Chapter 251.2: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 251.2: Deputy Commander Chang Has Returned
Li Yi no longer harbored any doubts; his heart was at ease, and he even ordered wine to be prepared in celebration.
As he lifted his cup, an aide asked, “In that case… should we recall the letter we just sent to Deputy General Yu, as your command suggested?”
“No need,” Li Yi replied. “Let him come — it’s always better to be prepared.”
With Chang Kuo gone, other threats still lingered. He had already learned that imperial envoys had arrived in Jiangnan and would soon act.
But none of this spoiled Li Yi’s good mood. To him, no one was more difficult to handle than Chang Kuo. With Chang Kuo dead, why fear a mere imperial envoy?
The tension of the journey melted away, and Li Yi drank heartily. His aides advised moderation, and he heeded them, not allowing himself to become drunk.
Yet under the effect of the wine, he slept deeply that night, waking only near noon the next day.
With the threat of Chang Kuo removed, Li Yi no longer panicked. Following his aides’ suggestion, he decided to wait for the fifty thousand troops behind him to arrive before resuming the march, ensuring greater safety.
As evening approached, news came that the main army had indeed caught up. They had marched relentlessly from Shouzhou and were exhausted, but after a day and night of rest under Li Yi, they were refreshed. Ignoring the soldiers’ fatigue, Li Yi ordered them to rest only for an hour — citing “military affairs must not be delayed” — and then continue marching through the night.
By noon the following day, as the troops paused to eat, scouts reported activity to the right: signs of the Chuzhou army.
Li Yi’s aide asked seriously, “Truly the Chuzhou army? Have you confirmed?”
The soldier nodded: “Indeed, they are from Chuzhou. Their banners and uniforms are genuine. The officer leading them wears the prefect’s official robe.”
Li Yi said, “Very well, let us wait here for them.”
He had little interest in the Chuzhou army and did not yet regard the Prefect Wei, whom he had never met, as significant. What he most wanted was to see Chang Kuo’s head with his own eyes.
The troops rested for over an hour, and sure enough, the Chuzhou army arrived.
Li Yi dismounted from his carriage and, accompanied by two advisors, approached the army to meet the Prefect of Chuzhou.
“I am Wei Jun, Prefect of Chuzhou. Greetings, General Li!” The middle-aged man in the prefect’s robe bowed to Li Yi.
Li Yi glanced at him and nodded, quickly shifting his eyes to the box held by the soldiers at Wei Jun’s side.
The man understood immediately and said, “This is my first time meeting you, General. I have prepared a modest gift; please inspect it…”
He stepped forward, carrying the heavy box toward Li Yi.
Just as he approached, an advisor raised his hand to stop him.
The aide smiled: “Perhaps I should inspect it first—”
The middle-aged man readily consented: “Please.”
The advisor examined the box cautiously before opening it.
Li Yi’s confidants surrounded him, so there was no worry that showing Chang Kuo’s head would cause unrest among the troops.
There was no need to announce Chang Kuo’s death publicly — merely a verification would suffice.
The box opened to reveal a head — indeed, but the advisors’ expressions changed immediately. One looked sharply at the “Prefect of Chuzhou” holding the box: “Prefect Wei, I believe you may have mistaken the person.”
Li Yi stepped forward, frowning. He did not recognize the head, but it was clearly not Chang Kuo!
What was this Prefect thinking? Had he killed the wrong person? Where was Chang Kuo? Had he escaped?
Li Yi sensed something was wrong. His advisor pointed at the “Prefect” and said, “Seize him at once!”
There was clearly treachery afoot.
The advisor’s vigilance and decisiveness forced the man pretending to be Wei Jun — Deputy General Jin in disguise — to curse silently: Bad luck. He hurled the box at Li Yi and drew a long sword hidden under his cloak.
A woman had said that capturing Li Yi would be ideal, but if circumstances were unfavorable, she had instructed him to prioritize self-preservation.
To verify “Chang Kuo’s” head, Li Yi had only a few dozen confidants with him; the rest of the soldiers remained ten paces away. Taking advantage of this, Deputy General Jin and his soldiers drew their weapons and fought while retreating.
Not far off, Chang Suining, wearing Chuzhou uniforms, saw this and immediately spurred her horse forward to rescue Li Yi.
Li Yi was escorted to safety while shouting angrily, “…These are Xu’s rebels! Quickly eliminate them!”
The other officers in the army were momentarily stunned.
Why was there a fight all of a sudden?
Weren’t these supposed to be the Chuzhou troops? How did they turn into rebels?
But military orders prevailed. The resting troops quickly took up arms and lined up to charge forward.
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from the opposing army: “General Chang is here! Are you attempting to rebel and slay your deputy commander?”
General Chang?!
The soldiers froze in astonishment. Then they saw a figure on horseback emerge at the front lines — tall, imposing, and with stern features. It was unmistakably Chang Kuo himself!
“It’s the Deputy Commander!”
“Deputy Commander Chang has returned!”
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