background, she had once been a daughter of a scholarly family and knew well what Yunzhou was. She also understood that it was where the best academy in Great Chu, Mount Li Academy, stood. The academy...214. Gifts at the Full Moon Banquet

214. Gifts at the Full Moon Banquet

Knowing that everything was fine, both Lady Xu and Qin Zhen also took their leave. Not long after they left, Mo Xiuyao returned. Seeing Ye Li holding an unwilling to sleep Mo Xiaobao in one arm while flipping through a book with the other hand, he frowned unhappily. Hearing footsteps, Ye Li quickly put down her book and stood up, smiling as she asked, "Back already Are you injured" Mo Xiuyao gave a light snort, casually carrying the baby wrapped in his blanket towards the bed, causing Ye Li to be startled. Even for a one-month-old baby, being carried like that would surely startle them. Seeing Mo Xiuyao put the baby back into the cradle and Mo Xiaobao not crying but staring at him with round eyes, Ye Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to open her mouth to discuss safety issues regarding Mo Xiaobao when she recalled how hard it had been for her to give birth to this little treasure who could now be easily worn out by his father.

Before Ye Li could speak, however, Mo Xiuyao groaned and leaned against the bedside, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Ye Li was startled, her heart pounding with fear. How could she remember to scold Mo Xiuyao for overworking their child She hurriedly stood up and wanted someone to call Shen Yang over to take a look at him. Mo Xiuyao reached out and pulled her back, shaking his head. Ye Li frowned and studied him for some time. Apart from being pale, he seemed fine otherwise. Slightly relieved, she wiped the blood off his mouth with her hand and asked, "Why didn’t you tell me that you were injured Wasn't Prince of Zhennan also bleeding after your fight"

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Ling Zhen is one of the four top martial artists in the world. How could a fight with him not come at a cost"

Ye Li looked at him unhappily and said, "So you were bleeding behind closed doors while Prince of Zhennan was bleeding in front of everyone" Mo Xiuyao snorted but did not refute her; he could not tell Ye Li that Ling Zhen had originally intended not to bleed, but finally got so angry that he ended up bleeding. Thus, it wasn't an injury that caused the bleeding but anger. Recalling their last exchange, Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but frown. As expected, the first martial artist of Xiling was indeed renowned for his abilities. If one were to consider technique and using all one's strength while standing upright with both hands intact, he might have a slight advantage over Ling Zhen; however, in terms of inner energy cultivation, he seemed slightly inferior. But it didn't matter—since he hadn't reached thirty years old yet but Ling Zhen was already nearly fifty, if he were to outshine Ling Zhen in ability, then the title of Xiling's first martial artist would not be as genuine. Regardless, without resorting to inner energy cultivation, he could still kill him! As soon as he thought about that old man’s gaze at Ye Li, killing intent uncontrollably poured from his eyes. Mo Xiuyao suddenly felt that his final words towards Ling Zhen were too courteous. That old and ugly man didn't deserve to even look at the person who was Ye Li. Recalling something, Mo Xiuyao thoughtfully touched the mask on his face.

Ye Li looked at the man sitting by the bed lost in thought with a strange expression, prodded him on the forehead and asked, "What's wrong Are you too heavily injured"

"Nothing," Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "I was just wondering if Ling Zhen will be able to attend tomorrow’s banquet." Ye Li sat down beside him and laughed, saying, "There's nothing to think about. Such banquets are merely formalities anyway." The truly important matters were settled before the banquet or after it; the full moon banquet was merely a display for ordinary people. As for whether Prince of Zhennan can attend, Mo Xiuyao would not have beaten him so badly that he couldn't get out of bed, right

On this day, Ruyang City once again erupted in excitement. Although most people did not see the duel between Prince of Zhennan and Ding Wang, no one in Ruyang City was unaware of it. As a result, after the match ended, supporters on both sides became dejected and worried about their own wallets. Only Han Mingxiu’s handsome face smiled even more enticingly as he won at gambling. Who could have known that Ding Wang would admit to a draw with Prince of Zhennan in person Since no one won, it naturally made him the winner.

Situated not far from Ding王府was Han Mingxiu’s residence in Ruyang City. At this moment, Han Mingyue was smiling as she looked at the stack of silver tickets, silver ingots, and various jade pendants and jewelry on the table. Feng Ziyao sat by with a sideways glance towards Han Mingyue who was laughing heartily, his nose twitching in annoyance. Looking up at him, Han Mingxiu asked, "Why are you so unhappy"

Han Mingxi lifted an eyebrow proudly and gestured with his fingers. Feng Zhirao instantly felt envious, resentful, and hateful as he glared fiercely at Han Mingxi, "50,000 taels" Not to mention the 800 taels that were rightfully his! With a disdainful look, Han Mingxi said with a smile, “Third Young Master Feng also thinks too little of Prince Ding and Southern Pacifier Wang What’s so surprising about 50,000 taels How about half a million” Feng Zhirao immediately froze. His previous envy, resentment, and hatred instantly turned into deep malice as he looked at Han Mingxi like he was looking at a high mountain of gold that belonged to someone else. No wonder so many people liked running casinos, since it was literally making a hundredfold profit out of nothing. No, Han Mingxi didn’t even need start-up capital, which made him practically earn without any investment at all. With some regret, Han Mingxi sighed and said, “

Unfortunately, Prince Ding and Southern Pacifier Wang only privately agreed to the duel. If they had publicly announced it two months in advance… Then…” Who would have thought that there might even be five million taels! Losing such a huge opportunity for profit made Han Mingxi feel heartache. Maybe he was just naturally gifted at earning money. In this year and more than half a year, Han Mingxi felt like he could gradually understand his elder brother’s penny-pinching personality from back then.

Feng Zhirao glared at him for quite some time before saying listlessly, “The Prince wants you to quickly send over the money.” At this, Han Mingxi was furious as he stared suspiciously at Feng Zhirao and said, "What’s it to you This is my own hard-earned money!" Feng Zhirao scoffed. "Don’t be silly. If not for everyone seeing Prince Ding admit that the match ended in a tie, did you think you could have won The Prince only took your 50%." From the way Southern Pacifier Wang spat blood on the spot, no one would dare to object if the Prince declared he had won. Talking about this reduced Han Mingxi’s anger considerably and he asked curiously, “What exactly did Prince Ding say to Southern Pacifier Wang in the end” Although his kung fu wasn’t that good, his insight was still somewhat decent. After all, Southern Pacifier Wang hadn’t been injured even after receiving the last palm strike, at least not badly enough for him to spit blood on the spot. Only after Prince Ding whispered something into Southern Pacifier Wang’s ear did he see a mouthful of blood spurt out from his mouth. He was clearly provoked!

Feng Zhirao said lazily, “How am I supposed to know Hand over the money, since I don’t have time to count it.”

“So you were sent by Prince Ding to ask me for my money” Han Mingxi said resentfully. He should’ve had people throw Feng Zhirao out the moment he came in if he knew this was what he wanted. Feng Zhirao smiled as he lifted an eyebrow and asked, “What’s the problem with that Otherwise I’ll tell everyone from the Mo Family Army that you colluded secretly to control who wins or loses” The Mo Family Army members wouldn’t dare trouble the Prince but they would definitely be able to crush Han Mingxi. Thinking of those martial artists who lost money and had looks of grievance on their faces, Han Mingxi dared not openly protest. Fuming with indignation, he split 250,000 taels from the table for Feng Zhirao to take away. After collecting the money, Feng Zhirao happily got up to say his goodbyes. The Prince had agreed to repay him those 800 taels, so as long as he didn’t lose any more money, he wouldn’t be greedy.

Back at Han Mansion, when Han Mingxi was feeling extremely aggrieved over the sudden drop in profits, Mo Xiuyao saw the silver bill Feng Zhirao had brought him and smiled with satisfaction. Looking at him in puzzlement, Feng Zhirao asked, “Han Mingxi handed me 250,000 taels, while the rest of the city’s gambling booths earned a total of 400,000 taels. Yao, why do you need so much money” More importantly, there were plenty of places that needed Prince Ding to spend his money, so was it necessary for him to earn it this way Mo Xiuyao looked at him leisurely and asked, “Who placed the biggest bet” Feng Zhirao said with a smile, "Need I ask Of course it’s all those foreign envoys and nobles. Even if there are more people in Youyang City, each person can only afford half a tael of silver or so at most. From my sources,

Ming Li Mo placed 50,000 taels on Southern Pacifier Wang winning. Hm… Princess Anxi also put three ten-thousand taels on you winning." These were people who still had relatively decent relationships with the Mo Family Army, so what about those from Xi Ling and Beirong such as Seventh Prince They would certainly be putting their money down on Southern Pacifier Wang’s victory. Just to prove they could outdo Ding王府 in terms of prestige, let alone just for pride. Unfortunately, they didn’t know that in the end you won.

Mo Xiuyao said, “So I can use this money to host Little Baobao’s full moon banquet Are we supposed to ask Prince Ding for the money”

Feng Zhirao fell silent. Wasn’t it natural that Prince Ding would have to pay for his son’s banquet Your Excellency, you’re being stingy but there are limits, isn’t there

Mo Xiuyao didn’t care about what Feng Zhirao was thinking; why should he spend his own money on entertaining those idiots he disliked He waved a hand and said, “Go ahead, give the funds directly to Zhou Yu. Didn’t all this happen under his charge If there’s any remaining money after that, you can use it as red packets for the people of Youyang City.” Feng Zhirao silently bowed down in worship; so Your Excellency not only beat up Southern Pacifier Wang and vented his anger but also earned back the amount needed to host Little Baobao’s full moon banquet. Any remaining money could be used to win over the hearts of the people, right Compared to you, Han Mingxi’s earning ability was just trash.

After nearly half a month of commotion in Youyang City, Prince Ding’s son’s full moon banquet finally took place as scheduled. Actually, all banquets such as full moon banquets, birthdays, weddings, or even the coronation ceremony were more or less the same; it was just a matter of the size of the scale. This time, the banquet was also held on the east city gate tower of Youyang City as before.

When Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li's hand up to the main seat on top of the city tower, everyone was left speechless. Mo Xiuyao, who always wore a half-silver mask, finally removed it after nearly ten years. However, what exposed before people's eyes wasn't the expected terrifying wound and face. In the light of candles, his silver-white hair flowed freely behind him, tied up casually with only a silver ribbon. Under several strands of silver hair was Mo Xiuyao’s handsome and elegant appearance. People sitting below couldn’t even see any scar or injury on him. What everyone saw clearly was a beautiful man who looked somewhat pale but definitely tall and graceful. The handsome man on stage wasn't good, either. But the only person who could be slightly compared to that aloof white-haired gentleman in his royal attire was Prince Qingchen Xu Qingchen in his plain clothes with a calm expression. However, Prince Qingchen had an indifferent look, wearing white clothes like a celestial being descending from heaven, clear as lotus and tranquil as moon. On the contrary, the white-haired man seemed to be the sharpest sword, most precious and magnificent gemstone, or coldest snow at the peak of a high mountain. Even his smile carried a chilling aura that inspired fear.

"Truly fitting for Prince Ding! Other than Princess Consort Ding, who in this world could match him" Although her heart was completely set on Xu Qingchen, Princess Anxi couldn't help but marvel at Mo Xiuyao when she looked at him.

Hearing that, Mo Xiuyao lifted his head to look at Ye Li standing next to him and smiled with satisfaction. Initially, their family was not free from guilt when they arranged the marriage of Li'er to Mo Xiuyao. If there were five reasons for Princess Consort Ding’s match with Prince Ding being due to the previous prince’s abandonment, Xu Family would take half responsibility. Now seeing Prince Ding standing by Li'er in perfect health made everyone in Xu family immensely delighted.

"Princess Anxi is right. We've long heard that Princess Consort Ding has an extraordinary presence and appearance; indeed it's no exaggeration." The other side, the Crown Prince Ye Lihong of Northern Rong joined in, raising his head to look at her with a full admiration. Although Ye Li was naturally beautiful, she didn't have the beauty that could make the world jealous. What attracted people most were the aura and demeanor she exuded without any effort. Standing next to someone like Mo Xiuyao, even the fairest woman in the world would easily become his foil. But Ye Li wouldn’t; she calmly stood by Mo Xiuyao with a graceful smile on her lips. Her clear and serene appearance paired with distant yet tranquil eyes made her seem like a rare peony quietly blooming. Who said that peonies must be richly colored and imposing Graceful, dignified, and naturally magnificent, it was clearly the demeanor of queen among flowers.

"Greetings to Prince Ding, Princess Consort."

"No need for formalities," Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li as he raised his sleeve and laughed loudly, "Thank you all for coming from afar to celebrate my son's one-month birthday. This evening we hope everyone will enjoy the banquet and not leave until thoroughly drunk!"

"Prince Ding, since it is the young prince’s full moon celebration tonight, may I ask if we could have the honor of seeing him" Someone immediately asked. Although they knew this so-called celebration was just a pretense, surely they couldn't leave without even getting a glimpse of the little prince Mo Xiuyao calmly smiled and said, "How hard can that be" The wet nurse carefully carried the baby up to the high stage. Ye Li smilingly received him but found he hadn’t fallen asleep despite it being late at night. With his big round eyes sparkling and looking right at her, she wasn't sure whether he could see her or just recognized her scent as he laughed heartily when he was in her arms. She gently lifted him for everyone below to get a look at Mo Xiaobao, who didn’t seem scared of the crowd but lay quietly in her embrace with big eyes staring down at all the people and objects.

"The young prince is truly blessed with outstanding character..." People commented on this together. Below them, Ye Liye loudly laughed, "Prince Ding, may I ask if you have named him yet"

Mo Xiuyao calmly smiled, “Of course, Mr Qingyun personally bestowed a name for my son: Shang Yu and Xia Chen.”

Mou Yuchen. Actually, many people at the scene had already learned about Mo Xiaobao's name through various channels, but hearing it directly from Mo Xiuyao was completely different. Nanzhao and Dachu were culturally very different so they only praised it as a good name. Northern Rong was a nomadic tribe outside the borders; even though they learned from Central Plains, their knowledge was still limited. The most shocked people were actually Southern City’s Prince Nanwang and Mo Jingli of Dachu.

Yuchen, such a name almost openly revealed Mo Xiuyao's expectations for this child or his own ambitions. Lifting his head to look at the laid-back Mo Xiuyao who was sitting high on the main seat leisurely holding Ye Li in his arms, Mo Jingli’s heart surged with emotion. He couldn’t understand what kind of psychology he had towards Mo Xiuyao, but now he clearly knew how envious he felt for him. Yes, it was envy. Even though they both controlled their own territories, he still dared not openly give such a name to his child. Therefore, while Mo Xiuyao's son was called Mou Yuchen and his could only be named according to the imperial family’s generation, Mou Yunxiao. Although they were in the same camp as Prince Jingqi, Mo Xiuyao could boldly invite nobles from various countries with an air of authority and majesty, while he had to secretly contact them. Prince Ding and Prince Li were never at the same level in the eyes of powerful figures from other countries. Not to mention that the beautiful and graceful woman now in Mo Xiuyao's arms was originally his wife. Even though envy flowed through him like poison, he could only sit quietly watching as Mo Xiuyao enjoyed himself.

Ye Ying sat next to Mo Jing Li and naturally noticed his expression. A mocking smile appeared on her lips as she looked up at Ye Li, her face filled with bitterness. In the past, she had felt incredibly proud of herself for pulling Ye Li into the Li王府, even occasionally feeling a hint of sympathy for her half-sister who joined the Ding王府. But now, as fellow princess consorts, one sat above millions, commanding a vast Mo family army and the Ding王府, enjoying all the love and sincerity from her extraordinary husband. The other was trapped in the capital with an ill child, and now that she had finally emerged, her husband’s side was crowded with wives and concubines, leaving no room for herself. Who truly needed sympathy

"Mo Yuchen What a good name," Prince of Southern Command's gaze lingered on the child in Ye Li's arms as he praised.

Mou Xiuyao was not modest; he responded frankly, "Indeed, it is a fine name."

Ye Lyei got up and smiled, "For the birth of Prince Ding, this humble prince specially brought gifts from Northern Rong for his full moon celebration. I hope His Excellency will not disdain them."

Mou Xiuyao looked down at Ye Lyei from a height with a faint smile, "With Prince Seven traveling so far to attend the occasion, how could Your Royal Highness be so lacking in etiquette Let me on behalf of my son express gratitude."

Ye Lyei smiled and raised his hand to blow a peculiar whistle into the air. Suddenly, from above came a sharp cry as a dark shadow rapidly descended toward Mou Xiuyao and Ye Li's seating area. The crowd below could not help but exclaim in surprise. As it approached under the firelight, they realized that although initially thought black, it was actually a large bird covered entirely in snow-white feathers with its wings spread wide, sharp claws flashing fiercely towards the three people on the high platform.

In everyone's startled cries, the white bird seemed to collide with something and stopped several feet from Mou Xiuyao and Ye Li. It persisted in attempting to charge forward, but before it was an empty space; as if there were an invisible wall blocking its path. At this moment, everyone realized that this was a large white hawk.

The white hawk was blocked by an invisible barrier and could not approach Ye Li and Mou Xiuyao. Instead of retreating, it continued to collide and cry out loudly. Ye Li frowned slightly and covered Mo Xiaobao's ears as she stared coldly at the white hawk: "Shut up!"

The tangible chill caused even the proud white hawk to shiver involuntarily, but instead, it cried louder than before. Mou Xiuyao smirked coldly, "Impudence!" A swift flick of his sleeves wrapped around the powerful hawk and flung it outwards. Its trajectory was straight towards Ye Lyei’s seating area. As the helpless white hawk flew over to strike, Ye Lyei had no choice but to quickly step back several paces. The white hawk landed precisely in Ye Lyei's empty chair, disoriented from its fall and immediately rushed at him.

Ye Lyei was alarmed; this white hawk was the fiercest bird of prey on Northern Rong’s grasslands, even wolves feared it. If caught by one claw, death would follow or half a life be lost. Ye Lyei hurriedly blew his whistle to control the white hawk, but after being flung so fiercely by Mou Xiuyao, its vision was spinning with stars; hearing the whistle made it automatically charge forward. With no other choice, Ye Lyei used his light-foot skills and retreated sideways. Thus, everyone watched as Prince Seven was chased around by his own gift-hawk, unsure whether to laugh or pretend not to see.

Mou Xiuyao narrowed his eyes watching the spectacle with amusement; Ye Li held Mo Xiaobao and looked on indifferently, occasionally reaching out to play with the wide-eyed little boy. Mou Xiuyao’s earlier flick and fling was no simple move; seated next to him, Ye Li clearly saw how he wrapped the hawk in his sleeve while simultaneously sprinkling some strange powder onto it. Though she didn’t know what exactly it was, judging by the hawk's current behavior, she could guess a bit. The best part was that with such erratic flying, even if they later caught the hawk, it would likely be impossible to find any trace of the powder on its body. More importantly, as this hawk came from Northern Rong, whatever happened afterward would be their own concern.ere several women at the banquet who were also excellent in their own right. How could such minor differences allow Ye Ying to maintain her position as the most beautiful lady for years Looking at the...