Chapter 319: Double Entry into the City

Lu Chen presented her travel permit and entered the city alone on horseback. Perhaps accustomed to the desolate desert where wind was like a knife, she was somewhat dazed and disoriented upon arriving in such a bustling place. She nearly collided with a patrol of armored guards. After apologizing, she expected to have to reveal her influential background to avoid trouble, but to her surprise, they simply told her to ride slowly and not gallop to injure anyone. This made Lu Chen feel a bit unaccustomed.

As the capital of Xihe Province, Wuhou City is located within an oasis and is also known as the "City Without Walls." This name originated from Helian Wuwei, the military governor, who, confident in his military strength, declared that even if the Liyang Dynasty dared to attack Xihe Province, he would not need city walls to repel the enemy. Even in the Southern Dynasty, Lu Chen had heard of the ferocity and combat prowess of Wuhou City's armored soldiers. While Murong Baoding, the military governor of Juzi Province, was said to single-handedly overshadow his entire province in military prowess rankings, Xihe Province's strength was distributed among two garrison armies. One of these was the Azure Control Army stationed in Wuhou, whose fighting power was second only to the Imperial Guard and Tuoba Junshen's White Whale Army. Lu Chen had expected that with such formidable combat strength, the soldiers within the city would inevitably be arrogant. She didn't dwell on this unusual observation. After quickly asking for directions, she headed towards Huanxi Spring. There is a spring in the city, where, according to legend, a female Bodhisattva once manifested. For hundreds of years since, it has been revered as a Buddhist holy site, with countless devotees coming to pray for marriage, hoping to avoid a lonely old age. Lu Chen was already nominally half a daughter-in-law of the Zhong family, so it was natural for her to head towards Huanxi Spring upon arriving in Wuhou City.

As she approached Huanxi Spring, a spacious and lavish carriage approached her. A large banner with the character "Zhong" hung outside the carriage, and at the top of the flagpole was an exquisite human figure statue. The statue had a benevolent, northern face, and its feet rested on a wooden sword carved with a lotus, seemingly to ward off evil and pray for blessings, allowing Huanxi Spring to gradually return to purity. In one of the carriages sat a handsome young man who introduced himself as Zhong Tan. He claimed to be there to escort her to Wuhou City and promised to shield her from troubles, intending to stay in Wuhou City for an extended period, especially since Lu Chen's visit to Huanxi Spring was an unprecedented first. By Huanxi Spring stood Zhong Tan, an elegant and refined young man. He wore a white robe with a lotus-patterned cape draped over his shoulders. He was the eldest legitimate son of the Zhong family, and also its future head. Lu Chen didn't take it to heart; she always felt uncomfortable and fearful whenever she was near Zhong Tan, unable to articulate why she disliked his actions, attributing it only to a woman's intuition.

Lu Chen was already nominally half a daughter-in-law of the Zhong family, so riding in the same carriage as Zhong Tan was not considered improper. Furthermore, given the prestige of both the Zhong and Lu families, there was no need to care about idle gossip. Inside the carriage, there was an ice caddy. In this region, ice was as precious as gold, a luxury small fortunes couldn't afford. A plain-looking maid sat quietly nearby, though she didn't seem to be serving the Zhong family's heir in any particular way. Instead, Zhong Tan himself used a pair of silver tongs to offer ice chips to both Lu Chen and the maid. Lu Chen politely declined with a shake of her head, but the maid, seemingly unaware of proper etiquette, accepted it, making a faint crunching sound. Realizing there was an outsider present and that her behavior was unrefined, she quickly covered her mouth to muffle the noise. Zhong Tan, with his tall, slender build and long, ape-like arms, bent down to lift the carriage window curtain and hook it open, allowing Lu Chen to admire the scenery of Huanxi Spring. Beside the spring was a wide flagstone path nestled in the shade of trees. The Western Regions' winds and sand, combined with a scorching sun, often stirred up dust. However, one could quickly cool down by seeking refuge under the green canopy, unlike the humid, stifling heat of Jiangnan, which offered no escape.

Zhong Tan looked at Lu Chen and said softly, "Miss Lu, you've been wronged."

Lu Chen lowered her gaze and remained silent.

Zhong Tan turned his head and sighed, "The Zhong family has wronged you."

Lu Chen looked up, about to speak, then hesitated.

Zhong Tan smiled, straightened his posture, looking somewhat formal and serious. He waved his hand slowly and said, "I have no habit of rubbing salt into my own family's wounds. If you're unwilling to speak about the details of this trip, Miss Lu, you can simply write them down on paper and have someone deliver them to me later. You won't have to face those nagging old folks. However, I must mention beforehand that when a family grows large, gossip is inevitable. Miss Lu, you can simply let it go in one ear and out the other. I will also inform the family elders, and we will consider that the Zhong family never sent any betrothal gifts to the Lu family, so your good name, Miss Lu, will not be stained. Zhong Tan can guarantee that when you find happiness in marriage in the future, the Zhong family will not hesitate to come and offer congratulations."

Lu Chen looked up, meeting the gaze of the future Zhong family head. Her eyes resolute, she said, "Living, I am a daughter-in-law of the Zhong family; dead, I am a ghost of the Zhong family. I wish to remain a widow for Zhong Gui. After I see my father, I will persuade him to allow a posthumous marriage ceremony."

Zhong Tan looked out the window, his brows deeply furrowed.

Lu Chen's voice was forlorn as she said, "It is Lu Chen's fate; there is no escaping it."

Upon reaching the Zhong family's mansion gate, Zhong Tan disembarked first. He stood beside the carriage, personally escorting her down. To the many people at the gate, who had spent their lives scrutinizing human nature, this sight surely left a distinct impression. Zhong Tan escorted her to the outer ceremonial gate but did not cross the threshold. He said he needed to go out of the city to Leiming Temple to burn incense. After bidding farewell to Lu Chen, he returned to his carriage. The maid smiled brightly, without a hint of flattery, as if seeing an old friend. Zhong Tan was accustomed to this. She put a piece of ice in her mouth, her cheeks puffed out, and she asked softly and indistinctly, "If you excuse Lu Chen like this, pulling her out of the vortex, won't it make the Zhong family dislike her? By simply provoking her with words and making her marry into the Zhong family, you force Zhong Gui's branch to collapse but not disperse. Be careful not to pick up sesame seeds and lose watermelons."

Zhong Tan sat cross-legged, looking relaxed, and chuckled softly, "I'm not curious about how Zhong Gui died or who killed him. The Zhong family has too many enemies. Lu Chen returned disfigured and humiliated. For a woman, that's already the absolute limit. To provoke her further, not only might she break down, but the Lu family would also likely be angered. The marriage alliance between the Zhong and Lu families is an inevitable trend. Since I was born the eldest son, I must have a long-term perspective. Lu Chen has this determination, daring to have a posthumous marriage and remain a widow. This shows she isn't a short-sighted woman. Such an interesting woman truly shouldn't be ruined in Xihe Province. Protecting her from some of this storm is right, both emotionally, logically, and for benefit."

The maid held the ice chip with one hand and supported it from below with the other, fearing it might fall. Zhong Tan lowered his head, bit into it, and chewed heartily. After the maid put down the silver tongs, she said, "Women's minds are often fickle. This favor might not guarantee her consistent support in the future."

Zhong Tan said calmly, "She's not the kind of person who stays out of trouble. She's bound to cause problems in the future, and I'll just continue to protect her."

She suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, "Actually, if you just take her, everything will be settled."

Zhong Tan replied with a wronged expression, "I'm afraid of ghosts."

She gently kicked Zhong Tan's leg. Zhong Tan laughed heartily and said, "You're much prettier than her."

She sighed, "Lu Chen has, at least, survived."

Zhong Tan tutted, "Does this count as doing a good deed for the day? I'll have the confidence to burn incense when I get to Leiming Temple later."

Catastrophic storms that could overwhelm ordinary people were, for some, merely a gentle puff of air to disperse.

Outside the city, three *li* away, Xu Fengnian rode his horse along the bustling post road. He deliberately restrained his aura; without the mirage, he immediately started sweating profusely, looking no different from an ordinary person. Xu Fengnian was not in a hurry to enter the city. The post road was heavily shaded on both sides, but presumably due to regulations, watermelon vendors dared not approach the road directly. Instead, they set up stalls and hawked their wares about twenty paces away. Xu Fengnian dismounted, led his horse off the post road, and walked on the gravel.

On the ground, merchants and travelers often haggled, with skilled bargainers able to reduce the price of a *jin* of melon from fifty to ten *qian*. Xu Fengnian led his horse slowly and saw a wooden board set up in front of a robust old farmer's stall, on which was written in charcoal: "One melon for a hundred, pick any you like." Xu Fengnian glanced at the sun-darkened farmer, who, squatting on the ground, also met his gaze. The farmer, seemingly noticing that Xu Fengnian's money pouch was not empty, grinned and said, "Young master, pick one? If it's not delicious, I won't charge you a single *qian*!"

Xu Fengnian, who had intended to continue, stopped and quipped, "Even if it's delicious, what if I deliberately say it's not? Will you still not charge me?"

The old farmer's eyes, unlike those of cunning commoners, said, "Still no charge."

Xu Fengnian released the reins and squatted down. Faced with a pile of watermelons, he didn't know where to start. "Old sir, please help me pick one."

The old farmer brought over a small stool for Xu Fengnian, tapped and thumped on the watermelons, picked them up and put them down, then selected a sizable one, weighing seven or eight *jin*. With a skilled punch, he split the melon crisply, roughly in half, and handed it to Xu Fengnian. Xu Fengnian broke it open and, eating as he spoke, asked, "This melon isn't cheap, is it?"

The old farmer chuckled, "In other places, you might haggle the price down to ten *qian* per *jin*, but my melon patch is good, and the melons produced here are sweet. Young master, you see, all my melons are over five *jin*, and some large ones are over a dozen *jin*. Actually, no matter how you sell them, they're not expensive. If a less discerning customer only picks the largest ones, a single melon works out to less than ten *qian* per *jin*. But if you ask me, the seven or eight *jin* melons are the most delicious, costing about twelve or thirteen *qian* per *jin*. My family also has other means of livelihood, so I'm not looking to get rich just from selling these. And I don't want to get into disputes over a few *qian* with the neighboring melon farmers who rely solely on selling melons to make a living. Life isn't easy for anyone, just having enough to eat and wear is sufficient."

Xu Fengnian hadn't expected the old farmer to be so talkative. He smiled and said, "No wonder, old brother, you have such high spirits; you have a broad mind."

The melon farmer, already sixty yet showing no signs of decay or fatigue, also cut open a melon for himself. Like Xu Fengnian, he didn't eat the core but started nibbling from the edges, saving the best part for last, a slightly petty habit. The old farmer saw this shared habit, smiled knowingly, and said, "I've read some books, not many, and I also like to use phrases pilfered from books when I speak, for fear of being looked down upon by scholars like yourself, young master."

Xu Fengnian chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Old sir, are you scolding me?"

The old man wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and laughed heartily, "Oh, I wouldn't dare. I truly admire scholars."

Xu Fengnian nodded, "They spend all day discussing state affairs and governing the world, as if they can do anything, and without them, nothing would work. Yet, in truth, they can't do anything at all. Old sir, if a scholar were to sell melons, could he outsell the surrounding melon farmers?"

The old man shook his head, "Young master, you're generalizing too much. There are formidable scholars who are also skilled in martial arts. During the Spring and Autumn period, many scholar-generals emerged."

Seemingly worried his words might annoy the young master or that Xu Fengnian wouldn't pay, the old melon farmer chuckled, "Scholars have their own lives. After gaining immense wealth and status from their studies, it's even better if they can speak out for the common people. Selling melons can be left to old folks like me. If everyone minds their own business, we can all live good lives. For someone like you, young master, traveling and studying in your youth, reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand *li*, is truly the best thing."

Xu Fengnian, gnawing on the watermelon, chuckled, "Old sir, your insight is truly profound. The marketplace indeed hides many unrevealed talents."

The old melon farmer was exceptionally pleased by the scholar's flattery. Every wrinkle on his weathered face radiated comfort and contentment. "Only a true gentleman would listen patiently to an old man's rambling words, young master."

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "So, this melon?"

The old farmer paused, then with a helpless expression, said, "I'll sell it to you for fifty *qian*, no less."

Xu Fengnian finished most of the watermelon, then took a small piece of silver from his money pouch, weighing about a hundred *qian*, and handed it to the old melon farmer, whose speech was neither rude nor overly refined. He said, "Keep the change. Consider it payment for two melons, one for you to eat, old sir."

The old melon farmer paused again, then praised him, "Who said scholars can't sell melons? If you were to sell them, young master, I guarantee you'd be able to buy a sizable mansion in the city within a few years."

Xu Fengnian replied helplessly, "Old sir, if you say so, I really can't eat a second melon."

The old farmer said cheerfully, "Look at you, young master. Later, I'll give you a cloth bag. You can hang two melons on your horse's back, find an inn with well water in the city to chill them, and then enjoy them. They'll be very refreshing."

After finishing his melon, Xu Fengnian sat on the small stool, gazing at the scenery within Wuhou City. Perhaps because of its location in an oasis, looking out along the post road, the clouds appeared thick and layered, descending straight down as if about to press upon the city. It had the grandeur of clouds hanging low, with only a thin line separating heaven and earth.

Within that thin line, a building with an upturned eaves inside the city was the most striking.

Following Xu Fengnian's gaze, the old farmer said, "That's Leiming Temple. As soon as you enter the temple gate, you'll see two rows of eighteen fierce and fearsome Heavenly King statues. Those who are timid or have a guilty conscience wouldn't dare to go in to burn incense and worship Buddha. Outside the temple is Xihe Province's renowned Huanxi Spring, which, compared to the fierce gaze of the Vajras, is like the Bodhisattva's lowered brow. Talented scholars and beautiful women of prominent status enjoy strolling around the temple to sightsee, but Huanxi Spring has become increasingly chaotic and frankly, there's not much to see anymore. Young master, if you believe in Buddhism, it's better to visit Leiming Temple. Rest assured, there are many important figures in the city, but those who openly bully men and abuse women are rare, though I can't say there are none. And since you are a scholar, young master, they certainly won't dare to bully you."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Old sir, what you're saying shows that Xihe Province's military governor not only commands his army well but also governs effectively. He is truly a pillar of the imperial court."

The old farmer smiled and shook his head, "What I said doesn't count for much."

Xu Fengnian looked at the truly towering Leiming Temple, which seemed to reach the clouds, and murmured to himself, "Mortals seek freedom throughout their lives."

The squatting old farmer, holding the empty melon rind, sighed, "The Bodhisattva's joy was ultimately in vain."

They exchanged smiles.

After Xu Fengnian stood up, the old melon farmer indeed picked two melons, put them into two cloth bags, and offered them to him. Xu Fengnian accepted them gracefully without pretense, hanging one on each side of his horse's back. After mounting, he clasped his hands in farewell while on horseback, and the old melon farmer waved with a smile.

In life, chance encounters bring people together only to part ways. Most such meetings are fleeting, never to be repeated. To part without animosity, or even to leave a good impression, is truly rare and precious.

Xu Fengnian didn't dwell on this encounter; he simply regarded it as meeting an interesting old man from Northern Mang. What truly occupied his mind was the upcoming infiltration of Wuhou City. It might even be as perilous as the assassination and hunt by Tuoba Chunshun.

Previously, in Beiliang — seemingly impenetrable but actually rife with hidden currents — various underworld figures would seek revenge against him. The countless stories, legends, joys, and sorrows could fill a book titled "One Hundred Ways to Assassinate Xu Xiao the Man-Butcher and the Profligate Heir," along with "A Compendium of Assassin and Zealot Deaths." Most of these deceased individuals were unwavering until death, willing to throw themselves into the fire like moths, even at the cost of their lives. However, many so-called blood feuds traced back to his grandfather's generation, yet when it came to killing the heir apparent, no one showed any mercy. Xu Fengnian was even clearer that when he eventually inherited the title of Prince of Beiliang, the assassination attempts would only increase, not decrease. The reasoning was simple: If they couldn't kill the "Man-Butcher" whom even the King of Hell supposedly dared not collect, surely they could kill a pampered heir who couldn't even contend for military power with outsiders?

Even if Chen Zhibao didn't kill Xu Fengnian, there were plenty of others who would. The White-Clothed Battle Immortal wouldn't even need to use others as tools for murder.

Xu Fengnian, with his sword, box, and melons on his back, headed straight for Wuhou City.