Chapter 1505: Whose Handwriting?

Two days later, He Lingchuan received news from the south:

Beijia had intended to transport troops and supplies to Maohe Plain via Baishawan, but Baishawan refused. Beijia had already invaded Maohe Plain, and wherever their army advanced, war erupted. Baishawan was a free port that conducted business with all sides, always attracting wealth from all directions. If it had agreed to let Beijia pass through, the flames of war would have spread directly to Baishawan!

Panlong City and Yuheng City had cooperated with Baishawan for many years, maintaining consistently good relations, and Zhong Shengguang had also signed many agreements with it. Yuheng City was close while Beijia was distant. Baishawan currently maintained a stance of self-preservation, which was advantageous for Yuheng City. Otherwise, if Beijia's army had invaded from the south, the trouble would have been considerable. As long as Baishawan held out until late autumn, Beijia would temporarily cease making demands. This was because the shipping lane experienced northwest winds from autumn through early spring, making westward travel difficult for ships and encountering frequent storms at sea.

That afternoon, bad news arrived:

General Baimoji was recalled home due to injury, and the Demon Emperor would send another great general, Qiu Rong of the Azure Devil Family, to the Jintao front. Upon seeing "Azure Devil Family," He Lingchuan exclaimed, "This time they're sending a demon general?"

The Azure Devil Family was not human, but an ape demon clan whose members were naturally incredibly strong, capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart with their bare hands.

Wen Daolun shook his head, "No, no, Qiu Rong is human." To be precise, Qiu Rong was a human adopted son taken in by the Azure Devil Family. He Lingchuan then understood. During his travels in Beijia, he had observed a phenomenon: powerful local demon clans often carefully selected human orphans, raising and educating them to adulthood. This wasn't because demon clans were particularly kind-hearted, but rather because humans were better adapted to social life and could manage their industries, participate in activities, and earn military merits for them. Especially in court, with its countless intricacies, and in commercial activities, which were full of pitfalls, most demons were straightforward and couldn't navigate them, so they had to find shrewd individuals to handle affairs. In various vassal demon kingdoms and even the Lingxu royal court, there were always some human officials and generals backed by powerful demon clans. This was a unique symbiotic relationship exclusive to Beijia. Demons utilized humans, and humans leveraged their influence.

What truly caught He Lingchuan's attention was the last sentence of the message: Before Qiu Rong officially took office, Lu Wushuang, the Assistant of the Azure Palace, would temporarily command the Jintao front's military.

After hearing the intelligence, He Lingchuan took a deep breath, "Lu Wushuang finally got what she wanted." Only by combining several clues did he confirm that Lu Wushuang lending the Xuanjia Worm to Baimoji was with ill intent. She had already anticipated that even if Baimoji used the Xuanjia Worm in the final battle, he would still find it difficult to defeat He Lingchuan. Instead, it would only provoke him, ending the protracted stalemate at the Jintao front. He wondered if Baimoji had realized it yet, but even if he had, he couldn't accuse Lu Wushuang. There was nothing inherently wrong with her actions. This woman had possessed impressive cunning since her youth.

He thought for a moment, then called for Xin Yi and asked, "Mr. Xin, could you help me investigate this Qiu Rong?" Xin Yi was in Yuheng City, but He Lingchuan trusted that Xin Yi could obtain the information. Lingshan should have been keeping an eye on such veteran generals. Indeed, Xin Yi replied within a few days.

Qiu Rong, nearing fifty, had participated in the War of Yuanguo more than twenty years ago, earning several military merits. Subsequently, he was dispatched by the Demon Emperor to suppress or fight in various countries, gaining extensive experience in troop movement, logistics, and commanding battles. He was a seasoned veteran. Where was Qiu Rong now? In the central part of the Demon Kingdom, north of what would later become the Chi'yan Kingdom, he was quite far from the Jintao front. Even traveling at full speed, it would take him at least fifty days to reach the Jintao front.

After delivering this news, Xin Yi also found it strange: "I thought they made a mistake. I verified it twice, and Qiu Rong is indeed in central Beijia. Maohe Plain, does the Demon Emperor still want to fight this war properly?"

The Demon Emperor had originally dispatched Baimoji from nearby, but he proved ineffective; forced to send another, it would be a good general, but one separated by vast distances.

"Why wouldn't he?" He Lingchuan smiled, "Isn't there clearly another person at the Jintao front who could be of great use? Have you forgotten?"

Xin Yi swallowed the word "Who" and then reconsidered, "Are you saying Lu Wushuang?"

"Precisely. Her talent far surpasses Baimoji's. Baimoji's recall from the Jintao front is at least half her doing." He Lingchuan's smile faded. "You might think the Demon Emperor is trifling, but I see more to it."

"How so?"

"While Qiu Rong is traveling, Lu Wushuang will be in charge of the Jintao front. If she can achieve something significant, it will be reported to Lingxu City as military merit, and no one can claim it from her. Furthermore, her actions at the Jintao front over the past month won't be slandered by Baimoji; there must be people from the Azure Palace in the army." He Lingchuan mused, "So, it's highly probable that the Azure Palace is behind this personnel change."

Lu Wushuang was already an Assistant of the Azure Palace, a not insignificant rank, and a close confidante of the current prince, the next Demon Emperor. If she accumulated a few more substantial military merits, she would likely rise rapidly and unstoppably. These fifty-odd days might have been deliberately set aside for her. Thinking back, why did the Demon Emperor send her to supervise the Xiluo army? Wasn't it to let her familiarize herself with the war situation at the Jintao front, so that if Baimoji fought ineffectively or met with misfortune, she could take over on the spot, avoiding the hassle of relocation? However, her qualifications were insufficient to command an entire front, so she could only "temporarily fill in," gaining experience before a regular general like Qiu Rong arrived. The nearly two months allotted to her was not a short period, especially since Panlong City had not yet formally engaged in war against the northwest front, and the original general, Baimoji, had only been at the front for just over twenty days.

"Before Qiu Rong arrives, she'll perform well." Xin Yi understood. "No wonder you said the battles ahead would become increasingly difficult."

"Do you want to meet her on the battlefield?"

"Me?" Xin Yi was startled, pointing to himself, but then he brightened, "Alright!" He Lingchuan always praised Lu Wushuang in front of him, and he felt a bit unconvinced, as he hadn't seen this young woman named Lu achieve anything significant.

He then remembered something else: "Oh, right, I also got some internal news, though I don't know if it's true: I heard Qianzhao Institute intends to take in Baimoji. Originally, after he finished fighting at the Jintao front, he might have been promoted there. But now—it's hard to say."

Qianzhao Institute was one of the senior military offices in Lingxu City at the time, primarily responsible for providing strategic military support to the royal court and compiling curriculum for various military academies. However, it was abolished in later generations.

Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan let out a long "Oh." "No wonder. That's just a sinecure, a good place to put idle people." If the news was true, and Baimoji had already secured his next position, then everything related to this Jintao campaign had been arranged beforehand. As long as he achieved some results, he could immediately take up his new post upon returning to Lingxu City. Being sent out to gain experience and status had always been a common tactic in Beijia.