Where Immortals Once Walked

“Exactly.” His eldest son’s words showed that he had formed a clear assessment of the situation within Yuan, of He Chunhua’s own predicament, and even of the rebels in Longchuan. He’s grown this much in a single year?

“If we can succeed in a single decisive strike and wipe out the main rebel force, whatever remnants remain in Longchuan won’t be worth worrying about. Father can station troops in the villages and stockades, then clear out the smaller enemy bands region by region. Afterward, you simply advance steadily like that until every last rebel either surrenders or is eliminated.” Inwardly, however, He Lingchuan thought that if the water bandits of more than a century ago had dared leave their lair and march north as today’s rebels had, Yuheng City would have wiped them out in one sweep. Why would they ever have needed to go to such trouble?

He Chunhua grunted in acknowledgment. “Your thinking is similar to Wu Shaoyi’s.”

Wu Shaoyi had once been a general under Hong Xiangqian. He had been subdued by the He father and sons during their journey north to Xia Province, and had served He Chunhua ever since.

Illness had left him unable to mount a horse and fight, but his insight remained.

Is the old man hoping to hear something new from me? He Lingchuan smiled. “There’s a fast way and a slow way to conduct the cleanup. The slow way is what Wu Shaoyi and I just described.”

“And the fast way?”

“If you want it done quickly, then military operations will have to work hand in hand with your governance.” He Lingchuan tapped Ya Province’s position on the sand table. “You’re already Governor-General of Ya Province. What happens here is now yours to decide. Enact benevolent policies as quickly as possible—reduce taxes, lighten corvée obligations, and show the people some favor. That will ease the citizens’ hostility toward official troops and accelerate the pacification of Longchuan.”

If taxes and levies were reduced, where would the treasury find revenue?

That did not matter. There would be plenty of ways to solve that later.

The common people at the bottom had already been crushed until they could barely breathe. Unless the government reduced their burdens and gave them tangible benefits, the people and the authorities would remain natural enemies.

“Good, good!” He Chunhua clapped his hands. “Well said. All my other advisers talk only about how to fight. Not one of them has thought about winning over the people.” He sighed. “It would be wonderful if you could accompany me on this campaign.”

“I’d like to go too, but I’m the Rongshan Sect’s special envoy. I have to remain in the capital and oversee where the loan money goes.” He Lingchuan spread his hands helplessly. “The finest steel belongs on the cutting edge. We only have so much money, and we can’t let everyone squander it. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to fight once you reach the front.”

“That’s true.” If his eldest son did not remain in the capital to scrutinize how the funds were spent, those millions of taels would vanish in the blink of an eye. He Chunhua understood that perfectly well. “Military supplies for the front must take priority. Generals Ke and Zhao are having a hard time as well. We cannot let them run short.”

Wu Di had even died in battle on the northwestern front. Zhao Pan had now taken his place and was serving alongside Ke Jihai.

These men had devoted themselves wholly to the state, and He Chunhua admired them greatly.

“Unfortunately, General Zhao and General Ke have a few minor differences between them. They don’t work together as smoothly as Generals Wu and Ke once did.”

He Lingchuan looked down at the sand table again.

The water bandits of the past had been well armed and well supplied, and they had rebelled in pursuit of wealth. Beijia and Jintao had backed them from the shadows, while a dense web of competing interests had entangled the entire affair.

Today’s rebels were ragged and starving. They had risen merely to survive, and their composition was much simpler: they were poor farmers.

Give them enough food, and many of them would probably stop rebelling.

Whether in combat strength, scale, or their ability to sustain a prolonged struggle, the two forces could not be compared.

He Lingchuan sighed inwardly.

Time passed without mercy. Yuheng City and the Longchuan water bandits, those mortal enemies from 170 years ago, had long since been buried beneath history.

All things had passed away. Only war remained to begin the next cycle.

The only power from that era still standing in the present was Beijia, and it remained as mighty as ever.

* * *

The next day, He Chunhua invited the Rongshan Sect’s special envoy to inspect the troops with him.

The army was primarily composed of the main Xia Province force that had followed the He Family south, soldiers from four nearby local militia garrisons, and part of the outer capital guard stationed around the city. Altogether, they numbered more than 45,000.

There had been too little time. He Chunhua could only organize repeated mock battles and opposing-force exercises, hoping to integrate this mixed army as quickly as possible.

As He Lingchuan expected, the Xia Province troops were the strongest among them.

He still remembered the miserable state they had been in when He Chunhua first assembled them the previous year. They had lacked clothing, food, and proper command. Faced with Xun Province’s cavalry and guerrilla tactics, they had been forced to rack their brains merely to secure their first victory.

Now, however, their formations were orderly, their equipment sound, and even their charges looked disciplined and convincing.

He Lingchuan was a veteran of countless battles himself. A single glance told him that these troops had already been to war and spilled blood. They would not panic when trouble came.

Presumably, they had fought several engagements against Xun Province’s army.

He felt a trace of emotion stir within him. He had grown at astonishing speed over the past year, but He Chunhua had also spent that time building and managing his forces without the slightest relaxation.

Heaven rewarded diligence. He Chunhua had gritted his teeth and waited all this time, lacking only an opportunity.

Now, that opportunity had finally arrived.

Everything depended on whether he could seize it.

The ruler of Yuan had also done his utmost. He had selected the finest soldiers from the outer capital guard and the local militia garrisons, then transferred them all to He Chunhua.

His eagerness to settle everything in a single campaign was plain to see.

With the army’s departure imminent, He Chunhua became as busy as a spinning top. In the end, he simply ate and slept in the military camp and stopped returning home.

He Lingchuan took the opportunity to invite Wu Shaoyi to a meal. During the banquet, he made a request, “Elder Wu, once you reach Ya Province, please help me find Tu County’s annals from the past two hundred years. Ideally, I want anything connected to Longchuan.”

He could not go there personally, so he had to entrust the task to someone reliable.

“Longchuan?”

“Yes. I want every clue remotely related to Longchuan. The more detailed, the better.”

Wu Shaoyi agreed without the slightest hesitation. “A trivial matter. Leave it to me.”

He Lingchuan had saved his life. Handling such a minor errand was nothing in comparison.

Two days later, the military supplies provided by the Rongshan Sect arrived, sending the entire royal court into an uproar.

It was lifesaving money. It was no different from rain arriving just when the fields were dying of thirst.

The threshold of the King of Yuan’s royal study was nearly trampled flat by petitioners. Even so, under the close supervision of the Rongshan special envoy and Deputy Envoy Hu, the royal court withstood the pressure and gave priority to supplying the two major battlefronts with grain and military pay.

That evening, He Chunhua hurried back to the He Residence to reunite with his family. At dawn the following day, he led the army south to suppress the rebellion.

The ruler of Yuan personally climbed the city gate to see him off, creating a tremendous commotion along the route.

He Lingchuan stood atop the gate beside Madame Ying. When his father looked back, he raised a hand and smiled.

Father and son gazed at each other across the distance. Amid the tens of thousands gathered there, both felt that the other had become strangely remote.

Even though both were smiling brilliantly.

Then the army marched away into the distance.

The excitement in the capital gradually came to an end, and the crowds slowly dispersed.

Madame Ying’s emotions were still surging, and she had no desire to return home yet. She dragged He Lingchuan through the streets for most of the day. He could practice martial arts for half a day without complaint, but after less than an hour of shopping, his legs began to ache. In the end, he fled under the excuse that official business demanded his attention.

He had barely left the street when Qiu Hu appeared from nowhere. “Mission accomplished.”

He Lingchuan understood at once. He found a tavern, asked for a private room, and casually poured Qiu Hu a cup of wine.

Qiu Hu kept both hands pressed against his knees and did not touch the cup. “Young Master, I followed General He for all five days.”

He Lingchuan might be easygoing, but there was still a clear distinction in rank between them. How could Qiu Hu eat and drink freely in front of his master before he had finished making his report?

He Lingchuan noticed this and smiled faintly.

The task he had assigned Qiu Hu was to keep watch on He Chunhua.

“What did you find?”