There was a touch of bitterness on Mo Xiu Yao's lips. He smiled thinly and said: "You've seen that. I'm not used to it yet." He had thought that he had been used to it. In fact, he spent the total seven years that pa.s.sed to get himself used to it. Getting used to not be able to ride a horse with a whip in his hand on a battlefield for the rest of his life. Getting used to wear a mask whenever there were people around for the rest of his life otherwise the scars on his face would draw him attention from frightened or pitying crowd. Getting used to be seriously ill from time to time as if his life before the accident was a mere dream. He thought he was getting used to it all, but only by today, when he was standing in the auditorium listening to the outright insults by Prince of North Rong, did he realize that he was far from getting used to it. Today, he was not only humiliated himself, but he let his newlywed wife humiliated with him, though his wife didn't blame him.

Ye Li saw clearly the guilt in his eyes and smiled slightly: "I thought you knew that I was prepared for everything that was going to come my way when my family decided to accept this marriage."

Mo Xiu Yao said: "Did you already know that something like this was going to happen? "

Ye Li shook her head and laughed: "Even if this didn't happen, something else would. I've never thought that everything would go smoothly after we get married." Even commoners went through their own family problems, there would only be more problems for a family of power and authority.

Mo Xiu Yao looked at her quietly and finally said in a low voice: "I probably wouldn't be able to keep you from all your worries but I will definitely give you the life you like with all I have."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and said: "I have faith in you." She said with a smile after she slowly applied the medicine on his wound and put the medicine away.

"It's been a long day. You should go to bed early." Mo Xiu Yao looked at Ye Li and said lightly.

Ye Li was frozen for a second, then she smiled and said: "All right. You too." Mo Xiu Yao nodded and called Ah Jin to help him out in his wheelchair. He was quite considerate to tell Qing Shuang and the other maids who was standing outside the bedroom to go inside and wait on Ye Li.

When Qing Shuang and the other maids came inside, Ye Li had already taken off her jewelries and had put them in a case on the dressing table. Qing Shuang frowned and said discontentedly: "Miss, why did His Highness leave?" Princess Royal Xi Fu said solemnly in the ceremony that n.o.body was allowed to disturb the newlyweds in the privacy of their nuptial room and Prince Ding didn't have to drink with the guests so at the moment Prince Ding was supposed to be in the nuptial room keeping their miss company. Why was he here at first and then left?

Ye Li turned around and smiled: "This is Prince Ding's Manor. Do you think he would have no place to sleep other than here?"

Qing Luan and Qing Yu had prepared hot water and invited Ye Li to bathe. However, they didn't look happy either. While Ye Li didn't have the time to care about how the maids felt, in fact, from her perspective, she felt that Mo Xiu Yao couldn't have been more considerate than this. Though she didn't intend to be his wife with an empty t.i.tle for the rest of her life, she was quite concerned about whether she could adapt to have s.e.x with a man that she only met for a few times and barely knew about. She got to give those women in the past credit for their adaptability, who usually couldn't hold hands with men, however, when they got married, they had to have s.e.x with a man they had barely seen. Getting those heavy jewelries and the grand wedding gown off herself, Ye Li relaxed her body in satisfaction. She was ready to take a bath then go to bed. When she was finally on the soft and cozy bed and into her dreams, there was still a faint smile on her lips: "Mom, grandpa, father, mother and cousins, I finally get myself a husband…"

Somewhere in Prince Ding's Manor, a study. Mo Xiu Yao, who was sitting behind a desk once again in plain clothes looked quite gloomy and cold, which was rare for him. Feng Zhi Yao, who was wearing red clothes, leaned by the door lazily and laughed: "Why do you look so angry? Today's your big day. Aren't you afraid that you are going to scare my sister-in-law?" At one corner of the study sat a young man who looked very much like a playboy. The young man looked at Feng Zhi Yao with a grin and said: "Our sister-in-law has more guts than we thought, if you ask me."

Feng Zhi Yao thought about it and nodded in agreement: "You are right. I've not seen many woman who are as brave as the third miss of Ye Family."

"Are you done yet?" Mo Xiu Yao lifted his head and looked at those two who were fooling around with cold eyes. Feng Zhi Yao shrugged and said: "That idiot today is Yelv Ping, the eleventh prince of North Rong. He's the son of Consort Xiao, the most beloved consort of the emperor of North Rong and the birth brother of Yelv Ye, the seventh prince of North Rong, who is the nephew of Helian Zhen, the Flying General of North Rong. You do remember what Helian Zhen did to you seven years ago, don't you?"

"Helian Zhen's surname is Helian, and Consort Xiao's surname is Xiao. How come that Yelv Ping is Helian Zhen's nephew?" The young man at the corner asked in confusion.

"Their relations.h.i.+ps are a mess and really give me the headache. Who knows how they end up connecting to each other?" Feng Zhi Yao said angrily. "Leng Hao Yu, aren't you supposed to figure that out?" The young man was exactly Leng Hao Yu, the second son of General Zhenbei, who was said to be the most disappointing young man in the capital. "I had news from North Rong which said that Yelv Ye was the b.a.s.t.a.r.d son of Helian Zhen."

"Is there any credibility in such news that was spread to Great Chu?" Feng Zhi Yao rolled his eyes. He turned around and looked at Mo Xiu Yao, said: "Seven years ago, your elder brother died of disease all of a sudden. Helian Zhen could have seized that opportunity and made unparalleled achievement, even swept across Great Chu. But it turned out you showed up unexpectedly out of Guichou Valley and with a big fire nearly killed Helian Zhen. Not only did Helian Zhen's army suffered heavy casualties, but North Rong didn't dare to raise another military campaign against us. When they recovered we also regained our strength. After that, Helian Zhen lost his emperor's favor and that undermined Yelv Ye and Consort Xiao's strength in North Rong. It was nice enough for them not to come here directly and get back at you with all their might."

Mo Xiu Yao said coolly: "You mean that Yelv Ye sent Yelv Ping here to embarra.s.s me?"

Feng Zhi Yao rubbed his chin and said: "Everybody knows that Yelv Ping is a wretch. n.o.body will bring himself to bicker with him even if he embarra.s.ses you. So it's quite obvious to me that what happened today was no accident."

Mo Xiu Yao sneered: "It was quite courteous of them today to only send Yelv Ping to embarra.s.s me. I bet others must start to be impatient." Feng Zhi Yao knocked his forehead in thought and said: "Who would have guessed that His Majesty would appear in Prince Ding's Manor together with Her Majesty and Empress Dowager? They wouldn't want to be too impolite in front of His Majesty, would they? Since there was an idiot who stepped up for them, then those self-claimed smarta.s.ses wouldn't speak up any more. But… those envoys are supposed to stay in the capital for another half month. What about sister-in-law…"

"Don't bother her!" Mo Xiu Yao said lightly.

Feng Zhi Yao and Leng Hao Yu looked at each other face to face. Leng Hao Yu blinked his peach blossom-like eyes and asked: "Your Highness, you are not going to tell us that you plan to keep your newlywed princess in your manor without letting anyone see her, are you?" Was this third miss of Ye Family so charismatic that Prince Ding fell for her at first sight and was deeply in love with her at second sight then wanted to hide her and protect her with the greatest of care?

Mo Xiu Yao said: "Ah Li don't like to deal with those n.o.bles. Don't bother her with those trivial."

Feng Zhi Yao tapped the folding fan in his hand and frowned: "Ah Yao, even the wife of a commoner has to run family affairs and deal with family connection, let alone the mistress of Prince Ding's Manor. If your wife is a well-bred girl without much ability then you can let her live her life, but the third miss of Ye Family is much more than that. With her help you'll naturally have the work done with half the effort and take some weight off your shoulder."

"Feng San is right. Ting-er thinks highly of the third miss of Ye Family." Leng Hao Yu chimed in.

Mo Xiu Yao frowned and said: "We can discuss that later." Feng Zhi Yao raised his eyebrows. He laughed due to something that just occurred to him and said: "Well, since you already make up your mind, we'll leave it to you. Why did His Majesty come in person and bring Empress Dowager with him? Does he still have his guard up against you?" Mo Xiu Yao said: "When doesn't he? Since Sword of Lan Yun was back in my manor again, there were at least more than ten groups of people who tried to break in and at least three out of ten were from the palace." Leng Hao Yu's eyes lighted up: "Were they his people?" Mo Xiu Yao shook his head: "I'm not sure. But there definitely were his people among them." Feng Zhi Yao looked at Leng Hao Yu with a smile and said: "Leng Er, watch that cold general of your family carefully. I bet His Majesty will send him if his people kept failing to break in. He grew up with His Majesty and is his most trusted aide after all."

Leng Hao Yu twitched his mouth and said: "You can rest a.s.sured that no matter who comes, he's not going to take anything from this manor." The thought of that cold elder brother of his rubbed Leng Hao Yu the wrong way. That brother of his was no more than a self-absorbed stupid fool who tied himself to the emperor. However, every time Ting-er saw that man she showed strong admiration for him. While she looked at Leng Hao Yu, she seemed to think he as some garbage. That really p.i.s.sed him off. His elder brother had better come here and try to break into the manor so that he could catch him and beat his a.s.s. Then, Ting-er would get to know who was the gallant and extraordinary one and who was a stupid playboy.

"Your Highness, there's a break in!" The heavy stone gate cracked open and Ah Jin swept in in a flash.

Mo Xiu Yao's eyes went cold: "Which way do they go?"

"The princess's yard."

Bang!

"Get every one of them. I won't spill any blood on my wedding day but we'll entertain them tomorrow."