Chapter 178
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The “Wen” flag waved, arriving unexpectedly like a divine intervention among both their own people and the enemy troops.
The soldiers from Youzhou wept tears of joy, their cheers echoing from afar. Though they were outnumbered, they erupted with a resounding voice that matched the enemy’s.
The civilians who had fled and hidden in the city looked around with suspicion and confusion, not knowing what was happening.
They strained their ears, faintly hearing… it seemed like Duke Wen had come?
Indeed, Duke Wen had come.
And he had personally led the reinforcements.
Compared to the jubilation of the Youzhou soldiers, Chen Wang’s army was in panic as if facing a formidable enemy.
The enemy general’s expression even changed dramatically.
He looked at the flag incredulously for a long time; the “Wen” character almost seemed to burn his eyes.
Duke Wen’s reinforcements had arrived, and he hadn’t received any news about it!
The grand army appeared from all directions and quickly surrounded the enemy from behind.
The yellow sand swept over the enemy, causing them to scramble and cough helplessly. They looked disheveled and miserable.
Yuan Li rushed to the forefront with his troops. He wore crimson armor with a flowing cloak behind him. His steed gradually slowed down as Yuan Li pulled the reins, leading the warhorse to pace a few steps. From a high vantage point, he looked down on the enemy, his lips curling as he shouted loudly, “Who said not to leave anyone alive in the city?”
The enemy soldiers fell silent.
After a moment, the grim-faced enemy general finally rode out from among his soldiers, his nerves tense as if facing a formidable foe. He glared at Yuan Li and said, “Duke Wen is truly capable. He arrived with such fanfare, yet we received no information.”
Yuan Li smiled, commanding his men to bring forth dozens of captives, all of them tied up.
Among these captives were scouts who had been gathering information in the surroundings, and surprisingly, there were also soldiers from Chen Wang’s camp.
The enemy general scanned from left to right, feeling a cold sweat breaking out. A dreadful thought emerged in his mind – could it be that while their main force was attacking Suiling City, Yuan Li had already launched a surprise attack on Chen Wang’s main camp from behind?
Is our lord still safe…?
The possibility frightened the enemy general, making him anxious and uneasy.
And his guess was not wrong.
Yuan Li initially planned to disembark on the east bank of Xuzhou. However, he found that the cities on the east bank of Xuzhou had already been occupied by Chen Wang’s forces. The occupiers were the same naval forces that had once besieged him at sea, indicating that after they failed to catch up with him, the Yangzhou naval forces returned from their Yangzhou campaign and landed on the east bank of Xuzhou, engaging in a fierce battle with his remaining troops.
Seeing the situation on the east bank of Xuzhou, Yuan Li realized that after he captured Chen Xi, Chen Wang had vented his fury entirely on Xuzhou.
Upon realizing the dire situation, Yuan Li chose not to disembark on the east bank of Xuzhou. Instead, he circled around to the rear and prepared to make a surprise attack, catching Chen Wang off guard!
Since Chen Wang had unleashed his anger on Xuzhou, Yuan Li didn’t hesitate to return the favor to Chen Wang.
With insufficient troops in the rear and no one anticipating Yuan Li’s sudden appearance, the expression on Chen Wang’s face when Yuan Li arrived could only make Yuan Li sneer with disdain.
At the time of the siege preparations, Chen Wang was already on a warship, protected by his guards as they sailed away along the river.
Facing the enemy general’s uncertain expression, Yuan Li’s smile became meaningful, making the general even more suspicious. In just a moment, Yuan Li’s imposing presence completely overwhelmed him.
“What a Chen Wang, what a merciless massacre without sparing anyone in the city,” Yuan Li exclaimed, “Today, I finally witnessed Chen Wang’s dominance. I presume his reputation for benevolence and love came from his merciless slaughtering of cities like this?”
The enemy general’s face changed between red and pale, losing the confidence he had earlier. He gritted his teeth and retorted, “Duke Wen, stop talking nonsense!”
Yuan Li abruptly ceased his smile and coldly stared at the general. A chill rose from his gaze, causing the general to shiver uncontrollably.
“Since you enjoy massacring cities so much, let me give you a taste of being hunted down and slaughtered,” Yuan Li said. He turned to Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing, “Generals, I leave them to you. Whoever kills the enemy general will receive the credit.”
Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing clasped their fists and stared at the general with a murderous intent. “We obey your orders,” they responded.
The enemy general clenched his weapon tightly, his facial muscles twitching.
At this moment, he no longer had the mindset to continue the siege; he only wanted to quickly return and see if his rear was under attack.
His instincts on the battlefield had saved him many times. He truly felt that if he confronted Duke Wen head-on, he might lose his life here!
As Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing’s forces attacked, he immediately abandoned the city behind him and led his troops in an attempt to forcefully break out.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
Chen Wang’s army panicked, and in the blink of an eye, the tide of the battle turned.
Yuan Li wasn’t as skilled in military operations, so he entrusted the large army to Jia Qing and Yang Zhongfa. He led a group of his own guards to the city gate.
The soldiers inside the city were still happily preparing to open the gate for Yuan Li. However, at the critical moment Xiang Hongyun, standing on the city wall, halted them. They heard him say in a low voice, “My lord, there’s an epidemic in the city. It’s best not to come in.”
Yuan Li frowned, wondering how an epidemic could break out. After he had dealt with the floods in Xuzhou, he distributed the medicinal herbs and medical personnel brought along to various towns to prevent any outbreak of diseases after the floods. This measure had been effective, and no epidemic had broken out until the time of his departure. However, why, after three months, was there suddenly an epidemic?
“What’s going on? Is there only a plague in Suiling City, or are all the other cities affected as well?” Yuan Li calmly asked.
As soon as they saw him, the soldiers felt as if they had seen their backbone. Seeing the situation, even Xiang Hongyun didn’t intend to conceal the epidemic from the soldiers anymore and briefly explained what had happened.
After hearing the cause, Yuan Li couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “What a vile epidemic battle!”
His eyes darkened, and the anger on his face made him even more imposing.
Yuan Li never imagined that Chen Wang would use such a despicable and ruthless tactic.
A slight mistake, and the epidemic battle could end up hurting both sides. How could Chen Wang dare?
He could almost imagine how Xiang Hongyun and Wu Kai had survived during these days. They had few medical experts around them, and the medical supplies were constantly being consumed. People in the city were anxious, and hungry wolves waited outside. Chen Wang’s methods were extremely unscrupulous. With just one misstep, the entire Xuzhou would be affected. He was resorting to any means necessary to take down Xuzhou!
Thankfully, Wu Kai and Xiang Hongyun had persisted until now. Otherwise…
Yuan Li closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed his anger. When he opened his eyes again, he had regained his composure. “Rest assured, I brought many medical experts and medicinal supplies, and they are rushing here from the rear. Once they arrive, they will surely provide a cure for the plague!”
The guards of Wu Kai shed tears of joy and held him emotionally, “My lord, you are saved!”
They had held on until now, and their efforts had not been in vain.
Wu Kai coughed a few times and forced a smile, nodding heavily.
Yuan Li turned around, coldly looking at the retreating Chen Wang’s army.
It was evident that Chen Wang had spent a considerable amount of resources to maintain his army. Their equipment was new, and their armor was sturdy. However, they excelled in naval warfare, not land battles, while Yuan Li’s cavalry was among the most formidable in the world. The enemy, eager to return, was frightened by Yuan Li’s imposing arrival and the display of reinforcements, leading to a series of defeats. Countless casualties later, they were even caught off guard, and their main force broke out under the guidance of their general.
Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing chased after the enemy general, never letting him go.
What a joke!
Duke Wen had just said that he would massacre the enemy general. Yang Zhongfa was a fierce general from the North, and Jia Qing was a renowned general from Jizhou. If they allowed the enemy general to escape under Duke Wen’s nose, they would lose face and reputation!
The horses thundered, raising yellow sand as they relentlessly pursued.
Yuan Li remained patient, waiting calmly.
In less than half an hour, Jia Qing returned, covered in dust and holding a blood-drenched head in his hands. His face was smeared with blood, giving him a fierce and ghastly appearance.
As he arrived before Yuan Li, Jia Qing quickly dismounted from his horse, wearing a rare look of delight on his face. “I fulfilled my mission and present the enemy general’s head!” he proclaimed proudly.
Yang Zhongfa arrived shortly afterward, panting with dissatisfaction. He shouted, “Jia Qing, you b*stard! You stole my credit!”
Jia Qing didn’t even bother to look at him, concealing his accomplishments and fame.
Yuan Li chuckled, accepted the head, and had it hung on the city wall. He praised Jia Qing multiple times for his accomplishment.
When the main army arrived with food and medicine from the rear, Yuan Li ordered everyone to cover their mouths and noses and opened the city gates.
Xiang Hongyun and Wu Kai were waiting inside the city gate. Both of them looked haggard, especially Wu Kai, who was covered in bloodstains and filth, looking disheveled.
When they saw Yuan Li, both of them were excited and wanted to bow in salute. However, Yuan Li waved his hand, avoiding such formalities, and said to the medical experts, “Quickly check on Wu Kai’s condition.”
The medical experts didn’t delay and rushed over to support Wu Kai, beginning their examination.
The people inside the city kept their distance, fearing they might transmit the disease to Yuan Li. Only Xiang Hongyun, who wasn’t affected, stood by Yuan Li’s side and explained everything that had happened in Xuzhou.
After listening, Yuan Li sighed, “You have all worked hard. With only ten thousand soldiers, you defended a city whose walls were almost breached, pacified the civilians, and retreated to Suiling. On top of that, you endured Chen Wang’s vicious plague warfare during the siege. To have three thousand soldiers remaining is already an achievement.”
Xiang Hongyun had been tirelessly working during this period. Normally, he took good care of his eyes and would put aside official duties when the lighting conditions weren’t ideal. But during this time, his eyes had turned red from staying up late every night, and he barely got two hours of sleep.
No one expected Chen Wang to break the five-year alliance, nor did they anticipate that the earthen walls would be so badly damaged by water that they would crumble upon contact. And no one could have foreseen the extent of Chen Wang’s despicable tactics. Even if Zhou Gongdan or Liu Jixin were here, they wouldn’t have done a better job than Xiang Hongyun and Wu Kai.
Upon hearing these words, Xiang Hongyun suddenly felt that the previous hardships were nothing compared to this. “I didn’t do much. As long as Lord Wu is safe, I can be at ease,” he said.
Yuan Li nodded firmly and said, “He will be fine.”
When it came to a plague, no one could guarantee that it would pass without consequences. However, when Yuan Li said he would be fine, Xiang Hongyun truly believed it.
He felt a sense of relief and, for a moment, he was startled by this realization.
He had trusted Yuan Li to this extent?
With strong support from the rear, the medical experts began to focus their efforts on researching the disease. Yuan Li sealed off the entire city, not allowing anyone to enter or leave, in an attempt to curb the spread of the plague.
The people of Xuzhou didn’t trust Wu Kai and Xiang Hongyun, but they believed in Duke Wen.
When they heard that Duke Wen had arrived, they no longer feared the officials and soldiers. They came out of their hiding places, supporting each other, and timidly approached.
Since Yuan Li received a medical book from the system, he had been cautious about the possibility of a plague outbreak. Some of the medical experts he brought to Xuzhou were skilled in dealing with such matters, but they were stationed in other towns within Xuzhou and not with Wu Kai. Fortunately, among the medical experts he brought this time, there were also talents skilled in handling plagues. It didn’t take long before they began to notice signs of the disease.
Yang Zhongfa and Jia Qing wasted no time in Suiling City and immediately led their troops to recapture the cities that Chen Wang had taken.
Meanwhile, Yuan Li stayed in Suiling City for five or six days. Once the emotions of the soldiers and civilians stabilized and the treatment of the disease was well organized, he left Suiling and headed to Xiapi.
Upon learning of his return, Ouyang Ting was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He didn’t even bother to tidy his clothes and hurried to the city gate to welcome Yuan Li.
Seeing Yuan Li, Ouyang Ting was at a loss for words. At this moment, words of gratitude felt hollow and superfluous. He wiped away the moistness in his eyes and reached out to pat Yuan Li’s shoulder firmly. “Your master knew you were coming and prepared a sumptuous meal. Tonight, we, master and disciple, will have a good drink together!”
Yuan Li smiled, “I’m not good with alcohol, so I’ll just watch my teacher drink.”
It was early spring, and people were still dressed warmly. Yuan Li, coming from the icy northern region, wore several layers of clothing. He had just dismounted, and his face showed a slight flush from sweat. At first glance, he appeared to be elegant and robust.
But when Ouyang Ting touched him, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Despite wearing thick clothes, Yuan Li’s body felt bony. After patting him a few more times, Ouyang Ting realized that Yuan Li had lost a lot of weight.
He furrowed his brow in concern. How could Yuan Li look even thinner than he did three months ago in Xuzhou?
Suddenly, Ouyang Ting remembered that Yuan Li still had an unresolved issue. Yuan Li had yet to find Chu Hechao, and they didn’t know if he was alive or dead!
Ouyang Ting felt extremely regretful and broke into a cold sweat. He cursed himself in his heart and dragged Yuan Li to the mansion, saying, “Le Jun, before you left, I told you I would find Chu Hechao when you returned. Do you remember?”
Yuan Li naturally remembered, but since Ouyang Ting hadn’t brought it up before, he assumed there was no news about it. Trying to avoid disappointment, he pretended to forget about it.
Now that Ouyang Ting brought it up, Yuan Li was taken aback and looked at Ouyang Ting with a radiant gaze. His voice even trembled slightly, “Are you… Are you saying…”
Ouyang Ting regretfully said, “I haven’t found Chu Hechao.”
The brilliance in Yuan Li’s eyes gradually dimmed, and he forced a smile. He was about to say “It’s alright” when he heard Ouyang Ting continue, “But about a month ago, I received a package, not knowing who sent it, and it contained a letter from Chu Hechao! I’m not sure if the handwriting is genuine. Take a look!”
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Thanks for the update