Chapter 178: The Money Grabbing Begins

A gathering of dignitaries, everyone listening intently—exactly the environment He Chunhua needed. He did not decline, sitting down to speak eloquently. He avoided mentioning Zhu Xiuer's role at Immortal Lake, only stating that villagers secretly informed the support troops. Others nodded subtly, observing his appropriate wording and dignified demeanor.

He Lingchuan, however, paid attention to Ke Jihai. When speaking with He Chunhua, Ke Jihai's eyes were solely on him, and he conversed and laughed as if no one else were present. Other nobles, upon hearing crucial points, couldn't help but cheer and applaud, which Ke Jihai found irritating, turning to scold them. The hosts of the banquet were clearly the Zhu family and Zhu Xiuer, and the saying "guest follows host" applied, but Ke Jihai, upon arrival, completely took over without any self-awareness. General Ke seemed to have a straightforward temperament, unafraid of offending people. Zhu Xiyan chuckled, unconcerned, but the younger members of the Zhu family frowned and pursed their lips, clearly displeased.

Ke Jihai questioned He Chunhua in detail about the combat strategies and the battle process, especially regarding the support troops leading the village's elderly and infirm to escape westward. As soon as he heard this, he raised a question: "Lord He, you are benevolent, but women and children move slowly. To shake off the bandits increasingly far, a rear-guard must have been left behind. May I ask what the losses were in that contingent?"

"The rear-guard support troops numbered thirty-five men, with seventeen horses, and there were also fourteen villagers who stayed to help," He Chunhua replied, these figures etched into his memory from that harrowing night. "They held back the bandits for nearly three hours."

"Thirty-five men, holding for three hours!" Ke Jihai was moved. "Excellent. There must be valiant individuals among them. Lord He, you must make good use of them."

He Chunhua smiled slightly, then beckoned He Lingchuan forward: "At the time, my son volunteered to stay behind and cover the retreat, and I was very reluctant. Who knew this lad would command so properly and complete the task perfectly?" He sighed deeply: "As he retreated, Lu Yao shot him, and he fell off a cliff. They say that arrow can strike three times with one shot. We all thought he was beyond saving; my wife fainted on the spot from grief. But who would have thought, ha, not only did he not die, he also rescued Wu Shaoyi, who was half-dead, otherwise that fellow wouldn't have surrendered. This truly was a blessing from heaven."

"Only those who help themselves are helped by heaven. Lu Yao's bow and arrows are quite renowned. They are among the bandit leader Hong Xiangqian's most prized treasures, known as the 'Ghost Eye Bow.' If the first shot misses, it automatically fires two more. Our imperial army has witnessed its power on the battlefield; two of my officers died by the Ghost Eye Bow. For Lu Yao to shoot you with that bow and for you to survive, young man, that's no small feat." Ke Jihai turned to He Lingchuan: "You are young, yet you possess both strategy and courage—a rare combination! A true hero must face battle. You will have ample opportunity to prove yourself in the North. Be sure to diligently hone your skills and become another mighty general for our great Yan!"

As a seasoned veteran, Ke Jihai instantly understood the imperial court's intention in transferring He Chunhua to Xiazhou: to bolster military strength against Yan Zanli, the Governor of Xunzhou, and the northern demon kingdom. He knew that He Lingchuan, accompanying his father, would certainly see battle. He Lingchuan nodded, replying with firm resolve, "I will certainly heed your valuable advice, General!"

Ke Jihai admired this fine young man for his straightforwardness and lack of unnecessary talk. He unfastened the saber from his waist and handed it to He Lingchuan: "A precious blade for a hero."

"How could this be!" Even before his son could speak, He Chunhua immediately declined.

Ke Jihai ignored him and placed the saber directly into He Lingchuan's hands: "This blade is called 'Baipi.' It has been with me for twenty-two years. I hope you will use it well."

He Lingchuan was overjoyed. He took the saber with both hands and solemnly declared, "I accept it respectfully and will not fail to live up to your expectations, General."

Ke Jihai showed such high regard for a sixteen or seventeen-year-old country boy, praising him as a hero and bestowing a saber, all while seemingly ignoring the others. The other nobles present found this rather unpalatable. Those in their early twenties, in particular, found his remark "a true hero must face battle" especially grating.

He Su, who had spoken with the He brothers earlier, immediately said, "I hear General Wu Di's eldest son, Wu He, went to battle at thirteen and, at sixteen, led troops to capture an enemy general. He is now also in the northwest, campaigning with his father against Dong Haoming. He is exactly two years older than Brother He. Could it be that our Yan nation is about to produce another pair of equally formidable tiger generals?" The few young men usually gathered around him echoed his sentiments, but the other nobles merely smiled without saying a word. Ke Jihai glanced at He Su: "Who are you?"

"My surname is He, and my father is He Changqi from the Censorate." (His father had not attended the Zhu family's banquet to avoid suspicion.)

A member of the Zhu family on the side added, "This is He Su, the third son of the Grand Censor."

"Have you achieved any meritorious deeds?"

He Su's face flushed, and he could only shake his head.

"Have you ever presented policy recommendations or remonstrances?"

For other seventeen or eighteen-year-olds, submitting proposals to the imperial court was incredibly difficult, but for the son of the Grand Censor, it was a prime opportunity. He Su's face grew even redder, and he stammered, "I have submitted a few essays to His Majesty." But they were simply stamped "read" and returned. Ke Jihai sneered, "If you have no achievements and your advice has not been adopted, then you are merely a spectator, fit only to watch from the sidelines."

This was a direct order for him to shut up, in front of so many people! He Su's face swelled from red to purple, and he forcibly swallowed his anger, secretly clenching his fists within his sleeves. Ke Jihai's bluntness silenced the banquet; one could have heard a pin drop, and no one spoke.

It was He Chunhua who broke the silence: "I hear the front lines in Wuzhou are stalemated. General Ke, why have you returned to the capital at this time?" Having grasped a bit of Ke Jihai's temperament, he simply asked directly.

"Alas, it's nothing but to press for provisions and funds," Ke Jihai said, the smile fading from his face, replaced by a somber expression. "I heard that the tax officials dispatched by the imperial court to the four southern prefectures returned loaded with several million taels of tax silver."

"Dong Haoming is employing a scorched-earth policy in Wuzhou, not leaving us a single grain of food. This year's autumn harvest in Wuzhou was abundant, but they had already secured it all; there's no surplus grain left in the fields. General Wu and I have sent twelve urgent dispatches to the imperial court requesting provisions, but in the past three or four months, we've only received supplies twice. Fortunately, after capturing Baiding City, we managed to replenish some food and drink."

"If the situation weren't so critical, why would I shamelessly return to the capital to beg for money and food?" He sighed mournfully. "The front lines have been without pay for over three months, and a day's ration now has to last three days. If supplies aren't distributed soon, our soldiers won't even have the strength to fight."

An official present said, "It's not that the imperial court doesn't want to distribute funds, but this year has been incredibly difficult. Woling Pass first suffered from rebels, then a flood, resulting in almost no harvest in spring, summer, or autumn. That vast area has always been one of the most fertile grain-producing regions, accounting for thirty percent of the national grain yield. This year, not only can it not contribute grain, but the state must also provide disaster relief."

For several months, the rebel and imperial armies engaged in a protracted, chaotic seesaw battle at Woling Pass, which was then hit by severe floods, turning the grain-producing region into a disaster zone. The imperial court was at its wits' end. Zhu Xiyan also sighed, "Grain prices in Shihuan City have already risen by forty percent. When grain prices rise, everything else follows suit. My servants say even candles have become expensive."

"Coincidentally, all I heard in the imperial court was a litany of complaints," Ke Jihai shook his head. "We are responsible for fighting on the front lines; it is the officials' duty to procure supplies. If I don't ask the imperial court for money, who else can I turn to? Soldiers can fight on empty stomachs, but what about the horses? Without wheat bran and bean cakes, they can't run fast or carry heavy loads by merely grazing on field grass."

The official's face was solemn: "In truth, families in Shihuan are also tightening their belts and making sacrifices to support the front. I hear Lord Cao, who is in charge of transporting supplies to the front, hasn't slept for days." He Lingchuan unconsciously glanced at the delicacies on the table. He Yue couldn't help but say, "Dong Haoming was well-prepared. With strong troops, robust horses, solid defenses, and ample grain, he intends to fight a protracted war with the imperial army. Once the imperial army is exhausted and begins to retreat, he will switch from defense to offense."

"That's precisely it," Ke Jihai nodded. "Dong Haoming has commanded armies for decades; he understands these tactics. If the dynamic shifts and the imperial army fails to hold Jixin Ridge in the north, Dong Haoming could board ships there and sail directly into Hongchuan, putting Shihuan City and the capital in peril once more."

Everyone's expressions changed. The last time the rebels took Woling Pass, it terrified the residents of Shihuan City. If the rebels were to take boats from Fengling Ferry and travel downstream along the Hongchuan River, they could reach Shihuan in days, causing havoc with nothing to obstruct them. Some nobles present had fled with their families upon hearing the news, only returning to Shihuan after learning that Wu Di and Ke Jihai had decisively defeated the rebels. No one wished to experience that heart-pounding fear again.

Someone asked Ke Jihai, "General, what was the outcome of your return to the capital?"

"What I managed to secure is merely a drop in the bucket," Ke Jihai sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Dong Haoming's forces are not like Hong Xiangqian's disorganized rabble; their elite troops are even superior to our imperial army and cannot be wiped out overnight. A lack of food drains morale the most, and with insufficient winter clothing and blankets, people are freezing to death or suffering frostbite daily. To be frank, if things continue like this, we will have to retreat to Jixin Ridge by next spring at the latest." That was less than three months away. "Defenses are already being constructed at Jixin Ridge, with deep trenches dug and high walls built. However, to my knowledge, the terrain there cannot accommodate an army of over one hundred thousand."

Zhu Xiyan, seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, knew the time was right. He cleared his throat and announced, "As our soldiers fight valiantly on the front lines, my family must also do its humble part. Therefore, my Zhu family is willing to raise and donate fifty thousand *shi* of military grain and five thousand *shi* of fodder, to be handed over to the imperial court's military supply department for urgent dispatch to the front!"

He Yue secretly calculated, his mind working quickly. With grain currently priced at eight hundred *wen* per *shi*, the Zhu family would likely spend around forty thousand taels of silver to buy and donate the grain to the front, and that didn't include the cost of fodder. A buzz of discussion spread around. With their host, Zhu Xiyan, having made a commitment, others cautiously weighed the costs and realized that spending a small sum to help the front-line soldiers resist Dong Haoming's forces was ultimately more economical than facing ruin and devastation later.

Consequently, several highly respected imperial relatives also opened their purses. Their status was more esteemed than Zhu Xiyan's, so they couldn't be less generous. The most generous family pledged to donate one hundred twenty thousand *shi*, while others ranged from sixty thousand to ninety thousand *shi*, along with fodder, clothing, shoes, and bedding. With these leading families setting the example, the aristocratic families and officials present had no choice but to reluctantly follow suit, cursing their bad luck inwardly. They had already presented a gift for attending the Zhu family's welcoming banquet that evening, and now, unexpectedly, General Ke Jihai was waiting to collect a second contribution from them. With so many families needing to buy grain, wouldn't grain prices around Shihuan skyrocket?