Shanhe Festival 323. Prince Ding's Revenge

After seeing off the Ye family, Qin Feng asked, "Why is the princess so polite to them?" Qin Feng followed Ye Li later. Although he didn't know much about the relationship between the Ye family and Ye Li, he could see that the princess didn't have as deep feelings for the Ye family as she did for the Xu family. She even had a hint of disgust in her. In Qin Feng's opinion, since the princess hated the Ye family, there was no need to get involved with them. She could just let them get out.

Ye Li waved his hands and said calmly, "No matter what, the Ye family and I are still blood relatives. Being too straightforward will only make the world think that Prince Ding's Mansion is cold-blooded and heartless. Anyway, they can't cause any trouble. Send a few people to watch secretly. If Ye Rong dares to cause any trouble in Li City again, you don't have to be polite to give me a good lesson."

Qin Feng nodded in agreement, then turned around and told someone to secretly monitor the movements in the Ye Mansion.

But after returning to the Ye family, the group did not find peace. Old Madam Ye angrily accused Ye Li of being unfilial, and Ye Wangshi also cried and said that Ye Li did not care about her brothers. The quarrel made Ye Wenhua's head ache. Shen Liang took a look and pulled Ye Lin, who wanted to talk, back to his own yard. He planned to move out of the Ye Mansion in two days and find a smaller yard to live in so that he could start his own business. If he stayed in the Ye Mansion, he was afraid that even if he was lucky enough to become rich in the future, his family assets would be used to make wedding clothes for Ye Rong.

Ye Wenhua pressed his temples and said in a deep voice, "Okay, we have been in Licheng for so many days, and Dingwang Mansion has not treated us badly. Can't you just be quiet?" In fact, it is impossible to say that Ye Wenhua had no ambitions at that time. If he had no ambitions at that time, he would not have allowed Ye Wangshi to manipulate Ye Ying to hook up with Mo Jingli. But living in the countryside for a few years, away from the prosperous place like the capital, the prosperity of the capital has gradually sobered up a lot. Over the past few years, Ye Wenhua has also figured out a lot of things. If it weren't for Ye Li, his daughter, not to mention that his family was just demoted to commoners, it would still be a question whether he could leave the capital alive.

He also thought about how he, a poor scholar, could become a minister in less than 20 years. Although he was responsible for much of the later period, he could not do without the support of the Xu family in the early period. If he did not have the support of the son-in-law of the Xu family, how could those nobles in the capital look up to a poor student like him? In this way, he felt even more sorry for his first wife who passed away early. He also felt more guilty towards his daughter Ye Li. After hearing what Ye Li had done in the past few years, even Ye Wenhua had to admit the ability of this daughter who was not valued by him. He felt sad and guilty, but also proud.

The crying in the hall was choked for a moment. Old Madam Ye's face turned red with anger. She pointed at Ye Wenhua and said, "Isn't it treated unfairly? Look at what the Dingwang Mansion is like, and what our broken courtyard is like? Look at what those people in the Xu family are like, and what about you as a father? How many people in Licheng look up to you, the father of Princess Ding?" Ye Wangshi also hurriedly stepped forward and said, "What the old lady said is right. Rong'er is still the princess's only biological brother. But now in Licheng, he is not even as good as the grandson of a general. I am too ashamed to go out and see people..."

"If you don't have the face to go out, then don't go out!" Ye Wenhua said unhappily. How could he not know what his mother said, but that would require the Ye family to have the ability of the Xu family. Which of the brothers in the Xu family is not talented? Even the youngest Xu Qingyan had already gone to the northwest when he was in his teens, and no one stayed in Licheng to enjoy the good life. If Ye Rong was really talented, even if he was not the biological brother of Princess Ding, would the Ding Palace still refuse him?

"It's all because of you, an ignorant woman, who spoiled this evil creature!" Thinking of this, Ye Wenhua's face became even uglier. Seeing Ye Rong sitting aside and not caring at all, he became even more furious. He picked up the feather duster not far away and hit Ye Rong. Ye Rong was hit by the feather duster and immediately cried out. She kept shouting "Grandma, help me, mother, help me... Rong'er is dying..." The distressed Ye Wangshi and Old Madam Ye hurried forward to hold Ye Wenhua. Old Madam Ye scolded angrily: "What are you doing? Are you going to beat your son to death for Ye Li, the married girl? Do you want to make the Ye family extinct? Why don't you just kill me, an old woman!"

Ye Wangshi also hugged her son and burst into tears, "My Lord... you are so cruel. Princess Ding is your biological daughter. Is Rong'er not your biological son?"

Listening to the noisy crying and seeing the smug smile on Ye Rong's face, Ye Wenhua felt powerless. Ye Wenhua, who had never been really tough in front of his mother and wife in his life, failed again this time. He threw down the things in his hands, waved his sleeves, turned around and went back to his yard to read.

Outside the door, Shen Liang and Ye Lin stood together listening to the crying coming from inside. Shen Liang lowered his head and looked at his wife calmly and asked, "Look here, are you still going to stay here?" Ye Lin opened her mouth, but she was still unwilling. Living here, she is still the sixth daughter of the Ye family and the younger sister of Princess Ding. But after moving out, she will just be the wife of an unknown bastard of the Shen family. With Shen Liang's character, he would never allow her to casually publicize her relationship with Princess Ding outside. Ye Lin always felt a little unwilling and unconvinced about her third sister. Both are daughters of the Ye family, and Ye Li didn't even have as much glory and respect as her at home before she got married. But just because she has a mother named Xu, is her fate so different?

"Although I'm not familiar with Princess Ding, can you do what she did? If you had married into the Ding Palace, would you have the status you have now?" Shen Liang said bluntly. He didn't have too much dissatisfaction with his wife. Both of them were born out of wedlock, so it was understandable that they felt unwilling, but it would be bad if they couldn't see their own position clearly.

Ye Lin's heart moved. Isn't it true? Didn't she secretly rejoice in Ye Li's misfortune before she got married? What happened after Ye Li became Princess Ding... Ye Lin thought about it. If it were her, she would have died long ago. Thinking of this, the resentment in her heart didn't seem so serious. In fact, Ye Lin has always known these things, but she just didn't want to admit it. Now that someone came to wake her up, she soon figured it out. Ye Lin raised her head and said, "I'll go with you, let's move out." In fact, she didn't want to see Wang's face every day in the Ye family, and serve Wang and Old Madam Ye like a maid.

When Ye Li heard about the Ye family's affairs in Ding Wangfu, she just smiled and passed it over. Now that the year is coming to an end, even though Ye Li is pregnant and doesn't want her to get involved in many things, she still can't be idle.

Since Mo Xiuyao conquered Feihong Pass, the originally tense situation of the war changed immediately. The two armies that besieged Feihong Pass were defeated. After the arrival of winter, the movement of the Beirong troops slowed down significantly. In winter, the territory of Beirong was frozen for thousands of miles and no grass could be seen. Although they occupied a large area in the north of Dachu, they had no choice but to destroy these areas in the past six months. Therefore, as soon as winter came, the food and grass of the Beirong troops began to be tight. Mo Xiuyao repelled the siege of Beirong and Xiling armies, and went eastward to Chujing without stopping. Before that, the troops led by Murong Shen had gradually approached Chujing. The other 300,000 troops led by He Su bypassed Chujing and directly engaged the Northern Border Army that was besieging the city, cutting off the Northern Border Army's retreat. Although the appearance of these two armies did not directly lift the siege of Chujing, it did ease the enemy's offensive a lot, giving the Chu defenders, who had been fighting hard to defend the city for more than a month, a sigh of relief.

At this time, a huge incident happened in the North. The queen of the current King of the North, Ren Qining, who was originally married to a princess from the North tribe, and the children she gave birth to all died suddenly overnight. But strangely, the children born to his concubines were safe and sound. Although the people of the North are brave and not good at strategy, they are not really stupid. Soon, the news that Ren Qining had murdered his wife began to spread in the King's City of the North. Because Ren Qining himself was not a Northerner, and he also employed many people from the Central Plains after unifying the North, the seeds of discord between the Central Plains and the Northerners had already been planted, and now it suddenly broke out, which gave Ren Qining a headache for a while.

However, just two days after Ren Qining suppressed these rumors, his remaining children, wives and concubines also died. This time, it seemed that the northerners were responsible. But no matter whether Ren Qining thought it was the northerners' fault or a frame-up, he could only suppress the matter again. Otherwise, the conflict between the Central Plains people and the northerners would erupt even more fiercely next time.

In the study

Ren Qining almost gnashed his teeth as he looked at the post that had just been delivered to him. It was a black post with gold embellishments, and on the back were golden clouds and flying dragons. The content of the post was very simple, with only a few words: "If no one offends me, I will not offend anyone. If someone offends me, I will return it a thousandfold." The few lines of dragon-like and phoenix-like characters looked unrestrained and domineering, more like an undisguised provocation.

Ren Qining gritted his teeth and crumpled the post into pieces, turning it into confetti in an instant. "Mo Xiuyao!" Ren Qining's originally elegant face no longer had a smile, but only endless distortion and hatred. Mo Xiuyao's sudden attack was enough to break Ren Qining's heart. Not only his wives and concubines, but also all his children, four sons and five daughters, none of them survived. Ren Qining knew that this was Mo Xiuyao's revenge for her attack on Ye Li in Xiling, but people are always like this, not caring about other people's pain until it happens to them and they find it unbearable.

"Young Master." In the study, several men who were obviously from the Central Plains stood with their hands folded, looking at Ren Qining's distorted face with some worry. They were all descendants of loyal ministers of the previous dynasty who had been loyal to the Lin family for generations. After Ren Qining established his foundation in the Northern Territory, he naturally placed them in important positions in the Northern Territory court. Compared to those Northerners who fought desperately on the battlefield, they were Ren Qining's real confidants. Although they, who claimed to be orthodox Central Plains people, felt a little uncomfortable with the fact that they took advantage of the Northern Barbarians to start an uprising, they were helpless because they were born at the wrong time. For hundreds of years, the Central Plains had always been guarded by the successive kings of Dingwang Mansion, and their ancestors could not move at all. The Ding Palace was badly damaged at that time, which gave them the opportunity to control the entire northern border. Otherwise, they would still have to hide in the dark and become a hermit family.

Ren Qining sneered and said, "This is a note sent by Mo Xiuyao. The people in Prince Ding's Mansion are really omnipresent... What a good method!"

One of them hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is this about the Queen and the little princes? What Mo Xiuyao said? Killing the whole family... Mo Xiuyao is such a vicious method!" Even they couldn't help but shudder at Mo Xiuyao's cruelty. Mo Xiuyao had just killed half of the dignitaries in Xiling Imperial City some time ago, and now he has killed everyone in the Northern Border Royal Family except Ren Qining. Such a method is really frightening.

"Could it be that Mo Xiuyao really cares so much about Princess Ding? Or has he intended to do so for a long time and just happened to find this excuse?" someone asked doubtfully.

Ren Qining was silent. He had only met Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li once in Xiling last year. But he could clearly feel that Mo Xiuyao cared about Princess Ding. Moreover, he took action against Ye Li because of the influence of the Xu family behind Princess Ding in the Ding Palace. But he didn't expect that this time he really lost his wife and his troops.

After a moment of silence, Ren Qining asked, "How is the war going in Chujing?"

"Sir, our troops have been besieging Chujing for more than a month, and we believe that we will be able to capture Chujing soon. But I don't know where a group of troops suddenly came out and cut off the road from Chujing to Zijing Pass. This group of troops only has 200,000 people, but the leader is very extraordinary. He occupies three small cities in the middle and forms a corner with each other, causing heavy losses to our army. More importantly, he occupies the main road and blocks it. Our food and reinforcements can't keep up. I'm afraid it will take some time to capture Chujing." They never thought that the troops could change the whole situation. No matter how powerful they are, they are only 200,000 people, which is not enough compared to the nearly one million troops in the North. It will just delay the day of breaking the city.

Ren Qining frowned slightly and asked, "Who is leading the troops?" As far as he knew, Da Chu didn't have many generals who could fight, and most of them were taken to Jiangnan by Mo Jingli. Leng Huai and others who were originally stationed at Zijing Pass were now trapped in Chujing, and it was impossible for them to come out to lead the troops.

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "We only know his name. The world is in chaos now, and Mo Jingli took a lot of people with him when he left Chujing. We couldn't find out his details for a while."

"Can't find out the details?" Ren Qining stroked his chin and asked thoughtfully: "Then... could it be Mo Xiuyao's people?"

"This..." Everyone was silent, and they looked at each other with suspicion. Although those soldiers did not look like the Mo family army, who knew if there were any other soldiers hidden in the Dingwang Mansion? And such a sudden attack from the side was clearly intended to delay the time for the Northern Border to break through Chujing. And now, Mo Xiuyao has also set out for Chujing. So, it makes sense to say that it was to buy time for Mo Xiuyao.

Ren Qining stood up and said, "Pass the order, mobilize all the troops immediately. Within three days, the troops defeated by me must attack Chujing with all their strength. We must capture Chujing before Mo Xiuyao's army arrives." Everyone agreed, "Sir, what are your plans?" Ren Qining narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "If Mo Xiuyao wants Chujing, it depends on whether I agree. Send someone to send a message to the Seventh Prince of Beirong. I will invite him to meet at Zijing Pass in ten days."

Everyone looked at each other with confusion in their eyes. Although they didn't understand their master's thoughts, they still respectfully withdrew and went to work.

Although no one knew what the Seventh Prince, the commander of the Northern Rong, and the King of the Northern Territory Ren Qining discussed at Zijing Pass, two secret letters were sent to the west that day. One was sent to Mo Xiuyao who was still in the army, and the other was sent to the Dingwang Mansion in Licheng, northwest China.

In the big tent of the military camp, Mo Xiuyao leaned lazily on the chair and looked at the letter in his hand. Sitting down, Nanhou, Lu Jinxian, Feng Zhiyao and others were also guessing what was said in his heart that made the prince's expression so meaningful. Or Feng Zhiyao was forced by the eyes of other seniors to stand up and asked: "Prince, did something happen?" Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a smile and said: "Indeed, something happened. Three days ago, Yelu Ye of Beirong and Ren Qining of Beijin chatted for a while at Zijing Pass."

Everyone knew that the two people's coming together was not just a simple chat. It was clearly the intention of the two families to join forces to deal with Prince Ding's Mansion.

Nan Hou frowned and asked, "But what agreement did Ren Qining and Yelu Ye reach?"

Mo Xiuyao said, "They talked in secret, and what they said is not written here. Regardless... I can guess one or two points. It is nothing more than asking the Northern Rong to help block the footsteps of the Mo family army so that the Northern Border has time to capture Chujing." Feng Zhiyao was puzzled, "Would Yelu Ye be so stupid? Use his own troops to block Ren Qining?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "It's not stupid. The Northern Rong army is now facing us directly, so they have no choice but to fight hard. Unless the Mo family army can be defeated, their chances of successfully taking Chujing are slim. But the Northern Territory is different. The Northern Territory is in the opposite direction from us. They will not have any conflict before we enter Chujing. Ren Qining should have given other benefits to Yelu Ye in exchange for him giving up Chujing."

"What kind of benefits?" Chujing is not any other place. Even though the royal family of Great Chu has moved its capital, it is still of great significance to the people of Great Chu.

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Maybe they gave some land to Beirong. Maybe after they conquer Chujing, the two families will deal with Dingwang Mansion properly?"

Lu Songxian frowned and asked worriedly, "If so, it is indeed very disadvantageous to us. What plans do you have, Prince?" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Our plan is to rush to Chujing as soon as possible and not let the people from the northern border get there first. As for other plans, Master Qingchen will naturally consider them. As for this Ren Qining, it turns out that the lesson we gave him this time is not enough."

Everyone present, including Feng Zhiyao who was in Xiling back then, looked at Mo Xiuyao with some curiosity, as if asking, "Your Majesty, what on earth did you do to me?"

Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "It's nothing. I asked Qin Feng to send people to kill all his wives, concubines and children."

Everyone was silent.

In the study room of Prince Ding's mansion in Licheng, Xu Qingchen, Xu Hongyu and others were present. Ye Li, wearing a thick ferret cloak and holding a heater in her hands, sat beside them and listened to their conversation.

Xu Qingze put down the letter in his hand, and frowned on his usually expressionless face. He said, "If Beirong and Beijie really join forces to deal with the Mo family army, I'm afraid it won't be that easy for the Mo family army to rush to Chujing at the beginning of next month. Can Chujing hold on for that long?" Xu Hongyu stroked his beard lightly, frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid it's not that easy. Now we can only hope that Prince Ding can hurry up. And in the Beijie, Li'er...why is she from Prince Ding's mansion?"

Ye Li nodded and said with a smile: "It is indeed someone from Prince Ding's Mansion."

Xu Hongyu nodded and said, "That's good. With him and General Murong here, they should be able to resolve Chu Jing's predicament a little. If that doesn't work... then it can only be God's will."

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and said, "Father, there is no need to worry. Even if Chujing is occupied by the Northern Border, Prince Ding can certainly take it back. Moreover, it is always better to be conquered by the Northern Border than by the Northern Rong." The Northern Rong army burned, killed, and looted as soon as they entered the Central Plains. Wherever the army went, there was grief and blood. As the saying goes, those who are not of our race must have different hearts. As long as Ren Qining still wants to rule the Central Plains, he will not kill as much as the Northern Rong army did.

Xu Hongyu could only think so. He shook his head and said, "We don't need to worry about the march and the war. But if the Northern Rong and the Northern Border really form an alliance, it will be very disadvantageous to us." This disadvantage does not only refer to the time of rescuing Chu Jing this time, but also includes the future. "Does Qingchen have any ideas?"

Xu Qingchen and Ye Li looked at each other and smiled faintly, "I do have some ideas. The Beirong and the Northern Territory are not all in a tangle. The dispute between the Beirong Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince, the difference between the Central Plains people and the Northern Territory people in the Northern Territory, these are all things we can do something about." Xu Hongyu raised his eyebrows and said, "You mean... to divide them from within?"

Ye Li nodded and smiled, "Brother is right. The leader of the Northern Rong army is the Seventh Prince Yelu Ye. In this battle, Yelu Ye's influence in the Northern Rong will surely surpass that of the Crown Prince Yelu Hong. Yelu Hong and Yelu Ye have always been at odds, so how can he tolerate this? He will definitely be very dissatisfied with Yelu Ye. If someone else whispers something in the Northern Rong King's ear..."

Xu Hongyan asked, "Is this plan feasible? Does Prince Ding's Mansion have any influence in the Northern Rong royal family?"

Ye Li shook her head and said helplessly, "That's true. The Beirong people are very xenophobic. If you are not from the Beirong, you will never be valued and trusted by them. However, the Beirong Crown Prince has our people around him, and... Yelu Hong's relationship with Prince Ding's Mansion is much better than Yelu Ye's."

"Oh?" Xu Hongyan asked curiously. Although he had been in the northwest for so many years, he didn't know that Prince Ding's Mansion could even place people around the Prince of Beirong.

Xu Qingchen thought for a moment and raised his head and asked, "Is it Princess Ronghua?" Princess Zhaoren's daughter, Princess Ronghua, was named a princess when she married the crown prince of Beirong, Yelu Hong. However, when Princess Ronghua was in the capital, her relationship with Prince Ding's Mansion and Ye Li was not good, so it was not easy for people to guess the relationship in this regard. But after so many years, whether Princess Ronghua has not changed is another matter, "Is she reliable?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether Princess Ronghua is reliable or not. We don't need her to do anything for us. As long as the people around her are reliable, that's enough." Princess Ronghua was not a trained spy after all. If she was involved in too many things, it would be easy to reveal her tracks. At first, Prince Ding's Mansion sent two spies, one open and one secret, to secretly help Princess Ronghua. Princess Ronghua naturally knew about the open one, but no one told her about the secret one. Of course, all this was not just to help Princess Ronghua, but for the needs of the current situation. Now that the capital of Great Chu has been moved, it is almost only half of the country. And the news from Beirong showed that Yelu Hongsi had no intention of ignoring or abandoning Princess Ronghua, which shows that Princess Ronghua has been doing very well in Beirong over the years.

"That's good." Xu Qingchen nodded with satisfaction.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Then I will send someone to Beirong to meet Yelu Hong, and maybe give him some help in secret. If everything goes well, within two or three months, Yelu Ye's position as the commander of the Beirong army should be over." Xu Qingchen asked, "I'm afraid it's not that easy to convince Yelu Ye, do you want me to go there in person?"

"This..." Ye Li frowned. Now many affairs in the Northwest cannot be handled without her elder brother. But if she cannot send someone of sufficient weight, she is afraid that she will not be able to explain to Yelu Hong. If she was not pregnant, Ye Li actually planned to go there by herself. At the same time, Xu Hongyan said, "The Northwest cannot be handled without Qingchen and elder brother. If Lier trusts her uncle, I will go there."

"Uncle, the northwest is bitterly cold. This trip..."

Xu Hongyan smiled and said, "Li'er looks down on uncle or what? Is uncle still a person who can't endure hardship?"

Ye Li naturally knew that although Xu Hongyan didn't talk much on weekdays, he was indeed a good debater and a suitable candidate. He looked at Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu hesitantly, and Xu Hongyu nodded and said, "In that case, it would be good for the second brother to go."

Seeing Xu Hongyu say this, Ye Li had no choice but to nod. After thinking for a while, she said, "In that case, Mo Hua is also in the northwest. I will let him bring people to accompany my second uncle." Mo Hua was originally the leader of the secret guards of Prince Ding's mansion. With him and his people protecting him all the way, Xu Hongyan's safety naturally did not need to be worried. Even if the plan failed, Mo Hua could protect Xu Hongyan and return to the northwest safely.

"Okay." Knowing that Ye Li was thinking about his own safety, Xu Hongyan did not refuse.