Chapter 387

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A novel on Zongheng, Author: Fenghuo Xihou

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Dusk was falling. Fan group: 1681655

Xu Fengnian left Xu Weixiong's medicine-scented room. His maid, Huang Gua, who had been clinging to the long-unseen heir whenever she had a moment, wrinkled her nose at the doorway, wanting to take off her sachet and hang it on him to disperse the medicinal smell. But Xu Fengnian shook his head. They walked together into the courtyard, where Xu Xiao was dozing on a stone bench. Huang Gua quietly chuckled, then tiptoed out of the courtyard, not wanting to disturb the King of Northern Liang and the heir's time together. Before leaving, she looked back and saw the heir's white hair, which pained her deeply. As soon as Xu Fengnian sat down, the drowsing Xu Xiao woke up, rubbed his cheeks, and self-mockingly said, "I get sleepy easily in old age. I remember when I was young, whether fighting enemies or fleeing for my life, staying awake for three days and three nights was common. I never felt tired. As long as I got a good nap and woke up, I could eat four or five catties of cooked meat. After all, one can't help but admit to getting old."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "A true hero doesn't boast of past glories. Everyone gets old. You're not some Daoist immortal cultivating longevity in a blessed grotto, and with your aptitude, do you really think you can achieve immortality? You've been stuck at the second-rank Grandmaster realm your whole life. Look at General Gu Jiantang, who's even younger than you and has already made it onto the martial arts rankings. Aren't you ashamed?"

Xu Xiao wanted to burst out laughing, but he didn't dare disturb his daughter, who was recuperating in the room. He pulled at his sleeves, hands tucked inside, looking neither like the King of Northern Liang nor a great general, but more like a carefree old idler from a village. He chuckled softly, "This is where you don't understand. As a father, and at my age, we don't compare martial arts prowess or official ranks anymore. When it comes down to it, we compare our sons. Look at Gu Jiantang's children: the sons are neither scholarly nor martial, and they're homely; the daughters aren't anything special either. Gu Jiantang wants to compare himself with me, Xu Xiao? I wouldn't even bother with him. He can go cool off and practice his big saber somewhere else."

Xu Fengnian scoffed, "You're quite open-minded."

Xu Xiao turned to look at the Yellow Crane Tower atop Qingliang Mountain and suggested, "How about we chat while climbing the mountain?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, waved for the senior maid from his second sister's courtyard, and asked for two pots of warmed yellow wine. He stood up and handed one pot to Xu Xiao, saying, "Drink less of that 'green ant' wine; it makes my throat feel like it's on fire. Since you admit to getting old, you should drink more yellow wine from now on; it's good for your health."

Xu Xiao smiled as he took the yellow wine, took a small sip, and walked out of the courtyard. They followed a main bluestone path towards the mountain peak. When the princely mansion was built, the King of Northern Liang had wanted everything to be opulent, and even wished for the mountain path to be paved with gold. But later, his wife suggested that bluestone slabs would suffice and also carry the auspicious meaning of a "path to high office"—not necessarily immediate success, but a gradual ascent for future generations, even if the climb was arduous. Xu Xiao agreed without a second thought and personally participated in the arduous task of carrying stones and paving the road back then. The father and son ascended the mountain at a leisurely pace. Xu Fengnian said, "Chu Lushan has already gone to assume his post as the Protector-General of Northern Liang, appointed as a Hussar General. Because Chen Xiliang is preparing to reorganize Northern Liang's military ranks, many minor generals will be abolished, leaving only eight or nine. The title of Captain will become much more valuable than before, starting with this Hussar General title, without the 'Great' prefix. Yuan Zuozong has replaced Zhong Hongwu as the commander of the cavalry, appointed as a Chariot Cavalry General. Qi Dangguo and Ning Emei will serve as the chief and deputy commanders of the Iron Pagoda cavalry, respectively. Huang Man'er will lead the new Dragon Elephant Army. These three will not be granted general titles for now. Imperial Commandant Huangfu Ping has been promoted by one rank; as for whether he will be appointed as the General of Youzhou or something else, I still need to wait for Chen Xiliang's memorial. As for Hong Biao, the guest official from Huishan sent by Xuanyuan Qingfeng, he indeed has talent in commanding troops. We are still considering whether he should replace Huangfu Ping as Imperial Commandant. After Second Sister wakes up, she will command your 30,000-strong Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. Do you have any objections?"

Xu Xiao smiled, "Since I can be a comfortable, hands-off manager, why would I object? An old cucumber painted green to look young—that's just too ignorant."

Xu Fengnian glared, "Sounds like you have a lot of grievances?"

Xu Xiao quickly waved his hand, "Not at all."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "The Northern Liang army is undergoing massive changes, from top to bottom. If any sharp conflicts arise that I can't suppress, you might have to step in and pacify them."

Xu Xiao calmly said, "There won't be any major issues. The Zhao family has ruled 'the world' for twenty years, and our Xu family has ruled 'Northern Liang' for almost twenty years. For the old men in Northern Liang who are roughly my age, I can honestly say I haven't wronged a single one. Besides, their descendants enjoy prosperity; they should be content. I know about Zhong Hongwu. If he dares to secretly collude with Yan Wenluan to cause trouble, I don't mind letting him starve completely, losing his general title and even his peerage, so he can live as a wealthy old farmer. As for Yan Wenluan, he and Changling vehemently tried to persuade me to divide the realm and rule it together. For many years, Yishan has jokingly called him the leader of the 'Emperor Faction.' He has attracted many old fellows with grievances. The young and strong generals Yan Wenluan promoted were mostly descendants of old generals who had retired, disheartened by their dashed hopes of 'attaching themselves to the dragon'."

Xu Fengnian took a sip of yellow wine. "That's almost twenty years of rotten meat. Fortunately, you had the resolve to decisively let Yan Wenluan establish his own faction, preventing this vine from spreading into the cavalry. Otherwise, the entire Northern Liang Iron Cavalry would have been beyond saving."

Xu Xiao, holding the wine pot, sighed, "There was no other choice. In the Spring and Autumn War, nine states vied for dominance, and our Northern Liang army wiped out six of them in one go. That was all achieved through brutal, life-for-life fighting. How many heroes do you think died? I didn't want to become emperor. Later, when we swept through the martial world, thankfully, it was mostly old veterans with ties to the jianghu. But during the campaign against Beiliang, the Emperor's imperial decree was the real ruthless move. With my reluctant withdrawal, the Northern Liang army's morale began to dissipate. The reasons were complex, but the result was the loss of a large number of captains, and many old-timers who had held on to the hope of achieving unparalleled merits also faded from view. That's why scholars find it hard to govern a nation, but easy to harm people. You must be especially wary of Yuan Benxi, a strategist as renowned as Yishan. That secret edict came from his hand. In the Spring and Autumn chaos, the 'hard knives' were wielded by martial men like me and Gu Jiantang. These 'soft knives' that draw no blood were mostly his doing. The 'green-eyed' Zhang Julu, who leaped so many ranks from a minor palace attendant to become Grand Chancellor in three years, was also at his instruction. In my opinion, scholars naturally possess more talent than us roughnecks who ride horses and wield sabers, but most are overly ambitious with little practical skill; they can't accomplish great things. They have high talent but achieve very little. The truly formidable ones are scholars like Yuan Benxi, who can seize opportunities to realize their ambitions. Before the current emperor ascended the throne, he sincerely said, 'I am willing to be Mr. Yuan's puppet.' And so, Yuan Benxi made him the supreme ruler. That woman Zhao Heng must have hated Mr. Yuan, who caused her to lose the imperial throne, to her dying breath. Haha, that resentful woman Zhao Heng, before her death, actually showed a rare moment of manliness, exchanging her life for Zhao Xun's hereditary succession. If he had possessed that wisdom twenty years ago, the current emperor would never have come to power. That blind man named Lu Xu, though blind in his eyes, is sharp in his mind. His 'Fourteen Policies of Ershu' were beautifully written; even I could understand them. I heard you played chess with him in Yongzi Alley? Why didn't you just capture him and bring him to Northern Liang to be a strategist?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "I didn't have time for him then, and primarily, I didn't trust my luck with gambling, so I missed the opportunity. There are some regrets, but nothing I truly regret. I've seen the abilities of Zhao Xun, the King of Jing'an; he's very good at enduring, but frankly, he's still not as good as his father. Without Lu Xu, the Jing'an principality would definitely need a more ambitious and strategic person to guard it, which would make things even more difficult for Northern Liang. It's better to let Zhao Xun mess around there with his petty schemes. According to custom, feudal kings visit the capital every four years to meet the Emperor. If he dares to bring Lu Xu along, I'd be worried for him that Lu Xu might be poached. Then, this 'once-in-a-century' civil servant princely ruler would become a huge joke."

Xu Xiao smiled with satisfaction, "As expected of my son, Xu Xiao's son, domineering indeed."

Xu Fengnian smiled helplessly.

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Xu Xiao chuckled, "Outside Dunhuang City, guarding the city gate alone with a sword—that's quite domineering too. No wonder that girl Hong Shu is so devoted to you."

Xu Fengnian stopped when they were still some distance from the summit, and together with Xu Xiao, he overlooked the panoramic view of Liangzhou Prefecture. "Ye Xizhen and Chu Lushan, one overt and one covert, control Northern Liang's intelligence agencies. Since Luqiuer has become the Protector-General of Northern Liang, he'll have to give up a piece of that. I plan to let Chen Xiliang manage it. For Ye Xizhen's part, do you have a suitable candidate?"

Xu Xiao quietly asked, "Why don't you choose Xu Beizhi?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "I want him to focus on becoming the next Grand Marshal. Getting involved in intelligence matters would be too taxing and distracting for him. Intelligence work involves small, detailed schemes, whereas a Grand Marshal needs to plan grand, significant strategies. Furthermore, Xu Beizhi's health isn't good, and I don't want him to follow in my master's footsteps."

Xu Xiao nodded, gazing into the distance, his figure appearing solitary.

Continuing their ascent, Xu Xiao said, "Wu Qi should have already entered Shu from Beiliang to join Chen Zhipao."

Xu Fengnian said bitterly, "This journey to Beiliang was arduous, yet I didn't even get to meet this uncle."

Xu Xiao shook his head, "Perhaps you did meet, you just didn't realize it. Don't think too much about this; the kinship between you two is over."

Xu Xiao continued, "No one's son is born with a life of wealth and privilege, and no one's son is immune to death. My son, Xu Fengnian, is no exception. To inherit the family legacy, you must strive for it yourself. For these twenty years, I've been waiting for you to grow, while Chen Zhipao was waiting for you to die young. My bond with the Old Chen family ended when he went to Iron Gate Pass, intending to kill both you and Zhao Kai. It's better this way; no one owes anyone anything. Fengnian, don't blame me for being cruel by forcing you to travel three times."

Xu Fengnian quipped, "I know, you're holding a grudge because I chased and hit you with a broom so many times."

Xu Xiao almost laughed until he cried, coughed a few times, and took a sip of warm wine to calm his emotions.

They finally reached the summit of Qingliang Mountain. The weather was clear, and the view was excellent.

Xu Xiao, hunched over, squinted towards the West City Gate. "Among the six feudal kings today, besides myself, King Yan Chi Zhao Bing has the strongest military. When the Emperor in the grand hall proposed making Chen Zhipao King of Southern Jiang, it was not without the intention of checking Zhao Bing. King Guangling Zhao Yi, born of the same mother as the Emperor, is highly favored. The public reprimands he receives are merely for show, meant for outsiders. Appointing Sun Xiji, Left Vice Grand Secretary of the Chancellery, as the Grand Marshal of Guangling Circuit, shows concern that Zhao Yi's methods might be too extreme, inviting criticism and possibly making him the third hereditary prince of the Liyang Dynasty. The Emperor's approach to these two reveals his favor and disfavor. As for King Jiaodong Zhao Sui, since he governs the two Liao regions, he and I inevitably share some camaraderie. In recent years, he has been successively suppressed by the Emperor, Zhang Julu, and Gu Jiantang, and his situation is indeed rather bleak. However, though born into the imperial family, he is unusually straightforward, and once you get to know him, he is trustworthy. Not to mention King Jing'an Zhao Xun, there's King Huainan Zhao Ying of Xiongzhou, who originally resembled the old emperor but lacked his charisma, and he himself was forced to live a life of detachment. Among the five imperial clan kings, he was suppressed most severely, holding not an iota of real power. This time, when the feudal kings customarily enter the capital, I certainly won't go. However, Chen Zhipao, who has not yet been formally enfeoffed as a king, is destined to go, so it will be a grand occasion with six kings entering the capital."

Xu Fengnian shook the empty wine pot and asked, "Has the Crown Prince still not been decided?"

Xu Xiao smiled, revealing the secret: "Unless something unforeseen happens, Fourth Prince Zhao Zhuan will be made Crown Prince before those other princes are enfeoffed as kings and sent to their domains. All because that boy is favored by Yuan Benxi."

Xu Fengnian frowned, "Isn't it customary to appoint the eldest, not the youngest, and to pass it to the legitimate son, not a concubine's son? Although Zhao Zhuan is a legitimate son, the First Prince Zhao Wu is the rightful eldest legitimate son!"

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I got it.This place is also good.Xu Caobao is drinking again.Angry interjection! ...?!Cut in.Cut in.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the five of you and I, can we please not cut in randomly? People haven't even finished reading, and they're afraid this might be the end of the chapter.4 more replies.

Xu Xiao handed the wine pot, still half full, to Xu Fengnian and calmly said, "Zhao Wu has a fierce temperament. The world is peaceful now, and what's needed is stable governance, not a Crown Prince suited for contending for the throne. Zhao Zhuan is different; he's been shrewd and subtly hid his talents for years, destined to remain silent until he astonishes everyone. There's another crucial point: their birth mother, Empress Zhao Zhi, seems to have secretly instilled in them since childhood the idea that the elder brother would lead a northern expedition as a general while the younger brother would become emperor. Although Zhao Wu has a hot temper, he has always deeply believed Zhao Zhi's words since childhood, and his relationship with his younger brother Zhao Zhuan is also excellent. I believe that when the Crown Prince position, vacant for over a decade, finally comes to light, there won't be much turbulence. Fengnian, you should know that the Green Faction, which relies on the First Prince, has already fractured beyond recognition. And the Northern scholars' faction, which vies for power with the Southern literati, although they placed heavy bets on Zhao Wu, as long as Zhao Wu can smoothly go to the two Liao regions to guard the frontier, coupled with Zhao Zhuan, who will definitely compensate these people after his ascension, their personal interests will not be harmed but rather increase. Their current grievances won't be too great, nor would they dare to be. As for Second Prince Zhao Bo, supported by the Zhang Faction, the largest force in the court, he's merely a smokescreen, part of a joint act between Zhang Julu and the Emperor; not worth mentioning."

Xu Fengnian took a sip of wine.

Xu Xiao smiled, "The newly favored eunuch, Song Tanglu, the Commissioner of Seal and Ribbons, has taken over the Directorate of Palace Servants, one of the twelve directorates, from his master, though he hasn't yet directly become the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The court knows I clearly won't bother with the spectacle of the Crown Prince's enthronement and the princes' departure. So, they sent Song Tanglu secretly to Northern Liang to bring you two sets of ceremonial robes for a princely heir: one red and one white dragon robe. The white one was specially tailor-made for you as an exception. Ultimately, they want you to go to the capital for the ceremony. Will you go?"

Xu Fengnian asked, "Is it a near-certain death?"

Xu Xiao shook his head, "This time it's different; it'll be hard even to die. Both the Emperor and Empress will protect you. Now, the overall situation in Liyang is settled, especially with Chen Zhipao entering Shu and being enfeoffed as the King of Shu. If they still wished for chaos in Northern Liang, who would stand against Beiliang's million cavalry for them? Without our Northern Liang, even if Gu Jiantang fortified the eastern front, not to mention the Emperor, the entire capital would still be in turmoil. Those scoundrels only curse me fiercely, but secretly they must be thankful for Northern Liang's 300,000 iron cavalry."

Xu Fengnian asked, "Last time you went to the capital, why did you cripple an official right after leaving the grand hall?"

Xu Xiao smiled, "That fool said the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry was a guard dog. I beat him half to death. Did you see any of the civil or military officials dare to utter a sound then? Also, Gu Jiantang dealt with that fellow severely afterward; those words insulted him as a Great General too."

Death Warrior Yin appeared and disappeared like a ghost, quietly saying, "Eunuch Song Tanglu has arrived outside the mansion gate."

Xu Xiao asked, "Are you really going to the capital? The 'Human Cat' (Han Shengxuan) hasn't been killed yet. Aren't you worried?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "I'm just waiting for him to come to me."

Xu Xiao seemed about to speak but stopped.

Xu Fengnian suddenly said, "If I kill Yang Taisui, will you blame me?"

Xu Xiao calmly replied, "My old brother died in a fitting manner."

For the White Clothes Case in the capital, the mastermind was the Zhao family Emperor, and the planner was the secretive Yuan Benxi. Among the many masters involved, Han Diaosi (the Eunuch Han) was one. As for the Heavenly Phenomenon realm master, that was someone else.

Xu Xiao quietly said, "Let's go down the mountain."

On their way down the mountain, Xu Xiao saw Xu Fengnian holding two wine pots and chuckled, "Shall I carry them? No matter how old I get, I can still put on armor and ride a horse; carrying two wine pots is certainly no problem."

Xu Fengnian slowed his pace, looking at the bluestone slabs beneath their feet, and said, "Old is old, but you're not allowed to die."

Xu Xiao sighed softly, "I also want to hold my grandchildren." Fan group: 1681655.

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Will it be deleted?Yi ya yi ya yo... I like your money, not your body.Good, good, good.Cut in.13 more replies.

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