The First Jasmine - Chapter 130
Chapter 130 - Xiling Deploys Troops (2)
Hearing this, Mo Jingqi's expression shifted several more times, taking quite a while to calm down as he stared with a complex gaze at the calm and composed woman standing beneath the dais. For a moment, he could not quite fathom what Ye Li meant by so readily laying her cards on the table. He did not believe that the Prince of Ding's Mansion wanted to openly break ties with him right now—leaving aside the fact that Mo Xiunyao was currently absent, even if Mo Xiunyao were in the capital, the Prince of Ding's Mansion would not abruptly do something detrimental to Great Chu. Yet, if Ye Li truly just wanted to provide military intelligence, she had no need to bring up Mu Qingcang's matter so openly. The Prince of Ding's Mansion had countless sources of intelligence; what reason could they not have found to gloss it over?
After a long silence, Mo Jingqi said indifferently, "This Marquis—this Emperor understands what the Princess of Ding has reported."
Ye Li looked up at the man seated high upon the dragon throne, frowning slightly. Mo Jingqi, however, gave her no further opportunity to speak, standing up with a wave of his hand. "I am aware of this matter; the Princess of Ding may return first."
Ye Li sighed inwardly, offering a slight curtsy as she said, "This subject takes her leave."
Emerging from the Imperial Study, Ye Li was preparing to leave the palace and return to her estate when she was intercepted. Two familiar-looking palace maids stepped in front of her, saying, "Your Ladyship, the Noble Consort requests your presence." After a brief recollection, Ye Li remembered that these two maids were the personal attendants by Imperial Noble Consort Liu's side. Recalling the conversation she had overheard in the peach grove last time, as well as the strange looks the Noble Consort always gave her whenever they met, Ye Li felt a knot of displeasure tighten in her chest. She said indifferently, "This Princess has matters to attend to; please convey my apologies to the Noble Consort." Upon hearing this, the two maids exchanged glances, but stubbornly refused to step aside. Insisting firmly, they said, "Please forgive us, Your Ladyship, but the Noble Consort has important matters she wishes to discuss with you."
Ye Li cast an indifferent glance at the maid who had spoken, arching an eyebrow. "Oh? And what if this Princess insists that she has no time to spare?"
"Then... please forgive these servants for our offense." The two advanced a step forward, their steps steady and a sharp glint flashing in their eyes, clearly revealing themselves to be trained martial artists.
Ye Li raised a hand slightly, signaling to the shadow guards hiding in the vicinity that they need not reveal themselves. Frowning as she looked past the two maids, she let out a cold laugh. "The Noble Consort is quite bold indeed! Does she actually dare to move against this Princess right outside the Imperial Study?"
"If you had come willingly to have a chat with this Palace, why would I have needed to move against you?" Imperial Noble Consort Liu strolled out from behind the corner of the hall, her voice carrying its usual snowy, aloof chill. Yet, as she heard it, Ye Li couldn't help but involuntarily recall that grieving and sorrowful voice from the peach grove. While Imperial Noble Consort Liu's unrequited infatuation with Mo Xiunyao certainly invited pity, Ye Li, as Mo Xiunyao's wife, felt no particular inclination to sympathize with her. Thus, seeing the Noble Consort emerge, Ye Li merely said coolly, "Regardless of what the Noble Consort wishes to discuss, by sending people to take action against this Princess within the palace grounds, has the Noble Consort ever considered the consequences?"
A hint of a disdainful smile curved the corners of Imperial Noble Consort Liu's exquisite lips. "Consequences? Do you truly believe the Emperor would do anything to me over the likes of you? In the past, people yielded to you merely because of the Prince of Ding. Now that the Prince is not in the capital, what use do you think a mere Princess of Ding title holds?" Ye Li silently watched the stunning woman who stared at her with undisguised contempt. From their very first meeting, she had sensed Imperial Noble Consort Liu's scorn and disdain; presumably, in the Noble Consort's mind, no one other than herself was worthy of standing beside Mo Xiunyao. Too bad for her, Mo Xiunyao had taken a fancy to someone else as well...
"Since that is the case, if the Noble Consort has something to say, you might as well say it right here," Ye Li frowned and said.
Imperial Noble Consort Liu lifted her delicate chin slightly, staring at Ye Li. "Follow this Palace."
Ye Li smiled faintly, turning around to walk toward the palace gates.
"Ye Li!" Imperial Noble Consort Liu cried out sharply. Seeing that Ye Li walked away without the slightest hesitation, she said in a slightly flustered and exasperated tone, "Block her for me!"
The two maids immediately stepped forward, blocking Ye Li's path from left to right. A flash of cold light crossed Ye Li's eyes. A blade of cold steel slid down her sleeve, and her silvery-white robes swept an dazzling arc through the sunlight, accompanied by two dazzling sprays of bright crimson blood.
"Ah—!"
Two screams rang out. The two maids clutched their wrists, their faces pale and filled with terror as they stared at the silver-clad woman before them. Bright red blood instantly stained their wide pink sleeves. Ye Li raised the dagger in her hand to inspect it; fresh blood slid down the glittering blade, slowly dripping onto the dirt beneath her feet. Imperial Noble Consort Liu's perpetually indifferent, icy visage finally could not help but change color. Though she could not be considered a supreme grandmaster, she was still top-tier among women. Even so, she hadn't even managed to see how Ye Li had made her move. Staring coldly at Ye Li before her, Imperial Noble Consort Liu was rendered speechless for a long moment.
Ye Li calmly met the Noble Consort's gaze, showing no intention of apologizing or offering an explanation for her act of violence. Clutching their wrists, the two maids looked at Ye Li with eyes brimming with absolute terror and dread.
"Ye Li! You... very well..." Imperial Noble Consort Liu's face turned white with fury as she glared resentfully at Ye Li.
Casting an indifferent glance at her, Ye Li turned and walked out of the palace. The two maids who had previously blocked her path hurriedly scrambled out of the way to either side, terrified that standing in the path of this female fiend would cost them their remaining hand.
As soon as they stepped outside the palace gates, Feng Zhiyao, Zhuojing, and the others were waiting anxiously. Seeing that Ye Li's expression was somewhat grim, Feng Zhiyao asked with concern, "Your Ladyship, what happened? Does the Emperor not believe our words?" Ye Li waved a hand. "It is fine. Whether the Emperor believes us or not, we will know by tomorrow. Pass down the order for the forces under the Prince of Ding's Mansion to remain on high alert. If there is no movement from the palace tomorrow..." Feng Zhiyao's expression shifted slightly as he lowered his voice. "Does Your Ladyship intend to mobilize the Mo Army? Doing so would hand the Emperor an excuse to move against the Prince of Ding's Mansion." Turning her head to look at him, Ye Li asked, "Does the Emperor refrain from moving against the Prince of Ding's Mansion right now just because we lack an excuse? Furthermore... if this is true, Xiling's advance this time will undoubtedly be fierce and overwhelming. If we delay, future military campaigns will no longer be ours to dictate. Rest assured, the military forces near the capital cannot be mobilized temporarily, so the Emperor will find no pretext to pin anything on us there. Zhuojing, call Qin Feng back to see me later."
"Understood," Zhuojing said in a deep voice. "The intelligence from the shadow guards has just arrived. The military forces along the Xiling border began stirring restlessly as early as a month ago. Mu Qingcang's intelligence is likely true."
A cold glint appeared in Ye Li's eyes. "What the Prince said is correct—those good-for-nothings at the border really do need to be replaced! Return to the estate!"
On the second day of the early morning court session, the Emperor made no mention whatsoever of any matters regarding Xiling deploying troops.
On the third day, still no news came from the palace.
On the fourth day after the morning court, the Emperor summoned several trusted officials to the Imperial Study for an audience. Yet there was still no word regarding the mobilization of troops and provisions.
The atmosphere within the Prince of Ding's Mansion grew heavier alongside the silence from the palace. After listening to the daily report on the morning court inside the study, Ye Li closed her weary eyes for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Qin Feng."
"This subordinate is here," Qin Feng replied in a low voice.
"Cancel the scheduled examinations. Lead a team out tonight yourself and head toward the frontier at full speed."
Qin Feng answered without the slightest hesitation, "This subordinate obeys."
Ye Li looked up at him and said, "I am not asking you to take men to the border to participate in battle. With the few men you have, even if one could match a hundred, you cannot stop an army of five hundred thousand. Split up across the border regions and investigate all intelligence concerning Xiling and the military situation."
Qin Feng nodded. "This subordinate understands."
"Go."
The conflict erupted even faster than Ye Li had anticipated, because Xiling's troop deployment date was not the fifteenth of August, but the ninth of August. By the time the fifteenth of August rolled around, news of the Xiling invasion had already reached the capital of Chu. What proved even more shocking was the news that this time, Xiling's Prince of Zhennan was personally leading an army of five hundred thousand men to attack Great Chu, vowing to wash away the humiliation of his defeat to Mo Liufang all those years ago. Having nursed their strength and stored up vigor for years, the Xiling army swept forward like a broken bamboo, capturing two cities within a single day. In an instant, the entire capital of Chu was thrown into turmoil, and Ye Li, as the mistress of the Prince of Ding's Mansion, was also urgently summoned into the palace by the Emperor to discuss affairs of state.
Stepping into the Imperial Study once more after an interval of several days, the scene before Ye Li was entirely different from her last visit. The moment she entered, she could distinctly feel the heavy, oppressive atmosphere permeating the room. Ye Li swept her gaze over the individuals gathered inside: Prime Minister Liu, the Marquis of Muyang, the Grand General Protecting the Nation, Marquis Nan, the Heir of Marquis Nan, Leng Qingyu, the Venerable Elder Duke Hua, and a young man whom Ye Li found familiar yet did not recognize. He bore no official rank or court robes, but instead wore silk garments as he stood beside Mo Jingqi's desk. Ye Li frowned, instinctively disliking this man. The shrewdness in his eyes carried a heavy aura of calculation, utterly ruining what would otherwise have been quite a handsome countenance. Ye Li lowered her gaze indifferently. There were eight people in the study: Prime Minister Liu, the Marquis of Muyang, and the Grand General Protecting the Nation were all the Emperor's confidants; Marquis Nan traditionally never interfered in worldly affairs; and while Venerable Elder Duke Hua was close to the Prince of Ding's Mansion, he was advanced in years and had been living in retirement at home for many years.
"Ye Li greets Your Majesty," Ye Li curtsied lightly.
"We subjects greet the Princess of Ding," the others also chorused in salute.
With a flustered and irritated wave of his hand, Mo Jingqi said, "The Princess of Ding may dispense with the formalities. Has the Princess heard of today's eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch from the border?"
Ye Li nodded. Mo Jingqi frowned and asked, "What views do all of you lords hold?"
Venerable Elder Duke Hua stepped forward first. "Naturally, we must immediately dispatch troops to provide reinforcement, crushing the Xiling bandits and preventing them from thinking our Great Chu is easily bullied!"
Mo Jingqi frowned. "The Elder Duke has also heard that Xiling is being personally led into battle by the Prince of Zhennan himself. Back then, although the Prince of Zhennan was defeated at the hands of the Prince Regent, it was by a narrow margin, and he has long enjoyed the reputation of a god of war in Xiling. Who among you gentlemen do you feel is suitable to lead the troops?"
The Marquis of Muyang and the Grand General Protecting the Nation exchanged glances, both unable to stop their brows from furrowing. Venerable Elder Duke Hua let out a cold huff, stepping forward further to say, "Although this old subject is aged, I am willing to lead the troops into battle and raise the military prestige of our Great Chu!"
At these words, both the Marquis of Muyang and the Grand General Protecting the Nation saw their expressions shift. Standing further back, Leng Qingyu and the Heir of Marquis Nan stepped out from the crowd together, declaring, "This subject is willing to lead the troops into battle and raise the military prestige of our Great Chu."
Mo Jingqi looked at the two of them and smiled with satisfaction, saying, "The Elder Duke speaks too seriously. Since the Elder Duke is past seventy, it is precisely the time to enjoy peace and blessings; if we were to still have the Duke lead troops into battle, would that not cause the men of Great Chu to feel too ashamed to face the world? What do my lords think?"
"Your Majesty is wise."