Chapter 2653: Shocking Bad News

He Chunhua felt an inexplicable pang of anxiety, as if something bad had happened.

And worse, his sixth sense was usually very sharp.

Then, at the other end of the "Thousand-Mile Ear," there fell a strange silence; he could hear He Yue's breathing grow heavier, but he said nothing.

"What's the situation?" His son had trained on the battlefield for years, long since matured and steady, what storms had he not seen?

Was there a change in the situation at Ausou City, or had Balin or Bekka come up with some new treachery?

"Father!" He Yue finally spoke, his voice hoarse and breathless, "Juer, Juer has sacrificed himself."

"What did you say?" He Chunhua thought he had misheard, "Who died?"

"Juer, your eldest grandson. He……" He Yue's breathing was heavy and coarse, already choked with sobs, "The people of Balin deserve to die! I will certainly avenge him!"

The last few words, he gritted his teeth.

He had two sons; He Changzhu, among the many royal descendants, was the most outstanding and enterprising, and also the most favored by King Shen and his father.

He Changzhu's death was something he could never accept.

Although He Chunhua was also shocked and furious, hearing his son overwhelmed by grief, he immediately interrupted: "Juer wasn't even on the battlefield—how could he…… You didn't let him go to the battlefield, did you?"

When people are at their most sorrowful, they are not rational, nor can they think.

Conversely, once he begins to think, reason will rise, and emotion may be suppressed.

He Chunhua knew his son too well, knew how to grasp his emotions.

No matter how angry He Yue was, his father's question had to be answered. As he began to trace the case, his mind had to become active, and his grief was temporarily suppressed.

"He was escorting supplies with the army, arrived at Heishuicheng, then went to Changsheng Lou, which you personally inscribed." He Yue could not compose himself, his words especially difficult, "Then Changsheng Lou exploded, and the three nearby streets were all blown apart."

"Impossible!" He Chunhua, whose will was normally so strong, now spoke somewhat incoherently, "The magical artifact I bestowed on Juer could protect him safely—there could even be treasures bestowed by heaven here! Not to mention one or two explosions, even if……"

"That explosion was extraordinarily powerful, but Juer was not killed by the blast; rather, enemies lurking nearby came out and killed him!"

"How could that be?" After his shock, He Chunhua's first reaction was to fly into a rage: "Did Mengyi also die in the explosion? Ah? Are the officials of Heishuicheng all eating X? Don't they screen people entering and leaving the city gates? Knowing Juer would enter Changsheng Lou, they didn't clear the area, and still let outsiders approach?"

"Juer was escorting supplies to Heishuicheng, and even the city officials didn't know beforehand. How could the enemy grasp his movements?" After his shock and anger, He Yue forced himself to calm down, "Father, how many people in the court know of his whereabouts?"

"Military supply transport is inherently confidential, and adding his presence in the entourage makes no more than six!" The fact that the Grand Heir escorted supplies to the front lines was originally meant to be publicized afterward. He Chunhua's voice sounded like a cold wind blowing from an ice cellar.

He was already the Son of Heaven.

The Son of Heaven's anger causes blood to spill and rafts to float. The court and countryside should all feel endangered.

But he also said: "Another possibility is that the escort team leaked the information. In any case, I will investigate thoroughly!"

He Yue was commanding troops on the front lines; naturally, only King Shen could investigate this from the rear.

He Chunhua asked again: "Have the culprits been caught?"

"One was shot dead on the spot, another captured and then committed suicide." He Yue took a deep breath, "However, an arrow struck the flagpole of Heishuicheng's official office, unfurled into a large banner, bearing some blood-red characters: 'Those who invade Balin shall be cut off, their lineage exterminated, despised by men and gods!'"

"Father!" He choked up, "Balin! Just when I had wanted to withdraw troops, to spare the two nations from the mire of war. It, it turned out well—killed my son!"

He Chunhua shifted his gaze: "Just publicly hung on the flagpole?"

"Yes, after the explosion, officials entering and leaving the office—who knows how many—also saw it." He Yue said, "Besides, nearby civilians would also see it."

To kill and also attack the heart—He Chunhua felt a surge of anger rush straight to his heavenly crown.

He took several deep breaths in succession before suppressing this fire. He Yue had already lost his composure; as King Shen, he must steady the formation.

"Anyone could write this statement; not necessarily, not necessarily truly from Balin."

He Yue gritted his teeth: "Balin has lost several battles in a row, also lost Ausou City! They can't do anything to me, so they, they assassinated my son as retaliation."

From the motive perspective, Balin's suspicion is naturally the greatest; moreover, the characters on the banner also claim Balin must take responsibility for this.

He Chunhua did not tell He Yue to wait a moment, because He Yue was at his peak anger now; giving him time to calm would only make him angrier.

"It could also be Bekka's doing." He Chunhua pointed directly at Bekka, "Only when the situation escalates to war can it expand further. Bekka perhaps saw your thought of withdrawal."

He Yue spoke with difficulty: "You mean, my thought of withdrawing troops killed Juer?"

"No, certainly not!" He Chunhua declared firmly, "Your thought is responsible to Shen State, to our ten thousand expeditionary troops, and also to the people! But Bekka likely saw through it, and thus wants us…… to continue attacking. Think: you have already taken Ausou City; Balin provoking you now will only force us to keep marching—what good could that do them? For hundreds of years, Bekka has constantly stirred up trouble in the world, in framing and assassination, no one surpasses it."

He Yue fell silent. Even in his grief and anger, he would not abandon this reason; Bekka's power forced him to stay clear-headed.

If the culprit was Balin, he could take revenge;

If the culprit was Bekka, what could they do? What could they do to Bekka?

How desperately unsolvable this is!

"Father, what should we do now, now?"

He Chunhua gave a bitter laugh: "What else can we do? Not withdraw troops, continue the attack."

"But you just said……"

"What I said no longer matters." He Chunhua interrupted him again, "The words on the banner, the people of Heishuicheng have all seen them. Soon, all of Shen State will know, and it cannot be covered up. The royal grandson was killed—this is national disgrace, cannot be let go lightly!"

He sighed deeply: "This is the enemy's intention—to cut off our retreat."

He is King Shen, his most beloved eldest grandson was killed, and the other side openly claimed responsibility for this—can this grudge not be avenged?

If he does not launch a revenge war against Balin, how can he answer to Shen State's court and people?

If he cannot take harsh revenge on Balin, how will neighboring small states view Shen State, and in the alliance he built, does he still have prestige, does he still have a voice?

Sometimes, a great state's face must be washed clean with blood!

Upon hearing that the enemy had left a public message on the flagpole of Heishuicheng's official office, He Chunhua mentally ran through these thoughts.

Unsolvable, unsolvable!

(End of chapter)