First Meeting with the King of Nanzhao

Your Excellency agree with my opinion" Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Having delayed so long in Xinyang, Feng San is anxious, isn’t he" Feng Zhirao shook his head and said, “I understand that Your E...234. First Meeting with the Prince of Nanzhao

After seeing off Princess Anxi, Xu Qingchen turned to Ye Li and sincerely said, "Lily, big brother thanks you." Xu Qingchen understood why Ye Li had spoken so much to Princess Anxi; she herself did not have any close relationship with the princess and thus did not need to trouble herself.

Ye Li naturally hoped that Princess Anxi would not be obsessed and eventually develop hatred towards Xu Qingchen. If it were an ordinary woman, it wouldn’t matter, but as a princess of another country, Princess Anxi could cause great trouble if she truly went too far. Furthermore, although Xu Qingchen did not have romantic feelings for the princess, he genuinely regarded her as a friend. It would be a pity to damage their previous relationship.

Ye Li rolled her eyes and said with pursed lips, "No need to thank me. Big brother, if you don’t have any feelings for this girl, just stay away from her a bit more. I can't keep shielding you from unwanted affection." Just thinking about the times she had accompanied Xu Qingchen, Ye Li was grateful that she had married Mo Xiaoyao early and their love was recognized by everyone. Whenever they walked together, girls who admired Xu Qingchen would shoot daggers at her with their eyes. Thinking back to when she had convinced Princess Anxi that Xu Qingchen was her fiancé, Ye Li felt relieved that it was the princess instead of another woman; otherwise, she might have been slashed by a knife.

Xu Qingchen regretfully touched his nose and didn’t know what to say. He truly hadn’t thought about courting any women, nor did he look down on anyone because of their status or appearance. It was just that he didn't feel anything for them.

"Lily, I've always told you that big brother won’t like any girls," Mo Xiaoyao emerged from inside and hooked his arm around Ye Li's waist before pulling her into a hug with a smile.

Ye Li immediately recalled what Mo Xiaoyao had once said about Xu Qingchen’s orientation, causing her expression to stiffen. Turning her head to look at Xu Qingchen, she saw no intention of denying it and felt even more depressed. Although she didn’t discriminate against men who loved each other, she wasn't prepared for her own brother to actually be one. Moreover… how would she explain this to their uncle and aunt

Seeing Ye Li’s gloomy expression, Xu Qingchen assumed that she was upset about his situation and hurriedly said, "Lily, don’t get angry. Big brother wouldn’t want such things to happen…"

Seeing Xu Qingchen's rare worried expression, Ye Li felt a jolt in her heart. Yes, the brother wouldn't willingly engage in such matters either. For so many years, he had never mentioned it, presumably because he didn’t want others to know about it. Although Sir Qingchen was renowned across the land, he happened to be a man who loved his own kind. If this news got out… "I understand, Brother, you needn't feel conflicted. I won’t ask anymore in the future." Xu Qingchen was taken aback and deeply moved by his sister’s understanding nature but somehow felt that Ye Li's gaze towards him seemed wrong. What did it mean when her eyes were filled with comprehension, sympathy, and comfort

“You all must be tired after traveling for a few days. Brother, I will take Ah Li back to rest.” Mo Xiurao spoke in his usual unhurried manner.

Xu Qingchen, who always felt something was wrong, waved the two off and replayed their conversation in his mind, finally realizing where things had gone awry. Sir Qingchen’s gentlemanly demeanor cracked as he turned a dark shade of green, nearly scaring ZHUO Jing and LIN Han out of the courtyard, “Mo Xiurao!”

What did it mean when he said that he wouldn’t fancy any girl Mo Xiurao was clearly hinting at Ye Li’s disinterest in women. When Xu Qingchen recalled how strange Ye Li's gaze had been towards him lately, he finally understood the reason behind her behavior and justified his actions. Thinking back to Mo Xiurao's ambiguous smile before leaving, Sir Qingchen gritted his teeth, "Mo Xiurao, wait for me!"

Returning to their temporary residence, Ye Li asked curiously, “Which tribe is the Prince Consort of Anxi Princess from He seems very accomplished; you and Brother know their language.” Mo Xiurao nodded, saying, "It’s a small tribe called White Wolf in the far southwestern part of Southern Frontier. They live deep in the mountains and grow up alongside ferocious beasts and venomous insects. Almost every man in that tribe is an outstanding hunter or archer. Additionally, they are as proficient at commanding venomous insects as other tribesmen in the region, if not more so. When I prepared to subdue Southern Frontier a few years ago, I had my people investigate them; several soldiers learned their language during those years."

Ye Li sat down and thought while pouring herself tea: “Does Princess Anxi choose this time for her marriage in order to gain the support of the White Wolf tribe”

Mo Xiurao nodded, sitting opposite Ye Li. Before they came to Southern Frontier, they had sent people to investigate Princess Anxi’s wedding arrangements. Mo Xiurao said, “The current situation in Southern Frontier is very unfavorable for Princess Anxi. She needs support from other tribes within the frontier. In recent years, while Brother was busy turning around in the northwest, Princess Anxi alone must face her father and Shuman Lin Tan Jizhi as well as tribal chiefs; it’s not an easy task.”

“Then...” Ye Li frowned slightly, a bit concerned. Although their friendship with Princess Anxi dictated they should help her, from the perspective of national stability, a chaotic Southern Frontier would be most advantageous to them.

"We should try not to get involved." Xu Qingchen's voice came from outside. The gentlemanly and mild Sir Qingchen walked in and only narrowed his eyes upon seeing Mo Xiurao. Looking at Ye Li, he said, “My relationship with Princess Anxi is one thing; interfering in another country’s internal affairs is quite another. In the past, I acted solely as a friend of Princess Anxi, but now every word we speak represents our position in the northwest. Therefore, it's crucial not to make any mistakes.” Ye Li nodded and asked worriedly: “Will this put Brother in a difficult situation”

Xu Qingchen shook his head and said, "Princess Anxi knows her limits."

Ye Li thought for a moment before saying, "To be honest, Princess Anxi might have some talent when it comes to governance, but if we talk about backstabbing and intrigue, she likely won’t be anyone’s match. If we sit idly by and let Princess Anxi fall into the hands of Shumanlin in Southern Yi, it wouldn’t benefit Northwest either."

Xu Qingchen fell silent for a moment before saying, "I will talk to Princess Anxi when I go back. We can secretly offer her some help, but we shouldn’t openly take sides. The affairs of Southern Yi have nothing to do with us." Ye Li nodded and said, “I understand.” Looking at Xu Qingchen’s composed demeanor, Ye Li sighed inwardly. Sometimes Big Brother is so rational that it feels heartless. Maybe in his mind, although Princess Anxi is a friend, she still isn’t as important as family. After all, Northwest is their home.

After all, they were guests and early the next morning Ye Li’s group went to court to meet King Nan Zhao. As always, it was Princess Anxi who personally accompanied them into the palace. Having met and talked with them yesterday, Pu’a was much more familiar and friendly when she saw them again. The young man cheerfully greeted them in his own language. Although they had been to Nan Zhao before, this was Ye Li’s first time meeting King Nan Zhao. The king wore a robe made of brocade unique to Nan Zhao and adorned with intricate embroidery, making him look like a golden idol. He also wore an elaborate gold crown decorated with emeralds and jade pendants that sparkled brilliantly, almost blinding the eyes. The palace itself was filled with a kind of regal splendor completely different from that of Central Plains.

"Prince Dingwang and Princess Consort Ding are honored guests. I am delighted to welcome you," King Nan Zhao said cheerfully from his throne. However, there was no hint of warmth in the look he gave Mo Xiuyao. The king spoke Mandarin very well, only with a slight accent characteristic of many people from Southern Yi that did not hinder understanding at all. Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and returned the greeting with a bow, "With the Great Princess’s grand wedding fast approaching, Prince Dingwang and I extend our congratulations to Your Majesty and Princess Anxi. May Your Majesty soon be blessed with an esteemed grandson."

The king's face froze at this point although there was nothing inherently wrong in Mo Xiuyao’s congratulatory message. The truth was that King Nan Zhao wasn’t yet fifty, so his wish for the king to have a grandchild sounded like a mockery of him not having any sons.

"Even Prince Dingwang has come all this way. Great Princess must be very honored," said a sultry voice from a side chamber in the palace, breaking the strained silence. The crowd turned their heads and saw Shumanlin walk gracefully out of her chambers wearing an ornate yellow robe typical of Southern Yi’s high priestess, but without the mask that was usually required for meeting outsiders. It seemed as though this was nothing new to other people from Nan Zhao in the palace.

Mo Xiuyao’s gaze slowly passed over Shumanlin and he frowned slightly, “King Nan Zhao, who is she”

The king chuckled and looked at Shumanlin with affectionate eyes. "Prince Dingwang doesn’t know This is High Priestess Shumanlin of my Southern Yi Kingdom." Mo Xiuyao’s frown deepened, his tone icy cold: "I heard that the high priestess of Southern Yi can never exceed twenty-five years old and never sees outsiders. Is it just a rumor" A look of anger flashed across Shumanlin’s face—was Mo Xiuyao implying she was older than twenty-five But after being locked up for half a year by Mo Xiuyao, she felt apprehensive about provoking him in front of so many people and could only look helplessly at the king.

On the surface, King Nanzhao treated Shumanlin much better than he did Princess Anxi who was both a princess and Crown Princess. Seeing Shumanlin’s pleading look, King Nanzhao immediately spoke up to help her out: "Prince Ding is unaware that the Holy Maiden is our savior. After consultation with all the tribal leaders, it has been decided that Shumanlin will be the lifetime Holy Maiden of Nanzhao."

Ye Li cast a glance at Shumanlin’s slightly smug expression and smiled inwardly. Whether Shumanlin was truly a savior to Nanzhao or not, she did seem more like a disaster given her relationship with Tan Jizhi. The fact that they managed to convince so many tribal leaders in Nanzhao to agree to exempt Shumanlin from centuries of local customs showed just how powerful their influence had become. No wonder Princess Anxi chose this time for Pu Ah’s wedding, as his tribe was also one of the strongest tribes in Southern Yi and with her maternal grandfather’s support, they could barely hold their own against Shumanlin and Tan Jizhi.

Moshouyao gave a nonchalant nod, indifferent to Shumanlin’s angry look. Turning to Xu Qingchen, Shumanlin said: "This is the esteemed First Young Master of Great Chu, Qingchen. It’s an honor to meet you." Anxi Princess looked at her with a faint smile and sneered: "You’re not meeting him for the first time, why act so pretentious" This woman had trapped Qingchen in Nanzhao's underground palace for days and now she was acting like they were meeting each other for the first time. It truly made one feel disgusted! Shumanlin innocently blinked at Anxi Princess and said: "What does Your Highness mean When did I meet Prince Qingchen" They say that you are good friends with Prince Qingchen, don’t they" The words ‘good’ were emphasized heavily as if filled with jealousy and resentment. Because she spoke in the Nanzhao language and deliberately glanced at Pu Ah standing beside Anxi Princess, it made her intention even more obvious.

A flash of sternness appeared in Anxi Princess’s eyes as she coldly looked at Shumanlin: "What if I am friends with Prince Qingchen Is this a crime for me to have friends Certain people have been colluding with Chu Li Wang since years ago, before he even had special privileges among the tribes!" Being called out in front of so many people made Shumanlin’s face flush despite her boldness: "You!" Anxi Princess sneered: "What Do you want to deny that you know Prince Li" She dared to ask this because she held evidence that Shumanlin had known Mo Jingli years ago. This left Shumanlin in a difficult position where she could neither admit nor deny it without causing trouble.

"Enough, Xi’er," King Nanzhao suddenly spoke up with a frown on his face, clearly reprimanding her tone.

Anxi Princess was stunned and finally lowered her head in disappointment.

Ye Li watched Shumanlin’s fleeting smug expression and suddenly smiled: "Speaking of which… this Holy Maiden seems quite familiar to me." Shumanlin looked at Ye Li with surprise, her eyes filled with tension and reproach, as if blaming Ye Li for breaking their agreement. Ye Li smiled faintly and said after some thought: “It must be my mistake. Five years ago when my son was a month old, I saw a girl who resembled the Holy Maiden very much following a man to travel in Northwest. However, that man wasn’t Chu Li Wang. I must have mistaken them.”

Shumanlin realized she had been played by Ye Li at this and silently cursed but did not dare to make a scene in front of everyone. She could only swallow her anger and forced out a smile: "I’m glad that the Queen Consort recognized me. I’ve never been to Northwest."

Ye Li smiled calmly, “What This is the first time I have seen two people so alike. Please don’t blame me.”d physicians, but none could help him. In fact, Mo Jingqi hadn’t lied to him in this matter—years ago, he had been given a secret infertility drug from within the palace that couldn't be reversed. So...