Outside Li Cheng, amidst the thunderous sound of war drums, two figures clad in white stood side by side, towering proudly before hundreds of thousands of troops. The vast, seemingly endless ranks of the Mo Family Army stood in solemn silence, their black banners fluttering fiercely in the wind. Every soldier gazed upon the pair of white-clad figures ahead with trust and reverence.
Behind Ye Li stood the generals who would march into battle alongside them: Zhang Qilan, Lyu Jinxian, Feng Zhiyao, Mo Hua, Zhuo Jing…
Wine was offered to the heavens, filling the solemn air outside the city with a faint aroma of liquor. After sharing a farewell toast with the well-wishers and the soldiers of the Mo Family Army, Mo Xiuyao declared in a clear, resonant voice amplified by his inner energy, "Set forth!"
"As you command!" roared the hundreds of thousands in unison.
Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li exchanged a smile before walking to their warhorses at the forefront. Mounting their steeds, they led the way onto the distant highway, followed closely by the generals of the Mo Family Army. Behind them, the soldiers slowly began to move, gradually forming a long, dark serpent that stretched farther and farther into the distance.
Only after the last column of the Mo Family Army had departed beyond the city gates did the crowd of well-wishers begin to disperse. Xu Hongyu and Xu Qingchen supported Mr. Qingyun on either side as they said, "Father, let us return as well." Mr. Qingyun nodded and sighed to his sons and eldest grandson, "The Azure Dragon soars into the heavens… Li Cheng will surely face many challenges hereafter. Since Prince Ding has entrusted the northwest to you, you must take great care." Xu Hongyu replied respectfully, "Rest assured, Father. The northwest is the lifeline of Prince Ding's Estate and the Mo Family Army. Your son would never dare neglect it."
Mr. Qingyun looked at his descendants before him and nodded in satisfaction. With a smile, he added, "Not only the world but the northwest too will face storms ahead. Be cautious."
"Thank you for your counsel, Father. We understand."
Mo Xiaobao, holding Leng Junhan and Xu Zhirui by the hands on either side, stared eagerly at the adults. Though bright for his age, some words still eluded his understanding. Yet he knew Grand Tutor was instructing his uncles about something important. "Grand Tutor, Yu Chen wants to help too," he piped up.
Mr. Qingyun chuckled and patted Mo Xiaobao’s little head. "You? Just being obedient is help enough."
Mo Xiaobao wrinkled his nose in frustration—he wasn’t a little kid anymore!
Xu Qingchen bent down and picked him up, smiling. "Taking good care of Zhi Rui and Junhan would be a great help to your uncle." Satisfied, Mo Xiaobao nestled into his eldest uncle’s arms—after all, one must always agree to the Immortal Uncle’s requests! Glancing at the two little ones beside him, his sense of responsibility swelled instantly. These tiny dumplings knew nothing and clearly needed looking after. Fine, this Young Master would reluctantly take good care of them.
Lifting his head, he watched the distant black serpent grow smaller and smaller. Nestling deeper into Xu Qingchen’s embrace, Mo Xiaobao felt his nose sting slightly. Xiao Bao missed his mother so much.The northwestern region was not vast, and with the speed of the Mo Family Army's march, they reached the border between the northwest and Western Liang in just a few days. Without any pause or giving the border guards of Western Liang time to react, the Mo Family Army breached the border city of Western Liang in just two days. This was the first time since the founding of Western Liang that this border city had been breached. Meanwhile, Western Liang's God of War, Lei Zhenting, was still within the territory of Great Chu, casting his ambitious gaze upon the prosperous southern lands of Great Chu.
Upon receiving the battle report, Lei Zhenting was so shocked that he shattered the celadon teacup in his hand. He abruptly stood up and roared, "Mo Xiuyao!"
The confident generals below exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had happened. One of them mustered the courage to stand and ask, "Wang Ye? Has the Mo Family Army mobilized to aid Great Chu? Even so, we need not fear them." Although the Mo Family Army's valor was renowned throughout the land, this time they were not just facing Western Liang alone but also the Northern Territory and Northern Rong. While they were uncertain about the Northern Territory's strength, the fact that it had advanced within a few hundred miles of Chu Jing in just a few months suggested it was no small threat. As for Northern Rong, the barbarians from beyond the frontier were widely known for their ferocity and combat prowess. Prince Ding's Estate attempting to fight against three forces simultaneously—victory or defeat was still uncertain.
"Yes, Wang Ye, please calm your anger. We need not fear Mo Xiuyao!" Many seemed to share this sentiment, as the generals eagerly rolled up their sleeves, as if completely forgetting their crushing defeat at the hands of the Mo Family Army years ago.
Lei Zhenting sneered repeatedly. "Mobilizing to aid Great Chu? Hmph! Mo Xiuyao has indeed mobilized, but not to aid Great Chu—he's attacking Western Liang!"
"What?!" The crowd was aghast.
After the initial fury subsided, Lei Zhenting regained his composure and said gravely, "Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li personally led hundreds of thousands of troops to invade Western Liang. They have already breached the border city, catching the hundreds of thousands of border guards off guard and sending them fleeing in disarray! Useless! Hundreds of thousands of men couldn’t even hold out for two days!" It wasn’t as if Lei Zhenting had been entirely unprepared for Mo Xiuyao’s actions. Even during peacetime, he kept a close watch on the Mo Family Army, let alone during wartime. Thus, even while leading the entire nation’s forces to attack Great Chu, he had stationed hundreds of thousands of troops along the northwestern border as a precaution. Yet, he never imagined that hundreds of thousands of soldiers would collapse under Mo Xiuyao’s assault in less than two days.
"Mo Xiuyao clearly promised not to interfere! Now he openly breaks his word—how utterly despicable!"
Lei Zhenting scoffed. "Despicable? Agreements are only valid when one chooses to honor them. When one refuses, they’re nothing but scraps of paper. Moreover… Mo Xiuyao only promised not to interfere in the war between Eastern Chu and Western Liang." Indeed, he hadn’t interfered in the war between the two nations—he had directly launched an attack on Western Liang instead.
"Wang Ye, this subordinate is willing to lead troops back to reinforce the border!" someone volunteered.
Lei Zhenting closed his eyes briefly and said solemnly, "Mo Xiuyao only brought four hundred thousand troops into Western Liang. Another several hundred thousand remain stationed at Western Liang’s border."
The crowd was stunned. "Is Mo Xiuyao trying to block our reinforcements from returning?""Indeed, the general guarding the Western Liang border is Zhang Qilan of the Mo Family Army. Though not particularly old, he is a seasoned veteran of their forces. While he naturally couldn’t stop our entire army from returning, he could certainly delay us for some time. Most importantly, once we withdraw, there’s no guarantee the Eastern Chu forces won’t seize the opportunity to pursue us. By then, we’d be caught between two fronts." Lei Zhenting spoke calmly, though his face darkened as if he had aged several years in an instant. What he left unsaid was that even if they successfully returned to counter the Mo Family Army, their two months of efforts in Eastern Chu would be rendered futile. Though Eastern Chu’s soldiers weren’t particularly fierce, they weren’t lifeless clay figures either. Western Liang’s forces had already suffered significant casualties over these two months. If they returned empty-handed—or worse, plunged Western Liang into peril—his position as regent, no matter how powerful, would likely come to an end.
Only now did Lei Zhenting realize he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Mo Xiuyao. He couldn’t help but suspect that Mo Xiuyao’s years of deliberate obscurity had been a ploy to wait for him to grow impatient and launch an attack against Great Chu. After all, Mo Xiuyao himself could never openly move against Great Chu.
"Mo Xiuyao! What a ruthless Mo Xiuyao..." Lei Zhenting ground his teeth in fury.
"Wang Ye, surely we can’t just..." A subordinate general below him protested indignantly. Just what? Ignore the attack on Western Liang and continue their assault on Great Chu? That was clearly impossible. But to abandon the territories they had already seized in Great Chu and retreat? How could they stomach such a loss?
Someone hesitantly suggested, "The heir is guarding the imperial city—perhaps he can hold off the Mo Family Army’s advance. We could split our forces and send reinforcements back..." But by the end, even the speaker’s voice trailed off weakly. Though their forces vastly outnumbered the Mo Family Army, sending half back would first require breaking through the blockade of 400,000 Mo Family troops. Only then could they engage Mo Xiuyao’s elite forces. Even if they succeeded, how many would remain? And how effective would those remaining soldiers be against Mo Xiuyao’s main army? The thought alone was disheartening.
The room fell into a long silence before Lei Zhenting’s voice finally broke it. "Deputy Commander, I leave you with 300,000 men. Continue the assault on Eastern Chu—but do not advance recklessly."
The middle-aged deputy commander, also Lei Zhenting’s trusted confidant, stood and declared firmly, "This subordinate obeys. Wang Ye need not worry." Lei Zhenting nodded. "I will lead the remaining forces back to Western Liang at the fastest possible speed. Let us hope it’s not too late..."
The others wanted to reassure their prince that Mo Xiuyao couldn’t possibly reach the Western Mausoleum Imperial City in just a dozen or so days. But seeing the exhaustion etched on his face, the words died in their throats. Lei Zhenting waved a hand dismissively. "All of you, withdraw."
"Your subordinate takes his leave." The generals bowed and retreated, leaving Lei Zhenting alone in the dimly lit room. After a long while, he swept his arm across the table, sending documents and teacups crashing to the floor. "Mo Xiuyao!"As Lei Zhenting had anticipated the worst outcome—or rather, the Mo Family Army repeated the scenario from years ago when Western Liang had invaded Great Chu. Advancing with unstoppable momentum, within just half a month, the 400,000-strong Mo Family Army had captured four cities of Western Liang and pushed deep into its heartland, reaching Bian City. This was Western Liang’s second most important city after its imperial capital, even more prosperous than An City, which had once been dominated by the Murong family. It was the only route for the Western Regions to reach Li Cheng or even the Central Plains, so its bustling prosperity was self-evident. More importantly, though Western Liang was vast, most of its land was unsuitable for growing crops. Half of the remaining fertile regions lay near Bian City. Here also stood the Dragon Mountain Academy, one of the world’s three great academies, rivaling Mount Li Academy, located on Dragon Mountain east of the city.
Such a crucial place was naturally unlike any other. By the time the Mo Family Army arrived, Lei Tengfeng, originally stationed in the imperial capital, had also rushed to Bian City with 300,000 troops. Thus, the two armies faced off in Bian City for the first real confrontation—previous battles had merely been one-sided domination by the Mo Family Army. Lei Tengfeng’s forces were exhausted from their frantic march, while the Mo Family Army, after over twenty days of intense combat and travel, was equally worn out. Thus, Mo Xiuyao ordered them to set up camp outside Bian City and rest before launching the siege.
Inside the Mo Family Army’s command tent, all the generals wore expressions of high spirits. Their consecutive victories had left them exhilarated yet unsatisfied, so when Mo Xiuyao ordered a temporary halt to the attack, many grew restless and came to plead for battle.
Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li sat side by side in the tent’s main seats. Leaning against an armrest, Mo Xiuyao watched the heated arguments over who should lead the assault with an amused smirk. Feng Zhiyao sprawled lazily in his chair, grinning as he observed the quarrels. He dug at his ear and said to Mo Xiuyao, “Wang Ye, perhaps you should say something before they actually start fighting.” At his words, the arguing men immediately fell silent, their eyes turning in unison toward Mo Xiuyao.
Mo Xiuyao replied leisurely, “Didn’t I already say? Set up camp and rest. We’ll attack tomorrow.”
Yun Ting frowned in confusion. “But Wang Ye, Lei Tengfeng’s 300,000 reinforcements have already arrived. Shouldn’t we strike while they’re exhausted and catch them off guard?”
Mo Xiuyao glanced at him sidelong and said coolly, “They may be exhausted, but we’re even more so. Do you all think that because we’ve advanced so smoothly, Western Liang is truly weak? Don’t forget—for the past decade or two, Western Liang has always held the upper hand against Great Chu.”
Wasn’t that just because our Mo Family Army wasn’t involved? someone grumbled silently in their heart.Mo Xiuyao said casually, "The reason we've been winning so smoothly these days is twofold. First, Lei Zhenting has withdrawn most of his elite forces to attack Great Chu. Second, we caught them off guard before they could react. Although Western Liang frequently invades others' borders, their homeland hasn't seen war for many years. Their weakness is quite similar to our Mo Family Army—strong in offense but weak in defense. I can tell you all very seriously that our real battle begins at Bian City."
Lyu Jinxian frowned, "Wang Ye seems to be overestimating Lei Tengfeng too much."
"It's not Teng Feng that Wang Ye is overestimating," Ye Li, who had been silently listening, interjected. "Bian City is Western Liang's largest city after the imperial capital. It can truly be said to harbor hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Hidden dragons and crouching tigers? The group exchanged puzzled glances—they hadn't heard of any important figures in Western Liang.
Ye Li smiled and shook her head, "Before Zhennan Wang, Western Liang had three famous generals. Has anyone here heard of them?"
As military officers, most were well-versed in such matters. Yun Ting replied solemnly, "Reporting to Wang Fei, Western Liang's three great generals were Western Liang's General Who Upholds Heaven Longyang, Western Liang's General Who Pacifies Heaven Zhu Yan, and Western Liang's General Who Obeys Heaven Feng Ao. These three were reportedly childhood friends of Western Liang's previous emperor, Emperor Xuanwen. After Emperor Xuanwen ascended the throne, they expanded territories and fought battles on all fronts. During Emperor Xuanwen's reign, Western Liang's territory expanded westward by nearly one-third. However, among them, only Zhu Yan ever faced our late king in battle—one draw and one defeat. The other two were always stationed in the west and north. After the current Xiling Emperor ascended the throne and was controlled by his younger brother Zhennan Wang, these three generals remained loyal to Emperor Xuanwen and his chosen successor, thus conflicting with Zhennan Wang. They were successively stripped of their military authority by Zhennan Wang... That was already twenty years ago."
Others nodded in agreement—their knowledge matched Yun Ting's account. The youngest of these generals would now be at least seventy years old. It was uncertain whether they were even still alive, and even if they were, they couldn't possibly return to the battlefield.
Ye Li smiled faintly, "Unfortunately, two of these three generals are currently in Bian City—General Who Upholds Heaven Longyang and General Who Pacifies Heaven Zhu Yan."
The room fell silent.
Mo Xiuyao looked at the group with amusement, "Well then, gentlemen—do we still fight?"
After a moment's silence, someone finally spoke up, "Of course we fight! But... perhaps we should rest first before fighting!" Bian City didn't just have the 300,000 troops Lei Tengfeng brought—combined with the local garrison and scattered retreating forces from the frontlines, there were at least another 200,000 soldiers. Even if Longyang and Zhu Yan disagreed with Lei Zhenting, they wouldn't stand idly by while Bian City was besieged. They were likely already prepared and waiting. While courage was commendable, reckless and impulsive bravery without regard for reality was simply foolish.
Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction, "Good. Everyone go rest now. Bring me your siege plans tomorrow."
"Your subordinates take their leave!"Everyone withdrew, and Feng Zhiyao, who was the last to leave, hesitated for a moment before staying behind. Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and asked displeasedly, "What else do you want to say?" Feng Zhiyao thought for a moment and sat back down. "Wang Ye? Are Longyang and Zhu Yan really in Bian City?"
Mo Xiuyao chuckled, "What benefit would I gain from lying to you?"
Feng Zhiyao sighed, "This is just terrible luck. Encountering one of these old monsters would be bad enough, but two at once? I heard that even the former regent of Great Chu had a tough time defeating Zhu Yan back then." The previous regent of Great Chu, Mo Liufang, was hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius. He never suffered a single defeat in his life, yet he only managed a draw against Zhu Yan. That alone speaks volumes about the formidable prowess of General Who Pacifies Heaven. As for the other, General Who Upholds Heaven, though he never clashed with the Mo Family Army, his reputation in the Western Regions back in the day was even more fearsome than that of the Xiling Emperor. He swept through the small kingdoms of the Western Regions, and his name alone was enough to silence crying children at night.
Mo Xiuyao smiled, "Indeed, our luck isn’t great. These old generals might struggle a bit on the front lines now, but as military advisors guiding Teng Feng, they’ll be more than enough to give you a headache. Still, our luck isn’t all bad. The terrain before Bian City is flat and open—otherwise, we’d have been in trouble long before reaching the city walls."
Feng Zhiyao was taken aback. "What do you mean? You’re not planning to take action yourself?"
Mo Xiuyao grinned, "Even if I did, it wouldn’t make much difference. This prince… dislikes siege warfare."
Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Since when could one pick and choose what kind of battles to fight? Disliking it wouldn’t make the city of Bian standing before them vanish into thin air.
Mo Xiuyao sighed regretfully, "Truth be told, I’d really like to cross swords with these old generals. It’s just… they’re getting on in years." Perhaps it was because Mo Xiuyao was too dazzlingly brilliant, or perhaps the reputation of the Ding Royal Palace was too overwhelming, but in his generation, almost no one could rival him. Compared to his father or even his elder brother, Mo Xiuyao was undoubtedly lonely. People spoke of Prince Ding with awe, praising his strategic brilliance and martial prowess, but only he knew how long it had been since he last experienced the exhilaration of a truly satisfying battle.
"How do you know they haven’t trained successors?" Feng Zhiyao muttered under his breath.
Mo Xiuyao smiled, "If that’s the case, then all the better. That… would make things more interesting."
In the end, Feng Zhiyao left in a huff, still unable to decipher Mo Xiuyao’s intentions.
Inside the command tent, Ye Li leaned against Mo Xiuyao and asked softly, "These two old generals are truly formidable. Shouldn’t we be cautious? Are you really going to leave them be during tomorrow’s siege?" Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "It’s good to take them down a peg. We’ve had it too easy on this campaign so far—that’s not ideal."
Ye Li nodded. She understood Mo Xiuyao’s concern. In fact, it mirrored her own. Though the sudden appearance of these two old generals in Bian City might disrupt their original plans, it was still far better than letting their soldiers face future enemies—or even march to their doom—with overconfidence. The Mo Family Army wasn’t the only elite force in the world, and Mo Xiuyao wasn’t the only master of warfare."Will we have enough time? If Lei Zhenting manages to return, we'll be the ones caught between two fronts instead."
Holding her hand, Mo Xiuyao reassured her, "Don't worry. No matter what... if Zhang Qilan can't hold off 400,000 troops for even a month or two with the years he's spent preparing, then all his efforts would have been wasted. Besides... I have another gift prepared for Lei Zhenting." Ye Li pondered briefly, "Murong Shen? And Nanzhao?" The only forces in the south that could threaten Lei Zhenting were Mo Jingli's army, Murong Shen guarding Snowbreak Pass, and Nanzhao. Mo Jingli was stubbornly defending his own territory—unless Lei Zhenting crossed the Cloud Ripple River, Prince Li's southern forces wouldn't budge. So, that left only Murong Shen and Nanzhao.
"What did you promise Princess Anxi in return?" Wars between nations were never just about personal ties. Without tangible benefits, cooperation was impossible.
Mo Xiuyao never hid anything from Ye Li and replied cheerfully, "I wasn't the one who negotiated with her. Here, take a look—this letter just arrived today."
Ye Li took the letter and, after reading it, smiled faintly. "It's from Eldest Brother? He... was the one who negotiated with Princess Anxi?" She sighed softly. "Eldest Brother, he..."
"He is the chief strategist for the entire Northwest and Prince Ding's Estate," Mo Xiuyao said firmly, squeezing her hand. Xu Qingchen was doing what he had to, even if such matters would gradually erode his friendship with Princess Anxi. It wasn't that the princess would hold any grudges, but when both sides stood on opposing interests, their former bond would inevitably fade, replaced by the dynamics of their present and future relationship. Yet Mo Xiuyao felt no remorse toward Xu Qingchen for this.
Ye Li shook her head and said, "Giving them the three prefectures near the Nanzhao border? Princess Anxi actually agreed?" Such terms were too vague—there was no guarantee the Mo Family Army could even defeat Western Liang.
Mo Xiuyao smiled. "Nanzhao must choose between Prince Ding's Estate and Lei Zhenting. 'Befriend the distant, attack the near'—even if they antagonize Prince Ding's Estate, Nanzhao won’t gain much. But if they cooperate with us, swallowing a few prefectures from Western Liang isn’t impossible."
"You really intend to carve up Western Liang for Nanzhao?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
"That’s a matter for the future. Right now, I don’t even have it myself."
So, it was still just empty promises...
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