Mo Li

Not far from the official road leading to Snowbreak Pass, several shadow guards concealed themselves silently, each protecting their respective masters. An San, bored out of his mind, hung lazily from a dense tree by the roadside and pointed at a small hillside in the distance, remarking to An Er, who stood beneath the tree with his eyes closed in rest, "Look how dumb they are. Hiding there? The prince and princess consort will definitely spot them."

An Er glanced up at him. "They're shadow guards, not spies. As long as others don’t notice them, it’s fine. Even if His Highness doesn’t spot them, he knows they’re following." After all, shadow guards were meant to protect their masters around the clock.

An San rolled around on the tree branch. "We’re shadow guards too." Though they didn’t quite act like it.

An Er’s expression darkened. "We’re not qualified shadow guards. After this, His Highness will likely assign a few more to the princess consort."

An San’s face also fell. If the princess consort hadn’t stopped him earlier on the battlefield, she wouldn’t have been injured. To him, there was nothing wrong with acting as a human shield for her—that was precisely why the Ding Royal Palace had trained them: to block blades, arrows, and any danger threatening their masters. Yet earlier, the princess consort had stopped him from taking the arrow and ended up slashed by a blade. If not for the prince’s arrow, who knew if she’d even be alive now?

As shadow guards, they had truly failed. An Si and An Yi were still nowhere to be seen, though that was the princess consort’s order. Neither he nor An Er had fulfilled their duties either. "I’ll take the blame before His Highness. I won’t drag you down."

An Er shot him a sidelong glance. "What kind of nonsense is that? We’re a team. If you’re replaced, do you think the rest of us can stay? Besides, it’s not just you who messed up. It’s just… I prefer serving the princess consort."

"Me too," An San muttered, glancing at the other shadow guards nearby. Life before following the princess consort had been unbearably dull. Though they hadn’t served any other masters before her, just the training and lectures from their seniors had been tedious. If they hadn’t been assigned to her, they’d probably have ended up just as boring as those other shadow guards. "If we go confess now, do you think His Highness will go easier on us?"

"Go now, and you’ll only make things worse for yourself," An Er said flatly. As a shadow guard with professional ethics, he would never let it be known that he’d seen the prince and princess consort doing… that by the roadside. And that included the prince himself.

"But… His Highness and the princess consort have been here for ages. If they stay any longer, General Murong will probably come looking for them," An San fretted.

"Then let them go remind His Highness and the princess consort," An Er said, tilting his chin toward the shadow guards following Mo Xiuyao. He was sure they were just as conflicted. Tch. For the prince’s personal shadow guards, their stealth skills were lacking. He and An San had spotted their hiding places with just a few glances.

"Your Highness, Princess Consort." An Er straightened up from behind the tree and bowed as the two approached, hand in hand. An San dropped noiselessly from the tree and followed suit.

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes at them and remarked coolly, "Your skills are impressive."

The two couldn’t help but shiver inwardly. Was the prince… praising them?Ye Li smiled faintly, "Rise. What are you two doing here?" The two men wore bitter expressions but dared not speak. The princess consort didn't require them to follow her every moment, but if they truly went about their own business now, the prince would surely fly into a rage. While the princess consort could command them... the prince could replace them. Mo Xiuyao frowned and asked, "Where are the other two? I remember there should be four by your side."

Ye Li replied with a smile, "I sent them on errands."

"If you're short on people, we can transfer more from elsewhere. Shadow guards are meant to protect your safety," Mo Xiuyao said disapprovingly. "If these four cannot ensure your safety, we'll replace them with others when we return? Or would you prefer some from my personal guard?" Ye Li glanced at An San, who was secretly giving her a pleading look, and sighed helplessly, "I don't like having people following me in secret."

"They're here for your protection. I'll select those with the best concealment skills—they won't trouble you."

"No one could do better than us," An San muttered under his breath, stealing a glance at Mo Xiuyao. The prince's cool gaze immediately fell upon him, causing An San to stiffen. Mo Xiuyao said mildly, "No shadow guard has ever needed their master to rescue them before. In that regard, indeed no one surpasses you."

"Xiu Yao..." Ye Li reached out to grasp Mo Xiuyao's hand and said softly, "They've helped me a great deal. You can see I don't need shadow guards—what I need are trusted assistants. Besides, shadow guards aren't useful everywhere, are they?" For instance, there were places shadow guards simply couldn't follow, and where they could, regular guards could usually appear as well—the danger wouldn't be particularly high either. Fortunately, only a very few of the Ding Royal Palace's shadow guards were specially trained to protect their masters; the rest had other duties, or it would have been a terrible waste of talent. Mo Xiuyao swept a glance over the two bowing shadow guards, his eyes narrowing slightly. He looked down at Ye Li's earnest gaze and said solemnly, "They may continue serving you, but I'll assign four more shadow guards to you."

"No," Ye Li said with a light smile. "I'm not accustomed to shadow guards. Even if you send others to follow me, before long they'll end up just like An Er and the rest. What would be the point then?"

Mo Xiuyao gave a soft humph and turned to walk toward the main road. Ye Li pressed her lips together in a smile and followed after him, leaving behind a bewildered An Er and An San. "Ah Er, what does His Highness mean by this?"

"It means we can keep serving the princess consort. Probably..."

Snowbreak Pass CampWhen Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao entered the main tent, everyone inside immediately rose to their feet. Murong Shen personally stepped down from the commander's seat to greet them. "This humble general pays his respects to the prince and princess. Thanks to Your Highnesses' timely assistance, Yonglin was spared from disaster. Please accept my gratitude." As he spoke, he lifted the hem of his battle robe and was about to kneel when Mo Xiuyao reached out to stop him by the shoulder, saying calmly, "This is merely my duty, General Murong. There's no need for such formalities." Since Mo Xiuyao prevented him, Murong Shen naturally couldn't complete the bow. Noticing Mo Xiuyao's robust health and abundant inner energy, a flicker of joy passed through Murong Shen's eyes. Without further insistence, he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. "Your Highnesses, please come in and take a seat."

The expressions of those in the tent were a sight to behold as they watched Mo Xiuyao stride in with steady steps—some were delighted, others shocked, and some lost in thought. Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li to sit in the seat beside the commander's and asked, "General, how fares the Nanzhao army?" Murong Shen hesitated briefly before returning to his seat and replying, "Nanzhao has been attacking fiercely these past few days, likely trying to coordinate with Prince Li's rebels inside the pass. Now that Your Highness and reinforcements have arrived, we need not fear these southern barbarians any longer. Tomorrow, we shall march out and drive them back into the depths of the Southern Border!" The frustration of defending the city had weighed not only on the soldiers at Snowbreak Pass but even more so on Murong Shen as their commander. Yet, no matter how aggrieved he felt, he had to suppress it—until now, with reinforcements at hand, it was finally time to lift their spirits.

"How many troops has Your Highness brought this time?" The others were equally eager to know.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, "Twenty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry. Another fifty thousand will arrive in three days."

Silence fell over the tent, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over everyone, chilling them to the bone. One straightforward officer couldn't believe it and stood up. "Your Highness... why would the court assign only fifty thousand troops?" What about the fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry? The eight hundred thousand Mo Family Army? A faint, indifferent smile curled at Mo Xiuyao's lips. "I am merely the vanguard. The rest... His Majesty has his own arrangements." The group fell silent, and Murong Shen sighed inwardly. The implications were clear: the emperor needed someone to reinforce the Southern Border with utmost speed, and only Prince Ding's Black Cloud Cavalry could march so swiftly. Yet the emperor also distrusted Prince Ding, hence refusing to let him lead too large a force. The true main army would follow later, undoubtedly under the command of someone the emperor trusted. Once the rebellion was quelled, the credit would naturally go to the latecomers. Would the emperor's harsh treatment of the Ding Royal Palace truly not lead to disaster?

"I had thought... with Your Highness's recovery, we could sweep through the Southern Border in one stroke, fulfilling the unfinished ambition of King Ding. But it seems we must let these southern barbarians off the hook this time." After a long pause, Murong Shen forced a regretful smile. As a general, no one longed more to conquer the battlefield and achieve glory. Yet with Prince Ding's sudden recovery already arousing the emperor's suspicion, the emperor would never entrust the monumental feat of pacifying the Southern Border to him. Mo Xiuyao smiled nonchalantly. "It seems this is indeed not the right opportunity. For now, we must trouble you to hold the line, General. I will stay in Yonglin for a few days. Once the main reinforcements arrive, I shall depart for the capital."Murong Shen was taken aback. "Your Highness isn't staying at Snowbreak Pass?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "With General Murong guarding Snowbreak Pass, there's no need for this prince to interfere. Besides, there are still over a hundred thousand of Mo Jingli's troops at Yonglin. I... have some personal matters to attend to."

Murong Shen could only nod. "In that case, as Your Highness wishes." Though he felt some regret that they might miss this chance to deal Nanzhao a heavy blow, such decisions weren't for a military officer like himself to make. Moreover... the mere news of Prince Ding appearing in good health at Snowbreak Pass would be enough to terrify those southern barbarians. After all... barely a decade had passed since the last war that nearly wiped out the Southern Border.

By the time they returned to Yonglin City, night had already fallen. Fortunately, Mo Xiuyao didn't need to expend much effort on Yonglin's affairs—Feng Zhiyao, who had been left behind, had managed everything in perfect order. Ye Li observed with curiosity the transformed Feng Zhiyao, who had exchanged his usual flamboyant red robes for green armor and white robes, appearing vigorous and completely different from his persona in the capital. Meanwhile, Feng Zhiyao studied Ye Li with equal curiosity, still as composed and graceful as ever. It was hard to reconcile this elegant and refined woman before him with the ruthless black-clad warrior on the battlefield.

Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li to sit in the study and gestured for Feng Zhiyao to take a seat nearby. "Has Leng Haoyu not arrived yet?"

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "He just got here and went to change. He ran into some trouble on the way—got chased all the way here. Looked quite disheveled when he arrived."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow curiously at Feng Zhiyao, who explained with a smile, "He used his wealth to outbid Prince Li for grain. Isn't that just asking to be killed? But it worked out well—he managed to buy up at least thirty percent of this year's grain harvest from all over Jiangnan. Now, even if Prince Li turns around to attack Jiangnan, he'll soon face food shortages. So, naturally, Prince Li sent assassins after him."

"What will he do with all that grain?" Jiangnan was essentially the granary of Chu—thirty percent of its total grain output was no small amount. Feng Zhiyao shrugged nonchalantly. "Once chaos breaks out in Jiangnan, grain prices will skyrocket—there's no worry about not being able to sell it. And even if we can't, we still have hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed."

Sure enough, Leng Haoyu appeared at the door shortly after. His handsome face bore a fresh scar, though it didn't look too serious and likely wouldn't leave a mark. "Your Highness, Your Grace."

Mo Xiuyao nodded solemnly. "You've been here for over half a year. What exactly happened in Lingzhou? Why did Mo Jingli suddenly decide to raise troops?" Leng Haoyu gave Mo Xiuyao a surprised look. "Didn't Your Highness come south after hearing about Prince Li's rebellion?" Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "I came for some matters related to the Southern Border. The news of Mo Jingli's uprising reached me just as I set out. Even someone as reckless as Mo Jingli should know he wasn't fully prepared."Feng Zhiyao shook his head and said, "I actually think Mo Jingli's timing is quite brilliant. It caught us completely off guard. If we had arrived just a few days later—or even half a day later—Snowbreak Pass would likely have been lost."

Mo Xiuyao frowned. "If he were truly prepared, he wouldn’t have rushed to attack Snowbreak Pass like this. He could have split his forces—one to pin down General Murong at the pass while the other marched east. The southeastern region has always been peaceful, with few stationed troops. If he had fully occupied the lands south of the Yunlan River, even if we had two or three hundred thousand troops now, crossing the river to suppress the rebellion wouldn’t have been easy. General Murong alone couldn’t hold Snowbreak Pass indefinitely—it was only a matter of time before it fell. By then… Mo Jingli would have reaped all the benefits without needing to share them with Nanzhao."

"If he wasn’t prepared but still rushed to raise an army… does that mean the Emperor was about to move against him?" Leng Haoyu speculated.

Feng Zhiyao shook his head again. "No. If the Emperor had wanted to act against him, he wouldn’t have let him leave the capital in the first place."

Leng Haoyu nodded, thinking it over. "Prince Li’s uprising was indeed sudden. He had just returned to Lingzhou without any signs of unrest, yet three days later, he suddenly raised an army. It startled me at the time."

Ye Li asked, "Your Highness, what made you rush here so suddenly?"

Mo Xiuyao glanced at her, then took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to her. Ye Li accepted it and saw that it was the letter she had previously sent back, along with another in her grandfather’s handwriting. After reading it, she exclaimed in surprise, "The Holy Maiden of the Southern Border, Shu Manlin, is a descendant of the previous dynasty’s emperor?!" This was something Ye Li had never anticipated—it was too absurd. She had suspected Shu Manlin might have some hidden identity, but for the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border to be a descendant of the fallen dynasty’s emperor, while Mo Jingli was the current emperor’s own brother—and now the two were conspiring to rebel together?

"Didn’t Nanzhao betray the previous dynasty to establish its own kingdom? How could they allow a descendant of the fallen emperor to become the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border?" Given the King of Nanzhao’s attitude toward Shu Manlin’s actions, it was unlikely he didn’t know her true identity.

Mo Xiuyao explained, "The ornament you sent back was a relic of Princess Chaoyang, who was married off to a Southern Border tribe during the previous dynasty."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. So what? Princess Chaoyang had lived centuries before Nanzhao’s founding.

Feng Zhiyao elaborated, "Princess Chaoyang was an extraordinary woman. It’s said she participated in court politics even before her marriage. However, Emperor Gaozong disapproved of women interfering in state affairs and repeatedly reprimanded her before eventually sending her to the Southern Border as a political bride. Though she vanished from records afterward, the tribe she married into, with the previous dynasty’s support, became the largest in the Southern Border—and the precursor to Nanzhao’s royal family. The Nanzhao royal house admired Central Plains culture. Though their relationship with the previous dynasty was strained, they were very welcoming to certain… dissidents. From Nanzhao’s founding to the previous dynasty’s fall, records show they sheltered at least three princes, two princesses, and one prince consort—some fleeing failed rebellions, others escaping political persecution. Without exception, these individuals eventually married into the Nanzhao royal bloodline. The last one they took in, though the records are vague, we believe was the previous dynasty’s crown prince.""So, what you're suggesting is that the Holy Maiden of Southern Border might be the descendant of the former crown prince?" Ye Li asked, feeling a wave of dizziness. Indeed, if you think the stories in novels are melodramatic, reality is always even more so.

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "Three years after the fall of the previous dynasty, the then Queen of Nanzhao married a man from the Central Plains whose identity was unknown. Five years later, Nanzhao began incessantly invading the borders of Great Chu. It wasn’t until the Queen and her consort passed away that the conflicts gradually subsided. But over the years, the two nations have alternated between war and peace, never truly settling down. Given any opportunity, Nanzhao would scheme to invade the Central Plains."

Ye Li rubbed her temples. "Understood. So, Nanzhao has strong ties to the former royal bloodline. Are they planning to reclaim the throne for the previous dynasty and dominate the Central Plains?"

"Reclaiming the throne for the previous dynasty might be a pretense, but their ambition to dominate the Central Plains is undoubtedly real," Feng Zhiyao nodded.

Ye Li looked curiously at Mo Xiuyao. "Even so, you didn’t need to rush here in such a hurry. If they’ve been preparing for over a hundred years, they probably wouldn’t mind waiting a few more decades."

Mo Xiuyao gazed at her. "If Mo Jingli hadn’t raised an army this time, what were you planning to do?"

Ye Li froze, recalling her intention to visit the Southern Border Sacred Ground. "Is there danger?"

Mo Xiuyao’s expression darkened. "Don’t you think there’s something very suspicious about that so-called sacred ground in Southern Border?"

Ye Li blinked, waiting for his explanation.

"The Holy Maiden of Southern Border must enter the sacred ground once she turns twenty-five. But in reality, most maidens relinquish their duties and enter the sacred ground between the ages of twenty-one or twenty-two, with the youngest even at nineteen. No one knows their appearances, their family backgrounds, or what they do after entering the sacred ground. Yet these women are all rigorously educated from childhood, and as maidens, they even wield some influence over Nanzhao’s governance. How much time, money, and effort must be spent to groom such a person—just to serve as a maiden for a few years before being discarded into some sacred ground to die in obscurity?" Mo Xiuyao’s tone was indifferent.

Leng Haoyu pondered. "His Highness makes a valid point. Nanzhao’s rules regarding the Holy Maiden are indeed peculiar. I recall the shortest-serving maiden held the position for only two years—she became the maiden at fifteen and stepped down at seventeen."

"I thought we were discussing the dangers of the Southern Border Sacred Ground?" Ye Li reminded them.

Mo Xiuyao said, "There is no such thing as the Southern Border Sacred Ground. There might be a place by that name, but it’s certainly not some sanctuary housing Nanzhao’s treasures or a retirement home for maidens. It’s likely the Nanzhao royal family’s greatest secret. That’s why anyone who approaches it is eliminated at all costs. Hence the rumor that no one who trespasses into the sacred ground ever returns alive."

Ye Li felt a pang of disappointment. So, there was no such thing as the Netherworld Dark Flower in that so-called sacred ground.

Leng Haoyu remarked, "This doesn’t seem related to Prince Li’s sudden uprising, does it?"Feng Zhiyao leaned lazily in his chair and chuckled, "No relation? It’s a huge deal. Before, we thought Mo Jingli was trying to use the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border and Nanzhao. Now it seems that fool was the one being used. That’s why he rushed to raise troops in such a hurry. And here I thought he’d gotten smarter—a fool remains a fool!" Ye Li looked puzzled. "What could Nanzhao possibly offer to persuade Mo Jingli?"

Feng Zhiyao grinned. "For example, sharing the empire with the Holy Maiden of the Southern Border. With Nanzhao’s help, Mo Jingli would naturally find it easier to seize power. Then he could have both the throne and the beauty—any man would take the bait." Ye Li couldn’t comprehend it. Nanzhao had spent a century meticulously scheming just to dominate the Central Plains—was the allure of the empire truly so intoxicating? "Hmph, they’ve plotted quite well. If they can’t break Snowbreak Pass from the outside, they’ll attack from within. Honestly, if not for the Princess Consort this time, we wouldn’t even have a foothold for reinforcements in Lingzhou or Yongzhou, let alone Snowbreak Pass."

Leng Haoyu frowned and asked, "What does His Highness plan to do?"

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "No plans. It’s not safe for you to stay in Jiangnan. Return to the capital as soon as possible." Leng Haoyu parted his lips as if to speak, but Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and added, "I’ll speak with General Murong to arrange your marriage with Murong Ting at the earliest. Haoyu..." Leng Haoyu stiffened and quickly responded, "This subordinate understands. Many thanks to Your Highness for your kindness."

Feng Zhiyao said somewhat unwillingly, "We finally left the capital, only to end things hastily. Does the emperor really need to guard against us so much? What a waste of this young master's time."

Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "Nanzhao is no real threat for now, so there’s no need to bother with them. Don’t worry, this trip won’t be a waste for you."

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. "Only you would dare say Nanzhao is no threat. I think their schemes run deep—they’ve spent so much time biding their time and laying their plans..."

Mo Xiuyao smiled coldly. "Over a hundred years, generation after generation, and they still haven’t accomplished anything. What kind of threat can they be? The only thing worth praising is their persistence."

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "I bet the people of Nanzhao hate the Ding Royal Palace the most."

Indeed, the Ding Royal Palace had played no small part in ensuring Nanzhao’s failures over the past century. For instance, if not for the sudden withdrawal of troops over a decade ago, the people of Nanzhao would never have had to worry about invading the Central Plains again.

"So, what did you mean by not letting me waste this trip, Your Highness? Are we still going to fight Nanzhao?"

Mo Xiuyao lifted his gaze with a faint smile. "We’re not going to war. We’re going to suppress bandits."

"Bandits?" The three men in the study echoed in unison.

Feng Zhiyao’s eyes flickered. "I don’t recall Yongzhou having any particularly notorious bandits."

Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "Just because there weren’t any before doesn’t mean there aren’t any now. Otherwise, what happened to Yongzhou’s reinforcements?"

"Wasn’t that Mo Jingli’s doing?" Feng Zhiyao asked.

Mo Xiuyao sneered. "Setting aside whether he even has the brains for it—even if he did, how many troops would the rebels in Lingzhou need to annihilate twenty thousand men? At the time, Mo Jingli’s rebels were still near Yongzhou City. How could he have sent an army of at least thirty thousand to ambush Yongzhou’s reinforcements hundreds of miles away?"

Feng Zhiyao pondered for a moment. "At the very least, he would’ve had to dispatch that force on the same day he rebelled to intercept Yongzhou’s reinforcements by the Yunlan River. And he would’ve had to know in advance that Yongzhou would definitely send reinforcements to Snowbreak Pass. Very few people knew Wu Chengliang was one of ours—Mo Jingli certainly didn’t. If he didn’t know, then it’s even less likely he would’ve sent troops specifically to ambush Yongzhou’s reinforcements. After all, Yongzhou might’ve stayed put like other regions, or other regions might’ve also sent troops to aid Snowbreak Pass."

"So, the ones who ambushed Lord Wu weren’t Mo Jingli’s men?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.

"More than just the Southern Border has its eyes on the fat piece of meat that is Great Chu," Mo Xiuyao said lightly.

"Western Liang," Leng Haoyu stated firmly.

Northern Rong was too far from the Southern Border, and their people looked too different from those of Great Chu—it would be impossible for them to infiltrate in large numbers. But Western Liang was different. While there were slight differences, that mainly applied to the Western Liang royal family, who had intermarried with foreign nations. Most ordinary Western Liang citizens looked nearly identical to Great Chu’s people.

The thought of an entire army capable of wiping out twenty thousand men infiltrating Great Chu sent a shiver down Leng Haoyu’s spine.

Mo Xiuyao’s gaze darkened. "The generals guarding Great Chu’s borders have long needed a good lesson."

Feng Zhiyao shrugged. Over the years, the emperor had replaced most of the border generals—there was nothing they could do about that.

Suppressing bandits… didn’t sound too bad."Your Highness, when do we set off?" Since there was a battle to fight, why bother whether it was the Southern Border or Western Liang? Feng Zhiyao asked eagerly. Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze to his slender fingers and said quietly, "After His Majesty's men take over Yonglin. You go make preparations first. Remember... if even one person escapes alive from Great Chu, don't ever mention wanting to go to battle again in this lifetime."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Feng Zhiyao stood up and responded loudly, hesitating for a moment before he couldn't help but ask, "What about Snowbreak Pass..."

"Leave it be for now. They won't determine victory for several months. We don't have time to concern ourselves with them either," Mo Xiuyao said solemnly.

"Understood."

Ye Li watched the exchange between the two men quietly, her brow slightly furrowed. An inexplicable sense of unease rose in her heart...