Father He's Plan vs. He Lingchuan's Plan

"That's right." He Lingchuan looked doubtful. "Can that little bit of toll money really make up for eight hundred thousand taels?" He Chunhua scoffed with a grin. "More than enough!" "From the time I retook Blackwater City, the taxes from Red Cliff Road increased year by year. Right up until I left Qiansong Commandery, that trade route brought in a hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver every year. After deducting all expenses, there was always a surplus of forty to fifty thousand taels." He had once been the Prefect of Qiansong Commandery, so he knew these accounts better than anyone. "And back then, there was still the wild sand season, which shut down trade for at least eighty-odd days every year. This winter, the wild sand vanished, and grass began growing in the Panlong Desert. If the sand never returns, that trade route will make even more money!" He Lingchuan was astonished. "Huh? You're saying the wild sand season is gone?" "Gone. Even the Three Corpse Worms are gone. The Panlong Desert now is no different from any ordinary desert." He Lingchuan wore an expression of disbelief. "What caused it?" "Who knows?" He Chunhua smiled wryly. "I guarded Blackwater City for so many years, yet I was never able to uncover the secrets of the Panlong Desert." "The kingdoms to the west have fallen into some turmoil, which caused traffic along the Red Cliff Trade Route to surge starting last year." Many foreign merchants did not necessarily enter Great Yuan to trade, but they used the Red Cliff Trade Route as a transit corridor. "If the wild sand season is gone for good, the tax revenue from Red Cliff Trade Route will be even more substantial. Don't forget, what's collected there is hard, tangible silver in hand. It isn't like a mine that needs excavating, smelting, transporting, and selling. You could say it has low costs and quick returns." The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. The Red Cliff Trade Route was practically a cash cow, a genuine prime asset. What reason would Mount Rong have to turn it down? "So leasing this trade route to Mount Rong Sect for thirty or forty years, valued at 1.5 to 2 million taels, won't be an issue at all." He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Would the King agree to put it up as collateral?" Wasn't ready cash the very thing the Kingdom of Yuan lacked most? "In truth, the tax silver the Red Cliff Trade Route remits to the national treasury every year is nowhere near what I just said." He Chunhua offered a mysterious smile. "The King likely views it as a chicken rib—worthless to keep, yet a pity to discard—and would jump at the chance to trade it away." He Lingchuan let out a long "oh," understanding immediately. There were quite a few twists and turns involved here; this convenient father of his was no saint either. "I'm going to the palace later for a council anyway, so I'll just petition the King directly. That way, the appraisal of the Red Cliff Trade Route will be very simple. You sign off on the 3.7 million taels of military provisions first, and then I'll take the Mount Rong people to inspect the Red Cliff Trade Route in person," He Chunhua said gravely. "Emergency calls for expediency." He Lingchuan thought it over. The Mount Rong people were not actually afraid of Great Yuan defaulting or passing off inferior collateral. After all, this three-million-plus in military provisions was only the first installment; another three-million-plus was still waiting to be signed off. "That works too." He Chunhua instantly exhaled a long breath, visibly relaxing. Even he had not realized how much his eldest son's affirmation mattered to him. He Lingchuan looked at him with a grin. "Why do I get the feeling that you've suddenly become very impatient, Old Man?" "I have no choice but to hurry." He Chunhua sighed with deep emotion. "Whether to deploy troops or not, there are ample reasons for both. I was merely swaying back and forth between them." Yet He Lingchuan felt that He Chunhua's change in attitude and eagerness to march south stemmed from another motive, one he had never brought to the table. "In other words, you march south to suppress the rebellion first, and then head west to the Red Cliff Road to appraise the route's taxes?" He Chunhua gave an affirmative grunt. "That's essentially it. What do you think?" On such a major matter of military and state affairs, asking his eldest son's opinion was unprecedented, but He Lingchuan was responsible from beginning to end for supervising the use and destination of the loan. He Lingchuan smiled. "Sounds good to me." He Chunhua was about to stand when he suddenly recalled something. "Right. On my way south, I will pass Xianling Lake. Do you happen to have the crocodile demon's tear?" The old man's memory was sharp indeed. He Lingchuan had to think back for a few breaths before saying, "I do." Back then, he had helped the Crocodile God by the shores of Xianling Lake and asked his father to arrange an official appointment for it overseeing the marshlands. In return, the giant crocodile had gifted him a single tear, promising that if he used it beside Xianling Lake, he would receive its aid. "Lend it to me," He Chunhua said solemnly. "Its abilities will be perfect for Longchuan!" He Lingchuan did not hold back. He fished a small glass vial out of his storage ring and tossed it to He Chunhua. "Stay far away from the water when you summon the big crocodile. Otherwise, if it doesn't see me, there's no telling what it might do." With that, He Chunhua rose, settled the bill, and left in a hurry. He Lingchuan walked downstairs at an unhurried pace and rode his ram toward home. There were few people on this street. Mortgaging the Red Cliff Trade Route was a sound plan; nine times out of ten, He Chunhua's proposal to the King of Yuan would pass. The mirror expressed immense surprise. "Just as you predicted, he really wants to mortgage the Red Cliff Trade Route! H-how did you foresee this beforehand?" "You wouldn't understand," He Lingchuan said leisurely. "It's called psychological suggestion." He had to make He Chunhua propose mortgaging the Red Cliff Trade Route of his own accord. A prime asset, stable income, clear accounts, and easy to inspect in person. Even if the Kingdom of Yuan possessed other fine assets meeting those criteria, He Chunhua would not necessarily know about them. After all, how long had he been a high-ranking minister of state? However, he had lived in Blackwater City for over twenty years and knew everything about the Red Cliff Road inside and out. The prime asset he could recall on short notice would naturally be this trade route! Not to mention, strange reports concerning the Panlong Desert had been arriving one after another lately, delivered straight to He Chunhua, which subconsciously deepened his impression of both the desert and the Red Cliff Trade Route. In truth, the criteria He Lingchuan had laid out were tailored specifically for Red Cliff Road from the start. His understanding of this trade route was in no way inferior to He Chunhua's. Yet this proposal had to come as a "flash of inspiration" from He Chunhua himself; He Chunhua had to believe he held the initiative. Toward a plan he spearheaded, He Chunhua would only feel self-satisfied, never on guard. Only in this way would neither he nor Nailuotian harbor any suspicion toward He Lingchuan's actions. So far, every step of He Chunhua's reactions had landed squarely within He Lingchuan's expectations. Step one of the plan: complete. "It seems the loan's progress and the southward deployment schedule will both be pushed forward significantly," He Lingchuan mused. "With just a slight hint from me, the old man immediately brought up the Red Cliff Trade Route. It looks like he's in quite a hurry to reach the Panlong Desert." From inside his coat, the soul-snatching mirror wondered, "What is he in such a hurry for?" Pedestrians grew more numerous on the road ahead, so He Lingchuan held his tongue and did not answer. *** He Chunhua had lunch with friends at noon. Afterward, he found a safe, secluded spot, tightly shuttered the doors and windows once more, brought out the divine statuette, and lit incense in prayer. Before long, Nailuotian's voice rang out: "What is it this time?" It sounded somewhat impatient. He Chunhua said, "An anomaly has appeared in the Panlong Desert. Were you aware?" The air suddenly turned deathly quiet. Nailuotian paused for a long while before asking him, "What clues do you have?"