People naturally admired the strong, so of course they would flock to the side that was winning.
"How do you plan to fight them, Father?"
"I've consulted with my advisors and generals. It's not that the southern rebels haven't suffered defeats; it's that the moment they find themselves at a disadvantage, they retreat into the marshes. The waterways there run in every direction, and the terrain is far too intricate, making pursuit and suppression exceptionally difficult."
He Lingchuan summed it up: "Defeating them isn't hard, but wiping them out at the root is."
For rebels and bandits, Longchuan was an absolute paradise. More than a century ago, Yuheng City had faced the very same dilemma.
"Exactly."
Propping his chin in his hand, He Lingchuan studied the sand table. "Do the southern rebels stay holed up in Longchuan without ever coming out? If they're truly that clever, dealing with them will be tough."
"They come out. They're currently advancing north, looking as though they intend to retrace the old path of Hong Xiangqian—marching toward Woling Pass to sweep down along the river!" Woling Pass had once been a vital military stronghold, but it had eventually fallen to the onslaught of Hong Xiangqian's rebel army. Although the two prominent generals Ke Jihai and Wu Di had recaptured Woling Pass in the nick of time, it had never undergone any meticulous repairs afterward.
He Lingchuan had passed through there in person, and the impression remained vivid in his mind.
Could it withstand another enemy assault? In any case, he wasn't particularly optimistic.
If Woling Pass fell once more, Shihuan City and the Yuan capital would be exposed to immense peril yet again. Whether they would be blessed with such good fortune this time around was anyone's guess.
He Lingchuan shook his head. "This rebel army isn't all that clever, either. Otherwise, they'd hold Longchuan to the death and make attrition their primary tactic. Great Yuan can't afford a war of attrition right now. The rebels in the south and the Grand Marshal in the northwest could bleed it dry indefinitely, grinding it down until it collapses. Abandoning their greatest advantage to march north is unwise."
He Chunhua snorted. "If they didn't march north, how could they bewitch so many followers?"
Even rebels had to sell dreams to swell their ranks—what an utter farce!
Yet if they stayed cowering within Longchuan indefinitely, where would the food, drink, and supplies come from to maintain an army tens of thousands strong?
An insurgent force like this relied above all on fueling war through war—seizing territory, slaughtering the wealthy, feeding themselves on the spoils, and expanding their numbers.
So many joined simply for a bite to eat. If the army dared to stay put, it would find itself trapped in a dilemma.
He Lingchuan asked in surprise, "Does Longchuan produce no grain these days?"
Back in the Panlong era, Longchuan had been a fertile land of fish and rice, boasting dozens of villages and over a hundred settlements. The headquarters of Qianjin Stronghold alone had been the size of a small walled city.
Supported by Longchuan's natural bounty, the water bandits had roamed freely across the waters—venturing out to raid, falling back to defend their homes, living in comfort and flaunting their arrogance.
In an era when southern Xiji was destitute everywhere else, Longchuan had seemed like another world entirely, functioning as a self-sustaining realm.
"There is some, but not much," He Chunhua replied; he had also studied Longchuan's present condition. "Years ago during Hong Xiangqian's rebellion, he dragged away far too many able-bodied youths from here, leaving behind only women, children, and the elderly. The weeds in the fields grew taller than men. Even if these rebels stayed cooped up in Longchuan and planted crops right now, it would take at least half a year to see a harvest.
"Furthermore, over the past decade, the rainy seasons have arrived right on cue, bringing torrential downpours every single year. The water levels in Longchuan have risen, and the lake surfaces have expanded. I've heard several of the larger lakes have grown to two or three times their original size, so there simply isn't that much arable land left."
He Lingchuan felt genuine envy.
If the Longchuan that Yuheng City had faced back then had been in this state, would they have needed to rack their brains so hard just to suppress the bandits?
"What kind of person is the leader of this force?"
"Originally the assistant magistrate of Yu County, drawing a salary from the royal court!" He Chunhua pressed his forehead. "This rebel certainly chose to rebel with absolute thoroughness!"
The rebel leader had actually been an official? Talk about ideals! He Lingchuan asked, "How is his learning and composure compared to Hong Xiangqian?"
"How could he compare?" He Chunhua scoffed. "If he had Hong Xiangqian's caliber, Great Yuan would be done for!"
Hong Xiangqian's uprising had lasted for more than two years. At that time, the Grand Marshal had not yet rebelled, yet the Yuan Kingdom had been left panting and wheezing just to deal with them, suffering numerous defeats along the way.
Had those two years of warfare not drained the state treasury dry, how could the Yuan Kingdom have fallen to such a desperate state today?
"If that's the case, once they leave Longchuan, they'll be no match for you, Father." He Lingchuan pointed to the west of Longchuan. "Lure them away from Longchuan, then split your forces to cut off their retreat. Wouldn't that make things manageable? And right now, Father, you hold yet another advantage."
"Oh?" He Chunhua loved the word "advantage." "What is it?"
"Haven't the government troops suffered repeated defeats previously? With victory after victory, the rebels must be exceptionally arrogant and fierce right now." War was always like that: the losers hung their heads in dejection, while the victors strutted with pride. "In their arrogance and conceit, they might not even take you seriously. While they remain unaware that General Changning, the Marquis of Wuwei, is personally leading an army south, you can hit them like a bolt from the blue and perhaps wipe out their main force in one blow."
He Chunhua nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."
He Lingchuan chuckled. "Since you've already figured it all out, what more is there for me to suggest?"
He Chunhua looked at him with a rather complicated expression. "Chuan'er, what is your view of the current situation in the country?"
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic, He Lingchuan paused. "Father, isn't that question a bit too grand?"
"It isn't grand," He Chunhua said, shaking his head. "In fact, it's pressing."
"I don't have much of an opinion." This time, He Lingchuan was speaking the honest truth. Whichever way the Yuan Kingdom was headed, he didn't care much. He was merely a wandering soul occupying the body of his original self; he was neither born nor raised here, so how could he harbor any genuine attachment to the Yuan Kingdom? Having secured millions of taels of silver in loans from Mount Rong, he felt he had fulfilled any obligation beyond measure. "I only hope the war ends sooner—honestly, it doesn't matter who puts an end to it."
He Chunhua's eyes narrowed slightly. "It doesn't matter who?"
He Lingchuan stretched lazily and remarked, half intentionally and half offhandedly, "Of course. As long as the civil war ends, the common folk will suffer less misery. Whoever gives them good days to live, they will naturally support."
He knew very well what his father wanted to hear.
He Chunhua remained silent for quite a while. "That way of thinking is very dangerous."
"What does it matter if I just say it?" He Lingchuan said dismissively. "In any case, the person who can end the internal turmoil and restore peace and order to the Yuan Kingdom won't be me."
He Chunhua smiled slightly and pointed to the sand table. "Come, let's keep discussing our tactics."
"What else is there to say?" He Lingchuan replied without hesitation. "If you want a swift and decisive victory, Father, you must lure the main rebel force out of their lair and finish the job in a single campaign. If you let them flee back, you'll have no choice but to shift to a cautious, steady advance toward Longchuan, and it will take at least six months to a year to eradicate them.
"The Yuan Kingdom looks frail and exhausted, but holding out for another year or six months shouldn't be a problem." After all, hadn't it endured the past several years just like this? "It's just that you, Father, would be put in far too passive a position."
From top to bottom, the Yuan royal court placed immense hopes on He Chunhua. If he were dragged into a prolonged war of attrition with the southern rebels, his abilities would inevitably be questioned, and his prestige would surely take a blow.
He Chunhua harbored grand ambitions and had plans for the future; he could not accept such an outcome.
Chapter 792