Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 216 - 215. Severing Kindness and Ending Relationships
215. Severing Favors and Friendships
In full view of the dignitaries from various nations, Yelv Ye had made a complete fool of himself. He watched as his caged, enraged white hawk lunged against its bars, desperate to escape, before it was finally carried away. Yelv Ye’s expression, disgraced and gloomy, was terrifying. The crowd whispered amongst themselves, trying to conceal their amusement at his misfortune. Those from Prince Ding’s Mansion, mindful of their roles as hosts, showed some restraint. However, the envoys from other nations were not so circumspect—some from Xiling were even laughing uproariously, further souring Yelv Ye’s mood.
Ye Li handed Mo Xiaobao to the nursemaid beside her and, with a smile, reassured everyone, "Please pay no mind to this minor mishap. Perhaps Prince Yelv should go and change his clothes?"
Yelv Hong nodded. "The Princess Consort is right. My Seventh Brother was careless and startled the Prince and Princess Consort; please forgive him. Seventh Brother, go quickly." Yelv Hong and Yelv Ye had always been at odds back in Beirong; to say they despised each other would be an understatement. However, here in Great Chu, they had no intention of fighting amongst themselves, so Yelv Hong merely gave his brother a mild reminder. With an uncomfortable expression, Yelv Ye bowed to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, then turned and left to change. The brief farce did not dampen the festive atmosphere. Yelv Hong rose and said with a smile, "Since my Seventh Brother has already presented his gift, I, on behalf of Beirong and my royal father, have also prepared a gift for the young heir. I hope Prince Ding and Her Highness will not find it lacking."
With a wave of Yelv Hong’s hand, two Beirong men came forward bearing a brocaded box. When opened, a brilliant golden light instantly illuminated the entire banquet hall, dazzling the eyes of all the guests. Inside the box was another eagle, but unlike the earlier unruly white hawk, this was a golden eagle. It was roughly the same size as the white hawk but exquisitely crafted from solid gold, looking remarkably lifelike. Even the golden eagle’s eyes were inlaid with two emerald-green gemstones. Judging by the effort the two Beirong men exerted to carry it, this was clearly not gold-plated or gilded but a sculpture cast from solid gold. Although Beirong was rich in gold mines, this gift was undeniably substantial.
Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled. "Thank you for this generous gift, Crown Prince of Beirong." With a wave of his hand, someone immediately came forward to receive the gift box and take it away. Yelv Hong did not seem to mind and, with a faint smile, returned to his seat.
Following this, envoys from the various nations presented their gifts one after another. The generals of Prince Ding’s Mansion, not wishing to be outdone, also offered their presents to the young heir. There was little deliberation over the gifts, until the Southern Garrison Prince presented four beauties from Xiling. To everyone’s surprise, Mo Xiuyao accepted them all without batting an eye. The expressions of Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding left everyone in the hall somewhat bemused. Ye Li took a sip from her wine cup and murmured softly with a smile, "Your Highness is certainly fortunate in love."
Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly and chuckled. "Having Ah-Li as my wife, I am, of course, extremely fortunate."
Ye Li arched an eyebrow slightly. "And those ten beauties from Xiling, what does Your Highness plan to do with them?"
Mo Xiuyao replied nonchalantly, "We’ve received so many gifts tonight; surely we must offer something in return? That Yelv Ye, Yelv Hong, and Mo Jingli, and Anxi... well, Princess Anxi can be spared. We can just send a few to each of them, can’t we? Could they possibly refuse my return gifts?" Even if they don’t want them, they’ll have to deal with them privately; they wouldn’t dare publicly embarrass me.
Hearing this, Ye Li’s lips twitched. "Mingxi and Third Feng were right; Your Highness is becoming increasingly frugal." He had used the wager money for his son’s full moon celebration, and now even the return gifts were coming from the presents he himself had received.
Mo Xiuyao laughed. "Ah-Li, you can’t blame me for being frugal. Don’t we have the entire Mo Family Army to feed and clothe? Hmm... Besides, a couple of days ago, I saw a set of jewelry from the Western Region that looked exquisite and would suit Ah-Li perfectly. It cost me a full 60,000 taels."
"Oh? For me?" Hearing the sum of 60,000 taels, Ye Li frowned slightly. That was 60,000 taels of silver, a truly significant sum. However, knowing Mo Xiuyao had bought it for her, a flicker of joy warmed her heart. What woman didn’t appreciate gifts from her husband?
Mo Xiuyao nodded, then grumbled, "These people are so thoughtless. Mo Xiaobao is just a child; what does he understand? It was Ah-Li who endured the hardship of childbirth, wasn’t it? If they’re giving gifts, they should be giving them to Ah-Li."
The people in the hall cast strange glances at the obviously harmonious couple in the main seats. Prince Ding had publicly accepted ten Xiling beauties in front of everyone, yet Princess Consort Ding showed no sign of displeasure. In fact, she seemed even happier than before. What on earth was going on? She didn’t look like she was forcing a smile, did she?
Before anyone could say more, a shrill voice suddenly cried out from below the city tower, "An imperial edict has arrived!"
Everyone was startled; most couldn’t immediately process what was happening. Where did someone bearing an imperial edict appear from at this hour? The city gates should have been closed long ago, shouldn’t they? And this Emperor of Great Chu is rather odd. There was no sign of him for the Heir of Prince Ding’s celebration earlier, and now he suddenly appears halfway through the banquet to frighten people. Many turned their gazes towards Mo Jingli, only to see him frowning deeply, clearly as bewildered as they were.
Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, however, remained unperturbed. Mo Xiuyao’s smile deepened, and his gaze flickered casually towards Xu Hong Yu and Xu Qingchen seated below the dais. Xu Hong Yu gave an almost imperceptible nod, while Xu Qingchen smiled serenely, the picture of calm and composure.
Soon, the imperial messenger and his retinue ascended the city tower. The man in the lead wore the court attire of a second-rank official; he was the current Minister of Ministry of Rites. Several other officials from the Ministry of Rites followed him, along with a few Imperial Guards, presenting a solemn and imposing appearance. The Minister of Ministry of Rites held the imperial edict aloft with both hands, raising it above his head as he announced loudly, "An imperial edict has arrived! Mo Xiuyao, receive the edict!"
A murmur immediately swept through the crowd. This was clearly not a congratulatory visit for the Heir of Prince Ding’s full moon; they were obviously here to cause trouble.
Mo Jingli, followed by Ye Li and a few others, stood to kneel and receive the edict. Although Mo Jingli held little affection for his imperial brother, he was still Prince Li of Great Chu and had to maintain appearances. The others, however, were not so courteous. The generals and officials of the Mo Family Army pretended not to hear, continuing to drink and chat as if nothing were amiss. In the Northwest, a so-called imperial edict was worth less than scrap paper. As for the envoys from Xiling and Beirong, they wore the expressions of spectators at a play. Mo Xiuyao, seated on the main dais, showed no intention of rising to receive the edict. This left only Mo Jingli and a few others kneeling, a situation that made Mo Jingli inwardly curse his meddlesome imperial brother.
Apparently, the Minister of Ministry of Rites, who bore the edict, had not anticipated such a reception. Seeing Mo Xiuyao lounging lazily in his chair high on the dais, looking down on him, the Minister of Ministry of Rites said in a deep voice, "Mo Xiuyao, receive the edict!"
"Read it," Mo Xiuyao stated coolly.
The Minister of Ministry of Rites frowned and was about to speak when Mo Xiuyao sat up straighter, his gaze sharp. "Either read that thing in your hand, or take it and get out of Ruyang City. I’m in a good mood tonight; I don’t need your dog lives."
"Impudence!" The Minister of Ministry of Rites flushed red with anger, pointing at Mo Xiuyao, speechless for a long moment. Mo Xiuyao had long been stripped of his noble title by the Emperor, yet he dared to be so arrogant. Clearly, he showed no respect for the court or His Majesty. "His Highness Prince Li!" The Minister of Ministry of Rites was no fool; he knew he lacked the standing to confront Mo Xiuyao and turned instead to Mo Jingli, who was kneeling nearby.
Mo Jingli’s face darkened; he felt thoroughly disgraced by his imperial brother. He stood up, shot the Minister of Ministry of Rites a cold look, and said, "Didn’t you hear? Or would you rather be thrown out than read the edict?"
The Minister of Ministry of Rites’s face twitched, but he finally swallowed his indignation. After all, His Majesty had sent him specifically to deliver this decree. If he were thrown out before even reading it, there would be no good outcome for him upon returning to the Capital City. Taking a deep breath, the Minister of Ministry of Rites unfurled the imperial yellow silk scroll and read aloud, "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Mo Xiuyao, a commoner, has audaciously amassed troops and presumed to style himself a prince, committing treason and rebellion. The Xu Family of Yunzhou, colluding with rebels, plots against the nation—their crimes are punishable by death. Mo Xiuyao is stripped of his imperial surname and demoted to a commoner. The entire Xu Family of Yunzhou is to be executed. So it is decreed!"
An eerie silence fell upon the entire city tower; even the cries of vendors and commoners from the streets not far below could be heard with perfect clarity. Everyone stared at the Minister of Ministry of Rites, who was holding up the imperial edict, as if looking at a madman. What good was that thing? Could Mo Xiuyao be demoted just because an edict announced it? Even if Mo Jingqi issued a thousand edicts reducing Mo Xiuyao to dust, he would still stand tall in the Northwest, looking down on all the princes and nobles. Could the Xu Family be executed just because the edict said so? Why don’t you try executing a single member of the Xu Family first, for all to see? A single glance at the row of Xu Family members seated at the front was enough to reveal how utterly divorced from reality the Emperor of Great Chu’s imperial edict was.
Of course, Mo Jingqi knew this edict was useless. That was why he had sent his men here today—not truly to execute the Xu Family, nor to inflict any real harm on Mo Xiuyao. He merely wanted to humiliate Mo Xiuyao in front of the heroes and dignitaries of the realm.
"Haha..." Suddenly, a burst of clear laughter erupted from the main seat. Mo Xiuyao leaned back in his chair, laughing so hard he almost toppled over, as if he had heard something utterly hilarious. Finally managing to control his laughter, Mo Xiuyao leaned on Ye Li’s shoulder to sit up. He looked down at the Minister of Ministry of Rites, who was struggling to maintain his composure, and raised an eyebrow. "Stripped of my imperial surname? Has that idiot Mo Jingqi forgotten that my surname wasn’t bestowed by him? We merely happen to share a common ancestor."
"You... impudence! How dare you be so disrespectful to His Majesty!" the Minister of Ministry of Rites spluttered, though his face betrayed a hint of awkwardness. Since the founding of Great Chu, filial piety had been paramount. Ancestral surnames—unless the Emperor granted a new one for exceptional merit—could not be altered by anyone, not even the Emperor himself. Even if someone committed treason punishable by the extermination of their entire clan, their surname could not be arbitrarily changed. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao’s surname had always been Mo; it was not bestowed by the Emperor. Besides, although both families shared a common origin, they had established separate ancestral temples since the time of the Great Ancestor Emperor. Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingqi shared a surname but were no longer considered part of the same direct ancestral line. Mo Jingqi had the authority to expel various princes and imperial relatives in the Capital City from the clan, but that authority did not extend to Mo Xiuyao. However, no matter how awkward the situation, he could not tolerate Mo Xiuyao publicly calling the Emperor an idiot.
Mo Xiuyao merely raised an eyebrow, paying no heed to the seething Minister of Ministry of Rites. Anyone Mo Jingqi dispatched to the Northwest on such a suicidal mission was evidently insignificant. He’s likely a newly appointed Minister of Ministry of Rites, isn’t he?
While Mo Xiuyao didn’t deign to argue, the generals of the Mo Family Army below could not tolerate it. They erupted in a chorus of angry curses. These coarse men from the barracks certainly lacked the refined eloquence of court scholars when it came to trading insults; all manner of crude and vulgar words flew from their mouths. Mo Jingqi had likely never endured such a torrent of curses in his entire life as he did that night. Mo Xiuyao leisurely enjoyed the spectacle of his officers’ verbal assault, showing no inclination to restrain them. After all, the gifts for Mo Xiaobao’s full moon banquet had been received, and the formalities were over. What remained was merely entertainment.
Below, Lei Tengfeng, seated beside the Southern Garrison Prince, frowned and asked in a low voice, "Father, what do you think Prince Ding is up to?" If word of Mo Jingqi’s disruptive display spread, it would undoubtedly tarnish Mo Xiuyao’s prestige. If Mo Xiuyao had wanted to prevent this, those officials delivering the decree would never have been able to enter. Yet, from Mo Xiuyao’s demeanor, he not only had no intention of stopping it but seemed to be subtly encouraging it, even fanning the flames. This left Lei Tengfeng wondering what Mo Xiuyao was truly planning.
The Southern Garrison Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping from Mo Xiuyao, who sat on the main seat with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, a hint of coldness within them, to Ye Li. Ye Li sat quietly beside Mo Xiuyao, her gaze calm as she watched the farce unfold, showing no sign of anger. The Southern Garrison Prince knew, of course, that Ye Li was not a woman without a temper. In fact, she rarely lost her temper. But when she truly became enraged, few men in the world, let alone women, could withstand her fury. The members of the Xu Family seated below also appeared remarkably calm. Even the usually fiery Third Young Master Xu and Fifth Young Master Xu were quietly sipping their wine, as if the unfolding drama had nothing to do with them.
After a moment of reflection, a jolt went through the Southern Garrison Prince. He said gravely, "I fear... Mo Xiuyao is about to truly sever ties with Great Chu." This was not good news for Xiling. Although Xiling, and even Beirong and Nanzhao, had always spared no effort in attempting to sow discord between the Great Chu imperial family and Prince Ding’s Mansion, they absolutely did not wish for a complete rupture between the two. If Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army were an incredibly sharp sword, then Great Chu was a somewhat rusty scabbard. However, that scabbard could, when necessary, restrain the actions of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army, allowing those cornered by the sword’s edge a chance to breathe and counterattack. It was like when Mo Xiuyao led his army to pacify the south years ago; if he hadn’t been constrained by the imperial court, the Nanzhao Kingdom, even if not utterly destroyed, would likely exist in name only by now. Once the Mo Family Army truly broke free from Great Chu’s control, it would be like an unsheathed sword. Once that sword decided to strike, it would inevitably bring unstoppable destruction and bloodshed, with no one capable of halting it.
Lei Tengfeng was stunned. As the Heir of Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling, he naturally understood the crux of the matter. What he didn’t understand was why Mo Xiuyao would choose this moment to break with Great Chu. Previously, when the Mo Family Army struggled on the battlefield only to be betrayed by Mo Jingqi, Mo Xiuyao had not erupted. Even after Ye Li’s fall from the cliff, when Mo Xiuyao had killed 7,000 soldiers and occupied the Northwest, he hadn’t truly unleashed his fury. He had even disregarded Mo Jingqi’s decree stripping him of his princely title. But today... looking at the current situation, Lei Tengfeng understood that Mo Xiuyao probably wasn’t going to endure it any longer. Is it because of the Xu Family? He looked at the calmly seated Xu Family members opposite him. From the white-haired Mr. Qingyun to the youngest, Fifth Young Master Xu, each was an outstanding individual of remarkable character. However, to claim Mo Xiuyao was formally breaking with Mo Jingqi solely for their sake didn’t entirely add up, as the Xu Family had resided in the Northwest for some time.
The Southern Garrison Prince sneered. "Mo Xiuyao is right; Mo Jingqi truly is an idiot. He’s fallen into Mo Xiuyao’s trap. Mo Xiuyao was waiting for him to make the first move!" Given the pride of the Mo Family Army, it would be strange if they didn’t react to such humiliation from Mo Jingqi.
Amidst the uproar and curses, Mo Xiuyao calmly raised his hand. The shouts of the Mo Family Army soldiers instantly subsided. All eyes turned to Mo Xiuyao as he slowly rose from his seat, Ye Li rising with him. The two of them, standing shoulder to shoulder high above the assembly, suddenly inspired a profound sense of reverence in all who looked up. Mo Xiuyao, with a cool smile, looked at the Minister of Ministry of Rites, whose face had turned livid with rage. Then his gaze swept over Mo Jingli.
Mo Jingli suddenly felt his chest tighten. He stared intently at Mo Xiuyao, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists behind his back. Mo Xiuyao, what exactly are you planning?
They heard Mo Xiuyao say, "I’ve heard clearly what Mo Jingqi wants to say. Coincidentally, everyone is here today, and I also have a few words to convey. Listen carefully, and then repeat them to Mo Jingqi, word for word."
Behind him, Zhuo Jing stepped forward, holding a scroll of imperial yellow silk. Mo Xiuyao took it, glanced at it without even unrolling it, then casually tossed it down, saying, "Third Feng, read!"
Third Feng, who had been drinking with Zhang Qilan, leaped from where she sat. Her stunning red robes billowed as she somersaulted in mid-air, resembling a crimson cloud drifting down into the center of the hall, the imperial yellow silk scroll now clutched in her hand.
"Mo Jingqi is fatuous and incompetent, framing loyal and worthy officials! As an emperor, he gives no thought to the peace and stability of the nation. He first colluded with enemy nations to plot against the former Prince Ding, Mo Xiuwen, leading to the former Prince’s sudden death at the border and the unjust deaths of tens of thousands of Mo Family Army soldiers! Later, he again colluded with enemy nations, intending to destroy the Mo Family Army and this Prince! The Great Chu imperial family—first, the blood feud for the murder of our fathers and brothers; then, the hatred born of their slander and persecution! For generations, the Mo Family Army has served Great Chu with unwavering loyalty, never flinching even in the face of a hundred deaths! Today, to suffer such humiliation and bear such enmity brings shame upon our ancestors and denies peace to the heroic souls of our fallen! From this day forward, with Feihong Pass as the border, the Mo Family Army and Great Chu shall henceforth be separate realms, governed independently! All bonds of loyalty and obligation are hereby severed!" Feng Zhiyao read from the silk scroll, her voice seemingly imbued with internal energy. Not only the already hushed city tower, but even the distant, bustling streets instantly fell silent. Feng Zhiyao’s clear and solemn voice immediately resounded through most of Ruyang City.
"The Great Chu imperial family murdered my father and brother, and desecrated the memory of our heroic dead! This Prince and the Great Chu imperial family, from this day forward, sever all bonds of loyalty and obligation! We shall have no further dealings!" Finally, Mo Xiuyao’s voice thundered across the entirety of Ruyang City.
On the city tower, the soldiers of the Mo Family Army rose to their feet, roaring their approval of the Prince’s wise decision. Beside them, Mo Jingli’s expression was complex and inscrutable. Meanwhile, the Minister of Ministry of Rites, who had earlier been livid, was now deathly pale and looked as if he might collapse at any moment.
