Chapter 279: The Mastermind Behind

The Governor-General of Xiazhou arrived in person, escorting the much-anticipated grain for the military camp, and was naturally welcomed by the soldiers.

Both sides exchanged greetings, followed by two rounds of pleasantries. They were all smiles, displaying a warmth as if they were old friends meeting for the first time.

After all, Xiazhou's safety depended on Zhao Pan.

And whether the war on the northern front could continue depended on Governor He's ability to transport grain to this location.

Their mutual interdependence ensured a close relationship from the very beginning.

Zhao Pan seemed to be built like the archetypal general in the common people's minds: broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with thick eyebrows and bushy sideburns. His face exuded boldness, and when he laughed heartily, it seemed as if he could shake down small trees nearby.

Once the military provisions were delivered, the border troops naturally took over, and He Chunhua's team could finally rest.

Zhao Pan led He Chunhua into the camp to host a welcoming banquet.

It was early Shenshi (around 3 p.m.), and five people were seated inside the main tent. Zhao Pan and a deputy general were on one side, while He Chunhua, his son, and Elder Liang were on the other.

It was worth mentioning that a hornbill was perched on Zhao Pan's shoulder. It was half yellow and half black, with an astonishingly large, curved beak that accounted for at least one-third of its body length. Above its eyes was an exaggerated casque.

He Lingchuan highly doubted whether the hornbill's small eyes could clearly see what was directly in front of it with that casque obstructing its view.

After introductions, the food was served.

He Lingchuan observed that each person's table held only two items: mixed grain rice and stewed meat, accompanied by a small bowl of wine.

Then, the wine bowls were filled, and the wine smelled quite fragrant.

There were two bowls of meat on Zhao Pan's table because the hornbill from his shoulder hopped onto the table and began pecking at the meat.

It had no hands, but fortunately, its large beak allowed it to pick up a piece of meat, toss it into the air, catch it with its open mouth, and swallow it.

It ate bite after bite, very quickly.

"This morning, a large wild boar weighing three to four hundred pounds crashed into the fence, and now it's this bowl of meat on the table," Zhao Pan said with a laugh. "Otherwise, besides mixed grains, wild vegetables, and this jar of wine, I really couldn't offer a fourth item to guests. It probably knew you, Governor He, were coming; otherwise, the front lines haven't seen a living creature in a long time."

The birds and beasts in the nearby mountains and forests had long since been eaten by the hungry soldiers.

The brown rice had many beans mixed in; He Lingchuan could only identify soybeans and mung beans, along with another mottled variety he didn't recognize. The pork was simply boiled with only salt added. When He Lingchuan put a piece into his mouth, he found it gamey and fishy, almost impossible to swallow.

The meat quality of wild boar and domestic pig was vastly different.

On this war-torn front line, there was a constant shortage of grain; they could barely get enough to eat, let alone use ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, or soy sauce to remove gamey smells and enhance flavor.

However, He Lingchuan didn't frown; he smiled as he ate it. When he was staking out monsters in the Chipa Plateau, he had eaten even more unappetizing and stranger things.

In contrast, Elder Liang took only one bite, then put down his chopsticks and stopped eating.

Zhao Pan's gaze swept over, observing everything.

Meanwhile, He Chunhua spoke of the battles on the road, then apologized: "I am ashamed of the king's trust. Of the twenty thousand *shi* of grain prepared by the Royal Court, I only managed to transport nine thousand *shi*. I am truly incompetent!"

Before he even reached the front line, he had sent a special envoy to deliver the news. Zhao Pan had therefore already pondered and digested the news multiple times, filtering out most of the negative aspects. He merely shook his head and sighed, "It's all thanks to Governor He personally escorting it. If it had been anyone else, not a single grain would have been saved from Hong Chenglüe!"

He Lingchuan looked at his father, seeing him hesitant to speak, so he chimed in, "General Zhao, is your evaluation of Hong Chenglüe really that high? We rarely heard this name before."

"Hong Chenglüe's reputation is mainly in the northern demon kingdom," Zhao Pan said, waving his hand. "He fought more often with the eastern states, so his deeds rarely reached here. But Yan Zanli and I have been guarding the north for years, and we are very familiar with his past. Those truly skilled in warfare do not seek flamboyant achievements. In today's chaotic world, there are countless people who gain fame in a single battle, but how many can win a hundred battles, or even achieve victory without fighting? Let me mention one more person, someone you must know—"

"Hong Xiangqian."

He Chunhua paused, "The rebel leader?" When Zhao Pan suddenly mentioned this person, He Chunhua immediately realized that both shared the surname Hong.

"Precisely. Hong Xiangqian, the rebel leader who disrupted the central regions and pressed on the capital, is Hong Chenglüe's blood brother!"

Both He Chunhua and his son were surprised: "Hong Xiangqian's blood brother is actually in Xiazhou?"

Hong Xiangqian committed a crime punishable by extermination of his clan. Does that mean Hong Chenglüe is considered a wanted fugitive?

"Yes, there's a deep rift between the brothers, and Hong Chenglüe didn't help Hong Xiangqian rebel," Zhao Pan sighed deeply. "Otherwise, it's hard to say if Ke Jihai and his men could have defeated Hong Xiangqian and relieved the capital's crisis. Hong Chenglüe is most adept at seizing military opportunities; at least twice in crucial battles, he managed to subdue the enemy without fighting. For Governor He to have saved nearly ten thousand *shi* of grain from him, I dare not ask for more."

He Chunhua's brows furrowed. "But this man, lingering behind our army, is always a major hidden danger. We must find a way to eliminate him."

He had already witnessed Hong Chenglüe's slipperiness. Just last night, he escaped twice from under the nose of the Xiazhou army and almost killed his son.

All of Hong Chenglüe's opponents longed to kill him, yet he was still alive and well.

At this point, another thought suddenly arose in He Chunhua's mind.

"Subduing the enemy... without fighting?"

Zhao Pan put down his bowl. "What did you say, Governor He?"

"Oh, nothing." He Chunhua raised his wine bowl. "I toast General Zhao with this bowl. Having you guard the border is a blessing for Great Yuan."

Zhao Pan was a renowned general, on par with Ke Jihai and Wu Di. If another person had been stationed here, they truly wouldn't have been able to withstand Yan Zanli's offensive.

He raised his bowl and drained it without any false modesty.

"My son visited Bailu Town and heard that Hong Chenglüe and his wife lived there in seclusion for three years, and were surprisingly impoverished," He Chunhua then asked. "An arrogant, famous general choosing seclusion and willingly enduring poverty and hardship—even storybooks wouldn't dare to write this, because it wouldn't sell. What exactly happened? Does General Zhao know the truth?"

"There are many versions circulating from the northern demon kingdom," Zhao Pan replied. "The most widely spread one is that Hong Chenglüe suffered hardships in his youth and was saved twice from danger by his wife, Ajin. They wandered and suffered together, so their feelings for each other were deep. Later, Ajin had a difficult labor, and Hong Chenglüe made a blood oath to put down his sword forever. Unfortunately, their son still died young, and his wife was paralyzed. Disheartened and bound by his oath, he simply resigned his post and has lived in seclusion in the countryside ever since."

He Chunhua couldn't help but laugh. "Nonsense. Such a minor incident could make a rising general abandon his career? Child's play!"

"I agree it's unlikely, but the common people love such stories," Zhao Pan said with a laugh. "I heard early on that Hong Chenglüe was once involved in a royal internal struggle and picked the wrong side, supporting the current Demon Emperor's mortal enemy. Heh heh, you and I both know the dangers involved. So it's highly probable that he resigned to avoid disaster, perhaps using his wife's difficult labor as an excuse. It was a good and quick escape; otherwise, after Beijia's new emperor ascended, he might not have been so tolerant."

Even if there was tolerance, Hong Chenglüe wouldn't have dared to gamble at the time.

"That makes some sense," He Chunhua mused. "But now that he has re-emerged to lead troops for the Xunzhou people, this is most likely orchestrated by the northern demon kingdom."

"That's inevitable," Zhao Pan snorted. "Yan Zanli suffered two defeats at his hands, yet Hong Chenglüe is now leading Xunzhou's troops. If not for the northern demon kingdom's instruction, why would he serve a defeated general? There are battles everywhere, and the demon kingdom is meddling everywhere. Yet it refuses to intervene directly, which is infuriating!"

He Chunhua hummed in acknowledgment, looking thoughtful.

After they had chatted for so long, the food was long gone.

Zhao Pan was considerate. "You've traveled a long way, and it's already dark. I won't disturb your rest."

He Chunhua, however, said, "No matter. I'd like to see the front line right now."

The newly appointed Governor-General of Xiazhou was dedicated to his work, unlike those pampered officials. Zhao Pan naturally wouldn't object. "Then please follow me," he said.

He Lingchuan naturally followed behind his father to tour the front line together.

It turned out that the Hanzhan River served as the boundary between the two sides. The river was about fifteen *zhang* wide; the area north of the river was occupied by the Xunzhou people, while Zhao Pan's army was stationed south of it.

The camp of the Yuan Kingdom's official army was set up quite neatly. The opposite bank was also brightly lit, and from He Lingchuan's position, he could even see the figures of sentries holding long spears in the Xunzhou military camp.

Despite the close proximity of the two sides, the atmosphere was relatively peaceful at the moment.

He Chunhua also asked, "No fighting recently?"

Even on the front lines, battles don't happen every day.

"These past two days, the farmlands behind us have been planting seedlings, and the front line agreed to a ceasefire," Zhao Pan said, pointing to the yellow flag displayed prominently in front of the camp. "The season has arrived; if we don't hurry and plant the fields, there will be no food next year."

"It seems Xunzhou isn't rich in grain either. Otherwise, the Xunzhou people would have launched a fierce attack to prevent the Yuan army from reclaiming and cultivating fields."

"Xunzhou experienced a drought last year, leading to a poor harvest. If it weren't for Hong Xiangqian's sudden attack on Woling Pass this year and the Grand Marshal instigating a coup, I doubt Yan Zanli would have chosen to defect and betray his country this year."

"The northern demon kingdom isn't providing support?"

"After Sun Fuping was killed, Yan Zanli's rebellion was exposed, and he had no choice but to defect to the Beijia Kingdom first. I heard that the Beijia Kingdom's attitude towards him was rather cold."

He Chunhua smiled. "Being too eager doesn't make for good bargaining. If the Beijia Kingdom had actively persuaded Yan Zanli to surrender, his treatment would certainly have been very generous."

"Indeed. If Beijia had supported Yan Zanli, giving him money and grain as needed, we wouldn't have been able to hold out for so long," Zhao Pan said bitterly. "It just wants to see us exhaust ourselves in internal strife, then reap the benefits later. Yan Zanli is an idiot!"

"However, the northern demon kingdom has now made a move, employing Hong Chenglüe, that scoundrel," He Chunhua mused. "Its strategy towards the Yuan Kingdom might have changed."

Zhao Pan sighed. "There are no outsiders here, so let me be frank with you. Governor He, in the eyes of an ancient, long-established nation like the northern demon kingdom, we are actually just a small, insignificant state. Its current focus is on the eastern regions; it probably has no interest in reaching out here."

He Chunhua fell silent. The Beijia Kingdom's attitude towards Yan Zanli was enough to show the nation's arrogance.

After all, throughout its six hundred years of history, it had always been a powerful nation.

He Chunhua's state of mind was subtle; it was as if he should actually be grateful for Beijia Kingdom's indifference to this place, otherwise, Xiazhou would be in even greater peril.