Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 169. Pursuit
169. Pursuit
The atmosphere instantly became incredibly tense. After a long while, Mo Hua gave a somber grunt and told Zhuo Jing and the others, "You all stay here and protect the Princess Consort." As he turned to leave, Ye Li knitted her eyebrows and asked, "Where are you going?" Mo Hua bit his teeth and gave a spiteful smile, saying, "I’m going to go and slaughter those Chief Generals leading the soldiers. Let’s see how they gang up and rob us then!" Ye Li shook her head, saying, "It’s no use. With so many troops stationed near Hongzhou, if no one keeps them in check, it can only cause more chaos. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that the ones leading the troops now are the decision-makers. Mo Jingqi surely must have dispatched someone here." Mo Jingqi was not the sort of person who would casually trust his ministers; if he issued such a secret decree, he would surely send someone important to personally oversee it.
Mo Hua turned to face Ye Li. "Princess Consort, what’s your plan?"
Ye Li pondered for a moment, then spoke softly, "At least for today, we cannot let them approach Hongzhou City. Zhuo Jing, figure out a way to let them know that I have already left Hongzhou!"
Upon hearing this, everyone gazed at Ye Li, their eyes filled with disagreement. Zhuo Jing said, "Princess Consort, that’s too risky." Ye Li sighed softly. "We have no other choice right now. I just hope... the Prince can send someone to take control of Hongzhou in time. Go now." Zhuo Jing stood still, unwilling to move a single step. Ye Li’s face darkened. "That’s an order!" With no other option, Zhuo Jing had to turn and leave. Mo Hua stayed silent for a while before saying, "The Prince should be on his way to Hongzhou. Princess Consort, if we take the smaller roads southward, we might be able to meet the Prince along the way." Ye Li turned to look at Hongzhou City and spoke softly, "We have no other option. Let’s go."
Just as Mo Hua had suggested, they took the less-traveled road southwards. Soon, the nearby Great Chu garrison also started moving. However, rather than heading in the direction of Hongzhou, they appeared to be dispersing as if searching for someone. At the same time, another group of elite horsemen crossed Hongzhou City at a rapid pace, heading inside the pass.
In the dark of the night, the sound of clashing weapons echoed repeatedly from the forest. Inside the woods, a dozen shadow guards protected Ye Li in the center, calmly dealing with the seemingly endless stream of enemies. Dead bodies lay scattered all around, filling the entire woods with the stench of blood.
"Princess Consort, we’re surrounded," Mo Hua, standing beside Ye Li, spoke in a deep voice.
Ye Li nodded. "That much is obvious." Their group consisted of fewer than fifty people, while the enemy numbered at least seven to eight hundred. Furthermore, she had noticed the signal emitted by their opponents earlier and was convinced that more enemies were on their way. Does this mean Mo Jingqi truly considers me quite important? Lin Han added, "In their eyes, it’s only a matter of time before Hongzhou becomes a scene of mutual destruction. Naturally, capturing the Princess Consort takes precedence." Most importantly, they had learned from a captured enemy officer that Mo Jingqi’s secret decree promised ten thousand taels of gold and a promotion of three ranks to whoever captured Princess Consort Ding. Killing her would also be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold. In comparison, the potential benefits from participating in the Hongzhou conflict were negligible. Mo Hua looked at the four people nearest him and said, "You four escort the Princess Consort and break out. We’ll hold them back."
Ye Li gave a bitter, resigned smile. "It would be incredibly difficult for just a few of us to break out now. Let’s leave together." Mo Hua paused. He knew the Princess Consort was telling the truth. Surrounded in this forest, a few people trying to break out now would simply be seeking death, especially since Princess Consort Ding was their primary target.
Dodging a long spear thrust at her, Ye Li turned and easily crushed the assailant’s throat. The stench of blood filled the air, causing her to wrinkle her nose as she suppressed the urge to vomit.
"Princess Consort Ding, please come out and talk!" Unexpectedly, an enemy commander’s loud voice echoed from outside the woods. The attacking soldiers, apparently having received orders, stopped their assault, merely keeping a vigilant watch on them. Standing behind the shadow guards, Ye Li maintained her calm and asked casually, "Which general might you be?" The commander chuckled. "You need not know, Princess Consort. We officials bear no intent to harm you. We only ask that you step out of the woods so we may escort you back to the Capital City to recuperate." Ye Li scoffed. What a fine sentiment indeed! Once back in the Capital City, she would undoubtedly face endless house arrest and manipulation. They would merely use her to negotiate terms with Mo Xiuyao. Moreover, now that she was pregnant, she absolutely could not fall into Mo Jingqi’s hands. Considering Mo Jingqi’s hatred for Prince Ding’s Mansion and his jealousy towards Mo Xiuyao, it was hard to imagine what he might do.
Seeing Ye Li remain silent, the other party grew impatient and said in a deep voice, "Princess Consort, we are aware that His Highness Prince Ding is presently leading troops this way. Therefore, we cannot give you much time. If the Princess Consort cannot come out on her own within the next two hours, please forgive our impoliteness." Wei Lin snorted coldly. "Knowing Prince Ding is arriving soon, you still dare to be so disrespectful to the Princess Consort? Do you not value your lives?" Silence followed from the other side for a moment before a voice said, "We eat our lord’s bread, so we share our lord’s worries. We are also left with no alternative. We beg Princess Consort Ding’s forgiveness." What followed was a heavy and tense wait. Gazing at the countless vigilant eyes watching them from not far away, Ye Li gently stroked her flat belly, her smile somewhat helpless and fatigued. "Zhuo Jing, right now... I wonder how Hongzhou City is faring." Zhuo Jing replied, "The troops that arrived earlier were not numerous; I’m afraid they have all been deployed to pursue us. As long as nothing unexpected happens, the situation in Hongzhou should not differ much from what you previously envisioned." Ye Li nodded with some relief and smiled. "That’s good. At least... one side has won." Lin Han asked in a low voice, "Princess Consort, what do we do now?" Ye Li calmly lifted her eyes and said softly, "Head to the southeast corner. Break out."
Worried, Mo Hua furrowed his brows. "The Princess Consort’s body..."
Ye Li smiled coldly. "What do you think would happen if we fell into their hands?" Mo Hua remained silent. He knew that if Princess Consort Ding fell into Mo Jingqi’s hands, she might not die, or perhaps she would be used to threaten the Prince. But if a Princess Consort Ding, pregnant with the Heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion, fell into Mo Jingqi’s hands... that would definitely be a disaster. Not just for the Prince and Princess Consort, but for the entire Mo Family Army.
Looking deeply at Ye Li, Mo Hua bowed to her with unprecedented respect. "I will follow your orders, Princess Consort."
The southeast corner led towards the deep mountains, the terrain more rugged and dangerous than in other directions. Perhaps because of this, there were noticeably fewer people guarding this side. It was also their only hope of breaking free. At Ye Li’s order, all the shadow guards charged in that direction, unstoppably cutting down everyone in their path without mercy. Behind them, the enraged shouts of their pursuers echoed from outside the forest, "Kill them! Dead or alive, don’t let a single one escape!"
Relying on such powerful momentum, the group actually managed to break out of the encirclement and head deeper into the mountains. However, only seven or eight of the shadow guards who had been with her remained. Mo Hua, Zhuo Jing, and the others were all covered in wounds. Only Ye Li, protected in their midst, seemed merely fatigued with no external injuries.
The deep mountains and old forests were rarely trodden by people. Even if the enemy had several thousand men, finding a few people secretly moving through such vast mountain forests would not be easy.
「The next morning.」
They had essentially shaken off their pursuers, but they were also deep in the vast mountains, uncertain of the path ahead. They could only proceed in a general direction. In this life and the last, Ye Li had never experienced such dire straits. In her previous life, although she had endured many situations worse than the present, that was when her body was still very healthy. But now, due to her pregnancy, even if it didn’t yet affect her movements, her stamina and mental energy were clearly insufficient. The first three months of pregnancy were inherently a dangerous period, unsuitable for overly strenuous activity. Although it had only been a little over a day, Ye Li was already feeling faintly unwell. She knew very well that if she wasn’t more careful, she might very well lose her first child.
They found a concealed, relatively flat place to rest, and ate some dry rations and drank some water. Lin Han said, "As long as we don’t encounter any more pursuers, we should be safe getting out of here." Wei Lin shook his head. "Although I don’t know our exact location, judging by the position of this mountain range, no matter which direction we exit, we will be far from the Prince and the Mo Family Army. And if we return by the original path... we will very likely encounter pursuers."
Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Lin Han, you go back alone. Go find the Prince." Lin Han disagreed. "To go back for help, sending any shadow guard would suffice. My staying here can also be of more help." Ye Li shook her head. "No, the journey back will certainly be extremely perilous. I can only be at ease if you, Zhuo Jing, or Wei Lin go. Besides, we are now in the deep mountains; as long as we are careful to stay hidden, the chances of large-scale encounters with pursuers are small. Go quickly and return quickly... If something happens to the person returning, then no one will know we are here. At that time..." Wei Lin reached out, patted Lin Han’s shoulder, and nodded. Lin Han looked at the others, then could only nod and say, "Yes, I will definitely find the Prince as soon as possible!"
Ye Li nodded. "Be careful on the road."
After Lin Han departed, everyone rested on the relatively flat terrain. Ye Li sat under a large tree, her back against the trunk, gazing up at the sky through the layers of leaves. An ironic, bitter smile curled her lips. How humiliating... In this world...
She knew she wasn’t strong enough. This was an era of cold weapons; compared to supreme masters, her internal energy wasn’t strong enough, and her lightness skill wasn’t good enough. On the battlefield, compared to truly peerless famous generals, the theories from the Art of War she had learned were fundamentally of no use. All she relied on was a way of thinking completely different from others. This time, in her confrontation with the Southern Garrison Prince, she seemingly had the upper hand, but she knew in her heart that if their military strength and reserves were completely equal, she would most likely be utterly defeated in less than three months. She also understood that... she could have chosen an easier, more comfortable way to live. As a woman, no one could say she was wrong. But... she ultimately couldn’t see herself as a weak woman of this era, watching men fight and die outside while she stayed at home, peaceably enjoying the fine clothes and good food they provided. Even now, in such a wretched state, she did not regret it. At least... she had done what she could, instead of staying in the Capital City, waiting to be caught by Mo Jingqi and used as a pawn to threaten the father of her child.
Using the tree for support, Ye Li stood up and walked towards one side of the fire. The early winter night was becoming quite cold. Three shadow guards, who were busy roasting meat and boiling soup, saw Ye Li approaching and quickly stood up. Ye Li waved her hand. "Everyone is tired; there’s no need for such formalities. Sit down." The shadow guards, who had clearly never encountered such a master, hesitantly looked towards Zhuo Jing, who was sitting on a tree branch to one side with his eyes closed, resting. Mo Hua had taken people hunting, so they could only seek advice from Zhuo Jing, who was also formerly a shadow guard. Sensing their gazes, Zhuo Jing opened his eyes, glanced at them, and said, "Follow the Princess Consort’s orders." Only then did the three sit back down, silently continuing with their tasks, their expressions somewhat more reserved than before.
Ye Li smiled faintly, reached for a tree branch to poke the fire, then picked up a skewer of roasted small birds that was already cooked and tossed it onto a nearby tree branch. Wei Lin, who was hanging upside down from the tree, reached out and caught it, then began to eat without a word. Zhuo Jing, on another tree branch, watched, practically drooling. "Princess Consort..." Ye Li raised an eyebrow, picked up another skewer, and tossed it over. Zhuo Jing cheered and began to eat with relish. Ye Li turned back to the shadow guards, who were watching their interaction with surprise, and smiled. "You must all be hungry. Eat first. We’ll roast theirs when Mo Hua and the others return." Zhuo Jing, while chewing on the roasted meat, mumbled indistinctly, "I told you... if I went out to find food, I’d definitely be... faster than... Commander, *cough cough*... Mo Hua..."
Perhaps due to the interaction between Ye Li, Zhuo Jing, and Wei Lin, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Ye Li, enduring the smoke and the greasy smell from the roasting fire, ate the grilled meat in her hand with little appetite. One of the shadow guards looked at her, then took out two crimson, fist-sized wild fruits and offered them to Ye Li, saying somewhat shyly, "These were picked on the way. If the Princess Consort doesn’t mind, please eat these." Ye Li smiled, accepted them, wiped one casually, and took a bite. The fruit, with its tartly sweet flavor, instantly made her feel much more comfortable. She nodded to the shadow guard with a smile. "Thank you."
The shadow guard’s face turned red, and he quickly said, "Not at all."
While eating the wild fruit, Ye Li watched the shadow guards sizing her up with what they thought were subtle, curious glances. She smiled faintly and asked softly, "I’ve implicated all of you in this. Are you afraid?"
These shadow guards were all extremely young and outstanding youths. In the future, whether they joined the Black Cloud Cavalry, the Mo Family Army, or entered Qilin, they would have boundless prospects. Yet this time, those who followed her were almost entirely sacrificed.
"Not afraid!" declared the shadow guard who had given Ye Li the wild fruit. "To die loyally for the Prince and Princess Consort is the honor of a shadow guard."
"Nonsense," Ye Li gently chided. "If you don’t first seek to preserve your life, how can you only think of loyalty unto death? If everyone dies, who will remain to be loyal to the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion?" The three young men looked at Ye Li in confusion. What the Princess Consort said was obviously contrary to the education they had received since childhood, making it somewhat incomprehensible to them. "Does the Princess Consort mean we should fear death and flee in battle? Although we are not the Black Cloud Cavalry or the Mo Family Army, renowned throughout the kingdoms, we would not do such a thing." The three young men clearly did not agree with Ye Li’s words. Ye Li smiled. "Death can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather. If one gives up their life for a trivial matter or wants to slit their throat and die over a small setback, then even if it’s loyalty, it’s blind loyalty. If it’s for the greater good, for ideals, for faith, and one has striven with all their might but in the end can only sacrifice themselves for their principles, then even in death or defeat, they are naturally true warriors." The three young men appeared pensive. In fact, shadow guards and similar people in those days all had an unwritten rule: for instance, many would atone for the failure of an important mission with death. As shadow guards, they had naturally seen many such examples, and even they themselves held such thoughts. Therefore, while the deaths of their brothers protecting the Princess Consort saddened them, they themselves were psychologically prepared that if anything happened to the Princess Consort, they would all atone with their lives. But listening to the Princess Consort, it seemed she felt their way of thinking was incorrect.
"Princess Consort... shouldn’t one atone for their mistakes with death?"
Ye Li rolled her eyes and asked, "If the person who made a mistake atones with death, does that mean the mistake doesn’t exist anymore?"
"Then... what should we do?"
"Of course, strive to live and make up for your mistakes. Choosing death is the act of a coward," Ye Li said firmly. The three young men were stunned into thought for a long time. One of them asked somewhat cautiously, "Princess Consort, that... will Qilin still recruit people?" Ye Li smiled. "You also know about Qilin?" The three nodded in unison. Qilin was not entirely secret within the Mo Family Army and the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. Compared to the hundreds of thousands of Mo Family Army soldiers dispersed in various places, the shadow guards obviously knew more. The three young men looked with envy and longing at Zhuo Jing, who was leaning against a tree, and Wei Lin, who was hanging upside down from another not far away. They were all of shadow guard origin; some had even trained and grown up with them. But now, Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin seemed so different.
Ye Li tilted her head and smiled. "Of course. If you can survive this time and return, perhaps I can speak to Qin Feng on your behalf and ask him to give you a chance. However... you’ll have to convince Mo Hua yourselves, won’t you?"
The three young men were overjoyed, their youthful faces radiating vitality, sweeping away their earlier fatigue and dejection.
"Someone is coming!" Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin both jumped down from the tree and landed beside Ye Li, looking alert. The others also quickly stood up and prepared for battle.
Ye Li listened intently and said in a deep voice, "Two groups. One is coming up from the foot of the mountain, still far from here. The other is coming down from above—it’s Mo Hua and his men." The shadow guards behind her quickly extinguished the fire. In the blink of an eye, Mo Hua arrived with a few shadow guards. Mo Hua said with a grim face, "I saw people coming up the mountain earlier from above." Ye Li frowned. "Going down the mountain is definitely not feasible; the foot of the mountain is now completely blockaded. Is there a path up the mountain?" Mo Hua replied, "There’s a cliff at the summit. The mountain peak on the opposite side of the cliff is completely separate from this side. If we can get across..."
"Can we get across?" Ye Li asked.
Mo Hua nodded slightly. "We can try."
Ye Li took a quiet breath and said in a low voice, "Let’s go up the mountain."
