Chapter 00259: Aligning and Choosing Sides
# Aligning and Choosing Sides
Chapter 259
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 259: Aligning and Choosing Sides
Madam Ying followed the established rituals.
Next up was He Lingchuan.
He Chunhua stood at the front, his expression and tone heavy: “Bow to your great-grandfather.”
“Bow to your grandfather.”
“Bow to your grandmother.”
“Bow to your second uncle.”
...
He Lingchuan bowed thirty-six times, and when he stood up, he felt a bit dizzy.
The last bow was to his ninth uncle, who was He Chunhua's biological brother and had been only six years old when he was executed and his body discarded.
The He family had a total of one hundred and twenty-seven members, from octogenarians to six-year-old children, none of whom were spared, except for He Chunhua, who was the only one to survive.
It was now He Yue's turn.
The two brothers brushed past each other, and He Lingchuan silently mouthed to him, “Be gentle!”
With his thick skin and strong build, He Lingchuan’s forehead was already red and swollen after bowing; He Yue, being of delicate skin and flesh, had endured injuries in the past few years during family rituals that required the steward to apply medicine for him.
He Yue shifted his gaze back, his face expressionless.
As he knelt down to bow, the sound he made was no lighter than He Lingchuan's.
He Chunhua observed him, but his gaze seemed unfocused, almost mesmerized.
Watching his father, He Lingchuan felt that there was an unsettling emptiness in his expression, almost grotesque.
No matter how mild his demeanor appeared on the surface, the hatred and resentment in this man's heart had never diminished by even a fraction.
After bowing thirty-six times, He Yue squatted for a moment to collect himself before standing to offer incense.
As expected, blood trickled down from his forehead again.
“Well, the He family has endured great calamity and should now welcome the chance for rebirth.” He Chunhua took a deep breath and continued, “What did I teach you back then? To clear the name of the He family and restore its prestige—”
The He brothers exchanged glances and spoke in unison: “We would sacrifice ourselves without hesitation!”
The individuals who had framed the He family were long dead, yet the He family still bore the mark of “accomplices” until their end.
Because of the royal family's pride and dignity, this great injustice had yet to be cleared.
For the past twenty years, He Chunhua had clung to this grievance, unable to forget.
“Good, you are all good children!” His expression was fervent, and he even slightly closed his eyes, with a hint of tears shimmering at the corners, “Remember and uphold your vows from today!”
The brothers naturally echoed, “Yes.”
Steward Old Mo had already prepared the ointment and quickly treated He Yue's external wounds in no time.
Once the incense burned out, the family set fire to paper money.
The first ancestral worship ceremony held in a foreign land was drawing to a close, and He Lingchuan reminded himself to be cautious and deliberate today — he shouldn't laugh heartily, drink alcohol, or go out to seek entertainment.
But He Chunhua seemed to have released all his pent-up frustrations in the earlier ceremony, the oppressive atmosphere around him dissipating.
He clapped his two sons on the shoulders and said gently, “Alright, you're all hungry, right? It's time to eat.”
During ancestral rituals, they were vegetarian.
Yet the atmosphere at the dining table had softened.
Madam Ying spoke to her two sons: “I will have the tailor come to the house tomorrow to measure you; each of you needs at least three new outfits made.” The two sons had grown taller, and their old clothes no longer fit. “Also, in a few days’ time, it will be the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third month; a temple fair will be held in the western part of the city, and young men and women are all expected to go.”
The brothers both responded with an ‘Oh.’
He Chunhua took a few bites before putting down his chopsticks and placed two letters on the table: “These two letters are both from Minister Li. The first one arrived five days ago, and the second one arrived this morning. Yue’er has already seen them; Chuan’er, take a look.”
Finally, the big supporter from the Li family had written to the new commander of the Xia Prefecture.
Having suffered so many grievances under He Chunhua's leadership, it would be strange if they did not reach out to Minister Li to air their displeasure.
He Lingchuan knew that one of the reasons his father had not fully unleashed his ambitions in Dunyu was due to a degree of wariness regarding Minister Li’s reactions.
After all, the man held high office, wielding considerable influence with the monarch.
Seeing the relaxed expression on He Chunhua's face, He Lingchuan guessed that Minister Li's attitude must not be negative.
The first letter from Minister Li was filled with several hundred characters, expressing the idea that the descendants of the Li family were incompetent and foolish, having sought confrontation with the Zhan family without evidence.
Commander He had managed them well —
However, was it excusable that after the death of Li Zhaoxin, the family fell into deep sorrow, leading to erratic words and actions?
Then, in a court meeting, Minister Li coordinated with various departments to arrange for twenty thousand measures of grain to be transported to the northern border.
He Chunhua added, “Based on the timing, this batch of military supplies will arrive in Dunyu in no more than two days, and it will be given a brief rest here before being sent to the front lines.”
“The wording is quite cautious.” He Lingchuan shook the letter paper and mentioned intentionally, “I thought Minister Li would use his position to pressure you, telling you to release Li Yu.”
“Would he dare?” He Chunhua snorted coldly, “Current officials are beneath me as the current commander; Xia Prefecture is my territory, one of the two major fronts receiving the most attention from the royal court. If he dares to bully others at this time, I can send his letter straight to the capital for the king to review. Therefore, he rather has to be polite, ensuring I don't catch him making mistakes.”
It's better to say that Xia Prefecture was under much scrutiny rather than it being a pool of muddy waters; the court was overwhelmed managing battles on two fronts.
If he threw in the towel, no one else could pick up the slack.
Did Minister Li dare to guarantee he could recommend a new commander for Xia Prefecture who could handle matters better than He Chunhua?
Thus, at this moment, He Chunhua was not worried about him.
He Yue interjected, “The western front is also in dire need; General Ke has even begged for grain in the capital. Minister Li arranging for twenty thousand measures of grain for the northern front at this time is indeed a gesture of goodwill toward Father, hoping for leniency.”
He Lingchuan scoffed, “Old fox, he still manages to procure grain.” Grain is the lifeline of the soldiers. “Twenty thousand measures of grain are enough for Zhao Pan’s army to eat for a month.”
This gift could not be considered light; what was infuriating was that He Chunhua still intended to send it out, dispatching it to the north.
“By the time it reaches here, it won’t be just twenty thousand measures.” He Chunhua shook his head, “Well, it’s still a good thing.”
He Lingchuan picked up the second letter and glanced at it, barely containing a laugh.
“This letter was only sent after our two major victories to the capital, right?” It matched perfectly with the timing.
This Minister Li was indeed quite flexible.
There was a hint of a smile in He Chunhua’s eyes: “Exactly.”
The tone of the second letter from Minister Li was much more fervent than the first; it began with congratulating the new general on a successful first battle and encouraged him to continue his efforts, followed by a resolute request that he should punish the disobedient and unfilial descendants of the Li family without sparing any leniency, not needing to give him face.
The climax of the letter came at last, where Minister Li expressed great satisfaction that after the execution of the rebel Sun Fu, he would recommend the merits of He Chunhua to the monarch for him to be promoted to commander of Xia Prefecture, seemingly a boon to the nation and its people.
“So he has taken all the credit for himself.” He Lingchuan responded, “Father, it turns out he recommended you?”
“It’s not that simple; he is also involved.” He Chunhua shook his head, “Grabbing credit for oneself is simply their usual tricks.”
He Lingchuan felt a stir in his heart; it sounded as if his father knew the situation very well, perhaps having someone in the court assisting him?
Indeed, his father's social skills were always remarkable and should not be underestimated.
“What about brothers Li Zhi and Li Yu, Father? How does he plan to judge them?”
“Whatever needs to be judged shall be judged.” He Chunhua replied calmly, “It seems Li Xiaoliu and Minister Li have already built a relationship.”
The two sons of Li Zhao were effectively sidelined; Minister Li might be thinking of severing relations to survive, removing these two cowardly bickering nuisances, and supporting the third generation of the Li family, Li Shuang, to take control of the Li family.
From a broader perspective, this was better for the Li family.
“This batch of military supplies sent by the royal court can't be delayed; it should be sent to the northern front as soon as possible,” He Chunhua instructed his eldest son, “Chuan’er, you will come with me.”
He Lingchuan was taken aback: “Father wants to personally escort the grain?”
“Hmm, I also want to take this opportunity to inspect the people's conditions in Xia Prefecture and meet with General Zhao Pan.” Xia Prefecture served as General Zhao Pan's rear supply line; as the new commander, he needed to meet with Zhao Pan quickly to coordinate efforts. “Additionally, Zhao Qinghe told me that the cavalry from Xunzhou is still roaming in central Xia Prefecture, and this might be a chance for military training.”
After the meal, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
He Chunhua entered his study.
Old Mo brought someone in to find him: “Sir, someone from the capital has arrived.” After saying this, he stepped out to guard, shutting the study door behind him.
This person looked travel-worn, resembling an old farmer more than a messenger.
He took out a letter and a silk pouch from his bosom and presented them with both hands: “Today is the He family’s ancestral worship day. My master sent me here to convey his sentiments within the day.”
“Thank you for your hard work.” He Chunhua took the letter, broke the wax seal on it, and began to read.
At the end of the letter, the signature read:
Yan Lixin.
He Chunhua glanced briefly through it, and the solemnity on his face eased, revealing a slight smile: “Seeing this, it seems the position of National Master is already in Mr. Yan's pocket.”
Earlier, Duke Songyang had spoken with him about the competition for the position left vacant after Sun Fu's demise; little did he expect that Commander He had actually gotten involved with one of the candidates.
It seems the journey to Shihuan was not in vain.
Politics is the biggest gamble; as long as the right side is chosen, one reaps lifelong benefits.
“My master thanks you for your strong support.”
(End of chapter)