Mo Li

Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, along with their entourage, made their way back to Li Cheng. Due to Ye Li's pregnancy, they traveled at a leisurely pace, unperturbed by the fact that the Mo Family Army stationed in the northwest had already engaged in battle with Western Liang and Northern Rong.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Mo Jingli, who was confronting Zhennan Wang, also received news from Li Cheng. In the lavishly renovated palace—originally Prince Li's Palace—Mo Jingli's face darkened as he read the newly submitted memorial. Although the current Chu palace had been expanded from the former Prince Li's residence, the renovations had begun years ago when Mo Jingli and Mo Jingqi had their falling-out. Over the years, the project had made significant progress. The hurried relocation of the Great Chu court south of the Cloud Ripple River had surprisingly proceeded without chaos, and the small court led by Mo Jingli managed to sustain itself. However, this court, now confined to the southern regions, could hardly be called "Great Chu" anymore—at best, it could only be referred to as Southern Chu.

In the grand hall sat a timid and ignorant child emperor, barely six or seven years old. Beside him, on a throne nearly as resplendent as the dragon throne, sat the powerful regent, Mo Jingli. Seeing Mo Jingli's grim expression, the ministers below dared not speak. With the entire southern region now firmly under Prince Li's control, those living under his rule naturally had to lower their heads. Moreover, the truly principled civil and military officials had chosen to remain in the crumbling Chu Jing rather than submit to exile. How could those who stayed behind be expected to have the courage to oppose Prince Li?

Though the Empress Dowager still held some authority, her influence had waned since the capital's relocation. The current empress dowager was no bolder than the young emperor. Everyone silently understood that it wouldn’t be long before the child emperor abdicated, and Great Chu would welcome a new ruler.

Mo Jingli looked down at the assembled officials and sneered, "Do you want to know what this memorial says?"

The ministers exchanged puzzled glances. The question was oddly phrased.

Unconcerned, Mo Jingli flicked the memorial in his hand and said, "After capturing the Western Mausoleum Imperial City, Mo Xiuyao renamed it Anping City. Now, he has left Western Liang and returned to the northwest."

The ministers' expressions shifted, and they silently exchanged opinions with their allies. Growing impatient, Mo Jingli snapped, "If you have something to say, speak plainly!"

After a moment, one minister stepped forward and bowed. "Wang Ye, since Prince Ding has returned to the northwest, does this mean… the Mo Family Army might send reinforcements to Chu Jing? If so—"

Mo Jingli scoffed, his lips curling mockingly. "If so, what? Do you still hope to return to Chu Jing? Never mind that Lei Zhenting is blocking the opposite shore—what good would reclaiming Chu Jing do? Surrounded by enemies—Northern Rong to the north, Western Liang to the west—Chu Jing is nothing more than an isolated city. And more importantly… do you think the Chu Jing saved by Mo Xiuyao would belong to the imperial family or to Prince Ding's Estate?"

The minister's face paled slightly. "This… Wang Ye's insight is profound. This humble official was mistaken." He retreated back into the ranks, disheartened.Mo Jingli looked at the crowd indifferently and said, "There's no need for you to be too disappointed. Even if Mo Xiuyao intends to reinforce Chu Jing, I'm afraid it's already too late. Right now, there are still hundreds of thousands of Northern Rong cavalry and two hundred thousand Western Mausoleum troops stationed outside Flying Goose Pass."

"Wang Ye, what about Prince Zhennan of Xiling..."

Mo Jingli scoffed dismissively, "The Western Liang troops are poor at naval warfare. The Cloud Ripple River is as good as a natural barrier to them. Order the soldiers along the riverbanks to hold their positions for me. One day, I'll make Lei Zhenting regret his actions!"

The crowd immediately understood—Prince Li intended to settle comfortably south of the river, guarding the natural barrier of the Yunlan River and enjoying the fertile lands of the south. He had no plans to march north and reclaim lost territory anytime soon. After a wave of disappointment, they felt lost. They hadn’t wanted the war to reach Chu Jing, so they followed Prince Li in relocating the imperial court south of the river, comforting themselves with the thought of regrouping for a future comeback. But now... perhaps this was how they would spend the rest of their lives?

Seeing there was nothing left to discuss, Mo Jingli dismissed the officials. Soon, the grand hall was empty except for the young emperor, Mo Suoyun, and a few attending eunuchs. Mo Suoyun was deeply afraid of this uncle, whose gaze always carried something terrifying. With no one else around, the frail child shrank further into the dragon throne.

Mo Jingli's expression darkened as his eyes grew increasingly sinister while staring at the child on the throne. If his own son were still alive, he would be about this boy's age. But Mo Jingqi had taken his son away to who-knows-where, and now he had to carefully tend to Mo Jingqi's son! The sight of the timid child only fueled his irritation. Mo Jingli yanked Mo Suoyun off the throne and dragged him toward the inner palace, paying no heed to whether the seven-year-old could keep up with his strides. The boy stumbled and staggered, practically being hauled along the way. The palace maids and eunuchs along the route all witnessed the young emperor's pitiful state, but with the regent now holding absolute power in the palace, who would dare intervene?

Mo Jingli stormed into the Empress Dowager's quarters, dragging Mo Suoyun behind him. Empress Dowager Li was conversing with the Empress Dowager when they were abruptly interrupted. Startled at first, she burst into tears upon seeing her son's disheveled state. "My child—"

"Get out of the way!" Mo Jingli snapped impatiently. While he had once held some respect for the former Empress Hua, this Empress Dowager Li was worth less than dirt in his eyes. True to form, Li shrank back in fear, frozen in place and powerless to act, her tearful eyes fixed on her pale-faced son. The Empress Dowager sitting nearby sighed inwardly. Though she disliked overly domineering women, this Li was far too weak. It was said that motherhood made women strong, yet even for her own son, Li couldn’t muster any strength.

"Jing Li, what are you doing?" the Empress Dowager scolded sternly, displeased by Mo Jingli's dark expression.Mo Jingli casually threw Mo Suoyun onto the ground beside him, not caring whether the child was hurt, and sneered coldly, "What do you think I'm doing? Mother, tell me—where exactly did Mo Jingqi take my son?!" The Empress Dowager remained silent. If she hadn't understood before, after all this time, she had long since realized the truth. She had never imagined that her two sons would be equally ruthless toward their own half-brother. Shaking her head, she said, "I don’t know. You’re aware that my relationship with your elder brother isn’t as harmonious as outsiders believe. If he did such a thing, why would he tell me?" Over the past few months, Mo Jingli had come to question her every few days, and the Empress Dowager had begun to suspect that the child Ye Ying had given birth to might be Mo Jingli’s only offspring in this lifetime.

"You should be asking Consort Liu about this. Wasn’t it you who insisted on sparing her back then?" the Empress Dowager said calmly, though her words carried a hint of mockery. Her own son had chosen to save an outsider rather than his own mother when she was being forced to commit suicide. Every time she thought of this, the Empress Dowager felt a suffocating bitterness in her heart.

"That bitch Consort Liu!" Mo Jingli cursed furiously. Outsiders believed Consort Liu had perished in the fire, but those who knew the truth understood what had really happened. To escape, Consort Liu had even sacrificed her own daughter—truly ruthless. Yet despite searching everywhere, Mo Jingli had found no trace of her. In his rage, he had thrown the entire Liu family into prison, but months of torture had yielded no information.

The Empress Dowager sighed softly and looked at Mo Jingli. "I heard that after Prince Ding captured the Western Mausoleum Imperial City, he has already set off to return to Li Cheng?"

Mo Jingli sneered. "Mother’s sources are quite well-informed. But... this is none of your concern. The inner court... must not interfere in state affairs!"

"You—!" The Empress Dowager’s face darkened, her chest tightening with anger, her complexion alternating between red and pale. Her trembling finger pointed at Mo Jingli, but no words came out. The attending Lady Li, accustomed to serving the Empress Dowager, quickly stepped forward to soothe her. It took a long while for the Empress Dowager to recover, only to find that Mo Jingli had already stormed out in a fury.

"Mother..." Lady Li timidly offered a cup of ginseng tea.

The Empress Dowager swept the ornaments off the table with a wave of her hand, tears streaming down her aged face as she sobbed, "What sin have I committed to give birth to such unfilial sons...?"

Mo Jingli, already outside the palace gates, heard the weeping from within and curled his lips in disdain. The so-called bond between mother and son had long since eroded over the years. In Mo Jingli’s eyes, his birth mother was far less important than his aunt, Consort Xian Zhao, who had raised him. Thus, after moving south, Mo Jingli had unhesitatingly granted Consort Xian Zhao the title of Grand Empress Dowager as well. This had sown discord between the Empress Dowager and her lifelong ally, her cousin, and their once-close relationship had never been the same since.Strolling along the winding corridors of the palace, Mo Jingli temporarily set aside thoughts of his son and reflected on the events in the grand hall. Recalling the rising hopes and gradually dimming eyes of those ministers, his smile grew even colder. Were they still holding onto expectations for Mo Xiuyao? How foolish. He held the prosperous lands south of the Yangtze—why should he compete with those people? All he needed was to guard the natural barrier of the Yunlan River, diligently manage the southern territories, enrich the people, and strengthen the army. Let Mo Xiuyao fight against the barbarians of Northern Rong and Western Liang. Even if Mo Xiuyao could defeat one or two, could he possibly defeat all three? By the time both sides were exhausted, he would seize the opportunity to reclaim the land... Who would dare say Mo Jingli was not a ruler capable of revival?

Meanwhile, Leng Haoyu, who had withdrawn to Chu Jing after the fall of Zijing Pass and planned to take his elderly father back to the northwest while visiting his beloved son, was dismayed by the letter personally delivered by Wei Lin. He sighed helplessly at Wei Lin and said, "Little Wei, couldn’t you have come a couple of days later? I was just about to set off for the northwest." Wei Lin smiled and replied, "Qingchen Gongzi’s orders mean that even if you, Second Young Master Leng, had reached the gates of Flying Goose Pass, you’d likely have to turn back."

Leng Haoyu snorted lightly but knew he spoke the truth. Waving the letter in his hand, he asked, "Why did Qingchen Gongzi send you personally for this? Isn’t this overkill?" Though Wei Lin was merely a personal guard to Princess Ding, everyone in Prince Ding’s Estate knew that Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, and Wei Lin were never treated as mere guards by the Princess. Their abilities far surpassed those of ordinary guards, and if assigned to tasks outside, their status would likely be no lower than Leng Haoyu’s. Thus, even trusted old confidants of Mo Xiuyao like Feng San and Leng Haoyu treated Wei Lin and the others as equals.

Wei Lin said solemnly, "Qingchen Gongzi’s intention is for me to accompany Second Young Master Leng and assist General Leng in defending Chu Jing."

Leng Huai, sitting nearby, was taken aback. Since being brought back to Chu Jing by Leng Haoyu and witnessing its current state, Leng Huai had grown disheartened. Yet, even so, he had no intention of abandoning Chu Jing in a panic and fleeing west as a deserter. However, this son he had never paid much attention to had displayed unprecedented decisiveness and skill, leaving Leng Huai no room for choice. Now, just as they were about to leave, the situation took another turn. Though Leng Huai was pleased, he still worried about Leng Haoyu becoming trapped in this mess. As a minister and general of Great Chu, Leng Huai was prepared to die without regret, but he had never intended for his son to perish with him.

"Young Master Wei, will Prince Ding send reinforcements?" Leng Huai asked.

Wei Lin frowned slightly. "When I left the northwest, His Highness was still in Western Liang and had not returned. Moreover, beyond Flying Goose Pass, hundreds of thousands of Northern Rong and Western Liang troops are watching closely. However, years ago, Princess Ding arranged a hidden force within Great Chu. General Murong Shen has also received a letter from Qingchen Gongzi and will temporarily abandon his standoff with Lei Zhenting to march north. Qingchen Gongzi hopes Chu Jing can hold out for at least three months.""Three months..." Leng Huai frowned slightly. It wasn't that he didn't understand the Mo Family Army's current difficulties, but life in Chu Jing wasn't easy either. When Mo Jingli headed south, he took most of the troops with him. Now, only defeated remnants from the Northern Rong and northern frontlines remained in Chu Jing, along with some garrison forces—mostly old subordinates of Duke Hua—totaling barely two hundred thousand. The morale of these retreating soldiers was extremely low, compounded by the enemy army now at their gates, which further depressed both the military and civilians. Leng Huai wasn't just worried about three months—he had doubts they could even hold out for one.

"Three months won't be a problem. If we can't defend Chu Jing in that time, this old man will atone with his death when the city falls!" A voice, aged yet still vigorous, came from outside. Everyone turned to see Duke Hua, his hair and beard white as snow. Despite being in his seventies, he strode in wearing full armor and a battle robe, exuding the same imposing aura from his battlefield days.

The group quickly rose to greet him. "Old Duke, Grand Princess." Accompanying Duke Hua was the silver-haired Grand Princess Fuxi, supported by Princess Zhaoyang. Behind them trailed a boy and girl around twelve or thirteen. The girl kept her head slightly lowered, but the scars on half her face were still visible—Princess Zhenning, Consort Liu's daughter, and Prince Mo Xiaoyun. Mo Jingli had taken most of the imperial family with him, yet for some reason, this pair remained with Grand Princess Fuxi.

Duke Hua studied Leng Huai, then Leng Haoyu, before asking, "Will Prince Ding truly send reinforcements to Chu Jing?"

Leng Haoyu's expression sobered momentarily before his usual roguish smile returned. "Old Duke, you're putting me in a difficult position. I've spent most of my time in Great Chu and rarely ventured northwest—how would I know His Highness's intentions? Besides, Prince Ding is currently far in Western Liang. The decision to assist in defending the city came from Qingchen Gongzi." So no one could say for certain what Prince Ding's plans were. Though Qingchen Gongzi held absolute authority in the northwest, he wasn't Prince Ding himself and couldn't make promises on his behalf.

Duke Hua snorted lightly, giving Leng Huai an amused look. "Of your sons, this one seems the most capable." The old duke had long kept tabs on Prince Ding's Estate, and Leng Haoyu's closeness to Feng Zhiyao—Mo Xiuyao's childhood friend—made him no stranger. Who would have thought this seemingly frivolous youth was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing? Previously dismissed as a merchant-minded oddity among military heirs, his performance at Zijing Pass revealed hidden depths, surpassing even the much-praised Leng Qingyu.

Leng Huai could only smile awkwardly, taking the remark as teasing about his inability to judge his own sons. Yet he felt no resentment that this overlooked bastard son had outshone his carefully groomed heir. That Leng Haoyu could surpass his elder brother without any support only proved his innate capability—they were both his sons, after all.Duke Hua narrowed his eyes at Leng Haoyu, who appeared lazily relaxed, and said calmly, "Young Leng, don’t beat around the bush with this old man. What exactly is Prince Ding’s Estate’s stance? I don’t believe you’re in the dark about it." Leng Haoyu’s eyes flickered as he sat up with a smile. "Old Duke, you can’t say that. Forget Prince Ding’s Estate’s stance for a moment—even if Wang Ye returns early and is willing to send troops, the Northern Rong army standing between the northwest and Great Chu numbers in the millions. It’s a question of whether we’d even make it in time. And another thing… forgive my bluntness, Old Duke, but even if Chu Jing is saved, to whom would it belong?"

Duke Hua fixed his gaze on Leng Haoyu. "Is this Prince Ding’s idea, or Young Master Xu’s?"

Unfazed by the pressure Duke Hua deliberately exerted, Leng Haoyu rubbed his nose and chuckled. "I’m just asking casually. You know me, Old Duke—I’m a businessman. Logically speaking… whether Chu Jing lives or dies has nothing to do with Prince Ding’s Estate. Why should we risk setting our own rear ablaze to reinforce Chu Jing, let alone face the Northern Rong and the northern border armies?"

Duke Hua fell silent. He understood Leng Haoyu’s meaning perfectly. The Mo Family Army had no obligation to sacrifice countless soldiers’ lives to repel Great Chu’s enemies or defend Chu Jing. Especially now, when the entire Great Chu imperial family had already abandoned the capital and fled south in panic—why should the Mo Family Army help their enemies reclaim the city?

"Second Young Master Leng." Mo Xiaoyun, who had been standing behind the Grand Princess, suddenly spoke up. "Second Young Master Leng, the incompetence of the Great Chu imperial family has led to the loss of most of our territory. Now, they’ve abandoned countless citizens to seek refuge in the south, too ashamed to face the people. If the Mo Family Army can spare the citizens of Chu Jing from barbarian slaughter… henceforth, Chu Jing will naturally belong to Prince Ding’s Estate." His words stunned everyone, drawing all eyes to this boy of merely twelve or thirteen. Though his mother was Consort Liu, Mo Xiaoyun was, in truth, the most promising among Mo Jingqi’s surviving sons. After all, the Liu family’s years of grooming hadn’t been wasted. Mo Jingqi had likely intended to pass the throne to Mo Xiaoyun—until his mother ruined it. For a boy his age to make such a declaration was already remarkable.

Leng Haoyu studied Mo Xiaoyun and raised an eyebrow. "Prince Qin… can you truly decide this?"

Mo Xiaoyun replied solemnly, "Before the emperor’s southern relocation, he already enfeoffed me as Prince Changxing. I certainly have the authority."

Chu Jing, anciently known as Changxing, could no longer bear its current name now that the capital had moved. Yet, to feign that the imperial family hadn’t abandoned the people, a prince had to remain stationed there. Thus, Mo Jingli had stripped the deposed crown prince, Prince Qin Mo Xiaoyun, of his title and re-enfeoffed him as Prince Changxing—marking this land as his domain. Though nominally still part of Great Chu, given the circumstances, the southern court could hardly object if Mo Xiaoyun agreed.

Leng Haoyu regarded Mo Xiaoyun with interest. "This is Chu Jing. Are you truly willing to part with it?"Mo Xiaoyun said calmly, "What's the use of reluctance? Without the support of the Mo Family Army, Chu Jing will fall sooner or later. By then, forget about Prince Changxing—we might not even keep our lives. Prince Ding is benevolent, and I believe he will not harm the lives of my sister and me."

"Old Duke, what do you say?" Leng Haoyu asked.

Duke Hua snorted lightly and replied, "Since Prince Changxing has already agreed, what more can I say? Young Master Leng Er is truly skilled in business dealings. The Leng family indeed has a worthy successor." Leng Haoyu scratched his nose sheepishly and said, "You flatter me, Old Duke."

Duke Hua stood up and declared, "In that case... within three months, whether it's the Northern Rong or the northern border, I will not allow these barbarians from beyond the frontier to take a single step forward!"

Leng Haoyu smiled and said, "We appreciate your efforts, Old Duke."

After seeing off Duke Hua and his entourage, Leng Haoyu stroked his chin, silently contemplating whether he should write a letter urging Qingchen Gongzi to send troops as quickly as possible. Holding out for three months would truly be no easy task—one careless misstep could very well cost him his life.

Beside him, Leng Huai watched his son lost in thought and remained silent. Compared to the nearly predictable bitter battle that lay ahead, the question of who would ultimately claim Chu Jing seemed far less significant now.