Life was more dramatic than stories.

Feng Zhi Yao said smilingly: “Three years after the fall of the previous dynasty, the queen of Nan Zhao at that time married an unidentified man from our country. Five years later, Nan Zhao started to make raids at our border, which didn’t die down until the deaths of the queen and her husband. However, for years, peace never prevailed. Time and again war broke out. Nan Zhao will spare no effort to invade us once it has the chance.”

Ye Li rubbed her forehead. “I see. The royal blood of the previous dynasty runs deep in Nan Zhao. So, is Nan Zhao going to take what belonged to the previous dynasty back for its sake?”

“It might not be doing that for the sake of the previous dynasty but it is determined to take over our country.” Feng Zhi Yao said, nodding.

Ye Li turned to Mo Xiu Yao a bit curiously and said: “Even so, you don’t need to rush all the way here. Nan Zhao won’t mind a few decades if it has already prepared for over a hundred years.”

Mo Xiu Yao looked at her. “If Mo Jing Li hasn’t started a rebellion, what would you do instead?”

She paused, recalling that she has planned to go to the sacred land of Nan Zhao. “Is it dangerous?”

He seemed gloomy as he said: “Don’t you think that sacred land dubious?”

She blinked, waiting for an answer.

“The Holy Princess of Nan Zhao must retire to sacred land by the age of 25. Yet, actually, most Holy Princesses would end their duty and go there at the age of 21, 22, some younger, at 19. The appearance of those so-called Holy Princesses is a mystery, so is their background and what they do after they are in the sacred land. But those girls must receive specific education since they were young and might even affect the politics of Nan Zhao after they become the Holy Princess. How long and how much money it takes to educate someone like that? Just for her to be a Holy Princess and then throw her to some sacred land where she remains until death?” Mo Xiu Yao said calmly.

Pensively, Leng Hao Yu said: “Your Highness, you had a point. This Holy Princess thing is weird. I remember, the Holy Princess that served the shortest period was only there for two years, becoming a Holy Princess at 15 then retiring at 17.”

“I thought we were talking about what’s so dangerous about the sacred land of Nan Zhao?” Ye Li reminded.

Mo Xiu Yao spoke: “There isn’t such a place in Nan Zhao. Even if there is, it won’t be the home of treasures and retired Holy Princesses, but a place with the biggest secret of the royal family of Nan Zhao. Anyone that gets to that place will be killed at all cost by the royal family of Nan Zhao, which gives birth to the rumor that all those who tried to break into the sacred land were killed.”

Ye Li was a bit disappointed. That meant there was no Underworld Flower at all.

Leng Hao Yu said: “It doesn’t have anything to do with Prince Li’s sudden rebellion, does it?”

Lying lazily in his chair, Feng Zhi Yao laughed: “Doesn’t have anything to do with Prince Li? It has everything to do with him. At first, we thought Mo Jing Li wanted to exploit the Holy Princess and Nan Zhao. Now it seems he is the one that is taken advantage of, which made this sudden rebellion. He thinks he is the clever one. But a fool is a fool whatsoever!”

Ye Li was a bit confused. “What Nan Zhao has could persuade Mo Jing Li into a collaboration?”

Feng Zhi Yao smiled: “For example, sharing the world with the Holy Princess. With Nan Zhao’s assistance, it will be easier for him to take over Great Chu. By then, he’ll have both the country and the beauty. All men will fall for that.”

Ye Li couldn’t get that. Nan Zhao had been planning for over a hundred years in order to take over Great Chul. Was it true that the realm was the most intoxicating thing?

“Well, they’ve made a good try, attacking from the inside since they weren’t able to break Scattered Snow Pass from outside. If it wasn’t for you, My Lady, perhaps by now not only Scattered Snow Pass, but also Ling Zhou and Yong Zhou would have fallen into Nan Zhao’s occupation.”

Leng Hao Yu asked with a frown: “Your Highness, what’s the plan?”

Mo Xiu Yao answered calmly: “There’s no plan. You are not safe here. Get back to the capital as soon as possible.”

Leng Hao Yu’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something.

Mo Xiu Yao looked at him then added: “I’ll speak to General Murong to let you and Murong Ting get married soon. Hao Yu…”

Leng Hao Yu was a bit shocked and said hurriedly: “I see. Thank you, Your Highness.”

Feng Zhi Yao said a bit unhappily: “We don’t have many chances to leave the capital. Now we are going back? Why is the emperor so guarded against us? It’s a waste of my time.”

Mo Xiu Yao said calmly: “Nan Zhao won’t make anything out of this. We can leave it be for now. Don’t worry. I’ll make this journey worth your while.”

Feng Zhi Yao raised his brows. “You might be the only one who dare to say that Nan Zhao won’t make anything out of this. However, I think those men are quite shrewd, having waited patiently for such a long time to devise such a scheme…”

Mo Xiu Yao’s smile was cold. “It has done nothing with generations of descendants for over a hundred years. What can it make? The only thing that is worth a compliment perhaps is its insistence.”

Feng Zhi Yao said smilingly: “I guess Nan Zhao hates Prince Ding’s Manor the most.”

Prince Ding’s Manor might have been the biggest reason that Nan Zhao hadn’t made anything so far. For example, over a decade ago, if Prince Ding hadn’t withdrew his army at the last point, Nan Zhao would have been wiped out.

“Your Highness, what do you mean that you’ll make this journey worth my while? Are we attacking Nan Zhao or not?”

Mo Xiu Yao looked at Feng Zhi Yao smilingly: “We are not going to attack anyone. We are going to suppress bandits.”

“Suppressing bandits?” The other three in the study said together.

An idea came to Feng Zhi Yao as he asked: “I don’t think that is a big problem here.”

Mo Xiu Yao answered calmly: “It isn’t a big problem doesn’t mean it won’t become one. Otherwise, what happened to the relief troops of Yan Zhou?”

“Didn’t Mo Jing Li do that?” Feng Zhi Yao asked.

Mo Xiu Yao sneered. “I don’t think he was clever enough to do that. Even if he was, how many men would it take him to destroy an army of 20 thousand? At that time, he and his troops were in Yan Zhou. How could he send an army of at least 30 thousand men to raid the relief troops from Yan Zhou that was several hundred miles away?”

After consideration, Feng Zhi Yao said: “He at least had to send out such a team the same day he raised the rebellion would his men be able to make it to Yunlan River in time to attack relief troops from Yan Zhou. Besides, he needed to know that Yan Zhou would send out relief troops to Scattered Snow Pass in advance. Few men knew that General Wu worked for us. At least Mo Jing Li didn’t. If he didn’t know that, he couldn’t have set up an ambush, for Yan Zhou might also remain quiet as other cities, meanwhile other cities might also send relief troops to Scattered Snow Pass.”

“So, it wasn’t Mo Jing Li’s men that ambushed General Wu?” Ye Li asked, her brows raised.

“Besides Nan Zhao, there are others that want our realm,” Mo Xiu Yao said calmly.

“Xi Ling,” Leng Hao Yu said with conviction.

Bei Rong was too far away from Nan Zhao. In addition, people of Bei Rong looked too different from those of Great Chu which meant it wouldn’t be easy for them to come in this country in large groups. But it was different with Xi Ling. Though there were slight differences, they mainly belonged to the royals who had married foreigners. Most men of Xi Ling looked just like those of Great Chu. Leng Hao Yu shuddered at the idea that an army that could wipe out 20 thousand men was roaming in Great Chu.

Mo Xiu Yao’s eyes were deep. “Those generals at the border need a good lesson a long time ago.”

Feng Zhi Yao shrugged. The emperor had changed most generals at the border those years. There was not much they could do. Suppressing bandits… seemed like a good idea…

“Your Highness, when do we set out?” Feng Zhi Yao asked, excited. Nan Zhao or Xi Ling, it didn’t matter as long as there were battles to fight.

Mo Xiu Yao lowered his head and looked at his hand as he said in a small voice: “After His Majesty’s men are here. Get our men prepared. Remember… if one of those bandits walk out of our country alive, don’t you ever tell me you want to fight on a battlefield again.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Feng Zhi Yao answered loudly. Hesitating, he asked: “What about Scattered Snow Pass…”

“Leave it be for now. Result won’t come in a few months. Nor do we have time for them,” Mo Xiu Yao said in a serious tone.

“I see.”

Ye Li looked at the two men in a conversation quietly with a slight frown. A strange uneasiness came over her.