“Princess Consort…”
Qin Feng stared at the gentlewoman before him with her welcoming smile, feeling his scalp tingle with apprehension. He dared not move a single step from where he stood, unwilling to test whether every inch of ground was laden with traps and mechanisms. Looking at the crystal-clear, peaceful lake surface that showed no signs of danger, he swore the arrow tips he’d seen covering the lake’s surface weren’t just his imagination. If anyone was foolish enough to rely on their lightness skills to jump down from above, they’d likely end up resembling an oversized porcupine.
Ye Li smiled: “No need to be nervous. It was just a joke—it’s not usually like this.”
Qin Feng remained silent, believing that normally, it would be even more dangerous.
Ye Li turned and pointed at the endless forest behind her, asking with a smile: “Have you been here before?”
Qin Feng looked around, hesitated, then shook his head, saying: “It’s not convenient to train troops near the capital. The Black Cloud Cavalry usually trains hundreds of li away from the capital. Besides, we’re cavalry after all—even for training, we mostly use open wilderness and desert areas. Cavalry can’t maneuver properly in forests.”
Ye Li smiled: “When will the people I requested arrive?”
Qin Feng hesitated before responding, “They should arrive within one hour.” He wasn’t particularly confident saying this. The Princess Consort had only provided a set of extremely simple maps, and each map was slightly different. Although the Black Cloud Cavalry excelled at tracking, he had spent half a day just roughly determining the location from those maps that might as well have been ancient texts. He wasn’t sure if his Black Cloud Cavalry comrades could even find the place. As for the Princess Consort’s rule about being disqualified if discovered by local civilians, Qin Feng hadn’t given it much thought. Even recruits in the Black Cloud Cavalry wouldn’t be discovered by ordinary civilians unless they wanted to be.
“How many will make it?”
“We selected fifty elite soldiers each from the Black Cloud Cavalry and Mohist Army near the capital. Even if not everyone makes it, at least seventy or eighty should arrive,” Qin Feng pondered before speaking. “Princess Consort…” He hesitated again, feeling he should clarify the doubts that had plagued him for days.
As the commander of the Black Cloud Cavalry, though not the highest-ranking and only commanding two thousand men, he still felt responsible for these elite soldiers. If the Princess Consort was dissatisfied with the shadow guards, she should have their commander conduct more rigorous training and make better selections. While withdrawing fifty elite warriors wouldn’t significantly impact the Black Cloud Cavalry’s fighting strength, what were these soldiers being recruited for? If they were to serve as shadow guards, eighty people were too many, and the Prince’s manor already had its shadow guards. Poor communication could easily lead to conflicts between the shadow guards and Black Cloud Cavalry. If they were meant for the battlefield, eighty people, no matter how elite, would hardly make a difference. After all, individual strength against thousands of troops was essentially suicide.
“You’re overthinking it.” Seeing Qin Feng’s hesitation and internal struggle, Ye Li smiled helplessly: “Don’t worry about these things. I’ve also called thirty people from the shadow guards—let’s see who arrives first. Want to make a bet?”
Qin Feng recalled occasionally hearing Dark Three mention the Princess Consort’s excellent gambling skills in Yonglin. After some thought, he still firmly stated: “The Black Cloud Cavalry.” Without question, among the three groups, the Black Cloud Cavalry surpassed the others in both combat ability and mobility. Though their martial arts might not match certain shadow guards, it was worth noting that not every shadow guard was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, except those specifically trained to protect the Prince and Princess Consort. The Black Cloud Cavalry, however, had all undergone rigorous training and were accustomed to fighting as one unit.
Ye Li raised an eyebrow, unimpressed: “I think the shadow guards will arrive first, Black Cloud Cavalry second, but the Mohist Army will have the most people arrive.”
“Impossible!” Qin Feng firmly rejected this. He didn’t mean to look down on the Mohist Army, but he couldn’t deny that in his heart, the Black Cloud Cavalry was indeed superior. At least in a fifty-versus-fifty situation, the Mohist Army could never defeat the Black Cloud Cavalry.
“We shall see.”
Ye Li had removed most of the traps from the lake surface and cliff bottom. The design of these mechanisms had greatly impressed her, making her even more respectful of ancient wisdom. She had been considering whether to prepare some unconventional defenses for this valley, but now it seemed unnecessary. If all the valley’s mechanisms were activated, even she wouldn’t be confident in escaping unscathed without prior knowledge.
The temporary arrow-mounting structures in the valley had all been removed, replaced by a neat circle of wooden cabins. To prevent attacks from snakes, insects, rats, and wild beasts, they had specially erected walls around the perimeter and planted vegetation that repelled such creatures. All this had taken nearly ten months to complete, finishing just a month ago, and had exhausted both the silver sent by Han Mingyue and her dowry. However, after a trip to the Qingfeng Mingyue Tower, she had earned quite a bit back, so now looking at everything before her, Ye Li felt only satisfaction without any pain over the costs.
An hour later, a black-clad figure jumped down from the cliff, landing somewhat awkwardly. Qin Feng glanced over—it was one of the shadow guards. He internally scoffed; if the Princess Consort hadn’t removed the traps beforehand, that person would have been shot through already. However, he also understood that without the Princess Consort’s warning, he wouldn’t have fared much better.
“This subordinate is Dark Seventeen, greetings to the Young Master.”
Ye Li nodded, gesturing for him to rest to the side. Soon after, another figure appeared, also a shadow guard, followed by Black Cloud Cavalry members, then Mohist Army soldiers. Qin Feng quickly noticed the differences: the shadow guards and Black Cloud Cavalry mostly operated and arrived individually, but the Mohist Army soldiers came in groups. So each time they arrived, it was in groups of four or five. Though they lacked the agility of the shadow guards and Black Cloud Cavalry, they indeed had the most people arrive. Two hours later, Ye Li clapped her hands, signaling everyone to stand.
“Greetings to the Young Master.”
Ye Li nodded, scanning the people before her—only sixty-three in total. Twenty-eight from the Mohist Army, twenty from the Black Cloud Cavalry, and fifteen shadow guards. “Mix up your formations. I want to see you standing next to people you don’t know and who aren’t from your unit.” Though these people didn’t understand Ye Li’s intention, they still followed orders, quickly rearranging themselves into new positions. Ye Li nodded with satisfaction, finally finding what she was looking for. She pointed to the wooden cabins behind her: “From today onwards, you’ll live here for the next three months. Those who pass the final test can stay; the rest will return to their original posts. Now, let me introduce your… instructors!”
Ye Li clapped lightly, and eight men—some tall, some short, some young, some elderly—walked up to her and said in unison: “Young Master.”
Standing beside Ye Li, Qin Feng couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Though he couldn’t tell these men’s backgrounds, they all exuded the aura of powerful warriors without exception. They were all masters among masters. Ye Li nodded with satisfaction and smiled: “Besides completing the daily training I arrange, these individuals will provide you with specialized instruction. Of course, if any of you can directly defeat any one of them, you can skip this stage. How about it, want to try?”
These words carried a hint of provocation, and soldiers, regardless of era, were always among the most hot-blooded. Almost immediately, someone leaped toward the most robust-looking of the eight, while others chose their targets. After a series of thuds, crashes, and cracks, everyone who had charged forward lay on the ground, unable to get up. The youngest of the instructors even dusted off his hands and said disdainfully to Ye Li: “Young Master, aren’t these people you’ve selected too weak?”
Ye Li calmly smiled: “They’re not martial arts masters, to begin with, and I don’t need a group of supreme masters.”
The young man raised his eyebrows in confusion: “If you don’t need martial arts masters, what do you need us for?”
Ye Li smiled and counter-questioned: “Can you train martial arts masters in three months?”
The young man was speechless. Even with his pride, he understood that mastering martial arts wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. Even he, praised since childhood for his exceptional aptitude and talent in martial arts, had studied arduously for over a decade to achieve his current level.
“Though we don’t understand what the Prince wants us to do, since he ordered us to follow the Young Master’s instructions, just tell us what to do,” said one of the older men.
Ye Li nodded and smiled: “I hadn’t expected the Prince to have such hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with masters like yourselves among his subordinates. But don’t worry, it won’t take much of your time—just guide them in some techniques over these two months. Well? Anyone else want to try?”
After seeing how badly the first challengers were defeated, those remaining naturally backed down. Ye Li was quite satisfied and smiled: “Then… let’s start with some running. See the grounds outside the courtyard? I especially had snake-repelling grass planted for your safety. It’s broad daylight now with so many people, so wild beasts won’t come—let’s exercise around the courtyard.”
“So you’re saying wild beasts will come at night?” Everyone exchanged glances. Qin Feng looked at the people below and had to ask himself, “Young… Master, how far should we run?”
Ye Li smiled brilliantly: “Until you drop.”
And so, a group of confused elite soldiers was led out to run, though they completely failed to understand the purpose. But from a certain perspective, they were all military men who understood the principle of following orders. So with eight masters leading from front and back, several dozen people formed a line and began running laps, leaving only Qin Feng still bewildered as he watched the pleased Ye Li.
Ye Li smiled and beckoned to him: “Take this and look it over. The first seven days will be for adaptation like this, I’ll make adjustments for what comes after.”
Qin Feng lowered his head to look at the documents in his hand. Though he recognized the elegant handwriting, he couldn’t make sense of what it meant when put together. Daily morning and evening archery, combat, and running—even if he didn’t know the specifics, he could understand their purpose. But what were these things called “parallel bars” and “push-ups”? What did they mean, and what were they for? In Qin Feng’s view, everything written on this paper except archery and combat was completely useless.
Ye Li smiled: “It’s fine if you don’t understand, and it’s fine if you can’t do them. When Dark Two and Dark Three have time, I’ll have them teach you all. I originally planned to have Dark Two lead these people, but thinking about it, you’re already the Black Cloud Cavalry commander—you have more experience leading people than Dark Two. So… remember to make up your portion when you have time.”
Looking at the handsome youth’s innocent and sincere smile before him, Qin Feng inexplicably shuddered. His instincts told him these next few months would be extremely unpleasant. The two leaped onto the roof, where they could see the situation outside the courtyard perfectly. Ye Li clapped her hands and sat down on the roof, shaking her head as she watched the people running below, gasping for breath: “These are your Black Cloud Cavalry elites? Have they been riding horses too long? They can’t even outrun the shadow guards?”
Qin Feng gritted his teeth: “At least fifteen of those twenty shadow guards are trained in martial arts, okay?”
“Whoever dares to use lightness skills must fly to the cliff top and jump back down twenty times in one go!” Ye Li said with a smile, watching those shadow guards who were trying to take shortcuts. The shadow guards who had been secretly enjoying their companions’ awkward situations suddenly felt their legs go weak, nearly falling to the ground.
Whether they understood or not, when Qin Feng left with Ye Li in the evening, he couldn’t help but look back with some pity at the Prince’s Manor’s elite forces sprawled outside the wall, unable to get up. Hearing the wolf howls and unknown beast roars from the distant forest, Qin Feng couldn’t help but wonder if finding such a place so close to the capital meant the heavens truly had it in for them.
“Princess Consort, should this subordinate… stay behind to keep watch? Those masters are indeed skilled, but none of them seem capable of controlling those proud elite soldiers. If any conflicts arise, it could be troublesome.”
Ye Li smiled: “Don’t worry, they can’t escape. Anyone who leaves without permission will be treated as a deserter!”
“Am I worried about them escaping?”
“I don’t have time to watch them constantly right now. It’s fine if they squabble among themselves at first, as long as no one dies. After seven days, I’ll have Dark Two and Dark Three take turns teaching them.”
Qin Feng was silent for a moment before asking: “This subordinate doesn’t understand—what does the Princess Consort ultimately want to use them for?”
“There’s so much they can do: assassination, intelligence gathering, protection, searching, infiltration, concealment, rescue, interrogation. Whether it’s land warfare, naval combat, field operations, or street fighting—there’s nothing they can’t learn if you can think of it.”
Qin Feng felt his mind spinning. Even their Black Cloud Cavalry soldiers couldn’t possibly know so much. Assassination… and things like intelligence gathering and protection, weren’t those what the shadow guards did? Why train additional people? Was the Princess Consort dissatisfied with the shadow guards?
Ye Li turned back to look at his troubled face and smiled: “Having everyone stick to their roles is indeed good, but I prefer having a team that can do anything.”
Qin Feng thought for a moment and said: “If we can truly achieve what the Princess Consort describes, our combat capabilities would indeed undergo an earth-shattering change.”
Ye Li shook her head: “Elite forces are always the minority. Like the Black Cloud Cavalry, the skills they’ll learn aren’t techniques that most soldiers can master. Besides, we don’t need that many—too many would just waste resources. You should remember that I asked you to select literate people. That alone is something most soldiers can’t achieve.”
Qin Feng nodded. Even among elite forces like the Black Cloud Cavalry, literate soldiers made up at most half the force. Qin Feng somewhat understood Ye Li’s meaning now—was the Princess Consort trying to cultivate a group of people skilled in both civil and military arts? However, he still couldn’t understand the purpose of training so many such talents at once.
“Oh, Qin Feng.” As they approached the city gates, Ye Li reined in her horse and looked him over: “As a former Black Cloud Cavalry commander, there’s one rule you should know, right?”
“What?”
“Secrecy. Without my permission, you’re not to reveal anything you’ve seen today or will experience in the next three months to anyone.”
Qin Feng couldn’t help but swallow: “Including the Prince?”
“Including the Prince.”
“…This subordinate obeys.”
Night had fallen by the time they returned to the Prince’s Manor. Qin Feng, somewhat shocked by today’s events, immediately went to seek guidance from Dark Two and Dark Three upon returning. When Ye Li returned to her chambers, Mo Xiu Yao was reading a book by lamplight, only raising his head to look at her when he heard footsteps. “You went outside the city?”
Ye Li nodded and went to wash up and bathe. When she came out, the previously empty table was now set with steaming dishes. Casually arranging her hair and dismissing Qing Xia and Qing Shuang who were attending to her, she looked at Mo Xiu Yao who was watching her, and smiled: “Are you quite free today? You’re not busy with your study. Didn’t the Emperor summon you to the palace this morning?” Since returning from the Southern Frontier, both had been incredibly busy, with the Emperor in the palace seeming to have gone mad—although Mo Xiu Yao hadn’t officially started attending court, he was summoned to the palace daily without fail to discuss affairs.
“There wasn’t anything to discuss—our Emperor just likes to summon his officials for consultation lately.” Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly, reaching out to pull Ye Li to the table, indicating she should eat first. Seeing all her favorite dishes on the table, Ye Li gave him a grateful smile. Though she wasn’t particularly hungry, coming home to find someone had prepared food for her—the feeling of being cared for was always nice. “The Emperor plans to hand over all matters regarding the peace marriage with the Northern Rong to me,” Mo Xiu Yao said after Ye Li had finished most of her meal.
“Hand it to you?” Ye Li frowned, finishing her last sip of soup and having the dishes cleared away before looking at him in confusion: “What does that mean?”
Mo Xiu Yao smiled faintly: “It means I’ll be in full charge, including receiving the Northern Rong’s marriage envoys, selecting the bride, preparing the dowry, and sending off the bride.”
Hearing Mo Xiu Yao’s words, Ye Li couldn’t help but grimace. “They want you to receive the Northern Rong envoys and even select the bride?” Mo Xiu Yao smiled as he looked at her: “Actually, you’ll be the one selecting the bride. So you probably won’t be able to leave the city for the next few days—you’ll be too busy.”
Ye Li waved her hand weakly, able to imagine without much effort what kind of situation this news would create. Which noble family in the capital would be willing to marry their daughter off to that barbaric Northern Rong territory? Tomorrow, people coming to plead their cases would probably wear down the Prince’s Manor’s threshold. The worst part was that she couldn’t choose no one, but choosing anyone would inevitably make enemies. So, was the Emperor trying to create more enemies for the Prince’s Manor?
“With people watching there, I won’t need to go outside the city every day, but what are your thoughts on the peace marriage?”
Mo Xiu Yao contemplated before responding: “The Emperor has been subtly and not-so-subtly hinting that the eldest Miss Hua would be most suitable. The Empress Dowager prefers Princess Rong Hua, though she doesn’t have much say nowadays. There are also other candidates like the third Miss Liu and Princess Shun Cheng. However, they’re not particularly prominent—the Northern Rong probably wouldn’t agree to them.”
Ye Li frowned: “So the final choice will likely be between Tian Xiang and Princess Rong Hua? If the Emperor favors Tian Xiang, why doesn’t he just issue the decree himself?”
Mo Xiu Yao smiled: “He’s troubled about it now—naturally, he hopes we’ll handle the task of making enemies. I know you’re friends with Miss Hua; it’s fine to exclude her. We can just pick one from among the royal princesses.”
Everyone has their interests, and given Ye Li’s good relationship with Hua Tian Xiang, she naturally didn’t want Hua Tian Xiang to be chosen for a peaceful marriage. Being tasked with selecting the bride made Ye Li feel troubled and anxious—handling such matters would wrong someone no matter who was chosen. She would rather risk life and death on the battlefield than deal with these complicated affairs.
Seeing Ye Li’s frown, Mo Xiu Yao just shook his head slightly and said calmly: “Being part of the royal family and supported by the common people, whether it’s a peaceful marriage or dying on the battlefield—it’s their fate. Ah Li, you needn’t feel guilty about it.”
Ye Li shook her head and said helplessly: “These royal princesses and noble ladies have all been raised delicately in their sheltered lives—who knows how much hardship they’ll face in the Northern Rong? If both countries truly intended peace through marriage, that would be one thing, but this… it’s just a temporary measure. Both countries understand the reality—the princess being sent for marriage is nothing but a useless sacrifice. Without the marriage, the two countries won’t go to war immediately; with the marriage, war is still inevitable. It’s just that neither side is ready yet.” Ye Li wasn’t indecisive by nature, but she deeply despised such pointless sacrifices.
Knowing her mood was poor, Mo Xiu Yao changed the subject: “What did you go outside the city for today? You borrowed eight masters from me, and recruited people from the Mohist Army, Black Cloud Cavalry, and shadow guards—what are you planning? Are you not going to tell me, Ah Li?”
Ye Li looked up with a slight smile: “I’m still in the experimental stage, seeing what results we can achieve in these few months. I’ll tell you when there are results—if it doesn’t work out, I’ll return the people to you.”
Mo Xiu Yao thought for a moment: “Is Ah Li planning to train a group of people for something? The shadow guards by your side are well-trained—the shadow guard commander asked me yesterday if you could train his subordinates. I heard that in Yonglin, those two by your side even managed to overcome my shadow guards?”
“Just through the ambush,” Ye Li smiled.
“Even being able to ambush them is impressive. Shadow guards are accustomed to staying hidden and remaining vigilant at all times—the fact that two people could ambush them proves they’re indeed stronger.”
Ye Li turned her face and smiled: “When this batch is ready, I can assign some to serve as your guards.”
Mo Xiu Yao nodded: “I look forward to it. If Ah Li truly trains a group of experts, let them serve as your guards instead.”
“That would be too wasteful.” Ye Li shook her head and smiled: “You’ll understand their use when the time comes—just don’t try to take them from me. I hope they can exist openly within the military.”
Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows in surprise: “I thought Ah Li wanted them to be a secret force.”
Ye Li smiled faintly: “Secrecy is still important, but what needs to be hidden is their numbers, station, true capabilities, and detailed identities—not their achievements and existence. If things go as I envision, their existence will eventually become known anyway; it’s impossible to keep hidden completely. I hope they can be like regular soldiers—rewarded for merit, promoted for ability. The Black Cloud Cavalry is fine since they’re a regular military unit, but the shadow guard position is rather limiting. Except for the very few who can stand out, all shadow guards can only be shadow guards for life. No legitimate identity, no promotions, no honors, no friends, not even marriage and children. When most get too old for shadow guard work, although the Prince’s Manor provides for them, they’re already quite old and have essentially wasted half their lives. The fact that there hasn’t been a single traitor among the Prince Manor’s shadow guards only shows how seriously ancient people took loyalty and righteousness.”
Mo Xiu Yao lowered his head in thought for a moment: “Ah Li never treated those few by your side as mere shadow guards from the start. Dark One went to the military—with his exceptional abilities among the shadow guards, it was only a matter of time before he distinguished himself. Dark Four went to handle affairs in Xi Ling, and you’ve been teaching Dark Two and Dark Three to handle some public matters as well.”
Ye Li smiled: “Their abilities and intelligence are far superior to most people. But they have to spend most of their lives hidden in the shadows. I think it’s too wasteful of talent. Moreover… human hearts are hard to fathom—what if one day they no longer want to hide in darkness? If that day comes, the consequences might be even more severe than having no shadow guards at all. So, if they have the ability and are willing to serve me, I naturally can’t treat them poorly. Of course… if anyone wants to betray us, I won’t show mercy!”
Mo Xiu Yao seemed thoughtful: “What Ah Li says makes sense, but… perhaps Ah Li doesn’t know that many great families have their hidden forces. Especially personal shadow guards who know too many of their master’s secrets—they’re controlled very strictly. In some families, shadow guards who know too much are eventually silenced.”
Ye Li said: “Then wouldn’t it be possible… to give shadow guards equivalent military ranks or other status, with the same clear system of rewards and punishments? After a certain number of years, they could transfer to the Black Cloud Cavalry or Mohist Army?”
Mo Xiu Yao found this novel and smiled: “What’s Ah Li’s plan?”
Ye Li said: “If I’m satisfied with this training’s results, these people should serve until they’re thirty-five. After thirty-five, they’ll be required to transfer to the Mohist Army at equivalent ranks. Of course, if they have other abilities and interests, we could consider civil service or other positions. This is just an idea—we still haven’t even trained the people yet, so there’s plenty of time to consider this issue.”
Mo Xiu Yao raised his eyebrows: “I understand—Ah Li wants to pave the way for their future, right?”
Ye Li nodded, looking at Mo Xiu Yao seriously: “I once heard a saying: Soldiers have already bled for their country; they shouldn’t have to shed tears as well. And those retired and wounded veterans live difficult lives. Though I can’t manage everything now, I can at least properly take care of the people under me.” Because she had once been a soldier herself, though the treatment in her previous life was naturally much better than people had now. In ancient times, being a soldier wasn’t an honorable profession—good men didn’t become soldiers, good iron wasn’t made into nails—many people joined the army only out of necessity.
“Though I don’t know how Ah Li came to have these thoughts, I will consider them carefully,” Mo Xiu Yao said softly, looking at the contemplative woman.