Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 785: He Chunhua’s Leverage

“Look at Yuan’s past campaigns to suppress rebellions. It has always been like pushing down one gourd only for another to pop back up[1]. Some places had barely been retaken for half a month before rising in rebellion yet again,” said He Chunhua slowly. “Suppression in the form of combat alone is not enough. Zhao Pan and Ke Jihai are among Yuan’s finest generals, yet they remain constrained by every manner of interference from the rear and cannot fully realize their ambitions.”

Those two men were unquestionably loyal. Whenever the king ordered them to fight, they went straight to the front.

Yet after all this time, they still had not recovered the lost territories.

The longer the wars continued, the larger the hole in the treasury became.

The more the logistics failed, the more impossible the fighting became.

Back and forth it went, forming a vicious cycle.

He Chunhua continued complaining, but He Lingchuan merely smiled. “It seems Father has already thought everything through. Whether managing people or commanding troops, one cannot simply wait, depend on others, or beg for what one needs.”

The worry vanished from He Chunhua’s face. “One cannot wait, depend, or beg? Well said! Hence—” His tone abruptly shifted. “I petitioned His Majesty for the position of Governor-General of Ya Province, along with military command over three provinces.”

He Lingchuan looked surprised. “Father certainly has grand ambitions!”

He Chunhua had previously served as Governor-General of Xia Province and now sought the governorship of Ya Province. Both positions bore the same title, but Ya Province’s geography, material wealth, and strategic importance far surpassed those of Xia Province.

And that was not even mentioning his desire to command the armies of three provinces.

With military authority in hand, would those three provinces not effectively fall under his control?

He Chunhua would then become a regional hegemon in all but name.

At last, one corner of his father’s ambition had been exposed. It was no wonder the King of Yuan refused to agree. After all, this was barely any different from driving a tiger to devour wolves.

“I have no choice.” He Chunhua casually shook a nearby apricot branch. Blossoms and leaves fluttered into the pond, drawing the fish into another feeding frenzy. Even without grains of rice, they fought just as fiercely.

“Without effective governance and the support of the people, there can be no wealthy state or powerful army. The first time I raised the matter, His Majesty berated me severely. His anger has yet to fade even now. Therefore...” He turned to He Lingchuan. “Chuan’er, you truly are my lucky star. For the sake of the Rongshan Sect’s loan, His Majesty will certainly reconsider the matter carefully.”

He Lingchuan trailed his fingers through the water. “Won’t His Majesty simply send someone else to suppress the rebellion?”

“He already has.” He Chunhua spoke lightly. “Troops were reassigned from nearby regions. I expect we’ll see the results within a few days. It will be useful to test the rebels’ true strength for me.”

“What if they win?” Would he still possess any bargaining chips then?

“There’s no need to worry.” He Chunhua seemed remarkably optimistic. “As long as the Minister of War remains alive, there will always be a use for me.”

At that moment, Steward Wu hurried in from the south and reported, “Master, Lord Wang has sent someone to invite the eldest young master—ah, to invite Rongshan’s special envoy!”

He Lingchuan and his delegation had originally been lodged at the post station, but he had moved the entire group into the He Residence.

Naturally, the matter would be reported to the minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.

He Lingchuan also bore the surname He and had now entered the He Residence. Lord Wang was bound to draw certain conclusions.

He Chunhua immediately straightened. “Come. I’ll go with you to meet Lord Wang.”

Father and son first returned to change into formal attire. He Lingchuan then summoned Qiu Hu, Hu Qin, and two Rongshan disciples before departing by carriage.

* * *

The Court of State Ceremonial was responsible for foreign communication, conveying messages abroad and reporting them within the court. Its government office was correspondingly grand and impressive.

When the carriage arrived, Lord Wang personally came to the entrance to welcome them. Seeing the He father and son step down together, his expression became rather peculiar.

He had not noticed anything the day before, but now that the two men surnamed He stood beside one another, their facial features and contours bore a clear resemblance.

Anyone could see they were related by blood.

Good heavens. Could it really be?

Still, Lord Wang had witnessed many extraordinary situations. In the blink of an eye, his face transformed into one of warm enthusiasm. “Did Special Envoy He rest well last night? And what brings Lord He here as well?”

He Lingchuan studied Lord Wang. The man had a round face and round nose, resembling a soft, plump white bun. He had the sort of appearance people instinctively found likable. “Very well. I slept excellently.” He then cleared his throat and gestured toward He Chunhua. “To be honest, this is my father.”

Even though Lord Wang had already suspected the truth, the confirmation still rendered him speechless for a moment.

He Chunhua immediately explained, “The Rongshan Sect instructed him to place public affairs before private matters upon reaching the Yuan capital. Therefore, I only learned this morning that Chuan’er had somehow become the sect’s special envoy.”

Lord Wang silently repeated the name He Lingchuan to himself before asking, “The special envoy is Lord He’s eldest son... Excuse me, but is he the one who fell into the river?”

He Chunhua had returned to the capital from Xia Province surrounded by the glory of consecutive victories. Officials throughout the Yuan court knew his basic background. They knew he had two sons: the elder had fallen into the Han River during last year’s battle and tragically died, while the younger now served under the Minister of Finance.

However, He Chunhua’s eldest son had held a very low rank. Although the Yuan court later granted additional compensation, no one had truly remembered He Lingchuan’s name.

When Lord Wang heard him introduce himself the previous day, the name had seemed faintly familiar, but he had not thought further on it.

Now everything finally matched. The entire situation was absurd beyond belief!

“Yes.” He Chunhua looked deeply moved. “The boy was fortunate. He survived the fall into the river, somehow made his way to the Rongshan Sect, and eventually returned as a special envoy.”

Though his tone was emotional, the delight in his eyes could not be concealed.

Lord Wang immediately cupped his hands and beamed. “Congratulations, Lord He!”

This General He is already renowned throughout the realm and bold enough to bargain directly with the king. And now, his son has returned carrying an enormous loan that might save the state.

This is no different from adding wings to a tiger.

This family is becoming truly formidable.

I must report this news immediately.

He Lingchuan cleared his throat. “Lord Wang, official business comes first.”

Lord Wang smiled and said, “Special Envoy He, please come inside. As for Lord He...”

Before he could finish, He Lingchuan cut in. “Lord He is extremely busy with official duties today. We can meet again at home over dinner.”

He Chunhua had originally intended to stay and observe the negotiations, but with his eldest son speaking so directly, he could only say, “Mm. Then I’ll trouble Lord Wang to look after him. I’ll take my leave.” He then nodded to Lord Wang, boarded the carriage, and departed.

Only after sitting inside did the corner of He Chunhua’s mouth curl into a faint, cold smile.

The brat chased me away quite decisively. Is he afraid that I’d interfere while the collateral is being examined?

Lord Wang, on the other hand, quietly relaxed.

Had He Chunhua remained, he would inevitably have influenced the proceedings. With such a seasoned political operator present, he would have found it difficult to maneuver freely.

Now only a seventeen or eighteen-year-old special envoy remained, and the pressure upon him instantly lessened.

With enough effort, perhaps they could finalize the agreement within the next day or two.

He shot a glance at the attendant beside him. Understanding immediately, the attendant slipped quietly away to report the true identity of Rongshan’s special envoy to his superiors.

He Lingchuan paid it no attention. Accompanied by Qiu Hu and Hu Qin, he followed Lord Wang into the government office.

They took their seats beside a long table, and tea was served. Lord Wang immediately began, “According to the most recent proposal submitted by our state to the Rongshan Sect, the total loan will amount to seven million taels of silver, at an annual interest rate of twenty-four percent, calculated as simple interest. The interest will be paid in full each year, and the principal repaid within five years. Should repayment fail, the debt will be settled through thirty-year mining and operational rights to the Mount Yong Mine and Taihe Mine, thirty-year grazing rights to the western grasslands of Hao Province, and thirty-year transportation rights to Wusong Harbor on the Xunyang River and Baixun Bay on the Han River!”

The formal pleasantries had already been completed the previous day.

Today, they were getting down to real business.

He Lingchuan had memorized every clause of the agreement long ago.

The Rongshan Sect was already being quite generous. Yuan had proposed twenty-four percent of simple monthly interest, and Rongshan had not objected. Calculated that way, the annual interest came to 1.68 million taels.

1. This is a bit more cultural, so I’ll explain a bit. Gourds are hard-shelled fruits that are hollow when mature, which is typically when they’re harvested and used as containers after some processing. They are naturally buoyant, so the statement here should refer to when they’re in water. ☜