Mo Li

News from the border arrived day by day, yet the atmosphere in the imperial court grew increasingly tense. The Western Mausoleum Army had captured three cities in just half a month, advancing toward Xinyang. On the ninth day of the ninth month, further reports came in: Leng Qingcang and the Heir of Marquis Nan, leading a hundred thousand troops to reinforce the front, had been ambushed midway by the Southern Garrison Marquis with fifty thousand soldiers. The losses were heavy, and the remaining forces retreated to defend Xinyang. By the tenth day of the ninth month, Xinyang was besieged. Meanwhile, the Western Mausoleum Army split into three divisions, advancing north, south, and center simultaneously. Urgent pleas for reinforcements poured in from every border pass. Yet, Prince Ding, who had safeguarded the Great Chu for a century, remained missing. The Ding Royal Palace was crowded with visitors daily.

"Princess."

In the study, Ye Li looked up at Head Steward Mo standing at the door and asked, "Who has come to see me this time?"

Head Steward Mo replied gravely, "Duke Hua and Marquis Nan request an audience. The Heir of Marquis Nan has gone missing amidst the chaos of battle."

"Missing?! How could that be..." Ye Li frowned, her delicate brows knitting together. She understood why Duke Hua and Marquis Nan had come, but this truly placed her in a difficult position. With a soft sigh, she said, "Please invite the Duke and Marquis in."

Before long, Duke Hua and Marquis Nan arrived at the door. Ye Li rose to greet them personally, stopping them from bowing. "There are no outsiders here, so let us dispense with formalities. Duke, Marquis, please take a seat."

After the two men expressed their thanks and sat down, a maid served tea. Ye Li then asked, "Have you come together regarding the border situation?"

Marquis Nan, his face haggard, sighed deeply. "Indeed. We apologize for troubling you, Princess."

Ye Li shook her head. "The Heir is no stranger to me, Marquis. There is no need for concern. I will immediately order a search for him at the border."

Marquis Nan shook his head again, sighing. "My son has fulfilled his duty to the nation. Whether he lives or dies is now in fate's hands. However... Princess, the Ding Royal Palace must have received news from the border even faster than we have. If this continues, the hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there will be annihilated before Prince Ding returns!"

Ye Li sighed softly as well. "Prince Zhennan of Xiling has spent over a decade recuperating and building his strength. Now that he has returned, how could it be anything but formidable? Though the Ding Royal Palace sent word to Northern Rong long ago, there has been no news of His Highness's whereabouts. I, too... am at a loss..."

Duke Hua exhaled heavily. "How could the Emperor have sent Prince Ding on a mere escort mission? Now, with General Murong stationed far away in Yongzhou and General Jingguo guarding the Northern Rong border, the court is left with no capable commanders. I..." He let out another long sigh before abruptly standing. "I will go to the palace and petition the Emperor myself! Let this old man lead the troops into battle!"

Ye Li and Marquis Nan hurriedly stopped him. Marquis Nan smiled bitterly. "Duke, even if someone must lead the army, it should be us. How could we trouble you in your advanced age?"

Looking at the two men before her, whose combined age exceeded a hundred and twenty years, Ye Li felt a pang of helplessness. She understood their purpose in coming, yet she could not resent them. Unlike Mo Jingqi, Prime Minister Liu, or Marquis Muyang, they were genuinely concerned for the fate of Great Chu and its soldiers and civilians. Because she, too, had once been a soldier—this alone made it impossible for her to hold any grudge against them.

"Duke, Marquis..."Duke Hua turned to see Ye Li's clear, calm eyes that seemed to pierce through all pretense. He paused momentarily before sitting back down. With an apologetic tone, he said, "Pray forgive this old man for disturbing you at such an inopportune time, Princess Consort. It's just that..."

Ye Li shook her head. "You honor me too much, Duke. I understand perfectly."

Duke Hua continued, "With Xiu Yao absent, it's already difficult enough for you, a woman, to manage the vast Ding Royal Palace alone—this old man is well aware. But the border crisis cannot wait for Prince Ding's return. I've heard of your capabilities, Princess Consort. For the sake of the Chu people and our border troops, I implore you to lend your strength. When I offered to lead the troops earlier, it was no empty boast. I'm also fully aware of your concerns. If you trust this old man, I'll personally command the army and hold the line until Prince Ding returns. Even His Majesty wouldn't be so reckless as to strip an old general of his command at such a critical juncture. Once Prince Ding returns and takes direct command at the frontier, all will be settled. What say you, Princess Consort?"

Ye Li smiled wryly. "Duke, are you so certain I can mobilize the Mo Family Army?"

The white-browed Duke Hua arched an eyebrow, eyeing her sharply. "Can you or can't you? If you say no, this old man will take his leave immediately."

After a long silence, Ye Li looked up. "I cannot give you the military authority—not because I distrust you, Duke, but because even with the Military Tally, deployment wouldn't be straightforward." Disappointment flickered in the eyes of Duke Hua and Marquis Nan, but Ye Li continued calmly, "I shall accompany the troops to the border myself. Though given your advanced age, Duke, such a long journey may prove too arduous..."

Marquis Nan brightened. "If the Princess Consort would trust this Marquis, I'll petition His Majesty immediately to lead the expedition—no, I'll serve as deputy commander if need be, reserving the supreme command for Prince Ding's return!"

Duke Hua studied Ye Li with newfound admiration. "Excellent," he nodded approvingly. "Xiu Yao certainly has discerning taste. We'll trouble you then, Princess Consort."

Ye Li shook her head with a faint smile. "Don't rejoice too soon, Duke. However well we plan, His Majesty may not consent." Duke Hua's voice turned grave. "If he's truly the ruler of this nation, he'll agree." Marquis Nan started at this, glancing nervously toward the study door before whispering, "Duke, such words shouldn't be spoken." The old Duke snorted but said no more.

After seeing off Duke Hua and Marquis Nan, Ye Li returned to her study to find Feng Zhiyao standing by the bookshelves, flipping through a volume. Hearing her footsteps, he turned with concern. "You've truly agreed to go to the border with Duke Hua and Marquis Nan?"

"You overheard?" Ye Li smiled slightly, settling behind her desk. "Western Liang's aggression leaves the Mo Family Army no room for neutrality—even with the Prince absent. While withholding military authority might be understandable now, further deterioration of the war would render any justification meaningless. The world would only see Chu ravaged by foreigners while the Mo Family Army stood idly by. Besides, since we must deploy eventually, earlier engagement means earlier control of the situation. Though... my agreement doesn't guarantee the palace's consent."

Feng Zhiyao's lips curled coldly. "If he refuses, then future public condemnation won't be our burden to bear."Ye Li nodded and said, "It's been so long already. If everything goes smoothly on the prince's end, he should be returning by the time our army reaches the border."

Mentioning Mo Xiuyao, Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but frown, "It's been so many days. How come there's still no news from the prince?"

"Perhaps there are those who don't wish for his return. No news at least means he's still safe for now. Go and make preparations. Also, inform Head Steward Mo that if the Nan Hou's heir's concubine comes, have her return for now."

"Yes," Feng Zhiyao nodded, hesitating before adding, "Your Highness, perhaps Feng San should still accompany you to the border this time."

Ye Li frowned slightly, "With the prince and me both away from the capital, although nothing major should happen at Prince Ding's Estate, someone still needs to stay and oversee things."

Feng Zhiyao replied, "Uncle Mo is enough. Although the estate is heavily guarded, its actual significance to the Mo Family Army isn't that great. Besides, Head Steward Mo has managed the estate for decades—he's far more capable than an outsider like me." After a moment's thought, Ye Li said, "I understand. You may go now; I'll consider it later. Since you're preparing to join the campaign, you should bid farewell to those you need to."

Feng Zhiyao was taken aback, a bitter smile appearing on his face, "A wanderer like me has no one to bid farewell to..." Ye Li looked at him with a knowing smile, "There's no point in deceiving yourself. Don't regret it when it's too late." Feng Zhiyao seemed momentarily lost in thought before snapping out of it and walking away in a daze.

As expected, Mo Jingqi outright rejected the proposals from Duke Hua and Marquis Nan without even hearing them out fully during the morning court session. Ye Li paid little attention to this, but immediately after court adjourned, Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingze both rushed to Prince Ding's Estate. Xu Hongyan didn't say much—though not holding a key position, he saw the situation more clearly than those embroiled in it. After some brief words of caution, he left with a sigh. Xu Qingze remained as taciturn as ever, only speaking as he was leaving: "If you insist on going, I'll petition the emperor tomorrow to accompany you to the border." Ye Li smiled gently, "Second Brother, your wedding is approaching. If it's delayed because of me, wouldn't Aunt Qin and Aunt be angry with me? Prince Ding's Estate has many guards; you needn't worry." Xu Qingze frowned, "Going together would put Uncle, Father, and Grandfather at ease." Without waiting for Ye Li to respond further, he turned and left.

Bad news from the border arrived day after day. Though far removed from the bloodshed in the capital, the reports of lost cities and casualty numbers were still shocking. In the capital, calls for the Ding Royal Palace to send troops grew louder. People had grown accustomed to always having that black-armored army protecting their safety, but this time, nearly a month into the war, there had been no word from the Ding Royal Palace or the Mo Family Army, leaving many citizens—even high-ranking officials—uneasy. The entire capital was restless with anxiety.When news spread from unknown sources that Prince Ding was far away in Northern Rong and that the Princess of the State's request to lead troops in her husband's stead had been rejected by the emperor, the court fell into silence while discussions gradually arose among the common people. Naturally, their words expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the emperor's decision. However, at this time, Mo Jingqi lacked the courage to suppress the rumors, leading to a flood of petitions from the capital and various regions, nearly overwhelming half of the imperial study. Three days later, Mo Jingqi finally announced with a darkened face during the morning court session that Marquis Nan would serve as deputy general, and the Princess of the State would accompany the army as a supervisor to march to the border and repel the invasion of Western Liang. Upon receiving the decree, Ye Li curled her lips slightly in disdain before turning back to her room to prepare.

The news of the Mo Family Army's impending expedition excited the entire capital, as if the mere appearance of the Mo Family Army would cause the Western Mausoleum Army to crumble like a landslide. Witnessing this, Ye Li couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Mo Xiuyao had been right—over the years, the dominance of Prince Ding's Estate had directly led to the scarcity of truly capable generals in Great Chu. Should anything happen to Prince Ding's Estate, the situation in Great Chu would indeed be worrisome.