Chapter 205 — A Tree Full of Yellow Pears
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
After that they had met the sudden raid of the rebel army led by General Xiaoyi. In that battle, three-tenths of the Academy students who had gone to train were lost — and those three-tenths were the elite of the elite, a grievous loss indeed.
The Academy students on the expedition had nearly been wiped out whole in the darkness. Fortunately, the follow-up armies of Jingping Kingdom, under the leadership of Imperial Preceptor Jingping, swept across the Yong River, and General Yuyuan Chuyun, gathering the strength of all the commanders, slew the summoned demon god and thrust the gate to the underworld into the river.
Yuyuan Chuyu, Assistant Governor of Li Prefecture, led his troops across the river and staunchly blocked General Xiaoyi, checking his momentum. The two armies fought a bloody battle upon the water. Yuyuan Chuyu and Yuyuan Chuyun joined their twin swords, and the sun set over the Yong River; at that moment a single sword-sun hung half-sunken at the river's heart, and from that setting sun countless sword lights burst forth across the water, slaying untold rebels. Tower ships plunged one after another from the sky, corpses raining down like drops.
General Xiaoyi had no choice but to withdraw, and fled.
Only after the armies of Yuyuan Chuyu and Yuyuan Chuyun had crossed the river was the great chaos of Li Prefecture quelled.
When the Academy students were counted afterward, the losses were found to be grievous — several Directors had even fallen in battle against the demon god while shielding the students.
After that, many students followed the Directors across the river to quell the rebellion, and only when Imperial Preceptor Jingping returned to court did these students end their training and return to the Imperial Academy, arriving a few days later than Shen Mu and the others.
With so many Academy students lost, Pei Wujiu could not escape blame, and so he submitted a memorial to the emperor confessing his guilt. The emperor fined him half a year's salary and demoted his office to the lower fourth rank, but he still oversaw the Imperial Academy and was not removed from his post.
Pei Wujiu had the casualty list drawn up, hoping to see Shen Mu's name upon the roll of the fallen. Sadly, it was not there.
No sooner had he finished compiling the list of fallen students than he went into the palace to seek audience with the emperor. He came face to face with a eunuch carrying an imperial edict toward the Imperial Academy. Pei Wujiu said hurriedly, "Eunuch, are you bound for the Academy to proclaim an edict?"
The eunuch smiled. "Congratulations, Lord Gu. The Erudite of your Imperial Academy distinguished himself in quelling the rebellion this time and preserved the students under his command. His Majesty has sent this old servant with an edict to promote him!"
Pei Wujiu's face stiffened. He said sullenly, "This was merely his duty. Why must he be rewarded?"
"His Majesty said that some people cannot even manage their duty. This time he means to kill a few chickens to frighten the monkeys."