rounds of hidden weapons and arrows before arriving beside Ye Li and Doctor Lin, who stood at the corner by Water Milky Way. He then rushed toward the black fog that was about to take over."Eh What's...Welcome Banquet

Welcome Feast

Near the city gate of Ruyang City, Feng Zhiyao stood smiling, accompanied by a few officials and some curious onlookers. The several officials from Ruyang City were in casual attire, highlighting Feng San's striking figure in his bright red robe. In contrast to the host side’s casualness, the guests wore full official robes, making them look solemn yet odd. Holding his fan, leaning against the city wall, Feng Zhiyao asked casually, "In this hot weather, aren't they sweating under all those layers" As he said, what's good about being an official They still have to wear multiple layers of clothes in such heat without worrying about falling ill from overheating. It was known that the Great Chu prided itself on its etiquette; even summer court robes had four or five layers. Moreover, the fabric used for government uniforms wasn't light and breathable silk but heavy and luxurious cloud brocade meant to display imperial grandeur. One could tell how hot it was by looking at the sweat pouring down their guardsmen's backs.

No one answered his question since the front of the procession had already reached the city gate. The citizens of Ruyang City were curious, as they seldom saw high-ranking officials in the remote northwest. The highest official they usually saw was the governor. Now that a Prince Ding resided here and two more princes with several high officials arrived all at once, the people naturally rushed to the city gate to welcome them.

Hundreds of guards escorted the long procession to stop at the city gate. A slightly plump elderly man wearing deep red robes stepped down from the first purple-lacquered carriage. His white beard and hair gave him an air of arrogance, as he looked around disdainfully. Stepping on a guard's shoulder, he glared at those standing by the city gate, his face darkening immediately. Feng Zhiyao pretended not to notice, smiling and bowing politely: "On behalf of Prince Ding, I welcome Your Royal Highnesses and officials. This is Feng San paying respects to Prince De."

"Feng San Is it really you" Prince De asked icily. He had heard of Feng Zhiyao's reputation; usually he wouldn't mind showing some courtesy to a young man, but now that Emperor Mo Xiu Yao sent an ordinary official in civilian attire to greet him, it was a slap in the face. At his age and status, even the emperor treated Prince De with respect, how could he tolerate this Feng Zhiyao smiled: "Yes, Your Highness remembers well."

Prince De coldly asked, “Where is Mo Xiu Yao” Although old, he was of the same generation as Mo Xiu Yao. As a rule, Prince De addressed Prince Ding respectfully, but since Mo Xiu Yao didn't show him respect now, neither would he, directly addressing him by name without ceremony. Feng Zhiyao remained unperturbed: "Your Highness, the prince is preoccupied with his pregnant wife and young heir; thus unable to welcome you in person. Please forgive us." Prince De's face turned from pale to red again. While Feng Zhiyao spoke politely, his meaning was clear: The Prince Ding was too busy attending to his family to greet him.

"Rude! His Imperial Majesty has already stripped Mo Xiu Yao of his title; how dare you still call him a prince" Prince De raged.

Feng Zhiyao lowered his eyes, while the officials behind him who were loyal to Prince Ding could not bear such rudeness. Before they could intervene, Prince Yu's carriage arrived, and he hurriedly pulled aside Prince De: "Uncle Emperor, what’s wrong After traveling so far for Ruyang City, why are you getting angry here Oh, this must be Feng San" As a former resident of the capital city, Mo Jingyu naturally knew who Feng Zhiyao was. Smiling and bowing, Feng Zhiyao greeted: "Feng San greets Prince Yu, Governor Su, Minister Mo."

With his advanced age, Governor Su looked tired and pale from the long journey, but still nodded at Feng Zhiyao. Remembering how he had been tutored by Su Zhe when young and now recalling imprisoned Su Zuodie, Feng Zhiyao sighed inwardly before stepping aside to let them enter the city.

"The two Princes and Excellency must be tired from the long journey. Please come into the city to rest for a while. Later on, Prince Mo Xiuyao will hold a banquet to welcome you."

Duke Wang glanced at the officials and civilians around him who were staring at them with somewhat unfriendly expressions, knowing that causing trouble here would only make things look bad for himself. He snorted and turned to walk towards the city. Mo Jingyu looked around with a smile as he followed behind, privately marveling at how Mo Xiuyao had managed to earn such loyalty from the people of Ruyang in just half a year since taking up residence there; the power and influence of the Ding Wang Mansion was indeed profound.

Duke Wang's character tended towards becoming more irritable with age. Having been snubbed at the city gates by Feng Zhirao, he naturally wouldn’t let it go to his head at the welcoming banquet later that evening; instead, as soon as they entered the city walls, he ignored the inn Feng had arranged for them and headed straight for the governor’s mansion. He didn't understand that Mo Xiuyao hadn't intended on sending anyone out to welcome him in the first place. If Feng hadn’t brought a retinue along with him, seeing no one at the gates despite his impressive procession would have made things look even worse. Upon reaching the governor's residence, he was informed that Prince and Princess Mo had just moved into their new mansion; from now on, this place belonged to Ruyang’s governor. Duke Wang was thus infuriated once more and led his group towards the Ding Wang Mansion in southeast Ruyang City. Since this trip westward had been initiated by Duke Wang himself, he insisted on seeing Mo Xiuyao immediately, leaving everyone else with no choice but to follow him.

The Ding Wang Mansion was located in the southeast of Ruyang City along the city’s main thoroughfare, Xuanwu Street. While it couldn’t match the grandeur and scale of its counterpart in Chu Jing, after several months of renovations, it had grown quite impressive nonetheless. The simplicity and rugged charm of northwest Chu Jing added a touch of sternness to the bustling metropolis. Above the entrance gate were simply inscribed three characters: Ding Wang Mansion. The dragon-scripted words exuded an imposing presence. Duke Wang was so enraged that his hands shook with fury, shouting, "Outrageous! How dare he!" Everyone around him remained silent; Duke Wang was merely venting in anger and didn’t expect a response. Mo Jingyu stood by impassively as if admiring the scenery.

Soon after, someone came to invite them inside, but this only made Duke Wang’s face darken further. Not only had Mo Xiuyao not come out to greet him at the city gates, he didn’t even make an appearance at his own mansion entrance. The other three behind him also looked displeased, but their frustration stemmed from concerns about official protocol rather than personal pride; Prince Ding’s behavior clearly indicated that he no longer intended to show respect to the imperial court, which would only complicate matters for them on this trip westward. Mo Jingyu cursed in his heart at Mo Jingqi for such a predicament. Being an idle prince, it didn’t matter who was emperor to him; now, however, with Ding Wang Mansion’s relationships deteriorated due to Mo Jingqi's own actions, he had to travel thousands of miles to the northwest. If Mo Xiuyao truly harbored thoughts of rebellion, would they ever make it back alive

Wei Lin led them into the mansion with a stern expression; his youthful appearance made him look ill-suited for managing such an establishment. Of course, he wasn't actually in charge; merely because Zuo Jing and Lin Han had fled quickly enough to avoid being pressed into service, Duke Mo had temporarily appointed Wei Lin as the manager. Glancing sideways at Feng Zhirao strolling leisurely beside them, Wei Lin silently agreed with his perspective: such a position of high esteem was ill-suited for young men like themselves. Every time someone called him "Manager Wei," he felt a faint ache in his stomach.

In the main hall, Mo Xiuyao sat chatting with Ye Li. Seeing Wei Lin leading them inside, he greeted them coolly: "Duke Wang, Prince Yu, and Excellencies Su and Mo, please take your seats." As Duke Wang observed Mo Xiuyao's tousled white hair and smiling eyes, he noticed that the man had grown warmer since his days in Chu Jing—yet no one could feel closer to him as a result. Instead, it only made them uneasy. Until recently, Mo Xiuyao had been careful not to draw attention to his overnight whitening; even though Prince Mo Jingqi had planted spies across Ruyang, no one in Chu Jing knew of this until now.

Duke Wang sneered with a cold snort: "You’ve been away from the capital for some time; have you forgotten basic etiquette It seems His Majesty was correct in saying that you’re arrogant!" Mo Xiuyao observed Duke Wang's fury with amusement. Etiquette Did he expect him to bow To Duke Wang, as an exiled commoner stripped of his title by the emperor, Mo Xiuyao should show respect towards him. Unfortunately for Duke Wang, things had already been set in motion from the moment they entered Ruyang City.

"Arrogant I seem to recall His Majesty calling you a traitor and rebel," said Mo Xiuyao coolly with an amused smile, his eyes hinting at frostiness.

Feng Zhirao waved his fan and replied: "Your Excellency, the imperial decree did indeed say that."

"How bold of Mo Xiuyao! You..." When the Prince of De was interrupted by them, he became extremely angry.

A sharp sound suddenly covered over the Prince of De's roar. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound to see that the white jade teacup in Mo Xiuyao’s hand shattered instantly. Several pieces of broken jade fell onto the ground with a crisp sound. Slowly, Mo Xiuyao opened his hands and white powder slipped from his palm and drifted down to the ground before him. The Prince of De's throat felt as if it was blocked by something and he couldn’t speak for several moments. Then, they heard Mo Xiuyao say with a smile, "Prince of De, lower your voice. If you frighten my concubine or the Crown Prince… it will be difficult for me." The Prince of De could not help but tremble as his eyes met Mo Xiuyao’s cold gaze and he was reminded of those seven thousand soldiers that were killed by Mo Xiuyao. After standing there in a daze, the Prince of De finally did not dare to say anything else. His face alternated between red and green.

Moyingyu looked around at everyone in the hall and said with a smile, "Uncle Emperor has come from far away and is naturally angry. I hope that the Prince of Ding will forgive him."

Mo Xiuyao glanced at him coolly and said, "So it's like this then It can't be helped. The weather is hot so he gets easily angered. In addition, Northwest cannot compare with the capital in its prosperity. I'll order my servants to prepare more food for the Prince of De." Moyingyu’s smile was somewhat stiff but he still had to say what needed to be said. He could tell that if this impatient emperor uncle spoke up, it would definitely anger Mo Xiuyao and they wouldn’t survive their return journey. "Northwest is cold in winter and hot in summer. There are many remote places there too. Your Highness has been away for a long time now. Why not send your troops back to the capital Then you can avoid your wife and son suffering here."

"Send his troops back" Mo Xiuyao seemed to have heard something interesting as he raised an eyebrow at Moyingyu. After such a long absence, Moyingyu had improved in his ability to tell lies. Even though Emperor Moxijqi had stripped him of his title and army command, not to mention the treasonous plot that was known by everyone throughout the world, now Moyingyu actually told him to send back his troops Was it Moyingyu’s own brain acting up or did he think that Mo Xiuyao's brain was malfunctioning

Moyingyu had no problem with his brains. It was just that those above him were insane! Struggling to maintain a smile on his face, Moyingyu cursed Emperor Moxijqi in his heart countless times. To say nothing of Mo Xiuyao's long-suffering endurance, even his own younger brother had rebelled against him and he still wanted to rebel himself. Looking at Su Zhe who was sitting opposite, Moyingyu hoped that Mo Xiuyao would give the old man some face. After all, Su Zhe was also half a teacher of Mo Xiuyao’s and Mo Xiuyao always showed great respect for this old man.

Su Zhe sighed heavily as he looked at Mo Xiuyao's white hair. They had watched firsthand how Mo Xiuyao transformed from an impetuous, shining youth into the person he was today. He used to be Su Zhe’s most proud student and someone he held high hopes for in terms of a future son-in-law. However, over these past years as they watched him struggle forward step by step, there was nothing that could be done about it. Su Zhe did not know if this matter was Mo Xiuyao's fault or not. He had long since been removed from the center of political power and was far away from the palace. However, he knew very clearly one thing: Mo Xiuyao absolutely could not return to the capital now! Therefore, when Su Zhe saw Moyingyu’s gaze turn towards him, he merely lowered his head and drank tea calmly as if he did not know anything. As long as Su Zhe refused to speak up, even Mo Jiarren who had less influence would also be unable to say a word. Moyingyu was secretly angry but there was nothing he could do.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually grew heavy and Ye Li looked calmly over everyone before softly saying, "Since you have come from afar, I'm sure that you must be tired. Why not rest for a while first We can talk about matters tonight."

Moyingyu naturally welcomed this suggestion and hurriedly said with a smile, "That’s what Concubine says, but it was impudent of me to speak out of turn."

When Ye Li spoke up, Mo Xiuyao had nothing left to say. Concerned, he asked her softly, "Are you tired Let me send you back to rest." He then ignored the guests who remained seated and helped Ye Li get up before leaving with her.

Seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li disappear at the door, Duke De finally caught his breath. He pointed at the entrance with panting breath and said, "What kind of attitude is this" Mo Jingyu smiled bitterly and held back Duke De, saying, "Since it's the first pregnancy for Princess Consort Ding and she just returned from a calamity, it’s understandable that Prince Ding is worried. Why do Grandpa Emperor get angry" Duke De harrumphed and gulped down a mouthful of tea to suppress his anger勉強壓製下怒意。 Feng Zhirao raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Your Excellencies, our prince originally lived in the governor's mansion where the place was small. Therefore, we arranged for him to stay at an inn客棧. By coincidence, both Your Excellency and Princess Consort have moved into your new residence新府邸 now. Please rest inside." Duke De rolled his eyes at Feng Zhirao; of course he wouldn’t be staying in an inn. As the emperor’s uncle and a special envoy欽差, if he were to stay in an inn旅館, people would laugh him off when he returned to the capital京城.

Wei Lin glanced indifferently at everyone before turning around to arrange accommodations.

In the night, the entire city of Ruyang was brightly lit. Unlike the sparse welcome earlier, this reception feast was exceptionally grand. The welcoming banquet took place on the eastern gate tower of Ruyang City. Facing Wuzhu Street玄武大街 from above, they saw crowds bustling around and decorations festooned everywhere熱鬨非凡. On the city tower, there were also drinking and dancing昇平歌舞. All officials and military officers in or near Ruyang City as well as local famous scholars名士望族 attended tonight’s banquet. Even though Prince Ding had been stationed in Ruyang for half a year半景光， few commoners in the city had actually seen him. As for Princess Consort, she could be said to have never appeared outside從未露麵. Therefore, when they saw Prince Ding wearing a white robe with silver dragons鑲邊 and snow-white hair, standing beside a Qing Dynasty女子 with six months pregnant belly and refined appearance氣度雍容走上城樓， everyone was stunned. The two figures of white and blue stood side by side, looking incredibly harmonious and natural彷彿天生一對.

Mo Xiuyao supported Ye Li as she stepped onto the high platform and carefully sat her down. Many soldiers present had not seen Mo Xiuyao in a long time; those who followed Ye Li earlier were even more excited. They shouted, "We salute Your Excellency and Princess Consort!" Influenced by them, officials on the opposite side also rose to pay homage, saying, "We salute Your Excellency and Princess Consort! We wish your son’s safe arrival喜得小世子."

Although Mo Xiuyao didn’t like the little thing賴皮不肯出來 in Ye Li's belly very much, he was in a good mood now. He waved his hand and said, "Everyone, you don't need to salute."

The sounds on top of the city tower also affected the people playing below. The originally noisy commoners at the foot of the gate turned around跪下 and shouted, “We wish Your Excellency and Princess Consort longevity安康， congratulations on your safe return!” With someone leading the way, others followed and their voices echoed through Ruyang City.

Mo Xiuyao held up a cup of wine, stood up, looked at the commoners below, and shouted, "No need to salute. Everyone can enjoy tonight’s party隨意。 I’ll toast everyone." His voice carried with inner strength傳了出去. The people below stood up and cheered, making the atmosphere even more lively.

On top of the tower, everyone rose and held their cups, saying, "Thank you Your Excellency and Princess Consort."

After taking a sip, Mo Xiuyao sat down and said, “Enjoy yourselves隨意， no need to be formal拘束。”

The music and dance resumed on the city tower. However, Duke De and Duke Yu who were seated in front looked extremely displeased極不痛快. They never expected that while the court was trying to tarnish Prince Ding’s reputation, Mo Xiuyao managed to win over the officials and commoners of Ruyang City within half a year半年光景 so much so. This welcome banquet was like an earful for them and the court朝庭。n on others and found that there was basically no way to counteract it. Besides, when his mother visited him yesterday, she looked like she was about to die; yet now in the morning he could already ho...