“I sincerely invite the Princess Consort to be our guest in Northern Rong. Why must you refuse my goodwill?” Upon hearing He Lian Peng’s words, Ye Li’s lips twitched imperceptibly as she replied coolly, “This Princess also sincerely invites General He Lian to stay a while longer. Why must you rush to leave?”

He Lian Peng glanced at the considerable distance that had grown between them, feeling quite helpless. It wasn’t that he wanted to leave quickly, but rather if he didn’t leave now, he might not be able to leave at all. The Mo Family Army’s Qilin troops were indeed extraordinary. Though He Lian Peng wasn’t concerned about any single one of the black-clad men around Ye Li individually, their combined force, even without fully engaging, had already made him sense danger. That’s why he had no choice but to retreat to a safe distance.

He Lian Peng gazed at Ye Li with some regret and said, “I hear the Qilin troops were personally trained by the Prince Consort’s wife. They truly are exceptional. No wonder the Prince would dare to storm the Northern Rong military camp for his wife’s sake.”

Hearing this, Ye Li was stunned and asked gravely, “What did you say?”

Seeing her reaction, He Lian Peng was also taken aback. By rights, Mo Xiu Yao’s single-handed raid on the Northern Rong camp, where he had caused rivers of blood to flow, should have been news that the Mo Family Army would have proudly spread far and wide. How could he know that Mo Xiu Yao, fearing Ye Li would be angry, had strictly forbidden anyone from spreading this news, while the Northern Rong army naturally wouldn’t voluntarily bring up such an embarrassing incident? As a result, Ye Li hadn’t heard even a whisper of this news until now.

However, having already mentioned it, He Lian Peng saw no harm in elaborating. He smiled at Ye Li and said, “Some days ago, the Prince, armed with just a sword, single-handedly carved a path of death through the Northern Rong camp. Princess, did you not know?”

Ye Li’s expression darkened slightly as she replied coolly, “Thank you for informing me, General. Now I know.”

Seeing that Ye Li didn’t show any of his expected reactions, as if what she had just heard wasn’t anything extraordinary, He Lian Peng shrugged disappointedly and smiled, “It seems I won’t be able to secure the Princess’s presence today. We have time ahead of us. This General wants to see just how long your Ling Jiu Mountain camp can hold out.” With that, He Lian Peng retreated without further delay. As the commander of an army, he naturally couldn’t stay away from the battlefield for too long.

Lin Han, standing beside Ye Li, glanced at the expressionless Princess and cautiously said, “Princess, please don’t be angry. Since there’s been no news from the central army, the Prince must be safe and well.” Mo Xiu Yao’s efforts to keep this matter from Ye Li extended beyond just satisfying her wishes – he had kept it secret from everyone in the Ling Jiu Mountain camp. Therefore, Lin Han’s shock at hearing this news was no less than Ye Li’s.

After a long silence, Ye Li finally sighed and said, “Now that the battle here is over, let’s discuss this when we return.” Rather than being angry at Mo Xiu Yao for concealing such important information from her, Ye Li was more shocked and heartbroken. She had always known that Mo Xiu Yao was exceptionally good to her – no one in her previous life or current one had ever treated her as such an important existence. If anyone suggested that Mo Xiu Yao had impulsively rushed into the Northern Rong camp for a random rampage, no one would believe it. Just because she had been attacked by He Lian Peng, Mo Xiu Yao had gone to such lengths… Ye Li suddenly even regretted leaving the central army to come to Ling Jiu Mountain. Perhaps she should have stayed by his side…

However, this regret was just a momentary feeling. Ye Li was always sufficiently rational. While she didn’t consider herself an indispensable existence, she also understood what position she should maintain for the best development of both matters and the overall situation. Such rationality might sometimes appear cold or even detached, but wasn’t this another way of fulfilling one’s love through one’s methods? Only by completely ending this war, only by restoring stability to the Mo Family Army and the Prince’s mansion, would the grievances and knots in Mo Xiu Yao’s heart truly be untied.

Ye Li didn’t know that while she was worried and conflicted about Mo Xiu Yao, he was similarly enraged about matters concerning her. In the Mo Family Army’s main tent, Mo Xiu Yao sat in the primary position with a dark expression, saying gravely, “So, the Princess and Zhou Min now have only 100,000 troops and are trapped on the mountain by He Lian Peng’s more than 200,000 soldiers?”

After a moment of silence, Nan Hou stood up and said, “Your Highness, I believe the Princess isn’t trapped on the mountain but rather is buying time for General Sun and General He to eliminate the Northern Rong forces in Luo Province and Hui City. Once General He and General Sun establish firm positions in both places, they can form a three-way encirclement. Then He Lian Peng will have no choice but to either retreat in defeat or face total defeat.”

Feng Zhi Yao also said, “Your Highness, I agree with Nan Hou’s assessment. Moreover, Ling Jiu Mountain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It won’t be easy for He Lian Peng to capture the camp. Additionally, Ling Jiu Mountain isn’t far from Fei Hong Pass. If something truly went wrong, General Yuan Pei wouldn’t stand idly by.” Mo Xiu Yao naturally could think of all these things himself. Feng Zhi Yao said so much because he feared Mo Xiu Yao might impulsively abandon the hundreds of thousands of troops to rush to Ling Jiu Mountain.

Mo Xiu Yao wasn’t as impulsive as he thought. Although his expression was unpleasant, he didn’t act rashly.

“A-Li won’t use the troops from Fei Hong Pass unless necessary. Feng Zhi Yao, led 200,000 troops to Ling Jiu Mountain immediately,” Mo Xiu Yao commanded gravely.

Feng Zhi Yao frowned and said, “That won’t work, Your Highness. If we send 200,000 troops to Ling Jiu Mountain, the central camp will…” Feng Zhi Yao believed that with Mo Xiu Yao’s capabilities, 300,000 troops might not necessarily lose to Northern Rong’s 700,000-800,000 troops. But that depended on the timing and location. Now, with both armies essentially face-to-face in open battle, even if the Mo Family Army was extraordinary, they couldn’t possibly defeat an enemy several times their size. More importantly, putting so many elite troops on Ling Jiu Mountain would essentially be a waste.

Mo Xiu Yao naturally knew his arrangement was unreasonable. After a moment of silence, he finally waved his hand to retract his previous order.

“If Your Highness trusts me, how about letting me go to Ling Jiu Mountain?” Han Ming Yue, sitting beside Han Ming Shi at the end, suddenly spoke up. Everyone was startled. The old ministers of the Prince’s mansion all knew that the Prince and Ming Yue were once close brothers and friends, though they didn’t know why they later fell out. But everyone had seen the Prince’s attitude toward Ming Yue these past few years. Saying he ignored him would be putting it lightly – if not for Han Ming Shi’s sake, Ming Yue probably wouldn’t have had a place to stay in Li City long ago. Even though Ming Yue’s abilities far surpassed the current head of the Han family, Han Ming Shi, the Prince’s mansion had always acted as if Han Ming Yue didn’t exist, handling all matters with Han Ming Shi instead. As a result, although Ming Yue had no official power or position, he still had to work tirelessly to help his brother clean up various messes.

Precisely because of this, although Han Ming Yue and Han Ming Shi were inseparable, Ming Yue never spoke up or offered any opinions in public settings. His sudden interjection now surprised everyone. Nan Hou and others knew nothing about the grudge between Han Ming Yue and Mo Xiu Yao. Only now did they remember that this Ming Yue was once a brilliant figure, and their eyes brightened with interest.

Mo Xiu Yao snorted lightly, about to refuse and planning to send Feng Zhi Yao to bring Ye Li back. But Han Ming Yue smiled faintly and said, “I know nothing about warfare. However, when it comes to rescuing people, I’m somewhat more skilled than Feng San.” Han Ming Yue’s martial arts surpassed Feng Zhi Yao’s, but more importantly, he wasn’t subordinate to the Prince’s mansion. If a crisis truly arose and Ye Li refused to leave, even Feng Zhi Yao would be helpless, but Han Ming Yue wouldn’t have such concerns. Even if force became necessary, Han Ming Yue’s chances of success would be much higher than Feng Zhi Yao’s.

After a moment’s thought, Mo Xiu Yao nodded and said, “Fine, you go. Han Ming Shi stays.” If anything happens to A Li, I’ll flay Han Ming Shi alive immediately. Seeing Mo Xiu Yao’s threatening gaze, Han Ming Yue remained unperturbed, smiled faintly, and said, “Let’s do that then. I’ll prepare and set out.” Mo Xiu Yao’s worry was unnecessary. Given Han Ming Shi’s feelings for Ye Li, he wouldn’t harm her. After all, in this world… Ming Shi was his only family left.

Han Ming Shi’s lips moved, but he held back without speaking. Not only because he was worried about Ye Li, but also because this incident could be an excellent turning point for his brother’s situation. If Han Ming Yue could ensure Ye Li’s safety, the relationship between the Prince and his brother should improve significantly. All these years, watching his brother toil and busy himself for his sake yet gain nothing in return, appearing to others as if Ming Yue was dependent on him, his younger brother, for survival, Han Ming Shi felt guilty. Su Zui Die had been dead for so many years; surely this much punishment was enough. He didn’t expect his brother’s relationship with the Prince to return to their former friendship – some things, once broken, can never be repaired. But at least his brother could receive fair treatment or the freedom to go where he wished.

“Brother, be careful on your journey,” Han Ming Shi said, looking at Han Ming Yue.

Han Ming Yue smiled faintly, waving his hand to show it wasn’t necessary to worry, and turned to leave the tent.

Watching Han Ming Yue’s robes disappear through the tent entrance, Feng Zhi Yao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. For the sake of Su Zui Die, the once brilliant Ming Yue had fallen to such a state. And his former good brother, His Highness the Prince, wasn’t much better – didn’t he also create earth-shattering events time and again for the Princess Consort? The only difference might be that Mo Xiu Yao’s judgment was better than Han Ming Yue’s.

After a moment of silence in the tent, Mo Xiu Yao said gravely, “Convey my order: all armies stand ready. Launch a full attack on the Northern Rong army’s main force!”

Everyone’s hearts tightened as they stood and responded, “We accept the command!”

Mo Xiu Yao’s lips curled into a cold smile, “Give Ye Lu Ye a thorough beating for me. I want to see if He Lian Peng will come to the rescue or not.”

A cold wind seemed to blow through the tent, making all the generals shiver: so cold…

On Ling Jiu Mountain, Ye Li was surprised to see Han Ming Yue suddenly appear before her. “Why has Ming Yue come here so suddenly?” Han Ming Yue smiled faintly and said, “I’m here on the Prince’s orders to invite the Princess to relocate.”

Ye Li didn’t hide the doubt in her eyes as she smiled at him. Han Ming Yue shrugged indifferently and said, “Originally, Xiu Yao planned to send Feng Zhi Yao with 200,000 troops to reinforce Ling Jiu Mountain. Feng San barely managed to talk him out of it.”

Ye Li nodded and said, “I believe your words, but I won’t go with you.”

Han Ming Yue frowned slightly, and Ye Li sighed somewhat helplessly, “He Lian Peng has gone battle-crazy and somehow summoned more troops from somewhere. Now no less than 300,000 troops are surrounding Ling Jiu Mountain. If Ling Jiu Mountain falls, whether he’ll take the opportunity to attack Fei Hong Pass is uncertain, but even if he doesn’t advance, if he turns back to deal with He Su and Sun Yao Wu, they’ll likely face total annihilation.”

Han Ming Yue sighed and said, “So the Princess plans to stay here and hold him off alone?”

Ye Li nodded and said, “In warfare, morale is crucial, and when defending a position, it’s even more important. As the army’s commander, if I flee at this moment, we won’t need He Lian Peng’s attack – the Ling Jiu Mountain camp would likely collapse into chaos before long.” Not all the soldiers here were the battle-hardened Mo Family troops with unwavering will; a large portion were recently affiliated remnant troops from Da Chu and northern border soldiers.

Han Ming Yue gazed at Ye Li for a long while before sighing softly, “You truly are different from other women. No wonder… Well, I’ll be in trouble if I return without you anyway, so I’d like to see just how far the Prince’s wife can go.”

Ye Li understood his meaning and smiled faintly, “Actually, Xiu Yao worries too much. With the Qilin troops here, I won’t be in any danger even if we’re defeated.”

“In the chaos of battle, weapons show no mercy.” Even supreme masters couldn’t guarantee their safety amid thousands of troops. Moreover, Mo Xiu Yao’s excessive concern for Ye Li made him anxious – when one cares too much, their judgment becomes clouded, so his worry was natural.

“Did the Prince sustain any injuries when he went to the Northern Rong camp?” Having convinced Han Ming Yue, Ye Li turned to what concerned her most. Although she knew Mo Xiu Yao was safe, she couldn’t help wanting to know the details. The Prince’s household members were bound by Mo Xiu Yao’s orders to keep it from her, and she didn’t want to put them in a difficult position. Fortunately, Han Ming Yue wasn’t constrained by Mo Xiu Yao’s authority.

Han Ming Yue was somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting Ye Li to know about this. After a moment’s thought, he realized the source of the leak. The Prince’s household members wouldn’t dare defy Mo Xiu Yao’s orders, so it must have been leaked by outsiders. He calmly related the entire incident – though Mo Xiu Yao had sustained some injuries, they were so minor that in their view they barely qualified as flesh wounds.

Only then did Ye Li truly relax, her expression softening considerably.

Han Ming Yue curiously observed the gentle-mannered, beautiful woman in white sitting in the main seat. In truth, Han Ming Yue wasn’t well acquainted with Ye Li – although they had briefly crossed paths a few times, they had never really had a serious conversation. If he were still Mo Xiu Yao’s closest friend, perhaps he would have become friends with this Princess Consort, or like others in the Prince’s household, come to genuinely admire her. But from the beginning, he had stood on the opposite side, so naturally had little opportunity to understand this woman. He merely acknowledged that Ye Li’s beauty, intelligence, capability, and martial skills indeed made her outstanding among women, truly a rare exemplar of a worthy wife and mother, but he had never understood why this gentle and composed woman would drive someone like Mo Xiu Yao to such madness.

This was quite understandable, just as people couldn’t comprehend why the brilliant Ming Yue would nearly ruin his life and even risk death for Su Zui Die, who had nothing but beauty. Love arises without reason and runs deep…

Now, watching Ye Li sit in the main seat, calmly and methodically handling the various documents and reports piled before her, Han Ming Yue suddenly felt he understood somewhat. This woman truly had a quality and beauty entirely different from ordinary women.

“Now, I’m rather envious of Xiu Yao and the Princess,” Han Ming Yue said with some feeling.

Ye Li raised her eyes to look at him, giving him a puzzled expression. Han Ming Yue shook his head, smiling silently. Ye Li put down her brush, closed the last document, and said with a faint smile, “Some things are better forgotten and let go. If you don’t move forward, who knows if the scenery ahead might be more beautiful than what’s behind?”

“What if one can neither forget nor let go?” Han Ming Yue said somewhat absent-mindedly.

Ye Li thought for a moment and said, “In life’s journey, there are always things beyond our control. Whether good or bad, when you look back after many years, right and wrong, grudges and love, they’re all just precious memories in your life. People must live in the present and look to the future.”

Seeing Han Ming Yue’s thoughtful expression, Ye Li suddenly asked, “Does Ming Yue harbor hatred in his heart – hatred for Su Zui Die, or Mo Xiu Yao?” Both were possible. Han Ming Yue had been heaven’s chosen son, yet lost everything because of a woman who only knew how to use him. If Su Zui Die were still alive, if Han Ming Yue’s mind had been more fragile, he might truly have hated her to the bone. Mo Xiu Yao ultimately killed Su Zui Die; all these years Han Ming Yue had been under the Prince’s mansion’s control – it was entirely possible that Han Ming Yue had transferred this hatred onto Mo Xiu Yao.

For all these years, very few people had dared mention Su Zui Die’s name in front of Han Ming Yue. Hearing it now felt like a lifetime ago. After a long silence, Han Ming Yue shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “Perhaps I hate myself.”

“Whether it was true love or misplaced love, it’s all life experience. If Ming Yue has already moved past this relationship, why persist in clinging to the past? Is what you’re clinging to the relationship itself or your investment in it? The person is gone, and the feelings have faded – does Ming Yue still want to spend the rest of his life paying for this persistence?” Ye Li said calmly.

Han Ming Yue remained silent for a while before standing up and saying, “Thank you for your guidance, Princess. I’ll go for a walk.”

“Please do as you wish,” Ye Li didn’t press him. She had said all she could; whether Han Ming Yue would take it to heart was beyond her concern. At worst, it would be like these past years – some people would keep watch over him secretly, and with Han Ming Shi around, Han Ming Yue wouldn’t cause any major trouble.

Meanwhile, the Northern Rong army camp at the foot of the mountain was also unsettled. These days, He Lian Peng had been advancing his army steadily, and the Northern Rong army camp had moved to within five li of Ling Jiu Mountain’s base. Although they hadn’t yet taken the mountain, they had blocked all paths up and down. He Lian Peng believed that with his hundreds of thousands of troops, they would capture Ling Jiu Mountain within five days. By then, even if Ye Li wanted to break through with her forces, her remaining tens of thousands of troops absolutely couldn’t break through the encirclement of hundreds of thousands. Thinking of this, He Lian Peng felt his recent risky strategy of concentrating all forces to attack Ling Jiu Mountain was correct. As long as they breached Ling Jiu Mountain and captured Ye Li, what did it matter if Luo Province and Hui City fell? Wouldn’t He Su and Sun Yao Wu have to obediently surrender both cities for the Princess Consort’s life? It might even be a decisive trump card against Mo Xiu Yao.

Having spent a long time in Northern Rong, He Lian Peng didn’t understand the Prince’s mansion or Ye Li. So he completely disregarded Ye Lu Ye’s warnings and naturally didn’t understand why the nobles of various countries would rather move against Mo Xiu Yao himself than dare to touch Ye Li. If they could successfully capture the Princess Consort alive, it would naturally be an excellent trump card. However, firstly, the Princess Consort wasn’t so easy to capture, and secondly, a captured Princess Consort might not necessarily be alive. Back then, Lei Zhen Ting hadn’t wanted Ye Li’s life either, but she had chosen to jump off a cliff rather than let him capture her to threaten Mo Xiu Yao. If they killed the Princess Consort, Mo Xiu Yao would likely truly go mad, and then it would be a fight to the death. Especially after Ren Qi Ning’s unfortunate experience, the nobles of various countries had reached an unspoken consensus. Unless they could kill Mo Xiu Yao himself, it was better not to provoke the Princess Consort. While Ye Li was indeed the person Mo Xiu Yao cared about most, she wasn’t necessarily his weakness.

He Lian Peng didn’t know these thoughts of the higher-ups, so even after the lesson at the Northern Rong camp that day, he still hadn’t truly abandoned the idea of capturing Ye Li. He just no longer planned to use underhanded methods. If he defeated Ye Li fair and square and captured her, even Mo Xiu Yao couldn’t say anything.

But now, He Lian Peng’s expression had turned unpleasant. Orders had just arrived from Ye Lu Ye at the Northern Rong camp – these days the Northern Rong army had been repeatedly pushed back by Mo Xiu Yao, and Ye Lu Ye wanted him to immediately abandon Ling Jiu Mountain and bring his troops to join the Northern Rong camp to deal with Mo Xiu Yao together. With victory seemingly within reach, how could He Lian Peng bear to retreat?

“General, the Seventh Prince’s orders…” the messenger inquired.

He Lian Peng pondered for a moment and said, “Go back and report to the Seventh Prince that within three days at most, I will capture Ling Jiu Mountain and take the Princess Consort alive. Then I will send troops to reinforce the Seventh Prince.”

Hearing this, the messenger’s expression turned difficult, “General He Lian, these are the Seventh Prince’s orders.” Whether the Seventh Prince’s orders were right or wrong, military orders were absolute – He Lian Peng was quite bold to reject the Seventh Prince’s orders without even thinking. He Lian Peng said, “I’m about to take Ling Jiu Mountain. Withdrawing now would waste all our efforts. Go back and report to the Seventh Prince, he will surely understand.”

The messenger was furious and angrily said, “How could the Seventh Prince not know you’re attacking Ling Jiu Mountain? But now the entire army is retreating, only your forces are advancing. If you become trapped in Da Chu’s heartland, what use will your isolated force be?” What he didn’t say was that if it weren’t for He Lian Peng’s relentless attack on Ling Jiu Mountain, the Prince wouldn’t have gone mad attacking the Northern Rong camp.

He Lian Peng’s face darkened with displeasure as he said, “You only need to go back and report my words to the Seventh Prince. How dare a mere messenger question military matters?”

The messenger was so angry he could hardly speak. Knowing he couldn’t persuade He Lian Peng, he could only snort and turn to leave the camp, rushing back on horseback to report to Ye Lu Ye at the Northern Rong camp.

Seeing He Lian Peng dismiss Ye Lu Ye’s messenger with just a few words, the assembled generals became worried. He Lian Peng was He Lian Zhen’s adopted son, so perhaps he had nothing to fear. But if the Seventh Prince took offense, they as subordinates couldn’t bear the consequences. One general stood up and, after some hesitation, advised, “General, the Seventh Prince urgently summons us back. The situation must be critical, shouldn’t we…”

He Lian Peng calmly said, “The Seventh Prince has seven or eight hundred thousand troops in his camp, while the Mo Family Army has less than five hundred thousand. Surely they can wait two or three days. As long as we quickly take Ling Jiu Mountain and capture the Princess Consort alive, not only will the Seventh Prince not blame us, but he will be even happier to reward you all. Say no more – transmit my orders: Ling Jiu Mountain must be taken within three days.”

The others exchanged glances, and someone said, “But… even if we take Ling Jiu Mountain, we might not be able to capture the Princess Consort. Her Qilin troops are formidable – even if they can’t fight thousands of soldiers, they can certainly protect the Princess Consort’s escape.” He Lian Peng replied calmly, “I have my plans. You all just need to focus on taking Ling Jiu Mountain with all your might.”

With He Lian Peng so obstinate, the assembled generals were helpless. Unless Ye Lu Ye personally stripped him of his position, He Lian Peng was still the Grand General, still their commander, and they could only follow his orders.

The soldiers on Ling Jiu Mountain felt the attacks from below growing more intense as if something was driving those already fierce Northern Rong soldiers to charge up the mountain fearlessly and relentlessly. As a result, the pressure on the Mo Family Army above increased significantly. Having to defend the lines almost continuously for twenty-four hours without rest, many soldiers’ faces showed signs of fatigue.

But after three days had passed, although the Northern Rong soldiers had several times nearly reached the mountainside, they were still pushed back by the tenacious Mo Family Army soldiers. He Lian Peng was so angry his eyes turned red as he stared at the Mo Family Army camp on the mountainside where banners still fluttered, killing intent seething in his eyes.

“Princess Consort, order your people to surrender immediately, or don’t blame this general for setting fire to the mountain!” He Lian Peng’s voice, carried by internal energy, came from below. At these words, not only the Mo Family Army above but even the generals beside He Lian Peng were startled. It was already late September when all things wither – if He Lian Peng set fire to the mountain, it wouldn’t just be Ling Jiu Mountain that would suffer.

On the mountain, Han Ming Yue stood beside Ye Li, smiling as he looked at the woman whose expression remained as calm as ever, and said, “Princess, if we let He Lian Peng set fire to the mountain, we’ll truly be finished.”

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, “With Ming Yue’s martial arts, how could a mere mountain fire trouble you?”

Han Ming Yue smiled frankly – he truly wasn’t worried. Even if He Lian Peng set the fire, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to break through with Ye Li. However, with the battle at this stage, Han Ming Yue was curious about how Ye Li planned to resolve this predicament. “Does the Princess have a way to break He Lian Peng’s siege?”

Ye Li shook her head and said, “No. With over two hundred thousand troops surrounding below, even if we wanted to break through, our few tens of thousands couldn’t punch through.”

“Then what does the Princess plan to do?”

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, “Strike first.”

Han Ming Yue was startled, not understanding her meaning. Ye Li gazed down at He Lian Peng’s army camp below and said leisurely, “When it comes to fire attacks, this is the ancestral method.”

Without waiting to see if Han Ming Yue understood, Ye Li summoned Lin Han and asked, “Are the items I ordered prepared yesterday ready?” Lin Han nodded and said, “Yes, Princess, they’re ready.”

Han Ming Yue asked curiously, “Did the Princess know beforehand that He Lian Peng would burn the mountain?” Ye Li shook her head and said, “No, but whether he planned to burn the mountain or not, I was going to do this anyway. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have lasted even one day.”

Soon, Lin Han brought something that looked like a lantern. Though crudely made, Han Ming Yue could tell it was indeed a lantern. He looked at Ye Li puzzled and asked, “This thing isn’t just a lantern, is it?”

Ye Li nodded and smiled, “This is indeed a lantern, called a Kong Ming lantern.”

“What can this thing do?” Having seen all sorts of exquisite lanterns, Han Ming Yue played with the roughly made lantern in his hands, unimpressed. Ye Li smiled, holding the lantern, and said, “This? Master Han will know shortly.”

Soon enough, Han Ming Yue saw what Ye Li was planning. Countless lit lanterns slowly rose into the air, gradually drifting toward the Northern Rong army camp. Since it was daytime and they were in battle, the many lanterns floating in the sky didn’t attract the Northern Rong army’s attention. Perhaps they noticed but simply didn’t care.

Ye Li watched with satisfaction as the Kong Ming lanterns flew to their intended positions and slowly descended.

“Oh?” Han Ming Yue was surprised. The lanterns’ ability to fly was enough to amaze him, let alone their coordinated flight pattern and nearly simultaneous descent. If he hadn’t known for certain that Ye Li was human, he would have thought she was using some sort of magic. “Those lanterns contain quite a bit of tung oil, they shouldn’t burn out so quickly. The Princess wants to…”

Han Ming Yue quickly understood Ye Li’s plan. She intended to use these lanterns to spread tung oil over the camp below or onto people, and then…

Sure enough, Ye Li commanded in a deep voice, “Release the arrows!” Dozens of flaming arrows shot through the air toward the still-descending lanterns. Upon contact with the arrows, the lanterns immediately ignited and fell from the sky. Thus, the people below watched as dozens of fireballs crashed down, some landing on people, others on tents and supplies in the camp, quickly igniting everything. Before long, the Northern Rong camp below had turned into a sea of flames.

With this development, the Northern Rong forces no longer had any thought of attacking or burning the mountain, rushing back to fight the fire instead. But with flammable tung oil dripped everywhere in the camp, everything ignited instantly, beyond any hope of salvage. Amid the cheers of the Mo Family Army, Ye Li calmly ordered, “Descend from the south side, retreat to Fei Hong Pass!”

After this incident, He Lian Peng would certainly be furious. At that point, he might set fire to the mountain in his rage, and Ye Li naturally wouldn’t stay to let tens of thousands of troops die pointlessly. So, while the Northern Rong army below was in chaos fighting the fire, the Mo Family Army quietly lowered their banners and descended the mountain from the south.

Outside the burning Northern Rong camp, He Lian Peng stared at the sea of flames before him, his eyes nearly bursting with rage. “Ye Li… Ye Li, this general will surely kill you!”

“General, the Mo Family Army has withdrawn from the mountain,” a scout hurriedly reported.

He Lian Peng’s expression changed. “Which way did they retreat?”

The scout replied, “Seems they’re retreating toward Fei Hong Pass.”

“Pursue them!” He Lian Peng commanded.

“General!” Several commanders looked troubled. They had already been somewhat resentful of this general who had appeared out of nowhere, but He Lian Peng was too formidable for them to say much. But now, with the camp burned and supplies gone, how could they pursue the Mo Family Army? Fei Hong Pass still had over two hundred thousand Mo Family troops waiting, and these weren’t the mix of elite troops and remnants from Ling Jiu Mountain – these were all the Mo Family Army’s most elite soldiers. Even if He Lian Peng was extraordinary, it would take at least ten to fifteen days to capture it, and now they didn’t even know where tomorrow’s supplies would come from.

“All our supplies have been burned. We simply cannot continue fighting. Please reconsider, General,” the commanders urged.

He Lian Peng’s face darkened. He knew well that their supplies had been burned, but he couldn’t swallow this humiliation from Ye Li. He said gravely, “Requisition supplies from nearby civilians.”

The Northern Rong army’s so-called “requisitioning” was just a polite way of saying “plunder.” But now, the entire northern region was nearly empty of people, and those who remained had retreated behind the Mo Family Army’s lines. Even if they wanted to plunder supplies, how much could they get? They probably couldn’t gather enough for even one meal for their hundreds of thousands of troops.

“General He Lian, this commander believes we should immediately retreat north to join the Seventh Prince and General He Lian Zhen,” one commander said firmly.

He Lian Peng said darkly, “Pursue them! We’ll discuss alternatives if we can’t catch them, but we cannot let them leave like this!”

Left with no choice, several of the more adamant commanders left with their men, leaving only some commanders who still followed He Lian Peng, leading less than a hundred thousand men in pursuit as ordered. He Lian Peng watched the camp turn to a sea of flames, the towering red glow reflecting on his face making it appear particularly fierce and terrifying.

The remaining tens of thousands of Mo Family troops weren’t cavalry, so naturally, they couldn’t move very quickly. The Northern Rong forces, mostly mounted, caught up with the Mo Family Army’s formation before long. He Lian Peng’s gaze fixed on Ye Li, no longer showing any of his usual leisure and smugness. “Princess Consort, this general originally didn’t want to harm you. This time you brought it upon yourself.”

Ye Li paid no attention to his words and said calmly, “In war between armies, each bears responsibility for victory or defeat. General He Lian, you seem to be quite a poor loser.”

Veins bulged on He Lian Peng’s face. “Fine! Since this general began leading troops, I’ve been repeatedly defeated at the Princess Consort’s hands. Today, let us fight to the death!” Ye Li calmly shook her head and smiled, “I know General He Lian is a military talent personally taught and trained by General He Lian Zhen. However… there’s a term in our Central Plains that I wonder if the General has heard?”

He Lian Peng stared at her coldly and said, “This general would like to learn from the Princess.”

Ye Li smiled lightly and said, “Paper general.”

“Ye Li, you’re too arrogant!” He Lian Peng raged. His command of Central Plains language and writing was quite good, so he naturally knew what this term meant. Ye Li was mocking that he didn’t know how to command troops at all. Ye Li looked at his enraged expression and raised an eyebrow, saying, “General He Lian needn’t feel that I’m insulting you. Although you’ve learned from He Lian Zhen since childhood, the fact is that before this you’ve never actually commanded troops. If not for your superior martial arts, you probably couldn’t even control your subordinate commanders. Forgive my directness, but in terms of military command ability, there are many in the Mo Family Army who surpass you. These days, if you hadn’t relied on your numerical advantage, do you think you would have truly won?”

He Lian Peng’s face alternated between white and purple. After a long while, he gave a cold laugh and said, “Fine, so what if this general can’t command troops? Today you’ll still die here!” With that, he gave Ye Li no chance to speak further, spurring his horse forward and charging at her with his blade raised. Beside Ye Li, Han Ming Yue drew his sword and blocked He Lian Peng’s incoming strike. He Lian Peng had seen Han Ming Yue once before in the Northern Rong camp – anyone who dared storm the Northern Rong camp to rescue Mo Xiu Yao naturally wouldn’t be weak. “Who are you?”

Han Ming Yue smiled, cupped his hands, and said, “This humble one is Han Ming Yue, greeting General He Lian.”

“Master Ming Yue?” Though He Lian Peng was from Northern Rong, his master was from the Central Plains martial arts world. Though Murong Xiong was elderly, he still knew of the famous martial arts masters of the Central Plains. However, Han Ming Yue hadn’t appeared in public for many years. Except for those in the Prince’s mansion, many probably thought Ming Yue had either retired or died.

Han Ming Yue smiled and said, “Indeed it is I.”

He Lian Peng sneered, “This general doesn’t care what kind of master you are. Those who block my way die!”

“Let me experience the General’s skills,” Han Ming Yue smiled.

He Lian Peng attacked without another word. Han Ming Yue didn’t hold back either, meeting the attack with his sword. In those years when Han Ming Yue could be called Mo Xiu Yao’s closest friend and controlled the world’s premier intelligence organization, the Tian Yi Pavilion, his martial arts were naturally extraordinary. Though not quite matching the world’s four great masters, he was certainly a match for He Lian Peng. When they engaged in combat, it was naturally an even match.

He Lian Peng was eager to capture or kill Ye Li, but Han Ming Yue wasn’t in a hurry. He only needed to block He Lian Peng from harming Ye Li, so his fighting appeared quite relaxed.

Meanwhile, Lin Han protected Ye Li while watching the battle. Lin Han asked, “Princess, should we help Master Ming Yue?”

Ye Li shook her head and smiled, “Master Ming Yue’s martial arts are no worse than He Lian Peng’s. Our hasty intervention would only cause him trouble.”

Lin Han thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Looking around, a new battlefield had formed. Northern Rong soldiers and Mo Family Army soldiers had engaged in a life-and-death struggle. Now both sides had similar numbers, and in close combat, there was no room for formations or tactics. Fighting like this, the likely outcome would be mutual destruction.

Just as Lin Han was about to urge Ye Li to leave first, earth-shaking hoofbeats thundered from the distance. Lin Han started slightly, then listened and exclaimed joyfully, “Princess, it’s General Yuan Pei’s forces!” They were coming from the direction of Fei Hong Pass – naturally, those coming from that direction would be Yuan Pei’s forces.

Ye Li nodded, looking up to see black banners bearing the Mo Family Army’s insignia appear on the distant horizon, countless black steeds galloping toward them. Looking back at the Mo Family soldiers still locked in battle, a relieved smile finally appeared on Ye Li’s face.