After the Immortal Disappeared

That man Ke had really fleeced them.

But everyone had to play along. Who knew if this was the will of the Royal Palace?

Ke Jihai’s worried expression vanished. He cupped his fist and bowed to the guests all around. "I, Ke, thank you, my lords, on behalf of the soldiers on the front lines for your generous contributions!"

Once these hundreds of thousands of measures of grain and military supplies arrived, the Official Army could hold out for a good while longer.

The crowd, of course, offered polite words, but Ke Jihai immediately turned to a subordinate behind him and said, "Record all the grain donations from these lords! If you make a single mistake, I will hold you solely responsible."

The Hee Brothers exchanged a glance, seeing the amusement in each other’s eyes. Ke Jihai was clearly afraid the nobles present would make empty promises and then go back on their word, which showed just how determined he was to get the grain.

Hee Chunhua also began to speak, "Since the opportunity has presented itself, the Hee Family will also donate..."

But Ke Jihai cut him off. "Donate? What are you donating for! You’ll need to recruit soldiers and buy horses when you get to Xiazhou. How could the money you have possibly be enough? Don’t forget your old rival Nian Zanli is still up north! In my opinion, the fighting there won’t be any easier than in Wuzhou." He absolutely refused to accept his offer of grain.

Hee Chunhua had no choice but to give up, and he led his two sons back to their seats.

The host then smoothed things over, quickly glossing over the incident. The gentle strains of string and bamboo instruments filled the air as dancers and singers took the stage, soon capturing everyone’s attention.

As expected of a place at the foot of the Emperor’s throne, the figures of these performers were far more graceful than those in Black Water City. Their singing was also gentler and more beautiful, and even their gazes were filled with passion.

Hee Lingchuan was watching, mesmerized, when Hee Yue nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, look over at General Ke."

Ke Jihai had just had a few cups of wine when a young man approached from behind to pay his respects, and the two began to talk.

Though "talk" might be the word, it was more like the young man chattering on and on while Ke Jihai listened, holding his wine cup and occasionally frowning to ask a question.

A short while later, Ke Jihai ordered someone to get the young man a cup of wine.

The young man choked on the first sip and coughed for a good while.

With female family members present at the banquet, the wine served was mellow and slightly sweet, suitable for everyone. But Ke Jihai was used to strong liquor and had long since had the Attendant swap his out.

Seeing the young man choke, Ke Jihai laughed and said a few words. Hee Lingchuan read his lips: "Still wet behind the ears."

The young man was in his early twenties, with tanned skin and a square, honest-looking face, but his eyes were very round and bright. Unlike the fine silks worn by others at the banquet, his robe, though made of decent material, was faded from washing. Hee Lingchuan even spotted an inconspicuous patch on its hem.

’This fellow is completely out of place in Luming Garden.’

The young man then handed Ke Jihai a booklet, bowed, and departed.

Ke Jihai didn’t even open it, simply handing it to the subordinate official behind him.

Less than an hour later, he stood up, toasted Zhu Xiyan with a cup of wine, and then headed for the exit.

It seemed he was getting ready to leave.

Hee Lingchuan was once again certain that Grand General Ke’s main reason for attending the banquet at Luming Garden tonight was to secure funds and provisions for the Official Army on the front lines. Now that his objective was achieved, he was slipping away.

Just then, Madam Ying clutched her stomach and whispered to her husband, "My stomach hurts a little."

"Do you need to use the powder room?"

"No, it’s just a dull ache. It’s been like this for a while." Madam Ying was embarrassed. "I’m probably just not used to all these rich delicacies."

The banquet was a grand affair, with everything that flew in the sky, swam in the water, and ran on the ground served on a platter. But Ying Hongchan, accustomed to the simple, home-cooked fare of the borderlands, felt her stomach couldn’t handle such a complex medley of flavors.

"Oh, you." Helpless, Hee Chunhua had no choice but to also stand and take his leave from the Zhu Family, leaving early with his wife and children.

In an outer room, Assistant Liu was drinking wine with his legs crossed, nibbling on a couple of side dishes.

A minor figure like him, of course, did not have the status to enter the main banquet hall.

Seeing the Hee Family come out, he greeted them and hurried out to ready the carriage.

The night was deep. Down the mountain, most of the myriad lights of the city had been extinguished, and snow had begun to fall softly from the sky.

The wheels squeaked as they rolled over the fresh snow.

When Hee Lingchuan saw the view of the city below again, he no longer clicked his tongue in praise. Instead, he recalled that while the night view of Shihuan City had been beautiful, the area surrounding the city had been pitch-black. The farther out one looked, the sparser the lights became—not at all what one would expect from a place at the Emperor’s feet.

He asked Assistant Liu, "Aren’t there many residents around Shihuan?"

"Many? Of course there are!" Assistant Liu answered. "There are five counties and thirteen townships. The people there either farm or rely on Shihuan City for their livelihood."

Shihuan City was just that prosperous. Most residents of the surrounding counties and townships made their living by diligently serving it.

"Then why are the lights so sparse?"

"They work hard all day, and there’s nothing to do when they get home at night, so why not just fall straight to sleep?" Assistant Liu chuckled. "Besides, candles are expensive. Why waste money lighting them?"

Hee Lingchuan immediately thought of what Zhu Xiyan had said earlier.

Hee Yue said in a low voice, "Compared to what we’ve seen on our journey, the villagers around Shihuan already have it much better. At least they have food to eat and can survive."

Traveling from Black Water City to here, they had truly witnessed the hardships of the common people. For Hee Yue, seven or eight years of reading ten thousand scrolls was no match for what he had seen and heard in the past twenty or thirty days—all of it unimaginable and shocking to the core.

This young man had finally come to understand the meaning of the saying, "When kingdoms rise and fall, it is the common folk who suffer."

As soon as he said this, even the smile on Assistant Liu’s face faltered. He swallowed. "Ten days ago, the Royal Court issued a decree raising taxes again. This is the second time this year, so everything is expensive now."

A lack of money, a lack of grain, a lack of provisions—it all had to be taken from the people.

And if you exploit the people too harshly, someone else will raise the banner of rebellion, and there will be a second and a third Hong Xiangqian.

The conversation died there.

As the wheels began to rumble along, Hee Lingchuan lifted the curtain to peer ahead. "That’s General Ke’s carriage up front, not far from us." It was only fifty or sixty feet away, visible through the flurrying snowflakes.

The snow seemed to be getting heavier.

Hee Yue said, "General Ke came to levy provisions from the powerful families of Shihuan City this time. Did Lord Zhu know beforehand, or was he just cooperating on the spot?"

Hee Lingchuan scoffed. "Those nobles in Shihuan City are so rich they’re practically dripping with oil. They can donate tens or even hundreds of thousands of measures of grain as a token gesture without even blinking."

Hee Chunhua nodded. "General Ke didn’t get many provisions from the Royal Court. I suspect someone gave him the idea to raise them from Shihuan City instead."

Hee Yue murmured, "Forcing a Grand General leading troops at the front to rush back to the Capital City to beg for provisions... what a bizarre state of affairs." His words were tinged with frustration and indignation.

He had long known that the state of the nation was rotten, but seeing it firsthand still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Hee Lingchuan patted his head. "You kid, you’re still too young."

But Hee Chunhua shook his head. "Begging for provisions was just a pretext. I believe General Ke had another reason for returning to the Capital City."

The color drained from Hee Yue’s face. "Are... are you saying he also has disloyal..."

Before he could get the last word, "intent," out, Hee Chunhua cut him off with a sharp rebuke, "Nonsense!"

"I suspect he rushed back to plead on behalf of Lord Fu Ju."

"Fu Ju..." Hee Lingchuan feigned ignorance. "Who’s that?"

Hee Yue knew. "Lord Fu, the Scattered Horse Attendant. He was originally a Riding General. I remember he fought several campaigns in the south and west, but later retired home due to nagging injuries and old age. His children also serve in the court, but they haven’t achieved anything of note."

Hee Lingchuan asked, "He’s retired? What great crime did the old man commit that would make General Ke rush back to plead for him?"

Hee Yue was also confused.

"I only heard after arriving in Shihuan. Someone secretly informed on him, accusing Fu Ju of being on good terms with the former Grand Commandant, Dongg Haoming, and of having private financial dealings with Wuzhou." Over the past few days, Hee Chunhua had been interacting with officials of all ranks, gathering a great deal of intelligence and gossip.

The Hee Brothers looked at each other, a chill running up their spines.

To be accused of colluding with Dongg Haoming at a time like this was a death sentence.

"Did His Majesty the King believe it?"

"If he didn’t, why would General Ke have rushed back in such a panic? Fu Ju used to fight side-by-side with him on the battlefield and saved his life more than once; the two are very close." Hee Chunhua looked at his two sons and sighed. "Did you know that although the Fu Family doesn’t hold high official positions, their family fortune is exceptionally vast? They rank among the top six in the entire National Capital."

"The Fu Family produced a famous general who served alongside the Yuan High Ancestor, achieving great merit and receiving massive rewards. Though his descendants were not skilled in martial arts and were unremarkable as officials, they were brilliant at business. They got into more than a dozen trades, and their family fortune grew larger and larger. When Fu Ju was the Riding General, his Official Position forbade him from engaging in commerce, but he registered all his businesses under the names of close relatives. I heard that nearly thirty percent of the pharmacies in the National Capital belong to his family; six entire streets in the western part of the Capital City are also Fu Family land. A place where every inch is worth its weight in gold, heh! Just think, how rich must the Fu Family be?"

Hee Lingchuan rested his head on his hand. "Could they be richer than His Majesty the King?"

Hee Chunhua smiled but said nothing.

’If you’re richer than someone, they’ll be jealous. If you’re richer than the Monarch, then...’

A flicker passed through Hee Yue’s eyes. ’Why did Father suddenly bring up the Fu Family’s wealth?’

Hee Chunhua continued, "The late Emperor once confiscated a huge portion of their assets because a Fu Family scion was using his wealth to oppress the common people. Everyone thought the family’s fortunes had been crippled, but they unexpectedly recovered within a few years. They’ve kept a low profile ever since."

Hee Yue tilted his head. "With the Fu Family’s astonishing wealth, could they fund a war until we defeat Dongg Haoming?"

Hee Chunhua said softly, "It’s not out of the question."

This was his catchphrase, and the two brothers knew the next line was, ’So why not give it a try?’

Assistant Liu was still in the carriage, so they couldn’t speak plainly, but both brothers understood.

’The Fu Family is incredibly wealthy, yet they haven’t produced any powerful court officials. But the country is desperately short of money for the war, so...’

’Therefore, whether Fu Ju actually committed treason is not the most important fact. The Fu Family thought they could avoid disaster by keeping a low profile, but sadly, the saying "possessing a treasure is a crime in itself" is an irrefutable, timeless truth.’

Hee Lingchuan smiled. "Don’t we have an old saying in Qiansong County? ’Wealth without might makes you a pig in a pen.’"

’So what if they’re immensely wealthy? When those in power are sharpening their knives, won’t they just have to obediently stick out their necks for the slaughter?’

Hee Chunhua said in a low voice, "After the Grand Commandant failed in his attempt at regicide and fled back to Wuzhou, he was free, but countless officials and merchants in the court were implicated. They say the executioner’s blade at the market square grew dull from overuse. For a time, there was nowhere to put all the confiscated assets, so they were piled up in several large warehouses behind Pinghe Temple. It took more than two months just to process it all."