Mountain and River Festival 272. The Grand Princess Visits

When the edict of self-criticism was issued, the whole capital was shaken. For a while, people came to the inn to pay homage to Prince Ding in an endless stream. It seemed that the situation of Prince Ding's mansion reviving had already appeared before their eyes. Of course, no one would think that Prince Ding would not be able to defeat Prince Li, and no one would think that Prince Ding had no intention of participating in this fight. The dignitaries who had already boarded the ship of Prince Li's mansion or the Liu family could not help but secretly groan in their hearts, but there was nothing they could do. It was easy to get on the ship but difficult to get off. It was too late to regret now.

At this time in the palace, the Empress Zhonghua was sitting on a phoenix chair, frowning as she listened to the Sixth Prince's angry narration of the grievances he suffered while delivering the imperial edict. Looking at the child in front of her with a face full of anger and resentment, the Empress shook her head in disappointment. Concubine Zheng Xian beside her was equally disappointed. When she heard Mo Ruiyun shouting that her father must punish them, she finally couldn't help but slap him in the face.

The Sixth Prince was stunned by the sudden slap. He touched his face and stared at Concubine Zheng Xian in a daze, unable to say anything for a while. The Queen sighed and said softly, "What's the point of hitting him now?" She was confined to the palace these years, and the power of the harem fell into the hands of Concubine Liu Gui. The Sixth Prince was taught like this by Concubine Liu Gui, and Concubine Zheng Xian, as a mother, might not be without fault. Even she, the Queen, sigh...

"Mother, why did you hit me?" The Sixth Prince finally came to his senses, staring at Concubine Zheng Xian with indignation and questioning. He was obviously wronged outside, and mother didn't help him vent his anger, but she even hit him? How could Mo Ruiyun, who had always been spoiled, bear this? Seeing that her son didn't understand her intentions at all, Concubine Zheng Xian couldn't help but burst into tears, and fell into a chair beside and cried bitterly. Seeing his mother like this, Mo Ruiyun frowned and muttered, "Since mother won't help me vent my anger, I will go to my father. My father likes me and will definitely help me! I will catch that brat in Prince Ding's Mansion and beat him up, and make him be my slave!"

"Shut up!" Concubine Zheng Xian turned pale with fear, and pulled Mo Ruiyun and said, "Prince Ding is the elder, and even the prince of Prince Ding is one generation older than you. Listen carefully to what they say and remember it. Don't talk nonsense." Mo Ruiyun was unwilling to listen, and said unhappily, "I am a prince, why should I listen to them! I must ask my father to punish them severely!" After saying that, he pushed Concubine Zheng Xian's hand away and ran out. The queen sitting on the phoenix chair saw this, her face darkened, and she slammed the table and said loudly, "Stop the Sixth Prince!"

The Sixth Prince was naturally furious when he was stopped, and threatened to kill the eunuchs and palace maids. The Queen stared at him coldly and said, "It was me who wanted to stop you, do you want to kill me too?! Take him down to watch the Sixth Prince, if he runs away, you will be the one to blame!" Mo Ruiyun was still a little afraid of this stepmother whom he had only met a few times. Seeing that she was really angry, he didn't dare to make a fuss and was taken to the inner hall obediently.

The Queen rubbed her brows and looked at Concubine Zheng Xian and said, "Don't cry anymore. Prince Ding is not going to argue with an ignorant child. Now you see clearly, is Ruiyun suitable for that position?"

Concubine Zheng Xian stopped crying with a bit of embarrassment. She was born in a humble family, and she knew that her son had a chance to ascend the throne, and she would become the empress dowager who ruled the country, so how could she not be moved. But now seeing her son's ignorant appearance, she had been in the palace for so many years and must have some experience. He offended the whole family of Prince Ding when he left the palace, and he couldn't tell the difference between the seriousness and the seriousness. Even if he ascended the throne, he would not be able to sit still for a few days and would be killed by others.

"Wuwu... It's all that bastard's fault! That bastard has corrupted my prince. Wuwu... Empress, you have to make the decision for me..." Concubine Zheng Xian hated Concubine Liu Gui at this moment. The emperor had favored Concubine Liu Gui over the years and had given her the entire harem to manage. As the prince's biological mother, she could only see her son twice a year. Now her son had been taught like this, and her dream of becoming the empress dowager had been shattered. How could she not hate Concubine Liu Gui?

The queen waved her hands impatiently and said, "That's enough. What's the point of saying this now?" The queen had completely rejected Mo Jingqi's proposal. What could the Sixth Prince teach with such a character? She could sacrifice herself for the royal family because she was the queen and she married Mo Jingqi. But she couldn't sacrifice the entire Hua family for the royal family and for Mo Jingqi. What the Hua family had done for Da Chu was enough...

"I know I was wrong." Concubine Zheng Xian wiped her tears and knelt on the ground, saying, "I don't ask for my son to have a great future, I just want him to be safe. He is ignorant because I, as a mother, didn't teach him well. I beg the Queen to ask Prince Ding for mercy on my behalf and ask him to spare my son."

"You should get up." The Queen sighed, "I've said before that although Prince Ding is not a magnanimous person, he won't get angry over an ignorant child. If I can see Princess Ding later, I'll talk to her about it. But Ruiyun, you really need to teach her well. It's taboo to talk about someone's upbringing as soon as you open your mouth, not only in the royal family, but also in ordinary families."

Concubine Zheng Xian hurriedly thanked him and repeatedly promised that she would teach the Sixth Prince well. The Queen then said goodbye and went to the back hall to pick up the Sixth Prince and left. Looking at her leaving back, the Queen sighed softly. How long can she be the Queen? Whether Concubine Zheng Xian can teach the Sixth Prince well or not is probably nothing to do with her. Well... at least her Wuyou is living safely in the northwest. This is good enough...

The eunuch who followed Mo Ruiyun to deliver the imperial edict returned to the palace and reported that Mo Xiuyao refused to accept the imperial edict. Mo Jingqi was silent for a long time and finally waved his hand weakly to let him leave. The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict hurriedly left as if he had been pardoned. The moment he turned around and closed the palace door, he saw the emperor sitting on the dragon throne with a gloomy look in his eyes that showed an unprecedented tyranny and madness. He shuddered in his heart and quickly closed the door gently.

With the emperor's order, the people below were very efficient in doing things. The original Dingwang Mansion was just sealed off. Because of the influence of Dingwang Mansion on Da Chu, Mo Jingqi did not dare to move the mansion to other uses in such a short time. So after the mansion was reopened, people also needed to clean it again. Two days later, they came to report to Mo Xiuyao and asked Dingwang and the princess to move back to the mansion.

Mo Xiuyao was naturally not polite. This palace was the foundation of the ancestors of the Ding Palace. It was also the residence of the Ding Princes for nearly two hundred years. When they first settled in the northwest and abandoned the Ding Palace, Mo Xiuyao still had people secretly take care of it. So after six or seven years, the entire palace is still well preserved. When the family of three officially moved into the Ding Palace, more people came to visit them. Because this proved that the previous imperial edict was not a lie, and the Ding Palace was really going to return to Da Chu and the capital.

Although Mo Xiuyao rejected most of the visitors, there were some visitors that he could not refuse. On the afternoon of the day he returned to the palace, the guards outside came to report that Princess Fuxi and Princess Zhaoyang wanted to see the prince. Princess Zhaoyang was easy to talk to, but the Grand Princess could not be refused. He had to let them in.

The Grand Princess is now eighty years old, much older than she was a few years ago. Although she looks energetic, her health is obviously not as good as before. She walked in slowly, supported by Princess Zhaoyang and the palace maids. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li immediately came forward with Mo Xiaobao to greet her, "Grand Princess."

The Grand Princess looked at Mo Xiuyao standing in front of her with a calm expression and white hair. A trace of heartache and relief flashed across her wrinkled face. She looked at Mo Xiuyao helplessly and said, "It seems that you really hate the royal family. You don't even want to recognize me as your aunt?" Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, but still called her the imperial aunt. The Grand Princess was happy, and her eyes fell on Mo Xiaobao standing aside. Her eyes lit up and she was even more loving. "Is this little Yuchen? He looks 70% like you when you were a child." Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Aunt, Zhaoyang thinks that this little prince is more lovable than Xiuyao when he was a child." The Grand Princess smiled and nodded, "Indeed."

Mo Xiaobao was not shy either. He stood beside Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li and stepped forward to greet them gracefully. "Yu Chen has met my aunt and Aunt Zhaoyang before."

"Good boy...good boy..." The eldest princess smiled, took out a dagger she carried with her and handed it to Mo Xiaobao, saying, "I haven't prepared any gifts for you, so you can play with this little thing." It was a small and exquisite dagger, with various gems inlaid on the handle and scabbard. When the dagger was pulled out, the blade was shining and chilling, and it was obviously a precious sword. Mo Xiaobao looked back at his parents, and Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, "It's a gift from an elder, I dare not refuse. Keep it."

Mo Xiaobao himself also liked this little thing very much, and was naturally happy to hear his father's words. He took the dagger with both hands and said crisply: "Yu Chen thanks my aunt." The cute little face showed seriousness and respect, which made the Grand Princess applaud again and again.

Princess Zhaoyang took out a jade pendant and handed it to Mo Xiaobao, saying with a smile: "Auntie doesn't have a precious sword to give you, but this jade pendant looks pretty good, Yu Chen, keep it for fun."

Mo Xiaobao took them all and thanked Princess Zhaoyang.

The Grand Princess and Princess Zhaoyang looked at the little boy who was only as tall as Mo Xiuyao's thigh. Not only was he handsome, but his bearing showed that he was well-educated. Thinking back to the children in the emperor's palace, there were quite a few princes, but I'm afraid that all those princes combined were not as good as the four or five-year-old child in Prince Ding's mansion. Looking at the gentle and elegant Princess Ding standing next to Mo Xiuyao, they couldn't help but sigh that only a woman like this could give birth to and raise such an excellent son.

"Aunt Imperial, Princess Zhaoyang, the weather is still a little cold today. Why don't we sit inside?" Ye Li smiled softly and led the two to the hall.

Now that they had just moved back, there weren't many people in Prince Ding's mansion. The guards and maids only numbered a hundred or so, less than a third of the number before. Therefore, the huge mansion seemed particularly quiet and serene.

After entering the hall, the guests sat down. The eldest princess lovingly pulled Mo Xiaobao to her side and asked him questions in detail. Mo Xiaobao had a good impression of this old man who was as amiable as his grandfather, and answered his questions seriously. Princess Zhaoyang on the side couldn't help but laugh and said, "It turns out that the young master was taught by Mr. Qingyun himself. No wonder he has such a great demeanor at such a young age. How is Mr. Qingyun now?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Although grandpa is old, he is still in good health. He occasionally teaches students in the academy. It is really beneficial for me to be raised by the old man."

The eldest princess looked at Mo Xiaobao with a smile, and raised her head to sigh at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao: "The emperor did something stupid at the time. Is Mr. Qingyun still used to it in the northwest?"

Ye Li said, "Thanks to the concern of the Royal Aunt, my grandfather also traveled around the world when he was young. Although the northwest is a little bit colder than Yunzhou, it is still acceptable. My grandfather has been relaxed in the past few years and looks much more energetic than before." The eldest princess and Princess Zhaoyang looked at each other and were silent. They naturally understood what Ye Li meant, and Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li must also know the purpose of their visit. It's just that in their position, there are many things they have to do even if they don't want to.

Mo Xiuyao held the teacup, staring at the tea in the cup without saying a word. Ye Li smiled, but had no intention of speaking again. For a moment, there was a hint of solemnity and awkwardness in the hall.

After a long while, the Grand Princess sighed and looked at Mo Xiuyao and said, "Xiuyao...what do you think of the Emperor's decree?"

Mo Xiuyao raised his head and smiled faintly, "The Imperial Aunt is the elder. Even if it is because of the care that the Imperial Aunt gave Xiuyao, she should not lie to you. Xiuyao has also said this to the Emperor. The Dingwang Mansion... has long severed its relationship with the Great Chu. The Emperor's order is meaningless to the Dingwang Mansion."

The eldest princess closed her eyes, her wrinkled face showing even more fatigue and haggardness, "Is it really irreparable? After all, Prince Ding's Mansion and the royal family... are still one family after all."

Mo Xiuyao smiled coldly, "The revenge for the murder of my father and brother, the hatred for the in vain deaths of tens of thousands of heroes in the Mohist Army, and the fact that Prince Ding's Mansion has been in charge of the northwest for the past few years. Who can forget it? The Great Chu Royal Family can't, Prince Ding's Mansion, the Mohist Army, and I... can't either!"

"Forget it... I know I can't persuade you." The eldest princess didn't force herself, but just shook her head helplessly. She watched Mo Xiuyao grow up and go through so many things. Today's Mo Xiuyao seems to be as calm as the sea, unfathomable. But the raging waves contained in the seabed are no gentler than the scorching fire in his youth. For many things, once he has chosen a path. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, he will never look back. But the current situation of Da Chu... The eldest princess doesn't know what kind of situation it will face without the support of Prince Ding's Mansion. Just looking at the ministers and dignitaries arguing fiercely in the Qinzheng Palace, the eldest princess, who was known for her iron fist when she was young but now has gray hair, felt a surge of powerlessness in her heart. They are all old...Emperor Taizu was gifted with talented people, but now the Great Chu has no successor!

The Grand Princess gave up trying to persuade her, so Princess Zhaoyang naturally said nothing more. She didn't have the Grand Princess's strategy, but she had sacrificed her life's happiness for Da Chu. The emperor's daughter was called a princess because her marriage was arranged by a duke. As a princess of the royal family, she had no power to refute. Therefore, when her brother needed to form an alliance with Nanzhao, she had to marry the Nanzhao prince without regrets. When Da Chu no longer needed this Nanzhao prince-in-law, she had no choice but to remain a widow for the rest of her life without regrets. And now, if Da Chu fell because of his incompetent children, all she could do was to be buried with him. The Grand Princess understood Mo Xiuyao, and so did Princess Zhaoyang. So the reason why she came with the Grand Princess today was just to see Mo Xiuyao and the young prince whom she had never met.

After putting aside their respective positions, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became much more harmonious. In fact, the Grand Princess probably came to give some advice as Mo Jingqi asked her to do, and she already knew the result before she came. Therefore, she didn't try to persuade him. She just roughly asked about Mo Xiuyao's intentions and that was it. Taking a step back, they could still retain some of their past friendship.

"In that case, wait for the emperor... Xiu Yao should return to the northwest as soon as possible. I'm afraid there will be no peaceful days in this capital city." The eldest princess sighed.

"Royal Aunt, would you and Aunt Zhaoyang come back to the northwest with us?" Mo Xiaobao looked up at the Grand Princess and said crisply.

The Grand Princess was startled, looked at Mo Xiaobao lovingly, shook her head and said: "The Imperial Aunt cannot go to the Northwest with you."

"Why?" Mo Xiaobao asked with his head tilted in confusion. In Mo Xiaobao's opinion, Licheng has his great-grandfather, his uncle, and many, many good people. It is much more fun than Chujing. In Licheng, he can run around and play by himself, but in Chujing, he can't even take people out to play with Leng Xiaodai. Uncle Leng said that there are too many bad people in Chujing, so children can't go out to play.

The eldest princess said softly: "Because the royal aunt's home is here."

"Oh." Mo Xiaobao seemed to understand. He and his father and mother's home was in Licheng. If he was asked to live in Chujing all the time, he would not agree. So the imperial aunt was reluctant to leave him far away from home.

Mo Xiuyao put down the teacup, looked at the eldest princess and said: "Aunt, instead of Mo Jingqi working hard on me, you might as well let him think about the future. It's not that Dingwang Mansion can't support the young master, but it won't do it again." Where did the disaster of Dingwang Mansion originate from? Wasn't it because my father supported the late emperor? Dingwang Mansion has made outstanding contributions, and the support of the young master to act as regent has raised the royal family's vigilance against Dingwang Mansion to the highest level. In ancient times, how many powerful ministers had a good ending? Dingwang Mansion has come to this point, and it is determined not to go back.

The Grand Princess's helpless smile was not because Mo Jingqi still didn't know what was important. But... he had no choice. In the harem, apart from the two sons of Concubine Liu, there were almost no princes worth looking at. If the prince really ascended the throne and the Liu family was in power, the Grand Princess could imagine what the situation would be like without any guesses. The current situation really made the Grand Princess powerless. She looked at Mo Xiaobao who was sitting beside her with some regret. If one of the princes could have seven points of the intelligence of Prince Ding, these old bones would have to help the little prince become a talent even if they risked their lives.

pity……