Where Immortals Once Walked

Madame Ying shook her head. “Send it to the eldest young master’s courtyard. Make sure it’s a complete set, or the master will be displeased again.”

Her eldest son had disappeared in the Han River the previous summer. When she and He Yue received the terrible news, it had felt as though five bolts of lightning had struck them at once. For a time, neither could accept it.

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight months had passed.

The dead were gone, but the living still had to carry on. Madame Ying had already begun looking forward, yet He Chunhua continued to insist that their new home in Shihuan City must have proper quarters reserved for his eldest son.

“Chuan’er isn’t dead.”

He said that with absolute conviction, and Madame Ying had no idea where his confidence came from.

Still, she did not object.

It was not a bad thing to preserve something to hold on to.

Madame Ying sighed and cast aside that trace of melancholy. No matter what, her husband’s promotion was wonderful news.

Not long after their arrival in Shihuan City, the gates of their new residence were already crowded with visitors. Nobles and decorated officials from the capital came one after another to congratulate them.

Everyone knew why the King of Yuan had recalled He Chunhua.

At such a turbulent and precarious time, if the Marquis of Martial Defense won a few more battles or recovered even a small amount of lost territory, he would become one of Great Yuan’s brightest rising generals, a military star in the eyes of the entire realm!

Two leaps in rank within two years, and each leap had carried him astonishingly high. Who would not wish to befriend such a newly risen noble?

Ignore him today, and tomorrow he might stand so far above you that you could no longer reach him.

However, He Chunhua was occupied with urgent military and governmental affairs, so all the social visits, greetings, and farewells fell to his capable wife. Madame Ying complained aloud that she was “working herself to death,” yet her spirits had never been better.

She had transformed from the impoverished wife of a commandery administrator in a remote frontier city into the mistress of the Marquis of Martial Defense’s residence!

Steward Wu added, “By the way, Ding Zuodong has just arrived in Shihuan City. He’ll bring the account books over tomorrow morning.”

Madame Ying found that strange. “He finished disposing of the properties in Dunyu so quickly?”

Ding Zuodong had originally been one of her eldest son’s stewards, responsible for managing his finances. After He Lingchuan fell into the river, He Chunhua recognized Ding Zuodong’s talent and brought him into the household’s service.

Of course, Ding Zuodong was not the He Family’s only steward. Before the family left Dunyu, they had specifically left him behind to sell off their properties. He was a native of Dunyu and knew such matters intimately.

Madame Ying had not expected him to act so quickly.

“He didn’t sell the residence for next to nothing, did he?” She had personally arranged every detail of that house, yet less than three months after the renovations were completed, the He Family had moved south again.

All that time and effort had been wasted.

Madame Ying sincerely hoped that this time, they could remain in Shihuan City for many years and avoid moving again anytime soon.

Steward Wu spoke fairly, “He has always handled matters with considerable care.”

There were still occasional cold snaps early into the fifth month. The days were warm, but the temperature dropped after nightfall. A maid came over with a hand warmer. Madame Ying gazed at the fine, icy pattern covering the Glimps of Spring brazier[1] and sighed again.

The brazier was still as beautiful as ever.

The person who had given it to her, however, was gone.

Dinner was the part of the day Madame Ying looked forward to most, for it was when the family could finally gather together. At last, He Chunhua and He Yue returned.

Madame Ying hurried forward to help them remove their outer garments and called for the servants to bring the food. “Why are you back so late?”

“Something came up.” He Chunhua picked up a hot towel and pressed it over his face, then exhaled deeply.

Madame Ying could see how exhausted her husband was. “Is His Majesty still urging you to send out the army?”

“Do you even need to ask?” He Chunhua sat down at the table. “State Preceptor Yan invited me for tea today, but in truth, he was conveying His Majesty’s will. He said the troops from the Hebei local militia garrison and the Yi’an local militia garrison have finished their preparations and will also be placed under my command.”

He Yue finished washing his hands and joined them. “Father, have you still decided to hold position?”

“I can’t move.” He Chunhua picked up some food with his chopsticks. “We don’t have enough grain or horses.”

“But State Preceptor Yan...”

“We were able to return to the capital in no small part because State Preceptor Yan helped us. I ought to show him proper respect.” He Chunhua’s tone remained mild. “However, the situation is undeniably poor. You’ve seen what happened to Wu Di. You’ve seen Zhao Pan transferred from the eastern front to plug the breach in the northwest, and how miserable his army’s journey became. I cannot follow in their footsteps.”

No servants remained in the dining hall because the He father and son often discussed state affairs over dinner.

He Yue remembered it clearly as well. “When General Zhao fought Nian Zanli on the northern front, his army frequently ran out of grain, and its supply lines were stretched painfully thin. I remember that General Zhao eventually had no choice but to retreat to the banks of the Han River and rely on the natural defenses there.”

“Before an army moves, its provisions must go first.” He Chunhua shook his head. “They can’t even assemble enough grain and fodder, yet they want me to march. Hah, there are only 700 horses for 1500 cavalrymen. Are two men supposed to ride each horse into a charge?”

He Yue lowered his voice as he said, “The south had a good harvest last autumn, but the taxes were far too heavy. For every five kilograms of grain the farmers harvested, they were allowed to keep only one. Everything else had to be surrendered.”

“During wartime, money and grain must all be supplied to the northwestern front. Even so, the armies there still lack food and clothing. I heard that dozens more men in Ke Jihai’s army froze to death last month.”

Madame Ying’s heart tightened. “When will this war finally end?”

“It won’t,” He Yue explained to his mother. He then lowered his voice again and added, “Minister of War Dong Haoming has rebelled because he covets the throne. As long as he has not entered and taken control of the Yuan capital, he will never stop attacking.”

Madame Ying murmured, “What will we do if he truly fights his way here?”

“It won’t be so easy for Dong Haoming to reach this city. Don’t say such discouraging things.” He Chunhua shook his head. “Sooner or later, I will still have to march south, but not now. I must choose the proper moment.”

The year before last, he had killed Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu. Last year, he had stopped Nian Zanli’s southward advance and then recovered Hao Province. His record of achievements was impressive, and his official career was presently advancing without obstruction.

At a time like this, he had to protect his reputation and avoid battles he was not confident of winning.

He Chunhua understood perfectly well that his victories the previous year had mainly come because the terrain and people had favored him. Xia Province had been his territory. He could gather manpower whenever he needed it, while the four great families of Dunyu had provided all the money and grain.

With soldiers, money, and supplies, he could fight with confidence. Even if something went wrong, there was room to recover.

But if he led an army south, he would be operating outside his own territory. Every sack of grain and every bundle of supplies would depend entirely upon allocations from the Royal Court of Yuan.

He Chunhua had experienced firsthand just how dreadful the royal court’s logistics could be.

When he served as Governor-General of Xia Province, the Royal Court of Yuan had assigned him the task of supplying food to Zhao Pan’s army at the front.

When Ke Jihai’s fighting in the northwest had reached its fiercest point, the general had even returned personally to the Yuan capital to demand grain.

When Zhao Pan led troops to reinforce the northwestern front, they ran out of food on the road, and the army mutinied...

He Chunhua did not believe that he would receive much support from the rear if he marched south.

When he eventually sent men back to the capital demanding supplies, the king would probably send him only a few weak and intermittent messages: “Hold on... hold on... endure... endure...”

As for how he was supposed to hold on or endure, that would depend entirely on his own abilities.

He would not be a local power in the south. What abilities could he possibly call upon there?

Was he supposed to imitate Zhao Pan and release his troops to loot the common people?

Wars were won through logistics. Without grain, medicine, or morale, what would he use to suppress the rebellions?

Moreover, compared to the southern uprisings, the ruler of Great Yuan feared the Minister of War in the northwest far more. When distributing logistical resources, the royal court would naturally favor the armies of Ke Jihai and Zhao Pan.

There were only two mouthfuls of gruel in the pot. The more others drank, the less would remain for He Chunhua.

1. This appeared back in Chapter 191. I originally translated it as a hand warmer, but after looking at it again, I think it’d be better to translate it as a brazier. ☜