lt resentful, she had been following Grand Secretary Ye for twenty years and understood her husband better than anyone else. Just by looking at his expression, she knew that there was no point arguing...226. Time Flies, Father and Son Strife
After Qin Zhen's wedding to Xu Qingze, Li City seemed to have completely settled down. Regardless of how Yanlitong (Yelvtong) and Yeliye of the Northern Rong fought openly and secretly in the outside world, or how Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli pretended to be cooperative but were actually at odds, none of these could affect the peaceful realm in the northwest. With hundreds of thousands of troops from the Mo family guarding them, Dingwang had appointed a group of young talented officials like Xu Qingchen to implement reforms. The people of the entire northwest felt incredibly safe and content under the protection of the Dingwang's Mansion. If they were once worried about their fate after breaking ties with the Great Chu, now most would likely refuse to return to the Great Chu even if given a chance.
In the minds of the common folk, it was Duke Ding and Duchess Ding who allowed them to live peaceful and worry-free lives; thus, they were the ones truly supported by the people.
Time flew swiftly, and in an instant, five years had passed.
At the Dingwang's Mansion,
A little boy wearing a black robe embroidered with silver thread dragons was leisurely walking on a corridor. His delicate white face tried to look serious but still appeared so cute that one couldn't help wanting to pinch him. He had beautiful eyes as dark and shiny as black pearls, and his solemn expression made him seem like a miniature grown-up; he looked exquisitely carved from snow and jade, already displaying remarkable charm and beauty at such a young age.
Those following behind him wore worried expressions and hesitated to speak, looking pitifully torn between wanting to dissuade him but not daring to say anything.
Sensing their resentment, the little boy turned around to glance at them all with disdain and lightly huffed, "This Young Master said I don't need you to follow. What Did my words have no effect"
The people felt a chill run down their spines and couldn’t help shedding tears in their hearts: Little Young Master, who did you learn this tone from It's quite terrifying, isn't it
"Um... Your Highness, Duke ordered your highness to copy the biography of Dingwang ten times from Chu History. The duke will check when he returns."
The little boy’s round eyes narrowed slightly as he calmly said, "This Young Master knows that already. You all may leave; I'm going to pay respects to my mother." Everyone looked at each other at a loss for what to do. Not allowing the young master to go pay respects to Duchess would definitely not be acceptable. Nobody could criticize his filial piety towards his mother, but if they let him go, there was an 80% chance that he would evade Duke's assigned homework. When Duke returned, it would be them who would suffer.
"Humph!" The young master huffed heavily; he knew all along that this father of his had no good intentions in surrounding him with so many people. His mother was his own, how could some old man snatch her He glanced at the group of attendants disdainfully and then quickly walked towards where his mother was, flicking his sleeves.
In the study room, Ye Li sat behind her desk looking through the memorials that had just been presented to her. Five years did not leave much of a mark on her appearance; if anything, she seemed more regal and dignified than ever before in her twenties as an upper-class ruler. Ye Li closed the memorial in her hands and looked up at Qin Feng who was standing in front of her. "The changes and reorganization of Mo Family Army is almost complete," she asked. "How is Qilin" Qin Feng answered with a smile, "My lady need not worry; currently there are two thousand soldiers under Qilin’s command. Each and every one of them has been carefully selected and trained to be the best among the best." Ye Li smiled and replied, "Being elite isn’t something that can simply be said. The northwest has been too peaceful in recent years. Mo Family Army has just completed their reorganization; there have been a lot of new recruits who have never seen battle before. I am afraid that our army’s combat effectiveness will decrease." Qin Feng laughed and replied, "My lady need not worry about this. Although these soldiers haven’t fought on the battlefield, Prince Regent and all the generals have trained them to the best of their abilities without any slack. As for experience, a few battles should be enough to adapt." Ye Li nodded and looked at Qin Feng with her eyes. Having followed Ye Li for several years, Qin Feng was familiar with her expressions; he asked curiously, "My lady must have some thoughts then" Ye Li tapped her index finger lightly and replied thoughtfully, "Indeed there are a few ideas. However, they still need to be discussed." Qin Feng responded respectfully, “I am willing to hear them in detail.”
Ye Li smiled with pursed lips as she said, "In order to prevent the soldiers from being rusty and unfamiliar after not seeing battle for a long time, how about… having military exercises"
"Military exercises" Qin Feng asked curiously. Although it sounded strange, he could still tell what Ye Li’s intentions were from this suggestion. In fact, each country had some kind of training drill for their soldiers such as naval drills and tactical training; however, Qin Feng thought that Lady Wang would come up with something more interesting. Ye Li nodded while thinking out loud, “That is right… Qin Feng, take a look around the northwest to see if there are any places suitable for this large-scale exercise.” Qin Feng raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do we need such a big place The newly-built Mo Family Army training ground fifty miles away from Li City should be more than enough." Ye Li shook her head with a smile, "That is not what I am looking for. I want the battlefield!"
"The battlefield" Qin Feng was surprised. “What does my lady mean by this”
Ye Li nodded and smiled, “Indeed; complex terrain, vast area, enough to support a real battle. I want multi-arms military exercises involving various military divisions. Not only the Mo Family Army but also Black Cloud Cavalry, Qilin must participate too.”
In his mind, Qin Feng painted the scene that Ye Li described; suddenly he felt熱血沸騰 (blood boiling with excitement) and replied loudly, "My lady need not worry! I will find a suitable place!" Satisfied with his response, Ye Li nodded and said, “Very well. Go ahead and do your work now, but this matter needs to be kept secret for the time being. I will discuss it with Prince Regent later.”
"I will obey," Qin Feng replied with an excited smile on his handsome face. Indeed, he had been too idle in these recent years. Although military drills were not real battles, hearing Lady Wang’s words made him feel intrigued.
“Mother…” came the soft footsteps and affectionate calls of a child outside the door.
The smile on Ye Li’s face turned more gentle as she looked up to see her beloved son entering with a pitiful expression. Qin Feng, standing by the side, raised an eyebrow slightly and moved aside, bowing respectfully towards Mo Chong, “I pay my respects to Young Master.” Seeing another person in the study room made Mo Xiaobao’s pout freeze for a moment. Ye Li smiled gently and asked, "What is it, Baby" Ignoring Qin Feng completely, Mo Xiaobao turned around the wide desk and jumped into his mother’s arms, rubbing his small face against hers affectionately. “Mother… I am not Baby; Chen’er has grown up…”
Ye Li picked up Mo Xiaobao and placed him in her lap, tapping his forehead gently while smiling, "Alright, sorry Mother forgot again. What did you come to see me for" It was truly amazing how much influence one’s surroundings could have. Back when Mo Xiaobao had just been born, Ye Li still remembered that she needed to call the child by his full name more often and not let his nickname spread too widely so as to avoid embarrassing him later on in life. Unfortunately, it was not yet the time for Mo Xiaobao to protest; Mo Xiu Yao had already made sure everyone in the army knew his son’s nickname by then. If not for the fact that Mo Xiaobao’s full name had still caused quite a stir when he was born, everyone would probably think that Prince Regent’s heir bore the last name “Mo” and first name “Xiaobao.”
Moxiaobao then snuggled satisfactorily in his mother's arms, contentedly smelling the faint fragrance on her body. He blinked and said, "Son is here to accompany Mother for lunch." Ye Li looked at the sky outside and glanced sideways at Qin Feng. Qin Feng lowered his head and coughed lightly, resisting a smile as he replied, "My Lady, it’s just passed Si time." Ye Li raised an eyebrow while looking down at Moxiaobao, asking, "What mischief did you get into" Moxiaobao pursed his lips pitifully and raised his small hand to his mother. "Mother, my hands hurt…"
Ye Li was helpless. "Has your father asked you to do anything"
"Father wants son to copy Prince Ding's Chronicles ten times before allowing me to eat lunch. Wuu… Chén’s hands will be ruined..." In the Chu history, there are eight chapters of Prince Ding's Chronicles with at least two or three thousand characters each, totaling nearly twenty thousand words. If he were to copy it ten times, that would amount to over 200,000 characters. Moxiaobao shivered and held onto his mother tightly, unwilling to write another word. He would lose the use of his hands if he did! So when his father wasn’t around, he came running to his mother for help.
Behind that sentence about not being allowed to eat unless it was finished must have been something he added himself. Ye Li smiled helplessly, knowing her son's character well. However, she still had some reservations regarding Mo Xiyao’s punishment of making his child copy so many words. Moxiaobao wasn't even five yet and couldn’t hold a pen steadily at all. Even an ordinary person would need quite some time to write 200,000 characters, let alone a child who hadn’t even learned to recognize them properly. Thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "Let's reduce it to copying Prince Dingming’s Chronicles once." Prince Dingming was the first-generation Prince Ding Mo Lanyun, with a posthumous name of Ming. Seeing Moxiaobao's eyes light up with joy, Ye Li slowly added, “After you finish writing them all, you must learn how to read every character and recite it in front of your father when he returns. Do you understand”
Moxiaobao blinked but seeing the unchangeable look in his mother's eyes could only reluctantly agree. From ten times for eight chapters to just one time for one chapter was already generous enough. He cuddled close to Ye Li's arms, "Son understands."
"Good boy," said Ye Li as she patted her son’s head and smiled.
Moxiaobao immediately nodded with a smile on his face, “Son is the most obedient, and Son loves Mother the most.” Ye Li leaned down to kiss him on the forehead and said with a smile, "Mother also loves Chén the most."
Standing by watching the mother-son interaction, Qin Feng silently shook his head in his heart. Young Master Shi, is it really worth coming to beg your mother for pity whenever the Prince isn’t around, only to be sent away and punished again once he returns
"Prince has returned," a voice from outside announced. Qin Feng glanced at the young master still cuddling in his mother's arms before quickly leaving. "My Lady, I will take my leave now." Ye Li nodded. "Go ahead."
Mo Xiyao stepped into the room and saw his son sitting in Ye Li’s lap acting like a good boy; he couldn't help but frown involuntarily. His entire being looked aloof and superior, especially with his snow-white hair against his white clothes. However, when he saw his wife behind the desk, there was a hint of warmth in his cold gaze. "Liyi, what were you talking about" Ye Li patted Moxiaobao on the back and said with a smile, “Nothing much, Chén came over to pay respects just now.” Reluctantly, Moxiaobao got up from his mother's lap and bowed toward his father. "Son is paying respects to Father." Mo Xiyao looked down at him for a moment before bending down to pick him up to eye level. “You’re here to pay respects to your mother Little Bao really is filial, which makes me very happy.” When he was held in the arms of his father, Moxiaobao immediately struggled, but how could his tiny strength break free from Mo Xiyao's arms Mo Xiyao held him tightly; no matter how much effort Moxiaobao put into it and turned red with exertion, those seemingly iron-strong arms didn’t budge.
"What’s wrong with Chén" Shielded by Mo Xiyao’s side, Ye Li couldn't see the struggles of her son. She was only puzzled as to why her son who always rushed into her lap would now be red-faced in his father's embrace. Mo Xiyao looked lovingly at his child and said smilingly, "It seems Little Bao has started feeling shy already; he really is growing up."
Ye Li raised a delicate eyebrow. Was that so
Moxiaobao knew that he couldn't shake his father's strength, so he could only feign shyness and lie on his father's lap, which indeed proved Mo Xiuyao right. Mo Xiuyao held Moxiaobao as he sat down next to Ye Li. Ye Li stood up and poured him a cup of tea, placing it in front of him before asking, "How is the camp outside the city" Mo Xiuyao picked up his teacup and took a sip, then said, "There are no problems. All these years of hard work have not been wasted. I saw Qin Feng hurry away just now; did you give him any instructions" Ye Li nodded and repeated to Mo Xiuyao what she had told Qin Feng earlier.
Mo Xiuyao was clearly very interested, "Military exercises Your idea is always so unique. Compared to those perfunctory drills, this idea is much more interesting." Ye Li smiled and said, "This method tests not only ordinary soldiers but also commanding officers. Haven't we specially selected a batch of young commanders in recent years for focused training We should see how effective it has been; if the results are merely talk on paper, they might as well be thrown into battle."
Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement and said, "This is great. Write out your plan and let me take a look at it later so I can arrange for everything to be prepared. However... Since this will be a military confrontation with both sides, do you have any ideas about who should command one side" Ye Li smiled and replied, "I did think about that. How about you personally commanding one army" Mo Xiuyao was taken aback; he put down his teacup and looked at Ye Li, asking, "What about the other side then" Ye Li pursed her lips with a smile and said, "I'll lead the other side. General Zhang and General Lu are both experienced veterans who can observe from outside and act as referees. It’s also for safety measures."
Mo Xiuyao thought it over and immediately agreed to Ye Li's plan, saying with a grin, "Alright, they say you are a genius; I want to see how you lead troops." Hearing this, Ye Li could only無奈地苦笑。誰是天才，世上能比得上墨修堯的又有幾個？她這個半吊子就更不用說了。不過她也不會安排一場毫無懸唸的演習，至少兩邊要基本平衡纔有趣不是嗎
Moxiaobao sat in his father's arms, leaning his head against his parents while listening to them talk. Although he might not fully understand what they were saying, he remained silent and still. Occasionally, he blinked his big eyes, which Ye Li found incredibly cute. She reached out her hand to Mo Xiuyao and said, "Give me the child." Moxiaobao was delighted and quickly stretched his small hands towards his mother, but Mo Xiuyao slightly turned his body away, putting him further from his mother. He told Ye Li, "He's already five years old; he’s not light anymore. Be careful not to tire yourself out. Besides, it’s not good for children to be carried around all the time. I didn't let people carry me when I was two."
Ye Li could only look helplessly at her son as Moxiaobao gritted his teeth in silence inside. Mo Xiuyao casually said, "On our way back to the city, we paid a visit to Mr Qingyun. He mentioned that since Moxiaobao is already five years old, it’s time for him to start receiving education." Ye Li blinked her eyes and asked with some confusion, "Didn't we already initiate educational programs for Chen'er" Although their child was not yet five, he had learned the basics of啟蒙books like the Hundred Family Surnames and a thousand character essay. In her past life, Ye Li herself hadn’t started formal education until she was in kindergarten learning ABCs with her teacher. Mo Xiuyao looked down at his son with a thoughtful smile, but Moxiaobao only felt a chill on top of his head. "Ye Li, since you were a girl, the Xu family didn't strictly educate you back then. But ask any of the Xu family’s young masters; they all started learning characters by age two and formal schooling at four or five. If not for this strict education from an early age, how could people from the Xu family pass their examinations so young Normally, it's considered extremely rare for commoners to get through exams before twenty-five or twenty-six. Since Chen'er is the Crown Prince of Ding王府, he has a greater responsibility than others in the future. We should be stricter with him."
Ye Li was speechless; this could also be considered not letting their child fall behind at the start line Who said that children from modern times had it hard in her past life It’s the Xu family's children who are truly suffering. Upon Mo Xiuyao mentioning this, Ye Li noticed something: every generation of the Xu family passed their examinations before age twenty. If someone like Xuchenqing could pass the imperial exams at fourteen, weren't they starting education as early as two or three years old She looked sadly at her son and sighed softly, "All I hope for is that Chen'er has a happy and worry-free childhood."
A childhood What was that Something he never had; why should his child have it While Mo Xiuyao felt jealous in his heart, he smiled warmly. "In today's world, it’s much better if Xiaobao understands things early rather than being clueless when we can't protect him someday. Moreover, aren’t you satisfied with Mr Qingyun personally teaching your son Although Mr Qingyun is strict with his descendants, he adores Xiaobao the most; are you worried that he will tire him out"
Ye Li thought it over and agreed. If there was anyone who loved Moxiaobao more than anyone else in the entire Northwest, it would be Mr Qingyun; even Mr Qingyun's own great-grandson, Xu Qingze’s four-year-old son, Xu Zhirui, had to step aside. "Alright then, Chen'er, do you know that when you go see Grandpa, you need to behave How about I visit you every other day"
Moxiaobao lay listlessly in Mo Xiuyao’s arms, deeply despising his cunning father: Isn't he just trying to kick me out Hmph! When this crown prince grows up, see how I'll take my mother back from that old man!
－－－－－－ Author's Note －－－－－－
In an instant... Moxiaobao has grown up. In another blink of the eye, everyone has rested enough; it’s time to start the action! ( *^__^* ) Hahaup. Additionally, add five miles more running each day and increase other exercises by a hundred repetitions."Under the floor came a chorus of groans. Ye Li wasn’t bothered; she continued, "I don't ne...