C149. Came Back!

C149. Came Back!

The Xiongnu were generally divided into three parts, with the Chanyu at the center, the Zuoxian Prince governing the eastern region, and the Youxian Prince governing the western region.

The Zuoxian Prince was also the designated successor to the Xiongnu throne, holding a position similar to that of a crown prince.

The Zuoxian and Youxian Princes were typically appointed from the Chanyu's offspring, and the current Princes were the two sons of Huyan Hutu.

Chu Hechao had previously explained to Yuanli the relationships among the royal and noble families in the Xiongnu court, and Yuan Li remembered it clearly.

The Zuoxian Prince was Huyan Hutu's second son, born to Huyan Huntu and the daughter of the Right General, holding a high status. The Youxian Prince, on the other hand, was Huyan Hutu's eldest son, who, due to his inferior birth order, was placed under the Zuoxian Prince.

However, the Youxian Prince did not resent his younger brother and also feared Huyan Hutu. Due to his father's busy schedule, he had received little guidance growing up, leading to his timid personality.

After being appointed as the Youxian Prince, he happily led his followers to the west, where he lived in peace, away from the court unless ordered by Huyan Hutu.

Huyan Hutu, aware of his favoritism towards his sons, never favored any one over the others. Especially after the eldest and second sons became the Zuoxian and Youxian Princes respectively, he treated them with even stricter discipline and caution.

Huyan Hutu even commanded the Princes not to come near the court, to prevent them from colluding with other factions within the court for the Chieftain's position.

Given the current crisis and uncertainty about the identity of the Xiongnu cavalry they faced, mentioning the Youxian Prince's name was the safest option for Yuan Li. They were likely not to encounter any of the Youxian Prince's people, and it was also probable that the Xiongnu had not seen the Youxian Prince's followers.

The pouring rain muffled many sounds, obscuring the sight of Yuan Li and his companions.

Inspired by Yuan Li's calmness, the guide shouted boldly.

The Xiongnu cavalry halted, asking another question.

The guide hurriedly explained, "They are asking what the Youxian Prince sent us here for."

Yuan Li had already prepared a response, "Tell them: The Youxian Prince has heard of recent conflicts on the grassland and has sent us to the court to inquire."

The lead Xiongnu then spoke to his men, seemingly deliberating on their words.

Jiang Chai's heart pounded heavily, his hands damp with rain or sweat, he couldn't tell.

After a moment, the Xiongnu leader uttered something and proceeded to patrol away.

Exhausted, the guide slumped on his horse, "He said not to linger here."

Yuan Li exhaled a breath of hot air, "Let's go."

From there on, they treaded more cautiously. Mapping out the terrain was challenging in the rain, so they spent more time to chart the area in detail.

Without the sun, they lost track of time, but based on the system's timekeeping, Yuan Li knew they had been running for three hours.

Due to the heavy rain, the barbarians veered off course a few times. Exposed to the rain for a prolonged period, Yuan Li felt his body growing colder, losing heat, realizing they and their horses couldn't endure it for much longer.

If they continued, they would likely fall ill with a high fever upon their return.

Sighing inwardly, Yuan Li suddenly realized he had been too hasty. As his mood sank to the depths, one of the barbarians exclaimed in excitement, "That's it, that's the Chanyu's court!"

The group was shaken and looked ahead through the rain.

The surroundings were dark, and the rain made it difficult to see anything clearly. Yuan Li shielded his eyes from the rain with his hand to look ahead but could only make out the Xiongnu court from a sharp watchtower after staring for a while.

They were still quite far from the Xiongnu court, only able to see a dark mass. Jiang Chai swallowed nervously and asked, "Do you still want to proceed, sir?"

He didn't really agree with moving forward further; it was too risky already, and catching a glimpse under the heavy rain was the limit.

"No," Yuan Li decisive, turned back to the grain allocation officer, "Do you remember the location of the Xiongnu court?"

The officer hurriedly nodded, "I have it noted."

"Let's go then," Yuan Li immediately turned the horses around, "We'll leave the Xiongnu court first, find a secluded place to rest for two bells, let the horses and men replenish their strength."

The two aides acknowledged and hastily left the area.

When they had arrived, they had been cautious in locating their way, but now they could run away without worry. They sprinted at the fastest speed possible in the heavy rain, encountering two groups of Xiongnu cavalry on rainy patrols, whom Yuan Li distracted with AR effects for five seconds each.

Yuan Li actually didn't want to use the rewards given by the system unless absolutely necessary.

The system's origins were unknown, and it could leave at any time. Depending too much on the system would ultimately harm both himself and others.

Yuan Li was wary of the system's power but chose not to dwell on it at the moment.

After running for two full bells, they had finally left the most heavily guarded area. Exhausted, they found a dense forest and sat down to rest.

The dense canopy of the forest shielded them from much of the rain. Fortunately, it wasn't thunderstorm weather; otherwise, Yuan Li wouldn't have dared to let them rest there.

As they dismounted, the soldiers and horses had no energy left. Some horses even collapsed, desperate to munch on the grass.

Yuan Li knew that two bells wouldn't be enough for them to recover fully. He decided to rest until late at night.

By nightfall, the downpour had eased to a drizzle, and the temperature dropped. To avoid falling ill, they had to move around to keep warm.

The horses had recovered, and the group set out again on their journey back through the night.

Traveling at night was dangerous, especially on a rainy night without torches. Thankfully, there were fewer enemies and wild beasts, and they managed to go through the night without any major incidents.

By noon the next day, another heavy rainstorm came. But after the rain, the sun finally pierced through the dark clouds, shining down on the grassland.

Yuan Li arrived at the tribal settlement with the barbarians guiding the way.

He wasn't worried about Jia Qing since after Jia Qing distracted the Xiongnu cavalry, Yuan Li had used some tricks to create an illusion of Jia Qing's group escaping in a different direction with AR effects, thus misleading the Xiongnu cavalry.

Although the AR effects had only 20 seconds left, Yuan Li felt it was worth it.

Unexpectedly, waiting at the settlement were not only Jia Qing's group but also Yang Zhongfa's group.

Seeing him return safely, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. However, Yang Zhongfa couldn't help but frown and reprimand Yuan Li, "Lord Yuan, you took too many risks this time!"

Yang Zhongfa was terrified at the thought of what Yuan Li had done, even though he accepted being scolded.

He sternly said, "Your safety is much more important than the location of the Xiongnu court! The regions of Youzhou and Bingzhou can't do without you, your family, subordinates, and the Great General all can't do without you! If anything were to happen to you, no one could bear the consequences!"

Yuan Li wasn't angry, feeling a bit guilty, "I understand."

Realizing it wasn't suitable to linger there, Yang Zhongfa wanted to say more but ultimately sighed heavily and persisted, "The General sent me to protect your safety. I failed to do what I should have done and should be punished. When I return, I will report this matter to the General in detail. Lord Yuan, please don't be angry."

Yuan Li touched his nose, already imagining how Chu Hechao would react upon learning of his actions. He sighed in worry, nodded his head and thought, well, might as well tell him, there's no way Chu Hechao wouldn't find out.

Without much further discussion, they mounted their horses and left once more.

On the way, Yuan Li learned why Yang Zhongfa had joined forces with Jia Qing. It turned out that the soldiers Yang Zhongfa sent to relay messages hadn't received any communication from Yuan Li's side for several days. Worried that Yuan Li might be in trouble, Yang Zhongfa rushed over.

Ten days later, they finally exited the grassland.

With this journey, a month had passed.

Upon seeing the towering and continuous city walls and the welcoming party led by He Lang, Yuan Li felt a wave of relief wash over him.

This exhale of relief was likely the last breath he had been holding in, despite discomfort. Upon entering the camp, Yuan Li felt all the fatigue and injuries in his body release. With each step, he felt his feet get heavier, his head dizzy, and his body colder.

"Lord Yuan, Lao Yang, you both disappeared into the grasslands, out of reach of the cavalry's sight and the messages couldn't get through," He Lang sighed, "Lord Yuan, your people have sent word that the Wuhuan and Wumang people seem to be stirring."

Yuan Li's foggy brain suddenly cleared, his eyes staring intently at He Lang, "What did you say?"

"The Xiongnu people have formed an alliance with the Wuhuan and Wumang people, and have repeatedly invaded the borders in order to distract us. At the same time, the Wuhuan people in Youzhou have started to act, coordinating with the Xiongnu people, a premeditated move," He Lang explained, looking concerned.

Yuan Li rubbed his temples, murmuring, "I see."

The Wuhuan people resided in Youzhou, gathering in five counties - Shanggu County, Yuyang County, Right Beiping County, Liaoxi County, and Liaodong County. If they made any moves in Youzhou, it would be challenging to defend against.

Therefore, Yuan Li had always been alert to the Wuhuan people's activities. Over the years, his men from the Grain Allocation Department had infiltrated these five counties and could promptly relay any news about the Wuhuan people to Yuan Li.

This news must have been relayed by the Grain Allocation Department, whose information reaches us much earlier than other channels. The Wuhuan people are likely still in the stage of stirring and have not taken any real action yet.

Dealing with the Xiongnu and the Wuhuan, it's truly one problem after another. Yuan Li tried to push through to handle this matter, but instead, his head started to ache even more.

He couldn't help but cough several times and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse, "When was this news delivered?"

"Five days ago," He Lang looked at him with concern, "Sir, what's wrong with you? I'll have a physician summoned!"

Gasping for air, Yuan Li said, "Go fetch the physician to my chambers, do so discreetly and keep it hush-hush. Also, have the messenger who brought the news come and see me, he should still be in the northern border."

Supporting him, He Lang said, "Let's not dwell on this, Lord Yuan, you should go rest at once!"

How could they not discuss this?

Yuan Li smiled bitterly, "I left Jixian, luckily Yuan Congyun and my staff are there, the rear should be fine for now. But at a time like this, there's no room for me to rest. He Lang, you've been working hard, go quickly. We must find a way to stop the Wuhuan before they make significant moves."

Yuan Li had already begun to formulate a plan.

With conflicts brewing on the grasslands, Huyan Hutu shouldn't have the time to further disrupt the borders. If the Wuhuan people gathered their forces of twenty thousand, they wouldn't be able to defeat them now.

Fortunately, not all the Wuhuan leaders in the five counties were fiercely loyal to Guli Chi. By sowing discord among them, preventing a united front, there could be a chance to break the stalemate.

If the Wuhuan people learned that their ally the Xiongnu was now incapable of diverting military forces from the northern border, perhaps they would rethink their actions...

Yuan Li's mind grew increasingly sluggish, most of his weight now leaning against He Lang.

Alarmed, He Lang exclaimed, "My Lord, please calm down, your health comes first! The Grand General is handling everything, he has returned!"

Yuan Li's mind went blank, struggling to catch up, he instinctively asked, "Who?"

"The Grand General, he's returned with his troops!" He Lang said, "He's coming back from Jizhou, almost reaching Jixian!"

Chu Hechao had returned?

Yuan Li suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, his vision darkened, and he lost consciousness completely.