Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 145: Exchange of Hearts

145. Trust

After Mo Xiuyao made some encouraging remarks, he retained Qin Feng and Lin Han, dismissing everyone else. As the group returned to the study and took their seats, Ye Li turned to Lin Han and asked, "How was your trip to Beirong?"

Lin Han replied respectfully, "Everything went well. Please don’t worry, Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded, then turned to Mo Xiuyao and asked, "And Princess Ronghua..."

Mo Xiuyao replied softly, "Although Princess Ronghua is a bit headstrong, she’s not foolish. Don’t worry, Ah-Li, she won’t mess things up."

Ye Li nodded again and sighed softly, "Good, otherwise, this trip would have been a huge loss."

Qin Feng, standing aside and listening to their conversation, remained silent. The Prince and Princess Consort’s decision to speak freely in front of him is indicative of their trust. I personally participated in training the first batch of Qilin members, and I’m very familiar with each one. I’m naturally very clear about which of the eight men Lin Han took out have returned.

Mo Xiuyao, with a gentle smile, looked at Ye Li and said, "I had never inquired about your affairs before, Ah-Li, but this trip to Beirong has shown me that you’re not only capable of managing the Prince’s Mansion and commanding on the battlefield but also remarkably skilled at training soldiers." If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, even Mo Xiuyao would have found it hard to believe that such an army and such soldiers could exist in this world. It wasn’t about how strong their martial arts were, nor how capable they were in battle. Rather, it was their shockingly proficient and precise mastery of various battlefield skills. Mo Xiuyao even found himself thinking how terrifying it would be if such an army truly emerged.

Ye Li glanced at him and said, "These training methods are too demanding in terms of manpower and resources, and they also place very high requirements on the soldiers themselves. Their actual effect on a battlefield with thousands of troops is not significant; one could say the gain doesn’t justify the loss." Although no one was eliminated during this first training session, it was because these individuals were already the elite of the elite, and many had already been weeded out during the selection process. More importantly, this was Ye Li’s first attempt at training the kind of warriors she envisioned in this era. Due to differences in equipment and combat methods between the two eras, this could only be considered an exploration. It was hard to say if these men had truly met Ye Li’s requirements.

Mo Xiuyao, his eyes unwavering, smiled as he looked at Ye Li. "Do you have any suggestions, Ah-Li?"

Ye Li blinked, looking at Mo Xiuyao for a long while without speaking. Only after a good moment did she whisper, "Give me some time to think."

Mo Xiuyao didn’t mind, as long as his objective was met. If Ah-Li had no interest in these things, he would prefer her to be a carefree Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom. But since Ah-Li was both interested and capable, he wouldn’t obstruct her brilliance.

Having dealt with Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li turned back to Qin Feng and said, "From today onwards, you are the Commander of the Qilin. These men are now under your command."

Qin Feng nodded. "This subordinate will not fail the Princess Consort’s trust."

Ye Li nodded. "That’s good. Pay more attention to these men. Remember, you are not a large-scale conventional army. There is absolutely no need for you to engage in face-to-face slaughter on the main battlefield. Understand?"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. "This subordinate doesn’t understand. We are not weaker than ordinary soldiers." It’s indeed frustrating to learn such skills yet not be able to charge into battle. Does the Princess Consort only want us to be used as scouts to gather information? Thinking this, Qin Feng felt somewhat dejected.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "You are indeed not weaker than ordinary soldiers. In fact, you are many times stronger. But... if your fifty men were mixed into an army of thousands, could each of you take on a hundred?"

Qin Feng was speechless. In the chaos of battle, blades and arrows have no eyes. It’s not as easy to determine strength and weakness as it is in a training ground spar. Sometimes, luck is just as important; to be alive is to be strong. No matter how high your martial arts skill or how agile you are, a volley of arrows can turn you into a pincushion.

Ye Li looked at him and said, "You cannot take on a hundred each, but the cost of training each of you is a hundred times that of an ordinary soldier. Therefore, the battlefields you face will also be different from theirs. Perhaps they won’t have the grand scale of a frontal battlefield, but they will undoubtedly be more shocking and perilous. Small-scale, high-intensity combat is what you must do. I’ve said it before: tracking, ambush, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, hostage rescue, raids and sabotage, intelligence theft, kidnapping, and assassination. Anything ordinary soldiers cannot do, you must accomplish. These are the things you must do. Understood?"

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Feng nodded. "This subordinate understands."

"Good that you understand. After returning to the Capital City this time, immediately begin the second phase of special training. I will give you the training methods and subjects later. You will be fully responsible for this. My requirement is that within five years, the Qilin’s numbers reach one thousand."

Qin Feng was overjoyed. Although his subordinates were all elites, having a mere fifty men looked rather shabby. He imagined himself leading a team of a thousand elites; that feeling would absolutely be no less than leading tens of thousands of troops. He quickly said aloud, "This subordinate obeys! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

"Very good. You are dismissed."

After dismissing Qin Feng and Lin Han, Mo Xiuyao chuckled as he watched the spirited Ye Li. "I now understand why Ah-Li looks down on the secret guards of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. Compared to Ah-Li’s men, the secret guards are indeed far too lacking. I’m also starting to look forward to the day Ah-Li’s team is ready."

Ye Li glanced at him. "Prince, don’t speak nonsense. I have never looked down on the secret guards." Many among the secret guards possess extraordinary skills; at most, I just feel that Prince Ding’s Mansion is somewhat wasting their talents by using them this way.

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment then said, "Since Ah-Li intends to expand the Qilin’s numbers, after returning to the Capital City, let all the secret guards participate in the Qilin’s special training. In the future, the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion will abolish the secret guard system."

"Is that a good idea?" Ye Li was somewhat concerned by Mo Xiuyao’s swift decision, especially when she recalled a certain sarcastic secret guard commander. If Mo Hua knew of Mo Xiuyao’s decision, he’d probably want to eat me alive.

Mo Xiuyao smiled, casually playing with a strand of her hair. "What’s not good about it? Since there’s a more advantageous method, why not use it?"

Ye Li said, "Aren’t the secret guards specifically meant to protect the masters of Prince Ding’s Mansion?"

Mo Xiuyao laughed. "Didn’t you also say that protection is one of the Qilin’s tasks? Besides, they performed very well on the trip to Beirong."

They were indeed very good. The men Ye Li trained could fight and kill, speak and negotiate, act and play dumb, and were proficient in everything from disguise and poisoning to intelligence gathering. Watching him with a speechless expression, Ye Li thought, So that was his idea.

"You really know how to calculate, Prince." Ye Li shot him an exasperated glance. In Mo Xiuyao’s eyes, however, that glance was a charming pout, full of allure. His heart stirred, and reaching out, he pulled her into his embrace and leaned down to kiss her.

Their tongues intertwined, and Ye Li was kissed until she was almost breathless. Mo Xiuyao’s roaming large hands made her face flush and her body go limp. Since returning from Beirong, Mo Xiuyao had clearly changed quite a bit. While these changes sometimes pleased Ye Li, she occasionally found them a little overwhelming. "Ugh... You damn Mo Xiuyao, you... will you die if you don’t get turned on?"

Mo Xiuyao chuckled lowly, his cool lips tracing her slender neck, his warm breath making Ye Li’s face flush even redder. Damn Mo Xiuyao! Ye Li’s clear eyes glinted. She raised her hand to strike him, but Mo Xiuyao, as if anticipating her move, raised his own hand to catch hers, holding it and gently caressing it. "Ah-Li, if you hurt me, wouldn’t your heart ache?"

Ye Li rolled her eyes skyward, then reached up to touch Mo Xiuyao’s forehead. Mo Xiuyao watched her, raising an eyebrow in question. Ye Li said coolly, "You don’t have a fever. Why are you daydreaming in broad daylight?"

Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao was taken aback for a moment, then he leaned on Ye Li’s shoulder and burst out laughing. After a good while, he lifted his head and said softly, "Ah-Li, you’re so heartless. Even if Ah-Li doesn’t feel sorry for me, your husband will still worry about Ah-Li’s hand hurting."

Ye Li was at a loss. She was very unaccustomed to Mo Xiuyao’s sudden mushiness. Previously, Mo Xiuyao would occasionally joke with her, using terms like ’wife’ and ’husband’, but since their return, Mo Xiuyao had clearly become much clingier. Sitting in Mo Xiuyao’s lap, Ye Li asked softly, "Xiuyao, what’s wrong with you?"

Mo Xiuyao paused, then chuckled. "What’s wrong? Does Ah-Li dislike your husband?"

Ye Li looked at him serenely. The smile on Mo Xiuyao’s face gradually faded. He hugged her close again, took a deep breath, and then said, "Ah-Li, I’m a little afraid..."

Ye Li’s heart trembled. Although Mo Xiuyao always presented a gentle and refined demeanor, Ye Li knew very well what a proud man he was. If it weren’t truly unbearable, he wouldn’t show his vulnerability in front of anyone. No, even if it were truly unbearable, he wouldn’t show it in front of outsiders.

"What’s wrong?"

"When I was in Beirong and heard about the bloody battle at the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion in the Capital City... when I knew you had to maneuver between Mo Jingqi and those insatiably greedy powerful figures, and also lead troops into battle. I regretted... regretted... Regretted why I agreed to Mo Jingqi’s request to go to Beirong; if I had insisted on not going, Mo Jingqi would never have dared to force me. I even... regretted why I didn’t kill those people sooner. Every time I thought I might lose you, the fear and killing intent erupting from my heart made me want to destroy everything and everyone in sight. Ah-Li... I’m so glad you’re okay..."

Ye Li had never considered herself a soft-hearted person, but now, her heart felt as soft as a ball of cotton. This strong and powerful man has become so vulnerable and fearful because of me. Ye Li had never been clearer about this realization than at this moment. Gently wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Ye Li’s voice was soft yet firm, "It won’t. As long as I live, I will always be by your side."

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head, his forehead touching hers. "Really?"

Ye Li said, "As long as you don’t leave, I will not abandon." This was the most sincere vow she could utter. Ye Li had long understood that Mo Xiuyao had already done more than enough for her. She understood even more that she couldn’t bear to see this man suffer.

"Never leave, never abandon..." Mo Xiuyao murmured softly. He liked this phrase. The thought of never leaving and never abandoning Ah-Li for a lifetime filled his heart with joy. Anyone who dares to obstruct them, I will make them pay the price they deserve!