Chereads / After Being Kidnapped by the General / Chapter 162 - C161. A Place Where The Wind And Rain Stop.

Chapter 162 - C161. A Place Where The Wind And Rain Stop.

C161. A Place Where The Wind And Rain Stop.

After dinner, Yuan Congyun brought out the sand table he had created.

The sand table was as large as two tables, depicting hills, rivers, and dense forests in great detail, making it easy to absorb at a glance. In addition to the terrain, flags were inserted to mark the locations of the barbarian tribes and the Xiongnu court.

Rubbing his hands, Yuan Congyun asked, "Does the lord find the positions accurate? This was drawn with the assistance of your subordinates from the grain department."

Yuan Li carefully examined the sand table and identified the hill where he and Jia Qing had evaded the Xiongnu cavalry. He nodded and said, "It's mostly accurate."

Chu Hechao immediately gave Yuan Congyun an approving look and said, "Well done."

Yuan Congyun breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the sand table, one could clearly see how far the Xiongnu court was from the Northern Border.

Yuan Li guessed Chu Hechao's intentions and turned to him, asking, "Do you plan to attack the Xiongnu?"

Chu Hechao nodded, "Yes."

Yuan Li realized that making such a detailed sand table must have been a long-term project, indicating that Chu Hechao had likely been considering attacking the Xiongnu for a while.

Directly, he inquired, "When do you intend to launch the attack?"

"In early spring," Chu Hechao responded succinctly, "It's the best time to attack the Xiongnu."

Yuan Li agreed with a nod.

The optimal seasons to attack nomadic tribes were winter and spring, particularly early spring. In winter, the Xiongnu would retreat to give birth, and by the end of winter, their women would be pregnant, and their men would be occupied with labor in the herds, leaving them in a weakened state.

The Xiongnu's livestock would also be weakened from a winter of hunger, making them less able to resist Chu Hechao's army.

Attacking nomadic tribes at this time would be advantageous, with the enemy weak and our forces strong, completely reversing the situation from autumn when the Xiongnu were powerful and well-fed. Additionally, by destroying the Xiongnu's livestock during the war, they would lose their nomadic advantage, leading to an economic collapse.

Yang Zhongfa had previously expressed a desire to attack the Xiongnu in winter but lacked the necessary provisions. Now, with winter reserves of food and warm clothing, they could consider launching an attack at the end of winter or early spring, heading directly for the Xiongnu court.

Yuan Li suspected that Chu Hechao had been contemplating this for some time.

Glancing at Chu Hechao, he felt like he was witnessing a reckless individual who, now sufficiently established, dared to venture into mischief.

Chu Hechao's eyebrows twitched, and he suddenly turned to Yuan Li, his eyes piercing, "What are you smiling at?"

Yuan Li suppressed his smile and declared seriously, "You misunderstood."

Chu Hechao narrowed his eyes, and if Yuan Congyun hadn't been present, he would have approached him for answers.

The three refocused their attention on the sand table, with Yuan Li drawing from his experience to advise on the safest route. "If we plan to attack in early spring, the general will have to depart in a month. How confident are you in this battle?"

"I'm eighty percent confident," Chu Hechao said, his gaze cold as he looked at the sand table. "I will give you a decisive victory with the map you risked your life to retrieve. The Xiongnu court will eventually relocate, and the sooner we strike, the less prepared they will be."

Yuan Li didn't feel aggrieved by the hardships he endured in the grasslands, but Chu Hechao felt differently and sought to defend him. Yuan Li couldn't help but raise a determined smile in support, saying, "Let's do it."

*

Before they attacked the Xiongnu, they had to celebrate the New Year.

This year, Yuan Li didn't spend the New Year with his family but made an excuse to celebrate it alone with Chu Hechao at the Chu Mansiom.

Chu Hechao never wanted Yuan Li to return home for the New Year alone, and Yuan Li didn't want to leave him alone at the Chu Mansion. However, Chu Hechao didn't fit in with the Yuan family members, leading to discomfort on both sides when they were together.

If the New Year wasn't enjoyable, what was the point of celebrating it?

Yuan Li had visited his parents yesterday to pay his respects and explain that he couldn't come to the Yuan Mansion for the New Year celebrations.

Now, as a Duke, his parents understood and assumed he was busy with official duties during the New Year. Despite this, Yuan Li still felt a bit guilty.

He wasn't busy with work but rather busy with... other matters.

During the New Year, he could rarely indulge in a lazy lie-in. Early in the morning, while Yuan Li was still sleeping in bed, Chu Hechao woke up.

Looking out of the window at the cold, brisk wind, Chu Hechao felt invigorated. After quietly freshening up, he changed his clothes and called out to Yuan Li, "Wake up, we're going to your house to celebrate the New Year today."

Yuan Li buried his head deeper into the pillow, facing the back to Chu Hechao.

Amused, Chu Hechao reached out and touched Yuan Li's neck. His hand was cold, causing Yuan Li to shiver, grumbling as he pulled the blanket around him and tried to hide, "Stop it."

"Yuan Lejun, hurry and get up," Chu Hechao bent down, held Yuan Li's chin, and gave him a kiss. "Come on."

The scent of lotus leaves wafted into Yuan Li's nose, with a hint of winter chill. Still half-asleep, he mumbled, "I won't go to the Yuan Mansion this year. Let me sleep a little longer."

With that, he rolled over and continued to doze off.

Chu Hechao stood there, stunned.

Not go to the Yuan Mansion?

Unconsciously, he looked down at the luxurious clothing he was wearing and wondered why he had gotten up so early and dressed so nicely if they weren't going to the Yuan Mansiom.

Chu Hechao chuckled, took off his clothes, and climbed into bed, hugging Yuan Li. He teased, "Are you doing this on purpose, not telling me so you can see me make a fool of myself?"

Annoyed, Yuan Li turned over and kissed Chu Hechao perfunctorily. "Brother, let me sleep a bit longer."

Chu Hechao fell silent, stroked Yuan Li's back, and both fell back asleep comfortably for another hour and a half, waking up close to noon.

Upon waking, they realized that the sky had turned dark, with rain and snow falling.

Warm under the covers, Yuan Li was reluctant to get up but eventually put on some clothes and got out of bed to use the bathroom.

When he returned, shivering, with a red nose, he quickly shut the door exclaiming, "It's so cold outside."

"Stay inside," Chu Hechao rubbed his hands and glanced outside, "We don't have to go out today, so we can just stay inside all day."

But it was the big New Year's celebration, and they couldn't just pass the time like this. Yuan Li decided to have the kitchen bring noodles and filling so they could make dumplings indoors.

The room was warm with a heated kang bed, creating a cozy atmosphere that contrasted with the cold outdoors.

Before they started making dumplings, Yuan Li brought out the gift he had prepared for Chu Hechao for the New Year. "Take a look at this."

Chu Hechao's lips curled up with a smile, "What is it?"

Yuan Li smirked mysteriously, teasing, "You'll see when you open it."

Cautiously, Chu Hechao opened the wooden box and found a set of knitted clothes inside.

Examining the outfit, he found the style to be rather peculiar. "Is this clothing?"

Yuan Li nodded repeatedly and took out another set of the same clothing. "Yes, it's clothing. We can both wear these knitted clothes indoors for comfort. Try them on quickly."

Though the clothing seemed odd, Chu Hechao didn't mind as his partner was willing to wear it with him. With Yuan Li's guidance, they both changed into the knitted outfits.

Yuan Li finished changing his clothes before him and smiled, "Looks good on you."

Pleased with the compliment, Chu Hechao kissed him and said, "You look good too."

Despite the unusual appearance, the knitted outfits were surprisingly comfortable to wear. Loose yet snug, they were much more convenient than wearing traditional robes.

The kitchen had prepared the stuffing and dough. After Yuan Li showed Chu Hechao how to make a few dumplings, Chu Hechao tried his hand at it too. However, his creations turned out crooked and unstable, leading Yuan Li to mock him for a bit.

Chu Hechao retorted, "As long as they taste good, who cares how they look?"

Yuan Li agreed with the sentiment and let it go.

The two of them sitting at the table, chatting while making dumplings, seemed too familiar to Yuan Li. Occasionally, he would glance at the modern knitted outfits he and Chu Hechao were wearing, feeling a sense of bewilderment. It felt like they had traveled back to the future.

Yuan Li, who had been unsure how to explain his origins to Chu Hechao, suddenly felt the urge to confide in him. As he used chopsticks to wrap the filling in dough, he casually began, "Brother, I once had a very strange and vivid dream."

Carefully working on a dumpling skin, Chu Hechao asked, "What kind of dream?"

"It was a mystical and realistic dream," Yuan Li smiled, "You've always been curious about how I knew about military training, sand tables, and fine salt, right? I learned all of that in my dream, where my parents had died, and I was taken in by a fellow villager of my father's..."

As Chu Hechao listened intently, a howling wind outside caused the courtyard trees to rustle. It was like a ghostly cry, but it couldn't disturb the warm glow of the candlelight inside the house.

Yuan Li continued to speak in fragments, almost like telling a story. By the time he finished, the dumplings were cooked, and his throat felt dry from talking.

Chu Hechao placed a bowl of dumpling soup by Yuan Li's side, and he eagerly took a few sips, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Chu Hechao, a mix of pride and curiosity in his expression. "What do you think of the world in my dreams? Did it captivate you?"

After a moment of hesitation, Chu Hechao cautiously asked, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Yuan Li's eyes widened, "What's a lie?"

Chu Hechao replied unflinchingly, "Exciting."

"...," Yuan Li's head began to ache, he rubbed his forehead, wondering what else Chu Hechao could say, "And what's the truth?"

Chu Hechao honestly admitted, "I don't understand."

In the beginning, Yuan Li would explain terms like "car" and "nine-year compulsory education" to Chu Hechao as they talked. But as he got more engrossed in the conversation, he forgot to explain the various terms to Chu Hechao. Hearing terms like "skyscraper," "satellite," "television"... Chu Hechao became increasingly puzzled, finding it all incomprehensible.

Who could understand all this?

Even if Chu Hechao was incredibly bright, knew every word and could remember every sentence, he could only vaguely grasp the meaning of three or four words in Yuan Li's sentences. Even a sage would struggle to understand.

"What are 'computers' and 'flush toilets'?" Chu Hechao struggled to pronounce these unfamiliar words, "What are they?"

He understood "electric" and "brain." So, was a "computer" an electrified brain?

Chu Hechao's expression turned odd.

Did his wife like these things?

Yuan Li remained silent, pressing his forehead, taking deep breaths repeatedly, silently reminding himself not to get angry, as anger would harm himself and no one would bear the consequences.

But he couldn't help it, Yuan Li looked up at Chu Hechao with a complex expression, "You should be able to understand."

In novels, movies, and TV shows, isn't this how it's usually portrayed?

Why was Chu Hechao not following the script?

Helplessly, Chu Hechao said, "I really didn't understand."

Yuan Li was close to losing hope, his earlier enthusiasm turning to ashes. He slumped on the table, feeling defeated, and said weakly, "Forget it."

With a sigh, Chu Hechao pulled Yuan Li into his arms. Yuan Li was seated on Chu Hechao's lap, legs apart, his arms lazily draped over Chu Hechao's shoulder.

Cradling Yuan Li's face, Chu Hechao coaxed, "I must have been too dense to understand your words. Can you explain it to me again in more detail?"

Yuan Li shook his head gently, feeling disheartened, "I just can't put into words how the dream looked."

Chu Hechao's heart ached, and he spoke gently, "Though I don't understand the city in your dream, I've realized one thing."

Yuan Li asked, "What is it?"

"You miss it, don't you?" Chu Hechao said.

Almost instantly, tears welled up in Yuan Li's eyes. Unable to speak, he simply nodded.

Chu Hechao's warm palm repeatedly caressed Yuan Li's cheek, tingling and comforting. He softly apologized to Yuan Li, "I feel guilty for not being able to see the city in your dreams through your eyes, for not being able to find a kindred spirit to long for that place with you. But Lejun, you can freely share your thoughts with me, and even if I don't understand, I can feel it."

Gently pressing Yuan Li's head against his chest, Chu Hechao kissed his forehead and murmured, "As long as you don't suddenly leave and disappear into a dream, that's all that matters."

Yuan Li's eyes felt sore. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed Chu Hechao.

No.

Yuan Li thought, no.

Because he had found a safe haven amidst the vast passage of time.

After the New Year, time seemed to pass quickly.

The leaders of the Wuhuan North and South, Dadan and Puyan, had received Chu Hechao's orders to assist in attacking the Xiongnu. They each recruited soldiers and expressed their willingness to cooperate.

Dadan was already old and had difficulty even eating and walking, so he sent his beloved son to lead the troops. Puyan, faring much better, led the troops himself.

Like the Xiongnu people, the Wuhuan people also needed to tend to their livestock and recuperate in early spring. Despite their efforts, they could only muster twenty thousand idle cavalrymen for the campaign.

These twenty thousand cavalrymen from Wuhuan also needed Yuan Li to provide food. After a winter of limited resources, the Wuhuan people truly couldn't gather enough provisions for a large army to march out.

After considering their options, Yuan Li realized they had a valid reason to attack the Xiongnu. However, in reality, attacking the Xiongnu was a thankless task for them.

Even if they drove the Xiongnu northwards, he and Chu Hechao wouldn't gain any increase in status or nobility. It would merely earn them some good reputation.

Therefore, it might be more beneficial to share the credit with others and delegate the labor to save their efforts.

With this in mind, Yuan Li wrote a letter to Lu He in Liangzhou, inviting him to join forces in attacking the Xiongnu.

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