Where Immortals Once Walked

Rongshan’s aid was like water to a man dying of thirst in an arid desert. The first installment of 3.7 million taels had not even fully arrived, yet every faction was already impatient to wet its lips.

Of course, Rongshan would still supervise the use of the funds.

As the creditor, it had the right to monitor where the money went. The agreement stated it in black and white. If the Royal Court of Yuan wanted to receive further aid, it could not breach the contract.

None of this struck He Lingchuan as strange. A dead tree did not rot only at its heart. In a state this large, countless places were clamoring for money.

The closer one stood to the funds, the more one benefited.

As for ordinary people, neither the 3.7 million taels nor even the full 7 million had much to do with them.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment and asked He Yue, “The court debate was so fierce. What did Father say?”

“Father said nothing at all. When His Majesty asked how the military supplies should be distributed, Father merely replied that everything was for His Majesty to decide.”

He Lingchuan could not help but laugh. “Retreating in order to advance.”

He Chunhua had something he wanted to obtain, while the King of Yuan refused to give it to him. The two sides were locked in a contest of wills.

He Chunhua’s position was therefore perfectly clear: if you refuse to give me what I need, then I cannot fight this war properly.

“But it’s a little too obvious.” Since He Chunhua was not present, He Yue lowered his voice and added, “With Father pressuring His Majesty like this, I fear that he and the king may become estranged in the future.”

He Lingchuan was unconcerned. “The relationship between sovereign and minister is also one of attack and defense.” And wherever there’s attack and defense, circumstances can reverse, and strength and weakness can exchange places.

Madame Ying hushed him. “Child, mind your words!”

He Lingchuan grinned and answered, “Yes.”

His mother was only looking out for him. Walls had ears, after all, especially given how delicate the He Family’s present position was.

Deep down, his father had never shown much true reverence for the current ruler. He Lingchuan believed He Yue had noticed that long ago and understood the reason perfectly well.

Sovereign and minister becoming estranged? Tch. It would be stranger if they did not.

Even now, they merely appeared united while remaining divided at heart.

Before the unfinished dishes had been cleared away, He Chunhua suddenly returned.

Beaming, he strode through the central courtyard. He Lingchuan even saw the peach blossoms drifting down from the trees swept aside by the gust created by his passage.

“Dear, Chuan’er, Yue’er.” He Chunhua stood before them, heroic and vigorous, his eyes blazing. “The man standing before you is now Governor-General of Ya Province, with military command over three provinces!”

Madame Ying covered her mouth and gave a soft cry. She instinctively wanted to throw herself into his arms, but after taking two steps forward, remembered that both sons were watching from behind and became too embarrassed to reach out.

The He brothers immediately rose and spoke in unison, “Congratulations, Father!”

The position of Governor-General of Ya Province that He Chunhua had long coveted, as well as the military authority he had long desired, were finally his!

Even someone as deeply calculating as He Chunhua could no longer contain his delight once he returned home. He threw back his head and laughed aloud!

His plan was becoming reality, step by step.

Madame Ying pressed a hand to her chest and said joyfully, “I’ll tell the kitchen to add more dishes!”

The He Family ate that meal amid laughter and celebration.

He Yue asked his father, “You’ll be departing on campaign soon, won’t you?”

“Very soon.” He Chunhua had not felt this exhilarated in a long time. “The military supplies will be fully delivered within three days. The army will finish reorganizing within six. Then we march south to suppress the rebellion!”

With money and authority in hand, everything became easier.

* * *

After the meal, He Chunhua dragged He Lingchuan into the study.

The He Family had only recently moved to the Yuan capital, so He Chunhua’s study was only half organized. Most of the shelves were still empty.

While his father was not looking, He Lingchuan patted his chest, reminding the mirror to begin working.

The Soul-Stealing Mirror immediately replied, “I know, I know! I’m already searching!”

He Lingchuan wandered around the study and casually took down several books to leaf through.

He Chunhua saw this and laughed. “You used to despise reading more than anything. The moment you touched a book, you started yawning. Who would have imagined that of my two sons, you would now become the more accomplished one?”

He Lingchuan waved a hand. “What are you saying, Father? Little Two possesses hidden depth. He is clearly suited to assist in governing the state.”

“Exactly.” He Chunhua sighed with feeling. “Even your judgment has improved.”

He Lingchuan scratched his chin. “Father suddenly praising me like this, did something happen?”

He Chunhua laughed and scolded him. “Can I not praise you unless something has happened?”

After several days of drinking, feasting, and revelry together, the relationship between father and son had eased considerably and returned to a delicate balance.

As He Lingchuan understood it, this was mainly because he had cooperated during the assessment of the pledged assets, allowing He Chunhua’s affairs to proceed smoothly.

In truth, however, he had merely followed standard procedure. Since He Chunhua, the King of Yuan, and the Rongshan Sect all wanted to resolve the shortage of military supplies as quickly as possible, the money would naturally be released without much delay.

Of course, all later approval and expenditure would still have to pass through He Lingchuan. That was also an important reason He Chunhua had once again begun treating him with warmth.

The present He Lingchuan was no longer the original young man who could be easily moved by a smile from his father and a few pleasant words.

At that moment, the Soul-Stealing Mirror quietly told him, “I can’t find it. It looks like the book isn’t here.”

He Lingchuan’s gaze flickered.

Before entering He Chunhua’s study, he had ordered the mirror to search carefully for Collected Commentary on the Jade Blossoms.

That was the book Sun Hongye had entrusted Zhu Xiu’er to give him, and it was also the key to the cipher.

Without finding it, He Lingchuan had no way of knowing what Sun Hongye had wanted to tell him.

He had held out a faint hope that the book might be hidden in He Chunhua’s study.

But it was not.

He Chunhua walked into the inner section of the study, where a sand table had been placed.

“You have a good eye. Come help me examine how these battles should be fought.”

He adjusted several pieces, and the terrain of mountains and rivers began to emerge across the sand table.

He Lingchuan looked at it several times, and his pupils contracted slightly.

One lake after another appeared across the model, scattered everywhere as strings of pearls spilled over the earth.

Although the lakes differed somewhat in size, position, and distance, He Lingchuan recognized the place immediately—

Longchuan!

This was the map he faced every day in the Panlong World. There was no possibility he could mistake it!

Is He Chunhua’s destination for suppressing the southern rebellion actually Longchuan?

Of course!

The territory that once belonged to the State of West Ji more than a century ago is now part of Great Yuan.

The old Longchuan and the southern trade route had once occupied precisely this region, which was now in the southern region of Yuan and within the borders of Ya Province!

Back then, Yuheng City had been suppressing bandits.

Now, He Chunhua would be suppressing rebels.

Time overlapped with itself, as though another cycle had begun.

He Lingchuan still had to wear a puzzled expression. “This is Father’s target? The terrain is extremely complicated.”

“Correct.” He Chunhua pointed at the sand table. “There are two principal rebel forces. One lies in the southeast and numbers a little over ten thousand. I have not heard of any particularly troublesome figures among them. They recently suffered a defeat against the official troops.”

“That force should be easy to handle.”

“The difficulty lies with the other rebel army in the south. And the greatest obstacle to suppressing them is Longchuan.” He Chunhua pointed to the long chain of lakes. “They have turned Longchuan into their stronghold. They number 50,000 and have already repelled official troops three times. Their reputation in the region is considerable, and many nearby villagers have joined them merely after hearing of their victories.”

He Lingchuan nodded.

He had seen the true face of Yuan’s bureaucracy. When the machinery of state decayed, tensions and conflicts between officials and commoners multiplied; that was also why rebel forces could rise so quickly. Once they won several battles, their ranks would only continue to swell.