The First Jasmine - Chapter 132
Chapter 132 - Expedition (1)
News from the border arrived day by day, and the atmosphere in the imperial court grew heavier with each passing day. For half a month straight, the Western Ling army had captured three cities in succession, pressing ever closer to Xinyang. On the ninth day of the ninth month, news came that the one hundred thousand troops led by Leng Qingcang and the Heir of Southern Marquis—who had just rushed to the rescue—had been intercepted midway by the Prince of Zhennan himself with a force of fifty thousand men. Suffering heavy losses, the remaining remnants retreated to hold Xinyang. On the tenth day of the ninth month, Xinyang was surrounded. At the same time, the Western Ling army split into three routes, advancing simultaneously through the northern, southern, and central paths, while urgent requests for reinforcements poured in from every border pass. Yet throughout all this, the Prince of Ding—who had guarded Great Chu for a century—still remained nowhere to be found, and the Prince Ding's Estate bustled like a bustling marketplace every single day.
"Princess Consort."
Inside the study, Ye Li raised her head and looked at Chief Steward Mo standing by the doorway, asking, "Who is asking to see me this time?"
Chief Steward Mo said in a solemn voice, "Grand Tutor Hua and the Marquis of Nan are requesting an audience. The Heir of Southern Marquis has gone missing amidst the chaos of battle."
"Missing?! How could that..." Ye Li's slender brows furrowed tightly. She had a fairly good idea of why Grand Tutor Hua and the Marquis of Nan had come. However, this truly put her in a rather difficult position. Letting out a soft sigh, Ye Li said, "Please invite the Grand Tutor and the Marquis in."
Before long, Grand Tutor Hua and the Marquis of Nan had arrived at the doorway. Ye Li personally stood up to greet them, stopping the two men as they were about to bow, and said, "There are no outsiders here, so such superficial courtesies can be dispensed with. Grand Tutor, Marquis, please take a seat." After the two men offered their thanks and sat down, the maidservants brought in fresh tea before Ye Li inquired, "For the Grand Tutor and the Marquis to come here together, is it on account of the border situation?"
The Marquis of Nan looked haggard as he let out a long sigh and said, "Truly, I am disturbing the peace of the Princess Consort."
Ye Li shook her head and replied, "The Heir and this princess cannot be considered outsiders, so the Marquis need not be overly anxious. This princess will immediately order people to search for the Heir at the border."
The Marquis of Nan shook his head, sighing, "My foolish son is giving his all in loyalty to the country; whether he lives or dies is entirely up to fate. It is just that... Princess Consort, the news reaching the Prince Ding's Estate must surely be much swifter than what we receive. If things continue like this, I fear that before Prince Ding even returns, the hundreds of thousands of troops along the border will be completely wiped out!" Ye Li also gave a soft sigh, saying, "The Prince of Zhennan of Western Ling has spent a dozen years quietly gathering his strength and biding his time. Now that he has staged a comeback, how could it be such a simple matter? However, although the Prince Ding's Estate sent a message to Northern Rong long ago, His Highness the Prince has still given no sound or news whatsoever. This princess is also... utterly helpless..."
Grand Tutor Hua heaved a heavy sigh and said, "During a mere imperial bride-escorting mission, how could His Majesty have gone and dispatched Prince Ding? To make matters worse, General Murong—the only general currently in the court capable of leading troops into battle—is far away in Yongzhou, while General Zhenguo is guarding the Northern Rong border. This old man..." Letting out a prolonged sigh, Grand Tutor Hua abruptly stood up, making as if to walk right out as he declared, "This old man will march into the palace right now to seek an audience with His Majesty, and I shall lead the expedition myself, this old bone of mine!" Ye Li and the Marquis of Nan hurriedly pulled him back, and the Marquis of Nan gave a bitter smile as he said, "Grand Tutor, even if troops must be led into battle, it should be us going; how could we allow you, venerable sir, to trouble yourself further?" Looking at the two elderly men whose combined ages exceeded one hundred and twenty years, Ye Li smiled helplessly in her heart. She understood their purpose in coming, yet she found herself unable to blame them. For they were different from Mo Jingqi, Prime Minister Liu, and Marquis Muyang. They genuinely worried about Great Chu and the safety of the border soldiers and common people. Because she herself had once been a soldier, that single fact alone made it impossible for her to harbor resentment toward them.
"Grand Tutor, Marquis..."
Turning back at her call, Grand Tutor Hua caught sight of Ye Li's clear, serene eyes, which seemed as penetrating as glowing candles. He paused, startled, and sat back down. With a trace of remorse, Grand Tutor Hua said, "Do not fault this old man, Princess Consort, for coming to disturb you at such an inappropriate time. It is simply that..."
Ye Li shook her head and said, "The Grand Tutor speaks too heavily; Ye Li understands."
Grand Tutor Hua continued, "With Xiuyao away right now, it is already no easy feat for a woman like you to single-handedly prop up the immense Prince Ding's Estate—how could this old man fail to know that? It is simply that this border crisis cannot possibly wait for Prince Ding to return. This old man has heard some accounts of the Princess Consort's capabilities; I beg you to lend your aid for the sake of the lives of the common people of Great Chu and the soldiers at the border. When this old man spoke just now of leading the expedition himself, it was certainly not out of any desire for glory. The Princess Consort's concerns are also crystal clear to this old man. If the Princess Consort is willing to trust this old bone, I will personally lead the troops, which should at least suffice to hold the line until the day Prince Ding returns. No matter how impatient His Majesty might be, when matters reach a head, he surely wouldn't dare think of stripping this old man of his military authority. Once Prince Ding returns and rushes straight to the front lines to resume command of the grand army, everything will settle securely into place. What does the Princess Consort think of this?"
Ye Li gave a bitter smile and said, "Is the Grand Tutor so certain that Ye Li has the power to mobilize the Mo Family Army?"
Grand Tutor Hua's white eyebrows arched upward as he eyed Ye Li and retorted, "Well then, can the Princess Consort mobilize them or not? If the Princess Consort says you cannot, this old man will stand up and walk right out."
After falling silent for a long moment, Ye Li looked up and said, "The military authority cannot be handed over to the Grand Tutor—not because Ye Li distrusts the Grand Tutor, but because even if the tally were handed to the Grand Tutor, I fear it still could not be easily dispatched." A glimmer of disappointment flashed across the depths of Grand Tutor Hua's and the Marquis of Nan's eyes, but then they heard Ye Li say calmly, "Ye Li will simply accompany you on a trip to the border. It's just that the Grand Tutor is advanced in years and I fear you may not be able to endure such a long and arduous journey..." The Marquis of Nan said joyfully, "If the Princess Consort trusts this Marquis, I can immediately petition His Majesty to lead the army on the expedition! No, even serving in the secondary post of deputy general would suffice, leaving the commander-in-chief's position vacant for when Prince Ding returns!"
Grand Tutor Hua sized Ye Li up with a hint of astonishment, his eyes brimming with undisguised praise as he nodded and said, "Good! Xiuyao truly has a good eye for people. We will have to trouble the Princess Consort this time."
Ye Li shook her head with a smile and said, "Grand Tutor, don't celebrate too early. No matter how well you and I plan this out, His Majesty may not necessarily agree." Grand Tutor Hua said in a deep voice, "If His Majesty is truly the sovereign of a nation, naturally he will agree." Hearing this, the Marquis of Nan was slightly startled; glancing outside the study, he lowered his voice and said, "Grand Tutor, such words must not be spoken." The Grand Tutor let out a light hum and fell silent.
After sending off Grand Tutor Hua and the Marquis of Nan, Ye Li had just returned to the study when she saw Feng Zhiyao standing beneath the bookshelves, lowering his head to flip through a book. Hearing her footsteps, he turned back and said with a hint of worry, "Did the Princess Consort truly agree to go to the border with the Grand Tutor and the Marquis?"
"Did you hear?" Ye Li smiled faintly, walking back behind her desk to sit down as she replied, "Western Ling is coming with a ferocious momentum; it is simply impossible for the Mo Family Army to stand aside and watch, even in the absence of His Highness. Right now, by holding back and refusing to hand over military authority, people might still understand. But once the war deteriorates any further, no excuse will work anymore. All the people of the world will see is Great Chu being ravaged by foreign invaders while the Mo Family Army turns a blind eye. Furthermore, since we have to send out troops sooner or later, entering the battlefield earlier allows us to gain control of the situation earlier. Besides... even if I agree, the person in the palace might not necessarily consent."
Feng Zhiyao sneered, "If he doesn't consent, then when the people of the world discuss this in the future, it won't be any of our concern."
Ye Li nodded and said, "So much time has already passed. If things are going smoothly on the Prince's end, by the time our army reaches the border, the Prince should have already hurried back."
At the mention of Mo Xiuyao, Feng Zhiyao couldn't help frowning as he said, "It has already been this many days; how can His Highness still have no news?"
"Perhaps there are those who do not wish for him to return. Having no news at all at least proves that he is still safe for now. Go and make your preparations. By the way, tell Chief Steward Mo that if the Heir's Secondary Consort of the Southern Marquis comes, please ask her to return first."
"Understood." Feng Zhiyao nodded, then hesitated for a moment before adding, "Princess Consort, this time, let Feng San accompany you to the border."
Ye Li frowned and said, "Although nothing untoward should happen in the Prince Ding's Estate while both the Prince and I are away from the capital, we still need someone to remain behind to hold down the fort and oversee the overall situation."
Feng Zhiyao replied, "Old Mo's presence is enough. Although the Prince Ding's Estate is heavily guarded, its actual utility to the Mo Family Army is not all that significant. Besides, Chief Steward Mo has managed the estate for decades; he is far more capable at it than an outsider like me." Ye Li contemplated this for a moment and said, "I understand. Go ahead for now; I will consider it later. Since you are preparing to join the expedition, you should go say your farewells to those you need to." Feng Zhiyao was momentarily taken aback, a trace of bitterness overflowing onto his face as he smiled and said, "A wanderer like me—where is there anyone I need to say farewell to..." Ye Li looked at him with a smile and said, "Deceiving yourself has no meaning. Don't wait until it's too late to regret it." Feng Zhiyao fell into a daze, momentarily lost in thought. A moment later, he recovered his senses and walked out looking somewhat hollow and dejected.
True to expectation, before Grand Tutor Hua and the Marquis of Nan had even finished laying out their proposal during morning court, Mo Jingqi summarily rejected it flatly. Ye Li didn't pay much mind to this outcome, but no sooner had morning court concluded than Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingze both descended upon the Prince Ding's Estate in a flurry. Xu Hongyan didn't say much; although he didn't hold a high-ranking position, he understood the current political climate far more clearly and thoroughly than those embroiled within it. After offering a few words of caution, he let out a sigh and departed. Xu Qingze was as taciturn as ever; only as he was leaving did he say, "If you insist on going, I shall petition His Majesty tomorrow to join you at the border." Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Second Brother is on the cusp of getting married. If your wedding is delayed on account of Li'er, Madam Qin and my aunt won't let me hear the end of it when they return. The Prince Ding's Estate has numerous guards, so Second Brother can rest easy." Xu Qingze frowned and said, "If we go together, Father, Uncle, and Grandfather will feel more at ease." With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode off, regardless of whatever else Ye Li wanted to say.
Bad news from the border poured in day after day. Although people far away in the capital could not witness the blood and slaughter with their own eyes, those lost cities and casualty figures were nonetheless shocking to the core. Moreover, the voices in the capital demanding that the Prince Ding's Estate dispatch troops grew increasingly numerous. The populace had long grown accustomed to the fact that, come what may, there was always that unwavering black army protecting their safety; yet this time, nearly a month had passed since the outbreak of war, and still there had been no word whatsoever from either the Prince Ding's Estate or the Mo Family Army. This left many commoners and even high-ranking officials harboring a quiet, creeping unease. The entire capital was gripped by a restless, anxious panic.
Once word spread from who-knows-where that Prince Ding was far away in Northern Rong and that the Princess Consort's bid to lead the expedition in her husband's stead had been vetoed by the Emperor, a heavy silence fell over the imperial court, while discussions began to gradually spread among the common people. Public opinion was naturally rather dissatisfied with the Emperor's decision, but Mo Jingqi lacked the political mettle to suppress the public outcry at such a time, causing petitions from citizens across the capital and various regions to flood in like a rising tide, nearly overwhelming the greater half of the Imperial Study. Three days later, with a dark and gloomy expression during morning court, Mo Jingqi finally announced the decree appointing the Marquis of Nan as deputy general, with the Princess Consort of Prince Ding accompanying the army as a military inspector to march on the expedition to the border and repel the Western Ling invasion. Upon receiving the decree, Ye Li curled the corner of her lips in silent mockery and turned back to her quarters to make her preparations.
The news that the Mo Family Army was about to set out on an expedition sent a wave of thrilling excitement rippling through the entire capital, as if the mere moment the Mo Family Army stepped out, the Western Ling army would scatter like fallen petals and be defeated like collapsing mountains. Taking it all in, Ye Li could not help letting out a silent sigh. Mo Xiuyao was entirely right: for all these years, the overwhelming might of the Prince Ding's Estate had directly resulted in a severe scarcity of truly top-tier military generals within Great Chu. Once something happened to the Prince Ding's Estate, the state of affairs in Great Chu would indeed be deeply worrisome.