ard with Qing Shuang. Along the way, Qing Shuang continued to grumble angrily, "What does Fourth Miss mean She took Prince Li from us and is still putting up an act! It's really disgusting!"Ye Li turn...Chapter 20: Little Bao's Deception Part 3

Section 399: Various Parties Paying a Visit

Might it be due to Ye Li’s reputation within the Black Family Army, or perhaps because all of the officers were acting calmly and collectedly. After news of Mo Xiuyao being seriously injured was spread, the army did not descend into chaos nor did morale drop as Fei Zhiyao and others had feared. In fact, more than ten days later, when news of Mo Xiuyao’s death circulated and all of the soldiers were in mourning, there were no major issues within the army. The soldiers of the Black Family Army harbored more hatred towards their enemies rather than despair.

When they received Mo Xiuyao's notice of his passing, everyone was stunned. Even confident Mo Jingli and the worried Lei Zhenting found it difficult to believe that Mo Xiuyao… the man whom everyone envied and feared, who had overturned the heavens and turned the earth in ten years and controlled half of the world…had actually died

Looking at the letter delivered before him, Lei Zhenting sighed with a complicated expression.

"Father" Standing by his side, Lei Tengfeng asked puzzledly when he saw his father's bittersweet face. Mo Xiuyao’s death was undoubtedly good news, but he didn’t know why his father would have such an expression. This made Lei Tengfeng unable to help but make some unpleasant speculations: "Father… is there something wrong with the news of Mo Xiuyao's passing"

Actually, Lei Tengfeng also found it hard to believe that Mo Xiuyao had died this easily. Mo Xiuyao’s cunning and unpredictable nature left a deep impression on Lei Tengfeng, making him suspicious that Mo Xiuyao might be faking his death. However, he couldn’t figure out the meaning of Mo Xiuyao pretending to die in such circumstances Originally, this great war was gradually tilting towards the Ding Family Manor; as long as there were no unexpected incidents, even if it went on for another two or three years, the odds of the Ding Family Manor winning would be much greater than that of the Zhen’nan Mansion. Mo Xiuyao’s sudden appearance seemed to abandon all the previous advantages.

Lei Zhenting frowned and shook his head: "It doesn’t seem likely, but it can’t be ignored either. Send more people to investigate; we must confirm whether Mo Xiuyao is really dead." If Mo Xiuyao was indeed faking his death, he would certainly have a big plan in mind and could not be underestimated. But in such a situation, if they were to do nothing but wait and lose this opportunity, it would also be impossible.

"I understand," Lei Tengfeng nodded solemnly. He naturally understood the importance of this matter too; there was another person with similar thoughts as Lei Zhenting—Mo Jingli, who was far away outside Han Valley Pass.

In a secret location under Ding Family Manor’s control, Mo Xiuyao could only laugh bitterly at his subordinates presenting him with confidential reports. Looking at the report that filled his name, he muttered to himself: "Ah Li must be furious… Truly terrible. But… it's rare and hard to obtain…" Since Ah Li declared that she had died, there should be a way for outsiders to believe in this news' authenticity. This was indeed very beneficial to his secret plans. As expected, not hiding from Ah Li back then was a good decision. If Fei Zhiyao and others were in charge of the situation at Flying Hawk Pass now, they might end up making things worse as there would be no such rapport between them and Mo Xiuyao.

"Your Highness…" The subordinate standing before him said with puzzlement when he saw his master mumbling to himself.

Mo Xiuyao curled the corners of his mouth into a smile. "Leave the battle to Ah Li and Feng San," he said, "We should go make preparations." It was indeed not easy to find such an opportunity without raising suspicion to leave the battlefield. After all, his kung fu was too strong; if there wasn’t a plausible explanation, even leaving his corpse in front of Lei Zhenting wouldn’t convince him that it was Mo Xiuyao. The vast mountains… What a great excuse. In this case, he naturally had to take advantage of the opportunity and give Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli an earth-shaking gift.

"But Your Highness… your wound…"

Mos Yao glanced down at his chest, waved dismissively and said, "This is no big deal. You may go."

"Yes, Your subordinate withdraws."

Such a shocking event as the death of Prince Ding could not be dealt with casually. Thus, upon news breaking out, the entire army camp and Feihong Pass were draped in mourning attire. White cloth was hung everywhere and everyone donned mourning clothes. The nearby villagers who received the news also wore white mourning clothes; many even mourned loudly. During this chaotic era, the common people of Northwest China lived a peaceful life, all thanks to the protection of the Ding Prince's mansion. Now that they were grieving for the future, their sorrow was also over the death of Mos Yao.

"Reporting to Madam Consort, Southern King Lei Zhen Ting of Xi Ling is here," Ye Li sat in her study inside Feihong Pass going through piles of official documents on the desk. With Mos Yao's sudden "death", there were countless matters that needed handling. Whether it was at Feihong Pass or Ding Prince Manor in Li City, everyone was very busy. After sending a letter to Li City, Xu Hongyu and Xu Qingchen also became extremely busy.

Ye Li looked up and frowned as she asked Qin Feng, "Lei Zhen Ting What does he want"

"Of course it's to mourn the prince," said Qin Feng. Although they were now enemies, Lei Zhen Ting had come here in the name of Xi Ling. The Black Clan Army could not do anything to him.

Ye Li placed the documents aside and stood up, "To mourn He is probably here to gather intelligence. I thought he should have sent Leitengfeng instead," she said. Qin Feng thought for a moment before saying with a low chuckle, "Based on what my lord knows about him, he must be afraid that Madam Consort will really kill Leitengfeng out of anger." Lei Tengfeng was the only son of Lei Zhen Ting and since Lei Zhen Ting was already nearly sixty years old, it might not even be possible for him to raise another child.

"Alright, let's see what he wants. Have someone prepare something. Mo Jing Li probably also will come," Ye Li said.

Qin Feng frowned and asked, "Mo Jing Li Will he dare" Mo Jing Li was not a brave man who would charge into enemy territory. It did not seem like something that Mo Jing Li would do. As she walked out of the room, Ye Li said, "He must have received news already. Based on what I know about him, he will definitely not miss this opportunity," after all, it was probably the only time in his life where Mos Yao had died.

"I understand," Qin Feng nodded.

In the main hall, Lei Zhen Ting sipped tea while looking around the entire hall. This manor used to be the residence of a general stationed at Feihong Pass and was not particularly large or luxurious. The moment Mos Yao and others had moved in, they did not have time to specially decorate it; now that everything inside the manor was covered with mourning white cloth, the place seemed even colder and more somber.

Not far away from Lei Zhen Ting were Feng Zhiyao and Leng Haoyu, who had just returned from Chu Jing. Both of them glared at him with an extremely unfriendly gaze. Despite being treated this way, Lei Zhen Ting did not get angry but sat calmly drinking his tea. After paying a visit to the altar hall, Lei Zhen Ting was now thinking about how he could personally take a look at Mos Yao's body. In such a heavily guarded manor, it was clearly impossible to sneak in and investigate.

"Reporting to Madam Consort."

Ye Li wore a plain white robe, and her hair was loosely tied into a simple bun. A white jasmine flower adorned the side of her bun, giving her an even more aloof and pale appearance. On Ye Li's left stood Mo Xiaobao in dark brocade clothes with a white gauze garment over it.

As soon as he entered the door, Mo Xiaobao shot a fierce glare at Lei Zhen Ting.

Seeing Mo Xiaobao glaring at him intently, Lei Zhen Ting smiled. He inwardly sighed with admiration for Mo Xiuyao's son despite his young age, already showing signs of resembling his father in temperament. Just by looking into the boy’s round and shrewd eyes, it was evident that this kid wasn’t as innocent as he appeared.

"Condolences to Madam DIngwang and Prince," Lei Zhen Ting said respectfully as he stood up and bowed.

Ye Li nodded slightly with a faint smile on her face. "It’s hard work for General Southern Command to come personally. Please sit, General."

Lei Zhen Ting looked at Ye Li sincerely and said, "The sudden demise of Prince Dingwang is indeed a great loss for me. Although Dingwang's family may be enemies of Western Capital, they are also an honorable foe that I respect. My purpose in coming here today is twofold: to mourn the passing of Prince Dingwang and to discuss peace with your household."

Satisfied with the brief flicker of surprise in Ye Li’s eyes, Lei Zhen Ting smiled but remained silent.

Feng Zhirao and Leng Haoyu also looked at Lei Zhen Ting with disbelief. It was well-known what kind of relationship Dingwang's household had with Western Capital. Once Lei Zhen Ting confirmed that Prince Dingwang had truly passed away, he would certainly not hesitate to annex the entire household without delay. To believe now that he would respect propriety and treat a widow and child fairly, one must be foolish indeed.

Ye Li raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Lei Zhen Ting with a faint smile. "Discussing peace"

Lei Zhen Ting nodded and said, "That's right. Now that Prince Dingwang has passed away, Madam may be too busy to handle everything by herself. If you agree, Western Capital is willing to discuss peace."

Ye Li smiled and replied, "If that is indeed the case, then your proposal would be most welcome. I thank General Southern Command for this."

Seeing Ye Li's composed smile but the evident weariness in her eyes, Lei Zhen Ting frowned inwardly. He was unable to determine whether she was truly grieving or putting on an act; with his extensive experience in dealing with people, he couldn’t spot any hint of deceit in her demeanor. The offer for peace negotiations had only been a test to gauge Ye Li’s intentions and the current situation at Dingwang Manor, but now Lei Zhen Ting wasn't sure what the internal state of affairs was within the household.

"Madam, Emperor Chu is requesting an audience outside," a guard announced loudly from outside.

Lei Zhen Ting’s eyes flickered slightly as his face remained unflustered. He turned to look at Ye Li who sat in the upper seat and wanted to see how she would handle this situation. Ye Li calmly said, "Since Emperor Chu has come all the way from afar, please let him in. Feng San, you may escort Prince out to welcome Emperor Chu."

Even during formal occasions, one shouldn’t overlook proper etiquette for any reason. Although it appeared that General Southern Command was now more powerful than Mo Jingli, Mo Jingli was still the ruler of a country and thus should send someone out to greet him as a courtesy.

"As you command," Feng Zhirao responded respectfully.

"I will comply with your orders," Mo Xiaobao said as he jumped down from his seat beside Ye Li and followed Feng Zhirao outside.

“The subordinates of Dingwang Manor are indeed exceptionally loyal.” Lei Zhen Ting watched Feng Zhirao leave and remarked thoughtfully. Given the prideful nature of Feng Zhirao, him going out to welcome Mo Jingli indicated that these people were devoted to Ye Li's rule. It was clear that Dingwang Manor under Ye Li’s control was in good order; even if something had gone wrong… they would lose only Mo Xiuyao. Thinking this far, Lei Zhen Ting looked at Ye Li with a more complex expression and silently regretted how she had managed to elude Leng Tihan's ambush recently.

Han Yuehuai sitting beside snorted and said with a smile, "King of Dushu overstates his praise. A loyal minister serves one master only. We are merely doing what we ought to do."

Rumble霆 did not mind Han Yuehuai’s unfriendly gaze as he smiled faintly.

Ye Li looked at Han Yuehuai with a smile and showed no resentment, "What King of Dushu said makes perfect sense. If it weren’t for their help in these days, this Concubine would truly… be unable to cope."

"In that case, why doesn’t the Duchess invite Qingchen to take charge" Rumble霆 asked; this was what he found most puzzling. Normally, if Mo Xiuyao really died, Ding王府would have to support Mo Yuchen to ascend the throne. However, Mo Yuchen was still not nine years old, so it would be impossible for him to lead Ding王府and the Mo family army. Therefore, Ye Li should have called Xu Qingchen or Xu Hongyu here to take charge of Feihong Pass. But now, no one from the Xu family appeared at all, which made Rumble霆doubt whether Mo Xiuyao’s death was true.

Ye Li smiled bitterly and shook her head slightly as she said, "Brother needs me to assist in Li City, besides…" Shaking his head, Ye Li didn’t continue. But that only aroused more speculation. Rumble霆knew the importance of Northwest for Ding王府; moreover, ever since he heard about Mo Xiuyao’s death, he had secretly ordered the troops in Xiling to move northward. It wasn’t really because they wanted to attack the original imperial city of Xiling but rather to put pressure on Zhang Qilan stationed there.

There was also Beirong. After Mo Xiuyao nearly wiped out half of Beirong’s forces and killed one prince, how could the king of Beirong not come to cause some trouble to regain face Therefore, it was especially important for Northwest, particularly Li City, to remain stable at this time. As long as Northwest remained intact, even if the Mo family army lost this time, they would still have a place to retreat and regroup. Once a few years had passed and Mo Yuchen grew up, the Mo family army might very well rise again. After all, based on Rumble霆’s understanding of Ding王府’s nearly demonic bloodline inheritance, it was almost certain that Mo Yuchen would be capable of leading things independently when he reached his teens. Of course, Rumble霆had no intention of giving him such an opportunity.

Seeing Ye Li hesitate to speak, Rumble霆became even more convinced of Mo Xiuyao’s death. He was not bothered by the fact that Ye Li did not cry and look pale like a typical woman would. After all, Ye Li was no ordinary woman; if she truly grieved at this time and could not control herself, Rumble霆would have to doubt or belittle her.

"Duchess! Duchess, something’s wrong!" A guard rushed in from outside the door and reported.

Ye Li frowned slightly as she asked, "What is it" The guard looked at Rumble霆and said with some difficulty, "Young Prince… Young Prince hurt Emperor Chu."

The people sitting there were all taken aback. Mo Xiaobao was still only eight or nine years old; how could he hurt Mo Jingli Seeing the suspicious looks from everyone, the guard hurriedly said, "It’s true. Young Prince… Young Prince bit Emperor Chu very hard."

"Is Young Prince okay" Han Yuehuai asked quickly; he had never expected much of Mo Jingli’s character. The man was petty and wouldn’t let go of his grudge against a child like Mo Xiaobao.

The guard wiped sweat from his forehead as he said, "Young Prince is fine… but Young Prince wants to kill Emperor Chu. Feng San couldn’t stop him; please Duchess come over and have a look."

Ye Li lowered her eyes, hiding the amusement in them. Standing up hurriedly, she said somewhat anxiously to Rumble霆,"King of Dushu, I’m truly sorry. This Duchess must leave for now." Rumble霆smiled and replied, "Duchess is too polite. Why not let me accompany you" Ye Li hesitated before nodding finally out of worry for her son, saying, "King of Dushu, please."

"Please come, Duchess,"

Ye Li did not waste any more time and hurriedly walked out.

Away from the entrance to the mansion, Mo Jingli’s entourage and the guards from Ding王府blocked off the narrow street completely. In the center of the crowd, Mo Jingli was dressed in bright yellow imperial robes, glaring angrily at Mo Xiaobao. A bloody bite mark had been left on his right hand, which he held in front of him; it was clear that whoever bit him did not hold back.

Moxiaobao was tightly held in Feng Ziyao's arms, but from the rage and fierce expression on his little face as he bared his teeth at Mo Jingli, it was clear that if Feng Ziyao hadn't held him back so tightly, Moxiaobao would have rushed forward.

"What happened" Ye Li walked in from behind the crowd and asked with a frown.

When he saw Ye Li arrive, Feng Ziyao visibly relaxed. He wasn’t worried that the young prince might bite Mo Jingli; instead, he was concerned about what Mo Jingli would do to Moxiaobao out of anger.

"Mother…" As soon as Feng Ziyao released Moxiaobao, the little boy threw himself into Ye Li's arms. He nuzzled his face against her and glared at Mo Jingli with round eyes full of grievance, a stark contrast to his earlier fierce determination.

Ye Li held him close and patted him gently as she asked, "What happened, Xiaobao Are you hurt"

Moxiaobao buried his face in Ye Li's chest and shook his head. Relieved, Ye Li stroked his little head and said, "As long as you’re fine, that’s good. You must be careful though; what if you get injured"

"He is a bad person! Xiaobao hates him!" Moxiaobao said with a grievance, his childishly pure voice carrying far and making everyone present look at Mo Jingli. How could someone make such an adorable little prince of Ding王府 so hate them

Mo Jingli's face darkened immediately; he had nearly been bitten by this brat. This kid even dared to frame him first!

"Ye Li, is this how you teach your son Truly disrespectful!" Mo Jingli glared at Ye Li and said coldly.

Ye Li's clear eyes narrowed slightly as she stood up and looked at Mo Jingli without backing down. She replied calmly, "How I educate my son does not require the Chu Emperor’s interference. If he has time for that, perhaps he should focus on educating his own sons."

"Haha—" Feng Ziyao couldn’t help but laugh beside her. The princess consort had definitely hit a sore spot with Mo Jingli; it was well known throughout the land that Li Prince was already over thirty and had no children at all, even rumors of an incurable illness circulating among the common folk. Of course, someone like Feng Ziyao who was close to the prince knew more clearly—so much so that he almost felt sympathy for Mo Jingli. The most painful thing in this world wasn’t never having something, but losing it after obtaining it and finding out that it had all been a futile effort.

Therefore, at this moment, scolding Mo Jingli with a hundred insults might not be as effective in making him angry as the princess consort's light comment was.

"Ye Li!" Mo Jingli shouted fiercely. Ye Li turned around and, holding Xiaobao’s hand, faced Mo Jingli and said solemnly, "Although I respect Chu Emperor as the ruler of a nation, if he doesn’t show any courtesy to guests, then please forgive me for not seeing him off."

Mojingli, furious to the point of laughter, raised his hand and said coldly, "I came here out of goodwill to pay my respects, but as soon as I arrived, this brat bit me. Is this how guests are treated in the Ding王府"

Moxiaobao stood by Ye Li's side, tilting her delicate chin upwards and said crisply, "You didn't come here to mourn for Father, you came to cause trouble! Anyone who comes to mourn for Father would never wear such clothes!"

Everyone turned their gaze towards Mojingli once more. Although Mojingli was the emperor, the status of Ding王府 did not pale in comparison to the Chu Dynasty. Guests were not required to dress in mourning attire, but they at least ought to have changed into simpler clothing. Not like Mojingli who had brazenly arrived wearing a bright yellow dragon robe. Lei Zhen Ting, dressed in black robes with subtle patterns, felt that everyone from the Mo Family Army was looking at him more favorably now. Mojingli's outfit did not look like he came to mourn, but rather to show off and assert his dominance.

Mojingli was speechless. He had indeed not come to sincerely pay his respects for Moyouxiao; if Moyouxiao were dead, he would be overjoyed and certainly wouldn't want to come to mourn him. However, being exposed by a child in front of so many people made him somewhat embarrassed.

After some time, Mojingli harrumphed lightly and looked at Ye Li, "Dowager Empress of Ding王府, you wish to block me here after I have traveled thousands of miles" Ye Li glanced at him coolly and said, "If the Chu Emperor truly came out of sincerity to mourn for Prince Ding, this dowager wouldn't dare to obstruct."

Mojingli proudly retorted, "Of course, I am here for that purpose."

Ye Li calmly nodded her head and said, "In such a case, please allow Li Wang to light an incense at the altar."

Mojingli did not object and nodded in agreement, "Exactly. This emperor also wishes to see the remains of Prince Ding. After all... we were friends since childhood. I assume Dowager Empress wouldn't mind"

Ye Li remained silent for a moment before saying calmly, "Chu Emperor, please."

—— Outro ——

To avoid future complications due to contract renewals, this chapter serves as a placeholder. Recommended novel by Feng Qing: "Prosperous Era: A Tale of Cunning and Strategy"

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