Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 82: Nian Zanli’s Options

He Lingchuan asked, puzzled, “Then what do Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu have to do with all of this? Why did they even come for the Generous Pot?”

He Chunhua picked up the thread of the conversation here and said, “Sun Fuping was part of the rebellion. After the plot failed, the King personally stripped him of his position as state preceptor. That’s why he never used his mandate token in the Panlong Desert. He simply could no longer do so. As for the Provincial Governor of Xun Province, he was long considered a close ally of the Minister of War. While he hasn’t made any overt moves yet, I suspect he’s waiting to see how things unfold. If Nian Songyu managed to return with the Generous Pot, he would have a powerful bargaining chip, and he could then pick whichever side would provide him with the most benefits.”

So even a man as cunning as Sun Fuping ended up choosing the wrong side, and he ultimately paid for it with his life.

A power struggle at the level of the court was truly one where a single misstep could cost one everything.

He Yue spoke calmly, “The real battlefield is in the central and northern regions. As for Heishui City and the Panlong Desert, we’re just small ripples caught in the wake.”

He Chunhua and He Lingchuan shared a glance.

Their desperate, life-and-death adventure—terrifying and heroic as it felt—suddenly seemed insignificant against the larger tides of history. It was but a local side quest in someone else’s grand campaign.

He Lingchuan searched his memory for context, but soon gave up. The former He Lingchuan had lived a carefree, indulgent life and had never paid attention to state affairs. Because of that, he barely even recognized half the names that He Yue was dropping.

Madame Ying, who had been quietly listening all this time, finally spoke, “So in the end... this trip to the Panlong City brought no gains? And yet, so many lives were lost.”

She rarely commented on matters of state, but this was personal. The He father and son had nearly died. Moreover, they had brought over 200 people with them, and they returned with only a fraction of the number. They had gained nothing, and they had even lost so much.

Despite this, He Chunhua burst into hearty laughter. “My lady, that’s not how you count this ledger!”

“We may not have secured the Generous Pot, but we did kill Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping. That’s already a massive victory in of itself!” He raised a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. “Sun Fuping was a ringleader in the rebellion, a top threat to the royal court. Killing him not only avenges our comrades but also strengthens the morale of the loyalists. We’ve done a great service to the king!”

He Yue nodded and said, “Sun Fuping served as a state preceptor for many years. He knew countless state secrets, had deep cultivation, and unmatched cunning. Whether he intended to aid the Minister of War or turn to some other lord, the court feared him deeply. Now that we’ve removed that hidden danger, we’ve essentially joined the war to suppress the rebellion. There may even be rewards to come.”

He Lingchuan grinned and said, “Killing Sun Fuping is the same as serving the state. As for killing Nian Songyu, that was doing Little Two here a favor. If we’d died in the desert, he’d have come straight for Little Two, you know.”

Madame Ying looked at her younger son, puzzled. “Why would he come after Yue’er?”

He Yue’s face went pale. “Don’t listen to him, Mother. He’s spouting nonsense! Still, the Provincial Governor of Xun Province had failed to obtain the Generous Pot, and he even lost his eldest son in the process. What do you think he will be doing next?”

He Chunhua smiled coldly. “I spent half the journey back worrying about how to explain the deaths of Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu to the court, but it turns out that there was absolutely no need for that. Tomorrow, I’ll report everything to the royal capital about their attempt to seize the Generous Pot. With that sent in, the Provincial Governor of Xun Province will have his hands full. He won’t have the time or the face to come make trouble for us again.”

He Lingchuan remembered how worried his father had looked throughout the march back. Now, seeing him energized, even a little fierce, he knew that He Chunhua had finally let go of the regret over losing the Generous Pot.

He Chunhua turned to He Yue. “Let me give you a little test. If word of Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping’s deaths reaches Xun Province, what will the Grand General of the Northern Expedition do?”

Before He Yue could respond, He Lingchuan cut in, “Father, why don’t you ask me for once?”

“Alright, then let’s hear it.”

“Rebel,” He Lingchuan said with a bright smile. “It doesn’t matter what excuse he tries; his only real option is rebellion.”

The Provincial Governor of Xun Province, Nian Zanli, had long been tied to the Minister of War. They were, as the saying goes, two legs in the same pair of trousers. However, when the Minister of War launched his rebellion, Nian Zanli was not present, and afterward, he neither sent troops nor made a public statement.

No one could guess what he was really thinking, but the royal court would surely be displeased. His refusal to mobilize his forces could only be interpreted as disloyalty.

Now, with news of Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping’s plot to seize the Generous Pot emerging, Nian Zanli’s position was even worse. In fact, it would be no different from falling into a pit of muddy water. No matter how he tries to explain, no one at court will believe him, especially when his motives are already suspect.

Was he not then practically forced to rebel?

He Yue countered. “Not necessarily, Nian Zanli still has another option. Besides siding with the Minister of War, he could surrender to the northern monster state.”

He Lingchuan blinked. “Isn’t he known as the Grand General of the Northern Expedition? Doesn’t that mean that he fought the monster state for years?”

Clearly, he was overdue for a crash course in political history.

He Yue explained, “The Nian Family has deep roots in the northern frontier. After Father was appointed to Qiansong Commandery, he fought external threats every few days for ten straight years. But look at the borders now: trade is booming, and relations with many foreign powers have improved.”

“That’s because the Panlong Desert is between us and those foreign powers. As long as we hold Heishui City, no one’s getting through...” He Lingchuan gave a crooked grin. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re saying Nian Zanli could defect to the monster state.”

“And his token of loyalty would be Xun Province itself. That would be his surrender gift.” He Yue then turned to their father and said thoughtfully, “He wouldn’t be making a bad deal either. The monster state would likely allow him to remain governor of the province. Surrendering territory and keeping the local leader in place, that’s how these things have worked for centuries.”

“Indeed, his only two options are to join the Minister of War’s rebellion or defect to the northern monster state.” He Chunhua’s expression then turned grim as he added, “The Minister of War may have lost a few battles lately, but he still has strong backing. If Nian Zanli joins him, the civil war could drag on indefinitely. On the other hand, if he defects north, the monster state would be delighted to accept him. They could take a vital province without shedding a drop of blood. And Xun Province is key terrain. Once it falls, the plains behind it are open, fertile, and easy to conquer.”

“So, no matter what Nian Zanli does next, Great Yuan is in for a bloody cut. There’s simply no way around it.” He Lingchuan said, stretching lazily. “If I were the king, I might as well let things stay as they are.”

Hearing this, He Chunhua’s brow furrowed.

He Lingchuan wiped his mouth and was about to leave the table when something popped into his mind. “Oh, right, Father, I can’t seem to get that beast-headed staff that Sun Fuping had to work. Do you have anything that can direct me on how to use it?”

After losing its master, the beast-headed staff had reverted to its pestle form. No matter how much true energy he channeled into it, it remained inert and silent.

He Chunhua replied, “Hm, it might just not be a good fit for you. Why not just sell it?”

Madame Ying chimed in, “This expedition cost us dearly; just the bereavement payments alone will drain silver like water! Might as well sell that staff and plug the holes in the budget.”

However, He Lingchuan hugged his arms defensively. “Hey now, this was my reward for saving dozens of lives! It was personally gifted to me by Father. Why would I sell it?”

Nice try. I know perfectly well that bereavement pay comes from the public coffers, not out of our own pockets.

He Chunhua smiled faintly, then pulled a small notebook from his sleeve and flipped through the pages. With a practiced hand, he tore out one sheet and handed it over, “Here. Instructions for the staff.”