After the Immortal Disappeared

The grain ledger alone was enough to tell him that his work after taking over Xiazhou wouldn’t be easy.

Supporting the front line was a mission Xiazhou could not refuse. With the front in peril, Hee Chunhua would have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to muster the men, horses, and grain required.

"Elder Master Zhu’s letter mentioned that the Lord Governor has just arrived in Xiazhou and will be raising troops next?"

"Yes, and quickly." Hee Chunhua’s core forces from Black Water City were only three hundred strong. He had absorbed Wu Shaoyi’s unit on the way, bringing his total to six hundred men.

This handful of men was nowhere near enough for a war. He needed to recruit troops and buy horses the moment he arrived in Xiazhou.

At the founding of Da Yuan, regional officials had no authority to raise armies; troops were all centrally dispatched. Today, however, the Royal Court could barely manage its own affairs, and with uprisings common everywhere, it tacitly allowed high-ranking regional officials to privately raise troops and procure their own provisions.

In Qiansong County, Hee Chunhua had gone from a lone rider to building a fully-formed army from scratch. He had mastered the process and was now ready to put his skills to use in Xiazhou.

"Then, Chief Steward Hee, you need to know that Dunyu and its seven surrounding counties are dominated by four great families whose relationships are a tangled, deep-rooted web. They basically control the lifeblood of the capital, and all other families look to them for leadership. The Li and Shu families, in particular, have been rooted here since the eighth year of Da Yuan’s founding and even have their own private armies. The last two Governors of Xiazhou both made sure to stay on good terms with them," Steward Qian said earnestly. "Without their support, you will find it very difficult to get anything done in Xiazhou."

Hee Chunhua raised an eyebrow. "So the four families are a permanent fixture, while the Governors of Xiazhou are just passing through?"

Steward Qian found it difficult to respond. He went to open a door and returned with several thick ledgers. "This is the information you wanted on Dunyu and the four families—population, assets, and networks. I’ve gathered as much as I could, but it might not be complete. There are some clandestine dealings that I have no way of knowing."

"Good. First, tell me, who is currently managing the Xiazhou military affairs in Dunyu for me?"

"The Military Officer, Peng Ju’an." Steward Qian had an excellent memory. "He’s in command of sixteen or seventeen hundred soldiers."

"Where does he live?"

"Qingping Village, which is only about three miles from Dunyu."

Hee Chunhua nodded and asked, "Has word of my entry into Xiazhou reached them?"

"Everyone knows the new governor is coming, but they don’t know the exact time of your arrival in Dunyu," Steward Qian said frankly. "But since you’ve lingered here for two days, I imagine the news has already spread far and wide. The four families have businesses and people in Ru County as well."

"That’s true. I have been to the Ru County Yamen these past two days." Hee Chunhua let out a breath. "Thank you. You’re very reliable. I will ask Elder Zhu to give you a special reward."

A flash of delight crossed Steward Qian’s face, but he quickly continued, "Also, it’s not just commoners fleeing the famine in Xiazhou recently; the wealthy gentry are also slipping away to the south. The difference is, some commoners are willing to flee north into Xunzhou, while the rich can only retreat south. The Xie and Zhan families, two of the four great families, have also been selling off their properties and dismissing their servants lately. According to their staff, the masters are already preparing to pull back."

Mozhe Jingxuan shook his head. "If they lead the exodus, public morale will likely become even more unstable."

"Isn’t that the truth? My Lord Governor, you’ve accepted a command in a time of crisis. It’s an incredibly difficult task. I wish you the best of luck." Steward Qian bowed to Hee Chunhua and withdrew.

Hee Lingchuan stretched and pointed at the ledgers. "Dad, reading books isn’t my strong suit."

"You don’t have to read them," Hee Chunhua said to everyone present. "The situation in Dunyu is largely as Steward Qian described, with very few discrepancies from the intelligence I’ve gathered. Our thousand-mile journey is finally coming to an end. Now, let’s discuss our strategy for when we enter Dunyu."

In the end, they were closeted in the rest hall for about a double-hour.

Old Mo came in to add charcoal, deliver a meal, and refill the oil lamp.

When the meeting concluded, an energized Hee Chunhua said to his subordinates, "Barring any surprises, we proceed as planned."

Everyone replied with a solemn "Yes," and then departed.

...

After all the uninvolved personnel, including the Hee Brothers, had left, the steward, Old Mo, surprisingly brought Steward Qian back in.

Only the three of them remained in the room.

Steward Qian had just been dozing in the back to recover from his journey when he saw Old Mo hand him a ten-tael silver ingot. Chief Steward Hee said warmly, "The task wasn’t easy. Thank you for your hard work."

"I don’t deserve this!" Despite his words, Steward Qian accepted the silver ingot.

"Let me confirm one more time. The person who calls the shots for the Dunyu Li Family is still Li Zhao?" Hee Chunhua frowned. "Is he Minister Li’s second uncle?"

"Yes, his biological second uncle," Steward Qian said. "If you can get through to him, the Li Family won’t be a problem."

"I’m afraid he *is* the biggest problem." Hee Chunhua thought for a moment. "If I remember correctly, he’s almost seventy, isn’t he?"

"He just celebrated his seventieth birthday a few days ago." Steward Qian smiled. "The locals all say that Elder Master Li Zhao is the real top dog in Dunyu. Although the Li Family’s businesses are left to the younger generation, they still have to go to Elder Master Li for any major decisions."

He gave a thumbs-up. "In Dunyu, no matter how great the trouble, if the venerable and respected Elder Master Li steps in, there’s nothing that can’t be solved."

"Impressive," Hee Chunhua said flatly. "Does ’great trouble’ include a granary fire?"

"I heard that Elder Master Li was furious after that incident. In the end, the two unlucky scapegoats—the Grain Official and someone from the Government Office—were sent to the Capital City. I hear they’ve already been tried and are slated for execution after autumn."

"To dare send them over means he’s certain they won’t talk." Hee Chunhua nodded. "Right, there’s still Minister Li in the National Capital. I really wish they had this kind of skill when facing Nian Zanli’s army."

Steward Qian sighed. "When it comes to fighting a war, they’re useless."

"In other words, Li Zhao is the backbone of the entire Li Family, the pillar that holds everything in place."

"Precisely."

Hee Chunhua smiled. "How is the old master’s health?"

"Robust. His vision is clear, his back is straight, and he’s always taken meticulous care of himself." Steward Qian gave a wry smile. "I think he’ll outlive me."

"Good. Then I need you to do two more things for me." Hee Chunhua held up a finger. "First, find out if Elder Master Li has any skeletons in his closet—a past transgression that would make him lose sleep at night, something he could never forget for the rest of his life."

"Lose sleep at night, never forget for the rest of his life?" Steward Qian wracked his brain. "HISS... I think there might be something!"

Hee Chunhua reminded him, "A man becomes cunning with age. He’s probably done plenty of wicked things, but most of them likely don’t bother him."

When you have too many lice, you stop feeling the bites. When you’ve done too many bad things, you might not care anymore.

"The first incident, I heard from an old-timer in Dunyu. When Elder Master Li was in his forties, his third son insisted on marrying a commoner. Somehow, Li Zhao ended up sleeping with his own son’s fiancée and got her pregnant. With no other choice, the would-be daughter-in-law became his seventh concubine."

Speaking of such matters, Steward Qian couldn’t help but wink conspiratorially. "Not long after, the concubine died suddenly of an ’illness.’ She was seven months pregnant at the time—two lives lost in one stroke."

"Gradually, rumors spread through the streets that the concubine hadn’t died of illness, and that the child in her belly wasn’t Elder Master Li’s. How could Elder Master Li tolerate being cuckolded like that? He had people drag her away and bury her alive, only announcing publicly that she had died of illness and was given a grand burial. Before she died, the woman screamed and cursed the old master to die a horrible death."

Hee Chunhua’s brow had been furrowed and hadn’t relaxed. "That’s surprisingly vivid. How credible is it?"

"A few days later, wild dogs dragged a female corpse out of the mass graves. There were rope marks on her body and dirt and sand in her throat, indicating she was likely buried alive," Steward Qian said. "The timing matches up."

Hee Chunhua grunted in acknowledgment. "Anything else?"

"Elder Master Li originally had a twin brother. They were extremely close, practically inseparable. When they were about ten, they were playing in the river one summer when a flash flood suddenly hit. Both were in mortal danger, with only a small tree in the water to cling to. Elder Master Li seized the opportunity—or rather, stole it. He stepped on his brother’s shoulder to jump higher and was pulled ashore by the adults. But the tree broke, and his brother was swept away."

Hee Chunhua was cautious. "Where did you hear this? Li Zhao himself is seventy. How many people who know about these things could still be alive?"

The average life expectancy in the Da Yuan Kingdom was only thirty-three. For a commoner to live to fifty was a blessing from the heavens.

"This was revealed by Elder Master Li’s third son. Yes, the very same son whose wife was stolen from him. He was in low spirits and said it while drinking with someone. He also said everyone in the clan knows about it, so it’s not much of a secret."

"Excellent!" Hee Chunhua casually placed an ingot of gold on the table. "I need to trouble you with one more task. After it’s done, there will be another ingot as a reward."

Steward Qian hurriedly said, "You are the Zhu Family’s benefactor and honored guest! It is my duty to serve you with all my strength!"

Zhu Xiyan had anticipated that Hee Chunhua could break the deadlock in Xiazhou, so he had instructed Steward Qian in his letter to cooperate fully.

Then, Hee Chunhua whispered his request.

Steward Qian was stunned by what he heard.

"Can it be done?"

"I will do my utmost, my Lord Governor. Please wait patiently for a few days."

...

The next day, the Supporting Army did not continue north as planned, because Chief Steward Hee had fallen ill.

When the Ru County Magistrate heard that the passing dignitary was unwell, he rushed over to visit. Hee Chunhua, with a sallow complexion, received him from his bed, explaining that he was exhausted from the journey and had caught a cold, and would need a few days to rest.

The Ru County Magistrate, of course, readily agreed and sent his men to provide the most attentive and thorough service.

Meanwhile, Hee Lingchuan and the others heard that Hee Chunhua had sent more scouts to Dunyu, a round trip that would take some time.

They never fought a battle unprepared. It was only a few days. What was the rush?

During the day, Hee Lingchuan would either regulate his breathing with the Meridian Technique or swagger through the county town with the Medicinal Ape and the Rock Wolf in tow. At night, he entered the Dream Realm as usual, continuing to practice martial arts, serve as a Patrol Guard, and rack up military merits in the Panlong Dream Realm, all while basking in people’s praise.

Major battles like the one at Ghost Needle Stone Forest were rare, so his days in the Dream Realm also fell into a routine.

His neighbor, Sunx Fuling, was never home. He had no idea where she had gone.

***

On the evening of the fourth day, a guest arrived at the Li Family estate in Dunyu City.

The visitor was Shu Qian, the second brother of the Shu Family Patriarch. He exchanged a few pleasantries with the Helmsman of the Li Family, presented a gift for the visit, and brushed the lingering snow from his neck. "Apologies for the intrusion, Elder Master. My elder brother sent me with a message: the newly appointed Governor of Xiazhou, Hee Chunhua, has fallen ill at the posthouse in Ru County."