Chapter 00178: General Ke
# General Ke
Chapter 178
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 178: General Ke
The He couple was surrounded in the center of the crowd, like the moon surrounded by stars.
Everyone was showering them with compliments.
He Chunhua was all smiles, chatting and laughing with ease, showing no signs of nervousness or discomfort.
He Lingchuan took a sip of wine and remarked, “This truly is our father’s moment of glory. Look, his face is all red.”
He Chunhua had just arrived at Luming Garden, barely had a couple of sips of wine, and his face was already flushed, which was undoubtedly due to his excitement and fervor.
“Finally able to hold our heads high,” He Yue sighed deeply, “Our family has waited for this moment for twenty years.”
Twenty years ago, the He family was slaughtered, with only He Chunhua wandering the borders like a stray dog, witnessing the harshness of the world; twenty years later, He Chunhua returned to Shihuan with his entire family, surrounded by noble clans who were eager to offer their greetings and flattery.
From the mire to the clouds, a single leap to the heavens—how could this not fill him with pride?
This reaffirmed for him that his plans, his strategies, and his sacrifices were all worth it.
At this moment, three young men strolled over, with a young man in white at the center and two others who looked like attendants behind him.
The young man in white cupped his fist towards He Lingchuan and asked, “Are you the He brothers?”
He Lingchuan chuckled, “And you are?” This fellow’s steps were a bit unsteady, not someone trained in martial arts.
“My surname is He, my father is at the Censorate.”
The attendant beside him quickly introduced, “This is the third son of the Censor, He Su, courtesy name Feiyang.”
The He brothers exchanged puzzled glances.
The title of Censor wasn’t particularly high, but he held the position of impeachment and oversight, able to implicate this and that, earning the respect and fear of many officials.
After a few polite exchanges, He Su smiled and said, “I heard that Sister Xiu is the one whom Lord He brought back from the south?”
Goodness, he was already speaking in riddles.
He Yue remained composed, “Miss Zhu recognized my mother as her foster mother. These past ten days, aside from encountering the retreating bandits from Woling Pass, everything has gone smoothly.”
“Woling Pass?” He Su’s attention was indeed caught by the words “bandits.” “You encountered bandits?”
The last two words were spoken loudly, attracting nearby guests, and two of them remarked:
“I heard Lord He led troops to a great victory against the rebels in the south.”
“Not only that, but he also saved many villagers.”
“Originally, two generals under the Hong bandit were driven off by Lord He, and one was persuaded to surrender!”
Before long, many people gathered around the He brothers, all eager to ask for details.
He Yue shared what he could, and everyone was astonished.
He Lingchuan watched coldly, noticing that this fellow spoke with confidence, his demeanor not inferior to that of his father.
He Su, feeling neglected, cleared his throat twice and raised his voice, “Sister Xiu returning to the Zhu family is a great thing. It’s a pity that countless people have searched for her over the years, yet could not find her whereabouts. Can the He brothers enlighten us on where Sister Xiu was taken and how you found her?”
He Yue had long prepared a response:
“Miss Zhu was taken to the south, coinciding with the floods caused by Hong Xiang. Even the human traffickers and other girls were swept away in the water, their fates unknown. Fortunately, she was rescued from the water by a nun from the Tian Gong Temple and was later settled in the temple. However, she was struck on the head by floating debris and could not remember her past, thus forgetting that she was a child of the Zhu family.”
When the He couple returned Zhu Xiu’er, they had agreed upon a story with Zhu Xiyan to replace the fact that she had been sold into a remote area to bear children for commoners.
The children of the Zhu family should not have such a shameful experience, and Zhu Xiu’er herself should not have a tragic past.
He Su was not willing to give up, “Then how did Lord He discover her?”
“That Tian Gong Temple was raided by a small group of rebels, and the nuns there were also captured. We happened to pass by and killed them. Perhaps the bloody scene of the battle inadvertently triggered Miss Zhu’s memories.” He Yue spread his hands, “Could this not be fate?”
After all, he was just speaking nonsense with his eyes wide open; could others still verify it?
Several noblewomen cooperated, sighing repeatedly, “Lord Zhu’s precious granddaughter was found after seven years; this must be heaven’s blessing.”
He Su smiled, “Disappearance, amnesia, and then being found again. Listening to this, Sister Xiu’s experience sounds quite familiar; there was someone else like this! Does anyone remember?”
This topic successfully redirected everyone’s attention: “Who?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I seem to have a bit of an impression.”
“Yeah, but the ages don’t quite match. Zhu Xiu’er was already over ten when she was abducted, while that child was only five when she went missing.”
There was actually a similar case? He Lingchuan frowned secretly, appearing confused, “Who are you talking about?”
A plump noblewoman quietly placed a hand on his shoulder and covered her mouth with a smile, “Young Master He doesn’t know; they are talking about the one from Songyang Prefecture…”
Before she could finish, fragrant footsteps approached, and Zhu Xiu’er appeared nearby, slightly tilting her head, “What a lively gathering, what are you all chatting about?”
With the main character present, how could the crowd continue gossiping? They all replied, “Just chatting casually; the He brothers are sharing stories about fighting the bandits.”
Zhu Xiu’er smiled, “Lord He is resourceful, and the He brothers are brave and fierce; I have seen it with my own eyes.”
At this moment, a voice called out again, “General of the Chariots and Cavalry—Ke Jihai has arrived!”
A stir arose in the venue, and guests whispered to each other.
He Lingchuan listened closely, and the key phrase he heard was, “Why is he here?”
Not to mention the others, the name “Ke Jihai” was equally thunderous in the ears of the He brothers.
Soon after, Zhu Xiyan and Zhu Xiu’er accompanied someone in, and the entire hall stood up.
He Lingchuan finally saw the legendary general.
This man wore a brocade robe, stood six feet tall, and had an ordinary appearance that seemed not to meet the standard of “dragons and phoenixes among men,” except for his piercing gaze.
He Lingchuan happened to lock eyes with him, feeling as if this person’s gaze was like that of a tiger, intimidating from the start.
It was indeed Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai, who had successfully quelled the rebellion at Woling Pass, leading the imperial army to defeat the bandit leader Hong Xiang, causing the remaining forces to collapse, thus preserving the city of Shihuan beneath everyone’s feet—this was a monumental achievement.
The Grand Marshal conspired against the throne, forcing the palace to retreat to the Little Western Mountains.
It was also thanks to Ke Jihai’s timely return to support the king that the Grand Marshal retreated to Wuzhou.
Saving the emperor and protecting the royal carriage—this was also a tremendous merit.
If one were to speak of the most prominent figures both inside and outside the royal court, who could surpass Ke Jihai?
However, everyone was puzzled as to why Ke Jihai, who should be in Wuzhou suppressing the Grand Marshal, would appear in Shihuan City.
Once Ke Jihai arrived, the guests were all present.
After Zhu Xiyan made a speech, he announced the commencement of the welcoming banquet.
Seeing Zhu Xiu’er standing beside him with a charming smile throughout, everyone knew that Old Zhu’s affection for this granddaughter had not diminished with time, and they intended to take this opportunity to push her back into the upper echelons.
Delicacies flowed onto the table like a river.
In Luming Garden, the biggest draw was not the renowned chefs but the imperial chefs.
It was said that the three head chefs here were specially dispatched from the palace, each with their own strengths.
The He family, accustomed to feasting on fish and meat in Heishui City, was eager to applaud when Madam Ying and He Yue began to eat here.
So this was how dishes could be prepared? Each dish was small yet exquisite, gone in just a few bites, leaving people savoring the flavors endlessly.
Madam Ying secretly lamented that the meals before had all been wasted.
He Lingchuan, having tasted flavors from all over the land in his past life, did not express the same level of admiration as the other bumpkins from the He family, but there were indeed two dishes that he found deeply satisfying.
The first was the Spicy Eel, which involved live eels cut into sections the thickness of a finger, then deep-fried and served with sauce.
This was fried three to five times until it was truly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, melting in the mouth, showcasing the chef's skill.
The other dish was the Chicken Mushroom Pigeon Soup.
This type of mushroom stood out among fungi in both flavor and price, and while Luming Garden produced it, it was now winter, and fresh ones were unavailable, so dried chicken mushrooms were used instead.
However, the flavor remained intact after simmering, even eliminating the slight gamey taste of the pigeon, making each sip a delight.
He Lingchuan gulped down a cup and wanted more, but unfortunately, there was none to refill.
He waited for quite a while, hoping to see if there was any imperial jade liquor here, but was somewhat disappointed.
It seemed the King of the Kite did not understand how to create a grand spectacle.
After the pigeon soup was served, guests went to toast the General of the Chariots and Cavalry, shifting the focus of the entire hall from He Chunhua to Ke Jihai.
After all, the newly appointed governor of Xiazhou had merely rescued a nobleman's orphaned daughter, while Ke Jihai had safeguarded the kingdom for the emperor.
Which of them had greater merit, and which held a higher status, was self-evident.
Although the spotlight had been taken by Ke Jihai, He Chunhua showed no signs of displeasure; instead, he raised his cup to toast Ke Jihai as well.
With Zhu Xiyan introducing them, Ke Jihai’s eyes lit up upon hearing He Chunhua’s name, “Right, you are the one who killed that traitor Sun Fuping, the governor of Xiazhou!”
He had come to attend the Zhu family banquet merely out of courtesy; as a general commanding hundreds of thousands, he had no interest in the return of an orphaned girl but was focused on matters of national strategy and battle.
He Chunhua smiled wryly, “It seems so.”
Zhu Xiyan interjected, “General Ke may not know, but the remnants of the rebels you and General Wu defeated fled Woling Pass and attempted to regroup and rally again, only to be defeated by Lord He’s forces!”
Ke Jihai became even more interested, “Oh? Which remnants of the rebels?”
“Wu Shaoyi, Lu Yao, and Pei Xinyong,” Zhu Xiyan replied cheerfully, “Lu Yao was killed, Pei Xinyong fled, but Wu Shaoyi was persuaded to surrender by Lord He, along with his troops.”
“The most important thing is that Lord He only had three hundred elite troops, while those three groups of rebels combined had over six thousand!”
“Good, very good! In these extraordinary times, a talent has descended from heaven!” Ke Jihai exclaimed, slapping the table and pulling over a chair, “Come, Lord He, please sit and tell me about the process of defeating the bandits.”
The news of He Chunhua killing Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu had already spread in the capital; while there might have been some chance involved, his leading of the support army to defeat the rebels at Woling Pass was a solid victory.
With these two impressive achievements side by side, Ke Jihai would have to view this official who had grown up in the borderlands with new respect.
After all, although the Kingdom of Kites was vast, good generals were hard to find.
(End of Chapter)