C128. The Real Reward.
The mechanical sound rings fast and urgently in Yuan Li's ears.
Yuan Li closes his eyes, unmoving.
The hot breath, the pounding of his heart like a drum in his ears, one after another, vibrating as if a drum beating. The boiling in the depths of his flesh turns into a sharp sword, surging through obstacles and breaking out.
Soon, there is a drizzle falling from the sky.
One drop, two drops... the cold raindrops fall on Yuan Li's face.
"My lord…" Zheng Rong feels as if in the blink of an eye, Yuan Li has undergone some kind of change, becoming somewhat unfamiliar in an instant, even causing him to involuntarily shiver, but then in another blink, everything seems normal again.
Yuan Li slowly opens his eyes.
The sparks in his eyes flicker as if they can ignite a wildfire. As the rain falls more and more, Yuan Li's emotions gradually calm, he reaches out to catch a raindrop and murmurs, "It's raining."
Yang Zhongfa looks up at the sky, "Look at this weather, it's likely to rain all night."
Yuan Li stands still for a moment, then looks at his wife and child again. He no longer tries to approach them, just says, "Arrange for them to be placed around the Prince Chu's residence. Guards, come."
Two guards step forward, "We're here."
Yuan Li raises his chin slightly, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, but no amusement in his eyes, "Take the heads of those two soldiers and deliver them to the Prince Chen. Also, convey a message to the Chen King for me, tell him to control his soldiers. This is the capital, under the feet of the emperor, committing atrocities like arson and plunder under the eyes of the ancestral temple, does the Prince Chen not respect the spirits of our ancestors?"
The words sound light, but everyone present breaks into a cold sweat. Lu He even feels a chill down his spine, as if the deceased emperors of the Northern Zhou dynasty were watching them.
He rubs his arms, looks at Yuan Li with a complex expression, never expecting him to be this daring, able to speak such cutting words.
Isn't that provoking someone?
Is he not afraid of offending the Prince Chen?
Yuan Li looks at the ruins and the corpses of the common people around him, and calmly adds, "Tell the Prince Chen, if he can't control his soldiers, I, Yuan Lejun, will not hesitate to step in for him."
Yang Zhongfa internally cheers at Yuan Li's boldness! He feels that Yuan Li's temperament is exactly to his liking!
Wu Kai doesn't hesitate and immediately responds, picking up the two heads from the ground.
Lu He is dumbfounded, speechless, unable to help but admire Yuan Li's lack of fear towards the Prince Chen.
But upon reflection, Yuan Li indeed has no reason to fear the Prince Chen.
Prince Chen marched to Luoyang with an army of eighty thousand soldiers. However, Chu Hechao and Yuan Li also arrived in the capital with eighty thousand soldiers from Youzhou.
Having fought alongside the soldiers from Youzhou, Lu He knew how formidable their strength was, especially after witnessing the shooting of Yan Huai with the three-bow bed crossbow.
With such a formidable military force, why would Yuan Li fear Prince Chen?
Not only did he not fear, having already dealt with the traitors, he was completely confident to confront Prince Chen head-on. Perhaps even Prince Chen himself had to momentarily retreat from their confrontation.
*
Two hours later, Prince Chen received the two heads sent by Yuan Li's men and heard the message relayed by Yuan Li.
His expression changed as he examined the two silent heads.
"Father," Chen Wang's eldest son Chen Xi asked, "Are you angry?"
Prince Chen nodded slowly, then shook his head, sighing, "Angry is not the word. It's just that Yuan Lejun really has courage, impressing me."
"But he is still too young," Chen Xi looked at the two dead soldiers' heads, furrowing his brows, "to offend you like this, he is indeed too impulsive."
Disappointed, Prince Chen said, "My son."
Chen Xi paused, "Father?"
"Where is the impulsiveness in him? He is clearly trying to intimidate me. Just two sentences could put me in a morally compromising situation, each sentence defending the face of the Northern Zhou imperial family and accusing me of trampling on their dignity, rebuking my arrogance."
Admiringly, Prince Chen continued, "Smart, truly smart. I had only heard of his reputation for kindness before, thinking he was just like Yanzhou's Che Kangbo seeking fame and glory, but seeing him now, he has exceeded my expectations. Among your generation, only Yuan Lejun dares to kill my soldiers and personally send them to me for intimidation. He can now be considered a hero, on par with us. As for you, you still have a long way to go to match him."
Chen Xi listened without getting angry, only curious, "Why would Yuan Lejun do this? Isn't he making an enemy out of you?"
Prince Chen chuckled, "Do you think your father is so formidable that even the Northern feudal lords have to steer clear of me?"
Chen Xi was momentarily speechless.
Prince Chen waved his hand to have the heads taken away, then calmly said to his son, "There is only one emperor. Logically, it should be Yuan Lejun and Chu Ciyue who escorted the Emperor back to Youzhou after killing Li Li. But the emperor has already agreed to accompany me to Yangzhou, and Yuan Lejun probably found out about it and thus targeted me."
"Furthermore..." Prince Chen paused, a glint in his eyes, "There are currently only two non-imperial princes in the world, Yuan Lejun and Chu Ciye dominating the north. We will inevitably clash. Since we are destined to be enemies, why would Yuan Lejun want to please me? He is doing well now, remember, being gentle and kind will not make your enemies spare you, but intimidation can make them fear you."
After contemplating for a moment, Chen Xi nodded thoughtfully, "So, Father, do you really intend to accept his threat?"
"What else can we do?" Prince Chen shook his head, stood up, hands behind his back, and walked to the window, gazing at the dark clouds outside. "Yuan Lejun's words are too cutting, leaving me speechless. And the Youzhou soldiers were able to kill Yuan Hui and breach Hulao Pass in just a few days, showing their immense strength. This is the North, focused on land battles, where the power of my Yangzhou navy cannot be fully utilized. We must never openly confront Yuan Lejun here. If we truly do so, we might end up facing defeat..."
Outside the window, the cold wind howled as rain blew into the room, splashing onto Prince Chen's face.
The cordiality on Prince Chen's face had vanished, his eyes narrow. "This time, it's my fault...send someone to hold the army commander accountable. Instruct the centurions to manage their soldiers better and prevent any more mistakes. Also, send some gold, silver, jewels, silk, and fabrics to compensate Yuan Lejun. Tell him that I am grateful for him eliminating two parasites in my army. If not for his coincidental discovery, I wouldn't have known that my soldiers had committed such a grave mistake in Luoyang. When the weather clears, I will personally visit the ancestral temple to make amends and seek forgiveness from the ancestors and the founding emperor."
"Father!" Chen Xi exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this too much of a self-reproach?"
Prince Chen laughed heartily, "This is taking responsibility and learning from mistakes. How can it be considered self-reproach? This is truly virtuous. Besides, what does a momentary retreat signify? As long as we can bring the emperor back to Yangzhou..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Chen Xi already understood what he meant.
As long as they could bring the emperor back to Yangzhou, they would be considered victorious.
*
In Luoyang, there was also a Prince of Chu's Mansion where Yuan Li and his companions stayed.
After the deaths of the Prince and Consort of Chu, the mansion was sealed off. Yuan Li had it cleaned inside and out, preparing it for their return.
As it was late and raining, Yuan Li chose not to pay respects to the Prince and Consort of Chu and Chu Mingfeng. Instead, he went to the ancestral hall in the mansion to offer prayers.
The hall was empty, with only a dozen memorial tablets on the table, the newest one bearing the name "Chu Mingfeng."
Sadly, the Prince and Consort of Chu had died so suddenly that there was no one to place the memorial tablets.
Yuan Li sighed and instructed a servant to bring warm water and a cloth to wipe the dust off the table and the tablets.
In the quiet surroundings, with flickering candlelight casting a dim yellow glow, Yuan Li could relax and contemplate the recently upgraded system.
He found it somewhat amusing.
The upgrade of the system was determined by his will, and if he had known earlier, he wouldn't have struggled for so long with the four words "a generation of famous ministers."
Yuan Li's current mood was quite subtle.
It felt like a new beginning, with vibrant energy surging from within him. The anger he had felt from seeing the people's suffering had transformed into determination. The fog that seemed to cloud his mind had all but disappeared in this serene environment.
The goal he wanted to achieve became clear in his mind.
To become the emperor, to have the power to rule.
To provide a path for the people to turn their fortunes around.
At this moment, Yuan Li firmly believed that no difficulty could stop his progress, except death.
His soul seemed still excited, filled with fervor. Yuan Li exhaled a warm breath, pondering the rewards bestowed by the system.
The last time the system upgraded to the "a generation of famous ministers" system, the reward was weather forecasts. This time, upgrading to the "emperor development" system, the reward was a peaceful world, with tranquil seas and clear rivers.
Of course, this was not a reward the system could give him.
Yuan Li subtly smiled.
It was not so much a reward for him as it was a reward for the people of the world, a validation of Yuan Li himself.
An affirmation that he would definitely bring about a peaceful and prosperous world.
"System," Yuan Li spoke, "Is this reward a bit too perfunctory? Shouldn't you give me something more substantial?"
Yuan Li was just joking, but he didn't expect the system to react.
[Emperor development system activated.]
[Reward: One-minute AR special effect.]
Yuan Li was surprised, then delighted. As he tried to understand the nature of the reward, he couldn't help but wonder, "AR special effect?"
Was it the AR special effect he had in mind?
This reward was quite intriguing...
Yuan Li probed further, "What kind of AR special effect is it? How do I use it?"
The system remained silent.
Yuan Li didn't give up, "Can I get a more practical reward instead? Like crops such as sweet potatoes and corn?"
The system still didn't respond.
Yuan Li twitched his mouth, knowing the reward was non-negotiable. After pondering for a while, he concluded that the AR special effect currently had no practical use and decided to set it aside for now.
During dinner, Prince Chen sent over compensatory gifts as an apology. The messenger relayed Prince Chen's words respectfully. Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, calmly had the gifts taken away, and without saying a word, dismissed the messenger.
Zheng Rong, witnessing this scene, was truly concerned, "My lord, by not showing Prince Chen any mercy today, will he hold a grudge against us and harm us?"
Before Yuan Li could respond, Yang Zhongfa burst into hearty laughter, "Your worries are unnecessary. Considering Prince Chen's character, do you think he will behave honestly in the future? Lord Yuan already mentioned that we will have a naval battle with the South, so since the fight is inevitable, why be afraid now? It's better to intimidate him a bit, let him know we cannot be easily manipulated. Oh, Prince Chen wants to bring the emperor back to Yangzhou without consulting us, does he?"
Yang Zhongfa was rough but insightful, so Yuan Li was not surprised by his remark. Yuanli smiled and said, "Master Yang is right."
Seeing that they were not too concerned about the matter, Zheng Rong also let go of his worries. He regretted being too timid and feared disappointing his lord.
Seeing what Zheng Rong was thinking, Yuan Li chuckled and placed a piece of food in Zheng Rong's bowl, "Don't overthink it. You are good at handling civil affairs, while Zhou Gongdan excels at military affairs. It's understandable if you struggle to see through it. Take your time to learn in the future."
Zheng Rong smiled modestly, "My lord is right, I still have a long way to go compared to Brother Wenning."
Yuanli smiled, about to speak again, when his smile suddenly froze.
Zhou Gongdan...
Wu Shanshi...
Yang Zhongfa asked keenly, "Lord Yuan, what's wrong?"
"Wu Shanshi."
Yuan Li's expression suddenly darkened. He clenched the chopsticks tightly, his grip so strong that his fingertips turned white. "Wu Shanshi is going to kill Li Li, and he might encounter Ci Ye on the way!"
Yang Zhongfa was taken aback, his face immediately turning grim. He stood up abruptly, "I will lead the troops to support General!"
Yuan Li's breathing quickened, his heart clenching at the thought of Chu Hechao encountering danger. His fingers trembled slightly, and he tried to reassure himself, thinking that Chu Hechao was strong, and with five thousand light cavalry, they shouldn't encounter any trouble.
But panic still rose within him, prompting Yuan Li to set down his chopsticks and stand up as well, hoarsely saying, "Take twenty thousand troops and head to Chang'an! Li Li has fled with his private soldiers, taking a lot of gold, silver, and jewels with him. He must not have fled too far, so you need to support him as soon as possible."
"Support who?"
Just as they were getting anxious, a familiar voice sounded from outside the dining hall.
Yuan Li turned abruptly to see Chu Hechao, covered in dust and carrying a severed head, walking into the room, drenched and exhausted.