Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 576 Factional Strife, Unlucky Hou Tong

The thirteenth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, the seventh day of the first month, in the middle of the night.
In the middle section of the Bone-Eating Path, Luo Yuan stood in mid-air, his expression slightly hesitant, clearly struggling with something in his heart. Behind him was another person, Hou Tong, the commander of the Northern Zhao Army who had recently switched allegiance.

Hou Tong saw Luo Yuan's inner struggle, leaned forward slightly, and whispered, "Since you've made your decision, why hesitate? Qiu Peng has unilaterally agreed to the marriage on behalf of the lord; the lady will find out sooner or later. Rather than letting others talk, it's better for you to inform her first and gain favor with her. As for what actions she takes afterward, we won't interfere..."

"I know!"

Before Hou Tong could finish speaking, Luo Yuan interrupted him, then took a slight breath and his brows slowly relaxed.

Hou Tong is right. Since we're already here, there's no point in looking back now.

As the Great Xia Dynasty has developed to its current state, Lord Xia Hong's style of handling affairs has gradually taken shape. In short, he only focuses on major decisions and does not participate in daily management. He can even confidently entrust some major decisions to his subordinates, such as during the past three years when Xia Hong was away in Mo'aochuan.

When a power vacuum appears, someone will inevitably fill it, especially since Xia Hong deliberately delegated power.

Where there are people, there is a world of intrigue. Moreover, the Great Xia Dynasty is now unprecedented in its scale. The current top power structure of Xia City can be roughly divided into two factions: Madam Li Xuanling and Minister Xia Chuan.

To insist on classifying them into two factions is a bit of a stretch. After all, Lady Li Xuanling was in charge of the Summer Palace, and Director Xia Chuan commanded the Eight Departments. The two had very little interaction, let alone any conflicts or friction.

However, with the death of Li Tiancheng, the former head of the prison department, two years ago, and Xiang Fuhai taking over the position at the recommendation of his wife, Li Xuanling, the situation gradually began to change.

Xiang Fuhai reciprocated kindness by showing a clear bias in handling the affairs of the prison department. Even when promulgating major regulations and rules, he would first seek the opinion of his wife, Li Xuanling, before reporting to the Director.

At the end of last year, after the major case at Ruhulin, the fact that the lady could make Murong Ping, the deputy director, lose his job with just a word was enough to prove how deep her control over the prison department was.

Following the prison department, Cheng Feng, the head of the logging department, and Mu Dong, the head of the artisan department, also grew closer to the madam. Now, these three departments are basically obedient to Li Xuanling, and when it comes to making certain key decisions, even the words of the department heads are no longer effective.

“It was evident from the Longyou period that the lady was not the type to settle for a mundane life. Before, with the lord keeping her in check, it wasn't a big deal. But the lord has only been away for three years, and she has already won over three of the eight tribes. Counting the people from the Summer Palace and the Longshan faction, her power is showing signs of surpassing that of the Minister of Justice. The key point is that the lord has not made any statement yet…”

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

He was also one of the eight chief officials, in charge of the hunting department, and managed tens of thousands of hunting teams. Having held a high position for many years, he was naturally well-versed in the workings of power.

He didn't believe that the lord, having been back for so many days, was completely unaware of the current situation where the upper echelons were divided into two factions, and had made no comment. This could only mean that Xia Hong had tacitly approved of the situation.

Power is an art of checks and balances. As a lord, he would naturally be happy to see his subordinates fighting. Luo Yuan himself was also a leader, so how could he not see this?

Of the eight departments, the lady received the departments of prison administration, logging, and artisans; of the remaining five departments, the departments of garrison and supply were staunch supporters of the Directorate of Justice. Zou Yuankai sent me a message that Zhu Yuan recently took advantage of the opportunity to reorganize the household registration of the five northern towns and has also begun to side with the Directorate of Justice.
Currently, the only forces that haven't taken sides are Yuwen Tao's military department and the hunting department he controls.

The Ministry of War, which commands the Xia army, is so powerful that no one but the lord dares to interfere. The Lady and the Minister of War tacitly refrain from getting involved. Yuwen Tao is also very clever, ignoring the power struggle between the two factions at the top and focusing solely on leading the army, without getting close to anyone.

Therefore, in the end, only the hunting department remained without taking sides.

Luo Yuan's expression turned somewhat bitter as he thought of this.

He wanted to emulate Yuwen Tao and stay out of it, but the problem was that the Hunting Department didn't have the same high status as the Military Department, so he didn't have the right to remain aloof.

Madam and Si Cheng wouldn't make things difficult for him, but in the year-end evaluations of the eight ministries over the past three years, including the usual appointments and removals of officials in the eight ministries, he could clearly feel that the Hunting Department was not as valued as before.

When Daxia wasn't so big before, a department that wasn't valued didn't have much impact. But look at Daxia's size now.
Even without considering year-end evaluations and official appointments, given the current size of the Great Xia Dynasty, a mere high-level meeting would have an outcome that could affect hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

The hunting department was not valued, which was most evident in the fact that the director had no say. When there were too many monks and not enough porridge, he was unable to fight for extra benefits for himself and his subordinates.

The lady will find out sooner or later. Rather than letting others tell, it's better for you to inform her first. That way, you'll also gain favor with the lady. As for what actions the lady takes afterward, we won't get involved..."

"I know!"

Before Hou Tong could finish speaking, Luo Yuan interrupted him, then took a slight breath and his brows slowly relaxed.

Hou Tong is right. Since we're already here, there's no point in looking back now.

As the Great Xia Dynasty has developed to its current state, Lord Xia Hong's style of handling affairs has gradually taken shape. In short, he only focuses on major decisions and does not participate in daily management. He can even confidently entrust some major decisions to his subordinates, such as during the past three years when Xia Hong was away in Mo'aochuan.

When a power vacuum appears, someone will inevitably fill it, especially since Xia Hong deliberately delegated power.

Where there are people, there is a world of intrigue. Moreover, the Great Xia Dynasty is now unprecedented in its scale. The current top power structure of Xia City can be roughly divided into two factions: Madam Li Xuanling and Minister Xia Chuan.

To insist on classifying them into two factions is a bit of a stretch. After all, Lady Li Xuanling was in charge of the Summer Palace, and Director Xia Chuan commanded the Eight Departments. The two had very little interaction, let alone any conflicts or friction.

However, with the death of Li Tiancheng, the former head of the prison department, two years ago, and Xiang Fuhai taking over the position at the recommendation of his wife, Li Xuanling, the situation gradually began to change.

Xiang Fuhai reciprocated kindness by showing a clear bias in handling the affairs of the prison department. Even when promulgating major regulations and rules, he would first seek the opinion of his wife, Li Xuanling, before reporting to the Director.

At the end of last year, after the major case at Ruhulin, the fact that the lady could make Murong Ping, the deputy director, lose his job with just a word was enough to prove how deep her control over the prison department was.

Following the prison department, Cheng Feng, the head of the logging department, and Mu Dong, the head of the artisan department, also grew closer to the madam. Now, these three departments are basically obedient to Li Xuanling, and when it comes to making certain key decisions, even the words of the department heads are no longer effective.

“It was evident from the Longyou period that the lady was not the type to settle for a mundane life. Before, with the lord keeping her in check, it wasn't a big deal. But the lord has only been away for three years, and she has already won over three of the eight tribes. Counting the people from the Summer Palace and the Longshan faction, her power is showing signs of surpassing that of the Minister of Justice. The key point is that the lord has not made any statement yet…”

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

He was also one of the eight chief officials, in charge of the hunting department, and managed tens of thousands of hunting teams. Having held a high position for many years, he was naturally well-versed in the workings of power.

He didn't believe that the lord, having been back for so many days, was completely unaware of the current situation where the upper echelons were divided into two factions, and had made no comment. This could only mean that Xia Hong had tacitly approved of the situation.

Power is an art of checks and balances. As a lord, he would naturally be happy to see his subordinates fighting. Luo Yuan himself was also a leader, so how could he not see this?

Of the eight departments, the lady received the departments of prison administration, logging, and artisans; of the remaining five departments, the departments of garrison and supply were staunch supporters of the Directorate of Justice. Zou Yuankai sent me a message that Zhu Yuan recently took advantage of the opportunity to reorganize the household registration of the five northern towns and has also begun to side with the Directorate of Justice.
Currently, the only forces that haven't taken sides are Yuwen Tao's military department and the hunting department he controls.

The Ministry of War, which commands the Xia army, is so powerful that no one but the lord dares to interfere. The Lady and the Minister of War tacitly refrain from getting involved. Yuwen Tao is also very clever, ignoring the power struggle between the two factions at the top and focusing solely on leading the army, without getting close to anyone.

Therefore, in the end, only the hunting department remained without taking sides.

Luo Yuan's expression turned somewhat bitter as he thought of this.

He wanted to emulate Yuwen Tao and stay out of it, but the problem was that the Hunting Department didn't have the same high status as the Military Department, so he didn't have the right to remain aloof.

Madam and Si Cheng wouldn't make things difficult for him, but in the year-end evaluations of the eight ministries over the past three years, including the usual appointments and removals of officials in the eight ministries, he could clearly feel that the Hunting Department was not as valued as before.

When Daxia wasn't so big before, a department that wasn't valued didn't have much impact. But look at Daxia's size now.
Even without considering year-end evaluations and official appointments, given the current size of the Great Xia Dynasty, a mere high-level meeting would have an outcome that could affect hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

The hunting department was not valued, which was most evident in the fact that the director had no say. When there were too many monks and not enough porridge, he was unable to fight for extra benefits for himself and his subordinates.

"We can't hesitate any longer. There are more and more rising stars in Great Xia now. Although Qin Feng was killed in the Battle of Jinyang, his sons Qin He and Qin Shan, as well as many high-ranking officials from Wuchuan, are still here. Shangguan Yang was rescued by the lord, and all the high-ranking officials of Jinshan Town will switch their allegiance to Great Xia. In addition, there is Li Yangtian from Dragon Valley. The Xianyang level will soon be nothing in Great Xia! If we continue to hesitate, and the Madam and the Director take a fancy to someone else, it will be a problem whether I can keep my position as Director in the future."

Moreover, Qiu Peng's unauthorized agreement to the marriage alliance with Cai Qiu on behalf of the lord might not have been a ploy to sow discord between the two women. Since the conflict is already out in the open and the lord hasn't said anything, what do I have to fear...?

At this point, Luo Yuan's thoughts were completely clear, the struggle on his face disappeared, and his gaze continued to look to the north.

"It should be about time. Hou Tong, go take care of your business! I'll wait for Madam here by myself."

The news that the lady was taking the two princes back to Xia City was revealed to her by her son, Luo An. Luo Yuan had arrived early to wait for them, and judging by the time, it was indeed almost time.

Hearing that Luo Yuan was telling him to leave, Hou Tong was a little unhappy. He had given Luo Yuan the idea in order to show off in front of the lady, but since Luo Yuan had already spoken, he naturally couldn't stay any longer. So he could only cup his hands and nod, saying, "Then this subordinate will take his leave!"

He was originally a member of the Longbei faction, but after Hou Jing stepped down as deputy director of the Hunting Department two years ago, seeing that the Longbei faction was gradually losing power, he simply switched to Luo Yuan's faction and is now considered a member of the Luo Ge faction.

Hou Tong had no choice but to obey the words of Luo Yuan, a powerful figure in his faction, without question. Besides, he was currently insignificant and his words carried little weight. Even if he met the madam, he probably wouldn't leave much of an impression. Having figured this out, Hou Tong had no complaints. He needed to return to the southern border region on business, so after bidding farewell to Luo Yuan, he headed south.

Luo Yuan remained where he was, waiting for the lady and the two princes.

The Bone-Eroding Path is a little over 100 kilometers long. If it were still the time when the Black Wind occupied the valley, the valley would be filled with that terrifying bone-scraping wind. Even though Hou Tong now has the cultivation level of Xianyang and the strength of 4 Jun, it would still take him at least six or seven hours to walk through it.

But things are different now. After the black winds in the valley disappeared, the temperature also rose a lot. In addition, he could fly freely, and Hou Tong was soon less than ten kilometers away from the southern exit.

"Madam probably wouldn't stoop to interfere with the lord's marriage alliance with Cai Qiu, but her subordinates might be a different story. The Summer Palace, the Dragon Guard, and the Longshan faction—these three groups are all closely tied to Madam and the Second Prince. If the lord's marriage alliance with Cai Qiu succeeds, it will have the biggest impact on them. They can't possibly remain indifferent. It's just unknown what methods they will use to stop the marriage alliance..."

As Hou Tong flew south at breakneck speed, his mind never stopped racing.

The current scale of the Great Xia Dynasty has actually caught up with that of a regional military governor. It's only a matter of time before the lords are promoted to regional governors. As the scale expands, various conflicts of interest will continue to emerge, and matters involving the imperial court and succession are naturally the most sensitive.

Since the fall of Zhaoyang in the second year of the Great Xia Dynasty, Hou Tong has served under Xia Hong for eleven years. In that long time, he has long since completely integrated into Xia City and considers himself a Xia person.

He saw it clearly: Hou Jing was old and out of power, and Hou Bing's strength and methods were not very good. His hope of supporting the Longbei faction was too slim. If he wanted to continue to climb up, he had to find a new backer.

"In order to reverse the decline of the Longbei faction, Hou Bing colluded with Yuwen Yong and forcibly captured Guangning Mountain. It was a clever trick on Lord Yuwen. It seemed to extend the life of the Longbei faction, but in reality, it was a death warrant!"

After the Xia army was stationed in Hegu Village, although Commander-in-Chief Yuwen Tao did not give a specific ceasefire order, it was easy to see from the army's deployment that he did not want to continue fighting north.

Hou Bing took the initiative to attack. Although he did not disobey military orders, he went against the commander on the battlefield. No matter how great his achievements were, would he be treated well afterward?
The key is the lord's attitude. Hou Tong had already inquired with the Dragon Guard last night. Although the lord verbally praised Hou Bing for capturing Guangning Mountain, he actually held a negative attitude and even reprimanded the commander-in-chief Yuwen Tao because of it.

Yuwen Yong was his sworn brother, so it was obvious who Yuwen Tao would hold accountable for the lord's reprimand.

"Fortunately, we severed ties with the Longbei faction two years ago. Hou Bing was too stupid. When Lord Qiu transferred him to the Flying Peng Army as commander, the signal was actually very clear: it was an olive branch extended by the Tupo faction. But he insisted on clinging to the withered branch of the Longbei faction. This time, he has offended Yuwen Tao to the death. Coupled with the lord's attitude, he will probably be marginalized soon."

Thinking about this, Hou Tong couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.

The Longbei faction actually has two military units. The Beizhao Army, led by Hou Tong, was established in the seventh year of the Great Xia Dynasty with the support of Hou Jing. The second unit, the Zhuhan Army, originated from the Zhuhan Squad established by Hou Bing. It was also established two years ago, before Hou Jing stepped down as the deputy director of the Hunting Department, he had to swallow his pride and ask Yuwen Tao for help.

As the founder of the Zhuhan Squad, Hou Bing was naturally the first commander of the Zhuhan Army. In recent years, the Great Xia Dynasty has grown larger and larger, and the Logistics Department has more and more things to manage. Qiu Peng didn't have much time to focus on the army, so he gave up his position as commander of the Feipeng Army last year. The person he chose was Hou Bing.

Some things were unclear at the time, but now we can see them clearly in retrospect.

Two years ago, Qiu Peng had Yuwen Tao cooperate in transferring Hou Bing from the commander of the Zhuhan Army to the commander of the Feipeng Army. This was clearly an attempt by the acting magistrate to incorporate the Longbei faction. However, Hou Bing failed to see the situation clearly and still fantasized about raising the Longbei banner. Now, he can only be said to be reaping what he sowed.

"The Great Xia is currently thriving, changing almost every year, and all kinds of resources are overflowing. The influence gained during this period may not show results in the short term, but when the camp reaches a bottleneck and resources become scarce, this influence will mean priority in resource allocation, so we must pay attention to it."

"Given my current strength and status, the Tupo faction, the Longshan faction, and the Jinggu faction all look down on me. Even if I actively seek their allegiance, I'm unlikely to be valued. The Rogge faction doesn't have many powerful figures, so Lord Rogge is the most suitable backer I can find."

Hou Tong gradually sorted out his thoughts, and his mindset improved considerably.

Hou Bing called himself an ingrate in front of many of Zhao Yang's old friends. Hou Tong knew this perfectly well, but he never took it to heart.

Times have changed. If Hou Jing had not yet stepped down and was still the deputy director of the Hunting Department, he would not have switched to Luo Yuan's faction so quickly. Even if Hou Bing had truly taken the lead of the Longbei faction, the situation would not have developed to this point.

The problem is that Hou Bing is too naive and unreliable.

Everyone looks out for themselves; old friendships can be cherished, but since Hou Tong considers himself a member of the Great Xia, what he cares about most is, of course, his future...

boom!
Suddenly, a thunderclap exploded overhead, interrupting Hou Tong's thoughts. The thunder was so loud and so close that he was startled and his body froze in mid-air.

"thunder?"

Hou Tong looked up at the sky, his face immediately filled with confusion.

Thunder is extremely rare in such a frigid environment as Ice Abyss. He is over fifty years old and has only seen thunder twice in his memory.

Both thunderstorms occurred when the temperature was relatively high, and during extremely rare heavy rainstorms.

Black Wind had only withdrawn from the Bone-Eating Path less than ten days ago. The temperature inside the valley was only slightly higher than outside, and it wasn't a rainstorm at the moment, so why was there a sudden thunder?
Click...

Just as Hou Tong was racking his brains, a blood-red thunderbolt once again ripped through the sky, the thunder lingering for a long time, as if it had carved a crack in the heavens.

boom!
Thick, blood-red miasma suddenly overflowed from the crack, carrying a glimmer of white spiritual light. Hou Tong, who was in mid-air, saw something and his body stiffened abruptly. Then, almost without thinking, he sped away to the south.

"There's someone in the white light... no... no... no, blood-red thunder, miasma filling the sky, could it be a person coming out of there?"

"It's a monster, it must be a monster! It looked like it glanced at me, and my blood almost stopped flowing. I didn't feel this when Cai Qiufangbo looked at me!"

"This is so unlucky. How could we encounter such a powerful monster here? It just fell from the sky without any warning."

"It's over, it's all over now."

…………

Hou Tong rushed south at breakneck speed, almost flying through the air. He covered two or three kilometers in just five or six breaths, but even at that distance, his face was still ashen, his pupils filled with intense fear, and his voice was extremely panicked.

"What year is it in the Great Xia Dynasty? Where are we?"

A cold female voice rang out from above, and Hou Tong's speeding body came to an abrupt stop, freezing in mid-air. Realizing that he could not move, he was filled with grief and despair.

(End of this chapter)