Mountain and River Festival 174. Visitors from the Xu Family
In October of the twelfth year of Emperor Jing of the Chu Kingdom, after Princess Dingguo won a series of victories over Xiling Zhennan King and Princess Dingguo. At the end of the month, the Mohist Army, which had been fighting Xiling Nanzhao and King Li in various parts of the Chu Kingdom, quietly retreated, leaving the local garrisons dumbfounded and the leaders of the three-party coalition who were hesitant about whether it was a trap or the Mohist Army had really withdrawn. Until it was confirmed that the Mohist Army had completely withdrawn from the battlefield, the ecstatic three-party coalition rushed to the rich land of the Chu Kingdom without hesitation. Even Xiling, which was defeated in the northwest, did not hesitate to send more troops to the East Chu Kingdom again, but this time they wisely avoided the northwest, which was already completely controlled by hundreds of thousands of Mohist Army, and instead went through the south to enter the pass and then headed north. At the same time, the Northern Rong army on the northern border also began to stir. If it were not for the fact that winter was not suitable for war and the Mohist army wanted to wait and see, the war in the north would have started again before the smoke of war in the south of the Chu Dynasty had died down.
The emperor was naturally furious about this. That day, he issued an edict to the world: Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao, did not repent and was full of resentment. He withdrew his troops without authorization and ignored the country of Da Chu. He was stripped of his title, his military power was revoked, and he was taken back to the capital for further punishment. Mo Xiuyao just smiled indifferently at this edict, crumpled it into a ball and threw it into an unknown corner. The 100,000 elite soldiers of the Mohist Army obeyed the order of the prince and rushed to all the cities within Feihong Pass at lightning speed. The soldiers of Da Chu stationed in the city naturally did not dare to hand over the city to others, and rose up to resist. The war in the northwest of Da Chu spread from outside the pass to inside the pass, but the last time it was the Mohist Army guarding Da Chu fighting the invading Xiling Army, but this time, it became a battle with the troops of Da Chu. Mo Jingqi issued several decrees to accuse Mo Xiuyao of deceiving the emperor, treason and so on. For a moment, the whole world was in uproar. Then, the man who was standing in the vortex of the storm was now standing on the edge of the cliff of the Tingyun Mountains, looking far away at the empty wilderness in the distance. That direction was the time of war and blood. Then, there was no sympathy or mercy in those calm eyes.
"My Lord."
Xu Qingze and Feng Zhiyao walked out of the woods and greeted the man standing at the edge of the cliff in a trance. Mo Xiuyao turned around and saw Xu Qingze's eyes flickering slightly, and said: "Qingze... any news about Ah Li?" Xu Qingze's cold and handsome face flashed a trace of sadness, and whispered: "Not yet..." Mo Xiuyao nodded, without saying much, just said: "Keep looking, thank you for your hard work." It has been a full month since Ye Li fell off the cliff, but none of them is willing to give up the search. After the two people who were responsible for leading troops to search for Ye Li were punished by Mo Xiuyao, Xu Qingze put aside the matters that he originally needed to handle and took the initiative to take on this responsibility. And they all knew that Xu Qingze would never be negligent in finding Ye Li, but before he saw Ye Li... none of them were willing to believe the fact that they were unwilling to admit.
Feng Zhiyao said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, these days Mo Jingqi has issued several decrees to slander your reputation. Should we do something?"
Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "Take Feihong Pass before this year, and there is nothing else to do."
"But..." Feng Zhiyuan disagreed, "In this way, the reputation of the prince and Dingwang Mansion will be greatly affected. I just received news from the secret guards that the people in many places in the capital seem to be confused by Mo Jingqi's edict and have prejudices against the prince and the Mo family army." Mo Xiuyao smiled coldly and said, "So what? The opinions of the people... are just tools that the people in power can manipulate at will. Didn't Mo Jingqi always think that Dingguo Palace was hindering him? "It has hindered his great ambition to become a great leader. Now, I will give him a chance, get rid of the obstacles of Dingguo Palace and Mohist Army, and see what ability he has to turn the tide and achieve his ambitions!" Feng Zhiyao frowned slightly and said, "Prince, then we..." Mo Xiuyao raised the corners of his lips and smiled faintly, "The Mohist Army... will temporarily stop at Feihong Pass. In the spring of next year... we will march westward. Feng San, I want this world... to be in chaos. Don't they like to fight? Then no one can be idle!"
Feng Zhiyao's heart shuddered, and he suddenly recalled the cold and ruthless words of the white-haired man in front of him that morning. He really wanted to drag the whole world into war, and sacrifice the mountains and rivers... The departure of that gentle woman has probably become a scar in the prince's heart that can never be erased.
In the winter of the 12th year of Emperor Jing, the Mohist army occupied Feihong Pass and drove out all the Chu troops stationed in Feihong Pass. Those who resisted were killed without mercy. In the spring of the 13th year of Emperor Jing, the Northern Rong Iron Cavalry also began to stir at the border of Chu. Then Mo Xiuyao, who was already in Ruyang City at this time, did not respond at all, but issued another order. He ordered Lu Jinxian and Zhang Qilan to be the marshals of the left and right roads, each leading 200,000 troops to attack the border of Xiling. This news seemed to give a signal to all the troops. In early February, 300,000 Northern Rong Iron Cavalry officially knocked on the border of Chu. Nanzhao once again reinforced 200,000 troops to suppress Chu. Xiling was also in chaos because of the decision of the Mohist army. But Xiling was a powerful country that could almost stand on equal footing with Chu. At that moment, the King of Zhennan ordered another 500,000 troops to be sent to the border, and the troops led by the Prince of Zhennan Lei Tengfeng, who were originally in the territory of Da Chu, had no intention of withdrawing from Da Chu. They were obviously unwilling to give up the interests they had already obtained in Da Chu. It seemed that in a short period of time, the world was really in chaos.
It was difficult for people at that time to really see clearly and understand the situation. It was not until countless years later when this period of history had been sealed in the history books that the nosy historians and literati were surprised to find that every change at that time seemed to be vaguely related to the man who was said to have made the decision to march to Xiling. And people found more clearly that all these changes were caused by the death of 7,000 soldiers of the Great Chu at the foot of Tingyun Mountain. On the same day, the Princess Dingguo, who had personally led 200,000 Mohist troops to wipe out the Xiling army and planned to block 300,000 reinforcements from Xiling, fell off a cliff and disappeared on Tingyun Mountain. Literati and scholars often chanted poems and wrote poems here, leaving their own various conjectures. There are also countless charming and romantic legends circulating among the people. What's more, Princess Dingguo was listed as one of the ten most disastrous beauties in history, making Princess Ye Liding the only legendary woman who was listed as a female general, a remarkable woman, a beautiful woman, a wise queen, and a disastrous woman. This war that lasted for several years and swept across four countries was also called the Hongzhou Incident because it originated from the defeat of King Hongzhou of Xiling Zhennan. But the name that was passed down among the people was a more beautiful and legendary name - the Rebellion of the City. As for how many love-hate stories and legends evolved in it, there are even more countless.
The troops of the three kingdoms were pressing forward, and among them was the covetous Mo Jingli of Jiangnan. Even though Mo Jingqi was angry and hated Mo Xiuyao, he could not spare any energy to target him at this moment. Every time when it was late at night, Mo Jingqi even regretted that he was too impulsive, which led to the current dilemma. He understood more clearly in his heart that he had completely pushed the Mo family army and Mo Xiuyao to the limit. From now on, the Mo family army will no longer be the strongest fortress and defender of Da Chu, but... will be the most dangerous enemy. And at the moment, he can't even deal with Mo Xiuyao, because he himself can't protect himself. As the King of Ding, he is not unaware that the appetite of the neighboring country cannot be satisfied by ceding a city or a piece of land. But he had always believed that as long as the Dingguo Palace was gone, he would be able to make Da Chu strong in a very short time and then conquer the four directions. However, when the Dingguo Palace really withdrew, he realized that other countries would not give him the opportunity to become strong.
"Send an order to Mo Jingli, telling him that I agree with his decision to divide the river and rule the country. Also... let him recognize clearly who the real enemy is!"
"I obey your command."
Ruyang City,
Feng Zhiyao looked at the man in front of him with an indifferent and leisurely expression, and a trace of worry quietly rose in his eyes. Four months have passed, and Mo Xiuyao seems to have gradually recovered from the disappearance of the princess. At least he is not absent-minded as often as in the previous two months, but at the same time, the gradually becoming more indifferent expression makes Feng Zhiyao feel vaguely uneasy. Now it seems that everyone in the world knows that the Dingguo Palace and Da Chu have turned against each other. No... In the eyes of the world, the Dingguo Palace has betrayed Da Chu. But he can't see Mo Xiuyao's thoughts and plans for the future at all. Now Mo Xiuyao is more like a spectator who stays out of the matter, sitting in Ruyang City and watching the chaos in the world. Xiling is the strongest, so he sent troops to attack Xiling. Bei Rong was worried that the Mohist Army would intervene in the war with Da Chu. He withdrew all the troops of the Mohist Army back to Feihong Pass. Even the news that Mo Jingqi wanted to join forces with Mo Jingli did not move him at all. Looking at the letter in his hand, he just smiled and said, "Mo Jingqi is too weak. It's not bad to have one more person to play with him. In case... he can't play anymore..."
"Your Highness, someone has arrived from Yunzhou." Feng Zhiyao reported in a low voice.
Mo Xiuyao was startled, sat up and frowned, "What happened to the Xu family and Mr. Qingyun?" Feng Zhiyao shook his head and said, "No, although someone in Chujing mentioned the relationship between the prince and the Xu family, many ministers persuaded him not to do so. Moreover, with the reputation of Mr. Qingyun and the Xu family, Mo Jingqi would never dare to touch them easily now." Mo Xiuyao felt relieved, Feng Zhiyao frowned and asked, "Since the prince is worried about the safety of the Xu family, why not bring them to Ruyang?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head and remained silent. Feng Zhiyao looked at him for a long time before saying, "The prince has never planned for the future, right? That's why he doesn't want to see the Xu family brought to Ruyang. He is afraid that one day the prince..."
"Feng San..." Mo Xiuyao called him and looked at him steadily. Feng Zhiyao waved his sleeves and said, "Forget it, you decide! Anyway, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Mo family soldiers and their families are in your hands!" After that, he turned and walked out. Looking at his back as he left, Mo Xiuyao frowned and whispered, "Hundreds of thousands of Mo family soldiers... It's really tiring... Feng San, how many years can I take care of them... Father, big brother, you must have been very tired at the time..."
Soon, someone walked in. Seeing Mo Xiuyao sitting in a trance, he did not say anything, but just stood at the door and looked at him. Mo Xiuyao frowned, raised his head to look at the visitor, but was startled. He stood up and looked at the visitor. After a while, he said in a deep voice: "Mr. Xu, why are you here?" The visitor took off the felt hat on his head and smiled indifferently: "Does the prince not welcome you?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said: "Mr. Xu, please sit down. What are you doing here?" Xu Hongyu looked at him and said: "On the way to Ruyang, I thought that when I saw the prince, if he was not sick in bed, he must be drinking to relieve his sorrow." Mo Xiuyao Yao was somewhat surprised and said, "Why do you say that, sir?" Xu Hongyu smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness has moved into Ruyang. The Mohist Army now controls five states and nineteen cities, including the northwest. Although it is only one-tenth of the territory of Da Chu, it is no smaller than Nanzhao. But Your Highness, what have I seen along the way? People's livelihood is declining, and the people are barely getting by. If the area controlled by the Mohist Army was not the most stable place at present, how many people do you think would be in these places now?" Mo Xiu Yao remained silent.
Without waiting for his answer, Xu Hongyu continued, "Before I came, my father once told me that with your talent, you can stabilize the country with your literary talent and military talent, and you will never be inferior to the Regent Prince Mo Liufang or even the first Prince Mo Suoyun." Mo Xiuyao smiled bitterly and said, "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Qingyun. I am afraid I am not worthy of such praise from Mr. Qingyun. How can a person who can't even protect his wife and children... stabilize the country?" Xu Hongyu was startled, and his eyes were sad when he thought of his smart and gentle niece. Ye Li is the only daughter of the Xu family in this generation. Xu Hongyu really treats this niece who is smarter and more decisive than boys as his own daughter and pampers and teaches her. Not only because of the younger sister who died young, but also because Ye Li herself deserved it. And then... this smart girl left behind a victory that even men might not be able to achieve, and then suddenly encountered this disaster. She was even several years younger than her mother. Is it true that beauty is envied by heaven? Looking carefully at the man in front of him who looked calm and composed, but whose eyes revealed a hint of coldness and endless hatred, Xu Hongyu suddenly laughed out loud, staring at Mo Xiuyao and said: "Is the prince's current action for Li'er? What a love-sick man, I'm sure Li'er would be very pleased if she knew about it!"
"Mr. Xu!" Mo Xiuyao said in a deep voice, staring at the middle-aged man in front of him with a warning. Even though so much time had passed, he still couldn't accept someone mentioning Ah Li's life and death in front of him, not to mention that this person was Ah Li's uncle.
Xu Hongyu looked at him without any fear, snorted and said, "Your Highness is so affectionate, I have to thank you on behalf of Li'er. But... Li'er set up such a situation for Your Highness in the northwest while she was pregnant, just to let Your Highness hide in Ruyang City and watch the chaos and misery of the people?" Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, and after a long while, a sneer slowly emerged from his lips, and he said faintly, "So what? Don't they want to... This world, then go fight for it. Didn't Mo Jingqi think that Prince Dingguo's Mansion was a nuisance? Now that Prince Dingguo's Mansion is gone, isn't that what he wants? I'm waiting for him to bring a million strong troops to quell the rebellion? From now on... Da Chu will have another great monarch, and future monarchs will no longer have to worry about Prince Dingguo's Mansion and the Mohist Army being a thorn in their throats. There are so many people in this world who want my life, I'll sit in Ruyang City and wait for them to come!"
Xu Hongyu sighed softly, looking at the murderous man in front of him, and asked: "My Lord, is there nothing to live for? What have the people of the world done wrong? What have those who have been loyal to the Dingguo Palace for generations done wrong?"
"Hehe..." Mo Xiuyao lowered his head and chuckled, "Mr. Xu, I'm afraid it's too late for you to say this. Since this war has already started, it will not end easily without a winner or loser, life or death. It is said that Mr. Hongyu is proficient in astronomy, can't he see... the world is in chaos and the people are living in misery." Xu Hongyu said, "So the prince is also proficient in astronomy?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head, his eyes clear, "This king does not understand astronomy, what this king wants is this chaotic situation, no one can change it!" It's not that the world was created because of astronomy, but that astronomy was created because of his game. In this chaotic game, everyone in this chess game is destined to be unable to escape, so just stay and be buried with A'li and their children!
Even Xu Hongyu didn't know how to persuade Mo Xiuyao, and his eyes gradually became warmer when he looked at Mo Xiuyao. At least, this man really loved Li'er, and Li'er's hard work for him was worth it. Looking at the endless pain hidden in Mo Xiuyao's calm expression, Xu Hongyu even felt that it was difficult to say those words of persuasion. Reason is always just reason, even for someone like him who is known as a great scholar, he never intends to live as strictly as reason. This man needs war and the lives of his enemies to calm the pain of losing his wife and unborn child. Just like his first reaction to hearing the news about Li'er was to kill the idiot Mo Jingqi instead of wanting to die if the king wants him to. But... no matter for the Mohist Army, the Xu Family, Li'er or the people of the world, he could not really watch this man drag the world into a sea of blood, at least not for those innocent people and themselves.
Looking at Mo Xiuyao in front of him, Xu Hongyu turned around and walked out. Just when Mo Xiuyao thought he had left, he walked back again. He put a thick stack of files on the table next to Mo Xiuyao. Zhuo Jing and others behind him also had a stack of files in their hands. They put them in front of him and left silently. Ever since Ye Li disappeared, Zhuo Jing, Wei Wei and Lin Han who came back later have been searching along the river day and night. Until the last despair, the three began to become elusive like ghosts. Both Mo Xiuyao and Feng Zhiyao knew about it, but they still did not give up and went out to search everywhere frequently.
Xu Hongyu tapped the files on the table and said, "These are what Li'er left behind. Take a look at them yourself. After you've read them, tell me your decision. I'm afraid I'll have to nag you for a while in the next few days."
Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment, looking at the familiar and beautiful handwriting on the top file - On the Future Commercial Feasibility Plan of Northwest China. Just like Ah Li's usual words that are novel and seem to make sense. Just looking at this line of words, you can understand what it is about. And the line of small words at the bottom of the file, Ah Li always leaves the date at the bottom of some files and memorials - October 2, the twelfth year of Emperor Jing...
Mo Xiuyao's eyes flickered. Ah Li took the time to write these things while guarding Hongzhou...
Watching Mo Xiuyao staring at the files in a trance, Xu Hongyu waved to Zhuo Jing and the others and led them out. The only sound left in the empty room was the occasional sound of flipping files.