After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 120: Chapter 121: The Chess Piece Left by the Old Emperor

The wine was warmed just then. Two pinches of shredded ginger were added, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma.

Hee Chunhua’s cook cut a five-pound slab of meat from the fish, rubbed it with various seasonings, and placed it over the fire to grill. Soon, the flames drew out the aroma of the fat and spices.

Lui Yao laughed. "And here I thought Mr. Hee had some special way of preparing this. It’s just grilled, after all."

"The equipment isn’t ideal, so I have to rely on the sauce," the cook said. As he grilled the fish, he repeatedly flipped it, brushing on a layer of sauce every ten turns. By the time the fish was cooked through, it had taken on a beautiful, crimson-brown color.

The fish was served to the two men. Lui Yao took a bite and was surprised—it was a single roast with two distinct flavors. A piece of fish the size of his fist was split in two. One half had fragrant, crispy skin that melted in his mouth. The thick layer of fat beneath the skin had seeped into the meat, counteracting the dryness of the thick fillet. The other half seemed to have been coated in an unknown paste; it was savory with a hint of fruity sweetness and even a touch of tartness, which cut through the richness exceptionally well.

"Excellent, excellent." Lui Yao took a bite of fish and a sip of wine, giving a thumbs-up in praise. "No wonder your family was once one of such great prestige!"

"You’re too kind." Hee Chunhua also popped a piece of fish into his mouth. "Even at our most prosperous, my family was never counted among the Nine Ministers. We could hardly claim to be of ’such great prestige’!"

"When the Saint Master was taking stock of the officials in the Yuan Kingdom, he mentioned you by name, Mr. Hee." Lui Yao chuckled. "He said you were a real talent."

Hee Chunhua raised an eyebrow. ’The "Saint Master" he’s referring to is, of course, Hong Xiangqian, the leader of the Rebel Army. Rumor has it his Divine Techniques were so profound he could even resurrect the dead. He even used all sorts of Divine Techniques on the battlefield—’

’That last point was extremely unusual. It was common knowledge that the Royal Court Army could draw upon Primordial Power in battle, creating a powerful suppressive effect on Divine Techniques and Magic. Throughout history, countless Mystical Warriors had been cornered and killed by the Official Army.’

’But Hong Xiangqian had been able to use Divine Techniques on the battlefield with their power completely undiminished. This was because he had established his own regime, allowing him to master and command Primordial Power as well.’

’This was likely why the Yuan Royal Court was in such a hurry to exterminate the Rebel Army. If this threat wasn’t eliminated, a second regime would rise to power within the Yuan Kingdom.’

Hong Xiangqian was dead, yet a man like Lui Yao—who was so fearless he would dare stir up trouble even in Yama Hall—still spoke of him with respect. From this alone, Hee Chunhua knew Hong Xiangqian was no ordinary man. He was far more than the villain and charlatan the Royal Court claimed he was. But as an official appointed by that same court, he had no desire to express any admiration for him.

"I heard your family, the Hee Family, was massacred, and you were the sole survivor. But that old, decrepit Monarch banished you to Qiansong County. You were just a little over ten at the time, weren’t you? Mmm, and you went to Qiansong County to be a mere posthouse guard. For an ordinary person, that would have been the end of their story. But you seized the opportunity of a foreign invasion, taking advantage of that desert behind it... what’s the name of that desert again?"

"Panlong."

"Oh, right! The Panlong Desert. The sandstorms make it impassable for months. The city was still under the control of the Andong People back then. You rallied a crowd and killed the Andong Special Envoy in the middle of the street. You must have scared the city’s residents half to death, no? Why didn’t they just kill you?"

"The Andong People had occupied Black Water City for many years, and the Yuan Kingdom never tried to retake it. They assumed our kingdom was weak and merely installed a few local collaborators to manage the city," Hee Chunhua stated calmly. "I killed those collaborators as well, then used the Sandstorm Season to deal with the remaining Andong People in the city. By the time the Sandstorm Season was over, Black Water City had been successfully recovered."

Lui Yao slapped the table and laughed heartily. "Brilliant! So satisfying. Did the Governor of Jinzhou reward you handsomely for it?"

"No." Hee Chunhua took a bite of fish. "I was arrested and thrown in jail. The moment I got to my cell, I was given thirty lashes. The charge was assassinating an envoy from a friendly nation and instigating border conflict. Luckily, the jailer took pity on me, went easy with the whip, and even brought me plenty of medicine. The very next day, half the city came to petition on my behalf. The officials were afraid of a riot, so they let me go."

"I told the Governor of Jinzhou that the Andong People wouldn’t use this as a pretext for revenge, but he didn’t believe me. Black Water City remained peaceful for two years, and it wasn’t until the third year that the Andong People returned in force. The Governor of Jinzhou was powerless to respond. Someone advised him, ’Let the one who stirred up the trouble be the one to solve it.’ And with that, they pushed me out to deal with the problem."

Lui Yao nodded. "And you drove the Andong People back."

"Three times. They didn’t try to invade again after that," Hee Chunhua said. "The Governor of Jinzhou took the credit for himself, but word of my actions had already spread to the Capital City. His Majesty the King learned of it and granted me an extraordinary promotion."

Lui Yao asked curiously, "How did you know the Andong People would just swallow the insult after you killed their Special Envoy?"

"In my last year as Posthouse Chief, I heard from merchants on Red Cliff Road that King Andong had died and his kingdom was in perpetual turmoil."

"And that’s it? That’s hardly solid evidence, is it?"

Hee Chunhua scoffed lightly. "King Andong’s eldest son died young, and his second and fourth sons had been fighting for the throne ever since. The second son is vicious, while the fourth is a schemer. Neither could get rid of the other quickly, which is why the country was in constant turmoil. That being the case, I figured their power struggle would drag on, and they wouldn’t have the capacity to worry about unimportant places like Red Cliff Road and Black Water City for a while."

Lui Yao stroked his chin. "So how did you win in the end?"

"The Andong Royal Family’s internal war ended with the fourth son as the victor. But the kingdom, already weakened by years of strife, was in an even more dilapidated state. They only sent troops to retake Black Water City to save face. After three failed attempts, they gave up." Hee Chunhua smiled slightly. "And now, the Andong Kingdom and our nation enjoy very cordial relations."

"No wonder the Saint Master said that if a talent like you had been holding down the fort in the Yuan Kingdom’s interior, the Rebel Army’s northward march would not have been so smooth."

Hee Chunhua’s expression faltered slightly.

’That was high praise indeed, but it also greatly underestimated all the other civil and military officials of the Yuan Kingdom.’

"Your family suffered a grievous injustice, and you have repeatedly distinguished yourself and demonstrated your talent in the borderlands. Why has the Royal Court never given you a position of real power?"

Hee Chunhua gave a wry smile. ’That was not an easy question to answer.’

"The Saint Master mentioned it back then. He said you were a chess piece left for the successor by the old Emperor—a very useful piece," Lui Yao said with a grin. "On one hand, he kept you pinned down in Qiansong County to wear down your sharp edges. On the other, he was saving you for the next Emperor to make use of. That way, you’d be deeply grateful to the Monarch who raised you up and would serve him to your last breath. After all, his father was the one who wiped out your family, but *he* would be the one to restore your fortunes. A real shame, though. The current Emperor is a total buffoon who squandered the great gift the old man gave him on his deathbed."

"Well? Do you think the Saint Master had a point?"

Hee Chunhua lowered his gaze, remaining silent. After a long moment, he said, "I appreciate you feeling indignant on my behalf, General Lui."

"Why would you still be willing to die for an Emperor like that?" Lui Yao sneered. "Even Dongg Haoming, who served the Royal Family loyally for so many years, has rebelled. Are you still eager to go and add yourself to the tally of his supporters?"

"There is still a chance to set things right." Before Lui Yao could retort, Hee Chunhua cut in with a question. "The Grand Commandant’s rebellion in the Capital City failed, and he has now retreated to defend Wuzhou. That city’s walls are strong and its granaries are full. The people there only know of Donglai Prefecture, not of Emperor Yuan, which proves the Grand Commandant made his preparations long ago. If it were you, General Lui, how would you attack?"