“I thought… now that you have recovered, Your Highness, we can wipe out Nan Zhao at one blow, and realize your unfulfilled ambitions. But it seems, we have to spare those barbarians this time.” After a good while, Murong Shen said with regret. Every general would love to win wars and make achievements. However, at this point, Prince Ding’s sudden recovery had already drawn the emperor’s suspicion. There was no way that the emperor would give Prince Ding a chance to put down this rebellion.

Mo Xiu Yao smiled as if he didn’t care at all. “It doesn’t seem to be a good time. You may have to work hard these days, General. I’ll stay in Yong Lin for a few days. After the rest of the relief troops are here, I’ll head back to the capital.”

Murong Shen was shocked. “Your Highness, you are not staying?”

Murong Shen said smilingly: “General, with you here, Scattered Snow Pass won’t need me. Besides, there is an army of over a hundred thousand men outside Yong Lin. In addition, I… I need to take care of some personal business.”

Murong Shen had no alternative but to nod. “At your command, Your Highness.” Though he felt a bit pity that he couldn’t teach Nan Zhao a good lesson this time, as a general, he didn’t have a say in this. Besides… the single news that Prince Ding had appeared at Scattered Snow Pass healthy was enough to scare Nan Zhao out of its wits. After all… ten years had barely passed since the last time Nan Zhao was at the brink of doom.

When Mo Xiu Yao was back in Yong Lin, it was already night. Fortunately, he didn’t need to worry about the city since Feng Zhi Yao remained in town and took good care of everything.

Ye Li looked curiously at Feng Zhi Yao who seemed a totally different person from when he was in the capital, having got rid of his lavish red dress and was now in a handsome blue armor and white robe.

Meanwhile Feng Zhi Yao watched curiously back at her, who was gentle and calm as always. He couldn’t connect this graceful girl in front of him with the woman in black who killed without mercy on the battlefield.

Mo Xiu Yao took Ye Li to the study and sat down. Then he pointed at a chair near him to Feng Zhi Yao as he asked: “Where is Leng Hao Yu?”

Feng Zhi Yao answered smiling: “Just arrived. He’ll be here after he gets changed. He got into a bit of a trouble and was chased down on his way here. Wasn’t in a very good state when he arrived.”

Ye Li raised her brow curiously at Feng Zhi Yao, who answered smilingly: “He thinks he could fight with Prince Li over grains because he has wealth speaks louder than others. Isn’t that a deliberate provocation? Fortunately, it ends well. He has purchased 30% of grains in the South. Even if Prince Li now subjects his attack on the South, he will run short of grains soon. That’s why Prince Li has sent assassins after him.”

“What is he going to do with so many grains?”

The South was Great Chu’s granary. 30% of its grains was a big number.

Feng Zhi Yao answered casually: “If war breaks out in the South, the price of grains will only go up. By then, he’ll find plenty of buyers. Even if he can’t, we still have hundreds and thousands of mouths to feed.”

Soon enough, Leng Hao Yu appeared at the door. There was a new wound on his handsome face. Fortunately, it didn’t seem very severe, which wouldn’t become a scar. “Your Highness, My Lady.”

Mo Xiu Yao nodded and spoke in a serious tone: “You have been here for about half a year. What happened in Ling Zhou? Why did Mo Jing Li raise a rebellion so suddenly?”

Leng Hao Yu looked at him in surprise and said: “Your Highness, didn’t you come because you got news that Prince Li start a rebellion?”

Mo Xiu Yao answered calmly: “I came here for something else and only got the news of his rebellion when I set off. No matter how stupid Mo Jing Li is, he should know that he isn’t ready.”

Feng Zhi Yao shook his head as he chimed in: “I think Mo Jing Li has chosen a perfect timing. He has caught us off guard. We wouldn’t have been able to keep Scattered Snow Pass if we were here half a day late, let alone several days late.”

Mo Xiu Yao said with a frown: “If he is truly ready, he wouldn’t have gone for Scattered Snow Pass in such a haste. He could have split up his army in two, one of which could keep General Murong at Scattered Snow Pass, the other could head for the east. The south-eastern area has been peaceful with few guarding troops. As long as he has the south of Yunlan River, we won’t be able to cross and put down his rebellion easily with 200 to 300 thousand men, let alone the 30 thousand soldiers we have now. It will only be a matter of time before Scattered Snow Pass falls. By then… he can have everything to himself without having to share it with Nan Zhao.”

“Acting before he was ready… Does that mean the emperor wanted to take action against him?” Leng Hao Yu made a guess.

Feng Zhi Yao shook his head and objected: “No, if that was the case, the emperor wouldn’t have let him leave the capital at the first place.”

Leng Hao Yu nodded. After consideration, he said: “Prince Li’s action was indeed unexpected. When he first returned to Ling Zhou, nothing happened. But three days later, he raised the banner. That was shock to me as well.”

Ye Li asked: “Your Highness, what brought you here?”

Mo Xiu Yao turned to her then took out a letter and passed it to her.

Ye Li held the letter. It was the one she sent home, plus a note from her grandpa. She read quickly, then said in surprise: “The Holy Princess of Nan Zhao – Shu Man Lin was a descendant of the emperor of the previous dynasty?”

She never thought of that possibility. It was so dramatic. She did suspect Shu Man Lin might have other identities but nothing like that. The Holy Princess of Nan Zhao, a descendant of the emperor of the previous dynasty, and Mo Jing Li, the blood brother of the current emperor colluded on a rebellion?

“Wasn’t Nan Zhao established after it betrayed the previous dynasty? How did a descendant of the emperor of the previous dynasty become the Holy Princess of Nan Zhao?”

Given the emperor of Nan Zhao’s attitude towards Shu Man Lin, Ye Li thought he should have known who she was.

Mo Xiu Yao said: “The owner of the jewelry you sent back home was Princess Chaoyang, a princess of the previous dynasty who married a leader of some clan in Nan Zhao.”

Her brows rose. So what? Princess Chaoyang was a figure that lived in a time some hundred years after the establishment of Nan Zhao.

Feng Zhi Yao explained: “Princess Chaoyang was a legend. It was said before she was married, she was active in state affairs. But Gaozong Emperor didn’t like women in politics. He had issued public criticism of her several times and later fixed her a marriage to Nan Zhao for alliance. After that, she disappeared from records. But the clan she was married to became the largest one in Nan Zhao because of support from Gaozong Emperor, which was the predecessor of the current royal family of Nan Zhao. The royal family of Nan Zhao admired the culture of the previous dynasty. Though it wasn’t on good terms with the previous dynasty, it was nice to some of its… rebellious ministers. From its establishment to the fall of the previous dynasty, it took three princes, two princesses in, some of whom fled to Nan Zhao because of failed rebellions or persecution. However, all of them married Nan Zhao royals. The last one of them Nan Zhao took in, though the records weren’t exactly direct, should have been the last heir of the previous dynasty.”

“So, you mean the Holy Princess might be the only descendant of the last heir of the previous dynasty?” asked Ye Li. Now she simply felt dizzy.