Ye Li refused Mo Xiu Yao's suggestion to hire a skillful swordsman as her instructor. Apart from attending to affairs of the manor and Mo Xiu Yao, she spent the rest of her time at a hidden practice ground in the manner to practice her skills, especially her strength and speed. Meanwhile she practiced an internal energy that Mo Xiu Yao suggested to her. However, Ye Li knew that she couldn't get there in one step. As for the saying that the so called powerful internal energy which was able to let a person cut into a mountain or break a stone was beyond Ye Li's comprehension since she didn't need to cut into a mountain nor break a stone by herself. If she recovered her skill at her best, she could break a man's bone without internal energy. Ye Li was quite satisfied with the potential of this body she had at the moment. To put it into Mo Xiu Yao's word, this body had the quality to practice martial arts.
So Ye Li spent most of her day at the practice ground. The practice ground in the manner had been changed a lot by her. Since there were only her and Mo Xiu Yao who would visit it, Mo Xiu Yao didn't interfere with how she changed it. He would only watch her practice when he had the time, while Ah Jin couldn't forget her skills after he saw what she did to those a.s.sa.s.sins. Every time Ah Jin followed Mo Xiu Yao to the practice ground, he would blink his eyes at Ye Li and Qing Shuang, Qing Luan who was practicing by Ye Li's side. He was one step away from begging the princess to teach him.
Since Mo Xiu Yao was a military man, though he didn't see the advantage of Ye Li's practice at first, over time he began to realize its benefit. Seeing how pitiable Ah Jin was looking at the three slender figures in the practice ground, Mo Xiu Yao couldn't help but intercede for him.
Ye Li only smiled after she heard that: "Now it's just some practice to restore my skills. The most important part is to increase one's strength, speed and endurance. There's no key to that. Ah Jin won't have enough time to practice since he's by your side all the time."
The word 'restore' intrigued Mo Xiu Yao. He raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled: "Ah Li, do you think you can take a martial arts master after your practice?"
Ye Li shrugged and wiped her sweat with the towel Mo Xiu Yao pa.s.sed to her: "My practice has its strengths and weaknesses. It takes less time and asks little of the person who take part in it. Take the internal energy you've given me as an example, how much time will it take before I achieve something even if I practice 10 hours a day, not considering my quality or comprehension?"
Mo Xiu Yao seemed lost in thought.
Ye Li beamed at him: "My practice may not give rise to a martial arts master, but it can get a strong man to the peak of his condition in one year. With practice of all kinds of skills… even a martial arts master has only one life."
Mo Xiu Yao understood what she had said. There were many people who could get in a good shape but not as many who could become a martial arts master. Clearly, not everyone that was in a good shape could become a master so Ye Li wanted to take an alternative route and train a person to become stronger with another approach rather than internal energy or martial arts.
"It is quite special, Ah Li. I look forward to the outcomes." Mo Xiu Yao smiled.
"Thank you." Ye Li smiled and said. She didn't mind telling Mo Xiu Yao about her practice since he was the only one who could give her what she needed in the practice.
In the whole manor, the only two people who weren't happy about Ye Li's obsession with martial arts were Lin mama and Wei mama. Clearly, the two mamas had no idea how the once elegant and restrained miss took a liking to playing with swords and knives after she was married and moved to Prince Ding's Manor. They even came up with all kinds of approaches to persuade Ye Li that a woman should first of all be quiet and refined, otherwise His Highness wouldn't like her if she was too fierce. Their interminable chatter made Ye Li want to run away as soon as possible whenever she heard their voices. Mo Xiu Yao amused himself by watching them. He didn't say anything for Ye Li and let her suffer the verbal attack of two mama's teachings.
"Your Highness, princess. An invitation has been sent from Prince Li's Manor." Chief Steward Mo presented them a wedding invitation with red auspicious dragon and phoenix outlined by gold.
Ye Li took it and raised her eyebrows: "An invitation of Prince Li marrying Princess Ling Yun as his princess?"
Chief Steward Mo knew that the current Princess Li was the princess's sister so he hurriedly explained: "In the invitation, it's said that Prince Li is going to marry Princess Ling Yun as a consort."
Because of Mo Xiu Yao's injury and Ye Li's own business, she didn't have time to pay any attention to those events that were far away from her life. She nearly forgot all about Princess Ling Yun and Princess Qi Xia's weddings. She asked a little curiously: "Then… is Princess Qi Xia really going to marry His Majesty?"
Chief Steward Mo answered: "Right now, Princess Qi Xia still lives with Princess Royal Zhao Yang. His Majesty and Empress dowager mean to welcome her into the palace on an auspicious day in August. But His Majesty already gave her a t.i.tle, which was Consort Xia. As for Princess Ling Yun, since the eldest son of Prince Zhenan is about to leave for Xi Ling so the wedding comes earlier." What Chief Steward Mo didn't tell her was that tough Princess Ling Yun was a consort, which was different from a legitimate princess after all so the wedding wasn't as complicated and time-consuming.
"When is the wedding?" Mo Xiu Yao asked.
"Three days later."
Mo Xiu Yao nodded and said: "I see. Prepare a congratulatory gift for princess and me."
Chief Steward Mo said a little hesitantly: "Your Highness, do you mean that you are going to attend the wedding?" Since His Highness had been a.s.sa.s.sinated recently, that he was going out to attend a wedding worried Chief Steward Mo a bit.
Mo Xiu Yao smiled slightly: "I can't shut myself from the world because of a little incident, can I? Get the gift ready."
"Yes, Your Highness." Chief Steward Mo answered swiftly and left. He was not only going to prepare a gift for Prince Li, but also arrange guards for His Highness and princess to make sure that everything went perfectly safe.
Ye Li sighed while watching Chief Steward Mo leave in a hurry. She looked at Mo Xiu Yao and said: "I always have a feeling that this idle life of ours is going to end."
Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows inquisitively: "Do you like an idle life?"
Ye Li nodded: "Best a life of peace without a hitch. Then die a natural death without a regret."
Mo Xiu Yao shook his head: "Then why do you practice your skills?" He thought that Ye Li contradicted herself. Though she had a gentle and refined appearance of a n.o.ble lady, she gave him a distinct impression from the beginning. Sometimes, she was more like a general's daughter than Murong Ting was. The occasional sharpness between her eyes was seldom seen on an ordinary woman.
Ye Li sighed: "Consider that my vigilance in peacetime." No matter how many times she told herself that she wanted a peaceful life like any n.o.ble lady, Ye Li knew that deep down she wasn't the kind of person like Wen-shi who would leave her life at others' hands. She could yield when her father treated her sisters better, to unnecessary and overelaborate formalities that she wasn't use to, even to her marriage. But she would never make a concession when it came to the nature of who she was. She wouldn't let herself become a weak woman who depended others for everything and who couldn't even protect herself. She might not put many things that she prepared into use for her whole life but she would rather that she had them there instead of not having them when she needed them one day.
"If you don't like those events out there, just ignore them." Mo Xiu Yao said: "People of the manor will handle those things, besides, Prince Ding's Manor doesn't need to maintain too many contacts."
Ye Li understood that. The silence of Prince Ding's Manor was to the liking of the one that sat on the throne. For the past few years, the palace had gradually beaten down the reputation of Prince Ding's Manor in Great Chu. If she, the new Princess Ding was too active, she would cause fear in the emperor. Thinking of that, an idea suddenly occurred to Ye Li. She lifted her head and said to Mo Xiu Yao: "Why on earth did Nan Zhao and Xi Ling suddenly want to form an alliance with Great Chu by marriage?" What she told Princess Ling Yun earlier was just a made-up excuse to frighten her. Xi Ling and Great Chu seemed a pair of fated arch-rivals. It would be nice of Great Chu not to take advantage of Xi Ling's disaster. An alliance by marrying a princess to Great Chu was not going to solve any problem.
Mo Xiu Yao's eyes shifted. He said coolly: "Nan Zhao was just taking advantage of the opportunity. The one that really wants to form an alliance with Great Chu by marriage was Xi Ling."
Ye Li lowered her eyes. She felt all the thoughts were spinning in her mind but she couldn't get hold of what was behind of all this. After a good while, she raised her head and asked: "What will happen to Prince Ding's Manor if there is another war?"
Mo Xiu Yao stopped for a second. A trace of hidden sadness crossed his eyes and he said in a deep voice after a long time: "There's no one in our manor who can go to war. The reputation of Prince Ding's Manor that has lasted for over a hundred years will fade away in less than five years."
Men were forgetful. Though Prince Ding's Manor had guarded Great Chu for more than a hundred years, though it was the G.o.d of war in their eyes, once war broke out and Prince Ding's Manor was incapable of action, they would only remember its incompetence rather than its past glory. However… Prince Ding's Manor couldn't blame them for that since they didn't make any mistake.
"Bei Rong…" Ye Li's voice rang in the study after a good while. She sighed slightly seeing Mo Xiu Yao's expressionless face. What was wrong about the whole world at peace and everybody lived in harmony? Why would anybody drag men into flames of war due to some petty reasons? Ye Li felt that she would never understand those who sat on a throne.
She suddenly pitied this man in front of her, who was supposed to set the world to rights and enjoy his life like his ancestors. What he got was to do his utmost to save a desperate situation when his brother suffered an abrupt death. As early as when he was 18, he had given the world all he had, only to keep the lasting reputation of Prince Ding's Manor. After he had lost his good health and appearance, he had to deal with spies and schemes from the world with the greatest of care, not to mention a.s.sa.s.sinations that could happen at any time. He might have seen through what would happen to Prince Ding's Manor in the future since he was a clear man, but he wouldn't and couldn't give up.
"Can we… get away from all this?" Ye Li asked. She regretted it as soon as she spit it out. Since ancient times, few men who had greater achievement than their masters could get away unscathed.
Mo Xiu Yao said softly: "Mo Xiu Yao can get away, but can 800000 people in the army of Mo Family or 50000 Hidden Could Soldiers?"
Ye Li was quiet. Men of Mo Family, one as clever as former Prince Regent Mo Liu Fang, even previous masters of Mo Family were as clever as she was. Masters of Prince Ding's Manor were not many so they could get away and leave all the things behind. They could go anywhere they wanted to. But it wasn't so easy for hundreds and thousands of soldiers that served Prince Ding's Manor. Great Chu needed them when it was in deep water. However, when wars ended, each one of them became a thorn in the emperor's flesh. Once the master of Prince Ding's Manor left, it would be for the best if they were disbanded or inhibited and n.o.body dared to imagine the worst situation. To an emperor, an army of hundreds and thousands of soldiers sometimes were less important than a handful of chess in his control.
"If Bei Rong does start a war, what do you plan to do?" Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiu Yao looked at her and said calmly: "I'll lead troops into war. Ah Li, if it really happens, I'll send you to Yunzhou. With Sir. Qing Yun there, n.o.body dares to hurt you. If I… then the royal family won't dare to do anything to you either."
Ye Li frowned. She suddenly felt all of this was ridiculous. They were talking about Mo Jing Li who was going to marry a consort. How did they suddenly speak about wars? It was… there wasn't any signal of a war yet. But the uneasiness deep in her mind told her the conversation just now wasn't in her imagination. Even if she was crazy, Mo Xiu Yao wouldn't be crazy as she was.
Ye Li turned away from Mo Xiu Yao and didn't respond to what he said. She changed the topic as if nothing had happened. "Do I need to go back to Ye Family since Prince Li is going to marry a consort?"
Before noon when Ye Li hadn't given it any thought, a steward reported to her that Old Lady Ye invited her to Ye Family to a discussion.