Drill in progress 注意：這裡的翻譯結果中，“256”未給出具體語境和意義，因此冇有直接翻譯。根據提供的
oach again, a voice from behind the main gate sounded excitedly, "Fourth cousin and fifth brother"Xu Qingbai turned his body to look at the green-robed maiden who briskly walked out of the residence....256. Drills Underway
By the end of October, the Great Chu officially declared war on the Northern Frontier. Almost simultaneously, the Southern Marshal of Xiling ordered his son, Prince Regent Lei Tengfeng, to lead an army of 200,000 men towards the border where they bordered the Nanzhao Kingdom. In response, all countries began mobilizing their troops and even the far north's Rong tribe, suffering from harsh winter conditions, showed signs of agitation. At this moment, the military exercises that the Dingwang Mansion had been preparing for months finally commenced.
Early in the morning, Commander Zhang Qilan stationed thirty miles away from Li city received an order: to lead his troops at full speed towards Jiantianya, fifty miles northwest of Hongzhou. The order came too quickly to be well-prepared, but fortunately, the Mo army was always well-trained and everyone had been on high alert for some time now; thus, they did not immediately fall into chaos.
When he received the command, Zhang Qilan was having dinner with several subordinate commanders while discussing military matters. Upon glancing at the graceful yet bone-thin handwriting on the paper order, Zhang Qilan leaped up and shouted to his subordinates: "Send out orders! We leave camp in half an hour!" He was puzzled by why this command looked like it was written by the Princess Consort.
The commanders were taken aback. The more daring ones quickly asked, "General, what's happening"
Zhang Qilan laughed and said, "It has begun. Boys, give your best effort. We have to beat that old man until he cries for his mother."
The group couldn't help but laugh, lightening the mood inside the tent. Zhang Qilan barked, “Hurry up and get ready!”
Everyone immediately scattered out of the tent to coordinate with their subordinates. After dismissing them, Zhang Qilan glanced at the letter in his hand again before wiping his face and preparing for departure.
"General Zhang, I am intruding late into the night," a refined voice said outside the tent. Zhang Qilan was surprised and immediately realized who it was as he hurriedly went to greet them; someone had lifted the curtain, allowing the person to enter.
Zhang Qilan quickly bowed and greeted her, "Your subordinate greets Princess Consort." Unlike usual, Ye Li wore a gray cloak with a man's hairstyle. The white hem of his clothes peeking out from under the cloak also indicated that it was male attire. Zhang Qilan was puzzled but still inquired: "Princess Consort…" Ye Li smiled and said, "General Zhang is about to set off; I volunteer as an advisor. Please don't reject me."
"Princess Consort means... to accompany us on the march" Zhang Qilan exclaimed.
Ye Li nodded, and Zhang Qilan hesitated: "This… Princess Consort's body is invaluable. If anything were to happen…"
Ye Li played with her fan and laughed, "In this world, nothing can guarantee that there won't be a 'what if.' Besides, I've also been on the battlefield several times; even if I can’t assist General Zhang much, I certainly won't hinder him."
Zhang Qilan repeatedly said he dared not. He was well aware of this Princess Consort's abilities and having her help would be like gaining an extremely powerful strategist and commander. However, his unease came from her identity and the fact that if she helped them win against Lu Jinxian, they'd only appear to have gained an advantage.
Ye Li understood his hesitations and smiled: "Actually, this matter favors General Zhang more. Do you know who leads the Western Army" Upon hearing this, Zhang Qilan had a bad feeling and said with a hint of understanding, "Could it be…"
Ye Li nodded and laughed, "That's right, their commander is the Prince, while Lu Jinxian is his deputy.
Zhang Qilan's face turned dark. Although he was quite a bit older than the Ding Wang, when it came to military tactics, he could only admit his own inferiority. During Mo Xiuyao’s southern expedition against Nanzhao, Zhang Qilan had also accompanied him, and he never thought that he would ever go up against Mo Xiuyao.
Ye Li smiled at Zhang Qilan and said, "General, are you conceding defeat before the battle even begins"
Zhang Qilan clenched his teeth and nodded. "If that's the case, then I'll have to trouble Your Excellency, the Princess." Unwilling to concede defeat beforehand was impossible, so now he didn’t care about Ye Li’s status anymore; having an extra expert on hand could mean biting off a piece of flesh from his opponent even if they couldn't win. Besides… dueling with the Crown Prince seemed rather exhilarating.
Ye Li said coolly, "I dare not take credit, my name is Chu Junwei. General can just call me by my name."
An hour later, the army was indeed ready to go. The sky had long since darkened, but the army still had to march under cover of darkness with men biting on their tongues and horses’ mouths tied up. Li City was over three hundred miles away from Jian Tian Cliff; Black Cloud Cavalry could manage it, but expecting ordinary soldiers in Mo’s Army to arrive within a day was impossible.
After the army set off, the officers accompanying Zhang Qilan only then noticed that there was a young man wearing a gray cloak with his face obscured by the darkness. "General, who is this…"
Zhang Qilan’s expression twisted slightly as he said sternly, "This is my strategist. Where's Feng Zhirao" Although Feng Zhirao had been on the list of officers for this exercise drill, usually he would accompany Mo Xiuyao, but unfortunately was assigned to work against Ding Wang. But since the start Zhang Qilan hadn’t seen him appear.
Ye Li murmured, "Feng Third has already set out."
Zhang Qilan blinked and quickly realized what that meant. With a large army of over ten thousand troops wanting to reach Jian Tian Cliff without being noticed by Ding Wang was impossible, especially since the Western Army had one division stationed along their route there. The Crown Prince definitely wouldn’t let them march so smoothly onto Jian Tian Cliff; it would be better if Feng Zhirao’s Black Cloud Cavalry cleared a path first than to arrive and have someone ambush them.
Under cover of darkness, the group of riders rode forward with the soldiers of Mo’s Army running in long lines behind them.
In the Western Army camp
Mosixiyao was still wearing his usual white clothes and hair as snowy as snowflakes, lazily sitting inside a large tent while contemplating a map. Lu Jinxian sat below him and said, "Your Excellency, Zhang Qilan is from the Black Cloud Cavalry, so he’s probably already set out."
Mosixiyao nodded and raised his brows. "Even though they’re fast, they only have ten thousand Black Cloud Cavalry; it would be unrealistic to think that this could enable them to seize Jian Tian Cliff before us."
Lu Jinxian nodded and frowned. "But while we have fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry under our command, our regular troops are clearly inferior to the enemy’s. The Black Cloud Cavalry may excel in rapid attacks and breaking through defenses but they’re probably not as good at defense. Even if we seize Jian Tian Cliff first, it might be difficult to hold off a ten-thousand-strong attack from Mo’s Army with just fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry."
Mosixiyao smiled at Lu Jinxian and said, "Are you afraid of Zhang Qilan"
Lu Jinxian's expression changed as he puffed up his chest. "Who would be afraid of him Your Excellency can rest assured that I’ll fight to the death to defend Jian Tian Cliff!"
Mosixiyao waved his hand and said, "There’s no need for such grandiose statements; remember that Jian Tian Cliff isn’t our ultimate objective. If we exhaust ourselves there, how will we fight the subsequent battles"
Lu Jinxian was taken aback and asked, "Your Excellency has a plan then
Mos Xiuyao pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Qilan will certainly rush to Jiante Hill urgently. We needn't be in such a hurry either. Our troops are faster than his; let’s give him some trouble on the way. Furthermore… set up defenses twenty miles ahead of Jiante Hill, so even if they manage to hold out there, at least half their forces will be spent."
"Understood," Lü Jinxian nodded. Mos Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Then Jiante Hill is entrusted to you." Hearing this, Zhang Qilan was taken aback, “To me Then what about Your Highness…” Mos Xiuyao replied with a faint smile, "Don’t ask…"
The Eastern Expedition didn't progress smoothly. At noon the next day, the troops encountered the first line of defense set up by the enemy while Feng Zhiyao had yet to be seen despite setting off earlier.
There weren’t many men blocking them; just a couple thousand soldiers at most. On flat ground, ten thousand troops could easily trample and kill this small number. However, the mountain path was winding and narrow, presenting an almost insurmountable barrier. Zhang Qilan was furious, calling Lü Jinxian despicable.
Regardless of how despicable his opponent might be, war still had to be waged. Zhang Qilan wasn’t merely a belligerent brute who just shouted and cursed. He immediately sent a contingent around to attack the enemy’s rear while attacking from both sides. Even so, they were delayed for nearly three hours at that spot alone. When encountering another ambush two days later, Zhang Qilan realized Lü Jinxian was trying to delay them.
Unfortunately, such an obvious tactic was impossible to counter. Knowing Lü Jinxian had set up ambushes along the way wouldn’t change their course; they had no choice but to take this path because taking a detour would only prolong the journey.
The ultimate objective of this drill wasn’t Jiante Hill, but a small city several dozen miles away from it. The city was garrisoned by four thousand troops, and Mos Xiuyao’s Western Expedition was tasked with capturing the city while Ye Li and Zhang Qilan were to reinforce them and annihilate the Western Expedition.
However, Jiante Hill was a critical point as both Eastern and Western Expeditions had to pass through it to reach the small city. If Mos Xiuyao had enough troops, he could ignore Jiante Hill and head straight for the city; but his Western Expedition only consisted of fifty thousand Black Cloud Cavalry and forty thousand soldiers from the Mo family. The Eastern Expedition, on the other hand, comprised ten thousand Black Cloud Cavalry and one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, including those garrisoning the city.
The current commander of the small city was also a force to be reckoned with—General Yuan Pei, a veteran of defending cities in the Mo family. Hence, if Mos Xiuyao committed all his troops to storming the city and failed to conquer it within three days, his Western Expedition would fall into a trap surrounded by one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers from the Mo family. Therefore, he had to leave some forces with Lü Jinxian to slow down reinforcements, thereby reducing his strength in the assault.
What originally should have taken only three days ended up taking five for the Eastern Expedition due to ambushes along the way. Seeing the imposing formation of flags and cold swords on the hillside, Zhang Qilan sneered and ordered them to camp there temporarily. His generals were eager to charge ahead; days of marching had left them憋著一口氣亟需發泄，紛紛向張起瀾請戰。張起瀾揮手壓下了眾人的請戰，對方占據地利，白天強攻無異於送死。frustrated and they all wanted to vent their pent-up aggression. They vied for Zhang Qilan’s permission to attack, but he waved them down. With the enemy in possession of an advantageous position, a daytime assault would be suicidal.
"What does Mister Chu think" Zhang Qilan asked Ye Li, who was sitting beside him.
The others also fell silent and looked at the white-clad youth. Although many had seen Ye Li before, they weren’t familiar with her. Dressed in men’s clothing and disguised slightly, she rarely spoke; as a result, none of the generals recognized that the reserved young nobleman was actually their Prince Consort. Of course, this also had to do with these high-and-mighty officers disliking Ye Li for suddenly appearing out of nowhere, so they seldom approached her.
"General Lu seems intent on keeping us outside Jiante Hill. At this time… the Crown Prince should already be leading troops to besiege the city," Ye Li said thoughtfully.
Someone scoffed below; who couldn’t say that The situation was clear enough to see what the enemy’s intentions were. Zhang Qilan, however, seemed to ponder and asked, "Mister Chu means… the Crown Prince isn’t at Jiante Hill If it’s just Lü Jinxian… I might be able to break through within three days."
Ye Li shook her head, "What casualties are you willing to suffer to break through in three days Jiante Hill is a natural fortress; it’s naturally easy to defend and hard to attack. If we exhaust our forces here, how will we reinforce General Yuan"
A young officer below couldn’t hold back and said, "But if we don’t break out, where can we go If we take a detour, it’ll at least take seven or eight days, and the journey involves crossing mountains and rivers. By the time we arrive, who knows whether we still have fighting power left. Heading north would only lead us through vast marshlands that we can’t pass."
Zhang Qilan looked at Ye Li and asked, "What does Mister Chu mean"
Ye Li pointed to the map on the table and said, “General Yuan is skilled in defending cities; even the Crown Prince may not be able to conquer it within a short time. My suggestion is… annihilate all troops at Jiante Hill."
The others were startled; Zhang Qilan frowned and said, "That will take too much time… what if we can’t reinforce the city in time" Ye Li didn’t even raise an eyebrow and replied calmly, “If it’s taken, just recapture it.”
A deputy general hesitated and said, "But if the city falls, isn’t this drill over"
Ye Li answered coolly, "Unless one side surrenders or both sides suffer heavy losses, it doesn't end. When a city is taken by enemies during battle, do reinforcements retreat back along their original route"
The others were silent, all pondering her words.
The large tent was silent for a while. Then Zhang Qilan slammed the table and said, "Fine! We will follow Mr Chu's suggestion. The success or failure of this mission is in your hands now, Mr Chu. Do you have any plans to deal with the situation" Ye Li looked at the expectant Zhang Qilan with a smile and slowly said, "I am still thinking."
"..."
The night on the battlefield was not peaceful. It was a time when bandits roamed freely, so it wasn't surprising that Ye Li woke up for the third time in one night due to some noise outside. She got dressed and wrapped herself with her robe before stepping out of the tent. Qin Feng immediately appeared at the door, "Master." Ye Li frowned slightly and asked, “Why aren't you resting” Qin Feng replied, "Wu Lin is resting now. He will take over from me in one hour." This time around, Ye Li did not bring Zuo Jing or Lin Han along with her but instead brought Qin Feng and Wu Lin out. After all, both Duke Ding and King Yan were gone while Zuo Jing and Lin Han had been left behind to help Xu Qingchen. Ye Li said, "Both of you should rest as well. I will just send someone else to keep watch tonight. We have important matters tomorrow." Qin Feng shook his head and replied, “I will go back to sleep soon, there won't be any delay for our affairs tomorrow.”
Ye Li knew she could not change his mind and did not say anything more. She curiously looked towards where the flickering lights were and asked, "Whose people are causing trouble"
Qin Feng held back a smile as he said, “They are several young officers under General Zhang. They seem to have planned this move together. They plan to launch surprise attacks on the guards at night in shifts of one hour each and retreat regardless of whether they win or lose. This is the third wave now and it seems that the guards on the mountain will not be able to sleep tonight.”
Ye Li raised her eyebrows as she looked towards where the sounds of battle could be heard faintly in the distance, and then smiled as she said, "Interesting, do they decide this themselves" Qin Feng nodded his head and replied, “They seem to have discussed it with General Zhang after dinner. He must have given them permission, otherwise they would not act on their own accord.”
It appeared that Qin Feng was rather fond of the few reckless youngsters as he did not plead for their case but explained their actions were within military regulations. Ye Li walked out with a smile and said with a laugh, “It’s good for young people to have ideas of their own. Even if they make mistakes in training exercises, it’s better than making them on the battlefield.”
“What is Your Excellency saying” Qin Feng frowned.
Ye Li replied, "It's fine if they go and cause trouble once or twice, but what happens if they continue like this Do they think that Lu Jinxian is a pushover" Qin Feng did not respond. Ye Li smiled and said, “Let’s go take a look.”
Qin Feng hurriedly kept up with her and asked curiously, "Does Your Excellency mean there will be problems"
Ye Li smiled gently as she replied, “Lu Jinxian is an old general who has been in battle for a long time. How can he be fooled by these young brats If they only do this once or twice and stop, the other side would still be on their guard. They won’t have any peace tonight. But if they continue to act like this again and again, Lu Jinxian will definitely take action. The saying is that too much of something can become a bad thing.”
“Then… Should we send someone to tell General Zhang” Qin Feng asked with a frown.
Ye Li shook her head and replied, “General Zhang has known General Lu for decades. He knows him well enough that he must be prepared already. There’s no need for us to get involved. Let's just watch.”
Just as the two were talking, Zhang Qilan’s cheerful voice came from behind them, “Eh Mr Chu, why are you still awake at this hour Did those brats manage to wake you up” The two turned around and saw Zhang Qilan striding towards them in his armor, looking ready for battle. Ye Li could not help but smile and said to General Zhang, "General Zhang, what are you doing so late"
Zhang Qilan pretended to be angry as he replied, “Those brats are trying to provoke the old man without any thought of consequences. I should go fetch them before they get themselves hurt.”
Ye Li’s laughter was clear and pleasant at his words, "In that case, General Zhang has worked hard."
Zhang Qilan clasped his fists and said, “I will take my leave now.”yone replied in unison.The late-night secret talks in the study went on until deep into the night. When everyone had left, the two of them stepped out and only saw a crescent moon hanging high in the...