Chapter 420: Horses Head South

The capital was adorned with lanterns and streamers, celebrating the arrival of winter and congratulating the various princes on their departure from the capital to assume their fiefdoms. The twilight of this day was like a woman shyly disrobing behind a bed curtain, her movements exceedingly slow. A richly dressed middle-aged man stepped out of his carriage and slowly walked into a restaurant, treading on the lingering glow of the setting sun. Inside, there wasn't a single self-proclaimed gourmand; all had been turned away by the "Closed to Guests" sign hung outside the door, arriving with high hopes only to leave disappointed. Fortunately, everyone in the capital knew that the proprietress of the Nine-Nine Restaurant put on more airs than even royalty, so they were used to it. Customers who arrived on the street around the same time as the man saw that someone had actually entered the establishment and thought about following him in to try their luck. However, they were blocked by several retainers with their hands on their saber hilts. Catching sight of the golden-yellow silk wrapped around the scabbards, they were struck speechless with fear and immediately meekly retreated. The pretty widow, Hong, gracefully lifted the curtain. The instant-boiled mutton hotpot was already steaming. She simply placed several bowls of secret dipping sauces on the table. The man raised his left hand and lightly pressed it down, signaling for the woman to sit. He then picked up a slice of lamb rump meat with his chopsticks and placed it in the pot. He didn't withdraw his chopsticks for quite some time. The woman, who had not yet sat down, strove to control her anger and said in a calm tone, "Don't waste the meat."

Hearing this, the man withdrew his chopsticks, slowly dipped the meat into various exquisite sauce dishes, and then finally put it into his mouth. He nodded; it indeed had a unique flavor. He continued chewing the capital's most authentic instant-boiled mutton, but did not speak. The woman remained standing, her face expressionless. After finishing the visually appealing rump meat from the porcelain plate, whose texture alone was enticing, the man put down his chopsticks. He finally looked up and said, "Hong Chou, have you ever considered that today, in every place reached by the Liyang Dynasty court's decrees, all the common people within its jurisdiction have, without exception, benefited from Xun Ping? All this is thanks to his death, thanks to my failure to save him back then, and thanks to my guilt towards him after ascending the throne."

The woman, called by her full name by the current emperor, sneered, "Hong Chou is just a simple woman with long hair and short wisdom, unable to grasp the bigger picture. She only knows that without her man, she can only resent those bastards who killed him. The only reason I didn't put a few catties of arsenic into the pot today is because I know it would be pointless as it wouldn't kill you."

The emperor withdrew his gaze. A non-cloying fragrance wafted through the mist. After a tiring day, those dozen or so mouthfuls made him feel warm and comfortable. He paid no mind to the woman's angry words and resentment, speaking softly, "King Jiaodong, Zhao Sui, said a few words to him, and I stripped him of all his military power."

The woman laughed mournfully, "You are the Son of Heaven today, is there anything you dare not do?"

The emperor chuckled freely, "You think too highly of me. There are many things in this world that I dare not do. I dare not touch Xu Xiao. Even when his son is right under my nose, I still have to tolerate it."

She sneered, "A person sitting on the dragon throne, how dare you compete in wit and strength with a child?"

The emperor waved his hand, dispersing the hot air that wafted towards him, and turned his head to say, "When I was a child, I also had to live cautiously, with my tail tucked in, always on edge. Those literati in Tai'an City complain that it's not easy to live in the capital, which I've always found amusing, because the Imperial Palace is the hardest place to live in the entire world. My officials think about whether they live well, but in the palace, one thinks about whether one can survive. Before I ascended the throne, I told myself that I would ensure all my children would not live like their father, but after truly becoming emperor, I realized that human power has its limits. The Son of Heaven, after all, is still an ordinary mortal and cannot escape common constraints. Every family has its own troubles. I am the head of my household, Xu Xiao is, and you, Hong Chou, are half of one, managing this restaurant. I imagine you also have many frustrations. For example, you diligently procure the best lamb, the best broth, the best seasonings, and believe your prices are fair—you get what you pay for. But customers, after eating here many times, probably feel that your instant-boiled mutton is nothing special, and might even curse behind your back, saying that woman has a truly black heart. Or, when the post road to Tai'an City had issues, causing you to be short on supplies and forcing you to close, they would surely curse you for being unreasonable, asking why other restaurants can be open every day, but your Nine-Nine Restaurant acts like it's above everyone else? It's hard to guarantee they won't utter some unpleasant words. To put oneself in another's shoes is to have a Buddha's heart; that's the principle. But isn't it precisely because they are easy to say but hard to practice that these great truths are so precious? Moreover, these truths are the most cutting in the world; many people don't want to hear them, because when you state them, and others can't achieve them, it's especially vexing and frustrating. Only after becoming emperor and approving countless memorial essays filled with sincere advice, accumulated over many years, more numerous than the great snow that fell on the day of the Beginning of Winter, did I truly understand the taste of it all."

The emperor did not turn his head to look at the woman's expression, continuing to speak to himself, "Zhao Zhi doesn't have many women she can confide in, and I know you disliked her actions back then. My visit this time has no other meaning; I just want to let you know on her behalf that what she did was wrong, but if given another chance, she would still make the same choice. Yet, in her heart, she suffers, just as I suffer when I knowingly do something wrong. Humans are not plants or trees; all have a heart of compassion. I say all this not to ask you to forgive Zhao Zhi and return to how things were at first sight. The bronze mirror she has used in the palace all these years is still the one you gave her back then. She remembers clearly: eight fen of silver."

This emperor, known for his diligence in governance, frugality, and skill in maintaining his legacy, stood up. As he walked towards the threshold, he smiled and then stopped. "I must admit something: I was very jealous that Xu Xiao could speak cheerfully, arm in arm, with the late emperor back then. Even on his deathbed, he did not forget to leave a will: Xu Xiao must be killed early, firstly for the stability of the court, and secondly so that he could meet Xu Xiao sooner in the afterlife. If there truly is an underworld, they could continue their conquests there together. With Xu Xiao assisting, he would surely laugh at Yama, the King of Hell, or not; otherwise, without this meritorious and fortunate general, he would not be at peace. But if Xu Xiao's son grows up, he must be treated with great kindness. It's a pity; I, as his son, was unable to fulfill either of the old man's two dying wishes."

Walking out of the restaurant, the emperor did not rush into his carriage. He walked slowly along the frozen river, where the wind was bone-chilling. On the river, many mischievous children, despite their parents' warnings, were chiseling ice to catch fish. The imperial guards dared not approach, only following from a distance. Only Master Liu Hao walked five paces behind the current emperor.

The emperor casually said, "Master Liu, all the promising young talents of the Liu clan have already been sent to the capital. There is no need to worry."

Since he had been respectfully addressed as "Master," the elderly expert of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm did not make a big show of thanking him, merely grunting heavily in acknowledgment.

The emperor stopped at the riverbank, cupped his hands and breathed into them, muttering to himself, "Xu Xiao, if your son dies before you, I will bestow upon you a truly auspicious posthumous title. But if he dies before you, and he slaughtered the innocent, his posthumous title would be 'Li' (Harsh); then I will grant you that well-deserved ominous posthumous title."

Grass withered, hawk's eyes keen; snow gone, horse's hooves light.

Two carriages sped south along the post road. In the sky, an ethereal azure-white luan bird pierced through the clouds.

They were heading to Shangyin Academy. The melon was ripe and ready to fall; if not picked soon, it would be past its prime. Xu Fengnian was determined to transform the Wutong Courtyard into another Guangling Spring Snow Tower. While it wouldn't be impossible to operate without her, he understood the cost of things only when he managed them himself. Furthermore, Xu Fengnian didn't want the woman who liked to hold white cats to be looked down upon at Shangyin Academy. Xu Fengnian and Qingniao sat back-to-back at this moment, enjoying the scenery along the way. Death Warrior Wu, with his youthful spirit, spurred his horse, and the two carriages drew abreast on the wide post road. Qingniao usually presented an unapproachable exterior, but once she naturally accepted someone, she was profoundly understanding. She made a gesture to the youth, and Wu grinned. The two leapt and swapped carriages. Xu Fengnian shifted his position slightly, sitting sideways behind the youth.

The youth, Wu, hesitated to speak, and his whip strokes weren't as smooth. Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Speak your mind."

The youth, who didn't even have a name, quietly asked, "Young Master, I don't like that old woman in purple in the carriage. I truly despise her."

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "Why?"

The youth, Wu, was inherently straightforward. Once he started speaking, he poured out his thoughts like beans from a bamboo tube, complaining, "Who is that woman? Isn't she just a female bandit from a piss-ant little mountain stronghold? Why does she dare to scowl and act tough in front of you, Young Master? If it were me, I'd have kicked her off the carriage long ago. She's so ungrateful. Even if she's doing business with you, Young Master, she's the one getting an enormous bargain. How did she become such a big shot when she's with you, acting like a queen? Young Master, I'm not criticizing you, but you can't spoil women like this. Besides, she's nothing special to look at. I've glanced at her a few times, and I didn't see if her butt was curvier or her chest bigger; only her face is passable. But who are you, Young Master? A true man, standing between heaven and earth! In this whole world, who else dares to kill the old emperor's son? Young Master, am I right?"

Xu Fengnian burst out laughing, "Who taught you this flattery? It's terrible."

The youth, Wu, turned his head with a resentful expression, "Young Master, I'm serious!"

Xu Fengnian hid most of his smile, narrowing his eyes as he gazed into the distance. "It's a pity it's not snowing, so we won't see the beautiful scene of snowflakes as big as hands," he murmured with a slight smile, "Actually, it's not just you; hardly anyone likes a woman like her."

The youth, Wu, cracked his horse whip, "Exactly! Then why do you accommodate her everywhere, Young Master? You haven't really fallen for her, have you? Then I must speak my conscience: Young Master, you've misjudged this time; she's not worth it!"

Xu Fengnian wasn't afraid whether the woman inside the carriage would get angry. He leaned his head against the carriage wall. "Before last year, hardly anyone in the whole world liked me either. I suppose we share a common plight."

The youth, Wu, wore a bewildered expression. He clearly knew the Young Master had stated a truth, but he just couldn't understand it. He merely grunted and reluctantly accepted it.

Xu Fengnian joked, "Many people and things are like a woman's ten-month pregnancy: you have to wait patiently; you can't rush them."

The youth, Wu, chuckled mischievously, "If you made that woman pregnant, Young Master, and then just walked away, wiping your hands clean, that would be satisfying!"

Xu Fengnian tapped the youth's head with the scabbard of his Beiliang saber. "You have a death wish. She's a female demon at the Pointing at the Mystery Realm."

Xu Fengnian was a little puzzled. The Master of Huishan inside the carriage, for the first time, did not get angry, or even utter a sound.

Inside the carriage, the purple-clad woman looked at herself in the mirror, silent.