After the Immortal Disappeared

Hee Chunhua was the local chief official, while the Li Family were civilians. Although a few of their clansmen served as court officials, Li Rong himself held no rank or title. How could he possibly defy the Government Office in public?

This was Chief Steward Hee making an example of one to warn a hundred. All the gentry of Dunyu, and even the whole of Xiazhou, were watching with wide eyes.

"Before Li Rong went in, his sons came to smooth things over, donating two hundred thousand catties of corn flour and over a hundred thousand catties of sorghum powder to the Treasure Vault," Sunx Hongye said with a laugh. "A man like Li Rong can’t endure hardship in a jail cell. Rather than bribing the government officials, they were better off going directly to Mr. Hee."

"Li Shuang isn’t so dumb, then."

"And just as you’d expect, before Li Rong was even locked up, the government officials gave the cell a thorough cleaning and even sprayed it with pesticides. They say they killed over thirty rats, plus countless cockroaches and bedbugs. Li Rong got the largest spot, right by the door where the ventilation and light are best. His bedding was brand new, too."

"Then, after Li Shuang donated another five hundred cotton coats, three hundred pairs of cotton socks, and six hundred pairs of military boots, his old man’s meals went from two a day to three. He even gets wine, and the Li Family is now allowed to deliver his food."

Hee Lingchuan laughed. With Li Rong in his grasp, Hee Chunhua had this branch of the family firmly under his thumb.

"The second major event: with Mr. Hee taking office, a total of sixty-six families—nobles, gentry, and merchants from Dunyu—all came to present gifts." Sunx Hongye held up a second finger. "Every gift list was incredibly long. The lists themselves could have filled an entire carriage."

His father’s heavy-handed treatment of the Li Family had clearly frightened the onlooking gentry into giving lavish gifts. Hee Lingchuan’s spirits lifted. "How much did we get?"

"Mr. Hee returned everything. He didn’t accept a single thing."

His face fell. "Not one?"

"Not a single one."

Hee Lingchuan’s expression turned stoic. ’So much for getting my allowance raised.’ "Those guys... they can’t be stupid enough to send nothing at all, can they?"

"Oh, they wouldn’t do that," Sunx Hongye said with a laugh. "Just as it happened, news spread that Li Rong’s sons had their gifts rejected and had donated supplies instead. It was a lightbulb moment for everyone. They converted their original gifts into an equivalent value of military supplies, donated them to the Treasure Vault, and then presented the revised gift lists to your mansion. I spent a few years at the Imperial Censorate, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a gilded gift list with items as down-to-earth as ’cured pork’ and ’glass noodles.’ I heard the gentry went on a mad dash to buy up grain in Dunyu and the nearby villages, causing prices to jump five percent in just two days."

When you got down to it, grain was the cheapest option. A single donation could be hundreds of thousands of catties, a large volume that looked impressive.

"Have they been sent to the front lines?"

"The inventory count was finished yesterday, and Mr. Hee immediately sent men to escort the supplies over." The gifts—no, *donations*—consisted of all these miscellaneous goods. Just inventorying and auditing them was a pain, but it was exactly what the front lines needed at the moment.

Hee Lingchuan murmured, "These gentry... they really can get their hands on anything."

"The third major event is connected to the last one. Over the past few days, the State Government’s inventory of the supplies proved to be inefficient, and the ledgers were wrong on two separate occasions. Mr. Hee was furious. Citing dereliction of duty, administrative negligence, and incompetence, he demoted thirty percent of the old officials and clerks in the entire State Government, reassigning them to other duties. A shake-up this big hasn’t been seen in fifteen years, and it’s sent shockwaves through all of Dunyu."

"The winds have changed in Xiazhou. The sooner they get used to it, the better," Hee Lingchuan nodded. "You have to tear down the old to build the new. Have they all been replaced with our people?" As the head of a state, Hee Chunhua had the authority to appoint, dismiss, and promote personnel.

"Mozhe Jingxuan, Zhao Qinghe, and the nineteen others Mr. Hee recruited from Shihuan City have all been assigned to fill the vacancies." This group would serve as Hee Chunhua’s core team for the near future. "Oh, and Mr. Hee also wanted to appoint me as the State Government’s Registry Clerk Officer, in charge of all official Documents."

"Oh? That’s not a small post." ’Is Dad trying to poach my people now?’

Sunx Hongye shook his head. "I politely declined."

"Why?" Hee Lingchuan’s expression shifted. "You’ve been idling by my side for a long time, with nothing serious to work on."

"You were the one with the keen eye who recognized my worth back in Shihuan," Sunx Hongye said earnestly. "Therefore, I follow you, my Master, not Mr. Hee."

Hee Lingchuan clapped his hands and laughed. "Excellent! Excellent!" ’Who doesn’t appreciate a loyal subordinate?’

"Besides," he added, "I enjoy building things from the ground up. I don’t want a routine job at the State Government."

’As I thought, this kid is ambitious. He’s not the type to punch a clock every day.’

Sunx Hongye repeated himself. "Master, your timing for going into seclusion was off. You missed a golden opportunity."

"What do you mean?"

"Two days ago, enemy tracks were discovered near Wutu Town in the north. As soon as the news arrived, Mr. Hee dispatched Zhao Qinghe and Wu Shaoyi to lead an attack."

This last piece of news hit harder than the first three combined. Hee Lingchuan’s heart sank. "The fighting’s already started? How many of them are there?"

"It’s supposedly a guerilla unit. As for their numbers, Mr. Hee hasn’t made that public. Zhao and Wu’s troops set out this morning." Sunx Hongye sighed. "If you had come out of seclusion just half a day sooner, this cushy assignment might have been yours." ’Or at least you would have gotten a piece of it.’

"If I missed it, I missed it. There will be other chances," Hee Lingchuan said, quite nonchalantly. "It looks like my father has already figured out how to fight this battle."

Hee Chunhua’s first battle since taking office was of immense importance. He had to win; defeat was not an option.

"We have the advantage," Sunx Hongye analyzed. "The Xunzhou Army broke through Hundred Car Ridge and pushed south, but they only tore a small opening in General Zhao Pan’s line. They’ll definitely try to capture a city or two nearby to consolidate their position before they can expand their gains. Look at Wutu Town’s location—it’s over one hundred fifty li deep inside Xiazhou territory. That Xunzhou guerilla unit can’t be large. It can only be a small raiding party, and their main mission is probably just intelligence gathering. As long as Wu and Zhao can get on their tail, victory won’t be difficult."

No wonder Sunx Hongye called this mission a "cushy assignment." Hee Lingchuan smiled. "Exactly. And when the victory report comes back, we’ll need to embellish it a little."

The news that "Xunzhou Soldiers have reached Wutu Town" was terrifying enough on its own. If Hee Chunhua could defeat that army, it would be a massive boost to both morale and his prestige.

Sunx Hongye continued, "Mr. Hee only took office a few days ago, so the news probably hasn’t reached the Xunzhou people. They likely still think Xiazhou is as vulnerable as it used to be, which is why they sent a raiding party. We can take advantage of this opening to make our own moves. If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Hee has another big play coming up."

At this point, he changed the subject. "By the way, Master, there is one more thing I must suggest: you need your own men."

Hee Lingchuan’s gaze sharpened.

The words struck a chord with him.

"Go on."

"I’ve been observing for a long time. You have the appearance of wealth and status, but you have no men at your personal command." Sunx Hongye instinctively lowered his voice. "I’ve seen so many high-ranking officials and royal scions. Even an idle, pampered young master has his own retinue. You are destined for great things. Wouldn’t it be awkward to have no one at your disposal?"

Hee Lingchuan’s gaze wavered. ’He’s right. For whatever reason, the original Hee Lingchuan never had any trusted followers, just a gang of unreliable friends. And since I took over this body, the Hee Family has been in constant turmoil—either off on adventures, fighting bandits, or undertaking long migrations. I’ve never had the time to recruit my own people.’

He had always been one to ask for advice. "What do you have in mind?"

"In the beginning, quality is more important than quantity. We can take our time to find the right people."

Hee Lingchuan nodded repeatedly. ’I couldn’t afford too many anyway. My monthly income is only one hundred fifty taels of silver. One Monkey and one Rock Wolf are already eating me out of house and home, never mind a hundred more hungry men.’

’If they’re my personal retainers, they’ll have to be paid by me, right? If I let my father foot the bill, how could they ever be truly loyal to me?’

"I think that Sand Bandit, Fuzzy Peach, whom you brought from Black Water City, is a good choice. He’s agile and skilled, with no ties to anyone else here. He could be one," Sunx Hongye mused. "There are a few good men in the Supporting Army, but they are ultimately your father’s subordinates. It wouldn’t be appropriate to pull them into your Close Guard."

"So you’re saying I should choose from the Dunyu locals?"

"The Master is perceptive." Sunx Hongye once again felt that this Eldest Young Master Hee was far quicker on the uptake than his brash exterior suggested. "A few days ago, during the brawl between the Li and Zhan Families, I noticed two rather impressive men among the Li Family’s private forces."

"Oh?" Hee Lingchuan asked, amused. "What exactly were you paying attention to?" ’While everyone else was watching the Li and Zhan brawl for entertainment, Sunx Hongye was scouting for talent.’

"One is named Jiao Tai, the other Shan Youjun. I observed their skills, and both are excellent. One is agile, the other powerful. At the Zhan Mansion, they were each easily holding their own against six or seven opponents. What’s more praiseworthy is that they even shielded their comrades from several slashes, unafraid of being wounded."

At this, Hee Lingchuan drew out a long "Ohhh." "You mean *those* two! I remember them."

He had been there too and had indeed seen two men beating the Zhan Mansion guards as if it were child’s play. Their technique was disciplined, and they knew how to pull their punches, unlike the other private soldiers of the Li Mansion, who were just thugs and brutes hired off the street.

"I made some inquiries on the quiet. They used to be Rangers on the frontier. They’re some of the best fighters in the Li Mansion’s private army, and others don’t dare provoke them, but they don’t get along with their commander. This time, with Fourth Master Zhan’s wife and unborn child dead, the blame was pinned on poor Jiao Tai. They claim he was the one who pushed the pregnant woman against the rockery."

Scapegoats were something Hee Lingchuan found most interesting. "They’ve already been beaten, haven’t they?"

"They were. On the very day Chief Steward Hee arrived in Dunyu, they were taken to the Prefecture Yamen and publicly beaten ten times with a plank." Sunx Hongye had done his homework. "After Fourth Master Zhan went to Mr. Hee to file a complaint, the Li Mansion handed Jiao Tai over to the Government Office. He’s in a cell now, awaiting trial."

He shrugged. "Li Zhi and Li Rong will most likely be spared any physical punishment, but for Jiao Tai, this is a dead end. It won’t matter if he screams himself hoarse proclaiming his innocence in that cell."

Hee Lingchuan rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. I’ll leave it to you, then. See that he gets justice, and bring me two good men."

"Yes."

Sunx Hongye took his leave with a smile. Hee Lingchuan had taken his advice, and now he had a chance to put his skills to use.

Hee Lingchuan was in high spirits as well. The fact that Sunx Hongye had recommended these two men meant he was confident he could win them over.

’The kid is right,’ he thought. ’It’s time I had my own wings to command.’

He had just seen Sunx Hongye out the main gate and was about to head back inside when he saw two figures approaching from around the street corner, strolling and chatting. Weren’t they his father and brother, Hee Chunhua and Hee Yue?