because… unlike Prince Consort Dìng’s support, the woman in question would only cause trouble for his elder brother. Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly and said, "Sir Han truly values loyalty and affection. Si...386. Father and Son Connect, Princess's Grace

386. Father and Son Connect, Princess's Grace

"Son will not disappoint father."

Thunder霆 looked at his son with satisfaction. Although it was a bit unseemly for a man in his thirties to have red eyes, this was the most genuine expression he had ever seen from Thunder風.

Walking up to him, Thunder霆 patted his shoulder and nodded: "Father believes you will not disappoint me. Sit down and tell me about Xuerao." Previously, Thunder霆 had been furious when Thunder風 recklessly tried to take his own life but hadn't had the chance to talk to him about the sudden appearance of Xuerao and others. Thunder霆 wasn’t sure if protecting Thunder風 for all these years was a good thing for his future. But as a father, he would never force his son through unbearable disasters in order to make him successful. Although Thunder霆 was obsessed with defeating Ding王府 and Xu Liangfang, he had never thought of imposing this obsession on his own son.

Thunder風 nodded and walked over to sit down. He recounted the events that occurred when he encountered Xuerao during battle in great detail. When he finished speaking, Thunder霆 sighed: "Tengfeng, you were deceived by Xuerao; he didn’t have time to bring his troops back." Thunder風 frowned, feeling a bit regretful. Compared with Ding王, there was still too much that he lacked. With a smile, Thunder霆 said: "But don't be disheartened. I’m glad you didn’t impulsively lead your troops into battle." Even if they had annihilated the Nan Hou and Murong慎’s 100,000 soldiers from the Xu family army, it would have only been a minor victory that wouldn’t affect the overall situation but still couldn’t injure Xuerao. However, if Xuerao had angrily acted on his own, he could have easily killed Thunder風. Such an exchange would be detrimental to Western Ling and Zhen Nan王府.

Thunder風 looked at Thunder霆 in confusion, then quickly understood. It was indeed no trouble for Xuerao’s martial arts skills to kill him. Looking at his father’s smiling eyes, Thunder風 lowered his head with some guilt: "Son made father worried."

Thunder霆 nodded approvingly; if Thunder風 could understand things after this, he wouldn’t act impulsively again. As long as he kept calm, regardless of the situation, it would not be a problem to protect himself.

"Alright, you’re fine is all that matters. It’s also your achievement for our troops taking down Weicheng. Now both Da Chu and Western Ling have large armies pressing forward; we’ve captured Rui Chang and Weicheng in succession. The advantage still lies on us," said Thunder霆. Thunder風 nodded: "Father must be concerned about the situation with Jingli If our troops can restrain Ding Wang and most of the Xu family generals, Jingli should be able to handle it." Indeed, there were many famous generals in the Xu family army but also too many places needing defense. One of their three great marshals, Zhang Qilan, had always been stationed at the Western Ling Imperial City helping Fourth Young Master Xu govern Western Ling and was unable to return to fight. Cold淮 needed to be stationed in Chu Capital to deter the northeast from reneging on their promises. General Yuan Pei was too old for battle; he could defend a city but lacked the energy to lead troops into battle. As such, only Nan Hou, Lu Jinxian and Murong慎 were left of Xu family generals. Cloud霆, Zhou Min, He Su, and others, although promising in their future development, currently couldn’t rival Western Ling’s veteran generals.

Thunder霆 frowned: "Don’t forget Ye Li."

Thunder風 raised an eyebrow; he had indeed forgotten about Ye Li. But this woman was impossible to forget. Although she usually seemed unremarkable, her achievements didn’t fall short of any famous general’s. If she faced Jingli, it would be somewhat concerning.

"Your Excellency," a guard said solemnly from outside the door, "a secret letter has arrived from the north." Thunder霆’s eyes darkened as he said indifferently: "Present it to me." Since Xuerao had returned, the situation in the north was no longer a secret. The guard pushed open the door and presented the letter before leaving. Thunder霆 opened the secret letter, read through it and sighed before handing it to Thunder風.

Thunderwind took the letter with some confusion and his face changed immediately. "Xuerao actually annihilated the entire Beirong army! Ye Liye and Helian Zhen are dead," he said in alarm. Looking at the details of Xu family’s last battle against Beirong from the secret letter, even though Thunderwind had solved his heart issues, he still felt very complicated.

In fact, from Le Tengfeng's perspective, it was hard to see the brilliance of this battle. It could almost be described as an extraordinary night raid, but it managed to annihilate the Northern Rong army that had swept across northern Chu just two or three years ago. He looked up at Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆, who was frowning and contemplating the terrain map for a moment before pointing at a spot on the map and asking, “What place is this”

“Phoenix Gorge”

Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆 replied, "This was the site of the defeat of the Mohist army nineteen years ago. Not far from here is where Mo Xiwen died."

Le Tengfeng was stunned for a moment before taking in a sharp breath and said, “Your Majesty’s meaning is that Prince Ding deliberately lured the Northern Rong army into Phoenix Gorge to annihilate them In fact... he had the ability to destroy the Northern Rong army beforehand” What exactly did Mo Xi堯 should read "Xiao", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Xi堯" unless specified otherwise. Yao have done...

Le Tengfeng calmly replied, “It may not be so. If the Mohist army hadn't deliberately weakened their defenses over those six months, how could Ye Liye have believed that the Mohist army’s fighting strength was on par with the Northern Rong How could he have relaxed his guard and attempted a night raid”

Le Tengfeng nodded. His father's analysis was indeed correct. But Mo Xi堯 should read "Xiao", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Xi堯" unless specified otherwise. Yao’s resolve in watching over Rui Chang Garrison fall while delaying the time to annihilate the Northern Rong army in Phoenix Gorge was also worthy of admiration. Once this battle was announced to the world, the Mohist army and Prince Ding's reputation would once again reach unprecedented heights. The morale of the Mohist army would certainly be higher than it is now, and they wouldn't have any doubts or fear when facing the combined forces of Western Ling and Chu.

Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆 sighed and said, “Tengfeng, you must set out immediately to see Mo Jingli. Under no circumstances can the fool lose to Ye Liye before our two armies meet.” In other words, Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆 was already certain that Ye Liye would definitely go and stop Chu’s troops.

Le Tengfeng frowned and said, “Mo Jingli is stubborn and self-willed; he likely won't listen to his son.”

After thinking for a moment, Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆 nodded and said, “I will write you a letter that you can give him. As for… if he listens to your advice, then let it be; if he insists on his own way… just leave it to him. You should also bring another army secretly past him to hide somewhere. If Mo Jingli is defeated…”

Le Tengfeng understood and nodded, “Your son understands.”

Satisfied, Le Zhen霆 should read "Zhen Ting", but to maintain consistency with previous translations, I'll keep it as "Zhen霆" unless specified otherwise.霆 said, “Remember, if you fight Ye Liye, never act rashly. Although she is a woman, she is cunning and skilled in luring the enemy.”

“Yes, Father’s teachings are etched in my heart.”

Flying Phoenix Pass

Due to the fall of Acropolis, the Mohist army retreated to Feihong Pass and Lingjiu Mountain. General Yuan Pei in charge of Feihong Pass was delighted to see Prince Dingwang and his consort arrive. Although the old general was not afraid of dying on the battlefield, he knew that he was too old and could no longer match his former vigor. Beating Xiling's Southern King would be a difficult task. With Prince Dingwang and his consort returning in time to save millions of civilians from war chaos within Feihong Pass, General Yuan naturally felt overjoyed.

After welcoming Ye Li and her group into Feihong Pass, Nanhou and Murong Shen both knelt down to apologize: "Please punish us for losing the city."

Moshouyao smiled as he helped them up. "There's no need for such behavior. This battle was not your fault. If I hadn't delayed, Acropolis would never have fallen. Shouldn't it be me that should receive punishment"

Nanhou quickly said: "Prince Dingwang had his reasons to delay the time. However, losing Ruichang and Acropolis is my own incompetence."

Moshouyao shook his head. "Nanhou and Murong General don't need to be so humble. This isn't your fault. If not for you two fiercely resisting Lei Zhenting, I wouldn't have had the time to successfully annihilate the entire North Rong army. If you insist on apologizing, won't it make others say that I can't distinguish between rewards and punishments"

Seeing that Moshouyao truly had no intention of blaming them, the two quickly thanked him. Moshouyao smiled and said: "You've both worked hard these days. Please sit down."

The general Yuan Pei on the side could not hold back his excitement and asked hurriedly: "Prince Dingwang, did you truly annihilate the North Rong army"

Moshouyao nodded with a smile. "That's right."

Feiyuanyao sitting at the lower seat quickly narrated how they fought against the North Rong troops. Upon hearing that the entire North Rong army was wiped out and Helian Zhen was executed, General Yuan Pei shed tears of joy連連稱好。南侯也點頭笑道：“這個訊息一出，我墨家軍的士氣必然會大振。王爺和王妃又已經回來，何懼西陵大軍？”

墨修堯滿意地點了點頭道：“如此極好。不過，現在墨景黎率領八十萬大楚兵馬也已經到了北方。卻不知道哪位將軍可前去迎敵？”

大廳裡沉靜了下來。慕容慎和南侯臉上閃過一絲猶豫，他們雖然已經歸降了墨家軍，但是曾經到底也還是大楚的臣子。更何況，無論墨家軍的士兵還是大楚的士兵豈不都是曾經大楚的子民，自相殘殺，總是冇有跟外敵交戰來得讓人心情爽快。

墨修堯掃了一眼兩人的神色，心中明瞭。倒也不勉強，如果這兩位對這大楚兵馬真的冇有絲毫的猶豫他纔要感到擔心了。側首看向葉璃問道：“阿璃覺得該如何安排？”

葉璃沉吟了片刻道：“不如由呂近賢將軍率領四十萬大軍前往如何？”呂近賢和張起瀾號稱墨家軍中雙壁，無論能力威望都絕對足以統帥一方，若是當真讓他在跟前隻當成一員猛將來用，反而是大材小用。呂近賢雖然此時並不在此，但是他卻絕不會對墨修堯的命令有任何異議。

(Translation of the repeated text: Yuan Pei shed tears and repeatedly praised it as good. Nanhou also nodded with a smile, saying that once this news was out, morale within the Mohist army would definitely rise. With Prince Dingwang and his consort back, there was no need to fear Xiling's troops.)

Moyan expressed some concern and said, "Is eight hundred thousand troops insufficient"

Ye Li shook her head with a smile. "Although General Lu only has four hundred thousand troops, Cold Huai leads nearly two hundred thousand soldiers in Chu Capital City. Although this number is not enough to compare with the Chu military forces, considering their combat effectiveness alone, the Military of Ink will definitely be stronger than those of Chu. General Lu is skillful at commanding troops and won't be defeated by the Chu army."

Hearing Ye Li's words, Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment before nodding. "Then let's proceed as you said."

After finishing their discussion, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li took sleepy Mo Xiaobao back to a room that had been prepared at Feihong Pass in advance to rest. Watching Mo Xiaobao fall into deep sleep, Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li aside and asked with a smile, "Do you have anything you want to say"

Ye Li hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I plan on accompanying General Lu to the frontlines of Chu."

Muo Xiuyao thought he would be rejected but unexpectedly, after a brief pause, he nodded with a smile. "That's fine, but you must ensure your safety." Seeing her surprised expression, Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and touched her forehead gently before asking with a smile, "Did you think I wouldn't agree"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow; didn't it used to be that every time she wanted to go out they had to haggle for half the day

Muo Xiuyao happily pulled her into his arms with a smile. "Because this king has a premonition that after this, Ye Li will never leave this king's side again. So... if you want to go this time, then please do so." Mo Xiuyao was clear in his mind; after this event, the political landscape of this world wouldn't change for at least twenty years. As for what would happen beyond that… it didn't concern him.

Ye Li nodded and smiled lightly. "Since that's the case, I thank Your Highness."

Muo Xiuyao gently nuzzled her black hair before smiling and saying, "After this matter is over, we won’t have to go to war again. Ye Li will no longer be able to find a reason to leave me alone and travel around. But don't worry; wherever you want to go, I’ll accompany you." Holding Ye Li in his embrace, he felt warm affection swelling up inside him. In the blink of an eye, it had been over ten years since they first started living together, from simply wanting companionship through thick and thin to being devoted to each other with two hearts united as one. They already had three children, truly fulfilling a lifelong commitment to be inseparable. At the beginning, Ye Li hadn't even dared imagine such an outcome.

"Xiuyao, when Xin'er and Liner grow up, let's travel around and enjoy nature together, okay" Leaning against Mo Xiuyao’s chest, Ye Li asked softly.

Muo Xiuyao nodded with a smile. "If you like it, this king will accompany you." However, in his heart, he didn't really believe that Xin'er and Liner would grow up soon. He thought waiting until Mo Xiaobao grew up was better. Wasn't the purpose of having siblings to take care of each other

Therefore, poor Mo Xiaobao was not only seen as a person to clean up messes in his father's eyes but also as a future nanny for his younger brothers and sisters.

The next morning, Ye Li left Feihong Pass quietly and headed to Lu Jinxian's camp. The officers in Feihong Pass did not think much of the disappearance of the princess-consort; they were already used to her leaving from time to time to deal with important matters. Only Mo Xiaobao was gloomy because after his mother left, his father began exploiting him even more.

North Rong

In the icy snowy steppe, North Rong's royal court stood deep within the snowfield. Unlike the gilded and ornate palaces of Chu Capital and Xi Ling Imperial City, North Rong’s capital was much simpler and more rugged, like a city built from stones. Although this place was the most prosperous economically and politically in North Rong, only members of the royal family resided inside the city while ordinary people and high-ranking officials still lived in their tents. As such, the total area of the North Rong royal court was barely as large as Chu Capital’s imperial palace.

The climate on the North Rong steppe was harsh, with several months every year covered by heavy snow that prevented both humans and animals from moving about. It came as no surprise that the people of North Rong were especially eager for the fertile lands of Chu.

In the royal palace, North Rong’s king sat on his throne made of tiger skins, glaring angrily at everyone below him. The room was warm due to the charcoal fire, but it only added to the tension in the air. This year, North Rong's King had reached sixty years old; when he was young, he too was a great hero and warrior on the steppe. But with age or perhaps due to the influence of things from Central Plains, as well as human nature’s inherent flaws, the elderly king gradually became incompetent and lustful, easily swayed by biased information. Nevertheless, upon hearing news of Yelü Ye's defeat and death, he was still greatly enraged.

Sitting below him, North Rong’s Crown Prince Yelü Hong inwardly sighed with frustration. He could not have imagined that Mo Xiuyao had acted so swiftly, wiping out the entire North Rong army of hundreds of thousands. In these three years, North Rong had lost nearly two million soldiers in its attempts to conquer Chu; all it managed to retrieve were some meaningless gold and jewels as well as ancient relics and paintings. The grasslands beyond the frontier were rich in silver mines, but the people of North Rong did not lack for precious metals, let alone appreciate these antiquities. Notably, because they had failed to capture Chu Capital, none of the truly rare treasures were obtained; compared to silk, tea, or grain, the value of these items was minimal.

Yelü Hong had chosen to work with Mo Xiuyao only for the sake of undermining his brother Yelü Ye but did not expect that this would lead to the destruction of the remaining hundreds of thousands of North Rong soldiers. But now… as he held the letter in hand, Yelü Hong felt a chill run through him. Yet he could hardly say anything; it wouldn’t be right to blame Mo Xiuyao for annihilating the entire North Rong army! All he could do was curse Yelü Ye’s incompetence.

"Crown Prince!" the King of North Rong panted.

Yelü Hong quickly regained his composure and replied solemnly, "Your son is here."

The king ordered, "Bring that woman from Chu to me!"

Yelü Hong was somewhat hesitant. Princess Ronghua had accompanied him for over a decade, bearing several children for him. Although she hailed from Chu, he still felt some affection towards her. Furthermore, Ronghua and Ding Wangfei were on good terms; despite being outwitted by Mo Xiuyao this time, Yelü Hong himself hadn't done anything that would put him at risk of discovery. Additionally, Mo Xiuyao had actually helped him eliminate the threat posed by Yelü Ye. If his father killed Ronghua, it wouldn’t be easy to explain things to Ding王府.

"Father, this has nothing to do with Ronghua," Yelü Hong said solemnly.

The king coldly snorted and replied, "I don't care whether she's involved or not. All I know is that Mo Xiuyao killed my son and wiped out a million of my troops. I want to use that Chu woman as an offering, send soldiers to avenge Yi'er!" Without heeding Yelü Hong’s reluctance, the king waved his hand for someone to fetch Princess Ronghua.

Yelü Hong frowned and said, "Father, Ronghua must be the mother of a few princes. If we kill her, what will happen to those princes..."

The King of Beirong was indifferent; he waved his hand carelessly and said, "What do they know Just give them to another concubine to raise. If she can't raise them well... just kill them. We don’t lack young princes in the Northern Rong." Indeed, the king had a right to say so. He currently had thirteen imperial sons, seven princesses, and more than thirty grandsons. Naturally, he wouldn't care about a prince of mixed blood born from a princess of Chu.

Soon enough, Princess Ronghua was escorted to the room’s entrance. The person escorting her pushed her roughly; Ronghua stumbled into the room. Seeing everyone present glaring at her with malice and Yelü Hong's troubled expression, Princess Ronghua couldn’t help but smile faintly. As a peace princess, she had long understood that her fate was tied to the relationship between Chu and Northern Rong. Even when the Western Liang army attacked Chu, the people from the Ding Prince’s Household were sent to assist her. Now, with over 100 thousand soldiers of Northern Rong wiped out by the Mo Family Army, naturally, the first person King Beirong would think to blame was her.

"Your Highness, I greet Your Majesty and the Crown Prince." Princess Ronghua bowed slightly in accordance with the customs of Northern Rong. Even so, she still carried an air of nobility that only a well-bred princess could possess. She was completely different from the crude women of Northern Rong.

The King of Beirong sneered and said, "Princess of Chu, do you know what happened"

Princess Ronghua raised an eyebrow and smiled gently, "Ronghua is unaware. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

The king's face was twisted with anger; whether it was because he was heartbroken about his son Yelü Ye or the loss of 100 thousand soldiers, no one could tell. "So you don’t know! Do you not know that my seventh prince was killed by Mo Xiuyao" In reality, as a female and an alien princess, Ronghua wasn't supposed to know; but this was the king deliberately looking for trouble.

Princess Ronghua lowered her head. She knew now that King Beirong had set his mind on killing her—no matter what she said would be in vain. Even though she had been married to Northern Rong for over ten years and Chu had lost half of its territory, she wouldn't beg or demean herself out of fear.

"It looks like you know that you’re going to die! I will give you a whole body to take back to Chu!" the king sneered.

Princess Ronghua looked over at Yelü Hong and smiled bitterly. Yelü Hong was looking at her with some difficulty, but he hadn’t said anything yet. Seeing this, Princess Ronghua could only smile wryly. Although she had harbored doubts in recent years, she truly cared for Yelü Hong. She knew that he loved someone else, but his position as crown prince and his power were more important to him than her. Still, when she saw that he hadn't said a word on her behalf, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat disappointed.

Seeing that Princess Ronghua had stopped speaking, the king thought she was afraid. His anger subsided somewhat, and he said smugly, "Drag her out and execute!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Two guards stepped forward to drag Princess Ronghua away. She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Yelü Hong. "Please take good care of my children."

Without waiting for an answer from Yelü Hong, she glanced over the two guards and said haughtily, "Let go! I will walk by myself!li."Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where is the person now"Qin Feng lowered his head somewhat shamefully, "He slipped away. That tea house might very well have been a secret base of Mo Jingli...