Mountain and River Festival 195. Leave early
"What's wrong with the Prince of De? I see that the Prince of De is not in good spirits, but where have I been neglected?" Sitting on the main seat, Mo Xiuyao supported Ye Li with one hand and held the wine glass with the other hand, looking at the Prince of De with a humble demeanor, whose face was blue. The Prince of De choked, and should say that since he entered Ruyang City, he had not been neglected in any way. Although the welcoming banquet tonight was indeed lively and joyful, anyone with eyes could see that the welcoming banquet was just a side event, and the real purpose was to congratulate the return of Princess Ding and the upcoming birth of the future little prince.
Prince De said coldly: "I dare not. How dare I blame Prince Ding for being negligent?"
Mo Xiuyao seemed to have not heard the meaning of the words of the King of De at all, and laughed loudly: "No, that's good. The King of De has worked hard all the way, why don't you have a drink tonight?" Mo Jingyu beside him saw that the King of De was about to change color again, so he secretly reached out and pulled him, whispering: "Uncle, if there is anything, let's talk about it later, don't offend the public." Then he laughed loudly: "Uncle, the King of Ding said that you have worked hard on this journey, and your nephew will toast you." Mo Xiuyao glanced at the two people with different expressions, smiled faintly, and ignored them, turning aside to chat and laugh with the generals and officials below. Mo Jingyu tried hard to hold down the angry King of De, and said in a bitter face: "Uncle, calm down. We are under the eaves now..." The King of De was angry and said disdainfully: "So what? Does he dare to kill me?"
That's hard to say. Mo Jingyu thought to himself, and whispered to Prince De: "Uncle Emperor, the northwest is now Prince Ding's territory. If something unexpected happens, no one can do anything to him. Do you still remember the matter of Princess Ding... Mo Xiuyao killed those 7,000 troops without blinking an eye. But what can the emperor do to him?" At most, he would issue a few imperial edicts, accusing Mo Xiuyao of being cruel and killing innocent people. But what's the use of that? Does Mo Jingqi dare to send troops to attack Mo Xiuyao? A few imperial edicts in the northwest are probably not as effective as straw paper.
Prince De and others have been under the command of Mo Jingqi, who is so suspicious of the emperor, for so many years and are still highly valued by the emperor. They are definitely not really stupid. However, as the oldest prince of the previous emperor's generation, even the emperor usually calls him uncle, and he has never faced Mo Xiuyao in all these years. Subconsciously, he always feels that Mo Xiuyao should respect him a little, not to mention that he is a person who relies on his status and face by nature, so he is particularly upset when being ignored by Mo Xiuyao. At this time, after listening to Mo Jingyu's advice, looking at the harmonious scene on the city tower. The civil and military officials of Ruyang City are clearly obedient to Mo Xiuyao. How can they regard them as the emperor's servants? A cool breeze blew over from the top of the city wall. Prince De shuddered and his mind suddenly became much clearer. He was also frightened and broke into a cold sweat.
The past ten years of peace and comfort have been too long. He has long forgotten the tragic events of the previous emperor's sons' fight for the throne. It is inevitable that people will become arrogant. At this moment, he suddenly came to his senses and began to think about what he had done in the past few years. He even began to suspect that Mo Jingqi sent him to the northwest because he didn't like him and wanted to use Mo Xiuyao to get rid of him. Mo Jingyu didn't know what he was thinking. He just saw that although his face looked ugly, he finally calmed down. He breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the wine glass to enjoy the singing and dancing.
Ye Li, who was sitting up there, naturally saw the interaction between Prince De and Prince Yu. Seeing Prince De drinking by himself with a gloomy face, although she didn't know what Prince Yu said, she could tell that he was trying to persuade Prince De. In her heart, she labeled Prince Yu as a scheming person.
"What are you looking at, Ah Li?" Mo Xiuyao lowered his head and smiled at Ye Li. Ye Li shook her head and said, "Nothing, you did it on purpose today, didn't you?" She deliberately neglected the King of De. If it weren't for the King of Yu, the King of De would have been angry. Mo Xiuyao snorted, brought a glass of fresh juice to her lips, and said lightly, "The older the King of De gets, the less he knows how to behave. If I don't give him a break, he will be so angry. This king never likes to be looked down upon by others."
Ye Li took a sip of the juice in the glass. The slightly cool watermelon juice with a light sweetness suited her appetite. Mo Xiuyao said softly, "It's a little cold after being chilled, but Mr. Shen said that it's okay to use a little. But are you tired? If you are tired, let's go back first." Ye Li shook her head and said, "I'll go back by myself in a while. Can you leave first?" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Why do we need to stay here for such a banquet? I'm afraid they can't wait for us to leave early before they can have fun." Ye Li heard this and glanced at the people below. The civil officials were fine, and even the military generals were sitting and drinking and enjoying themselves in an orderly manner. Ye Li had seen these military generals before. They were never polite when drinking. It turns out that they are constrained here.
Helping Ye Li to stand up, the audience stopped and looked up respectfully, including the prince and princess. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "You will not feel comfortable if the prince and princess stay here. I will toast you one more time, and then everyone can do whatever they want." He raised his glass and toasted everyone below, then raised his head and drank it all. Ye Li stood beside Mo Xiuyao, also raised the glass in front of her and smiled, "I will also toast you one more time, and everyone can do whatever they want."
Everyone thanked him in unison, especially the generals who had fought with Ye Li before, who were extremely excited. From a distance, Ye Li saw Yun Ting's handsome face blushing as he thanked him loudly.
With a wave of his hand, Mo Xiuyao told everyone to go as they pleased, and then he helped Ye Li to leave the table. Everyone else was left to continue the feast, and it sounded even more lively.
After getting off the tower, Mo Xiuyao dismissed the casual guards and maids, and helped Ye Li stroll on the street. The lights on both sides of the street were brilliant, and the people came out of their homes and played in groups. Zhang Yu, the newly appointed governor, was obviously very thoughtful. Not only were there colorful lights on the street for people to watch, but there were also various performances to attract people's attention. If it weren't for Mo Xiuyao's white hair that was too conspicuous, I'm afraid no one would notice the two of them walking in this happy crowd. The common people who saw the two were surprised at first and then came forward to pay their respects. Mo Xiuyao quickly signaled everyone not to make a fuss, and took Ye Li to a less crowded place. He looked down at the white hair on his chest helplessly and said, "You really are too conspicuous. I can't even accompany you for a walk on the street."
Ye Li smiled and said, "This also shows that you are loved by the people. The people in the city rarely see you, so they are naturally very curious for a while, but they will get used to it after a long time." If people bow to you everywhere they go out, then they don't need to go out. When they were in the capital, there were dignitaries everywhere. If the people bowed to them as soon as they saw them, they might not be able to come to them. Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li and smiled, "Since we can't watch the lantern festival, let's walk back slowly." Prince Ding's mansion was not too far from here. The two held hands and walked slowly along the deserted streets. Most of the people in the city gathered at the lantern festival tonight, which made other streets seem particularly deserted and quiet. The two walked side by side under the moonlight, and Ye Li asked softly, "Prince De and Prince Yu, do you have any plans?"
Mo Xiuyao smiled nonchalantly, "These two guys can't make any waves. Let's see what they say tomorrow. Does Mo Jingqi think everyone in the world is a fool? Now he sends people to persuade me to return to the court... hehe..." Could it be that Mo Jingqi didn't know that he could never go back after he killed those 7,000 soldiers and occupied Ruyang? Now he can still maintain a delicate balance by staying in the northwest court. Once he really goes back, what awaits him and the Mo family army are countless impeachment memorials and a dead end. Unfortunately... he doesn't want to die at all now. If Mo Jingqi is smart, he shouldn't provoke him again. In Mo Xiuyao's eyes, Mo Jingqi's calculations are not even the lowest. If he thought that the Dingguo Palace had been guarding the Great Chu for generations for the sake of a so-called reputation for loyalty and bravery, then he was very wrong.
"So... where is Lord Su?" Ye Li asked in a low voice. Mo Xiuyao's respect for Su Zhe is absolutely genuine. The relationship between a teacher and a student is like nothing else. Even when Mo Xiuyao was abandoned by Su Zuidi under such circumstances, Ye Li would not believe it if it was not for Su Zhe's feelings. Moreover, Su Zhe's only son and grandson died for the Dingwang Mansion. With such a friendship, Su Zhe is no less important than a family member in Mo Xiuyao's heart.
Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment and whispered, "Old Su has no ties in the capital anymore. If he is willing to stay in the northwest, I will naturally support him until he grows old. If he still can't let go of the court, I will send someone to secretly look after him."
Ye Li frowned and sighed softly, "You know I'm not talking about this. Su Zuidie is the only relative of Mr. Su. The reason why Mo Jingqi sent a 70-year-old man from afar is probably because of this? In the past few days... half of the assassins who broke into the mansion were Mo Jingqi's men. It seems that Mo Jingqi is different from Tan Jizhi. He doesn't seem to want Su Zuidie to die." Mo Xiuyao's eyes flashed with scarlet, and he said lightly, "Su Zuidie must die. Mr. Su will not plead for her." Su Zhe is an upright person and hates people who betray their faith the most. Su Zuidie fled the capital without Su Zhe's knowledge, but considering Su Zhe's way of being, he will never recognize Su Zuidie as his granddaughter again. Ye Li held his hand and said softly, "Master Su has taught you since you were young. I will not be soft-hearted towards Su Zuidie, but don't let this chill Master Su's heart. Even if Master Su and Su Zuidie are no longer friends, she is his granddaughter and his only relative in this world. It will not be good if he holds a grudge against her."
"Then don't let Elder Su know." Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "After all, the situation has been at a stalemate for so long, and Qin Feng still hasn't made any progress. So don't ask. The so-called secret is not known to her alone. Let Qin Feng kill her."
"Nonsense." Ye Li said softly, "She died just after Lord Su arrived. What do you want the old man to think? Okay..." She hugged Mo Xiuyao soothingly, brushed the white hair from his ears, and said softly: "Lord Su is not only your mentor, but also an upright official in the court, with countless students and former officials. It is reasonable for us to give him some face." Mo Xiuyao said coldly: "Are we just going to let her go like this?" Reaching out and holding her tightly in his arms, Mo Xiuyao closed his eyes and immersed himself in the murderous intent in his heart. He really didn't want these people to be alive... Su Zuidie, Lei Zhenting, Mu Yanghou and Mo Jingqi. Whenever he saw them or even thought of them, the scene of A'li falling off the cliff would constantly appear in front of his eyes. He even felt that everything now was like a dream. When he woke up from the dream, he was still at the time when he lost A'li.
Sensing the cold and lonely smell coming from Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li looked up and saw him with a look of despair in his confusion. Ye Li felt a pain in her heart and quickly held his hand in front of her heart, saying softly: "Okay, it's my fault. I thought too much. You don't like me letting Qin Feng kill Su Zuidie." Mo Xiuyao held the child in his arms, took a deep breath, smelled the familiar and faint fragrance, and his originally gloomy mood suddenly improved a lot. He liked the way Ah Li always agreed with him in everything, and gently rubbed Ye Li's hair. Mo Xiuyao smiled softly and said: "I know Ah Li is doing this for my own good. There is no rush for Su Zuidie's matter anyway." He knew that Ah Li said this for him. The Dingguo Palace originally had enemies everywhere, and now that they were secretly at odds with the court, it could be said that anyone in power in this world would regard them as enemies. In this case, the more people supported him, the better off the Mohist Army would be in the future. Since Mr. Qingyun withdrew from the court, the court's clear stream could be said to be headed by Su Zhe. Although they did not have much real power, these people controlled the world's opinions and public opinion. Once he and Su Zhe turned against each other, I'm afraid that most of the scholars in the world would have no good impression of him.
Ye Li's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and she said softly: "Leave the matter of Su Zuidie and Old Master Su to me. I will not let you see her again in the future." Ye Li found that she had obviously underestimated the influence of Su Zuidie on Mo Xiuyao. It was not that she suspected that Mo Xiuyao still had feelings for Su Zuidie, but Su Zuidie would obviously make Mo Xiuyao think of some bad things and seriously affect his mood. In this case, she could not let Su Zuidie live anymore. No matter what the reason! As for Su Zhe... If Old Master Su is really like what Mo Xiuyao said, maybe there is a way to solve it.
"Prince, Princess." The two returned to Prince Ding's Mansion and sat down. It was obvious that Zhuo Jing and Lin Han had been waiting for them for a long time.
Mo Xiuyao turned to the two of them, still holding Ye Li's waist with one hand, and asked, "What's going on in the mansion?" Zhuo Jing reported, "Your Highness is very good at predicting things. The guards brought by Prince De and the people who have arrived in Ruyang from various places in the past two days have besieged the prefectural governor's mansion." The other party obviously chose a good time. The whole city is happy tonight, and the east of the city is even more lively. The prefectural governor's mansion caused such a big commotion, but no one noticed it.
Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Oh? Besieging the Prefect's Mansion?" Lin Han said, "Because the prince and princess suddenly moved to a new mansion, the other party obviously didn't notice it. So they broke into the Prefect's Mansion to rescue Su Zuidie." Because there was no big fight when they moved, basically the prince and princess moved there with their respective luggage, so neither the guards who followed King De and were stopped outside the city nor the people who had been lurking in the city discovered it, not to mention that Su Zuidie had been secretly moved somewhere else by them a day ago.
"Save? Not silence?" Ye Li asked with a raised eyebrow.
Zhuo Jing said, "I'm sure the other party didn't intend to kill Su Zuidie. The people they sent this time are all masters with extremely high martial arts skills. After breaking into the dungeon, they had at least three chances to kill the substitute in the cell. But the other party only wanted to take the person out, so they didn't do it."
"Interesting." Ye Li lowered her eyebrows and pondered. It was unreasonable for Mo Jingqi's people to want to save Su Zuidie. If Su Zuidie knew some secret that he shouldn't know, Mo Jingqi would just want to silence her. The cost of saving people in this way was too high. Mo Xiuyao held her hand and smiled, "Ali, there is no need to worry so much. The more he does, the more mistakes he makes. Sooner or later we will know why. Did anyone leave any survivors?" Zhuo Jing nodded and smiled, "Your Highness, the harvest this time was quite great. The leader was actually the deputy commander of the Yulin Army in Chujing, and several famous masters in the martial arts world were all detained."
Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction. He had endured the noise of the waste every now and then for these days and finally caught a few big fish. He ordered in a deep voice: "They don't need to be interrogated. Mo Jingqi won't tell them anything. Send the head of the deputy commander back to the capital. As for those Jianghu masters, we can ask them about them." Jianghu people have always disliked being restricted by the court. Even assassins kill people for money and rarely obey the orders of the court. Mo Jingqi was able to mobilize so many famous Jianghu masters at once. There must be some reason.
"yes."
"Speaking of the former guard commander and the masters...where are Leng Qingyu and Mu Qingcang now?" Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Leng Qingyu has returned to the capital. Although he is a little arrogant and inflexible, he is still a human being compared to those cunning people. For Leng Er's sake, I have to let him go. As for Mu Qingcang... he is in Ruyang. Do you want to see him, A Li?" Mu Qingcang is not someone else. He is not only the illegitimate son of Marquis Muyang, but also one of the top five masters in the world. Mo Xiuyao will naturally not leave him where he can't see him. If someone takes advantage of him, there will be a lot of trouble. Ye Li thought for a while and said, "I do have some things I want him to do, but Mu Qingcang is not easy to control. Let's wait and see."
Mo Xiuyao didn't care. He nodded and was about to say something when the guard outside the door reported, "Your Highness, Lord Su Zhe wants to see you."
Mo Xiuyao was startled, then he remembered that Su Zhe was too old to bear the long journey and was already exhausted, so he did not attend the welcoming banquet tonight but rested in the mansion. He sat up and glanced at Ye Li, and said in a deep voice: "Please invite Elder Su in."