Mo Li

At dawn, when the Mo Family Army once again sounded the war drums, the Chu army was indeed utterly defeated. The Mo Family Army effortlessly breached the gates of Liyang City. With nearly all the generals missing and at least half the soldiers unable to fight, the defenders on the city walls lost all courage the moment they saw the snow-haired man in white robes standing below. In an instant, the 800,000-strong army collapsed into chaos.

Meanwhile, Mo Jingli remained oblivious in the governor’s mansion within the city. His recent injury had dealt a heavy blow, both physically and mentally. Especially with his lingering suspicions about whether Mo Xiuyao was still alive, Mo Jingli’s temper had grown increasingly erratic and unpredictable. His severe injuries made even getting out of bed difficult, let alone commanding the battlefield in person.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Disaster has struck!" Just as Mo Jingli was once again berating the kneeling court physicians, the panicked footsteps of a servant echoed from outside.

Mo Jingli frowned and snapped, "Get in here! What is it?"

The servant dropped to his knees, trembling as he cried, "Your Majesty… the Mo Family Army—the Mo Family Army has broken into the city!"

"What?!" Mo Jingli jerked upright, his face contorting in pain. "How could the Mo Family Army have broken in so quickly?" It wasn’t that Mo Jingli underestimated their strength, but Liyang was defended by 800,000 soldiers. Unless every single one of them had defected, it was impossible for the Mo Family Army to infiltrate so silently.

"It’s true… All our deputy generals and above have vanished. Half the troops suddenly fell ill with stomach ailments. And… and someone claims to have seen Prince Ding at the city gates." The messenger himself hadn’t witnessed Mo Xiuyao, and the reports he’d heard were muddled. After all, the sudden appearance of the supposedly dead Prince Ding had terrified many. Most ordinary soldiers couldn’t fathom the idea of faking death—their first thought was that they’d seen a ghost.

"Mo Xiuyao?!" Mo Jingli’s face paled, and his hands hidden in his sleeves began to tremble uncontrollably. "What in the world is happening?! Investigate this at once!"

The servant quivered. "Your Majesty… the Mo Family Army has already breached the gates. We… we must flee now."

"Flee?" Mo Jingli’s eyes burned with fury. "Where can I possibly flee to now?"

The servant pleaded, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Your Majesty… if we return to Jiangnan, we can surely rise again. But if Prince Ding captures us…" He shuddered. As Mo Jingli’s trusted aide, he knew capture would mean certain death. Over the years, they had heard plenty about Prince Ding’s reputation.

Hearing this, Mo Jingli’s expression shifted, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.The battle was remarkably easy, with almost no casualties on either side. When Prince Ding, clad in white, landed gracefully in the center of Liyang City's largest street, everyone involuntarily lowered their weapons. Mo Xiuyao's voice resonated far and wide, "All soldiers of Great Chu, lay down your arms. This prince will let bygones be bygones."

Some hesitated—these were ordinary soldiers. Without their commanders, they were like scattered sand, unsure of what to do next. Yet the Mo Family Army and Prince Ding's Estate were the most revered symbols in the hearts of every native-born man of Great Chu. The former glory of Great Chu, guarded by the Mo Family Army, was also the deepest memory for those who had endured its wars. Soon, someone dropped their weapon.

One led to another. The clatter of weapons soon echoed throughout the street, and the townspeople, who had been hiding in their homes, began to emerge. The heads of prominent families from Yunzhou, led by Chu Shaoying, stepped forward in unison, "We humble subjects congratulate His Highness Prince Ding!"

"Welcome Prince Ding! Long live Prince Ding!" Cheers erupted from the crowd, quickly spreading like a tidal wave across the entire city of Liyang.

Seeing what was expected to be a protracted siege resolved almost without bloodshed, the generals of the Mo Family Army exchanged relieved smiles. Leng Huai stood by the roadside, smiling at Lyu Jinxian nearby. "Truly, one man is worth a million soldiers. Under heaven, who but Prince Ding could command such prestige?"

As a veteran of the Mo Family Army, Lyu Jinxian shared the pride. He nodded and replied, "General Leng speaks truly. Who else but Prince Ding could hold such sway?" Leng Huai smiled faintly. Though the war with Western Liang was not yet decided, Prince Ding's strategy made it clear that the Western Mausoleum Army's days of ease were numbered. Who else but Prince Ding could master this divided land? After centuries of fragmentation, the realm would soon be unified under Prince Ding's Estate, heralding the dawn of a true imperial golden age. Even a seasoned general like Leng Huai couldn't help but feel stirred.

"This prince will soon march against Western Liang. Any soldiers of Great Chu willing to follow me in this campaign shall depart with me tomorrow. Those unwilling may remain in Liyang. When the war ends, they may return to Jiangnan," Mo Xiuyao declared calmly.

"We pledge to follow Prince Ding and fight Western Liang!"

"We are willing to follow Prince Ding!"

"We swear to follow Prince Ding unto death!"

The crumbling Great Chu versus the ascendant Prince Ding's Estate. The incompetent and capricious Chu Emperor versus the wise and brilliant Prince Ding. Mo Jingli, who treated soldiers as cannon fodder, versus Mo Xiuyao, who cherished his men like his own sons—the choice was almost too obvious to make.

Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction. "Good. From this moment, all Chu soldiers in Liyang are now under the command of the Mo Family Army."

"We pledge our lives to serve His Highness!"

After instructing Lyu Jinxian and Leng Huai to organize the newly surrendered Chu soldiers, Mo Xiuyao led his men toward the prefect's residence where Mo Jingli had been staying. Familiar with the layout, he entered Mo Jingli's chambers, only to find the bodies of a slain physician and attendants. Mo Jingli himself was nowhere to be found."Mo Jingli escaped? Wang Ye, I will send men to search for him immediately," Xu Qingfeng said with frustration. They had only surrounded the governor's residence earlier but failed to assign Qilin to keep watch. Who would have thought that despite the heavy encirclement, Mo Jingli could still manage to flee from the residence?

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "Go ahead. Don’t blame yourself. Compared to taking over Liyang City, Mo Jingli is not a major concern." Although the city had been seized without apparent bloodshed, much blood had been spilled in the shadows. Mo Jingli’s loyal guards, the shadow guards of the Great Chu imperial family, generals still loyal to him, and families who had already pledged allegiance to him—all needed to be swiftly dealt with. Moreover, as an emperor, how could Mo Jingli not have shadow guards by his side? Though the Great Chu imperial shadow guards were no match for the Mo Family Army’s Qilin, they were not inferior to Lei Zhenting’s Gold-Clad Guards. While they couldn’t win in a direct confrontation, escaping with one person was hardly difficult.

Xu Qingfeng nodded and turned to leave.

Mo Xiuyao glanced down at the blood-soaked room, a cold smile curling at his lips. "Mo Jingli, if I were you, I’d rather die here... It might have been a better fate."

Mo Xiuyao did not linger in Liyang because of Mo Jingli’s escape. Before dawn the next day, he departed with Leng Huai, He Su, and a million troops, leaving only over 200,000 soldiers under Lyu Jinxian and Yun Ting to garrison all areas east of Liyang. With Mo Jingli severely wounded and defeated, he would be unable to cause trouble for a long time. Even if he recovered and emerged, Mo Xiuyao had prepared plenty for him—ensuring he wouldn’t stir up much. With the military situation largely balanced, Mo Xiuyao had absolute confidence in Lyu Jinxian’s abilities.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles outside Liyang, in a secluded courtyard that appeared to be an ordinary farmhouse from the outside, the atmosphere inside was chilling. Several guards stood in the yard, listening solemnly to the agonized groans coming from within. In the dimly lit room, Mo Jingli glared with a twisted expression at a man kneeling under restraint in the distance. The man had been beaten to a bloody pulp, barely clinging to life.

"Speak. How exactly did the Mo Family Army enter the city?" Mo Jingli demanded darkly.

The man weakly shook his head, his eyes filled with pleading. He truly didn’t know how the Mo Family Army had infiltrated the city, nor why the Chu soldiers had suddenly fallen ill with diarrhea after consuming the newly delivered rations. He was merely a lowly supply officer. Had he known escaping would lead to such torment, he would have preferred to remain a captive in Liyang.

Mo Jingli lost his patience and growled, "Throw him out!"The man wanted to beg for mercy in terror, but he couldn't even make a sound now. Being thrown out didn't mean the torture was over—it meant his life would end here. These days, he wasn't the first to suffer such torment, nor would he be the last. Soon, the man, already beaten into a bloody mess, was dragged away. No one would pity him. Mo Jingli's injuries hadn't improved these past few days, and his temper had grown increasingly violent. Most people had already grown accustomed to it.

A servant-like man cautiously pushed the door open and entered. "Y-Your Majesty?"

"What is it?" Mo Jingli asked coldly. Since suffering that humiliating injury, Mo Jingli had become exceptionally gloomy. Even the room he lived in had turned eerie, usually not allowing any light inside. The servant entered and barely adjusted to the dimness, yet still jumped in fright at Mo Jingli's sinister appearance. Suppressing his fear, the servant whispered, "Reporting to Your Majesty... Prince Ding has taken control of all the troops in Liyang. Yesterday morning, he already led the army westward from Liyang."

The dark room fell silent for a long time before Mo Jingli's voice finally emerged, slow and vicious. "Mo Xiuyao... took my troops to fight Lei Zhenting?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, yes. All eight hundred thousand soldiers of the Mo Family Army in Liyang City have surrendered to Prince Ding," the servant said in a subdued voice.

"Traitors! I'll execute their nine generations!" With a whoosh, something flew past the servant's ear and smashed against the wall behind him. The servant's legs gave way, and he quickly prostrated himself on the ground. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Preserve your imperial health!" Mo Jingli sneered, staring at the kneeling servant. "Preserve it? You all can't wait for me to die sooner, can you?"

"This servant wouldn't dare... Your Majesty, spare me!" The man on the ground trembled in fear. "Your Majesty... please calm your anger. Once we return to Jiangnan, we can reorganize our forces and seek revenge on Prince Ding's Estate. Right now... the north is almost entirely under Prince Ding's control. It's truly not wise for us to stay here much longer." After venting his rage, Mo Jingli gradually regained a sliver of rationality. He looked at the sweat-drenched servant before him and said coldly, "Get up."

The servant knew he had narrowly escaped today and secretly sighed in relief, quickly thanking the emperor before standing up. His deference seemed to please Mo Jingli, whose voice softened slightly. "Go and prepare. We'll return to Jiangnan tomorrow morning."

"Yes, yes..."

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Qiu requests an audience," a guard announced from outside the door. Mo Jingli frowned slightly, displeased. "What does he want?" Outside, Lord Qiu's voice carried a hint of panting, clearly having rushed here in haste. "Your Majesty, this old minister has urgent matters to report."

"Come in."Lord Qiu pushed the door open and entered, frowning at the dimness of the room. Just as he was about to speak, Mo Jingli asked in a low voice, "What is it?" Lord Qiu retrieved a folded piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, please take a look. This is a proclamation jointly issued by several prominent families in Yunzhou, which I just tore down from a nearby county town."

Mo Jingli abruptly sat up. "Chu Shaoying? Quickly, bring it here for me to see." A servant took the paper from Lord Qiu and presented it to him, then lit a candle on the bedside table. Only then did the two men clearly see Mo Jingli's appearance on the bed. Due to his severe injuries and the rage that had consumed him these past few days, his face was deathly pale, and his entire frame had grown gaunt. Most strikingly, there was an unsettling dissonance about him. Lord Qiu frowned but dared not look further. He was neither a close confidant nor a high-ranking official to Mo Jingli and thus did not know him well. Though he sensed something was amiss with the emperor, there was no time to dwell on it now.

Mo Jingli unfolded the paper, and the faint smile on his lips froze. The proclamation did not contain the denunciations of Mo Xiuyao and Prince Ding's Estate or declarations of loyalty to him that he had expected. Instead, it was a litany of accusations against him—from poisoning Mo Jingqi and imprisoning the Empress Dowager to causing the death of Mo Suoyun, abandoning the capital in flight, and forming alliances with Western Liang and Northern Rong. Each charge was laid out with such clarity it was as if the writers had witnessed it all firsthand. The scholars' pens could sometimes cut deeper than blades, and in their words, Mo Jingli was painted as a treacherous villain who murdered his sovereign, seized the throne, betrayed filial piety, and even disregarded the safety of the realm.

What infuriated Mo Jingli even more was that this proclamation had been posted before the Mo Family Army breached Liyang. The signatures at the bottom revealed it had been publicly issued the very day after Chu Shaoying had pledged allegiance to him, and the names listed were precisely those of the family heads who had followed Chu Shaoying in declaring their loyalty.

"Chu... Shao... Ying," Mo Jingli ground out between clenched teeth, his gaze sharp as a blade as it fixed on Lord Qiu. "Why was there no news of this in Liyang before?"

Lord Qiu hastily replied, "They initially did not post it in Liyang. It first appeared in a small county town thirty miles away. From there, it spread outward but never reached Liyang itself. So... we had no way of..." As he spoke, he kept his head bowed, his mind racing. Judging by the emperor's reaction, the contents of the proclamation were likely true. Though he did not know the truth behind the deaths of the two previous emperors, the fact that Mo Jingli had abandoned Chu Jing in flight and later allied with Northern Rong and Western Liang to attack the Mo Family Army after Prince Ding's Estate retook the capital was common knowledge. The emperor... was finished.

"Useless! Issue an order—bring me Chu Shaoying's head and those of the other traitors!" Mo Jingli roared.

"Y-Your Majesty..." The attendant at his side hesitated. "This... might be difficult... Prince Ding left a unit of at least two hundred Qilin in Liyang. Our people there are likely..."As the saying goes, misfortune never comes singly. Just when Mo Jingli thought he had suffered enough misfortune, worse was yet to come. Before his injuries could even heal, the group concealed their tracks and quietly headed south of the Yangtze River. However, less than two days into their journey, another piece of news spread across the land. The Grand Empress Dowager of Chu and the ministers of Nanjing deposed Mo Jingli from the throne on the grounds that he had conspired to murder two former emperors and recklessly waged war, leading to the deaths of millions of soldiers. In his place, they enthroned Mo Suiyun, the fourteen-year-old son of the late Emperor Mo Jingqi. They also announced reconciliation with Prince Ding's Estate and a joint campaign against Western Liang. Without waiting for Mo Jingli's return, Mo Suiyun ascended the throne under the support of the Grand Empress Dowager and the ministers. On the second day of his reign, he ordered 300,000 troops to cross the Cloud Ripple River and march toward Western Liang. Upon hearing this news, Mo Jingli spat blood and fainted on the spot. When he awoke, he screamed maniacally, smashing everything in the room to pieces, further weakening his already severely injured body. Yet he refused to stop, shouting, "Mo Xiuyao! Mo Xiuyao! I will kill you! I will kill you!"

Outside the door, the guards shuddered at Mo Jingli's increasingly shrill and piercing screams.

In the Western Liang camp, Lei Tengfeng, who had been contending with Murong Shen and Marquis Nan these past days, also wore a look of exhaustion. Marquis Nan and Murong Shen were seasoned veterans after all, and even though Lei Tengfeng had superior numbers, he had gained little advantage in their standoff. For days, the situation had been deadlocked, with both sides suffering losses. However, the overall situation was not as favorable as he and his father had anticipated. The Western Liang Army had suffered heavy losses upon reaching Flying Goose Pass, and even Lei Zhenting was severely injured—something no one had foreseen. As a result, the morale of the Western Liang troops surrounding the pass was low. In stark contrast, the Mo Family Army at Flying Goose Pass, clad in mourning white for Mo Xiuyao's death, was filled with a murderous rage, determined to avenge Prince Ding. Against such fervor, even though the Western Liang Army vastly outnumbered them, taking Flying Goose Pass would not be easy anytime soon.

For the past two days, Murong Shen and Marquis Nan, who had previously been launching daily provocations, had suddenly disappeared. This left Lei Zhenting, who had been eager to crush them in one decisive blow, feeling as if he had punched cotton. The abrupt change also gave him an uneasy sense of conspiracy brewing.

"General Yang pays his respects to the Young Master," a general in military attire hurried in. Lei Tengfeng straightened up and asked, "General Yang, what brings you here in such haste?"General Yang frowned and reported, "Young Master, I've just received news that both Murong Shen and Marquis Nan's forces suddenly retreated thirty miles last night to set up camp. It seems they don't intend to engage us in the coming days."

Lei Tengfeng frowned. "Not planning to attack? Could they be scheming something again?" His suspicion wasn't unfounded. While his own forces could afford to stall for time—their mission was to keep Marquis Nan and Murong Shen pinned here—the enemy had no such luxury. After all, Flying Goose Pass was still besieged by hundreds of thousands of Western Liang troops, and behind it lay the Mo Family Army's main base. Murong Shen and Marquis Nan couldn't afford to gamble.

General Yang hesitated before speaking again. "This subordinate suspects... that Marquis Nan and Murong Shen may no longer be with their armies."

"What did you say?" Lei Tengfeng stood abruptly, his voice grave. "Have they rushed back to Flying Goose Pass? Impossible! Even if they had Qilin escorts, we've blocked all routes to the pass. They couldn't have returned without alerting us." To trap Marquis Nan and Murong Shen outside Flying Goose Pass, Lei Tengfeng had expended considerable effort. Without these two formidable generals in their prime, the pass now relied on Ye Li, Feng Zhiyao, and the seventy-year-old veteran General Yuan Pei for defense.

General Yang remained silent for a moment before replying, "But... my scouts report at least fifty percent certainty that those two are indeed no longer with their troops." If either Murong Shen or Marquis Nan had remained, the Mo Family Army would never have retreated so far—clearly signaling their temporary reluctance for direct confrontation.

Lei Tengfeng frowned anxiously. "If they haven't returned to Flying Goose Pass and aren't with their armies, where could they be? No matter—send scouts to probe first. This might be a prearranged trap..."

"Yes, this subordinate will obey!" General Yang clasped his hands in acknowledgment.

"Young Master! Young Master, urgent news!" Hurried footsteps approached outside the tent.

Lei Tengfeng frowned in displeasure. "Come in and speak."

The person outside the door hurried in, panting heavily as he reported, "Reporting... reporting to the Young Master... A large force is advancing toward us from the direction of Liyang. According to preliminary estimates from our scouts, there are at least... at least seven to eight hundred thousand troops!"

"What? Mo Jingli was defeated?!" General Yang exclaimed in shock.

Lei Tengfeng's expression turned grave. "That can't be right. Where would the Mo Family Army get seven to eight hundred thousand soldiers?" Even if the forces under Leng Huai and Lyu Jinxian combined had suffered no losses, they wouldn't amount to eight hundred thousand. Moreover, after such a prolonged war, how could there be no casualties? And why wouldn't they leave any troops behind to guard their positions? Besides, the Mo Family Army strictly prohibited conscripting soldiers on the battlefield—there was no way they could have that many troops.

"Who is leading them?" Lei Tengfeng asked.

"It's... it's Mo Xiuyao... The scouts ahead said they saw the royal banner of Prince Ding's Estate!"

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Seems like many new friends have joined recently~ I'm incredibly grateful for your love of Feng Qing's works. Truly overwhelmed by your kindness. Mwah!~ Nearing the end now, and feeling all sorts of headaches. Haven't replied to many comments, but I've read them all. Also, those interested in extras can make suggestions for reference.