“Your Highness, My Lady,” Murong Shen bowed as he came at quick paces.

Mo Xiu Yao nodded and said: “Please have a seat, General. What brings you here at this time of day?”

A bit awkward, Murong nodded. His eyes were on Mo Xiu Yao as he spoke: “I got the news that you are leaving today, Your Highness. I wonder… I want to know your opinion on this war.”

Mo Xiu Yao’s brows rose with a smile as he said: “Why, General? Now that the relief troops are here, Scattered Snow Pass is going to be alright.”

Murong Shen sighed. He turned to Mo Xiu Yao with a serious face and said: “No offense, Your Highness. I’m a very straightforward person. I believe the rebellion will end in a month with your help. But why…”

Smilingly, Mo Xiu Yao shook his head. “General, we both know the saying that a general in the field is not bound by orders from his sovereign. However, since ancient times, few emperors could accept that. I think you know what happened to those men who didn’t obey orders.”

“Prince Li hasn’t taken any action for the past few days. I’m afraid that he will head east. By then people in the east will suffer in this war too,” cautiously, Murong Shen said. As a military man, he had only a hazy notion of affairs of state so he didn’t understand why the better solution to this war was dismissed while the people were going to suffer.

Shaking his head and sighing, Mo Xiu Yao said: “Too late… Mo Jing Li’s men have already headed east in two groups. The fact that he hasn’t taken any actions probably means he has already left.”

Shocked, Murong Shen said: “Why haven’t you stopped him then, Your Highness?”

“General…” There was a little bitterness in Mo Xiu Yao’s smile.

Murong Shen regretted what he said the moment he said it. To the emperor, Prince Ding’s Manor might have been more intimidating than Prince Li’s rebellion. He would never really allow Prince Ding to get involved with Prince Li’s business and might even punish Prince Ding for acting in defiance as soon as Army of Mo Family took a slightest move. By then… over a hundred thousand men of Army of Mo Family… Murong Shen shuddered at the thought and stopped himself from going further.

“War is going to happen in the south and east no matter what, General. All you need to do is to hold Scattered Snow Pass and stop men of Nan Zhao from joining Prince Li. As for his men here, I think they will abandon this province in a month.”

Was Great Chu going to be separated after this? Murong Shen asked himself. Was it more important to keep Prince Ding who had protected this country in the past in check than to suppress Prince Li’s rebellion? Upright as he was, General Murong wouldn’t understand that to the emperor, Mo Xiu Yao was a more fearsome enemy than Mo Jing Li. If he could handle Mo Xiu Yao, he didn’t need to worry even if there were two Mo Jing Li. He could get the south back if Mo Jing Li took it over. However, if it was Mo Xiu Yao who held the south, he might even reach out for the north and get hold of the whole Great Chu. In fact, despite his original rage, after he calmed down, Mo Jing Qi was almost happy about Mo Jing Li’s rebellion, which gave him a perfect reason to kill his younger brother.

“General Pingkou is here!” A loud voice went up from outside the yard which changed the expression on everyone inside the yard, including Murong Shen.

Not even the war-honored Duke Hua would be as rude in front of Prince Ding, let alone a general who was new to the battlefield and got his title recently. Either he was stupid or he didn’t care about Prince Ding at all.

Noisy footsteps approached. Clearly, there were more than one or two people coming.

Listening carefully, Ye Li concluded that there were at least twenty to thirty men. That brought a smile to her face. Did this General Pingkou come just to make a show of his power?

Noticing Ye Li’s expression, Feng Zhi Yao’s lips drew in a line scornfully. Making a show of power in front of Prince Ding? Was this General Pingkou out of his mind? The last man who did that – Prince of Bei Rong remained a fool.

When those men reached the door, they were stopped by the guards.

A slightly sharp voice went up. “How dare you! It is General Pingkou in front of you. Let us pass!”

However, the guards weren’t intimidated at all and said calmly: “My Lord, please leave your weapon here. Your guards can’t go in with you.”

“I’m commander of an army. It isn’t appropriate for me to disarm. What’s this, Prince Ding?” A younger voice rose with a bit arrogance and annoyance.

The guards answered in a serious tone: “Without His Highness’s permission, nobody is allowed inside with weapons. Otherwise, it will be taken as an assassination. My Lord, you should have known that well since you are a commander. Please don’t make this difficult for us.”

The noise outside the door was irritating. Mo Xiu Yao rubbed his forehead and said: “Let them in.”

There was a moment of silence outside the yard. Soon, two men walked in. At the front was a man in white, clad in a battle robe with a silver-sheathed sword hanging from his waist. He looked… gleaming in sliver.

Ye Li blinked. She couldn’t help but recalling Mo Xiu Yao in white the other day, amused as she watched the man walking over. When Mo Xiu Yao clad in white with a sliver spear on a white horse, he did look extremely graceful with an imposing manner. However, this man in front of her… reminded Ye Li of a saying that men who loved to dress themselves in all white were implicit narcissists. As she was in thought with her head down, a slightly cool hand held on to hers. Looking up, she saw Mo Xiu Yao’s inquisitive eyes. She shook her head to tell him that everything was alright, then turned to the man who followed the front guy, that she overlooked. The man seemed ordinary except he walked with a limp. That reminded her of a former guarding general at Scattered Snow Pass who was remarked as good-for-nothing by Mo Xiu Yao.

Arriving in front of the group, the two showed no intention to bow as a courtesy.

Certainly, the group didn’t need to show courtesy back since everyone was of a higher rank except for Feng Zhi Yao. However, since Feng Zhi Yao didn’t hold an official post, he didn’t intend to do it either.

Silence hung over the yard. Standing behind Liu Jing Yun, Guan Ting thought this might last forever so he stepped up and said: “Your Highness, General Liu and I are here to take over Yong Lin under His Majesty’s instruction.”

Mo Xiu Yao didn’t make it difficult for them and nodded slightly as he turned to Feng Zhi Yao and said: “Feng San, ask all men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers to leave town.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Wait!” Guan Ting stepped in hurriedly. Looking at Mo Xiu Yao a bit proudly, he added: “Your Highness, you might not hear me clearly. General Liu and I are here to take over Yong Lin under His Majesty’s instruction, including all the soldiers in town.”

In conclusion, they were going to take over not only Yong Lin, but also 20 thousand men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers.

That shocked everyone who looked at Guan Ting as if he was a dead man.

Mo Xiu Yao didn’t seem angry. With a faint smile, he said: “General Guan, does His Majesty… ask you here to provoke me?”

Finding it hard to breath, Guan Ting said with his expression frozen: “What do you mean, Your Highness? His Majesty asked you to come here to Yong Lin’s aid, not making you the commander to crush the rebellion. Now that the commander is here, aren’t you supposed to hand over the military power of Yong Lin?” Sure, he remembered His Majesty had told him not to provoke Mo Xiu Yao easily, but… whenever he recalled how Mo Xiu Yao humiliated him years ago, a trace of hatred passed his eyes. He raised his head in order to assure himself.

With a frown, Murong Shen said: “General Guan, His Highness just asks the Hidden Cloud Soldiers to leave. You should know that Hidden Cloud Soldiers…”

In a loud voice, Guan Ting stopped Murong Shen and said: “Doesn’t Hidden Cloud Soldiers belong to Great Chu? Or do you want to assume importance by massing troops, Prince Ding?” When he spoke of the last part, Guan Ting was looking at Mo Xiu Yao with an almost malicious expression.

With his hand on the armrest, Mo Xiu Yao stood up slowly.

Stunned, Guan Ting couldn’t help but taking a step back.

Mo Xiu Yao took two steps forward and looked at him calmly as he asked in a small voice: “General Guan, do you think my temper has improved after shutting myself in for years?”

Guan Ting turned ghastly pale and looked terrified at the man in white who seemed a bit thin.

Was Mo Xiu Yao a good-tempered man? Nine out of ten people who knew him now would think he was. However, those who knew him for a long time were clear that he… was never good-tempered. He would beat Mo Jing Li up for setting him up. He would also beat Mo Jing Li up and hang him up a tree with Feng Zhi Yao. He would whip Guan Ting for poor commanding in front of an army of thousands of men without explanation. He wasn’t a good-tempered man at all.

“What… what do you want?” asked Guan Ting in horror.

“If what you said wasn’t what His Majesty meant… General Guan, do you know what punishment that will bring you?” asked Mo Xiu Yao calmly.

Terror-stricken, Guan Ting didn’t dare to say that His Majesty did mean that.

The emperor wouldn’t ask Mo Xiu Yao for power over the Hidden Cloud Soldiers in a million years. Besides, Mo Xiu Yao wouldn’t give it to him either. Even if he did, the emperor would only be asking for trouble since he wouldn’t be able to control men of Hidden Cloud Soldiers.

With no way out, Guan Ting turned to Liu Jing Yun who was ignored for help.

Though Liu Jing Yun wasn’t happy to have been ignored, he found that when he was in front of Prince Ding, he didn’t have the courage to fight him. With all his arrogance gone, he was left with fear and defeat.

“Your… Your Highness…” Under Mo Xiu Yao’s gaze, Guan Ting started to tremble with fear. At last, he fell on his knees as if all his strength was taken away.

Mo Xiu Yao walked past him. “Feng San, prepare to leave.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Smilingly, Ye Li nodded to Murong Shen, and followed Mo Xiu Yao.

Looking at the two new generals, Murong Shen sighed and left as well. Thanks god that General Pingkou had nothing to do with him. Let General Pingkou suppress all the bandits and he would hold Scattered Snow Pass. Murong Shen thought to himself.