Chapter 1097: Old Man's Scheming and Cunning

Afterward, He Chunhua, leveraging the strength of his new army, twice decisively defeated the Grand Marshal's attacks. The entire court of Yuan, from the monarch to the ministers, was greatly encouraged. He Lingchuan dropped the letter and fell into deep thought, looking out at the heavy rain. The sky gradually darkened, and two bolts of lightning flashed in the air, almost touching the eaves of Shuyu Pavilion. The swift that had already been asleep was startled awake. Yuan Kingdom's internal strife might just be like the sky at this moment.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror asked He Lingchuan, "The Grand Marshal is at war with your father. Who do you think will win?""The Grand Marshal's army couldn't take Shihuan even after five months of siege, so their morale must be affected. He Chunhua, on the other hand, built up a strong and well-rested army in Yazhou before heading north to suppress the rebellion. Ha, one is exhausted from prolonged war, the other is well-rested and prepared.""So your father will win?"He Lingchuan shook his head, "What kind of person is He Chunhua? He wouldn't give his all to defend the empire for his enemies." He had long seen through He Chunhua's ambition. This nominal father, in the original body's life, never forgot the deep-seated blood feud of the He family. How could he possibly exert himself to the utmost for his enemies?

"He originally had two choices," He Lingchuan analyzed. "Either wait for the Grand Marshal to defeat the imperial army and then launch a fierce attack before they could consolidate their position.""To be the lurking opportunist, right?""Even if the Grand Marshal manages to capture Yuandu, he would be weakened himself. That would indeed be a good opportunity for He Chunhua. But such a calculation would be too obvious; others aren't blind and would see through it instantly." He Lingchuan mused, "If He Chunhua openly revealed his ambition to seize power to other factions, not only would he receive no assistance in the future, but he would also likely be secretly schemed against. That's what it means to be 'isolated by unrighteousness'." He shook his head, "If He Chunhua were to fight the Grand Marshal alone, and then repel other forces, even if he eventually won, he would be severely weakened, wouldn't he? If that were the case, not only would the Grand Marshal be fighting alone, but He Chunhua would also be fighting an isolated battle. He would likely consider that a bad deal.""Back then, the Grand Marshal didn't start his rebellion alone; he had Nian Zanli echoing his moves in Xunzhou. What kind of person is He Chunhua to let himself fall into such a situation?"

"You truly are father and son; the father is cunning, and the son is shrewd." The Soul-Capturing Mirror sighed, "Perhaps only you see him most clearly."He Lingchuan smiled, "There are plenty of clever people in the Yuan court, but what does that matter? Didn't the Yuan King have his doubts? Yet, he could only persuade himself to trust He Chunhua. People only believe what they want to believe, especially when it's their last resort. Ha, even if they don't believe, they have to.""You said He Chunhua had another choice: to march north and save the monarch?""Moral righteousness is the most effective banner," He Lingchuan said slowly. "Under the banner of defending the monarch, he could not only lead a large army north but also utilize the Yuan royal court's resources. The last time I returned to Yuan Kingdom, He Chunhua was reluctant to go south to suppress bandits, one main reason being his fear of logistics collapsing. But now, things are different. Only a few forces remain that can resist the Grand Marshal; they are the last hope. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, the nobles of Yuandu won't be able to refuse and will have to do their best to raise military funds for him."

With the Grand Marshal's army already at the city gates, the nobles of Yuandu could no longer afford to hold back resources. "Just think, how many years have they been extorting wealth from the common people? To save their lives, they'll have to cough up most of it this time. Otherwise, if those few forces were to turn and leave, Yuandu would be doomed." He Chunhua had been immersed in Yuan Kingdom's officialdom for so many years that He Lingchuan couldn't even come close to his mastery of its intricate ways. "As long as He Chunhua is confident in his strategy and military strength, choosing to march north at this time is the most advantageous. Ha, how is that not better than fighting an isolated battle?" He sighed, "Shihuan and the capital have both been devastated. The common people of Yuan Kingdom are truly suffering." War is a meat grinder, and the first to be crushed are always the common folk.

"You analyze He Chunhua more, but you don't say much about the Grand Marshal." After several years together, the mirror's understanding of its master grew. "It seems you still think He Chunhua will win, don't you?""From the perspective of Yuan Kingdom's common people, I actually hope the Grand Marshal wins."The mirror asked curiously, "Why?""Yuan Kingdom's accumulated problems are too deep, and it's too burdened to recover easily. Even if the Yuan court wins, it would merely be patching up a mess and prolonging its existence for a while longer. If He Chunhua wins, having previously been a royalist, it won't be easy for him to eradicate the old corrupt practices. Not to mention, Yuan Kingdom owes so many foreign debts; how could he not try to repay them? To repay the debts, he would only have to further burden the populace.""If the Grand Marshal wins, Yuan Kingdom would at least have a chance to overthrow the old regime and start completely anew." Such a reform would be more thorough, at least. "For the common people of Yuan Kingdom, perhaps it would be better?"

But He Lingchuan always felt that He Chunhua's stratagems went beyond that. Or perhaps, Nayluo Tian's calculations went even further. "In a few months, this matter will likely become clear. We shall wait and see."

With Island Master He's permission, the Bailong tribe held a ceremony on Suoding Island to elect their new chieftain. Simultaneously, this tribe officially joined the Yangshan Archipelago. For the next half-month, Rene, Guan Ke, Qiu Hu, and others were busy arranging accommodation and work for these tens of thousands of people. Just as He Lingchuan had said, the archipelago was still in its pioneering phase, and there was an endless amount of work to be done on the islands. The guard team needed people, the merchant guild needed people, Suoding Island, which hosted the Golden Waterway, needed people, and agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and side-industries also needed people. More hands would simply accelerate progress. The intelligent Bailong children were already learning to sail and fish, because the seasonal migrations of large yellow croakers and cuttlefish would pass right through the Yangshan Archipelago with the ocean currents! During this period, the fish density in the waters was astonishing; one could practically cast a net blindfolded and every catch would be valuable! Not to mention forty thousand people, even if another four hundred thousand arrived, there would still be work for everyone.

As for the Bailong warriors, apart from the more than two hundred seriously wounded in the Battle of Storm Bay who were still recovering, the rest were integrated into the Yangshan Guard and began practicing naval combat. Most Bailong people were landlubbers who would get seasick and vomit with even a little choppy water. But after arriving at the archipelago, they not only had to learn swimming and diving but also had to apprentice with former pirates like Min Tianxi to master basic skills such as steering, boarding, and underwater combat. Qiu Hu didn't give them much time to adapt; on the eighth day after their formation, he led them out to clear out pirate dens along the Golden Waterway. It didn't matter if they weren't proficient; they could learn while fighting. Combat was the best way to foster team cohesion and enhance combat effectiveness.

But not all the news He Lingchuan received was good. Just seven days after the Bailong people arrived at the Yangshan Archipelago, three branches of the Yangshan Merchant Guild in Ya Kingdom were suddenly investigated. The local maritime customs and prefecture office found undeclared ironware, medicinal herbs, ores, and freight manifests in the shops' warehouses. Needless to say, the branches were heavily fined, the contraband goods were confiscated, and the shops were closed for two months for rectification.