The First Jasmine - Chapter 144
Chapter 144 - Qilin
After dismissing the crowd, only Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing remained in the study. Mo Xiurao leaned against the couch, silently looking at the two of them, one hand casually and lightly tapping the armrest beside him. The study was dead silent; only after a long while did his voice echo within the room, "Feng Third, what happened in the capital after I left?" Feng Zhiyao naturally would not conceal anything on Mo Jingqi's behalf, hurriedly embellishing and recounting everything that had occurred since Mo Xiurao departed the capital. Although Zhuo Jing was accustomed to keeping a cold face in front of others, he spared no effort when speaking ill of those who intended harm toward his master. Listening to this, Mo Xiurao's already unpleasant expression turned even darker.
Mo Xiurao was truly infuriated. Not only because Mo Jingqi had actually dared to target Ah Li, but even more so because, as an emperor, he was so utterly oblivious to what was light and what was heavy. In Mo Xiurao's eyes, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and the common folk of the entire city of Xinyang were lost precisely due to Mo Jingqi's suspicion and narrow-mindedness. Once, Mo Xiurao had doubted whether the ancestors of the Prince Ding's Manor had meddled too much, causing the Emperor to be so wary of the manor; only now did he truly understand that it was not that the ancestors did not know what it meant to overshadow the ruler with merit, nor was it that they did not know how to prevent royal suspicion. It was simply that some things... even when known to be impossible, had to be done!
"Good... very good!" Mo Xiurao chuckled in a low voice, yet that deep laugh caused Feng Zhiyao to shiver for no apparent reason. Mo Xiurao raised his head and said to the two of them, "You two may head back first."
"Your subordinates take their leave."
It was already midnight by the time Ye Li stepped into the study. Although she had been quite annoyed by Mo Xiurao's wanton behavior upon just waking up, discovering he was not in the bedchamber still led her to walk out and check on him. Seeing that the lights in the study were still lit, Ye Li knew he must still be working inside. After a moment's thought, she ultimately could not bear it, turning to head into the kitchen to prepare some late-night snacks and carry them into the study on a tray. Inside, Mo Xiurao was bent over his desk, writing rapidly. Hearing the movement at the doorway, he raised his head to see the woman at the door clad in a plain cloak, her elegant hair casually tied up, holding a tray piled with hot food as she gazed at him quietly. The lamplight reflected upon her clear, beautiful features, rendering her remarkably gentle and lovely. A wave of warmth filled Mo Xiurao's heart—this was his wife... "Ah Li, come here..." Mo Xiurao put down his brush, stood up, and extended his hand toward Ye Li.
Ye Li walked forward and placed the tray on the table. As she gathered the various scrolls and memorials spread across the desk, she set out the dishes, saying, "Is there anything that cannot wait until tomorrow?"
Mo Xiurao smiled faintly, pulling Ye Li down to sit on his lap. "Ah Li, accompany me to eat." Because he had not wanted to disturb Ah Li's rest, he had only taken a few casual bites for dinner, so he was indeed somewhat hungry by now. Ye Li looked at him rather speechlessly; sitting in his lap like this, how was she supposed to eat? Mo Xiurao acted as if he did not notice her conflicted expression, scooping up a spoon of plain porridge from the bowl with a side of refreshing pickles and bringing it to Ye Li's lips. Ye Li hesitated for a moment, but seeing him stubbornly refusing to pull his hand back, she had no choice but to bow her head and eat it. Mo Xiurao smiled with satisfaction before taking two bites himself. In this manner, spoon by spoon, the two finished off the food on the table together. Looking at the empty bowls and plates on the desk, Ye Li could only twitch the corners of her mouth, left with nothing to say.
After finishing the late-night snack, Mo Xiurao summoned the servants to clear away the dishes. Still refusing to let Ye Li go, he kept her restrained in his arms as the two went through the stacked memorials on the desk together, occasionally exchanging opinions. When Ye Li saw the document detailing the casualties of the common folk slaughtered in Xinyang City this time, she lowered her head in gloom. "I am deeply sorry; I failed to do well this time." Mo Xiurao let out a soft sigh, lifted her delicate face, and gently pressed a kiss upon her. "Ah Li, you have already done exceptionally well. Better than I ever imagined." Mo Xiurao was telling the truth; although he had handed the military authority of the Mo Family Army over to Ye Li, how much she could truly command was something he had not been entirely confident about. After all, shoulder-ing such a heavy burden as commanding an army of hundreds of thousands was something very few men could achieve. Yet his Ah Li had truly done her absolute best.
"However, if I had not ordered people to secretly transfer Xinyang's grain and silver in advance, perhaps Xinyang City would not have been slaughtered," Ye Li whispered softly.
Mo Xiurao shook his head and said calmly, "Ah Li, do not take everything upon yourself. You and I both know that you did nothing wrong. Although Western Ling is vast in territory just like Great Chu, unlike Great Chu's fertile land, Western Ling contains vast stretches of barren desert, with cultivated land less than one-fifth of Great Chu's. Inside Xinyang City, there were enough grain, provisions, and military supplies to sustain an army of five hundred thousand for half a year. Once they obtained that batch of grain and silver, this war would have been fought with far greater difficulty. Furthermore, the Western Ling soldiers did not slaughter or plunder the common folk when they first invaded Great Chu not because they did not want to, but because they feared inciting public resistance. Once this war extends into winter... Has Ah Li ever read the military history of Western Ling?" Ye Li shook her head. She had not paid attention to such things in the past, and after marrying Mo Xiurao, there were simply too many affairs to handle; in truth, she had not had much time to read books.
Mo Xiurao said, "If Ah Li had read it, you would know that once the Western Ling army runs out of grain, they will swiftly turn their hands against ordinary citizens. In fact, the Western Ling army has always considered itself invincible, yet Western Ling does not produce much grain, so their supply preparations are never abundant. To them, the ordinary citizens of an enemy nation are merely a reserve source of food. Although Great Chu had not suffered from this in the past, the Western nations and even the Southern Border have experienced massacres by Western Ling forces. Had the Western Ling people obtained Xinyang's grain, this war would inevitably have dragged on much longer. Once winter arrives and grain becomes scarce, even more citizens would suffer. Besides, even if someone is to be blamed, the first to be held accountable should be those who failed to defend the city!" Leaning against his solid chest, although Ye Li understood that Mo Xiurao was comforting her, her heart felt considerably lighter. Ye Li was not one to fixate on dead ends, so she quickly set the matter aside, merely looking down at the shocking numbers on the memorial and letting out a sigh. War was always accompanied by the innocent lives of countless ordinary citizens, a fact that was both heartbreaking and helpless.
The two nestled together beneath the lamplight, recounting the various events that had occurred since their separation. Upon hearing everything regarding the Prince of Zhennan, Mo Xiurao's face instantly darkened. Holding Ye Li tight, he whispered softly, "Ah Li was far too soft-hearted. Demanding just tens of thousands of piculs of grain and several million taels of silver was far too generous to him. If it were this Prince, I would have broken his other arm to be done with it." Ye Li raised her head, looking somewhat amused at the man before her who inexplicably seemed a touch childish. "If we had done that, I am afraid we and Western Ling would truly be in a fight to the death. Has the side of the Western Ling Emperor not been communicated with yet?" Mo Xiurao shook his head and said with a touch of helplessness, "The Western Ling Emperor is likely no longer of any use; whether he can survive this year is still a question. Once the Western Ling Emperor dies, I am afraid another child emperor will ascend, and the military and political power of Western Ling will fall entirely into the hands of the Prince of Zhennan."
Ye Li let out a somewhat melancholy sigh. "If that is truly the case... then indeed, we should have broken his other arm as well."
Having said that, the two looked at each other and smiled. Banter was ultimately just banter; under current circumstances, if they truly fought Western Ling to the death in a mutual destruction, it would bring zero benefit to either themselves or Great Chu. Mo Xiurao held the fair woman in his arms, his gentle gaze falling upon the memorials on the desk, a terrifying chill flashing across his eyes. The Prince of Zhennan, is it... To dare harbor designs on the Consort of Prince Ding's Manor—back then, Father chopping off only one of his arms was indeed far too merciful!
Mo Xiurao's sudden return brought the momentum of the Western Ling army, which had originally been breaking through like split bamboo, to a grinding halt. However, such tranquility was clearly impossible to sustain for long; in just a few days, the flames of war reignited. Although Xinyang had been reclaimed, counting both the Northern and Southern Route Armies of Western Ling, nearly one-third of the territory in Great Chu's Northwest, spanning five cities, remained in the hands of the Western Ling forces. Furthermore, because Mo Xiurao had led his army to break through the Northern Route Army's blockade and strike straight for Xinyang, it resulted in a situation where, despite Xinyang being retaken, the surrounding areas were still occupied by Western Ling forces, surrounding the entire city of Xinyang on three sides with enemies. Although there was no shortage of grain and military supplies within the city, water supply remained a massive issue. Even though very few common folk remained in the city, providing drinking water for over a hundred thousand troops still proved to be quite strained. It was not that Mo Xiurao was unaware of this problem, but Great Chu desperately needed a piece of inspiring news to boost the morale of the monarch and stabilize the hearts of the people, and reclaiming Xinyang had been the best choice.
After Mo Xiurao returned, Ye Li naturally handed all the former military duties back to him, assisting only with minor chores, which made her considerably freer. Taking advantage of the return of the team Lin Han had led with Mo Xiurao to Beirong and the team Qin Feng had led to gather intelligence, Ye Li recalled a matter that had been delayed for quite some time, calling everyone to her presence during a break when Mo Xiurao also happened to be free. Of the sixty-three people who had originally undergone training beneath Black Cloud Peak, a total of only fifty-one appeared here today. The sacrifice of twelve men might seem almost negligible in other armies, but here, it was equivalent to losing nearly one-sixth of their combat strength.
"Subordinates pay respects to the Prince and Princess Consort."
Mo Xiurao nodded. "Rise." During the trip to Beirong, Mo Xiurao had truly witnessed the combat capability of the people Ye Li had trained, while simultaneously becoming rather curious about such a team.
"Thanking the Prince and Princess Consort."
Mo Xiurao nodded with a smile to Ye Li. Ye Li stood up, stepped forward, and said, "It has been hard on you all this time. Lin Han, Qin Feng, report on the execution of tasks by each team."
Lin Han stepped forward and reported, "Reporting to the Princess Consort: eight people went to Beirong this time. One died in battle, one was severely injured, and the remaining six all passed."
Qin Feng likewise stepped forward and reported, "Reporting to the Princess Consort: fifty-five people, divided into eleven teams. One team failed with seven dead in battle and three injured."
Ye Li nodded slightly and said, "As for the funeral arrangements for the fallen soldiers and the arrangements for the injured, have Zhuo Jing handle them later. Those present here today are the final passing candidates of this special training. It has been hard on you all these days. I have already discussed it with the Prince: starting today, you will be formally incorporated into the Mo Family Army, commanded directly by the Prince and myself. Your codename shall be 'Qilin'!" Ye Li displayed a jade pendant in her hand, remarkably similar to the Yazi jade pendant capable of commanding the entire Mo Family Army, except the carving upon it was that of a lifelike Qilin. At the same time, starting today, this would also become their name. From today onward, they were the Qilin!
Ye Li smiled as she looked at the soldiers before her, who were striving to maintain composure yet still betrayed excited expressions in their eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, do you know what a Qilin is?"
The crowd hesitated for a moment before someone answered, "Reporting to the Princess Consort: the Qilin is an auspicious beast."
Ye Li nodded and said, "Correct, the Qilin is an auspicious beast. A Qilin is not only an auspicious beast, but also a benevolent beast. The Qilin possesses a horn upon its head, with flesh atop the horn; it arms itself without inflicting harm, which is why it embodies benevolence. I likewise hope that you will become benevolent beasts protecting the common folk and ordinary people, and when necessary, become sharp swords thrusting into the enemy!"
Everyone shouted in unison, "We respectfully obey the Princess Consort's instructions!"