Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 140, Envoy from Xiling

140. Envoy from Xiling

On the stage, two individuals, their movements nimble, were locked in a fierce struggle. Ye Li’s three-foot sword, like a venomous snake, repeatedly struck at Chen Yun’s vital points. Chen Yun, undaunted, wielded his long spear with impeccable defense, creating a temporary stalemate. Ye Li observed the solemn-faced young officer before her, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her long sword transformed into an icy arc of light, streaking towards Chen Yun’s face. Chen Yun hastily swung his spear to parry, but he saw the sword, initially aimed straight for him, suddenly shift course mid-flight, gliding along the shaft of his spear. In his brief moment of surprise, Chen Yun felt a chill on his neck; Ye Li’s sword tip was already at his throat, her other hand firmly gripping his spear.

Ye Li arched an eyebrow, smiling. "Colonel Chen?"

Chen Yun lowered his spear and conceded gravely, "The Princess Consort’s swordsmanship is profound. I admit defeat." Ye Li did not press him further. She retracted her sword, casually tossing it to Zhuo Jing, who stood at the edge of the platform. Turning to the generals assembled below, she smiled and asked, "Are there any other generals who remain unconvinced? Feel free to come up and test your skills."

The generals exchanged glances. A burly, middle-aged man armed with a pair of maces leaped onto the stage. Cupping his fist, he announced, "Lu Feng, a sub-general of the Mo Family Army from Chizhou, wishes to experience the Princess Consort’s superior techniques."

Ye Li nodded slightly and retreated two steps. Unlike Chen Yun, who was slender and agile, this General Lu was clearly a strength-based opponent. His pair of maces alone must have weighed dozens of pounds; a blow from such weapons would be far from pleasant. Ye Li was not one to needlessly show off, so she drew the dagger she was most adept at using.

Lu Feng looked surprised at the cold glint of the dagger in Ye Li’s hand. "Is this the Princess Consort’s weapon?"

Ye Li nodded. "General Lu, please proceed."

"Then I shall be so bold, Princess Consort. Please be careful." With that, one of Lu Feng’s maces swept towards Ye Li with the force of wind and thunder. Ye Li swiftly dodged, the dagger in her hand flashing with an icy light in the morning sun.

It was clear to everyone below the stage that Ye Li was significantly more dangerous with a dagger than with a long sword. Several times, her dagger narrowly missed Lu Feng’s vital areas. If not for Lu Feng’s immense strength, each of his attacks carrying an irresistible force that compelled her to evade its brunt, he would have likely been injured by that small, sharp dagger long ago. Ye Li clearly understood Lu Feng’s advantages and disadvantages. She avoided direct confrontation, instead using her agility to steadily deplete his stamina while seeking an opportunity to strike. Though she hadn’t managed to injure Lu Feng, she had certainly given him a considerable fright. Once more, Lu Feng raised his maces and smashed them down towards Ye Li.

Ye Li leaned to one side, executed an aerial side kick, slapped her left hand on the ground for support, and thrust her right-hand dagger towards Lu Feng’s left flank beneath his ribs. Seeing this, Lu Feng quickly raised his right mace to defend, but Ye Li had already flipped behind him in an instant. "General Lu..."

Lu Feng froze, the cold steel of the dagger pressed against his spine. As a veteran of many battles, Lu Feng knew that if Ye Li’s dagger struck true, he would be paralyzed for life; there would be no other outcome. Dropping his maces, Lu Feng turned and bowed to Ye Li. "Thank you for your mercy, Princess Consort. I admit defeat."

Ye Li smiled. "Your strength is formidable, General Lu, and your skills are extraordinary. I am also very impressed."

A moment of silence fell upon the area below the stage, then a sudden roar of cheers erupted. The soldiers present acclaimed her performance. After two consecutive victories, the generals were thoroughly convinced of Ye Li’s martial prowess. Naturally, no one else came forward to challenge her. Ye Li had already fought twice; even if she won again, it would be unsporting, earning them the reputation of a group of men ganging up on a woman.

Seeing Ye Li descend from the stage, everyone quickly came forward to greet her. Lv Jinxian smiled and cupped his fist. "The Princess Consort’s display of skill today has truly left us in awe. We are unrefined men and may have been discourteous, offending the Princess Consort. We hope the Princess Consort will not take offense."

Ye Li smiled. "General Lv, you exaggerate. Please don’t concern yourself with such trivialities. I have matters to attend to in the city, so I’ll have to trouble General Lv to manage things in the barracks."

Lv Jinxian quickly replied, "Please rest assured, Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded and glanced at Yun Ting with a smile. "Colonel Yun..."

Yun Ting scratched his head, his expression pained. "Princess Consort, I know I was wrong."

Ye Li nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "To acknowledge one’s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue. Have you been studying lately?"

Remembering the mountain of books in his room, piled higher than a person, from when the Princess Consort had first assigned him to the Mo Family Army, Yun Ting’s expression grew even more pained. "I have. I’ve just started ’The Art of War’."

Ye Li’s smile became even more amiable. "Good progress. As it happens, I require a few copies of ’The Art of War’ as teaching material for the soldiers. So, I’ll trouble Colonel Yun to copy out ten volumes for me. Can you have them ready in three days?"

"Yes, Princess Consort." Yun Ting stared blankly, his body rigid and his expression dazed, as he watched Ye Li turn and depart.

"Brother, what’s wrong?" Chen Yun, standing beside him, noticed his crestfallen expression and patted his shoulder, inquiring.

Yun Ting shot him a silent glance, then turned and walked away. If I fight you again, then I’m a pig!

Watching Yun Ting’s dejected figure depart, Chen Yun looked blankly at his own hands, perplexed. It was just a single bout. Does he need to be so petty?

Feng Zhiyao approached, tapping Chen Yun’s shoulder with the folding fan in his hand, and smiled. "You needn’t worry about him. That lad is just vexed about how he’s going to copy those books. If Colonel Chen has some free time, you could help him with a few pages. I guarantee he’ll treat you like a sworn brother from then on."

"Copying books?" Chen Yun’s face contorted slightly as he recalled his childhood, being relentlessly pursued by his father and tutor to copy texts. He quickly shook his head. "Better not. I’ll go find something to eat. When Colonel Yun gets tired from copying, I’ll bring him something to tide him over." As for copying books himself, he’d best forget it; his handwriting was utterly unfit for anyone to see.

「 」

Their departure from the city had been hurried, but the return journey was less urgent. Ye Li and her retinue strolled along, casually inspecting the various checkpoints and observing the condition of the common people. Although a major war was imminent, the people of Jiangxia seemed remarkably calm. They went about their daily lives in an orderly fashion, as if it were no different from any ordinary day. Even though they had just experienced a bloody battle the previous day, one that had nearly resulted in the city’s fall, early in the morning, the common people were out and about, and shops opened for business. There was no trace of the fear and anxiety that war typically brings in their eyes.

Feng Zhiyao walked beside Ye Li, fanning himself with his folding fan as he explained, "These common people trust the Mo Family Army from the bottom of their hearts. They believe that as long as the Mo Family Army is present, the city will never fall, and their homes will never be invaded by the enemy."

Ye Li sighed softly, unsure whether to feel admiration or concern. For the Mo Family Army to inspire such confidence in the people was undoubtedly a source of pride and honor. However, when everyone placed all their trust, along with all responsibility, upon the Mo Family Army, relying on them so completely, what a tremendous pressure this must be. No wonder the successive masters of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion could never simply lay down their burdens and retire with accomplishments. The King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army had long since become the spiritual and practical pillars of Great Chu. If, one day, the Mo Family Army ceased to be what it was, would Great Chu still be Great Chu?

"Princess Consort, an emissary from Xiling seeks an audience." Just as they reached the entrance of the mansion, General Yuan Pei was already waiting. Seeing Ye Li and the others return, he quickly stepped forward to report.

Ye Li frowned slightly. "An emissary from Xiling?"

General Yuan Pei confirmed with a solemn nod, "A short while ago, an emissary from Xiling requested an audience from outside the city. I took the liberty of allowing them entry. They are currently in the outer courtyard, awaiting your summons, Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded. "General Yuan, you handled that well. Let’s go meet this Xiling emissary. Anyone daring to enter Jiangxia at a time like this must be no ordinary individual. Please escort them to the study."

"Yes, Princess Consort."

Ye Li changed her attire and returned to the study. Soon after, General Yuan Pei led the Xiling emissary in. At the head of the group was a middle-aged man of unremarkable appearance, followed by a military officer and three attendants. The party of five were all dressed in plain clothes and were unarmed, appearing entirely confident and unintimidated by their presence in a city controlled by the Mo Family Army.

The middle-aged man glanced at Ye Li, stepped forward, and cupped his fist. "I am Mo Fei, a guest advisor to the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling. I have come to see the Princess Consort of the Ding Kingdom of East Chu."

"Mr. Mo, please rise." Ye Li gestured gently with her hand and smiled. "What is the purpose of your visit, Mr. Mo?"

Mo Fei looked at the others seated in the study and smiled. "Indeed, the Southern Garrison Prince has a small matter he wishes to consult the Princess Consort about. However... I was wondering if it might be possible to speak with the Princess Consort in private?"

Ye Li smiled. "It’s not that it’s impossible, but rather unnecessary. As the temporary commander of the Mo Family Army, it would be inappropriate and illogical for me to converse privately with an enemy emissary. Moreover, there should be nothing that cannot be discussed openly. If Mr. Mo has something to say, it would be best to state it plainly here."

From the side, Zhuo Jing sneered, "Speak in private? Who knows if you’re plotting to assassinate our Princess Consort?"

Feng Zhiyao chuckled lazily. "Assassinate the Princess Consort? I doubt they have the ability. However, one can’t be too careful."

Mo Fei’s expression turned somewhat unsightly as if he wanted to retort, but he quickly suppressed his anger. Looking up at Ye Li, he said, "Since the Princess Consort insists, I shall not press the matter. I presume everyone present is a trusted confidant of the Princess Consort and the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion?"

Ye Li gave an indifferent nod.

Mo Fei continued, "Our Prince has a letter he wishes to present to the Princess Consort. Please peruse it, Princess Consort."

He then produced a letter from his sleeve and presented it. Zhuo Jing stepped forward, took the letter, opened it, and checked it thoroughly to confirm there were no issues before turning to hand it to Ye Li. Ye Li opened the letter and read a few lines, then glanced up at Mo Fei, who stood below looking calm and composed. She offered a faint smile before lowering her head to continue reading. After a considerable time, she finally looked up, slowly folded the letter, placed it back in its envelope, and calmly regarded Mo Fei.

Mo Fei smiled. "Princess Consort, what are your thoughts on what our Prince has proposed?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"My thoughts?" Ye Li smiled. She looked at him slowly, her voice unhurried as she commanded, "Guards! Drag this man out and execute him for me!"