Mo Li

On this day, an earth-shattering incident occurred at the Governor's Mansion in Liyang City, where the Emperor of Great Chu was temporarily residing. However, those who knew of the matter would never dare to speak of it—some had already been silenced by Mo Jingli, while the rest were either his trusted confidants or lacked the courage to do so. As a result, from the nobility to the common folk, no one in Liyang City knew what had truly happened. The only thing they were aware of was that the Chu army's provisions had been burned by the Mo Family Army the previous night.

In Mo Jingli's room, several imperial physicians knelt on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Mo Jingli sat on the bed, his expression icy as he glared at them, his face twisted with a storm of fury and malice.

"Tell me… can it be cured?" After a long silence, Mo Jingli finally spoke in a chilling tone.

The room remained deathly quiet for a while before one of the physicians stammered, "Your Majesty… the assassin… the assassin struck too severely. Moreover… poison was used. We… we are powerless to reverse this…"

A flash of killing intent crossed Mo Jingli's face. He sneered, "Drag him out and behead him! If you're useless, why should you live?" Two guards entered and hauled the physician away. The man screamed in terror, "Your Majesty, spare me! Please, Your Majesty, spare me!" But Mo Jingli paid him no heed. Instead, he turned his gaze to the remaining physicians kneeling by the bed. "What do you have to say?"

The physicians, already terrified by Mo Jingli's ruthless methods, hurriedly replied, "We will… we will do our utmost… Your Majesty, spare us…"

"Do your utmost?" Mo Jingli remained unsatisfied. The physicians quickly amended, "We will definitely concoct an antidote… We will surely cure Your Majesty… We swear it…" At this point, who cared about the crime of deceiving the emperor? Deception meant death later, but honesty meant death now. The physicians hastily made grand promises, as if Mo Jingli hadn't suffered an irreversible injury but merely a minor scratch on his hand.

Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "I give you three days."

"Yes! We obey, Your Majesty!" The physicians exhaled in relief and quickly agreed.

Watching these cowering men, Mo Jingli snorted. "Get out!" The physicians scrambled away to study the prescription, though deep down, they knew the truth. The assassin had intended to sever Mo Jingli's roots—no antidote could undo that. Even if Shen Yang, renowned as the greatest physician of their time, arrived with the legendary Biluo Grass, it would be futile. After all… unlike garlic sprouts, certain things didn't grow back once cut off. Yet none dared to voice this reality, especially with the fate of their colleague fresh in their minds. At this moment, some of the physicians even secretly wished for the Mo Family Army to breach Liyang sooner, so they could flee for their lives.

In the room, Mo Jingli leaned against the headboard, his expression shifting unpredictably as he stared at a letter he had read countless times.

"Your Majesty, this old servant Qiu Yunan requests an audience," a somewhat aged voice called from outside the door.

Mo Jingli replied darkly, "Enter."An elderly man in his sixties, dressed in scholarly attire, entered and cautiously bowed his head after glancing at the figure on the bed. "May I ask what Your Majesty summons this humble servant for?" Mo Jingli stared at him for a long moment before asking, "Lord Qiu, you are considered a veteran official of four dynasties, correct?"

Lord Qiu quickly replied, "Your Majesty, this humble servant indeed entered official service during the reign of the late Emperor." Unfortunately, his fate had not been kind—his abilities were mediocre, his appearance unremarkable, and his family background ordinary, leaving him obscure even after serving four dynasties. However, he had always been adept at navigating social relations, allowing him to pass these years in relative stability. Now, with the capable officials of the Great Chu either dead or departed, he had barely managed to rise to prominence. Yet Mo Jingli still did not hold him in high regard, having promoted him only out of necessity due to the lack of alternatives.

Mo Jingli raised his hand and passed over a letter. "Then take a look. Do you recognize this handwriting?"

Lord Qiu carefully accepted the letter and was momentarily stunned by its contents, but he quickly noticed Mo Jingli's icy gaze and hurriedly focused on the script. Frowning, he shook his head after a long pause. "Your Majesty, this humble servant... does not recognize this handwriting."

Mo Jingli sneered. "Is that so? Then does it seem at all familiar?"

Familiar? Puzzled, Lord Qiu returned his gaze to the letter. This time, he did notice something. Hesitating, he finally said, "This... Your Majesty, the handwriting seems to have been taught... taught by..."

"Taught by Su Zhe, isn't it?" Mo Jingli asked coldly. In his time, Su Zhe had been not only one of the Great Chu's foremost scholars, second only to Mr. Qingyun, but also a renowned calligrapher. Countless had sought to study under him, but only two had the privilege of being taught by Su Zhe from the very beginning of their education.

Lord Qiu nodded. "Indeed, but... this person's handwriting differs greatly from Su Zhe's. Su Zhe's script was elegant, carrying the refinement and pride of a scholar. This person's writing, however, exudes more freedom and boldness. At first glance, they seem unrelated, but upon closer inspection, there are traces of Su Zhe's influence. Thus, it is likely this person studied under Su Zhe from childhood." Only through early and prolonged study could such habits become ingrained, leaving traces even after the student developed their own distinct style.

Mo Jingli tossed out another document. "Are these two scripts from the same hand?"

Lord Qiu opened it and nearly collapsed in fright. This document bore the handwriting of Prince Ding. Though Mo Xiuyao was not a renowned calligrapher, his status and fame meant that any of his writings that occasionally surfaced were more prized than those of many famous masters. Having served in court for thirty or forty years, Lord Qiu had naturally seen them before. But... wasn't Prince Ding already dead?With a look of horror fixed on Mo Jingli, Lord Qiu even forgot the proper etiquette, silently wondering if the emperor had been driven mad by last night's events. Seeing Lord Qiu's shocked expression, Mo Jingli's face darkened further. Did he enjoy being suspected of insanity? He had compared the letter for a long time, but the writer seemed deliberate—the handwriting resembled Mo Xiuyao's by seventy percent, yet differed by thirty. It was as if intentionally made ambiguous. If Mo Xiuyao were truly alive and wanted to conceal his identity, he wouldn’t have needed to write a letter at all—any method would have sufficed to mask his handwriting. Instead, this made Mo Jingli suspect that Mo Xiuyao might indeed still be alive. But what if this was just the Mo Family Army playing tricks? Then he would humiliate himself before the entire world again. Everyone would know that Mo Jingli feared Mo Xiuyao—so much so that even after his death, he remained as jumpy as a startled bird.

"Is it him or not?!" Mo Jingli demanded coldly.

Lord Qiu grimaced and replied, "Your Majesty... while the two handwritings bear some resemblance, I fear... they are not from the same person. Besides... Prince Ding is already dead."

"Get out," Mo Jingli snapped.

"Yes, this old minister takes his leave." Lord Qiu retreated hastily, as if granted a pardon.

"Mo Xiuyao... Mo Xiuyao! It must be you!" Mo Jingli gnashed his teeth, attempting to rise abruptly but aggravating his wound. His face paled, and he nearly fainted again. Whatever medicine Mo Xiuyao had used initially numbed the pain completely, but shortly after waking, the agony had returned—and intensified. Clutching the letter in his hand, Mo Jingli seethed, "Mo Xiuyao! I will kill you! I swear I will kill you!"

Mo Jingli desperately wanted to dispatch everyone to hunt down Mo Xiuyao and ensure his death—whether real or fake—once and for all. But others, even his closest advisors, disagreed. The entire world knew Prince Ding was dead, personally confirmed by both the emperor and Zhennan Wang. How could he have come back to life? As for the intruder who had slipped into the governor's mansion undetected at night—if the Qilin could stealthily burn the Chu army's provisions, infiltrating the mansion was hardly impossible. Most saw this as the Mo Family Army's provocation and warning to the Chu army. As for Mo Jingli's belief that Mo Xiuyao was still alive... surely the emperor was just overly paranoid! Though Mo Jingli longed to prove himself right, he knew Lei Zhenting had witnessed Mo Xiuyao's corpse with his own eyes. Lei Zhenting had no reason to lie about this. Moreover... he couldn’t bear the humiliation of showing the assassin's letter to others. Wouldn’t that expose his injury to the world?"If it were Prince Ding's, there would be no need to hide his identity, so why alter the handwriting? And if the handwriting was to be altered, why make it resemble Prince Ding's by seventy percent? Clearly, someone from the Mo Family Army is deliberately sowing confusion." If they truly didn’t want to be recognized, they could have simply had someone else write it or even used their left hand—no one would have been able to trace it back. In the end, his subordinate’s words finally convinced Mo Jingli—or perhaps Mo Jingli had already convinced himself. He had no choice but to order increased security measures while he lurked gloomily in the governor’s mansion to recuperate from his injuries.

Mo Xiuyao remained disguised as an unremarkable figure among the Mo Family Army. Apart from Leng Huai and a few others, no one knew that the supposedly deceased Prince Ding was sitting in their camp, leisurely drinking tea. Though Mo Xiuyao had altered his appearance, everyone in the command tent could sense that Wang Ye was in an excellent mood—far better than when he had first arrived at the camp the previous day. Clearly, whatever he had done during his nighttime excursion into the city had greatly pleased him.

"Wang Ye... has something joyful occurred?" Lyu Jinxian asked curiously. Though the others pretended to be occupied with their own tasks, their ears perked up attentively.

Mo Xiuyao replied leisurely, "All six major families of Yunzhou have agreed to submit to Prince Ding's Estate. Would you consider that joyful news?"

The group exchanged indifferent glances—this hardly counted as joyous news. None of them believed any of the family heads would be foolish enough to side with Mo Jingli unless absolutely forced. Between Mo Jingli and Prince Ding's Estate, the latter clearly held the advantage. If it had been Mo Jingqi, he might have had the legitimacy of rightful succession, but Mo Jingli, who had usurped the throne by murdering his elder brother and nephew, couldn’t even cling to that last shred of legitimacy.

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly. "As for the rest... the Buddha says: it cannot be spoken." Just the thought of Mo Jingli’s current state dispelled all the frustration he had felt these past days. Last night, resisting the urge to kill Mo Jingli had been the right decision. After a moment’s thought, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "General Lü, can we take Liyang within three days?"

Lyu Jinxian grinned confidently. "Wang Ye need not worry—it’s absolutely possible. The Chu army’s grain convoy is nearly here and will arrive by tonight at the latest. Once they do, we can make our move."

Mo Xiuyao arched a brow. "You plan to attack when the Chu army’s supply convoy arrives?"

Lyu Jinxian nodded—that was indeed his plan. Moreover, Wang Fei had already instructed before her departure that half of the wealthy Jiangnan merchants supplying the Chu army’s provisions were actually aligned with Prince Ding's Estate. Those provisions were meant for the Mo Family Army and could not be allowed to fall into Mo Jingli’s hands. After a brief pause, Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "No, let them enter."

Lyu Jinxian looked puzzled. "Wang Ye means...?"

"Send men to help them transport the provisions inside. Then..." Mo Xiuyao placed an exquisitely crafted small porcelain vial on the table and said calmly, "Do you know what to do next?"

"Wang Ye is suggesting poison? That might not be reliable," Leng Huai voiced his concern. With hundreds of thousands of troops, it was impossible for all of them to be poisoned simultaneously. If even one noticed first, the entire plan could fail.Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "No need to worry. This was obtained by this prince from Shen Yang. After taking it... it will take one hour to take effect. Moreover... this substance isn't fatal—it will merely render them temporarily incapable of fighting. This prince has no desire to kill too many people. Xu Qingfeng."

"Your subordinate is here!" Xu Qingfeng stood up and responded.

Mo Xiuyao flicked out a slip of paper and said indifferently, "Within three hours after the provisions enter the city, this prince wants to see these men's heads."

Xu Qingfeng took it, glanced at it to commit the names to memory, then nodded. "Your subordinate obeys. I will make arrangements immediately."

Mo Xiuyao nodded and cautioned, "You've entered the city once before and already alerted the Chu army. The defenses will undoubtedly be tighter now—be careful."

"Yes, Wang Ye." Xu Qingfeng nodded and turned to leave the tent.

Inside the tent, He Su asked, "Does Wang Ye intend to eliminate the Chu army's generals first?" Once the commanding officers were dead, no matter how many soldiers remained, they would be nothing more than headless flies. Coupled with most of the soldiers losing their combat strength, the Mo Family Army could potentially take Liyang City without shedding blood.

Leng Huai raised an eyebrow and hesitated before asking, "Does Wang Ye plan to incorporate these 800,000 Chu troops?"

At these words, everyone was startled. Yet they saw Mo Xiuyao nod in satisfaction and smile. "General Leng speaks wisely. Lei Zhenting would never expect... that the allies he originally arranged would suddenly turn around to strike at him."

"Wang Ye's strategy is brilliant!" Lyu Jinxian also praised. If successful, this would indeed be enough to deal Lei Zhenting a fatal blow. However, such a plan could only be executed by Mo Xiuyao—no one else could achieve it. Even if Lyu Jinxian and the others could take Liyang without bloodshed, neither Lyu Jinxian nor Leng Huai had the prestige to subdue over 800,000 troops at once. Thus, they had never considered this method, nor dared to.

When night fell once more, the Chu army's rear troops escorting the provisions indeed arrived before Liyang. For the Chu army, which had just lost nearly all its provisions, this was naturally excellent news. After a round of inspections, the convoy transporting the provisions smoothly entered Liyang City.

Mo Jingli, lying weakly on his bed in low spirits, had no patience to deal with such trivial matters and waved them off for his subordinates to handle. Little did he know that the wealthy merchants from Jiangnan responsible for preparing these provisions, represented by Zhang Baiwan, were currently guests in the Mo Family Army's camp.

"Greetings to General Lü, General Leng." Zhang Baiwan shrank his neck slightly and cupped his hands upon seeing Lyu Jinxian and Leng Huai seated above. Though he was obsessed with money, this was his first time facing military men like Lyu Jinxian, who exuded an aura of battle. Compared to them, the generals he had seen in Nanjing were clearly insignificant.

Lyu Jinxian smiled. "Master Zhang, there's no need for formalities. We owe this success to you."

Zhang Baiwan waved his hands repeatedly. "I dare not, I dare not. The great general may simply call this one Zhang Baiwan. Since it was Princess Ding's command, how could we dare to disobey? Great general, rest assured—after today, I guarantee Mo Jingli won't be able to transport a single grain of provisions from Jiangnan ever again."Lyu Jinxian nodded in satisfaction and, seeing Zhang Baiwan's still somewhat uneasy expression, comforted him with a smile: "Master Zhang, rest assured. Wang Fei has already made arrangements. This general guarantees that even if news of your allegiance to Prince Ding's Estate reaches Jiangnan, your families will not face any danger."

Zhang Baiwan's eyes lit up. Their greatest concern in doing this was being discovered by Mo Jingli, after all, their roots were still in Jiangnan, and Jiangnan was still under Mo Jingli's control.

"Master Zhang, there is one matter that requires your return to Jiangnan. Would that be possible?" Mo Xiuyao, who had been sitting silently to the side, suddenly spoke up. To conceal his identity, Mo Xiuyao had always been disguised in the army. Without his distinctive white hair and with an ordinary appearance, even his imposing demeanor made it difficult to associate him with the deceased Prince Ding.

Zhang Baiwan hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lyu Jinxian above him, and asked, "This gentleman is..."

Lyu Jinxian replied, "This is Young Master Ye."

Although Zhang Baiwan didn't know who this Young Master Ye was, he at least remembered that Wang Fei's surname was Ye. With Prince Ding gone, wasn't Prince Ding's Estate now under Wang Fei's command? Moreover, judging by Lyu Jinxian's attitude, this was someone not to be offended. He quickly responded respectfully, "Young Master, please give your orders." Mo Xiuyao took out a letter and handed it to Zhang Baiwan, saying, "Please take this letter back and deliver it to the person named on the envelope."

Zhang Baiwan was taken aback and asked doubtfully, "That's all?" He had thought it would be something important, but it turned out to be just delivering a letter. Anyone could do such a task, so why would Young Master Ye specifically ask him to do it? This made him somewhat suspicious.

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Master Zhang, there's no need to hesitate. It truly is just a letter. Originally, it wouldn't matter who delivered it, but... Prince Ding's Estate's men entering Jiangnan would easily attract attention, so we thought to trouble you with this task."

Since it wasn't a big deal, Zhang Baiwan naturally didn't refuse. He put away the letter and nodded, saying, "Rest assured, Young Master. I will definitely deliver the letter." Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "As long as Master Zhang delivers the letter, I can assure you on behalf of Wang Fei... that the Zhang family will not be treated unfairly in the future."

Zhang Baiwan's heart swelled with joy. Seeing that Lyu Jinxian and the others appeared completely unfazed, it seemed this Young Master Ye indeed had the authority to make decisions on behalf of Wang Fei. His smile widened even more as he nodded repeatedly, "Young Master, you can rest assured."

After seeing Zhang Baiwan off, Leng Huai frowned and said, "Wang Ye, this Zhang Baiwan is too greedy for wealth. I fear he may not be very reliable."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled, "A Li chose to cooperate with him rather than others, which proves he has value. Besides... greed isn't necessarily a bad thing. Men die for wealth as birds die for food. If he truly has ability, this prince doesn't mind letting him take a little more." Though if he overstepped, Mo Xiuyao couldn't guarantee he wouldn't make him cough up everything he owned.

"But... according to our intelligence, this man also has some unclear connections with Western Liang," Leng Huai said with a frown. In the letter Wang Fei left before her departure, she had mentioned that this man could not be fully trusted.Mo Xiuyao was not surprised and said with a smile, "He's a merchant. Naturally, he wouldn't put all his eggs in one basket."

"What did Your Highness write in the letter to him?" Yun Ting asked curiously.

Mo Xiuyao replied, "It said... Prince Ding is not dead yet but is currently severely injured and on the brink of death. The shadow guards of Prince Ding's Estate hidden in Jiangnan are to seek reinforcements from Nanzhao to relieve Princess Ding, who is trapped at Flying Goose Pass."

Everyone was baffled. Seek reinforcements from Nanzhao? Their situation wasn't that dire, was it? Moreover... Nanzhao had just experienced internal turmoil a few years ago and had been entangled with Western Liang for some time. Even if they mustered all their national strength, how many troops could they possibly lend?

After pondering for a moment, He Su said, "Your Highness suspects Zhang Baiwan is Lei Zhenting's man?" If Zhang Baiwan truly was Lei Zhenting's man, upon receiving this letter, he would definitely not return to Jiangnan but would instead deliver it directly to Lei Zhenting. Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "He certainly isn't Lei Zhenting's man now, but after reading this letter, that might change."

Everyone exchanged glances and finally understood—this was simply a test by the Prince for the wealthy merchants of Jiangnan, led by Zhang Baiwan. If they made the wrong choice...

Yun Ting frowned and said, "Isn't this a bit too... After all, perhaps Zhang Baiwan doesn't have such intentions now." Deliberately provoking disloyalty in others, though much of the blame lies in their own weak resolve. But most people in this world are ordinary folks with fragile convictions. If they are never given the opportunity, they might never betray.

Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, "The Jiangnan region will soon undergo a drastic change. When that time comes... these people will become very important. Rather than letting these wavering individuals ruin my plans later, I'd prefer to eliminate them all now and replace them with those who won't harbor disloyalty." This approach might seem somewhat ruthless, but Mo Xiuyao had too many considerations to weigh. He bore the responsibility for the rise and fall of the entire Prince Ding's Estate and the Mo Family Army, with no time to spare for individual lives or questions of innocence. Besides, hadn't he still left them an opportunity?

Glancing at Mo Xiuyao's cold expression, Yun Ting sighed inwardly and remained silent. He understood Prince Ding's meaning—compared to these seasoned veterans of the Mo Family Army who had experienced many trials, he was still far too soft-hearted and naive.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Dear readers, I used up all my mobile data watching movies. Also, I'm currently secluded while crafting the ending, so I haven't been able to reply to many comments—sorry about that. Please believe that I've always loved you all.