Chapter 455: 462: Announcing the Withdrawal of Troops

“No, no, we’ve already eaten so much and are quite full. We’ve never had such delicious meals before; we accidentally overate without realizing it,” said Mrs. Wang with some embarrassment. She had intended to eat less, not wanting to take too much advantage of someone else’s kindness, but the meals were so tasty that she ended up eating more than planned.

Cheng Zi and Huzi were also a bit embarrassed. They were not thoughtless children; just as their mother had said, the food was too good, and they couldn’t help themselves, instinctively rubbing their stomachs while looking down.

Seeing that Mrs. Wang and the two children were indeed full, Su Wenyue didn’t say anything more to avoid making them feel more uneasy. Old Man Liu, perhaps because he had drunk some wine, seemed quite at ease, chatting away about everything under the sun with Master Su and demonstrating unexpected insight into affairs, even those concerning the Imperial Court.

Initially planning to stay at the Liu Family for just one night, they hadn’t expected the rain to keep falling. Not only did it not stop, but it also intensified, turning the outside roads to mud, making travel even more difficult. Su Wenyue and her entourage had no choice but to temporarily reside with the Liu Family. Fortunately, they had already traveled quite a distance from Yiyang Prefecture, so taking a break for a day or two was not a problem.

This allowed the little ones to become more familiar with each other. Su Wenyue believed that the children of the poor grew up quickly; she wanted her children to learn from Liu Cheng. Old Man Liu and Mrs. Wang felt that Su Wenyue’s children were well-raised and happily allowed theirs to spend more time with them. Being sensible kids, they played together with mutual respect, and thanks to their natural childlike nature, formed a good rapport within just a day.

“Mother, Mother, Sister Yu has something to discuss with you,” said Sister Yu, who had been playing outside, suddenly running into the house.

Looking at her daughter with tenderness, Su Wenyue said, “Sister Yu, take your time and tell me what’s the matter. Don’t rush; your mother is listening.”

“Mother, do we still have any of the cakes that Aunt Shu Qin made? Brother A Cheng and Brother Huzi said they’ve never had cakes before and don’t know what they taste like. Aunt Shu Qin’s cakes are so delicious; may I share some with them?” Sister Yu expressed her thoughts clearly and fluently.

Su Wenyue naturally wouldn’t refuse such a small request from her daughter. Even if there weren’t any cakes left, she would have some made for her daughter.

“Don’t worry, I had Aunt Shu Qin make plenty of cakes. You can take some of each kind for Brother A Cheng and Brother Huzi. Remember, never use your status to bully Brother A Cheng and Brother Huzi. Now that you are friends, you should treat each other sincerely. Don’t let status or anything else change that, so you can become real friends.”

“Yes, Mother, you’ve told me many times, and I remember,” Si Yu said as she affectionately hugged Su Wenyue’s arm. Seeing that Shu Xiang had packed the cakes, she joyfully skipped out of the room.

After several days of fierce fighting, there was a preliminary outcome to the battle at Yiyang Prefecture. Although the Imperial Army had greater numbers, they had not been there long, and the leading general, who was more brave than skilled in strategy, had an initial advantage. However, they gradually fell into a disadvantage and were utterly routed in the last major engagement, falling into a trap set by Han Yu, which forced them to announce a retreat.

The battle brought significant losses to both sides. Though Han Yu was adept at using military strategies and tactics, he could not change the fact that his opponent’s forces were multiple times larger, an inherent disadvantage. To have defended Yiyang and even won this war was already remarkable. Nearly one third of his soldiers were casualties, but morale was at an all-time high.

On the Imperial Court’s side, the losses were even greater. After tallying, over half the troops were casualties. However, they still had more troops than Liu Xiu’s army, even after the losses. Yet, the morale was quite low after the defeats, creating a stark contrast between the two sides.

“General Han, we’ve really won, we’ve actually defeated the Imperial Army!” an Advisor under Liu Xiu said joyfully, barely containing his excitement.

However, Han Yu wasn’t completely satisfied with the outcome and expressed some regret, “Zhao Fan reacted quite alertly; we almost captured him. It’s such a shame. If we had caught Zhao Fan, that would have meant a real victory! Without their general, the Imperial Court’s army would need to send a new commander, giving us time to recuperate and reinforce. Plus, with the current chaos in the court, it’s uncertain if they can continue fighting; our crisis would have been resolved. Now that he has escaped, it’s going to create a lot more problems, and the war has to go on.”

“General Han, this is already a great success, and it was all thanks to your brilliant strategy that Zhao Fan fell into the trap without any suspicion. That’s the reason we won this battle. Before this, I could scarcely believe we would win the war. I apologize for any disrespect in what I said before; it was wrong of me to underestimate your abilities. With a general like you, my Lord can rest easy!”

This Advisor had been one of those who opposed Han Yu’s plans earlier and had tried to persuade Liu Xiu to retreat. Now his face showed the joy of victory, tinged with shame for his earlier stance. Nevertheless, he was someone who owned up to his mistakes. Others, however, were unable to do the same, with some even showing a flicker of dark thoughts amidst their celebration.

Han Yu noted the expressions and behavior of these men. Those who wore their feelings so openly on their faces were not to be feared. What truly concerned Han Yu were the deeply hidden traitors.

Meanwhile, Zhao Fan returned in a wretched state with the remnants of his forces.

“General, are you all right?” Zhang Meng asked with a sense of alarm.

Zhao Fan shook his head. Though the ordeal had been dangerous, as a military officer, facing peril on the battlefield was routine. He had faced similar dangers more than once or twice and wasn’t easily frightened. Shrugging it off, he tore a piece of cloth from his robe and tied it around a wound on his arm. “It’s nothing. Just a minor injury with a bit of blood loss.”

“It’s a relief that you’re fine, General. That moment truly scared me to death! General Han is too fierce, not only a masterful strategist but also highly skilled in combat. He almost had you cut down right there. Thankfully, it was just off by a little. If something had happened to you, and we lost our leader, that would have spelled major trouble,” a minor officer in the company of Zhao Fan and Vice General Zhang said as he patted his chest, visibly shaken. Zhao Fan might not have felt disgraced before, but after this junior officer’s comments, his face grew dark.