Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 134. Expedition (3)

134. Setting Out For War (3)

Ten miles from Xinyang City, hundreds of thousands of Xiling troops menacingly eyed the distant city. That city held more allure and significance than a mere border fortress. It contained vast stores of grain and military supplies, the wealth and splendor of the largest city in the Northwest. It would be their true first step in conquering Great Chu. Inside the command tent, the Southern Garrison Prince, already nearing fifty, sat behind his desk. He held a dispatch just delivered by a subordinate, read it for a moment, and then burst into wild laughter. The generals below exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what had pleased the Prince so greatly. Only after he had laughed his fill did he declare loudly, "Mo Liufang! So, you too have met your day! If you were still alive to see the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion in its current predicament, would you regret your past actions?!"

The generals exchanged glances again. One standing at the front stepped forward and asked, "Prince, is there good news?"

The Southern Garrison Prince casually passed the dispatch over, smiling at the assembly. "The King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion truly has no successor; a mere woman is actually in command of their army!" The general who read the dispatch also showed a flicker of surprise on his face. "The Deputy Marshal of Marquis South, and the Princess Consort supervising the army? What does East Chu intend by this?" The Southern Garrison Prince snorted. "They have no other choice. I’ve heard a little about this Marquis South; he’s known for being neutral and uninvolved in worldly affairs. He might pass as a general, but he lacks the capability to command the Mo Family Army. Besides, the military authority of the Mo Family Army isn’t so easily obtained."

"Could it be that the Mo Family Army is now truly in the hands of that Princess Consort?" a general exclaimed in astonishment.

The Southern Garrison Prince nodded, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips. "Correct. Mo Xiuyao is far away in Beirong and cannot return in time. Without Mo Xiuyao, the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion has no one capable of leading an army. Now, military command has fallen into the hands of a young girl, barely sixteen or seventeen." The generals in the tent couldn’t help but grow excited, and they began murmuring to one another. Soon, one stepped forward. "In that case, Prince, this is the perfect opportunity to deal with the Mo Family Army. It will also prevent them from joining forces with Prince Ding and causing trouble for our eastern expedition against East Chu!" The Southern Garrison Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand casually stroking his empty left sleeve. "Although I would relish a confrontation with Mo Xiuyao... as commanders, we must not let personal feelings sway our judgment. This truly is the best opportunity Heaven has gifted our army. If we can annihilate this main force, the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion will find it difficult to recover!"

"We await Your Highness’s command!" the assembly chorused, the prospect of destroying the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion stirring a hidden excitement in everyone’s heart.

The Southern Garrison Prince nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. Intensify the assault on Xinyang. We must capture Xinyang City within three days! Then, proceed to Jiangxia and wipe out the Mo Family Army in one fell swoop!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

「」 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Your Highness, a message from Agent Two has arrived." In the Mo Family Army encampment, Ye Li was seated in the main tent, discussing matters with Marquis South and others while the army was stationed. Zhuo Jing entered, holding a letter. Without looking up, Ye Li said calmly, "Translate it." Zhuo Jing nodded and went to a desk in the corner of the tent to translate the letter. Ye Li continued speaking to Marquis South, "It will take us at least seven more days to reach Jiangxia. I’m afraid the Marquis’s suggestion to quicken our pace will be somewhat difficult."

Marquis South frowned. "Why is that? The Mo Family Army has always been known for its rapid marches. I recall that at their fastest, they could travel hundreds of miles in a day..."

Ye Li shook her head. "Marquis, those were small detachments. We are an army of nearly three hundred thousand. If we compress a journey that should take ten days into five, do you believe that even if we reach the border, these three hundred thousand soldiers will have any strength left to fight? I fear the Xiling forces won’t give us time to recover. Upon reaching Jiangxia, we will likely face nothing but a fierce battle." Marquis South sighed heavily. "I understand Your Highness’s point, but I am truly worried about Xinyang..." Ye Li shook her head and said softly, "Xinyang cannot be saved. With the Marquis’s capabilities, how many days do you estimate Xinyang City could hold out against the Southern Garrison Prince?" Marquis South pondered for a moment. "Xinyang City does not lack military supplies. If I were defending it, I could hold out for a month."

Ye Li responded, "General Leng might hold out for half a month. Marquis, please consider what day it is. Even if we sprouted wings, we couldn’t reach Xinyang in time. Moreover, Xinyang City isn’t entirely without deficiencies; it critically lacks water!"

Everyone’s expression changed subtly. A shortage of grain could perhaps be endured for some time, but a lack of water was truly dire. And Xinyang, being in the Northwest, was a place where water sources were inherently scarce. Once besieged by Xiling, a water shortage was virtually guaranteed.

"No matter how quickly we advance, the Southern Garrison Prince will undoubtedly be waiting for us at Jiangxia," Ye Li sighed.

Mu Yang frowned and asked, "What if Jiangxia has also fallen?"

Lv Jinxian’s sword-like eyebrows rose. "Heir Mu, rest assured. Although General Yuan Pei in Jiangxia commands only tens of thousands of soldiers, Jiangxia’s terrain is completely different from the open plains of Xinyang. Holding out for ten days to half a month is definitely not an issue. Even if the Southern Garrison Prince presses his full army upon them, as long as a single soldier remains in Jiangxia, they will never allow the Xiling forces to advance half a step!" Hearing this, both Marquis South and Mu Yang couldn’t help but feel a flush of shame. The Mo Family Army had guarded the border for over a hundred years and had never allowed an enemy force to set foot within Great Chu. Yet now, merely because the Emperor was wary of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion and had sidelined the Mo Family Army’s soldiers, less than a month into the war, the Xiling army had already captured several cities and advanced three to four hundred miles.

Marquis South nodded. "It seems Your Highness has a firm grasp of the situation."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "I know the Marquis is also concerned about the war. Please rest assured, Marquis. General Sun Yan has already sent the Black Cloud Cavalry to ride through the night, advancing towards Jiangxia."

"Princess Consort." Zhuo Jing, having finished translating the letter, approached and handed it to Ye Li. She read it for a moment, frowning, then handed the dispatch to Marquis South. "Marquis, esteemed generals, what are your thoughts on this?"

Marquis South glanced at it, then looked with some surprise at Zhuo Jing, who stood calmly beside Ye Li. Frowning, Marquis South said, "The Southern Garrison Prince has suddenly accelerated his offensive. Does he intend to seize Jiangxia before we arrive? No... Your Highness, I fear something is terribly wrong!" Lv Jinxian and Feng Zhiyao, seeing the change in Marquis South’s expression, quickly took the letter and read it together, their brows furrowing deeper the more they read. The Southern Garrison Prince was simultaneously launching a fierce assault on Xinyang while also sending a detachment on a detour. Even the Southern Route Army, not far from their own position, had detached a contingent heading north...

"Princess Consort..." Feng Zhiyao frowned.

Marquis South said gravely, "While the Southern Garrison Prince fiercely attacks Xinyang, he is also dividing his forces to take a roundabout route. I fear he intends to cut off General Yuan’s path of retreat."

Ye Li’s fine eyebrows were deeply knitted. After a long pause, she said, "Bring the map." The drawbacks of poor communication were starkly evident at times like these. Regardless of their current analysis, they had no way to immediately convey it to the generals at the front. They could only hope that the frontline commanders had also discerned the enemy’s intentions and made the necessary responses. Fortunately, this disadvantage was often mutual.

Zhuo Jing turned and retrieved a folded paper from a case behind him. When unfolded, it revealed winding lines indicating mountains and rivers; the Great Chu’s border from south to north was clear at a glance. Ye Li picked up a brush pen from the table and marked the marching routes of Xiling’s various forces mentioned in the letter. She frowned, looked up, and asked, "Has the detailed map of the Northwest been delivered?" Zhuo Jing retrieved another map from his baggage. "It arrived this morning. I was about to present it to Your Highness." Ye Li cleared space on the table to spread out the map, saying, "What’s the use of showing it to me? I’ve never been to the Northwest. Marquis, General Lv, please come and take a look."

Everyone had already been curious about the map before them. Hearing Ye Li’s words, they immediately gathered around. On the table lay two maps of roughly the same size. One clearly showed the entire western border region of Great Chu, while the other, much more detailed, covered only the Northwest. It was more detailed than any they had ever seen. Lv Jinxian praised, "A fine item! This humble general has been at the Northwest border since I was twenty. After nearly twenty years, I wouldn’t dare say I know it better than this map." Marquis South nodded, pointing to a spot on the map. "General Lv is correct. I too have been to the Northwest a few times in the past. Your Highness’s map is... remarkably detailed."

Ye Li smiled with satisfaction. How could it not be detailed? This entire batch of newly trained personnel had been sent out, equipped with various existing maps. If they still couldn’t thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Northwest, their training would have been for naught.

After staring at the two maps for a long time, Ye Li picked up a brush pen, drew a heavy line on one of the maps, and said gravely, "Immediately relay orders to the southern troops: all units near Xiling’s Southern Route Army are to concentrate to the west. Intercept the forces detached from the Southern Route Army!"

Zhuo Jing nodded. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, a faint smile playing on her lips. She took out a slip of paper, wrote a line of characters on it, and handed it to Zhuo Jing. "Where is Qin Feng?"

Zhuo Jing thought for a moment. "He’s near Ling Pass. He should be preparing to head north to rendezvous with us by now." Ye Li glanced at the location of Ling Pass on the map and said, "Tell him there’s no need to return. Give this to him; these are the next steps of the plan."

Zhuo Jing took the slip of paper and left the tent without looking at it.

"Does Your Highness have a plan?" Mu Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ye Li smiled faintly. "It’s not exactly a plan, just some advance arrangements. A precaution."

Knowing she had no intention of elaborating, Mu Yang merely gave her a complex look and didn’t press further. The Mo Family Army had followed the directives of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion for centuries and, in recent years, held little goodwill towards the Emperor. As someone the Emperor had inserted, and who remained a trusted confidant of the Emperor, his position was naturally awkward. Fortunately, Mu Yang himself was a very discerning person.

Marquis South looked at Ye Li, then at Mu Yang, seemingly unaware of the subtle undercurrent between them. Stroking his beard, he smiled and said, "It’s good that Your Highness has a plan. We are currently hundreds of miles away, and there’s little we can accomplish from here. The most important thing is to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible to provide support." Both Ye Li and Mu Yang nodded in agreement. Only then did Marquis South smile and discuss matters with Ye Li and the others for a while longer before taking his leave to return to his own tent to rest. After Marquis South left, Mu Yang, even if he wished to stay and continue listening to the discussions, had no choice but to take his leave as well.