Mountain and River Festival 344. Game between the Parties

Mr. Qingyun's birthday party ended perfectly, and many guests left one after another. Including Xu Qingbai and Mr. Xiuting, they rushed back to Xiling as soon as possible. After all, Xiling had just been conquered not long ago, and someone was still needed to keep it under control. However, the dignitaries of various countries, including the King of Zhennan Mo Jingli, had no intention of leaving. Everyone understood that the real negotiation and game would only start from today. Whoever left at this time would be marginalized in this competition among all parties, and thus lose the opportunity to seize the initiative.

The already turbulent Li City became even more mysterious because of the sudden appearance of the descendant of Cangmang Mountain at Mr. Qingyun's birthday banquet.

In Prince Ding's mansion, Lei Zhenting was sitting in the study, drinking tea while looking at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao sitting on the upper floor, with a complicated expression. Although he had considered that Mo Xiuyao might refuse when he first brought Dongfang You to Licheng, he was still shocked when he heard Mo Xiuyao's answer. To be honest, if it wasn't for the wrong timing, if the Xiling royal family had not once produced a queen of Cangmang Mountain, Lei Zhenting was not sure if he could refuse such a temptation. However, since Mo Xiuyao had already refused, although he was a little shocked, the situation was generally in his favor. He would naturally not be stupid enough to really push the power of Cangmang Mountain onto Mo Xiuyao.

"Prince Ding's decisions always surprise me." Lei Zhenting raised the teacup in his hand towards Mo Xiuyao as a sign of respect.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and said, "King Zhennan is overconfident. Isn't King Zhennan not interested?"

Lei Zhenting sighed with some regret: "If you say that you are really not interested in the power of Cangmang Mountain, you are deceiving the king. It's just... it's not suitable. Besides, at this age, I am still being manipulated by others. It's better to die now." If there is only Dongfang You in Cangmang Mountain, then it will be useless. After Dongfang You, there will definitely be others joining. Lei Zhenting's grandmother is from Cangmang Mountain. He can be said to be the person who knows Cangmang Mountain best in this world, so naturally he will not do such a thing that he will be controlled by others like a puppet.

"I heard that Prince Ding has officially rejected Dong Fangyou, but based on my understanding of her, I'm afraid she won't give up easily." Lei Zhenting reminded lightly. Although he and Mo Xiuyao are destined to be enemies, but... they can still cooperate occasionally.

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows slightly and said disdainfully: "So what if you won't give up? The heir of Cangmang Mountain is actually like that. The so-called Cangmang Mountain is about to fail, right?" Dongfang You is indeed very powerful. At least in terms of martial arts, no woman Mo Xiuyao has ever seen can surpass her. Even among men, I'm afraid she is enough to rank among the top ten in the martial arts world. Since she was born in Cangmang Mountain, she must be good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Moreover, Lei Zhenting personally guaranteed that Dongfang You is also proficient in medicine. It's a pity that Dongfang You is good at everything except brain.

Watching Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li smile at each other, the intimate atmosphere between the two made people feel as if there was an invisible layer of something wrapping them together, completely different from outsiders and outsiders could not interfere with them. Lei Zhenting lowered his eyes slightly, thinking, "Now that the people from Cangmang Mountain have left, they must choose a target to assist. Since Prince Ding has already refused, who is the most likely person?"

Mo Xiuyao did not hide it, "Mo Jingli."

Lei Zhenting's face darkened. Mo Jingli was now confronting him in Yunlan River. If he had the help of Cangmang Mountain, he would still be the one in trouble. Mo Xiuyao was far away for a while and naturally had nothing to do with him. Seeing Lei Zhenting's unhappy expression, Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Prince Zhennan, don't worry. If Mo Jingli is too powerful, it will not be good for us, Prince Ding's Mansion. We will naturally not sit idly by."

Lei Zhenting was not someone who was easily persuaded. He looked at Ye Li and smiled, "Let Cangmang Mountain support Mo Jingli, and then I and Mo Jingli can fight to the death, and Ding Wangfu will reap the benefits. You two are really good at planning. In this case, I think Ren Qining is more suitable. The orphan of the previous dynasty is legitimate, isn't it more in line with Cangmang Mountain's choice?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled slightly coldly, "Ren Qining doesn't have that fate."

Lei Zhenting's eyes condensed, and he quickly calculated the meaning of Mo Xiuyao's words in his mind. Is Dingwang Mansion planning to attack the northern border? He thought that Dingwang Mansion's biggest enemy now should be Beirong.

Seeing Lei Zhenting's doubts and speculations, Mo Xiuyao did not explain, but said lightly: "King Zhennan, just watch. Mo Jingli is the only choice of Cangmang Mountain. Of course... King Zhennan has another choice."

"I'm all ears." Lei Zhenting said cautiously. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said casually, "Before Cangmangshan chooses someone to assist, kill them."

"Hiss——" Lei Zhenting couldn't help but gasp, staring at Mo Xiuyao for a long time before he finally confirmed that he was not joking, but really proposed it. After a long time, Lei Zhenting sighed and said, "Prince Ding doesn't know much about Cangmang Mountain. That's why he doesn't know their strength." Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "This prince really doesn't know much about Cangmang Mountain." The descendants of Cangmang Mountain in the past generations have never provoked anyone from Prince Ding's Mansion, so the so-called Cangmang Mountain is nothing more than an illusory legend to Prince Ding's Mansion. Perhaps the people of Cangmang Mountain also know that the successive leaders of Prince Ding's Palace have never been suitable for them to manipulate. "But... even so. Cangmang Mountain still doesn't have the strength to compete with a country, right?" Since so many things have been planned, it proves that the people of Cangmang Mountain are also ambitious. If they have ambitions but always hide behind others, it can only mean that they do not have the ability to compete for the world.

Lei Zhenting shook his head and said, "The reason why the people of Cangmang Mountain never participate in the fight for supremacy is not that they do not have such strength. It is..." Lei Zhenting hesitated for a moment, as if he was undecided whether to say it or not. After a pause, he finally spoke: "The reason why they have been secluded is because the masters of Cangmang Mountain in all dynasties were women. They simply cannot come forward to compete for the throne. The Central Plains is not like the Southern Frontier. Whether it is ordinary people or civil servants and generals, they can never tolerate a woman ascending the throne. Therefore, they can only choose to control it secretly. After hundreds of years of operation, the power of Cangmang Mountain has long been spread throughout the Great Chu Xiling and even the Nanzhao Beirong, and even the Western Regions. There are traces of them. Prince Ding, do you know why Dongfang You suddenly appeared this time?"

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said nothing.

Lei Zhenting said coldly, "Because many of the people killed by Prince Ding in Xiling Imperial City were from Cangmang Mountain, this alarmed the current master of Cangmang Mountain. Prince Ding is right. In fact, the best choice for Cangmang Mountain is Mo Jingli, because now... Cangmang Mountain has the most power in the court of Da Chu. In addition... Even in your Prince Ding's Mansion, I dare not guarantee that there are no people from Cangmang Mountain."

The Dingwang Mansion was managed like an iron barrel by successive Dingwangs. Although Lei Zhenting said so, he knew it in his heart. If there was a place that was the most difficult to enter in the all-pervasive Cangmang Mountain, it must be the Dingwang Mansion.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice, King Zhennan. I understand. To be honest, I can't take action to deal with the people of Cangmang Mountain for a while. But I can guarantee that when you confront Mo Jingli, I will never attack you from behind. If necessary, I can even provide you with some information. Of course, it is limited to Cangmang Mountain."

Lei Zhenting knew that although the court of Great Chu had moved south, the news of Prince Ding's Mansion in Great Chu had not lagged behind others. In fact, it was beyond Lei Zhenting's expectation to get such a promise from Mo Xiuyao. However, how much Mo Xiuyao's words could be believed was a question. Mo Xiuyao also saw Lei Zhenting's doubts and said in a deep voice: "Since this king has made a promise, he will not go back on his word. If he fights with the King of Zhennan, it is better to do it openly on the battlefield."

Lei Zhenting looked at the two of them deeply, then stood up and said, "I understand. In that case, I will take my leave."

"No."

Soon after seeing off Lei Zhenting, Yelu Hong and Princess Ronghua and her husband arrived. The four of them had a secret conversation in the study for nearly an hour. Of course, it was unknown what they talked about, but the secret conversation between Prince Ding and Yelu Hong reached Yelu Ye's ears without any hindrance.

In the inn, Yelu Ye's face was as cold as water. He waved away the guard who came up to report, and a cold light flashed in his cold eyes. Yelu Hong wanted to unite with Mo Xiuyao to deal with him... It's not that easy!

On the bed in the inner room, Concubine Liu sat against the headboard with a pale face. The wound on her abdomen was still throbbing with pain even after a night's rest. Thinking of the hairpin Princess Zhenning had pierced into her abdomen without hesitation, and the way her two children obeyed Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, Concubine Liu's face became even colder.

"Your Highness." After thinking for a while, Concubine Liu called out.

After a moment, Yeluye walked in with a sullen face, and his eyes were full of disgust and disdain when he looked at Concubine Liu. Originally, they were just in a relationship of mutual benefit, but since last night, Yeluye looked at Concubine Liu with even more disgust. Although Concubine Liu did help him a lot in the previous siege against Da Chu, she has not been of much use since then. The reason why he has not abandoned her is entirely because this woman actually knows how to please men, especially his father. Yeluye could not understand why his wise and brave father would become so incompetent after he was over sixty years old. Although he had no real relationship with Concubine Liu, every time he saw Yelu Hong looking at him with a half-smile, Yelu Ye wanted to strangle this woman to death.

"What's the matter?" Yelu Ye asked coldly.

Because of Yeluye's cold tone, Concubine Liu bit her lips in disgust. But she also knew that they were in Licheng at this time, and she had to rely on Yeluye for everything, so she didn't dare to lose her temper too much, so she had to force a smile and said: "Your Highness doesn't seem to be in a good mood? Is it because of Yeluhong and Prince Ding's Mansion?" Yeluye looked at her coldly, and Concubine Liu said lightly: "Your Highness doesn't have to look at me like this, this is not something difficult to guess. After all... Yeluhong's crown princess is Princess Ronghua. Although Princess Ronghua didn't have a good relationship with Prince Ding's Mansion when she was in the capital before, she had a good relationship with Ye Li this time when they met in Licheng. Yeluhong wants to unite with Prince Ding to deal with the prince, so naturally he has to start with his crown princess."

Yeluye snorted coldly and said, "If Yeluhong wants to deal with me, it depends on whether he has the ability to do so. He is just lucky to have a mother who is the queen."

Concubine Liu Gui said: "That's true, it's a pity that the prince is good in everything, but he doesn't have a mother who can be the queen."

This just hit the pain point of Yeluye. He glanced at her unhappily and said, "If you just want to talk nonsense to me, then don't say it. Take good care of your injuries, otherwise... you might die in Licheng by accident." Hearing the word death, Concubine Liu couldn't help but shudder slightly. In the past two years, she has experienced too much pain and struggle, and she has a better understanding of the horror of death. She also knows that Yeluye is dissatisfied with her. If she annoys Yeluye, even if others don't treat her well, Yeluye will use means to kill herself in Licheng. Thinking of this, Concubine Liu couldn't help but resent Ye Li's good luck again. She thought she was not worse than Ye Li in everything, but Ye Li, as the Princess of Dingguo, was loved by her husband and admired by the world, while she had to struggle hard just to stay alive.

Seeing that Concubine Liu knew what was going on, Yelu Ye hummed with satisfaction. Concubine Liu quickly put aside her thoughts and said to Yelu Ye: "My Lord, if the king knew that the crown prince had such a good relationship with Prince Ding, do you think the king would be angry? Even if the king would not do anything to the crown prince, what about the crown princess?" The Northern Rong people themselves rejected foreigners, which was why Concubine Liu changed her name to Qing Yina. She no longer had a noble status. If she continued to be a woman from Da Chu in the Northern Rong, she would have been trampled into the mud long ago.

Hearing this, Yelu Ye's eyes flashed with light. If Yelu Hong could be eliminated, that would be the best. Even if that was not possible, Princess Ronghua had to be eliminated. Once Princess Ronghua was gone, Yelu Hong's connection with Prince Ding's Mansion would naturally be in jeopardy. "Go on."

Concubine Liu nodded and said, "If the king knew that the crown prince was colluding with Prince Ding's palace, then the prince would do something about it, or if something else happened on the border..."

Yeluye lowered his eyes and said nothing. Concubine Liu knew he was thinking and did not disturb her. After a long time, Yeluye raised his head and looked at Concubine Liu and said, "This matter will depend on you."

Concubine Liu understood and smiled, "I understand. I will write a secret letter to the king right away." The King of Beirong was old and had become more and more incompetent in recent years, so he favored Concubine Liu. He even ignored the fact that she was his son's fiancée. Although this was just something Yelu Ye said casually in order to bring Concubine Liu with him in the army, many people knew about it. This made Yelu Ye very embarrassed.

Soon after a secret letter was sent from the post house, a gray figure appeared in the study of Prince Ding's mansion. In the study, Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li, and Princess Yelu Hong Ronghua sat opposite each other and drank tea leisurely. After receiving the secret letter from A-Jian, Mo Xiuyao handed it to Yelu Hong without even reading it. Yelu Hong silently opened the letter and read it. His face turned pale and he slammed the letter heavily on the table.

Princess Ronghua frowned with some worry, picked up the secret letter and looked at it with a grim expression. If this letter was sent to Beirong, she would be the first person to suffer.

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Prince Yelu, don't worry. In this Licheng, if I don't agree, not even a mosquito can fly out. But... when Yelu Ye returns to Beirong, I will be powerless to do anything." Yelu Hong looked at Mo Xiuyao and said calmly, "Doesn't Prince Ding just want to watch us brothers quarrel?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Prince Yelu, what you mean is that if I were not here, you brothers would live in harmony? In these years, I have not done anything in the Northern Rong."

Yelu Hong was silent. Not just these years, in fact, the fight between him and Yelu Ye has never stopped since he was appointed as the crown prince. Don't think that there is no intrigue among the ethnic groups outside the Great Wall. In fact, the fight between them is more cruel and bloody than those hidden in the dark. Yelu Ye is a very ambitious person, but Yelu Hong is not a soft egg that can be squeezed by anyone. Since he is already in the position of crown prince, it is impossible for him to make concessions. Therefore, the conflict between the brothers is definitely not something that anyone can change. But although he understands that what Mo Xiuyao said is right, it can't change the fact that he was calculated by Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Prince Yelu doesn't need to worry too much. In fact, at least our goals are the same, right? You don't want to be defeated by Yelu Ye, I want to drive the Northern Rong army out of the Central Plains and... take a few lives." Yelu Hong said unhappily, "I am the Northern Rong prince." Does it really sound good to him to drive the Northern Rong army out of the Central Plains? Although the place was conquered by Yelu Ye, Yelu Hong was indeed a little jealous. But it was still the place that the Northern Rong got after all. The Central Plains is rich in land, who wouldn't want it if they could?

Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "The customs of the Central Plains are very different from those of the Northern Rong. Does the Northern Rong prince really think that the Northern Rong can do anything in the Central Plains?"

Yelu Hong raised his eyebrows unconvinced and asked, "How did Prince Ding know that it was impossible?"

"At least not now." Mo Xiuyao retorted bluntly: "The Central Plains is not so weak. Even if there is no Great Chu, there is still my Dingwang Mansion. Even if there is no Dingwang Mansion, there is still Xiling. If the Northern Rong wants to get involved in the Central Plains, I am afraid they are not strong enough." This is both a fact and a warning. Although Yelu Hong was unwilling, he also knew that what Mo Xiuyao said was a fact. In history, the Northern Rong wanted to invade the Central Plains countless times. But they were not successful at all. Even if the dynasties of the Central Plains had declined to the extreme, they were still destroyed by the Central Plains themselves. Perhaps, the people of the Central Plains are very keen on infighting, so they have been replaced from generation to generation. However, they are also very determined to resist foreign invasions, and can even put aside their internal grudges and unite to fight against foreign enemies when necessary. This is why many foreign invasions have failed in the end.

Yelu Hong sighed and said, "Perhaps King Ding is right." He was not sitting here to discuss with Mo Xiuyao whether the Northern Rong should invade the Central Plains. Before he could take the position of King of the Northern Rong, he actually had no qualifications to discuss this issue.

Mo Xiuyao didn't want to get tangled up in this, so he looked at Yelu Hong and smiled, "Prince Yelu, don't worry. I have no interest in the Northern Rong either. So... there is actually no conflict of interest between you and me, right? After Yelu Ye is finished, Prince Yelu will get the throne of the Northern Rong, and I will take back what originally belonged to the people of the Central Plains. Besides... there is almost no need for Prince Yelu to do anything, so it is Prince Yelu who is reaping the benefits."

"So, what does Prince Ding plan to do?" Yelu Hong had to admit that he was indeed persuaded by Mo Xiuyao. As the crown prince of Beirong, he would never have any so-called treasonous intentions by colluding with Prince Ding's Mansion. But he was not so comfortable sitting on the throne of the crown prince. Although his mother was the queen of Beirong, his father favored Yelu Ye's mother more. More importantly, Yelu Ye had far more military power behind him than he did. And in Beirong, without enough military power you are nothing. In the past year, his father has been even more fond of the women Yelu Ye brought back. Although he often mocked Yelu Ye, his pressure was even greater. If he had not had to, he would never accept the olive branch thrown by Prince Ding's Mansion. He would not betray Beirong, but he must protect his position and life.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and looked at Ye Li beside him. Ye Li had been writing on paper just now, and only now did she put down the pen and handed the letter in her hand, which was full of handwriting, to Yelu Hong. Yelu Hong was stunned when he took it and looked at it. The handwriting on the letter was at least 90% similar to the previous one, but the content was completely different. The letter from Yelu Ye was naturally about Yelu Hong's collusion with Prince Ding for treason, and the protagonist's name in this letter was changed to Yelu Ye himself, and the other party was not Prince Ding's Mansion, but Ren Qining from the Northern Territory. The previous alliance between Ren Qining and Yelu Ye at Zijing Pass was signed by Yelu Ye first and then reported to the emperor. It would be a good idea to do something about this matter. Thinking of this, Yelu Hong looked at Ye Li with a little more admiration in his eyes, "Thank you, Princess."

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness, you don't have to be polite. Although my imitation is slightly different from Concubine Liu's handwriting, I think it won't be a big problem."

If it was in the Great Chu, there might be some problems, as there were many famous calligraphers in the court of the Great Chu. But in the Northern Rong royal court, being able to completely translate a letter was considered very good, not to mention being able to distinguish the handwriting. Even if someone compared it with Concubine Liu Gui's previous handwriting, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to tell the small difference.

“But even if the king can cover it up for a while, it will still be exposed when Yelu Ye and Concubine Liu return to Beirong.” Princess Ronghua frowned and said with some concern.

Mo Xiuyao said, "You don't have to worry too much about this. For a while... Yelu Ye may not be able to return to the Northern Rong King's Court. As long as Prince Yelu makes sure he doesn't write to the Northern Rong King, it will be fine. As for Concubine Liu... she doesn't have to go back." Given the Northern Rong King's love for Concubine Liu, it would definitely not be a good thing if she returned to the Northern Rong King's Court. Moreover, from the beginning, Mo Xiuyao had no intention of letting those two people leave Da Chu, "But there is one more thing I would like the prince to help me with."

So many things were planned by Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, so Yelu Hong naturally knew that he couldn't just do nothing. He nodded and said, "Prince Ding, please go ahead."

Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "Transfer Helian Zhen to the Central Plains to assist Yelu Ye."

"This..." Yelu Hong hesitated. Although Helian Zhen gradually lost favor because of the military defeat, he was still Yelu Ye's uncle. In recent years, he has also shown signs of gradually recovering. Not to mention how many generals in the Northern Rong Army were once Helian Zhen's subordinates. If he was really allowed to lead the troops, he would probably end up raising a tiger that would become a disaster.

"Don't worry, King Helian will help you solve it."

Yelu Hong then remembered that Mo Xiuyao and Helian Zhen had a deep hatred. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "In that case, I will go back and ask my father to allow Helian Zhen to lead the troops."

"Thank you."