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“So you really are deliberately letting him win,” Mo Yan understood from his expression and felt somewhat dissatisfied. “Why let these barbarians have the upper hand? If they do, won’t they look down on us Song people even more?”

“Don’t be unconvinced. Actually, even if I hadn’t done that, I still wouldn’t be as good as him,” Zhan Zhao said truthfully. “I didn’t expect him to be able to hit two lamps with one arrow, so I deliberately shot off course.”

"Even so, why do you want to give in to him?" Mo Yan asked, puzzled.

Zhan Zhao sighed softly, stood up and said slowly, "Yelü Pusa Nu is a famous archer in Liao. If I defeat him, it will be a blow to the Liao people's face. Even if it is unintentional, it will cause unwarranted dissatisfaction. We still need to live a good life in Liao in the future. If we make too many enemies, life will probably not be easy. Besides, we are under someone else's roof, so we should restrain our sharpness. Otherwise, it will be difficult to do things."

Mo Yan perked up at the words "live a good life" and laughed, "That's true, Big Brother, you're so thoughtful." She paused for a moment, then asked, "But what if they try to bully us even more if we always give in to them?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly at her and said gently, "A small loss is fine, but a big loss is unacceptable. Therefore, you need to start learning the meaning of 'moderation'."

Chapter Forty-Two

The two were chatting and laughing when suddenly a maidservant outside asked tentatively, "Miss Mo, are you inside?"

"Yes," Mo Yan replied.

"The princess requests your presence."

Why isn't the princess asleep yet? Mo Yan glanced at Zhan Zhao in confusion, and the latter nodded, signaling her to hurry up. She had no choice but to get up, pick up the food box, and leave the tent. She handed the food box to a maid and headed towards Zhao Yu's tent.

Inside the tent, only a small silver-carved lamp was lit. Zhao Yu leaned against the soft couch behind the screen, holding a scroll in his hand, but his gaze was fixed on the candlelight, lost in thought...

"Mo Yan greets the Princess."

"Come here."

Mo Yan followed the instructions and went behind the screen, looking at Zhao Yu with a hint of doubt: "Does the princess have something to discuss with me?"

“You…” Zhao Yu hesitated, then pointed to the round stool next to her, “Sit down first.”

Without knowing how to refuse or express gratitude, Mo Yan sat down casually and asked inquiringly, "Princess, are you feeling unwell?" Seeing Zhao Yu's tired appearance, her first thought was that she must have upset her stomach from the meat at the banquet.

Zhao Yu gently shook his head, looked at her for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something but finding it difficult to speak.

"..." She didn't speak, so Mo Yan could only stare blankly.

After the banquet ended, Zhao Yu was preoccupied with thoughts. She had witnessed every detail of Yelü Hongji and Xiao Guanyin's interactions. Although she knew that Khitan customs were much more relaxed than those of the Song Dynasty, the affection in their eyes was undeniable. She pondered for a long time, yet remained uncertain. She considered asking someone, but although many had witnessed the scene, few would likely approach her. After much thought, she concluded that Mo Yan, being a woman of straightforward character, was the most suitable person to ask.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "What do you think Princess Ruixiang is here for?"

"They've come to welcome you."

Zhao Yu rolled her eyes at her: "How many princesses does the Liao Dynasty have? Why is it that only she came?"

"Naturally, it's because she has feelings for Yelü Hongji, so she came all this way to see what you look like," Mo Yan said matter-of-factly.

Zhao Yu was taken aback. She spoke without any reservations, and what she said was clear and straightforward.

"You also think she likes Yelü Hongji?"

Mo Yan shrugged. It was obvious that Xiao Guanyin was very intimate with Yelü Hongji at the banquet.

"So, did Yelü Hongji treat her...like a little sister?" Zhao Yu asked again.

“This…” This stumped Mo Yan. She thought about it carefully for a long time before saying, “Anyway, it seems that he is really good to that princess.”

Zhao Yu remained silent, her gaze forlorn. She wasn't ignorant of the imperial concubines' harem, but knowing that her husband already had someone he loved before marriage was a different kind of experience altogether.

Although a little slow to grasp things, Mo Yan eventually understood Zhao Yu's feelings. She herself was happily immersed in her promise to Zhan Zhao, and naturally understood that love couldn't accommodate a third person. If Zhan Zhao fell in love with someone else, or wanted to marry someone else, she didn't know how heartbroken she would be.

Suddenly regretting her actions at the banquet, Mo Yan bit her lip and after a long while, advised, "In that sense, that princess is quite pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu felt like vomiting blood. Without thinking, she blurted out angrily, "Am I not pitiful?" Only after the words left her mouth did she realize that these words were completely inconsistent with her status as a princess.

"They're all quite pitiful," Mo Yan concluded solemnly.

"You..." Zhao Yu was speechless with anger. He glared at her for a long time, then his anger suddenly subsided. He said in a low voice, annoyed, "Then what do you think I should do?"

Mo Yan scratched her ear, looking at her with sympathy. Love is a complicated matter; you either like someone or you don't. How could she possibly make Yelü Hongji fall for the princess?

Zhao Yu naturally didn't expect her to offer any solutions; those words were just for his own ears.

Since she really didn't know what to say, Mo Yan remained silent. Zhao Yu was also depressed and silent, but she didn't let Mo Yan leave either; having someone in front of her always made her feel better.

Silence reigned within the tent, broken only by the howling wind across the open fields outside. The lamp flickered violently, nearly going out, startling Zhao Yu so much that he sat bolt upright on the couch, his eyes meeting Mo Yan's. The latter's face was deathly pale; she was clearly terrified as well, her head frozen, her eyes darting around the tent.

"Is there a ghost?!"

Mo Yan was terrified of these things and was so frightened that she didn't dare to make a sound. She mouthed the words to Zhao Yu.

"Nonsense!"

Knowing he should reprimand her loudly, Zhao Yu's voice lacked energy, making him seem unsure of himself. He then summoned several maids waiting outside the tent before finally letting Mo Yan leave.

Zhan Zhao was just about to rest, having just taken off his outer robe, when someone rushed in in a panic...

"Big brother!" Mo Yan looked at him pitifully.

Seeing her pale face, Zhan Zhao was also slightly startled and quickly stepped forward to ask, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Big brother!" Mo Yan buried her face in his arms and held on tightly, refusing to let go. "Just now, just now, a cold wind blew in the princess's tent, and the candles almost went out."

It turned out to be such a small matter. Zhan Zhao was both amused and exasperated, but knowing that Mo Yan was most afraid of these things, he could only pat her back gently and comfort her, saying, "Maybe it's just that the wind is strong here and it's seeping in through the cracks."

Mo Yanwei raised her head, looking at him with a surprised and uncertain gaze: "No, there was no wind at all in the tent at the time."

"And what about the princess?"