C169. Ambush.

C169. Ambush.

The descendants of the Liu family were held in front of the governor's office awaiting execution.

The commoners gathered around, looking at the luxurious silk clothing worn by the descendants, listening to the soldiers announce their crimes. When they learned that these corrupt officials from aristocratic families had destroyed the levees during heavy rain, causing flooding, the commoners were stunned.

It took them a while to fully understand the implications of this revelation.

The elderly man collapsed to the ground, his eyes staring blankly. The farmer and his wife wailed and sobbed uncontrollably, unable to believe that the flood, which was about to destroy their crops, homes, and loved ones, was intentionally caused by people.

This was more unbearable than a natural disaster for them.

Amidst their sorrowful cries, a thin and fierce child suddenly emerged from the crowd. Despite being only eight or nine years old, the child had a menacing expression, picked up a stone from the ground, and hurled it with force towards the head of the Liu family.

The stone hit the forehead of the head of the Liu family with precision, creating a bloody hole, as the child cursed, "You will not have a good death!"

This act stirred up anger among the other commoners, who, shaking with rage, also picked up stones and threw them at the descendants of the Liu family, their expressions filled with fury, wishing to strangle these people to death.

"Scum of the earth!"

"You drowned our crops in the fields! Come back and face us!"

"Kill them!"

The head of the Liu family had never been in such a humiliating situation in his entire life. He buried his head, trying his best to dodge the stones, his face contorted in extreme discomfort.

The pain made him dizzy at times, unable to even muster a shout in response.

As the leader of the prominent Xu Zhou aristocratic family, how could their aristocratic descendants have endured such humiliation?

How could these humble peasants, who only knew how to work the land, dare to treat them like this?

Among the descendants of the Liu family who endured the stone-throwing, one suddenly shouted in frustration, "If you want to kill us, do as you wish, but you cannot humiliate us, descendants of the Liu family, like this!"

The soldiers crudely covered their mouths with cloth pieces, saying, "Do not fret, you will die soon. Duke Wen ordered that, due to your heinous crimes, the people should vent their anger before your death."

The soldiers did not stop the commoners from attacking until the commoners nearly beat these people to a pulp, then they intervened.

The child who had initiated the attack swiftly slipped past the soldiers due to his small size and agility, pouncing on the head of the Liu family and viciously biting his ear.

The head of the Liu family screamed in agony, nearly fainting. By the time the soldiers carried the child away, he had already bitten off the ear of the head of the Liu family.

Spitting out the ear, the child then spat saliva onto the head of the Liu family, baring his teeth and claws to make another attack.

The soldiers exchanged a glance and pulled the child away to the side.

Once the commoners had vented their anger, the soldiers pressed the descendants of the Liu family's necks, forcing them to kneel with the commoners, apologize, and make amends. The descendants of the Liu family were too weak to resist, and before their death, they finally felt regret and fear, uttering low, mournful cries.

The commoners watched as the heads of these individuals fell one by one, feeling a mix of tears and smiles, clapping in celebration.

They knew that even though these people had died, their lost crops and loved ones could not be brought back. But with the presence of authorities willing to save them and take charge, this was something they were immensely grateful for.

After a while, a trembling commoner knelt in front of the governor's office, and more and more people followed suit, kneeling down together, choked with emotion, to thank Duke Wen and the governor.

*

In the afternoon, the soldiers brought the child who had bitten off the ear of the head of the Liu family to Yuan Li's presence.

Upon hearing of the child's actions, Yuan Li carefully examined the child.

The child's nervousness was evident as he stood rigidly, fists clenched. His eyes showed a determination that had weathered many hardships, making him stand out from the other children.

Yuan Li felt a sense of appreciation for this talent and asked, "What is your name? Do you know how old you are? Where are your family members?"

The child fidgeted with his clothes uneasily and replied, "My name is Jiao An, I am nine years old, and all my family members were drowned, except for my little sister."

Yuan Li gestured for him to come closer, "Have you learned how to read and write? Who taught you?"

"My father," Jiao An hesitated to get too close to Yuan Li, fearing his dirty clothes might soil Yuan's attire, "My father used to work as a stable boy and taught me a few characters."

Yuan Li asked gently, "Where is your sister?"

Jiao An looked up at him briefly, then quickly lowered his head, "My sister is being taken care of by an older woman."

Nodding slightly, Yuan Li felt that the child had potential and asked, "Are you willing to follow me? I will provide a place for you and your sister to live and eat, but as you grow up, you will need to serve me."

Jiao An was momentarily stunned, then joyfully nodded vigorously, "I am willing, both me and my sister!"

Yuan Li handed him over to Lin Tian and instructed him to make arrangements for the siblings.

With the downfall of the prominent Liu family in Xu Zhou, the other aristocratic families and the powerful no longer had the strength to resist. As the disasters in various regions subsided, the power struggle within Xu Zhou was reaching its final stage.

This series of major events was coming to a close within two months. Yuan Li also breathed a sigh of relief, despite the perils, as everything was finally coming to a proper end.

However, there was one thing that puzzled Yuan Li.

In theory, Prince Chen should have known about his actions in Xu Zhou by now and should have reacted in some way, so why was he so calm?

This calmness felt like the calm before a storm, making Yuan Li doubt whether Prince Chen had a bigger scheme in mind.

On that day, the remaining aristocratic families in Xu Zhou launched a riot in the Huai River area using their last remaining forces. Upon hearing this, Chu Hechao led five thousand soldiers to quell this rebellious army.

Just as Chu Hechao had left for a few days, Xiang Hongyun arrived in Xu Zhou with the fleeing members of the Jingzhou Wang family, looking disheveled and seeking Yuan Li's help!

Upon seeing Yuan Li for the first time, Xiang Hongyun's face was grim as he said, "My lord, we have a problem."

Yuan Li had never seen Xiang Hongyun in such a distressed state before. His hair was unkempt, clothes torn, face speckled with mud, showing a look of narrowly escaping death.

Beside him, Wang Qianzhi was in a similar state, with mud and horse dung on his shoes, looking shaken.

As Zhou Gongdan and Guo Mao exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding arose within them, prompting Guo Mao to ask, "Is there trouble in Jingzhou?"

Xiang Hongyun nodded in a hurry.

Guo Maoning muttered, "It's one thing after another..."

Yuan Li asked Xiang Hongyun and the other to sit down and asked them what had happened.

Compared to the distracted Wang Qianzhi, Xiang Hongyun was more calm. He composed himself and said, "Lord, the Governor of Jingzhou, Jiang Liao, wants to join Prince Chen."

Xiang Hongyun went to Jingzhou to persuade Jiang Liao to surrender to Yuan Li for a reason. When the late Emperor was still alive, Jiang Liao had old grievances with Prince Chen, to the point where they even had armed conflicts.

With this reason, Xiang Hongyun felt confident in persuading Jiang Liao to join Yuan Li to deal with Prince Chen together.

When they arrived in Jingzhou, Jiang Liao was indeed troubled. With the help of the Wang family, Xiang Hongyun successfully met with Jiang Liao, stated his intentions, and explained the benefits of joining Yuan Li, which made Jiang Liao very interested.

In the following days, Jiang Liao hesitated. Just when Xiang Hongyun thought he was about to convince him, one evening at a banquet, Jiang Liao's demeanor changed.

Xiang Hongyun, with poor eyesight and it being nighttime, did not see Jiang Liao's expression, but Wang Qianzhi, who was accompanying them, saw clearly.

After the banquet, Wang Qianzhi told Xiang Hongyun what he had observed. Xiang Hongyun sensed something was wrong and bribed one of Jiang Liao's servants to learn that Jiang Liao had decided to join Prince Chen and planned to kill them to please Chen Wang and end their old enmity.

Upon learning this, Xiang Hongyun prepared to escape Jingzhou. But Jiang Liao's determination to kill them was firm, setting up an ambush on their way back to the north. Xiang Hongyun used cunning strategies to escape and came to Xuzhou.

After hearing this, Guo Mao frowned, displeased with Jiang Liao's unpredictability. "Why did he suddenly decide to turn to Chen Wang?"

"Probably because of the distance," Xiang Hongyun took a wet towel handed by a servant and wiped the dirt from his face hastily. "When I talked to him, I noticed he was extremely worried about this. He was too close to Prince Chen and feared that if Prince Chen decided to attack him, you wouldn't be able to help him in time. Perhaps that's why he decided to seek refuge with Prince Chen."

Yuan Li pondered for a moment and said, "Yizhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, and now add Jingzhou...except for Jiaozhou and Xuzhou, Prince Chen will completely unify the south."

Zhou Gongdan sighed and looked at Wang Qianzhi, "What's wrong with him?"

Xiang Hongyun glanced at Wang Qianzhi and helplessly said, "Jiang Liao believed that the Wang family in Jingzhou had joined you, so he ordered the entire Wang family in Jingzhou to be hunted down. He never expected Jiang Liao to be so ruthless, still in shock."

Wang Qianzhi came back to his senses and wiped his face with a grin, "I apologize for letting Lord Yuan and everyone see this."

Seeing this, Yuan Li let him go back to rest first.

After Wang Qianzhi left, Xiang Hongyun became serious and said, "Lord, when we passed through Yangzhou, we noticed military movements. This is not a good sign. Although there is still over a year left before the five-year alliance is up, we cannot rule out Prince Chen taking advantage of your stay in Xuzhou to strike first. Lord, I urge you to leave Xuzhou quickly, as it is no longer safe here."

Zhou Gongdan and Guo Mao also urged Yuan Li to leave.

"I understand," Yuan Li said calmly, "If Princs Chen truly attacks, we can leave Xuzhou by boat from the east bank. I instructed Wu Kai to bring twenty thousand soldiers from Youzhou by land, and it has been over two months, so Wu Kai should be arriving soon."

Jia Qing, who had been silent, disagreeingly spoke up, "Even with an additional twenty thousand soldiers from Youzhou, it may not be enough to fight against Prince Chen if he is determined to attack Xuzhou."

Yuan Li nodded, "But we cannot ignore Xuzhou."

There was a moment of silence among the group.

After a while, Zhou Gongdan furrowed his brows, "Lord is right, we cannot ignore Xuzhou. If Prince Chen takes control of Xuzhou, he will have five provinces in his hands. Given two years, Prince Chen will become a powerful force that will be difficult for us to deal with. Moreover, Xuzhou's strategic location, being a key battleground, can silently approach Jizhou and Youzhou by waterway. This place must be defended."

"Indeed," Guo Mao continued in a serious tone, "Xuzhou has been taken under lord's control, and with Sir Ouyang as the Governor, we have successfully organized the administration, provided relief to the people. If we simply give it up, it will not only demoralize our forces but also plunge the people of Xuzhou back into turmoil."

For both reasons and emotions, Xuzhou cannot be conceded.

Jia Qing stood up and saluted, "Lord and General can take the boat and leave first, while Wu Kai leads twenty thousand soldiers from Youzhou to defend Xuzhou. It's easier to defend a city than to attack it; there have been instances where sieges lasted for a year or longer. If defended well, Prince Chen won't be able to capture Xuzhou in just a few months. Once Lord and General return, troops can be sent from the north for support. By then, if Prince Chen has violated the five-year alliance, it will be justifiable for Lord to confront him."

Yuan Li smiled, "That's exactly my intention."

He then glanced outside at the sky, "After General returns, I will leave Xuzhou with him."

The place where the riot occurred was a bit distant from Xiapi. Yuan Li calculated the days and knew Chu Hechao wouldn't return for a few more days. He patiently waited for ten days, sensing something amiss when Chu Hechao still hadn't returned after ten days.

The remnants of the aristocracy armed with crossbows shouldn't be this powerful, right?

Logically, he should have returned by now.

After two more days passed without his return, Yuan Li sent his own guards to investigate the riot area.

Three days later, a large army arrived outside the city. Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief, but as he hurried over, he discovered that the arrival was not Chu Hechao but Wu Kai, who had arrived in Xuzhou on foot.

Seeing it was Wu Kai, Yuan Li's expression changed, and his right eyelid twitched several times.

Wu Kai wanted to bow to Yuan Li and report everything he had encountered on the way. However, upon seeing Yuan Li's expression, he was taken aback and anxiously asked Jia Qing, "Have I arrived too slowly, causing displeasure to Lord?"

Jia Qing shook his head and explained in a low voice, "General went to suppress the rebel army, but it has been nearly twenty days since he hasn't returned. Lord thought it was General returning."

Wu Kai, somewhat understanding, asked, "Is Lord worried about General's safety? Did the rebel army retreat too far, causing General to return late?"

"Perhaps," Jia Qing replied uncertainly. However, he believed in Chu Hechao's strength. After all, Jia Qing had challenged Chu Hechao himself and never won in both martial arts and tactics.

Few could contend with Chu Hechao in this world. It was just some rebel soldiers; they shouldn't pose a significant threat to General.

Though they were not overly concerned, Yuan Li, on a rational level, knew that Chu Hechao might have been delayed for some reason, yet emotionally, a sense of unease crept in inexplicably.

This unease made his heart race, disrupting his peace of mind. Yuan Li took a deep breath and decisively made a decision.

He instructed Lin Tian to bring Chiyu over and turned to Wu Kai, saying, "Wu Kai, allocate five thousand cavalry to me. After ensuring the rest of the troops are settled, you can rest. Jia Qing, accompany me with your deputy to find General!"

With that, Yuan Li mounted his horse swiftly and grabbed the reins, urging, "Quick."

Wu Kai and Jia Qing immediately complied. Zhou Gongdan and the others wanted to say something to Yuan Li, but he gave them a clear look, saying, "No more words. My mind is made up."

The advisors had to step back, "We will wait for Lord's return in the city."

Realizing his urgency, Wu Kai and Jia Qing acted quickly. In less than half an hour, Yuan Li led his men out of the city.

The five thousand cavalry kicked up a cloud of dust, gradually disappearing from sight.

*

Yuan Li traveled day and night, rushing to the scene of the riot.

As he approached halfway, he heard the sound of galloping horses ahead. Yuan Li's spirits lifted, and Jia Qing immediately ordered the troops to prepare for battle. However, as the two sides drew closer, Yuan Li recognized that it was his own scouts he had sent to search for Chu Hechao approaching.

The lead scout was carrying a wounded soldier in his arms.

Yuan Li's eyelid twitched again, and he focused intently, squinting his eyes. His sharp eyesight quickly spotted the blood on the soldier's body.

Blood?

Yuan Li didn't know what had happened, but in that moment, his heart sank into an abyss. Unconsciously gripping the reins tightly, leaving deep marks on his hands, he remained oblivious to the pain.

As the scouts approached, they saw Yuan Li, their eyes lighting up as they urged their horses faster.

Upon reaching Yuan Li, the lead scout halted his horse and carefully brought the gravely wounded soldier to kneel before Yuan Li. He interrupted, "Tell me."

The scout took a deep breath and laboriously said, "When we rushed to the riot area, we didn't find General, only numerous bodies and traces of battle. The corpses belonged to both enemy and ally. After searching for a long time, we found this severely injured comrade, who said..."

Yuan Li found it difficult to breathe, raising and then lowering his hand, he closed his eyes and asked, "What did he say?"

"He said that besides the rebel army, there were other troops, as well as a navy ambush on the Huai River," the scout replied with his head bowed, avoiding Yuan Li's gaze. "General fell into an ambush, was shot by an arrow, and fell into the Huai River... Other commanders threw themselves into the river to save General... The enemy navy is searching by boat, and now we don't know the fate of General and the others... Whether they are alive, escaped, or captured by the enemy."

Yuan Li froze.

In an instant, his whole body went cold.

These words were clear in his ears, but after understanding them, they became blurred, leaving Yuan Li momentarily unable to grasp their meaning.

An ambush?

Who was shot and fell into the Huai River?

His mind blank, Yuan Li's voice came out hoarse and fragmented, like it would scatter with a gust of wind, "Take me to where they were fighting."