Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 382 - 381. Ginger gets spicier as it ages

381. The Older the Ginger, the Spicier

The news that the King of Beirong had sent an envoy to Great Chu naturally could not be concealed from Prince Ding’s Mansion. In the Mo Family Army camp, Ye Li received and reviewed a newly arrived petition, frowning. "Is the King of Beirong sending an envoy at this time because he’s starting to distrust Yelv Ye?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled. "Distrust might be too strong a word. However, Yelv Ye has suffered successive defeats recently. The territory currently occupied by the Beirong Army is less than half of what it was at its peak. The King of Beirong is naturally dissatisfied with him. However... the choice of envoy is rather interesting. I’m afraid it’s Yelv Ye who distrusts the King of Beirong now."

Ye Li carefully reviewed the information, then pondered for a moment and said, "Is this... envoy a subordinate of Yelv Hong?"

Nodding, Mo Xiuyao seemed quite pleased. "Yelv Hong has finally lived up to my expectations. To achieve this much... to secure the position of Crown Prince of Beirong for so many years, he is certainly no ordinary individual."

Ye Li arched an eyebrow. "Yelv Hong wants Yelv Ye to suspect that the King of Beirong doesn’t trust him, thereby inciting him to harbor disloyal intentions? Isn’t he afraid his cunning plan will backfire, and Yelv Ye will cause trouble for him when he returns to Beirong?"

Mo Xiuyao laughed. "Because he’s very certain Yelv Ye won’t be able to return to Beirong. Even if he manages to return by some fluke... he definitely won’t have the strength to oppose him anymore."

Ye Li nodded, then after a moment’s thought, shook her head. "Yelv Hong wants to restrain Yelv Ye’s military power; I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. Instead... the envoy might lose his life." Although she hadn’t interacted with Yelv Ye much, Ye Li still had some understanding of his temperament. He might indeed suspect the King of Beirong distrusted him and consequently harbor disloyal intentions, even doing things he shouldn’t. However, it wouldn’t be easy for Yelv Hong to get his hands on military power unless Yelv Hong came personally. Otherwise, anyone he sent would likely end up dead at Yelv Ye’s hands.

"Should we aid them secretly?" Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "No need. Let Yelv Ye do as he pleases. If he can’t kill Yelv Hong’s man, then we can lend him a hand."

Ye Li paused slightly, then quickly understood Mo Xiuyao’s intentions. They were temporarily cooperating with Yelv Hong, but they were not friends, so they didn’t need to constantly think about helping him. Moreover, Yelv Hong wanted to control military power to withdraw those Beirong soldiers back beyond the border, while Mo Xiuyao hoped for all these Beirong soldiers to die inside border of pass. Clearly, their positions were different. Since Yelv Hong wanted to seize the opportunity, it was a perfect time to let the two brothers destroy each other while they reaped the benefits.

Ye Li nodded, smiling faintly. "My Prince, your calculations are always so clever."

Mo Xiuyao smiled back, somewhat proud. "Ah-Li, you also think your husband is very clever, don’t you?"

Ye Li smiled but did not speak. Yet she secretly wiped sweat from her brow in her heart. How could Mo Xiuyao’s cunning be described as merely clever? There were many clever people in the world, but they always lacked something. For example, Xu Hongyu lacked ambition. Young Master Qingchen, on the other hand, lacked ruthlessness. But Mo Xiuyao lacked nothing. Most importantly, he could always hide these characteristics under a harmless exterior; otherwise, Mo Jingqi would not have tolerated him for all those years. Clever, decisive, patient, ambitious, ruthless—Mo Xiuyao truly had everything. That’s why he was able to single-handedly turn Prince Ding’s Mansion from the brink of ruin to its current state. And that’s why he had been able to strategize for many years, bringing the current world situation under his control.

"Ah-Li, don’t you think this Prince is clever?" Mo Xiuyao pressed against Ye Li.

She reluctantly responded, "Who in the world would dare say Prince Ding isn’t clever?" There were only two kinds of people who truly believed their intelligence could surpass Prince Ding’s: fools and true geniuses. The former would have died long ago; the latter undoubtedly knew what could be said and what could not.

Only then did Mo Xiuyao nod in satisfaction, planting a kiss on Ye Li’s face. "So, by becoming my beloved wife, Ah-Li, you’ve proven you’re also the most intelligent woman."

Ye Li rolled her eyes, slapped away his handsome face, and said, "Prince, do you plan to stand here singing your own praises with me? Aren’t you afraid others will laugh?"

"Whoever dares to laugh at my Ah-Li, this Prince will kill them," Mo Xiuyao said softly.

In the end, Ye Li still couldn’t bring herself to slap the handsome face that, framed by his white hair, seemed all the more striking. Instead, she grabbed his face and kneaded it hard. Over the years, Prince Ding had become increasingly shameless. He was worlds apart from the erudite and slightly aloof Prince she had initially met. Ye Li was starting to suspect there might have been something wrong with her eyes back then.

"Ah-Li truly enjoys this Prince’s face, doesn’t she? Can’t bear to let go, right? Don’t worry, if Ah-Li likes it, she can pinch it as much as she wants." Ye Li couldn’t really hurt Mo Xiuyao, so he was happy to indulge her. He even took the opportunity to lie back on Ye Li’s lap, closing his eyes and laughing.

With him saying that, Ye Li found she couldn’t bring herself to pinch his face anymore. She sheepishly withdrew her hand. "Prince, I find that you are getting more and more..."

"Prince, I..." Feng Zhiyao hurriedly entered, then froze at the door. After glancing at the two people inside, Feng Zhiyao deeply felt he must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving his quarters. Clearing his throat, he said seriously, "You two carry on. I will take my leave."

Mo Xiuyao sat up, looking annoyed at Feng Zhiyao. "What’s the matter?"

Feng Zhiyao waved the papers in his hand. "It’s nothing urgent. It’s just that the new envoy in the Beirong camp seems to be on his last legs."

"So quickly?" Ye Li asked curiously. Although she had predicted the envoy wouldn’t live long, it seemed a bit too soon for him to be dying just two days after his arrival.

Feng Zhiyao explained, "Apparently, it’s due to acclimatization." While such conditions weren’t unheard of, it was rare for them to be severe enough to cause death. Moreover, it usually occurred when someone traveled from the extreme north to the extreme south, or from a dry, cold place to a wet, warm one. Although the climate in the northern region of Beirong differed somewhat from Great Chu, the difference wouldn’t be drastic during this season. It was merely not as cold as the winters in Beirong. Who would believe the envoy would die from acclimatization? However, whether anyone believed it or not was unimportant; an excuse was all that was needed.

Mo Xiuyao thought for a while and said, "Send a letter to Yelv Hong’s people. As for whether they can save him or not, it’s not Prince Ding’s Mansion’s concern."

Understanding his instructions, Feng Zhiyao nodded and chuckled. "I will have someone send a letter later—no, tomorrow." It would take at least two or three days for the letter to reach Yelv Hong’s people. By the time they arrived, it would be just in time to handle the envoy’s funeral arrangements.

Seeing that there was no other business, Feng Zhiyao pragmatically touched his nose. "I will take my leave."

Mo Xiuyao snorted indifferently, ignoring him. Feng Zhiyao shrugged, turned, and left. Standing at the entrance of the large tent, he silently looked up at the sky. Shouldn’t the Princess Consort be the one blushing in embarrassment if she saw something like that? Why was the Princess Consort so composed, while the Prince was the one blushing?

Watching Feng Zhiyao leave with a bemused expression, Ye Li turned her head to see Mo Xiuyao’s handsome face, slightly reddened where she had pinched it, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Mo Xiuyao touched his face, realizing what she was laughing at. He sighed helplessly and said softly, "Ah-Li... now that Feng Zhiyao has seen it..."

"What do you want to do?" Ye Li asked warily, her eyes fixed on him.

Mo Xiuyao pounced onto Ye Li and, in a good mood, planted a kiss on her, saying, "Since he saw us, wouldn’t it be a waste if this Prince didn’t do something to give Third Feng a real reason to laugh?"

"Mo Xiuyao!" Ye Li feigned anger, her dewy eyes glaring at him fiercely.

Mo Xiuyao was in high spirits, looking at Ye Li with a wide grin. "This Prince intends to indulge in debauchery in broad daylight!"

Ye Li’s face turned crimson, her eyes still angrily fixed on him. Was indulging in debauchery in broad daylight something to be proud of? Watching Mo Xiuyao’s triumphant smile, Ye Li, quite frustrated, bit him on the lips. Mo Xiuyao was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. He lowered his head to admire Ah-Li’s flushed cheeks and the angry glint in her dewy eyes. "Ah-Li, Ah-Li... you are so beautiful..."

Before Ye Li could react, her red lips were captured by his passionate ones, and they quickly lost themselves in a fiery, tender embrace...

The battle between the Mo Family Army and the Beirong forces continued, but many internal changes occurred that were not for outsiders to know. The envoy who had just arrived at the Beirong camp, aiming to gain control of the Beirong Army, died a few days later, allegedly due to acclimatization. By the time Yelv Hong’s men arrived, it was too late even to collect the body, as Yelv Ye had already burned it to ashes.

Yelv Hong’s men were naturally furious, but after witnessing Yelv Ye’s methods, they didn’t dare to confront him directly. Instead, they sent a confidential letter to the Beirong royal court, reporting the matter to the King of Beirong.

The King of Beirong was naturally livid. Yelv Ye had led an attack against Great Chu and acquired vast swathes of land; his military accomplishments were considered unparalleled among the princes and generals of Beirong. However, he had begun to show signs of insubordination. Then, in Licheng, Qing Yina, whom the King of Beirong was doting on, had died under unexplained circumstances. When Yelv Hong returned, he naturally added fuel to the fire, making the King of Beirong even more wary of Yelv Ye.

Even so, the King of Beirong hadn’t suspected Yelv Ye of outright disloyalty. Thus, when Yelv Ye had requested reinforcements, the King had unhesitatingly promoted Helian Zhen, whom he originally didn’t favor much, and dispatched troops to support him. He hadn’t expected that this time, after merely sending someone to reprimand Yelv Ye, the envoy would die for no apparent reason. The King of Beirong didn’t believe the explanation of acclimatization at all. He had sent this particular envoy to Great Chu to deliver the decree precisely because this man had served as an envoy there before.

After the King of Beirong’s fury subsided, he immediately ordered Yelv Ye to return to Beirong at once and hand over all military affairs and command of the troops to Crown Prince Yelv Hong. Upon receiving the King of Beirong’s decree, Yelv Hong was overjoyed and promptly set off for Great Chu without delay.

On the battlefield, the Beirong Army and the Mo Family Army had engaged in countless battles in recent days, with victories and defeats for both sides. However, the Beirong Army’s front line had slowly begun to recede. As winter deepened, vast expanses within Beirong’s territory were covered with ice and snow, making it extremely difficult to replenish supplies and manpower. Furthermore, the regions of Great Chu they occupied had been ravaged over the past few years, turning them into deserted wastelands. Thus, compared to the Mo Family Army, which had a continuous supply of provisions, the Beirong soldiers were enduring a particularly harsh winter.

「One day.」

Mo Xiaobao excitedly ran out of his tent and rushed into Mo Xiuyao’s main tent. Waving a few pages filled with handwriting, he proudly announced, "Father! Mother! I’ve figured it out!"

It was nearing the end of the year, and Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were discussing their next steps with the generals. Although victory seemed within their grasp on their front, the struggle against Lei Zhenting in the south was proving extremely arduous. A few veteran generals were barely managing to hold back Lei Zhenting’s advance, but if they delayed any longer, the southern front would likely collapse once Mo Jingli’s main army arrived.

Upon seeing Mo Xiaobao run in, the generals couldn’t help but look at him curiously. Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, took the plan Mo Xiaobao had written, and read it with a noncommittal expression.

Mo Xiaobao laughed triumphantly. "Well, Father? My idea is good, isn’t it?"

Mo Xiuyao casually handed the papers to Ye Li. After reading them, she gave Mo Xiaobao a faint smile and passed them to Yun Ting, who had been eagerly craning his neck from among the generals. Seeing his mother smile at him, Mo Xiaobao instantly felt reassured.

Below, several generals whispered amongst themselves as they examined the papers in Yun Ting’s hands, nodding continuously in praise. "Setting traps to confine the Beirong cavalry, and even caltrops... Yes, targeting the horses’ legs... Lure the Beirong main army into the mountains, then surround and annihilate them... A good idea! Did the young heir really come up with this?"

It wasn’t that these ideas were astonishingly brilliant; many of them had been discussed or even attempted in recent days. Moreover, some were common tactics against cavalry. But Mo Xiaobao was different. He was only seven or eight years old. That he could consider so many factors, even understanding the Beirong army’s strengths and the battlefield terrain, was far beyond what an ordinary child could achieve. Truly worthy of being the young heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion, he’s remarkably precocious, they thought.

Mo Xiaobao looked triumphantly at Mo Xiuyao, his gaze challenging him to admit defeat.

Mo Xiuyao casually glanced at him and, pointing to Sun Yaowu among the generals, asked, "Yaowu, what do you think? Can the young heir’s plan be implemented?"

Sun Yaowu glanced at the expectant young heir, then hesitated before saying, "Well... the young heir’s plan is quite good. However... the terrain he describes is one or two hundred li from our current position. Here, it’s all flat, open country. Luring the enemy into dense mountains and encircling them... I’m afraid that would be rather difficult."

Mo Xiaobao was dumbfounded. He looked at his father’s smiling face with frustration, stomped his foot, and complained, "That’s unfair! General Sun just needed to say if my plan could have been implemented based on the *previous* situation!"

After some thought, Sun Yaowu said sincerely, "Although there are minor imperfections, the merits outweigh the flaws. It should have been feasible."

"Father..." Mo Xiaobao looked back triumphantly.

Mo Xiuyao smiled at him, gently and lovingly saying, "Xiaobao, there’s a saying I must tell you, though I don’t know if anyone has taught it to you. It goes: ’Speed is paramount in war.’ More than a month has passed since the situation your plan was based on. If you were leading troops, would you tell Yelv Ye, ’This young heir hasn’t figured out a strategy yet, let’s fight in another month?’ Hmm?"

Mo Xiaobao’s previously triumphant expression immediately fell. He looked pitifully towards Ye Li, but seeing her beaming smile, he knew his plea for help was doomed. On the other hand, Mo Xiaobao also understood his father wasn’t wrong. He considered himself exceptionally clever, but if he were really on a battlefield, would the enemy give him a month to think up a strategy? After hearing about the Mo Family Army’s battles over the past month, Mo Xiaobao’s fair little face turned somewhat pale. So, I’m not as clever as I thought I was.

Actually, Mo Xiaobao was being too harsh on himself. For his age, to read all the military treatises Mo Xiuyao gave him in just over a month, and then devise a plan that even a general like Sun Yaowu would praise for its merits outweighing its flaws, was already something to be very proud of. However, neither Mo Xiuyao nor Ye Li consoled him. The Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion is destined to bear responsibilities different from ordinary children. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to put some pressure on Mo Xiaobao at the right times.

Seeing him concede defeat, Mo Xiuyao smiled. "So... isn’t it time to fulfill your promise?"

Mo Xiaobao’s little face immediately darkened. He turned stiffly to look at Ye Li.

Ye Li smiled. "Xiaobao, you lost the bet, so you must accept the outcome. This time... consider it a lesson learned. As they say, ’A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.’ Don’t go making casual bets with your father again in the future."

Mo Xiaobao glared fiercely at Mo Xiuyao, then stormed out of the tent. Seeing his reaction, everyone became curious about the wager the young heir had made with the Prince. They quickly excused themselves from Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, slipping out of the tent to watch the young heir fulfill his end of the bargain. Mo Xiuyao didn’t stop them, waving them all out.

Mo Xiaobao stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the busiest part of the military camp. Passing soldiers couldn’t help but stop and stare at the young heir, who, despite his small stature and delicate features, wore an extremely solemn expression.

Mo Xiaobao gritted his teeth and glared daggers at the surrounding soldiers. To his dismay, the crowd only grew larger instead of dispersing under his gaze. Resigned, he clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and shouted, "This young heir is named Mo Xiaobao!"

The soldiers present were all taken aback. Then, a snort of laughter escaped someone, quickly followed by a roar of laughter from the entire crowd. The name ’Xiaobao’ was quite common, often given by uneducated families or used as a pet name within a household, usually only in private. To hear such an ordinary, almost folksy name associated with the exceptionally noble Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion struck everyone as incredibly comical. Yet, looking at Heir Mo Junior’s fine, dark brocade clothes and his adorable, jade-like appearance, they also found the name surprisingly fitting.

Feeling ridiculed, Mo Xiaobao’s face turned bright red. He stomped his foot and stormed back into the main tent, rushing into Ye Li’s arms and complaining pitifully, "Mother..."

"There, there, they weren’t laughing at you," Ye Li said, gently patting her son’s head to soothe him. Mo Xiuyao, however, was laughing heartily, completely disregarding his son’s wounded pride. Mo Xiaobao could only grit his teeth in frustration, silently lamenting why his grandfather hadn’t also given his father a childish nickname.

"Mother, Father is mean! He bullied Xiaobao!" Mo Xiaobao said, tears welling in his eyes.

Ye Li bent down, kissed his forehead, and smiled. "Who told you to make a bet with your father? Tell me, what were you thinking when you agreed to it?"

Mo Xiaobao hung his head in silence. When his father proposed the bet, he had only thought about how glorious it would be to win, never carefully considering if he could actually succeed. Although his father had laid a trap, perhaps he wouldn’t have fallen for it if he hadn’t been so conceited and arrogant.

"Mother...."

Ye Li arched an eyebrow. "So, you understand your mistake now?"

Mo Xiaobao nodded vehemently, burying his face in Ye Li’s embrace out of shame. She gently pulled him up and smiled. "Silly child, what’s there to be embarrassed about in front of your father? Just remember the lesson you learned this time. When your father was your age, he also spent his days plotting against your grandfather and eldest paternal uncle."

"Really?" Mo Xiaobao’s eyes lit up, and he looked eagerly at Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao snorted softly and glanced teasingly at Mo Xiaobao. "But *this Prince* wasn’t that foolish."

"This young heir will win one day!" Mo Xiaobao huffed, lifting his small face proudly.

Mo Xiuyao nodded nonchalantly. "This Prince will be waiting."

"HUMPH!" Mo Xiaobao huffed again, turning his head away sharply. "This young heir won’t keep you waiting long! You just wait! This young heir will definitely make you announce *your* childhood name in front of everyone too!"

"Whatever."

Apparently quite provoked by Mo Xiuyao’s indifference, Mo Xiaobao stomped his foot and stormed out of the tent like a gust of wind.

Watching Mo Xiaobao’s indignant retreating figure, Ye Li sighed helplessly and smiled at Mo Xiuyao. "Are you satisfied now?"

Mo Xiuyao grinned. "Ah-Li, I did it for Xiaobao’s own good. Look at him, his eyes are practically on top of his head at such a young age. If we don’t take him down a peg or two now, in a couple of years, he probably won’t even remember his own surname."

Ye Li shrugged. "You’re his father, so how you teach him is your business. But... if he really does surpass you one day, don’t expect me to share your embarrassment."

Mo Xiuyao reached out, pulled her into his embrace, and laughed. "Husband and wife are one entity. If this Prince truly loses face, Ah-Li would inevitably share the embarrassment. But... it’ll take Mo Xiaobao decades of cultivation before he can trample this Prince underfoot. Besides... for Ah-Li’s sake, this Prince won’t lose face."

Ye Li gave him a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. "I only know the saying, ’Fortune changes in a decade,’ and another, ’The new wave pushes the old wave to the shore where it dies.’ Prince, you’d best be careful..." Considering Mo Xiaobao’s cleverness, and his lineage from both the Xu Family and Prince Ding’s Mansion, she actually felt that Mo Xiaobao surpassing Mo Xiuyao might happen sooner rather than later.

"HAHA, this Prince has also heard a saying: ’Old ginger is spicier’," Mo Xiuyao laughed.

「In Mo Xiaobao’s tent.」

The young heir was studiously writing at his desk. His personal guard, watching the young heir’s face contort, sometimes grimacing, sometimes chuckling foolishly, couldn’t help but ask, "Young Heir, what are you doing?"

Mo Xiaobao cackled strangely, flicking the letter in his hand. "I’m going to have my eldest maternal uncle send me some books! Starting today, this young heir is going to burn the midnight oil!"

The guard glanced outside the half-open tent flap and nodded. It certainly is cold enough for ’studying by a cold window’ now.

「A month later.」

Young Master Qingchen received a reading list requested by Mo Xiaobao: "Thick Black School," "Strategies of the Wise," "Military Code of the Great Ancestor Emperor," "Art of the Mind," "xx Art of War," "Emperor’s Heart technique"...