The First Jasmine - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Deliberations in the Study

Stepping into the study and seeing the two individuals currently engrossed in a game of Go, Feng Zhi Yao felt an immense surge of envy toward Mo Xiu Yao's life.

"I say, Your Highness, letting someone else work themselves to death out there while you leisurely play chess at home is a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Feng Zhi Yao offered a trace of mild mockery. How was anyone supposed to maintain psychological balance in this world? Those with a miserable fate had to hustle all day through the biting wind and cold rain, just like him. Meanwhile, those with a blessed fate could sit back and relax in a perfectly warm study, playing chess with a beautiful woman by their side. Just like Mo Xiu Yao. Ye Li glanced at Feng Zhi Yao with a smile. Although the flamboyant Third Young Master Feng's face was written all over with displeasure, the mirth in his eyes was a fraction more genuine than usual. It was evident his mood wasn't actually bad at all.

Mo Xiu Yao placed a stone before finally raising his head to look at Feng Zhi Yao, asking, "Is there something?"

Feng Zhi Yao snapped his fan open, slowly ambling inside as he spoke, "Can't I just come over to check on you if nothing's wrong? Marrying a Princess Consort truly changes everything. In the past, around this time of year, you’d usually be lying in bed half-dead." Feng Zhi Yao clearly didn't mind rubbing salt into Mo Xiu Yao's wounds in the slightest. He casually found a seat to plop down into, sizing up the room's decor before asking, "A while ago, Steward Mo asked Leng Second to find craftsmen proficient in construction. Was it all for this side hall? Not bad, truly not bad at all. Sister-in-law Princess Consort, could this... younger brother of yours get one set up as well?" Even someone as broad-minded and experienced as the third young master of the Feng family had stared at the room for ages without figuring out how this deeply warm atmosphere was accomplished. Not understanding it didn't matter; it didn't stop him from recognizing its utility. In the dead of winter, who could be bothered to burn silver charcoal that cost nearly as much as actual silver? It smelled bad, was inconvenient, and wasn't even half as warm as this.

Ye Li smiled gently and said, "Actually, I don't know much about it either. If Master Feng is interested, you can find those master craftsmen and discuss it with them." The ingenuity of ancient craftsmen was indeed not to be underestimated. She had only drawn a rough design blueprint and proposed her own concepts and principles. Those highly experienced craftsmen had taken less than half a month to perfectly arrange the hydronic heating system of this side hall. No wonder some said that many lost techniques could not be replicated even by twenty-first-century machinery. Feng Zhi Yao's eyes lit up. "Are they all Leng Second's people? Many thanks, Princess Consort. This young master will look for him tomorrow. Haha, once he has a house just as warm as this one, he will host a banquet at his manor. He wants to see if those arrogant fellows will drool with envy. Eh? Your Highness, did that fellow Leng Second mention whether we could leverage this to make a fortune? Of course... we won't forget the Princess Consort's contribution either." Remembering that Ye Li was the true originator of this warm room concept, Feng Zhi Yao did not forget to cast a flattering smile her way.

Mo Xiu Yao held a chess piece between his fingers and noted, "Leng Second already ran the numbers. To build a warm room like this requires at least seventeen thousand taels of silver. Even after the technique matures and the cost gradually declines, it won't drop below fifteen thousand taels. The cost is too high. How many people do you think would be willing to spend that kind of money?" Feng Zhi Yao fell into deep thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Indeed, not many. There are many powerful nobles in the capital, and even more rich people. But if just this side hall costs over ten thousand taels to build, the number of people willing to spend twenty to thirty thousand taels to establish a warm room won't be high. If it's just for a profit of one or two hundred thousand taels, specially researching this is indeed unnecessary—at least for now."

Ye Li laughed and said, "Actually, Master Feng's idea isn't bad. If the cost can be compressed to around one thousand taels... there would still be a massive market."

Feng Zhi Yao scoffed disdainfully, "What can you even earn at around one thousand taels?"

"If it can be kept around one thousand taels, then the capital's nobles, wealthy merchants, and even ordinary well-to-do tradesmen might choose a warm room over silver charcoal. And what if it expands to the entire Great Chu... or even Xiling and Beirong?" Ye Li countered with a soft smile.

Feng Zhi Yao was stunned. He glanced at Mo Xiu Yao, who didn't seem to have any intention of interjecting, and after pondering for a moment, he said, "I'll bring it up to Leng Second later."

"The 'Leng Second' you speak of should be the second young master of the Leng family, Leng Hao Yu, right?" Ye Li inquired. She didn't seem to recall hearing that the second young master of the Leng family was on good terms with the Prince. Leng Hao Yu was different from Feng Zhi Yao, who had grown up alongside Mo Xiu Yao; he was several years younger than them. When Mo Xiu Yao met with disaster, Leng Hao Yu must have been only a child of twelve or thirteen. Furthermore, the Leng family was fiercely loyal to the Emperor. Feng Zhi Yao nodded, looking at Mo Xiu Yao with a hint of strangeness as he asked, "Has the Prince not mentioned it to the Princess Consort?" Mo Xiu Yao replied indifferently, "I sent a message to Leng Hao Yu asking him to come to the Prince's Manor, but he seems to be unavailable." Feng Zhi Yao seemed to recall something, lowering his head as he suppressed a chuckle. "Two days ago, Leng Second went out to drink with courtesans and happened to be caught red-handed by his future father-in-law. General Murong gave him a savage beating. He probably can't even step out of his door right now." Given Leng Second's face-saving disposition, he absolutely wouldn't reply to Mo Xiu Yao stating he couldn't leave the house because he had been beaten up.

Ye Li was startled, asking in surprise, "The second young master of the Leng family was beaten by General Murong?"

"Precisely. The Princess Consort didn't see it at the time, but General Murong truly showed no mercy whatsoever. Poor kid, Leng Hao Yu isn't loved by his father or doted on by his mother; he might still be lying in bed right now with no one tending to him. This young master should probably go check on him later," Feng Zhi Yao remarked, not without a sense of schadenfreude. Ye Li called someone over to pour a cup of hot tea for Feng Zhi Yao before asking, "Since Master Leng is the Prince's friend, should we dispatch someone to visit him since he's injured?" Mo Xiu Yao replied, "Just let Feng Zhi Yao go." Without waiting for Feng Zhi Yao to respond, he spoke to him again, "Once he can leave the house, have him come over."

Feng Zhi Yao knew that without official business, Mo Xiu Yao would not summon them to the Prince of Ding’s Manor. He immediately retracted the lazy smile from his face and nodded with a solemn expression. "What orders does Your Highness have?"

Mo Xiu Yao took a dossier handed over by Ye Li and said, "This was just sent over from the Southern Borders. Take a look."

Feng Zhi Yao glanced at Ye Li, opened the dossier, and read it meticulously. The further down he read, the uglier his expression became. It wasn't until Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li had finished their game of Go and Ye Li began returning the pieces to their boxes that he finally raised his head and said, "Mo Jing Li is secretly financing the rebellion of the Southern Border's Holy Maiden? What is going on here? If I remember correctly, the Crown Princess of the Southern Border should be Princess Qi Xia's biological younger sister. Once the Crown Princess ascends the throne in the future, Nanzhao will become Mo Jing Li's greatest assistance." Mo Xiu Yao held his warm teacup, stating detachedly, "Don't forget that the King of Nanzhao is only forty years old this year. As long as no accidents occur, if the Crown Princess wishes to ascend the throne, she will have to wait at least another twenty years."

"The King of Nanzhao and Princess Qi Xia are also biological father and daughter. Could it be that he won't support his own son-in-law?" Feng Zhi Yao asked.

Mo Xiu Yao shook his head. "I have dealt with the King of Nanzhao back when he was still the Crown Prince of Nanzhao. He is an exceptionally cautious and intelligent man; he will absolutely not support Mo Jing Li. If he would, he would have married Princess Qi Xia off to him back when I went as an envoy to Nanzhao a couple of years ago, rather than waiting for Princess Qi Xia to travel thousands of miles to Great Chu on her own. The King of Nanzhao must have been highly displeased by that affair back in June. The probability of either him or the Crown Princess supporting Mo Jing Li is not high." Feng Zhi Yao looked down at the dossier in his hand and said, "The analysis on this document says the same. Then... when exactly did Mo Jing Li hook up with this Southern Border Holy Maiden?"

Feng Zhi Yao felt they had truly underestimated Mo Jing Li over these years. In his eyes, Mo Jing Li had been a short-tempered fool since childhood. Thus, even though Mo Jing Li was a high-and-mighty imperial prince while he himself was merely the concubine-born son of a wealthy merchant family, he had never regarded Mo Jing Li with any respect. Yet looking at all the chaotic messes in the capital over these past two years, which incident hadn't seen Mo Jing Li dip his toes in? Especially over this past half year, he had only just discovered that the ministers in court leaning toward the Prince of Li were actually not few in number.

"It should also have been during the time he went as an envoy to the Southern Borders. After all, he stayed in the Southern Borders for a rather substantial period back then," Mo Xiu Yao said, his brows furrowing.

"Do you think... the one in the imperial palace knows about this matter right now?" Feng Zhi Yao asked curiously. The mutual destruction of royal siblings was always the most entertaining.

"He probably doesn't know. Do your subordinates not lack any news on this right now as well?" Mo Xiu Yao countered. Feng Zhi Yao's face darkened. He was in charge of managing the reception and dispatch of all kinds of information for the Prince of Ding’s Manor, yet now that the news from Nanzhao had already arrived at the manor, his subordinates hadn't even caught a whisper of it. He naturally knew that Mo Xiu Yao didn't distrust him—if he didn't trust him, Mo Xiu Yao wouldn't have handed him the intelligence so easily. However, knowing someone else was more capable than himself was always somewhat uncomfortable.

"You don't need to feel ashamed; this news has not leaked out yet. Aside from those who have read this dossier, no one else knows." Mo Xiu Yao didn't wish to demoralize his close friend and confidant too much, adding, "However, I cannot tell you the source of this information. Find a way to deliver it into Mo Jing Qi's hands."

"Deliver it to Mo Jing Qi?" Feng Zhi Yao raised an eyebrow. "He'll be driven completely mad with rage. Still, letting them tear into each other like dogs fighting dogs is for the best; that way, we'll have more time to focus on other matters. Do we need to dispatch anyone to the Southern Borders? Although the current chaos there is advantageous to us, it might not remain so if it drags on too long." The folk customs of Nanzhao were fierce and unyielding. Just like Zhou Country, they had long since drooled over the vast territory and abundant resources of Great Chu. It was merely because their national strength was too weak, and their several provocations had been crushed by Great Chu with heavy losses, leaving them with no choice but to submit to Great Chu.

"Right now, we also have no one available to dispatch. There is someone at the Southern Borders who should be able to handle it. For the time being, there's no need to interfere. What news is there from Beirong?"

Feng Zhi Yao let out a soft snort. "After the failed marriage alliance between Xiling and Great Chu, their secret interactions with Beirong have become even more frequent than before. It's highly likely that Lei Teng Feng also sensed the friction between the brothers Mo Jing Qi and Mo Jing Li, which is why he changed his mind so decisively. He intends to wait until Great Chu's internal strife breaks out before allying with Beirong to launch a coordinated siege."

"Lei Teng Feng... Great Chu's internal state is unstable, but does he truly believe his Xiling is in a much better position?" Mo Xiu Yao's smile was dark and cold as his brows knit. "Master Shen should be due back soon, right?"

Feng Zhi Yao blinked in surprise. "It should be soon."

"Once he returns, request him to take a trip to Xiling." Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly. "I have heard that the Emperor of Xiling is also plagued by a long-standing illness. Divine Physician Shen possesses peerless medical skills; he will surely find some interest in it."

Feng Zhi Yao raised his eyebrows and laughed. "The Emperor of Xiling and the Prince of Zhennan? That seems like an excellent idea. I just wonder if a perfectly healthy Emperor of Xiling can continue to tolerate his country having such a Regent Prince who lacks the title but holds the absolute reality of power?"

Ye Li sat quietly to one side, listening to the two men discuss the affairs between nations, unwittingly zoning out slightly. Over this past half year, she had gained a sufficiently clear understanding of many events within the capital. She could naturally see clearly how the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were leveraging the Prince of Li to carry out covert power struggles both within and outside the court. She hadn't expected Mo Jing Li to pull even Nanzhao into the fray. While this trio of mother, sons, and brothers were mutually calculating and fighting one another, did they ever consider that some of the very people they guarded against and plotted against were secretly planning and exhausting themselves for the rise and fall of this nation?

"Ah Li, what benefits do you think Mo Jing Li stands to gain from secretly assisting the Southern Border Holy Maiden?" Emerging from her quiet reverie, she suddenly heard Mo Xiu Yao inquire.

Ye Li was startled, her brows drawing together as she spoke, "Even with the Empress Dowager's support, Mo Jing Li is not necessarily a match for the Emperor. First of all, in terms of public opinion and moral righteousness, he sits at a disadvantage. The Emperor was passed the throne by the late Emperor legitimately and naturally; furthermore, as his biological elder brother, the Emperor hasn't treated him poorly since ascending the throne. Blindly opposing the Emperor holds absolutely no benefit for him. I believe... Mo Jing Li has always placed far too much weight on Nanzhao. On the surface, what he gained through Princess Qi Xia was absolutely far more than what he lost. Therefore, Nanzhao must possess some faction or figure he can rely upon."

Mo Xiu Yao nodded. "Ah Li is correct. We all felt that Mo Jing Li changed far too quickly over these years. But... if one looks closely, it becomes apparent that he only began to change after returning from the Southern Borders. It's just that most people failed to notice this shift. I can be certain that prior to this, Mo Jing Li might have harbored ambitions, but he absolutely never generated the intent to usurp the throne."

Ye Li stood up, retrieving a map from a nearby cabinet and spreading it across the table. "Exactly what it is in the Southern Borders that gives him such boundless confidence, I do not know. But in my view, if he can control the entirety of the Southern Borders, then even if Mo Jing Li fails to usurp the throne, he won't be the one to lose." Feng Zhi Yao leaned in curiously, asking, "How so?"

Ye Li pointed at the map. "Mo Jing Li's fiefdom is in Lingzhou, which is less than three hundred miles away from Nanzhao. The regulations of Great Chu's royal family dictate that imperial princes only need to reside in the capital for two months out of the year. However, due to the care of the Empress Dowager and Grand Imperial Concubine Xian Zhao, Mo Jing Li resides in the capital year-round and basically never returns to his fiefdom. Of course, this might also be the Emperor's method of guarding against Mo Jing Li. Yet Lingzhou remains the Prince of Li's fiefdom. Looking at the Prince of Li's current confidence, Lingzhou is absolutely under his complete control. Once Nanzhao assists the Prince of Li with its full strength, launching a coordinated attack from both inside and outside, Yongzhou—which sits between Lingzhou and Nanzhao—will inevitably be captured as well. Eastward from Lingzhou is a flat plain. At that time, if he possesses a sufficient army, the Prince of Li can completely march eastward and grasp more than half of the southwestern territory in his palm. Meanwhile, the reinforcing troops from the court, even the fastest Black Cloud Cavalry, would take at least twenty days to arrive. They would also need to cross the Yunlan River, which spans the entire Great Chu. As far as I know... Great Chu does not possess any army that excels in naval warfare. This includes both the Mo Family Army and the Black Cloud Cavalry."

Following the light movements of her slender, elegant hand, Feng Zhi Yao's face gradually turned grim. He was far more familiar with the terrain of Nanzhao and Great Chu than Ye Li was, so he naturally understood even more clearly what kind of situation would arise if the two armies truly squared off. Great Chu's territory east of Lingzhou had always been peaceful and was far removed from the borders, so the stationed troops could be said to be incredibly sparse. If Mo Jing Li truly allied with Nanzhao to march southeastward instead of following Nanzhao's usual habit of advancing northward, as long as they breached Yongzhou's Suixue Pass, it could be said that half of Great Chu's territory south of the Yunlan River would essentially be handed over on a silver platter.