Despite Nian Songyu clearly growing increasingly irritated, it was still up in the air whether or not he would dare make a move here.
Nian Songyu and He Lingchuan locked eyes like a pair of fighting cocks, neither of them willing to back down. He Yue paid them no mind. It was Sun Fuping who finally stepped in to smooth things over. "How could Commandant Nian be expected to know everything about his subordinates' matters? If you really want an answer, he can probably ask them about it when we return. More importantly, Young Master He, how exactly were you injured? This matter may prove critical, so please speak plainly."
He Lingchuan sighed. "About fifty days ago, I went hunting on Mount Hulu and was attacked by a sand leopard. In the end, I fell off a cliff along with the leopard. When they brought me back, I was unconscious for several days before finally waking."
Nian Songyu's eyes practically shot flames. "Why didn't you say that yesterday?" Was this bastard pretending to be clueless?
However, Sun Fuping stuck to the point. "And the sand leopard?"
He Lingchuan shrugged and said, "Dead. It was hauled back along with me. After I woke, I had it chopped up. After all, that thing nearly killed me. I wasn't about to let it go whole. We quartered it on the spot and sold the parts off in the markets." He then pointed east and continued, "This city's full of merchants. They'll pay good money for monster pelts, claws, tongues, eyeballs, and even inner cores."
"We know what you two are looking for," He Yue chimed in at just the right moment. "Yesterday, upon learning the sand leopard that ambushed my brother was one that you had previously wounded, Father didn't say much, but he did immediately order an investigation into the leopard's remains."
There was no missing the nail beneath the courtesy. He Yue's words were clearly layered with firmness in formality. Unfortunately, it bounced right off the other two. Sun Fuping gave a half-lidded glance and asked, "Can Commandery Administrator He actually find what we need?"
He Yue smiled mildly. "He will give it his all."
Hmph, such a guarantee is pointless.
After a beat, Sun Fuping said, "Before we departed, the Minister of War sent a letter. He wrote that if Commandery Administrator He could resolve this issue troubling the capital, then his talents need not be wasted in this backwater place any longer."
The He brothers both straightened up. "You mean, the Minister of War said…"
"A transfer to the capital. An appointment as a censorial scribe."
These old foxes rarely speak so bluntly. He Lingchuan jumped to his feet. "The Minister of War is a wise and discerning man! Every word of his is as precious as gold and jade!" As he spoke, he reached out eagerly.
Sun Fuping handed him a sealed letter, still bearing the stamp of wax.
Clearly, it had been prepared in advance, meant solely for He Chunhua.
While personnel appointments technically fell outside the Minister of War's jurisdiction, a man of his influence could easily make it happen if he so chose.
Sun Fuping said calmly, "We trust Commandery Administrator He won't betray the Minister of War's high hopes."
He Lingchuan grinned from ear to ear. "Of course."
He Yue added, "We will do everything in our power to track the remains of that sand leopard. I believe that we will soon be able to provide you with exactly what you require."
The two stood to leave. "Then we'll await good news from Commandery Administrator He."
Sun Fuping had already turned toward the exit when Nian Songyu suddenly glanced back at He Yue and asked, "Second Young Master He, how old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"I heard back in Wangjin that the second son of Qiansong Commandery's Grand Administrator He was clever and composed. I didn't expect such grace and bearing—truly, to see is to believe."
What's he doing? Why is he suddenly sizing up Little Two? He Lingchuan pointed at himself and cut in, "What about me? What do the rumors say about me?"
Nian Songyu laughed. "Oh, they say you shine like gold and jade."
Everyone knew the real punchline came after, but he left it unsaid. He Lingchuan, pleased nonetheless, nodded and said, "Hah, they have sharp eyes."
He Yue gave a slight cough. "Big Brother, show them out."
But just as He Lingchuan turned, Nian Songyu casually remarked, "The guesthouse that State Preceptor Sun and I are staying in is rather cramped and shabby. I've noticed that Commandery Administrator He's estate here has a distinctly metropolitan charm and no shortage of space. Might we impose upon you and take up residence here?"
The He brothers and Sun Fuping all froze.
"…Of course," they finally said.
There were plenty of vacant guesthouses in the estate. He Yue quickly sent word to Madame Ying, who arranged quarters for the two honored guests.
Servants ran to their previous lodging and fetched their belongings. And just like that, the two men officially moved in.
After the bustle died down and the attendants dispersed, Nian Songyu glanced at the tightly shut gates of the courtyard and said, "The leopard's definitely still in their hands. That He bastard hasn't told a single truth. The corpse might still be right here in the estate."
"Even if it is, it's surely hidden well by now," Sun Fuping met his cold gaze. "Don't tell me you're thinking of scaling walls and killing your way to the keepsake? That won't work, not if we want this plan to succeed. The Minister of War was right. He Chunhua will use this as leverage to strike a bargain."
If He Chunhua had agreed to cooperate easily, Sun Fuping would not have needed to present the Minister of War's sealed letter so early.
Nian Songyu sneered. "He's just the administrator of some border commandery, some piss-ant minor official, yet he dares open his lion's mouth for demands?"
"At a time like this, he just might dare," Nian Songyu growled. "The Minister of War has praised him more than once. He's not your typical spineless official."
Nian Songyu added bitterly, "What a pity this isn't Wangjin City."
Wangjin City, the capital of Xun Province, was his turf.
Sun Fuping shook his head. "Let's focus on what matters. These small officials… all they really want is promotion and wealth. That's not hard to manage."
"The position of censorial scribe might only be a fifth-rank post, but it grants authority to supervise other officials. It's a cushy, coveted position. A few years ago, I might've envied it myself." Nian Songyu sneered. "But now…"
"Watch your tongue!" Sun Fuping's face darkened.
* * *
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
He Chunhua still had not returned. However, it was not that he was lazing away or stalling for time; he was genuinely occupied.
The delegation from Baling had just arrived in Heishui City, and as the local authority, he was responsible for the reception.
During this time, He Lingchuan made a trip to his father's office[1] himself to personally deliver the Minister of War's letter.
The ever-mild and measured He Chunhua actually slapped the desk and let out three booming laughs.
Over twenty years of braving wind and sand on the border, and now, he was finally going home.
He was going back to the capital, back to the place that had nurtured him, back to the place where the He Family had once been at its most prosperous.
He Chunhua even took out his private stash of wine, brought out two cups, and drank three rounds with his eldest son. He looked positively radiant.
Only now did He Lingchuan learn that his father kept a stash of wine at his office, and it was better than anything he had ever tasted.
Feigning innocence, he put on a look of confusion. "Father, life in Heishui City isn't bad either. Why are you so eager to leave?"
This was something that the former He Lingchuan would have also asked.
He Chunhua looked at him and suddenly put away his smile.
Without that smile, his face seemed oddly shadowed, almost grim.
"You silly child. We can't stay here," he said softly, each word slow and deliberate. "I've endured twenty years of humiliation out here on the border, all for this moment—the chance to return, the chance to rise."
His eyes glimmered with something strange, something hard to name, but it was unsettling nonetheless. It made He Lingchuan's heart skip a beat.
"If the He Family stays in the borderlands, then our children and grandchildren will be borderlanders, nothing more." Then, in the blink of an eye, He Chunhua returned to his usual calm. "Only by going back to the capital do we have a chance."
He Lingchuan gave a half-comprehending "Oh."
Chance… Father has said that word multiple times now.
But what kind of chance is he really after?
What does he want to do with a chance?
It seemed even He Chunhua realized that he had let too much slip. After three drinks, he dismissed his son and told him to head home.
The streets were unusually quiet that night. As He Lingchuan kicked a pebble down the path, he pondered his current position.
With a father this ambitious and capable… how did the original He Lingchuan turn out to be such a reckless and overbearing wastrel?
Thinking back, it almost felt like He Chunhua had deliberately indulged him.
That was… strange.
However, in the matter of dealing with Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping, there was no question that the father and son were absolutely on the same side.
In fact, it almost seemed like his father needed him to keep playing the role of a useless and arrogant young master.
Well then, so be it. I'll keep acting the part of the wealthy, spoiled heir.
After all, if the sky falls, my father will be there to hold it up.
By now, the sky was fully dark, and it was well past dinnertime. The He Mansion was quiet, just like always.
He Lingchuan knew no one would be waiting on him to start dinner, so he headed to the back kitchen to see if he could scrounge up some snacks. The cooks often hid treats in the low cabinets, and the snacks for today should be honey-glazed apple fritters. If he snuck in and ate them, no one would complain.
As he passed by his younger brother's residence, he paused.
At this hour, He Yue was usually burning the midnight oil reading, writing, or studying. He was not one to wander the estate aimlessly.
However, from the nearby bamboo grove, He Lingchuan heard voices.
It was two men.
One of them was He Yue. "…I don't think that's necessary, Commandant Nian."
Commandant Nian? He Lingchuan crept closer on light feet.
Sure enough, it was Nian Songyu. His cheeks were flushed, and he was clearly drunk. Nian Songyu asked, stepping closer with a grin, "Why not? The capital's full of noble families and prideful aristocrats. Even if your father returns with a promotion, he would still only be a fifth-rank official. How long would it take for you to make a name for yourself?"
Nian Songyu then leaned in, smiling, his voice low and smooth as he said, "You have both looks and talent. If my father were to recommend you…"
1. Note that the wording in the raws implies that this is an entirely separate building/location from a home office. ☜