Chapter 177: General Ke

Mr. and Mrs. He were surrounded by the crowd, like stars orbiting the moon. Everyone showered them with praise. He Chunhua, beaming and conversing freely, showed no trace of stage fright or discomfort.

He Lingchuan sipped his wine. "This is truly Dad's moment to shine. Look, his face is flushed." He Chunhua had only just arrived at Deer Echo Garden and hadn't even had two sips of wine, yet his face was already flushed. This was, of course, due to the surge of emotion and excitement he felt.

"Finally, we can hold our heads high," He Yue said, letting out a long breath, full of emotion. "Our family has waited twenty years for this moment." Twenty years ago, the entire He family was massacred, leaving only He Chunhua to wander the frontier like a stray dog, witnessing the harsh realities of the world. Twenty years later, He Chunhua returned to Shixuan with his whole family, and the surrounding aristocratic families now flocked to them, offering greetings and effusive praise. From the depths of despair to the pinnacle of success, such a meteoric rise could only fill him with immense satisfaction. This reaffirmed to him that his plans, his strategies, and his sacrifices had all been worthwhile.

Just then, three young men strolled over from a short distance away. In the center was a young man in white, with the other two appearing to be his attendants.

The young man in white cupped his fist towards He Lingchuan. "Are you the He family brothers?"

He Lingchuan chuckled. "And you are?" He noted that the man's steps were a little unsteady, suggesting he wasn't a martial artist.

"My surname is He, and my father works at the Censorate."

An attendant beside him quickly introduced, "This is He Su, courtesy name Feiyang, the third son of Grand Censor He."

Both He brothers feigned a look of sudden understanding. While the Grand Censor's rank wasn't particularly high, he wielded considerable power, overseeing impeachments and investigations, which commanded deep respect and awe from all officials.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, He Su smiled and said, "I heard that Miss Xiuer was brought back to Shixuan by Lord He, all the way from the south?"

"Well, well, he's fishing for information right off the bat." He Yue replied calmly, "Miss Zhu has recognized my mother as her adopted mother. The journey, by both land and water, over the past dozen days was very smooth, except for an encounter with the routed bandit forces from Woling Pass."

"Woling Pass?" He Su's attention was indeed caught by the words "bandit forces." "You encountered bandit forces as well?" His voice on those last two words was quite loud, drawing the attention of nearby guests. Two of them commented:

"I heard Lord He led troops to decisively defeat the rebels in the south."

"Not just that, he also rescued many villagers."

"Lord He even routed two generals under the bandit leader Hong and persuaded another to surrender!"

Soon, a crowd gathered around the He brothers, eager for details. He Yue shared what he could, much to everyone's astonishment. He Lingchuan observed coolly, noticing that his brother spoke eloquently, his demeanor no less impressive than their father's.

He Su, feeling somewhat sidelined, cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Miss Xiuer's return to the Zhu family is wonderful news. It's truly a pity that countless people searched for years and couldn't find her whereabouts. He brothers, could you clarify for us where exactly Miss Xiuer was abducted to, and how you managed to find her?"

He Yue already had a prepared story: "Miss Zhu was taken south, but then a great flood struck Hongxiang. The human traffickers and other girls were all swept into the water, their fates unknown. Fortunately for her, a nun from Tiangong Temple rescued her from the water, and she lived there afterward. However, she was hit on the head by driftwood, and her past memories became unclear, so she couldn't recall being a member of the Zhu family." When the He couple returned Zhu Xiuer, they had agreed upon a story with Zhu Xiyan to replace the truth of her being sold into a remote, impoverished village to bear children for a peasant. A child of the Zhu family should not have such a shameful experience, nor should Zhu Xiuer herself have such a tragic past.

He Su, unwilling to let it go, pressed on: "Then how did Lord He discover her?"

"That Tiangong Temple was ransacked by a small band of rebels, and the nuns there were tied up. We happened to be passing by and conveniently dealt with the rebels. Perhaps the scene of the battle was too bloody, which, by a strange twist of fate, inadvertently triggered Miss Zhu's former memories," He Yue said, spreading his hands. "Could this be divine providence?" After all, he was openly fabricating a story; how could anyone verify it?

Several noblewomen, playing along, sighed repeatedly. "Grand Lord Zhu's precious granddaughter, lost for seven years and now found again, this must be an act of divine compassion."

He Su smiled. "Missing, amnesia, and finally found again. Hearing this, Miss Xiuer's experience sounds remarkably familiar. There was someone else like this! Do you all remember?"

This topic successfully drew everyone's attention back. "Who?"

"Oh, now that young He mentions it, I think I do recall something."

"Hmm, the ages aren't quite similar, though. Zhu Xiuer was already over ten when she was abducted, but that other child was only five when she went missing."

"There's another similar case?" He Lingchuan frowned inwardly, a bewildered expression on his face. "Who are you talking about?"

A plump noblewoman quietly placed a hand on his shoulder, covering her mouth as she chuckled. "Young Master He wouldn't know, they're talking about the one from Songyang Prefecture..."

Before she could finish, a fragrant presence arrived. Zhu Xiuer appeared nearby, tilting her head slightly. "It's so lively here. What's everyone chatting about?" With the guest of honor present, no one felt it appropriate to gossip openly. They quickly said, "Just some casual chatter. The He brothers were telling us about their exploits fighting the rebels."

Zhu Xiuer smiled. "Lord He is indeed resourceful, and the He brothers are brave and strong; I witnessed it myself."

Just then, an announcer's voice rang out again: "Chariot Cavalry Great General — Ke Jihai has arrived!"

A stir immediately swept through the hall. Guests began whispering amongst themselves, and He Lingchuan kept hearing one key question: "Why is he here?" Not only the other guests, but the He brothers themselves were very familiar with the name "Ke Jihai." Immediately afterward, Zhu Xiyan and Zhu Xiuer entered, accompanying another man, and the entire hall rose to its feet.

He Lingchuan finally laid eyes on the legendary Grand General. The man wore a brocade robe and stood six feet tall. His appearance was ordinary, not quite fitting the description of a "dragon or phoenix among men," save for the piercing glint in his eyes. He Lingchuan happened to meet his gaze and felt the man's eyes were like a tiger's, instantly intimidating.

It was General Wu Di and General Ke Jihai who had successfully suppressed the rebellion at Woling Pass, leading the imperial army. This resulted in the death of the bandit leader Hong Xiangqian and the complete rout of his remaining forces, thereby safeguarding Shixuan City, a monumental achievement. When the Grand Marshal rebelled and besieged Xiaoxi Mountain, it was also Ke Jihai who promptly returned to serve the Emperor, forcing the Grand Marshal to retreat to Wuzhou. Saving the Emperor's imperial carriage was also an immense service. If there was one figure currently at the height of his power and unparalleled both within and outside the royal court, who else could it be but Ke Jihai?

What puzzled everyone, however, was why Ke Jihai was in Shixuan City when he should have been in Wuzhou, besieging the Grand Marshal.

With Ke Jihai's arrival, all the guests were present. After a speech from Zhu Xiyan, the welcome banquet was declared open. All the guests noted Zhu Xiuer standing gracefully beside Zhu Xiyan throughout, smiling sweetly. It was clear that Grandfather Zhu's affection for his granddaughter had not waned with time, and he intended to use this opportunity to reintroduce her into high society.

Exquisite delicacies flowed onto the tables. The biggest draw of banquets at Deer Echo Garden wasn't the master chefs, but the dishes prepared by imperial chefs. The three head chefs here were reportedly specially dispatched from the palace, each with their unique expertise. Having grown accustomed to heavy meals of fish and meat in Blackwater City, Mrs. Ying and He Yue were so impressed by the food that they almost wanted to bang on the table in appreciation the moment they picked up their chopsticks. "So, dishes can be prepared like this?" The proverb "meat, finely cut, never too thin" perfectly described the cuisine. Each dish was small and exquisite, vanishing in a few bites, leaving guests to savor the endless aftertaste. Mrs. Ying secretly sighed, feeling that all the meals she had eaten before were a waste.

He Lingchuan, who in his previous life had tasted cuisines from all over the land, wasn't as utterly amazed as the other "country bumpkins" from the He family. However, two dishes genuinely captured his heart. The first was a sizzling eel dish, prepared by taking finger-thick sections of freshly killed eel, deep-frying them, and then re-frying them three to five times with sauce. This meticulous process resulted in an outer crispness and inner tenderness that melted in the mouth, a testament to the chef's skill. The other dish was pigeon soup stewed with termitomyces mushrooms. These mushrooms, in terms of both flavor and price, stood out among all fungi, and Deer Echo Garden even produced them. However, it was deep winter, so fresh ones weren't available, and dried termitomyces had to be used. Yet, after simmering in the soup, their flavor remained undiminished, and even the slight gamey taste of the pigeon vanished. A single sip was so savory it could make your eyebrows fall off.

He Lingchuan gulped down a bowl and yearned for another, but unfortunately, there were no refills. He waited for a long time, hoping to see if any imperial jade wine was served, but he was somewhat disappointed. It seemed King Yuan still didn't understand how to create a grand spectacle.

After the pigeon soup was served, guests began approaching the Chariot Cavalry General to offer toasts. The entire hall's focus shifted from He Chunhua to Ke Jihai. After all, the new Governor of Xiazhou had merely rescued an orphaned girl from a subject's family, while Ke Jihai had defended the realm for the monarch. It was self-evident whose contributions were greater and whose status was higher. Although Ke Jihai had stolen the limelight, He Chunhua showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, he grabbed a wine cup and went to toast Ke Jihai as well.

With Zhu Xiyan's introduction, Ke Jihai's eyes lit up when he heard He Chunhua's name. "Ah, yes," he exclaimed, "you're the Governor of Xiazhou who killed that traitor Sun Fuping!" He had attended the Zhu family's banquet purely out of courtesy. As a general commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, he had no interest in an orphaned girl returning home, but he was keenly interested in battles and conflicts that affected the nation.

He Chunhua gave a wry smile. "It would seem so."

Zhu Xiyan interjected, "General Ke, what you might not know is that the remnants of the rebel army, routed by you and General Wu, fled Woling Pass and went south along the river. They intended to regroup and rally their forces, but they were utterly defeated by Lord He and his troops!"

Ke Jihai grew even more interested. "Oh? Which remnants of the rebel forces were those?"

"Wu Shaoyi, Lu Yao, and Pei Xinyong," Zhu Xiyan said with a chuckle. "Lu Yao was killed, and Pei Xinyong fled in defeat. But Wu Shaoyi was pacified by Lord He and his troops were even incorporated into our army. Most importantly," he added, "Lord He only had three hundred elite soldiers, while those three rebel factions combined numbered over six thousand!"

"Excellent, excellent! Truly a heaven-sent talent for these extraordinary times!" Ke Jihai exclaimed, slapping the table as he rose. He pulled over a chair. "Come, Lord He, please sit and tell me how you defeated the bandits." News of He Chunhua killing Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu had already spread throughout the capital, though some might attribute those events to coincidence. However, the decisive victory of his relief forces against the rebels at Woling Pass was undeniable. With these two impressive achievements combined, Ke Jihai couldn't help but look at this official, who had risen from the frontier, with new respect. After all, though the Yuan Kingdom was vast, good generals were hard to come by.