After dismissing the others, only Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing remained in the study. Mo Xiuyao leaned against the couch, silently observing them while absently tapping the armrest with one hand. The study was utterly quiet until his voice finally broke the silence after a long while, "Feng San, what happened in the capital after I left?" Feng Zhiyao naturally wouldn't conceal anything about Mo Jingqi's actions and promptly embellished every incident that occurred after Mo Xiuyao's departure from the capital. Although Zhuo Jing typically maintained a cold expression in public, he spared no effort in speaking ill of those who intended harm to their master. Mo Xiuyao's already displeased expression grew even darker upon hearing their accounts.
Mo Xiuyao was genuinely enraged. Not only because Mo Jingqi had dared to target A Li, but also because as an emperor, he showed such a lack of judgment. In Mo Xiuyao's view, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and the entire population of Xinyang were lost due to Mo Jingqi's paranoia and narrow-mindedness. Once, Mo Xiuyao had wondered if the ancestors of the Ding Royal Palace had interfered too much, leading the emperors to distrust them. Now he finally understood—it wasn't that the ancestors didn't know how to avoid overshadowing the emperor, nor that they were unaware of how to prevent royal suspicion. Rather, some things... had to be done despite knowing the consequences!
"Good... very good!" Mo Xiuyao chuckled darkly, the low laughter sending an involuntary shiver down Feng Zhiyao's spine. Mo Xiuyao looked up at the two and said, "You may leave now."
"Your subordinate takes his leave."
Ye Li entered the study at midnight. Though she had just woken up and was somewhat annoyed by Mo Xiuyao's willfulness, she couldn't help but step out when she noticed his absence from their room. Seeing the light still on in the study, she knew he must still be working there. After a moment's hesitation, she couldn't bring herself to leave and instead went to the kitchen to prepare some late-night snacks before carrying the tray into the study. Inside, Mo Xiuyao was bent over his desk, writing swiftly. Hearing the sound at the door, he looked up to see a woman standing there—draped in a plain cloak, her hair loosely tied, holding a tray laden with food as she gazed quietly at him. The lamplight cast a soft glow on her delicate features, making her appear unbelievably graceful and tender. A warmth spread through Mo Xiuyao's heart—this was his wife... "A Li, come..." Mo Xiuyao set down his brush and stood, reaching out to her.
Ye Li approached and placed the tray on the table, tidying up the scattered scrolls and documents while setting out the dishes. "Couldn't this wait until tomorrow?" she asked.
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, pulling her onto his lap. "A Li, eat with me." Not wanting to disturb her rest earlier, he had only taken a few bites during dinner and was now genuinely hungry. Ye Li gave him a helpless look—how was she supposed to eat like this, seated in his arms? Ignoring her conflicted expression, Mo Xiuyao scooped up a spoonful...A spoonful of plain porridge paired with refreshing side dishes was brought to Ye Li's lips. She hesitated for a moment, but seeing his stubborn refusal to withdraw his hand, she could only lower her head and eat it. Mo Xiuyao smiled contentedly before taking a couple of bites himself. The two of them took turns spoon-feeding each other until the dishes on the table were completely cleared. Staring at the empty plates, Ye Li could only twitch her lips speechlessly.
After finishing their late-night meal, Mo Xiuyao called for servants to clear the tableware. Without letting go of Ye Li, he kept her confined in his embrace as they reviewed the memorials still spread across the table, occasionally exchanging opinions. When Ye Li saw the report detailing the number of civilians massacred in Xinyang City, her head lowered in sorrow. "I'm sorry. This was all my fault."
Mo Xiuyao sighed softly, lifting her delicate face to place a gentle kiss. "A Li, you've done very well—better than I imagined." He spoke the truth. Although he had handed over command of the Mo Family Army to Ye Li, he hadn't been entirely confident about how much she could handle. After all, leading hundreds of thousands of troops was a burden few men could shoulder, let alone a woman. Yet his A Li had truly done her best.
"But if I hadn't ordered the diversion of Xinyang's provisions and silver, perhaps the massacre wouldn't have happened," Ye Li murmured.
Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "A Li, don't take everything upon yourself. We both know you did nothing wrong. Though Western Liang is as vast as Great Chu, unlike our fertile lands, they have vast deserts—their arable land is less than one-fifth of ours. Xinyang City held enough provisions and military supplies to sustain half a million troops for six months. Had the Western Mausoleum Army seized them, this war would've been far harder. Moreover, their initial restraint toward civilians wasn't out of kindness but fear of inciting resistance. If this war drags into winter..." He paused. "Have you read Western Liang's military history?"
Ye Li shook her head. She hadn't paid attention to such matters before, and after marrying Mo Xiuyao, there had been too many affairs—she'd hardly found time to read.
"If you had, you'd know," Mo Xiuyao continued, "that once the Western Mausoleum Army runs out of provisions, they'll quickly turn on civilians. In truth, they pride themselves on brute strength, and since Western Liang produces little grain, their supplies are always insufficient. Enemy civilians are merely backup provisions to them. Though..."Although the Great Chu had not suffered from it before, the western nations and even the Southern Border had experienced cities being massacred by the Western Liang people. If the Western Liang forces were to obtain Xinyang's provisions, the war would undoubtedly drag on longer. Once winter arrived and supplies ran short, even more innocent civilians would suffer. Besides, if blame were to be assigned, the first to be held accountable should be those who failed to defend the city!" Ye Li leaned into his sturdy embrace. Though she understood Mo Xiuyao was comforting her, her heart felt considerably lighter. She wasn’t one to dwell on things, so she quickly set the matter aside, only sighing as she looked down at the shocking numbers on the report. War always came with the loss of countless innocent lives—both heartbreaking and helpless.
The two huddled together under the lamplight, sharing what had happened during their time apart. Mo Xiuyao’s expression darkened upon hearing about Zhennan Wang’s actions. Holding Ye Li gently, he murmured, "A Li is too soft-hearted. A few thousand tons of provisions and a few million taels of silver are letting him off easy. If it were me, I’d have broken his other arm as well." Ye Li looked up, amused by the unexpectedly childish demeanor of the man before her, and said, "If that were the case, we and Western Liang would truly be locked in a fight to the death. Hasn’t the Western Liang Emperor yet to be persuaded?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head, sighing. "The Western Liang Emperor is likely useless—whether he’ll even survive this year is uncertain. Once he dies, another child emperor will probably take the throne, and Western Liang’s military and political power will fall entirely into Zhennan Wang’s hands."
Ye Li sighed wistfully. "If that’s the case… perhaps we really should have broken his other arm after all."
With that, the two exchanged a smile. Jokes were just jokes—under the current circumstances, a life-or-death struggle with Western Liang would benefit neither them nor the Great Chu. Mo Xiuyao tightened his arms around the graceful figure in his embrace, his warm gaze landing on the report on the table, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes. Zhennan Wang… daring to covet the consort of the Ding Royal Palace? His father had indeed been too lenient back then, merely cutting off one of his hands!
Mo Xiuyao’s sudden return halted the previously unstoppable advance of the Western Mausoleum Army. However, such calm was clearly not meant to last. Within days, the flames of war reignited. Although Xinyang had been recaptured, counting both the northern and southern routes of the Western Liang forces, five cities in the northwest—nearly a third of the entire region—remained in enemy hands. Because Mo Xiuyao had led his troops to break through the northern blockade and charge straight for Xinyang, the city was now surrounded on three sides by Western Liang forces. Though provisions and military supplies were not lacking within the city, water remained a critical issue. Even with the drastically reduced civilian population, supplying water for tens of thousands of troops was still a challenge. Mo Xiuyao was well aware of this problem, but the Great Chu desperately needed an inspiring victory to rally morale and reassure the people—and reclaiming Xinyang was the best choice.After Mo Xiuyao returned, Ye Li naturally handed back the original military affairs to him, only assisting with some trivial matters, which immediately made her much more at leisure. Taking advantage of the fact that both Lin Han's team, who had followed Mo Xiuyao to Northern Rong, and Qin Feng's team, who had gone to gather intelligence, had returned, Ye Li remembered a matter that had been delayed for quite some time. She seized the opportunity when Mo Xiuyao was also free and summoned the men before them. Originally, there had been sixty-three men trained at the foot of Black Cloud Peak, but now only fifty-one remained here. The loss of twelve men might be negligible in other armies, but here it meant losing nearly one-sixth of their combat strength.
"Your subordinates pay their respects to the Prince and Princess."
Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Rise." During the trip to Northern Rong, Mo Xiuyao had truly witnessed the combat prowess of these men trained by Ye Li, and he had also grown somewhat curious about such a team.
"Thank you, Prince and Princess."
Mo Xiuyao smiled and nodded at Ye Li, who stepped forward and said, "You've all worked hard this time. Lin Han, Qin Feng, report on the execution of your respective missions."
Lin Han stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Princess, eight men went to Northern Rong. One died in battle, one was severely injured, and the remaining six all passed the assessment."
Qin Feng similarly stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Princess, fifty-five men were divided into eleven groups. One group failed, with seven dead and three injured."
Ye Li nodded slightly. "The arrangements for the deceased soldiers' funerals and the care of the injured will be handled by Zhuo Jing later. Those of you present here today are the final candidates who have passed this special training. You've all worked hard these past days. I've already discussed with the Prince, and from today onward, you will be formally incorporated into the Mo Family Army, under the direct command of the Prince and myself. Your codename—'Qilin'!" Ye Li revealed a jade pendant in her hand, strikingly similar to the Yazi Jade Pendant that could command the entire Mo Family Army, but this one was carved with a lifelike qilin. From this day forward, this would also become their name. From today onward, they would be the Qilin!
Ye Li smiled as she looked at the soldiers before her, who, though trying their best to appear composed, still couldn't hide the excitement in their eyes. She said solemnly, "Gentlemen, do you know what a qilin is?"
After a moment of hesitation, someone answered, "Reporting to the Princess, the qilin is an auspicious beast."
Ye Li nodded. "Correct, the qilin is an auspicious beast. But the qilin is not only auspicious—it is also a benevolent beast. The qilin has horns on its head, but the horns are covered with flesh. It is armed yet does no harm, which is why it is benevolent. Similarly, I hope you will become benevolent beasts who protect the common people, and when necessary, the sharp swords that pierce the enemy."
The men responded in unison, "We heed the Princess's instructions!"
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
Hehe... A Li's special forces now have a name: Qilin. ( ^__^ ) Teehee... This is absolutely a mix of mischievous whimsy and worship for a certain great deity~
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