Eastern Huil Visits

e, saying, "How can you say that The presence of Ding Wangfei in our Li王府 is an honor. As for Ding Wang…" Ye璃 smiled and replied, "The王爺 has also arrived but he went out first; we will come to pay res...347. Dong Fang Hui's Visit

On this morning, the people of Ding王府 (Ding Prince’s Mansion) and Xu Family brought two babies who were barely a month old to chat and laugh in Scholar Qing Yun's small courtyard residence. After celebrating his birthday, Mo Xiuyao returned from the borderlands. Scholar Qing Yun couldn't stand the hustle and bustle in Li City anymore and was also concerned about the students' studies at Mount Lishan Academy, so he prepared to leave the city for Mount Lishan Academy. No one could persuade him otherwise, so they all came over to accompany Scholar Qing Yun during breakfast before seeing him off out of the city.

Mr. Qing Yun also liked the two recently born babies very much. Looking at his sleeping little linyoung boy in his arms, he asked, "Have you named the children yet" Ye Li smiled and replied, "Isn't it waiting for Grandfather to give them good names"

Mr. Qing Yun shook his head and said, "How can one be such a parent Three children’s names were given by others while he was lazy."

Ye Li smiled, "Grandpa can't be considered as someone else. It is their good fortune to let Grandfather give them names." In the Xu family, only his two uncles and big brother's names were given by Mr. Qing Yun. Mo Xiaobao nodded vigorously beside Scholar Qing Yun’s leg saying, “Mother is right, Grandpa gives good-sounding names.” Although he was given a less grand nickname by his father, fortunately, his full name could still hold its own. Compared to his father's name, "Mo Yuchen" looked more majestic and impressive, so Mo Xiaobao had to praise the names given by Mr. Qing Yun.

Mo Xiuyao felt somewhat aggrieved; although he knew that having Scholar Qing Yun give a name was something many people couldn't obtain even if they begged for it… But did his names not sound good enough Alright... Maybe, when giving his daughter's name, he might have been a bit slow. As for his son... Why do boys need such well-sounding names Being capable is the most important thing.

Glancing at Mo Xiuyao’s aggrieved expression, Ye Li showed no emotion on her face. Whenever she thought about the pile of papers in the study room regarding her daughter's name, it gave her a headache. Mo Xiuyao truly had no talent for naming people.

Mr. Qing Yun lowered his head and pondered before saying, "Since Yuchen has taken the character 'Yü' (禦), how about taking the character 'Feng' (風) for Linyoung boy"

Xu Hongyu nodded with a smile and said, "Yü Feng Father gave a good name. Your Royal Highness, Liye, what do you think" Mo Xiuyao had no objections to his son’s name, and Ye Li also smiled in agreement saying, "Names given by Grandfather are naturally good names." Don't look at the character 'Feng' (風) being simple and seemingly inferior to Yuchen's regal and prestigious tone. It seems that Mr. Qing Yun hopes for Little Linyoung boy to grow up to be as carefree as the wind in his personality. After all, regardless of what happens with Ding Prince’s Mansion in the future, if there are no unexpected incidents, Mo Xiaobao should be the one inheriting it. Grandfather naturally wouldn't want such a tragic scene of brothers fighting each other to happen.

"In that case, Little Linyoung boy's full name will be Yü Feng. What about our little princess" Qin Zheng asked with a smile.

Mr. Qing Yun lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "How about Yu Ya (毓雅)"

"Yü Ya All three names starting with 'Yu' (禦)" Xu Qingchen asked.

Mr. Qing Yun shook his head and said, "No, the character 'Yü' (禦) is too hard for a girl's name; it should be 'Yu' (毓) as in nurturing talent."

Mo Xiuyao carefully savoring it found nothing wrong with it either. He had thought of countless names since his daughter was still in the womb, among which there might have been better ones, but he couldn't choose any no matter how hard he tried. Mr. Qing Yun's naming was both good-sounding and meaningful without belittling his adorable little princess. Nodding, Mo Xiuyao pinched Ye Li’s baby princess’ sleeping face and said with a smile, "Alright, from now on, my little princess will be called Yu Ya."

The others had been long unable to decide on names for their children, but Mr. Qing Yun managed it in no time at all. Ye Li also breathed a sigh of relief; she might not have done better than her grandfather if left to name them herself. As for Mo Xiuyao, naming his daughter was fine, but he couldn't even hope to do well with his son’s names. Resolving this matter all at once and giving good names to the two babies was undoubtedly the best.

"This month has been very busy, we didn’t even have time for a full moon celebration... Next year during their first birthday, they can't be treated so poorly," looking at his two great-grandchildren, Mr. Qing Yun expressed some regret. Although he had reached this age and no longer cared much about formalities, neglecting the babies' full moon celebration due to his own birthday still left him with a sense of remorse. He would rather not have celebrated his birthday than treated the children poorly.

Ye Li patted Xiaoxin’s swaddled body while smiling and said, "Grandfather can rest assured; next year during their first birthday, we're waiting for Grandfather to personally prepare items for the ceremony. Besides, there were too many people this time, and it would not be right to hold such a grand celebration for just two babies who have barely been born. They also couldn't handle so much fussing around, hence we all took it easy."

There is indeed a saying in the folk that children with light fates cannot bear too much fortune, but naturally, this does not apply to the young prince and princess of Ding王府. Ye Li said this both to comfort Mr. Qingyun and because it was true. If they were to hold another full moon celebration for the newly born twins, it would undoubtedly thrust them into a precarious position. It’s better to avoid such extravagance.

Speaking of which, Mr. Qingyun recalled something and asked, "I heard that the successor of Cangmang Mountain has appeared"

Although everyone had kept this matter from Mr. Qingyun out of concern for his well-being, it was impossible to keep him completely in the dark. It’s not strange that he started hearing about it after a few days. When mentioning this, Madam Xu, the matriarch, looked furious and said, "Father, you don’t know, but that Miss Dong… Our Xu family cannot allow such a woman into our household." The last time she met with Dong You, Madam Xu was truly infuriated. She had gone to meet her full of hope but left feeling utterly disappointed as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head. After marrying into the Xu family for decades, Madam Xu’s temper was known to be good. But even so, she still called Xu Qingchen and scolded him viciously. Of course, it was most unjust for Qingchen to suffer this calamity without reason.

Mr. Qingyun raised his eyebrows in interest and said, "Oh Miss Dong wants to marry into the Xu family"

Xu Qingyan immediately volunteered to tell Mr. Qingyun about all of Miss Dong’s pursuits towards Qingchen. Fifth Young Master Xu spoke eloquently, vividly depicting Miss Dong’s infatuation with Qingchen, completely oblivious to his brother's slightly cold smile.

Fifth Young Master Xu’s interesting story amused Mr. Qingyun who commented at the end, "This young lady is quite intriguing. Qingchen, what do you think"

"Grandfather…" Xu Qingchen called out helplessly, "Your grandson has no intention of getting married."

Mr. Qingyun stroked his snowy white beard and smiled, saying, "You are not young anymore; it’s time to start thinking about such things. However, this girl from Cangmang Mountain is another matter."

"Did Grandfather meet someone from Qingshan Mountain" Xu Qingyan asked curiously. The last time the successor of Cangmang Mountain came down from the mountain, Mr. Qingyun was still young, but he had already gained fame at a very early age and might have met them.

Mr. Qingyun smiled and shook his head, saying, "The person who came down last time was actually the main wife of the Southern King, the former Empress Dowager from Xi Ling. However, I did meet other people from Cangmang Mountain."

"Are there still other people from Cangmang Mountain moving around in the world" Xu Qingyan asked in surprise.

Xu Qingchen said, "Given that Cangmang Mountain has such significant influence, it’s impossible for them to be completely ignored for decades. There must be someone secretly managing their affairs; however, compared to the previous successors who openly acted, they are much more covert."

Mr. Qingyun nodded and said, "Indeed, these people have no fame in the world and even go unnoticed. Some of them might live a life without doing anything significant and die quietly like ordinary people. However, among them, there are many extraordinary talents who choose to remain anonymous. This clearly shows that Cangmang Mountain’s methods of controlling their subordinates are truly formidable."

"But then Dong You…" Fifth Young Master Xu was somewhat puzzled. That Dong You might be more knowledgeable than he is, but in terms of scheming and plotting, he couldn’t see anything special about her.

Mr. Qingyun shook his head and said, "This Miss Dong indeed doesn’t seem like a successor of Cangmang Mountain, but the more so… The person sent by Cangmang Mountain to assist secretly might be even more formidable."

Moxiu Yao smiled and said, "Sure enough, they are powerful. The master of Cangmang Mountain, Dong Hui, has personally arrived in Licheng City. It’s likely that she will come to visit soon."

"Dong Hui" Xu Hongyu frowned slightly and asked.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Yes, did Uncle hear this name before" After a moment of silence, Xu Hongyu said indifferently, "I know someone named Dong Hui." Ye Li couldn’t help but glance at Moxiu Yao who was looking back at her. The two exchanged looks without words; based on the tone of his uncle’s voice, it didn’t seem like they were just acquaintances. If that were true, then this would be quite a mess.

Both of them had noticed this, and naturally, others wouldn’t have missed it either. Yet no one asked further questions, and Madam Xu Qinzheng and the rest who usually only dealt with household affairs didn’t inquire about it at all. After breakfast, when Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingze escorted Mr. Qingyun out of the city, everyone returned to the study for a conversation.

Originally, Xu Qingyan was going to see Mr. Qingyun off too, but he suddenly said that there were matters to take care of tomorrow and could accompany his grandfather then. He shamelessly followed them back into the study as well.

"Father, what’s your relationship with Dong Hui" The impatient one was still Fifth Young Master Xu. The other three quietly sighed in relief; if not for Xu Qingyan asking on their behalf, even Qingchen wouldn’t feel right about inquiring such a private matter from his father. Xu Hongyu was taken aback and glared at Xu Qingyan before saying sarcastically, "What nonsense are you thinking It’s just someone I knew when I was young." After seeing the expressions of the other three, he realized they were also curious like Xu Qingyan. Mr. Hongyuan felt frustrated and smacked Xu Qingyan on the forehead angrily.

It wasn't that they were narcissistic, thinking that being a woman would make them special to Xu Hongyu. Instead, although Mr. Hongyu was now in his sixties, he still looked slender and elegant. Just by looking at the appearance of Xu Qingchen and his two brothers, one could imagine what an extraordinary figure Mr. Hongyu must have been when he was young. Although the marriage arrangements for several brothers of the Xu family had nearly become a major issue over the years, it certainly wasn't because they didn't have good conditions. On the contrary, it was precisely because they were too excellent that there were very few eligible noble ladies who could match them.

Xu Qingyan didn't care about being scolded by his father; compared to this small criticism, he was more worried about a sudden appearance of his father's red-haired confidante or even a concubine. Putting aside how their mother would feel about it and how they themselves would feel about it, their grandfather would first break their father's legs.

"So you're saying that the people from Cangmang Mountain enter the mortal world rather casually" Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow to ask.

Xu Hongyu said calmly, "They claim they come down once every sixty years, but how strict can they be about it If someone happens not to be on schedule for those sixty years, wouldn't that mean he doesn’t have to descend the mountain in his lifetime No matter how clever a frog at the bottom of a well is, it’s all in vain. They just won’t make a big fuss about it. I met Dongfang Hui around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years ago. At that time she was probably sixteen or seventeen and had just come down from the mountain to gain experience."

"What does Uncle Great think of this Dongfang Hui" Ye Li asked.

Xu Hongyu thought for a moment and said, "Back then she was still young and perhaps a bit naive. But in terms of ability, decisiveness, and determination, there's no shortage. At least… She’s far from what that girl called Dongfang You can compare to. As time has passed, I can’t really say how it is now. However… Don't underestimate her." Xu Qingchen nodded and said, "Thank you for father's reminder. Son understands."

Indeed, just after noon, Chief Manager Mo came to report that the master of Cangmang Mountain had come to visit and specifically stated he was visiting Great Master Xu Qingchen of the Xu family. From this subtle indication, one could see a certain displeasure from people of Cangmang Mountain towards Great Master Xu. Originally planning on passing the matter off to Mo Xiuyao, Xu Qingchen also joined him in going to the front hall to receive guests.

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li's hand and walked into the main hall together with her, seeing a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the room admiring paintings while having her hands behind her back. She hadn't sat down, so Dongfang You who was beside her naturally also didn’t sit either. Several young men and women were also waiting by the side. Mo Xiuyao sensed as soon as he entered that despite their youth, they were all rare experts in martial arts. Compared to them, Dongfang Hui's martial arts seemed the weakest. Nevertheless, even so, these young people stood respectfully with heads lowered beside her; not even glancing at Mo Xiuyao and his group when they came in. Clearly, they had a very high respect for Dongfang Hui.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Dongfang Hui turned to look at the door, smiling faintly as she said, "Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding, it’s an honor."

Ye Li smiled gently and nodded, saying, "Lady of Cangmang Mountain, it's an honor. Please sit, is there anything in our Prince's Residence that hasn't been taken care of properly"

Dongfang Hui said with a smile, "Princess Consort speaks too highly. For my sudden visit, please forgive me."

Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li to sit on the main seat, and Dongfang Hui sat down in the first seat on her side. Xu Qingchen walked over and sat opposite her. Dongfang Hui looked at Xu Qingchen sitting across from her, a faint ripple passing through her eyes as she lifted her head to smile at Ye Li saying, "Little You is immature and reckless, causing much trouble for Prince Ding's Residence in these few days. Please forgive us."

Ye Li smiled as she looked at the obedient Dongfang You standing behind Dongfang Hui, saying with a laugh, "Lady of Cangmang Mountain speaks too highly. Miss Dongfang is our guest; we should be ashamed for having neglected her instead. We hope you won't blame us."

Dongfang Hui frowned slightly, looking at Ye Li with more admiration. Looking back at the obedient-looking Dongfang You beside her, she felt a bit disappointed. If Little You had as astute understanding as Princess Consort Ding, how different would things be

After sizing Xu Qingchen up for a while from the side, Dongfang Hui asked, "This must be Great Master Xu and Mister Qingchen"

Xu Qingchen nodded his head slightly, clasped his hands together with a smile on his face, saying, "Indeed, this is your junior. I greet you, Lady of Cangmang Mountain."

Dongfang Hui nodded and sighed softly, saying, "Mister Qingchen's charm truly lives up to the title of the First Scholar of the Land. Mr. Hongyu can be content with a son like Mister Qingchen in his life."

"Lady is too flattering," Xu Qingchen still smiled calmly, but he was more pleased by her words than before. Initially it might have been out of Cangmang Mountain's face and to smooth things over for Dongfang You. Now, Dongfang Hui really thought that if Mister Qingchen could become a son-in-law of Cangmang Mountain, it would be quite good indeed. She had no children or grandchildren; she raised Dongfang You from a young age with much effort, probably more than many biological parents. Naturally, she hoped her disciple could have a good marriage. Unfortunately, Dongfang You was clueless about human relationships and regardless of whom she married, life wouldn’t be easy for her. Even with Cangmang Mountain's support behind her, it couldn't guarantee that her husband would truly love and cherish her. If she were to be taken in as an honored guest after marriage, life wouldn't necessarily be better than a living widowhood. But the Xu family was different; once Dongfang You entered the Xu family, even with their strict rules they wouldn’t mistreat her. Unfortunately, what Dongfang Hui didn’t know was that Dongfang You had already offended Mister Qingchen's mother and first wife of the Xu Family thoroughly.

Seeing this scene, Ye Li sighed softly in her heart. This Dongfang Hui looked at my brother with a daughter-in-law’s eyes. What is she trying to do

The hall fell silent for a moment before Ye Li spoke, "I did not know that Lady would grace us with her presence. May I ask what brings you here"

Dongfang Hui smiled faintly and said, "I haven't descended the mountain in decades. It just so happened this time my lackluster disciple ran down the mountain, so I had no choice but to come look for her. I also took this chance to see around. You know, Yu'er has been spoiled by me since she was young. If there is anything that might have offended you, please forgive us."

Seeing Ye Li's mannerisms, Dongfang Hui knew it would not be easy to convince the Xu family to take in Dongfang Yu. She pondered for a moment before sighing softly and saying, "Your Highness Consort Wang, this matter is also partially due to Yu'er being impetuous. In recent years, Cangmang Mountain has been depopulated. Originally I did not plan on letting Yu'er descend the mountain either. Although Cangmang Mountain might be a bit chilly, it’s still better than getting entangled in the current chaotic world. Who knew this child would run down the mountain without us knowing. But now that things have come to this point, Yu'er is ultimately a girl. I don’t ask for her to bring glory to Cangmang Mountain; I only hope she can marry safely and lead a happy life from now on."

It must be said, as the master of a disciple and the overseer of Cangmang Mountain, Dongfang Hui’s efforts were truly touching. However, the consequence of achieving her goal would have to be borne by the Xu family and Xue Qingchen. Whether it was for the Xu family or his eldest brother, or even for the layout of Ding Wangfu, Ye Li could only bite back and shake her head. Looking at Dongfang Yu, Ye Li smiled and said, "Lady Dongfang is fortunate to have such a good teacher as Lady. Lady Dongfang is beautiful like a flower, proficient in both military and literary arts, and comes from a noble family. If Lady wishes to seek a husband, how could the heroes of the world not come at her call"

Dongfang Hui’s smile faded slightly as she looked at Ye Li and asked, "Then what about Xu Family’s eldest son"

Ye Li paused for a moment before calmly replied, "The marriage arrangements for my older brother are naturally decided by Grandfather and Uncle Xue. Although I am the Consort of Ding Wang, I am still a junior member of the family; how could I take matters into my own hands"

Dongfang Hui understood that Ye Li’s words at least indicated her stance. The Ding Wangfu would never use Xue Qingchen's marriage for the sake of Cangmang Mountain’s power. Moreover, there was already an implicit message in this. The Ding Wangfu did not wish to marry into Cangmang Mountain. Thus, Dongfang Hui looked at Mo Xiuyao with new respect. After all, it was rare to find someone who could resist such temptation and push away a powerful ally.

Dongfang Hui frowned and said, "Your Highness Consort Wang means that this matter needs to be discussed directly with Master Hongyu and Lady"

Ye Li smiled gently, "Arranging marriages for children is naturally something to discuss with their parents." It wasn’t that Ye Li wanted to pass the trouble onto Xue Hongyu and Lady Xu. She truly didn’t have the right to refuse on behalf of Xue Qingchen. Even if she rejected Dongfang Hui now, Dongfang Hui would likely bring up Xue Hongyu and Lady Xu anyway. After all, it was unheard of for a cousin to arrange her brother's marriage.

Dongfang Hui seemed somewhat helpless as she looked at Xue Qingchen and asked, "What does Young Master Qingchen think Although this matter is Yu'er’s fault, she is ultimately a girl. I am also a woman, so I understand the difficulties of being a woman."

Xue Qingchen raised his eyebrows; Dongfang Hui was reminding him that by not marrying Dongfang Yu, it would seem like he was shirking responsibility.

Xue Qingchen glanced at Mo Xiuyao beside him and said coolly, "Lady's words are too heavy. Originally… Lady Dongfang wanted to marry into Ding Wangfu. This matter was heard by all the nobles present that day. As you know, our Xu family’s rules have never required a woman to be beautiful or talented; we only ask for her reputation and virtue. Furthermore, with Lady Dongfang's character and talents, how can there not be heroes eager to marry her"

Xue Qingchen spoke very politely, but it sounded harsh in Dongfang Hui’s ears. Xue Qingchen meant that since Dongfang Yu came from Cangmang Mountain, she didn’t need to care about her reputation. Not only did she not have a scandal, even if something happened, there would still be people willing to marry her. But the Xu family was an exception. They required their wives to be morally upright and virtuous, regardless of talent or background. Unfortunately, Dongfang Yu lacked both.

Even with her good temper, Dongfang Hui felt a sharp pain in her heart from Mo Xiuyao’s words that were both cutting and attacking. She also realized this seemingly gentle young master had an extremely poor impression of Cangmang Mountain, even harboring some hostility towards it. Compared to Ding Wang's indifference and the polite refusal of his consort, Qingchen was truly someone who disliked Cangmang Mountain. However, Dongfang Hui couldn't be sure whether Xue Qingchen’s attitude towards Cangmang Mountain was due to Dongfang Yu’s recent persistent pursuit. Logically speaking, even if Xu Family were displeased with her pursuit, they wouldn’t show such blatant dislike and hostility.

Frowning, Dongfang Hui felt she might have been too hasty in her approach.

—Author's Note:

I am a cursed kid; someone actually plagiarized me. These mediocre works still get plagiarized; what kind of eyesight and prospects do these fools have If I were to plagiarize, I would only copy the greats. This is so infuriating.俐連忙扶住了她將她拽了回來。葉璃也嚇了一跳叫青霜去叫外麵的青玉進來看看。不一會兒青玉匆匆進來替瑤姬把了把脈，神色有些古怪的看著葉璃。葉璃焦急的道：“怎麼回事，有話直說便是。”青玉看了看昏迷在椅子裡的紅衣女子，抬眼看著葉璃道：“滑脈，有三個月身孕了。可能是動了胎氣所以才……”動了胎氣……四個字炸的葉璃一陣頭暈眼花，隻覺得頭頂上天雷滾滾。所以…她剛剛是在意圖拆散一對孩子他爹和他娘麼？多管閒事果然是要招...