OFTLHFRO C168

Chapter 168 – The Choice

Though the battle itself had lasted no more than half a day, the aftermath took four full days to settle.

Fortunately, few of their own had died, and the wounded received swift treatment.

But the corpses of enemy soldiers lay piled like mountains.

Staring at the heaps of bodies, Luo Mingchen was struck by an old, familiar dread—one that reminded him of the apocalypse he had once survived. It was a suffocating feeling.

A dozen captured generals were confined separately in the dungeon, and whenever Luo Mingchen passed by, he could hear the screams within.

He had witnessed Huo Yan’s interrogation methods once before and had no desire to see them again.

Except for mealtime, he avoided that part of the fortress altogether.

Hua Yaoyue, on the other hand, seemed fascinated. Once the medical tents quieted and there were no more critical patients, he gleefully went to the dungeon to “observe,” even offering an assortment of poisons for Huo Yan’s use—as if adding fuel to the fire.

It was in moments like this that Luo Mingchen finally understood why the two of them seemed so alike.

Not the kind of closeness shared by disciples raised under the same roof, but rather the kind born from having a master who clearly had a type when it came to taking students.

The news of their victory was already galloping toward the capital, but Luo Mingchen noticed that Huo Yan didn’t seem pleased. Instead, he remained in the dungeon, interrogating prisoners with grim determination.

The others, still basking in their triumph, began to feel uneasy.

When Luo Mingchen came by again to call Huo Yan to eat, he could faintly hear screams echoing down the corridor.

Moments later, the iron door creaked open, releasing a wave of thick, metallic blood stench.

Huo Yan stepped out, shutting the door behind him. When he saw Luo Mingchen, his expression softened. “Let’s go.”

Luo Mingchen waited several days for Huo Yan to speak of what troubled him, but when he did not, he finally took his hand and asked, “What is it you’re trying to find out?”

“Confidential information,” Huo Yan replied.

“Such as?” Luo Mingchen pressed.

“They speak whatever comes to mind.”

At that, Luo Mingchen stopped walking and turned to face him seriously. “Listen to me—you’re going to cause a domestic dispute if you keep this up. If you don’t tell me the truth right now, I’ll… I’ll let go of your hand.”

Huo Yan frowned slightly.

When he remained silent, Luo Mingchen did let go.

Huo Yan caught his hand again, a sigh slipping from his lips. “Huo Yuntao’s leg has been healed.”

“So?”

Meeting his gaze, Luo Mingchen’s eyes widened. “You mean—the emperor might send him here?”

“Not might. Certainly,” Huo Yan replied. “The hints were already there in the imperial correspondence two months ago. Once the victory report reaches the capital, the next step will be negotiation—peace talks, ransoms. Huo Yuntao’s experience makes him the obvious choice for the envoy team.”

Luo Mingchen frowned deeply. “His rank is higher than yours. To outsiders, you’re still father and son… What if we just—cripple him again?”

“That would be the last resort.”

Huo Yan sighed. “He’s not made of tofu. If he suddenly becomes crippled again without cause, the emperor will immediately suspect us. That would only breed distrust and fear.”

“Then what do we do? I told you before to slip something extra into his medicine, but you refused—said it wasn’t necessary.”

At the mention of it, Luo Mingchen sighed in exasperation.

“I hadn’t expected war to come so soon—or end so easily,” Huo Yan said quietly. “My original plan was to spend two years consolidating our position here.”

But Beiyue had not waited. The moment they didn’t see Huo Yuntao at the border, they’d assumed the advantage was theirs—and attacked early.

Luo Mingchen frowned. “So how does torturing enemy officers help? Are you trying to find some grand secret to offer the emperor—for a promotion?”

After a long silence, Huo Yan said, “Our only remaining advantage… is to start another war.”

Luo Mingchen’s eyes widened. “You—you mean to kill the prisoners and then launch another campaign against Beiyue and Xiaguang?”

“That would make the border people suffer, and cost us countless lives.”

Huo Yan’s gaze turned distant, quiet.

When the birds are gone, the bow is hidden.

When the hare is dead, the hound is cooked.

To prove his worth, one must display strength.

But without war, how would that strength ever be seen?

From the emperor’s perspective, letting Huo Yuntao suppress his talented son was the ideal balance.

And worse—rumors of Huo Yan’s closeness to the Third Prince had already reached the throne. That was the true reason his promotion had stalled.

Thus, their only path forward was… to reignite conflict.

Luo Mingchen pressed his lips together, unsure what to say.

Peace negotiations were undoubtedly the wisest choice for the Dayan Dynasty—fewer deaths, more time to rebuild and restore livelihoods.

But for them personally, it was a dead end.

Without war, the emperor would never favor a new commander over a seasoned veteran like Huo Yuntao.

To sacrifice soldiers’ blood for the sake of proving one’s worth—how could anyone live with that?

Only now did Luo Mingchen fully grasp the phrase: “A general’s success is built upon a thousand bones.”

Yet every fallen soldier was still a person.

To let them die for their leader’s ambition—wasn’t that something one would regret even in hell?

“Then… should we tell the emperor that Huo Yuntao intends to rebel?”

“I’ve thought of that,” said Huo Yan. “But if I submit such a report, His Majesty will only suspect that I might become another Huo Yuntao. Unless… we have someone to speak for us.”

“The Third Prince?” Luo Mingchen guessed—then immediately shook his head. “No. Huo Yuntao already supports the Fourth Prince. If we side with the Third, the emperor will think it’s the same thing. So what then? Keep fighting?”

He finally understood why Huo Yan hadn’t told him sooner.

Because this—this was no easy choice.

If Huo Yan could be ruthless like his father, the problem would be simple.

But he wasn’t.

And after everything they had done—after all they had built—it was unbearable to see the credit stolen away.

Thus, there were now two people tangled in torment.

And time was running out.

“Haah…”

It was the thirty-seventh sigh Luo Mingchen had let out since entering the room.

Huo Yuhui set down his brush. “Father, is something troubling you?”

Luo Mingchen hesitated. “It’s complicated. Even if I told you, it wouldn’t help.”

“If you don’t tell me, how will you know it’s useless?”

Those eyes—so much like Huo Yan’s—stared at him calmly.

After a moment, Luo Mingchen gave in. The boy’s mind was sharp; perhaps he’d see something they didn’t.

So he explained everything from start to finish.

When he finished, Huo Yuhui finally understood why his little father had been sighing nonstop.

Of course they couldn’t bear to climb to glory atop piles of corpses. That was why they hadn’t truly harmed the prisoners—only interrogated them, healed their wounds, and repeated the process day after day.

After a moment of contemplation, Huo Yuhui said, “If His Majesty fears Father’s growing strength and suspects his allegiance, that must be why he sent General Huo to suppress and balance him. Then the only solution is to make His Majesty see that Father’s position is weaker, that General Huo’s presence harms rather than helps him—and that Father stands firmly on the emperor’s side. Would that not resolve the issue?”

Resting his chin in one hand, Luo Mingchen sighed. “It sounds easy when you say it. But how? The emperor already knows your father once had ties with the Third Prince. Anyone can confirm it by investigating Yuan Prefecture.”

Huo Yuhui fell silent, lips pressed tight.

Even if they proved Huo Yuntao’s interference was harmful, the matter of Yuan Prefecture remained a thorn in the emperor’s heart.

As they pondered, Huo Xiang—who had understood nothing—looked up with a puzzled face. “Little Dad, didn’t Grandpa Ming invite you both to Yuan Prefecture? What does that have to do with the Third Prince?”

At that, both Luo Mingchen and Huo Yuhui turned to stare at the wide-eyed, utterly innocent Huo Xiang.