Chapter 453: Long and Short Technique

He Xinliang

The Pigtail Girl, understanding and unfazed by her two guests taking over, saw them preparing for a late-night talk. She lit two thick, half-burnt red candles in the hall, then went to her room to read. The door was left ajar, a crack of light showing through. Since she was willing to light a lamp, she secretly crouched by the door, struggling to read by the dim, faint glow.

Shangyin Academy had countless libationers and teachers, but few truly deserved the title of "master." Libationer Wang, in his younger days, had won the debate on names and reality but lost the debate on humanity and heaven, defeated by the current Grand Libationer of the Academy. In terms of standing, he still firmly ranked among the top three in the Academy. When it came to strategic debate and persuasive rhetoric, no one could surpass him. At this moment, Libationer Wang bent down and reached out, warming his hands by the stove. The firelight made his weathered face glow. Occasionally, he picked a peanut from a dish and popped it into his mouth. Xu Fengnian sat on a small stool, holding the little girl's most beloved barbarian brocade boots. He carefully managed the heat, keeping them a certain distance above the burning charcoal in the stove, slowly drying them.

This way, no matter how distinguished their identities, both men exuded a down-to-earth simplicity. They didn't seem like lofty, revered clay statues. Neither rushed to speak, even though the current situation was imminent, a truly urgent matter. But after all, real-world affairs were not like a game of Go; there was no taking back moves. Old Libationer Wang was very serious this time, his mood far from light. Scholars often theorized brilliantly on paper but were inept in practice. Libationer Wang had spent his entire life studying the art of diplomacy and strategy, but even the best plans needed people to execute them. On a chessboard, pieces were set and couldn't be changed, but living people were not so simple. Who would genuinely want to be a puppet or a pawn? This was why Libationer Wang had always been nonchalant about playing Go. The board and pieces were inanimate objects; otherwise, to select capable officials, couldn't one just pick a few renowned Go masters from the imperial Go academy?

As the little girl, reading by the light behind the door, turned a page, she glanced at the white-haired man outside. She certainly couldn't dislike him, but it wasn't the stirrings of first love either. Firstly, she was still young, and secondly, matters between men and women weren't simply about how good someone was; it didn't guarantee affection. Love arises unknowingly and ends unpredictably; who can truly explain fate? The Pigtail Girl, influenced by her scholarly family background, felt she would still find a scholar like her father in the future. The warm and handsome young man in the hall outside was indeed good, but unfortunately, he wasn't her type.

The little girl had no intention of eavesdropping. She withdrew her fleeting thoughts, as thin as paper. She instinctively dipped her finger in saliva, gently turned the page, put it in her mouth, then smacked her lips, her mouth filled with the scent of ink. She then chuckled to herself. Her parents always said this habit was bad, that books were hard to preserve and ruining them was detestable. But the little girl didn't care about such things; she never reformed despite repeated admonitions. Over time, her father simply pretended not to see, so as not to be bothered.

In the hall, Libationer Wang finally spoke slowly. "Consider defeat before victory. Let's first talk about the worst-case scenario. Of the 600 people, it's roughly 20% teachers and 80% scholars. In the past two years, a good portion of the Jixia scholars have been sent by me, under various pretexts, to travel and lecture in places like Old Shu, Jizhou, and Xiangfan. Half of the Jisheng teachers have established private academies within 800 *li* of Beiliang, or are affiliated with local powerful families. These people will find it relatively easy to enter Beiliang, but we cannot rule out the possibility of the imperial court secretly monitoring them. They might be ruthlessly eliminated at the slightest sign of trouble. If even they face such risks, not to mention those still remaining in the Academy, who are essentially lambs to the slaughter. The goodwill between the Xu and Zhao families has run out. With such a large-scale migration, not only will there be difficulties from prefectures and counties along the way, but even the Zhu Gou will likely be deployed. This group of teachers and scholars, who are no stronger than delicate women, cannot withstand a few hoof stomps. To put it bluntly, a single spear thrust from a slightly elite Liyang armored soldier could skewer them like *tanghulu*. Your Highness's statement that less than half will reach Beiliang is not an exaggeration."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "When the soldiers come, we'll block them; when the water comes, we'll cover it with earth. Liyang's iron cavalry and the assassination-expert Zhu Gou are used to eating meat, but are our Beiliang spies and agents vegetarians? When we were feasting on meat by the bowlful back then, didn't they have to wait eagerly on the sidelines for soup? My master once left a brocade pouch specifically for this matter, and we have already begun implementing the countermeasures. The geographical advantage lies with Liyang, but as for timing and human factors, though not entirely in Beiliang's favor, things are better than the straitened circumstances of a few years ago. Firstly, Beiliang dispatched forces to raid several towns on the Northern Mang border, and my second sister even led troops all the way to the Southern Dynasty capital, leaving Northern Mang exhausted. Furthermore, the demon Luoyang spent a year last year boldly moving south, luring and killing countless elite cavalry soldiers. Beiliang has cultivated a large number of martial artists and agents, who were previously used to guard against the southward infiltration of Northern Mang's martial arts factions. We feared these desperadoes would not target well-guarded powerful officials and meritorious figures, but would instead pick on vulnerable people who were merely hovering at the threshold of nobility. Now they can be deployed within Liyang territory. If Northern Mang dares to take advantage of the chaos and try to collude with the Zhao family, then we'll let Xu Xiao fight them again. It just so happens that Chu Lushan, the new Beiliang Protector, and Yuan Zuozong, the cavalry commander, are both wondering how to implement their 'three fires' as new officials. If they set those fires on Northern Mang, even Zhong Hongwu and Yan Wenluan would be happy to see it. Moreover, Liyang's Zhu Gou: when Cao Changqing escorted the princess, he severely decimated their top spies, and they haven't recovered their strength yet. Beiliang's elite agents and loyalists aren't good at open battle, but they excel at covert operations involving a few to a company of people, and can barely hold their own against Zhu Gou. One more thing: the elite loyalists who previously spent too much energy protecting me, this unworthy fop, can now be dispatched to support Beiliang's established military spies. Don't forget, Beiliang's iron cavalry is unparalleled, largely because of their excellent scouts. If the Zhao imperial court completely tears off its mask and deploys over a thousand armored soldiers and strong infantrymen, then don't blame them when they run into a brick wall."

The old gentleman sighed. "By then, this chessboard will be a scene of interlocking fangs and claws."

The old gentleman pulled back his hands, warmed by the stove, and rubbed his gaunt cheeks. "Perhaps there will be blood everywhere then."

Xu Fengnian said calmly, "You can't expect a horse to pull a cart without feeding it grass. There's no such free lunch in this world. My Xu family doesn't plot rebellion or usurp the throne; we guard your Zhao family's northwestern gateway. Even an ordinary household knows to feed a guard dog. But the Zhao family, on the other hand, constantly wishes this dog – whose only flaw is its refusal to wag its tail and beg – would quickly become skin and bones from hunger, so they can find a good time to stew it for a satisfying meal. Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone Beiliang's iron cavalry, forged in blood."

Xu Fengnian suddenly smiled, put down the old boots he had finished drying for the little girl, and poked the charcoal with iron tongs. "However, if I were the Zhao emperor or crown prince, I would also be wary of the Xu family. How can one allow another to snore beside their bed? While I understand that, I can never accept it for myself."

The old gentleman smiled knowingly, no longer addressing Xu Fengnian as "Your Highness," sounding a bit more affectionate. "You young man, you speak with reason, but your actions are perverse logic."

Xu Fengnian smiled wryly. "It's not easy to manage a domain. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you don't make a fuss and roll around a few times, how will others take you seriously?"

Libationer Wang laughed heartily. "Well then, shall we talk about the brighter side?"

Xu Fengnian's expression also brightened a little, and he laughed heartily. "Talking about this is indeed comforting."

Unexpectedly, the old gentleman shook his head and said, "I must first throw some cold water on you. Let's assume that more than half of the 600 people make it to Beiliang alive. Have you considered what happens then, when the temple is small but the Buddhas are many, and there's not enough porridge for the monks? All scholars under heaven will be watching how Beiliang settles these people. Beiliang is small and barren, and while there are quite a few official positions, they cannot be handed out indiscriminately. If too many are given away, official positions become worthless, and after a comfortable period, no one will be willing to serve you diligently. What's more, Beiliang's local powers are deeply entrenched, and most are powerful military families who rose during the Spring and Autumn conflicts. If disputes arise then, whom will you help? Blindly favoring one side will inevitably make you disliked by both. Those favored will become increasingly greedy, while those neglected will harbor resentment. The most difficult aspect of this matter is not just the troublesome, often bloody, military affairs, but more so the petty domestic squabbles that are truly vexing. I know that after you squeezed out Chen Zhibao, you deliberately began to change your image as a fop in Beiliang, especially among the veteran soldiers, which was no easy feat. Aren't you afraid that this self-contained faction from the Academy will form cliques in Beiliang, causing you to fail at the last moment, and curse you as a wasteful, good-for-nothing fop?"

Xu Fengnian smiled faintly. "For a woman marrying into a family, the happiest things, besides connecting with her husband, are two crucial points: that her father-in-law is fair-minded, and her mother-in-law is kind-hearted. Beiliang thirsts for talent, but while 'thousand-li horses' are common, 'Bo Le' (talent scouts) are rare. Without these few hundred people from Shangyin Academy, wouldn't the Xu family still have established a firm foothold in Beiliang? Wouldn't we still have beaten Northern Mang so thoroughly they couldn't raise their heads? As for Beiliang's local powers, Xu Xiao finds many things difficult to do, but I don't mind being the villain at all. You have connections with Xu Xiao and rely on that goodwill to exploit the common people and strip Beiliang bare. But you haven't reached that level of connection with Xu Fengnian, and I haven't relied on them to get to where I am today. I won't favor anyone; I'll politely reason with both the local powers and the newcomers. Outside Beiliang, my reasoning might not be understood, but in Beiliang, if you dare to be unreasonable with me, I can truly make you suffer the consequences. If you are a local power, and you use your military merits to become wealthy landlords or control various prefectural and county military affairs, that's fine; these are your deserved rewards. But if your conduct is too egregious, damaging the foundation of the Xu family's wall—digging dog holes with a hoe here and a hammer there, making a sturdy gatehouse leak wind from all sides—then don't blame me for using your corpses to fill the holes. If you are a newcomer, as long as you're not falsely virtuous and you work diligently, there will be official positions, gold and silver, and no shortage of women. Beiliang's small size also has its advantages: everywhere is under the Xu family's watchful eye, and whatever you do will be seen. What the Xu family does can be summed up in two words: 'fairness and justice.' As for painstaking persuasion, I'm afraid that will fall to you, old gentleman; I imagine you'll also be cursed behind your back."

Libationer Wang nodded. "With fairness and kindness working in tandem, these poor young brides who have left their maiden homes, as long as they manage their households diligently and frugally, won't fear having no future. There will certainly be bumps and scrapes, but at least it won't be so tragic that they have to hang themselves or jump into a well. That's enough. They aren't delicate young ladies from prominent families to begin with; as long as they have a good in-law family that shows empathy, they can endure hardship."

Xu Fengnian chuckled teasingly, "The first time I saw you, old gentleman, playing Go with Xu Xiao on Qingliang Mountain, your words were so refined. Perhaps associating with a boorish person like me has made your speech crude."

The old gentleman shook his head and self-deprecatingly said, "This is called 'serving dishes according to the guest's taste' or 'prescribing the right medicine for the illness.' If I were to deliberately act informal and chummy with the King of Beiliang, Liyang's foremost barbarian, I would have to purposely sling arms over shoulders, drink wine by the bowlful, and eat meat in large chunks. That would surely be the death of an old man like me. Besides, the art of strategy is also known as the art of 'strengths and weaknesses,' which simply means using one's own strengths against the enemy's weaknesses. Speaking of which, I dare to test Your Highness the heir: where do Beiliang and Liyang each possess their strengths and weaknesses?"

Xu Fengnian said with a helpless expression, "Old gentleman, you'd have to ask Xu Beizhi or Chen Xiliang about that. I'm not keen on revealing my own shortcomings. Does that count as grasping the rudiments of the art of 'strengths and weaknesses'?"

Libationer Wang quietly hummed in assent.

Xu Fengnian quietly asked, "This little girl's surname is Ouyang, and her grandfather's surname is also Ouyang, from Longgang. Have you heard of them, old gentleman?"

Libationer Wang calmly replied, "The little girl's father is a partial student of mine. He doesn't have a good opinion of Beiliang and won't go with us."

Xu Fengnian nodded, thinking that was fine. With Shangyin Academy undergoing such turbulent changes, the Academy and the imperial court, in order to stabilize public sentiment, would surely ensure that given the Pigtail Girl's father's scholarly knowledge, his future life would certainly be much more comfortable, at the very least.

Xu Fengnian stood up. "Shall we depart then?"

Libationer Wang stood up and smiled. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

Xu Fengnian smiled faintly. "That girl dislikes vulgarity."

The two men quietly walked out of the room. After Xu Fengnian closed the door, he hung the jade pendant he had taken on the sly on the grape trellis.

The next day, the wind and snow ceased. By the Buddha's Palm Lake at Shangyin Academy, a giant snowman several people tall stood erected.