Chapter 15: Past Events of Panlong

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Woling Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Now the rebels are on the defensive.

He Chunhua composed himself and asked earnestly, "What can this humble official do?"

Such a massive crisis has erupted in the central part of Yv nation, with the nation's fate hanging by a thread. Even a common person has a duty, let alone a high-ranking official like him.

To shirk responsibility now would be dishonorable.

Just as a servant changed the tea, Sun Fudong took a sip of hot tea and asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Lord He, you have been in Qiansong Commandery for many years. Do you know how the wasteland transformed into Panlong Desert, and the origin of Red Cliff Road?"

"Why ask about that?" He Chunhua frowned.

"That's a local anecdote. Approximately 150 years before the founding of Great Yv, the land we stand on belonged to the Xiluo Kingdom. At that time, Panlong Desert was still a wasteland, though with slightly less rainfall, it still had forests and seasonal rivers. During its strongest period, the Xiluo Kingdom built four commanderies and twelve cities in its western territories to guard this east-west trade route, which was bustling with commerce. The largest of these was Panlong City."

"Later, Xiluo gradually declined, suffering repeated defeats in its foreign wars. Baling and Xianyou nations competed to seize its territory. Except for Panlong Wasteland, which held out, Xiluo's entire western region was occupied. Panlong Wasteland thus became an exclave, isolated outside Xiluo's borders, two hundred li away from its homeland."

He Lingchuan also listened silently to this historical account. Every resident of Blackwater City, including his original self, had heard the story of Panlong Desert's origin.

"Baling and Xianyou nations attacked Panlong Wasteland for thirty-two years, while Xiluo's defenders, led by Commander Zhong Shengguang of Panlong City, also held out for thirty-two years, fighting for every inch of land!" He Chunhua turned to his eldest son. "Lingchuan, do you remember the name of that army?"

"The Great Wind Army!" He Lingchuan nodded. "Their resilience surpassed that of poplars, their unwavering loyalty was unmatched. They were the Great Wind Army, trapped behind enemy lines!"

The Great Wind Army was besieged by two powerful enemies, cut off from their homeland, and severely lacking food and water, receiving no assistance whatsoever from Xiluo.

Despite this, they held out for a full thirty-two years.

This legend never gets old.

"In the twelfth year of Panlong City's siege, Xianyou and Xiluo briefly made peace. The Great Wind Army seized the opportunity to send a message to their homeland. The Xiluo monarch, not expecting Panlong City to still be standing, issued a decree of commendation and simultaneously recalled most of the Great Wind Army's elites to suppress domestic rebellions." Since his father had stopped speaking, He Lingchuan continued the story. "However, Xianyou soon became hostile with Xiluo again, and communication between Panlong Wasteland and the homeland was once more severed, plunging the Great Wind Army back into a dire situation."

"Thereafter, the Xiluo Kingdom was plagued by years of warfare and could no longer afford to look west. The Great Wind Army, isolated, without aid, and having lost most of its main force, persisted for another twenty years."

The will of this army could no longer be described merely as iron. It was a pity that their homeland was weak, wasting such excellent soldiers.

"A nation unworthy of its warriors"—He Lingchuan felt this phrase was particularly apt.

"Well said." Nian Songyu clapped twice for him. "But how did the wasteland turn into a desert?"

"The Great Wind Army never surrendered, fighting to the last man. Panlong City was also massacred by the enemy nations in revenge, leaving no survivors." This was also a classic storytelling trope in tea houses. "These battles were so brutal that the anger and resentment of the heroic souls ascended to the heavens and permeated the earth, causing all life within a hundred li radius of Panlong City to cease and rivers to change course. Thus, the wasteland slowly became a desert."

"There's also another theory: Commander Zhong Shengguang of Panlong City was himself a powerful sorcerer. Knowing he couldn't hold out alone, he gathered the power of tens of thousands of heroic souls at the fall of Panlong City to curse the land, turning it into a barren wasteland." He Lingchuan shrugged. "This way, Xiluo couldn't keep Panlong, but Baling and Xianyou couldn't claim it either. In fact, this desert currently belongs to no nation."

"Anything else?"

"However, Zhong Shengguang also left a sliver of life for living beings entering and exiting the desert: Red Cliff Road. That was also the route the Great Wind Army once traveled." He Lingchuan looked at Nian Songyu and said, "There are many more details. If you wish to hear more, we should really start a feast and talk over a meal."

Grand Master Sun Fudong asked He Chunhua, "Is this also what you know, Lord He?"

"More or less." He Chunhua detected an unusual tone. "What do you mean, Grand Master? Please don't keep me in suspense."

"It's true that the Great Wind Army was an army of steel, and it's true that Commander Zhong Shengguang was a formidable individual. But after their main elite forces were recalled to their homeland, how could the Great Wind Army hold out alone for another twenty years? At that time, Xianyou's army could sweep through most of Xiluo, and even famous Xiluo generals couldn't withstand them." Grand Master Sun said calmly, "You and I both know that this cannot be achieved by sheer passion alone."

The outcome of war depends solely on strength. The cruelest truth is that no matter how passionate the weak are, they cannot escape the fate of defeat.

The enemy was so powerful, especially Xianyou, with its formidable soldiers and generals, launching over three hundred attacks on Panlong City. At their most intense, there were fifteen assaults in a single month.

How could the Great Wind Army, lacking food, water, manpower, and weapons, possibly have endured?

To this, He Chunhua could only reply, "The historical records are insufficient to make a judgment."

No matter how stirring the tale, it was still an event from over a hundred years ago. Later generations might sigh in admiration, but how many would bother to investigate deeply?

He Chunhua, at least, did not; he had more important matters to attend to.

"Grand Master Sun, what does the history of Panlong Desert have to do with our Great Yv's current predicament?" These two couldn't have traveled thousands of li just to hear him tell a story.

The main point was coming. Sun Fudong stood up, took two steps forward, and looked him in the eye, saying, "This is what I wish to discuss. The key to the Great Wind Army's endurance might also be the key to turning the tide at Woling Pass and lifting the danger from our capital! Governor He, this time, you are indispensable!"

He Chunhua's expression grew solemn. "I am eager to hear the details."

He Lingchuan, however, felt that the other party was finally revealing their true intentions, but first placed a huge burden on his father, unsure if his father could bear it.

He Jian, the chief clerk in the Great Wind Army, had followed Zhong Shengguang for many years and died of illness before the city fell. After Xianyou captured Panlong City, they inventoried his belongings and discovered he had kept a brief record of this history.

He Jian's notes were passed down through various hands and eventually found their way into the Great Yv imperial court.

He Lingchuan couldn't help but interject, "So the truth has always been hidden in our country? Why has it never appeared in historical records?"

Every nation has a National History Office, which compiles the history of both the current and previous dynasties, especially the latter. The history of the current dynasty is often glossed over, but the history of past dynasties is deeply studied by scholars, covering everything from secret anecdotes to human nature and emotions. The reasons for this are self-evident.

Furthermore, such findings are readily made public to the people, especially loyal and heroic tales like those of Panlong City and the Great Wind Army. These should be held up as examples to educate the populace and subtly influence them.

Nian Songyu smiled. "Because it cannot be spoken!"

At that time, the notes were badly damaged, with few complete sentences remaining, making it impossible to fully reconstruct the historical events. However, one thing was clearly recorded within them—