Chapter 170 Come Back Soon.
Yuan Li didn't know how he arrived at the bank of the Huai River; all he remembered was Chiyu running at an incomparable speed.
The cold wind blowing in his face caused his blood to flow backward, gradually chilling his entire body. His brain throbbed painfully from the gusts, and Yuan Li thought Chiyu shouldn't have been left to him; he should have left it to Chu Hechao. The horse ran fast and might have helped Chu Hechao escape this predicament.
As the scout had described, the bank of the Huai River still bore traces of the battle.
Bodies littered the ground, with most of the five thousand soldiers sent to follow Chu Hechao perishing. Among them were faces Yuan Li recognized. His gaze swept around, feeling the stillness so absolute that he couldn't hear the sound of the wind or water, only his own breathing.
Step by step, he traversed the bodies, reaching the riverside.
The dried blood on the soil was almost erased by dust. Yuan Li lowered his head, gazing at the turbulent waters of the Huai River before him.
The river was over a yard high from the water's surface, its current roiling and branches swirling down into a depression below. The water was deep, concealing whatever lay beneath.
A fishy odor assailed him, almost like the smell of blood.
Confusion and bewilderment clouded Yuan Li's mind, making him feel sluggish.
It was almost winter; why was the river flowing so swiftly?
The sight made him shiver with cold, even without touching the water, feeling the icy wind seeping into his bones.
What was he doing here?
Oh, right, looking for Chu Hechao.
Nonsense, Chu Hechao wouldn't be here. He would have climbed ashore long ago.
Jia Qing and the scout hurried over, shock evident on their faces as they saw Yuan Li standing on the bank. They dismounted and ran over, gripping Yuan Li tightly, their voices trembling with fear, "My Lord, you must not go any further!"
After a while, Yuan Li understood what they were worried about, finding it amusing. He lifted the corners of his mouth and said, "Do you think I would jump into the water? Don't joke, why would I do that? General has already safely left, even if I jumped in, I wouldn't find him."
Then, Yuan Li pretended to be casual and said, "Search for them. Inch by inch, follow the river. If they haven't been captured by the enemy, they must have escaped along the flow of the water. I taught them how to swim, they practiced all year round, this water is nothing to them, they must have already reached the shore."
Jia Qing opened his mouth, wanting to mention that it would be difficult for an injured person to climb out of such a swift river and in this cold season, the freezing water alone could be fatal, even if they were skilled swimmers, they might lose the strength to swim due to the cold.
But looking at Yuan Li's pale face and forced smile, he ultimately said nothing, whispering, "Yes."
"Send people to inquire in the villages on both sides of the river, and also send some to the county town," Yuan Li continued, "Chu Hechao is injured, and his condition worsened after falling into the water. They will surely find a place to treat him after bringing him ashore. Carry medicinal herbs with you, they might need it... They may not have any money on them after jumping into the water, don't rush back after finding them, give them money to find a clean and safe place to rest first, then find a skilled doctor for him, not a shaman who forces people to drink strange concoctions. After settling him, come back and inform me - you go personally with the men."
Jia Qing affirmed his instructions.
Yuan Li wiped his face, glanced around at the others, and said, "Don't be so mournful, rest assured, they will be fine. With so many commanders jumping into the water together, they can help each other and reach shore. Besides, this might just be their cunning plan, they will be safe."
Jia Qing remained silent for a moment, then echoed, "Indeed, General and the others must have escaped from the jaws of death."
"Yes, if they escape, they should return and let us know they're safe. It's really annoying," Yuan Li shivered from the cold, rubbing his hands and then glanced at the river, suddenly alarmed, "When they come back, I will definitely give them a good scolding."
Jia Qing responded, "As you wish."
Yuan Li fell silent.
After a while, Jia Qing thought he had been instructed and prepared to lead a team to search for Chu Hechao and the others. But as he took a few steps back, Yuan Li whispered, "Jia Qing."
Jia Qing looked at his pale and slender back, "I'm here."
On this cold day, Yuan Li's forehead, neck, back, and palms were covered in a layer of sweat. The sweat quickly turned cold, clinging uncomfortably to his skin, causing his internal organs to spasm.
Yuan Li choked up, his voice hoarse, "You must find him."
Jia Qing felt a pang of bitterness for a fleeting moment, looking worriedly at Yuan Li, he raised his hands in a salute and said solemnly, "I will do everything in my power to find General."
"Good, good," Yuan Li's voice broke, "Go quickly and return quickly."
Jia Qing led a team away. The remaining people searched inch by inch, burying their brothers, trying to determine who the enemy was.
In reality, there was no need to discern; they had guessed it was Prince Chen. Only Prince Chen would send a navy to ambush and attempt to kill Chu Hechao.
Yuan Li's gaze returned to the river. The wind grew stronger, and the river began to churn. The scout stood guard closely around Yuan Li, mentally tense, afraid he might do something foolish.
Yuan Li was lost in thought.
At this moment, he regretted not having eyes that could see what lay at the bottom of the river, yet he was grateful he didn't possess such eyes.
He was afraid of seeing things he didn't want to see.
Yuan Li said to himself, "Why have you become so cowardly, Yuan Li? Look, your hands are starting to tremble with fear. What are you afraid of? Don't be afraid, everything will be fine."
As another wave rolled in the river, Yuan Li noticed a red string entangled in the dead branches. His gaze suddenly fixed on it, his heart gripped by a strong hand, pulling him back to reality.
He asked with difficulty, "What is that?"
One of the guards glanced and replied, "My lord, it seems to be a fine string used for jewelry."
Yuan Li shivered again, "Pull it up."
The guards brought out a rope, three of them pulled one end of the rope while another guard tied it around his waist and skillfully descended into the water, carefully untangling the red string wrapped around the dead branches.
Soon, the red string was in Yuan Li's hands.
Beneath the red string was a jade Buddha, buried under decaying leaves, looking very familiar. As Yuan Li saw this, his eyes turned red.
The wind felt like a cutting knife, his throat itched, he bent over coughing violently, only straightening up after a while. He wiped the dirt off the jade Buddha, his heart feeling like it was being twisted with a knife.
This was the birthday gift he had given Chu Hechao, he remembered vividly the surprised look on Chu Hechao's face when he received it. Every day, the man would carefully touch it and put it inside his clothes.
Whenever Yuan Li touched it, the object would be warmed by Chu Hechao's body temperature, just like the pounding heart Chu Hechao had as he whispered sweet nothings in his ear, holding a fire that could consume everything.
But now, this precious possession of Chu Hechao had fallen into the water, immersed in the icy river, cold to the bone.
Try as he might to deceive himself, Yuan Li knew deep down that Chu Hechao wouldn't have lost this object if he wasn't in grave danger.
His eyes burned with tears, breathing becoming difficult. Yuan Li tightly gripped the jade Buddha, its edges digging into his palm. Along with the pain came a fierce anger rising within Yuan Li, overwhelming hate that darkened his expression to a terrifying extent.
Prince Chen.
How dare he.
How dared he lay hands on Chu Hechao?
Brimming with anger, Yuan Li had never wanted to kill and hate someone so intensely. He closed his eyes, grinding his teeth until they turned white, and after a while, he opened his eyes and commanded, "Continue searching for people."
From midday until dusk, they searched but found nothing. Yuan Li didn't waste any time and expanded the search to other areas following the flow of the river.
During the days of searching for Chu Hechao, Yuan Li's health deteriorated, coughing incessantly without relief. His face lost its color, he couldn't eat or drink anything.
However, he knew he couldn't afford to collapse at this time, forcing himself to eat and drink despite the nausea, searching tirelessly with the soldiers.
He pinned half of his hopes on Jia Qing, hoping for good news from him. But upon Jia Qing's return, he reluctantly informed Yuan Li that they found nothing.
Yuan Li paused for a moment before saying, "Not finding anything is also good news. It means they are hiding well, and if we can't find them, then Prince Chen won't be able to either..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Yuan Li started coughing again, pressing his lips, alarming Jia Qing.
Jia Qing immediately urged Yuan Li to return to rest in the city, "My lord, you need to take care of your health."
Yuan Li rarely showed a stubborn side, but this time was an exception, "No need. I know my body, continue the search."
Jia Qing was desperate to tie Yuan Li and take him back, but he could only try to persuade, "My lord, if your health deteriorates, the General will blame himself. Even for the General's sake, you should go back and see a doctor."
After hesitating for a moment, Yuan Li finally nodded.
Upon returning, the doctor examined Yuan Li, frowning and giving him many instructions. But Yuan Li seemed to be listening attentively without absorbing anything.
The doctor sighed, called Lin Tian over, and gave some instructions. That evening, Lin Tian brought Yuan Li a stewed pear soup to soothe his lungs and stop coughing.
As Yuan Li tasted the pear in the soup, he couldn't help but smile, "The autumn pears that Ci Ye used to pick for me were just as sweet."
Lin Tian and the others were already aware of Chu Hechao's uncertain fate. Watching Yuan Li behave as if nothing was wrong, their eyes couldn't help but moisten.
However, they were afraid of upsetting their lord and dared not say a word. After Yuan Li finished the pear soup, Lin Tian carefully helped him to bed.
In the following half month, Yuan Li slept for the first time in a warm, windless room. However, his sleep was unrestful, plagued by one nightmare after another, waking up in the middle of the night.
In the dark room, Yuan Li lay alone in his bed, eyes closed, wiping the sweat off his forehead and speaking in a dreamlike state, "Ci Ye, my throat hurts. Can you pour me a glass of water?"
The room remained silent, the one who used to respond immediately was nowhere to be found.
Yuan Li curled up in bed, eyes still shut. After a while, he took out the jade Buddha from around his neck, kissed it, tears silently falling, and tasted a hint of bitterness in his mouth as he murmured, "Brother, come back soon..."