Hu Hao was acutely aware of his manpower shortage. He had a massive influx of raw recruits, but a severe lack of officers at every level of command. However, he had no choice but to expand his forces to hold the massive perimeter he had carved out.
At dawn, Hu Hao ordered the Special Operations Regiment to redeploy toward Xinqiao City. He issued a new operational directive to the five Squadron Commanders: they were to immediately begin asymmetrical attacks against all Allied logistical arteries supplying Tonglong City. Any railway, highway, or bridge utilized by the Allied forces was a primary target.
As the operatives dispersed to execute their sabotage missions, Hu Hao traveled with the main body toward Xinqiao City. He intended to launch an offensive against Tonglong City, but not necessarily to conquer it immediately. His primary goal was to provide the two newly formed Corps assigned to this sector with invaluable combat experience. Only by blooding these recruits could he ensure they were capable of holding the line once the dry season arrived.
Hu Hao arrived at the Xinqiao City forward command post shortly after 9:00 AM.
As soon as he stepped inside, a staff officer hurried over with a secure radio handset. "Hao-ge, a woman named Liang Wanyu is requesting a connection!"
"Mm," Hu Hao nodded. Ever since Liang Wanyu had acquired a secure satellite phone, she had made a habit of calling him every few days. He had grown accustomed to her check-ins.
"Hello," Hu Hao answered, taking the receiver.
"Commander Hu! What are you busy with today?" Liang Wanyu's cheerful voice came through the line.
"What else? Fighting a war," Hu Hao chuckled. He found a quiet corner of the command post, sat down, and lit a cigarette.
"Hu Hao... guess where I am right now?" Liang Wanyu asked playfully.
"Holy shit. Don't tell me you sneaked out to the front lines again?!" Hu Hao was so startled he dropped his cigarette. He quickly snatched it up off the floor.
"Hehe. Are you worried about me being on the front lines?" Liang Wanyu laughed, clearly amused by his reaction.
"I'm worried a stray artillery shell is going to turn you into pink mist before I can even find you," Hu Hao replied with a bitter smile.
"Relax, Hu Hao. I'm in your hometown! Your younger brother is getting engaged! Half the political elite in the capital sent representatives with gifts, so I couldn't exactly miss it, could I?" Liang Wanyu explained.
"What?! You're in my hometown?!" Hu Hao asked, genuinely shocked.
"Yep! And it's not just me. The Tang family, the Luo family, several senior generals from the Ministry of Defense... they all sent family representatives with extravagant gifts! Even His Majesty had the Crown Prince send an official Royal envoy with a gift! So, here I am!" Liang Wanyu stated casually.
"Are you kidding me? You people really love making a scene, don't you?" Hu Hao muttered, rubbing his temples. He knew perfectly well his own "face" didn't warrant this level of attention from the Imperial elite.
"What do you expect? His Majesty is clearly placing immense importance on your brother's engagement. Once word of that got out, do you think any of the aristocratic families would dare not send a gift?" Liang Wanyu pointed out the political reality.
"Mm," Hu Hao grunted, though he was entirely unimpressed. Of course the Emperor was paying close attention; Hu Hao was commanding a massive, independent army in the enemy rear. Showering his family with favors was the Emperor's way of maintaining leverage and buying goodwill.
"Hello? Are you still there? By the way, there's a red notice pasted on your front gate. It says guests are only allowed to give a maximum of 100 credits in their red envelopes! Tell me, Hu Hao, what does that mean? Is the 'face' of a Full General really only worth 100 credits?" Liang Wanyu teased him.
"I have no idea! I'm not exactly home right now! Are you standing outside my gate?!" Hu Hao asked, surprised.
"Mm-hmm. I'm sitting in my car outside," Liang Wanyu confirmed. Very few people knew she maintained direct contact with Hu Hao; only her grandfather, Ma Zhenling, and General Liang Kuan were aware.
"Can you hand the phone to my grandfather? I'd really like to speak with him," Hu Hao asked, feeling a sudden pang of homesickness.
"Hu Hao... I can't do that right now. Because... well, because no one here knows we're in contact. With so many representatives from the capital swarming your house, if they see me handing you a secure line, it's going to cause a massive political headache for me!" Liang Wanyu explained apologetically.
"A headache? What kind of headache?" Hu Hao didn't immediately grasp the nuances of capital politics.
"Ugh, it's complicated. You wouldn't understand the gossip. Look, how about I sneak back tonight and let your grandfather use the phone then? Will that work?" Liang Wanyu offered.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll be busy fighting tonight anyway. Since it's inconvenient, don't worry about it!
"But hey, Class Monitor! Are you trying to meet your future in-laws early?! That's highly improper! I haven't even formally introduced you yet, and you're already showing up at family events!" Hu Hao pivoted to teasing her.
"Tch. It doesn't matter if you're here or not. I'm just scouting the territory!" Liang Wanyu retorted breezily, though her face was burning red inside the car.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Bold move, Class Monitor. So, tell me, did you meet my mother? Let me warn you, she's incredibly easy to handle. Just shower her with money and expensive gifts, and she'll love you forever. She's obsessed with 'face' right now. Sigh," Hu Hao sighed, his tone turning self-deprecating.
"That's not very nice to say. But... I suppose it's understandable. Her status has changed drastically, and she's struggling to adjust,".
"Yeah, yeah. The 'General's Mother.' Whatever. Look, just drop off your gift and leave, alright? Don't linger. Just... make sure my grandparents look healthy. That's all I care about. The rest of it... just ignore it," Hu Hao said with a bitter chuckle.
"What's wrong? Do you not get along with your family?" Liang Wanyu picked up on his underlying sorrow.
"Every family has its own problem. Don't ask. Whenever you finally marry into the family, I'll tell you all about it!" Hu Hao deflected with another joke.
"Hmph! You only ever take advantage of me with your words, Hu Hao! If you're so tough, why don't you prove it?! Come to my family's estate in the capital and formally ask for my hand! Let's see if I dare say yes!" Liang Wanyu challenged him, deliberately goading him.
"Are you serious? You're playing with fire, Class Monitor," Hu Hao laughed.
"Why wouldn't I be? You're a Full General covered in glory! Do you think I'm blind to a good catch?!" Liang Wanyu teased right back.
"Alright, alright, we'll discuss this later. I have to brief the frontline commanders now. I can't chat all day!" Hu Hao rubbed his head, feeling outmaneuvered.
"Tch. The moment I call your bluff, you back down! Coward!" Liang Wanyu scoffed playfully.
"Don't push me. Everyone in our academy class already knows you belong to me!" Hu Hao smiled, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Hmph! ...Hey, is it dangerous on the front lines right now?" Liang Wanyu asked, her tone softening immediately. Hearing him claim her made her heart flutter, but his mention of frontline briefings brought her back to reality.
"Who knows? As long as the rainy season lasts, there shouldn't be any massive engagements. Once the dry season hits... all bets are off," Hu Hao answered honestly.
"You... you're a brilliant commander. Just remember... if the line breaks, retreat! Survive! Come back... I'll be waiting for you," Liang Wanyu said softly into the phone.
"I will. Alright, go inside and take a look around. I know I can't be there for my brother's engagement, so this will have to do," Hu Hao said gently.
"Okay," Liang Wanyu nodded, whispered a soft goodbye, and ended the call.
Stepping out of her car, Liang Wanyu signaled her security detail to carry her gifts and walked toward the Hu family compound.
"I cannot accept this! This is entirely inappropriate! We truly cannot accept these!" Hu Xingjun was frantically waving his hands, surrounded by the aristocratic envoys from the capital and representatives from several regional commanders.
He was initially pleased by the turnout, but seeing the sheer volume and extravagance of the gifts being piled in his courtyard terrified him. He remembered his father's furious warning from the day before.
Wang Xueying, standing nearby, was equally terrified. She didn't even know what was in the ornate boxes, but hearing the names of the legendary aristocratic families presenting them was enough to make her knees weak. She had learned her lesson.
"Uncle Hu! I am a classmate of Hu Hao's from the academy! I am here representing the Ma family to offer our congratulations!" Liang Wanyu stepped forward with a warm, polite smile.
"Ah! You're Hao-er's classmate?! Welcome, welcome! Please, come inside and have a seat! But... we really cannot accept these gifts from everyone!" Hu Xingjun pleaded, gesturing toward the growing mountain of boxes.
"It's perfectly fine, Uncle! I actually spoke with Hu Hao on the phone recently. He explicitly authorized accepting these congratulatory gifts! These are simply tokens of goodwill from the capital families. Even His Majesty sent a gift; it would be impolite to refuse!" Liang Wanyu lied smoothly to ease his anxiety.
"You spoke with Hao-er?!" Hu Xingjun looked at her in surprise and delight.
"Yes! Because I work in the Ministry of Defense, I have occasional access to the secure lines. I spoke with him, and he assured me you could accept these gifts without worry! If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself next time you speak!" Liang Wanyu smiled reassuringly.
"Exactly! We are simply here to offer our sincere congratulations on this joyous occasion! These are merely humble tokens of our esteem, nothing extravagant!" the other aristocratic envoys chimed in quickly, eager to complete their diplomatic missions.
"This... this..." Hu Xingjun hesitated, torn between his father's strict orders and this young woman's assurance.
"Please, Uncle, don't worry! I promise I spoke with him. You can even ask Grandpa Hu; I was the one who called a few weeks ago to tell him Hu Hao was safe on the front lines!" Liang Wanyu offered, gesturing toward the old man standing in the doorway.
"Oh! It's you! I remember your voice! Yes, you did call me back then!" Hu Hao's grandfather nodded, recognizing her.
"Greetings, Grandpa Hu!" Liang Wanyu offered a graceful, respectful bow.
"Welcome, child! Please, everyone, come inside!" the old man welcomed them warmly.
"Dad, what about...?" Hu Xingjun pointed nervously at the mountain of gifts.
"Accept them for now. We will store them securely and let Hao-er deal with them when he returns," the old man decided after a moment of thought. He recognized that these envoys represented the absolute pinnacle of Imperial power, including the Royal Family itself. Outright refusing their 'goodwill' gifts would be a massive political insult that could cause severe problems for Hu Hao in the capital.
"Understood! Thank you all for coming! Please, right this way!" Hu Xingjun bowed respectfully to the envoys and ushered them into the main hall.
Liang Wanyu gracefully stepped forward and offered her arm to Hu Hao's grandfather, gently supporting him as they walked inside, with Hu Jing supporting his other side.
(End of Chapter)
The novel has already been fully translated up to the final chapter. You can access it on my Patreon at patreon.com/caleredhair