Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 126. Great Chu’s Number One Master

Chapter 126: The Top Martial Artist of Great Chu

"Mu Qingcang!" Feng Zhiyao frowned at the man in black who had appeared in the courtyard.

Hearing this, Ye Li raised an intrigued eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Great Chu’s foremost expert... Mu Qingcang? To deploy even such an exceptional master, your superior truly holds this Princess Consort in high regard."

Mu Qingcang’s expression was cold as he said flatly, "I don’t understand what the Princess Consort means. Night Assassination takes money to do its job. What does it matter who the esteemed superior is?"

Ye Li’s shapely eyebrows rose, her eyes glinting with a teasing light as she gazed at him. For some reason, Mu Qingcang seemed unable to withstand her gaze and looked away, somewhat disconcerted.

Ye Li tilted her head, appraising him for a few moments, then said with a faint smile, "Great Chu’s foremost expert? This Princess Consort thinks that might be a bit of an overstatement, don’t you?"

"What right do you have to say that?!" Mu Qingcang’s eyes flashed with a murderous aura as he turned back to glare at Ye Li. Princess Consort Ding could insult his actions, even his character, but she absolutely could not insult his dignity as Great Chu’s foremost expert.

He glanced at the people standing around them and sneered, "Just based on these juniors..." He trailed off, his face turning ugly as he met Ye Li’s mocking gaze and swallowed the rest of his words. No matter how these people had captured him, the fact remained that they had captured Great Chu’s foremost expert with almost no losses. Since ancient times, it has been said that in scholarship there is no first, and in martial arts, no second. Even if you have heaven-defying abilities, a loss is a loss.

Ye Li nodded and smiled. "It’s true they had some luck in defeating you today. But you’d best believe that, let alone one Mu Qingcang, even if several more Mu Qingcangs came, this Princess Consort would capture them all the same."

Mu Qingcang chuckled coldly, clearly unconvinced.

Ye Li didn’t get angry and continued, "When I said the title of Great Chu’s foremost expert was an overstatement, it wasn’t because you lost to them. It was because... you’ve grown old."

Mu Qingcang’s heart lurched. He was not yet forty, which was not old for a martial artist. But he was indeed growing old. Among the Four Great Experts, the oldest, the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling, had lost an arm in a duel with Mo Liufang but still wielded power in Xiling, his fame resounding. Next was Pavilion Master Ling Tiehan of the King of Hell Pavilion; though a fellow member of the worldly society, the King of Hell Pavilion’s reputation was such that even the nobles of the four nations dared not easily offend him. The youngest, Mo Xiuyao, Prince Ding of Great Chu, though crippled by severe injuries in his youth, had also become famous in his youth and was known as the Young War God. And he... he was a few years older than Ling Tiehan. Though he held the title of Great Chu’s foremost expert, he could only guard Night Assassination and slowly grow old. He could neither fight on the battlefield nor roam freely in the worldly society. Even when people spoke of the title ’Great Chu’s foremost expert,’ they would often sigh with regret: if Prince Ding hadn’t suffered misfortune in his youth, the title would likely have changed hands long ago... His face twisted, gradually turning ashen.

Ye Li looked at the dejected middle-aged man before her with some sympathy, sighing inwardly. Mu Qingcang’s abilities and ambitions should have made him a formidable figure in his own right. Unfortunately, he was constrained by others, caught in a difficult position. The title of Great Chu’s foremost expert wasn’t so easy to bear.

"Since I’ve been defeated by you, kill me or torture me, as you please," Mu Qingcang said coldly, his eyes dim, tinged with despair.

Ye Li waved her hand. "Take him away. Mr. Mu, Ye Li respects you as a master. You had best not do anything foolish, like attempting suicide or escape."

Mu Qingcang snorted lightly and allowed the guards beside him to lead him away.

Only then did Feng Zhiyao seem to recover. He brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes and rubbed his forehead as he walked over. "That man... How could that man be Mu Qingcang?!"

Ye Li smiled. "And why couldn’t he be Mu Qingcang?"

Feng Zhiyao lamented, "But he’s Mu Qingcang! Great Chu’s foremost expert, a man of noble character, unmoved by power and status. Back then, when the Emperor offered him a general’s position, he refused, claiming he had no interest in officialdom and was dedicated to studying martial arts. So, all these years of dedicated study were for becoming an assassin?" Night Assassination is indeed good, but compared to the King of Hell Pavilion, another assassin organization, it’s far inferior, isn’t it?

Ye Li lowered her gaze, her red lips curving slightly. "To hold the world’s power when awake, to rest on a beauty’s lap when drunk. These are the pursuits of men. Mu Qingcang desires neither power nor beauty. Do you think that’s possible?"

"He loves martial arts!" Feng Zhiyao asserted.

"How much better do you think his martial arts are compared to the other three experts?" Ye Li asked, glancing sideways.

Feng Zhiyao touched his nose and fell silent. Mu Qingcang’s martial arts were indeed very high. However, Feng Zhiyao clearly felt some disappointment regarding his title as Great Chu’s foremost expert, because he wasn’t significantly better than the other three experts. In fact, in some aspects, he was even slightly lacking. The other three, however, were all busy people burdened with various duties. This contrast made Mu Qingcang seem... less impressive in person than by reputation. "Princess Consort, what do you plan to do with Mu Qingcang? He is, after all, from the Mu Family."

"So what if he’s from the Mu Family?" Ye Li asked with a smile.

Feng Zhiyao frowned. "While we don’t fear the Mu Family, having an additional enemy is always somewhat troublesome. The Mu Family has always been neutral. If, because of him..."

Ye Li shook her head. "Third Feng, doesn’t Mu Qingcang’s presence here make you think of anything? A man of Mu Qingcang’s stature and background—do you really think he would oppose King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion for money?"

Feng Zhiyao was stunned, his expression turning slightly grim. It wasn’t that he couldn’t think of it, but rather that he was unwilling to. Although he wasn’t a blood relative of the Ding Kingdom’s royal family, he had practically grown up with Mo Xiuyao. He knew very well how much King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion had sacrificed for Great Chu, efforts that even included his own. So, whenever he saw those who were once on good terms ruthlessly attacking King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion, he felt not only disappointment and anger but also a boundless chill in his heart.

Ye Li said calmly, "One serves the master whose bread one eats. That’s all."

Feng Zhiyao shook his head, dispelling the displeasure in his heart, and smiled with raised eyebrows. "What does the Princess Consort intend to do?"

Ye Li smiled. "What could I intend? If the Mu Family can pay the price, we’ll return Mu Qingcang to them. That would also avoid damaging relations between our families. If they can’t pay... well, I see no need to keep a highly skilled enemy alive in this world, do you?"

「By the time the sounds of fighting outside had completely vanished, it was nearly the fifth night watch. In the distant sky, a faint sliver of dawn was beginning to appear.」

Ye Li led her people out of the main courtyard. The thick scent of blood filled the air. Standing before the round moon gate outside the main courtyard, they looked out at a scene of carnage, with rivers of blood and bodies strewn everywhere. Qingluan and Qingyu, following behind Ye Li, couldn’t help but rush to the side, bend over, and vomit at the sight. Ye Li closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, only a cool, clear light flowed within her gaze.

"Greetings, Princess Consort!" From all corners of the courtyard, the people standing with swords and sabers in hand all looked towards the woman in white at the entrance and called out respectfully.

Ye Li’s expression was solemn. She nodded slightly. "You have all worked hard tonight."

Zhang Qilan, drenched in blood, said seriously, "Protecting King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion is the duty and honor of our Mo Family Army. Princess Consort, you are too kind."

"Reporting to the Princess Consort, the Emperor is here," an outer gate steward announced, rushing in. Despite his haste, he remained composed.

Ye Li was somewhat surprised and raised an eyebrow. "The Emperor is here?"

The steward nodded. "Indeed. The imperial procession is already less than two li away. Should we go out to greet him?"

Ye Li smiled charmingly. "Since His Majesty has taken the trouble to come from the palace to King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion so late at night, how could we, as his subjects, not go to welcome him? Chief Steward Mo, please take some men and go out to welcome His Majesty first."

Chief Steward Mo respectfully complied and, with a wave of his hand, led his men out. Ye Li looked at the people in the courtyard and, pursing her lips, smiled. "Let’s all go out to welcome the Emperor as well."

Outside the magnificent gates of King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion, the bodies that had strewn the wide street had been quickly removed. However, the street, stained crimson with blood, was not so easily cleaned. Under the lamplight, the dark red bloodstains looked even more eerily chilling. The imperial dragon carriage, escorted by a large contingent of the Imperial Army, slowly approached. The attendant eunuch lifted the carriage curtain, and Mo Jingqi, dressed in imperial regalia, stooped and stepped out. As he looked down and saw the dark red covering the ground, his expression changed slightly. He frowned at Chief Steward Mo, who was standing by the street in welcome. "Where is Princess Consort Ding?"

Chief Steward Mo said in a low voice, "The Princess Consort was somewhat startled and her attire is disheveled. Please forgive her for the delay in receiving Your Majesty."

Mo Jingqi paused, then immediately smiled. "It is good that Princess Consort Ding is unharmed. With Prince Ding not in the Capital City, if anything were to happen to the Princess Consort, I would not be able to explain it to Prince Ding."

Watching Mo Jingqi being helped down from the dragon carriage by a eunuch, Chief Steward Mo stepped back and bowed his head. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Please, come inside."

Of course, Mo Jingqi was not alone. Following the dragon carriage were the high officials and nobles of the Capital City. At this moment, regardless of their true thoughts, they all wore expressions of worry, lingering fear, and profound relief. Chief Steward Mo observed this, his experienced old eyes, which had seen the ways of the world, showing not a hint of warmth.

Mo Jingqi turned to the officials and said, "Since that is the case, all of you, my ministers, accompany me inside to visit Princess Consort Ding."

Zhang Qilan stepped forward, frowning. "Your Majesty, the Prince is not in the Capital City at this time. Is it not somewhat inappropriate for so many officials to enter King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion together?"

Mo Jingqi’s eyes flickered as he stared at Zhang Qilan. "General Zhang? I recall you command tens of thousands of troops near the Capital City. Why are you here?"

Zhang Qilan did not evade his gaze and said solemnly, "Before his departure, the Prince entrusted the safety of King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion to me. Recently, King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion has been far from peaceful, so this subordinate led men back to the Capital City to guard it. Regarding this matter... this subordinate submitted a petition to Your Majesty, but I have yet to receive Your Majesty’s decree. However, the safety of King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion is as important as Mount Tai, so this subordinate had no choice but to return to the Capital City first. I beg Your Majesty’s punishment."

Mo Jingqi felt like he was about to cough up old blood. Zhang Qilan’s petition was probably mixed in with those reporting the successive assassination attempts on King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. He couldn’t even be bothered to look at such petitions and had simply tossed them aside. But now, he couldn’t deny it or punish Zhang Qilan in front of everyone. Because Zhang Qilan had submitted a petition to him beforehand, if he disagreed, it would mean he was prepared to leave King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion to its fate. Even though this was his true intention, he couldn’t let others know.

Forcing a smile, Mo Jingqi said, "General Zhang, you overstate things. General Zhang’s dedication to the country is truly a model for the military officers of our Great Chu. For your meritorious service in protecting King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion today, I will surely reward you heavily in the future."

Before Zhang Qilan could offer his thanks, a clear and elegant female voice came from within the gates, "His Majesty is wise. In that case, Ye Li thanks Your Majesty on behalf of General Zhang."