Chapter 414: Great Rivers and Mountains Viewed on Donkeyback

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"The Grand Scheme" on Zongheng, by Fenghuo Xizhuhou

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Gu Jiantang glanced at Yuan Tingshan, who lay motionless in the pit, still clutching the Nanhua Blade tightly in his hand. Gu Jiantang didn't believe the Northern Liang heir was audacious enough to kill an official right under the emperor's nose. Disciplining Yuan Tingshan, with whom he had a long-standing feud, and perhaps being a bit too heavy-handed, losing control of the situation, wouldn't truly cause the capital to quibble with Xu Fengnian over it. After all, his outrageous behavior had long since worn out the ears of Tai'an City. Furthermore, his solo stand against ten thousand imperial students on the imperial thoroughfare, even spitting, could be seen as laying the groundwork for today's commotion. Though unusual, it wasn't too surprising. Hiding his true abilities for over two decades, diligently cultivating himself, ultimately yielded immense benefits. If an heir of a vassal king, who had always enjoyed an excellent reputation, had acted this way, he would have long been dragged away and stripped of his hereditary peerage.

What truly interested Gu Jiantang were only two things: how Deng Tai'a's twelve flying swords ended up in Xu Fengnian's hands, and the origin of the crimson-robed spectral entity that had knocked Liu Haoshi off the city wall. Ordinary spectral entities could not enter the Imperial City, which was permeated with purple-yellow dragon qi. Since the Demonic Cult, which once controlled half the jianghu, had completely vanished after the Battle of the Demon Slaying Platform, it was widely believed that no Celestial Demon remained in the world. For a fleeting moment, Gu Jiantang, despite eighteen years as Minister of War cultivating his composure, was suddenly enraged. That Xu family boy had gone back on his word, playing a 'letting go to capture' trick on him. Without any visible movement, solely by his will, a perfectly formed sword embryo flew straight towards Yuan Tingshan's head.

This left Gu Jiantang beyond furious. Right under the Son of Heaven's nose, an heir of a vassal king, leveraging the muddled debts the Zhao family owed the Xu family to reclaim old grievances, choosing the perfect moment to snatch chestnuts from the fire – I, Gu, turned a blind eye and allowed your recklessness. But you show no sense of propriety, daring to humiliate me, Gu Jiantang, in front of all of Liyang's important ministers and powerful nobles. Do you truly believe I am a drowning dog that anyone can beat?

With a flick of his sleeve, Gu Jiantang used his qi to swat away the flying sword 'Peach Blossom'. Just as he was about to raise his hand to recall the Nanhua Blade and teach this deranged barbarian from Northern Liang a lesson, he inadvertently caught a fleeting smile on Xu Fengnian's lips. Gu Jiantang, whose composure remained unshaken after navigating the tumultuous seas of officialdom, instantly retracted his intense killing intent and calmly said, "Yuan Tingshan drew his blade to block your sword, which was indeed highly disrespectful to Northern Liang and a transgression. This lesson is perfectly justified. However, if you intend to kill Yuan Tingshan, whether today or any other time, I, Gu, will draw my blade against you."

Grudges of one generation should be settled within that generation. This was the unique arrogance of the few pillars of the court. If Gu Jiantang were to act against Xu Fengnian, who was a generation younger, today, he would undoubtedly be criticized by everyone. Gu Jiantang was the foremost blademaster in the world; winning would bring him no glory whatsoever, and he couldn't severely injure him, which would be troublesome. It would only fuel the Northern Liang heir's rising arrogance, which was destined to swell. Gu Jiantang was always generous with gifts that added splendor to brocade for his direct subordinates in the Ministry of War. Yet, for the eldest son of "The Butcher" standing before him, Gu Jiantang wouldn't normally even deign to give a direct look.

Xu Fengnian shook the sleeves of his python robe, and the twelve flying swords returned into them. Then he casually tucked his hands into his sleeves. This unrefined gesture was exactly like Xu Xiao's—truly, a crooked upper beam leads to a crooked lower one.

Xu Fengnian chuckled lightly, "Minister Gu's 'Square Inch Thunder', capable of slaying saints of the three religions, truly opened my eyes. I look forward to experiencing it in the future."

"Minister Gu"—a teasing address, stirring up what shouldn't be stirred.

Gu Jiantang didn't feign magnanimity with a dismissive smile. Old Cripple Xu could place a Northern Liang blade on his shoulder in front of both sides' generals, patting it casually and utterly humiliating him, and Gu Jiantang could endure it again and again. But facing Xu Fengnian, Gu Jiantang lost that composure. This had nothing to do with his breadth of mind. As one of the Four Great Generals of the Spring and Autumn Period, who had resigned as Minister of War to be granted the title of Grand Pillar of the State, for the first time in his life, Gu Jiantang gazed so intently at the Xu family's eldest son. "I, Gu, await your arrival in Liangliao for ancestral worship. As long as you dare to come and challenge my title as the foremost blademaster, within the borders of Liaodong, no one will dare to play tricks against you, save for an honorable fight with me."

Xu Fengnian still had his hands tucked into his sleeves, maintaining a lazy, rogue posture.

Gu Jiantang waved his hand, and two eunuchs, along with a contingent of Imperial Guards, carried the blood-soaked Yuan Tingshan out of the pit. Gu Jiantang glanced at the young mad dog whose face was deathly still and whose eyes were dull and lifeless. Crimson blood dripped from the Nanhua Blade onto the plaza. Gu Jiantang stated calmly, "From today onwards, the Nanhua Blade belongs to you, Yuan Tingshan, as your personal possession. Consider it a dowry from Northern Lake."

Yuan Tingshan slowly turned his head, looking at the general who had replaced the King of Northern Liang as the dynasty's sole Grand Pillar of the State. A spark of life ignited in his eyes, and he strained to crack a smile.

Gu Jiantang paid him no mind, instead looking up at Cao Changqing and the sword-riding woman on the south city wall. The imperial court had long anticipated West Chu's visit to the capital for the grand ceremony. The Sword Tomb's Ancestor Su Wang had emerged for this very reason, taking his position as a grandmaster of swordsmanship at the central eighteenth gate. Beyond him, there were no fewer than six or seven other top experts who had long resided in the deep waters of the capital. Some time ago, Gu Jiantang had offered to guard one of the gates for the court, to obstruct Cao Changqing, but His Majesty had not permitted it. It could be said that Cao Changqing's appearance was not unexpected for Gu Jiantang and his small circle. As long as West Chu still harbored ambitions of restoration, today was undoubtedly the best opportunity to make an appearance. This was the same "fallacy" as Xu Fengnian being able to vent his anger in the capital only through an unreasonable move at this very moment. However, Gu Jiantang, as a military general who had commanded the Ministry of War for nearly two decades, was entirely unoptimistic about West Chu's restoration. He even believed it could become an excellent point of entry for Zhang Julu to drain hidden currents. The purple-bearded, green-eyed official's governance of Liyang, and his efforts to rectify officialdom, faced an unimaginable amount of resistance from outside forces. He appeared to rely on His Majesty the Emperor's trust, his momentum unstoppable, but what truly lay within, and when a violent backlash would occur, even Gu Jiantang dared not imagine.

Was this grand ceremony not also a tacit understanding unspoken to outsiders? Cao Changqing was confident in his Confucian Saint methods. If Tai'an City dared to break ties, the West Chu chess master, who had made a grand vow upon entering the Saint realm to sacrifice his life for a world-altering upheaval, would certainly dare to risk his life to allow that exiled princess to depart on her sword. With his own saintly life, Cao Changqing would exchange it for the capital's enfeoffment ceremony to become a great tragedy with hundreds of official casualties. If the Emperor truly intended to prevent Cao Changqing from entering Tai'an City, he could have originally had Gu Jiantang with Nanhua, Chen Zhibao with Plum Blossom Wine, Sword Tomb Ancestor Su Wang, and Liu Haoshi positioned at the four city gates, each with their elite forces. If they encountered Cao Changqing, they would only need to delay him for less than half an incense stick's time, and the other three could immediately bring people to intercept and encircle him. But to Gu Jiantang's surprise, the Emperor and Zhang Julu, as well as the tongueless strategist who had never left Tai'an City in his life, did not make such conservative arrangements. Instead, they allowed Cao Changqing to swagger onto the city wall, proclaiming to the world: West Chu is restored!

Gu Jiantang smiled. Back when Liyang and West Chu were locked in a north-south standoff, their forces were so evenly matched that no one could predict the outcome. But now, after twenty years of peace, West Chu was almost attempting to use half its national strength to contend with the combined forces of the other Spring and Autumn states. A snake swallowing an elephant? Gu Jiantang shook his head. Cao Changqing was still too much of a scholar.

The Liyang Emperor stepped forward and declared in a clear voice, "I hope, in my lifetime, to calmly meet with Mr. Cao inside this Tai'an Palace City for a game of chess."

Cao Changqing smiled freely, offering no reply.

Jiang Ni soared ten zhang from the city wall on her sword, sending another wave of trembling through the civil and military officials on the plaza. She quirked her lips, and the Great Liang Dragon Sparrow vanished high into the clouds.

The dimples in her cheeks, were they mocking his white hair?

Cao Changqing then turned and swept away.

The Emperor had Song Tanglu, the Director of the Directorate of Imperial Household, ascend the steps and whisper something. Then, the influential and popular eunuch walked near the steps and, facing the plaza, said in a deep voice, "By special decree, the Northern Liang heir, Xu Fengnian, is excused from court. He may depart the city at any time, without needing to report to the imperial court."

Upon hearing the imperial decree, Xu Fengnian still had his hands tucked into his sleeves and simply turned and walked away.

The Zhao family emperor, who had been closely watching the Northern Liang heir's next move, narrowed his eyes, but quickly relaxed, his expression normal. Almost at the same moment Xu Fengnian turned, the Emperor walked towards the main hall and stepped over the threshold.

The Zhao and Xu families parted ways.

As Xu Fengnian turned, most officials simultaneously swallowed hard. Especially Jin Lanting, the Right Libationer of the Imperial Academy, who should have been full of vigor, now looked ashen and despondent.

After Xu Fengnian exited the city gate, he stopped. The spectral entity, Dan Ying, was in perfect sync with his will, no less effective than the flying swords which no longer required him to expend qi to control. After it knocked down the aged powerful being from the imperial palace onto the city wall, within half an incense stick's time, there were countless silent life-and-death exchanges. The spectral entity's lowest pair of arms hung limply, and its vibrant crimson robe was somewhat tattered and ragged. After all, it was a creature of yin, and engaging in a peak-level duel with a Heavenly Phenomena realm expert within Tai'an City, without the advantage of timely circumstances, was inherently a fatal disadvantage. Its ability to perform as it did was already astounding. Liu Haoshi, rumored to have been in the Heavenly Phenomena realm for longer than an ordinary person's entire lifetime, stood quietly at the base of the wall, showing no sign of vexation, only a gaze as dark as a venomous snake, fixed intensely on the Northern Liang heir.

Xu Fengnian first smiled brightly at the spectral entity, then walked towards Liu Haoshi. Stopping a dozen or so zhang away, he spoke, "Don't die of old age too quickly."

The old man's laugh was hoarse, like an old donkey dragging a millstone. He extended a palm, turning it over once. "I couldn't kill the bigger one back then, but killing a smaller one is nothing more than that."

Xu Fengnian extended a finger and wiped his lips. "That old tortoise is hiding in the deep abyss; I can't do anything to him for now. However, among the ten great aristocratic families of the Spring and Autumn period, there's the Nanyang Liu clan who revere you as their ancestor, and many talented young elites who aspire to serve the imperial court. I'll have someone root them out. Will you save them or not? I deliberately refrained from doing these dirty deeds before, thinking I'd come to the capital and tell you myself."

The old man was indifferent, sneering, "A clay Bodhisattva crossing a river cannot even save itself, yet you dare utter such arrogant words before me."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "A vast and beautiful land, let's see how it unfolds on donkey-back."

The white-haired young man slowly walked along the imperial thoroughfare with his hands tucked into his sleeves. The crimson-robed spectral entity, full of joy, watched his departing figure, while with compassion, it regarded Liu Haoshi, who was painstakingly suppressing his killing intent.

After walking some distance, Xu Fengnian withdrew his hands from his sleeves and, without turning his head, suddenly asked, "From now on, you'll be called Xu Ying, alright?"

The spectral entity extended an arm and gently tugged on his sleeve.

Man and spectral entity, seemingly dependent on each other, walked silently hand in hand along the central axis of Tai'an City.

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