Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 332 - 331. Queen Anxi

331. Queen Anxi

After a few days, Princess Anxi arrived in Licheng with her queen’s husband. Arriving at about the same time were the envoys sent by the Emperor of Xiling. Although the Emperor of Xiling did not come in person, he sent another envoy even though the Southern Garrison Prince had already arrived. Even outsiders could clearly see how tense the relationship between the Emperor of Xiling and the Southern Garrison Prince had become. Whether it was intentional or an oversight by the person arranging for these dignitaries, the envoys of the Emperor of Xiling and the Southern Garrison Prince were placed in the same courtyard, as they were all from Xiling. Whatever happened between the two parties living together was no longer Prince Ding’s Mansion’s concern.

Amongst all the dignitaries, the people from Beirong were the last to arrive, but the envoys they sent were quite significant. As the King of Beirong was aged, he couldn’t travel himself and instead sent Crown Prince of Beirong Yelv Hong and Seventh Prince Yelv Ye as his envoys. For a time, the most influential figures from around the world gathered in Licheng, a congregation unseen since Mo Xiaobao’s full moon banquet.

Seeing Princess Anxi again took Ye Li by surprise, simply because she was now five months pregnant.

Inside Prince Ding’s Mansion, upon seeing Princess Anxi in her white queenly attire, her previously flat belly now slightly bulging, Ye Li promptly asked Qingshuang by her side to assist Princess Anxi and help her sit down. "What are you doing here when you’re pregnant? Isn’t your queen’s husband worried?"

Princess Anxi replied with a cheerful and bright smile, "Our Nanzhao women are not as delicate as your central plains women. What’s four or five months? Even at seven or eight months, we can still move around."

Seeing that Princess Anxi seemed to be in good health, showing no signs of exhaustion or pallor from the long journey, Ye Li felt relieved. She looked at her closely and, with a smile, said, "It seems like Princess... Queen Anxi, you and your queen’s husband are getting along quite well."

Lowering her eyes and giving a faint smile, Princess Anxi’s face carried an added touch of tenderness as she mentioned Pu’a, her queen’s husband. "He’s a simple man, not as complex as those from your central plains. Having such a husband is my blessing, isn’t it?"

Ye Li gave a slightly relieved smile. Princess Anxi’s deep affection for Xu Qingchen was fated to remain unreciprocated, so if she could find her own happiness, that would be wonderful. As they sat down, Qingshuang perceptively served Princess Anxi a glass of juice suitable for pregnant women before stepping back.

Ye Li looked at Princess Anxi and asked with a faint smile, "Speaking of which, how did you end up arriving with the envoy from Xiling?" Not only was Ye Li curious, but others were probably wondering too. While it was possible to travel from Nanzhao to Licheng by way of Xiling, the route was much more difficult than via Broken Snow Pass. The fact that Princess Anxi, who was pregnant, had chosen to travel via Xiling and also managed to arrive with the Xiling envoy seemed strange.

Without any evasion, Princess Anxi answered with a smile, "Before coming to Licheng, we visited the Xiling Imperial City."

They were all intelligent people and quickly understood. Ye Li raised her eyes and with a smile asked, "Do you plan... to cooperate with the Emperor of Xiling?"

Princess Anxi sighed helplessly. "Cooperating with the Emperor of Xiling is better than cooperating with Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting is now sandwiched in the middle of Great Chu. To the north, he faces the Mo Family Army, and to the south, the natural barrier of the Yunlan River. If he wants to break the current stalemate, he must either cross that natural barrier to confront Mo Jingli head-on, or turn towards us in Nanzhao. Nanzhao Kingdom is small, not as strong and mighty as Xiling. If we don’t want him to make a move on Nanzhao first, then cooperating with the Emperor of Xiling is the only choice. I just hope the Emperor of Xiling isn’t a fool."

Ye Li laughed. "The Emperor of Xiling is a little inferior to Lei Zhenting. However, he is also a genuine fool. It’s just that with Lei Tengfeng still in Ancheng City, can you two cooperate smoothly?"

Princess Anxi laughed, "Lei Tengfeng is indeed a problem, but recently he also has troubles of his own."

"Oh?" Ye Li arched her eyebrows, intrigued. Although Lei Tengfeng’s fame was overshadowed by his father’s, he didn’t stand out. It seemed as if he hadn’t achieved anything remarkable in the military, but that was because his opponent was Mo Xiuyao. Information from Prince Ding’s Mansion’s undercover agents was enough to prove that Lei Tengfeng was not an ordinary or mediocre person. Princess Anxi laughed, "Don’t you remember, the King of Hell Pavilion has a feud with the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion? But in these years, the momentum of the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion has been too strong; even if the King of Hell Pavilion is powerful, as a worldly society organization, they naturally can’t do anything about him. Now that the Imperial City of Xiling has just moved to Ancheng City, and the power of the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion has been greatly damaged, Lei Tengfeng’s days in Ancheng City are not easy either."

"I see." Ye Li nodded with a smile. "But I wonder, what kind of feud do Ling Tiehan and Lei Zhenting have? It doesn’t seem like a deep-seated hatred." If it were indeed a mortal enmity, with the strength of Ling Tiehan and the King of Hell Pavilion, it was quite likely that they could have killed Lei Zhenting in a fight to mutual destruction. But Ling Tiehan hadn’t taken any action for a long time, and he didn’t make any real move against Lei Zhenting on their several encounters, which indicated that their enmity wasn’t an irreconcilable blood feud.

Touching her slightly bulging belly, Princess Anxi laughed, "I’ve heard a few things about this from the Emperor of Xiling. It seems to have something to do with the deceased Princess Consort Southern Garrison. The Princess Consort Southern Garrison died soon after giving birth to Lei Tengfeng. It was said her death was somewhat strange. The Emperor of Xiling didn’t go into detail, so who knows."

Ye Li furrowed her brows in thought and advised, "If you really plan to cooperate with the Emperor of Xiling, it might be better to look into this matter further. Although I trust Pavilion Master Ling’s character, this is a grave matter. If someone stabs you in the back at a crucial time, it will be very troublesome."

A trace of warmth crossed Princess Anxi’s face as she nodded and smiled, "I know. Thank you for the reminder." They both understood that there was no such thing as lasting peace and friendship between nations. Perhaps in the future, they might turn against each other, but for now, Princess Anxi knew that Ye Li was genuinely concerned for her.

"Let’s not talk about these vexing matters," Ye Li said with a laugh. "Princess Qixia has come to Licheng with Mo Jingli. Do you want to meet her?"

Princess Anxi frowned slightly and shook her head. "No need. She doesn’t regard me as her older sister, and I don’t regard her as my younger sister either. Over the years, she has followed Mo Jingli without any formal title, leaking so many secrets of the Nanzhao Kingdom for him. Whatever happens to her in the future is her own fate. But I have yet to see your heir and commendary princess."

Ye Li chuckled. "Oh, that’s easily arranged." She turned to have Qingshuang bring the little ones over, and then sent Qin Feng to fetch the little heir.

It wasn’t long before Mo Xiaobao appeared at the door like a gust of wind. "Mother, did you call for me?" When Mo Xiaobao saw the stranger sitting by his mother’s side, his innocent smile gradually faded, replaced with a polite and appropriate expression.

Ye Li beckoned him with a smile and said, "This is Queen Anxi of Nanzhao. Come and pay your respects."

Only then did Mo Xiaobao approach and announce, "Mo Yuchen greets Queen Anxi."

Watching this exquisitely handsome boy greet her with utmost seriousness, Princess Anxi’s smile broadened. She turned to Ye Li and said, "As expected of the heir from Prince Ding’s Mansion. My seven or eight-year-old child is still frolicking in the palace."

As a mother, Ye Li always enjoyed hearing praise for her child, so she responded with a smile, "Don’t be fooled by his obedient face right now; he can also be quite mischievous."

After some thought, Princess Anxi took out a blue gemstone and offered it to Mo Xiaobao, saying, "I forgot to prepare a meeting gift. Here, this is for you to play with. I hope you like it."

Mo Xiaobao received it with both hands and said in a steady voice, "Yuchen thanks the Queen."

Princess Anxi, charmed by his serious demeanor, enthused, "If my child could be even seventy or eighty percent as handsome as your little heir, I would be content."

Mo Xiaobao blinked and said in a clear, bright voice, "The Queen has a naturally endowed, phoenix-like majesty. Whether it’s a little prince or a little princess, they will naturally be noble and have an extraordinary appearance."

Princess Anxi laughed. "Thank you for your auspicious words, little heir."

After paying his respects to Princess Anxi, Mo Xiaobao immediately handed the gemstone she had given him to a person following behind him and then walked to Ye Li’s side, sitting down decorously. Seeing that he was not only exquisitely handsome but also that his words and actions were well-mannered and measured, with an air of seemingly innate nobility, Princess Anxi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao’s good fortune. Lowering her head, she gently stroked her own slightly protruding belly, her heart filling with even more anticipation.

"Princess Consort, the little lord and commendary princess have arrived." Two nursemaids entered, each cradling an infant. Mo Xiaobao’s eyes lit up as he gazed intently at the two little babies as they were placed into the arms of Ye Li and Princess Anxi. Both babies were well-behaved, not fussing even when held by a complete stranger like Princess Anxi. The baby in Ye Li’s arms seemed to sense his mother’s warm presence and broke into giggles.

Mo Xiaobao craned his neck to look and said, "This one smiles so much, he must be my little brother." The two recently born babies in Prince Ding’s Mansion rarely cried, and among them, the younger brother, Lin’er, was particularly cheerful. As long as he wasn’t asleep, if someone teased him, he would giggle. Of course, the prerequisite was that the person teasing him couldn’t be Prince Ding Mo Xiuyao.

Princess Anxi held little Xin’er, still a bit stiffly and carefully patting the little princess’s swaddling clothes, and said enviously, "Princess Consort and Prince Ding are truly blessed. The three heirs and the commendary princess are all so exquisitely lovely." Ye Li listened quietly with a gentle smile.

After saying goodbye to Princess Anxi and seeing the babies settled into their rooms, Ye Li headed to the study in the front yard. Just as she walked into the flower garden in front of the study, she encountered Mo Jingli coming towards her. Seeing Mo Jingli’s gloomy expression, she couldn’t help but want to avoid him. While he didn’t intimidate her, consistently encountering such a disgruntled face—as if someone owed him five million taels and wouldn’t pay—was ultimately uncomfortable.

However, Mo Jingli spotted her the moment she hesitated. Now it would be inappropriate to turn and leave. Ye Li could only step forward and nod faintly, saying, "Prince Li." These days, several key people in Prince Ding’s Mansion were very busy. Not only were they busy with various matters of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the birthday banquet, but they were also dealing with people like Mo Jingli who, having eaten their fill and having nothing better to do, would drop by for a chat. Ye Li wasn’t sure what Mo Jingli wanted to discuss with Mo Xiuyao today, but from his grim expression, she could tell their conversation hadn’t gone well.

Mo Jingli blocked Ye Li’s way, saying nothing, just staring at her. His gaze made Ye Li frown slightly in annoyance. She said indifferently, "If Prince Li has nothing to say, I have matters with my husband to attend to. I will take my leave."

Mo Jingli looked at her and asked, "Must you always speak to me like this?"

Ye Li was taken aback, momentarily confused. She watched Mo Jingli in bewilderment, not understanding what he meant at all. She believed that her words and actions had been respectful.

Mo Jingli seemed somewhat impatient, glaring at Ye Li and speaking harshly, "When I called off our engagement, you hated me so much. Were you determined to help Mo Xiuyao oppose me? Now that Mo Xiuyao has taken the Capital of the Great Chu, are you satisfied?"

Ye Li rolled her eyes, speechless. What kind of twisted logic was this? She took a slight breath, then calmly said, "His Highness Prince Li, I believe you’ll recall that it was after you first abandoned the Capital of Great Chu that Prince Ding’s Mansion went to rescue it—no, to rescue Changxing. We didn’t take it from you."

Mo Jingli stiffened for a moment, his face dark, and said bluntly, "Even so, it belonged to Great Chu! Moreover, wasn’t Beirong and Northern Jin’s attack on Great Chu part of Mo Xiuyao’s calculations? If it weren’t for you helping Mo Xiuyao, could he have captured Xiling so quickly?"

Ye Li laughed in extreme anger. "His Highness Prince Li, what does Beirong and Northern Jin’s attack on Great Chu have to do with our Prince? Could it be that our Prince incited them to attack Great Chu? Furthermore, I am Princess Consort Ding. If I don’t help my own husband, who should I help? Also, many years ago, I told the Prince something. I wonder if the Prince still remembers it?"

Mo Jingli frowned, obviously not understanding which words she was referring to.

Ye Li said unhurriedly, "Delusions are an illness; they need to be cured. I request Your Highness to consider this carefully. I take my leave." After saying this, she ignored Mo Jingli’s reaction, walked around him, and headed towards the study.

"Ye Li!" Mo Jingli called suddenly, reaching out to grab Ye Li’s wrist. But how could Ye Li be an ordinary, weak woman who could be so easily caught? She lifted her hand and parried, blocking Mo Jingli’s hand.

Mo Jingli demanded in a deep voice, "I have something to say to you!"

Ye Li replied indifferently, "I have nothing to discuss with Prince Li."

Mo Jingli stretched out his other hand to grab Ye Li’s arm. Ye Li sidestepped him, and a flash of cold light from her sleeve created distance between them. She raised her hand to stop the hidden guards protecting her from appearing. Staring at Mo Jingli, she said, "Prince Li, this is Prince Ding’s Mansion, not a place where you can do as you please."

Mo Jingli was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have something to say to you in private."

Ye Li frowned and replied, "And I’ve said, I have nothing to discuss with Your Highness in private. I respect that you are a guest, and I ask Prince Li to also conduct himself with dignity. Farewell." With that, she turned and walked away.

As Mo Jingli took a step to follow, two shadowy figures flashed before him, and two black-clad guards blocked his path. "Prince Li, please show some restraint."

Looking at the two evidently skilled individuals before him, and then at Ye Li disappearing into the distance, Mo Jingli finally gave a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and left.

Entering the study, Mo Xiuyao was sitting there reading a book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see Ye Li and grinned. "Ah-Li, has Princess Anxi left?"

Ye Li nodded. "I bumped into Mo Jingli in the garden earlier. He was acting very strangely. What did you two talk about?"

Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li into his arms, forcing her to sit on his lap, which made Ye Li feel embarrassed for a moment. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, flicked his hand, and a gust of wind slammed the door shut. He then said with a laugh, "What else could it be? He cursed me for being despicable, taking advantage of others’ misfortune, and so on. And by the way, he wanted to see if he could get Changxing City back."

"Get it back?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Mo Jingli sure was indulging in fantasy. To capture Changxing City, the Mo Family Army, while en route to provide reinforcements, had forcibly broken through the multiple blockades of the Beirong army; countless soldiers had died in battle. How could Mo Jingli get it back with just a few casual words? Prince Ding’s Mansion was not a charity, and Mo Xiuyao was not a saint.

Mo Xiuyao rested his chin lazily on her shoulder, scoffing, "Even if I give it back to him, can he protect it?"

Ye Li also smiled. Nowadays, all of Great Chu’s military strength was in Jiangnan, and the areas north of Jiangnan had long been occupied by various forces. Let alone that they wouldn’t return the Capital of Great Chu, it was feared that even if Mo Xiuyao really did return the Capital of Great Chu, Mo Jingli might not dare to accept it. Accepting it would mean having to dispatch troops to garrison it and officials to manage it. These points aside, if the capital were to fall into the hands of Beirong or the people of the Northern Territory again, Mo Jingli’s reputation would then be utterly trampled.

"So why did he come in the first place?" Ye Li asked, puzzled.

"Idle and stuffed, just came to bluster a bit. Did he bother Ah-Li in the garden earlier?" Mo Xiuyao intimately nuzzled Ye Li’s hair and asked softly.

Ye Li laughed lightly. "How could he bother me?"

Mo Xiuyao laughed. "Well, that’s not necessarily true. Seeing how well we’re doing, he naturally feels envy, jealousy, and hatred. Maybe he even thinks you’re helping me just to get revenge on him or something like that."

Ye Li was dumbfounded; Mo Jingli really did think that way. Lifting her head and cupping Mo Xiuyao’s handsome face, Ye Li stated seriously, "Don’t trouble yourself trying to understand a fool’s thoughts; it’s contagious."

Mo Xiuyao blinked, immediately understanding Ye Li’s meaning. He burst into laughter. As if that wasn’t enough, he pulled Ye Li closer into his embrace, planted several heavy kisses on her pink, cherry-like lips, and continued his uproarious laughter.

Seeing him laugh so joyously, Ye Li could only helplessly go along with him. Leaning into Mo Xiuyao’s arms, she incidentally recounted her conversation with Princess Anxi. As Mo Xiuyao played with her slender, fair hand, he mused, "Nanzhao poses no immediate threat to us, so there’s no harm in secretly assisting her. If the Emperor of Xiling could truly take on Lei Zhenting, it would save us a lot of trouble."

"Do you honestly think the Emperor of Xiling can handle Lei Zhenting?" Ye Li asked.

"He can’t," Mo Xiuyao denied without hesitation. "The Emperor of Xiling may have some cleverness, but he is far from being on the same level as Lei Zhenting. As long as they can cause Lei Zhenting some trouble early on, that’s enough. Our current concern is... Beirong!"

Mentioning Beirong, a trace of killing intent flashed through Mo Xiuyao’s calm eyes. The enmity between Beirong and the Mo Family Army—or rather, with Mo Xiuyao himself—was absolutely greater than that with all other nations combined. Back then, Mo Xiuwen had died at the hands of the Beirong people. The Mo Family Army’s most devastating defeat in two hundred years was also at the hands of the Beirong. Most of Mo Xiuyao’s seven or eight years of forbearance and humiliation were also due to the Beirong people. Now that the Mo Family Army had finally recovered, it was time for the Beirong people to face retaliation. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao would absolutely not overlook the numerous atrocities committed by the Beirong people wherever they went in Great Chu last year.

Leaning in Mo Xiuyao’s embrace, Ye Li frowned slightly and said, "Yelv Hong and Yelv Ye will arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest. Xiuyao, how do you plan to accommodate them?"

Mo Xiuyao replied with a faint smile, "This time is for my maternal grandfather’s birthday celebration; I have no intention of dealing with them now. It will be handled like other guests. Our Licheng is a small place; letting Yelv Hong and Yelv Ye stay together should suffice."

Ye Li smiled faintly. Yelv Hong and Yelv Ye had always been at odds, openly fighting and secretly scheming for over a decade without a clear winner. Having them live together would allow them to mutually constrain each other, ensuring neither could stir up any trouble in Licheng.

"I should also go see Princess Ronghua," Ye Li said after a moment’s thought. A chess piece buried for so many years... I should see if it’s still usable. It would be a pity if something unexpected happened.

Mo Xiuyao had complete trust in whatever Ye Li did. Although Princess Ronghua was previously arrogant and domineering, in these past few years, it was said her methods were also quite effective. However, it was another person who made Mo Xiuyao frown slightly. "That Ye Ying, is she really going to be alright?"

Mo Xiuyao had no fondness for Ye Ying. Apart from possessing a fairly good appearance, she was useless at everything. Such a woman, with her fickle temperament, couldn’t even be trusted with significant tasks; even peacefully being the Madam of House would be overestimating her. Compared to a woman like Ye Ying, Mo Xiuyao felt that women like Yaoji, who came from a brothel, were more reassuring to use; even someone like Princess Ronghua, who was pampered and arrogant from childhood, was more reliable than her.

Ye Li responded with a faint smile, "As long as the Prince can help her find her son, she’ll be reliable. Moreover, Your Highness, don’t underestimate women, especially delicate-looking ones like Ye Ying. The more frail a woman appears on the outside, often the more ruthless she is at heart." Conversely, those who appear intimidating often accomplish little because such people easily make others wary.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "As long as Ah-Li knows what she’s doing, that’s fine."

"Mo Jingli’s son... Xiuyao, do you really know nothing about him at all?" Ye Li asked curiously.

Mo Xiuyao responded, "Originally, I had no interest. But since Ah-Li needs it, I’ll just send people to investigate. However... according to Mo Jingqi’s consistent way of doing things, I’m afraid this child..."

"What about him?"

"He could be far away at the edge of the sky, or right before your eyes. But even given a hundred years, Mo Jingli might never be able to guess," Mo Xiuyao chuckled.

An idea flashed through Ye Li’s mind but disappeared before she could grasp it. However, Ye Li felt she might have a clue now. Mo Xiuyao carelessly played with strands of Ye Li’s soft, dark hair. "Is Ah-Li really planning to find the child and return him to Ye Ying? Ye Ying is hardly the type to understand gratitude and repay it."

Ye Li laughed. "I naturally know that, and I don’t plan to return the child to her immediately after finding him. But since I’ve promised her, I have to at least try to find him. Besides, this child is also very important to Mo Jingli, isn’t he?" Having finally seized the throne but having no son to inherit—the sense of achievement from seizing the throne would instantly be diminished countless times.