Chapter 505: North Liang Weaving

The three family heads from Huangnan County settled into the Lingzhou General’s Residence, their quarters not far from each other. Aside from their trusted retainers, none of them brought any other personnel into the newly placa-adorned official residence. The Prince ordered them to rest for the night, which immediately made Wang Xihua’s heart clench. It was clear this was a deliberate move to give the three families enough time to communicate beforehand. Wang Gongcao, Wang Zhenlu of the Lingsu Wang clan, and Wang Luting of the Zijin Wang clan had all rushed from their respective families to Lingzhou at dawn. Aside from a hurried lunch during which they briefly exchanged words, they outwardly promised mutual support, yet inwardly maintained their guard against each other. It was difficult to achieve complete solidarity when the rise and fall of their large families were at stake; no matter how harmonious their personal relationships had been in the past, they had to weigh the pros and cons with extreme caution.

Wang Xihua, whom Yao Baifeng had praised as possessing “the talent of three provincial governors,” ate a modest dinner and did not immediately agree to Wang Zhenlu’s request for a meeting. Instead, he went out for a solitary stroll. Not long after stepping out, he saw the young Wang Luting also leisurely walking about. Wang Xihua felt a pang of emotion, thinking, “To be so composed, this young man is truly formidable.” The two exchanged nods and smiles as they passed each other. Wang Xihua continued his slow walk along a waterside corridor, hands clasped behind his back. The water flowed towards Jinyu Lake. Within Lingzhou city, there were only a few residences capable of diverting lake water into their courtyards, and the Strategist’s official residence next door was certainly one of them. A thought struck Wang Xihua, and he turned into a narrow path right beside the wall. Through a hole in the wall, he could see into the courtyard of the neighboring Li residence. Wang Xihua suddenly stopped, just as a highly familiar official on the other side of the wall also approached. After their eyes met, Wang Xihua, his hands still clasped behind his back, smiled and said, “Lord Li, enjoying such leisure? I heard you’ve found an exceptional son-in-law, outstanding in his scholarship, character, and background. Congratulations!”

The mere fact that Wang Xihua, the Gongcao of Huangnan County, addressed Li Gongde simply as “Lord Li” without referring to himself as “your subordinate” or “this humble official” clearly demonstrated his aloofness and arrogance.

Li Gongde patted his sleeve and retorted with a smile, “This official doesn’t need to rely on any son-in-law for his retirement. At least I have a son who’s quite promising, earning genuine military merits on the border. Wang Gongcao, you’d better be careful.”

Wang Xihua nodded, saying, “The border is full of great men. Young Master Li manages both the battlefield and romance, which is certainly enviable. My good-for-nothing son, on the other hand, only knows how to chase after courtesans; he doesn’t have such good fortune.”

It was widely known in Beiliang that Li Hanlin, the Strategist’s son, had once been bisexual, almost always accompanied by handsome young men on his outings. Although he had now reformed, no one doubted the authenticity of the battle merits earned by this ranger captain. However, the notorious young Li had committed many outrageous acts in the past, and Wang Xihua’s veiled sarcasm tonight was nothing short of a helpless father paying for his son’s debts. Li Gongde did not refute him. He bent down, and Wang Xihua wondered why the Strategist was conceding so easily this time. Unexpectedly, when Li Gongde straightened up, he directly threw a handful of dirt at Wang Xihua’s face. It didn’t hurt, but Wang Gongcao, who had always been regarded as the epitome of culture in Lingzhou, had never endured such humiliation. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react, and stood frozen on the spot. Li Gongde burst out laughing, “You damned Wang Xihua, you’re the best at pretending! I’ve wanted to hit you for a long time. Today, there are no outsiders, just us two old enemies... Your Royal Highness, why are you here?”

Hearing this, Wang Xihua instinctively turned his head, only to find no one around. Where was the Prince? He turned back, and again Li Gongde splashed a handful of dirt on his face. Enraged, Wang Xihua pointed a finger and cursed, “Li Gongde, the Three Immortalities are establishing words, merits, and virtues! As a dignified and important minister of the realm, can you honestly ask yourself if you have achieved even one of them?! You have truly sullied the words ‘gongde’ (merit and virtue)! You, with your deceptive and vicious nature, do you really think you’ll die a natural death?”

Li Gongde casually rubbed his nose, then pointed upwards dismissively, saying, “Everyone respectfully calls you Wang Xihua ‘Governor Wang of Three Provinces.’ Three governors – isn’t that just the size of the official hat on my head? Don’t boast to me. Just tell me, whose official rank is higher today, and who has kept you from advancing an inch all these years, leaving you content as a mere county Gongcao?”

Wang Xihua sneered, “Talking to you about the passing of the torch or the seeds of scholarship is like casting pearls before swine!”

Li Gongde chuckled softly, “We’re talking past each other, but ultimately, we’re cut from the same cloth. Neither of us should laugh at the other. Only when you become the second Yao Baifeng will you be qualified to discuss academics and achievements with me.”

Wang Xihua exploded in anger, “Li Gongde, who is cut from the same cloth as you?!”

Li Gongde raised a hand, and Wang Xihua, having been fooled twice, immediately dodged, only to realize that the Strategist held no dirt at all. Li Gongde then remarked, “Tricking you, Wang Xihua, is as easy as tricking a monkey,” and walked away triumphantly. By all accounts, in this unprovoked skirmish between old rivals, Li Gongde, returning victorious, should have been gloating. However, the usually triumphant Li Gongde in Beiliang showed no sign of expected cheer; instead, his face was ashen, clouded with heavy gloom. Wang Xihua’s expression was initially changeable, but as Li Gongde’s figure disappeared into the distance, a slight smile quietly formed at the corner of Wang Gongcao’s mouth. There was no longer any hint of anger or embarrassment. He softly murmured, “Oh, Li the Crab, let’s see how long you can strut around.”

Xu Fengnian received his second secret letter of the day, this one from an old “softshell turtle” in Lingzhou. Xu Fengnian hadn’t expected it to be a Level 4 martial arts master who had entered the Lingzhou General’s Residence. It turned out that even before the crowd gathered at the entrance, the Lingzhou Peregrines had already obtained background information on most of the individuals, some rough, some detailed. The only one missing was the sudden appearance of the drunkard, perhaps because even the foreign spies thought entering the residence so brazenly was inviting death. The secret letter listed no one as a suspected spy; most were martial artists with existing records in official files, which was not surprising. In the Jianghu, it was foolish to dream of making a name for oneself without either harming others or being harmed. Xu Fengnian carefully read the secret letter in his study, while the “softshell turtle” nicknamed “King of Hell’s Blade” knelt motionless on the cold floor. Xu Fengnian put down the letter, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time. Then, opening his eyes, he told the man, “There’s no need to rush about the drunkard, but have Chu Lushan immediately investigate Liu Bozong, a Level 4 master, and especially Sun Chun, who is Level 3. Their backgrounds are too clean, too detailed. From birth to martial arts training to becoming famous, everything seems traceable and completely open, but the more transparent it is, the more unsettling it becomes. Among these two, Sun Chun looks older but is actually only twenty-nine, while Liu Bozong is thirty-two. They happen to be the two youngest. Although I am not a spy myself, I know that with enough effort, it’s easy to create an identity for someone younger than fifteen, and then meticulously train them for over a decade, leaving virtually no trace. I even suspect their families themselves are problematic. I’ll trouble you Peregrines to put more thought into this.”

The man was startled, sweating profusely, and respectfully said, “Protecting Your Highness’s safety is the Peregrines’ top priority and duty; it is no trouble at all.”

The man undoubtedly revered the young Lingzhou General’s special status, but he was even more fearful of the fact that the Prince could directly call out the name of the Peregrines’ leader. Chu Lushan’s fearsome reputation was mere hearsay among outsiders; only a Peregrine could truly comprehend the terrifying abilities of their leader.

Xu Fengnian walked around the desk to the man, bent down to help him up, and gently chuckled, “Beiliang has many civil and military officials, but compared to you, we’d be missing a hundred. Without you, Beiliang would be even more unstable. Help me pass a message to Chu Lushan: this New Year, tell him to give all the Peregrines extra rewards and silver. This money shouldn’t come from him; it should come from Qingliang Mountain. If anyone wants things like secret manuals, they can boldly ask, and the Prince’s residence will try its best to provide them. In my opinion, nothing in this world is more valuable than life. Since you have all pledged your lives to the Xu family, there is absolutely no reason for the Xu family to mistreat you.”

After standing up, the man’s eyes were somewhat red. He hesitated, scratched his head, and seemed a little shy, but then gathered his courage and said, “I’m from Jinzhou, only about three hundred li from the Grand General’s and Your Highness’s old home. However, I left Liaodong six or seven years later than the Grand General. I used to be in other military units, then I got into trouble, and with nowhere else to go, I followed the Grand General. For all these years, I’ve worked under General Chu, and haven’t really earned any merits, just some hard work that anyone could have done. A few years ago, I married a wife and we had a few little girls. Then, in early autumn this year, we finally had a boy. My family isn’t short on silver, so I was hoping Your Highness, when you have a moment, could help name my son. If Your Highness is too busy, then just disregard what I’ve said.”

Xu Fengnian gently replied, “Naming has many intricacies. A bad name can affect future fortunes, and I believe in this quite a bit, so I’m a little hesitant to name your son.”

The man hadn’t held much hope, so he wasn’t disappointed. Xu Fengnian suddenly chuckled, “However, Xu Xiao doesn’t believe in such things. When I return to Liangzhou, I’ll ask Xu Xiao to name your son. If it turns out to be not very good or even unpleasant, you can still use it as a nickname.”

The man was about to kneel again, but Xu Fengnian took his arm and said helplessly, “Alright, even if you kneel several more times, I can’t just ask for more names for your son. Besides, your son won’t need them. A name isn’t like silver, where more is better.”

The man gave an embarrassed smile, losing his previous shrewdness and caution, revealing a genuine, simple-hearted expression.

“After you leave, send a message to Xu Beizhi in Longqing County and tell him to come to the General’s Residence.”

After speaking, Xu Fengnian walked towards the window. The man, filled with joy, no longer disturbed the Prince’s thoughts and quietly exited the study. Xu Fengnian gazed at the balsam flower that Huoyan Guanyin had “reluctantly” brought, his mind wandering far away.

Liyang’s strength lay in its unification of the Central Plains. With Grand Tutor Sun Xiji, as the head of civil officials, leading a large group of former Western Chu loyalists to surrender to Liyang, the struggle for legitimate rule had completely settled. As long as the imperial court was willing to employ talented individuals, they seemed to be inexhaustible. These talents each had their specialties: some focused on moral writings and establishing theories, others pragmatically dedicated themselves to practical achievements, and many more performed the dirty and arduous tasks. If Liyang was like ten thousand acres of fertile land, able to take advantage of its size, then Beiliang was trying to create new patterns on a tiny plot. His master, Li Yishan, for many years truly faced the challenge of making bricks without straw. Xu Fengnian used to joke privately, whether with Xu Xiao or his two elder sisters, that even if he could be emperor, he would never sit on the Golden Throne. This was because he had known early on how difficult it was to govern a region. But once he began to personally set out his plans, he realized that even as the Prince of Beiliang, wanting to accomplish anything was like being in a square cage. The slightest move would lead to hitting a wall. This cage was something painstakingly built by figures throughout successive dynasties, referred to simply as “rules.”

Xu Fengnian returned to his desk and picked up a brush, writing the loosely structured characters “只告尸” (zhi gao shi). He then added a radical next to “只” to complete the character “织” (zhi, meaning weave). Putting down the brush, Xu Fengnian withdrew his hand into his sleeve, left the study, and wandered aimlessly through corridors and buildings. In a small waterside pavilion, he stumbled upon Wang Luting, who was bouncing around to keep warm. This fellow, along with Li Hanlin, Wang Yunshu, and another young master who caused trouble in Emei County, had once been known as the “Four Bullies of Lingzhou.” Not to mention the undeniable stature of Wang Xihua, but compared to the somber Wang Zhenlu, head of the Lingsu Wang clan, Xu Fengnian was undoubtedly more interested in Wang Luting, the new master of the Zijin Wang clan. Due to hereditary succession, Beiliang was now in an inevitable era of turmoil. With a new emperor came new officials; those whose time had ended had fallen, and those meant to rise had yet to do so. Many families were maneuvering to adapt to the changing tide, albeit at different paces. Zhong Hongwu, from a prominent military family, had steered his only son, Zhong Chengxin, towards a civil official career path—a move seeking change. Wang Xihua, himself a renowned scholar, had directed Wang Yunshu towards a military career—also a move seeking change. However, most of these individuals, after all, had influential fathers, making their endeavors half the effort with double the results. Xu Fengnian only knew that the Zijin Wang clan had not produced any great talents for several generations, and he had originally expected Wang Luting’s generation to also fall into decline. He had not anticipated that this time, Wang Luting would possess the boldness to come to the General’s Residence. If he returned empty-handed, the first target for the Strategist’s retribution would certainly not be the families of Wang Xihua and Wang Zhenlu, but the Zijin Wang clan, which had an unstable foundation. It was evident that the young Wang Luting bore considerable pressure.

Seeing the Prince approach, Wang Luting simply turned his head, smiled, and continued to bounce.

Xu Fengnian stood beside Wang Luting, who then joked, “Knowing Your Highness is a straightforward person, I’ll be direct. Coming here trailing behind two elders this time is to ask Your Highness for a reward. It’s truly a do-or-die situation! If I don’t secure any official post, when I return to Huangnan County, those old men will certainly poke fun at me. Your Highness, please be kind and take pity on Wang Luting?”

Xu Fengnian looked at the narrow, winding stream, whose ripples barely stirred within the “rules,” and calmly said, “First, tell me what official position you want. If it’s too high, I can’t grant it. If it’s too low, I wouldn’t offer it. If I try to trick your Zijin Wang clan, I’d still be drowned in the spittle of those old men behind my back.”

Wang Luting laughed heartily, “Not a big one, just the Northern Liang Weaving Bureau Director. The two weaving bureaus in Jiangnan are lucrative Class 4 positions, but our Northern Liang Brocade Weaving Bureau’s chief official is only Class 5. Anyway, the old director Li Xifeng has been at it for twelve years; it’s high time he retired.”

Xu Fengnian said calmly, “Class 5 is not a small rank.”

Wang Luting indeed had a thick skin. He stopped bouncing, cupped his hands to warm them with his breath, and turned his beaming face to the Prince. “I knew getting an official position would be difficult, so I also planned to buy one from Your Highness. The Zijin Wang clan is willing to offer 180,000 taels of silver, all in cash. If that’s not enough, the family also has some rare antiques, calligraphy, and rubbings that can be converted into silver. If Your Highness grants us some time, we might be able to scrape together another 100,000 taels. There’s no choice; we can’t compare to the wealth of the other three Wang clans in Huangnan County. Our Zijin Wang clan is poor.”

Xu Fengnian sat on the long bench, motioning for Wang Luting to sit down. They sat facing each other, leaning against a pillar. Xu Fengnian smiled, “I can sell you the position of Brocade Weaving Director for 180,000 taels of silver, but there’s an additional condition.”

Wang Luting chuckled, “Your Highness, my sister is indeed famously virtuous, but her looks are only average, and she’s already betrothed. Your Highness, please don’t get any ideas about that.”

Xu Fengnian paused, a wry smile playing on his lips, and said, “Stop being so glib with me, young man. Let’s be serious. I know you have a close friend, from a humble background, who serves as a tutor in the Zijin Wang clan. Even the great Neo-Confucian master Yao Baifeng said that if this person were willing to take the imperial examinations, he would surely be the top scholar of Lingzhou, and also the top candidate for the eight prefectures across the two northwestern circuits. It’s even possible he could become the *Zhuangyuan*, achieving the ‘Triple Crown.’ This year’s Lu Yuyuan from Huangnan County, who passed the palace examination in the third rank and was granted the equivalent of a *Jinshi* degree, seems to have benefited from your friend’s essay-writing skills. Otherwise, at most, he would have passed the county and provincial exams; even the metropolitan examination, let alone the palace examination, would have been a pipe dream. If you can persuade this person to come out and serve, I will let you be the Brocade Weaving Director. If not, then you can honestly return to the Zijin Wang clan.”

Wang Luting burst into laughter.

Xu Fengnian remained impassive.

Wang Luting stopped laughing, his face cunning. “Your Highness, rest assured, I’ve already forcibly ‘abducted’ this fellow to the city. Shall I call him for Your Highness now?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head, “No need to see him. Just tell him to come and stay in Lingzhou city after the New Year. I have an official position I’m giving to him for free.”

Wang Luting sighed with emotion, “Comparing oneself to others is truly infuriating! I have to empty my family’s coffers to buy an office, while this fellow gets it for free.”

Xu Fengnian suddenly said, “You are neither the legitimate son nor the eldest son, so it must have been very difficult for you to become the head of the Zijin Wang clan.”

Wang Luting dropped his flippant demeanor but did not intentionally sit up straight. Instead, he gently said, “Compared to Your Highness, it was much easier.”

Xu Fengnian chuckled, “Not even an official yet, and you’re already buttering me up?”

Wang Luting smiled again, “Just getting used to it. Since I’ll be relying on others, how can I not pay attention to their expressions? In the future, Your Highness must give Wang Luting more opportunities to flatter you.”

Xu Fengnian teased, “Then you’ll have to apprentice yourself to Chu Lushan first.”

Wang Luting hesitated, about to speak but stopping himself.

Xu Fengnian knew he was an intelligent man, so he spoke directly, “I know what you’re thinking. Indeed, Chu Lushan’s flattery, whether witnessed or heard by myself or outsiders, has always been tiresome and nauseating. But there’s one point many people miss: Chu Lushan is only like that with one person. This is called ‘loyalty until the end.’ That’s why both he and Strategist Li...” At this point, Xu Fengnian paused, did not continue speaking, stood up, and left directly.

Wang Luting, who appeared relaxed but had actually been secretly tensed, initially did not deeply consider Xu Fengnian’s final unusual words. After all, he had obtained everything he wanted from this trip and even more, feeling relieved yet unable to suppress a certain excitement. But when he belatedly chewed over the meaning, a chill ran through him. Could it be that with Beiliang’s fundamental transformation, the master of the adjacent residence would also have to change his name?