Chapter 40
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Wu Kai wasted no time and mounted his horse with weapons in hand, engaging in a frontal fight with Wang Er.
Both of them were excited and in good condition. They swung their spears vigorously, creating dazzling sparks when their weapons clashed.
Despite the powerful force of their collision, both of them remained firmly seated on their horses without slipping off.
The onlookers became increasingly excited as they watched, their hearts filled with tumultuous emotions.
After the day came to an end, everyone present kept silent about what had transpired and quickly focused on the progress of stirrup production.
Once enough stirrups were made, Yuan Li gathered his subordinates and equipped them with stirrups, beginning their training as cavalry.
The surplus iron ore was then crafted into plate armor by Yuan Li’s orders.
When Yuan Li learned that the great gift presented by Zhong Ji was an iron mine, a wild ambition began to stir within him.
He wanted to create a formidable heavy cavalry force.
Cavalry can be divided into light cavalry and heavy cavalry. Heavy cavalry consists of soldiers fully covered in armor, capable of effectively countering enemy swords and spears. The requirements for heavy cavalry are high. Firstly, the horses must be strong and tall. Secondly, the cavalry themselves must be skilled and muscular, capable of bearing the weight of heavy armor and wielding battle axes and spears.
Heavy cavalry is slower and less agile, but their killing and impact power is undoubtedly unparalleled.
In situations of stalemate during war, deploying heavy cavalry to break through the enemy’s shield bearers and formations often yields unexpected, even decisive, results. Currently, Northern Zhou lacks a true corps of heavy cavalry for two reasons. Firstly, the resources and finances required to maintain a heavy cavalryman could support three light cavalrymen. Secondly, the innate limitations imposed by the absence of stirrups mean that few soldiers can charge on horseback fully armored from head to toe.
But now, with the invention of stirrups, the second problem can be overcome.
The more Yuan Li thought about it, the more excited he became.
However, he suppressed his excitement and started training from the most basic techniques.
Yuan Li’s subordinates were already skilled in horse riding, but due to the limited number of horses he had acquired in the past, they were only proficient in “riding” and nothing more. Now, they needed to learn how to fight on horseback.
During the training process, Yuan Li realized that the three hundred subordinates he brought from Youzhou were still too few. One-third of them had been sent to the seaside to refine fine salt, leaving only about two hundred remaining.
Although these two hundred men were all elites, they were still not enough. Observing his subordinates deep in thought during training, Liu Jixin curiously asked, “What is the Lord thinking about?”
Yuan Li replied, “I’m considering conscription.”
Understanding his intentions, Liu Jixin stroked his beard and nodded, “Indeed, conscription is necessary. Although the Grand General has a force of 130,000 soldiers, these soldiers are ultimately needed to station the border defenses. Youzhou requires its own garrison to ensure that it can handle its own affairs. Otherwise, it will be too late for reinforcements to arrive in the event of an emergency.”
“Yes,” Yuan Li sighed, “In order to establish the garrison in Youzhou, Chu Hechao’s force of 130,000 soldiers, despite the seemingly large number, is actually quite small. He also needs to conscript soldiers.”
Liu Jixin nodded, “When you add up the various forces of the Wuwan people, there are at least several hundred thousand troops. The White Rice Gang population, together with the rebels, amounts to over 300,000 people. The Grand General should indeed conscript soldiers. I wonder if the Grand General has such intentions?”
Yuan Li chuckled, “Him? As long as there is enough food, he would love to conscript another 130,000 soldiers.”
How could Yuan Li not know about that spendthrift?
If it weren’t for the lack of conditions, Chu Hechao would have started conscripting soldiers long ago.
Upon hearing Yuan Li mention food, Liu Jixin became a little worried, “My Lord, if we conscript soldiers, we might face some shortages of food.”
Yuan Li smiled confidently, “Don’t worry, isn’t it harvest season now? We managed to pacify the conflicts early in Youzhou, and the fields here haven’t suffered much damage. Moreover, Chang Yue, have you forgotten about our cooperation with the Zhang, Yu, and Liu families in selling soap? Considering the timing, the funds from the first batch of soap sales should be coming to me soon.”
Liu Jixin calculated and smiled, “Looking at it this way, we have enough for conscription.”
Yuan Li smiled faintly, “Exactly, but I don’t plan to conscript soldiers right now. Let’s collect taxes after the autumn harvest, and by the turn of the year, when spring comes, we can proceed with the conscription.”
Liu Jixin pondered for a moment and reminded, “My Lord, it’s not just the Bandits who claim to be the Yishan Army in Yanzhou. There are probably many bandits in Youzhou as well. During the autumn harvest, it’s when they like to plunder villages. You should prepare in advance.”
Yuan Li raised his chin towards the cavalry in the field, “Using the local bandits in Youzhou as the real opponents for our cavalry training, we can effectively train the cavalry and eliminate the bandits in Youzhou. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”
“It’s killing two birds with one stone, but don’t we have too few people?” Liu Jixin asked.
Yuan Li replied, “Of course, I don’t expect these two hundred people alone to train a terrifying cavalry. After Chu Hechao returns, I intend to ask him for some people.”
At this point, it wasn’t the time for conscription. Yuan Li planned to select some people from Chu Hechao’s army to join his own team and train them into a formidable cavalry unit.
However, this matter needed to be discussed with Chu Hechao.
Yuan Li didn’t think Chu Hechao would refuse because the existence of this cavalry would clearly benefit Chu Hechao greatly.
Within the military, each general had their own trusted troops. Figures like Yuan Congyun, Yang Zhongfa, and He Lang had their own personal soldiers who were loyal to them as individuals, rather than to the emperor or Chu Hechao.
Such was the situation in Northern Zhou. If a general were to defect, and if that general had great charisma, it was very likely that a large number of soldiers would be willing to follow the general and leave.
Yuan Li was acknowledged by Chu Hechao himself as the Military Advisor Lieutenant General, and he had his own personal soldiers, just like Wu Kai and Wang Er, who could be considered his personal guards.
The cavalry trained by Yuan Li would naturally become his personal soldiers as well. However, Chu Hechao and Yuan Li were inseparable, and Yuan Li’s goal was not to become a renowned general nor to engage in combat on the battlefield. Although the trained cavalry were his personal soldiers, once they entered the battlefield, Chu Hechao could also command them.
Yuan Li was always aware that although he wanted to have influence over the logistics in Chu Hechao’s army, he never had the intention of replacing Chu Hechao himself. Chu Hechao was the Grand General of the 130,000 soldiers and the future Chu Wang of Youzhou. This fact would never change. Yuan Li and Chu Hechao’s domains did not conflict with each other; they could complement each other perfectly.
Yuan Li believed that once Chu Hechao saw the strength of these two hundred cavalry soldiers, he would definitely be willing to agree to his request.
Yuan Li calculated the time of Chu Hechao’s return based on the speed at which they collected rice on their way back. It would take at least another month.
However, to his surprise, Chu Hechao returned with his army half a month earlier than expected and arrived at Jixian.
When Yuan Li received the news, the sun had already set, and the night had enveloped the world.
He was already lying in bed, but upon receiving the news, he hurriedly got up, dressed, and ordered someone to clean the rooms for Chu Hechao and his party. He also arranged for meals and hot water. Hastily, he arrived at the gate of the residence. By the time he arrived, the army had already stopped outside the residence.
Yuan Li’s breath was slightly erratic as he looked at the person at the forefront of the team.
Chu Hechao was dismounting from his horse, his cloak billowing. Just as he looked up, he saw Yuan Li.
Their arrival was too sudden, and Yuan Li was completely unprepared. He had not even tied up his hair on the way here, and his black hair hung loose behind him. He was wearing a thin robe, and with the wind blowing, his outer robe and hair fluttered in disarray.
His face appeared too pale against the contrast, making him look even younger and more beautiful, but Chu Hechao always felt a coldness from him.
It was already deep autumn, and the night wind was chilly, not to mention the wind that had picked up tonight.
Chu Hechao furrowed his brows, quickened his pace, and walked up to Yuan Li in a few steps. He took off his cloak and covered Yuan Li with it.
Yuan Li could sense some anger hidden in Chu Hechao’s heart, but in front of others, they had to maintain the appearance of a good relationship. He had just forced a smile, but now it froze on his face under the cloak.
Then he heard Chu Hechao reprimanding Lintian, “You let him come out dressed so lightly?”
Lintian lowered his head, “This humble servant made a mistake.”
Yuan Li took off the cloak and said, “General, I’m not cold.”
Chu Hechao frowned as he looked at Yuan Li’s pale face and the reddened tip of his nose from the wind. He spoke in a deep voice, “Put it on.”
After just taking a bath, Yuan Li really didn’t want to wear Chu Hechao’s dusty cloak, so he casually handed the cloak to Lintian and changed the subject, “General, why did you come back so quickly?”
Chu Hechao glanced at the cloak and fell silent for a moment. “I was just harvesting the rice from a few cities. How long would it take?”
As he spoke, Yang Zhongfa and the others had already approached.
Compared to Chu Hechao, whose emotions were not discernible on his face, one could immediately see the fatigue on Yang Zhongfa and He Lang’s faces. The front of the mansion was not a place for conversation, so Yuan Li took the lead in stopping the small talk and led them into the mansion.
He Lang was too tired to even lift his arms and had no energy left. It was the first time he had entered the Chu Wang Mansion, but he couldn’t feel any joy. However, his gaze still swept around and he exclaimed, “Truly worthy of the Chu Wang Mansion, the aura is grand. But with only Young Master Yuan and the general, it’s still too desolate.”
Yuan Li casually replied, and suddenly remembered the two beauties from the Yu clan that he had once given to Chu Hechao. He teasingly glanced at Chu Hechao and chuckled, “Maybe in a few days, it won’t be so desolate anymore.”
After Yuan Li escorted the several generals into their rooms, he headed back to his own room. However, Chu Hechao didn’t go to his own room but followed Yuan Li all the way to Yuan Li’s residence.
“General,” Yuan Li halted his steps, “Why are you following me?”
Chu Hechao said, “I’m here to apologize to my sister-in-law.”
Yuan Li smirked but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “How do you plan to apologize?”
Chu Hechao glanced at the servants and they dispersed, leaving only Lintian behind. Seeing this, Yuan Li nodded slightly at Lintian, and Lintian quietly retreated.
Yuan Li calmly looked at Chu Hechao. He couldn’t deny that as soon as he saw Chu Hechao’s face, his fists began to itch, eager to land heavily on Chu Hechao’s punchable face, especially his mouth.
“Now that we’re alone, General, you may proceed,” Yuan Li said composedly.
Chu Hechao raised his hand and removed his armor, letting it fall heavily to the ground. He spoke in a low voice, “Go ahead, strike me.”
Yuan Li was taken aback. “What for?”
Chu Hechao pressed his eyebrows together. “To let you vent your anger.”
Yuan Li didn’t expect him to be so straightforward, and for a moment, he had nothing to say. “Is this your way of showing sincerity?”
Chu Hechao let out a grunt from his throat and, seeing that Yuan Li still didn’t make a move, his eyes held impatience, urging him on.
Yuan Li suddenly burst into laughter.
He rubbed his wrist, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. “General, in that case, I won’t hold back.”
After saying that, Yuan Li threw a punch.
Now that they were face to face, Yuan Li wasn’t the type to swallow his pride. If one was willing to throw a punch, the other would be willing to take it. Of course, this opportunity couldn’t be missed.
However, because they would have to cooperate in the future, it wouldn’t be good to completely embarrass each other. Yuan Li’s fist didn’t ultimately land on Chu Hechao’s face but on his body instead.
For a full fifteen minutes, Chu Hechao remained silent, sweat continuously dripping and soaking his clothes.
Yuan Li knew when to stop and also broke out in a sweat. He let out a breath of relief and straightforwardly said to Chu Hechao, “Alright, I forgive you.”
Yuan Li had shown restraint in his actions, not causing any harm but making it painful. Chu Hechao was the first person who could endure without even flinching, and as Yuan Li continued to strike, his anger dissipated.
Chu Hechao cleared the taste of blood in his throat, his voice hoarse, his face damp with sweat, giving off a seductive air. “Are you relieved now?”
Yuan Li nodded honestly. “I’m relieved.”
With the release of the frustration that had accumulated in Chu Hechao’s heart for half a month, he looked up and noticed a little bug crawling behind Yuan Li’s robe.
Yuan Li yawned, feeling sleepy, and turned to leave. “General, I’ll go back to rest first, and you should leave as well.”
But as he took a step, Chu Hechao called him back. “Sister-in-law, there’s a spider on your leg.”
Yuan Li immediately stopped in his tracks and looked down at his leg. “Where is it?”
Chu Hechao walked behind him and crouched down, causing his wound to ache, making him cough a few times. “It’s in the back.”
Yuan Li’s expression turned cold. “Get rid of it quickly.”
Chu Hechao, being much taller, could reach Yuan Li’s waist and hips when he crouched down on one knee. He lowered his head and used his hand to knock off the spider on Yuan Li’s left calf.
Yuan Li asked eagerly, “Did you get it?”
The spider fell lower, nearing the ankle. Chu Hechao’s back bent even further. But whether it was due to the pain from Yuan Li’s earlier strike or the exhaustion from the journey back, Chu Hechao couldn’t maintain his position and instinctively grabbed onto Yuan Li’s robe to steady himself.
However, in the next moment, his immense strength tore apart Yuan Li’s robe.
Yuan Li was taken aback, and then his face turned unpleasant as he exclaimed, “Let go!”
But he was too late in his shout. The firmly intact robe split open, revealing a high-slit qipao-like design up to his thighs. What was most embarrassing was that, because he had hurriedly gotten up, Yuan Li wasn’t wearing pants underneath. He had on his self-made square-legged underpants. At this moment, the tear extended below his square-legged underpants, giving the appearance that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
His smooth and fair long legs were instantly exposed in front of Chu Hechao’s eyes.
Chu Hechao’s pupils contracted in disbelief.
The torn robe swayed as the spider dropped from it, lazily moving its body before quickly scurrying away and disappearing.
However, at this moment, nobody paid any attention to the spider.
Chu Hechao looked at Yuan Li’s legs, his expression peculiar. “You’re not wearing pants underneath?”
Chu Hechao never expected to encounter such a situation.
Who could have known that Yuan Li wasn’t wearing pants underneath? If Chu Hechao had known, he wouldn’t have grabbed onto his robe to steady himself even if he fell.
But those legs were really fair and straight… This is bad.
Chu Hechao’s face stiffened, and he looked up at Yuan Li’s expression.
“…”
Yuan Li’s face turned ashen. He hadn’t clearly seen Chu Hechao’s specific actions and thought it was intentional. He turned around to face Chu Hechao, his expression gradually darkening. He suddenly lifted his foot, kicking Chu Hechao to the ground.
That kick carried full force. Chu Hechao was already squatting, and he was knocked down directly by this blow. Yuan Li quickly stepped forward, lifting his foot and firmly pressing it against Chu Hechao’s chest, ruthlessly pinning the man to the ground with an expressionless face.
Chu Hechao coughed a few times and raised his gaze, only to see Yuan Li’s cold face and… half of his leg exposed from the tear in the robe due to being stepped on.
Chu Hechao averted his eyes and only stared at Yuan Li’s face.
“What are you doing?!” Yuan Li completely lost his usual gentle demeanor. His eyes burned with anger as he looked down at Chu Hechao, his heart on fire. “Chu Hechao, why do you always remember the good times but forget the punishment?”
In his previous life, Yuan Li had encountered numerous provocations while working in logistics and training soldiers. Gentleness couldn’t make others listen, but dominance could.
After going through countless instances of admitting mistakes, sincerity, and apologies, Yuan Li finally understood.
Chu Hechao simply didn’t buy into the gentle approach.
Yuan Li emphasized each word, “Is this how you treat your elders?”
Chu Hechao furrowed his brows, “We’re the same generation.”
He was also a bit annoyed.
Just when he had finally pacified Yuan Li, now what was this?
“I can explain,” Chu Hechao said.
Yuan Li was curious to see what explanation he could come up with. Could it be that he tore his clothes because he was bitten by a spider?
Yuan Li sneered and released his restraint, squatting down. “Fine, speak.”
Chu Hechao glanced at him briefly, immediately retracting his gaze and looking up at the dark sky. The night was not favorable, with only a few dim stars scattered. The half-month journey on horseback seemed to have passed in just a few days, and there were no starry nights.
Yuan Li interjected, “Explain.”
“I wanted to apologize to you, but the next day you were gone,” Chu Hechao’s voice still carried a hoarseness, as if it was enveloped in wind and sand. “I was afraid you had left, so I hurried back to Jixian as quickly as possible.”
Chu Hechao clenched his fists and, relying on the strength in his back, lifted his upper body from the ground. He leaned in close to Yuan Li, lowering his head slightly, and the smell of sweat wafted over. “I was exhausted from the journey, and I made you vent your anger. When I tried to catch the spider for you, I lost my balance and tore your robe.”
“Brother-in-law, can this be considered understandable?”
Yuan Li couldn’t detect any signs of lying from him and asked skeptically, “Really?”
“Truly,” Chu Hechao’s eyebrows furrowed deeply, feeling a bit frustrated that his honest words were being doubted.
Yuan Li stared at him for a long time and, after a while, slowly stood up. “I’ll believe you this time for now. It’s getting late, so General, go rest.”
Chu Hechao let out a sigh of relief, decisively turned around, and prepared to leave.
But after taking just two steps, he turned his head back, subtly scanning Yuan Li from top to bottom. “Sister-in-law, I didn’t expect you to have such fashion sense. But don’t dress like this next time. It’s fine if I find out, but if someone else does, it won’t be good.”
Veins bulged on Yuan Li’s forehead. “I was wearing pants underneath.”
Chu Hechao sneered, dismissively saying, “Alright, you were wearing pants. It must have been my blind eyes.”
After saying that, without waiting for Yuan Li to explain further, he turned around and quickly walked away.
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HOLY GUACAMOLE! chu hechao has stepped on yuan li’s nerves over and over in the short time of their acquaintance that i’m v sure that, had yuan li owned a little black book that listed the many grievances upon hisperson, chu hechao would rank at the top. it’s amazing how this guy can encounter so many chances to anger people and always take each one.
“Yuan Li quickly stepped forward, lifting his foot and firmly pressing it against Chu Hechao’s chest, ruthlessly pinning the man to the ground with an expressionless face.” “But those legs were really fair and straight… This is bad.”
chu he chao: …dear whatever abbey, how do you ask for your wife to dom you while wearing a qipao in the bedroom without it getting weird…