The First Jasmine - Chapter 138
Chapter 138 - The Transaction
Late at night, Ye Li strolled along the winding corridors of the residence, her gaze lifting to the silver moon approaching its fullness in the sky as she frowned slightly. The next full moon night was fast approaching, yet Mo Xiuyao had gone off to Northern Rong with still no news whatsoever, a reality that kept her simmering with worry. There was also their current predicament: the Marquis of Nan had clearly indicated his unwillingness to handle matters, and as she commanded several hundred thousand troops for the first time in her life, she felt far less confident and calm inside than she appeared on the surface. Xiuyao... where are you right now...
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Bathed in the moonlight, Ye Li snapped out of her reverie, her hand whipping out to point toward the far end of the corridor behind her.
A moment later, a tall figure emerged from around the corner. Ye Li started slightly, her slender brows lifting as her cool, clear eyes narrowed faintly. "Lord Heir, what are you doing out here at this hour?" Murang gazed with a somewhat complex expression at Ye Li's outstretched hand, knowing that hidden beneath those delicate, slender, jade-like hands lay lethal deadliness. Murang gave a light cough. "I had no intention of causing offense. Please forgive me for startling the Princess Consort." Ye Li smiled faintly, composure intact as she withdrew her hand and tucked it back into her sleeves. Raising a hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she asked, "Is there something Lord Heir needed to say at this late hour?"
A flash of surprise crossed Murang's face before he quickly offered a faint smile. "The Princess Consort is truly as sharp of mind as they say, unlike ordinary mortals. I was simply wondering... has the Marquis already agreed to hand over all command decisions regarding the army entirely to the Princess Consort?"
Dropping her gaze, Ye Li smiled calmly. "Although the Lord Heir is the heir to the Marquis of Muyang, you are not Marquis Muyang himself. Moreover, even Marquis Muyang lacks the authority to meddle in major military affairs. Lord Heir, you are merely a captain under the Marquis of Nan and the deputy commander-in-chief." Murang showed no sign of anger at Ye Li's clear dismissal. Instead, he simply folded his arms behind his back, leaned against the corridor railing, and said indifferently, "I assume the Princess Consort understands the true significance and role of my position as a captain?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "And so what if I do? The Marquis of Nan is heartbroken over the unknown fate of the Marquis's Heir and lacks the strength to command the three armies. Now that the Western Ling army is bearing down upon our city walls, what does Captain Mu believe should be done?"
Faced with the poised and unflinching composure of the woman before him, Murang could not help a surge of helplessness and exhaustion welling up from the depths of his heart. Of course he understood what the Princess Consort meant; given the Marquis of Nan's status, attempting to keep the Mo Family Army in check was already a stretch, let alone when there was no longer even time to replace commanders in the middle of a battle. And while he held the status of an Heir, his military rank was merely that of a captain. Leaving aside commanding the entire Mo Family Army, he doubted he could even lead a fraction of it without the nod of Princess Consort Ye Li to back him up. Murang had never been a man ignorant of his own limitations, so he had never entertained the notion of seizing military power from the Mo Family Army. Yet standing right before him was a woman not yet twenty years of age, and yet the aura and sharpness she radiated in every gesture made a full-grown man like him feel compelled to bow in admiration. Such a woman completely transcended Murang's understanding and categorization of her gender. It seemed as though she needed to rely on no one, nothing could ever truly stump her, and no obstacle could ever block her path. Murang suddenly recalled that elegant, refined man who, even when confined to a wheelchair, had remained utterly graceful and composed. It seemed only a man of that caliber could ever match a woman like this in the entire world.
"Lord Heir?" Ye Li frowned as she watched the person before her drift off into a daze.
Snapping back to reality, Murang offered an apologetic smile. "The Princess Consort misunderstands my intent; I have no plans to make things difficult for the Princess Consort."
Ye Li raised an eyebrow, smiling without a word. Murang continued, "Right now, the rebellion of King Li in the south remains unquashed, the Western Ling invasion is in full swing, and Northern Rong looms menacingly in the north. The only ones capable of sweeping away these external enemies are the Prince Ding's Estate and the Mo Family Army. Though untalented, Murang understands that the realm takes precedence. Why would I ever choose to make things difficult for the Princess Consort?" Eyeing him thoughtfully, Ye Li smiled lightly, "Since the Lord Heir has no intention of opposing me, aren't you afraid that the person within the palace walls might make things difficult for you?" Murang laughed heartily. "Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort; I naturally have my own calculations regarding that. However, there is a small matter I must ask the Princess Consort to agree to."
"The Lord Heir may speak freely."
Murang pondered for a moment before saying, "I do not know whether my father harbors any unpleasant grievances against the Prince Ding's Estate, but I only hope that in the future, for my sake, the Princess Consort might show some leniency and raise your hand."
Surprised, Ye Li let out a soft sigh after a long silence. "Marquis Muyang has raised a good son indeed. With a son like this, Marquis Muyang can rest content for a lifetime. Very well, this princess agrees."
Cupping his fists, Murang said, "Thank you, Princess Consort."
Ye Li shook her head. "The Lord Heir need not thank me; making this deal with you does not put this princess at a loss. After all, compared to matters on the battlefield, other petty grievances and grudges amount to nothing at all." Murang chuckled softly, "Hearing the Princess Consort put it that way makes me feel utterly ashamed of myself."
Ye Li smiled warmly. "I misspoke; the Lord Heir need not take it to heart. The hour is late; the Lord Heir should get some rest early."
"Princess Consort, please wait!" Murang blurted out, a trace of agitation in his voice. "Princess Consort, may I ask... do you have any news of Yaoji?" Ye Li turned back with a hint of surprise, clearly catching the unabashed worry and longing etched across the face of the man standing in the moonlight. Shaking her head, Ye Li watched the disappointment flash across Murang's face before speaking softly, "Lord Heir, some people and some things, once missed, are missed forever."
With a look of stubborn reluctance, Murang glared at her. "How can the Princess Consort be so certain that a broken mirror can never be made whole again?" Ye Li replied, "I know not whether such a thing as a reunited broken mirror exists in this world, but... even if a bronze mirror is rejoined, the cracks that once were can never be concealed. Furthermore... can the Lord Heir truly find a way to achieve the best of both worlds?" A flash of defeat and vexation crossed Murang's features. Without another word, Ye Li turned and walked away, softly reciting as she departed: "Once I pondered, deep passion harms the ascetic path; entering the mountains, I fear parting from the breathtaking beauty. How can one find a dual path in this world, failing neither the Buddha nor my love?"
"How can one find a dual path in this world..." Murang murmured softly, a faint, bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He could never persuade Yaoji to become a concubine in the Marquis Muyang's household, just as he could never persuade his proud parents to accept Yaoji as their daughter-in-law. Failing neither the Buddha nor his love—did the person who penned those lines experience the exact same struggles and agony he felt now?
Early the next morning, the Western Ling army surprisingly refrained from launching a fresh assault. Seated in her study, Ye Li busied herself organizing intelligence reports and tactical analyses concerning the frontline engagements. The Marquis of Nan had not been merely dodging responsibilities when he claimed helplessness; early that morning, right as Ye Li rose, someone came running to report that the Marquis had fallen seriously ill. Although Jiangxia City lacked any renowned physicians, the military doctors of the Mo Family Army possessed exceptionally fine medical skills. Rushing over to examine him, they reported back to Ye Li that while the Marquis was not yet of an advanced age, he had lived a life of pampered luxury for years, leading to excessive exhaustion during the march compounded by severe anxiety and overthinking, which had caused him to suddenly collapse. With no other choice, Ye Li assigned personnel to properly care for him while redoubling secret efforts to search for the missing Marquis's Heir. Qin Feng had completed his mission and secretly returned to Jiangxia City the previous night, so Ye Li summoned him straight to her study at first light to brief him on tracking down the Heir.
"Princess Consort, Captain Yun has gotten into a fight with someone at the drill grounds!" Just as she was speaking with Qin Feng, someone rushed to the doorway to report.
With an amused twitch of her brow, Ye Li glanced sideways at Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing. "After days of continuous forced marches and yesterday's massive battle, they're already up and fighting each other this morning. It seems we still underestimated the stamina of our Mo Family Army soldiers." Zhuo Jing rubbed his nose and chuckled softly, "The Princess Consort is right." Standing up and rolling her shoulders, Ye Li said, "In that case, let's go take a look."
Because the two armies were currently locked in a standoff, the camp of the Mo Family Army was pitched on an open stretch of land not far outside Jiangxia City, with soldiers on strict alert at every surrounding intersection. An open patch of ground right in the center of the camp served as a temporary drill square. By the time Ye Li and her entourage arrived, Yun Ting was already locked in a brawl with another young, similarly aged commander. Several senior officers of the Mo Family Army and a crowd of watching soldiers stood nearby, jeering and cheering. Murang, who had been standing on the sidelines enjoying the spectacle, was the first to spot Ye Li entering and turned to offer her a smile. Ye Li nodded lightly as Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing parted the crowd ahead to clear a path. Watching the two youthful yet fiercely capable commanders scrapping intensely, many spectators failed to notice that Ye Li had walked right up to the front line.
"Princess Consort." It was only when Murang spoke up that the officers focused on the sparring match finally snapped back to their senses. Turning pale with mild embarrassment, they hurried to salute the Princess Consort, while a few even attempted to step forward and pull the two tangled fighters apart. Raising a hand with a smile, Ye Li motioned them back. "No need, let them finish fighting it out first."
Despite her words, the noisy, rowdy atmosphere that had filled the drill square moments prior instantly dissipated with the Princess Consort's arrival. Many faces betrayed awkwardness and rigid formality. Unbothered, Ye Li smiled and turned to ask Murang beside her, "Lord Heir, whose victory do you think is more likely?" Murang smiled knowingly, raising an eyebrow. "If I had to guess, Captain Yun Ting is likely to edge him out." Immediately, the surrounding officers cast unconvinced looks, and one outspoken captain blurted out without thinking, "From this subordinate's perspective, Captain Chen is the stronger one!"
Seeing that Ye Li's face showed not the slightest trace of displeasure, the onlookers relaxed inwardly and chimed in with their own opinions, clearly throwing their support behind the young captain surnamed Chen.
Murang murmured with a low chuckle to Ye Li, "Princess Consort, it seems the Mo Family Army is rather unwelcoming to outsiders as well." Yun Ting was now a member of the Mo Family Army, and moreover someone personally cultivated by the Princess Consort herself. Yet after all, he was a late addition who had dropped into their ranks out of nowhere. Soldiers were naturally proud and arrogant by nature, so plenty of people naturally looked at him sideways.
Careless of the friction, Ye Li replied with a light smile, "In a military camp, strength is king, and exchanging pointers from time to time is hardly a bad thing—so long as it doesn't interfere with major affairs." In her past life within the special forces, any random soldier pulled from the ranks was at the absolute peak of military elite status. How could a gathering of so many elites fail to breed fierce competition? It was precisely because of such rivalry that they were driven to push themselves harder and march further forward, for the weak would inevitably be eliminated. By the same token, many officers in the Mo Family Army had climbed their way up from ordinary foot soldiers, while others were scions of military lineages who had served the Prince Ding's Estate for generations. Though Yun Ting had distinguished himself during the Battle of Yonglin, to the veterans of the Mo Family Army, that feat alone was still hardly worth mentioning—especially since he had been hand-picked and promoted by a Princess Consort whose depth and capabilities they had yet to gauge.
Gazing deeply at Ye Li, Murang chuckled softly under his breath, "The Princess Consort speaks wisely."