Chapter 139: Drink Drink Drink

Beacon Fires Amuse the Lords

As they neared Yangchun City in Huting Prefecture, Xu Fengnian and Consort Pei's chess game inside the carriage became somewhat disorganized. Consort Pei's chess skills were usually on par with the Young Master's, but today she had easily won two games in a row. She couldn't help but glance up at his expressionless face, wondering if he was feeling nervous as they approached home. Was it because of his elder sister, Xu Zhihu, who had stirred up such widespread scandal that it even resonated within the imperial court in the capital?

As the Consort of Jing'an, she also hailed from a prominent family and was accustomed to the internal strife and rivalries common within noble households, where truly harmonious families were rare. As for the most notorious widow in Jiangnan Province, Consort Pei had only heard rumors. Not long ago, this widow had been slapped by a noblewoman from the neighboring Jiangxin Prefecture. This talented woman had ingeniously cursed her by coining the phrase "broken incense burner," implying a harlot due to the incense burner's many holes. This term, unheard of in any book, made scholars from both prefectures applaud enthusiastically once they grasped its meaning. For a time, the moniker "Xu Incense Burner" became increasingly prevalent in Jiangnan Province, particularly among the aristocratic ladies and young women from prominent Jiangnan families who had long detested Xu Zhihu. In their daily conversations, the "incense burner" would inevitably come up, bringing them unspeakable satisfaction and delight.

After Xu Fengnian conceded defeat, he didn't suggest a rematch this time. Instead, he left the carriage and mounted his snow-white Western Regions steed. This magnificent horse, once the king of wild horses on the Northern Liang frontier, was undoubtedly one of the most exceptional heavy horses in the world.

The Young Master turned to Captain Yuan Meng, who was riding slowly behind him, and said, "Tell General Ning that we will enter the city together."

Yuan Meng's expression changed, and he quietly grinned. Normally, the Phoenix Camp would maintain a distance of about one li. Since the Young Master intended to make a display today, he was naturally pleased. As the leader of the hundred White Horse Cavalry, during the Battle of Qingzhou Reed Marsh, although they had not disgraced the Northern Liang army by retreating from a fight to the death, the Young Master had displayed such fierce courage. Yet, the Phoenix Camp had suffered heavy casualties without being able to offer much help, seeming somewhat like a "chicken rib" – useful but not essential – to the overall strategy. Yuan Meng had felt uneasy during this period, always hoping for a chance to vent his frustration. Wasn't this opportunity right now? He turned his horse around and galloped off. Upon seeing Ning Emei, who was once again wielding his halberd after his arm had healed, he said in a deep voice, "General Ning, His Highness has ordered us to enter the city together!"

Ning Emei, clad in heavy black armor and wielding a great halberd, nodded. He pulled down his face guard, his expression exceptionally stern. He pointed his crescent-bladed iron halberd towards Yangchun City, then fiercely squeezed his horse's flanks, leading the Phoenix Camp light cavalry to accelerate their charge forward.

Dust flew. All carriages and pedestrians on the official road, hearing the stifling sound of the iron cavalry, turned pale and moved to the sides, allowing this formidable light cavalry unit to charge past.

Xu Fengnian had barely stopped in Xiongbao Prefecture, pushing his horses hard, and arrived two days earlier than expected at Yangchun City, known as the "Lungs of the World." The city's land was exceptionally suitable for peony growth, which is why the Wei Zi and Yao Huang varieties, among the top three of the dynasty's ten imperial tribute peonies, originated from Yangchun. Xu Fengnian gazed at the city walls, which grew taller the closer they got, and remained silent.

The city gate guards, merchants, and commoners entering the city all simultaneously looked towards the young man in white robes. "Goodness," they muttered, "that horse is incredible! Is it a heavenly steed? Even the officials, great and small, in Yangchun City don't have mounts like that, do they?" The more experienced gate guards had better eyesight than ordinary people. "Just this horse looks more imposing than those generals!" they thought. "He must be one of the top scions from the great aristocratic families in Yang Province, no mistake. Later, when we ask for his travel permit according to regulations, we'll have to be very polite and smiling. If this young master is generous, it would be even better if he threw us some silver coins as a reward."

But when several guards heard the thunderous sound of cavalry and saw a unit of unfamiliar, swift cavalry charging towards them, their expressions instantly grew solemn. One hurried to inform the gate lieutenant, while the others shouted at the commoners to halt their entry and exit through the gate. After six or seven gate guards and other miscellaneous personnel had retreated to the base of the walls on either side, only then, compelled by their duty, did they hesitantly and nervously hold their spears to block the road, putting on a brave front despite their inner fear. Among them, a corporal, whose build was considered robust among Jiangnan men and who was authorized to carry a saber, stepped forward two paces. Under the scorching sun, he swallowed, moistening his dry, burning throat, parched by the scorching weather. Just as he was about to shout, a general wielding a great halberd, whose attire and equipment were distinctly different from those of Yang Province's soldiers, charged to the city gate. He simply rested his eighty-jin great halberd on the corporal's shoulder, without exerting much force, yet the corporal, though not frail, stumbled.

This foreign general, clad in black armor, riding a black horse, and resembling a god of death, said coldly, "Move aside!"

The corporal, his legs trembling, stammered, "General, for troops from outside to enter the city, a tiger tally and a Ministry of War document are required."

The title "Grand General" was originally an honorific reserved for fewer than ten meritorious military commanders in the Liyang Dynasty, a truly select few. Aside from the six fixed martial official titles—including Dragon Gallop, Swift Cavalry, and Auxiliary State, all of the second rank—other military commanders who could be called Grand General were exceedingly rare, such as Xu Xiao, the "Butcher" who had just been stripped of his Grand Pillar of the State title, or Gu Jiantang, the famous Spring and Autumn general with the honorary title of Pillar of the State. However, outside of Northern Liang, any military officer or commander above the seventh rank was privately pleased to be flattered by their subordinates as "Grand General." But in public, openly calling someone "Grand General" when their official rank didn't warrant it could easily cause trouble. This showed that the minor soldier from Huting Prefecture was truly terrified of this formidable, unknown general. "Good heavens, how could he not be afraid?" he thought. "This fellow is wielding a *great halberd*! The dynasty boasts a million armored soldiers, but how many dare to wield a great halberd?!"

Xu Fengnian looked up at the three characters "Yangchun City" written in seal script above the city gate. He pressed his lips together and spurred his horse through the gate.

The gate lieutenant, who had just been enjoying half a flask of wine in the shade of a tree inside the city without spending money, hastily rushed over. Seeing this difficult situation, his intoxication vanished completely. Forcibly blocking them was out of the question; he only hoped to mediate and buy time so that once the authorities received word, he, a mere junior official, wouldn't be caught between a rock and a hard place. Just as he was about to speak, an object streaked through the air with the force of a rainbow piercing the sun, slamming into the bluestone pavement in front of him with a loud crash. It was an extremely rare, pitch-black great halberd, typically used in military formations! If he had taken one more step forward, he would have been impaled by that halberd. He was scared stiff, frozen in shock. In the time it took him to collect himself, the young master on the white horse in white robes had already ridden through the city gate, followed grandly by two carriages. The general, cloaked in black armor, rode slowly past the lieutenant, withdrawing his crescent-bladed great halberd as he went.

The light cavalry pierced through the city gate. Over a hundred standard-issue sabers, with their cold, graceful curves, were drawn from their scabbards, glinting blindingly in the gate opening. No one dared to move. Not until this cavalry unit, which had brazenly burst through Yangchun City's gate, disappeared from sight, did everyone, who had been holding their breath, finally breathe a sigh of relief. The wide-eyed commoners near the city gate buzzed with discussion, all speculating which young master from their province would act with such arrogance. Yang Province had historically produced prominent families. If not for an unjust Spring and Autumn war that suppressed the prominence of Yang Province's Jiangzuo faction, what could the Qing Party, which had only recently gained influence in Qingzhou, possibly amount to? Within Jiangnan Province, the Lu clan of Huting, whose ancestors served as eight prime ministers for the Song Dynasty; the Yu clan of Jiangxin, who produced three excellencies over four generations; and the Yuan and Xu clans of Boling and Gumu, renowned for their profound philosophical discussions, were all first-tier noble families among the top ten aristocratic clans of their time. After the national war led to the tragedy where "nine out of ten were lost," these four great families had adopted a strategy of biding their time and concealing their strengths. However, Yang Province, named for its vastness, possessed a profound heritage that Qingzhou could never match.

Last year, a son of a Qingzhou prefect wanted to marry a lame woman from the Yu clan as his principal wife, but was still refused. The Yu clan bluntly stated that the prefect's family was a low-ranking commoner household, and forming a marital alliance with them would be no different from marrying off livestock. Yet, the Qingzhou prefect, who had studied diligently to forge a successful official career and become a high-ranking regional official, could only resentfully accept the insult without any rebuttal. The commoners of Yangchun City counted on their fingers for a long time, but couldn't guess who this young master was. They had never heard of such a rude and arrogant scion among the four great families of Jiangnan Province.

After entering the city, Shu Xiu spurred her horse to catch up with the Young Master. She said cautiously, "Your Highness, Old Senior Li says he's hungry and would like to eat something at that inn up ahead."

Xu Fengnian frowned, then smoothed his brow and nodded. "Very well," he said. "Shu Xiu, later, ask for directions to the Lu Residence."

The Young Master and his entourage dismounted and entered the inn. The Phoenix Camp remained still, their horses standing by the roadside.

The inn's waiter, quick-witted and observant, swiftly ran out to greet the esteemed guests. After being led to a table on the second floor, they found the place bustling and packed with people. The diners were divided into two groups: those near the windows craned their necks to observe the formidable cavalry in the busy street below, while those further from the windows pricked up their ears to listen to the comments from the window-side patrons. Xu Fengnian and the Old Sword God had just sat down and ordered some of the inn's specialty dishes when they overheard some rather loud whispers. There were two great "storehouses" in the realm: the desolate Northern Liang was the "horse storehouse," while Jiangnan Province was the "granary of the world," immensely wealthy. For the past century, numerous prefectures in Jiangnan Province had produced a great many scholars, and the atmosphere of philosophical discourse and bureaucratic maneuvering was exceedingly strong there. In the eyes of Jiangnan scholars, no one was beyond criticism, and no event was beyond comment. Of the thirty thousand students at the Imperial Academy and Imperial College in the capital, most of those who most enjoyed commenting on state affairs originated from Jiangnan Province.

Xu Fengnian waited expressionlessly for the dishes to be served. Shu Xiu had already inquired about the location of the Huting Lu clan's residence, and now, bending respectfully beside him, she reported the details. Shu Xiu was naturally a voluptuous beauty, the kind of enchanting vixen who would make a man think of amorous delights with just one glance. Especially as she bent over now, her ample bosom was quite striking, like a pair of inverted bamboo shoots, almost bursting from her clothes.

Besides Shu Xiu, Yu Youwei, holding a white cat, and Consort Pei, whose face was veiled but whose figure was graceful, were also seated beside Xu Fengnian. Such captivating beauty, rare in the world, made the diners on the second floor drool with desire. They instantly became overtly boisterous, as if they had taken an aphrodisiac, and the entire second floor grew much louder, everyone hoping to be noticed by these exceptionally beautiful young women, a sight rarely seen in a lifetime. Even a mere glance from them would be enough, let alone a close encounter. Jiangnan Province, with its numerous prominent families and noble lineages, naturally favored philosophical discourse and mystical theories. Scholars and officials there wore wide robes with broad sashes, feathered fans, silk headwraps, and crane-patterned robes, with heavy perfumes. They disdained riding horses, deeming only ox-drawn carriages suitable for their status. Even their page boys had to be pale, young lads with red lips and white teeth. And they wouldn't dare to go out and greet their long-standing friends without several charming young maids skilled in playing the zither and brewing tea.

The entire second floor was filled with loud discussions, quite lively indeed.

"I hear that the Young Master of Northern Liang, that empty-headed fellow, is coming to Huting Prefecture in a few days to visit his elder sister," one man loudly declared. "What a perfect match—one unlearned and unskilled, the other shameless!"

"If that widow hadn't been so dissolute, how could Master Chengzhai's wife have cursed her as a 'two-legged incense burner'?" another chimed in. "That phrase is truly ingenious. That slap was well-deserved! I heard from people who were at Baoguo Temple at the time that the wanton widow actually laughed after being hit. Truly a woman from Northern Liang!"

"You should speak more quietly," a third voice warned. "I heard that the empress dowager, who wrote 'Admonitions for Women,' wanted to support her niece. But after the Northern Liang lord went to the capital, the empress dowager quieted down; there are even rumors that she went to Changchun Palace. Hmph, this world truly chills the hearts of us scholars!"

"No matter how much that barbarian tries to cover the sky with one hand, can he really extend his reach to Jiangnan Province?!" exclaimed another. "Grand Secretary Zhang would surely chop off his claws!"

"That's true," someone agreed. "Grand Secretary Zhang is indeed remarkable, a paragon for scholars across the land."

"Master Chengzhai might be a bit muddled, but he did not err in the face of great principle," another chimed in. "After reading that poem of severance, one should definitely drink a large cup!"

"You're right, we definitely should drink a large cup!" someone else shouted. "Come on, drink, drink, drink!"

Suddenly, a person on the second floor stood up and walked to the table where the discussion was most fervent. He drew his saber and split the entire table in half, then said calmly, "You want to drink, do you? I'll make you drink your fill of piss today!"