Revenge of King Ding

e single chair in the cell; he listened with satisfaction to the endless wails of pain emanating from the man who had been beaten nearly senseless and was tied up to a rack by iron chains. Compared to...The Vengeful Prince Ding

After sending off the Ye family, Qin Feng asked, "Why did My Lady treat them with such courtesy" Although Qin Feng followed Ye Li later than others and wasn't very familiar with their past relationship with the Ye family, he could see that My Lady didn’t have as deep feelings for the Ye family as she had towards the Xu family. There was even a hint of disgust in her attitude towards the Ye family.

Ye Li waved her hand indifferently and said, "No matter what, the Ye family is still my relatives by blood. Being too ruthless would make others think that Prince Ding’s王府冷血無情。橫豎他們也掀不起什麼風浪，派幾個人暗中盯著，若是葉容再敢在璃城裡惹出什麼事端來，不用客氣給我狠狠教訓一頓。”

Qin Feng nodded and went to arrange for people to keep an eye on Ye Manor.

The situation was different when the Ye family returned home. The elderly Lady Ye was furious with Ye Li’s lack of filial piety, while Lady Ye wailed that Ye Li didn’t care about her own brothers. This made Ye Wenhua's head ache. Shen Liang and Ye Lin watched for a moment before Shen Liang pulled the still-wanting-to-speak Ye Lin back to their courtyard to consider moving out of the Ye family compound soon, as he feared his resources would be squandered if he remained there.

Ye Wenhua rubbed his temples and said sternly, "Enough. We’ve been in Glass City for so many days, Prince Ding’s王府也冇有虧待我們。難道你們就不能安靜些嗎？”雖然葉文華冇有野心是不可能的，但如果冇有野心當初也不會任由葉王氏操縱讓葉瑩勾搭上墨景黎。這幾年住在鄉間遠離京城繁華之地頭腦也漸漸清醒許多。這幾年下來葉文華也琢磨出了不少事情，當初若不是礙於葉璃這個女兒彆說自己一家隻是被貶為庶民了連能不能活著離開京城都是個問題。

想到當年一個貧寒書生能夠在短短不到二十年的時間坐上尚書之位後期固然有他自己的努力但前期卻離不開徐家的支援。若是冇有徐家女婿這樣的背景京城裡那些名門權貴又怎麼會看得起自己這樣一個寒門學子？如此一來愈發覺得對不起早逝的髮妻對葉璃這個女兒也多幾分愧疚之情聽到這些年葉璃所作所為即使是葉文華也不得不承認這個曾經不被重視的女兒的能力心中酸楚之餘多了幾分驕傲。

The crying in the main hall paused as Lady Ye’s face turned red and she pointed at Ye Wenhua, "Not being treated badly Look at Prince Ding’s王府是什麼樣子，我們的破院子又是什麼樣子？再看看徐家那幾個又是什麼樣子？你這個做爹的又是怎樣？璃城裡有幾個看得起你這樣的定王妃的父親？”葉王氏也連忙上前說道：“老夫人說得冇錯。容兒可是唯一的親弟弟啊。如今在璃城竟然連將軍孫子都不如了，我也冇臉出去見人了……。”

"If you don’t want to go out, just stay away!" Ye Wenhua said irritably. He knew what his mother was talking about but the Ye family didn’t have the capability of the Xu family. Every brother in the Xu family had real talent and ability. Even the youngest, Xü Qingyan, went northwest at a young age to serve rather than staying in Glass City for pleasure. If Ye Rong were truly talented, even if he wasn’t My Lady’s blood brother, wouldn’t Prince Ding’s王府會拒絕他嗎？”

"All this is because of you, the foolish woman who spoiled this monster!" Thinking about it, Ye Wenhua's face darkened further. Seeing the indifferent Ye Rong sitting aside made his anger rise even more. He casually picked up a feather duster from nearby and hit Ye Rong with it. Caught off guard, Ye Rong yelped in pain, yelling for help while he was being beaten. Lady Ye and the elderly Lady Ye rushed over to stop Ye Wenhua. The elderly Lady Ye yelled furiously, "What are you doing Are you going to beat your own son to death just because of that daughter-in-law who left Do you want to cut off our family line Just kill me if you’re going to!"

Lady Ye held her crying son and wailed, "My lord... how can you be so heartless Prince Ding’s王府是你的親生女兒，難道容兒就不是你的親兒子嗎？"

Hearing the commotion and seeing Ye Rong's smug smile, Ye Wenhua felt powerless. Having never been firm in front of his mother and wife before, he failed again this time. He threw down whatever was in his hand and went to read alone in his courtyard.

Outside, Shen Liang and Ye Lin listened to the commotion inside. Shen Liang looked at his wife calmly and asked, "Do you still want to stay here" Ye Lin opened her mouth but felt unwilling. Staying here made her the Sixth Miss of the Ye family and sister-in-law to Prince Ding’s王府。But after moving out she would only be a little-known concubine from the Shen family. Shen Liang wouldn’t allow her to publicize their relationship, which left Ye Lin feeling resentful towards her third sister who had a mother named Xu.

"Although I don't know Prince Ding’s王府 well, can you achieve what she did Would you have such status in the Ding family if you were married there" Shen Liang asked bluntly. He didn’t blame his wife too much because they both came from secondary lines and felt resentful about it. However, not understanding their place was a problem.

Ye Lin was moved by these words. True, she had secretly rejoiced when Ye Li married Prince Ding’s王府的事情……葉琳想了想，若是自己隻怕早就死了吧。想到這些，心中不甘似乎也冇那麼嚴重了其實這些年葉琳一直都是知道的隻是不願意承認罷瞭如今有人提醒她很快也就想明白了抬起頭道：“我跟你走咱們搬出去吧。”其實她也不想天天在葉家看王氏的臉色像丫頭一樣侍候著。

The news of the Ye family reached Prince Ding’s王府也隻是淡淡一笑便過去了。如今將近年關即使懷著身孕有許多事情也不願意讓她沾手但是她依然閒不下來。

Since Mo Xiuyao's retreat from Fenghong Pass, the situation that had been tense suddenly changed. The two armies besieging Fenghong Pass were defeated and scattered. After Lwai Longdong arrived in winter, the movements of the Beirong army noticeably slowed down. In Beirong territory, once winter sets in, everything is covered in ice for a thousand miles with no grass to be seen. Although they had occupied vast areas of northern Dachu, these regions were also severely ravaged by them over the past half year. Hence, as winter approached, the food supply for the Beirong army started to become tight. Mo Xiuyao defeated the besieging Beirong and Xiling armies without stopping and continued eastward towards Chubing. Meanwhile, before this, General Murong Shen's troops had gradually approached Chubing. Another thirty thousand troops led by He Su bypassed Chubing and directly engaged with Weichen's northern border army on the other side. This severed the supply line of the northern border army. Although these two armies did not immediately relieve the siege on Chubing, they significantly slowed down the enemy's offensive, allowing the weary Dachu troops who had been defending the city for over a month to finally catch their breath.

Meanwhile, a huge incident occurred in Beirong territory. The current King Ren Qining's queen and her children all died mysteriously overnight. However, strangely enough, his concubines' children were unharmed. Although Beirong people are fierce and not adept at strategy, they are not fools either. Soon, rumors spread throughout the city that Ren Qining had secretly killed his wife. As Ren Qining is not a native of Beirong and employed many central plains people after unifying Beirong, the seeds of discord between the two groups were already planted, leading to this sudden outbreak which greatly troubled Ren Qining.

However, just as he managed to suppress these rumors, his remaining children and wife died. This time it seemed like a deed done by Beirong people themselves, but regardless of whether Ren Qining believes it was the work of Beirong people or a false accusation, he had no choice but to suppress it again. Otherwise, the conflict between central plains people and Beirong people would erupt even more fiercely.

In his study,

Ren Qining stared at the scroll just delivered before him, nearly grinding his teeth in frustration. The black-gilded paper was adorned with auspicious clouds and flying dragons in gold paint on its back. However, the content of the message was extremely simple: "If you do not offend me, I will not offend you. If you offend me, I will repay a thousandfold." These large characters written like dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing looked carefree and domineering, more like an open challenge.

Ren Qining gritted his teeth, furiously crumpling the scroll into paper shreds in an instant. "Mo Xiuyao!" Ren Qining's originally refined face was devoid of any smile now, only filled with endless distortion and hatred. This unexpected strike from Mo Xiuyao indeed left him heartbroken. Not only were his wife and concubines killed, but all his children as well—four sons and five daughters all perished. Ren Qining knew this was in retaliation for his actions against Ye Li at Xiling. But it's only when the suffering of others reaches oneself that one truly finds it unbearable.

"My lord," several men with central plains features stood respectfully, looking worriedly at Ren Qining’s twisted face. They were descendants of former loyal ministers to the Lin family who served generations faithfully and were placed in high positions within Beirong's government by Ren Qining after he established his base there. Unlike the fierce Beirong soldiers risking their lives on battlefields, these men were truly his confidants. Although they found it somewhat distasteful to rely on Beirong barbarians to rise up, circumstances had left them no choice. For a hundred years, the central plains territory was protected by generations of the Dingwang family, leaving their ancestors unable to make any moves. It was only when the Dingwang family suffered great losses that they found an opportunity to control all of Beirong. Otherwise, they would still be hiding in obscurity.

Ren Qining sneered and said, "A message sent by Mo Xiuyao. The people of the Dingwang Family are truly everywhere... What a brilliant move!"

One man hesitated before asking, "Is it true that this matter about the queen and young princes is orchestrated by Mo Xiuyao Extermination of an entire family… Mo Xiuyao's tactics are indeed ruthless!" Even they were shaken at how cruel Mo Xiuyao’s actions were. Recently, Mo Xiuyao had already killed half of Xiling's nobility, now completely wiping out the Beirong royal family except for Ren Qining himself. Such tactics truly chilled their hearts.

"Does Mo Xiuyao really care so much about the Dingwang Consort Or has he always intended to act this way, merely finding an excuse" Someone doubted.

Ren Qining remained silent; last year was his only time seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li in Xiling. But he could clearly feel how Mo Xiuyao cared about the Dingwang Consort, especially considering the influence of her family, the Xu Family, within the Dingwang family. This prompted him to act against Ye Li. But unexpectedly, this move actually backfired.

After a moment's silence, Ren Qining asked, "How is the war situation at Chubing"

"Reporting to my lord, our troops had been besieging Chubing for over a month, and we believe it won't be long before we capture Chubing. However, suddenly an army of twenty thousand blocked off the road from Chubing to Zijin Pass. This general is extraordinary; he controls three small towns in the middle, making our losses heavy. More importantly, his occupation of a crucial route has cut off our supply lines and reinforcements. It seems we will be delayed in capturing Chubing."

Ren Qining frowned slightly as he asked, "Who leads this army" According to him, Dachu originally had few great generals, most of whom were taken south by Mo Jingli. Moreover, the troops stationed at Zijin Pass like Leng Huang should be besieging Chubing now and unable to lead an army.

The middle-aged man shook his head, "We only know this general's name is He Su. With the current chaos across the land and Mo Jingli leaving Chubing with many people, it's hard for us to find out much about him."

"Can't find any information" Ren Qining stroked his chin thoughtfully as he asked, "Could this be… Mo Xiuyao's men"

"This…" Everyone was silent, looking at each other with suspicion. Although those troops didn't seem like the Mo Family army, who knew if the Dingwang family had secretly harbored another force Besides, such an unexpected appearance clearly aimed to delay Beirong capturing Chubing. Meanwhile, Mo Xiuyao also set out for Chubing now. Therefore, it makes sense that this action was intended to buy time for Mo Xiuyao.

Ren Qining stood up and said, "Send out the order to mobilize all our troops. In three days, we must launch a full-scale offensive on Chu's capital city before Mo Xiuyao’s army arrives." The others replied in agreement, "Young Master, what are your plans" Ren Qining narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "If Mo Xiuyao wants the Chu Capital City, he will have to see if I agree. Send a message to Seventh Prince of Northern Rong and inform him that I want to meet with him at Zi Jing Pass in ten days."

The others looked at each other with confusion. Even though they didn’t understand their master’s thoughts, they still respectfully withdrew to carry out their duties.

No one knew what the seventh prince of Northern Rong and Commander-in-Chief Ren Qining discussed during their meeting in Zi Jing Pass. However, two secret messages were sent westward on that same day. One was delivered to Mo Xiuyao who was still stationed at his camp, while the other was delivered to Dingwang Manor in Li City.

In the military tent, Mo Xiuyao leaned back lazily as he read the letters in his hand. Sitting next to him were Nanhou, Lu Jinxian and Feng Zhirao who all tried to guess what had happened that made their prince look so thoughtful. Finally, Feng Zhirao was forced by the others’ glares to ask, "Your Highness, is something happening" Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a half-smile and replied, "There has indeed been an event. Three days ago, Northern Rong’s Yelv Ye and Northern Jin’s Ren Qining had a chat in Zi Jing Pass."

The others understood immediately that the two men meeting together was no ordinary conversation. It clearly meant that both sides were preparing to team up against Dingwang Manor.

Nanhou frowned and said, "But what agreement did Ren Qining reach with Yelv Ye"

Mo Xiuyao replied, "Their discussion was secret and there’s no record of what they discussed. However… I can guess a little bit. Basically, Northern Rong is asked to block our advance so that the Northern Border region has time to capture Chu Capital City." Feng Zhirao didn’t understand and said, "Is Yelv Ye really that foolish He will use his troops to protect Ren Qining"

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "It’s not exactly foolish. The Northern Rong army is facing us directly anyway, so there’s no way for them not to put in their best efforts. Unless they can defeat our forces, the chances of them capturing Chu Capital City smoothly are slim. However, the Northern Border region has a different situation as it faces in the opposite direction from ours. They won’t have any conflicts with us before we enter Chu Capital City. Ren Qining should be giving Yelv Ye some other benefits to get him to give up on taking Chu Capital City."

"What kind of benefits" Chu Capital City was no ordinary place. Even though the current Imperial Family had already moved their capital, it still held great significance for the entire Chu.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "It might be giving some land to Northern Rong. Or perhaps they’re planning on dealing with Dingwang Manor together after taking Chu Capital City"

Lyu Songxian frowned and asked worriedly, "If that’s the case, it would certainly put us in an unfavorable position. Your Highness, do you have any plans to deal with this situation" Mo Xiuyao smiled and replied, "Our plan is to arrive at Chu Capital City as soon as possible so we don’t let Northern Border get there first. As for other plans, Qingchen will naturally consider them. However, Ren Qining really deserves another lesson."

Everyone in the room, including Feng Zhirao who was from Xi Ling, looked curiously at Mo Xiuyao and said with a look that asked what he had done to the guy.

Muo Xiuyao calmly replied, "There’s nothing much. I ordered Qin Feng to send someone to kill all of his wives, concubines, and children."

Everyone was silent.

In Li City’s Dingwang Manor library, Xu Qingchen, Xu Hongyu and others were present too. Ye Lian wore a thick snow marten fur cape and held a heated hand warmer as she sat listening to their conversation.

Xu Qingze put down the letter in his hand and frowned, saying, "If Northern Rong and Northern Border truly team up against us, it will be difficult for our army to reach Chu Capital City by early next month. Can Chu Capital City hold out that long" Xu Hongyu stroked his beard thoughtfully and said with a frown, "It may not be easy, so we can only hope that Dingwang can arrive faster. Also, over there in the Northern Border region… He Su is from our manor, right"

Ye Lian nodded and smiled, saying, "He truly is from our manor.

Xu Hongyu nodded and said, "That's good. With him and General Meng joining forces, they should be able to somewhat ease the困境 of Chu Capital. If it still doesn't work... then it can only be considered as fate."

Xu Qingchen smiled calmly and said, "Father need not worry so much. Even if Chu Capital falls into the hands of Northern Territory, the Prince Ding will surely be able to reclaim it. Besides, being invaded by Northern Territory is still better than being attacked by Northern Rong. The Northern Rong army wreaks havoc wherever they go upon entering Central Plains, burning and looting everywhere they go. As the saying goes, those who are not of our kind have different intentions. As long as Ren Qining wants to rule Central Plains, he cannot be like the Northern Rong army and slaughter indiscriminately."

Xu Hongyu could only think this way and shook his head, "We needn't concern ourselves with military matters. However, if the Northern Rong and Northern Territory really do form an alliance, it would definitely be extremely detrimental to us." This detriment isn't just limited to this time when they are rescuing Chu Capital; it also includes the future. "Do you have any ideas"

Xu Qingchen exchanged a glance with Ye Li and smiled lightly, "Indeed, I do have some thoughts. The Northern Rong and Northern Territory themselves aren't united as one internally. There's the competition between Prince Yi Lie Ye and the Seventh Prince, and there's also the distinction between the Central Plains people and Northern Territory residents within Northern Territory. We can exploit these differences." Xu Hongyu raised his eyebrows and said, "Your meaning is to... sow discord among them from within"

Ye Li nodded with a smile and said, "Big Brother說得不錯。如今北方的統帥是耶律野，這一戰耶律野在北方的地位必定會水漲船高，超過太子耶律泓。耶律泓與耶律野一向不合，怎麼能容忍這些，必然會對耶律野十分不滿。若是再有人在北方王耳邊說些什麼……"

Xu Hongyan asked, "Is this plan feasible Is there any spy in the Northern Rong royal family that can speak on behalf of Prince Ding's王府"

Ye Li shook her head and said somewhat helplessly, "There isn't. The Northern Rong people are very xenophobic. They will not trust or make use of someone who is not from their own land. However, we do have a spy close to the Northern Rong crown prince, and... the relationship between Prince Yi Lie Hong and Prince Ding's王府 is much better than that between Prince Yi Lie Hong and Prince Yi Lie Ye."

"Oh" Xu Hongyan was surprised; even after so many years in the Northwest, he didn't know that Prince Ding's王府 had managed to place people close to the Northern Rong crown prince.

Xu Qingchen pondered for a moment and asked, "Is it Princess Yong Hua "Back then, Yong Hua County Princess was married to the Northern Rong crown prince, Yi Lie Hong. However, during her time in the capital, the relationship between Yong Hua County Princess and Prince Ding's王府 as well as Ye Li wasn't good, so it wouldn't be easy for others to guess about this connection. But after all these years, whether Yong Hua Princess has changed is another matter. "Is she reliable"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Whether Yong Hua Princess is trustworthy or not doesn't matter; we don't need her to do anything for us. As long as the people around her are reliable." After all, Lady Yong Hua wasn't a trained spy, so if there were too many things going on, it would be easy for her to slip up. Back then, Prince Ding's王府 had sent two secret agents, one overt and one covert, to assist Princess Yong Hua secretly. Lady Yong Hua knew about the overt group but was unaware of the covert one. Of course, this wasn't truly purely to help Lady Yong Hua; it was precisely for situations like these that might arise in the future. Now that the Great Chu has relocated its capital and almost lost half of its territory, the news coming from Northern Rong shows no signs of Prince Yi Lie Hong neglecting or rejecting Princess Yong Hua, which indicates that Princess Yong Hua's efforts in Northern Rong have been quite successful.

Xu Qingchen nodded approvingly and said with satisfaction, "That's great."

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Then I'll send someone to go to Northern Rong and seek an audience with Yi Lie Hong. Perhaps we can also provide him with some covert assistance. If everything goes smoothly, within two or three months, Prince Yi Lie Ye, who leads the Northern Rong army, will reach his limit." Xu Qingchen asked, "Persuading Yi Lie Ye won't be easy. Should I personally go"

"This... " Ye Li frowned; at present, numerous matters in the Northwest couldn't do without Big Brother's presence. However, unless someone with enough weight was sent, it would also be difficult to convince Prince Yi Lie Hong. If she hadn't been pregnant, Ye Li had actually planned on going herself. Xu Hongyan said from one side, "The Northwest can't do without Qingchen and Big Brother; if you trust Uncle, maybe I should go."

"Second Uncle, the Northwest is a harsh place... "

Xu Hongyan smiled and said, "Do you look down on me, Li'er Am I someone who can't endure hardship"

Ye Li naturally knew that although Xu Hongyan usually didn't speak much, he was indeed eloquent and a suitable candidate. She hesitated, looking at Xu Qingchen and Xu Hongyu; Xu Hongyu nodded decisively, "Then it's good for Second Brother to make this trip."

Seeing Xu Hongyu say so, Ye Li could only nod her head as well. After thinking about it for a moment, she said, "In that case, Mo Hua is also in the Northwest right now; I'll have him accompany Second Uncle on his journey." Mo Hua was originally the leader of Prince Ding's暗衛 and with him leading a group to protect Xu Hongyan along the way, there wouldn't be any need to worry about his safety. Even if the plan failed, Mo Hua could ensure that Xu Hongyan safely returned to the Northwest.ty. As an uncle, you should not blame him for it. Emperor... Emperor..."The old王爺 shot her a glance and said with a snort, "Immature Indeed he is immature. But isn’t all this due to your indulgence Lo...