Chapter 831: Pacifying the People

The surrounding noise was deafening. Qiu Hu stepped forward, his voice low enough for only the He family father and son to hear: "The enemy is likely going to lay siege. Should I take some men and sneak out through the West Gate to facilitate an inside-out strike?" He He Lingchuan's first thought was: Good suggestion! Keeping a capable team outside allows for scouting enemy movements and coordinating an attack from both sides, offering high mobility.

However, before he could respond, He He Chunhua waved his hand: "No need, there is a way out."

"Father..."

"Just trust me." He He Chunhua stated firmly, "I will have people make some preparations."

He had always been thorough in his actions and never spoke idly; if he said there was a way, there most likely was. Thus, He He Lingchuan gestured to Qiu Hu to stay calm.

Qiu Hu nodded and went off to busy himself.

He He Chunhua watched his retreating figure and said to He He Lingchuan: "The guards the Profound Mountain Sect assigned to you are very capable. I see he is a general in the making."

Hearing the enemy was attacking, how could an ordinary soldier's reaction be so swift? Did the Profound Mountain Sect assign such talent to his eldest son as a guard? How highly did they value him? He He Lingchuan chuckled.

Of course, this thought only flashed by; the great battle occupied all of He He Chunhua's energy, and he began to weigh the balance of power inside and outside the city.

He had brought a personal guard unit of one hundred men, and the newly assembled Heishuicheng defense force numbered seven hundred and eighty. The fifteen Profound Mountain people brought by his eldest son brought their total combat strength to around nine hundred.

"Nine hundred, not enough." He rubbed his temples, "When I left Heishuicheng the year before last, the defense force clearly had two thousand two hundred men. How is it that only seven hundred and eighty remain now!"

Zhao Qinghe immediately said: "I asked. Last year, Governor Hu cited heavy expenses as the reason and applied to cut military defenses. The Imperial Court approved it, so the defense force was reduced to fifteen hundred; later, when the Northwest front became tense, another seven hundred were transferred away from here."

"Absurd!" He He Chunhua rubbed his forehead, "This is a frontier fortress!" That man surnamed Hu truly did not die unjustly!

But He He Lingchuan understood that Heishuicheng had been peaceful for too long, and with the annual Mad Sand Season, it meant that for four or five months of the year, no fighting could occur, leading Governor Hu to become complacent. The Heishuicheng army was built by the former governor, He He Chunhua, himself, and since private hoarding and reclamation were not allowed, it was a regular frontier army supported by the locality. With local finances tight, supporting so many soldiers was truly a bitter burden.

Originally, military expenses were subsidized by the Kite Court, but in recent years, the internal strife in the Kite Kingdom had been endless, and they could no longer produce this money. Governor Hu lacked He He Chunhua's ability to generate revenue, so he could only find ways to cut costs, which perhaps could not be considered a major mistake.

One thing led to another, and it fell into the current predicament.

These nine hundred men were barely enough to defend the city; but if they wanted to repel the Andong people, it was not quite enough.

After all, the quality of the soldiers...

"Nine hundred is indeed not enough; we can only conscript from within the city." He He Lingchuan stroked his chin, "I've been back for a few days and keep seeing strong men wandering around the city, as well as quite a few cultivators."

"Cultivators?" He He Chunhua understood immediately, "They are also here for the Panlong Desert."

"Isn't this ready-made help? It would be a waste not to use them."

He He Chunhua thought for a moment and gave a rare smile: "That is a good idea."

Afterward, he hurried to the market entrance of Heishuicheng.

The accompanying personal guards beat gongs along the way, attracting all the city residents.

Facing the elders of the city, He He Chunhua began an impromptu soothing speech and conscription mobilization.

He only said three points: First, Heishuicheng has high gates and deep walls, and the city is sturdy with powerful armaments; it is difficult for external enemies to break in, otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to use tricks to deceive the city gates open.

Second, twenty years ago, the Andong people were already defeated by him, He He Chunhua. He could defeat the Andong people three times, and he could defeat them a fourth.

Finally, Heishuicheng has sufficient food and complete military equipment, so the elders need not worry. Now, they are conscripting strong men to protect their homes and the city, and the pay and compensation will be generous! The Soul-Sucking Mirror asked He He Lingchuan: "Is the food here really sufficient?"

"Who knows?" Based on He He Lingchuan's understanding of the administrative capabilities of local officials in the Kite Kingdom, this statement was mostly He He Chunhua talking nonsense. "Otherwise, what is he supposed to say? That the food is running out, the weapons have long rusted, and the armor isn't even fully issued?"

If he uttered one more word of truth, half the people here would run away.

He He Chunhua had been an official in Heishuicheng for over ten years; he was usually close to the people in his administration. Most residents did not recognize Governor Hu, but they had great trust in He He Chunhua.

Governor Hu was killed, the city gates were surrounded, and internal troubles and external threats arrived together. Everyone was fearing the dark times, when suddenly the former governor descended upon the city, commanding with composure—

He He Lingchuan stepped forward at the right moment to assist, raising his voice to shout: "Lord He defeated the Xunzhou rebels in the north and is already the Superintendent of Yazhou, conferred as the Marquis of Martial Defense and General of General Changning; he also quelled the southern rebellion a month ago. The mere enemy threat outside Heishuicheng is not worth mentioning! This city is full of hidden talents and strong experts who have come to assist, so we can repel the enemy and reopen the city gates soon!"

This last sentence was for the other forces lurking in Heishuicheng. The civilians naturally didn't understand, but hearing of He He Chunhua's numerous battle achievements and thinking that such a kind and strong man had come to preside over the big picture, they felt much more at ease.

The subsequent recruitment in Heishuicheng went quite smoothly, with over three hundred men recruited in two hours.

The newly enlisted recruits had a short time to learn and drill for killing the enemy.

In his busy schedule, He He Chunhua took the time to ask Zhao Qinghe: "Are there any cultivators who joined voluntarily?"

Zhao Qinghe shook his head.

Ha, as expected. He He Chunhua gave a cold smile: "Then invite them to join voluntarily."

He He Lingchuan said from the side: "No rush."

"No rush?"

"They don't want to enter the fray yet. If you, Father, force them, I fear it will be counterproductive."

Don't push them to the side of the Andong people.

Unknowingly, He He Chunhua found it quite natural to ask his eldest son: "Then how long must we wait?"

"Until they feel we have a chance of winning." He He Lingchuan smiled, "It would be best to wait until they are impatient... I think it's coming soon."

He He Chunhua nodded slowly.

He He Lingchuan saw deep thought in his eyes.

He didn't know if he was pondering He He Lingchuan's words or He He Lingchuan himself.

When He He Lingchuan returned to his own quarters to rest for a while, the mirror asked him again:

"Is this current situation also part of your plan?"

Although it hadn't discovered these contents when He He Lingchuan made his plans, its master often had deep meanings behind his actions, and it always discovered them only when the time came.

"Nonsense." He He Lingchuan washed his face and lay back on the bed to close his eyes and rest, "The Andong people suddenly attacking the city is an accident; I didn't call them here."

Don't fantasize that plans can be fully implemented and that the development of events can be entirely under control. After experiencing the Great Battle of Xushan, he understood:

Accidents are the norm in life.

"Is it really an accident?" The mirror remained suspicious.

"The Andong people attacking Heishuicheng is not strange in itself," He He Lingchuan said, "Just as Father said, a weak state with a strong neighbor is in danger. Moreover, with the disappearance of the Mad Sand Season, Heishuicheng has lost a major natural barrier, and the external enemy no longer fears a war of attrition. But they timed this perfectly, completely disrupting my original plan."

(End of chapter)