Chapter 809: Real Evidence Confirmed

Of course, this salary was no longer the main point; it was rumored that people had to queue up to offer gifts to Butler Wu.

It was often said that even a seventh-rank official at a prime minister's gate held sway, and their master's importance to Dayan was no less than that of a prime minister. So why did this 'seventh-rank official' prefer gnawing on radishes?

“What do you know?” Butler Wu glanced at her. “The more frugal I am, the more at ease Madam and Master will be with me.”

The old woman was a little worried. “Master is leading troops south for battle this time,” she said. “Do you think he can win?”

Butler Wu chuckled. “Even His Majesty isn't sure, and so many high-ranking officials in the Dayan court aren't sure. Do you think I can be certain? Of course, I hope Master wins, and throughout the entire royal court, Master is the only one capable of quelling the rebellion.”

The old woman was puzzled. “With so many generals,” she asked, “isn't there anyone else who can get the job done?”

“The south has suffered several defeats already. Master often tells me that after too many defeats, morale collapses. Any general His Majesty sends south must have prestige and be able to command respect, otherwise they won't be able to control the troops. Soldiers might even desert halfway.”

The old woman's eyes widened. “Deserting…” she gasped. “Is it that serious?”

“Why wouldn't it be?” Butler Wu's voice dropped to a whisper. “Two years ago, when I accompanied Master to Xiazhou, it was truly an eye-opening experience. Those deserters and routed soldiers were no different from bandits!”

“Isn't having prestige simply a matter of consistently winning?” He took another sip of wine. “Look at all the generals, big and small, in the court. How many of them have a reputation that can rival our master's? Even if those young commanders are capable, they lack fame. Who would trust them? How could His Majesty entrust such an important battle to young commanders without fame or prestige?”

The old woman conceded. “So, it still has to be our Master!”

“When Master returns victorious—” Butler Wu's eyes narrowed to slits. “Just wait, our good days are coming.”

Good days were approaching, and he needed to be even more cautious and discreet. He couldn't risk ruining it himself.

After washing his hands and feet after dinner, the wine's effects began to set in.

Butler Wu could barely keep his eyes open. He lay down on the bed, and a few breaths later, his snores began to rumble.

In his dream, Master had not yet departed for the expedition; instead, he summoned Butler Wu to the study for a talk.

“I just remembered,” Master said, “has the matter with Sun Hongye been handled properly?”

“Sun Hongye?” Butler Wu looked puzzled. “Master, I disbursed fifteen taels of silver from the accounts to settle with him. That amount should be sufficient, shouldn't it?”

“And then?”

“Then he left,” Butler Wu replied after a moment's thought. “He said he planned to head east and travel around Beijia.”

He Chunhua then asked, “What about that book, that collection of commentaries…?”

“Collection of commentaries?” Butler Wu looked confused.

“Oh, never mind, I must have misremembered.” He Chunhua clasped his hands behind his back, his expression grave. “I'm about to depart for the expedition, and I don't know if I'll succeed in one fell swoop this time. Alas, fate is unpredictable!”

Butler Wu comforted him. “The Young Master's sudden return, bringing you a large loan from the Rongshan Sect, is a sign of good fortune, a very auspicious omen!”

“Chuan'er is indeed a lucky general,” Master said, “but he won't be accompanying me this time.”

Butler Wu smiled. “The Young Master was away for a year, yet didn't you still manage things brilliantly in Xiazhou? This shows that you yourself are a naturally lucky general; it has nothing to do with anyone else.”

“Lucky general?” He Chunhua's expression darkened slightly. “How did this good fortune come about? I'm afraid I'm not blessed enough to enjoy it!”

“Master…”

“After defeating the southern rebels, I'll have to fight Dong Haoming in the northwest. How much good luck will I have left then?” he asked Butler Wu. “Old Wu, do you remember when I started…?” He didn't finish his sentence but made a gesture of offering incense and bowing.

Butler Wu thought for a moment. “That was twenty years ago. When you were a courier in Heishui City, you assassinated the Andong envoy and were thrown into prison; that's where I met you. Later, you cleared my name, and I was spared execution… Two years after that, the Andong people invaded again, and the local authorities pushed you forward to face the enemy. It was then, with no confidence whatsoever, that you decided to summon the celestial deity!”

He Chunhua murmured to himself, “How did I manage to summon this deity back then? I can't even remember.”

Butler Wu rarely heard Master complain or feel sorry for himself. If he had been awake, he might have found it strange, but now… everything seemed to make perfect sense, and he felt no suspicion whatsoever.

“You went to see the Great Shaman Zhaomandu, saying you needed help because it was too difficult to repel the enemy, capture the city, or even exact revenge all by yourself,” Butler Wu recalled. “The Great Shaman Zhaomandu was initially unwilling to help, but by the end of your plea, you were weeping uncontrollably, which moved him. He then suggested you could try to summon Naraku-ten, a celestial deity who could bring good fortune, but the chances of it responding to humans were very slim.”

He Chunhua nodded. “Celestial deities are even more greedy than humans. How could they easily do things for people?”

Butler Wu said softly, “You summoned it.”

“What was the price?”

“At that time, you already had the Young Master,” Butler Wu replied. “The deity specifically requested the Young Master.”

He Chunhua shook his head. “I never imagined I would possess something it needed.”

“You were reluctant,” Butler Wu continued, “but the deity refused to change the terms. Heishui City was also facing retaliation from the Andong people at the time, and the situation was critical, so…”

So, you had no choice but to sacrifice your eldest son.

“Help me recall,” Master urged, “why did the deity want Chuan'er? Were there any loopholes in the deal made back then?”

“The deity only said that the Young Master's body was unique, one in ten thousand, and very useful to it,” Butler Wu said, ashamed. “This old servant is useless; I cannot find any flaw in that agreement.”

He Chunhua sighed softly. “Where exactly has Chuan'er been these past few months?”

“Do you believe he went somewhere other than Xuluo and Rongshan?”

He Chunhua glanced at him. “What do you think?”

“If even you don't know, how would this old servant know?”

Oh, so Master himself didn't know either? He Chunhua hummed in acknowledgment.

The next morning, Butler Wu didn't wake until late morning.

As soon as he heard the time, he blamed the old woman. “Why didn't you wake me earlier?”

“You were sleeping soundly; I called several times but couldn't wake you.”

Butler Wu quickly got up to wash.

While washing his face, he vaguely recalled having several dreams during the night, one of which involved Master, but he couldn't for the life of him remember their conversation.

It seemed as though they had discussed old matters.

It truly was like being a butler day and night. He shook his head and went to the He residence to attend to his duties.

On his way, he encountered He Lingchuan. Butler Wu bowed and saw the Young Master smile kindly. “Butler,” He Lingchuan said, “did you sleep well last night?”

“Ah, yes, very well. I slept soundly,” Butler Wu replied. “Thank you for your concern, Young Master.”

He Lingchuan nodded and left the residence with his hands behind his back, followed by a large group of guards. A small squirrel perched on his shoulder.

He certainly commanded an impressive retinue.

Butler Wu watched the Young Master's retreating back and scratched the back of his head.

Had the Young Master been mentioned in his dream last night?