making way for her, "My Lady please."The temporary residence was actually that of a wealthy merchant in Yonglin City. The master of the house had long fled north to Jiangbei before the city was surro...388. The Shortcut is Difficult to Take

On the official road in winter, the Mohist army moved swiftly like a black dragon along the road. Leading them were Lu Jinxian, the commander of the army, and Ye Li dressed in white with a white cloak.

Since Lu Jinxian was the commanding general while Ye Li was merely an advisor, they rode side by side to show respect for the princess from the Prince. Following behind them were Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, Yun Ting, and Xu Qingfeng.

Lu Jinxian turned his head to look at Ye Li beside him with a smile and said, "Princess, I'm afraid that Mo Jingli must have already gathered troops waiting for us ahead." Yun Ting behind them snorted. "Mo Jingli just ascended the throne; isn't he eagerly awaiting the chance to curb the morale of our Mohist army"

"But we don’t know who will actually curb whose morale," Lin Han said with righteous indignation.

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh. To tell the truth, Mo Jingli hadn't achieved any outstanding military accomplishments to speak of. It would be better if he aimed at something else instead of trying to blunt the Mohist army's sharpness on a battlefield where all are armed with cold steel and blades. "Ye Li smiled slightly and said, "It’s good to have confidence, but don’t let your guard down either." Although Mo Jingli hadn't achieved any outstanding military accomplishments, it didn’t mean that there weren’t capable people in the Chu army.

Lu Jinxian nodded and said, "Princess is right. Mu Yang Hou might be a person with questionable character but his ability to lead troops into battle is exceptional." Mu Yang Hou had been conferred the title of Marquis for military merit; he was someone who fought hard on the battlefield back then. In fact, when Mu Yang Hou was carving out his reputation in battlefields, Lu Jinxian hadn’t yet made a name for himself.

As they spoke, Lu Jinxian reined in his horse and frowned slightly at the road ahead of them.

Ye Li asked quietly, "General Lu, what’s wrong"

Lu Jinxian said solemnly, "We will be leaving the official road soon to take a mountain path. If I were leading troops, I would definitely set up an ambush ahead…

Ye Li sized up the narrow path ahead and asked solemnly, "General, are you sure" Lü Jinxian nodded silently in response. Ye Li thought for a moment and looked at Lü Jinxian, saying, "General Lü is our army’s commander-in-chief; everything should follow General Lü's lead."

Lü Jinxian understood that the duchess meant to trust him. He nodded and said gratefully, "Thank you, Duchess. Order the entire army to set up camp nearby." As a general in command of an army, he was worried about being held back by others and finding himself at a loss as to what to do. However, although Ye Li was a military advisor, her status was far above Lü Jinxian’s; this situation often caused him to have to report everything to Ye Li, which could lead to unavoidable significant impacts. By saying that, Ye Li wanted to tell Lü Jinxian that he himself was the current commander-in-chief of the Mo Army and should make decisions on his own.

The Mo Army had strict discipline; even though the order came suddenly, it did not cause any chaos. In no time at all, the entire army set up camp in a place not far from the official road to rest and regroup.

In the main tent, Yún Tíng stepped forward and said solemnly, "Reporting to General-in-Chief, I’m willing to be the vanguard and go ahead to scout."

Lü Jinxian smiled lightly and waved his hand. "General Yun, please stay calm." Nearby, Zhuo Jing chuckled and said, "General Yun, don’t you see that Commander Xu isn’t here" Yún Tíng then realized that Xu Qingfeng, who had been with them all along, was nowhere to be seen. Xu Qingfeng was the leader of a unit under Qilin; his presence meant Qilin’s was there as well. It would be much more convenient and safer for Qilin to go scout ahead rather than him leading people to do it.

Yún Tíng felt somewhat embarrassed as he sat down. Lü Jinxian smiled at Yún Tíng, saying, "It’s good that General Yun is willing to charge forward fearlessly. It seems we’ve gained a few more great generals in these many years." Real leaders who could oversee the entire army were not easy to come by; even the valiant Mo Army only had Lü Jinxian and Zhang Qilan as renowned commanders of their era. Unfortunately, they both fell silent during the period when the Mo Army was suppressed for several years, thus missing out on the best time. If it hadn’t been so, their fame would not have been limited to what it is now. Now under the Mo Army’s command were Yun Ting, He Su, Chen Yun, Sun Yaowu, Zhou Min and Fu Zhao; though they were still young, they all had promising futures. Just take Yún Tíng for example: although he was less than thirty in age, his military achievements made him stand out among the younger generation of generals. Clearly, he would be a rising star among future generals.

Yun Ting felt somewhat embarrassed by Lü Jinxian’s praise and touched his head as he looked at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled and said, "It’s good to charge forward fearlessly but a general should also consider the consequences of acting without forethought."

"Thank you for your guidance," Yun Ting said somewhat embarrassedly. He knew that his greatest weakness was occasionally acting rashly. Because he was young and had a personality that easily made people feel uneasy, it gave others an impression that he wasn’t as reliable or steady as Chen Yun and the rest. That left Yun Ting feeling helpless because every time he wanted to improve himself, there was a saying that江山易改本性難移 (one’s nature is hard to change), which meant that his personality wasn’t easy to change. Ye Li did not press him about it; after all, he was still young and although occasionally reckless, he wasn’t completely rash. As he grew older and gained more experience in life, he would naturally become more steady.

Lü Jinxian chuckled and said, "Duchess is being too strict with General Yun. In my spare time these past years, I’ve written down some insights; if General Yun doesn’t mind, you may take a look at them."

Hearing this, Yún Tíng was stunned. One knew that the insights of military leaders, especially those of renowned commanders, were priceless treasures and other than fathers or teachers, no one else could see them.

Seeing Yun Ting staring blankly, Ye Li coughed lightly and bowed respectfully at Lü Jinxian, saying, "Yun Ting." Yún Tíng came to his senses in delight; he hurriedly said, "Thank you, General Lü. I will study diligently and not let down your expectations."

Lü Jinxian laughed loudly as he helped Yun Ting up, saying, "General Yun is being too polite." Zhuo Jing looked at the two of them and smiled, saying, "Since General Lü and General Yun get along so well, why don’t you take him on as a student"

Zhuo Jing had not finished speaking when Lyu Jinxian did not have time to speak, Yun Ting bowed in front of Lyu Jinxian first, "Student greets the master and requests for guidance." Upon hearing this, Lyu Jinxian was stunned and turned his head towards Ye Li beside him. Lyu Jinxian had already passed the age of forty and although he had a son, his son did not follow in his footsteps as much as he would like; instead, his son loved literature more than martial arts. He was currently studying at Lishan College now. Being able to take Yun Ting, an outstanding young talent from the Mohist Army, as a disciple and pass down all that he had learned throughout his life to him was something Lyu Jinxian was willing to do naturally. Just considering the relationship of being a master and apprentice with Yun Ting, who is close to the Princess Consort Dingwang, made Lyu Jinxian very happy. Not only that, Yun Ting himself was also very capable too. However, since Yun Ting was close to the Princess Consort Dingwang, it would still be necessary for him to ask Ye Li's opinion on this matter as well.

Ye Li smiled and said, "General Lyu is not willing to take Yun Ting in because he thinks his disciple has a poor talent"

Lyu Jinxian only felt reassured when hearing her words. He nodded with a smile and bent down to help Yun Ting up while saying, “Yun Ting doesn’t need to be so formal.” Yun Ting knew that Lyu Jinxian had agreed to take him as his disciple after this, hence he was overjoyed, "Thank you master."

Lyu Jinxian felt happy for gaining a new excellent apprentice too but still said seriously, “Follow the rules of conduct in the army.” Yun Ting nodded and replied, “Yes. Thank you General Lyu.”

“Report to General Lyu, Commander Xu requests an audience with him,” one of the guards outside reported. Everyone was stirred by this news and Lyu Jinxian hurriedly said, "Let Commander Xu in." Xu Qingfeng walked into the hall in his yellowish-green clothes.

Yun Ting curiously looked at Xu Qingfeng from head to toe and asked, “Third Young Master, what is that outfit you are wearing” It was not because Yun Ting had never seen such an outfit before; instead it was just that the Mohist Army always wore black clothes which gave them a mysterious aura. The current outfit Xu Qingfeng was wearing did not match his temperament at all.

Xu Qingfeng rolled his eyes and said, “Should I wear nightwear to scout ahead” Nightwear is indeed very useful during the night, but one would be asking for trouble if he wore black clothes around in broad daylight.

Lyu Jinxian asked seriously, "Did you find anything"

Xu Qingfeng nodded and said, “General Lyu’s guess was right. There are no birds or people on the mountain path. However… I faintly smelled the scent of tung oil.” Xu Qingfeng frowned upon saying these words.

“Tung oil” Lyu Jinxian frowned and looked at Ye Li who sat beside him, “Princess Consort Dingwang, this shortcut cannot be used then.” Regardless if Chu’s army intended to set the mountain on fire or not, the Mohist Army could not take such a risk. As the saying goes, water and fire are merciless, and it was now winter when all plants were dying off; with tung oil added in as an accelerant, regardless of how well-prepared they would be, once they enter the mountain path, Chu’s army will set the mountain on fire and their army would have nowhere to run. Moreover, considering what Mo Jingli knew about his character, he wouldn’t mind burning down a few mountains if it meant destroying the Mohist Army.

Ye Li nodded and Lin Han took out an enormous map and spread it open on the large table beside them. Lyu Jinxian walked up to the map and thought deeply, “If we take another route, then we will be delayed by a few days.” This time, Chu’s army had used a tactic that was obvious; they made you aware of the ambush in front of you, and if you advance, Chu’s army would set fire. If you didn’t advance, Chu’s army could use more time to take control over more land and occupy more advantageous positions.

Ye Li frowned while looking at the map and asked, “What are your plans General Lyu”

Lyu Jinxian thought for a moment, stroking his chin as he looked at the map. After some time, he said, "I need Princess Consort Dingwang’s help." Ye Li smiled and replied, “You and I belong to one family now; if there is anything you need done as the general of the army, just order me around.” Lyu Jinxian nodded and without further ado, said seriously, “Please ask Princess Consort Dingwang to lead Yun Ting with twenty million soldiers through another route.”

Ye Li looked up at Lu Jinxian and asked, "General Lu still wants to take the shortcut" Although this path was shorter, it was also fraught with danger. Even without any action from the Great Chu forces, setting fire to the tung oil buried along the mountain pass would be enough to destroy the Mo army utterly. Twenty thousand troops were not two thousand people; once they caught on fire, fewer than 20% of them might escape.

Lu Jinxian looked at Ye Li with a calm expression and said indifferently, "I remember there is another way through here, but it will take some time. May the Princess Consort lead her troops first. If that doesn’t work, I’ll bring the army from behind." Ye Li studied the map for a moment; she knew that even those who had undergone specialized training might not be able to draw all of this accurately. Moreover, the map was quite small and did not show some more hidden places. She asked, "Does General Lu plan to exit at which location"

Lu Jinxian pointed to a spot on the map. Ye Li pondered for a moment before nodding, saying, “Alright, this Consort will arrive here within seven days. Then we can attack the Mo army from both sides and strike their garrison here. Does General Lu think that’s feasible” After taking a careful look at it, he could not help but laugh as he clapped his hands and said, "Princess Consort has good eyes." Ye Li smiled slightly and said, “Commander Xu and Qi Lin will stay with General Lu.” Ye Li knew that the path Lu Jinxian wanted to take would certainly be challenging; therefore, she left Commander Xu Qingfeng and Qi Lin with him as a safeguard.

Lu Jinxian understood Ye Li’s good intentions and was deeply moved. He hurriedly refused, saying, “No, Qi Lin should still stay with Princess Consort…” Ye Li shook her head and said, "General Lu need not worry; Qin Feng has already arrived in the north. He will naturally make proper arrangements." Qin Feng was the commander of Qi Lin, capable of directly mobilizing all troops under his command. With him around, there would be no shortage of people to use.

With Ye Li’s insistence, Lu Jinxian could only give up and thanked her before saying, “May Princess Consort take care.”

Ye Li smiled calmly, "General Lu, you must also stay safe."

The next morning, Lu Jinxian led tens of thousands of troops outside the mountain pass to prepare for a forced passage. But the Chu forces who had been lying in wait near the pass felt uneasy because they did not think that Lu Jinxian would choose this route; after all, he was an experienced general and could not be unaware of how dangerous the mountain path truly was. Therefore, Mo Jingli did not dispatch many troops to ambush here, but rather just made it seem like there were a lot of troops. But this empty city tactic clearly wouldn’t deceive Lu Jinxian, even though they could set fire to the mountains as well. However, that would be their last resort; after all, it was winter and once the fire started, who knew when it might end.

“What should we do” The general in charge of the ambush frowned deeply at the situation before him and turned his head to ask someone beside him.

The comrade next to him furrowed his brows and said, “Don’t rush. This place is easy to defend but difficult to attack; Lu Jinxian won’t be able to break through in a short time. Quickly send a fast horse to inform Prince Li and Marquis Mu Yang.” Ultimately, the Mo army and Chu army were still one family; nobody wanted to kill each other in such a terrible way unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, facing the battle-hardened Mo army made Chu forces fear them instinctively.

However, the Chu forces on the mountain did not know that as they hurriedly reported the movements of the Mo army by fast horse, Ye Li had already led another group to take a detour and leave.

In the Great Chu camp, when Mo Jingli saw the secret letter before him, he frowned deeply. The others below noticed this and hurriedly asked, “Your Majesty, is there something going on with the Mo army” Mo Jingli said in a deep voice, "Lu Jinxian is preparing to forcefully cross the mountain pass Old Marquis Mu, has your plan really worked

The old Marquis Mu Yang also frowned heavily and said in a solemn voice, "If Lu Jinxian truly wants to pass through there, I guarantee that his entire army will be wiped out. However... based on my understanding of Lu Jinxian, he wouldn’t be such an idiot to seek death."

The old Marquis Mu Yang did not originally intend for this place to completely annihilate the Mohist army; he merely wanted to slow down their progress. Moreover, with Lu Jinxian and Ye Li’s abilities, the possibility of successfully ambushing them in such a location was less than zero. It was precisely because of this that Lu Jinxian's actions were incomprehensible.

Muyang asked, "Could it be to provide cover Could Prince Ding and Lu Jinxian have divided their forces The small group of troops left behind by Lu Jinxian could merely be a diversionary tactic"

The old Marquis Mu Yang replied, "Dividing the forces is highly likely. Nevertheless, the prince still needs to monitor the situation on the main road. But Prince Ding and Lu Jinxian only have forty thousand troops in total. According to reports, at least over two hundred thousand of them are stationed outside the mountain pass. What use would it be for Prince Ding’s wife to lead ten thousand troops Furthermore, concerning military strategy... I fear that Prince Ding’s wife may not even compare with Lu Jinxian in terms of ability. Wouldn’t that mean putting the cart before the horse"

Even though Ye Li had previously defeated several prominent generals including Prince Zhen Nan and pacified the northern border, veteran commanders like the old Marquis Mu Yang could deduce from analyzing battle situations that she was not particularly proficient in military tactics. She often executed unexpected maneuvers but excelled at manipulating and influencing the situation outside of the battlefield to influence the overall campaign rather than having divine military knowledge.

Le Tengfeng, sitting on a guest seat with his eyes lowered, also pondered over Lu Jinxian’s intentions, just as puzzled as the old Marquis Mu Yang.

Mojingli frowned and said, "Since Lu Jinxian has set up his defenses here, but our forces are clearly insufficient Should we send reinforcements"

The old Marquis Mu Yang was silent for a moment before saying, "If His Majesty merely intends to block Lu Jinxian's advance, the forces currently in hiding should be sufficient. I guarantee that within ten days, Lu Jinxian will not be able to pass through. If His Majesty wants to wipe out his troops..." The fewer than thirty thousand hidden troops were clearly insufficient to defeat Lu Jinxian’s over two hundred thousand-strong army. The old Marquis Mu Yang did not believe that Lu Jinxian would obediently march into the mountain pass for them to set fire.

Mojingli was moved; Lu Jinxian, a famous general in Mohist forces, enjoyed widespread fame and prestige—only Zhang Qilan and Yuan Pei could compare with him after Mo Xiuyao. If they could eliminate Lu Jinxian’s army at once, it would be a significant boost to the morale of Chu's army, which had been low since their expedition.

After some silence, Mojingli finally made up his mind and said in a solemn voice, "Mu Yang, lead ten thousand troops there for reinforcement. No matter what, you must defeat Lu Jinxian’s forces."

Muyang hurriedly stood up and replied loudly, "This subordinate accepts the mission!"

Le Tengfeng wanted to say something but seeing Mojingli's determined expression, he silently refrained.

The old Marquis Mu Yang looked at Mojingli and said, "I suspect that Prince Ding’s wife will take a detour. She should meet our forces within seven or eight days. Your Majesty, do you need someone to intercept her"

Mojingli waved his hand and said, "No need. Let her come! I’ll see just what abilities Ye Li has to defeat several West Jing’s famous generals consecutively." This was somewhat impolite in front of Le Tengfeng, but it was a fact that Ye Li had defeated Prince Zhen Nan and the Jingguo army led by Zhu Yang. Even Le Tengfeng could not refute this.

Le Tengfeng did not get angry but smiled faintly, "Your Majesty should be more cautious. Although my father was defeated by Prince Ding’s wife, he has always highly praised her strategies. Many people have suffered losses from her. For example, Ren Qining in the former northern border is a tragic example of losing both country and family."

Le Tengfeng's words seemed very polite but sounded particularly harsh to Mojingli’s ears. The reason was simple; Mojingli himself had also suffered losses at Ye Li’s hands, which happened even closer in time than Ren Qining's misfortune.

Mojingli let out a light snort and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Prince Zhen Nan."

Ley Feng smiled without saying a word. Of course, he knew why Mo Jingli was unhappy. Although not many people knew what had happened at the Regency王府 in Nanjing, after several months had passed, relying on some clues, it was enough for Lei Zhen霆 to deduce some confidential information from it. For example, the whereabouts of the Duchess during that period, or the sudden disappearance and mysterious return of Qingchen公子 to Li City. Or again, the two duchesses of Mo Jingli who disappeared one after another, with one dying of illness and the other disappearing without a trace. Combining this with Mo Jingli's ascension to the throne, many questions were self-evident.

Whether or not Mo Jingli was willing to underestimate Ye Li was his own business; there was no way to blame him if he suffered later on for it. Since Mo Jingli wouldn't listen to advice, Lei Feng didn't pay attention anymore but instead lowered his gaze and began calculating the troops that had been brought under his command.

Seeing Lei Feng tactfully stop speaking, Mo Jingli nodded approvingly. After ascending to the throne, he couldn't bear others' dissenting opinions any more, let alone someone like Lei Feng who had always treated him with a coldness and distance even though he was only a prince. Seeing Lei Feng being respectful and obedient before him, Mo Jingli felt particularly pleased.

Standing up, Mo Jingli waved his hand: "That's that for now; Mu Yang will lead the troops to intercept Lu Jin賢, while I personally lead my army to meet Ye Li!"

Seeing Mo Jingli rise and walk into the resting area behind him, the old Marquis Mu frowned slightly, with a subtle worry etched on his brows. He still felt that sending Mu Yang with ten thousand troops was completely meaningless. Wanting to wipe out Lu Jin賢 entirely there seemed even more unrealistic. But Mo Jingli wouldn't listen to advice. Although he had been loyal to Mo Jingli for only a short time, the old Marquis Mu who was adept at pleasing others had already thoroughly understood what kind of person Mo Jingli really was.

"Father, what's wrong" Seeing his father frown, Mu Yang asked with some worry.

The old Marquis Mu shook his head and whispered: "Be extremely careful on this trip. Lu Jin賢 is a famous general in the Mo family army; you mustn't underestimate him. If it can't be done, there's no need to force yourself."

"Yes, father." Looking at his father though somewhat puzzled, Mu Yang still answered respectfully. The old Marquis Mu shook his head and sighed softly: "Well then, let's go back."

--- Omake ---

Ha ha, the new year is over. Happy New Year, dear readers! I'm going to Chengdu tomorrow~study will be different from them. And the tasks you’ll have to carry out in the future will differ as well."One of them stood up and asked, "What’s the difference"Ye Li said candidly, "Their future t...