Not only were the Gou brothers’ men searching for Ming Yu’s group, but Zhao Ju was also searching.

The men Yuan Li brought were all found for him by Zhao Ming. They included guides familiar with the border area between Yuzhou and Yanzhou, as well as the route from Yanzhou to Luoyang. There were also skilled fighters, and beyond that, people particularly good at escaping and concealing their tracks.

All were capable individuals selected from the previous fortress retainers.

Before entering Yanzhou, they had agreed on rendezvous points. Two points were in the direction from Yanzhou toward Luoyang, with connecting points slightly south at the border, where Yuzhou garrison troops could quickly provide support.

The first choice was naturally to go toward Luoyang, so Zhao Ju initially brought men to wait there. But when the appointed time passed without seeing anyone, their scouts instead spotted the pursuers.

Zhao Ju immediately realized they had changed rendezvous points. People had been left at the other points for support, but Zhao Ju was still worried, so he led his men back.

But passing two rendezvous points consecutively without meeting anyone, he couldn’t hold back. He led his men across the border, both to draw Gou Chun’s attention and to secretly send people to search.

Thus, Zhao Ju led his men to quietly reach the final rendezvous point.

It was such a coincidence—recently, because of Ming Yu’s escape, the border patrol route had changed, so the patrol schedule had also changed.

At dawn, Yuan Li and his group set out. Past this small village was a stretch of farmland with a drainage ditch—that ditch marked the boundary.

The farmland on the other side of the ditch belonged to another village, and that village belonged to Yuzhou.

Because the two villages were so close, with marriages and funerals involving both sides, villagers frequently crossed the boundary. Previously, this boundary line was meaningless, because whether this side or that side, both belonged to Gou Xi.

Gou Xi had once occupied a third of Yuzhou.

After the Emperor moved the capital to Yuncheng, Gou Xi returned that third to Zhao Hanzhang, and this ditch truly became a boundary.

Initially, this area was managed by another of Gou Xi’s generals named Fu Wen. Later he was transferred away, and this area came under Gou Chun, who had already been appointed as Qingzhou Inspector.

When Fu Wen was in charge, he didn’t prevent people from both areas from traveling back and forth. Never mind that both Yuzhou and Yanzhou belonged to Jin territory—even if they were people from two different countries, living so close, with the two villages intermarried, with uncles’ families on the other side, could they really stop people from visiting relatives?

That wouldn’t conform to human ethics.

So Fu Wen never imposed restrictions.

But Gou Chun was different. He managed very strictly, forbidding Yanzhou people from contact with those on the Yuzhou side. Anyone discovered would be treated as a spy.

Thus there was the case of a daughter-in-law returning to her mother’s home, but when coming back, she was arrested as a spy and taken to the military camp. Her husband went to appeal and retrieve her, only to receive back a corpse, horribly mutilated.

From then on, no one dared go to the neighboring village. Even people from the village on the Yuzhou side didn’t dare come over, fearing being arrested as spies with no one able to claim their bodies.

So the area around the ditch was very quiet. Though the summer harvest had just ended and people should be preparing the soil for autumn planting and maintaining the water channels to ensure the autumn harvest, there wasn’t a single person in the fields by the ditch.

Yuan Li walked beside the carriage, looking left and right alertly. He gently pushed his hand forward, and the cart driver sped up, breaking into a trot. The soldiers also started running.

The first to notice something wrong was an old retainer. His heart jumped in panic, and he directly said: “Ambush!”

Yuan Li raised his arm to stop the carriage, his hand on his blade, his heart pounding like thunder. As he hesitated, a team of horsemen jumped out from a small grove nearby, forming a fan shape facing them, with sword and bow wielders in formation.

Yuan Li looked and knew they’d been exposed. Though he didn’t know how, the most urgent matter now was to escape, not to investigate the reason.

The border line was just ahead. Once past this small grove, less than a li away was the rendezvous point. He could even guess that right now, on the other side of the water channel, their people were hiding and watching this side. So as long as they crossed the line, they’d be safe!

The thought flashed through his mind. Yuan Li gave the opposing side no chance to delay. The squad leader on the other side had just opened his mouth: “You are…”

Yuan Li had already drawn his long blade and charged forward like a fierce tiger. He roared: “Quan Wu, go!”

Quan Wu, driving the carriage, cracked his whip fiercely, then leaped up to crouch on the carriage shaft, roaring: “Hah—”

The carriage charged forward.

Yuan Li swung his blade, and four men formed a formation with him and charged together. When the carriage rushed forward, the remaining four men protected both sides of the carriage and charged forward together…

Though the Yanzhou army was surprised, they reacted just as quickly, immediately changing formation. One squad moved to block the carriage, one squad to block Yuan Li’s team.

Yuan Li charged ahead of the carriage, one slash cutting down an approaching soldier, then plunged into the Yanzhou army formation. His front and left and right were immediately surrounded, but he had teammates. He didn’t look back, only killing forward.

His teammates, a step behind, blocked left and right, stopping the soldiers on both sides. The last person held the rear position. Their five-man formation moved forward, and at the same time, the carriage rushed through, passing by their side.

The Yanzhou army tried to block it, but Quan Wu’s driving skills were excellent. Even when the horse whinnied, he didn’t stop, only lightly whipping its hindquarters, forcing it to rear up and charge through.

The enemy had no choice but to dodge. Someone on the side swung a blade trying to strike the horse, but the four guards on the left and right blocked with their blades, instantly clashing together.

Just this pause, and the carriage rushed through.

Quan Wu completely ignored what was behind, just kept whipping the horse forward. The carriage raced ahead, crossing the border line in mere moments. The previously quiet opposite side immediately sent someone charging out. He didn’t block or speak, just made a hand signal, indicating the direction to Quan Wu.

Seeing the carriage about to disappear, a squad leader became furious. He took down his bow and arrow, about to shoot through the rear compartment from behind…

Before the arrow could be shot, he heard the sound of hoofbeats. Then he saw dozens of riders charging around the bend at the end of the opposite road, led by Zhao Ju.

His pupils contracted. Without thinking, he released the arrow in his hand. The long arrow shot out but was cut down by Zhao Ju’s blade before reaching the carriage. Then without stopping, Zhao Ju led his soldiers directly across the border and charged toward them…

In less than half a quarter-hour, the battle ended. Yuan Li stood supporting himself on his blade. In just that half quarter-hour, more than half the opposing side was dead or wounded. On his side, three men had died, and the rest all carried injuries to varying degrees.

Damn it—escorting someone was more exhausting than going to battle, with even heavier casualties.

Yuan Li tore off a strip of cloth and wrapped his waist wound himself, pulling it tight to at least slow the bleeding.

Zhao Ju looked at each of them in turn, immediately having them sent back: “Find military doctors for them. If these wounds aren’t stopped from bleeding, they won’t survive tonight.”

His guards acknowledged and were about to lift the men onto horses.

The carriage that had already run far away came leisurely back. Ming Yu, his face pale, descended from the carriage.

—