Mountain and River Festival 338. Prince Ding's Plan
After Ye Li and Queen Helan finished their discussion and reached a preliminary agreement that both parties were satisfied with, Queen Helan took a bunch of prepared ornaments and followed Ye Li downstairs happily. After this in-depth discussion, both of them had a deeper understanding of each other, and they appreciated and admired each other even more.
When they got downstairs, they saw Mo Xiuyao and others sitting in the flower hall downstairs waiting for them. Not only were there Mo Xiuyao and Ren Qining, but also Yelu Ye and Liu Guifei.
Seeing the boxes of various sizes held by Queen Helan and the exquisite ornaments pinned on her flying fairy bun, which was very popular among women in the Central Plains, Concubine Liu Guifei and Concubine Yun couldn't help but have a hint of surprise in their eyes.
Fenghualou was originally a business under the name of Prince Ding's Mansion, and it was also one of the best jewelry stores in the entire Chu State. The things it made were naturally exquisite, and there was no woman who didn't like to tidy up.
Seeing them coming down, Mo Xiuyao stood up, took Ye Li's hand, and smiled at Queen Helan, "It seems that the Queen is very satisfied with the ornaments here?"
Queen Helan smiled happily and said, "Yes, the ornaments in the Central Plains are so beautiful. Princess Ding said that all of these can be given to me. Is that true?"
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Since Ah Li said so, it is of course possible. It is also an honor for Princess Ding that the Queen likes it." Queen Helan held the box in her hand, her love was overflowing with words, "Then I won't be polite, thank you Prince Ding and Princess."
"You are welcome, Queen."
Ye Li smiled as she watched the two of them exchange greetings, and asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"
Mo Xiuyao said softly, "I heard you were coming to Fenghua Tower, so I came here to wait for you. Why is it that only Queen Helan is chosen? Isn't there anyone that A-Li likes?"
Ye Li waved her hands and said, "I can't use those, so put them aside for now." She did have a lot of jewelry, but she didn't really use many of them. Many of them were placed there as decorations or given away.
Mo Xiuyao didn't care and said with a smile: "I found a very nice piece of white jade in Fenghua Tower a few days ago. I'll make a hairpin for you later."
Prince Ding was so gentle and considerate that the women standing beside him were envious. Concubine Yun couldn't help but praise him, "Prince Ding and his wife have a really good relationship, Your Majesty, don't you agree?"
Ren Qining nodded impatiently and said, "Now that the princess and the queen have finished their conversation, it's time for us to return to the inn."
Although Queen Helan was still a little reluctant to leave, she saw that it was getting late, so she smiled at Ye Li and said, "Princess Ding, thank you for giving me so many gifts. I have many beautiful pearls, can I have someone send them to you later?"
Although the North is located in the far north, there are places close to the sea. Pearls are not rare, and many are even better than those in the Central Plains. Ye Li was not polite and smiled and said, "Thank you, Queen Helan."
Ren Qining took Queen Helan and Concubine Yun away. Concubine Liu Gui, who wanted to say something, was also taken away by Yelu Ye. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li then happily walked out of Fenghua Tower and headed towards Prince Ding's Mansion. Just by looking at the happy expressions on their faces, it was clear that both sides were very satisfied with the negotiation.
Before I even reached the gate of Prince Ding's mansion, I heard that the place was not as quiet as usual, but rather a bit noisy. When I walked forward, I saw a very familiar figure.
The blond young man also saw them, and immediately ran towards them, showing his bright white teeth.
"My beautiful princess, it's so nice to see you here."
Mo Xiu Yao's face was gloomy, "Really? Why don't I think it's a good idea? What are you doing in Ding Wang Mansion?" It would be best if you come to cause trouble, so that I have a reason to arrest you, and then... Mo Xiu Yao, with a very dark mind, came up with various ways to torture people.
Although the blond man couldn't tell what Mo Xiuyao was thinking, his intuition still made him shudder and turn towards Ye Li.
Ye Li smiled helplessly and said, "Who are you? What brings you to Ding Wang Mansion?"
The blond man smiled excitedly and said, "Of course I have something to do. I am a businessman from the Western Region Jialan Country. My name is Lance. I want to do business with the owner of this city."
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said calmly, "Aren't you doing business in Li City now? Or do you have something special you want to sell to me?"
The blond man shook his head and said, "No, no, I want to do a very big business. There are many magical things in the East, and I want to sell them to the farther West. I went there with my father when I was a child. The people there have a lot of gold, but they don't have beautiful silks, beautiful porcelain, or magical tea. If I sell them abroad, I will become a rich man soon." At least the blond man knew how to read people's faces. Seeing that Mo Xiuyao didn't look very happy, he added, "Of course, there is also you. We will all become the richest people."
When he got excited, the blond man started gesticulating and dancing.
Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li exchanged glances. The Ding Palace was very rich, but they didn't mind having more money. After all...fighting wars and raising troops were always expensive jobs.
"Why don't you come in with us and we can discuss it in detail?" Ye Liqian said with a smile.
"Of course, it's my honor. Beautiful princess." The blond man said happily. His employee warned him that he would be kicked out, but he was lucky to get the chance the first time. God really favors those who are diligent and know how to seize opportunities. The young man thought happily, and he seemed to see countless golden sparkles waving at him.
"Is she beautiful?" Mo Xiuyao, who was walking in front, sneered and waved to call the guards, "Call Han Mingyue and Han Mingxi over. And Master Qingchen, let them take care of this guy."
The young Western merchant named Lance walked with the guards in the huge Dingwang Palace with a dazed look on his face. The white-haired king told him that he didn't know much about business, so he had to wait for someone to come and talk to him, and suggested that he take a walk in the palace's flower garden.
This made Lance's favorable impression of King Ding rise sharply. After seeing countless superiors who pretended to know everything, he realized how great this king was who had the courage to admit his weaknesses. No wonder this city was more prosperous and stable than any other city he had ever seen.
In June, there were still many flowers blooming in Prince Ding's Palace. Lance curiously admired these flowers unique to the East, and wondered if he could bring them back to the Western Regions to plant.
As I was enjoying the beautiful scenery in the garden, I saw two people walking towards me. The two figures, one red and one white, were particularly eye-catching in the garden full of blooming flowers.
Lance's eyes were fixed on the figure in red. The tall and slender figure, the beautiful face, the black hair casually tied up with a ribbon, and the lazy smile on the lips. All of them gave people a strange sense of beauty.
Although he was not as gentle and delicate as the beautiful princess, he had a different kind of charm. So, once again, Lance ignored the man in white next to the man in red and ran over with a flower in his hand.
"Beautiful lady from the East, would you be so lucky to have afternoon tea with me? If you are not married like the beautiful princess, please consider accepting my deep love."
The two people in front of him were stunned, obviously startled by this sudden display of love. After a while, the man in red asked in a deep voice, "What did you say?"
Lance was stunned. This lady's voice seemed to be a little worse than that of the beautiful princess. However, a beauty as perfect as the princess was probably rare. But this beauty in red was also a rare beauty.
"If you are not married, please accept my deep love." Lance raised his head and said sincerely.
"bump!"
The answer he got was a hard, heavy punch. Lance was immediately dazed and for a moment he was unable to react. He shook his head and said, "Beautiful little..."
"bump!"
Han Mingxi punched him mercilessly, turning the blond man's original jerk look into a national treasure. "I scared your dog eyes, but I'm a man!"
Huh? Lans, who was originally aggrieved, was stunned. He looked at Han Mingxi's red dress and handsome face carefully. Only then did he notice that this beauty in red was almost as tall as him. And...
Han Mingyue looked at her angry brother, then at the blond man with panda eyes, and couldn't help laughing.
"Brother!" Han Mingxi was so angry that he pushed away Han Mingyue's hand and said, "Don't hold me back. I'm going to kill him!"
"Okay, he's probably a guest of Prince Ding's Mansion. Just give him a couple of punches to vent your anger. Isn't Princess Ding still waiting for you to come to the meeting?" Han Mingyue advised.
After hearing what her brother said, Han Mingyue angrily gave up the plan to continue beating Lance, and went to Ye Li's study with a fierce look.
Lance, who was following behind, had a look of dejection on his face. He was actually confessing like a man. Just imagining it gave him goosebumps. After shaking for a moment, Lance decided to follow his employee's advice and ask the matchmaker to introduce him to a gentle and beautiful lady as his wife. The Orientals were too scary. He couldn't tell the difference between men and women. The worst thing was that they all had long hair.
Poor Lance will never know why he was hit by those two punches.
In Ye Li's study, Mo Xiuyao and Xu Qingchen had already arrived when Han Mingxi and the other two arrived.
Seeing Lance's new look, Ye Li was stunned for a moment. Similarly, Lance saw Xu Qingchen, who was more handsome than Han Mingxi, sitting next to him, and then looked at Han Mingxi who was still glaring at him fiercely. He blinked and lowered his head in grievance.
That pitiful look made Master Qingchen's mouth twitch and he raised his eyebrows in confusion.
No one noticed that the person sitting next to Ye Li lowered his head to drink tea, with a triumphant smile on his lips.
Although Lance's matter is very important, it does not mean much to the current Prince Ding. Even if he cooperates with Lance, the benefits will not be seen in the short term. So after briefly explaining the plan, the matter was directly handed over to Han Mingxi to handle. Over the years, Han Mingyue has been hanging around in a lukewarm manner. Mo Xiuyao did not pay attention to his meaning. Anyway, if Han Mingxi encounters trouble, Han Mingyue will naturally help him solve it. Although he does not have much friendship with Han Mingyue, at least Han Mingyue's brain is very good. Why not use it for free?
After sending Han Mingxi and the other two away, Mo Xiuyao and the other two sat down to discuss business again. After listening to Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li's description of today's trip, Master Xu's attention was indeed first drawn to the Phoenix Harp that he had not yet obtained, rather than to the fact that Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had calculated several people at once. He stared at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Will Mo Jingli really give you the thing?" Losing Chujing was already embarrassing enough. If he lost the treasure of the Chu Kingdom, Mo Jingli, the regent king, would really be trampled under everyone's feet.
Mo Xiuyao smiled complacently, "Compared to a few dead things that can't be eaten or used, isn't a lively son more important?"
Master Qingchen was silent for a while. Mo Jingli really didn't look like someone who could be so righteous and indifferent. "Give me the Phoenix Harp."
Mo Xiuyao smiled even more happily, "Brother Xu, this is the treasure of the Chu State. Even if it's you, I can't just give it to you casually, right?" Xu Qingchen looked at him calmly, "Can you play the piano?"
"I know a little bit." Compared to Master Qingchen, Prince Ding's piano skills can only be said to be a little bit. Besides, Prince Ding's interest is not here, so he naturally doesn't care whether the piano he plays is just made last year or a famous piano handed down from generation to generation. But it's different for Master Qingchen. The White Jade Phoenix Qin is probably more attractive to Master Qingchen than a peerless beauty. Master Qingchen is so smart, how could he not know what Mo Xiuyao means? He snorted and stopped talking about the piano. Just because he can't get it doesn't mean that others can't get it. Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and smiled at Xu Qingchen. Although he can't guarantee that others can't get it, he can guarantee that Master Qingchen will definitely not touch it.
Seeing the fierce look between the two, Ye Li helplessly interrupted, "Let's wait until Mo Jingli delivers the things. Brother, Xiu Yao, should we talk about the people in Li City first?"
Xu Qingchen didn't want to continue to confront Mo Xiuyao on this matter. After all, everyone had to rely on their own abilities. He lowered his eyebrows and thought for a while, "So, Beirong wants to negotiate peace with us, and it would be best if we could form an alliance to deal with Xiling and Yelu Hong together? Does Yelu Ye think that the people in Prince Ding's Mansion are all fools?" If it were in the past, Yelu Ye's proposal would be somewhat credible. But after the Mo family army occupied the Xiling Imperial City, all the places that originally bordered Beirong belonged to Prince Ding's Mansion. In other words, Beirong and Xiling would not have any conflicts at all. As the saying goes, make friends with those far away and attack those near. Yelu Ye's doing the opposite is meaningless and of no benefit to Beirong.
Mo Xiuyao laughed and said, "Don't you think we are all fools? I guess such an idiotic idea was not thought up by Yelu Ye himself. However, there was a severe drought in the Northern Rong this summer, and the northern region they occupied was saturated with wars, and only one tenth of the food remained. It is not difficult to understand why Yelu Ye wants to trade with Prince Ding's Mansion. If he can control the food and grass of the Northern Rong, he will immediately gain the upper hand in the conflict with Yelu Hong."
"Unfortunately, the prince has already decided to help Yelu Hong." Xu Qingchen said with a faint smile.
"No matter how you look at it, Yelu Hong can be considered as our Central Plains' son-in-law. As long as Princess Ronghua is still the Crown Princess, I don't mind helping him." Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.
Xu Qingchen raised his eyebrows, "Is this the condition between you and Yelu Hong?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head, "It's good for everyone to know about this matter. It's not pleasant to bring it up."
Xu Qingchen nodded. "What about the North? Is Queen Helan confident about Ren Qining?"
Ye Liqian smiled and said, "Since Ren Qining has not yet seen the true face of Queen Helan, I think we can take a gamble." Anyway, there is no loss if we lose. Xu Qingchen nodded, thinking, "In this case, we must guard against Yelu Ye and Ren Qining really joining hands." The previous alliance between the two parties was just a temporary cooperation to capture Chujing. Once Chujing is captured, they will turn against each other sooner or later. But if the Mohist Army chooses to help Yelu Hong and Queen Helan, then the alliance between the two people will be more solid.
Mo Xiu Yao said calmly: "Don't worry, anyway... I have no intention of letting them go." The Northern Rong army and the Mohist army that have entered the territory of Da Chu will sooner or later have a life-and-death battle. As for Ren Qining, who is obsessed with restoring his country, he will naturally not be let go.
Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Just keep it in mind. I will tell my second uncle about Yelu Hong, and it will be hard for Li'er to deal with Queen Helan." Ye Li smiled and said, "It's my job, big brother, why are you talking about hardship?"
"How are you going to deal with Ye Yue from the Ye family?" Xu Qingchen asked with a frown. Xu Qingchen had no good feelings towards the people of the Ye family. Especially this Ye Yue. Even if she was coerced at the beginning, it could not change the fact that she had tried to murder Ye Li. Even in a scholarly family like the Xu family, the relatives and the strangers were clearly distinguished. In the eyes of the Xu family, Ye Li was naturally thousands of times more important than Ye Yue, who had nothing to do with her. In the past, they thought that Ye Yue was dead, but now she appeared in Li City again, and she was still trying to make trouble. This was beyond the tolerance of Master Qingchen. He was even a little unhappy with Mo Xiuyao, who handled the matter in a messy way.
Mo Xiuyao smiled leisurely and said, "Don't worry, someone will naturally help us deal with her." A sharp light flashed across his smiling eyes. How could he let go of someone who once wanted to hurt Ah Li?
In the most remote room of the Ye Mansion, Ye Yue sat on the bedside in a trance. She knew that being discovered by the Ding Palace meant that all her plans were completely over. But she really couldn't accept it. She had suffered so much over the years to get to this day. In order to avoid being tracked down by the Ding Palace, she carefully endured and never let herself show any trace of being similar to Ye Yue. After finally getting to this point, Ye Yue felt a little regretful. If she hadn't tried to take shortcuts at the beginning, if she had gone directly to Jiangnan. Maybe she could have arrived safely, and maybe she wouldn't have been discovered by the Queen Mother's people... It's a pity that now it's too late to regret.
"Ye Yue." A cold voice came into her ears. Ye Yue was stunned for a moment, then she turned around and saw Mo Jingli standing at the door.
"Prince Li, why are you here?" Ye Wenhua had people guarding the door and the courtyard gate long ago, and no one was allowed to come in except her mother who brought her food. Mo Jingli stared at her coldly and said, "If the prince wants to come in, he can come in." Ye Yue was delighted, "Are you here to take me away from here?"
Mo Jingli stared at her, "Where is the medicine I want?"
Ye Yue's face changed slightly, and she forced a smile, "We agreed that I can give it to you after we get to Jiangnan... after the matter is done." Mo Jingli threw her back to the bed with a flick of his hand, "You gave the medicine to Mo Xiuyao, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yue's face changed. Mo Jingli was immediately furious, "Bitch!" He had come here with only a glimmer of hope, but when he really heard the truth, he couldn't hold back his anger. Everything was ruined by this bitch. Just because of her self-righteousness, he had to pay dozens or even hundreds of times more than before to get something that was originally within his reach.
"Prince Li..." Ye Yue shouted. Mo Jingli was indeed extremely irritable, "Do you know what Mo Xiuyao asked me for? The four treasures of the state! It's because of you..." Ye Yue was dizzy as Mo Jingli pulled her clothes and shook her. The four treasures of the state... She knew that they were the four most precious treasures ever collected in the Chu Palace. When she was the most favored, she wanted to see them, but Mo Jingqi scolded her and ignored them for more than half a month just because she mentioned it. It is said that even the most favored Concubine Liu Guifei had no chance to see these treasures. In recent years, the treasures represent not only priceless value, but also the face and dignity of the Chu royal family.
Ye Yue knew that Mo Jingli must hate her very much at this moment, so she quickly said, "Prince Li, take me away from here. Even if I'm gone... I can help you deal with the Queen Mother..."
Mo Jingli sneered, "Deal with the Queen Mother? Do I need you to go in person? Who do you think you are? I found out... the reason I couldn't get anything from you before was because I was too gentle to you. I won't make this mistake again. Tell me what you know honestly, and I'll let you suffer less."
"Impossible!" Ye Yue gritted her teeth. This was her last and only bargaining chip. If she said it out loud, she would be dead. Mo Jingli showed a cruel smile, "Impossible? Do you think this person, Ran Ran, is impossible?" With a wave of his hand, two guards at the door came in carrying a child who was less than ten years old.
"The prince!" Ye Yue was horrified. She had hidden the child outside the city very secretly. Why would it be...
Mo Jingli smiled with satisfaction and said, "Ye Yue, you are too smart. Do you really think that I will help you support this kid to succeed to the throne? Mo Jingqi's son, I wish I could... kill one if I see one! I leave her to you, no matter what you do, find out what I want." After saying that, Mo Jingli looked at Ye Yue with disgust and turned to walk out.
The miserable cries of a woman were heard from the remote courtyard from time to time. Within half an hour, the guards inside came out. In the room, Ye Yue knelt on the ground, her body was covered with scars, she held the dying child in her arms and couldn't help crying. At this moment, she really regretted it. If she had stayed in her hometown, even if she was poor for the rest of her life, it would be better than this...
"Second sister." Ye Ying stood at the door in a light-colored dress. She looked at Ye Yue with a smile in her eyes, her eyes were compassionate and touching.
"Ying'er!" Ye Yue came back to her senses, and rushed over to hold Ye Ying's hand, saying: "Ying'er, help me get a doctor. My child, my child is injured..." Ye Ying gently pulled her hand away, with a sneer of satisfaction on her weak face, "Second sister, the prince has ordered that no one is allowed to call a doctor, and I can't make this decision."
"Ying'er..." Seeing the look on Ye Ying's face, Ye Yue looked at her gentle and delicate sister in shock, "Why?"
"Why?" Ye Ying sneered, "Second sister, why didn't you think about why when you wanted to get close to the prince? But what did you say? Anyway, the prince doesn't favor me, so how can you help me with you around? What are you helping me for... Is stealing my husband helping me?"
"I didn't..." Ye Yue said with difficulty. She had never thought of snatching Mo Jingli. It was just a temporary expedient. Why didn't her sister understand? "Ying'er, please, he is your nephew. Help me save him..." Ye Ying's face showed a trace of resentment, "Where did his father take my son? My son's whereabouts are unknown, so he should die." After saying that, Ye Ying pushed Ye Yue away and turned away without mercy.
"Ying'er..." Ye Yue cried weakly, but could only watch her walk further and further away.
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