Guests from Xiling

  Guests from Xiling

  Outside Yonglin City, Li Wang's Large Camp

  Damn it! How could Mo Xuyao appear here now?! In the main tent, Mo Jingli's face was gloomy and twisted. At this time close to June, it made people feel the chill of severe winter. No one dared to speak, not only because of the anger of King Lei, but also because of the shock caused by the sudden appearance of King Ding on the battlefield. If there was anything more terrifying than King Ding's appearance, it was that he appeared in good health. When they saw the silver-white figure riding a horse and jumping into the air, almost everyone involuntarily felt a sense of despair and regret in their hearts. That young man who had already been called the God of War, that King Ding who was said to be more intelligent than his ancestors, could they really withstand him? Some people even secretly doubted and regretted whether it was a correct decision to follow King Lei and start a rebellion at the beginning. The achievement of the dragon would indeed bring glory, wealth, power, and boundless influence, but the cost of failure also made people's hearts cold with fear.

  The usually calm military advisor's face was also pale, in their plan, no matter what, Mo Xiuyao would not appear so quickly in Yongzhou. No, it should be said that Mo Xiuyao would never appear in Yongzhou at all. But now... A crippled Ding Wang is indeed formidable and worthy of caution, but a healthy and agile Ding Wang is even more terrifying. Your Highness, has there been any news from the capital? Ding Wang... Mo Jingli coldly snorted: Mo Xiuyao had already left the capital before we started our rebellion. And also Ye Li! It was actually her! Just thinking about how Ye Li had blocked their path all these days made Mo Jingli want to capture her and flay her alive. The military advisor said: Previously, there were rumors that the Queen of Ding Country had gone missing, now it seems she should have gone to Nanzhao. Previously, news came from Nanzhao that Qingchen Gongzi was nowhere to be found... It's likely that the Queen of Ding Country went to Nanzhao for Qingchen Gongzi. The more he spoke, the colder the military advisor's heart became. Ding Wang, the Queen of Ding Country, Murong Shen, and possibly Qingchen Gongzi who would appear soon. The people blocking their path made him almost lose hope in breaking through Yonglin. Your Highness, I think that for now, we should immediately give up on Yongzhou and march eastward, before the imperial reinforcements arrive, seize all areas south of Yunlan River.

  Mo Jing Lei said in a low voice: Mo Xiu Yao has arrived at Yong Lin, do you think he will let us withdraw our troops?

  The military advisor stroked his beard and said: With your understanding of the King of Ding, according to the temperament of the King of Ding, would he so easily retreat today?

  Mo Jing Lei lowered his eyebrows and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Mo Xiu Yao was known as the 'Fierce Wind' in his youth, and he has always been swift and decisive in battle. With his former temperament, if today's battle didn't result in heavy casualties for the enemy, he wouldn't have stopped. The military advisor nodded with a smile: "Since that's the case, Your Highness thinks that King Ding didn't pursue the victory today because...?" Mo Jing Lei's eyes flashed, and his voice rose slightly: "He lacks sufficient troops!" The military advisor clapped his hands and laughed: "That's right! The terrain of Yonglin is limited, and the Black Cloud Cavalry arrived suddenly, so we couldn't gauge their numbers. But King Ding wouldn't be unaware of our troop strength. He didn't pursue the victory, which can only mean that our troops are at least twice as many as his, or even more." Mo Jing Lei nodded in agreement: "My imperial brother wouldn't easily allow him to mobilize tens of thousands of troops. Besides... if he had brought tens of thousands of troops with him, he wouldn't have arrived so quickly. Since that's the case, why don't we..."

  Absolutely not! The military advisor hastily interrupted his thoughts, advising: Your Highness, think thrice. Although the King's forces may indeed be insufficient, there is no suitable place for a large-scale battle near Yonglin. As long as he holds out in Yonglin, we will absolutely be unable to do anything about it within ten days or half a month. After ten days or half a month... even if the imperial army is slow, they should have arrived by then. At that time, if we want to retreat and head east, it will already be too late. Saying ten days or half a month is being polite; with King Ding's 20,000 Black Cloud Riders defending the city, not to mention ten days or half a month, even if they don't lack food or weapons, it's still uncertain whether we can breach the city in two or three months. You should know that the archery of the Black Cloud Riders is an existence that even the Northern Tribes' Iron Cavalry fears; the attacking army may find it difficult to even approach Yonglin City.

  Mo Jing Lei's expression changed unpredictably, with a mix of unwillingness, anger, and a fear that others could hardly detect. This fear was perhaps not due to Mo Xiuyao himself, but rather the same innate reverence that all great Chu generals had for the Mohist army and the Dingguo King's mansion.

  The king, as long as we occupy all the places south of Yunlan River and defend Yunlan River. Yongzhou is just a small place, and with Nanzhao as a constraint, the court has no power to do anything. Now that Ding Wang's legs have suddenly recovered, the one in the capital must be frightened, so he will not use Ding Wang against us. As long as Ding Wang and Mo Jiajun do not come, half of the Chu kingdom is yours for the taking. As for other things, it can be done gradually in the future. The military advisor advised with a bitter heart, Yongzhou was already unable to do anything, so it's better to take down the entire Jiangnan before the imperial army arrives. To avoid getting nothing after all the hard work. Looking at the hesitant and indecisive Li Wang in front of him, the military advisor felt a little sad in his heart. Li Wang was hesitant and indecisive when encountering things, being a wealthy and idle king with a fiefdom was fine, but conquering the world really lacked too much.

  Just as Mo Jingli was hesitating, a soldier outside the tent reported: "Reporting to Your Highness, there is an envoy from Xiling outside the camp who requests an audience."

  Xiling? Mo Jing furrowed his brow, what are they here for? Let him in!

  Before long, a middle-aged man with a refined and kind appearance was brought in. In the South Wangfu of Xi Ling Town, He Wuyuan had met King Li.

  Who is that? Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes slightly, while the military strategist beside him stirred and said: The wise man of the three outstanding ones under the banner of King Zhen Nan, Mr. Ying Li?

  A middle-aged man smiled calmly and was just below.

  Mo Jingli stared at him and said: Mr. He is the left and right arm of King Zhen Nan, suddenly appearing in front of this king, what's going on?

  He Wu said with a smile: On behalf of King Wang and the Crown Prince, I am willing to form an alliance with King Li.

  An alliance? The military advisor was perplexed. He Wu Xian smiled and said: I've heard that the King of Li is stirring up trouble in Jiangnan, my king and prince admire your majesty's ambition. Similarly, your majesty should know that the Wang family of Zhen Nan and Xi Ling have a deep blood feud with the Dong Chu Ding Guo royal family. Therefore, my king has ordered me to serve as your humble servant. When your majesty achieves success, the crown prince of Zhen Nan will personally attend the grand ceremony of your ascension to the throne in Feng Zhou. Mo Jing Li looked at him and asked: What do your king and prince want? There must be gains and losses, this principle he already knew. He Wu Xian smiled and said: Xi Ling doesn't need your majesty to pay any price, there's only one condition... Ding Wang and the Mo family army. Ding Wang's legs have already recovered, I suppose your majesty has seen him today? Mo Xiu Yao was ambitious since his youth, at the age of 14 or 15 he almost destroyed the Nan Zhao kingdom. Now after hiding for many years, he has re-emerged, and it's likely that no one in this world can stop him. My master is worried about the safety of Xi Ling, so we want to form an alliance with your majesty to counter the influence of the Ding Guo royal family. Please consider carefully.

  Mo Jing Lei was somewhat displeased, although He Wu Yuan's words were about allying with him to oppose Mo Xiu Yao, but the tone and implication of his words were full of praise for Mo Xiu Yao. He said in a light voice: "Mo Xiu Yao has been idle at home for nearly ten years. Moreover, a child prodigy may not necessarily become a great talent when grown up. Sir is being overly optimistic."

  He Wu Yuan didn't get angry, and instead smiled: "Regardless of whether what I said was an exaggeration or not. The Dingguo King's mansion has always produced famous generals without any false reputation, and Mo Xiuyao himself had never suffered a defeat in his life. It's all fact."

  Is Mr. Nanbu Chenghe capable of dealing with Mo Xiuyao? Mo Jingli raised an eyebrow and sneered.

  He Wu Yuan smiled and said: Although I don't dare guarantee that I can defeat Ding Wang, I can help Li Wang stabilize Jiangnan.

  Mo Jing Lei's eyes flickered, sizing up He Wu Yuan's gaze with a hint of evaluation. He Wu Yuan didn't mind, smiling calmly: "Your Highness can rest assured. The King of Ding will not have much time to stay in Yongzhou. As long as he is transferred away, the court won't be able to stop Your Highness from dominating the world, even if they send out tens of millions or hundreds of millions of troops."

  Mo Jing Lei was silent for a moment, then said: Please ask Mr. He to go down and rest first, I need to think carefully about this matter. He Wu Yuan was not in a hurry, nodded and smiled: Since that's the case, Your Highness can take your time to consider it carefully. I'll take my leave first.

  The phoenix flies down from afar to pay respects to the queen.

  Feng Zhi Yao stepped into the elegant and serene small courtyard, and upon seeing the woman sitting under the tree shade reading a book, he couldn't help but feel a headache. Just a moment ago, when he was arranging defenses on the city wall, he received a report from someone beside the princess that she had summoned him for a chat, and he knew trouble was brewing. Unfortunately, being summoned by the princess wasn't something he dared to ignore.

  No need for excessive politeness, Young Master Feng. Ye Li put down her book and turned around with a smile, but did she disturb Third Young Master Feng?

  Feng Zhiyao smiled wryly and said, "I wouldn't dare, Your Highness has summoned me, Feng, how could I possibly be a disturbance?"

  Ye Li raised her head, looked at Feng Zhiyao seriously and smiled: "Feng San Gongzi is almost like a different person in the capital. If I met him normally, I'm afraid I would have mistaken him for someone else."

  Feng Zhiyao could only force a smile, thinking that the more polite the princess was now, the more troublesome her questions would be later. Ye Li looked at his pretending-to-be-happy appearance and slightly lowered her eyes, saying: "Feng San Gongzi, please sit down and talk." Feng Zhiyao thanked her and said: "Princess, you can just call me Feng San, I'm not worthy of the title 'Gongzi'." Ye Li waved her hand and smiled: "I know you and the king have known each other since childhood. Privately, you're also like brothers, no need to be so distant."

  Feng Zhiyao had no choice but to sit down, facing Ye Li, which made him feel even more pressured. He smiled and said: "I don't know what the princess wants to see me about?"

  Ye Li raised her head and looked at him straight in the eye, saying in a low voice: I also don't like beating around the bush, Feng Gongzi, how is Wang Ye's body now?

  Feng Zhiyao was taken aback, and hastily laughed: "The prince's body? Isn't the prince's body fine?" But thinking about it, after all these years, the prince's body has finally recovered, the princess should be happy instead. Ye Lian looked at him calmly, her eyes clear and bright but without a hint of naivety. Feng Zhiyao secretly cursed in his heart, unable to look away, staring back at her steadily. After a while, Ye Lian smiled faintly: "Feng Gongzi, do you know? A person's true smile can only be maintained for a very short period of time, and if it exceeds that...it's usually a fake smile." Feng Zhiyao was taken aback again, blinked his eyes, and finally retracted the stiff smile on his face. The princess's insight...was quite unique.

  So... would Feng Gongzi be willing to tell me the truth? Ye Li asked with a hint of a smile.

  Feng Zhi Yao smiled wryly, why didn't the princess directly ask the king.

  Ye Li sighed softly, if he didn't want to say it, how could she ask him out?

  Feng Zhiyao said: "If the prince doesn't say anything, it might mean that his body has fully recovered." Ye Lian looked at him and smiled: "Feng Gongzi, I may not be able to tell if he's lying or not. But there's one thing I understand. A person who has been crippled for eight years and also poisoned cannot possibly recover to such an extent in a short period of time, no matter what kind of miraculous medicine is used. Even if Shen Xiansheng had found the antidote and cured the prince's legs, it would be impossible for him to recover to this extent within half a year. If there really was such a miraculous medicine, why would Mo Xiuyao have waited so many years?"

  Feng Zhiyao looked at her with a difficult expression, but Ye Lian didn't back down and stared at him firmly. Half a minute later, Feng Zhiyao retreated in defeat and thought for a moment before saying: "Even if I don't say anything, the princess will find out sooner or later. The prince used Phoenix Grass." Ye Lian was shocked, she still remembered what Shen Yang had said - after taking Phoenix Grass, the fire poison produced would cause both cold and hot fires to coexist in Mo Xiuyao's body, making it impossible for even the Lianhua flower to remove the cold poison from his body. Why didn't anyone stop him?!

  Feng Zhiyao reluctantly bowed her head and said: The king's decision, who can stop it?

  Ye Li's face sank, and he was about to say something, but his voice trailed off. He slumped down onto the stool with a sense of despair. When Feng Zhiyao left the capital, news of Mo Jingli's rebellion had not yet reached the city. He... because of her...

  Princess... Feng Zhiyao saw Ye Li's unpleasant expression and thought for a moment before understanding the key point. With some difficulty, she comforted: Actually... even if King Wang received news of Duke Lei's rebellion two days later, he would still... King Wang doesn't have time to wait for Lianhuo now. Ye Li nodded somewhat dazedly: Has Mr. Shen arrived in Yongzhou? Feng Zhiyao nodded, Mr. Shen insisted on coming, but he couldn't rush long distances and would be late by several days.

  Ye Li slightly closed her eyes and nodded: I understand. Thank you, Feng Gongzi.

  Feng Zhi Yao furrowed her brow in concern and said: Wang Fei...

  Ye Li waved her hand and said, "It's okay, Feng Gongzi has something to attend to first." Feng Zhiyao looked at her and had no choice but to leave. Ye Li sat under the shade of a tree, lost in thought. If she hadn't come to Nanjiang... No, if she hadn't sent that secret letter, Mo Xiuyao wouldn't have rushed to Nanjiang because of it. Maybe it was true what Feng Zhiyao said, they didn't have time to wait for the Lianhuo Lotus two years later, and maybe in the end Mo Xiuyao would still take the Phoenix Grass. But... now Mo Xiuyao was still here because of her...

  Dark Three.

  The princess? Anzi appeared behind her, looking at the woman's slightly weak back under the tree with some worry.

  Where is Dark Four now?

  An San Dao: An Si has just gone to Xiling. The queen had previously ordered him to investigate Han Mingyue's affairs in Xiling. He should have just entered the border of Xiling. Ye Li nodded and said: Send someone to pass on a message, don't worry about Han Mingyue's affairs for now. Think of a way to keep an eye on Bing Sheng, once he wants to obtain the Biliu flower again, spare no expense to get it in hand. An San hesitated for a moment and said: The Biliu flower is within the borders of Nanjiang, why not have our subordinates go take a look? Ye Li shook his head and said: Nanjiao is not small, and who among us has seen what the Biliu flower looks like? The one surnamed Liang should be in Tianyi Pavilion's hands... no... the one surnamed Liang should also be in Xiling. But it's not in Bing Sheng's hands. Send someone to tell Han Minghui, he promised me that what I wanted would come true.

  Yes. Anzi nodded three times and disappeared neatly behind her.

  Waiting for An San to leave, Ye Li sat for a long time before getting up and returning to the courtyard where she and Mo Xiuyao were temporarily staying. When she returned to her room, she didn't see Mo Xiuyao's figure. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li went out and headed towards the study in the front yard, but was blocked by two dark guards at the door. "Your Highness, the King has ordered that no one is allowed to enter or leave now. Please stop, Your Highness." Ye Li glanced sideways at her two dark guards with a lowered head, not daring to look directly at them, and said, "What did you say?"

  The king said he doesn't see anyone now... including the queen.

  Ye Li took a step back and said: I know you are just following orders and don't intend to make things difficult. However...I need to go in now.

  Two guards exchanged a glance and stood in front of the door, asking the princess not to make things difficult for them.

  Ye Li said: "If you overthrow your past, won't you be considered disobedient?"

  The two dark guards looked at the woman in front of them with vigilance, they had already seen the princess's skills. In a situation where they couldn't hurt anyone, they really didn't have the confidence to withstand the princess... The dark guard at the door raised his hand, and several figures fell from the wall, tree, and roof. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, coldly saying: Dark Three, Dark Four, take them down!

  "Yes!" Two low voices responded in unison. Two figures flashed into the courtyard, one to the left and one to the right. In just a moment, several dark guards were subdued, looking at each other's angry and unwilling eyes. An San patted his shoulder comfortingly and said, "Brother, don't be sad. Dark guards also have their own hierarchy. Everyone starts from the same place, so they understand the dark guards very well, but other dark guards don't understand them." Those few months of hardship weren't in vain, now you can see the effect, right? It's not that they're too weak, it's just that they've completely transcended the realm of dark guards. If the situation allowed it, An San would have burst out laughing.

  Ye Li turned back and smiled at the two dark guards blocking the door, wanting me to take action myself?

  Two guards stepped aside, clearing the path in front of the door: "The princess invites you."

  They were temporarily staying in a rich merchant's mansion in Yonglin City. The owner had escaped to Jiangbei long before Yonglin was besieged, and the wealthy were always more afraid of death than ordinary people. The study in the front yard was very large, with even a resting bedroom attached. So last night, Mo Xiu Yao rested in the study, and Ye Li didn't think much of it. After all, he had just arrived in Yonglin and there were many things that needed his attention. But after seeing Feng Zhi Xiao, Ye Li suddenly realized that since returning to Yonglin last night until now, which was already afternoon, she hadn't seen Mo Xiu Yao again. She had eaten breakfast and lunch alone, and if Mo Xiu Yao was really busy to this extent, there was no reason why Feng Zhi Xiao could be strolling around on the city wall, and in the capital, when Mo Xiu Yao asked for her help, they were always busy together, without any sign of apology.

  Stepping into the study, it was indeed empty. Ye Li quickly walked towards the bedroom behind the study and before she even entered, she heard a sound of something crashing to the floor coming from inside. She hastily rushed in.

  As soon as she entered, the scene before her made Ye Li's heart skip a beat. The man who was still invincible on the battlefield yesterday was now lying on the ground in disarray, the quilt on the bed torn to shreds and scattered all over the floor and bed. A flower stand placed not far from the bedside had fallen to the ground, with some porcelain pieces scattered randomly beside it. Mo Xiuyao's eyes were tightly closed, his clothes soaked as if he had just been drenched in water. His hands were stained with blood.

  A Li, go out... Hearing the footsteps, Mo Xiuyao didn't raise his head, but said in a light tone.

  Ye Li stopped in her tracks for a moment, but instead of stopping or turning around, she quickly walked up to him and helped him up. Are you okay?

  Mo Xiuyao nodded wearily, allowing Ye Li to help him back onto the bed. He smiled wryly and said: "A Li, it seems like I always let you see me at my most disheveled..."

  Ye Li said faintly: This time, you asked for it. We... we are husband and wife, not strangers, can't always only see the perfect side of each other, right? Mo Xiu Yao closed his eyes, smiling faintly: Should say you've never seen my perfect side. His most perfect appearance had long ceased to exist before he met her. Ye Li reached out to grasp his hand, which was still clenched due to intense pain, and smiled calmly: How could that be? Weren't things fine just yesterday? Looking down at the congealed blood on his fingertips and the mottled scars on his palm, she asked softly: When did it start? As if the pain had gradually subsided, Mo Xiu Yao unexpectedly became more talkative, opening his mouth after a moment: At dawn...

  Ye Li's hand paused, and she felt a sudden pang of chest pain. It was already late afternoon, nearly seven or eight hours had passed.

  It's not uncomfortable anymore, so let's sleep for a while.

  He didn't respond, his light and steady breathing indicating that he had fallen asleep. However, even in his sleep, his eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, occasionally revealing a pained expression. Ye Li got up to get another blanket to cover him with, but found that one of his hands was tightly grasping hers, unable to move. Helpless, she sat back down and frowned at his sweat-drenched clothes, hoping he wouldn't catch a chill because of it. But waking him now would be too cruel. Just looking at the dark shadows under his eyes made her realize that he must not have had a good rest in a long time.

  Until the sun dipped into the west, Mo Xiuyao finally woke up from his deep sleep. Although he had only slept for less than two hours, he felt much better than before. Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief, this time it was finally over.

  "Are you awake?" Ye Li's voice came from outside, and Mo Xiuyao lifted his head to see Ye Li carrying a tray walking in. She put the tray on the table before lifting her head to say to him, "Now that you're awake, go take a bath first, then have dinner."

  Mo Xi Yao was taken aback, Ah Li, how... The scenes before sleep reappeared in his mind, and amidst the dizziness and pain that wouldn't stop for a moment, Ye Li's gentle voice clearly entered his consciousness, miraculously soothing his nearly collapsing sanity. Only then did he slowly fall asleep to the sound of that gentle voice. Ye Li saw him staring at her without speaking, walked over with some concern and asked: What's wrong? Is there anywhere else uncomfortable? Should I have someone go call a doctor?

  Mo Xiuyao held her and said: It's okay, just slept too long and wasn't fully awake. Can't call the doctor from outside now.

  Ye Li didn't expose his not-so-clever lie, Mo Xiuyao was afraid that even in his sleep he wouldn't be clear-headed, so let's go take a bath first, I've had someone prepare it. Mo Xiuyao lowered his head to look and found that he indeed needed to clean up quite a bit.

  Mo Xiuyao quickly finished washing up and walked out with a mist of water on his body. Ye Li hurriedly got up, looked at the thin undergarment he was wearing, turned around to get a cloak for him to wear. Mo Xiuyao helplessly looked at her: "Ah Li, I'm not weak enough to be blown away by the wind." Ye Li nodded seriously: "Yes, being blown away by the wind is really too easy compared to you." Sit down and eat. She handed him a bowl of fragrant and delicious porridge, and watched as he ate.

  Mo Xiuyao could only lower his head and take a bite, not only did it smell fragrant, but it also tasted extremely delicious. Mo Xiuyao, who hadn't eaten anything since last night, felt warmth in his stomach, and his appetite, which had been poor due to excessive fatigue and pain, improved greatly. It didn't seem like something they would make. The master of this mansion was already gone, so naturally there were no servants either. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li lived here and couldn't use outsiders with unclear backgrounds, so their daily needs were taken care of by the dark guards. Although the dark guards of the Wang Fu were well-trained, the food they made was only barely edible. Ye Li supported his chin as he watched him eat, "I made it, isn't it good?"

  Mo Xiuyao paused for a moment, shook his head and smiled faintly: No, it's delicious.

  Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, her culinary skills weren't that great but she could manage to cook some simple home-style dishes and porridge. These chicken congee had been simmered for a whole hour, and she herself had tasted it, the flavor was actually acceptable.

  "Does Arli have something to say to me?" Mo Xiuyao asked, putting down the bowl in his hand and looking at Ye Lili's unwavering gaze. Ye Lili took over the bowl, refilled it for him, and handed it back, saying: "I've always believed that trying to tough out everything alone is not acceptable, nor is it the way a husband and wife should interact." Mo Xiuyao reluctantly accepted the bowl she handed him, let out a soft sigh, and said: "You know... Arli, this isn't because of you... You know, the poison in my body can't be cured for now, and I'll eventually reach this point anyway.

  Isn't it because things have already turned out this way? I'm saying... Your Highness, aren't you afraid that locking yourself in your room will drive you to death? Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

  I won't. Moxibustion, I won't die. Phoenix grass can't take my life. Mr. Shen also said that this will only make me suffer a bit.

  It's just a bit painful... Ye Li couldn't help but want to pry open his skull and see what was inside.

  A Lian, you know this is already the best situation now. If Mr. Shen can't bring back the Phoenix Grass... then he won't be able to support Yong Lin in time, Shui Xue Guan will be broken through, and the Nan Zhao people will enter the pass. A Lian...

  I'll accompany you from now on, Ye Li said calmly.

  Good.

  By the way

  Am I abusing the male lead? I'm not abusing him~ The plot... is just like that, can't help it~ Alright, suffering is the way to success, let's go!