The First Jasmine - Chapter 93

Chapter 93: The Military Situation

Along the official highway not far from the Broken Snow Pass, a few secret guards silently and individually concealed their traces to protect their respective masters in secret. Shadow Three lazily hung himself upside down from a densely foliated tree by the roadside, pointing toward a small slope not far away as he spoke to Shadow Two, who was standing under the tree and resting with his eyes closed: "Look at how foolish they are. If they hide over there, they've definitely been discovered by the Prince and Princess." Shadow Two glanced up at him. "They are secret guards, not surveillance trackers—as long as they aren't spotted by others, that's enough. Even if the Prince hasn't noticed them, he still knows they're following behind." Secret guards, after all, were meant to protect the safety of their master twelve hours a day. Shadow Three rolled around on the tree branch. "We are secret guards too." Though they didn't really look the part.

Shadow Two's expression looked somewhat unpleasant. "We aren't qualified secret guards. If we return this way, the Prince will very likely assign a few more secret guards to the Princess."

Shadow Three's expression also grew somewhat dim. Earlier on the battlefield, if the Princess hadn't stopped him, he wouldn't have been injured at all. Regarding acting as a human shield for the Princess by taking arrows and the like, Shadow Three didn't feel there was anything wrong with it whatsoever. The entire purpose of the Ding Prince's Estate training them was precisely to block blades, deflect arrows, and ward off all dangers directed at their master when necessary. Yet just moments ago, the Princess had been slashed by a blade precisely because she was trying to stop him from taking that arrow. If not for that arrow shot by the Prince, there was no telling whether the Princess would currently be alive or dead. As secret guards, they truly were unqualified. Shadow Four and Shadow One were still nowhere to be seen, even though this was the Princess's direct command. Neither he nor Shadow Two had fulfilled their roles as secret guards in the slightest. "I will report my offense to the Prince and ask for punishment; I certainly won't drag you down with me." Shadow Two cast a sideways glance at him. "What kind of idiotic nonsense are you talking about? We're in the same unit—if you get replaced, could the rest of us possibly stay behind? Besides, it's not like you're the only one who made a mistake. It's just that... I simply prefer following the Princess."

"Me too." He glanced sideways at the secret guards on the other side. The life of a secret guard before following the Princess was simply far too boring. Although they hadn't served any other masters prior to that, purely from their training and the teachings handed down by their seniors, it was exceptionally dull. If they hadn't ended up following the Princess, they definitely would have turned out just as boring as those other secret guards. "If we go over right now to confess our faults and ask for punishment, do you think the Prince will deal with us lightly?"

"If you go over right now, you'll only bring even more misfortune upon yourself," Shadow Two stated flatly. As a secret guard with professional ethics, he would absolutely never let anyone know that he had witnessed the Prince and Princess doing that by the roadside... which of course included the Prince himself.

"But the Prince and Princess have been lingering here for a very long time. If this goes on any longer, General Murong will come out looking for people," Shadow Three agonized.

"Then let those people go invite the Prince and Princess over." Shadow Two raised his chin slightly, gazing toward the secret guards stationed not far away who were tailing Mo Xiuyao, confident that they were experiencing the exact same dilemma. Tsk... as the personal secret guards of the Prince, their proficiency in stealth and concealment was simply far too poor. Both he and Shadow Three had managed to pinpoint their hiding spots within just a few casual glances.

"Your Highness, Princess." Shadow Two straightened his posture from behind the tree and offered a salute to the two approaching figures walking side by side. Shadow Three dropped silently down from the tree and followed suit with a salute.

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes as he looked at them, stating flatly, "Not bad skills."

The two of them couldn't help trembling inwardly—was the Prince actually praising them?

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Rise. What are you two doing here?" The two of them wore bitter expressions and dared not speak. The Princess didn't require them to follow closely by her side every single moment, but if they truly went off to mind their own separate businesses right now, the Prince would undoubtedly fly into a towering rage. The Princess could command them, but... the Prince could replace them. Frowning, Mo Xiuyao asked, "Where did the other two go? I recall you should have four people around you?"

Ye Li smiled. "I sent them off to handle some matters."

"If you don't have enough people, you can transfer more from elsewhere. Secret guards exist to protect your safety," Mo Xiuyao remarked disapprovingly. "Since these four cannot guarantee your comprehensive protection, shall I send a few more back with you upon our return? Or perhaps assign the personnel from my own side to you?" Ye Li cast a sideways glance at Shadow Three, who was silently projecting a pleading expression toward her, and said helplessly, "I don't like having people following me in secret."

"They are here to protect your safety. I will have the individuals with the absolute best concealment capabilities selected so that you won't feel troubled."

"No one can be better than us." Shadow Three stole a peek at Mo Xiuyao and muttered under his breath. Mo Xiuyao's flat gaze instantly landed upon him, causing Shadow Three's body to stiffen involuntarily. He only heard Mo Xiuyao state indifferently, "There has never been a case where a secret guard needed their master to rescue them. In that regard alone, indeed, no one is stronger than you."

"Mo... Xiuyao..." Ye Li reached out to take Mo Xiuyao's hand, speaking softly, "They've both helped me out with a great deal. You can tell that I don't need secret guards; what I need are trusted assistants. Besides, aren't secret guards useless in certain environments, wouldn't you say?" For instance, there were places where secret guards simply couldn't follow, whereas ordinary guards could generally appear anywhere secret guards were capable of going. Moreover, the degree of danger in those places wouldn't be exceptionally high either. Fortunately, only a tiny fraction of the Ding Prince's Estate's secret guards were specifically trained to protect the master, while all the others fulfilled separate responsibilities; otherwise, it would simply be an egregious waste of talent. Mo Xiuyao glanced down at the two head-lowered secret guards, his gaze shifting slightly. Lowering his head to look at Ye Li, who was gazing up at him with an earnest expression, he stated in a deep voice, "They may remain by your side, but I will additionally assign four other secret guards to you."

"No need." Ye Li smiled faintly. "I'm not accustomed to secret guards. Even if you assign someone else to follow me, it won't be long before they turn out exactly like Shadow Two and the others. What would be the point of that?"

Mo Xiuyao let out a slight huff, turned around, and walked toward the official highway. Ye Li bit her lip with a smile and followed closely behind him, leaving behind the bewildered Shadow Two and Shadow Three. "Ah-Er, what did the Prince mean by that?"

"It means we can continue following the Princess. Probably..."

Broken Snow Pass Main Camp

Upon seeing Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao enter, everyone inside the large tent hurriedly stood up. Murong Shen personally walked down from the commander's seat to greet them. "This subordinate pays respects to the Prince and Princess. This crisis in Yonglin is entirely thanks to the timely reinforcement and rescue of the Prince and Princess, allowing us to escape a major disaster. Please accept this bow from your subordinate." As he spoke, he flipped the hem of his battle robe and prepared to kneel down. Mo Xiuyao reached out to support his shoulder, speaking with serene indifference, "It is merely within this Prince's duties; General Murong need not stand on ceremony." Since Mo Xiuyao refused to let him kneel, Murong Shen naturally couldn't manage to bow down no matter what he tried. Upon observing that Mo Xiuyao appeared in robust physical health with a plentiful reserve of internal energy, a trace of undisguised joy flashed through his eyes. Abandoning his insistence, he turned sideways to invite the two inside. "Prince, Princess, please take a seat inside."

The people inside the tent wore expressions of incredible variety as they watched Mo Xiuyao stride in under his own power; some looked overjoyed, some shocked, and others deep in thought. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li down to sit in the seats of honor directly below the commander's position, then raised a question: "General, how goes the situation with the Southern Zhao main army?" Murong Shen hesitated for a moment before returning to his main seat and replying, "Southern Zhao's attacks on the city have been very fierce over the past few days, presumably wanting to coordinate with the rebel forces of Prince Li inside the pass. Now that the Prince and reinforcements have arrived in person, there is naturally no need to worry about these Southern barbarians any longer. Tomorrow we shall sally forth from the city to meet them in battle, and we will definitely drive these Southern dogs back into the deep mountains of the Southern Frontier!" The ones feeling stifled during these days of defending the city weren't just the soldiers of Broken Snow Pass—Murong Shen, as the commanding general, felt even more suffocated. Yet no matter how stifled he felt, he could only endure it and suppress any outward display. Now that reinforcements had arrived, it was naturally time to hold his head high and exhale that pent-up breath.

"I wonder how many troops the Prince brought this time?" Others present were equally eager to leap into action.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, "Two thousand Black Cloud Cavalry, and an army of fifty thousand that will only arrive in three days."

A heavy silence fell over the large tent, and everyone felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured straight over their heads, chilling them from the outside in. One of them, possessed of a straightforward temper, stood up in disbelief and blurted out, "Prince... how could the imperial court dispatch only fifty thousand troops?" Where were the fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry? Where were the eight hundred thousand Mo Family Army troops? A trace of detached, indifferent amusement flickered across the corners of Mo Xiuyao's lips. "This Prince merely came ahead to provide initial support. As for the rest... His Majesty naturally has his own arrangements." Everyone fell silent, and Murong Shen let out a quiet sigh internally. Once matters reached this point, how could anyone fail to understand? His Majesty required someone to provide support to the Southern Frontier with the utmost speed, and the only military force capable of marching at such a rapid pace was the Ding Prince's Black Cloud Cavalry. Yet His Majesty similarly did not trust the Prince of Ding, which was precisely why he refused to let the Prince bring along a large force; the true main army was trailing behind. Furthermore, the commander leading that main force was undoubtedly someone trusted by His Majesty. Once the rebellion was pacified in the future, the credit would naturally be attributed to the late arrivals. His Majesty... treating the Ding Prince's Estate with such harshness—wouldn't something go wrong?

"Originally... I thought that since His Royal Highness the Prince of Ding has recovered his health, this campaign would surely sweep across the Southern Frontier in one fell stroke and fulfill the unfinished aspirations of His Highness from back in the day. Now it appears we can only let these Southern barbarians off for the time being." After a long moment, Murong Shen offered a somewhat regretful smile. As a general, there was no one who didn't long to gallop across the battlefield and establish military merits; however, the sudden recovery of the Prince of Ding's health already aroused the suspicions of the Emperor, and no matter what, the Emperor would never be willing to hand over a millenary achievement like pacifying the Southern Frontier to the Prince of Ding. Mo Xiuyao smiled dismissively. "It seems this time truly isn't a favorable opportunity. General, you will still have to trouble yourself to endure the hardships these next few days. This Prince will temporarily reside in Yonglin for these few days, and once the main reinforcement army catches up, I shall set off to return to the capital."

Murong Shen was taken aback. "The Prince is not staying at Broken Snow Pass?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "With the General holding down the fort at Broken Snow Pass, there is no need for this Prince to meddle. Moreover, Mo Jingli still has over a hundred thousand troops over at Yonglin. This Prince... still has a minor personal matter to attend to."

Murong Shen had no choice but to nod. "Since that is the case, the Prince may do as he pleases." Although he felt some lingering regret that they might not be able to deal Southern Zhao a heavy blow this time, this sort of matter wasn't something a mere military general could decide. Besides... the fact that the Prince of Ding had appeared in Broken Snow Pass in robust health—this single piece of news alone was more than enough to scare those Southern barbarians out of their wits. After all... it had been less than a decade since the previous war where the Southern Frontier was nearly wiped out entirely.

Returning to Yonglin City, it was already nightfall. Fortunately, everything within Yonglin City did not require Mo Xiuyao to expend too much mental energy. Feng Zhiyao, who had been left behind, had already put everything in good order. Ye Li looked with mild curiosity at Feng Zhiyao, who had discarded his gorgeous red robes and changed into green armor and white robes, appearing exceptionally vigorous and spirited—altogether like a different person compared to how he looked in the capital. At the same time, Feng Zhiyao was also curiously sizing up Ye Li, who remained as gentle and unflustered as ever. He simply couldn't equate the elegant, delicate woman before him with the black-clad female warrior who had dealt out death with ruthless precision on the battlefield.

Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li down to sit in the study, pointing toward a chair nearby as he asked Feng Zhiyao, "Has Leng Haoyu not arrived yet?"

Feng Zhiyao smiled. "He just arrived, and he's currently changing his clothes before coming over. He ran into a bit of trouble on the road and was hunted down by assassins the entire way; he looked rather disheveled when he finally rushed over."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she looked at Feng Zhiyao, who chuckled and said, "He relied on his deep pockets to snatch grain right out from under Prince Li's nose—wasn't that just begging to have his head chopped off? Still, the results were quite good; he managed to acquire at least thirty percent of this year's grain harvest across the entire Jiangnan region. By now, even if Prince Li turns around to attack the various districts of Jiangnan, I'm afraid it won't be long before he runs short on grain. Naturally, Prince Li dispatched assassins to hunt him down everywhere."

"What is he planning to do with all that grain?" Jiangnan could be said to be Great Chu's granary; thirty percent of the grain supply across the entire Jiangnan region was no small figure. Feng Zhiyao replied with an unconcerned smile, "Once Jiangnan falls into chaos, grain prices will only skyrocket; it won't fail to sell. Even if we truly couldn't sell it, we still have several hundred thousand people waiting to be fed, after all."

Sure enough, a short while later, Leng Haoyu appeared at the doorway. A freshly inflicted scratch was still visible on his handsome cheek, though fortunately it didn't look too serious and probably wouldn't leave a scar. "Prince, Princess."

Mo Xiuyao nodded and spoke in a deep voice, "You've been stationed in Lingzhou for over half a year—what on earth happened this time? How did Mo Jingli suddenly decide to launch a rebellion?" Leng Haoyu cast a surprised look at Mo Xiuyao. "Didn't the Prince march south precisely because he received news of Prince Li's rebellion?" Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "This Prince came over because of some matters concerning the Southern Frontier, and the moment we set out, we received news of Mo Jingli's uprising. Even if Mo Jingli lacks brains, he should at least realize he wasn't fully prepared."

Feng Zhiyao shook his head. "I think Mo Jingli chose this timing brilliantly. He caught us completely off guard. Leaving aside the fact that we arrived a few days late, if we had arrived even half a day later, Broken Snow Pass wouldn't have been able to hold out." Mo Xiuyao frowned. "If he had truly prepared properly, he shouldn't have been in such a rush to attack Broken Snow Pass. He could have completely split his forces into two routes: one to pin down General Murong at Broken Snow Pass, and the other to march directly eastward. The southeastern territories have historically been peaceful with very few garrison troops stationed there. As long as he completely occupied the territory south of the Yunlan River, regardless of whether we have tens of thousands of troops right now or two or three hundred thousand, crossing the Yunlan River smoothly to suppress the rebellion wouldn't necessarily have been easy. For General Murong to stand alone and unsupported, with Broken Snow Pass collapsing, would simply be a matter of sooner or later. By that time... whatever benefits Mo Jingli secured, he wouldn't have had to split them with Southern Zhao at all."

"If he hadn't prepared yet still rushed to raise troops... could it be that the Emperor wanted to make a move against him?" Leng Haoyu guessed.

Feng Zhiyao shook his head. "No, if the Emperor wanted to make a move against him in the first place, he wouldn't have allowed him to leave the capital."

Leng Haoyu nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Prince Li's military uprising truly came out of nowhere. He had just returned to Lingzhou without making any notable moves, but three days later he suddenly raised his banner in rebellion. I was quite startled at the time as well."

Ye Li asked, "What was the reason that caused the Prince to rush here so suddenly?"

Mo Xiuyao looked at her, retrieved a letter from his tunic, and handed it over. Ye Li took it and looked it over; it was the letter she had previously sent back, accompanied by another letter that was clearly written in her grandfather's handwriting. After reading through it once, Ye Li asked in astonishment, "The Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier, Shuman Lin, is a descendant of the former dynasty's emperor?!" This was truly something Ye Li hadn't expected; it was far too dramatic. She had indeed guessed whether Shuman Lin might possess some other identity, but that the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier was a descendant of the former dynasty's emperor while Mo Jingli was the reigning Emperor's own younger brother—and then the two of them conspired to rebel?

"Didn't Southern Zhao betray the former dynasty to establish their own nation? How could they let a descendant of the former dynasty's emperor become the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier?" Judging by how the King of Southern Zhao treated Shuman Lin's handling of affairs, he shouldn't have been unaware of her identity.

Mo Xiuyao stated, "That accessory you sent back is a relic of Princess Zhaoyang, who was married off to a certain tribe in the Southern Frontier during the former dynasty."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. So what if she was? Princess Zhaoyang lived several hundred years ago, long before Southern Zhao was founded.

Feng Zhiyao stepped in to explain, "This Princess Zhaoyang was a remarkable woman; it is said that before her marriage, she even participated in court politics. It was simply that the Gaozong Emperor of that era disliked women participating in politics and issued imperial edicts to reprimand her on several occasions. Later, she was sent off to the Southern Frontier for a political marriage. Although Princess Zhaoyang vanished from the records from then on, the tribe she married into grew to become the largest tribe in the Southern Frontier at that time thanks to the support of the former dynasty's emperor—which consequently became the predecessor of the Southern Zhao royal family. The Southern Zhao royal family admired Central Plains culture; although their relationship with the former dynasty wasn't good, they treated certain... dissident subjects of the former dynasty exceptionally well. From the founding of Southern Zhao down to the demise of the former dynasty, historical traces show they sheltered at least three imperial princes, two princesses, and one prince consort. Some of these individuals fled to Southern Zhao because their plots to usurp the throne failed, while others did so because they were framed. Without exception, these people ultimately married into or took spouses from the direct lineage of the Southern Zhao royal family. As for the very last one they sheltered, although the records are somewhat vague, we suspect he was the former dynasty's crown prince."

"So, what you're trying to say is that the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier might be the orphaned descendant of the former dynasty's crown prince?" Ye Li asked, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her mind. Sure enough, if you felt that stories and romance scripts were full of dramatic clichés, reality would only ever prove to be far more clichéd.

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "In the third year after the fall of the former dynasty, the reigning Queen of Southern Zhao married an unidentified Central Plains man. Five years later, Southern Zhao continuously infringed upon Great Chu's borders, and it wasn't until both the Queen of Southern Zhao and her consort passed away that the conflict gradually subsided. However, over all these years, the two nations have constantly alternated between fighting and making peace, never truly settling down. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, Southern Zhao seeks every possible means to invade the Central Plains."

Ye Li rubbed the bridge between her eyebrows. "Understood, so Southern Zhao possesses a very thick bloodline of the former dynasty's royal family. They intend to recapture the empire for the former dynasty and enter to rule the Central Plains?"

"Recapturing the empire for the former dynasty is probably false, but wanting to enter and rule the Central Plains is a certainty." Feng Zhiyao nodded.

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao with a puzzled expression. "Even so, you didn't need to rush over in such a hurry. Since they've already spent over a hundred years preparing, they surely wouldn't mind preparing for a few more decades." Mo Xiuyao looked at her. "If it weren't for Mo Jingli's rebellion this time, what were you planning to do?" Ye Li was momentarily startled, remembering her plan to go inspect the Holy Land of the Southern Frontier. "Was there danger?" Mo Xiuyao's expression didn't look particularly pleasant as he stated, "Don't you think that so-called Holy Land of the Southern Frontier is deeply problematic?"

Ye Li blinked, waiting for his explanation.

"The Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier must enter the Holy Land upon reaching the age of twenty-five. But in reality, most Holy Maidens step down from their duties and enter the Holy Land at twenty-one or twenty-two, with the youngest even doing so at nineteen. No one knows the appearance of these so-called Holy Maidens, no one knows their family background or identity, and even less does anyone know what they go off to do after entering the Holy Land. Yet these women must all undergo all sorts of diverse education from childhood, and after becoming Holy Maidens, they even exert a certain degree of influence over Southern Zhao's state affairs. Exactly how much time, financial resources, and energy are required to cultivate such a person—could it really be just to place them there to serve as a Holy Maiden for a few years before throwing them into some Holy Land to grow old and die?" Mo Xiuyao's voice remained calm and even. Leng Haoyu pondered this. "What the Prince says makes sense. The rules governing the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier are indeed rather strange. I recall that the Holy Maiden with the shortest tenure seemed to serve for only two years—becoming Holy Maiden at fifteen and stepping down at seventeen."

"I thought we were discussing what danger the Southern Holy Land holds?" Ye Li reminded him.

Mo Xiuyao stated, "There is no Southern Holy Land at all. There may indeed be a place by that name, but it is definitely not a place consecrated with Southern treasures and used for the Holy Maidens to spend their old age. That should be the greatest secret of the Southern Zhao royal family. Therefore, once anyone touches upon that place, they will be annihilated by the Southern Zhao royal family at all costs. That is why the rumor exists that anyone who trespasses into the Southern Holy Land never returns alive."

Ye Li felt somewhat disappointed; that being the case, there probably wasn't any Youluo Underworld Flower inside that so-called Southern Holy Land.

Leng Haoyu remarked, "This shouldn't have anything to do with Prince Li's sudden rebellion, right?"

Feng Zhiyao leaned lazily back in his chair with a smile. "No relation? The relation is huge. Previously, we assumed Mo Jingli wanted to utilize the Southern Holy Maiden and Southern Zhao. Now it appears that fool was the one being utilized by others, which is why he launched such a hasty rebellion. I used to think he had grown smart, but a fool is still a fool!" Ye Li felt a hint of doubt. "What chips could Southern Zhao possibly use to persuade Mo Jingli?"

Feng Zhiyao laughed. "For instance, sharing the empire together with the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier. With Southern Zhao's assistance, it would naturally be much easier for Mo Jingli to acquire the empire. By that time, he would win both the empire and the beauty without missing out on either; any man would take the bait." Ye Li couldn't understand it—Southern Zhao could painstakingly lay out a layout for over a hundred years just to enter and rule the Central Plains; was political power truly the most intoxicating thing in the world? "Hmph, their calculations were quite clever indeed. If they couldn't break through Broken Snow Pass from the outside, they would break it from the inside instead. Speaking of which, if it weren't for the Princess this time, I'm afraid that by the time we arrived today, neither Broken Snow Pass, Lingzhou, nor Yongzhou would have had a single foothold left for reinforcements."

Leng Haoyu frowned and asked, "What does the Prince plan to do?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Nothing planned. You aren't safe staying in Jiangnan right now; set off to return to the capital as soon as possible." Leng Haoyu moved his lips as if wanting to say something, but Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and said, "I will speak with General Murong to arrange for you and Murong Ting to be wed as soon as possible. Haoyu..." Leng Haoyu felt a jolt run through him and hastily replied, "This subordinate understands; many thanks for the Prince's gracious arrangement."

Feng Zhiyao said with some lingering reluctance, "It's not easy for me to make a trip out of the capital, only for it to wrap up so hastily. Does the Emperor have to be this guarded against us? He's truly wasting this young master's time." Mo Xiuyao stated with indifference, "Southern Zhao cannot amount to much; there's no need to pay them mind for now. Rest assured, this trip won't be in vain for you." Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. "You're the only one who dares to say Southern Zhao cannot amount to much. In my view, those Southern Zhao people have quite profound schemes to be able to spend such a long time enduring and laying out plans..." Mo Xiuyao's smile was cold and detached. "Over a hundred years, generation after generation still unable to accomplish anything—what kind of climate could they possibly amount to? Perhaps the only thing worth praising about them is their persistence." Feng Zhiyao smiled. "I guess the people of Southern Zhao probably hate the Ding Prince's Estate the most." For over a hundred years they couldn't accomplish their goals, and the Ding Prince's Estate was definitely and meritatorily responsible. For instance, that time over a decade ago—if they hadn't temporarily withdrawn their troops at the very end, the people of Southern Zhao would never have had to worry about how to enter and rule the Central Plains ever again. "Then what did the Prince mean by saying I won't have made this trip in vain? Are we going to fight Southern Zhao after all?"

Mo Xiuyao lifted his gaze and smiled. "We aren't fighting a war; we're going to suppress bandits."

"Suppress bandits?" the three people in the study asked in unison.

Feng Zhiyao's eyes shifted as he asked, "I don't recall there being any formidable bandits or robbers in Yongzhou."

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Just because there weren't any in the past doesn't mean there aren't any now. Otherwise, how do you explain the reinforcements from Yongzhou?"

"Weren't those sent by Mo Jingli?" Feng Zhiyao asked.

Mo Xiuyao sneered. "Leaving aside whether he even possesses that kind of brains, even if he did, to have an entire force of twenty thousand men wiped out—with the strength of the Lingzhou rebel forces, how many troops would that require? At the time, Mo Jingli's rebel forces were still operating near Yongzhou City; how could he possibly make a force of at least thirty thousand troops make a rapid dash across several hundred miles to ambush Yongzhou's reinforcements?"

Feng Zhiyao pondered for a moment and said, "At the very least, they would have had to dispatch this military force on the exact same day he raised his rebellion in order to make it in time to ambush Yongzhou's reinforcements by the Yunlan River. Moreover, they would have had to know in advance that Yongzhou would definitely dispatch reinforcements to rescue Snow Pass. Very few people knew that Wu Chenglang was our man, and at the very least Mo Jingli could certainly never have known. If he didn't know, it would be even more impossible for him to dispatch a flanking force specifically to ambush Yongzhou's reinforcements. Because Yongzhou might have chosen to stay put just like everywhere else, or alternatively, forces from various other places might have all sallied forth together to rescue Snow Pass."

"The ones who ambushed Lord Wu weren't Mo Jingli's men?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.

"The ones eyeing this piece of fat meat called Great Chu are more than just Southern Zhao," Mo Xiuyao stated quietly.

"Xiling." Leng Haoyu stated with certainty. Northern Rong was too far from the Southern Frontier, and furthermore, Northern Rong peoples' physical appearances were vastly different from those of Great Chu; attempting to infiltrate Great Chu on a large scale was completely impossible. But Xiling was different—although there were slight differences, that only applied to the Xiling royal family who had intermarried with foreign states. Ordinary Xiling citizens mostly did not differ terribly much from the people of Great Chu. The mere thought that a military force capable of eliminating twenty thousand men had infiltrated Great Chu caused Leng Haoyu to break out in a cold sweat.

Mo Xiuyao's eyes were profound and dark. "These garrison commanders guarding the borders of Great Chu really ought to be given a thorough wake-up call."

Feng Zhiyao shrugged. Over the years, the border garrison commanders had nearly all been replaced by the Emperor anyway, leaving them with no alternatives. Suppressing bandits... actually sounded quite nice...

"Prince, when do we set out?" Since there was a war to be fought, why bother caring whether it was Southern Zhao or Xiling? Feng Zhiyao asked with burning enthusiasm. Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze to look at his slender fingers, speaking in a low voice: "Once the Emperor's people arrive to take over Yonglin. Go ahead and have people make preparations. Remember... if you let a single person walk out of Great Chu alive, don't ever tell me you want to go to the battlefield again in this lifetime."

"Understood, Prince!" Feng Zhiyao stood up and responded in a ringing voice, though he hesitated for a moment before unable to help asking, "What about Broken Snow Pass..."

"There's no need to pay it any mind for now. They won't be able to determine a winner for several months. And we no longer have the time to manage them," Mo Xiuyao said in a deep voice.

"Understood."

Ye Li quietly watched the two men conversing, furrowing her brow slightly. An unexplained sense of unease welled up within her heart...