< untranslated >Night Raid

urself. Sister, isn’t it"Upon hearing this, Ye Li’s usually calm expression darkened. How could Ye Ying not know that she didn’t know how to dance If she lost, it would mean that Ye Li was useless and...Night Raid

91. Night Raid

Returning to Yonglin City, Xia Shu was indeed busy with several Black Cloud Cavalry leaders reinforcing the city's defenses. Yun Ting had been itching to join them since he returned to the city and promptly informed Ye Li before joining in without a second thought about greeting her as the King of Ding’s consort. Mu Guo Ting, who had no interest in the piles of documents and maps Ye Li was studying in the study room, quickly turned around and found some young and strong men and women with nimble hands to organize into a group that could help take care of the wounded or handle logistical matters during wartime. Ye Li agreed with her ideas wholeheartedly, and Mu Guo Ting, who had been constrained by Mu Shen for so long, was overjoyed, leaving with a smile on her face.

Sitting in a study room specially set up for her, Ye Li frowned as she looked at the map spread out before her. Clearly, she wasn't a genius when it came to commanding large-scale operations. As an elite soldier from her previous life, she excelled more in small-unit combat and attacking enemy weak points. Now, without any advantages of time or even terrain, facing a siege by tens of thousands of soldiers was daunting. Forget about turning the tide of war; managing to hold out until reinforcements arrived would be considered a success. The Fengxue Pass, which had never been breached for centuries, gave Yonglin City an incredibly secure feeling, hence its defenses were fundamentally inadequate, let alone internal defense measures. Who could have imagined that soldiers stationed at Fengxue Pass would one day need to defend against attacks from within the Great Chu territory

"Greetings, Consort." Xia Shu and Yun Ting arrived together, standing at the door and bowing to Ye Li. Without turning her head, Ye Li waved them in and asked, "How are things" Yun Ting, with his straightforward personality, smiled and said, "Thanks to our Black Cloud Cavalry brothers' help, we've further reinforced the city defenses." A Black Cloud Cavalry leader who had come together shook his head, saying, "Yonglin City's foundation is too weak. Even if we strengthen it further, it won't hold for long." Yesterday’s attack was just a probe; when the next assault begins, it will be harder to stop.

Ye Li lifted her head and frowned slightly, saying, “The rebel army probably won’t attack in these two days but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down. You need to take extra precautions.” With the deception of yesterday having lured Mo Jingli away, he wouldn’t risk attacking when unsure about their numbers. However, such ruses couldn’t last long; once Mo Jingli discovers the truth, they’ll face a stronger offensive. "Yun Ting and Xia Shu, you're familiar with the area. Come look at this map." Yun Ting and Xia Shu approached curiously to see the large map laid out on Ye Li's desk, labeled 'Topography of Yonglin.' They soon realized that it wasn't just the city but also included nearly a hundred miles around it, including parts of Fengxue Pass and Southern Frontier. Most importantly, this map was newly drawn. Yun Ting asked in puzzlement, "Does Consort need new maps We have several copies here, and there's also a full map of Yongzhou at Fengxue Pass."

Ye Li shook her head; neither she nor the Black Cloud Cavalry were familiar with Yongzhou. Unfamiliarity with terrain was a significant disadvantage in war. Therefore, while still in Southern Frontier, she had sent messages to the Black Cloud Cavalry to gather local geographic data, which they used to create this map until last night. However, since most areas weren’t personally inspected by her, it added uncertainty to the map, hence her request for Yun Ting and Xia Shu’s opinions.

Xia Shu studied the map intently before exclaiming softly in admiration, "This must be Consort's own work" Ye Li rubbed her temples and said, "Although I trust my soldiers, they didn't personally inspect every area. Please check if there are any inaccuracies." After careful examination, Xia Shu pointed at a river on the map and said, “If this river were closer to that mountain…” Ye Li asked about the distance between them, and Xia Shu estimated it was around three miles. Ye Li raised an eyebrow; even minor discrepancies could be significant in warfare. She picked up her pen and started making corrections, earning praise from Xia Shu, who held Ye Li in high regard for her meticulousness. Even with second-hand information, she had nearly captured every detail accurately. Compared to their existing maps, this one was ten times clearer and more detailed.

"Consort, are we just waiting for the rebels to attack" Yun Ting asked impatiently.

Ye Li smiled and replied, "What were your original plans"

Yun Ting felt embarrassed. Indeed, they could only wait for an attack due to limited manpower. But now with two thousand Black Cloud Cavalry, shouldn't they take the initiative

"The surroundings of Yonglin are mostly mountains and forests, severely limiting cavalry movements," Xia Shu frowned, annoyed by the map’s depiction of dense mountainous terrain. If it were open plains, the Black Cloud Cavalry could do much more.

The Black Cloud Cavalry leader sneered, "While we're called cavalry, our expertise isn't just in horsemanship and archery." Their primary mission was to counter Northern Rong's ironclad cavalry; however, Great Chu’s horses couldn’t compare. While the Black Cloud Cavalry were elite, a direct confrontation with Northern Rong would be futile.

Xia Shu looked at the proud leader and silent Dark Two and Three, hesitating before suggesting, "Could we launch an initial attack to disrupt their plans"

Ye Li raised her eyebrow. "Go on."

Picking up a charcoal pencil, Xia Shu marked on the map, “If we use cavalry for a surprise attack at twenty miles from Yonglin, it could catch them off guard.”

"Cavalry movements are too conspicuous," Dark Two interjected. "By the time they reach the camp, they'd likely be spotted. Also, attacking an encampment with two thousand against tens of thousands" Even the Black Cloud Cavalry might struggle in such a situation. Xia Shu shook his head, “We don't need to attack their main camp. Yonglin's terrain dictates that rebels can’t concentrate all troops there. If they have camps here and there, we could cause some chaos.”

"Qin Feng" Ye Li asked the Black Cloud Cavalry leader.

Qin Feng frowned and said, "If that's the case, we could cut off the left wing’s road to the main camp in advance. It would be possible for us to completely annihilate this force. Even if it's not, since this mountain path isn't wide enough, their reinforcements wouldn’t come quickly either, giving us time to retreat safely. But this way, the other side might suspect that the Black Cloud Cavalry’s main force is not in Yongzhou at all." Ye Li blinked and asked with a smile, "What if we completely annihilate both wings"

Everyone's gaze fell on Ye Li as they were surprised by her suggestion. It would already be difficult to completely destroy one side, let alone both.

"Dark Two, Dark Three, quickly gather all intelligence about Military Commander Mo Jingli’s camp," ordered Ye Li.

Dark Two and Dark Three nodded and left the study.

For two days in a row, due to not getting any news of the Black Cloud Cavalry, Mo Jingli could only stand still. Every time he saw few soldiers of the Black Cloud Cavalry on Yonglin City’s city walls, he always suspected that Yongzhou didn't have many men of the Black Cloud Cavalry and that Mo Xi堯 wasn't in Yongzhou at all. But just as he was about to attack, he thought it might be a trap set by Mo Xi堯. He had to guard against him because Mo Xi堯 was very cunning. Thus, even though someone from Nanzhao had come urging him to attack, he could still only stand with tens of thousands of troops in front of this small city.

"Your Excellency, people from Nanzhao have urged us many times already. Are we going to attack Yonglin tomorrow" A middle-aged man asked inside the tent.

Mo Jingli frowned and said, "Why rush Why don’t they try attacking Snowflake Pass themselves if they are so eager They’ve been fighting for days but haven't even scratched Mengmeng!” The military advisor helplessly shook his head, saying with a bitter smile, "Snowflake Pass has strong walls. It's not easy to break it down." Mo Jingli was hesitant and asked the advisor with furrowed brows, "Allowing people from Nanzhao into Snowflake Pass… would that really be useful" The advisor blinked in confusion, asking, "Your Excellency means…" Mo Jingli lightly snorted and said, "We swept across Yongzhou without any help from them. Once we allow the men of Nanzhao to enter Snowflake Pass, it might become difficult to get rid of them." Although they were cooperating with him now, he knew that they wouldn’t be so honest. If the myth of Snowflake Pass being unbeatable for a hundred years was broken, these people would likely challenge Snowflake Pass more often and invade Great Chu’s territory.

"Your Excellency, once you've drawn your bow, there's no turning back," advised the military advisor. "If we break our agreement with them, Nanzhao might immediately withdraw its troops. At that time, Mengmeng would turn around to deal with us. Once reinforcements from the court arrive… the consequences will be unimaginable. Therefore, Your Excellency should quickly resolve this matter." Mo Jingli nodded; he was well aware of these facts. "What do you think Why did the Black Cloud Cavalry come so quickly"

The advisor said hesitantly, "Prince Ding is usually very thoughtful and prudent. We haven't found any trace of this Black Cloud Cavalry recently. It's possible that Prince Ding left them here earlier as a hidden piece." At this thought, the military advisor was regretful; if not for these troops in Yonglin City, it would already be theirs. Perhaps even Snowflake Pass might have been conquered.

"You mean Mo Xi堯 predicted that the southern border would start war" Mo Jingli asked with a grim face.

The advisor didn't dare admit it and only said, "Perhaps Prince Ding left these troops to guard against Nanzhao. After all, Prince Ding fought very fiercely in the south back then." If not for the emperor forcing his withdrawal out of fear that the reputation and military achievements of the young general would overshadow the royal family, Nanzhao might have ceased to exist long ago. The hatred between them was well known; Prince Ding probably saw the reborn Nanzhao as a thorn in his eye. Mo Jingli disdainfully curled his lip. "Mo Xi堯 claims that he’s godlike with military strategy, but it took him more than a year to subdue the south. I swept across Yongzhou within half a month. In at most another six months, the area south of Yunlan River will be under my control!"

"Your Excellency is wise," smiled the advisor as he wiped sweat off his face unobtrusively. This time things went smoothly because Heaven was on their side. After General Mengmeng took over Snowflake Pass, the emperor used various methods to reduce Yongzhou’s military strength. The governor of Yongzhou also gave him plenty of trouble. Therefore, they were able to take advantage of Yongzhou's weak defenses and proceed smoothly until now. However, once the court reacted, things might not be as easy going forward. Nevertheless, what Your Excellency said was right; once Mengmeng in Snowflake Pass is destroyed, the areas south of Yunlan River will definitely come under their control.

"My Lord! The western army has been attacked!" A soldier outside hastily reported. Mo Jingli froze and quickly got up to look far away, only to see flames rising from the west. "Damn it! How could Yonglin City still have troops to send out for an ambush" Behind him, the military advisor appeared and was also shocked by what he saw, reminding his lord, "Your Excellency…" Mo Jingli coldly said, "Send reinforcements!"

"My Lord, look over there!" The generals who rushed in shouted. On the eastern side of the camp, flames were rising too, and someone shouted, "The eastern camp is also under attack!"

The advisor’s eyes flashed as he said solemnly, "Your Excellency! Yonglin City has very few troops. If they want to simultaneously ambush both wings, it must be because there's no one in the city. We could take advantage of this and assault… ." Mo Jingli turned around abruptly and stared at him, "Do you think those two brats in Yonglin City have the guts to leave their city for a night attack" He didn’t know Cloudti and Xiasu very well, but they were supposedly Mengmeng's youngest two lieutenants. Even if they had the courage, these two young lieutenants wouldn't dare risk everything by leaving Yonglin behind them. Moreover, even an idiot knew that it was impossible to drive back tens of thousands of troops with a successful night attack and would only exhaust Yonglin City’s defensive forces.

"Your Excellency means…" The advisor frowned.

"Send scouts out! General Zhang, General Li, send reinforcements to the eastern and western camps!

"Yes! Your Highness."

Nearby a mountain peak not far from Li Prince's camp, Ye Li looked down with satisfaction at the brightly lit and battle-cry filled valley below. Xia Shu and two of her bodyguards followed closely behind Ye Li as they watched the scene unfold below them. "Reinforcements have arrived!" Xia Shu pointed to the road where a group of soldiers were quickly moving towards the Western camp. Ye Li smiled faintly, "The battle at the West Camp is about to end. Let's lead them around for a while." Xia Shu smiled and said, "Of course. When it comes to terrain knowledge, our local troops who have been stationed here all year round are more familiar than anyone else. The Eastern camp may not hold out much longer." Ye Li replied, "Let the men take care of themselves there. Have the Dark Guards prepare. I don't want Mo Jingli to send reinforcements again." Overeating can be fatal. Dark Guard Three smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. Our Dark Guards might not excel in battle but they are experts at causing trouble!"

"The rebels will never suspect that their own soldiers would attack them from behind." When the enemy was ambushed under cover of darkness from behind, it was like watching two dogs fight each other to death. Thanks to Li Prince's lack of time to change his appearance, not only did the rebel troops have similar weapons but also very similar uniforms as the Yonglin defenders. As for whether they could see Li Prince’s insignia in that dark valley, well, that would depend on their luck.

Satisfied, Ye Li nodded and said, "Let's go take a look." The four of them got onto the horses parked nearby and quietly rode towards another mountain peak under cover of darkness. It was foreseeable that an even more spectacular battle awaited there.

That night nobody could escape its toll. The fighting gradually subsided as dawn approached, leaving Mo Jingli's already gloomy face even darker than before. Nearly three thousand troops were lost in the east and west wings plus those sent to reinforce them. Yet the enemy left behind less than a thousand corpses. And almost all of the bodies found in the valley behind the eastern camp belonged to his own men! If he still couldn't figure out what had happened, then he was an idiot! Losing more than twenty thousand troops overnight and losing two generals from both east and west camps as well as reinforcements sent out – this blow would be devastating for Li Prince's army's morale. Somewhere in the ranks of the Li Prince’s forces, a rumor began to spread that Ding Prince and his Black Cloud Cavalry were actually stationed in Yonglin City. Almost all soldiers became fearful at once. The authority of the Ding Prince and the Black Cloud Cavalry was unshakable in every soldier's heart.

At this time, Yonglin City was indeed full of joy. This great victory made Yun Ting walk with a spring in his step.

"Don't get too excited yet," Ye Li said helplessly. "Once Mo Jingli figures things out and gets his army together again, no one will be able to stop him." Yun Ting was still enthusiastic and asked, “Why don’t we sneak attack them a few more times” Xia Shu glared at him. "Don't you think the Li Prince's men are fools After being attacked once, they won't fall for it again. They might even be waiting for us to come." Ye Li nodded and said, "Xia Shu is right. This time we took a huge risk. If Mo Jingli reacts quickly enough, he could attack Yonglin City directly within three days. Even if we kill another two thousand rebels then, it wouldn’t help much.” Yun Ting slowly came back to his senses from the excitement and anxiously bit his fingernails. "What should we do When will reinforcements arrive"

"Your Highness," Dark Guard Three entered with a letter in hand. Ye Li nodded at him and told the others, “You two go ahead and take care of things.”

Yun Ting and Xia Shu bowed respectfully before leaving. Ye Li took the envelope from Dark Guard Three's hands and opened it up. She was initially pleased but quickly turned serious again. Dark Guard Three looked at her curiously, wondering what could have made his usually calm Highness so agitated. After a long moment of silence, she slammed the letter down on the table and said, “Send out an order – starting today, we are to be on full alert!”

"Your Highness, what happened"

Ye Li replied, "Mo Jingli might attack Yonglin City forcefully within these two days." Dark Guard Three was puzzled. According to their plan, the rebels shouldn't have acted this soon. Ye Li looked at the letter and explained, “Reinforcements will arrive three days from now. Mo Jingli will also receive the news shortly after. If he doesn’t attack Yonglin City right away, once reinforcements arrive, it'll be too late for him.” Dark Guard Three nodded in agreement and added, "Therefore… if we can hold out until those three days pass…"

"But I’m afraid it won't be so easy."

Among the Li Prince's forces, Mo Jingli stared fiercely at the secret letter he had just received. After a long while, he said angrily, "Alright… How could that Black Cloud Cavalry do this I have to find out who’s behind it in Yonglin City!" The letter was clear: two days ago, Emperor Mo Xiu Yao still visited Prince Mo Jing Qi in the palace. Even if he left the capital immediately after, there would be no way for him to reach Yongzhou within ten days. So these recent obstacles blocking his path could not possibly be Mo Xiu Yao, who was crippled. And that Black Cloud Cavalry… No matter how thoroughly he searched throughout Yongzhou, he saw no more than two thousand of them in Yonglin City.

"Your Highness," the military advisor said gravely, "Reinforcements are approaching faster than expected and will cross Yunlan River within three days. I urge Your Highness to make a decision at once." Whether to retreat eastward or continue west towards Broken Snow Pass to link up with Southern Zhou forces.

"Use any means necessary – attack the city!"

The battle was renewed, and this time it was even more fierce than before. Mo Jingli dispatched his finest troops without hesitation for an all-out assault on Yonglin City. Despite the aid of Black Cloud Cavalry, which had further strengthened Yonglin's defenses, such relentless attacks still left the defending soldiers exhausted and heavily casualties by daybreak. By nightfall, though the rebels withdrew to within five miles of the city walls, they continued facing off with the defenders. The troops in Yonglin City already suffered nearly half their losses that day. Even at night, there was no respite as guards had to remain alert against any chance attacks. Ye Li frowned looking at this scene and waved for Black Cloud Cavalry to take over guard duty on the city walls so that the soldiers could rest a little.

"Ah Li, can we hold the city of Yonglin" In the dead of night, Mu Tong stood on the city wall looking down at the rebel camp that stretched out into the distance. Ye Li turned to look at her and smiled, "Afraid" Mu Tong pouted and said discontentedly, "Who's afraid It’s just... I've never seen so many dead bodies before. My father always said I was immature, but now I know how childish I really am. I thought that living on the border with my father for a few years made me wiser than others. But in fact, I’ve never even seen a battlefield." Ye Li comforted her gently, "You've done very well." Mu Tong was busy too this day, helping military doctors treat wounded soldiers, transporting food and arrows, etc., which left her looking rather pale. "General Mu will surely be proud of you," said Ye Li.

Mu Tong smiled somewhat embarrassedly, “I didn’t do much, Ah Li is the most capable one. If Ah Li was my father’s daughter, he would certainly be delighted to the point that even in his dreams, he could laugh himself awake.”

Ye Li laughed softly and said, "Or we can ask General Mu if he's willing to let us switch places"

"No way, Father loves me best," she replied.

Ye Li smiled lightly and whispered, “Don’t worry; everything will be fine.”

Mu Tong was surprised for a moment, then sighed. "I’m not afraid. If the rebels really break through our defenses, I’ll kill them one by one!" Seeing Mu Tong’s fake bravery, Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh softly as well. She looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and felt her beautiful face gradually show signs of worry.

At a corner of the city wall, Xia Shu stood next to Yun Ting, both looking at the slender figure far away. Ye Li was dressed in a pale blue male outfit, her black hair not held up with a hairpin but tied loosely with a pale blue ribbon. Under the moonlight, her radiant face was sprinkled with faint silver light, giving her an air of pure melancholy and grace. Even the fiery red-clad girl next to her seemed pale in comparison.

"If I survive this time, I will definitely join the Black Cloud Cavalry!" Yun Ting said resolutely. Joining the Black Cloud Cavalry had always been his wish; he was simply more determined now.

“Tomorrow if we can't hold out anymore, you'll escort the Queen Consort to safety and head north over the Yun Lan River where reinforcements should soon arrive," Xia Shu said calmly.

"Is this what a coward does when facing battle" Yun Ting asked with narrowed eyes.

Xia Shu gave him a cool look, "Don't you know about the relationship between the Queen Consort and Prince Li What do you think would happen to her if she fell into his hands" Yun Ting was stunned for a moment as he looked at the woman standing against the wind in the distance. Then, scratching his head somewhat vexedly, he said, "I don't have the ability to escort the Queen Consort. You go instead. You’re better at persuading people than I am. The Queen Consort doesn’t look like she would leave Yonglin City on her own either way. To be honest, I’ve never seen a Queen Consort like this one before."

Xia Shu nodded in agreement. Although they had only been together for a few days, the Empress Dowager of Ding was much younger than them yet completely subverted their preconceived notions about what a queen consort should be like. She appeared delicate but her heart was stronger than most men; and she also possessed astonishing intelligence, keen judgment as a general, and more agile skills than many others. Xia Shu often felt that the woman wasn’t a pampered queen consort but a seasoned soldier.

"What do you think If we both survive this, I’ll ask the Queen Consort to take me into the Black Cloud Cavalry – would she agree" Yun Ting asked, avoiding problems he couldn't solve for now. Turning his head, he began dreaming of a bright future ahead.

Xia Shu thought about it and then smiled faintly, "You might want to ask Empress Dowager Ding if the Black Cloud Cavalry is still accepting members."

Yun Ting's eyes lit up as he looked at the pale figure talking with Mu Tong nearby. Xia Shu shook his head helplessly and turned to walk down from the city wall, "Go back and rest; don't forget that we have a tough battle tomorrow."

Yun Ting nodded absentmindedly, still unsure whether or not to ask Empress Dowager Ding about joining the Black Cloud Cavalry since it wasn't an opportunity everyone had. Gazing at the soft silhouette under the moonlight, he turned and walked down from the city wall. If he survived tomorrow’s battle, even if he begged, he would make Empress Dowager Ding take him into her cavalry!

——Interlude——gli; everything here was unrelated to him, including the owner of this courtyard who seemed just an ordinary merchant. All they knew now was that a woman had been living here for some time, but her id...