"I was just joking with you, and you’re angry." Chen Mo chuckled, then said, "Actually, I’m quite curious about what the Taotie Gu looks like, can I take a look?"

Nalan Yiren, hearing this, thought he had designs on the Taotie Gu, frowned, and said, "Don’t get any ideas about the Taotie Gu, and as I said last time, it recognizes its master, so even if you get it, it’s useless."

"Miss Nalan misunderstood, I’m really just curious to see it. If you’re bothered, then never mind," Chen Mo said.

"Don’t try to provoke me with words, I won’t fall for it." Nalan Yiren finished speaking, paused for a moment, and just as Chen Mo was a bit disappointed and about to excuse himself, she suddenly said, "The Taotie Gu is currently in hibernation, it can’t be easily awakened."

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It’s alright, I just said it casually, don’t take it seriously."

Nalan Yiren let out a light hum through her nose.

"Prince..." At this moment, Sun Meng’s voice sounded outside the house.

Chen Mo lightly raised an eyebrow and said to Nalan Yiren, "Miss Nalan, you go ahead, I won’t disturb you."

Saying that, he left Nalan Yiren’s room.

As Chen Mo left the compartment, Nalan Yiren raised her hand to cover her left chest, and her eyes flickered for a moment.

"What’s wrong?" Outside Nalan Yiren’s courtyard, Chen Mo looked at Sun Meng and asked.

"General Jiang Li was just looking for me, and he already knows about the Marquis of Hongdu County’s claiming illness, preparing to return to the Shu Residence, and has asked me to inform you, Prince." Sun Meng deliberated for a moment, then said, "Prince, we might as well go all the way and detain his Vine Armor Army, letting Jiang Li return to the Shu Residence alone."

Yang Xian just claimed illness, then Jiang Li retreats, obviously under Yang Xian’s order, urging Jiang Li to return quickly.

Chen Mo furrowed his sword-like brows for a moment and then said, "No way."

Unlike King Anping Chu Ji, Chu Ji must have secretly helped Luo Sheng and King Chong, but seeing the situation tilt towards Chen Mo, he simply sided with Chen Mo.

Yang Xian, on the other hand, is completely a neutral character, striking Chu Huai, fighting against King Chong, quelling the rebel party, Yang Xian has been meritorious, and just recently promoted to the Marquis of Hongdu County. If Chen Mo stabs him in the back now, it wouldn’t sound good if it gets out.

Moreover, the domestic order is currently unstable.

Most importantly, in Yan State, the Yan Army detained by Chen Mo is almost all of Chu Ji’s men.

But the Vine Armor Army led by Jiang Li is not all of Yang Xian’s troops, and besides, they recently sent their daughter to Linzhou...

"Go notify General Yue to see off General Jiang for me." Chen Mo decided to let Jiang Li and the Vine Armor Army return to the Shu Residence, and after he stabilizes the world later, consider how to address the Shu Residence matter.

In fact, Chen Mo could guess that the reason Yang Xian claimed illness and didn’t come, urging Jiang Li to return, was definitely because of this point, knowing his hesitation.

"Understood." Sun Meng withdrew.

Shortly after Sun Meng left, Luo Yong came over.

"Prince, we found Madam Hui." Luo Yong said.

"Where is she?" After all, she’s Chu Juan’s birth mother, Chen Mo still ensures her safety.

"At the Li Family Ancestral Mansion in He Xi Gui County."

"Why didn’t you bring her to the Celestial River?"

"It’s Madam Hui herself who refused to come, no matter how we persuaded her. She even personally wrote two letters, one for you, Prince, and one for the Princess." Luo Yong handed both letters written by Madam Hui to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo took them and saw the envelopes sealed with wax, unopened. He opened the one addressed to him and began to read the contents inside.

After reading the contents of the letter, a few signs of unnaturalness appeared on Chen Mo’s face.

Madam Hui first declined Chen Mo’s kind intentions.

Then she expressed her concerns.

Even though there was nothing between her and Chen Mo, she was once captured by Chen Mo, and the world wouldn’t see it that way.

As the saying goes, ’the purehearted remain pure,’ although she doesn’t care about the outside world’s views, she can’t tarnish the names of Chen Mo and Chu Juan because of herself. Therefore, Madam Hui believes that as long as she stays far away from Chen Mo and Chu Juan, the outside rumors will naturally fall through.

Chen Mo touched his nose and said, "That’s that with Madam Hui, have everyone come back, don’t disturb her."

"Understood."

...

Late April.

Prince Wei’s Mansion.

Inside the inner chamber, the candlelight was blazing. Beside a screen as tall as a person, on the long table, grew twin lotus flowers, one chilly, one heroic, contesting in splendor, indescribably beautiful.

Behind the twin lotus flowers, a young man with a naked upper body was plucking them.

After all, that long table was not a bed and was showing signs of collapsing.

Chen Mo was holding Yue Ruyan in his arms, with one hand holding Xia Zhining’s slender hand, his eyes slightly focused, kissing Yue Ruyan’s fragrant shoulder, and saying, "...Ruyan, the Celestial River here has pretty much stabilized, I’m planning to return to Xiangyang in May. After handling the palace examination, I’ll bring Mi’er and the others over, but I need you to remain in the Celestial River. I don’t trust anyone else, so I hope you can stay here to stabilize the court, Geng Songfu and Zuo Lianglun will assist you."

Yue Ruyan, somewhat dazed, leaned on the long table, gasping and replying, "Okay."

Beside them, Xia Zhining’s cool and exquisite jade cheeks blushed like rosy clouds. Initially "playing dead," she turned her face towards Chen Mo after hearing his words and said, "What about me?"

"You can stay if you want to, after all, it won’t be long before you come over." Chen Mo, going back, wouldn’t stay long.

"Then I’ll go with you, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my sister." Xia Zhining was not afraid of the travel fatigue.