Taiping Lie 370. Qixia's Sorrow, Lover's Heart as Iron

In the Xiayuan where Princess Qixia lived in the Prince Li's mansion, Princess Qixia was sitting on the imperial chair and taking a nap with a happy face. She had been severely oppressed by Dongfang You these days. Although she was protected by Prince Li, it was impossible for Prince Li to accompany her all the time, let alone punish Dongfang You who held all the power in Cangmang Mountain for her. So she really lived a very aggrieved life these days. Today, she finally got the chance to sue her in front of Prince Li.

Compared to Ye Ying who had long lost favor, although she had no actual status, she had been favored all these years. Mo Jingli did not hide many things from her, so Princess Qixia knew that Mo Jingli sent people to intercept Master Qingchen. Although she was not optimistic about Mo Jingli's action, she knew how powerful Xu Qingchen was. Sure enough, the people sent by Mo Jingli returned empty-handed. It was not an important matter originally, but when she accidentally heard the two girls chatting yesterday, she suddenly had an idea and put the matter on Dongfangyou. As for whether it is true or not, who cares? As long as the matter makes sense, Mo Jingli believes it, right?

Just look at the expression on Prince Li's face when he left here, and how he rushed to the study afterwards. And the fact that he ran to Dongfang You early this morning and scolded her severely shows that Prince Li still firmly believes in what he said.

"You bastard, you seem to be so relaxed!" Dongfang You's voice suddenly rang out at the door. The indifference in his voice made Princess Qixia shudder. She stood up suddenly and glared at Dongfang You who had brought people in, saying, "What are you doing here?"

Dongfang You stepped into the hall, walked up to Princess Qixia and looked down at her.

"Pa!" Just when Princess Qixia was getting impatient with her and wanted to get angry, Dongfang You suddenly raised his hand and slapped Princess Qixia on the face quickly and angrily. In fact, when men hit women, most of the time they will hold back, but when women hit women, they will often use all their strength. Dongfang You was also a martial artist, and this slap immediately tilted Princess Qixia's face to one side, and several red and swollen fingerprints appeared on her fair cheeks. A trace of blood flowed from the lips and slid onto the front of her clothes.

"You..." Princess Qixia was a little dazed by the sudden slap. She obviously didn't expect Dongfang You to hit her without even saying hello. Holding her burning cheek, Princess Qixia's eyes were about to burst into fire, "Dongfang You, you dare to hit me!"

Dongfang You pouted disdainfully and said, "I hit you, so what? Who do you think you are? You are just a concubine without even a status. No, you are not even a concubine, at most a maid." Princess Qixia was originally a princess, but now she has such an awkward status, which is a hidden pain in her heart. However, Dongfang You used this to mock her so rudely. Princess Qixia laughed in anger, covering her face and showing the same contemptuous smile to Dongfang You, "So what if I have no status? At least King Li likes me. It's not like some people who don't want them even if they are sent to their doorsteps, and now they have to kidnap others. Could it be that you are crazy about men and want to rape Master Qingchen?"

"It turns out that you and Mo Jingli are talking nonsense!" Dongfang You gritted his teeth.

Princess Qixia said proudly, "So what if I said it? If you dare to do it, don't be afraid of what others say. You really bring shame to us women. If you are afraid that no one will want you, just make do with the dogs around you. Don't lick your face and ruin Mr. Qingchen. Maybe Mr. Qingchen can't stand a woman like you and would rather die."

Dongfang You was ruthless in her words, and Princess Qixia was naturally not polite either. They both mercilessly poked at each other's sore spots. Dongfang You withdrew a gloomy smile from her beautiful face, looked at Princess Qixia coldly and said, "Mo Jingli likes you? Well... I'll come and see how much Mo Jingli likes you. Come on, take her out and take off her clothes!"

"Dongfang You, how dare you!" Princess Qixia's face suddenly changed, and she glared at Dongfang You fiercely.

The people following Dongfang You were also startled and looked at her hesitantly. Although they were all Dongfang You's people, after all, Prince Li was the owner of the Regent Palace, and Princess Qixia was Mo Jingli's woman.

"Do you think I dare? Go now." Princess Qixia sneered, "Go and invite Prince Li over, and tell him that I have something to discuss with him." The subordinate had no choice but to follow the order and invite Mo Jingli. The other two pulled Princess Qixia to the yard, one on each side, and started to pull up her clothes. Princess Qixia was not a weak woman, and she started fighting with the man as soon as she swung the long whip in her hand. However, her martial arts were not enough to keep herself safe, and she was subdued after a few rounds.

Dongfang You had already come out, looking at Princess Qixia indifferently as she was unable to move, and sneered, "What are you still standing there for? Take off her clothes and whip her hard with that whip!"

Soon, Princess Qixia was left with only a thin undershirt. The weather in the south in September and October was no longer warm, and the sudden chill in the thin undershirt made Princess Qixia shiver slightly. But this was nothing compared to the pain of the whip that broke through the air and hit her body. After the first whip, Princess Qixia screamed and fell to the ground. The whips that came one after another made it impossible for her to hide. How could this woman, who was now covered in wolfish clothes and screaming miserably, still have the arrogant look of the bright and charming girl who swung the long whip at outsiders when she first arrived in Chujing?

"Dongfangyou, what are you doing?" A roar came from the gate, and Mo Jingli hurried over with Ye Ying. Seeing the scene in front of him, he was so angry that his face turned black. He thought that he had been angry with Dongfangyou in the morning and Dongfangyou vented his anger on Princess Qixia. Of course, this was indeed the case.

Dongfang You didn't care about Mo Jingli's anger at all, and said with a provocative smile: "Didn't you see it? How come I, as the regent princess, have to ask the prince for permission to teach a woman who is not even as good as a concubine?"

Mo Jingli said coldly: "I have already told you this morning that you don't need to take care of the affairs of the palace."

When Mo Jingli arrived, Princess Qixia had been whipped six or seven times, and her underwear was torn. When she saw Mo Jingli, she felt like she had found a life-saving straw, and she immediately threw herself into Mo Jingli's arms, "Prince, wuwu...Prince, you have to make the decision for Xia'er. Wuwu...Dongfangyou is too much. Xia'er is in pain..."

Mo Jingli saw that Princess Qixia was covered in wounds, and his face became even uglier. Ye Ying, who was following him, reminded him, "Prince, please call a doctor to check on Princess Qixia first." Mo Jingli looked at Ye Ying with admiration, turned around and ordered, "Call the doctor quickly."

"You are not allowed to go!" Dongfang You's voice sounded from behind.

"How dare you! I have the final say in Prince Li's Mansion, it's not your turn to make the decision." Mo Jingli said coldly. Dongfangyou tilted his head and looked at him, suddenly laughing, looking at Mo Jingli with a half-smile, and said: "Prince, although the power of Cangmang Mountain has been killed by Xiling and Prince Ding's Mansion, at least 30% is still left."

Mo Jingli said indifferently: "I know, do you still want to threaten me with your power in Cangmang Mountain?" If it were in the past, Mo Jingli might really be afraid, but now only 30% of the power is left, which may cause him some trouble, but it is not enough to scare him.

Dongfang You smiled and glanced at Princess Qixia. Princess Qixia, who was nestled in Mo Jingli's arms, shuddered at the sight, and the last trace of blood on her face disappeared. Dongfang You smiled and said, "Of course not. I just wanted to tell Prince Li... Actually, there are some people in Cangmang Mountain in Prince Ding's mansion. I can give it to Prince Li. Do you want it?"

Mo Jingli's eyes narrowed, and his sharp gaze was directed at Dongfang You. The defense of Prince Ding's Mansion was famously strict. It was not that no one had tried to plant nails in Prince Ding's Mansion, but the people who planted them either disappeared quickly or were excluded from the periphery and never got any useful information. Dongfang You did not care about Mo Jingli's gaze, raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Don't be so surprised, Cangmang Mountain has a foundation of several hundred years, so there are naturally some secrets that are unknown to people. Although he is not an important person, if used well, it will have unexpected results."

Mo Jingli asked coldly: "What do you want?"

Dongfang You pointed at Princess Qixia and said, "She, I want the prince to hand her over to me for disposal."

Mo Jingli wanted to refuse outright, but he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. Princess Qixia grabbed Mo Jingli's clothes in panic, "Prince... Brother Jingli, that woman will kill me!"

Dongfang You looked at Mo Jingli with sarcasm, as if he was sure that he would not refuse. Dongfang You took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "To show my sincerity, Your Majesty, can you first see if my price is worth it?"

Mo Jingli took the paper with a sullen face, looked at it, and put it into his sleeve. Princess Qixia suddenly widened her eyes, "Brother Jingli..." Seeing the sinister smile on Dongfangyou's face, Princess Qixia grabbed Mo Jingli's sleeve in fear, as if she didn't believe that Mo Jingli would really hand herself over to Dongfangyou. Dongfangyou smiled triumphantly and ordered the people around him, "Pull her back and continue beating her!"

The two men in green looked at each other, and then stepped forward to drag Princess Qixia to the center of the courtyard. Princess Qixia knew that if she fell into Dongfang You's hands, she would have no chance of survival, so she just grabbed Mo Jingli's sleeve tightly and said, "Brother Jingli, save me... Don't... Prince, save me..."

Mo Jingli silently looked at the woman in front of him, who was full of fear and despair. Princess Qixia owed him ten years, gave up her status as a princess, and followed him without any status. It would be a lie to say that there was no emotion at all. Although he did not love her, the ten years of affection were not fake. It was just...

In the end, Mo Jingli just silently pulled away Princess Qixia's hand that was grabbing his sleeve. As he watched the slender jade fingers being pulled away little by little, the remaining light in Princess Qixia's eyes gradually disappeared.

Finally, Princess Qixia was dragged to the center of the yard. The sound of whips and the woman's screams of pain rang out, and even people passing by outside the yard couldn't help but tremble in fear.

“Ahh…save me…Prince, Brother Jingli…please don’t let it hurt…ah!” Princess Qixia rolled on the ground in agony. Soon she was beaten to a bloody mess and was dying. “Prince…why…why…save me…”

"No one can save you." Dongfang You sneered, "Didn't you say that your prince likes you? It seems that he likes the things I gave him more. His love for you is not even as good as a piece of paper."

Princess Qixia felt dizzy when she heard Dongfangyou's rude ridicule. In addition to the burning pain, every bit of the past ten years slowly came to her mind. When she met Mo Jingli's dark eyes, Princess Qixia suddenly wanted to laugh. There was no emotion or pity in Mo Jingli's eyes. What on earth had she been doing for the past ten years?

“Haha…hahaha…” Princess Qixia laughed softly, and when she raised her head suddenly her face was already full of tears, “Brother Jingli, you have such a cruel heart…”

"Snap!" Another whip came over, and Princess Qixia twitched in pain, but she still couldn't stop laughing, "Hehe... wu... Royal sister... Royal sister... Xia'er was wrong..."

Seeing the miserable state of Princess Qixia, Ye Ying, who was standing behind Mo Jingli, suddenly felt cold even though she was wearing a warm peacock feather cape. She couldn't help but take a step back, looking at the tall and handsome man in front of her, but couldn't help wanting to stay away from him.

Mo Jingli silently watched Princess Qixia dying, and finally turned away with a gloomy look in his eyes. Seeing him leave, Ye Ying couldn't help but want to leave with him, but she suddenly became afraid of being with Mo Jingli. Her legs couldn't even move, and she could only stare blankly at the scene in front of her.

Watching Mo Jingli leave, Dongfang You snorted softly and signaled his men to stop. She walked leisurely to Princess Qixia, looked at her with a smile and said, "What do you think? Do you think Mo Jingli still likes you now? You dare to be so presumptuous in front of me, who do you think you are? I want you to die with regrets."

Princess Qixia raised her head, her slightly red eyes filled with endless resentment, "Dongfang You, Master Qingchen will never look at you straight in the eye in this life! You are a twisted lunatic, a useless woman who no one wants. Even if Master Qingchen likes a country girl, he will never fall for a slut like you. I curse you, you will never get me in this life..."

"Beat her to death for me! This girl will definitely marry Master Qingchen, it's a pity that you don't have the luck to see that day!" Dongfang Youqiao's face sank and she said in a stern voice.

The whip rang again, and Princess Qixia, who was cursing at first, gradually fell silent, "Princess, she's dead."

Dongfang You looked at the person on the ground with disgust, who was almost unrecognizable from her original appearance, and said, "Throw her to the mass grave, and do not bury her. I want her body to be eaten by wild dogs!" Everyone in the yard shuddered, and even Dongfang You's own people showed shock and horror in their eyes. Although the masters of Cangmang Mountain in all generations were not kind-hearted people, after all, kind-hearted people could not control such a large force. But there has never been such a violent and cruel person. The woman in front of him... Is she really the smart and innocent young master of Cangmang Mountain?

Dongfang You ignored them and walked out with a cold snort. When he reached Ye Ying, he stopped and whispered, "You should behave yourself. Otherwise, that jerk will be your role model."

Ye Ying was frightened by her and took several steps back, falling to the ground. Gritting her teeth and nodding in fear, Dong Fangyou curled her lips in disdain, "You are really useless. Are you really Ye Li's sister? Tell me, will Master Qingchen like me?"

If Master Qingchen could like you, wouldn't he be blind and deaf?

But in front of Dongfang You, even if Ye Ying had ten times the courage, she would not dare to say so. She could only nod vigorously. Dongfang You didn't care about her, nodded with satisfaction and turned away.

Seeing Princess Qixia being carried away without mercy, Ye Ying's body went limp and she couldn't even stand up. She had been fighting with Princess Qixia for more than ten years. She originally thought that the woman she envied the most in her life was Ye Li, and the woman she hated the most was Princess Qixia. But she didn't expect... that this woman who had made her unhappy for ten years, just died like this?

"Help...help me back to my room..." Ye Ying said weakly, not daring to stay any longer. A pair of hands from behind helped her up steadily. The ordinary-looking maid dressed in the maid's clothes of Prince Li's mansion carefully helped Ye Ying up and whispered in her ear, "Miss Fourth, don't be afraid. Dongfang Youshang can't hurt you."

Ye Ying nodded, "Let's go back first..." Everything that happened today gave Ye Ying too much stimulation. Not only because of Dong Fangyou's cruelty, but also because of Mo Jingli's ruthlessness. Mo Jingli could be so ruthless to Princess Qixia, whom he had doted on for ten years, so for herself who had already lost her favor... Ye Ying shuddered, leaning on the maid who was supporting her and staggering towards her own yard.

On a mass grave somewhere outside Nanjing, a bloody corpse was wrapped in a straw mat and thrown carelessly into the grave. The cold graveyard was only filled with the occasional cries of crows, which made it seem particularly eerie and terrifying.

After a long time, a black shadow appeared on the grave. He walked to the corpse, squatted down and took a look. He stretched out his hand to feel the pulse and breath of the bloody corpse, shook his head and praised: "Good technique." He raised his hand and stuffed a pill into her mouth. He didn't mind her blood and dirt, and carried her up and said lightly: "You are lucky to be alive. If you die, at least you won't be exposed in the wilderness..." After the man finished speaking, he carried the corpse on his shoulders and disappeared on the grave.

In the small courtyard in the city, the lights were just coming on. Ye Li sat under the lights, reading the memorial in her hand. Wei Rui pushed the door open and came in. "Princess."

Ye Li put down the letter, nodded and said, "How is the person?"

Wei Rui frowned and said, "Not very good. Although the wounds on her body are not fatal, she seems to have a high fever since this morning. We can't find doctors as skilled as Mr. Shen Yang and Doctor Lin in Nanjiang City. If the fever can't be reduced, I'm afraid she won't survive."

Ye Li said calmly, "Let's do our best and leave it to fate. Let someone wipe her with some strong liquor to see if it can reduce the fever." Wei Rui nodded and said in confusion, "That woman is not a good person either. Why did the princess bother to save her?"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "This time, she was in trouble for no reason. Besides, Princess Qixia is indeed annoying, but she is not guilty of death. Besides... she is the biological sister of the Queen of Nanzhao after all. If I were not in Nanjing, it would be fine. But since I am here, I have to do my best for the Queen of Nanzhao's sake."

Wei Rui finally understood and nodded, saying, "I understand." No matter what, the princess saved Princess Qixia, and the Queen of Nanzhao had to be grateful for this.

"Is there any movement in Prince Li's Mansion?" Ye Li asked.

Wei Rui shook his head and said, "Not yet. The relationship between Prince Li and Dong Fangyou is very tense, and Dong Fangyou is not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the palace. In addition, we have spies from Cangmang Mountain in Prince Ding's palace, and Dong Fangyou gave the list to Mo Jingli. However... Princess Li may also know that she was standing next to Mo Jingli when he looked at the list, but I don't know if she saw it. She was scared these two days and refused to speak."

Ye Li nodded and said, "After all, she is a woman who is kept in a deep confinement. Give her two days, and let the people below investigate as soon as possible. Ye Ying is not a professional spy. Under the circumstances at that time, she might not go back to pay attention to the list. In addition, send a copy of the news back to my uncle and Xiu Yao, and let them pay more attention to it. You go."

Wei Wei responded, "I will take my leave."

Ye Li's actions in Nanjing this time were not very low-key. She had a lot of things to do, and being too secretive would only make others more suspicious. The Chu family was also a famous scholarly family in the Great Chu back then. Now that the son of the Chu family came to Nanjing, it was inevitable that some people would come to visit. Ye Li pushed them all to her subordinates to receive them, and others only thought that this son of the scholarly family was arrogant by nature, and did not take it seriously. Most sons of famous families always have some temper.

"Sir, a letter has been sent from the Marquis of Muyang's Mansion." Standing at the door of the study, Zhuo Jing reported in a low voice while holding a letter.

Ye Lisong came back to his senses from his deep thoughts, raised his eyebrows and asked, "What post?"

Zhuo Jing said, "In three days, Nanjing will hold an annual chrysanthemum appreciation party. The Marquis of Muyang Mansion sent an invitation." Ye Li smiled helplessly and said, "Forget it. How can I be in the mood to attend a chrysanthemum appreciation party now?" Zhuo Jing whispered, "According to the news from Yao Ji, Helian Zhen arrived in Nanjing last night. Mo Jingli and Helian Zhen may both attend the chrysanthemum appreciation party in three days, so I wanted to ask you if you want to go."

Hearing this, Ye Li's expression was cold, "Helian Zhenma... In that case, let's go and take a look." Zhuo Jing nodded and said, "Yes, I will prepare it immediately."

The weather in the south is warmer than in the north, but at this time of year, only chrysanthemums are worth seeing. This chrysanthemum appreciation party can naturally be said to be a grand event in Nanjing in late autumn and early winter. No matter whether it is the sons of wealthy families or the daughters of noble families in the city, they all received invitations to participate. Even ordinary people can stroll around the flower market full of chrysanthemums in the city and bring back two pots of chrysanthemums to enjoy the scenery.

Early in the morning, Ye Li brought Wei Rui and Zhuo Jing, who had slightly disguised themselves, to the chrysanthemum appreciation party. This was a large courtyard of the Li Palace in Nanjing. As soon as they entered with the invitation, they saw all kinds of chrysanthemums competing for beauty, which made the courtyard less bleak in autumn and more colorful and prosperous.

What surprised Ye Li was that the Chrysanthemum Festival was actually handed over to Ye Ying instead of Dong Fang You who had been in charge of Prince Li's Mansion. Perhaps because she was frightened by Dong Fang You, Ye Ying still looked unhappy after several days. Dong Fang You sat aside with an indifferent look, but he seemed to be distracted. The noble ladies in Nanjing were obviously used to Dong Fang You's look, and no one went up to make trouble, but just surrounded Ye Ying to ask him questions and talk.

Ye Li found a seat not too far away and sat down, drinking a light chrysanthemum wine while smiling as if casually admiring the flowers, but in fact she was always paying attention to Ye Ying's situation.

Wei Rui was beside Ye Li, whispering, "Since Dongfang You married into Prince Li's Mansion, she has never been good at socializing. She offended a lot of people at the beginning, but with Mo Jingli and Dongfang Hui protecting her, no one dared to do anything to her. After that, many things in Prince Li's Mansion were still handled by Princess Qixia and Concubine Xianzhao. This time Princess Qixia died, and Concubine Xianzhao was said to be so angry that she was bedridden, so she asked Concubine Rong to support the overall situation."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows, looked at Dong Fangyou from a distance and asked, "Do you think she has changed a lot?"

Zhuo Jing nodded and said, "She has indeed changed a lot." The former Dongfang You gave people the feeling that she was self-righteous but actually knew nothing. But now, even if Dongfang You sat there and said nothing and did nothing, she still gave people a chilling feeling. Just look at the women around her who avoided her and crowded around Ye Ying. In fact, Ye Ying was more afraid. If she could, I'm afraid Ye Ying would have stood up and run away long ago, not wanting to be with Dongfang You for a moment.

"It's been less than half a year, and this woman has changed so much." Wei Rui said in disbelief. It's not that people can't change, but Dongfang You's change can be said to be two completely extreme. How perverted must she be to change so much all of a sudden?

Ye Li also sighed, "The word love...how can outsiders like us explain it clearly?"

"Mo Jingli is here..." Zhuo Jing said in a low voice.

Ye Li looked up and saw Mo Jingli coming in a mighty manner with a group of guards. Walking side by side with Mo Jingli was a man in his fifties who was wearing Central Plains clothing but whose figure and appearance were obviously different from those of Central Plains people. Although Ye Li had never actually met Helian Zhen, she knew that the man walking with Mo Jingli must be Helian Zhen. Judging from the expressions on their faces, it was obvious that even if the alliance had not been negotiated yet, it should be almost done.

Ye Li frowned slightly. Although Mo Xiuyao was ambitious to wipe out the three coalition forces, Ye Li still thought it was a bit risky. When she came to Jiangnan, she was still considering whether to try to destroy this alliance. But in the end, based on her trust in Mo Xiuyao, she suppressed this idea.

Ye Li looked at Mo Jingli and the others, and Mo Jingli also saw Ye Li and the others. Ye Li, dressed in white, was shorter than Zhuo Jing and Wei Rui standing behind her. But her appearance and aura were far superior to those two. Such a handsome man, if you have seen him, you will definitely remember him. Mo Jingli frowned after taking a look and asked, "Who is that person?"

The guards around Mo Jingli were all regular guards, so how could they know the identity of a young man they had never met? One of them apologized in a low voice and left to check Ye Li's identity.

Ye Li was quite confident in her disguise, and she did not avoid seeing Mo Jingli staring at her. She took a step forward and bowed, smiling, "Mr. Chu of Yunzhou has only met the Regent King."

Hearing the word Yunzhou, Mo Jingli couldn't help but frown. When people mentioned Yunzhou, the first thing they thought of was not its rich natural resources and wealth comparable to the south of the Yangtze River. Instead, it was the Xu family of Yunzhou. Although Mo Jingli didn't know who Chu Junwei was, he still remembered that the Xu family's eldest lady's maiden family name was Chu, and the Chu family was also a big and prestigious family in Yunzhou. He raised his eyebrows and said, "So it's Mr. Chu. I wonder how to address the eldest son of the Xu family and Mr. Chu?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "You are too polite. The father of the eldest lady of the Xu family and my grandfather are cousins. So, I can call Mr. Xu a cousin." This relationship seems not far, but it is not close. The Xu family is not large, but the Chu family is a very large family in Yunzhou. There are at least hundreds of people in the main branch, the main house and the side branches. Moreover, the eldest lady of the Xu family has no brothers and sisters, and her relationship with the Chu family is not close after she married into the Xu family. Therefore, it is a bit difficult for Chu Junwei to have any relationship with the Xu family with this identity.

Mo Jingli nodded and looked at Ye Li, forgetting the faint sense of familiarity. It was not surprising that the relatives of Madam Xu had some similarities with Xu Qingchen. "The Chu family has lived in Yunzhou for generations. Why did Mr. Chu think of Jiangnan?"

Ye Li lowered his eyes, smiling somewhat bitterly, and said lightly: "Although I am the legitimate son, I am a side branch, and now Yunzhou..." He shook his head, as if sighing, "There is no point for me to stay in Yunzhou. That's why I thought of coming to Jiangnan to have a look. It can be regarded as a trip. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Mo Jingli looked at him for a long time, but didn't notice anything wrong, so he nodded and said: "In this case, I hope Mr. Chu will enjoy himself. The Chu family is also a famous family in Da Chu. If you are interested in staying in Nanjing and doing your best for Da Chu, why don't you come to the Regent Palace in a few days, and we can talk about it?"

Ye Li was startled. She had never expected that Mo Jingli would actually try to win her over. But whether he was trying to win over Chu Junwei or the Chu family behind him was debatable. Although she had no intention of becoming an official, Ye Li still acted as if she was flattered and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will definitely come to visit you in a few days."

With Helian Zhen around, Mo Jingli naturally couldn't pay attention to Ye Li for too long. He nodded and walked with Helian Zhen into the garden. However, Helian Zhen turned around and looked at Ye Li and the other two with some doubts, and asked with a smile: "That Mr. Chu looks very extraordinary. I didn't expect that in addition to the immortal young master of the Xu family, there is such a handsome person in the Great Chu."

Mo Jingli didn't want to talk more, and smiled faintly: "The Chu family is a famous family in the Great Chu, and many talented people have emerged in the past. In the great Chu, how could it be that only the son of the Xu family is outstanding?"

Helian Zhen smiled faintly and said nothing, then turned around and looked back. Seeing that handsome young man also looked at him with a faint smile, he suddenly felt uneasy. When he looked again, he saw that Young Master Chu had already walked in another direction with two guards.

In the center of the garden full of chrysanthemums was an attic with open air on all sides. On the second floor, Mo Jingli and Helian Zhen sat opposite each other. Helian Zhen took a sip of chrysanthemum wine and couldn't help but frowned and said, "Your Central Plains wine is fragrant, but it doesn't taste like alcohol." The Northern Rong people like strong liquor, so honey wine like chrysanthemum wine is naturally not in their eyes.

Mo Jingli didn't care. He sipped the wine calmly and said with a smile, "Strong liquor has its advantages, but this chrysanthemum wine also has its own advantages. This wine needs to be savored carefully." Although both parties have reached a consensus on the alliance, they still look down on each other in their hearts. The Northern Rong people look down on the Central Plains people's pretentiousness, and the Central Plains people also look down on the Northern Rong people's barbaric behavior.

Helian Zhen put down his wine glass, frowned, looked at Mo Jingli and said, "I wonder what Prince Li thinks of my previous proposal?" Mo Jingli was silent. It was not that he deliberately wanted to whet Helian Zhen's appetite. Helian Zhen's proposal naturally made Mo Jingli feel tempted, but it was not so easy to decide to go to war with Prince Ding's Mansion. Even now that Mo Jingli had already firmly grasped the entire Jiangnan in his hands, he did not dare to guarantee how many people in the court would support him if he wanted to go to war with Prince Ding's Mansion.

Seeing Mo Jingli's hesitation, Helian Peng knew that it was not that Mo Jingli was not tempted, but that the bait he offered was not big enough. With Mo Jingli's character, as long as the temptation was big enough, he would never consider whether to be an enemy of Dingwang Mansion or an enemy of God.

After a moment of silence, Helian Zhen said in a deep voice: "Prince Li, to be honest, I went to see the King of Xiling Zhennan before coming to Nanjing." Mo Jingli was startled, squinted his eyes and looked at Helian Zhen and said: "What does General Helian mean?"

Helian Zhen smiled and said, "This time, I really want to form an alliance with King Li and King Zhennan. And I have already persuaded King Zhennan. As long as King Li is willing to form an alliance and send troops, King Zhennan can give up some of his interests..."

Hearing this, Mo Jingli's eyes flickered slightly. His expression did not change, but he sneered and said, "A sincere alliance? I'm afraid that Beirong can't stand the beating from Prince Ding's Mansion?" A trace of anger flashed in Helian Zhen's eyes, but he suppressed it in an instant, staring at Mo Jingli and said, "At present, Beirong is slightly inferior to Prince Ding's Mansion in the war, but it is not necessarily true that Prince Li can't stand it. My Beirong is strong and powerful, even now in the territory of Da Chu, there are still nearly a million soldiers and horses. The reinforcements from Beirong can arrive at any time. What's more... what good will it do to Prince Li if my Beirong is defeated?"

Mo Jingli looked very unhappy. If the Northern Rong were driven out of the north by Mo Xiuyao, the Dingwang Mansion would become even more powerful. And from then on, it would be legitimate for the Dingwang Mansion to occupy the entire northern region. After all, the Dingwang Mansion had severed its relationship with the Great Chu. The Great Chu left the north to the Northern Rong and the Northern Border, and then the Dingwang Mansion pacified the Northern Border and drove away the Northern Rong. These places naturally had nothing to do with the Great Chu and Mo Jingli.

After a long silence, Mo Jingli said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid no one in the court of Da Chu will agree to form an alliance with Bei Rong and Xi Ling." This is also what Mo Jingli is most worried about. Xi Ling and Bei Rong occupied the land of Da Chu, and the court of Da Chu did not drive out the enemy and restore the land. Instead, it formed an alliance with Bei Rong and Xi Ling to be the enemy of the Mo family army, which is really a bit criticized.

Helian Zhen laughed and said, "These little things will not stop Prince Li. It all depends on whether Prince Li wants to defeat Mo Xiuyao and destroy Prince Ding's mansion."

Mo Jingli was silent, but his mind was already spinning fast. He naturally wanted to defeat Mo Xiuyao. He had always dreamed of trampling Mo Xiuyao under his feet since he was a child. Even though his current status and position were no less than Mo Xiuyao's, he still felt inferior to him. So he always longed for the day when he could really trample Mo Xiuyao under his feet and take back everything that should have belonged to him.

If Beirong was really defeated by Mo Xiuyao, Lei Zhenting was old, and Lei Tengfeng didn't look like he could be Mo Xiuyao's opponent. I'm afraid Lei Zhenting would be defeated by Mo Xiuyao as soon as he went to Xiling. At that time, he would be alone and would never have a chance to turn the tables... and now, if the three allied forces pressed forward, even if Mo Xiuyao had great abilities, he would definitely not be able to resist the two or three million troops of the three countries at the same time. So the chances of winning were still very high.

Helian Zhen smiled as he watched Mo Jingli's sometimes hesitant and sometimes tangled expression, and said with a smile: "The King of Zhennan has already promised. As long as King Li agrees to send troops, he will immediately withdraw his troops from Guangling City and the four states all the way to the north. This is not only a gesture of sincerity to King Li, but also allows King Li's troops to pass through without worry. What do you think, King Li?"

Mo Jingli held the wine glass tightly in his hand and didn't even notice that the fragrant chrysanthemum wine spilled on his hands.

"Why is Prince Li so hesitant? Once the three of you defeat Prince Ding's Mansion, Great Chu can return its capital to Chujing. All that Prince Li has lost will be returned. In fact, Prince Li can get more." Helian Zhen stared at Mo Jingli steadily and kept talking.

Mo Jingli gritted his teeth, a ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Okay, I will agree to General Helian. Great Chu...will send troops to the north soon!"

Helian Peng was overjoyed, not caring about the bland chrysanthemum wine in the cup. He raised his cup and said with a smile, "In that case, I wish my army success and destroy the Mo family army in one fell swoop?" Mo Jingli remained silent, but raised his head and poured all the wine in the cup into his mouth. Seeing him like this, Helian Zhen finally laughed out loud.

In the garden, among the colorful and diverse chrysanthemums, countless young men, nobles, scholars and ladies were reciting poems and chatting with each other, laughing and talking. Ye Li wrote a poem about chrysanthemums on rice paper.

"The west wind blows in the air throughout the courtyard, the cold and fragrant flowers make it difficult for butterflies to come.

If I become the Jade Emperor someday, I will reward you by letting the peach blossoms bloom in one place."

Slowly putting down the last stroke, he heard Helian Zhenzhi's smug laughter. Ye Li put down the pen and smiled faintly, "It looks like it's a done deal."