126. Yan Hui is Dead.
Hundreds of arrows were released simultaneously.
The sound of whistling arrows came faster than expected.
Confused soldiers looked up to see a dark mass swiftly flying towards them.
"What is that?" Yan Hui also saw it, squinting his eyes to focus on the dark spot in the sky, frowning, "What is flying towards us?"
Wan Liang's sharp eyes caught the sight before him, growing larger in disbelief. A huge sense of fear enveloped him.
Wan Liang turned abruptly, shielding Yan Hui and urging him to leave, shouting urgently, "General, run, those are arrows!"
"How could arrows be shot from so far away?" Yan Hui, protected by his personal guards, scrambled to escape, doubting, "Are those really arrows?"
Before he could finish his sentence, a nearby guardsman was struck by a large arrow, the force of the spear-like arrow horrifyingly pinning him to the ground, the arrow piercing halfway into the earth.
The guardsman's abdomen was ripped open, flesh and blood splattering.
Yan Hui, Wan Liang, and the others held their breath, hastening their escape.
"Retreat, quickly retreat!" Yan Hui ordered sternly, urging the people around him to leave, "Retreat quickly!"
However, their speed could not match the incoming arrows.
Large iron arrows fell to the ground, causing chaos near the standard-bearers. Without knowing what had happened, troops all around began to panic and retreat.
Wan Liang desperately protected Yan Hui in the chaos, his heart pounding. This battlefield was the most frightening he had ever been in.
They didn't even know how far these arrows could reach, where they could escape to avoid death. The sound of screams echoed, and Wan Liang looked up hastily, only to see an iron arrow piercing the General's Flag, splitting it in half.
Alarm gripped him. "Quick, raise the flag!"
In the chaos of the battle, the large number of troops required commands from military flag.
The flag was crucial - when the flag advanced, soldiers advanced, and when the standard retreated, soldiers followed suit. If the flag was lost, enemies and allies might think Yan Hui was dead!
This could not happen.
With gritted teeth, Wan Liang mounted his horse decisively, charging towards the broken flag to raise it again. As he bent down to pick up the standard, a mournful and terrified cry came from behind, "General!"
Stiffening, Wan Liang dared not believe what he saw when he turned around. Yan Hui, with his warhorse, was pierced through by a long iron arrow.
Yan Hui's face turned pale, eyes bulging in disbelief as he looked at the arrow protruding from his chest. He collapsed, lifeless.
Yan Hui was dead.
He had died just like that.
Wan Liang's mind went blank as he watched the agonized guardsmen around Yan Hui, the scattered and fleeing soldiers. He understood clearly:
He was done for.
Li Li was done for as well.
Chu Hechao emerged victorious over the enemy forces.
The victory came so effortlessly, even easier than defeating Wan Liang. It was a complete rout, with Yan Hui having no chance to resist.
The iron arrows from the three-bow bed crossbows killed many generals near the flag. With the flag fallen, Chu Hechao led his troops in a rampant attack.
In the end, they captured thirty enemy generals and eighty thousand soldiers. During the cleanup, the Youzhou soldiers carefully retrieved all the iron arrows.
The weapon is too costly to waste, so naturally not a single one can be squandered.
As soon as the war ended, Lu He approached Chu Hechao and Yuan Li with a jovial smile to offer his congratulations, showing a hint of respect that was not present at the beginning.
He inquired, "What is the weapon the General used?"
Chu Hechao glanced at Yuan Li, "This weapon was created by Lord Yuan. You should ask him."
Lu He looked at Yuan Li in bewilderment, "Lord Yuan?"
"You jest, General. This was not made by me, but by the talented individuals under me," Yuan Li chuckled lightly, "The weapon is called a three-bow bed crossbow, just a small thing, nothing remarkable."
Not worth mentioning?
Lu He's eye twitched, but he dared not refute, and boldly said, "I must admit, Lord Yuan, I am very interested in this three-bow bed crossbow. Could you provide me with one to test its power?"
Yuan Li smiled in silence.
After the war, he immediately had the three-bow bed crossbows taken away. Due to the strong security measures, not even the soldiers from Liangzhou caught a glimpse of the three-bow bed crossbows.
Yuan Li's attitude clearly indicated refusal, and Lu He did not press further. He chuckled heartily, "When you return, both of you are welcome to visit me in Liangzhou. It's quite a distance from Liangzhou to Yuzhou, and despite our desolate appearance, there is a charm to be found there."
Yuan Li's ability to create such a powerful weapon discreetly meant that if Lu He did not befriend the two of them, he would be a fool.
In the following days, news of "Chu Hechao killing Yan Hui, breaking through Hulao Pass" spread to the waiting rebels in Henan County.
They were shocked and stirred by the news. The fear they previously had for Li Li vanished completely, replaced by regret.
They regretted not having the courage to follow the soldiers from Youzhou to fight Li Li. If they had followed, after rescuing the Emperor, they could have easily claimed credit!
Many rebels quickly packed their bags that day, preparing to make their way to Luoyang to share in the spoils.
Equally, Wu Shanshi, who had just arrived in Henan County, had an unpleasant expression that could rival ink.
His plan was to take advantage of the situation by leading troops to attack Li Li in Luoyang while Chu Hechao and Yan Wei were engaged in battle. But not long after, how could Chu Hechao have resolved Yan Wei so quickly?
Wu Shanshi thought it would take at least a month for a victor to emerge!
"Both are great generals, how could Yan Hui be so incompetent," Wu Shanshi was extremely disappointed in Yan Hui, wishing he could transform iron into steel, "To be defeated and die in just a few days. Truly..."
Wu Shanshi sighed, feeling panic rising in his heart, "If Chu Hechao really kills Li Li, won't I be in a difficult position?"
No, he couldn't let Chu Hechao kill Li Li.
With a forced calm, Wu Shanshi set out with his troops for Luoyang that very night, without even taking time to rest. Before reaching Luoyang, news broke that Li Li had escaped to Chang'an with his guards.
Wu Shanshi felt a glimmer of relief and hastily led his troops towards Chang'an.
*
Before Wu Shanshi learned that Li Li had fled to Chang'an, Yuan Li had already received this news.
He was able to know thanks to the sudden activation of the system.
[The System of a Great Minister of a Generation has been activated]
[Mission: Kill Li Li, who fled to Chang'an]
[Reward: Improved warship design blueprint]
As soon as the system's voice fell silent, Yuan Li immediately stopped his horse.
Chu Hechao, who was riding alongside him, was the first to react, halting his horse and turning to ask, "What's wrong?"
As the two of them stopped, the troops behind them also came to a halt.
Wu Kai and Yang Zhong looked at them with confusion, but seeing that they had something to say, they did not interrupt.
Under the scorching sun, which made one dizzy and parched, even the birds in the woods were silent, fearing the heat like everyone else.
Such heat easily made people irritable, but Chu Hechao patiently waited for Yuan Li to speak.
The sweat at the temples of the men had already soaked their hair.
Yuan Li pursed his lips, which were dry and peeling, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Do you believe me?"
Chu Hechao nodded, resigned, "If I don't believe you, who else can I trust?"
Yuan Li took a deep breath, looked directly at Chu Hechao, and pronounced each word slowly, "Li Li is not in Luoyang right now, he has fled to Chang'an."
Chu Hechao was taken aback for a moment, then his brows furrowed, a hint of coldness creeping onto his face as he mocked, "I knew it, he wouldn't just sit still in Luoyang waiting to die."
Now it was Yuan Li's turn to be stunned. He asked in confusion, "Do you really believe what I said?"
He didn't even ask where Yuan Li had obtained the information from?
Chu Hechao chuckled and raised his hand to playfully ruffle Yuan Li's hair, exerting enough force to mess up his hair completely, "How could I not believe you?"
His large palm roughly passed over Yuan Li's temple, Chu Hechao chuckled softly, lowering his voice, "If I don't listen to my wife, won't you be sleeping alone at night?"
Yuan Li, "..."
He swatted Chu Hechao's hand away with a slap.
Chu Hechao laughed again, then dismounted and instructed Yang Zhongfa to bring him five thousand light cavalry. He wanted to personally lead the pursuit of Li Li.
Yang Zhongfa was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Li Li has fled to Chang'an? Where did the General hear this news?"
"Don't ask too many questions," Chu Hechao lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, "Just follow orders."
Yang Zhongfa nodded solemnly, without another word, immediately went to mobilize five thousand light cavalry for Chu Hechao.
There was no time to waste, Chu Hechao had to catch up to Li Li quickly. He filled his water pouch, carried ten days' worth of dry rations, and bowed his head to adjust his armor.
Days of continuous battles and long rides had made the men darker, with more rugged features. Yuan Li glanced at him for a moment, feeling a hint of concern before Chu Hechao growled softly, warning Yuan Li, "Don't look at me like that."
"I haven't done this since we embarked on this campaign," Chu Hechao growled, his eyes blazing with fiery anger. "If you dare to look at me again, I won't be able to contain myself."
Yuan Li responded with a mischievous grin, raising an eyebrow. "Well, then, I'll just have to look at you even more."
Chu Hechao's heart pounded with excitement as he reached out and pinched Yuan Li's cheek. "Just wait for your brother to return, and I'll let you feast your eyes on him."
As the afternoon sun cast its golden rays, Chu Hechao mounted his steed and cast a fleeting glance at Yuan Li, who stood silently by the roadside. With a tender kiss upon his Guanyin jade pendant, he led his men away on horseback, their figures vanishing into the vast expanse of rolling mountains.
Yuan Li watched Chu Hechao's retreating form, his mind returning to the daunting task assigned by the system: to eliminate Li Li.
He was uncertain whether completing the mission would be considered fulfilled if Chu Hechao were the one to execute Li Li. However, the idea of personally claiming Li Li's head filled Yuan Li with a sense of unease.
No one could fathom the depth of Chu Hechao's burning desire to kill Li Li.
Li Li had become a festering thorn in Chu Hechao's side, and only by eliminating this thorn could Chu Hechao find peace and truly let go of the anguish caused by the untimely death of the Prince and Consort of Chu.
Yuan Li refused to allow the system's rewards to sway him into manipulating Chu Hechao into taking Li Li's life.
Exhaling a deep breath, Yuan L turned to face Yang Zhongfa, a serene smile gracing his lips. "Mr. Yang, let us proceed on our journey to Luoyang. We must reach the emperor's court with haste."
Yang Zhongfa readily assented. "I shall abide by your command, Lord Yuan."