“Son will not disappoint Father King.”

Lei Zhenting looked at his son before him with satisfaction. Although already in his thirties, Lei Tengfeng’s reddened eyes made him appear somewhat undignified. Yet this was the most genuine expression Lei Tengfeng had shown before him in years.

Walking up to Lei Tengfeng, Lei Zhenting raised his hand and patted his shoulder, nodding as he said, “Father King believes you won’t disappoint me. Sit down, let’s talk about Mo Xiuyao’s matter.” Previously, Lei Zhenting had been furious about Lei Tengfeng’s reckless disregard for his life and hadn’t had the chance to discuss Mo Xiuyao’s sudden appearance. Lei Zhenting himself wasn’t certain whether years of protection had been good for Lei Tengfeng’s future, but as a father, he could never force his son to endure unbearable hardships merely for the sake of fostering excellence. Though Lei Zhenting was obsessed with defeating Prince Ding’s mansion and defeating Mo Liufang, he had never thought of forcing this obsession onto his son.

Lei Tengfeng nodded and sat down at one side. He carefully recounted his encounter with Mo Xiuyao on the battlefield. After listening, Lei Zhenting sighed softly and said, “Tengfeng, you were deceived by Mo Xiuyao. He hadn’t had time to bring his troops back.” Lei Tengfeng frowned, a flash of frustration crossing his face. Compared to the Prince Ding, he was indeed still far behind. Lei Zhenting looked at him with a smile and said, “But you needn’t be discouraged. This King is glad you didn’t impulsively lead troops to attack.” Even if they had destroyed the ten-thousand-strong Mo family army under Nan Hou and Murong Shen, it would have been merely a minor victory. It would have barely affected the overall situation, and certainly wouldn’t have hurt Mo Xiuyao. However, if Mo Xiuyao became enraged, he could easily kill Lei Tengfeng. Such an exchange would be devastating for both Xiling and Zhennan Wang’s mansion.

Lei Tengfeng looked questioningly at Lei Zhenting, quickly understanding. With Mo Xiuyao’s martial prowess, killing him would be an extremely simple matter. Seeing his father’s smiling eyes, Lei Tengfeng lowered his head apologetically, “Son has caused Father King to worry.”

Lei Zhenting nodded with satisfaction. Now that Lei Tengfeng could understand this, he wouldn’t act impulsively again. As long as he maintained his composure, with his abilities, survival wouldn’t be an issue.

“Well, it’s good that you’re safe. Our army’s capture of Wei City was also your achievement. Now that both Da Chu and our Xiling have armies at the borders, and our forces have consecutively taken Ruichang and Wei City, the advantage still lies with us,” Lei Zhenting said. Lei Tengfeng nodded, saying, “Is Father King worried about Mo Jingli’s situation? If our forces can contain Prince Ding and most of the Mo family army’s commanders, Mo Jingli’s side should be able to manage.” Though the Mo family army indeed had numerous famous generals, they had too many places to garrison. Zhang Qilan, one of the original three great generals of the Mo family army, had been stationed in the original Xiling Imperial City helping the Fourth Young Master Xu govern Xiling. He couldn’t return to participate in the war. Leng Huai also had to garrison Chu Capital, deterring the northeast to prevent the northern border people from betraying them. General Yuan Pei was advanced in years; while capable of defending cities, he likely lacked the energy for mounted warfare and killing enemies. Thus, the Mo family army only had Nan Hou, Lü Jinxian, Murong Shen, and others left. As for rising stars like Yun Ting, Zhou Min, He Su, and others, while their future might be promising, they currently couldn’t match Xiling’s veteran generals. After all, prodigies like Mo Xiuyao who could sweep through various states in their teens were rare even in Prince Ding’s mansion.

Lei Zhenting frowned and said, “Don’t forget, there’s also Ye Li.”

Lei Tengfeng raised his eyebrows. He had indeed forgotten about Ye Li, but this woman was precisely the most unforgettable. Though usually seeming unremarkable, her battle achievements were no less impressive than any current famous general. If she were to face Mo Jingli, Mo Jingli’s victory or defeat would be concerning.

“Reporting to the King, a secret message from the north has arrived,” announced the guard outside solemnly. Lei Zhenting’s eyes darkened as he calmly said, “Bring it in.” Now that Mo Xiuyao had returned, the northern situation was no longer a secret. The guard entered to present the letter and then withdrew. Lei Zhenting opened the secret message and read it once, his expression changing slightly before finally sighing and handing the letter to Lei Tengfeng.

Lei Tengfeng took the letter with some confusion and read it once, his expression immediately changing drastically. He exclaimed in shock, “Mo Xiuyao annihilated the entire Northern Rong army. Yelü Ye and Helian Zhen are both dead.” Looking at the details of the Mo family army’s final battle with Northern Rong described in the secret message, even though he had resolved his inner conflicts, Lei Tengfeng’s feelings remained complex.

Honestly, from Lei Tengfeng’s perspective, he couldn’t see what was so brilliant about this battle. It seemed like just an ordinary night raid, yet it managed to annihilate the Northern Rong army that had swept through the entire northern Da Chu two or three years ago. Looking up at Lei Zhenting, who stood contemplating the terrain map for a moment before pointing to a certain spot and asking, “Do you know this place?”

“Huifeng Valley?”

Lei Zhenting said, “This is where the Mo family army was defeated nineteen years ago, not far from here. It’s where Mo Xiuwen passed away.”

Lei Tengfeng was stunned for a moment before suddenly drawing in a sharp breath and saying, “Does Father King mean that Prince Ding deliberately led the Northern Rong army to Huifeng Valley to annihilate them in one strike? In fact… he could annihilate the Northern Rong army earlier?” Mo Xiuyao…

Lei Zhenting calmly said, “Not necessarily. If the Mo family army hadn’t been holding back for the previous half year, how could they have made Yelü Ye believe that the Mo family army’s fighting strength was only equal to Northern Rong? How could they have made Yelü Ye lower his guard and think he could launch a night raid on the Mo family army’s camp?”

Lei Tengfeng nodded, agreeing that his father’s analysis made sense. But Mo Xiuyao’s resolve to watch Ruichang and Wei City fall while delaying time to annihilate the Northern Rong army at Huifeng Valley was admirable. Once this battle was announced to the world, the prestige and reputation of the Mo family army and Prince Ding’s mansion would surely soar to unprecedented heights. The morale of the Mo family army would be even higher than now, and they would have no doubts or fears when facing the combined armies of Xiling and Da Chu.

Lei Zhenting sighed and said, “Tengfeng, leave immediately to meet Mo Jingli. We absolutely cannot let that fool be defeated by Ye Li before our two armies join forces.” The implication was that Lei Zhenting was already certain Ye Li would go to block the Da Chu army.

Lei Tengfeng frowned and said, “Mo Jingli is stubborn and self-opinionated. I’m afraid he won’t listen to my son’s words.”

Lei Zhenting thought for a moment, then nodded, “This King will write a letter for you to take to him. As for… if he listens to you, that’s fine. If he insists on not listening… then let him be. You take another route with troops and hide in secret. If Mo Jingli is defeated…”

Lei Tengfeng understood and nodded, “Son understands.”

Lei Zhenting nodded with satisfaction and said, “Remember, if you engage with Ye Li, you must not act rashly. Though Ye Li is a woman, she is full of tricks and most skilled in luring enemies.”

“Yes, I will remember Father’s teachings.”

Feilong Pass

Due to the loss of Wei City, the Mo family army retreated to the Feilong Pass and Lingjiu Mountain line. Old General Yuan Pei, who was guarding Feilong Pass, was very pleased to see Prince Ding and the Duchess arrive. Though the old general wasn’t afraid of dying on the battlefield, he knew he was advanced in years and his energy wasn’t what it used to be. Defeating Xiling’s Zhennan Wang would be even more difficult. Now that Prince Ding and the Duchess had rushed back, sparing tens of millions of Xiling civilians within Feilong Pass from the disasters of war, the old general was naturally extremely delighted.

After welcoming Ye Li’s group into Feilong Pass and getting them seated, both Nan Hou and Murong Shen knelt to request punishment, “Please punish us for losing the city, Your Grace.”

Mo Xiuyao smiled as he helped the two up, saying, “Why must you two do this? This battle was not the fault of you two generals. If this King hadn’t delayed time, how could Wei City have fallen? Speaking thus, shouldn’t this King be punished first?”

Nan Hou hurriedly said, “Your Grace delayed time for your reasons. Losing Ruichang and Wei City was due to our incompetence.”

Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, “Nan Hou and General Murong need not be like this. This matter wasn’t your fault, to begin with. If not for you two doing your utmost to resist Lei Zhenting, this King might not have had time to successfully annihilate the Northern Rong army. If you two insist on requesting punishment, wouldn’t that make people say this King doesn’t know how to reward and punish properly?”

Seeing that Mo Xiuyao truly bore no blame, the two quickly expressed their thanks. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, “You two have had hard days lately, please sit.”

Yuan Pei, sitting to one side, could no longer contain himself and quickly asked, “Your Grace, did you annihilate the Northern Rong army?”

Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled, “Indeed.”

Feng Zhiyao, sitting in a lower position, quickly recounted the details of the battle with Northern Rong with a bright smile. When Old General Yuan Pei heard that the Northern Rong army had been annihilated with none returning north and Helian Zhen had been executed, he was moved to tears, repeatedly saying “excellent.” Nan Hou also nodded and smiled, saying, “Once this news spreads, our Mo family army’s morale will surely soar. With Your Grace and the Duchess back, what is there to fear from the Xiling army?”

Mo Xiuyao nodded with satisfaction and said, “This is excellent. However, now Mo Jingli leads eight hundred thousand Da Chu troops who have already reached the north. I wonder which general would like to go meet them in battle?”

The hall fell silent. Hesitation flashed across the faces of Murong Shen and Nan Hou. Though they had surrendered to the Mo family army, they had once been ministers of Da Chu. Moreover, weren’t both the Mo family army’s soldiers and Da Chu’s soldiers all former subjects of Da Chu? Internal killing would never feel as satisfying as fighting external enemies.

Mo Xiuyao glanced at the expressions of the two, understanding in his heart. He didn’t force them – if these two had no hesitation at all about facing the Da Chu army, that would be more concerning. Turning to look at Ye Li, he asked, “What does Ah Li think about how to arrange this?”

Ye Li pondered for a moment before saying, “How about having General Lü Jinxian lead four hundred thousand troops to go?” Lü Jinxian and Zhang Qilan were known as the twin pillars of the Mo family army, with both ability and prestige sufficient to command an army. If he were merely used as a fierce general at their side, it would be a waste of talent. Though Lü Jinxian wasn’t present at the moment, he would not have any objections to Mo Xiuyao’s orders.

Yuan Pei worriedly said, “Isn’t four hundred thousand troops too few?”

Ye Li shook her head with a smile, “Although General Lü only has four hundred thousand troops, General Leng Huai still commands nearly two hundred thousand troops in Chu Capital. Though still not enough to match Da Chu’s army, in terms of pure fighting strength, the Mo family army is superior to Da Chu’s forces. General Lü is skilled in warfare and won’t be defeated by Da Chu’s army.”

Hearing Ye Li’s words, Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment before nodding, “Let’s follow Ah Li’s suggestion.”

After concluding their discussion, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li took the sleepy Mo Xiaobao back to their prepared quarters in Feilong Pass to rest. Watching Mo Xiaobao fall into a deep sleep, Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li aside to sit down and asked with a smile, “Does Ah Li have something to say?”

Ye Li hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “I plan to go with General Lü to the Da Chu front.”

She had expected Mo Xiuyao to refuse, but surprisingly, he only thought briefly before nodding, “That’s fine, but Ah Li must be careful.” Seeing her obvious surprise, Mo Xiuyao smiled gently, leaning down to touch her forehead lightly, smiling as he said, “Did Ah Li think I wouldn’t agree?”

Ye Li raised an eyebrow – wasn’t it obvious, given how much negotiation was needed every time she wanted to go out before?

Mo Xiuyao pulled her into his embrace with good humor and said, “Because this King has a feeling that after this time, Ah Li will never be able to leave this King’s side again. So… if Ah Li wants to go this time, then go.” Mo Xiuyao understood in his heart that after this time, the pattern of this world would not change for at least the next twenty years. As for after twenty years… that wouldn’t be his concern.

Ye Li nodded, smiling softly, “In that case, thank you, Your Grace.”

Mo Xiuyao gently nuzzled her black hair, saying, “After this time, we won’t need to fight anymore. Ah Li will have no more reasons to leave this King and run around alone. But don’t worry, wherever Ah Li wants to go, this King will accompany you.”

Ye Li leaned gently against his embrace, feeling her heart as gentle as water. In the blink of an eye, eleven or twelve years had passed, from initially just wanting to find a life companion, to later sharing everything, their hearts pledged to each other – they had walked through more than a decade together. They now had three children and had truly achieved a lifetime of companionship. This was something Ye Li had never even dared to imagine at the beginning.

“Xiuyao, when Xin’er and Lin’er have grown up, shall we go traveling to see mountains and waters?” Leaning in Mo Xiuyao’s embrace, Ye Li asked softly.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled, “Whatever makes Ah Li happy, this King will accompany you to do it.” Though in his heart, he had some reservations about waiting until Xin’er and Lin’er grew up. It would be enough to wait until Mo Xiaobao grew up. Isn’t an older brother meant to take care of his younger siblings? Why else would he have had him?

Thus, the poor Mo Xiaobao was not only his father’s candidate for cleaning up messes but also the future nanny for his two younger siblings in his father’s eyes.

Early the next morning, Ye Li quietly left Feilong Pass to head for Lü Jinxian’s camp. When the generals in Feilong Pass discovered the Duchess was gone, they thought nothing of it. They had long grown accustomed to the Duchess occasionally disappearing to handle important matters. Only Mo Xiaobao was gloomy because after his mother left, his father began exploiting him even more relentlessly.

Northern Rong

On the snow-covered grasslands under the frigid sky, the Northern Rong royal court stood deep in the snowy plains. Unlike the resplendent, ornately carved and painted Chu Capital and Xiling Imperial City, the Northern Rong royal city appeared more austere and rugged, as if built from piled stones. Although this was Northern Rong’s most economically and politically prosperous area, only the Northern Rong royal clan lived in the city – ordinary Northern Rong nobles still lived in their tents. Thus, the entire Northern Rong royal court was barely larger than the imperial palace in Chu Capital.

The Northern Rong grasslands had harsh weather, with three to four months each year of heavy snow sealing the borders, making it impossible for people and animals to move about. No wonder the Northern Rong people especially coveted the fertile lands of Da Chu.

In the palace, the Northern Rong King sat on his tiger skin-covered throne, glaring furiously at those below. The charcoal fire had warmed the entire room, but now it only added to people’s agitation. The Northern Rong King was already sixty years old. In his youth, he had been one of the greatest heroes and warriors of the grasslands. But with advancing age, perhaps due to many things from the Central Plains entering Northern Rong, or perhaps due to human nature’s shortcomings, the aging Northern Rong King had gradually become muddle-headed, lecherous, and partial in his listening and trust. Even so, upon hearing the news of Yelü Ye’s defeat and death, he was extremely enraged.

Sitting below, the Northern Rong Crown Prince Yelü Hong was also secretly lamenting. He hadn’t expected Mo Xiuyao to move so quickly, capturing the entire Northern Rong army of several hundred thousand troops in one sweep. As a result, in these three years of trying to conquer Da Chu, Northern Rong had sacrificed nearly two million warriors’ lives. What they had gained in return were only meaningless gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and paintings. The outer grasslands had many gold and silver mines, so Northern Rong people didn’t particularly lack precious metals, and as for antiques and paintings, Northern Rong people didn’t know how to appreciate them. Not to mention, since they hadn’t captured Da Chu’s capital, they naturally hadn’t seized any truly priceless treasures. For the Northern Rong people, these things were worth less than silk, tea, and grain.

Yelü Hong had chosen to cooperate with Mo Xiuyao only to bring down his brother Yelü Ye, never intending to sacrifice the remaining hundreds of thousands of Northern Rong troops. But now… Looking at the letter in his hand, Yelü Hong felt waves of cold sweep through his heart. But he couldn’t say much – he could hardly blame Mo Xiuyao for being too good at warfare and annihilating the entire Northern Rong army. If there was blame to be assigned, it could only be that Yelü Ye was too useless!

“Crown Prince!” the Northern Rong King called out, breathing heavily.

Yelü Hong quickly gathered his thoughts and stepped forward, responding solemnly, “Son is here.”

The Northern Rong King said, “Bring that Da Chu woman of yours to me!”

Yelü Hong hesitated slightly. Princess Ronghua had been with him for over a decade, bearing him several children. Though she was from Da Chu, he still had some feelings for her. Moreover, Princess Ronghua had a very good relationship with Prince Ding’s wife, and although he had been outmaneuvered by Mo Xiuyao this time, he hadn’t done anything, thus avoiding the danger of being discovered by his father. Besides, Mo Xiuyao had helped him get rid of Yelü Ye. If his father killed Princess Ronghua, it would be difficult to explain to Prince Ding’s mansion.

“Father King, this has nothing to do with Ronghua,” Yelü Hong said solemnly.

The Northern Rong King snorted coldly, “I don’t care whether it has anything to do with her or not. I only know that Mo Xiuyao killed my son and killed my million troops. I will sacrifice that Da Chu woman and send troops to avenge Ye!” With that, ignoring Yelü Hong’s reluctance, he waved his hand ordering people to seize Princess Ronghua.

Yelü Hong frowned and said, “Father King, Ronghua is the mother of several princes. If she is killed, those princes…”

The Northern Rong King dismissed this carelessly, waving his hand, “What do those children understand? Just give them to your other consorts to raise. If they can’t be raised properly… then kill them. We Northern Rong don’t lack for young princes.” The Northern Rong King indeed had the right to say this – he currently had thirteen princes, seven princesses, and no fewer than thirty grandchildren. Naturally, he wouldn’t care about princes of impure blood born to a Da Chu woman.

Before long, Princess Ronghua was brought to the doorway under guard. The guards showed no mercy, shoving her so that she stumbled into the room. Seeing the hostile, malicious looks of everyone present, and Yelü Hong’s troubled expression, Princess Ronghua couldn’t help but smile faintly. As a princess sent for a political marriage, she had long understood that her life and honor depended on the relationship between the two countries. Even during Xiling’s campaign against Da Chu, the fact that the Northern Rong people hadn’t killed her was thanks to the people Prince Ding’s mansion had sent to help and advise her. Now that hundreds of thousands of Northern Rong troops had been destroyed by the Mo family army, it was natural that she would be the first target of the Northern Rong King’s anger when he couldn’t find anyone else to vent on.

“Ronghua greets the King, greets the Crown Prince,” Princess Ronghua bowed slightly, following Northern Rong etiquette in greeting the Northern Rong King. Even so, she carried the nobility and elegance that only a well-bred royal woman could possess, completely different from the rough and discourteous Northern Rong women.

The Northern Rong King laughed coldly, “Princess of Da Chu, do you know what has happened?”

Princess Ronghua raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly, “Ronghua does not know, please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”

The Northern Rong King’s expression became somewhat savage, though it wasn’t clear whether he was grieving for his son Yelü Ye or the million Northern Rong troops. “Not know indeed! You don’t even know that my seventh prince was killed by Mo Xiuyao?” Actually, as a female member of a foreign clan, it would have been normal for Princess Ronghua not to know. But when the Northern Rong King was deliberately finding fault, there was nothing anyone could do.

Princess Ronghua lowered her eyes in silence. She understood that the Northern Rong King had decided to kill her, and anything she said would be superfluous. Although she had been married in Northern Rong for over a decade, and although Da Chu now only held half its former territory, she would not beg for her life in fear and needlessly disgrace the dignity of a Da Chu princess.

“It seems you also know you deserve death! I will leave your body intact to send back to Da Chu!” the Northern Rong King sneered.

Princess Ronghua looked calmly at Yelü Hong to one side, who looked at her troubled but ultimately said nothing. Seeing this, Princess Ronghua could only manage a faint bitter smile. Over these years, although she had harbored some different thoughts, she had truly cared for Yelü Hong. She also knew that Yelü Hong had feelings for her, but ultimately not as important as his position as Crown Prince and his right to the Northern Rong throne. But seeing Yelü Hong not even speak one word on her behalf, Princess Ronghua couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Seeing Princess Ronghua fall silent, the Northern Rong King thought she was afraid. The raging anger in his heart dissipated somewhat, and he said smugly, “Drag her out and behead her!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Two Northern Rong guards stepped forward, grabbing Princess Ronghua on either side to take her out. Princess Ronghua closed her eyes for a moment, then turned to look at Yelü Hong and said, “Please take good care of my children, Crown Prince.”

Not waiting for Yelü Hong to respond, Princess Ronghua looked at the two guards beside her and said proudly, “Let go! This Princess can walk by herself!”

Princess Ronghua walked towards the exit with composure, and just as she was about to step through the doorway, a deep male voice rang out from inside, “Wait!”