Chapter 66: Chu Li

  In the first year of Nan Chu Li's 299th year, it was a turbulent and unstable year.

  At the beginning of the year, the enthronement ceremony had not yet passed, and the war fires on the southern border were already rumbling. The Lu Dan people, dissatisfied with the harsh rule of Chu State, first declared their independence from the Southern Chu regime, restored their tribal autonomy flag, and after a large-scale fierce battle with the Southern Border Guard, they suffered heavy casualties and fled in disarray to the western Hei Grassland, surrendering to the northern Qin State.

  The court of Southern Chu was in an uproar, and the mystique of the Heavenly Dynasty was instantly shattered. The factions within the court were clearly divided into two camps, with distinct battle lines drawn. The hawks demanded that a large army be deployed to annihilate the Lu Dan tribe, strike fear into the hearts of the many barbarian tribes in the southern border regions, and awe them into submission. The doves, on the other hand, advocated for a more lenient policy towards the southern border regions, adopting a benevolent approach to win over the barbarians and bring peace to the world through virtue.

  However, the ministers of Southern Chu had not yet quarreled out a clear result. The events that followed, however, shocked and amazed the entire nation of Southern Chu. A small spark can ignite a prairie fire. For more than 50 years, the previous emperor of Chu's brutal rule on the border finally led to a great disaster. The war quickly spread to half of the southern border and gradually expanded. The violent people in the south raised their household knives, and the old, weak, women, and children all joined the rebel camp. The originally fierce Yadan people became the leader of the violent people, and three major battles broke out continuously on the Western Black Grassland, with both sides having victories and defeats. The Western Black Grassland was filled with blood and bones.

  But at this critical moment, the coastal state of Dongqi, which had been sworn enemies with Nanchu for generations, raised the banner of helping the people of Nanjiang to become autonomous and break away from the brutal rule of Nanchu. The crown prince Qi An personally took command, with King Jingjiang as his deputy, and stationed 300,000 troops in the Melan Mountains, vowing to avenge their past humiliation of being imprisoned in the great prison of Nanchu.

  The tense atmosphere was about to erupt, and the people of Nanchu were finally in a state of panic. The smoke from the beacon fires caused the people on the border to move en masse to the central region of Nanchu, bringing with it large-scale migration-induced famine, plague, and looting. Countless lands were left barren, and the towns on the border were almost empty. There was a cacophony of wailing voices among the people.

  In this situation, Chu Li, who had just ascended to the throne of Southern Chu, finally took a stand and declared that he would uphold the regime of Southern Chu and bring peace and prosperity to its people. The young emperor personally led an army of 200,000 soldiers to the southwestern border of Hei Cao Yuan to quell the war on the borders. Duke Meng Tian, carrying the military emblem of Chu Li, went to Lan Shan to confront Eastern Qi.

  The two lines of Dongnan simultaneously launched a war, triggering a new round of grain crisis at home. Just at this time, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared, and Xichuan, who had always been fond of taking advantage of the fire to loot and watching the tiger fight, brought a large amount of grain and grass to the southern border of Chu under the leadership of General Yan Hui, claiming to help neighboring countries. In this way, they stepped into the muddy waters of Chu State.

  Looking at the overall situation in the world, apart from some insignificant and vulnerable small countries on the borders, only the powerful Qin state in the north, which has just won a great victory at Yanmen Pass, remains completely still, making it impossible to discern their true intentions.

  As the war in the southern border continued, the first turmoil since Chu Li's accession finally arrived.

  At this moment, Chu Li, who should have been commanding the Northern Route Army to annihilate the Lu Dan people in Huan Xiang County, unexpectedly appeared at the foot of Longji Mountain, less than 40 miles from the Great Qin border. He was accompanied by 3,000 black-clad elite cavalrymen and wore a silver-white armor, with eyes like stars, sword-like eyebrows, and an aura of immense cold darkness emanating from his entire being. His sharp gaze pierced through the panicked crowd, and his eyes flashed with an inexplicable light.

  Hatred with a hint of coldness, despair seems to have a thread of fervor. No one can see clearly, including himself.

  "Report!!!"

  The sound of the report came from afar, and in the dead silence, a soldier clad entirely in black rode on a tall warhorse, wearing armor and carrying a battle sword, galloping swiftly.

  "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have found the woman."

  The crisp sound fell into the night, and the man on the war horse heard it, his tiger-like body slightly moved, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow lightly, saying in a low voice: "Where?"

  His voice was very calm, with no hint of fluctuation, but the eyes hidden in the darkness lit up, and he stared tightly at the soldier who brought the news, his eyes almost digging a hole in his words.

  "Reporting to Your Majesty, ten miles ahead, the south slope of Longji Mountain."

  "Lead the way."

  A loud rumbling sound, countless war horses rose up and galloped towards the south of Longji Mountain.

  The originally peaceful and serene night had turned into a battlefield, with countless people's mournful cries amidst the blood-soaked sky. The black-clad soldiers on horseback were darting in and out of the white felt tents, seemingly searching for something. After finding nothing, they would throw the torches in their hands towards those white deerskin tents. These things couldn't be taken away, so they were burned on the spot, unable to be left for the rebellious Kadan people. Without tents to keep warm, they could only freeze to death on the desolate land of Xihai Grassland.

  "Report to the Emperor, the man has been brought!"

  Two soldiers suddenly rushed forward, holding a struggling woman in a white robe. Her hair was disheveled and her face was covered by a lock of black hair that had fallen down, due to the intense struggle, her clothes were almost torn to shreds, revealing large patches of snow-white skin, under the light of the torches, it looked even more beautiful and alluring, full of bloody temptation.

  She was dressed in a coarse, earthy yellow hemp garment, but it couldn't hide her elegant and refined temperament and fair, delicate skin. The girl with her head down kept hitting the soldiers on both sides, suddenly opened her mouth and bit hard on the wrist of one of the guards.

  Chu Li's heart violently shook for an instant, and a thread of frenzy slowly rose from his eyes. This unyielding appearance in such desperate circumstances was so familiar; his eyes narrowed slightly as he prepared to turn over and get off the horse.

  "Ah!" The bitten guard let out a miserable cry, instinctively raised his other hand, and pushed the woman away.

  He hadn't thought about how to bite. For this woman, the great emperor even put down the defense of the northern route army and came to the western black grassland in disguise, running three days' journey overnight, exhausting four horses, just to get here. He simply wanted to instinctively push her away. But as soon as he raised his hand, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck, and in his surprise, he forgot the pain in his wrist, hastily lifted his head, and was shocked to find the great emperor's sharp sword placed on his own head.

  "What do you want to do?" Chu Li's voice was cold and gloomy, his eyes seemed like two black gemstones, shining with dark light.

  The soldier was shocked and knelt down with a thud, knocking his head against the ground and said: "I deserve to die!"

  His movement instantly affected the woman beside him. As soon as he spoke, the woman who was tightly biting his wrist also stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.

  In the distance, the flames were still flickering. This group was the family of the Kadan people, all a crowd of old, weak women and children, with only over ten men in their fifties and sixties guarding them. The Kadan people had rebelled, every able-bodied man had gone to the battlefield, leaving behind only some wounded soldiers who were crippled to guard their families. At this moment, under the fierce slaughter of the Black Armor Guards, they were almost annihilated.

  "Devils! You devils! I'll kill you all!" A hoarse, despairing cry suddenly burst forth, and the woman with disheveled hair, kneeling on the ground, let out a shrill wail. She suddenly stretched out her hand towards the waist of the soldier who was also kneeling on the ground, and with a swift motion, she drew out his combat knife.

  The cold blade flashed before her eyes, and she hadn't even pulled out the long knife when she was already subdued on the ground.

  Chu Li's body shook at the woman's shrill cry, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and a thread of despair slowly crept up his heart. However, he still spoke in his most resolute voice, "You, lift your head!"

  "Devils! Kill you all!......"

  The woman was still wildly screaming, her voice shrill and mournful like a ghost wailing. Her hands were struggling, and her white wrists were covered with dripping fresh blood.

  "Kill you all, kill you all..." The sorrowful wailing finally rose, and she was helplessly lifted up by a group of soldiers to face the direction of Chu Li.

  This is a beautiful face, with eyes like autumn water, small and delicate red lips, a beautiful facial shape, at first glance it's not a southern barbarian, but rather a young lady from the capital who has received strict training in etiquette, with a strong scholarly aura and a spoiled and stubborn expression. Her neck is long and slender, shining with a soft and gentle luster like pearls, her figure is also delicate and slender, with the typical slender physique of a Jiangnan woman.

  No matter from which aspect, she is an invaluable beauty. Especially in such a cruel and bloody environment, it highlights her heartbreaking and pitiful color even more.

  However, Chu Li's eyes completely cooled down the moment she lifted her head. A warm heart seemed to be suddenly thrown into a deep ice cave and was ruthlessly pulled out. The color of disappointment shrouded his entire body, he suddenly lost interest in everything in front of him, and simply raised his head to gaze at the vast expanse of dark night sky in the distance.

  In the dark night, countless figures flashed in the darkness. His gaze was focused far ahead on the majestic Dragon Spine Mountains, where the imperial mausoleum of Qin lay, an insurmountable natural barrier to the north.

  He should have known that if it was really her, how could she be so easily discovered and captured. This is not the first time this has happened. Every time he tells himself that he will never do such a disgusting thing again. But when the intelligence reports come in, he still jumps onto his war horse without hesitation, filled with hope.

  Even in such a predicament now, he still came.

  Some things had quietly taken root in his heart, and he thought that as long as he pulled them out, everything would be fine. However, he forgot that some wounds are fundamentally incurable. They will only quietly rot and fester in a dark environment, emitting a sky-high stench that makes even himself unrecognizable.

  "Despot! You will surely come to no good end!"

  A shrill voice suddenly rang out, startling Chu Li from his reverie. He slowly lowered his head and gazed at the woman in coarse linen clothes who couldn't conceal her beauty, silent and filled with invisible pressure.

  The woman, undaunted, still gazed at Chu Li with eyes full of hatred and said in a cold voice: "You, this muddle-headed usurper and rebel, who killed your father and abandoned your mother, poisoned your brothers and harmed the loyal and good, will surely bring about the downfall of the country and the destruction of your family, and die without a whole corpse!"

  "How dare you!" The black-clad guards on both sides shouted in unison and rushed forward.

  Chu Li waved her hand lightly and said in a low voice: "What is your relationship with the Shangguan family?"

  "Who are you?" The woman was shocked and asked anxiously: "You? How did you know?"

  "Princess You secretly bribed the officials of Caishi Valley and released the remnants of the Shangguan family. Do you really think I don't know?" Chu Li coldly snorted, saying calmly: "Moreover, this face of yours can't deceive people at all. You are Shangguan Jing's little daughter, Shangguan Rouxiang."

  The woman was shocked and lost color, with no trace of blood on her face.

  The Shangguan family was banished half a year ago due to their opposition to Chu Li's land enclosure policy, and were impeached by the Chu Li faction in the imperial court. The last generation of virtuous ministers was exiled to the southern border, which had long been widely known. All the men of the Shangguan family were beheaded, and the women were sent to Caishi Valley as slaves. Shangguan Jing was a teacher of three generations of emperors, presided over the imperial examination system for generations, and his disciples were all over the world. His name was preserved in the writings of scholars throughout the land. Unfortunately, he died of illness on the way to exile.

  The Crown Princess Shangguan Rourou died of sorrow, and after the fall of Empress Shangguan Roulan, the Shangguan family was considered to have withdrawn from the imperial court of Southern Chu. Who would have thought that today, in this desolate Western Hei Grassland, I would actually see a descendant of the Shangguan family.

  "You devil! My father was devoted to the country, and he was an honest official. But you brought ruin to my family, I won't let you go!" The desperate woman suddenly burst into a loud curse, shrill screams rising up.

  Chu Li's face turned cold and he said in a chilly voice: "The only ones to blame are the officials of your household for not understanding the situation and recognizing the wrong troops."

  Shangguan Jing was the emperor's teacher, but because Chu Li was a hostage in Eastern Qi at that time, he became the teacher of Huainan King Chu Xiong instead. Later, after Chu Li returned to his country and joined forces with the 13th prince, they supported the abolition of the crown prince and established Huainan King as the new heir. Chu Li had Shangguan's family eliminated in order to consolidate his position.

  "Return to camp!" Chu Li said in a low voice, no longer having the mood to stay in this place.

  "Yes!" A crowd of black-clad guards responded in unison, followed by a loud rumble. On the snowy ground, the black cavalrymen wore battle armor, making them very eye-catching.

  "You devil!" A shrill, mournful cry rose up from behind, the desperate and fragmented curses gradually turning venomous. The youngest daughter of the Xiang family, Xiang Ruo Xiang, shrieked loudly: "The King of Huainan has already gone to Dongqi! Empress Dowager Xiao will no longer support you! The old lady of the Huo family is dead! The Wusiluo Saintess of Nanjiang has also escaped, and there is no one left in the world who supports you! Your time of death is approaching, you rebel! You baseborn! Lowly man..."

  The shrill cries still echoed in the night, Chu Li flew away without looking back, and the goose feather-like snow fell from the sky, filling the world with a vast expanse of pure white. The icy snow covered up all the blood and darkness, leaving only a holy radiance.

  Who is it, struggling in the dark?

  Who is it, groaning in despair?

  When all is said and done, who still remembers yesterday's deep-seated shame and unerasable hatred?

  In the vastness of heaven and earth, a sheet of pure white snow is falling. Who else is covered in wounds, with a heart full of filth, struggling to survive in this cold world?

  Zhuang Qingxia, you can't escape!

  The man in the darkness pursed his lips tightly, his cold gaze revealing a huge tenacity.

  I'll search for you even if I have to go through heaven and earth.

  Even if it's going to the underworld, you must accompany me and go together.

  The mournful female voice gradually faded away, Chu Li wore a silver-white armor, behind him were three thousand black-clad elite cavalrymen, rushing towards the direction of Still Nest Village. He walked at the foot of Longji Mountain, under his feet was a vast expanse of white snow, the fierce battle that took place here two days ago had already been completely buried by the avalanche, countless corpses remained forever in the disaster of the snowy catastrophe on the desolate grassland of Xihuang, frozen into a living specimen.

  Ten thousand miles of rushing to find people, Chu Li gradually went away, but he didn't know that at this moment, the person he was looking for was struggling in the imperial tomb under his feet.

  Fate often hangs by a thread, and once missed, it's forever lost, with no turning back.