Chapter 802: Sudden Departure

"Excellent!" Steward Wu said with a solemn expression. "Mr. Sun is quite insightful. He offered the Master many strategies, and the Master couldn't stop praising him. After Mr. Sun resigned and left, the Master even sighed, saying that it is difficult to find such talent." He swallowed hard. "Once, I even heard the Master say that General Wu and General Ke, who are fighting on the northwestern front, only fell into a passive position because they didn't use Mr. Sun's strategies. One wrong move, and every subsequent step is wrong."

He Lingchuan remembered that Sun Hongye had once offered advice to Ke Jihai on how to capture Gucheng and Longyun Lake on the Wuzhou front.

This Gucheng, with its high walls and deep moats, was the first tiger blocking the path that the government army encountered upon entering Wuzhou.

At the time, Sun Hongye's suggestion was to abandon Gucheng, turn to attack Baoguan on the west side, and then blow up the Qing Embankment! This was a good strategy, but also a vicious one, because blowing up the embankment would inevitably flood countless farmsteads, and at least over one hundred thousand civilians in the affected townships and counties would suffer.

War is a dilemma, indeed.

Ke Jihai and Wu Di dared not use this strategy.

Later, although Gucheng was captured, the government army paid a huge price. Not only were the casualties heavy, but it also took four months longer than Sun Hongye's strategy would have.

Over one hundred and thirty days—the consumption of men, horses, and provisions by the Wu-Ke army was a staggering figure.

The Grand Marshal gained four months of ample time and made many arrangements, leading to the Wu-Ke army's subsequent battles being fraught with difficulty.

It can be said that the Battle of Gucheng had far-reaching consequences; even today, the government army's decline is inseparable from it.

The Grand Marshal not only recaptured Gucheng but also pushed another hundred miles south.

Every time He Chunhua spoke of this critical battle, he would wring his hands and sigh.

"Then, from the time Sun Hongye arrived in the Yuan Capital until he left, were there any abnormalities during this period?"

"Abnormalities?" Steward Wu frowned and thought for a long time before shaking his head. "I didn't notice any."

"Fine." He Lingchuan patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work."

Seeing him walk outside, Steward Wu asked, "Where is the Young Master going? I should arrange a carriage."

He Lingchuan laughed. "No need, I'm just going for a walk."

Steward Wu watched his back as he left, and after a good while, he went back to his own chores.

……

The next person He Lingchuan found was Shan Youjun.

This man had just entered the He Mansion when he was caught by He Lingchuan, who asked, "Where did Sun Hongye live?"

"Ah?" Shan Youjun was startled. "Sun... didn't he leave?"

"Where did he live before he left?" He Lingchuan was impatient. "It couldn't have been Shihuancheng, right?"

Sun Hongye had once had a small hut in Shihuancheng, but he sold it last year before heading north to Xiazhou with He Lingchuan.

"I've been there." Shan Youjun was as sharp as ever. "I'll lead you there."

He Lingchuan said casually, "You and he were quite close."

"Hardly." Shan Youjun laughed. "We both work under Lord He. Seeing each other every day for a year or so, we at least had to become familiar faces."

"Then didn't he tell you why he left so suddenly?"

Shan Youjun was startled and shook his head. "He didn't say. I only found out two days after he left."

He led He Lingchuan out of the He Mansion, and without taking a carriage, they walked seven or eight hundred steps east, turned through two alleys, and stopped in front of a house. "We're here."

Shan Youjun knocked on the door, and a middle-aged fat man came to answer it.

He was the landlord, and Sun Hongye had rented a house from him.

"Oh, the tenant surnamed Sun?" Upon hearing the purpose of their visit, the fat landlord was a bit displeased. "This guy was dishonest. He clearly agreed to a six-month lease before moving in, but he left after only eleven days! I didn't return his deposit."

He Lingchuan handed over a piece of broken silver. "May I see his living quarters?"

The landlord was straightforward; he took the silver and opened the wooden door diagonally opposite. "Right here, feel free to look."

He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun went in and saw that it was a small courtyard. The structure was very simple: the courtyard was less than fifty square meters, with three and a half rooms—a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and half a room for firewood.

The house was clean, and there was no grease or smoke on the kitchen stove. This courtyard hadn't found a new tenant yet, so it maintained the appearance from before Sun Hongye left.

The landlord looked like a lazy man; he said himself that he hadn't cleaned it again.

The place was only so big; a few paces covered it.

He Lingchuan didn't miss a single corner, observing carefully while asking the landlord, "Did you see Sun Hongye in the days before he left?"

"He always left early and returned late. In those eleven days, he didn't say ten words to me in total; besides, I run my own business, so I'm not often at home."

He Lingchuan asked while looking around, "Did he leave any message?"

"No." The landlord sneezed. "He just said he was leaving, and then he left."

"He just left like that?"

"Right. He came to knock on my door with his bundle, saying he was checking out and leaving immediately." The landlord recalled, "I told him neither the rent nor the deposit would be returned, and he said it was fine, then left without looking back."

"Did he look anxious?"

"Anxious, yes, like there was a ghost chasing him." The landlord touched his nose. "In such cold weather, he had sweat on his nose."

He Lingchuan nodded. "Thank you."

Having said that, he took Shan Youjun and left.

On the way back, Shan Youjun asked him, "Young Master, is something wrong?"

"Sun Hongye checked out and left on his own, but he left very suddenly." He Lingchuan mused. "What did he discover?"

"Discover?" Shan Youjun was puzzled. "We just arrived in the Yuan Capital; what could he have discovered?"

"Where has he been these past few days?"

"Ah, you'd have to ask Steward Wu."

He Lingchuan glanced at him. "Did he have any close friends in the mansion or in the support army?"

"He had good relationships with everyone, but as for particularly close friends, hmm, it seems not." Shan Youjun thought for a moment. "Should I go back and ask around?"

"Hmm, I'll leave it to you."

Before He Lingchuan could enter the mansion, a servant rushed out to report, "Young Master, Lord Wang is here!"

The Chief of Protocol, Lord Wang, had personally visited the He Mansion. He Chunhua had long since gone out on official business, so Lady Ying came forward to receive him.

Usually, when the Chief of Protocol met with foreign envoys, he would have them come to him, but this time he had actually come personally.

Lady Ying was dignified in her demeanor and appropriate in her responses. Seeing He Lingchuan, she smiled like a flower, her eyes filled with pride:

"Chuan'er, the Sovereign wants to see you."

Judging purely by protocol, He Lingchuan would not have been able to see the Yuan Sovereign based on his status as the Rongshan envoy. Just as when he held the status of the Chiyan envoy, he hadn't been able to see the Beijia Emperor either. They had summoned him to Mount Xushan for condolences, but with other motives; once the God's judgment ended, they immediately sent him back, so from beginning to end, he hadn't even seen the face of the Emperor himself.

That the Yuan Sovereign had actually summoned He Lingchuan to the palace this time showed how much importance he placed on the funds.

That was why Lord Wang had come personally to invite He Lingchuan.

As he walked out, Lady Ying whispered a reminder to her eldest son, "Chuan'er, be respectful when you meet the Sovereign."

He Lingchuan smiled. "I know, Mother."

(End of chapter)