Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 257 - 256. During the Exercise

256. During the Performance

At the end of October, Great Chu officially started the war against the Northern Territory. Almost at the same instant, the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling Town commanded his son, Lei Tengfeng, the Heir of Southern Garrison Prince, to lead an army of 200,000 to the southern border adjacent to Nanzhao. All countries began to mobilize their troops and dispatch their generals one after another; even the Beirong from the far north, where it was bitterly cold, also showed some restless moves. At this moment, the military exercise that Prince Ding’s Mansion had been preparing for several months also kicked off.

In the early morning, General Zhang Qilan, stationed thirty *li* outside Licheng, received an order: lead his troops to rush to Jiantian Cliff, fifty *li* northwest of Hongzhou, and seize the natural stronghold of Jiantian Cliff. The order came so quickly that they could say they were completely unprepared. Fortunately, the Mo Family Army had always been well-trained, and everyone had been on edge these days, so they did not panic.

When he received the order, Zhang Qilan was having dinner with a few of his subordinate generals, casually discussing military affairs. Looking at the graceful yet wonderfully natural handwriting on the paper, Zhang Qilan jumped up and shouted to his subordinates, "Pass down the command! We set off in one hour!" He felt a bit strange, though. Why did the handwriting look like that of the Princess Consort?

The generals were all taken aback. One of the bolder ones hurriedly asked, "General, what are we..."

Zhang Qilan chuckled. "It’s starting, lads! Give it your all! We must beat that old geezer until he’s crying for his parents!"

The men couldn’t help but laugh, and the atmosphere in the tent relaxed considerably. Zhang Qilan glared and roared, "What are you waiting for? Get ready now!"

The crowd immediately dispersed, leaving the tent to mobilize their respective troops. After dismissing his subordinates, Zhang Qilan glanced at the note in his hand again, wiped his face, and turned to prepare his own gear for the expedition.

"General Zhang, I apologize for intruding so late," a refined voice said with a slight smile from outside the tent. Zhang Qilan paused, then, realizing who was speaking, hurried to greet her. The curtain of the tent was lifted, and the person outside had already walked in.

Zhang Qilan quickly cupped his hands. "This subordinate greets the Princess Consort." Unlike usual, Ye Li wore a gray, long cloak, and her hair was styled in a man’s bun. The white hem of her clothing visible beneath the cloak also indicated it was men’s attire. Zhang Qilan was somewhat puzzled but still asked, "Princess Consort, you are..."

Ye Li smiled. "General Zhang is about to set out. I’ve taken the liberty of offering myself as a strategist, and I hope the General won’t refuse."

"The Princess Consort means... you intend to march with us?" Zhang Qilan exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Li nodded. Zhang Qilan said, somewhat troubled, "But... Your Highness is of invaluable status. If by any chance..."

Ye Li played with the folding fan in her hand and smiled. "Where in this world can one guarantee that ’by any chance’ won’t happen? Besides, I’ve been on the battlefield a few times. Even if I can’t be of much help to General Zhang, I certainly won’t hold you back."

Zhang Qilan repeatedly said he wouldn’t dare presume. He was, of course, very clear about this Princess Consort’s capabilities. Her assistance was equivalent to gaining an extremely strong strategist and commander out of thin air. However, Ye Li’s identity made him somewhat uneasy. Moreover, if this were the case, even if he defeated Lv Jinxian, it would only look like his side had an unfair advantage.

Ye Li naturally saw the reason for his hesitation and couldn’t help but smile. "Actually, speaking of this... General Zhang would be the one at a disadvantage. Does General Zhang know who is leading the West Route Army?"

Hearing this, Zhang Qilan suddenly had a bad feeling. A thought struck him, and he said, "Could it be..."

Ye Li nodded and smiled. "Correct. The one leading their troops is Prince Ding, and Lv Jinxian is the Vice General."

Zhang Qilan’s face darkened. Although he was considerably older than Prince Ding, when it came to military strategy, he had to admit his own inferiority. Zhang Qilan had also accompanied Mo Xiuyao during the southern campaign against Nanzhao years ago; he had probably never imagined he would one day be pitted against Mo Xiuyao.

Ye Li looked at Zhang Qilan with a smile in her eyes. "General, are you... admitting defeat before the battle has even begun?"

Zhang Qilan gritted his teeth and nodded. "Since it’s come to this, then I shall be relying on you, Princess Consort." Admitting defeat before fighting was naturally impossible. So now, he couldn’t be bothered about Ye Li’s identity anymore. Every expert counted, and even if he truly couldn’t win, he was determined to take a bite out of the enemy. Besides... the thought of crossing swords with the Prince... it actually felt somewhat exhilarating!

Ye Li smiled faintly. "You’re too kind. My name is Chu Junwei. You can just call me by my name, General."

「One hour later」

The army was indeed ready. By this time, the sky had long since darkened, and the army had to march through the night, with men holding gags in their mouths and horses muzzled. Licheng was a full three hundred *li* from Jiantian Cliff. The Black Cloud Cavalry might manage the journey in time, but it was impossible to expect the ordinary soldiers of the Mo Family Army to reach there within a day.

After the army set out, the generals accompanying Zhang Qilan finally noticed a young man in a gray cloak by the General’s side, his features indistinct in the darkness. "General, this is..."

Zhang Qilan’s expression twitched slightly. He said in a low voice, "This is my military advisor. Where is Feng Zhiyao?" Feng Zhiyao was also on the list of generals for this military exercise. However, Third Young Master Feng, who usually always followed Mo Xiuyao, had unfortunately been assigned to Prince Ding’s opposing side this time. But from the very beginning, Zhang Qilan hadn’t seen hide nor hair of this particular young master.

Ye Li said softly, "Third Feng has already gone on ahead."

Zhang Qilan was startled for a moment, then quickly understood. It was impossible for their massive force of tens of thousands to reach Jiantian Cliff first without being discovered by Prince Ding. What was worse, a contingent of the West Route Army was stationed directly on their path to Jiantian Cliff. The Prince would definitely not let them reach Jiantian Cliff so smoothly. Having Feng Zhiyao lead the Black Cloud Cavalry to clear the way ahead was far better than being intercepted and attacked only after they arrived.

In the dark night, the group rode onward, followed by long lines of Mo Family Army soldiers jogging behind them.

「In the West Route Army Camp」

Mo Xiuyao, still dressed in his white robes, his hair like snow, sat languidly in the main tent, gazing thoughtfully at the map before him. Lv Jinxian sat in a subordinate position to his side and said, "Your Highness, Zhang Qilan is originally from the Black Cloud Cavalry and is known for his rapid troop movements. I’m afraid they’ve likely already broken camp and set out."

Mo Xiuyao nodded, raising an eyebrow. "No matter how fast they are, they only have ten thousand Black Cloud Cavalry in their hands. Wanting to snatch Jiantian Cliff from us with only those ten thousand is simply wishful thinking."

Lv Jinxian nodded, his brow furrowed. "However, although we have fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry, our ordinary troop strength is clearly weaker than theirs. While the Black Cloud Cavalry are strong in raids and assaults, their defensive capabilities are likely somewhat lacking. Even if we seize Jiantian Cliff first, defending against an attack from one hundred thousand Mo Family Army soldiers with only fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry will likely be difficult."

Mo Xiuyao looked at Lv Jinxian with a smile. "What, General Lv? Surely you’re not afraid of Zhang Qilan?"

Lv Jinxian’s expression changed. He puffed out his chest and declared, "Who would be afraid of him? Your Highness, rest assured, this humble general swears to defend Jiantian Cliff to the death!"

Mo Xiuyao waved his hand. "What’s this about ’to the death’? Don’t forget, Jiantian Cliff isn’t the final objective. If we exhaust all our men at Jiantian Cliff, how will we fight the battles that follow?"

Lv Jinxian looked somewhat abashed and asked, "Your Highness, what is your plan?"

Mo Xiuyao pondered for a moment, then said, "Zhang Qilan will definitely rush to Jiantian Cliff with all his might. We don’t need to rush over either. We can travel faster than him anyway. For now, let’s create some obstructions for them on their way. Also... set up a defensive line twenty *li* in front of Jiantian Cliff. Even if Jiantian Cliff ultimately cannot be held, we must at least deplete half of their forces."

"This subordinate understands," Lv Jinxian nodded.

Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction. "Then, Jiantian Cliff is entrusted to you."

Hearing this, Lv Jinxian was taken aback. "Entrusted to me? Then, Your Highness..."

Mo Xiuyao replied with an enigmatic smile, "That’s a secret..."

The East Route Army’s journey was not smooth. By noon the next day, the main army encountered the first defensive line set up by the enemy, but Feng Zhiyao, who had supposedly set out earlier to clear the path, was nowhere to be seen.

The enemy force blocking them was not large, merely two or three thousand men. If this were flat ground, an army of one hundred thousand could crush them just by marching over them. However, they were now on a winding mountain path, giving it the air of "one man holding the pass against ten thousand." This infuriated Zhang Qilan, who cursed Lv Jinxian for being despicable and shameless.

But no matter how despicable and shameless the opponent was, the battle still had to be fought. Zhang Qilan was not just a brute who only knew how to shout and curse. He immediately dispatched a team to circle around to the enemy’s rear from a hidden route for a pincer attack. Even so, they were delayed nearly six to eight hours at this location. By the time they encountered two or three more similar treacherous blockades along the way, Zhang Qilan had long since understood that Lv Jinxian was trying to stall for time.

Unfortunately, it was precisely such obvious stratagems, laid bare before them, that were the most unbreakable and frustrating. Even knowing that Lv Jinxian was setting ambushes along the route to delay them, they had no choice but to push through, because taking a detour would only consume even more time.

The final objective of this military exercise was not Jiantian Cliff, but a small city several tens of *li* away from it. Forty thousand troops were stationed in this small city. The mission for the West Route Army, led by Mo Xiuyao, was to capture this city. Ye Li and Zhang Qilan’s task, however, was to reinforce it and annihilate the West Route Army.

Jiantian Cliff, meanwhile, was a crucial location because both the East Route Army and the West Route Army had to pass through it to reach the small city. If Mo Xiuyao had enough troops, he could have disregarded Jiantian Cliff and marched straight for the small city. However, his West Route Army only consisted of fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry and forty thousand Mo Family Army. The East Route Army, on the other hand, had ten thousand Black Cloud Cavalry plus one hundred fifty thousand Mo Family Army, including the city’s garrison.

The current commander defending the small city was also not to be underestimated: Veteran General Yuan Pei of the Mo Family Army, the former defending general of Jiangxia City, who was exceptionally skilled in urban defense. Therefore, if Mo Xiuyao committed all his forces to the siege and failed to capture the small city within three days, the West Route Army would be encircled by over one hundred thousand Mo Family Army soldiers. Consequently, he could only leave a portion of his forces with Lv Jinxian to impede the reinforcements’ speed, but this also inherently reduced the strength of his own siege forces.

What was originally expected to be a three-day journey took the East Route Army a full five days due to ambushes along the way. They finally reached Xia San Tian, a location twenty *li* from the outer perimeter of Jiantian Cliff. Looking at the formidable array of banners unfurling and the cold glint of blades on the hillside, Zhang Qilan sneered and ordered his men to make camp on the spot. His subordinate generals were all eager for action; the past few days of marching had left them with pent-up frustration that urgently needed an outlet, and they all requested permission from Zhang Qilan to engage in battle. Zhang Qilan, however, waved his hand to dismiss their requests. The enemy held the geographical advantage; launching a frontal assault in broad daylight would be tantamount to suicide.

"Mr. Chu, what are your thoughts?" Zhang Qilan asked, turning his head towards Ye Li, who was seated to one side.

The clamor ceased as everyone turned their attention to the young gentleman in white seated there. Although many in the army had seen Ye Li before, they were not truly familiar with her. Ye Li, dressed in men’s clothes and slightly disguised, was usually very quiet and spoke little, so none of these generals recognized that this rather taciturn young gentleman was actually their Princess Consort Ding. Of course, this was also related to the fact that these generals were proud and arrogant, and somewhat looked down upon Ye Li, this person who had suddenly "parachuted" into their midst. Naturally, few were willing to approach her for conversation.

"It seems General Lv intends to block us outside Jiantian Cliff. At this time... Prince Ding has likely already led his troops to attack the city," Ye Li mused.

Someone below couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff. Anyone could say that! A glance at the current situation was enough to understand the enemy’s intentions.

Zhang Qilan, however, said thoughtfully, "Mr. Chu, are you implying... Prince Ding is not at Jiantian Cliff right now? If it’s only Lv Jinxian... he probably doesn’t have many troops with him. This general might be able to break through Jiantian Cliff within three days."

Ye Li shook her head. "Break through Jiantian Cliff in three days? General, what price in casualties are you prepared to pay? Jiantian Cliff is worthy of its reputation as a strategic natural stronghold; it’s naturally easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we deplete all our forces fighting here, what will we use to reinforce General Yuan?"

A junior general below couldn’t help but interject, "But if we don’t break through, how will we pass? If we take a detour, it will require at least seven or eight days. Moreover, the southern route involves arduous travel over mountains and rivers; it’s questionable whether we’d even be in any condition to fight by the time we arrive. As for the northern route, that’s a vast marshland we simply cannot cross."

Zhang Qilan looked at Ye Li and asked, "Mr. Chu, what is your meaning then?"

Ye Li pointed to the map on the table and said, "General Yuan excels at city defense. Even Prince Ding might not be able to breach the city in a short period. My meaning is... to annihilate all the troops at Jiantian Cliff."

Everyone was shocked. Zhang Qilan frowned. "The time that would take... What if we’re too late with reinforcements and the city falls..."

Ye Li stated calmly, without even a furrow of her brow, "If it falls, we’ll just take it back."

A Vice General hesitated. "But... once the city falls, the exercise ends, doesn’t it?"

Ye Li replied calmly, "Only if one side concedes defeat or both sides suffer devastating losses is it considered over. When fighting a real war, if a city is captured by the enemy, do the reinforcing troops simply turn around and go back?"

The men fell silent, all looking thoughtful.

Silence reigned in the main tent for a good while before Zhang Qilan slapped the table and rose. "Good! We’ll do as Mr. Chu says! The success or failure of this operation will be entrusted to Mr. Chu. Sir, do you have a breakthrough strategy ready?"

Ye Li looked at Zhang Qilan’s expectant face with a smile and slowly said, "I’m still thinking."

"..."

The nights on the battlefield were far from peaceful. The saying, "A dark, windy night is perfect for murder and arson," applied equally well here. So, when Ye Li was awakened by outside noises for the third time that night, she wasn’t particularly surprised. She got up, dressed, threw on her cloak, and walked out of the tent. Qin Feng immediately appeared at the entrance. "Young Master."

Ye Li frowned slightly. "Why aren’t you resting?"

Qin Feng replied, "Wei Lin has gone to rest. He will come to relieve me in two hours." This time, Ye Li had brought Qin Feng and Wei Lin, not Zhuo Jing and Lin Han. After all, with Prince Ding, other key commanders, and all the major and minor generals absent from the city, Zhuo Jing and Lin Han had been left behind to assist Xu Qingchen.

Ye Li said, "Both of you go rest. Just assign any two men to keep watch. There are important matters tomorrow."

Qin Feng shook his head. "This subordinate will go rest shortly. It won’t affect tomorrow’s duties."

Knowing she couldn’t persuade him, Ye Li didn’t press further. She looked curiously towards the distant, flickering firelight and asked, "Whose men are making a commotion over there?"

Qin Feng, suppressing a smile, replied, "It’s a few of General Zhang’s junior generals. It seems they’ve coordinated to launch surprise attacks on the enemy’s forward defenses tonight. Each wave persists for two hours, then withdraws regardless of victory or defeat. This is already the third wave. The defenders on that mountain probably won’t get any sleep tonight."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, looking towards the area where the faint sounds of battle drifted from. She smiled, one eyebrow arched. "A bit interesting. Was this their own idea?"

Qin Feng nodded. "It seems they spoke to General Zhang after the evening meal, and he probably permitted it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t act on their own authority."

It seemed Qin Feng also had a rather favorable impression of those somewhat rash young men. Although he didn’t plead for them, he was, in a way, explaining that their actions didn’t violate military regulations.

Ye Li smiled as she walked further out, saying with a light laugh, "It’s always good for young people to have their own ideas. Even if they make a few mistakes in a military exercise, it’s far better than making them on a real battlefield."

"What does Your Highness mean?" Qin Feng frowned.

Ye Li said, "Harassing them once or twice is fine. But if they keep going one after another like this, do they think Lv Jinxian is a pushover?"

Qin Feng remained silent.

Ye Li smiled. "Come on, let’s go take a look too."

Qin Feng hurriedly caught up, asking with some curiosity, "Young Master, are you saying they’re going to run into trouble?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Lv Jinxian is a veteran who has weathered many battles. How could he let a few greenhorns like them play him for a fool? If they had stopped after one or two attempts, the enemy would have remained cautious and on guard, and likely wouldn’t have rested easy tonight. But with them repeatedly performing the same old trick like this, how could Lv Jinxian not make a move? As the saying goes, ’Going too far is as bad as not going far enough.’"

"Then..." Qin Feng frowned. "Should we send someone to inform General Zhang?"

Ye Li shook her head. "General Zhang and General Lv have known each other for decades. He couldn’t possibly not understand him. He must have made preparations. There’s no need for us to interfere. Just watch."

As they were speaking, Zhang Qilan’s hearty voice came from behind. "Oh? Mr. Chu, you haven’t rested yet either? Were you disturbed by that bunch of brats?"

The two turned to see Zhang Qilan striding over, head held high. He was wearing battle armor and a war cloak, looking every bit ready for combat. Ye Li couldn’t help but smile. "General Zhang, it’s so late. You are...?"

Zhang Qilan feigned annoyance. "That bunch of reckless brats went to provoke Old Lv. I have to go drag them back while they’re still in one piece."

Hearing this, Ye Li’s laughter rang out, clear and melodious. "In that case, we’ll be troubling General Zhang."

Zhang Qilan cupped his fist. "I’ll take my leave first."