Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 338 - 337. Queen Helan’s Intent

337. The Intentions of Queen Helan

Age is absolutely the most taboo topic for any woman, especially for an exceptionally beautiful woman who is no longer young. Beauty fades with time, and heroes’ hair turns white; this is one of life’s most poignant realities. Therefore, even Noble Consort Liu, who prided herself on being superior to a foreign woman like Queen Helan, was still enraged.

"You wretch, what did you say?!" Noble Consort Liu quivered with rage, glaring at Queen Helan and demanding sharply.

Queen Helan was only sixteen or seventeen years old, an age as tender as a flower. Although she didn’t possess the delicate, fair skin of women from the Central Plains, her youthful complexion under the sunlight exuded a striking health and fineness. This was precisely what Noble Consort Liu lacked at her age. No matter how exquisite her makeup, the Noble Consort, already in her thirties, could never regain the supple skin of a young girl. Furthermore, she had suffered considerably two years prior, an ordeal that nearly undid years of dedicated skincare. Despite her best efforts to care for herself these past two years, her beauty could never return to its peak. Queen Helan’s words were undoubtedly a ruthless sprinkle of salt on her wound.

"Insolent!" Queen Helan’s face turned cold. She raised her chin and arrogantly stared at Noble Consort Liu. "Considering you are Prince Yelv’s woman, I have been lenient with you. Believe it or not, I can ruin your face! You’re not even the Imperial Consort of Beirong yet. I don’t believe the King of Beirong would trouble me over you!"

Noble Consort Liu glared at Queen Helan, her gaze seemingly poisoned.

Yelv Ye frowned and said in a low voice, "Enough, Queen Helan. Please forgive Qing Yina’s reckless remarks. However, you also spoke rudely first. How about we let this matter drop?"

Queen Helan glanced at Ren Qining, who obviously had no intention of defending her, gave a cold snort, turned her head away, and said no more.

Noble Consort Liu was still reluctant to let it go, but she backed down under Yelv Ye’s warning gaze.

"Eh, isn’t that Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding?" Queen Helan turned her head to look out the window and saw Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li holding hands and strolling amongst the crowd. Amidst the sea of black-haired people, Mo Xiuyao’s silver hair was naturally conspicuous. Hearing this, everyone else also looked toward them. Indeed, they saw a distinguished couple walking side by side, holding hands, talking and laughing about something. Mo Xiuyao was clad in a pale blue robe embroidered with silver patterns, a jade belt cinching his waist, his long silver hair casually draped. He was smiling and speaking softly to the black-haired woman by his side, a stark contrast to his usual cold and aloof demeanor. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The woman standing beside him had raven-black hair like a cloud, loosely tied in an elegant updo. She wore a casually placed purple-stamen, multi-petaled hibiscus flower, and an exquisite silver hairpin swayed gently by her ear, accentuating her delicate and graceful beauty, making it hard for anyone to look away. Ye Li was dressed in a simple white gown trimmed with silver, a silver belt around her waist fastened with a light purple jade pendant. Though their attire was clearly not formal, as they walked through the crowd, all eyes were involuntarily drawn to follow them.

It was unclear what Mo Xiuyao had said, but Ye Li cast a playful, annoyed glance at him and reached out to take what he held. Mo Xiuyao deftly dodged, one hand supporting her waist while the other brought the item to her lips. Only then did the crowd see clearly that Mo Xiuyao was holding a string of candied hawthorns. Ren Qining and Yelv Ye couldn’t help but twitch the corners of their mouths. Given their status, they would never do such a thing for any woman, no matter how much they favored her. Yet, Mo Xiuyao did it with such ease and naturalness, clearly enjoying himself.

"I have long heard of the deep affection between Prince Ding and his Princess Consort. Seeing them today, it’s clear their reputation is well-deserved," Consort Yun sighed, her tone unable to mask her envy of Princess Consort Ding.

Queen Helan, in a rare moment of agreement with Consort Yun, added, "Prince Ding truly is an extraordinary man."

Yelv Ye’s mouth twitched. Is buying candied hawthorns on the street the standard for a good man now?

Noticing his disdain, Queen Helan said disapprovingly, "Seventh Prince, would you go out on the street holding candied hawthorns for any woman?"

Yelv Ye sneered. How could he, a dignified prince, do such a demeaning thing for a woman?

Queen Helan looked even more dismissive. "I always thought only men from the Central Plains were so hypocritical and obsessed with saving face. It turns out you Beirong men are much the same. The men in our Northern Territory aren’t so pretentious. Every one of them is a good man, just like Prince Ding."

Seeing that Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were about to pass below the building, Queen Helan stood up and called out with a smile, "Prince Ding, Princess Consort Ding..."

Downstairs, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao looked up to see a cheerful Queen Helan waving at them. Of course, Ren Qining and Yelv Ye were also there, their expressions not too pleasant. It wasn’t surprising to find these two together, as they had previously allied against the Mo Family Army. However, for them to be consorting right under the Mo Family Army’s noses in Licheng showed a blatant disregard for Prince Ding’s Mansion.

Ye Li’s lips curled into a faint smile. She nodded at Queen Helan and said, "Your Majesty, what a coincidence to see you here."

Queen Helan, leaning on the windowsill, laughed. "Are Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding out for a stroll? Why don’t you come up and join us?"

"It would be rude to refuse," Ye Li replied with a smile, readily accepting, and led Mo Xiuyao into the teahouse.

The moment they entered, the teahouse owner rushed over, greeting them excitedly. Although Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding lived in Licheng, they rarely ventured out. Thus, the owner was thrilled by their visit to his humble establishment. Seeing the owner so excited and flustered, Ye Li nodded gently. "Please don’t trouble yourself with us; we can go upstairs on our own."

The owner nodded repeatedly, stealing furtive glances at Prince Ding, who stood beside the Princess Consort still holding the candied hawthorns. A Prince holding candied hawthorns! It was a sight far beyond what ordinary folk could easily comprehend. Not daring to engage them in conversation, he could only watch as Ye Li led Mo Xiuyao upstairs.

Ren Qining and his party were not in a private room. However, the owner, aware of their distinguished status, had seated them in the teahouse’s best and quietest spot. An eight-panel folding screen painted with landscapes provided some privacy, creating a tranquil corner amidst the bustle, a pocket of calm in the lively teahouse. As Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li approached, Ren Qining and Yelv Ye’s gazes involuntarily fell on what Mo Xiuyao carried in his other hand. The candied hawthorns were gone, but Prince Ding holding a box of pastries was equally astonishing. It felt as if a revered deity from the heavens had suddenly been revealed to have mundane needs like eating and drinking.

Unfazed by Ren Qining and Yelv Ye’s peculiar stares, Mo Xiuyao casually placed the pastry box on the table. Only then did everyone see the words "Pinlian Restaurant" on it. This was Licheng’s most famous pastry shop.

Queen Helan’s eyes instantly lit up. "Are these pastries from Pinlian Restaurant? Their pastries are the best! I’ve tried to go twice, and both times the queue was so long."

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, of course, wouldn’t need to queue. Even if they were willing, other customers would immediately offer them their places. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "Yes, Ah-Li is also very fond of them. If Your Majesty likes them, please try some."

Queen Helan didn’t stand on ceremony and said with a beaming smile, "Then thank you, Prince Ding! You truly are a good person."

Everyone present couldn’t help but twitch. If Prince Ding is a good person... are there any bad people left in this world?

Seemingly oblivious to their reactions, Queen Helan happily began to eat the pastries, not forgetting to offer half to the pastries’ intended recipient, Ye Li.

"In just a few short years, Licheng has flourished to such an extent. Prince Ding and Princess Consort Ding have truly governed well," Yelv Ye said solemnly. He had attended Mo Xiaobao’s full-month celebration and had clearly seen Licheng’s changes over the years. The city’s area alone had more than doubled. Not to mention, with the decline of the Xiling Imperial City and the Capital of Great Chu, Licheng could now be called the most prosperous city in the world. Beirong was barren, its people nomadic, following water and grass. Even the few cities they had were small in scale. Beirong’s most prosperous royal capital was perhaps only comparable to a second-tier city in the Central Plains. Thus, the prosperity of the Central Plains inevitably evoked envy and jealousy among the Beirong people. Although Beirong now held several cities seized from Great Chu, the Beirong people, while brave and invincible in warfare, were not skilled in governance. Cities that had been reasonably well-off ended up with withered industries and an air of decline under Yelv Ye’s control.

Mo Xiuyao replied nonchalantly, "Seventh Prince, you flatter me. Compared to the Capital of Great Chu and Jiangnan, the Northwest is still quite barren. This Prince has merely done his best."

The two men were clearly unconvinced by his modesty. No matter how prosperous Jiangnan was under Mo Jingli’s control, its hold was precarious; what was not guaranteed today might be gone tomorrow, making it as good as nothing. But Mo Xiuyao was different. At least in the short term, no one dared try to take anything from him. For the past few days in Licheng, out of respect for their host and to avoid suspicion, dignitaries from various states had limited their interactions. However, each had their own sources of information. For now, Xiling—still powerful despite losing vast territories, having recouped its losses from Great Chu—showed no intention of provoking Mo Xiuyao. Instead, Lei Zhenting had focused his attention on Mo Jingli in Jiangnan. Given this, they had to think very carefully if they wanted to contend with Mo Xiuyao. After all, even putting aside the question of whether they could win, if they merely ended up paving the way for someone else, the losses would far outweigh any gains.

Yelv Ye, for the moment, also had no intention of warring with Mo Xiuyao. News from Beirong indicated that his elder brother, the Crown Prince, was making frequent moves. Coupled with the recent intense and deadlocked battles against the Mo Family Army, Yelv Ye’s mind, previously muddled by victories, had cleared somewhat. He realized that even if he defeated Mo Xiuyao once or twice, it would be futile unless he could annihilate the entire Mo Family Army; otherwise, he would only be depleting his own strength. Then, remembering that his brother Yelv Hong’s relationship with Prince Ding’s Mansion was far more amicable than his own, a thought stirred in Yelv Ye’s mind. Looking at Mo Xiuyao, his gaze became more lucid and profound. "Prince Ding, I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you. What do you say?"

"Business?" Mo Xiuyao sounded as if he’d heard a joke. "Seventh Prince, with hundreds of thousands of your Beirong troops still eyeing our border like hungry tigers, you want to talk business with this Prince?"

Yelv Ye chuckled, unfazed. "You have a saying in the Central Plains: ’There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.’ By the same token, there are no permanent enemies, are there?"

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "That does seem to have some truth to it. Seventh Prince, why don’t you elaborate?"

Sitting opposite them, Ren Qining’s expression immediately soured upon hearing Yelv Ye propose a deal with Mo Xiuyao right in front of him. After all, the Northern Territory and Beirong were supposed to be allies.

Yelv Ye, naturally not wanting to offend Ren Qining, smiled and said, "Actually, this matter could benefit everyone. I wonder if the King of the Northern Territory is interested?"

Ren Qining said indifferently, "I’m all ears."

Beside them, Queen Helan frowned. "What is wrong with you men? Weren’t we supposed to be out enjoying ourselves? Why are you all sitting together talking about these tedious matters again? I don’t want to listen to this nonsense."

Hearing this, Ren Qining frowned in displeasure. "In that case, Your Majesty should return to the official guesthouse first."

"Return? Why should I return? I haven’t had nearly enough fun yet!" Queen Helan bluntly retorted, successfully making Ren Qining’s expression even darker.

Ye Li stood up and smiled gently. "Since that’s the case, Queen Helan, why don’t you accompany me for a walk? It would allow this Princess Consort to fulfill her duties as a host."

Queen Helan’s eyes lit up. She joyfully stepped forward and took Ye Li’s arm. "Where will Princess Consort take me to have fun? Licheng has so many people and so many interesting things! I want to buy lots of things to take back with me."

Ye Li smiled. "When Your Majesty is about to leave, whatever you fancy, I will have a selection sent to you."

"Princess Consort Ding, you’re such a good person! Let’s go!" Without waiting for any other reactions, she excitedly pulled Ye Li and hurried downstairs. Ye Li waved to Mo Xiuyao to signal that all was well, then followed Queen Helan. Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly, watching from the window as the guards waiting outside the teahouse fell in behind them. Only then did he relax and sit back down.

"Prince Ding’s deep affection for his Princess Consort is truly enviable," Noble Consort Liu said through gritted teeth, staring at Mo Xiuyao. He still possessed that handsome face and white hair, his aura formidable. A painful resentment, like a venomous snake’s bite, gnawed at Noble Consort Liu’s heart. Mo Xiuyao was a year or two older than her. If two years ago they had looked about the same age, now, if Noble Consort Liu were to remove her veil, despite her enduring beauty, she would appear several years older than him.

Mo Xiuyao acted as if he hadn’t heard her. He took a sip of tea and said to Yelv Ye, "Prince Yelv, please tell me about this business you mentioned."

The ignored woman’s beautiful face twisted into a hideous expression beneath her veil.

「In another part of the city, not far from the teahouse, stood a jewelry shop named Fenghua Pavilion.」

In a quiet private room on the second floor, Ye Li and Queen Helan sat opposite each other. Ye Li leisurely sipped the fresh tea personally served by the shopkeeper, a smile on her face as she watched Queen Helan curiously examine the various exquisite pieces of jewelry on the table. After a while, Ye Li asked softly, "Your Majesty, is there something you wish to tell this Princess Consort?"

Hearing this, Queen Helan put down the jewelry she was holding and looked up. The flamboyant, curious smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a resolve seldom seen in women of the Central Plains, and a sagacity and composure that were exceptionally striking, even for a woman of the Northern Territory. This sudden transformation lent the young woman, who had initially seemed somewhat arrogant and spirited, a much more imposing presence.

Queen Helan nodded with a smile. "I knew I couldn’t hide it from Princess Consort Ding."

Ye Li chuckled. "Your Majesty was making overtures of goodwill toward me from the very first day. If I failed to notice, wouldn’t I be letting Your Majesty down? I am just unsure what matter Your Majesty wishes to discuss that requires us to speak separately from the King of the Northern Territory."

Queen Helan looked deeply at Ye Li and said solemnly, "I wish to cooperate with Prince Ding’s Mansion. No... it should be said that we, the people of the Northern Territory, wish to cooperate with Prince Ding’s Mansion."

"The people of the Northern Territory?" Ye Li paused. "Not the Kingdom of Northern Territory?"

Currently, within the Northern Territory, there were two main groups: the indigenous people of the Northern Territory and those from the Central Plains who styled themselves as remnants of the former dynasty. These so-called remnants were, in truth, merely people of Great Chu who had, over the years, either sought refuge with Ren Qining or been brought under his command. Ren Qining placed more trust in the people from the Central Plains. He aspired to restore the legitimate rule of the former dynasty, and as he progressed, he would increasingly need to suppress the Northern Territorians, eventually even having to abandon them entirely. Otherwise, his claim to Central Plains orthodoxy would be baseless and unacceptable to the scholars of the Central Plains. Unless, of course, he was content to establish a state based in the Northern Territory and rule the Central Plains as a foreign power. But doing so would invite resistance many times, perhaps even hundreds of times, greater than what he already faced. Even the Central Plains people originally loyal to him might turn against him. From the very beginning, an irreconcilable conflict existed between these two groups. That was why Mr. Qingyun had told Ren Qining that he had been wrong from the start.

After a brief deliberation, Ye Li asked curiously, "Can Queen Helan make decisions on such matters?"

Queen Helan raised her head, her voice filled with pride. "Since I am here, I naturally can. We in the Northern Territory are not like you in the Central Plains, who confine your daughters to their boudoirs. Men’s work, we women can do too. My family branch has always had few children; I have no brothers or sisters. After my father passes, I am to succeed him as clan chief. Furthermore, after my cousin passed away, her clan, by tradition, is also to be succeeded by me or my children. But those detestable Central Plains people around Ren Qining are usurping the power that belongs to us, the people of the Northern Territory! We simply want to reclaim what is rightfully ours."

Ye Li had considered leveraging Queen Helan in some way, but she hadn’t anticipated the young queen to be such a pivotal figure. She was somewhat surprised, though her customary composure concealed her thoughts from Queen Helan.

Ye Li looked at her and said softly, "I have heard that the former Queen of the Northern Territory was also a remarkable woman. It is a pity I never had the chance to meet her."

At this mention, Queen Helan’s eyes instantly reddened. She gritted her teeth in resentment. "If it weren’t for Ren Qining, how could my cousin have suffered such indignities? My cousin gave up her position as clan chief for him, yet he was constantly on guard against her, allowing those other women to torment her. He even found opportunities to kill those my cousin trusted. If my cousin hadn’t saved him back then, how could that ungrateful wretch be where he is today?"

Looking at Queen Helan’s furious expression, Ye Li sighed inwardly. Considering Ren Qining’s martial skills and power, how could he have so conveniently encountered danger in a place like the Northern Territory? That first meeting was likely a calculated plot from the start. Still, Ren Qining was certainly willing to make sacrifices for his so-called grand ambition.

"Your Majesty," Ye Li began, "I believe you are aware of the circumstances surrounding your cousin’s death..." This was hardly a secret, and Ye Li thought it best to address it directly. She had no desire to be backstabbed midway through a collaboration.

Queen Helan stated firmly, "I know. My father said these grievances can be set aside for now. We people of the Northern Territory keep our word. As long as you, Princess Consort, help us drive Ren Qining out, we will not oppose Prince Ding’s Mansion."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "If that is the case, what benefits would this Princess Consort receive?"

Queen Helan replied, "The entire Northern Territory army will withdraw to the original border with Great Chu. While your Central Plains are rich, our Northern Territory, with its white mountains and black waters, is not lacking either. We simply wish to live our own lives."

It wasn’t that the people of the Northern Territory completely lacked ambition, but rather that their society had not yet developed to a point where it could sustain such ambitions. Before Ren Qining arrived, the Northern Territory was a collection of disparate tribes. The people lived by hunting and fishing, not farming like those in the Central Plains, nor herding horses and sheep like the Beirong. Their lives were simple and unadulterated. Ren Qining brought too many changes. The cataclysmic transformations over less than twenty years were not something everyone could readily accept. Occasional tribal skirmishes of the past had escalated into large-scale battles against the regular armies of Great Chu and the Mo Family Army. The people of the Northern Territory suffered the heaviest losses. They were not fools; they could see that if this continued, even if Ren Qining one day conquered the world, the Northern Territorians themselves would likely be nearly extinct.

So, they had decided: Ren Qining and his cronies had to be driven out, and the power belonging to the people of the Northern Territory reclaimed. Perhaps one day they too would join the contest for supremacy over the land, but that would be a matter for the distant future, not now.

Ye Li fell silent for a long time before nodding. "Queen Helan’s proposal is very appealing. If Your Majesty is sincere about cooperating, then I believe it is possible."

Such a swift and decisive reply startled Queen Helan. In her experience, people from the Central Plains always preferred to "think thrice before acting." Someone as direct as Ye Li was indeed rare. "Can Princess Consort truly make this decision?"

Ye Li smiled gracefully. "If I couldn’t, wouldn’t Your Majesty have come to me about this in vain?"

Queen Helan looked somewhat apologetic. "I originally intended to ask Princess Consort to simply relay a message to Prince Ding for me. Besides, I’ve also heard that Princess Consort is very capable. I hoped you might help persuade Prince Ding, as he might be reluctant to cooperate with me. You people of the Central Plains generally don’t like women interfering in such affairs."

Ye Li laughed. "I am indeed capable of making the decision. But... Your Majesty, you need to show me the sincerity of the Northern Territory, correct? Otherwise, how could this Princess Consort trust you?"

Queen Helan nodded vigorously. She ceremoniously took out a box and placed it before Ye Li. "Inside this is a sacred relic of our Northern Territory ancestors. Possessing it grants one the authority to ask all twenty-six clans of the Northern Territory to perform one task. Whatever is asked, all Northern Territorians will go through fire and water to accomplish it. This is our most revered treasure. For now, I entrust it to Princess Consort for safekeeping."

Ye Li opened the box. It was lined with a brown, patterned animal hide that looked like tiger skin. Resting on the hide was a short dagger. It appeared somewhat crude, its many inscribed marks blurred and worn smooth, clearly a testament to the passage of much time. The dagger’s material was neither iron nor bronze, nor was it the kind of jade knife typically used for display; it seemed to be fashioned from some type of stone. Although Ye Li wasn’t one to place much store in the binding power of tokens, she understood the profound faith some peoples placed in their so-called sacred relics.

"Aren’t you afraid I won’t return it?"

Queen Helan stated solemnly, "If that were the case, the Northern Territory would stake everything, all its people, to retrieve this sacred relic. However, I trust that neither Princess Consort nor Prince Ding are such individuals."

Ye Li closed the box and nodded. "By tomorrow at the latest, Prince Ding and I will certainly give Your Majesty an answer."

Only then did Queen Helan reveal a hint of a smile and nodded. "Then, many thanks to the Princess Consort."