The He couple stood at the very center of the crowd, as though they were the very moon surrounded by countless stars.

They were showered with praise from every direction.

He Chunhua’s face shone with delight. His hearty laughs would echo every now and then as he held conversations with everyone effortlessly. Despite the massive crowd, he showed not the slightest hint of unease.

He Lingchuan took a sip of wine. “This really is Father’s moment in the sun. Look, his face is red.”

He had not even had more than two sips of wine yet. The flush on his face came not from alcohol, but from the surge of pride and exhilaration.

“Well, we can finally hold our heads high.” He Yue exhaled long and deep, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ve waited twenty years for this moment.”

Twenty years ago, the He Family had been cut down to the very last member. Only He Chunhua, wandering like a stray dog on the frontier, had survived to taste the cold and the bitter. Twenty years later, he had returned to Shihuan with his whole household in tow, and now the city’s noble and wealthy families flocked around to flatter and fawn on him.

From the mire to the clouds, rising in a single step, how could he not feel triumphant?

It confirmed once more that all his planning, his maneuvers, and his sacrifices had been worth it.

At that moment, three young men strolled over; the one in the center was a white-robed young master, while the other two were plainly attendants.

The young man in white cupped his fists to He Lingchuan. “Might you be the He brothers?”

He Lingchuan chuckled. “And you are?” His steps are light and unsteady. He doesn’t seem to be a martial artist.

“My surname is He[1]. My father serves in the Imperial Censorate.”

One of the attendants hurried to clarify, “This is Young Master He Su, courtesy name Feiyang, third son of the Imperial Censor[2].”

The He brothers both wore expressions of sudden recognition.

The position of Imperial Censor was not the loftiest, but its mandate to impeach and investigate made every official wary. He could censure this minister or denounce that general at will, and for that, he was deeply respected and feared.

They exchanged pleasantries for a moment before He Su smiled and said, “I heard that it was Lord He who escorted Sister Xiu’er back to Shihuan from the south?”

Straight to the point, and with a hook in the question. He Yue kept his composure. “Miss Zhu has recognized my mother as her godmother. We traveled for half a month by land and water. Aside from one clash with rebels fleeing from Woling Pass, everything was smooth.”

“Woling Pass?” As expected, the word “rebels” caught He Su’s ear. “You actually ran into them?”

His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of nearby guests. Two immediately spoke up:

“I heard Lord He led troops in the south and crushed the rebels in a great battle.”

“Not only that, he rescued scores of commoners.”

“Lord He managed to force two of Rebel Hong’s generals to flee, and another even surrendered!”

Before long, a crowd had gathered around the brothers, clamoring for details. He Yue picked through the safe parts of the tale and told them, drawing gasps of admiration.

He Lingchuan watched from the side, his gaze cool. His younger brother spoke fluently and confidently, his bearing no less poised than their father’s.

Meanwhile, He Su found himself sidelined and frowned in displeasure. He coughed twice, then raised his voice, “Sister Xiu’er’s return is indeed a joyous occasion. For so many years, countless people searched high and low, yet her whereabouts remained unknown. Brother He, can you satisfy our curiosity? Where exactly had she been taken, and how did you find her?”

He Yue had already prepared an answer for these exact questions. “Miss Zhu had been abducted and taken south, but just then, the Hongchuan had flooded. The traffickers and the other girls they had seized were all swept into the waters, leaving their fates uncertain. She was fortunate as she ended up getting rescued by the nuns of Tiangong Temple, who took her in. However, she had apparently been struck in the head by a floating log when drifting along the Hongchuan, leaving her memories scattered. She no longer remembered she was a daughter of the Zhu Family.”

When returning Zhu Xiu’er, the He couple had agreed with Zhu Xiyan on this story. It was far more acceptable than the truth that she had been sold into a backwater village to bear sons for some peasant.

A daughter of the Zhu Family was never meant to carry such shame, nor should Zhu Xiu’er herself have to live with so bitter a past.

However, He Su was not about to let the matter drop. “Then how exactly did Lord He discover her?”

“Tiangong Temple was raided and plundered by a band of rebels. The nuns were tied up, and we happened to pass by, so we struck them down. Perhaps the scene was too bloody, and by some twist of fate, it jarred Miss Zhu’s memories back.” He Yue spread his hands. “Heaven’s will, perhaps?”

It was all nonsense, of course, but who here could actually go and verify?

Several noble ladies played along, sighing in sympathy. “For Lord Zhu’s beloved granddaughter to return after seven years, surely this is Heaven showing mercy.”

He Su laughed and said, “Disappearance, amnesia, and finally a miraculous return. Doesn’t her story sound familiar? I can think of someone else who went through the very same!”

That was enough to catch everyone’s curiosity. “Who?”

“Now that you mention it, I seem to recall…”

“Yes, but the ages don’t match. Miss Zhu was already in her teens when she was taken. That other child was only five when he vanished.”

There was actually another case like this? He Lingchuan frowned inwardly, though he kept his expression puzzled. “Who are you talking about?”

A plump noblewoman leaned close, her hand brushing his shoulder as she covered her mouth with a laugh. “Young Master He doesn’t know? They’re talking about Songyang Mansion’s—”

But before she could finish, the fragrance of perfume drifted in, and Zhu Xiu’er herself appeared. Tilting her head slightly, she smiled. “What’s all the excitement here? What are you talking about?”

With the main subject present, no one dared gossip further. Smiles spread, and they deflected smoothly. “Oh, nothing. Just chatting idly. The He brothers were telling us about fighting rebels.”

Zhu Xiu’er laughed. “Lord He is wise, and the He brothers brave. I saw all their incredible feats with my own eyes.”

Just then, the herald’s voice rang out again, “Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry Ke Jihai has arrived!”

At once, the hall rippled with commotion. Guests leaned together to whisper, and He Lingchuan caught the gist in their murmurs.

“Why is he here?”

Even the He brothers felt their hearts jolt. The name “Ke Jihai” was famous beyond compare.

Moments later, Zhu Xiyan and Zhu Xiu’er entered with a man in their company. Everyone in assembly rose to their feet.

He Lingchuan finally laid eyes on the legendary grand general.

A brocade robe draped his two-meter frame. His features were ordinary, not what one would expect of a so-called peerless hero, but his eyes flashed with a tiger’s ferocity, commanding attention before he even spoke.

It was Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai who led the state forces at Woling Pass, crushing the rebels, bringing down their leader, Hong Xiangqian, scattering his followers, and ultimately saving Shihuan City itself. That alone was a tremendous merit.

When the Minister of War rebelled and pressed the palace at the Western Mountains, it was Ke Jihai who rushed back to defend the throne, forcing the traitor to retreat to Wu Province.

Saving the Son of Heaven on his journey was likewise a tremendous merit.

Whether it be inside or outside the royal court, no one’s star burned brighter than his. For the moment, he was unrivaled.

And yet, the question on everyone’s lips was the same. Ke Jihai should be in Wu Province, leading the campaign against the rebelling Minister of War. Why had he appeared here, in Shihuan City?

With Ke Jihai’s arrival, the assemblage was complete. After a few words from Zhu Xiyan, the cleansing banquet was formally declared begun.

All eyes took in Zhu Xiu’er standing at her grandfather’s side, her every smile radiant, and it was clear to everyone that Lord Zhu’s affection for his granddaughter had not waned with the years. Moreover, he clearly intended to reintroduce her to high society tonight.

A stream of delicacies began to flow onto the tables.

At Luming Garden, the greatest draw was not simply famous chefs, but imperial chefs. It was said the three presiding here had all been specially dispatched from the palace, each with their own specialty.

The He Family, accustomed in Heishui City to hearty meats and heavy fare, were astonished. From the very first bite, both Madame Ying and He Yue wanted to slap the table in praise.

So this was what food could taste like? Finely prepared, each dish was small but exquisite, polished to perfection. Just a few bites left the palate yearning for more, the taste lingering long after.

Madame Ying privately sighed. Every meal she had eaten before now seemed lacking.

He Lingchuan, with his past-life palate that had tasted food from across the land, was less awed than the others. Yet even he was won over by two dishes. The first was sizzling eel—slender yellow eels, no thicker than a finger, that were chopped fresh, then fried, then returned to the sauce, the process repeated three to five times. The result was a dish that was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and melted on the tongue. It was a dish that revealed incredible skill.

The second was a pigeon soup simmered with chicken of the woods mushrooms. These fungi were the noblest of their kind in both flavor and price. Luming Garden produced them, but as it was midwinter, only the dried variety was available. Even so, the broth was rich and the pigeon’s gaminess entirely gone. One sip, and the freshness made the brow lift involuntarily.

He Lingchuan drained his cup, longing for another, but alas, there were no refills.

He lingered afterward, waiting to see if they would bring out the famed imperial jade wine, only to be disappointed. It seemed the King of Yuan still did not understand how to stage a spectacle.

After the pigeon soup was served, the guests flocked to toast Grand General Ke Jihai, and the focus of the evening shifted from He Chunhua to him.

After all, the newly appointed Governor-General of Xia Province had rescued a minister’s granddaughter, while Ke Jihai had protected the very reigning monarch.

There was no need to even say which achievement weighed more and whose rank stood higher.

Yet though the spotlight shifted, He Chunhua showed not the slightest trace of resentment. Grasping his wine cup, he too went to toast the Ke Jihai.

With Zhu Xiyan making the introductions, Ke Jihai’s eyes lit with recognition. “Ah, yes, you’re the Governor-General of Xia Province who struck down that treacherous dog, Sun Fuping!”

He had come to the Zhu Family’s banquet merely out of courtesy. As a grand general of hundreds of thousands, he had little interest in a young lady’s return. But when it came to matters of war, he paid heed.

He Chunhua gave a wry smile. “So they say.”

Zhu Xiyan added quickly, “General Ke may not yet know, but those remnants routed by you and General Wu at Woling Pass tried to regroup downstream, planning to rally once more. But Lord He led his men to scatter them again!”

Ke Jihai’s interest sharpened. “Oh? Which rebel generals?”

“Wu Shaoyi, Lu Yao, and Pei Xinyong,” Zhu Xiyan replied with a broad smile. “Lu Yao was slain, Pei Xinyong fled, and Wu Shaoyi had been persuaded to surrender by Lord He. Wu Shaoyi has now brought his troops under the state’s banner. Oh, and the most remarkable thing? Lord He commanded but three hundred elite troops. Those three armies together numbered over six thousand!”

“Excellent! Excellent! A general sent by heaven in our time of need!” Ke Jihai slapped the table and pulled over a chair. “Come, Lord He, sit. Tell me the whole story of how you scattered the rebels!”

The news of Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu’s deaths had already reached the capital. Some said luck had played a role there. But his Coordinating Army’s rout of the Woling Pass remnants was a true and decisive victory.

With both feats together, Ke Jihai had no choice but to view the man who was once a mere border official with newfound respect.

After all, though Yuan was vast, good generals were rare.

1. Note that this He is, once again, different from that of He Lingchuan’s He. This is, however, the same He as in He Suqiong (Minister Steward of the Court of the Imperial Treasury Du Feng’s grandmother). ☜

2. Note that the position Imperial Censor (御史大夫) has also been translated by others as Imperial Censor, Grand Secretary, and Censor-in-Chief. ☜