C117. Moving Forward.

C117. Moving Forward.

The scent of tea wafted gently, white mist rising slowly from the teapot spout.

The autumn wind blew in through the door, dissipating the stagnation in the room.

Zhang Liangdong stroked his beard, a look of concern between his brows, "The Emperor is in a difficult situation, and if we let Li Li continue to act arrogantly, it could spell trouble."

Xiang Hongyun pondered for a moment and seemed to understand, "Are you suggesting that our lord eliminate Li Li?"

Zhang Liangdong nodded slightly.

Xiang Hongyun got it.

He picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea in front of Zhang Liangdong, "What you truly want to say is 'as loyal subjects, we must do everything we can to alleviate the Emperor's worries.' The Emperor's greatest concern now is likely Li Li."

Zhang Liangdong neither confirmed nor denied, and simply said, "Good lad, go on and guess some more."

Xiang Hongyun smiled faintly, "While the common people may go hungry, the Emperor cannot. The fact that the Emperor is hungry now, isn't it due to Li Li's fault? If our lord had truly sent the grain to Luoyang, Li Li would have been greedy upon seeing so much food and would continue to demand grain from Youzhou. The Grand General also has a deep feud with Li Li and would not tolerate it, leading to a confrontation between them."

As he spoke, he began to understand Zhang Liangdong's intentions more clearly. Xiang Hongyun paused and continued, "If our lord didn't send your grain to Luoyang, your words also suggest to our lord that it is time to wage war against Li Li. Many nobles are discontent with Li Li, and if our lord and the General take the lead, other nobles will join forces to overthrow the usurper."

"Exactly," Zhang Liangdong looked pleased with Xiang Hongyun, "I do intend for Lord Yuan Lejun and Chu Chiye to help eliminate Li Li. But it's not just that, I also want them to gain recognition through this. Li Li is a well-known usurper, and by killing him, their reputation will rise to an unparalleled level. Reputation may seem intangible, but in my lifetime, I have realized how important it is. If Yuan Lejun and Chu Chiye can kill Li Li, they will be celebrated as loyal and righteous individuals, winning the hearts of the people and earning respect from all. They will attract talented individuals, leave a mark in history, and rise to high positions... These are the tangible benefits that come from unseen actions."

After speaking, Zhang Liangdong sighed, with a hint of sorrow on his face, "If I were to believe that all the nobles in the world were loyal, that would be too naive. Among the nobles I know, Yuan Lejun and Chu Chiye are truly rare individuals who consider the country and people first, loyal ministers dedicated to Beizhou and the Emperor. If they were to kill Li Li and bring the Emperor to Youzhou, I would be at ease. If other nobles took this opportunity, it could turn into another Li Li situation, using the Emperor to control the nobles."

Therefore, Zhang Liangdong wanted to urge Yuan Li and Chu Hechao to seize the opportunity to kill Li Li. If Yuan Li were appointed as one of the Three Excellencies and Chu Hechao as the chief general, they would support the Emperor, and Beizhou would become more stable.

Xiang Hongyun nodded slightly.

But there was something he didn't say, something he wouldn't tell Zhang Liangdong.

Yuan Li and Chu Hechao... were not individuals that the current young Emperor could control.

*

Yuan Li also understood Zhang Liangdong's intent, and if it wasn't just his speculation, Zhang Liangdong seemed to want them to use the excuse of "Li Li persecuting the Emperor, causing the Emperor to suffer hunger" to rebel.

However, regardless of whether Zhang Liangdong hinted at it or not, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao had already decided to campaign against Li Li next year.

Now, the issue facing Yuan Li is Chu Hechao's filial duty.

At this moment, the weather was clear and crisp, with the harvest season in full swing and the aroma of grains filling the air. Children could be seen collecting rice ears in baskets by the roadside, able to gather half a basket in a day.

Even the captives were busy gathering grains, digging potatoes, and picking cotton.

The late autumn weather was unpredictable, scorching hot at midday, prompting one to be soaked with sweat, yet chilly enough at night to require blankets. The ginkgo tree outside Yuan Li's window had turned golden, shedding its leaves daily, forming a thick layer on the windowsill.

Chu Hechao grabbed Yuan Li and took him to pick peaches on the mountain.

The peaches in Youzhou during autumn were particularly sweet, with a peach mountain in the countryside. Chu Hechao took Yuan Li to the peach mountain early in the morning, arriving at noon.

The sun was scorching, drying their lips.

After resting and drinking some water at the foot of the mountain, they began climbing up.

The peach trees at the base of the mountain had been picked clean, while further in, the red peaches hung on the trees, one after another, a sight that brought joy to the heart.

Yuan Li carried a bamboo basket and wore a straw hat to shield himself from the sun, reaching out to pluck a ripe autumn peach.

The ripe peach oozed sticky juice with a gentle squeeze, releasing a sweet fragrance that pleased Yuan Li as he placed the peach in the basket.

Concerned about the peach fuzz causing itchiness, Yuan Li was covered from head to toe, feeling a mixture of heat and sweat.

After gathering a basket of peaches, Chu Hechao felt it was enough and led Yuan Li to a nearby stream to cool off.

Yuan Li removed his hat, his hair tousled, eagerly washing his face in the stream, expressing relief, "It's already October, why is it still so hot?"

As Chu Hechao washed the peaches and handed them to Yuan Li after cleaning off the fuzz, he remarked, "It should cool down in a few days."

Checking the weather forecast, Yuan Li had to admit that the man was right – in four days, the weather in Youzhou would significantly cool down.

Taking a bite of the peach, Yuan Li marveled at the sweet and juicy flesh, refreshing his thirsty throat. With a sparkle in his eyes, he exclaimed, "This peach is so sweet."

After eating a few more peaches, Yuan Li shook his head, "I'm done, no more."

Chu Hechao washed another peach and swallowed it in three or two bites. After quenching his thirst, Chu Hechao got up with Yuan Li and said, "Let's go. I'll take you to a good place."

Curiously, Yuan Li followed, "What good place?"

Chu Hechao replied, "At the head of the stream. The water there is sweet, and the peaches are even sweeter."

Yuan Li asked, "Is it far?"

"It's not too far."

Chu Hechao hid their bamboo baskets under a tree and covered the two baskets of peaches tightly with dry leaves on the ground. They then headed towards the head of the stream.

Yuan Li took off his neck scarf, wiped his neck with a bit of water, and followed Chu Hechao up the mountain.

The peach mountain was not high, and for two physically fit individuals like them, it took less than half an hour to climb to the head of the stream.

Chu Hechao did not lie, the peaches at the head of the stream were sweeter, and the water was clearer, significantly larger than those on the mountainside.

Yuan Li didn't pick too many, afraid they couldn't finish eating them all, so he only picked around ten and said to Chu Hechao, "Take off your outer robe for me."

Perplexed, Chu Hechao took off his outer robe and handed it to him, "What are you doing?"

Yuan Li used his outer robe to wrap up the peaches, "To carry the peaches."

Chu Hechao looked at his outer robe covered in peach fuzz, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Can he still wear this?

The two wandered around without hurrying to descend the mountain. As they turned, they heard voices coming from the east.

Yuan Li and Chu Hechao exchanged a glance and walked over slowly. They saw a man and a woman stripping each other's clothes off on a clearing in the woods. Their robes, shoes, and socks were all scattered on the ground, their voices causing embarrassment.

Before long, the woman began to cry out loudly, and the man called her names.

Yuan Li, never expecting to witness such a scene, felt his eyelids twitching and wanted to leave.

The man standing behind him suddenly hugged him, his fingers circling his waist, his arm tightening, his breathing becoming heavy.

As Yuan Li turned to look, Chu Hechao was staring intently at the couple, with a focused expression.

Yuan Li asked, "Is it interesting?"

"Not really," Chu Hechao mumbled, "Just learn a bit, so you can do the same later."

Yuan Li almost couldn't speak, trembling slightly, he grabbed his arm and said, "Let's go back, don't stare at indecency."

The two silently left. Arriving at the place where they buried the peaches, they picked up the bamboo baskets and headed down the mountain.

Yuan Li felt Chu Hechao's gaze on him becoming increasingly bold and dangerous, so he cleared his throat, trying to divert the attention from his straw-covered head, "Aren't these peach trees yours?"

Chu Hechao lazily pulled a piece of grass into his mouth, swaying it back and forth, and indistinctly replied, "I don't have the money to plant peach trees."

"That's true," Yuan Li agreed, acknowledging Chuhaochao's poverty, "So, are these peaches all self-grown here? It's quite rare to have mountains full of peaches."

"No," Chu Hechao calmly stated, "This is someone else's peach orchard. I brought you in to steal the peaches."

Yuan Li's expression twisted slightly.

A governor of two provinces and a grand general of Chu, sneaking into someone else's orchard to steal peaches?

Wouldn't it be embarrassing if this got out?

Yuan Li covered his face and muttered, "Chu Hechao, you really..."

He wiped his face and urged Chu Hechao to leave quickly. As they descended the mountain, Yuan Li looked around nervously, fearing being caught by the orchard owner in the act of stealing, and planned to have Lin Tian send some silver to the household after returning.

When they arrived, they had ridden two horses, but on the way back, one horse carried two baskets of peaches while they shared the other.

Yuan Li rode in the front, with Chu Hechao behind.

The horses swayed, and the two were pressed chest to back.

Yuan Li's face turned red and then pale by turns, helplessly saying, "Chu Hechao, can you please control your little brother in broad daylight?"

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, "But the little brother wants to poke you."

Yuan Li covered his mouth.

Worried.

The man chuckled a few times, ceasing his annoying remarks.

Upon returning to the Chu Estate, the two baskets of peaches were soon consumed, and with that, Chu Hechao finally completed his mourning period.