Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 341 - 340. Extra Gift

340. An Extra Gift

"Mother Consort, do you really not recognize us?"

Noble Consort Liu’s body trembled, and she said sternly, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t know you! Leave now!"

Princess Zhenning closed her eyes and spoke in a low voice, "Have you never felt any guilt..."

"I don’t know what you are talking about." Noble Consort Liu forced herself to remain calm and waved her hand to summon the guards from outside the door. "Guards, drive them out! They are not allowed to come in again!"

"You!" Princess Zhenning suddenly stood up but was stopped by Mo Xiaoyun. Mo Xiaoyun held back Princess Zhenning, who was about to rush forward, and said in a deep voice, "Sister, let’s go back first." Princess Zhenning was dragged out by Mo Xiaoyun, her gaze fixed fiercely on Noble Consort Liu. By the time Mo Xiaoyun and Princess Zhenning had disappeared from the entrance, Noble Consort Liu seemed to have lost all her strength and collapsed into her chair.

Princess Ronghua leisurely observed her and chuckled softly, "Why be so heartless? Even if you have two children, the royal family of Beirong wouldn’t mind. Beirong is less particular about such rules than we are, after all. Moreover, at your age... do you still expect people to believe you’re still a maiden?"

"Ronghua!" Noble Consort Liu stared at her fiercely, her eyes sharp.

Princess Ronghua stood up, nonchalantly smiling. "Since Prince Changxing and Princess Zhenning mistook you for someone else, I shall take my leave as well. My future seventh sister-in-law. But... will the Seventh Prince really marry you?" Hearing Princess Ronghua laughing as she left the hall, a dark expression slowly crept across Noble Consort Liu’s face. Her hand hidden in her sleeve was clenched so tight that her long nails cut into her palm, drawing blood, though she was oblivious to it.

Why should she feel guilty? Everything she did, she did to live a better life, and for revenge! Who knew how much suffering she had endured? Compared to the hardships she faced before meeting Yelv Ye, theirs was nothing! What did they have to make her feel guilty? People only assumed Yelv Ye was infatuated with her beauty and deeply devoted to her. But if Yelv Ye was really in love with her, why hadn’t he married her after all this time? But it didn’t matter... As long as Yelv Ye still needed her, she could manipulate the people of Beirong. She would definitely make Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li pay the price they deserved!

「In the blink of an eye.」

It was already Mr. Qingyun’s birthday. The entire Licheng was lit up with lanterns and decorations, and the atmosphere was lively, even more so than the New Year celebrations. Over the years, with Prince Ding’s Mansion effectively governing the Northwest, the influence of the Xu Family and Lishan Academy in the Northwest region had gradually increased. Countless residents in the Northwest had received favors from Xu Qingchen and others. Moreover, since Mr. Qingyun was the maternal grandfather of Princess Consort Ding, the entire city of Licheng naturally celebrated his birthday with even more fervor than a festival.

As Licheng gradually expanded over the years, it emulated the Nanzhao Royal City by building a large square in the city not far from Prince Ding’s Mansion. Behind the square was a towering Viewing Platform where the people of Licheng gathered to celebrate during festivals. It was the first time a feast was held here, which allowed the citizens to enjoy the grand feast of Prince Ding’s Mansion at a closer distance. Although this presented a great challenge to security, Prince Ding’s Mansion, with its covert security capabilities, had no fear.

As the lanterns lit up, the entire square was decorated with colorful lights. Numerous dazzling fireworks burst into the sky, attracting cheers from the people gathered in the square. The city residents flocked from their homes to the square, eager to enjoy the rare and beautiful fireworks display.

On the Viewing Platform, the expansive area was enough to accommodate a banquet for thousands of people. This venue was originally designed to host large-scale banquets. After all, Prince Ding’s Mansion itself was not large, and Licheng was not suitable to be a true capital. Building another temporary palace here would have been a waste of resources and manpower. Constructing only this plaza and Viewing Platform not only allowed ordinary people to enjoy themselves here on a daily basis but also served as a gathering place during festivals. It also resolved the issue of Prince Ding’s Mansion being unable to host large-scale banquets. After all, they couldn’t always hold banquets on the city wall, could they?

The Viewing Platform was designed with its two sides curving forward to form a semicircle. Regardless of where one sat, they could see the entire plaza. Furthermore, its three-tiered, terraced structure ensured that all guests at the banquet could see the host at the top. This was originally an idea Ye Li had briefly mentioned, but it was ultimately designed and completed by Xu Hongyan. Over the past two years, many of the annual banquets at Prince Ding’s Mansion were held here, embodying the spirit of sharing festivities with the public.

A huge, gold "Longevity" character on a red background hung in the most central position at the top of the platform. If one looked closely, they would discover that this "Longevity" character was composed of countless smaller "Longevity" characters, each in a different style. The calligraphy was elegant yet dignified and orderly, clearly the work of Young Master Qingchen.

「That night.」

The top seats were no longer occupied by Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, but by Mr. Qingyun, an elderly man with white hair and beard, possessing a fairylike demeanor. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao sat to his right, while Xu Hong Yu, Xu Hongyan, and other members of the Xu Family sat a little lower down on his left. Further below them were the nobles and dignitaries from various countries who had come to offer birthday congratulations, followed by the civil and military officials of Prince Ding’s Mansion. With such seating arrangements, how could anyone present fail to see the Xu Family’s current standing within Prince Ding’s Mansion?

At the start of the banquet, Ye Li, along with Xu Qingyan, escorted Mr. Qingyun to the seat of honor before she took her own place beside Mo Xiuyao. After all the guests were seated, an area in the plaza below was cleared. Hundreds of women in colorful attire, holding colored lanterns, danced gracefully to a melodious tune. Such a grand spectacle was far more magnificent and imposing than the palace banquets people were accustomed to. Many of the common folk gathered there to watch the fireworks also enjoyed a visual feast.

Mo Xiaobao sat between Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, curiously observing the grand spectacle before him. He was the Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had not kept him hidden at home, so he had been exposed to various people and situations from a young age. Even so, this unprecedentedly grand occasion was still a first for him. The dignitaries and nobles below also noticed the child in black, exuding an air of remarkable handsomeness and extraordinariness, seated between Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding. His large, dark eyes curiously scanned the crowd below, showing no sign of fear. This child was Yuchen, the eldest son of Prince Ding’s Mansion, personally named by Mr. Qingyun himself. Not to mention that Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding had recently been blessed with twins, this child alone surpassed many of those present.

The young Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion already displayed such impressive demeanor and composure at such a tender age. Prince Ding’s Mansion, having such a son, had every reason to be proud.

While the common folk below were immersed in song and dance, the guests on the Viewing Platform were not idle. They admired the rare and magnificent performance while chatting with those seated beside them, and then, one by one, they came forward to present their birthday gifts to Mr. Qingyun. Perhaps having learned a lesson from Yelv Ye’s incident at Mo Xiaobao’s Full Moon banquet years ago, the gift presentations this time were quite orderly. The guests brought delightful and appropriate birthday gifts. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were very pleased with this, as the banquet was, after all, to celebrate Mr. Qingyun’s birthday, and they did not want any mishaps to spoil the old man’s mood. Even Mo Xiaobao personally presented a "Hundred Longevity Characters" painting he had created. Although Mo Xiaobao was not yet eight years old, his academic progress and calligraphy, under Mr. Qingyun’s tutelage over the past two years, were quite impressive, much to Mr. Qingyun’s delight.

Mr. Qingyun was, after all, advanced in years. After receiving birthday wishes from everyone, he only sat for a short while before returning to rest. It wasn’t until Mr. Qingyun had left that Ye Li finally heaved a sigh of relief. Although inviting so many people to celebrate the birthday was indeed a grand gesture, these individuals were not easy to deal with. If any altercation had occurred in her grandfather’s presence, it would have unnecessarily upset the old man. Therefore, seeing that the banquet had proceeded smoothly before Mr. Qingyun’s departure, Ye Li felt much better. As for anyone wanting to cause trouble later, Prince Ding’s Mansion was not afraid.

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head to see the smile on Ye Li’s lips. He held her slender hand and whispered with a smile, "However much those people want to stir up trouble, they are wise enough not to do so at Grandfather’s birthday celebration." Ye Li nodded with a smile. "I know, but there’s always a bit of worry. Now that Grandfather has gone to rest, it doesn’t matter." She knew that, but there were always people who loved to cause trouble at such times. For Ye Li, nothing today was more important than Mr. Qingyun’s mood.

After the guest of honor, the old man, had left, the other guests felt much more at ease. In the presence of a renowned contemporary scholar like Mr. Qingyun, even these nobles and powerful figures from various countries couldn’t help but feel somewhat restrained. Before long, the atmosphere on the Viewing Platform livened up. Sitting below, Lei Zhenting was absentmindedly sipping his fine wine while observing Ye Li above, who was seated beside Mo Xiuyao and carefully wiping Mo Xiaobao’s mouth. Under the bright candlelight, the woman’s gentle smile seemed exceptionally tender and captivating.

Lei Zhenting narrowed his sharp eyes, his gaze sweeping over Mo Xiuyao.

"I heard that Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding were blessed with dragon and phoenix twins last month. Such joyous news, and I haven’t even congratulated you yet," Lei Zhenting suddenly said. His voice was not loud, but backed by his internal energy, it easily spread throughout the entire Viewing Platform. The guests present also came to their senses and quickly congratulated Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li. Mo Xiuyao replied with a faint smile, raising his cup. "This Prince thanks the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling, and all of you as well."

Lei Zhenting laughed. "For such a joyous occasion, how can I not present a gift? I have prepared a grand gift for Prince Ding, and I hope he won’t deem it unworthy. It also serves to demonstrate the deep friendship between our two countries."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, casting a questioning glance at Lei Zhenting. He could hardly believe that Lei Zhenting would genuinely gift him something to celebrate the birth of twins, especially since he had recently killed Lei’s grandson and granddaughter.

Lei Zhenting laughed. "This gift is incredibly precious. My men had to search far and wide for it." Mo Xiuyao pursed his lips slightly. "If it’s truly so valuable, Southern Garrison Prince, you may keep it for yourself." Lei Zhenting laughed again. "Such a treasure is only fitting for Prince Ding. If I were to keep it, it would be wasted. Men, bring it in..." In no time, several Xiling guards carried in a large box. They gently set the wooden box on the ground and respectfully stood aside, awaiting further orders.

It was less a box and more an exquisitely carved wooden cabinet. All eyes were drawn to the intricately engraved sandalwood cabinet in the center of the hall, curious about the gift that the Southern Garrison Prince was bestowing upon Prince Ding with such solemnity. Seeing the audience’s reaction, the Southern Garrison Prince gave a satisfied smirk. "Open it and let’s see."

A guard stepped forward and slid the top off the wooden cabinet. A faint, mysterious fragrance immediately filled the Viewing Platform.

The crowd gasped in unison. Where the wooden cabinet had stood, a young woman in white now knelt. She appeared to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, and her looks were not stunningly beautiful. At least four or five women present, including Princess Consort Ding, surpassed her in terms of beauty. Yet, she possessed a strange, captivating allure that drew the gazes of all guests. One couldn’t help but feel that every aspect of this woman was perfectly harmonious, to the point that even her not-quite-exquisite features seemed flawless. If she had a more beautiful face, it might even disrupt this unique aura.

The woman was dressed in plain white, her hair loosely draped over her shoulders. She wore no accessories or makeup. Even her beautiful eyes were serene, showing no ripple of emotion, yet anyone who met her gaze couldn’t help but hear their own heart pounding.

"Southern Garrison Prince, what is the meaning of this?" Before Mo Xiuyao could speak, Xu Hongyan, on the other side, had already scowled. "Regardless of anything else, today is Mr. Qingyun’s birthday. For you, Lei Zhenting, to present a beautiful young woman to Prince Ding is rather impolite." Lei Zhenting, however, seemed unconcerned and smiled at Xu Hongyan. "I am aware that today marks Mr. Qingyun’s birthday, and my actions could be considered somewhat impolite. However, I had only just acquired this ’treasure’ and hastily had her sent to Licheng. That’s why I wanted to present her to Prince Ding at the first opportunity. After all... such a treasure, leaving her in my hands is truly... rather tempting..." Lei Zhenting gave Xu Hongyan a knowing smile.

Mo Xiuyao looked down at the woman in white, raising an eyebrow. "What is the meaning of this, Southern Garrison Prince?"

Lei Zhenting laughed. "Prince Ding has been married to his Princess Consort for nearly a decade, yet his mansion has not taken in a single Secondary Consort or serving maid. This Prince understands that with a wondrous woman like the Princess Consort by his side, Prince Ding would naturally look down on ordinary women. Therefore, I present this woman; I believe she is absolutely worthy of being Prince Ding’s companion." Many dismissed Lei Zhenting’s words. After all, Princess Consort Ding was indeed an unparalleled woman, and even in terms of looks alone, she was by no means inferior to the woman in white. Yet, looking at the woman in white, no one could find fault with her. On second thought, while Princess Consort Ding was Prince Ding’s primary consort, adding a few beautiful Secondary Consorts or concubines would make for a fine story. With this thought, not only did they have no objections to the woman in white, but many also began to entertain other ideas. Of course, the envoys sent by the Emperor of Xiling were an exception. The Xiling Emperor’s envoys merely kept their heads down, staring at the fine wine in their cups as if it had suddenly turned into ambrosia.

Actually, it wasn’t until Lei Zhenting mentioned it that the people present realized that in all these years, Prince Ding hadn’t even taken a single concubine; Princess Consort Ding was the only woman in Prince Ding’s Mansion. Although Princess Consort Ding was an unparalleled woman, in the eyes of the nobles in this male-dominated world, Prince Ding’s actions were absolutely incredible. Forget about the nobles of other countries; even many of Prince Ding’s current subordinates harbored some disapproval. This was not because they had any issue with Ye Li, but because of the age-old principle of a man having multiple wives and concubines. Moreover, as the master of Prince Ding’s Mansion, Mo Xiuyao was destined in many people’s eyes to eventually ascend the throne as emperor, and he absolutely could not focus all his attention on just one woman.

Seeing the expressions of approval and envy on many faces, Lei Zhenting smiled satisfactorily and looked at Ye Li, who was sitting next to Mo Xiuyao. Ye Li’s expression was calm as usual; there was even a faint smile on her lips.

On the other side, a flash of anger crossed Xu Qingyan’s eyes, and he was about to stand up. Xu Qingbai, sitting beside him, quickly held him back. Xu Qingyan hissed in a low, angry voice, "Fourth Brother, what are you doing?!" Xu Qingbai glanced at Mo Xiuyao, whose expression was serene, and said, "This is a matter between Prince Ding and Li’er." The Xu Family would not demand that Mo Xiuyao have only Ye Li for his entire life. Besides, in such matters, if one was not willing to persist, any number of promises were just empty words. All the Xu Family could do was unconditionally support Li’er in whatever choice Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li made, no matter what she decided.

"Absolutely worthy?" Mo Xiuyao’s cool voice echoed faintly across the Viewing Platform, the sudden silence on the platform making the lively noise outside seem even more pronounced. "This Prince fails to see how this woman is any match for my Princess Consort." Lei Zhenting replied with great confidence, "The Princess Consort is naturally a rare and wondrous woman. However, this one here is not lacking either. This Prince can guarantee that her martial arts, talent, abilities, even her medical skills and miscellaneous knowledge, are all top-notch among women in the world. If the Prince doesn’t believe me, perhaps you could invite the Princess Consort to come down and compete with her?"

"Audacious!" Mo Xiuyao rebuked sharply. A white, blurry shadow suddenly flashed past, prompting shocked gasps from the crowd. Before anyone realized it, Mo Xiuyao had already appeared before the woman in white, mercilessly raising his hand to strike the crown of her head. Just as everyone thought the woman was about to meet her demise, she suddenly looked up and, with a backhand movement, managed to block Mo Xiuyao’s strike. Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly and, changing his palm to a claw, once again lunged for the woman’s shoulder. This time, however, the woman in white did not meet his attack head-on but leaped back to evade it. Mo Xiuyao’s claw strike missed, instead punching a hole clean through the nearby wooden cabinet. From this, it was clear that if the claw had truly landed on the woman’s left shoulder, it would have been shattered.

After two unsuccessful moves, Mo Xiuyao did not pursue further. With a flick of his sleeve, he flew back to his original seat. However, a gust of wind generated by the flick of his sleeve shot straight towards the woman in white. Having just narrowly dodged a formidable move, the woman, who had just regained her footing, could not evade this attack. She had to raise her hand to block it head-on. Astonishingly, she only retreated one step, her expression barely changing as she stood silently beside Lei Zhenting.

Mo Xiuyao stood above, looking down condescendingly at Lei Zhenting and the woman in white. "To withstand three of this Prince’s moves without being defeated, you indeed possess some skill." In truth, this was more than just "some skill." In those three moves, Mo Xiuyao had used at least eighty percent of his strength. For the woman in white to take them without a change in countenance proved that her techniques, reactions, and internal energy were all definitely not lacking. Even in the martial arts world, she would absolutely rank highly. Most importantly, she appeared to be only about sixteen years old. Such prowess was comparable to Mo Xiuyao himself at that age.

Lei Zhenting, however, was not surprised. He smiled and said, "This Prince said I would definitely offer someone satisfactory to Prince Ding."

Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a scornful, cold sneer. "Who said this Prince must accept her just because she’s satisfactory? In consideration of her possessing some genuine skill, this Prince will not pursue the offense of this intrusion. Get her out of here, back to wherever she came from!" At this statement, the crowd erupted in an uproar. Even the woman in white, who had maintained a consistently serene expression, couldn’t help but show a slight change in color. For such a beauty to be so unhesitatingly rejected by Prince Ding was, in the eyes of the crowd, akin to wantonly destroying a precious treasure. After all, no one in this world was forcing Prince Ding to choose between the beauty and Princess Consort Ding. To have wives like Ehuang and Nüying, along with a host of concubines—wasn’t that what men dreamed of?

Lei Zhenting frowned slightly, looking at Mo Xiuyao with some difficulty. "Does Prince Ding truly intend to refuse?"

Mo Xiuyao sneered coldly but remained silent. Lei Zhenting seemed somewhat helpless and sighed. "Does Prince Ding know where she comes from?"

Mo Xiuyao said, "This Prince has said, send her back to wherever she came from."

"She comes from Cangmang Mountain." Lei Zhenting’s words were like a drop of water splashing into a pan of hot oil, instantly causing the entire Viewing Platform to erupt. The people of Great Chu were no strangers to Cangmang Mountain. It was the main peak among the mountain ranges in the south-central part of Great Chu, currently under Lei Zhenting’s control. However, its familiarity was not due to its scenic beauty or any divine wonders. In fact, Cangmang Mountain was hidden among countless other mountains, and the surrounding peaks mostly looked similar. Without an experienced guide, one might not even recognize which peak was Cangmang Mountain and could easily get lost in the deep mountains.

Legend had it that a secluded family resided on Cangmang Mountain. Its members were proficient in everything from astronomy and geography to medicine, divination, and astrology. The men possessed world-ordering talents, and the women had the wisdom to assist rulers and stabilize the state. Every sixty years, a descendant would come down the mountain to gain worldly experience. However, the family line was dominated by women; for hundreds of years, there had been very few mentions of men appearing. And the women who descended the mountain for experience were all, without exception, possessed of extraordinary talent and wisdom. Among the most famous were the Empress of the previous dynasty’s restoration-era sovereign, the Empress of Great Chu’s second monarch, and, sixty years ago, the Empress of Xiling—Lei Zhenting’s late grandmother. It was also rumored that an ancestor of the Xu Family had once married a woman from Cangmang Mountain, though the Xu Family had never acknowledged this. Nevertheless, because three Empresses had emerged in just a few hundred years, and their appearances had always brought prosperity to their dynasties, Cangmang Mountain had since become secretly linked with the rise and fall of imperial dynasties. Now, this woman in white had chosen Prince Ding... Could it be that... Everyone’s gaze towards Mo Xiuyao changed subtly.

Lei Zhenting smiled. "Now Prince Ding understands, right? It’s not that this Prince wishes to make things difficult for Prince Ding and the Princess Consort or deliberately ruin your relationship. It’s just that..."

Everyone somewhat understood. This matter was certainly not something Lei Zhenting could decide. If Lei Zhenting could decide, then even if he himself couldn’t marry this woman in white, he could have let his son marry her. Why would he offer such an advantage to his enemy? Everyone couldn’t help but look at Prince Ding. Would the Prince Ding who had just adamantly ordered the woman to be sent back wherever she came from still maintain such resolve in the face of a woman with such an origin?

The Viewing Platform remained silent for a long time. Just as many thought Prince Ding was about to agree, Mo Xiuyao’s cold voice resounded through the hall, "Out."