Chapter 507: Xu Family Prosperity Year After Year

After hanging the spring couplets on the main gate, Xu Weixiong returned to Wutong Courtyard, leaving only the three men to wander around the mansion. Xu Fengnian sporadically discussed affairs in Lingzhou with Xu Xiao, who would intermittently recount recent interesting anecdotes from the imperial court. For example, Gu Jiantang’s son-in-law had gone on a killing spree in Jizhou. Now, the censors and civil officials were too lazy to scold Xu Xiao, turning instead to General Gu, who had lost his position as Minister of War. Since Gu Jiantang was no longer in the capital, Gu Lu, the once formidable faction within the Ministry of War, was leaderless. The Censorate and the five Bureaus of Scrutiny (outside the Ministry of War) were all actively making trouble, leaving members of the Gu faction in the imperial court humiliated and exhausted. It seemed they would have a difficult New Year. Furthermore, Yao Baifeng, the Left Libationer of the Imperial Academy, had severely reprimanded his second-in-command, Jin Lanting, even alarming His Majesty the Emperor, who personally intervened at the Imperial Academy to mediate before the matter was barely settled. The situation of numerous factions within the Imperial Academy was now common knowledge. Local factions had formed their own groups, mostly promoting and building momentum for Jin Sanlang. This was also why Yao Baifeng had sharply questioned, "Do gentlemen nowadays enjoy forming cliques?"

The three men walked to the edge of Tide-Listening Lake when Xu Xiao suddenly realized he was late to hear Wang Chudong tell stories. He said that if he missed the time, she, being so proud, wouldn't bother chatting with an old man like him. Xu Xiao hurriedly trotted off, leaving Xu Fengnian dumbfounded. It seemed Wang Dongxiang, the runner-up on the Rouge Beauty List, was truly formidable, having even subdued Xu Xiao, who dreaded dealing with books the most? Earlier, a family letter had arrived in Lingzhou, in which Xu Xiao indeed mentioned that Wang Chudong was playful and spirited, not at all afraid of him, an old boor. Upon their first meeting, she gave him a lecture, gravely telling him, the illiterate Prince of Northern Liang, that reading was actually very interesting and not boring at all. She told Xu Xiao that reading official histories, where the rise and fall of kings were already known, was less engaging than reading unofficial histories. Reading stories of talented scholars and beautiful women was monotonous, she said; no matter the twists and turns, they always ended happily ever after with old age, which couldn't compare to reading classics. It was like seeing an old scholar sitting upright from beginning to end; you might find him stiff for too long, but one day you would discover his charm. Furthermore, Wang Chudong also spoke about the differences between reading military texts and poetry collections, greatly impressing Xu Fengnian. This girl was truly audacious, even daring to teach Xu Xiao how to read. One must remember that neither Li Yishan nor Zhao Changling had managed to make Xu Xiao patiently read more than a few books.

Xu Fengnian looked up at Tide-Listening Pavilion. Chen Xiliang should be in a side room on the top floor now. Everyone in the mansion said this young man increasingly resembled that national scholar who died without a grave or tomb. Xu Fengnian withdrew his gaze and saw Xu Juzi sitting alone in the pavilion, throwing handfuls of fish bait into the lake. The carp churned, creating a grand spectacle. Xu Fengnian squatted at the edge of Tide-Listening Pavilion's foundation, saying to Huang Man'er beside him: "Lu Qiuer said that Yijie Liu, whose body I tore apart, actually didn't die. He probably used some heterodox Qigong practitioner's divine ability to execute a cunning 'Cicada Shedding its Shell' technique before dying. I suspect this fellow's identity is far from as simple as Zhuwang Tiguan. No worries, we'll definitely have another chance to deal with him later."

Huang Man'er nodded his head vigorously and foolishly.

Xu Fengnian chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I'm baffled. Yijie Liu is one thing, but that young Celestial Master, Zhao Ningshen (formerly Zhao Jingsi), is just as troublesome. He was suppressed to the point of near-death in Spring God Lake. I originally intended to use him, now a cripple, to cause trouble for that Taoist ancestral temple. Unexpectedly, after returning to Longhu Mountain, I heard Zhao Ningshen's cultivation realm has advanced by leaps and bounds again. Longhu Mountain claims his breakthrough speed can rival Li Chungang. The young Wudang Sect Leader, Li Yufo, gained fame throughout the world by slaying an evil dragon on Low Lung Mountain. Old Celestial Master Zhao Xiyi, who had been in seclusion for many years, also hadn't been idle; he cultivated the Jade Emperor Tower, renowned as much as the Great Yellow Court, and his ascension is imminent. Countless people have already traveled to Longhu Mountain to pay their respects, and even Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan made a private visit to Huizhou to watch a play. It's likely true. And that heartless woman from Huishan, she became the Martial Alliance Leader. She changes her mind faster than flipping a book, saying that after sending all the Huishan secret manual copies to Northern Liang, she'll cut ties with me."

Xu Fengnian turned, patted Huang Man'er's head, and smiled gently: "Let's not talk about these bothersome things, Huang Man'er. You don't need to worry about anything; Father and your brother are here. Oh, right. Ever since your brother seized and brought back four talismanic armored figures from the Xiangfan Reed Marshes, he's had several Mohist masters at our Northern Liang Bureau of Engineering begin work on restoring them to the level of Grandmaster Ye Hongting's legendary 'number one talismanic armor in the world.' Last time at Iron Gate Pass, we also obtained the golden armor. And this time, when I killed Renmao outside Shenwu City, through Xu Ying, I learned some secrets from Han Diaosi's head, including fragmented details of how he flayed Ye Hongting back then. After the New Year, I'll visit the Bureau of Engineering and explain the detailed process to those masters. In the future, when you wear that talismanic armor to charge into battle, you won't have to worry too much about attacks from the likes of Yijie Liu. Also, Huang Man'er, Xuanyuan Jingcheng once told you on Ox Ridge not to easily enter the Zhixuan realm. You must remember that. Besides crafting the talismanic armor for you, your brother is also poring over some obscure Buddhist and Taoist secret manuals in the pavilion, and that 'White Fox Face' has also promised to help search. So, you must wait until your brother finds a shortcut for you to smoothly become a Zhixuan master. Before that, even if the sky falls, you cannot enter the Zhixuan realm. Got it?!"

Huang Man'er truly wasn't foolish anymore, because his intuition told him he couldn't agree. He also didn't have a habit of lying to his brother, so he just stood there, looking up but not nodding or speaking. The boy with the double pupils shifted his eyes, simply daring not to meet his brother's gaze directly.

Xu Fengnian sharply flicked Xu Longxiang's forehead, saying, "Nod for your brother!"

Xu Longxiang turned his back to Xu Fengnian, and for the first time ever, he did not agree to his brother's request.

Xu Fengnian reached out and tugged Huang Man'er's ear, pulling for a long time but unable to make his brother, who was born into the Vajra realm, turn his head. He sighed, let go, and gazed blankly at Tide-Listening Lake, which had grown calm after Xu Beizhi's departure.

Huang Man'er turned around, sat cross-legged, and gently touched his brother's striking grayish-white hair.

Xu Fengnian squinted, looking into the distance.

Tide-Listening Lake has fish year after year, and Northern Liang has abundance year after year.

Xu Fengnian slowly leaned back and lay down, resting the back of his head on his hands, gazing at the clear sky, and fell peacefully asleep.

He had never told Xu Xiao that whenever he saw his father's figure on Spring God Lake, even though he knew the figure grew older and more stooped each year, just a distant glimpse would fill him with complete peace. It was as if emperors, Wang Xianzhi, Zhang Julu, Yuan Benxi, and all those figures could gather on the lake, and he, Xu Fengnian, wouldn't fear them in the slightest!

Two much stronger Tigercrypts suddenly shot out, desperately running towards Xu Fengnian. However, Huang Man'er pressed them down to the ground, one in each hand. The two mythical beasts, though only a few feet from Xu Fengnian, couldn't escape Huang Man'er's grip, their eyes showing a strangely human-like, spiritual resentment.

Xu Fengnian laughed: "Huang Man'er, go play. Take Pusa and Jingang. Your brother needs to sit here a bit longer and think about some things."

Huang Man'er grinned and nodded, dragging the two Tigercrypts by one leg each as he ran off.

Huang Man'er wandered around. The first time he let go of the Tigercrypts, the pair, sister and brother, tried to run back to Tide-Listening Pavilion to find Xu Fengnian. But Huang Man'er, who moved as swiftly as thunder, instantly grabbed them by their tails. After several painful experiences, they meekly followed behind him.

Unbeknownst to him, he arrived outside Wutong Courtyard and found that his father hadn't gone to hear stories from that young woman. Instead, he was pushing a wheelchair, taking his second sister for a stroll.

Xu Xiao saw Huang Man'er and waved. The female Tigercrypt named Pusa became exceptionally affectionate and lively upon seeing Xu Weixiong. Xu Xiao continued their earlier conversation, slowly saying: "Regarding the matter of Northern Liang's principal consort in the future, you, as his elder sister, must oversee it carefully. Xiaonian is thoughtful in everything he does; it's not that I'm somewhat at ease, but rather completely at ease. Only when it comes to matters of the heart, once he falls in, this child tends to disregard consequences. Weixiong, it's not that I'm worried about Northern Liang's military and political affairs being affected. I've toiled to build such a grand family legacy. If, in the end, my own son can't squander a single bit of it, then what kind of Grand General would I be? And what kind of Prince of Northern Liang would Xiaonian be later? It's just that I'm very afraid your brother will get hurt. I'm a crude man, but I've witnessed many partings and reunions, and I know that these invisible wounds are more painful than severe injuries from blades or arrows. He might never recover, perhaps for half his life or even his entire life."

Xu Weixiong acknowledged him with a hum.

"Then there's the matter of future concubines. To be honest, among the two tentative choices—Wang Chudong, who is already in the mansion, and Lu Chengyan from Qingzhou—I genuinely prefer that little girl Wang Chudong more. However, secondary consorts have ranks, and Wang Chudong can only be ranked after Lu Chengyan. After all, the Lu family, full of talent, will certainly be more important to Northern Liang's future than Wang Linquan, who only climbed to Qingzhou's richest man by relying on Chu Lushan. This will only become more true over time. Therefore, if the families of these two in-laws have disputes in the future, as long as it doesn't involve major right-or-wrong issues, you must side with the Lu family. Consider this a small compensation from me to Lu Chengyan as a daughter-in-law. Because I know Xiaonian might never truly open his heart to this poor girl in his entire life. 'Mutual respect like guests' sounds nice, but for a couple who are to spend their whole lives together, it's actually a form of suffering. Lately, I've been going to Wang Chudong every day to listen to her stories. Firstly, it's interesting. Secondly, I'm using the opportunity to let Northern Liang know that this girl is the first daughter-in-law I, Xu Xiao, have approved. In the future, whoever wants to step on the Wang family to curry favor with the Lu family will first have to consider whether their flattery will backfire. As for Pei Nanwei, I know you don't like this Princess Jing'an. You don't need to force yourself to interact with her against your will; just let things be. In this world, there's only the saying 'an elder brother is like a father, an elder sister-in-law is like a mother,' but never the principle of an elder sister managing the household. The reason I nag you about this and ask you to take on this thankless responsibility is, frankly, my selfishness. I'm afraid Xiaonian won't have family to look after him, so you can never marry in this life. Weixiong, if you resent me, I accept it. I am, you see, someone who favors sons over daughters. I dare to act and dare to take responsibility. Even when I lived with your mother back then, I spoke just as bluntly, even if it meant biting the bullet. Before Zhihu was born, I was often beaten by your mother. After Zhihu, I was beaten even more terribly—yes, it was a truly tragic sight. Your mother made me, a rough man accustomed to blades, spears, and staffs, hold the children. No matter how much I doted on my daughters, I couldn't bear it when the children just wouldn't stop crying. Your mother, she was reasonable with everyone, except with me, your father. Several times, I had to attend military council meetings the next day, and I'd show up at the camp with a bruised and swollen face, getting laughed at endlessly by those rascals. Once, an old comrade made a mistake, and I personally whipped him. That fellow, kneeling there, kept foolishly grinning while staring at my forehead, which your mother had swollen. In my anger, I gave him fifty more lashes. Later, when I went to apply balm to his wounds, he cheekily told me that no matter how embarrassing his situation was, it couldn't compare to my disgrace."

"That old comrade was Chen Zhibao's father. He was the one who led all the Chen family's young men to their deaths, except for his youngest son."

"I'm not the kind of scoundrel who would shamelessly grant death-exemption tokens to meritorious officials while slyly fabricating charges of rebellion against them. If I say we're brothers, we're brothers for life. I was the one who first wronged the Chen family. That's why, even though I knew Chen Zhibao would never be convinced by Xiaonian as the new Prince of Northern Liang, for over a decade I didn't interfere, allowing this adopted son to cultivate his own loyal followers. If Chen Zhibao wants to leave Northern Liang, I won't stop him. If he wants to be both Minister of War and Prince of Shu, I'll still let him. I truly hope that one day he and Xiaonian won't become bitter enemies to the point of armed conflict. If they can live out their lives without interaction, that would be for the best. However, I know that old foxes like Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang, along with the Zhao family's emperor hiding behind the scenes, won't let such an incomparably sharp spear rust away without pointing its tip at Northern Liang."

At this point, the old man, who had spent his life in military service, showed a hint of heavy melancholy.

Xu Xiao smiled, turned his head, and said to his second son, Xu Longxiang: "Huang Man'er, you'll open up eventually. You must remember how good your brother is to you. That time your brother caused big trouble, and I was going to beat him. You stepped out to stop me, getting furious with me, looking ready to fight me to the death. I only pretended to be angry; in my heart, I was very relieved. Your brother, he hasn't been happy these past years. Outsiders think that because he's my, Xu Xiao's, eldest legitimate son, the Butcher's son, he must have a glorious life. But the hardships and bitterness within, you'll only understand his suffering once you mature. Losing a mother and sister is nothing; during the Spring and Autumn War, countless families perished. But to be cursed for eighteen generations of ancestors, yet still have to guard the gates for these ungrateful bastards, perhaps one day having to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of your own iron cavalry just to gain some peace of mind, and then, after the Central Plains changes rulers, to be harshly condemned in historical records by the new master, with a large crowd of scholars and commoners who've never experienced hardship joining in the uproar—that's the most pitiful thing about your brother."

In the Crown Prince's youth, before he chose to conceal his talents, everyone in the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion knew that His Highness adored his younger brother from the bottom of his heart. As soon as he got any interesting object, no matter how precious or rare, he would immediately give it to Huang Man'er before he could even enjoy it himself. However, when good things fell into Huang Man'er's hands—someone with astonishing strength but no sense of delicacy—they were rarely intact. They would be broken in just a few moments, yet no one cleaning up the mess in the mansion had ever seen the Crown Prince get angry or annoyed. Even later, when the Crown Prince began living a notoriously debauched life, he never neglected Xu Longxiang. The Prince's Mansion rarely resorted to flogging servants. The few infrequent times Xu Fengnian lost his temper were when he learned that cunning servants had deliberately teased the young prince. And on those occasions, His Highness personally beat and kicked them, absolutely beating them to death without any mercy.

"Also, Weixiong, I know you care deeply about Xiaonian in your heart, but you're cold on the surface and warm inside. You can't bring yourself to show it in some matters. But sometimes, you just need to smile at him, and he'll be very happy. Some years ago, when he went to Mount Wudang to practice saber techniques, you didn't like him practicing martial arts, fearing he'd neglect the proper affairs of hereditary succession. He was even more afraid of upsetting you. So, when he retrieved pebbles one by one from the bottom of the deep pool and, with stroke after stroke of his saber, made over three hundred chess pieces for you, you immediately spilled both boxes of chess pieces all over the floor upon seeing them, yet he didn't show you a dark face, did he? Afterward, he personally picked them up one by one. Some had rolled into Tide-Listening Lake, and he painstakingly retrieved them all night. I and Yishan watched him from Tide-Listening Pavilion that entire night. Even Yishan, a man with a heart of stone, ended up drinking in silence. When he was little, did Xiaonian do any less to make you happy? Even though he knew Zhihu loved him so much, didn't he still help you with everything? After Zhihu was gone, do you think he had an easy time? Who ever saw him heartbroken and torn apart? Originally, given his nature and gratitude towards the old sect leader Wang Chonglou, he would have long gone to Mount Wudang to visit his grave and pay respects. He was afraid, afraid of Mount Wudang, afraid of seeing Lotus Peak. Afraid he himself was a jinx, afraid that people around him would leave because of him. Fengnian, ever since he was little, would always give his favorite good things either to his elder sister or his younger brother. What he kept for himself were merely objects that outsiders would consider very valuable."

Xu Weixiong lowered her head, her expression unreadable.

"In today's world, those in high positions cling to their lives and reputations desperately. The more they read, the smarter they become, each so clever they barely seem human. Who would be willing to carry a coffin and send off an old soldier with no family or connections? Who would be willing to desperately guard a city gate alone in a foreign land with no support, all for the life or death of a maidservant? Yishan, such an intelligent man, why was his vision so discerning that he didn't favor Chen Zhibao but instead favored him? Why did Old Huang embark on his journey to Martial Emperor City without a single attachment? Why did Li Chungang, despite having already fought Wang Xianzhi, willingly choose the Battle of Guangling River as his final battle in the martial world? Why does old Huan Wen, now a Grand Tutor, who used to be an old fellow who often spoke justly about Northern Liang, now act against his conscience, not hesitating to manipulate the Grand Canal and rack his brains to make things difficult for Northern Liang? It's not that Fengnian's martial arts talent is higher than those rare grandmasters in the martial world, nor that his court strategies are so shrewd they verge on demonic intelligence. It's actually very simple: as long as you genuinely treat people as human beings and slowly gather their hearts, you will win the general trend. I recall in my younger days, that's how I, step by step, went from a street ruffian, to a daring and fighting young captain, then to a general who frequently slaughtered cities, and finally became the Prince of Northern Liang with hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry. I stumbled along the way, and in the eyes of many intelligent people who didn't think much of me, I just made it through. My opponents, the further along I went, the smarter and more difficult they became. But many of these clever people, even at their deaths, couldn't understand why only I had the last laugh. I believe most of them, before closing their eyes, could only comfort themselves by thinking: such is Heaven's will; Xu Xiao's fate is just too tough. This saying is both right and wrong. I haven't read much, but I know one thing: if you don't wrong anyone, many people might not understand, or they might understand but not care, and even treat you like a fool, thinking they've gained an advantage. That doesn't matter. Ultimately, some people will remember, and even if not many remember, each one will be willing to exert effort, and when they fight to the death, even if outnumbered two to one, they will still be undoubtedly invincible. Even if they lose, it's not a big deal; they can still rise again. The more than six hundred memorial tablets beneath Tide-Listening Pavilion, and the respectful farewells of the old soldiers before Fengnian entered the capital, are all proof of this. So, I'm more certain than anyone that in the future, Northern Liang will cause Northern Mang even more headaches than it did when it was in my hands. When Fengnian was still young, it wasn't that I hadn't thought about living as a stable, wealthy old man. That way, at the very least, I could provide my children with peace. But Chen Zhibao is good in every way, except that he's too clever. When a clever person becomes stubbornly fixated and makes a mistake, it's an enormous error that no one can rectify. Fengnian is also clever, but he's far more willing to listen to others than Chen Zhibao. Once I die, Chen Zhibao won't put anyone else in his eyes, nor will he believe anyone is worthy of being his equal. If he ever decides to become emperor, to achieve his goal, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice every last one of the Northern Liang iron cavalry."

After Li Yishan's death, Xu Xiao seemed to have no place to utter self-deceiving words like "still robust in old age." As he spoke, the stooped old man showed an unconcealable weariness. He stopped speaking, halted his steps, and simply reached out gently to unnecessarily straighten the collar of Huang Man'er's plain clothes. Finally, he softly said: "Huang Man'er, don't easily fight to the death in the future. If by some chance you die, how heartbroken would your brother be, even if he survived? I tell you, he would definitely be more heartbroken than if he were alive. However, you should still do more things that can make your brother's life easier. Although your brother was born into our Xu family before you, meaning he's destined to bear the heavy burden, but from now on, on Qingliang Mountain, among the men of the Xu family, you'll be the only brother he can truly talk to. Whether it's Xu Beizhi or Chen Xiliang, no matter how loyal they are, they're ultimately not as close as family. Huang Man'er, when your brother first angrily left home to wander the martial world, his biggest wish wasn't to become a great hero, but to bring back a great beauty for you, his little brother. When you went to Longhu Mountain, every time he received a letter—your brother, who never forgets anything he reads—even knowing it wasn't written by you, would turn it over and over, reading it repeatedly. Weixiong, this time when he saw you in the wheelchair, and you deliberately avoided looking at him grinding ink, I saw his hand trembling the whole time."

The old man reached out and patted Xu Weixiong's head, offering no words of comfort.

Xu Longxiang clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. The two Tigercrypts, startled, immediately fled, hovering restlessly in the distance, daring not to approach the unfamiliar young man in black.

The old man slowly walked back into the courtyard.

The loquat tree remained green in winter, but the old man stood alone, a solitary figure.

But the old man was not sad. He smiled and said: "My dear wife, our Xu family has been propped up by Fengnian now. Just wait for me a little longer; I won't let you wait too long."