Chapter 180. The Two Armies Fight.
After the officials opened the granaries to distribute food, the supplies for war were depleted.
Prince Chen was wealthy, but in the past two years, continuous wars had drained his resources. Even after distributing food, the remaining stores were dangerously low.
Upon hearing this, Prince Chen immediately dispatched ships to the provinces of Yuzhou and Yizhou to bring back supplies.
However, the ships sent out did not return. A few days later, the patrols on the river hurriedly informed Prince Chen of dire news, "My lord, Dukr Wen's army of six hundred thousand soldiers is closing in on Yangzhou! And, and..."
Prince Chen's expression fluctuated between anger and concern as he demanded, "What else?"
The messenger nervously swallowed and continued, "Duke Wen has taken your son hostage and demands that you surrender to him voluntarily..."
Enraged, Prince Chen's face flushed with anger, and he slammed his hand heavily on the armrest.
"Prepare the troops!"
*
On the Yangtze River, Yuan Li's army had halted outside the blockade line of Yangzhou.
Hundreds of sailboats were lined up neatly, displaying a formidable and imposing fleet ready for battle.
However, white smoke rose from the decks of these newly built warships as Yuan Li and his soldiers enjoyed their meal.
The meal was not simple dry rations but consisted of fresh chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep. With pots boiling and water steaming, soldiers jovially prepared their food. At the command, the captains shouted, "Go!"
The patrols within the blockade line initially thought Wen's troops were preparing to attack and nervously braced themselves for a confrontation, only to realize they were ignored.
Upon the command, the soldiers cheered and efficiently prepared the meat, with some collecting blood, scalding fur, cleaning decks, and swiftly working together.
The fresh meat was divided, and groups of ten gathered around a pot, eagerly urging their leader to add seasoning.
The leader, carrying a variety of spices sufficient for ten, generously added the spices. If any leader hesitated, the soldiers jokingly reported to the captain, "Our leader is reluctant to season the meat!"
Incensed, the leader playfully scolded and kicked the soldiers, "Meat won't shut your mouths!"
As the soldiers busily cooked, the aroma of the meat soon wafted, carried by the sea breeze towards the blockade line of Yangzhou.
Prince Chen's patrols were taken aback.
They never expected that at this crucial moment, Duke Wen's army was casually cooking and feasting - they didn't look like they were preparing for a battle but rather a picnic!
Though the patrols dared not lower their guard, the tantalizing aroma of the meat carried by the breeze made many of them uncontrollably salivate, their stomachs rumbling.
The scent of Duke Wen's army's cooking was irresistible, causing a loss of focus among the patrols.
On the main ship, Yuan Li and his companions were casually cooking meat in a small pot.
Accompanied by Xiang Hongyun, Guo Mao, Jia Qing, and the commander of the naval forces, Gu Yue, three others, Yang Zhongfa, Kong Ran, and Zhou Gongdan were nowhere to be found.
The atmosphere was relaxed, not as playful as the soldiers, but far from tense.
As the water in the pot diminished, Lin Tian estimated the meat was cooked and prodded it with chopsticks.
The meat was tender and had a bounce when touched. Lin Tian carefully placed a piece of juicy and well-marbled meat in a bowl, brushed it with sauce, rolled it in vegetable leaves, and handed it to Yuan Li, saying, "Please enjoy, my lord."
Yuan Li smiled as he accepted the dish and said, "Let's dig in, everyone."
His subordinates eagerly picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began eating the meat with joy.
As they finished their meal, Prince Chen's naval forces arrived late.
The scent of meat in the air and the movements on Duke Wen's ship made it clear to Prince Chen's forces that something was amiss. The rumbling of hungry stomachs echoed, distracting the naval forces who had been eating sparingly in recent days.
Even some of the commanders showed signs of hunger, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
The enticing aroma of the meat diverted their attention.
Observing Duke Wen's relaxed demeanor, Prince Chen couldn't help but furrow his brow.
How could Yuan Li's soldiers be so at ease without absolute confidence and assurance?
Prince Chen's vigilance heightened as he scanned the enemy ships, noticing their unusual design. Though well-informed, Prince Chen had never seen ships like those of the Wen army.
Could these be Yuan Li's secret weapons?
Pondering, Prince Chen asked, "Are those the ironclad ships that you mentioned earlier, capable of wrecking other ships?"
A commander beside him replied, "It was these ships that caught us off guard last time and captured your son."
Chen Wang nodded and cautioned, "Let's avoid direct collisions then."
As a maritime power, Yangzhou placed great importance on its naval forces. The North Zhou Dynasty's largest shipyard was located in Luling, with Prince Chen commanding a fleet of two thousand warships.
However, a significant portion of the fleet was used for other purposes, and many ships were docked at the shipyard. Without manpower and resources, these ships could not be mobilized immediately.
Prince Chen's formidable strength allowed him to dominate the entire southern region. He had expected Yuan Li to hesitate to follow him back to the main base in Yangzhou.
Yet, Yuan Li not only caught up but did so effortlessly, evoking a sense of fear in Prince Chen.
If Yuan Li could stealthily withdraw the grain from Yangzhou, what other tricks did he have up his sleeve?
As the people on the ship finished their meal, Yuan Li wiped his hands with a handkerchief and stood up to walk to the deck. He feigned surprise upon seeing Prince Chen, "Prince Chen is also here? Why didn't you inform me? We have a history, and I would have invited you to join us for a meal."
The sergeant who had previously called out to Yuan Li stood beside him, attempting to intimidate the enemy with a loud voice.
Despite his doubts, Prince Chen decided to take a different approach and ordered the ships to slowly approach Yuan Li's fleet. With a calm demeanor, he jokingly remarked, "I killed Chu Hechao. Do you still want to invite me for a meal?"
Yuan Li coldly chuckled, "Inviting Prince Chen for a meal is a way to give you your last hearty meal."
Incensed, Prince Chen's companions were about to retaliate, but Prince Chen burst into hearty laughter, "After all these years, you're the first one to speak to me like this. Yuan Li, you're impressive, very impressive!"
Prince Chen took a step forward, supported by someone, his face showing a hint of color, appearing more spirited than before. When he reached the bow of the ship, Prince Chen stopped and waved off the one helping him.
With a sigh, he said, "I admire young men like you. If only I could be ten years younger... no, five years would suffice. If I were five years younger, the world would be mine, and even you, Yuan Li, would be my subject. It's a pity... we shouldn't have ended up in such a hostile situation."
Unmoved, Yuan Li calmly replied, "No. Even if you were five or ten years younger, even if you held power, we would still end up here, Prince Chen. Our paths diverge."
Intrigued, Chen Wang asked, "Do you think my path is not good?"
Yuan Li smiled, "Do you think your path is good, Prince Chen?"
Shaking his head, Prince Chen earnestly advised, "Yuan Li, you excel in many ways, but you have one flaw - you place too much importance on the common people."
Yuan Li gazed calmly at him, showing no emotional fluctuations.
He was even too indifferent to refute Prince Chen because he knew Prince Chen would not change his mind based on a few words.
Did ancient rulers not understand the importance of the people?
How could they not?
Whether emperors, noble families, or wealthy landlords, they all knew that their wealth came from the common people. They all wished for prosperous years, so the emperor would pray for rain to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Yet rulers were afraid of making the people too affluent.
They feared that well-fed people would revolt or aspire for intellectual enrichment and independent thinking.
To consolidate their power, rulers implemented policies of keeping the populace ignorant. They confined knowledge to the upper classes, denying the common people education and critical thinking skills, limiting their thoughts to basic needs of survival.
They instilled beliefs that emperors were chosen by the heavens, ensuring that as long as people could survive, they would not rebel.
In feudal dynasties, the ideal population to rule over was those who were not starving but not overly comfortable.
This was a common understanding among rulers, but Yuan Li chose a path never before taken by others.
He sent discharged soldiers to educate the common people and initiate social reforms, instituted the imperial examination system, and established markets in Youzhou to provide economic prosperity to the people.
Yuan Li enriched the people's intellectual and cultural lives, even challenging the cultural monopoly.
With every action, Yuan Li challenged the interests of many.
Those who deviated from the norm often faced rejection, scholars did not support Yuan Li's path, and Prince Chen did not believe Yuan Li was following the correct path.
They wanted to take down Yuan Li but didn't dare to openly confront him. So, they secretly urged Wu Shanshi to attack Yuan Li, pushed Jiang Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, to go against Yuan Li, and instigated Prince Chen to turn against Yuan Li.
Behind each of these enemies was not just the enemy themselves. The world was filled with too many people who wanted Yuan Li dead, but they couldn't stop Yuan Li's progress.
Yuan Li didn't respond to Prince Chen's words. Instead, he clapped his hands, and someone brought forth a person.
This person was forced to kneel in front of Yuan Li, with disheveled hair, a tired expression, and a pale complexion - who else could it be but Chen Xi?
Prince Chen's expression changed abruptly, glaring at Chen Xi.
Sensing something, Chen Xi turned to see Prince Chen, instantly overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down his face as he cried out, "Father, save me!"
Suddenly, Prince Chen furiously admonished, "Silence!"
This single word drained all of Prince Chen's energy, heard clearly by Chen Xi and Yuan Li. Chen Xi flinched, anxiously closing his mouth.
With trembling hands, Prince Chen took a deep breath to calm down. "Duke Wen, what do you plan to do with this son of mine?"
Yuan Li smirked, "Prince Chen, as I've said before, if you surrender, your son will live."
"Absolutely not," Prince Chen declared adamantly, "Even if you kill him, it won't make me surrender to you. Yuan Li, though my descendants are few, I have daughters, and my children have offspring. Your attempt to make me give up everything for Chen Xi is delusional!"
Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, "Then there is nothing more to discuss."
The guards immediately drew their swords, rudely grabbing Chen Xi by the collar and holding a blade to his neck.
Trembling all over, Chen Xi stammered, "Father–"
Taking another deep breath, Prince Chen muttered to himself, "It would have been better if you had died earlier, saving me from this dilemma..."
He closed his eyes and ultimately took a step back, "Yuan Li, I will make one concession - I will agree to another five-year peace treaty with you, this is my bottom line."
"Is Prince Chen joking?" Guo Mao stepped forward, sneering, "The last Luoshui treaty didn't even last five years before you broke it. Our General was killed because of you! Do you think we will fall for the same trick again? Everyone knows that in Prince Chen's eyes, this blood oath is just a plaything to be torn apart at any time!"
Enraged, Prince Chen's expression darkened, and without another word, he flung his sleeve and headed towards the cabin.
Suddenly, Yuan Li called out loudly, "Prince Chen!"
Prince Chen paused his steps but refrained from turning back. In an instant, screams from Chen Xi resonated from behind him.
The elderly man, with white hair, stood still, his back showing no movement, looking cold and cruel. No one noticed the trembling fingers hidden within Prince Chen's sleeves.
After all, he had raised his son for over twenty years.
Unable to resist, Prince Chen finally turned to catch one last glimpse of his son's lifeless body.
The guard who had killed Chen Xi kept a close watch on Prince Chen's every move. At that moment, the guard raised the blade that had wounded Chen Xi's arm and, with a swift motion, ended Chen Xi's life in Prince Chen's peripheral vision.
Prince Chen's pupils dilated in shock. He never expected to witness his son's death with his own eyes. Despite anticipating Yuan Li's ploy to provoke his frail condition, Prince Chen was still deeply affected.
His vision blurred in waves, the resentful and fearful gaze of Chen Xi across the river and the boats reflected in his mind, Prince Chen's breathing became increasingly labored, and suddenly he spat out a mouthful of blood before stumbling to the ground.
The people around him gasped, rushing to his side, anxiously calling out, "My Lord!"
"Your Highness! Prince Chen, Your Highness!"
"Quick, someone! Where is the physician?!"
Chaos erupted in the Yangzhou navy.
Watching Prince Chen's reaction, Yuan Li felt a sense of deja vu, reminiscent of when he had just learned about the ambush of Chu Hechao months ago.
He suddenly found it ridiculous that Prince Chen, who seemed to care little for the lives of others, could be so deeply affected by the death of his son.
Quickly dismissing these thoughts, Yuan Li seized the opportunity and decisively ordered, "Attack."