s."The man’s face turned red with anger, "You... You..." Wu Zhikai was a great artist from the previous dynasty; an original work of his would be worth at least two thousand taels even if it wasn't on...387. Emperor Mo Jingli of Chu

387. Emperor Mo Jingli of Chu

"Wait!" Suddenly, Yelü Hong stood up and spoke.

"Prince!" The King of Beirong was furious. People who are incompetent and arrogant cannot bear others' opposition, especially when the king is in a rage now. Seeing that Yelü Hong was defending a woman from Chu against him made his anger uncontrollable. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at Yelü Hong. Yelü Hong lowered his gaze and said solemnly, "Father King, please listen to me for once. Princess Ronghua cannot be killed."

At the door, upon hearing Yelü Hong's voice, Princess Ronghua was stunned for a moment. Turning around, she saw a flash of emotion in Yelü Hong’s beautiful eyes. She had almost given up hope but didn’t expect Yelü Hong to speak on her behalf.

The King of Beirong laughed spitefully and stared at Yelü Hong, saying, "Cannot be killed I don't know who can't be killed in Beirong!" In a low voice, Yelü Hong said, "I know that my seventh brother died on the battlefield, Father King must be very sad. But please consider the welfare of Beirong first."

The king narrowed his eyes and sneered at Yelü Hong, "Are you saying that killing this woman will affect Beirong’s stability"

Yelü Hong said seriously, "Ronghua is a sworn sister to the Queen of Ding Wang. They have an extremely close relationship. It's common knowledge that Ding Wang adores his queen; if Father King kills her sworn sister, he might provoke Ding Wang's wrath and cause harm to Beirong." The fact that Princess Ronghua was Yelü Hong’s fictitious sworn sister was irrelevant as Chu was far from the Beirong capital. The king could not send someone there for verification at this moment anyway. Yelü Hong chose to say so because in Beirong, sworn brotherhood held a very important place and was no less significant than blood ties.

The King of Beirong snorted coldly, "Be harmful to Beirong I am raising an army to avenge Wild Child!" Yelü Hong looked at the king resolutely and said, "Father King, do we still have troops available for調動 now in our kingdom How will you seek revenge for your seventh brother" With vast territories but sparse population, Beirong had already exhausted its military resources with two million soldiers. In the next twenty to thirty years, it simply could not afford another war. At this moment, Yelü Hong understood Mo Xiuyao’s intention. From the very beginning, Mo Xiuyao had never given Beirong a chance to recover its strength when dealing with Xiling's Prince Southern and Emperor Jingli of Chu. By the time decades later when Beirong was back on its feet again, Ding Wang might have already unified the entire realm. Yelü Hong could not help but feel that no matter how unclear the situation in Central Plains was at present, he had never doubted that the Ding Wang mansion would eventually emerge as the ultimate victor.

"Father King, please consider Beirong’s future and put aside your anger for now. Killing Princess Ronghua is merely a way to vent one's frustration. But she is a princess of Chu rather than that of Ding Wang; even if Father King wants to take revenge, it would be very limited indeed. Why not exchange her for something more valuable"

The truth was that the king knew well enough that Beirong lacked the military capability to fight against Mo’s army at present. His rage and vow of vengeance were merely due to his inability to vent his frustration. Yelü Hong's words gave him an excuse to calm down, so he did so and asked, "More valuable What value can a woman have"

Yelü Hong thought for a moment before saying, "We could exchange Princess Ronghua with Mo’s army for the remains of my seventh brother and our Beirong soldiers who died on the battlefield. These soldiers fought to protect Beirong; bringing their remains back to the grasslands might provide comfort to its people."

The King of Northern Rong lowered his head in thought. Even though he was incompetent, he wasn't completely ignorant either; there had been a period when he was wise and resolute. He understood what Ye Li Hong meant by bringing up Princess Ronghua. Furthermore, all it would take was an expendable woman, which made the deal quite advantageous indeed. Looking up for a moment to glance at the door where Princess Ronghua stood, he asked, "Will Prince Ding's household agree"

Ye Li Hong nodded and said, "Even without considering Princess Ronghua’s friendship with Lady Dingwang, she came here as part of a peace agreement between the Great Chu Kingdom and Northern Rong. Although Ding Wangfu is now in power, the people they govern were once subjects of the Great Chu Kingdom. If Ding Wangfu disregards Princess Ronghua's safety, it will surely cause dissatisfaction and criticism among the Chu populace."

The King of Northern Rong nodded impatiently and waved his hand, saying, "Handle this matter as you see fit. In any case, I don’t want to see that woman in my kingdom anymore! You may all leave now!"

Ye Li Hong bowed and accepted the order, then paused before asking, "Father, what arrangements have been made for Seventh Brother’s funeral"

"You decide," replied the King. Years of strong liquor and sensual pleasures had weakened his health somewhat; after a fit of anger, he now felt tired and impatiently dismissed Ye Li Hong. As he walked to the door, Ye Li Hong glanced back at the man holding a Northern Rong girl in a suggestive manner, his lips curling into a mocking smile. It turned out that Seventh Brother's death was merely an outlet for Father’s rage.

Back in the Crown Prince Manor, Princess Ronghua was escorted to her quarters where she packed up her belongings without even being allowed to see her son one last time. Holding Chu Kingdom clothes, looking at the room she had lived in for over a decade, she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

"Princess, Crown Prince Ye Li Hong has saved your life," said an attendant-like woman sternly inside the room.

Princess Ronghua looked up at her. This was someone sent by Ding Wangfu to protect and assist her over these years; she had grown to trust this person somewhat. Wiping away tears, she smiled bitterly and nodded, saying, "I understand. I should be grateful that he intervened on my behalf." The woman remained silent, only looking at Princess Ronghua with a faintly warm expression. One was from the Great Chu Kingdom, the other was the Crown Prince of Northern Rong. Given their status as enemies who had clashed in battle, Princess Ronghua’s current outcome could be considered quite favorable.

"Princess, take heart and start anew once you return to the Chu Kingdom," said the woman after a while in a soft voice.

With a faint smile, Princess Ronghua nodded, saying, "Yes. It's been so long since I last returned to the Chu Capital that I don't know if it’s still familiar." She knew that she was able to return alive to Great Chu only because Ye Li Hong had not been ruthless and with the help of Ding Wangfu. Even though she felt reluctant to leave her child behind, neither the King of Northern Rong nor Ye Li Hong would allow her to take him away. She could only hope for a reunion in this life.

In a tent within the Great Chu camp, Yao Ji sat comfortably reading a book casually while lounging inside it. By her side was Mu Lie also holding a book but studying intently.

Yao Ji leaned lazily against a soft couch with calm and distant eyes. To bring herself and Mu Lie to the military camp alongside Mu Yang, Yao Ji had expended much effort. Luckily, the rules of the Great Chu army were not as strict as those of the Mo Family Army. Furthermore, after Ding Wangfu’s precedent of having Lady Dingwang accompany him in and out of camps, it became easier to make exceptions again. Though she lacked Lady Dingwang's strategic acumen, wasn't convincing Li Wang enough As for persuading Duke Jingli, it didn’t seem too difficult either. Recalling the few stunning beauties in Li Wang’s tent, Yao Ji gave a faint smile.

Muyeh tilted his head to glance at Yaoji, who was smiling faintly and lost in thought. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Mother, why are you smiling"

Yaoji arched her eyebrows and replied with a smile, "You're getting used to it."

Muyeh lifted his chin proudly and retorted, "This young master has never been uncomfortable. Aren't you my mother" Yaoji smiled and hugged Muyeh, patting his small head gently and saying, "That's right, I am your mother!" Perhaps due to starting martial arts training too early and damaging his bones as a result, although Muyeh was already around eleven or twelve years old in actual age, he still looked like a seven or eight-year-old boy. Over the years of living together, they had developed some affection for each other, so Muyeh accepted Yaoji as an adoptive mother.

Yaoji truly loved Muyeh, and given that this child had accomplished great feats at such a young age for Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor), he certainly had limitless prospects in the future. Knowing his identity yet still willing to accept her as an adoptive mother filled Yaoji with joy and she grew even more fond of him.

Muyeh grinned at her, causing Yaoji to feel a chill down her spine upon hearing Muyeh speak slowly: "Forgot to tell Mama that I also accepted Commander Qin as my adopted father a few days ago."

Yaoji's smile froze. She stared at Muyeh’s satisfied expression for a moment speechless.

Seeming oblivious to Yaoji’s reaction, Muyeh leaned against the chair with a beaming smile and said: "We’ll soon be going home. Haven’t you thought about what to do when we go back and see my adopted father" Initially, there was nothing wrong with each of them having an adoptive parent, but when mentioned together it made one blush involuntarily. Yaoji helplessly rolled her eyes at Muyeh, "What nonsense is this You’re too young for all these matters."

Muyeh said with a smile: "Nonsense I only have one adoptive mother and father. Don’t want to add another in the future. Adoptive mother, what do you think"

Yaoji tapped Muyeh's face with her book, "Stop talking nonsense, be careful not to get too arrogant. If you slip up at the last moment, people will laugh at you." Muyeh touched his nose and understood that Yaoji was right; one must be more cautious as things approached their conclusion.

"General Muye," a guard's voice came from outside the large tent.

Muye and Yaoji exchanged glances and both stood up. Mu Yang had walked in from outside. Seeing the book in Muye’s hand, he couldn’t help but smile more broadly. He patted Muye on the shoulder with a chuckle: "Xie is indeed diligent, but there's no need to work too hard." Muyeh nodded silently and rolled his eyes inwardly. Truthfully speaking, his so-called father had treated him quite well, despite being an adopted one. Unfortunately… it was because of Mu Family’s conflict with the Prince of Ding王府 (Ding) that this happened. If the truth—Muye was a fake descendant who was also a spy—were to come out and be known by Mu Yang and Old Duke Mu Yang, they would probably go ballistic. Thinking about it, Muyeh felt a pang of sympathy for Mu Yang.

Mu Yang naturally couldn’t understand the meaning behind that look and assumed his son was worried about his studies. Smiling, he said: "Stupid child, what you’ve learned is already far more than an ordinary eight or nine-year-old."

Muyeh’s face turned dark instantly. Of course, what he had learned was much more than an ordinary eight or nine-year-old boy because he himself wasn’t one of them. Although it was convenient for missions, his lack of growth over the years was a painful sore point in Muye’s heart.

It's getting cold, let Mu Yang and the Mu Yang Marquis Manor die off.

Mu Yang sat down on a chair next to the sofa bed. Yao Ji poured him a cup of hot tea from the table and asked with a smile, "Why are you here at this hour" The army had just arrived at the front lines not far from the Mo Army. In recent days, Mu Yang and the old Marquis Mu Yang had been busy handling military affairs alongside Emperor Mo Jingli. Yao Ji and Mu Lie came to the camp together with Mu Yang but hadn’t seen each other for a few days.

Mu Yang said, "The Mo Army is led by Duke Ding who has completely annihilated the Northern Rong army. Now Duke Ding has returned to Feihong Pass to face Lei Zhenting’s forces. General Lu Jinxian’s troops are also moving towards the front lines. I’ve been too busy these days to take care of you two, but now that I have some free time, I wanted to come and see."

Yao Ji smiled sweetly, "I’ll look after Lie well; don’t worry about us."

Mu Yang nodded and held Yao Ji’s hand with a smile. “Good then. Following us around while we march is hard work, thank you.” Yao Ji lowered her eyes and replied with a faint smile, "It’s my duty to do this, there’s no need to talk about hardship."

Mu Yang looked at Yao Ji's gentle and beautiful face and his eyes flickered with satisfaction and affection. He held her hand and nodded, “Alright then, I should be going back now. Take care of yourselves.”

Yao Ji and Mu Lie got up to see Mu Yang out; once he left they sat down again. Mu Lie frowned and said, "Mu Yang isn’t coming back, we can't wander around outside either, so how are we supposed to find out Mo Jingli’s army's defense plans and news"

Yao Ji smiled calmly, “Don’t worry about it. When the time comes, we’ll figure a way to contact General Lu.” Mu Lie nodded; the Empress Dowager didn't ask them for the map of Chu’s defenses, she must have something more important to instruct them on. They just needed to wait for news and assist Mo's army when necessary.

In the central military tent of Emperor Chu's army, because it was personally led by His Majesty, the specifications were naturally different from ordinary general’s tents; it looked grander and more luxurious. Although it was still bitterly cold in the north, thick carpets imported from the Western Regions covered the ground and high-quality silver charcoal burned quietly, warming up the tent comfortably.

But Mo Jingli's expression didn't become amiable due to the warmth of the tent; instead, he appeared more sinister. The officers below all bowed their heads in fear, not daring to look at the emperor above them. Being the ruler hadn’t improved Mo Jingli’s mood; ever since that night at Li Manor before the new year, anyone could feel his chill and would stay far away from him. Those who didn't know what happened dared not ask questions, while those who did knew too little to say anything. People only knew that a sudden illness struck the young emperor after which he passed away; then it was Li Wang ascending the throne. It all happened so quickly that many people couldn’t even come to terms with it before he became Emperor in an absolute dominant manner. But Mo Jingli’s temperament turned colder and more unpredictable after his ascension, making him hard for others to read. As a newly crowned emperor, not focusing on appeasing officials and the public but rather personally leading troops into battle first, Mo Jingli was one of a kind.

"The Northern Rong forces have suffered defeat; Mu Xiu Yao will certainly pay attention to our southern front now. Now that Mu Xiu Yao has sent General Lu Jinxian with 400,000 troops to face the Chu Army, what are your thoughts" Mo Jingli asked in a stern voice.

The officers exchanged glances but none dared speak. Not only had the Northern Rong been defeated completely, it made them uneasy that while Mo's army was fighting with the Northern Rong, they themselves had seized an opportunity to launch their own attack. The relationship between Western Ling and Mo’s army is purely adversarial, so there would be no holding back; but Chu’s ties with Mo’s army are inseparable, making Li Wang's actions chilling for both people and soldiers.

"What You all have nothing to say" Mo Jingli narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly.

"The Emperor has his own judgment. We will follow the Emperor's orders," said all the generals in unison.

Mojingli snorted lightly. How could he not know what these people were up to He glanced at everyone and then focused on the old Mu Yang Hou behind them, saying solemnly, "Old Marquis Mu, tell me."

The old Mu Yang Hou hurriedly stepped forward and reported respectfully, "Your Majesty, I think that if there are only Lu Jinxian's 400,000 troops, it is not a big deal. However..."

"However what" asked Mojingli. The old Mu Yang Hou said, "Only... in addition to the capital Chu Jing and Leng Huang’s 200,000 troops, Leng Huang himself is also an excellent general who once alone held back a million enemy soldiers at Zijing Pass for months. Therefore, this person cannot be underestimated either. Moreover… I think that one of Dingwang or his wife will come over as well. At that time..."

"Leng Huang… Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li" Mojingli twirled the jade bracelet on his hand and snorted coldly. "Although Leng Huang is favored by the emperor, he betrayed the country to join forces with Dingwang's household, a crime punishable by death! As for Dingwang's household… it seems that this time it will be Ye Li who comes, which suits me just fine..."

Listening to Mojingli’s words, all the generals silently criticized him in their hearts. Leng Huang had struggled alone to defend Zijing Pass while Emperor Mojingli did not give any aid and even deprived him of his military supplies. Without the Mo family's army, Leng Huang would have long been buried under a pile of dirt. How could he be said to be favored by the emperor Moreover, in order to protect Chu Jing, Leng Huang had lost one son, so Mojingli’s words were not very convincing.

But since Mojingli was the Emperor, naturally whatever he said went. The generals below did not dare to contradict him either and silently listened to his orders. Seeing that nobody objected, Mojingli frowned slightly and waved dismissively, saying, "Old Marquis Mu, Mu Yang Hou, you will deal with Lu Jinxian. As for Lady Dingwang... I will personally handle it!" Mu Yang Hou and his son quickly clasped their hands in acceptance of the order, replying respectfully, "We accept our mission."

"Your Majesty, Prince Southern Peace of Xi Ling requests an audience," a soldier outside announced loudly.

Mojingli frowned slightly. "Le Tengfeng What does he want"

The soldier replied, "Prince Southern Peace only said that he was sent by the Marquis and has something important to discuss with Your Majesty."

"Let him in," Mojingli instructed.

Soon after, Le Tengfeng walked in accompanied by someone. He surveyed the generals inside the tent and the high throne where Mojingli sat before smiling faintly and bowing respectfully. "I am Lei Tengfeng, here to pay respects to Emperor Chu."

"Prince Southern Peace of Xi Ling may rise," Mojingli said with narrowed eyes as he sized up Lei Tengfeng. Now compared to when they first met in Nanzhao, Lei Tengfeng was obviously much more composed and steady. Although the person he faced now was Emperor Mojingli of Chu, Lei Tengfeng could still meet him without showing any signs of fear or subservience. Even more impressive was his calm and stable gaze, something that was absent in the earlier Lei Tengfeng.

Mojingli studied Lei Tengfeng for a moment before asking leisurely, "What brings Prince Southern Peace to Chu

Raiden Feng smiled calmly and said, "In response to Emperor Chu, my father the King of Southern Dian heard that Your Majesty has already led troops to the front lines and specially instructed me to come for your welcome."

Hearing this, a few veteran generals present could not help but look at Raiden Feng with more approval. Back then during Prince Ding’s wedding when Raiden Feng, as Crown Prince of the Southern Dian King, attended the ceremony in Chu Capital, there was an implied arrogance that didn’t seem presumptuous but still made people feel he was rather proud. However, Raiden Feng now is much calmer than before and more composed mentally. It's clear that the Southern Dian King did not order him to greet Mo Jingli, yet it’s rare for him to be able to bow his head.

Evidently, Raiden Feng's words made Mo Jingli feel a bit happier, and he looked at Raiden Feng with more warmth. Mo Jingli nodded and smiled, saying, "Crown Prince of the Southern Dian King, you are too polite. Please sit."

"Thank you, Emperor Chu," Raiden Feng said calmly without any sign of dissatisfaction or awkwardness towards people he used to look down upon who now were in a higher position than him.

After thanking Mo Jingli, Raiden Feng sat down at the first seat. After the guards served tea and left, Mo Jingli dismissed all the generals except for Lord Mum Yang and his son, as well as several trusted generals before asking, "I heard that Crown Prince of the Southern Dian King successfully captured Wei City; I haven’t congratulated you yet."

Raiden Feng smiled and said, "It’s just a stroke of luck. A few days ago, we were trapped by Lord Nan and General Murong nearly costing my life. If it weren't for my father's thorough arrangements, there wouldn’t even be me here now to take credit."

Mo Jingli smiled indifferently without further comment and said, "Has the King of Southern Dian given you any instructions"

Raiden Feng replied, "My father told me that everything is at Your Majesty’s disposal. However… I received news on my way here that Prince Ding's wife Ye Li has arrived in Lu Jinxian's army and will likely reach the front lines soon."

"This time the Mo Family Army is led by Ye Li" Mo Jingli frowned as he asked.

Raiden Feng shook his head, "No. According to my knowledge, Prince Ding’s wife has taken on the role of military advisor,"

Mo Jingli sneered and said, "She can bend but not break, can't she Thank you for your information, I understand." Raiden Feng frowned slightly and asked, "Is there any strategy from Li King"

Raiden Feng smiled and said, "Crown Prince needn't worry. I have my own plan to deal with it. Crown Prince just wait and see." Seeing that Mo Jingli did not wish to discuss further, Raiden Feng calmly replied, "In that case, I will await your good news."ce of Ding would actually do something like this! Doesn’t he fear being pointed and ridiculed by the people of the Great Chu” Leng Qingyu frowned.Cold Hao Yu, who had been whispering with Mu Ting earl...