Chapter 1399: Could It Get Any More Complicated?

Chapter 1399: Chapter 1075: Could It Get Any More Complicated?

At dawn, water mist shrouded the area, and a light breeze carried a chill.

The broad and flat North Shore of the Yellow River was still veiled in darkness. The last traces of night clung like an unwilling hand over the riverbank, with only a faint hint of daylight breaking on the horizon, offering a glimmer of elusive brightness to those moving through the deepest darkness before dawn.

The dewdrops on the grass tips were reflected in that faint light, projecting a subtle, colorful glow, like brilliant stars twinkling in the expansive sky.

However, with the stomp of a hoof, those glimmers scattered immediately into the soil.

Yu Wenye sat atop his horse, watching the herd of horses move across the tranquil grassland, having grazed a large area, but it seemed less like they were eating grass, more like they were harvesting light. He shook the reins and let his steed cautiously pace forward. After about a quarter of an hour, he raised his head to look eastward. The sky, once only tinged with a hint of light, seemed to tear open under heavy clouds, revealing a sharp edge of orange-red.

It was the sun, struggling to slice a larger gap in the clouds, gradually breaking free from the night’s confinement and casting down a beam of light.

This bit of light wasn’t enough to immediately dispel the surrounding darkness, but in the dim dawn, it was dazzling, causing Yu Wenye to close his eyes immediately.

“Your Highness,”

As soon as he shut his eyes, he heard the voice of Shen Tu Tai beside him. He turned his head, slowly opening his eyes to see Shen Tu Tai riding close by, with dozens of cavalrymen scattered around them, tending hundreds of horses.

At this moment, Shen Tu Tai spoke softly, “Your Highness should really rest more.”

A horse doesn’t thrive without night grazing. They had crossed the river before dawn to graze the horses here. Although Yu Wenye did not fight yesterday, Shen Tu Tai knew he hadn’t slept well these past few days, as the great camp was lit all night.

It wasn’t just the unrest in Luoyang; confronting Xiao Yuansui’s tens of thousands of troops at Hulao Pass, and the uncertainty of Shi Yuxin’s whereabouts weighed heavily on them.

Even more critical was the whereabouts of Princess Qin.

Any one of these matters alone was enough to cause stress, and Yu Wenye was faced with multiple issues at once, illustrating the burden he carried. When Shen Tu Tai saw him looking at the rising sun, the redness in his eyes was visible.

Yu Wenye said, “It’s fine.”

As he spoke, he nudged his horse forward two steps. The sun managed to extend further beyond the clouds, bringing more light, faintly revealing the contours of Xiao Yuansui’s distant encampment on the river’s opposite bank, like a crouching tiger on the ground, though this tiger seemed not yet fully awake.

Yu Wenye asked, “No news back from Luoyang yet?”

Shen Tu Tai shook his head, “No. At the earliest, probably by noon today.”

Yu Wenye nodded slightly.

Shen Tu Tai continued, “Your Highness, if Shi Yuxin did indeed lead those troops to attack Luoyang, then on our side—”

They couldn’t remain inactive.

Yu Wenye glanced at him, did not answer the obvious, yet after a moment of silence, he said, “I have a feeling it’s not that simple.”

“…”

Shen Tu Tai’s eyes slightly widened.

Xiao Yuansui swept Hebei with an army of fifty thousand, recruiting and gathering defectors, finally leading a force of one hundred twenty thousand south from Leshou, yet only forty thousand crossed the Yellow River to confront them, while Shi Yuxin’s whereabouts remained unknown. If she truly led those eighty thousand troops to attack Luoyang, it would entirely immobilize them, aiding Xiao Yuansui and Liang Shide in revitalizing the whole situation of Eastern Capital.

This was already complex, and yet Yu Wenye was saying it wasn’t “simple”?!

How could it be more complicated?

Yu Wenye caught Shen Tu Tai’s astonishment, and with a slight chuckle, said, “It’s just my speculation. If Shi Yuxin really went to Luoyang, then we should naturally—”

No sooner had he finished speaking, than several soldiers around them tensed up, one riding over: “There are people ahead!”

Upon hearing this, both Yu Wenye and Shen Tu Tai immediately lifted their heads to look forward. At this moment, the sun had broken free from the clouds, slowly ascending as its light dispelled the last shadow. Before them lay vast expanses of grassland, where dewdrops refracted dazzling light. Beyond lay swaying reeds, and beyond the reeds was the nonstop flowing Yellow River.

Yu Wenye furrowed his brows slightly, watching as dense shadows seemed to flicker behind the high reeds by the riverbank.

He immediately raised his hand, but before he could speak, a cold flash shot out from the reeds—

“Watch out, Your Highness!”

Shen Tu Tai yelled, and with his shout, Yu Wenye sidestepped, allowing the cold flash to whistle past his shoulder, embedding deeply into the ground behind him!

It was an arrow!

Immediately following, more cold flashes shot out, but Yug Wenye’s soldiers reacted swiftly, drawing their swords from their waists. They rode in front of Yu Wenye, brandishing them with force. The continuous sound of “clang, clang, clang” rang out as the arrows were blocked and cut, falling to the ground.

While they were protecting Yu Wenye, the reed clump suddenly swayed violently.

With a whoosh, a long axe swept out, instantly cutting down a large swath of reeds, with fluff flying like snow. A rider, fierce as a tiger, charged forth!

It was Shi Yutao!

With a wave of his large hand, he raised the hand axe in his hand, pointing directly at Yu Wenye, roaring, “Kill them!”

This roar was like a tiger’s growl, snapping the riverside from its lingering night silence. Even the river seemed to boil at that moment, and with that roar, a large group of cavalry leapt out from the reeds behind him, charging fiercely at Yu Wenye’s group!

For a moment, the riverside resounded with cries of battle.

Watching as opponents charged like starving wolves, the horses that had been grazing by the river, startled, all bolted and fled.

Faced with such a situation, Shen Tu Tai remained fearless and calm, standing with a spear at the forefront, instructing the surrounding soldiers, “Protect His Highness!”

Without waiting for him to speak further, those around, having repelled the first wave of arrows, swiftly formed a circle around Yu Wenye, poised to escort him away. However, Yu Wenye’s horse seemed panicked, letting out anxious whinnies, shaking its head and snorting. Yu Wenye urgently grasped the reins to soothe it, unable to immediately turn and retreat.

In this brief hesitation, Shi Yutao’s men charged swiftly and encircled them along both sides of the riverbank.

After the cavalry charged up, archers emerged from the reeds, aligning closer, each arrow knocked on their bowstrings, sharp blades shimmering coldly as they all aimed at Yu Wenye amidst them.

In the blink of an eye, they were trapped!