Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 564: Chapter 570: Deadly Attack

With Han Yu leading the way and having already arranged a retreat route and backups, the group managed to withdraw smoothly. Despite encountering small groups of pursuers, simply killing them off didn’t take too much effort. So far, everything has been safe; even afterwards, the escape could almost be considered extremely smooth, without any pursuers or obstacles, quickly reaching a safe place.

Perhaps because of this, everyone relaxed their vigilance somewhat, yet Han Yu could sense a calm before the storm in the atmosphere. However, he kept these thoughts to himself, not voicing any warnings, but discreetly making all necessary preparations. He needed this opportunity to gain Liu Xiu’s complete trust, rather than remaining an option, a trust that could waver in the face of crisis and certain events. After this, he would use this unwavering trust to occupy the most important and reliable position at Liu Xiu’s side.

Nevertheless, Han Yu did not act too covertly, and still offered a slight reminder, “Uncle Wen, this journey seems overly quiet. I always feel there might be some hidden crisis lurking. We should leave here as soon as possible to avoid falling into an enemy ambush.”

“Xiu Qi has always been this cautious. However, I feel the journey has become increasingly peaceful. It’s very likely that Zhao Fan realized we had escaped far and, knowing he couldn’t catch up, chose to give up and recalled the troops pursuing us. After all, they have already taken Yiyang City, achieving their goal. Why bother chasing us relentlessly?”

At this time, Liu Xiu did not yet perceive himself as a threat to the Imperial Court, underestimating his importance in Wang Mang’s eyes, which is why he thought this way. After all, the court has long been in chaos, with numerous armies and troops harboring rebellious intentions—not only his. It’s just that his force’s momentum has been the strongest, which is why Wang Mang harbored fear and decided to send a large army for suppression. Now that they had been defeated, their threat to the court seemed diminished.

But in Wang Mang’s eyes, Liu Xiu had always been a source of great apprehension and significance. Firstly, Liu Xiu’s rapid growth, plus the assistance of capable people, gave Wang Mang a sense of crisis. Moreover, Liu Xiu’s older brother was also a formidable force within the Rebel Army, persistently challenging the court, significantly impacting its governance. More importantly, both brothers were descendants of the Liu royal dynasty, a status that made it easy for those loyal to the Liu monarchy to defect to their side.

Through the Insider Sikong Ling within the Imperial Court, Han Yu had a clear understanding of the situation inside and out. He knew that the courtiers would never let Liu Xiu off easily, suspecting they had long harbored thoughts of swift elimination. Otherwise, the previous assassination attempts would not have occurred. Now that Liu Xiu had become even more of a concern for the court, letting him go was even less likely. Han Yu was aware that Wang Mang had officially issued a kill order against Liu Xiu, so Zhao Fan’s men would not give up so easily.

Having warned Liu Xiu, Han Yu considered his duty fulfilled. Whether Liu Xiu would act upon and believe the warning or not, what was going to happen would still unfold; Han Yu fell silent once more, saying no more.

Although Liu Xiu hadn’t sensed the impending danger, he obviously trusted Han Yu more than before. Taking Han Yu’s words into consideration, Liu Xiu felt somewhat uneasy and refused to linger or rest, leading his people back on the road.

“What Xiu Qi said is quite sensible. The enemy is cunning, and we should be cautious. It’s better to leave the territory of Yiyang Prefecture and reach a safe place sooner to rest well afterward,” Liu Xiu said.

In truth, Han Yu wanted to say that being cautious now was already too late. No sooner had Liu Xiu spoken and they set off than they passed a small hill and were ambushed by countless soldiers, who had long been lurking on the sides of the hill, waiting for them to pass before striking.

“Kill them all! The superior has issued a direct order to capture Liu Xiu, dead or alive. Whoever captures Liu Xiu will be rewarded handsomely. We cannot let Liu Xiu escape; otherwise, we face military law. Today, it’s either his death or ours—charge!” shouted the commanding Soldier, his voice booming.

Encouraged by those words, which concerned their very lives, the soldiers charged at Liu Xiu with bloodlust, each one eager to claim his life.

“Damn it, if you want my life, let’s see if you have the ability. Let’s find out whether you kill me first or I slaughter you!” Liu Xiu, either enraged by the words or something else, cursed—a rare outburst, seemingly provoked by the disregard for his life.

“Liu Xiu, the rebel, stop being delusional! Watch as we take your life and return with your head to claim our rewards!”

The local general said no more, choosing instead to let his sword do the talking.

Liu Xiu was no pushover. Apart from having many bodyguards and Soldier protecting him, he was also skilled with both pen and sword. Joining the desperate fray, he swiftly reaped two more lives with his blade.

“My Lord, be careful!” Han Yu, without any hesitation, guarded Liu Xiu’s side, assuming a strategic position to prepare for the battle ahead.

Seeing Han Yu’s protective stance, similar to his reactions when they faced pursuers these past days, Liu Xiu felt a surge of gratitude and relief.

“Rest assured, Xiu Qi. You face the enemy; don’t worry about me. I, Liu Xiu, am not some frail scholar without the strength to truss a chicken. I can handle these soldiers’ assassination attempts!” As Liu Xiu spoke, his sword danced, quickly claiming two more lives,

“Alright, Uncle Wen, be careful. Swords and sabers are blind, make sure to protect yourself. I’ll handle things here.” Seeing the importance the court placed on Liu Xiu to send so many after him, Han Yu had his own calculations, but the immediate problem still required a solution.

“Don’t worry, I…” Liu Xiu, full of confidence, felt relatively at ease despite the large number of pursuers. With no significant figure among them and Han Yu by his side, he felt secure. However, before he could finish his thought, a flash of a sword aimed at him from behind. Liu Xiu, preoccupied with his current adversaries, hadn’t noticed the impending danger.

Seeing the sword light closing in on Liu Xiu, it looked to be the work of an expert Assassin capable of lying in wait within their ranks, waiting for the opportunity to deliver a deadly strike.

Though Han Yu’s hands were busy fighting, he kept a close watch on Liu Xiu’s situation. Spotting the threat, he shouted a warning to Liu Xiu, and before Liu Xiu could react, quickly moved to intercept the lethal attack.

Liu Xiu hadn’t fully processed Han Yu’s cry of “Careful, there’s an Assassin behind you!” and spun around instinctively.