Chapter 656: Frost Kills All Plants (Part 1)

The first year of Xiangfu, which arrived on the tail end of the Yonghui era, was drawing to a close, about to enter winter. Although the new era name was auspicious, it was clearly not a peaceful year. The first half and the second half were as different as heaven and earth. First, Chen Zhibao entered the capital to become the Minister of War, completely severing ties with the Xu family, which was a great cause for celebration. Then, the long-vacant position of Crown Prince was finally filled, and the various princes were smoothly granted fiefs and sent out of the capital, which was also joyous. Later, Yin Maochun oversaw the grand evaluation of officials with methodical precision, earning him the reputation of a 'hidden prime minister', like a butcher carving an ox. If not for Xu Fengnian's hereditary succession as the King of Northern Liang, the first half of the Xiangfu year would have been entirely favorable. Then came a period of turmoil. The Guangling Dao fell into great chaos, with Vice Minister of War Lu Shengxiang appointed as commander to suppress the rebellious princes. Two veteran generals, heroes of the Spring and Autumn campaigns, one died in battle, and the other remains trapped, with tens of thousands of elite soldiers and valiant generals effectively lost. Around the time of the Frost's Descent, before winter had truly set in, news spread that the Northern Mang's million-strong army was marching south into the Central Plains. If they hadn't chosen the northwest as their entry point, the entire Liyang court and populace would likely have been in utter panic. However, Lu Shengxiang's position as commander was undoubtedly precarious. The Confucian Sage Cao Changqing also appeared on the eastern front of Guangling Dao, confronting Prince Zhao Yi of Guangling, creating a volatile standoff. At this very moment, on another, more expansive eastern front, Grand Pillar State Gu Jiantang, who commanded the military and political affairs of the northern regions, remained inactive. The King of Shu, Chen Zhibao, had vanished like a mud ox into the sea, and Prince Zhao Bing of Yanchi deliberately watched from the sidelines. As for Taian City, the capital, if not for the arrival of Qi Yanglong, who had entered officialdom in his twilight years, the populace would probably have been filled with dread during this season of autumn-winter transition and fading vegetation.

Taian City was truly a place where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Many officials who attended daily court sessions might toil for twenty years and still be unable to afford a single residence, and it only became more unaffordable with time. A few years prior, a tragedy occurred when an official living in a remote area drowned in a river during a pre-dawn downpour, trying to make it to the morning roll call. The current emperor, who claimed to possess the entire realm, was a monarch of almost obsessive frugality. He also strictly controlled the imperial family and meritorious relatives. While in previous dynasties, the encroachment on civilian property by imperial relatives and nobility would intensify within a generation of the dynasty's founding, it was extremely rare in this current reign, further highlighting how different he was from other emperors seated on the dragon throne. However, His Majesty the Emperor was never stingy in showing generosity to his most trusted and important ministers. Apart from the group of humble scholars who rose to prominence during the "Spring of Yonghui," in recent years, Chen Zhibao, Lu Baijie, and Lu Shengxiang – these three high-ranking officials of the Ministry of War – were granted top-tier red-gated mansions and countless rewards upon their arrival in the capital.

Yet, none of these could compare to the residence of Sacrificial Wine Qi, Qi Yanglong. Its previous owner was a Prince who had his hereditary peerage stripped by the late emperor, and his eldest son had already been demoted to a Garrison General. This was not the most remarkable thing. To cater to Qi Yanglong, who once styled himself as a "pure gourmand of Yue," the Zhao family emperor, who never dabbled in culinary experiments in the imperial kitchen, specially established a "Yue Cuisine Bureau" within Qi's residence. Two master chefs skilled in cooking were sought from the former Eastern Yue region solely to satisfy Sacrificial Wine Qi's palate. Consequently, Qi Yanglong was spared even the customary reciprocal visits between new officials in the capital and local officials. Qi's residence, being such a geomantically auspicious place, naturally drew all the city's high-ranking officials and nobles, who considered it a great honor to cross its threshold. Gossipmongers enjoyed judging their respective statuses and influences based on the order in which they visited the residence. For a time, the gate of Qi's residence became a 'Dragon Gate,' a phenomenon unseen even when Zhang Julu held the position of Minister of War. However, this also had to do with Grand Secretary Zhang's unapproachable nature. Sacrificial Wine Qi, on the other hand, was very different. Qi Yanglong did not refuse the lavish mansion and silk bestowed by the emperor, nor did he decline the elegant trinkets and rare books gifted by his colleagues. Someone roughly estimated that in less than a month, the "Iron Sword Zither Heart Tower" in Qi's residence had collected no less than eighty "Feng books," each valued at "payment by page, one page one gold." The Feng edition books of the Great Feng Dynasty were renowned for their exquisite paper, ancient calligraphy, and superior printing quality. One must know that among the most famous private collections in the world today, possessing a hundred Feng edition treasures was the result of generations of a family consistently spending vast fortunes.

Red lanterns hung everywhere in Qi's residence. Qi Yanglong had just seen off Yan Jiexia, a Grand Academician of the Dongyuan Pavilion, with whom he had sat and enjoyed two jars of aged wine. Now, the old man, arriving alone, looked radiant. He wore a thick fur coat. The old man was short and slender, especially in the northern regions where men were generally tall and robust, making him appear somewhat frail. The old man approached the bookshelf. As he walked, he didn't spare a glance for the priceless Feng edition rare and unique books. Instead, he pulled out a local gazetteer of Northern Liang, sent by Gu Jiantang through an intermediary. The author was unknown. As the old man opened it, for some reason, reading the concise text, a surge of solitary indignation washed over him: "The land of Lianglong is extremely cold in winter. Even with many layers of clothing, one must hide deep within even a shabby mouse-skin coat. All wear thick furs as garments. Every severe winter, fingers drop off, skin cracks, and bones freeze for a thousand li. The land is extremely high. The people of Liang endure cold and hunger, are brave and reckless with their lives, unafraid of death. They value strength and despise old age. They are skilled riders, ascending and descending cliffs like flying, crossing rivers without boats, floating on horseback, and are exceptionally good at hunting..."

The old man moistened his fingers and turned page after page. During this, he read a passage: "Their people grow up on horseback, valuing armored soldiers above all. When mounted, they gather like the wind; dismounted, they gather to graze their herds; every person is a soldier. The million households of Liangland surpass the ten millions of Jiangnan; whoever possesses this land gains the world. Their nature is fierce and unyielding, but their minds are prone to change. Appeasement is insufficient for achieving success; only those with exceptionally brilliant military achievements can seize frontier merits and guard the gates. If our dynasty obtains this land, we can control the northwest, and a cavalry advance northward will be imminent. If Northern Mang obtains this land, within ten years, they will cast their whips into Guangling."

Unconsciously, the old man read through this gazetteer, written many years ago, his expression sorrowful. He already knew whose hand it was – his disciple Xun Ping, a scholar whom he regarded as more worthy of inheriting his mantle than Yuan Benxi or Xie Feiyu. The old man never believed in the concept of "heaven envying genius," maintaining that so-called unfulfilled talent was always due to insufficient learning, but his disciple Xun Ping was the sole exception. If Xun Ping hadn't died young, the old man believed he wouldn't have had to wade into these troubled waters. Now, it was more than just troubled waters; it was a sign of tumultuous waves, and anyone involved would at best face mixed reputations. Amidst his melancholy, the old man quietly placed the book back on the shelf. Soon, a steward from the residence came to report that distinguished guests had arrived, having used their connection with Prince Rong, Zhao Hui, to enter through a side gate. The old man showed no hint of annoyance, merely saying he would be there shortly. The steward had initially intended to remind his master that Prince Rong was a leading figure among the imperial clan and nobles in the capital, and thus should not be slighted. However, he quickly realized this was unnecessary. Almost every prominent aristocratic family in Taian City had someone visit Qi's residence. "Prince of Taiping" Zhao Hui, as the late emperor's younger brother, had only not visited himself due to his advanced age. The steward figured this visiting party consisted merely of the younger yellow-gowned descendants of the old Prince's lineage, not worthy of his master personally sweeping the floor to greet them. Thus, the steward left, smiling with an easy mind.

Qi Yanglong, who couldn't rest for a moment, walked towards the main hall. He saw several young figures pointing at a pair of 'ear-cavity wind-permeable feng shui stones' outside. These were fine items left by the previous owner, only remaining because they were too difficult to move. Otherwise, such a pair of two-man-high giant stones from Spring God Lake could fetch 400,000 taels of silver in the capital market. The old man was not in a hurry to greet them. He walked quietly closer, and after recognizing their profiles, he smiled. They were indeed some of the most influential and rising figures. First was Wu Shizhen, whose father was Wu Lingsu, the former Master of Qingyang Palace and now the leader of Northern Daoism, ruling north of the river, while Longhu Mountain's Celestial Master Residence ruled south of it. The Two Zen Temples were personally sealed by this man. If one achieves enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, let alone Wu Shizhen, the sole son of the divine Wu. Then there was Wang Yuanran, the youngest son of Wang Xiongong, the Minister of Revenue, who was said to have handled the most silver within the Liyang Dynasty. Last time, he angered a large group of powerful aristocratic offspring of similar standing, and the enraged Minister Wang forced him to kneel in the snow outside their homes to beg for forgiveness. After that, he was sent to the Imperial Academy and stayed quiet for about half a year. Now, he could probably be considered to have "re-emerged."

Besides these two influential young men, there were also two grandsons of Spring and Autumn campaign heroes, who had recently risen to prominence. With Yan Zhenchun's death in battle and Yang Shenxing's loss of influence, the Yan and Yang families' foundations in Taian City became unstable, suffering great blows to their vitality. Other military households, however, felt no sympathy for their misfortune. The ancestors of these latter families, who had personally established immortal merits in the Spring and Autumn Wars, had mostly died of old age or illness, and their families originally could not compare to the Yang family, whose patriarch Yang Shenxing was still alive and well. Yang Shenxing commanded immense power west of the capital region; a large part of the Han family's assets had been entrusted to him, and he held tens of thousands of elite Jizhou soldiers, so much so that often, the imperial court's decrees held less sway than a single word from Yang Shenxing. However, when a wall collapses, everyone pushes it down. As soon as Yang Shenxing lost his military command, what became available was not just a general's position, but the entire officialdom of Jizhou would be turned upside down, freeing up a large number of local officials with real power at the fourth and fifth ranks.

Upon seeing the old man, who was nearly a head shorter than them, all four knelt respectfully. Qi Yanglong accepted their reverence calmly. After they rose, he asked with a smile, "Besides waiting for this old man, you must be waiting for someone else, right? None of you young ones have the ability to command the respect of Prince Rong." Wang Yuanran was about to speak when a familiar laugh echoed from behind him. Qi Yanglong turned around and saw three more visitors, also young, but their status and demeanor far surpassed those of the group already present. There was the former Fourth Prince, now Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan. Then Jin Lanting, Right Sacrificial Wine of the Imperial Academy, and another man Qi Yanglong didn't recognize, who exuded an undisguised aura of martial prowess. Even in the company of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Jin Sanlang, he showed no inclination to be merely a supporting character. The old man thought for a moment and recalled someone; it was likely him, nine times out of ten: Yuan Tingshan, Gu Jiantang's adopted son and the son-in-law of Yanbao in Jizhou. There was once a secret file in the old Gu Lu of the Ministry of War, divided into upper and lower volumes by age. Individuals whose names were recorded in it, especially in the lower volume, had, over the past two decades, mostly risen to at least the high position of a fourth-rank general, with only a few exceptions who ruined their own futures. Yuan Tingshan was conspicuously listed among the top three in the current "lower volume."

The three bowed together. Qi Yanglong bade them dispense with the formalities, and with a touch of emotion, he smiled and said, "It's truly wonderful to be young."