"Since you're here, stay in the camp and don't wander around. The Northwest isn't safe these days," Ji Mohan said, looking at Ji Moting, whose eyes were clear.
My fourth brother grew up in the capital and now that he's in the Northwest, he probably won't be able to adapt quickly. Plus, with the civil war with Uncle An imminent and me having many things to do, I'm afraid I won't be able to spend time with him.
"Thank you for reminding me, Your Majesty. I understand. Please go ahead and do what you need to do. Don't worry about me. I will take good care of myself." Ji Mo Ting looked at Ji Mo Sheng with pure and bright eyes, which made him seem even more harmless.
"Well, then I'll go and get back to work." Ji Mosheng glanced at him again, still worried, and only after seeing Ji Moting nod affirmatively did he feel relieved and leave.
Ji Moting watched Ji Mosheng's departing figure, lowered his head and smiled, then swaggered into the tent, looking unrestrained and carefree.
After returning to his tent, Ji Mosheng's gentle smile faded, revealing a cold and aloof expression. Ye Xiao, standing to the side, saw his master's expression and knew he must be in a bad mood, because His Highness the Crown Prince rarely had a blank expression; in front of others, he was always gentle and refined, with a serene smile.
"Ye Xiao, go to Huangzhou City and tell them that Father Emperor wants to meet with Uncle An." Ji Mosheng's cold voice rang out.
Ye Xiao instantly perked up and immediately replied, "Yes, Master."
Ye Xiao had just arrived in Huangzhou. He had been stationed in Yunzhou before, not by the side of his own prince. Now that Prince Han had returned to Yunzhou to be stationed, he was transferred to the side of the crown prince.
Ji Mosheng watched Ye Xiao's retreating figure, lost in thought, wondering if Uncle An would agree to meet with his father.
After leaving for the late-night snack, he led a few guards to the gate tower of Huangzhou. Before they even got close, someone on the gate tower spotted them and shouted, "Who goes there? Why are you approaching the city gate?"
Ye Xiao stopped in his tracks and answered loudly, "Ye Xiao from the Ye family of the East Sea has come on behalf of my lord to deliver a message. Please, Prince An, open the city gates."
"What should we do? Military, should we open the gate or not?" The soldier next to him asked, looking at Li Shu.
Li Shu was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that the person representing Emperor Yin to negotiate would be a young man from the Ye family. Truly, a prodigy among the youth. The Ye family of Donghai, renowned throughout the land, had countless students, with their disciples spread across various states and cities, and the scions they cultivated were all so outstanding.
"Young man from the Ye family, are you here representing the Yin Emperor?" Li Shu asked.
Looking up, Ye Xiao realized that the person he had just spoken to was Li Shu, the head of the Li family in the Northwest, one of the four great families. He respectfully gave a junior's bow and then said, "His Majesty wishes to meet with Prince An. This junior has come on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince to deliver a visiting card."
Li Shu turned to look at Ji Mo'an, who had just climbed onto the city gate tower. He had obviously overheard their conversation over the late-night snack. Li Shu asked, "Your Highness, the Emperor Yin has invited you to meet. Will you accept?"
Ji Mo'an did not stand by the city wall, but rather at a slight distance. Li Shu understood his meaning from his action: he did not intend to respond personally.
Ji Mo Anka, out of the blind spot of the night snack, then parted his thin lips and said, "I agree to his request, but the meeting place must be in Huangzhou City. I wonder if my royal brother has the courage to come in person?"
"Yes, Your Highness." Li Shu understood his meaning, then turned to Ye Xiao and called out, "Young Ye, go back and tell Emperor Yin that a meeting is fine, but he must come in person to meet in Huangzhou City. Our prince will certainly prepare fine wine and food to welcome Emperor Yin."
Li Shu's words were extremely arrogant, as if the whole world belonged to the emperor. Now, he was acting like the master of the land, believing that the emperor was the master of the world. His words clearly showed that he regarded himself as the master, which was undeniably arrogant.
Ye Xiao frowned. Was the head of the Li family senile? Openly challenging His Majesty—did he think the Li family's nine generations of relatives were too peaceful and wanted to dig them up for some excitement? Or did he think the Li family had too many descendants and wanted to reduce their numbers?
Or is it that he's had enough of living, so he's dragging his entire family down with him to their deaths?
Ye Xiao didn't respond to Li Shu's words, but instead bowed to him from a distance before leaving with his men.
After returning to the military camp, Ye Xiao did not rest for long and went straight to Ji Mosheng's tent. "Your Highness."
Ji Mosheng was at his desk reviewing memorials from various regions when he heard the sound of someone having a late-night snack. He looked up and asked, "How is it?"
Ye Xiao nodded slightly and said, "Prince An agreed to meet, but Prince An asked His Majesty to meet him in Huangzhou City."
Ji Mosheng was silent for a moment, his wolfish ambitions obvious. He sighed, waved his hand at Ye Xiao, and said, "I understand. You may leave."
"Yes." Ye Xiao bowed respectfully and then withdrew.
After the late-night snack ended, Ji Mosheng got up and walked out of the tent, heading to the largest tent next to it.
"Eunuch Li, please inform the Emperor that I have business with him," Ji Mosheng said to the eunuch beside him.
"Yes, Your Highness, I'll go and inform them right away." Eunuch Li smiled obsequiously and dragged his obese body inside.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience," Eunuch Li said as he entered the tent and addressed the figure in bright yellow robes.
"Summon them." The emperor's majestic voice came from above.
"Yes. Summon His Highness the Crown Prince to an audience," Eunuch Li announced loudly in his hoarse voice.
Upon hearing this, Ji Mosheng went inside and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
"Oh, Crown Prince, please rise." The emperor at the head of the table said gently, after all, this child was the one who was most worry-free for him, and the one who would inherit the throne in the future.
"Thank you, Father." After getting up from the ground, Ji Mosheng continued, "Father, Uncle An has agreed to meet with you, but..." Ji Mosheng did not finish his sentence. He knew that if he said this, his father would definitely be angry.
"Your Highness, speak your mind directly, don't beat around the bush," the old emperor said sternly, his expression hardening.
"Yes, Father, Uncle An said that you need to go to Huangzhou City to meet him." Ji Mosheng's eyes darkened as he spoke directly.
Bang! The inkstone was smashed in two, which was enough to prove how angry the old emperor was.
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" The old emperor's chest heaved with rage.
"Father, please calm your anger." Ji Mosheng hurriedly knelt on the ground.
After the old emperor had vented his anger, he said in a deep voice, "Go and tell him that I have agreed."
"Yes, Father, then I shall take my leave," Ji Mosheng said tentatively.
"Oh, right, you'll accompany me tomorrow," the old emperor said suddenly, as if remembering something.
"Yes." Ji Mosheng obediently agreed, but the moment he turned around, his expression changed. Did his father want to drag him into this mess as well?
Then he will disappoint his father.
The next day, Ji Mosheng accompanied the old emperor into Yunzhou City. He had already made all the necessary arrangements, and if anything happened to them in the city, his spies within the city would protect them.
The old emperor and Ji Mosheng followed the attendants to a mansion and stopped. The mansion gate slowly opened, and Ji Moan came out. Li Shu, who was beside him, walked to Ji Mosheng first and said, "Your Highness, please come with me."
Ji Mosheng glanced at the old emperor, who did not stop him, so he followed Li Shu away, leaving only Ji Moan and the old emperor behind.
Ji Mo'an spoke first: "Brother, it's been a long time. I wonder if you still remember me?"
Seeing that there were no outsiders around, the old emperor simply stopped pretending and said directly, "I didn't expect that you would still be alive after all these years. Your methods have really improved, brother. It's no wonder that you hid for so many years without your brother finding out."
Ji Mo'an asked with a cold laugh, "If my royal brother knew I was alive, would he still have let me go?"
The old emperor remained silent; the answer was obvious: if he had known he was alive, he would not have let him go.
We are all born of the same root, why are we so eager to harm each other?
Ji Mo'an closed his eyes and said, "Brother, we are siblings from the same mother, blood is thicker than water. Why didn't you spare my life back then? You know I will not seize the throne."
"Heh heh, An Di, we are both children of Father and Mother, but why is it that Father and Mother favor you the most? You grew up under their doting love, while I tried my best but couldn't get their reward. In the end, Father still wants to pass the throne to you. So my title of Crown Prince all these years is just a joke." The old emperor roared emotionally.
To this day, he still doesn't understand what he did wrong, why his father and mother didn't love him, when they weren't like this before his younger brother was born.
Everything changed after Andy was born.
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