Mo Li

Stepping into the study and seeing the two people sitting across from each other playing chess, Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but feel envious of Mo Xiuyao’s leisurely life.

"Your Highness, isn’t it a bit unfair to let others work themselves to the bone outside while you sit here playing chess at home?" Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Feng Zhiyao remarked with a faintly mocking tone. "How can anyone keep their balance in this world? The unlucky ones have to run around in the freezing wind and rain—like me. The fortunate ones get to sit leisurely in a warm study playing chess, accompanied by a beauty—like you, Mo Xiuyao."

Ye Li glanced at Feng Zhiyao with an amused smile. Though Third Master Feng’s flamboyant face was full of discontent, there was a more genuine spark of amusement in his eyes than usual. Clearly, his mood wasn’t actually bad.

Mo Xiuyao placed a chess piece before finally looking up at Feng Zhiyao. "What’s the matter?"

Feng Zhiyao sauntered in slowly, fanning himself. "Can’t I just drop by to see you without a reason? Marriage has certainly changed you. At this time in previous years, you’d be lying half-dead in bed." Feng Zhiyao clearly had no qualms about poking at Mo Xiuyao’s old wounds. He casually took a seat nearby, surveying the room’s furnishings. "A while ago, Head Steward Mo had Leng Er look for experts in architecture—was it for this side hall? Not bad, really not bad at all. Sister-in-law, could your little brother here get one of these too?" Even someone as worldly as Third Master Feng couldn’t figure out how this warm room worked after staring at it for a while. But not understanding didn’t matter—he knew well enough what it did. In the dead of winter, who had the patience to burn expensive charcoal that smelled awful, was inconvenient, and still didn’t provide this level of warmth?

Ye Li smiled faintly. "To be honest, I don’t understand much about it either. If you’re interested, Master Feng, you could discuss it with the craftsmen." The ingenuity of ancient artisans truly shouldn’t be underestimated. She had only provided a rough design sketch and explained the basic principles, yet those experienced craftsmen had installed the hydronic system in this side hall in less than half a month. No wonder some said that many lost techniques couldn’t be replicated even with 21st-century machinery.

Feng Zhiyao’s eyes lit up. "They’re all Leng Er’s people? Many thanks, Princess Consort. I’ll go find him tomorrow." He chuckled. "Once I have a warm house like this, I’ll throw a banquet in my estate. Let’s see if those arrogant fellows won’t be drooling with envy. Hmm—Your Highness, did Leng Er mention whether we could make a profit from this? Of course… we wouldn’t forget the Princess Consort’s contribution." Remembering that Ye Li was the original creator of this warm room, Feng Zhiyao flashed her an ingratiating smile.Mo Xiuyao held a chess piece and said, "Leng Er has calculated it. Building such a warm room would cost at least seventeen thousand taels. Even if the cost gradually decreases after it becomes more common, it wouldn’t drop below fifteen thousand taels. The cost is too high. How many people do you think would be willing to spend that much?"

Feng Zhiyao pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Indeed, not many. There are plenty of nobles and wealthy people in the capital, but if just this annex alone costs over ten thousand taels, very few would be willing to spend twenty or thirty thousand taels on a warm room. If the profit is only a hundred or two hundred thousand, it’s not worth specializing in this—at least not for now."

Ye Li smiled. "Actually, Young Master Feng’s idea isn’t bad. If we could reduce the cost to around a thousand taels… there would still be a market for it."

Feng Zhiyao scoffed. "What profit could there be at around a thousand taels?"

"If it’s only around a thousand taels, then nobles, wealthy merchants, and even moderately prosperous merchants in the capital might choose warm rooms over silver charcoal. And what if we expand to the entire Chu Kingdom… or even Western Liang and Northern Rong?" Ye Li said lightly.

Feng Zhiyao was taken aback. He glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who seemed uninterested in interjecting, and after a moment of thought, said, "I’ll mention it to Leng Er later."

"The Leng Er you’re referring to must be the second young master of the Leng family, Leng Haoyu, right?" Ye Li asked. "I haven’t heard that Young Master Leng is particularly close to His Highness."

Leng Haoyu was different from Feng Zhiyao, who had grown up with Mo Xiuyao. He was a few years younger than them. When Mo Xiuyao had his accident, Leng Haoyu had only been twelve or thirteen. Moreover, the Leng family was staunchly loyal to the emperor.

Feng Zhiyao nodded, then looked at Mo Xiuyao curiously. "Has His Highness not mentioned this to the Princess Consort?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "I sent a message to Leng Haoyu asking him to come to the palace, but he seems to be unavailable."

Feng Zhiyao seemed to recall something and chuckled under his breath. "A couple of days ago, Leng Er went out drinking and happened to run into his future father-in-law. General Murong gave him a good beating—he probably still can’t leave his house. Given Leng Er’s pride, he definitely wouldn’t reply to Your Highness saying he got beaten up and can’t come."

Ye Li was surprised. "Young Master Leng was beaten by General Murong?"

"Indeed. If you had seen it, Princess Consort, you’d know General Murong didn’t hold back at all. Poor Leng Haoyu—his father doesn’t care for him, and his mother doesn’t love him. He’s probably lying in bed right now with no one to tend to him. I suppose I should go check on him later." Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but gloat.

Ye Li summoned a servant to pour Feng Zhiyao a cup of hot tea before asking, "Since Young Master Leng is His Highness’s friend, should we send someone to see him while he’s injured?"

Mo Xiuyao said, "Feng Zhiyao can go." Before Feng Zhiyao could respond, he added, "Tell him to come see me once he can leave his house."

Feng Zhiyao knew Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t summon them to Ding Royal Palace without good reason. He immediately set aside his lazy smile and straightened up. "What are Your Highness’s orders?"

Mo Xiuyao took a dossier handed to him by Ye Li. "This just arrived from the Southern Border. Take a look."Feng Zhiyao glanced at Ye Li before opening the dossier to read carefully. The further he read, the more his expression darkened. It wasn't until Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had finished their game of chess and were putting the pieces back into the box that he finally looked up and said, "Mo Jingli is secretly funding the rebellion of the Holy Maiden of Southern Border? What's going on here? If I recall correctly, the Crown Princess of Southern Border should be the younger sister of Qixia Princess. Once the Crown Princess ascends the throne in the future, Nanzhao would become Mo Jingli's greatest ally."

Mo Xiuyao held the warm teacup and said calmly, "Don't forget the King of Nanzhao is only forty this year. Unless something unexpected happens, the Crown Princess will have to wait at least twenty more years to inherit the throne."

"But the King of Nanzhao and Qixia Princess are father and daughter. Wouldn't he support his own son-in-law?" Feng Zhiyao asked.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head, "I've dealt with the King of Nanzhao before when he was still the Crown Prince of Nanzhao. He's extremely cautious and intelligent—he would never support Mo Jingli. If he would, he would have married Qixia Princess to him two years ago when Mo Jingli visited Nanzhao as an envoy, instead of waiting for Qixia Princess to travel thousands of miles to Great Chu on her own. The incident in June must have displeased the King of Nanzhao greatly. Neither he nor the Crown Princess are likely to support Mo Jingli."

Feng Zhiyao lowered his head to look at the dossier in his hands, "This analysis says the same. Then... when did Mo Jingli get involved with this so-called Holy Maiden of Southern Border?"

Feng Zhiyao realized they had underestimated Mo Jingli all these years. In his eyes, Mo Jingli had always been a hot-tempered fool since childhood, so even though Mo Jingli was a high-ranking prince while he was merely the illegitimate son of a wealthy merchant, he had never regarded Mo Jingli as a threat. But looking at all the chaos in the capital over the past two years, which incident didn't have Mo Jingli's involvement? Especially in the last six months—he had discovered that there were actually quite a few court officials siding with Prince Li.

"It must have been during his diplomatic mission to Southern Border. After all, he stayed there for quite some time back then," Mo Xiuyao said with a frown.

"Do you think... does the one in the palace know about this now?" Feng Zhiyao asked curiously. "Royal siblings turning against each other is always the most entertaining."

"He probably doesn't know. Your people haven't gotten any information yet either, have they?" Mo Xiuyao replied. Feng Zhiyao's face darkened. He was in charge of all intelligence gathering for Ding Royal Palace, yet now that news from Nanzhao had reached the palace, his people hadn't caught even a whisper of it. Of course, he knew Mo Xiuyao wasn't distrusting him—if that were the case, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have so readily shown him the information. But knowing someone was more capable than himself was never a comfortable feeling.

"There's no need to feel ashamed. This information hasn't been leaked yet. Apart from those who have seen this dossier, no one else knows," Mo Xiuyao said, not wanting to discourage his close friend and confidant too much. "However, I can't tell you the source of this information. Find a way to pass it on to Mo Jingqi.""Hand it over to Mo Jingqi?" Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that drive him mad? But letting them fight among themselves like dogs works in our favor—it buys us more time for other matters. Should we send someone to the Southern Border? While the current chaos there benefits us, prolonged instability might not. The people of Nanzhao are fierce by nature, much like the Zhou state, and have long coveted the vast resources and fertile lands of Great Chu. However, their national strength is too weak. After several failed provocations that resulted in heavy losses, they were forced to submit to Great Chu."

"Right now, we have no one to spare. There's someone on the Southern Border who should be able to handle it. Let's leave it be for now. Any news from Northern Rong?"

Feng Zhiyao scoffed lightly. "After the failed marriage alliance between Western Liang and Great Chu, Western Liang has been secretly increasing its dealings with Northern Rong. Lei Tengfeng must have noticed the issues between Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli, which is why he changed his mind so decisively. He’s probably waiting for Great Chu to descend into internal strife before joining forces with Northern Rong to attack."

"Lei Tengfeng… Does he really think Western Liang will fare any better if Great Chu becomes unstable?" Mo Xiuyao's smile was cold and distant as he frowned. "Shouldn’t Shen be back by now?"

Feng Zhiyao paused. "He should return soon."

"Once he’s back, ask him to make a trip to Western Liang," Mo Xiuyao said with a faint smile. "I hear the Western Liang Emperor has been plagued by illness for a long time. A renowned physician like Shen might find that interesting."

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, amused. "The Western Liang Emperor and Zhennan Wang? That does sound like a good idea. But I wonder if a healthy Western Liang Emperor could tolerate having a de facto regent in his country, even if unofficially?"

Ye Li sat quietly to the side, listening to their discussion about the affairs of various nations, her thoughts drifting. Over the past six months, she had gained a thorough understanding of many events in the capital. The covert power struggles between the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Prince Li—both within and outside the court—were clear to her. She hadn’t expected Mo Jingli to drag Nanzhao into the mix as well. Did these three siblings, locked in their schemes and betrayals, ever consider that those they guarded against were quietly working to preserve the nation’s stability?

"A Li, what do you think Mo Jingli stands to gain by secretly aiding the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border?" Mo Xiuyao’s voice suddenly pulled her from her thoughts.

Ye Li blinked, then frowned. "Even with the Empress Dowager’s support, Mo Jingli is no match for the Emperor. He’s at a disadvantage in terms of public opinion and legitimacy. The Emperor was rightfully enthroned by the late Emperor, and as his elder brother, he has treated Mo Jingli well. Openly opposing the Emperor would bring him no benefit. I think… Mo Jingli has always placed too much importance on Nanzhao. On the surface, he gained far more than he lost through the Qixia Princess. So, there must be some force or figure in Nanzhao that he relies on."

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "A Li is right. We’ve all noticed how drastically Mo Jingli has changed over the years. But… if you look closely, his transformation began after his return from the Southern Border. Most people simply didn’t notice. I’m certain that before then, Mo Jingli may have had ambition, but he never harbored thoughts of usurping the throne."Ye Li stood up, retrieved a map from a nearby cabinet, and unfolded it on the table. "I don't know what exactly in the Southern Border gives him such confidence," she said. "But in my opinion, even if Mo Jingli fails in his bid for the throne, he wouldn't be the one losing—provided he can control the entire Southern Border." Feng Zhiyao leaned in curiously and asked, "How so?"

Pointing at the map, Ye Li explained, "Mo Jingli's fief is in Lingzhou, merely three hundred li from Nanzhao. The royal family of Great Chu stipulates that imperial princes only need to reside in the capital for two months each year. However, due to the Empress Dowager and Consort Xian Zhao's favor, Mo Jingli has been staying in the capital year-round, rarely returning to his fief. Of course, this could also be the emperor's way of keeping an eye on him. Nevertheless, Lingzhou remains Prince Li's territory, and judging by his current confidence, it must be entirely under his control. If Nanzhao fully supports Prince Li and launches a coordinated attack from both sides, Yongzhou, which lies between Lingzhou and Nanzhao, would inevitably fall into his hands as well. East of Lingzhou is open plains. With enough troops, Prince Li could easily march eastward and seize control of most of the southwestern region. As for reinforcements from the court, even the fastest Black Cloud Cavalry would take at least twenty days to arrive, and they'd still have to cross the Yunlan River, which spans the entirety of Great Chu. From what I know... Great Chu has no army skilled in naval warfare—not even the Mo Family Army or the Black Cloud Cavalry."

As her slender fingers traced the map gracefully, Feng Zhiyao's expression grew increasingly grim. He was far more familiar with the terrain of Nanzhao and Great Chu than Ye Li, so he understood all too well what might happen if the two armies truly clashed. The area east of Lingzhou in Great Chu had long been peaceful and far from the borders, meaning the stationed troops were few and far between. If Mo Jingli allied with Nanzhao and marched southeast—instead of heading north as Nanzhao traditionally did—once they crossed Snowbreak Pass in Yongzhou, half of Great Chu's territory south of the Yunlan River would practically be handed to them on a silver platter.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Ah~ I'm on vacation and out right now, so I'll finish the rest tomorrow~