something Madam specially prepared, then take these things back for Fourth Miss. Tell her to use them if she can attend the banquet; otherwise, don’t waste Madam’s good intentions. As for me… I assume...417. The Prince Ding Takes Action

"Greeting Mr. Qingyun." Although these old scholars appear imposing outside, they can't help but feel inferior in front of Mr. Qingyun. Though Mr. Qingyun appears like a kind and amiable immortal with his white beard and hair, these people have lived for some years and thus understand him much better than ordinary young folks; some are even his students.

Mr. Qingyun said with a smile, "No need to be formal. You all are busy people. How did you find time to come to my humble abode"

The group of people immediately declined modestly. They look up to Mr. Qingyun and admire him deeply but also secretly envy the good fortune he enjoys. If there is anyone in this world with the best luck, surely Mr. Qingyun must be counted among them. Not only have all his descendants become accomplished, the Young Master Qingchen became famous when still a youth, while the Fourth Young Master Xu of the Xu Family has already been appointed an official at the age of twenty-four, and even the Third Young Master Xu who switched from literature to martial arts has achieved remarkable feats in the Mohist army. More importantly, there is his granddaughter-in-law who is about to become the Prince Ding's concubine. Just with these achievements alone, the Xu Family will surely flourish for another hundred years or more. Mr. Qingyun naturally lives a leisurely life without having to worry like them about scheming carefully for the family’s prosperity.

Mr. Qingyun instructed his attendant boy to serve tea, and everyone sat on stone benches under bamboo trees to sip tea in silence for a while.

After some time of drinking tea, seeing Mr. Qingyun sitting calmly and unperturbed, someone finally couldn't sit still.

"Mr. Qingyun, we came here today because there is something we wish to ask you." One person stood up and said politely with a smile. Mr. Qingyun lifted his gaze and looked at the speaker; his aged eyes seemed unexpectedly calm and clear as he replied nonchalantly, "You are... Zhao Zhefang You studied in Li Shan Academy years ago, right To speak of it... we have not seen each other for almost twenty years."

The man was already close to sixty but quickly responded upon hearing Mr. Qingyun's words: "Indeed, I did study under Mr. Qingyun." While Mr. Qingyun had also gained fame at a young age and was barely more than twenty years older than Zhao Zhefang, back when Zhao studied in Li Shan Academy, Mr. Qingyun already held the status of a great scholar. Although he wasn't an inner disciple, according to the rules of hierarchy, Zhao would still have to treat him as his teacher; however, this made Zhao, who had always been proud all his life, somewhat awkward.

Mr. Qingyun was indifferent and asked with a smile, "What do you wish to say"

Zhao Zhefang immediately said hurriedly, "Now that Prince Ding has pacified the four directions, he should ascend to the throne and stabilize the hearts of his subjects. By establishing an empress and concubines, all official positions will be restored, and officials will return to their posts, which would satisfy the people's aspirations. However, when we submitted a petition yesterday, Prince Ding was enraged and firmly refused to take a concubine. We wonder if it is possible for Mr. Qingyun to persuade Princess Consort of Prince Ding to accept this arrangement; she has made significant contributions to the Prince Ding's household. Upon his ascension, the princess consort will naturally become empress, but if she insists on being the sole companion to Prince Ding... her reputation and that of the Xu Family might be damaged.

Mr. Qingyun pondered for a moment and then asked with a smile, "Is this what everyone thinks"

The group exchanged glances and said in unison, "We hope Mr. Qingyun will put the world first. The Xu family is an exemplary model among scholars; we will handle this matter properly."

Mr. Qingyun shook his head with a hint of regret as he looked at these people. They were all middle-aged or older, some not much younger than himself. Could they really be so obsessed with fame and profit that it has clouded their judgment

"You have been in Li City for quite some time now. How do you think the governance of the northwest region is" Mr. Qingyun asked calmly.

"This... Prince Ding truly is a wise ruler. The people under his rule are living in peace and prosperity, giving an appearance of a prosperous era."

Mr. Qingyun shook his head and smiled, "To call it a prosperous era might be too much, but the peace and prosperity are indeed true. In these ten or so years, Prince Ding hasn't declared himself emperor yet, but the people in the northwest region still live in peace and prosperity. Therefore... whether he declares himself an emperor has no direct relationship with stability in the realm."

"This... However, without being officially crowned as the emperor, his legitimacy is questionable," someone said anxiously.

Mr. Qingyun smiled and replied, "The country cannot do without a ruler, this is true. Prince Ding has ambitions to rule the empire but he won’t leave it in chaos. If he hasn't declared himself emperor now, it’s because the time isn't right. Why are you all so eager"

The group looked at Mr. Qingyun with faint disappointment. They had thought that the Xu family would be willing to see Prince Ding ascend to the throne sooner rather than later since they would be the greatest beneficiaries of his rule. However, it turned out that Mr. Qingyun didn’t seem to care about this issue.

One person stood up and said, "What Mr. Qingyun says makes sense, we shouldn't meddle in Prince Ding’s decision on when to ascend to the throne. But after more than ten years of marriage, with no other wives or concubines besides his queen, it is not proper. A woman should have virtue; having only one wife doesn’t seem reasonable either. How can she live up to the title of Empress"

Hearing this, Mr. Qingyun’s expression darkened slightly. Just as he was about to speak, a clear voice came from outside the bamboo grove: "Esteemed scholar, your words are incorrect. According to the marriage customs in Great Chu, 'wife' means equal with her husband. If she is not on par with the prince in wisdom and talent, no woman dares claim herself as his wife or Empress. Who else in this world has such extraordinary intelligence and ability like Prince Ding's wife" A young man wearing a blue robe walked into the grove, cast a glance at everyone present, and continued: "Furthermore, ancient etiquette states that a legitimate wife is the sole head of her household; she can only take concubines after twenty years of marriage without bearing any children. Even if there are no sons or daughters from the legitimate wife, those from concubines belong to her. Prince Ding's Empress gave birth to a little prince within three years and even twin dragon and phoenix babies last year. What is wrong with him not taking more wives If you insist on discussing propriety... then what about your own concubines and illegitimate children" Xu Qingyan smiled at everyone but didn't say anything further.

"You... you are twisting the words!" Everyone was so angry that their faces turned red. Several elders pointed at Xu Qingyan, and their fingers were trembling slightly. The ancient rites mentioned by Xu Qingyan referred to the customs of ancient times when laws had just been established, and people's morals were pure. From emperors and high-ranking officials down to ordinary citizens, there was no notion of taking concubines. Therefore, marriage regulations stipulated that if a woman did not bear any children within twenty years after her wedding, her husband could take another wife. Even the children born from this second marriage would not be considered superior to those from his first wife. Later on, as people's hearts changed, there were rules imposed: anyone who violated these marriage regulations and took an additional wife would receive one hundred strokes with a cane and serve a year of punishment. However, over time, customs deteriorated and imperial power grew stronger. These traditional laws gradually twisted into the modern perception of polygamy - three or four concubines for men. By now, only families like Xu's still adhered to the rule that a man could take a concubine only after forty years if he had no sons from his first wife. If these ancient rites were strictly enforced today, these people would suffer greatly: they would be beaten nearly to death with canes and imprisoned until their bones turned to ashes.

Xu Qingyan snorted disdainfully and walked up to Mr. Qingyun to pay respects, saying respectfully, "Grandson greets grandfather."

Seeing his youngest grandson, Mr. Qingyun was also delighted and said with a smile, "Yan come over here, when did you return Have you seen your father and mother" Xu Qingyan grinned and replied, "I just returned and came straight to pay my respects to grandfather. I thought grandpa would be playing chess with Master Su."

Mr. Qingyun laughed and said, “Someone has come to visit me, why don’t you go meet them These few gentlemen are very respectable Confucian scholars and elderly officials of the Great Chu.” Xu Qingyan glanced sideways and spoke loudly, "Oh So they’re famous scholars from the Great Chu..." He emphasized 'Great Chu' forcefully, making several old scholars feel uneasy. Although the Great Chu had moved southward, it had not yet been extinguished; these men were eager to curry favor with Prince Ding, which was seen as disloyal by outsiders.

Regardless of whether Xu Qingyan meant this or not, his words certainly sounded that way in the ears of the old scholars. To be humiliated by a young man like Xu Qingyan, even members of the Xu family couldn’t bear it. One of them sneered and said, "It's heard that the Fifth Young Master has already reached high positions while still very young. Mr. Qingyun is indeed fortunate."

Xu Qingyan seemed not to understand their implications; he smiled and said with a chuckle, "Old sirs needn’t envy grandfather’s luck. I came back this time specifically to ask the prince for manpower. Since your sons are all of exceptional character, why don’t you let them serve in the northern regions I’m still young and can assist their efforts."

The speaking old scholar's face froze instantly; if it had been Xu Qingbo instead, perhaps he could have found some words to defend himself. But targeting Xu Qingyan was a serious miscalculation. Everyone knew that the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family went north to lead peasants in farming at such a young age, following the Fourth Young Master. Although the Fourth Young Master had gone west, the Fifth Young Master remained in the northern regions alone. How could these self-proclaimed scholarly gentlemen possibly agree to let their descendants mingle with rough peasant workers They only complained that the positions given by Prince Ding for their descendants weren’t prestigious enough!

The mouth of the Fifth Young Master was undoubtedly the sharpest among all the young masters, inheriting the true essence of his father’s wisdom. But he wasn't good at debate; rather, he spoke with viciousness and ruthlessness. In no time, a group of old scholars over fifty years old hurriedly took their leave with pale faces.

Seeing them leave, Xu Qingyan snorted disdainfully, "These people are really idle; what do they care about the prince taking concubines"

Sitting beside him, Su Zhe shook his head and smiled, “Young Master couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. This isn't merely about taking a wife.” More importantly, once Prince Ding ascended to the throne, these people would become relatives of the imperial family, and their children's status would naturally rise.

"They really don’t fear death," Xu Qingyan muttered softly. Would Prince Ding, with his cruel character, really allow such self-important scholars to dictate

"People die for wealth and birds perish for food; this has been the case since ancient times," Su Zhe said with a smile.

Indeed, as soon as those elders who had visited Mr. Qingyun returned to the city and were barely seated, they heard an order from Prince Ding's residence. Prince Ding appointed Young Master Qingchen as Right Chancellor and bestowed the title of Great General on Zhang Qilan, Lyu Jinxian, Yuan Pei, and Leng Huai. It was not surprising that the commanders under the Black Family Army received rewards too. What was more important was that all significant positions above the third rank were now occupied by young people under forty years old without exception. For example, Feng Zhiyao, Leng Haoyu, Han Mingxi, and others held high-ranking posts. Even Prince Ding’s Consort's few bodyguards received titles: Qin Feng was appointed as the Black Family Army Kirin Commander and bestowed with the title of General Minglie, on par with commanders like Murong Shen who led hundreds of thousands of troops. Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, Wei Lin, and others were also granted official positions, residing in the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Personnel respectively. As for He Su, who was renowned for his military achievements, he naturally became a Great General.

Prince Ding's sudden move left countless people dumbfounded. Most of those respected elders were given only honorary titles without real power. But facing Prince Ding’s measures, everyone remained speechless. Because the two Xus, Xu Hongyu and Xu Hongyan, who had also received such honorary titles, didn’t show any dissatisfaction. The Xu family had indeed made significant contributions to the Prince Ding Manor in recent years. This time when Prince Ding and his consort were away on a campaign, a major incident occurred midway; if not for the Xus’ support, how could Northwest remain stable Since their counterparts from other noble families didn’t complain, these idle people couldn't have the audacity to voice dissatisfaction either.

However, Prince Ding’s attitude made everyone from prominent noble families anxious. The individuals he favored were old acquaintances and trusted subordinates of his manor or army. He even preferred using his consort's guards rather than hiring young men from these noble families, which was clearly a warning to them. Moreover, the imperial examination system in Northwest had gradually matured over the past few years, reducing opportunities for noble offspring to enter court directly through their family connections. Regardless of what prominent noble family they came from, if no one spoke up on their behalf at court, their future would be bleak. How could they not feel anxious about this

Before anyone had fully comprehended the situation, another series of orders from Prince Ding Manor followed, leaving these elders bewildered and confused. The first unusual order was that, henceforth, relatives within three generations of concubines or side consorts in Prince Ding’s manor were forbidden to hold official positions. Furthermore, this regulation would be permanent and unbreakable.

This command left the heads of noble families who had been hoping to send their daughters into Prince Ding's household coughing up blood. Not being allowed to hold office for three generations meant that they could be thoroughly undermined by their enemies without any chance of rehabilitation. Moreover, this regulation was permanent! In other words, those who sought to rise through family connections and the skirts of influential women were now out of luck.

If these measures merely served as warnings, the last command explicitly told them that Prince Ding's intentions could not be defied. The final order stated that henceforth, no longer would Prince Ding’s manor continue with the previous imperial favoritism towards nobility; all officials must pass the imperial examinations or receive direct approval from Prince Ding and his consort. Most importantly, participants in the imperial examination had to serve at least a year of military service. The noble families who once dismissed the mandatory conscription for adult males in Northwest were now alarmed. Not only could their disciples not enter court through hereditary appointments, but they lacked even the qualifications to take part in the regular imperial examinations.

As a result, more people flocked to Xu Manor seeking help.

In Prince Ding’s manor, Xu Hongyu, Xu Hongyan, and Xu Qingchen were all present. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li beside him on the main seat, lazily observing everyone with evident satisfaction. A few days ago, he was thoroughly infuriated by those old scholars but could not casually kill them off. However, it didn't matter; Mo Xiuyao had countless methods to torment someone until they wished for death. Therefore, Prince Ding remained indifferent as his 'bombs' sent the noble families into chaos across the land and watched the spectacle with Ye Li in the manor, chuckling contentedly.

Xu Hongyu shook his head at him and said, "Is Your Highness truly planning to drive these prominent noble families to extinction" Although these self-righteous noble families could be annoying sometimes, they were also indispensable. Moreover, if pushed too far, all of them might turn against Prince Ding's manor and side with the Jiangnan region, which would surely damage his reputation.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and said, "Since these so-called loyalists claim to be devoted to me, they must abide by my rules! Do you think... I need to accommodate them As long as they know their place, I will provide a way out for them. For those who were already wavering, I don't care either. These past few days have certainly caused trouble for Mr. Hongyu."

Mr. Qingyun is far away at Li Mountain Academy, and it's not easy to see him. However, Xu Hongyu is right here in Li City. As the current head of the Xu family, he naturally becomes the first target for other clan leaders to court and gather intelligence from.

Xu Qingchen shook his head, indicating that there was no need to worry about it. Now, Xu Qingchen has already become a powerful chancellor second only to the emperor, while Xu Qingbai is an influential provincial governor. Both Xu Qingze and Xu Qingfeng hold important positions as well. The Xu family’s influence is overwhelming, so naturally, their elders have no reason to糾纏這些事情。他們隻需要適時地為晚輩鋪路護航就可以了。

Xu Qingchen raised his eyebrows and asked Mo Xiuyao, "Your Highness, what are your intentions for the position of Left Chancellor"

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said sincerely, "I haven’t set any traps. The person appointed to be left chancellor has agreed but is unable to take up the post immediately."

"Is it Scholar Xu Ting" asked Xu Qingchen. Whether in terms of status, ability, or reputation, Scholar Xu Ting無疑是最佳人選。雖然他曾經是西陵人這一點可能會引起非議，但這無疑更容易收複那些原本屬於西陵的百姓的心。畢竟，在定王府的領土中，有三分之一是從西陵手中奪來的。有一個西陵名士為相，對民心歸向會有很大的作用。

"Did Scholar Xu Ting agree" Xu Qingchen asked. "But no one else knows about it." If others don’t know, they will be eyeing the position of left chancellor with intent. To say that Mo Xiuyao isn't planning to do anything is something that Xu Qingchen absolutely doesn’t believe.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Of course he agreed. However, Scholar Xu Ting is busy with affairs in the northwest and won’t be able to take up his post for at least two or three months. As for what happens during this period... it's none of my business."

Everyone involuntarily twitched their mouths. Those who want to play tricks under Prince Dìng’s nose are simply asking for trouble.

Mō Xiuyao paid no heed and waved his hand, saying, "Let’s not worry about these trivial matters now. After this incident, they should be quiet for a few days. Let's talk about… the one-year birthday banquet for Línér and Xīn’er."

The group solemnly looked at each other. Xu Qingze calmly said, "The invitations have already been sent out to Beirong, Dàchǔ, Xi Ling, Nanzhao, and Western Regions countries—everyone who should be invited has been. The inn is also getting ready for the banquet. Now there are emissaries from Beirong in Li City. As for others… they will arrive within half a month or so. But at that time… the safety of Li City…" Xu Qingze frowned, though the current situation was stable across the land, it made things more dangerous. There may be many people who secretly wish to take Mo Xiuyao’s life in Beirong, Xi Ling, and Dàchǔ.

Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment and said, "I will have additional troops stationed near Li City then. Also… the Qilin under Xu Qingfeng’s command can temporarily進駐Li City to deal with any unexpected situations." Ye Li nodded in agreement beside him.

Moxiuyao asked curiously, "Who will represent Xiling"

Xu Qingchen replied calmly, "If my guess is correct, it should be Lei Tengfeng."

"Lei Tengfeng" Moxiuyao frowned. He had yet to take Lei Tengfeng seriously. However, if Lei Tengfeng came personally, it would mean that the situation within Xiling was relatively stable.

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "I’m sorry to disappoint you. Lei Tengfeng did not clash with the emperor of Xiling. Upon receiving news of Lei Zhen霆’s death in battle, the emperor of Xiling ordered Lei Tengfeng to succeed him as Prince Regent of Southern Town. Since the emperor has no sons, if everything goes smoothly, Lei Tengfeng will become the next emperor of Xiling."

Neither the emperor of Xiling nor Lei Tengfeng were as foolish as they imagined. Therefore, their hope of profiting from others' conflicts would likely come to naught. Moxiuyao didn’t care and waved his hand with a smile, "It doesn't matter. If Lei Tengfeng loses so quickly, I will be disappointed. The death of Lei Zhen霆 should spur him on to grow stronger. This time, I also want to see how far he can go."

Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Lei Tengfeng’s visit is likely intended for negotiations with the Dingwang Mansion."

Moxiuyao thought for a moment and said, "Let Mengsuo and Nanhou continue fighting until they reach Xiling's original border with Da Chu. Only then should we start negotiating." Xu Qingchen pondered for a while and said, "If Lei Tengfeng wants to stabilize the situation and rest his troops, he might retreat proactively."

"That would be best," Moxiuyao smiled. "Regardless of how he wants to negotiate, Xiling’s army must retreat back to its original border with Da Chu."

Xu Qingchen agreed with Moxiuyao's viewpoint and frowned slightly, saying, "The envoys from Beirong wish to talk to you or Li'er personally."

Moxiuyao looked at Ye Li in confusion and asked, "Who did Beirong send as an envoy"

The Gentleman of Qingchen was speechless. Moxiuyao had been back for nearly two weeks now. How could he still not know who the envoy from Beirong was Even though there had just been a war between Beirong and the Mo Army, the envoy was still a representative of another country. As Dingwang, one should at least pretend to have some etiquette.n though Zhuo Jing had a blank face as a bodyguard due to being trained in secret missions, his heart wasn’t actually expressionless at all. He was vengeful and occasionally would let loose sarcastic...