Chapter 155: One Word

Xu Zhihu, ever understanding of human moods and needs, had Qingniao deliver several refreshing snacks and fruits to the pavilion to combat the summer heat. Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged, facing Jiang Ni, who had re-entered the pavilion and now stood before him. Xu Fengnian gazed intently upwards at "Princess Taiping," whose demeanor seemed utterly unsettled. He inexplicably recalled a painting from the Beiliang King's study titled "Spring Thunder Startles the Evil Flood Dragon." The flood dragon, perched on a large rock in the middle of the river, was certainly magnificent. However, Xu Fengnian had always been more interested in the celestial maiden by the riverbank, holding an incense burner, her eyes seemingly on the verge of speaking. This maiden looked exactly like the woman before him. That painting, depicting a Heavenly King and Heavenly Maiden, was reportedly by a great qi practitioner from the previous dynasty and contained a hidden prophecy—either a good or a bad omen. When Xu Fengnian was young, he often observed it with his mother but never discerned any profound mysteries. He only felt that the evil flood dragon possessed an intimidating aura, suggesting it would likely end in a bad omen.

Xu Fengnian picked up a slice of iced watermelon and, while eating it, asked, "Do you know who that 'Chess Edict Uncle' really is?"

Jiang Ni hesitated, then sat down leaning against a vermilion lacquered pillar. She shook her head. "I only know that 'Chess Edict Uncle's' surname is Cao. My mother said he was incredibly talented." Her expression darkened when she said "mother," as she should have used "Empress Mother."

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes and sneered, "More than incredibly talented! The Old Sword God ranks eighth on the martial arts list, and Cao Changqing has been the 'Third Scholar' for two consecutive terms. In the jianghu, he's known as 'Cao Wudi' (Cao the Invincible) or 'Scholar Cao.' Now you've hit it big! The Old Sword God favors you, practically begging to take you as his disciple. And now this Scholar Cao comes trotting along to be your bodyguard. Your prestige is countless times greater than mine, this Crown Prince. I'm baffled. Ordinary people grovel like dogs to seek a master, but you? High-ranking masters are as cheap as roadside cabbages to you. No wonder Li Yishan said you possess great fortune; you can't argue with it. I'm wondering if a simple tremor from your delicate body could conjure a heavenly phenomenon? Little Mud Doll, how about you give it a shake?"

Jiang Ni had barely touched her chopsticks at the banquet, and seeing the array of tempting pastries, she couldn't help but feel a craving. However, due to her thin skin, she was too embarrassed to reach for them. Already in a bad mood from hunger, a sudden burst of anger welled up inside her upon hearing the Crown Prince's teasing. She glared and retorted, "Shake your big head, you ghost!"

Xu Fengnian first pushed the celadon official kiln plate, filled with various pastries, towards Jiang Ni. Then, abruptly, he spoke seriously, "Let's talk about something proper. Practicing martial arts, like cultivating the Tao, cannot escape the five elements: 'root,' 'method,' 'companion,' 'wealth,' and 'place.' 'Root' refers to innate bone structure and aptitude; it holds the primary position. If your natural talent is inferior, then nothing else matters. However, I believe your talent, no matter how bad, won't be that bad.

"Next is 'method,' meaning the approach. Without a proper path, it's like dripping water on a stubborn rock—how can one achieve anything in a mere hundred years of life? With a famous master to guide you, you'll achieve twice the result with half the effort. In this regard, you are even luckier than I am. I only survived the reed marsh because I obtained Wudang's Great Yellow Court. You have Cao Changqing and Li Chungang, two once-in-a-century masters, wholeheartedly imparting their knowledge. By calculation, your opportunities are at least once in five hundred years.

"The remaining three—'companion,' 'wealth,' and 'place'—naturally pose no obstacle for you. Without a companion, one cannot live peacefully; without wealth, one cannot focus on cultivating the Tao. Compared to you, I surpass you in 'companion' and 'wealth,' but I lose to you in 'place.' For instance, here in Lu Mansion, I cannot easily ask the Old Sword God for lessons on 'Two Sleeves of Green Snakes.' And if I join the Beiliang Army later, I might not be able to focus on martial arts. You are different. With Cao Changqing shielding you, even if he intends to use your title of Princess Taiping to restore your kingdom, you can still live without worries. If you lose, you merely flee into the jianghu. If you win, you might become the second empress in a hundred years. By then, even if your martial arts don't amount to much, killing me would be a trivial matter, a mere flick of a finger. Only a fool wouldn't seize such a low-risk, high-reward opportunity."

Jiang Ni had just popped a small, soft pastry into her mouth. With her cheeks puffed out and dimples stretching, she mumbled indignantly, "You talk a big game, but aren't you just trying to get rid of me? I'm not stupid. Chess Edict Uncle is impressive, but restoring a kingdom is incredibly difficult. Even the Beiliang King, with his 300,000 Beiliang Iron Cavalry, doesn't dare to become emperor himself. What if Chess Edict Uncle is the third greatest in the world? Can he defeat 300,000 people? If I leave, I'll never be able to kill you in my lifetime. Do you think I'd let you have your way?"

Xu Fengnian grinned. "Oh, so you're not actually stupid after all."

Jiang Ni swallowed her pastry, then picked up a bowl of rock sugar lotus seeds and lilies from the plate. The moment she ate it, she felt a refreshing coolness spread through her.

Xu Fengnian crossed his arms, his knees resting on the Spring Thunder Embroidered Winter Saber. He chuckled, "So you think staying by my side will let you kill me? Count on your fingers how many beauties we've encountered on our journey. Right now, I have Sister Yu and Aunt Shu by my side. They are formidable! Now look at yourself."

Xu Fengnian uncrossed his fingers and made a cupping gesture at his chest.

Jiang Ni, red-faced with anger, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and retorted furiously, her eyebrows raised, "You're a burden!"

"Oh? Even lotus seeds and lilies taste sour in your mouth?"

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes and continued, "Alright, let's not talk about that. Let's talk about looks and figure. Isn't Princess Jing'an, Pei Nanwei, beautiful? She's a great beauty on the Rouge Ranking! And she doesn't even charge for her lessons; she can also play chess with me to pass the time. There's absolutely no place for you here."

Jiang Ni ignored him, wisely choosing not to argue with the Crown Prince, and simply wolfed down her food. Xu Fengnian turned to look at the lake. Dozens of koi swam near the pavilion—not comparable to those at the Beiliang King's mansion, but better than nothing. He snatched some screw-shaped shortbread from the plate and threw them into the lake.

Little Mud Doll (Jiang Ni) might be indifferent to those famous masters, but he (Xu Fengnian) was not. In the past, encountering figures like Old Huang with the sword box, the white-haired old man, or Li Chungang and Wang Chonglou, they were ultimately not enemies he needed to face directly, so his feelings weren't profound. It wasn't until he saw Wang Mingyin, the eleventh master, outside Xiangfan City, and now Scholar Cao, whose alignment was only a fine line between friend and foe, that he truly understood the terror of these top-tier figures. At that time, Wang Mingyin had charged forward, directly confronting "Two Sleeves of Green Snakes," his killing intent overwhelming. Cao Changqing, though seemingly gentle and refined, was equally full of hidden menace. If he had a choice, Xu Fengnian would rather sit at the same table as Prince Jing'an Zhao Heng, even if it meant treading on thin ice, because at least he wouldn't be instantly killed on the spot.

Both the lakeside pavilion and the Xieyi Garden were enjoying a rare moment of leisure. With 'Princess Taiping'—who had long been forgotten by many—having left Xieyi Garden, Cao Changqing and Lu Baijie's conversation became open and uninhibited. Somehow, the topic turned to Zhang Julu's world-changing political reforms. The Liyang Dynasty followed the old system of Three Departments and Six Ministries. Among the Three Departments, the Department of State Affairs held the greatest responsibility and managed the Six Ministries. The ministers of these six ministries were undoubtedly the most powerful frontline officials in the imperial court.

The other two departments included the Department of the Secretariat, commonly known as the Yellow Gate Department. The reason why minor and major Yellow Gate officials were esteemed as refined nobility stemmed from their origins in this department. Generally, there were two paths to officialdom in the capital. One was to enter one of the Six Ministries under the Department of State Affairs. Reaching the pinnacle meant becoming a minister of one of these ministries. In the short term, this path offered quicker advancement and greater profits, with ample benefits, requiring less effort to accumulate a reputation for integrity. One only needed to be a diligent and capable official.

However, for most aristocratic scholars, the Department of the Secretariat was more highly regarded at heart. Because once one ascended to the cabinet and imperial hall and received the title of Grand Academician—not to mention the super-first-rank positions of Chief and Second Grand Academician—it was easy to assume a ministerial post in any of the Six Ministries; indeed, it was considered a condescension. Yet, it was extremely rare for someone who had climbed to the top of the Six Ministries to then seek the status of an Academician. The saying circulating in the capital, "Wudang's Imperial Guard serving as Yellow Gate officials," perfectly captured the mindset of the officials. Imperial Guards and Capital Prefects were mostly held by high-ranking sons of imperial relatives and nobility, while minor and major Yellow Gate officials were even harder to approve.

Ten out of ten Grand Academicians, both current and retired, had started as Yellow Gate Attendants. The promotion path for this small, transcendent group traditionally involved assessing candidates based on their literary skills in essays and poetry. This set of official rules was notoriously vague. After Zhang Julu, the Grand Academician who emerged from the Yellow Gate, took power, he began rectifying officialdom. His first target was surprisingly not the Six Ministries of the Department of State Affairs, but the Yellow Gate Department itself! This immediately drew widespread criticism. One argument was that this "purple-bearded, green-eyed fellow" had forgotten his roots; another was that he only dared to pick on the weak.

Cao Changqing quietly said, "Selecting scholars based on poetry and essays is an ancient method, and it certainly leans towards superficiality. Writing good poetry doesn't necessarily mean one can govern the world well. However, if scholars are selected according to Zhang Julu's 'Eight-Segment Examination of Classical Meanings,' the extent of its pros and cons is hard to say."

Mr. Tangxi, Lu Baijie, chuckled. "I thought Mr. Cao would vehemently criticize Grand Academician Zhang's method."

Cao Changqing shook his head. "Like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, Zhang Julu personally erected a dragon gate for scholars. Such a grand and ambitious undertaking is second only to Huang Longshi. If this method succeeds and is then promoted throughout the world, it will pave a smooth path for scholars from humble backgrounds, and the foundations of aristocratic families will once again loosen.

"It bears a striking resemblance to the military strategy of besieging a city on three sides but leaving one gate open. Zhang Julu indeed possesses economic talent and profoundly understands the principle that it's better to guide public sentiment than to block it. The Spring and Autumn Period only saw chaos because it completely blocked the common people's path to advancement. However, those aristocratic clans and powerful families are not blind either." At this point, Cao Changqing fell silent.

Lu Baijie couldn't help but smile wryly. Even an enlightened man like his elder brother, Lu Daolin, detested the 'Eight-Segment Examination for Scholars,' not to mention people like Yuan Jiangyan. They only suppressed their anger because Zhang Julu was currently as favored as the midday sun, with the Emperor's unwavering support. But even the greatest favor would eventually fade. When the powerful aristocratic families' indignation erupted, only Heaven knew what Zhang Julu's fate would be.

Given Zhang Julu's foresight, he surely must have seen this crisis, which, the deeper it lay dormant, the greater its backlash would be. Yet, for some unknown reason, this foremost pillar of the dynasty remained steadfast in his intentions. Cao Changqing, being an outsider and unlike Lu Baijie, who had focused on martial arts cultivation for many years, had a clearer perception of the world's trends. The reason he admired that "green-eyed fellow" was because Zhang Julu deeply feared Xu Xiao of Beiliang and even harbored prejudices against the military officials led by Gu Jiantang. Yet, Zhang Julu was not limited by court power struggles; he truly and decisively laid out plans for the long-term peace and stability of the dynasty.

Any prominent figure who cared even slightly about power would spend much energy dealing with the non-imperial King Xu Xiao or even the six vassal kings to secure the Emperor's position. But Zhang Julu was different. For the greater good, he could collaborate with Gu Jiantang and speak frankly with the elders from the eight former kingdoms. Cao Changqing, skilled at observing phenomena, discerning terrain, and judging the opportune moment, roughly understood that Zhang Julu might confer great benefit upon the Liyang Dynasty during his lifetime, to the extent that even being granted Chief Grand Academician and a posthumous title of "Upright" would not suffice to describe his achievements. However, after his death, it would most likely bring disaster upon his family, making him far less wise and adaptable than the "black-clad sickly tiger" Yang Taisui.

Cao Changqing sighed internally, "Buddhism has its methods for self-cultivation, but when it comes to saving the common people from suffering, how can it compare to Confucianism? We scholars should step forward without hesitation!" He then lamented, "It's just a pity Zhang Julu wasn't born earlier in Western Chu."

Lu Baijie looked as if he wanted to speak but held back.

Cao Changqing smiled slightly. "Tangxi, speak your mind directly."

Lu Baijie, who had already guessed the underlying meaning, asked bluntly, "Aren't you afraid that the Crown Prince might actively ally with Zhao Gou, thereby keeping Princess Taiping and simultaneously demonstrating loyalty to the court?"

Cao Changqing laughed heartily. "That would be perfect! To be honest, such a seemingly reasonable but ultimately irrational move is exactly what I desire."

The Old Sword God, who was picking at his feet nearby, interjected with a cold chuckle, "Don't worry, that Xu brat isn't that stupid."

Cao Changqing remained unfazed. He slowly rose and walked out of the Xieyi Garden.

The old man in sheepskin sighed, "I've mostly figured out how that fellow plans to conclude things. Scholars are full of tricks. Alas, it seems Xu brat is going to lose this time."

Scholar Cao, clad in green, approached the pavilion.

Jiang Ni happened to be standing on the steps outside the pavilion.

Cao Changqing bowed. "Princess, if you wish to marry into the Beiliang King's Mansion, then Cao Changqing can depart today."

Jiang Ni looked as if struck by lightning, her face turning pale.

Some things, left unsaid, allowed one to deceive themselves and live an easy, carefree life, full of playful bickering. But once explicitly stated, even immortals would have no room for negotiation.

Inside the pavilion, Xu Fengnian instinctively raised a hand as if to grasp something, but then lowered it. Picking something up isn't hard; letting go is the difficult part.

Jiang Ni turned to glance at the Crown Prince, who was always so cynical and could always manage a playful smile.

Xu Fengnian, sitting cross-legged on the long bench, stretched his lips into a smile and waved his hand.

Cao Changqing, expressionless, said, "Cao Changqing will keep his word."

Xu Fengnian's smile vanished. He uttered only one word.

"Scram!"