Chapter 1096: Stormy Nation

“You only brought me 40,000 people. If you could bring 400,000, then I'd truly thank you.”

He Lingchuan added, “When the top is strong, the bottom obeys; when the top is weak, the bottom rebels.” Whether everyone is united depends on the leader. Whether retainers and subordinates want to rebel, dare to rebel, or are able to rebel, depends entirely on him, He Lingchuan!

The human heart is the most elusive thing in this world. A person in He Lingchuan's position clearly understands that loyalty stems from confidence. If your subordinates have confidence in you, believing that you can win battles, lead them to higher achievements, and overcome any setbacks, then they will be loyal. Conversely, well, what more needs to be said?

“If my subordinates harbor rebellious thoughts or dare to be disloyal, the fault lies with me. What is there to fear?” If those in power are incompetent or negligent, they shouldn't blame their subordinates for turning wild thoughts into schemes. The ways of nature are constant; things are born and things die.

His attitude also helped Wanqifei's heart settle. Indeed, this was Island Master He. Wanqifei didn't dare to harbor even a shred of rebellious thought.

He Lingchuan smiled, patting his shoulder. “Look further ahead; don't just focus on the immediate surroundings. Our goal—” He pointed into the distance, and everything was understood without words.

Just then, the fluttering of wings could be heard outside. A swift flew past the eaves, landed on the railing, and shook its feathers, looking a little tired. It chirped a few times at He Lingchuan and spat out a tiny, thin copper tube from its crop. New messages had arrived. Intelligence carried by swifts was usually for extremely long distances. He Lingchuan took it, fed the bird a few small spiritual pills, and thanked it, “You've worked hard.” The swift shook off the water, rested on the railing, and as it digested the pills, it puffed itself up into a small ball of feathers.

He Lingchuan then said to Wanqifei, “Since the Bailong people are settling on the island, go and discuss with Reini and Ding Zuodong to find proper tasks for all their clansmen. The archipelago is so vast; there's an endless amount of work to be done.” The tens of thousands of new arrivals also needed work to support themselves. And for the Yangshan Archipelago, they were new blood, labor, and a part of building the islands and strengthening its power.

“Yes!” Wanqifei saw He Lingchuan unfold the letter and immediately took his leave. As soon as he stepped out of Shuyu Pavilion, fine rain misted his face, as cold as it had been on the day he and his old uncle seized the island. Back then, their only aim in trying to seize the Yangshan Archipelago was to find a foothold for their clan and develop gradually. And now? That goal had already been achieved. The Bailong clan now lived in the Yangshan Archipelago, no longer exposed to the elements or constantly hiding. Their lives had hope, and their future had promise. Furthermore, they didn't need to painstakingly manage and develop these islands themselves; they only needed to grow along with them. So much easier, so much less worry. Had his and his old uncle's wish been fulfilled so naturally? For a moment, Wanqifei felt a sense of unreality.

After he left, the Soul-Capturing Mirror asked He Lingchuan: “Are you truly not afraid of the Bailong clan growing too powerful and becoming a hidden danger?”

“Then we'll manage them properly,” He Lingchuan said, stroking the swift before turning back into the room. “Everything has pros and cons. If you want to develop, you must bear the consequences. If you're afraid of these side effects, then you'll only stagnate.” One shouldn't stop doing something essential for fear of a minor problem; it's crucial to focus on the main issues.

“In the future, our territory will expand, our population will grow, and various factions will come seeking allegiance,” He Lingchuan chuckled. “If we fear the Bailong people today, will we not fear others tomorrow?”

The Soul-Capturing Mirror merely grunted, “As long as you know what you're doing, just don't make a foolish mistake.”

“Wanqifei isn't foolish,” He Lingchuan replied, unafraid. After more than a year of managing it, he had already firmly grasped control of the archipelago. He was the archipelago's nexus, and more importantly, its soul. Without him, this place would be nothing more than forty-two barren islands.

“Clap!” A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. Why was the rain getting heavier? The swift on the long corridor suddenly fluffed up even more. It simply buried its head in its back feathers, ready for a good sleep.

He Lingchuan pulled a letter from the copper tube. As he unfolded it, he immediately saw the unique mark of Songyang Prefecture. It was indeed a letter from afar. In his last reply, he had asked Li Qingge to help keep an eye on developments within Yuan Kingdom. Songyang Prefecture's headquarters had already moved to Beijia, but Li Qingge's intelligence network remained well-informed. This time, the intelligence was from Yuan Kingdom.

He Lingchuan unfolded the letter and scanned it, his brows quickly furrowing. The Yangshan Archipelago was too far from Yuan Kingdom, a journey of over two months by sea. The last news delivered by Li Mingyang and his brother from Songyang Prefecture reported that the Grand Marshal had broken through Yuan Kingdom's northern defenses, Ke Jihai had died in battle, the Yuan capital was in distress, and He Chunhua was temporarily holding his troops back. Another half a year had passed, and He Lingchuan wanted to know what had happened since. Due to the civil unrest in Yuan Kingdom, Songyang Prefecture had long withdrawn from its borders, but they still regularly gathered intelligence.

After Grand Marshal Dong Haoming broke through the northern front, he did not replicate Hong Xiangqian's old tactic of advancing east by boat, but instead chose the land route. This was not because he had any concerns, but because after Woling Pass was breached and the rebel army's ships were burned years ago, the local populace had not fully recovered, and there simply weren't enough boats to transport the Grand Marshal's army downriver. Moreover, the Grand Marshal perhaps viewed the Yuan capital as already within his grasp, unlike the previous rebel army who were eager to advance east. He opted for a steady and methodical approach. Land marches would naturally be slower, with some disturbances along the way. So, by the time the Grand Marshal led his army to Shihuan, over a month had passed since the northern front was broken.

Upon reading this, He Lingchuan shook his head. “The Grand Marshal made a mistake.” If a heaven-sent opportunity is not seized, one will suffer the consequences. The Grand Marshal had missed a crucial military opportunity.

Reading further, as expected, Yuan Kingdom had utilized this precious month to urgently dispatch supplies and assemble a large army to defend the capital. Part of this was even attributable to He Lingchuan. The money and provisions he had persuaded Rongshan to lend were still not fully used up by this time. Money was money; spending it produced results. Resources near the Yuan capital were far more abundant than before. The Yuan royal court, recovering from the fear of the northern front's collapse, naturally intended to fight to the last. Thus, when the Grand Marshal's army arrived near Shihuan, they encountered very fierce resistance.

Leading the army against the Grand Marshal were two young generals newly recommended by the Imperial Advisor. The influential figures in Shihuan and the Yuan capital also understood this was a desperate battle—victory or death. Therefore, they contributed money, provisions, and manpower, astonishingly piecing together an army of 50,000! He Lingchuan wondered what the Yuan King's reaction was when he heard this number. Should he be pleased that Yuan Kingdom could still assemble such a large army, or furious about the previous northern front's inadequacy and unpaid soldiers? Over the next five months, this army staunchly defended Shihuan, surprisingly engaging the Grand Marshal's forces in back-and-forth battles!

The mirror was also reading the letter and remarked in surprise, “Oh, even a rotting ship still has some good nails. Is the Yuan royal court not as rotten as I thought?”

“No, it's just as rotten,” He Lingchuan refuted its misconception. “It's just that the Grand Marshal isn't as strong as outsiders imagine. When the Grand Marshal attacks Shihuan and the capital, he is too far from his own Wuzhou, and his supply lines are too stretched. I suspect his supplies are problematic.” When he was in Blackwater City and Shihuan, he only felt that the Grand Marshal's army was formidable, capable of forcing Ke Jihai to return to the capital for provisions and pay. But from his current perspective, the Yuan royal army was not impressive, meaning the Grand Marshal, who had been fighting them for a year and a half, couldn't be all that formidable either. This is just two weaklings pecking at each other. If He Lingchuan himself were in command, even leading the Grand Marshal's army, he should be able to capture the capital within one or two months and change the fate of Yuan Kingdom.

Reading further down the letter, he saw that during the five months the Yuan army resisted the Grand Marshal, generals from the east had also led troops to defend the capital. “It seems the Grand Marshal hasn't gained popular support in Yuan Kingdom; perhaps he even plundered the common people near the capital.” He Lingchuan wasn't making this assumption out of nowhere. Armies at war must never lack food and clothing, otherwise morale and fighting strength would severely decline. The Grand Marshal's army was deep in Yuan Kingdom's heartland, and if supplies became insufficient, they would have no choice but to prey on the surrounding populace. He Lingchuan had heard plenty of examples of unbridled looting before and after sieges.

At this moment, He Chunhua made his move— He finally led his troops north to defend the king. Counting from the time he was appointed Governor of Yazhou and suppressed the Longchuan rebels, He Chunhua had been in Yazhou for over a year. He was said to have governed effectively, fostering harmony among the people, and earning deep respect. He Lingchuan never doubted He Chunhua's administrative abilities. Yazhou was also Yuan Kingdom's main granary. While other regions had suffered poor harvests over the past year, only Yazhou was uniquely blessed, having experienced at least two major grain harvests. His luck was truly good.

Where there was grain, there could be no shortage of soldiers. He Chunhua must have been diligently developing Yazhou while simultaneously training his troops. Therefore, during the five months the Grand Marshal attacked Shihuan, he had been biding his time and diligently strengthening his forces.

“Your father has been lying low for months, so why go north now?” the mirror also asked. “Why not wait until the battle for the capital is decided, then swoop in for an easy gain?”

“That would be too late,” He Lingchuan mused. “While he was stationed in Yazhou, he must have constantly monitored the situation in the north. Choosing this moment to go north means he either saw a new opportunity or discovered a weakness in the Grand Marshal?” For He Chunhua, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so his move would certainly be cautious. If he didn't see hope, why would he go north? “It's a pity I'm too far from Yuan Kingdom; otherwise, observing the battle up close right now would be intensely interesting.”

He Chunhua traveled north to meet the king. The moment he entered the royal court, he knelt before the Yuan King, kowtowing several times until his forehead bled. With tears streaming down his face, he blamed himself for being late in defending the king, citing troop training and food preparation as the reasons. The Songyang Prefecture's intelligence included such details, which likely meant it wasn't speculation, but that Li Qingge still had informants within the court. In fact, the Yuan King had been distraught those days. Morale inside and outside the capital was low, and bad news kept pouring in. The Yuan King even found unremoved eggshells in his meal.

At this precarious time, the respect and loyalty He Chunhua, as a high-ranking official, displayed were deeply comforting to the Yuan King. Although He Chunhua had arrived somewhat late, he had arrived nonetheless. At this very moment, he was the ballast stone, bringing a profound sense of security to the entire Yuan court.