Mo Li

Deploying troops and arranging formations was not knowledge that could be mastered with a single revelation. At the very least, Ye Li, who was currently on the battlefield, found it difficult to be of much help to Feng Zhiyao in this regard. Even if she could understand the situation and come up with ideas, there was no way she could immediately convey her intentions to the Mo Family Army engaged in fierce combat below the city walls. Moreover, as someone who had only just begun to grasp the basics of military formations, Ye Li was not so arrogant as to believe she could instantly compete with Prince Zhennan of Xiling, who was hailed as the God of War of Western Liang, in the art of troop deployment. Standing atop the high ground, Ye Li fixed her gaze intently on the battlefield below. As expected, after several shifts in formation, the Mo Family Army’s ranks gradually began to crumble, falling into the encirclement of the Western Mausoleum Army.

"Your Highness..." Qin Feng frowned, his voice tinged with urgency as he sought to speak. Though he hailed from the Black Cloud Cavalry, he was not its supreme commander. Moreover, cavalry units rarely relied heavily on formations, so he was not particularly well-versed in them. Nevertheless, this did not prevent him from recognizing the Mo Family Army’s gradual decline.

Ye Li raised a hand to stop him, lowering her head in thought for a moment before saying, "Feng San is indeed no match for Lei Zhenting. Let’s call it a day for now." Though the battle appeared fierce, neither side had committed their full strength—it was merely a probing engagement. Qin Feng said, "Our army is already trapped within the Western Liang formation. It won’t be easy to break free. Your Highness... does Your Highness have a way to dismantle the formation?" As if out of habit, Qin Feng turned hopeful eyes toward Ye Li. Though they had not followed her for long, they had unconsciously come to regard her as an omnipotent genius. Ye Li shook her head with a faint smile. "When it comes to formations, I truly don’t know much."

Hearing this, Qin Feng couldn’t help but feel disheartened. No matter how capable the princess consort was, she was still only in her teens—how could she possibly know everything? Many generals spent decades studying formations without fully mastering them. The officers left by her side were all young commanders, and the only one with substantial experience, Marquis Nan, had been dispatched on another mission. Besides, in Qin Feng’s estimation, even if Marquis Nan were present, he would likely be no match for Prince Zhennan of Xiling.

Ye Li rubbed her fingertips thoughtfully, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Since... neither skill nor intellect can solve the problem, then we’ll have to resort to... brute force." Qin Feng was momentarily stunned, unable to grasp her meaning. Before he could think further, Ye Li descended from the high platform and walked to Feng Zhiyao’s side at the city wall, where he was observing the battle. In the next instant, before Qin Feng could react, a brilliant red flame shot into the sky with a piercing shriek.

Then, an earth-shaking thunder of hooves erupted from the southwest, like a black tornado sweeping across the battlefield in an instant. Simultaneously, the Mo Family Army, which had been fragmented by the Western Mausoleum Army, swiftly reconnected within moments, breaking out from the enemy’s core and forming larger formations with their comrades. Like the sharp tip of an arrow, they carved a fissure through the massive ranks of the Western Mausoleum Army. Meanwhile, the newly arrived Black Cloud Cavalry did not rush into slaughter or retreat. Instead, they weaved through the battlefield, instantly tearing the once-orderly formations into disarray.

Behind the Western Mausoleum Army, at the central command post, the Western Liang generals paled at the sudden appearance of the Black Cloud Cavalry. "What kind of formation is this?!" one exclaimed in shock.Zhennan Wang wiped the smile from his face, gazing thoughtfully at the distant city walls as he said, "This is no formation!" In the face of absolute power, all formations are meaningless. The Mo Family Army's strength was slightly superior to that of the Western Mausoleum Army, lacking only in numbers and truly brilliant commanders. Those who dared to challenge the Mo Family Army had long been prepared to pay the corresponding price. Now, with the fresh troops of the Black Cloud Cavalry joining the fray, the outcome became truly unpredictable.

A general beside him suggested, "Shall we press our rear forces forward to completely annihilate the Mo Family Army outside the city?" Zhennan Wang shook his head, "It's too late. They're withdrawing."

Indeed, the sound of gongs signaling retreat soon echoed from Hongzhou's walls. The city gates swung open instantly, and the Mo Family Army, having just broken through the Western Mausoleum Army's encirclement under the Black Cloud Cavalry's cover, rushed into the city. The Black Cloud Cavalry covering their retreat also galloped toward the gates, while pursuing Western Liang soldiers were met with a rain of arrows from the defending Mo Family Army atop the walls.

Witnessing this, the generals around Zhennan Wang cursed angrily, "Those Eastern Chu cowards! They flee when they can't win!" Zhennan Wang, however, laughed instead of growing angry. "Of course they'd run when they can't win. But... Ye Li's move has made one thing clear to this prince. There truly are no capable commanders left in Hongzhou City. Feng Zhiyao alone might become competent enough to hold his own after a few more years of tempering, but he's still too green now."

The other generals realized the truth in his words. With forces of equal strength, the Eastern Chu forces needed the Black Cloud Cavalry's rescue to retreat into the city—wasn't this proof of their lack of capable commanders?

"Mo Xiuyao is simultaneously fighting against the allied forces of three states within the pass. No matter how formidable he is, he can't manage everything. Most likely, all the Mo Family Army's capable generals have followed him into the pass."

"Exactly! That Mo Xiuyao actually entrusted the northwest to a woman—this shows how truly bereft the Mo Family Army is of talent!" As the generals buzzed with discussion, Zhennan Wang turned his gaze back to the faint blue figure atop Hongzhou's walls.

Their recent string of victories and today's battle had made the Western Liang generals somewhat dismissive of the Mo Family Army. But Zhennan Wang, as their commander, felt no such complacency. On the contrary, it made him regard the young Princess of the State with even greater wariness.

While they had indeed won consecutive battles recently, they had gained almost no tangible benefits in Hongzhou. Along their march, all ripe grain in the northwest had already been harvested in haste, and what little couldn't be gathered in time had been burned to ashes. These days, the Mo Family Army's resistance seemed more about delaying their advance to allow Hongzhou's civilians time to harvest crops. According to his intelligence, Ye Li had even dispatched Mo Family Army soldiers to help civilians with the harvest.

This invisibly intensified his urgency to capture Hongzhou as soon as possible. In another month, the northwest would enter the depths of winter, when heavy snow would block many roads. Even if they had grain, transporting it might become impossible. And their military supplies absolutely couldn't last until spring.The closer they got to Hongzhou, the more Zhennan Wang felt a premonition that the Mo Family Army was deliberately luring them into the city. Yet he couldn't comprehend the intentions behind Ye Li's strategy. Beyond Hongzhou lay the wide-open plains of the Central Pass, and judging by Ye Li's recent maneuvers, she didn't appear confident enough to block his forces outside Hongzhou's walls. The Mo Family Army currently lacked even a single master tactician capable of deploying troops effectively. What Zhennan Wang failed to realize was that while he prided himself on taking Ye Li seriously, his assumption about the Mo Family Army's lack of competent commanders was itself a form of underestimation. Little did he know that Ye Li's ambition wasn't merely to repel the Western Mausoleum Army outside Hongzhou—but to annihilate all 200,000 of them within the city!

When he spotted the woman in green robes on the city walls, who seemed to nod faintly in his direction, Zhennan Wang's heart suddenly skipped a beat. A strange unease gripped him, yet no matter how many times he analyzed the situation, he couldn't pinpoint its source. After some thought, he turned back toward his camp. "Dispatch a fast rider with orders for the 300,000 troops stationed at Western Liang's border to immediately march to Hongzhou with all provisions," he commanded. The accompanying general hesitated. "Your Highness, transporting such a massive supply convoy will severely slow the army's advance..." The border troops carried enough provisions to last 400,000 soldiers through winter—hauling them all the way to Hongzhou would inevitably delay their progress. Zhennan Wang scoffed. "As long as they arrive before we breach the pass, it's fine. If you lot delay any further, the reinforcements might arrive before you even take Hongzhou!" The generals flushed with embarrassment, their faces burning with indignation. If they couldn't even defeat a woman, they'd have no face returning to Western Liang. "We will capture Hongzhou within five days!" they vowed.

"I'll be watching," Zhennan Wang replied coolly.

Inside Hongzhou, Feng Zhiyao wiped sweat from his brow and grinned sheepishly at Ye Li. "If not for your foresight today, the Mo Family Army troops sent outside the walls might not have made it back. I'm still far from adequate..." Ye Li smiled gently. "Though you've fought on battlefields since youth, you've been away from war for many years. In experience, you naturally can't compare to Zhennan Wang, who has spent half his life campaigning. Today's lesson teaches us not to pit our weaknesses against others' strengths." Feng Zhiyao sighed, spreading his hands helplessly. "In direct combat, formations and tactics are everything. If we simply sent soldiers charging in disorganized waves, casualties would be even worse. But you're right—this approach only disadvantages us. When two armies are evenly matched, victory hinges on strategy." Back in the south, against Mo Jingli's ragtag forces, who cared about formations? A straightforward assault would have been enough to terrify those worthless troops into retreat.Ye Li also felt helpless. The most experienced Nan Hou in the army had been sent out by her. As for the others, their knowledge of battle formations likely couldn't compare to Feng Zhiyao, who had studied under Mo Xiuyao since childhood. While she could grasp some concepts, for someone more accustomed to modern military tactics, truly comprehending the essence of these ancient formations was quite difficult. Even after reading countless military texts, without truly immersing oneself in that wartime environment, it was useless. Not everyone who read Sun Tzu's Art of War or the Thirty-Six Stratagems could become a legendary general.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Li said, "Try to avoid such direct confrontations. How are the preparations going for what I mentioned the other day?"

Feng Zhiyao nodded, "Everything has been arranged according to your instructions, Princess Consort..." He hesitated before asking, "There's nothing particularly important in Hongzhou City now. Would you consider entering the pass first?"

"Enter the pass?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Feng Zhiyao, who followed behind her. His young and handsome face was filled with concern.

Ye Li shook her head, "I can't leave Hongzhou now. If I'm not here, Zhennan Wang might detect our plans. My presence here... is to make him believe that the Mo Family Army will defend Hongzhou to the death."

"But..." Feng Zhiyao said worriedly, "In the past, I wouldn't have been concerned. Even if you were caught in chaotic battle, with your skills and the Qilin, you could at least escape safely. But now... if something unexpected happens..." Though it wasn't apparent now, the Princess Consort was pregnant after all. The battlefield was unpredictable, and no one knew what might occur.

Ye Li said firmly, "There will be no accidents. Also... send Han Mingyue and Su Zuidie away. As for the Qilin... I have other uses for them."

Feng Zhiyao's expression darkened as he resolutely stepped in front of Ye Li, "The Qilin are meant to protect your safety."

Ye Li looked up at him, frowning, "I didn't train the Qilin to be mere bodyguards. Without them... at least half of this plan would fail. Feng San, think carefully about the consequences if hundreds of thousands of Western Liang troops breach the pass before speaking to me again." With that, she turned and walked down the city wall without another glance at Feng Zhiyao.

Feng Zhiyao sighed helplessly. How could he not understand the Princess Consort's concerns? Setting aside the devastation Western Liang's army would wreak on the Central Plains' people, or the threat their invasion posed to the Chu dynasty's stability, just the danger hundreds of thousands of troops posed to the Mo Family Army inside the pass was enough reason to spare no effort in stopping these invaders outside Hongzhou's walls. But... no matter what, they couldn't let anything happen to the Princess Consort. Feng Zhiyao hardly dared imagine how Mo Xiuyao would react if anything befell her.

"General Feng?" A subordinate behind him prompted quietly.

Rubbing his temples, Feng Zhiyao ordered, "Triple the guards around the Princess Consort. Their sole duty is to escort her out of the city immediately if Hongzhou falls!"

"Yes."At this moment, in the resplendent imperial palace of the Great Chu capital, the atmosphere was even colder and more silent than usual. Inside the imperial study, Mo Jingqi stared with a sinister expression at the man kneeling on the ground, his voice icy as he said, "Mo Xiuyao has turned his forces inward, and the Princess of the State is leading two hundred thousand troops to resist Prince Zhennan of Xiling?" The man kneeling below shuddered at the coldness in the emperor's tone and replied tremulously, "Your Majesty, the reports from the northwest confirm this... The Princess of the State led the remaining Mo Family Army in the northwest and retreated all the way to Hongzhou. It seems they intend to engage the Western Mausoleum Army near Hongzhou... Several generals near Hongzhou have submitted petitions requesting reinforcements for the Princess of the State!"

"Silence!" Mo Jingqi snapped coldly, his chest heaving with rapid breaths. Reinforce the Princess of the State? So she could win this battle and cement her reputation as a heroine no less capable than any man? After all these years of painstaking efforts to cripple Mo Xiuyao, not only had he risen again, but he had also gained a wife who could lead armies into battle! "Ye Li..." Mo Jingqi regretted countless times in his heart why he had ever betrothed Ye Li to Mo Xiuyao. A thought suddenly struck him, and he asked, "What is the current situation of the Xu family in Yunzhou?"

The kneeling official's heart clenched. He stole a glance at the emperor seated above and cautiously replied, "The Xu family... Elder Qingyun and Mr. Hongyu are still teaching at Mount Li Academy, with no unusual activities." His heart pounded violently—he suddenly had the feeling that the lofty emperor before him might have gone mad. The Xu family stood at the pinnacle of scholarly influence in the realm. In peaceful times, it might have been manageable, but now, with Great Chu beset by internal strife and external threats, the emperor actually intended to move against the Xu family. It must be remembered... at least half of the officials in the empire were disciples of Mr. Qingyun, and the Xu family had left no handle for the emperor to grasp.

After a long silence, Mo Jingqi finally spoke, "I understand. You may leave."

"Your Majesty... the generals' petitions for battle..."

"Petitions for battle?" Mo Jingqi's eerie, cold laughter sent chills down one's spine. "Go. I will deal with this myself."

"Your servant takes his leave."