Cleaning Up

"She was a little strict, but she hoped that once we made something of ourselves and returned to the capital, we would accomplish great things."

He Lingchuan burst out laughing. "Oh, give it a rest. She just hopes you'll finish your studies, return to the capital, and bask in the glory of high office. What does that have to do with me?"

The resentment in those words was brimming over. He Yue frowned. "Big Brother, why belittle yourself? Have you ever considered what you would do after returning to the Great Capital?"

"Go back to the Great Capital?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "Nope!"

The original owner of this body had never thought that far ahead. Naturally, neither had he.

To outsiders, Qiansong Prefecture was a bitterly cold wasteland, but both he and the original owner had found it quite nice. Here, the He family were local emperors, used to throwing their weight around. Whether standing or lying down, they lived comfortably. But in the Yuan Kingdom's Great Capital, they would be nothing.

In terms of foundations, wealth, connections, even the ability to spend money, the He family were not fit to carry the trousers of those great clans and noble houses.

So why go? Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

He Yue reminded him, "This is Father's long-cherished wish. We must exhaust every effort to fulfill it. We swore it during the ancestral rites." A man without distant worries would surely have immediate troubles. With Big Brother's attitude, no wonder Mother did not like him.

"I know." He Lingchuan patted his shoulder, utterly unconcerned. "You study literature, I practice martial arts. Put us together and we're accomplished in both letters and arms. One day, when we return to the Great Capital, if anyone gives you trouble, I'll secretly beat him into a cripple."

"Big Brother, you really are..." Faced with such shameless nonsense, He Yue could only be speechless.

Still, looking on the bright side, his brother's wildness in Blackwater City had always been out in the open. At least he now knew that if they returned to the Great Capital, he would have to do evil in secret. That counted as progress of a sort.

Probably.

On the road, they ran into Uncle Hao. The latter gave He Lingchuan a meaningful look and followed along.

What had gone wrong this time?

Once they reached the side hall and sat down, Uncle Hao went outside to stand guard. No one was allowed within fifty paces.

He Yue selected a tea set and touched the icy cup. "Did the State Preceptor and the Governor of Xun Prefecture come looking for trouble?"

He Lingchuan yawned, looking listless. "Those two aren't even the biggest problem. The mastermind behind this is the Emperor's father-in-law."

"The Grand Marshal?" He Yue's expression changed drastically. "You mean... Dong Haoming?"

"Mhm. How many imperial fathers-in-law do we have?" He Lingchuan thought about it. Their father had only said not to tell Madam Ying; he had never mentioned keeping it from He Yue.

This kid had been helping handle prefectural affairs since he was nine. There was probably no need to hide such a major matter from him now. In a few days, when He Chunhua sent people into the desert, He Yue would learn of it anyway.

So he readily explained State Preceptor Sun and the other man's purpose, from beginning to end.

He Yue listened attentively, occasionally cutting in with a question or two, but most of the time he was setting the kettle to boil.

His brother was too lazy, so he could only do it himself.

By the time the water had boiled and the tea was steeped, He Lingchuan had talked himself dry. He scooped up a cup of hot tea and gulped down two large mouthfuls.

"Second Brother, what do you think?"

"The Grand Marshal wants to use us as sword and spear, but Father will most likely agree. Even if we oppose it, it will be useless," He Yue analyzed. "Given Father's age and seniority, he still has great prospects if he returns to the royal capital."

His two sons were nearly grown, yet He Chunhua himself was not even thirty-five. He was still in the prime of life, strong and full of vigor. He had already squandered the best twenty years of his life in this barren land. How could he tolerate being ignored and buried any longer?

"Fortunately, Zhong Shengguang's token is nowhere to be found. If they search for another few dozen days and come up empty-handed, they will not be able to enter the Coiling Dragon Desert."

He Lingchuan gave a light cough. "Actually, the token has already been found."

"What? Where?" He Yue was startled, and his gaze at his brother grew increasingly suspicious. "You... how did you know?"

"It's right here with me." He Lingchuan patted his chest and said slowly, "Actually, that starts with the serious injury I suffered over a month ago..."

This time, he tried to keep a long story short.

"Nian Songyu only said he went looking for the Leopard Demon. He never mentioned wiping out their lair and exterminating their whole clan." He Yue's brows knitted tightly. "And what exactly did the Governor of Xun Prefecture send him here for?"

"Supposedly, to assist State Preceptor Sun." He Lingchuan rubbed his chin. "Looks like Father will soon ask me for the Sand Leopard's remains."

He Yue reminded him, "The Red and White Path is still holding two guards from Donglai Manor. Now that you know why they came, how do you plan to deal with them?"

"How else? Let them go, of course."

"Release them?" He Yue was somewhat surprised. "I thought you wanted to destroy the evidence and erase the corpses."

The best way not to offend Donglai Manor was to make sure they never learned they had been offended.

"No need, right?" He Lingchuan scratched his head. "They're only two second-rank guards. What do they amount to in Donglai Manor's eyes?"

"Mm, you're right." He Yue thought to himself that the disappearance of these two men was a problem after all. What if the Red and White Path exposed another flaw? If Father decided to help them seize the Great Square Pot, they should show some sincerity now, lest someone stab them in the back when rewards were handed out. They were only two guards; looked at lightly, they were less than a fart. Donglai Manor needed them now, so surely they would not make a mountain out of this molehill.

He Lingchuan grew uneasy under his gaze. "What kind of look is that?"

Compared to before, Big Brother seemed to have changed, yet not entirely. He Yue pulled his thoughts back. "There are too many suspicious points in this matter, and entering the Coiling Dragon Desert is nine deaths and one life, even if they truly have the token. Let them take the risk. You and Father must not wade into this muddy water."

"Got it."

Just then, Uncle Hao came to report that someone from the Red and White Path had arrived.

He Lingchuan received the visitor in the garden.

Through the window, He Yue saw his brother sit down on a garden bench, prop one leg over the other, and ask, "Those two things still alive?"

"Alive." This man was the Red and White Path member who had tipped him off last time. "What are your instructions, Young Master?"

"Fish them out of the cells and clean them up."

"Clean them up?" The man understood. "Burn them to ash or dissolve them into water?"

"I said clean them up, not kill them!" What was stuffed inside these people's heads? "The people backing them have arrived. We'll probably have to let them go in a day or two. Let them go alive!"

The cultist let out an "Ah." "Let them go?"

"What, are their body parts no longer intact?" He Lingchuan frowned. That would be bad. If the people returned to Donglai Manor missing arms or legs, it would not be a gesture of goodwill but a declaration of enmity.

"They're intact, intact, but... but..."

He Lingchuan's heart thumped. These idiots never gave him peace of mind. "But what?"

The man coughed. "One of them tried to escape yesterday. When we captured him, we accidentally sliced off half his buttock. You know, Chen Laoqi hits a little hard."

"I know? How could I know?" He Lingchuan glared. "I thought they had merely eaten too much spoiled food and gotten a few extra bedbug bites. If this gets out, it won't be their butts that are hurt—it'll be Donglai Manor's face!"

Hearing this from the study, He Yue raised a hand to cover his face. So it had been an illusion after all. Big Brother had not changed.