Chapter 248.1: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 248.1: Idiotphobia
Li Yi had been sitting firmly in Shou Prefecture, originally intending to wait until Xu Zhengye took Hezhou. Only then would they meet to sit down and discuss the details of their cooperation.
However, as Hezhou remained unconquered for a long time, his impatience began to grow.
Later still, when there was still no news of Hezhou’s fall, what reached his ears instead was that Xu Zhengye had been defeated and had retreated to Jiangning!
To Li Yi, this was simply absurd!
How could Hezhou, already at the end of its strength, not be taken down?
How could Chang Kuo, who went with less than twenty thousand reinforcements, still be alive?
And how could the Grand Princess of Xuan’an, who had always kept away from political disputes, suddenly step in and intervene?
Li Yi was filled with both astonishment and resentment.
Yet, once all those emotions faded, it was the panic and anxiety buried deep in his bones that took over. His nerves were stretched taut as he paced restlessly in his tent.
“It’s over! Chang Kuo will surely come back for revenge!”
“And the Holy Emperor and the court… they must have already learned of He Wei’s death. Once the imperial edict is issued, all forces will join hands to punish me… Xu Zhengye has retreated to Jiangning — what should I do now!”
The only reason he had dared to sit tight after killing He Wei was because he was certain Xu Zhengye would soon take Hezhou. Once they united with the Xu army, the entire Huainan Circuit would be in his pocket. Then, even the court’s punishment would no longer be something to fear!
But the current situation was the complete opposite of what he had imagined, and his position had suddenly become perilous.
At that moment, one of his two advisors spoke up.
“General is right — once Hezhou is secured, Chang Kuo will surely return. If he rallies the imperial army to march against you, your position will indeed be in danger…”
“You think I need you to remind me of that?!” Li Yi snapped irritably, angered by anxiety itself. “This was all your brilliant idea! Weren’t you the ones who swore Chang Kuo would die in Hezhou?”
The two advisors exchanged a glance and could only lower their heads and plead guilty to the furious, impotent man before them.
Li Yi kept pacing back and forth.
“These days, the soldiers have been whispering nonstop about the Hezhou battle. They’re suspecting that I deliberately sent Chang Kuo to his death!”
He spoke in fury — though the accusation was true.
What angered him was not that the men had guessed the truth, but that from the tone of the army, most of them still favored Chang Kuo!
Some had even demanded to go reinforce him. It was only by claiming, ‘The Grand General and I have our own plans,’ and by forcefully suppressing dissent, that he had silenced them.
If Chang Kuo had died, that would have been the end of it. Without a leader, the men wouldn’t dare cause trouble. But now that Chang Kuo still lived… once he returned, they would all side with him!
One advisor spoke again.
“We fully understand your concern, General. The current situation is unfavorable — a direct confrontation with Chang Kuo would not be wise.”
“Indeed. The priority should be to leave Shou Prefecture immediately.”
“Leave Shou Prefecture?” Li Yi stopped in his tracks, looking up sharply. “To where?”
Just as the two advisors were about to answer, a soldier’s voice came from outside.
Li Yi allowed him in. The soldier, one of his personal guards, hurried in, saluted, and presented a sealed letter.
Li Yi tore it open impatiently. His eyes lit up immediately.
It was from Xu Zhengye!
Xu Zhengye, aware of his dire situation, invited him to come quickly to Jiangdu and Yangzhou to discuss urgent matters.
After consulting with his advisors, Li Yi concluded that this was the best option for now.
Originally, eighty thousand troops who were supposed to join Chang Kuo in reinforcing Hezhou had instead been sent by Li Yi under the pretense of “marching to attack Yangzhou” — in reality, to delay movement and avoid battle. Whenever they encountered Xu’s forces, they would conveniently halt. So after half a month of slow progress, they were still en route.
“The General should strike camp at once. Once you reunite with the eighty thousand ahead, you can march together to Yangzhou.”
Another advisor added,
“Xu Zhengye has just lost a battle and is in desperate need of men. If you arrive now with over a hundred thousand troops, he will surely treat you as an honored guest. Once you take Yangzhou and hold it, the court can do nothing to you — and what need have you to fear a mere Chang Kuo?”
Li Yi didn’t hesitate any longer. He immediately ordered the camp to move.
When word spread through the army, it caused an uproar.
“Deputy Commander Chang chose to station us in Shou Prefecture to guard the Huai River line — to protect the route to the capital and prevent Xu’s rebels from advancing toward the Central Plains. How can we just abandon such a strategic stronghold?” some officers protested.
“Indeed! If we leave Shou Prefecture entirely, what if Xu’s men lying in wait in Huainan take the chance to invade?”
The deputy general delivering the order sneered,
“War is ever-changing. It would be foolish to cling to one position and die defending it!”
“But we heard Hezhou has already been taken. Deputy Commander Chang will soon return. Such a matter should be discussed with him first…”
“Nonsense!” the deputy general barked. “Who says Deputy Commander Chang is returning to Shou Prefecture? He has already sent word — he will march from Hezhou straight toward Yangzhou. The Commander himself will lead the main force to join him there. This was their joint decision!”
Finally, he shouted,
“Deputy Commander Chang crushed Xu’s rebels at Hezhou. Now is the best time to take Yangzhou and end this rebellion once and for all! Anyone who dares to question military orders or spread rumors will be executed for disturbing morale!”
To make an example, two officers who had expressed doubts were flogged to death on the spot.
Soon after, the army began preparing to march.
But they had been encamped there for a long time, so it wasn’t a move they could make immediately. Li Yi, restless and terrified that Chang Kuo might attack at any moment, refused to wait. He took his trusted guards and cavalry and rode off ahead.
His advisors tried to persuade him to wait, but he was too agitated — like an ant on a hot pan — to stay put another moment.
When the troops learned that their commander had already left with the cavalry, more men began to sense something was wrong.
Ever since they left the capital to suppress Xu Zhengye, this commander had always avoided battle whenever he could. He’d retreat rather than advance, flee rather than fight — when had he ever been so proactive?So proactive, in fact, that it looked less like a march to retake Yangzhou… and more like a desperate attempt to escape.
Many suspected something was amiss, but under strict orders, they had no choice but to obey for now.
The commotion of such a large army’s withdrawal couldn’t possibly go unnoticed.
Hearing the news, Xi’er, Ah Zhi, Ah Dian, and Old Kang — who had remained in Shou Prefecture under Suining’s orders — immediately left the city that night.
This had all happened three days before Chang Kuo and Chang Suining departed Hezhou.
The day after Xu Zhengye’s retreat to Jiangning, he had already sent a secret letter to Li Yi.
Thus, when Chang Kuo and Suining were only two hundred li out of Hezhou, they encountered Old Kang and his party coming toward them.
Hearing that Li Yi had ordered a retreat from Shou Prefecture and was heading toward Yangzhou, Suining immediately frowned.
“He doesn’t have the guts to fight Xu Zhengye.”
Chang Kuo’s brows furrowed tightly as well.If not to fight… then he must be planning to join him!
Suining lifted her gaze to meet his, her tone sharp and decisive.
“We must intercept him halfway. We cannot let him reach Yangzhou alive — or with his army.”
Though Li Yi was a fool, his imperial blood and the troops he commanded would become a great threat if he joined hands with Xu Zhengye.
Chang Kuo nodded solemnly. At Suining’s signal, he immediately ordered the army to change course and move to cut off Li Yi’s path, while Old Kang and the others explained what they’d learned along the way.
“I knew that turtle Li Yi would run! I sent scouts to keep watch at Shou Prefecture — I just didn’t expect he’d try heading for Yangzhou!” Chang Kuo cursed on the march. “The man’s courage is small, but his greed is huge!”
To dare collude with Xu Zhengye — wasn’t that the same as seeking his own death?
Meanwhile, Suining questioned Old Kang about the court’s movements.
He Wei’s death would surely have reached the capital by now, and the court would be taking action against Li Yi’s rebellion.
She carried the imperial edict entrusted to her by He Wei, but she and Old Chang, with only ten thousand men, could not be sure of success. If the imperial forces moved in concert, their odds would be much better.
Old Kang replied,
“When we left Shou Prefecture three days ago, we heard that the capital had already dispatched an imperial envoy. He must be on his way even now.”
Once the envoy arrived, he would immediately rally loyal troops to reclaim command from Li Yi — and the news of Li Yi’s betrayal would spread quickly across the realm.
But mobilizing forces from all regions would take time. If Li Yi truly joined Xu Zhengye, then his march to Yangzhou would be unhindered — and waiting for the envoy might be too late.
So they had no choice but to move first — to cut him off themselves.
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