Chapter 827: 安民

**Chapter 819: Pacifying the Populace**

Amidst the clamor, Qiu Hu stepped forward. His voice, audible only to the He family father and son, was urgent: "The enemy army seems to be preparing for a siege. Should I take some men and sneak out through the west gate first, to facilitate coordination from inside and out?"

He Lingchuan’s first thought was, *Good idea!*

Keeping a capable team outside would allow them to scout enemy movements, and they could coordinate with forces inside the city, offering high mobility.

However, before He Lingchuan could respond, He Chunhua waved his hand. "No need. There's a way out."

"Dad..."

"Just trust me," He Chunhua stated firmly. "I will send people to make some preparations."

He Chunhua always acted meticulously and never spoke carelessly. If he said there was a way, there most likely was. So, He Lingchuan gestured to Qiu Hu, telling him to wait patiently.

Qiu Hu nodded and went off to attend to his duties.

He Chunhua watched his retreating back and said to He Lingchuan, "The guard given to you by Rongshan Sect is very capable. I think he's a talented commander."

Upon hearing of an enemy attack, how could an ordinary soldier react so quickly?

Did Rongshan Sect truly assign such a talent to his eldest son as a mere guard?

How highly did they regard him, then?

He Lingchuan chuckled.

Of course, this thought was only fleeting. The impending battle consumed all of He Chunhua's energy, and he began calculating the balance of power inside and outside the city.

He had brought a personal guard unit of one hundred. The newly assembled Blackwater City defense force numbered 780, and his eldest son also brought fifteen people from Rongshan. This put their fighting strength at around nine hundred.

"Nine hundred, that's not enough," he said, pressing his temples. "When I left Blackwater City the year before last, the city defense force clearly had 2,200 men. How is it that only 780 remain now?"

Zhao Qinghe immediately replied, "I've inquired. Last year, Governor Hu applied to reduce military expenditure, citing heavy costs. The Royal Court approved it, so the city defense force was cut to 1,500. Later, when the northwest front became strained, another seven hundred men were transferred from here."

"Nonsense!" He Chunhua massaged his forehead. "This is a border fortress!" That Hu fellow truly deserved to die!

But He Lingchuan understood. Blackwater City had enjoyed peace for a long time, and every year there was a season of raging sand, which meant four or five months of the year were unsuitable for warfare. So Governor Hu had become complacent. The Blackwater City army was established by the former governor, He Chunhua, and was not allowed to engage in private land reclamation. It was a regular border army supported by local funds. With local finances strained and having to support so many soldiers, it was truly a huge burden.

Originally, military expenses also received subsidies from the Yuan Court, but in recent years, the Yuan Kingdom's internal conflicts had been ceaseless, and they could no longer afford this sum. Governor Hu lacked He Chunhua's ability to generate revenue, so he could only find ways to cut expenses, which seemed not a major mistake.

As a result, it had devolved into the current predicament.

These nine hundred men were barely enough to defend the city. But if they wanted to repel the Andong people, they were somewhat insufficient.

After all, the quality of the soldiers...

"Nine hundred men are indeed not enough. We can only conscript within the city," He Lingchuan said, stroking his chin. "Since I returned a few days ago, I've constantly seen strong men wandering around the city, and quite a few cultivators too."

"Cultivators?" He Chunhua immediately understood. "They've also come for the Coiling Dragon Desert."

"Aren't these ready-made helpers? It would be a waste not to use them."

He Chunhua thought for a moment and offered a rare smile. "That's a good idea."

Afterwards, he hurried to the marketplace entrance in Blackwater City.

His accompanying personal guards continuously beat gongs, attracting all the city residents.

Facing the city's elders and residents, He Chunhua began an impromptu speech, both to reassure the public and to mobilize for recruitment.

He only made three points:

First, Blackwater City had high gates, deep walls, strong fortifications, and powerful artillery, making it difficult for external enemies to breach. Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed a trick to open the city gates.

Second, the Andong people had been defeated by He Chunhua twenty years ago. If he could defeat the Andong people three times, he could defeat them a fourth time.

Finally, Blackwater City had ample food supplies and complete armaments, so the elders and residents need not worry. They were now recruiting strong men to defend their homes and the city, and their pay and benefits would be generous!

The Soul-Snatching Mirror asked He Lingchuan, "Are food supplies really ample here?"

"Who knows?" Based on He Lingchuan's understanding of the administrative capabilities of local officials in Yuan Kingdom, this statement was likely made up by He Chunhua. "Otherwise, what could he say? That food is scarce, weapons have long rusted, and uniforms aren't even fully distributed?"

If he uttered one more word of truth, half the residents here would flee.

He Chunhua had served as an official in Blackwater City for over ten years and had always been close to the people in his administration. Most city residents didn't recognize Governor Hu, but they held great trust in He Chunhua.

With Governor Hu killed and the city gates besieged, internal strife and external threats arrived simultaneously. People were in fear as if a storm was brewing. Suddenly, the former governor arrived in the city, commanding with composure—

He Lingchuan stepped forward at the opportune moment to assist and shouted with a strong voice, "Lord He defeated the Xunzhou rebels in the north, is now the Governor-General of Yazhou, and has been enfeoffed as Marquis Wuwei and General Changning; just a month ago, he also quelled the rebellion in the south. The mere enemy threat outside Blackwater City is not worth mentioning! This city is filled with hidden masters and powerful experts who will come to our aid, enabling us to repel the enemy soon and reopen the city gates!"

This last sentence was directed at other forces lurking in Blackwater City. The common people naturally didn't understand, but upon hearing of He Chunhua's numerous military achievements and realizing such a formidable and amiable figure was taking charge, they felt significantly more at ease.

Recruitment in Blackwater City proceeded fairly smoothly afterwards. Over three hundred people were enlisted within two hours.

The newly recruited able-bodied men had a short period to learn and practice combat.

He Chunhua, despite his busy schedule, found a moment to ask Zhao Qinghe, "Have any cultivators volunteered to join?"

Zhao Qinghe shook his head.

"Heh, as expected." He Chunhua gave a cold smile. "Then invite them to join voluntarily."

He Lingchuan, standing nearby, said, "No rush."

"No rush?"

"They don't want to get involved yet, Father. If you force them, it might be counterproductive."

Don't push them towards the Andong side.

Unconsciously, He Chunhua found himself asking his eldest son quite naturally, "Then how long must we wait?"

"Until they believe we have a chance of winning," He Lingchuan smiled. "It's best to wait until they grow impatient... I think that'll be soon."

He Chunhua slowly nodded.

He Lingchuan saw deep thought in his eyes.

He wasn't sure if He Chunhua was pondering He Lingchuan's words or He Lingchuan himself.

When He Lingchuan returned to his residence for a short rest, the mirror asked him again:

"This current situation, could it also be part of your plan?"

Although it hadn't noticed these details when He Lingchuan was planning, its master often acted with deep meaning, and it only ever realized it when things came to a head.

"Nonsense," He Lingchuan said. He washed his face, then lay back on the bed, closing his eyes to rest. "The Andong's sudden attack on the city was an accident; it's not like I summoned them."

Don't fantasize that plans can be fully implemented or that events can be entirely controlled. After the battle of Xushan, he understood:

Accidents are the norm in life.

"Truly an accident?" The mirror remained skeptical.

"The Andong attacking Blackwater City is not strange in itself," He Lingchuan said. "As Father said, a weak country with a strong neighbor is in peril. Moreover, with the raging sand season gone, Blackwater City has lost a natural barrier, so external enemies aren't afraid of a protracted war. However, their timing was too precise; it completely disrupted my original plans."