Mo Li

In the twelfth year of Emperor Jing's reign in Great Chu, during the tenth month—after consecutive events including the Princess of the State's decisive victory over Prince Zhennan of Xiling and her subsequent disappearance—the Mo Family Army, which had been engaged in battles across Great Chu against the forces of Western Liang, Nanzhao, and Prince Li, quietly withdrew by month's end. They left behind bewildered local garrisons and hesitant leaders of the allied forces, who debated whether this retreat was a trap or genuine. Only when it was confirmed that the Mo Family Army had indeed withdrawn from all fronts did the overjoyed allied forces eagerly surge into Great Chu's fertile lands. Even the defeated Western Liang forces in the northwest spared no effort in sending additional troops eastward into Chu. This time, however, they wisely avoided the northwestern region, already firmly under the control of hundreds of thousands of Mo Family troops, instead taking a detour through the south before heading north. Meanwhile, the Northern Rong army at the northern border also began to stir. Were it not for the onset of winter—unsuitable for warfare—and their cautious observation of the Mo Family Army's stance, the flames of war in the south would have scarcely died down before conflict erupted in the north.

Naturally, the emperor was furious. That very day, he issued an edict proclaiming to the realm: "Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao, shows no remorse and harbors resentment. He has recklessly withdrawn his forces, abandoning Great Chu's territory. His noble title is hereby revoked, his military authority stripped, and he is to be escorted back to the capital for further judgment." In response, Mo Xiuyao merely smiled faintly, crumpled the edict into a ball, and tossed it into some forgotten corner. The Mo Family Army's elite force of 100,000 soldiers swiftly obeyed their lord's command, sweeping through all cities within Flying Goose Pass with lightning speed. The Chu troops stationed there naturally refused to surrender without a fight, resisting fiercely. The northwestern warfront, once a battleground between the Mo Family Army defending Great Chu and the invading Western Liang forces, now pitted the Mo Family Army against Chu's own soldiers.

Mo Jingqi issued multiple edicts condemning Mo Xiuyao for deceiving the throne, treason, and rebellion, among other charges. The realm was thrown into an uproar. Yet the man at the center of this storm stood calmly on the cliffs of the Pausing Clouds Mountain Range, gazing into the distant, empty wilderness—toward the direction where bloodshed and chaos raged. His tranquil eyes held not a trace of sympathy or pity.

"Your Highness."

Xu Qingze and Feng Zhiyao emerged from the woods, bowing to the man lost in thought at the cliff's edge. Mo Xiuyao turned, his gaze flickering slightly at the sight of Xu Qingze. "Qingze… any news of A Li?" Xu Qingze's stern face darkened with sorrow as he replied softly, "Not yet…" Mo Xiuyao nodded, saying nothing more except, "Keep searching. I appreciate your efforts."

It had been a full month since Ye Li's fall from the cliff, yet none of them were willing to give up the search. After two officers tasked with leading the search were punished by Mo Xiuyao, Xu Qingze set aside his own duties to take charge personally. They all knew Xu Qingze would never neglect the search for Ye Li—yet until they saw her again, none could bring themselves to acknowledge the unspoken truth.

Feng Zhiyao spoke gravely, "Your Highness, Mo Jingqi has repeatedly slandered your reputation in his recent edicts. Shouldn't we take action?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Take Flying Goose Pass before the year ends. That is all we need to do.""But..." Feng Zhiyao disagreed, "This will greatly damage the reputation of His Highness and Prince Ding's Estate among the people. We've just received reports from the shadow guards that many citizens in the capital and other regions seem to have been misled by Mo Jingqi's edict, developing strong prejudices against His Highness and the Mo Family Army."

Mo Xiuyao gave a cold smile. "So what? The opinions of the common folk... are merely tools to be manipulated at will by those in power. Hasn't Mo Jingqi always believed that the Ding Royal Palace stands in the way of his grand ambition to become a mighty ruler? Very well. This prince shall give him the opportunity—let him cast aside the 'hindrance' of the Ding Royal Palace and the Mo Family Army. Let us see what ability he has to turn the tide and achieve his great ambitions!"

Feng Zhiyao frowned slightly. "Your Highness, then what should we..."

Mo Xiuyao's lips curved into a faint smile. "The Mo Family Army... will halt at Flying Goose Pass for now. When spring comes next year... we march westward. Feng San, this prince wants this world... thrown into chaos. Since they love to fight so much, then none shall rest!"

Feng Zhiyao's heart trembled as he suddenly recalled that morning when this man, with his snow-white hair, had spoken so indifferently and ruthlessly. He truly intended to drag the entire world into the flames of war, offering the rivers and mountains as sacrifice... The departure of that gentle woman had likely left an indelible scar in His Highness' heart.

From the winter of the twelfth year of Emperor Jing's reign, the Mo Family Army occupied Flying Goose Pass, expelling all Great Chu garrison troops within its borders—those who resisted were executed without mercy.

In the spring of the thirteenth year of Emperor Jing's reign, the Northern Rong cavalry also began stirring restlessly along Great Chu's borders. Yet Mo Xiuyao, already stationed in Ruyang City, showed no reaction. Instead, he issued another order: appointing Lyu Jinxian and Zhang Qilan as left and right route marshals, each leading 200,000 troops to attack Western Liang's borders.

This news seemed to serve as a signal for all factions.

By early February, 300,000 Northern Rong cavalry officially struck Great Chu's borders. Nanzhao reinforced its pressure on Great Chu with an additional 200,000 troops. Meanwhile, Western Liang was thrown into chaos by the Mo Family Army's decision. However, Western Liang was, after all, a powerful state nearly on par with Great Chu. Immediately, Zhennan Wang ordered another 500,000 troops to reinforce the border. Moreover, the forces led by Zhennan Wang Shizi Lei Tengfeng, still within Great Chu's territory, showed no intention of withdrawing—clearly unwilling to relinquish the gains they had already secured.

In what seemed like no time at all, the world had truly descended into turmoil.People at the time found it difficult to see the full picture clearly while caught in the midst of events. It wasn't until countless years later, when this period of history had been sealed in the annals, that meddlesome historians and scholars made the startling discovery that every turning point seemed faintly connected to the man who was said to have merely made the decision to march west with his army. And people came to realize more clearly that all these changes stemmed from the deaths of seven thousand Great Chu soldiers at the foot of Tingyun Mountain. On that same day, the Princess of the State, who had once personally led two hundred thousand Mo Family Army troops to annihilate the Western Mausoleum Army and orchestrated the blocking of three hundred thousand Western Liang reinforcements, fell from the cliffs of Tingyun Mountain and disappeared. Scholars and poets often composed verses here, leaving behind their various speculations. Countless romantic and enchanting legends also circulated among the people. Some even listed the Princess of the State among the top ten femme fatales of all time, making Ye Li, the Princess Ding, the only legendary woman to simultaneously appear on the lists of historical female generals, extraordinary women, beauties, virtuous queens, and femme fatales. This war, which lasted several years and swept across four nations, was referred to as the "Hongzhou Rebellion" because it originated from the defeat of Prince Zhennan of Xiling at Hongzhou. Among the people, however, it was known by a more beautiful and legendary name—"The Chaos of a Fallen Beauty." As for the countless tales of love and hatred that evolved from it, they were too numerous to count.

With the armies of three nations pressing at the borders, along with the covetous gaze of Jiangnan's Mo Jingli, Mo Jingqi, even in his fury and hatred toward Mo Xiuyao, could no longer spare any effort to target him. In the quiet of the night, Mo Jingqi even regretted his impulsiveness, which had led to this dilemma. He understood all too well that he had pushed the Mo Family Army and Mo Xiuyao to their limits. From now on, the Mo Family Army would no longer be Great Chu's strongest bulwark and protector—instead, they would become its most dangerous enemy. And now, he couldn't even afford to deal with Mo Xiuyao, because he was already struggling to protect himself. As Prince Ding, he wasn't unaware that the neighboring nations' appetites couldn't be sated by ceding just a city or territory. He had always believed that without the Ding Royal Palace, he could swiftly strengthen Great Chu and conquer the surrounding lands. Yet, once the Ding Royal Palace truly withdrew, he realized... other nations would never give him the chance to grow strong.

"Send an edict to Mo Jingli. Tell him I agree to divide the realm along the river. And... make sure he understands who the real enemy is!"

"Your servant obeys."

Ruyang City,Feng Zhiyao gazed at the man before him, whose expression was calm and leisurely, a trace of worry quietly rising in his eyes. Four months had already passed, and Mo Xiuyao seemed to have gradually recovered from the disappearance of the princess consort. At the very least, he no longer drifted off into thought as frequently as he had in the first two months. Yet, at the same time, his increasingly indifferent demeanor filled Feng Zhiyao with a vague unease.

By now, it seemed the entire world knew that the Ding Royal Palace and the Great Chu had turned against each other—no, in the eyes of the world, the Ding Royal Palace had already betrayed Great Chu. But Feng Zhiyao could discern no trace of Mo Xiuyao’s thoughts or plans for the future. The current Mo Xiuyao was more like an indifferent spectator, sitting idly in Ruyang City, watching the world descend into chaos.

When Western Liang, the strongest among the powers, acted, he sent troops to attack them. When Northern Rong grew wary of the Mo Family Army interfering in their war with Great Chu, he withdrew all his forces back to Flying Goose Pass. Even the recent news that Mo Jingqi intended to ally with Mo Jingli failed to stir any reaction from him. Glancing at the letter in his hand, he merely smiled faintly and said, “Mo Jingqi is too weak. Having one more person to play with isn’t a bad thing. Otherwise… the game might end too soon…”

“Your Highness, someone from Yunzhou has arrived,” Feng Zhiyao reported in a low voice.

Mo Xiuyao stiffened slightly, sitting up with a frown. “Has something happened to the Xu family or Mr. Qingyun?”

Feng Zhiyao shook his head. “No. Although some in the Chu capital have mentioned Your Highness’s ties to the Xu family, many ministers have advised against acting on it. Moreover, given Mr. Qingyun’s and the Xu family’s prestige, Mo Jingqi wouldn’t dare move against them so easily.”

Mo Xiuyao relaxed slightly. Feng Zhiyao frowned and asked, “If Your Highness is concerned about the Xu family’s safety, why not bring them to Ruyang?”

Mo Xiuyao shook his head, remaining silent.

Feng Zhiyao stared at him for a long moment before finally saying, “Your Highness hasn’t made any plans for the future, has he? That’s why you refuse to bring the Xu family to Ruyang—because you fear that one day, Your Highness…”

“Feng San…” Mo Xiuyao called his name, fixing him with a steady gaze.

Feng Zhiyao flicked his sleeve. “Forget it. Do as you please! After all, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Mo Family Army soldiers and their families rest in your hands!” With that, he turned and strode out.

Watching his retreating figure, Mo Xiuyao’s brows furrowed deeply. He murmured softly, “Hundreds of thousands of Mo Family Army soldiers… How exhausting… Feng San, how many more years can I carry them? Father, elder brother… you must have been just as weary back then…”Before long, someone entered. Seeing Mo Xiuyao sitting lost in thought, the visitor remained silent, simply standing at the doorway observing him. Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly before raising his head to look at the newcomer—only to freeze in surprise. He rose to his feet and stared at the man for a long moment before speaking in a low voice, "Mr. Xu, what brings you here?"

The visitor removed his felt hat and replied with a faint smile, "Is Your Highness not welcoming?"

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "Please have a seat, Mr. Xu. What is the purpose of your visit?"

Xu Hongyu studied him for a moment before answering, "On my way to Ruyang, I had expected to find Your Highness either bedridden from illness or drowning your sorrows in wine."

Mo Xiuyao looked surprised. "Why would you say that, sir?"

Xu Hongyu smiled faintly. "Since Your Highness took residence in Ruyang, the Mo Family Army now controls five provinces and nineteen cities, including the northwest. Though this amounts to only one-tenth of Great Chu's territory, it is no smaller than Nanzhao. Yet what did I witness along the way? A land of desolation, where the people barely scrape by. Were it not for the Mo Family Army maintaining relative stability in these regions, how many inhabitants do you think would remain?"

Mo Xiuyao remained silent.

Without waiting for a response, Xu Hongyu continued, "Before my departure, my father told me that with Your Highness's talents—capable of governing in peace and securing the nation in war—you would surely not fall short of Regent Mo Liufang, nor even the founding Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun."

Mo Xiuyao gave a bitter smile. "I am unworthy of such high praise from Mr. Qingyun. A man who cannot even protect his own wife and child... what talk is there of securing the nation or governing in peace?"

Xu Hongyu paused, his expression darkening as he thought of his intelligent and gentle niece. Ye Li was the only daughter of the Xu family in her generation, and Xu Hongyu had genuinely cherished and guided her as if she were his own—not only out of love for his late younger sister but because Ye Li herself was worthy. And yet... this brilliant girl, after achieving victories few men could match, had met with sudden tragedy, passing even younger than her mother had. Was it truly heaven's envy of beauty?

Studying the composed yet coldly ruthless man before him, whose eyes betrayed boundless hatred, Xu Hongyu suddenly laughed. Fixing Mo Xiuyao with a piercing gaze, he said, "Could it be that Your Highness's current actions are all for A Li's sake? What a devoted lover you are. Surely A Li would be deeply moved, were she aware in the afterlife!"

"Mr. Xu!" Mo Xiuyao's voice was sharp with warning as he glared at the middle-aged man. Even after all this time, he could not bear to hear anyone speak of A Li's life or death—least of all her own uncle.Xu Hongyu looked at him fearlessly, giving a light snort as he said, "Your Highness is so deeply devoted. This old man should thank you on behalf of A Li. However... A Li, despite her pregnancy, laid out such a situation for you in the northwest, only for Your Highness to now hide in Ruyang City watching the spectacle, witnessing the world in chaos and the people suffering?" Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze, a cold smile slowly forming on his lips after a long pause. He murmured, "So what? If they want this world, let them fight for it. Doesn’t Mo Jingqi find the Ding Royal Palace an eyesore? Now that it’s gone, isn’t he getting exactly what he wanted? I’ll wait for him to lead his million-strong army to suppress the rebellion. From then on... the Great Chu will have another peerless ruler, and future monarchs will no longer need to worry about the Ding Royal Palace and the Mo Family Army being thorns in their sides. There are countless people in this world who want my life—I’ll sit right here in Ruyang City and wait for them to come!"

Xu Hongyu sighed softly, observing the man before him, his aura thick with killing intent. He asked, "Does Your Highness have nothing left to live for? What crime have the common people committed? What crime have those who have loyally served the Ding Royal Palace for generations committed?"

"Heh..." Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly, lowering his head. "Mr. Xu, it’s too late for such words now. Once this war has begun, it won’t end easily without a clear victor or vanquished. I’ve heard that Mr. Hongyu is well-versed in celestial omens—can’t you see it? The world is destined for chaos, and the people’s suffering is inevitable." Xu Hongyu replied, "So Your Highness is also skilled in celestial omens?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head, his gaze sharp. "I know nothing of celestial omens. What I want is this era of chaos, and no one will change it!" It wasn’t that the world was shaped by celestial omens—it was that the omens arose from his design. In this game of chaos, all the players were destined to be trapped. Then let them stay and serve as sacrifices for A Li and their unborn child!

Faced with such a Mo Xiuyao, even Xu Hongyu found himself at a loss for words. His gaze gradually softened with warmth. At the very least, this man truly loved A Li, and her efforts for him had not been in vain. Seeing the endless pain hidden beneath Mo Xiuyao’s calm expression, Xu Hongyu even felt that his words of persuasion were too hollow to voice. Principles were just principles—even someone like him, revered as a great scholar, had never intended to live as rigidly as those principles dictated. This man needed war and the lives of his enemies to soothe the agony of losing his wife and unborn child. Just as Xu Hongyu’s first reaction upon hearing of A Li’s fate had been to kill that fool Mo Jingqi, rather than submit to the notion that "a subject must die if the ruler demands it." But... whether for the sake of the Mo Family Army, the Xu family, A Li, or the common people, he couldn’t stand by and watch this man plunge the world into a sea of blood. At the very least, the innocent masses—and they themselves—could not be allowed to suffer.After glancing at Mo Xiuyao before him, Xu Hongyu turned and walked out. Just as Mo Xiuyao thought he had left, Xu Hongyu returned once more. He placed a thick stack of documents on the small table beside Mo Xiuyao. Following behind him, Zhuo Jing and the others each carried their own piles of records, silently setting them down before retreating without a word.

Since Ye Li's disappearance, Zhuo Jing, Wei Lin, and Lin Han—who had rushed back later—had been searching tirelessly day and night along the great river. Until the final moment of despair, the three had begun to move like ghosts, appearing and vanishing unpredictably. Both Mo Xiuyao and Feng Zhiyao knew they still hadn’t given up, often slipping away to continue their search.

Xu Hongyu lightly tapped the documents on the table and said, "These were all left behind by A Li. Read them yourself. Once you’ve finished, let me know your decision, Your Highness. I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you for the next few days."

Mo Xiuyao was momentarily stunned, his gaze falling on the familiar, elegant handwriting at the top of the first document— On the Feasibility of Future Commerce in the Northwest . It was just like the novel yet oddly logical terms A Li would occasionally bring up in conversation. The title alone made the contents clear. Below it was a smaller line of text—A Li had always been in the habit of marking dates on documents and memorials— 12th Year of Emperor Jing’s Reign, 10th Month, 2nd Day…

Mo Xiuyao’s eyes flickered slightly. Even while defending Hongzhou, A Li had taken the time to write these things…

Seeing Mo Xiuyao lost in thought over the documents, Xu Hongyu waved for Zhuo Jing and the others to follow him out. The empty room was left with only the occasional sound of rustling pages.