Chapter 128
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The mechanical sound quickly and urgently echoed in Yuan Li’s ears.
Yuan Li kept his eyes closed and didn’t move.
His breath was scorching, and the pounding of his heart was like the beating of a drum, resonating in his ears, one sound after another, vibrating as if a sword had pierced through barriers and broken free.
Soon, a drizzle began to fall from the sky.
One drop, two drops… The cold raindrops fell on Yuan Li’s face.
“My Lord…” Zheng Rong felt as if only a blink of an eye had passed, but Yuan Li seemed to have undergone some change, becoming somewhat unfamiliar in an instant. It even made him shiver involuntarily, but when he blinked again, he couldn’t see anything different.
Yuan Li slowly opened his eyes.
The glint in his eyes flickered, as if capable of setting the world ablaze. The drizzle became heavier and heavier, gradually calming Yuan Li’s emotions. He reached out and caught a raindrop, murmuring to himself, “It’s raining.”
Yang Zhongfa looked up at the sky, “Look at this weather. It’s probably going to rain the entire night.”
Yuan Li stood quietly for a while, then looked again at the wife and child. He no longer attempted to approach them but said, “Arrange for them to be placed around the Chu Wang residence.”
Two soldiers came forward, “Understood.”
Yuan Li raised his chin slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, but there was no amusement in his eyes, “Take the heads of those two soldiers and send them to Chen Wang. Tell him one thing for me, to manage his soldiers properly. This is the imperial capital, the emperor’s domain, and under the eyes of the ancestral temple, such acts of burning, killing, and looting are disrespectful to the Taizu and the late emperor, isn’t it?”
The words sounded light and carefree, but they made everyone present break out in cold sweat. Lu He even felt a chill down his back. He hadn’t expected Yuan Li to be so daring, able to say such incriminating words without fear.
Aren’t these words provoking trouble?
Is he not afraid of offending Chen Wang?
Yuan Li looked around at the ruins and the corpses of the common people, and he said indifferently, “Also, tell Chen Wang that if he can’t control his soldiers, I, Yuan Le Jun, can take care of them for him.”
Yang Zhongfa couldn’t help but exclaim happily in his heart! He felt that Yuan Li’s temperament was just to his taste!
Wu Kai didn’t hesitate and immediately complied, picking up the two heads from the ground.
Lu He was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but be amazed. Yuan Li indeed had no reason to fear Chen Wang.
Chen Wang had brought an army of 80,000 soldiers to Luoyang, but Chu Hechao and Yuan Li had also brought 80,000 Youzhou soldiers to the capital.
Having fought alongside the Youzhou soldiers, Lu He knew how powerful they were, especially with that three-bow-bed crossbow that had shot down Yan Hui. Just thinking about it made his heart itch with excitement.
With such a powerful force, why should Yuan Li be afraid of Chen Wang?
Not only was he not afraid, but he had already dealt with the usurpers. He had the confidence and strength to confront Chen Wang directly. Perhaps even Chen Wang had to temporarily avoid their sharp edge at this moment.
Two hours later, Chen Wang received the two heads that Yuan Li’s men had sent, as well as the message Yuan Li had conveyed.
His face changed slightly as he touched his beard, remaining silent at the sight of the two decapitated heads.
“Father,” Chen Wang’s eldest son, Chen Xi, asked, “Are you angry?”
Chen Wang nodded slowly and then shook his head, sighing, “Not angry. It’s just that Yuan Le Jun has quite the courage. I am impressed.”
“But he’s still too young,” Chen Xi furrowed his brows as he looked at the two dead soldiers’ heads, “He was too impulsive to offend you like this.”
Chen Wang looked disappointed, “Foolish child.”
Chen Xi was stunned, “Father?”
“He’s not impulsive at all. He’s clearly trying to intimidate me. With just a few words, he can put me in a situation of injustice. Every word he spoke defended the dignity of the Northern Zhou imperial family while also accusing me of trampling on the dignity of the Northern Zhou imperial family, rebuking my arrogance.”
Chen Wang said with a hint of appreciation, “He’s clever, truly clever. I had only heard of his reputation for benevolence and kindness before, thinking he was just like Yanzhou’s Che Kangbo, someone who seeks fame and reputation. But now that I’ve seen him, he far exceeded my expectations. Among the younger generation, only Yuan Le Jun has the courage to face me without fear and even dare to kill my soldiers and present their heads to me to intimidate me. He can already be considered a hero, someone who can be mentioned in the same breath as us. As for you guys, you are far from his level.”
Chen Xi listened without being angry, just showing some curiosity, “Why did Yuan Le Jun do this? Isn’t this making you his enemy?”
Chen Wang sneered, “Do you think your father is so formidable, so formidable that even the northern vassals have to avoid my edge?”
Chen Xi was momentarily speechless.
Chen Wang waved his hand, instructing his men to take away the two heads. He then leisurely spoke to his son, “There’s only one Emperor. Logically speaking, after Yuan Le Jun and Chu Ciye killed Li Li, they should have taken the Emperor back to Youzhou. But the Emperor has been convinced to go to Yangzhou with me. Yuan Le Jun probably already knows about this, so he’s targeting me.”
“Furthermore…” Chen Wang paused, a glint of brilliance in his eyes, “There are currently only two Wangs of different surnames in the world. Yuan Le Jun and Chu Ciye dominate the north. Sooner or later, we will face each other. Since we are destined to be enemies, why does Yuan Le Jun want to please me? What he’s doing now is quite clever; remember, being gentle and benevolent won’t spare you from your enemies, but intimidation can make your enemies fear you.”
Chen Xi pondered for a moment and nodded thoughtfully, “So, Father, are you really going to accept his threat?”
“What else can we do?” Chen Wang shook his head as he stood up, hands behind his back, strolling slowly to the window and looking at the gloomy clouds outside. “Yuan Le Jun’s words struck right at the heart, leaving me with no counterarguments. And the Youzhou soldiers were able to kill Yan Hui and break through the Hulao Pass in just a few days, showing their strength. This is the north, where land warfare is waged, and my Yangzhou navy’s strength is not fully utilized. So we must not tear our faces with Yuan Le Jun here. If we truly do, we may be the ones to suffer…”
A gust of cold wind blew in through the window, carrying the cold rain onto Chen Wang’s face.
The cordiality on Chen Wang’s face had disappeared, and he narrowed his eyes. “This time, I have fallen into his trap… Send someone to hold the military accountable and make the Centurions control their own soldiers. Don’t let them make any more mistakes. Also, send some gold, silver, pearls, silk, and satin as compensation to Yuan Le Jun. Tell him I am grateful for eliminating two worms from my army. If it weren’t for his coincidental discovery, I wouldn’t have known that the soldiers in Luoyang had committed such a big mistake. When the weather clears, I will personally apologize at the Ancestral Temple and seek forgiveness from the Taizu and the late emperor.”
“Father!” Chen Xi looked surprised, “Aren’t you being too humble?”
Chen Wang burst into laughter, “This is self-reflection and willingness to change. How can it be considered humble? This is undoubtedly a great virtue. Besides, what can retreating at this moment represent? As long as we can bring the Emperor back to Yangzhou…”
He didn’t finish his words, but Chen Xi already understood what he meant.
As long as they can bring the Emperor back to Yangzhou, they will have achieved a complete victory.
In Luoyang, there was also a mansion of Chu Wang, and Yuan Li and the others were staying there.
The Chu Wang’s mansion had been sealed off after the death of Chu Wang and his wife. Yuan Li sent people to clean the inside and outside of the mansion, so when they returned, it had already been tidied up.
It was already late in the day, and the overcast sky continued to pour rain, so Yuan Li didn’t go to pay his respects to Chu Wang and his wife or Chu Mingfeng. Instead, he went to the ancestral hall within the mansion to offer his prayers.
There was no one in the ancestral hall, only a dozen or so memorial tablets placed on the table. The newest tablet was inscribed with the name “Chu Mingfeng.”
Unfortunately, Chu Wang and his wife had died so suddenly that no one had arranged the memorial tablet for them.
Yuan Li sighed and ordered the servants to bring warm water and a cloth, personally wiping the dust off the table and the memorial tablet.
The surroundings were quiet, with candlelight flickering and emitting a dim yellow light. In such a tranquil environment, Yuan Li could also relax his mind and think about the recently upgraded system.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit amused.
The upgrade of the system was determined by his willpower. If he had known earlier, why would he have struggled with the “Chancellor of the First Generation” for so long?
Yuan Li’s mood was quite subtle at the moment.
It was as if he had been reborn, and a vigorous vitality burst forth from his body. The anger he had felt from witnessing the suffering of the people had turned into determination. The fog that had seemed to obscure Yuan Li’s vision had completely dissipated.
The goal he wanted to achieve became clear in his mind.
To become the Emperor and possess the power to make decisions.
Give the common people a path to liberation.
At this moment, Yuan Li firmly believed that nothing could stop his footsteps except death. His soul seemed to be still excited, boiling with hot blood. Yuan Li exhaled a warm breath and thought about the rewards given by the system.
Last time, when the system upgraded to the “Chancellor of the First Generation” system, the reward was weather forecasts. But this time, after upgrading to the “Emperor Development” system, the reward was a peaceful world, with clear seas and rivers.
Of course, this wasn’t a reward the system could provide.
Yuan Li smiled lightly.
It could be said that this reward was not for him, but for the people of the world. It was also a recognition of Yuan Li.
The system was affirming that he would bring about a peaceful and prosperous conclusion to the world.
“System,” Yuan Li said, “Isn’t this reward a bit perfunctory? Shouldn’t you give me something more substantial?”
Yuan Li was just joking, but he didn’t expect the system to respond.
【Emperor Development System has been activated.】
【Reward: One minute of AR special effects.】
Yuan Li was surprised at first, then pleased. After seeing what the reward was, he was puzzled, “AR special effects?”
Was it the AR special effects he had imagined?
This reward was quite interesting…
Yuan Li probed again, “What kind of AR special effects is it? How do I use it?”
The system remained silent.
Yuan Li didn’t give up, “Can I exchange it for something more practical, like sweet potatoes or corn?”
The system still didn’t respond.
Yuan Li twitched his mouth, realizing that he couldn’t change the reward. He pondered for a while, thinking that the AR special effects were currently not very useful, so he temporarily put it aside.
During dinner, Chen Wang sent his gifts of apology. The people delivering the gifts respectfully conveyed Chen Wang’s words. Yuan Li raised an eyebrow and calmly had the gifts put away. He didn’t say anything and directly asked the people to leave.
Zheng Rong, worried about the situation, asked, “Master, wouldn’t our refusal to show leniency to Chen Wang today anger him and make him harm us in return?”
Before Yuan Li could reply, Yang Zhongfa burst into laughter, “Your worries are unnecessary. With Chen Wang’s personality, do you think he’ll behave honestly from now on? As Lord Yuan said earlier, we will have a naval battle with the south sooner or later. If it’s bound to happen, what’s there to be afraid of right now? We might as well scare him a bit, let him know that we’re not someone he can easily manipulate. Haha, Chen Wang wants to take the Emperor back to Yangzhou, did he even ask if we agree?!”
Yang Zhongfa was crude but insightful, and Yuan Li wasn’t surprised by his thoughts. Yuan Li smiled and said, “You’re right, Lord Yang.”
Seeing that they didn’t take the matter to heart, Zheng Rong stopped worrying. He regretted being overly timid and feared disappointing his lord.
Seeing Zheng Rong’s expression, Yuan Li knew what he was thinking and smiled, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks and putting it in Zheng Rong’s bowl, “Don’t think too much. You excel in governance, while Zhou Gongdan is skilled in military matters. It’s normal that you can’t see through everything. Take your time to learn.”
Zheng Rong smiled in embarrassment, “You’re right, Master. I’m still far behind Brother Wenning.”
Yuan Li chuckled, about to say something, when his smile suddenly froze.
Zhou Gongdan… Wu Shanshi…
Yang Zhongfa asked urgently, “Lord Yuan, what’s wrong?”
“Wu Shanshi.”
Yuan Li’s face suddenly turned serious. He clenched his chopsticks tightly, and his fingertips turned white with force. “Wu Shanshi wants to kill Li Li. Chu Ciye might encounter him!”
Yang Zhongfa was taken aback, and his face turned ugly. He quickly stood up, “I’ll lead twenty thousand soldiers to support General Chu!”
Yuan Li’s breath quickened, and his heart twisted at the thought that Chu Ciye might be in danger. His fingers trembled slightly, but he forcibly comforted himself. It couldn’t be true. Chu Ciye was so strong, and the five thousand light cavalry was no small force. They wouldn’t encounter any trouble.
But panic still surged, and Yuan Li put down his chopsticks and stood up as well. He said hoarsely, “You lead twenty thousand soldiers and head to Chang’an immediately! Li Li escaped with his private soldiers and took away a lot of gold, silver, and jewels. He couldn’t have escaped too far, so you should go and support him as quickly as possible.”
“Support who?”
Just as they were anxious, a familiar voice came from outside the dining hall.
Yuan Li turned his head abruptly and saw Chu Hechao, covered in dust, holding a head, and drenched, striding into the room.
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