Chapter 300 - 240, Open the altar
The sound of horse hooves was neither hurried nor slow, as the General atop the horse remained calm and composed.
Hu Junxian fully matched Chen Ji’s imagination of a border military leader, like a weathered mountain range standing firm, rugged, majestic, and unshakeably spanning the vast Northwest Land.
Before this moment, Chen Ji had never seen Hu Junxian’s true face up close, but the instant the other appeared, he knew it had to be Hu Junxian.
In the dim and narrow street, amidst a dangerous and eerie quiet, Chen Ji gripped the hilt of his sword, coldly fixing his gaze on the other. There seemed to be a taut line between them that, as the other stepped closer, was about to snap.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince, seated comfortably on horseback, said warmly, "After coming to Guyuan, this is the first time I’ve been able to see General Hu from such a close distance, a great honor indeed. I’ve often heard officials in Wenhua Palace say that as long as General Hu is in Guyuan Border Town, there’s no need for excessive worry. Seeing the General’s demeanor today, it truly commands respect."
Hu Junxian’s warhorse came to a halt, ten paces away from the Crown Prince, and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I, on the contrary, wish I wasn’t regarded so highly in the officials’ minds."
"Oh?" The Crown Prince questioned, "What do you mean by that?"
Hu Junxian replied with a voice calm as a lake, "If the officials were less assured about me, perhaps they would allocate more military equipment and provisions to my border army, instead of having my soldiers wear bamboo armor and wield rusty blades, treasuring bowstrings made from cow tendons as if they were precious. When Jing Dynasty archers march to battle, each carries three bowstrings for emergencies, whereas my Guyuan Border Army soldiers hardly have enough for one each."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince slowly glanced around at the surrounding rooftops, only to see archers clad in bamboo armor looking indifferent.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "What I have seen and heard on this trip to Guyuan has indeed been shocking. Upon my return to the capital, I will certainly request His Majesty to provide Guyuan with military supplies, so as not to dishearten the border army."
Hu Junxian said expressionlessly, "If the Crown Prince truly can secure military equipment and provisions for the border army, I will erect a shrine for you in my life, offering incense during the day and worship at night."