264 Mo Xiaobao and Leng Xiaodai

Ye Li wasn't idle either; while accompanying the three girls for shopping, she also casually checked on the progress of several shops under her command that were currently undergoing renovations. Alt...264. Mo Xiaobao and Leng Xiaodai

265. Mo Xiaobao and Leng Xiaodai

In the inn, the manager forced himself to lead Duke Ding's group into a guest courtyard. As soon as they stepped out of the door, he collapsed onto the ground with his legs trembling uncontrollably. In the past, it would have been an honor for him and his inn to accommodate Duke Ding and his family. However, now... just thinking about the relationship between Duke Ding and the royal family made him shudder involuntarily. He didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse.

However, seeing two indifferent-looking guards guarding the courtyard's entrance, he did not dare to inform anyone of their arrival. After trembling inwardly, he still managed to crawl back up and return to his post with a woeful expression.

Mosir Yao’s group had been seen by many people when they first arrived at the inn, and in less than half a day, news that Duke Ding was staying at the most luxurious inn in the capital after returning to the city spread throughout the entire capital. The news naturally also reached various powerful mansions and the palace. How many people felt conflicted with joy and sorrow, or were so scared they dropped their possessions, was beyond outsiders' understanding.

Just as everyone was on edge and preoccupied with their own thoughts, in an elegant courtyard behind the inn, Leng Haoyu was grumbling to Mosir Yao with a long face. "Your Excellency, even if you have to return to the capital, there's no need to be so ostentatious. Even if you are being ostentatious, why not stay in a palace instead of an inn It's very inconvenient for us coming and going."

He was different from Feng San who openly declared himself as part of Duke Ding's household. Although he, Leng Haozhuang (the second son), might have had some conflicts with his family now, he was still the cold family's second公子, and merely a merchant who maintained a relationship with Duke Ding through Feng San. Furthermore, Lady Leng Haozhuang and Consort Ding were close friends before their marriage. Even so, there wasn't any reason for them to visit immediately after Duke Ding returned.

So the pitiful second son of the cold family had to pretend to be a wallflower again at thirty, climbing over walls to pay an unexpected visit. Ye Li and Murong Ting sat together, listening to Leng Haoyu's complaints while exchanging amused glances. Although they hadn't seen each other for many years, their affection remained unchanged. They chatted quietly as they watched the two children playing nearby.

Leng Haoyu’s son was two years younger than Mo Xiaobao and named Leng Junhan. The three-year-old boy looked very much like his father, already showing signs of his good looks despite his young age. Unlike Mo Xiaobao who was a precocious rascal, Leng Junhan seemed more like an obedient little dumpling. This little 'dumpling' seemed to hit it off well with Mo Xiaobao upon meeting him, following the older boy around and calling him "brother" in a very endearing manner.

However, this closeness was clearly one-sided. Mo Xiaobao had his eyes on top of his head; he found the little 'dumpling' who was immediately embraced by his mother upon their meeting extremely annoying. His large eyes glared roundly at Junhan, but the boy took it as a sign of affection and said cheerfully, "Brother, let's play together." Leng Junhan had grown up alone with no friends to play with, so seeing this handsome older brother made him very happy.

Mo Xiaobao rolled his eyes; who would want to play with such a silly little boy He was even stupider than Xu Zhirui from his second uncle's house. "I don't play with ignorant brats like you, little boy."

"Mo Xiaobao!" Ye Li gave him an admonishing look. Mo Xiaobao was most afraid of making his mother angry and could only reluctantly extend his hand for Leng Junhan to hold. He said haughtily, "Alright, I'll reluctantly agree to play with you."

"Brother Xiaobao is the best; he’s playing with me." Leng Junhan tugged at Mo Xiaobao's hand joyfully. Hearing this, Mo Xiaobao's face darkened and he reached out to pinch Leng Junhan's cheek, saying, "I am Prince Moshi Chien, not Brother Xiaobao.勉強同意你叫我宸哥哥。" Three-year-old Leng Junhan was still too young to understand the nuances of names; to him, Mo Xiaobao was clearly his 'Xiaobao Brother.' "Brother Xiaobao…" he repeated.

How could Leng Haoyu bear to see Mo Xiaobao bullying his son With a raised eyebrow and a smile, he said, "Oh, Young Master Xiaobao, thank you for looking after my Junhan." Mo Xiaobao’s pale face suddenly turned red, trembling as he pointed at Leng Haoyu before stomping off, letting go of Junhan and running away with tears in his eyes.

Left behind, Leng Junhan was very aggrieved. "Brother Xiaobao…

"Don't call me Little Treasure!" Mo Xiaobao's angry roar came from afar, but Cold Junhan, busy chasing after Xiao Bao Brother, didn’t hear it. "Xiao Bao Brother, wait for me…"

Meng Ting hurriedly called the wet nurse to follow as she worriedly asked, "Is Young Marquis alright" Ye Li understood her son's nature and smiled, saying, "Let him be, he'll calm down when he gets hot."

Cold Haoyu waved his fan and feigned ignorance. "What happened to the young marquis My calling him Little Treasure shouldn't have caused such a reaction, right He should already be used to it in Li City."

Ye Li laughed, "It's fine, he probably thinks everyone knows his nickname is Little Treasure and went somewhere to sulk." Upon hearing this, Meng Ting couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She really couldn't understand why the Prince Ding and Ah Li would give their son such an amusing name, and then publicize it far and wide. If they were ordinary commoners' children, one could forgive them, but Mo Xiaobao was a young marquis of the Prince Ding’s residence! Ye Li also felt helpless; who knew that Little Treasure had been unlucky to have a wicked father

"How does Your Highness view the war between Great Chu and Northern Territory" Cold Haoyu asked seriously. Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, saying indifferently, "This is an internal matter for Great Chu and Northern Territory; how I perceive it has nothing to do with me."

Cold Haoyu hesitated before asking, "Your Highness means that our Prince Ding residence won't intervene in this matter"

Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "The royal family will not give us the opportunity to intervene. If you can’t bear it, make plans for your father as early as possible. Our Prince Ding residence cannot help much; if we interfere, it would only harm him."

Cold Haoyu smiled bitterly and said calmly, "What kind of plan can I make He has never cared about his unworthy son like me. At most, I can try to protect his life."

Mo Xiuyao nodded, "Afterwards, let Qin Feng transfer two people to you. After this matter is resolved, it might not be safe in Chu Capital anymore; you’d better return to Li City." Cold Haoyu’s answer pleased Mo Xiuyao. As an upper-class person, he certainly did not like his subordinate being heartless and having no sense of loyalty either. Even though Cai Huan didn’t value Cold Haoyu, they were still father and son. But similarly, he also did not wish for Cold Haoyu to cause trouble by thinking about Cai Huan.

Cold Haoyu’s face lit up with joy, "Thank you, Your Highness." Assigning people from Qin Feng meant sending the best of the best—Qilin. With Qilin secretly protecting his father, even if his father lost in battle, Cold Haoyu would still have confidence to bring him back alive. Mo Xiuyao waved dismissively and frowned as he asked, "What’s happening with Mo Jingqi now Mo Jingli moved in but didn’t rush to ascend the throne; this isn't like him."

When Cold Haoyu mentioned Mo Jingqi, there was no warmth. He even refused any sympathy for him, saying, "Mo Jingqi won’t die anytime soon, and Mo Jingli probably wants to torture him. But I also have something in my hands that Mo Jingli can't afford to lose, so ultimately they’ll reach a compromise—making the son of Concubine Guifei the crown prince."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow as Cold Haoyu smiled and said, "I didn’t know what was going on at first. However, I received news recently that when Mo Jingli became Regent, he discarded his only son right away." Those present were all intelligent people; with a hint from Cold Haoyu, they understood immediately, “The child in the Li王府裡那個孩子不是墨景黎的，墨景黎的兒子被藏起來了？”

Mo Xiuyao said slowly after pondering for a moment, "It's not like Mo Jingli to give up his throne for one kid. The only possibility is... That’s his only son. To be fair, besides Ye Ying, there haven’t been any new children in Mo Jingli’s residence these past years." Unlike Mo Xiuyao who had only one wife—Ye Li, Mo Jingli's residence was filled with a full range of consorts and concubines. In that case, having no pregnant women or newborns after all these years was quite strange; it must have been due to some mischief from Mo Jingqi.

Meng Ting said helplessly, "These two brothers are really odd."

Everyone might not speak up but agreed with her. They weren’t wrong either; the two half-brothers had been competing for years and neither gained an advantage. Mo Jingqi was poisoned into a coma by Mo Jingli while Mo Jingli almost lost his heir to Mo Jingqi's machinations, making it truly seem like no one came out ahead.

Mentioning Duke Mo Jingqi and his brother, Leng Haoyu worriedly said, "Duke Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli must already know that the Prince is back in the capital. Shouldn’t His Highness and Lady Consort change their accommodations Staying at an inn isn’t very safe."

Right then, Zhuo Jing came in from outside to report, “Your Highness, Your Excellency, Li Prince wishes to see you.” Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and said coolly, "He comes quite fast."

Moyan rushed out of the little yard and ran outside. This was a double courtyard with people on guard both inside and outside. Although Moyan sometimes misbehaved, he still knew how to be careful. He knew that in this Chu Capital, there would be no room for him to act freely like in Li City. Even if he were very angry, he wouldn’t run out of the yard. He merely curled up under a big tree outside and quietly moped. Moyan thought deeply about it for a long time before finally deciding: he was going to spread his father’s childhood name too! As for what his father's childhood name was Moyan had yet to think about it.

"Moyan…" The sound of Leng Junhan came nearer and nearer. It seemed that Little Junhan was still searching for his new friend without giving up. Moyan, who was hiding in the servants' quarters, felt his scalp crawl at hearing the soft voice calling him ‘Moyan’. Whenever he looked up, he could see the guards’ grinning expressions outside the door. The veins on Moyan’s forehead throbbed fiercely. Grinding his teeth, he pointed to Leng Junhan who was staggering around looking for him and blessed him with bad luck.

Moyan finally stood up and coldly said, "Leng Xiaodai, come over here!"

Leng Junhan turned his head and saw the handsome Moyan Brother beckoning at him from under a tree, so he immediately flashed a brilliant smile and ran to Moyan. Moyan tightly pinched Leng Junhan’s little cheeks and stared at him, saying, "I’m called Mo Yuchen, did you hear me clearly Mo, Yu, Chen! Call me Yuchen Brother!" Although Leng Junhan could not understand Moyan’s thoughts, he still instinctively realized that Moyan was unhappy. "W… I won’t call you Leng Xiaodai…"

Moyan rolled his eyes and said, "I also don’t call myself Mo Xiaobao."

"…" But Aunty Lady Consort clearly calls you ‘Xiaobao’. Moyan glared fiercely at Leng Junhan and demanded, “Yuchen Brother! Did you hear me I won’t play with you if you don’t listen to me.”

“Yuchen Brother…” Leng Junhan said in a small voice. Moyan nodded his head satisfactorily and patted Leng Junhan’s little head, saying in a pompous tone of voice, “That’s how good children behave. You’re teachable.” Leng Junhan stroked his little head and laughed foolishly—would Moyan Brother play with him now

“You are Mo Xiuyao’s son” A cold voice came from not far away. Moyan turned to look, spotting a middle-aged man in black robes standing several steps away staring at him. The strange, cold gaze made Moyan uncomfortable. So, Moyan pursed his lips and lifted his chin arrogantly as he asked, "I’m the Prince’s Son, who are you" What was the big deal about being a prince He was wearing court clothing everywhere, afraid that people wouldn’t know of his status. His father was the most powerful prince.

Mojingli didn't know that Moyan would think so much based on just one look at him. Looking at the handsome child in black brocade robes with a complicated expression, he thought back to how Mo Jingqi had been favored and doted upon by his parents as a child. This boy’s looks were even finer than those of young Mo Jingqi, and his arrogant bearing was even more pronounced. It was clear that this boy was the most beloved in heaven. Thinking of this, he recalled where his own son might be, and the look on Mojingli's face darkened further.

Moyan glared at Mojingli unhappily and said, "How impolite! Prince’s Son asked you a question and you didn’t answer!" Twisting around, Moyan turned to leave, saying, “Leng Xiaodai, let’s go.”

"S… Yuchen Brother, I’m not Leng Xiaodai." Leng Junhan ran after him and said emphatically. Moyan nodded generously, "I remember it now—Leng Xiaodai."

Watching the two children leave hand in hand, Mojingli stood there looking gloomy, his thoughts unknown. Zhuo Jing came out and said to Mojingli, “Li Prince, Your Highness and Lady Consort have invited you.” Mojingli gave a cold snort and stepped inside.

Moxiuyao and Ye Li were playing chess in the courtyard; Leng Haoyu and Murong Ting had naturally avoided them. When they saw Mo Jingli enter, Moxiuyao didn’t even have any intention of standing to greet him. He glanced at Mojingli sideways and said coolly, "What is it"

A flash of anger passed over Mojingli’s face; he always seemed to be inferior to Moxiuyao in the presence of this prince. Back then, when Moxiuyao was still a second son of Ding Prince’s Manor and he was a noble prince, he had been less favored than Moxiuyao, less pleased with himself than Moxiuyao, and more arrogant than Moxiuyao. When they grew up, he became the Li Prince while Moxiuyao earned military merit and talent, and now, Moxiuyao was already the Regent of the Great Chu Dynasty. In front of Mo Xiuyao, it seemed that he still had to be inferior! How could Mojingli remain calm in such a situation

"How dare you! How could you even think of returning!" Mo Jingli said coldly. Mo Xiuyao casually threw the chess pieces and approached with a faint smile, "This King has returned. What are you going to do about it"

Mo Jingli gritted his teeth. What was there for him to do There wasn't anything he could do!

Beijing was under siege. The Northern Rong and West Ling were keeping a close eye on things. Even if Mo Xiuyao returned alone, he wouldn't dare do anything to him. Once something happened to Mo Xiuyao, the army of the Mo family would definitely come out en masse to take revenge for him. When that time came, both West Ling and Northern Rong would invade together. The Great Chu would be surrounded by enemies from multiple sides in no time.

He snorted and saw that Mo Xiuyao didn't seem to have any intention of inviting him to sit down, so he walked over on his own and sat down at an empty seat nearby. He stared at Mo Xiuyao with narrowed eyes and asked, "What do you want by coming back now What are your plans"

Mo Xiuyao snorted disdainfully at his suspicion, "Plans Isn't that something that you and Mo Jingqi are good at How is it going for Mo Jingqi Is the medicine enough If not, this King has more here." Mo Jingli's eyes narrowed. "This King doesn't know what you're talking about," he said coldly.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "Don't know When you were buying that old hag in the Southfront Holy Land, Your Majesty and Ah Li happened to be watching from beside you, so we just took some medicine along for Mister Shen's research. What do you think Could Mister Shen have managed to make a cure within these past few months"

Mo Jingli glanced at Ye Li who was calmly sipping tea by the side and suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. However, the implications in Mo Xiuyao's words made him feel even more uneasy. "You have an antidote"

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Did I say that"

"Mo Xiuyao! You…" Mo Jingli was so angry that he wanted to smash the tea cup in his hand into Mo Xiuyao's face. Over these years, with his status and power increasing steadily, he rarely became this easily enraged anymore. However, it seemed like a few careless words from Mo Xiuyao could make him feel just as young and irritable as before. "Mo Xiuyao, what are you trying to do"

Mo Xiuyao sipped his tea leisurely and said coolly, "Stay calm. Now that this King is a Regent Prince, there should be some dignity in the role. Don't disgrace the title of Regent Prince." His father had once been a Regent Prince too.

Seeing Mo Jingli struggling to restrain his anger, Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "This King doesn't have any intentions. I've just heard that Mo Jingqi is on his last legs and came back here for my farewell."

"Your meaning is that you'll stay as long as he lives" Mo Jingli gritted his teeth. Right now, the capital was in chaos, and they really didn't need a Prince Ding to stir things up again. If Mo Jingqi lived another half-year, would Mo Xiuyao be staying for another half year too

"Your Majesty's brother-in-law and elder brother are both talented political strategists. The Northwest is but a small place; there's nothing that they can't handle. Your Highness doesn't need to worry about this King," said Mo Xiuyao.

Worry your ass! Mo Jingli finally couldn't help cursing in his heart. What did the Northwest have anything to do with him All he wanted was for Mo Xiuyao to leave the capital of Great Chu as soon as possible.

Moi Xiuyao leaned back in his seat, propped up his chin, and said with a look at Mo Jingli, "Don't try to think of ways to get this King to leave quickly. This King isn't interested in coming and going all the time. I'll naturally leave when I'm bored enough. But you can rest assured that this King won't interfere between your conflicts with Mo Jingqi and the Liu family."

Mo Jingli sneered, "Do you think I'd believe what you say to reclaim victory. In the eyes of the world, he—Prince Nanzhen Le Zhen霆 from Xi Ling—would forever be seen as inferior to Mo Liufang. Therefore, he valued even morehow to decisively defeat the Mo Fa...