Chapter 209: A Piece of Meat

Under the iron hooves of the Xu family, how could the eight nations remain unscathed?

Those who hadn't experienced the smoke and fire of that war might not have taken this old saying seriously.

The Beiliang cavalry, numbering 300,000, were formidable and mighty. Their thundering hooves on the official road, rhythmic and unsettling, announced their presence long before they were seen. Soon, a banner bearing the character 'Xu' – a simple but powerful script, rumored to be the work of a woman – could be seen rising at the end of the road. When Princess Pei Nanwei of Jing'an finally saw the two leading black-armored heavy cavalrymen, her breathing unconsciously slowed in nervousness. In Xiangfan City, Prince Zhao Heng of Jing'an commanded an excellent cavalry guard, considered unmatched in the central imperial heartland. When Pei Nanwei had witnessed the charge of thousands of elite cavalry by the Guangling River, she had believed she was seeing the pinnacle of cavalry prowess in the world.

It was then that Pei Nanwei truly understood the meaning of "there's always a higher mountain to climb." The Phoenix Camp, armed with sabers and crossbows, were the light cavalry of Beiliang. However, the heavily armored cavalry on tall horses before her were the true iron cavalry of the Beiliang army. Their equipment was the finest in the dynasty, and their soldiers' combat skills were unparalleled. As their warhorses trod, the riders swayed with the horses, their long spears held at an unvarying angle. Fifty paces from the Crown Prince's entourage, horses and men came to a sudden, silent halt, almost simultaneously. Two riders then darted forward. One of them was a remarkably handsome and powerful general, astride a white horse and wielding a silver spear. He dismounted with fluid grace. The other reminded Pei Nanwei of Zhao Yi and Zhao Piao, the father and son from Guangling. His dismount was anything but graceful; he practically tumbled off his horse. He stumbled forward, almost tripping, with a tearful whine, rushing ahead of the white-horse general. Kicking up dust on both sides with his feet, he seemed to stir up as much as the warhorses themselves.

Pei Nanwei and the Murong siblings instantly turned pale. Few women in the world didn't detest or fear the corpulent man before them, whose name, Chu Lushan, was said to strike terror into hearts. Even Pei Nanwei was no exception; normally composed in the Jing'an Prince's residence in Xiangfan, she lacked that confidence and fortitude in the desolate Beiliang territory. However, what followed, from the fat man who should have long since been sent to hell for torture, made Pei Nanwei truly understand shameless flattery. Still five or six paces from the Crown Prince, he suddenly threw himself to the ground, embracing Xu Fengnian's leg, his face streaming with tears and snot, muttering indistinctly: "Your Highness has finally returned! Your humble servant Lulusan deserves to die! I failed to stay by Your Highness's side at the Guangling River. If anything had happened to Your Highness, how could Lulusan possibly live? When Lulusan heard the news, I immediately went to the General and knelt, begging for a tiger tally, wishing I could lead 20,000 cavalry from Liangzhou to Guangling and cut off those father and son's private parts to deep-fry them! Then, with countless concubines in the Guangling Prince's residence, Your Highness can pick the best ones for your bed. Just leave a few of the inferior ones for Lulusan!"

Pei Nanwei, though shaken, managed to maintain a facade of calm. Murong Wuzhu, however, was terrified, her face drained of color. She nervously hid behind Murong Tonghuang, peeking out, timidly fearing that the fierce, demonic figure, who moments ago was wailing on the ground, would suddenly rise and pounce on her with a sinister grin like a hungry tiger. Her thoughts differed from the Jing'an Princess'. Princess Pei, after all, was the legitimate wife of a powerful vassal prince within the dynasty. While she feared Chu Lushan's notoriety, she was more concerned with the true combat strength of the Beiliang Iron Cavalry and the history behind Chu Lushan himself. Murong Wuzhu wouldn't dwell on Chu Lushan's official rank or his military achievements during the Spring and Autumn period. At that moment, she simply wished that all fat men in the world would be scrawny. Xu Fengnian rubbed Chu Lushan's cheek and said helplessly, "Alright, alright, we're all family here. Who are you putting on this act for? I warn you, I'm currently not very fond of stout men over 300 catties. Try your theatrics again, and see what happens!"

Chu Lushan, whose identity as General Qian Wuniu was often forgotten, struggled resentfully to his feet. The Crown Prince, a smile on his face, casually gave him a supportive hand. Fatty Chu continued to mutter to himself. Xu Fengnian turned to see the unexpected presence of Yuan Zuozong, the White Bear, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Second Brother Yuan."

Yuan Zuozong, who was known for using enemy skulls as wine bowls, narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "It is my duty, Your Highness. There's no need for you to concern yourself." He paused, as if realizing his words were too stiff. Yuan Zuozong, usually stern, uncharacteristically smiled and quipped, "With Your Highness calling me 'Second Brother Yuan,' these hundreds of li of travel have been quite comfortable for Yuan Zuozong."

Xu Fengnian had Shu Xiu give up her horse, and then rode alongside Chu Lushan on the official road. Shu Xiu, whose fate was far better than Lu Qiantang's, had to act as a groom. Since leaving Guangling, she hadn't had a single restful night's sleep, only now feeling at ease. In Beiliang, even a flood dragon must humbly lower its head. For Beiliang, there was no such thing as a "dragon crossing the river"; here, only "worms crossing the river" existed. On the return journey, she received a subtle piece of news from the Crown Prince: the woman Zhao Xun had kept hidden in his golden house in Xiangfan City had died suddenly. Did this mean she could take her place? The Crown Prince's words left room for interpretation, and she dared not speculate.

Two dust-covered carriages followed closely behind. One was driven by Qingniao, the head maid of Wutong Yard, who watched the Crown Prince's back, biting her lip and slowly lowering her gaze. At the very front of the official road rode three figures: the Crown Prince in the center, flanked by two adopted sons of the King of Beiliang acting as his escorts. Both were third-rank military generals renowned for their solid military achievements during the Spring and Autumn period. While Yuan Zuozong's reputation wasn't as widespread as Chen Zhibao's, who was famous across both Liyang and Beiman dynasties, he still surpassed younger, formidable Beiliang generals like Ning Emei and Dian Xiongnu, who made Beiman grit their teeth. Furthermore, Yuan Zuozong was widely recognized within the empire as a top-tier martial general, excelling in both cavalry and infantry combat. For this reason alone, the Beiliang army had countless admirers of "Yuan the White Bear."

As the Beiliang Iron Cavalry, riding close behind the three, galloped furiously, they fixed their gazes on the Crown Prince. What they had previously seen and heard of him merely involved squabbles over women with other noble youths within the territory. No significant news had emerged from his last three-year journey, so they had simply assumed he was off causing trouble for girls elsewhere. However, this journey had continuously sent back news to Beiliang, leaving the entire region in utter shock. Who would believe that he, alone with two sabers outside Xiangfan City, confronted Prince Zhao Heng of Jing'an and stabbed a general to death right in front of the vassal prince? Later, they heard that the old Sword God Li Chungang, who had somehow become the Crown Prince's escort, had borrowed countless swords at Huishan in Jianzhou. When the Heavenly Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain angrily demanded their return, the Crown Prince had simply retorted, "Return what nonsense?" This anecdote, however absurd, was widely believed by many to truly embody the Crown Prince's style, and mentioning it, while feeling preposterous, also brought a sense of satisfaction. As for the recent widespread rumor of Li Chungang single-handedly slaying 2,600 cavalry with his sword by the Guangling River, few truly believed it. But the Crown Prince's declaration that he would ensure "the entire city of Guangling would be hung with Beiliang blades" left almost all listeners slapping their tables in astonishment and shouting "Bravo!" During this period, thanks to that very statement, Beiliang's special Green Ant Wine was almost out of stock.

The people of Beiliang drank and celebrated with great joy. Taverns and inns in every street and alley boomed with business. The overwhelming public criticism against the Crown Prince had vanished like smoke. Some shrewd storytellers, piecing together information from all directions, fabricated even more thrilling tales. Any story about the Crown Prince's journey would earn thunderous applause from the audience. In the past, storytellers might spend great effort on their tales and only receive a few copper coins as extra tips. Now, they earned significant amounts of broken silver daily, leading them to tirelessly praise and extol the Crown Prince, whom they had never met. Initially, scholars and literati scoffed, but they couldn't withstand the unanimous praise from everyone around them. They began to waver between belief and doubt, and finally, seeing the prevailing trend, reluctantly joined the chorus of approval.

However, the Beiliang army remained unusually silent.

Murong Wuzhu lowered the curtain and murmured to herself, "So even a great demon like Chu Lushan is afraid of His Highness."

Murong Tonghuang sneered, "Chu Lushan is only afraid of the King of Beiliang, whose achievements are too great to be fully rewarded."

Murong Wuzhu frowned. Unaccustomed to contradicting her brother, she lowered her voice and said, "But I think Chu Lushan is actually a little afraid of His Highness."

Murong Tonghuang hesitated, then fell into thought.

Before entering Liangzhou City, the Crown Prince returned to the carriage, sharing it with Pei Nanwei.

Princess Pei lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and through the gap, she saw the pointing and whispering people lining the road. She sneered, "Is Your Highness still capable of shyness? After traveling three thousand li over mountains and through valleys, finally turning a notorious reputation into a good one—wasn't that the whole point of Your Highness's journey?"

Xu Fengnian ignored the sarcasm. With his two sabers resting on his knees, he closed his eyes and quietly practiced the breathing techniques of the Great Yellow Court cultivation method. The date-red mark on his brow, which had been deep, had faded since leaving Guangling.

The King of Beiliang's Residence.

Pei Nanwei followed Xu Fengnian out of the carriage. What surprised her was the grand scale of the prince's residence contrasted with the modest welcoming party. A huge residence, encompassing a mountain and a lake, should have had countless servants. Yet, at the vermilion-lacquered gate, only one not-so-robust old man stood. It was the beginning of winter, and according to ancient sayings, "water freezes, the earth chills, pheasants enter deep waters as mussels." The old man seemed to fear the cold; his hands were tucked into his thick sleeves. Having stood for a while, perhaps losing body heat quickly, the old man, susceptible to the wind, gave a little shake of his foot. Upon seeing the carriage stop, he walked over with a smile, and upon seeing the Crown Prince, he began to chatter with trivial remarks, like: "You're back, good, good. You look a bit sturdier. Your father has already had the kitchen prepare donkey rolls and young ginger duck, these meat dishes. Of all the days in the year, eating on the start of winter is winter is the most nourishing for the body. Hmm, how many women did you take when you left Liangzhou? Why aren't there any more this time? Did you not bring enough travel money, or were those unexpected young women in Liangzhou too shrewd and worldly?"

Murong Tonghuang's mouth twitched.

Murong Wuzhu's eyes widened, her face filled with bewilderment. Could this old man really be the Butcher King of Beiliang? Murong Wuzhu kept telling herself it absolutely couldn't be.

Princess Pei Nanwei of Jing'an was no less shocked than the Murong siblings, but being more seasoned in social etiquette, she properly bowed deeply in a graceful curtsy. However, her voice involuntarily carried a tremor as she said, "Pei Nanwei pays her respects to General Xu."

Murong Wuzhu swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back.

After confirming the old man's identity, Murong Tonghuang flung his sleeves, prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold stone slab, and respectfully declared, "Murong Tonghuang, a commoner from Jianzhou, kowtows before the King of Beiliang!"

Unfortunately, Xu Xiao didn't even glance at the bowing Princess of Jing'an or the prostrating Murong Tonghuang. The old man, whose attire was completely unbecoming of the dynasty's foremost vassal prince, saw his son hadn't moved. He rubbed his hands, brought them to his mouth to blow warm air, and chuckled, asking, "Are you upset that your old man didn't send enough men to let you slaughter that fat pig Zhao Yi in Guangling?"

Princess Pei, who showed no sign of feeling slighted, merely felt a twitch in her eyelid. Murong Tonghuang, unable to move a muscle, trembled even more.

Xu Fengnian pursed his lips, which always gave an impression of coldness and sharpness, and calmly said, "I thought you'd scold me a bit, or at least not give me a good look."

Xu Xiao smiled at his eldest son, gently waved his sleeve, patted the Crown Prince's shoulder, and walked with him toward the side gate, quietly remarking, "No one knows a son better than his father. How could your old man not know you're forcing yourself to become this King of Beiliang?"

Xu Fengnian remained silent.

Inside the residence, Xu Fengnian glimpsed the head butler holding a large celadon platter with a small porcelain bowl containing a lump of meat that didn't look particularly fresh.

The old man, who in Princess Pei Nanwei's eyes resembled a wealthy landowner far more than a Butcher King, pursed his lips and chuckled softly, "It was cut from Zhao Yi himself and sent here by express horse."

Xu Fengnian was stunned.

Xu Xiao slowly said, "After you left Guangling, your old man sent someone to reason with him. He probably felt he was in the wrong, so he cut off this piece of flesh himself."

Pei Nanwei felt an urge to turn and flee.

This time, Xu Xiao didn't joke around with his most cherished Crown Prince. He simply said softly, "Your old man is getting on in years. From now on, you'll have to be the one to reason with others."