Chapter 171
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The next day, Yuan Li sent more people to search for Chu Hechao and the others.
The news of Chu Hechao’s accident had already spread among the people in the city. They had hoped that Chu Hechao and the others were safe, but half a month had passed, and apart from Yuan Li, who still firmly believed that Chu Hechao was alive, others couldn’t help but feel that Chu Hechao might have been killed.
They knew they shouldn’t probe into Yuan Li’s grief, but Chu Hechao’s situation was exceptional, and half a month of searching was already the limit. When Yuan Li wanted to leave the city again, the counselors stood together, firmly advising him to leave Xuzhou and return to the North as soon as possible.
If Chen Wang had targeted Chu Hechao, the next target would undoubtedly be Yuan Li. The South was Chen Wang’s stronghold, and staying here would only be walking into a trap.
Without Chu Hechao, the North would undoubtedly face turmoil. In any case, Yuan Li needed to leave and take control of the situation back home.
Yuan Li understood rationally that he needed to leave, but at this moment, he felt like he was abandoning Chu Hechao.
In the face of his subordinates’ requests, he rubbed his forehead with his hand, and his whole person appeared thinner.
Guo Mao was anxious, sweat dripping from his forehead, and he pleaded, “My Lord, please return to the North as soon as possible. Xuzhou is no longer safe. Once you return to the North, you can send troops to Xuzhou. If General Chu is still alive, he must be somewhere in Xuzhou. Only with enough troops can we protect General Chu under Chen Wang’s attack!”
Yuan Li finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “You don’t need to persuade me further. I know the situation. I will leave, but not now.”
He lowered his eyes, expressionless. His face, devoid of blood, appeared colder and more rational than ever before, hiding the suppressed grief and anger within him. “I want to see Chen Wang’s reaction. If Chen Wang’s soldiers captured Chu Hechao, he won’t miss this opportunity and will openly inform me, using it to control me or the Northern Army. Even if he killed Chu Hechao, Chen Wang would publicize the act. But if he doesn’t do anything, doesn’t say anything, and directly attacks Xuzhou, it means that Chu Hechao is not in his hands. He must think that Chu Hechao is dead, so he is eager to take this chance to eliminate me.”
Between the lines, Yuan Li was convinced that Chu Hechao was still alive.
Yuan Li was not someone who couldn’t see reality. On the contrary, his straightforward character allowed him to accept all the difficulties that happened in reality. He may not be unaware that Chu Hechao’s chances of survival were slim, but he refused to believe it. Such self-deception was a state that his subordinates had never seen in him before.
To be honest, this state was not good, and they worried that once Yuan Li truly confirmed Chu Hechao’s death, he would collapse.
However…
The subordinates exchanged a discreet glance, sighing inwardly. They couldn’t bring themselves to say it out loud because the person whose life and death was uncertain wasn’t just their lord’s ally and friend, but also someone who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
In the end, they took a step back, and Zhou Gongdan whispered, “Please promise us, Lord, that if Chen Wang does indeed begin attacking Xuzhou, you will immediately take a boat and leave Xuzhou.”
Yuan Li fell silent for a moment, his fingers moving slightly as he looked out the window.
Outside the window, a cassia tree stood bare of leaves, with only the lonely branches remaining.
His subordinates gently called him, “Lord?”
Yuan Li turned back and nodded calmly, “I will.”
In the following days, Yuan Li kept a close eye on Chen Wang’s movements.
He hoped Chen Wang would catch Chu Hechao, but at the same time, he didn’t want Chen Wang to actually catch him. Amidst these complex and conflicting emotions, Yuan Li’s anger and hatred towards Chen Wang continued to grow stronger with each passing day he couldn’t find Chu Hechao.
However, this anger didn’t cloud Yuan Li’s judgment; instead, it made him more rational and dangerous.
With Chu Hechao missing and injured, Yuan Li knew that Chen Wang was responsible, and he vowed to exact revenge on him a hundredfold.
While anxiously waiting and searching for Chu Hechao, Chen Wang began his campaign to attack Xuzhou.
The moment Yuan Li received this news, his face darkened, and fury rolled in his eyes. He closed his eyes slowly, knowing that he couldn’t stay in Xuzhou any longer.
As Guo Mao and others had said, Xuzhou absolutely could not fall into Chen Wang’s hands, and he couldn’t afford to have anything go wrong.
For the sake of his family, his country, the people, and the person somewhere in Xuzhou… Chu Hechao.
Yuan Li’s heart felt like it had been brutally struck, and after the bitterness subsided, he made an effort to regain his composure.
He opened his eyes, decisively stating, “Prepare the ships. We will retreat.”
His subordinates breathed a sigh of relief, ecstatically responding, “Yes!”
The retreating convoy had long been prepared. On that day, five thousand naval soldiers were ready to escort Yuan Li away.
Originally, Yuan Li had intended to take Ouyang Ting with him, but Ouyang Ting refused to leave. “We have worked so hard to govern Xuzhou together. Now that Chen Wang is attacking, how can I, as the Governor, leave alone? Yuan Li, go with peace of mind. Call for reinforcements as soon as possible. I will stay in Xuzhou and advance or retreat with the people, and also look for Chu Ciye and the others.”
He sighed, patting Yuan Li’s shoulder and whispered comfortingly, “Don’t worry. Chu Ciye is lucky; he won’t be gone just like that. I’ll find him for you. When you bring the troops back, I’ll make sure to give them to you.”
Yuan Li managed a forced smile. “Alright.”
After that, Yuan Li turned to Wu Kai, who cupped his hands, “Lord.”
Yuan Li nodded, “Zuo Sheng, I entrust Xuzhou to you. Protect Xuzhou and wait for my return with the troops.”
Wu Kai replied solemnly, “Yes.”
He would protect Xuzhou at all costs.
Xiang Hongyun also requested to stay in Xuzhou to assist Wu Kai in safeguarding the rear, and Yuan Li agreed.
After everything was settled, Yuan Li was ready to leave.
Before boarding the carriage, Yuan Li suddenly stopped and turned around. He called out, “Chu Hechao?”
The surroundings were quiet, with only his people waiting nearby. In the end, he did not see that familiar figure. Yuan Li sighed softly, pulled the curtains, and boarded the carriage.
Without the convoy for transporting grain, the return journey was faster than the arrival. Two days later, Yuan Li boarded a ship on the east bank of Xuzhou.
The ships were lined up, with Yuan Li’s vessel positioned at the center, sailing northward. However, not long into the journey, someone came to report, “My Lord, a warship with the word ‘Chen’ on it is catching up from behind!”
Yuan Li frowned and walked to the deck to look backward. On the distant sea level, hundreds of majestic warships were chasing after them. The fluttering flags on the ships, blown by the sea breeze, faintly revealed the character “Chen”.
Yuan Li sneered, “It seems that Chen Wang is determined to eradicate all opposition and no longer cares about the infamy he carries. Well, if he becomes the ultimate victor, his ungrateful acts will be hailed as courageous and wise, a daring move unconstrained by conventions. With such a good opportunity to get rid of me, why would Chen Wang let it slip away?”
Experienced in warfare, Jia Qing stayed close to Yuan Li to protect him. Seeing Chen Wang’s fleet approaching, he frowned and asked, “My Lord, should we increase our speed?”
Jia Qing was also somewhat anxious because he had never led a naval battle on the open sea.
Yuan Li, however, showed no emotion and replied, “No, slow down. Let our ship maintain a certain distance from Chen Wang’s ships. I want to have a conversation with the people on their ship.”
Zhou Gongdan was astonished, “My Lord?”
Yuan Li raised his hand, silencing them, “The ship we are on has been improved for battle. It is equipped with catapults and triple crossbow beds. The bow and stern are reinforced, and there are propellers on both sides. Even in a collision, we can smash the enemy’s ship to pieces. I brought five thousand naval soldiers here not just for them to sail aimlessly on the sea. Chen Wang has laid hands on my people, and I must give him some return.”
His eyes ignited with flames, and his words carried a sense of killing intent. Guo Mao squinted as he looked at Chen Wang’s navy for a long time, hesitating, “My Lord, it seems that Chen Wang has hundreds of warships and tens of thousands of soldiers. Should we really confront them head-on when we are outnumbered and outgunned?”
Yuan Li chuckled, “Water battles are not the same as land battles. It’s not about who has more ships or soldiers. Once their warships are damaged, all their naval soldiers will fall into this deep sea, unable to climb back aboard or reach the shore, and they will freeze or drown in this vast ocean.”
In an era without gunpowder and firearms, Yuan Li dared to face the odds.
“Chen Wang has become increasingly arrogant,” Yuan Li’s smile gradually disappeared from his face as he coldly looked at the opposite side, “If we just leave like this, he might think I’m easy to bully.”
In the end, their ships came to a slow stop.
As Chen Wang’s ships approached closer, they seemed wary, suspecting that Yuan Li might have a hidden plan. They stopped their warships at a distance of a few hundred meters and didn’t dare to get any closer.
This distance was beyond the range of the triple crossbows.
Chen Wang was probably aware that Yuan Li possessed a long-range weapon.
Yuan Li’s eyes were filled with cold determination as he held the hand stove given to him by the physician. Wearing a gray gown with wide sleeves, and a wolf fur cloak given to him by Chu Hechao draped over his shoulders, he stood proudly at the bow of the ship, exuding a powerful and intimidating aura.
The enemy seemed to have noticed Yuan Li too, and a person emerged from the protected warship in the center, standing at the bow, staring back at Yuan Li from afar.
Observing the figure and swift movements of the person on the opposite side, Yuan Li knew that it wasn’t Chen Wang himself.
He raised an eyebrow.
Chen Wang didn’t come in person?
“Ask him,” Yuan Li called a sergeant with a loud voice and said, “Tell him that this is the warship of Duke Wen. Ask why they are unreasonably chasing after us, as Chen Wang’s people.”
The sergeant cleared his throat and shouted Yuan Li’s words in one breath.
His voice was indeed loud, causing Zhou Gongdan and the others around him to wince in pain from the sound, but it successfully reached the enemy’s ears.
After a moment, the other side also shouted, “I am Chen Xi, the son of Chen Wang. I invite Duke Wen to visit Yangzhou!”
Oh, it turned out to be Chen Xi.
Yuan Li remembered that he had seen Chen Wang’s son during his visit to the imperial court in Luoyang.
He recalled Chen Xi’s frail appearance and his father’s high expectations for him, but Chen Xi turned out to be rather unremarkable, disappointing Chen Wang greatly.
Yuan Li pulled a faint smile, devoid of much warmth in his eyes, “I see.”
Guo Mao curiously asked, “My Lord, did you discover something?”
“Chen Wang sent a hundred warships and tens of thousands of naval soldiers to besiege me. This shows that I am also a thorn in his side, a pressing concern. He is resolute and anxious to get rid of me,” Yuan Li explained. “But look, such an important siege, such a massive confrontation, he didn’t come in person but instead left it to his son, who has always been a disappointment to him. Doesn’t he fear that Chen Xi might not be able to handle me?”
Guo Mao had a vague sense of understanding and took a deep breath, “Chen Wang can’t come because he is either injured or seriously ill. That’s why he has no choice but to entrust such a critical matter to his son!”
“Exactly,” Yuan Li sneered, “Chen Wang must be either injured or seriously ill. No wonder his recent actions have been increasingly ruthless, first tearing apart ties with Yuzhou and Yizhou, then using unscrupulous methods to destroy the river embankments and flood Xuzhou, and finally ambushing Chu Hechao in secret, sending tens of thousands of troops to besiege us… He must be nearing his end, so he wants to eliminate all those who stand in his way, paving the way for his descendants.”
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