Chapter 00280: The Instigator Behind the Scenes
# The Instigator Behind the Scenes
Chapter 280
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 280: The Instigator Behind the Scenes
The governor of Xiazhou personally arrived, escorting the food supplies that every soldier in the camp eagerly awaited.
Naturally, he was received with great enthusiasm by the warriors.
The two parties exchanged greetings, and after a couple of rounds of pleasantries filled with smiles, there was an air of camaraderie as if they were old friends who met after a long separation.
After all, the safety of Xiazhou depended on Zhao Pan.
Whether the front lines in the north could continue to fight would also rely on whether Governor He could transport grain here.
Both sides depended on each other, which meant their relationship was very close from the very beginning.
Zhao Pan looked just like the archetypal general from common folk's imagination; broad-shouldered and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and a strong jaw covered in stubble.
His face radiated straightforwardness, and when he laughed, it felt as if even the small trees beside him might be shaken.
The military provisions arrived, and soldiers from the border troops went to take over.
He Chunhua’s team could finally rest.
Zhao Pan took He Chunhua and headed into the camp, wanting to host a banquet to welcome him.
It was now in the early hours of the afternoon, and inside the big tent, five people were already seated.
Opposite were Zhao Pan and a deputy general, while on this side sat He Chunhua and his son, along with Elder Liang.
Notably, there was a hornbill perched on Zhao Pan’s shoulder, half yellow and half black, with an exceptionally large curved beak that was at least a third of its body length, and an exaggerated casque above its eyes.
He Lingchuan was quite skeptical.
With that casque blocking its view, would the hornbill be able to see clearly what was in front of it?
Once the introductions were finished, the food was served.
He Lingchuan took a look and saw there were only two items on each table: mixed grain rice and stewed meat, along with a small bowl of wine.
Then, the wine bowls were filled to the brim and smelled quite fragrant.
Zhao Pan's table had two bowls of meat because the hornbill on his shoulder hopped onto the table and began pecking at the meat.
It had no hands, but fortunately, its beak was large enough to toss the meat into the air, catch it with its mouth, and swallow it down.
One bite after another, it was quite a sight.
"This morning, a wild boar weighing three to four hundred jin crashed into the fence, and that's how we got this meat on the table. Otherwise, aside from mixed grain, wild vegetables, and this jar of wine, I really had nothing else to serve guests," Zhao Pan chuckled.
"Perhaps it knew Lord He was coming, otherwise, there hasn’t been a sighting of live creatures on the front for quite some time."
The birds and beasts in the nearby mountains had already been devoured clean by the hungry soldiers.
The coarse rice was mixed with many beans.
He Lingchuan could only recognize soybeans and mung beans, along with some other colorful variety he couldn't identify.
The pork was merely boiled and seasoned with salt.
Once He Lingchuan took a mouthful, he felt a strong gamey taste fill his mouth, making it almost unbearable to swallow.
The quality of wild boar meat and domestic pig meat was worlds apart.
Here at the frontline, where food was always scarce, they were barely managing to eat, let alone using ginger, garlic, Sichuan pepper, or soy sauce to mask any gamey flavors.
However, He Lingchuan did not frown even once and ate with a smile.
During his time on the Red Scarf Plateau guarding against monsters, he had stuffed much stranger and worse food into his mouth.
On the contrary, Elder Liang only took a bite before putting down his chopsticks.
Zhao Pan caught a glimpse and noted it down.
He Chunhua also spoke about the battles on the road and then apologized, "I feel ashamed to have let down the trust of the Wang family. Of the twenty thousand stones of grain that the Wang court arranged, I only managed to transport nine thousand stones. Truly incapable!"
Before he even reached the frontlines, he had dispatched secret messengers to convey news, so Zhao Pan had already contemplated this information several times, sifting through and filtering most of the negative aspects.
He could only shake his head and sigh, "It’s all thanks to Governor He personally escorting the shipment. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have been able to keep a single grain from Hong Chenglüe's men!"
He Lingchuan glanced at his father, seeing him hesitate to speak, so he took the initiative to ask, "Is General Zhao's evaluation of Hong Chenglüe really that high? We rarely hear this name from the past."
"Hong Chenglüe’s reputation exists in the northern Demon Kingdom; he has fought more battles against the eastern nations, and his deeds rarely spread here. However, both Yan Zanli and I have been guarding the north for many years, so we are quite familiar with his past," Zhao Pan waved his hand dismissively.
"Those who are good at fighting do not always achieve great fame. In this chaotic world, there are many who become famous overnight through battle, but how many can achieve long-term victories in a hundred battles or even win without fighting? Let me mention another person you surely know—"
"Hong Xiangqian."
He Chunhua was momentarily taken aback, "The leader of the rebel forces?" When Zhao Pan suddenly brought up this name, He Chunhua instantly realized that both of them shared the surname Hong.
"Indeed, the rebel leader Hong Xiangqian, who has been stirring up trouble in the central region and pressing towards the capital, is actually Hong Chenglüe's own brother!"
Both He father and son were astonished, "Hong Xiangqian's brother is actually in Xiazhou?"
Hong Xiangqian had committed the crime of clan extermination, which meant that Hong Chenglüe could be considered a fugitive wanted by the imperial decree?
"Yes, there is profound enmity between these two brothers; Hong Chenglüe didn't help Hong Xiangqian in his rebellion. Otherwise, would Ke Jihai and the others have been able to defeat Hong Xiangqian and relieve the capital from its peril? It's hard to say."
Zhao Pan let out a long sigh, "Hong Chenglüe is most adept at seizing opportunities in battle. At least in two critical campaigns, he managed to subdue an enemy without a fight. For Governor He to preserve nearly ten thousand stones of grain from under his command, I dare not demand more."
He Chunhua frowned deeply, "But this person is lurking behind our army, which is always a significant threat, and we must find a way to eliminate him."
He had witnessed Hong Chenglüe's slippery nature first-hand; last night, he had escaped twice right under the nose of the Xiazhou army and nearly killed his son.
Every opponent of Hong Chenglüe wished for his demise, yet he was still living well.
Thinking of this, a sudden thought rose in He Chunhua's mind.
"To win without battle…?"
Zhao Pan put down his bowl, “What did Governor He say?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
He Chunhua raised his wine bowl.
"I toast General Zhao with this bowl. It is a blessing that you are here to guard the border."
Zhao Pan was a general on par with Ke Jihai and Wu Di.
Were it anyone else, they would indeed struggle against Yan Zanli's offensive.
He lifted his bowl and drank it all at once, without hesitation.
"My son went to visit White Deer Town and heard that Hong Chenglüe and his wife had been hiding there for three years, living in dire poverty."
A proud general retreating from the world, willingly enduring hardship, this was a tale even storybooks would not dare to write because it hardly makes any money.
He Chunhua then asked, "What is the actual situation? General Zhao, do you know the details?"
"There are many versions circulating from the northern Demon Kingdom. The most popular one is that Hong Chenglüe faced hardships in his youth and was saved by his wife A Jin on two occasions. They wandered and suffered together, so their bond is profound. Later, when A Jin had a difficult labor, Hong Chenglüe swore an oath to hang up his sword, but sadly, their son still died, and his wife was left paralyzed. He felt despondent and, bound by his oath, simply resigned from office and withdrew to the countryside."
He Chunhua couldn’t help but chuckle, "Nonsense. Is such a small matter enough for a once-mighty general to hang up his sword? Child's play!"
"I also think it’s not likely. However, common folks love such tales," Zhao Pan laughed.
"I heard in my youth that Hong Chenglüe had once been involved in a royal power struggle and had backed the fierce opponent of the current Demon Emperor. Hehe, you and I both know the danger in that. Therefore, it is quite possible he resigned from office to avoid disaster, perhaps using his wife's childbirth as an excuse. He must have fled quickly. Otherwise, once the new Emperor Beijia rose to power, he might not be inclined to show mercy."
Even if there was a possibility, Hong Chenglüe wouldn’t dare to gamble.
"That makes some sense," He Chunhua mused.
"However, now that he has made a comeback and is leading troops in Xunzhou, he is likely being instigated by the northern Demon Kingdom."
"That is certain. Yan Zanli has suffered defeats under his command twice, but Hong Chenglüe is currently commanding the troops of Xunzhou. If it weren't for the directives of the northern Demon Kingdom, why would he serve a defeated general?" Zhao Pan snorted, "Battles are occurring everywhere, and the shadow of the Demon Kingdom complicates things. Yet they refuse to engage directly. It is infuriating!"
He Chunhua murmured in agreement, lost in thought.
After talking for so long, the food had long since finished.
Zhao Pan was still somewhat considerate, "You traveled a long way, and since night has fallen, I won't disturb your rest."
However, He Chunhua replied, "It’s no trouble; I want to head to the frontlines to take a look now."
As the newly appointed governor of Xiazhou was dedicated to his work, unlike those pampered officials, Zhao Pan certainly would not oppose him, "Then please follow me."
He Lingchuan naturally followed behind his father to visit the frontlines together.
It turned out that both sides were divided by the Hand River, which was about fifteen zhang wide.
The area north of the river was occupied by the Xunzhou people, while the southern bank was where Zhao Pan's army was stationed.
The camps of the bird nation's official army were relatively well-organized, while the opposite side was also brightly lit.
From where He Lingchuan stood, he could still see the silhouettes of armed sentries in the Xunzhou military camp.
The two sides were so close, yet the atmosphere remained calm for the moment.
He Chunhua asked, "Has there been no fighting recently?"
Even the front lines did not engage in battle every day.
"In the past few days, the farmlands at the rear are sowing seeds, so the front lines have agreed to a truce," Zhao Pan pointed at the yellow flag raised in front of the camp.
"The season has come, and if they don’t plant quickly, there will be no food next year."
"It seems that the grain situation in Xunzhou is also not abundant."
Otherwise, the Xunzhou people should have been pressing hard to attack and eliminate the bird army's opportunity for farming and settlement.
"Last year Xunzhou experienced a drought, leading to a poor harvest. If it weren't for Hong Xiangqian's sudden assault on Woling Pass this year which prompted the Grand Marshal to instigate a national change, I estimate Yan Zanli wouldn't be willing to betray the state this year."
"The northern Demon Kingdom isn't providing support?"
"After Sun Fuping was killed and Yan Zanli's rebellion was exposed, he had to pledge allegiance to the Beijia Kingdom first. I've heard that Beijia's attitude towards him has been quite cold."
He Chunhua smiled, "Rushing in is not a good deal."
If Beijia offered Yan Zanli terms, they would certainly be generous.
"Indeed, if Beijia supported Yan Zanli with money and grain, we wouldn’t have been able to hold out for this long," Zhao Pan said resentfully.
"They just want to see us consume ourselves and wait to reap the benefits later. That fool Yan Zanli!"
"However, the northern Demon Kingdom is now also taking action, employing Hong Chenglüe," He Chunhua pondered, "They may have changed their strategy towards the bird nation."
Zhao Pan sighed, "There are no outsiders here; let me give you an insider's word. Governor He, in the eyes of such an ancient nation as the northern Demon Kingdom, we are but a small and trivial state. Their current focus is on the east; they should have no interest in reaching out here."
He Chunhua fell silent.
Beijia's attitude towards Yan Zanli clearly showed the pride of that nation.
After all, throughout its six hundred years of history, it had always been a stronghold.
He Chunhua's thoughts were complex; he seemed to feel a sense of relief that Beijia was neglecting this place.
Otherwise, Xiazhou would be in even greater peril.
(End of this chapter)