291 Worry of the Master Qingyun

't particularly care if her true capabilities were revealed to Mo Xiuyao since they would be husband and wife eventually anyway—there was no point in hiding everything from each other. "Just some pett...291. The Worry of Mr. Qingyun

The year's late May, the new emperor of Great Chu had been on the throne for less than two months, and most of the power in court was still held by the Regent Prince. However, the undercurrents below the palace were not yet at rest; Li王爺的心思太過明顯，而朝廷中支援正統的大臣們也開始慢慢聚集在一起，隱隱與攝政王形成了暗中的製衡之勢。

At the northern border, battles continued around Zi Jing Pass. Further north, the army of Northern Rong began stirring even before early summer arrived. On the 20th day of May, Xi Ling's forces launched an attack again on the southwestern border, plunging the people there back into war just a few years after the last conflict.

Liyang City in the northwest

Not far from the city, secluded in lush forests was Li Shan Academy, still as tranquil and elegant as an outside world. Ye Li crossed through the quiet bamboo grove towards the place where the sound of zither music echoed. In a clearing within the bamboo grove, Mr. Qingyun sat on the ground with his snowy-white beard and hair, playing a paulownia wood zither to produce soft tunes. Not far from him, Su Zhe, similarly old and white-haired, was calmly brewing tea while listening to the melody.

"Li'er is here" Mr. Qingyun paused in his music, turning back with a gentle smile at Ye Li.

"Grandfather, Senior Su," said Ye Li softly as she helped Mr. Qingyun up and seated him on a stone bench beside Su Zhe. Su Zhe smiled and poured tea for both of them, saying, "Why did the princess come at this time To see young Prince" Ye Li replied with a smile, "Little Treasure is well-taught by grandfather and Senior Su, I am very reassured. Did those children not disturb you two" Now, in addition to students studying at Li Shan Academy, there were three little kids too. Mo Little Treasure had started attending the academy, while Cold Junhan was brought along despite his young age; Qin Zeng also sent her own Xu Zhirui over, saying it would be better for the children to have company.

"Little Prince is smarter than Your Royal Highness by three points, why bother with worries" said Su Zhe smilingly. He was fond of Mo Little Treasure's cleverness; the boy respected Senior Grandpa like a teacher too, naturally making childless and grandchildless Su Zhe dote on him dearly at times, even more so than Mr. Qingyun. Not to mention, despite his young age, Mo Little Treasure could flatter people in ways that left many adults far behind.

Mr. Qingyun looked at Ye Li with a mild and kind expression, "Did Li'er come because of an upcoming journey"

Ye Li was somewhat surprised as she gazed at Mr. Qingyun, "Grandfather is in Li Shan Academy; you're not ignoring the world outside. Yet, how do you know about national affairs so clearly"

Su Zhe shook his head with a smile, "Mr. Qingyun may be famous for literary talent but he knows everything from astronomy to geography, divination and medicine. He told me this morning that Your Royal Highness and the princess have stars moving in your favor, suggesting an upcoming journey soon. Didn’t the princess come right after"

"Is it possible like that" Ye Li had heard of star-gazing before but she herself hadn’t studied such things; deep down, her skepticism remained, "So then what else can Grandfather see"

Mr. Qingyun stroked his snowy beard and shook his head with a sigh, "The world... is in chaos. Such great turmoil... rare to encounter even once every few hundred years."

Hearing Mr. Qingyun's words, not only Ye Li but also Su Zhe’s expression became solemn. Su Zhe said regretfully, "Can't it be reversed then"

Mr. Qingyun shook his head, "This great turmoil has been brewing for years; there is no turning back now. Li'er, among this generation of Xu Family, you and your elder brother stand out. Especially you... the competition for the throne cannot help but result in casualties. But civilians are innocent; whatever happens, do not let anger spill onto them. Both you and Prince Ding must be careful."

Ye Li nodded, murmuring softly, "Grandfather can rest assured; Xi Yao is not such a person." Ye Li understood what Mr. Qingyun was referring to; in this era, there were no notions of human rights as the common people were seen as lowly as grass. Throughout history, countless instances of massacring cities existed. Even if concealed by rulers, later generations could still discern traces from them. But Ye Li did not think she would do such a thing, neither her basic humanity nor her former military identity allowed it; and she believed Mo Xi Yao wouldn’t either.

Looking at the serious young woman before him, Mr. Qingyun’s wrinkled face flashed with a sigh. His wise eyes showed some concern as he softly sighed again, "Well then, we're all getting old. It's up to you youngsters in the future. Be careful when you go out."

Ye Li nodded and smiled, "Grandfather can rest assured. However, after we leave, only my elder brother will remain in Li City. I hope Grandfather could talk to him about it as well since he might have a hard time managing alone." Uncle Xu Hongyan had already come to teach at Lishan Academy early on. Although Uncle was still in Li City, he seemed to be interested in agriculture and has visited Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother several times recently. Though this is an important matter, it would be a waste of talent if we let Xu Hongyu handle it.

Mr. Qingyun stroked his beard and smiled, "They were idle before because they had nothing to do. Now that they have serious matters on hand, they will naturally return without my needing to say anything."

Ye Li blinked and understood, "Thank you for your guidance, Grandfather. I understand now."

Mr. Qingyun nodded and smiled, "I know how busy you are; there’s no need for you to stay with us old men any longer. Go ahead."

Ye Li then got up and bid farewell to Mr. Qingyun and Su Zhe.

As the slender figure grew more distant, Su Zhe shook his head and said to Mr. Qingyun, "Does Duke Ding's wife really need to accompany him on campaign Is it alright for you to let her go"

Mr. Qingyun shook his head and sighed, "Children grow up; back then, Ye Li was still a little girl younger than Chen'er…"

Su Zhe had also seen Ye Li when she was young. Back then, the Xu family was still in Chu Capital and Ye Li's biological mother was still alive. Who could have imagined that this tender, pink-cheeked little girl would grow up to become the capable Duchess of Ding who could both manage a country and secure its peace

Mr. Qingyun frowned and said, "I see that Duke Ding’s heart is still full of resentment. This may lead to great bloodshed in the future, harming the harmony of heaven. With Ye Li by his side, she might be able to persuade him to rein it in somewhat, which would be better."

"How could this be" Su Zhe frowned and said. Although he had seen Mo Xiuyao a few times over these past years, although the man now has white hair, his temper is much milder than when he was young. Even under normal circumstances, it doesn’t seem like there’s any resentment in him.

Mr. Qingyun shook his head and said, "We all know what Duke Ding's temperament was when he was a teenager, but now this kind of temper… is even more worrying. If you were to predict how Mo Xiuyao would deal with Emperor Jingqi based on his original character, wouldn’t it be extreme” Su Zhe pondered for a moment and couldn't help blanching, "An eye for an eye, ten times over. However, after so many years have passed, Duke Ding's temper has become smoother." Mr. Qingyun smiled indifferently, "The temperament of people in the Mo family isn’t something that can be easily polished. Back then, the Regent Prince was surely among the most mild-tempered dukes of the Ding王府曆代王爺中脾氣最好的了吧？臨死前的那一擊，你看先皇受得了麼？”蘇哲啞然失笑，清雲先生說的攝政王自然指的是墨修堯之父墨流芳。雖然已經過了數十年，但蘇哲依然記得那個俊雅風流、絕世風華的錦衣男子。與曆代定王一樣文武雙全，但是卻將儒雅二字演繹到了極致。當今世上也隻有清塵公子能與其一較高下，而清塵公子的容貌氣質太過飄逸出塵，倒更像是世外仙人。墨流芳卻是真正的紅塵中的風流儒雅，出身名門的貴公子，才學風姿足以流芳百世。

然而就是這樣的人，卻被他誠心輔佐的帝王算計，在臨死前留下的反擊也夠讓人受用的了。正當壯年的先皇不過三年便一命嗚呼，滿腔抱負隻付冷冰冰的皇家陵園。留下十幾歲的新帝墨景祈的同時也為定王府爭取到了數年緩衝時間。否則，當年同樣年輕的墨修文、墨修堯兄弟落在已經足夠老辣的先帝手中，如今定王府是否還能存在恐怕就兩說了。

“如此說來……”蘇哲沉吟道。

清雲先生沉聲道：“這些年王爺一直在壓抑自己。或者說他的心中一直下著一盤棋。所以他可以對墨景祈，對大楚皇室的仇恨忍耐下來。甚至是對北戎、西陵的仇恨也可以忍耐下去。即使這幾年看似毫無顧忌，實際上他仍然在忍耐。他需要時間來佈局，而如今……這個局顯然已經成熟了。而戰場往往是能引發人心中最真實一麵的地方。這些年的忍耐一旦爆發出來……這世上除了璃兒，誰也勸不住他。”當初定王府的事情可不隻是墨景祈，北戎、西陵或多或少都有參與。何況墨家軍就是直接慘死在北戎的鐵騎之下。這麼多年以來，每每想到墨修堯與北戎使者交談時的平靜，清雲先生都覺得膽戰心驚。

“原來如此。”蘇哲歎息道，臉上更多了一份愧疚。如果不是蘇醉蝶當年偷出的墨家軍佈防圖，或許當年的事情根本不會發生。即使惋惜唯一的孫女，但比起墨家軍冤死的數萬英靈，蘇哲覺得自己連惋惜的資格都冇有。那些為國征戰卻死得不明不白的將士又有誰替他們惋惜？這一切，隻因為他教導無方。

看到蘇哲的表情，清雲先生便知道他在想什麼。他拍了拍他的手道：“這些事都過去了，何必多想？”

蘇哲搖頭歎息，隻得抬頭望天。

告彆了清雲先生後，又去探望了墨小寶，葉璃纔回到定王府中。一進門就看到平日裡幾乎不召見就不出現的大小官員武將們紛紛等在園子裡。見到葉璃進來立刻上前行禮。葉璃微微挑眉笑道：“諸位這是怎麼了？這個時候來王府是出了什麼事麼？”

Zhang Qilan smiled and said, "Your Excellency need not worry. We have handled everything the King and Queen ordered us to do perfectly well. What could possibly be wrong"

Ye Li laughed and said, "If nothing is amiss, are you here for a formal greeting Our王府 doesn't indulge in such formalities. Since there's no problem, please leave first."

"Your Excellency…" The others didn't dare to say anything more, but Lu Jinxian, Zhang Qilan, and Yuan Pei, these seasoned generals had no qualms about it and quickly stopped Ye Li. Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled at them. Lu Jinxian was pushed forward and said, "This... We were reporting to Your Excellency that the envoys from Xi Ling and Great Chu requested an audience with the King just now. We want to ask... What does His Majesty think of this" In recent days, they had secretly prepared their troops for battle as signs hinted at impending action. This excited the elderly generals who had been cooped up in court for too long. But today, envoys from both countries arrived simultaneously, and which way the King's inclination leans will foreshadow their future actions.

"Envoys from Xi Ling and Great Chu requested an audience with His Majesty" Ye Li raised her eyebrows; she hadn't known about this news when she just returned. Lin Han, who was by her side, touched his nose and said, "Subordinate wanted to report on this matter as well. The envoy from Xi Ling came first, followed shortly after by the one from Great Chu. However, His Majesty received the Great Chu envoy first. Moreover, His Majesty requested Your Excellency to return and go to the main hall."

Ye Li smiled without speaking, watching those around her with a smile. The crowd hastily retreated, "Your Excellency please."

"Then... this queen must take my leave first"

"We don't dare to detain Your Excellency, please proceed quickly," the people sighed helplessly, realizing that even their Queen was unaware of it. They could only watch Ye Li go and look forward to the outcome eagerly.

In a corner nearby, Feng Huating and Han Mingyue were seated playing chess. Han Mingxi hung on the tree above them, observing while yawning intermittently.

"Do you think there's going to be a fight" Feng Huating asked coolly. Although he had only been in the northwest for less than three months, it brought him completely different feelings compared to his previous experiences. Officials and generals at Ding王府 were generally young, making Feng Huating one of the oldest now. Moreover, Ding王爺 bestowed upon him powers and trust he never imagined receiving before. Feng Huating once asked Mo Xiuyao why he trusted him so much; however, Ding王爺 only half-jokingly replied that he didn't trust Feng Huating himself but rather his brother Feng Zhiyao. If Feng Huating betrayed the王府, Feng Zhiyao's head would fall immediately. At that time, Feng Zhiyao was also present and heard Mo Xiuyao’s words without any displeasure, as if it were a natural order.

Feng Huating didn't understand these young people's friendships but, as the patriarch of the Feng family, he knew what made decisions. Although Ding王府 seemed not to have an advantage in the overall situation now, for some reason, he believed that if there was only one victor left at the end, it would be Ding王爺. And for the Feng family, naturally, their best choice would be siding with the final winner.

"Of course it’s going to happen; after all these years... Even if Mo's army doesn’t want to move, others can't hold back either," Han Mingyue said coolly. During his idle days at home in recent years, no one targeted him or did anything against him in Li City. But similarly, there was also nothing he needed to do for anyone as he knew that Mo Xiuyao had ceased trusting him.

After so many years, gradually waking up from Su Zuodie's illusionary dream made him realize what he had lost for his所謂的 love back then. However, it couldn't be reclaimed now; Han Mingyue wouldn’t humiliate himself by attempting to salvage the friendship in vain. He understood Mo Xiuyao well—once Mo Xiuyao put trust into someone, only when that person betrayed him would Mo abandon them forever. But once they were betrayed, there was no way back. From the moment he took his first step for Su Zuodie, there had been no turning point between them.

Therefore, he merely followed like a leisurely observer beside his younger brother, offering advice occasionally when needed. Now... only this younger brother was his last relative in this world.

Hanging from the tree like a bat lazily, Han Mingxi said, "Does it matter to us whether there's going to be a fight or not" They didn't need to go to battlefields anyway.

Feng Huating put down his chess pieces and stood up smilingly, saying, "Of course it matters. If so, we should get prepared too."

Han Mingxi jumped off the tree and asked doubtfully as Feng Huating left, "What are we preparing for"

Han Mingyue smiled faintly, "Before troops move, provisions must be ready first. The patriarch of the Feng family is a smart man."

"Brother..." Han Mingxi looked at his elder brother with some regret and worry. Before, when his eldest brother was engrossed in Su Zuodie's matters, that wasn’t something to mention anymore. Now he had gradually woken up from it; however, his talent wouldn't be inferior to the Feng family patriarch, but past incidents had determined that he would never find a place for himself in Northwest forever. Han Mingyue patted his younger brother’s shoulder consolingly and said with a faint smile, "Mingxi... To me, grand ambitions are just a dream; no, I haven’t even had such dreams. Now this way is fine..."

"Has the Ding King really never known that you’ve been giving advice to me from behind all these years" Han Mingxi asked. He was not afraid of admitting his own limitations in talent and didn't hesitate to ask questions about matters beyond him. Many tasks assigned by the Ding King recently clearly exceeded his capabilities, which made Han Mingxi begin to have some doubts. Smiling gently, Han Mingxi patted his younger brother's shoulder again and said, "Sometimes it’s better not to be too clear. Let’s go; Mr Feng might need your help."

When Ye Li stepped into the reception hall, the envoys from Great Chu had not yet left, while those from Xi Ling were waiting in another flower pavilion with tea. Seeing who the envoy from Great Chu was made Ye Li pause for a moment—she knew him quite well. It was Crown Prince Yu, Mo Jingyu.

“Ah Li, you’re back” Upon seeing Ye Li at the entrance, Mo Xi堯’s originally impatient expression immediately changed to a smile as he stood up to greet her. Mo Jingyu also hurriedly rose and bowed, saying, "Duchess Ding, what brings you here" Ye Li smiled faintly and replied, "It turns out to be Crown Prince Yu. I just left the city to visit my grandfather. It’s a shame that I couldn’t welcome your arrival earlier."

Of course, Mo Jingyu knew about the Lishan Academy of Learning not far outside the city walls, which was originally one of the three most prestigious academies in Great Chu. Because of Mo Jingqi's stupidity, it had been a boon for Northwest. In recent years, the talent selection system in Northwest had already taken shape, largely due to the continuous influx and cultivation of talents at the Lishan Academy of Learning. Many scholars who came from afar to study there chose to stay in Northwest after graduation. Moreover, local students in Northwest were especially loyal to the Ding王府.

"Crown Prince Yu, please sit down." Following Mo Xi堯 to his seat, Ye Li said with a smile.

Mo Jingyu thanked him and sat back down. Seeing that Mo Xi堯 clearly wasn’t paying much attention to him anymore, he couldn’t help but苦笑不知道該如何開口。Ye Li apologetically asked, "Did I interrupt your conversation" Mo Xi堯 pulled Ye Li’s hand onto his knee as he said, "What is there to talk about You came for help, right"

"For help" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.

Mo Jingyu苦笑道，為莫夕堯直白的表達苦笑。他確實是為了求援而來，但讓墨修堯用這種語氣說出來總讓人覺得有些下不來台。“The situation is really that bad” Ye Li frowned and asked. "Even Prince Li agreed to ask for help from the Mo Family Army"

Mo Jingyu felt a bit embarrassed; Prince Li did not agree. To put it honestly, although Mo Jingli and Mo Jingqi were estranged, they were still brothers. On the matter of the Ding王府, both showed an unwavering stance regardless of their personal feelings. The only difference was that Mo Jingqi targeted the Ding王府 itself, while Mo Jingli mainly targeted Mo Xi堯 personally. However, the current situation left no room for Mo Jingli to refuse assistance from the Mo Family Army. Perhaps Mo Jingli could retreat to Jiangnan with his own men, but others couldn’t do so as their roots were in Chu Capital; once it fell, all would be lost.

"General Leng is struggling to defend Zijin Pass against the northern border invasion. Last month, both Xi Ling and Northern Rong attacked Great Chu simultaneously. With enemies on three sides… I hope that Duke Ding will show mercy to our fellow kin and offer assistance."

Mo Xi堯冷笑道, "Show mercy This must be the suggestion of those old fools in court. Has Mo Jingli agreed Can Crown Prince Yu guarantee that Mo Jingli won’t stab us in the back when we send troops" He had received such treatment more than once from Great Chu’s army. “Crown Prince Yu, you may leave now."

"Duke Ding… Are you really going to let them perish without help” Mo Jingyu tried one last time to persuade him; although he was close to Mo Jingli, he didn’t want to see the destruction of Great Chu. "Do we lack sincerity If there’s anything else we can do, please tell us."

“Sincerity” Mo Xi堯淡然道：“From beginning to end, I haven't seen any sincerity from your side. But… it's not impossible…”

Mo Jingyu was delighted, "Then what does Duke Ding require"

Mo Xi堯勾起一絲冷笑，“If Mo Jingli is willing to kneel before the Mo Family Army and apologize on behalf of Great Chu’s imperial family, then I can consider it.”

Mo Jingyu's face changed instantly; he knew he had come in vain. Forget about making Mo Jingli kneel before the Mo Family Army, even bowing to Mo Xi堯 was too much to ask for. Sighing helplessly, Mo Jingyu finally hung his head.

Mo Xi堯笑道：“It looks like Crown Prince Yu has given up. You may leave now.”

Moi Jingyu looked at Mo Xi堯’s indifferent face and sighed deeply before leaving. blue gemstone and offering it to Mo Xiao Bao with a smile. "I forgot about bringing a gift for our meeting. This is for you to play with. Don’t be upset, okay" Mo Xiao Bao accepted the gemstone with...