159 Retreating to a Defensible Position

d blood to him. She was his childhood sweetheart whom he loved first in this life, and she had been by his side during those tough times. They now had a son together. He originally planned to ask Empe...159. Retreat and Defense

159。 Retreat and Defense

"Dowager Consort!" Feng Zhiyao rushed in like a gust of wind, his usually carefree face covered with fine beads of sweat, and his normally elegant demeanor had paled due to nervousness. Ye Li looked up at him and asked with a smile, "What's the matter" Feng Zhiyao pointed at her in a flustered manner but quickly retracted his hand, still looking bewildered. "You... Dowager Consort... you really..."

"That's correct." Unimpressed by his jittery state, Ye Li nodded frankly. "Yes, I am pregnant."

"How could this happen!" Feng Zhiyao looked like he had been struck by lightning, pitifully looking at Ye Li. Ye Li felt a bit awkward and helplessly put down her pen. "I have been married to the Duke for over a year now; having a child is not an issue." Feng Zhiyao was speechless; there shouldn't be any problem for a married couple with a child, right But now... during the intense battle, would it be problematic if one of the army's commanders had a child Frowning sorrowfully, Feng Zhiyao sighed. "Young Master Shi... this really isn't convenient..." If only it had happened earlier, at least when the Duke was still here and knew how to deal with such matters. Ye Li unconsciously touched her flat stomach lightly and chuckled softly, "Even if it's inconvenient, I can't change that. What can I do" Alright, not being prepared for contraception was indeed a shortcoming on her part. "Does Feng San have any suggestions"

"I need to report this immediately to the Duke!" That was Mo Xiuyao's child, the young master of the Ding Kingdom Marquis Manor; how could he dare suggest anything else

"No." Ye Li shook her head. "The news that I am pregnant can only be known by Zhuo Jing and a few others. You know it as well, but you must not spread it outside."

Feng Zhiyao frowned, asking, "Why"

Ye Li said somewhat helplessly, "Since the Duke is currently preoccupied, why should we trouble him with this Besides, spreading the news of my pregnancy won't benefit us in any way." Feng Zhiyao was worried and said, "But Dowager Consort's safety and that of Young Master Shi... how long can it be kept a secret" Ye Li pondered for a moment. "I estimate this war will end within three months; by then the child wouldn’t even have reached four months yet. If we are careful, there shouldn't be any problems." Feng Zhiyao wanted to persuade her further but was stopped by Ye Li, who said firmly, "The Duke is already struggling with the allied forces; if he has to worry about us as well, do you think it would benefit him" Looking at the resolute expression on Ye Li's face, Feng Zhiyao sighed softly and said, "I will follow your orders. Please take care of yourself, Dowager Consort."

"I understand," Ye Li nodded.

In late September and early October, the weather in northwestern regions had already turned chilly. Occasional rain brought cold winds, making people living in Chu Jing feel the approach of winter earlier than usual. As winter approached, military provisions such as grain and fodder for horses began to become scarce. Xiling was not a major food-producing country, so its reserve of rations was naturally not abundant. Furthermore, it had completely failed to anticipate that this war, which they initially thought they would win easily, would turn into a deadlock. As a result, signs of supply shortages were beginning to appear in Xiling. By mid-October, Prince Zhennan had already shifted the bulk of his troops to Hongzhou, known as the granary of northwestern regions, while leaving some troops to continue besieging XinYang. Meanwhile, soldiers from Xiling started their long-awaited looting and plundering, seizing government grain storage facilities, unharvested crops in fields, and even ordinary villages.

The news reached XinYang, making Ye Li furious. She had experienced countless wars throughout her lifetimes but had never truly witnessed war firsthand. However... she knew what war was like. In the previous era, even during times of peace, warfare was not far away. Compared to Mo Jingli's rebellion earlier, this could hardly be called a real war. Mo Jingli was from Chu and certainly no madman; he would not casually harm ordinary people even in battle as they were still his subjects. However, the Xiling soldiers were different. They wanted more than just vast lands of Chu—they also coveted its grain reserves, wealth, and even wished to eliminate the population living there. The harsh conditions of Xiling required them to clear out large swathes of fertile land for themselves. Ye Li could imagine the suffering of the people in northwestern regions, but she was powerless...

"My lady..." In the spacious study, the faces of the generals present were not good to see. Feng Zhirao, worried about Ye Li's tightly clenched fists and cold expression, frowned and said, "My lady, please calm down. This matter is not your responsibility." Ye Li lightly snorted and glanced at the generals below her with a mild tone: "If it’s not my fault... then who is to blame" Everyone bowed their heads in unison, saying, "Your subordinate has failed; please punish us, My lady." Ye Li lowered her eyes and sighed softly, "I have no right to punish you. I only hope that all of you remember one thing: The duty of the Mo Family Army is to protect the country and its people. Now, Xiling soldiers are wreaking havoc in northwestern regions, leaving civilians destitute. Look out from the city walls and see what it looks like; this is... a disgrace for the Mo Family Army. For those who need our protection to suffer under foreign oppression is shameful for any soldier. Similarly, it’s also a disgrace for Prince Ding's household!"

Everyone involuntarily flushed red. Several young generals could no longer contain themselves and stepped forward: "Please give us an order, My lady; we are willing to be the vanguard in driving away the Xiling bandits and reviving our Mo Family Army’s spirit!"

Ye Li shook her head with a sigh and picked up a memorandum on her desk, passing it out, saying: "Take a look at this. How do you think we should settle this account"

After receiving the document from Ye Li, everyone's faces turned grim upon reading it. Prince Zhennan had reinforced troops in northwestern regions again, apparently planning to wipe out Mo Family Army forces there and then flank Prince Ding’s rear. In recent days, several garrisons across northwestern regions had suffered considerable losses.

"Feng San, what is your opinion" asked Ye Li.

Feng San looked up at Ye Li with some hesitation. She said, "Just speak frankly."

Feng San gritted his teeth and said, "My opinion is to abandon Xinyang!" Everyone was surprised. Xinyang had previously been massacred, but the prince himself had personally recaptured it from the Western Capital army. If they were to lose it again, the face of the Black Warriors would not look good. Ye Li’s expression remained calm as she said in a light tone, "Tell me your reasons." Feng Zhirao said, "Xinyang City is surrounded by flat land on three sides and is easy to attack but hard to defend. Moreover, it is now an empty city without any real meaning in holding onto it. Once the Western Capital army occupies the eleven cities northwest of Xiyang, Xinyang will inevitably become a ghost town. Even if we can hold it for several months at that time, what would be the point" Ye Li nodded and said, "Continue." Feng Zhirao walked to a large map hanging nearby, looked up, and pointed to a certain area on the map, saying, “My opinion is to abandon Xinyang and take the route along Li Water to intercept Hengzhou. Hengzhou is the granary of the northwest with complex and perilous terrain. Although the Western Capital army is making every effort to open the way to Hengzhou now, they keep encountering setbacks. Familiar with the geography of the northwest, we can definitely arrive in Hengzhou before their main force does and eliminate their advance troops there. Moreover, Hengzhou is a strategic location and the gateway to the northwest. As long as we hold onto Hengzhou firmly, even if Prince Southern Command has an army of thousands, he won’t be able to enter Central Plains from the northwest."

There was a moment of silence in the study as everyone stared at the map, seemingly pondering Feng Zhirao’s words.

Ye Li looked up and asked everyone, "What do you all think"

A long while later, the young Yun Ting stepped forward and said, “This officer agrees with Commander Feng's proposal. This officer is willing to be vanguard for Your Excellency’s wife!”

Soon after, more people voiced their support.

Looking at the impassioned generals below, Ye Li nodded softly and said, "I understand your enthusiasm. Please go back and prepare first. No matter what kind of battle lies ahead, I hope you all will have adequate preparation and energy."

"Yes, Your Excellency’s wife."

The generals took their leave one by one, leaving Feng Zhirao and Zhuo Jing behind in the study. Feng Zhirao looked at Ye Li knowingly and asked, "Does Your Excellency agree with my opinion" Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Having delayed so long in Xinyang, Feng San is anxious, isn’t he" Feng Zhirao shook his head and said, “I understand that Your Excellency has your own considerations. Besides… Your Excellency’s current condition really isn't suitable for a long journey…” To keep Prince Southern Command tied up in the northwest, retreating to Hengzhou couldn’t be too early or too late. If it was too early, Prince Southern Command would see through their intentions, and if it was too late, he might truly lose the three states of eleven cities in the northwest. Ye Li said, "I am fine. You go prepare for that. There is another matter that you need to handle personally." Seeing how seriously Ye Li spoke and her solemn expression, Feng Zhirao responded respectfully, “Your Excellency, please give instructions."

Ye Li lowered her gaze and said, "Even if we retreat to Hengzhou, I don’t want the Western Capital people to be able to gain even a grain of rice or an ear of corn in the northwest."

Feng Ziyao was taken aback, "What does the Countess mean..."

"Sweeping the land clean." Ye Li幽幽地說出了這四個字。

Feng Ziyao fell silent. Although he had never heard of this phrase before, it did not prevent him from understanding its meaning. Looking at the elegant and cold-looking woman in front of him, Feng Ziyao’s expression changed as he respectfully said, "This subordinate will comply."

"You may leave then."

"This subordinate takes his leave."

Watching Feng Ziyao's figure disappear behind the door, Ye Li closed her eyes wearily. A hint of sorrow appeared in her brows. Zhuo Jing glanced at her and said softly, "Countess, it is not your fault that civilians are suffering from the atrocities committed by the Western Capital army in the northwest." Ye Li shook her head with a bitter smile, "But I might have made things even worse for them." Once people from the Western Capital could not obtain food supplies, wouldn't they take out their anger on ordinary civilians Zhuo Jing said, "There aren’t many civilians left near Xiyang."

Ye Li raised her hand and rubbed her temples before saying softly, "Forget it. Get everything ready. We can’t just leave without leaving them a gift."

Qin Feng’s eyes lit up as he stepped forward, "Countess, this subordinate requests to stay behind as rear guard."

Ye Li looked at him and asked, "Do you have any ideas"et before him into his hand and said softly, "Have another drink." Only then did Mo Xiuyao pick up the chicken soup again and slowly drank two more mouthfuls; his frowning brows gradually relaxed.Ye L...