Chapter 365

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Learning that Li Hanlin had returned from the border, having achieved merits and become the Commander of Elite Archers, Xu Fengnian made a slight detour to enter Lingzhou. Since Xu Fengnian himself was not at his princely estate, it was possible that Li Hanlin was now at the brand new Governor-General's mansion in Lingzhou, a region even more renowned for its romance and beauty than Liangzhou. In the past, whenever Li Hanlin hosted them, his childhood friends and hangers-on, in his territory, he never once disappointed Xu Fengnian. They would frequent the finest brothels, drink the most expensive flower wine, put insolent fops in their place, and flirt with the prettiest women. Xu Fengnian recalled that, apart from the staid bookworm Yan Chiji, it was here that Kong Wuchi lost his virginity. The courtesan later gave him a substantial red packet, which made Kong Wuchi blush deeply and moved him to tears. He was so touched that he almost tried to marry the woman, who merely understood the ways of the world, with a grand eight-bearer sedan chair. It took considerable persuasion from Li Hanlin to stop that simple-minded oaf from doing something foolish.

Xu Fengnian, with his hair dyed black by Qingniao, rode on horseback.

Just as Xu Fengnian had been meticulous in his observations of the post roads, signal fires, and agricultural-nomadic lifestyles when he entered Beimang, Xu Beizhi was no different. He merely sighed, "Compared to Beimang, Beiliang is still too small. If its territory were larger, perhaps by swiftly annexing Xishu and Nanzhao..."

Xu Beizhi did not continue.

After Xu Fengnian reunited with his younger brother, Huang Man'er, they spoke little. Over the years, the two brothers had spent more time apart than together. Most of what needed to be said had already been communicated; truly close individuals didn't require overly effusive words. If they were to encounter Li Hanlin, Xu Fengnian was certain his first words would be, "Brother Feng, Tiger Mound Tower, let's go!" Huang Man'er had clearly grown much, smiling less and becoming more silent, with an occasional hint of resolve in his brows. It was strange; Huang Man'er had never been close to their second elder sister, Xu Weixiong, since childhood. Perhaps one was too intelligent, with an abundance of shrewdness, while the other was simple-minded, lacking such shrewdness, so they just couldn't connect. However, Huang Man'er was only somewhat familiar with his eldest sister, Xu Zhihu. Since he was young, he had only ever truly connected with his elder brother, Xu Fengnian. He feared nothing—not heaven, not earth, not even his father—only that his elder brother wouldn't take him along to play.

This time, when Huang Man'er descended from Longhu Mountain, he surprised Xu Fengnian by first visiting his second elder sister at Shangyin Academy and even gifting his beloved Tiger Kirin to Xu Weixiong.

Before even reaching Lingzhou's provincial capital, Xu Fengnian learned from casual conversations among people in tea houses and taverns that Li Hanlin, the "Great Scoundrel Li," had supposedly changed his ways after being trampled on the head by a warhorse. He had genuinely earned immense military merits at the border, and this time, returning home in glory, he hadn't even visited a single brothel. He stayed home for only a few days before leaving with several military comrades for another place. This made the terrified common folk of Lingzhou lament that they no longer understood the world. Of the four young masters of Beiliang in the past, only the Young Prince remained dissolute. Yan Chiji, who already possessed some talent, had become a relative of the emperor and, benefiting from Jin Lantian's resignation, became a highly respected Yellow Gate Attendant (though only a Junior Yellow Gate Attendant, as a Senior Yellow Gate Attendant with sufficient qualifications naturally replaced Jin Lantian). Kong Wuchi had joined the Imperial Guard. Now, even Li Hanlin, who had been limitlessly spoiled by the Governor-General, had achieved great success. Everyone in Lingzhou sighed with emotion, yet felt quite helpless, wondering, "Are we truly to let that good-for-nothing Young Prince become our King of Beiliang in the future?"

Since Li Hanlin was not home, Xu Fengnian decided not to disturb Lord Li, who had risen to a second-rank official, at the Governor-General's mansion. Besides, Li Fuzhen, who didn't even bother to give him a cold glare, was also there. Not meeting was better; meeting would only be more tedious.

The Fish Dragon Gang was indeed within Lingzhou territory, not far away, but Xu Fengnian wasn't in the mood to flaunt his identity.

Beiliang clearly had many more dusty, travel-worn monks from other regions. Most could only lodge in small temples here and there, and many more were begging for alms.

Xu Fengnian and his entourage proceeded along the wide post road leading to Beiliang's capital, their pace varying. Xu Fengnian veered off the post road at the border of the two provinces for a dozen *li* to stop his horse at a renowned temple known as Tingma Temple.

The reason for this peculiar and uncommon temple name was, according to local legend, that when the Xu family first entered Beiliang, Xu Xiao and the Princess Consort had once stopped their horses here to enter the temple and offer incense.

It was not the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, and it was an unappealing midday, with the sun scorching hot. Consequently, there seemed to be more monks than pilgrims.

Tingma Temple's pagoda-style architecture soared into the clouds, its layered eaves creating a staggered effect. When the wind blew, the tinkling sound of iron bells could be heard.

Before entering the temple, Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Do you believe in Buddhism?"

Xu Beizhi shook his head. "The monks in temples are mostly infatuated men and women who claim to have seen through the mortal world, but they are far from truly doing so. Especially in large temples with flourishing incense, there are few truly virtuous and eminent monks. I don't believe in Buddhism, nor do I believe in Taoism. I remember the *Middle-length Discourses* mentioned a Venerable who hadn't seen a woman's face for eighty years. I've also been to the Buddhist grottoes outside Dunhuang City and saw paintings depicting Jataka tales, such as cutting flesh to feed a tiger or sacrificing one's life to feed an eagle. To me, such states are truly unattainable. I've also visited Taoist temples outside the Gate of Heaven of the Daode Sect to read scriptures, but none of it evoked much emotional response in me. My grandfather used to say that an old monk preaching Dharma with a mouth full of alcohol, a novice prostitute earning money to buy the *Huangting Jing*, and children stealing rouge to paint their faces—this disregard for convention is what's truly precious. Among the three doctrines, Confucianism has relatively fewer rules, and I think it suits me better."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "So, are you going in to offer incense or not?"

Xu Beizhi replied plainly, "It doesn't prevent me from offering incense and worshipping Buddha."

Once inside, Xu Beizhi moved away from Xu Fengnian and his group, performing the four-direction, four-bow ritual alone with incense in hand.

As he bowed his head, the scholar's face held a hint of sorrow.

Bodhisattvas fear the cause, while ordinary people fear the result.

Leaving the temple, Xu Fengnian saw dozens of pilgrims gathered, pointing and whispering. He initially didn't want to pay attention, but when Qingniao tugged his sleeve, he noticed a familiar slender figure by a roadside tea stall. Beside her stood a tall, graceful figure, a scholar in a green gown, whose face was indistinct. Legend had it that prayers for marriage at Tingma Temple were extremely effective, so most visitors were unmarried young men and women. During spring outings, the place would be bustling with people and filled with incense smoke. Xu Fengnian paused briefly and learned from the gossiping pilgrims that when the scholar bought water, an old man had offered him a book, claiming the young master had an extraordinary disposition and that he would sell it cheaply for three taels of silver. This was a common scam used by local idlers and ruffians: they'd hire an elderly person to half-trick, half-demand money. Usually, giving a few coppers would suffice to ward off trouble, as these ruffians didn't dare to cause too much of a stir and had smaller appetites. However, this scholar was likely too proud, possessing both arrogance and integrity. Not only did he say something that made the ruffians lose face, like threatening to report them to officials, but he also threw the tattered manual to the ground. This angered a dozen local thugs waiting nearby to collect their share. They swarmed him, rolling up their sleeves, ready to fight. At this moment, from Xu Fengnian's perspective, the scene had reached its most exciting part. The ruffians, spotting the beautiful young woman beside the scholar, began to utter vulgarities. True to his unyielding character—though scholars were often said to be useless—this handsome scholar actually took the initiative, landing a punch directly on the bridge of a burly man's nose. He then inevitably suffered a beating, kicked and punched by over a dozen men. If the woman hadn't thrown herself over him on the ground to protect him, he would likely have been bedridden for quite some time before he could walk again.

Perhaps fearing genuine repercussions from the authorities, the ruffians dispersed, cursing, after they had their fill of beating.

Xu Fengnian, having seen enough of the spectacle, simply smiled and lightly said, "Let's go."

Xu Beizhi frowned. "Are these idlers so rampant and lawless?"

Xu Fengnian suppressed a smile and said, "What idle ruffian is ever good-natured? If they don't bully the weak, fear the strong, oppress men, and molest women, are they even ruffians? But seriously, did you not see through it?"

Xu Beizhi understood immediately, then self-mockingly said, "I see. It defies common sense that these money-seeking ruffians didn't bother to search his money pouch after beating him, nor did any of them take advantage of the situation to grope the girl. Was this a setup orchestrated by the scholar and the ruffians?"

After mounting his horse, Xu Fengnian said, "This trick? I got tired of using it when I was thirteen or fourteen. I recall first trying it with a famous courtesan sister in Liangzhou, but she saw right through it; she just didn't expose me. Naturally, this young lady isn't like her; she's crying her heart out, practically wishing she could offer herself to him."

Xu Beizhi shook his head helplessly.

Xu Fengnian said calmly, "However, what you can't possibly disbelieve is that the girl is the daughter of Li Gongde, Beiliang's Governor-General. As for that scholar, he made a huge profit this time. Spending less than ten taels of silver was more useful than composing three hundred famous poems."

Xu Beizhi looked back at the woman helping the scholar stand; indeed, she looked like a pear blossom bathed in rain. Xu Beizhi chuckled softly, "You're not going to expose them? Aren't you familiar with Li Hanlin? You've known her for years too, haven't you?"

Xu Fengnian said self-deprecatingly, "That would be too detrimental to my karmic merit, cruelly separating a perfectly matched talented scholar and beautiful lady right in front of a Bodhisattva."

Xu Beizhi rode his horse over to Qingniao and asked for some silver notes. Seeing that her young master merely looked a bit curious and didn't intend to refuse, Qingniao handed Xu Beizhi a stack of notes. Xu Beizhi then galloped away, intercepting the ruffians in the distance, gave them the silver notes, and exchanged a few words.

Afterward, the scholar truly received a thorough and solid beating.

Xu Fengnian rode alongside Xu Beizhi and asked, "What did you say?"

Xu Beizhi chuckled, "I told them I was Li Hanlin's hanger-on, and that Young Master Li had long found that fellow an eyesore, so he asked me to come forward and request these brave men to exert some effort."

Xu Fengnian nodded. "That explanation is truly watertight. The ruffians could beat him without any worries, and even if that scholar had some official status by riding on the Li family's coattails, he wouldn't dare cry foul if he found out about your explanation afterward. To pay money for someone to genuinely beat oneself up—that's just too humiliating. Aren't you truly malicious?"

Qingniao smiled knowingly.

Xu Beizhi said plainly, "Since ancient times, scholars have been best at 'killing' other scholars."

After galloping for a moment, Xu Beizhi suddenly felt a twinge of regret and asked, "Was giving them over three hundred taels of silver too much?"

Xu Fengnian burst into laughter, pointing his riding crop at the scholar, who clearly had far more devious ideas than the 'benevolent' individual they had just left. He was truly beginning to appreciate Xu Beizhi.

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First row to gain familiarity! Remember! This man is already godlike! _____I play "Erquan Yingyue" on the Erhu, but to your ears, it sounds like "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style."

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This is truly excellent.

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