C171. Chen Xi Comes After Me.

C171. Chen Xi Comes After Me.

The next day, Yuan Li dispatched more people to search for Chu Hechao and the others.

The residents of the city had already heard about Chu Hechao's incident. While they hoped for Chu Hechao's safety, after half a month had passed with no news, apart from Yuan Li's unwavering belief that Chu Hechao was still alive, others couldn't help but feel that Chu Hechao might have met a tragic end.

They knew they shouldn't dig into Yuan Li's grief, but Chu Hechao's situation was exceptional, and dedicating half a month to search was already the limit. When Yuan Li expressed his intention to leave the city again, his advisors, for the first time, united to strongly advise him to take a boat and return to the north.

Prince Chen had already taken action against Chu Hechao, and the next target would undoubtedly be Yuan Li. The south was Prince Chen's stronghold, and staying there would only lead Yuan Li into a trap.

Without Chu Hechao, there would be unrest in the north. Regardless, Yuan Li had to leave as soon as possible to oversee the overall situation.

Yuan Li understood rationally that he needed to leave, but at this moment, departing gave him a sense of abandoning Chu Hechao.

In response to his subordinates' pleas, he rubbed his forehead with a thin figure.

Guo Mao was sweating profusely as he earnestly implored, "My lord, please return to the north quickly. Xu Zhou is truly unsafe now. Once you return to the north, you can bring troops to Xu Zhou. If the General manages to survive, he must be somewhere in Xu Zhou. Only with enough troops can we protect the General under Prince Chen's attack!"

Finally, Yuan Li spoke in a hoarse voice, "You don't need to persuade me further. I know the stakes. I will leave, but not now."

With his eyes lowered and expressionless, Yuan Li's face, devoid of color, appeared colder and more rational than ever before.

Beneath the grief he tried hard to conceal, there was suppressed anger. "I want to see Prince Chen's reaction. If his soldiers capture Chu Hechao, he won't miss this chance and will openly inform me to use it to control me or the northern army. Even if he kills Chu Hechao, Prince Chen will publicize it. But if he does nothing, says nothing, and attacks Xu Zhou directly, it means Chu Hechao is not in his hands. He thinks Chu Hechao is dead and is eager to take this opportunity to eliminate me."

Implied in his words, Yuan Li was convinced that Chu Hechao was still alive.

Yuan Li was not someone who couldn't see reality; on the contrary, his forward-looking character was better equipped to accept all the difficulties reality presented. He might have known the odds were slim for Chu Hechao's survival, but he didn't want to believe it.

Such self-delusion was something his subordinates had never seen in him before.

To be honest, this state of mind was not beneficial, as they worried that if Chu Hechao's death was confirmed, Yuan Li would collapse.

However...

The subordinates exchanged a discreet glance, sighed inwardly, knowing they couldn't voice their concerns.

The person whose life or death was uncertain was not just the lord's ally or friend, but also his partner.

Eventually, they all took a step back, and Zhou Gongdan whispered, "Please promise us, my lord, if Prince Chen truly begins to attack Xu Zhou, please immediately board a boat and leave Xu Zhou."

Yuan Li fell silent for a moment, his fingers twitching as he gazed out the window.

Outside the window, a cinnamon tree stood bare, its leaves all fallen, leaving only lonely branches.

One of his subordinates softly called out to him, "My lord?"

Yuan Li turned back, nodding faintly, "I will."

In the days that followed, Yuan Li closely monitored Prince Chen's movements.

He both hoped that Prince Chen had captured Chu Hechao and feared the possibility. Amidst this complexity, his anger and hatred towards Prince Chen continued to rise, growing stronger each day without finding Chu Hechao.

This anger did not consume Yuan Li's rationality but rather made him even more rational and dangerous.

The source of Chu Hechao's disappearance and injury was Prince Chen, and Yuan Li remained firm in his determination to seek vengeance.

As they anxiously awaited news and continued to search, Prince Chen eventually deployed troops to attack Xu Zhou.

At the moment they received the news, Yuan Li's expression darkened, flames of anger flickering in his eyes. He closed his eyes slowly, knowing he could no longer stay in Xu Zhou.

Just as Guo Mao and others had said, Xu Zhou could not fall to Chen Wang, and Yuan Li could not afford to stay there.

For the sake of their homeland, the people, and for Chu Hechao, who might still be somewhere in Xu Zhou.

Yuan Li's heart seemed to take a heavy blow, but he managed to compose himself and make a decisive declaration: "Prepare the boats, we are retreating."

His subordinates breathed a sigh of relief and enthusiastically replied, "Yes!"

The retreat team was already prepared, and on that day, five thousand naval soldiers were to escort Yuan Li as he departed.

Yuan Li had intended to take Ouyang Ting with him, but Ouyang Ting refused to leave. "We have worked so hard to govern Xu Zhou together. Now that Prince Chen is attacking, how can I, as the governor, leave on my own? You go ahead, Yuan Li. Bring reinforcements as soon as possible. I will stay in Xu Zhou and protect the people, also to search for Chu Hechao and others."

He sighed, patted Yuan Li on the shoulder, and comforted him in a low voice, "Don't worry, Chu Hechao is lucky and won't simply vanish like that. Your teacher will find people for you. When you return with reinforcements, your teacher will ensure they are found."

Yuan Li forced a smile, "Alright."

Then, he turned to Wu Kai, and Wu Kai bowed, saying, "My lord."

Yuan Li nodded, "Wu Kai, I entrust Xu Zhou to you. Protect it well until I return with the troops."

Wu Kai solemnly replied, "Yes."

He vowed to protect Xu Zhou with his life.

Xiang Hongyun also volunteered to stay in Xu Zhou and assist Wu Kai in safeguarding the rear.

Yuan Li agreed.

After issuing all the necessary instructions, it was time for Yuan Li to depart.

Before boarding the carriage, Yuan Li suddenly paused, turned, and called out, "Chu Hechao?"

The surroundings were quiet, only their own people stood around. As he didn't spot another familiar figure, Yuan Li let out a soft sigh, lifted the curtain, and got into the carriage.

Due to the absence of the team transporting food, the return journey was faster than the outbound one. Two days later, Yuan Li boarded a ship on the east coast of Xu Zhou.

The ships were lined up with the one carrying Yuan Li in the center, sailing northward. However, shortly after setting off, someone reported, "Lord, there are warships marked with the character 'Chen' approaching from the rear!"

Furrowing his brow, Yuan Li personally went to the deck to look back. On the distant sea surface, over a hundred warships were majestically chasing after them. The flags fluttering in the sea breeze revealed a faint 'Chen' character.

Yuan Li sneered, "It seems that Prince Chen truly intends to eradicate the roots without concern for the infamy he carries on his back. It's understandable. As long as he emerges as the final victor, his actions of betrayal will be praised as brave and strategic, overlooking any ethical boundaries. With such a good opportunity to eliminate me, why would he give up?"

With the experienced Jia Qing protecting him, Yuan Li smirked, "Lord, should we increase the speed of the ship?"

Jia Qing, with some hesitation, as he had never directed naval warfare, suggested speeding up the ship.

However, Yuan Li remained expressionless, "No, slow down. Let our ship maintain a distance from Prince Chen's. I want to have a conversation with the people on their ship."

Surprised, Zhou Gongdan asked, "My lord?"

Yuan Li raised his hand, silencing them, "Our ship has been modified for battle. It is equipped with catapults, three-bed crossbows, reinforced bow and stern, and side propellers. Even in a collision, it can turn the opponent's ship into debris. I've brought five thousand naval soldiers with me not just to circle aimlessly on the sea. Prince Chen has laid hands on my people, and I must give him a gift in return."

His eyes ignited with flames, his words filled with murderous intent. Guo Mao squinted at Prince Chen's naval forces for a while and hesitated, "My lord, Prince Chen's warships seem to number over a hundred, with tens of thousands of personnel. Facing such a strong enemy, should we confront them head-on?"

Yuan Li chuckled, "On the water, it's not about the number of ships or people but about strategy. Once their warships are damaged, the entire crew will plunge into the depths of the sea. They won't be able to climb back up or reach the shore, only to freeze or drown in this vast ocean."

In an era without gunpowder and firearms, Yuan Li dared to face a larger force with fewer resources.

"Prince Chen is becoming more arrogant," Yuan Li's smile slowly faded from his face, his gaze coldly fixed on the opposite side, "If we retreat now, he might think we are an easy target."

Finally, their boats slowly came to a stop.

As Prince Chen's boats approached closer, they must have thought that there was a trick, so they also stopped their war boats hundreds of meters away, cautious and not daring to get closer.

This distance was beyond the range of the three-bow bed crossbow.

Prince Chen probably already knew about a long-range weapon in Yuan Li.

Yuan Li's eyes were cold, holding the hand warmer given to him by the swift doctor. Dressed in a grey wide-sleeved robe, with a wolf fur cape given to him by Chu Hechao draped over it, he stood upright at the bow of the boat, exuding a strong and powerful presence.

It seemed that the enemy had also seen him, as a person from the guarded warship in the middle also emerged and stood at the bow of the ship, facing Yuan Li across the sea.

Seeing the other person's figure and actions, Yuan Li knew that it was not Prince Chen.

He raised an eyebrow.

Wasn't Prince Chen coming in person?

"Ask him," Yuan Li called for a loud-voiced centurion, "Tell him this is the warship of Duke Wen. They are Prince Chen's men on the other side. Why are they chasing us without cause?"

The centurion cleared his throat and shouted Yuan Li's words in one breath.

His voice was indeed loud, causing the surrounding people like Zhou Gongdun to show expressions of toothache, but it successfully reached the ears of the enemy.

After a moment, the other side also shouted, "I am Chen Xi, the son of Prince Chen. I would like to invite Duke Wen to be a guest in Yangzhou!"

Oh, it was Chen Xi.

Yuan Li remembered, he had seen Prince Chen's son during his audience with the emperor in Luoyang.

He remembered Prince Chen's heir being frail, with high hopes for this son. However, Chen Xi was mediocre, disappointing Prince Chen greatly.

Yuan Li slowly smiled, no trace of amusement in his eyes, "I see."

Guo Mao curiously asked, "My lord, have you discovered something?"

"Prince Chen sent a hundred warships and tens of thousands of navy troops to besiege me. It shows that I am also a thorn in his side, a thorn in his flesh. His determination to eliminate me is resolute and urgent," Yuan Li said, "But look, for such an important matter of besieging me, such a huge battle, he did not personally come, but entrusted it to his son who he has always been disappointed in. Does he not fear that Chen Xi cannot beat me?"

Guo Mao faintly felt something and took a sharp breath, "Prince Chen didn't not want to come, but he couldn't come, so he had to entrust such an important matter to his heir!"

"Yes," Yuan Li chuckled, "Prince Chen must be injured or seriously ill. That's why his recent methods have become increasingly intense, first tearing down the face to take down Yuzhou and Yizhou, then using unscrupulous methods to destroy the river embankment and flood Xuzhou, and finally secretly ambushing Chu Hechao, sending tens of thousands of warriors to besiege me... He must be nearing the end, so he wants to eliminate us one by one to pave the way for his descendants."