After the Immortal Disappeared

Mr. and Mrs. Hee were surrounded by the crowd, like the moon embraced by a host of stars.

Everyone lavished them with praise.

Hee Chunhua, in particular, was all smiles, chatting and laughing with ease. Where was the slightest hint of stage fright or awkwardness?

Hee Lingchuan took a sip of wine. "This is really Dad’s moment in the spotlight. Look, he’s even blushing."

Hee Chunhua had just arrived at Luming Garden and hadn’t even had two sips of wine, yet his face was already bright red. It was obviously because his heart was swelling with pride and excitement.

"Finally, we can hold our heads high," Hee Yue said, letting out a long breath, his heart filled with emotion. "Our family has waited twenty years for this moment."

Twenty years ago, the Hee Family had been all but wiped out, leaving only Hee Chunhua to wander the borderlands like a stray dog, experiencing the full spectrum of human indifference and cruelty. Twenty years later, Hee Chunhua returned to Shihuan City with his family, and the great noble houses now flocked to him with fawning questions and lavish praise.

From the mire to the heavens in a single step—how could he not be filled with immense satisfaction?

This reaffirmed for him that his plans, his stratagems, and his sacrifices had all been worthwhile.

At that moment, three young men strolled over from not far away. The one in the middle was a young nobleman dressed in white, while the two behind him looked like attendants.

The young nobleman in white cupped his fist toward Hee Lingchuan. "Might you be the Hee Brothers?"

Hee Lingchuan gave a light laugh. "And you are?" ’This fellow’s steps are unsteady. Not a practitioner of martial arts.’

"My name is Hex. My father serves in the Imperial Censorate."

The attendant beside him quickly made the introduction. "This is Hex Shu, courtesy name Feiyang, the third son of the Imperial Censor, Lord Hex."

The Hee Brothers both feigned a look of sudden understanding.

The rank of Imperial Censor wasn’t especially high, but he held the power of impeachment and oversight. He could censure this official or that one at the drop of a hat, earning him the profound respect—and fear—of the entire court.

After both sides exchanged a few pleasantries, Hex Shu smiled. "I heard that Mr. Hee brought Sister Xiu’Er all the way back to Shihuan from the south?"

’This guy doesn’t waste any time with his loaded questions.’ Hee Yue’s expression didn’t change. "Miss Zhu has accepted my mother as her adoptive mother. Our journey of more than ten days by land and water went very smoothly, apart from an encounter with the Rebel Army retreating from Woling Pass."

"Woling Pass?" As expected, Hex Shu’s attention was caught by those two words. "You encountered the Rebel Army?"

He didn’t say the last two words quietly, drawing the attention of nearby guests. A couple of them chimed in.

"I heard Mr. Hee led his troops and dealt a major defeat to the rebels in the south."

"Not only that, he saved a great many villagers."

"Mr. Hee drove off two of the bandit Hong’s generals and even persuaded one to surrender!"

Before long, a crowd had formed around the Hee Brothers, everyone eager for details. Hee Yue shared what he could, leaving the crowd in awe.

Hee Lingchuan watched with a cool, detached eye, noticing that his younger brother spoke with an eloquence and confidence that rivaled their father’s.

Hex Shu, having been left to the side, was clearly displeased. He coughed twice and raised his voice. "It’s a wonderful thing that Sister Xiu’Er has returned to the Zhu Family. A shame that for all these years, countless people searched high and low but couldn’t find her. Brother Hee, perhaps you could clear up our confusion? Where exactly was Sister Xiu’Er taken after she was abducted, and how did you manage to find her?"

Hee Yue already had a prepared answer:

"Miss Zhu was abducted and taken south, right when a great flood struck Hongxiang. Her captors, along with the other girls, were swept into the water, their fates unknown. She was fortunate; nuns from the Celestial God Temple rescued her from the floodwaters and gave her shelter. However, she was struck on the head by driftwood and couldn’t clearly remember her past, so she had no memory of being a child of the Zhu Family."

When Mr. and Mrs. Hee returned Zhu Xiu’er, they had arranged this cover story with Zhu Xiyan to replace the reality: that she had been sold into a remote backwater to bear children for a dirt-poor farmer.

A child of the Zhu Family should not have such a disgraceful history, and Zhu Xiu’er herself should not be burdened by such a tragic past.

But Hex Shu wasn’t about to let it go. "So how did Mr. Hee discover her?"

"That Celestial God Temple was being looted by a small group of rebels, and the nuns had been tied up. We just happened to be passing by and took care of the attackers. Perhaps the bloody scene of the fight, by some twist of fate, jogged Miss Zhu’s former memories." Hee Yue spread his hands. "If that isn’t the will of Heaven, what is?"

He was telling a bald-faced lie, but how could anyone possibly go and verify it?

A few of the noblewomen played along beautifully, sighing one after another. "For Lord Zhu’s precious granddaughter to be found and returned after seven years... it must be a sign of Heaven’s mercy."

Hex Shu laughed. "Disappeared, lost her memory, and was finally found again. Listening to the story, Sister Xiu’Er’s experience sounds awfully familiar. There was someone else whose story was just like that! Do any of you remember?"

The topic successfully drew everyone’s attention back. "Who?"

"Oh? Now that Hex the Kid mentions it, I think I do have some impression of that."

"Yes, but the ages aren’t quite the same. Zhu Xiu’er was already a teenager when she was taken, while that other child was only five when they disappeared."

’Another case just like this?’ Hee Lingchuan frowned inwardly, but kept his expression blank. "Who are you all talking about?"

A voluptuous noblewoman quietly rested a hand on his shoulder, covering her mouth as she giggled. "You wouldn’t know, Mr. Hee. They’re talking about the one from Songyang Prefecture..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a fragrant scent heralded an arrival. Zhu Xiu’er appeared before them, tilting her head slightly. "It’s so lively over here. What’s everyone chatting about?"

With the subject of their gossip present, how could they continue? "Oh, just idle chatter," they all chimed in. "The Hee Brothers were telling us tales of fighting the rebels."

Zhu Xiu’er smiled. "Mr. Hee is full of wisdom and strategy, and the Hee Brothers are brave and powerful. I saw it all with my own eyes."

At that moment, the announcer’s voice rang out again. "The General of Cavalry—Ke Jihai arrives!"

A stir immediately went through the crowd. Guests put their heads together and whispered, and all Hee Lingchuan could make out was the same essential question: "Why is he here?"

Never mind the others; to the Hee Brothers, the name "Ke Jihai" was as renowned as a clap of thunder.

Following the announcement, Zhu Xiyan and Zhu Xiu’er entered, escorting a man between them. The entire assembly rose to its feet.

Hee Lingchuan finally laid eyes on the legendary Grand General.

The man was dressed in a brocade robe and stood six feet tall. His features were ordinary, not quite matching the standard of a "dragon among men"—except for the sharp, penetrating gleam in his eyes.

Hee Lingchuan’s eyes met his for a brief moment, and he felt the man’s gaze was like a tiger’s—intimidating before a single word was spoken.

It was Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai who had led the Official Army at Woling Pass, successfully crushing the rebellion. Their victory led to the death of the rebel leader, Hong Xiangqian, and scattered his forces, thereby saving Shihuan City, the very ground beneath their feet. This was a monumental accomplishment.

When the Grand Commandant rebelled and stormed the palace at Little West Mountain, it was also Ke Jihai who rushed back in time to defend the throne, forcing the Grand Commandant to retreat to Wuzhou.

Saving the Emperor himself was another heavenly merit.

If you were to name the man of the hour, a figure unrivaled in influence both inside and outside the Royal Court, who could it be but Ke Jihai?

What everyone found strange, however, was that Ke Jihai should have been in Wuzhou, leading the siege against the Grand Commandant. Why was he here in Shihuan City?

With Ke Jihai’s arrival, all the guests were assembled. Zhu Xiyan gave a speech and then announced the start of the welcome banquet.

The guests, seeing Zhu Xiu’er standing by his side with a charming smile throughout, understood that Old Zhu’s affection for his granddaughter had not faded with time. They also realized he was using this occasion to reintroduce her into high society.

Exquisite delicacies arrived at the tables in a continuous stream.

The biggest draw of a banquet at Luming Garden wasn’t just any famous chef, but food prepared by Imperial Chefs. The three head chefs here were said to have been specially dispatched from the palace, each a master of a different specialty.

The Hee Family was accustomed to the hearty, meaty fare of Black Water City. But the moment Madam Ying and Hee Yue took their first bite here, they felt like pounding the table in sheer admiration.

So this was how food could be prepared! It was the epitome of culinary refinement. Each dish was small and exquisite, gone in just a few bites, leaving one to savor the lingering, endlessly complex flavors.

Madam Ying sighed to herself, feeling as if all the meals she’d had in her life before this had been a waste.

Having tasted cuisines from all over in his previous life, Hee Lingchuan didn’t gush with praise like the other country bumpkins from his family. Still, two dishes here truly captured his heart. The first was a flash-fried loach. They used only finger-thick loaches, killed and sectioned fresh, then deep-fried and tossed in sauce. This frying process was repeated three or five times until the skin was perfectly crisp and the inside so tender it melted on the tongue—a true show of skill.

The other was a pigeon soup simmered with termite mushrooms. In terms of both flavor and price, this fungus stood head and shoulders above all others. Luming Garden produced its own, but as it was the dead of winter, there was no fresh supply; they had to use dried mushrooms instead. Yet when simmered into a broth, the flavor was not the least bit diminished. It even neutralized any hint of gaminess from the pigeon. One small sip was so umami-rich it felt like it could make your eyebrows fall off.

Hee Lingchuan downed his cup in a few gulps and desperately wanted more, but alas, there were no refills.

He waited a long while, curious if some legendary "Palace Jade Nectar Wine" might appear, but was left a little disappointed. ’Seems the Yuan King still doesn’t know how to create a proper spectacle,’ he thought.

After the pigeon soup was served, the guests began flocking to the General of Cavalry to offer toasts. The hall’s focus shifted from Hee Chunhua to Ke Jihai.

After all, the new Governor of Xiazhou had merely rescued an official’s lost daughter, whereas Ke Jihai had defended the entire kingdom for his Monarch.

It was self-evident whose contribution was greater and whose status was higher.

Even though Ke Jihai had stolen his thunder, Hee Chunhua showed not the slightest displeasure. Instead, he too grabbed his wine cup and went to offer a toast to Ke Jihai.

With Zhu Xiyan making the introductions, Ke Jihai’s eyes lit up upon hearing Hee Chunhua’s name. "That’s right! You’re the Governor of Xiazhou, the one who killed that traitor Sun Fuping!"

He had only attended the Zhu Family banquet out of courtesy. As a Grand General commanding hundreds of thousands of soldiers, he had no interest in a lost girl returning home; his attention was reserved for battles that concerned the fate of the nation.

Hee Chunhua gave a wry smile. "That would be me, I suppose."

Zhu Xiyan added from the side, "General Ke, there’s something you may not know. The remnants of the rebel army you and General Wu crushed fled south downriver from Woling Pass. They intended to regroup and rally their forces, but they were routed by an army led by Mr. Hee!"

Ke Jihai’s interest was piqued. "Oh? And which rebel remnants were these?"

"Wu Shaoyi, Lui Yao, and Pei Xinyong," Zhu Xiyan said with a cheerful laugh. "Lui Yao was killed, and Pei Xinyong fled in defeat, but Mr. Hee successfully persuaded Wu Shaoyi to surrender, incorporating him and all his followers into his own army."

"And most importantly, Mr. Hee only had three hundred elite soldiers, while those three rebel forces combined numbered over six thousand men!"

"Excellent! Excellent! In extraordinary times, heaven sends us talented commanders!" Ke Jihai slapped the table and shot to his feet, pulling over a chair. "Here, Mr. Hee, sit. Tell me all about how you defeated those rebels."

News that Hee Chunhua had killed Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu had already spread throughout the National Capital. While that victory might have involved an element of luck, his leadership of the Supporting Army to rout the Woling Pass rebels was an undeniable, major military triumph. With these two impressive victories to his name, even Ke Jihai had to re-evaluate this official who had come up from the borderlands.

After all, the Yuan Kingdom was vast, but good generals were hard to find.