Chapter 444: He s.h.i.+ Hai Returning to the Border Town
At this time, Li Hong Yuan even had the enemy’s approximate military force all arranged out. If He s.h.i.+ Hai still didn’t have the slightest discernment, then from the start, Li Hong Yuan just wouldn’t have trained him. After all, getting trained, that was also needing to have the worth to cultivate.
It was obvious, He s.h.i.+ Hai didn’t disappoint Li Hong Yuan. In reality, having grown up in the border town and experienced through countless battles, being deeply influenced, even if not having been deliberately taught, it was still impossible for him to be completely blank. That’s why, in this very moment, he naturally made out the unprecedented peril that the northeast border will be facing. And towards Qi Yuan’s military forces in the northeast border, He s.h.i.+ Hai was also extremely knowledgable of. Although it was said to be a hundred thousand, but in reality, it was just around seventy thousand. The thirty thousand empty soldier’s pay, from the perspective of the entire Qi Yuan military, this actually wasn’t considered serious. After all, in the Northeastern Army, there weren’t really many old, weak, and sickly.
Even so, He s.h.i.+ Hai was still extremely worried inside. Just, he didn’t show it.
Afterwards, without carrying any personal feelings, He s.h.i.+ Hai described the northeast border’s situation and also expressed his own views.
Although it was a perilous situation, but from He s.h.i.+ Hai’s words, one was still able to make out his faith in the Northeastern Army. Not saying that in the end, they can seize a complete victory, but defending the northeast border town was still not a problem.
However, in Li Hong Yuan’s past life, this wasn’t really the case. The Northeastern Army practically got wiped out entirely, the city got captured, and the coalition of the various tribes continued invading southward, causing Qi Yuan’s northeast to lose quite a few territories. And for the He family, only He s.h.i.+ Hai this sole son remained.
The situation He s.h.i.+ Hai described was precisely the Northeastern Army’s situation in Li Hong Yuan’s past life, and it was obvious, the situation was completely inconsistent with reality. Exactly was it that He s.h.i.+ Hai was being ‘foolishly conceited’, or that in this matter, there exist certain reasons?
Li Hong Yuan has always lean towards the latter, and moreover, the most probable was that there was an inside traitor. Towards this bit, Li Hong Yuan has also warned General He. As for how the outcome will be, Li Hong Yuan originally didn’t want to question too much, but now, probably still need to go take note of.
Afterwards, Li Hong Yuan also very bluntly had the past life’s reality told to He s.h.i.+ Hai as a hypothetical scenario.
“Absolutely impossible!” He s.h.i.+ Hai said rather worked up and with certainty, his voice also unconsciously raising quite a bit. Just, after meeting Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s gaze, he strangely had a kind of ‘this was the truth’ misconception.
“This prince will just ask you, in this kind of situation, where would the problem be?”
During this period of time, He s.h.i.+ Hai can be considered to have witnessed Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s abilities. Just like for example, this thing called the sand table that had reconstructed large areas of the northeast terrains, it was even more vast and even more detailed than his memories, but it was also quite accurate. This wasn’t something an ordinary person can accomplish.
Right now, he didn’t treat Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s words as a joke either. Rather, it was that Jin Qinw.a.n.g had discovered something they didn’t know. This was trying to warn them. “w.a.n.gye, this commoner request to return to the northeast borders.” If there really is a problem within the Northeastern Army, then regardless of who, he will certainly have them dragged out and skinned.
If it was the old He s.h.i.+ Hai, Jin Qinw.a.n.g certainly won’t let him go, but now, seeing the results from the training, he was a qualifying general, coming from the battlefields, and not just knowing military tactics on paper. As such, he didn’t mind him going back to the northeast. Moreover, the younger generation of the He family were all in the capital. If by chance the unfortunate happens, they don’t need to worry about the He family having no descendants. Furthermore, this kind of thing, Li Hong Yuan won’t allow for it to happen.
Li Hong Yuan’s finger lightly tapped against the tabletop, “Your father should have an understanding inside.”
He s.h.i.+ Hai thought to himself ‘as expected’, “This commoner knows, just, somewhat worried.”
“Since that’s the case, this prince will send two people with you.”
He s.h.i.+ Hai rubbed his nose, was he just that untrustworthy? “All listen to w.a.n.gye’s orders.”
“Immediately set out then. Don’t let this prince hear about you ‘not making any contributions’ in the slightest, else suffer the consequences on your own.”
Upon hearing this, He s.h.i.+ Hai’s entire body all tensed up subconsciously. Recalling the hards.h.i.+ps during this period of time, it was still better to be a bit more obedient.
He s.h.i.+ Hai had no official post or n.o.ble t.i.tle, just a simple commoner, so to want to leave the capital, it was very easy, for the most part, not even needing to notify anyone. After preparing a bit of things, he just flipped onto a horse and left.
Having witnessed He s.h.i.+ Hai’s talent, him leaving at this time, Le Cheng Emperor also won’t have complaints, and instead would feel very gratified. Without a second word, he just immediately gave bestowments, not only having materialistic things such as silver and gold, but even directly promoted He s.h.i.+ Hai to a high fifth rank position.
The He family received the reward, but felt neither sorrow nor joy.
Even the younger generation of the He family, at a few years old, already knew what was life and death, and accustomed to seeing blood, let alone He Old Madam and Madam He, as well as the He family daughter-in-laws below. Who hasn’t seen the cruelty of the battlefield before? As such, who would care about that bit of materialistic things. When it comes to money, if there is some just accept and use, if not, they have never insist on needing either. As for official post, in any case, the commanding general was their own family, so no need to worry about encountering that kind of braindead superior, thus also irrelevant. That’s why, what they further cared about was just their own family, as well as the lives of the soldiers at the borders, hoping that everyone can all live. Although, as long as there was war, this was just impossible.
Going onto the battlefield just meant that one’s life and death wasn’t in one’s hand. Even so, they still won’t stop the men in their family from going to the borders, because that was their duty. As long as one wasn’t missing arms or legs, not old to the point of being unable to move, then one will just have to continue defending.
However, the people of the He family were indeed grateful towards Jin Qinw.a.n.g, especially He Old Madam and Madam He who were the most clear about He s.h.i.+ Hai’s change inside. In this very moment, regardless of what kind of motive Jin Qinw.a.n.g had, they will all remain silent. In the future, even if Jin Qinw.a.n.g does something they can’t accept, they can not partic.i.p.ate, but will tacitly approve He s.h.i.+ Hai’s a.s.sistance, even if it’s needing to have He s.h.i.+ Hai ‘expelled from the clan’. What Li Hong Yuan gave He s.h.i.+ Hai, from a certain sense, was just another life.
He s.h.i.+ Hai urgently rushed to the northeast borders, alternating between two horses. Both horses nearly got ran crippled. Fortunately, he didn’t see that tragic sight that he’d imagined, relaxing a breath. Perhaps, Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s information had a mistake? However, He s.h.i.+ Hai didn’t rashly come to a conclusion either. This battle was merely just the beginning. If there really is a mole, it was most likely for them to give a heavy blow at a critical moment. That’s why, relaxing now was too soon.
Seeing his youngest son suddenly appear, He Zhen Wei didn’t feel it was strange either, instead feeling it was only to be expected. This son, although a rascal, he still genuinely had his family in his heart. Since he had the capabilities to begin with, there was no reason for him to still curl up in the comfortable nest and not budge. As for the two strangers by He s.h.i.+ Hai’s side, he also didn’t go question. Regardless of their origins, it ultimately was related to the capital.
However, General He was also too lazy to deal with him. Aside from when going out in battle, the other times, he best just obediently stay there. It was obvious, General He’s impression towards this son was still stopped at prior to his departure from the capital. After all, judging from his speech and mannerism on the surface, He s.h.i.+ Hai was still that little tyrant.
He s.h.i.+ Hai didn’t care either. The matters between the high ranking officers, he wasn’t in a hurry to partic.i.p.ate in. Due to the deep-rooted impression he gave others, many people all walked avoiding him, but in reality, no high ranking officer had him viewed as a threat. If he wants to catch the mole, this way was instead more convenient for him. Of course, he still needed to properly inform his old man, and see whether or not he already has someone he suspects, or even already confirming the other party’s ident.i.ty.
In He s.h.i.+ Hai’s view, to be able to cause the situation Jin Qinw.a.n.g spoke of, it absolutely won’t be an ordinary citizen, and also won’t be an ordinary soldier, because they didn’t have the ability to know the Northeastern Army’s overall deployment. Moreover, some places, they can’t go near, and some mountain pa.s.ses, they further had no way of opening. As such, the scope was actually quite small.
The ‘idle’ little tyrant He nonchalantly strolled around the camp with the two from Jin Qinw.a.n.g, just like in the past. No one felt there was anything wrong. The files and ranks of soldiers orderly walked past. When seeing He s.h.i.+ Hai, they would all stop and call out ‘little general’. This was the respectful address towards He s.h.i.+ Hai. For those high ranking officers, He s.h.i.+ Hai was just impressive on the battlefield, but in the end, he was still just a younger generation. However, for these foot soldiers, it wasn’t the same. They just knew that the little general was matchlessly valiant and invincible in battle, so their feelings were the deepest, having him treated as the person they revered the most.
This situation, it’s not that the high ranking officers didn’t see, but the majority of people were all rather happy inside, hoping that He s.h.i.+ Hai can grow into a commander like his father. Of course, there were also those that would snort disdainfully, viewing him as an immature child, just having brute strength but no brain, inwardly exclaiming, there was nothing to fear. If this kind of person wants to scheme against him, it was truly too easy.
He s.h.i.+ Hai didn’t know that he’d already been defined by others as ‘having developed arms and legs, but simple-minded’.
After strolling a circle, the people that shouldn’t be missing, not a single one was missing. Thus, he just tossed the matter aside, off to go make a sand table.