《Intimate Ties: A Swift Report from Southern Jiang》

Feng Qing works

Intimate Ties: A Swift Report from Southern Jiang

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Master wants to tell us this information Are you not afraid that we might also be tempted by wealth"The sick scholar said calmly, "I need your help. Last night I saw that Young Master Zhuo had good ma...367. Deep Affection, Urgent Reports from Jiangnan

367。 Deep Affection, Urgent Reports from Jiangnan

The Black Cloud Cavalry swept across the battlefield like a black whirlwind. The venerable General Yuan Pei, with his snowy hair and beard, personally led his troops on horseback despite his advanced age. Seeing Ye Li unharmed, he visibly relaxed.

"Your subordinate greets Your Excellency!"

Ye Li hurriedly reached out to help the bowing Yuan Pei up, smiling as she said, "General, there's no need for formalities. I am truly grateful for your timely support." Yuan Pei stood up and smiled, saying, "Your subordinate merely led troops here in response. It was Your Excellency who endured hardships by defending Lingjiu Mountain these past days. Truly commendable."

Seeing the stern expression on General Yuan's face, Ye Li couldn't help but smile and said, "Let’s wait until this battle is over before we exchange compliments." Yuan Pei also smiled, then his expression darkened as he looked at Helian Peng who was still entangled with Han Mingyue a short distance away. He remarked, "That boy is Helian Zhen's son Truly audacious!"

The Black Cloud Army harbored far more hatred for Helian Zhen than others did. As such, Helian Peng, being Helian Zhen’s son, couldn't escape his misfortune. Ye Li smiled and said, "Indeed, he is a fostered son raised by Helian Zhen."

Yuan Pei nodded repeatedly, saying, "Very well. Back then I didn’t have the chance to meet that Helian Zhen; today catching his son will surely make him speechless."

During their battle, Han Mingyue appeared relaxed and casual. He had no intention of winning at all costs, so he wasn't in a hurry. But seeing that he couldn’t defeat Han Mingyue anytime soon, Helian Peng felt anxious. However, his opponent's martial arts skills were not something to be trifled with. When the Black Cloud Cavalry arrived and Helian Peng realized there was no hope of victory, he knew it was time to leave. With a resolute heart, he made several desperate strikes toward Han Mingyue, momentarily causing him to fumble in his defense. Seizing this opportunity, Helian Peng broke free from Han Mingyue’s attack and retreated.

"Lady Dingwang, I will return to challenge your martial prowess another day!" Mounted on a horse, Helian Peng galloped northward after tugging at the reins. The Tartar soldiers who had been engaged in battle with the Black Cloud Army immediately withdrew when they saw their commander leaving.

Seeing this, Yuan Pei wanted to command his troops to pursue, but Ye Li stopped him and said, "Helian Peng still has at least ten thousand troops left. We don't need to chase too urgently; He Su should be returning by now."

Hearing Ye Li’s words, Yuan Pei had no choice but to stop. With the responsibility of defending Feihong Pass, he couldn’t afford to waste time confronting Helian Peng.

Helian Peng retreated with his remaining forces and was intercepted on his way by He Su who had just returned from Wei City after reinforcing Lingjiu Mountain. Behind him, Ye Li’s troops also pursued him relentlessly. Caught between the two forces, Helian Peng suffered significant losses and could only return to the Tartar camp with a few tens of thousands of soldiers.

After defeating Helian Peng, Ye Li left Zhou Min in charge of the western army while she returned to the Black Cloud Army’s headquarters with He Su and Sun Yaowu.

In the Tartar camp, Yelü Ye glared at kneeling Helian Peng with a dark expression, his anger boiling over. "With nearly forty thousand troops, you return with just tens of thousands Helian Peng, what great skill! How dare you defy my orders! What are you to me"

Yelü Ye’s rage wasn’t only due to the heavy losses in troops under Helian Peng's command. In recent days, the Tartar camp had also suffered significant casualties. However, Helian Peng's insubordination gave Yelü Ye a perfect excuse to vent his anger. Thus, when Helian Peng returned to the camp, he was immediately berated by Yelü Ye. No commanding general would tolerate such reckless subordinates.

Sitting beside him, Helian Zhen looked equally displeased. As Helian Peng’s foster father and mentor, Yelü Ye’s public scolding of Helian Peng also humiliated Helian Zhen. Yet this time it was clearly Helian Peng's fault, leaving even Helian Zhen speechless.

Only after Yelü Ye had vented his anger did Helian Zhen speak calmly, "Prince Duan, currently the Black Cloud Army is on a roll; raging here won’t help us. In recent days, the Black Cloud Army has been unstoppable, pushing our troops back over two hundred miles." If not for this situation, Yelü Ye wouldn't have recalled Helian Peng's troops so urgently. But Helian Peng’s insubordination led to the wasteful loss of over twenty thousand troops at Lingjiu Mountain.

"What are your thoughts, Uncle" Suppressing his anger, Yelü Ye asked solemnly.

For a moment, Helian Zhen was truly at a loss. Back then, he could outmaneuver the Black Cloud Army largely due to an unexpected advantage of having obtained their defensive plans beforehand. But today’s Black Cloud Army wasn’t the same as years ago; there wasn't another foolish Chu emperor who would provide such information.

After deep thought, Helian Zhen said, "The Black Cloud Army's achievements are impressive, and we might struggle to defeat them alone. We need allies."

"Allies" Yelü Ye frowned. "Who can we ally with now The Northern Border is gone, Xi Ling faces threats from Mo Jingli, and Da Chu’s Li Zhengting wouldn’t engage the Black Cloud Army anytime soon."

Helian Zhen said solemnly, "We should involve Xi Ling and Da Chu. Li Zhengting must know that once we fall, they will face the Black Cloud Army next. If he can eliminate them first, he would definitely agree."

Hearing this, Yelü Ye fell into deep thought. After a while, he asked, "What about Mo Jingli Once Li Zhengting engages the Black Cloud Army, Mo Jingli will surely cross Yunlanchiang to attack Xi Ling, making our efforts futile."

Helian Peng said, "Mo Jingli’s feud with Mo Xiyao isn’t any less than ours. If we can persuade him, after defeating the Black Cloud Army, we could offer him substantial benefits." Yelü Ye was somewhat tempted by Helian Peng's suggestion. Having met Mo Jingli a few times, he knew his weaknesses: ambitious but shortsighted and lacking abilities. Perhaps sufficient benefits would make Mo Jingli temporarily ally with them against Mo Xiyao.

"Do you have someone suitable to persuade Li Zhengting" They had few eloquent Tartar individuals who could convince Li Zhengting.

Helian Zhen smiled and said, "I am willing to go personally."

Slightly frowning, Yelü Ye noticed concern in Helian Zhen’s eyes. Over the years, he felt his uncle was no longer the fearsome General of Feiqi Cavalry he once was but had adopted some Central Plains political tactics. Despite hating Mo Xiyao to the core, he seemed to have abandoned hopes of defeating him openly on the battlefield. Yelü Ye wasn’t sure if this approach was better or worse.

After considering his options, Yelü Ye nodded and said, "In that case, I entrust you with this mission." Helian Zhen smiled and assured, "Prince Duan, please rest easy; your expectations won't be disappointed. After I leave, we can engage the Black Cloud Army fully if possible, but defend cautiously otherwise. Once Xi Ling and Da Chu move, our pressure here will ease considerably."

Yelü Ye nodded and said, "I understand."

Helian Zhen glanced at Helian Peng, who was still kneeling on the ground. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Helian Peng…" Ye Liye did not like him and had not told him to get up earlier, so Helian Peng could only remain kneeling.

"Get up," Ye Liye said indifferently. "First go back to your tent and I’ll decide later what task you should undertake."

Helian Zhen knew it was useless to argue further, and he nodded respectfully. "Thank you for the mercy, Your Highness Prince Guli."

"Thank you," Helian Peng said as he stood up. Ye Liye snorted but did not pay him any attention.

After leaving the main tent and returning to his own tent, Helian Peng knelt again in front of Helian Zhen. "Please punish me." Helian Zhen stared coldly at him for a while before finally asking, "Didn’t I tell you that you only needed to defend Lingjiu Mountain Who told you to take on Princess Ding"

Helian Peng lowered his head and remained silent.

"Prince Guli ordered your return according to my wishes," Helian Zhen said coldly. "Even a fool like you should have figured that out, yet you still disobeyed the order! I’ve always had high hopes for you, but since we went to battle, you've disappointed me too many times."

Helian Peng could not find an answer. Not only did Helian Zhen feel let down by him, even he himself felt somewhat disappointed at his own performance. He never would have thought that he could actually lose to Princess Ding and in such a humiliating manner.

Although Helian Peng was born in the Northern Rong tribe and raised as an orphan by Helian Zhen, he had become the disciple of Murong Xiong, whom many considered the best warrior in Central China. He studied martial arts and culture diligently, feeling that he differed from those called barbarians by people in Central China. Even when serving under Prince Guli on the battlefield, this belief did not change. In fact, he had even developed a certain disdain for the high-and-mighty prince. But after his defeat, he realized that Northern Rong warriors were not as stupid or reckless as he thought and were perhaps just as capable as him. At least, in terms of military performance during this campaign, other than the main camp which was directly facing off against Ding Wang’s forces, his failure was most disgraceful. It was only then that Helian Peng truly calmed down to think about the situation from a commander's perspective. Unfortunately, it took the lives of tens of thousands of Northern Rong soldiers for him to gain this insight.

Seeing the despondent look on Helian Peng’s face, Helian Zhen sighed and said, "Stand up. This time you can’t be blamed entirely. You’re not the first person to lose to Princess Ding. It was your first battle after all; some mistakes are inevitable."

Men in this era naturally believed themselves superior, regardless of their background or status. Even someone as famous and powerful as Ye Li would easily underestimate his enemy without proper caution, despite knowing they were formidable. This was a flaw deeply ingrained in the psyche of men of that time who were accustomed to seeing women as fragile creatures dependent on them.

Helian Peng stood up, feeling ashamed. "Father, forgive me. I won’t make such mistakes again."

"I raised you and taught you military strategy and martial arts so you could defeat Mo Xiuyao one day and achieve great feats in your own right," Helian Zhen said with a nod. "Don’t let me down."

Helian Peng nodded, looking worriedly at his father. "Father, are you really planning to travel to Western Ling yourself to convince Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli to ally with us"

"Yes," Helian Zhen said as he sighed. "With our strength alone, defeating the Mo army is unlikely. More importantly, if we lose this battle, it won’t be just about retreating from Central China. Once back in Northern Rong, there may no longer be a place for my family or Prince Guli’s clan. We must win at all costs, and convince Lei Zhenting to attack the Ding王府.

"Lei Zhenting might not be so easy to persuade," Helian Peng said. To convince both Lei Zhenting and Mo Jingli, they would have to ask Lei Zhenting to share his gains with Mo Jingli. Would he easily give up what he had already gained for a future that was still uncertain

"Don’t worry about that. I think Lei Zhenting is eager to deal with the Ding王府 himself," Helian Zhen said with a smile. "Lei Zhenting is not young, but his son Lei Tengfeng lacks his strategic acumen. If anything happens to him, the first target of the Ding王府 will be Western Ling. To prevent this, he’ll take preemptive action. But Da Chu and Mo Jingli are hindrances for him. Once we remove these hindrances, he’ll agree to mobilize."

Helian Peng was silent for a moment before bowing respectfully. "Father’s foresight is unmatched; I can’t compare."

Helian Zhen patted his son on the shoulder and said with a smile, "I’m preparing to leave soon. You should go."

"Yes, Father."

In the Mo army’s main camp, Ding Wang had been eagerly waiting for his wife’s return but was unable to enjoy her company as he wished. He could only look at her with a pitiful expression.

“A Li, what’s wrong Who made you unhappy” Ding Wang asked gently and cautiously as he looked up at his wife in the tent. Fortunately, they were alone; otherwise, the other generals of the Mo army would have been shocked to see their lord with such a demeanor. Despite asking this, Mo Xiuyao was quite clever and knew exactly why A Li appeared so troubled. He quickly thought about who could possibly upset her while looking at her.

Ye Li looked at him calmly and said slowly, "Your Highness, you’re overthinking it. Who can make me unhappy"

"A Li..." Mo Xiuyao finally couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed Ye Li tightly by the waist, rubbing his chin against her shoulder. “I’m sorry... A Li, I shouldn’t have gone to Northern Rong alone.”

Ye Li’s expression darkened at this mention. "Your Highness is unmatched in martial arts; of course you can go anywhere you wish. What mistake is that You didn’t need to hide it from me. If I had known earlier, I would have cheered for you." Her use of the term “wife” showed she was truly upset. Mo Xiuyao sighed inwardly as he knew Ding Wang feared his wife’s anger more than anything else. Feng Zhirao often teased him about being henpecked, and it seemed to be true. Yet Mo Xiuyao accepted this willingly.

"A Li, I’m worried... If they had taken you away, what would I have done At that moment, I wanted to kill Helian Peng, Helian Zhen, and Ye Liye, so no one else could hurt you."

Ignoring her struggles, Mo Xiuyao held her tighter. "I just want A Li to stay by my side forever; not even a second apart." His low voice conveyed his sincerity.

Hearing this tone of fear and worry, Ye Li felt her heart ache, unable to muster any anger.

She gently combed through the silver hair resting on her chest. In her mind, she sighed heavily. Lifting his face from hers, she looked at him softly. “I have many people who protect me; Helian Peng couldn’t capture me.”

"But when I heard it, I was afraid. I couldn't control the feeling... All I want is for A Li to stay by my side forever." Mo Xiuyao’s hoarse voice conveyed his sincerity.

Ye Li felt tears welling up in her eyes and lowered her head against his shoulder. “What about me if anything happened to you What would become of Xiao Bao, Lin Er, and Xin’er”

If something were to happen to him, how could she possibly cope Mo Xiuyao felt this was the most touching thing he had ever heard. It was more endearing than love.

"Nothing will happen to me. For your sake, I won’t let anything happen," Mo Xiuyao said with a pleased heart. If everything went smoothly, even his solo raid on Northern Rong’s main camp might be swept under the rug. Then he could spend time with A Li...

"I said I won't have any problems, so you don't need to worry. Do you believe me" Ye Li looked up and gave him a faint glance, just in time to see the smug smile on someone's face before it could be retracted.

Seeing his demeanor, Ye Li could only sigh helplessly. This character of Mo Xiuyao truly came from nowhere; he was still a dominant ruler with authority when in public but sometimes childish enough even Mo Xiaobao couldn't compare to him behind the scenes. However, despite this, Ye Li knew that such spoiled and petulant behavior only appeared when no one else was around didn’t necessarily represent his true personality. Mo Xiuyao's real character had already been tainted by vicious cruelty since a shocking incident over ten years ago. No matter what happened in the future, people would never see again that legendary prince who used to be carefree but straight and honest.

Just like this time; with Mo Xiuyao’s intelligence, how could he not think of better solutions But without hesitation, he chose the most direct method, not only to intimidate his enemies but also to find an outlet for the rage in his heart. Ye Li understood Mo Xiuyao well enough that she was often willing to indulge him, yet at the same time, she couldn’t help worrying about one day when he would inevitably harm others and himself.

"Are you tired of me, A-li" Seeing Ye Li not speak for a long time, Mo Xiuyao suddenly asked. His handsome face showed sadness and grievance, but this time it wasn't for the purpose of making her happy like before.

Mo Xiuyao raised his head to look at Ye Li with gloomy eyes, more worried than anything else hidden beneath them, "A-li can’t hate me. In this world, everyone else can hate me, but not A-li. I won't let you leave me!"

Ye Li understood Mo Xiuyao; after ten years of companionship, he naturally also knew her very well too. Although Ye Li acted decisively without any hesitation in her daily life and had a firm nature even more resolute than most men, essentially she wasn't someone who loved violence or killing. If not for the events of these years, Mo Xiuyao believed that an ordinary noblewoman like her would still be as capable of being a virtuous wife and mother as any other woman could be. She was fearless in killing but had a peaceful heart without any malicious intentions or desire to kill. Therefore, subconsciously, Mo Xiuyao didn't want Ye Li to know his true thoughts. Even though he knew these things would never hide from her, he would unconsciously display an extremely immature side in front of her, hoping it could obscure the side unwilling to be exposed.

Mo Xiuyao was rarely seen with his dark and sinister side revealed before Ye Li, so even she couldn't help feeling a chill at the coldness in his words. But Ye Li knew clearly that Mo Xiuyao would never harm her. Smiling gently, she stroked his still gloomy face, "What nonsense are you talking After all these things have passed, we're finally seeing happiness now. If I leave you now, wouldn't it be foolish"

Seeing no displeasure in Ye Li’s smiling eyes, Mo Xiuyao's expression turned warmer. He held her hand and murmured, "A-li, as long as A-li always stays with me, whatever A-li wants, I will give you."

Sighing exasperatedly, she pinched him, "Just be serious and stop worrying me. You even dare to say if something happens, you'll make Xiao Bao a beggar. If anything happens to you, do you know what I’ll do"

Mo Xiuyao looked at her, and Ye Li smiled sweetly, "If something happens, I’ll take all the property of Ding Wangfu and remarry." At that time, Xiao Bao definitely wouldn't be a beggar. Hmm… do you understand

Mo Xiuyao's face changed, but he didn’t care about Ye Li’s still angry words. He bent down to press her on the bed, "You can't remarry! Even if I die, you cannot marry anyone else, or I will kill everyone!"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Who are you going to kill after you're dead"

Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a while, his eyes showing various emotions. After staring at Ye Li for some time, he finally calmed down and muttered by her neck, "I won't die. They will die if anyone needs to. I’ll grow old with you."

Seeing him looking gloomy, Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh softly. She stroked his silver hair gently and said, "Your Excellency is already growing old now." Mo Xiuyao raised his head and looked at her smiling face, saying, "I will wait until A-li's hair turns white too before I can grow old with you. Are you not angry anymore"

Ye Li sighed softly, "You must keep your promise this time; if there is another time like this, it won't just be anger from me. Do you know how scared I was when Helian Peng said that you alone entered the Northern Rong camp" This wasn’t Ye Li scaring Mo Xiuyao; she had been truly frightened at the news of Helian Peng.

Although knowing he would be fine, if today Mo Xiuyao could risk being intercepted by Helian Peng for her sake, tomorrow there was a possibility that he might do even more dangerous things. Unless Ye Li did nothing and stayed with him every moment, which wasn’t possible.

"It won't happen again, A-li will not worry anymore in the future. After I deal with those annoying families, we'll travel around and never think about these matters again. Then wherever you want to go, I’ll follow."

Mo Xiuyao hurriedly promised while calculating secretly. It was Helian Peng who revealed his weaknesses; good, good… the vengeful Ding Wang added another score for Helian Peng in his heart.

Although he had been patient all these years, Mo Xiuyao's desire to exterminate certain people remained firm. Ye Li didn’t care about this either, as long as this man before her was safe and sound, "Alright, I'll wait."

Mo Xiuyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief; A-li rarely got angry but once she did, it was very difficult to soothe her. Jewels, gifts, sweet words were all useless for Ye Li. But seeing how worried she was about him, Mo Xiuyao was also delighted in his heart. He nuzzled her slender neck affectionately and left soft kisses on her face and lips, saying softly, "As long as A-li is with me forever, whatever you want, I will give."

Ye Li pinched him irritably, "Just be serious and stop worrying me." If anything happens to you, do you know what I’ll do

Mo Xiuyao looked at her; Ye Li said with a sweet smile, "If something happens to you, I will take all the property of Ding Wangfu and remarry. At that time, Xiao Bao definitely won’t be a beggar. Hmm… Do you understand"

Mo Xiuyao’s face changed, no longer caring whether Ye Li was still angry at him; he bent down to press her on the bed, "You can't remarry! Even if I die, you cannot marry anyone else, or I will kill everyone!"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Who are you going to kill after you're dead"

Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment, his eyes showing various emotions. Staring at Ye Li for some time, he finally calmed down and muttered by her neck, "I wons’t die. They will if anyone needs to. I'll grow old with you."

Seeing him looking gloomy, Ye Li couldn't help but laugh softly. She stroked his silver hair gently and said, "Your Excellency is already growing old now." Mo Xiuyao raised his head and looked at her smiling face, saying, "I will wait until A-li's hair turns white too before I can grow old with you. Are you not angry anymore"

Mo Xiuyao hurriedly promised while calculating secretly. It was Helian Peng who revealed his weaknesses; good, good… the vengeful Ding Wang added another score for Helian Peng in his heart.

Ye Li pinched him irritably, "Just be serious and stop worrying me." If anything happens to you, do you know what I’ll do

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Who are you going to kill after you're dead"

Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment, his eyes showing various emotions. Staring at Ye Li for some time, he finally calmed down and muttered by her neck, "I won’t die. They will if anyone needs to. I’ll grow old with you."

The deep, heartfelt devotion in Mo Xiuyao’s whispered words made Ye Li tremble with emotion as well. In this life and the previous one, there had never been another person who loved her so deeply like Mo Xiuyao did. It wasn’t because of her lineage or her abilities; it was simply because he loved her for herself, Ye Li. And she, too, had never cared for anyone with such tenderness.

"Fool," she said, holding his handsome face to hers and slowly kissing his cool lips. "I love you. Do you understand You are the most important person in my heart, no matter what form you take."

Mo Xiuyao was stunned by these sudden words that seemed to come from heaven itself, his fingers gripping Ye Li’s head as he deepened the kiss. "A-li, I love you… Mo Xiuyao loves only you, in every life and every reincarnation…"

In the large tent, a couple who had been together for ten years embraced each other tenderly.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency," Feng Zhiyao’s voice came from outside the tent at an appropriate volume, interrupting their moment. Mo Xiuyao’s face darkened; he wished to send Feng Zhiyao as far away as possible right then.

Seeing this, Ye Li smiled and gently pushed Mo Xiuyao back into the inner room to tidy up. Mo Xiuyao begrudgingly allowed Feng Zhiyao to enter only after that. As soon as he stepped in, he felt a wave of cold resentment towards him; looking at Mo Xiuyao who was staring at him, it was unclear why.

Is the王爺被王妃責罵了，所以心情不好嗎？可是…把對妻子的怒氣遷怒到下屬身上，君子會這樣做嗎

Feng Zhiyao clearly overestimated Mo Xiuyao’s character. Even if it was a case of venting, let alone being interrupted at such an inappropriate time, Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t have any qualms about it. "It's Feng Zhixiao," he said coolly.

"I received news that Helian Zhen left the Northern Rong camp and headed south."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "South What does Helian Zhen want in the south" He had never been to Jiangnan, so how could he be lost

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes at Mo Xiuyao’s foolishness; did the return of the王妃 make him stupid again

"We are currently fighting a war and the Northern Rong army is in retreat. If Helian Zhen isn’t staying in camp, heading south… does Your Excellency think he’s on a sightseeing trip"

Mo Xiuyao finally brought his mind back from his joy to Feng Zhiyao's interruption. "He wants to ally with Lei Zhengting against the Ding王府."

"Congratulations, Your Excellency, you still have some brain left." Feng Zhiyao mocked.

Moxiu Yao stared at him and suddenly revealed a chilling smile, "Feng San, this king has noticed that you've been quite dissatisfied with me lately." Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but shiver. He remembered that the man before him was never someone who would forgive or forget easily. He indeed felt displeased with Moxiu Yao, but there was no need to let him know so that he would become even more displeased. Most importantly, he wouldn’t be able to handle it if Moxiu Yao decided to deal with him harshly. Mo Jingli, who had been unlucky since childhood and developed a twisted personality as a result, served as a warning.

"How could that be Your Highness is virtuous and awe-inspiring, leaving everyone in admiration," Feng Zhiyao forced a smile.

"Lies," Moxiu Yao snorted.

Feng Zhiyao looked up to the sky speechlessly. As long as you are happy... Occasionally being hypocritical isn't that bad either.

"What are you talking about" Ye Li emerged from inside, looking at the two people with curious expressions. Feng Zhiyao glanced at the duchess who had come out and then looked at Mo Xiu Yao's gloomy face. He rubbed his nose, suddenly feeling enlightened.

"Reporting to Your Highness Duchess, Helian Zhen secretly moved southward. I am requesting permission from your highness to send someone to intercept him," Feng Zhiyao said seriously.

Hearing this, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiu Yao who replied lazily, "Why should we stop him Even if we stopped Helian Zhen, there would be others. Even if there aren’t any, we will still have to fight Lei Zhenting sooner or later." Feng Zhiyao hesitated and said with some difficulty, "Even though we must eventually face Lei Zhenting, what about now that we are facing both him and the Southern King Isn't it a bit..." It would definitely be easier to deal with them separately than together.

Moxiu Yao looked at Feng Zhiyao smilingly and shook his finger while saying, "It's not just two but three. Do you think Mo Jingli is someone who does nothing"

Upon hearing Moxiu Yao’s words, even Feng Zhiyao paled. The Black Flag Army might be able to deal with the Northern Rong alone, but with Lei Zhenting added in, things would become difficult. If another force was added, Mo Jingli… Even if he is stupid, he still commands over a million troops. Three forces combined could crush the Black Flag Army even if they were just millions of pigs.

"Your Highness..."

Moxiu Yao waved his hand and smiled, "Don’t worry. I’ve been playing this game for so many years; do you think I can’t handle them"

I’m afraid that you will play us to death, Feng Zhiyao thought secretly while looking at Ye Li. Ye Li lowered her head in deep thought but her mind was still constantly calculating the current situation, "Can we quickly finish off the Northern Rong and solve our problems"

Moxiu Yao shook his head with a smile, "Since Helian Zhen has left, Yelvye will definitely stay within his fortress. It’s impossible to achieve quick victory." Yelvyue was not someone who would be provoked into reckless action; if he wanted to hide in his shell, there wasn't much that could be done about it for the time being. "Not just the Southern King and Mo Jingli, but I’m afraid that Yelvye has also sent envoys to seek reinforcements from the Northern Rong."

Feng Zhiyao's face darkened, "Why not tell me how many troops we are facing so I can think about what last wills and testaments need to be made"

Moxiu Yao held Ye Li tightly and laughed loudly, "No need for such worry. Whether the Northern Rong’s reinforcements arrive or not is uncertain."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and said, "Yelvhong"

Moxiu Yao nodded and said, "Indeed, even if Yelvhong wants to sit back and watch like a spectator, he must also worry about whether Yelvyue will throw all the Northern Rong’s troops into this bottomless pit of Central Plains." Since the Northern Rong had been mobilizing against Chu for over two years, more than 1.5 million troops had already been transferred from the Northern Rong to the Central Plains by Yelvyue. Now, the number of troops under his command was less than seven hundred thousand. Seven or eight hundred thousand troops were thrown into the Central Plains; in reality, the benefits gained by the Northern Rong court were very limited.

Feng Zhiyao could finally relax somewhat and nodded, "Good then, but... since Your Highness doesn’t intend to stop Helian Zhen, should we make some preparations" Even if the Black Flag Army had less than a million troops now and wanted to face the three countries at once, Feng Zhiyao felt that he might as well die.

Moxiu Yao pondered for a moment before asking, "Aili, how many additional troops can we recruit"

Ye Li calculated and said, "The fastest would be two months. We should be able to mobilize a million soldiers then. Afterwards, an additional half to sixty thousand could enter the battlefield later on. If more than that are needed, it might affect the fundamental resources of the Ding王府.

The reason why there weren't many troops in the Black Flag Army was because the Ding Wang Fu had invested a large amount of resources into governance and public welfare. This approach had both advantages and disadvantages; the disadvantage being insufficient manpower, as the Black Flag Army valued quality over quantity, while the advantage was that under the Ding Wang Fu’s command, various resources were abundant, making their war endurance extremely strong. Continuous years of warfare would not affect military supplies or even impact the lives of the people under its jurisdiction.

However, if there was no opportunity to play a good card, it became useless. Therefore, in dire situations, they could only conscript the commoners despite affecting their livelihoods.

Moxiu Yao thought for a moment and said, "No need. First mobilize 800 thousand troops, leaving the rest on standby. It’s still possible to supplement them after next year’s spring ploughing."

"Is this enough" Feng Zhiyao was worried that Moxiu Yao's plan was too optimistic. How could there be a good outcome without damaging agriculture and achieving significant victories

Moxiu Yao calmly looked at him, "It has to work regardless. Do you think the war can end in just two or three months"

Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose speechlessly. Many battles often lasted for years. With the Black Flag Army having to deal with three countries simultaneously, if they didn’t leave any fallback plans, even if they weren't defeated on the battlefield, their rear would suffer from a shortage of food and livelihoods. Sighing helplessly, he said, "I understand."

"Reporting Your Highness and Duchess, an urgent message from Jiangnan!" ZHUO Jing’s voice was urgent outside.

Ye Li felt uneasy suddenly, glanced at Moxiu Yao, and hurriedly said, "Come in and speak."

Zhuo Jing rushed in with a letter saying, "Lin Han sent a pigeon message; the whereabouts of Qingchen are unknown!"loratory phase. It was hard to say if they truly met Ye Li’s standards.Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with a smile and asked: "Do you have any suggestions, Aili"Ye Li blinked and stared at Mo Xiuyao for a...