Chapter 379: Northern Frontier Autumn Hunt

The autumn in the northern lands arrived unusually early, and was unusually bitter.

North of Heroic Prefecture, on the vast wilderness, grasses and trees had begun to turn yellow; wind blew from deep in the grasslands, bringing piercing cold and gravel, sweeping over the makeshift, banner-fluttering review platform.

Chen Wen, dressed in dark-colored regular attire and overlaying a brocade velvet cloak, sat upright in the chief seat at the center of the platform.

His face was somewhat leaner than when he was in Bian Liang, with a trace of inescapable fatigue in his brows, but his eyes remained sharp as a hawk's, scanning the austere battle array ahead.

This was the first time since his accession, perhaps also the last, that he conducted such a large-scale border inspection and troop review.

Crown Prince Chen Hong, dressed in apricot-yellow military attire, sat at his lower left.

His young face flushed slightly from the north wind; his eyes held both nervousness and irrepressible excitement, as he strove to emulate his father's bearing, straightening his back and gazing at the shifting formations in the field.

On both sides of the platform, the attending civil and military officials and the Northern Frontier generals all held their breath and focused.

General Who Pacifies the North Shi Dun, clad head to toe in armor, stood like an iron tower slightly behind and to the right of Chen Wen, ready to receive orders at any moment.

"Begin."

Chen Wen's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly across the platform.

Shi Dun immediately clasped his fists, his voice booming like a great bell:

"Your servant, I receive the order!"

He turned, faced the platform below, and sharply waved the command flag in his hand.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deep, rhythmic war drumbeat, like thunder, suddenly sounded, shaking people's hearts.

Amid the drumbeats, the infantry formation entered first.

Three formations of five thousand infantrymen each marched in perfect unison with heavy, powerful steps, like a moving steel forest, rumbling past before the platform.

They wore uniform standard leather armor, holding spears or battle blades, their tips like a forest, glinting with cold light in the autumn sun.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Accompanying the steps, the soldiers unleashed earth‑shaking roars, their killing intent soaring to the heavens, as if even the drifting clouds above were scattered.

Chen Hong's palms grew slightly sweaty as he watched.

He had seen the laborers at the Bian River worksites and the Ministry of Works' equipment, yet a military array of this scale, bristling with lethal intent, was still something he witnessed for the first time.

This was completely unlike the descriptions he had read in military texts.

It was a quasi‑substantial, oppressive force.

Chen Wen gave a slight nod.

These infantrymen were full of spirit, their formation tight; it was clear that Shi Dun had put effort into drilling them.

Next came the cavalry.

About two thousand light cavalry swept past the flanks like a whirlwind.

The hooves thundered like galloping storms, kicking up clouds of dust.

The riders' horsemanship was skilled; even at high speed they could maintain basic formation, armed with bows, crossbows, and sidearms, their equipment excellent.

Afterward came the archers and crossbowmen.

They took their preset positions and fired three volleys at straw targets hundreds of paces away.

The whistling of arrows cleaving the air was harsh and piercing, like a locust swarm passing, and in moments those targets were riddled with holes.

Chen Hong noticed that among these archers and crossbowmen, some used a rather peculiar crossbow mechanism, the bow body seemingly fitted with extra components.

"General Shi, those crossbow mechanisms…" he couldn't help asking in a low voice to Shi Dun behind him.

A flicker of pride appeared on Shi Dun's face.

"Your Highness, this is a new gadget just sent by the Ministry of Works, called the 'Armor‑Piercing Crossbow'."

"Minister Zhao improved the crossbow mechanism and bolts; supposedly he applied a bit of 'vortex' ingenuity, giving it over fifty percent more penetrating power than the old crossbows!"

"Specifically designed to deal with the Iron Crow Army's heavily armored 'Shade' and 'Darkbone' troops!"

Chen Hong suddenly understood, once again feeling the power of the Investigation of Things, which manifested so directly on the battlefield.

When the routine drill ended, the main event began—a demonstration of new ordnance.

First pushed forward were five pieces of equipment dragged by oxen and horses, covered with rain‑proof canvas.

When the canvas was lifted, there appeared the 'Vortex Cannon' painstakingly crafted by Zhao Lao Nian!

Compared with the 'Vortex Cannon' Chen Hong had seen in the Ministry of Works, this one was now fully formed, its structure more complex and visually striking.

Under the skilled operation of artisans and soldiers, by turning the crank with livestock power, the gears emitted a heavy creaking, the massive boom was slowly drawn back, storing terrifying force.

"Fire!"

At the commander's order,

"Boom!" a deep, muffled roar!

The boom of the Vortex Cannon snapped back!

A huge stone projectile weighing nearly a hundred catties, carrying a heart‑pounding whistling, tore through the sky and slammed hard into a preset section of the mock wall in the distance!

"Rumble!"

The stone projectile struck true!

The earth‑and‑stone mock wall was instantly blasted open a huge gap, fragments flying, smoke and dust spreading!

On the platform rose a chorus of gasps.

Even the seasoned generals were shaken by the power of the Vortex Cannon.

Chen Hong gaped in astonishment.

He never imagined that the clumsy framework he had seen in the Ministry of Works could unleash such world‑destroying force!

Chen Wen's eyes also flashed with surprise, but more so was a deep contemplation.

Although its power is indeed great, its manufacture, transport, and operation are no easy feat, and being overly cumbersome it can only be employed in special circumstances.

However, as a strategic deterrent, it was already sufficient.

Subsequently, an improved version of the Demon-Dispelling Crossbow volley was demonstrated, along with new tactics for small-unit coordination.

The entire parade lasted nearly two hours.

The military presence was at its peak, killing intent filling the fields.

It fully demonstrated the formidable combat strength of the Great Chen Northern Border Army, as well as the equipment advantage brought by the Ministry of Works' technological innovation.

After the parade ended, Chen Wen did not immediately set off back to the capital.

Instead, accompanied by Shi Dun, he brought the crown prince and personally inspected Heroic Prefecture's defenses, comforting the stationed troops.

Gazing at the familiar battle scars still visible on the walls, Chen Wen fell silent for a long time.

He seemed to see again that night of bloody struggle, and saw Han Tong's back as he charged to his death.

"Hong'er,"

He whispered to the crown prince beside him.

"Every inch of this northern border's land is soaked with the soldiers' blood."

"This peace does not come easily."

"In the future, you must treat kindly those warriors who guard the nation's borders."

Chen Hong nodded solemnly, etching his father's words deep in his heart.

"Your subject understands."

Just as the inspection was about to end, a swift horse galloped in from the north, bearing news.

The Khitan envoy had arrived outside Heroic Prefecture's city, requesting an audience with the Emperor of Great Chen.

Chen Wen and Shi Dun exchanged a glance, each seeing understanding in the other's eyes.

It seems Xiao Chuo, while stabilizing internal affairs, has not relaxed his attention to the south.

This parade evidently achieved its intended deterrent effect.

In the main hall of Heroic Prefecture's General's Mansion, Chen Wen received the Khitan envoy.

The envoy brought a personal letter from Empress Xiao (Yelü Xian's condition worsening, Xiao Chuo now more deeply controlling court affairs).

The letter's wording was extremely deferential, reiterating the wish for friendly trade and subtly expressing hope to continue maintaining peaceful stability of the border with the Chen dynasty.

Chen Wen gave an appropriate response, reiterating the benefits of trade and the desire for peace, and lavishly rewarded the envoy.

Everything seemed to indicate that the northern border was about to enter a relatively peaceful period.

Night, inside the traveling palace.

Chen Wen dismissed all others, leaving only the crown prince by his side.

"What are your impressions of today?" Chen Wen asked, his voice tinged with fatigue.

Chen Hong pondered for a moment, then answered seriously:

"Your subject reports: I have witnessed our dynasty's military might, the soldiers' devotion, and the excellence of our equipment."

"I also witnessed the Khitan's submission... at least on the surface."

"Yet I feel that beneath this calm, things may not be entirely peaceful."

"The Khitan internal power is unstable; Empress Xiao's show of goodwill may merely be a ploy to buy time."

"Although our dynasty is strong, we must not let down our guard."

Chen Wen looked at his son, and finally a hint of genuine relief appeared in his eyes.

Being able to see the undercurrents beneath the surface is a kind of growth.

"Being able to think of this level is good."

He said slowly.

"The peace of the northern border does not lie in one or two parades, nor in the Khitan's temporary submission."

"It lies in the strength of our national power, the consolidation of our frontier defenses, the clarity of our imperial court, and... the availability of capable successors."

He gave Chen Hong a meaningful look.

I brought you here this time precisely so you could see with your own eyes what the borderlands look like, what kind of bearing this Jun Ying has, and how heavy this responsibility is…

Subject…… will certainly not disappoint father emperor's expectations! Chen Hong felt the weight of that gaze and responded solemnly.

Chen Wen nodded, gazing out the window at the clear, cold night sky of the northern lands.

This northern tour is both to display strength, to intimidate all directions;

also to train the crown prince, letting him engage with real state and military affairs;

Perhaps, it is also an arrangement he made for his own body, which is day by day withering and decaying.

What he can do is already little.

He can only, within the limited time, pave as smooth a road as possible for this empire.

Autumn wind sweeps through the campaign tent, carrying the desolation of the lands beyond the frontier.

The empire's power and responsibility are quietly undergoing another silent transmission in the night of this northern border.