sent this particular person to Great Chu to deliver the imperial edict was precisely because he had previously been an envoy to Great Chu.
After the Northern Rong King’s furious outburst, he immediately issued an order for Yelü Ye to return to Northern Rong, with all military affairs and power in the war with the Mo Family Army to be handled by Crown Prince Yelü Hong. Upon receiving the Northern Rong King’s edict, Yelü Hong was naturally overjoyed and without hesitation packed his belongings and hurried toward Great Chu.
On the battlefield, the Northern Rong Army and Mo Family Army had been fighting continuously these days with victories and defeats on both sides. However, the Northern Rong army’s battle line continued to slowly retreat. Now the north was growing increasingly cold, and the Northern Rong territory was already covered in ice and snow for thousands of miles. It was extremely difficult to replenish either food or troops. Moreover, the Great Chu territories they occupied had been ravaged these past few years, becoming barren and uninhabited. Therefore, compared to the Mo Family Army with their continuous supply of provisions, the Northern Rong soldiers could be said to be having a miserable winter.
On this day, Mo Xiao Bao excitedly rushed out of his tent, running like the wind into Mo Xiu Yao’s main tent, proudly waving several pages filled with writing in his hand, “Father! Mother! I’ve figured it out!”
It was nearly the end of the year, and Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li were discussing with various generals how to proceed next. Although victory seemed assured on their side, the contest with Lei Zhen Ting in the south was extremely difficult. Although several old generals working together had barely managed to hold back Lei Zhen Ting’s advance, if they delayed any longer here, once Mo Jing Li’s army arrived, the southern front would immediately collapse.
The news of the Northern Rong King sending an envoy to Great Chu naturally couldn’t be kept from Prince Ding’s mansion. In the Mo Family Army camp, Ye Li looked at the just-delivered report in her hand and frowned, “The Northern Rong King sending an envoy at this time… has he begun to distrust Yelü Ye?”
[Previous content continues…]
Once Mo Jing Li’s army arrived, the southern front would immediately collapse.
Seeing Mo Xiao Bao rush in, all the generals curiously looked at him. Mo Xiu Yao raised an eyebrow and took the plan Mo Xiao Bao had written, reviewing it without comment. Mo Xiao Bao smiled proudly, “How is it, Father? Isn’t your child’s idea good?”
Mo Xiu Yao casually handed it to Ye Li, who looked at it and gave Mo Xiao Bao a faint smile before passing it to Yun Ting, who had been eagerly craning his neck. Seeing his mother smile at him, Mo Xiao Bao’s heart immediately settled.
Below, several generals huddled together looking at what was in Yun Ting’s hands, repeatedly nodding in approval, “Using traps to contain the Northern Rong cavalry and iron caltrops… yes, to cripple their horses… luring the Northern Rong army into the mountains to surround them… good ideas, did the Young Master think of all this?” It wasn’t that these ideas were particularly brilliant – after all, they had used many of these tactics in recent days. Moreover, some were simply common sense for dealing with cavalry. But Mo Xiao Bao was different – at just seven or eight years old, he could think of so much, even understanding the Northern Rong army’s characteristics and the terrain where both sides were fighting. This was certainly not something an ordinary child could achieve. Everyone couldn’t help but admire him – truly worthy of being Prince Ding’s Young Master, so precocious indeed.
Mo Xiao Bao stared proudly at Mo Xiu Yao, waiting for him to admit defeat.
Mo Xiu Yao lazily glanced at him, then pointed to Sun Yao Wu below and asked, “Yao Wu, can this plan of the Young Master’s be implemented?”
Sun Yao Wu looked somewhat troubled at the expectant young master, hesitating before saying, “Well… the Young Master’s plan is very good. However… this terrain is all one to two hundred li away from where we are now. We’re currently on flat plains, so the Young Master’s plan to lure them into deep mountains and annihilate them might be somewhat difficult.”
Ah? Mo Xiao Bao was stunned. Meeting his father’s smiling face, he jumped up and down indignantly, “This isn’t fair! General Sun should just say whether my plan could have worked before!”
Sun Yao Wu thought for a moment and said very sincerely, “Though there are small flaws, they don’t overshadow the merits – it probably could have worked.”
“Father…” Mo Xiao Bao turned back proudly. Mo Xiu Yao looked at him with a smile, saying kindly and lovingly, “Xiao Bao, there’s something your father must tell you, though I don’t know if anyone has taught you this before. As they say… in war, speed is precious. It’s been over a month since your original timeline. If you were leading troops in battle, would you tell Yelü Ye, ‘This Young Master hasn’t thought of a strategy yet, let’s fight in a month?’ Hmm?”
Mo Xiao Bao’s proud little face immediately crumpled, and he turned pitifully to look at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled warmly at him, but one look at his mother’s expression told Mo Xiao Bao there was no hope for help. Moreover, Mo Xiao Bao naturally understood that Mo Xiu Yao wasn’t wrong. He had thought himself brilliantly clever, but if he were leading troops in battle, would the enemy give him a month to think of strategies? After hearing about the Mo Family Army’s battles over this past month, Mo Xiao Bao’s tender little face darkened – he wasn’t as clever as he had thought.
Mo Xiao Bao was being too hard on himself. For his age, being able to read through the military books Mo Xiu Yao had given him in just over a month, and then devise a plan that earned Sun Yao Wu’s praise despite its flaws, considering both the terrain and the armies’ strengths, was already quite impressive. However, neither Mo Xiu Yao nor Ye Li moved to comfort him. As Prince Ding’s heir, he was born to bear responsibilities different from ordinary children, and it wasn’t inappropriate to put some pressure on Mo Xiao Bao at suitable times.
Seeing him admit defeat, Mo Xiu Yao smiled at him and said, “Well then… isn’t it time to fulfill your promise?”
Mo Xiao Bao’s little face immediately darkened, and he stiffly turned to look at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled gently and said, “Xiao Bao, a bet is a bet. This time… consider it a lesson learned. Wisdom comes from experience.” And in the future, don’t casually make bets with your father.
Mo Xiao Bao glared fiercely at Mo Xiu Yao and stormed out of the tent, puffing with anger. Seeing his behavior, everyone was curious about what bet the Young Master had made with the Prince. They all bid farewell to Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li, slipping out of the main tent to watch the Young Master fulfill his bet. Mo Xiu Yao didn’t make things difficult, waving his hand to let everyone leave.
Mo Xiao Bao stood with his hands behind his back in the busiest spot in the center of the camp. Passing soldiers, seeing the Young Master’s small figure with his delicate little face wearing such a serious expression, couldn’t help but stop to see what he was doing.
Mo Xiao Bao gritted his teeth, shooting sharp glances at the soldiers gathered around. Unfortunately, he found that not only did the crowd not diminish from his glares, it grew larger. Finally biting the bullet, he closed his eyes and called out loudly, “This Young Master is named Mo Xiao Bao!”
The gathered soldiers were stunned for a moment. Someone snickered, and then the whole crowd burst into laughter. “Xiao Bao” was a very common name, but it was usually given by illiterate common families, or used as a nickname in ordinary households. Moreover, it was mostly used privately at home. Now, such a warm, friendly, and common name for the noble Prince Ding’s heir seemed incredibly amusing. Looking at the Young Master in his black silk clothes, with his snow-jade-like adorable appearance, they found the name surprisingly fitting.
Feeling mocked, Mo Xiao Bao’s little face reddened. He stamped his foot and rushed back into the main tent, throwing himself into Ye Li’s arms, extremely aggrieved, “Mother…”
“It’s alright, they weren’t laughing at you,” Ye Li smiled, comforting her son’s little head. Mo Xiu Yao was laughing particularly happily, showing no regard for his son’s dignity. Mo Xiao Bao could only grind his teeth in resentment, silently blaming his grandfather for not giving his father a nickname too.
“Mother, Father is bad, Father bullies Xiao Bao,” Mo Xiao Bao said with tears in his eyes.
Ye Li kissed his forehead and smiled, “Who told you to make a bet with your father? Tell me, what were you thinking when you made the bet?” Mo Xiao Bao lowered his head silently. When Father proposed the bet, he had only thought about what would happen if he succeeded, without carefully considering whether he could succeed. Although this was a trap his father had set, if he hadn’t been carried away with pride and arrogance, he might not have fallen for it.
“Mother…”
Ye Li raised an eyebrow, “Have you learned your lesson?”
“Mm…” Mo Xiao Bao nodded repeatedly, hiding shamefully in Ye Li’s embrace. Ye Li pulled him up and said with a smile, “Silly child, what’s there to be ashamed of before your father? Just remember this lesson. When your father was your age, he was always trying to outsmart your grandfather and uncle too.”
“Really?” Mo Xiao Bao’s eyes brightened as he stared intently at Mo Xiu Yao. Mo Xiu Yao snorted lightly, glancing teasingly at Mo Xiao Bao, “But I wasn’t this foolish.”
“This Young Master will win someday!” Mo Xiao Bao snorted, raising his little face proudly.
Mo Xiu Yao nodded carelessly, “This prince will wait.”
“Hmph!” Mo Xiao Bao turned his head away angrily, “This Young Master won’t make you wait too long. Just wait, I’ll make you announce your nickname in front of everyone too.”
“Whatever.”
Seemingly angered by Mo Xiu Yao’s attitude, Mo Xiao Bao stamped his foot and rushed out of the tent like a gust of wind.
Watching Mo Xiao Bao’s angry retreating figure, Ye Li sighed helplessly and smiled at Mo Xiu Yao, “Are you happy now?” Mo Xiu Yao smiled, “Ali, I’m doing this for Xiao Bao’s good. Look at this kid, at such a young age his eyes are already growing on top of his head. If we don’t suppress him firmly now, in two years he might not even remember his surname.”
Ye Li shrugged, “You’re his father, I won’t interfere with how you teach him, but… if you end up under Xiao Bao’s feet someday, don’t expect me to share your embarrassment.”
Mo Xiu Yao reached out and pulled her into his embrace, smiling, “Husband and wife are one – if I’m embarrassed, Ali will surely be embarrassed too. However… Mo Xiao Bao will need to cultivate for decades before he can put me under his feet. And… for Ali’s face, this prince won’t be embarrassed.”
Ye Li looked at him with a half-smile, “I only know the saying ‘ten years east of the river, ten years west of the river,’ and another saying ‘the rear waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, the front waves die on the beach.’ Your Highness, be careful…” With Mo Xiao Bao’s quick wit and the heritage of both the Xu family and Prince Ding’s mansion, she felt that Mo Xiao Bao surpassing Mo Xiu Yao might come sooner than expected.
“Hehe, this prince has also heard a saying – ‘the old ginger is spicier,'” Mo Xiu Yao smiled.
In Mo Xiao Bao’s tent, Mo Xiao Bao was hunched over his desk, writing furiously. The guard attending him, seeing the Young Master’s little face alternating between twisted grimaces and silly smiles, couldn’t help but ask, “Young Master, what are you doing?”
Mo Xiao Bao cackled eerily, flicking the letter in his hand, “I’m going to have Uncle send me some books. From today on, this Young Master will study diligently in the cold!” The guard glanced at the half-covered tent entrance and nodded: it certainly was cold now.
A month later, Clear Dust Young Master received a book list from Mo Xiao Bao: “The Art of Thick and Black,” “Ancient and Modern Wisdom and Strategies,” “Imperial Military Classics,” “The Art of the Mind and Strategy,” “Military Strategy,” “Imperial Heart Techniques”…