Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 258 - 257. "Goodwill" Teaching

257. "Well-meaning" Instructions

It was not until daybreak that a group of over-excited young men were brought back by Zhang Qilan, their appearances disheveled. Ye Li and Wei Lin, who had come to replace Qin Feng, waited until the sounds of fighting in the distance halted before the fourth night watch and an hour later before they saw them return to camp. The once spirited young officers each hung their heads, looking as wilted as frost-hit vegetables.

As soon as they entered the camp, they saw Ye Li in a carriage, smiling at them. This made the youngsters even more embarrassed. They had always felt that the General had found a young and seemingly inexperienced military advisor, who knew nothing and often spouted nonsense, yet the General highly valued him. These young men naturally didn’t accept this, believing in their hearts that they were far superior to this pretty boy. Now having lost such face in front of him, their expressions were naturally unpleasant.

"Mr. Chu, haven’t you rested yet?" Zhang Qilan greeted Ye Li as soon as he saw him.

Ye Li laughed, "Neither have you, General, have you? You must be tired. Is everything alright?"

Zhang Qilan sighed, "Fortunately, nothing major." Turning back, he yelled at the men, "Why don’t you go rest?! Are you waiting to be punished?!" At his word, the young officers scattered like frightened animals.

Seeing how they reacted to Zhang Qilan as though he was a god of death, Ye Li couldn’t help but whisper with a chuckle, "The General obviously has no intention of punishing them. Why scare them on purpose?"

Zhang Qilan sighed, nonplussed, "They are all young lads who haven’t experienced real battlefields but are enthusiastic about charging into the fray. Who knows what will happen if they really go on the battlefield."

It turned out that the groups who went out for sneak attacks tonight initially threw the enemy into some disarray. These young men, momentarily getting carried away, decided to take turns attacking until dawn. This way, the enemy naturally wouldn’t sleep all night, and their own men could rest in rotation. The idea was good, but they forgot to observe the surrounding terrain and the enemy’s situation. During their third sneak attack, however, they were encircled by two detachments of soldiers dispatched by Lv Jinxian.

If Zhang Qilan hadn’t arrived in time with reinforcements, not only the four or five thousand troops they had led, but even those few young junior officers would have perished there. The battlefield has always been relentless and cruel. If they hadn’t been born into noble families, among millions in an army, only a few thousand might become colonels. Of those colonels, at most a hundred might become Vice Generals. And from those less than a hundred Vice Generals, at most two or three might eventually become generals. It’s not that these people didn’t have the potential to become generals, but they were swallowed by the merciless battlefield before they could achieve it.

"In the future, I hope Mr. Chu will teach these boys more," Zhang Qilan said sincerely. He was aware of the Princess Consort’s abilities. Not to mention that the Qilin, elusive and invincible, were personally trained by the Princess Consort herself; even individuals like Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing by her side would be promising rising stars if placed in the army. This showed that her teaching methods were extremely clever.

Ye Li smiled, "General Zhang is a good leader." Indeed, in this era, such a considerate leader was truly rare.

Zhang Qilan laughed heartily and said straightforwardly, "Although these youngsters are a bit impulsive, they are the future of the Mo Family Army. We old timers will one day be too old for the battlefield. In the future, we’ll have to rely on them."

Ye Li laughed, "General, you’re in your prime; it’s far too early to call yourself old. I’ll keep your words in mind." This signaled his agreement.

Zhang Qilan bowed and said, "Then I shall trouble you, Mr. Chu. It’s still early; please return to your tent and rest for a while."

"Thank you for your concern, General."

「The next day」

When everyone in the East Route Army discovered, to their astonishment, that the West Route Army guarding the front still looked energetic, a group of young men finally couldn’t help but flare up. The main tent erupted into a cacophony of heated arguments. Ye Li sat smiling in a corner of the tent, listening to the young men debating.

Zhang Qilan, however, was irritated by the noise. Rolling his eyes, he said, "What’s all the noise about? The Jiantian Cliff is only twenty li ahead. After you harassed their garrison last night, do you think Lv Jinxian wouldn’t have dispatched troops from Jiantian Cliff to reinforce them? If you can’t pass this obstacle, do you plan to fly to Jiantian Cliff?"

The crowd was silent for a long time, glancing at each other. "General, doesn’t that mean all our efforts last night were for nothing?" Even if they ambushed them like this every day, as long as the enemy alternated between two groups of soldiers, unless they forcibly broke through the current front line, anything else they did would be useless. Moreover, during the first night’s ambush, they had already nearly suffered a major setback.

Zhang Qilan scratched the beard on his chin and said, "It’s not entirely accurate to say it was all for nothing. You young fellows tend to get carried away with whatever you do. It would have been fine to harass them a couple of times, but you got addicted and started going in shifts. Weren’t you just giving Lv Jinxian an opportunity to thrash you?"

The young soldiers were embarrassed by his comments, and the older officers sitting nearby also started to chuckle.

"General, what do we do next?" one young soldier asked, filled with anticipation, stepping forward from the group.

Zhang Qilan frowned, then turned to Ye Li, who was seated to one side, and asked, "What are your thoughts, Mr. Chu?"

Ye Li nonchalantly tapped the folding fan in his hand and said, "The enemy has the advantage of higher ground. Trying to attack forcefully will be both time-consuming and strenuous. We should continue with the nightly harassment, but... don’t get caught by General Lv again. General Zhang might not be around to bail you out next time."

Several young soldiers looked at Ye Li with some discontent. "Since Mr. Chu is a military advisor, he must have some clever strategies to defeat the enemy. But nightly raids alone won’t allow us to capture it. If this drags on for ten days or half a month, we might as well surrender without a fight."

Ye Li raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Do you have any ideas?"

"I volunteer to be the vanguard and pave the way for the army!" a young soldier said to Zhang Qilan, cupping his hands. The others also followed suit, clearly wanting to fight the enemy head-on.

Ye Li looked at them indifferently. "I have no objection to a hard fight. According to the enemy’s approximate military strength, if our side commits half of our forces, we could potentially take this position. However, I want to remind you all, although this is just a drill, if this were a real battlefield, it would mean that half of us present, along with half of the hundred thousand soldiers outside, would perish on this small slope before Jiantian Cliff."

"So what?" someone murmured.

Ye Li smiled. "If the loss of over half our soldiers, including your own lives, is considered nothing, then how are the remaining fifty thousand troops to pass through Jiantian Cliff, renowned for its treacherous terrain? How many soldiers will be left after they pass? Or do you believe that even if only a single soldier from our ranks manages to break through, they can relieve General Yuan’s besieged city? Let me remind you all, based on my understanding of Prince Ding, the forces currently stationed at Jiantian Cliff amount to no more than one-third of the West Route Army. The remaining two-thirds are fresh troops that haven’t participated in the battle yet. While you may die a glorious death, what about General Yuan who is waiting for reinforcements and the soldiers defending the city?"

Before Ye Li finished speaking, the previously assertive young men were all blushing and flustered. Although they were somewhat unconvinced, they had to admit that what the military advisor named Chu said was correct. At least half the reason they were so eager to charge forward was their knowledge that this was merely an exercise, not a genuine battlefield. Would they still rush forward disregarding everything on a real battlefield? And if they did, what consequences would it bring?

Zhang Qilan slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! I will arrange the night’s activities. Without my orders, no one is allowed to act recklessly. Whoever disobeys will be beheaded!" Although this isn’t a real battlefield, his orders are genuine military commands. Those who defy military orders, whether on or off the battlefield, shall be killed without mercy. He turned to Ye Li and smiled, "Mr. Chu, I’ll leave these unruly youngsters to you."

Ye Li smiled, "It’s my honor that the General trusts me."

Zhang Qilan nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and glanced at the group of restless young men, his voice grave. "What Mr. Chu says represents my intentions. Defy him, and you will be executed!"

While Zhang Qilan and his more seasoned subordinates engaged Lv Jinxian’s forces at the front, the group of spirited young officers was confined to the rear by Ye Li, unable to move. Hearing the daily movements of troops in and out of the camp, knowing they had no part in it, made the young men increasingly restless. Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, they could bear it no longer and went to confront Ye Li.

Outside his tent, Ye Li regarded the young men before him with a smile as warm as a spring breeze. "What can I do for you?"

The one at their head said, "We want to fight! On what basis are you keeping us in the back and not letting us onto the battlefield?"

Ye Li leisurely played with the folding fan in his hand and slowly said, "Because I’m the military advisor. Because General Zhang put you under my command. Because I don’t allow it, so you can’t go."

This dismissive answer was certainly a provocation to these young men. Everyone glared at Ye Li as if itching to rush forward and give him a sound thrashing. Qin Feng and Wei Lin, standing behind Ye Li, gave the young men a calm look, a glint of coldness flashing in their eyes.

Ye Li continued to look at the young men in front of him. "You want to go to the battlefield? What use will that be? The generals under General Zhang have been fighting without you these past two days, and moreover... there has never been a need for General Zhang to personally go and reinforce them. It’s one thing if your minds aren’t sharp, but even if you aspire to be valiant warriors who break the enemy by force, are you truly more capable than ordinary soldiers? Rather than going to the battlefield and dragging others down, you’d be better off staying in the rear."

The young men were so angry their faces turned red. An irritable one pointed at Ye Li and yelled, "You’re just a scholar with no strength to even truss a chicken! What right do you have to speak to us like that?!"

Ye Li looked at him with a mysterious gleam in his eyes, slowly uttering, "Because..."

SWISH! The folding fan suddenly opened, slashing towards the youth’s throat with the sharpness of a knife. The man jumped in fright, bending down to avoid the blow, only to be kicked hard on an acupressure point in his lower body. Unable to react in time, he swayed and tumbled to the ground, kicking up dust.

Swinging his folding fan twice, Ye Li continued indifferently, "You can’t even defeat a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken."

Everyone was speechless, genuinely struck by this. The Mo Family Army had been prioritizing the training of young commanders in recent years. These young junior officers were barely in their twenties but held positions as Vice Colonels or even colonels.

However, most of them hadn’t stepped foot on a battlefield. This was Ye Li’s biggest concern. The battlefield was a gigantic meat grinder, indifferent to whether one was ordinary or exceptionally talented. Once you were involved, the ones who achieved the most were not the smartest or the most capable, but those who survived. Throughout history, countless prodigious talents have been swept away and forgotten, like sand sifted by great waves. Although Ye Li didn’t expect them to understand what a real battlefield was this time—something they could only learn once they were truly there—he at least needed to deflate their "favored children of heaven" arrogance.

Seemingly oblivious to the crowd’s astonished faces, Ye Li smiled at them and said, "Don’t say I’m bullying you. These two learned from me. If you can defeat them, never mind wanting to confront General Lv; even if you wanted to march on Xiling right now and eliminate the Southern Garrison Prince, I wouldn’t stop you."

The crowd exchanged glances, trading uncertain looks. As if the fire wasn’t burning fiercely enough, Ye Li added fuel, saying, "If you lack the confidence to fight alone, feel free to team up."

Qin Feng and Wei Lin, of course, understood Ye Li’s intentions. Wei Lin sneered, saying, "Stop wasting time. Just come at us together."

His deliberately contemptuous tone finally snapped the last ounce of restraint in the crowd’s minds. With a shout from someone, five or six young men charged headlong towards Qin Feng and Wei Lin. Naturally, Wei Lin, who had just made an enemy of them, was their primary target.

Ye Li retreated to the side, leisurely watching as Qin Feng and Wei Lin easily dominated the group of youths. It was less of a brawl and more like two people toying with a bunch of frantic kittens. These young men’s skills were indeed inferior to their peers in the Mo Family Army, and utterly paled in comparison to Qin Feng and Wei Lin, who were elite members of the Qilin.

The young man Ye Li had just kicked to the ground was still sitting there and hadn’t joined the fight. Because he stood outside, he could clearly see the gap between himself and Qin Feng and Wei Lin. He looked at Ye Li, then finally lowered his proud head.

Ye Li nudged him with his foot with interest, asking, "Why don’t you give it a try?"

The young man remained seated on the ground, shaking his head. "I’m not stupid. We can’t beat them. Do we need to make ourselves a laughingstock further?"

Ye Li nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, you’re indeed not their match, but it doesn’t matter. You and they are not on the same path. It is best if your martial arts skills are strong. If not, there’s no need to compare yourself with them. Even General Zhang might not be their match."

Unsatisfied, the young man asked, "Then why did you have them make a move?"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Because, unlike you, General Zhang possesses a sharp mind. You, on the other hand, have nothing yet stubbornly believe you have everything. I believe your minds need as much fixing as your bodies."

The young man widened his eyes, glaring at Ye Li in rage. "We are not stupid!" They were rising stars in the Mo Family Army; hadn’t everyone praised them for their boundless prospects?

Ye Li nodded seriously. "Indeed, you aren’t stupid. ’Stupid’ is too mild a term to describe your level. Have you ever seen a fool actively seek death?"

The young man’s face reddened with anger. Was he implying they were worse than fools?

Ye Li watched the man in front of him, seemingly amused. He couldn’t help but smile. Young men in their early twenties whose emotions fluctuated so wildly were quite rare in this era where most matured early. Seeing Ye Li’s teasing smile, the young man was angered, yelling, "What are you laughing at?!"

Ye Li coughed lightly, covering his lips with his folding fan. "Nothing, just felt like laughing."

While they were talking, Qin Feng and Wei Lin had already knocked down the group of overconfident youths. Despite going easy on them, the difference in abilities was too great. Thus, the once well-dressed and sophisticated youngsters were now sprawled on the ground, resembling dead dogs.

Looking down on the group with a satisfied smile, Ye Li asked, "Well? Are you convinced now?"

"We’re convinced..." While the youngsters were somewhat disheartened, the way they looked at Ye Li and the others changed drastically. In the army, strength reigns supreme. Despite their arrogance, these youngsters respected the strong. The recent fight made them realize the gap between themselves and their opponents.

"But, Mr. Chu, we can’t always hide behind and let others protect us, can we?" They knew they were less skilled, but they were on a battlefield. All other thoughts had to be put aside for later; the immediate concern was the battle at hand.

Ye Li gave them a smiling gaze, asking, "Do you really want to go to war?"

Once the crowd heard this, they knew there was a chance. Six or seven pairs of eyes fixed on Ye Li, their expressions full of such expectation and eagerness that Ye Li couldn’t help but feel a bit of pressure. Looking at the eager young men, Ye Li gave a gentle smile. "It’s not impossible. Go back and each of you select two hundred elite soldiers from your subordinates. Await orders."

"Mr. Chu, what are we going to do?"

Ye Li said solemnly, "It’s a secret. Remember, you must act naturally and not attract anyone’s attention, including General Zhang. Anyone who gets discovered will stay behind for self-reflection."

Young people love mystery and excitement. Ye Li’s words stirred up their excitement even more. Seeing them, Ye Li frowned slightly, saying seriously, "Also, although this is an exercise, danger still exists. This mission can be described as danger within danger. I cannot guarantee there will be no casualties. Do you understand?"

"We understand!" the crowd shouted in unison. What Ye Li said was a non-issue for them. Where was there a battlefield without injuries or deaths?

Ye Li nodded. "Good. Get ready. We will meet at the second night watch."

"Yes!"

"Princess Consort, these brats are too ignorant. Why must Your Highness bother with them?" Wei Lin grumbled discontentedly. The rudeness of these youngsters to the Princess Consort during these few days would have cost them their lives a hundred times over if they were in the Prince’s Mansion.

Ye Li smiled lightly. "They’re all just youngsters. Quite adorable, actually."

Qin Feng and Wei Lin exchanged silent glances. They both decided not to spread the Princess Consort’s evaluation. If the Prince were to find out, these brats truly wouldn’t have enough lives to forfeit, even if they died a hundred times.