d that there was no way for him to refute the charges effectively. So, he decided to admit his guilt outright: "For many years, this minister has neglected household affairs, failing to properly disci...Negotiation and Peace

Negotiation and Peace

In the end, Mo Xiuyao still did not go to receive the envoy from Northern Rong himself, but instead handed over this matter to Ye Li. To put it bluntly, sometimes Mo Xiuyao's whimsical behavior was truly exasperating. While these noble elders were criticizing Princess Consort Ding for interfering in state affairs, he openly and straightforwardly entrusted the negotiation with Northern Rong directly to his consort. It was as if he had slapped a loud, resounding slap on the faces of those self-proclaimed old men who thought they could interfere with Prince Ding's actions.

However, after being mercilessly hit by Prince Ding earlier and before coming up with any countermeasures, these people did not dare to say much more. They could only pretend not to see it and stay at home sulking in silence.

"Greetings, Princess Consort Ding," Ye Li saw Yelü Hong calmly paying his respects to her in the Northern Rong embassy. He did not feel angry that Mo Xiuyao himself had not received him personally. Besides the status of Princess Consort Ding within Mo's army, even disregarding this, as a party that was defeated and thus had no grounds for objection.

"Prince Yelü is courteous," Ye Li couldn't help but admire Yelü Hong's good nature in being so restrained and polite given their current situation. Of course, she also couldn't help but marvel at the influence of politics and power on people's hearts; even those Northern Rong people known for their straightforwardness had learned to be more diplomatic.

Ye Li sat down without beating around the bush with Yelü Hong and asked, "Did Princess Yonghua come with you"

Yelü Hong clearly hadn't expected Ye Li's first question to be about Princess Yonghua. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and said, "To put it frankly, Princess Yonghua indeed came with me to City Li."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled: "The King of Northern Rong trusts his son very much." The King of Northern Rong used Princess Yonghua as leverage in negotiations with Mo's army, yet he allowed Yelü Hong to bring her back before any negotiation had taken place. It was somewhat unclear whether the king truly wanted to retrieve Ye Lüe and the ashes of Northern Rong soldiers or if it was merely talk.

Yelü Hong smiled bitterly: "I have made a pledge with my father that I must bring back my seventh younger brother’s remains and those of our soldiers. Please, Princess Consort Ding, kindly facilitate this matter for me. As for Princess Yonghua... please also take care of her." Ye Li looked deeply into Yelü Hong's eyes and said: "Prince Yelü is indeed devoted to Princess Yonghua. At least she isn't wasting the years she spent in Northern Rong..."

Yelü Hong sighed lightly and said, "I am unworthy, and I have caused you to see me make a mistake. Please let me introduce Princess Yonghua to your acquaintance." Yelü Hong turned around to instruct his attendant, and soon after, Princess Yonghua walked out from the back rooms. She had changed into Han-style clothing, looking rather haggard with a pale complexion, less radiant than when they last met, more frail and gaunt.

"Princess Consort Ding," Princess Yonghua bowed gracefully, saying softly.

Ye Li held out her hand to support her up and smiled: "Princess, you needn't be so formal. Please sit down."

The three of them sat down again, and Ye Li only then looked at Yelü Hong and said, "Your Highness entrusted me with the negotiation with Beirong. I assume Qingchen has already informed the Crown Prince of my Ding王府’s terms a few days ago How does His Majesty feel about it"

Yelü Hong frowned and said, "Warhorses are the foundation for our nation to establish itself. For my Ding王府 to ask for ten thousand warhorses at once is asking too much. To be frank, I doubt that I can agree to such a demand."

Negotiations like these were not something that could be concluded overnight. Ye Li was not concerned about it and smiled as she said, "Your Highness needn’t rush in your response to me. You’ll still have some time in this city before you leave for home. Why don’t you consider the matter further You can also consult with your king if necessary. What do you think"

Yelü Hong nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Princess Consort. Regardless of whether or not we are able to come to an agreement this time, please take care of Princess Ronghua’s return to the Great Chu on our behalf. This would show誠意on our part."

Ronghua looked unperturbed and lowered her gaze as she sat quietly at the side. She seemed unaffected by what Yelü Hong and Ye Li were discussing.

Ye Li glanced at Princess Ronghua, sighed slightly and said, "If you wish to stay in this city, my Ding王府 will naturally treat you with the respect due a princess. If you miss your family, I can also have someone escort you back to Jiangnan." Regardless of whether she stayed or went south, no one would dare mistreat her as a princess.

Ronghua smiled faintly and said bitterly, "Jiangnan… there’s no longer anyone in Jiangnan who is my family. I wish to go back to Changxing to serve the Dowager Princess Zhaoyang; please grant me this wish." When the Great Chu court moved southward, Princess Zhaorén followed them down south but Princess Zhaoyang stayed behind in the capital city of Chu. After General Mo’s troops reclaimed the Chu Capital and renamed it Changxing, Grand Princess Fuxi passed away. Since then, Princess Zhaoyang had remained in Changxing to mourn her aunt. Not long after moving southward, Princess Zhaorén had also passed away; at present, Princess Zhaoyang was Ronghua’s closest relative.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Very well, Princess Zhaoyang will be arriving in this city in a few days. At that time you can leave with her for Changxing."

Ronghua nodded gratefully as she said, “Thank you, Princess Consort.” She then lowered her head and no longer looked at Yelü Hong. After glancing at Ronghua, the expression on Yelü Hong’s face changed slightly but he did not say anything more. They had been a couple for ten years; how could they have no feelings Furthermore, Ronghua was a beautiful and intelligent woman who was very different from ordinary Beirong women. But regardless of her beauty and intelligence, she would never be as important to the kingdom of Beirong as its throne. This might well be their last meeting.

When Ye Li left the embassy, she also took Ronghua with her. Since Yelü Hong had already brought Ronghua to this city, he had not considered taking her back regardless of whether or not they could reach an agreement. Thus it did not matter when she was returned to the Ding王府; it would be better for him to let Ye Li take her away.

After returning with Princess Ronghua and settling her in the Ding王府, Ye Li merely sighed at her dejected expression but said no more to comfort her. No matter what happened between the Ding王府 and the Great Chu as well as Beirong, Ronghua was destined not to be able to return home again. She was a smart woman and would understand that this situation could be considered quite good for her. Yelü Hong’s treatment of her showed some care for her. Her dejection at this moment was likely due to the children she had left behind in Beirong, but neither the Ding王府 nor the Great Chu in Jiangnan could or should take responsibility for retrieving them from Beirong. At present, there was more hatred between people in Central Plains and those of Beirong than vice versa; returning her children would not be a good thing.

After several days’ negotiation with Yelü Hong, the stubborn Yelü Hong finally agreed to exchange ten thousand warhorses for the remains of his soldiers who had died in battle in the Great Chu and those of Yéli. Ye Li was unsurprised by this outcome; Beirong’s national strength had been significantly reduced after their defeat at the hands of General Mo, while its land was vast but sparse and poor. Without ten to twenty years’ time they would not be able to recover to their previous level of prosperity even if General Mo did not attack again. In exchange for temporary peace and respite with a mere ten thousand warhorses, this might not have been a good deal in the long run, but there was no other choice for Beirong now.

When both sides signed the peace agreement, Mo Xiuyao finally graced them with his presence. However, he still had Ye Li and Xu Qingchen sign on behalf of Ding Wang. As Right Chancellor, Xu Qingchen naturally had the qualifications to represent Ding Wang in signing this document, but as a woman, Ye Li’s appearance made Beirong’s envoy uneasy. This was not because they looked down upon her but rather because they understood the rules and traditions of Central Plains; women were not allowed to speak at formal occasions so there was some doubt about the validity of the peace agreement.

Duke Ye Li did not care about the suspicion of the people from Upper Beirong and the discontented looks from officials from distinguished families. She simply signed her name on the ceasefire agreement without hesitation. When both sides exchanged and signed the agreements, Mo Xiuyao stood up and pulled Ye Li over to smile at Yelü Hong, saying, "Prince Yelü, since our two parties have already signed the treaty, I hope that I will see one thousand warhorses from Beirong within a short time."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Hong could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. People often said that people from Central China liked to speak indirectly and vaguely, but Yelü Hong found out that speaking too directly was also unbearable. Mo Xiuyao’s words meant to him: ‘If it weren’t for those one thousand warhorses, why would I have any interest in signing a peace treaty with you guys’

"Duke Ding can rest assured. As long as… the Military House complies with our agreement, then within three months, we will deliver one thousand warhorses to Central China," said Yelü Hong.

Mo Xiuyao lifted an eyebrow and said, "I naturally keep my word. For ten years, neither side shall start any more wars because of these one thousand warhorses."

"From now on, Beirong will be allied with the Duke Ding’s House. I, Prince Yelü, offer a cup to Duke Mo and Duchess Ye," said Yelü Hong.

Mo Xiuyao remained calm but did not oppose this idea either. It was like this between countries: there were no eternal friends or enemies—only mutual benefits. Although both sides claimed they would be on good terms, it was clear to them that neither Beirong nor the Duke Ding’s House had any strength left for another war. The only difference was that Beirong was worse off than the Duke Ding’s House; while the latter could still fight a battle if pushed hard, such an effort would be futile. However, continuing fighting after this would bring Beirong to its doom. Therefore, Beirong had paid more in this agreement. Once either side recovered and wanted to start another war, the so-called ceasefire agreement would only be a piece of paper.

When envoys from Western Liang and Da Chu arrived at City Li, it was precisely when the Duke Ding’s House and Beirong had just signed an agreement. When they heard this news, both countries’ representatives looked rather unhappy. Now that the Duke Ding’s House had ceased fighting with Beirong, they might soon shift their attention to the south, but neither Da Chu nor Western Liang could withstand another blow from the Military House. Everyone was forced to accept a harsh reality: after years of overt and covert struggles, the winner clearly was the Duke Ding’s House.

"My lord and lady duchess, envoys from both Da Chu and Western Liang have come to see you."

When they heard this news, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were sitting in their courtyard playing with two babies. They had entrusted these babies to the Xu family shortly after birth, which made Ye Li feel rather guilty. Since returning home, every time she was free, Ye Li would take Mo Xiuyao to accompany the children; sometimes Moxiaobao would also come over for fun. Mo Xiuyao loved this little princess who already looked like a snow jade figurine and thus accompanied Ye Li daily in playing with the two kids—making them the most idle people in bustling City Li.

"Why are they here at the same time" asked Ye Li, raising an eyebrow.

Mo Xiuyao was indifferent. "Their distances from us were not much different. It’s no big deal that they arrived together. Who came from Da Chu"

The guard reported, "My lord, it is Prince Yu of Chu and the newly enthroned emperor of Chu."

"Prince Yu Mo Jingyu" Mo Xiuyao did not have a strong impression of these princes of the Chu Imperial Family. He had known them better when he was young, but after growing up and particularly since the Duke Ding’s House incident, he had hardly interacted with any of them. Therefore, his memory of this prince who had finally made it to the top, Mo Jingyu, was rather vague.

Ye Lü got up and put the already sleeping Lín'é back into his crib, saying, "Since Western Capital’s Southern King and Chu Emperor have personally arrived, we should also go out to meet them. We must not miss any courtesies."

Mò Xiuyáo nodded and carefully placed the little princess down before going out with Ye Lü to receive guests.

In the main hall of Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor), two groups took their respective positions on both sides. The newly appointed young emperor, Mò Suíyún, was only twelve years old this year and sat at the front of Chu’s side. Although he wore a magnificent imperial dragon robe, his face showed signs of weakness and panic. He would often look with nervous eyes at Mò Jǐngyǔ who sat below him. On the other side, Léi Tengfēng, wearing the ceremonial attire of Western Capital's Southern King, appeared regal and composed. Compared to before when he was sometimes restless and flustered, there was now more calmness and steadiness in his demeanor. All officials from Western Capital sitting below him were solemnly lowering their heads, looking up to the Southern King for guidance, appearing even more imposing than Chu's side.

"The Prince has arrived! The Princess Consort has arrived!" A voice of a servant announced outside the hall.

The Ding Prince, dressed in white with his hair also snowy-white, came into view hand-in-hand with his wife, the Princess Consort, who was wearing dark green robes and had black hair. Just by giving everyone a brief glance, they could feel an imposing pressure emanating from them.

Léi Tengfēng looked at this pair of beautiful individuals before him. His eyes showed various expressions but quickly returned to calmness as he stood up respectfully to say, "Ding Prince and Princess Consort, I am sorry for disturbing you."

Ye Lü glanced in surprise at Léi Tengfēng. In just a couple of months, the changes in him were significant; his handsome figure now carried an air reminiscent of Léi Zhèntíng.

Mò Xiuyáo also took a quick glance at Léi Tengfēng before turning away. Waving his hand with a smile, he said, "Southern King is too polite. Your arrival has greatly honored our Ding Prince’s Manor. Please sit." Nobody mentioned the great battle that had been fought just over a month ago, nor did anyone mention Léi Zhèntíng's death. Although many on Western Capital's side wore unhappy expressions, they managed to hold their tongues.

Mò Xiuyáo pulled Ye Lü down to sit beside him and looked at Chu Emperor Mò Suíyún and Mò Jǐngyǔ across from them. Mò Suíyún stood up and bowed respectfully toward Mò Xiuyáo, saying, "Suíyún pays my Uncle Ding Prince a visit."

Mò Xiuyáo's eyes flickered slightly as he laughed loudly, "Chu Emperor is the guest here; no need to be so formal. Please sit." Sitting beside him, Mò Jǐngyǔ showed a hint of disappointment in his eyes and sighed with some helplessness before smiling and saying, "To put it frankly, Ding Prince is indeed the emperor’s senior, calling you 'Uncle' would not be inappropriate. You needn't mind." If they were to strictly follow lineage and seniority, Mò Suíyún should have been addressing Mò Xiuyáo as great-uncle instead of uncle. But clearly, Mò Xiuyáo had no intention of getting involved with the Chu imperial family again. Mò Jǐngyǔ understood that Chu and Ding Prince's Manor had already broken relations before; if Mò Xiuyáo were in his right mind, such fanciful ideas as those old scholars had would not be worth considering. Hence, despite disappointment, he did not overly dwell on it.

Mò Xiuyáo smiled without speaking. With his intelligence, could he really not understand what Chu was trying to do One could only say that the elders in Nanjing and those in Li city were indeed of one mind – equally naive!

Seeing Mò Jǐngyǔ looking a bit awkward, Ye Lü smiled and said, "The Emperor from Chu and Southern King from Western Capital have traveled long distances. They must be quite weary by now. I have arranged accommodations for them at the inn; please go there to rest. In the evening, we will host a banquet in your honor."

Léi Tengfēng silently nodded and said, "Thank you, Princess Consort." Although he had become much more composed recently, facing his mortal enemy who had killed his father for a moment still weighed heavily on him. Looking at the calm Mò Xiuyáo and Ye Lü before him, Léi Tengfēng suddenly felt listless and did not feel like saying more.

Mojingyu glanced at Mo Suicun, who looked visibly tired, and nodded: "In that case, we owe the Duchess our gratitude."

"Your Highness Yu is too polite," Ye Li smiled mildly.

Soon after, Lei Tengfeng and Mojingyu left. They had only come to pay their respects as they were newly arrived in Licheng. Even if there was something important to discuss, it would have to wait until they rested up a bit more first. Watching them leave, Ye Li sighed softly: "Lei Tengfeng has changed a lot indeed; no wonder he could control Western Ling so quickly. If given some more years, he may well become a formidable rival."

Lei Tengfeng had been overshadowed for too long by Lei Zhengting’s brilliance and had lost his edge. Once there was no longer the seemingly insurmountable mountain of Lei Zhengting to contend with, Lei Tengfeng's progress and changes could be described as swift.

Moxiuyao raised an eyebrow and said: "Even if he is a rival, it won't be my rival." Lei Tengfeng needed quite some time before he could truly grow up. At that time… his opponent wouldn’t be him. Prince Ding calculated contentedly in his mind without the slightest hint of guilt for setting such a formidable future adversary against his son.

Ye Li looked at him helplessly and smiled faintly: "What does Greater Chu mean"

Hugging Ye Li, Moxiuyao said lazily: "Can it be anything else The old timers in Nanjing have some wild ideas. They see Mo Suicun personally coming to pay his respects to me, and perhaps I’ll suddenly have a change of heart and reconcile with Greater Chu" Did he not have a son named Moxiuyao He had conquered such a vast territory; even if he wasn’t interested in it anymore, he could leave it to his son. Would they really want another cycle where Greater Chu and the Mo Army entangled

Ye Li was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. To say that some of these old men who had specialized in court politics all their lives sometimes thought in ways complicated enough to make one dizzy would not be an exaggeration; at other times, however, they were naive enough to make one want to laugh. How could they think that after the Mo Army severed ties with Greater Chu and suffered such losses and sacrifices, Prince Ding's household and Greater Chu could ever reconcile The people of Prince Ding’s household certainly weren’t benevolent bodhisattvas.

"This shouldn't be Mojingyu's intention," Ye Li said. Mojingyu was respectful toward Moxiuyao but not overly warm; clearly, he did not favor these old men’s plans.

Moxiuyao smiled and said: "For Mojingyu to have reached this position of power now and still be alive, he certainly isn’t a fool. He wouldn't be oblivious to all of this. However… at present, it's likely that he also can't completely control the entire court of Greater Chu." Mo Jingli was somewhat foolish, but Jiangnan was his territory. Moreover, compared to Mojingyu, Mojingli’s methods were decidedly ruthless. These old men wouldn’t dare cause trouble while Mo Jingli was around, but now that a new emperor has just ascended to the throne, they would surely take advantage of this opportunity to assert their authority.

"What do you plan to do" Ye Li asked with a smile.

Moxiuyao said: "I've already crushed Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli; Mo Suicun is Mo Xiaobao’s concern. Otherwise, people who don’t know the situation might think I’m at odds with the royal family of Greater Chu, even picking on a child Later… tell Mo Xiaobao to go see Mo Suicun so that he won't have nothing better to do and constantly loiter around Xing'er."

"You mean… Mo Suicun…" Ye Li furrowed her brows as she looked at Moxiuyao in puzzlement. If Mo Suicun was insignificant, Moxiuyao wouldn’t deliberately mention him or instruct Mo Xiaobao to visit.

Mosiyao chuckled softly and said, "I think... that brat might actually be a smart one. At least... he’s smarter than his father and uncle."

Ye Li sighed helplessly; after all, she wasn’t someone who grew up in the imperial family. She wasn’t worried about open machinations and dangers, but she was not very adept at handling things that happened behind closed doors. At least during their brief exchange earlier, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual with Mo Su Yun.

Mosiyao happily nuzzled Ye Li’s hair which gave off a faint fragrance and said smilingly, "That brat has good acting skills. If I didn’t catch his eye just now, I almost would have been fooled by him too. The way he looked at me wasn’t as panicked as he showed. But after all, he is still a child who was never taught how to act since young; it’s inevitable that he will make mistakes."

Ye Li nodded. It really was difficult not to reveal anything in front of Mosiyao. That kid probably intentionally acted with awe and fear but didn’t realize that overdoing it would backfire.

"Little Treasure..."

"If Little Treasure can’t outplay him, he should be properly reprimanded by Xu Qingchen," said Mosiyao indifferently. It was a shame if a young master who had been carefully groomed since young couldn't outsmart an emperor who had just ascended to the throne and no one paid attention to before.

Ye Li looked up at the displeasure that flashed across Mosiyao’s face, and could only nod in agreement. "Understood. I’ll get Little Treasure to receive Emperor Chu later." She just hoped that if her son messed up and was dealt with by his father, she would be able to feel sorry for him alone. When it came to dealing with people, Mosiyao never lacked new methods, and he spared no effort in dealing with Little Treasure.

Therefore, Student Little Treasure had better watch out.

In the backyard of Duke Ding’s Manor, Mo Xiaobao shivered involuntarily after finishing his homework and returned to his room to visit his sister.

——

I recommend my friend Jiaruofeixue's new work "Wicked Consort". She is a prolific author with reliable updates.

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