trothal gifts. What was originally considered decent now seemed less sincere when compared with it. Therefore, Minister Ye happily invited Grand Scholar Su and Huo Laogong along with Dingwang to his s...389. The Calculations in the Defense Map

In Mu Yang's tent, Yao Ji was embroidering. A figure darted into the tent quickly, making Yao Ji alert and look up with a start. She relaxed when she saw who it was but asked worriedly, "What are you doing here"

The person entering was Qin Feng. He wore ordinary Chu army attire and had only slightly altered his appearance, so those familiar with him would still recognize him, but strangers might have difficulty identifying him right away. Qin Feng glanced at Yao Ji who was sitting on the couch. She had taken off her beautiful and gorgeous clothes, wearing a simple green robe over white fox fur cloak instead. Compared to before, she now looked more gentle and graceful.

Qin Feng's stern eyes softened slightly as he smiled faintly, "Don't worry; there are no outsiders around." Yao Ji nodded; she knew that the guards near this tent were all covert soldiers of the Mohist army and the Qilins arranged by Qin Feng, so she didn’t need to fear discovery while speaking with Mu Lie. Knowing Qin Feng wouldn’t appear without reason, Yao Ji put down her embroidery and stood up to ask, "Is something wrong"

Qin Feng said, “General Lu and the Queen Consort are almost here, but General Lu's troops were blocked by Chu forces two hundred miles away. Just now, Mo Jingli ordered Mu Yang to lead ten thousand soldiers for reinforcement with the intention of wiping out General Lu’s army.” Yao Ji frowned slightly and asked, "Then where is the Queen Consort" Qin Feng replied, “The Queen Consort should be taking another route. I need to leave the camp to meet her; everything in the Chu encampment will depend on you now.”

Yao Ji nodded and said, “You can rest assured. By the way,” she pulled out a hairpin from her head and placed it in Qin Feng's hand, "This is the defense map of the Chu army that I saw with Mu Yang. Please be careful."

Qin Feng raised his eyebrows slightly, twisted the hairpin gently, splitting it into two halves to reveal a tiny scroll inside. He took out the scroll and memorized what was drawn on it before casually tossing it into the nearby charcoal pot. Then he reassembled the hairpin and placed it back in Yao Ji's hair. “Gold hairpins are too eye-catching in army camps, making them easy for others to spot… but I can keep this one.”

Yao Ji blushed slightly; even though she was past thirty, her snow-white fox fur cloak still highlighted her delicate face beautifully. She turned away and said calmly, “You should hurry back. Take care of yourself."

Qin Feng wasn't in a rush but thoughtfully looked at Yao Ji and asked, "Are you worried about me"

Yao Ji was taken aback for a moment before sighing and saying, “After this matter is concluded, if we both survive… I will give you an answer."

This straightforward response from Yao Ji was unprecedented for Qin Feng. Although it wasn't a direct affirmation of her feelings, she had never given such a clear reply about them to him before. Not wanting to press her further, Qin Feng said softly, "Don’t worry; we will all survive. I need to leave now." With that, he turned and left the tent.

Yao Ji stared at the empty tent somewhat absent-mindedly. She shouldn't be dwelling on such things now, but she found herself unable to help it. Long ago, she had realized that Mu Yang might have been a dream for every woman, but Qin Feng was more like someone who could provide safety and loyalty to women. With his position in the Dingwang Mansion and before Prince Dingwang, what beautiful ladies hadn’t he seen Why should he wait for her, an aging woman past thirty with a child But compared to Mu Yang from the past, Yao Ji didn't want Qin Feng to be damaged.

"Yao Ji." Mu Yang came in from outside and was momentarily stunned to see Yao Ji standing blankly in the middle of the tent. He asked gently, "Yao Ji, what's wrong" Yao Ji slightly narrowed her eyes, a resolute expression flickering across them, but a faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips as she shook her head and said, "Nothing much, just daydreaming. Do you need something"

With some regret, Mu Yang replied, "I will be leading troops into battle shortly. If there's anything urgent, send someone to find Father." Although the old Duke of MuYang was displeased that his son had taken a woman and child with him on campaign, even the emperor and commander-in-chief Mo Jingli hadn't said anything about it, so he naturally wouldn’t either. Besides, Mu Lie was still his only grandson; even if he wasn't happy about it, he would take care of them.

Yao Ji nodded and turned to walk inside. "Is there something I need to pack for you"

Mu Yang pulled her back and said, "No need, it’s not far away. It will probably be no more than a few days before I return. Just take care of Lie Er properly, Yao Ji… after this northern campaign concludes, the Emperor will certainly reward us according to our merits. Then I’ll request that he bestow upon you an official rank and title as a Lady with Imperial Decree. Afterward, I won’t have to worry about you or Lie Er being treated unfairly."

Yao Ji gently pushed away Mu Yang’s embrace and said lightly, "As long as Lie Er is safe and sound, I don't need any rank or title." Mu Yang smiled faintly, thinking she was just being modest.

"Even if it's only for a few days, bring some clothes. It’s still very cold up north," Yao Ji said as she turned to pack things away. Seeing that she insisted, Mu Yang didn’t argue further and walked over to one side with a smile to look at official documents.

Not long after, Mu Lie came in. Upon seeing his father there, he hurriedly bowed and asked, "Father, are they not ready to say you’re leaving for war" Mu Lie curiously questioned. Mu Yang picked him up and placed him on his lap with a smile. "Yes, Father is leaving tonight. Lie Er must listen well to your mother." Mu Lie nodded. "I understand."

Mu Yang was very pleased that his son, who usually didn’t like being close to people, sat quietly in his lap. He simply picked up Mu Lie and started reading official documents, unaware that the eight-year-old child in his arms was skimming through them at a glance with every page flipped. Whenever Mu Yang turned the page, Mu Lie would flash a look of focus as he diligently memorized what he saw.

"Old Duke." The guards outside saluted together.

Mu Yang looked up to see the Old Duke of MuYang entering from outside and quickly stood. "Father." The old duke naturally had seen Mu Yang holding Mu Lie while looking through official documents, and he frowned slightly. "You’re about to set off on campaign; how can you not be ready"

Mu Yang smiled. "Yao Ji is packing things for me. Everything is ready. Father needn’t worry." The old duke nodded and said, "That’s good. Lu Jinxian is a renowned general of the Mo Family Army; be sure to exercise caution." Mu Yang looked at his father in puzzlement. It wasn't as if this was his first campaign, nor had he just been given similar advice inside the main tent, "Father, but… is there something wrong"

The old duke shook his head and said, "Nothing much. I’m just a little worried about you." What the old duke hadn’t mentioned was that since this campaign began, he had felt an ominous premonition vaguely all along. But now his son was setting off to war; such inauspicious words couldn't be spoken.

Mu Yang understood and laughed loudly. "Now we have the upper hand. Even if I can’t achieve a decisive victory against Lu Jinxian, there won’t be any danger. Father needn’t worry."

The Old Mu Yang Hou also did not understand what else he was worrying about, and could only nod his head, thinking that as an old man, he should be more cautious. Yao Ji came out with the packed luggage. Seeing the Old Mu Yang Hou, she was momentarily taken aback before bowing slightly and saying, "Old Marquis."

The Old Mu Yang Hou nodded. Although he had some reservations about Yao Ji's status, since she gave birth to Mulie, who was a son for him in recent years, her behavior has been more proper than that of Sun氏, the principal wife. The Old Mu Yang Hou could not scold her either and merely instructed, "After Yang leaves on his expedition, you should take Lielie and stay properly within the tent; do not wander around."

Yao Ji obediently nodded in agreement, saying, "I understand, please rest assured, Old Marquis."

Mulie stood beside Mu Yang and said obediently, "Grandfather, Lielie will listen to his mother's words."

The Old Mu Yang Hou was satisfied with this reply, so he turned around and left. As he walked past the entrance of the main tent, he looked back at the desk where Yang had been sitting and said, "Do not bring official documents or battle reports back here in the future."

After seeing off the Old Mu Yang Hou, Mu Yang bid farewell to Yao Ji and Mulie before leaving with the luggage she had prepared. Inside the tent, Mulie and Yao Ji looked at each other for a long time. Yao Ji frowned and said, "Did Mu Yang Hou find out"

Mulie's small face scrunched up as he thought about it for a moment before saying, "I don't think so. He probably thinks that it’s not appropriate to bring such things back here." Even the shrewdest old man like the Old Mu Yang Hou would never suspect an eight or nine-year-old grandson. If he had found out Mulie's true identity, then his instructions would have been different.

Yao Ji nodded and said, "In any case, we should still be careful."

"I know, don't worry. By the way... I just saw a few positions where Chu troops were hiding; I will draw them out and send it to General Lu later."

"Alright."

The same evening as Mu Yang left the Chu army camp, a secret letter was sent to where Lu Jinqian was located.

After saying goodbye to Lu Jinqian, Ye Li led 200,000 troops and took another route around the narrow shortcut, heading south via the official road. They marched quickly, reaching a location not far from the Chu army camp after just two or three days before setting up camp there without proceeding further. This disappointed Mo Jingli, who had been waiting for them. He naturally hoped that Ye Li would bring her troops directly to engage in battle with the Chu forces. In this scenario, he was at least 80% confident of completely defeating the Mo Family Army.

In the military camp of the Mo Family Army, Qin Feng, who had just arrived from the Chu army camp, also appeared here. Although several months had passed since they last saw each other, everyone around Ye Li still got along well with Qin Feng. Yun Ting did not hesitate to walk up and put his hand on Qin Feng's shoulder and said with a smile, "Commander Qin is truly elusive; it’s been so long but you suddenly reappeared from the battlefield. Tell me quickly, where have you been enjoying yourself these past few months"

Qin Feng had been following Ye Li by her side. Last time when Ye Li returned from Jiangnan, Qin Feng disappeared as well. The entire army of the Mo Family wasn't completely indifferent to this matter but they didn’t want to pry since it might be an important mission assigned by Commander-in-Chief Wangfei. Now that Qin Feng was back, Yun霆 naturally wanted to know firsthand news without any hesitation.

Zhuo Jing and Lin Han naturally knew the truth but were also curious. They were naturally curious about Qin Feng's personal issues. Ye Li had a lot of subordinates around her, but none special compared to Qin Feng. He was not only assigned by Duke Ding personally as his bodyguard, he was also the leader of Qilin, and the time that he spent following Commander-in-Chief Wangfei might even be more than Zhuo Jing who originally served as a secret agent for Princess Consort of Duke Ding. And the one with the closest relationship with him naturally included Zhuo Jing, Lin Han and Wei Lìn.

Ye Li smiled faintly at Yun霆's words, "Ask privately if you have any questions. Qin Feng, is there news from Chu Army" Qin Feng nodded his head gravely, "Informing Commander-in-Chief Wangfei, the Prince of Zhen'nan Wang Lei Tengfeng appeared in Chu Army camp two days ago and hasn't left since. Also, Mo Jingli sent Mu Yang with 100,000 troops to obstruct General Lu two days prior. And Mo Jingli himself is probably readying his army awaiting Commander-in-Chief Wangfei's arrival."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows slightly, "Lei Tengfeng"

Qin Feng nodded and said, "It is indeed him. Lei Tengfeng was in Chu Army camp but Mo Jingli did not treat him well nor did Lei Tengfeng cause any trouble. But he still hasn't left which seems rather strange." Ye Li thought for a moment before asking, "How does Lei Tengfeng explain it" Qin Feng said, "Lei Tengfeng claims that he is under the orders of Prince of Zhen'nan Wang and has come to await Mo Jingli's instructions. However, Mo Jingli will never let Lei Tengfeng have any contact with Chu Army’s authority. He kept him in a position where he can’t do anything and thus cannot interfere either way. But Lei Tengfeng himself seems not to mind."

Ye Li thought for a moment before furrowing her brows, "Send someone to investigate if Lei Tengfeng has brought troops over."

Qin Feng was slightly stunned and said, "Commander-in-Chief Wangfei means that it’s possible that Lei Tengfeng secretly brought his own troops here to wait for Mo Family Army and Chu Army to exhaust each other before reaping the rewards" After all, on the surface Lei Tengfeng didn’t bring a single soldier into Chu Army camp. But this doesn’t mean he couldn't have stationed them nearby. Ye Li shook her head faintly and said, "It's not certain that he’ll reap rewards but it’s possible that he’ll take advantage of an opportunity to loot."

Qin Feng nodded gravely and said, "Commander-in-Chief Wangfei please rest assured, subordinate will definitely investigate Lei Tengfeng’s intentions. Commander-in-Chief Wangfei here is the battle map received by Yao Ji." Qin Feng presented the map in his hands to Ye Li. Ye Li took it and looked at it before furrowing her brows as she asked, "Is this reliable"

Qin Feng replied, "Subordinate has already sent people to verify, most of it is reliable."

"Most of it" Ye Li said with raised eyebrows in interest. Qin Feng explained, "The battle map is genuine but… there are some places that have mixed truths and falsehoods. Mo Jingli doesn’t trust his officers around him including Mu Yang’s residence." This was something Qin Feng could understand since the Mo Family Army back then had fallen due to this reason almost causing the destruction of Duke Ding’s household. Although this incident didn't involve much with Mo Jingli at that time, he would still take a lesson from it anyway and besides, his inherent suspicion wasn’t less than Mo Jingqi's.

Only Mo Jingli probably hadn’t thought that Qin Feng wouldn’t use the battle map directly after obtaining it. Instead, he used the time before Ye Li’s arrival to send Qilin over to scout all these locations one by one.

Ye Li looked at this piece of paper which was no bigger than a handkerchief but filled with various symbols and maps. The black map was what Qin Feng originally received from Yao Ji while the red writings and symbols were added or crossed out after his verification. Ye Li casually handed over the battle map to Zhuo Jing who soon returned it, having already transformed it into a new battle map.

Ye Li looked at it for a moment before putting down the map and asked, "Do you think this is complete"

Qin Feng pondered for a moment and shook his head. "The Chu Army has 800,000 troops, but I believe that given Mo Jingli's obsession with and enmity towards the Mohist Army, it may be even more than this number. However, from the defensive map, there are fewer than 600,000 people. I think…Mo Jingli might have hidden a trump card."

Ye Li smiled slightly. "Mo Jingli has grown quite resourceful." To counteract the Mohist Army, Mo Jingli had tried everything conceivable and even managed to fabricate so much on this defensive map, far surpassing his usual intelligence. Could this be considered an extraordinary performance

"If you were Mo Jingli, where would you most likely hide those 200,000 troops" Ye Li asked.

Qin Feng lowered his head in thought, while Yun霆stretched his neck to look. He curled the corners of his mouth and said, "If I were Mo Jingli, I’d use these 200,000 troops against the Prince’s Manor. If successful, even if General Lu breaks through the blockade afterwards, he will be surrounded on all sides. Moreover…if Mo Jingli decisively wins against the Lady of the Prince’s Manor, it would be excellent news for the morale of the dispirited Chu Army and a serious blow to both the Mohist Army's and the Prince’s Manor’s morale."

Ye Li smiled gently and said, "Yun霆has indeed grown more resourceful."

Yun霆was about to refute that even an idiot could think of this, but then he realized that if he did so, wouldn’t it mean that he was also as stupid as an idiot He could only grin and say, "It’s because my master taught me well."

Ye Li looked at the map in front of her and pointed to three places on it with her slender fingers. She asked, "Here, here, and here. What do you think" Lin Han said, "If so, our army will immediately be surrounded by the mountains when we leave Cold Valley Pass, plus Mo Jingli's 300,000 troops in front of us. We would at least be besieged by over 300,000 soldiers. However…does Mo Jingli have such a brain" What if they imagined too much and Mo Jingli didn’t think of it, resulting in them scaring themselves.

Qin Feng said, "Even if Mo Jingli doesn't have this idea, Old Mu Yang Hou will." Qin Feng had spent the longest time in the Chu Army camp and was now one of the most valued by Mo Jingli. The veteran commander who was also considered one of the best fighters among the Chu forces naturally knew a lot more. Character does not represent ability; even though many high-ranking officials and nobles despised Old Mu Yang Hou's character, no one could deny his abilities.

Yun霆shrugged and said, "To work with General Lu in a pincer movement, we must leave Cold Valley Pass. Even if there are 300,000 troops ahead, we have to go forward; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to retreat now." Perhaps his master had already wiped out those hidden Chu Army forces and reached the destination by now. If so, they would be late and look bad.

Ye Li rested her forehead in thought for a while before she chuckled softly and said, "Yun霆is right. If we are late, it might harm General Lu."

Upon hearing this from Ye Li, Yun霆became worried as well. "Lady of the Prince’s Manor, what should we do How can we pass through here"

Ye Li pondered for a moment and had an idea. She said in a serious tone, "Yun霆, lead 150,000 troops to forcefully attack Cold Valley Pass."

"Huh" Yun霆was alarmed and looked at Ye Li worriedly. Was the Lady of the Prince’s Manor too anxious Although Cold Valley Pass was not an important frontier fortress, it was the most famous ancient battlefield in Central Plains, a place that has always been contested by military strategists throughout history. It also had the reputation as the strongest pass in Central Plains. This was why Lu Jinxian wanted to take a shortcut around it. If both sides openly faced off at Cold Valley Pass, even with 500,000 troops, they might not be able to conquer it in just a few days. Now that they knew Mo Jingli had set up an ambush here beforehand, these numbers wouldn’t even be enough for the Chu Army to use as a toothpick.

Ye Li smiled coolly and said, "I don't mean you should really force your way through; just make it look like you're going to attack so no one doubts your intentions."

Yunteng was quick to react and asked hurriedly, "Where are you going, Your Grace" If the Princess Consort had him lead a large army in feigning an attack, that must be done to cover her true objective. Ye Li gave a shallow smile and said, "As Buddha says: it cannot be revealed."

Yunteng immediately slumped at this, looking at Ye Li beseechingly and pleaded, "Your Grace, I know that you are probably going off on an adventure. Can’t I tag along This officer is willing to do anything for Your Grace!" Every time the Princess Consort went out secretly to do something exciting, it would turn into a grand event that amazed everyone, making Yunteng envious of people like Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing.

Ye Li looked at him with a half-smile on her face. "Currently in the army, apart from you, I am the only one who can lead an army Do you plan to leave us two behind"

Yunteng slumped even more as he realized that if the Princess Consort didn’t go, there would be no fun, and if she did… it was impossible for him to join her.

Ye Li patted Yunteng's shoulder with a smile. "Your place here is very important too. The amount of work we can do depends on how long you can hold the Chu army at bay without them discovering your plans. If everything goes according to plan, I will personally go and report our success to General Lu for you."

Hearing this, Yunteng instantly perked up again. He had recently started learning from his master, Qinqianxian, through reading some letters he wrote in his spare time while marching with the army. As a result, he was very respectful of his new teacher and regretted not having any achievements to present before him. When Ye Li spoke, he immediately cheered up and said, "Your Grace can rest assured! This officer will make sure nothing hinders Your Grace’s major plans!"

Ye Li nodded her head in satisfaction. "Very well, you may go."

"Yes, this officer will now take his leave," Yunteng bowed and left to count his troops.

The people in the tent laughed at the sight of how quickly Yunteng rushed out of the tent. Lin Han said with a smile, "General Yunteng is close to thirty years old, isn’t he His character... is truly genuine."

Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh as well. In fact, Yunteng wasn’t very young anymore. Even though he was one of the youngest among famous generals in today’s era, over the past few years while fighting for the Mo Family Army, they had few scheming and conniving behaviors that usually occur in other armies. Due to his open personality as well as being Princess Consort Ding’s trusted person, Yunteng got along very well with everyone else in the army. As a result, even though he was getting close to thirty years old, he still maintained an enthusiastic and straightforward character.

Qin Feng looked at Ye Li and asked, "Princess Consort, if General Yunteng can hold off the Chu Army and Mo Jingli, what shall we do"

Ye Li smiled sweetly and said, "We… will go hunting."n total. Many tribes still followed their own rules despite being under royal authority. In today's chaotic wars involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers, Nanzhao joining the fray would be like can...