Volume 3 Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Pull out the Store from Mangyuan
"Zheer, today's your birthday, so Big Sister brought you a present. Big Sister doesn't know if you'll like it though." Yao Mowan's eyes were starting to hurt from glowering at Chu Mobei, so she decided to turn away and look towards Kubu Zheer instead.
"If it's a present from Big Sister, Zheer will definitely like it!" Kubu Zheer who was in the middle of an intense argument with Chu Moxin immediately turned around upon hearing this. A sunflower-like smile lit up her delicate little face, causing all the depression in Yao Mowan's heart to be instantly swept away.
Yao Mowan took off her immortal phoenix tail hairpin and gently inserted it into Kubu Zheer's hair.
"If this old one saw correctly, this hairpin is the immortal phoenix tail hairpin? This old one had been wanting to find this hairpin as a present for Zheer, but unfortunately hadn't been able to find it. So it turns out that it was in your hands! Zheer, hurry and thank your Big Sister Mowan. It's said that whoever puts on this hairpin will definitely find their ideal husband!" Kubu Dan knew treasures well so he was naturally able to recognize the immortal phoenix tail hairpin with one glance.
"Imperial Father, how can you make fun of me like this? Who wants to find an ideal husband? But Zheer still likes Big Sister Mowan's gift!" Kubu Zheer's cheeks were red as she bashfully turned her head aside.
At the side, Ye Junqing was shocked by Yao Mowan's move. He never imagined that Yao Mowan could bear to gift the present Feng Yihan had given her to someone else.
"If Feng Yihan found out that you were worshipping Buddha with borrowed flowers, he'd probably be deeply hurt." Ye Junqing voiced his disapproval, but inwardly he was pretty happy.
"Kubu Dan seemed to have said to you that it was a shame. Prince, do you know what he meant?" Yao Mowan tilted her chair slightly to lean towards Ye Junqing and ask this quietly.
"I'm not interested!" Ye Junqing knew that whatever Yao Mowan was about to say, it wasn't anything good, so he immediately interrupted her.
"Even if you're not interested, Mowan is still going to tell you. When King Loulan said that it's a shame, he meant that it's a shame you're too old!" Yao Mowan's lips were hooked in a faint smile as she looked towards Ye Junqing teasingly.
"This prince is old? This prince is plenty young!" Ye Junqing glowered at Yao Mowan as he refuted this in a low voice. What military leaders feared the most was to be called old.
"No matter how young you are, can you possibly be younger than Chu Moxin?" Yao Mowan deliberately turned to look towards Chu Moxin. When she saw his clear and untainted eyes, it felt like entering a cold spring in the heat of midsummer, it was a very refreshing and comfortable feeling.
"What do you mean?" Ye Junqing followed Yao Mowan's gaze and looked towards Chu Moxin, then he immediately felt inferior. The youths were growing into heroes. Perhaps he really wasn't young anymore.
"Did Prince think about why King Loulan had done all he could to help Chu Mobei?" whispered Yao Mowan.
"Because he's saved Kubu Zheer's life before." That was what Ye Junqing thought.
"Chu Mobei had already gotten compensation for that time. A thousand and five hundred gold mines is no small sum." Yao Mowan shook her head.
"Then why?" Ye Junqing furrowed his brows. He suddenly really wanted to know where the intelligence he had been so proud of in the past had gone. The more he interacted with Yao Mowan, the more he found that he wasn't as smart as he used to be.
"Because the present that Chu Mobei had gifted Kubu Zheer is much more precious than Mowan's immortal phoenix tail hairpin." Yao Mowan couldn't help but sigh.
"Really? But this prince didn't see it!" Ye Junqing looked towards Yao Mowan in confusion.
"Prince can't see such a big person sitting there?" Yao Mowan turned to look towards Ye Junqing and wave her hand in front of his eyes. Then she added, "You're not blind though?" Ye Junqing was infuriated into silence.
Just as Yao Mowan lifted her eyes again, she found that Chu Mobei's stern gaze was currently fixed on her. When he saw Yao Mowan look up, he calmly lifted his cup with a slightly demonic smile. Yao Mowan hesitated for a brief moment, then smiled slightly in response. Perhaps they were the only ones who could sense how cold each other's smiles were.
After the banquet, Kubu Zheer couldn't bear to part with Yao Mowan and insisted that Yao Mowan stayed. Kubu Dan had to persuade her for a good while before she finally let go. At this time, Chu Moxin was currently pulling at Huangfu Junxiu's arm, refusing to stay for the life of him.
"Little Prince, this is His Highness the crown prince's order. You heard it earlier as well. This subject really cannot allow you to leave!" Huangfu Junxiu seriously couldn't deal with Chu Moxin's boorish behavior.
"This prince doesn't care, this prince doesn't want to stay here, so bring this prince away from here!" Chu Moxin refused to let up. In the end, Huangfu Junxiu whispered something to Chu Moxin and Chu Moxin finally agreed to stay reluctantly.
After leaving Melancholic Spring Courtyard, for once Yao Mowan didn't ride in the palanquin and walked with Ye Junqing back to the Yao residence.
"This prince feels like you pay particular attention to Chu Mobei." In reality, every time Yao Mowan and Chu Mobei's gazes had met during the banquet, Ye Junqing had also looked over, but the two were too focused on each other so they didn't notice him.
"He's indeed worthy of Mowan's particular attention." Yao Mowan was thinking over things, so she missed the trace of darkness that flashed through the depths of Ye Junqing's eyes.
"In reality, Chu Moxin and Kubu Zheer both dislike each other, so they really shouldn't be forced together." After Yao Mowan's hint, Ye Junqing finally realized what King Loulan had meant by it was a shame. However, he was truly not qualified to be King Loulan's son-in-law.
"Didn't we also both disliked each other at the start? Anything is possible." Yao Mowan finally snapped
out of her thoughts and she looked towards Ye Junqing with a teasing smile.
"What do you mean by we both disliked each other? You were clearly the one that found this prince an eyesore," replied Ye Junqing indignantly.
"In this world, there's no one who finds you more pleasing to the eye than Mowan!" Yao Mowan sighed softly, then crossed her arms behind her head as she strode forward. Haa, if it wasn't that she found him pleasing to the eye, there was no way she'd plot out a way for him to obtain the nation. It was just a pity that to Ye Junqing, these words clearly sounded like she was speaking in opposites.
To Yao Mowan's surprise, in the next couple days, Thousand Paths disappeared from Mangyuan at the speed of light. It was almost as if it had never appeared. Yao Mowan was confused by this move. Even without King Loulan's support, Chu Mobei could easily compete with her. After all, Mangyuan was a very fertile land. Everyone wanted a piece of it. There was no reason for Thousand Paths to withdraw!
Baili residence's study.
"Reporting, Your Highness Crown Prince, as of yesterday, all of Thousand Paths' stores have withdrawn from Mangyuan and the surrounding counties. All of the goods have already been transported back to Shu." Baili Haoran carried the stack of account books that was almost half the height of a person to Chu Mobei.
"Well done." Chu Mobei's eyes contained a faint smile as he said this, but the aura he gave off was so cold it made people shiver.
"Forgive this subject for saying so, but Haoran really doesn't understand why you're suddenly having all the stores withdraw. As of now, Yao Manifest Trade also won't be able to get any outside help. Even if we must compete fairly, our annual income from Mangyuan would be at least a couple million gold taels." Baili Haoran was very confused.
"What this crown prince wants to get in exchange is precisely this question of yours. Yao Mowan is definitely also considering this question right now." Chu Mobei leaned back against his chair languidly while toying with the jade pendant tied to his waist belt. The smile at the corners of his lips deepened.
"This subject still doesn't understand." Baili Haoran's brows were tightly furrowed and he reflexively shook his head.
"You've seen Yao Moxin before. What do you think about her?" An unreadable emotion flashed through those demonically charming eyes. Chu Mobei felt heartache. It was only a little bit, but that bit of heartache seemed to be crazedly spreading like vines, rapidly wrapping around his heart. It was like a drop of ink that spilled into a pond and dyed the entire expanse.
"That woman's already dead," replied Baili Haoran naively. When he saw the dark gaze Chu Mobei sent over, he instantly snapped out of it.
"It's no exaggeration to say that Yao Moxin can fight off an entire army! Based on this subject's understanding, if it weren't for Yao Moxin, there was no way Ye Hongyi would've been able to survive the five dragons struggle and ascend to the dragon throne. That woman isn't simple. It's a shame that she's passed away, otherwise great Chu's current strength would definitely be greater than our great Shu's!" Baili Haoran accurately analyzed Yao Moxin's abilities.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
[Chiyomira's Corner]
Enjoy~