Chapter 196: Jiang Kai’s Warning

Hu Hao was somewhat surprised to hear from Jiang Kai that the Crown Prince wanted to see him. He didn’t recall ever having any interaction with his Academy Principal. Back at the military academy, Hu Hao had been just an average student—neither exceptionally good nor bad.

When it came time for the annual commendations for outstanding students, he was never among them. But then again, none of the commoner students were; those honors were exclusively reserved for the descendants of the military aristocratic families!

“Him wanting to see you is only my guess, but I’m worried he harbors ill intentions toward you. The main reason is that I mentioned you to him this morning. My original intention was to draw his attention to you, his student, so he might advocate for your early promotion to General. But surprisingly, he seemed completely unaware of your military merit.

“Conversely, he did know about the incident where you beat up Zhang He’s grandson! That made me quite concerned. I’ve always listed your merit at the very top of my reports. Logically speaking, he should have read those merit logs, yet he didn’t know about you. That strikes me as incredibly strange.

“Another matter is that the Crown Princess is the Grand Marshal’s daughter. And you know exactly what happened between you and Tang Junjie. I’m truly worried he might try to harm you. Furthermore, there’s my own situation to consider.

“The Crown Prince relies on the Grand Marshal to control the military. Yet, rumors are currently running rampant that I might replace the Grand Marshal! I have no idea where these rumors started; I’ve already severely reprimanded several people over it!

“But the rumors persist out there. And you are my most capable subordinate! I’m worried that, for the sake of the Grand Marshal, he might move against you. Therefore, if the Crown Prince summons you, I will try to block it on my end.

“If I can’t block it, you need to create an excuse—say the Allied forces are attacking, or you need to reinforce another position. Whatever you do, do not come here! He is the Crown Prince! If he decides to execute you right in front of me, I won’t be able to stop him. If it were the Grand Marshal, I’d dare to intervene. But against the Crown Prince, we wouldn’t dare. You need to understand this!” Jiang Kai warned Hu Hao in a hushed tone.

“Is that so? He wants to kill me?” Hu Hao frowned. He was somewhat skeptical, but Jiang Kai’s reasoning did make sense!

“Mm, whether he intends to kill you or not is just my speculation. This is purely a precaution. After all, he is the Crown Prince! He is here to supervise the battle, which means he holds the power of life and death! If he finds an excuse to move against you, there’s nothing I can do to stop him!” Jiang Kai explained.

“Mm, alright, I understand. Thank you, Commander!” Hu Hao nodded, committing Jiang Kai’s words to memory.

Although Hu Hao was skeptical, he felt it was best to be cautious. If he fell into a trap, things would get messy. It’s not like he could just assassinate the Crown Prince; if he did, his entire family would be executed.

“Mm. I’ll test the waters with him first. But honestly, there’s no real need for you to meet him anyway. Opening the promotion channels isn’t up to him; it’s up to His Majesty. Meeting him or not makes no difference.

“Furthermore, the Princes are currently fighting fiercely over the throne. Taking a side too early is unwise. His Majesty is still in robust health. While the Crown Prince’s position is relatively stable, it isn’t absolute!” Jiang Kai advised.

“Their fight for the throne is none of my damn business! I certainly have no intention of becoming their cannon fodder or pawn! However, Commander, you’d better investigate those rumors about you becoming the Grand Marshal. If the Grand Marshal’s faction is spreading them, you’d best find a way to publicly refute them.

“If His Majesty is the one leaking them, then forget it. I suspect His Majesty might truly be considering you for the position. However, Commander, you need to think very carefully before heading to the capital. That is not your territory!” Hu Hao warned Jiang Kai.

“I know. That’s exactly what’s been stressing me out! I’ve had people investigate, but we can’t trace the source! As for taking a post in the High Command… I’ve thought about it, and I’ll pass. I’d rather remain a Combat Zone Commander!

“Accompanying the Emperor is like accompanying a tiger! Right now, as a Combat Zone Commander, the Emperor is far away, and the sky is high! I can do whatever I please! But if I go to the capital, I’ll have eyes on me every single day. It’s not worth it. I don’t want to go! Moreover, we’re currently facing an Allied invasion!

“If I become the Grand Marshal, I’d just be a figurehead! The real power would still lie with the Left, Right, Middle, and Vanguard Generals! They’ve spent decades cultivating their influence; how could I possibly compete with that?! If I go there, I’ll just become a massive target! Not only would I be attacked by the Grand Marshal and the other generals, but I’d also become cannon fodder in the Princes’ struggle for the throne! I absolutely will not go!” Jiang Kai confided in Hu Hao.

“Then the solution is simple: just publicly declare that you have no desire to be the Grand Marshal!” Hu Hao suggested.

“Sigh, I can’t do that! His Majesty previously hinted at this idea to me. How could I say something like that now? I just have to keep my mouth shut. When His Majesty actually makes the move, then I’ll decline.

“If I refuse now, think about it: our troops are fighting on the front lines! If His Majesty gets displeased and cuts off our logistical supplies, wouldn’t that be a death sentence?!” Jiang Kai explained.

“He wouldn’t do that, would he? We’re fighting to protect his empire! Would he really do something like that?” Hu Hao asked, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

“He might not do it himself, but what about the Grand Marshal? Do you think he wouldn’t?! And if His Majesty simply turns a blind eye when it happens, wouldn’t we be in massive trouble?!” Jiang Kai countered.

“True. Honestly, you really shouldn’t go to the capital. Look at you here in the Southwest Combat Zone: the subordinate officers actually respect you! You’ve successfully held the defensive line here, and the officers and soldiers trust your command. Furthermore, you’ve just expanded your forces to a full 600,000 men! Why would you ever want to go to the capital?!” Hu Hao reasoned after a moment’s thought.

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking! Anyway, there’s nothing else for now. Oh, right, write up a detailed battle report on your annihilation of the four Allied corps and send it to me! Also, send me the list of soldiers who have earned merit!

“Since your unit is expanding to a corps, you’ll need a massive number of officers. Select them from your own ranks first. If you don’t have enough, come to me. If you do, then we’ll leave it at that! You maintain direct control over this corps!” Jiang Kai instructed.

“Yes, sir! Thank you, Commander!” Hu Hao replied immediately.

“No need to thank me! I want you to keep winning battles! That way, our Southwest Combat Zone’s defensive line remains secure, and my job as Commander becomes much less stressful! I truly do not want to order any more retreats!

“If we could launch an offensive, that would be even better! Unfortunately, the High Command is still restricting our troop numbers, and the promotion channels remain closed. If they were opened, and we were permitted to expand freely, we could arm a force of over a million men in no time and launch a massive counter-offensive! I truly don’t know what His Majesty is thinking!” Jiang Kai grumbled.

“Are you joking? If you Combat Zone Commanders controlled forces of over a million men, how could His Majesty ever sleep soundly?” Hu Hao chuckled.

“True. Just venting a bit. Anyway, remember: if the Crown Prince summons you, find an excuse! Unless I personally call you, absolutely do not come! And when I do call you, I will call you privately, with no one else around! If there’s anyone else present, refuse the summons!” Jiang Kai reiterated his warning.

“Understood! I’ll remember!” Hu Hao nodded.

Jiang Kai quickly hung up the phone and walked out of the meeting room. He immediately spotted Sun Qinxue in the main command center.

“I just heard Hu Hao completely annihilated the reinforcement troops sent to Santong County? Is that true?!” Sun Qinxue asked the moment he saw Jiang Kai.

“Mm, it’s true! That kid is truly capable! To actually dare ambush that force, and then completely annihilate them! They even killed the Commander of the Kabuguo 32nd Corps!

“Right now, they are assaulting the remnants inside Santong County! I estimate they’ll secure the city tonight! By tonight, our Southwest Combat Zone will have completely wiped out four Allied corps! Now, there are only 10 Allied corps left facing our defensive line! Furthermore, Hu Hao’s troops are now freed up! Holding the line will no longer be an issue!” Jiang Kai smiled broadly at Sun Qinxue.

“That’s excellent! Truly excellent! This takes a massive amount of pressure off us! Once Hu Hao’s troops finish reorganizing and training, we might even be able to launch a counter-offensive!” Sun Qinxue was equally ecstatic.

“Let’s not talk about counter-offensives just yet! Two months! Our primary goal is to hold the line for two months!” Jiang Kai chuckled.

“Commander, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is visiting!” a staff officer suddenly entered and reported. Jiang Kai and Sun Qinxue exchanged a quick glance.

“Quickly, invite him in! Come on, let’s go greet him!” Jiang Kai ordered immediately.

“Alright!” Sun Qinxue nodded. The two of them hurried toward the command center’s main entrance. The command center was located within an underground air-raid shelter. Just as they reached the entrance, they saw the Crown Prince’s motorcade arriving. Jiang Kai quickly stepped forward and opened the Crown Prince’s car door the moment it stopped.

“You’ve worked hard, Your Highness! We welcome Your Highness to guide and supervise the battles!” Jiang Kai said respectfully as the Crown Prince stepped out.

“I am not here to supervise! I simply came to observe! I know you are currently commanding troops in battle. I came to learn from you, and also to bring you some comforts! I didn’t know what to get, so I brought some fresh fruit. I hope it helps alleviate the exhaustion of these continuous days of combat!” the Crown Prince smiled warmly at Jiang Kai.

“Thank you, Your Highness! Please, come inside! It is safer inside!” Jiang Kai gestured respectfully toward the entrance.

“Mm, please!” The Crown Prince replied politely, then walked ahead.

Jiang Kai and Sun Qinxue followed closely behind. Neither of them could fathom why the Crown Prince was visiting at this hour. They had just finished dinner! Moreover, he had only just arrived this morning! Why was he back so soon? They truly couldn’t grasp the Crown Prince’s intentions.

Upon entering the main command center, the Crown Prince immediately began expressing his regards and bringing comfort to the staff officers. Naturally, the staff officers were deeply moved and excited. Jiang Kai and Sun Qinxue could only stand to the side with polite smiles.

(End of Chapter)