Chapter 305: Full City Enemies

Zijing Palace features the Yangling Study, which overlooks the entire city. The top floor houses a library. Outside the study building, a stone carving of a dragon spouts water. Aunt Hongshu personally planted five crabapple trees there. For the past few days, Xu Fengnian had moved from Qingliu Courtyard to the library within the study. He often stood by the window, sometimes for an hour or more. In Wutong Courtyard, Hongshu could leisurely occupy her small domain, like a carp swimming gracefully. In Dunhuang City, however, that was absolutely not possible. Now, seventy to eighty thousand people relied on her. She was like a young empress ruling from behind a curtain. Although a group of competent female officials from Zijing Palace assisted her with state affairs, Dunhuang City's factions were entangled, with countless complexities and a complete mess, all requiring her final decision. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian didn't let her cling to him. There are no airtight walls in the world; even the walls of an emperor's palace cannot hide everything. Xu Fengnian, who frequently moved discreetly within the palace, sensed an undercurrent surging, its tendrils reaching outwards and then feeding back into the palace. Xu Fengnian wasn't sure if this was the norm for Juxian Palace and Dunhuang City. Once, he asked Hongshu, and she said that under her aunt's rule, Dunhuang City had always been impossible to control its people or their gossip. When the fiend Luoyang was outside the city, Dunhuang City was like a scattered heap of sand. Factions that had benefited from her aunt watched her go out of the city alone, only to return severely wounded. Only after Luoyang left did they bother to do anything, which was merely adding icing to the cake. As for the common people, most considered it natural: "You're the City Lord of Dunhuang; if you don't step forward, who will? If you die, we'll just get a new master. If the city falls, no matter how much Luoyang indiscriminately kills, there are seventy to eighty thousand of us; it's unlikely they'll kill us all, right? If we get a new master, at worst, we'll all suffer a bit together. That's better than stepping up now and being slaughtered by the fiend." Xu Fengnian heard this answer and merely smiled.

At that moment, Hongshu asked, "If one day Beiliang's 300,000 iron cavalry fail to defend the northwest border, and millions of Beiliang households surrender en masse, or even defect to Beiliang and turn against the Beiliang army, will you feel disheartened, Young Master?"

Xu Fengnian countered, "If you were me, what would you do?"

Hongshu ran a finger over her lips and smiled, saying, "If this servant were the hereditary King of Beiliang like you, Young Master, and such a thing truly happened, it would be fine if I didn't see it. But if I saw even one, I would kill them."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "For you to be the City Lord of Dunhuang, it's still a bit of an underuse of your talent."

A gentle haven is ultimately a hero's tomb. When Hongshu mentioned that five hundred li north, within Jinxizhou, lay the ruins where the Wu family's nine swords broke ten thousand cavalry, Xu Fengnian conceived the idea of leaving the city. That night, in the main hall of Juxian Palace, she wore a dragon robe and sat high on the dragon throne, adopting the posture of a ruler over all under heaven. If an aged minister from Northern Mang's imperial court had witnessed this, they would have mistakenly thought Her Majesty the Empress had regained her youth. In late spring, after a night of folly, fortunately, Dunhuang City had no morning court. Before dawn, they returned together to Qingliu Courtyard. They bathed together, and Xu Fengnian, assisted by her, changed back into his scholar's attire of black and white, carrying his book satchel. Hongshu circled him twice, checking for any imperfections, striving for absolute perfection. When she found nothing to fault, she said with a regretful expression, "Young Master, this scholar's attire, as if you're filled with poetry and books, looks very good on you. But that purple python robe looked even better."

Xu Fengnian patted the Spring and Autumn Sword and said softly, "No need to see me off."

Hongshu shook her head, "I'll see you to the gate of Benyuan Temple."

Arriving outside the Ksitigarbha Benyuan Gate, Hongshu then said she wanted to see him off ten li further. Xu Fengnian helplessly said, "If you see me off like this, I might as well just go straight back to Beiliang."

Hongshu meticulously tidied Xu Fengnian up again and asked, "Are you really not taking the Night-Shining Jade Lion? Even if you're afraid it's too conspicuous, just get a good horse to ride. If you get tired of it, you can simply abandon it."

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "Who will take care of whom is still unknown; walking is easier. If I develop feelings for it, I won't bear to abandon it so easily."

Hongshu said softly, "Have a good journey, Young Master."

Xu Fengnian nodded, "You should also return to Beiliang soon. I stand by what I said: no matter how crucial Dunhuang City is in Beiliang's overall plan, I need you to stay alive and well."

Hongshu lowered her gaze and said, "This servant understands."

Xu Fengnian thought for a moment and continued, "Keep an eye on the young eunuch Tong Guan for another two or three years. After that, send him to Yangling Study. You'll need to put more effort into his literacy, studies, and martial arts foundation. While I said 'free-range,' completely abandoning him to fate is not acceptable."

Hongshu smiled, "Young Master, rest assured. Dong Shou will certainly surprise Dunhuang City in the future. The Scripture Pavilion genuinely has a few secret manuals suitable for him to practice. He's quite lucky."

Xu Fengnian hummed in affirmation and murmured, "I hope there will be one more person in the world whose hard work is not in vain."

"I'm leaving."

Xu Fengnian turned, his back to Hongshu, who was dressed in brocade robes with sleeves like hibiscus petals, and waved his hand.

Hongshu seemed to want to follow him, but she drew back her foot before it even touched the ground. She stood there for a long time. When the palace's morning bell chimed, she finally walked through the Benyuan Gate and headed towards Yeting Palace, standing on Duichun Mountain to gaze into the distance. Under her aunt's rule, Dunhuang City customarily held court on the fifteenth day of the month. These gatherings were not large, essentially a meeting of various factions within the city eligible for a share of benefits, convened to divide them. Her aunt had always wanted to unite them, but she never achieved it before her death. Hongshu didn't even hope for them to share a common hatred for their enemies; it seemed even superficial harmony was now a luxury. She narrowed her eyes, revealing a cold aura entirely different from when she was with Xu Fengnian. "All the clowns should surface now," she thought. Indeed, ever since her aunt's death, they had begun to stir, especially after confirming that the fiend Luoyang was too lazy to interfere in Dunhuang City. These self-proclaimed elders, these old foxes, were about to make an example of her, a 'fox spirit' with little power. The rampant rumors circulating in the city about a male concubine usurping power—weren't those the bait they had cast from their own residences? Hongshu slowly descended Duichun Mountain. Although she was a first-class maid from the Beiliang Royal Mansion, she spent two or three months each year in Dunhuang City, personally observing how her aunt handled state affairs. Those factions who had watched her grow up only knew her as the "Second King's" favored niece, groomed to be the next city lord, but they did not know she was Jin She.

Descending the mountain, she passed a flowerbed and coincidentally encountered Dong Shou, who was already up early, doing chores for his old eunuch master. Hongshu stood quietly outside the flowerbed.

The young eunuch had seen her from afar and had a vague impression, mistaking her for a palace official having a secret affair with his benefactor. He smiled shyly, bashful yet sincere. He carefully thought, "Master Stone Mason truly has good taste. This elder sister is as beautiful as a flying immortal from a Dunhuang fresco."

Hongshu said softly, "Are you Dong Shou?"

The young eunuch quickly put down the bronze watering can he was holding and, with quick, bright eyes, knelt to pay his respects. "Dong Shou greets Lady Official."

Hongshu smiled, "Get up. If you kneel too long, your clothes will need washing again. It's late spring and rainy; it's going to rain these two days. If your clothes don't dry, they'll be uncomfortable to wear."

Dong Shou slowly stood up, his eyes clear and his smile radiant. "Lady Official, you have the heart of a Bodhisattva; you're sure to have much fortune and prosperity."

Hongshu laughed heartily, "Indeed, I wasn't wrong. At such a young age, you are a thoughtful person. Your master has thick yellow phlegm and chronic hemoptysis; it's consumption. I'll have someone treat him later. The root of the illness might not be completely removed, but it will allow him to live out his old age peacefully."

Dong Shou burst into tears and kowtowed, "You and Master Stone Mason are both living Bodhisattvas! Dong Shou will never forget your great kindness for as long as he lives!"

Hongshu said coolly, "Crying and kneeling often, burning incense in temples, kowtowing to Buddhas—these are excellent habits in the palace."

By the time the young eunuch looked up, the divine sister was nowhere to be seen.

Hongshu walked out of Yeting Palace. Between the two palaces lay Yurong Road, marked as a forbidden zone. Several loyal female officials, personally trained by her aunt, stood solemnly, their brows revealing a readiness to die.

As they walked together towards the White Elephant Gate, the South Gate of Juxian Palace, an oval-faced female official softly said, "City Lord, of the five hundred Golden Guard cavalry outside the palace, three hundred are loyal. The remaining two hundred have been bribed."

A tall female official, built like a robust man, calmly stated, "Miss, our spies report that besides the Buque Terrace remaining hesitant and unwilling to show itself early, and the Yuwen and Duanmu families holding their ground, the other major factions have openly gathered outside the White Elephant Gate, seizing the opportunity to storm the palace and stage a coup. Among them, the Mao family has heavily bribed nearly a hundred martial artists, intending to take advantage of the Golden Guard's internal conflict to sow chaos. Meanwhile, five hundred Golden Guards outside the city, led by Mao Rou, are about to break through the main city gate and will then charge towards Juxian Palace with great momentum. Zijing Palace currently has no spare forces to stop them. Miss, this might cause many neutral parties to side with those treacherous rebels."

A doll-faced female official in a long purple satin gown frowned and asked, "Palace Master, why don't you let this servant contact the fiend Luoyang? The City Lord said when she was alive that when this day came, we could bring out that fiend to suppress the rebellious forces. Even if it's like driving out a wolf only to invite a tiger, it's better than having these ungrateful wretches become the new masters of Dunhuang City. After all, Luoyang is the nominal Palace Master of Yeting Palace, and her claim is legitimate. Given Luoyang's status, I believe she wouldn't truly usurp the nest too aggressively."

Hongshu reached out and tapped the official's forehead, teasing, "Your elbow is already bending towards that fiend! Luoyang hasn't even entered Dunhuang City yet. What will happen later? You'll probably sell me out!"

The doll-faced official blushed and puffed out her cheeks, "Palace Master, you're bullying me!"

Along the way, over a dozen old eunuchs with bloodied hands and sleeves joined them, having just dealt with internal palace troubles. In front of Hongshu, they all considered themselves her subjects. They were the hidden pieces placed by Hongshu's aunt before her death. Not a few of them had seemed to defect to the opposing side, but once the truth was revealed, it became clear that these old eunuchs were indeed more truly men than the Golden Guard cavalry, and better understood how to recognize and be loyal to a single master. Recalling the internal struggles of dynasties where eunuchs held power, it wasn't entirely unreasonable that muddle-headed emperors often delegated authority to the eunuchs by their side, using them to contend with powerful chancellors or imperial relatives. A powerful minister could sit on the dragon throne, and imperial relatives could wear the yellow robe, but who ever heard of a eunuch, without descendants, becoming emperor himself?

More than thirty golden armored warriors, clad in heavy armor, also joined the group.

Hongshu smiled. She was going to have a very grand death.

Before dying, she would drag hundreds of people to their graves with her.

In this way, Dunhuang City would be thoroughly cleansed.

Then it would be Beiliang's turn to take over, forces whose full extent she herself did not even know.

When she last left Beiliang, Li Yishan of Listening Tide Pavilion had personally given her instructions, detailing this very plan. Every step was accounted for, and she had no complaints.

Once she left Beiliang, she would never return.

Hongshu looked back towards the north.

"Have a good journey, Young Master."

What she didn't know was that at the gates of Dunhuang City, a young man, looking like a scholar and carrying a sword, stood alone against five hundred cavalrymen, guarding the city gates for her.