After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 54

Chu Hechao knew how capable Zhan Shaoning was, and he didn't believe that Zhan Shaoning had any urgent matter that would require a person with a broken leg to leave hastily with four carriages and numerous guards.

Even if it were urgent, knowing Yuan Li's character, he wouldn't have them leave overnight.

Chu Hechao grew impatient with the cries for mercy, and his expression turned even colder. "Silence them."

Moments later, the clamor ceased.

The group gradually approached Jixian County, and as soon as they entered the county, the guards on duty immediately sent word to Chu Mansion.

When Yuan Li learned that Chu Hechao had returned, he had already led people to extinguish the fire in the backyard of the residence.

He instinctively turned his head to look at the mansion. The entire Chu Mansion had been burnt down for the most part, with tall buildings collapsed, the smell of charred debris overwhelming, and ruins everywhere. It was a scene of devastation.

Black ashes floated about for a mile, covering the snowy ground with a layer of gray.

What should be done now? This was Chu Hechao's mansion.

Yuan Li forced a bitter smile. Chu Hechao would surely be furious when he saw this.

He had let Chu Hechao down.

He had promised to pacify the rear for him, but instead, he had destroyed half of the mansion. Yuan Li needed to apologize sincerely to him.

But before Chu Hechao arrived, Yuan Li had other things to attend to.

Yuan Li thanked the people who had come to extinguish the fire and urged them, along with the soldiers, to quickly return home to seek shelter from the cold wind. The soldiers and civilians involved in firefighting were in a sorry state, with their clothes either partially burned or drenched. Many of them had suffered injuries in their efforts to fight the fire, with burns and frostbite on their arms from repeatedly dipping them in freezing water.

The winter water was icy and filled with ice shards, feeling like a knife's edge. How could they avoid frostbite while repeatedly coming into contact with water to fight the fire? Yuan Li saw that many people's hands were already swollen and covered in frostbite, including his own, which had become stiff and purplish, with a slight swelling and stinging pain.

The commoners didn't expect the governor to express gratitude to them, and they were pleasantly surprised. In an instant, the exhaustion, cold, and discomfort from their wounds seemed to lessen significantly. They hurriedly waved their hands, saying they didn't dare, but inwardly they felt delighted.

They didn't stay for long, returning to their own homes in small groups.

However, many of the commoners felt uneasy and regretted their own carelessness. It didn't matter much if their clothes were wet, but if their clothes were burned, they would have nothing to wear.

Yuan Li instructed Lin Tian, saying, "Arrange for the kitchen to prepare ginger soup for these civilians and soldiers later. Also, have the medical experts bring herbs to treat them. We need to prevent them from catching colds, but also pay attention to their frostbite and burns. The medicinal ingredients are in the warehouse, so let the medical experts fetch them themselves. And regarding the fabric, go and see whose clothes were damaged and provide them with a new set of clothes."

Lin Tian acknowledged the instructions and hurried off.

Yuan Li took a deep breath and hurriedly led the remaining people to the front gate, looking from a distance as Chu Hechao and his group approached.