Yáo Jī's Request
en if they become in-laws, the Xu family won’t provide much help to the Prince of Ding王府."Feng Ziyao shrugged and thought silently that he couldn't see any sign of a loyal minister who would die for t...228. Yao Ji's Request
Xu Dafuren was indeed quick to act, eager to find a wife for her son. After just a few days, she sent a letter from Xu Manor expressing that everything was ready and waiting only for Xu Qingchen to return to meet his future bride. Upon receiving the heartfelt letter from Xu Dafuren, Ye Li could only smile helplessly and go to the study to seek out Xu Qingchen.
The front courtyard of Ding王府 (Prince's Manor) had been designated by Ye Li as an office area, with a grand hall for guests, a meeting room for discussions, and several small studies set up for the officials in charge of various tasks. As soon as Ye Li stepped into the study, she couldn't help but admire her brother's demeanor, sitting behind his desk leisurely sipping tea while reading through official documents. The title of the number one gentleman in the land was not undeserved; despite being buried in paperwork, Xu Qingchen looked elegant and detached like a scholar composing poetry.
"Brother," Ye Li softly called out as she entered the study.
Xu Qingchen put down his document and smiled as he stood up. "Li'er, what brings you here at this hour" Ye Li waved her hand with a smile. "No need to be formal with me, Brother. Sit down and let's talk." Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter, slowly sitting back in his chair with a smile on his face as he waited for Ye Li to speak. Ye Li thought for a moment before asking, "Brother, how many days has it been since you last returned to Xu Manor" Xu Qingchen was naturally quick-witted and understood immediately what Ye Li's purpose was. He smiled and asked, "Is Mother sending you here to persuade me to return and meet the lady"
Ye Li felt somewhat embarrassed; there was nothing wrong with the question itself, but for some reason it sounded awkward when Xu Qingchen said it. After thinking about it, she decided to hand over Lady Xu's letter to Xu Qingchen. With a light smile, she said, "Although it may not be appropriate for me to inquire into Brother's matters... but isn't it better that you give Aunt Dafuren an explanation It would at least ease her mind. And this delaying tactic doesn't seem like your usual behavior; it only causes unnecessary worry."
Xu Qingchen read through the letter from Lady Xu and his handsome face showed a hint of helplessness and guilt. Ye Li looked at him gently and said, "Regardless of Brother's reasons or thoughts, it would be better to explain them to Aunt Dafuren. From what I see, both Uncle Dafuren and Grandfather are reasonable people; if Brother truly has reservations about marriage, the elders won't force you. You wouldn't have to hide from Aunt Dafuren every day, right"
Xu Qingchen was taken aback and said with a bitter smile, "Li'er figured it out"
Ye Li smiled slightly as she replied, "Isn't it obvious Even if Xi Yao enjoys slacking off, he wouldn't pile everything on Brother's shoulders; he knows what is important. But lately, Brother hasn't been returning to Xu Manor often, right"
Xu Qingchen put away the letter and sighed lightly as he looked at Ye Li and said, "Brother understands. I'll go back in a while." Ye Li blinked her eyes and asked with a smile, "Should Li'er accompany Brother to bolster your courage" Xu Qingchen was speechless.
After sending Xu Qingchen away, Ye Li returned to her study. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Mo Xiuyao lounging in a chair and reading through a report with great interest. Upon hearing Ye Li's footsteps, Mo Xiuyao quickly waved to her with a smile and said, "Li'ge, come over here and take a look..." Ye Li walked up curiously and asked, "What are you looking at" Looking down, she saw that it was a dossier on Xu Qingchen’s life presented by one of the Shadow Guards. She glanced at Mo Xiuyao with raised eyebrows and said, "You had someone investigate my brother"
Moxiuyao waved his hand and said, "I am doing this for Li'ge's sake. Isn't Xu Qingchen’s family worried about his marriage These past two days have been heavy on your mind as well, right" Ye Li nodded slightly in reluctant acceptance of the explanation and asked, "What did you see there" Mo Xiuyao raised his head to look at her with a compassionate gaze. Ye Li was taken aback; could something really be wrong with my brother
"Li'ge, you have to hold on," Mo Xiuyao patted Ye Li’s hand in comfort and said, "I think we should seriously consider marrying off your brother."
"What do you mean" Mo Xiuyao waved the report and said, “Over these past twenty years, everything Xu Qingchen has done is detailed here. But… there isn’t anything that mentions him having any interactions with a certain girl, not even anything special.” Ye Li narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she asked, "So you think my brother is gay" Mo Xiuyao threw the report onto the table and stretched lazily. "What else could it be In two years’ time, Qingchen will turn thirty. Do you believe that in almost three decades, Qingchen hasn’t even held a lady’s hand"
Ye Li tried to remain calm as she said, “You can say my brother has high standards and looks down on ordinary girls.”
Moxiuyao rolled his eyes at the ceiling. He was clearly mocking Ye Li's self-reassurances. Ye Li angrily pinched Mo Xiuyao’s perfect face, tugging it left and right as she said, "Don’t always want to cause trouble for my brother. This kind of thing will have a negative impact on him when it gets out." Mo Xiuyao grabbed Ye Li’s hands and held them in his own, rubbing the skin that had been pulled at by her fingers as he asked, “Li'ge doesn't like men who are gay” Ye Li glared fiercely at him. "I don’t mind, but… you can’t spread rumors! Even if my brother is gay, it should be up to him to say so!"
Moxiuyao nodded obediently. So then does that mean that Li'ge also agrees that Xu Qingchen is gay The confused Ye Li forgot that the report did not write anything about Xu Qingchen having any special interactions with a certain lady, but it also didn’t mention him doing so with a man either. She had no idea how Xu Qingchen managed to convince his mother and she hadn't heard of any news in Li City regarding Xu Qingchen’s marriage prospects since then. It was strange that her cousin always looked at him oddly and with concern every time they met.
If someone were to ask what the most important event this year in the Northwest had been, there could be no doubt that it would be the Imperial Examination held in June. This was the first time the region had organized such an examination since it declared independence from the Great Chu five years ago and naturally drew great attention as a result. It also clearly showed the current stance of the Northwest that they were no longer connected with the Great Chu in any way. What made people even more concerned was that this Imperial Examination was not limited to students within the region but also included talented individuals who came from both the Great Chu and West Jing if they had real talent. Although June’s hot weather wasn’t a good time for an examination, some of those with great potential but no opportunities in the Great Chu or West Jing still made their way from afar to Li City. This was because half a month after the Imperial Examination would be the annual Li City Chamber of Commerce event, where merchants from all countries came to sell their goods at better prices. Thus, people’s interest and enthusiasm for this city were as intense as the scorching summer.
After five years, Li City could no longer be compared with its former self. The area alone had grown by more than half in just these few years and the stalls and various goods along the streets weren’t any worse than those in the capital of the Great Chu. One would often see people from the Western Regions walking past as well, their odd attire and hair, skin color, and eyes a stark contrast to those of the Northwest’s commoners.
In Ningxiang Pavilion's room by the window, Mo Xiuyao sat across from Ye Li, sipping tea in a rare moment of leisure. Occasionally, he would glance out the window at the bustling streets below which were thriving with activity and prosperity. Seeing this scene before her eyes made Ye Li feel warm and contented—this city was something they had worked hard to create over five years’ time. Just like how they protected their land together, they also guarded the common people who lived on that land. Looking at the man sitting across from her, she felt a sense of tenderness and sweetness in her heart. They were not only husband and wife but also partners with shared ideals and responsibilities.
"What are you thinking about to be so happy" Mo Xiuyao put down his teacup and looked gently at the smiling and contented woman sitting across from him. Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Nothing much, it’s just that what I see makes me feel very happy."
Gazing down, following Ye Li’s gaze, she saw a bustling street where young couples were selling cosmetics despite their simple attire, wearing joyous smiles. A family of three—husband and wife with their child—walked on the streets; the little boy pointed at vendors selling candied haws and wanted to buy some. Seniors in their sixties walked steadily through the crowd, while many young scholars also had radiant faces and expressions. Mo Xiuyao turned around and said gently but firmly, "As long as we are here, they will always live happily."
Ye Li nodded and said softly, "Actually, ordinary people don't ask for much—they just want to live peaceful lives with enough food and clothing; then they would be grateful towards you." Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "That's right! The common folks in the northwest now hold your Lady Agri in high regard. If not for her, where would their good life come from"
The plan to develop trade with foreign countries was proposed by Agri; as was the idea of farming grain on land reclaimed from northern plains. These were not empty flatteries—Agri had done too much for the northwest and the Black Warriors, and Mo Xiuyao felt incredibly fortunate to have her as his wife. Ye Li smiled, pressing her lips together and said, "The king praises me. I merely put forward ideas; others do all the work." Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Although many can accomplish things, none has ever thought of them like you did. So, Agri should be given first credit."
"Your Excellency King, Your Excellency Duchess, Yaoji requests an audience," someone reported.
Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly and said calmly, "Come in." Yaoji pushed open the door; five years had passed since she was the most elegant dancer of Chu Capital. Now that she had shed her worldly glitz, she merely wore a simple dress and jade hairpin, with much fewer signs of arrogance but more peace and tranquility.
Ye Li glanced at Yaoji’s green jade lily hairpin and raised an eyebrow, smiling and saying, "It's been some time since I last saw you; it seems that you have become even more beautiful." Yaoji smiled brightly and said, "Is Duchess jesting No one can compare to her elegance."
Ye Li looked at her with a smile and said teasingly, "This green jade hairpin looks familiar. It’s quite nice."
Yaoji felt somewhat uneasy as she touched the hairpin on her head and said, "It's an ordinary hairpin, not very distinctive." Ye Li shook her head and smiled, saying, "That’s incorrect; although this hairpin isn’t made of top-grade jade or with exquisite craftsmanship, it is a kind of green jade from Western Regions merchants. There are only three such pieces in the entire city of Li. I kept one lily-shaped hairpin for myself, gave one orchid-shaped to the second Miss Xü, and another was taken by someone else…"
Meeting Ye Li’s teasing gaze, even Yaoji, who had seen many people in her lifetime, felt her face heat up; she cursed the person who had given it to her inwardly. Back then, when that person gave her the hairpin, she naturally refused to accept it, but he casually said someone else must have mistaken him as a gift recipient and threw it away since holding onto it was useless. She didn’t expect this seemingly ordinary hairpin would be so special.
Seeing Yaoji’s face turn increasingly red, Ye Li knew not to tease her further; otherwise, she might ruin the happiness of her subordinate, which could earn her resentment for life. In her previous life, people said meddling with other's relationships was like asking a horse to kick you in the butt.
“Alright, no more teasing. Is there anything important” Ye Li asked seriously. Yaoji, seeing Ye Li give her an out, gladly changed the topic and quickly said, "The list of candidates with issues is here; should we arrest them now" Yaoji respectfully handed over a list, which Mo Xiuyao took to glance at before passing it to Ye Li and saying, "It seems that Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingqi really think highly of us. They want to send people into the city through any cracks they find. At least half of those who have come for the exam are their people." Ye Li thought about it and told Yaoji, "We don’t need to deal with them yet; we’ll discuss this after the exam is over. I also want to see what kind of talents Prince Southern Command and Mo Jingqi will send us." If a large number of princes disappeared before the examination, it would be easily noticed and cause a stir, but afterwards, people wouldn't think much of someone disappearing since many candidates who fail their exams leave in disappointment.
Yao Ji should be, after some thought, said again: "There is also one matter. Yao Ji originally already let people go to report Mo Hua Master about it, since the Prince and Princess Consort came, just first report it to the Prince and Princess Consort. Recently, there are rumors that Chu Jing seems a bit unstable recently. It was from below in the wine shop's person who listened to the people coming from Chu Jing."
Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly, "Has anyone said what happened" Yao Ji shook her head and said: "The other party is not any high officials or nobles, it’s estimated that they don’t know much." Ye Li smiled, "It seems we have some people in Chu Jing who are no longer useful." Mo Xiuyao was unsurprised and said coldly, "Mo Jingqi is such a suspicious person that he makes one shudder. Besides being tricked by Tan Jizhi for nearly ten years, now it’s likely that everyone looks like a traitor to him. Even if someone wounds eight thousand of his people, he would still clean up anyone around him." Although the Prince’s residence had some hidden pawns in the palace, they were deeply concealed and unless it was about life or death matters for the Prince’s residence, they could not be easily used.
"It seems everyone is tired of peaceful days. Ah Li, pick a suitable person to return to the capital and assist Leng Haoyu," Mo Xiuyao said coldly.
Ye Li nodded, Yao Ji standing at the door bit her lip and suddenly spoke up: "Prince, Princess Consort, if you trust me, I’m willing to go to the capital."
"You" Ye Li frowned. "But your identity and the danger of going to the capital have you truly considered it thoroughly" Yao Ji nodded firmly and said: "I’ve thought this through. Although these past few years I was in Li City, my appearance time is rare, there are not many people who can recognize me in Li City either. Furthermore, I am no longer the same as before; even if we don’t talk about anything else, my self-protection ability still exists." Ye Li looked at her determined expression and sighed helplessly: "You still can't let go" Yao Ji勉強笑了笑，說道：“也許這次回去就能放下了呢。瑤姬絕不會誤了王爺和王妃的事，請王爺王妃應允。”
“你先回去吧，我想一想再回覆你。”葉璃想了想道。瑤姬謝過這才轉身出門順手將門掩上。
"Actually, Yao Ji is a good choice," Mo Xiuyao said to Ye Li. "But I fear she still has lingering feelings for Mu Yang."
Ye Li frowned and said: "I don’t believe that she completely let go of Mu Yang either, but I also don't believe that she would betray the Prince’s residence for him. Her child is still in Northwest; even if it's for her child, she wouldn’t betray the Prince’s residence. Moreover… Even if she has feelings for Mu Yang, it's likely that she hates the people from the Mu Yang Marquisate immensely. Yao Ji is a person who clearly distinguishes love and hate…" Mo Xiuyao was somewhat puzzled: "Since Ah Li knows she still has lingering feelings for Mu Yang, why did you agree to her marrying Qin Feng"
"What do you mean that I agreed for her to marry Qin Feng" Ye Li said with a sideways glance. "I merely don't like interfering in my subordinates' personal lives. As long as it doesn’t affect official business, whether or not Qin Feng likes someone is his own business; am I the Princess Consort who has to take on matchmaking duties too"
Mo Xiuyao was also uninterested in his subordinate’s private affairs: "Since that's the case, why do you disagree with Yao Ji going to Chu Jing then"
Ye Li sighed and shook her head. She asked, "Am I being too soft Being an undercover operative is not foreign to me; naturally, I understand what they must endure. The best way for Yao Ji, given her identity after returning to the capital, would be to try to get back into Mu Yang's life. In this case, whether it’s that Yao Ji will be killed by Mu Yang when something happens in the future, or until both sides resort to knives and daggers at last, Yao Ji and Mu Yang are bound to stand on opposite sides of each other. For a couple with one child who once loved each other, this is too cruel; it's also too cruel for Yao Ji.
"My Ah Li has always been a kind-hearted woman," Mo Xiuyao said softly. When Ye Li was not paying attention, he secretly raised the corners of his mouth. Being cruel to Mu Yang He did not feel the slightest bit about it. All he remembered was that when Ah Li fell off the cliff and her life or death was uncertain, there was also a share of responsibility from the old curmudgeon Mu Yang Marquisate. His letting go of Mu Yang back then wasn’t for him to return and enjoy family bliss with the Mu Yang Marquisate. Although the main course still can't be served up yet, let's have some appetizers first. As for Yao Ji That was her own request; besides, since the Prince’s residence saved her life, isn't she obligated to give something backeported quietly.Mo Xiuyao was startled and sat up with a frown. "What happened with the Xu family and Mr. Qingyun" Feng Zhiyao shook her head. "No, although people in Chu’s capital city have mentioned...