The First Jasmine - Chapter 139
Chapter 139 - Sparring
The two combatants furiously trading blows in the center of the training ground finally noticed the unusual atmosphere among the onlookers gathered around them. Turning their heads, they spotted Ye Li standing off to the side, watching them with keen interest. Yun Ting's face burned with embarrassment, and a momentary lapse in concentration caused him to take another solid punch from his opponent. However, the other man still harbored a deep sense of reverence for the Princess Consort's status; having scored a hit, he ceased his onslaught, and the two quickly broke apart, though the mutual glares they exchanged made it abundantly clear that neither was satisfied with the other. Ye Li raised her hands and clapped, looking at the pair with a smile as she asked, "Why did you stop?"
"Princess Consort..." Yun Ting lowered his head in shame. Over the past few months, his admiration and respect for the Princess Consort had become absolute, and he took immense pride in being someone personally hand-picked and nurtured by her. Because of this, when he was met with the somewhat condescending attitudes of several young Mo Family Army officers, his temper easily flared, driving him to lose his composure and resort to blows.
Ye Li smiled lightly. "It's nothing. Exchanging pointers and sparring in a military camp is a common occurrence; there's no need to feel embarrassed. Or... was my presence here getting in the way of your performance?"
At these words, the several senior officers standing nearby watching the spectacle felt their faces flush with heat. Had they not harbored doubts regarding Yun Ting's—and even the Princess Consort's—capabilities, they would never have allowed the two young men to brawl unchecked. Seeing Ye Li's attitude now only served to make these grown men feel somewhat petty and small-minded. Observing that neither party intended to resume the fight, Ye Li waved her hand with a smile to dismiss the surrounding soldiers, leading the officers toward the main command tent. Responsibility for the frontline camp currently rested with Lü Jinxian, but since he had ridden into the city early that morning to coordinate defense layouts with the garrison, he hadn't been present in camp—which was why the fight between the two captains had gone completely unchecked. Upon receiving the news in the city, Lü Jinxian had hurried back in a rush, yet he still arrived a step behind Ye Li. With a dark expression, he shot a glare at Captain Chen before stepping forward to plead for punishment.
With a clear, melodious laugh, Ye Li gestured for Zhuo Jing to help Lü Jinxian up. "General Lü needn't go that far. So long as these young men understand their boundaries, a bit of scuffling can simply be chalked up to building camaraderie."
Once the group returned to the main tent and settled into their seats, Lü Jinxian called Captain Chen forward to question him about the cause of the fight. While scuffles in the military were hardly rare, if men wished to throw punches, they should head to the drill arena and fighting rings. Brawling indiscriminately in front of ordinary soldiers completely defied military discipline and easily fostered the misconception among the rank-and-file that the commanders were at odds with one another. Casting a sidelong glance at Yun Ting, Captain Chen gave a cold huff and offered no reply to Lü Jinxian. This dismissive snort reignited Yun Ting's freshly quelled temper. Lifting his chin defiantly, he snapped, "Unconvinced? If you're unsatisfied, let's go another round!" Captain Chen sneered, raising an eyebrow. "You think this lord is afraid of you? If it weren't for... I'd have beaten you black and blue!"
"All bark and no bite! Aren't you afraid your tongue will slip?" Yun Ting taunted.
"Silence!" Lü Jinxian roared in fury. It was bad enough that two captains were brawling right in front of numerous generals and the Princess Consort herself, but now they had even resorted to street-style shouting matches in public. It was a complete and utter disregard for military law!
Setting down her teacup, Ye Li offered Lü Jinxian a gentle smile. "Calm your anger, General Lü. Young men are inevitably hot-blooded; there's no need for the General to fly into a rage. Yun Ting, you've spent a few months in the capital—if nothing else, your tongue has certainly grown quite a bit sharper, hasn't it?" A twitch rippled across Yun Ting's face. Although he was considered quite young within the military ranks, he was still several years older than the Princess Consort. Hearing the Princess Consort—who was younger than him—dismiss him as a hot-headed youth caused a surge of heat to rush to his face. Lowering his head, he murmured, "This subordinate acted rashly; I ask the Princess Consort to punish me."
"I already said I won't hold it against you, so I won't," Ye Li replied. "Tell me instead: what on earth prompted the two of you to... well, begin sparring at the crack of dawn?"
For once, Captain Chen and Yun Ting shared a rare moment of synchronized hesitation, glancing toward Ye Li without speaking. Frowning slightly, Ye Li pressed, "What is this? Is it unspeakable? Or perhaps I should ask the various generals present here instead?"
Stepping forward, Captain Chen gritted his teeth and said, "It was this subordinate who spoke disrespectfully of the Princess Consort, which is why I came to blows with Captain Yun. I beg the Princess Consort to hand down judgment; this subordinate will willingly accept any punishment!" Ye Li gazed at him for a brief moment before nodding. "You at least have the courage to own up to your actions."
Captain Chen fell silent. Yun Ting glanced at the others and stepped forward as well, saying, "This subordinate also bears blame and wishes to share the punishment alongside Captain Chen." Watching Yun Ting's youthful face, Ye Li nodded inwardly. Several months of instruction and guidance had certainly paid off; had it happened a few months earlier, Yun Ting's temperament would never have allowed him to proactively ask for punishment in this manner. It had nothing to do with extraneous factors, but rather a growing maturity in how to conduct oneself in the world. The members of the Mo Family Army were reasonable men; seeing Yun Ting step up like this, their expressions visibly softened.
After a prolonged silence, Ye Li spoke in a calm, measured voice. "I have newly taken charge of the Mo Family Army, and previously I had never met any of you generals. It is entirely understandable that many of you hold lingering doubts in your hearts. Therefore, today's incident will be considered settled and written off. Now, if anyone sitting here still harbors any discontent or dissenting thoughts, feel free to voice them openly. You are all veteran heroes who have campaigned on the battlefield for years—let's dispense with the roundabout court-style games." Seeing that the crowd remained hesitant, Ye Li offered a warm smile. "Right here in this tent, speakers bear no guilt. Express whatever is on your mind. Could it be that you all fear this princess will seek retaliation behind your backs later?"
After a brief silence, a middle-aged deputy commander stood up, cupped his fists toward Ye Li, and said, "Pardon this subordinate's boldness, Princess Consort. Normally, with the Prince absent, it is only natural for the Princess Consort to command the Mo Family Army. However, commanding troops in warfare is unlike anything else; the lives of tens of thousands of brothers hang in the balance at every turn, which is why we subordinates harbored some extra concerns. The Princess Consort is still young, and moreover hails from a scholarly lineage..." As he spoke, Ye Li listened with an approving smile, nodding to indicate she understood his perspective. Seeing that she truly displayed no trace of anger, the others summoned their courage to voice their own reservations as well. Their doubts boiled down to Ye Li's youth and direct skepticism regarding her combat prowess and military command abilities. Seated in her chair, Ye Li waited quietly until everyone had finished speaking before beaming brightly. "Only now do I realize how many worries and concerns the generals have been carrying; it is indeed my dereliction of duty. Captain Chen, is that why you held resentment against me?"
Stiffening his neck, Chen Yun retorted, "Marching into battle is no child's play. If the Princess Consort lacks genuine skill, this junior naturally cannot submit!"
"Chen Yun, insolent!" Lü Jinxian barked.
With a wave of her hand, Ye Li smiled. "It's fine. This princess specializes in curing all forms of insubordination. How about we head to the drill ground first and test our skills?"
"This subordinate wouldn't dare!" Captain Chen, clearly startled by Ye Li's proposition, dropped abruptly to his knees. While these Mo Family Army generals harbored doubts regarding the Princess Consort's leadership capabilities, they held the utmost respect for her identity as the Princess Consort of Prince Ding. However, because the lives of frontline soldiers were intimately tied to the outcome of war, they refused to place blind trust in someone's capabilities simply because of her title. Now that the Princess Consort was proposing a physical contest between them, how could Chen Yun ever dare to commit the offense of striking a superior?
Standing up, Ye Li said coolly, "Get up. A man should stand proud—don't go dropping to your knees at every turn. What? Could it be that a big man like you is afraid of a woman?"
Color rushed to Chen Yun's face, leaving him momentarily speechless as to whether he should admit fear or not.
With a faint smile, Ye Li ignored him and strode out of the tent. Once she moved, the others had no choice but to follow. Looking somewhat flustered, Chen Yun turned to Lü Jinxian trailing at the rear. "General..." Lü Jinxian shook his head with a sigh. "Move along. Don't keep the Princess Consort waiting." Yun Ting, who had already reached the doorway, glanced back at Chen Yun with a gloating grin. Others might not know the Princess Consort's martial prowess, but he had witnessed it firsthand. If Chen Yun planned on holding back or throwing the match, he was destined for a miserable defeat.
Out on the drill ground, Ye Li stood with her hands clasped behind her back, smilingly watching Chen Yun hesitate as he stepped forward. By now, quite a few soldiers who had finished their drills had gathered around to watch. Seeing Chen Yun still lingering in hesitation, Ye Li prompted, "Captain Chen, please take your place."
Chen Yun finally stepped onto the arena, though he entirely lacked the swagger and fierce drive he had shown earlier when fighting Yun Ting, appearing remarkably restrained instead. Glancing at Ye Li, he said, "Princess Consort... please make the first move."
Ye Li raised an eyebrow slightly, knowing that if she didn't strike first, Chen Yun would never dare to lay a finger on her. Lifting her chin with a smile, she said, "In that case, Captain Chen, be on your guard!" Dispensing with her usual dagger, Ye Li turned and drew a longsword from the weapons rack beside Zhuo Jing. With a flick of her wrist, the tip of the blade transformed into a chilling arc of light that lunged straight toward Chen Yun. Sidestepping to evade the incoming strike, Chen Yun watched as Ye Li smiled and swept the sword horizontally in a flat slash. In the blink of an eye, Ye Li delivered several swift strikes in succession, forcing Chen Yun back multiple paces. The soldiers watching from below immediately broke into murmurs of derision at Chen Yun's retreat.
Initially, Chen Yun had indeed planned to exchange a few token blows with the Princess Consort before finding an opportunity to voluntarily concede defeat, thereby sparing both her dignity and his own embarrassment. However, the moment Ye Li executed her very first strike, he realized how mistaken he was. Whether it was her sword stance, the force behind her strikes, or the precision of her angles, there was nothing flashy or impractical about her movements; on the contrary, every single sword stroke carried lethal danger. Had he not possessed nimble footwork to dodge quickly, and had the Princess Consort not deliberately held back her full strength, he suspected his body would already be riddled with holes.
Rolling backward to put a safe distance between them, Chen Yun quickly distanced himself. Ye Li did not pursue him, instead lowering her sword and standing her ground as she watched him. Cupping his fists, Chen Yun saluted. "This subordinate was blind and begs the Princess Consort's forgiveness. I make bold to request a rematch using another weapon." With that, he walked over to the rack holding various armaments, retrieved a long spear, gave it a vigorous shake, and turned his gaze back to Ye Li with a solemn, focused expression. Nodding with satisfaction, Ye Li replied, "Very well, this is more like it. Captain Chen, please."
"Offense taken!" Chen Yun called out clearly, thrusting his spear straight toward Ye Li in a direct lunge. Moving with nimble agility, Ye Li side-stepped the attack while her longsword wove a dazzling web of blossoms. The old saying went that every inch of added length meant an added advantage; the three-foot sword in Ye Li's hand held no inherent length advantage against Chen Yun's spear. Yet the onlookers below quickly noticed that the Princess Consort consistently maintained a strict control over the combat distance between them, and this close range severely restricted the sweeping, wide-arc advantages of the spear, turning the clash into a remarkably evenly matched battle for the time being.
Down below, Feng Zhiyao—having arrived at some point—stood leaning lazily beside Murang with his arms crossed, asking with a grin, "Lord Heir, who do you think will win this bout between the Princess Consort and Captain Chen?" Murang smiled faintly. "I have had the fortune of witnessing the Princess Consort's martial arts; she is unquestionably a master among thousands. Captain Chen... is likely still a notch below."
Hearing Murang's assessment, Lü Jinxian turned his head in surprise, finally casting his gaze toward Feng Zhiyao. As an old acquaintance of Feng Zhiyao, Lü Jinxian received no attempt at concealment; Feng Zhiyao chuckled heartily and said, "General Lü might not know this, but the Princess Consort's swordsmanship was personally taught to her by the Prince himself. Furthermore... swordsmanship is probably her least proficient skill."
At these words, the expressions of all the officers shifted slightly. They had all witnessed the Princess Consort's swordsmanship—while not necessarily peak-tier, the murderous intent hidden beneath those blade-flashes was unmistakable. That was the art of killing, and according to reports, it was supposedly her weakest domain. In other words, when sparring with Chen Yun, the Princess Consort hadn't even unleashed her true capabilities.
Gazing up at the graceful, dragon-like figure moving fluidly across the stage, Murang could not help letting out a low chuckle. A statement Ye Li had uttered earlier flashed back across his mind: This princess specializes in curing all forms of insubordination... Before a woman of this caliber, how many people could truly remain unconquered?