Under the large tree in the small courtyard, Mo Xiuyao sat leisurely against the trunk, his gaze gentle as it fell upon the graceful yet fierce woman practicing in the garden. A gleaming dagger flashed in and out of visibility in Ye Li’s hands as her agile body weaved between the wooden dummies positioned in various stances. In mere moments, all the dummies bore distinct wounds at their vital points – either their necks or hearts. Ye Li’s performance held little artistic merit; instead, it was filled with chilling killing intent. Yet to those watching in the courtyard, it was more captivating than any dance in the world. The hidden guards in the shadows unconsciously touched their necks, wondering if they could dodge the Princess Consort’s dagger. The usually carefree Feng Zhiyao sat stiffly, stealing glances at Mo Xiuyao who sat beneath the tree with a calm, even tender expression. He secretly grumbled: Among all the noble ladies, for the Emperor to choose such a ruthless Princess Consort – how poor must his judgment be? Prince Li’s previous decision to break off the engagement was right; otherwise, he would have been beaten to death by the Princess Consort sooner or later.
Ye Li put away her dagger, frowning slightly in obvious dissatisfaction. She turned and walked toward where Mo Xiuyao sat under the tree.
“Though A-Li’s inner power is somewhat lacking, her close combat skills can be considered excellent,” Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled. However, inner power wasn’t something that could be improved quickly. Given A-Li’s position, there weren’t many true masters she would need to face. At least Ye Li’s current skills were already far beyond Mo Xiuyao’s expectations. Ye Li nodded slightly, frowning as she said, “The weakness in inner power is indeed a problem. I’ll find another way to deal with it. As for facing supreme masters… I’ll think about it more later.”
Feng Zhiyao looked at her in horror, “Princess Consort, you’re not saying that with your current skills, you can find a way to deal with supreme masters of inner power?”
Ye Li propped her chin up thoughtfully, “That depends on how supreme they are. If they can destroy a house ten zhang away with one palm strike, that might be a bit difficult.”
Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes at the sky, “Who has ever seen such an impossibly powerful master? That level can’t exist!” He thought, what kind of ability was that? Being able to break a tree trunk as thick as a bowl with one palm strike was already considered a very profound inner power, let alone destroying a house ten zhang away. Ye Li nodded seriously, “I also think such abilities shouldn’t exist.” Feng Zhiyao asked curiously, “Then how does the Princess Consort plan to deal with supreme masters?”
Ye Li blinked, saying calmly, “With my current abilities… dealing with masters of Your Highness’s level might be somewhat difficult. However, making a clean escape shouldn’t be a problem.” As she spoke, Ye Li couldn’t help but study Mo Xiuyao. For someone who had been disabled for nearly ten years, even if Mo Xiuyao’s martial arts hadn’t regressed, they should have at least stayed at the level of his seventeen or eighteen-year-old self. But these past few days, she discovered that Mo Xiuyao’s martial arts remained unfathomably deep. At least against him, she had no chance of victory. This made Ye Li, who had always been confident in her abilities, somewhat dejected. Feng Zhiyao no longer knew what expression to make. What’s with that disappointed look? Did you think many people could escape unscathed from before the Prince?
“If that’s the case, the Princess Consort’s skills are indeed sufficient. After all… in the current world, those whose martial arts can compare to the Prince’s don’t exceed three people,” Feng Zhiyao said.
“Which three?” Ye Li asked curiously. Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose and said, “The Great Master of Yenwang Pavilion, Ling Tiehan; the Garrison Prince of Xiling; and our Da Chu’s number one master, Mu Qingcang. However, the Garrison Prince lost an arm on the battlefield years ago, so his skills might have declined. But these people shouldn’t have any reason to move against the Princess Consort, so there’s no need to worry.” Ye Li gave him a sideways glance, “I don’t have paranoid delusions. Improving my abilities has nothing to do with whether anyone wants to move against me.” Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but wipe his sweat – you still want to improve your abilities?
“Whatever you need, just have someone arrange it. If you need people, you can directly draw from the hidden guards and Black Cloud Riders,” Mo Xiuyao said softly. Since the future was destined to be turbulent, he didn’t oppose A-Li using any means to strengthen herself. Even if just for self-protection, more strength meant more security. Feng Zhiyao looked at Mo Xiuyao with some surprise, secretly raising his eyebrows. It seemed the Prince regarded this Princess Consort as very important; at least the authority given to her could be said to be second only to the first Dingguo Princess Consort among all generations. No, perhaps not inferior to even the first Dingguo Princess Consort, because the Prince had almost tacitly approved the Princess Consort’s complete authority over the Black Cloud Riders.
“Reporting to Your Highness and Princess Consort: General Murong seeks an audience, and… the court’s reinforcements have arrived,” the guard at the courtyard gate reported.
Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, “They came quite quickly. Which general is leading the troops?”
The guard reported, “It is General Liu Jingyun, the newly appointed Grand General of Pacifying Rebels by His Majesty.”
Mo Xiuyao said indifferently, “Let them in.” The guard hesitated and said, “General Liu hasn’t entered the city yet.”
“Does he expect this Prince to go out of the city to welcome him?” Mo Xiuyao’s voice was mild, yet it carried an intangible pressure that seemed to cover heaven and earth. The guard immediately bowed decisively and said, “This servant accepts the command!” He turned and hurried to relay the message. Having the Prince go out of the city to welcome someone? What a joke!
“Who is this Liu Jingyun?” Feng Zhiyao scratched his head in thought. Had the hidden guards he led these years become so incompetent that they didn’t even know about such a trusted general of the Emperor? Mo Xiuyao said calmly, “He is the posthumous illegitimate son of the deceased Fourth Young Master of Prime Minister Liu’s family, ranking eleventh in the Liu family. He should be twenty-seven this year.” Feng Zhiyao frowned and said, “Noble Consort Liu’s nephew? Has the Emperor been driven mad by Mo Jingli? It’s not like there’s no one else in court, yet he sends someone who has never been to the battlefield to pacify a rebellion? Even inviting Old Grand Duke Hua out of retirement would be better than sending someone who knows nothing.” Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, “His Majesty won’t heavily employ people from the Hua family.”
Feng Zhiyao sneered disdainfully, “So he employs people from the Liu family instead?” He certainly knew the Emperor was guarding against the Hua family, otherwise, how could the Empress, as the Hua family’s eldest legitimate daughter, have only one princess under her knee? The Hua family had reached their peak, and since Old Grand Duke Hua had been extremely close with Mo Liufang in the past, how could the Emperor not be wary?
“In His Majesty’s eyes, the Liu family is more loyal than the Hua family, and also easier to control,” Mo Xiuyao calmly pointed out the fact.
Feng Zhiyao nodded, saying sarcastically, “Indeed, how could the Liu family maintain such imperial favor all these years if they weren’t loyal to the Emperor?” Selling their daughter to seek glory… in this aspect, the Hua family indeed couldn’t compare to the Liu family.
“His Majesty couldn’t possibly let someone who knows nothing command over a hundred thousand elite troops. Liu Jingyun is merely a visible pawn. Now that Mo Jingli has rebelled, His Majesty won’t trust the Ye family anymore, so supporting the Liu family is inevitable. However… His Majesty will probably also take this opportunity to nurture some new forces to counter the Liu family,” Mo Xiuyao said carelessly, as if he no longer cared about the war in Yonglin, “Once the reinforcements arrive, we’ll leave Yonglin. Since His Majesty loves to drag things out, let him drag. This war won’t be finished in less than three to five months.”
“Murong Shen pays respects to Your Highness and Princess Consort,” Murong Shen strode in and bowed.
Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, “General, please sit and speak. What urgent matter brings you here at this time?”
Murong Shen nodded somewhat difficultly and looked at Mo Xiuyao, “I heard Your Highness plans to leave Yonglin today. May I ask… what are Your Highness’s views on the current war situation in Yongzhou?” Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled, “What does the General mean? Once the court’s reinforcements arrive, Sueixue Pass will naturally be safe.” Murong Shen sighed helplessly, looking at Mo Xiuyao earnestly, “I have always been straightforward in speech, please forgive my boldness. With Your Highness’s assistance, I believe we could quell Prince Li’s rebellion within a month. But why does Your Highness…” Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a smile, “General, we both understand the saying ‘A general in the field may reject the sovereign’s orders.’ But truly accepting this saying has been rare among rulers since ancient times. You surely know the fate of those famous generals who disobeyed imperial orders.”
“These past days, Prince Li’s army has remained stationary. I worry that Prince Li might march east, and then the common people in the southeast would be drawn into the flames of war,” Murong Shen said heavily. As a military general, he only vaguely understood court politics, which was why he couldn’t comprehend why they had to drag things out and let the common people suffer when there were better solutions to the problem. Mo Xiuyao shook his head and sighed, “It’s too late… Mo Jingli has already split his forces into two routes heading east. The reason Mo Jingli’s forces have been stationary these past days is probably because Mo Jingli is no longer with the army.” Murong Shen was greatly shocked and said, “If that’s the case, why didn’t Your Highness stop him?”
“General…” Mo Xiuyao’s smile was somewhat bitter. As soon as the words left his mouth, Murong Shen immediately regretted them. In the Emperor’s eyes, the Dingguo Prince’s mansion was far more frightening than Prince Li’s rebel army. How could he allow the Ding Prince to truly intervene in Prince Li’s affairs? As soon as the Mo family army moved, the Emperor would immediately charge the Ding Prince with defying imperial orders. Then… several hundred thousand Mo family troops… Murong Shen couldn’t help but shudder and dared not think further, “War in the southeast is inevitable. General, you only need to hold Sueixue Pass and prevent the Nanzhao troops from entering and joining forces with Prince Li. As for Prince Li’s army in Yongzhou, they will certainly withdraw from Yongzhou within a month.”
‘Will Da Chu split into north and south?’ Murong Shen questioned silently. Was dealing with the meritorious Ding Prince, who had protected the nation, really more important than suppressing Prince Li’s rebellion? The straightforward General Murong naturally didn’t understand that in Emperor Mo Jingqi’s eyes, Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli were never opponents of the same level. As long as he could deal with Mo Xiuyao, one Mo Jingli or even several more Mo Jingli weren’t worth worrying about. If Jiangnan was occupied by Mo Jingli, he could take it back sooner or later, but if Mo Xiuyao established a base in Jiangnan, forget about taking it back – he would have to worry about whether Mo Xiuyao would extend his reach to Jiangbei or even try to seize the entire Da Chu empire. So in fact, except for his initial rage, after Mo Jingqi calmed down, he was almost happy about Mo Jingli’s sudden rebellion. Only this way would he have a perfect reason to execute this younger brother born of the same mother.
“The Grand General of Pacifying Rebels has arrived!” A loud voice from outside the courtyard caused everyone inside, including Murong Shen, to change expression. Before the Ding Prince, not just a newly appointed general who had never seen battle, even the illustrious Old Grand Duke Hua with his brilliant military achievements wouldn’t be so discourteous. Was this newly appointed general either brainless or simply didn’t take the Ding Prince seriously?
A clamor of footsteps approached from afar, clearly indicating more than just one or two people were coming. Ye Li listened carefully – there were at least twenty or thirty people based on the footsteps, and she couldn’t help but show a trace of amusement in her eyes. Had this Grand General of Pacifying Rebels come specifically to show off his power? Feng Zhiyao caught Ye Li’s glance and sneered disdainfully. Showing off before the Prince? Did someone hit their head? The last person who tried to show off before the Prince, that Northern Rong prince, reportedly still hasn’t regained his senses.
At the courtyard entrance, the group was stopped. A somewhat sharp voice came through, “How dare you! The Grand General of Pacifying Rebels is here – why aren’t you letting us pass?”
The guard at the door was unafraid, responding flatly, “Please remove your weapons, General. Personal guards cannot enter.”
“I am the commander of the army, how can I remove my weapons? What does Prince Ding mean by this?” Another younger voice carried traces of arrogance and displeasure. The guard replied sternly, “Carrying weapons inside without the Prince’s permission is treated as attempted assassination. As an army commander, the Grand General should understand this point. Please don’t make it difficult for this subordinate.”
Hearing the commotion at the door, Mo Xiuyao impatiently rubbed his brow and said, “Let the two of them in.”
After a moment of silence outside the courtyard gate, two men walked in. The first wore white clothes with a white battle robe and a silver-sheathed sword at his waist – the entire person looked… gleaming with silver. Ye Li blinked, remembering that Mo Xiuyao had also worn all white a few days ago. Looking at the approaching person, she couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Mo Xiuyao in white clothes with a white horse and silver spear truly looked magnificent and imposing, but this person before them… Ye Li strangely recalled a saying: Those who love wearing all white are closeted, pompous narcissists. As she was lowering her head lost in thought, a slightly cool hand grasped hers. Ye Li looked up at him, and Mo Xiuyao smiled at her with a hint of question in his eyes. Ye Li shook her head indicating it was nothing, then looked up to see the person behind whom she had overlooked. The person behind had nothing particularly memorable about him; if anything had to be said, it was that he walked with a noticeable limp. Ye Li recalled a former commander of Sueixue Pass from last year whom Mo Xiuyao had dismissed as incompetent.
The two men stopped before everyone, seemingly having no intention of paying respects. Of course, no one on this side intended to pay respects to them either – everyone present except Feng Zhiyao outranked them. And since Feng Zhiyao wasn’t a court-appointed general, he naturally had no intention of paying respects either. After a moment of silence in the courtyard, Guan Ting, standing behind Liu Jingyun, seemed to realize this couldn’t continue and stepped forward, saying, “Your Highness, General Liu and I have come by Imperial command to take over Yonglin City.”
Mo Xiuyao didn’t make things difficult, nodding slightly and turning to Feng Zhiyao, “Feng San, order the Black Cloud Riders to withdraw completely from Yonglin.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wait!” Guan Ting hurriedly interrupted, looking somewhat arrogantly at Mo Xiuyao, “Your Highness might not have heard clearly. General Liu and I are here by Imperial command to take over Yonglin, including the garrison troops of Yonglin City.” With these words, he meant to take not just Yonglin City, but also the twenty thousand Black Cloud Riders stationed there. Everyone present inwardly gasped, looking at Guan Ting as if looking at a dead man. Mo Xiuyao seemed unmoved, smiling faintly as he said, “General Guan, did His Majesty… send you to provoke this Prince?”
Guan Ting’s breath caught, and he said stiffly, “What does Your Highness mean? His Majesty ordered Your Highness to lead troops to aid Yonglin first, not to be the commander of the pacification force. Now that the commander has arrived, shouldn’t Your Highness hand over military authority in Yonglin?” He certainly remembered the Emperor’s instruction before leaving not to provoke Mo Xiuyao lightly, but… thinking of the humiliation Mo Xiuyao had given him years ago, hatred flashed in Guan Ting’s eyes. He raised his head, trying hard to appear more righteous. Murong Shen frowned and said, “General Guan, His Highness only ordered the withdrawal of the Black Cloud Riders, you should know that the Black Cloud Riders…” Guan Ting interrupted loudly, “Are the Black Cloud Riders, not Da Chu’s army? Or does Prince Ding want to amass military power for himself?!” By the end, Guan Ting’s gaze at Mo Xiuyao could almost be described as venomous.
Mo Xiuyao steadied himself on the armrest and slowly stood up. Guan Ting started, involuntarily stepping backward. Mo Xiuyao walked forward two steps steadily, looking at him calmly as he asked softly, “General Guan, do you think that after spending a few years recuperating in the mansion, this Prince’s temper has improved from before?” Guan Ting’s face paled as he stared fearfully at the seemingly slight figure in white before him. Was Mo Xiuyao’s temper good? If you asked people who knew him now, at least nine and a half out of ten would say he had a good temper. But those who had known Mo Xiuyao for a long time knew that this person… had never been someone with a good temper. He could beat up Mo Jingli for secretly setting him up, join forces with Feng Zhiyao to beat up Mo Jingli and hang him in a tree, and wordlessly whip Guan Ting in front of thousands of troops for poor command. Such a temperament could hardly be considered good.
“What… what do you want to do?” Guan Ting asked in terror.
“If what you just said wasn’t His Majesty’s intention… General Guan, do you know what crime that would constitute?” Mo Xiuyao asked calmly.
Guan Ting looked at Mo Xiuyao in trepidation, yet didn’t dare say it was Mo Jingqi’s intention. Even if Mo Jingqi was mad, he wouldn’t ask Mo Xiuyao for command of the Black Cloud Riders. Never mind whether Mo Xiuyao would give it, even if he did, they couldn’t control or use them, and would only create trouble for themselves. He could only look pleadingly toward the overlooked Liu Jingyun beside him. Though Liu Jingyun was displeased at being ignored by the Ding Prince, only upon truly meeting the Ding Prince did he understand that he completely lacked the bearing to contend with him. His earlier arrogance had been reduced to only unwillingness and fear.
“Your… Your Highness…” Under Mo Xiuyao’s gaze, Guan Ting’s expression became increasingly tremulous, and finally, as if all strength had been drained from his body, he collapsed weakly to his knees. Mo Xiuyao walked past him with measured steps, “Feng San, prepare to depart.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Ye Li smiled and nodded to Murong Shen before following. Murong Shen looked helplessly at the two new generals, sighed, and also turned to leave. Fortunately, this Grand General of Pacifying Rebels had no command relationship with him – let him pacify his rebels while Murong would guard his pass.
Liu Jingyun, left behind, stared blankly as everyone’s figures disappeared through the door – did anyone even remember he was the newly appointed Grand General?
The Black Cloud Riders truly followed orders strictly – less than a quarter hour after Mo Xiuyao’s command, all twenty-thousand-plus Black Cloud Riders had completely withdrawn from Yonglin City. Their movement caused tension among the rebel forces facing them, and only after confirming the Black Cloud Riders had no intention of attacking did they relax, though they dared not lower their guard. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao also returned to their quarters to prepare for departure and join the Black Cloud Riders.
“Princess Consort, Colonel Yun requests an audience,” Dark Two reported from outside.
Ye Li raised an eyebrow, curious about Yun Ting’s purpose, “Show him in.”
Moments later, Yun Ting entered with a somewhat anxious expression. Ye Li, who rather liked this young officer, smiled mildly and said, “Does Colonel Yun have some matter to discuss?” Yun Ting looked at Ye Li’s light traveling clothes and asked, “Are the Princess Consort and Prince leaving soon?” Ye Li nodded, “His Highness is currently handling the handover with General Liu, we’ll leave shortly. Will Colonel Yun and Colonel Xia be returning to Sueixue Pass as well?”
“I…” Yun Ting hesitated awkwardly for a while before finally gritting his teeth and dropping to one knee, “This officer wishes to join the Black Cloud Riders and begs the Princess Consort to accept me.”
Ye Li looked at Yun Ting’s determined expression in surprise and frowned, “If Colonel Yun wishes to join the Black Cloud Riders, shouldn’t you ask His Highness? Why come to me?”
Yun Ting froze, suddenly at a loss. He had only thought of asking the Princess Consort while she was here, forgetting that with the Ding Prince present, such matters would likely need his approval. Seeing Yun Ting’s stunned expression, Ye Li smiled faintly and asked, “What made Colonel Yun want to join the Black Cloud Riders?” The Black Cloud Riders were selected from the elite of the Mo family army; it wasn’t something one could join simply by wanting to. Yun Ting said firmly, “Only the Black Cloud Riders are Da Chu’s finest troops. I wish to join them to follow Your Highness and Princess Consort in battle and establish merit.”
Looking at Yun Ting’s serious expression, Ye Li burst out laughing.
“Colonel Yun, you’re already General Murong’s most outstanding colonel, and having achieved great merit in defending Yonglin, you’ll surely become one of Da Chu’s young generals within a few years. If you join the Black Cloud Riders…” Ye Li shook her head with a smile. Yun Ting quickly said, “As long as I can join the Black Cloud Riders, I’m willing to be an ordinary soldier.” Ye Li looked at him, “Colonel Yun, do you know why the Black Cloud Riders number only a few tens of thousands?” Yun Ting replied matter-of-factly, “The Black Cloud Riders are elite among elites; naturally, being elite means they’re few in number.” Ye Li nodded, “Correct, the Black Cloud Riders are indeed elite among elites. But… precisely because they’re elite because they’re few. In real warfare, the Black Cloud Riders are never the main force that plays a decisive role.”
“Oh?” Yun Ting was confused. All the stories they’d heard since childhood were about how the Black Cloud Riders achieved extraordinary feats and turned the tide of battle. Why was the Princess Consort saying something different?
Ye Li smiled, “What do armies fight for?”
“To capture cities and territory.”
“Correct. The Black Cloud Riders can make thousand-li raids, can ambush and decapitate, and can complete many missions impossible for ordinary soldiers. But… they cannot independently capture cities, nor can they defend cities alone. Therefore, they serve as an auxiliary force for the army.”
“Auxiliary?”
“A very important auxiliary. At critical moments, they can be the best trump card, appearing where they’re least expected. But usually, they must lie low, remaining unknown. Colonel Yun, have you ever heard of any famous generals from the Black Cloud Riders?”
Yun Ting shook his head. Everyone knew the Black Cloud Riders were formidable, but their commanders had always remained anonymous. Though not numerous, they still numbered in the tens of thousands, and while the Ding Prince personally commanded them, he couldn’t possibly arrange everything personally. Yet, since the Black Cloud Riders’ formation, there seemed to be only this one name – ‘Black Cloud Riders’ represented everyone’s identity. In Da Chu’s history, no Black Cloud Rider commander’s real name had ever been recorded.
Ye Li sighed softly, “I see Colonel Yun has a forthright nature and grand ambitions. Already having such achievements in your early twenties, your prospects are limitless. If you became an ordinary Black Cloud Rider, I fear it might hinder your aspirations.” The Black Cloud Riders were the Dingguo Prince’s mansion’s true sword. A sword needs no thoughts of its own; wherever the Ding Prince points is their will. It was similar to the special forces of her previous life – with Yun Ting’s personality, even if he got in, he would surely regret it without undergoing significant tempering. Yun Ting’s face indeed reddened, and he anxiously said, “Princess Consort, I…” Ye Li raised her hand to stop him, smiling gently, “Don’t be anxious. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with you, I just hope you’ll think clearly about whether you aspire to be a general who rides freely across battlefields or to be a hidden arrow, striking from the shadows when the moment is right.”
Yun Ting fell silent. He had never considered these points the Princess Consort raised. No wonder Xia Shu hadn’t supported or encouraged him as usual when he said he would petition the Princess Consort – perhaps he had already seen that he wasn’t suited for the Black Cloud Riders. But… Yun Ting looked somewhat lost at the gentle and elegant woman before him. He still admired the strong, and the Ding Prince and Princess Consort were undoubtedly strong. He knew his desire to follow them was sincere.
“What’s happening here, A-Li?” Mo Xiuyao entered unhurriedly, looking at Yun Ting’s conflicted expression.
Ye Li smiled calmly and explained what had just transpired. Mo Xiuyao turned to study Yun Ting for a moment. Though uncomfortable under his gaze, Yun Ting still tried to maintain his composure.
“What did General Murong say?” Mo Xiuyao asked – transferring someone from Murong Shen’s command certainly required notification.
Yun Ting’s heart jumped, and he quickly said, “General Murong said it would be fine if Your Highness and the Princess Consort agreed.”
Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment, then said, “Joining the Black Cloud Riders isn’t suitable for you.” Yun Ting’s heart immediately sank, mixed emotions rising. Then Mo Xiuyao continued, “However if you’re willing, you can follow A-Li first.”
Both Yun Ting and Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li raising her eyebrow in confusion. What would he do following her? Taking a colonel as a guard – Yun Ting might not even be her match.
Mo Xiuyao said, “You don’t have many capable people around you, and those four are far from ready to command troops. I’ll have Qin Feng follow you, along with Yun Ting. Though still somewhat impetuous, from General Murong’s view, he has potential. After some training, if he proves useful, we can transfer him to the Mo family army.”
Ye Li was indifferent, but Yun Ting could barely contain his shock. From the Ding Prince’s words, he was cultivating trusted subordinates for the Princess Consort. In the future, the Princess Consort would not only be able to command the Black Cloud Riders but might even control several hundred thousand Mo family troops. “Thank you, Your Highness. This officer is willing to follow the Princess Consort!” Yun Ting immediately responded.
Mo Xiuyao nodded, “In that case, go bid farewell to General Murong. Depart with the army in half an hour.”
“Yes!”