Chapter 623: Lights

In the night, Xu Fengnian walked alone towards the Yellow Crane Tower on Qingliang Mountain. The mansion gates still bore the white-backed spring couplets, and the lanterns inside were uniformly white-framed. After the old man's death, this imposing mansion had lost all sense of joy. It wasn't until the entire Northern Liang territory learned that the young Prince had decisively defeated Wang Xianzhi of Wudi City that the atmosphere on Qingliang Mountain took a significant turn. Many anxious hearts were instantly put at ease; people's agitated thoughts quieted, and the gloom shrouding the Northern Liang King's Mansion dissipated.

After entering the mansion, Xu Fengnian did not go to the Phoenix Tree Courtyard, where he had spent his youth. Instead, he went to Xu Xiao's quiet and simple room and sat there for a long time. Two upright clothes racks still held the old-fashioned Python Robe of the Liang King and the scarred armor of the Great General. Outsiders would naturally assume that Xu Xiao greatly valued the latter, as he, a despotic traitor to the state, had reached the pinnacle of officialdom through military achievements. However, few knew that the "Human Butcher" by no means disdained the princely robe, as outsiders mistakenly believed. Xu Fengnian understood this perfectly. What Xu Xiao valued was not the princely status symbolized by the python robe, but the achievements behind it—the "merit of rebuilding the Zhao dynasty," which many powerful court officials now deliberately forgot. At that time, Liyang was merely a barbarian dynasty beyond the northern frontier, with warlords rising and feudal lords carving up territories, preoccupied with their own affairs. Who among the great Central Plains states, including Great Chu, would consider this internally chaotic entity a formidable adversary? It was Xu Xiao, the disruptor, who, by leading his forces south to Liaodong and Liaoxi, forcefully helped Liyang's former emperor consolidate the dynasty. This elimination of internal strife laid the foundation for the subsequent conquest of the Spring and Autumn states. This was also why many Zhao imperial nobles later held strong, mixed feelings towards Xu Xiao. The old imperial clansmen close to the former emperor, even amidst the court's undercurrents after the realm was unified, did not speak ill of Xu Xiao, and at the very least, they did not stoop to kicking him when he was down. However, most of these old veterans had sustained various injuries in battle, and thus died earlier than some of their kinsmen who enjoyed lives of ease. Their descendants, moreover, often did not get along with the current emperor and the ruling "Blue-Eyed Boy," making it impossible for them to rise in prominence. Coupled with long-standing serious divisions within the imperial clan, this branch of nominal imperial descendants was barely surviving. As a result, they had no part in the southern expedition against Western Chu. Instead, it was mostly another group of young, high-born nobles who swaggered south, accompanying several old generals to seize glory. After all, their fathers and grandfathers had risen through similar tactics; it was perhaps a family tradition, perfected with practice.

Xu Fengnian walked slowly along the mountain path, then stopped halfway up the mountain to gaze at the faint lights of Liangzhou city. One light would extinguish, and occasionally another would flicker to life elsewhere, peaceful and serene.

Xu Fengnian turned and continued his ascent. During his journey back to Northern Liang, the Fushui Chamber had consistently provided him with concise intelligence reports. Besides Lu Shengxiang, who, having failed in his power grab, remained stationed at Youlu Pass as a Vice Minister of War, there were also formidable forces led by veteran Spring and Autumn generals Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun. Together with Youlu Pass, these formations created three "spearheads" aimed directly at Western Chu, coordinating with various "Jingnan" princes or princely heirs like Zhao Zhu, forming a seemingly airtight, massive encirclement of Western Chu. Xu Fengnian sneered. Besides the trick of "killing the chicken to warn the monkeys," how could the Zhao emperor not harbor the dirty thought of diverting disaster southwards onto the King of Yanchi? The eastern front was held by King Guangling Zhao Yi; to the west were King Huainan Zhao Ying, who sought death, and the treacherous King Jing'an Zhao Xun. Even if these two were defeated, Western Chu could not seize the opportunity to move west. The empire's far northwest was guarded by Northern Liang's iron cavalry, and to the west was the former Western Shu, now a fiefdom of Chen Zhibao—the ancient Shu roads were famously difficult, "harder than ascending to heaven." To the south was King Yanchi Zhao Bing. This was already a second, more concealed and stringent encirclement. However, the south temporarily had only the carefree Zhao Zhu leading a small cavalry force, and the southern frontier was exceptionally vast. With no possibility of moving north, Western Chu's only glimmer of hope lay in expanding south. Among the major vassal kings, Zhao Yi, who genuinely held military power, was the current emperor's own brother and was already in Guangling Circuit, requiring less elaborate scheming from the emperor. Northern Liang was already constrained, bordered by Beiliang to the north and Western Shu to the south. This left only Zhao Bing, who needed to be dealt with. In the past, when the current dynasty implemented policies to reduce the power of vassal states, Xu Xiao had served as a deterrent, so the court naturally prioritized Northern Liang. Now that Xu Xiao was gone, it was naturally Zhao Bing's turn, as he was far removed from the emperor's direct control.

Furthermore, a new secret letter from Tai'an City stated that after his initial proposals were rejected, Zhang Julu had settled for a secondary strategy: a new plan that simultaneously trained troops using Western Chu and reclaimed military power. This maneuver even heavily implicated Gu Jiantang, who had voluntarily given up Gu Lu. Any local unruly forces that showed signs of disobeying the Ministry of War's authority were openly assigned, or covertly dispatched, to the periphery of Western Chu. Should the conflict become deadlocked, they would immediately be sent into battle, with thousands dying if necessary. Gu Lu, whose disciples were scattered throughout the land, naturally bore the brunt of this. Already beleaguered and teetering on the brink, Gu Lu was clearly not to be spared by Zhang Julu. If Gu Jiantang were still in the capital, personally overseeing the dynasty's military affairs at the Ministry of War, there might have been ways to counter this policy. But Gu Jiantang had already taken on the title of Grand Pillar of the State, overseeing military and political affairs in the northern regions. Zhang Julu, intentionally or not, had dug a pit for the sole surviving Great General among the Four Renowned Generals of the Spring and Autumn period. He spoke up for Gu Jiantang in court, assertively claiming that only Gu Jiantang personally leading troops south could quell the Western Chu rebels, almost elevating the old Minister of War to a venerable position of "one man equaling a nation." Given this, Gu Jiantang, who suffered this unmerited misfortune, would be audacious merely to avoid submitting a secret memorial confessing his "sins"; how could he dare to speak up or plead for the disciples of Gu Lu?

This was also the "Blue-Eyed Boy's" consistent open strategy, always for the nation and its people, without a hint of personal motive. Zhang Julu's art of checks and balances was all-pervasive: the unending struggle between civil and military officials, the early conflicts between imperial relatives and eunuchs, the resurgent factional disputes across regions, and even rivalries among allied cliques. The "Blue-Eyed Boy" always remained composed, moving with unhurried ease. If Wang Xianzhi was the unparalleled martial artist, then Zhang Julu was the even more seasoned and cunning unparalleled strategist. For example, the Ministry of Personnel, the head of the Six Ministries, repeatedly shifted between Yu Lian and Zhao Youling, who had defected from Zhang Lu. To outsiders, it looked like a trivial game, but internally, everything was decided by Zhang Julu's single word. Under his watchful eye, anyone who overstepped their bounds had to pack up and leave. If Zhao Youling was a disciple of the "Blue-Eyed Boy," inherently lacking confidence, one must remember that Yu Jiankang, the old patriarch of the Jiangxin Yu family and Yu Lian's father, was a formidable figure, a fellow student of Zhang Julu's mentor and Sun Xiji of Western Chu. He was a master who evaluated the standing of all noble clans under heaven, and even instigated the Northern Flight of Hongjia. With a mere stroke of his brush—an "up" character—a family could leap through the dragon gate; a "down" character meant the entire clan would fall into obscurity. The entire entrenched scholarly elite of Jiangnan, including the Lu family with Lu Daolin and Lu Baijie, and General Longxiang Xu Gong of the Gumu Xu family, all had to defer to him. Yet, for all these years, Zhang Julu had never given this elder any deference whatsoever.

Xu Fengnian found himself at the mountain's peak, where stone tables and benches sat below the tower. To his surprise, he saw "White Fox-face," the individual from whom he had retrieved Chunlei and Xiudong after using them as borrowed blades, and who had offered no explanation afterward. Xu Fengnian sat opposite him. On the table was a heap of green ant wine pots, and there were two sets of wine cups, clearly indicating he was being waited for.

With a hint of mockery, White Fox-face said, "First-rank, four realms. You've completed all four pseudo-realms. Truly unprecedented. This impresses me even more than your killing of Wang Xianzhi." Xu Fengnian smiled, "To earn your admiration, it was worth it." For the first time, White Fox-face poured him a cup of wine, pushed it towards him, and asked, "Have you ever considered that Huang Longshi, in stirring up the jianghu, ultimately used Han Shengxuan and you to bring things to a close? Why don't you count how many First-rank masters have died by the 'Human Cat's' and your hands combined? Were there twenty? In any previous century of jianghu, how many First-rank masters could there be? At most, that's about the number, isn't it?" Xu Fengnian raised his cup, gave a self-deprecating smile, then drained it. As he reached out for more wine, he shook his head and said, "I truly hadn't thought of that." White Fox-face tossed him a wine pot and said, "I promised Mr. Li I'd help you once, and you killed Wang Xianzhi, who was on my list of enemies. So, I, Nangong Pushe, owe you twice. But let's be clear: after I finish reading in the last floor of the Tide-Listening Pavilion, I'm going to Beimang first. This promise is only valid if I come back alive." Xu Fengnian asked, "Are you going to confront Tuoba Pusa?" White Fox-face nodded. Xu Fengnian sighed, "Wang Xianzhi, Tuoba Pusa... that must be some deep grudge. You, a woman..." White Fox-face interrupted with a cold expression, "I am a man!" Xu Fengnian simply laughed it off; arguing with a woman was inherently unreasonable. However, White Fox-face probably genuinely considered himself a man, or perhaps he truly was a man, just like Murong Tonghuang, the gender-ambiguous figure who had fled to Beimang? White Fox-face tilted his head back and took a large, bold gulp of wine, then quipped, "If you were a woman, I would truly marry you." Xu Fengnian was speechless. White Fox-face suddenly said, "When I practiced martial arts before, I always felt there were endless masters to kill and heads to take. But now, having ascended step by step, and with you having surpassed me, I find that all this killing is meaningless. Does it mean, in the end, I must fight you to the death to make this life worthwhile?" Xu Fengnian choked on his wine and grumbled, "Have some conscience, will you?" White Fox-face pressed the wine pot against half his face and asked with a playful smile, "Are you trying to say 'the most poisonous is a woman's heart'?" Xu Fengnian, perhaps because White Fox-face was the only true master he had encountered on his first journey through the jianghu, still felt a lingering shadow. Even now, when he could face anyone in the world, he still instinctively felt a chill. Xu Fengnian glanced at White Fox-face's chest, thinking, with just a quick look and his "fiery eyes" honed from years of dalliances, even if this person was deliberately concealing her feminine allure, she probably couldn't hide the "peace and prosperity" of her figure, could she? White Fox-face smiled, "Are you looking for death?" Xu Fengnian said plainly, "I wasn't raised to be easily scared. Even without Gao Shulu's physique, and having lost most of my vital energy, it still wouldn't be easy for you to kill me." White Fox-face raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you've really improved." Xu Fengnian suddenly swept back three or four zhang with his wine pot, then, exasperated, cursed, "White Fox-face, do you really turn hostile on a dime?!" White Fox-face narrowed his eyes, radiating killing intent.

Xu Fengnian sighed and waved towards the mountain peak's opening. Wang Sheng, her face flushed, jogged over, still maintaining her comically earnest demeanor of carrying a sword-box and famous sword. She lowered her head and explained, "Master, I couldn't sleep, so I came here." Xu Fengnian grunted, then turned to White Fox-face and asked, "When do you expect to leave the tower and head for Beimang?" White Fox-face calmly replied, "Three months at the earliest, half a year at the latest." Xu Fengnian smiled, "Then bring my second disciple, Wang Sheng, with you when you go." White Fox-face nodded, not refusing. After receiving the answer, Xu Fengnian said softly, "Get some rest once you go down the mountain." The tall, dark-skinned girl silently turned and departed.

White Fox-face watched Xu Fengnian sit back down, then frowned and asked, "Such a good unpolished jade, and you're willing to just abandon her?" Xu Fengnian shook his head, "Staying by my side won't help her improve. Martial arts cultivation becomes useless without rigorous tempering. Without repeatedly walking through the gates of hell, even the best talent is wasted." White Fox-face continued to stare at Xu Fengnian. Xu Fengnian said awkwardly, "You can probably tell that this girl will either have to become like you, a forceful... man, or she will struggle to adapt to the Northern Liang environment, becoming a demure woman with no presence, merely 'fragrant as orchids.' For an ordinary girl, this would be fine, but it doesn't align with Wang Sheng's disposition. Among my three disciples, I actually have the most personal bias towards her and the highest hopes. However, I can't voice this; if I did, her mind, far more delicate than Lü Yunchang's, would feel even greater pressure, perhaps even crushing her. Wang Sheng following you through Northern Liang to Beimang will allow her to absorb the unique vigor and masculine spirit of the borderlands, consolidating her energy in one go. This is far more direct and effective than any verbal instruction or perusal of secret manuals." Xu Fengnian twirled his wine cup and smiled, "Of my three disciples, I'll keep Yu Dilong by my side, otherwise I wouldn't be at ease. Lü Yunchang will be sent to the Fish Dragon Gang for a period, and later to the border. As for Wang Sheng, she'll go with you." Xu Fengnian turned his head to look towards the land even further north than Northern Liang, and said softly, "Beimang, I've been there. I know how vast its skies are, how low its clouds hang. And someone forged his sword there." White Fox-face looked at this man, not yet thirty, who had stumbled through the jianghu with a saber, and whose ultimate goal, in all his talk, was merely revenge. What was he after by watering his horses in the north next?

Xu Fengnian slapped his forehead and ran down the mountain. White Fox-face showed a look of disdain. What else could this guy be rushing down the mountain for at this hour? The Phoenix Tree Courtyard was full of beauties. It was true that Xu Fengnian was heading to the Phoenix Tree Courtyard, but he harbored no lewd thoughts. Of the two future concubines on Qingliang Mountain, Wang Chundong, a great scholar whose talent was second only to his Second Sister, had gone to lecture at an academy in Liangzhou. Burdened by her troublesome family, Lu Chengyan had much to worry about and could only remain in the Phoenix Tree Courtyard, accumulating merit for a large number of Lu family descendants, almost as an act of atonement. Even Xu Weixiong had previously mentioned that Xu Fengnian absolutely had to visit the courtyard and check on his poor sister-in-law, who was currently unpopular with both her husband's and her own families. Xu Fengnian entered the elegant and quiet courtyard, which was lit every night without fail. He felt a pang of sadness, thinking of the clever maidservants like Lü Yi. Their alternative jianghu, in which they were unwillingly trapped, lacked any youthful vigor; from beginning to end, there was only cold intrigue and unwilling betrayal. Xu Fengnian did not rush into the house. He looked around the familiar courtyard, brightly lit as day. The smiles of those young women lingered in his mind. He wondered if they had truly been happy, playing and squabbling here year after year.

Tonight, Lu Chengyan and a third-rank maid, Xiangge, were on duty, reviewing documents. Three desks were piled high with papers. Xiangge, who had grown up in the Phoenix Tree Courtyard, was extremely familiar to Xu Fengnian. She was currently focused, holding a sharp stone badger-hair brush. The brush held a lot of ink but released it evenly, making it easy for long periods of writing, and it had always been Xiangge's favored stiff-bristled brush. Perhaps she had encountered an indecisive matter, as she had held her arm suspended for a long time, hesitant to put pen to paper. The ink-laden brush tip had already drawn new and old, varying shades of ink marks on her face, but she was oblivious, looking like a painted cat. Besides Xiangge, there was a new face. Xu Fengnian knew she was a girl carefully selected by his Second Sister, named Junqiu, a newcomer to the Phoenix Tree Courtyard. The secret documents she handled were a bit simpler than those of the more experienced Xiangge. She had been gently rotating her other wrist with her five fingers when she suddenly saw the Northern Liang King's figure. Startled, she was about to spring up and formally greet him. Xiangge also came to her senses. Xu Fengnian made a 'shh' gesture to them and quietly walked to the innermost desk, where he saw the young woman—more unfamiliar than familiar—asleep with her head on the desk. Her slender shoulders rose and fell gently with soft snores; she must have been exhausted.

Xu Fengnian gently pulled up a chair and sat beside her, looking at the neatly stacked piles of documents that had been reviewed and marked. They were meticulously categorized. Her arms were resting on an unwritten memorial. Xu Fengnian leaned down to look, seeing that it was an official document from Liuzhou, concerning the major, covert reshuffling currently underway: waves of displaced people were being systematically relocated to the fertile land of Lingzhou, and then scholars from other regions who had no official positions in the courts of Liang, You, and Ling were being assigned as officials and clerks in Liuzhou. Xu Fengnian withdrew his gaze and carefully observed the Qingzhou woman he had always kept at a distance. She was wearing a small floral brocade dress, adapted to local customs, far less layered and intricate than the attire of Jiangnan women. The temperature difference between day and night in Northern Liang was extreme. A light green overcoat, used for warmth, hung on the back of her chair. She had probably fallen asleep in a hurry and forgotten to put it on, so she subconsciously hugged her arms while sleeping, likely not sleeping soundly. Xu Fengnian sighed, carefully pulled out the overcoat, and gently covered her with it. Xu Fengnian, of course, knew that this was the Lu family woman whom Grand Pillar of the State Lu Feichi doted on and admired wholeheartedly. Lu Chengyan was very intelligent; it was precisely her sagacity that allowed her to sense that the Xu family—from Xu Xiao to Xu Weixiong, and even he, her husband—secretly favored Wang Chundong over her. Yet, this woman, who had never shown the slightest hint of grievance or resentment, had even drawn her sword outside the Lu family's new ancestral hall, intending to kill. Not only the Lu family elders and young ones, but even her father must have been displeased. Although it was said that a married daughter was like spilled water, her loyalty leaned too heavily towards the Xu family, allowing her birth family, the Lu's, no advantage whatsoever. Anyone would secretly grumble, wondering why Lu Chengyan had married into the Xu family. The Lu family had endured immense hardships, traveling to this impoverished land to settle down; shouldn't they enjoy some benefits and prestige?

Xu Fengnian sat beside Lu Chengyan and began to personally annotate the official documents and memorials. During this time, the third-rank maid, Xiangge, tiptoed closer and softly said that Miss Lu had asked her to be woken up in half an hour. Xu Fengnian waved his hand dismissively.

Deep in the quiet night, only the gentle rustle of the brush moving across Xuan paper could be heard.

The new maid, Junqiu, would occasionally muster her courage, turn her head, and secretly glance at the young man, who embodied ultimate worldly prosperity.

As the sky outside the window began to turn a fish-belly white, Xu Fengnian finished annotating all the documents and memorials, large and small, and silently left the Phoenix Tree Courtyard. Junqiu had not slept a wink all night. Each time she secretly looked, she couldn't discern how this elegant and dashing young Prince could have killed the City Lord of Wudi City—that was a hundred-year-old monster! Xiangge, who had not dared to utter a sound, threw a wad of waste paper at the thoughtless maid, who then playfully stuck out her tongue. When Lu Chengyan groggily woke up, Xu Fengnian had already left the city and was heading towards the border. She only saw that the mountain of documents on the desk had vanished.