Chapter 281: Wanting to Bring Back Wine

Xu Fengnian came to understand a truth: the feeling of being lost and confused, often described as "drawing a sword and looking around with a blank mind," could, besides concern for the nation and its people, simply mean being lost. Because he had altered his planned route, he could only wander aimlessly like a headless fly in a general direction. Fortunately, on the way, he encountered a group of scholars being robbed by bandits. He helped them without even drawing his sword, and then they all headed towards the border between Longyao Prefecture and Juzi Prefecture. He intervened because he recognized these people as descendants of the Spring and Autumn era exiles, and the bandits were not strangers either; two of them were among those who had tried to abduct someone previously to be a bed-warmer for their female leader. This group of scholars, of varying ages, seemed to come from affluent backgrounds. Whether their families had hired martial arts instructors or they had temporarily employed five or six strong martial artists, they weren't entirely defenseless against thirty-some swift-moving bandits. Several sword-wielding scholars also performed quite well; their swordsmanship, though flashy, was more than enough to intimidate the bandits. A few young women dressed in men's clothes watched with gleaming eyes, but it was Xu Fengnian, who had contributed the most and decisively ended the fight, who left them rather unenthusiastic.

This was likely because he was wearing a lifelike mask that gave him a plain appearance. Most romantic affections in the world are flowery, emphasizing the feeling of love at first sight. But ultimately, in novels about talented scholars and beautiful women, how could the male protagonist not be exceptionally handsome or exude a suffocatingly strong scholarly aura? And how could the female protagonist not be so stunning as to make fish sink and geese fall, or dim the moon and put flowers to shame?

Xu Fengnian wasn't particularly disappointed by this; instead, he found himself getting along well with several elderly Confucian scholars in the group. He learned that the group consisted of young people from several intertwined, old families in Gusai Prefecture. The sages taught that one should not only read ten thousand books but also travel ten thousand li. Several members of the group had just come of age simultaneously. Coincidentally, an old scholar had a marriage connection with a prominent family in Juzi Prefecture and also wished to see the frontier scenery, so they embarked on the journey together. The young took advantage of their prime years for scholarly travels, while the elderly hurried to travel before one foot was in the grave. As for the three young women, they all admired the young scholars who had come of age. Although they were also descendants of exiles who fled north, having been influenced by Northern Mang culture, they boldly staged an elopement. After a little thought, Xu Fengnian realized that their families were likely slightly less prestigious than those of the handsome young men. They hoped to use this journey as an opportunity to secure their marital status and marry into a higher social standing, which was why their families turned a blind eye.

During his casual conversations, where he probed for information from various people, Xu Fengnian found corroboration. Northern Mang was divided into four social classes, with the Spring and Autumn exiles belonging to the second class. Later, the empress of Northern Mang purified the nine classes and reformed the court's hierarchy, classifying families by surname and rank. While it was widely known that this was paving the way for the Murong clan, it wasn't entirely without merit. In the Southern Dynasty, apart from the three "Gao Hua" surnames ranked as 'Jia' (first class), the next tier of so-called prominent families were mostly classified as 'Bing' (third class) or 'Ding' (fourth class). The old Confucian scholar close to Xu Fengnian, whose elder cousin had served as a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel in the Southern Dynasty, managed to attain the 'Ding' rank for his family. The leading young master in the group, though his family was merely a third-rate gentry clan in the Central Plains when scholars fled north, had rooted themselves well in Northern Mang, perhaps due to favorable conditions. Two members of his family successively held high positions as Nine Ministers in the Southern Dynasty, elevating them to a prominent 'Bing' surname. Of the three young women whose families were not among the 'Bing' or 'Ding' ranks, two had their affections set on this elegant young master, whose surname was Luo.

Along the way, they learned that the young man, Xu Qi, was merely a bastard son from an unregistered minor clan in Gusai Prefecture. They were no longer even willing to offer a superficial smile, as if fearing that a single word exchanged with him would lead Young Master Luo to perceive them as flighty, promiscuous, and shallow women.

Still a day's journey from the border city of Juzi Prefecture, the group of about twenty people began setting up camp in the twilight. Xu Fengnian swiftly helped the elderly Confucian scholars pitch their sheepskin tents. To the discerning and snobbish observers, this made him even less interesting to associate with. Only the few attendants who had almost died at the hands of the bandits occasionally struck up a conversation with this strong young man, who was said to be a descendant of both scholars and merchants. The northern part of central and southern Northern Mang was rich in water and fertile pastures. Jinxia Prefecture, near the Liyang Dynasty, had continuous mountain ranges. However, they dared not cross the border too extensively. If they encountered Northern Dynasty dignitaries, whether Xiti from the grasslands or military commanders, it wouldn't just be a snub; their very survival back to Gusai Prefecture would be questionable. After roughly setting up camp, they lit a bonfire to roast meat and simultaneously warmed wine and brewed tea. Yesterday, an attendant skilled in archery had shot and killed a lone wild horse and several swans; they hadn't finished eating it yet. Xu Fengnian, by virtue of being with the old Confucian scholars, got to taste a few bites of the semi-cooked horse meat. Sitting by the bonfire, the young scholars engaged in lofty discussions, as if every breath they took concerned statecraft and the welfare of the people, or the beauty of the nation's landscapes. The old scholars reminisced about their younger days in the Central Plains. For some reason, the conversation shifted to the military strength of the two dynasties, then to the arm strength required for bows and crossbows. The elder Luo, from a 'Ding' class family, seeing Xu Fengnian listening intently, smiled and explained: "The strength of a bow or crossbow, known as 'bow draw weight,' is determined by hanging weights from it. You hang a bow upside down and pull it to its full draw. The weight in *jin* determines the bow's strength in *jin*. There's also the less common method of using a steelyard hook, which is more precise and typically used in military camps. The attendant who shot down the swans for me has an arm strength of nearly two *shi*. While I wouldn't claim he can pierce a willow leaf at a hundred paces, at about eighty paces, he can certainly pierce one or two layers of leather armor. The bow is made of excellent zhe wood, which flows down from Tianjin in winter, and the buffalo horn and deer sinews are also fine materials for bow-making. It's a pity the fish glue and silk winding are a bit inferior; otherwise, the bow he carries could easily fetch three hundred taels of silver."

Xu Fengnian smiled: "Mr. Luo, so that excellent bow can achieve a draw weight of at least three hundred *jin*, right?"

The elder Luo, stroking his beard, smiled and said: "Precisely. However, a draw weight of three hundred *jin* is something only a valiant general on the battlefield could manage. If he could draw such a bow, he wouldn't be serving as my attendant. Xu Qi, can you guess that this man was a skilled crossbowman in the Northern Liang army when he was young?"

Xu Fengnian glanced at the taciturn man cleaning his bow and shook his head: "I really couldn't have guessed that."

Perhaps the handsome young men and beautiful women at the neighboring bonfire heard the words 'Northern Liang Army' and, with their spirits roused, began to rank the military generals of the Northern Liang Army. Some said Chen Zhibao's spear skills were unrivaled, others claimed Yuan Zuozong was truly the strongest in battle, and still others argued that 'the Butcher' (Xu Xiao) must have been at the First Rank, otherwise, how could he have survived joining the army at age ten and earned the Northern Liang King's python robe? They debated endlessly on this. Most of the refined young gentlemen leaned towards the idea that Xu Xiao was deeply calculating and had always hidden his true strength on the battlefield; it was impossible for him to be merely a Second or Third Rank martial artist. While a Second Rank Minor Grandmaster was indeed impressive, it seemed insufficient for a grand general whose achievements almost eclipsed his lord's. The old scholar, seeing Xu Fengnian remain silent, asked with a smile: "Xu Qi, what do you think?"

Xu Fengnian wiped the grease from the roasted meat off his mouth: "I imagine Xu Xiao was at most a Second Rank, and only survived the battlefield through sheer luck. I heard that after he became a general, the casualties of the Great Snow Corps that charged with him were always the highest among all Northern Liang armies."

A young master, who held Xu Xiao in the highest esteem, overheard this. He feigned throwing a branch into the bonfire but instead deliberately let it hit Xu Fengnian's feet, sneering: "Little fish and shrimp from a shallow puddle, don't spout nonsense if you don't know anything!"

Xu Fengnian smiled, nodded, and simply said, "Good."

The elder Luo quickly intervened, laughing to smooth things over: "Everyone is welcome to express their opinions. We are thousands of *li* from home; there is no single authority here."

The young masters and ladies clearly held great respect for this elder from the 'Ding' class family. Several refined young men who had originally intended to seize the opportunity to cause trouble swallowed their words along with their roasted meat. The second-generation descendants of the Spring and Autumn exiles who had migrated to Northern Mang, although not as scornful of military families as those in the Central Plains, and living as outsiders in Northern Mang, dared not completely disregard martial artists. However, their scholarly family backgrounds meant many of their habits were inherited. For instance, Young Master Luo had the reputation of being a 'scholar-swordsman,' but his scholarly pursuits still took precedence over his swordsmanship. Especially this Xu Qi, who was merely from a low-ranking scholarly family in Gusai Prefecture, naturally wasn't deemed 'accomplished.' He had resorted to studying martial arts as a last resort, hoping to attach himself to the frontier army to gain renown – a mediocre, good-for-nothing individual, yet he dared to speak presumptuously about state affairs and military politics.

The elegant Young Master Luo, holding a branch, pointed at a gentle young woman and smiled: "Miss Su, don't you have a younger brother who deeply admires His Royal Highness the Northern Liang Crown Prince?"

The young woman, who was toying with a jade pendant, said softly: "They're all cut from the same cloth, good-for-nothing scions who only know how to abuse commoners, treating their vicious servants like dogs. The Northern Liang Crown Prince merely comes from a better family; at heart, they're all the same. If he stood before me, I wouldn't even spare him a glance."

The three young women appeared to have amicable relations on the surface, but it was actually quite amusing. The one named Su simply wanted to travel far with a pure heart, and inadvertently, she had somewhat captivated Young Master Luo. The other two, however, tried hard to attract him but failed. No matter how they preened and flirted, Young Master Luo merely exchanged a few playful words without giving them any reassurance. The two young women were infuriated. If Miss Su was present, they would present a united front against her; but if she wasn't around, they would squabble amongst themselves and subtly undermine each other. One of them, hearing Miss Su's affected pretense, couldn't help but laugh: "Sister Su, really? Are you truly so indifferent to His Royal Highness the Northern Liang Crown Prince? Don't tell me that if he actually stood before you, you'd be so red-faced you couldn't even speak. My dear sister, I've heard that His Royal Highness is very handsome. Although he has a somewhat dissolute reputation, when it comes to romantic affairs, he claims to be second, and no one dares claim to be first."

Miss Su smiled gracefully, but did not retort.

Miss Su smiled faintly: "In that regard, the Northern Liang Crown Prince certainly deserves credit. No one is perfect. Didn't Young Master Luo also say he wasn't good at playing the *guqin*? But a hand has five fingers, and one is longer than the rest – that's precisely what His Royal Highness the Northern Liang Crown Prince is like."

The two young women were choked by her watertight argument. They exchanged glances, unable to find any leverage against her, and angrily fell silent.

Xu Fengnian watched the growing flames of the bonfire, a faint smile on his lips.

Being directly mocked and ridiculed to his face felt rather good. If he were in Northern Liang, he wouldn't have this privilege.

Xu Fengnian couldn't help but think of Li Yishan, who never admitted to being his master. He also somewhat missed the feather duster that used to sting his palms when he was a child. That duster was still kept on the top floor of Tide-Listening Pavilion to this day.

Many lessons were taught this way, through beatings. For some reason, during his ignorant childhood and youth, a few gentle scoldings from Xu Xiao would make him feel wronged, causing him to run off to the tombs in a huff. Yet, when Li Yishan disciplined him, he never held a grudge.

On this trip back to Northern Liang, he definitely had to bring him a few jars of good wine.