Chapter 491: Several Hundred Sable Hats

Lingzhou was not like Youzhou and Liangzhou, with their gleaming armor and chilling weapons. Life here could be summed up in two words: peaceful and prosperous. The high-ranking officials, all having been battlefield generals, now found themselves with time on their hands after no longer needing to fight for their lives, and so they happily focused on generating wealth together. Ever since Li Gongde, the shrewd "Iron Rooster," became the Governor-General, his skill at mediating was unparalleled; he always encouraged harmony, never division. As a result, Lingzhou became increasingly harmonious. Aside from the Zhong family, whose roots were in Longqing County and who experienced some discontent, all other families, big and small, were quite content. Moreover, didn't Zhong Chengxin, the eldest legitimate son of Old General Zhong, still become the Prefect of Longqing County? Even Xu Beizhi, the new rising star of Beiliang, had only been promoted three ranks from a minor military clerk; his official position wasn't very high, and he continued to assist Prefect Zhong. This showed that the Zhong and Xu families were far from breaking ties.

However, a piece of news quickly circulated within Lingzhou's well-informed official circles: the Grand General's two personal guards, Han Laoshan and Xu Yanbing, had both unexpectedly been promoted to Deputy Generals of Lingzhou. Even more preposterous was that His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, who had caused a stir in the capital and returned triumphantly to Beiliang, had personally taken on the title of Lingzhou General. Many retired veteran generals secretly grumbled, wondering why the Crown Prince didn't just sit himself directly on the chair of the Beiliang Protector-General, and why he had extended his influence into Lingzhou's officialdom—it seemed rather improper. In any case, as soon as the New Year passed, a triennial grand military review was to be held on the Youzhou border. Everyone understood that the Grand General had already begun laying the groundwork for "entrusting his heir" and preparing for his passing. According to the whispers in Lingzhou's official circles, it would be more agreeable for the Crown Prince, Xu Fengnian, to let his adopted sons, Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong, assist him in becoming a commander on the border—whether to display his might or to remain a hidden dragon—so that people wouldn't have to see him and worry. This would surely be more comfortable than taking over the "hot potato" of the Lingzhou General post.

At the Governor-General's mansion, lanterns and streamers adorned the grounds, and the main gate was wide open, welcoming distinguished guests. Li Gongde, already a Grade 2 regional official, beamed, treating the suddenly arrived Grand General as if he were a Bodhisattva. Having received inside information that the Crown Prince was to become the Lingzhou General, Li Gongde had talked himself hoarse, finally persuading an old neighbor from the same street to vacate a magnificent residence. A temporary plaque was hung, officially designating it the Lingzhou General's Residence. Lingzhou's provincial capital boasted the picturesque Jinyou Lake, and only a handful of residences were qualified to draw water directly into their grounds. The former owner of this auspicious location was an old general from the lineage of Zhong Hongwu, a former Beiliang cavalry commander. Later, he had associated closely with younger, energetic generals under Chen Zhibao, such as Dian Xiongchu. Li Gongde seized this weakness, employing both coercion and kindness, successfully making the old general pack up his belongings and leave with his numerous beautiful concubines.

At this moment, Xu Fengnian, now a Grade 4 military officer, strolled leisurely within the General's Residence. Earlier, he had made a brief appearance at the Governor-General's mansion, showing his face and then leaving, unable to bear the Governor-General's excessive hospitality. He had left Xu Xiao and the accompanying Yuan Zuozong and Han Laoshan there, and now, with Xu Yanbing, nominally one of Lingzhou's Deputy Generals, he walked through corridors and buildings. Of Wang Xiu's two junior brothers, Han Laoshan was fairly conversant with military strategy, but Xu Yanbing, the martial arts fanatic beside him, was less than satisfactory. Compared to Han Laoshan, who was to truly settle in Lingzhou and establish his position step by step, Xu Yanbing was merely there to handle unforeseen circumstances, and besides, Xu Yanbing himself had no ambition in this regard. Before leaving the Governor-General's mansion, Xu Xiao had given him a knowing look, saying a small surprise awaited him at this residence. Xu Fengnian didn't hold much expectation; he had seen many flying martial arts masters and immortals. Since he had neglected the path of martial arts, secret manuals, needless to say, could be sold by weight for cheap at Tidal Sound Pavilion, and he didn't care much for divine weapons either. As for women, his two future secondary consorts had already accompanied him to Beiliang, and Xu Fengnian had no desire to incur any romantic debts. However, when Xu Fengnian suddenly caught sight of the young girl dressed in Northern Mang prairie attire, he was still struck with a sense of wonder and pleasant surprise. He racked his brain but never would have guessed it would be the young girl with strong ties to the Northern Mang royal family, Huyan Guanyin. It was to save her tribe that he had single-handedly blocked the herd of wild yaks in the canyon, leading to that life-and-death hunt against Tuoba Chunshun, the favored son of heaven who had every advantage of timing, location, and popular support. That time, Xu Fengnian had almost lost his life to the Thunder Spear of Duanboer Huihui. Xu Yanbing, being perceptive, tactfully moved away to admire the scenery elsewhere, leaving Xu Fengnian and the girl alone. After a moment's thought, Xu Fengnian understood. After returning from Northern Mang, he had recounted every detail of his perilous journey, and during that time, he had casually mentioned Huyan Guanyin's Qiang flute. He surmised that Xu Xiao had traced that clue and brought her from Northern Mang to Lingzhou.

Xu Fengnian sat with her in the pavilion and asked in the prairie language, "Did your younger brother, A Baoji, not come to Beiliang?"

The exquisitely beautiful girl, whose charm was rated at ninety-five fen, was clearly not as melancholic and sensitive as women from the Central Plains. She shook her head and smiled broadly, saying, "My brother is a young eagle of the prairie; the prairie is his home. My brother himself said that he must become the greatest Da Xidi on the prairie, owning the most vast and fertile pastures. In the future, he will ride alongside his benefactor, seize the most beautiful women for his benefactor, the fiercest warhorses, and the finest wines."

Xu Fengnian remembered the sturdy, naive-looking child who liked to roll in the sheep pen and had the wild abandon of swinging a lamb by its legs. He smiled, "He has much more ambition than I do."

The young woman, whose charm seemed to lie between that of a young girl and a young woman, looked curious. She couldn't help but ask softly with a smile, "Benefactor always said he was a scholar from Gousai State. How did you become a young master of a noble family from Beiliang, the mortal enemy of Northern Mang?"

Xu Fengnian leaned against a corridor pillar, looking out at the small lake within the residence, and sighed, "Perhaps that's what they call 'the unpredictability of life'."

Huyan Guanyin said softly, "There's an elder, even more authoritative than a Da Xidi of the prairie, who instructed me to be your maid from now on, to attend to your food, clothing, housing, and travel."

Xu Fengnian said softly, "You don't have to listen to him from now on. Our Beiliang women have always liked carrying swords, riding horses, and drawing bows. No one can restrict you. Even if you find it uninteresting here and want to return to the prairie to see your brother, I can arrange for someone to send you north."

The exquisitely beautiful girl, with the delicate purple-tubed Qiang flute tied to her waist, was unexpectedly quiet and saddened.

Death Warrior Yin suddenly appeared outside the pavilion and respectfully said, neither loudly nor softly, "Reporting to Your Royal Highness, Xu Beizhi from Longjing County and General Wu Wang Zhi have arrived to pay their respects."

The Lingzhou General's Residence was, for now, merely superficial; describing it as "gilded outside, rotten inside" would be no exaggeration, because the position of Lingzhou General itself was a nominal one, serving only as a link between higher and lower echelons. Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded, "From now on, they don't need to be announced when they come here."

The residence had clever servants to guide the two men. Xu Fengnian walked out of the pavilion to greet them. Wang Zhi's father, Wang Shiqu, was both an old Beiliang subordinate and the commander of Jianmen Pass, serving as Li Yishan's long-placed secret pawn in Kuimen for many years. This father-son duo ultimately played a significant role in the Battle of Tiemen Pass. Wang Zhi indeed proved to be a formidable general, living up to expectations. Even against Eunuch Han Diao, he dared to fight to the death without reservation. To intercept "Human Cat," three thousand elite cavalry forces were reduced by a thousand. After aligning with Beiliang, only half of his two thousand personal guards remained. His performance in Longqing County last time was also very remarkable, leaving Xu Fengnian with an excellent impression of him. Xu Beizhi quickly adapted to the local customs, dressed as a scholar in a green gown, appearing more refined than even the renowned scholars of Jiangnan. Wang Zhi escorted him from the side; one civil, one military, they complemented each other perfectly. Huyan Guanyin stood lonely and timidly inside the pavilion, looking out of place. Most women are like that, merely a decorative embellishment to the grand rivers and mountains.

Xu Fengnian put an arm around Xu Beizhi's shoulder and smiled at Wang Zhi, "This time, I didn't make a great meritorious general like you a Lingzhou Deputy General. Do you harbor any resentment? If you do, feel free to speak it, though the deputy general position still cannot be given to you."

Wang Zhi showed no timidity or fear. He grinned broadly and said, "Your Royal Highness, rough fellows like us also know that one doesn't receive rewards without merit. We currently have no outstanding military achievements, so there's no resentment. If we achieve great merit in the future, let alone a Grade 4 Deputy General, even your Lingzhou General position, Your Royal Highness, I would dare to contend for it without hesitation!"

Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded, then pointed to Xu Yanbing, who had quietly returned to stand outside the pavilion, and introduced him: "This is the newly appointed Lingzhou Deputy General, Xu Yanbing. Wang Zhi, you should interact with him more in the future. General Xu is one of Beiliang's foremost martial arts masters, far more useful than idling in front of me, a Lingzhou General with no real power."

Wang Zhi's eyes immediately lit up. "One of the best" carried far more weight than "Lingzhou Deputy General." Since Yuan Zuozong was the third strongest master in the Liyang military, after Gu Jiantang and Chen Zhibao, if Xu Yanbing was one of the best martial artists, he was likely a fierce general on par with Yuan Baixiong, who was unmatched in cavalry combat. How dared Wang Zhi underestimate him? He immediately clasped his fists deeply in salute to the Deputy General. Xu Yanbing merely nodded gently in return.

Xu Fengnian looked at Xu Beizhi and asked with a smile, "Orange, are you getting along well with Young Master Zhong? I heard that several of his beautiful concubines greatly admire your immense talent, and they took turns offering themselves to you, almost competing with Lingzhou's courtesan queen. Right now, the entire Beiliang Road is abuzz with rumors of a young master from a Northern Mang noble family named Xu Beizhi, who revels nightly and lives a life more carefree than immortals."

Xu Beizhi smiled faintly, "I'm better than some, but far from the best. With Your Royal Highness as a paragon already established, what's a little romantic escapade like this?"

Wang Zhi secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. The rumor that Xu Beizhi, who was said to lack integrity in his official conduct, had an extremely close and deep connection with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, seemed to be true. If it had been anyone else, they would have been sweating with fear. Wang Zhi certainly didn't dare to treat the Beiliang Crown Prince, who had dared to personally intercept and kill the Western Regions prince holding the sacred flask, as some dissolute young master. Ordinary crown princes wouldn't have enough time to observe expressions, flatter, and curry favor with meritorious veterans like Zhong Hongwu, who had served alongside their fathers in military campaigns.

Xu Fengnian and Xu Beizhi sat down in the pavilion. Wang Zhi naturally followed Xu Yanbing to guard outside the pavilion. Xu Fengnian glanced at Wang Zhi's burly back, then withdrew his gaze and smiled, "This time, hundreds of people, including those from Qingzhou's Lu family and Shangyin Academy, are crying for opportunities. Lingzhou's officialdom is bloated, with the most 'fat' available. The Governor-General, Li, is known as the best peacemaker in Beiliang—no one claims to be better than him—so he definitely can't play the villain. Chen Xiliang is also busy reorganizing salt and iron. Why don't you take charge? It's a good chance to streamline military officer positions and remove a large number of idle, low-ranking generals. We can also learn from Northern Mang and ensure that military commanders and captains become more deserving of their titles in the future."

Xu Beizhi remained silent, maintaining a considerable demeanor. Wang Zhi, whose ears were pricked up, felt some concern. Accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger. Beiliang was far from the emperor's reach; otherwise, the Grand General wouldn't have been privately condemned by the imperial court as the "Second Emperor." His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was, in fact, no different from the heir apparent of a nation. Although Wang Zhi acted casually in front of Xu Fengnian, he was meticulous beneath the roughness, carefully controlling his demeanor. The seemingly rough and simple-minded generals in historical novels were all shrewd individuals with meticulous minds in official histories. To remain beside a ruler without diminishing one's blessings, and for one's descendants to be long-favored, required a depth of knowledge that was almost bottomless. Earlier, when Wang Zhi was drinking with Xu Beizhi, while the Crown Prince did not kneel before the Son of Heaven in Tai'an City, Xu Beizhi, pleasantly drunk and in high spirits, revealed the tip of the iceberg of his vast knowledge. When discussing how to scheme for a living, just classifying officials and ministers, Xu Beizhi provided nineteen categories, including lone ministers, governing ministers, capable ministers, toad officials, cat officials, and corpse officials—far more intricate than the nine ranks of martial artists. This left Wang Zhi both dumbfounded and greatly enlightened, making him think that this Young Master Xu had truly attained immortality in public service, earning Wang Zhi's utmost admiration despite his own high standards.

Xu Fengnian continued, "Beiliang officialdom has a custom of awarding mink hats around the New Year. From late winter to early spring, hundreds of new mink hats, big and small, in Lingzhou, will all be distributed by you, Xu Beizhi. How about that?"

Xu Beizhi countered, "You, the Lingzhou General, won't interfere, and the Governor-General, Master Li, won't even question a single word?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "Otherwise, why would I take this general position? Wasn't it precisely because I was determined to shield you from fierce criticism? I guarantee you, no matter what is said or by whom, everything will stop with me. You don't need to see or hear anything."

Xu Beizhi said calmly, "The Chief Administrator of Lingzhou, the Prefect, is currently still held concurrently by Governor-General Li. Can Your Royal Highness first give me this position?"

Wang Zhi inwardly marveled. Young Master Xu Beizhi was truly audacious, asking for a Grade 4 high official position just like that, and with such full justification! If word got out, it would surely infuriate those Liyang officials who spent their entire lives stuck at that threshold.

Huyan Guanyin, who had learned some Liyang language in this residence, heard every single word without missing anything, roughly grasping the meaning of the conversation. She slightly parted her lips, looking at the grey-haired man, her eyes a little dazed and faraway.

Xu Fengnian stood up and smiled, "I'll get it for you right now."