Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 303 - 301. Innocent People
301. Innocent Commoners
"Prince Ding, a pleasure to meet you." Long Yang stared at the man before him for a long time, finally uttering these few words slowly.
This was the first time Long Yang had laid eyes on the world-renowned Prince Ding. In some respects, Mo Xiuyao’s fame even surpassed that of his father, Mo Liufang—a man of great literary and military talent who had made significant contributions to Great Chu. This was because Mo Xiuyao had done something no King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion had achieved for generations: he broke all ties with Great Chu. From that moment onward, the Mo Family Army and Prince Ding truly became a power vying for supremacy in the world. They had finally broken free from the shackles of Great Chu, and the successes or failures of the Mo Family Army would no longer have any connection whatsoever with Great Chu.
The man before him was dressed in white robes as pure as snow, his long, snow-white hair cascading casually. His immaculate appearance, a stark contrast to the bloody battlefield, instilled a sense of danger in Long Yang. Long Yang had always trusted his instincts, even though he hadn’t set foot on a battlefield in over twenty years. The man before him was far from the gentle and peaceful figure he appeared to be. Hidden beneath his pure, snow-like exterior—as pristine as fresh snow on the mountains—was a terrifying, bloodthirsty aura.
Mo Xiuyao stared calmly at Long Yang, idly playing with a blue-and-white porcelain cup in his hand. He spoke casually, "Originally, This Prince intended to have a proper discussion with General Long and General Zhu. However, General Long, This Prince must admit... my mood is quite foul right now. Do you happen to know what This Prince detests most in life?"
Long Yang looked at Mo Xiuyao and said in a deep voice, "Please enlighten me, Prince Ding."
Mo Xiuyao slowly set down the teacup. In the quiet room, the crisp sound of the cup meeting the tabletop echoed. "It’s being threatened. The thing This Prince hates most is being threatened. Furthermore, This Prince is quite curious, General Long: how did you conclude that This Prince would abandon the siege for the sake of those people from Great Chu?" As if recalling something amusing, Mo Xiuyao chuckled softly. After a moment of silence, Long Yang responded, "This old man was mistaken... Perhaps it’s because I’ve grown soft-hearted in my old age. If I were younger, I likely would have made the same decision as Prince Ding."
Mo Xiuyao nodded with a smile. "Indeed, only General Long can understand This Prince. In that case... Is General Long prepared to face the consequences of such a decision?"
Upon hearing this, Long Yang’s expression changed. He said sternly, "Prince Ding, you have already captured Biancheng City. Why shed more innocent blood? This matter is entirely my doing. If you are angered, why not take my life instead?" Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, noncommittal. "This Prince forgot to inform you, General Long. Although you allowed most of the citizens to escape last night... the Mo Family Army also captured numerous Xiling soldiers. They should... suffice to make up for the number of commoners who fled, perhaps?"
"Prince Ding..." Long Yang closed his eyes in pain. "I alone am responsible for this. Even if you cut me into a thousand pieces, I wouldn’t utter a word of complaint. I beseech you, Prince Ding... spare the innocent commoners and soldiers."
Mo Xiuyao seemed not to hear, waving to someone at the doorway and smiling. "Show General Long Yang around..."
Outside the door, Zhuo Jing gestured for two guards to lead Long Yang away. In the room, Mo Xiuyao slowly closed his eyes. After a long silence, a low voice drifted out from beneath his snow-white hair, "These people... are truly vexing! Father, Elder Brother... once I have killed them all, you can rest in peace... and no one will ever be able to harm Ah-Li again..."
After Ye Li finished managing affairs on the battlefield, she returned to Biancheng City with Feng Zhiyao and the others. Inside and outside the city, Mo Family Army soldiers were clearing the battlefield. A thick smell of blood still lingered in the air. As they walked through the city streets, Mo Family Army soldiers clearing the area would occasionally come forward to pay their respects.
Feng Zhiyao frowned, confused. "What’s going on? Why are there no commoners in the city?" Even if the populace was afraid to venture out immediately after a battle, it was baffling that not a single person could be seen. Not even a curious face peeked from the windows of the buildings lining the streets. Aside from the soldiers clearing the roads, the entire city was eerily quiet, like a ghost town.
The soldier in front hesitated for a moment, glanced at Ye Li and the others, and then reported, "Princess Consort, General Feng, His Highness ordered all the commoners and captives to be taken west of the city."
Ye Li frowned and asked, "Taken west of the city? To do what?"
"The west of the city... is where Biancheng’s execution ground is located," the soldier replied.
"Execution ground?" Feng Zhiyao pondered. "Did we capture any important Xiling generals? Long Yang or Lei Tengfeng? No, wait. Even if we captured them, there’s no need to execute them immediately, right? Killing Long Yang would make sense, as it could dampen Xiling’s morale, but Lei Tengfeng is far more valuable alive than dead." Third Young Master Feng momentarily forgot that Lei Tengfeng had slipped away from him just the previous night.
The soldier glanced at Ye Li without uttering a word. Ye Li frowned. "Speak the truth."
The soldier said solemnly, "The Prince has ordered the execution of all the prisoners and the people of Biancheng City!"
"What?!" Ye Li and Feng Zhiyao were both startled, exchanging a glance. Feng Zhiyao steadied himself and asked, "What exactly happened?"
The soldier hurriedly recounted the battle that had raged day and night, including how Long Yang had threatened them with the Great Chu citizens of Biancheng City to force their withdrawal. Without waiting to hear everything, the group hurried towards the execution ground outside the west gate of the city.
A vast open area outside the west gate had been Biancheng City’s execution ground since its establishment. Undoubtedly, the number of people to be beheaded here today would exceed the total from the past several hundred years. Long Yang, pressed down by two Qilin soldiers, looked helplessly at the execution ground where prisoners were being forced to kneel. Among them, many were still wounded, yet they too were forced to kneel, necks bared for execution.
The flat, cold bluestone ground was already stained with dark red blood, a clear sign that those kneeling now were not the first group to face death. Long Yang, held fast by the men behind him and unable to move, glared with eyes so wide with fury they seemed about to split, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Enough, Prince Ding! Enough! It’s all my fault! Kill me now!" He had truly erred. In his attempt to defend Biancheng City, he had unwittingly provoked a bloodthirsty lion that had lain dormant for many years. Perhaps the heavy toll of killing in his youth was now being repaid in his twilight years, upon these innocent soldiers and commoners.
"Prince Ding! Just kill me!" Long Yang roared.
A slight, cruel smile touched Mo Xiuyao’s lips. He pointed at the people in the pool of blood below and said, "This Prince won’t kill you, General Long Yang. Just watch closely. Watch how these soldiers and these commoners die. It is you... who condemned them. In war, This Prince never harms civilians. This time... you forced This Prince’s hand. After this, This Prince believes that situations like yesterday’s will no longer occur on the battlefield. Wouldn’t you agree?"
"Are you not afraid of retribution for such indiscriminate killing of the innocent commoners?" Long Yang asked, grief-stricken. Once, Long Yang hadn’t believed in retribution; he only believed that man could conquer fate. But now, he had to admit, retribution truly existed in this world.
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, a light sneer playing on his lips. "What retribution should This Prince fear? Prince Ding’s Mansion has loyally served this nation for generations. What good reward did we receive in return?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Are neither the Princess Consort nor the Lord Heir afraid?" Long Yang challenged. At these words, Mo Xiuyao frowned, and the very air around him seemed to turn as cold as frost. He suddenly glared at Long Yang, his gaze like sharpened blood, making even Long Yang tremble inwardly. He commanded fiercely, "Kill them!" Then, turning back to Long Yang, Mo Xiuyao stated coldly, "You had best pray that Ah-Li remains safe and sound for her entire life. Otherwise... This Prince will have everyone in this world accompany her in death!"
With Mo Xiuyao’s command, the executioners on the grounds once again raised their blades...
"Stop!" A clear, feminine voice came from behind. Everyone froze, their actions halted, as a figure in white landed in the middle of the execution ground like a soft white cloud. Ye Li looked back at the dark red bloodstains at her feet, her brow furrowed. Then, looking at the weeping commoners who had been herded around the execution ground, she sighed softly with relief. They were not too late...
"Ah-Li, why are you here?" Mo Xiuyao was taken aback. The coldness on his face faded, replaced by a hint of warmth as he stood up to look at the figure in white on the execution ground, asking softly.
Ye Li looked up at the man on the high platform—dressed in white, his hair as white as snow. His handsome face now held a faint warmth and gentleness, a stark contrast to the one who had issued those cold, merciless, Asura-like commands moments before.
As Ye Li walked onto the high platform, Feng Zhiyao, who accompanied her, first met their Prince’s razor-sharp gaze. He helplessly touched his nose and stepped aside. The Princess Consort has returned just in time; none of this had anything to do with him.
"Ah-Li, why are you here? After working hard for several days, why aren’t you resting?" Seeing the weariness she couldn’t conceal between her clear and beautiful brows, Mo Xiuyao asked, his voice low and displeased.
Ye Li gave him a helpless look. Whose fault was it that she couldn’t rest?
"What happened here? Why did it suddenly..." Ye Li asked in a low voice. If possible, she wouldn’t have wanted to question Mo Xiuyao in this place. But now was not the time for her to choose the location; any delay, and nearly a hundred thousand people could be beheaded. In both her past life and this one, Ye Li was, at heart, still a soldier. She did not fear war, nor did she fear death. But killing captives and innocent civilians was clearly outside her moral boundaries. Moreover, this would not reflect well on Mo Xiuyao’s and the Mo Family Army’s reputation. A few years ago, Mo Xiuyao had killed several thousand Great Chu soldiers in the Northwest, an act that had already drawn criticism from many scholars. If the slaughter of an entire city’s populace were added to that, it would truly be detrimental for Mo Xiuyao.
Mo Xiuyao frowned slightly and declared, "Ah-Li, you don’t need to worry about these things. Can you go back and rest first? When I finish dealing with these matters, I will accompany you. We can rest in Biancheng City for two days."
"Xiuyao." Facing Mo Xiuyao’s obvious attempt to divert the topic, Ye Li looked at him, her gaze steady, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Xiuyao, I’m a bit tired. Please accompany me back to rest, alright? We can discuss these matters another day," Ye Li said gently, her voice laced with a fragile weariness. Mo Xiuyao’s heart softened. He looked down at the dark shadows beneath Ye Li’s eyes. Finally, he bent down, scooped her into his arms, and started walking out.
Ye Li leaned against Mo Xiuyao, looked back, and gave Feng Zhiyao a signal with her eyes. Feng Zhiyao nodded slightly, indicating he understood. Reassured, Ye Li laid her head on Mo Xiuyao’s shoulder and closed her eyes. After the events of the past few days, she was truly exhausted.
As Mo Xiuyao carried Ye Li past the edge of the execution ground, his gaze casually swept over the rows of kneeling Xiling soldiers. A trace of disdain and mockery flickered in his cold eyes. Among these Xiling soldiers, many were unyielding and fearless. Defeated and captured, they had already resigned themselves to death. Now, seeing Mo Xiuyao’s mocking gaze, some couldn’t hold back their anger. One of them spat fiercely and sneered, "Surnamed Mo, if you’re going to kill, then kill! In twenty years, I’ll be a hero again! I swear I’ll slaughter everyone in your Prince Ding’s Mansion!"
Mo Xiuyao’s gaze turned icy. He spoke indifferently, "If that’s the case, This Prince will fulfill your wish. Kill them all!" With that, he paid no more heed to the people or matters before him, carrying Ye Li as he strolled out of the execution ground. The soldiers who remained exchanged bewildered glances. The Princess Consort had clearly indicated she didn’t want them to kill, yet the Prince had ordered everyone killed. This created a dilemma: to kill or not to kill? Logically, they should obey the Prince’s command. However, for several years now, the Prince had never gone against the Princess Consort’s wishes. Moreover, the Mo Family Army soldiers were all elite warriors, each possessing a soldier’s pride. Killing on the battlefield was one thing; slaughtering ordinary, defenseless commoners was something they truly found hard to stomach.
"General Feng, what should we do?" the officer supervising the executions stepped forward to ask for instructions.
Feng Zhiyao stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. He gestured with his chin towards the group still kneeling on the execution ground and said, "Those ones, kill them all. As for the rest... let them be for now." The Prince did say kill them all. Insulting and cursing Prince Ding was certainly a death-worthy offense. It was just pitiful for the hundred or so people with him; they could only be considered unlucky. The ones kneeling on the execution ground were to be killed entirely. The others... of course, they had to await the Prince and Princess Consort’s orders. Feng Zhiyao mused silently.
The officer in charge of the executions went off, satisfied, to carry out the orders. Feng Zhiyao glanced at the ashen-faced Long Yang beside him and secretly shook his head. Long Yang had gravely crossed Mo Xiuyao’s major line. By using Great Chu commoners as human shields, if Mo Xiuyao had retreated even once, other Xiling generals would have followed suit. More importantly, at that time, nearly a thousand Qilin troops had already entered the city. If Mo Xiuyao had truly ordered a retreat, those Qilin soldiers inside Biancheng City would have been in peril. It was just... hadn’t the Prince’s temper flared a bit too excessively this time?
When Ye Li woke from her deep sleep, the sky outside had already darkened. She sat up, rubbing her temples, feeling that something was not quite right. Although she had been very tired, she shouldn’t have fallen asleep the moment Mo Xiuyao held her. Suddenly, she recalled what had happened at the execution ground. Looking up, she saw Mo Xiuyao beyond the gauze screen painted with landscapes, sitting under a lamp, writing with a brush. Seemingly hearing Ye Li stir, Mo Xiuyao put down his brush, stood up, walked into the inner room, and asked with a smile, "Awake?"
Ye Li nodded, looking closely at Mo Xiuyao. Under the soft glow of the night-luminescent pearl, his handsome face wore a faint smile, warm and comforting.
Ye Li leaned into his embrace, gazing up at his face that showed some fatigue, and said softly, "Why don’t you rest for a while? Aren’t we supposed to be recuperating in Biancheng City for two days? Anything that needs handling can wait until tomorrow." Mo Xiuyao rested his chin on the top of her head, stroking her soft hair, and said with a gentle smile, "Couldn’t sleep... I dealt with all the pending matters so I can properly accompany you tomorrow. Ah-Li, you’ve worked hard these past few days."
For some reason, Ye Li suddenly remembered the expression on Zhu Ling’s face before he died. His bloodstained, moon-white robes, lying on ground dyed dark red with blood, his eyes dim and lifeless... The smile on her face gradually faded, and Ye Li closed her eyes, a headache beginning to form.
"What’s wrong, Ah-Li?" Mo Xiuyao asked softly.
"Nothing," Ye Li replied in a low voice. "Just a bit tired, that’s all."
Mo Xiuyao’s eyes flickered slightly. He gently patted her delicate back and said softly, "If you’re tired, then sleep a little longer. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow, alright?" Ye Li nodded. Leaning against Mo Xiuyao indeed made her feel drowsy. Fighting off the sleepiness, Ye Li murmured softly, "Xiuyao, war shouldn’t involve the commoners. Don’t kill the innocent indiscriminately. Public sentiment..."
Mo Xiuyao looked down at her clear and beautiful face, gradually slipping into deep sleep. He leaned down and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. Ah-Li’s heart is too soft; that’s not good. She can easily get hurt. Innocent... In this world, who is truly innocent?
In the study of the Governor’s Mansion, temporarily cleared for their use, Mo Xiuyao sat in his chair, watching Feng Zhiyao and Qin Feng before him with a calm expression. Feng Zhiyao felt utterly helpless but didn’t dare to provoke Mo Xiuyao when his mood was clearly terrible. The lazy, leisurely smile originally on his face gradually stiffened into a forced one, which eventually he could no longer maintain.
Glancing at Qin Feng, who clearly had no intention of speaking, Feng Zhiyao cleared his throat lightly and said, "Prince..."
Mo Xiuyao looked up, regarded him indifferently, and asked, "Have the people at the execution ground been dealt with?"
"They’ve been dealt with," Feng Zhiyao replied quickly.
"Dealt with?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer on his lips. "Then what is being held in the prisoner camp outside the city?" Feng Zhiyao forced a smile. "The fellow who insulted Your Highness, and those who were kneeling on the execution ground at that time, were indeed all killed, I assure you, Your Highness. As for the rest... you didn’t issue further orders, did you, Prince?"
"Oh?" Mo Xiuyao tilted his head, a half-smile playing on his lips as he looked at him. "Well then, This Prince is giving an order now. Go and kill them all."
"Prince..." Feng Zhiyao pleaded, his face crestfallen, his voice low. "Prince, please reconsider."
Mo Xiuyao watched him coldly. Feng Zhiyao continued, "Prince, our Mo Family Army has always adhered to strict military discipline, refraining from massacring innocent civilians. If Your Highness were to execute these people in a fit of rage, the reputation of both the Mo Family Army and Prince Ding’s Mansion would be ruined. Furthermore, the people of Xiling are inherently brave and fierce. If they learned that the Mo Family Army had massacred a city, they would undoubtedly give their all to help the Xiling defensive forces protect their cities. This would be greatly detrimental to our subsequent campaigns." Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s unmoved expression, Feng Zhiyao sighed inwardly and had no choice but to continue, "Moreover, the Princess Consort is gentle and kind by nature; she would surely disapprove of Your Highness’s actions. Why should Your Highness upset the Princess Consort for the sake of irrelevant people?"
Upon saying this, Feng Zhiyao stole a glance at Mo Xiuyao. Seeing his sword-like brows slightly furrowed, evidently in thought, Feng Zhiyao finally breathed a small sigh of relief. If the Prince insisted on killing those people regardless of anything, then probably no one could have dissuaded him.
After a long pause, Mo Xiuyao’s cold voice was heard: "Kill all those prisoners. Drive all ordinary civilians out of the city. Third Feng, if you mess this up again, you can figure out the consequences yourself!"
Feng Zhiyao breathed a sigh of relief. In this era, there was no convention against killing captives. When nations captured prisoners on the battlefield, aside from exchanging them or enslaving them, they were generally killed. Although Feng Zhiyao disdained killing defenseless Xiling soldiers, he also knew these people absolutely could not be released. Keeping them himself would also be troublesome. If Mo Xiuyao insisted on killing them, he wouldn’t particularly care.
"Your subordinate obeys." Feng Zhiyao said respectfully. He looked at Mo Xiuyao and then asked, "Prince, Long Yang... how should he be dealt with?"
At the mention of Long Yang, Mo Xiuyao’s face darkened. He said with a gloomy expression, "Take Long Yang to the execution ground. Let him watch how those Xiling people die."
Only then did Feng Zhiyao understand why Long Yang had appeared on the execution viewing platform during the day. He inwardly shook his head. Long Yang had offended the Prince too severely; it was likely that no one’s persuasion would work. "Your subordinate obeys. I will go and see to it now."
"Do not let the Princess Consort know," Mo Xiuyao slowly added.
Feng Zhiyao and Qin Feng exchanged a glance. Could such a thing truly be hidden?
"Yes. Your subordinate obeys."
After discussing the matters, Mo Xiuyao showed no intention of dismissing them. For a moment, both were somewhat bewildered. Mo Xiuyao stared at the two for a long time before asking, "What happened to Ah-Li?" Both were stunned, not quite understanding Mo Xiuyao’s meaning. Mo Xiuyao frowned, somewhat irritated. "Ah-Li has been in low spirits. What happened when you were out this time?"
The Princess Consort is in a bad mood?
The two lowered their gazes, pondering for a moment, but couldn’t think of anything that might have upset the Princess Consort. The military campaign had been progressing smoothly. Although the Mo Family Army had suffered some losses, those were unavoidable and within expectations. Other than that, nothing else significant had happened. Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s expression growing increasingly grim, Qin Feng spoke up, "General Zhu Yan’s grandson, Zhu Ling, died shielding the Princess Consort from a hidden projectile. Also, General Zhu Yan jumped from the city wall in front of the Princess Consort, committing suicide to die for his country." Qin Feng pondered for a long while; only these two events could be considered particularly significant.
"Zhu Ling? Who is that?" Mo Xiuyao asked.
Qin Feng recounted the entire sequence of events from beginning to end. Originally, Ye Li and Qin Feng had only gone to assist Zhang Qilan in dealing with Zhu Yan, who might appear, and the Jing Kingdom’s Army hidden in some unknown location. Later, Ye Li and Lin Han’s decision to infiltrate the Jing Kingdom’s Army’s encampment alone was made impulsively by Ye Li without informing Mo Xiuyao, so naturally, he knew nothing about it.
The more Mo Xiuyao listened, the darker his expression became. Feng Zhiyao, standing nearby, couldn’t help but discreetly take two steps back. When Qin Feng finished speaking, the study fell into a profound silence. Feng Zhiyao, his face strained, awaited Mo Xiuyao’s predictable eruption of anger. After a long wait, he finally heard Mo Xiuyao’s calm voice, "This Prince understands. You may leave."
Huh?
Feng Zhiyao was stunned. Beside him, Qin Feng shot him a cold glance and briskly turned to leave. Feng Zhiyao shivered and hurriedly rushed out as well. In the study, only Mo Xiuyao remained, alone with the solitary lamp on the desk. "Zhu Ling... Causing Ah-Li distress even in death. It seems he died too easily!"
