The First Jasmine - Chapter 126
Chapter 126 - The Greatest Expert in Great Chu
"Mu Qingcang!" Feng Zhiyao dropped into the courtyard, frowning as he stared at the man in black before him.
Hearing this, Ye Li raised an eyebrow with a hint of amusement, smiling faintly, "The greatest expert in Great Chu... Mu Qingcang? To be willing to dispatch even an apex master of this caliber, His Excellency truly holds this Princess in high regard." Mu Qingcang's expression remained cold and detached as he said indifferently, "This subordinate does not understand what Her Ladyship means. Night Kill takes money to do a job—what does this have to do with any 'His Excellency'?" Ye Li arched a delicate brow, the light shimmering in her eyes as she looked at him with an expression that was half-smile, yet no smile. For reasons unknown, Mu Qingcang seemed unable to withstand her gaze, looking away with a somewhat flustered air. Tilting her head, Ye Li sized him up for a few moments before offering a light smile. "The greatest expert in Great Chu? In this Princess's eyes, that praise is somewhat exaggerated."
"What gives you the right to say that?!" A flash of murderous intent swept across Mu Qingcang's eyes as he turned his gaze back to glare furiously at Ye Li. The Princess of Ding could insult his actions or even his character, but she absolutely could not insult his dignity as the greatest expert in Great Chu. Glancing around at the people standing in the surrounding area, he sneered, "Just relying on these youngsters..." He left the sentence half-finished; meeting Ye Li's mocking gaze, he swallowed the rest of his words with an ugly expression. Regardless of how these few individuals had captured him, the fact remained that they had apprehended the greatest expert in Great Chu with virtually no losses on their side. Since antiquity, literature recognizes no peer while martial arts recognize no second place; regardless of whether you possessed heaven-defying abilities, losing meant losing.
Ye Li nodded with a gentle smile. "Their victory over you today was indeed somewhat lucky, but you'd best believe that—let alone a single Mu Qingcang—even if a few more Mu Qingcangs were to come, this Princess would capture them all the same." Mu Qingcang let out a dry, cold chuckle, clearly unconvinced. Ye Li didn't get angry, continuing instead, "When this Princess said your title as the greatest expert in Great Chu is exaggerated, it isn't because you lost to them. Rather... you have already grown old." A jolt ran through Mu Qingcang, and his face slowly turned ashen amidst a twisted grimace. At not even forty years of age, he could hardly be considered old for someone who practiced martial arts. Yet, it was true that he had indeed grown old. Among the four great experts of the realm, the eldest—the Prince of Zhennan of Xiling—had lost an arm in his past duel with Mo Liufang, yet he held supreme authority over Xiling and possessed a resounding, illustrious name. Next, the Master of the King of Hell's Pavilion, Ling Tiehan, belonged to the pugilistic world just like him, but the King of Hell's Pavilion shook the martial arts realm so deeply that even the nobility of the four nations dared not easily offend them. The youngest, the Prince of Ding of Great Chu, Mo Xiunyao, had been gravely injured and crippled in his youth, yet he too had shaken the entire world with his renown during his teenage years, earning the title of the Youthful God of War. As for him... he was even a few years older than Ling Tiehan; though he held the empty title of Great Chu's greatest expert, he could only guard a mere Night Kill organization and slowly grow old. He could neither campaign across battlefields nor roam freely through the rivers and lakes of the pugilistic world. Often, when people spoke of the title of Great Chu's greatest expert, they would frequently sigh with regret: If only the Prince of Ding had not suffered misfortune in his youth, the title of Great Chu's greatest expert would likely have changed hands long ago...
Ye Li looked with a trace of pity at the haggard middle-aged man before her, sighing inwardly. Mu Qingcang's capability and ambitions should have made him an overlord of his own domain, but unfortunately, he could only remain constrained by others, caught in an impossible dilemma. The title of Great Chu's greatest expert wasn't so easy to carry, after all.
"Since I was defeated at your hands, execute me or carve me up however you please," Mu Qingcang said coldly, his gaze dim and tinged with a sense of utter despair.
With a wave of her hand, Ye Li stated indifferently, "Take him away. Master Mu, Ye Li respects you as an expert in your own right, so you'd best not act rashly or commit any foolish acts like suicide or attempting escape."
Mu Qingcang let out a faint cold scoff, allowing the guards beside him to escort him away.
Only then did Feng Zhiyao snap out of his daze. Brushing off non-existent dust from his clothes, he rubbed his forehead and walked over, asking, "That man... how could that man possibly be Mu Qingcang?!"
Ye Li smiled. "Why couldn't it be Mu Qingcang?"
Feng Zhiyao lamented, "He's Mu Qingcang! The greatest expert in Great Chu, a man of lofty integrity unswayed by power and wealth. Back then, when the Emperor tried to recruit him as an official with the rank of general, he flatly refused on the grounds of having no interest in officialdom and wishing to dedicate himself entirely to the martial path. Turns out all those years of dedication were spent figuring out how to be an assassin?" Although Night Kill was indeed a decent organization, it fell far short compared to the King of Hell's Pavilion, which was also an assassin syndicate, didn't it? Ye Li lowered her gaze, her vermilion lips curving slightly. "To rule the world's power from the palm of your hand, to sleep drunk upon a beauty's lap—the pursuits of men across the world are nothing more than this. Do you find it believable that Mu Qingcang loves neither power nor beauties?"
"He loves the martial path."
"Just how much higher is his martial prowess compared to the other three experts?" Ye Li asked, casting a sideways glance.
Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose and fell silent. Mu Qingcang's martial arts were indeed formidable, but in terms of the title of Great Chu's greatest expert, Feng Zhiyao couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed, because Mu Qingcang wasn't noticeably superior to the other three experts, and in certain aspects even showed subtle shortcomings. Meanwhile, the other three were exceptionally busy individuals entangled in mundane administrative duties; by comparison, it made Mu Qingcang seem somewhat... less impressive in reality than his legendary reputation. "How does Her Ladyship plan to deal with Mu Qingcang? He is, after all, a member of the Mu family."
"What of it if he's a member of the Mu family?" Ye Li asked with a smile.
Feng Zhiyao frowned. "Although we aren't afraid of the Mu family, having an extra enemy is always somewhat troublesome. The Mu family has always remained neutral; if because of him..."
Ye Li shook her head. "Feng San, hasn't Mu Qingcang's appearance here made you think of anything? Someone like Mu Qingcang, with his background, do you honestly think he would truly go against the Prince of Ding's Mansion simply for money?"
Feng Zhiyao started, his expression darkening slightly. It wasn't that he couldn't figure it out, but rather that he was unwilling to think about it. Although he wasn't a blood relative of the Prince of Ding's Mansion, he had practically grown up alongside Mo Xiunyao. He knew crystal clear how much the Prince of Ding's Mansion had sacrificed for Great Chu, and his own efforts were part of that history. Therefore, whenever he saw those people who had once been on friendly terms moving against the Prince of Ding's Mansion without a shred of hesitation, what he felt wasn't merely disappointment and anger, but a boundless, bone-chilling coldness.
Ye Li said indifferently, "It's merely eating the ruler's stipend and carrying out the ruler's orders."
Feng Zhiyao shook his head, casting off the displeasure in his heart as he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What plans does Her Ladyship have?"
Ye Li smiled. "What plans could I have? If the Mu family can afford the price, we'll return Mu Qingcang to them, saving us from damaging the goodwill between the two houses. If they can't afford the price... then I have no need to leave a powerful enemy alive in this world, do I?"
By the time the sounds of combat outside completely ceased, it was already close to the fifth watch of the night. On the distant horizon, a faint sliver of dawn was beginning to show. Leading her people out of the main courtyard, Ye Li was met with a thick, suffocating stench of blood lingering in the air. Standing before the full-moon gate outside the principal courtyard, she looked out to find a scene of carnage—rivers of blood and corpses scattered across the field. Qingluan and Qingyu, following closely behind Ye Li, couldn't help rushing off to the side to double over and retch at the sight. Ye Li closed her eyes briefly; when she opened them again, her eyes held only a clear, cold ripple of light gently flowing within.
"Greetings, Her Ladyship!" Across various parts of the courtyard, men standing with swords in hand collectively gazed toward the white-robed woman standing at the doorway and called out respectfully.
With a stern expression, Ye Li nodded slightly and said, "Everyone has worked hard tonight."
Zhang Qilan, covered entirely in blood, spoke with solemn earnestness, "Protecting the Prince of Ding's Mansion is the duty and honor of the Mo Army; Her Ladyship is too kind."
"Reporting to Her Ladyship, the Emperor has arrived," the outer gate steward hurried over, moving with haste yet retaining his steady composure.
Showing some surprise, Ye Li arched an eyebrow. "The Emperor has arrived?"
The steward nodded. "Indeed, the imperial carriage is already two miles out. Shall we head out to welcome him?"
Ye Li chuckled softly, "Since the Emperor has ventured out to the Prince of Ding's Mansion in the dead of night, how can we as subjects do anything less than go out to greet him? Steward Mo, lead the people out to welcome the imperial carriage first." Steward Mo acknowledged the order respectfully, waved his hand, and led a group to turn and head out. Ye Li looked at the people gathered in the courtyard, pressed her lips into a smile, and said, "Everyone, let us also go out to welcome the Emperor."
Outside the grand gates of the Prince of Ding's Mansion, the corpses previously strewn across the wide street had already been swiftly cleared away, but the blood-stained pavement could not be washed clean quite so easily. The dark red bloodstains appeared all the more eerie and chilling under the illumination of the lanterns. The imperial dragon carriage, escorted by a massive contingent of Imperial Guards, slowly drew near. The attending eunuch outside lifted the carriage curtain, and Mo Jingqi, adorned in imperial crown and robes, lowered his head as he stepped out from within. Looking down and catching sight of the dark red stains blanketing the ground, his expression shifted slightly. Frowning at Steward Mo, who stood waiting by the roadside to welcome him, he demanded, "Where is the Princess of Ding?"
Steward Mo replied in a deep voice, "Her Ladyship suffered a fright and her attire is somewhat disordered; please forgive her, Your Majesty, for being late in coming to receive the imperial carriage."
Mo Jingqi started, but quickly recovered a smile, "As long as the Princess of Ding is safe and sound, that is all that matters. The Prince is away from the capital; if any accident had befallen the Princess, I would have no way to answer to the Prince."
Watching Mo Jingqi step down from the dragon carriage with the support of a eunuch, Steward Mo took a step back and lowered his head. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Please, enter."
Naturally, Mo Jingqi was not the only one who had come; trailing behind the dragon carriage were the high-ranking officials and nobles of the capital. Whatever their true thoughts might be, on the surface everyone wore an expression of anxiety, lingering fright, and profound relief. Taking this in, Steward Mo felt no warmth whatsoever within his aged eyes that had witnessed the vicissitudes of the world. Mo Jingqi turned back to address the assembled officials, "In that case, all you esteemed ministers, come with me inside to visit the Princess of Ding." Zhang Qilan stepped forward, frowning as he protested, "Your Majesty, with the Prince currently away from the capital, is it appropriate for so many lords to enter the Prince of Ding's Mansion all at once?"
Mo Jingqi's eyes flickered slightly as he stared fixedly at Zhang Qilan. "General Zhang? I recall that you command tens of thousands of troops stationed near the capital—why are you present here?"
Without evading the question, Zhang Qilan answered with a solemn expression, "Before his departure, His Highness entrusted the safety of the Prince of Ding's Mansion to this subordinate. With the situation around the estate growing quite turbulent of late, this subordinate led troops back into the capital to garrison the Prince of Ding's Mansion. This matter... this subordinate submitted a memorial report to Your Majesty, though it never received a formal imperial decree. However, because the safety of the Prince of Ding's Mansion is as heavy as Mount Tai, this subordinate had no choice but to return to the capital first and await Your Majesty's punishment."
Mo Jingqi felt as though a mouthful of old blood had welled up in his throat. Zhang Qilan's memorial had likely been lumped together with all the other reports detailing the continuous assassination attempts on the estate, which he had been too lazy to read and tossed straight aside. Yet right now, he couldn't openly deny or punish Zhang Qilan in front of everyone, because Zhang Qilan had filed a report beforehand; if he were to claim he didn't approve, it would mean he had deliberately left the Prince of Ding's Mansion to die. Even though that was his genuine intent, it could never be exposed to others.
Forcing a smile, Mo Jingqi said, "General Zhang speaks too heavily. Your single-minded devotion to the state truly makes you a model among the military generals of Great Chu. Your meritorious service in guarding the Prince of Ding's Mansion today will surely be heavily rewarded by me in days to come."
Before Zhang Qilan could express his gratitude, a refined female voice drifted out from inside the gates, "His Majesty is wise; on behalf of General Zhang, Ye Li thanks Your Majesty."