Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 261 - 260. Father and Son Legal Fight

260. Father-Son Battle of Wits

Warfare doesn’t happen at one’s beck and call. Although there were signs of smoke from riots once again outside the Northwest, the people within were still living their lives in peace. They believed that whatever happened, as long as the Mo Family Army was around, their homes wouldn’t go up in flames.

However, the officials and generals at Prince Ding’s Mansion all knew deep down that this tranquility wouldn’t last long. Quietly, they were all preparing for battle.

Within Prince Ding’s Mansion, Mo Xiuyao didn’t seem particularly concerned about the situation outside. After the military drill, he rewarded the meritorious soldiers and sent the ones that needed discipline to be dealt with accordingly. Then he resumed his life as a peaceful prince. Apart from dealing with unavoidable political matters, he spent his days teasing Ye Li or bullying Mo Xiaobao, living a life of leisure.

On this particular day, Mo Xiaobao, who had finally gotten a day off from Mr. Qingyun, found himself once again being bullied by his irresponsible father. His eyes were brimming with tears as he looked at his mother with great indignation.

Ye Li couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation. It seemed like this father-son pair could never exist in peace for even two hours. Due to his youth, Mo Xiaobao was not strong enough to fight back and thus ended up being bullied all the time. Any normal person would have fled as far away as possible from Mo Xiuyao by now.

But not Mo Xiaobao. He always loved a challenge, even if it meant seeking out trouble when there was none. He lost more battles than he won, but that never discouraged him.

Mo Xiuyao, resting leisurely on his couch, sneered as he watched Mo Xiaobao play the victim. Playing innocent? That’s something I perfected long ago. Obviously, Prince Ding would never acknowledge that in comparison to his son’s plump, tender, innocent, and teary eyes, his own attempts at appearing pitiful fell significantly short.

Besides, as a father, it’s disgraceful to compete with my son in pretending to be pitiful. It’s far too undignified. Therefore, Prince Ding firmly rejected this approach. Honestly, Prince Ding, as a father, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to take advantage of your age to bully a five-year-old child?

Of course, he could not foresee that Mo Xiaobao, without any guidance, would one day master the art of fake innocence and evolve into a seemingly harmless white kitten with a cunning and deceitful mind beneath the surface, leaving Mo Xiuyao with numerous stomachaches. That was beyond his prediction.

Ye Li bent down to pick up her teary-eyed son, gently ruffled his hair and said, "Good boy Xiaobao, Mom will take you out to have some fun. Let’s not play with Father anymore."

Immediately, Mo Xiaobao threw his arms around Ye Li’s neck, sporting a huge smile. "Mother is the best! Xiaobao loves Mother the most!"

Ye Li was speechless. I know this little rascal is acting, she thought. However, his pitiful looks were too much for most people to bear, even if they were feigned. Sometimes, I wonder whose traits my son inherited. Neither Mo Xiuyao nor I are the type to express our emotions openly. Mo Xiuyao might occasionally indulge in some theatrics, but I’d bet he was never able to cry on demand during his childhood like Xiaobao can. If his lively personality is reminiscent of Xu Qingyan, well, Xu Qingyan at five probably didn’t have a fraction of the cunning Mo Xiaobao has.

"Xiaobao, come here. Daddy has something to tell you." Mo Xiuyao, reclining on the couch, squinted and beckoned Mo Xiaobao over with a friendly smile.

Mo Xiaobao had a bad feeling about this. He clung to Ye Li’s neck, shaking his head, and buried his face in her neck. Mo Xiuyao didn’t get angry; instead, he chuckled and said, "Really? You sure you won’t regret it? Ah well... just remember, when you regret it later, don’t say that I, as your father, didn’t care for you or didn’t warn you."

Mo Xiaobao discreetly perked up his ears. Torn, he glanced back subtly at Mo Xiuyao, who was still relaxing on the couch with his eyes closed. Mo Xiuyao continued, as if talking to himself, "You know, back in the day, I nearly ended up looking like Zhang Qilan. If it hadn’t been for your grandfather—my father—warning me, the renowned good looks of our Prince Ding’s Mansion might have ended with me."

Mo Xiaobao turned pale with fright. Becoming like General Zhang?! The image of Zhang Qilan flashed in his mind, and he promptly shook his head in horror to erase the dreadful picture. It wasn’t that Zhang Qilan was unsightly; after all, the General was a man with upright features and a commanding presence. Anywhere he went, he would be recognized as a striking figure. However, Mo Xiaobao, the young heir, held exceedingly high standards for his own appearance. If I can’t look like Big Uncle, there’s still Third Feng or Han Mingxi! Or even my own royal father! General Zhang’s appearance simply did not fit Mo Xiaobao’s aesthetic taste.

Therefore, with his future beauty at stake, Mo Xiaobao kicked his tiny legs, signaling Ye Li to put him down, and he took a cautious stance in front of Mo Xiuyao.

After a good while, Mo Xiuyao lazily opened his eyes. He squinted, giving Mo Xiaobao a measured look for a long moment, then slowly reached out to pinch Mo Xiaobao’s chubby face... PINCH! RUB! PINCH!

Mo Xiaobao stared angrily at his father, whining despite not feeling much pain. However, this represented yet another defeat to this man in front of his mother. Mo Xiuyao sat up and leaned in to take a closer look at the little face he had reddened, grinning menacingly. "Do you realize you’re quite chubby? How dare you ask your mother to carry you? One day she’ll be worn out by you, my little fatty. Look at you, all chubby, yet insisting on eating meat every day. When I was five, your father wasn’t even half as chubby as you. What do you think? Will you be even chubbier than Zhang Qilan when you grow up? I think instead of calling you Mo Xiaobao, we should call you ’Mo Great Fatty.’ How about it?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Xiaobao looked down at his plump, fair little hands, his fragile heart crushed by the image his father painted. With a mournful look at Mo Xiuyao, he turned and ran away, WAAAH... "Big Uncle, Father is bullying me..."

"Xiuyao!" Ye Li frowned, casting an unhappy glance at the man laughing uncontrollably on the couch. "How can you talk to a child like that?" she chided. "It’s very easy to wound a young child’s self-esteem. Besides, Xiaobao isn’t as chubby as you make him out to be. It’s just that his great-grandfather, Mr. Qingyun, has been taking particularly good care of him. He looks a little sturdier than other children his age, and a bit of chubbiness in kids is a good thing."

Mo Xiuyao grunted. "I’m doing this for his own good. He’ll be starting formal martial arts training soon, and being too chubby will only make it harder for him. Ah-Li, make more vegetarian dishes for him when he’s back."

Ye Li sighed, touching her forehead. So, this is all because I cooked all of Xiaobao’s favorite meat dishes last night and neglected a certain someone a little. After all, Xiaobao loves meat, while Mo Xiuyao prefers vegetarian food.

"Got it. When Xiaobao returns to the academy, I’ll cook your favorite dishes myself, okay?" Ye Li said this, though unlike wives who dutifully cooked for their husbands all the time, she hardly ever cooked.

Hearing her promise, Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Only make them for me."

Ye Li nodded and warned, "And you must not bully Xiaobao!"

Mo Xiuyao waved dismissively. "Don’t worry, that kid is as resilient as a cockroach. He’ll come running back all cheerful in no time."

Ye Li was speechless. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she pinched his waist harshly. Meeting his confused gaze, Ye Li sneered, "If Xiaobao is ’resilient as a cockroach,’ then what does that make you?"

"..."

As predicted, within an hour, Mo Xiaobao cheerfully returned to Ye Li’s side. Looking at Ye Li shyly, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Ye Li held back her laughter and asked, "What does Xiaobao want to say?"

Mo Xiaobao said shyly, "Big Uncle said... even if Xiaobao really grows up to be like General Zhang, and even if the whole world despises Xiaobao, Mother will never despise Xiaobao. Is that true?"

Ye Li shot Mo Xiuyao a covert glare, then smiled and said, "Of course. No matter how Xiaobao changes, you will always be Mother’s darling. No mother in the world would despise her own child."

Mo Xiaobao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "I understand! I... I won’t eat meat anymore."

Ye Li caressed her son’s face and said, "You should still eat meat, but you should also have vegetables. It’s not good to be picky about food like yesterday, understand?"

"I understand. Then..." Xiaobao became shy once more. "Can Mother still hold Xiaobao?"

Mo Xiuyao cringed. Who on earth has this damned kid been learning from? There has never been such a strange specimen in Prince Ding’s Mansion in all its history! Is that bashful look really supposed to be endearing? Xu Qingchen! It must be him who has corrupted Mo Xiaobao. Just you wait, Xu Qingchen!

Ye Li laughed and said, "Of course, I can."

Mo Xiaobao nodded solemnly. "When Xiaobao grows up, he won’t need Mother to hold him anymore. Xiaobao can hug Mother. But now Xiaobao is still small, so... Mother’s hug..."

He’s so thoughtful and filial! Ye Li’s heart melted, feeling as soft as a cloud. She bent down, sat Mo Xiaobao on her lap, and lowered her head to give him a kiss. "Mother will remember Xiaobao’s words."

Initially, the plan was to take Mo Xiaobao out to play. However, Prince Ding, who couldn’t be bothered with his official duties, insisted on joining them under the pretext of protecting his wife and child. Inside the carriage, Mo Xiaobao, lying on his mother’s lap, shot his father a contemptuous look, supposedly on behalf of his uncle.

Mo Xiuyao didn’t care at all, raising his eyebrows with a smirk. "Kid, what do you know? This is called ’letting everyone give their best and putting everything to its best use.’ It’s also called ’knowing how to use people wisely.’ Since your Uncle Xu is so capable, why should I exhaust myself dealing with those trivial matters? In the Northwest, I, your father, am in charge. I only need to set a direction and a goal, and naturally, countless people will strive to achieve it."

"Lazy! My Big Uncle said that an emperor who is lazy and neglects affairs of state is an incompetent ruler! So, a prince who doesn’t attend to political affairs is also an incompetent prince!" The small, soft dumpling on Ye Li’s lap solemnly discussed the matter of diligent governance.

"Please say that this prince is skilled at managing his subordinates, thank you," Mo Xiuyao said lazily, pityingly glancing at his son who wanted to argue persistently. Silly boy, you’ve been tricked by your uncle and you don’t even know it. He’s just afraid that when you grow up, you’ll be just like your father and do nothing, burdening him as well.

However, your father won’t let you become like me, because I’m waiting for you to grow up and take over my responsibilities. By then, I’ll take Ah-Li and run far away, holding my wife... ah, sweet dreams!

The little dumpling, unaware he’d been duped first by his father and then by his uncle, widened his eyes. "That’s not true! Big Uncle said that a diligent ruler is a good ruler!" Whatever Big Uncle says is right!

"Thanks for the reminder, but I’m not the emperor," Mo Xiuyao said listlessly.

Even though he had learned a lot, a five-year-old dumpling might not fully understand the difference between a prince and an emperor. Moreover, in the Northwest, the difference between an emperor and a prince wasn’t significant.

Mo Xiaobao’s understanding was this: other places had many princes, so those princes had to obey the emperor. But in the Northwest, his father was the only prince, and he didn’t have to listen to any emperor. Therefore, his father, this Prince, was unique and the greatest prince in the world! What’s so great about being an emperor? There was one in Xiling, one in Great Chu, and one each in Beirong and Nanzhao. Too many emperors made them less valuable. But there was only one Prince Ding! If one was to be something, one should aim to be the most unique and valuable, like Prince Ding! These peculiar views of Mo Xiaobao directly resulted in the establishment of an empire being delayed for many, many years.

Unable to win the argument with his father, Mo Xiaobao proudly turned his head and collapsed into his mother’s arms, HUMPHING. Mo Xiuyao ignored him, smiling as he said, "Son, your great-grandfather must have told you many historical accounts. There have been emperors who only attended court once every ten days or half a month, yet their countries remained prosperous and their people thrived. There have also been emperors who rose at the fifth watch and slept late into the night, yet their empires still fell. So, being a good emperor isn’t directly correlated with how diligent you are."

Mo Xiaobao thought about it and climbed out of his mother’s arms to nod. "I know, it also has to do with how smart you are. The emperor you just mentioned who wakes up at dawn and sleeps at midnight is the stupid emperor of Great Chu." After saying this, Mo Xiaobao nodded heavily to confirm his thoughts.

Seeing him so serious, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but laugh. "How do you know it’s that idiot? He hasn’t lost his empire yet."

Mo Jingqi indeed rises at the fifth watch and sleeps late, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s diligent, Mo Xiuyao thought. It’s more likely because he’s busy guarding against everyone and everything, so he can’t sleep.

Mo Xiaobao said seriously, "He’s certainly an idiot. He drove out Father, he also drove out Grand-Uncle and Uncle! He fancies that awful Prime Minister Liu’s family and doesn’t like Sister Wuyou’s mother. Even his own birth mother and brother don’t like him, and Sister Wuyou dislikes him too. Big Uncle Xu said this is called ’destroying one’s own bulwarks,’ and Third Feng said he’s ’masterfully courting death.’"

Ye Li, who had initially found the conversation interesting, now didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of nonsense has this child been learning?

They laughed and joked all the way, making time pass quickly. Before they knew it, it was already noon. The carriage carrying them stopped in front of a mountain. From this point on, they had to proceed on foot. Naturally, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t let Ye Li carry Mo Xiaobao, who was showing a tendency towards chubbiness, on such a long walk, so he carried him. Mo Xiaobao showed no discomfort in his father’s arms. Lying there contentedly, he looked curiously at everything around them and asked, "Mother, where are we going?"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "You’ll know when we get there."

Actually, their father-son relationship isn’t as bad as it seems, Ye Li mused. Despite the occasional squabbles, it was clear Mo Xiaobao held no real grudges against his rather unscrupulous father; otherwise, he wouldn’t be lying in his arms so contentedly.

The group walked into the mountain. After covering a distance of no more than five li, the security gradually tightened. The deeper they went, the stricter it became, with soldiers stationed along the way saluting Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li. They continued until they were stopped in front of a checkpoint, where a guard demanded, "Token, password!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Mo Xiuyao knew of this place but had never actually been here, as Ye Li handled everything related to it. He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Does this Prince also require a token and password?"

The soldiers guarding the checkpoint remained unmoved. "Token and password."

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and looked at Ye Li. With his keen senses, he could feel at least a hundred arrows aimed in their direction. Without the so-called token and password, he had no doubt these soldiers would shoot.

Ye Li took out a uniquely styled token and presented it, saying calmly, "Token is ’Army Soul.’ Password is ’Return Command.’"

The soldier inspected the token to confirm its authenticity, then returned it. "Countersign: Fearless. Princess Consort, please enter."

Once inside, they passed through three or four similar checkpoints. Each one required a different password. Considering the advantageous terrain and such stringent defenses, even Mo Xiuyao wasn’t confident he could infiltrate this place unscathed.

"Ah-Li, now I am increasingly curious about what exactly is in here," Mo Xiuyao commented.

This mysterious place wasn’t far from Licheng, but no one could have guessed that this originally inconspicuous spot was actually the tomb or treasury of the Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty.

This tomb was not as grand and luxurious as typical imperial mausoleums, certainly not as ornate as the decoy tomb near Hongzhou. It was more like a large, unadorned underground palace built into the mountain, lacking magnificent marble carvings, gold, silver, jewels, or other rare treasures. Anyone seeking riches here would surely be greatly disappointed.

Now, there were already quite a few people bustling about inside. Mo Xiuyao curiously watched these people busy forging peculiarly shaped ironware. Particular attention was being paid to the innermost area, where many people were studying a hollow copper pillar, as thick as a man, which was mounted on a small cart. Although he didn’t know what it was, for some reason, Mo Xiuyao intuitively felt a sense of danger from the hollow pillar.

Inconspicuously moving himself away from the opening of the copper pillar, Mo Xiuyao turned to Ye Li with a raised eyebrow. "Ah-Li, is this what the Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty left behind? To be honest, I really don’t understand what these things are."

When I first came here, I was truly taken aback by what the Great Founding Emperor of the preceding dynasty had left, Ye Li thought, looking at him and sighing softly. "To be honest, I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing either."

I had my doubts back then—is it really good to force a leap from the age of cold weapons directly to an age of firearms, bypassing natural development? Perhaps that senior emperor also hesitated, which is why these things were never actually used. That would explain why nothing that shouldn’t have existed in that era ever appeared in the history of the previous dynasty.

"So... has Ah-Li figured it out now?" asked Mo Xiuyao with a smile.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Let’s just let nature take its course."