Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 223 - 222. Qilin Assessment

222. The Qilin Assessment

It seemed as if in a matter of days, the so-called treasure map of the Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty had spread throughout the Northwest. One could say that almost anyone with a bit of talent and power had a copy. Naturally, such a map also appeared in the study of Prince Ding’s Mansion.

Mo Xiuyao merely glanced at the treasure map before tossing it to Feng Zhiyao at his side. From Mo Xiuyao’s attitude alone, Feng Zhiyao knew that this so-called treasure map was likely of little value. However, Han Mingxi took great interest in it. He snatched it from Feng Zhiyao’s hands for his detailed study. Recently swindled out of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver by Mo Xiuyao, he needed a substantial income to make up for it. After contemplating the map for a moment, Han Mingxi frowned and murmured, Isn’t this the place where the Princess Consort fell off the cliff? Although the map was somewhat abstract, Han Mingxi, with his experience in doing business and frequently traveling, recognized the location marked on the map after scrutinizing it closely.

Neither Ye Li nor Mo Xiuyao had expected Tan Jizhi to provide a genuine treasure map. It pinpointed the exact location of the imperial mausoleum where Doctor Lin had led Ye Li. Although there was no Imperial Seal or Great Founding Emperor’s treasure there, it was definitely an Imperial Mausoleum of Great Founding Emperor. If he was only intending to deceive those keeping an eye on him, this seemed like a huge price to pay.

Mo Xiuyao casually responded with a smile, "Why should we worry about what he intends to do? Can he cause much trouble in the Northwest? Han Mingxi, if you are interested, you can follow along and join in the fun." Upon hearing these words, Han Mingxi’s eyes lit up. He knew that Ye Li had been in that imperial mausoleum before, so he quickly turned to her. Ye Li laughed, "There is indeed a lot of valuable stuff inside. It can be considered a pretty good imperial mausoleum. But as for a treasure... it’s probably a bit lacking." Han Mingxi understood. This was an imperial tomb, not the legendary treasure. However, that didn’t matter. There were plenty of treasures in an imperial tomb. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

While Han Mingxi was busy dealing with various forces to scramble for the treasures in the imperial mausoleum, Tan Jizhi, who was being openly and clandestinely pursued by others, surprisingly showed up at their doorstep.

When Tan Jizhi met Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao again, his face was significantly less arrogant than before. Upon seeing them, he respectfully greeted them. Ye Li asked with a smile, "It’s been a long time. Is Young Master Tan doing well?"

Tan Jizhi responded with a bitter smile, "Why does Princess Consort ask when she already knows?"

Ye Li showed no sympathy for Tan Jizhi’s haggard and fatigued state, smiling as always. "The Prince and I have heard about your recent trials. We truly appreciate your efforts, Young Master Tan."

Tan Jizhi felt a swell of anger stuck in his chest, unable to swallow it down or spit it out. His face turned pale and then flushed. After a while, he calmed down and, cupping his hands in salute, said to them, "Today, I am here to fulfill our agreement and take Lin’er away from the Northwest. I wonder when the Prince and Princess Consort plan to release her?"

Ye Li replied with a smile, "Anytime. It seems Young Master Tan thinks we’ve gone back on our word. I have told you that Princess Anxi is still here in the Northwest. It may not be safe for the Saintess of the Southern Border to leave the mansion rashly. But since you insist, I won’t dissuade you anymore. However, anything that happens to the Saintess of the Southern Border once she leaves the mansion has nothing to do with Prince Ding’s Mansion."

Tan Jizhi replied solemnly, "Of course."

This acknowledgment clearly pleased Ye Li. She waved her hand, and Qin Feng brought Shu Manlin in. Before long, Shu Manlin was brought into the study. As soon as she saw Tan Jizhi, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing. Tan Jizhi looked her over. Although she had lost some weight, it was obvious that she hadn’t suffered. He breathed a sigh of relief that Prince Ding’s Mansion hadn’t mistreated Shu Manlin. Holding Shu Manlin, he said his farewells, "Thank you, Prince and Princess Consort. We will take our leave now."

Ye Li responded with an indifferent smile and just whispered, "No need to see you off," then had someone escort them out.

As many people had flocked to the vicinity of the imperial mausoleum, Licheng now seemed unusually quiet. Finally, Ye Li found the time to leave the city and inspect the Qilin’s base. This was the first time she had left the city since returning to Licheng. The Qilin’s base was in a secluded valley thirty miles away from Licheng. It was built to replicate the one she had constructed near the Capital City but was much larger and included numerous additional training facilities. Qin Feng, along with Zhuo Jing and Lin Han, had brainstormed these improvements. As soon as Ye Li entered the valley with Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing, and the others, they saw several hundred robust young men neatly arranged in formation on a wide, open space. They saluted her, holding their right hands flat against their chests, "Greetings, Princess Consort!"

Looking across the field, her eyes first fell upon Xu Qingfeng standing in the front row. He was clad in the same gray attire as the Qilin around him, his expression stern, prompting a faint smile to appear on her face.

"At ease." Ye Li stood in the center of the field, gazing at the hundreds of vigorous Qilin members with satisfaction in her eyes. "Today, your training over the past few months will come to an end. Likewise, the final round of assessments will now begin. Do you have confidence?"

"Yes!" they all shouted together.

Ye Li nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. Now I order: the content of this assessment is, one, march one hundred and twenty miles west. You must all reach the appointed location by the fifth night watch tomorrow morning. Two, taking the destination as the center point, capture all non-Northwest civilians and armed individuals within a ten-mile radius. If you encounter resistance, you are authorized to kill them on the spot. Three, the following personnel must all be captured alive and unharmed. The list will be distributed to you later. Everyone will be split into groups. If one person in a group fails, the entire group is disqualified. Understood?"

"We comply with the order!" the Qilin members responded in unison, their eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation. After spending more than half a year in this valley undergoing all sorts of training they had never even heard of before, they were now eager to go out and test their strength.

Ye Li nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "I wish you all the best."

Qin Feng stepped forward and had men distribute the various equipment and weapons the Qilin members would need. He looked at his subordinates with a cold, stern expression. "You all heard the Princess Consort’s command. Additionally, I, as the Commander, will add the following rules: Mistakenly capturing or injuring a civilian—disqualified! Harming a mission target—disqualified! Letting a mission target escape—disqualified! Dismissed!"

"We understand!" the Qilin members replied loudly, then quickly divided into more than a dozen small teams and rushed toward their respective destinations.

Ye Li and the others stood still, watching their figures disappear into the valley. Zhuo Jing frowned and asked, "Princess Consort, according to reports from our spies, there are at least a thousand people gathered near the imperial mausoleum. Is it really enough to just send these men?"

Ye Li turned around, smiling at Zhuo Jing. "Although they haven’t entirely completed their training, what they have received is far more rigorous than your initial training. Don’t you trust them, Zhuo Jing? Qin Feng, what do you think?"

Qin Feng replied solemnly, "If they can’t even handle this small task, I would rather send them all back and select new people to train from scratch. Princess Consort, rest assured, I guarantee these young men won’t disappoint you."

Ye Li nodded. "Very well. Then let’s go over as well and see how their training has truly paid off."

「In the mountains near Hongzhou」

These days, this area was even busier than Licheng. With so many groups suddenly converging here, many realized something was amiss and that they had likely been tricked by Tan Jizhi. But the allure of the Imperial Seal was irresistible to most. Initially, everyone had moved covertly, not intruding on each other’s territories and maintaining a fragile peace. The real excitement, however, began one afternoon when one group finally found an entrance to the imperial mausoleum. Since everyone had anticipated the matter of the imperial mausoleum beforehand, they had all brought experienced tomb raiders. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that the entrance near Hongzhou was found. However, this particular entrance was designed for exit only, not entry. Forcing it open would require immense manpower, not to mention the risk of collapsing the entire tomb passage or even the underground palace. The losses would then far outweigh any gains. So, no one was in a hurry. Eventually, a tacit understanding even formed among the groups to work together to deal with the entrance.

Han Mingxi did not join the commotion. Everyone knew he was from Prince Ding’s Mansion, and even if he wanted to, others would likely not welcome him. So, he only followed from a distance with a few of his trusted subordinates, waiting for the right moment to seize an advantage. After all, such a massive imperial mausoleum couldn’t possibly be completely emptied by these people. One thing, however, puzzled Han Mingxi. Even though they were some distance from Licheng, surely the Prince and Princess Consort couldn’t be completely unaware of the situation here. Yet, they seemed to be ignoring this gold mountain and all these people. This wasn’t in line with Prince Ding’s usual style and temperament at all.

"Big brother, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Han Mingxi asked Han Mingyue, who was sitting beside him.

Ever since Su Zuidie died, Han Mingyue had been devastated. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, out of consideration for Han Mingxi, didn’t bother with him and simply left him under Han Mingxi’s care. Han Mingxi was committed to taking good care of Han Mingyue and ensuring he didn’t cause any trouble. This was driven by brotherly affection and concern for Han Mingyue’s life, as well as by the need to ensure the safety of the Han Family. These days, Han Mingyue had been residing in Han Mingxi’s mansion, rarely leaving. He now appeared pale and spiritless, like a walking corpse—a far cry from his former persona as the popular Young Master Mingyue. Han Mingxi couldn’t bear to see him like this, so he had dragged Han Mingyue along on this visit to the imperial mausoleum, which he considered a personal matter anyway.

It was unclear if Han Mingyue hadn’t heard Han Mingxi’s question or simply chose not to respond; his eyes merely flickered faintly, but he said nothing. Han Mingxi no longer expected his elder brother to offer any guidance or advice. He only hoped Han Mingyue would live peacefully without causing trouble. That alone would be sufficient repayment for his brother’s upbringing and a way to honor the ancestors of the Han Family. Therefore, Han Mingyue’s silence didn’t upset Han Mingxi. He leaned against a tree, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "I just have a feeling Prince Ding won’t let me earn this pocket money so easily."

Han Mingyue lowered his head and remained silent. Han Mingxi waved his hand and sighed. "Forget it. We’ll find out what’s going on eventually." He couldn’t believe Prince Ding would actually allow so many people to run rampant in the Northwest.