Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 222 - 221. Speak with heart and soul

221. Trust Completely

"Just friends?" The single sentence clearly expressed Xu Qingchen’s refusal. Ye Li could only sigh inwardly with regret. It seemed her Big Brother and Princess Anxi were simply not fated to be together.

Ye Li put down her chess piece and looked at Xu Qingchen. "Since that’s the case, Li’er won’t press you further on this. But... Big Brother, if you truly don’t feel that way, you should make things clear to Princess Anxi as soon as possible." Xu Qingchen nodded. "I understand. Is there anything else Li’er wants to say?" Ye Li looked at Xu Qingchen seriously and asked, "Big Brother, are you and Uncle still worried about the Prince or Prince Ding’s Mansion?" Xu Qingchen paused, then also put down his chess piece and looked at Ye Li. "Li’er, why would you think that?"

Ye Li smiled gently. "Big Brother, Li’er practically grew up in the Xu Family. I haven’t forgotten the teachings Uncle and you, Big Brother, imparted to Li’er when I was young. Both you and Uncle possess world-managing talents. To find even one such person is rare, yet the Xu Family is fortunate enough to have two. Many matters in the Northwest recently have troubled you and Uncle, but... with your and Uncle’s abilities, it shouldn’t have been this strenuous, should it?" Xu Qingchen lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Is this about Prince Ding’s intentions?"

Ye Li shook her head. "If even Li’er can see it, how could the Prince not? He hasn’t said anything, though. Big Brother, you and Uncle have been concealing your brilliance. Is it because you’re uneasy about the Prince and Prince Ding’s Mansion?"

After a moment of silence, Xu Qingchen shook his head. "No, we’re just a bit weary."

"Weary?" Ye Li was puzzled. Xu Qingchen smiled. "Li’er, regardless of the hardships the Xu Family has endured over the years, the Yunzhou Xu Clan’s reputation as the foremost scholars of the age has stood for centuries. The Xu Clan has survived two dynasties because generations of our clan have trodden carefully. ’Those who stand at the peak feel the deepest cold.’ If the Xu Family doesn’t want its descendants to walk the same path as us, then... allowing the Xu Family’s fame to gradually fade is the best choice." Ye Li lowered her head. "Big Brother, is it that you don’t trust Li’er?"

Xu Qingchen shook his head. "No, Big Brother doesn’t distrust you, nor do I distrust Prince Ding. But what about after you and Prince Ding? How should your descendants face the Xu Clan? Having weathered three dynasties, we hold the merit of aiding two of them to the throne. Who would trust such a family? Who wouldn’t be wary? Recall the profound brotherhood between the Great Ancestor Emperor and the first Prince Ding. How did that end?"

"Big Brother..." Ye Li sighed. She knew all too well the precarious position of the Xu Family. If the Mo Family Army truly contended for supremacy and ultimately unified the Central Plains, the Xu Family would inevitably become the most significant founding contributors. A family that had endured through three dynasties, that had betrayed a previous dynasty to support Great Chu, and then betrayed Great Chu to support Prince Ding—even with a reputation as the foremost moral exemplars of the realm, they could not completely dispel the suspicions of the world and its rulers. Xu Qingchen looked at her with a gentle smile. "Li’er, don’t worry. The Xu Family will remain in the Northwest and support Prince Ding until he no longer needs us." Ye Li frowned. "You mean as strategists?"

"Precisely," Xu Qingchen nodded with a smile.

"Absolutely not!" Ye Li refused adamantly. "Big Brother, you know that historically, strategists rarely meet good ends. These so-called strategists offer counsel from the shadows, devising plans for their lord. Because they know too many secrets, they are always the type to be cast aside once the birds are gone and the bow is stored. Even the civil and military officials around the monarch generally harbor no goodwill towards such individuals. Too much intelligence invites suspicion; incompetence leads to abandonment. If such a role were forced upon Big Brother and Uncle, I would rather they retire to the mountains now and ignore worldly affairs." Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Does Li’er believe Prince Ding is the kind of man to discard an accomplished subordinate?"

Ye Li shook her head and said firmly, "Regardless, it’s unacceptable! Big Brother, if you and Uncle trust Li’er, then please stay in the Northwest with peace of mind. Whatever the future may hold, Li’er is willing to stake her life to guarantee that the Xu Family can withdraw safely within my lifetime. If Big Brother and Uncle don’t believe me, then Li’er will go plead with the Prince to let the Xu Clan retire from worldly affairs now."

"Li’er..."

Shaking her head, Ye Li gazed at Xu Qingchen with bright, determined eyes. "Li’er knows Big Brother and Uncle are considering my interests. If the Prince relies too heavily on the Xu Family, the established officials of Prince Ding’s Mansion will inevitably resent Li’er. However, Li’er absolutely cannot let Uncle and Big Brother suffer such indignity. You and Uncle are talents capable of governing the world, not schemers who hide in the shadows and plot."

"Ah-Li is right." Before Xu Qingchen could respond, Mo Xiuyao’s approving voice came from behind them. They turned to see Mo Xiuyao strolling over, his white hair drifting gently around him. Just as Xu Qingchen started to rise, Mo Xiuyao reached him and, with a light press of his hand, urged him to remain seated, smiling. "I didn’t expect to find Ah-Li and Big Brother chatting here. As it happens, I also wanted to speak with Big Brother. I hope Big Brother doesn’t mind me joining?" The repeated use of "Big Brother" made Xu Qingchen’s mouth twitch; Mo Xiuyao had adamantly refused to call him that before. Xu Qingchen looked up and smiled faintly. "Please be seated, Prince."

Mo Xiuyao sat beside Ye Li and said to Xu Qingchen with a serious expression, "I cannot guarantee the Xu Family a century of prosperity, but as Ah-Li said, I can guarantee the Xu Family will be able to withdraw safely during my lifetime. Does Big Brother believe me?"

Xu Qingchen remained silent for a moment before looking up with a smile. "The Prince’s word is worth nine sacred tripods; how could I dare not believe it? However, let’s dispense with the ’Big Brother.’ The Prince may simply call me by my name."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. Xu Qingchen shook his head with a smile. "It’s important to maintain a clear distinction between public and private matters. This is beneficial for the Prince, for Li’er, and for avoiding any appearance of impropriety or falsehood."

Instantly understanding Xu Qingchen’s meaning, Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Then I shall toast Young Master Qingchen with tea in place of wine."

"My thanks."

With the prescription provided by the ailing scholar, Shen Yang and Doctor Lin were able to prepare the medicine with much greater efficiency. First, they carefully verified that the scholar’s prescription was indeed an ancient formula passed down from a thousand years ago. Then, using various methods and their own pharmacological knowledge, they confirmed its authenticity and predicted the potential effects of the resulting medicine. It took a full half-month to refine what might have been the world’s last Bilo flower into pills for Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. The Bilo flower was not small, and countless precious medicinal ingredients were added. However, in the end, only five pills were produced. If the Bilo flower was truly extinct, then these five pills were arguably the only ones of their kind left in the world.

The sight of the dark brown pills, which emanated a pleasant fragrance, brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Shen Yang said with a faint smile, "The Prince may take one pill first, and another three days later. This should completely neutralize the potent poison in your body. As for this sickly young man, his constitution is too fragile. He can only take a quarter of a pill each time, dissolved in water, once every five days. He will only need one pill in total. Afterward, he just needs to find a skilled physician for proper recuperation." The ailing scholar shot him a cold look. "You refined five pills in total, and you’re only allocating one to me?" Doctor Lin sneered. "We only require two for ourselves. Why don’t you take the rest and try Prince Ding’s dosage? Take a whole pill at once and see what happens! Then you can blame the physicians for prescribing too light a dose, can’t you?" He was clearly stating that the scholar’s body was too weak and couldn’t handle a strong tonic; a heavier dose would indeed work faster, but the scholar’s body wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Ling Tiehan patted the ailing scholar’s shoulder and accepted the medicine vial from Shen Yang with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Shen and Doctor Lin, for your efforts." The two Divine Doctors’ expressions softened somewhat. Doctor Lin casually tossed out two prescriptions. "Use these. After a year or so of recuperation, he should be mostly recovered. He must pay attention to his daily habits and cultivate his health to prevent any recurrence of his ailments." Ling Tiehan carefully put away the prescriptions and sincerely thanked Doctor Lin. Although the ailing scholar remained silent, the light in his eyes visibly brightened upon hearing Doctor Lin’s words.

Indeed, the medicine personally concocted by the two Divine Doctors had a miraculously potent effect. After just one pill, the poison in Mo Xiuyao had significantly diminished. His complexion was no longer as pale, and even his usually cold body temperature had returned somewhat to normal. It was believed that once the toxins were completely purged and after a year or two of recuperation, Mo Xiuyao’s health would be fully restored. However, ever since the detoxification began, Mo Xiuyao’s leg—which had been fine for over a year—started to ache faintly again. This compelled Ye Li to take him to Shen Yang for another examination. Shen Yang, as expected, was not surprised. Stroking his fine beard, he said, "As I mentioned last year, the Prince’s ability to walk freely was due to the spider brake. The fire poison of the spider brake is fiercely potent, almost comparable to the cold poison of the Frigid Pool. It was this fire poison that temporarily cleared the meridians in the Prince’s legs, which had been blocked due to his severe injuries. Now that the toxins in the Prince’s body are being cleared, the original leg injury will naturally resurface."

Ye Li furrowed her brow. "Does this mean that after the poison is completely cleared from the Prince’s body, he might have difficulty walking again?"

Hearing her words, Mo Xiuyao turned his head towards Ye Li and gently squeezed her hand. She offered him a faint smile in return.

Shen Yang said, "It won’t be that severe. When the spider brake’s fire poison was introduced into the Prince’s leg, it did manage to open some of the meridians that were completely blocked. However, the Prince’s original injury was quite serious, and it’s an old wound from ten years ago; it’s impossible for there not to be some lingering consequences. The current discomfort is merely a temporary reaction as the poison is cleared. Once the toxins are fully expelled from the Prince’s body, I will prescribe some medicine for old injuries. In the future, he might only experience some trouble when the weather is overcast and rainy. Many people suffer from this; it’s not a major issue." Hearing Shen Yang’s explanation, Ye Li finally felt relieved. Indeed, even in her previous life, severe external trauma, despite long-term rehabilitation, might not heal completely without any after-effects. Mo Xiuyao’s injury was already a decade old; occasional leg pain during damp and rainy weather was a relatively good outcome. Nodding, Ye Li said, "Then we will have to trouble Mr. Shen further."

As Shen Yang packed his things, he said with a smile, "Princess Consort, there’s no need for such formality. After all these years, the Prince’s condition is finally improving. It’s a great relief to me as well." Ye Li knew Shen Yang had remained at Prince Ding’s Mansion all these years, never leaving, because of Mo Xiuyao’s illness and his old friendship with Mo Liufang. Thus, she offered no more words of thanks. Considering all Shen Yang had done for Mo Xiuyao and Prince Ding’s Mansion over the years, mere verbal gratitude would indeed seem insincere.

The trusted members of Prince Ding’s Mansion were all secretly rejoicing that the Prince’s health was on the verge of full recovery. However, an undercurrent was surging throughout the Northwest. After Tan Jizhi’s whereabouts and news of the Imperial Jade Seal were suddenly leaked from an unknown source, countless secret clashes occurred beneath the outwardly calm surface of the Northwest, though it appeared peaceful.

Originally, Tan Jizhi had only intended to come to the Northwest to retrieve Shu Manlin and, incidentally, cause some trouble for Mo Xiuyao. However, ever since entering the Northwest, nothing had gone smoothly. First, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li. Then, his whereabouts and identity were suddenly exposed to the entire world. Consequently, he was so busy fending off various parties who came demanding the Imperial Jade Seal and the treasure’s location that he had no energy left to bother Mo Xiuyao.

Tan Jizhi also understood that Prince Ding’s Mansion was definitely fanning the flames behind his current predicament. But he had been the one to unscrupulously frame Prince Ding’s Mansion for possessing the Imperial Jade Seal in the first place. Now that he was suffering the consequences of his own actions, he couldn’t very well blame Prince Ding’s Mansion for kicking him while he was down.

In the dead of night, Tan Jizhi calmly regarded the black-clad men blocking his path. "To which group do you esteemed friends belong?" he asked softly. "And how might I have offended you?"

The leader of the black-clad men said coldly, "Tan Jizhi, spare us the pretense. Hand over the Imperial Jade Seal and the treasure’s location, and we can spare your life!" Tan Jizhi laughed coldly. "You’re not the first to ask me for the treasure, nor will you be the last. I don’t know where you heard about any Imperial Jade Seal or treasure, but I have only one thing to say: I don’t have it!"

The black-clad man sneered. "Lin Yuan, orphan of the former imperial family. If we hadn’t confirmed your identity, why would we have come here? You’d best tell us the treasure’s location honestly, or don’t blame us for being discourteous."

Tan Jizhi closed his eyes in frustration for a moment, then surveyed the black-clad men encircling him. These past few days, he had become numb from dealing with such people. His identity as a scion of the former imperial family indeed made the claim that he knew the treasure’s location much more credible. Tan Jizhi himself had unspeakable difficulties; if he actually knew the treasure’s whereabouts, he wouldn’t be wandering aimlessly in the Northwest. He had managed to fight off the previous groups, but now he was alone and clearly no match for the black-clad men surrounding him.

After some thought, Tan Jizhi said, "You want to know the treasure’s location? Fine. But how can I be sure you won’t kill me to silence me after you get the map?"

The black-clad man chuckled. "Young Master Tan, you needn’t worry. We’re only after wealth, not your life. As long as Young Master Tan hands over the treasure’s location, you can leave at any time." Tan Jizhi raised an eyebrow. "And what if I give you a fake?"

"Unless Young Master Tan plans to disappear forever. You should know, this world may be vast, but there aren’t many places where someone like Young Master Tan can hide." Tan Jizhi nodded. "Alright, I’ll give it to you!" With that, he flicked his sleeve, and a rolled-up paper slipped out. The black-clad man caught it and unrolled it, revealing a map with distinctive markings.

"I trust Young Master Tan. Farewell." Waving his hand, he led his contingent of black-clad men away silently. Tan Jizhi stood alone in the clearing, a glint of cold light in his eyes. He smiled faintly. Since one treasure map has already been distributed, what harm is there in giving out a few more?