Chapter 111: Not to coexist under the same sky

The carriage King Jing'an emerged from appeared simple, but it was, in fact, remarkably elaborate. Its inner walls were paneled entirely with high-grade sandalwood, and a gilded sandalwood censer with a mutton-fat jade base sat inside. After Princess Pei boarded, she placed the book "First Snow" down. Her legs were bent and crossed, her full, round hips resting on them. Skillfully, she lit the fragrant sandalwood incense, creating tendrils of smoke, and remained silent. King Jing'an, Zhao Heng, and his heir, Zhao Xun, sat facing each other. Zhao Heng closed his eyes, turning his prayer beads, which now had only 107 Bodhi seeds left. No matter how significant the matter, King Jing'an would not open his eyes until he had finished reciting his scriptures. Even knowing his father was deep in meditation like an old monk, Zhao Xun only dared to glance at his nominal mother from the corner of his eye. He withdrew his complex gaze after that one glance, not daring to look again. King Jing'an recited his scriptures for hundreds, even thousands, of times. By the time he opened his eyes, they were nearing the estate. In a calm and composed voice, he asked, "Xun'er, do you know your mistake?"

Zhao Xun, sitting upright and respectfully, replied guiltily, "I know my mistake."

Zhao Heng didn't press the matter or expose him. He lifted the curtain and glanced outside the carriage, remarking calmly, "I can't quite see through that child anymore. It was all because I overdid it, making a blunder."

At this point, King Jing'an's face darkened, and he cast a sidelong glance at Princess Pei, who was docilely looking down. Seeing her react like a puppet, he became increasingly annoyed. He tightened his grip on his prayer beads, took a deep breath, and then turned to Zhao Xun, saying, "On Spring God Lake, you wanted to strike a fatal blow amidst the chaos and frame those Green Party descendants. You had the intention, but your judgment of the situation was still lacking. Who is Xu Fengnian? Cripple Xu has depended on him his entire life to carry the future of Northern Liang. Did you truly think a few hired thugs, plus Ning Emei and a hundred iron cavalry, would be enough? That would be underestimating this jianghu far too much. Without that old martial artist named Li, Xu Fengnian would have died countless times over."

Zhao Xun lowered his head and said, "Father's reprimand is just."

Zhao Heng frowned, trying to suppress the irritation in his heart that even prayer could not quell. He reached out and waved away some of the sandalwood scent, which was becoming overwhelming. He spoke slowly and in a low voice, "The capital is quite lively. Cripple Xu will most likely get his wish of securing a hereditary peerage for his son, but his title as Grand Pillar will almost certainly not be maintained. Moreover, Gu Jiantang's journey north to Liang and Liao was originally meant by the one in the imperial palace to force Cripple Xu to declare his stance. Cripple Xu will have to dutifully remove the foundations of Northern Liang's 300,000 iron cavalry in Liang and Liao himself. Northern Liang still appears impregnable, and Zhang Biyan might withdraw while he's ahead, but the faction of old retainers from the fallen dynasties will likely try to hit him while he's down. I just wonder how much this dog-eat-dog show will manage to take out of Cripple Xu. These old dogs, who are unparalleled at currying favor and seeking fame, are only capable of this much."

When Zhao Xun heard his father's harsh evaluation of the old officials of the fallen dynasties in the court as "old dogs," he naturally let out a scornful laugh. It was then that he regained the demeanor befitting a prince of a vassal kingdom. The dynasty originally had people from thirteen provinces, and although they now integrated and coexisted with citizens from the seventeen provinces of the Eight Spring and Autumn Kingdoms, wouldn't they inherently feel a sense of superiority deep down? If even common people felt this way, not to mention Zhao Xun and that small group of top imperial relatives who inherently regarded the entire world as their private property. Furthermore, among the six great vassal kings, including Zhao Heng, with the exception of the most incompetent King Huainan, the others all participated in the Spring and Autumn War, earning various military merits and expanding their territories. After the war, which vassal king didn't get a few concubines or servant girls from the empresses and princesses of the fallen states? King Guangling even took one empress and two imperial consorts. Given this, what status could the old retainers of the Eight Kingdoms possibly have in their eyes? Even if you had strategic brilliance and once glorious military achievements, who would be so foolish as to worship you like a Bodhisattva? Sitting at the same table, they would find it an eyesore.

After dismounting the carriage and returning to the estate, King Jing'an, who had been approachable with Xu Fengnian at the inn, ignored the countless servants who knelt upon seeing him. He passed through halls and corridors, approaching a Buddhist hall. Zhao Xun silently turned and left. Zhao Heng entered the dim grand hall, where a purple sandalwood statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was enshrined. Princess Pei hesitated for a moment, about to turn away. The prayer beads in King Jing'an Zhao Heng's hand, already missing one Bodhi seed, suddenly snapped. The beads scattered and clattered on the white jade floor of the silent hall, creating a chillingly harsh sound. Zhao Heng, who had personally destroyed this string of "horse tether" beads, no longer held back in the slightest. He stared fiercely at the princess, his face contorted, and gritted his teeth, snarled, "Stop! You shameless wretch, were you going to lose even your dignity after exchanging a few more words with that Cripple Xu's bastard?!"

Princess Pei did not retort, allowing King Jing'an to humiliate her. At that moment, she seemed like the Bodhisattva statue, devoid of any human vitality. Outsiders all said it was an immense blessing for her, the solitary orphan of the Pei family, to marry King Jing'an. Her own skin was as fair as congealed fat. Rumors circulated that King Jing'an, who had brought her home, had a refined taste: he kept a three-foot-tall jade figurine, and at night, he would embrace her and play with the figurine, finding her more captivating than the jade itself. It was truly enviable, enough to make all the scoundrels in the world drool just by hearing it.

King Jing'an did not stop. He stepped forward, grabbed a handful of the princess's dark hair, dragged her into the hall, and violently threw her to the ground, roaring, "Pei Nanwei, what part of me isn't good enough for a low-born harlot like you?! In all these past ten-plus years, when have you ever once treated me as your husband?! Who am I? Do you even know?! I was only one step away from the dragon throne, one step! Is there anyone else in this world more qualified than me to wear the imperial robes!"

Princess Pei, whose dark hair was scattered on the ground like a blooming blue lotus, finally looked up. She asked calmly in return, "If I am a harlot, how are you worthy of me?"

King Jing'an Zhao Heng's expression froze; the ferocity in his eyes vanished. He crouched down, reached out, and tried to stroke the princess's face, gently asking, "Wei'er, have I hurt you?"

Princess Pei turned her head away and softly said, "It doesn't hurt."

Zhao Heng was completely enraged by her evasive movement. He swung his hand, slapping her, a noble princess, so hard that she sprawled onto the cool floor. He suddenly stood up and furiously rebuked, "You Pei! You are deader than a dead person! Since you have such backbone, why don't you just die?! Why didn't you perish with your father when the country fell? Throw yourself into a well? My estate has sixty-four wells, big and small! Hang yourself? How much brocade and silk have I bestowed upon you over the years! Dash yourself against a railing? Where in my estate isn't there one! Don't worry, after your death, I will surely give you a grand and honorable burial!"

Princess Pei did not look at the wolf-like King Jing'an, but instead gazed sorrowfully at the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, of whom it was popularly said that one of his kasayas could cover a mountain. She said indifferently, "I was afraid of death, that's why I married you."

King Jing'an felt immense disgust. Turning his back on the woman he had watched for over ten years but never truly understood, he said stiffly, "Get out!"

Princess Pei stood up, tidied her hair and clothes, bowed, and then exited the Buddhist hall. As she stepped over the threshold, she asked, "The prayer beads sent by the Northern Liang heir, should I accept them or not?"

Zhao Heng sneered, "I am not so petty. You may keep them. I know your painting skills are superb, just don't draw that bastard's portrait and then use the beads for indecent acts. If you degrade yourself, I won't see it, so it won't bother me. But if you defile the prayer beads and anger the Bodhisattva, then the millions of prayers I've recited for your well-being over the years will have been in vain."

Princess Pei responded with an indifferent "Oh."

The moment she left, King Jing'an Zhao Heng transformed completely. His mind was focused; it was as if the exceedingly difficult family scripture he had just been reciting had suddenly become easy. He sat on a cushion made of fragrant grass, scoffed coldly, and said chillingly, "Cripple Xu, do you really think I dare not touch your son?! Hereditary peerage? I will make your twenty years of painstaking effort into a colossal joke!"

Jiang Ni wanted to study, and Xu Fengnian reluctantly endured listening to her read two thousand characters before going to find Yu Youwei to go out. He planned to take her to the Fishing Platform in Xiangfan for sightseeing. There were several old Celestial Masters at the Fishing Platform, and Xu Fengnian wanted to see if he could personally inquire about Huang Man'er's situation on Longhu Mountain. He wasn't entirely at ease just exchanging letters through the old Daoist Zhao Xichuan. Yu Youwei wore a luxurious embroidered fur coat, purchased from the Laozhu Mountain Qingfu Silk Shop, a typical Western Chu style. It could be described as a rich tapestry of red and brocade that made plain beauty seem inferior. Unfortunately, in Xu Fengnian's eyes, it was a little too modest. He didn't want Yu Youwei to be overtly revealing, but he also didn't want her to show no charm at all. Yu Youwei was naturally a graceful beauty, especially her two proud mounds of soft snow. Xu Fengnian was a scoundrel who had witnessed and tasted her charms. Yu Youwei being so heavily clothed stifled even the slightest chance for imagination. Fortunately, she was holding her beloved white cat, which pushed out her chest a bit. Xu Fengnian chuckled and muttered to himself, "I didn't raise you for nothing, Wu Meiniang."

After leaving, Xu Fengnian kindly asked, "Have you ever seen Skinny Sheep Lake?"

Yu Youwei shook her head.

Xu Fengnian then took a slight detour, leading her past White Snake Embankment. It seemed that most scenic spots associated with immortals were related to sword immortals; he had never heard of any related to knives. For instance, White Snake Embankment was said to have been formed hundreds of years ago when a terrestrial immortal, displeased with a white snake causing trouble in the lake, angrily slew it with a single sword stroke, and the snake's massive corpse became a long embankment. This was the case for White Snake Embankment, and similarly for Spring God Lake. Those who wielded knives? No future, it seemed. Xu Fengnian, full of self-mockery, walked with Yu Youwei, attracting a lot of attention. Some scholars and poets strolling by the lake exerted themselves, either reciting poetry or singing loudly, hoping to gain a favorable glance from the young woman holding the cat. Unfortunately, Yu Youwei completely ignored them.

Xu Fengnian teased, "You didn't make it onto either the main or secondary Rouge Rankings. Do you blame me?"

Yu Youwei simply shook her head.

Xu Fengnian smiled and asked, "By rights, your father was a Jixia Scholar at the Imperial Academy, so you should prefer sons of aristocratic families. Yet, back in Northern Liang, I never heard of you composing poetry with any scholar."

Yu Youwei softly replied, "Because I know that those scholars who loudly proclaim they serve neither kings nor cultivate fields, and that they sleep alone even when the king issues decrees, are the very same people who go mad when the king issues a decree. And those pedantic scholars who claim they can 'shock the old dragon with a sword in the sky' are actually people who wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken. What poetry or prose could I possibly discuss with them?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "That's true. I'm just a crude fellow who openly buys literature with money. Otherwise, why do people say a man only speaks three parts and leaves seven parts to conquer the world?"

Yu Youwei lowered her head and remained silent.

Slowly exiting Skinny Sheep Lake, Xu Fengnian mounted the fine horse led by Lu Qiantang. There were only five horses in total, so Yu Youwei was decisively not given the chance to ride alone. After mounting, the prince held the woman, and the woman held the white cat, becoming a charming and picturesque sight on the street.

They rode their horses to the city and ascended the city wall, only then learning that several old Daoist priests guarding the Fishing Tower from Longhu Mountain had already left Xiangfan. It turned out that the Celestial Talisman had self-incinerated, no wonder the people of Xiangfan City were all in a festive mood. Xu Fengnian ascended the Fishing Platform; no city guards dared to stop him. Entering the majestic city tower, Xu Fengnian surveyed the city's layout, while Yu Youwei gazed at the vast Spring God Lake. Xu Fengnian asked Ning Emei for advice on how to conduct street fighting if Xiangfan City were to be breached. Ning Emei was clearly a cavalry general, who, after joining the Northern Liang army, mostly accumulated military merits on the border by collecting the heads of Northern Barbarians. Battles between them were mostly standoffs and contests of strength on plains. Regarding the siege warfare the prince inquired about, Ning Emei could only share superficial knowledge he had heard from old veterans. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian still listened intently, occasionally nodding, and always probing for details when encountering unfamiliar points. Ning Emei, a half-baked expert in street fighting, couldn't help but stare blankly at the prince.

The burly Ning Emei, dressed in casual clothes, finally found a moment of leisure. Seeing the prince stop to gaze into the distance, he cautiously asked, "Your Highness, why are you asking about these matters? There's no opportunity for siege warfare on the Northern Liang border."

Xu Fengnian said with a half-smile, "Books and secret manuals—anything written in books, if I want it, I can have it easily. But things not found in books, perhaps just trivial matters, are priceless treasures to me. Besides, if we don't engage in sieges now, does that mean our 300,000 iron cavalry won't be allowed to flatten Northern Barbarians later?"

Ning Emei, the great halberdier, as strong as a bear, shuddered.

Xu Fengnian turned his head and asked, "General Ning, has King Jing'an accepted the sandalwood box I asked you to deliver?"

Ning Emei nodded, "He has received it."

Xu Fengnian gazed towards the distant King Jing'an in the city and murmured, "It doesn't matter if you see through me. After all, aren't you the one in this world most irreconcilable with the person in the capital?"