Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 357 - 256. Trading and Persuasion

256. Transaction and Persuasion

Queen Helan visited the day after Ren Qining dispatched his troops. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had already moved from the inn to an ordinary small courtyard in the city. Although several sons of influential nobles had disappeared, and no one knew how Tan Jizhi had managed it, all these prominent families had, with one accord, chosen not to report this highly suspicious matter to Ren Qining. Consequently, Ren Qining remained oblivious to the clandestine changes unfolding in his royal city and confidently led his great army to attack Zijing Pass.

Although the Kingdom of Northern Territory had not been established for long, these influential nobles, particularly the former officials of the previous dynasty, had long since lost their initial fighting spirit and perseverance. They had been waiting for far too long; so long that if Ren Qining’s generation could not achieve it, they would likely abandon this illusory and distant dream of a prosperous nation. So, although they were still far from achieving the great cause of national prosperity envisioned by their ancestors, they had, after all, already established a vast country. In their eyes, as long as they drove out or killed all the Northern Territory people, they would have succeeded. They had worked hard for too long; it was now naturally time for them to enjoy the rewards.

Now, in the eyes of these former officials of the previous dynasty, so-called matters of state were far less important than their own affairs: the gold, silver, and jewels they had obtained, the lands and mansions they had acquired, their beautiful wives and concubines, and their children and grandchildren. They had worked hard for the Lin Family for so many generations; it was naturally time for them to receive their rewards. Therefore, no one found it particularly strange that their sons had been kidnapped, nor did they suspect that some power might have infiltrated Changqing City. They only knew they had to rescue their children and grandchildren and not let the kidnappers take their lives. This was especially true for the current Prime Minister, as the one kidnapped was the son of his most beloved concubine, who was also Consort Yun’s full younger brother.

"Your Highnesses, Queen Helan requests an audience," a guard reported from outside the small courtyard where Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao were playing chess. Hearing this, Ye Li set down her chess piece, smiled, and said, "Please show her in."

Shortly thereafter, Queen Helan entered, accompanied by the Northern Territory man who had led the fight in the inn a few days prior, reportedly her cousin.

"Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding," Queen Helan greeted with a bright and forthright smile, showing none of the shyness or coyness typical of Central Plains women. Ye Li smiled in return. "We appreciate you coming in person, Queen Helan. Please, both of you, have a seat." Queen Helan did not stand on ceremony and sat down opposite Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. She smiled and said, "Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding are truly capable. If my cousin hadn’t informed me after entering the palace, I’m afraid I would still be unaware that you two had arrived in the Northern Territory."

Ye Li said apologetically, "We arrived in a hurry and didn’t have time to send word to you, Your Majesty. Please forgive us."

Queen Helan waved her hand. "There’s no need for such courtesy with me. I am very happy that Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding could come personally. At least this proves that you both genuinely intend to cooperate with us in the Northern Territory, doesn’t it?" Ye Li glanced sideways at Mo Xiuyao, who gave a faint smile, indicating that she should handle everything. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Ye Li nodded and didn’t beat around the bush with Queen Helan. She looked at the two of them and asked, "Your Majesty, can you make the final decisions on all matters concerning the Northern Territory?"

Queen Helan smiled. "The various tribes of the Northern Territory have secretly nominated my father as the Khan King. If there’s anything I cannot decide, my father certainly can. Princess Consort, you can rest assured." Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, though she sighed inwardly. The people of the Northern Territory are not as simple-minded as we thought. At least Queen Helan, her father, and this young man before me, who appears simple but is actually wise, are not to be trifled with.

"That is excellent. Prince Ding’s Mansion can help the Northern Territory deal with Ren Qining. We guarantee that he and his forces will never again have the chance to stir up trouble in the Northern Territory. However, in return, the Northern Territory must promise that after this is accomplished, you will retreat entirely beyond the original border between the Northern Territory and the Great Chu. Does Your Majesty have any objections?" Ye Li stated calmly.

Queen Helan nodded. "No problem. We only want to return to our original way of life. Although we Northern Territory people are not as clever as you Central Plains people, we are unwilling to be used as cannon fodder by others." Whenever Ren Qining waged war, he always had the Northern Territory’s army charge at the very front. This was certainly because the Northern Territory army was braver than the recently formed Central Plains troops, but was it not also his way of weakening the Northern Territory’s forces and reducing its population? Now, it was said that the Northern Territory had established a country and its territory had expanded. But her Northern Territory people were not skilled in farming, and many were not accustomed to the Central Plains lifestyle; life had actually become more difficult than before.

"Although Ren Qining’s subordinates are selfish and greedy, many of them are indeed quite capable. Moreover, Ren Qining is very wary of us. Now that he has gone on an expedition, he has taken most of the Northern Territory’s troops with him, and the majority of the soldiers stationed in Changqing City are Central Plains people. After these two years of great wars, the Northern Territory’s forces have dwindled to just over three hundred thousand, while Ren Qining’s Central Plains troops number over a million. What plans do Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding have?" the young man who had been silent until now finally spoke, a hint of resentment in his voice. The Northern Territory forces now numbered only a little over three hundred thousand, and this could be considered a ’gift’ from Prince Ding’s Mansion. Last year’s battle for the Capital of Great Chu had cost the Northern Territory over two hundred thousand soldiers and, at the same time, made all the Northern Territory tribes hate Ren Qining to the core.

Ye Li paid no mind to his attitude. When two armies clash, there is naturally no room for mercy, especially since Great Chu and Prince Ding’s Mansion also lost many lives defending the Capital of Great Chu. Between nations, there are no permanent friends, nor permanent enemies. At least for now, regarding Ren Qining, both sides share a common goal, don’t they?

Ye Li said lightly, "Ren Qining’s troops indeed far outnumber those of the Northern Territory, but I’m afraid not many of them are truly usable." Both Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had come from military camps and naturally understood the difference between newly enlisted, ignorant soldiers and so-called battle-hardened elite troops. If they really fought, it was likely that ten of Ren Qining’s Central Plains soldiers might not even be a match for one Northern Territory soldier. It wasn’t that they were too weak, but compared to those fierce and elite soldiers who had galloped through the harsh northern lands and emerged from countless inter-tribal battles, they were, in fact, just a group of ordinary commoners who had only recently picked up weapons.

"Moreover... these soldiers were originally commoners of Great Chu. When it comes to a critical moment, they may not necessarily be loyal to Ren Qining." The reputation of being an orphan of the previous dynasty was indeed good, but that was only if, after careful management, the lives of the common people improved to the point where they began to yearn for that very distant former dynasty. But now, Ren Qining had established a nation and attacked Great Chu in his capacity as the Prince Consort of the Northern Territory. In the eyes of many, he was merely a foreign invader with the appearance of a Central Plains person. Furthermore, the lives of the people here in the Northern Territory had not been good these past two years; on the contrary, Ren Qining’s mass conscription had caused them immense suffering. The areas beyond Zijing Pass were close to barbarian lands and had always been vast and sparsely populated. How could Ren Qining’s conscription of over two million soldiers in just two years not cause these people to be filled with grievances?

Queen Helan blinked and smiled. "I almost forgot! With Prince Ding here, why worry that those troops won’t turn their coats?" She had personally witnessed the status and appeal of Prince Ding’s Mansion in the hearts of the Great Chu commoners during her trip to Great Chu and Licheng. "This is also why we agreed to the terms so readily. We are not yet strong enough to compete with Prince Ding’s Mansion for this territory."

"When we withdraw from Great Chu, what will happen to the troops Ren Qining took away?" the young man asked with a frown.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao exchanged a glance. Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "Isn’t that a problem you should be considering?" The young man’s face darkened. "Are we to let Ren Qining take so many men and use them as cannon fodder? Those are the bravest sons of our Northern Territory!"

Mo Xiuyao said with a touch of nonchalance, "Was it this Prince who asked you to agree to Ren Qining sending out troops?" You lot caused trouble for this Prince, and you still expect this Prince to help you withdraw your troops? Thinking of the troops currently surrounding Zijing Pass, Mo Xiuyao also felt somewhat displeased. Queen Helan tugged at her somewhat hot-tempered cousin and offered Ye Li an apologetic smile. "Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding, we truly had no alternative. Ren Qining was determined to send out his troops. Unless we fell out with him immediately, what else could we have done? We already tried our best to delay his timing."

Ye Li smiled faintly, tugged Mo Xiuyao’s sleeve behind her back, and gently shook her head. Only then did Mo Xiuyao retract his displeased expression and say no more. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "It’s not impossible to make him withdraw his troops. However... I have no confidence at all about how many can be brought back. We can only plan this slowly."

Queen Helan said joyfully, "I’ve long heard that the Princess Consort is resourceful and wise; seeing you today, it is indeed true. Since the Princess Consort is so straightforward, we Northern Territory people are not stingy either. As long as the Princess Consort helps us bring our Northern Territory officers and soldiers back safely, I, Helan, am willing to tell you everything about all of Ren Qining’s hidden forces. The Lin Family has been able to hide in Great Chu for two hundred years and still possesses such vast power. Prince Ding and the Princess Consort surely wouldn’t want them to make a comeback after a few decades, would you?"

Ye Li looked at Queen Helan with some surprise. Queen Helan smiled. "Princess Consort, you need not doubt it. This was all collected by my elder sister before she passed away. She was, after all, married to Ren Qining for over a decade; the things she knew were naturally far more than what we know."

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Li nodded and agreed. After being used by Ren Qining these past few years, the Northern Territory’s vitality has been greatly damaged. Even if all those three hundred thousand troops were brought back, they would not have the ability to contend with the Mo Family Army in the short term.

Queen Helan cupped her hands and said with a smile, "Then, I thank the Princess Consort."

"We are each taking what we need. Your Majesty need not be so courteous," Ye Li said. Rather than passively waiting for Ren Qining to lead his great army to attack Zijing Pass and join forces with the Beirong to encircle the Mo Family Army, it’s better for us to stab Ren Qining in the back a few times first. When his own home base is in turmoil, let’s see what energy Ren Qining still has to cause trouble for the Mo Family Army.

After seeing Queen Helan and her party off, Mo Xiuyao gazed at Ye Li silently for a long while. Ye Li smiled sweetly and gently, asking, "What’s wrong?"

Mo Xiuyao pulled her hand down and held it in his palm, saying gravely, "I have to leave." Ye Li nodded. "I know. I will settle matters in the Northern Territory as quickly as possible and then rendezvous with you." Now, the Mo Family Army was in an all-out war with both the Beirong and the Northern Territory. This was different from last year’s battle. Last year was about seizing the Capital of Great Chu; whether it was seized or not was not a matter of life and death for either side. But this time, it was indeed a fight to the death. Under such circumstances, it was completely impossible for both leaders of Prince Ding’s Mansion to remain in this tiny, confined space in the Northern Territory. Even if only to stabilize the army’s morale, one of them had to appear on the battlefield. For Mo Xiuyao to be able to accompany Ye Li to the Northern Territory and stay for so long was already exceptionally difficult.

"Have someone keep a close eye on Tan Jizhi. This person cannot be trusted too much. If he shows any signs of disloyalty, just kill him," Mo Xiuyao instructed in a low voice. Knowing he was worried about her, Ye Li leaned into his embrace and said with a low laugh, "You know I always do things with a sense of proportion. I know what should be done and what shouldn’t, and I won’t put myself in danger." If in the past she might have been indifferent to life and death, she certainly wasn’t now. She had a husband who loved her, three young children, and so many relatives she cared for. For any reason, she would properly preserve her own life.

Mo Xiuyao said sullenly, "How can I not worry? I just want to find a place to hide you, so that no one else can ever see you, and you will never encounter any danger."

"You’re a grown man, still acting childish. Aren’t you embarrassed?" Ye Li rolled her eyes helplessly, then looked at him with a smile and said seriously, "It’s impossible for me to never see anyone else." Mo Xiuyao’s expression became even more gloomy. "I know. You can’t let go of those people from the Xu Family, and your few friends, and Mo Xiaobao!" Speaking of Mo Xiaobao, Mo Xiuyao habitually ground his teeth.

Seeing his face full of indignation and jealousy, Ye Li gave a gentle smile, lightly kissed his lips, and said, "Alright, if one day you no longer have to manage Prince Ding’s Mansion and you still feel this way, I’ll sacrifice a little for your happiness. Wherever you want to go, we’ll go, alright?" Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao’s eyes lit up. "Ah-Li, are you serious?"

Ye Li blinked. "Naturally, I’m serious."

"Alright! After I pass the throne to Mo Xiaobao, we will go into seclusion." The gloomy look on his handsome, elegant face was swept away, and Mo Xiuyao’s entire face was written with elation. Seeing his excited and eager appearance, Ye Li couldn’t help but feel exasperated. "You’re not planning to abdicate immediately upon our return, are you?" She believed Mo Xiuyao was absolutely capable of doing such an unreliable thing.

Mo Xiuyao held her in his arms and said somewhat regretfully, "This Prince really wants to do that..." Seeing Ye Li narrow her eyes in displeasure, he quickly continued, "It’s just a pity that Mo Xiaobao is still a bit too young. At least we have to wait until he can ride a horse and go to war, right? Hmm... how about fourteen? This Prince went to the battlefield before he was fourteen." Mo Xiaobao is eight this year; fourteen would be six years from now... what a wonderful thing! At that time, Xu Qingchen will still be around. If Mo Xiaobao is smart, he can even trick Xu Qingchen into working himself to death for him for a few more years. Thinking this, Mo Xiuyao suddenly felt that the heavens were truly not unkind to him. It must be to compensate for his bumpy and unlucky first half of life that he was given such an anticipated second half...

Seeing the man beside her pleasantly lost in his thoughts, Ye Li speechlessly pushed him away and walked towards the room. Mo Xiuyao had no choice but to follow. As he left, he glanced towards the wall not far away. His sleeve moved, a sharp gust of wind shot out, something fell to the ground with a THUD, followed by a muffled grunt.

After sending Mo Xiuyao off, Ye Li turned back. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Tan Jizhi sitting in the courtyard, smiling at her. It was just that his sitting posture was a bit strange, and he kept reaching for a certain spot on his shoulder, unable to stop himself from grimacing in pain.

Looking at his odd appearance, Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "What brings Young Master Tan here at this time?"

Tan Jizhi smiled. "Isn’t it because I have matters to report to Prince Ding and the Princess Consort? I happened to witness the Prince and Princess Consort’s farewell, and I, your humble servant, didn’t want to disturb, so I had to wait here respectfully." Ye Li looked at the mud stains on the hem of his dark blue robe and said lightly, "My apologies for keeping Young Master Tan waiting for so long."

"It indeed was a long wait," Tan Jizhi said through somewhat gritted teeth. Seeing Ye Li take a seat opposite him, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and smile teasingly. "Is Prince Ding really at ease leaving the Princess Consort alone in the Northern Territory?" A silver light flashed at Ye Li’s fingertips. With a SWISH, a bright flying dagger grazed past Tan Jizhi’s cheek and embedded itself in the tree behind him. Ignoring his teasing, Ye Li smiled faintly. "Young Master Tan, would you like to try and see why the Prince is at ease leaving me here alone?"

Tan Jizhi hurriedly shook his head. He hadn’t failed to hear Mo Xiuyao’s earlier words: "If he shows any signs of disloyalty, just kill him." He also believed that Ye Li was absolutely capable of killing him. He quickly changed the subject and said seriously, "I have already contacted that Prime Minister of the Northern Territory, and... I briefly mentioned the matter of my identity versus Ren Qining’s."

Ye Li looked at him. "On what grounds would he believe that you are real and Ren Qining is fake? Back when Lin Yuan was just born, the Lin Family experienced a dramatic upheaval. Several family members fled in panic with the Lin Family’s Young Master, Lin Yuan. Ren Qining was only found by the Lin Family’s retainers when he was almost ten years old."

Tan Jizhi shook his head. "He didn’t believe me, nor does he need to. The previous dynasty fell over two hundred years ago. Princess Consort, do you really think it still matters whether the so-called orphan of the previous dynasty is real or fake? Some of those people simply cannot forget the glory of the former dynasty and their own families, while others are genuinely at their wit’s end. Even if they hadn’t found Ren Qining back then, there would still have been a Zhang Qining or a Li Qining. They only need to believe that I can give them more than Ren Qining can."

"That might be rather difficult," Ye Li said, stroking her forehead thoughtfully. "Even though Ren Qining is currently beset by troubles, from any perspective, he is still more successful than you and can offer more benefits. After all, Ren Qining still has the Kingdom of Northern Territory, while you, Tan Jizhi, have nothing. Abandoning Ren Qining means those people would have to strive anew for several more decades. Would those who have already begun to enjoy their good fortune be willing?"

Tan Jizhi smiled faintly. "Indeed, it is very difficult. However, it’s not impossible. There are also contradictions between these old officials of the former dynasty and Ren Qining. These people want to drive out the Northern Territory people as soon as possible, or kill them all, so they can enjoy the fruits of victory without having to share equally with them. But Ren Qining, on the other hand, wants to use the Northern Territory people to fight his wars. The Northern Territory people are not fools. If he wants them to continue risking their lives for him, he himself is not inclined to permit Queen Helan to give birth to an imperial heir and establish him as Crown Prince. And this very situation is precisely what those old fossils cannot tolerate. This time, Ren Qining had just returned to the palace with Queen Helan and Consort Yun for less than two days when Consort Yun had a miscarriage. The Prime Minister’s Mansion’s side believes it was the Northern Territory people’s doing and wants Ren Qining to severely punish Queen Helan. But Ren Qining, anxious to send troops to attack Zijing Pass, suppressed the matter."

"And the truth of the matter?" Ye Li asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tan Jizhi said, "It’s possible it was indeed the Northern Territory people’s doing. After all, the Northern Territory people would absolutely not allow Consort Yun to first give birth to a prince of pure Central Plains bloodline. However... it’s also possible that Consort Yun suffered a miscarriage due to the fatigue of the journey, and it was genuinely an accident. But in such matters, who cares about the truth? On the Central Plains side, they just want to seize this incident to hold the Northern Territory people accountable. Regardless of whether it was the Northern Territory people’s doing or not, it’s at least something they are happy to see happen. As for Ren Qining, for the time being, he can only try to calm things down."

"So, the Prime Minister is dissatisfied with Ren Qining?" Ye Li asked.

Tan Jizhi smiled. "It’s nothing much. In their view, the country is already established; as for who becomes emperor, what does it matter? As long as it can bring them more benefits, replacing Ren Qining with Tan Jizhi is also not out of the question. Even if one day they themselves want to climb up and become emperor, I wouldn’t find it surprising."

"I’m very sorry, but you won’t be able to become emperor this time," Ye Li said with sincere apology.

Tan Jizhi pursed his lips. "It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be the emperor of the Northern Territory, much less a puppet." He wants to restore his country, not to be a puppet who cannot make his own decisions in anything, let alone a puppet that also bears a barbarian name.

Seeing Tan Jizhi’s somewhat dejected appearance, Ye Li asked with some curiosity, "Have you ever done anything in your life that you truly wanted to do?"

Tan Jizhi looked at her and said, "Yes, I have. I’ve been doing it all along."

Ye Li’s mouth twitched slightly. "You mean... restoring your country?"

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Tan Jizhi said, unconcerned. His greatest ideal in this life is to restore his country; hasn’t he been doing it all along? Even though there haven’t been any results.

Ye Li shook her head, her expression somewhat complex as she gave him a look. "I can see that you truly want to restore your country."

Tan Jizhi had dealt with Ye Li a few times and could be considered to have some understanding of her. He asked, "The Princess Consort seems to disapprove."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Everyone has their own aspirations, I suppose. I am not a descendant of the imperial family, so naturally, I don’t understand that kind of feeling. However... is it really necessary to drag the common people of the world into the flames of war for the sake of one family’s dominion?"

Tan Jizhi’s expression turned slightly grim. "What do you mean, ’is it necessary’? This world originally belonged to my Lin Family!"

Ye Li stated calmly, "Before your Lin Family, this world belonged to the Xue surname. If you could change dynasties just by killing the emperor, I would have no objection even if you changed the emperor every day. However, in every change of dynasty, it is the ordinary commoners who suffer the most. They owe your Lin Family nothing. On the contrary, it was the incompetence of your Lin Family’s ancestors that dragged them into the flames of war. And thereafter, generations of Lin Family descendants have been striving to drag them into the flames of war once more."

Tan Jizhi was speechless. He disagreed with Ye Li’s words, yet vaguely felt that what she said didn’t seem wrong. After a long silence, Tan Jizhi sneered. "The Princess Consort puts it nicely. But what are the Princess Consort and Prince Ding doing now? Is the Princess Consort now trying to tell me that Prince Ding has no ambition to contend for the world? Does the Princess Consort think I, your humble servant, will believe it?" Mo Xiuyao’s calculating nature was so profound it made one’s back grow cold just thinking about it. He seemed to be constrained everywhere, as if forced by circumstances. But in just a few short years, he had transformed Prince Ding’s Mansion from the desolate silence and suppression it suffered for years after its defeat into its current state, with territory spanning both Great Chu and Xiling, and occupying the capitals of the two major powers of the era. How could such a transformation not be terrifying? Only looking back now would one realize that many things had clearly been calculated by Mo Xiuyao in advance.

Ye Li said indifferently, "What does it matter whether you believe it or not? When things come to a head, should Prince Ding’s Mansion just stretch out its neck and wait for the axe, Young Master Tan? The ancestors of the Lin Family were merely unwilling to admit their failure, while you... you are merely trying to fulfill your own ambition. In reality, it has nothing to do with whether you restore the country or not."

Tan Jizhi was once again speechless. After a long silence, he couldn’t help but sigh. "Perhaps, the Princess Consort is right. But I have been walking this path for over thirty years; even if I wanted to stop, I can’t."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Because you made a mistake at the beginning, you must now resolutely continue down the wrong path? If there’s a cliff ahead, Young Master Tan, do you also intend to jump down without batting an eye?"

Tan Jizhi gave a helpless smile. "Perhaps."