Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 194 - 193. Envoy from the Capital City

193. Emissary from the Capital City

While Feng Zhiyao was standing at the door, letting his imagination run wild, he forgot to observe Mo Xiuyao’s gloomy expression. Ye Li watched as Mo Xiuyao glared at Feng Zhiyao, emanating waves of cold air, and helplessly pulled at his sleeve, shaking it. It was a bit startling to have someone walk in on such a scene, but Ye Li was not a woman born and raised in this era. From her past life, what sort of things had she not seen? It was only a witnessed kiss, after all, and they were a legitimately married couple. Therefore, Ye Li was only slightly uncomfortable for a moment before she composed herself. On the other hand, Feng Zhiyao, standing by the door, judging from his bizarre and conflicted expression, had clearly let his imagination run too far.

Ye Li cleared her throat and reminded him softly, "Third Feng, come in and talk."

Feng Zhiyao snapped back to his senses abruptly, only to be met with Mo Xiuyao’s dangerously brooding gaze. He wished he could punch himself. He had intruded on the Prince’s private moment and instead of fleeing, he had stood there daydreaming. Feng Zhiyao felt he was truly regressing with age. With a mournful face, he looked pitifully at Mo Xiuyao. After Mo Xiuyao coldly snorted his assent, Feng Zhiyao gratefully thanked Ye Li and entered. However, he wisely chose the spot nearest to the door, so that he could escape at the first sign of trouble.

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li naturally observed his behavior. Ye Li covered her lips to stifle a laugh, while Mo Xiuyao merely raised an eyebrow and ignored him. "What’s happening in the Capital City?" he asked.

Feng Zhiyao immediately regained his composure and said respectfully, "News has come from the Capital City. Mo Jingqi has dispatched two princes, along with Lord Elder Su and several other important court officials, to the Northwest. They should be arriving soon."

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows. "Sending important officials to the Northwest? For what?"

Putting a hand to his chin, Feng Zhiyao smiled. "What else could it be? Presumably to persuade Your Highness. The two hundred thousand Great Chu troops outside Feihong Pass were effortlessly driven back inside the pass. Back then, Mo Jingqi was infuriated and reprimanded Your Highness in several decrees. He should have come to his senses by now." Mo Jingqi wasn’t a complete fool. As long as Prince Ding’s Mansion didn’t openly declare rebellion, he naturally wouldn’t want to start a war at this time, especially since he hadn’t yet dealt with Xiling and Beirong. If Prince Ding’s Mansion were to stir up trouble now, the imperial court would be in peril. He had accurately gauged that Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t easily turn against the imperial court, so he orchestrated this move, partly to display his magnanimity to the world. What he failed to understand, however, was that it wasn’t just him who needed time; the Mo Family Army in the Northwest currently needed time as well.

"Who are these people?" Mo Xiuyao inquired.

Feng Zhiyao relayed, "They are Prince Virtue Mo Xiafei, Prince Yu Mo Jingyu, Lord Elder Su, and Vice Minister Mo Jian of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."

Mo Xiuyao nodded. Besides Su Zhe and Mo Jian, Prince Virtue Mo Xiafei was the late emperor’s second elder brother, whom Mo Jingqi had to respectfully address as ’Imperial Uncle’. Prince Yu Mo Jingyu was Mo Jingqi’s half-brother. He lived a low-profile life, disliking involvement in worldly affairs; it was surprising that Mo Jingqi had dispatched him as well. Two princes and two high-ranking officials—Mo Jingqi’s delegation certainly seemed sincere. Unfortunately, Mo Xiuyao had no intention of giving him much face.

Ye Li’s eyebrows furrowed lightly. "It’s a long way from the Capital City to the Northwest. Why would Mo Jingqi send Lord Elder Su there?" Su Zhe was already over seventy years old, and his health had been deteriorating in recent years. Logically, such an elderly minister shouldn’t have been sent on such an arduous journey. If anything unexpected happened on the way, it would be highly unfortunate. Feng Zhiyao contemplated for a moment and said, "Could it be that Mo Jingqi found out that Su Zuidie is still alive, and that’s why he sent Lord Su?"

Mo Xiuyao said, "It’s been over half a year; Mo Jingqi should have received the news by now. If he didn’t know before, he certainly does now. Su Zuidie..." If Su Zuidie indeed aroused Mo Jingqi’s interest, then... Mo Xiuyao’s face darkened, and the coldness in his eyes became even more chillingly intimidating.

"What does Your Highness plan to do about these people?" Feng Zhiyao asked. He didn’t have strong feelings about the two princes, but Su Zhe and Mo Jian were both rare, upright officials in the court. Moreover, Su Zhe could even be considered half a teacher to Mo Xiuyao, who had always respected him.

Mo Xiuyao waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind that. The list of official appointments across the Northwest, have you drafted it yet?"

Feng Zhiyao presented a petition. Mo Xiuyao casually looked it over and handed it to Ye Li beside him, saying, "This should do. The announcement... let’s make it after Mo Jingqi’s people arrive. You mentioned earlier that the city’s citizens want to organize a lantern festival to pray for the Princess Consort and the heir; let’s set it for the same day. The city officials can join the citizens in the festivities, and it will also serve as a welcome for the court emissaries. Additionally, has the new mansion been built? Our continued stay in the Governor’s Mansion is inappropriate. Once the new governor assumes office, we can’t have him working out of a civilian residence, can we?"

Feng Zhiyao agreed with each point, clearly appreciating that Mo Xiuyao was challenging the emissaries sent by Mo Jingqi. He chuckled. "The mansion has long been prepared. It originally belonged to the wealthiest man in Ruyang City, who fled back inside the pass along with the stationed troops. I’ve ordered people to combine the adjacent two residences and rebuild them into one. Although it’s not as grand as a prince’s mansion in the Capital City, it’s passably livable. The mansion is currently located in the southeastern part of the city, but according to the new city plan submitted, after reconstruction, it will be right in the city center." These trivial matters had naturally been handled long ago. It was just that the Prince was in a bad mood and didn’t mention moving, so naturally, no one below dared to bring it up. This, in turn, led to the current situation where the official temporarily handling city affairs was still working in the governmental office in front of the Governor’s Mansion. However, after finishing his work, he had to take all the documents and petitions and detour back to his temporary residence. It was bearable during normal times, but in winter or on rainy days, running back and forth was quite a hassle.

"Very good." Mo Xiuyao nodded with satisfaction. "Have someone tidy up the place as soon as possible."

Feng Zhiyao smiled and said, "Everything’s ready. Your Highness and the Princess Consort can move in anytime. However, we still need Your Highness to inscribe the plaque for the mansion." Normally, this wouldn’t be a big problem, but now that Mo Jingqi had revoked Mo Xiuyao’s title, no one was sure what should be inscribed on the plaque for the new mansion. So, they decided to let the Prince do it himself. Mo Xiuyao didn’t seem to care and said casually, "Just engrave ’Prince Ding’s Mansion’."

Feng Zhiyao was stunned. It wasn’t the "King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion" from the Capital City, but simply the three words ’Prince Ding’s Mansion’. Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s indifferent expression, it was clear he didn’t care at all that Mo Jingqi had stripped him of his title. Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but smile and say, "Your subordinate obeys."

Because of Ye Li’s return, although there was no significant outward change in Ruyang City, everyone could feel the difference. The citizens were busy with their lives, and the stationed soldiers seemed to have shaken off their previous gloom, now full of youthful energy. A thriving atmosphere permeated the entire city. However, Ye Li’s courtyard remained unusually peaceful and comfortable. Xu Qingze had been snatched away by Feng Zhiyao to work the day after he returned to the city, while Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingyan were free. Every day, Xu Qingyan would drag Xu Qingfeng to Ye Li’s courtyard to chat or play chess. Life was leisurely and carefree. Whenever Mo Xiuyao saw this, he wished he could drive Xu Qingyan out of Ruyang City. However, after hearing Ye Li’s heartfelt confession of love that day, Mo Xiuyao’s mood had noticeably improved, though he still couldn’t help but frown every time he saw Xu Qingyan.

On the chessboard, black and white pieces were locked in fierce combat. Elsewhere in the courtyard, the sounds of CLANG! PING! BANG! echoed continuously from another ongoing battle. Holding a chess piece, Xu Qingyan frowned and said, "Sister Li, is this mansion really suitable for your recuperation? There’s an assassination attempt every few days..." Having lived there for only a few days, Xu Qingyan had already grown accustomed to the occasional assassination attempts. Anyone would get used to it if they saw it daily. Regarding this, Xu Qingyan could truly only admire the persistence of these assassins—repeatedly defeated, yet they kept coming back. They were just a tad too annoying.

Ye Li casually took a sip of the white fungus soup brought by a maid at her side and said with a soft laugh, "It’s no problem. This mansion is just a bit too boring. It’s good to have some excitement once in a while."

Xu Qingyan deeply agreed. Mo Xiuyao feared that someone would disturb Ye Li’s rest, so apart from Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, and a few others, as well as Shen Yang and Doctor Lin who came to check on her, no ordinary person in the mansion could even approach the Princess Consort’s courtyard. Any issues in the mansion were reported directly to Mo Xiuyao for handling; nobody dared to bother Ye Li with such trivial matters. While this was well-intentioned, it left Ye Li feeling somewhat bored. He snorted lightly and said, "Prince Ding is really stingy! What’s wrong with letting Sister Li take a walk? He acts as if he’s afraid others will take an extra glance at her. Sister Li is so outstanding; she’s meant to be admired by everyone!" Speaking of this, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but feel proud. There are many beautiful and talented women in the world, but whose sister can command tens of thousands of troops to resist a strong enemy? Only my sister, Xu Qingyan’s sister! In the future, I’ll definitely marry a woman as formidable as Sister Li.

Ye Li gently tapped Xu Qingyan’s forehead, glancing at him and saying, "Call him brother-in-law. What, you think Xiuyao hasn’t tormented you enough?"

Xu Qingyan immediately looked dejected. His recent clashes with Mo Xiuyao had taught him that he couldn’t beat that cunning man for the time being. Although Mo Xiuyao would always yield to him in front of Sister Li, he would find ways to trip him up and play dirty tricks behind her back. Yesterday, he even slandered him to Sister Li, saying that he had taken a fancy to a pretty girl in the city and wanted Sister Li to write to their parents to arrange his marriage. If this truly reached Father’s ears, wouldn’t I be skinned alive? My older brothers aren’t even married yet, and I, the youngest, have already set my sights on someone else’s daughter! A fondness for beauty would be my crime!

"Sister Li already knows," Xu Qingyan hung his head dejectedly. The fact that Sister Li knew he couldn’t win against Mo Xiuyao made him feel very embarrassed. Xu Qingfeng, who was watching the game beside him, snickered and tapped him on the head, laughing, "Second Brother and I already warned you not to provoke the Prince, but you just wouldn’t listen."

Xu Qingyan glared. "It’s clearly him targeting me!"

Xu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow. "Then why doesn’t the Prince target Second Brother or me?"

Xu Qingyan laid his head on the table, sighing, "Third Brother, I’m your own younger brother." He really missed his fourth brother. If Fourth Brother were here, he would definitely help him fight Mo Xiuyao!

Listening to Xu Qingyan’s playful complaints, Ye Li chuckled, placed a piece on the chessboard, and asked, "By the way, Third Brother, have you been very bored in the mansion these days?" Xu Qingyan was still a child; he could find fun anywhere. But for Xu Qingfeng, a grown man, to be confined to the mansion and go nowhere must indeed be trying for him.

Xu Qingfeng smiled. "It’s a bit more boring than in the military camp, but it’s not a big deal. Once you give birth, I’ll have to return to the Capital City. With neither Second Brother nor I in the Capital City, our parents will surely worry."

At this, Ye Li frowned. "Speaking of which, Second Brother is now in the Northwest. Has the emperor in the Capital City caused any difficulties for Second Maternal Uncle? And Zheng’er? Her wedding with Second Brother was originally set for last year, but now..."

Xu Qingfeng comforted her, "It’s okay. What reason could His Majesty find to trouble our Xu Family? He won’t make things difficult for Father just because of this. Besides, Father also said... he doesn’t want Second Brother to return now. We don’t know what the situation is like in the Capital City. Second Brother isn’t like Fourth Brother, who is a smooth operator. If he gets involved, it might be hard for him to extricate himself later. As for Miss Qin of the Qin Family..."

Xu Qingfeng scratched his head in resignation. Right now, I can only be grateful that I haven’t gotten engaged yet. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be delaying the girl? If anything unexpected happened in the future, I fear it would even implicate her family. "Our Xu Family isn’t having an easy time right now either. It’s actually a good thing that Miss Qin of the Qin Family hasn’t married into our family yet. I heard Second Brother sent a letter home to our parents, saying that if there’s a good match, Miss Qin should feel free to marry someone else."

Ye Li frowned. She was very close to Qin Zheng. How could she not see Qin Zheng’s deep affection for her second brother? Moreover, they had been engaged since childhood. For over a decade, Qin Zheng’s heart had been set only on Second Brother. To suggest now that she arrange her own marriage is really a bit... Although I know Second Brother is doing it for Qin Zheng’s good, I still feel he deserves a beating. On the other hand, Ye Li also felt a bit guilty towards Qin Zheng. After all, wasn’t she the reason Second Brother originally came to the Northwest with the army and was now unable to return?

Xu Qingyan looked at Ye Li and said with a grin, "Sister Li, it’s not your fault. Given our family’s current situation, it’s better to involve fewer people. Who knows, one day the palace might decide to execute our entire family. By then, not only would Sister Qin be implicated, but the entire Qin Family would be dragged down too."

Xu Qingfeng frowned and gave Xu Qingyan a light smack. "You really have a loose tongue!"

Xu Qingyan made a face. The only good thing about being in the Northwest, especially in this mansion, is that one can speak freely without worrying about eavesdroppers.

Ye Li looked down at her increasingly cumbersome figure and sighed. "There’s nothing we can do right now. Later, Third Brother, please write a letter to Aunt for me and inquire about the Qin Family’s situation. Since you’re feeling bored, why don’t you spend some time at the military camp outside the city for a while?"

Xu Qingfeng’s eyes lit up immediately, and even Xu Qingyan’s face showed excitement and curiosity. The Mo Family Army was renowned throughout Great Chu as an elite force, and Xu Qingfeng had long admired them. However, due to his special status, he couldn’t just wander into the military camp, lest it cause gossip about Ye Li. He asked hesitantly, "Wouldn’t that be against the rules?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "What rules are you talking about? It’s not like I’m asking you to lead troops into battle."

Xu Qingfeng nodded and laughed. "Li’er is right. If I can go to the Mo Family Army, I don’t mind being just a common soldier. I imagine no one there would know my identity."

Qin Feng, who was walking towards them, overheard this. He looked at Xu Qingfeng and smiled. "Third Young Master Xu, if you can endure hardship, you might as well come to my unit." The main Mo Family Army camp was bound to have many people and wagging tongues, whereas Qilin was directly under the Princess Consort’s command, making it much more convenient.

Xu Qingyan blinked. "Brother Qin, can I go?"

Qin Feng looked at him and shook his head. "I doubt Fifth Young Master would last even a day."

Xu Qingyan retorted unconvinced, his eyes wide, "Why can Third Brother do it but I can’t? You look down on me because I’m young? Well, this young master is determined to prove you wrong!"

Qin Feng shook his head and smiled. "It’s not that I look down on you because you’re young, Fifth Young Master. I have two boys in my unit who are even younger than you. It’s just that you’ve been pampered since childhood and don’t practice martial arts. That’s why I said you wouldn’t be able to endure it."

Ye Li laughed and asked Qin Feng, "Would it be alright for my third brother to go to your unit?"

Qin Feng said, "It’s just a matter of a word from Your Highness, Princess Consort. Third Young Master can come anytime."

Ye Li waved her hand. "Since the Prince and I have entrusted Qilin to you, the decision is yours."

Although Qin Feng showed no outward emotion, he was inwardly grateful for Ye Li’s trust. He looked at Xu Qingfeng and said, "In that case, Third Young Master, please report to the camp outside the city tomorrow morning. But I’m warning you, I won’t go easy. If you can’t endure it, I’ll have no choice but to send you back."

Xu Qingfeng, who had heard of Qilin’s mystique and prestige, was eager to try. He laughed heartily. "In that case, Commander Qin, you don’t need to call me Third Young Master. Just call me by my name."

After they finished discussing this, Ye Li asked, "Why have you come at this hour? Is something the matter?"

Qin Feng nodded and handed her a sealed document. "Although His Highness instructed not to disturb the Princess Consort’s rest, I still wished for Your Highness to take a look. This is next month’s training plan, and I’d like to request Your Highness’s guidance." For the past few months, Qin Feng had been solely responsible for training Qilin’s new recruits, occasionally consulting with Zhuo Jing and Lin Han. Qilin had such high standards from the start, so Qin Feng always felt somewhat apprehensive. Now that Ye Li was back, he naturally couldn’t resist wanting her to review his work. Even if she didn’t praise him, at least she could tell him if there were any problems with his training.

Ye Li put the document aside and smiled. "I’ll look at it later. Just proceed according to your own ideas. I’ve already taught you most of what I can. In about three more months... I should be able to move around more freely. By then, your trainees should have completed their training, and I will personally go to see them."

Qin Feng was overjoyed and beamed. "Thank you, Princess Consort! I understand." He immediately decided to ask the Princess Consort to personally design the final assessment for those recruits. The final assessment for their first batch last year had to be canceled due to an unexpected incident, a fact Qin Feng had always deeply regretted. This time, he would include the veterans as well.

"By the way, Princess Consort, on my way here just now, I saw that the Shadow Guards had captured several more assassins," Qin Feng casually mentioned, recalling what he had seen.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "The Shadow Guards must be nearly at capacity these days, right?" They’ve been capturing assassins daily, and all of them must be kept alive. I wonder what Mo Xiuyao plans to do with them.

Qin Feng chuckled. "Exactly. Mo Hua looked particularly displeased this morning. He even mentioned borrowing our cells to hold people."

Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Regardless, keep those assassins separate from Su Zuidie. Tell Mo Hua not to keep unimportant captives in his custody."

Qin Feng nodded. "That’s what I suggested as well. However, the Prince ordered not to kill them, saying they are useful."

Ye Li nodded. "Then we’ll do as the Prince says."

"What about this Prince?" Mo Xiuyao, dressed in a cyan gown, his white hair like snow, stood at the moon gate, smiling at everyone as he asked.

Finding it inconvenient to move due to her pregnancy, Ye Li managed a smile without getting up. "Why are you back? Be careful, or Third Feng will come complaining again soon."

Everyone else rose to greet him. Mo Xiuyao casually waved his hand and sat down beside Ye Li. He said with some displeasure, "Mo Jingqi’s people have arrived. They are preparing to go and receive them. Otherwise, how could I be free to come back?"

Ye Li sat up straighter. "Prince Virtue and the others have arrived? Aren’t you going to greet them?"

Mo Xiuyao pursed his lips. "Does this Prince have time for that? Third Feng went."

Ye Li couldn’t help the corner of her mouth from twitching. Sending Third Feng is hardly better than randomly picking a general from the army. Although Feng Zhiyao is one of Mo Xiuyao’s most trusted men, he has, for some strange reason or perhaps due to his eccentric nature, refused to accept any official titles or rewards from the court. Consequently, Feng Zhiyao is still technically a commoner. Though he manages many affairs, people address him casually: General Feng on the battlefield, Lord Feng by the officials in Ruyang City, and Third Young Master Feng by Mo Xiuyao’s close confidants. In reality, Feng Zhiyao doesn’t even hold the lowest official rank. Given that Prince Virtue is known to be particular about pomp and prestige, sending Feng Zhiyao to greet him is bound to infuriate the man.

"It was Third Feng who wanted to go," Mo Xiuyao said. He had no intention of sending anyone to the city gate to welcome them; letting them into the city was already generous enough.

Ye Li remained silent. So, Feng Zhiyao was afraid you’d directly anger them to death, and decided to go and provoke them halfway to death himself?

Mo Xiuyao leaned lazily against Ye Li and smiled. "Ah-Li, don’t worry about these trivial matters. Does this Prince not know what Prince Virtue and the others want to say? I just can’t be bothered to deal with them."

Ye Li helplessly pushed him to sit upright. "We still have to host a welcome banquet tonight, don’t we? Don’t tell me you’re skipping that too. If word gets out, people will think we lack basic hospitality."

Mo Xiuyao frowned and sighed. "It’s indeed much more troublesome without Uncle Mo here." Normally, Uncle Mo would handle these minor matters efficiently, only needing to inform them afterward. But now, with a large part of Prince Ding’s Mansion’s power base shifted to the Northwest, Uncle Mo couldn’t come over immediately, otherwise, matters inside the pass would be left unattended, which would also be a problem. "It’s a shame Third Feng refuses to be the Steward-in-Chief."

Ye Li glanced at him. Making Feng Zhiyao the Steward-in-Chief—only Prince Ding could come up with such an idea.

Shaking her head, Ye Li said, "Never mind. I’ll have Wei Lin and Lin Han take care of it later." For the grand Prince Ding’s Mansion to be unable to find a capable Steward-in-Chief, it would be a joke if word got out, wouldn’t it?

Mo Xiuyao nodded with satisfaction and smiled. "The men around Ah-Li, like Zhuo Jing, are all very capable. One of them can certainly fill in for Uncle Mo for the time being."

Ye Li imagined Zhuo Jing and the others, looking all serious and elderly like Uncle Mo, constantly worrying about the various affairs of the mansion, and couldn’t help but shudder. As their master, she couldn’t be too unfair to them. "They are still too young. We should promote a trustworthy manager from the lower ranks later."

Mo Xiuyao shrugged his shoulders in agreement, a hint of regret in his expression.