Chapter 257: He Family's Grievance

While his manager was incredibly busy, He Lingchuan, acting as a hands-off boss, focused on diligent cultivation and frequently went hunting with his personal guards and rock wolves.

It had only been three months since the appearance of the Emperor's Flowing Sap, and new monsters were still causing trouble in Xia State. He Lingchuan, with his new subordinates, returned to his familiar role from the Dragon Coil Dream.

Shan Youjun and Jiao Tai found several more strong men for him, completing his twenty-person guard squad. The best way to test their mettle, of course, was to immediately put them into real combat.

In five days, they eliminated seven monsters, but the guard squad was reduced to eighteen members.

One was injured in the leg, and another lost his life.

He Lingchuan provided generous compensation and then sighed. These were powerful fighters whom Shan Youjun had personally vouched for, with quality significantly higher than that of regular Xia State soldiers. Yet, judging from the past few days of actual combat, they still fell far short of He Lingchuan's patrol squad in the Dragon Coil Dream.

It seemed there was still a long way to go.

On the other hand, when Li Qingge heard he was selecting personal guards, she recommended a disciple from Songyang Mansion. This disciple's combat ability was not low, and he was also skilled in construction and repair.

He Lingchuan, in need of such versatile talent, gladly accepted. Looking back, he realized his team now had a military doctor (a monkey) and logistics personnel—quite a luxurious setup.

If only he had a flying scout too.

That day, after eliminating a nest of bat demons that specialized in sucking the blood of young children, He Lingchuan led his team back to Dunyu and suddenly felt a slight coolness on his face.

Was it raining?

He looked up in surprise, seeing tiny snowflakes mixed with strands of rain falling from the sky, dampening everyone's clothes and hair, and the horses' manes.

They were just passing Clear Lake and saw that the ice on the shore had already melted, with algae sprouting tiny green shoots. Fish surfaced, pushing aside broken ice, their mouths opening and closing erratically across the water's surface.

Only then did He Lingchuan suddenly realize that spring had truly arrived.

The wind blowing against them had lost some of its chill, replaced by a hint of dampness, completely different from the grim bleakness of winter.

Upon returning to the He Residence, before He Lingchuan had even entered the inner courtyard gate, he heard He Yue's voice.

The family of three, plus him, were all present.

He Yue, who was usually so busy he was rarely seen, was home today, a rare occurrence. He Lingchuan noticed that the young man seemed to have grown taller, but he had lost weight, probably due to overwork at the state office.

"Father, you're exploiting child labor," he said, feeling indignant on behalf of his younger brother.

He Chunhua gave a humorless chuckle.

He Lingchuan sat down boldly. Madam Ying then chided him, "You didn't even change your clothes; you've brought all the dust in!" He had only changed his boots, and there were still mud spots on his clothes.

He Chunhua, meanwhile, asked him, "What kind of monster did you eliminate today?"

Of course, he knew what his eldest son had been up to these past few days. Local officials had also reported that Young Master He had eliminated harm for the area, and the villagers were very grateful.

Going out for a hunt and gaining a good reputation for slaying demons and monsters for the people was quite a bargain.

"A nest of large-eared bat demons that specialized in eating the blood of young children," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Not many, just over thirty. Shan Youjun took them home, planning to roast and eat them."

Madam Ying frowned, "That can be eaten?"

"Why not? Roasted, it tastes like chicken." He Lingchuan chuckled, "What's today's date that everyone's here?"

The words had barely left his mouth when he realized something was amiss. He Yue, standing behind his father, was frantically winking at him, as if his eyelid was twitching, while Madam Ying looked astonished.

As for He Chunhua, his expression immediately turned from cloudy to overcast, so heavy it looked like water was about to drip from it.

"Fine, fine, what an unfilial descendant! How dare you forget what day today is?"

Even when He Chunhua was most displeased with his eldest son, he had never called him "unfilial." He Lingchuan inwardly groaned, *What big mistake have I made?*

He Yue, standing slightly behind his father, kept giving him hints, gesturing as if offering incense and bowing respectfully, at least three times.

"How could I?" He Lingchuan chuckled awkwardly. "Of course, I remember today is for revering..."

He Yue shook his head wildly.

Not "revering"? Then it's "worshipping..."

He Yue nodded, pointing straight up at the sky.

"...Heaven?"

He Yue rolled his eyes, a "you're dead" expression on his face.

He Chunhua suddenly turned his head, just in time to catch his expression, and his eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

Both young men had grown up; how dare they cheat right in front of him?

While He Chunhua was turning, He Lingchuan's mind raced, desperately trying to recall what was special about today.

Right, He Chunhua had just reprimanded him as an "unfilial descendant," which was a very particular insult.

Furthermore, today was the "Spring Equinox" solar term. The year's plans begin in spring. Stories of spring... What on earth happened in spring?!

He frantically searched the original owner's sea of consciousness.

Perhaps it was because he had been diligently entering the Dragon Coil City in his dreams lately, and his spiritual sense was growing stronger. He actually managed to unearth the answer from the vast expanse of memories!

Madam Ying lightly coughed, intending to help her eldest son out of trouble. But He Lingchuan spoke first: "It's the family's memorial day, Father! I wouldn't dare forget!"

He Chunhua turned back, giving a cold snort. "Always so scatterbrained!"

It was clear He Lingchuan had guessed correctly.

This was the He family's most important annual day, which the original owner had never dared to neglect.

He Yue and Madam Ying both secretly let out a sigh of relief.

No wonder his father had told him that morning, before he left to eliminate monsters, that he absolutely had to be back by evening. At the time, He Lingchuan hadn't thought much of it and readily agreed.

Every family had memorial days, but the He family's ancestral memorial day was a thorn in He Chunhua's heart, and he never allowed any mistakes.

Therefore, in the He family, this matter was never announced in advance; everyone kept it firmly in mind.

He Chunhua glared at him. "What are you still standing there for? Go quickly bathe and change! The hour is almost upon us!"

"Yes!" He Lingchuan quickly responded and darted away as if flying.

As soon as he returned to his courtyard, servants carried in a large wooden tub and filled it with water.

The so-called "fragrant bath" was, of course, different from a casual wash. It required adding aromatic herbs like Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, peach bark, and Aristolochia root, which had the effects of warding off evil, purifying, and refreshing the body.

By the time He Lingchuan had cleaned himself, it was almost dark. He put on white clothes and a white cap, removed all his accessories, then cleaned his teeth with willow salt and rinsed his mouth with bitter tea. Only then was he led by servants to the ancestral hall.

The renovation of the He Residence was ongoing, and the ancestral hall was among the first structures to be completed. Its design was simple, with black tiles and gray walls, and in the future, it would subtly blend into the architectural complex.

Under the eaves of the ancestral hall's corridor, freshly hung white lanterns swayed in the intensifying rain and snow, flickering between bright and dim and casting shifting shadows on people's faces.

Everyone from the He Residence was present. Butler Mo directed the servants as they continuously brought offerings to the altar.

The "three sacrificial animals" placed in the front row—a whole pig, a whole ox, and a whole sheep—were roasted and set in form.

Next were five kinds of fruits, sourced locally and common in the area.

There were also sixty-four bowls, both large and small, filled with various dishes.

According to the regulations of the Yuan State, only imperial family sacrifices or large public sacrifices were permitted to use the "grand three animals" (pig, ox, sheep). From officials to commoners, at most, the "minor three animals" (pig, chicken, fish) could be used.

The He family's offerings were not in accordance with ritual etiquette. However, He Chunhua clearly didn't take it seriously. He Lingchuan remembered that the family's ancestral sacrifice had been this way ever since his father became the Prefect of Qiansong Commandery.

Previously, it was because they were far from the imperial court. Now that they had moved to Xia State, why were they still violating the taboos? He supposed He Chunhua had his own reasons.

Besides, the He family always performed their sacrifices behind closed doors, and outsiders were not allowed in at this time.

Once everything was neatly arranged, Butler Mo lit the white candles on the altar table, and the ancestral hall then fell silent.

They waited for half an hour.

He Chunhua and his wife stood in front, with He Lingchuan and his brother behind them. All stood still, with eyes lowered, meditating silently.

The rain outside the window seemed to intensify.

The candles on the altar table were not extinguished by the night wind, and they illuminated the densely packed spirit tablets in the shrine.

He Lingchuan knew that the death dates written on one hundred and twenty-six of those spirit tablets were all on the same day.

That was also the darkest and bloodiest day in the He clan's history.

Butler Mo suddenly announced, "It's the first quarter of the Dog Hour; the time has come."

He Chunhua's voice rang out clearly as he began to recite the prayer.

He didn't need to read from a script; every word came from his heart.

He Lingchuan listened from the side, sighing softly to himself.

What a world.

The He clan was originally a prominent family in the capital. His great-grandfather was a high-ranking official, and even in turbulent times, he could ensure the He family's smooth sailing.

Nineteen years ago, his grandfather, He Chunhua's father, was framed with charges of "disrespecting the gods and defying the emperor" and "treason," which directly touched the emperor's sensitive spot. In a fit of rage, the old emperor personally decreed the extermination of their entire family, with immediate execution!

The next day, the emperor came to his senses, but most of the He family had already been executed. Only an eleven-year-old boy, who was far away at the time, remained untouched.

The old emperor thought, *I regret it, but I won't say so.* He then apprehended the person who framed the He family and, with a swift move, ordered their entire family executed, adding the punishment of exterminating nine generations of their kin. Then, with a wave of his hand, he declared:

"The principal offender has already been punished, but the He family, by condoning and concealing, also acted improperly and shall be regarded as accomplices. Therefore, He Chunhua, the young child of the He family, is spared death and demoted to Qiansong Commandery!"

How magnanimous.

From then on, He Chunhua, the third young master of the He Residence, renowned throughout the capital with a bright future, suddenly found his future devoid of light.

The blessing in disguise was that He Chunhua was not exiled but "demoted."

The use of the word "demoted" was quite clever. He Chunhua was too young to hold an official position at the time, yet he was "demoted" by imperial decree. This implied that he was not reduced to commoner status, nor was he considered a criminal; his face did not need to be branded or tattooed.

His path in life wasn't completely cut off, nor was his chance for "advancement" entirely gone. This was already the greatest benevolence the old emperor could grant.

As He Lingchuan sifted through the original owner's memories, he clearly understood how He Chunhua had climbed from a mere station courier to his current official position, having two consecutive exceptional promotions along the way. Such a comeback against all odds, besides the untold hardships and bitterness, also required immense luck.

About fifteen minutes later, He Chunhua finished his recitation.

This year, there was more good news to report to his deceased relatives, including his multiple meritorious deeds and subsequent promotion to General Administrator of Xia State, making him a powerful provincial official. In terms of power, he had already surpassed his ancestors.

Thus, He Chunhua's demeanor this year was more uplifted than in previous years. He took a deep breath, stepped forward two paces, knelt on the prayer cushion, and began to kowtow.

He kowtowed thirty-six times in a row, with loud thuds audible to everyone present.

Then, he took the incense stick offered by the butler and gently placed it into the censer.