After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 641 - 635 They Are Yu State People

The soldiers saw a child fall and couldn’t get up, almost trampled by the adults behind. The child’s parents, trying to help, had to put down their heavy loads, and couldn’t help but look at Vice General Gao Yi.

Gao Yi turned his head to look into the distance and saw a group of people on horseback approaching quickly, numbering several hundred.

Gao Yi sneered, mounted his horse, and said, "Go!"

Two thousand soldiers stood beside the villagers, raising their shields to form a wall.

The villagers, shielded behind them, breathed a sigh of relief and became less frantic, hurrying to help each other across to the other side of the irrigation ditch.

The soldiers did not make eye contact and offered no help, their gazes fixed intently on the rapidly approaching Yan State Army.

Leading the Yan State Army was an Assistant General under Gou Chun, surnamed Xu, who recognized Gao Yi, knowing him as one of Zhao Ju’s deputies. He halted his troops beyond bow and arrow range.

He raised a hand, and the soldiers behind him stopped as well.

He stepped forward, staring at Gao Yi across from him, and asked, "Vice General Gao, this is Yan State’s territory. Why do you bring troops here?"

Gao Yi replied sternly, "I am here to rescue our Yu State people."

"Who?" Vice General Xu’s voice cracked. The Yu State soldiers were tightly packed, but beyond the distance where the two thousand men blocked, near the small grove, people could still be seen passing through.

He was so furious that his fingers trembled, pointing at the fleeting figures, "You claim those are your Yu State people? They’re clearly our Yan State citizens!"

Gao Yi’s face darkened, and with a cold snort, he said, "Nonsense, they are clearly our Yu State people, taken by you."

He continued, "A month ago during the summer harvest, you crossed the border with troops to plunder wheat from our Yu State fields. Our villagers resisted, resulting in you taking them captive. Now you claim the people you stole are yours, nonsense!"

Vice General Xu paused and turned back to his soldiers, "Is what he says true?"

The soldiers were also taken aback, trying hard to recall, "We didn’t take people, just grain. We didn’t see anyone else take people either."

One soldier, calmer than the rest, said, "General, you must have been deceived. If we really had taken people, would we just leave them unattended?"

"Right, how could kidnapped people be villagers? They’d definitely be sent to the army as military slaves."

Now Vice General Xu regained his composure, spat in Gao Yi’s direction with anger, blaming him for speaking so convincingly it even made him start to believe it.

"You’re the one spouting nonsense, these people are from Yan State. Stop slandering us."

"I say they are from Yu State, and they are indeed from Yu State. If you don’t believe me, shout at them and see if they respond to you as Yan State people."

Only a fool would admit it; they’ve already reached the other side. Admitting otherwise would be to ask for punishment.

But he didn’t care, insisting that those people were indeed Yan State people.

The two groups quarreled across a few fields, exchanging insults about each other’s generals and great generals, almost extending the curses to each other’s emperor if not for sharing the same one.

Gao Yi was unhurried, letting them argue.

Amidst the argument, Zhao Ju arrived with three trusted aides and villagers from two villages.

Vice General Xu’s eyes widened, then his face darkened. He waved a hand, and the archers stepped forward, quickly nocking their arrows and aiming at Zhao Ju and the villagers behind him. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Gao Yi’s face darkened, raising a hand, and the archers behind the shields did the same, then advanced with their shields, pushing the troops forward to bring the opponent within arrow range.

Gao Yi said in a deep voice, "Vice General Xu, you can try if your arrows are faster than ours, and if you are certain your arrows can reach our general."

Currently, the range wasn’t enough, given the angled line. He and Gao Yi were on the shortest straight line, just within range.

Zhao Ju naturally noticed they couldn’t hit him either, so he reassured the villagers to proceed courageously forward while he rode closer to Gao Yi’s side, addressing Vice General Xu, "If Yu State and Yan State were to go to war, it’d be you, not to mention Gou Chun, who couldn’t bear the responsibility. Vice General Xu, I suggest you return and consult with General Gou first before deciding."

Vice General Xu’s expression changed, narrowing his eyes at Zhao Ju, asking, "General Zhao, is Mr. Ming in your hands?"

Zhao Ju remained silent, but Vice General Xu had already gleaned the information he wanted, feeling a heaviness in his heart as he glanced over at the villagers walking past the Yu State army, coldly stating, "I will report this to the Great General. Your Yu State Army crossed the border unprovoked and even took so many of our people. Lord Zhao must provide a clear explanation to Yan State!"

Zhao Ju said nothing, focusing on leading the people away first. As for explanations, that was a matter for those above, letting them handle the disputes, and should they need him to deploy troops, he would address it then.

However, Zhao Ju doubted the two regions would end up fighting.

Despite Zhao Ju’s silence, Gao Yi emphasized, "These are our Yu State people. We’ve come to rescue them. If anyone crossed the line, it was your Yan State army that first crossed a month ago to harvest our grain and take villagers from three villages..."

Zhao Ju couldn’t help but turn and look at him.

Gao Yi worked hard to maintain his composure, giving Zhao Ju a serious nod.

Zhao Ju, after a moment of silence, nodded and said, "Yes!"

Vice General Xu was fuming, not expecting a general of Zhao Ju’s stature to blatantly lie, yet there was nothing he could do at this moment, forced to watch as the villagers crossed the canal and left, and the two thousand Yu State soldiers orderly retreated.

The soldiers saw them nearing the Yu State side and anxiously looked at Vice General Xu, "General, are we just letting them go?"

Vice General Xu: "Then what? We have fewer men than they do. Do you think we can win?"

The soldier said nothing.

"Even if we could win, are we daring to fight?" Vice General Xu continued, "Starting a war between the two states, who could bear such responsibility?"

If it had been a year ago, they wouldn’t have cared, would have initiated a fight; who would fear whom?

But now, with the emperor in Yun City and Zhao Hanzhang holding Yu State and Luoyang, clearly aiming for peaceful coexistence with their general, fighting now probably wasn’t what their great general would want.

Moreover, things were different from a year ago. Back then, Yan State was in an expansion phase, ready to fight anyone who dared provoke them.

But currently, the Great General was lost in indulgence, reportedly not leaving Yun City for two months, and when Mr. Yan advised against excessive indulgence, he was killed. Who dared start a war now?

Vice General Xu gritted his teeth, watching them cross the border line, then waved to withdraw, "Go, report to the general."

"What about Chai Shi and the others, General? Our centurion must be in their hands."

"Better in their hands than ours, leave them be. Let’s go."

The soldier thought it over and agreed. Having lost Mr. Ming, the centurion and the others, even if returned alive, would face severe punishment, lashes that might be fatal. Being captives on the other side might not be worse. After all, serving whichever side is still serving.

On that note, the soldier cheerfully turned to leave. In the future, they would certainly be at war, and perhaps they’d meet on the battlefield, chat if lucky to survive, or if captured by one another, they’d be united again.