Mountain and River Festival 202. Encouragement and Comfort

In the early morning, Ye Li opened her eyes when she heard the light footsteps outside. She glanced at the empty seat beside her. Mo Xiuyao did not come back last night.

Qingshuang came in with water. Seeing Ye Li wake up, she quickly put down the basin, carefully helped Ye Li sit up, and said with a soft smile: "Is the princess awake?" Ye Li nodded and asked: "Didn't the prince come back last night?" Qingshuang nodded and said: "I heard from Sister Qingyu and Sister Qingluan that the prince stayed in the study last night. Do you want me to ask the prince to come over? Nanny has ordered that the princess has to stay in confinement now and cannot get out of bed." Ye Li shook her head and looked at herself helplessly. In this era, staying in confinement is really unbearable, but she doesn't intend to be hard on her body. She looked sideways at the little Baobao who was still sleeping soundly in the cradle and couldn't help but smile: "Why is the baby still sleeping?" Wei Ma Ma came in with a bowl of porridge. After hearing this, she couldn't help but smile: "You are young and have never taken care of a child, so you don't know. This newborn baby eats and then sleeps every day. The little prince will grow fast if he sleeps more."

Ye Li took the hot towel from Qing Shuang and wiped her face and hands with a smile. She rinsed her mouth with warm water before taking the porridge from Wei Wei's hand and taking a sip. The light and pleasant taste made Ye Li breathe a sigh of relief. "Have you arranged a wet nurse for the young master?"

Wei Ma smiled and said, "Four wet nurses have been prepared. They all know each other well. Princess, please rest assured." Hearing this, Ye Li frowned slightly and said, "Four is too many. Just keep one or two for now. Except for the usual feeding time, you should send the young master to me at other times." Wei Ma looked at Ye Li with some embarrassment. Although she was also the princess's wet nurse, she also agreed not to let the wet nurse get too close to the young master. Otherwise, the young master would grow up with the wet nurse and become estranged from the princess. But if the princess took care of him personally, I'm afraid the prince would be unhappy.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Let's do it this way. When the child is one year old, it will be time to wean him. Then we can arrange for the wet nurse to go somewhere else." She had no intention of letting the wet nurse take care of the child, nor did she intend to let a group of wet nurses and little maids surround the child. Don't raise a Jia Baoyu in the future. Wei Ma Ma reminded in a low voice, "If the princess takes care of the little prince herself, the prince will probably be unhappy." Ye Li smiled and said, "It's no problem. The wet nurse and Lin Ma Ma will help me. When he grows up, he won't need anyone to take care of him." Wei Ma Ma agreed, leaned over and picked up the baby who was about to wake up, and went out to find a wet nurse to feed him.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, Ye Li handed the bowl to Qingxia who was serving beside her and asked, "Did anything happen last night?"

Qingshuang replied, "Last night, Master Su who lives in Nanyuan seemed to be ill. The prince invited Mr. Shen and Doctor Lin to treat him. I heard that he was very ill." Qingxia also nodded and said, "The prince has not left since he returned to the study last night. I heard that the person who sent breakfast in the morning was also stopped outside." Ye Li frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Qingshuang, go to the kitchen again and send a breakfast to the prince. Tell him that I asked you to do it. Also, ask Commander Qin to come over and tell him that I have something to ask him." Qingshuang nodded and replied, "I'll go right away."

"I am Qin Feng, and I want to see the princess." Soon, Qin Feng was outside the door asking for an audience. Ye Li said softly, "Come in." Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao have never been very particular about those false etiquettes. Now that Ye Li is not convenient to go out, Qin Feng stood beside the screen with the picture of mountains and rivers in the mist in the room and answered. Qin Feng also understood what Ye Li wanted to ask, and without waiting for Ye Li to ask in detail, he carefully told her what happened last night. This naturally includes the treatment of Su Zuidie. Su Zuidie struggled for more than half a year, but finally came to an end. But before she died, she still told the whereabouts of the Taizu's edict. If Mo Xiuyao didn't want that thing, then for Su Zuidie it would not be his life-saving talisman but a piece of waste paper. That thing still remains in the capital city of Chu. Su Zuidi left in a hurry with the help of Han Mingyue, and she had no time to look for the thing she had hidden. Moreover, carrying that thing with her was probably more like a death warrant.

Ye Li was also startled after hearing Qin Feng's words. Although Ye Li had some guesses about these things after Tan Jizhi's incident, it was far less shocking than actually hearing them. Moreover, the life and death of the late emperor and Regent Prince Mo Liufang were involved in it. It seemed that the royal family had been trying to get rid of Prince Ding's mansion for a long time.

"Does Your Majesty have any plans on how to deal with this matter?" Ye Li asked.

Qin Feng shook his head and said, "The prince has been locked in the study since last night and has not issued any orders." Ye Li nodded. This would undoubtedly have the greatest impact on Mo Xiuyao, and he really needed time to think about it.

Mo Xiuyao came back exhausted at noon. Seeing his bloodshot eyes, Ye Li knew that he must have not slept all night. Ye Li sighed and did not allow him to say anything else, and said softly: "Sleep for a while, and we'll talk after you wake up." Mo Xiuyao was extremely tired. He was angry because of Xue Chengliang's confession, and then he was nervous because of Ye Li's birth. Last night, he was shocked by what Su Zuidi revealed. If Mo Xiuyao had not cultivated his character in recent years, he would have chopped Su Zuidi to death with a sword before Su Zuidi finished speaking, and then led his troops into the pass and killed all the way to the capital. Mo Xiuyao has not slept a wink from yesterday morning until now. Too many things happened in this day. How could he not be tired?

Lying on his side on the bed, Mo Xiuyao glanced at Ye Li who leaned over to pull the quilt over him. He opened and closed his eyes several times before finally falling into a deep sleep.

Looking down at the man who was sleeping restlessly, Ye Li could only sigh softly, leaning against the bed and closing her eyes to think about the Northwest. Now that the truth of what happened back then has been revealed, I'm afraid that the situation in the Northwest and the Great Chu will be different if Mo Xiuyao wakes up. Ye Li didn't want to stop Mo Xiuyao from doing anything. Like the Mo family army, Mo Xiuyao had been suppressed for too long, and the actions of the man in the Chu Palace really couldn't make people believe that he was a good king who loved his people like his own children.

"Big brother...Father...Big brother! Big brother..." Mo Xiuyao muttered in his sleep, as if he had fallen into some terrible dream. Ye Li recalled what Qin Feng said about Su Zuidi's meter, and her heart sank. She gently patted the quilt on him and whispered, "It's not your fault, Xiuyao...Don't be afraid...It's not your fault..."

"Father, elder brother..."

When Mo Xiuyao woke up, he heard Ye Li's low laughter. He opened his eyes and saw Ye Li sitting beside him, leaning against the bed, holding the baby in a new light purple swaddle and teasing him. Her beautiful face was wearing a soft smile. Ye Li looked back and saw Mo Xiuyao open his eyes, and couldn't help but smile and said, "Okay, let's take a look at the baby?" Mo Xiuyao sat up and looked at the baby in the swaddle, who was looking at the two of them with his watery eyes. His face, which was red and wrinkled yesterday, looked much better now. Although it was not completely white and tender, it was very different from the red little monkey yesterday.

Ye Li held the baby lovingly and rocked him gently. The child was such a sleeper and this was the first time she saw him awake since he was born, except when he was breastfeeding. "Hehe, the baby can't see yet. He will become more and more adorable in a few days." Mo Xiuyao silently watched Ye Li teasing the child. Although he thought the boy was particularly annoying, he didn't say much. He just quietly looked at Ye Li, whose smile was gentler and more kind. His originally cold and hard expression softened.

After the baby fell asleep again, Ye Li called Wei Ma to carry him out. She turned her head to look at Mo Xiuyao, and said softly at his still gloomy face: "Those things are not your fault, big brother will not blame you."

Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment, and only after he came to his senses did he understand what Ye Li was talking about. He raised his hand and rubbed the hair behind Ye Li's head, and said in a somewhat dry voice: "My mother died not long after giving birth to me, and my father was busy with government affairs. It can be said that my elder brother raised me since I was a child. Originally, I wanted to wait for my elder brother to inherit the throne and then I would do my best to assist him. The Dingguo Palace has been a single-line inheritance for many generations, and it was not until our generation that my elder brother and I were born. We brothers naturally have to work together, and with my ability, even if I can't win any title, I won't rely on the Dingguo Palace to be idle and be a playboy for the rest of my life." Ye Li naturally knew all this, and in fact, Mo Xiuwen and Mo Xiuyao were only seven or eight years apart. Ye Li could almost imagine what it was like when Mo Xiuwen, who was only seven or eight years old at that time, held his newly born brother in his arms and guarded the deserted Dingwang Mansion. No wonder the two brothers had such a good relationship. I'm afraid that in Mo Xiuyao's heart, the status of this elder brother was no less than that of Mo Liufang, the father. It was for this reason that Mo Xiuyao, who was only a dozen years old, had already gone to the battlefield to tell his father and elder brother that even if he could not inherit the throne, he could still realize his ambitions and live a carefree life.

"I underestimated that jerk Su Zuidi! If it weren't for me..." Su Zuidi did mention the throne of Prince Ding's Mansion to him. He scolded Su Zuidi severely and told her not to mention it again and put it behind him. At that time, he thought that with the relationship between him and his elder brother, how could he be provoked by a woman, and he didn't think about what kind of conspiracy Su Zuidi would have. But he didn't expect that it would plant the seeds of disaster for Prince Ding's Mansion and his elder brother, and he himself paid a heavy price.

Ye Li sighed softly and consoled him softly, "Brother won't blame you, Xiuyao... This is not your fault. Since Mo Jingqi has already intended to deal with Prince Ding's Mansion and brother, even if Su Zuidi doesn't have that intention, they may find other opportunities." Holding Ye Li in his arms, Mo Xiuyao said hatefully, "Mo Jingqi! I will make him live a life worse than death!" Ye Li smiled and patted his shoulder, saying softly, "No matter what you do, I and everyone in the Mo Family Army will support you."

After resting for a while and seeing that Mo Xiuyao had calmed down a lot, Ye Li asked, "Does Xiuyao have any plans in mind? There are a lot of things happening in the northwest now. Recently, there are more people than usual entering the northwest. I'm afraid that the area around Hongzhou has been searched by those people." Unfortunately, these people don't know that it is simply wishful thinking to want to enter the Emperor Gaozu's Mausoleum from the northwest. Unless the mausoleum is forcibly dug up, even if Tan Jizhi comes, he can only go in from other places. Now in the northwest, who dares to dig up the mausoleum in a big way except the Mohist Army. Of course, the Mohist Army will not dig up the mausoleum of the previous dynasty's Emperor Gaozu. Although the previous dynasty has perished, the previous dynasty's Emperor Gaozu is a great hero passed down to later generations. Not to mention digging up graves, no matter whether it is digging up the grave of a sleeping person or whose tomb it is, it will not have a good reputation. The Hengshu Imperial Mausoleum was in the northwest, not too far from Ruyang City. Apart from Tan Jizhi and Doctor Lin, no one knew what was inside better than Ye Li. The things were there and could not escape, so she was naturally not in a hurry.

Mo Xiuyao sneered and said, "Since Mo Jingqi is so anxious, I will naturally give him a great gift. And those who are anxious to pass on the imperial seal... should also accept my great gift."

Seeing Mo Xiuyao's sneer, Ye Li asked curiously, "What gift?" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Ah Li will know when the time comes. By the way, does the boy Manyue want to invite Mr. Qingyun and Mr. Hongyu to come to the northwest?" Ye Li hesitated and said, "I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for grandpa and uncle." Now if Mo Jingqi said that he didn't send people to monitor grandpa and uncle, even the newly born Mo Xiaobao would not believe it. Although they also arranged people to protect the safety of Lishan Academy, it is impossible not to attract attention without these two people, whether they leave openly or secretly. If possible, Ye Li would of course prefer to bring grandpa and uncle's family to the northwest, but grandpa's temper would definitely not allow it. Therefore, their coming here will only draw them into the vortex of these struggles.

Mo Xiuyao chuckled and said, "A few days ago, I read your ideas about governing the northwest. Education is indeed extremely important. But the northwest is remote and not as prosperous as Yunzhou in terms of scholars. There have not been many famous people and scholars in history. Even if we want to open a school in the future, I'm afraid we won't be able to find a good teacher to teach. We have to ask for help from Mr. Qingyun and Mr. Hongyu." Ye Li blushed slightly and said, "I just wrote some nonsense. If there is anything inappropriate..." Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "How can it be inappropriate? My Ah Li is indeed a unique and extraordinary woman in the world. Not only can she ride a horse to kill the enemy, but she can also govern the country and ensure its security. Compared with Ah Li, those prime ministers and ministers in the court are simply good-for-nothings." Being praised so bluntly by Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li became more and more embarrassed. When she wrote those things, she really didn't think too much, just felt that the Northwest would be in a mess after the war. Neither she nor Mo Xiuyao actually had experience in governing a place, so it was better to think about it in advance to avoid being caught off guard. But what happened later was not what Ye Li could have expected. Fortunately, the heavy damage suffered by the Northwest was not as serious as imagined, and Mo Xiuyao took over all places except Feihong Pass at lightning speed, which eased the post-war situation in the entire Northwest.

Holding Ye Li in his arms and sitting with his back against the head of the bed, Mo Xiuyao frowned and thought, saying, "In fact, I still hope that Mr. Qingyun and Mr. Hongyu can come to the northwest, as well as Lord Xu and Master Qingchen. There will definitely be more and more things in the northwest in the future. There are naturally many military generals in the Dingwang Mansion, but when it comes to people who can really govern the local area and have the talent to save the world, there is not a single one." The Dingwang Mansion started with military merit. Although the Dingwangs of all generations were both civil and military, their subordinates were still mainly generals. After all, the Dingwang Mansion is not the imperial court, and it does not need so many civil officials to govern the local area or attend court to participate in politics. Ye Li thought for a while and said, "My eldest brother is in the northwest now. Send someone to send him a message. As long as he receives it, he will come to see the children. But it is not so easy for grandfather and uncle to leave Yunzhou. Otherwise... I will go there in person?"

"No!" Ye Li was pulled back into his arms with her waist tightened. Mo Xiuyao rested his chin on Ye Li's shoulder and said in a deep voice: "I will personally write to the old man to discuss Mr. Qingyun's matter with him. You are not allowed to go anywhere!" Ye Li raised her eyebrows. This was too overbearing. Before Ye Li could say anything, Mo Xiuyao rubbed his chin. His overbearing voice immediately sounded extremely aggrieved and cautious, "A Li, don't go. Don't leave me..."

Swoosh - a small arrow shot into Ye Li's heart, and her face turned black. When did this man become so shameless?

"Ali...you are leaving me again...or I will go with you wherever you go, okay? I'm afraid...if something happens to you, I will abandon Mo Xiaobao and let him become an orphan without a father or a mother, wandering around and having no food to eat..." Ye Li couldn't help but stretched out her hand to pinch someone's waist, "That's your son, how deep is your hatred for him?" Mo Xiuyao didn't care about this, and he didn't change his words even though he was grimacing in pain, until he found that Ye Li's slightly narrowed eyes revealed a dangerous cold light, and then he stopped talking unwillingly and asked: "Then Ali won't abandon me?" Ye Li sighed and said, "No, I was just saying it casually. You and the baby are here, where else can I go?"

Mo Xiuyao then embraced Ye Li contentedly. If Mr. Qingyun hadn't come, he would have secretly given Mo Xiaobao to him in two years. Ah Li was his alone.

Looking at Mo Xiuyao who was lazily hugging her, Ye Li sighed helplessly in her heart and picked up the topic just now and continued: "What you mean just now is that you want to make a big deal about the baby's full moon?"

Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, "The birth of my prince should be celebrated with great fanfare. Aren't those people trying every means to come to the northwest to hunt for treasure? Instead of letting them come in secret, we might as well invite them here openly. I want to see what kind of imperial seal they can find." Even if there really is an imperial seal, he wants to see who can take the thing away from the northwest without his consent.

Ye Li's heart moved, and she said, "You want to..."

Mo Xiuyao smiled grimly, "Isn't it said that whoever gets the imperial seal will rule the world? Let's see who can get the seal and who can rule the world." Ye Li lowered his brows and thought for a moment, "It would not be a good thing if the seal leaked out of Prince Ding's mansion. With..." Thinking of the bright yellow silk that he brought out from the imperial mausoleum, Ye Li suddenly smiled. Looking at Mo Xiuyao, he said, "I forgot that I brought out a treasure map from the imperial mausoleum."