C94. Fight Back.

C94. Fighting Back.

Cheng Bu remained bent over, not rising to his feet.

His posture was humble, his words respectful, devoid of any offensive language, yet each sentence seemed to strike a nerve with Chu Hechao.

Those who heard him speak felt a surge of anger rising from within, their faces turning a grim shade of blue.

Li Li's intentions were clear - he aimed to take action preemptively and silence any potential dissent.

Yuan Song had just arrived in You Prefecture with his family, and Li Li's rewards quickly followed suit. What did this signify?

It meant that as soon as Li Li learned of the deaths of Prince Chu and his wife, and the Yuan family's relocation, he immediately seized the opportunity to capture the eunuchs and dispatched a hefty reward to accompany Yuan Song's party to You Prefecture. This was a clear attempt to distance himself from the deaths of Prince Chu and his wife.

While Chu Hechao might accept this explanation, even if he didn't, he couldn't place blame on Li Li for their deaths.

This was an imperial decree, disobedience of which would be considered a serious offense. However, if they were to truly accept the decree, wouldn't that absolve Li Li of any involvement in the deaths of Prince Chu and his wife?

They felt frustrated by this predicament.

Chu Hechao observed Cheng Bu's lowered neck sternly, his hand gripping the hilt of his large dagger.

Sensing his intent, Yuan Li suddenly reached out and restrained his wrist, shaking his head in disapproval.

No killing.

Cheng Bu and his entourage had paraded their rewards for ten miles, drawing attention along their journey. Killing Cheng Bu now would be tantamount to slaying an emissary of the Emperor. With the Emperor so distant from You Prefecture, any such incident would be viewed as a precursor to rebellion.

At that point, You Prefecture's situation would be as precarious as Li Li's. It seemed as though Li Li had deliberately provoked Chu Hechao by having Cheng Bu convey such a message.

Li Li had made preparations - one hand extended in reconciliation with lavish rewards, intended to both subdue the enemy and win favor.

If Chu Hechao accepted his gesture of repentance, both parties could coexist peacefully. If not, it could provoke Chu Hechao into violence against Cheng Bu, leading to further complications for You Prefecture.

Understanding Yuan Li's intentions, Chu Hechao straightened up, his mouth drawing into a thin line as he slowly released his grip on the dagger hilt, the other hand clenched into a fist at his side.

Yuan Li inquired, "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Cheng Bu nonchalantly stood upright and continued, "In addition to these rewards, the Emperor is pleased with the death of the Hun leader, leading to further rewards for those who have contributed. I invite the esteemed gentlemen to hear the Emperor's decree."

With that, he produced the imperial decree and announced the Emperor's will.

Although presented as gifts from the Emperor, they were, in fact, gifts from Li Li. Li Li had spared no expense to placate You Prefecture.

As Chu Hechao was already a Grand General, with no higher rank to bestow upon him, Li Li granted him ten thousand acres of fertile land, along with countless gold and jewels. The decree also hinted that Chu Hechao could promote his subordinates to noble titles and higher ranks at will - any position, any title, Li Li would grant it to Chu Hechao upon request.

Furthermore, Li Li offered to have Prince Chu and his wife, though of a different lineage, relocated to the imperial mausoleum, where they would be honored for generations under the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

This offer was truly tempting, almost too good to resist. It was like a poisoned cake, so enticing that even the deadliest poison could make one's mouth water.

Yuan Li, too, received generous treatment from Li Li. He was granted the title of Marquis, promoted to the rank of Fierce Martial General, and showered with countless acres of land and gold.

Upon hearing his rewards, Yuan Li's brow furrowed not out of displeasure but out of astonishment; the rewards were exceedingly generous.

This was Li Li's hidden poison concealed within the lavish rewards.

The highest rank of Marquis was Column Marquis, and above that were Duke and Prince. The title of Column Marquis was usually bestowed upon distinguished foreign ministers for their contributions, elevating them to the status of nobility alongside other feudal lords.

While Yuan Li had indeed achieved a significant feat, granting him the title of Column Marquis at such a young age, merely nineteen, was excessive. By rewarding him with such a high title immediately, Li Li left little room for further recognition in case Yuan Li accomplished more in the future.

Could he be promoted to Duke?

Not to mention that the title given to Yuan Li by Li Li was "Lord Yan."

Historically, You Prefecture was known as the land of Yan, associating it closely with the Yan region. Chu Hechao should rightfully be called the Prince of Yan, following ancient customs; it was only a deviation from tradition that he held the title of Prince of Chu instead.

Thus, when Yuan Li, a governor of You Prefecture, was granted the title "Lord Yan" by Li Li within the territory of Prince Chu, the devious intentions behind this move were clear.

It was clearly an attempt at sowing discord.

To deepen the discord, Li Li also bestowed upon Yuan Li the title of Fierce Martial General.

Fierce Martial General was merely an honorary military title. While it was an honorary title, it was one that only experienced senior generals would receive, typically requiring significant military achievements.

Killing the Hun leader was indeed a colossal military feat, but as mentioned earlier, Yuan Li's assistance in the leader's death was secondary - he did not personally kill him.

The ones who personally killed the Hun leader were Chu Hechao and his subordinates. It was already unexpected for Yuan Li to receive a Marquis title; adding the title of Fierce Martial General on top of that, Li Li was purposefully disregarding Chu Hechao's achievements, amplifying Yuan Li's military successes, and effectively snatching away Chu Hechao's credit.

The credit for their achievements was unjustly taken away by others, a situation that would be unbearable for anyone.

Throughout history, fame and fortune have always been deadly possessions. In the eyes of outsiders, Chu Hechao and Yuan Li may appear to have a superficial relationship as brothers-in-law, but the reality may not be as harmonious.

Even blood brothers often find themselves at odds due to unfair advantages, so can Chu Hechao and Yuan Li truly avoid any resentment towards each other?

Li Li's blatant attempts to sow discord were straightforward yet highly effective.

If not for the fact that Yuan Li and Chu Hechao privately had a romance relationship disguised as brothers-in-law, Li Li's scheming might have already succeeded.

Others were also generously rewarded, with no shortage of accolades. While promotion and titles were usually cause for celebration, Li Li's extravagance left a bitter taste in everyone's mouths.

With a stern expression, Yang Zhongfa looked towards Chu Hechao, silently questioning: General, what should we do?

They couldn't kill, couldn't refuse the decree, so were they really left with no choice but to accept Li Li's use of these five eunuchs to make amends to Prince Chu and his consort and quietly bear the humiliation, waiting for a chance to retaliate in the future?

Truly frustrating.

After Chief Steward Cheng Bu finished reading the imperial decree, he cheerfully folded it away and held it up, saying, "Please, General, Lord Yan, and esteemed guests, receive the decree."

Chu Hechao and the others remained motionless, resulting in a standoff between the two sides.

Unfazed by the prolonged silence, Cheng Bu simply held onto the decree.

As Chu Hechao stared at the decree, a myriad of emotions flickered across his face - disgust, hatred, fury, all tempered with restraint. Ultimately, he reached out his hand.

Cheng Bu's smile of satisfaction was evident.

Just as Chu Hechao's hand was about to touch the decree, another hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Chu Hechao and Cheng Bu turned to see Yuan Li, who had been silent all this time.

Looking at the youthful Governor of You Prefecture, Cheng Bu raised an eyebrow and respectfully inquired, "Is there something you wish to discuss, my lord?"

"Not yet," Yuan Li replied.

Standing tall and composed, the handsome young man exuded an air of tranquility and elegance. With deliberate calmness, he walked behind Cheng Bu to confront the five eunuchs, their faces filled with fear, one by one.

Eunuchs, especially those in the Northern Zhou court, were typically cowardly individuals who valued their own lives above all else.

Coincidentally, they were enemies of Li Li.

Their masters, their friends, even the eunuchs who had personal vendettas, had all been eliminated by Li Li to a large extent. If there was someone in the world who truly despised Li Li, it was undoubtedly the eunuchs of the Imperial Harem.

Amid the puzzled gazes of onlookers, Yuan Li grabbed one eunuch whose expression was the most cowering and squeezed his face with great force, causing his features to contort in a comical manner.

The eunuch looked up at Yuan Li in terror, unsure of his intentions.

"Speak, who ordered you to plot against Prince Chu and the Consort?" Yuan Li's gaze was chilling, his fingers pressing into the eunuch's jawbone with increasing intensity, nearly piercing through the man's flesh.

"What kind of person is Prince Chu? How could he be driven to swallow poison by you five insignificant eunuchs? There must have been someone behind this. Who is it? If you speak, there is a chance for mitigating your guilt. If you remain silent, you will taste the agony of a slow and torturous death." Under his piercing stare, the eunuch trembled violently, his face contorted in pain as if his bones were being crushed.

Despite wanting to plead for mercy, he could only emit incomprehensible sounds, unable to form a coherent word.

Yuan Li glanced back slightly.

Following his gaze, the eunuch's eyes landed on Cheng Bu.

In that instant, he understood everything. His hatred for Li Li and his cowardly nature suddenly gave the eunuch a glimmer of hope to survive. He knew instantly what he had to say. With difficulty, he stammered, "It was Li, Li..."

Cheng Bu's face darkened, shouting, "Silence!"

But Yuan Li had already loosened his grip slightly, and the trembling eunuch managed to say, "It was Li Li! Li Li ordered us to kill Prince Chu and the Consort!"

"Outrageous!" Cheng Bu roared in anger as he advanced towards the eunuch, drawing his sword, ready to kill him. "Even on the brink of death, you eunuch still dare to spew such slander against Lord Li. My lord, you must not believe the words of these eunuchs. We scholars have suffered enough at the hands of eunuchs. He clearly intends to sow discord between Lord Li and the others!"

Without hesitation, Cheng Bu beheaded the eunuch, the head rolling several times on the ground.

The remaining four eunuchs, trembling like quails, dared not utter a word.

Cheng Bu gave them a cold look, then turned to his guard, handing over the sword. Apologizing to Yuan Li with folded hands, he said, "These eunuchs' words are baseless slander. My lord, please do not take them to heart. You may not know, but Lord Li has killed many eunuchs in Luoyang. He despises them deeply. How could he order eunuchs to kill Prince Chu and his consort?"

Indeed, this was the truth. Li Li himself could assert this without hesitation. His only intention was to imprison Prince Chu and his wife, not to harm them.

The scent of blood quickly permeated, agitating the nerves of everyone present.

Just as Yang Zhong and the others thought they could break the deadlock, they clenched their teeth in frustration, their breathing becoming heavy once more.

"You—"

Yet Yuan Li stood a step away, displaying no anger or excitement, calmly observing Cheng Bu.

He did not intervene to stop Cheng Bu from killing, and even stepped back at the precise moment that Cheng Bu took the eunuch's life, preventing the blood from splattering on him.

At this moment, as Yuan Li looked at Cheng Bu, there was a subtle and unusual expression on his face, evoking an indescribable sense of unease.

Feeling inexplicably unsettled, Cheng Bu's smile faltered slightly as he observed Yuan Li's demeanor.

A sense of foreboding crept upon him inexplicably.

"As the envoy sent by the emperor, you speak of loyalty to the emperor, yet you flew into a rage and killed the eunuch because of a word spoken by Li Li. You silenced the eunuch, not allowing any more words to be spoken."

Yuan Li seemed to smile, but then it disappeared. "Who is your master?"

His expression grew darker, and he looked down at Cheng Bu, his tone becoming harsh and sharp. "These eunuchs were given to the General by you, claiming to be the enemies who killed the General's parents! But without the General's permission, you privately killed one of them. Is this what Li Li calls atonement? Is this how you console the spirits of Prince Chu and his consort in heaven? You are clearly insulting us, insulting the General!"

As he spoke faster towards the end, his words were almost accusing.

Cheng Bu's expression briefly went blank. "Sir, what you're saying—It's absurd!"

"Shut up!"

Yuan Li's angry shout made him take a step forward, eyes burning with fury. "These eunuchs kept saying they were instructed by Li Li, yet you took their lives, preventing them from speaking the truth. You carry out Li Li's deeds under the emperor's orders. Whom do you truly serve? It is Li Li, not the emperor!"

He sneered, "Li Li killed Prince Chu and his consort, then blamed the eunuchs. Look at these lavish rewards spread out before us. These are not rewards from the emperor for our victories but merely bribes from Li Li to win us over!"

"Guards!"

Without waiting for others to react, Wang Er, Liu Jixin, and Guo Mao quickly stepped forward, bowing, "Here we are, sir."

"Take their weapons and behead him," Yuan Li pointed at Cheng Bu, firmly stating, "Even if Li Li sends us treasures worth a thousand gold pieces, we will not stoop to join forces with a traitor. Behead Cheng Bu, have these people carry the rewards and Cheng Bu's head back to Luoyang. Tell Li Li that the General and I are loyal subjects of the Northern Zhou dynasty, serving the emperor Zhouyan, not this thief who dares to use the emperor's name to recruit criminals!"

His words were resolute and forceful, bringing tears to the eyes of everyone present, stirring emotions. Wang Er immediately complied, raising his sword to surround the escort carrying the rewards.

Yuan Li played the game of dealing with those who used the emperor's name to their advantage in this chaotic world.

If the emperor's orders benefited him, he would follow. If they did not, he would claim it was the work of corrupt officials, refusing to obey. The world was already in chaos, a fact Yuan Li deeply understood.

Since chaos reigned, he could now use chaotic methods.

Li Li was far in Luoyang, unstable in his own foundation, unable to send troops to campaign in Youzhou. Yuan Li stood firm.

Liu Jixin suppressed a smile, inwardly praising his lord's strategy of turning Luoyang's military rewards into Li Li's bribery and then returning them with grandeur. Who would dare say they were disrespecting the decree?

Whose decree was it, Li Li's?

Furthermore, the people would praise their loyalty to the Northern Zhou dynasty and the emperor.

Cheng Bu found himself at a loss in a matter of moments, losing his advantage and unable to find a starting point for a rebuttal. He had resigned himself to death, but not like this.

If he died this way, wouldn't it be a wasted life?

He began to regret his impulsive act of killing the eunuch, realizing it was a mistake that had sealed his fate. If he had refrained from the killing, there might have been a chance to turn things around.

But now, by taking a life, he had only confirmed his guilt of being a "guilty conscience."

Yuan Li had seized control of the narrative.

But there is a point, Cheng Bu must clarify even if he dies.

"My lord, these gold, silver, and jewels are truly rewards given by the emperor for killing the Xiongnu leader," Cheng Bu, sweating profusely, shouted loudly, "They are not gifts from Lord Li to win you and the general over—"

Before he could finish his sentence, his head had already rolled to the ground.

Liu Jixin immediately spoke, "Li Li actually wants to use these mundane goods to bribe you and the gentlemen for his own purposes, such disloyal and unjust behavior is truly delusional!"

Guo Mao chimed in, "Not only that, he also killed Prince Chu and his consort but refuses to admit it, and even tried to use the eunuch to appease the General's anger. This eunuch was killed by the envoy in a fit of anger for speaking the truth. Does Li Li truly think he can cover up the truth with sheer power and influence? No matter how high-ranking or prestigious, we would not deign to associate with him!"

The others, initially stunned, gradually snapped back to reality through their words.

Yang Zhongfa's eyes lit up, and he indignantly stepped forward to kick Cheng Bu's head, "Li Li is truly despicable, using the emperor's name to try to buy our loyalty. They have traveled all this way without knowing how many people are aware of this. General, we must clear our names, inform the world, let everyone know how shameless Li Li is. We are loyal ministers and refuse to board Li Li's treacherous ship."

Chu Hechao's anger suddenly subsided by half, he smirked, looking at Cheng Bu's lifeless body and said, "It should be so."