Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 414 - 412. The Death of the Southern Garrison Prince

Chapter 414: 412. The Death of the Southern Garrison Prince

412. The Death of the Southern Garrison Prince

On the city wall, several dazzling flashes of light emerged. Three figures rose rapidly from the ground and promptly engaged in battle. Ordinary martial arts practitioners couldn’t clearly see their fight; they only saw multiple phantoms flashing across the air, accompanied by surges of sword aura and martial power from all directions. The crowd retreated to safety and looked up at this world-shaking battle.

The only one who could discern the combatants was Han Mingyue, but even he stared fixedly at the trio in the sky, his mind focused and failing to pay attention to others around him.

With a loud crash, before the crowd could react, a dark figure fell from the sky, heavily smashing into the ground of the city tower. Han Mingyue and Qin Feng moved swiftly to shield Ye Li. When people looked over, they saw Lei Zhenting lying on the ground, with fresh blood trickling from his right wrist and both of his legs. Lying feebly on the ground, his gaze bleak and face pallid, Han Mingyue heaved a sigh of relief. Lei Zhenting had clearly been rendered unable to use his martial arts, and with injuries to his arms and legs, he posed no threat anymore.

Soon after, Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan also landed. Both of them were in poor condition. Mo Xiuyao’s snow-white robe was dyed with quite a number of bloodstains, and a wound on his left arm was alarmingly visible. Ling Tiehan’s blue robe had a large rip, and a small wound that ran across his neck was extremely dangerous—a fraction deeper, and it might have resulted in mutual destruction.

"Xiuyao..." Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao’s wounds, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Mo Xiuyao, however, was in high spirits. Having dealt with Lei Zhenting, he had now settled almost everyone he had been scheming against for years. The gloomy aura that usually lurked between his brows had also vanished significantly.

"Ah-Li, I won," Mo Xiuyao smiled.

Ye Li nodded subtly and softly replied, "I know."

"COUGH, COUGH..." Lei Zhenting, slumped on the ground, coughed lightly, blood spilling from his mouth. He turned his head to look at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Why didn’t you kill me?" Mo Xiuyao coldly retorted, "This Prince said... I would ensure you live a life worse than death! And this Prince always keeps his word!"

Lei Zhenting scoffed, "This Prince did not expect Prince Ding to be fond of torturing prisoners."

"As long as you admit you’re a captive, that’s enough. There’s much more you don’t know." Mo Xiuyao chuckled, "Wouldn’t you like to know how this Prince plans to treat you?" A ruthless glint shot out from Mo Xiuyao’s eyes, as though he badly wanted to tear Lei Zhenting apart but also begrudgingly needed him to stay alive.

Before Lei Zhenting could reply, a sudden flash of sword light passed. Mo Xiuyao was furious, "Ling Tiehan, you’re seeking death!" Ling Tiehan’s long sword pierced into Lei Zhenting’s chest, spurting out a splash of blood. Looking back at Lei Zhenting, a gory hole had been torn through his chest, his exhalations more frequent than his inhalations, suggesting he was on the brink of death.

Ling Tiehan was closer to Lei Zhenting than Mo Xiuyao. With Mo Xiuyao supporting Ye Li with one hand, Ling Tiehan’s swift and ruthless strike gave Mo Xiuyao no time to intervene. After being pierced by Ling Tiehan, Lei Zhenting didn’t exhibit any pain; instead, he looked at Mo Xiuyao with a smirk. It was as if he was saying, "Weren’t you wishing for me to live a life worse than death? Well, This Prince is about to die now."

"HEH-HEH...Ling Tiehan...Thirteenth Brother...thank you." Lei Zhenting smiled faintly, his faded eyes sweeping across Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, regret and concern flickering within, but he was unable to voice anything. Gradually, the final glimmer of light in his eyes faded away.

"Xiuyao!" Ye Li held back Mo Xiuyao, who was about to attack Ling Tiehan, and whispered, "I’m a bit tired. Let’s go back and rest."

Mo Xiuyao’s eyes softened. He looked down at Ye Li’s pretty face, still marked by traces of blood, and felt regret well up in him. "Alright, let’s go rest first. General Leng, Third Feng, I’ll leave this place to you."

Wearing a grumpy face, Feng Zhiyao nodded. Hadn’t he also been awake for an entire day and night?

Before turning away, Ye Li addressed Ling Tiehan, "Pavilion Master Ling, you can stay in the city to recover from your injuries. Mr. Shen has plenty of medicine."

Ling Tiehan cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Princess Consort."

Watching Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li leave hand in hand, Feng Zhiyao looked back at Lei Zhenting’s corpse on the ground, frowning. "How should we deal with this?" Although he was an enemy, Lei Zhenting had been a mighty hero in his time, and Feng Zhiyao was reluctant to overly disgrace him. As the maxim goes, debts die with a person – what did old enmity matter after death? However, if Lei Zhenting had fallen into the hands of Mo Xiuyao, his corpse would probably not remain intact.

Leng Huai raised an eyebrow, sharing Feng Zhiyao’s viewpoint. As a seasoned warrior hailing from a traditional military family, he always held a certain respect for esteemed generals. Unless absolutely necessary, he was usually reluctant to disgrace the bodies of enemies outside the battlefield, as he saw this as an act of cowardice.

Ling Tiehan glanced at Lei Zhenting’s body on the ground and said, "If you don’t mind, I’d take him back to Xiling."

"Of course you can." Leng Huai and Feng Zhiyao exchanged a look, and then Feng Zhiyao added, "But... we must cremate him here, at Prince Ding’s Mansion. You can only take his ashes back." This was not because Feng Zhiyao was overly cautious, but after the resurrection of Mo Xiuyao, he did not want to take any more risks.

Ling Tiehan was indifferent. Being able to collect Lei Zhenting’s body already showed his loyalty to his friend. He nodded. "It doesn’t matter. I can wait a few days."

Feng Zhiyao reassured him, "You don’t have to wait long; it will be over soon." He didn’t want Ling Tiehan waiting here for several days. Judging by the Prince’s demeanor, his anger towards Lei Zhenting clearly hadn’t subsided, and he might come to his senses and cause trouble for Ling Tiehan. If it were just that, it would be one thing, but Ling Tiehan was currently severely injured. Even without the Prince acting personally, Prince Ding’s Mansion had plenty of ways to kill him. However, judging by the Princess Consort’s intentions, she clearly didn’t want Ling Tiehan to die. If the Princess Consort were to get into a tiff with the Prince over this, it would bring no good to them as subordinates.

Leng Huai did not think as much as Feng Zhiyao did and gave Feng Zhiyao a somewhat strange look. However, after considering it, he found nothing wrong and nodded in agreement. Ling Tiehan thanked them, "I appreciate it."

"Pavilion Master Ling, there’s no need for formalities. After all, we should thank you," Feng Zhiyao said sincerely. No matter his motivations, it was a fact that Ling Tiehan had saved many lives, including the Princess Consort. If he hadn’t arrived in time, their outcome today would undoubtedly have been uncertain. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

When Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao returned to the general’s mansion, and after they had freshened up, Mo Xiuyao came out to see Ye Li sitting at the table, staring blankly at the meal before her. Their loyal servants had prepared a delicious breakfast, which was served shortly after their return, perfectly timed for them to enjoy after freshening up.

A freshly cleaned-up Ye Li sat there, her blood-stained clothes replaced, revealing an even more clear and enchanting beauty. Seeing her staring blankly at the meal before her, Mo Xiuyao frowned in displeasure, an instinctive dislike stirring within him. He softly approached and pulled her into an embrace from behind, asking, "Ah-Li, what are you thinking about?"

Ye Li snapped back to reality, shook her head and said, "Nothing much... My nerves have been stretched so tight lately; now that they’ve loosened up, I’m just a little lost."

Mo Xiuyao rubbed her hair apologetically and softly said, "Sorry, Ah-Li... From now on, there will be no more worries. Whatever you want to do, I’ll be with you, okay?" From now on, nothing should bother her; no one in the world could threaten his Ah-Li. Beirong is defeated; they won’t recover for thirty to fifty years. Lei Zhenting is dead, and most of Xiling’s elite troops were left at Feihong Pass. In the south, they still face Great Chu’s three hundred thousand strong army led by Murong Shen and Marquis South. Internally, there’s the feud between the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion and the Xiling imperial family; with Lei Tengfeng’s abilities, he’ll be lucky to protect himself. As for Great Chu in the south, Mo Jingli has been exiled, and an underage child has ascended the throne. Power is merely in the hands of influential ministers and the Grand Empress Dowager; they can’t stir up any significant trouble. In the future... who in this world would dare to touch his Ah-Li?

Ye Li looked at him in surprise. Mo Xiuyao blinked and smiled, "Why are you looking at me like that, Ah-Li?"

Ye Li asked, "Are you planning to disband the army?"

"As there’s no one left to fight, what else can we do if we don’t disband the army?" Mo Xiuyao laughed.

Ye Li was silent. She was surprised that Mo Xiuyao was planning to stop so soon. Recently, Mo Xiuyao’s plans and decisions had consistently given her an uneasy feeling. It was not that having ambition was wrong. Mo Xiuyao had the strength and the right to covet the throne, even to unify the world. But the continuous and increasingly cruel wars had made her feel an overwhelming disgust towards war. Over the years, she’d seen too many deaths.

Holding Ye Li in his arms, Mo Xiuyao had a gentle smile on his handsome face. Gently patting her back, he softly said, "Are you tired, Ah-Li? How about resting for a while, okay?"

Ye Li unconsciously nodded, leaning on Mo Xiuyao and slowly closing her eyes. She indeed felt quite tired. It was not until she fell asleep that Mo Xiuyao gently picked her up and laid her on the bed inside. Looking at her still slightly knit delicate brows, even in her sleep, Mo Xiuyao tenderly touched her face, whispering with a loving smile, "Silly Ah-Li, how could I not understand what you’re thinking? Moreover... if I stop now, wouldn’t Mo Xiaobao become a prodigal son?"

Mo Xiuyao gently covered Ye Li with a quilt. He turned around and walked out, noticing that the Xuan paper at the very top of a pile in the outer room was scrawled with a few hastily written lines, clearly forgotten by the writer in his haste: "When fighting ceases by the Huai River, the travelers’ roads become clear; raucous crows fill the cold sky; pitiful bones pile in solitary graves, all for the general’s pursuit of military glory."

Although it might be a little biased to describe the Mo Family Army with this poem, it was evident that the person who penned these lines had a certain viewpoint and mood regarding the current situation.

Ye Li was indeed extremely worn-out. When she woke up from this nap, the sky had once again darkened. If not for Mo Xiuyao worrying about her health due to not having eaten for so long, she might have continued to sleep.

Ye Li sat up and glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who was sitting leisurely by her bed, looking exactly the same as before she fell asleep. Seeing him, she knew he hadn’t rested at all. It wasn’t just Ye Li and the guards at Feihong Pass who were exhausted that day. Hearing that Ye Li was still at the pass, Mo Xiuyao rushed back, leading his men at a gallop; then he had a great battle with Lei Zhenting. To say he wasn’t tired would be an understatement.

"Why didn’t you take a nap?" Ye Li asked, her fine eyebrows slightly knitted.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a smile, whispering, "Watching Ah-Li doesn’t make me tired... You’ve been sleeping for a long time. You should wake up and have some dinner." Ye Li silently gazed at the man before her, whose smile was gentle, as if the gloom and violence he had displayed when facing Lei Zhenting and Ling Tiehan had never existed. Seeing her silent demeanor, Mo Xiuyao’s smile slightly faded. He took Ye Li into his arms and asked gently, "Is Ah-Li mad at me?"

Ye Li was silent for a moment, breathing out a sigh, and shook her head, "No, I know... you’re right."

Mo Xiuyao also fell silent for a while, before looking at Ye Li with a smile. "You just can’t accept it, right? Yes, I did this intentionally... Those useless followers of Mo Jingli couldn’t possibly harm me. Actually... as soon as you handed over the list of spies from Cangmang Mountain, I had this plan. I understand Mo Jingli; I know what he will do when pushed into a corner. Look, Ah-Li, everything... everything has unfolded as I expected. Except, I didn’t expect you to disobey my command and stay in Feihong Pass. If Ling Tiehan hadn’t arrived in time... Thankfully, it was indeed right to spare Ling Tiehan’s life..." Mo Xiuyao’s hand, holding Ye Li’s waist, began to tremble slightly. However, he still expressed a faint smile when looking down at Ye Li. His stubborn smile only increased the bitterness in Ye Li’s heart.

She couldn’t blame him. She thought quietly, nestled in Mo Xiuyao’s arms. Regardless of how many things he did or thoughts he held that she couldn’t agree with or accept, she still couldn’t blame him. Nothing was his fault. He wanted revenge, and he wished to protect his family and his lover, to make sure Prince Ding’s Mansion could live on in this world. He wanted to gain the maximum reward with the minimum sacrifice. He was right, no matter how you looked at it.

Mo Xiuyao gently embraced Ye Li, kissing her hair, and softly chuckled, "I long to hide Ah-Li in the safest and most beautiful palace in the world, where no one can see her, where no one can ever harm her. But I can’t do that... I know Ah-Li doesn’t like that. So... I want Ah-Li to stand with me, to face everything together, even those things Ah-Li dislikes. Ah-Li, don’t hate me for this, alright?"

Even knowing you dislike these things, I would rather ruthlessly expose you to such brutalities. Because this is Mo Xiuyao... I am not the refined son of a wealthy family, nor am I a celestial hermit untouched by the world. I, Mo Xiuyao, am an Asura from hell who climbed out from a mountain of corpses and seas of blood. Although Ah-Li has never been a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse, Ah-Li’s heart is always so kind and gentle. How could she like such cruel scheming and battlefields where blood flows like rivers? But... what can I do? I, Mo Xiuyao, just want you by my side.

"Xiuyao..." Ye Li sighed quietly, lifting her gaze to his gentle yet stubbornly persistent eyes. She gently touched his snowy hair and whispered, "It’s not your fault. Why would I blame you? I am just...a bit upset, that’s all. I keep trying to convince myself that their sacrifices were valuable. Even if the two hundred thousand defenders of Feihong Pass were all killed, the years of war could at least be shortened. During this period... the number of soldiers and civilians spared from sacrifice would be far more than two hundred thousand. Moreover... what is my little sadness compared to this? I don’t even know most of their names, how can I grieve for them? With so many people, even if I grieve to death, the amount of grief I can feel for each individual wouldn’t even last for a few minutes. What does my little sadness mean to them? But... each of them had families, loved ones, children; their pain will last a lifetime. So... Xiuyao, I’m fine. I’m just a little upset. Soon, I’ll be alright."

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head, gently patting Ye Li’s back and silently comforting her. Ye Li, who saw everything so clearly, now exuded an unprecedented fragility. Mo Xiuyao held her, his somewhat thin lips carrying a stubborn persistence and heartache.

"I am sorry, Ah-Li," Mo Xiuyao said gravely. He felt sorry for her, but he would not admit he was wrong. Just like Ye Li, as the Supreme Commander of the Mo Family Army, he hadn’t made any wrong decisions. Even if the Mo Family Army hadn’t arrived in time to rescue them, even if the entire garrison at Feihong Pass had been annihilated, even if Xiling soldiers had broken through Feihong Pass and wreaked havoc inside, no one could say Prince Ding’s decision was wrong. He had led the Mo Family Army, outnumbered several times over, to continuously face the siege of three countries. This time, he had accomplished everything in one fell swoop, greatly shortening the duration of the war. As a leader, he was correct.

The only one he was truly sorry for was his wife, his lover. He had made her endure so much pain and so many choices that she should never have had to bear, made her personally bury the Qilin she had trained and established with her own hands. From beginning to end, he, Mo Xiuyao, had only wronged Ye Li—his most beloved wife, whom he had once resolved to cherish forever, ensuring her happiness and freedom from worry.

Her heart filled with a tangle of soft emotions, Ye Li whispered, "It’s okay." No matter what he did, she would always forgive him. It was clear that she had already fallen deeply in love with him, unknowingly, at some point.

"Ah-Li, it will never happen again."

"Alright, I understand." The hidden pain in her heart might never vanish, but it would gradually fade. Life was never perfect, and now, things were already very good. A man who could command the world, wielding immense power, yet fretted over her moods; several clever, adorable, well-behaved, and witty children; a group of relatives who genuinely and always thought of her well-being; and a host of loyal and righteous friends and subordinates. What more could one be dissatisfied with in such a life? Perhaps her and Mo Xiuyao’s views on some things would never align—for instance, her dislike for conspiracies and schemes, while he excelled at deadly, covert machinations. Or her consistent belief in the preciousness of life, while he didn’t mind using the lives of unrelated people as bargaining chips. But he would make concessions for her, and she would tolerate him. That was enough.

"Prince, Princess Consort. I seek an audience." The voice of Feng Zhiyao resounded outside the door.

Soon after, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li appeared in the outer flower hall hand in hand. Not only Feng Zhiyao had come to seek an audience, but Leng Huai, Han Mingyue, He Su, and even General Yuan Pei, who had fainted in the morning, were present. Seeing the couple walking hand in hand, Feng Zhiyao released a breath of relief.

Feng Zhiyao was not only Mo Xiuyao’s childhood friend and brother but had also become a good friend of Ye Li in recent years. As such, the Third Young Master Feng knew these two better than most. Originally, he thought that there would be some conflicts between them upon their return, but to his surprise, nothing of the sort had happened. Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Ye Li, his appreciation for her growing a little more.

Upon receiving a warning glance from Mo Xiuyao, Feng Zhiyao cleared his throat and stopped scrutinizing. He smiled and said, "Prince, Princess Consort, I apologize for the intrusion."

Mo Xiuyao took a brief look at him and said, "So, you are aware. What brings you here so late?"

Ye Li helplessly tugged at Mo Xiuyao’s arm and with a smile, said to Yuan Pei, "Old General, how is your health?"

General Yuan Pei quickly replied, "Thank you for asking, Princess Consort. I am well. It’s just that age has caught up with me, making me less useful. I hope I did not embarrass myself in front of you."

Ye Li smiled and said, "Old General, don’t say that. We’re greatly indebted to you for holding the fort this time."

"Ah-Li is right, Veteran General Yuan, please have a seat." Seeing the glance from Ah-Li, Mo Xiuyao also graciously smiled and said, "None of you have had your dinner yet, have you? How about we all eat together?"

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes silently. It’s you and the Princess Consort who haven’t had dinner yet, right?

With Prince Ding personally inviting them, no one felt it appropriate to refuse. Within moments, the maids brought in the prepared food. All the dishes were light and refreshing. Everyone had been exhausted these past few days, and nobody had really had a proper meal. At this moment, everyone’s appetites were whetted, and they happily indulged in a hearty and delicious dinner.

Once the maids had cleared away the leftovers, Mo Xiuyao asked, "What urgent matter brings you here so late?"

Leng Huai stood up and said, "Your Highness, we want to discuss... what to do with the prisoners from Xiling." Actually, this wasn’t originally an urgent matter, but they were dragged over by Feng Zhiyao, and Feng Zhiyao now looked as if he had eaten and drunk his fill and was playing dead, so Leng Huai had no choice but to bring this matter up.

While not urgent, it wasn’t a trivial matter either. There were nearly a hundred thousand captured soldiers from Xiling. Such a number posed a major problem regardless of how they decided to deal with it.

Upon hearing this, Mo Xiuyao’s gaze flickered. He was about to speak when his eyes fell on Ye Li beside him, causing him to pause and then say after some thought, "Send someone to deliver them back to Xiling. We won’t ask for too much. Fifty taels of silver for a soldier."

Leng Huai hesitated, "Will the people of Xiling agree?" Fifty taels wasn’t much, but when calculated for over a hundred thousand people, it was a significant sum. Moreover, recruiting an army of a hundred thousand men was not a difficult task now. It certainly wouldn’t cost them five to six million taels of silver; thus, for Xiling, this wasn’t necessarily a good deal.

Mo Xiuyao sneered, "Announce this to the world; they will have to agree whether they like it or not. And if they still don’t agree...send all the people to the north to farm." The north, having been trampled on by the Beirong people, was now lacking the labor force for cultivating and farming.

Thinking it over, Leng Huai couldn’t help but chuckle. Indeed, Prince Ding was full of wisdom and strategy. "Your subordinate obeys."