Shanhe Festival 231. Goodbye Princess Changle

As expected, Xu Qingchen was waiting for them in Yonglin.

When everyone arrived at Yonglin Town, Master Qingchen was sitting in the best teahouse in Yonglin Town, drinking tea in a leisurely manner. Seeing them coming in, Xu Qingchen smiled and said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time. I've already booked an inn. How about we rest in Yonglin for a day before leaving?" Ye Li smiled and said, "Big brother, you're thoughtful. Xiu Yao and I also planned to do so." Everyone sat down, and Xu Qingchen raised his eyebrows and smiled, "It seems that everyone didn't have a good time on the road?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhiyao was immediately filled with resentment and complained, "That's right. Master Qingchen, you don't know that we walked and waited all the way, but in the end, none of those cowards caught up with us after we crossed the Yunlan River. This made this master so excited!" Life has been too peaceful in the past few years. In the northwest, even suppressing bandits has people vying to go, so that now there are no bandits in the northwest. It's really... My hands are a little itchy. "Mo Jingqi is really boring. If he issues a clear order to kill us, how dare those generals disobey? This master would also like to experience the feeling of spitting out a siege from a large army. Look at it now, the people below are cutting corners... If Mo Jingqi knew that we didn't lose a single soldier,

I wonder if I will be so angry that I will die after I pass the Broken Snow Pass?!"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and smiled, "Feng San thinks too much. Mo Jingqi will never issue a clear announcement. Once a clear announcement is issued to the world, it is equivalent to officially declaring war on the Mohist Army. I am afraid that before they can kill us, the Mohist Army will deploy troops to Feihong Pass. If they really can kill the prince with all their strength, it will be fine. What if the prince goes to the northwest..." The anger of Prince Ding and nearly one million Mohist soldiers is not something that anyone can bear. After listening to Xu Qingchen's analysis, Feng San could only express regret for Mo Jingqi's cowardice.

"Your Highness, the envoy from the Great Chu requests to see you downstairs." The guard came up and reported.

"The envoy of Great Chu?" Feng Zhiyao was a little surprised. He looked at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li and asked, "Under the current circumstances, can the envoy of Great Chu still come to see the prince?" Xu Qingchen smiled calmly and said, "Feng San, why don't you guess who the envoy of Great Chu is?" Feng Zhiyao looked at him and said, "Could it be that Master Qingchen has already met him?" Xu Qingchen shook his head and said, "I haven't met him, but I can guess a little. Nanzhao sent a letter to invite the kings and nobles of various countries to attend the wedding of Princess Anxi. Great Chu can't send an envoy of too low a level, but... Mo Jingqi's personality is that he won't come in person." Mo Jingqi has always valued his status and is vigilant about his own safety. Not to mention coming to Nanzhao, which is thousands of miles away, Mo Jingqi has never been to the capital city more than a hundred miles away in his life. Normally, unless it is necessary, he would stay in the palace which is heavily guarded by guards and would never leave the palace.

"Mo Jingqi has long known that Prince Li has some connection with Southern Xinjiang. However, he will definitely not let Prince Li get ahead this time. The only people in the entire capital who can make Mo Jingqi trust and are presentable are the Liu family." Xu Qingchen smiled lightly, but there was a bit of coldness in his smile. When Mo Jingqi suddenly decided to attack the Xu family, it was definitely the instigation of the Liu family. Mo Xiuyao frowned and said, "Liu Chunfeng?" Feng Zhiyao blinked, "Who is Liu Chunfeng?" Zhuo Jing smiled softly and said, "The third son of Feng, Liu Chunfeng is Prime Minister Liu, the father of Concubine Liu." It's no wonder that Feng Zhiyao didn't know. Although Concubine Liu is about the same age as Mo Xiuyao and others, Liu Chunfeng himself is actually only two years younger than Duke Beihua. In Feng Zhiyao's memory, when he noticed this person, he was Prime Minister Liu, so naturally he didn't remember his name.

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Yes, I guess the envoy from Da Chu is Liu Chunfeng."

Ye Li frowned slightly and looked at Mo Xiuyao beside her. "Could it be that the prince still has some friendship with this Prime Minister Liu?" Mo Xiuyao sneered and said, "Prince Ding's Mansion and the Liu family have always been at odds, where does the friendship come from?" When Mo Liufang was still young, the Liu family was not headed by the current Prime Minister Liu but by the deceased Old Lady Liu. Old Lady Liu ascended the position of Prime Minister when she was over 60 years old, but she was under pressure from the Regent Prince Mo Liufang who was only in his twenties. How could the already petty Old Lady Liu tolerate this? She had played many tricks on Mo Liufang in those years, so the relationship between Prince Ding's Mansion and the Liu family had never been good. This is also the reason why Concubine Liu was obsessed with Mo Xiu Yao back then, but not only was Mo Xiu Yao not interested in her, but even no one in the Liu family agreed to this marriage, and sent her into the palace without hesitation.

"Let him come up. I also want to see what he wants to see me about." Mo Xiu Yao said calmly.

Soon, people were led to the teahouse. It turned out to be Prime Minister Liu, whose hair and beard had turned white. Although Liu Chunfeng was old, he seemed to be in good health and spirit. His somewhat cloudy eyes were also shrewd. However, the people standing next to him surprised everyone. There were two women standing next to Prime Minister Liu. The older one was dressed in white clothes as white as snow, and her beautiful face was slightly indifferent. Who else could it be but Concubine Liu? Although Concubine Liu was over 30 years old now, time seemed to be particularly kind to her. She still looked the same as she was five or six years ago. Standing next to Concubine Liu was a 13 or 14-year-old girl, wearing a goose-yellow silk dress embroidered with pink and white hibiscus flowers. Her face, which had gradually grown, already had a faintly visible stunning beauty. It was conceivable that in two years, the girl's appearance would definitely not be inferior to Concubine Liu's. Her clear and lively eyes revealed a purity and grace that Concubine Liu would never have. Seeing Ye Li, the girl's face lit up and she couldn't help but take a step forward and whispered, "Princess Ding..."

Ye Li was slightly startled. Looking at the face that was somewhat similar to Empress Hua and Hua Tianxiang, she said with a thought in her mind: "Princess Changle..."

Seeing that Ye Li remembered her, Princess Changle nodded happily and took a step to walk towards Ye Li. Behind her, Concubine Liu coughed lightly and said lightly: "Princess, as a princess of a country, you should pay attention to etiquette and don't lose your dignity and bring shame to the emperor." Princess Changle stopped, looked back at Concubine Liu, and said with a smile: "Thank you for your reminder, Concubine Liu, but it was not me who wanted to come up just now, but you suggested it, right? I just want to reminisce with Princess Ding, but I don't know who you want to reminisce with when you come up?" Concubine Liu's face changed, and she stared at Princess Changle. Princess Changle was not afraid, and looked back without hesitation. After a while, Concubine Liu said: "Of course, I also want to reminisce with Princess Ding."

Ye Li stood up and smiled, "It's rare to meet old friends in this small border town. Since both the concubine and the princess want to reminisce with me, why don't we go somewhere else to talk? It will also avoid... ruining the concubine's reputation." Princess Changle happily took Ye Li's hand and said with a smile, "Princess Ding, it's been a long time since we last met. I thought we would never see each other again. Let's go talk somewhere else." After that, she took Ye Li and walked to the side room. The upstairs of the teahouse was booked by Xu Qingchen, so there was no need to worry about her wandering into other people's rooms. Pulling Ye Li for two steps, Princess Changle looked back at Concubine Liu who was still standing there, and smiled with her eyes narrowed: "Concubine Liu, why don't you leave? It doesn't matter if this princess has a slightly worse reputation. The emperor's daughter will have trouble finding a husband. But if Concubine Liu... hehe... I wonder if my father likes to hear someone say that a pear blossom has gone out of the wall?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Concubine Liu blushed, glanced at the man in purple clothes and silver hair who had his back to her, and quickly followed him.

Behind him, Feng Zhiyao finally came to his senses, pointed in the direction where Princess Changle disappeared, and said with a click of his tongue: "That girl is Princess Changle?" Mo Xiuyao looked up at him, then lowered his eyes and drank tea, "What do you think?" Feng Zhiyao was embarrassed and speechless. What could he think? Although he had only seen Princess Changle once or twice, he still remembered the innocent and lovely appearance of the little princess who was doted on and protected by Sister Hua. He was even jealous of this little princess because she received all the doting and care from that person. But now, is this a case of a girl changing a lot? The innocent and lovely little princess could actually spit out such a sharp ridicule.

Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Princess Changle must be having a hard time in the palace now." Feng Zhiyao remained silent, his face gradually darkened. Since the empress pleaded for the Xu family a few years ago, the emperor has taken away the power to manage the harem. Although everything else remains the same, no one dares to disrespect the empress because of her connections and prestige in the palace over the years. But there is a difference between an empress with real power and an empress who is sidelined.

Prime Minister Liu stood aside, his face turning pale and blue. These people had no intention of inviting him to sit down, and even discussed in front of him that his daughter was in charge of the harem and treated Princess Changle harshly. Prime Minister Liu was so angry that his beard twitched, and he couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Mr. Feng San, you are too serious. Did my daughter treat Princess Changle harshly?" Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing Linhan, who were originally discussing fiercely, immediately quieted down. Zhuo Jing seemed to have changed his face and regained his indifference. He turned his head and glanced at Prime Minister Liu and said, "Prime Minister Liu, you interrupted others without permission. Don't you know how to behave?"

Prime Minister Liu was so angry that he fell backwards, pointing at Zhuo Jing and yelling at him for a long time without being able to say anything. After a long while, he finally calmed down and said angrily: "Leaving the guests aside, is this the way to entertain guests in the Haoding Palace?"

"Only the guests who are welcomed are the ones who come uninvited..." Lin Han looked at Prime Minister Liu sincerely, and his expression told him that we really didn't invite you up.

Feng Zhiyao supported his head with one hand and said nonchalantly, "Also, Prime Minister Liu, I suspect that not only the Liu family is different from the rules, but the entire Chu royal family is also ignorant of the rules, right? When you came upstairs just now, how did you walk? Prime Minister Liu walked in front, and Princess Changle walked in the back."

"What's the problem?" Prime Minister Liu said unhappily. Feng Zhiyao sneered, "Prime Minister Liu, Concubine Liu is a first-rank official, Princess Changle is also a first-rank official, and you, the Prime Minister... are still a first-rank official. But there is still a difference between this first-rank official and the first-rank official, right? No matter how high the rank of Concubine Liu is, she is still a concubine, and Princess Changle is the legitimate daughter of the empress. Let me ask you, would your family let a concubine walk in front of a legitimate daughter? Not to mention the father of the concubine?"

"Feng Zhiyao! You...you..." Prime Minister Liu was finally so angry that he started shaking all over, and the finger pointing at Feng Zhiyao kept shaking. He couldn't say that Feng Zhiyao was wrong, because under normal circumstances, he, as the prime minister, had to perform formalities when meeting Princess Changle. And in the case of Concubine Liu and Princess Changle, he couldn't say that the rules of the royal family were different from those of ordinary families. Because although Princess Changle had to perform the half-form of courtesy to Concubine Liu in the palace, in the eyes of the literati in the world, Princess Changle, as the eldest princess, was more noble than Concubine Liu. The eldest princess performed formalities to the concubine out of respect and courtesy to her father, not out of necessity.

"Prince Ding, is this how you discipline your subordinates?" Prime Minister Liu was so angry that he spoke without thinking, and pointed the finger at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao tilted his head, raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly, and curled the corners of his lips into a cold smile, "When is it your turn to comment on how I discipline my subordinates?"

Prime Minister Liu finally realized that he could not get any advantage in front of the people in Prince Ding's Mansion. Not to mention Feng Zhiyao, Zhuo Jing and others were sharp-tongued, there was also Xu Qingchen sitting next to him who had not spoken a word. He was a powerful figure who could make the contemporary monks spit blood at the age of seventeen. So, Prime Minister Liu rolled his eyes and fell down. Feng Zhiyao blinked, "Is this not okay?" Why are the people of Mo Jingqi they met recently so scumbag in terms of literary and martial arts?

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and said, "It's not impossible, this is the best way to exit." This shows that Prime Minister Liu is flexible. If he had insisted on continuing, he would have been squeezed to death by Feng Zhiyuan and the others. After all, he couldn't let an old man in his seventies lie on the ground alone. Xu Qingchen signaled the guards standing at the stairs to let the followers brought by Prime Minister Liu come up and take him down to see a doctor.

The atmosphere in the other side of the room was completely different from that outside. Princess Changle was talking non-stop with Ye Li, and her beautiful face was still a little innocent and sincere. Ye Li looked at Princess Changle with a smile, and her eyes were also full of warm smiles. After not seeing each other for a few years, the girl who was once a little loli has grown into a graceful young lady. Only Concubine Liu sat farther away from the two of them, with an indifferent and somewhat careless expression, and it was obvious that she had no intention of really reminiscing about the past with Ye Li.

Concubine Liu ignored Ye Li, and Ye Li didn't plan to pay attention to Concubine Liu. When they first met a few years ago, Ye Li had a good impression of Concubine Liu. After all, it is not easy to have such a unique woman in the palace. But after seeing Concubine Liu's obsession with Mo Xiuyao and her covert targeting of her, Ye Li's good impression of her has disappeared. After all, no matter how much Concubine Liu loves Mo Xiuyao, she, Ye Li, is Mo Xiuyao's legal wife. She has no objection to Concubine Liu liking Mo Xiuyao, but it is a bit too much to like him to the point of disliking his original wife and making all kinds of sarcasm, contempt and threats. Especially now, when Ye Li saw Concubine Liu's cold, elegant and noble appearance, she was easily reminded of her begging appearance to Mo Xiuyao in the peach forest in the imperial palace, and she couldn't help feeling depressed.

"Princess Ding, I heard that you gave birth to a cute little brother?" Princess Changle asked curiously, pulling Ye Li aside.

Ye Li nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, I am already five years old this year."

Princess Changle sighed, "The brother born to Princess Ding and Uncle Ding must be cute and smart. Why didn't Princess Ding bring her little brother with her to Southern Xinjiang?"

Ye Li looked at her with a look of regret, and couldn't help laughing. She raised her hand and tapped her nose and said with a smile: "There are so many little brothers in the palace, princess, haven't you seen enough?"

Princess Changle snorted softly, and said with a slight curl of her lips: "It is my mother who did not give me a younger brother. Changle does not have a younger brother."

"Okay, okay, there is no younger brother. Then our little treasure will call Princess Sister in the future, okay?" Ye Li couldn't help but smile. Princess Changle's eyes lit up, blinked and smiled, "Really? Then... should I give my younger brother a meeting gift? Well... I can't go to the northwest now, Princess, please bring it back to my little brother for me, so that my little brother will like me when he sees Changle in the future." After saying that, she looked down at herself, and without hesitation, she pulled off an exquisite jade bell from her wrist and stuffed it into Ye Li's arms.

Ye Li was a little surprised when she took the jade bell. It was made of top-grade white jade and was carefully carved into a dragon and phoenix pattern. The dragon and the phoenix were intertwined to form a small ball. Between the hollow dragon and the phoenix, you could see a round jade bead. Although it was just a small bell, the incomparable exquisite carving and the top-grade jade made it obvious that it was definitely worth a lot of money.

Princess Changle was so generous that even Concubine Liu Gui couldn't help but glance at her sideways and frowned, saying, "Princess, this jade bell was given to you by the Queen Mother."

Princess Changle frowned in displeasure and said, "What the Empress Dowager gave me is mine. Who I give it to has nothing to do with Concubine Liu."

Ye Li reached out and held Princess Changle, smiling and saying, "Okay, I'll thank the princess for the gift on behalf of Chen'er. Actually, I should give the princess a gift on behalf of Chen'er, but I really don't have anything to show off." Princess Changle's eyes lit up slightly, blinked and looked at Ye Li and said, "Princess, can't you choose the gift yourself?" Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled, "What does the princess want?" Princess Changle stood up and whispered a few words in Ye Li's ear. Ye Li frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "What do you want... for?"

Princess Changle pursed her lips, pulled the braid on her chest and smiled, "Let's play. No one else wants to let me know, so the princess must have one. Just take one, princess, okay?"

Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "I'll go back and look for it. If I find it, I'll give it to you."

Princess Changle smiled with her eyebrows curved, "I knew Princess Ding would be the best."

Ye Li raised her hand and ruffled Princess Changle's hair, and asked softly, "By the way, Princess Anxi is getting married, why did your father send you to accompany her?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Changle's originally clear eyes dimmed slightly.