Chapter 47: That Mountain Hawthorn, That Lake Lotus (Part 2)

If Longhu Mountain was considered the capital of immortal dwellings and Taoist centers, then Shangyin Academy stood as the city of sages.

With the conclusion of the chaotic Nine Nations' Spring and Autumn War, the Shangyin Academy no longer witnessed the 'Hundred Schools of Thought Contending.' Nevertheless, the magnanimous spirit of equality among scholars, where academic standing was not ranked, continued to thrive. Generally, in the magnificent Shangyin Academy, all areas were accessible and all books could be read, with the exception of the Forest of Merits, which only the Libationer was permitted to enter. However, certain unwritten rules had become deeply entrenched over centuries. These rules were not established by successive Libationers but largely arose because certain Grand Academicians within the academy gained such immense renown that later generations, out of reverence, automatically adhered to them. For instance, Shangyin Academy featured Dayi Lake, where countless green lotuses bloomed. The water was shallow, only about two persons' deep, allowing a clear view of the bottom. The branches, vines, and roots of the green lotuses were distinctly visible, and boating on the lake felt like floating in the sky, resembling an immortal realm.

Most academy scholars dared not venture onto Dayi Lake for boating or to admire the green lotuses. This was partly because it was a place where Huang Longshi had achieved renown, and partly because a woman's residence was located in a lakeside pavilion.

For the past five or six years, she alone had completely overshadowed everyone else at Shangyin Academy.

Upon her initial enrollment at the academy, she immediately demonstrated the advantages of her family background, directly apprenticing under Libationer Wang and a prominent military strategist. Both masters poured all their knowledge into her. When some disgruntled individuals came to Dayi Lake to provoke her, this sword-wielding woman, newly admitted to the academy, said nothing. She simply drew her sword and severed the topknot of the leading student. During a second, even larger 'punitive expedition,' she, without a word, drew her sword and killed one of them on the spot. Although she was confined by the academy, no one dared to provoke her again. This rather plain-looking lady, after all, was capable of murder. Later, she founded the 'Nineteen Paths,' which became widely popular.

Subsequently, she began to evaluate the achievements of scholars nationwide, engaging in 'Ten Matches on the Lake' at Dayi Lake, which garnered an equal mix of praise and criticism. In recent years, many scholars from various countries who came to Shangyin for study were drawn there specifically because of her. Regardless of how much infamy she attracted, the undeniable truth was: how many people in the world were truly worthy of her criticism? They were few and far between. Though the literati and poets outside the academy might curse her most vehemently, the young man who had played the 'Ten Matches on the Lake' against her had long ago revealed the truth: those who cursed most fiercely would, upon actually facing her, inevitably become the quickest fence-sitters, their resolve like weeds, bending over and over again.

The pavilion by Dayi Lake did not display the grandeur typical of a Marquis's residence. Instead, it was crafted by academy artisans, ingenious and unconventional in its design. Outside, she raised some aggressive ducks, interspersed with several vegetable patches—all intended for consumption, entirely devoid of the refined air of the older scholars who kept geese, cranes, or cultivated chrysanthemums and plums. This was Xu Weixiong.

Today, after finishing her classes and eating a self-sufficient lunch inside the pavilion, Xu Weixiong began writing 'The Thousand-Character Essay of Admonishment.' She had started writing it at the Beiliang Prince's Manor, initially out of boredom, having a perpetually idle younger brother whom she wished to admonish through writing. Seeing no effect, she had put it aside. Later, upon arriving at Shangyin Academy, she took up her pen again, occasionally jotting down a few insights. Little by little, the 'Thousand-Character Essay' had grown to over six hundred characters. The first seventy or eighty characters alone were incredibly striking to read: 'Human affairs can be navigated, the Heavenly Way never falters. A family that gives much and takes little will prosper for generations. A clan that accumulates merit and benevolence will surely see its reward within a century; a nation that values its people over its ruler will endure for a millennium. How does one suffer an early demise? By speaking thinly, acting thinly, thinking thinly – everything thin. How does one meet a brutal end? By being full of malice, accumulating dark secrets, delighting in sinister deeds – everything sinister...'

Today, she wrote: 'How do blades pierce one's flesh? A gentleman is headstrong, a villain acts recklessly. How does one drown oneself or hang oneself? A man lacks talent and courts danger, a woman is overly spirited and domineering.'

Upon writing this, Xu Weixiong paused for a moment, then offered a faint smile as her thoughts flowed, her pen not faltering. She continued: 'How does one perish from a sudden illness? By emptying oneself. How does one die from a poisonous sore? By indulging in rich, sweet, fatty foods.'

Yet, when she reached this seemingly unrelated part, Xu Weixiong let out a cold snort, her pen tip abruptly pressing down. Consequently, the final stroke of the character '膩' (ni, meaning greasy or cloying) appeared exceptionally dark and heavy, brimming with sharp intent.

It seemed she had recalled that troublesome younger brother.

Xu Weixiong's mood soured considerably. She put down her wolf-hair brush, exited the pavilion, untied the rope of a small boat, and began to row across the lake alone. Ripples spread across the water; on such a vast lake, there was only one person and one boat. Were it not for the millions of graceful green lotuses, it would indeed have felt quite desolate.

Lying in the boat, she raised her wrist, on which a black Go piece, threaded through a drilled hole, was tied with a string.

This Go piece was merely made of ordinary pebble, perfectly suiting Xu Weixiong's taste. Apart from the ancient sword 'Crimson Chi' on her back, capable of slicing iron like mud, she possessed no other valuable items. Her brushes and ink were no different from those of any other academy scholar, and her daily life and diet were anything but luxurious. Had it not been for her exceptional talent and domineering presence, which allowed her to exclusively occupy Dayi Lake, one would never have guessed Xu Weixiong was a princess. Moreover, how could an ordinary feudal lord's daughter possibly compare to this princess? Could even the daughter of the Assassin King of Yan contend with her in nobility? It was likely she wasn't even worthy of carrying her shoes. Xu Weixiong gazed at the circles of light radiating from the Go piece in the sunlight, feeling a little mesmerized.

In the distance, by the lakeside, two figures furtively squatted behind the emerging green lotuses, whispering to each other.

One of them had a head that seemed to lack a forehead bone, a sunken nose bridge, and exposed tooth roots – by any reckoning, a short-lived face destined for an early death and reincarnation. With a troubled expression, he said, 'Junior Brother, are you really going over to Senior Sister Xu? She kills people, you know.'

The other person, however, was elegant and dashing, with an extraordinary bearing, especially handsome and charming when he smiled. He said indifferently, 'Senior Brother Liu, look carefully. Senior Sister didn't bring her sword today, did she?'

The man whose face seemed destined for a life of hardship looked even more distressed, nervously persuading, 'Junior Brother, you haven't been at the academy long. You mustn't upset Senior Sister Xu. On my very first day, I personally witnessed her drawing her sword and killing someone. That's why later, when I went to pay my respects to the master and several senior brothers and sisters, my legs simply gave out.'

The dashing man, who had just begun studying under the same master as this timid Senior Brother, teased, 'Senior Brother Liu, was it two legs or three?'

Senior Brother Liu, with a righteous expression, thoughtfully considered for a moment, then solemnly replied, 'Three!'

The junior brother, whose appearance was hundreds of times better than his senior brother's, chuckled, 'Senior Brother, if I can get onto Senior Sister Xu's small boat, how about you call me Senior Brother from now on?'

Senior Brother Liu nodded without hesitation, 'No problem.'

This junior brother was the gifted young man who had played the 'Ten Matches on the Lake' against Xu Weixiong. Even though the chessboard wasn't the Nineteen Paths, he felt no displeasure at all. He had initially believed he had an eighty percent chance of winning on the Nineteen Paths, but when Xu Weixiong brought out a fifteen-line Go board, his heart was filled with nothing but pleasant surprise. Such was his peculiar disposition; what was 'face' worth anyway? It couldn't buy him much silver. He figured that as long as he won the 'Ten Matches on the Lake,' he would absolutely avoid the Nineteen Paths, perhaps never touching a Go piece again in his life. Then, no matter how unrivaled Xu Weixiong's Go skills became nationwide, what would it matter? Wouldn't it just make him seem even more invincible? Unfortunately, he couldn't even defeat Xu Weixiong on the fifteen-line board. Yet, he was still very happy; not losing and not winning was also perfectly fine, as it gave him a reason to stay at the academy. With his demeanor, it seemed there was nothing in the world that wasn't worth being happy about.

He submerged himself in the lake, moving like a fish, and swam towards the small boat.

Senior Brother Liu watched, dumbfounded, completely forgetting that their bet only specified what would happen if the junior brother won, but not if he lost.

The junior brother truly possessed great audacity.

None of his fellow senior brothers dared to pester Senior Sister Xu.

Senior Brother Liu watched intently, ready to intervene at any moment.

In the center of the lake, Xu Weixiong frowned, pulled back her wrist, and subconsciously reached for Crimson Chi, but realized she wasn't wearing her sword. She then stood up, yanked a green lotus out by its roots, and with lightning speed, stabbed the slightly oversized 'fish' to the bottom of the lake.

Seeing no more movement, Xu Weixiong said flatly, 'Don't let it happen again.'

Senior Brother Liu, peeking from behind a cluster of lotus leaves, was even more nervous than the two people involved, fearing that Senior Sister and the junior brother would start fighting if a word went wrong. Dayi Lake was a rare tranquil spot in the academy. Elsewhere, there were always Jixia scholars engaged in lofty discussions, or even lunatics jumping from buildings, diving into water, or running naked. To Senior Brother Liu, a man who approached ordinary matters with an ordinary mind and wrote ordinary essays, this was utterly unacceptable. Therefore, whenever he occasionally heard or saw Senior Sister Xu frustrate those mad, blind, or deaf individuals who refused to diligently study, he secretly found it quite satisfying. As for the junior brother with a mysterious background, their acquaintance was brief but profound; Senior Brother Liu quite liked this unrestrained, handsome prodigy.

Senior Brother Liu's eyes widened as he saw the junior brother swim away. Now, however, the junior brother was returning on his back, belly up, leisurely backstroking, looking as if he were proud despite his defeat.

Having climbed ashore, the junior brother, now sporting a bump on his forehead, chuckled, 'The Grand Libationer lectured me last time, saying there should only be 'drowned dogs' and no 'carefree people.' I think that's utter nonsense!'

Senior Brother Liu anxiously said, 'Junior Brother, be cautious, be cautious.'

The junior brother paid it no mind. After standing straight, he gave a light shake, shedding most of the lake water from his body, then turned to look at the woman disembarking from the boat, his gaze filled with undisguised admiration, yet conspicuously lacking the fear and worship seen in the eyes of ordinary scholars.

Senior Brother Liu worriedly said, 'Junior Brother, be careful not to catch a cold.'

The junior brother put an arm around the shoulder of the senior brother he got along with best among his fellow disciples, and smiled, 'Senior Brother Liu, when we go to the capital city, let's go to Wuying Hall, the highest point in the imperial city, to admire the moon.'

Senior Brother Liu chuckled, 'How could that be possible?'

But it wasn't a question of impossibility, but of daring.

The junior brother, thick-skinned, said, 'The capital city has the most connections. With Senior Brother Liu's looks, marrying a princess or a county princess wouldn't be difficult at all. I'll be your matchmaker and tie the red thread for you. Then, after we climb Wuying Hall, we'll climb Wenhua Hall and Baohe Hall.'

Senior Brother Liu ran a hand over his face, nodded, and said, 'Indeed, that's a viable path.'

Xu Weixiong entered the pavilion alone, having no particular thoughts about what had just transpired in the lake.

The young man's origins were shrouded in mystery. Her decision to play the 'Ten Matches on the Lake' against him on a fifteen-line board was out of her arrogance, not because Xu Weixiong genuinely held him in high regard. When he exceptionally passed the examinations of several Jixia masters and entered the academy, and then specifically chose her discipline, Xu Weixiong became more wary. Xu Zihugu could act recklessly in Jiangnan commanderies, wielding her father's authority to do as she pleased, behaving wantonly without regard for consequences. Xu Weixiong was no mere useless vase, pretty but nothing more. Every step she took had to be considered for the Xu family; she could not afford a single mistake. Nor was she her naive younger brother, Xu Longxiang, who could afford to think of nothing much.

She had thought that a certain fellow might show some promise.

Who knew that not only did he not learn the Kingly Way, but he also didn't learn the Hegemonic Way, let alone touch military strategy. He even showed no interest in the art of courtly maneuvering, but instead picked up a knife and went to learn martial arts?!

Beiliang, with its disparate million households and three hundred thousand Beiliang Iron Cavalry, represented a vast and glorious family enterprise, second only to the emperor's. Could a single knife truly support it?

Xu Weixiong stared at the Go piece on her wrist and cursed softly, 'You idiot!'

After cursing aloud, Xu Weixiong felt a little better, but her mood quickly turned serious again. She caressed the Go piece with two fingers, sneering, 'A grander pretense than even a prince.'

She remembered what her father had stated in a secret letter after investigating that junior brother: 'This child's origin is mysterious and untraceable. All that is known is that Han Diaosi, the chief of the thirty thousand eunuchs in the Imperial Palace, bows in his presence.'