IDWBE -Chapter 319 Setting Out on Campaign Again

Here, he saw his great-grandson; the He family’s line would continue unbroken.

Most importantly, the Jiangnan region was wealthy—there was no shortage of grain or money!

Here, aside from the Prince, all matters were decided by him alone. He was, as they say, second to none, above ten thousand men. In his life, he had never handled so many things so smoothly.

Compared to previous campaigns northward, this time he didn’t have to borrow money from suppliers or buy on credit. Even the soldiers’ pay was fully distributed, with no arrears. When issuing orders, his voice was louder than ever.

And when he was displeased, he could still shout: “Damn it, this month’s pay is off the table!”

Unlike before, when someone might mutter back: “When have you ever paid anything?”

“That’s perfect,” Lin Yi nodded, then said, “Once the imperial edict arrives, we’ll depart immediately. This time, I won’t prepare to return halfway. Running back and forth is exhausting.”

“Not preparing to return?”

Anyone with sense could understand what the Prince meant!

“Long live the Prince!”

Several people knelt, shouting in unison.

Lin Yi smiled. “I speak the truth. If we go and come back, the whole world would mock me. You don’t want me to lose face, do you?”

“For the Prince, we would walk through fire and water, fearless of death!”

He Jixiang said excitedly.

He had been waiting for this day! He just hadn’t expected it to come so soon.

“Though I spill my liver and brain in service, how can I repay Your Highness’s favor?”

Peng Guishou shouted in agreement.

“I volunteer as vanguard! I shall devote myself to the utmost, until death!”

Pang Geng was unwilling to be outdone.

Lin Yi waved his hand. “Alright, whether this time you eat chaff or meat depends entirely on you.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded, bowed, and withdrew.

Three days later, the edict eunuch arrived in Jinling City. The Wuzhou provincial governor personally posted announcements declaring the northern campaign in support of the throne.

Soon, Yong’an, Nanzhou, Jingzhou, Yuezhou, Hongzhou, and the other seven provinces followed suit.

The world was in uproar.

It was only now that people realized, almost unconsciously, the Prince had grown so powerful that no one dared meet his gaze.

Half a month later, before the entire army had assembled, over ten thousand soldiers and conscripted laborers went north first, with Shen Chu and Pang Geng leading the vanguard.

Within a month, the total number of troops and laborers moving north exceeded forty thousand.

Consort Yuan stood atop Jinling City’s high walls, her slender fingers brushing the weathered bricks, watching group after group of horsemen and laborers push carts out of the city. Her smile grew wider and wider.

This time, her son had truly made her proud.

“Mother,” Lin Ning said with concern, “the Wadan army of two hundred thousand approaches fiercely. They are sending all their elite troops, intending a decisive battle.”

“Hmph, you’ve always praised your brother, yet when the serious moment comes, you doubt him,” Consort Yuan said with a proud smile. “Looking back over the years, although your brother may seem unlearned, no one has ever taken advantage of him; in fact, he takes advantage of others at every turn.”

Lin Ning snickered. “Brother says if he doesn’t take advantage, he’ll die.”

Consort Yuan laughed. “I’ve realized it now. I’ve been worrying for nothing all along. Even if he cannot win, he won’t suffer any serious loss.”

“Mother, you are wise.”

Lin Ning smiled.

“Ah,” Consort Yuan sighed. “I hope in my lifetime we can return safely.”

The plum-rain season had arrived in Jiangnan.

Rain fell continuously, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, turning even the official roads into mud, slowing the army’s march.

Lin Yi did not rest along the way. The stretch to Qizhou alone took over a month.

Even upon reaching Qizhou, the rain did not cease.

At night, when the convoy could go no further, they rested in a small town.

Unlike the first northern campaign, when households closed their doors and fled to the mountains, this time the local villagers, seeing the Sanhe banners from afar, began slaughtering pigs and sheep, anticipating small profits.

Many, as in the previous return of the Sanhe army, carried baskets and followed the army, selling goods or acting as helpers.

Lin Yi lodged in a merchant’s residence. He peeled off his sticky clothes, wearing only large shorts, barefoot, sitting in a pavilion, occasionally picking at his feet.

Afterward, resisting the urge to sniff, he reached under the eaves to collect rainwater to wash his hands. Just as he finished, he saw Pan Duo approaching.

Pan Duo wore a bamboo hat, straw raincoat, and sandals, leaving a trail of water behind him in the corridor.

“Prince,” Pan Duo bowed. “The Wadan army advances like a storm. Kuang Daxiang fought to the death and fell ten days ago at Liangmatai. Over ten thousand soldiers were captured and executed.”

“The Wadan show no sign of stopping, continuing south. If no surprises, they should now be at Cunjingou, just five hundred li from Liangshui River.”

Lin Yi sighed. “If I remember correctly, after the Liangshui River comes De’en, right?”

“Exactly,” said Pan Duo.

Lin Yi looked at the endless rain. “Once we reach De’en, it’s a direct path to the capital.”

De’en was close to Ankang City, a traditional summer retreat for emperors. He had always dreamed of having a residence like the De’en Summer Villa.

“Prince, the continuous rain makes it difficult for pigeons to fly,” Pan Duo continued. “No reply has yet come to General Shen’s letters. I’ve dispatched riders to investigate.”

“Not your fault,” Lin Yi waved. “Besides, no news is the best news. Oh, has Xiao Ying returned?”

He hadn’t seen Hong Ying for four months—longer than ever since childhood—and missed him more than he expected.

Pan Duo bowed his head. “Your servant is incapable.”

Whether at Jingang Terrace or Jizhao Hermitage, they were locations the porters under Pan Duo’s command could not enter without great risk. Sending men was almost certainly a one-way trip.

Lin Yi said, “Fine. This truly isn’t something you can handle. Have my brothers reported any movement?”

Pan Duo said, “According to news from five days ago, Prince Yong, Prince Jin, and Prince Dai all remain inactive.”

“Looks like I’m still the most filial. When they heard I was in danger, I was the first to rush over and save them, so they wouldn’t be a doomed ruler,” Lin Yi yawned. “So the old man better have some conscience and not chill my filial heart.”

Pan Duo dared not reply and remained silent, listening as Lin Yi continued, “Kuang Daxiang is dead. I hope my uncle is safe, or my mother will be truly heartbroken.”

Pan Duo said, “General Yuan is a battle-hardened veteran. He will return unscathed.”

With the Wadan at full momentum, he dared not make any boastful predictions.