Chapter 739: The Scholar

Xu Fengnian had originally planned to part ways with Yu Luandao and the Youqi Butui camp at the northern border of Liang and You, then proceed to Beiliang Protectorate where Chu Lushan was stationed. However, urgent intelligence indicated that Yan Wenluan was already en route to discuss military affairs with him. Consequently, Xu Fengnian chose a compromise location, arranging for the infantry commander, who commanded over a hundred thousand Beiliang border troops, to wait for him in Yanzhi County. Upon hearing they were going to Yanzhi County, Yu Dilong, who had been gloomy throughout the journey, finally showed a hint of a smile. Unfortunately, his spirits dropped again when he learned that Xu Fengnian and Yan Wenluan had arranged to meet in the county seat, not Bishan County, where his master had served as a scribe for a time. He felt a sense of disappointment, as if passing by his home without being able to enter. Xu Fengnian and his entourage arrived late at night, settling into an elegant residence meticulously arranged by the Fushuifang. No sooner had they crossed the threshold than a sudden, heavy downpour began to pound against the rooftops and courtyard walls behind them.

Xu Fengnian was sleepless. After entering the richly stocked study, he stood by the window, watching the rain curtain in the courtyard. Perhaps, as the ancients said, deep night is when one best recalls their youth. Xu Fengnian found himself inexplicably remembering many of his reckless youthful acts: stamping "counterfeit" on over a hundred genuine masterpieces he had handled, or spending a fortune on wandering martial artists passing through Beiliang territory. He particularly recalled a famous Jiangnan scholar who had slandered Beiliang for half his life, using it as a shortcut to officialdom. Xu Fengnian was irked by the scholar's propensity for writing poems about wealth and status after attaining high office, so he had a postal letter sent to him. The gist of it was: "You old man, the compliments you receive about your 'magnificent demeanor' are not true indications of wealth. If one were truly rich, they wouldn't boast of fine wines, rare delicacies, gold, or jade. All that talk of 'lazily resting on a cool jade pillow' is merely a display of impoverished pretentiousness." Xu Fengnian concluded the letter with the line: "When rain comes, I idly listen to a thousand plantain sounds; when rain departs, I sit and watch ten thousand brocades in the lake." It was said that the elderly literati was greatly angered upon reading the letter, and soon after, he submitted a memorial impeaching Xu Fengnian. He argued that plantains were not cold-hardy and their leaves easily split in the wind, making even a single plant rare in the northwestern frontier. Thus, for Qingliang Mountain to have "a thousand sounds," meaning a thousand plantain trees, led him to conclude: "It must be that Xu Xiao, the King of Beiliang, has embezzled military funds and enriched himself, utterly disregarding frontier affairs and betraying the Emperor's grace; he ought to be stripped of his title." Of course, such "righteously indignant" memorials were a year-round occurrence in the Liyang court at the time, and the late Emperor Zhao Dun neither acknowledged nor suppressed them. Xu Fengnian clearly remembered that after he sent the letter, it sparked intense debate in Jiangnan's literary circles, with a unanimous chorus of condemnation directed at him, Xu Xiao, and Beiliang. His second sister, Xu Weixiong, who had just begun her studies at Shangyin Academy, sent a family letter saying that Xu Fengnian's writing was "utter nonsense." However, she then personally wrote a letter to the esteemed scholar, after which all the famous scholars in Jiangnan quickly "tucked their tails." Afterwards, Xu Xiao, through unknown means, managed to obtain that letter. When drinking with his son in Wutong Courtyard, he showered Xu Fengnian with endless flattery, claiming he had consulted Li Yishan for half a day just to understand the meaning of "a thousand plantain sounds." When he was drunk, he would repeatedly express how truly happy he was, declaring that his son was superior to him, more learned, and even capable of writing poetry. He believed Xu Fengnian would surely become a more competent and respected vassal king than Xu Xiao himself.

Despite his far superior memory, Xu Fengnian, due to his casual and perfunctory attitude at the time, now struggled to recall Xu Xiao's exact words or expressions. However, one particular action of Xu Xiao's remained increasingly vivid and profound in his memory, even after so many years. It was the moment, before Xu Xiao, unsteady with drink, left Wutong Courtyard, when he carefully retrieved the letter—which had made its way back to Qingliang Mountain from Jiangnan—from the wine table and tucked it into his sleeve. At the time, Xu Fengnian had been puzzled. Throughout his life, as Xu Xiao steadily climbed to the pinnacle of officialdom, he had always casually piled up the numerous imperial edicts bestowing promotions and titles. Why would a letter, sent to insult someone else, be treated with such importance?

Xu Fengnian stood sleepless by the window; it felt as if a new morning had arrived in the blink of an eye. There had been three intermittent downpours last night, and the dawn light was still hazy. Xu Fengnian looked up: the last heavy shower had just ceased, but the sky remained overcast and somber. As time passed, however, pillars of sunlight began to pierce through the cloud gaps, casting their light upon the earth. From the adjacent courtyard came the dull thud of impacts. Yu Dilong and Lu Yunchang—who had not yet joined the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry on the northern front of Liangzhou—were sparring. Neither disciple used weapons; they engaged in close-quarters combat, their fists landing solidly, with the first to be forced back three steps declared the loser. Before long, Lu Yunchang, the eldest but junior disciple, clamored for his frost-blade. Presumably, Yu Dilong, the youngest but senior disciple, ignored him, and silence returned to the courtyard. Xu Fengnian felt a sense of regret. It wasn't that he was "clinging to power" in the martial arts world like a bureaucratic official obsessed with his position, nor was he unable to extricate himself from the feeling of being unrivaled. Rather, it was the thought that if his cultivation had still been at its peak, he wouldn't have been so constrained outside Hukou Pass upon learning that the Beimang Imperial Advisor had Hong Jingyan, Zhong Liang, and Murong Baoding as backup. Then again, if Xu Fengnian were still the undisputed New Martial Emperor, figures like Taiping Ling and Tuoba Qiyun would not have appeared. Xu Fengnian estimated that in a one-on-one fight now, in terms of sheer power level, he was still "a lean camel is bigger than a horse"—meaning he was formidable even in decline. He would only be slightly inferior to six individuals: Tuoba Pusa, Deng Tai'a, Cao Changqing, Xu Yanbing, Huyan Daguan, and Chen Zhibao. However, if it were a fight to the death at this moment, Xu Fengnian would place Gu Jiantang—a person whose reputation had recently declined—among the top three.

Xu Fengnian stepped out of the study and stood on the steps. An old man in armor, remarkably short and gaunt compared to the sturdy soldiers of Liang, strode alone into the courtyard. Xu Fengnian did not overtly adopt a posture of welcome, waiting until the old man, whose iron armor still bore traces of rain, ascended the steps. Xu Fengnian then walked with him towards the study. A pot of hot tea had already been placed on the table, but instead of teacups, there were two large bowls. The one-eyed old man, Yan Wenluan, poured himself a bowl and drank it in a single gulp.

Yan Wenluan then propped his fists on his knees and looked at Xu Fengnian across from him, as if poised to demand accountability. Xu Fengnian quietly waited for him to speak. This old general represented the largest faction within the Beiliang army. After the fall of the previous cavalry commander, Zhong Hongwu, Yuan Zuozong's tenure as successor was still short, leaving Yan Wenluan, who had always maintained a firm grip on the Beiliang infantry, as virtually unchallenged. However, many border soldiers and Beiliang commoners were unaware of a secret: the Beiliang army—more accurately, the Xu family army—was invisibly divided into two factions from its inception. One faction, led by the "gentle" strategist Li Yishan, advocated for Xu Xiao to immediately return to the capital after the Battle of Xileibi. The other, more radical faction, centered around Zhao Changling, vehemently argued for seizing half the country in one fell swoop, establishing an independent state to rule south of the Yangtze River, sharing the realm north and south with the Liyang Zhao family, and then fighting one final decisive battle, similar to Xileibi, to determine ultimate dominion. This underlying division persisted until Xu Xiao's ennoblement as a vassal king. It was at this time that Xu Fengnian's maternal uncle, Wu Qi, became disheartened and chose to leave the military, as did Xu Pu, who later lived incognito in Dunhuang City in Beimang. Many others under these two renowned generals similarly acted on impulse and left Xu Xiao's side. It could be said that the victory of Li Yishan's faction was a bitter one; in the eyes of many old veterans still in the Beiliang army, it meant that Li Yishan single-handedly created the "Xu family in Beiliang, Zhao family rules the world" paradigm. While not incorrect, it was seen as quite mediocre. More importantly, Zhao Changling's untimely death from illness caused his faction to lose its guiding spirit. Furthermore, many individuals Zhao Changling had personally promoted, led by Yan Wenluan, a famous general from the Spring and Autumn period, had always been unwilling, or dared not, interfere with the Xu family's "internal affairs." This also influenced Chen Zhibao's solitary departure to Xishu many years later, as if in a fit of pique.

Yan Wenluan suddenly sighed, poured himself a bowl of tea, and after a moment's thought, also filled the bowl in front of Xu Fengnian. The old man lifted his large bowl and softly lamented, "For all these years, I've had a knot in my heart. I've been to Qingliang Mountain countless times, but I always deliberately avoided going to Tingchao Pavilion to meet Mr. Li. The Grand General once urged me to go, but I fobbed him off with a flimsy excuse, and he never brought it up again after that."

Xu Fengnian did not prevaricate with vague, casual remarks. Instead, he spoke directly, "My master never regretted his decision during his lifetime. He always firmly believed that if we were to contend for the realm, Xu Xiao and the Xu family iron cavalry did not possess the necessary momentum or grand destiny for such a feat. Those who aspired to become loyal subjects to a new emperor were merely deluding themselves. It's not that I disrespect Mr. Zhao, nor am I speaking carelessly or gloating after gaining an advantage. Inside Tingchao Pavilion, my master, Wine Master Wang, and my second sister conducted repeated strategic analyses of the situation at the time, and their conclusions were consistently the same."

Yan Wenluan's expression was complex. He took a sip of tea, swirled the large white bowl, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "At that crucial moment concerning the Prince's hereditary succession, I, Yan Wenluan, also speculated who would be made an example of to establish authority. After much thought, there was one most likely and one most unlikely candidate. The most likely scenario was for me, this old eyesore, to dutifully lay down my armor, return to the fields, and enjoy a peaceful retirement. The most unlikely scenario was the removal of Grand General Huaihua, because regardless of Zhong Hongwu's character, in the capital's view, he had always been an important figure used by the Grand General to keep both me and Chen Zhibao in check."

Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "If it were still an era of peace and prosperity, I would certainly have chosen Zhong Hongwu. I would even have gone so far as to let him nominate a trusted confidant to become the Beiliang Protector after his departure from the border army. I would also have found ways to tarnish your reputation in your later years, Yan Wenluan, slowly clipping your wings and eradicating Mr. Zhao's lasting influence. Chen Zhibao would have been completely isolated, a man whose 'authority could exist, but not be great,' and his imprint within the Beiliang army would naturally and gradually fade away."

Yan Wenluan sneered, "The Prince truly is Mr. Li's favorite disciple, adept at strategy and particularly skilled at utterly decisive schemes."

Unfazed, Xu Fengnian raised a hand and chuckled softly, "Harsh words can wound, but fortunately, there's hot tea to warm the heart. Do drink some tea."

Surprisingly, the old general, known throughout Beiliang for his fiery temper, did not overturn the table or openly break off relations. Instead, he drank a sip of hot tea with a stern expression.

The atmosphere in the room was stiff.

Xu Fengnian was the first to break the silence, though with an apparent digression: "I hear Nalan Youci has announced he's teaming up with Xie Feiyu to reassess the martial rankings, the beauty rankings, and the general and chancellor rankings."

Yan Wenluan grumbled, "That useless nonsense is just scholars with too much time on their hands, looking for trouble."

Xu Fengnian drained his tea and set down the bowl, his expression solemn. "Then allow me, old general, to tell you about one serious matter that several scholars collaborated on. There were four of them, in fact."

Yan Wenluan frowned.

Xu Fengnian spoke four names.

They were Huang Longshi.

Li Yishan of Tingchao Pavilion.

Nalan Youci of Southern Jiang.

And Yuan Benxi, the Imperial Tutor of Liyang.

Yan Wenluan instinctively sat up straighter.