Chapter 172
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As for inviting Yuan Li to Yangzhou? That’s even more ridiculous, just a pretext for taking action against him.
Yuan Li responded calmly, “Tell him: How would Chen Wang know my whereabouts? Judging from the imposing manner of these hundred warships approaching, it doesn’t seem like an invitation for me to visit Yangzhou. It looks more like a siege against me.”
This response was tantamount to tearing off any pretense of politeness.
Chen Xi didn’t expect Yuan Li to be so straightforward, cutting through all the pretenses. He felt somewhat embarrassed and replied half-heartedly, “Duke Wen’s status is noble, so naturally, a grand reception is in order. I hope Duke Wen will come to Yangzhou with us. After all, we are old acquaintances, and my father greatly admires you. I hope you will come willingly and not make things difficult for me.”
Yuan Li remained expressionless, “What if I refuse?”
Chen Xi retorted, “Then we would offend Duke Wen.”
Yuan Li sneered and commanded the sergeant, “How amusing! I formed the Luo River Alliance with Chen Wang, agreeing not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs or engage in military conflict for five years. Anyone who violates the alliance will be abandoned by the world. Now, before five years have passed, Chen Wang is already preparing to use force against me. He is breaking the alliance and betraying his commitment, revealing to the world that the Chen clan is untrustworthy and treacherous.”
Before capturing Yuan Li, Chen Xi had been specially instructed by Chen Wang regarding the alliance.
They had broken the alliance first, and this was an undeniable fact, no matter how well they could argue. Yuan Li would undoubtedly mention this to shame and unsettle Chen Xi, but Chen Xi must not respond, nor should he say anything to avoid giving Yuan Li any leverage. Chen Wang had made it clear that if Yuan Li brought up the alliance, they should immediately attack and not let Yuan Li take advantage of the situation.
Chen Xi had remembered these instructions, but now, he felt embarrassed and irritated by Yuan Li’s words. He just wanted to attack immediately, so Yuan Li would stop talking.
Then as if Yuan Li knew what he was doing, he sarcastically retorted, “As the son of Chen Wang, you can’t even offer an explanation. Are you all too proud to explain to me, or do you realize you have no defense and wouldn’t be able to explain even if you wanted to? In the past, I thought Chen Wang was a hero in this world, but now it seems I was mistaken. Chen Wang is no hero; he is merely a heartless, unscrupulous, and immoral villain.”
Chen Xi was furious, “Yuan Li, you—!”
The advisors on the side quickly grabbed Chen Xi’s arm and said, “Young master, don’t be angry. Yuan Lejun is just trying to provoke you. Don’t take his words to heart.”
However, being insulted in front of tens of thousands of navy soldiers and numerous generals made Chen Xi feel humiliated, as if his clothes had been stripped off, and he wished he could find a hole to hide in.
He tried to suppress his anger but heard someone on the other side shout, “You Yangzhou navy soldiers should also take a good look at the kind of person you are following. Even common folks know how to keep their promises, but the renowned Chen Wang couldn’t even uphold the five-year alliance and plotted against his ally. If you follow such a person, aren’t you afraid that one day Chen Wang will turn against you and harm you too?”
“Nonsense!” Chen Xi flung his sleeves and couldn’t hold back any longer. With anger written all over his face, he shouted, “Yuan Lejun, stop sowing discord!”
Yuan Li lightly laughed, raising an eyebrow, “Let me guess, did your father tell you that as long as you defeat me, breaking the alliance won’t matter? Chen Xi, you are still too young. Do you really think that if you defeat me, the world won’t scold you?”
Yuan Li paused, and after the sergeant finished shouting his response, he continued, “Throughout history, even emperors of past dynasties have carried many derogatory names. Are they not winners then? Breaking a promise is like a stain that can’t be washed away. Right is right, wrong is wrong, even if no one dares to say it to your face, it can’t stop the overwhelming public opinion.”
Chen Xi wanted to cover his ears to stop listening to Yuan Li’s words, but he couldn’t control himself and continued to listen, feeling that Yuan Li’s words were somehow true.
“The world will always remember that you, Chen Xi, led troops to attack me during the Luo River Alliance. This will be recorded in history and passed down from generation to generation. Your descendants will all be embarrassed because of this, and your subordinates will question your integrity. If the alliance sworn in blood can be easily violated, how could there be so much criticism? Your father is about to depart, so he naturally doesn’t fear this. But you, Chen Xi, aren’t you afraid of carrying this historical condemnation?”
Chen Xi fell silent.
Yuan Li had shaken him with his words.
If his father, Chen Wang, were not seriously ill, he wouldn’t have willingly broken the five-year alliance. It’s just that Chen Wang is worried about his situation now, so he’s forsaking other options and taking a risky attempt. But his father’s gamble would end when he passes away, while Chen Xi would still be alive! It would be him, Chen Xi, who led the troops to attack Yuan Li. Wouldn’t he, Chen Xi, be the one to be scolded and condemned by others in the future?
Yuan Li was right. Throughout history, even emperors who were victorious carried various unsavory names. Different wrongdoings were not concealed, were they? Could he silence ten people, a hundred people? Could he silence the voices of everyone in the world?
The more he thought about it, the more hesitant Chen Xi became, unable to listen to his advisor’s persuasion anymore.
Originally, his advisor admired Chen Xi’s willingness to listen to advice, but at this moment, he wished Chen Xi were more resolute.
Seeing Chen Xi hesitating for a long time without answering, Yuan Li changed his tone and said, “I am not unwilling to accompany you back to Yangzhou. If I agree, naturally, you won’t bear any infamy.”
Chen Xi’s heart stirred, “You are willing to come with us?”
Yuan Li narrowed his eyes and said, “I want to ask you a question in person. Come forward and listen.”
The advisor tried to stop Chen Xi, “Young Master, you cannot be swayed by Yuan Li. At this moment, you must issue the order for a strong attack!”
“It’s fine,” Chen Xi didn’t want to bear infamy. He wanted to find a compromise. Moreover, with a hundred warships as backing, he thought Yuan Li wouldn’t be able to escape, “Look, there are only a few of Yuan Li’s men, and they only have twenty warships. Our Yangzhou navy is considered the best in the world, unmatched. Land battles are one thing, but this is on the open sea. Do you really think the northern navy can compare to our Yangzhou navy?”
The advisor knew that Chen Xi made a valid point, but he was still worried. However, he couldn’t stop Chen Xi and could only order the surrounding ships to follow, closely surrounding Chen Xi’s warship.
As Chen Wang’s warship slowly approached, Yuan Li turned his head with satisfaction. His face was pale from the sea breeze, and his lips had a tinge of blue, but the sharp intent was like an arrow or a blade, piercing through his appearance and almost becoming substantial, “Where is this place? What is it called?”
The sergeant replied respectfully, “Replying to Duke Wen, this place is called Linxia, which means ‘under the forest, there is only seawater.'”
“Linxia,” Yuan Li nodded, “A good name. Everyone, do your best. If we can capture Chen Xi in this battle, then this ‘Battle of Linxia’ will be one of the rare instances in history where the few defeated the many. It will surely be recorded in history and admired for eternity! Whether we can achieve an accomplishment that will be admired and astonished by future generations depends on you today.”
With just a few sentences, the surrounding generals and admirals were filled with enthusiasm, all raising their fists and saying, “Yes!”
The warships quickly became busy, adjusting their positions and arranging formations. The trebuchets were ready, the triple crossbows had arrows loaded with oiled cloth to ignite, and the 5,000 naval soldiers were eager to engage with the Yangzhou navy!
These naval soldiers were carefully selected from the soldiers of Youzhou, and they possessed valor and spirit. They had been trained according to Yuan Li’s methods and didn’t think they were inferior to the Yangzhou navy.
Chen Xi moved forward about a hundred meters, ensuring that Yuan Li could hear his voice clearly, and then he shouted, “I wonder what Duke Wen wants to ask?”
Yuan Li watched silently, the sea breeze blowing his hair and sideburns in disarray. After a few moments, he finally spoke, “Where is Chu Hechao?”
The wind carried his words clearly to the other side. Chen Xi was taken aback and instinctively said, “Isn’t he dead?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Xi realized it was a mistake! He hurriedly looked up and saw Yuan Li’s expressionless face, his eyes coldly fixed on him.
Yuan Li felt an itch in his throat, a surge of blood rose, and he wanted to cough. But he resisted the discomfort, stared at Chen Xi with a grim expression, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged, making him look fearsome.
Dead?
What a joke. How could Chu Hechao be dead?
“Attack!” Yuan Li’s finger bones creaked as he spoke with deliberate emphasis, “Capture Chen Xi alive! I need him alive!”
With that order, massive stones cut through the air, and spear-like arrows wildly shot across the sea, viciously landing on Chen Wang’s warship.
The impact of the stones caused giant waves to splash up from the sea.
Several warships aggressively moved forward, encircling Chen Wang’s ship. Their Youzhou warships had their bows reinforced with iron plates, making them incredibly sturdy, much like heavily armored cavalry, suitable for charging ahead.
Chen Xi didn’t expect Yuan Li to suddenly attack. The massive waves caused by the stones nearly knocked him off his feet, and he stumbled, almost falling to the ground. His advisor quickly supported him and shouted, “Counterattack, protect Young Master, capture Duke Wen alive!”
When Chen Xi finally managed to stand up, he saw that the warships protecting him on all sides were hit by the stones and arrows. The wooden ships were pierced, naval soldiers fell into the sea, and some soldiers were crushed into meat pulp by the stones.
The long arrows with long range rarely killed people, but their powerful impact allowed them to pierce through the ship’s deck, igniting the warships. In an instant, the ships were engulfed in raging flames.
The flames soared, and chaos erupted as people shouted Chen Xi’s name, urging him to command the battle. But Chen Xi’s lips trembled, and he was at a loss, “What… What should I do?”
Everything he had learned seemed to have vanished from his mind at this moment.
Before he could take any action, another wave of massive stones came crashing in. The foremost of the Yangzhou warships fell into disarray. The warships from behind quickly moved forward, attempting to surround the Youzhou navy.
Yuan Li quickly made a decision, “Attack now, and we must capture Chen Xi during the collision. Otherwise, we’ll be trapped within the encirclement of the Yangzhou navy!”
Following his command, two Youzhou warships bravely rushed forward from both sides, accelerating and charging straight ahead. The sailors manipulated the ropes, making the propellers on both sides spin. These propellers were made of wood and iron, and once they collided, they could crush the wooden enemy ship into splinters.
From the rear, more Youzhou warships followed closely behind.
On Chen Wang’s side, they also realized their intentions. Startled, they fought back, shooting arrows with blazing fire towards the two approaching warships.
However, the two Youzhou warships advancing didn’t slow down in the slightest. The two captains on board clung to the determination to crash into Chen Xi’s ship, even if it meant sacrificing themselves. They paid no attention to the fire arrows blazing on their ships. With a loud “bang,” they crashed into the warships guarding Chen Xi’s left and right, directly hitting Chen Xi’s ship in his horrified eyes.
The Yangzhou warships proved to be even sturdier than Yuan Li had anticipated. The collision had thrown people into disarray, and the two Youzhou warships’ bows were dented and leaking. However, the situation was much worse for the Yangzhou warships. One of the ships had its bow shattered, and its bottom was torn apart by the propellers, now showing signs of sinking.
Chen Xi clung tightly to a wooden pillar as the ship tilted, shouting anxiously, “Help, someone help!”
Taking advantage of the chaos, the Youzhou navy drew their big knives and rushed onto Chen Xi’s ship, aiming to capture him.
As the two sides fought, the reinforcements that were supposed to come to help the Yangzhou navy were held back by the Youzhou navy, using stones and three-bow crossbows. On Chen Xi’s ship, the two sides fought each other fiercely, and people were occasionally thrown into the sea, staining the water red with blood.
Within the sword and blade shadows, wails of agony were heard. The ship leaned further and further, almost on the brink of sinking into the sea.
Chen Xi was genuinely terrified. His advisor hastily protected him and tried to move him back, attempting to transfer him to another warship. However, before they could go far, the Youzhou navy attacked, startling Chen Xi. He slipped on the deck and, following the ship’s tilt, fell towards the sea.
“Save me! Help!” Chen Xi shouted desperately, grabbing onto anything within reach.
As he was about to fall into the water, a large knife suddenly pierced through Chen Xi’s shoulder, pinning him firmly to the ship. Chen Xi let out a sigh of relief, tears of joy in his eyes as he looked up, “Take me to the back…”
However, when he saw that the person who saved him was wearing Youzhou navy armor, Chen Xi’s eyes widened, and he could not utter another word.
The captain who held him grinned and, carrying Chen Xi, rushed towards the warship at the back, shouting, “Protect me!”
Two quarters of an hour later, a disheveled Chen Xi was brought before Yuan Li.
The surviving Youzhou navy who fell into the water were also rescued and taken to other ships.
Out of the initial twenty Youzhou warships, only fifteen remained, while they managed to destroy around twenty of Chen Wang’s warships.
At this moment, Chen Wang’s remaining warships surrounded Yuan Li’s group, forming circle after circle. Countless arrows with burning fire points were aimed directly at them.
It seemed that Yuan Li and his group were destined to lose.
However, Yuan Li remained calm. He handed the warming stove to Lin Tian, then swiftly drew a large knife from Jia Qing’s waist and pressed it against Chen Xi’s neck.
Chen Xi’s body stiffened, his wet hair sticking to his head. He stared fixedly at the knife on his neck, afraid to move.
The Yangzhou navy that approached was extremely tense. The leading officer bellowed, “Stop!”
“You all step back,” Yuan Li scanned his surroundings, smiling faintly, but his hand with the knife was cold and unyielding, “Let my ships leave, or else I will kill your young master to vent my anger.”
A trail of blood appeared on Chen Xi’s neck.
Chen Xi winced in pain, anxiously shouting, “Step back, quickly step back!”
Everyone who witnessed the scene understood that Yuan Li was not joking.
If they didn’t let him leave, he would indeed kill Chen Xi.
If Chen Xi were just an ordinary person, if the Chen family had many heirs, then his death wouldn’t matter so much compared to capturing Yuan Li alive. But…
The Yangzhou navy officers gasped heavily, remaining silent for a long time. In the end, unwillingly, they waved their hands.
Moments later, the Yangzhou warships that had received the order slowly retreated, leaving a passage for Yuan Li to leave.
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