The Road to Glory

Chapter 116: "I Will Not Form an Alliance with Southern Liang..."

Liu Biao still attempted to play dumb: "Backup plan? What backup plan? Governor, how would I know about the Pei Army's affairs..."

Xiao Li lowered his eyelids slightly, having completely lost his patience. He made a gesture to his personal guards behind him, and the escort brothers led by Zheng Hu immediately swarmed forward.

Liu Biao still struggled desperately, but two fists were no match for four hands. He was quickly pinned down in the wilderness by Zheng Hu and his men. Ignoring the mud and sand splattered all over his mouth, and seeing no hope of escape, he simply screamed hysterically: "Murder! That bastard Xiao is eliminating dissidents!"

Zheng Hu wasn't about to indulge him. After punching him in the stomach, he cut off a piece of the mud-stained robe Liu Biao was wearing, rolled it tightly, and stuffed it into his mouth, sealing it completely.

Other brothers used the ropes they had prepared earlier to bind Liu Biao's arms behind his back.

Liu Biao grunted and struggled wildly, his condition going far beyond mere embarrassment. His eyes red with fury, he stared at Xiao Li not far away, though it was unclear whether he was cursing or begging for mercy.

Zheng Hu and his men forced him to kneel before Xiao Li. Xiao Li finally leaned forward slightly, using his bent horsewhip to lift Liu Biao's chin. His gaze was icy, his tone sarcastic: "Whether I'm eliminating dissidents or not, General Liu will know once you see the people sent to fetch your mother and sister, won't you?"

Liu Biao had been glaring angrily, but upon hearing this, he finally realized that he had likely been exposed from the start. The person who came to his tent earlier must have brought false news.

His eyes dimmed with despair, yet still held a trace of unwillingness.

But Xiao Li had no intention of saying more. Straightening up, he only called out: "Tiger."

Zheng Hu understood and immediately gathered his subordinates to escort Liu Biao away.

Upon returning to the Ping'an County military camp, the unrest here had long been quelled. Those from Liu Village who were closest to Liu Biao had initially tried to resist, but the rainy night provided the perfect cover for the surprise attack and maximized the fear among the stationed soldiers. With their commander Liu Biao having fled, the subordinates soon discarded their armor and weapons, scattering in all directions, only to be rounded up one by one by the men Xiao Li had brought.

When Liu Biao was shoved and forced to kneel before the central military tent, his fellow conspirators from Liu Village were also bound and kneeling around him.

In the tripod-mounted fire basins, wood soaked in oil crackled and burned even amidst the heavy rain. The soldiers Xiao Li had brought from Pingdeng County and those originally stationed in Ping'an County surrounded the area in multiple layers, standing in the pouring rain without a single sound.

Xiao Li also stood in the rain, with Zheng Hu and a group of brothers flanking him on both sides. The storm drenched his clothes and hair, washing over his sharp features. The rain lines from the sky and the ripples splashed up by the firelight on the ground seemed to merge into one. A silent, intangible aura of authority slowly spread through the stillness.

"Gentlemen, my presence here tonight is solely because there are traitors in our army." Xiao Li's voice was cold and deep, yet it carried powerfully through the rain.

The lower-ranking soldiers stationed in Ping'an County were unaware of Liu Biao and his clansmen's schemes, but after tonight's events, they largely understood what had happened. Many minor commanders from other counties were also present, and faint murmurs began to rise from the crowd.The trusted subordinates Liu Biao had sent to fetch his mother and sister were quickly brought forward.

Zheng Hu roared in a booming voice, "Liu Biao colluded with the Pei faction to harm General Ma! As a precaution, he secretly relocated his elderly mother and younger sister. We have both witnesses and material evidence!"

Ma Laosan, who had earlier been tied up and temporarily detained in the central military tent by Liu Biao, was now freed. Still unsteady on his feet and supported by two personal guards, he angrily stepped forward and kicked Liu Biao twice, spitting curses: "Liu Biao, you're worse than a dog! I nearly died at your hands!"

He then shouted to the surrounding soldiers, "This coward bites the hand that feeds him! He talks big about righteousness but secretly rushes to be the Pei family's dog! When I refused to follow him in his schemes, he almost had me killed!"

Ma Laosan looked disheveled, his face still bearing bruises from earlier beatings. His indignant words carried considerable persuasiveness.

Many soldiers and county leaders outside the scene began looking at Liu Biao with contempt, and the denunciations against him grew louder.

"I've long said that fellow doesn't look like a good man!"

"Exactly! He puts on an honest appearance but schemes constantly! Remember when we fought the bandits in Ping'an County? To claim credit, he disobeyed military orders and charged recklessly, getting countless people from his own Pingdeng County killed!"

Liu Biao was forced to kneel on the ground, listening to these discussions. His eyes turned bloodshot with rage as he struggled against the tightly bound ropes. Having bitten too hard on the gag, the earthy taste in his mouth gradually mixed with the metallic flavor of blood.

Xiao Li asked through the curtain of rain, "General Liu seems to have something more to say?"

Liu Biao glared viciously at Xiao Li. Soldiers nearby removed his gag, and Liu Biao spat blood-mixed mud onto the ground. Knowing his situation was hopeless, he abandoned all pretense and snarled at Xiao Li, "I fought to build this territory! You stole my position—why shouldn't I fight to take it back?"

Zheng Hu couldn't stand hearing this—Liu Biao's fellow villagers had repeatedly used this argument to provoke their brothers. He immediately retorted, "To hell with your nonsense! Still dreaming? Don't you illiterate Liu folks even know how to count? Use your fingers and calculate—have you ever commanded over a thousand men? Which victory did you lead? Which territory did you capture? After the sixteen counties of Tongzhou united, all sixteen forces jointly elected my second brother as prefect. Did anyone contest your position as leader of Pingdeng County? Steal your position? More like stealing your village chief's seat!"

This tirade drew laughter from many county leaders present.

Liu Biao's face flushed with shame and fury. He roared bitterly, "Without my Pingdeng County, would that Xiao fellow enjoy such glory today? I curse my own poor judgment for inviting a wolf into my house! My efforts were stolen to adorn another, and now I suffer such humiliation from you bandits!"

As Zheng Hu prepared to curse back, Xiao Li raised his hand to signal him to stand down. Reluctantly, Zheng Hu closed his mouth but continued glaring hostilely at Liu Biao.

Thunder rumbled as torrential rain poured down.

Rainwater streaming down his jawline, Xiao Li asked Liu Biao, "Do you think Pingdeng County belongs to your Liu clan alone? Or to you personally?"Liu Biao sensed an underlying meaning in Xiao Li's question and roared furiously, "It was I who led the villagers to execute the county magistrate and open the granaries!" If not for me, those corrupt officials would still be running rampant in Pingdeng County! Who dares utter a single word of dissent? Those ungrateful wretches from Pingdeng County have turned to you—aren't they afraid of divine retribution?"

"Bullshit!" This time, even before Zheng Hu and the others could curse, soldiers from Pingdeng County in the crowd spat back, "Liu, how dare you say that! Were the officials killed by you alone? Was the granary opened by you alone? Did the people of Chen Family Village not contribute when the magistrate was executed? It's because my Li Family Village lost too many men charging at the front that your Liu Family Village shamelessly claimed all the credit! And you talk about divine retribution—if there were any, you'd be the first struck by lightning!"

"Back then, your promises sounded sweeter than songs—sharing blessings and hardships together! Were you fooling your own ancestors? Every time we looted the landlords' homes, didn't your Liu Family Village take all the good stuff first, leaving us only crumbs to sniff?"

"I joined the rebellion to escape the oppression of those damned officials, not to let you imitate them and trample all over us!"

Faced with the accusations from the Pingdeng County soldiers, Liu Biao was beside himself with rage. He glared fixedly at Xiao Li and snarled, "It's you! You put them up to this!"

"General Liu believes I deliberately slandered you?" Xiao Li raised a brow slightly, unexpectedly calm. "What a coincidence—today, brothers from all counties are here. If you feel wronged, General Liu, you're welcome to defend yourself."

Liu Biao scanned the crowd surrounding them—all notable figures from a dozen counties in Tongzhou. Under their mocking, disdainful gazes, he felt an invisible fire ignite in his chest, burning him inside and out.

As the heavy rain poured onto the muddy ground already pooled with water, he stared at Xiao Li and suddenly let out a deranged, scornful laugh. "They all serve under you now—who would dare speak against your orders?"

"Today, I, Liu Biao, have fallen into your hands. That's my fate. Whether you frame me with these charges or decide to kill or dismember me, I’m at your mercy!"

With that, he shut his eyes and shouted, "Just get on with it."

Just as Zheng Hu and the others were grinding their teeth in frustration at Liu Biao's words, they heard Xiao Li chuckle. "I called you 'General,' and you actually thought you were something?"

Xiao Li was handsome, but his smile in the heavy rain carried an inexplicable air of menace.

Before Liu Biao could react, a fierce kick sent him sprawling into the mud. A sharp pain shot through his chest, twisting his face in agony. Then, a black brocade boot pressed down on his chest, making each breath feel like being pricked by needles.

When he focused his gaze, all he could see was Xiao Li's sharply defined jawline in the rain.

"Whether the brothers' words are true or false, you know in your heart. How you obtained your position as leader of Pingdeng County is clear for all to see."

Xiao Li looked down at Liu Biao, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. "Without Pingdeng County, there would be no me, Xiao Li, today?"

He let out an indifferent laugh, his eyes revealing undisguised ambition and aspiration. "Then let me tell you—without Pingdeng County, there would still be Pinggu County, Pingfeng County! As for capturing you today, it’s because you betrayed us from within, colluded with Bandit Pei, and got what you deserved!"Zheng Hu spat in disgust, "Why don't you take a piss and look at your reflection? Even now, so many brothers in Pingdeng County still don't accept you. Can't you see your own worth? If it weren't for the strategist and my brother A Niu coming to support you back then, not only would Pingdeng County have been swallowed by neighboring forces long ago, but your own men would have kicked your sorry ass off the stage long ago!"

Minor leaders from other counties nearby joined in the scorn, "This fool is blinded by ambition, dreaming of being a local tyrant! If the Governor and the strategist had chosen to help our Yanggu County first instead of stabilizing Pingdeng County for him, conquering the bandit counties and unifying Tongzhou would have taken half the effort!"

The soldiers from Pingdeng County in the crowd protested loudly, "We in Pingdeng County only acknowledge the Governor! What does Liu Biao think he is, to speak for all the people of Pingdeng County? I refuse to accept this!"

"Exactly! I won't accept it either!"

"I joined the army because I heard of the Governor's reputation! What does it have to do with Liu Biao? Don't tarnish the name of our Pingdeng County!"

The villagers from Liu Family Village, kneeling in the heavy rain like Liu Biao, shrank their necks and remained silent, trembling like quails.

Among the soldiers inside and outside the compound, someone started raising their weapons high and shouting, "Governor! Governor!" At first, it was only a scattered hundred or so, but soon the cries merged with the rain, becoming powerful, unified, and carrying the momentum of a roaring tide.

This took everyone by surprise, even Zheng Hu and others who had been following Xiao Li were momentarily stunned before grinning and raising their weapons like the rest, shouting "Governor" for Xiao Li.

Liu Biao collapsed on the ground, his eyes devoid of any light, filled only with despair and dejection.

The crisis dissipated without a trace.

Xiao Li interrogated Liu Biao and his clansmen through the night, but the results left him quite surprised.

The Pei Army from Tongcheng had indeed promised him substantial benefits to take over Tongzhou in the future, but Liu Biao was unaware of the Pei Army's follow-up plans.

Though his ambitions soared high, he was a cautious man and would never take reckless actions. The reason he had entertained the idea this time was that the conditions offered by the Pei Army were extremely straightforward.

A few days earlier, when Tongcheng sent envoys to persuade him, they were unaware that the bandits in Ping'an County had already been eliminated. They promised Liu Biao and Ma Laosan that if they surrendered and could tie down the other forces in Tongzhou for half a month, waiting for the Pei Army to spare troops and crush the rebels, Tongzhou would belong to the bandits of Ping'an County.

In principle, this news should have been reported to Xiao Li immediately that same day. However, Liu Biao played a clever trick. Knowing that the arrival of the Tongcheng envoys had been witnessed by everyone in the camp and could not be hidden from Xiao Li, he ordered his scribe to truthfully record in the letter that Tongcheng had sent people to persuade them to surrender but omitted any mention of the requirement to engage in mutual conflict for half a month while waiting for the Pei Army to free up troops.

Ma Laosan, being illiterate like Liu Biao, also had a literate advisor by his side. Liu Biao secretly bribed this advisor to read the letter in full detail, leaving nothing out.

Ma Laosan, suspecting nothing, then joined Liu Biao in stamping their fingerprints and sending the letter back.With ulterior motives, Liu Biao secretly contacted the Pei Army in Tongcheng once more, vaguely indicating that he was only the second-in-command in Ping'an County and that a fellow brother of his disagreed. He wanted to sound out the Pei Army's stance—whether their previous promises would still be honored if he pledged allegiance to them and delayed the matter for half a month.

The Pei Army representative he dealt with assured him that as long as he could stall the rebels in the various counties of Tongzhou for half a month, preventing any impact on the Jinzhou battlefield, all conditions would remain unchanged.

This finally solidified Liu Biao's resolve. He knew that Xiao Li and Zhang Huai already had plans to capture Tongcheng and join the Jinzhou conflict. If he could find a way to delay them for half a month, preventing Xiao Li and the others from moving, and wait for the Pei Army to recover and eliminate them in one fell swoop, he could become the new master of Tongzhou.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a deal with no downside.

—If the Pei Army lost the battle in Jinzhou, he could simply continue holding his nose and serving under Xiao Li. But if the Pei Army won, he would rise straight to the top.

To ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, Liu Biao first kidnapped Ma Laosan to prevent him from leaking any information.

Fearing that his mother and sister might suffer when the Pei Army pressed into the region soon, he agonized over the matter and eventually arranged for them to be secretly escorted out of Tongzhou.

Little did he know that his every move was being watched closely by Xiao Li.

By the time Zhang Huai received the news and rushed over, Xiao Li was still sitting in his tent, frowning thoughtfully as he studied the pages of Liu Biao's confession.

Having grasped the general context, Zhang Huai remarked, "It seems the upcoming battle in Jinzhou against the three allied forces of Southern Liang won't be straightforward."

Xiao Li leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Pei Song is trapped between northern and southern fronts. Moreover, Southern Liang's aggressive advance this time has already shaken the morale of our troops after the initial battles in Jinzhou. This final stand should be a certain defeat. Why would Jinzhou go to such lengths, using rebel counties to stall us? What are they planning?"

Zhang Huai couldn't figure it out either and joked half-heartedly, "Could it be a last-ditch struggle? Are they afraid we might also surrender to Southern Liang and become the final straw that breaks Jinzhou's back?"

Xiao Li's expression suddenly turned icy. "I will not form an alliance with Southern Liang."

Zhang Huai's smile faded slightly. Recalling the Poison Arrow that had nearly cost Xiao Li his life, he seemed to understand something and said calmly, "The Governor's considerations are thorough. With the three alliances of Southern Liang already settled, any overtures from us now would likely be met with contempt. Since we are already opposing Pei Song, why bother informing others? I will have someone keep an eye on the Jinzhou battlefield. Once we eliminate that Pei Army unit in Tongcheng, we can wait for the right moment to act."

Jinzhou, Liang Army Command Tent.

Fan Yuan stood by the wide-open tent flap, holding a tea bowl as he watched the gathering storm clouds on the horizon and the dust and sand whipped up by the strong winds in the distance. He mused, "Just a few days ago, it was sweltering like a steamer, and now that autumn has arrived, it's nothing but wind and rain without respite."

Li Xun, buried in piles of reports at his desk, didn't even look up as he replied, "If heaven wants rain or a mother wants to remarry, who can stop it?"

Fan Yuan said, "My eyelid has been twitching these past couple of days. I'm worried about our siege battle in two days. If we run into a heavy storm, it'll be bad for us."

Li Xun said, "Just relax. The Court Astronomer has already calculated that the weather will be fine in two days!Fan Yuan said, "No, I'd better go inspect the camp to make sure there are no oversights in the deployment.""Li Xun shook his head helplessly, seemingly at a loss with his old friend's temperament. When he noticed one particular letter, he quickly called out to Fan Yuan again: "Old Fan, have your men found any news of General Xiao?"

Fan Yuan halted his steps: "If there was news, would I be this damn frustrated? What's up?"

Li Xun looked up, speaking with profound gravity: "The Lord Chancellor has set out for Jinzhou—to invite General Xiao back."

On Fan Yuan's sun-darkened, ruddy face, an unmistakable look of astonishment appeared. He stood dazed for a long moment before lifting his head to glance at the sky outside the tent, saying: "The sun didn't rise from the west today..."

Halfway through his words, he turned back to his old friend: "Is it the princess's idea?"

Li Xun shook his head: "I don't know."

Chen Kingdom.

The room was filled with the clattering sounds of abacus beads being flicked. In the front hall of Zhaohua Palace, several rows of long desks were set up, where palace attendants skilled in abacus calculation buried their heads in account books, working diligently without looking up.

Other attendants moved quietly among them, gathering the cleared accounts and original ledgers one by one, organizing them neatly before placing them on Wen Yu's desk.

Wen Yu leaned against the armrest of her soft couch, casually flipping through the recalculated entries from the palace attendants while cross-referencing the account books sent by the Imperial Household Department.

The three eunuch supervisors from the Imperial Household Department kneeling below her had long since grown weak in the limbs, their backs soaked through with cold sweat.