Taiping Rift 355: Internal Struggle, Ren Qining’s Dilemma

The shopkeeper's arrangement was indeed very appropriate. The three of them stayed in a secluded courtyard at the back of the inn. The courtyard had a door from another street corner, allowing people to enter and exit without arousing suspicion from outsiders. Mo Xiuyao and his party rested for a night, and the shopkeeper came to see them again the next morning.

Ye Li and the other two had just finished breakfast when the shopkeeper came in and bowed before asking, "Is there anything wrong with my preparations?" Ye Li smiled and waved his hand, saying, "There aren't so many rules when you're out. The prince and I are used to it. Mr. Tan?" Seeing Ye Li expressing his own opinion, Tan Jizhi could only smile bitterly and said lightly, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. Everything is fine." Even Prince Ding and Princess Ding didn't have any objections, so what opinions could he, a prisoner who had just been released, have?

Mo Xiuyao asked calmly, "After Ren Qining came back, did anything happen in the Northern Palace?"

The shopkeeper's expression froze, and he said respectfully, "Your Highness, since the King of the Northern Territory returned to Changqing City, he seems to have a very bad temper. As soon as he returned to the palace, he severely reprimanded several Northern Territory nobles who opposed him. In recent days, the struggle between the original Northern Territory tribal nobles and the former ministers who followed the King of the Northern Territory in the Northern Territory Palace has become more and more intense. The King of the Northern Territory even repeatedly humiliated Queen Helan for Concubine Yun. Now the situation in the palace is extremely tense, and the conflict between the Northern Territory tribesmen and the former ministers is likely to explode."

"It has come to this, Ren Qining is still in the mood to send troops to attack Zijing Pass?" Ye Li asked curiously. As soon as they came out of the pass, they found that Ren Qining was also mobilizing troops to prepare to attack Zijing Pass again. Apparently, the alliance between Ren Qining and Yelu Ye still existed. The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "Originally, the King of the Northern Territory had already issued an order to mobilize troops to attack Zijing Pass when he returned to Changqing. However, the dignitaries of the original tribes in the Northern Territory did not agree to send troops, so they have not set out until now. In the past two days, the King of the Northern Territory has sent two leaders of the Northern Territory tribes in the palace, and I heard that only then did he mobilize the troops." Although the Northern Territory army has millions of people, most of them are from the Central Plains. However, the real main force is still the people of the North. The millions of soldiers and horses of the Central Plains were forcibly recruited in the past two years after the occupation of the areas outside Zijing Pass. These people not only have no sense of belonging to the North, but are also not good at marching and fighting. If Ren Qining wants to attack Zijing Pass, he must use the soldiers and horses of the North to open the way.

Ye Li smiled and said, "This Ren Qining is really... No wonder Dongfang Hui would give up on him and choose Mo Jingli." He entered the Northern Territory as the Northern Territory's son-in-law and built the country with the power of the Northern Territory people. Now that the national situation has not yet stabilized, he can't wait to squeeze out the Northern Territory people, and at the same time he wants to use the Northern Territory people to fight for him. Even if the Northern Territory people are not good at calculating, they are not fools. Where in the world can you want the horse to run without giving it grass to eat?

Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "I'm afraid Ren Qining has no choice. Although I have never met those so-called former ministers around him, I can imagine what kind of people they are. For so many years, they have suffered a lot following the orphans of the previous dynasty. Now that they have finally succeeded in restoring their country, how could they allow those people in the northern border tribes who they regard as barbarians to suppress them? Naturally, they are eager to grab all the power as soon as possible."

"Restoration of the country is successful?" Tan Jizhi looked at Mo Xiuyao with a strange expression. Now they are still staring at the name of the North Border. Ren Qining doesn't even dare to mention Lin Yuan's name openly. How can this be considered a successful restoration of the country? Mo Xiuyao looked at Tan Jizhi with a half-smile and said with a smile: "So, this king said... Mr. Tan is actually much luckier than Ren Qining."

Tan Jizhi stared at him with a somewhat unfriendly look, but Mo Xiuyao didn't care and said lightly: "Mr. Tan may think that you would do better than Ren Qining if you were in his position, but... that's because you are not in his position. Therefore, Mr. Tan cannot understand how painful it is for a person to carry the expectations of the entire family and even everyone around him for two hundred years since birth. At least, Doctor Lin never told Mr. Tan that you must restore the country, right? So, Mr. Tan, you can retreat, but Ren Qining will never have a way out."

"You are not Ren Qining, how do you know he is in pain?" Tan Jizhi said bluntly.

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, shook his head and said nothing. Although he did not shoulder the family's mission of restoring the country for more than 200 years like Tan Jizhi, the descendants of the Mohist Army had been carrying the mission of protecting the Great Chu since birth, so he might understand Ren Qining's feelings and dilemma.

Ye Li sighed softly, "Ren Qining is also a talent, but it's a pity..." People like Ren Qining are full of scheming and tactics. If he didn't have those so-called former ministers, if he didn't have the responsibility of restoring the country, he might have achieved great success and wouldn't have fallen into the dilemma he is in now. However, on the other hand, if he didn't have those old ministers who assisted the Lin family for generations, Ren Qining might not have such means and scheming. How can victory and defeat be explained clearly in a few simple sentences?

Tan Jizhi remained silent. Although he refused to admit it, he knew in his heart that he was no match for Ren Qining. After all, Ren Qining was able to unify the northern tribes and force the Chu court to move its capital to the south of the Yangtze River. However, he had been busy for so many years but achieved nothing, and finally became a prisoner of Mo Xiuyao.

"Since Ren Qining is ready to send troops, we have to hurry. Do you need me to meet Queen Helan?" Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "Queen Helan is a smart person. She will come to see me when she knows we are here. There is no need to rush."

Tan Ji was stunned, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Even Queen Helan is on your side? I can't figure it out. What other reasons does Ren Qining have not to lose."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Although Queen Helan is from the North, she is a rare intelligent woman. She is a woman of outstanding intelligence and ability." Undoubtedly, Ye Li admired Queen Helan very much. Compared with Princess Anxi, Queen Helan was more ruthless and decisive. She dared to gamble her life to marry Ren Qining as the queen, and chose to cooperate with the Prince Ding's Mansion, which she was not familiar with, without hesitation. The saying of Central Plains women that a husband and wife are bound by a hundred days of grace is simply a cloud to her, so she would not show any mercy when calculating her husband. In comparison, Princess Anxi was much more soft-hearted towards her relatives.

Tan Jizhi sighed and said, "There are so many outstanding women in the world today. Princess Ding, Princess Anxi, and Queen Helan really make men like me ashamed."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Mr. Tan is overdoing it. How can Ye Li be compared with the Queen of Nanzhao and the Queen of Helan?"

Tan Jizhi shook his head and said, "I think that Princess Ding is the smartest woman in the world." Whether it is Princess Anxi or Queen Helan, they may eventually have power over the world, and even men in the world should bow down to them. But all they can get is power, and although Ye Li is only the title of Princess Ding, in the eyes of the world, she will not become a vassal of Prince Ding, but a person who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Prince Ding. More importantly, she not only got the enviable power, but also a husband who truly loves her, a group of relatives who always put her first, and a pair of children. It can be said that she has everything that women in the world desire, and she has the best. How can such a wonderful woman not be admired?

When Mo Xiuyao heard others praising Ye Li, he felt a little jealous but was still happy. He hoped that he was the only one in the world who could see the good in Ah Li, but he also hoped that the world would recognize Ah Li and would not allow anyone to look down on her. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao was no longer the Prince Ding who was seriously injured and disfigured many years ago and whose life was in danger. He had been married to Ye Li for ten years, so he naturally did not need to doubt the relationship between them. He was even more confident that there would be no one in the world who was more worthy of Ah Li than himself, and his usual jealousy was just a kind of interest.

"My A'li is naturally the smartest woman in the world. Why do you need to tell me?" Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows.

Ye Li glanced at him helplessly and remained silent. She knew herself well. She was not the smartest one in terms of intelligence. She relied on her own experience in another life, which was completely different from that of the people in this world.

Seeing the threat in Mo Xiuyao's eyes, Tan Jizhi couldn't help but smile bitterly. Even if he had the guts to do it, he shouldn't covet Princess Ding, okay? If he had some thoughts in the past, he might have had them, but after being tortured by Mo Xiuyao for the past two years, he didn't have any thoughts at all. Who in the world doesn't know that Prince Ding regards the princess as more important than his life? Who dares to provoke the wronged soul of Xiling Imperial City and Ren Qining is a lesson from the past? What's more, Princess Ding herself is not a pushover, and people without any ability who provoke her will only bring humiliation upon themselves.

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li stayed in Changqing City temporarily, but they were not in a hurry to deal with Ren Qining. Instead, they left these matters to Tan Jizhi to handle. The two of them walked around Changqing City from time to time, and they were very leisurely.

That day, when the two were having dinner, the shopkeeper came to report that the vanguard of the Northern Army had already set out for Zijing Pass, and Ren Qining would also go there to lead the expedition in person soon. Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "He is relieved, and he is not afraid of a fire in the backyard at all." Ye Li smiled and said, "It seems that although the people of the Northern Border have a strong temperament, they are not incapable of acting. Ren Qining probably only thinks that the people of the Northern Border are not in harmony with the old ministers of the previous dynasty, and never thought that they are planning to rebel against him." Mo Xiuyao said, "In Ren Qining's opinion, the various tribes in the Northern Border have long been leaderless, so naturally he didn't expect that Queen Helan would have such a skill. Speaking of which, the people of the Northern Border have long been accustomed to each tribe acting independently. I am afraid that even if Queen Helan didn't secretly coordinate, they would rebel sooner or later."

"Go ahead and pass the message to General Leng Huai at Zijing Pass first." Mo Xiuyao ordered.

The shopkeeper was about to leave when a commotion came from downstairs. Seeing the two men frowning, the shopkeeper quickly excused himself and went downstairs to check. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said to Ye Li, "Ah Li, let's go and take a look." The two of them left the room and looked down from the second floor. They saw a few Central Plains men dressed in luxurious clothes and a few other men who were obviously from the North confronting each other in the lobby downstairs. Those Northerners were strong and muscular, frowning and talking angrily. It was obvious that they were not people that ordinary people could provoke. But those Central Plains men, although they looked like weak and pale scholars, were just as imposing and fought against each other with sharp words.

The people of the North were not good at verbal battles, but the people of the Central Plains were naturally angry, their faces flushed, their hair stood on end. When they got angry, they would fight. Although those people of the Central Plains were powerless, they were accompanied by many guards with strong martial arts skills, so they were not afraid even if they wanted to fight.

As expected, the two sides started fighting after a disagreement. The shopkeeper seemed to be used to this kind of situation. He hurriedly stepped forward with an anxious look on his face to persuade them. After being pushed away, he hid behind the counter and stopped talking. But in just half a cup of tea, the lobby of the hotel was in tatters and the floor was in a mess.

These people were so focused on the fight that no one noticed Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao coming down from the building. Inside the counter, the shopkeeper saw the two people coming down and quickly came forward to invite them to a more secluded corner where they couldn't be beaten. Mo Xiuyao looked at the center of the lobby where the fight was still going on with great curiosity, and asked with a smile, "You don't look anxious at all?"

The shopkeeper touched his forehead and said with a wry smile: "Nowadays, there is no day without fighting in Changqing City. Even in my small shop, this month has been the third time. If it is a place of entertainment, it goes without saying... As long as two parties meet, there will be fighting." Speaking of which, this inn is a hidden stake laid by the Ding Palace. It is good to make money, and it doesn't matter if it loses money. If it was really an inn opened by ordinary people, I'm afraid they would have packed up and left early. Nowadays, this so-called Northern Border King City is already very desolate. Except for those old officials of the previous dynasty and the dignitaries of the northern tribes, ordinary people live in poverty. There are not many shops in the whole Changqing City, so the shopkeeper's inn, which is not very luxurious, often suffers.

Ye Li frowned and asked, "Is there no one to take care of it?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and sighed, "Who can care? Those who dare to fight in the city are all powerful people in the court. The leader of the northerners is the youngest son of the leader of the second largest tribe in the north, and the cousin of Queen Helan. Those Central Plains people are the illegitimate sons of the prime minister appointed by the king of the north, and the younger brother of Concubine Yun."

Mo Xiuyao stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "They are indeed remarkable figures."

As he said, those who were in the fight gradually moved here. One of the Central Plains men were hit by a northern border with a punch and smashed it in front of Ye Li. Ye Li's body was stunned, and a pair of turbid eyes were exposed in the turbid eyes because of the wine.

Although Ye Li had changed her appearance, she still looked graceful, elegant and graceful. Although the young man was the son of a high-ranking official under Ren Qining, he had only seen tall and strong women in the Northern Territory for many years. After returning to the Great Chu, Changqing City was poor, but he had never seen a woman with such outstanding temperament as Ye Li. Even the most favored Concubine Yun in the palace was not as good as her. He didn't care that he was still fighting with the people from the Northern Territory. He looked at Ye Li's beautiful face with an obscene look and said with a smile: "I wonder what this girl's name is?"

Ye Li was slightly stunned, and couldn't help but laugh. She had encountered a lot of things in these years. But being teased in public like this was definitely the first time. He couldn't help but smile and said, "How do you address me like that?" Seeing that Ye Li was not shy like other women, the man couldn't help but laugh, "I am the son of the prime minister of the current dynasty. Miss, why don't you stay with me in the prime minister's mansion for a few days? It's better than staying in this shabby inn." The man glanced at Mo Xiuyao who was standing with Ye Li, and showed a contemptuous smile.

The shopkeeper beside him shrank back inconspicuously. The son of the prime minister had been dominating Changqing City for more than a year, and this time he ran into the hands of the prince, which was like lighting a lamp in the toilet - he was looking for death.

On the other side, the northerner who was fighting vigorously saw that his opponent was flirting with the girl while fighting, and he couldn't help but get angry, "Coward, fight with me for another 300 rounds if you dare!"

"I will not argue with you northern barbarians today!" The prime minister's son said arrogantly. You can fight with northerners every day, but you don't meet such a beauty every day. Although those northerners are not scheming and don't like to beat around the bush, their martial arts skills are much better than these sick scholars and nobles. Naturally, their eyesight in this regard is much better, and they can see at a glance that the pair of men are not easy to mess with. Therefore, they are not in a hurry to fight, and they all stop fighting and stand aside to watch the excitement. Seeing that the northerners stopped fighting, the prime minister's son became more and more proud.

Seeing the beautiful woman in front of him smiling elegantly, the Prime Minister couldn't help but feel itchy. He reached out to pull Ye Li's hand, but he didn't expect a hand to reach out and hold his wrist. The Prime Minister was stunned, looked up at Mo Xiuyao who was standing next to him and said, "Who are you? Why don't you let me go?!"

Mo Xiuyao raised a very cold smile, and with a slight force, the prime minister's son let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, which also scared the people who were watching the excitement.

"Asshole! Do you know who I am?" The prime minister's son's face was pale and sweat was pouring down. The man in green just shook his hand lightly, and his hand... He could clearly feel that his hand bones were broken. Even if Hua Tuo was alive, he would be powerless.

"Do you know, Prime Minister's son?" Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and winked at the shopkeeper on the side. The shopkeeper understood immediately, and with a wave of his hand, the trembling waiters who had been hiding in the corner had already swiftly reached the door and closed the door of the inn. It was strange that Changqing City was too desolate. If such a big thing happened in other cities, there would naturally be passers-by watching. But ordinary people in this city can't even have enough food to eat, so how can they have the spare money to go to the inn and wine house. This inn was opened near the residence of the powerful in the city. Usually there were few pedestrians. Even if they saw these powerful children fighting, they would have run away. At this time, such a group of people were locked outside the inn, and no one noticed. Occasionally someone passed by and they would just think that the shopkeeper had something to do and had closed the door.

"What do you want to do?" As soon as the store door closed, the others also felt something was wrong. A few northerners wanted to rush out with their strong bodies, but those guys looked insignificant but were well-trained. How could they let them succeed?

"You... who are you?" The prime minister's son asked with a face as pale as paper and a trembling voice.

Mo Xiuyao casually threw him aside and said indifferently: "Are these good-for-nothings the successors of Ren Qining's former ministers?"

"You...you are so brave! Just call His Majesty by his name!"

Mo Xiuyao sneered disdainfully and said, "What's wrong with calling him by his name? I killed his entire family."

"You!" This time, everyone's face changed. How could they not know his identity after Mo Xiuyao said so? "You... You are Prince Ding?!" In recent years, Mo Xiuyao's reputation has not been very good. No wonder these people were frightened.

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Don't be afraid, we won't kill anyone casually."

"You...you are Princess Ding?" the Prime Minister's son asked in a trembling voice.

Ye Li smiled brightly, "I am indeed Ye Li."

"Prince Ding, Princess Ding. We have not offended you two." Several northerners looked at each other, and the leader stepped forward and said carefully. Northerners, even barbarians, are afraid of death. Even they have heard of Mo Xiuyao's reputation as a killer.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Is this young man the cousin of Queen Helan? Please inform Queen Helan that an old friend wants to see him." This young man is also the son of the leader of the northern tribe. Naturally, he has some schemes and knows a lot of things. After hearing what Ye Li said, his expression changed slightly and nodded, "I will definitely bring him. I wonder if we can leave now?"

Ye Li nodded, "Please go ahead."

Seeing that the Northerners had indeed left safely, the Central Plains nobles hesitated for a moment and then stepped forward to negotiate with Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, "Prince, Princess, we..." Ye Li said, "You... I'm afraid you will have to wait here for a while."

Everyone's expression changed. "Princess Ding, no matter how powerful you are, this is still the northern border!"

Mo Xiuyao sneered and said: "This king is going to detain you, what do you think?" The person who spoke suddenly wilted. If King Ding wanted to detain them, what could they do?

"Aren't you afraid that people from the imperial court will come to your door?"

"Ren Qining is busy preparing for the expedition now, right? If a mere dandy young man goes missing, does he have time to look for him?" The alliance between Ren Qining and Yelu Ye is vital to the northern border. Even if something big happens now, it will not affect Ren Qining's dispatch of troops, not to mention that only a few unlearned people are missing.

"My father will definitely send someone to rescue me." The prime minister's son said tremblingly, the severe pain in his wrist made his face a little distorted.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Your father doesn't need to come to save you. I will have someone send you back. Someone, send him to Tan Jizhi. He knows what to do. As for the others, lock them up first."

"I obey your command." The shopkeeper on one side stepped forward, picked up the prime minister's son and walked to the backyard. Others were also taken away one after another, and the messy inn suddenly became quiet. Ye Li smiled at Mo Xiuyao and said, "You plan to use these people to provoke a fight between the North Territory and the former ministers, is it possible?"

Mo Xiuyao's smile turned cold, "We'll know if it works after we give it a try."