213 Dueling Wager
How could he not support his own son-in-law" Feng Zhirao asked.Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "I’ve had dealings with the King of Nanzhao in the past when he was still the Crown Prince of Nanzhao...213. Dueling Wager
213. Dueling Wager
Moxiu Yao entered the hall with an icy chill, his expression disdainful as he looked down upon Prince Regent of Southern Zhen before him. His cold eyes did not hide the murderous intent within.
The original position of Chancellor in Western Ling was never a mere title; regardless of which country it was, the rank of chancellor or equivalent was always one of great importance and influence next only to the monarch. However, with Prince Regent of Southern Zhen's generation, changes occurred. The previous chancellor of Western Ling was loyal to the former emperor of Western Ling, hence also loyal to his successor who was the current emperor. In the early years, he caused a lot of trouble for Prince Regent of Southern Zhen. Despite Emperor of Western Ling not being as capable as Prince Regent of Southern Zhen, he still knew that the chancellor was on his side and provided him with numerous supports, making it difficult for Prince Regent of Southern Zhen to enjoy himself during those years. It wasn't until recent years that they wore down and killed off the old chancellor who had served through two dynasties, replacing him with puppets who could not make any decisions. Now when Prince Regent of Southern Zhen says he will treat Ye Li as a guest according to the rites due to a chancellor, it is naturally quite intriguing for those in the know.
Xu Qingchen followed Moxiu Yao inside and upon seeing Prince Regent of Southern Zhen and Lei Tengfeng, merely raised an eyebrow with a smile towards Ye Li. Ye Li smiled helplessly and waved to have tea served for Moxiu Yao and Xu Qingchen.
Lei Tengfeng sized up Xu Qingchen before smiling and saying, "Mr. Qingchen, it has been some time since we last met; your風采 (style/charisma) surpasses the past." Xu Qingchen's smile was clear and carefree, devoid of any dust, "Young Master speaks humorously; it hasn't been long, right We were still meeting in the south last year." Lei Tengfeng’s eyes darkened slightly as he said with a smile, "It seems I have mistaken the time." Last year in the south, Xu Qingchen hadn’t ceased causing him trouble. Lei Tengfeng naturally would not underestimate this young man who appeared to be a wandering hermit but was hailed by the people of Great Chu as the number one gentleman in the land.
While things were peaceful here, they lacked such decorum elsewhere. Moxiu Yao casually sat beside Ye Li and lazily leaned against his chair, glancing at Prince Regent of Southern Zhen who sat below him, asking indifferently: "Prince Regent, what brings you to my humble abode" Ye Li quietly explained the purpose of Prince Regent of Southern Zhen's visit. The people in the hall listened silently waiting for Moxiu Yao’s response. Ultimately, decisions in the northwest and at Ding王府 (Ding Manor) were made by Moxiu Yao. If he did not agree, no matter how much others spoke it would be futile. A cruel smile spread across Moxiu Yao's cold face as he smiled at Prince Regent of Southern Zhen: "Didn't Prince Regent say before that you wanted to spar with me Well, I happen to have time today. As long as Prince Regent wins against me, anything can be discussed!" The people were taken aback; they didn’t expect Moxiu Yao would start fighting with Prince Regent of Southern Zhen at this moment.
Lei Tengfeng frowned and said, "Prince Ding…"
Moxiu Yao interrupted Lei Tengfeng's words and smiled: "Young Master, rest assured. I will never take advantage of Prince Regent lacking an arm. In that case, let me also use one hand to spar with Prince Regent."
Upon hearing this, the chill in the hall instantly increased. The Prince of Zhennan glared at Mo Xiuyao with a sinister expression and coldly said, "The Duke Ding is being too arrogant; are you capable enough to fight me with only one hand" Everyone knew that the left arm of the Prince of Zhennan was an absolute taboo. That was also his most tragic failure in life. Not only did his undefeated record get broken, but almost all of his personal guards were wiped out before they managed to rescue him from Mo Liufang's hands. Even then, he still paid a heavy price by losing one arm in the process. And now, the person who was making fun of him had become Mo Liufang’s son, which made it even more unbearable for everyone to bear. Mo Xiuyao did not care about the Prince of Zhennan's anger and said nonchalantly, "It is easier than waiting for the Prince of Zhennan to grow a new arm." "Reckless!" The Prince of Zhennan was enraged; he slammed his right hand on the armrest and shot towards Mo Xiuyao with a palm attack. Mo Xiuyao let out a light sound, flicked his sleeves and caught Ye Li in his arms as they dodged the Prince of Zhennan’s strike and moved outside. When the Prince of Zhennan and others chased after them, Mo Xiuyao had already landed with Ye Li in his arms, even taking the time to smooth out her wind-tousled hair before turning around to face the Prince of Zhennan and walked forward a few steps, calmly saying, "Please."The Prince of Zhennan sneered coldly as he flew towards Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao did not evade either but rushed at him, and they started fighting outside in the courtyard. This naturally drew many people from Duke Ding’s residence to watch them fight. When everyone arrived, their faces were all unfriendly as they stared at the Prince of Zhennan who was fighting and Lei Tengfeng who stood by watching. Feng Zhirao was even more eager for a commotion; he stood next to Ye Li with a cheerful smile and said, "My Lady, has our Duke’s martial arts skills surpassed those of the others The news that the Duke Ding challenged the number one master in Xi Ling with only one hand will surely make countless people bow before my duke’s name." Everyone present had sharp ears and eyes, so they heard Feng Zhirao’s words clearly. They also saw how Duke Ding used only one hand to fight against the Prince of Zhennan while his other arm was behind him without moving at all. The Prince of Zhennan naturally heard what Feng Zhirao said as well; he frowned even more and attacked with greater ferocity. Although it might seem fair for a single hand fighting another, there were not that many fools in the world. The Prince of Zhennan had been disabled for over ten years and was already used to only using one arm. Duke Ding, however, always used two hands before. Suddenly using just one hand definitely reduced his combat strength greatly. In this case, it would be embarrassing if he lost, but winning wouldn’t look good either.Although the rules in Duke Ding’s residence were strict, people still enjoyed their leisure time quite a lot. For example, when there was nothing to do and they could only watch their own lord fight against the Prince of Zhennan, some people started betting on who would win or lose. However, all bets placed were for their own lord winning; therefore, losing wouldn’t result in any losses while winning wouldn’t bring any money either. The bet couldn’t start.Feng Zhirao smiled and walked up to Lei Tengfeng and asked with a grin, "Young Lord Lei, do you want to place a bet Do you think our lord or your Lord Axe will win" Lei Tengfeng looked at him indifferently and naturally wouldn’t answer such questions. Feng Zhirao didn’t mind his coldness and turned to ask Ye Li, “My Lady, what’s your opinion” Ye Li was focused on watching the fight in front of her eyes; she had no time to deal with Feng Zhirao's words. In fact, this was her first time seeing a real contest between the four greatest martial artists under heaven. Others also watched intently since such duels weren’t common. For people who practiced martial arts, it was very beneficial for their skills to observe such high-level battles.The only one who didn't care about this fight was Xu Qingchen. Although he was extraordinarily talented, he knew nothing about martial arts techniques and naturally had no interest in watching the fights either. He could only helplessly retreat back to his study to handle his own matters as he watched the crowd around him absorbedly watching.The duel lasted nearly two hours, and what started out as a bet at Duke Ding’s residence quickly spread throughout the entire city of Ruyang. When Han Mingxiu heard about it, he specially arranged people to continuously announce the progress of the fight outside and update the betting records in real-time. The citizens of Ruyang naturally supported their lord without hesitation, but there were also supporters for the Prince of Zhennan. Although the number was fewer than those who bet on Duke Ding, all the others were nobles from other countries, so it wasn’t surprising that the two sides seemed evenly matched.In the courtyard of Duke Ding’s residence, the two figures with fast moves separated and combined repeatedly, making their techniques almost impossible to see clearly. After another pair of palms met, both of them retreated a few steps. The Prince of Zhennan's face was hidden behind his sleeves, which had been torn apart by the fierce palm wind earlier; they looked uneven. Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes slightly and appeared pale; a strand of snowy hair fell in front of him, clearly cut off by the palm wind moments ago. The Prince of Zhennan sneered coldly and said, "Mo Xiuyao, do you really think that one hand can defeat me
Moxiuyao raised his head and smiled faintly, "Why don't you try to see if this king can cut off your other hand"
"Rascal, impolite!" The Prince of Zhennan shouted angrily as he swung a palm towards Moxiuyao. A wave of fierce energy surged toward Moxiuyao like the rolling waves of the sea. Moxiuyao turned his body and leaped upward in a spiraling motion to strike directly at the Prince's right arm from an odd angle.
"Father, be careful!" Le Tengfeng cried out anxiously.
The Prince of Zhennan snorted coldly. His palm strikes were continuous and swift, effectively countering Moxiuyao’s attack. The two resumed their battle once more.
Ye Li did not stay to see the end of the duel. As dusk fell, she went back to her room to take care of her precious son. Whether or not Prince Moxiuyao could defeat the Prince of Zhennan in the Ding王府 (Ding Manor), he was certainly safe from any real harm there. When Ye Li returned to her room, Little Treasure really had been a handful, now crying loudly in his wet nurse's arms. Since Ye Li didn't like wet nurses taking care of children, Mo Xiaobao only liked being held by the wet nurse when it was time for milk. Even Lady Xu and Madam Xu were more favored by him than the wet nurse. When Ye Li came back to her room, both the wet nurses were drenched with sweat from dealing with Little Treasure. She took him into her arms and his big round eyes looked up at his mother as he sniffled softly in her embrace before he started to drift off.
Ye Li found it amusing watching the little bun in her arms. She wasn't sure whether such a small child could recognize people, but clearly Mo Xiaobao recognized both her and Moxiuyao. The proof was that no matter how loudly Mo Xiaobao cried, he would stop crying once she held him. Similarly, whenever he was awake and happy, the moment he was put in Moxiuyao’s arms, he would cry as if the sky were falling down.
Just as Ye Li was soothing Little Treasure to sleep, a servant girl came in to report that Lady Xu the Eldest and Lady Xu the Younger with Miss Qin had arrived. Ye Li quickly instructed them to be shown in.
"Eldest Auntie, Second Auntie, Sister Zeng," said Ye Li as she walked out of her room holding Mo Xiaobao, "What brings you here now"
Mrs. Xu laughed and said, "I heard there was a fight in the front courtyard" Although the Xu Family wasn't considered overly conservative, it was still uncommon for female members to go into the front courtyard, especially now when Qin Zhen was preparing for her wedding and the two Mrs. Xus were also getting ready for their own weddings. Ye Li smiled and said, "Auntie need not worry, it's just the King and Prince Southern An of Xi Ling playing around." Even as female members of a noble household, they had heard about Prince Southern An’s reputation, so how could she not be worried She sat in the flower parlor chatting with Ye Li while waiting for news to arrive.
It was only when it was completely dark that Qing Nian ran back and said with a smile, "My Lady, they have finished fighting in the front courtyard." Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled, saying, "Who won" Qing Nian pulled at her braid and looked somewhat puzzled as she replied, "Well… no one really won or lost. They called it a tie. But Prince Southern An spat blood at the end, so perhaps he’s the loser"
"No winner and no loser That means Ming Yi wins then" When there's a draw, the house takes all.
Qing Nian covered her mouth as she laughed and said, "That might just be it. On my way back I saw Young Master Han smiling widely with great joy. The King says he’ll come to have dinner with you after seeing off Prince Southern An and Crown Prince." Ye Li nodded with a smile and said, "Let the kitchen prepare some dishes that the King likes then."
Qing Nian left with a smile.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused. I had urgent matters today and hurriedly wrote this in a public internet cafe before rushing off to attend to other matters. Please bear with me, everyone. By the way, I wish you all a Happy Qixi Festival!bine greatly admires. Since Concubine Bai has invited again, why wouldn’t Mr. Mingyue come" Hearing the sarcasm in Ye Li’s words, Han Mingyue smiled faintly without responding.Ye Li rested her chin on...