Chapter 579: True Face

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《[Novel Title]》 on Zongheng, by Fenghuo Xizhu Hou

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()1st Floor 2014-03-25 20:17

Fenghuo Xizhu Hou

Xu Qi did not stay in the county yamen's back hall. Magistrate Feng Guan brought many books and servants, occupying many rooms. County Commandant Bai Shangque also cleared out an extra martial arts room and, without ceremony, acted as if anyone who disagreed should question the blade on his waist. So, this Registrar, being shrewd, rented a small house outside. It was a mere blink of an eye, the time it takes for a cup of tea to cool, from the county yamen. The alley was quiet and secluded, and the courtyard had a small, hard-to-draw-from well and a newly greening grape arbor, making it passably serene and pleasant. When Xu Qi returned, a young girl with a golden hairpin askew in her hair was leaning over the well, her bottom sticking out, oblivious to whether the posture was graceful or not. Xu Fengnian removed his sixth-rank civil official's uniform, which had the embroidered insignia, and moved a small stool to sit by the well. Originally, he wasn't destined for such a leisurely life, but after his second sister learned of his current situation, she insisted, despite her own burdens, that her brother temporarily avoid the mountain of documents and political affairs. These memorials and texts, once cleared, could instantly form another mountain. But she said that while servants labor physically, commoners labor with their intellect, and those above labor with people, so this was to be his last half-year of leisure. Anyway, in an argument, Xu Qi had never won against her, so he simply waited patiently for the next spring. By then, even if he wanted to be lazy, his second sister would surely drag him by the ear to his desk. His position as Registrar, neither grand nor insignificant, in Bishan County of Rouge Prefecture, was naturally held by Xu Qi, a scion of a prominent family. This alias had been used in both Beimang and Liyang's martial arts world. But once his year of mourning ended, and he donned the garment meticulously crafted by the Gold Thread Weaving Bureau with immense human and financial resources, he would have to leave this place, leave You Prefecture. In Bishan County, besides a confidential family letter every five days, no one disturbed his quiet cultivation. Therefore, matters like the martial arts rankings, Rouge rankings, or general and minister rankings, he truly had to hear about from Vice-Magistrate Zuo Jing. Most of his meager Registrar's salary was spent on drinks for Senior Zuo. This new martial arts ranking was undoubtedly another deliberate stir by Huang Sanjia. Dragon Tiger Mountain was the biggest loser in this. A pair of father and son Celestial Masters ascended together, an unprecedented spectacle, yet it seemed to have emptied the Daoist ancestral temple's entire foundation; no one from there made the list this time. Meanwhile, Wudang's Li Yufu, who had been unheard from until now, soared onto the list, standing alongside Yuan Qingshan and Li Dangxin, which would undoubtedly elevate Wudang Mountain's status. And with Xu Yanbing and his own emergence as the world's sixth-ranked martial artist, Beiliang was clearly the biggest winner.

Leaning against the vine trellis, he muttered to himself, "After ten such spiritual journeys of profound contemplation and freedom, looking down from above, I've seen many places and witnessed the ebb and flow of fortune in specific times and locations. It's said that the people of a region are shaped by its land and water. Within the confines of that land and water, people's words and actions permeate each other. Thus, the articles written by people from different regions will have different flavors. Broadening the scope, with the Guangling River as the boundary, there's a north-south divide, and the temperaments of southerners and northerners are entirely distinct."

"When in a trance, I see the grand; when I return, I see the small. Take, for instance, how I now observe Beiliang's newcomer Zuo Jing, and its veteran Pei Ju, observing their every word and action. Their destinies ultimately merge, dissolving into Beiliang's fortune, and all offer enlightenment. Today, the places carrying Beiliang's fortune include Wudang Mountain, though that depends on Li Yufu's return to the mountain. After Jiang Ni and the old man in the sheepskin coat left, Qingliang Mountain's fortune now rests with the gender-ambiguous white fox-faced person and Huyan Guanyin. However, whether these few individuals are present or not, they all follow the clear principles of Heaven, which cannot be forced."

"Many old acquaintances have truly become deceased. And some others, one wonders when they will also pass on, like Wang Xiaoping, who followed Liu Songtao, or Sui Xingu, who for some reason still hasn't made the martial arts ranking, and the missing Miss Li Zi and the North-South Monk. But truthfully, most people connected to me haven't had a good end."

The Hehe girl, who had been listening to Xu Fengnian's ramblings, looked up, adjusted her slightly askew golden hairpin, and calmly said, "I should have died more than ten years ago."

Xu Fengnian was amused and asked curiously, "If I'm your savior, why did you try to kill me? Those few times, you showed mercy, but there were also times when you genuinely tried to kill me."

The girl plopped down on the well's edge, looked at him, and blinked. "Old Huang said you live such a miserable life, it's better to die by my hand than by someone else's. I think..."

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "You think that makes a lot of sense?"

The girl chuckled a few times, clearly pleased.

She suddenly seemed to remember something, darted off, and left Xu Fengnian "alone in the empty room," forlorn. Xu Fengnian didn't know where she went, but he sensed she wouldn't reappear for a while. He sighed, sitting dazed on the small stool. These days, he mostly just reported to the county yamen, made an appearance, and then there was nothing for him, the Registrar, to do. Bishan County was in a state of transition, with new officials replacing old and many things awaiting reform, so the county yamen should have been at its busiest. However, Magistrate Feng Guan was extremely strong and monopolized authority. Zuo Jing, after several open and secret struggles for power, lost and became idle, seemingly seeking support from his backing to temporarily rest and bide his time, to see how long Magistrate Feng would dominate. Bai Shangque's ambitions lay beyond a single county or prefecture; he often traveled to a pass in Rouge Prefecture to "clear his mind" and befriended influential commandants in Beiliang Dao. In today's Beiliang Dao, not to mention the fourteen new captains, any commandant holding a military tally was a highly sought-after noble. Xu Fengnian chose Bishan County as his base for a few reasons: first, the ripples of the You Prefecture incident were still present, and he needed to observe whether the new Prefect Hu Kui and You Prefecture General Huangfu Ping could effectively play good cop, bad cop together; second, Rouge Prefecture was close to the border, and Xu Fengnian was deeply disappointed with the garrisoned soldiers within You Prefecture and had little confidence in the You Prefecture border army, thinking he'd go observe the border when he had time. Additionally, he wanted to personally experience and witness the new atmosphere of Beiliang officialdom firsthand. Inferring the whole from a small detail was more accurate and comprehensive than hearsay or even intelligence reports. Just like the current situation, the internal friction between Feng Guan and Zuo Jing in Bishan County, and the discord between the County Commandant, the Magistrate, and the Vice-Magistrate, already caused Xu Fengnian concern.

Xu Fengnian glanced at the sky, got up, and went to the kitchen, only to find the rice jar empty. Although he now needed no food, similar to a Daoist immortal, and his mystic realm even surpassed theirs, ancient sages all spoke of cultivating the Dao, not of cultivating immortality. Furthermore, what good was it to cultivate oneself into a non-human state before achieving immortality, just to attain longevity? Xu Fengnian had not neglected eating, drinking, or sleeping these days. He took a pouch of silver from the table, intending to go out and buy a bag of rice. Perhaps because Bishan County was a place of "poor mountains and harsh waters that breed difficult people," the deeply entrenched powerful local families showed no respect to the new officials, who had arrived with a bang. The Zhu family, in particular, had so far kept their prominent figures at home, determined to distance themselves from the new administration.

Just as Xu Fengnian was about to leave, a young man burst into the courtyard, carrying a bag of rice on his shoulder. Xu Fengnian didn't stand on ceremony, smiling as he took the rice bag and poured it into the jar. The young man by his side was named Zhu Zhengli, whom Xu Fengnian had met while drinking. He was a native of Bishan County, claiming to be an impoverished son from a small family, rejected for marriage by a wealthy Rouge Prefecture household. Xu Fengnian easily guessed that he was a genuine descendant of the Zhu family, but since Zhu Zhengli didn't wish to admit it, he didn't expose him. Zhu Zhengli had a free-spirited nature and was one of the few scions of prominent families with proper conduct. Perhaps it was that Beiliang rogue spirit at play, as he didn't mix well with the other pampered sons of rich families in Bishan County and often had disputes. A few years ago, due to an incident, he even got his family involved in a major conflict with the previous magistrate. One must know that a county magistrate is not to be underestimated; a "family-ruining magistrate" is not called that for nothing. Though not a high-ranking official, a magistrate is a local emperor beneath the Prefect and Grand Administrator. To hold this position, one needs both a significant background and considerable official acumen; ruining a commoner's family is effortless for them. Zhu Zhengli dared to provoke the magistrate, partly because he was naive about social conventions, and partly because the Zhu family in Bishan County indeed had substantial influence. If the head of the Zhu family truly spoke out, not just the magistrate, but even Rouge Prefecture Grand Administrator Hong Shandong would have to keep silent. It was only the Zhu family's withdrawal from affairs in recent years that allowed the "monkeys to act like kings" in Bishan County. Zhu Zhengli was a talkative fellow. He now joked about how pathetic Xu Qi, the Registrar, was, unable to make any illicit gains and finding it hard to remain uncorrupted. He also claimed Xu Qi must have spent all his family's savings to donate for such a paltry official position, otherwise he wouldn't have fallen to the dismal state of having no rice for cooking. Xu Fengnian didn't retort, merely smilingly reminded him not to mention shortcomings in front of a dwarf. Zhu Zhengli burst into laughter but stopped harping on Xu Qi's predicament. Xu Fengnian produced a pot of Green Ant wine. The two sat under the grape arbor, each with a large white porcelain bowl. The Beiliang sun was particularly fierce; it was only early summer, but the heat was as unbearable as high summer in Jiangnan. Yet, there was an advantage: as long as one stayed in the shade, a breeze would instantly dispel the heat. With a bowl of Green Ant wine each, the two peers felt more carefree than immortals.

Xu Fengnian took a sip of wine, his eyes narrowed in a drunken smile as he asked, "Today, there are open official positions everywhere in You Prefecture. Why don't you talk to your elders and try to seize an opportunity? If you harden your heart, spend a few hundred taels of silver to find a back door, and then ask a reputable scholar for a letter of recommendation, it wouldn't be hard to secure an official post, even if not a county registrar like me. From now on, wandering swordsmen won't achieve much in Beiliang Dao, and it will be even less possible in the future. Being a civil official has a future, you know."

Zhu Zhengli shook his head like a rattle-drum. "What's so good about being an official? Riding on the backs of common people, doing as they please, that's not achieving anything. Not to mention I'm from a declining family, even if I had money, I wouldn't waste it. If I really wanted to be an official, I'd join the army at the border and earn genuine military merits with my own abilities. Now *that* would be comfortable."

Xu Fengnian teased, "With your amateurish skills, ordinary battles might be fine. But let's not even talk about encountering the Crow Fence; even facing second-rate cavalry from Beimang would be akin to suicide. No matter how boring being an official is, is being a dead man more interesting?"

Zhu Zhengli sighed, vigorously rubbing his chin. "That's why my grandma absolutely refuses to let me join the army. She says she'd rather I muddle along in Bishan County, just existing, than for her to be a white-haired person sending off a black-haired one. She also said if I dared to sneak out of Rouge Prefecture, she'd find someone to break one of my legs. Heh, my grandma always keeps her word. Everyone in our family is afraid of her, like mice seeing a cat. I wasn't afraid when I was little, but I've grown more and more afraid as I've gotten older."

Xu Fengnian asked slyly, "How is your sister, the one who fell in love with County Commandant Bai at first sight?"

Collapse replies2nd Floor 2014-03-25 20:18: Will I be put in the black room (banned)?2014-03-25 20:21: Reply to Hou Shan Ren: Will I? Will I?2014-03-25 20:29: Probably2014-03-25 20:31: Mhm2014-03-25 20:31: Reply to Hou Shan Ren: YesZhu Zhengli winced at the mention of it. With a bitter face, he said, "I just don't get it. You and that pretty boy Bai Shangque hold the same official rank, and you're even handsomer than that pretty boy. It's strange, my sister just won't have anything to do with you, insisting on sticking close to that guy surnamed Bai. She's lost all the modesty a girl should have! And that's not all; the old saying goes, 'a man chasing a woman is like crossing a mountain, a woman chasing a man is like a layer of gauze.' But I don't feel like that guy surnamed Bai gives my sister any good treatment at all. I'm so worried, worried to death. And if that grumpy-faced guy really becomes my brother-in-law, I'll have to... Xu Qi, what's that saying again?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "The sound of chickens and dogs can be heard between them, but they never interact their entire lives."

Zhu Zhengli slapped Registrar Xu's shoulder, not forgetting to wipe off the wine stains on his hand, and chuckled, "Xu Qi, no wonder you became the Registrar of our Bishan County; you've read a few books, after all. I'm no good; I get dizzy and want to sleep as soon as I touch a book. But if you tell me to practice martial arts, I can go days and nights without rest, no problem. But my grandma absolutely refuses to let me train. Ah, brother, I have all this talent and aptitude for nothing."

Xu Fengnian smiled and said frankly, "Your talent is mediocre; it's nothing special. I'm telling you the truth because we're friends."

Zhu Zhengli didn't get angry; he glared and said, "When Wang Xianzhi first started out, even senior martial artists called his talent ordinary! Besides, I don't have to become a world-renowned hero through martial arts! It'd be enough if I could beat up a few scoundrels who bully men and women in the countryside."

Xu Fengnian nodded. Zhu Zhengli finished a bowl of wine and shook the wine pot; there was about half a bowl left. He set the bowl down, saying he had snuck out from home to get some fresh air and had to go back to dealing with those classic texts. If his grandma found out, he'd be limping the next time they met. Xu Fengnian didn't see him off, just smiled and said, "Next time you visit, remember to bring wine."

Zhu Zhengli, as he jogged away, turned back and gave a middle finger.

Xu Fengnian smiled, poured himself another half-bowl of wine, and sat alone under the grape arbor. A gentle breeze brushed his face, and his mood was pleasant. Just before finishing the Green Ant wine in his bowl, he placed it on the small bamboo chair, stood up, and welcomed his guest.

A white-haired old woman slowly walked into the courtyard, leaning on a walking stick. She paused when she saw Xu Fengnian, then sat down in front of him. Only after she was seated did Xu Fengnian sit.

The old woman was the matriarch of the Zhu family in Bishan County. The Zhu family had four generations living under one roof, with the upper three generations being particularly matriarchal. Zhu Zhengli was the only male descendant in his generation. According to the family genealogy in the ancestral hall, he should have six or seven uncles, but none were alive now, and the generation above that was the same. The old woman, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, became the undisputed backbone of the Zhu family in Bishan County as years passed. She was a highly respected head matron throughout Rouge Prefecture. It was said that when the Xu family first took control of Beiliang, General Xu Xiao and Princess Wu Su once stayed at the Zhu family residence. Just based on this, let alone Rouge Prefecture, who in You Prefecture would dare to insult the Zhu family? What's more, twelve male members of the Zhu family from two generations had all died on the border within twenty years!

The old woman seemed slightly lost in thought, gazing at Xu Fengnian. She softly said, "So alike."

Xu Fengnian hesitated to speak.

The old woman waved her hand, leaning on her walking stick with both hands, and looked towards the courtyard gate. She said, "At first, I wanted to meet the Registrar whom even my grandson was willing to call a brother. After seeing him, it became clear. Back then, the head of the Zhu family manor met the Great General, and it was much the same. The Great General had no airs, and my husband wished he could die for him. He was not eloquent, so he didn't say much, but he acted on it."

Xu Fengnian said solemnly, "Please rest assured, Old Madam, I will never let Zhu Zhengli follow in his ancestors' footsteps. My stay here in Bishan County, and even my not daring to visit the Zhu family, my encounter with Zhu Zhengli, was by chance. One day, when I leave, there will likely be no more chances to meet. I hope you can rest easy."

The old woman hummed, then said no more.

The old woman sat quietly for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then slowly rose. Xu Fengnian rose to see her off at the courtyard gate. The old woman suddenly asked, "Can it truly be held?"

Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "If it cannot be held, then please trouble Old Madam to tell Zhu Zhengli that Xu Qi has gone to be an official in the Central Plains."

The old woman tremblingly reached out and touched Xu Fengnian's head.

The old woman slowly walked towards the carriage waiting at the alley corner. Before getting in, she saw the young man silently watching her from the doorway and murmured, "So alike."

Collapse replies7th Floor 2014-03-25 20:18: Front row2014-03-25 20:19: Post2014-03-25 20:19: Ah2014-03-25 20:19: Good2014-03-25 20:20: Ah ah2014-03-25 20:21: Uh2014-03-25 20:25: Yes2 more replies,

Jiu Jiu Wu Fu 10 ScratchesCollapse replies85th Floor 2014-03-25 20:23Don't have a Baidu account yet?

3 replies, 1 page total

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