Mountain and River Festival 264. Return to Chujing

In Chujing, in an inconspicuous courtyard.

Leng Haoyu sat in the study with a gloomy and uncertain expression. Murong Ting walked in with a cup of ginseng tea and saw the green shadow under his eyelids. She couldn't help but frowned and asked, "What happened that makes you so embarrassed?"

Leng Haoyu has been in a bad mood since he received a letter last night. He sat in the study room in a daze all night without sleeping. If it were Murong Ting a few years ago, she would have scolded him, but after living together for a few years after marriage, Murong Ting's impression of Leng Haoyu is no longer the idle dude. Moreover, after becoming a wife and a mother, her temper has obviously improved a lot.

Putting the ginseng tea on the table, Murong Ting looked down at the letter on the table. Leng Haoyu had no intention of hiding it from her, so he unfolded the letter and placed it on the table. It turned out to be a letter sent by Leng Huai from Zijing Pass. Zijing Pass was in urgent need of food and grass, and the court was also facing major events. Prime Minister Liu's faction and Prince Li's faction were fighting fiercely, and no one paid attention to the letter sent by Leng Huai for help.

Murong Ting frowned and sneered, "Does the eunuch really think of us as the national treasury? He doesn't even consider whether you have the ability to do so, and he asks for 100,000 dan of grain and grass right away. Where can we get it for him?"

It was not difficult for Leng Haoyu's men to ask for 100,000 dan of grain and grass, but that was the property of Prince Ding's Mansion, and Leng Haoyu could not use it at will. Moreover, although the outside world knew that Leng Haoyu had been doing business outside for a few years, it would be strange if they were not targeted by various forces if they just casually spent 100,000 dan of grain. Prince Ding's Mansion and Da Chu no longer had any connection, and who would dare to take grain and grass to support Da Chu's army without Prince Ding's personal consent?

But Murong Ting also understood Leng Haoyu's entanglement and dilemma. Even if Leng Huai ignored Leng Haoyu, he was still Leng Haoyu's biological father. Murong Ting also felt entangled with Da Chu. Leng Haoyu was from Ding Wang Mansion, and Murong Ting followed her husband and naturally became a member of Ding Wang Mansion. But her father Murong Shen was a general guarding the border of Da Chu. How could the bloodline of the same origin be so easily severed?

Seeing her husband's haggard and exhausted appearance, Murong Ting could only sigh helplessly and comfort him: "We have already sent the message to the northwest. I believe the prince and princess will reply soon. It is not likely that the father-in-law will not be unable to hold on for a few days."

Leng Haoyu forced a smile, leaned back in his chair, reached out to hold his wife's hand on his shoulder, and said apologetically: "I made you worry." Murong Ting rolled her eyes at him and said: "What are you talking about? We are husband and wife, if I don't worry about you, who should I worry about? If you have time to sit here and worry, you might as well have a good sleep. What if the king gives you some instructions and you get too tired to hold on."

Leng Haoyu smiled helplessly. How could he not understand the truth? But the person who was experiencing the rain of swords and knives on the battlefield and was probably starving was his biological father. Although his father had only had his eldest brother in his eyes since he was a child, he could not deny that he always longed for his father's recognition. That was why he and Feng San became good friends, because they were both people who longed for their father's eyes and recognition but never got it, but Feng San was more unrestrained and more resolute than him.

"Master Leng, a secret letter from the prince has arrived." Someone whispered outside the door. Leng Haoyu stood up in surprise and said loudly, "Come in!" He didn't know what the prince's decision was, but he wanted to know the result as soon as possible. The man outside the door whispered a sealed letter and then left. Leng Haoyu opened the letter and read it quickly, with a glimmer of joy in his eyes.

Murong Ting knew it must be a good result just by looking at his expression, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although she hated the Leng family, she didn't want them to die. At least she didn't want Leng Huai to die like this, otherwise Leng Haoyu would definitely be sad. Leng Haoyu finished reading the letter and raised his head. Murong Ting asked, "What's the matter? What did Prince Ding say?" Leng Haoyu thought for a while and said, "Ting'er, you go to the Muyang Marquis' Mansion later. The Muyang Marquis' Mansion, like the Leng family, has outstanding military achievements for generations. Now that the border is in danger, they should also do their part."

Murong Ting frowned and said, "Marquis Muyang has been thinking about retiring in recent years. Can Yao Ji persuade him?" Leng Haoyu sneered and said, "If he can't do it, doesn't he still have Mu Yang?" Murong Ting nodded and said, "I know. I haven't seen Marquis Muyang's wife for some time. I'll send a visiting card to her later."

Leng Haoyu nodded and smiled, "There's another good news." Murong Ting raised her eyebrows and looked at him with a smile.

Leng Haoyu whispered, "The prince and princess will come to the capital soon." Hearing this, Murong Ting was shocked, "At this time, the prince and princess..." Leng Haoyu laughed softly, "In Licheng, Mr. Hongyu and Mr. Qingchen are in charge, and there are generals and hundreds of thousands of Mo family soldiers stationed outside. Where can the prince and princess not go? The prince and princess plan to bring the little prince back to sweep the tombs of the previous kings. In addition, didn't they say that Mo Jingqi is about to die? The prince said he wanted to see him off."

Since Prince Ding and Li'er had decided to come, they naturally had some plans for safety. Thinking of Ye Li, whom she hadn't seen for several years, Murong Ting's brows also showed some joy.

Yao Ji had not been in Chujing for long, only half a year in total. But in this half year, she had successfully transformed herself from a lone woman with a child into the most favored concubine of the prince in the Marquis of Muyang. Although this was not without the support of the Dingwang Mansion, it also showed that Yao Ji was very capable.

Now, the son she gave birth to is the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Muyang and the only son of Mu Yang. This alone is enough for her to stand firm in the Marquis of Muyang. Yao Ji is not a high-profile person, and she is not domineering even when she is favored. This makes it impossible for the Marquis of Muyang, who originally looked down on her background, to find any handle. It also makes the Marquis of Muyang's wife hate her so much that she almost bites her teeth, and only regrets why she didn't kill this disaster at the beginning. Unfortunately, Mu Yang is very protective, and Yao Ji is not a kind and ignorant person. After entering the mansion for a few months, the two have fought several times, and the Marquis of Muyang's wife has not gained any advantage.

Yao Ji was lazily dressed in front of the window. The colorful clothes she wore did not look vulgar at all, but only made people feel dazzling. She was nearly 30 years old, but she was still beautiful and intoxicating. A handsome child of six or seven years old sat beside her, reading a book quietly and obediently. Yao Ji looked down at him with eyes full of love and heartache.

This is of course not really her child. Her child will still stay in the northwest and live an ordinary life. He will have a pair of loving parents and will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life. He will not know that he has a father who is the son of Marquis Muyang, nor will he know that he has a mother who was once a dancer. This is very good. This child is naturally not an ordinary person. This is a child raised by Prince Ding's Mansion since childhood. The personal secret guards who have guarded Prince Ding's Mansion for generations were selected and trained from such children. Today, the secret guard system has been gradually changing, but it still requires some special people to execute some special people. The child in front of him is the one who came with Yao Ji this time. After more than half a year of getting along, Yao Ji really treats this child as her own child and loves him. She can't raise her own child by her side, so she is always extra soft-hearted to other children.

This was the scene Mu Yang saw when he came in. The beautiful woman looked lovingly at the child who was concentrating on reading. The faint sunset shone through the window, adding a bit of warmth to the coldness of late winter. Seeing this, Mu Yang felt warm in his heart, and the smile on his face deepened.

"Is Lie'er studying?" Mu Yang walked up and asked with a smile. The child named Mu Lie put away his book, stood up and respectfully called out, "Dad."

Mu Yang touched Mu Lie's head lovingly and said with a smile: "The teacher assigns a lot of homework on weekdays. Dad knows that you work hard, but you can't be too tired." A trace of embarrassment and shyness flashed across Mu Lie's little face, but there was more joy. He nodded and said: "My child is not tired, thank you for your concern."

Mu Yang felt that his son was very sensible, and he was comforted in his heart, "Good boy." Mu Yang really loved this son who had been missing for six years. Because he felt guilty, he was not very strict with him. Mu Yang looked at Yao Ji who was sitting on the side and watching the two of them indifferently, and smiled softly: "What are you doing this afternoon? If you are bored, you can go out for a walk." Yao Ji shook her head indifferently and said: "There is nothing to see, just accompany Lie Er in the yard, and going out will be another disaster."

A trace of guilt flashed across Mu Yang's face. He knew that she didn't come back willingly. If it wasn't for her son, she would never come back. When he thought of the haggard Yao Ji holding Mu Lie who was seriously ill and unconscious a few months ago, Mu Yang felt a pang of pain in his heart. So even though Yao Ji was always indifferent to him now, he still felt very satisfied. As long as they were by his side, everything would be perfect.

Yao Ji looked at him in a trance, lowered her eyes slightly and said, "You seem to be busy these days?" Mu Yang smiled and said, "I have been busy these days. I haven't come to have dinner with you and Lie'er for two days." It was rare that Yao Ji was interested in asking about his own affairs. Mu Yang just thought that she was concerned about him and the smile on his face deepened. He didn't care about what happened in the past few days and told Yao Ji, "You also know that the court has been very chaotic these days. Our family is loyal to the emperor, but now..." Now the emperor is seriously ill and dying, and it is still unknown who will win the competition between the Liu family and the King of Li. If you choose to stand on the side at this time, winning is indeed good, but losing is irreparable. These days, the people of King Li and the Liu family have been trying their best to pull Muyang Hou. Although Muyang Hou has not responded yet, I am afraid he will not be able to hold on for long. At this time, not many people can choose to stay out of it, not because they don't want to, but because they can't.

"A few days ago, I heard that General Leng was trapped in Zijing Pass. Now the debate in the court is so fierce, is it because the people from the northern border have retreated?" Yao Ji asked casually.

Mu Yang smiled bitterly and said, "The people from the northern border are well prepared and have strong soldiers and horses. How can they retreat so easily? General Leng is just trying his best to hold on..." As he was speaking, Mu Yang suddenly stopped thinking. Yao Ji didn't even look at him. She leaned against the window frame and said casually, "The enemy is about to arrive at the city. I don't know what these people have left. Are they competing to be the king of the ruined country?"

Mu Yang smiled bitterly, looked at Yao Ji and said, "You can't say that." But he also knew that Yao Ji was like this, and he couldn't bear to blame her. At the same time, he agreed with what Yao Ji had said just now. The battle of Zijing Pass was in danger, but King Li and the Liu family were only concerned about fighting for power and had no time to care about other things. Once Zijing Pass was broken, it would be a smooth journey from the north to the capital. The Northern Jin army would be at the gates of the city in less than two days. If the Mu family was stationed at the border like the Leng family at this time... it might not be impossible to get out of this fight. As long as they defended Zijing Pass, whoever won in the future would be a hero of the Mu family.

Thinking of this, Mu Yang couldn't wait any longer. He said softly to Yao Ji and Mu Lie, "I still have some things to deal with, so I won't have dinner with you tonight. I'll come to see you tomorrow." He turned around and walked out. Mu Lie behind him said respectfully, "Daddy, take care."

After sending Mu Yang away, the obedient Mu Lie raised his head and looked at Yao Ji who was leaning against the window with a frown, "You still like this man, don't you? He is far inferior to Commander Qin."

Yao Ji was startled, and patted him on the head in an unpleasant tone, saying, "What do you know about liking something or not, as a child?"

Mu Yang curled his lips, frowned and showed a hint of sarcasm, "Of course I know. He clearly has a wife but he still shows his deep love for you. However, when his wife and mother bullied you, he couldn't help you, so he only knew how to be attentive to you afterwards. If he can't even control his own wife, and can't even protect the person he likes, what else can he be but a waste?"

Yao Ji looked at him in surprise and asked, "Are you really only seven years old?" Mu Yang rolled his eyes and said, "Don't you know that you are already eleven years old?" He just hurt his body when he was a child because he practiced martial arts too early, but the doctor said that he will start to grow rapidly when he is fourteen or fifteen years old, and it will not affect his height when he grows up. Yao Ji was speechless. Eleven years old is still a child.

Looking at the little devil staring at her seriously, Yao Ji smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do and what not to do. Prince Ding and the Princess have given me a second life, and I won't ruin their business." Mu Lie nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's more or less. Don't worry, I will definitely ensure that you return safely to see your son." Yao Ji couldn't help but smile and said, "Thank you very much." Mu Lie snorted lightly and turned his face away uncomfortably. Yao Ji looked back out the window with a faint smile on her lips. As early as when she took her child away from Chujing, she and Mu Yang had already severed their friendship. From now on... they will just each serve their own master.

Mu Yang's actions were indeed very fast. I wonder how Marquis Mu Yang convinced the Liu family and the Li Wang's troops. Three days later, Mu Yang led 200,000 troops and food and grass to set off for Zijing Pass. Before leaving, Mu Yang looked back and saw Yao Ji holding Mu Lie's hand and watching him leave at the gate of Marquis Mu Yang's mansion. Looking at the faint smile on Yao Ji's lips, Mu Yang's heart suddenly jumped for some reason, and a trace of uneasiness spread in his heart. When he looked again, he could no longer see Yao Ji's face from a distance. He only saw that she was standing in his direction, and Mu Lie raised her little hand and waved at him. Mu Yang shook his head and smiled faintly in his heart. He must have thought too much before going to the expedition.

A few days later, a group of people escorted a carriage into the capital quietly. The carriage stopped at the most prosperous inn in the capital. The nearly 30 neatly guarded people in front and behind made people coming and going look sideways.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a figure in white came out from inside and landed gracefully. Passers-by couldn't help but sigh. It was the end of the first lunar month, and it was not even early spring in the capital of Chu. It was so cold that people couldn't help but shiver. The man was wearing a white silk shirt, and he looked so elegant and dashing that he didn't seem to feel the cold at all. What caught people's attention most was his long silver hair. There was only one person in the world with such a graceful demeanor and silver hair. Those who speculated secretly felt their hearts throbbing. However, Prince Ding had his face disfigured in his early years and never left the house. Not many people in the capital knew his appearance, so they could only suspect.

After the man got out of the car, he turned around and stretched out his hand. A beautiful woman wearing a Autumn Fragrance-colored cloak with white fox trim came out. The woman was no more than 20 years old, but her demeanor and bearing were not comparable to those of the young ladies in the capital. Just looking at her from a distance gave people a feeling of elegance and generosity.

Before people could marvel at this perfect couple, a small head appeared in the carriage, and a five or six-year-old boy in black brocade clothes came out. The collar and sleeves of his clothes were decorated with white fox patterns, which contrasted with the black brocade clothes and made the boy's white and tender face even more adorable. The little boy smiled innocently at the girl, making passers-by who were watching from a distance feel itchy in their hearts and wish that such a cute and well-behaved child was their own.

Seeing Mo Xiaobao stretching out his little hand for a hug, Mo Xiuyao held down Ye Li's hand and said lightly, "Be careful not to freeze." He stretched out his hand and hugged Mo Xiaobao tightly in his arms. That action was definitely not gentle. Mo Xiaobao twisted his body uncomfortably and received a pat on his butt from Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiaobao immediately lay obediently in Mo Xiuyao's arms. Father is the most annoying thing. It's not comfortable to hold him.

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "It's not that cold." Although she didn't have as much inner strength as Mo Xiuyao and didn't need to wear too many clothes in winter, Ye Li believed that she was much more cold-resistant than the average person. Besides, it wasn't cold in the northwest, so Chujing wouldn't be colder than the northwest.

With such a big scene outside the door, the shopkeeper inside had naturally come out to greet them. He knew at a glance that the guests were either rich or noble. Although he was a little curious about Mo Xiuyao's white hair, he still led them into the inn attentively. He didn't dare to ask the guests to register at the counter. The shopkeeper walked in while saying, "Sir and Madam, please come in. Our inn has two high-quality courtyards. I wonder if you and Madam live in the courtyard or..."

In this first-class inn, in addition to the three types of guest rooms, Tiandiren, there is also a separate courtyard that is better than the Tianzi room. The price is naturally more than ten times more expensive than the Tianzi room, and it has all the maids and servants. Mo Xiuyao said lightly: "Both courtyards, we want them." The shopkeeper was delighted and smiled more eagerly, and hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, Madam, please come this way, may I know your name, so that I can register you." Mo Xiuyao stopped and glanced at him lightly, "Mo, Mo Xiuyao..."

"Mr. Mo, it's a good surname... Mo... uh..." The shopkeeper, who was about to say a few more nice words with a new smile, realized that the name Mo Xiuyao was indeed somewhat unique. So he fell to the ground with a single step. He looked up at the tall and graceful white-haired man in front of him and said in a lost voice: "Your Highness Prince Ding?!"

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "It is this king."