Chapter 230: Danger Is Opportunity

He Lingchuan heard clanging and banging even before entering his home. The He residence was abuzz with activity, workers unloading furniture, dismantling courtyard walls, and moving materials.

This was Madam Ying's renovation project. With a limited budget, she personally oversaw every detail.

He Yue had suggested starting the work in late spring, about two months later, to save a significant amount of money. However, his mother's aesthetic sense flatly rejected the idea.

"It's too ugly; I can't stand it for another day!" The new house was not as large as their old home in Blackwater City, and with construction on the west side, the noise carried clearly to the east, offering no peace.

He Chunhua and He Yue spent their days at the yamen, leaving He Lingchuan unable to cultivate at home. He had no choice but to go out and enjoy himself. Even Lu Xin, the rock wolf with keen hearing, once suggested, "Why don't we get a room at an inn?" Fortunately, He Lingchuan had spent the entire day wandering, and by the time he returned to his courtyard, bathed, and re-emerged, the construction had stopped as the sun was setting.

Like the workers, the employers also headed home for dinner. The father and son of the He family likewise returned, bathed, and changed clothes, gathering as a family at the dinner table.

He Lingchuan glanced at the table, surprised. "Oh, hot pot tonight?" he exclaimed.

"What hot pot?" Madam Ying chuckled. "This is called 'Antique Broth,' and it's a local specialty in Dunyu." On the table, a thin iron pot was divided into inner and outer rings, both bubbling with broth.

Various raw ingredients were laid out: sliced and marinated meats, a few pickled vegetables, and some fresh greens. Vegetables were hard to come by this season, even common cabbage.

To He Lingchuan, this was undeniably a hot pot. He sat down, dipped some meat a few times, and added some seasoning.

The taste was surprisingly delicious, fresh and spicy. He Yue had been watching him, and seeing him continuously dip several slices of meat without stopping, seemed a bit disappointed. "Brother, how does it taste?"

"It's great!" He Lingchuan said, his voice muffled as he ate large mouthfuls of meat. "If you don't eat now, there'll be none left."

"Not spicy?" The broths in both circles looked similar, but the inner one had many peppers, so much so that He Yue almost spat it out after one taste.

It was both numbing and spicy! He Lingchuan had already spotted the floating peppercorns and chilies. "What's the big deal?" he thought. "It's just a super... simplified version of the red pot, minus the iconic layer of red oil."

Back when he ran out of money at the end of the month, he could eat an entire bottle of "Yellow Lantern" chili sauce with plain rice. Since arriving in this world, he had rarely tasted anything spicy and remained unaccustomed to it for the first six months.

And yes, he still wasn't used to it. With that familiar spicy taste, he almost wanted to let out a long cry of joy.

But he maintained his composure. "It's alright, isn't this taste quite addictive?"

"Yes," He Yue admitted. Though his tongue tingled, it was surprisingly refreshing. Aside from He Lingchuan, the other three He family members mostly used the milder white broth in the outer ring, only occasionally dipping into the spicy inner broth to avoid discomfort.

"Too bad I can't use more of it." He Lingchuan put down his chopsticks, went outside, and returned with a large bowl, which he placed on the table. "Here, if it gets too spicy, just eat some of this." The three looked, and it was a large bowl of snow powder!

Madam Ying was a little worried. "Where did you dig that up?" If her son dared to say he dug it from the ground, she'd beat him until he was unrecognizable.

"From the trees in my courtyard," He Lingchuan, not foolish, replied. "My courtyard hasn't started construction yet, so no dust has gotten there. It's very clean." Only then did they relax, scooping some snow powder to eat. It indeed instantly alleviated the spiciness in their mouths.

Only then did He Chunhua ask, "Any news from the Li family today?"

"Yes," He Lingchuan replied, still dipping meat, and recounted Li Shuang's attempt at bribery.

"I've been to Xiangpu Emporium in Dunyu," Madam Ying commented, as she had the most insight on such matters. "Their merchandise is decent. The staff said they get more customers around holidays like New Year's, Lantern Festival, Shangsi, and Hanyi, but normally business maintains a steady flow." He Lingchuan indignantly asked, "They want to bribe someone with that little money? Who do they look down on?"

"Li Shuang hopes the authorities will delay his father's detention for a few days," He Chunhua said, taking a sip of glutinous rice wine. "He's trying to buy more time for the Li family to send word to the capital. Once Minister Li applies pressure, perhaps Li Rong won't have to be imprisoned."

"He's playing a shrewd game but treating others like fools," He Yue laughed. "That kind of money must never be accepted." Otherwise, the Li family would report it to the Minister, accusing the new Xia Province Governor of bribery.

He Lingchuan bit into some snow powder, feeling his mouth refreshed. "Li Rong is definitely going to jail. Should we get Li Zhi in there too? It would be easy to find fault with him, and we could also seize that 150,000 taels of silver in bail money." Since arriving in Dunyu, even he, a second-generation rich kid, had felt the pain of being short on funds.

"No rush," He Chunhua said calmly. "Let him hang in suspense, worrying day and night. That's how the Li family will cooperate well. The front lines need money and provisions, and we need people. This all falls on the four prominent families. They are the ringleaders; if they don't step up and make concessions, the other smaller families won't genuinely contribute." Madam Ying also asked, "How is the front line? Haven't the Xun Province troops broken through Hundred-Cart Ridge and advanced south? Will they attack Dunyu?"

"Not so fast for now. Dunyu is closer to Xia Province's southern border, not the north. For Xun Province cavalry to cross Hundred-Cart Ridge and reach Dunyu, it would still take a full day and night of hard riding, assuming no obstructions," He Yue interjected. "This is also why the four prominent families are still clutching their money bags and refuse to cooperate." Madam Ying angrily retorted, "They're facing death, and they're still worried about that bit of money!"

"If Yan Zanli's army pushes into Dunyu, they'll retreat south beforehand. The calamities of war won't directly affect them; at most, they'll lose some property," He Yue sighed. "No matter when, the most unfortunate are always the poor."

"The Zhan family already intended to leave, but now that I've taken office, they're holding back, waiting to see if I can hold the line," He Chunhua said slowly. "These gentry are shrewd calculators, thinking that the national treasury should pay for the war on the front lines, and it's none of their business. They won't open their wallets until the very last moment. It's the same in Qiansong Prefecture and in Xia Province. The legacy of military-civilian unity at Hundred-Cart Ridge has long since vanished." Otherwise, he wouldn't have to expend so much effort to control the Li family.

Madam Ying looked around, seeing that the servants were all at a distance, and then softly said, "This might not be appropriate, but I'm quite relieved that Old Master Li passed away at this time."

"If Old Man Li were still alive, these four prominent families would be as hard to crack as a turtle's shell," He Yue chuckled. "Now, we can pick them off one by one." Li Rong was about to be detained. A detention cell, tsk tsk. Although it was just a place to hold suspects, the conditions were worse than a regular prison. It was undoubtedly filthy and squalid; some people there had been bitten by fleas, developed a fever, and died.

Even if the Li family had bribed the yamen runners, could Master Li Er, accustomed to a life of luxury, endure such a place?

Li Zhi was also out on bail; when his case went to trial in two months, he too would have to go to jail with his brother.

To secure a lenient sentence, he would cooperate well with Governor He. After all, he couldn't stake everything on Minister Li; who knew what Governor He's temper was like, or if he would be utterly unyielding?

And then there was Li Shuang. He was, after all, not senior enough. If he wanted to seize control of the Li family after both his elders were imprisoned, he might have to rely on official power.

Furthermore, before Li Zhi's trial, he would surely arrange for his successor, and that person definitely wouldn't be Li Rong's offspring.

The vast Li family would be very lively in the next two to three months. What He Chunhua feared most was their uniting against him.

Situations like today's were the best. Old Man Li Zhao, before he died, was probably still thinking about how to challenge him, wasn't he?

"Heh, naive." He wouldn't give Old Man Li a chance to contend with him.

"The enemy to the north is an enemy to the entire Xia Province," He Chunhua mused. "We can make something of this point." The Xun Province army had already entered Xia Province territory, which was not just a geographical event but a significant breach of the psychological defenses of Xia Province's people.

Everyone, including the four prominent families, felt a sense of crisis. A crisis, when danger is well-utilized, can become an opportunity.

He Yue's expression also grew serious. "Father, what are your thoughts?" He Chunhua stated decisively, "I've just taken office; my first battle must be a victory!" Whether he was reforming internal affairs and military matters or dealing with the powerful clans in Xia Province, no matter how grandly he conducted these affairs, he was still merely operating within his own territory.

This was commonly known as being "strong at home." At most, it would make the gentry and powerful families fear him but not truly submit. Only by facing and defeating a powerful external enemy could he, the newly appointed Governor, truly establish a firm footing and build his prestige in Xia Province.

Only then could his subsequent plans be fully implemented. This battle, this victory, was too crucial and required meticulous planning.

"Xia Province's army is poorly trained, whereas Yan Zanli's army is the Northern Demon-Repelling Army, honed by years of combat," He Chunhua shook his head. "In a direct confrontation, our chances of winning are too slim." Battles had to be fought step by step, and meals eaten bite by bite; he was not discouraged.

If the Xia Province soldiers were so easy to lead, it wouldn't have fallen to him to take on this lucrative but challenging position, would it? He Yue couldn't help but say, "The conscription order has already been issued, but the results are not good."

"It's not surprising that no one wants to join the army and fight. Military service isn't something you can avoid just because you want to," He Chunhua said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What concerns me is that the population on the census rolls differs greatly from the actual number of residents. This was particularly evident in Ru County. I specifically investigated there at the time; the registered households were only around 1,500, but when I asked local elders, Ru County had at least 13,000 people. And then there's Gua Province: during last summer's Fire Jumping Festival, the natural riverbed plaza in Guaxiang, which can accommodate 3,000 people, was completely full. Keep in mind that Guaxiang only had 230 registered households."

"There are a thousand threads to untangle, and each must be addressed one by one." His nose was red from eating too much spice, and He Chunhua wiped it with a towel. "Let's take it slowly. I hope Heaven gives me more time." He Lingchuan couldn't help but ask, "Dad, is there anything I can do?" He was idle all day, with nothing to do.

"Good boy, you've become sensible," He Chunhua said, patting his shoulder with satisfaction. "Don't worry, an opportunity will come soon."