Bad News from the Front Lines

Outside Suhong Hall lay a small garden.

As father and son passed through the garden gate, they happened to spot two figures inside the hall.

He Chunhua tilted his head slightly, his voice soft. "Are those the two men you saw in the middle of the street the other day?"

He Lingchuan saw the guests too and hurriedly nodded. "Yes, them!"

Back then, the two had ridden their horses through the bustling market, nearly trampling a child, before swaggering out through the city gate toward the northeast.

He Chunhua had not returned home for the past two days, and He Lingchuan had had no chance to report the matter. He had not expected his father to know about it anyway.

Who had informed him?

Most likely Uncle Hao.

Once again, He Lingchuan experienced his father's meticulous, all-encompassing control—over both his sons and Blackwater City alike.

It was a little frightening.

The moment they entered the hall, He Chunhua looked at the two uninvited guests. "May I ask where our guests have come from?"

The white-robed youth He Lingchuan had met two days ago was now dressed in lake-green brocade, with silk embroidery adorning his collar and shoulders. Such formal attire showed respect for the local host.

At last, he also saw the gray-clad man's true face.

The man was nearing sixty, tall and thin, an old man with graying hair and beard. Yet his eyes were exceptionally bright, as though they could stare straight into one's heart and dig out its most hidden secrets.

The youth smiled. "I am Nian Songyu, Military Commandant of Yangwu in Yue City, Xun Prefecture. I have come on the orders of my father, Nian Zanli!" Then he introduced the companion beside him. "This is Great Yuan's State Preceptor, State Preceptor Sun, Sun Fuping!"

Even with He Chunhua's formidable composure, he was greatly shocked. "What!"

Nian Songyu was one thing. He already knew that Governor of Xun Prefecture Nian Zanli had sent someone here; at most, he had not expected it to be Nian Zanli's second son.

But State Preceptor Sun's appearance was utterly beyond his expectations.

A State Preceptor!

The Yuan Kingdom had three State Preceptors in all, and each possessed unfathomable powers, as mysterious as gods and ghosts.

In peacetime, they could assist the monarch in regulating the kingdom's fortunes. In war, they were the most terrifying weapons of destruction; given the right moment, they could even possess the power to settle the realm with a single strike.

As the ultimate aspiration of countless practitioners, State Preceptor Sun ought to have been enjoying offerings in the capital. Why had he suddenly come to this barren wilderness?

Disregarding etiquette, He Chunhua studied him intently for a long while before finally breathing out. "It truly is State Preceptor Sun. This subordinate was presumptuous!"

Sun Fuping smiled faintly. "At the Heaven Worship Ceremony twenty years ago, I recall Sacrificial Scholar He attending with his three grandsons. You were one of them!"

"Things remain while people change." He Chunhua sighed softly, then pointed back at his eldest son. "My worthless son, He Lingchuan."

He had lived in the capital for more than a decade and had seen this State Preceptor Sun on many occasions. Twenty years had passed, and State Preceptor Sun had grown old, but his features remained the same. After looking twice more, He Chunhua recognized him.

He Lingchuan could only step forward to offer his greetings.

Nian Songyu smiled at him. "We meet again so soon."

"Isn't that so?" Catching the deeper meaning in his words, He Lingchuan's smile grew even brighter. "It seems Commandant Nian and I are fated."

He Chunhua looked surprised. "What, you two have met before?"

Before Nian Songyu could speak, He Lingchuan rushed to explain. "Father, you do not know. Two days ago, your son was eating by the roadside when I happened to encounter these two distinguished guests passing by. The streets were crowded then, and Commandant Nian even acted to save a child from being trampled!"

Uncle Hao, who had just stepped into the rear hall, twitched at those words.

He Chunhua gave an "Oh." "So that was it. Commandant Nian is young yet accomplished, and it is rare indeed that he is also so kind-hearted."

The four of them smiled together, all pretending confusion while fully understanding the truth.

Yet He Lingchuan understood very well: Nian Songyu's rank was higher than his own, and Nian Songyu's father held a higher office than his father. Their minor clash from two days ago had to be brushed aside so they could get to the point.

Besides, he had a feeling the main matter would not be pleasant either.

Nian Songyu smiled and, sure enough, did not mention it again. "Lord He, the State Preceptor and I carry an urgent mission. We traveled day and night for three days to reach this place."

He Chunhua was considerate as well. "You have both endured the hardships of travel. Stay at White Stone Tower tonight; it is Blackwater City's finest guest residence." Then he turned to summon servants and have fresh hot tea brought for the two guests.

Seeing that he did not ask, Nian Songyu could only continue on his own. "This mission may require Lord He's assistance."

He Chunhua gave a quiet hum. "I am all ears."

Nian Songyu said solemnly, "Does Lord He know that Woling Pass has already fallen?"

He Chunhua was so shocked that he nearly sprang to his feet. Forgetting all etiquette, he said, "What did you say? Woling Pass was breached?"

Woling Pass? He Lingchuan immediately searched his memories for the name. Yet the original owner of this body seemed not to have paid much attention to it. He only knew it was somewhere in the central Yuan Kingdom, with rivers and mountains nearby.

"How is that possible?" He Chunhua said in a grave voice. "I heard that the rebel armies of Buxin and Hongchuan joined forces in May and began attacking Woling Pass. But Woling Pass occupies a natural stronghold and has been reinforced repeatedly over the past decade or more. It is easy to defend and hard to attack. Moreover, Zhao Ronglue, who commanded the pass, was known as the 'Iron Bucket General.' His troops were elite and his provisions abundant. How could the rebels so easily break through its defenses?"

By his estimate, Woling Pass could have held for at least a year or two. By then, the rebel threat would have resolved itself.

"Though Lord He is far away in Jin Province, your understanding of the central war situation exceeds that of many powerful nobles in the capital." Nian Songyu spoke softly. "Unfortunately, the 'Iron Bucket General' was wounded in his right eye during the melee and died beyond treatment. The moment he died, morale collapsed, the commanders fell into infighting, and the rebel army seized the chance to assault the city. Half a month ago, an insider secretly opened the gates and let the rebels in."

Such a vital stronghold had fallen without needing to be conquered. Suhong Hall went silent, save for Governor He's increasingly heavy breathing.

"You also know how important Woling Pass is to the Yuan heartland." Nian Songyu fixed his eyes on him. "It controls Fengling Ferry, the most important crossing on the Hongchuan River. It is the high-water season now, and several torrential summer rains have swollen the river into a raging flood. If the rebels travel downstream, they can bypass the many checkpoints along the banks and land directly at Shihuan City downstream—"

He enunciated every word. "That place is only fifteen li from the capital!"

Fifteen li—at full speed, cavalry could cover that in the time it took to lift a leg.

He explained it clearly. Even He Lingchuan, who did not know much about Yuan Kingdom geography, could feel the gravity of the situation. Their family lived far off on the frontier, guarding the kingdom's gates for the Son of Heaven. But if even the capital fell, what the hell were they working so hard to defend out here?

He Chunhua felt as though every breath he exhaled was ice-cold. "Where have the rebel forces reached now?"

"They are still at Woling Pass."

Huh? Both father and son were stunned. The rebels had seized Woling Pass with great difficulty, yet they had not pressed downstream while the iron was hot? In war, speed was everything.

But He Chunhua understood in the next instant. "There is a problem with the water route?"

"Zhao Ronglue's deputy, Xu Dayou, gathered the remnants of the army as the city fell and burned every boat in the dockyard. Though the rebels captured Woling Pass, they had no vessels to use. With the recent overcast and rainy weather, felling timber and building new boats will take at least fifty days."

"Still, Heaven has shown us mercy and won us this little bit of time. Armies from every region are now rushing toward Woling Pass, but the situation does not look promising." State Preceptor Sun Fuping took over. "Whether Great Yuan's dynasty can endure may depend on these fifty days."