."Han Mingzhi was stunned for a moment before finally walking forward to support his brother who had an ashen face."You! Han Mingyue!" After a moment, Han Mingzhi’s voice was full of anger and resentm...381. Old ginger is spicy.

281. Old ginger is spicy.

The news that the King of Northern Rong had sent envoys to the Great Chu could not be kept from the Dingwang Manor. Ye Li looked at the memorial just delivered to her and frowned, saying, "Sending an envoy at this time... Does it mean that the King of Northern Rong is starting to distrust Yelü Ye"

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "It’s unlikely that he doesn’t trust him. However… Yelü Ye has been suffering consecutive defeats these days. The territories occupied by the Northern Rong army are now less than half of what they had when they held the most territory in Great Chu before. Naturally, the King of Northern Rong is unhappy with him. Nevertheless… It’s interesting who he chose as his envoy this time. Perhaps Yelü Ye no longer trusts the King of Northern Rong."

Ye Li looked at it carefully and said after a moment's thought, "This… Is it Yelü Hong's envoy"

Mo Xiuyao nodded, looking quite satisfied, "Yelü Hong has finally lived up to the expectations this king had for him. To be able to do what he did… To have been sitting on the Northern Rong prince’s throne for so many years, he is indeed no ordinary person."

Ye Li nodded and said with a raised eyebrow, "Does Yelü Hong want Yelü Ye to suspect that the King of Northern Rong distrusts him Does he not fear making things worse by letting this happen today, thus causing trouble for himself in the future when Yelü Ye returns to Northern Rong" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Because he’s very sure. Yelü Ye won’t be able to return to Northern Rong. Even if he manages to go back… He definitely won’t have the strength to compete with him anymore."

Ye Li nodded and shook her head after some thought, saying, "Yelü Hong wants to restrict Yelü Ye's military power, but it might not be easy for him. On the contrary, that envoy might lose his life." Although she didn’t have much contact with Yelü Ye, she had a good understanding of his character. He would likely suspect that the King of Northern Rong doesn't trust him and extend his hand against him, even doing things he shouldn’t do as a result. However, it wouldn't be easy for Yelü Hong to get involved in military power unless he personally arrived there; otherwise, those he sent might end up dead at Yelü Ye's hands.

"Shall we secretly help them"

Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "No need. Let Yelü Ye do whatever he wants to do. If he can’t kill the people Yelü Hong sent, then we might as well help him out." After a moment of thought, Ye Li understood what Mo Xiuyao meant. They were temporarily cooperating with Yelü Hong, but they weren't friends and didn’t need to constantly think about helping him. Moreover, since Yelü Hong wanted to control the military power and withdraw part of the Northern Rong soldiers beyond the pass, while Mo Xiuyao wanted all those Northern Rong troops to be buried within the pass, their positions were clearly different now. Since Yelü Hong was trying to take over, it would be better if these two brothers fought each other so that they could benefit from the conflict.

Ye Li nodded and smiled faintly, saying, "Your Excellency is very calculating."

Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with a somewhat proud smile and said, "Does my wife also think her husband is extremely intelligent" Ye Li didn’t say anything while smiling inwardly. Mo Xiuyao’s scheming was not just intelligence; many smart people in this world were often lacking something. For example, Xu Hongyu lacked ambition, while Qingchen was too kind to be cunning enough. However, Mo Xiuyao possessed everything and could wrap it all up with an innocent exterior—otherwise, Emperor Mo Jingqi wouldn’t have tolerated him for so long. Cleverness, decisiveness, endurance, ambition, ruthlessness—Mo Xiuyao had them all. Therefore, he managed to turn Dingwang Manor from a shaky foundation into its current state. Moreover, his plans started many years ago, allowing today’s political landscape to be within his control.

"Ah Li, don't tell me that this King is not smart" Mo Xiuyao pestered Ye Li, rubbing his face against her. Ye Li helplessly said, "Who in the world would dare to say Prince Ding isn’t clever" Those who truly feel that they are smarter than Prince Ding must either be fools or true geniuses. The former died off long ago while the latter definitely knew what could and could not be said.

Only then did Mo Xiuyao nod in satisfaction, planting a kiss on Ye Li’s face, "Therefore, being able to become this King's wife, Ah Li is also the smartest woman." Ye Li helplessly rolled her eyes, slapping his handsome face away. She said, “Does Your Highness plan to boast here Not afraid of others laughing”

"Who dares to laugh at my Ah Li This King will kill them," Mo Xiuyao muttered.

Eventually, she could not bear to slap the increasingly handsome face hidden in white hair. Ye Li changed her mind and pinched his cheeks tightly instead. Over these years, Prince Ding had become more shameless than ever before. He was worlds apart from the dignified prince who seemed aloof back then when they first met. Ye Li wondered if she had seen wrong back then.

"Ah Li truly likes this King's face You can't put it down now, is that right No worries, just do as you like," Mo Xiuyao said with a smile, closing his eyes and lying on top of her legs. He knew Ye Li would not hurt him so he was happy to enjoy himself.

After hearing this, Ye Li could no longer pinch him anymore. She awkwardly pulled back her hand and said, "Your Highness, I found that you are becoming more…"

"Your Highness, your servant…," Feng Zhirao hurried into the tent but froze at the doorway.

After glancing at the two people inside, Feng Zhirao felt like he had forgotten to check his fortune. He coughed lightly before solemnly saying, "You continue on, Your Highness. Your servant will take my leave."

Mo Xiuyao sat up and looked unhappily at Feng Zhirao as he asked, “What is it”

Feng Zhirao lifted the object in his hand. "It’s not a big deal but the new envoy from Beirong camp doesn’t seem to be doing well."

"So soon" Ye Li curiously said. Although she had expected that it was only a matter of time before he died, wouldn’t two days be too quick Feng Zhirao replied, "It seems…he is suffering from acclimatization issues." Acclimatization issues were not unheard of but death due to such issues was rare. Moreover, usually this issue occurred when one moved from extremely cold regions to extremely hot ones or vice versa. Although Chu’s northern region differed slightly from Beirong in the current season, who would believe that an attendant could die due to acclimatization Still, it didn’t matter if people believed him or not as long as there was a reason.

Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment before saying, "Send a letter to Yelü Hong’s people. As for whether they can save the envoy in time, that is none of Prince Ding's business." Feng Zhirao understood and smiled, nodding his head as he said, “Your servant will send someone to deliver it tomorrow.” It would take at least two or three days before the letter reached Yelü Hong’s people. By the time they arrived, the envoy would have been dead.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Feng Zhirao said, “Your servant will take my leave,” touching his nose as he left.

Mo Xiuyao snorted in disdain and did not move. Feng Zhirao shrugged and turned around, leaving the tent. Standing outside of the large tent, Feng Zhirao silently looked up at the sky: Shouldn’t the one blushing be the Princess Consort if she had seen something like that Why was it Prince Ding who was blushing instead

Watching Feng Ziyao leave with a strange expression, Ye Li turned to look at Mo Xiuyao's handsome face which was red from being choked. She couldn’t help but chuckle. Mo Xiuyao touched his own face and understood what she was laughing about. He sighed softly and said helplessly, "Lily… Since Feng Ziyao has already seen it…"

"What do you want" Ye Li glared at him warily.

Mo Xiuyao pounced on Ye Li, in a good mood as he planted a kiss on her and said, "Since Feng San has already seen this, wouldn’t it be a waste if I didn’t do anything about it"

"Mo Xiuyao!" Ye Li feigned anger and glared at him fiercely with her watery eyes.

Mo Xiuyao was in high spirits as he looked at Ye Li with a smile, "I want to have sex during the day!"

The moment Ye Li’s face turned red, she glared at him angrily. Was it something worth boasting about to have sex during the day Looking at Mo Xiuyao’s smug expression, she suddenly felt frustrated and bit his lips with her rosy, cherry-colored lips. Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment before bursting out in laughter. He looked down at his wife who had blushed from drinking alcohol and glared at him angrily. "Lily… Lily… You’re so beautiful…"

Before Ye Li could react, her rosy lips were captured by Mo Xiuyao’s thin lips, plunging them both into a heated embrace…

The war between the Mo Army and Northern Rong continued but many of the changes that happened within were not known to outsiders. The messenger who had just arrived at the Northern Rong camp, intending to gain control over the Northern Rong army, ended up dying after several days due to an inability to adapt to the environment there. By the time Ye Li Hong’s people rushed there, they couldn’t even recover his body and everything was burned down by Ye Li Ye.

Ye Li Hong’s people were naturally furious but after seeing Ye Li Ye’s means of doing things, they didn’t dare confront him again; instead, they sent a secret letter back to the Northern Rong court, complaining to King of Northern Rong about it.

The king was naturally furious. Initially, when Ye Li Ye led troops in an attack on Great Chu and captured large areas of its land, his military achievements were outstanding and he could be considered the best prince or general of all in Northern Rong. After that, however, he began to show signs of not listening to orders. Then, after the incident at Li City where Qing Yina, a woman favored by King of Northern Rong died for no reason, Ye Li Hong returned and added fuel to the fire, causing the king to worry even more about Ye Li Ye’s intentions. However, despite this, he did not feel that Ye Li Ye had any other thoughts in his heart so when Ye Li Ye requested assistance, he immediately promoted Helian Zhen who he didn’t like very much before him and sent troops to reinforce him. Yet unexpectedly, just by sending someone there to scold a few words at him, the messenger died for no reason. If it was said that this was due to an inability to adapt to the environment, King of Northern Rong simply did not believe in it. He only sent him to deliver orders because he had once been an envoy to Great Chu.

After the king’s furious outburst, he immediately ordered Ye Li Ye to return to Northern Rong and leave all matters concerning war with the Mo Army and command of troops to Crown Prince Ye Li Hong. After receiving the king's order, Ye Li Hong was naturally delighted and without another word rushed towards Great Chu on horseback.

On the battlefield, the Northern Rong army had been continuously fighting against the Mo Army but it was a stalemate. However, the war line of the Northern Rong army slowly began to retreat further back. The weather in the north became increasingly cold and all over Northern Rong there were thousands of miles covered in ice and snow. It had become extremely difficult for them to replenish food and troops. Moreover, the areas they occupied in Great Chu had been devastated over the past few years and were now desolate wastelands with no people around. Compared to the Mo Army who received a steady supply of rations, this winter was rather miserable for the Northern Rong soldiers.

One day, Mo Xiaobao rushed out from his tent full of excitement, rushing into Mo Xiuyao’s tent like the wind, waving several pieces of paper with words written on them triumphantly. "Father! Mother! I’ve figured it out!"

It was already approaching the end of the year, and Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were discussing with their generals how to proceed next. Although they seemed to have victory within reach on this front, in the south, General Lei Zhen霆's confrontation was proving extremely difficult. Although several veteran generals managed to hold him back temporarily, if they continued to delay here, when Mo Jingli’s troops arrived, the southern line would likely collapse.

Seeing Mo Xiaobao rush in, the generals couldn’t help but look curiously at him. Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and took a look at what Xiaobao had written. He didn’t comment on it. Smiling proudly, Xiaobao said, "How is it Father, isn't my idea good"

Mo Xiuyao casually handed the document to Ye Li. After looking through it, she smiled faintly at Xiaobao and passed it to Yun Ting who had his neck stretched out eagerly waiting for it. Seeing his mother smile at him, Xiaobao felt reassured.

The generals below exchanged whispers as they looked at what Yun Ting was holding in his hand, nodding approvingly. "Using traps to capture the Northern Rong cavalry… and iron caltrops… yes, cutting off horse legs… luring the Northern Rong army into the mountains and encircling them… a good idea… is this truly Prince Young’s thought" It wasn't that these ideas were particularly brilliant or innovative; much of it was tactics they had been employing already. Besides, some of these things were common knowledge for dealing with cavalry anyway. However, what Xiaobao did differently was his age – he was only seven or eight years old, and yet he could come up with so many strategies, even understanding the characteristics of the Northern Rong army’s strength and the geography of their battles. This wasn’t something a normal child could accomplish. The generals couldn't help but admire him in their hearts; indeed worthy of being called Prince Young of Ding王府.

Smugly looking at Mo Xiuyao, Xiaobao stared at his father to admit defeat.

Lazily glancing at him, Mo Xiuyao pointed at General Sun Yaowu below and asked, "Yaowu, do you think Prince Young’s plan can be put into action" Sun Yaowu glanced at the expectant young prince and hesitated for a moment before saying, "This… Prince Young's plan is very good. However… this terrain is about one or two hundred miles away from here. We have flat land right now; luring them deep into the mountains and encircling them to destroy them… might be difficult."

What Xiaobao’s eyes went wide, looking at his father's smiling face with resentment and protesting, "This isn't fair! General Sun only needs to say whether this plan could have been executed before."

Sun Yaowu thought about it for a moment and said sincerely, "Although there are some minor flaws, the overall idea is sound. It should be feasible."

"Father…" Xiaobao turned around with a smug look, but Mo Xiuyao looked at him smilingly and said gently, "Xiaobao, although I don't know if anyone has taught you this before, it’s something you must know. The saying goes that speed is essential in war. A month has already passed since you first came up with your plan. If you were leading troops into battle now, would you tell Ye Liye to wait another month while you think of a strategy Hm"

Xiaobao’s smug face immediately fell, looking at Ye Li pitifully. Seeing her smiling expression, Xiaobao knew there was no hope for help. On the other hand, he also understood that his father's words were correct; he thought himself very clever but if he really had to lead troops into battle, would the enemy wait a month for him to think of a strategy Hearing about the results of Mo’s army over this past month, Xiaobao's pale face turned slightly gloomy; he wasn’t as smart as he thought.

In fact, Xiaobao was overly demanding of himself. For someone his age, it was already impressive that within a month he had read through the military books Mo Xiuyao gave him and come up with a plan based on the terrain and combat strengths of both sides that even Sun Yaowu thought worth praising despite minor flaws. But neither Mo Xiuyao nor Ye Li comforted him; as a young prince, there were responsibilities different from ordinary children's, so it was fine to give Xiaobao some pressure at appropriate times.

Seeing he had admitted defeat, Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Then… is it time to fulfill your promise"

Xiaobao’s face immediately turned dark as he stiffly looked at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled and said, "Xiaobao, a winner must accept the consequences of losing. This time, consider this a lesson. Learn from mistakes." And don’t make any more wagers with your father隨便.

Moxiaobao glared fiercely at Moxiuyao and stormed out of the tent, puffing with indignation. Seeing his son's demeanor, everyone was curious about what bet Young Master Xiaobao had made with the Prince They all bid farewell to Moxiuyao and Ye Li and slipped out of the main tent to see Young Master Xiaobao carry out his end of the wager. Moxiuyao did not try to stop them either; he simply waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

Moxiaobao stood with his hands behind his back at the busiest part of the encampment's center. The soldiers coming and going were surprised by Young Master Xiaobao’s small stature and serious expression on his delicate face and thus stopped to look at what he was doing.

Moxiaobao gritted his teeth, shooting glares around him with a fierce gaze. But alas, instead of dispersing the crowd, more people gathered around him due to his glare. He could only bite down hard on his lip, close his eyes and loudly proclaim: "This Young Master is called Moxiaobao!"

The soldiers present were stunned; someone snickered, causing everyone else to burst into laughter. Xiaobao was a common name but usually given by illiterate families as nicknames or pet names for their children at home. Now that such an affectionate and down-to-earth name was applied to the esteemed Young Master of Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor), it seemed absurdly amusing. Looking at Young Master Xiaobao in his black brocade robe and adorable appearance, they found his name fitting.

Feeling ridiculed, Moxiaobao’s face turned red as he stomped back into the tent, throwing himself into Ye Li’s arms, feeling extremely wronged. "Mother…"

"There, there. Nobody is laughing at you," Ye Li consoled her son with a smile. Moxiuyao was amused and did not care about his son's dignity in the least. This made Moxiaobao grit his teeth in resentment, blaming his grandfather silently for never giving his father a nickname.

"Mother, Father is bad; he bullies Xiaobao," Moxiaobao said with teary eyes.

Ye Li leaned down to kiss his forehead and smiled. "Who let you make a bet with your father Tell me, what were you thinking when making the wager" Moxiaobao lowered his head without answering; at that moment he only thought about how great it would be if he succeeded but did not consider whether he could actually pull through. Although Father had set him up, if he hadn’t been overconfident and arrogant, perhaps he wouldn’t have fallen for it.

"Mother…"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Do you know that what you did was wrong"

Moxiaobao nodded repeatedly, blushing as he hid in Ye Li’s arms and refused to get up. Ye Li tugged him up with a smile and said, "You silly child, why be ashamed of your father Just remember this lesson. When I was your age, I thought about nothing else but competing with my grandfather and uncle all day long."

"Really" Moxiaobao's eyes lit up as he stared at Moxiuyao intently.

Moxiuyao snorted and teasingly glanced at Moxiaobao. "But this king is not so stupid.

"Someday, this Prince will win!" Mo Xiaobao huffed and proudly raised his little face.

Moxuyao casually nodded. "This King is waiting."

"Humph!" Mo Xiaobao pouted and turned his head away angrily. "This Prince won't make you wait long. Just wait, this Prince will also proclaim my nickname in front of everyone."

"Whatever."

Seemingly angered by Moxuyao's attitude, Mo Xiaobao stomped his feet and left the tent like a gust of wind.

Looking at Mo Xiaobao's grumpy departure, Ye Li sighed helplessly and smiled at Moxuyao. "Are you happy now" Moxuyao chuckled. "Ah Li, I'm doing this for Xiao Bao's own good. Look at the brat; he thinks too highly of himself even at such a young age. Unless we teach him a lesson, in a couple of years, he might not even remember his own surname."

Ye Li shrugged. "You're his father, how you raise him is none of my business, but… if one day you really end up being beneath Xiao Bao's feet, don't expect me to go with you and share in your humiliation."

Moxuyao pulled her into his arms and smiled. "We are a single entity as husband and wife; if I ever lose face, Ah Li will certainly lose it too. However… it might take Mo Xiaobao decades of cultivation before he can put this King underfoot. Furthermore, for the sake of Ah Li's reputation, I wouldn't allow myself to be humiliated."

Ye Li looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile and said, "I only know two sayings: 'Rivers change course after ten years' and 'the waves behind push those ahead off the shore.' Your Excellency, you should take care of yourself…" With Mo Xiaobao's sharpness and his connection to both the Xu family and Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor), Ye Li thought it was entirely possible that Mo Xiaobao might surpass Moxuyao in the near future.

"Heh heh, this King also heard a saying: 'Old ginger is still spicy,'" Moxuyao said with a smile.

In Mo Xiaobao's tent, Mo Xiaobao was lying on his desk and diligently writing. The guard who served him couldn't help but be concerned when he saw the young prince's face contorting in concentration at one moment and laughing absentmindedly the next. "Young Prince, what are you doing"

Mo Xiaobao laughed eerily and snapped his fingers towards a letter in his hand. "I want my Uncle Qingchen to send me some books. Starting today, this Prince will study hard!" The guard turned and glanced outside at the half-open tent; nodding, he thought: It's cold enough already.

One month later, Mr. Qingchen received a booklist from Mo Xiaobao: "The Art of Being Thick-skinned and Black-hearted," "Stratagems for Ancient and Modern Wise People," "Taizu's Military Canon," "Mind Games and Tactics," "XX Military Strategy," "Imperial Mind Games"... say but only exchange greetings with others along with Duke Nan. Fortunately, although Mu Yang had grown up smoothly since childhood, he wasn't arrogant or looked down upon others. Therefore, the atm...