Mountain and River Festival 225. Qin Zheng Leaves the Pavilion

In the end, the matter of Lei Tengfeng was successfully resolved with the compromise of King Zhennan, including the signing of a truce agreement within five years between Xiling and the Mohist Army, as well as an agreement on trade between Xiling and the Northwest and the establishment of a trade route directly to the Western Regions. In addition, Xiling sold a certain amount of copper and iron ore to the Northwest at a low price every year as compensation for Lei Tengfeng's actions in the Northwest. After a trip to the Northwest, King Zhennan, who did not gain any advantage, left Licheng with Lei Tengfeng and returned to Xiling early the next morning. However, the team that originally came in a mighty manner was reduced to less than half of the troops when they returned.

The crown prince and the seventh prince of Beirong and the king of Li of Dachu did not ask about how Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao would negotiate, but left it to Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu to handle. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao were very confident in their abilities, so they naturally did not worry that they would let the Mo family army suffer. After the king of Zhennan left, the three brothers and sisters of Ling Tiehan who were staying in the Dingwang Mansion also said goodbye together. Although the face of the sick scholar who had not recovered from his long-term illness still looked ugly, his breathing seemed to be much better than before. There seemed to be some strange stiffness between Ling Tiehan and Leng Liuyue, but that was none of Ye Li's business.

In just a few days, Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu dealt with the remaining few people. This time, the Mohist Army not only gained countless practical benefits, but also made the dignitaries of various countries understand a truth. Even though the Mohist Army now occupies less than one-sixth of the territory of Da Chu, it is still not so easy to offend. Since Mo Xiuyao announced his separation from Da Chu, the shaky balance between the countries was once again delicately maintained.

"Princess, Prince Li and Princess Li are here to bid farewell to you." After seeing off a large group of troublesome people, Ye Li had some free time to play with Mo Xiaobao. Mo Xiaobao, who was almost two months old, was becoming more and more cute. His white, tender and chubby face had two big black crystal eyes. Whenever he looked at Ye Li with his watery eyes, people couldn't help but hold him in their arms and kiss him again and again. After hearing Qingluan's report, Ye Li sat up, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Bid farewell to me?" How could she not know that in the eyes of outsiders, she, the Princess of Ding, was more important than Prince Ding? If it was because of her relationship with Ye Ying, she and Ye Ying had never had any sisterly love from the beginning to the end. Qingluan nodded and said, "That's exactly what Princess Li said. The prince left the city early in the morning with Second Master Xu. I guess he didn't have time to come back to see Prince Li off." Ye Li smiled. Mo Xiuyao clearly knew that Mo Jingli was leaving today. If he wanted to see him off, he wouldn't have left the city at all.

After thinking for a while, Ye Li waved her hand and said, "Forget it. Please ask Prince Li and Princess to stay in the flower hall for a while."

Qingluan took the order and left. Ye Li changed her clothes before turning around and leaving. Before she walked out of the inner room, Mo Xiaobao started to cry out, and no one could understand what he was saying. Hearing the sound, Ye Li turned around to see the little meat ball lying in the cradle, stretching out his little hands to smile at Ye Li cutely, and babbling in his little mouth that no one could understand. Nanny Lin smiled and said, "I'm afraid the young prince can't bear to leave the princess." Ye Li looked at the baby looking at her eagerly, and felt guilty in her heart. The baby was almost two months old, but she didn't spend much time with the baby. Sometimes it was even common for her not to see him for a day or two. It was rare that Mo Xiaobao could still smile at her so intimately every time he saw her. Carefully taking the baby out of the cradle, Ye Li smiled softly and said, "Good boy, come out with mommy, okay?"

Although it was only August, the weather in the northwest had already turned cool. When Nanny Lin heard that Ye Li was going to take Mo Xiaobao out, she quickly added a soft and warm blanket to cover him, and carefully told him not to let the young master catch a cold. Ye Li agreed to all of her requests before she took Mo Xiaobao out.

Ye Li walked into the flower hall with Mo Xiaobao in her arms, but she only saw Mo Jingli sitting in the flower hall in a trance, but Ye Ying was nowhere to be found. Ye Li frowned somewhat unhappily, and called the maid standing at the door and asked, "Where is Princess Li going?" The maid replied respectfully, "Princess, Princess Li just said she wanted to go out for a walk, and went to the garden. I'll go and ask her to come over now?" Ye Li nodded, but was stopped by Mo Jingli who stood up inside, "Wait a minute, there's no need to call Ying'er. Ye Li, I want to talk to you alone about something." Ye Li turned around and looked at the man in front of her who was still looking at her with a cold face and arrogance, and she just felt funny in her heart. She waved her hand to let the maid leave, and Ye Li stepped into the hall and asked, "What does Prince Li want to talk to me about?"

Mo Jingli frowned as he looked at Mo Xiaobao in Ye Li's arms and Wei Wei and Qing Yu following behind Ye Li, and said unhappily, "I want to talk to you alone."

Ye Li looked at him in confusion, "There are no outsiders here now, just say what you want to say." Mo Jingli also knew that Ye Li would not be alone with him, so he had to swallow his anger and sit down again. Ye Li sat down on the main seat, carefully placed Mo Xiaobao in her arms, gently stroked his little hand, causing Mo Xiaobao to giggle and reveal a toothless smile. This warm scene of mother and son was particularly annoying to Mo Jingli. He snorted and looked at Ye Li and said, "I was wrong to cancel the engagement, and I apologize to you here."

Ye Li was stunned, and looked at Mo Jingli with some doubt. She turned around to look at Wei Rui and Qingyu: Is Mo Jingli mentally sound? Wei Rui and Qingyu also looked as if they had seen a ghost. It was not the first day they knew King Li. If they said he would use any shady tricks, they would believe it. But if they said he would apologize to someone in person, no one had ever seen it. Seeing the incredulous expressions of the three people, Mo Jingli's face became even uglier. Ye Li was not in the mood to talk about these old things with him, and just wanted to get rid of him quickly. Bian Qian smiled and nodded, saying, "It's a thing of the past. Prince Li doesn't have to care about it." Mo Jingli looked at him seriously and said, "How could you not care? I have investigated everything that happened back then. It was Ye Ying who deliberately ruined your reputation in order to join Prince Li's Mansion. If not, you should be the Princess Li now." Ye Li was speechless for a moment, and at the same time, he felt that he was stupid to think that Mo Jingli would change after experiencing so much in the past two years.

"Prince Li, I think there is a question you have never thought about. If I don't want to cancel the engagement... do you really think that marriage can be canceled so easily?" That was a marriage personally arranged by the late emperor when he was alive. How could it be canceled so easily?

"What do you mean?" Mo Jingli looked at Ye Li with dissatisfaction. He could naturally hear the disdain for him from Ye Li's words. Ye Li gently hugged Mo Xiaobao and smiled faintly, "It's nothing. I just want to tell His Royal Highness Prince Li that what happened has already happened. There are no ifs and shoulds in this world. If Prince Li has nothing else to do, please go back. The prince is going out of town on business this morning, so I won't see Prince Li and Princess off." Mo Jingli stared at Ye Li unwillingly and said, "You were originally my princess!"

Ye Li raised her eyes and glanced at him calmly, "Then what does the prince want?"

"If you follow me, I will guarantee that you will become the legitimate wife of Prince Li!" said Mo Jingli.

Ye Li calmly looked at Mo Jingli for a long time before she sneered. Sensing the contempt and disdain in Ye Li's laughter, Mo Jingli said shyly, "What are you laughing at?" Ye Li stopped smiling and asked calmly, "Your Highness, Prince Li, do you dare to take me with you in Li City?" Hearing this, Mo Jingli's face changed. He quickly glanced at Wei Rui, who was standing behind Ye Li, and his face was changing from blue to white. Ye Li leaned back in the chair leisurely, hugged Mo Xiaobao and teased him, laughing: "What does Prince Li mean by saying this? Or does he mean that Prince Li is brave enough to snatch the princess in the northwest? If so, I will be impressed. But... even if so, why should I go with you? Prince Li's legitimate wife? Is she very valuable and I really want her?"

Mo Jingli clenched his hands tightly at his sides, stared at Ye Li and said, "Is Mo Xiuyao so good to you? Are you willing to follow him regardless of everything? He is just using you!" Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Xiuyao is naturally good to me. Everyone in the world knows that I am his only wife, in charge of half of the power of Dingwang Mansion and Mojia Army, and hold the most mysterious and elite Qilin in the world. These... Can you give them to me? Do you dare to give them to me? Doesn't Prince Li want to use me? Doesn't he want the Yunzhou Xu family behind me? Doesn't he want the Qilin in my hand?"

Mo Jingli was ruthlessly exposed, and his expression was very embarrassed. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "The Mo family army can be said to be the enemy of the whole world. Ye Li, I am doing this for your own good, so don't be ignorant."

Ye Li said calmly, "I appreciate the kindness of Prince Li. Princess Li has been waiting for a long time. You two should leave as soon as possible. I won't see you off." Everyone turned their eyes to the door. Ye Ying appeared outside the door at some point, staring at them with a strange look. Mo Jingli felt a little uncomfortable and stood up and said, "Ying'er, when did you come back?" Ye Ying stared at him for a long time before saying calmly, "Just now. Prince, I have said goodbye to my third sister. Should we leave now?" Mo Jingli looked at Ye Li unwillingly, but saw that Ye Li was lowering her head to tease the baby in her arms, so he nodded and said, "Let's go." He didn't say goodbye to Ye Li and walked out first, passing Ye Ying. Ye Ying looked back at Ye Li and said with a complicated expression, "Third sister, goodbye." Ye Li nodded and said calmly, "No need to see you off."

Ye Li sighed softly after watching Ye Ying walk out of the door. Qingyu, who was serving beside her, said in a soothing voice: "The Prince of Li is always self-righteous, why should the princess be angry with him?" Ye Li shook her head and smiled: "How can I be angry with him? I just feel a little emotional. When Ye Ying was still a concubine, she was so proud and arrogant. But now..." In fact, Ye Ying was already outside the door when Mo Jingli said that Ye Li would become the Prince of Li's concubine. If Ye Ying had the temperament before, she would have cried. But now, even facing this kind of problem, Ye Ying has learned to be silent. It seems that there is no one in this world who will never change.

Qingyu smiled and said, "In the past, the fourth young lady was the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion, the sister of Zhaoyi, and a famous talented and beautiful woman in the capital. Naturally, she was arrogant. Moreover, the Prince of Li was just an ordinary prince at that time. But now, the Prince of Li has occupied the richest half of the country of Da Chu and is on equal footing with the emperor. The Ye family has long been in decline. How dare the fourth young lady quarrel with the Prince of Li? The current Prince of Li is probably not the ideal husband who always sided with the fourth young lady." Ye Li smiled, isn't it? Mo Jingli even brought Princess Qixia with him when he came to the northwest, which shows that Ye Ying's position in his heart is just that. If it weren't for the relationship between Ye Ying and himself and the birth of a son for Mo Jingli, I'm afraid that Mo Jingli would have thrown her into some corner now.

After the envoys from various countries left, Licheng gradually returned to peace, but at the same time, many merchants came to Licheng and even the entire northwest to settle down. Many people who had fled to the interior to escape the war also gradually moved back. Thanks to the efforts of everyone in Prince Ding's Mansion, the entire northwest did not become chaotic because of the sudden announcement of breaking with Da Chu. Instead, it gradually got back on track. When Ye Li really breathed a sigh of relief, Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng's wedding date finally arrived.

Although Xu Qingze was the first person in the Xu family to get married, the Xu family, from Mr. Qingyun to Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng themselves, all emphasized that the wedding should be simple. Qin Zheng worshipped General Zhang Qilan as her adoptive father and married from General Zhang's mansion. For Qin Zheng's wedding, Murong Ting, who was originally far away in Da Chu, also left Leng Haoyu and hurried over, just in time for Qin Zheng's special day.

In the chamber specially prepared for Qin Zheng in General Zhang's mansion, Ye Li and Murong Ting looked at Qin Zheng, who had just changed into a bright red wedding dress and looked particularly charming. Murong Ting pulled Qin Zheng and praised her, "Luckily I caught up, otherwise I would have missed the moment when Zheng'er was so beautiful and charming. I was really moved by her, and I'm afraid that the wooden man Xu Er would be stunned by her."

"Murong..." Qin Zheng blushed and stared at Murong Ting coquettishly. The bright red wedding dress made her look prettier than flowers. For Xu Qingze and Qin Zheng's wedding, Ye Li, who always wore simple clothes, also changed into a bright yellow dress embroidered with lotus branches. Standing in front of Qin Zheng, she tilted her head to look at her, nodded and smiled: "Murong is right, she is indeed prettier than flowers. My second brother is so lucky to marry Sister Zheng'er." Qin Zheng looked at the two of them helplessly, and said unwillingly: "Li'er, even you come to tease me..." Ye Li quickly covered her lips and smiled: "I dare not, after today, Zheng'er will be my second sister-in-law. How dare I tease my second sister-in-law... right, sister-in-law..."

A burst of cheerful laughter rose from the lady's room. Murong Ting turned around and took out a large sandalwood box from her luggage and handed it to Qin Zheng. Qin Zheng looked at her in confusion, "What is this?"

Murong Ting said, "When I was leaving, Madam Qin sent someone to deliver it. She said that she left in a hurry and didn't do anything. She didn't even give you a dowry. These were all prepared by Madam Qin and Lord Qin themselves, saying that they were your dowry." The originally happy atmosphere in the brothel gradually faded, and Qin Zheng's tears suddenly fell while holding the box. Murong Ting immediately panicked and quickly took out her hand to wipe Qin Zheng's tears, "Well... today is your good day, how can you cry? I... I don't want to make you cry... Ah Li..." Unable to persuade Qin Zheng, Murong Ting could only look at Ye Li helplessly. She really didn't want to make Qin Zheng cry, but the dowry given by the Qin family must be handed over to Qin Zheng'er before the ceremony.

Ye Li walked over to Qin Zheng and sat down. She patted her shoulder gently and said in a soft voice, "Sister Zheng'er, don't let your makeup get ruined by crying. Lord Qin and Madam Qin asked Murong to come all the way to send you her dowry out of their kindness. You should be happy."

Qin Zheng nodded repeatedly, but how could she stop her tears just by saying so? Ye Li sighed softly, patted Qin Zheng and said with a smile: "Forget it, if you want to cry, just cry as much as you can. After crying, we can put on a more beautiful makeup. But don't cry your eyes so hard, it will be terrible if you scare my second brother..."

"Puchi..." Listening to Ye Li's consolation, Murong Ting couldn't help but burst out laughing, staring at Ye Li and said: "A Li, are you convincing Zheng'er or joking?" Even Qin Zheng couldn't help laughing, and her beautiful face looked a little embarrassed. In front of Ye Li and Murong Ting, Qin Zheng carefully opened the box that represented her parents' love. Lord Qin and Madam Qin were obviously very thoughtful, mainly because the mountains were high and the road was long, and Murong Ting couldn't bring too many things. So the most in the box were banknotes. In addition to two banknotes of 10,000 taels, there were also small banknotes of nearly 1,000 taels and small silver. In addition, there were three small boxes filled with various jewelry. With these, even if Qin Zheng did nothing, it would be enough for her to live a life of plenty and sleep without worries.

Qin Zheng held the box in her arms, tears welling up in her clear eyes. She whispered, "My parents have done so much for me, but I am such an unfilial son... I can't even get married..."

"Silly talk, as long as you are well, Uncle Qin and Aunt Qin will be relieved. One day, the family will be reunited." Ye Li said. Murong Ting nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, I will return to the capital after your wedding. When the time comes, you can write a letter and I will take it back to Uncle Qin and Aunt Qin for you. Don't worry, we will take care of the two old people in the capital."

Qin Zheng nodded, wiped her tears and said with some shame: "Thank you, Li'er and Murong."

Murong Ting smiled heartily and said, "What are you thanking me for? Aren't we friends?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Okay, Miss Murong, your friend is about to go too far. Go and add these things to the dowry list. Just say that they are the dowry given by Zheng'er's parents." Qin Zheng's dowry was prepared by the General's Mansion, and Ye Li and Prince Ding's Mansion also sent a lot of dowry, which was not bad in itself. But after all, the dowry given by biological parents has a different meaning.

Murong Ting had just made Qin Zheng cry, and now she was eager to have something to do. She took the list from Ye Li and turned around to do her work.

The two of them watched Murong Ting leave happily with smiles on their faces, and they couldn't help but smile at each other, and the sadness they had just felt faded a lot.

"The groom is here to pick up the bride, and the bride is leaving..." The bridesmaid's cheerful voice came from outside the door. Ye Li lowered her head to check Qin Zheng's makeup, and personally took out the red veil of the lotus flowers and covered Qin Zheng with it, "Zheng'er, I wish you happiness."

"Thank you." Qin Zheng said softly.