Mountain and River Festival 188. First Return to Ruyang

Ruyang City was filled with joy, for no other reason than that Princess Ding, who had been missing for more than half a year, had returned safely. Shu Guangyan'er, not only Princess Ding had returned safely, but also the seven-month-old little prince was also safe and sound in Princess Ding's belly. The entire Ruyang City was as lively as if it were a festival, as everyone knew that the princess, as a woman, had led an army of 200,000 to fight against the King of Zhennan in Xiling, and had almost annihilated the whole army of the King of Zhennan. Now that the princess and the little prince had returned safely, wasn't it God's blessing to His Royal Highness Prince Ding?

In such a chaotic world, ordinary people rarely have the leisure to pay attention to the rituals, classics, and teachings of saints. They love and support whoever gives them a peaceful life. In this time of war and chaos in the Great Chu, the northwest, which was the first to suffer from the war, has become a peaceful place, and most of this is due to the credit of Princess Dingguo. Therefore, the return of Princess Dingguo naturally makes people happy, and at the same time, they have more confidence in the future of the northwest.

Amidst the jubilation and bustle, the prefectural residence in the city remained quiet. Even though everyone had joy on their faces, it was still not the time to celebrate.

In the bedroom, Ye Li sat on the bed and looked at the pale-faced man who was in a coma. She felt a wave of pain in her heart. Shen Yang carefully removed the silver needles from Mo Xiuyao's body and stepped aside to wash his hands. Ye Li asked worriedly, "Mr. Shen, what happened to Xiuyao?" Ye Li was really scared in the afternoon. Mo Xiuyao, who was fine at first, suddenly fainted and even had a faint sign of bleeding. Shen Yang looked at Ye Li and comforted her, "Don't worry, Princess, the prince is fine for the time being."

"It's all because I forgot today. How could the prince..." After spending a few months in the mountains and the days without sun and moon in the imperial mausoleum, Ye Li forgot about time. She didn't expect that today was the full moon day. Shen Yang said, "The prince just used the method of cutting the meridians to block the pain. But the pain during the full moon every month cannot be blocked. The prince forced himself to do it, so naturally he suffered some internal injuries. Fortunately, it was discovered early, so there is no big deal." Ye Li frowned and said, "I have seen Xiu Yao's appearance when he has an attack, but this time is different. Mr. Shen, Xiu Yao has a problem, please tell me the truth." Shen Yang sat opposite him. He came down and said, "Princess, please be patient. The prince has been much calmer in the past few months. It's not because the poison has weakened, but because the prince's endurance seems to have improved. Or you could say... the prince's pain seems to have become a little dull. Fortunately, from what I see, the prince has no other problems at the moment, which is a good thing. Now that the princess is back safely, I can focus on studying the poison in the prince's body."

There are so many people who have had a hard time in the past few months, including Shen Yang. He can't lock himself up in a quiet place for a long time to study medicine as usual, and he can't go far to find precious medicinal materials or visit medical experts. Because he must pay attention to Mo Xiuyao's situation at all times to avoid any accidents. But looking at Mo Xiuyao's appearance, even if Shen Yang secretly adjusted Mo Xiuyao's diet countless times, if it continues like this, Shen Yang dares to conclude that even if the poison in his body is removed, the prince will not live for more than three years, and he will starve himself to death. Now that the princess is back, things will be much easier with her watching over the prince.

Ye Li nodded, looking down at the man's peaceful sleeping face on the bed, a trace of guilt and heartache flashed in her eyes, "Thank you, Mr. Shen, you can go down and have a rest. I'll take care of you here, Your Majesty."

Shen Yang stood up and bowed, saying, "Princess, you are not feeling well right now, so you should take some rest. If you need anything, just let me know."

After seeing Shen Yang off and dismissing the servants, Ye Li sat by the bed and quietly looked at Mo Xiuyao's pale face. She gently brushed the long scar on his left cheek and sighed slightly, "Xiuyao..."

In the morning, when Ye Li woke up, she found herself in a slightly warm embrace. She was stunned for a moment and looked up at the couch not far away. Because she didn't want to wake up Mo Xiuyao, she slept on a soft couch in the room last night, but she didn't expect to be in Mo Xiuyao's arms when she opened her eyes again. As soon as she moved, Mo Xiuyao opened his eyes immediately. Without saying a word, he just looked at Ye Li quietly. Ye Li smiled faintly, "Are you feeling better?" With a bright light in his eyes, Mo Xiuyao rubbed Ye Li's shoulder, pulled her into his arms and said, "It hurts, you need to sleep a little longer." Ye Li raised her hand and gently brushed the hair off his face, feeling bitter in her heart: How can I sleep when my whole body hurts? But she didn't want to refute his words, so she nodded and said softly, "Okay, sleep a little longer."

"Ali, sleep together." Mo Xiuyao said with his eyes closed. Ye Li responded, "Go to sleep."

However, they wanted to stay in bed for a while, but others would not give them this opportunity. Soon, there was a commotion outside the courtyard, and Ye Li faintly heard the voices of Han Mingxi and others. It was already night when they came back last night, and because Mo Xiuyao was unconscious, they only called Shen Yang to treat him, and did not see anyone else. No wonder Han Mingxi and others came to make trouble early in the morning. Sitting up helplessly, Ye Li did not say anything before she also sat up Mo Xiuyao, but her gloomy face was really a bit scary. No maids were called to serve, and when the two of them packed up slowly and went out, the outside was already noisy. However, the secret guards were very diligent in blocking the door, and no matter how anxious the people outside were, they could not get in.

Looking at Han Mingxi standing at the gate with an angry face, Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Mingxi, I heard your voice so early in the morning, what are you talking about?"

Hearing Ye Li's voice suddenly, Han Mingxi was startled. He turned around and saw the smiling woman in green standing at the door. He couldn't help but show ecstasy, "Jun Wei!" For a moment, Han Mingxi didn't care about anything else. He rushed towards Ye Li. However, although Han Mingxi's Qinggong was considered to be unique, there were people who were faster than him. Mo Xiuyao beside Ye Li didn't give him a chance to get close. He blocked Ye Li behind him and slapped Han Mingxi who was rushing towards him. Han Mingxi was startled. He turned over in the air and retreated more than ten steps to avoid the palm, "Mo Xiuyao, you lunatic, what are you doing?!"

Everyone around couldn't help but secretly sweat for Han Mingxi, because they all clearly saw how scary the man in front of them looked. Mo Xiuyao said nothing, stepped forward and slapped Han Mingxi several times. Han Mingxi's martial arts skills were mediocre, so how could he be his opponent? He immediately panicked and could only dodge everywhere. Fortunately, his Qinggong was worthy of being the best in the martial arts world, otherwise it would be hard to say what the consequences would be with Mo Xiuyao's palm power and ruthlessness.

"Xiu Yao, what are you doing?" Ye Li sighed helplessly. Is this considered a morning grump? I have never seen Mo Xiu Yao take action without saying a word like this before. Mo Xiu Yao paused for a moment, raised his eyes and glanced at Han Mingxi who was standing on the treetop and didn't dare to come down, and said coldly: "Han Mingxi, I told you to watch out for your life!" Han Mingxi was shocked. Others were standing behind Mo Xiu Yao and didn't know, but he saw it clearly. The look in Mo Xiu Yao's eyes when he stared at him was definitely murderous. Mo Xiu Yao was not taking his anger out on him just now, but he really wanted to kill him.

"Okay." Ye Li walked to Mo Xiuyao's side, pulled down his hand and held it tightly. She was a sniper in her previous life and was very sensitive to the environment and atmosphere. How could she not notice the murderous intent in Mo Xiuyao's words? She patted the back of Mo Xiuyao's hand soothingly, and when she felt that he relaxed a little, she looked up at Han Mingxi and smiled: "Mingxi, I haven't seen you for a long time. What are you doing so early in the morning?" Han Mingxi touched his hair and smiled bitterly: "Sorry, I heard yesterday that the princess came back, but it's so late..."

Ye Li nodded and apologized, "My Lord and I are late. We kept you waiting for a long time." The people present came to their senses and bowed in unison, "We are honored to meet the Lord and Princess."

Although the imperial court had clearly deprived Mo Xiuyao of his title, people in Ruyang City and the entire northwest seemed to have read the imperial edict in unison. They still called Mo Xiuyao "Prince" and Ye Li "Princess". Mo Xiuyao had no objection to this. If he didn't want the title of Prince, he would have to think of another title, which would be troublesome. Besides, he was used to the title of Prince. At the same time, he also told Mo Jingqi that he, Mo Xiuyao, didn't need anyone's title to become king. Mo Xiuyao stared at his subordinates with a gloomy face, which made everyone's heart beat fast. Since the princess got into trouble, the prince's temper has become particularly unpredictable. Although he is still wise as before in major events, his temperament is not as easy to get along with as usual. Seeing his face like this, everyone thought carefully and understood where the problem lies. The prince and the princess have reunited after a long separation, so naturally they want to spend more time alone together. It would be strange if the prince could be happy if these people came early in the morning to disturb his sleep. Half of them could not help but cast a resentful look at Han Mingxi who had just fallen from the tree. Half of them cast a pleading look at Ye Li who was standing next to Mo Xiuyao.

Ye Li smiled and quietly pulled Mo Xiuyao's hand. Mo Xiuyao snorted and said, "Forget it, everyone get up."

"Thank you, Prince and Princess." Everyone stood up quickly to express their gratitude as if they had been pardoned.

After the formalities, those who had nothing to do left in a hurry. No one was stupid. Since the prince didn't want to see them now, they would of course be tactful and let themselves disappear. Mo Xiuyao looked at the few people who stayed with a bad look and said in a deep voice, "What do you want?" Feng Zhiyao, the leader, touched his nose helplessly. They really had something to do. Feng Zhiyao stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the news of the princess' safe return has spread. The court will probably have news soon. We must come up with a response plan as soon as possible. In addition, the officials below reported that the people in the city are preparing to hold a lantern festival to celebrate the princess' safe return and pray for the princess and the young prince. I wonder if your Highness and the princess will participate?" Speaking of the court, Mo Xiuyao's expression became even gloomier, and he snorted and said, "Mo Jingqi won't be that fast, so don't pay attention to it for now. If someone is sent, just get out!"

Feng Zhiyao shrugged helplessly and said nothing. Qin Feng stepped forward and said, "My Lord and Princess, what shall we do with the two people we brought back yesterday?"

Speaking of Tan Jizhi, Ye Li hurriedly asked, "Is there any news about the Doctor Lin I asked you to find yesterday?" Qin Feng nodded and said, "Doctor Lin was slightly injured and was taken away by Tan Jizhi from another route. He was probably going to be taken back to the capital. He has arrived in Ruyang City this morning. Does the princess want to see him now?" Ye Li thought for a moment and shook her head, "Let someone take good care of Doctor Lin. He has worked hard along the way. Let's talk about it after he has rested." Qin Feng nodded, indicating that he would make arrangements. After looking at Mo Xiuyao standing at the side, he continued, "Tan Jizhi wants to see the prince and princess." Ye Li naturally remembered why she spared Tan Jizhi's life yesterday. She looked up at Mo Xiuyao and clearly saw the displeasure on his face. She smiled at her helplessly and said to Qin Feng, "The prince and I will go to see him later."

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in one hand and glanced at everyone's faces calmly, "Are you done?"

Zhuo Jing and Leng Haoyu, who were still about to speak, swallowed their words wisely. The way the prince looked at them was definitely threatening, and it wasn't an urgent matter anyway. Since the prince didn't want to hear it, they wouldn't say anything. Originally, they came here early in the morning just to make sure that the princess had returned safely. These past few months were really hard for human beings, and they never wanted to face the prince like that again.

Watching everyone say goodbye and leave, Ye Li sighed softly. She knew what Mo Xiuyao was thinking, but how could they really abandon everything and ignore it when they were already in such a position? Holding Mo Xiuyao's hand and walking back to the courtyard, Ye Li smiled softly and said, "Go back and have breakfast and rest for a while. Can you play the piano for me in the afternoon?" The gloom in Mo Xiuyao's eyes gradually dissipated, and he looked at Ye Li with eyes full of warmth and doting, "Okay."

Holding one of his arms, Ye Li smiled faintly. There will be a lot of things to do in the future, so it's okay to relax a little after just coming back, right?

In the afternoon, there was a slight coolness under the big tree in the backyard of the prefect's mansion. Ye Li leaned on the beauty's backrest and leisurely flipped through the book. Mo Xiuyao sat lazily beside him, leaning on the chair and burying his head beside Ye Li, closing his eyes and resting his mind. Obviously, if Ye Li was not pregnant now, he would probably sleep directly on Ye Li's legs. Ye Li didn't care. She held the book in one hand and put the other hand on his back, patting him gently from time to time.

Feng Zhiyao walked in and saw this warm and peaceful scene. Seeing Mo Xiuyao's peaceful and tranquil sleeping face, he suddenly regretted coming in to disturb their peace. But he had to come in to report the matter. Ye Li also saw him hesitating at the door, smiled faintly and nodded to Feng Zhiyao, "Feng San, come and talk." Feng Zhiyao then walked over. He carefully glanced at Mo Xiuyao who was leaning against Ye Li, and saw that Mo Xiuyao opened his eyes and looked at him. Just when Feng Zhiyao thought he was going to say something or use his hands to drive him out, Mo Xiuyao closed his eyes again.

"Feng San, what's the emergency?" Seeing Feng Zhiyao looking like he had seen a ghost, Ye Li smiled, put down the book, picked up the fan on the side and fanned Mo Xiuyao gently. Mo Xiuyao seemed very satisfied with this, and rubbed her legs gently, and the whole person relaxed a little more.

Feng Zhiyao glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who had his eyes closed and was not sure if he was asleep, and whispered, "Princess, someone from the imperial court has arrived."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows, "What a coincidence?" She just came back yesterday, and Mo Jingqi's people arrived today. This is too much of a coincidence. Feng Zhiyao nodded and said, "It is indeed a coincidence, but I have checked and it should have nothing to do with the princess. The other party just left Feihong Pass yesterday. However, it may have something to do with the one we captured yesterday."

"Tan Jizhi?" Ye Li frowned and thought, "Tan Jizhi is quite courageous. He wants Mo Jingqi to save him? Isn't he afraid that if his identity is exposed, the first person who wants him dead will be Mo Jingqi?" Feng Zhiyao smiled and said, "He probably didn't think that his identity would be known to us. I guess the reason why he dragged Mo Jingqi into this is probably just his preparation. After all, the northwest is in our hands now. No matter how careful he is, he may fall into our hands. If we didn't know that his other identity is related to the princess, we would have simply captured Tan Jizhi and finally handed him back to Mo Jingqi."

Ye Li nodded, "So that means... Mo Jingqi knows what Tan Jizhi is going to do in the northwest. At least it's something that will benefit him."

Feng Zhiyao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Will Tan Jizhi tell Mo Jingqi that the former emperor's mausoleum is in the northwest? Mo Jingqi wants the treasure in the mausoleum." It is said that the mysterious mausoleum of the former emperor is the most abundant and mysterious among all the emperors' mausoleums. Even Feng Zhiyao did not think that the mausoleum that had been missing from the beginning would be in the northwest. Ye Li stopped fanning herself, "How is he going to explain how he knew the secret of the mausoleum?"

"Then you have to ask Tan Jizhi." Feng Zhiyao said with a smile.

Ye Li thought for a moment, "Tell Tan Jizhi that I want the antidote to the poison in the blue sky flower and the prince. Also..." Ye Li frowned and said, "Tell Qin Feng to interrogate Su Zuidi again. She must know something important. But Tan Jizhi's identity is not enough to keep her from confessing for so long. The key question is... how did she and Tan Jizhi know each other!"

"I obey your command. Then...who is sent by Mo Jingqi?" Feng Zhiyao asked.

Ye Li lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Let's put it aside for now and talk about it when the prince is free."

Hearing this, Feng Zhiyao's mouth twitched as he glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who was sleeping peacefully on the chair. Is the prince free? A workaholic prince is bad, but a prince who suddenly becomes lazy is even worse. Thinking of the pile of memorials and files in the study room in just two days, Feng Zhiyao felt a dark cloud in front of his eyes. I just hope that the prince's current condition will not last too long.

"I will take my leave."