“Uncle!”
Li Zheng frowned upon hearing those words.
Even the able-bodied men on the walls showed traces of grief and indignation in their eyes.
Yet there was little they could do.
They all depended on the Li clan for their livelihood.
Some families had served the Li clan for generations.
When Li Qian returned a few days earlier, the entire Li estate had been plunged into mourning.
Even so, most of the young men had merely thought that the fallen warriors had met their destined fate.
They had never considered that those men had died for Li Qian’s ambitions, fame, and advancement.
Now, however, Li Shujie of the Li clan’s Third Branch had torn away the veil hiding that reality, causing many of the young men to become resentful.
Your younger generation wants to flee, yet you expect us to stay behind and die with you?
Don’t we also have elderly parents and children waiting for us at home?
If we die and the Li clan falls, how are our families supposed to survive?
“Shujie, have you lost your mind?!”
Li Qian’s face darkened with embarrassment and anger.
“It’s not that I don’t know you possess a benevolent heart, but your words today are utterly rebellious!”
“The Yellow Turbans are mortal enemies of our Li clan. Now that they stand before our gates— Do you think they’ll spare us simply because we don’t resist?”
“Hmph!” Li Shujie snorted coldly.
“I simply don’t wish to see these young men throw their lives away for nothing.”
“Fine! Fine! Fine!”
Li Qian was furious.
“So you’re the only righteous and compassionate one, while I, Li Qian, am the villain!”
“I don’t care why you’re opposing me today.”
“Even if you’re trying to seize power, I won’t fight you for it.”
“I have only one request—that the younger generation of the Li family survives. Everything else is in your hands!”
With that, Li Qian flicked his sleeve and stormed away.
He knew very well that if Li Shujie truly chose to oppose him today, there was little he could do.
To engage in internal strife at a moment like this would be utter stupidity.
After all, he had already lost four thousand fighting men.
At present, the Third Branch of the Li clan was actually stronger than the main line.
Under normal circumstances that might not matter, but at a time of life and death, the Third Branch’s voice carried enormous weight.
As for the Second Branch—
The Second Branch was Li Qian’s own branch.
The head of the First Branch had died long ago, leaving behind only Li Dian.
And Li Dian was still merely a boy of eleven or twelve.
“Uncle, I’ll leave matters here in your hands.”
Li Zheng bowed respectfully to Li Shujie.
“Father has recently suffered a major defeat and is burdened with many worries. I’ll go check on him first.”
With that, he departed from the city tower.
After the members of the main branch had left, Li Shujie turned to his younger brother with a bitter smile.
“Jinxian, you know me. I truly wasn’t trying to seize power.”
“I know.” Li Jin shook his head.
“Elder Brother is benevolent by nature, while the Clan Head has always been a forceful man. It is only natural that disagreements would arise between you. None of this surprises me.”
“You, honestly…” Li Shujie looked at him helplessly.
“Sometimes I wonder if you’ve practiced swordsmanship so much that you’ve become dull.”
“What is it? Have you trained yourself into being devoid of emotion?”
“Brother worries too much.” Li Jin replied speechlessly.
Li Shujie sighed and looked toward the army outside the city, which was busy positioning its trebuchets.
“Truth be told, I don’t have many options either.”
“But I know your capabilities, Jinxian.”
“How about making a trip to the Yellow Turban camp?”
“Brother means to assassinate their commander?”
“Assassinate my foot!” Li Shujie snapped irritably.
“Unless you can kill every soldier in the army outside the city!”
Then he continued:
“What I mean is, can you use your abilities to speak with the Yellow Turban commander?”
“Appeal to his emotions. Reason with him.”
“We’re willing to surrender.”
“All we ask is that the younger members of the Li clan be allowed to leave safely.”
“That’s not an excessive request, is it?”
“This way, these young men can live as well.”
Li Shujie had been a benevolent man since birth.
He was famously warm and hospitable, and generous with both wealth and favors.
Since the Li estate could no longer be preserved anyway, he felt it would be better to avoid bloodshed and have both sides make concessions.
“Third Master, you mustn’t!”
“Please reconsider, Third Master! We are merely insignificant common folk. How can we allow Master Jinxian to place himself in such danger?”
The crowd immediately voiced their objections.
“This nephew also asks Third Uncle to think carefully.”
The young Li Dian spoke up as well, feeling that his uncle’s plan was somewhat unreliable.
“Well, Jinxian?” Li Shujie rubbed Li Dian’s head and looked at Li Jin.
“If you’re not confident, then forget it.”
“With your abilities, at worst you can simply take me and the younger members of the clan and leave together.”
“Xuzhou is less than two hundred li from here. As long as we avoid Kangfu, the Yellow Turbans won’t be able to do anything to us.”
His expression became resolute.
“In any case, I absolutely will not agree to a battle against the Yellow Turbans.”
“We cannot allow any more of these young men to die in vain.”
If Li Qian had won his previous campaign, Li Shujie would not have said a word.
The problem was that Li Qian had suffered a crushing defeat.
Li Shujie simply could not bear to watch these young men throw away their lives for nothing.
“It may be worth a try.” Li Jin gazed at the army in the distance and pondered for a moment.
“Even if it fails, I am confident I can retreat unharmed.”
“Good!”
Li Shujie nodded heavily, delight written across his face.
“Then it’s settled!”
“Very well. I’ll go make the arrangements at once.”
Li Jin was not one to drag things out.
“Uncle Jinxian!” Li Dian hurried after him and grabbed his arm.
“Why are you going along with Third Uncle’s nonsense?”
“Because he’s my elder brother.” Li Jin gently pulled his hand away and smiled.
“When an elder brother wants to do something, it is only natural for his younger brother to do everything he can to help.”
“…” Li Dian could only stare at him speechlessly.
At that moment, he felt that the entire Li clan was somewhat… strange.
……………….
Half an hour later, Li Jin rode alone out of the city and headed toward the Qihuo Army encampment.
“Jinxian, you must come back safely!”
Watching his younger brother’s departing figure, Li Shujie’s face was full of anxiety.
The able-bodied men on the city walls could not help but redden their eyes at the sight.
“Hm? Someone’s coming out.”
Perched atop his warhorse with a meteor hammer in hand, Bian Xi looked toward the opening city gates with surprise in his eyes.
Over the past several days, he had marched continuously.
Under the strategist’s direction, he had helped capture countless fortified estates belonging to powerful clans.
Some surrendered after witnessing the might of the trebuchets.
More chose to resist to the bitter end.
As for those who surrendered before a fight even began, there were almost none.
The great clans were the sort who refused to give up until they had exhausted every option.
“Report!”
While Bian Xi was deep in thought, a young officer hurried forward and saluted.
“General, Li Jinxian of Chengshi County requests an audience. He says that the Li clan is willing to surrender, but they have conditions and hope to discuss them with you personally.”
“Oh? The Li clan is willing to surrender?”
Bian Xi’s spirits immediately lifted.
“Bring him over at once!”
If bloodshed could be avoided, Bian Xi was more than happy to do so.
He was not some madman determined to drive people into a corner.
After all, blades and arrows were indiscriminate.
What if he ended up getting himself killed by accident?
“Li Jin greets the General.”
Li Jin rode forward and stopped ten paces from Bian Xi before cupping his fists in salute.
“The Li clan is willing to surrender, but we have one condition.”
“The General must allow the Li family’s main branch to leave Yan Province.”
“That’s simple enough. I agree.”
After a brief moment of thought, Bian Xi nodded.
“In fact, I can even authorize the Li residence to take all of its valuables with them.”
“Only the grain must remain behind.”
“General, your righteousness is greatly appreciated.”
Li Jin saluted again.
Then Bian Xi suddenly thought of something.
His gaze fixed sharply upon Li Jin.
“By the way, how many people are there in your Li family’s main branch?”
“General, rest assured.” Li Jin replied calmly.
“You need only permit five hundred people to leave.”
“Too many.” Bian Xi shook his head.
“There are many great clans in Yan Province, but the Li clan is not among them.”
“At most, your family can be considered a powerful local clan.”
“There’s no way your main branch contains five hundred people.”
“Three hundred should be more than enough.”
“Then we shall do as the General says.”
Li Jin deliberately hesitated before agreeing.
In truth, even one hundred people could not be gathered from the Li family’s main branch.
Then he fixed his gaze upon Bian Xi.
“I only hope the General will honor his promise.”
“I am a friend of Tong Yuan of Phoenix Mountain.”
“Though I cannot compare to the might of your army, if the General breaks his word, I can still make sure you pay a very painful price.”
Bian Xi immediately felt somewhat displeased.
But when his eyes met Li Jin’s, a chill ran through his entire body.
It was the sensation of being stared at by a ferocious beast.
“Hmph!”
Recovering himself, Bian Xi tightened his grip on the meteor hammer and spoke with forced bravado.
“Rest assured.”
“Though I come from humble origins, I am far more trustworthy than the Liu family’s Han court!”
— The end of the Chapter–
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