Chapter 311: Demon Tyrant Luoyang

In the courtyard, several lush banana trees grew, and raindrops pattered on their leaves with a crisp sound. Xu Fengnian and Xu Pu, who had met again in a foreign land, brought two stools and sat by the entrance. Xu Fengnian suddenly chuckled. Seeing Xu Pu's puzzled look, he said, somewhat abashed, "Uncle Xu probably knows my past deplorable habit of buying poems. I remember once spending about two or three hundred taels of silver on a seven-character quatrain that contained the line: 'Rain taps banana leaves, each sound bitter.' At the time, I thought it was quite evocative, so I took it to my second sister to show off. To my surprise, she gave me a terrible scolding, saying it was a pointless lament. On a whim, I suggested changing it to: 'Rain beats thin garments, each sound heavy.' My second sister still wasn't satisfied. Annoyed, I gave up, saying: 'Rain beats bananas, people beat people, inside and outside the courtyard, *pa pa pa*.' I asked her what she thought of that line. Haha, I didn't expect that after she gave me a beating, she'd open her 'golden mouth' and rather grudgingly say two words: 'Not bad.'"

At first, Xu Pu didn't grasp the essence of the repeating 'pa pa pa' sound. He was a bit bewildered, but then belatedly smiled knowingly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the gloomy, gray rain curtain. He murmured, "Indeed, not bad."

Just as Xu Fengnian was about to speak, Hongshu, holding a satin-embroidered umbrella, walked into the courtyard of Qingliuzhai. After closing the umbrella, she leaned it upside down by the doorway. Xu Fengnian recalled his mother's childhood teaching that umbrellas should not be placed upside down, so he went to turn the small umbrella right side up. Hongshu smiled charmingly and, with a playful tone, softly said, "It's mostly handled. While I can't say everyone is completely happy, the main points have been agreed upon. The minor details can be left for them to discuss privately back at their mansions. Anyway, it's just a few pieces of meat on the chopping block, being carved up and ending up in someone's bowl. I imagine they'll need to rely on eligible young women within the families for marriage alliances, as people feel more at ease once they become in-laws. These past two days, some families have had funerals, others weddings—everyone has been busy."

Xu Pu simply smiled and let it pass.

Xu Fengnian glanced at the sky and asked, "Shall we go for a walk?"

Xu Pu laughed and replied, "That sounds wonderful! If you get tired, you can rest at my place. I even have a few pots of precious 'Green Ant' wine that I've been saving. Warm it up and drink it down—it's excellent for warding off the cold."

Hongshu looked concerned. Xu Fengnian smiled helplessly, "Do you really think I'm a clay Buddha or a paper tiger, so delicate I can't stand a little rain?"

Hearing this, Hongshu no longer insisted. The three of them, with two umbrellas, walked out of the swaying banana trees of Qingliuzhai and then out of the tranquil Juxian Palace. Xu Pu's tavern was directly on the main city road, a straight walk away. The heavy rain washed everything clean, and with it, blood and conspiracy flowed into the gutters. However, the city's curfew was much stricter than usual. Several remnants of the rebellion, escorted by loyal retainers and servants, had tried to escape the city in disguise. Their identities were exposed by the Imperial Guards and martial artists temporarily stationed at the three city gates, and they were intercepted and killed on the spot. As for whether any managed to slip through the net and escape, Heaven knows. Perhaps only years later, through their vengeance after enduring hardships, would the answer be known. That would be another tale of sorrow and separation, similar to that of Old Master Zhao and the orphaned Crown Prince of Western Shu.

Moreover, this thick blood debt would likely be attributed to Xu Fengnian in the future. At that moment, the three walked along the dimly lit, sparsely populated street. Xu Fengnian turned into a wide alley, where at last, some human sounds and vitality could be heard. Xu Fengnian stood before a scallion pancake stall sheltered by a large oiled paper umbrella. This old, well-established stall had been selling scallion pancakes in Dunhuang City for decades. Its reputation, built on word-of-mouth, meant that even at such a time, greedy customers came to buy and wolf down the pancakes or take them home to their families. Xu Fengnian and his companions stood at the end of the line. During their wait, more people arrived, some recognizing Xu Pu, who had sold wine for many years. They knew he had once married a beautiful woman from a prominent family, who then ran off with the eldest son of the Duanmu family to live a life envied by all. People quietly pointed at the middle-aged man with smiles. Among them was a stout, prosperous merchant who had once asked Xu Pu, known for his excellent calligraphy, to write Spring Festival couplets. Out of old acquaintance, the merchant, somewhat displeased, stopped the familiar customers from joking and cut in line behind Xu Pu to greet him. Xu Pu turned and smiled, "Mr. Qiao, buying scallion pancakes for your precious daughter again? Be careful, she might get too fat to marry!"

The stout merchant laughed heartily, "My daughter didn't get fat from eating; she takes after me! It doesn't matter if she can't marry. We can just find a son-in-law to live with us. What do I, Old Qiao, work tirelessly for? Isn't it so my children can live easier lives? Oh, by the way, Old Brother Xu, I bought a new house in the east of the city. I'll need a few couplets from you later. Could you help me write some with a grander style?"

Xu Pu nodded, "No problem. Remember to come and drink often. Without your patronage, Boss Qiao, my tavern couldn't stay in business."

Mr. Qiao clapped Xu Pu on the shoulder and said with gusto, "No problem at all! As luck would have it, it's a housewarming celebration. I was planning to discuss it with you. I'll buy all the drinks from your shop, alright? But it's a deal: you have to give Old Qiao a good, practical price!"

Xu Pu nodded and laughed, "Boss Qiao, you're an expert. If I dared to sell things too expensively, I wouldn't be able to do business in Dunhuang City anymore."

Hongshu stood holding the umbrella, turning her head to watch the two middle-aged men engaging in polite chatter, finding it somewhat amusing. Xu Fengnian turned around. Seeing that the merchant seemed to notice his bright attire and the presence of a breathtakingly beautiful maid, displaying a hesitant yet eager demeanor as if wanting to get acquainted but not daring to be presumptuous, Xu Fengnian took the initiative to smile and say, "Is this Mr. Qiao? I'm Uncle Xu's distant nephew. I've just come to Dunhuang City to do some porcelain business. Uncle Xu often says he's depended on your care for his shop over the years, Mr. Qiao. For your housewarming, among other things, I happen to have some porcelain bowls and dishes on hand that are quite presentable. When I visit, I'll bring you a dozen or so sets."

Boss Qiao's face lit up with surprise, "Really?"

Xu Fengnian smiled warmly, "If I were to fool you, Boss Qiao, Uncle Xu would surely scold me to death. It's true, truly true."

Boss Qiao, being from a well-off family, didn't genuinely covet those dozen or so sets of porcelain dishes. However, he saw that this master and maid had an astonishing demeanor. In business, to make money grow like a snowball, one relies on capital and, more importantly, connections. Those who have engaged in business know that in this snobbish world, if the high and mighty figures—like the elevated Bodhisattvas in a temple—deem your status lowly and disdain to associate with you, even with endless gold and silver, it's useless; you can't even enter the temple carrying a pig's head as an offering. Encountering an approachable and influential person was as rare as finding a virgin courtesan in a brothel. The underlying reason Boss Qiao befriended a down-and-out scholar like Xu Pu was that he still harbored some calculating thoughts. Being a merchant by origin, he had an innate sense of inferiority toward educated scholars. Having finally caught hold of a shabby, struggling one, he couldn't help but feel a little self-congratulatory, wanting to flaunt his own wealth and grandeur. Wasn't his invitation to Xu Pu to write Spring Festival couplets and drink at his mansion precisely to make Xu Pu feel inferior upon seeing his residence?

Hongshu, dressed in fine clothes, bought three scallion pancakes wrapped in oiled paper. Xu Fengnian and Xu Pu then bid farewell to Boss Qiao and left.

The stout man, who had not dared to look directly at Hongshu earlier, now took the opportunity to gaze intently at her graceful figure, swallowing hard. He wondered how Xu Pu came to have such a wealthy relative.

Walking on the bluestone slabs of the alleyway, which were slick with the heavy spring rain, Hongshu smiled, "Grand Commandant, I imagine it won't be long before the Yuwen family bitterly regrets their past actions."

Xu Pu shook his head with a faint, wry smile.

Xu Fengnian asked, "What happened?"

Hongshu glanced at Xu Pu, who smiled and said, "Go ahead, no harm in speaking."

Only then did Hongshu slowly explain, "There was once a discerning woman from the Yuwen family who admired the Grand Commandant. She even eloped and broke ties with her family to marry him, becoming the proprietress of a wine shop. Later, for reasons unknown, she returned to her family."

Xu Pu calmly stated, "She remarried the eldest son of the Duanmu family. I don't blame her. How many women are willing to grow old with an unmotivated man? Honestly, the fact that she was willing to stay with a poor scholar like me, living on basic necessities, already impressed me greatly. For years, I've felt guilty, believing I owed her too much. How many mismatched young couples can truly grow old together? Even if some do, it's mostly just a plot device in a scholar-beauty novel, and even then, the man in the story usually has to become the top scholar to truly achieve success and pride. Someone like Xu Pu, who could squander a dowry of a hundred taels of gold, by common sense, could never be the man from those stories."

Xu Fengnian chuckled softly, "These women, seemingly admirable and tragic, ultimately misunderstood both the men they chose and themselves. When living in prosperity and leisure, they were naive about the world. With their affluent backgrounds, they might have disdained those who flaunted their wealth or indulged in pleasures. But truly suffering alongside a man, they gradually learn the power of vulgar material things. Not to mention, when chatting with their close friends, constantly hearing about delicacies, about needing new clothes because their current ones weren't enough, or about their pearl and gold hairpins being old-fashioned—a woman who has fallen from her branch to become a sparrow might not truly covet such luxuries, but she inevitably feels uncomfortable. Over time, subtly, her mindset changes. She looks at the unpromising man beside her and realizes his poetic and scholarly talent cannot make her honored through him; it might even cause their children to suffer later. Naturally, her feelings change. What was once turning to her husband to ask, 'Is my eyebrow makeup fashionable today?', quietly transforms into mutual dislike."

Xu Pu was astonished.

The young man had clearly hit the nail on the head.

"Uncle Xu, your guilt is understandable, and no one would dare fault you for it. However, if you're too guilty and wallow in it, it becomes a bit petty. Even if we take ten thousand steps back, that woman married into a good family. That's a much more satisfying outcome than any self-pitying lament about 'what might have been.' If you really want to blame someone, blame my master. If he had given you the position of a general in Dunhuang City, where would all these troubles have come from?"

Xu Pu was stunned for a long time and remained silent.

Hongshu sighed softly, "If that woman were to hear your words, Young Master, she would surely be mortified."

Xu Fengnian gave a self-deprecating laugh, "I am, after all, a vulgar man who spoils the mood. She probably wouldn't even want to soil her ears with half a sentence of what I say."

The Spring and Autumn General, dressed as a middle-aged scholar, sighed with emotion, "Your Highness's seemingly cold words have truly helped Xu Pu resolve many of his inner struggles."

Xu Pu then laughed, "Later, when we drink those jars of Green Ant wine, I'll properly scold Li Yishan!"

The three of them then headed towards the small tavern by the city gate.

At that moment, a white-clad figure entered the city.

At the city gate, dozens lay dismembered.

They were about to meet on a narrow path.

From afar, Xu Pu watched the white-clad man, drawing a sharp breath. He said gravely, "The Devil Luo Yang!"