Where Immortals Once Walked

People naturally gravitated toward strength. Of course they would join the side that kept winning.

“How does Father intend to fight this campaign?”

“I have discussed it with my advisers and generals. The southern rebels have suffered defeats before, but the moment the tide turns against them, they retreat into the lakes and marshes. The waterways inside connect in every direction, and the terrain is far too complicated. Pursuing and exterminating them is extremely difficult.”

He Lingchuan summed it up, “Defeating them is easy. Eradicating them is hard.”

For rebels and bandits, Longchuan was practically blessed terrain. More than a century ago, Yuheng City had faced the same problem.

“Exactly.”

He Lingchuan propped his chin on one hand and studied the sand table. “Do the southern rebels remain holed up inside Longchuan the entire time? If they’re truly that clever, they’ll be difficult to deal with.”

“They do come out. They are currently marching north, apparently intending to follow Hong Xiangqian’s old route and travel downriver through Woling Pass!”

Woling Pass had once been an important military stronghold, but it ultimately fell beneath the offensive of Hong Xiangqian’s Righteous Army. Although the two generals Ke Jihai and Wu Di had retaken it at the last moment, the pass had not been carefully restored afterward.

He Lingchuan had personally traveled through it and retained a vivid impression of the place.

Could it withstand another enemy assault?

He was not particularly optimistic about that.

If Woling Pass fell once more, then Shihuan City and the capital of Yuan would once again face an enormous threat, and whether Yuan would be as fortunate this time was difficult to say.

He Lingchuan shook his head. “This rebel army isn’t especially intelligent either. Otherwise, they should defend Longchuan to the death and focus entirely on wearing Yuan down. Great Yuan cannot withstand a war of attrition right now. The southern rebels and the Minister of War in the northwest could keep draining it without end until the state collapsed from blood loss. Abandoning their greatest advantage and marching north is unwise.”

He Chunhua snorted. “If they didn’t march north, how could they entice so many people to follow them?”

Even rebels had to sell dreams to expand their ranks, however absurd this might sound.

Moreover, if they remained cowering inside Longchuan indefinitely, how would an army of tens of thousands feed and support itself?

This sort of army survived by sustaining war through war. It seized territory, slaughtered wealthy households, and used the spoils to support itself and enlarge its ranks.

Many people joined simply to eat their fill. If the rebels dared remain in place, they would soon face an impossible dilemma.

He Lingchuan asked in surprise, “Does Longchuan produce no grain?”

During the Panlong era, Longchuan had been a fertile land of fish and rice, with dozens of villages and more than a hundred stockades. Qianjin Stockade’s headquarters alone had been nearly the size of a small city.

Supported by Longchuan’s abundant resources, the water bandits roamed freely. They could venture out to plunder and retreat home to defend themselves. Their lives were comfortable, and their arrogance was correspondingly great.

At a time when southern West Ji was generally impoverished, Longchuan had seemed like another world with its own self-contained system.

“It produces some, but not much.” He Chunhua had also studied Longchuan’s present condition. “During Hong Xiangqian’s rebellion several years ago, too many young and able-bodied people were taken away from the region. Those left behind were mostly women, children, and the elderly. In many fields, the weeds grew taller than the people. Even if these rebels remain inside Longchuan and plant grain now, they won’t harvest anything for at least half a year. Moreover, the rainy seasons have arrived very regularly over the past decade, bringing torrential rains every year. Because of that, Longchuan’s water levels have risen, and the lakes have expanded. I’ve heard that the surfaces of several large lakes have grown to two or three times their former size. As a result, there is far less farmland than before.”

He Lingchuan was openly envious.

If Yuheng City had faced this version of Longchuan back then, would they have needed to rack their brains over suppressing the bandits? “What sort of person leads this army?”

“He was originally the deputy county magistrate of Yu County, drawing a salary from the royal court!” He Chunhua pressed a hand to his forehead. “That rebel truly turned against Yuan with remarkable thoroughness!”

So the leader of this new Righteous Army had once been an official? Well, he certainly has ideals. He Lingchuan then asked, “What about his learning and personal cultivation? How does he compare with Hong Xiangqian?”

“How could the two possibly be compared?” He Chunhua sneered. “If he possessed Hong Xiangqian’s ability, Great Yuan would be in mortal danger!”

Hong Xiangqian’s rebellion had lasted for more than two years. At that time, the Minister of War had not yet rebelled, yet Yuan had still struggled desperately and suffered numerous defeats.

Had those two years of war not exhausted the state treasury, how could Yuan have fallen into its present state?

“If that’s the case, then once they leave Longchuan, they will be no match for Father.” He Lingchuan pointed west of Longchuan. “Entice them farther away from the region, then split your forces to cut off their retreat. Wouldn’t that make matters simple? Father also possesses another advantage now.”

“Oh?” He Chunhua greatly enjoyed the word “advantage.” “What is it?”

“Didn’t the official troops suffer several consecutive defeats earlier? The rebels have been winning battle after battle, so they must be exceptionally proud and aggressive by now.” That was the nature of war: the defeated hung their heads in despair, while the victors became complacent. “In their arrogance, they may not take you seriously. Before they learn that the General of Lasting Peace and Marquis of Martial Defense is personally leading troops south, you could strike them with the speed of lightning and perhaps destroy their main force in a single blow.”

He Chunhua nodded. “That was also what I was thinking.”

He Lingchuan smiled. “You’ve already worked everything out. What else do you need me to suggest?”

The way He Chunhua looked at him became somewhat complicated. “Chuan’er, what do you think of the state’s current situation?”

The topic changed so abruptly that He Lingchuan paused. “Father, that question is far too broad.”

“It is not broad.” He Chunhua shook his head. “It is urgent.”

“Well, I don’t have much of an opinion.”

This time, He Lingchuan was telling the truth. He paid little attention to where Yuan would go in the future. He was merely a wandering soul who had replaced the original He Lingchuan. He had neither been born nor raised here, so how could he feel genuine affection for Yuan?

He had secured several million taels in loans from Rongshan and already believed he had done more than enough.

“I merely hope the wars end soon—hm, and I don’t particularly care who ends them.”

He Chunhua’s gaze sharpened slightly. “You don’t care who?”

He Lingchuan stretched and said with apparent casualness, “Of course not. So long as someone can end the civil wars, the common people will suffer less. Whoever gives them peaceful lives will naturally earn their support.”

He knew perfectly well what his father wanted to hear.

He Chunhua remained silent for a long while. “That way of thinking is dangerous.”

“What harm is there in saying it?” He Lingchuan answered indifferently. “In any case, the person who ends the unrest and restores peace to Yuan won’t be me.”

He Chunhua smiled, then pointed at the sand table. “Come. Let’s continue discussing the campaign.”

“What more is there to discuss?” He Lingchuan answered without hesitation. “If Father wants a swift and decisive victory, you must lure the rebel main force away from its stronghold and settle everything in a single battle. If they escape back inside, you will have no choice but to switch to a cautious advance, slowly pushing into Longchuan. In that case, the campaign cannot be completed in less than a year or a year and a half.”

“Yuan appears weak, but it should still be able to endure another year or so.” After all, has it not survived the past several years in much the same way?

“The problem is that Father would become far too passive.”

The entire Royal Court of Yuan had placed enormous expectations upon He Chunhua. If he became trapped in another prolonged stalemate against the southern rebels, his ability would inevitably be questioned and his prestige damaged.

He Chunhua harbored great ambitions and had further plans for the future. He could not accept such an outcome.