he difference between a newly rich family and an established aristocratic clan was not just a little.After listening to his father's words, Xu Qingfeng couldn’t help but chuckle and said, "Father trul...390. Defeat of Mu Yang, Suspicion Among Spies

390. After the defeat of Mu Yang, suspicion among spies.

In front of Han Valley Pass, Mo Jinglei stood high above and looked down at the heavily armed camp of the Mo army not far away. The black flags of the Mo army fluttered fiercely in the wind; from afar, it seemed as if their entire camp was a black wave that could roll over at any moment.

"Your Majesty, something doesn't seem right," said the old Duke Mu Yang and Lei Tengfeng on either side of Mo Jinglei. The old Duke Mu Yang frowned slightly. "Something isn’t right What do you mean" asked Mo Jinglei with raised eyebrows. The old Duke Mu Yang replied in a deep voice, "The Mo army seems fierce but has been bluffing for the past two days without any actual action. This doesn't match their usual style."

The reason why the Mo army was famous across the world was due to its formidable combat power and the undying spirit of its soldiers. Therefore, they would never hesitate before such a millennium-strong fortress like Han Valley Pass unless there is another hidden plot.

Mo Jinglei raised his eyebrows and said coolly, "Ye Li only has less than 100,000 troops under her command; can she really conquer Han Valley Pass even if she launches an assault She must be waiting for Lu Jinxian. As long as Mu Yang blocks him, these... will eventually become captives of the imperial court." Lei Tengfeng stared into the distance with a thoughtful expression and said after some time, "I haven't seen Princess Consort Ding around in recent days."

Hearing this, the old Duke Mu Yang’s face changed; he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty... Princess Consort Ding is notoriously cunning; perhaps..." Not only was Princess Consort Ding extremely cunning, but she also had the help of a Qilin, making her even more elusive. Every time Princess Consort Ding appeared somewhere, someone nearby would have misfortune befall them. Mo Jinglei's sword-like eyebrows furrowed. The old Duke Mu Yang’s concerns were clear to him as well; however, he was certain that his arrangements this time were flawless and Ye Li couldn't possibly find any loopholes even if she tried. Unfortunately, the lists of names given by Eastern You back then, although they relieved the urgent need for manpower in Ding王府 (Ding Manor), none of them could approach Ye Li without arousing suspicion; otherwise, he wouldn't have had such difficulty keeping track of her movements now.

After some thought, Mo Jinglei still instructed for safety's sake, "Send someone to investigate and make sure whether Ye Li is really in the army camp outside the pass." The old Duke Mu Yang hurriedly nodded and turned around to go down to give orders.

"Your Majesty, urgent military news!" Before the old Duke Mu Yang could take a step, a soldier had already rushed up with haste. His eyelids twitched and an ominous premonition arose. "The front reports that the 100,000-strong army led by Duke Mu Yang has been ambushed by Lu Jinxian's troops; almost all of them were wiped out. Lu Jinxian has already crossed our traps and is heading towards Han Valley Pass," said the messenger soldier.

"How could this be!" The old Duke Mu Yang exclaimed involuntarily, his body swaying dangerously before he steadied himself to ask, "What about Duke Mu Yang"

The soldier looked at Mo Jinglei behind him and then back to the old Duke Mu Yang before saying, "Duke Mu Yang led around ten thousand remaining troops towards Han Valley Pass."

Hearing that Mu Yang was unharmed, the old Duke Mu Yang finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, turning his head, seeing Mo Jinglei’s expression made him inwardly curse; he had been worried about this and that, but it turned out to be his own son who caused trouble. How could Mo Jinglei not be furious

Indeed, Mo Jinglei's face darkened as he glanced coldly at the old Duke Mu Yang and asked coolly, "Old Duke Mu, do you have anything to say" The old Duke Mu Yang said with a bitter expression, "My son performed poorly in battle; please punish me accordingly.

Next to him, Le Tengfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and took a step forward to whisper, "Emperor Chu, despite how young Mu Yang Hou is, how can he possibly compete with an old general like Lü Jinqian who has been on the battlefield for half of his life Moreover, it's crucial that we use our manpower effectively now." Emperor Mo Jingli snorted and said to Old Mu Yang Hou: "Considering Prince Zhenan Wang’s favor, I will give him a chance to redeem himself."

Old Mu Yang Hou was delighted at heart and hurriedly thanked the emperor: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy." The way he looked at Le Tengfeng also became somewhat kinder and grateful. "Many thanks to Prince Zhenan Wang," Old Mu Yang Hou added. Le Tengfeng smiled and said, "Old Marquis, there's no need for excessive courtesy. This prince is also acting in the best interest of our alliance." In other words, House Mu Yang didn’t owe him a favor. Upon hearing this, Old Mu Yang Hou’s expression became even more amiable, because it wasn’t easy to incur debts with Prince Zhenan Wang’s favor.

Le Tengfeng turned to Emperor Chu and said, "Emperor Chu, at this point in time, we should swiftly recall Mu Yang Hou and inquire about the details of what happened. I feel that... this matter is quite odd." Le Tengfeng was aware of some aspects of the arrangements made by Emperor Mo Jingli and Old Mu Yang Hou, which were almost flawless. At least he couldn’t find any flaws himself. Although Le Tengfeng didn’t have many military achievements, he was still taught by Lei Zhen霆 [Lei Zhen霆 seems to be a placeholder or name in the context of the story], so his insight and ability were top-notch. If even he could not spot anything wrong with it, that proved Old Mu Yang Hou and Emperor Mo Jingli’s arrangements had little issues. Even if Mu Yang couldn’t achieve a grand victory, he should not have suffered such an overwhelming defeat. But within just a few days, Mu Yang was almost wiped out— to say there were no problems here was even more unbelievable than Mo Xiuyao annihilating the Northern Rong army.

Hearing his words, both Emperor Chu and Old Mu Yang Hou’s expressions turned serious. Although Old Mu Yang Hou didn’t have much interaction with Lü Jinqian, he was still a renowned general of his generation and had some understanding of the generals in Mo Family Army. Therefore, it was hard for him to believe that Lü Jinqian could easily break through his setup.

Mu Yang returned quickly, but when he left full of vigor, he came back wounded. Out of the original ten thousand elite troops, only less than six thousand remained.

"Guilty minister Mu Yang requests Your Majesty's punishment," Mu Yang knew clearly that this defeat was the first battle between Chu Army and Mo Family Army, which ended with a crushing loss for the former. He feared Emperor Mo Jingli might even want to tear him apart alive in his heart. More importantly, this defeat almost destroyed most of the territorial advantages previously enjoyed by the Chu Army.

The main tent was silent as none of the officers dared to speak up on Mu Yang's behalf for fear of facing consequences themselves. Emperor Mo Jingli looked coldly at Mu Yang whose handsome face now bore a bloodstain, and his left shoulder had been bandaged, making it look stiff — clearly he was severely wounded. His handsome and composed brows were filled with fatigue, while his eyes were red-rimmed; he seemed to have endured great hardship these few days.

"Rise," after a while, Mo Jingli said in a deep voice. It wasn't that Mo Jingli didn’t want to deal with Mu Yang but rather because he understood there weren’t many capable officers left in Chu Army. If Mu Yang was dealt with now, Old Mu Yang Hou might develop ulterior motives, hence following Le Tengfeng's suggestion and sparing him punishment for the time being. "Lü Jinqian is a renowned general of Mo Family Army. For this incident, we'll let it slide, but in future you must redeem yourself through meritorious deeds; should there be any further negligence, don't blame me for my ruthless response." Mu Yang was taken aback and clearly hadn’t expected Emperor Chu to be so lenient. Old Mu Yang Hou quickly reminded him from the side: "Don't forget to thank Your Majesty's grace."

Mu Yang only then thanked Emperor Mo Jingli’s benevolence and stood up.

"What exactly happened this time Tell me in detail," Emperor Mo Jingli asked gravely. Mu Yang hurriedly recounted the events of their defeat. In fact, even Mu Yang himself found it hard to explain why they lost — leading an army of ten thousand soldiers for reinforcement, although Lü Jinqian still had a numerical advantage, with the geographical advantages on their side, Chu Army was almost certain to win. But nobody could have imagined that the night after Mu Yang arrived, Lü Jinqian suddenly appeared with five thousand troops at the rear of the Chu Army camp in the dead of night. The soldiers were taken completely by surprise and rushed into battle only to be led around by Lü Jinqian’s nose. Later on, he even set fire to the tung oil meant for signaling Mo Family Army; ten thousand troops ended up severely burnt by their own trap. By the time Mu Yang managed to lead his remaining forces out of the burning area, they had encountered a direct confrontation with Lü Jinqian’s main force and returned with only several thousand men.

After hearing Mu Yang's account, Emperor Mo Jingli was furious, his expression turning hideous. "So you’re saying... My ten thousand troops were left completely devastated by Lü Jinqian’s mere five thousand soldiers Excellent! Truly excellent!"

The others remained silent as the battle with an enemy force outnumbered five to one could be considered a peak achievement in Lü Jinqian's military career. However, if this victory solely depended on his ability, it would be hard for anyone to believe. How did Lü Jinqian know about Chu Army’s encampment and their setup Ignoring the risk of accidentally burning several nearby mountains along with the main camp, even if he won in a blaze of glory, how could he pass through afterwards

The old Marquis Mu Yang said solemnly, "Your Majesty, there are spies from the Ding王府 among our troops. Moreover… they can access our military secrets."

The position where the Chu army was stationed could be considered to have been found by Qilin, but the ambushes set up would be difficult for even Qilin to find completely within a few days and nights. Besides there being spies from the Ding王府 among the Chu troops, Marquis Mu Yang couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Mojing Li glared at the old Marquis Mu Yang in annoyance. The secret agents of the Ding王府 were almost everywhere; even Mojing Li couldn't guarantee that his residence was free from people of the Mo family army, so this statement was redundant.

Le Tengfeng said solemnly on the side, "What the old Marquis Mu Yang has mentioned is very accurate. It’s possible… that the other party could be someone close to all of you. Emperor Chu must be cautious. Moreover, Lu Jinxian's army will soon approach, so please prepare yourself in advance." The loss suffered by Lu Jinxian and Mu Yang was almost negligible. Once the two Mo family armies approached Huangu Pass one after another, not only would the so-called geographical advantage of the Chu troops be completely lost but they could also end up trapped.

Mojing Li said solemnly, "Proclaim my edict: order the 200 thousand men in the Western Army to intercept Lu Jinxian’s army. Mu Yang, I give you one last chance. If Lu Jinxian reaches Huangu Pass, commit suicide." He swept a cold glance at Mu Yang, who immediately felt the murderous intent in Mojing Li's icy eyes.

Mu Yang shuddered and hurriedly responded, "This subordinate will comply! This subordinate takes his leave!"

Mojing Li snorted lightly and said, “The task of checking for spies from the Mo family army falls to Lord Marquis Mu. Everyone else may withdraw; I have some things to discuss with Crown Prince of Southern Thunder.”

"Yes, this minister takes his leave," all the generals chorused.

Le Tengfeng wasn't surprised by this turn of events, as Mojing Li was highly self-regarding and wouldn’t take him, a mere Crown Prince of Southern Thunder, seriously unless he suffered some loss. Thankfully, Le Tengfeng's personality had changed significantly since then; otherwise, the two would have quarreled long ago.

Only Mojing Li and Le Tengfeng remained in the large tent. Mojing Li looked at Le Tengfeng with a sigh and said, "I’m letting Crown Prince of Southern Thunder make fun of me." Le Tengfeng said respectfully, "Emperor Chu is being too modest. Victory or defeat is common in warfare. In fact, it’s not very smooth going even on Father's side right now. The Mo family army has been renowned for two centuries; they are certainly no pretenders."

This wasn’t a mere consolation from Le Tengfeng, as Mojing Li himself had his sources and knew that the battle between Mo Xiyaoyao and Lei Zhen霆 was more intense than theirs. Compared to the battle at Feihong Pass, they were almost insignificant by comparison. This was their first real showdown between Lei Zhen霆 and Mo Xiayaoyao, naturally attracting attention across the entire realm. However, their battles didn't proceed smoothly despite having gained an early advantage; every battle was bloody and intense. Up to now, Lei Zhen霆 hadn’t been able to gain any advantages.

Mojing Li furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before saying, "I can help Prince of Southern Thunder."

Le Tengfeng adjusted his sword eyebrows and continued to look at Mojing Li with respect but not servility. Le Tengfeng still remembered when Mojing Li married Eastern You; although the Cangmang Mountain had been utterly destroyed, no one could say for sure what benefits Mojing Li had gained from Eastern You. Since Mojing Li said he was willing to help Lei Zhen霆, it obviously wasn't just talk.

"Please instruct me, Your Majesty," said Lei Tengfeng.

Mojingli smiled faintly and replied, "I wouldn't dare say that. It's just that there are still a few people in the Dingwang Mansion who can be of use to this prince." Hearing this, Lei Tengfeng was slightly alarmed. The hardest part about dealing with the Dingwang Mansion wasn’t the strength of the Mo Family Army or the intelligence of Moxiuyao and Xu Qingchen; it was their impenetrable defenses. Everything that everyone knew in this world was information that the Dingwang Mansion had willingly released, while any information that Moxiuyao didn't want others to know could not be probed into no matter what. Over the years, although various factions had continuously tried to infiltrate personnel into the Dingwang Mansion, they had found almost no one who was truly useful, instead losing many of their own elite forces.

Seeing that Lei Tengfeng seemed unwilling to believe him, Mojingli remained calm and smiled faintly: "The Crown Prince Mo Yuchen of the Dingwang Mansion is currently at Feihong Pass."

Lei Tengfeng's eyes flickered. The movements of the Crown Prince of the Dingwang Mansion were naturally very secretive within the Mo Family Army, but Mojingli looked as if he had known all along; it seemed like there was something to it after all. Mojingli smiled faintly: "Additionally, Moxiuyao and Ye Li's set of twins are currently being raised at the Xu family."

Lei Tengfeng’s thoughts raced but quickly settled down as he smiled faintly: "It seems that the people of Chu Emperor are not in the Mo Family Army, but rather in Li City. In this case, it appears to be of little use to my father."

Mojingli said with a smile, "Whether it is or isn't depends on how Prince Southern Command uses them."

"What does Chu Emperor want" Lei Tengfeng asked.

Hearing that Lei Tengfeng had conceded, Mojingli smiled contentedly and said, "How many people did the Crown Prince of Southern Command bring along" With a somewhat helpless sigh, Lei Tengfeng replied, "Indeed, Cangmang Mountain was truly a calamity; fortunately it was eradicated in time! There are only 150 thousand troops under my command, but they were kept as a precaution and not out of any disloyalty towards Chu Emperor."

"This emperor naturally trusts the Crown Prince of Southern Command," Mojingli said with a smile. At present, both armies were allied to jointly counter the Mo Family Army; Lei Tengfeng would naturally have no other ideas at this moment. But after the outcome was decided, things might be different.

Lei Tengfeng said, "I am willing to assist Duke Mumiao in intercepting Lu Jinxian."

Mojingli nodded contentedly and wrote a few words on paper before passing it over: "This is a gift for Prince Southern Command." Lei Tengfeng glanced at the note and casually threw it into the nearby fire. He smiled faintly, saying, "Many thanks to Chu Emperor; this official will take his leave now."

After seeing Lei Tengfeng out, Mojingli sneered coldly: “Who says that I don’t have anyone in the Mo Family Army Moxiuyao… This emperor is eager to see who ends up laughing last!”

In Mu Yang's tent, Yao Ji was bandaging his wounds. Looking at the man before her who was covered in injuries, Yao Ji narrowed her beautiful eyes and didn't say anything. Beside her, Mu Lie looked anxiously at Mu Yang with large eyes filled with worry, "Father, are... you okay"

Mu Yang shook his head and raised his uninjured hand to pat Mu Lie's little head. "I'm fine, don't be afraid." Mu Lie nodded and obediently sat beside Mu Yang while watching Yao Ji tend to his wounds. Outside the tent, a soldier reported, "Your Excellency, the Elder Marquis requests that Your Excellency go see him after you have treated your injuries."

Mu Yang nodded and said, "I understand, you may leave."

Yao Ji frowned and asked, "With such serious wounds, why don't you rest" Mu Yang helplessly smiled bitterly and said, "I'm about to leave again. Father probably wants to give me some instructions. Don't worry; I haven't been injured in any vital areas."

"But... your injuries..."

Mu Yang sighed and said, "Although this defeat was due to the Mo Family receiving intelligence beforehand, it is still my loss. The emperor has shown leniency by having me lead troops against General Lu Jinxian's forces in an attempt to redeem myself. How can I easily say that I won't go"

Yao Ji understood the gravity of the situation and could only nod, saying, "Then you must be careful." Mu Yang smiled slightly and said, "Don’t worry, nothing will happen to me."

After making a quick cleanup, Mu Yang headed towards the Elder Mu Yang Marquis's tent. Once he left, Yao Ji and Mu Lie’s faces darkened. Mu Lie spoke in a solemn voice, "The Mu Yang Marquis will soon suspect us." There weren't many people within the army who could access confidential information, and once all possibilities were eliminated, the answer would be the least likely one.

Yao Ji smiled and said, "You're wrong; it's that they’ll quickly suspect me."

Mu Lie’s face fell as he spoke solemnly, "Are you crazy Don’t think about stepping forward to take the blame. Don't forget, if your guilt is confirmed, do you think Mo Jingli would let me off Moreover, given how clever the Mu Yang Marquis is, there's no guarantee that they wouldn't suspect my identity." Mu Lie and Mu Yang didn't look much alike; it was only their eyes that somewhat resembled Yao Ji’s. At that time, the Mu Yang Marquis might very likely doubt his identity.

Yao Ji sighed softly and said, "Unless absolutely necessary, would I go to my death However, recently you need to be more careful. If there isn't any extremely important information, don’t bother with it beforehand so as not to fall into the Mu Yang Marquis’s trap."

Mu Lie nodded solemnly and said, "I understand. I feel... that things will soon come to an end." Yao Ji lowered her eyes and whispered softly, "It's good if it ends; you've been working hard these past few years." When Mu Lie followed her to the Chu Capital, he was only around eight or nine years old. In these recent years, not only did he have to secretly help her gather and transmit information, but he also had to remind her from time to time not to make mistakes. If it hadn’t been for Mu Lie’s companionship in these past few years, she truly didn't know if she could have made it through.

Mu Lie looked at her and said, "If you can't do what the prince instructed, then I will."

Yaoyi smiled lightly, saying, "Don't worry too much. We might not need to take action..." Mu Lie shook his head, "Since he has given such instructions, there must be a situation that requires it. Otherwise, how do you think Mu Yang Hou could still be alive Back then when he almost killed the princess and the heir, the prince already wanted to kill him. Watch this; I believe very soon we will receive news from the prince."

Yaoyi was stunned and nodded her head, "Everything is predestined, anyway... I know what to do. I owe them nothing, so why should I hesitate" Apart from Mu Yang being the father of her son, Yaoyi had gradually become indifferent over the years. The feelings she thought would last forever were just a dream.

Mu Lie cast an anxious glance at her and nodded his head, but in his heart he secretly resolved that if the situation arose, he must act decisively to prevent Yaoyi from being tormented by guilt.

On the other side of town, Ye Li sat on a horse and gazed down at the battlefield with a faint smile. Her white clothes and black hair fluttered in the chill breeze.

"Princess." Qin Feng presented her a letter and said solemnly, "General Lu has defeated Mu Yang's ten thousand troops and is now heading for Han Gu Pass. Should we return"

Ye Li frowned as she opened the letter. "General Lu did well in this battle indeed. However... Qin Feng, have Yaoyi and Mu Lie withdraw immediately!" Qin Feng was taken aback but quickly regained his composure. He said quietly, "His Highness has ordered that Yaoyi and Mu Lie still have other uses." Originally, Mo Xiya had no intention of informing Ye Li about this matter. But now since the princess requested that Yaoyi and Mu Lie withdraw, it contradicted Mo Xiya's orders. Thus, Qin Feng could only inform her truthfully.

Ye Li was stunned but quickly understood Mo Xiya’s intentions. She sighed softly to Qin Feng, "Go ahead then. Make sure that Yaoyi and Mu Lie remain safe." When Mo Xiya initially selected Yaoyi as a spy in Chu Capital, Ye Li had already guessed his reasoning. Since she did not interfere at the time, she would not do so now either. The resolution of the Mu Yang Mansion was inevitable; if allowing Mo Xiya to feel more comfortable about it meant taking harsher measures, then Ye Li wouldn’t mind.

Qin Feng nodded and said, "Thank you Princess." Spies were expendable. Many in power didn't care about their spies' lives because most spies had significant leverage that the lords held over them. If discovered, they could only end up dead; although Ding Wang’s subordinates received better treatment than others, he couldn’t protect everyone. However, the Ding Wang Princess was different. Whenever possible, she would ensure her subordinates’ safety. Perhaps this is why these people willingly served a woman like themselves. The Ding Wang Princess possessed not just masculine strategies and vision but also unparalleled benevolence.

Ye Li smiled faintly, "I will do my best to protect them."

—— Author’s Note ——

The New Year is exhausting~ Are you having a good time Sorry for not replying to your comments these days. Curry07 dear, the endings of Feng San and Empress are indeed non-existent; though I feel somewhat guilty about it. Regarding Yaoyi and Qin Feng’s relationship, well, every romance doesn’t necessarily go smoothly or be perfectly matched. There will certainly be issues in their future relationship, but as long as Qin Feng believes there isn't a problem, that's all that matters. Moreover, he is the leader of the Qilin Guard while Yaoyi is an intelligence agent; they face far less pressure compared to ordinary military officers and officials. Although I don’t like overly dramatic plots, being too strict makes it feel more like writing historical fiction. By the way, I also love Snowy’s character Su Su~ers can inherit the throne as well, and there is no concept like adoption. If there are no successors, it’s believed that the king has lost the favor of the gods and thus cannot protect his people, so...