The First Jasmine - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: The Great General Pacifying Bandits

Beneath the large tree in the slender courtyard, Mo Xiuyao sat leisurely leaning against the trunk, his warm gaze falling upon the slender, graceful woman whose movements in the courtyard were fiercely sharp. A dagger radiating a chilling gleam flickered in and out of sight within Ye Li's hands, her agile form darting swiftly among several humanoid wooden dummies arrayed in various postures. In mere moments, distinct wounds appeared in the fatal spots—either the throat or the chest—of every single wooden dummy. Ye Li's performance possessed little aesthetic appeal; instead, it was saturated with a biting, ruthless intent to kill. Yet in the eyes of the onlookers in the courtyard, it was far more captivating than any dance in this world. The secret guards lurking in the shadows involuntarily rubbed their own necks, silently wondering if they could possibly dodge the dagger in the Princess's hands. Feng Zhiyao, who rarely enjoyed a moment of idleness, had his body similarly rigid as he kept stealing sideways glances at Mo Xiuyao, who sat beneath the tree with a calm, almost tender expression. He inwardly disparaged: Among all those aristocratic young ladies, to pick such a terrifyingly lethal Princess for the Prince—Your Majesty, just how terrible is your judgment? Prince Li's move to call off the engagement back then was truly the correct one, otherwise he would have been beaten to death by the Princess sooner or later.

Ye Li put away the dagger in her hand and frowned, clearly somewhat unsatisfied. She turned around and walked back toward the spot beneath the tree where Mo Xiuyao was seated.

"Although A-Li's internal energy is somewhat lacking, her close-combat skills can truly be considered top-tier," Mo Xiuyao smiled gently and nodded. However, internal energy was not something that could be made up for overnight. Given A-Li's status, there were genuinely very few top experts who would require her to personally step in. At the very least, Ye Li's current combat prowess was already far beyond Mo Xiuyao's expectations. Ye Li nodded slightly, her brows furrowing as she said, "Having too weak internal energy is indeed a weakness; I will think of another way to address it. As for encountering supreme experts... I'll ponder on that again later."

Feng Zhiyao looked at her with a trace of alarm. "Princess, you aren't about to tell me that with your current cultivation level, you can actually figure out a way to deal with top-tier internal energy experts, are you?"

Ye Li rested her chin in her hand. "That depends on how formidable they are. If someone can blast apart a house ten zhang away with a single palm strike, then that might be a bit difficult."

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes toward the heavens. "Who has ever seen that kind of heaven-defying expert? Such a level doesn't even exist, alright?" What did she think cultivation capability was? Being able to shatter a bowl-thick tree trunk with a single palm already required extremely profound internal energy, let alone demolishing a house ten zhang away? Ye Li nodded earnestly. "I also feel that such a capability shouldn't exist." Feng Zhiyao asked with curiosity, "Then how does the Princess plan to deal with supreme experts?"

Ye Li blinked her eyes and replied calmly, "With my own inherent strength... dealing with a master like the Prince might be a bit difficult. However, escaping completely unscathed shouldn't pose any problem." As she spoke, Ye Li couldn't help but size up Mo Xiuyao. As a man who had been crippled for nearly ten years, even if Mo Xiuyao's martial arts and physical prowess hadn't regressed, they should at least have remained frozen at the level of his seventeen or eighteen-year-old self. Yet these past few days, she had already discovered that Mo Xiuyao's martial arts remained unfathomable. At the very least, against him, she stood not the slightest chance of winning. This left Ye Li, who had always possessed considerable confidence in her own combat skills, feeling somewhat depressed. Feng Zhiyao no longer knew what expression he ought to wear. What was with that look of depression and regret on your face? Did you think there were actually many people capable of escaping completely unscathed right out from under the Prince's nose?

"If that is the case, the Princess's martial arts are indeed more than sufficient. After all... in today's world, no more than three people can match the Prince's martial arts," Feng Zhiyao remarked.

"Who are the three?" Ye Li asked curiously.

Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose. "Grand Master Ling Tiehan of the King of Hell Pavilion, the Southern Town King of Xiling, and our Great Chu's foremost expert, Mu Qingcang. However, the Southern Town King lost an arm on the battlefield years ago, so his martial arts might have regressed somewhat. Even so, none of these individuals are likely to make a move against the Princess, so there's no need to worry." Ye Li shot him a sidelong glance. "I don't suffer from persecution mania; improving my own strength has nothing to do with whether anyone is planning to make a move against me." Feng Zhiyao couldn't help wiping away a sweat—you're still planning to improve your strength further?

"If there's anything you need, just give the order and have people handle it. If you need personnel, you can also draw directly from the secret guards and the Black Cloud Cavalry," Mo Xiuyao said softly. Since the future was destined to be turbulent, he didn't oppose A-Li utilizing any means to strengthen her own power. Even if it was merely for self-preservation, having an extra layer of strength meant an extra layer of security. Feng Zhiyao cast a somewhat surprised glance at Mo Xiuyao, quietly raising an eyebrow. It seemed the Prince truly regarded this Princess as exceptionally important; at the very least, the authority granted to the Princess could be said to surpass that of any previous Princess of Ding in history, save for the first-generation Princess of Ding. No, perhaps she wasn't even inferior to the first-generation Princess, because the Prince had essentially given his tacit approval granting the Princess full authority over the Black Cloud Cavalry.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Princess. General Murong requests an audience, and... the imperial court's reinforcements have arrived," reported the guard stationed at the courtyard entrance.

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. "They aren't slow to arrive, are they? Which general is leading the troops?"

The guard reported, "It is General Liu Jingyun, the newly appointed Great General Pacifying Bandits bestowed by the Emperor."

Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "Let them in."

The guard hesitated for a moment before stating, "General Liu hasn't entered the city yet."

"Does this Prince need to personally go outside the city to welcome him?" Mo Xiuyao's voice was light, yet it exuded an invisible, overwhelming pressure that swept across the surroundings like a deluge. The guard immediately and decisively bowed. "This subordinate obeys!" He turned and hurried off to relay the message. Let the Prince go outside the city to welcome him? What kind of joke was that?

"Who on earth is this Liu Jingyun?" Feng Zhiyao muttered, dragging his hand across his forehead as he wrung his brains. Could it be that the secret intelligence network he led had truly grown so incompetent of late that even he didn't know the Emperor had such a confidant general? Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "He is the posthumous illegitimate son of the late Fourth Young Master of Prime Minister Liu's household, ranking eleventh in the Liu family. He should be twenty-seven years old this year." Feng Zhiyao frowned. "Concubine Liu's nephew? Has the Emperor truly been driven mad by Mo Jingli? It's not as though the court is genuinely devoid of people, yet he sends someone who has never stepped onto a battlefield to pacify a rebellion? Even if he had invited Elder State Duke Hua to come out of retirement, it would still be infinitely better than bringing in someone who knows nothing." Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "The Emperor would never heavily employ someone from the Hua family." Feng Zhiyao let out a disdainful, cold laugh. "So he heavily employs members of the Liu family instead?" Of course he knew the Emperor was guarding against the Hua family; otherwise, why would the Empress—who was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Hua clan—have only a single princess to her name? The Hua family had already reached the zenith of power and splendor, and since Elder State Duke Hua had formerly enjoyed an exceptionally close friendship with Mo Liufang, how could the Emperor possibly fail to be on guard against them?

"In the Emperor's eyes, the Liu family is clearly far more loyal than the Hua family, and much easier to control as well," Mo Xiuyao calmly pointed out the reality.

Feng Zhiyao nodded, mocking, "Indeed. If the Liu family weren't utterly and devotedly loyal to the Emperor, how could they have maintained such unflagging imperial favor all these years?" Selling daughters to curry favor... just on that single point, the Hua family truly couldn't compare to the Liu family.

"The Emperor could never truly allow someone completely ignorant of military affairs to take command of over a hundred thousand heavy troops. Liu Jingyun is nothing more than a piece on the surface. Now that Mo Jingli has rebelled, the Emperor will no longer trust the Ye family, and propping up the Liu family has already become an inevitable trend. However... the Emperor will likely also take advantage of this brief window to cultivate some emerging factions to keep the Liu family in check," Mo Xiuyao remarked casually, acting as though he no longer cared in the slightest about the military campaign in Yonglin. "Once the reinforcements arrive, we'll leave Yonglin. Since the Emperor loves dragging his feet, let him drag them; this war won't wrap up in three to five months."

"Murong Shen pays respects to the Prince and Princess." Murong Shen strode into the courtyard and bowed in greeting.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "General, please take a seat and speak. Do you have some pressing matter coming over at this hour?"

Murong Shen nodded with a somewhat troubled expression, looking at Mo Xiuyao as he said, "I heard that the Prince intends to leave Yonglin today. I wonder... what are the Prince's views on the current military situation in Yongzhou?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with a smile. "What does the General mean by this? Once the imperial court's reinforcements arrive, Snow Pass will naturally be safe and sound." Murong Shen let out a helpless sigh, looking solemnly at Mo Xiuyao. "This subordinate has always been someone who speaks his mind, and I ask the Prince not to take offense. If we had the Prince's assistance, I am certain we could quell Prince Li's rebellion within a month. But why is the Prince..." Mo Xiuyao smiled and shook his head. "General, both you and I understand the saying: 'When an army is away from home, the general's orders from the sovereign need not be obeyed.' However, throughout history, monarchs who could truly accept that phrase have been exceedingly rare. As for how those renowned generals who defied imperial decrees ultimately met their ends, the General must surely be well aware."

"For these past few days, Prince Li's main army has remained completely motionless, and I worry that Prince Li will lead his forces to march eastward. By then, I'm afraid the common folk in the southeastern regions will once again be plunged into the flames of war," Murong Shen said heavily. As a military general, his grasp of court politics was only skin-deep, which was why he couldn't understand why there were clearly better solutions to resolve the problem, yet everyone chose to drag things out like this instead, leaving ordinary people to suffer. Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a sigh. "It's too late... Mo Jingli has already split his forces into two routes and headed east. In truth, the very reason Mo Jingli's forces remained stationary these past few days is because Mo Jingli is likely no longer in the army at this moment." Murong Shen was profoundly shocked, blurting out, "If that is the case, why didn't the Prince stop him?"

"General..." Mo Xiuyao's smile held a bitter edge. The moment Murong Shen's words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them. In the Emperor's eyes, the Ding Prince's Estate was far more terrifying than Prince Li's rebel army. How could the Emperor ever allow the Prince of Ding to genuinely interfere in matters concerning Prince Li? Most likely, the moment the Mo Family Army made a move, the Emperor would immediately use the charge of defying the holy decree to punish the Prince of Ding. By then... hundreds of thousands of Mo Family troops... Murong Shen couldn't help shuddering, not daring to think any further. "The southeastern military campaign is inevitable; the General only needs to firmly hold Snow Pass and prevent the Southern Zhao troops from crossing the pass to join forces with Mo Jingli. As for Prince Li's main army in Yongzhou, they are bound to retreat from Yongzhou within a month."

Could it be that Great Chu was truly destined to split into North and South from this point on? Murong Shen asked himself silently in his heart. Could it be that dealing with the Prince of Ding—who had rendered meritorious service in protecting the state—was genuinely considered more important than pacifying the rebellious Prince Li? The upright General Murong naturally failed to understand that in the eyes of the sovereign Mo Jingqi, Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli were never opponents on the same level to begin with. As long as he could deal with Mo Xiuyao, let alone one Mo Jingli, even if there were yet another Mo Jingli, there would be nothing to worry about. If Jiangnan was occupied by Mo Jingli, he could eventually take it back; but if Mo Xiuyao were allowed to entrench himself in Jiangnan, forget about taking it back—he would instead have to be constantly on guard against whether Mo Xiuyao might stretch his hands northward toward the north of the river, or even attempt to seize the entire rivers and mountains of Great Chu. Therefore, in truth, aside from his initial burst of blind fury, once Mo Jingqi calmed down, he was practically overjoyed by Mo Jingli's sudden rebellion. Only through this would he have a perfect pretext to execute this full younger brother born of the same mother.

"The Great General Pacifying Bandits has arrived!" A loud, ringing voice sounded outside the courtyard, instantly draining the color from the faces of everyone inside, including Murong Shen. Before the Prince of Ding, let alone a newly bestowed great general who had never set foot on a battlefield, even the battle-hardened and immensely distinguished Elder State Duke Hua would never have behaved with such discourtesy. Was this newly appointed great general utterly brainless, or did he simply not place the Prince of Ding in his eyes at all?

A clamor of hurried footsteps approached from afar, clearly indicating that far more than just one or two people were entering. Ye Li paused to listen closely—there were at least twenty or thirty people. A faint trace of amusement surfaced in her eyes. Could this Great General Pacifying Bandits be making a special trip here just to throw his weight around and put on a show of might? Feng Zhiyao caught Ye Li's look and curled his lip in utter disdain. Throwing his weight around in front of the Prince? Had his brain been caught in a door? The last Northern Rong prince who tried to throw his weight around in front of the Prince reportedly still hadn't fully recovered his wits.

Upon reaching the courtyard entrance, the entourage was evidently blocked by someone. A somewhat sharp voice rang out: "Impudent! The Great General Pacifying Bandits is here—why haven't you stepped aside?"

The guards stationed at the entrance showed no fear whatsoever, their voices flat as they replied, "Please have the General remove your weapons; personal guards are not permitted to enter."

"I am the commander-in-chief of the grand army; how can I remove my weapons? What is the Prince of Ding implying by this?" Another, younger voice carried a hint of arrogance and displeasure. The guard stated in a deep voice, "Entering with weapons without the Prince's permission will be treated uniformly as an assassination attempt. Since the Great General Pacifying Bandits is the commander-in-chief of the grand army, he should be well aware of this rule. Please do not make things difficult for this subordinate."

Listening to the commotion at the entrance, Mo Xiuyao impatiently rubbed the space between his brows and said, "Let the two of them in."

Silence fell outside the courtyard for a moment, and before long, two men walked in. The leading figure was dressed entirely in white, draped in a white military cloak with a precious sword in a silver scabbard hanging at his waist, making his entire person appear... brilliantly silver. Ye Li blinked, involuntarily recalling that a few days ago, Mo Xiuyao had also worn an identical white outfit; looking back at the person walking over not far away, she couldn't help secretly chuckling to herself. While Mo Xiuyao in white clothes, a white horse, and a silver spear truly cut a dashing figure with a peerlessly imposing aura, the person before her... Ye Li experienced a bizarre association with a certain phrase: People who love dressing entirely in white are all repressed, closeted narcissists. As she silently lowered her head in thought, a cool hand gently clasped hers. Ye Li looked up at him; Mo Xiuyao met her gaze with a smile, a flicker of inquiry in the depths of his eyes. Ye Li shook her head to indicate it was nothing, then looked back toward the newly arrived individuals she had just tuned out. The person trailing behind didn't possess any particularly memorable or striking features; if anything had to be said, it was that he walked with a pronounced limp. Ye Li was reminded of a certain incompetent former garrison commander of Snow Pass whom Mo Xiuyao had evaluated as a mere bag of straw last year.

The two men arrived before the group and came to a halt, showing not the slightest intention of offering a greeting. Naturally, no one here intended to greet them either; aside from Feng Zhiyao, none of the people present held a rank lower than theirs. And since Feng Zhiyao was not an officially commissioned imperial general, he naturally had no intention of offering any greetings. The courtyard fell silent for a moment, until Guan Ting, standing behind Liu Jingyun, seemed to realize that things couldn't go on like this. He stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, General Liu and this general have come under the Emperor's decree to take over Yonglin City."

Mo Xiuyao showed no hostility, nodding slightly as he turned his head sideways to instruct Feng Zhiyao, "Feng San, issue the order for the entire Black Cloud Cavalry to withdraw from Yonglin."

"Understood, Your Highness."

"Hold on!" Guan Ting hurriedly intervened, staring at Mo Xiuyao with a measure of arrogance. "The Prince perhaps didn't hear clearly; General Liu and this general have been ordered by the Emperor to take over Yonglin, which includes the garrison troops of Yonglin City as well." In a single sentence, not only Yonglin City, but even the two thousand Black Cloud Cavalry stationed there were to be subsumed under his command. Everyone present drew in a sharp breath inwardly, looking at Guan Ting's expression as if gazing upon a dead man. Mo Xiuyao didn't appear angered in the least, merely offering a faint, gentle smile. "General Guan... is the Emperor sending you here specifically to provoke this Prince?"

Guan Ting's breath hitched, his expression stiffening as he demanded, "What does the Prince mean by this? The Emperor ordered the Prince to lead troops ahead of time to reinforce Yonglin, not to serve as the commander-in-chief for pacifying the rebellion. Now that the commander-in-chief has arrived, shouldn't the Prince hand over the military command of Yonglin?" He naturally remembered the Emperor's instructions before his departure telling him not to easily provoke Mo Xiuyao, but... thinking of the humiliation Mo Xiuyao had inflicted upon him back then, a flash of hatred crossed Guan Ting's eyes. He lifted his chin and tried hard to make himself look more righteous. Murong Shen frowned. "General Guan, the Prince merely gave the order to withdraw the Black Cloud Cavalry; you ought to know what the Black Cloud Cavalry is..." Guan Ting raised his voice to interrupt him. "Aren't the Black Cloud Cavalry part of Great Chu's military forces? Or is the Prince of Ding attempting to harbor personal military strength and defy authority?!" By the end of his sentence, the look Guan Ting directed at Mo Xiuyao could almost be termed venomous.

Mo Xiuyao pressed down on the armrest and slowly stood up. Guan Ting froze, involuntarily taking a step backward. He watched as Mo Xiuyao took two steady steps forward, his expression serene as he looked down at him and asked softly, "General Guan, do you perhaps believe that after resting and recuperating in the estate for a few years, this Prince's temper has grown better than it used to be?" Guan Ting's face turned pale, and he stared in terror at the seemingly slender man in white standing before him. Did Mo Xiuyao have a good temper? If you asked ten people who currently knew him, at least nine and a half would tell you he had a very pleasant temper. But those who had truly known Mo Xiuyao for a long time all knew that this individual... had never once possessed a good temper. He could give Mo Jingli a sound beating simply because the latter had covertly tripped him up, or team up with Feng Zhiyao to thrash Mo Jingli and hang him up in a tree. He could likewise order Guan Ting to be whipped in front of several thousand troops without saying a word simply due to his poor tactical command. Such a temperament could by no means be considered good.

"What... what do you want to do?" Guan Ting asked in panic.

"If your words just now weren't the Emperor's intentions... General Guan, do you know what crime you have committed?" Mo Xiuyao asked calmly.

Guan Ting watched Mo Xiuyao with a heart full of dread, yet he never dared to claim that these were Mo Jingqi's instructions. Even if Mo Jingqi went mad, he would never ask Mo Xiuyao for command over the Black Cloud Cavalry—leaving aside whether Mo Xiuyao would even hand it over, if he were given command, he wouldn't know how to control or use them, and would only end up bringing trouble upon himself. Having no other choice, he cast a look of desperate appeal toward the neglected Liu Jingyun standing beside him. Although Liu Jingyun was displeased by the Prince of Ding's outright disdain, it was only upon truly laying eyes on the Prince of Ding that he realized he utterly lacked the imposing aura required to stand in confrontation with him. His earlier arrogance had been whittled away, leaving behind only bitter reluctance and dread.

"Prin... Prince..." Under Mo Xiuyao's gaze, Guan Ting's expression began to tremble with apprehension until, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away, he collapsed limply to his knees on the ground. Mo Xiuyao walked past him with measured, even strides. "Feng San, prepare to set out."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Ye Li smiled and nodded at Murong Shen, then followed after him. Murong Shen cast a helpless look at the two newly arrived generals, sighed, and also turned to walk out. Fortunately, this Great General Pacifying Bandits had no subordinate relationship with him; since that was the case, let him pacify his bandits while he himself guarded his pass.

Left behind, Liu Jingyun blankly watched everyone's figures vanish beyond the doorway. Did anyone still remember that he was the newly arrived Great General?

The Black Cloud Cavalry truly lived up to their reputation for absolute obedience; within less a quarter of an hour after Mo Xiuyao's command was issued, all two-odd thousand Black Cloud Cavalrymen had completely evacuated Yonglin City. The unusual movement of the Black Cloud Cavalry actually caused a brief bout of tension among the opposing rebel forces stationed across from them, though upon confirming that the Black Cloud Cavalry had no intention of launching an offensive against them, they breathed a sigh of relief while still maintaining strict vigilance. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao also returned to their quarters to pack their belongings, preparing to leave the city and rendezvous with the Black Cloud Cavalry.

"Princess, Captain Yun requests an audience," Shadow Two reported from outside the door.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat curious about Yun Ting's purpose in coming. "Have him enter."

A moment later, Yun Ting walked in with a hint of nervous hesitation. Ye Li held a rather favorable impression of this young military officer, and said with a faint smile, "Does Captain Yun have some matter on your mind?" Yun Ting looked at Ye Li's traveling attire and asked, "Are the Princess and the Prince leaving immediately?" Ye Li nodded. "The Prince is currently having someone hand over affairs to General Liu, and we'll be departing shortly. Will Captain Yun and Captain Xia also be returning to Snow Pass?"

"I..." Yun Ting showed a troubled expression, hesitating for a moment before finally gritting his teeth, dropping to one knee, and saying, "This subordinate wishes to join the Black Cloud Cavalry, and begs the Princess to take me in."

Ye Li looked with surprise at Yun Ting's resolute expression, her brows furrowing as she said, "If Captain Yun wishes to join the Black Cloud Cavalry, you should be asking the Prince, not coming to me."

Yun Ting froze, instantly growing somewhat flustered and at a loss. He had only thought that since the Princess happened to be here, he might as well ask her first, forgetting that with the Prince of Ding present, such matters would nine times out of ten require the Prince's consent. Seeing Yun Ting's blank expression, Ye Li smiled faintly. "What made Captain Yun suddenly wish to join the Black Cloud Cavalry?" The Black Cloud Cavalry were all handpicked elites from the Mo Family Army; it wasn't a force one could simply join on a whim. Yun Ting gritted his teeth. "The Black Cloud Cavalry are the finest troops in all of Great Chu, and Yun Ting wishes to join them to follow the Prince and Princess across the battlefields and render meritorious service."

Watching Yun Ting's earnest expression, Ye Li let out a soft chuckle.

"Captain Yun, you are already the most outstanding captain under General Murong's command. Having accomplished great feats by defending Yonglin this time, within a few years you are bound to become a renowned young general of Great Chu. If you join the Black Cloud Cavalry instead..." Ye Li shook her head with a smile. Yun Ting hurriedly spoke up, "As long as I can join the Black Cloud Cavalry, Yun Ting is willing to serve as a mere ordinary foot soldier." Ye Li looked at him. "Captain Yun, do you know why the Black Cloud Cavalry numbers a mere tens of thousands?" Yun Ting answered as though it were only natural, "The Black Cloud Cavalry are the elite of elites; since they are elite, they are naturally few in number." Ye Li nodded. "Indeed, the Black Cloud Cavalry are precisely the elite of elites. However... precisely because they are elite and few in number, they will never be the ones utilized for major, decisive engagements in actual warfare."

"Eh?" Yun Ting looked perplexed. From childhood to adulthood, every story they had ever heard spoke only of how the Black Cloud Cavalry achieved extraordinary feats and turned the tide of desperate battles. Why was the Princess's perspective entirely different?

Ye Li smiled gently. "What is the purpose of a conflict between two armies?"

"To seize cities and conquer territory."

"Correct. The Black Cloud Cavalry can conduct rapid cavalry raids over thousands of li, execute ambushes and beheading strikes, and accomplish many missions that ordinary soldiers cannot complete. However... they cannot independently capture cities, nor can they independently hold them. Therefore, they actually function primarily in a supplementary role to the main army," Ye Li stated softly.

"Supplementary?"

"A crucial supplement. During critical moments, they serve as the ultimate trump card capable of appearing in the most unexpected places. Yet in ordinary times, they can only lie low in silence, remaining completely obscure. Captain Yun, have you ever heard of any renowned generals emerging from the Black Cloud Cavalry?"

Yun Ting shook his head. Everyone knew the Black Cloud Cavalry were formidable, but the commanders of the Black Cloud Cavalry had always remained completely obscure. Although the Black Cloud Cavalry wasn't massive, numbering tens of thousands of men, and though they were personally overseen by the Prince of Ding, it was impossible for the Prince to personally arrange every single detail. Yet ever since the founding of the Black Cloud Cavalry, it seemed there was only this single name—the designation "Black Cloud Cavalry" stood in place of every individual's name. In the history of Great Chu, the true names of any commanders belonging to the Black Cloud Cavalry had never once been recorded.

Ye Li sighed softly. "I see that Captain Yun possesses an unconstrained disposition and lofty aspirations. Moreover, to have achieved such military exploits in your early twenties means your future prospects are bound to be limitless. If you were to genuinely become a common member of the Black Cloud Cavalry, I'm afraid it would instead derail your ambitions." The Black Cloud Cavalry were the true sharp swords of the Ding Prince's Estate. A sword didn't require too many personal thoughts; wherever the Prince of Ding pointed, that was their will. In truth, it bore a striking structural similarity to the special operations forces of her past life; if Yun Ting's personality were to truly enter that environment without enduring a rigorous tempering, he would undoubtedly regret it down the line. Yun Ting's face flushed red with anxiety as he stammered, "Princess, I..." Ye Li raised a hand to stop him, speaking with a gentle smile, "You needn't be anxious; I am not saying there is anything wrong with you, but rather hoping you will consider carefully whether your true ambition is to become a general wielding a blade across the saddle to reign supreme over the battlefields, or to become a concealed arrow lying in ambush, unleashed only at the optimal moment."

Yun Ting fell silent. These matters mentioned by the Princess were indeed things he had never considered before. No wonder Xia Shu hadn't offered his usual support or encouragement when he said he wanted to plead with the Princess—had Xia Shu perhaps already seen that he wasn't suited for the Black Cloud Cavalry? Yet... Yun Ting looked with a sense of lost bewilderment at the amiable, elegant woman before him. He still held a deep reverence for the strong, and both the Prince of Ding and the Princess of Ding were undoubtedly paragons of strength. He knew he genuinely wished to follow them.

"What is going on here, A-Li?" Mo Xiuyao walked in at a leisurely pace, casting a glance at the conflicted-looking Yun Ting as he asked the question.

Ye Li offered a placid smile, recounting the conversation that had just taken place. Mo Xiuyao turned his gaze to appraise Yun Ting for a moment; under his scrutiny, Yun Ting felt somewhat awkward and constrained, yet he still struggled to maintain his composure and poise.

"What did General Murong say?" Mo Xiuyao asked. Pulling personnel away from Murong Shen's command naturally couldn't be done without giving notice.

Yun Ting's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied, "General Murong said that as long as the Prince and Princess consent, it is fine."

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment before speaking, "To join the Black Cloud Cavalry—you are unsuited for it." A wave of disappointment washed over the bottom of Yun Ting's heart, mixed with a complex jumble of emotions. Then he heard Mo Xiuyao continue, "However, if you are willing, you may follow by A-Li's side for now."

Yun Ting and Ye Li looked toward Mo Xiuyao simultaneously. Ye Li raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Follow her to do what? Recruiting a captain to serve as a bodyguard—Yun Ting probably wasn't even a match for her in combat.

Mo Xiuyao stated, "You don't have many capable people around you; those four are still far too lacking when it comes to commanding troops and directing campaigns. I'll have Qin Feng follow you, supplemented by Yun Ting. Although he's still somewhat impetuous, judging by General Murong's view, he is timber that can be shaped. With a bit of polishing, if he proves useful, we can later transfer him into the Mo Family Army."

Ye Li didn't mind either way, but a wave of profound shock washed through Yun Ting's heart. Judging by the Prince's words, he was apparently cultivating capable confidants for the Princess; in the future, the Princess of Ding would not only command the Black Cloud Cavalry, but might even wield hundreds of thousands of the Mo Family Army. "Many thanks, Your Highness! This subordinate is willing to follow the Princess!" Yun Ting immediately accepted.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "In that case, go bid farewell to General Murong. Set out with the army in half an hour."

"Understood!"