Chapter 360: Three-Way Standoff

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Work Title: Zongheng, Author: Fenghuo XizhuhouPC Reading Address:Address:Red tickets are free. After registering a Zongheng account and accumulating a certain number of points, you will receive red tickets.Every account can favorite this work.Master Post for Chapter Serialization:Please wait patiently; no interrupting posts are allowed before the main text is released.Appendix: Tieba QQ Group Arbitration Team: 1681655, Prodigy Club YY: 1655Xue Ba Forum Admin Log Link:Anyone who posts before the update is complete will be temporarily banned for one day.

Traveling Alone to Northern MangFenghuo Xizhuhou

Today, at the morning court of the Liyang Dynasty, civil and military officials, dressed in their court robes, streamed into the city. The melodious clinking of their jade ornaments resonated, a sound that lingered. A gentleman listens to the sound of jade to regulate his conduct. The specifications for wearing jade mirrored official ranks, emphasizing a meticulous, step-by-step adherence, never to overstep boundaries. Although factional disputes within Liyang did not spiral out of control under Grand Secretary Zhang's guidance, censors readily found fault with even the most trivial matters. Jin Lanting's presence at court today was particularly noticeable. Half a year ago, he had lost his prestigious position as Grand Eunuch but had remained idly in the capital. Initially, his mansion had been deserted, but paradoxically, after he impeached the Prince of Northern Liang, Xu Xiao, and was stripped of his official title, visitors began to flock to him. This time, summoned to the morning court by imperial decree, even a fool would know that the imperial court had kept him out of sight for a full six months, effectively saving face for Xu Xiao. It was clearly time for Third Master Jin to receive a promotion. Indeed, as Jin Lanting waited outside for this court session, he was surrounded by warm and eager greetings from his colleagues. He also wore a brand new set of jade ornaments at his waist. The jade huang and beads clinked together, while the jade pendant drops and decorative chongya collided, emitting a clear, melodious sound that was exquisitely beautiful as he walked among the palace halls and steps.Fan Group: 1681655

Besides Jin Lanting, who captured everyone's attention, there was another equally striking person beside General Gu Jiantang, who had recently returned to the capital from the northern frontier. It was a new face, yet for the past six months, his name had been so frequently heard throughout the capital that people's ears had grown weary. This martial arts man, a commoner named Yuan, had achieved sudden prominence, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, abruptly becoming the Grand General's half-adopted son. He was reputed to be stubborn and ruthless, having tormented the martial arts sects along the border to near destruction. Yuan Tingshan followed behind Gu Jiantang, walking almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Third Master Jin, who was behind Grand Secretary Zhang Julu. In contrast, the jade pendant at Yuan Tingshan's waist was remarkably simple, rugged, and refined, showcasing typical fine-line carving combined with Han-style "eight-knife" work. Jin Lanting, gentle and refined, after nearly two years immersed in the capital's officialdom, had experienced the bitterness and vicissitudes of life. After joining Grand Secretary Zhang's faction, he showed no sign of arrogance from his new position. Seeing General Gu Jiantang's current adopted son—a man destined to be his future son-in-law—Jin Lanting immediately offered a smile when Yuan Tingshan looked his way. Unexpectedly, this minor official, attending court for the first time, scoffed, lowered his head, and spat. Jin Lanting was greatly embarrassed, but his composure had thickened by many inches since his initial arrival in the capital, so he merely smiled it off. Yuan Tingshan's blatant action made some eunuchs overseeing ceremonies in the distance flinch. Clearly, he was another troublemaker.

Yuan Tingshan quickened his pace and quietly asked Gu Jiantang, "General, when can I wear a sword to court like you?" Gu Jiantang ignored him. Zhang Julu glanced at this young martial artist, whose reputation preceded him throughout half the capital even before he was seen. He seemed amused and smiled. Yuan Tingshan was about to babble on, but Gu Jiantang said coldly, "Say one more word, and get out of the capital." Yuan Tingshan chuckled, "I won't say any more, I won't." Jin Lanting grumbled inwardly, "You've already said six words, young man." However, General Gu, who had firmly controlled the Ministry of War for over a decade, did not mind such sly behavior, which immediately made Jin Lanting regard Yuan with higher esteem. Gu Jiantang and Zhang Julu almost simultaneously looked towards a distant corner, and Jin Lanting froze. A grand eunuch, dressed in a red python robe, stood quietly there, resembling a red cat that habitually hunted mice in the palace. Yuan Tingshan clicked his tongue and said, "A master!" Jin Lanting merely glanced from afar and dared not look again, quickly lowering his head, fearing that the notorious eunuch would remember his face. There are no impenetrable walls in the world, and news spread from the palace that this powerful eunuch, the head of the dynasty's hundred thousand eunuchs, still held a respected position but was no longer as unshakable as he had been in the past decade or so. This was due to a young eunuch who had entered the palace as a child, favored by Empress Zhao Zhi. He had been close to His Majesty day and night, along with several imperial diarists. His name was Tang Lu, and only recently did the Emperor, with a golden decree, bestow upon him the surname Song. Song Tanglu came from the Seal and Ribbon Bureau, one of the twelve bureaus. His background was clean, and his master was the head eunuch of the Imperial Household Bureau. For many years, he was one of the few elderly eunuchs who could walk alongside the "Human Cat" Han Diaosi in the palace. Song Tanglu had never made a mistake in matters of imperial edicts and postings throughout these years. He was kind to others and had a gentle disposition. Besides his status being vastly different from Han Diaosi's, their personalities were also diametrically opposed. At this sensitive moment, with several imperial princes in the capital about to be enfeoffed as kings, His Majesty the Emperor's closeness to Song Tanglu, "promoted" by the Empress, and his estrangement from Han Diaosi, who was close to Prince Zhao Kai, undoubtedly made the powerful ministers and nobles sniff a hint of blood. The number of people who wanted Han Diaosi dead was no less than the number of officials who wanted Xu Xiao to fall. Some capital officials and unofficial figures who had secretly placed their bets on various princes quietly rejoiced that they had not wasted their efforts on Zhao Kai, whose origins were vague. The red-robed eunuch, who for over a decade had never missed a morning court session, gently turned and walked silently. Han Diaosi habitually walked in the shadows of the palace city wall, his clean-shaven, pale face showing no discernible expression.

Northern Mang originally had no concept of a capital city until Empress Murong usurped the throne. She mobilized 400,000 armored soldiers and 900,000 laborers to construct the capital, a process that took nine years. The planning was led by Xu Huainan, the Great King of the Northern Court, and a father-son pair of Central Plains scholars, Zhang Rou and Zhang Lue. Additionally, figures like Qilin Zhenren and several geomancy masters participated. After the new city was completed, imperial relatives, nobles, and civil and military officials moved in first, followed by various garrisons stationed outside the city, with their families relocating inside. Today, the mere number of prostitutes is said to be 30,000, which demonstrates the grandeur of Northern Mang's imperial city, no less impressive than the Liyang capital. However, even after establishing the capital, the Empress still adhered to the ancient custom of four seasonal tent-palace tours. The Northern Mang practice of "drawing ashes for deliberation," long criticized by the Central Plains court and public, originated from this. This year's autumn tent-palace hunt for tigers and deer was slightly postponed, leading to much discussion among the Northern Mang royal court elites. Many elderly nobles who were qualified to participate in the tent-palace hunts in previous years but always found excuses not to go, eagerly participated this time without exception. Unfortunately, to their great disappointment, the person they wished to see did not appear.

Within the capital, Chongqing Temple, the ancestral hall of a declining Taoist branch, had long lost its former prosperity after failing to become Northern Mang's national religion in competition with the Daode Sect. Its gates were desolate, with only a few elderly pilgrims coming to pray for blessings and ward off disasters during festivals like the Yanjiu Festival. It was hard to believe that twenty years ago, it was once hailed as the pinnacle of Taoism in Northern Mang. On every festival, officials, nobles, and common folk alike would gather there, simply because the temple's true master offered extensive teachings, and "immortals were willing to bestow the secret of immortality." For years, Chongqing Temple had to rely on housing scholars taking imperial examinations to sustain itself. Perhaps its luck had truly run out, as no scholar who stayed there ever made it onto the examination roster. Gradually, in the past two years, the lives of the two dozen or so Taoist priests in the temple became increasingly desolate and miserable. Fortunately, some time ago, an old Confucian scholar arrived and paid a decent sum of silver, which helped them make ends meet. The old Confucian scholar, who had only rented a damp side room, spoke elegantly. He would often chat with the old Taoist priests for an entire afternoon. When alone, he would browse through some scriptures in the temple that had been untouched for years, living a leisurely and peaceful life.

One day, a tall, sleepy-eyed man arrived at Chongqing Temple. The sweeping acolyte didn't even lift an eyelid, continuing to sweep the perpetually endless fallen leaves. A pilgrim gently asked twice, and only then did the young acolyte lazily lift his broom to point vaguely towards the old Confucian scholar's secluded dwelling. The man smiled and walked over, passing through two courtyards before finding the old Confucian scholar sitting in a trance in the courtyard. The man sincerely and respectfully said, "Jingyan greets the Grand Councilor of Peace." The old Confucian scholar collected his thoughts, smiled, and gestured for this Genglouzi of Qijian Leyuan to sit down casually. Hong Jingyan adopted a posture of attentive listening, ready to receive instruction. The old Confucian scholar looked at this favorite disciple, whom he had deliberately "suppressed" for years, and said softly, "I know what you're here to ask for. Let me be blunt: I could brazenly ask His Majesty for the five iron cavalry divisions of Rouran and put them in your hands. But that would be a mediocre approach, disadvantageous for your future development. The area around the Rouran five divisions is either under the watchful eye of the Dong family army or within the imperial heartland. Any accomplished general you pick from there would be beyond your match. Even if you succeeded, how much room would you have to maneuver? Therefore, such a crude grab is not as effective as a subtle, precise move." Hong Jingyan asked with a smile, "Should I go directly to Wazhu Junzi Hall?" The old Confucian scholar nodded. Hong Jingyan said with a bitter expression, "Do I have to gather tens of thousands of troops myself?" The old Confucian scholar lightly chuckled and chided, "Your brazenness is as always. Don't think that just because I haven't been at Qijian Leyuan these past few years, I don't know about your camaraderie with those northern and southern noble offspring. Forget tens of thousands; if you dare, a hundred thousand wouldn't be a problem, would it? Just that bunch of capital nobles and royal descendants, desperate for military merits—couldn't they just bring their personal guards and swarm into Longyao Prefecture, effectively forming tens of thousands? Let me tell you plainly, His Majesty hesitated this time on whether to use Huang Songpu or Tuoba Pusa to confront the Northern Liang army. I merely mentioned it in passing, which is why Huang Songpu was chosen. I don't want the North-South standoff to escalate into full-blown war. I knew that by using this Great King of the Southern Court, who is skilled in maintaining what he has, Northern Liang wouldn't completely turn hostile and would be content to stop when things are favorable. This way, I have enough time to plan and profit from the chaos. That's a wicked thing only the old scoundrel Huang Longshan, that old turtle, enjoys doing. As for you, you are the first, crucial chess piece in Northern Mang's new game. What do you say? Will you go or not?" Hong Jingyan frowned deeply, not giving an immediate answer. The old Confucian scholar, now an imperial tutor, said, "No need to rush. Decide after you've considered it thoroughly. If you believe controlling the Rouran iron cavalry is more advantageous and can give me a convincing reason, I can certainly let you become a mountain bandit king in the Rouran Mountains." Hong Jingyan softly said, "Honestly, whether I go to Junzi Hall or the Rouran Mountains, with Jianqijin not by your side now, I'm not at ease." The old Confucian scholar shook his head, "I have my limits." Hong Jingyan looked around and chuckled, "Are you truly not going to see those imperial tent nobles who would dig three feet deep to find you?" The old Confucian scholar said indifferently, "Playing a long game in officialdom is a profound art. Those who went hunting to find me should actually be burning incense for Xu Huainan right now—that's the proper thing to do, and His Majesty would take notice. Foolishly coming to me to burn incense and pray to Buddha, carrying pig heads and large chunks of meat, even if I were a true Bodhisattva, I'd get sick of it. When the stove is cold, a bowl of clear porridge and a plate of pickles given by others would fill my stomach and warm my heart." A long, silent pause followed. Hong Jingyan suddenly stood up, bowed, and said, "Please, Grand Councilor of Peace, play a game of chess with me!" The old Confucian scholar waved his hand, issuing a dismissal. Hong Jingyan chuckled self-deprecatingly and did not insist, leaving Chongqing Temple with a carefree air. The old Confucian scholar slowly came to the temple entrance. The sweeping acolyte sat exhausted on the steps, several baskets of fallen leaves already piled by his feet. The old Confucian scholar smiled, bent down, picked up a broom, and helped the young acolyte clear the ground.

Poor scholar Chen Liangxi, somewhat by chance, met a wealthy man from Northern Liang in a small tea house, who shared his interests in discussing everything under the sun. Then, just as fortuitously, he followed the slightly hunched and limping old man into a mansion. There were two jade lions guarding the house and a large plaque with golden characters. The little beggar, who had been learning to read and recognize many characters from him along the way, quietly looked up and read: "Prince of Northern Liang's Residence."

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