Chapter 180
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After the government released the grain, the supplies for the war were reduced.
Chen Wang had a rich treasury, but in the past two years, one war after another had consumed a significant amount of grain and resources. After distributing the grain, the remaining reserves became precarious.
Chen Wang immediately dispatched ships to Yuzhou and Yizhou to collect grain from these regions.
However, the ships sent out did not return. Several days later, the water patrol team urgently sought an audience with Chen Wang, bringing back some bad news, “My lord, Duke Wen leads a force of six hundred thousand soldiers and is rapidly approaching Yangzhou! Moreover…”
Chen Wang’s expression fluctuated between emotions, and he asked in a deep voice, “Moreover, what?”
The person delivering the message nervously swallowed and continued, “Moreover, Duke Wen has taken the young master hostage and demands that you surrender willingly…”
Chen Wang’s anger surged, and his vision darkened for a moment. He forcefully slammed his hand on the armrest.
“Prepare the troops!”
***
On the Yangtze River, Yuan Li’s army had stopped outside the blockade line of Yangzhou.
Hundreds of boats were neatly arranged in a grand fleet, appearing formidable and imposing, ready for a large-scale battle.
However, white smoke was rising from these new and spacious warships.
Yuan Li was having a meal with his soldiers.
This was not the simple and rough dry rations; it was fresh poultry and pork. Stoves were set up, water was boiling, and the soldiers happily held the poultry and pork in their hands. When the signal was given from the main ship, the captains immediately shouted, “Get to work!”
The patrol boats inside the blockade line thought that Duke Wen’s army was about to attack and anxiously prepared to evade. However, they realized that they were completely ignored.
Upon hearing the command, all the soldiers cheered, and then, like a competition, they skillfully and cleanly slaughtered the poultry and pork. Other soldiers came with wooden buckets to catch the blood, scald the hair, and clean the deck, all working busily.
The newly killed meat was distributed, and ten people formed a group around a pot, chattering and urging their squad leaders to add seasoning.
The squad leaders carried seasonings enough for ten people on them, including salt, sugar, pepper, and ginger slices, and they were generous with their usage. If any squad leader was stingy with the seasoning, they would be playfully teased by the soldiers, “Our squad leader is reluctant to use seasonings!”
The squad leaders were both angered and amused and kicked one soldier’s butt, “The meat alone can’t satisfy you all?”
They were lively and busy. Before long, the smell of the meat became strong, drifting with the sea breeze toward the blockade line of Yangzhou.
The patrol boats of Chen Wang were stunned.
They couldn’t believe that at this critical moment, Duke Wen’s army could still be so relaxed, eating and drinking as if they were not here for a battle but a picnic!
The patrol team dared not let their guard down, but as they smelled the tantalizing aroma of the meat carried by the sea breeze, many of them couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, their stomachs growling loudly.
The meat smells so good from Duke Wen’s army… It has affected their spirits.
On the main ship, Yuan Li and his subordinates were also cooking meat in a small pot.
Accompanying him were Xiang Hongyun, Guo Mao, Jia Qing, and the commander of the navy, Gu Yue. Yang Zhongfa, Kong Ran, and Zhou Gongdan were nowhere to be found.
Everyone was at ease, not as playful as the soldiers, but not nervous either.
As the water in the pot decreased, Lin Tian estimated that the meat should be cooked. He poked a piece with chopsticks.
The meat was tender and elastic, and it left a small hole when poked. Lin Tian immediately picked up a piece of well-marbled, square-shaped meat, brushed it with sauce, carefully wrapped it with vegetable leaves, and then presented it to Yuan Li along with the bowl and chopsticks. “Please enjoy, my lord.”
Yuan Li still had a smile on his face. He received the dish, saying, “Let’s start eating.”
The subordinates didn’t hold back either; they picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began to enjoy the meat with cheerful smiles.
By the time they finished their meal, Chen Wang’s navy finally arrived.
Smelling the aroma in the air and observing the situation on Duke Wen’s ships, Chen Wang’s navy already knew what the enemy was up to. Their hungry stomachs growled incessantly, and even some of the officers’ faces flushed with hunger.
The enticing smell of the meat diverted their attention.
Chen Wang frowned as he saw how relaxed and at ease Duke Wen’s soldiers appeared. How could they be so carefree if they didn’t have absolute confidence?
His wariness heightened, and he swept his gaze over the enemy ships, quickly realizing that something was amiss. These warships looked different from the traditional ones he had seen before. Even with his vast experience, he had never encountered Duke Wen’s type of warships.
Could this be Yuan Li’s secret weapon?
Chen Wang contemplated, “Are these the iron-headed ships you mentioned before? The ones that can destroy other ships?”
One of the generals next to him replied, “Yes, it’s because of these ships that we were taken by surprise last time and they captured the young master.”
Chen Wang nodded, “Then avoid direct collision with them.”
Yangzhou relied heavily on its navy and had the largest shipyard in Northern Zhou. Chen Wang had a total of two thousand warships, but a considerable portion was used for other purposes, and many were still docked in the shipyard, without manpower and resources to mobilize immediately.
This substantial naval strength allowed Chen Wang to dominate the entire South. He thought that after returning to his stronghold in Yangzhou, Yuan Li would be too afraid to pursue him. But unexpectedly, not only did Yuan Li catch up, but he also seemed so at ease, causing Chen Wang to feel a bit apprehensive.
If Yuan Li could silently withdraw Yangzhou’s grain, could he also be hiding other tactics?
At this moment, the people on the ship had finished their hot and fresh meal.
Yuan Li took a handkerchief and wiped his hands, then stood up and walked to the deck as if he had just noticed Chen Wang’s presence. He pretended to be surprised and said, “Chen Wang is here too? Why didn’t you inform me? We have some history together; I could have invited you to join us for a meal.”
The captain who had shouted for Yuan Li before obediently stood by his side and tried to use his voice to intimidate the enemy.
Though Chen Wang had doubts, he decided to do the opposite. He ordered the boats to slowly approach Yuan Li’s fleet, appearing calm and composed as he joked, “I killed Chu Hechao, and yet you still want to invite me to dine with you?”
Yuan Li sneered, “Inviting Chen Wang to dine is to offer you one last hearty meal.”
Chen Wang’s men couldn’t contain their anger and were about to retort, but Chen Wang himself laughed heartily, “In all my years, you are the first person who dares to say such a thing to my face. Yuan Li, you are good, very good indeed!”
As Chen Wang was being supported forward, he had a slightly healthier complexion, appearing more spirited than before. When he reached the bow, he stopped and waved away the supporting hands, crossing his hands behind his back and sighed, “I like young people like you. If only I could be ten years younger… no, just five years younger, then this world would be mine. You, Yuan Li, would also be my subject. But alas… we shouldn’t have reached such a hostile situation.”
Unmoved, Yuan Li calmly replied, “No. Even if you were five or ten years younger, even if you had unbridled power, we would still end up in this situation, Chen Wang. Our paths are fundamentally different.”
Chen Wang showed interest and asked, “Do you think my path is not good?”
Yuan Li smiled, “Does Chen Wang think his path is good?”
Chen Wang shook his head and advised earnestly, “Yuan Li, you are great in many ways, but you have one flaw – you place too much emphasis on the common people.”
Yuan Li gazed at him calmly, showing no emotional response.
He didn’t even bother refuting Chen Wang because he knew that a few words wouldn’t change his thoughts.
Did ancient rulers not understand the importance of the common people? How could they not?
Emperors, nobles, and powerful landlords all knew that their wealth came from the lower class. That’s why they wished for good weather every year. Emperors performed rain rituals to pray for bountiful harvests for the common people.
However, rulers dared not let the common people become too prosperous. They feared that if the common people lived too well, they would have the strength to rebel or seek spiritual fulfillment and develop critical thinking.
To consolidate power, rulers began to implement policies that kept the common people ignorant. They restricted knowledge to the upper class, ensuring that the common people remained uneducated, with limited thinking capacity, so their minds were occupied with simple daily tasks like eating, sleeping, and farming. They believed that as long as the people could survive, they would never think of rebellion.
Thus, in feudal dynasties, the ideal subjects for rulers were people who were not well-fed but not starved enough to rebel.
This was the consensus among all rulers. However, Yuan Li chose a path that was entirely different, a path no one had ever taken before.
He sent discharged soldiers to the grassroots level to promote literacy and raise the people’s knowledge. He created a unique imperial examination system. He opened markets within Youzhou, ensuring the people had economic prosperity and enough to eat and wear.
He enriched the people spiritually and even sought to break the cultural monopoly.
Each of his actions offended many interests.
Those who walked alone were always excluded, and scholars would not approve of Yuan Li’s path. Even Chen Wang did not believe Yuan Li had taken the right path.
They wanted to bring Yuan Li down, but they didn’t dare to openly attack him. So, they worked secretly to incite Wu Shanshi against Yuan Li, to push Jiang Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, against Yuan Li, and to urge Chen Wang to confront Yuan Li.
Behind each enemy was not just the enemy themselves; there were too many people in this world who wanted Yuan Li dead. But they couldn’t stop Yuan Li’s steps.
Yuan Li didn’t reply to Chen Wang’s words. Instead, he clapped his hands, and someone brought a person over.
The person was forced to kneel in front of Yuan Li, with disheveled hair, a haggard appearance, and a pale face. It was none other than Chen Xi.
Chen Wang’s face suddenly changed, and he stared fixedly at Chen Xi.
Chen Xi seemed to sense something and looked around in panic. When he saw Chen Wang, he immediately burst into tears and pleaded, “Father, save me!”
Chen Wang suddenly rebuked, “Shut up!”
This single shout exhausted all of Chen Wang’s strength, and both Chen Xi and Yuan Li clearly heard it. Chen Xi trembled and nervously closed his mouth.
Chen Wang’s hands trembled, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. “What does Duke Wen want to do with this wretch?”
Yuan Li sneered, “Chen Wang, I already said, as long as you surrender, your son will live.”
“Impossible,” Chen Wang firmly declared, “Even if you kill him, it won’t be enough for me to surrender to you. Yuan Li, although my heirs are few, I do have daughters, and my children also have children. You think you can make me give up everything just by using Chen Xi? You are delusional!”
Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, “Then there’s nothing more to talk about.”
Immediately, his bodyguards unsheathed their large knives and roughly grabbed Chen Xi by the collar, placing the knife at his neck.
Chen Xi trembled all over, “Father…”
Chen Wang took another deep breath, speaking to himself, “You’d be better off dead early on, so I wouldn’t be caught in such a dilemma…”
He closed his eyes and took a step back, “Yuan Li, I can compromise, at most I’ll agree to sign another five-year peace treaty with you. That’s my bottom line.”
“Is Chen Wang joking?” Guo Mao stepped forward, mocking, “The last Luo River alliance didn’t even last five years before you broke it. Our General was left in the dark by your betrayal! You think we would fall for the same trick again? It’s widely known that the blood oath means nothing in Chen Wang’s eyes, just a toy he can tear up at any time!”
Chen Wang’s anger surged, his face darkened, and he no longer said another word. He turned around, flicked his sleeve, and was about to walk into the cabin.
Suddenly, Yuan Li called out loudly, “Chen Wang!”
Chen Wang halted his steps but refrained from turning around. After a moment, he heard Chen Xi’s agonizing scream from behind him.
With a cold and ruthless back view, the old man with graying hair remained motionless, though no one noticed Chen Wang’s trembling fingers hidden in his sleeves.
After all, that was his son, whom he had raised for over twenty years.
Chen Wang couldn’t bear it and turned his head to take one last look at his dying son.
The bodyguard who had killed Chen Xi kept a close watch on Chen Wang’s every move. At that moment, the bodyguard raised the blood-stained sword that had wounded Chen Xi’s arm and, in Chen Wang’s sidelong glance, ended Chen Xi’s life with a swift strike.
Chen Wang’s pupils dilated, shocked to witness his son’s death right before his eyes. Even though he had already anticipated that Yuan Li would use this method to provoke his weakened condition, it still affected Chen Wang deeply.
His vision blurred, and the image of Chen Xi’s fearful and resentful eyes burned into his mind. Chen Wang’s breathing became rapid, and suddenly, he spat out blood and staggered, falling to the ground.
The people around him exclaimed and rushed to his side, anxiously and fearfully shouting, “Your Highness!”
“Chen Wang!”
“Someone, quickly! Where is the physician?!”
The Yangzhou Navy was thrown into chaos.
Yuan Li watched Chen Wang’s reaction and felt as if he had seen his own self from several months ago when he learned about the ambush on Chu Hechao.
He suddenly found it laughable that Chen Wang, who seemed to care little about the lives of others, would be driven to this extent by his son’s death.
However, Yuan Li quickly set aside these thoughts and took advantage of the situation. He decisively ordered, “Attack!”
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