Chapter 134
On the way to Youzhou, people discussed the Luo River Alliance signed by Yuan Li and the Prince of Chen.
"Not fighting with Prince Chen for five years," Yang Zhongfa clicked his tongue and sighed, "I was looking forward to naval warfare, but in five years... I might not see the battlefield."
Chu Hechao remarked, "Five years will change Prince Chen into someone unknown."
Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, "Who says we have to wait five years?"
Immediately, all eyes turned to him, each displaying surprise. Yang Zhongfa didn't understand what he meant and advised, "Lord Yuan, you have sworn an oath with him. You can't break the alliance, or your reputation will be tarnished!"
"I have no intention of breaking the alliance," Yuan Li smiled, "But it was I who made the alliance with the Prince of Chen, not you generals."
Chu Hechao narrowed his eyes in understanding and clicked his tongue, "If I lead the Northern Frontier Army to attack Prince Chen, what does that have to do with you, Lord Yuan Li?"
Yuan Li smiled mischievously, "That's exactly the point."
The others looked at each other in confusion.
Can it really be done this way?
But upon closer reflection... why not?
Yuan Li made the alliance with the identity of the Inspector of Youzhou and the Marquis of Yan, swearing not to attack the Prince of Chen. Chu Hechao didn't make the same oath, so this alliance doesn't restrict the generals.
With this realization, the group suddenly perked up, exchanging a glance and sharing a mischievous smile.
Seeing their expressions, Yuan Li knew what they were thinking. He shook his head and said, "But unless necessary, let's spend these five years wisely. Firstly, the north is still unsettled and it's not advisable to fight Prince Chen. Secondly, you all know the power of the Jiangdong navy, although our Youzhou soldiers have been trained in water activities, they have not yet received specialized training in naval warfare. Not everyone skilled in water can adapt to fighting on a ship. So, in these five years, we need to intensify our training to establish a navy."
As the horses slowly swayed, the group listened attentively to Yuan Li's words.
Chu Hechao remarked, "Warships... there are no craftsmen in Youzhou who can build warships."
Yuan Li winked at him.
At the moment Chu Hechao killed Li Li, the system had actually rewarded Yuan Li with the blueprints for warships. However, Yuan Li was preoccupied with using AR effects for Chu Hechao at the time, so he didn't check the reward promptly.
It seemed that in the system's understanding, completing tasks alongside those of the same position was also considered a task completion for Yuan Li.
Seeing Chu Hechao's expression, he knew Yuan Li had a plan in mind. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Lord Yuan Li, you seem to know everything."
Yuan Li raised his chin proudly, "Impressed?"
"Impressed," Chu Hechao approached him, lowering his voice, "If you can... that would be even more impressive."
His voice was too low, and Yang Zhongfa and the others didn't hear. Yuanli's eyes flickered, a faint blush rising on his face. He then coldly chuckled, suddenly raising his horsewhip and striking Chu Hechao's warhorse in the rear, causing the horse to gallop fiercely forward.
The Governor calmly said, "Get lost."
Wu Kai watched in disbelief, while Yang Zhongfa shook his head with a sigh.
The General's temper was as unpredictable as ever.
As winter approached, Yuan Li and his group moved slowly, stopping at each location for some time to ensure that the people and the army were not affected by the cold.
Upon arriving at each place, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao would emphatically proclaim two things. One was the murder of Li Li, and the other was how Wu Shanshi had sided with Li Li, colluding with the traitors of the stolen country.
Moreover, they revealed how Wu Shanshi personally killed his own advisor. They also expressed their sympathy for Wang Yun's tragic death and denounced Wu Shanshi for callously killing his own talented strategist, who was also a fellow countryman from Runan.
As they traveled and spread the word, they also took in refugees from various places. The news of Wu Shanshi's actions quickly spread, reaching his ears as he was returning.
Wu Shanshi was furious but had no way out.
He knew clearly that he had made a wrong move, believing Wang Yun's false information and colluding with Li Li, even causing Uncle Wei Ji to collapse in anger. Now that Li Li was dead, his reputation was even more tarnished, losing the advantage of the Wu family in Runan.
Wu Shanshi felt like a pariah, eager to return to Jizhou quickly and rely on his talented advisory team to come up with a solution.
Upon learning that Yuan Li had respectfully handled Wang Yun's body, Wu Shanshi was consumed with hatred.
What was unclear about this situation?
It must be that Wang Yun, despite outwardly appearing loyal, had secretly switched allegiance to Youzhou long ago, hence proposing such cunning schemes to instigate Wu Shanshi to collude with Li Li.
Wu Shanshi firmly believed this was the truth, blaming Wang Yun for betraying him and leading him astray, causing him to miss killing Li Li before Chu Hechao.
In that moment, Wu Shanshi completely forgot everything that had happened before. He forgot that his mother and wives had embezzled money from Li Li first, and that it was because he didn't want to return the money that Wang Yun had taken the risk to offer him advice.
Intentionally or unintentionally, he shifted all the blame for his mistakes onto Wang Yun.
Meanwhile, Jizhou also learned that not only did Wu Shanshi fail to kill Li Li, but his reputation of colluding with Li Li also spread far and wide.
Uncle Wei, who was already ill in bed, was so infuriated that he coughed up blood, his vision darkening, muttering, "One wrong step, leads to a series of wrong steps..."
After speaking, Wei Ji immediately fainted.
Over the next few days, this man in his sixties couldn't withstand the harsh winter and passed away in bed.
When news of Wei Ji's death arrived, Zhou Gongdan was playing chess with people from the Grain Allocation Department.
His hand trembled, causing a black piece to fall on the board, disrupting the already disadvantaged white pieces, making the situation even more chaotic.
Zhou Gongdan's eyes gleamed brightly and he muttered, "A good death, a good death..."
Initially prepared to run away, Zhou Gongdan now had a different idea.
One of the Grain Allocation department staff asked in a low voice, "Lord, Jizhou is likely to be extremely chaotic in the coming months. Shouldn't you leave early? We can send you back to Youzhou with our brothers as soon as possible."
"No need," Zhou Gongdan's eyes shone, "Have the brothers wait a bit longer. I will stay in Jizhou and there's something important I can do."
Perplexed, the staff member asked, "What's the important matter?"
Zhou Gongdan couldn't help but smile, "With Wang Yun dead and Wei Ji dead from anger, there's only Mi Tai left as a strategist in Runan. Wu Shanshi now has very few trusted advisors, and I am one of them. If I can become Wu Shanshi's top advisor, I can use Wu Shanshi—"
He picked up the black piece that had disrupted the game on the chessboard, pinched it with two fingers, and gently placed it on the position where the black piece would win. Zhou Gongdan felt a surge of excitement, he raised his head with a smile, and said slowly, emphasizing each word, "To serve the Lord as a sacrificial piece."
*
Wei Ji's funeral was hastily arranged and simple, entirely overseen by Mi Tai. Watching Wei Ji's coffin covered with yellow soil, Mi Tai's heart was filled with anxiety and worry.
Wei Ji was the backbone of the strategists in Runan. Many strategists followed Wu Shanshi because of Wei Ji. Mi Tai had always followed Wei Ji, and with Wei Ji gone, his Lord's reputation was tainted.
Additionally, his colleague and friend Wang Yun had been killed by his Lord. Although Mi Tai didn't express it, he was uncertain in his heart.
During these days, countless strategists and guests came to bid farewell and leave Jizhou, and Mi Tai nodded in agreement to all of them. Mi Tai was inclined to safeguard his own interests, but he had never considered betraying Wu Shanshi.
When Wei Ji fell ill, he had instructed Mi Tai that if he truly died, Mi Tai should dutifully take on the role of Wu Shanshi's top strategist.
But now, who could have imagined that it would come to this?
Mi Tai sadly understood that Wu Shanshi had reached a point where it was impossible to turn things around. His rational mind told him that leaving before Wu Shanshi returned to Jizhou was the right choice.
However, after following Wu Shanshi for so many years, how could he easily sever this bond of friendship?
But a dozen days later, Mi Tai received something sent by Yuan Li with great urgency—a head, the head of Wang Yun.
Fortunately, it was winter, and the head of Wang Yun was preserved with ice to prevent decay. However, after several months, the face had become twisted and grotesque.
At the first sight of Wang Yun's head, Mi Tai let out a cry of shock and threw the head to the ground.
The ice shattered, and the head inside turned into a mess of flesh. Mi Tai's face went pale, muscles trembling as he stared fixedly at the head of his former colleague.
To see Wang Yun, who had dedicated himself so diligently, end up like this...
Would the next person to be killed by Wu Shanshi's rage be him?
That same night, Mi Tai packed his belongings and left Jizhou.
When Wu Shanshi returned to Jizhou with his army in a weary state, he was faced with an advisory team that had deserted him.
Some were dead, some had left. Among the advisors he trusted, only Zhou Gongdan remained.
In a different place, Yuan Li and Chu Hechao's fates were entirely different from Wu Shanshi's.
In the third month of spring, the Youzhou army finally returned to Youzhou. Liu Ji Xin, Guo Mao, Yuan Congyun, and others had long awaited them at the city gate, jubilantly celebrating their return.
Victorious return naturally brought joy to everyone. The people crowded the streets, eagerly watching the caravan stretching for miles.
When they saw the carts of food and supplies, they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Officials' families were also among the crowd, tears in their eyes as they focused on their loved ones who had been away from Youzhou for nearly a year.
The Chu Estate had prepared hot water and a banquet, ready for them to wash away the dust and celebrate together that night.
In the kitchen, the smell of rice, grilled meat, and stir-fried dishes lingered around the nose from time to time. Yuan Li had not smelled much before his stomach rumbled.
Chu Hechao patted his stomach, "What's all that noise for?"
Yuan Li looked at him, a little dejected, "I'm hungry."
"Hold on, just bear with it," Chu Hechao said, "We have a banquet tonight. What's a little hunger for a man?"
Yuan Li sighed, "Alright."
Chu Hechao glanced at the others who were happily chatting and laughing together, and whispered, "Go take a bath first, I'll bring you a bowl of chicken soup."
Yuan Li nodded, "And a chicken leg."
Chu Hechao acknowledged his request.
When no one was paying attention, he quietly went to the kitchen.
The people left behind in Youzhou were all in high spirits, with rosy faces.
This expedition had been quite fruitful, and the only regret was that the Emperor did not come to Youzhou. However, when Liu Jixin and others heard that the Emperor preferred the prosperity of the south and didn't like the remote location of Youzhou, their regret disappeared without a trace.
Youzhou was something they had built step by step with Yuan Li, and in their hearts, Youzhou was not inferior to any other prosperous place in the world. The Emperor's dislike for Youzhou even made them feel a faint dislike towards the Emperor.
"It's better that he didn't come," Guo Mao said with a smile, "With the Emperor around, it wouldn't be convenient for us. If all those officials had come to Youzhou, we would have to spend money to build a small court for them."
Liu Jixin nodded, "Brother Guo is right."