The Road to Glory

Chapter 92 Rescue

Hearing these words, Wen Yu paused the vermilion brush in her hand, taking a moment before speaking: "I understand. Keep this matter quiet for now. General, please retain control of the military power and maintain stability among the soldiers of the Western Second Camp."

Fan Yuan noticed that Wen Yu didn't seem particularly surprised, as if she had anticipated this event long ago. His initial panic subsided somewhat, but was replaced by growing confusion. Choosing his words carefully, he began: "Brother Xiao..."

Wen Yu interrupted him: "I'll explain to everyone later."

Although Fan Yuan was old friends with Chen Wei, he had genuinely come to regard Xiao Li as a brother during this time. The other man had been perfectly fine, yet suddenly resigned from his military position without a word of farewell, making it impossible for Fan Yuan not to speculate. After receiving Wen Yu's response, Fan Yuan didn't simply let the matter rest. Struggling internally for a moment, he threw caution to the wind and asked: "Is it because Old Chen wanted to take him as a son-in-law?"

Before Wen Yu could answer, he slapped his forehead in extreme regret, lamenting: "It must be this! There have been many rumors circulating in the army lately, saying he didn't know his place. If he left because he was afraid Old Chen would hold a grudge, then it's my fault! I should have noticed earlier and clarified things with him!"

By this point, his emotions were running high. Addressing Wen Yu urgently, he said: "Your Highness, please grant this general permission to pursue and bring back General Xiao, to explain everything to him!"

Wen Yu responded: "General Fan, don't overthink this. General Xiao's decision to leave has nothing to do with Lord Chen."

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, but her gaze remained so calm that Fan Yuan couldn't help but set aside this concern. However, Wen Yu clearly had no intention of elaborating further on the true reason for Xiao Li's departure.

As a subordinate, Fan Yuan couldn't press for details. He could only cautiously suggest: "But with General Xiao absent from the ceremony in two days, it's bound to raise suspicions..."

Xiao Li was now a renowned fierce general in Pingzhou. His departure at this time would inevitably spark numerous speculations.

Wen Yu lowered her gaze in thought for a moment before saying: "Dispatch another team to clear out the remaining bandits in the surrounding areas. Publicly announce that Xiao Li has entered the mountains to suppress bandits."

Fan Yuan understood this was meant to temporarily conceal Xiao Li's departure. However, he had specifically sent Tan Yi to intercept Xiao Li just yesterday, instructing him to tell Xiao Li not to enter the mountains for bandit suppression recently. Now they were using this very excuse to placate everyone - Tan Yi certainly wouldn't be fooled.

But Tan Yi was under his command, and many junior officers in the Western Second Camp had once been trained by him. Keeping the news contained for now was still manageable. Clasping his fists, he said to Wen Yu: "This general understands."

After Fan Yuan withdrew, Wen Yu's expression showed no visible change. Yet when her gaze returned to the half-reviewed memorial on her desk, she couldn't absorb a single word.

The harsh words she had spoken to Xiao Li last night echoed in her ears, each one causing the spasms in her stomach to intensify.

"I want soldiers, I want power - do you have them?"

"I think General Xiao must have misunderstood something."

"I keep this wood carving only because I greatly admire the phrase 'Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate' that you once mentioned, not for any other reason. Your repeated transgressions have truly made it difficult for me."

"Has this matter also led to misunderstandings from General Xiao?"

Each of these venomous, thorny words now pierced her own heart with precise accuracy, creating a nearly numb, dull ache.

Wen Yu supported herself against the desk with her hands. Though her face remained as cold as ever, it now showed pallor. She closed her eyes heavily.From the moment she uttered those words, she had no expectation that Xiao Li would stay.

He had lowered his head to such an extent—it was she who had trampled his last shreds of pride and dignity into dust.

The few mouthfuls of congee she had eaten earlier churned in her stomach with spasms, making her nauseous. Wen Yu pressed her other hand tightly against her abdomen, cold sweat beading at her temples. She could barely remain seated on the wooden couch, and as her sleeve brushed past the side table, it swept a pile of bamboo scrolls to the floor.

When Zhao Bai entered upon hearing the noise, she was startled by the scene and hurried forward to support her. "My lady, what's wrong?"

Wen Yu lifted her eyelids, her lips already drained of color, though she forced a calm expression. "It's nothing, perhaps I caught a chill last night..."

Zhao Bai, trained in martial arts, had a rudimentary understanding of pulse readings. As she held Wen Yu's wrist, she felt her pulse was alarmingly weak and immediately called for the maids outside, ordering them to summon a physician.

But Wen Yu stopped her. "No need for a physician. I'll be fine after a short rest. Later, I have many important matters to discuss with Lord Chen and the others."

Zhao Bai frowned. "But..."

"I know my own body. I'm just tired."

Though Wen Yu appeared exceptionally frail, her words brooked no argument. Zhao Bai had no choice but to relent and help her to the spare soft couch in the inner room to rest.

After settling Wen Yu, Zhao Bai drew the layers of bed curtains. Before leaving, she glanced back—through the curtains, she could only see Wen Yu lying on her side facing inward, her expression obscured. The slight rise of the brocade quilt seemed unbearably thin.

The crumbling empire of Great Liang rested on such frail, slender shoulders.

Zhao Bai suddenly felt a sting in her eyes.

—

After the heavy rain, the summer sun grew fiercer with each passing day.

Outside the walls of Yizhou, which had been fortified and stripped bare, only an endless expanse of wilderness was visible. Sparse weeds sprouted along the roadside and in the fields where crops had been burned, churning up thick dust under the hooves of passing horses.

In the distance, a ragged crowd fled in panic, pursued by a dozen armored soldiers on horseback. The soldiers drove the people forward with raucous laughter, occasionally closing in to draw gleaming blades from their saddles. They swung down mercilessly before urging their horses to trample over the fallen, scattering the crowd with terrified screams.

The accompanying cavalrymen chased after the fleeing figures with a fierce smile, cutting down a few before herding the survivors back onto the main road.

It was a slaughter akin to herding cattle and sheep.

Some of the refugees, driven to utter despair, gave up all thought of escape. They knelt, kowtowing frantically to the mounted soldiers, heedless of their foreheads bleeding from sharp gravel, and begged through tears and mucus, "Honorable soldiers, we won't run anymore, we beg you to spare our lives..."

The soldier in charge sneered from his saddle, "There isn't enough food on the road to feed you bandits! I'm short a few notches for my military merits—you'll fill them nicely!"

The refugees wept bitterly, "Sir, we're all lawful citizens from nearby towns, not bandits..."

The soldiers circling them on horseback only laughed louder at this.

The leader tapped the face of a kneeling refugee with the flat of his blade, asking cruelly, "If you're lawful citizens, why didn't you follow the army's relocation? I say you're nothing but a bunch of outlaws!"No sooner had the words been spoken than the blade was raised to strike the refugee's neck. A whooshing sound seemed to cut through the air, and blood splattered across the sandy official road—yet it was not the refugee's blood.

An arrow had pierced clean through the back of the soldier leader on horseback. His eyes were already glazing over as he still held the long blade high, struggling to turn and look behind him.

The sunlight was blinding. On the distant earthen slope, a tall man on horseback was faintly visible, wearing a bamboo hat, with a long bow in his arms and a weapon over half a zhang in length hanging at his saddle. The distance was too great to tell whether it was a spear or a staff.

The soldier leader gurgled blood, pointing his blade toward the distant man, but he could no longer utter a single word before he tumbled headfirst from his horse.

The refugees were stunned by this sudden turn of events. The cavalrymen also tensed up, and after a moment's shock, they roared, drew their blades, and charged toward the man on their horses, hooves kicking up great clouds of dust.

The man showed not a hint of panic. Calmly, he nocked three arrows onto his bowstring, their conical tips glinting coldly under the blazing sun.

With a release of his fingers, the three arrows shot through the air with a whistle, piercing armor once more and sending three cavalrymen tumbling from their saddles.

But even with his remarkable archery skills, the dozen or so remaining cavalrymen had closed in, surrounding him. By all appearances, he stood no chance.

Down on the official road, the trapped refugees seized this moment to flee in panic. No one knew who started running first, but they all scrambled for their lives, paying no heed to the battle behind them.

After the three arrows, the cavalrymen surged up the slope, drawing their blades and slashing at the man.

With a flick of his toe, the man caught the weapon hanging at his saddle. It was neither a spear nor a staff, but a Miao blade over half a zhang long.

He didn’t even unsheathe the blade, merely using the scabbard to lightly parry and deflect the attacks of several cavalrymen. Then, with a twist of his wrist and a sweeping motion, the scabbard seemed to carry immense force, instantly knocking several cavalrymen off their horses.

Seizing the opening, a cavalryman on the left roared, leaning down to slash at the horse’s legs. Finally, the man drew his long blade, which traced a white arc in the blazing sun as it descended upon the cavalryman.

Scarlet blood splattered across the ground, and the severed head rolled down the slope, tumbling all the way to the bottom.

The cavalrymen finally realized they had encountered a formidable opponent. Abandoning any thought of avenging their comrades, they frantically spurred their horses to flee.

The man gently tugged the reins, pursuing them at a leisurely pace.

His thrown long blade struck the last cavalryman from his horse. The man rode over, retrieved his blade, and flicked off the blood.

The wounded cavalryman, too pained to flee further, lay sprawled on the ground, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. He swallowed hard and attempted to negotiate: "Hero, we were blind to your prowess. I beg you, spare my life..."

The man asked indifferently, "Why kill these refugees?"

The cavalryman hurriedly replied, "We were following orders from above. If these refugees don’t relocate to Jin City as commanded, most will turn to banditry. Killing them is... to prevent outlawry..."

The man narrowed his eyes and interrupted, "Are you from Pei Song’s army?"

Hearing the change in the man’s tone, the cavalryman assumed he feared Pei Song’s reputation and quickly said, "Yes, I serve under Han Taibao, who is under Pei Situ. Hero, with your skills, I could recommend you—"

Before he could finish, the man raised his blade and ended his life with a single stroke.

Xiao Li coldly wiped the blood from his blade on the cavalryman’s clothes, sheathed the Miao blade, and continued on his way.After walking a short distance, urgent shouts came from behind: "Benefactor, please wait! Benefactor, please wait!"

Xiao Li gently tugged the reins and turned to see a dust-covered man rushing toward him. The man stopped just before reaching the horse, carrying a tattered cloth bag over his shoulder, and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for saving my life! I am Zhang Huai, originally heading to Pingzhou to seek refuge with Hanyang Princess. Unexpectedly, I encountered Pei's troops plundering villages along the way, forcing local villagers to relocate to Jincheng. Those who fled were labeled as bandits. Thanks to your rescue, I managed to survive. I am eternally grateful. May I ask your honorable name? I will surely repay this great kindness in the future!"

Xiao Li briefly glanced at the man and replied, "It was a trivial effort, not worth mentioning," then prepared to ride away. But the man called out to stop him again.

Facing Xiao Li's less-than-friendly gaze from beneath his bamboo hat, the man visibly trembled with fear but still spoke up. "Forgive my presumption, but along my journey to Pingzhou, I have heard countless praises about Hanyang Princess, descendant of Changlian Wang. Fellow refugees are all heading to Pingzhou seeking survival. I observed your exceptional skills, yet you did not stay in Pingzhou to serve. Could it be that the rumors about Pingzhou are untrue?"

Xiao Li fell silent for a moment before withdrawing his gaze, leaving only these words: "Pingzhou is a good destination. You may go there with peace of mind to seek your future."

Author's Note: Happy Labor Day, dear readers! Red envelopes are dropping in this chapter too~

Secret spoiler: Before the fall of Chen Kingdom mentioned in the synopsis, Yu Bao and classmate Xiao Li will meet again!

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