Reunion of Master and Servant

thes from Ding Kingdom to help Ye Li change into them.A moment later, in her servants' awe, Ye Li emerged from behind a screen. The light green color perfectly suited her calm and elegant demeanor, wh...Main and Servant Reunite

The 198th Chapter - Main and Servant Reunite

She ordered the servants to send Duke De and Duke Yu back to their guest quarters for rest. Ye Li held a servant’s hand as she left from behind, smiling lightly, "Not seeing him overnight has made him change quite a lot."

Mos Yao stood up to help her stabilize herself and waved his hand to dismiss the servants, saying, "He managed to survive under Emperor Xian's rule, living peacefully for so many years. He is truly an old fox who’s become wise from experience. But he has been acting presumptuous these last few years. Does he think that Jingqi calling him Uncle really means he respects him as an uncle" It was unknown by them all, but Mos Jingqi hated the elders and ministers who looked down on him even more. He would kill them without needing anyone to provoke him if he had the chance.

“Now that he has come forth with his righteous words to persuade this king, I may not give him face, yet I cannot do anything to stop him from leaving safely for Chu City."

Slowly sitting down, Ye Li thought back on the two dukes' performances just now. If they were meant to persuade Jingqi, their words lacked persuasiveness. They only recited what Jingqi had said and threw in a couple of lines about Mos Yao as an afterthought. Clearly neither one was willing to truly anger Mos Yao. Ye Li smiled lightly, "You planned on letting them go all along" Mos Yao nodded slightly and sat down beside her, saying, “Though these two won’t amount to anything great, they are sufficient to cause Jingqi some trouble for a while. These few months I have no intention of dealing with them.” He looked at Ye Li's rounded belly as he lowered his head, raising his hand to gently caress it and coincidentally felt the baby kicking inside. Raising an eyebrow, Mos Yao noticed that Ye Li frowned slightly and said, "This kid is really unruly. Once out he must be disciplined well."

Ye Li was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure if her impression was correct but as long as Mos Yao was around, particularly when touching her belly, the baby would become extremely lively. Helplessly she said, "It's still an unborn child, what does it understand Your Highness has certainly become more childish." Mos Yao raised his brows slightly and decided in his heart that he must discipline their son once he is born.

A few days later, Duke De and Duke Yu prepared to bid farewell to Mos Yao and return home. However, Su Zhe was truly ill. When Duke Yu personally visited him, Su Zhe had already become so thin that there were only skin and bones left. He was in a coma. His state of illness could not have been faked. It wasn't just returning home; if he didn’t receive proper care even catching a cold would be fatal. But the two dukes knew well that Northwest was not somewhere they could stay for long. They had no choice but to bid farewell and leave ahead, reporting back to the emperor after their return, then sending someone to bring Su Zhe home once he got better. Mos Yao naturally wouldn’t hold them back either. Alongside Mo Jian and with less than half of the guards remaining, they set off for their journey without any further questioning on the day itself. When Mos Yao heard this, he merely smiled calmly and dispatched Zhang Yu and Lu Jinxian who were garrisoned in Ru Yang to personally escort the two dukes out of the city.

In a dark dungeon, Mos Yao leaned back lazily into his chair as he looked at the blood-stained middle-aged man bound to a wooden stake before him. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards Emperor’s confidant and favored general, Xue Chengliang And… the empress’ nephew and the emperor's cousin Mos Jingqi really does spend lavishly, sending you all the way to Northwest" The man looked up with a hint of fear in his eyes as he saw the white-haired young man who seemed untouched by dust. In such a dark and dirty place like this dungeon, that kind of whiteness only made one shiver from fear. Mos Yao didn’t care at all and smiled calmly, "They say General Xue is known to be the number one expert in the Imperial Palace, his martial arts level slightly lower than Mu Qingcang's. Having been deputy commander for so many years, it’s truly a waste of talent." Xue Chengliang suddenly looked up in shock. In the capital he had never made any name for himself and had always held an insignificant position as deputy commander. He hadn’t thought that Mos Yao would investigate him thoroughly.

Mos Yao leaned back against his chair and squinted at him, "Entering my Ru Yang city, Deputy Commander Xue wouldn’t still be dreaming of leaving peacefully This king won’t have people torturing you as it is useless to you. Will you confess yourself or shall this king force the confession out of you"

Xue Chengliang sneered and said, "Is Youyang City the territory of Your Highness The whole world is under the rule of the king. Does Your Highness think that just by occupying Youyang City, it becomes yours Truly unbelievable! A traitor has emerged from Dingguo王府! I wonder if Mo Lan Yun and Mo Liufang can meet again in the afterlife with Emperor Taizu and our late emperor" Mo Xiuyao wasn't bothered by his curses. His eyes were as cold as snow, saying, "I didn’t expect that Commander Xue is a rare loyal patriot. Truly impressive. However, I wonder if your beloved and your newborn son are also patriots like you"

Xue Chengliang was taken aback, with a hint of panic in his eyes. He truly believed then that Mo Xiuyao had thoroughly uncovered his identity. If Mo Xiuyao threatened his family, he wouldn’t care much since he was the illegitimate son of Xue Family and his mother was the emperor’s aunt. He suffered a lot when he was young. He didn't have much feeling for the Xue Family or even his wife, but the woman and child that Mo Xiuyao mentioned were like flesh and blood to him. She was his childhood sweetheart whom he loved first in this life, and she had been by his side during those tough times. They now had a son together. He originally planned to ask Emperor Shunzhi for permission to bring her and the child home as his wife after he returned.

Seeing Xue Chengliang’s face change color, Mo Xiuyao smiled satisfactorily and made a gesture with his hand. Qin Feng took out a painting from behind him and unfolded it before Xue Chengliang. Xue Chengliang’s originally pale complexion turned deathly white as he saw the figures in the painting were indeed his beloved and son. Ignoring their appearance, even the courtyard in the background was identical to theirs. Xue Chengliang exclaimed, "This is impossible! How did you…" Mo Xiuyao's smile was cold and merciless, saying, "I didn’t know that Commander Xue would visit the northwest. However... I never said I wouldn’t return to Chu Capital. In any case, we must find out what kind of people are around our emperor." Since the incident with Tan Jizhi, Mo Xiuyao had ordered Tianyi Pavilion and Dark Guards to thoroughly investigate everything about Emperor Jingqi.

Although they couldn't be sure if all of Emperor Jingqi’s hidden pawns were revealed, there were still some results.

"What do you want" Xue Chengliang asked hoarsely.

Moving to his feet, Mo Xiuyao said, "You’ve been by the emperor’s side since you were fifteen. You must know a lot of things. No need to rush. Think it over slowly. Within a month at most, I guarantee that Commander Xue will be reunited with your family. Then you can consider what answer to give me." With this said, Mo Xiuyao no longer paid attention to the blood-soaked and twisted-faced Xue Chengliang bound to the pillar; he turned around to leave. Behind him, Xue Chengliang roared, "Mo Xiuyao, don’t harm them!"

"By the way, Commander Xue shouldn’t consider any stupid things like suicide. I have no rule against killing women and children. Or would you rather see your son suffer for you"

"Mo Xiuyao, may you die a miserable death!" Xue Chengliang looked at the snow-white man in front of him as if he was seeing some kind of monster.

"A miserable death" Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly and said, "I’ve already died more than ten times. I’m not afraid to die; are you afraid, Commander Xue"

Xue Chengliang was speechless. Was he scared of dying Of course, he was. He had suffered countless hardships since childhood and finally got his own family and children. How could he be unafraid of death

Su Zhe woke up five days after De Wang and Yu Wang left. When Su Zhe heard Mo Xiuyao say that the two princes had already left with their men, he was stunned for a moment. He shook his head at Mo Xiuyao and said, "Why did Your Highness go to such lengths" After a brief silence, Mo Xiuyao replied, "Old Master Su’s body can no longer endure long journeys. If Old Master Su insists on returning home, it must be after he has fully recovered. If Old Master Su doesn’t want to stay in Youyang City, there is an estate outside the city where you could reside temporarily."

Su Zhe sighed and shook his head without saying anything more. He lived alone in a quiet courtyard of the王府to recuperate, rarely stepping out of his residence or asking about Su Zuodie’s affairs.

When the child was nine months old, a message suddenly spread across all countries. It said that the treasures of the founding emperor of the previous dynasty and the imperial seal were located within the northwestern borders. The founding emperor of the previous dynasty was considered an even more legendary figure than the Grand Ancestor of Great Chu, as he was rumored to have obtained the Jin Cheng treasure mentioned only in unofficial histories. It was said that this was a city built entirely out of gold, and one could imagine just how wealthy the founding emperor's family must be if the rumor were true. Not to mention the imperial seal coveted by all the country’s nobles and officials—once news of it spread, signs of various parties moving around in the northwest became evident immediately, making the previously tranquil situation there tense.

Ye Li’s belly was now increasingly large. After nine months, the child could be born anytime soon. Mo Xiuyao had already picked attendants and midwives to stay at the estate on standby. But that wasn’t all; since Ye Li didn't like having others serving her closely, Mo Xiuyao sent people to bring those who originally served her in Chu Capital back as well. Seeing that Chief Eunuch Mo was transferred to the northwest, leaving a mess in the Central Plains, Feng Zhirao cursed and sent word to Leng Haoyu asking him to temporarily handle matters there.

Qin Feng arrived at RuYang City almost simultaneously with news of the previous dynasty’s treasure. While accompanying Ye Li for some rest and relaxation, Mo Xiuyao received a message from Zhuo Jing and his face darkened. He coldly said, "Tan Jizhi! You truly are eager to die!" Ye Li took the letter and read it quickly before pushing Mo Xiuyao slightly and said, "You’d better go handle it; Feng San and the others must be waiting for you." Mo Xiuyao sighed lightly and softly said, “I’ll be back soon. Don’t overexert yourself.” Ye Li smiled as she watched him leave, then turned to look at everyone around her and smiled faintly, "Nursemaid, Aunt Lin, are you well"

The two elderly women were already in tears; if Mo Xiuyao hadn't been there earlier, they would have rushed over to Ye Li. "Miss… Your Excellency… We thought we’d never see you again…" Qing Shuang and the others also gathered around Ye Li crying and laughing as they spoke, making the room lively for a moment. Smiling at them, Ye Li suddenly realized that she hadn’t seen them in more than a year—how much she had missed them! Seeing Qing Shuang’s expression of wanting to cry but not willing to speak, Ye Li smiled and touched her face saying, "It’s been a whole year; Qing Shuang is already grown up!" Qing Shuang blushed as she glared at Ye Li. “Miss is so heartless. You didn’t come to get Qing Shuang for such a long time! From now on, Qing Shuang won’t talk to Miss!” Ye Li felt guilty and softly said, "Foolish girl, what’s there in the northwest Wouldn't it be better if you stayed in Chu Capital"

Although Emperor Jingqi had ordered Mo Xiuyao's title to be revoked, he still hadn’t dared to openly raid Dingwang Manor. However, for safety reasons, Chief Eunuch Mo moved important items from the estate, including those who were important to him. It was indeed safer for these young maids to stay in Chu Capital with the covert protection of Dingwang Manor’s guards than to travel a thousand miles north. If not for Qin Feng's direct instruction to pick them up, Ye Li hadn’t planned on bringing them to RuYang City.

"Nursemaid, Aunt Lin, you’ve had a long journey," said Ye Li looking at the somewhat thin nursemaid and aunt Lin with great regret. Originally, they were supposed to be received in her second uncle’s residence before being sent back to Yunzhou when it was safe. Instead, they traveled a thousand miles to arrive here; apart from their separation from family, the climate in the northwest wasn't as good as Chu Capital or Yunzhou either. Aunt Wei wiped her tears and happily looked over Ye Li's belly smiling and said, "What nonsense is this Your Excellency Serving Your Excellency and young Master is truly the best thing we could ask for. What hardship is there to speak of In the past year… so many things happened that we heard about in Chu Capital and were unable to eat or sleep at ease…" Aunt Lin nodded repeatedly, saying, "Indeed, it’s only a blessing that we can see Your Excellency safely give birth to young Master; I’ll be able to tell Miss everything." Of course, Aunt Lin was referring to Ye Li's mother Lady Xu.

Ye Li held her hand and softly said, “If so, you will need to continue serving me in the future. You must have been very tired on this long journey; rest for a few days first before we talk about other things.”

The nursemaid and aunt Lin were reluctant, but they were indeed quite old. The trip had truly exhausted them, so Ye Li only told someone to take them to bed. Although the young maids also looked weary, their spirits were surprisingly high as they surrounded Ye Li asking questions with excitement and happiness. After some effort, Ye Li finally managed to calm them down before sending them to rest. Seeing that the hall had become quiet again, she smiled at Qin Feng standing on one side and said, “It’s been a long time since it was this lively; I’m not used to it.” Qin Feng faintly smiled and replied, "Your Excellency doesn’t like people serving her closely, so those who are close by don’t dare disturb her. But these young ladies have served Your Excellency for some time now, and they’re very close."

Ye Li nodded then asked about the matter at hand, “Did you hear any news on your return journey”

"Yes," Qin Feng replied. "When we got closer to the northwest, I did hear a few rumors, but since our route didn’t take us through official roads, there wasn’t anything important. The news about the previous dynasty’s treasure probably started spreading from Chu Capital, but it certainly didn’t spread out of there."

Ye Li nodded. Qin Feng and others had traveled quite quickly; he hadn't heard any news when leaving Chu Capital, but by the time they reached the northwest, everyone in the country knew about it. The news clearly wasn’t limited to Chu Capital alone—there must have been people spreading it from all over. She lightly snorted before coldly saying, "His Highness is right; Tan Jizhi truly is eager to die!"

The baby inside seemed to sense her anger and kicked Ye Li’s belly twice in a row. Frowning slightly, she smiled helplessly as she reached out to soothe the child. This kid was lively even before birth and would definitely be a mischievous little troublemaker later.

Qin Feng looked at Ye Li with some hesitation and was about to speak but stopped himself. Ye Li smiled at him and said, "Just say what you want to say, is the Commander-in-Chief Qin blushing" Qin Feng’s handsome face turned slightly red. Ye Li laughed in surprise and said, "Did I guess it right Has something happened to the Commander-in-Chief that made him fall into a love affair" Qin Feng smiled helplessly and said, "My Lady, please don’t tease me. It is just that someone was saved by me on my way back from Ruyang without your permission."

"Saved someone Could it be an old acquaintance" Ye Li raised her eyebrows and asked.

Qin Feng nodded and said, "It’s Miss Yao Ji. Does My Lady remember her"

Ye Li certainly remembered. She sat down firmly with one hand on her stomach and asked, "What happened Tell me the whole story." Qin Feng then told Ye Li everything from beginning to end. It turned out that after picking up Chief of Staff Mo’s group, Qin Feng took a shortcut off the main road day and night for the journey back, but he met Miss Yao Ji being chased in a town about three hundred miles away from the capital city. Although she was being pursued, she was actually protecting a child, so her pursuers wanted to take him or kill her if necessary. Qin Feng had seen Miss Yao Ji on several occasions and could not bear to see her die, so he fought off those people and saved Miss Yao Ji. But because Miss Yao Ji’s appearance was too outstanding, she couldn’t go anywhere with a child in this war-torn time, which is why Qin Feng brought her back.

Ye Li smiled and said, "I want to know if someone has already looked into the matter of Miss Yao Ji" Qin Feng nodded and replied, "Yes. I immediately ordered the secret agents to investigate it on that day. There’s nothing suspicious." Ye Li nodded and said, "You are always reliable when you do things, so bring back an old acquaintance like Miss Yao Ji is fine. But have you thought about how to arrange for her" Qin Feng was somewhat distressed because he only rescued her but did not think of where she should go.

Ye Li covered her mouth and said with a smile, "Miss Yao Ji must be running away in panic when being chased or else someone as capable as her would not look so miserable. If she has some silver coins or possessions, we can find her a place to live and work in the city for her. You see…"

"When I saved her, she was wearing old clothes and looked emaciated. She probably had no money left." Qin Feng suddenly understood what Ye Li meant and said with a nod, "Thank you for your guidance, My Lady. I understand now. I will find somewhere to settle her down for the time being. I still have some savings that can be given to her temporarily." Ye Li wanted to hit Qin Feng’s wooden head as she glared at him and said, "How is a lone woman with a child supposed to accept your Commander-in-Chief Qin’s financial aid She was a courtesan before but now has a child. How could she not think about the future of her child If she can stay here for a while without going back to that life, what will people say if they see you giving money to a woman like that" Unless Qin Feng planned on marrying Miss Yao Ji, he should not be too generous.

Qin Feng was dispirited and looked helplessly at Ye Li. Giving her money did not work, nor did not doing so; why was rescuing someone more troublesome than going to war

Ye Li sighed and said, "Invite Miss Yao Ji over here and see if she has made plans." Although Yao Ji wasn’t one of those weak-minded maiden ladies, although they had only met a few times, Ye Li did not agree with some of her choices. But that did not prevent her from appreciating Yao Ji’s uniqueness.

Qin Feng was relieved. It would be good if the My Lady was willing to take care of Yao Ji because he really did not know how to settle Yao Ji down, "Thank you, My Lady."g quickly unrolled the painting upon receiving it and shared it with her friends. Qin Zeng exclaimed in admiration as she remarked, "What wonderful poetry! The last petals fall before new blooms emerg...