Chapter 1512

Beijia originally wanted to transport troops and grain to the Maohe Plain through Baishawan, but was rejected by Baishawan.

Beijia had already invaded the Maohe Plain, and wherever their army went, war would ignite.

Baishawan was a free port that did business with everyone and had always been prosperous. If it agreed to let Beijia pass through, the flames of war would burn all the way to Baishawan! Panlongcheng and Yuheng City had cooperated with Baishawan for many years, their relationship had always been good, and Zhong Shengguang had signed many agreements with it. Yuheng City was near and Beijia was far; Baishawan's attitude was still to protect itself, which was favorable to Yuheng City. Otherwise, if the Beijia army invaded from the south, the trouble would not be small.

As long as Baishawan held out until late autumn, Beijia would not raise the request again for the time being. Because that shipping route had northwest winds from autumn and winter to early spring, making it difficult for sea ships to travel west, and there were many storms at sea.

That afternoon, the news that came was bad:

General Bai Mojie was transferred back to the country due to his injuries, and the Demon Emperor would send another great general to the Jin Tao front line, Qiu Rong of the Qingmo family.

As soon as He Lingchuan saw "Qingmo family," he said "Huh": "They sent a demon general this time?"

The Qingmo family were not humans, but the Qing Ape demon clan, whose members were born with immense strength and could tear tigers and leopards apart with their bare hands.

Wen Daolun shook his head: "No, no, Qiu Rong is human."

To be precise, Qiu Rong was a human foster son taken in by the Qingmo family.

He Lingchuan suddenly understood.

When he traveled through Beijia, he discovered a phenomenon: powerful local demon clans often carefully screened human orphans and raised them to adulthood.

This wasn't because the demon clans were particularly kind-hearted, but because humans were better adapted to socialized life and could manage industries, participate in activities, and strive for military merit for them. Especially in the imperial court, where things were convoluted and commercial activities were full of pitfalls, demons were straightforward and most couldn't see through them, so they had to find capable people to handle things.

In various vassal demon states and even the Lingxu imperial court, there were always some human officials and generals behind whom stood a powerful demon clan. This was also a unique symbiotic relationship peculiar to Beijia.

Demon clans used people, and humans borrowed their influence.

What really caught He Lingchuan's attention was the last sentence of the news:

Before Qiu Rong officially took office, Lu Wushuang, the Qinggong Executive Assistant, would act as the military leader of the Jin Tao front line.

After listening to the intelligence, He Lingchuan took a deep breath: "Lu Wushuang finally got her wish."

Putting the clues together, he confirmed that Lu Wushuang had ill intentions when she lent the Spiral-Armored Worms to Bai Mojie.

She had already anticipated that even if Bai Mojie used the Spiral-Armored Worms in the final battle, it would still be difficult to win against He Lingchuan, and instead, it would anger him, ending the dragging state of the Jin Tao front line.

He didn't know if Bai Mojie had realized it now, but even if he had, he couldn't accuse Lu Wushuang. Her behavior itself had no faults.

This woman had been very clever in her methods since she was young.

He thought for a moment and called Xin Yi to say: "Can Mr. Xin help me check on this person, Qiu Rong?"

Xin Yi was in Yuheng City, but he believed Xin Yi could get the information.

Lingshan should have some attention on such an old general.

Sure enough, Xin Yi replied a few days later.

Qiu Rong was nearly fifty, had participated in the Yuan Nation Great War more than twenty years ago and made several contributions, and was subsequently sent by the Demon Emperor to suppress rebellions or fight in multiple countries, having rich experience in marching, logistics, and presiding over battles.

This was a veteran of the battlefield.

Where was Qiu Rong now?

Central Demon State, north of the later Chiyan State, far from the Jin Tao front line. Even if he rushed all the way, it would take him at least fifty days to reach the Jin Tao front line.

After finishing this news, Xin Yi also felt it was strange: "I thought they had made a mistake, and verified it twice, but Qiu Rong is indeed in central Beijia. Does the Demon Emperor still want to fight properly on the Maohe Plain?"

The Demon Emperor had originally dispatched Bai Mojie, who was nearby, but it didn't work; having no choice but to send another, it would be a good general, but he was separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.

"Why wouldn't he?" He Lingchuan laughed. "There is clearly another person on the Jin Tao front line capable of great use; have you forgotten?"

Xin Yi swallowed the word "who," and after a moment of thought, said: "You mean, Lu Wushuang?"

"Correct. Her talent is far above Bai Mojie's, and Bai Mojie being transferred away from the Jin Tao front line has at least half her credit." The smile on He Lingchuan's face faded. "You think the Demon Emperor is playing around, but I see there is more to it."

"How so?"

"During Qiu Rong's journey, Lu Wushuang will be in charge of the Jin Tao front line. If she can achieve something, reporting it to Lingxu City will be a military merit, and no one can snatch it from her. Even her actions on the Jin Tao front line over the past month won't be smeared by Bai Mojie, as there must be Qinggong people in the army." He Lingchuan pondered. "In this way, this personnel transfer likely has the hand of the Qinggong behind it."

Lu Wushuang was already a Qinggong Executive Assistant, not a low rank, and she was a die-hard friend of the next Demon Emperor and the current prince; accumulating a few more solid military merits would likely lead to her rising rapidly, unstoppable.

These fifty or so days might have been left specifically for her.

Thinking back, why did the Demon Emperor send her to supervise the Xiluo army? Wasn't it to let her familiarize herself with the war situation on the Jin Tao front line, so that if Bai Mojie failed to fight or encountered an accident, she could take over on the spot, saving the trouble of mobilization?

But her seniority was not enough to command one side, so she could only be "acting," trying her hand before a regular great general like Qiu Rong arrived.

The time left for her was nearly two months, not short; after all, Panlongcheng had not yet officially started the war on the northwest front line, and the original great general Bai Mojie had only stayed on the front line for twenty days.

"Before Qiu Rong arrives, she will perform well." Xin Yi understood. "No wonder you said the battles ahead would become increasingly difficult."

"Do you want to meet her on the battlefield?"

"Me?" Xin Yi was startled, pointing at himself, but then smiled. "Alright!"

He Lingchuan always praised Lu Wushuang in front of him, and he was a bit unconvinced; he hadn't seen this little girl surnamed Lu do anything major.

He remembered another thing: "By the way, I also got an internal message, I don't know if it's true: I heard the Qianzhao Institute intends to accept Bai Mojie. Originally, after he finished fighting on the Jin Tao front line, he might have been promoted and transferred there. But now—it's hard to say."

The Qianzhao Institute was one of the high-level military offices in Lingxu City at this time, whose main function was to provide military strategy support to the imperial court and compile teaching materials for various military academies, but it was abolished in later generations.

He Lingchuan heard this and gave a long "Oh": "No wonder."

That's just a cushy job, a good place to place idle people.

If the news was true, Bai Mojie had already found a place to go, so this Jin Tao battle had been arranged from beginning to end; as long as he achieved some results, he could take up his new post upon returning to Lingxu City.

Being sent abroad to gain prestige had always been a common means for Beijia.