418. Negotiation and Peace

In the end, Mo Xiuyao still did not go to the envoy of Beirong, and threw the matter to Ye Li. It must be said that Mo Xiuyao was sometimes so willful that it was a headache. On one hand, those famous elders were criticizing the princess for interfering in government affairs, and on the other hand, he openly handed the negotiation with Beirong directly to the princess. It was like giving a loud slap in the face of these old men who thought they could interfere with the affairs of Prince Ding without hesitation.

However, those who had just been slapped mercilessly by Prince Ding did not dare to say anything before they could come up with a countermeasure. They could only pretend that they did not see it and hide at home to sulk.

"I have met Princess Ding." In the Beirong Inn, Yelu Hong greeted Ye Li calmly. He was not angry because Mo Xiuyao did not meet him in person. Without mentioning Princess Ding's position in the Mo family army, he directly said that Beirong was now the losing side, so they had no right to raise objections.

"The Northern Rong prince is polite." Ye Li couldn't help but admire Yelu Hong's kindness. Now both sides can still be so restrained and polite even at this point. Of course, we should also admire the influence of political power on people's hearts. Even the Northern Rong people, who are known for their upright temper, have learned a lot of twists and turns.

Ye Li sat down, and without beating around the bush with Yelu Hong, she asked, "Did Princess Ronghua come with the Crown Prince?"

Yelu Hong obviously didn't expect that Ye Li's first question was actually about Princess Ronghua. He was stunned for a moment before nodding and saying, "To be honest, Ronghua did follow me to Licheng."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled, "King Beirong really trusts the prince." King Beirong used Princess Ronghua as a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Mohist army, but he asked Yelu Hong to bring her back before the negotiation was even started. It was really hard to tell whether King Beirong really wanted to take back Yelu Ye's and the Beirong soldiers' ashes or was just talking.

Yelu Hong smiled bitterly and said, "I have signed a military warrant with my father to bring back the remains of my seventh brother and the Northern Rong soldiers. I hope that Princess will help me. As for Ronghua... please take care of her as well." Ye Li looked at Yelu Hong deeply and said, "The Crown Prince has deep feelings for Princess Ronghua. At least he has not let down the princess for all the years she has spent in Northern Rong..."

Yelu Hong sighed softly and said, "I am incompetent and I am sorry to have embarrassed you, Princess. I will ask Ronghua to come out and meet you." Yelu Hong turned around and told the attendants beside him. Soon, Princess Ronghua came out from the back hall. Princess Ronghua, who had changed into clothes from the Central Plains, looked a little haggard and pale. Compared to the last time they met, she was less charming and more weak and haggard.

"Princess." Princess Ronghua bowed and said softly.

Ye Li raised her hand to support her and said with a smile, "Princess, there is no need to be polite. Please sit down."

The three of them sat down again, and Ye Li looked at Yelu Hong and said, "The prince has entrusted the negotiation with the Northern Rong to me. I believe that Master Qingchen has mentioned my conditions for settling in the palace to the prince a few days ago. I wonder what Prince Yelu thinks?"

Yelu Hong frowned and said, "War horses are the foundation of our Northern Rong nation. Prince Ding's palace wants 10,000 war horses at a time. Forgive me for being blunt, but it is really asking too much. With my authority, I am afraid I cannot agree to it."

Negotiations are not something that can be accomplished overnight, so Ye Li didn't care and smiled, "Prince Yelu doesn't have to rush to answer me. Anyway, he will have to stay in Li City for a while. Why don't you think about it and discuss it with the King of Beirong. What do you think?"

Yelu Hong nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your understanding, Princess. Regardless of whether this matter succeeds or not, Princess Ronghua will be returned to Da Chu. Please take good care of her, Princess. This is also the sincerity of our Beirong."

Princess Ronghua looked calm, with her eyes downcast, sitting quietly at the bottom, as if Yelu Hong and Ye Li were not discussing her.

Ye Li glanced at Princess Ronghua and sighed softly, "If the princess stays in Licheng, Prince Ding's Mansion will naturally treat her as a princess. If the princess misses her relatives, I can also send someone to send the princess to Jiangnan." With Princess Ronghua's status as a princess-in-law, no one would dare to treat her badly whether she stayed in Licheng or went to Nanjing.

Princess Ronghua smiled faintly and said bitterly: "Jiangnan...where are my relatives...Ronghua wants to return to Changxing to serve Aunt Zhaoyang, please help me, Princess." When the court of Great Chu moved south, Princess Zhaoren followed, but Princess Zhaoyang stayed in Chujing. After that, the Mohist army took back Chujing and renamed it Changxing. Princess Fuxi died of illness, and Princess Zhaoyang stayed in Changxing to mourn for the eldest princess. Princess Zhaoren died of illness shortly after she went south. Now, Princess Zhaoyang is Princess Ronghua's closest relative.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Okay, Princess Zhaoyang will come to Licheng in a few days. Then the princess can return to Changxing with Princess Zhaoyang.

"Princess Ronghua nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you, Princess." After saying that, she lowered her head and stopped looking at Yelu Hong. Yelu Hong glanced at Princess Ronghua, his expression slightly changed but he didn't say anything more. How could they have no feelings for each other after being married for ten years? Moreover, Princess Ronghua was an extremely beautiful and intelligent woman, completely different from ordinary Beirong women. But no matter what, Princess Ronghua was not as important as the throne of Beirong. After parting today, I am afraid that they will never see each other again.

When Ye Li left the Beirong Embassy, ​​she brought Princess Ronghua back with her. Since Yelu Hong had already brought Princess Ronghua to Licheng, he naturally did not think about taking her back regardless of whether the negotiation was successful or not. In this case, it didn't matter when Princess Ronghua was returned to Prince Ding's Mansion. He simply let Ye Li take her away.

After returning to Prince Ding's Mansion and settling Princess Ronghua, Ye Li only sighed secretly and did not try to comfort her when she saw her gloomy expression. No matter whether the relationship between Prince Ding's Mansion, Da Chu and Bei Rong is good or bad in the future, Princess Ronghua is destined to never return to Bei Rong. Princess Ronghua herself is also a smart person, so she naturally understands that the current situation is already very good for her, and Yelu Hong treats her with some friendship. At this time, she is probably still worried about the children left in Bei Rong. However, neither Prince Ding's Mansion nor Da Chu, which is far away in the south of the Yangtze River, can nor have the obligation to bring back a child for her. Today, the hatred of the people of the Central Plains towards the people of Bei Rong is even greater than that of the people of Bei Rong towards the people of the Central Plains. Even if those children really return to Da Chu, it will not be a good thing.

After several days of negotiation with Yelu Hong, Yelu Hong, who had been refusing to give in, finally gave in and agreed to exchange 10,000 Northern Rong war horses for the Northern Rong soldiers who died in the battle of Da Chu and the remains of Yelu Ye. Ye Li was not surprised by this result. The Northern Rong was defeated by the Mohist Army this time, and its national strength was greatly reduced. The Northern Rong itself was sparsely populated and the land was barren. It would take more than ten or twenty years to restore its heyday. And this must be counted as the Mohist Army no longer taking the initiative to attack, giving them a chance to recuperate. Using 10,000 war horses in exchange for temporary peace and a chance to breathe. It may not be a good thing for the Northern Rong in the long run, but the Northern Rong now has no other choice.

When the two sides signed the peace agreement, Mo Xiuyao finally showed up in person. However, the names of Ye Li and Xu Qingchen were still signed on the letter of credence. Xu Qingchen was now the right prime minister, so he was naturally qualified to sign the agreement on behalf of Prince Ding. However, the fact that Ye Li, a woman, came forward made the envoys of Beirong feel a little uneasy. It was not that they looked down on Ye Li, but that they also understood the rules and traditions of the Central Plains. In formal occasions, women had no room to speak, so they had to doubt the effectiveness of this peace agreement.

Facing the suspicious Beirong people and the dissatisfied looks of the officials of the famous families, Ye Li did not care and simply signed his name on the armistice agreement. After both parties exchanged and signed the agreement, Mo Xiuyao stood up and took Ye Li to Yelu Hong and said with a smile: "Prince Yelu, since you and I have signed the letter of credence, I hope to see the 10,000 Beirong war horses as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Yelu Hong's mouth twitched. It is said that people in the Central Plains like to beat around the bush when speaking, which makes people dizzy, but Yelu Hong found that speaking too directly is also unbearable. What Mo Xiuyao meant to Yelu Hong was: If it weren't for the sake of 10,000 war horses, how could I be in the mood to sign a peace agreement with you?

"Don't worry, Prince Ding. As long as... the Mohist Army abides by the agreement, 10,000 war horses will be delivered to the Central Plains within three months." Yelu Hong said.

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course, my words are as good as gold. Ten thousand war horses, and neither side will start a war again within ten years."

Yelu Hong nodded, "From now on, Beirong and Prince Ding's Mansion will be friendly nations. This prince would like to offer a toast to the prince and princess."

Mo Xiuyao looked calm, but he did not object. This is how it is between countries. There are no eternal friends or eternal enemies. What there is is only eternal interests. Although the two sides said on the surface that they would be friends from now on, they both knew that neither Beirong nor Dingwang Mansion had the strength to fight another war. It's just that Beirong is a little worse than Dingwang Mansion. If Dingwang Mansion tried its best, it could still fight another battle, but it would be a loss. If Beirong fought again, it would really be a disaster. Therefore, Beirong paid more. Once one of the two sides slowed down and wanted to fight, the so-called peace agreement would be nothing but a piece of paper.

When the envoys from Xiling and Dachu arrived in Licheng, it was just when Dingwang Mansion and Beirong had just signed an agreement. Upon hearing the news, the envoys of both countries looked unhappy. Dingwang Mansion and Beirong had reached a truce, and it was very likely that they would turn their attention to the south. Both Dachu and Xiling could no longer withstand the attack of the Mohist Army. Everyone had to face an iron-clad fact: after so many years of open and secret struggles, the final winner was obviously Dingwang Mansion.

"Your Highness and Princess, the envoys from Da Chu and Xiling are here to pay their respects."

When they heard the news, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were sitting in the yard holding two babies and playing. The two babies were handed over to the Xu family for care shortly after they were born, and Ye Li has always felt guilty about this. Since returning, whenever Ye Li has time, she will take Mo Xiuyao to accompany the two babies, and Mo Xiaobao will come to join in the fun from time to time. Mo Xiuyao loves the little princess who has grown up to be as beautiful as snow and jade, so he follows Ye Li to play with the two babies every day. The two of them have become the most leisurely people in this bustling Li City.

"Why come together?" Ye Li asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mo Xiuyao didn't care and said calmly, "The distances to both places are about the same, so it's no big deal if we arrive at the same time. Who's coming from Jiangnan?"

The guard reported, "Your Highness, it was the Great Chu King Yu who came with the newly enthroned King of Chu."

"Prince Yu? Mo Jingyu?" Mo Xiuyao didn't have much impression of the princes of the Great Chu royal family. He might have been somewhat familiar with them when he was a child, but after he grew up, especially after the incident in Prince Ding's mansion, he had almost no interaction with them anymore. So he didn't have a deep impression of Mo Jingyu, who had finally made it.

Ye Li stood up and put the sleeping Lin'er back into the crib, saying, "Since the King of Xiling Zhennan and the King of Chu have come in person, we should go out and meet them. Otherwise, it would be impolite."

Mo Xiuyao nodded, carefully put the little princess down, and followed Ye Li out to meet the guests.

In the hall of Prince Ding's mansion, the two groups of people were divided into two sides. The new little emperor of Da Chu, Mo Suiyun, was only twelve years old this year. He sat at the front of Da Chu. Although he was wearing a luxurious Minghuang dragon robe, his expression showed a bit of weakness and panic. He always looked at Mo Jingyu who was sitting next to him from time to time. On the other side, Lei Tengfeng was wearing the court dress of the King of Zhennan in Xiling. He looked majestic and graceful. Compared with his impatience from time to time in the past, he was more stable and calm. All the Xiling officials sitting next to him lowered their eyes, looking like they were following the King of Zhennan's lead, and they seemed to have more grace than Da Chu.

"The prince is here! The princess is here!" The voices of the palace servants came from outside the door.

Prince Ding, who was dressed in white and had white hair, came hand in hand with his princess, who was dressed in green and had black hair and a beautiful face. Just a glance at everyone made people feel a heavy pressure.

Lei Tengfeng looked at the perfect couple in front of him, his eyes changing, but in an instant he gathered all his emotions, stood up calmly, bowed and said: "Prince Ding, Princess. I am sorry for disturbing you, please forgive me."

Ye Li looked at Lei Tengfeng with some surprise. In just one or two months, Lei Tengfeng had changed a lot. His handsome and tall figure had a bit of the demeanor of Lei Zhenting in his youth.

Mo Xiuyao also looked at Lei Tengfeng, but quickly turned away. He waved his hand and smiled, "You are too polite, King Zhennan. You have come from afar, and it is a great honor for the Ding Palace. Please take a seat, King Zhennan." No one mentioned the big battle that was fought a month ago, and no one mentioned Lei Zhenting's death. Although many people in Xiling looked unhappy, they still held back.

Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to sit down and looked at the Chu Emperor Mo Suiyun and Mo Jingyu on the other side. Mo Suiyun stood up and bowed to Mo Xiuyao and said, "Suiyun greets Uncle Ding."

Mo Xiuyao's eyes flickered slightly, and he laughed loudly: "The King of Chu is a guest from afar, why be so polite. Please take a seat." Mo Jingyu, who was sitting next to him, had a flash of disappointment in his eyes, and sighed helplessly in his heart and smiled: "Speaking of it, Prince Ding is indeed the elder of the emperor, and it is not an exaggeration to call him uncle. Prince Ding doesn't care." If the family tree and backup were really rotated, Mo Suiyun would not call Mo Xiuyao uncle, but great-uncle. However, Mo Xiuyao obviously had no intention of getting involved with the royal family of Da Chu. Mo Jingyu also understood that Da Chu and Prince Ding's Mansion had already torn their faces. As long as Mo Xiuyao's brain was not wrong, the fanciful things of those old scholars were not reliable at all. So although he was disappointed, he didn't care too much.

Mo Xiuyao smiled but said nothing. With his intelligence, how could he not know what Da Chu was planning? I can only say that those old men in Nanjing are really the same as those in Licheng. They are both equally naive!

Seeing that Mo Jingyu was a little embarrassed, Ye Li smiled and said, "Emperor Chu and Prince Zhennan have come from a long way, and I believe they must have had a hard time on the way. I have ordered people to prepare the posthouse, and I would like to ask the two of you to go to the posthouse and rest for a while. In the evening, I and the prince will welcome you again."

Lei Tengfeng nodded silently and said, "Thank you, Princess." Although Lei Tengfeng has calmed down a lot these days, he still finds it difficult to face the enemy who killed his father. Looking at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li who are leisurely and calm in front of him, Lei Tengfeng suddenly feels a little depressed and doesn't want to say anything more.

Mo Jingyu glanced at Mo Suiyun, who was obviously a little tired, and nodded, "In that case, thank you very much, Princess."

"You're too polite, Prince Yu." Ye Liqian said with a smile.

Soon, Lei Tengfeng, Mo Jingyu and the others said goodbye and left. Originally, they had just arrived in Licheng, so they just came to greet each other. Even if there was something, they would have to wait until they had a rest before discussing it. Watching the group leave, Ye Li sighed softly, "Lei Tengfeng has changed a lot. No wonder he was able to control Xiling in such a short time. If he had been in the city for a few more years, he would have been a good opponent."

Lei Tengfeng was suppressed by Lei Zhenting's brilliance for too long and lost his sharpness. Once Lei Zhenting, the seemingly insurmountable mountain, was gone, Lei Tengfeng's progress and changes could be described as rapid.

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said, "Even if he is an opponent, he will not be my opponent." It will take a long time for Lei Tengfeng to really grow up, and by then...his opponent will naturally not be him. His Royal Highness Prince Ding calculated with satisfaction, without any guilt for giving his son a powerful future opponent.

Ye Li looked at him helplessly, smiled faintly and said, "What does Da Chu mean?"

Holding Ye Li in one hand, Mo Xiuyao said lazily, "What else can it mean? Those old guys in Nanjing are fanciful. Seeing that Mo Suiyun came to show his goodwill to me personally, maybe I will suddenly have a brainwave and reconcile with Da Chu again?" Does Mo Xiuyao think he has no son? He has conquered such a large territory. Even if he is not interested, he can leave it to his son. Is there going to be another reincarnation of Da Chu and Mo's military entanglement?

Ye Li was stunned, and couldn't help but shook her head with a smile. It must be said that these old men in the court who have been doing business for a lifetime sometimes have complicated ideas that make people dizzy, but sometimes they are so naive that people want to laugh. How could they think that after the Mohist Army broke up with the Great Chu, after the Mohist Army paid so many casualties and costs, the Dingwang Mansion and the Great Chu would have a day to reconcile? The people in the Dingwang Mansion are not kind-hearted Bodhisattvas.

"This is probably not what Mo Jingyu meant." Ye Li said. Although Mo Jingyu was respectful to Mo Xiuyao, he was not very enthusiastic, and it was obvious that he was not very optimistic about these people's plans.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Mo Jingyu is alive and in power now, so he is not a fool. He must know all this. But... I am afraid he cannot completely control the entire court of Da Chu now." Mo Jingli is a little stupid, but Jiangnan is his territory. And compared to Mo Jingyu, Mo Jingli's methods are obviously cruel enough. When Mo Jingli was around, these old men didn't dare to make trouble. Now that the new emperor has just been established, it would be strange if they don't take advantage of their age to bully others.

"What are you going to do?" Ye Li asked with a smile.

Mo Xiuyao said, "I have already defeated Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli. Mo Suiyun is Mo Xiaobao's business. Otherwise, people who don't know would think that I am fighting with the people of the Great Chu royal family. How can I bully a child of more than ten years old? Later... ask Mo Xiaobao to check on Mo Suiyun, so that the boy won't have nothing to do and hang around Xin'er every day."

"You mean... Mo Suiyun..." Ye Li frowned and looked at Mo Xiuyao in confusion. If Mo Suiyun was not worth mentioning, Mo Xiuyao would not have mentioned him specifically and asked Mo Xiaobao to go see him.

Mo Xiuyao laughed softly and said, "I think... that kid might be a smart guy. At least... smarter than his father and uncle."

Ye Li sighed helplessly. After all, she was not born in the royal family. She was not worried about the dangers of open calculations, but she was not very good at these things in secret. At least in the first few sentences, she did not see anything abnormal about Mo Suiyun.

Mo Xiuyao happily rubbed Ye Li's hair, which was emitting a faint fragrance, and said with a smile: "That boy's acting skills are good. If I hadn't just exchanged a glance with him, I would have almost been fooled by him. The look in his eyes when he looked at me was not as frightened as he showed. But after all, he is still a child, and no one has taught him since he was a child, so he still gave himself away."

Ye Li nodded. It was not easy to hide her true colors in front of Mo Xiuyao. The kid was probably deliberately showing awe and fear, but he didn't know whether it was too much or too little.

"Mo Xiaobao..."

"If Mo Xiaobao can't even beat him, then he should let Xu Qingchen teach him a lesson." Mo Xiuyao said calmly. If a prince of Dingwang Mansion, who had been carefully taught since childhood, couldn't beat the little emperor who had just been pushed to the throne and no one cared about him, he, as a father, would be ashamed for him if he told others about it.

Ye Li looked up at the dissatisfaction flashing across Mo Xiuyao's face, and could only nod and agree, "I know, I'll let Xiaobao go to receive the King of Chu later." But if Mo Xiaobao didn't perform well and was punished by his father, she, as a mother, could only feel sorry for him. Mo Xiuyao never lacked new tricks to punish people, and he spared no effort in punishing Mo Xiaobao.

So, classmate Mo Xiaobao should be careful.

In the backyard of Prince Ding's mansion, Mo Xiaobao, who had just finished his homework and ran back to his room to visit his sister, shuddered for no reason.