Mo Li

In the camp of the Mo Family Army, Mo Xiaobao sat obediently in a corner of the main tent, practicing his calligraphy while secretly eavesdropping on the conversation between Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li, and the other generals. Mo Xiuyao had dispatched capable commanders like Lyu Jinxian to the southern front, leaving only young generals such as Yun Ting and Chen Yun on the northern front led by him and Ye Li. However, as the saying goes, "Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers." These young generals, entrusted with such heavy responsibilities for the first time, were brimming with confidence and fervor. After a few consecutive victories, they cast aside any lingering worries, their morale soaring high every day.

Mo Xiuyao regarded the young generals below with a calm expression and asked lightly, "After these past few days, what are your thoughts? Care to share them with this prince?" The generals exchanged puzzled glances before looking at Princess Ding, who sat quietly with a faint smile. Yun Ting ventured, "We’ve won several battles in a row. Does Your Highness think... something is amiss?" Mo Xiuyao smiled. "Nothing is wrong. I merely wish to hear your reflections."

After a moment of silence, Chen Yun spoke up. "Although we’ve won repeatedly these past few days, it’s largely because the Bei Rong people are unskilled in defending cities. If they abandon their defensive tactics and engage us head-on, I fear... our victories won’t come so easily."

His words plunged the tent into silence. Indeed, they had clashed with the Bei Rong before. If defeating them were truly this effortless, the war wouldn’t have dragged on for so long. The Bei Rong were fierce and formidable warriors, not the fragile opponents they had begun to imagine. The recent victories had unwittingly fostered a sense of complacency—that the Bei Rong were nothing to fear. While confidence was good, underestimating the enemy was not. Thus, despite the generals' pleading looks, Ye Li deliberately ignored them, breaking from her usual demeanor.

Generals like Chen Yun and Yun Ting had undergone years of training and experience. Their tactical knowledge was on par with seasoned veterans. What they lacked was the seasoned perspective—the ability to remain composed in both victory and defeat. Such equanimity could only be forged through countless battles. As a result, they were more prone to arrogance after victories and despair after defeats compared to their older counterparts.

After a long silence, Mo Xiuyao finally nodded. "It’s good that you’ve realized this." Relieved that the prince wasn’t angry at their earlier complacency, the generals exhaled in unison. Hesitantly, Yun Ting asked, "Does Your Highness mean the Bei Rong will soon change their tactics?"

Mo Xiuyao replied, "If they don’t alter their strategy after repeated defeats, then the Bei Rong are truly beyond redemption. Do you all understand what must be done now?" The generals answered in unison, "We understand!"

Mo Xiuyao nodded without probing further into their comprehension. "Good. Then go and prepare."The crowd took their leave and exited the grand tent. Mo Xiuyao turned his head to see Mo Xiaobao sprawled on the table, listening to the conversation with great interest. As the generals left, a trace of regret was still visible on his face before he could hide it. Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at him. Mo Xiaobao immediately ducked his head and pretended to be engrossed in writing. Mo Xiuyao looked at him and asked leisurely, "Did you understand the discussion just now?" Mo Xiaobao lifted his head, his clever eyes darting around before realizing Mo Xiuyao was speaking to him. He quickly offered an ingratiating smile, "Yes, Father, I understood." Mo Xiuyao asked, "What did you understand?"

Mo Xiaobao obediently replied, "Father reminded the generals not to become complacent because of temporary victories and underestimate their opponents. The reason our army has won so easily these days is because the Northern Rong forces are not good at defending cities, and we exploited their weaknesses. If the Bei Rong people change their tactics, our army might panic due to carelessness." Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly, somewhat approving of Mo Xiaobao's answer, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then, tell me, what should we do if the Northern Rong army engages us in a direct confrontation?"

"Uh... this..." Mo Xiaobao frowned and pondered for a long time before his eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at Mo Xiuyao expectantly and said, "The Northern Rong cavalry excels in open-field battles and is extremely fast. We can lure them into the mountains! The Bei Rong people aren’t familiar with the terrain, and their cavalry isn’t suited for mountain warfare—then we can defeat them!" After speaking, Mo Xiaobao blinked his eyes smugly, his expression practically screaming: Praise me, praise me!

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, flicked his forehead lightly, and said calmly, "For your age, it’s not bad that you could think of this much."

Mo Xiaobao froze, then glared at his father indignantly: Was that even praise? Uncle and Grand Tutor would never praise someone like this! Grand Tutor always says Chen’er is so smart!

Feeling deeply underestimated by his father, the proud Mo Xiaobao threw himself into Ye Li’s arms. "Mother, Father is bullying me!" Ye Li patted his little head with amusement and said gently, "Your father was clearly praising you. How is that bullying?" Mo Xiaobao pouted and said, "Xiao Bao isn’t just ‘not bad for his age.’ Xiao Bao’s idea was really good! Grand Tutor and Uncle both say Xiao Bao is so smart."

Ye Li sighed helplessly and smiled at Mo Xiaobao. "But what you thought of is something anyone could come up with—it’s not particularly impressive. Why don’t you go ask Chen Yun and the others if they could think of it too?" In truth, praising a child for being smart was a very common thing, and Mo Xiaobao certainly deserved such praise. But unfortunately, the people who praised him were anything but ordinary, so Mo Xiaobao had grown a little too proud, believing himself to be the smartest in the world. Now that Mo Xiuyao had given him a small reality check, he wasn’t too happy about it.

"Mmm..." Mo Xiaobao rested his head on Ye Li’s lap and gazed up at her pitifully.Ye Li smiled faintly and patted her son's little head, saying, "And your father is right. You're still young and haven't read as many books or experienced as much as adults, so naturally, there are many things you wouldn't think of. That doesn't mean our Xiao Bao isn't smart." Beside them, Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, pulling out two books from the side and placing them in front of Mo Xiaobao. "Finish reading these two books, then write down how you think this battle should be fought and show it to me. If it's well-written, this prince will acknowledge your intelligence."

Mo Xiaobao's eyes lit up. Gaining his father's recognition and praise was something every child deeply desired. However, his relationship with Mo Xiuyao had been forged through one setback after another. Though Mo Xiaobao often acted as if he disliked his father, he was all the more determined to earn Mo Xiuyao's approval. Sure enough, as soon as Mo Xiuyao finished speaking, Mo Xiaobao snatched the books and hugged them to his chest, declaring, "It's a deal! If I come up with a good strategy, Father must use my plan in battle!"

Mo Xiuyao nodded without hesitation, smiling. "No problem. For the next few days, stay in the tent and study these books. I'll also have someone bring you some records on Northern Rong for reference. As long as your proposed strategy can withstand scrutiny and testing, not only will I use your plan, but I'll also announce to the world that this battle was fought by Mo Xiaobao."

"It's Mo Yuchen!" Mo Xiaobao retorted, both displeased and proud. "Xiao Bao" was far too unrefined—he couldn't even imagine how it would feel if he achieved something renowned, only to hear people discussing, "Prince Ding's Mo Xiaobao is really xxx…" What kind of impression would that leave?

"Fine," Mo Xiuyao agreed. "If you succeed, I'll never call you Mo Xiaobao again. But if you fail… you'll have to shout three times in front of the entire army, 'This heir is called Mo Xiaobao!'"

"Deal! A gentleman's word—"

Mo Xiuyao gave Mo Xiaobao's short stature a disdainful glance and lazily added, "Is as good as his bond."

With newfound purpose, Mo Xiaobao grabbed the two thick books and dashed out of the tent, turning back to wave at Ye Li. "Mother, wait for your son to bring you glory!" Ye Li could only cover her face with her hand, stifling a laugh. Son, though I'm used to calling you Mo Xiaobao, I really don't want the whole world to know your name is Xiao Bao…

"Wang Ye, scheming against a child—how leisurely," Ye Li remarked dryly, giving Mo Xiuyao a knowing look.

Mo Xiuyao arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "This prince was simply making an open agreement with him. How is that scheming?" Ye Li countered, "Oh? By the time Xiao Bao finishes those two books, reviews the records you'll send, and comes up with a strategy, one or two months will have passed, won't it?" By then, not only would the matter of dealing with Northern Rong's cavalry be settled, but the overall outcome of the war between the Mo Family Army and Northern Rong would likely be decided. No matter how clever Mo Xiaobao was, he was still a child. Most children his age were just beginning their education. The two books Mo Xiuyao had given him were not only thick but also extremely abstruse—even Yun Ting had spent two or three months deciphering them, let alone Mo Xiaobao, who hadn't even mastered all his characters yet.So, this bet was a setup from the very beginning, designed by Mo Xiuyao to humble Mo Xiaobao.

“Since A Li knew, why didn’t you expose it?” Mo Xiuyao said with a smile. “Doesn’t that mean you also think I did nothing wrong?”

Ye Li was speechless. Mo Xiaobao was indeed a bit too full of himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reacted so strongly to what was essentially a compliment from Mo Xiuyao. A little humbling wouldn’t hurt—after all, there were plenty of others to feed his confidence.

With some resignation, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao’s dangerously handsome smile and said, “Be careful, or he’ll throw a tantrum at you later.” Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly. “That kid is a master at avoiding trouble and going with the flow. He’ll only throw tantrums at you.” Mo Xiaobao had long since learned the hard-hearted nature of his father, so he rarely pestered or acted up around Mo Xiuyao. Moreover, his goal was to surpass Mo Xiuyao and then ruthlessly trample over his father’s pride. If he threw a tantrum now, only for his father to bring it up later after he’d been bested, wouldn’t that completely undermine the dignity of Heir Apparent Ding?

Hearing this, Ye Li couldn’t help but sweatdrop.

Just as Mo Xiuyao had predicted, the Northern Rong army changed tactics the very next day. Instead of waiting for the Mo Family Army to attack the city as usual, they took the initiative, charging out with their cavalry to engage the Mo Family Army several miles outside the city walls. Though the Mo Family Army was prepared, the reckless charge of the Northern Rong cavalry still caused significant trouble. Not only did casualties rise, but they didn’t even come close to the city walls, let alone launch an attack. While the Northern Rong also suffered losses, it was at best a stalemate—nowhere near the effortless victories of before.

As soon as they returned to camp, the generals gathered to discuss how to counter the Northern Rong cavalry. In truth, the Mo Family Army had considerable experience dealing with Northern Rong cavalry, given their frequent clashes. The Black Cloud Cavalry’s formidable reputation was largely due to the Northern Rong’s cavalry. However, large-scale battles like this were rare in the histories of both nations. Even during the Mo Family Army’s devastating losses in the past, those soldiers had died unjustly rather than in combat. If it had been a fair fight, the casualties wouldn’t have been as high as this time. Thus, facing cavalry with cavalry now seemed unwise. After years of development, the Black Cloud Cavalry numbered only about 150,000, while the Northern Rong army was almost entirely mounted.

“Well? Any brilliant ideas?” Chen Yun asked.

Beside him, Sun Yaowu grinned slyly. “The Northern Rong horses are indeed formidable, but what if they couldn’t run anymore…?” Sun Yaowu was a self-taught general with a penchant for underhanded tactics. Yun Ting frowned in confusion. “Poison their warhorses? But those horses are the backbone of the Northern Rong army—they’ll be heavily guarded. Even with the Qilin’s help, it’d be nearly impossible.” Besides, how much poison would it take to incapacitate so many horses? And it would have to be done simultaneously to succeed. But with hundreds of thousands of warhorses… how many people would that require?Sun Yaowu gave him an exasperated look and said, "Of course not sending someone to poison them. Sending an assassin to kill Yelv Ye would be more reliable than drugging the warhorses." Having spent considerable time together, they were familiar with each other's temperaments, so Yun Ting wasn't offended. He looked at Sun Yaowu and asked, "Then what's your idea? You didn’t just say that for nothing, did you?"

Sun Yaowu grinned. "Would I waste my breath? Here's what we can do..." Leaning in, he whispered a few words into Yun Ting's ear. Yun Ting's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to Chen Yun beside him, murmuring excitedly. The group around the campfire grew lively as Sun Yaowu's idea seemed to spark their creativity, and soon everyone was chiming in with suggestions.

"I think we could do it like this..." Yun Ting said.

"No, this way would be better..." Zhou Min added smugly.

"Actually, I think this approach is even more effective..." Chen Yun chimed in.

Nearby, hidden in the shadows, Ye Li stood beside Mo Xiuyao, watching the generals gathered around the fire, engaged in heated discussion. She smiled and remarked, "It seems my earlier reminder wasn’t in vain. Today’s battle hasn’t dampened their morale at all—if anything, they’re even more fired up." Mo Xiuyao nodded. "If they couldn’t handle such a minor setback, they wouldn’t deserve to stay in the Mo Family Army."

"Do you think their plan will work, Xiu Yao?" she asked.

"We’ll find out tomorrow."

The next day on the battlefield, the Mo Family Army unleashed a barrage of unconventional tactics. Their horses carried sacks of dry fodder and treats that the animals loved. Once the sacks were opened, the feed spilled onto the ground. The Northern Rong, already struggling with dwindling supplies this season, found their horses unable to resist the scent. The moment the horses lowered their heads to eat, Mo Family soldiers rushed in to cut them down. Those not immediately killed were soon incapacitated by the drugs hidden in the feed.

There were also all sorts of bizarre traps—ropes, spears, crossbows—anything they could think of, no matter how outlandish. These contraptions, clearly cobbled together overnight, were far from refined but still inflicted significant damage on the Northern Rong forces. By day’s end, the Northern Rong once again retreated in defeat.

Back in the Northern Rong Camp, Yelv Ye was once again in a towering rage. Deep down, he knew today’s loss wasn’t He Lianpeng’s fault, but after a string of defeats, he couldn’t help but vent his fury by berating the general.

He Lianpeng knelt silently in the center of the tent, waiting for Yelv Ye’s tirade to end.

Once the storm had passed, Yelv Ye felt a pang of guilt. Frowning, he waved a hand. "General He Lian, rise." He Lianpeng remained kneeling, his voice grave. "This defeat was my failure. I beg the Seventh Prince to punish me." Yelv Ye sighed. "It’s not your fault. The Prince Ding’s Estate has always been cunning. Who could have guessed they’d resort to such underhanded tactics?" The Mo Family Army had clearly exploited the Northern Rong’s weakness—their dwindling supplies.

He Lianpeng said, "Your Highness need not worry. Such tricks won’t work a second time. Now that we’re prepared, they’ll be useless. But I fear they’ll come up with something else."Yelv Ye frowned and asked, "What plan does General Helian have?"

He Lianpeng replied, "Our previous strategy wasn't wrong. The Northern Rong cavalry has indeed caused considerable trouble for the Mo Family Army. Otherwise, they wouldn't have resorted to depleting their own provisions to deal with our cavalry. My suggestion is that we should accelerate our attacks and strike the Mo Family Army more fiercely, keeping them overwhelmed."

After a moment of contemplation, Yelv Ye said, "Very well, we'll proceed as you suggest."

"Your Highness, an envoy from the royal court seeks an audience," a guard outside the tent reported. Yelv Ye and He Lianpeng exchanged glances. Yelv Ye frowned and muttered, "An envoy from the royal court at this time... Why would Father send someone now..."

He Lianpeng said gravely, "Your Highness, if the King is sending an envoy now, unless it's to reward you, then... it's likely bad news." However, everyone knew the Northern Rong forces had been suffering continuous defeats in the war. The idea of rewards was hard to believe. Yelv Ye understood this well and nodded, ordering, "Invite my uncle to join us." He Lianpeng responded solemnly, "Yes."

Shortly after, Helian Zhen and He Lianpeng entered the main tent just as the royal envoy arrived. The envoy stood respectfully in the tent, looking at Yelv Ye, but Helian Zhen and He Lianpeng felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. This man was from Yelv Hong's faction. The fact that the King had sent someone from the Crown Prince's side at this time spoke volumes.

The envoy glanced at Helian Zhen and He Lianpeng and smiled, "Seventh Prince, may I now read His Majesty's edict?"

Yelv Ye nodded coldly, "Proceed, Envoy."

Unfazed by his indifference, the envoy unrolled a bright yellow silk scroll and began reading aloud, "By the King's decree: Since the Seventh Prince took command, our forces have suffered repeated defeats, losing troops and generals..." The envoy recited the lengthy edict, which essentially conveyed one message: reprimanding Yelv Ye for his military failures, which had severely weakened Northern Rong's strength. The edict even mentioned his urgent request for reinforcements. The King ordered Yelv Ye to defeat Mo Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army within two months, or else the military authority would be handed over to someone else. Though it wasn't explicitly stated who that "someone else" would be, Yelv Ye could guess—if he failed, the beneficiary would naturally be Crown Prince Yelv Hong.

"Seventh Prince, do you understand His Majesty's intentions?" the envoy asked with a smile after finishing the edict. "The King is deeply concerned about the war with Chu and is anxious for results. We hope Your Highness will take this to heart."

Yelv Ye snorted coldly, "Thank you for the reminder. I understand perfectly well."

The envoy smiled, "Good, good. In that case, this official will remain with Your Highness's army for the time being, so that we may swiftly report the news of victory to the King."

This was clearly an act of supervision!Yelv Ye narrowed his eyes. The Northern Rong had never had the concept of a supervising officer. Whoever led the troops was in command, but this envoy had come with the orders of the King of Northern Rong, naturally granting him authority over the entire Northern Rong army. As a result, Yelv Ye, both a prince and the commander-in-chief, found himself constantly restrained, with the constant threat of being reported to the King of Northern Rong at any moment. Yelv Ye knew the current situation was extremely unfavorable for him, and it was likely that his father in the royal court was already very displeased with him. The best course of action would be to hand over military authority to Helian Zhen and immediately return to the royal court to explain himself to his father. After all, as a prince, nothing was more important than the trust of the King of Northern Rong. However, Yelv Ye also understood that once he left, Helian Zhen, who hadn’t led troops in over a decade, might not be able to control these hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If the army fell into Yelv Hong’s hands, he would truly have nothing left.

With an indifferent expression, Yelv Ye gazed at the envoy below, a cold glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He nodded faintly and said, “In that case… I’ll trouble you, my lord.”

Since he was already a step behind, it was likely that the Crown Prince at the royal court had long been prepared. In that case... why should he retreat any further? He must firmly hold onto at least one thing—either his father's trust or military power.

The envoy seemed oblivious to the chilling tone in his words and nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Feng is so sad. Upon returning to Sichuan, I heard that China Unicom had good internet, so I decisively abandoned China Telecom and bought a Unicom terminal. Only to return to my hometown and find Unicom had no coverage—ended up sitting alone in an internet cafe to update. ~Happy New Year, dear readers~