After the Immortal Disappeared

"You want to be General Ke’s advisor?" ’This guy is interesting. Where does he get this confidence?’ "Have you ever been to the front lines? What do you know about leading troops into battle?"

"I was originally a border resident in the Northern Realm. Before I was twelve, war and migration were the focus of life for the locals." Sunx Hongye smiled. "Later, I served as a reading companion in Lord Hex’s household, and I went through the entire Library Pavilion very early on. I even spent four years inside the Capital City’s National Academy."

"Only four years?" Sitting around was boring, so Hee Lingchuan started munching on a strawberry. "I’ve heard that great scholars dedicate their whole lives to their studies. Their hair turns white, so they must have put in more than just four years of grinding." ’It’s not that I’m trying to find fault, but just reading books for four years isn’t enough to qualify as a military strategist.’

Strawberries weren’t in season, and Hee Lingchuan had no idea how the locals managed to grow them, though he guessed it was with the help of a greenhouse. But while the fruit was a beautiful, vibrant red and quite juicy, it lacked the unique, fresh fragrance of in-season strawberries.

"If you want to study well, you need good books to read." Sunx Hongye shook his head, looking a little regretful. "The Capital City’s National Academy may be large, but its collection is full of errors and omissions. It hasn’t been maintained or updated in ages, so there aren’t many readable books. When I went there to look for books, some had missing pages, others were filthy, and some crumbled to dust the moment I opened them. I got a mouthful of powder!"

’This kid talks big, even running down the National Academy.’ But when Hee Lingchuan thought about the current state of Da Yuan— "You make a lot of sense. You’re right."

Hee Lingchuan switched to eating a jujube.

Seeing how heartily he was eating, Sunx Hongye subconsciously swallowed and reached for a red jujube himself.

He hadn’t eaten fruit in a long time.

Once he started, he couldn’t stop.

Hee Lingchuan asked him again, "So, did you manage to persuade General Ke?"

Sunx Hongye hesitated again. "General Ke was skeptical, so he tested me on the situation on the Wuzhou battlefield. However, the strategy I presented differed from his own views, and he didn’t approve. So, I wrote down my analysis of the Wuzhou campaign and presented it to General Ke."

"Oh?" Hee Lingchuan was very interested. "Can you tell me about it?"

The new Governor of Xiazhou had a high profile in the National Capital and the Royal Court these past few months, which Sunx Hongye had noted. But the eldest son of the Hee Family was not well-known, so Sunx Hongye wasn’t quite sure what kind of person he was.

But judging from his on-the-spot counterattack during last night’s ambush at Luming Garden, Young Master Hee was both brave and clever, and able to adapt to the situation. It wouldn’t be surprising if such a person was aggressive, capable, and even fond of battle. Therefore, Sunx Hongye didn’t overthink it and said:

"Fine. General Ke didn’t adopt it anyway, so I don’t need to keep it a secret."

He immediately dipped his finger in some water and began drawing the terrain of mountains and rivers on the tabletop.

"Due to the narrow terrain in southern Wuzhou, the Official Army’s campaign could only be split into a Western Route and an Eastern Route. Setting the Eastern Route aside, the Western Route army led by Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai was initially very successful, quickly taking three small towns. But they came to a complete standstill after encountering Solid City, and they remain there to this day."

He drew a circle in the center of the map:

"This is Solid City, and it lives up to its name. Dongg Haoming has been plotting rebellion for a while, and for the past few years, he’s been secretly reinforcing the important cities and passes within his fiefdom. Solid City boasts high walls and deep moats, and it’s the first major obstacle the Official Army has encountered on their way into Wuzhou."

Hee Lingchuan pointed to a circle east of Solid City. "What’s this?"

"That is Juyun Lake." In order to advise Ke Jihai, Sunx Hongye had done his homework thoroughly. "Upstream from it is the Qingbai River, north of Solid City. It’s one of the main tributaries of the Hongchuan River, with an abundant water flow."

"The lake seems very close to Solid City. It would be hard to cut off their water supply."

In recent nights, besides practicing martial arts in the dream-world of Panlong City, Hee Lingchuan had also come across lectures at Wenxian Hall. The officials of Panlong City frequently invited experts to teach and pass on knowledge in the form of public classes at Wenxian Hall, with a wide variety of subjects.

One lecture happened to be an analysis of military strategy, and Hee Lingchuan listened without missing a word. It mentioned basic siege Battle Techniques, of which cutting off the water supply was only one. The original owner of his body was a blank slate in this regard, so he had to learn from scratch.

"Yes, the basin where Solid City and Juyun Lake are located has no shortage of water. Even if General Ke could sever the road between the city and the lake, I’ve heard Solid City has numerous springs and wells, enough to supply its men and horses." Sunx Hongye tapped Solid City’s location again. "Its walls are built on bedrock, so they won’t collapse from being soaked by lake water or rain. Therefore, standard tactics like flooding the city or cutting off its water supply won’t work well."

"The two generals have been attacking Solid City for over thirty days. A prolonged, unsuccessful siege will affect morale, and with logistical pressures mounting, the situation will only become more unfavorable."

Hee Lingchuan nodded. "This must be within Dongg Haoming’s expectations. He spent a long time in the Royal Court, so he should know the Official Army’s strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand."

"To be honest, the Official Army’s combat strength is inferior to the Wu Army’s. And since we’re fighting on their home turf this time, the disadvantage is even greater," Sunx Hongye said gravely. "Dongg Haoming isn’t reinforcing Solid City; he’s just focused on sending troops to the Eastern Front. He must be very confident in Solid City, certain it can bog down Generals Wu and Ke. And because of that, the fighting on the Eastern Front has also been extremely difficult."

"If the Official Army’s attack fails and they have to pull back to regroup, Dongg Haoming might launch a counterattack. General Ke made this potential danger very clear at last night’s banquet."

Hee Lingchuan understood. "So, what’s the strategy you proposed?"

"Give up on Solid City, that tough nut to crack, and turn to attack Baoo Pass on the western side!" Sunx Hongye dipped his finger in water again and tapped a spot west of Solid City. "Baoo Pass is about forty li northwest of Solid City, right on the bank of the Qingbai River, further upstream."

"What’s so special about that place?"

"The garrison Dongg Haoming stationed at Baoo Pass is mainly there to guard the Qing Dike," Sunx Hongye explained. "Before the Qing Dike was built, the Qingbai River would often breach its banks at Baoo Pass and flood the fertile farmlands. Thirty years ago, the local magistrate built the Qing Dike, successfully holding the water back. Since then, the Qingbai River has mostly left this area alone, flowing down to impact Juyun Lake instead."

"Baoo Pass’s terrain doesn’t seem special either. It’s not a major hub like Solid City, where capturing it would cut off key land and water routes." Hee Lingchuan crossed his arms. "What’s the point of taking it?"

"If Solid City withstands the Official Army’s winter offensive, the water level of the Qingbai River will surge in the spring. It’s ninety percent certain to pour into Juyun Lake, causing massive flooding. The lake’s surface will expand rapidly, turning the entire basin into a flooded marshland, rendering it basically impassable for humans."

"The Official Army’s optimal route is to cross the basin and head north. This is the shortest and easiest way to reach the Wuzhou capital, Hechong. It also facilitates a later rendezvous with the Eastern Front forces to attack Hechong together."

Hee Lingchuan looked at the tabletop. "Since this route is optimal, why doesn’t General Ke take advantage of the frozen winter lake to push straight north?"

"It’s still because of Solid City," Sunx Hongye sighed. "Even if the Official Army could cross the frozen lake and head north, they probably couldn’t guarantee taking Hechong within two months. By the time the spring floods arrive, the Qingbai River will inundate the basin, completely cutting off the Official Army’s supply lines. An army deep in enemy territory with no logistics is a cardinal sin of warfare. At that point, Solid City could calmly send out its troops and have a high chance of victory."

"So Generals Wu and Ke are storming Solid City just to seize the entire basin, so they can advance north without worry?"

"Exactly, Eldest Young Master, you’ve hit the nail on the head! To the two generals, Solid City is a thorn in their side. If they don’t remove it, there will be endless trouble later." Sunx Hongye pointed to Baoo Pass. "But my preference is to capture Baoo Pass and then blow up the Qing Dike!"

Hee Lingchuan was stunned for a moment. He studied the map closely, then suddenly clapped his hands. "Brilliant!"

Finally having someone affirm his idea, Sunx Hongye let out a sigh of relief. "You are perceptive, Eldest Young Master."

"Blowing up the Qing Dike is equivalent to diverting the floodwaters into Juyun Lake ahead of schedule. After all, before the Qing Dike was built, the downstream Juyun Lake rarely expanded, which proves the original natural flood plain was effective." Hee Lingchuan continued along this line of thought. "After destroying the Qing Dike, as long as the lake’s expansion during the spring floods is limited and doesn’t inundate the entire basin, then men, carts, and horses will all be able to pass."

Sunx Hongye’s tone grew urgent. "The army and its logistics can proceed north as planned, greatly reducing the need to take Solid City. From there, it will be up to the two generals to adapt to the situation. This would also preserve our forces and reduce casualties."

"The plan sounds good to me. Why didn’t General Ke like it?" At the banquet in Luming Garden, Hee Lingchuan had indeed seen Ke Jihai shake his head, clearly displeased with the plan.

"Baoo Pass won’t be an easy fight either. There are Wu Army cities to its west and south, and Solid City is to the east. If we can’t take it swiftly, we’ll be encircled by the Wu Army. Furthermore—" Sunx Hongye lowered his voice, "—there was a reason our predecessors built the Qing Dike. If the Qingbai River breaches its banks here, it will flood countless farmhouses and fields. The civilian casualties in the affected towns and counties would be at least a hundred thousand. I heard that before the Wuzhou campaign began, His Majesty the King reminded the Official Army that the civilians of Wuzhou are also citizens of the Yuan Kingdom, and that wanton killing and looting are forbidden. If the two generals were to deliberately destroy the dike, they would be knowingly violating a royal command. Given the temper of the one in the Royal Court, even if the Wuzhou campaign is a great victory, they would still be punished upon their return."

He asked Hee Lingchuan, "If you were in General Ke’s shoes, Eldest Young Master, what would you choose?"

Victory on one side, civilians on the other. Hee Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Is there no other way to win without attacking Solid City or Baoo Pass?"

"If we attack neither, the Official Army would have to detour around the great northwestern mountains. That’s twice the distance of advancing east, and the route is through rugged, untamed mountains, a very difficult path." Sunx Hongye frowned. "The sole objective of war is victory! How can we go far if we tie our own hands?"

Hee Lingchuan shrugged. "I will go back and consider it carefully. For now, I wish you success in your endeavors, Brother Sunx."

Sunx Hongye gave a bitter smile.

"What, you’re not confident?"

"It’s probably hopeless. I saw General Ke hand the document to a subordinate officer, but that officer died in last night’s Ghost Ape raid. His body was thrown off the mountain along with the carriage. I doubt General Ke will make a special effort to retrieve the document." Sunx Hongye smiled bitterly again. "My status is too low for my words to matter. He never really cared in the first place."

"By the way, why did you say earlier that staying in Shihuan is just waiting for death in a daze?" Hee Lingchuan still remembered that line. "On my journey here, I’ve seen nothing but hunger, cold, and displacement. The people who get to live in the Capital City and Shihuan City are already the most fortunate citizens in Da Yuan."