332. Distinguished Guests Arrive, the Seventh Prince's Consort

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao were chatting in the study room for a while, when Chief Steward Mo came to report, "Prince, Princess, Prince Li and others are fighting in the front yard." Upon hearing this, Mo Xiuyao's eyes flashed with annoyance, and he frowned and said, "Are the guards of Prince Ding's Mansion all freeloaders? Just throw them out with me, no need to give me face!"

Chief Steward Mo hesitated for a moment, and then said, "But... the one who fought with Prince Li was the wife of the King of Nanzhao."

Ye Li stood up and said to Mo Xiu Yao with a smile: "How could these two people fight? Guests are welcome, so let's go and take a look." Ye Li said so, and no matter how unhappy Mo Xiu Yao was, he had to go out with Ye Li to the front yard with a gloomy face.

The fight took place in the courtyard at the entrance of Prince Ding's Mansion. The front yard of Prince Ding's Mansion is decorated in a very generous and simple manner, with a huge nine-dragon flying screen wall separating the empty courtyard in front and back. As soon as you enter the door, you will see nine lifelike flying dragons, which are so imposing that people can't help but be daunted. Behind the screen wall is the hall at the front of the main axis of Prince Ding's Mansion. Outside the hall, two men are fighting. The most terrible thing is that they are not exchanging martial arts, but just wrestling with each other like ordinary people. You can't tell at all that one is the regent prince of Da Chu and the other is the husband of Nanzhao.

Not far away, Princess Anxi, Princess Qixia and Ye Ying were standing aside and watching. Two guards in black stood in front of Princess Anxi to prevent the two men from accidentally hitting them and hurting the pregnant Princess Anxi. Unlike Ye Ying and Princess Qixia who were anxious, Princess Anxi looked very calm, as if she was not worried at all that her husband would lose or get hurt. Princess Qixia, on the other hand, saw Pu'a punch Mo Jingli in the face mercilessly, and tears of heartache immediately flowed out. She grabbed Princess Anxi's sleeve and said, "Royal sister, tell him to stop! He hurt the prince!"

Princess Anxi glanced at her sister calmly, raised her hand and gently pulled away the hand that was pulling her sleeve, frowning and saying, "What's a man's injury? But Qixia, you have been fighting for so many years, I thought you should have learned a lot of the rules of Da Chu, but now it seems that you are not as good as when you were in Nanzhao."

Princess Qixia said anxiously: "But...but, sister..."

Princess Anxi frowned and said, "You have been expelled from the Nanzhao royal family. I am not your sister." Princess Anxi hated Mo Jingli as much as anyone else. When Mo Jingli and Shu Manlin hooked up, they caused her so much trouble that even her own sister followed them to oppose her. Princess Anxi will never forget how difficult the situation was at that time. If Xu Qingchen hadn't secretly helped, I'm afraid I would have been killed by these people. Seeing Princess Qixia pulling her for Mo Jingli, Princess Anxi's face became even uglier, and her hatred for Mo Jingli in her heart became even worse.

"Royal sister, how could you do this!" Princess Qixia glared at Princess Anxi with red eyes and said, "The throne is already yours, what else are you dissatisfied with? Why do you have to cause trouble for the prince and me!"

"Trouble you?" Princess Anxi sneered disdainfully, "Why should I trouble you?" What do you mean the throne is already hers? She was named the princess since she was a child, and she also shouldered the responsibilities of a princess. When Qixia was having fun, she was studying the strategy of governing the country. When Qixia was dying for Mo Jingli, she stayed up all night to handle the political affairs of Nanzhao. Could it be that Qixia gave up the throne of Nanzhao to her?

The guards of Prince Ding's Palace who were standing by to protect Princess Anxi could not bear to watch and said, "It was Prince Li who first caused trouble for the wife of the Prince of Nanzhao."

Princess Qixia choked and was very unhappy about the guards' address. She had no legitimate status, and others called her a princess for Mo Jingli's sake. But the people in Prince Ding's mansion would not give her face and only called her a girl. But no matter how beautiful Princess Qixia was, it could not change the fact that she was already twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Being called a girl at this age was not a compliment.

"Even so, he shouldn't hit the prince!" Princess Qixia said gritting her teeth.

The two guards looked up at the sky in silence. What did they mean by beating the prince? Those two people were clearly beating each other. Don't make it sound like Prince Li was being abused unilaterally.

"What's going on?" The fighting and the noise here made the people watching nearby feel that Master Qingchen's sudden voice was like the music of heaven. Turning back, they saw Master Qingchen walking towards them in white. Even though he was over 30 years old, Master Qingchen still looked like he was seven or eight years ago. Even the hard work of paperwork over the years had not diminished his elegance. His handsome face with a faint puzzled smile made the three women present jump in their hearts.

Princess Qixia stopped talking in embarrassment. Even though she loved Mo Jingli deeply, as a woman, she would never be willing to be rude in front of such a handsome man.

Princess Anxi's eyes were dazed and nostalgic for a moment, but soon she calmed down again. She nodded to Xu Qingchen and said with a smile: "Qingchen, long time no see."

Xu Qingchen looked at Princess Anxi, his eyes fell on her slightly protruding belly, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes and he smiled: "It's been a long time since we last met. It seems that the princess is doing well. Congratulations." Xu Qingchen has been busy these days. Although Princess Anxi arrived yesterday, he didn't have time to meet her. I didn't expect to see such a scene when I just returned home from outside. Xu Qingchen raised his handsome eyebrows in doubt and looked at the man who had lost his manners in the fight in front of him.

Princess Anxi smiled a little embarrassedly and simply told Xu Qingchen what had happened. It turned out that after leaving the mansion, Princess Anxi found that a sachet she usually carried with her was left in Prince Ding's mansion. This was not an important matter, but the sachet contained a token of the King of Nanzhao. So she returned to Prince Ding's mansion with the prince's wife to look for it. As soon as she walked into the yard, she ran into Mo Jingli who rushed over with a face full of anger. Mo Jingli just walked forward and almost bumped into the pregnant Princess Anxi. In this case, Mo Jingli could have just apologized, but who knew that Mo Jingli was in a very bad mood. He would not have apologized, but he started to speak ill of her, mocking Princess Anxi for running around with a big belly and not knowing where to stay. Princess Anxi was not someone who could be bullied. She also mercilessly mocked her for being childless for more than half a year and being jealous of others who had children. Unexpectedly, this happened to poke Mo Jingli's pain. Mo Jingli's face darkened and he was about to attack Princess Anxi. As a husband, Pu'er would naturally not allow anyone to bully his wife, so the two of them started fighting in Prince Ding's mansion.

After beating for a while, Princess Anxi's anger gradually subsided. She signaled Pu'a to stop beating in Southern Xinjiang dialect. When Pu'a heard what Princess Anxi said, he immediately stopped and rolled to the side. Seeing him stop, Mo Jingli stopped lingering and stood up to wipe the blood from his lips.

When Ye Li and Mo Xiu Yao arrived, they saw that the two men had stopped fighting and were just staring at each other, refusing to admit defeat. Both of them had a lot of scars on their faces. There was a big swelling on Pu'a's face, and Mo Jingli's lips were bleeding and one of his eyes was bruised. Everyone present was speechless again. Ye Li stood beside Mo Xiu Yao and laughed secretly in her heart. For so many years, we are used to scholars and gentlemen talking instead of fighting, and warriors naturally use martial arts to determine victory or defeat. Even ordinary soldiers in the barracks would not fight like ordinary country people. At this moment, when he suddenly saw Mo Jingli's appearance, he couldn't help but smile in his heart.

"Prince Ding, Princess, I'm sorry." Pu'a stepped forward and apologized to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li in the somewhat stiff Da Chu language.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, is the Nanzhao prince injured?" Pu'a shook his head and stood beside Princess Anxi. Princess Anxi looked at his swollen cheek, took out a handkerchief to wipe the dust off his face, and said to Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, "We are rude, and I hope Prince Ding and Princess will forgive us."

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao also heard what happened from Chief Steward Mo on the way here, so they naturally would not blame Pu'a. They smiled and said, "It was our fault that the Queen was almost injured in Prince Ding's mansion."

Princess Qixia and Ye Ying also came to Mo Jingli's side, wiping his face and asking about his well-being. Mo Jingli glanced at the harmonious atmosphere of Princess Anxi, and pushed Princess Anxi and Ye Ying away impatiently, turned around and left. Princess Qixia was stunned for a moment, looked back at Princess Anxi, stamped her feet and hurriedly followed. Only Ye Ying was left, looking at Mo Jingli's self-absorbed back, with a bitter smile on her lips. She nodded to Ye Li and others before turning around and leaving.

After watching Mo Jingli leave, Princess Anxi asked, "Who provoked him?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Prince Li is a man who can get angry for no reason even if no one provokes him. Are you okay? Do you want to see a doctor?" Princess Anxi shook her head and said, "I didn't feel anything. He just pushed me. I'm not hurt." Ye Li was relieved and nodded and smiled, "I'm glad you're okay."

Princess Anxi looked at the door, thinking about something. After thinking for a while, she said to Ye Li, "You better be careful. I don't know what kind of trouble the King Li might cause with his temper."

Ye Li naturally appreciated Princess Anxi's reminder and thanked her again. She also invited Princess Anxi and her husband to stay in the palace for lunch before leaving.

In the Licheng Dachu Inn, Ye Ying walked into the lobby and saw Mo Jingli sitting in the lobby drinking tea. Just by looking at his face, she knew that he was in a very bad mood at the moment. After all these years, Ye Ying was no longer the ignorant girl with beautiful dreams, so she naturally didn't want to get close to him at this time. Past experience told her that if she approached him at this time, she would only become Mo Jingli's punching bag. Her feet paused, and Ye Ying wanted to turn around and leave.

"Where are you going?!" Mo Jingli's voice sounded coldly from behind.

Ye Ying was startled for a moment before she came to her senses and looked at him and said, "I'll go back to my room to rest."

"Why are you coming back now?" Mo Jingli asked. Ye Ying couldn't help but smile bitterly. Mo Jingli left angrily in front, and Princess Qixia, who was walking in front of her, caught up with him. By the time she was a step late, the entire entourage of Prince Li's mansion had already left. In the end, she had no choice but to walk back by herself. It was rare for the dignified Princess Li to be ignored to this extent.

"I was taking a walk outside and came back a little late." Ye Ying said lightly.

When Mo Jingli asked the question, he actually remembered what happened at that time. Just looking at the pitiful Ye Ying in front of him seemed to remind him all the time what he had lost. Especially when he had just met Ye Li and was mercilessly mocked by her. There were countless times when Mo Jingli always wondered if everything would be different if he had not been with Ye Ying, if he had married Ye Li. He didn't know when it started, but every time he saw Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao standing together with a smile on their faces, Mo Jingli felt as if there was a poisonous snake biting him fiercely.

After a moment of silence, Mo Jingli looked at Ye Ying and asked, "A few days ago, Ye Li took you out to talk alone. What did you talk about?"

Ye Ying's heart sank, she lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Nothing. Princess Ding said that my grandfather and father are also in Licheng now, and asked me to visit them if I am free."

"That's all?" Mo Jingli frowned in dissatisfaction. Ye Ying nodded, "That's all. Princess Ding and I don't have a good relationship, so there's nothing to talk about."

"Is that so?" Mo Jingli pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, you can go back and take a look." Ye Ying nodded silently and said, "I understand. I'll go back to my room to rest first." After Ye Ying left, Princess Qixia came out and sat down next to Mo Xiuyao. She asked, "Prince, do you really believe what she said?" Mo Xiuyao looked at her sideways and said lightly, "What do you mean?"

Princess Qixia was shocked and laughed quickly, "What's the point? I just thought that she and Princess Ding talked for a long time that day, how could they only talk about the Ye family's affairs." Mo Jingli snorted and said, "No matter what she said to Ye Li, it can't escape the palm of my hand." Mo Jingli knew very well how capable Ye Ying was. He never thought that Ye Ying had any ability to pose a threat to him. Glancing at Princess Qixia indifferently, Mo Jingli said, "You should also be more obedient and stop provoking her. After all, she is still the legitimate concubine of Prince Li's Mansion, and she is also Ye Li's biological sister. I have to give Ye Li some face."

Princess Qixia's smile froze, she suppressed her hatred for Ye Li, and said with a coquettish smile: "I know, I have followed you for so many years without any status, did you say anything?" Mo Jingli nodded with satisfaction, and said: "That's good, don't worry. I will never treat you badly in the future." Princess Qixia forced a smile and said: "I know that the prince treats me best."

Leaning obediently in Mo Jingli's arms, Princess Qixia's beautiful face had long been distorted. Her originally bright eyes were also full of hatred. She gave up her status as a princess for Mo Jingli, and followed him for ten years without any name or status. It is impossible to say that she has never regretted it. She is no longer the Nanzhao princess who chased Mo Jingli to Da Chu regardless of anything. But what's the use of regret? She has been expelled from the Nanzhao royal family. Even if she returns to Nanzhao, she will only be spurned and despised by the subjects. She can only follow Mo Jingli. But Mo Jingli actually used various reasons to delay the abolition of Ye Ying's position as the princess for Ye Li. Brother Jingli, how can you treat me like this?

Mo Jingli, who was also holding Princess Qixia, was also absent-minded. He was casually playing with Princess Qixia's hair while thinking. He remembered... he still had a chess piece that he hadn't used.

However, no matter what the people in the posthouse were thinking, the whole Li City was indeed a scene of peace and prosperity. The next morning, the last distinguished guest from a country who came to attend the birthday banquet arrived at the gate of Prince Ding's mansion. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao went out to greet them in person. Looking at the group of people standing at the gate wearing Northern Army costumes that were very different from those in the Central Plains, Mo Jingli's lips curled up a very cold smile.

"Prince Ding, Princess Ding, it's a pleasure to meet you after not seeing you for so many years!" Yelu Hong, the crown prince of the Northern Rong, was the first to step forward and bowed and laughed loudly. On the contrary, Yelu Ye, who was standing on the side, had a cold face, and was even more arrogant and hostile. The Northern Rong army was still confronting the Mo family army in the north, and Yelu Ye was the commander of the Northern Rong army, so naturally he would not have any good face towards Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and said, "Your Highness is too polite. I haven't seen you for many years. Your Highness is even more majestic." Yelu Hong looked at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li with some envy and sighed, "Not as young as the prince and princess." The people of the Northern Rong outside the Great Wall tend to age easily. When they met a few years ago, it seemed that the age difference was not too big. But now, six or seven years have passed. When they met again, the former Northern Rong prince has grown a short beard, and even his figure is not as slender and upright as before. But Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li still seem to be in their early twenties, elegant and graceful. The two of them standing together look like a fairy couple, how can people not be jealous.

"Your Highness, you are too kind." Ye Li smiled faintly, and when she saw Xu Hongyan, who came back with them, she showed a sincere smile on his face, "Second Uncle is finally back. You must have worked hard on the way. Are you okay on the road?"

Compared to the Central Plains, the life in the Northern Rong was much harder. Even though Xu Hongyan had only been there for a few months, he had obviously lost a lot of weight. Xu Hongyan looked at Ye Li and smiled, "Everything is fine. Uncle didn't have time to come back when Li'er gave birth. How are the two children?" Ye Li smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you. They are all fine."

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li's hand and said with a smile: "Ali, please invite the Crown Prince of Beirong and the Seventh Prince to the mansion for a cup of tea before talking. Uncle is also tired after the journey back, so why don't you go in and rest for a while?" Ye Li apologized and nodded: "Crown Prince Yelu, Seventh Prince, please come in." Yelu Hong nodded with a smile. When Yelu Ye walked past Ye Li, he looked down at him, as if he hated Ye Li very much. Such an expression made Ye Li raise her eyebrows with some curiosity. Although her relationship with Yelu Ye has never been good, Yelu Ye has never shown such obvious disgust for her. It should be said that no one has ever shown such obvious disgust in front of Ye Li, which made her have to be more curious.

As soon as they entered the palace, Xu Hongyan went to wash and rest. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li took the guests to the lobby and sat down to drink tea. Ye Li cast her gaze on the woman in white with a veil sitting next to Yelu Ye, but ignored Princess Ronghua, the crown princess of Beirong. As if noticing Ye Li's gaze, Yelu Ye glared at Ye Li fiercely, his face somewhat unfriendly. Yelu Hong, who was sitting opposite him, frowned slightly, as if he was somewhat dissatisfied with his brother's performance.

Mo Xiuyao leaned back in his chair, nonchalantly resting one hand on Ye Li's waist, and looked at the people in front of him with an indifferent expression.

Ye Li put down the teacup, nodded to Princess Ronghua, and asked with a smile: "It has been almost ten years since we parted in Chujing. Is the princess doing well in Beirong?"

Princess Ronghua smiled appropriately, showing more of the grandeur of the frontier than when she was in the capital of Chu, yet still retaining the dignity of the royal family of the Central Plains. "Thank you for your concern, Princess. Everything is fine in Beirong. His Highness is also very good to me." After saying this, she raised her head and smiled faintly at Yelu Hong, who also smiled back. It seemed that the relationship between the couple was not affected too much by Beirong's attack on Da Chu.

"That's good." Ye Li smiled, turned her head to look at the masked woman beside Yeluye, raised her eyebrows and said, "Seventh Prince, is this the Seventh Princess?"

Yeluye nodded and said, "Yes, this is my beloved concubine, Qing Yina."

Ye Li smiled and said, "If I remember correctly, Qing Yina means the most beautiful woman in Beirong's language. I guess Princess Qi must think she is a stunning beauty." Ye Luye did not deny it, and nodded, "Yes, my beloved concubine is indeed a rare and stunning beauty in the world." He leaned over and took the Seventh Princess' hand, with a hint of tenderness and doting in his eyes, as if he wanted to compete with Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao in affection. However, Ye Luye always thought highly of himself, and the woman who could make him so impressed must be very beautiful.

Ye Li didn't care about Yelu Ye's provocative words and said with a smile, "I am a little regretful that I can't see the stunning beauty of the Seventh Princess."

Princess Ronghua on the other side smiled faintly and said, "Don't feel sorry, Princess. The Seventh Princess is indeed a beauty, but the Great Chu has never lacked beauty. Didn't Princess see many beauties when she was in Chujing?" Ye Li's eyes flickered slightly, and her gaze passed lightly over the woman in white. She smiled and said, "Princess, what you said is right. Let's not talk about anything else. The beauty of Chujing described by Master Mingyue is enough to win the hearts of all people. It's just a pity... Forget it. The princess and the prince didn't know about the Seventh Prince's wedding. We will have to ask the Seventh Prince for a glass of wedding wine later."

Yelu Hong smiled and said, "Don't worry, Princess. The wedding is not too late. You can ask for the princess when my seventh brother and his wife get married." The implication was that Yelu Ye and this woman had not yet been married. This woman could not be considered the legitimate seventh imperial concubine.

With so much knowledge in advance, Ye Li had a rough idea of ​​the identity of the woman in front of him. He lowered his eyebrows and smiled, "In that case, I will congratulate the Seventh Prince in advance. I hope the Seventh Prince will not hesitate to give me a glass of wine."

Yeluye looked at Ye Li for a long while before he spoke: "I will definitely invite Prince Ding and Princess to come. I hope you two won't mind."

Ye Li turned around and smiled at Mo Xiuyao, "Prince, the Seventh Prince invited us to attend his wedding. Do you want to go or not?"

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head, looked at Ye Li with tender eyes, and said softly: "If Ah Li says to go, then go. If she says not to go, then don't go."

Ye Li smiled with satisfaction, and when she looked up, she saw a hint of resentment in the pair of beautiful eyes under the white veil.