Chapter 150
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Yuan Li remained unconscious for a whole day and night. During this time, his consciousness was in a constant state of confusion, occasionally becoming briefly clear before quickly fading again.
When Chu Hechao arrived at the border, he found Yuan Li burning with a high fever and still unconscious.
Chu Hechao’s expression at that moment was fierce and unforgettable to everyone who saw it.
Another day passed before Yuan Li finally opened his eyes.
He felt weak all over, his throat hurt, his head throbbed, and he felt hot and cold at the same time, making him extremely uncomfortable. Yuan Li gradually regained consciousness, realizing that his illness had not improved.
The room was dark, and he couldn’t tell whether it was day or night. A heavy, unpleasant smell of medicine hung in the air.
Yuan Li coughed a few times, and a cup of water was brought to his lips. He drank it, and the warm water eased some of his discomfort. Yuan Li said hoarsely, “Thank you…”
He looked to the side and saw a dark figure sitting by the bed. Although only the silhouette was visible, Yuan Li recognized who it was.
He was immediately taken aback and pulled the covers over his head, feeling a bit scared. “You came back so quickly.”
The figure remained silent, staring at Yuan Li with an oppressive presence that even darkness couldn’t hide.
Yuan Li didn’t dare to speak anymore and covered his face with the blanket.
Chu Hechao reached out and caressed Yuan Li’s hair, his tone unexpectedly gentle. “I know what you did.”
Yuan Li’s whole body was covered in goosebumps, and he pulled the blanket down to reveal his eyes, looking at Chu Hechao. “Are you angry?”
Chu Hechao sneered, “No, I dare not be angry.”
“…” Of course, that meant he was angry.
Yuan Li knew how to coax him. He held Chu Hechao’s finger and said, “Don’t be angry.”
The man snorted coldly, still holding a grudge, but once he found the right way to appease him, he could be easily mollified. Before seeing Chu Hechao, Yuan Li had been a bit cowardly, but as soon as he saw him, he was able to put on one act after another.
He tried another approach, his voice more hoarse. “Brother, I feel really uncomfortable.”
Chu Hechao stiffened, wanting to make a sarcastic remark about how Yuan Li still knew he was uncomfortable. Did he know how uncomfortable Chu Hechao had been, watching him lying in bed like this for the past two days?
But the words got stuck in his throat and couldn’t be said. Chu Hechao was burning with anger, but he suddenly stood up, the chair making a harsh sound, and in the next instant, the candle was lit.
It had been a long time since Yuan Li had seen any light. He instinctively closed his eyes, but after a while, he opened them again and was startled by Chu Hechao’s appearance.
Chu Hechao’s beard was unkempt, his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept for several days and nights. He looked haggard.
His eyes were dim, appearing both empty and heavy, giving a frightening look. His clothes were wrinkled and covered with mud, rainwater, torn with bloodstains… They looked as though he had just come from the battlefield.
Chu Hechao called for a medical officer to come and then sat down by the bed without any expression.
Yuan Li was at a loss for words and only regained his voice after a long time. “Have you not rested in these few days?”
Chu Hechao lifted his eyelids to look at Yuan Li. His eyes held self-mockery and a trace of humor. Under the lingering anger, his words were sharp, burning, and hurtful. “Rest? How can I rest?”
“You laid here, unconscious,” he said calmly, “with a relentless fever, several times on the brink of danger, and many times struggling to breathe. You were at death’s door. I thought several times that you…”
Chu Hechao’s breath caught, and he swallowed the rest of the word. His face changed constantly, but he didn’t say another word.
Yuan Li’s heart was twisted, his brows furrowed, his lips pale, his face strangely flushed, his eyes tired, and he looked sickly and pitiful. “Don’t worry, I’m fine now…”
Seeing him in such agony, Chu Hechao couldn’t maintain his cold demeanor for long. He rubbed his forehead and asked, “Do you know you were wrong this time? Will you dare to do such a thing again?”
Yuan Li hesitated, not sure how to answer.
Given another opportunity, he might still do the same thing.
Seeing him hesitating, the anger that had just subsided in Chu Hechao surged up again. He bent down, grasping Yuan Li’s chin with a force that seemed capable of crushing his bones.
“Yuan Le Jun,” Chu Hechao growled, his breath scorching, “do you want me to die?”
In an era where a common cold could take lives, Yuan Li’s repeated high fevers had pushed Chu Hechao to the brink several times. Several times, Chu Hechao thought Yuan Li might die.
Watching Yuan Li’s breath grow weaker and his body become increasingly feverish, Chu Hechao felt helpless once more.
His mind felt torn apart, his soul ripped.
Chu Hechao trembled, holding Yuan Li in his arms. His eyes were dry, unable to shed a tear. But inside, he was sobbing uncontrollably, standing on the edge of a cliff and being pushed closer to the brink of insanity by Yuan Li’s weak breath.
Chu Hechao had thought he was used to death, but when the person facing death was Yuan Li, he realized it was all his own presumption.
However, Yuan Li was unaware of all this.
Chu Hechao had no intention of telling him either.
Yuan Li’s expression turned blank for a moment, and he subconsciously wanted to say “No,” but before the words could come out, the medical officer arrived.
Chu Hechao released Yuan Li, giving the medical officer space to examine him.
After the examination, the medical officer got up, and Chu Hechao followed him out of the room.
After a while, Lin Tian brought medicine and fed it to Yuan Li spoon by spoon. Yuan Li coughed a few times, his brows furrowing. “He’s angry.”
Lin Tian smiled bitterly. “Lord, you really scared us this time. Not to mention the General, even I felt weak in the legs and couldn’t stand up when I saw you pass out.”
Yuan Li was unaware of all this; he had been quite comfortable while unconscious. It felt like he had just taken a nap, and he only felt a bit weak in his body. But the people around him were in chaos due to his illness.
Yuan Li sighed and once again realized how important his own safety was. “Tell me what happened after I passed out. How are the Wuwan people doing?”
Lin Tian hesitated for a moment, “The General ordered not to trouble you with these matters when you wake up.”
Yuan Li was helpless. “Just tell me. If I don’t know, I’ll only be more worried.”
Lin Tian didn’t dare to refuse and said, “The night you passed out, the General arrived in the Northern Border. In the two days you were seriously ill, the General pursued the provoking Xiongnu cavalry deep into the camp of Xiongnu’s Lord Qiequ Lou Shan. He killed numerous Xiongnu soldiers and beheaded Lou Shan, leaving only a few of his subordinates with a handful of remnants to escape.”
Yuan Li was stunned. “He reached Xiongnu’s Qiequ camp in two days and killed him?”
Lin Tian nodded with lingering fear. “The General was… extremely brave that day. The heads of the killed Xiongnu soldiers were sent to the five Wuwan tribes, and Lou Shan’s head was given to Guli Chi.”
On the day Chu Hechao killed the enemy, people almost thought that he had truly gone mad. They had never seen such a side of Chu Hechao before. He was always calm and composed on the battlefield, but when attacking Lou Shan, he fought as if his life depended on it, crazily tearing into the enemy without any regard for his own safety.
Lin Tian even had a moment of chilling horror, feeling that Chu Hechao might really want to die together with their lord.
Yuan Li rubbed his temple, “Did I really only pass out for two days?”
He felt like the whole world had changed.
Lin Tian sighed, “Indeed, you were unconscious for two days.”
Yuan Li didn’t dwell on it, “How about Jizhou? Is Wu Shanshi dead or alive?”
“Wu Shanshi is not dead yet. The General brought him back and imprisoned him in the Jizhou dungeon,” Lin Tian said, “And of course, Jizhou has been taken by the General. None of Wu Shanshi’s subordinates could match our elite troops from Youzhou. Once they saw that our Youzhou soldiers did not burn, kill, plunder, or abuse the people, most of the counties surrendered on their own to seek safety. The real battles were few, and the General’s rapid progress quickly led to the capture of Ye County. Wu Shanshi originally intended to resist to the death, but his subordinates and the common people under his rule didn’t want to accompany him to die. They secretly opened the city gates at night and allowed the General to enter the city, capturing Wu Shanshi and his wives.”
Knowing that Yuan Li would ask after waking up, Lin Tian had gathered all this information. Yuan Li listened with great interest, imagining the scene of Wu Shanshi being captured in his sleep.
Realizing that the whole Jizhou had fallen into their hands so easily, Yuan Li couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed that even these county officials and magistrates were dissatisfied with Wu Shanshi declaring himself emperor.
This wasn’t the problem of these officials and magistrates, but rather Wu Shanshi’s problem.
If Wu Shanshi had the ability, he wouldn’t have allowed these Jizhou officials to surrender without a fight. If there were indeed people loyal to the Northern Zhou but dissatisfied with Wu Shanshi, they could have easily dismissed them and appointed their own people. Yet Wu Shanshi didn’t do either, blinded by arrogance and unaware of what the officials really thought. No wonder he suffered such a complete defeat.
After asking all this, Yuan Li glanced at the door again.
Lin Tian astutely put down the medicine bowl. “I’ll go get the Grand General.”
Outside the room, the medical officer had already left, and Chu Hechao was sitting alone on the stone steps.
Hearing the door open, Chu Hechao turned his head. “Has he finished asking you questions?”
Lin Tian nodded, “General, please go in quickly.”
Chu Hechao didn’t hesitate and immediately stood up to enter the room. However, he wrinkled his nose when he caught a whiff of his own odor and decided to take a bath and change clothes.
When he returned and walked to the bedside, he found Yuan Li had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.
Chu Hechao stood by the bed and watched him for a while, sighing softly. He then took off his shoes and socks and laid down carefully beside Yuan Li. As soon as he settled in, Yuan Li skillfully snuggled up to him.
Chu Hechao’s heart melted into a puddle of water, yet he felt conflicted, as if torn between ice and fire. He whispered, “Yuan Le Jun, what should I do with you?”
Yuan Li spoke as if in a dream, “Forgive me, brother…”
Chu Hechao sneered, pinching his nose, “Pretending to sleep?”
Yuan Li slowly opened his eyes, embracing Chu Hechao, “Brother, I know you’re worried about me. I promise you, I won’t do such dangerous things again.”
Chu Hechao remained silent, unsure if he could trust Yuan Li’s words or not.
Yuan Li became anxious, “I’m telling the truth.”
Finally, Chu Hechao said lightly, “Really?”
Yuan Li nodded vigorously.
Chu Hechao fell silent once more, until Yuan Li spoke more words of comfort. Only then did he speak, “Yuan Li, you have indeed achieved great merit this time, and I am happy and relieved for you. But compared to your safety, the position of the Xiongnu royal court is not worth risking your life. During the time of Huyan Wuzhu, the combined forces of the three Xiongnu tribes probably exceeded 200,000. Now that Huyan Huntu has conquered all the barbarian tribes in the four directions, the forces he can muster might be even greater. You only led two thousand men, and even those two thousand men wouldn’t be able to rescue you from the heart of the Xiongnu. If the Xiongnu capture you as a prisoner, it’s still acceptable, but if they directly kill you…”
His hand trembled again, and he took a deep breath before continuing, “What do you want me to do?”
Chu Hechao dared not think deeply about all the dangers Yuan Li had encountered along the way, yet he tortured himself by forcing himself to think about it. He even made Yuan Li’s guards, Jia Qing, and others tell him everything that happened.
This process nearly made Chu Hechao go mad with anger several times. Yuan Li had truly faced danger this time, brushing past death several times. If Yuan Li hadn’t passed out, Chu Hechao would have taught him a harsh lesson.
But what could he do to teach Yuan Li?
Perhaps Yuan Li didn’t understand what he truly represented to Chu Hechao.
Yuan Li’s heart felt bittersweet and strangely sweet at the same time. He asked, “Then how can you not be angry?”
Chu Hechao stared at him for a moment and suddenly placed Yuan Li’s hand on his chest, allowing him to feel his heartbeat. “When you remember that if you die, then my heart will stop beating, and only then will I stop being angry.”
Frowning, Yuan Li listened as Chu Hechao’s heartbeat resonated through his palm and into his mind.
Suddenly, he couldn’t bear to imagine a scenario where Chu Hechao’s heart truly stopped.
For the first time, Yuan Li felt fear.
He feared that if something really happened, he might never hear Chu Hechao’s heartbeat again or see him again.
The sound of Chu Hechao’s heartbeats reverberated in silence, conveying all the words he wanted to say but couldn’t.
Each beat was profound, each beat made Yuan Li uncomfortable.
Yuan Li leaned closer, listening with his ear pressed against Chu Hechao’s chest. He firmly engraved this moment into his mind and would never forget it.
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