Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 109. Discussion

109. Discussion

Feeling utterly overwhelmed, Ye Li arranged for Yaoji to be taken back and settled in. Just as she returned to Prince Ding’s Mansion, Nanny Sun came to report that someone had delivered an item specifically designated for the Princess Consort. Opening the box, Ye Li found a piece of jade, only slightly processed and not yet carved. However, one look at its flawless, vibrant green color was enough to tell this was a superlative quality, top-grade jade. Frowning in thought, Ye Li had a good idea of who the sender might be. Looking up at Nanny Sun, she asked, "Did the sender leave a name and address?"

Nanny Sun chuckled. "Princess Consort, there’s no need to worry. The Prince has already sent a return gift. The Prince said if you like it, you should keep it. If not, feel free to dispose of it as you wish."

Ye Li nodded. "Put it away for now; we’ll deal with it later. Where is the Prince?"

"The Prince is in the study. Young Master Feng has returned."

Ye Li nodded again and turned towards the study.

Previously, Feng Zhiyao and their group had split ways in Yongzhou, with Feng Zhiyao leading the Black Cloud Cavalry north. Consequently, he arrived in the Capital City nearly half a month later than they did. Just as Ye Li reached the study door, Mo Xiuyao’s voice came from within. "Ah-Li, is that you? Come in."

Ye Li pushed the door open. Feng Zhiyao stood up and greeted, "Greetings, Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded with a faint smile. "Young Master Feng, there’s no need for such formalities."

Feng Zhiyao looked at Ye Li, then back at Mo Xiuyao, sensing that something was slightly different about the pair. "Princess Consort can just call me Third Feng."

Ye Li smiled in acknowledgment and sat down beside Mo Xiuyao. "I hope I’m not interrupting?"

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "Nothing important. Is there something you need, Ah-Li?"

Ye Li recounted her encounter with Yelv Ye. Seeing Feng Zhiyao present, she only briefly mentioned encountering Yaoji and Mu Yang, but omitted Yaoji’s pregnancy. Such matters should be up to the individuals involved to disclose.

Mo Xiuyao frowned at Yelv Ye’s obvious, deliberate attempt to approach Ye Li, then scoffed. "It seems Yelv Hong hasn’t put enough pressure on him. That’s why he can leisurely stroll the streets of the Capital of Great Chu. Third Feng, spread the word that Yelv Ye has arrived in the Capital City and intends to participate in the selection of the bride for the marriage alliance."

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow in amusement and nodded silently in agreement. Once this news spread, the perception of Yelv Ye among the nobles of the Capital of Great Chu would surely plummet. Arriving secretly in the Capital of Great Chu beforehand wouldn’t have drawn much attention, but participating in the selection of a bride for the marriage alliance was definitely going too far. True, Great Chu might not be sending a true princess for the marriage alliance, but the young ladies of Great Chu were not for Beirong to pick and choose as they pleased.

"Ah-Li, I’m afraid you’re about to get very busy. Have you finished looking through the roster I gave you earlier?" Mo Xiuyao turned to Ye Li and asked softly.

Ye Li nodded. Mo Xiuyao continued, "You don’t need to decide on a specific candidate. Just recommend two or three choices to His Majesty. The final decision will still come from him."

Ye Li frowned, puzzled. "But doing it this way, won’t we offend even more people?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "When the one in the palace delegated this task to you, do you think they’d give us a chance to avoid offending people? If we worry about offending people and randomly choose a young lady from an insignificant family, not only will the Beirong delegation be displeased, but the one in the palace might even use your ’ineffectiveness’ as a pretext to overturn the selection. We’d end up offending even more people then. Since that’s the case, Ah-Li, don’t worry about offending people. Just select a few candidates you deem suitable and submit their names. As for whom His Majesty selects, that’s his business. If none of them meet his satisfaction, it would be even better; let him choose someone else himself."

Ye Li nodded. "I understand. I will carefully examine the family background, intelligence, and various other aspects of these young ladies." Setting aside all emotional standpoints and reasons, selecting candidates based purely on status and personal qualifications would naturally be much simpler.

Feng Zhiyao worked quickly. By that afternoon, news of the Seventh Prince of Beirong’s arrival in the Capital City had spread like wildfire. Even the inn where Yelv Ye was staying became common knowledge. Yelv Ye, who had originally intended to delay his audience with the Emperor of Great Chu for a few days, had no choice but to put aside his current affairs and proceed to the palace. While inwardly cursing Mo Xiuyao, he also regretted his impulsive action that night to test Mo Xiuyao, which had, in turn, exposed his own presence.

「Early the next morning」

Invitations to the welcoming banquet for the Prince of Beirong were delivered to the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. Mo Xiuyao, who was in the training grounds in the rear courtyard teaching Ye Li swordsmanship, raised an eyebrow and waved the messenger away. He then turned back to continue instructing Ye Li.

"Princess Consort, Young Master Han and Young Master Leng request an audience," Qingshuang reported.

Mo Xiuyao replied with some annoyance, "What is he here for again?" He was beginning to seriously suspect that his initial decision to assign Han Mingxi and the Han Family to Ah-Li’s oversight was akin to lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot. Although there was no concern about their loyalty, Han Mingxi had been visiting Ah-Li frequently ever since arriving in the Capital City. Even after moving out of Prince Ding’s Mansion and finding his own residence, he showed no signs of restraint. The jealous Prince Ding conveniently forgot that Leng Haoyu, a married man, was also requesting an audience.

Ye Li sheathed her sword and turned with a smile. "Hasn’t Mingxi been busy discussing collaborations with Leng Haoyu these days? He probably has some new ideas he wants to consult me about." To Han Mingxi, Leng Haoyu was a veritable goldmine. This seemingly good-for-nothing young master actually controlled a majority of the King of Ding Kingdom’s businesses. With his partnership, Han Mingxi could naturally expand his own ventures. The thought of countless gold ingots practically flying before his eyes made Han Mingxi so excited he was busy day and night. So... it seemed the Han Family members inherently possessed a talent for amassing wealth; it wasn’t unique to Han Mingyue.

"This Prince would like to listen in as well. Would Ah-Li welcome me?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

Ye Li bowed her head to hide a smile, pretending not to see the jealousy written all over his face. She laughed. "Since Leng Haoyu is also involved, what secrets could there be from the Prince?" Occasionally, Ye Li felt that having her people and Mo Xiuyao’s people so clearly demarcated might not be conducive to operations. However, she also understood this was because the future of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion was uncertain. Mo Xiuyao wanted to preserve some forces for her, a safeguard should anything happen in the future. For this, she was deeply appreciative of his intentions. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

In the study, Leng Haoyu and Han Mingxi both rose to greet Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li as they entered hand in hand. Mo Xiuyao nodded with a faint smile. "No need for formalities. Please, sit."

Ye Li smiled at the visibly healthier Han Mingxi. "Mingxi, you’ve come so early. Is there something specific?"

Han Mingxi nodded, a grin playing on his lips as he replied, "Indeed, there is. Second Leng and I have nearly finalized our discussions over the past few days. Second Leng will handle matters on the Great Chu side. In a few days, I plan to take a trip to Nanzhao and Xiling. As for Beirong, we can address that more slowly."

In terms of commercial value, Beirong was arguably the least developed of the four nations. Many businesses from the Central Plains simply wouldn’t work or make much money in Beirong. Ye Li tilted her head thoughtfully. "I’ve heard there are quite a few gold and silver mines within Beirong’s territory."

Leng Haoyu nodded. "Indeed. Although Beirong is remote and suffers from a harsh, cold climate, it abounds with gold and silver mines. A glance at the Beirong nobility makes this clear." The Beirong nobles, men and women alike, loved to wear large gold ornaments, adorning themselves like mobile treasure troves of gold. While the people of the Central Plains might scorn the ’barbarians from beyond the pass’ as coarse and vulgar, who could honestly say they didn’t envy their audacity in using gold as if it were silver?

"What does the Princess Consort mean?" Leng Haoyu asked, somewhat hesitantly. Who would ever complain about having too much gold? "However, the larger mines in Beirong are all controlled by the imperial family. Moreover, the Beirong people are extremely xenophobic. It’s practically impossible for us to get involved in that sector."

Ye Li shook her head and chuckled. "No, I have no intention of touching their gold mines. What’s valuable in Beirong isn’t just their gold mines—it’s also their warhorses."

Han Mingxi frowned. "The restrictions on Beirong’s warhorses are even more severe than those on their gold mines." Beirong’s warhorses were famed throughout the lands, while Great Chu, unfortunately, did not produce fine steeds. Currently, most of the horses used by Great Chu’s cavalry were crossbreeds of Great Chu horses with those from Beirong, or even some from other foreign lands. They were still somewhat inferior to purebred Beirong horses. Fortunately, the terrain within Great Chu was not vast, flat grassland like Pingchuan; the role of cavalry was far less critical than in Beirong. Otherwise, the horse situation would indeed be a major dilemma. Han Mingxi, knowing Ye Li asked this with the Mo Family Army and Black Cloud Cavalry in mind, felt a pang of bitterness despite knowing he had no standing to comment. Glancing at Mo Xiuyao, who sat quietly listening, he said, "No matter how much money we offer, Beirong won’t sell us their horses. Even if they did, they would only be inferior stock. Besides... shouldn’t matters like horse procurement be handled by the imperial court or those in charge of the military? I’m afraid Junwei’s intervention in this matter might alarm the court, which would be counterproductive."

Ye Li smiled mischievously. "Of course, no one would sell them to us openly. But isn’t there a type of business called... smuggling?"

"Smuggling?"

Ye Li laughed. "Secret transactions, bypassing customs, no taxes. Highly profitable."

Leng Haoyu rubbed his forehead, chuckling. "Is the Princess Consort suggesting we secretly send people to buy horses? In Beirong, selling quality horses to foreigners is a capital offense."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "People in any nation have a love for money, and merchants prioritize profit. With a fifty percent profit, they’d take reckless risks. For a hundred percent profit, they’d dare to trample all human laws. And with a three hundred percent profit, they would fight for it with their lives, even if it meant facing a death sentence; there would be no shortage of people advancing wave upon wave." If capital punishment were truly effective, there wouldn’t be so much crime in the world. "There’s no need to be overly hasty. Beirong is vast and sparsely populated, with scarce local products. Food, cloth, porcelain, tea—they need these, and we can supply them. If we can also acquire some medicinal herbs, furs, and the like on the return journey, that would be even better. Given enough time, channels will naturally form to get us what we desire."

Han Mingxi’s eyes lit up. He laughed. "I understand! Beirong’s situation is different from ours, Xiling’s, and the Southern Border’s. Naturally, we can’t approach Beirong with the same mindset. However, since we’re preparing to expand our business into Xiling and the Southern Border, we can certainly take the opportunity to transport specialties from Xiling, the Southern Border, and Great Chu to Beirong. Those Beirong nobles are all rolling in money; extracting wealth from them would be exceedingly easy. It’s not that no one has done this business before, but the journey is too long and the grasslands too perilous, so it has mostly been small-scale traveling merchants. But if it’s us, we naturally don’t need to worry about safety. Even if we can’t operate under the name of Prince Ding’s Mansion, the martial strength of Prince Ding’s Mansion alone, by casually organizing a contingent, would be sufficient to protect the goods."

Mo Xiuyao was, of course, also very interested in Beirong’s warhorses. He smiled faintly. "This marriage alliance presents an excellent opportunity. We can dispatch men to accompany the marriage convoy to Beirong to assess the situation. Later, I will petition His Majesty to permit merchant caravans to travel with the marriage convoy to Beirong, ostensibly to contribute to the diplomatic relations between the two countries."

The other three remained silent. Contribution to the King of Ding Kingdom’s treasury and the future fighting strength of the Mo Family Army, more like, right?

Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s approval, Leng Haoyu laughed. "In that case, it’s settled. Brother Han will head to Xiling and the Southern Border, and I shall make another trip to Beirong. There’s still over a month before departure, so there’s enough time to handle arrangements here in Great Chu."

Han Mingxi nodded nonchalantly. Ye Li took out an iron token she carried and tossed it to Han Mingxi. "My elder brother should still be in the Southern Border. If you need any help, you can seek him out. This is a King of Hell’s Order from the King of Hell Pavilion. Take it with you, just in case. If you encounter any intractable problems in Xiling, Pavilion Master Ling should be willing to lend a hand on account of this King of Hell’s Order." Han Mingxi naturally knew the origin of the King of Hell’s Order. He took it, looking at Ye Li as if wanting to say something but hesitating. Ye Li waved her hand, signaling him not to say more. "It goes to whoever has use for it. I’m in the Capital of Great Chu, so it’s unlikely I’ll need to trouble Pavilion Master Ling. If I just held onto it, wouldn’t that be a waste of its potential? As for the Sick Scholar... the chances of him coming to Great Chu aren’t very high, are they? Darky Four sent news a few days ago; they just found Old Master Liang, whom the Sick Scholar had taken back to Xiling. Until Bilo grass is found, the threat from the Sick Scholar is quite limited. Of course, if he insisted on appearing in the Capital of Great Chu, she wouldn’t mind taking action—even if not killing him, she would cripple him. Presumably, Ling Tiehan couldn’t blame her for that."

Leng Haoyu exclaimed, "The Princess Consort is truly generous, giving away even the King of Hell’s Order so easily!" As he spoke, he threw Mo Xiuyao a sidelong glance. He’d assumed the King of Hell’s Order was given to the Princess Consort by the Prince for her protection. Now, seeing her personally hand it to another man, he could only imagine the Prince’s wrath. Who would be the target of that anger? Ideally, the culprit himself, the womanizing Han Mingxi, would bear the brunt. After all, as the saying goes, better a companion dies than oneself, especially since he brought this upon himself.

Ye Li arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Pavilion Master Ling gave it to me for free; it cost nothing." Actually, even if Ling Tiehan hadn’t appeared that time, she wouldn’t have truly taken the Sick Scholar’s life. Who knew if Ling Tiehan, in his devotion to his brother, would mobilize the entire King of Hell Pavilion for revenge? However, disabling his martial arts would have been unavoidable. As long as she left the Sick Scholar alive, Ling Tiehan, considering her elder brother’s connection, likely wouldn’t cause trouble for her.

Leng Haoyu rubbed his nose and took a sip of tea, lowering his head. Was the King of Hell’s Order something to be measured in money? It was something countless people would willingly spend a fortune on yet couldn’t obtain. Possessing the King of Hell’s Order, as long as you didn’t provoke the Xiling imperial family, essentially meant you could do as you pleased in Xiling.

With the official business concluded, Han Mingxi looked at Ye Li with a frown. "Yesterday morning, Yelv Ye dispatched people to scour the entire Capital City for high-quality jade. I don’t know what for. I’ve never heard of Beirong people being fond of jade artifacts." Although Yelv Ye had sent people to buy the jade anonymously and in batches, his mistake was going to shops under the Han family’s name. When the finest jade from two or three consecutive shops was bought out by strangers, the shopkeepers naturally wouldn’t forget to report it to their master. And although the Han Family’s Tianyi Pavilion no longer existed in Great Chu, Han Mingxi had still gathered a considerable number of people under his command. Investigating the sales of various jade, antique, and jewelry shops in the Capital City, as well as the identities of the buyers, was naturally not a significant problem for him.

Ye Li, of course, knew what Yelv Ye had bought the jade for. She gave a cool, indifferent smile. "It seems Beirong is indeed very wealthy."

Recalling how her plans for the previous day had been ruined by a certain prince’s ostentatious display of wealth, Ye Li’s mood soured, especially since the man had deliberately sent a piece over to vex her. Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled. "Help me spread the word: this Princess Consort is seeking a piece of the most exquisite, top-quality jade as a birthday gift for the Prince."

Leng Haoyu looked at Mo Xiuyao, then at Ye Li, somewhat puzzled by her intention.

Han Mingxi reacted first, fanning himself and smiling. "So, we can sell all the good jade we’ve hoarded. Once this news gets out, people will buy it, even if the price is doubled. And... the Princess Consort is right, aren’t the Beirong people wealthy? I will ensure Prince Yelv is the first to receive this news, lest he fall behind others." As for whether Prince Yelv intended to use the jade for a princess’s betrothal gifts or haul it all back to Beirong, that was none of their concern.

Leng Haoyu nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, no one outside has ever heard what the Princess Consort likes. We must have missed out on a lot of potential profit because of that. Coincidentally, I do indeed have many items I want to clear out. They might as well be sold cheaply to the Prince of Beirong. However... um, does the Princess Consort need me to reserve a good piece for you?" If the incredibly wealthy Prince of Beirong really bought up all the good pieces, what about the Prince’s birthday gift? Don’t be fooled by the Prince’s usually good-tempered and generous appearance; when he got petty, no one could stand it. He and Third Feng had learned this well over the years.

Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao and smiled, her lips pressed together. "No need. I was just saying."

Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow, sighing with a touch of melancholy. "So, Prince Ding’s birthday is approaching. Speaking of coincidences... I was also born in June. In previous years, I always celebrated with my elder brother, but now..."

Leng Haoyu stiffened, glaring warily at Han Mingxi. This fellow clearly doesn’t want to live anymore, but he doesn’t need to drag me down with him! I’m a newlywed, for crying out loud!

Ye Li laughed. "Mingxi, your birthday is also in June? Then why not stay and celebrate in the Capital City before you leave?"

Han Mingxi blinked. "Will Junwei give me a gift?"

"Of course. Tell me what you’d like, and I’ll prepare it later," Ye Li nodded. Given her friendship with Han Mingxi, it would be improper not to give him a birthday gift. Moreover, she and Mo Xiuyao had also contributed significantly to Han Mingxi’s current circumstances.

Han Mingxi’s smile was radiant. "That’s wonderful! Whatever Junwei prepares, I’m sure I’ll love it." After speaking, he fearlessly raised an eyebrow at Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao’s expression remained calm, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He smiled faintly. "Ah-Li is right. It’s such a coincidence that Brother Han’s birthday is also in June. This Prince and Ah-Li must naturally show our felicitations. Rest assured, this Prince will definitely give Brother Han a surprising gift."

Mo Xiuyao’s voice in the last sentence could almost be described as gentle, but it sent a distinct chill through those who heard it.

Leng Haoyu swiftly grabbed Han Mingxi and forced a dry laugh towards Mo Xiuyao. "Although Brother Han and I haven’t known each other long, we hit it off right away. Brother Han, let’s go discuss how you’d like to celebrate your birthday first." Ignoring Han Mingxi’s protests, he seized him and dragged him out directly. Han Mingxi, whose lightness skill was first-rate but martial arts third-rate, couldn’t even struggle as he was dragged out by Leng Haoyu—who appeared to be third-rate but was, in fact, first-rate in skill.