C179. Happy.

Chapter 179. Happy.

Ouyang Ting pulled Yuan Li towards the mansion, his expression blank and bewildered.

Even before Yuan Li could process Ouyang Ting's words, his heart raced ahead.

Chu Hechao's...letter?

Is it really a letter written by Chu Hechao?

Is Chu Hechao...truly alive?

Leading Yuan Li into the study, Ouyang Ting had the servant bring out the hidden package.

The package was wrapped in coarse gray fabric, covered in dust and dry grass, making it blend in with the surroundings.

As soon as the package appeared, Yuan Li's eyes were glued to it, his feet rooted to the ground.

He hoped it was genuinely something sent by Chu Hechao but also feared it might be a trap set by Prince Chen. Caught between hope and fear, he was afraid that his hope would only lead to disappointment.

Turning to Yuan Li, Ouyang Ting said, "Will you open it and see?"

Throat constricting, Yuan Li wasn't one to hesitate. Taking a deep breath, he approached and swiftly opened the package.

Dust shook off onto the table as Yuan Li lowered his gaze to find two simple pieces of coarse fabric inside, nothing out of the ordinary.

Ouyang Ting added, "I found this package strange when I received it, but it became even stranger upon opening it. It was only when I found a letter tucked amidst the clothing that I realized its significance."

As Yuan Li picked up the clothes, he indeed found a letter at the bottom.

Seeing the letter, Yuan Li's movements slowed down. His heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears, steadying his slightly trembling hand, he pulled out the paper and, before reading it, Ouyang Ting eagerly asked, "What? Is it Chu Hechao's handwriting?"

With a bitter smile, Yuan Li said, "Master, I haven't read it yet."

Impatiently, Ouyang Ting urged, "Then read it quickly."

The interruption actually calmed Yuan Li down a bit.

He opened the envelope, but as he glanced at the contents, he froze.

Seeing no reaction from Yuan Li, Ouyang Ting's heart raced, "Lejun, what is it?"

In a low voice, Yuan Li murmured, "It's his handwriting... Master, it really is his handwriting."

The handwriting on the letter was bold and powerful, almost bursting out of the paper. This was Chu Hechao's handwriting, and without even reading the contents, Yuan Li could tell by a single glance.

Chu Hechao was alive.

He was still living.

After months of tension, Yuan Li's mind suddenly relaxed, feeling like he was in a dream. Gripping the letter tightly, his hand turned white, tears almost welling up.

Ouyang Ting was overjoyed, unable to contain his smile. He constantly repeated, "I knew it, I knew it. Chu Hechao is incredibly lucky, he wouldn't die so easily!"

He wanted to share this news with the world but seeing Yuan Li's mixed emotions, Ouyang Ting's eyes warmed up. Understanding that Yuan Li needed time to compose himself and read the letter, he tactfully left the study, "This is great news, the best news! I'll have your master's wife prepare a few more dishes. Lejun, you must have a few extra drinks with me tonight!"

After he left, the study fell quiet.

Outside the window, birds chirped, either celebrating the arrival of spring or busy building nests.

It took Yuan Li a while to regain his composure, his eyes moist as he earnestly read the letter.

The man who wrote the letter understood him, starting with a gentle phrase, "Do not cry upon reading this, my heart can only be at peace."

Yuan Li forcefully held back his tears of joy, transforming into a calm and strong Duke of Wen.

Chu Hechao seemed uneasy; the letter didn't contain much. It only mentioned that he was fine but didn't reveal his whereabouts or his activities.

The rest of the letter mostly inquired about Yuan Li, Xuzhou, and Youzhou, with many questions directed at Yuan Li.

He asked if Yuan Li was scared, if he cried, if he ate and slept well, and if he missed him.

Reading the letter, Yuan Li nodded, feeling that Chu Hechao was truly mischievous.

Telling him not to cry in the beginning, and then writing so many words that brought tears to his eyes, Yuan Li's head continued to nod.

Scared, cried.

Ate well, slept well, missed you.

Chu Hechao seemed to know Yuan Li's answers, expressing his yearning in the letter.

But he couldn't guarantee if the letter successfully reached Yuan Li's hands, fearing it would be seen by others. Every word on the letter was restrained and subtle, suppressing all of Chu Hechao's overwhelming emotions.

After finishing the letter, Yuan Li's eyes were red.

He carefully stored the letter and as he stepped outside, he saw Ouyang Ting standing not far away.

Yuan Li smiled, "Teacher."

Ouyang Ting turned, seeing Yuan Li glowing with a new energy, his smile comforting. Ouyang Ting smiled back, "You can finally rest easy now."

Yuan Li smirked, "Teacher, I want to meet the person who delivered the letter."

The messenger had been detained by Ouyang Ting, and fifteen minutes later, a thin, ordinary-looking young man in his twenties entered.

Seeing Yuan Li, he respectfully bowed, "I, Ji Cong, pay my respects to Lord."

Yuan Li was slightly surprised, "From the Grain Allocation Department?"

Ji Cong nodded and, when assured of privacy, handed over another sealed letter, "My Lord, this is another confidential letter from the Grand General, instructed to be delivered to you alone. If intercepted by anyone else, it should be destroyed rather than fall into others' hands."

Yuan Li's expression hardened as he carefully began to read the letter.

If the previous letter was just a normal letter ensuring safety, this one was entirely meant for Yuan Li's eyes only.

Chu Hechao clearly explained the ambush situation and detailed his plan to sail to Jiaozhou, providing the reasons behind his decision.

Chu Hechao wanted to borrow troops from Jiaozhou to attack the rear of Yangzhou, coordinating with Yuan Li to jointly take down Prince Chen.

He calculated the day Yuan Li would set off to officially engage Prince Chen after returning troops from Youzhou; he planned to strike in the rear when Yuan Li was battling in the front.

Yuan Li's expression alternated between furrowing his brows and raising his eyebrows.

Chu Hechao briefly mentioned his own injuries in the letter, stating that he was mostly recovered now. However, Yuan Li was concerned that Chu Hechao was only sharing good news and leaving out the bad.

As for borrowing troops, Yuan Li was unsure of the success of the plan and wondered how Chu Hechao was fairing now.

Both Chu Hechao and Yuan Li had their own strategies; their only option was to trust each other and not miss any opportunities.

Apart from all that, the letter was filled with blatant expressions of longing, using straightforward language that made Yuan Li blush and glance at the Grain Allocation Department worker from time to time, pretending not to care in case Ji Cong knew what was written in the letter.

However, Ji Cong misunderstood as Yuan Li's glances made him suspicious. He stood as straight as if he were being inspected by a high-ranking official, smoothly recounting his encounter with Chu Hechao as if he had rehearsed it hundreds of times in private.

Chu Hechao's letter arrived in Xuzhou a month ago.

In reality, the day after Chu Hechao woke up from his half-month-long coma due to severe injuries, he had prepared to write a letter to Yuan Li.

However, Chu Hechao was only accompanied by a few dozen remaining soldiers and had no means of sending the letter as they were drifting at sea. It was not until he boarded a new ship to Jiaozhou that he finally found a local store named "Wansui Grain Store" and handed over two copies of the letter to the store owner.

The Wansui Grain Store was a property of the Grain Allocation Department, managed by its staff.

At that time, the store owner was unaware of Chu Hechao's life and death situation, and he also didn't know about Yuan Li's search for Chu Hechao in Xuzhou. However, sensing the urgency of the situation from Chu Hechao and his men, the store owner immediately provided financial support and closed the store to personally deliver the letter to Xuzhou that same evening.

Prince Chen's forces had begun attacking Xuzhou, nearly destroying all communication channels, with cities restricting entry and exit.

The Grain Allocation Department worker faced numerous obstacles but eventually managed to deliver the letter hidden in his belongings to Ouyang Ting's residence a month ago.

He didn't dare hand over the confidential letter to anyone until he met Yuan Li.

Though he wanted to relay the message back to Youzhou, by the time he returned there, Yuan Li had already come back. Moreover, it was even riskier in Xuzhou, making it impossible for him to send out the letter.

As he finished his story, Yuan Li lost his embarrassment and cleared his throat, instructing Lin Tian to take Ji Cong to rest before continuing to read.

Having had his fill of banter, Chu Hechao felt a lingering sense of incompleteness, sighed, and spoke, "I am eight years older than you and have spent eight years less by your side. With each day apart, we lose a day of being together. These moments are irreplaceable."

Yuan Li's heart remained calm, but this remark stirred a bitter feeling within him.

He sighed and thought to himself, "Let's meet as soon as possible."

He slowly folded the letter, his gaze turning cold and a sharp glint appearing on his face.

Since Chu Hechao was fine, it was time for him to settle the score with Prince Chen.

Chu Ciye's words were right.

The sooner they met, the less they would regret the time apart.

That evening, Yuan Li enjoyed the most comfortable and delightful meal he had had in months at Ouyang Ting's place.

His hearty appetite delighted the cook, Madam Lu, who beamed with joy and rolled up her sleeves to personally serve the apprentices.

At the dinner table were only Yuan Li, Ouyang Ting, and Ouyang Ting's grandchildren, while others discreetly stayed away, creating a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

Having the company of two children, Yuan Li's smile never faded. The innocent and amusing chatter of the children warmed his heart, and they adored him as their "Uncle," refusing to let go of him and naïvely asking where he had been previously.

Yuan Li softened his voice, "I went to buy candies for Yue'er and Sheng'er."

The children's eyes sparkled, exclaiming, "Wow!"

Suppressing a smile, Yuan Li motioned for a chest to be brought over and placed it on the side, telling them, "Go ahead, the candies are in the chest. If you can open it, the candies inside will be yours."

Excitedly, the children rushed to the chest.

The box was about the size of the children, and they exclaimed in amazement before eagerly hugging the chest.

Ouyang Ting approached to have a look, noticing that the chest was not locked but secured with a thin rope tied with a knot, and a piece of paper with a riddle attached.

Upon reading the riddle: "Circular when drawn, square when written, it warms with it, cools without it - What is it?"

Ouyang Ting immediately knew the answer was "Sun."

Finding it amusing, Ouyang Ting watched as his grandchildren puzzled over the riddle, finding their contemplative expressions entertaining. He then walked up to Yuan Li and whispered, "There is too much sugar in that big chest; didn't you know that too much white sugar can harm your teeth?"

Yuan Li winked at Ouyang Ting, "Teacher, just watch."

After the master and apprentice had finished half a pot of wine and the children had solved the riddle, the servants untied the rope, revealing a smaller chest hidden inside. This time, with a lock and another riddle attached to it.

The children were dumbfounded.

Seeing their reaction, Ouyang Ting burst into laughter, and Yuan Li couldn't contain his amusement either. He leaned back in his chair, supporting his head with one hand, his lips curling with a hint of playful mischief as he watched the children, his eyes somewhat intoxicated from the wine, with a teasing gleam.

Watching Yuan Li from the side, Lin Tian wiped a tear from his eye, joyfully thinking to himself: the Lord is indeed wonderful.

Twenty days later, He Lang arrived in Xuzhou with Guan Zhihuai leading the troops.

A hidden messenger from the Grain Allocation Department in Yangzhou sent a message: Prince Chen had begun mobilizing troops upon his return to Yangzhou.

Yuan Li burned the note, his expression composed.

It was time for him to settle the reckoning with Prince Chen.

And the moment to pacify the world had finally arrived.

If he could defeat Prince Chen, he would control seven crucial provinces, which essentially covered half the kingdom. The remaining provinces had little resistance left and those who were sensible and astute would naturally bow down to him.

From eighteen to now, Yuan Li was twenty-seven this year.

Nine years of effort, nine years of planning, were finally leading to the ultimate outcome.

Yuan Li harbored no fear in his heart; on the contrary, he was filled with numerous passions and a strong fighting spirit.

Prince Chen was the most challenging opponent Yuan Li had ever encountered, but he was confident that he would emerge victorious in this battle.

There was no alternative outcome for him.

Yuan Li ordered the army to prepare, leading three hundred thousand troops towards Yangzhou in a majestic march.

Simultaneously, he instructed the staff at the Grain Allocation Department in Yangzhou to take action.

*

In Yangzhou.

Upon receiving the orders, the staff from the Grain Allocation Department swiftly closed the grain stores and emptied the warehouses of their supplies during the night.

Over the years, they had gained control of an increasing number of grain stores covertly.

They would purchase grain at high prices after the autumn harvest, conducted themselves fairly, established good relationships with local powerful officials and wealthy individuals, and consequently, the commoners with surplus grain would sell to them. Even other grain stores would sell their surplus to them to make a profit, and the authorities rarely interfered with their activities.

The investment of a substantial amount of money had a significant effect; over the years, most grain stores in Yangzhou were secretly controlled by the Grain Allocation Department, and even the commoners recognized the stores under the Grain Allocation Department for selling grain.

Not limited to the grain stores, the Grain Allocation Department had also acquired many farmlands in Yangzhou, replacing crops with cotton, a non-edible crop.

Most of the cotton clothing and bedding used by Yuan Li's soldiers came from the cotton grown in Yangzhou. When the locals saw wealthy merchants from other regions coming specifically to Yangzhou to purchase cotton, and the prices offered for the cotton being higher than that of grains, they also started considering switching to cotton farming.

As the cotton farmers prospered and more people switched to cotton farming, the demand for grain at the grain stores kept increasing yearly.

Prince Chen was aware of this situation but paid it no mind. Busy with conquering lands, how could he have foreseen Yuan Li preparing for a trade war with him?

A joke.

Who could have imagined that the barren North would dare to engage in a trade war with the affluent South?

At this moment, within a single night, most of Yangzhou's grain stores had shut down.

Initially, the commoners paid little attention to this, but as the grain prices soared and people flocked to the remaining grain stores to purchase supplies, they slowly realized that something was amiss.

Why hadn't the owners of the closed stores reopened yet?

If they didn't, their own grain supplies wouldn't last!

It was early spring, the fields were empty of grain. Many commoners had grown accustomed to using currency to purchase food, and in the bustling city of Yangzhou, they had never anticipated a day where they'd have money but couldn't buy food.

The commoners were dumbfounded, and so were the officials.

Food was the lifeblood of the common people, and without it, the people of Yangzhou suddenly became anxious.

When the news reached Prince Chen's ears, even the composed Prince Chen's couldn't hide his anger. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Yangzhou is wealthy, renowned as the land of plenty! How could a place like this have no grain!"

One of his subordinates cautiously explained, "For some reason, most of the grain stores in Yangzhou closed overnight. We forced open their granaries and found not a single grain of rice...I investigated further and discovered that these stores would buy surplus grain at high prices after the autumn harvest. The people have become accustomed to selling their surplus to these stores and then purchasing it back when they run out at home. With the grain stores closed, the prices have skyrocketed, and the people who can't buy grain are starting to get restless...My lord, this seems to be a deliberate act by someone."

Furious, Prince Chen didn't need to be told, exclaiming, "Of course! Do you think I need you to tell me that?!"

As his anger reached its peak, Prince Chen calmed down, "The person who could silently execute such a plan in my Yangzhou is none other than Yuan Li. His sudden actions indicate his desire to engage in battle with me. By withdrawing the grain from Yangzhou, causing panic among the people, and forcing the government to distribute grain, he aims to weaken the funding for my army and exhibit cunning strategy and patience."

Prince Chen couldn't believe that Yuan Li had not been plotting this for years!

Shocked and enraged by his oversight, Prince Chen realized he had been infiltrated by Yuan Li's influence in his territory.

Like finding a sharp knife hidden under the pillow after a long night's sleep, this discovery left Prince Chen shivering in fear.

The lack of grain presented an even greater challenge.

While Prince Chen could ignore such matters in other provinces, neglecting the people in his own lands would lead him to lose all support.

If he couldn't care for his own people, how could he govern the entire kingdom?

Even if his reputation for benevolence was a facade, he still needed to maintain a semblance of decency.

This was a dilemma, and Prince Chen knew he had no choice but to comply.

Closing his eyes, exhausted and deflated, he reluctantly uttered, "Order the officials to distribute grain."