Supreme Pacification General

urt doesn’t take action against us, our fate would only be further decline. Although I am old and decrepit, I don’t want to see my descendants like you and Hongyan feeling frustrated."Xu Hongyu was vi...95. Grand Marshal for Pacifying Bandits

95. Grand Marshal for Pacifying Bandits

Beneath a large tree in the small courtyard, Mo Xiuyao was leisurely sitting against the trunk with a gentle gaze fixed on the slender figure of a woman stretching fiercely within the garden. A dagger glinting coldly appeared and disappeared in Ye Li’s hand as she nimbly moved between various mannequins positioned in different postures. Within moments, obvious wounds had appeared at vital spots such as necks or hearts on some of the wooden figures.

Ye Li's performance was not particularly entertaining but rather full of deadly intent. Yet, to those watching from within the courtyard, it was more captivating than any dance in this world could be. The undercover guards hiding in the shadows couldn't help but secretly touch their necks and wonder if they could avoid being hit by the duchess’s dagger.

Feng Zhirao, who had nothing to do during his rare leisure time, was equally stiff as he discreetly glanced at Mo Xiuyao sitting beneath the tree with a calm expression that could even be described as gentle. He inwardly grumbled: Among all the high-born ladies, could I have really chosen such a ruthless duchess for His Royal Highness Your Majesty must have had very poor eyesight when making this choice. It was right of Prince Li to break off his engagement back then; otherwise, he would eventually be killed by the duchess.

Ye Li put away her dagger with a frown and clearly wasn’t satisfied. She turned around and walked towards where Mo Xiuyao had seated himself under the tree.

"Although Ah Li’s internal energy is somewhat lacking, her close-combat skills are excellent." Mo Xiuyao nodded and smiled. However, internal energy couldn’t be made up for in a short period of time. Given Ah Li's status, she would rarely have to face top-level experts who required her to use her hands-on combat skills. At least Ye Li’s current abilities already far exceeded Mo Xiuyao's expectations.

Ye Li nodded slightly and frowned, “Having poor internal energy is indeed a weakness; I will think of another way to address this. As for encountering top-tier experts… I’ll consider that later.”

Feng Zhirao looked at her in alarm, "Duchess, didn’t you tell me that with your skill level, you could still come up with a plan against an expert in internal energy"

Ye Li rested her chin on one hand and said, “That depends on how high their level is. If someone can blow down a house ten zhang away with just a palm strike, then it might be rather difficult.”

Feng Zhirao rolled his eyes as he looked up at the sky; who had ever seen such an outrageous expert It was impossible for there to be someone of that level! Was she talking about someone whose palm could shake a tree trunk as thick as a bowl How could they blow down a house ten zhang away Ye Li nodded seriously, “I also think it’s unlikely that anyone like this exists.” Feng Zhirao asked curiously, "Then how does Duchess plan to deal with such experts"

Ye Li blinked and calmly said, “With my own strength… it might be difficult to handle a master like Your Royal Highness. However, I should be able to retreat unharmed.” As she spoke, Ye Li couldn’t help but look at Mo Xiuyao. Given that he had been disabled for almost ten years, even if Mo Xiuyao’s martial arts and fighting skills hadn't declined, they should have remained at the level of a young teenager around eighteen. But in recent days, Ye Li had discovered that Mo Xiuyao’s martial arts were still incredibly profound—she had no chance against him. This made Ye Li, who usually had great confidence in her own abilities, somewhat disappointed. Feng Zhirao didn’t know what expression to make anymore; why was she looking so dejected and regretful Did she think many people could escape unscathed from Your Royal Highness

“If that’s the case, Duchess's skills are indeed sufficient. After all… there aren't more than three martial artists in today's world who can match Your Royal Highness.” Feng Zhirao said.

"Who are they" Ye Li asked curiously. Feng Zhirao touched his nose and replied, "The Great Pavilion Master of the Hell’s Mansion, Ling Tiehan; West City’s Southern Prince Wang; our great Chu Kingdom's number one expert, Mu Qingcang. However, the Southern Prince lost an arm in battle years ago, so his martial arts might have declined. Anyway, these people shouldn't take action against Duchess, so there's no need to worry." Ye Li gave him a withering look and said, "I don’t suffer from persecution complex; improving my strength is unrelated to whether someone wants to attack me or not." Feng Zhirao couldn’t help but wipe his forehead in relief. She still wanted to improve her strength

"Just get what you need done through people; if you need personnel, just ask for them from the dark guards and the Black Cloud Cavalry," Mo Xiuyao said softly. Since a peaceful future was unlikely, he didn’t oppose Ah Li using any means necessary to strengthen herself. Even if it was just for self-protection, having more strength meant greater security. Feng Zhirao looked at Mo Xiuyao in surprise and raised an eyebrow inwardly. It seemed that His Royal Highness indeed viewed this duchess as extremely important; at least the authority he gave her could be considered the highest among all previous Princess Consorts of Ding since the first generation. No, perhaps it wasn’t even lower than what the first Princess Consort received, because His Royal Highness had tacitly allowed the duchess to have full control over the Black Cloud Cavalry.

"Your Royal Highness, Duchess, General Murong requests an audience; also… reinforcements from the imperial court have arrived," a guard posted at the courtyard’s entrance reported.

Feng Zhiyao raised his eyebrows and said, "He came rather quickly. Which general is leading the troops"

The guard reported, "It's General Li Jingyun, who was recently appointed by His Majesty as the Grand Pacification General."

Mos Yao said indifferently, “Let them come in.” The guard hesitated and said, "But General Li hasn’t entered the city yet."

"Shall I personally go out to welcome him" Mos Yao's tone was light but his words carried an invisible pressure. The guards immediately bowed down respectfully and replied decisively, "I accept the order!" As he turned around to pass on the message hastily, he thought that it would be a joke if His Royal Highness went out of the city walls to welcome him.

"Who is this Li Jingyun" Feng Zhiyao rubbed his forehead and pondered. Could it be that his leadership of the secret agents was really so poor over the years, such that he didn’t even know about one of His Majesty’s trusted generals Mos Yao said calmly, "He's the illegitimate son of Lady Li from the 4th marriage of Chancellor Li, ranked eleventh in his family. This year, he should be twenty-seven."

Feng Zhiyao frowned and asked, “Is he a nephew of Empress Li Could it be that Emperor really went mad because of Mo Jingli There isn’t no one else in the court who can handle this situation; why would he send someone who hasn't even been on the battlefield before to suppress a rebellion Even bringing out the retired Duke Huaguo would still be better than sending someone who knows nothing.” Mos Yao shook his head and said, "His Majesty won't entrust power to anyone from the Huo family."

Feng Zhiyao sneered coldly. "So he uses people from the Li family instead" He naturally knew that His Majesty was wary of the Huos; otherwise, why would Queen Huo, who was the eldest daughter in her family, have only one princess The Huos were already at their peak and had once been on good terms with Duke Mo Liusi. How could the emperor not be wary of them

"In His Majesty's eyes, it seems that the Li family is more loyal than the Huo family and thus easier to control," Mos Yao pointed out calmly.

Feng Zhiyao nodded and sneered sarcastically. "Isn't that so If the Li family wasn’t loyal to Emperor, how could they have maintained his favor for all these years" Selling their daughters to gain favor… On this point alone, the Huos were definitely inferior to the Lis.

"His Majesty wouldn't possibly entrust someone who knows nothing to command over ten thousand troops. Li Jingyun is just a figurehead. Now that Mo Jingli has rebelled, His Majesty will no longer trust the Ye family and supporting the Li family is inevitable. However… His Majesty should also take this short period of time to foster some new forces to compete with the Lis." Mos Yao said offhandedly as if he didn’t care at all about the war in Yonglin. "When reinforcements arrive, we'll leave Yonglin. Since his Majesty likes to drag things out, let him do so; it’s impossible to finish this battle within three or five months."

Meng Song quickly came in and knelt down before Mos Yao and Feng Zhiyao.

"General," Mos Yao nodded. "Please take a seat. Is there something important you wish to discuss"

Meng Song hesitated slightly, looking at Mos Yao as he said, "I heard that Your Royal Highness is leaving Yonglin today. May I ask what your thoughts are on the current situation in Yongzhou" Mos Yao raised his eyebrows and smiled. “What do you mean Once the reinforcements arrive, Xueshan Pass will naturally be peaceful.” Meng Song sighed helplessly and said seriously to Mos Yao, "I always speak my mind; please don't take offense. With Your Royal Highness's assistance, I believe that it is possible to quell Mo Jingli's rebellion in a month. However... why do you..." Mos Yao smiled and shook his head. “General, we both understand the saying 'the general acts on orders from afar.' But there are few emperors who can truly accept this statement. As for those renowned generals who disobeyed their emperor’s commands, I believe General is well aware of what happened to them.”

"These past few days, Mo Jingli's army has not moved at all. I'm concerned that he might lead his troops eastward; the people in the southeast will then be caught up in the war." Meng Song said heavily. He was a military man who only vaguely understood politics, so it puzzled him as to why they would delay solving the problem instead of taking better actions when there were other ways available, and thus causing the people suffering. Mos Yao shook his head and sighed. "Too late... Mo Jingli has already split his troops and moved eastward. In fact, he hasn't done anything in these past few days because it’s likely that he is no longer at the army camp." Meng Song was shocked as he said, “If this is true, why didn’t Your Royal Highness stop him”

"General…" Mos Yao's smile seemed a bit bitter. After saying his words, Meng Song immediately regretted them; in the emperor’s eyes, Duke Mo’s mansion was more terrifying than Mo Jingli’s rebel army. There would be no way he would allow the Duke of Ding to interfere with matters related to Mo Jingli—once Mo Jinguan moved, His Majesty would likely use non-compliance as a reason to punish the Duke of Ding. At that time… several hundred thousand troops under the command of the Mo family… Meng Song couldn’t help but shudder and didn’t dare think further. "The war in the southeast is inevitable; all you need to do is defend Xueshan Pass and prevent Nanzhao’s army from entering it to join forces with Mo Jingli. As for Mo Jingli's troops in Yongzhou, they will definitely be expelled within a month. Is Great Chu really going to split into north and south" Meng Song thought silently. Could the Duke of Ding who had earned credit by protecting the country really be more important than suppressing a rebellion The straightforward General Meng didn’t understand; from Emperor Mo Jingqi’s point of view, Mos Yao and Mo Jingli were never on the same level. As long as he could deal with Mos Yao, it wouldn’t matter if there was one or even two Mo Jinglis. If Jiangnan was occupied by Mo Jingli, he would eventually be able to take it back; but if Mos Yao controlled Jiangnan, not only would it be impossible for him to reclaim it, he might also have to guard against Mos Yao reaching out towards the north and seizing the entire Great Chu’s territory. Therefore, in fact, apart from his initial fury when Mo Jingli rebelled unexpectedly at first, after calming down, Emperor Mo Jingqi was actually delighted about this event. Only then could he find a perfect excuse for executing his own blood brother.

"The Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits has arrived!" A loud voice outside the courtyard caused everyone inside, including Murong Shen, to change their expressions. In front of Prince Dingwang, let alone a general who had just been newly appointed and hadn't even seen battle yet, even Huo Laoguo Gong with his distinguished military achievements would never be so rude. This new Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits must either not have any brains or simply didn’t care about Prince Dingwang at all.

A series of footsteps grew louder as they approached from a distance; clearly, more than one person had entered the courtyard. Ye Li paused and listened to the sound of footsteps, estimating that there were at least two dozen people. A hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. Could it be that this Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits came here specifically to show off his might Feng Zhirao received Ye Li's glance and rolled his eyes disdainfully. Was he crazy to try to display strength and power in front of a prince It was said that the last person who tried this, a prince from Beirong, had not yet recovered his senses.

As soon as they reached the courtyard gates, their path was blocked by someone. A rather sharp voice sounded out, "Reckless! You don’t clear your way for the Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits"

The guards at the gate didn't seem to be afraid and replied calmly, "Please remove your weapons before entering. Bodyguards are not allowed inside."

Another voice, this one younger, said with a hint of arrogance and displeasure, "This general is the commander-in-chief; how can I take off my weapon What does Prince Dingwang mean by this" The guard answered solemnly, "Entering with weapons without the prince’s permission will be treated as an assassination attempt. As the Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits, you should understand this point and not make things difficult for us."

Mosirao rubbed his temples impatiently upon hearing the commotion at the door. He said, "Let them come in."

A moment of silence fell outside before two men entered the courtyard. The leading man was dressed in a white robe and overcoat, with a silver-sheathed sword hanging from his waist—his entire figure gleamed with silver light. Ye Li blinked, recalling that Mosirao had also been wearing such attire recently, and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly when she saw the second person approaching. With his white robe, white horse, and silver spear, Mosirao looked truly outstanding; however, this man… Ye Li thought of a peculiar phrase: anyone who loves to wear all-white is secretly self-obsessed and repressed. Just as she was silently thinking about it, a cool hand grasped hers. Ye Li raised her head to look at him—Mosirao smiled at her with an additional hint of curiosity in his eyes. She shook her head to indicate that nothing was wrong and then looked back at the person she had overlooked, who seemed to limp as he walked. Ye Li recalled a former commander of Shuisnow Pass who was once branded by Mosirao as a bumbling fool.

Both men came before everyone, showing no intention of bowing or saluting. Of course, none here would do so either; besides Feng Zhirao, no one else present held lower rank than them. Since Feng Zhirao wasn’t an officer appointed by the imperial court, there was no reason for him to salute. After a brief silence in the courtyard, Guan Ting, standing behind Li Jingyun, stepped forward and said, "Prince, General Liu and I are here as per His Majesty’s orders to take over Yonglin City."

Mosirao didn’t trouble himself with formalities; he nodded slightly before turning to Feng Zhirao. "Phoenix Third Brother, issue an order for the Black Cloud Cavalry to withdraw from Yonglin."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Wait!" Guan Ting hurriedly stopped him and looked at Mosirao with some arrogance. "Prince, did you not hear me General Liu and I are here by His Majesty’s orders to take over both Yonglin City and its garrison forces." In other words, he was taking over the entire Black Cloud Cavalry contingent in Yonglin as well. Everyone present drew a breath inwardly at Guan Ting's audacity; his expression appeared to them like that of a dead man. Mosirao didn’t seem angered by this; instead, he said coolly, "General Guan, did His Majesty order you here to provoke me"

Guan Ting’s breath caught in his throat as he replied stiffly, "What do you mean The emperor ordered Prince Dingwang to lead troops to Yonglin first, not to be the commander-in-chief. Now that a new commander is here, shouldn’t Prince Dingwang hand over control of Yonglin" He remembered the emperor's warning before leaving not to provoke Mosirao easily; however, thinking about the humiliation he suffered at Mosirao’s hands back then, hatred flashed in his eyes. Lifting his head, Guan Ting tried to appear more justified. Murong Shen frowned and said, "General Guan, Prince Dingwang merely ordered the withdrawal of the Black Cloud Cavalry; you should be aware that..." Guan Ting interrupted loudly, "Is the Black Cloud Cavalry not part of the imperial army Is Prince Dingwang planning a personal force for his own use" By the end, he was looking at Mosirao with venom in his eyes.

Mosirao adjusted his chair and slowly stood up. Guan Ting took an involuntary step back as Mosirao approached calmly and asked softly, "General Guan, do you think that after a few years of recuperation here, my temper has improved" Guan Ting’s face paled in fear at the seemingly frail-looking young man before him. Ten out of ten people who knew Mosirao now would say he was mild-tempered; however, those who truly knew him well were aware that this wasn’t the case. He could beat someone black and blue for a hidden sabotage by Li Jingli or team up with Feng Zhirao to thrash another one into unconsciousness and hang him on a tree. And because of Guan Ting’s poor command, he had been quietly whipped in front of thousands of soldiers without saying a word. Such temperament could never be considered good.

"Y-you... what do you want" Guan Ting stammered fearfully.

"If your words weren’t the emperor's intention… General, do you know what crime you are committing" Mosirao asked calmly.

Guan Ting trembled as he looked at Mosirao but dared not admit that it was Li Jingqi’s idea. Even if Li Jingqi had gone mad, he would never ask for the control of the Black Cloud Cavalry from Mosirao; apart from whether or not Mosirao would give him command, even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to manage them effectively and would only cause trouble for himself. He could do nothing but seek help by looking at Li Jingyun who had been ignored. Although Li Jingyun was displeased with Prince Dingwang’s disregard for him, once he saw the prince in person, he realized that he didn't have the aura to compete with Prince Dingwang; all his former haughtiness turned into resentment and fear.

"Y-your highness…" Under Mosirao's gaze, Guan Ting started trembling until he fell weakly to his knees. Mosirao walked calmly past him saying, "Phoenix Third Brother, prepare for departure."

"Yes, Your Highness," Feng Zhirao replied.

Ye Li nodded at Murong Shen with a smile and followed suit. Murong Shen looked helplessly at the two new generals before sighing as he turned to leave. Fortunately, this Great Marshal for Suppressing Bandits was not under his command; they could each do their own thing from now on.

Left behind in the courtyard, Li Jingyun watched blankly as everyone else’s figures disappeared out of view. Was there anyone who still remembered that he was a new general

The Black Cloud Cavalry indeed obeyed orders strictly; Mosirao's order to withdraw from Yonglin City took effect within half an hour and all two thousand men left the city without delay. This unusual movement by the Black Cloud Cavalry caused some unease among the rebel forces they faced, but when it became clear that there was no intention of attacking them, everyone relaxed slightly yet remained vigilant. Ye Li and Mosirao also returned to their rooms to pack up before setting out with the cavalry.

"My Lady, Yun Xiu尉求見," a guard reported from outside.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, curious about Yun Ting’s purpose. "Please let him in."

A moment later, Yun Ting entered with a slightly anxious expression. Ye Li felt quite fond of this young officer and smiled faintly, “Is there something you need, Captain Yun”

"I… I…" Yun Ting looked embarrassed and hesitated for a while before finally gritting his teeth and kneeling on one knee, "This lowly officer wishes to join the Black Cloud Cavalry and requests that Your Highness Consort grant my request."

Ye Li was surprised by Yun Ting’s determined expression and frowned. She said, "Captain Yun, if you wish to join the Black Cloud Cavalry, shouldn't you be asking His Royal Highness Why are you coming to me"

Yun Ting froze and became somewhat at a loss for what to do next. He had only thought of taking advantage of the presence of Princess Consort Wang to ask her and forgot that Prince Ding was also here, which probably meant he would need Prince Ding's approval as well. Seeing Yun Ting’s stunned expression, Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Why does Captain Yun wish to join the Black Cloud Cavalry" The members of the Black Cloud Cavalry were all elite soldiers selected from the Mo Family Army, not just anyone could simply join.

Yun Ting gritted his teeth and said, "Only the Black Cloud Cavalry is the best army in Great Chu. Yun Ting wishes to join the Black Cloud Cavalry to follow His Royal Highness and Your Highness Consort to charge across battlefields and establish great achievements."

Seeing how serious Yun Ting was, Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh.

"Captain Yun, you are already the most outstanding captain under General Mu's command. This time’s defense of Yonglin also earned you a great achievement; in no more than a few years, you will surely become one of Great Chu’s young generals. If you were to join the Black Cloud Cavalry…" Ye Li shook her head and smiled.

Yun Ting hurriedly said, "As long as I can join the Black Cloud Cavalry, Yun Ting is willing to be an ordinary soldier." Ye Li looked at him and asked, "Captain Yun, do you know why there are only a few tens of thousands in the Black Cloud Cavalry"

Yun Ting naturally replied, "The Black Cloud Cavalry are elite soldiers among elites. Since they’re already elite troops, there will be fewer of them." Ye Li nodded and said, "That’s correct, the Black Cloud Cavalry is indeed an elite within an elite army. However… precisely because it is an elite force, a minority, in true warfare, the ones who can play a crucial role are never the Black Cloud Cavalry."

"Huh" Yun Ting was puzzled; since he was young, all the stories he had heard were about how the Black Cloud Cavalry established extraordinary achievements and turned around desperate situations. Why did Princess Consort Wang’s view differ

Ye Li smiled and said, "What are armies fighting for in war"

"To conquer territories."

"That's right; the Black Cloud Cavalry can travel a thousand miles at speed, set up ambushes to eliminate leaders, complete many tasks ordinary soldiers cannot handle. However… they cannot capture cities alone nor defend them independently. Therefore, their role is actually that of an auxiliary force for the army."

"Auxiliary"

“A very important auxiliary; when it's critical, they are a trump card appearing in places where no one expects them to be. But generally speaking, they can only remain hidden and inconspicuous. Captain Yun, have you ever heard of any famous generals coming from the Black Cloud Cavalry”

Yun Ting shook his head; everyone knew how powerful the Black Cloud Cavalry was, but their leaders were always anonymous. Although there were tens of thousands in the Black Cloud Cavalry and Prince Ding personally controlled them, it wasn’t possible for him to handle everything himself. Yet, since the day the Black Cloud Cavalry was established, they seemed to have only one name, a single representative for everyone’s identity. In the history of Great Chu, there had never been any mention of a real name belonging to a member of the Black Cloud Cavalry.

Ye Li sighed softly and said, "I see that Captain Yun is both generous in nature and ambitious. And at only twenty-something years old, with such achievements already under your belt, your future prospects are truly limitless. However, if you were to really become a regular member of the Black Cloud Cavalry, it might hinder your ambitions." The Black Cloud Cavalry was the true sword of Prince Ding’s household. A sword doesn’t need many thoughts; wherever Prince Ding pointed them in the direction of their will. Actually, it was similar to her previous life's special forces. Yun Ting's personality would definitely regret not going through a rigorous training if he entered, even though he might be able to adapt. As expected, Yun Ting’s face flushed red and he said anxiously, "Princess Consort Wang, I..." Ye Li raised her hand to stop him and smiled softly. She said, "Don’t worry; I’m not saying you are bad in any way, only hoping that you consider clearly what your ambition is: becoming a general who charges across battlefields with laughter or becoming an unseen arrow waiting for the right moment."

Yun Ting was silent; these words from Princess Consort Wang were something he had never considered before. No wonder Xia Shu hadn’t supported him like usual when he said he wanted to ask Princess Consort Wang, did he see that Yun Ting wasn't suitable for the Black Cloud Cavalry However… Yun Ting looked at the kind and elegant woman in front of him, still admiring the powerful figures such as Prince Ding and Princess Consort Wang. He knew he truly wished to follow them.

"What's going on here, Li" Mo Xiuyao walked in slowly and asked after glancing at Yun Ting’s conflicted expression.

Ye Li smiled calmly and repeated what had happened. Mo Xiuyao turned around and sized up Yun Ting for a moment; Yun Ting felt uneasy but tried to maintain his composure under his scrutiny.

"What does General Mu say" Mo Xiuyao asked, as it wouldn’t be appropriate not to inform him when transferring soldiers from his command.

Yun Ting’s heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly said, "General Mu said that if Your Royal Highness and Your Highness Consort agree, then that would suffice."

Moxiuyao pondered for a moment before saying, "Joining the Black Cloud Cavalry isn’t suitable for you." Yun Ting felt lost inside, with mixed emotions. He heard Mo Xiuyao continue, "But if you’re willing, you can start by following Li."

Both Yun Ting and Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao; Ye Li raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Follow her for what Hiring a captain as a bodyguard, Yun Ting might not even be up to the task.

Moxiuyao said, "There’s no one really useful around you; those four are far from being able to lead troops. I’ll have Qin Feng follow you along with Yun Ting. Although they’re still somewhat impetuous, according to General Mu’s opinion, both of them are promising talents. After some training, if they prove themselves capable, we can transfer them into the Mo Family Army."

Ye Li was indifferent about this; however, Yun Ting felt shocked inside. Judging from Prince Ding’s words, he seemed to be cultivating loyal subordinates for Princess Consort Wang. In the future, Princess Consort Wang could not only mobilize the Black Cloud Cavalry but even control hundreds of thousands in the Mo Family Army. "Thank you, Your Royal Highness! This lowly officer is willing to follow Your Highness Consort!" Yun Ting immediately responded.s an inner chamber woman, Lady Xu knew her niece, the Consort of King Ding, was different from other women in the family and even other consorts. The name of King Ding’s consort was almost as famous a...