Chapter 18: You Are Both Talented and Handsome

He Lingchuan sighed: "About fifty days ago, I went hunting at Mount Hulu, but was attacked by a Sand Leopard and fell off a cliff. I was brought back and was unconscious for many days before waking up."

Nian Songyu's eyes almost spat fire: "Why didn't you say so yesterday?" What was this kid pretending for? Sun Fuping, however, only asked the key point: "What about that Sand Leopard?"

"It died and was brought back with me." He Lingchuan shrugged. "After I woke up, I ordered people to dismember the Sand Leopard. This thing nearly killed me, so I had to hack it into eight pieces. The parts were already taken to the market and sold." He pointed casually to the east. "There are plenty of merchants here who are interested in the demon's fur, claws, teeth, tongue, eyeballs, inner core, and so on, and are willing to spend a lot of money."

"We know what you two are thinking." He Yue spoke at the right time. "Yesterday, we learned that the Sand Leopard that ambushed my brother was injured by you. Although Father did not express his stance, he has already sent people to track down the whereabouts of the Sand Leopard's corpse."

The nail in these words was very hard, but unfortunately, it didn't hurt or itch when stuck on the two people opposite. Sun Fuping rolled his eyes: "Can Governor He really find it?"

He Yue smiled: "We will definitely go all out."

Just kidding, this guarantee naturally couldn't be made.

Sun Fuping was silent for a while before saying: "By the way, before we set off this time, the Grand Marshal mentioned in a letter that if the trouble in the capital can be resolved, Governor He's talents need not be wasted in this poor mountain and evil water."

The He brothers were moved together: "You mean, no, the Grand Marshal means...?"

"Transferred back to the capital, recommended to be a Censor of the Imperial Secretariat!"

These old official oil-slickers, when had they ever been so straightforward? He Lingchuan stood up at once: "The Grand Marshal has a discerning eye for talent and golden words!" As he spoke, he reached out toward Sun Fuping.

Sun Fuping handed over a letter, the wax seal not even opened.

Clearly, this was a letter prepared by the Grand Marshal long ago, specifically to be handed to He Chunhua.

Although promoting officials was not the Grand Marshal's duty, his reputation and weight in the court were heavy, so it wouldn't be difficult to facilitate this matter.

Sun Fuping said indifferently: "I hope Governor He will not disappoint the Grand Marshal's high expectations."

He Lingchuan beamed: "That certainly won't happen."

He Yue also said: "We will go all out to track down the clues of the Sand Leopard, and I believe there will be an echo soon."

The two stood up: "Then we will wait for Governor He's good news."

Sun Fuping was about to walk out, but Nian Songyu turned his head to look at He Yue: "Second Young Master He, how old are you this year?"

"Fourteen."

"I heard in Wangjin that the second son of Governor He of Qiansong Commandery is intelligent and steady; I didn't expect such an elegant demeanor. Indeed, hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once."

This guy was suddenly commenting on the second one; what did he want? He Lingchuan pointed at himself and took over the conversation: "What about me, do outsiders have any discussion?"

Nian Songyu laughed: "Yes, gold and jade on the outside."

Everyone knew the point was in the next sentence that wasn't spoken, but He Lingchuan was smug: "Good eye, good eye."

He Yue coughed lightly: "Big brother, see the guests out."

He Lingchuan hadn't turned around yet when Nian Songyu suddenly said: "The inn where the State Preceptor and I are staying is low and narrow. I see that Governor He's mansion has the style of the Great Capital, with many rooms; I wonder if it can accommodate two more guests?"

The He brothers and Sun Fuping were all stunned.

"This is naturally..." possible.

The He residence had many empty rooms, and He Yue quickly notified Lady Ying to arrange a guest house for each of the two distinguished guests.

Servants ran to the inn and moved their luggage over, so they had officially moved in.

After a flurry of activity, the two guests were settled.

After the servants dispersed, Nian Songyu looked at the closed gate of the courtyard: "Sure enough, the leopard is in their hands. The one surnamed He doesn't have a single true word; the leopard corpse might still be in his house."

"Even if it is still there, it has been well hidden." Sun Fuping met his gloomy gaze. "Don't you want to climb over the wall to kill and seize the treasure? It won't work; you have to think about the follow-up plan. The Grand Marshal was right; He Chunhua will take the opportunity to manipulate and bargain."

If He Chunhua had bowed his head and obeyed, he wouldn't have taken out the letter prepared by the Grand Marshal.

Nian Songyu sneered: "A mere frontier governor, a small official, dares to open his lion's mouth?"

"At this juncture, he might dare. The Grand Marshal has praised him several times; this person is different from ordinary mediocre officials."

Nian Songyu said hatefully: "What a pity, this is not Wangjin City!"

Wangjin was the capital of Xunzhou, his territory.

Sun Fuping shook his head: "Business is important. What these small officials want is nothing more than promotion and wealth; it's not hard to settle."

"Although the Censor of the Imperial Secretariat is only a rank five official, he can supervise officials and is a fat job that everyone covets. If it were in the past, I might have been jealous." Nian Songyu gave a mocking smile. "But now..."

Sun Fuping's face sank: "Don't talk nonsense!"

In the blink of an eye, it was dark.

He Chunhua hadn't returned yet; he was truly busy.

The Baling delegation had arrived in Heishuicheng, and local officials were responsible for receiving them.

During this time, He Lingchuan made a trip to the government office and personally handed the Grand Marshal's letter to his father.

He Chunhua, who had always shown himself to be gentle and steady, couldn't help but slam the table and laugh three times.

More than twenty years, he had endured the wind and sand at the frontier, and finally, he was going to return to the familiar Great Capital!

That place where he was born and raised, the place of the He family's past glory.

He Chunhua even took out his hidden wine, picked two cups, grabbed his eldest son to drink three cups, feeling indescribably refreshed.

He Lingchuan only then realized that his father had secretly hidden fine wine in the official residence, better than any wine he had ever tasted.

He deliberately revealed a look of confusion: "Father, our days in Heishuicheng are not bad; are you in such a hurry to go back?"

This was what the original body would have asked.

He Chunhua looked at him and suddenly put away his smile.

When he didn't smile, his face looked a bit sinister.

"Silly child, of course we cannot stay here." He said lightly and slowly, "I have endured humiliation and borne heavy burdens at the frontier for twenty years, waiting for this opportunity—the opportunity to go back, the opportunity to move up!"

He Chunhua's eyes flashed with a strange light, indescribable and unclear, making He Lingchuan feel a bit hair-raising.

"The He family cannot stay at the frontier, otherwise the descendants will only be frontier people." In the blink of an eye, He Chunhua returned to normal. "Only by returning to the capital do we have a chance."

He Lingchuan said "Oh" as if he understood.

The word "chance," his cheap father had said it several times in a row.

What chance? What did he want to use the chance to do? He Chunhua seemed to regret his loss of composure, and after three cups, he sent his eldest son home.

There were surprisingly few people on the road, and He Lingchuan kicked away a pebble, thinking about his current situation.

How could a father with both ambition and ability raise a second-generation ancestor as arrogant and unreasonable as the original body?

Thinking back carefully, it seemed to be He Chunhua's intentional indulgence.

This was a bit strange.

But in dealing with Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping, the father and son should work together, without a doubt.

At this very moment, his father seemed to really need him to display this kind of personality.

Since that was the case, he would continue to be his playboy; anyway, if the sky fell, He Chunhua would be there to hold it up.

It was already very dark, well past mealtime, and the He residence was as quiet as usual.

He Lingchuan knew that no one in the house would wait for him to eat, so he planned to go to the back kitchen to find some snacks to pad his stomach. The cook in the house always hid a pot of good things in the low cabinet; today it should be apple honey crisps. If he stole them to eat, no one would protest.

He walked past his second brother's residence.

At this time, He Yue was either reading by candlelight or reviewing scrolls; he generally didn't wander around the He residence.

But He Lingchuan happened to hear two people's voices coming from the bamboo forest.

Two men.

One was He Yue: "... I don't think it's necessary, Commandant Nian!"

Commandant Nian? He Lingchuan tiptoed over.

Sure enough, the other person was Nian Songyu. He Lingchuan saw his cheekbones were red, clearly having drunk quite a bit: "Why not necessary? The Great Capital has clouds of noble families, and the nobles look down on everyone. Even if your father is promoted back, he will only be a rank five official. How long will you have to wait to get ahead?"

He leaned closer and laughed: "You are both talented and handsome; if you get my father's recommendation..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 19 =====