Chapter 136
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After the cupping therapy, everyone was startled by the marks on their bodies.
Xuan Er stared at the marks on Yang Zhongfa’s back and said, “Dad, your marks look scary.”
“It’s normal to have some marks after cupping therapy,” the physician walked behind Yang Zhongfa and reassured him, “The dark purplish color of the marks indicates blood stasis in your body, probably from previous hidden injuries you sustained on the battlefield.”
Yang Zhongfa widened his eyes in surprise, “You can tell there’s blood stasis just by looking at the marks? Impressive.”
Guo Mao felt curious and stood up to let the physician examine him too. “What does the marks on my back represent then?”
The physician carefully examined the marks, “The bright red color of your marks suggests that there’s deficiency in both qi and yin in your body, and your liver is in excess heat.”
While they were talking, Yuan Li also got up from the bed. He only had faint marks on his back, and Chu Hechao could tell that he was in good health with just one glance.
Yuan Li stretched lazily, and as he saw Chu Hechao massaging his shoulders, his robust back muscles with circular purplish-black marks came into view.
Yuan Li furrowed his brows and walked over. “The marks on your back are so deep.”
He remembered what the physician said earlier, that the dark purplish color represented blood stasis.
Chu Hechao’s body had no fewer hidden injuries than Yang Zhongfa’s. He became a Grand General at such a young age, and his achievements were earned through life-and-death battles.
Yuan Li reached out and touched the frightening marks, looking displeased.
Chu Hechao said, “Could you scratch it a bit? It’s a bit itchy where the marks are.”
Yuan Li scratched him skillfully and said, “It’s common to feel this way after cupping therapy. Ciye, you should take care of your hidden injuries properly.”
Chu Hechao turned his head to look at his own back and furrowed his brows. He wasn’t surprised by the result.
But when he thought about how clean Yuan Li’s back looked, Chu Hechao couldn’t help but rub his forehead.
Yuan Li was still young, and his body had no issues at all.
Unlike him, who was older and filled with hidden injuries.
A faint sense of annoyance rose in Chu Hechao’s heart.
He had to consider something he had always deliberately ignored: the difference in their lifespans.
“Hey, Ciye?” Yuan Li called out.
Chu Hechao snapped back to reality. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’m just afraid that peaceful days won’t last long, and no amount of recuperation will be effective.”
Yuan Li pursed his lips and looked into Chu Hechao’s eyes as if he could see through him.
Chu Hechao felt a bit absent-minded and said, “What are you looking at?”
“I’m looking at what you’re daydreaming about again,” Yuan Li said.
Chu Hechao was taken aback, and he met Yuan Li’s gaze. He felt a strange sensation.
Having lived for so long, he never thought someone could understand his thoughts so thoroughly.
He tried to brush it off, “I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
Yuan Li furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “Are you worried about your own body? Afraid that you’re eight years older than me and have many hidden injuries, and won’t be able to keep me in the future?”
Chu Hechao was speechless.
Yuan Li had hit the nail on the head.
Yuan Li raised his hand and lightly patted Chu Hechao’s head. “Don’t overthink it in the future. Don’t doubt my determination. Got it?”
The force of the pat was gentle, like a tender breeze. But it felt like it went straight into Chu Hechao’s soul. Chu Hechao glanced at Yuan Li, nodded, and honestly said, “Got it.”
The process of cupping wasn’t very comfortable, but they felt much better after it was done. That night, everyone had a good sleep.
The two days of rest flew by, and when they returned to Ji County again, everyone looked refreshed and full of energy.
Upon their return, Yuan Li immediately began the construction of warships.
Near the Bohai Sea, there were salt mines that produced Yuan Li’s sea salt. Over the years, Yuan Li had not overlooked the rich marine resources of the Bohai Sea. He gradually established a small town on the shores of the Bohai Sea, inhabited by workers engaged in refining fine salt and the soldiers he stationed there for protection.
Now, Yuan Li planned to train a naval army on the shores of the Bohai Sea. With the newly conscripted soldiers from last year, there were a total of 180,000 troops in Youzhou and another 100,000 in Bingzhou.
Yuan Li intended to select 50,000 of the most skilled sailors from the Youzhou troops to secretly move to the Bohai Sea and establish a naval base. This way, the land army and the navy could be completely separated and trained separately.
The warships also needed to be constructed at the Bohai Sea for two reasons: Firstly, there were no enemies around, so the warships wouldn’t be easily discovered. Secondly, even the best ships needed to be tested on water, and being near the coast would facilitate both the construction and testing of the warships.
The system provided only one design for the warships, but the drawings were extensive, spanning one hundred and ten pages, meticulously detailing every aspect of the warship.
Just by looking at the drawings, Yuan Li was confident that this would be a formidable warship. It stirred his ambitions, not just to use it against his own people, but also to conquer and explore the vast maritime territories.
To turn this concept into reality, exceptional craftsmen were needed. Fortunately, Yuan Li had been continuously recruiting talented individuals with various skills. Most of the highly skilled craftsmen were already under the Artifact Division, and when Yuan Song came to Youzhou from Ruyang, he also brought along many artisans trained in his own household.
Yuan Li handed over the warship design to Yuan Dan and instructed the Artifact Division to gather three hundred carpenters to head to the Bohai Sea.
Yuan Dan and Cui Yan were extremely interested in this warship and were amazed by the technique used in drawing the ship. Both of them were highly curious individuals, and after examining the drawings, they immediately wanted to join the shipbuilding at the Bohai Sea.
However, Yuan Dan had other responsibilities and couldn’t go. On the other hand, Cui Yan eagerly packed his bags and asked Yuan Li to send him to the Bohai Sea.
Considering that the three hundred craftsmen sent to the Bohai Sea would need a leader, Yuan Li readily agreed and appointed Cui Yan for the role.
At the same time, he dispatched three thousand soldiers to transport a large amount of wood to the Bohai Sea.
All these tasks were carried out smoothly, thanks to the help of Ding Zongguang. He worked diligently and quietly, handling everything arranged by Yuan Li efficiently. Yuan Li had more than once told Chu Hechao how regrettable it was that Ding Zongguang’s arm was injured. If not for that, he would undoubtedly have become a captain-level officer by now, and it was a shame that he was now stuck dealing with these trivial matters.
Chu Hechao calmly said, “There’s nothing to regret. Countless people die on the battlefield, and among them, there are many with extraordinary talents. Being able to recover his life and be valued by you is already better than many others.”
Yuan Li wondered what expression Chu Hechao had while saying this, so he turned around to stare at him.
Chu Hechao’s face was actually expressionless, as if he was stating a fact. His gaze was indifferent, even somewhat cold.
For some reason, Yuan Li suddenly said, “If I were to die on the battlefield…”
Chu Hechao’s breath halted, and he turned gloomy. He flipped over, pressing Yuan Li down, and gripped his chin firmly.
Yuan Li’s hands were held tightly, and he couldn’t say what he wanted to. Chu Hechao’s menacing look prevented him from speaking.
Chu Hechao’s expression darkened as he warned, “Say it again?”
Yuan Li’s heart pounded erratically. It was the first time he was so frightened by Chu Hechao that his heart rhythm went haywire. He swallowed nervously and carefully said, “I won’t say it again.”
Chu Hechao’s forehead veins throbbed, and even though he loosened his grip, his hand was still trembling slightly.
—Yuan Li had just mentioned a possibility.
Chu Hechao’s eyes turned cold, and his expression was chilling as he said, “Yuan Li, remember, if you dare to die before me—”
He coldly chuckled.
Yuan Li swallowed hard.
His inappropriate curiosity emerged again. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, Yuan Li couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “What will happen then?”
Chu Hechao’s smile faded away, and his handsome face became expressionless. “I will defile your corpse.”
His expression was terrifying, but his hand that was gently touching Yuan Li’s belly was surprisingly soft. “I’ll use my brother to enter your body, and we’ll be buried together in this position, letting everyone see how you died and how your belly was pushed up by me. How about that?”
Yuan Li felt shivers down his spine from the touch. He forced a smile and said, “Brother, rest assured, there won’t be such a possibility.”
Chu Hechao continued to gaze deeply into his eyes. “Good, as long as you know.”
To train a naval force, the most important thing was to find a leader who could command and train the navy effectively.
However, whether it was the generals under Chu Hechao or Wu Kai Wang Er and others, none of them had experience in training naval forces or leading ships in combat.
After searching around, Yuan Li finally settled on two of his personal guards—Kong Ran and Gu Yue—as the candidates for this task.
Kong Ran and Gu Yue were among the best in terms of water skills among the elite guards. They were both highly capable, had achieved numerous merits, and had been recruited by Yuan Li as his subordinates. Yuan Li was deeply impressed by them.
Between the two, Yuan Li paid more attention to Gu Yue.
While Kong Ran had the ability to train the navy, Gu Yue possessed the talents of a general.
Although Gu Yue’s physique was not robust, and he wasn’t the most intelligent, he possessed an unyielding willpower and a superior overall strategic vision. This kind of strategic vision was exactly what a great general needed.
After summoning them, Yuan Li had a conversation with both Kong Ran and Gu Yue. The more they talked, the more Yuan Li admired Gu Yue.
There were different types of generals.
Some were commanders with quick thinking and decisive actions, able to adapt to changing circumstances, such as renowned generals like Chu Hechao and Yang Zhongfa. On the other hand, some generals were followers, able to execute tasks assigned by others, but they might struggle when leading on their own.
Gu Yue belonged to the former category, while Kong Ran was the latter.
Yuan Li had some ideas in mind but didn’t make an immediate decision. He sought out Chu Hechao and asked him to assess whether Gu Yue was suitable to lead the navy and whether Kong Ran was fit to train the navy.
The next day, Chu Hechao brought Gu Yue and Kong Ran to the training ground.
Both men felt uneasy and nervous when they saw Chu Hechao’s expressionless face.
Chu Hechao’s reputation was awe-inspiring. Whether it was enemies or allies, the mere mention of his name instilled fear. For those who joined the army like them, Chu Hechao was like a war god, a figure that commanded both admiration and awe.
Seeing Chu Hechao’s stern expression, their hearts were pounding in their throats.
Yet, they also knew that this could be a golden opportunity.
Yesterday, Lord Yuan Li had spoken to them, and today the Grand General brought them to the training ground. If it weren’t for something important, why would the Grand General and the Governor of the two provinces spare the time to meet them, mere common soldiers?
Kong Ran and Gu Yue exchanged glances and understood each other’s thoughts, gradually becoming resolute.
Their hearts were filled with excitement and anxiety, but at this moment, they both silently made a decision.
— No matter what this opportunity was, they would give it their all and seize it.
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