C133. Luoshui Covenant.

C133. Luoshui Covenant.

The news of Chu Hechao killing Li Li spread throughout Luoyang City the next day.

The common people of Luoyang, upon hearing that Li Li's body was hung on the city wall, brought their families to the wall, expressing their anger by spitting and throwing stones at Li Li's corpse.

Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, who had killed traitors like Yan Hui and Li Li, gained a reputation that made others admire them.

The Emperor began preparing rewards for their heroism.

However, the embarrassing truth was that all the wealth and silver had been stolen by Li Li. The dignity of the Northern Zhou royal family had been trampled upon, and the Emperor had nothing tangible to offer as reward, only official positions and titles.

Official positions were not easily given. Each province had its own military power, so the positions could only be awarded to officials in the court. The highest position in the court was that of the Three Officials.

However, the Emperor, Qin Yan, was in a dilemma as he knew that Yuan Li and Chu Hechao wouldn't accept those titles.

As for titles, with the death of the Prince of Chu, Chu Hechao would become the new Prince of Chu, so what higher title could he receive?

And as for Yuan Li, was he to be bestowed the title of Duke...?

But Yuanli was so young. If he were to be made a Duke, what would his future hold?

Should he be made a Prince?

From the time of the founding Emperor to Emperor Jianyuan, each Emperor had sought to eliminate Princes of different surnames and weaken their power. How could the Emperor easily grant someone the title of Prince?

The Emperor was at a loss, so he directly approached Yuan Li and asked what rewards they desired.

In reality, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao didn't have any specific rewards in mind. They were aware that the Emperor had little to offer, and the reputation and intangible rewards from killing Li Li were satisfying enough for them.

Yuan Li smiled and said, "It is our duty to come to the rescue. We naturally do not dare ask for anything. If possible, after you go south, leave Luoyang to me. Let me restore its former prosperity, and then bring you back from Yangzhou to Luoyang."

The Emperor was moved to tears and said, "Governor Yuan, your loyalty and dedication are beyond words."

Yuan Li smiled gently, "I am a servant of the Northern Zhou, your subject. It is not excessive for me to serve you wholeheartedly. If Your Majesty feels indebted, then grant promotions and titles to my and General's subordinates."

The Emperor couldn't refuse, feeling that Yuan Li truly had his best interests at heart. He found a way to reward them without tarnishing the dignity of the Northern Zhou royal family.

Without hesitation, he immediately issued an edict, granting official positions and titles to Yuan Li and Chu Hechao's subordinates.

Whatever Yuan Li suggested, the Emperor agreed. After writing the edict, the Emperor's hand was sore. He sighed, "Governor Yuan, this is truly the day I've written the most."

Yuan Li collected the edicts and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Having resolved the issue that troubled him for days, the Emperor felt happy. That evening, he invited Yuan Li to dine in the palace. After the meal, they strolled through the palace, chatting and laughing along the way, enjoying a carefree and delightful time together.

This matter quickly reached the ears of the Prince of Chen, and his sense of crisis grew stronger.

He decided that he could not continue to delay, so the next day, the Prince of Chen sent someone again to the Prince of Chu's residence, subtly inquiring how Yuan Li and Chu Hechao could be convinced to allow the Prince of Chen to take away the Emperor.

Yuan Li was watching Chu Hechao writing when he heard the news. Chu Hechao seized the opportunity to throw the pen and discreetly breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, they have come."

"Yes, they have finally arrived," Yuan Li replied, smiling.

Chu Hechao asked, "How much are you planning to ask for?"

"Why should we have to decide on this matter?" Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him with a meaningful smile. "You should ask the Prince of Chen how much he is willing to give us. After all, the Emperor's value cannot be measured with material wealth like gold and silver."

Yuan Li relayed this message to the Prince of Chen's envoy. Upon hearing it, the Prince of Chen felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples and, for the first time, realized Yuanli's cunning nature, "This Lord Yuan Lejum..."

Chen Xi also frowned, "Is Lord Yuan Lejun asking us to give without receiving anything in return?"

"Give without receiving?" The Prince of Chen's eyebrows furrowed, he snorted, "He wants me to empty my coffers for him. Without asking us directly, he wants us to offer gifts willingly. If we give too little, doesn't that imply the Emperor's worth is only measured in monetary terms? I thought he wouldn't be too greedy, but who knew he would pass this difficult question on to me."

How much would they have to give the soldiers from Youzhou to take the Emperor away?

If they gave too little, it would be a disgraceful matter. How would the Emperor and others view and think of the Prince of Chen?

With a bitter smile, the Prince of Chen had to reveal his bottom line to Lord Yuan Lejun.

Soon, the Prince of Chen made up his mind, closing his eyes and saying, "Prepare our belongings tomorrow. In addition to the provisions for the return journey, we will give Lord Yuan Lejun and Chu Caiye all the spoils of war and military funds we have acquired along the way."

"Father!" Chen Xi exclaimed, "How can we give away so much!"

When they arrived, they brought many fine things from Jiangdong, intending to offer them to the Emperor to spark his interest. Along the way, they had also amassed considerable wealth, especially when they encountered Li Li in Luoyang.

They not only saved the Emperor from Li Li but also seized a lot of gold, silver, and provisions. When all these were combined... it was a staggering figure that even surprised Chen Xi.

But the Prince of Chen's decision was not to be questioned. Emphasizing his words, he said, "It's just wealth. It will come back one day. It's worth it to spend it now."

Without his father's decisiveness, Chen Xi felt as though his heart was bleeding, and after a while, she reluctantly said, "I understand, Father."

The Prince of Chen spent a full half month organizing his things. Half a month later, he directly delivered the items to the camp of the soldiers from Youzhou stationed outside Luoyang City.

Yuan Li and Chu Hechao received the news and hurried to the camp. When they saw the hundreds of carts, they were immediately shocked.

"Wow," Yuan Li's eyes sparkled more and more, "Wow."

Chu Hechao finished looking over them, his eyes also shining brightly, "The Prince of Chen is truly wealthy."

Lieutenant colonels in the army, such as Yang Zhongfa and Wu Kai, couldn't help but swallow hard as they watched. They had seen many good things in the past two years following Yuan Li, but they were still amazed at the items the Prince of Chen had sent.

It was enough to imagine how much the Prince of Chen had spent.

Yang Zhongfa cleared his throat and his eyes widened, "If all this can be exchanged for food, we could eat well for several years."

"Exactly," Yuan Li suddenly smiled, "The Prince of Chen can truly be described as decisive."

Just from this display of strength, Yuan Li knew that the Prince of Chen would be a more formidable opponent than Wu Shanshi and Li Li.

He squinted his eyes, lost in thought.

Chu Hechao turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow, "What wicked idea have you come up with now?"

Yuan Li calmly said, "To take the Emperor away from us, in addition to these items, I plan to make a five-year alliance with the Prince of Chen."

He smirked and said in a leisurely tone, "A five-year alliance."

*

At the beginning of November, the soldiers from Youzhou and Yangzhou stood on the east and west sides, by the Luo River. The Prince of Chen, Chen Liu, and the Lord of Yan, Marquis Yuan Li, agreed to a five-year alliance.

Both sides swore that for five years, they would not wage war against each other, and the north and south would coexist peacefully. As the Governor of Youzhou and the Lord of Yan, Yuan Li, and the Prince of Chen, sealed the alliance with a blood oath.

.

,

Whoever violated this pact would be branded with infamy for all time, both in life and in death.

This agreement was later known as the "Luo River Alliance."

As they took the oath, the Prince of Chen couldn't help but feel a sense of gravity.

He gazed deeply at Yuan Li, as if trying to peer into his soul. Finally, the Prince of Chen brought fresh blood from livestock, dripping it into a cup, and sighed, "Lord Yuan, if I had a son like you, I would pass on the throne now, without regrets."

Yuan Li maintained his smile, his demeanor dignified, "Your Highness, you flatter me."

"You need not be humble," the Prince shook his head, chuckling, "A five-year peace alliance, Lord Yuan, how did you come up with this...? Your actions always surprise me."

Who would have thought that Yuan Li would propose a five-year alliance?

With this alliance in place, even though the Prince of Chen had worked hard to retrieve the Emperor to Yangzhou, even though he could use the Emperor's name to expand his influence in the south, he would be unable to make a move against Yuan Li and Chu Hechao for five years.

He could only watch as Yuan Li and Chu Hechao grew stronger and even unified the north.

Similarly, the five-year peace alliance was not without benefits for the Prince of Chen. It limited Yuan Li and Chu Hechao, preventing them from attacking him, and it provided him with time to strengthen his forces and territories.

Each party had its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the Prince of Chen agreed to enter into this five-year alliance with Yuan Li.

The entire process was led by a young man, and the Prince of Chen had to admit that he had underestimated Lord Yuan Li.

"You are an extraordinary hero," the Prince said, "But what's even more remarkable is that you are so young. Lord Yuan Li, I wonder how you will have grown in five years."

Yuan Li smiled but remained silent.

The Prince couldn't help but sigh once more, "If you were my son..."

But it was just a hypothetical, and the Prince didn't continue.

Yuan Li acted as if he hadn't heard, and had livestock blood dripped into a cup, raising it to the Prince, "Your Highness, please."

The Prince raised his cup and drank with him.

Three days after the Luo River Alliance, the eighty thousand soldiers from Yangzhou finally left Luoyang.

Once the Prince and the Emperor had departed, Yuan Li entrusted the restoration of Luoyang to Zheng Rong. He left behind ten thousand soldiers from Youzhou and a million stones of grain, allowing him to restore the city.

Zheng Rong was overwhelmed by this responsibility, his voice trembling with excitement and his legs weak. Trying to remain composed, he said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will restore Luoyang to its former glory."

"You have a way with the people, so I trust you with Luoyang. My mind is at ease," Yuan Li said with a smile, "If you run out of food, send a message to Youzhou. Don't disappoint me."

Zheng Rong replied confidently, "Yes!"

To ensure that Zheng Rong was not alone, Chu Hechao promoted a miscellaneous general named Ji Zhuo from the army to stay in Luoyang with troops.

After organizing everything, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao left with the soldiers to Youzhou.

However, Yuanli didn't immediately return to Youzhou. Instead, he went to Jiyin County and Henei County, providing winter supplies to both counties before taking tens of thousands of willing people with them to Youzhou.