On the winter’s official road, the Mohist Army advanced swiftly like a black dragon. At the front were Army Commander Lu Jinxian and Ye Li, who wore white robes with a white cape.

Although Lu Jinxian was the Army Commander while Ye Li was only the Military Advisor, they rode side by side on horseback, showing Princess Consort’s respect for Lu Jinxian as commander. Behind them were Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, Yun Ting, and Xu Qingfeng.

Lu Jinxian turned to look at Ye Li beside him and smiled, “Princess Consort, Mo Jingli has probably already assembled his troops ahead, waiting for us.” Behind them, Yun Ting pursed his lips and said, “Mo Jingli just ascended to the throne. Isn’t he waiting to break the Mohist Army’s spirit?”

“Though who knows who will break whose spirit in the end?” Lin Han said righteously.

The others couldn’t help but laugh at these words. Truth be told, Mo Jingli had never achieved any notable military accomplishments. If he wanted to break the Mohist Army’s spirit, he might have better luck trying other methods – on the battlefield with confrontation, no one would bet on Mo Jingli.

Ye Li smiled gently, “Having confidence is good, but don’t let your guard down.” Although Mo Jingli had no outstanding military achievements, it didn’t mean the Great Chu army lacked capable people.

Lu Jinxian nodded, “The Princess Consort speaks true. Though Marquis Muyang’s character may be questionable, his military prowess is undeniable.” Marquis Muyang had earned his title through military merit, having fought his way up from the battlefield. When Marquis Muyang was dominating the battlefield, Lu Jinxian hadn’t yet made his name.

As they spoke, Lu Jinxian pulled on his reins and frowned at the road ahead.

Ye Li asked quietly, “General Lu, what’s wrong?”

Lu Jinxian said in a deep voice, “We’re about to leave the official road and enter the mountain path. If I were commanding troops, I would set an ambush ahead…”

Ye Li examined the narrow path ahead and asked solemnly, “Are you certain, General?” Lu Jinxian nodded silently. Ye Li thought for a moment and said to Lu Jinxian, “General Lu is our army’s commander. Everything should follow General Lu’s lead.”

Lu Jinxian understood that the Princess Consort was expressing her trust in him. He nodded and said, “Thank you, Princess Consort. Order the army to make camp nearby!” As an army commander, his main concern was being restricted and put in difficult positions. Although Ye Li was the Military Advisor, her status far exceeded Lu Jinxian’s, which created a situation where Lu Jinxian had to report everything to Ye Li, often causing unavoidable major impacts. Ye Li’s words were telling Lu Jinxian that he was indeed the current Mohist Army commander and that he could make all major decisions himself. As the Military Advisor, Ye Li would fulfill her advisory duties.

The Mohist Army was strictly disciplined. Although the order came suddenly, it didn’t cause any chaos. In just a short while, the entire army had set up camp not far from the official road, preparing to rest and reorganize.

In the main tent, Yun Ting stepped forward and said solemnly, “Reporting to Commander, I volunteer to lead the vanguard and scout ahead.”

Lu Jinxian smiled slightly and waved his hand, “General Yun, patience.” Beside him, Zhuo Jing smiled, “General Yun, haven’t you noticed Commander Xu is missing?” Only then did Yun Ting realize that Xu Qingfeng, who had been with them all along, had disappeared without notice. Xu Qingfeng was the squad leader of the Qilin unit, and his presence naturally meant the Qilin unit was also present. Having the Qilin unit scout ahead was much more convenient and safer than leading troops himself.

Yun Ting sat down somewhat embarrassed, and Lu Jinxian smiled at him, “General Yun’s courage is admirable. It seems our Mohist Army has gained several great generals over these years.” Truly great generals who could command armies and oversee everything were not easy to find. Even in the renowned Mohist Army, only Lu Jinxian and Zhang Qilan could be called legendary generals of their generation. Unfortunately, both had been suppressed during the Mohist Army’s difficult period and missed their prime. Otherwise, their reputation would far exceed what it was now. And now, under the Mohist Army’s command, people like Yun Ting, He Su, Chen Yun, Sun Yawu, Zhou Min, and Fu Zhao, though young, all showed immense potential. Take Yun Ting for example – not yet thirty years old, but in terms of military achievements, he was already notable among the younger generation of commanders. He was an emerging military star.

Yun Ting was somewhat embarrassed by Lu Jinxian’s praise and scratched his head while looking at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled and said, “Being courageous is good, but as a general, this habit of charging ahead without considering the consequences needs to change.”

“Thank you for the guidance, Princess Consort,” Yun Ting said embarrassedly. He knew his biggest weakness was occasionally acting impulsively. Because of his youth and personality, he gave people less of an impression of reliability compared to people like Chen Yun. This made Yun Ting quite helpless – every time he wanted to correct it, but as they say, it’s easier to move mountains than to change one’s nature. How could personality be so easily changed? Ye Li didn’t force the issue – Yun Ting was still young, and though occasionally impulsive, he wasn’t reckless. When he grew older and experienced more, he would naturally become more steady.

Lu Jinxian smiled, “Princess Consort is too strict with General Yun. In my idle years, I’ve written down some insights. If General Yun doesn’t mind, perhaps he could take a look.” Hearing this, Yun Ting was stunned. After all, a legendary general’s insights and experiences were priceless treasures – aside from father-son or master-disciple relationships, others had no way to access such knowledge.

Seeing Yun Ting in a daze, Ye Li coughed lightly, and respectfully bowed to Lu Jinxian, “Yun Ting.” Only then did Yun Ting come to his senses, overjoyed, and quickly said, “Thank you, General Lu. Yun Ting will study diligently and not disappoint the General’s expectations.”

Lu Jinxian laughed heartily, stood up to help Yun Ting up, and said, “General Yun is too polite.” From the side, Zhuo Jing looked at the two of them and smiled, “Since General Lu and General Yun get along so well, why not take General Yun as your student?”

Before Zhuo Jing finished speaking and before Lu Jinxian could respond, Yun Ting had already knelt before Lu Jinxian, “Student pays respects to Master, requesting Master’s guidance.” Lu Jinxian was stunned and looked sideways at Ye Li. Lu Jinxian was over forty, and though he had a son, his son didn’t take after his father, preferring literature over military matters, currently studying at Lishan Academy. Being able to take Yun Ting, a rising star of the Mohist Army, as his disciple and pass down his lifetime of learning and experience, Lu Jinxian was naturally willing. Just the relationship of becoming master and disciple with Yun Ting, the Princess Consort’s confidant and trusted aide, was enough to make Lu Jinxian happy, not to mention Yun Ting’s considerable abilities. But since Yun Ting was the Princess Consort’s confidant, he naturally had to consider Ye Li’s thoughts.

Ye Li smiled and said, “Could it be that General Lu finds Yun Ting’s aptitude lacking and is unwilling to accept him?”

Only then did Lu Jinxian set his mind at ease and smile brightly. He bent down to help Yun Ting up and said, “Yun Ting, no need for such a ceremony.” Yun Ting understood that Lu Jinxian had agreed, and was immediately overjoyed, “Thank you, Master.”

Lu Jinxian was happy to gain such a good disciple, but still reminded him, “In the army, we still follow military protocol.” Yun Ting nodded repeatedly, “Yes, thank you, Commander.”

“Reporting to Commander, Commander Xu requests an audience,” announced the guard outside. Everyone’s expressions brightened, and Lu Jinxian quickly said, “Please invite Commander Xu in.” Xu Qingfeng entered wearing yellow-green clothing. Yun Ting curiously looked him over and said, “Third Young Master, what kind of clothes are these?” It wasn’t that Yun Ting was ignorant, but the Mohist Army had always worn black clothing, giving people a mysterious and formidable impression. The outfit Xu Qingfeng wore now really didn’t suit Qilin’s style. Xu Qingfeng rolled his eyes at him and said, “Should I wear night-walking clothes to scout?” While night-walking clothes were naturally good for nighttime, wearing black clothes in broad daylight was just asking for trouble.

Lu Jinxian asked solemnly, “Did you find anything?”

Xu Qingfeng nodded, “Commander’s guess was correct. The mountain path is devoid of birds and seems deserted. However, there are traces of many troops having passed through, and… I faintly detected the smell of tung oil.” At this point, Xu Qingfeng also frowned.

“Tung oil?” Lu Jinxian frowned and looked at Ye Li below him, “Princess Consort, I’m afraid we can’t take this shortcut.” Whether or not the Chu army planned to set fire to the mountains, the Mohist Army couldn’t take this risk. As the saying goes, water and fire show no mercy. Now in winter with all vegetation withered, and with tung oil to fuel the flames, no matter how well they prepared, once they entered the mountain path and the Chu army set it ablaze, they would have no escape. Moreover, from what Lu Jinxian knew of Mo Jingli, to destroy the Mohist Army, Mo Jingli wouldn’t care about burning down a few mountains.

Ye Li nodded, and Lin Han took out a huge map and spread it on the large table nearby. Lu Jinxian stepped forward, looking at the map before him and pondering, “If we avoid this route and take a detour, we’ll probably be delayed by several days.” This time, the Chu army was using an obvious strategy, making no effort to hide that there was an ambush ahead – if they advanced, the Chu army set fires; if they didn’t advance, the Chu army gained more time to seize more territory and occupy more advantageous positions.

Ye Li frowned at the map and asked, “What are General Lu’s plans?”

Lu Jinxian thought for a moment, running his hand over the map, and after a while said, “I request the Princess Consort’s assistance.” Ye Li smiled and said, “We are all one family. Now that you are the army’s commander, whatever you need, just give the order.” Lu Jinxian nodded, and without being overly polite, said solemnly, “I request the Princess Consort to lead Yun Ting and two hundred thousand Mohist troops on the detour route.”

Ye Li looked up at Lu Jinxian and said, “General Lu still wants to take the shortcut?” Though this route was shorter, it was extremely dangerous. The Great Chu army wouldn’t even need to do anything – just igniting the tung oil buried along the mountain path would be enough to doom the Mohist Army. Two hundred thousand troops were not two thousand people – once the fire started, probably less than twenty percent would escape.

Lu Jinxian’s gaze was serene as he said calmly, “I remember there’s another path through here, though it requires some skill. Please have the Princess Consort lead the troops ahead first. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll lead the army to catch up from behind.” Ye Li studied the map for a while. She understood that there were some places that even the professionally trained Qilin might not be able to map completely. Moreover, this map was quite small and might not show some of the more secretive locations. She only asked, “Where does General Lu plan to emerge?”

Lu Jinxian pointed to a spot on the map. Ye Li pondered for a moment before nodding, “Very well, I will reach this location within seven days. Then we can attack the Mohist Army’s stationed troops there from both sides. What does the General think?” Lu Jinxian looked carefully and couldn’t help but smile, clapping his hands, “The Princess Consort has good judgment.” Ye Li smiled slightly and said, “Commander Xu and the Qilin will stay with General Lu.” Ye Li understood that the path Lu Jinxian would take would not be smooth, so leaving Xu Qingfeng and the Qilin with him would provide some security.

Lu Jinxian understood Ye Li’s good intentions and was deeply moved, but quickly refused, “No, Qilin should stay by the Princess Consort’s side…” Ye Li shook her head, “The General need not worry, Qin Feng has already reached the north, he will arrange everything properly.” Qin Feng was the Chief Commander of Qilin, able to directly command all Qilin forces. With him there, there was no concern about lacking manpower.

Seeing Ye Li’s insistence, Lu Jinxian had no choice but to accept, thanking her before saying, “Take care, Princess Consort.”

Ye Li smiled calmly, “You take care as well, General.”

Early the next morning, Lu Jinxian led several tens of thousands of soldiers to make a show of preparing to force their way through outside the mountain path. The Chu soldiers who had previously been lying in ambush near the mountain path began to worry. Originally, they hadn’t expected Lu Jinxian to choose to pass through here. After all, Lu Jinxian was a renowned veteran general – how could he not understand that while this mountain path was a shortcut, it was fraught with danger? Therefore, Mo Jingli hadn’t deployed many troops in ambush here, at most just making a show of it. But this empty fort strategy obviously couldn’t fool Lu Jinxian. Although they could set fire to the mountains, this was ultimately the last resort. It was the dead of winter with all vegetation withered – once a fire started, no one knew when it would extinguish.

“What should we do?” The commander hiding in the mountains frowned deeply at the situation before them, turning to ask those beside him.

A comrade next to him frowned and said, “Don’t rush. This place is easy to defend but hard to attack. Lu Jinxian probably can’t break through quickly. Let’s send fast horses to report to King Li and Marquis Muyang.” After all, the Mohist Army and Chu Army were still one family – unless necessary, no one wanted to use such brutal methods to harm the other side. Moreover, facing the battle-hardened Mohist Army, the Chu Army had an almost innate fear.

The Chu Army on the mountain didn’t know that while they were sending fast horses to report the Mohist Army’s movements, Ye Li had already led another force to leave by a detour.

In the Great Chu army camp, Mo Jingli frowned at the secret message before him. Below him, Marquis Muyang and others, seeing his expression, quickly asked, “Your Majesty, has something happened with the Mohist Army?” Mo Jingli said in a deep voice, “Lu Jinxian is preparing to force his way through the mountain path? Old Marquis Mu, is your strategy effective?”

The old Marquis Muyang also frowned deeply and said solemnly, “If Lu Jinxian truly intends to pass through there, this old minister dares guarantee his entire army will be destroyed. However… based on this old minister’s understanding of Lu Jinxian, he doesn’t seem like such a foolish person – why would he seek his death?” When initially setting up this location, the old Marquis Muyang hadn’t planned on annihilating the Mohist Army, only wanting to hinder their marching speed. Moreover, with Lu Jinxian and Ye Li’s abilities, trying to ambush them in such a place had less than zero chance of success. This was precisely why Lu Jinxian’s actions were particularly incomprehensible.

Mu Yang asked, “Could it be a diversion? Lu Jinxian and the Princess Consort might have split their forces – Lu Jinxian left only a small force to tie down our army’s attention?” The old Marquis Muyang said, “Splitting forces is very possible, so Your Highness still needs to pay attention to the situation on the main road. But Lu Jinxian’s total force is only 400,000, and reports say he has deployed at least 200,000 troops outside the mountain path. What use would it be for the Princess Consort to lead just over 100,000 troops? Moreover, in terms of warfare… in this old minister’s opinion, the Princess Consort might not even match Lu Jinxian. Wouldn’t this be putting the cart before the horse?” Although Ye Li had consecutively defeated several contemporary famous generals including the King of Zhennan, and pacified the northern border, old veterans like Marquis Muyang could see upon careful analysis of the battles that Ye Li wasn’t particularly skilled in military tactics. She often had unexpected moves and was better at manipulating and controlling situations outside the battlefield to drive the overall situation, rather than truly being divinely skilled in military strategy.

Sitting in a guest seat to the side, Lei Tengfeng lowered his eyes, also pondering the intent behind Lu Jinxian’s actions. But like the old Marquis Muyang, he couldn’t make sense of it no matter how much he thought. Mo Jingli frowned and said, “Since Lu Jinxian has already set up his formation here? But our forces are insufficient? Should we dispatch more troops for support?”

The old Marquis Muyang was silent for a moment before saying, “If Your Majesty only wants to block Lu Jinxian, the ambushing forces are already sufficient. This old minister guarantees Lu Jinxian absolutely cannot pass through within ten days. If Your Majesty wants to annihilate Lu Jinxian’s forces…” The less than 30,000 troops in the ambush were not enough to take down Lu Jinxian’s army of over 200,000. The old Marquis Muyang didn’t believe Lu Jinxian would obediently charge into the mountain path and let them set fires.

Mo Jingli’s heart stirred. Lu Jinxian was a famous general of the Mohist Army. His reputation and prestige were so great that below Mo Xiuyao, only Generals Zhang Qilan and Yuan Pei could compare. If they could annihilate Lu Jinxian’s army in one stroke, it would be excellent for boosting the morale of the Chu army, which had been low ever since the campaign began.

After a moment of silence, Mo Jingli finally made up his mind and said solemnly, “Mu Yang, you lead 100,000 troops to reinforce them. At all costs, you must take down Lu Jinxian’s army.”

Mu Yang quickly stood up and responded loudly, “This general accepts the order!”

Lei Tengfeng beside him wanted to say something, but seeing Mo Jingli’s determined expression on the throne, he silently held his tongue.

The old Marquis Muyang looked at Mo Jingli and said, “This old minister guesses that the army led by the Princess Consort will certainly take a detour, and can engage our forces within seven or eight days at most. Your Majesty, do you need to send forces to intercept?”

Mo Jingli waved his hand and said, “No need, let her come! This king wants to see exactly what abilities Ye Li has to defeat several famous Western Ling generals one after another.” These words were somewhat discourteous to say in front of Lei Tengfeng. But it was a fact that Ye Li had consecutively defeated Western Ling’s King of Zhennan and Zhu Yang’s Jingguo Army, and even Lei Tengfeng couldn’t argue with that. Lei Tengfeng didn’t anger, but just smiled faintly and said, “The Chu Emperor should still be cautious. Although my father was defeated by the Princess Consort, he has always highly praised her strategies. There are no few people in this world who have suffered losses at the Princess Consort’s hands. To speak of recent examples, just look at Ren Qining of the former Northern Border – his country destroyed and family ruined, a fate that makes people sigh.”

Lei Tengfeng’s words seemed very mild and polite. But to Mo Jingli’s ears, they were particularly grating. The reason was simple – Mo Jingli was also one of those in the world who had suffered losses at Ye Li’s hands. And it was just a few months ago, even more recent than Ren Qining. Mo Jingli snorted lightly and said, “Thanks for the reminder from the Crown Prince of Zhennan.”

Lei Tengfeng smiled without speaking. He certainly knew why Mo Jingli was unhappy. Although not many people knew about what happened at the Regent’s Manor in Nanjing, after these few months, based on some clues, Lei Zhenting was able to deduce some confidential information. For example, the Princess Consort’s whereabouts during that period, or how Young Master Qingchen suddenly disappeared and mysteriously reappeared in Li City. And then there were Mo Jingli’s two princess consorts – one missing, one dying. Combined with the timing of Mo Jingli’s ascension to the throne, many questions naturally answered themselves without words.

If Mo Jingli wanted to underestimate Ye Li, that was his own business – when he suffered losses later, he couldn’t say he hadn’t been warned. Seeing Mo Jingli wouldn’t listen to advice, Lei Tengfeng stopped caring and lowered his eyes to start calculating the troops he had brought under his command.

Seeing Lei Tengfeng wisely stop speaking, Mo Jingli nodded with satisfaction. After ascending to the throne, he became even less tolerant of others’ opposing views than before, especially from Lei Tengfeng, who had always been indifferent toward him and, though only a crown prince, always made people feel he looked down on others from high above. Seeing Lei Tengfeng so respectful and compliant before him now, Mo Jingli felt particularly pleased.

Standing up, Mo Jingli waved his hand and said, “Let this matter be settled thus – Mu Yang will lead troops to intercept Lu Jinxian, and this king will personally lead troops to meet Ye Li!”

Watching Mo Jingli walk to the rear resting area, the old Marquis Muyang frowned slightly, his brow showing traces of vague worry. He still felt that sending Mu Yang with 100,000 troops was completely meaningless. Hoping to destroy Lu Jinxian in that location was an extremely remote possibility. But Mo Jingli wouldn’t listen to advice. Although his time serving Mo Jingli wasn’t long, the old Marquis Muyang, skilled at currying favor, had already completely figured out exactly what kind of person Mo Jingli was.

“Father, what’s wrong?” Seeing his father frown, Mu Yang asked worriedly.

The old Marquis Muyang shook his head and said in a low voice, “Be extremely careful on this mission. Lu Jinxian is a famous general of the Mohist Army – never underestimate the enemy. If things prove impossible, don’t force it.”

“Yes, Father.” Though somewhat puzzled, looking at his father, Mu Yang still respectfully agreed. The old Marquis Muyang shook his head, sighing softly, “Well then, go back.”