After Being Abducted by the General Chapter 175

Chapter 175

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“How can you…?”

Yuan Li smiled, “Father, men can marry men.”

Yuan Song took a deep breath and said, “But he is Chu Mingfeng’s younger brother!”

Yuan Li replied calmly, “You also know that the relationship between Chu Mingfeng and me is just a nominal one. It was only to save him.”

The word “absurd” was stuck in Yuan Song’s throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

In public, Yuan Li was known as Duke Wen, a person of great dignity, and Yuan Song had long lost the courage to discipline him as a father in front of his son.

In private, looking at Yuan Li in such a haggard state, how could Yuan Song scold him? He was even afraid that any harsh words might be too much for Yuan Li to handle.

In the end, Yuan Song could only take Lady Chen and leave the Chu Wang mansion in a hurried and disheveled manner.

Yuan Li calmly put the jade Guanyin back into his clothes and asked Yang Zhongfa and Liu Jixin to go to the Yuan mansion to persuade his family.

Yang Zhongfa and Liu Jixin were both loyal to him and Chu Hechao. Having them as representatives was the best choice. They rushed to the Yuan mansion and had no idea how much Yuan Li’s parents knew about the situation or what they should say. Yuan Li simply told them, “Just tell them the truth.”

The two of them understood, and that afternoon, they went to the Yuan mansion.

Yuan Li no longer worried about this matter and continued to organize provisions, deploy troops, and stabilize the three northern provinces.

He also made a trip to the northern border to personally reassure the generals and soldiers of the Northern Army.

The soldiers of the Northern Army expressed their utmost trust in Yuan Li, saying they were willing to follow his orders until Chu Hechao returned.

Yuan Li was surprised by their cooperation, and Gu Yuquan privately told him, “Duke Wen, this was arranged by General Chu.”

If something happened to General Chu, they would treat Yuan Li as the main commander, and anyone who defied his orders would be punished for rebellion.

Yuan Li’s heart swelled with pride and he couldn’t help but smile. “He arranged all this?”

Gu Yuquan’s gaze seemed to see through everything, and he was fully aware of the relationship between Yuan Li and Chu Hechao. He said, “So you can rest assured about the Northern Army.”

Yuan Li did feel relieved. After he returned from the Northern Army, he received news from the Liangliao Institution that brought bad tidings.

After learning that Chu Hechao was likely dead, the governors of Yanzhou and Qingzhou, Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen, began to show signs of stirring.

These two were the unfortunate governors who had been framed by Yuan Li before. They had tried to send gifts to him to clear their names, but Yuan Li had returned the gifts without giving them any face. Since then, they had harbored some resentment towards him.

They didn’t understand Yuan Li’s abilities and saw the lost Northern Three Provinces as a piece of unclaimed fat meat. They didn’t even consider their reputation and wanted to attack Yuan Li now to gain whatever advantages they could.

After hearing this, Yuan Li sneered, and his anger flared up, but he quickly regained his calm. “Are they the only ones making a move?”

Zhao Ying whispered, “Yes, the other factions are not making any moves.”

Yuan Li’s expression remained indifferent. “What about Lu He from Lanzhou?”

“Lanzhou hasn’t mobilized any troops,” Zhao Ying said, “But the Ministry of Government Affairs received a consolation letter from Lu He. He sent many gifts and subtly inquired about the circumstances of Chu Hechao’s death. My lord, Lu He should not dare to make a move against us.”

Yuan Li said, “It’s not that he doesn’t dare, he’s just observing.”

In matters of interest, there were no eternal friends or eternal enemies.

Yuan Li was no longer a naive child. In both the past and present, especially during times of war, this saying held true.

He walked to the window, watching the cold wind outside and the cold light reflecting off the snowflakes. “Lu He from Lanzhou appears to be a reckless man, but in reality, he’s quite clever. Although he had some mutual assistance with me and Chu Hechao, that relationship doesn’t mean much. If he died, I would mercilessly annex Lanzhou, and he would do the same to me. The only difference is that he knows I am not powerless, so even if something happens to Chu Hechao, he won’t rashly offend me.”

The strong wind bent the trees, breaking their branches, and the whistling sound was like crashing waves or mournful ghosts. However, inside the house, it was warm as if a gentle spring breeze, undisturbed by the outside tumult.

The faint snow-colored light reflected on Yuan Li’s face, making him look as white as jade and giving his complexion a healthier glow.

Zhao Ying looked at Yuan Li and couldn’t help but remember the first heavy snow day when they arrived in Youzhou. The lord smiled as he bid farewell to the generals heading to the Northern Border.

Back then, the lord hadn’t revealed the sharp edge he had now. His eyes were full of smiles and lightness, and his young body was brimming with vitality. When he encountered the pristine white snow, untouched by anyone else’s footprints, he couldn’t help but step on the snow to leave his own footprints.

Now, eight years had passed. The Chu Wang mansion remained the Chu Wang mansion, but the lord had become like the snow that fluttered and could cover everything in an instant.

The charcoal in the room crackled a few times, bringing Zhao Ying back to his senses. “My lord, should we have the Liangliao Institution keep a closer eye on Lu He?”

Yuan Li shook his head, “No need to waste effort on Lu He. After defeating Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen, Lu He will naturally be afraid.”

Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen were the ones sticking their necks out.

Other forces were observing, waiting to see how Yuan Li would deal with them.

If Yuan Li were to let Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen go unchallenged, or simply give them a verbal warning, they would think Yuan Li was weak and easy to bully. Then, more people would dare to act rashly. If Yuan Li wanted to stabilize the rear when attacking the Chen Wang, he had to give Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen a heavy and forceful counterattack, to use his strength to deter all those coveting him.

He had to use military force.

Yuan Li didn’t even send a warning letter or a scathing manifesto, but directly ordered the army to attack Qingzhou and Yanzhou from the border with Jizhou, using several hundred three-bow bed crossbows.

With the three-bow bed crossbows, they had a formidable weapon for besieging cities. The arrow, like a long spear, was firmly nailed to the city walls. Before the officials and soldiers inside the city could react, the army climbed the walls using the arrows and opened the city gates from the inside.

The heavy cavalry led the way, followed closely by the light cavalry. The elite army Yuan Li had trained with countless efforts and resources was unstoppable for the Qingzhou and Yanzhou troops. Within a mere ten days, Yuan Li had captured several of their cities, and the two provinces suffered a crushing defeat. When Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen received the news, they were shocked and furious.

They hadn’t expected Yuan Li’s style to be so fierce, silently inflicting such a heavy blow on them! They wanted to fight back, but it was winter, and their soldiers’ equipment was not as well-prepared as Yuan Li’s army. Many of their soldiers froze to death. Moreover, the rivers in the north would freeze, and if Yuan Li’s army continued to advance, the frozen river wouldn’t stop their march.

Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen quickly conceded defeat and reluctantly asked Yuan Li to stop the advance.

When this news reached Yuan Li’s ears, he said indifferently, “When asking for help, one must show a humble attitude.”

Due to this one sentence from Yuan Li, Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen offered even more money and apologized humbly, losing all face.

However, Yuan Li did not return the captured cities to them. He stationed his troops there, patrolling and training daily, making the surrounding cities tremble with fear, always feeling that Yuan Li was watching them like a tiger.

From the provocation of Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen to their surrender and defeat, the whole process took less than twenty days. The battle came to a quick end, like a tornado. Yuan Li showed his fist to all the observing forces, and this fist was strong and terrifying, striking like thunder. Almost instantly, all the disturbances in the north became calm.

Even Lanzhou’s Lu He sent another letter to Yuan Li, declaring that he considered Yuan Li and Chu Hechao as friends and that Yuan Li could call upon him whenever needed.

Yuan Li tossed the letter on the table and looked at his subordinates. His gaze eventually settled on Liu Jixin, but instead of discussing Lu He, he asked, “Is the food and fodder ready?”

Liu Jixin nodded, “My lord, the food and fodder are all prepared. General Guan Zhihuai and General He Lang can lead the army at any time.”

“Good,” Yuan Li rubbed his fingers, “The land army will depart first; they can set out tomorrow. If not for Che Kangbo and Hui Zizhen, they could have left ten days ago… Let them go as soon as possible. The situation in Xuzhou is urgent; we cannot delay.”

Liu Jixin acknowledged the order.

Yuan Li pondered for a moment and then said, “The navy can also set out. I will leave soon. After I depart, the rear will be in your hands.”

Everyone replied solemnly.

Yuan Li glanced at the letter from Lu He on the table. “Spread the contents of this letter to everyone. Praise Lu He’s benevolence and make sure others believe in the friendly alliance between Lu He and us.”

Liu Jixin smiled, “A great idea, my lord. I will handle it.”

Having given out the instructions one by one, two days later, Yuan Li, along with Zhou Gongdan, Guo Mao, Jia Qing, and Yang Zhongfa, arrived near Bohai, leading a hundred thousand troops on warships, heading south to support Xuzhou.

The numerous warships almost covered the sea.

Generals Gu Yue and Kong Ran, the two navy commanders, were also excited, following Yuan Li on the expedition.

The flags fluttered, and drums beat. Watching this magnificent and awe-inspiring scene, Yuan Li exhaled deeply, firmly saying, “Set sail.”

The ships slowly started, sailing into the vast sea.

Every city they passed by knew that this was the army of Duke Wen attacking Chen Wang.

A month ago, the government issued a proclamation announcing the expedition against Chen Wang.

The proclamation was written passionately, condemning Chen Wang for breaking the covenant of Luo River and revealing all the evil deeds he had done, such as flooding Xuzhou, plotting against Chu Hechao, and besieging Yuan Li. With just the charge of destroying the Luo River alliance, it caused an uproar throughout the country.

If Chen Wang was ruthless first, then Duke Wen would not back down. Duke Wen would lead six hundred thousand troops south and defeat Chen Wang in one fell swoop.

Of course, the six hundred thousand troops were not real.

In ancient times, when waging war, it was customary to exaggerate the number of soldiers to intimidate the enemy. It was not just Yuan Li; all generals throughout history would do the same.

The people on the shore watched Duke Wen’s army from afar, stunned and unable to close their mouths, their hands dropping everything they held.

The warships were majestic, and the “Wen” character on the flags rippled in the wind.

One after another, the warships sailed by, and they couldn’t even count how many there were.

It was truly covering the sky.

Seeing this, everyone now knew how much strength Duke Wen was hiding.

They even felt that the claim of six hundred thousand troops in Duke Wen’s proclamation might not be an exaggeration, but a real number!

Such a powerful force was also a kind of demonstration, making all the observing forces shrink back in fear and dare not entertain any other thoughts.

Jiaozhou.

Chu Hechao borrowed even more troops from Jiaozhou’s Governor Zhou Lian than he had expected.

To his surprise, the governor generously lent him a full ten thousand troops and provided enough food supplies to last these troops for five months.

Looking at these things, Chu Hechao didn’t feel any joy. Instead, he frowned, appearing gloomy.

His cheeks had become much thinner, revealing a somewhat sullen and tired expression. However, his figure remained tall and imposing, emanating a heavy aura.

On the other side, Zhou Yukan, much older than him, had lost the gallant and romantic aura of his youth. Seeing Chu Hechao, who still looked as heroic as decades ago, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of envy and jealousy.

The Governor of Jiaozhou, he knew Chu Hechao’s character quite well. Seeing his expression, he smiled and said, “Ciye, do you really doubt my intentions?”

Chu Hechao didn’t confirm or deny anything; he just asked back, “Uncle, are you really at ease lending me ten thousand troops? Aren’t you afraid I’ll take them and run?”

Jiaozhou Governor chuckled while stroking his beard, “Naturally, I’m not afraid. I know your character well, and I’ve received your favor before. What are these ten thousand troops compared to that? You can rest assured to take them!”

Chu Hechao replied indifferently, “My journey is dangerous, and if these ten thousand troops suffer heavy losses, I’m afraid you might regret it.”

“No worries, no worries,” the Governor of Jiaozhou waved his hand nonchalantly, “Being able to work under you is their good fortune. If they can achieve some merit, it would be a great thing.”

Chu Hechao lifted his eyes and looked deeply at the Governor of Jiaozhou, “Uncle’s generosity makes me somewhat uneasy.”

The Governor of Jiaozhou shook his head and playfully scolded, “You, Chu Ciye, your temper hasn’t changed in years!”

Feeling amused, he deliberately put on a serious face, “Not to mention that your father and I were good friends, but my beloved son, Zhou Yukan, is also your elder brother’s good friend. Besides, you have shown me favor, isn’t that enough reason for me to help you?”

Zhou Yukan had a smile on his face, chiming in, “Yes, Ciye, we met many times when you were young. You should still address me as your elder brother. We are family; don’t think too much about it.”

Chu Hechao’s eyes were lowered, his fingers tapping on the table, slowly and deliberately.

The Governor of Jiaozhou and his son exchanged a glance. Though Chu Hechao was the one seeking help, they were the ones appearing to have the upper hand at the moment.

After a moment, Chu Hechao suddenly asked, “Is this what Chu Mingfeng left for you?”

It was a question, but his tone was certain.

The father and son suddenly looked embarrassed.

Chu Hechao smiled faintly and looked at Zhou Yukan, “After Chu Mingfeng’s death, he left things to two people, Yuan Li and another person. His assets disappeared, along with his loyal servant. I investigated the whereabouts of these things, and I found traces of them in your possession.”

Zhou Yukan touched his nose, showing a guilty expression on his face, and admitted, “Why didn’t you come to us earlier to claim your brother’s belongings?”

Chu Hechao put away his smile and said indifferently, “His belongings can go to whomever he wishes; it has nothing to do with me. I only investigated because I was afraid that his actions might implicate the Chu Wang Mansion.”

Zhou Yukan smiled wryly, “In fact, Chu Mingfeng left these things to us not to give to us, but to be kept in our care… He once said that if you needed them, we should give them to you, but if you didn’t, we could keep them.”

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and said in a casual tone, “No wonder Uncle is willing to provide me with such assistance.”

With this sentence, Zhou Yukan and his son were left red-faced.

Because they all knew that Chu Mingfeng’s assets accumulated over so many years in the court were definitely more than just ten thousand troops and five months’ worth of military provisions.

In fact, these things were only one-tenth of what Chu Mingfeng left in Zhou Yukan’s care.

However, the rest of the things were either used by them or they were reluctant to hand them all over to Chu Hechao. After all, these things were also crucial to Jiaozhou and almost half of their family assets.

Originally, they didn’t plan to reveal the truth, but Chu Hechao couldn’t be fooled. With just a single sentence that showed he was aware of the truth, Zhou Yukan and his son felt uncomfortable.

Chu Hechao had no intention of pressing further.

Although the things were left by his brother for him, the most difficult thing to test was human nature. When it came to interests, even the generals who had followed Chu Hechao for decades might betray him, not to mention Zhou Yukan and his son whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

The things were now in their hands and were no longer Chu Mingfeng’s. They were willing to return a part of them to Chu Hechao, which showed that their conscience was still intact. Chu Hechao wouldn’t tear their faces over this matter now.

Chu Hechao’s expression remained unchanged, “Please help me organize the troops and supplies immediately. Any delay may lead to changes. I will leave Jiaozhou today.”

The Governor of Jiaozhou didn’t dare to act arrogantly anymore, and he nodded hurriedly, “Of course, of course.”

He hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Thank you, nephew, for your understanding.”

Chu Hechao stood up, nodded slightly to the Governor of Jiaozhou, and turned to leave.

He didn’t want to delve into the current feelings of him and his son. Chu Hechao just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

He hadn’t seen Yuan Li for three months.

During this time, Chu Hechao often dreamed of Yuan Li, feeling devastated and heartbroken, thinking he had died. 

He would wake up in the middle of the night, sitting alone on the bed, experiencing the pain of his heart contracting and struggling to sleep. He allowed the ache and anxiety to engulf him silently until dawn.

Chu Hechao just wanted to see Yuan Li as soon as possible, the sooner, the better.

He felt like he was on the verge of going crazy from missing him.

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