Han Mingyue silently watched his younger brother turn and leave, ultimately saying nothing more. Although he had left behind a mess back then, Mingxi had managed to pull through on his own. As for him… Turning his head, he glanced at the woman in white approaching from not far away, a faint, bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"Han Mingyue!" Su Zuidie glided gracefully to the corridor, her delicate face dark with displeasure as she glared at him leaning against the pillar. "When exactly are we leaving this godforsaken place?" Su Zuidie felt she was going mad. Never had she regretted her decision to accept Zhennan Wang's request to return to Da Chu and seduce Mo Xiuyao more than now. Not only had she failed to ensnare Mo Xiuyao, but these days spent trailing the army had been unbearable—eating coarse food, wearing plain clothes, and worst of all, being unable to rest whenever she pleased during the march. Every day was exhausting beyond belief.
Finally arriving in Hongzhou, she had hoped for some comfort, only to be shoved into this small, shabby courtyard by Ye Li and completely ignored ever since. Apart from the person who delivered meals daily, there wasn’t even a maid to attend to her. Su Zuidie’s patience had long reached its limit.
What she didn’t know was that the absence of servants in the courtyard wasn’t Ye Li’s deliberate mistreatment but Han Mingyue’s own doing—he had dismissed all the attendants sent over. As a result, Su Zuidie had to wash and dress herself, tidy her room, and even launder her own clothes.
Seeing Su Zuidie’s undisguised impatience and anger, Han Mingyue felt as though a blunt knife were scraping his heart. Frowning, he recalled Han Mingxi’s earlier words and lowered his gaze, asking indifferently, "Leave? Where do you want to go?"
"Back to Western Liang, of course!" Unaware of his expression, Su Zuidie answered as if it were obvious. "I want to return to the palace! I can’t stand this wretched place any longer." Han Mingyue lifted his eyes to look at her, his expression calm and unreadable. "Don’t you want revenge on Princess Ding anymore?"
Su Zuidie paused, her delicate brows furrowing slightly in hesitation. Of course, she wanted revenge on Ye Li—she dreamed of it. But she wasn’t a fool. As long as Mo Xiuyao lived, she wouldn’t dare lay a finger on Ye Li. Having grown up with Mo Xiuyao, she might underestimate any other man in the world, but never him. Glancing at Han Mingyue, she bit her lip softly and asked, "You said you’d help me… Was that true?"
Han Mingyue stared at her without answering, but Su Zuidie took his silence as agreement. Her eyes shimmered as she pressed a slender hand against his chest, her voice tender and pleading, "Mingyue, help me… Help me kill Xiu Yao…"
A chill ran through Han Mingyue’s heart. He looked down at the woman leaning against him—her ethereal beauty like a celestial maiden, yet the words from her cherry lips sent shivers down his spine. "I thought you had never forgotten Xiu Yao?"Su Zuidie smiled faintly, unconcerned. "Of course I haven't forgotten Xiu Yao. Even if he were dead, I would never forget him in this lifetime. Mingyue, do you still remember how Xiu Yao looked back in the days of Chu Capital? Even then, I knew there would never be another man as outstanding as him in this world. It's a pity... back then, he was merely the second son of the Ding Royal Palace, Prince Ding's younger brother. If only Mo Xiuwen hadn't existed, it would have been perfect. But now... though he has become Prince Ding, we can no longer see the dashing elegance that once made him famous throughout Chu Capital."
Listening to Su Zuidie's seemingly soliloquizing words, Han Mingyue's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Standing motionless under the corridor with a beauty in his arms, he showed no reaction, as if lost in thought.
Su Zuidie wasn’t truly seeking Han Mingyue’s opinion either. She continued with a radiant smile, "Originally, I thought perhaps one day Xiu Yao and I could reconcile. But this reunion made me realize... Xiu Yao has already been seduced away by that wretched Ye Li! You saw how heartless he was to me... Since I can't have him, that bitch Ye Li won’t either!" At this point, Su Zuidie’s stunningly beautiful face twisted with resentment. Yet when she lifted her gaze to Han Mingyue, her eyes brimmed with tender affection. "Mingyue, help me kill Mo Xiuyao. Help me kill him, and I’ll be yours..."
Han Mingyue’s eyes were hollow and vacant. "Kill Mo Xiuyao..."
Su Zuidie nodded gently. "You know I only admire the strongest man in the world. Kill Mo Xiuyao... prove that you are the mightiest man alive..." After a long silence, Han Mingyue suddenly asked, "Will you come with me? To witness Mo Xiuyao’s death with your own eyes." Su Zuidie’s eyes flickered briefly before she smiled enchantingly. "I’ll wait for you in the Western Liang imperial city. Bring me Mo Xiuyao’s head, and then we can be together forever." Han Mingyue stared at her intently until the faint smile on Su Zuidie’s lips began to waver. Slowly, he released her hand and turned to walk deeper into the courtyard. Su Zuidie froze, watching his retreating figure in bewilderment. She had grown too accustomed to Han Mingyue’s unconditional compliance—indeed, he had never truly refused her before. Even during those years when she abandoned him for Western Liang, no matter how cold he acted, he would always fulfill her requests if she asked. But this time, she suddenly felt uncertain.
"Mingyue..."
Han Mingyue turned back, his handsome face etched with exhaustion. "Zui Die, have you considered what would happen if I went to kill Xiu Yao?" He was no longer the Han Mingyue who once commanded the Pavilion of Heavenly Unity. Even at the peak of his power, he wouldn’t have dared claim he could kill Han Mingyue. Su Zuidie frowned slightly but soon chuckled. "I know it’s dangerous, Mingyue. Naturally, I’ll find people to assist you." Han Mingyue remained unmoved. "Do you realize what would become of Great Chu if Mo Xiuyao died?" Su Zuidie scowled impatiently. "What does Great Chu matter to us? Mingyue, are you going to help me or not?"Han Mingyue shook his head heavily, watching as Su Zuidie's expression abruptly changed. She glared at him fiercely, called him useless, then turned and left without hesitation. Watching her retreating figure, Han Mingyue sighed. If he had agreed, forget about whether they could assassinate Mo Xiuyao—whether they could survive the night would have been a question in itself. Is this... the woman he loved? The white figure had already disappeared down the corridor, leaving Han Mingyue with a bitter ache in his heart.
In the study of the governor's residence, nearly all the Mo Family Army generals stationed in the northwest had gathered—a rare occurrence, except for those leading troops elsewhere.
Ye Li sat comfortably in her chair, listening with a smile as the generals reported on the recent battles. Though the generals remaining in the northwest were mostly young and lacked renowned reputations, Marquis Nan—who outsiders believed had perished—had stayed behind. His experience and insight far surpassed that of ordinary young officers. Though he couldn’t openly take to the battlefield, he had taught Ye Li much about military strategy in recent days and had also shouldered a great deal of pressure for her.
"...Of the eleven cities in the northwest, three have fallen into Western Liang’s hands, two are still being contested, and the remaining six are now firmly under our control. We await your instructions, Princess Ding."
Ye Li nodded in satisfaction. "You’ve all worked hard." Taking peaceful control of cities originally held by the imperial garrison required no less effort than battling Western Liang’s forces. With this, the northwest’s situation was finally in the Mo Family Army’s grasp. Even if Western Liang reinforced their troops, they now had ample room to maneuver without fear of being caught between enemies or secretly undermined by Mo Jingqi’s schemes. The officers rose and modestly declined her praise. Smiling, Ye Li turned to Marquis Nan, who was sipping tea nearby, and asked, "Marquis, what are your thoughts on the coming battles?"
Marquis Nan cupped his hands respectfully toward Ye Li. "The northwest will soon enter the depths of winter. If Western Liang doesn’t want to be bogged down with us until spring, they’ll likely intensify their attacks soon. In my humble opinion, we should stop holding back and strike back hard! The northwest is one of Great Chu’s three major granaries. If the fighting continues into spring, it will disrupt the people’s farming." His deferential tone—referring to himself as "this subordinate" before the young woman—made his stance clear. On the other hand, Marquis Nan was quite pleased with Ye Li’s performance. Unlike other women who might cling to power or act arrogantly, or pretend to understand what they didn’t for the sake of pride, she was keenly aware of her limitations in large-scale military command and never hesitated to seek her subordinates’ counsel. A true commander didn’t need to charge into battle or even devise battle formations—only to employ capable people wisely and make the right decisions at critical moments. No wonder Duke Hua had praised Princess Ding so highly. In Marquis Nan’s eyes, though she was a woman, she already carried the bearing of a ruler.Ye Li nodded and said, "Marquis Nan is very thoughtful. I am also quite concerned about this matter. Since that's the case, let everyone share their thoughts." In truth, Ye Li's worries extended far beyond just next year's spring planting in the northwest. Although the Mo Family Army and the imperial court had not yet openly broken ties, everyone knew that regardless of the final outcome of this war, the century-old balance between Ding Royal Palace and the Great Chu royal family would cease to exist. If the Mo Family Army were defeated, the Ding Royal Palace would vanish from this world. If they won, Mo Jingqi would likely take advantage of the army's exhaustion after the great battle to strike a devastating blow. Thus, Ye Li understood clearly that reclaiming the northwest was not merely about driving out the Western Liang forces—she also had to secure the entire northwest for Mo Xiuyao and ensure this land remained firmly in the hands of the Mo Family Army. This territory might very well become their last retreat. Therefore, the issue of food supplies demanded even greater attention.
These days, the Mo Family Army had been fighting intermittently, mostly just stalling the Western Mausoleum Army's advance. There had been no truly large-scale battles, leaving the soldiers frustrated and eager to deliver a crushing blow to the Western Liang forces. Hearing Ye Li's words now, they grew excited and began voicing their opinions enthusiastically, filling the study with a clamor of voices.
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