Before departure

  Before departure

  The storm of the arranged marriage was forgotten in the imperial palace, the Dingguo King's mansion and the Beijun embassy. In the capital city, everything remained as bustling and prosperous as before. The only difference was that there was now a name for the Dingguo King's wife - a shrewd woman. Although the noblewomen would whisper to each other with disdain and mockery whenever they mentioned her, who could deny that beneath their words lay more envy and jealousy? Ye Li remained oblivious to outside matters, attending to the affairs of the Dingguo King's mansion as usual every day. Whenever she had free time, she would secretly leave the city to observe the people in training. Before long, the day of the princess's departure for her diplomatic marriage arrived.

  The day before departure, the husband and wife were about to part ways without having time to be alone together. The secret study in the palace was rarely filled with people. When Mo Xiuyao entered the study with Ye Li, everyone was slightly startled before hastily standing up to greet them. Mo Xiuyao waved his hand and said, "Let's dispense with the formalities, Ah Li, you know most of these people, just meet the few you don't." Ye Li sat calmly beside Mo Xiuyao, nodding her head with a smile. Looking around, she saw familiar faces such as Mo Zongguan, Feng San, and Leng Huaoyu, but there were also some unfamiliar ones. She looked at Mo Xiuyao with a puzzled expression, and he smiled faintly, saying, "This is General Zhang Qilang, who commands the troops in the vicinity of the capital. This one is Sun Yan, the commander-in-chief of the Black Cloud Riders." Mo Xiuyao introduced two middle-aged men who looked extraordinary, then called out a name in a low voice. A man in gray clothing suddenly dropped down from the rafters, bowing his head respectfully and saying, "Your Highness, Your Majesty." Mo Xiuyao smiled at Ye Li, saying, "This is Mo Hua, the commander of the dark guards." Ye Li nodded and smiled at the three men, who were all core members of the true power behind the palace. Especially Mo Hua, who had entered the palace over a year ago, Ye Li knew that everyone in the palace with the surname Mo was someone Mo Xiuyao trusted deeply, and they were all people who had served the palace generation after generation since Mo Rongyun's time.

  Zhang Qilan and Sun Yan hastily stood up and said: "Your subordinates have seen the princess."

  Ye Li smiled and said: "We are all our own people, the two generals don't have to be too polite."

  Feng Zhiyao and Leng Haoyu, who were sitting on one side, exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise and affirmation in each other's eyes.

  After everyone sat down again, Mo Hua disappeared into the study once more. Ye Li glanced at a certain spot in the study with a faint smile. Mo Hua had a slight dissatisfaction or resentment towards her, which she could naturally sense, but this wasn't the problem that needed to be solved right now.

  "Your Highness, the journey to Beijun Country is long and arduous, it will definitely take several months. Is it not somewhat unwise for you to go alone?" Zhang Qilan was a military man and also a straightforward person, whatever he thought in his heart, he would say.

  Others also nodded in agreement, although they knew that things that had already been decided could not be changed. Sun Yan suggested: "Your Highness, why don't we ask the Emperor to agree to let the Mo family army and the Black Cloud Riders escort the princess and Your Highness to Beirong?" Those present also agreed, as there was a deep-seated feud between the kingdom of Beirong and the Dingguo royal family. They would not be at ease if His Highness were to go to Beirong alone. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly: "The Emperor will not agree, let alone the Emperor, even Beirong will not agree." Sending the Mo family army and the Black Cloud Riders to escort the marriage procession was likely to be unable to enter the borders of Beirong. The hostility of the Beirong people towards the Mo family army was no less than that of the Mo family army towards Beirong.

  Leng Huan Yu smiled and said, "Everyone doesn't have to worry too much. I'm sure the Beijiang people don't have the guts to directly lay hands on the prince. The Mo family army and Hei Yun cavalry will definitely not be able to go, but bringing a few dark guards shouldn't be a problem for anyone." As for how many to bring, that's up to them to decide.

  The discussion in the study room came to an abrupt halt, and everyone turned their attention to Mo Xiuyao. Although the Dingguo Wangfu had been very low-key over the years, it was indeed the case that the prince had single-handedly restored the almost crumbling Dingguo Wangfu with his frail body. They should believe that since the prince had agreed to go to Beijiang, he must have already made plans in his heart. Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li's hand and smiled faintly: "Since I'm going to Beijiang, of course, I have a foolproof plan. What we need to worry about now is what will happen in the capital after I leave." Everyone was taken aback, and Feng Zhiyao furrowed her brow: "Your Highness suspects that someone will make a move against the Dingguo Wangfu after you leave?"

  Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "It's not easy to wait for this opportunity when the king is far away from the capital. It's hard for the other party not to make a move. After the king leaves the capital, everyone will listen to the queen's orders."

  Everyone present was stunned, and they couldn't help but look at the quiet woman sitting next to Mo Xiu Yao. Although Wang Fei's performance over the past year had earned their admiration, a 16-year-old girl having complete control over the entire Ding Guo Wang Fu still raised doubts about her abilities. Sun Yan furrowed his brow and said, "Your Highness, do you mean..." Mo Xiu Yao didn't immediately respond to him, instead looking at Ye Li with a smile and asking, "Ah Li, is the jade pendant I gave you some time ago still with you?" Ye Li was taken aback before remembering what Mo Xiu Yao was referring to. She lowered her head and retrieved a jade pendant from her sleeve pocket, spreading it out for everyone to see. The crowd gasped in unison as they took in the sight. In Ye Li's palm lay an exquisite piece of sheep fat white jade that wasn't suitable for women to wear, so she had only kept it with her without wearing it. The jade pendant was carved with a vivid and lifelike owl.

  Gou Chen, the second son of the dragon, has a dragon head and a leopard body. He is hot-tempered, fond of fighting and killing. However, this is actually the true military symbol of the Dingguo Wangfu. The Mohist army and the Black Cloud Cavalry do not have a universal military symbol. All troops can only be mobilized by King Ding, but there is an exception - the Queen of Dingguo who holds the Gou Chen jade pendant has the same power as King Ding himself. It is precisely for this reason that people generally think that the Queen of Dingguo can also mobilize the Mohist army and the Black Cloud Cavalry. In fact, only one or two queens in history have had such power. The reason is that other queens do not have this jade pendant.

  "Your Highness... the queen is too young, isn't it...?" Zhang Qilan said with concern. Although others did not speak up, their facial expressions all conveyed the same meaning. The queen indeed had exceptional abilities, and if she could be tempered for a few more years, perhaps she could take on a leading role. However, the current queen was only 28 years old and had been in charge of the palace for just over a year, which made people somewhat uneasy.

  Feng Zhiyao rose with a hint of a smile, and bowed to Ye Li: "Feng Zhiyao obeys the king's orders, and listens to the queen's commands."

  Leng Hao Yu slightly raised an eyebrow and followed Feng Zhi Yao as she stood up, saying: "I will obey the princess's orders."

  "Feng San, Leng Er you two..." Zhang Qilan glared at the two young people who didn't know their limits, while Feng Zhiyao leisurely fanned himself with a folding fan and smiled: "General Zhang is worrying too much. The princess's literary and military talents are not ordinary. This year in Yonglin City, she used only tens of thousands of soldiers to block the Li Wang's army of hundreds of thousands, killing several tens of thousands of enemies, even annihilating two armies on the flank of the Li Wang. Who dares to say that the princess is not familiar with military strategy?" Zhang Qilan was taken aback, he had naturally also heard about the princess defending Yongzhou City. However, he didn't take it seriously, after all, Mu Rong Shen was still in Yongzhou and the princess was just a woman. Since ancient times, there has never been a precedent for women to go to battle. He thought that the princess and the Black Cloud Riders were only assisting in defending the city under orders. But now hearing Feng Zhiyao say it himself made it completely different. Feng Zhiyao had previously controlled the palace's secret guards and spies for several years, so he absolutely wouldn't speak nonsense. The generals who led the army looked at Ye Liri with a hint of inquiry in their eyes, they usually stayed in the military camp and didn't have much interaction with Ye Liri, naturally not understanding as much as Feng Zhiyao or Leng Huan Yu. Now hearing Feng Zhiyao say this, they also felt that doubting the prince's decision was a bit too hasty.

  Ye Li put away the jade pendant, looked up at the generals and smiled: "This princess is young and inexperienced. Please advise me more in the future." Her words were always calm and quiet, but the generals keenly felt the sharp aura and murderous intent that came with it. Only those who had truly been on the battlefield would have such momentum, and this young princess could even completely restrain such a fierce aura, as if the woman in front of them was really harmless. The generals' hearts trembled, and they nodded one after another, "Obeying the princess's orders."

  Mo Xuyao looked at everyone with satisfaction, nodded and said: "Very well, after I leave the capital, all matters of the Wangguo Palace will be decided by the Queen. The Queen's words are my intention, can you understand?"

  "We understand!" everyone chorused.

  The secret conversation in the study lasted until late at night, and after seeing off the crowd, the two walked out of the study hand in hand, only to see a crescent moon hanging in the sky. Ye Li raised her head to look at the handsome man beside her, and her heart was moved, a reluctant emotion quietly spreading in her heart.

  "A Li, what's wrong?" Mo Xiuyao asked softly.

  Ye Li shook her head and threw off the gloom in her heart, smiling: "I'm always a bit worried when you go to Bei Rong. I've picked out a few people for you to take with you to Bei Rong."

  Mo Xiu Yao smiled slightly and said with some curiosity: "What kind of person can make Ah Lian so at ease? Is there another extraordinary talent that this king doesn't know about?"

  Ye Li let out a soft sigh and said, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to give them to you, since their training and evaluation are not yet complete. However, this time the Emperor will definitely not allow you to bring too many people from the Ding Wang Fu, after all, the number of personal guards is limited. Bring them along then." Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, "Since Ah Li has so much confidence, I also want to see the results of Ah Li's efforts over the past month."

  Ye Li smiled faintly and lightly clapped her hands twice. Mo Xiuyao, who was focused on the surroundings, suddenly shouted: "Dark Guards, be alert!"

  In the darkness, after a few extremely light sounds, it returned to calmness. Before long, several figures dropped from the trees, walls and eaves, quickly lining up in a row and saying in a low voice: "Please instruct us, young master."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow in slight surprise and smiled: "You can recognize me, it seems that Lin Han and the others taught you well. Your Highness, how is it?"

  Mo Xiuyao shook his head helplessly and said, "It seems that the Dark Guards need to be re-trained." These people didn't seem to have high-level martial arts skills, but they were able to sneak into the heavily guarded Ding Wang Fu without making a sound, and then take down enemies twice their number. It had to be said that their abilities were truly astonishing. Perhaps the Dark Guards of the Ding Wang Fu had been too arrogant in recent years. Ye Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty doesn't need to feel depressed, they were able to sneak in silently because they knew the layout of the palace guards beforehand. The security of the Ding Wang Fu is not flawed." Mo Xiuyao said, "A'Li, don't try to comfort me, I won't blame them. Where did the guards from the courtyard go?"

  After a while, more than a dozen dark guards and guards walked in with gray heads and faces. The dark guards were even more ashamed to dare not lift their heads. They claimed to be the most powerful guards of the Dingguo Wangfu, but under their eyelids, they quietly let someone take them by surprise. If it was really an enemy sneak attack, if there was any mistake on the part of the prince and princess, they would never be able to atone for their guilt even with their deaths.

  Mo Xiu Yao looked at the eight people standing in front of him with some curiosity, feeling that they were completely different from the Mo Family Army's Black Cloud Riders and Dark Guards. However, he knew that these people had indeed been selected from those three teams, and it was unbelievable that they could change so much in less than two months. He couldn't help but say that his beloved consort was really good at training people. "A Lian, I suppose they're not just skilled at sneak attacks?" Ye Lian looked up with a hint of pride and said: "Of course not. Without relying on any internal energy, each of them can easily take down fifteen elite soldiers in close combat. Each of them is proficient in using various combat weapons, whether it's one-on-one, group battles, night battles, water battles, assassinations, ambushes, or nighttime raids - none of these are a problem for them. As for what else they're capable of, let them tell the prince themselves."

  The soldiers stood in a line, starting from the first one. "Reporting to Your Highness, I originally belonged to the Mohist army. I am skilled in assassination and stealth. I also speak Beidi and Nanzhao languages."

  "Belonged to Hei Yun Qi originally, skilled in archery and hand-to-hand combat."

  "Shǔ xià yuán běn shì àn wèi, shàn cháng yì róng qīng gōng hé dú shù..."

  Translation: "The subordinate was originally a dark guard, skilled in disguise, lightness and poisoning techniques..."

  “……”

  After hearing their report, even Mo Xi Yao couldn't help but praise, "A Li is indeed formidable. Are these people really for me?"

  Ye Li glanced at him and said irritably, "Or is it to make you jealous?" After finishing speaking, she didn't care about Mo Xiu Yao's reaction, looked at the crowd in the courtyard and said: "You are the most excellent among the first batch of trained soldiers, almost all of you have completed the initial training ahead of schedule. Originally, you still had a month to learn more skills and take the assessment. But now, I need you to execute the mission ahead of time, I'm very sorry."

  The first soldier said, "It is our honor to serve the king and queen. Please give your orders." Ye Li nodded and said, "Very well, from today on you will be the king's personal bodyguards until he returns from Beijiang. So, your first mission is to escort him safely back to the capital. Can you do it?"

  "We will obey your orders and complete our mission at all costs." The crowd said in unison.

  Ye Li smiled and said, "Very well, this time it's not just a mission, but also your assessment. Because you're executing the task for the first time, I'll have Lin Han accompany you. He's not only your leader, but also the one assessing you. Everyone, may the winds be at your back."

  "Thank you, young master."

  Digression

  Goodbye for now... But don't worry, dear friends who are far apart, because this chapter doesn't have much content, which means... we'll meet again soon, and then... get ready to fight! Haha, I think I've spoiled it a bit. Tomorrow I'm setting off north~ Changing places and jobs is the most annoying thing. Unaccustomed, unaccustomed~