Shanhe Festival 345. The eloquent Mr. Xu Wu

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao were busy dealing with the various powers, while Xu Qingchen was not working efficiently at all. Mo Xiuyao finally felt guilty and realized that he had not handled the matter properly. He took over Qingchen's previous work, which was very rare, so that Qingchen could concentrate on dealing with a certain woman. Within a few days, almost the entire Dingwang Mansion knew that there was a girl chasing after Qingchen and shouting that she wanted to marry him. Unfortunately, Qingchen looked down on her and avoided her as much as possible.

Mrs. Xu, who was worried about her eldest son's life, also came after hearing the news. However, she left in disappointment within a quarter of an hour of meeting Dong Fangyou. She said to Mrs. Xu II in private, "I would rather Qingchen never get married than let him marry a wife who daydreams all day and forces others to do it with her."

Regardless of the Xu family's attitude towards this, Dongfang You's persistent visits to Prince Ding's mansion every day to ask for an audience with Master Qingchen and force him to marry her became a classic and interesting event that Prince Ding's mansion had to watch every day. Some people even started betting on how long Master Qingchen could hold out and whether he would marry the girl from the east.

"Sir, Miss Dongfang wants to see you." Master Qingchen, who had a rare chance to take a break, heard the guard's report at the door. Looking at the guard's face, which seemed to be about to smile, Master Qingchen, who was always gentle and well-mannered, wanted to cut Mo Xiuyao into pieces. Rubbing his eyebrows, Xu Qingchen said, "Tell Miss Dongfang that I'm not here." For the first time in his life, Master Qingchen felt like running away.

The guard looked at him with some embarrassment and said, "That Dongfang girl said that she knew Master Qingchen was in the palace. If Master Qingchen refused to see her, she would wait at the gate of the palace and refused to leave. Master... at the gate, there are already many people watching." Xu Qingchen was immediately amused by his anger, but then he thought that although these guards wanted to watch the excitement, they were indeed a little embarrassed. Dongfang You has a special identity, at least before the Ding Palace finds out the details of Cangmang Mountain, they cannot be too tough with her. Sighing helplessly, Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Please let Miss Dongfang in."

The guard took the order and left. Xu Qingyan came out from the door, looked at Xu Qingchen with a smile and asked, "Brother, is that Dongfang You looking for you again?"

Xu Qingchen glanced at him calmly and asked, "If you have nothing to do, go and help me receive guests. Don't wander around doing nothing all day." Xu Qingyan's neck shrank and he looked at Xu Qingchen pitifully. These days, even the eldest brother has started to get angry. He has been busy in the north for more than a year. It's not easy for him to come back and rest for a few days on his grandfather's birthday? How come he has nothing to do?

Carefully stepping into the study, Xu Qingyan stood in front of Xu Qingchen obediently, "Brother, I was wrong."

Xu Qingchen asked with a smile: "What's wrong with you?"

Xu Qingyan said righteously: "I shouldn't be idle and wandering around. I will go to help my father and uncle immediately, and then I will go to my grandfather to show my filial piety." My biggest mistake is not to gloat in front of my elder brother. Xu Qingchen nodded with satisfaction and smiled faintly: "Since you know you are wrong, stay here with your elder brother to entertain the oriental girl."

Huh? Xu Qingyan's eyes widened in fear. He had seen the power of Dongfang You. He dared to preach to anyone he met. He talked about the way to rule the country in front of Prince Ding, the way to be a queen and a wife in front of Sister Li'er, and even dared to nag about the way to be a mother in front of his mother. Has she ever been a mother? Xu Qingyan even wondered if she would dare to teach his grandfather how to be a teacher if she was in front of his grandfather. It was like a nightmare to think about it.

"Brother... no need, right? The Oriental girl is here to see you..."

Xu Qingchen smiled and said, "How could that be? Miss Dongfang is a distinguished guest of Prince Ding's Palace. It would be more formal if you and I receive her together."

When Xu Qingyan wanted to say something to ask his elder brother to let him go, a figure in white clothes appeared at the door. Dongfang You stood at the door and saw Xu Qingyan there. He frowned slightly and nodded and said lightly: "Why is the fifth master here?"

Xu Qingyan couldn't help but widen his eyes. This girl's words were a bit too strange. What did she mean by why he was here? Even if Prince Ding's Mansion was not his home, it was his cousin's home. It was more normal than her being here, who had nothing to do with him, right? Also, what did that seemingly arrogant frown and nod mean? After taking a deep breath, Master Xu Wu finally remembered something about hospitality. He nodded with a stiff face and said, "Isn't Miss Dongfang here too?"

Dongfang You couldn't help but widen her eyes. Even though she was slow to react, she could sense the hostility in Xu Qingyan's words. She just didn't understand why Xu Qingyan was so rude to her. She didn't expect that she hadn't been polite to Xu Qingyan when she greeted him just now.

Xu Qingchen smiled and said, "Ms. Dongfang, please take a seat. I wonder what you want to say that brought you here so early this morning?"

Dongfang You nodded and said, "I want to ask, are you willing to marry me, Mr. Qingchen?" Hearing this, Xu Qingchen's smile froze, and Xu Qingyan's mouth twitched. After a pause, Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes and drank his tea calmly. After a moment's silence, he said, "Ms. Dongfang, I remember I have already given you this answer. I refuse."

"Why?" Dongfang frowned, obviously finding it hard to understand why Xu Qingchen rejected him. After thinking for a while, he said, "I heard that the relationship between Master Qingchen and Queen Nanzhao is unusual, but Queen Nanzhao is already married and is about to have a child. Master Qingchen is a man of talent, so he should know how to make decisions in a timely manner. Besides, I am no worse than Queen Nanzhao. I can do everything she can do, and I can do it better than her..."

"Miss Dongfang!" Xu Qingchen frowned, a trace of displeasure appeared on his handsome face, and he said in a deep voice: "The Queen of Nanzhao and I are just friends, so please don't spread nonsense. As a man, it's okay, but the Queen of Nanzhao and the King's Husband have a deep relationship, and Miss Dongfang is like this..."

Dongfang You was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'm wrong. If that's the case, why doesn't Master Qingchen want to marry me?"

Xu Qingyan, who was listening at the side, felt that even though his elder brother was full of poetry, books and schemes, people like Dongfang You were his nemesis. After coughing lightly to clear his throat, Xu Qingyan asked with a smile: "Miss Dongfang, why does my elder brother have to marry you?" Dongfang You said as a matter of course: "Master Qingchen is the cousin of Princess Ding. After Master Qingchen and I get married, we will naturally help Prince Ding, and I will secretly assist Prince Ding to achieve great things. Is there anything wrong with that?" Xu Qingyan nodded and smiled: "There is nothing wrong, but... Why does Prince Ding's Mansion have to have you assist? Can Prince Ding's Mansion not achieve great things without you?"

Such a direct and almost rude question caused Dongfang You a lot of trouble. She frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "But Prince Ding is the new king I chose for the future, so naturally he needs my assistance."

Xu Qingyan rolled his eyes and said, "Before you helped, Prince Ding's Mansion was always doing well."

"With me here, Prince Ding's Mansion will naturally be better." Dongfang You finally regained his confidence and said, "After so many years, Prince Ding's Mansion still hasn't been able to get rid of the predicament of being surrounded by powerful enemies. Doesn't this prove that the ministers around Prince Ding are incompetent?"

"..." The two brothers were silent. This was definitely an indiscriminate attack. With one sentence, he scolded everyone in Prince Ding's Mansion. What a dilemma, Xu Qingyan cursed in his heart. Is this Dongfang You blind? Even if the area of ​​Prince Ding's Mansion is not the largest among all the countries, it is at least the second largest. The strong military force makes the strong dare not to stop it. What else can be done? In just a few years, it was attacked from all sides and suddenly swept across the world. This kind of legend cannot be written in a storybook, right?

Xu Qingyan secretly gathered his strength, looked at Dongfang You who looked as if it was a matter of course and nodded, "I understand. In fact, we are also very happy that Miss Dongfang is willing to assist Prince Ding."

Xu Qingchen, stroking his teacup, raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at his fifth brother who was always eccentric without saying anything. Dongfang You looked at Xu Qingyan with some doubts, wondering why he suddenly changed his words.

Xu Qingyan coughed lightly and said seriously, "The chief steward of Prince Ding's mansion, Mo, lost his wife many years ago and has been single. But he is one of the people Prince Ding trusts the most. If Miss Dongfang is willing to marry him, I believe that both Prince Ding and the princess will believe in the sincerity of the lady and Cangmangshan. Big brother, what do you say?"

This time it was Master Qingchen's turn to have his mouth twitch, but Master Qingchen was good at covering it up, and naturally raised the teacup to cover his lips. He nodded calmly and said, "Fifth brother, what you said makes sense."

"Mo... Chief Steward Mo?" Dongfang You was stunned for a moment, and could not quite remember who this Chief Steward Mo was. In fact, Dongfang You had met Chief Steward Mo several times, but she was so proud that she only nodded slightly in front of Master Xu Wu. Even if Chief Steward Mo had a special status, in her eyes, he was just a servant of Prince Ding's mansion, so naturally she would not remember him.

Xu Qingyan nodded and said sincerely, "Yes, it's the uncle in black. In the whole Licheng, he is the only uncle who can look so heroic in the black costume of Dingwang Mansion." The other older ones are either military generals or scholars. Only Chief Steward Mo, who was born into a martial arts family but has always been doing literary work, can wear the black costume so heroically and elegantly.

Dongfang You immediately remembered the gray-haired black-robed steward she had seen when she first came to Prince Ding's mansion, and her face suddenly became very embarrassed. She was afraid that when Mo Xiuyao asked her to get out in front of so many people, her expression had never been so ugly.

"He...how can that be?!" Dongfang You refused almost reflexively.

Xu Qingyan blinked and said, "Why not? Although our Xu family has a close relationship with Prince Ding, we can't compare to the elders who have been with Prince Ding's mansion for generations. Butler Mo has been loyal to Prince Ding's mansion for generations. What's more... Miss Dongfang doesn't care who she marries, right? Then it's just right for her to marry Butler Mo. I believe that even though Butler Mo has no intention of marrying, he will sacrifice for Prince Ding's mansion without hesitation. But my eldest brother is different. Our Xu family cares a lot about who he marries. My grandfather said... it's better to be incomplete than to be excessive."

This was probably the first time in Dongfang You's life that she met someone who spoke like Xu Qingyan. Her pretty face turned red, purple, and blue in a variety of colors, like a chameleon.

Xu Qingchen secretly gave Xu Qingyan an admiring look, put down his teacup and said to Dongfang You: "Miss Dongfang, Fifth Brother is absolutely right. If you are willing, the Ding Palace will welcome you. I can also ask the prince to come to the house in person to propose marriage to the owner of Cangmang Mountain. What do you think?"

"No!" Dongfang You almost screamed, and the change of color instantly made her mysterious aura disappear. It was like an ordinary hot-tempered girl who was dissatisfied with her marriage and yelled, "That's an old man! And a servant! How can he accompany me?"

Xu Qingchen and Xu Qingyan looked gloomy, and they didn't say anything about Dongfangyou's words. This woman is not worthy of Chief Steward Mo. Although Chief Steward Mo is not young, he looks good and doesn't look old. He is also the chief steward of Prince Ding's mansion, and is definitely the most trusted confidant of Prince Ding. In other words, he has no intention of getting married. If he really wants to get married, I'm afraid there will be many families in Licheng who want to marry their daughters to him.

Although it was a bit unkind to use such a thing to irritate a girl, Xu Qingchen had been annoyed by Dongfang You these days and couldn't stand it any more. Seeing her acting like this, the displeasure on her face became even more obvious.

"In that case, it seems that Miss Dongfang has no sincerity. Originally, Prince Ding's Mansion does not need any capable assistance. Miss, please go in." Xu Qingchen said lightly while serving tea to the guest.

Dongfang You returned empty-handed once again. He glared at Xu Qingyan resentfully, said "I won't give up", and turned and walked out.

After she left, the study was quiet for a while, and Xu Qingyan finally couldn't help laughing. Looking at his brother who was laughing so hard, Xu Qingchen shook his head and smiled without saying anything. Xu Qingyan rubbed his stomach with one hand, wiped the tears from his eyes with the other hand, and asked: "Brother, is this woman really from Cangmang Mountain? This is too..."

Xu Qingchen said calmly: "Whether it is true or not, we will know soon. But it should be correct, so... people cannot leave the mortal world for too long, otherwise they will accidentally raise such a weirdo. I wonder if the Lord of Cangmang Mountain will regret seeing this oriental girl."

"Eldest Young Master, Fifth Young Master, the Prince and Princess invite you." At the door, Butler Mo had been standing there for some time, looking at the two of them indifferently.

The two people who didn't know martial arts looked at each other in bewilderment. They felt a little guilty for making up stories about Mr. Xu Wu. "Butler Mo, when did you come?"

Chief Steward Mo said calmly, "The Fifth Young Master said that I would sacrifice myself for the Prince Ding's Mansion without hesitation. Thank you for your praise, Fifth Young Master."

Xu Qingyan blushed, "You are too polite, Boss."

Dongfang You still looked very unhappy after leaving Prince Ding's Mansion. The gazes that were looking at her along the way made her feel uncomfortable as if needles were stabbing her. She was not a wooden person who was completely insensitive, and of course she could feel the gazes and words of the people around her. Although many people regarded Xu Qingchen as a joke, Xu Qingchen had suffered an unprovoked disaster in this matter, and in fact, the only person who was looked down upon and ridiculed by everyone was Dongfang You. However, Dongfang You only regarded this as the final setbacks and hardships on her way to success, so she always gritted her teeth and took it seriously, as if nothing had happened. But today, she was ridiculed and teased by Xu Qingyan so blatantly again, and she couldn't hold back no matter how thick-skinned she was.

She obviously wanted to help Prince Ding's Mansion. She didn't believe that Prince Ding and Xu Qingchen didn't know how much benefit she and Cangmangshan could bring to Prince Ding's Mansion. But they just didn't take her seriously. For a moment, Dongfang You hated Prince Ding for not recognizing Mount Tai, and hated the Xu family for rejecting her without respect. If it were someone else, they would have wanted to climb up and establish a relationship with Cangmangshan a long time ago, but the people in Prince Ding's Mansion were so arrogant and rude! However, even so, her ambition and will would not change. Before she went down the mountain, she would definitely make achievements that surpassed her ancestors after the death of her master. She would definitely assist an emperor who would unify the world and let the whole world know the reputation of Cangmangshan.

"Miss Dongfang?" Dongfang You walked out of Prince Ding's mansion in a trance, and a deep male voice came from behind. Dongfang You looked back and saw Mo Jingli standing not far behind her, looking at her. She immediately suppressed her previous mixed feelings of frustration and resentment, raised her head and looked at Mo Jingli indifferently.

It must be said that Dong Fangyou's so-called secret technique was very well practiced. The moment she raised her head, she suddenly became a different person. Her beautiful face was calm and without a smile, but it gave people an attraction that made it impossible to look away. She looked like a fairy bathed in a mysterious glow. For a moment, Mo Jingli even felt that his heart skipped a beat.

"King Li, what's the matter?"

Mo Jingli gathered his thoughts, walked to Dongfang You, looked down at her and said, "Miss Dongfang, are you in a bad mood?"

Dongfang You was not stupid, how could she not see that Mo Jingli was trying to get close to her. But she soon discovered that Prince Li's courtesy did not make her happy, but instead reminded her more clearly of the ruthless rejection of Prince Ding's Mansion and the Xu family. She immediately felt a little bored, glanced at Mo Jingli and then lowered her eyes indifferently.

As long as he didn't look into Dong Fangyou's face and eyes, Mo Jingli's feelings were still normal, and he naturally felt Dong Fangyou's indifference towards him.

"Did Miss Dongfang go to Prince Ding's Mansion again?" Mo Jingli didn't care and asked while walking calmly beside Dongfangyou.

Dongfang You stopped, looked at Mo Jingli seriously and asked, "Does King Li look down on me?" Mo Jingli shook his head and said, "How could that be? But I have some advice for you, young lady, so that you won't run into obstacles again."

Dongfang You was startled, "Tell me about it."

Mo Jingli said, "The depth of Mo Xiuyao's feelings for Ye Li is known to the world. Mo Xiuyao will not do anything that might make Princess Ding unhappy." Dongfang You nodded and said, "I already know this, so I don't intend to interfere between Prince Ding and Princess Ding." Mo Jingli continued, "I know that the young lady thinks Xu Qingchen is not bad, but... the people of the Xu family, especially Xu Qingchen, seem gentle and elegant, but I'm afraid he is even more arrogant than Mo Xiuyao in his heart. He will never accept a marriage without feelings. So for so many years, Xu Qingchen has not married even though he is over 30 years old. Even Mr. Qingyun, Mr. Hongyu and others can't force him to do anything. The young lady's pestering him like this is probably counterproductive."

Dongfang You's heart moved slightly, and he seemed to be thinking, "Is that so? So what if..." What if Xu Qingchen falls in love with me?

As soon as he saw her expression, Mo Jingli understood what she was thinking. He smiled faintly and said, "In addition, there is one more thing. The Xu family has strict family discipline. Although the Xu family dotes on Princess Ding and does not restrict her, that is actually because Princess Ding's surname is Ye at home and her surname is Mo after marriage, not Xu. No matter how talented the women of the Xu family are, they still have to stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. Even the current Madam Xu, Madam Xu, and Madam Xu, which one of them was not a famous talented woman in the past? But now they are unknown. So, if you really want to marry into the Xu family, I'm afraid you still have to think carefully."

Dongfang You glanced at him calmly and said, "I know what you are thinking, but I have already chosen Prince Ding's Mansion. It is useless even if you think more."

The smile on Mo Jingli's face froze for a moment, and he forced a smile, "Miss, you are joking. I am just reminding you out of kindness."

Dongfang You snorted softly, and ignored Mo Jingli as he walked towards his temporary residence.

Behind her, Mo Xiuyao looked at her leaving figure with a determined light in his eyes.

Dongfang You did not live in the inn with King Zhennan. King Zhennan was right. The power of Cangmang Mountain was indeed spread all over the world. Even in Licheng, they had their base. Dongfang You stayed in a rather spacious empty yard in Licheng. When the Mohist Army first arrived in Licheng, many officials and wealthy businessmen fled to the interior of the country, and many houses in the city were empty. This house was bought by someone at that time, but no one had moved in until Dongfang You arrived.

Dongfang You waved away the servants who came to greet her and turned back to her room. As soon as she closed the door and turned around, she saw a figure sitting beside her bed. The light in the room was dim, and she couldn't see who the person was through the layers of gauze. With a flip of her wrist, two short swords were already in her hand. Dongfang You pointed at the man and shouted, "Who is it?" Without waiting for the man to answer, she rushed over, and the short sword in her hand turned into two silver rainbows that cut through the layers of gauze.

"You'er." A low, slightly hoarse female voice sounded in the room. Dongfang You was startled and quickly stopped the attack and landed gracefully. Looking at the figure coming out from inside, he quickly knelt down and bowed, "Master."

The person who came was a middle-aged woman in her 40s or 50s. She was more outstanding than Dong Fangyou in appearance. Although her youth was fleeting, she still had a charming demeanor. Looking at Dong Fangyou calmly, the woman nodded and said, "You are quite courageous."

Dongfang You was startled and asked in a panic: "Master...did You'er do something wrong?"

The woman stared at Dongfang You for a long while, then raised her hand and slapped her hard on the face. Dongfang You's jade-white face suddenly turned red, but facing the woman's cold and indifferent eyes, she dared not say a word. The woman said: "You eavesdropped on the conversation between me and the elders, and you dared to sneak down the mountain? It would be fine if you went down the mountain. With your martial arts skills, no one can bully you when you walk outside. But you dared to come to Prince Ding! Who gave you such courage? Cangmang Mountain has never chosen Prince Ding's Mansion in all these years. Do you know why?"