Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 144. Qilin
144. Qilin
After dismissing the others, only Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing remained in the study. Mo Xiuyao leaned against the couch, gazing silently at the two of them, one hand nonchalantly tapping the armrest. The study remained silent for a long while before his voice finally echoed, "Third Feng, what has happened in the Capital City since I left?"
Feng Zhiyao, naturally unwilling to conceal anything for Mo Jingqi, quickly recounted all the events since Mo Xiuyao’s departure from the Capital City, adding his own embellishments. Although Zhuo Jing typically maintained a cold expression, he spared no effort in denouncing those who intended harm to his master. Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao’s already grim expression darkened further.
Mo Xiuyao was truly furious. It wasn’t just because Mo Jingqi had dared to target Ah-Li, but also because he, as Emperor, was so oblivious to the gravity of his actions. In Mo Xiuyao’s view, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and the entire populace of Xinyang City had been lost due to Mo Jingqi’s suspicion and narrow-mindedness. Mo Xiuyao had once wondered if the generations of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion had been too controlling, leading the Emperor to become so wary of them. Now, he truly understood. It wasn’t that the ancestors of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion were unaware of the dangers of overshadowing the ruler, nor did they lack understanding of how to avoid a monarch’s suspicion. Rather, some things... some things simply had to be done, even knowing they were inadvisable!
"Good... Very good!" Mo Xiuyao chuckled, his low laugh sending an inexplicable shiver down Feng Zhiyao’s spine. Mo Xiuyao raised his head, looked at them, and said, "You may both leave for now."
"We take our leave."
「It was midnight when Ye Li entered the study.」
Although she had just woken up and was somewhat annoyed by Mo Xiuyao’s reckless behavior, finding him absent from their room prompted her to go look for him. Seeing the study light still on, Ye Li guessed he was still working. After a moment’s thought, she couldn’t bring herself to leave him be and went to the kitchen to prepare some late-night snacks, which she then brought to the study.
Inside, Mo Xiuyao was engrossed in writing when he heard the door creak. He looked up to see Ye Li at the doorway, draped in a simple cloak, her hair casually tied up. She held a tray laden with food and regarded him calmly. The lamplight bathed her fair face, lending it an incredibly gentle and beautiful glow. Warmth welled up inside Mo Xiuyao. This is my wife...
"Ah-Li, come..." Mo Xiuyao put down his brush, rose, and extended his hand to Ye Li.
Ye Li approached, placed the tray on the table, and while clearing away the various scrolls and petitions spread across it, she arranged the food and asked, "Can’t the rest of this work wait until tomorrow?"
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, drew Ye Li onto his lap, and said, "Ah-Li, eat with me." He hadn’t wanted to disturb Ah-Li’s rest, so he had barely eaten any dinner and was indeed feeling rather hungry now.
Ye Li looked at him, somewhat speechless. How am I supposed to eat while sitting on his lap?
Mo Xiuyao, feigning ignorance of her conflicted expression, scooped up a spoonful of the clear congee along with some refreshing side dishes and brought it to Ye Li’s lips. She hesitated for a moment, but seeing his stubborn refusal to withdraw his hand, she had no choice but to lean forward and eat it. Mo Xiuyao smiled with satisfaction before taking a couple of bites himself. The two of them finished the meal in this manner, taking turns feeding each other spoonful by spoonful. Seeing the empty bowls and dishes on the table, Ye Li could only twitch the corners of her lips, utterly speechless.
After their late-night meal, Mo Xiuyao summoned a servant to clear away the dishes. He didn’t release Ye Li, keeping her nestled in his embrace as they both reviewed the remaining petitions on the table, occasionally exchanging opinions. When Ye Li saw the petition detailing the number of people massacred in Xinyang City, her head drooped sorrowfully. "I’m sorry," she murmured, "it’s all my fault."
Mo Xiuyao sighed softly, lifted her small face, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Ah-Li, you’ve already done very well. Better than I imagined." Mo Xiuyao spoke the truth. Although he had entrusted command of the Mo Family Army to Ye Li, truthfully, Mo Xiuyao hadn’t been entirely sure how much authority she could truly wield. After all, the burden of leading an army of hundreds of thousands was immense, a responsibility few men could handle. But his Ah-Li had truly done her utmost.
"But if I hadn’t ordered the diversion of grain and funds from Xinyang, perhaps Xinyang City wouldn’t have been massacred," Ye Li said softly.
Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said gently, "Ah-Li, don’t blame yourself for everything. We both know you did nothing wrong. Xiling, though as vast as Great Chu, differs greatly in its terrain. Unlike the fertile lands of Great Chu, a large portion of Xiling is desert, and its arable land is less than one-fifth of Great Chu’s. And in Xinyang City, there were enough provisions to sustain an army of five hundred thousand for half a year. Had they obtained that grain and those funds, this war would have become far more difficult. Furthermore, when the Xiling soldiers first invaded Great Chu, they didn’t immediately resort to massacring civilians. This wasn’t due to a lack of desire, but rather a fear of inciting widespread rebellion among the populace. Should this war extend into winter... Ah-Li, have you ever studied the war history of the Xiling Kingdom?"
Ye Li shook her head. She realized that in the past, she hadn’t paid much attention to such matters. After marrying Mo Xiuyao, she had been constantly preoccupied with various issues and truly hadn’t found much time for reading.
Mo Xiuyao said, "Ah-Li, if you had read their history, you would understand. The moment the Xiling army runs out of provisions, they will turn to plundering from the common people. In fact, the Xiling army has always been wantonly brutal. Since Xiling itself doesn’t produce much grain, their own supplies are never abundant. To them, the common folk of an enemy nation are merely a backup source of provisions. Although Great Chu hasn’t suffered this fate before, many western nations, and even the Southern Border, have experienced city-wide massacres at the hands of Xiling forces. If the Xiling forces had seized Xinyang’s provisions, this war would inevitably have dragged on longer. Once winter arrived and provisions became scarce, even more innocent people would have suffered. Besides, if blame must be assigned, it should first fall upon those who failed to defend the city!"
Ye Li leaned into his sturdy embrace. Although she knew Mo Xiuyao was comforting her, his words did bring her considerable relief. Ye Li wasn’t one to dwell on things, so she soon put the matter aside. However, seeing the shocking figures on the petition still made her sigh. War is always accompanied by the loss of countless innocent lives—a reality that is both heartbreaking and exasperating.
They sat nestled together under the lamplight, recounting the various things that had happened since they parted. When Mo Xiuyao heard about the Southern Garrison Prince’s actions, his expression turned grim. He held Ye Li close and said softly, "Ah-Li, you’re too soft-hearted. Demanding tens of thousands of bushels of grain and millions of taels of silver was letting him off too lightly. If it were me, I would have broken his other hand and been done with it."
Ye Li looked up, a slight, amused smile playing on her lips as she observed the man before her, who suddenly seemed almost childish. "If we did that, it would likely mean a fight to the death with Xiling. And haven’t we yet resolved matters with the Xiling Emperor?"
Mo Xiuyao shook his head, a note of helplessness in his voice. "The Xiling Emperor is probably of no use anymore. It’s questionable whether he’ll even survive this year. If he dies, a child emperor will likely ascend the throne, and complete military and political power in Xiling will fall into the hands of the Southern Garrison Prince."
Ye Li sighed wistfully. "If that’s truly the case... then perhaps it really would have been better to break his other hand after all."
At this, they both looked at each other and smiled. Jests were jests, but in the current situation, an all-out, mutually destructive war with Xiling would benefit neither them nor Great Chu. Mo Xiuyao held the beautiful woman in his arms, his gentle gaze falling upon the petition on the table, a sudden, chilling glint flashing within his eyes. The Southern Garrison Prince... daring to covet the Princess Consort of the Ding Kingdom’s Mansion! Father was indeed too merciful back then, only taking one of his hands!
Mo Xiuyao’s sudden return brought the previously unstoppable advance of the Xiling army to a halt. However, this calm was clearly not destined to last. A few days later, the flames of war ignited anew. Although Xinyang had been reclaimed, considering Xiling’s southern and northern route armies, nearly a third of Great Chu’s Northwest territory—encompassing five cities—remained in Xiling hands. Because Mo Xiuyao had led his forces to break through the Northern Route Army’s blockade and march directly to Xinyang, a situation arose where, despite Xinyang’s recapture, the surrounding regions were still occupied by Xiling forces. Xinyang City itself was effectively surrounded on three sides. Although the city did not lack grain or military supplies, water remained a critical issue. Even with very few civilians remaining, the drinking water for the several hundred thousand troops was still dangerously scarce. Mo Xiuyao was not ignorant of this problem. However, Great Chu desperately needed some news to boost morale and reassure the populace, and retaking Xinyang was the best option for this.
With Mo Xiuyao’s return, Ye Li naturally handed all military affairs back to him. She only assisted with some trivial matters, which left her with considerably more free time. The men Lin Han had led to Beirong with Mo Xiuyao, as well as those Qin Feng had led on intelligence missions, had all returned. Seizing this opportunity, and a moment when Mo Xiuyao was also free, Ye Li, remembering a matter that had been delayed for some time, summoned the remaining trainees. Of the sixty-three individuals originally trained at Black Cloud Peak, only fifty-one now stood before them. The loss of twelve men might seem negligible in other armies, but for this unit, it meant a reduction in strength by nearly one-sixth.
"Your subordinates pay their respects to the Prince and the Princess Consort," they chorused.
Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Arise." On his journey to Beirong, he had been deeply impressed by the capabilities of these soldiers personally trained by Ye Li, and his curiosity about this unit had only grown.
"Thank you, Prince. Thank you, Princess Consort."
Mo Xiuyao smiled and nodded at Ye Li. Ye Li then rose and stepped forward. "You have all worked hard. Lin Han, Qin Feng, report on your respective teams’ mission performance."
Lin Han stepped forward. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, of the eight sent to Beirong, one was killed in action, one severely wounded, and the remaining six all passed."
Qin Feng also stepped forward. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, fifty-five men were divided into eleven teams. One team failed, resulting in seven deaths and three injuries among them."
Ye Li nodded slightly. "Zhuo Jing will see to the funeral arrangements for the fallen soldiers and the care for the wounded. Those of you present now are the final candidates who have passed this special training. You have all endured much hardship these past days. I have discussed this with the Prince. From today onwards, you will be formally integrated into the Mo Family Army, under the direct command of the Prince and myself. Your designation will be... Qilin!"
Ye Li presented a jade pendant. It was remarkably similar to the Yazi jade pendant that could command the entire Mo Family Army, but this one was carved with a lifelike Qilin. "Furthermore, from this day forward, this will also be your name. From today, you are the Qilin!"
Ye Li looked at the soldiers before her, a smile playing on her lips. Though they tried to maintain their composure, their eyes betrayed their excitement. In a solemn voice, she asked, "Gentlemen, do you know the significance of the Qilin?"
After a moment’s hesitation, one soldier replied, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the Qilin is an auspicious beast."
Ye Li nodded. "Correct. The Qilin is an auspicious beast. But it is not only auspicious; it is also a benevolent beast. The Qilin has a horn, but the tip of its horn is covered in flesh. It is armed yet causes no harm—this is why it is considered benevolent. I, too, hope that you will become benevolent beasts, guardians of the common people. Yet, when necessary, you must also be the sharp sword that pierces our enemies."
The soldiers declared in unison, "We shall respectfully obey the Princess Consort’s instructions!"
