Mo Li

Queen Helan came to visit the day after Ren Qining set out with his troops. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had long since left the inn and were staying in an ordinary small courtyard in the city. Although several young nobles had gone missing, it was unclear how Tan Jizhi had managed it—these noble families had unanimously refrained from reporting this highly suspicious matter to Ren Qining. Thus, Ren Qining remained unaware of the hidden changes taking place in his own capital, setting off confidently with his army to attack Zijing Pass.

Though the Northern Kingdom had not been established for long, the nobles in the court—especially the remnants of the former dynasty—had long lost the pioneering spirit and determination of their founding era. They had waited far too long. If Ren Qining’s generation still failed to achieve their goals, they might very well abandon this elusive dream of restoring their nation’s glory. Though they were still far from realizing the grand vision of their ancestors, they had at least established a vast kingdom. In their eyes, as long as they drove out or exterminated the Northern tribes, they would have succeeded. Having toiled for so long, they now believed it was time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

To these remnants of the former dynasty, state affairs paled in comparison to their personal concerns—their gold and jewels, their lands and mansions, their beautiful wives and concubines, and their children and descendants. They had sacrificed for the Lin family for generations; now was the time for them to reap their rewards. Thus, no one found the kidnapping of their sons particularly strange or considered the possibility that some faction had infiltrated Changqing City. Their only concern was rescuing their children and ensuring the kidnappers did not harm them. Among them, the prime minister was the most frantic—the kidnapped boy was the son of his favorite concubine and the younger brother of Yun Fei, sharing the same mother.

"Wang Ye, Wang Fei, Queen Helan requests an audience," a guard announced from outside the courtyard. Inside, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao sat facing each other, engrossed in a game of chess. Hearing the report, Ye Li set down her piece with a smile. "Invite her in."

Moments later, Queen Helan entered, accompanied by her entourage. Behind her was the same Northern man who had led the fight in the inn the other day—reportedly her cousin.

"Prince Ding, Princess Ding," Queen Helan greeted them with a bright, straightforward smile, devoid of the shyness or affectation typical of Central Plains women.

Ye Li smiled warmly. "We appreciate Your Majesty taking the trouble to visit in person. Please, both of you, have a seat."

Queen Helan sat without ceremony across from Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, remarking cheerfully, "Prince Ding and Princess Ding are truly formidable. If not for my cousin informing me at the palace, I might never have known you had already arrived in the Northern Kingdom."

Ye Li offered an apologetic nod. "We came in haste and didn’t have the chance to notify Your Majesty in advance. Please forgive the oversight."

Queen Helan waved a hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. I’m delighted that Prince Ding and Princess Ding have come personally. At the very least, it proves your sincerity in cooperating with our Northern tribes, doesn’t it?"

Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who responded with a faint smile, signaling for her to handle the matter.

Nodding, Ye Li cut to the chase, surveying the two visitors. "Can Queen Helan make decisions on all matters concerning the Northern tribes?"Queen Helan smiled and said, "The northern tribes have secretly elected my father as their Khan. If there's anything I cannot decide, my father certainly can. Wang Fei need not worry." Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, though inwardly she sighed. The northerners were not as simple-minded as they were believed to be. At the very least, Queen Helan, her father, and this seemingly simple yet wise young man before her were no fools.

"That is excellent. Prince Ding's Estate can assist the northern tribes in dealing with Ren Qining, ensuring he and his forces will never again have the chance to stir trouble in the north. However, in return, the northern tribes must promise to withdraw entirely beyond the original border between the north and Great Chu once the matter is settled. Does Queen Helan have any objections?" Ye Li spoke calmly.

Queen Helan nodded. "No objections. We only wish to return to our former way of life. Though we northerners may not be as clever as you Central Plains folk, we refuse to be used as mere pawns." Ren Qining always sent northern troops to the front lines in every battle. While this was partly because the northern army was more valiant than the newly formed Central Plains forces, it was also a deliberate tactic to weaken the northern troops and reduce their population. Now, though the north had established its own state and expanded its territory, the northerners were unskilled in farming, and many struggled to adapt to life in the Central Plains. Their lives had become even harder than before.

"Though Ren Qining's followers are selfish, greedy, and insatiable, many of them are indeed capable. Moreover, Ren Qining has always been wary of us. Now that he has gone to war, he has taken most of the northern troops with him, leaving Changqing City guarded mainly by Central Plains soldiers. After two years of war, the northern army has dwindled to just over 300,000, while Ren Qining commands over a million Central Plains troops. What plans do Prince Ding and Princess Ding have in mind?" The young man, who had remained silent until now, spoke up, his tone laced with resentment. The northern army's current strength of just over 300,000 was, in part, thanks to Prince Ding's Estate. The battle at Chu Jing last year alone cost the north more than 200,000 soldiers, fueling the tribes' hatred for Ren Qining.

Ye Li paid no mind to his attitude. In war, there was no room for mercy. Moreover, both Great Chu and Prince Ding's Estate had suffered heavy losses defending Chu Jing. Between nations, there were no eternal friends or enemies. At least for now, their goals regarding Ren Qining were aligned, were they not?

Ye Li replied coolly, "Ren Qining's forces may far outnumber the northern army, but the number of truly capable soldiers among them is likely quite small." Both Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had military backgrounds and understood the vast difference between raw recruits and battle-hardened veterans. In a real fight, ten of Ren Qining's Central Plains soldiers might not match one northern warrior. It wasn't that they were weak—they were simply ordinary civilians who had just picked up weapons, compared to the fierce northern warriors who had honed their skills in the harsh wilderness and intertribal conflicts."Moreover... these soldiers were originally citizens of Great Chu. In critical moments, they may not remain loyal to Ren Qining." The reputation of a lost dynasty's descendant was indeed favorable, but only after careful nurturing and ensuring the people lived better than before would they begin to yearn for that long-gone era. However, Ren Qining had now established a state and invaded Great Chu under the guise of being the Northern Frontier's son-in-law. To many, he was merely a foreign invader with the face of a Central Plains native. Furthermore, the people of the Northern Frontier had not fared well these past two years, and Ren Qining's massive conscription had brought them immense suffering. The regions beyond Zijing Pass, close to barbarian lands, had always been sparsely populated. Yet Ren Qining had conscripted over two million soldiers in just two years—how could the people not voice their grievances?

Queen Helan blinked and smiled, "I almost forgot—with Prince Ding here, why worry about those troops not defecting?" Having traveled through Great Chu and Li Cheng, she had witnessed firsthand the esteem and influence Prince Ding's Estate held among the people of Great Chu. This was also why they had agreed to the terms so readily. To compete with Prince Ding's Estate for this territory, they were simply not strong enough.

"What about the troops Ren Qining took with him when we withdraw from Great Chu?" the young man asked with a frown.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao exchanged a glance. Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Isn't that something you should consider?" The young man's face darkened. "Are we just going to let Ren Qining use all those men as cannon fodder? They are the bravest sons of our Northern Frontier!"

Mo Xiuyao responded lazily, "Was it I who asked you to agree to Ren Qining's mobilization?" You caused me trouble, and now you expect me to help you withdraw your troops? The thought of the forces amassed before Zijing Pass irked him. Queen Helan tugged at her hot-tempered cousin and offered Ye Li an apologetic smile. "Prince Ding, Wang Fei, we had no choice. Ren Qining was determined to march. Unless we openly opposed him immediately, what else could we do? We did our best to delay him."

Ye Li smiled faintly and gently tugged at Mo Xiuyao's sleeve, shaking her head slightly. Only then did Mo Xiuyao suppress his displeasure and fall silent. After a moment's thought, Ye Li said, "There might be a way to make him withdraw his troops... though I can't guarantee how many will return. We must proceed cautiously."

Queen Helan brightened. "I’ve long heard of Wang Fei's wisdom, and today proves it true. Since you are so forthright, we Northerners won’t be stingy either. If Wang Fei helps us safely bring our soldiers home, Helan is willing to disclose all of Ren Qining's covert forces. The Lin family managed to hide in Great Chu for two hundred years and amass such power—surely Prince Ding and Wang Fei wouldn’t want them to resurge decades later?"

Ye Li looked at Queen Helan in surprise. The queen smiled. "No need for doubt, Wang Fei. My late sister gathered this information. After all, she was married to Ren Qining for over a decade and knew far more than we do."Ye Li pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. The northern border had been severely weakened by Ren Qining's exploitation over the years. Even if they took all three hundred thousand soldiers back, they wouldn't have the strength to contend with the Mo Family Army anytime soon.

Queen Helan clasped her hands and smiled, "Then I thank Wang Fei for your generosity."

"Each of us seeks our own benefit. There's no need for courtesy, Your Majesty." Waiting passively for Ren Qining to lead his army to attack Zijing Pass and join forces with Northern Rong to encircle the Mo Family Army was far less effective than striking Ren Qining from behind first. With his rear in chaos, he would have no energy left to trouble the Mo Family Army.

After seeing off Queen Helan and her entourage, Mo Xiuyao gazed at Ye Li silently for a long while. Ye Li smiled softly and asked, "What's the matter?"

Mo Xiuyao took her hand in his and said solemnly, "I must leave." Ye Li nodded, "I know. I'll wrap up matters here in the northern border as quickly as possible and return to join you." The Mo Family Army was now fully engaged in battle against both Northern Rong and the northern border. Unlike last year's conflict over Chu Jing, which had been a matter of gain rather than survival, this was now a fight to the death. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for both leaders of Prince Ding's Estate to remain in this small corner of the northern border. To maintain morale, at least one of them needed to be present on the battlefield. That Mo Xiuyao had accompanied Ye Li here and stayed this long was already extraordinary.

"Keep an eye on Tan Jizhi. He's not someone to be overly trusted. If he shows any signs of trouble, eliminate him," Mo Xiuyao cautioned in a low voice. Knowing his concern for her, Ye Li leaned into his embrace and whispered with a smile, "You know I always act with discretion. I know what to do and what not to do, and I won't put myself in danger." If she had once been indifferent to life and death, that was no longer the case. She had a loving husband, three young children, and so many cherished relatives. For their sake, she would protect her life at all costs.

Mo Xiuyao grumbled, "How can I not worry? I just want to find a place to hide you away, where no one else can see you and you'll never face any danger."

"Such childishness from someone your age—aren't you embarrassed?" Ye Li rolled her eyes helplessly, then smiled and said seriously, "I can't avoid seeing people forever." Mo Xiuyao's expression darkened further. "I know. You can't let go of the Xu Family, or your friends, or that Mo Xiaobao!" At the mention of Mo Xiaobao, he instinctively gritted his teeth.

Seeing his resentment and jealousy, Ye Li chuckled softly and pressed a light kiss to his lips. "Alright, if one day you no longer have to manage Prince Ding's Estate and you still feel this way, I'll make the sacrifice. Wherever you want to go, we'll go. How about that?" Mo Xiuyao's eyes brightened. "A Li, do you mean it?"

Ye Li blinked. "Of course I do.""Good. Once I pass the throne to Mo Xiaobao, we'll go into seclusion." The gloom on Mo Xiuyao's handsome face vanished completely, replaced by radiant excitement. Seeing his eager, almost impulsive expression, Ye Li couldn't help but feel exasperated. "You're not planning to abdicate the moment we return, are you?" She was certain Mo Xiuyao was entirely capable of such an irresponsible move.

Mo Xiuyao wrapped an arm around her, sighing wistfully. "This prince would very much like to do so..." Noticing Ye Li's narrowed eyes, he quickly added, "But alas, Mo Xiaobao is still too young. At the very least, we must wait until he can ride into battle. Hmm... how about fourteen? This prince was on the battlefield before turning fourteen." Mo Xiaobao was currently eight—fourteen would be six years from now. What a delightful prospect. By then, Xu Qingchen would still be around, and if Mo Xiaobao was clever, he might even coax Xu Qingchen into serving a few more years. The thought made Mo Xiuyao feel heaven had indeed been kind—perhaps to compensate for his tumultuous and unfortunate early life by gifting him such an anticipated future...

Watching him drift into blissful reverie, Ye Li wordlessly pushed him away and headed inside. Mo Xiuyao had no choice but to follow, though not before casting a glance toward a nearby wall. With a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind struck, followed by a thud and a muffled groan.

After seeing Mo Xiuyao off, Ye Li turned back and found Tan Jizhi seated in the courtyard, smiling at her—though his posture was odd, and he occasionally winced while rubbing his shoulder.

Raising a brow at his peculiar state, Ye Li remarked coolly, "What brings you here, Young Master Tan?"

Tan Jizhi grinned. "I had matters to report to Prince Ding and Wang Fei. I happened upon Your Highnesses bidding farewell and didn’t wish to intrude, so I waited here." Ye Li noted the dirt on his dark blue robes and said evenly, "You’ve waited quite a while."

"Indeed, far too long," Tan Jizhi muttered through gritted teeth. As Ye Li took a seat opposite him, he smirked. "Prince Ding is truly at ease leaving Wang Fei alone in the northern border?" A silver glint flashed at Ye Li's fingertips—whoosh—a gleaming dagger grazed Tan Jizhi's cheek before embedding itself in the tree behind him. Ignoring his teasing, she smiled. "Would you like to test why His Highness is so confident in leaving me here alone?"

Tan Jizhi hastily shook his head. He hadn’t missed Mo Xiuyao’s earlier remark: "If anyone causes trouble, just kill them." He had no doubt Ye Li would follow through. Changing the subject, he sobered. "I’ve made contact with the northern chancellor and... hinted at the matter of my identity versus Ren Qining’s."

Ye Li studied him. "Why would he believe you’re the real one and Ren Qining the impostor?" When Lin Yuan was born, the Lin family had suffered a great upheaval. A few servants fled with the young heir, and Ren Qining wasn’t found by the Lin retainers until he was nearly ten.Tan Jizhi shook his head and said, "He didn't believe me, nor did he need to. The previous dynasty has been extinct for over two hundred years. Do you really think the authenticity of so-called surviving descendants still matters that much, Wang Fei? Those people... some can't forget the former dynasty's glory and their family's past splendor, while others are truly desperate. Even if they hadn't found Ren Qining back then, there would have been a Zhang Qining or Li Qining. They just need to believe that I can offer them more than Ren Qining could."

"That might be somewhat difficult," Ye Li mused, rubbing her forehead. Even with all his current troubles, Ren Qining still appeared more successful and beneficial than Tan Jizhi from any perspective. After all, Ren Qining still had the Northern Kingdom, while Tan Jizhi had nothing. Abandoning Ren Qining would mean those people would have to struggle for decades again—would those already enjoying their comforts be willing?

Tan Jizhi smiled faintly. "Indeed, it's difficult. But not impossible. There are already conflicts between these remnants of the former dynasty and Ren Qining. These people want to drive out or exterminate the Northerners as soon as possible to monopolize the fruits of victory without sharing them. But Ren Qining prefers to use the Northerners to fight for him. However, the Northerners aren't fools. To keep them fighting for him, Ren Qining must ensure Queen Helan doesn't bear a royal heir to be named crown prince—precisely what those old conservatives cannot tolerate. Just days after Ren Qining returned to the palace with Queen Helan and Yun Fei, Yun Fei suffered a miscarriage. The Chancellor's faction blamed the Northerners and demanded Ren Qining punish Queen Helan severely. But Ren Qining, eager to launch an attack on Zijing Pass, suppressed the matter."

"And the truth?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.

Tan Jizhi replied, "It might truly be the Northerners' doing. After all, they would never allow Yun Fei to bear the first fully Central Plains-blooded prince. But... it could also be due to Yun Fei's exhaustion from travel—a genuine accident. Though, who cares about the truth?" The Central Plains faction only wanted to use this incident to condemn the Northerners. Whether they were responsible or not, they welcomed the opportunity. As for Ren Qining, he had no choice but to placate the situation for now.

"So, the Chancellor is dissatisfied with Ren Qining?" Ye Li asked.

Tan Jizhi chuckled. "Not exactly. To them, the country is already established—who sits on the throne hardly matters. As long as it brings them greater benefits, replacing Ren Qining with Tan Jizhi wouldn't be an issue. I wouldn't even be surprised if one day they tried to claim the throne themselves."

"My apologies, but you won't become emperor this time," Ye Li said sincerely.

Tan Jizhi curled his lip. "No matter. I don't want to be the Northern emperor, much less a puppet." He sought to restore the kingdom, not become a powerless marionette—let alone one branded with a barbarian's name.

Noticing Tan Jizhi's despondent expression, Ye Li asked curiously, "Have you ever done anything you truly wanted in your life?"

Tan Jizhi met her gaze. "Yes. I've been doing it all along."

Ye Li's lips twitched. "You mean restoring the kingdom?""What's wrong?" Tan Jizhi didn't take it seriously. His greatest ambition in life was to restore the kingdom—wasn't that what he had always been doing? Although he had never achieved any results so far.

Ye Li shook her head, giving him a somewhat complicated look as she said, "I can tell you're truly determined to restore the kingdom."

Having interacted with Ye Li a few times, Tan Jizhi had some understanding of her. He asked, "Wang Fei seems unconvinced." Ye Li smiled faintly and replied, "To each their own. I'm not a descendant of the royal family, so naturally, I don't understand that sentiment. However... is it really necessary to drag the common people into the flames of war just for the sake of one family's claim to the throne?"

Tan Jizhi's expression darkened as he retorted, "What do you mean by 'necessary'? This kingdom rightfully belongs to the Lin family!"

Ye Li said calmly, "Before your Lin family, this land belonged to the Xue. If simply killing the emperor could bring about a change of dynasty, I wouldn’t object even if you replaced the emperor every day. But the ones who suffer most during every change of dynasty are the common people. They owe your Lin family nothing. On the contrary, it was the incompetence of your Lin ancestors that dragged them into the flames of war. And ever since, generations of the Lin family have been striving to plunge them back into war once more."

Tan Jizhi was momentarily speechless. He disagreed with Ye Li’s words, yet he faintly sensed that what she said wasn’t entirely wrong. After a long pause, he sneered, "Wang Fei speaks so nobly. Then what are you and Prince Ding doing now? Do you still wish to tell me that Prince Ding has no intention of contending for world domination? Does Wang Fei think I would believe that?" The depth of Mo Xiuyao’s schemes was enough to send chills down one’s spine. Though he appeared constrained and forced by circumstances, within just a few short years, he had transformed Prince Ding's Estate from the desolation and suppression following its defeat into a territory spanning both Great Chu and Western Liang, simultaneously occupying the capitals of the two most powerful nations of the time. Such a transformation was nothing short of terrifying. Looking back now, one would realize that many events had clearly been premeditated by Mo Xiuyao.

Ye Li replied indifferently, "What does it matter whether you believe it or not? When circumstances arise, should Prince Ding's Estate simply bow its head to the executioner’s blade? Young Master Tan? The Lin ancestors were merely unwilling to admit their failure, and you… are merely indulging your own ambition. In truth, it has nothing to do with restoring the kingdom."

Tan Jizhi fell silent again. After a long while, he sighed helplessly. "Perhaps Wang Fei is right. But I’ve walked this path for over thirty years—even if I wanted to stop now, I can’t."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Because you took the wrong path earlier, you must continue down it without hesitation? If there’s a cliff ahead, does Young Master Tan intend to leap off without blinking?"

Tan Jizhi smiled wryly. "Perhaps."