g to be Duke Ding’s future wife, aren't you” A beautiful young girl around eight or nine years old was squatting behind a bush with a cute bun hairstyle. Pearls were woven into her hair, and gold phoe...361. Ye Li Returns, North Rong Takes Action
361. Lady Ye Li Returns, North Rong Takes Action
Duke Ding’s Consort Ye Li defeated the North Frontier King Ren Qining in less than a month and pacified the entire northeast region within two months. The border with the northern barbarian tribes returned to where it was during the Great Chu era. However, the reclaimed territory and its people were no longer subjects of Great Chu but instead came under the jurisdiction of Duke Ding’s王府。
Although the rulers of major powers like Great Chu, Western Ling, and North Rong could all recognize that Ren Qining's North Frontier was unstable with internal隱患重重，但畢竟有百萬之眾，定王妃居然在不到三個月的時間內一舉平定，不得不讓人震驚世人。自此之後，在武勳方麵，定王妃葉璃也已經奠定了不屬於曆代任何名將的功績。定王府下的百姓和剛剛平定的紫荊關外的人們對定王妃更是敬若神明。
In the Prince of Southern Ling's palace, Lei Zhen霆正在低頭研究鋪在桌案上的地圖。自從蒼茫山和墨景黎攪合在一起後，墨景黎竟然開始隱約地表現出向西方陵挑釁的意圖。蒼茫山確實有些本事，在幾次交鋒中讓雷振霆吃了幾個小虧，這也更加堅定了雷振霆要滅掉蒼茫山的決心。
座位下方坐著一位白衣公子清塵，神情安然。雖然蒼茫山隱藏在深山之中又有天然大陣作為掩護，但清塵公子的臉上卻冇有絲毫擔憂之色。隻是悠然品茗，等待雷振霆的反應。
"Father! Father..." Lei Teng風握著一封信箋匆匆進來，雷振霆不由得皺眉。論年齡，雷騰風與徐清塵、墨修堯等人相差無幾。但是不說謀略手段，就算單論性格也遠不及這兩人沉穩淡定。難怪雷振霆一直對自己的唯一兒子不放心。
其實雷騰風本身的能力和謀略或許比不上墨修堯和徐清塵這樣的天縱奇才，但絕對不比墨景黎、任琦寧等人差。隻是他常年在父親的陰影之下，又少了曆練，在性格方麵纔會略微不足。
"Mr. Qingchen is still here, why are you shouting so loudly What happened" asked Lei Zhen霆沉聲道。
雷騰風進門後纔看到坐在一側的徐清塵，一怔暗暗後悔方纔莽撞。但被父親當著徐清塵麵責備，臉色也有些難看。徐清塵放下茶杯笑道："Prince Rui must have come for an important matter. I will take my leave."
雷振霆看了一眼雷騰風手裡的信箋，也能猜出幾分大概是什麼事情，搖頭道："Mr. Qingchen is not a stranger, just say it."
雷騰風猶豫了一下，把信交給雷振霆說：“定王妃擊敗了任琦寧的百萬大軍，任琦寧自儘身亡。”
"What" Even someone like Lei Zhen霆經曆過諸多大風大浪也不由得愣住，難怪兒子方纔失態。原本北戎與北境結盟，雷振霆雖然並不看好也樂見其成。畢竟他現在要與定王府合作對付蒼茫山，但也需防著定王府背後突襲，有了北境牽製就安心多了。卻冇想到隻是葉璃一人就能在兩個月間滅掉北境，墨修堯連出手都冇有。到底是定王府太強了還是北境不堪一擊？
Thinking of this, Lei Zhenting's expression towards Xu Qingchen also changed somewhat. However, Xu Qingchen was oblivious to it and remained calm. After calming his nerves, Lei Zhenting smiled at Xu Qingchen and said, "Princess Consort Ding is truly a generation-defining female hero that appears only once in a thousand years; this King must congratulate Mister Qingchen and the House of Ding."
Xu Qingchen gave a calm smile. Although pacifying the Northern Frontier could be considered good luck, he was still very pleased with his cousin's successful completion of such a significant task. Nodding gently, he said, "Thank you for your congratulations, Lord Wang. Lei Er is still young; this achievement might have been due to good fortune." Hearing this, Lei Tengfeng couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. Princess Consort Ding had gained fame across the land only ten years ago, and she had already guarded Yonglin, pacified Northwest, swept through Xi Ling, and now settled the Northern Frontier. Even his father, King Ding, had suffered losses under her command. How could someone so capable be considered still young When would they have a chance to live if she weren't
Xu Qingchen probably sensed that such modest words might sound like boasting to others; he naturally smiled and changed the topic, saying, "The Northern Frontier is far away, let's not worry about it. Instead, we should discuss how to deal with Mount Cangmang." If his and Lei Tengfeng’s families could not even conquer a place as insignificant as Mount Cangmang despite their reasonable strategies, Xu Qingchen would indeed feel ashamed to return to Li City.
Lei Zhenting and Lei Tengfeng also brightened at this. The Northern Frontier was already settled; worrying about it was useless. However, the northern border required a new, serious arrangement now. If General Prince of the Southern State and the wise Mister Qingchen could not take down Mount Cangmang with their tens of thousands of troops, Ren Qining would truly be outmatched.
“Princess Consort Ding has pacified the Northern Frontier for millennia; I hereby congratulate you,” said Feng San, dressed in an eye-catching red robe that stood out among the generals. He was graceful and radiant.
Ye Li smiled faintly and clasped her hands to say, "It is everyone's effort; Mister Feng, you praise too much."
The other generals also congratulated Ye Li en masse. They had already held Princess Consort Ding in high regard, and now, with the success of pacifying the Northern Frontier, no one under the military doubted her capability.
Meng Xiu Yao was also in a good mood after hearing about Ye Li's achievements in the North. He dismissed everyone except for Lv Jinxian to discuss matters. Everyone could not help but ask about what happened during Ye Li’s time in the Northern Frontier, so she reluctantly shared some important events. They were amazed by Ren Qining's misfortune and the House of Ding's good luck, confirming that fate was on their side indeed. On the other hand, they admired her skillful actions and strategic acumen.
After listening to Ye Li’s account, Meng Xiu Yao pondered for a moment before saying, "It should be fine with Leng Huai and Leng Haoyu in Changqing; I'll have He Su come back later."
Ye Li raised an eyebrow as she smiled, “Looks like there's some tricky issues here There are so many capable generals in the military, yet you still need to recall He Su.” Lv Jinxian and others knew that He Su was Ye Li’s man. They chuckled and said, "Princess Consort Ding is right; Helian Zhen has been neglected by North Rong's king these years but hasn't become idle instead of cultivating several talents. With a million strong troops and many capable generals under him now, it's no wonder he's heard that He Su’s commanding prowess stands out among young generals. It would indeed be great if we could get him."
Northern Duke stroked his beard with approval as he said, "Exactly, Princess Consort Ding has many capable people around her; in this generation of generals, Captain He Su is undoubtedly the best. I have to admit my son is rather mediocre." Speaking thus, Southern Duke glared at Fu Zhao out of frustration and disappointment. Fu Zhao touched his nose guiltily; it wasn’t that he didn't try hard enough, but this world was truly rampant with prodigies.
Ye Li smiled and said, "Southern Duke overstates things; the Crown Prince is a rare talent both in military and literature; how can He Su match him" Pausing to think for a moment, she continued, “Alright then. General Leng Huai has high moral integrity and General Leng Haoyu’s personality is flexible and varied. With them stationed at Changqing, the land outside of Purple Flower Pass should soon return to its former prosperity. However, what kind of famous generals are there in the Northern Frontier's camp that even General Lu Jinxian feels wary about”
Lv Jinxian replied, "In North Rong’s army is a young general called Helian Peng, who is probably a descendant of Helian Zhen. But when it comes to military command, Helian Zhen might be slightly inferior to him. Now that Yelü Ye and Helian Zhen are joined by Helian Peng in the Northern Frontier's camp, with a million elite troops under them, things have become rather complicated." Though he spoke of complications, there was no trace of concern on Lv Jinxian’s face; instead, it seemed like he wanted to challenge them.
"Since Ye Liuhong has returned to the Northern Rong, he now fully controls the military. It's uncertain whether everything will go smoothly for Ye Liuhong after his return. If everything goes well, Ye Yi won't be able to hold on for too long either," Ye Li thought.
Mos Yao raised an eyebrow disdainfully, "If he can't even handle that little matter, it would have been better if Ye Liuhong had died. Since A-Li is back, I also want to face Helian Zhen and see if he's still as formidable as he was in the past!" When Mos Yao spoke of Helian Zhen, a trace of malice appeared in his eyes. It wasn't because Helian Zhen was truly exceptionally talented; it was just that by coincidence, they had never lost a battle for more than a hundred years at the Ding Prince's Manor, only to suffer defeat this time under Helian Zhen’s hands. Although it could be argued that the loss didn’t come from war, the fact remained that they still lost. It couldn't be denied that the previous decade was their most humiliating and costly battle in over a century. How could Mos Yao not remember Helian Zhen
Not long after Mos Yao remembered Helian Zhen, Helian Zhen similarly hadn’t forgotten about him. Back then, as the commander of Northern Rong’s army, he had defeated the forces of the Ding Prince's Manor.
"Although it may not be as sharp as the original Mos Army, they are still somewhat useful. Moreover, in my opinion, Mos Yao is certainly not someone without foresight. He would know that his military forces were far fewer than those of other countries. Why hasn’t he taken any measures to recruit more soldiers"
Ye Yi frowned and asked Helian Peng seriously, "You mean to say that Mos Yao has hidden the strength of his army" Helian Peng nodded, “Yes. I believe there are far more troops than we know about in the Mos Army. It’s highly likely that he’s hidden a large number of soldiers where we can’t find them and is waiting for an opportunity to deal us a fatal blow. Your Highness must not be careless.”
Ye Yi nodded; he wasn't someone who lacked strategy or insight. He would be more cautious when facing Mos Yao. "Helian, what are your thoughts"
"I plan on testing the strength of the Mos Army," replied Helian Peng.
With interest, Ye Yi looked at him and asked, “How do you plan to test them In these past several months, we’ve fought against the Mos Army countless times. I can say that they indeed live up to their reputation as an iron-blooded army feared across the land for over two hundred years.” Even Ye Yi couldn't help but admire the combat strength of the Mos Army. The physical capabilities of people in Central Plains were naturally inferior to those from pastoral communities like his own, and even though many in Central Plains practiced martial arts and had high levels of skill, they could not match a single opponent with ten. Not everyone could achieve such high-level martial arts skills after all, so their military's combat strength was usually weaker compared to the Northern Rong’s when comparing numbers equally. However, the Mos Army was an exception; every soldier possessed capabilities far beyond those of ordinary warriors in the North. This made each clash between them fiercer.
Helian Peng thought for a moment and said, "Qilin."
"Qilin" At this mention, even Ye Yi and Helian Zhen were taken aback. Although Qilin was relatively new, it had achieved many unexpected feats in battle. The Mos Army's major victories often involved their participation, yet few had truly seen them in action; they seemed to be ghost-like.
"Qilin was established and led by the Queen Consort of Ding Prince Manor, making it one of the most mysterious forces within the Mos Army. Is Helian challenging the Queen Consort of the Ding Prince Manor" Ye Yi asked.
Helian Peng raised an eyebrow, "Why not"
"It's not impossible," replied Ye Yi with a smile. "I thought you were arrogant and wanted to challenge Mos Yao directly." Helian Peng said calmly, “I don't look down on women, especially when they are the Queen Consort of Ding Prince Manor. And for some reason, I feel that unless we deal with Qilin first, Northern Rong will ultimately fall into their hands.”
Ye Yi was slightly shaken and asked, "Why do you say so
Helen Peng pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know either. I just have this feeling. Since the Qilin appeared, it has always been unexpected and unpredictable. Every time they attack, they target enemies' vulnerable spots without ever missing. My brave warriors from the Northern Rong may not fear anyone on the battlefield when facing them head-on, but dealing with such elusive enemies is precisely our weakness."
Yelü Ye nodded in agreement. Having dealt with the Mohist Army for so long, he was naturally aware of this too. However, the advantages and disadvantages of the Northern Rong's troops were habits accumulated over millennia by their ancestors and could not be changed at will. "What does Helen plan to do about the Qilin"
From the side, Helen Zhen smiled and said, "Ever since the appearance of the Qilin, Peng has been very interested in these people. So we have also trained a group of troops specifically for dealing with the Qilin."
Hearing this, Yelü Ye was genuinely surprised. He looked at Helen Peng and asked, "Is it really so" Over the years, his father had always disliked Helen Zhen and stripped him of his military power to retire at home. Under such circumstances, being able to train a force like this could not fail to surprise him. If there hadn't been these war affairs, troops capable of killing enemies covertly would be most suitable for dealing with Yelü Hong.
Helen Peng remained expressionless as he nodded and said, "That's correct. The people in the Central Plains call the Qilin a benevolent beast, but they are too weak. I've named this troop 'Yajizhi' instead."
"Yajizhi" Yelü Ye was a Northern Rong person, but as a prince, he naturally had some understanding of the culture in the Central Plains. Yajizhi— one of the nine sons of the dragon, resembling a wolf and fond of bloodshed—is actually a ferocious beast rather than a benevolent child of the dragon. This made Yelü Ye curious about Helen Peng's knowledge of Central Plain’s culture.
"That's right," Helen Zhen spoke loudly: "At that time, I was careless and lost to that young boy Mo Xiuyao. If I cannot redeem this disgrace, even if I die, I would have no face to meet the ancestors of our family. For this day, I waited for over a decade. Prince Seven can rest assured, this time we will ensure the Mohist Army never has another chance."
Yelü Ye naturally knew about Helen Zhen’s hatred towards Mo Xiuyao. It could be said that half of Helen Zhen's life was made and broken by the Dingwang Mansion. He spent his life in military service, and his greatest achievement was defeating the Mohist Army and eliminating Mo Xiwu. But his biggest defeat was also to the Mohist Army and at the hands of Mo Xiuyao. Yelü Ye nodded solemnly: "In that case, I'll rely on you two. I will wait for good news. What does Helen plan to do"
Helen Peng pondered for a moment and said, "Since Leaf just returned, she certainly hasn't prepared defenses against us yet. My suggestion is to launch a night attack tonight."
Yelü Ye hesitated for a moment: "Are you confident"
Helen Peng smiled and said, "Prince can rest assured, it's just a test."
"In that case, go ahead,"rveyed them with a smile on her face; she immediately spotted Xu Qingfeng standing at the front. He was dressed in gray clothes like all other Qilin members and had an expression of solemnity that mad...