The First Jasmine - Chapter 133

Chapter 133 - Expedition (2)

Of the eight hundred thousand Mo Family Army troops, only the fifty thousand commanded by General Zhang Qilan were stationed near the capital. However, these fifty thousand men were supposedly tasked with guarding the imperial capital and its surrounding prefectures, so they could not accompany Ye Li's army to the border either. Ye Li and the Marquis of Nan needed to lead people to a location several hundred li away from the capital to rendezvous with the several armies stationed at various posts before they could press on to the frontiers. This conveniently eliminated the need for a send-off ceremony or a troop-rallying oath-taking ritual prior to their departure. As it happened, Ye Li didn't care much for such hypocritical pomp and circumstance anyway, so she was naturally rather satisfied with an arrangement that could almost be described as hasty.

The majority of the personnel in the Prince Ding's Estate still needed to remain in the capital to hold down their respective posts and duties. Those accompanying Ye Li onto the battlefield were limited to Feng Zhiyao, Zhuo Jing, Yun Ting—who had been tossed into the military camp for quite some time—and Xu Qingze, who had somehow managed to persuade Mo Jingqi using unknown methods. Because Xu Qingze insisted on accompanying them to the border, Ye Li felt a deep sense of guilt toward Qin Zheng, whom she hadn't seen for quite a few days. To her surprise, Qin Zheng, who had come to bid them farewell, smiled at Ye Li with great understanding, urging the two of them to take care on the road and return safely. Furthermore, for reasons unknown, Mo Jingqi unceremoniously wedged Murang into their ranks right before their departure. Mo Jingqi claimed that since Prince Ding's return date was uncertain and the Marquis of Nan was advanced in years, Murang was being dispatched to serve as an errand-running foot soldier for the Marquis. Neither Ye Li nor the Marquis of Nan made much of a fuss over this; everyone knew full well why Mo Jingqi had sent Murang along to tag along. Even if Murang was a youthful paragon of talent, the others were no pushovers either, and no one could predict what the situation on the battlefield would actually look like. They certainly didn't need to fall out with the Emperor over such a trivial matter.

The entourage galloped at a full gallop all the way, and in barely more than a day, they reached Hengshui, a vital military stronghold situated five hundred li away from the Chu capital. Hengshui City was neither prosperous nor magnificent, but twenty li west of the city, nearly one hundred thousand troops of the Mo Family Army were stationed. Meanwhile, the forces stationed in several other locations were also rushing toward this direction, and within the next few days, nearly three hundred thousand troops would assemble right here. When they arrived outside the walls of Hengshui City, the sun was already sinking westward. Ye Li reined in her horse, turned her head, and said to the Marquis of Nan, "Marquis, General Sun already led his men to arrive in Hengshui last night. Let's bypass entering the city and head straight for the Hengshui Military Camp instead." The Marquis of Nan looked with admiration at Ye Li, who sat straight and erect in her saddle, and said, "Let's do as the Princess Consort says." After a continuous day and night of hard galloping on horseback, even ordinary men would find it unbearable, yet the Princess Consort of Prince Ding remained entirely poised and unhurried, without even the faintest trace of exhaustion on her face. This left both the accompanying Marquis of Nan and Murang feeling a mix of astonishment and deep admiration.

The Hengshui Military Camp lay at the foot of the mountains twenty li west of Hengshui City, flanked by boundless plains in front and backed by the Hengshui Mountain Range—a natural training ground for troops. When the group was still five or six li away from the Hengshui camp, the local commanding generals, along with General Sun Yan who had arrived ahead of time the previous night, came out to greet them. "We, your subordinates, pay our respects to the Princess Consort!" Ye Li nodded slightly and asked, "Where is the primary commander of the Hengshui camp?" A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties with white hair and a beard, yet still full of vigorous spirit, stepped out from the crowd, cupped his hands toward Ye Li, and said, "This subordinate, Lü Jinxian, unworthily serving as the primary commander of the Hengshui camp, greets the Princess Consort."

Ye Li dismounted with a fluid motion, raised a hand, and said, "General Lü, please dispense with the formalities. This is the Imperial-appointed Deputy Commander of the Western Expedition, the Marquis of Nan, and this is the Heir of Marquis Muyang, Military Aide Murang." Ye Li did not introduce Zhuo Jing, Yun Ting, and the others standing behind her, so the various generals immediately understood that those individuals were part of her inner circle and merely stepped forward to pay their respects to the Marquis of Nan and Murang. The Marquis of Nan was himself a veteran of the battlefield, so he naturally didn't stand on ceremony around these generals, greeting everyone in a hearty and cheerful manner. As for Murang, although he held the status of the Heir of Marquis Muyang, his rank in the army was a mere aide, putting him below every single general present. Naturally, there was little room for him to speak, so he simply exchanged a few polite pleasantries with everyone alongside the Marquis of Nan. Fortunately, although Murang had grown up with everything sailing smoothly since childhood, he had not developed the fault of being arrogant and looking down on others from a position of superiority. The atmosphere on the scene could still be considered harmonious and pleasant.

After the pleasantries concluded, the Marquis of Nan asked with a solemn expression, "General Lü, when can the main army set out?"

Lü Jinxian did not beat around the bush, stating in a ringing voice, "The army has long been sleeping in armor and awaiting the command; the moment the Princess Consort and the Marquis give the word, we can depart at any time!"

Feng Zhiyao smiled and said, "General Lü, we've hurried all the way here and are genuinely rather exhausted. Let's wait until tomorrow morning before setting off."

Lü Jinxian looked around at the group and smiled, "General Feng's words are well-taken. It was this old man's lack of foresight. Princess Consort, Marquis, please return to the camp first to rest for the night. It will also allow the soldiers to preserve their strength and sharpen their edge."

Inside the vast military encampment, nighttime brought absolute silence. With the expedition set to begin first thing tomorrow morning, most of the soldiers had retired early—though naturally, this did not include the various generals gathered inside the central commander's tent to discuss military matters.

Inside the grand tent, Ye Li had changed into a light cyan robe and sat in the central seat of honor. Seated to her left and right in descending order of official rank were Feng Zhiyao, Lü Jinxian, Sun Yan, and other generals. As for the Marquis of Nan and Murang, who served as deputy commanders, they had been invited off to rest as soon as the discussion concluded. For all these generals, this was their first time meeting Ye Li, the female master of the Prince Ding's Estate. Rather than respecting Ye Li out of deference to her status as the Princess Consort, their attitude was more rooted in respect for the Pixiu jade pendant hanging at her waist. One general stood up and asked, "Princess Consort, do we know when His Highness the Prince will be able to return?" The Princess Consort held only the status of a military inspector, meaning the Marquis of Nan, as deputy commander, was currently the highest-ranking authority within the Mo Family Army. Although the Marquis of Nan maintained a consistently neutral stance, it still caused a degree of unease among these generals who had sworn allegiance to the Prince Ding's Estate. Ye Li shook her head gently and said, "The Prince is far away in Northern Rong, and receiving the news and hurrying back will inevitably require a certain amount of time. But right now, the war at the border cannot afford to wait for the Prince's return. Or... could it be that without the Prince present, you generals no longer know how to fight a war?"

A wave of shock rippled through the generals as they heard Ye Li continue, "I understand your loyalty to the Prince Ding's Estate and to His Highness. But I also hope you generals understand one thing: what on earth is the purpose of the Mo Family Army's existence?" Her clear, calm eyes swept gently over everyone present. "It is for the peace and security of the common people of Great Chu. Every single soldier of the Mo Family Army likewise has parents, children, and siblings; guarding Great Chu means guarding the very flesh and blood of the Mo Family Army."

A heavy silence fell over the room before Lü Jinxian said with some hesitation, "Are we truly expected to take orders from the Marquis of Nan?"

Ye Li replied, "If the objectives of the Marquis of Nan and the Mo Family Army are identical, why can we not temporarily submit to his command? The reality is that the Prince cannot rush back right now. Are we supposed to tell the people of Western Ling that the Prince isn't here, so we'll fight them another day?" At these words, the expressions of those present involuntarily twisted into awkward grimaces. Feng Zhiyao smiled and said, "Princess Consort, I imagine everyone is worried that if the Mo Family Army obeys the Marquis of Nan's deployment, whether his acquisition of the army's military power might turn unfavorable for us." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled, "The Marquis of Nan will not obtain the military authority of the Mo Family Army. I will accompany the Marquis and move alongside him at all times. While doing so... has quite a few drawbacks, for now, it is the only way. Speaking of which, the Marquis of Nan is acting as temporary commander-in-chief, yet it is impossible for him to personally oversee every single theater of war. Therefore, on the battlefield, we will still have to trouble you generals."

The officers replied in unison, "We will certainly not fail the high expectations of the Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded and said, "I leave it in your hands, generals. Now then, how much do you all understand regarding the current situation at the front?"

As soon as those words fell, the tent grew dead silent. While they harbored mental reservations toward the person sent by the Emperor, that resentment stemmed from the Emperor's unsparing efforts over the years to suppress the Mo Family Army. Originally, the Mo Family Army was garrisoned across various border passes of Great Chu; but because Mo Jingqi felt uneasy, he took advantage of the period when Prince Ding was recuperating from injuries within his estate and the Mo Family Army was severely weakened to pull all of them back into the interior. Consequently, nearly every single border garrison was manned by the Emperor's confidants or generals who were at odds with the Prince Ding's Estate. Yet now that Western Ling had invaded Great Chu, they were simultaneously invading the very land their ancestors had protected for generations; how could these men genuinely not feel anxious in their hearts? Lü Jinxian said in a deep voice, "This time, Western Ling has come fully prepared, with the Prince of Zhennan personally leading a central army of three hundred thousand troops to violate our borders. According to intelligence coming from the front, the forces merely surrounding Xinyang number in the hundreds of thousands. The troops dispatched by the court walked straight into the Prince of Zhennan's ambush and suffered heavy losses. Over the past two days, a few of us have conferred, and... Xinyang City is likely... no longer holdable."

The expressions of everyone present turned rather grim. Xinyang was the granary of the northwest; once Xinyang fell, the loss would not merely be a single city or territory, but the food supplies of the northwestern populace and even the provisions of the military would be severely threatened.

Ye Li contemplated for a moment before asking, "Judging by our marching speed, what is the worst-case scenario?"

Lü Jinxian answered, "The Western Ling army crosses Xinyang, conquers the entirety of Qingzhou, and then presses on toward Hanzhou and Jiangxia Town."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, and Lü Jinxian explained, "Near Jiangxia, we have fifty thousand of our own troops stationed. The main commander, General Yuan Pei, is also a seasoned veteran of the battlefield. By now, he should have already set out to reinforce Xinyang. Once Xinyang falls, he will likely lead his troops back to hold Jiangxia. If we press forward without stopping along the way, we should just barely make it in time to reinforce Jiangxia." Ye Li nodded; these were possibilities she and Feng Zhiyao had already analyzed beforehand, and their conclusions aligned closely with Lü Jinxian's assessment. Rubbing the space between her brows, Ye Li asked, "You've only mentioned the situation of Western Ling's central army; what about the southern and northern routes?"

Lü Jinxian replied, "Both the southern and northern routes each feature at least one hundred and fifty thousand troops, attacking Jiayi Pass in the south and Tianyun Pass in the north respectively. Although the border garrison commanders are resisting with all their might, the situation is恐怕 also far from optimistic."

"Who is commanding the southern and northern routes?"

Lü Jinxian shook his head, while Sun Yan chimed in, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the southern route is reportedly commanded by the Heir of the Prince of Zhennan, Lei Tengfeng. This man has received the Prince of Zhennan's personal tutelage since childhood, and first began showing his brilliant tactical edge at nineteen when fighting Northern Rong—he is truly a formidable opponent not to be underestimated. The commander of the northern route is Shangguan Yi, a veteran general of Western Ling. While he cannot boast of any particularly legendary military achievements and is already past sixty... he is the military strategy tutor of Western Ling's Prince of Zhennan." Ye Li nodded, pondered for a long while, and finally looked up to say, "Thank you all generals for your hard work today. We set out at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so everyone should head back and rest."

The generals stood up, bade farewell to Ye Li, and turned to leave. Only Feng Zhiyao, Zhuo Jing, and Xu Qingze remained inside the tent. Feng Zhiyao looked with a smile at Ye Li's deeply furrowed brow and remarked, "With Western Ling pressing forward so fiercely, is the Princess Consort finding this giving her a headache?" Ye Li gave a bitter smile and replied, "How could it not give me a headache?" She was no peerless genius; to put it bluntly, she simply lacked the experience for this kind of large-scale warfare. When it came to small-scale special operations, she had the confidence to look down on the entire world; but when it came to mobilizing armies, deploying troops, and mapping out the grand strategic landscape, even with all of Mo Xiuyao's guidance, taking the helm for the first time still left her feeling a little unsteady at heart.

Feng Zhiyao said, "We can be certain that Western Ling has deployed a force of at least six decades of thousands this time. With such immense military strength, coupled with the legendary reputation of Western Ling's God of War, the Prince of Zhennan, aside from you, Princess Consort, just how many seasoned veterans of the battlefield wouldn't feel anxious?" Although Western Ling's Prince of Zhennan had once suffered defeat at the hands of Great Chu's Prince Regent, Mo Liufang, Mo Liufang was dead while the other man was still very much alive.

"Li'er, you are doing very well," Xu Qingze said quietly as he looked at Ye Li, the usual coldness in his eyes filled with a faint, gentle warmth.

Ye Li offered a soft smile and said, "Second Brother, stop praising me. I only look calm on the surface; my heart is an absolute mess right now."

Xu Qingze stated, "Don't stress yourself too much; just do what you can. If there is anything you need me to do, just say the word."

Ye Li nodded. "Thank you, Second Brother."

Meanwhile, far away in Northern Rong, Mo Xiuyao felt a bone-deep chill in his heart. Looking up at the bright moon hanging in the sky, he involuntarily thought back over the past year and more. Ever since the incident occurred, he had never imagined that his life could hold such comfort and delight. From initial companionship akin to friendship, to subsequent mutual support hand in hand, and finally to deep, entangling affection—he knew not when, but every single expression and smile of A'-Li's had already been carved into his heart, impossible to ever excise in this lifetime.

"Your Highness." A shadow guard materialized silently behind him.

"Is there any news?"

The shadow guard reported, "The list of masterminds behind the assassination attempt on the Princess Consort has already been fully investigated. Furthermore, ever since the Western Ling invasion, the Emperor has summoned the Princess Consort into the palace multiple times, appearing to want to wrest the military authority of the Mo Family Army from her hands. However, none of those attempts succeeded."

Dark currents surged in Mo Xiuyao's eyes as he let out a cold laugh and declared, "He will never be able to distinguish between what is truly urgent and what is secondary. Go tell Ronghua that no matter what, we must set out and leave within tomorrow."

The shadow guard hesitated for a moment before saying, "Princess Ronghua probably doesn't possess that deep an influence over Yelv Hong yet."

Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "If Yelv Hong wishes to bring down Yelv Ye, he naturally knows what needs to be done. Go make the preparations; we depart tomorrow."

The shadow guard nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "This subordinate obeys!"

Waving the guard away, Mo Xiuyao looked up at the unclouded full moon, his gaze gradually softening. "A'-Li... Xiuyao always ends up causing you to suffer... One day... one day, I will bring everything best in this world and lay it right before you. As for those who seek to harm you... this Prince will never let them go!" The moment news of the Western Ling invasion arrived, Mo Xiuyao should have immediately set off to return to the capital, but the attitude of the Northern Rong monarch had been uncharacteristically and stubbornly resolute, insisting that Mo Xiuyao stay to participate in the Crown Prince's grand wedding, even carrying a subtle undertone of threat. Mo Xiuyao did not fear his threats, but if he were to brazenly walk away on the spot, Great Chu would likely find itself facing simultaneous attacks from two nations. The Northern Rong monarch was not yet prepared to swallow up Great Chu, but he certainly wouldn't mind dragging out the time for Mo Xiuyao—the youthful and renowned God of War—on behalf of Western Ling, perhaps even reaping some benefits along the way. Therefore... he too deserved to die!