Chapter 740: Spring Wind Turns Page After Page

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Daoist True Masters soar through the sky and burrow into the earth, capable of taking a person's head from a thousand miles away; Buddhist Bodhisattvas, with downcast brows and wrathful eyes, can shake Mount Kunlun with a raised hand. And who dares say scholars lack spirit? In a fit of rage, they can make even the Emperor show a sorrowful expression. Traversing rivers, lakes, and singing songs, I possess a sword that makes immortals kneel; wielding a blade, a sword, and wine, three hundred thousand iron cavalry conquer the heavens.

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Xu Fengnian pushed aside the teapot and teacups, then, with two fingers pressed together, drew a line on the tabletop. He slowly said, "Before the Spring and Autumn period, ever since the Great Qin was established, whenever northern nomadic tribes launched raids or there was internal turmoil in the Central Plains, the Central Plains gentry and commoners would flee south to avoid disaster. Historically, there were several large-scale southward migrations of the cultured elite across the Yangtze River, with imperial clans and powerful families moving from north to south, only retreating further and further south. There was never a crossing north of the Guangling River. Among these, the 'Liu Clan's Retreat to Shu' at the end of the Yongxi era and the 'Ganlu Southern Crossing' after the fall of Great Feng are the most typical examples. It can be said that the 'Chu Jiang' among the nine states of the Spring and Autumn period were able to become leaders, and the Central Plains orthodox identity brought to them by the Ganlu Southern Crossing was indispensable to their success. In stark contrast to previous migrations was the Hongjia Northward Exodus, which, as everyone knows, had two routes. One of these routes led to the Liyang capital, Taian City, and was primarily taken by remnants of the Later Song, Great Wei, and Later Sui, mixed with a small number of Western Chu and Southern Tang survivors."

Xu Fengnian drew another slightly winding and circuitous line on the table. "After this, about half a year later, an even larger and unprecedented exodus, involving more gentry families, began. The most unyielding Western Chu, the most fond of extravagance and luxury Southern Tang, and Western Shu, with its deepest attachment to its homeland, almost all appeared in this great flood of people. Over a dozen large and small groups of people eventually converged in what are now the Liangyouhe three prefectures, entering the Gusai and Longyao prefectures of Northern Mang, creating the current prosperity of Northern Mang's Southern Dynasty."

Yan Wenluan nodded and said, "At that time, after Chu Lushan's thousand cavalry opened up Shu, we used infantry to make the Western Shu army abandon their armor and flee. Gu Jiantang was lucky, and Grand Ancestor Gu, the pillar of Southern Tang, was too unlucky. Southern Tang was taken almost without shedding a drop of blood. The rulers of the eight states either hanged themselves, self-immolated, or became prisoners. That's why the old Liyang Emperor said, 'Finally, we can use the Zhao family's peaceful fire to bring peace to the world.' But what does this have to do with those four people? It's rumored that Mr. Li and Nalan Youci once traveled together during the Spring and Autumn period, but even if that's true, since they each served their own masters, they would absolutely not collaborate, let alone with Yuan Benxi, that half-tongued man our Northern Liang assassins tried to kill many times but failed to."

Yan Wenluan scoffed, "My Lord, although I, Yan Wenluan, am a crude man, I do know a thing or two about matters outside of warfare. If you tell me these four people sat at a table like us right now and planned the Hongjia Northward Exodus, I would truly laugh my teeth out. You can't just boast without any basis."

Xu Fengnian's expression remained calm as he shook his head. "Even if we assume, for argument's sake, that four individuals from different camps with their own agendas truly gathered to scheme, how could the Northern Mang Commissioner of Peace, who traveled the Central Plains for over twenty years, not detect any clues?"

Yan Wenluan couldn't help but laugh, exasperated, "Then what are you saying, My Lord?"

Xu Fengnian looked calmly at the old general, who, for once, didn't glare back, but merely offered an embarrassed smile and waved his hand. "Go on, I won't interrupt anymore."

Xu Fengnian continued, "Huang Sanjia, who stirred up the Spring and Autumn period with his 'three-inch tongue,' actually did nothing in this unprecedented millennium-long change. The reason he is brought into this is simply that without him, there would have been no Liyang unification, and certainly no Hongjia Northward Exodus. Speaking of the Spring and Autumn affairs, Huang Longshi is undoubtedly a figure that cannot be bypassed, and future history books will be the same. Huang Sanjia used his eloquence for diplomacy, while my father used his iron cavalry and the Xu family blade to cause the Divine Land to fall into chaos. Thus, a new problem arose before certain people: although the Central Plains matter was settled, there was still a menacing neighbor to the north. This savage northern neighbor, who would periodically raid his southern neighbor's home for goods, was even more crude and barbaric than Liyang, which Western Chu scholars considered uncultured. Since Liyang could conquer the Central Plains, was it possible that Northern Mang, which values martial prowess even more, could go further and even annex Liyang?"

Yan Wenluan paused, involuntarily falling into contemplation. He was merely a military man who led troops and had never considered this difficult problem. When the Great General was alive, all Northern Liang people, including Yan Wenluan, possessed a powerful confidence that bordered on arrogance: with Northern Liang's three hundred thousand border troops, the Northern Mang barbarians wouldn't dare take a single step south into the Central Plains. What reason was needed for this? None. After the Great General's death, the Northern Mang's million-strong army quickly pressed upon their borders, leaving Yan Wenluan no time for deep thought. As for old events like the Hongjia Northward Exodus, who would care?

Xu Fengnian paused for a long time, as if pondering his words. Only when Yan Wenluan looked at him with an inquiring expression did he speak. "My master never liked to mention Nalan Youci, who was also a strategist, but it is true that he was an old acquaintance of his. This scheme was not something my master told me before his death; I discovered it myself from clues. Chen Xiliang, after reading through countless notes and manuscripts on the top floor of Tide-Listening Pavilion, sent a secret letter to Qingliang Mountain late last year, which confirmed my suspicion. I can assert that my master definitely thought of setting up this 'grand scheme' first. The initial idea likely occurred at the end of the Battle of Xileibi. Conquering Western Chu was equivalent to cleaning up the mess created by Huang Sanjia's haphazard actions. I speculate that on his journey back to the capital with Xu Xiao, he might have met Nalan Youci, who was then traveling north with Prince Yan Che Zhao Bing, or perhaps they never met at all but had extremely covert correspondence. As for the events that later came into the open, General, you should know more or less. Xu Xiao, who had suffered losses in Western Chu, had just become the Prince of Northern Liang in the imperial court when he declared that before taking up his fiefdom in the northwest, he would 'blood-wash' the Guangling River, making the bodies of Western Chu scholars block its estuary. Not long after, Zhao Bing also became Prince Yan Che, with the most expansive territory under his jurisdiction. Soon after, there was a shocking tragedy where remnants of Southern Tang rebelled and killed three thousand Liyang garrison soldiers. The devastating news reached the capital via 800-li urgent dispatch. At that time, Zhao Bing's mood in the eyes of the world must have been very bad because, according to military merits, he should have been granted the Guangling Dao, which was the richest region, but Zhao Yi received no part of it. The south then dealt him such a setback, which was like adding fuel to the fire. Prince Zhao Bing, known as the most bloodthirsty among the vassal kings, would, by common sense, have been furious. Unofficial histories even spread the rumor that 'Zhao Bing cut down a Qin cypress with his sword, vowing to exterminate all Southern Tang young men.'"

Yan Wenluan grunted. "That indeed happened. The Great General even used to tell us that as a joke."

The old man suddenly let out a surprised "Eh?" "But if I remember correctly, when the old emperor rewarded his meritorious officials, concerning the most important matter of enfeoffment, the Great General pushed aside Gu Jiantang to become the Prince of Northern Liang, and no one dared to say much. Gu Jiantang could only serve as the Minister of War in the capital, so he had to build that dilapidated Gu Manor right under the noses of two emperors. What was the saying about it?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "To console himself?"

Yan Wenluan smiled and nodded. "Right."

Then Yan Wenluan returned to the main topic, saying, "But the imperial court initially intended for Zhao Bing to be the Prince of Huainan. Forget the far-off Southern Xinjiang; he couldn't even be the Prince of Jing'an, only the Prince of Huainan, helping the Liyang Zhao imperial family keep an eye on the Great General. Zhao Bing surely wasn't pleased, so he requested to go to Liangliao to be the Prince of Jiaodong. The Great General later told us himself that Zhao Bing had a private conversation with the old emperor, saying he didn't want to 'eat dust' behind the Great General and wanted to go to Liangliao to fight the Northern Mang barbarians, saying that even if he, Zhao Bing, were to die, he would die in battle on horseback. But the result was very unexpected: Zhao Bing became Prince Yan Che. Although not comparable to Zhao Dun's full brother, Zhao Yi, it was still much more comfortable than Prince Huainan Zhao Ying, who had been frustrated for most of his life."

Yan Wenluan slapped his knee heavily and said in a deep voice, "This explains it then. To drive out the Spring and Autumn remnants and force them to cross the Guangling River northward, you have to push the three states of Shu, Chu, and Tang – especially those aristocratic families with 'centuries-old states and millennia-old families' who would be the least willing to leave their homeland – to a point of no return. Otherwise, they wouldn't willingly become homeless dogs after their countries fell. My Lord, it was Yuan Benxi, the fourth strategist who later became the Liyang Imperial Tutor, who exerted effort and manipulated things here, wasn't it? What, did Mr. Li truly have an unknown connection with this person back then?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "No. Yuan Benxi merely schemed for the Zhao family."

Yan Wenluan, unconsciously, turned into a naive child seeking knowledge from a teacher, asking curiously, "My Lord, what do you mean by that?"

But Xu Fengnian was lost in thought.

Yan Wenluan was somewhat helpless. The old man also didn't have the audacity to ask again. Besides, if Xu Fengnian didn't speak, couldn't Yan Wenluan think for himself? After a moment of serious contemplation, the old man suddenly spoke loudly, "After so much travel, just drinking tea is bland as water, not strong enough! My Lord, how about some wine?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and stood up to fetch the wine. When he returned to the study with two pots of green ant wine, Yan Wenluan eagerly opened one, drinking three large gulps consecutively before stopping. He wiped his mouth forcefully and chuckled, "My Lord said Yuan Benxi was calculating for the Zhao family emperor. Does that mean Yuan Benxi simply didn't trust those deeply entrenched aristocratic parasites in the eight kingdoms? Since he didn't care for them and feared they would cause trouble and delay Zhao Dun's ascension to the throne and the impending war against Northern Mang, worrying that these remnants and old officials would stab them in the back, he simply drove them out? This is the same principle as Liyang scholars being required to serve as officials in different regions, isn't it?"

Yan Wenluan, who had just managed to figure this out, quickly began to doubt himself and had to ask again, "But would Yuan Benxi really bear to let so many so-called cultured elite families flee all at once to Northern Mang?"

At this point, Yan Wenluan, suddenly startled, his eyes growing cold and his tone somewhat subdued, stared intently at Xu Fengnian. "Since the first year of Yonghui, Liyang has issued a severe law: if ten catties of iron or one craftsman flow into Northern Mang, the local official will be exiled three thousand li. In Jizhou, Hezhou, and the Two Liaos in the east, over the years, many people on the border have risked danger and become wealthy from this, with little accountability afterward. But in our Northern Liang, for twenty years, under Mr. Li's advocacy, more than ten generals of mixed titles and powerful lieutenants alone were executed."

Yan Wenluan gripped the large white bowl on the table, which had held hot tea and now held strong wine. He squinted and said sinisterly, "My Lord, since you have brought up the Hongjia Northward Exodus to me today, it must have profound implications. I, your general, refuse to believe that Mr. Li and Nalan Youci intended to greatly strengthen Northern Mang by simply allowing Northern Mang to gain a Southern Dynasty and nearly a million Spring and Autumn remnants who constantly speak of Central Plains orthodoxy. But if you cannot give me an explanation today, then I must, on behalf of the fallen soldiers of Wogong and Luanhe Cities and all Northern Liang border troops who will fall in the future, boldly demand an explanation from you!"

Xu Fengnian did not rush to explain. Instead, he dipped a finger in the wine and bent over to touch the northern and southern ends of the tabletop. "To achieve this, a 'closing the door to beat the dog' situation must first be formed. Zhao Bing, who threatened to kill all young men of Southern Tang, was doing the dirty work of 'bottom-fishing.' In fact, upon arriving in Southern Xinjiang, he did kill tens of thousands of Southern Tang surrendered soldiers. Of these, perhaps only a few thousand truly harbored rebellious intentions; the vast majority died unjustly. Someone did the bottom-fishing, and someone else had to close the door. Xu Xiao was doing this, only he marched his troops to Liangzhou at an incredibly slow pace. Yuan Benxi, who at the time felt he had been outmaneuvered by my master and Nalan Youci, made an effort to 'mend the fold after the sheep were lost.' Yuan Benxi, like you, hoped that those powerful families would 'die if transplanted' and not disrupt his top priority of assisting Zhao Dun in fighting Northern Mang. However, Yuan Benxi also did not want that second wave of the Hongjia Northward Exodus to run directly to the sworn enemy, Northern Mang. His original intention was for Xu Xiao's army to accelerate and block the northwest gate before this, to drive this flock of 'sheep to be slaughtered' back to the capital region, to join the previous wave of the Hongjia Northward Exodus. This led to the imperial court ordering Cai Nan, a trusted general of Gu Jiantang, to hastily head west. However, at that time, neither Xu Xiao nor the Han family of Jizhou, for their own reasons, intervened, which led to Cai Nan, who had few cavalry at his disposal, failing. Afterward, Liyang dared not do anything to Xu Xiao, but how could they not deal with a Han family? So the imperial court soon executed the entire Han family. A single survivor escaped back then, and now, by imperial decree, has become a 'loyal martyr's descendant.' When Zhang Julu handled this matter, he genuinely wanted to destroy the Han family, but to say he was influenced by his teacher and killed out of personal vendetta would be to underestimate him too much."

Xu Fengnian picked up the wine pot but did not drink. "The reason Yuan Benxi didn't dwell on this matter is simple: after several major battles, Liyang suffered successive defeats, and the Zhao family's core elite forces suffered heavy losses. Then they suddenly discovered that Northern Mang was busy digesting the Southern Dynasty, intending to achieve ultimate victory in a few years. This allowed the Liyang court, led by Zhao Dun, to breathe and gradually strive for strength and order. Coupled with the fact that Yuan Benxi also didn't believe Liyang would lose to Northern Mang in a future contest of national strength and foundation, the Hongjia Northward Exodus gradually became a forgotten bad debt. The Liyang court and public dared not speak out about it, because it was the only unapproachable 'dragon's scale' of Zhao Dun, who was known for his enlightened generosity."

Yan Wenluan, who was on the verge of smashing his bowl and losing his temper, frowned and asked, "Does that imply that those cultured elite who migrated north were a burden to Northern Mang?"

Xu Fengnian looked out the window at the clearing sky, slowly put down the wine pot, and softly said, "Old General, just wait patiently. When I went to Northern Mang alone back then, I was merely delivering a message to certain people. It was very risky, wasn't it? But if I didn't take such a risk, how could I make others willingly take greater risks? As for who in Northern Mang still remembers their original intentions from back then, I don't know, but the number is certainly not small. I don't even know, so that old woman in Northern Mang and the Commissioner of Peace are even less likely to guess."

Yan Wenluan was dumbfounded.

Xu Fengnian stood up and looked down at the tabletop, where slight wine stains had long since vanished. "Perhaps you'll ask if those scholars can be relied upon?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled to himself, "A few years ago, anyone who dared to nod, I would have considered a joke. But among the scholars of this world, just in the Spring and Autumn period we all experienced, there was Wang Mingyang, who held Xiangfan City for ten years, and even Zhang Julu, who chose his own demise."

Yan Wenluan exhaled deeply and said bitterly, "There's also Wei Jingtang in Jizhou. In fact, during the Spring and Autumn period, there were many such scholarly seeds who bravely faced death. Of course, I, Yan Wenluan, also personally killed many."

Xu Fengnian walked to the window. "Huang Sanjia once said that in this world, more and more people would be able to afford books and read. The general trend is also an unstoppable decline in public morality and a deterioration of societal norms. However, just because one has read books and recognizes characters does not make them a 'scholar' in Huang Sanjia's terms."

Xu Fengnian extended his palm and slowly closed it into a fist. "The more one knows, the more one possesses, the less reverence one has. This is human nature. Would the Crown Prince, who hadn't re-practiced his blade or martial arts a few years ago, dare to be disrespectful to heavenly beings?"

"A restless mind, a restless mind... Taoism has the warning 'the monkey mind is unstable, the horse of intention gallops in all directions,' and Buddhism also has the saying 'control the mind, tame the monkey and horse.' But how to actually do it is too general and ethereal for ordinary people, who were once unaccustomed to the luxury of reading and writing, to accomplish. Confucianism, however, is very simple and clear: one word, 'ritual' (or 'propriety'). Ritual is both a framework and, in essence, a cage. If the common people don't understand, it doesn't matter; we will establish very detailed rules, and you just follow them. I think this is one of the very important reasons why Confucianism was able to stand out among the Hundred Schools of Thought and ultimately dominate. Of course, everyone likes to be unfettered; freedom is human nature. In this almost irreconcilable conflict, Confucianism again had major disagreements with Mohism, which held that human nature is evil. Confucian sages long ago proposed that human nature is inherently good, and later wise men continuously used various methods to subtly influence it, for example, the 'Three Hundred, Thousand' (referring to classic primers like Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Thousand Character Classic) that young children had to memorize by rote or face being punished with a rod once they picked up books. Ultimately, this is the power of enlightenment. And interestingly, Daoist sages also came out to interrupt, saying 'Abandon sageliness, discard wisdom, the people will benefit a hundredfold; abandon benevolence, discard righteousness, the people will return to filial piety and compassion.' Who is right and who is wrong? Perhaps there is no right or wrong."

"Huang Sanjia's downfall of the Spring and Autumn states merely offered everyone an earlier chance to choose 'freedom.' And Zhang Julu, the scholar who acted as Liyang's 'patch-maker' for twenty years, used his own death to preemptively stitch a framework for this future 'freedom' that he 'carried' for the Zhao family and helped propel. Perhaps his efforts were entirely futile and meaningless, but since he could conceive it and achieve it, he did it. That was Zhang Julu. I, Xu Fengnian, couldn't do it; you, Yan Wenluan, couldn't do it; those famous officials of the Yonghui Spring couldn't do it; even Tantan Weng and Qi Yanglong couldn't do it. In fact, no one could do it except for that 'blue-eyed boy' (referring to Zhang Julu)."

"Perhaps Huang Sanjia, who can no longer 'harm' the world with his three-inch tongue, never said a word to us: 'Those who know my worth, those who condemn me, only history will tell.'"

"That former Chief Minister Zhang Julu, who left no will or final words, should have smiled and left a sentence for all future generations who regarded him as a fool: 'You are not a fish; how can you know a fish's joy or sorrow?'"

Yan Wenluan, holding the wine pot, stood beside Xu Fengnian. This was the first time he had listened to Xu Fengnian speak at such length. This young man, who had killed people in Lingzhou and Youzhou back then, was not so verbose.

However, Yan Wenluan was not annoyed in the slightest.

Yan Wenluan clasped one hand behind his back and poured wine directly into his mouth with the other. After emptying the pot, he shook it, still wanting more, and asked, "Then what about Mr. Li?"

As Yan Wenluan turned his head, he saw the young man smile, pointing north. Xu Fengnian's face held a certain grace that crude military men like Yan Wenluan were destined not to possess.

"Don't people say my master is ruthless and fond of extermination tactics? The Hongjia Northward Exodus was him cutting off the lineage of Central Plains scholars. Then, when he came to Northern Liang, those tens of thousands of refugees were just a small taste. Next, it will probably be Northern Mang."

Yan Wenluan sighed, then quickly laughed heartily. "My Lord, my knot is untied. It's funny to say, but I initially rushed to Yanzhi Commandery to shamelessly flatter you. The battles outside Hulokou, you and Yu Luandao fought beautifully! The establishment of the 'No Retreat Camp' greatly boosted morale throughout Youzhou! I didn't expect things to change later; just now, I almost overturned the table and started a fight. Of course, the outcome would surely have been me getting beaten by you and losing my old teeth. Although My Lord hasn't fully clarified, I, Yan Wenluan, believe in the Great General and in Mr. Li. Having settled this matter, I also understand why Mr. Li never thought highly of Chen Zhibao from the beginning. With this Hongjia Northward Exodus, Northern Liang handed over to him, after defeating Northern Mang, there will certainly be another 'unrighteous war' in the eyes of scholars in the future."

Xu Fengnian remained silent, looking a bit weary.

Yan Wenluan hesitated, but still spoke. "My Lord, there's something I can't keep bottled up! Although Chen Zhibao has left Northern Liang, I, Yan Wenluan, can guarantee that in all his years in Northern Liang, he never harbored rebellious intentions. He certainly resented you, but he absolutely had no murderous malice. I believe he was just waiting. If, after the Great General's passing, you, Xu Fengnian, couldn't uphold Northern Liang, he would step forward to make Northern Liang bear the Chen surname. As for what the entire world should be called in the end—Murong, Zhao, or Chen—that would depend on Chen Zhibao's capabilities."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "I know."

Yan Wenluan whispered, "Truly?"

Xu Fengnian turned his head, "Then do I not know?"

Yan Wenluan burst into laughter, "It seems you truly do know. I, Yan Wenluan, have judged a gentleman by the heart of a petty man."

Xu Fengnian laughed along, "Are you insulting me?"

Yan Wenluan was startled at first, then, after a brief thought, the smile in his single eye grew wider, but he feigned helplessness, "A scholar's tongue is truly sharp; I can't help but admire it."

Finally, the dusty commander of the Northern Liang infantry suddenly cupped his fists. "My Lord, I'm off! It's the same words we exchanged when we met in Youzhou: if there's a chance, even if I, Yan Wenluan, am in my coffin, I'll have myself carried to the Northern Mang royal court."

Without waiting for Xu Fengnian to speak, the old man turned and strode away. As he passed the table, he stopped, called out "Catch this!" and threw a wine pot to Xu Fengnian. "Consider it my treat, My Lord."

Xu Fengnian raised his hand to catch the wine pot, looking at the receding figure who had already stepped over the threshold, a surprised expression on his face. He muttered to himself, "Are there guests who use the host's wine to treat the host?"

Yan Wenluan strode along the corridor. The old man, who had initially wanted to add "I believe in you, Xu Fengnian" after "I believe in the Great General, I believe in Mr. Li," had held back then. Now, he muttered to himself, "Great General, fighting like this, now *this* is enjoyable. Just like following the Great General back then, fearing nothing but not dying!"

Xu Fengnian, who hadn't drunk any wine from start to finish, sat back down, his expression somewhat grave.

That refined Fourth Prince, Zhao Zhuan, truly was no ordinary person after becoming emperor. If Zhang Julu's death was at his father Zhao Dun's instruction, then Yuan Benxi's quiet demise was entirely due to Zhao Zhuan's cold-blooded tactics. However, Xu Fengnian was not surprised by this. Which of the Zhao family's three successive emperors wasn't an expert at discarding those who had outlived their usefulness? This Liyang Emperor, who had just ascended the throne, secretly opened the Jibei frontier. This was not because he was overfed and wanted to hand out military achievements to two Northern Mang commanders. Rather, after Liyang and Northern Liang each changed their successors, Xu Fengnian resisted imperial decrees first, establishing Northern Liang's bottom line. Zhao Zhuan, after his enthronement, quickly retaliated by using the incident of Youzhou's ten thousand cavalry encroaching into Jizhou to show that the Liyang court's bottom line was also not low. Yuan Tingshan's redemption after "losing" Yinyao City also did not disappoint Zhao Zhuan, who, like his father Zhao Dun, paid extremely close attention to Jizhou's military affairs. Xu Fengnian had just received intelligence that the man who transformed from "Mad Dog Yuan" to "General Yuan," in addition to Jizhou cavalry, also brought over seven thousand elite private troops given to him by the Yanbao family head, one of his two fathers-in-law. Lying in wait, he decimated eight thousand cavalry belonging to Dairuzhe Shiwei and Wang Jingchong, two Northern Mang commanders. The victory report sent to Taian City stated, "Our side suffered losses of no more than three thousand, and killed over ten thousand enemies." Xu Fengnian naturally knew that the two thousand-plus veteran cavalry accumulated by the Yanbao Li family over generations were certainly not among those three thousand. However, after this battle, it was expected that Zhao Zhuan, newly enthroned with border merits, would be greatly pleased. The Ministry of War in the capital, already overwhelmed by the Guangling Dao situation, would be happy, and the Two Liaos in the east would also be encouraged. The entire court and public, especially the literati, would greatly change their unfavorable impression of "Mad Dog Yuan." In fact, if not for Xu Fengnian serving as the greatest target in the world, Yuan Tingshan, even if he achieved several times more military merits, would only have invited ridicule and suspicion.

Xu Fengnian sneered, "Compared to me, the Crown Prince of Northern Liang, who is widely believed to owe his current standing solely to good fortune, your fate, Yuan Tingshan, is not bad either."

What truly troubled Xu Fengnian was not Yuan Tingshan and Jizhou, but two other matters. In fact, Zhao Zhuan had done much since spring, such as relocating the Hanlin Academy, and bringing a minor Ministry of Revenue official's proposal to revise the national household registry into his "small court" with central ministers. While the former was completely unrelated to Northern Liang, the latter was like a knife aimed at Northern Liang. Northern Liang's morale was temporarily stable; those who were supposed to leave and could leave had already done so, mainly concentrated in Lingzhou, so there wasn't much impact. But if the registry were to change at this time, it would open a large fissure. Even if military households constituted the majority in Northern Liang, it concerned the vital interests of the common people at the bottom. Those without young men in the border army, who would want to stay in Northern Liang and "wait for death" if they could leave this troubled land?

Xu Fengnian closed his eyes. "Yuan Guo, the Minister of Revenue, who has the most say in this matter, remains silent. His silence is already a clear stance. It's a pity he finally made a comeback, only to serve as 'Minister of Land and Education' for a few days, and now he's probably going to be sidelined again. Qi Yanglong, the Grand Councillor, supports it; Tantan Weng of the Chancellery opposes it. Yin Maochun, the Minister of Personnel, supports it but says this matter 'should be slow, not rushed; haste makes waste.' Tsk, tsk, that wording is truly exquisite: 'not rushed' – 'not easy' rather than 'not advisable,' truly subtle. Zhao Youling, the second-in-command of the Central Secretariat, indeed opposed Yin Maochun. It's truly a case of those who succeeded in the imperial examinations becoming political enemies, and those who didn't becoming allies."

If that wasn't an immediate concern, then a "small matter" overshadowed by other major events was the true, meaningful pleasant surprise and pressing urgency for the entire Northern Liang territory.

The pleasant surprise was another hidden move by Zhang Julu, after his disciple Wei Jingtang. Had it not been for the corruption case in Liyang's grain transport system, which the court deliberately downplayed, Xu Fengnian would have had no way to follow the clues and guess Zhang Julu's intentions. It turned out that for many years, Zhang Julu and Tantan Weng had successively overseen the grain transport, especially the grain destined for Liangzhou. While seemingly creating all sorts of difficulties, they had secretly arranged for grain to be "privately" hoarded. These granaries, operating in a grey area, were all located along the Guangling River, northwest of Xiangfan City. Xu Fengnian dared to assert that Zhang Julu was waiting. He was waiting to see if Northern Liang would truly fight Northern Mang's army to the death. If so, this grain, originally belonging to Northern Liang, would be smoothly delivered into Northern Liang territory. But if Northern Liang concealed its strength, if Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian intended to preserve their power and establish a separate regime, then they could forget about getting this grain. Zhang Julu had once resolved to reform the grain transport system, the lesser officials, and the Guangling river floods, but one by one, these efforts came to naught. This might well have been a necessary sacrifice due to such "selfish motives." How arduous and complex is governance! Just this hidden grain matter alone involved a series of intricate appointments for grain transport officials, and more importantly, the vested interests of imperial relatives and "founding" meritorious officials who were sucking the lifeblood of the nation. In this struggle against these parasites, Zhang Julu had to ensure the nation's blood flowed unimpeded, guarantee that the imperial court—or rather, he, as Chief Minister—could demonstrate sincerity once Northern Liang truly fought Northern Mang to the death, and also maintain a balance with the Emperor and those powerful nobles.

Now, Zhao Zhuan had personally turned this pleasant surprise into a pressing urgency. The grain transport officials Zhang Julu had arranged were all swept away. Their official ranks were not high, and the high-ranking nobles didn't care about these insignificant officials who weren't their own lackeys. Perhaps without these individuals, they would profit even more in the future. The Emperor's iron fist and determination in combating corruption earned praise from both court and public. After this turmoil, which high official in grain transport would dare challenge the court? Northern Liang would find it even harder to acquire grain in the future.

Xu Fengnian bent his finger, tapping the tabletop rhythmically.

With Northern Liang's population of less than ten million across fewer than two million households, it had to support a full three hundred thousand border troops. If not for Lingzhou, known as the "Little Guangling of the Northwest," painstakingly sustaining it, Northern Liang, a string pulled taut for twenty years, would have snapped long ago, let alone being able to shoot an arrow. Why could Li Gongde become the chief civilian official, the Military Commissioner of Northern Liang? Was it truly just because he would only sing praises for Xu Xiao and was skilled at clinging to power? Of course not. It was simply that Li Gongde knew how to generate wealth. He could buy grain through various shady channels, and the prices weren't even high. The influential figures who received chests of silver as bribes were, of course, those Liyang imperial relatives and descendants of meritorious officials. While the court lost heavily, these individuals earned merely "small sums" of less than a million taels a year. Their ancestors had risked their lives to unify Liyang during the Spring and Autumn period, achieving immense feats. Why would they feel guilty or ashamed about making a little money?

For now, these people probably wouldn't dare court disaster.

Li Gongde, still serving as Military Commissioner, had already vented his frustrations to Deputy Commissioner Song Dongming on Qingliang Mountain. The always well-maintained Master Li would soon have his temples gray with frost.

In this severe situation, Prefect Xu Beizhi, who had almost frantically hoarded grain in Lingzhou last year, quickly built and filled over half of his granaries. At the time, he was mocked as the "Granary Prefect" who only knew how to buy rice. Now, he suddenly became the lifeline for the entire Northern Liang border army. Without Xu Beizhi, Xu Fengnian would also have emphasized grain reserves, but he absolutely could not have achieved Xu Beizhi's drastic measure of using the entire prefecture's resources to store grain. Xu Beizhi's grain purchases while governing Lingzhou spared no effort. Not only did he use Li Gongde's accumulated connections to buy grain at high prices from outside Northern Liang, but he also forcibly bought rice at low prices from local powerful and gentry families in Lingzhou. If common folk with surplus grain wanted to sell to earn a price difference, Xu Beizhi would buy every single grain!

So, if not for Xu Beizhi's granaries, Xu Fengnian would have openly "taken" grain from the homes of Northern Liang's distant and close neighbors, instead of now, more generously, sending troops abroad to "borrow" grain, at least offering some real gold and silver. However, this was not a long-term solution. Before long, the entire upper reaches of the Guangling River would effectively become a scorched earth against Northern Liang.

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and murmured, "Initially, you, Chen Xiliang, failed in the salt, iron, and grain transport matters, and were demoted to the refugee areas. Xu Beizhi first became a prefect. Then, you were credited with defending the city in Liuzhou, successfully providing Northern Liang with over a hundred thousand additional young soldiers. Next, Xu Beizhi became the 'Granary Prefect,' and soon after, Xu Beizhi proved he was right, and everyone else in Northern Liang watching from the sidelines was wrong. I deeply believe you will make the world look at you with new eyes, and it has been this way from the beginning."

Xu Fengnian looked around, then stood up to retrieve the two chess containers specially prepared by the Fushui Chamber's spies. Jujube wood was not rare, but the two boxes, with their natural grain patterns, resembled the miraculously crafted "Heavenly Maidens Scattering Flowers" and "Child Bowing," transforming these originally inexpensive jujube wood boxes into priceless Western Chu imperial treasures. After the fall of Western Chu, they circulated among the populace and then ended up in Liangzhou during the Hongjia Northward Exodus, not accompanying their owners into Northern Mang. Xu Fengnian opened the two chess containers; the white pieces were 180 identical pieces of the famous "Snow Seal" brand, each with over twenty intricate lines, while the black pieces were made of dark green, transparently lustrous fish-brain jelly.

Xu Fengnian sat up straight, picked up a black and a white piece consecutively, and tapped them on the tabletop where no chessboard was laid. Then, as if beginning a game, he placed the white chess container on the opposite side and softly said, "Master, Xu Beizhi and Chen Xiliang have not disappointed you."

Xu Fengnian gazed at the tabletop, which, with just two pieces, seemed even more starkly empty. He was lost in thought, finally looking up at the empty space across the table, silent.

Outside the window, the sky turned a clear white, and inside the room, the dimness lifted. The dark clouds dispersed, and threads of light streamed in, clearly illuminating the leisurely dust motes that were usually invisible to the naked eye.

In this room, where only Xu Fengnian was present, chess pieces fell rapidly.

As the pieces were placed, names flowed from his lips, starting with his own: Xu Fengnian.

There were names from Northern Liang, from Northern Mang, and from Liyang.

There were dead people, and living people.

There were those of great renown, those on the rise, and those utterly unknown.

When he mentioned Lu Xu, Xu Fengnian paused after placing a piece and said, "Zhao Zhuan, on Qi Yanglong's suggestion, established the Six Academies, adding Six Academy Scholars after the Six Grand Academicians of the Hall and Pavilion. This, after the unprecedented posthumous honor given to the old head of the Han family, set a precedent for future military men to have posthumous titles beginning with the character for 'martial.' This was to appease civil officials and simultaneously divide the power of the Six Ministries. During this time, it's rumored that the Zhao family emperor deliberately intended to discomfit Prince Jing'an Zhao Xun, whom you assist, by summoning you to the capital to join one of the Six Academies, Hongwen Academy. Do you want to go? Will Zhao Xun let you go? Even if Zhao Xun continues to swallow humiliation and humble himself, and has to let you leave Qingzhou Xiangfan City alive, what great price would you have to pay?"

Xu Fengnian suddenly smiled. "Since it's difficult for you, and even more so for Zhao Xun, I'll be the good guy."

Xu Fengnian did not turn his head but raised his voice and said, "Mi Fengjie, Fan Xiaochai, you two go to Xiangfan City and invite Lu Xu to Northern Liang. If he's unwilling, take him by force."

Soon, Xu Fengnian sighed, self-deprecatingly, "Never mind. If Lu Xu truly doesn't want to come to Northern Liang, then send him to a place where he doesn't have to worry about Zhao Gou."

Yan Wenluan quickly shook his head. "No! Although those Spring and Autumn remnants indeed, to a certain extent, weakened Northern Mang's martial spirit, for that old woman (referring to the Empress Dowager of Northern Mang), accepting these people brought far more benefits than drawbacks. Now, their attacks on Hulokou in Youzhou and Hutou City in Liangzhou have already proven this. Their siege methods are no different from those in the Central Plains. Taking Hulokou as an example, the vanguard general Zhong Tan even had the leisure to drill his troops when attacking Wogong City and Luanhe City. When attacking Wogong, he only attacked one side, seemingly playing a child's game. But soon, when he attacked Luanhe, he began attempting to besiege three sides and leave one open, and even after breaking the city, he was cruel to both enemy and ally by deliberately engaging in street fighting upon entering the city. Now, attacking Xiaguang, the Northern Mang infantry is even more skilled, and casualties in local battles have sharply decreased. If they are so meticulous in fighting Northern Liang, what if... what if Northern Mang truly gets a chance to attack cities in the Central Plains in the future? Except for Western Shu and Liangliao, which might still put up a fight, who else could hold out?! Prince Yan Che Zhao Bing's army? If the Northern barbarians even reach Southern Xinjiang, would it still matter? Even setting aside the battlefield, that Commissioner of Peace has already prepared how to quickly fill Northern Liang with a large number of civil officials skilled in governance after conquering it, thereby solidifying their rear defenses and allowing Northern Mang cavalry to move south without worries. Twenty years ago, even if Northern Mang dared to think of this, they absolutely couldn't have achieved it!"

Xu Fengnian smiled and asked, "Old General, have you ever wondered why Xu Xiao and Li Yishan completely supported, rather than opposed, my trip to Northern Mang back then?"

Yan Wenluan's face was still grim, but the undisguised killing intent from before was gone. He gently shook his head.

Xu Fengnian glanced at the opposite side of the table and whispered, "I truly have bad luck with gambling, and I'm soft-hearted like a woman. Fortunately, over all these years, Xu Xiao was also often lectured by you like this. I've seen it with my own eyes more than once or twice."

Looking down, the "Snow Seal" and "Fish Brain Jelly" chess pieces in the containers were few, and the tabletop was densely covered, a crisscross of black and white, reminding him of the intense confrontation between the Great Snow Dragon Riders and the Rouran Iron Cavalry outside Hulokou.

Xu Fengnian finally began to drink. Despite his good alcohol tolerance even before practicing martial arts, he became drunk, slumping against the back of his chair, seemingly shrinking into it, and falling into a daze.

In his dream, he kept mumbling, "They're all gone, they're all gone..."

Emperor Zhao Zhuan clearly intended to uphold the former emperor's diligent tradition, but compared to the former emperor's frequent all-nighters, Zhao Zhuan appeared more restrained. He even unfailingly practiced a set of martial arts every morning, taught to His Majesty by the Great Perfected Master of Qingcheng Mountain, who now jointly governed Daoism with the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain. If, in the beginning, the young emperor, in that small court meeting filled with purple-robed officials, listened more than he spoke and rarely made definitive judgments, now he was slowly beginning to acquire the demeanor appropriate for an emperor. Aside from a handful of elders like Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen, even current first-rank officials like Zhao Youling, who had overseen the Ministry of Personnel for many years, were visibly becoming nervous. The re-assessment of the national household registry, the deliberation of candidates for the Six Academies, the promotions and demotions of former Ministry of Personnel officials—one after another, these matters compelled Zhao Youling to brace himself and respond. This brought a sigh of relief to Song Tanglu. The Liyang Dynasty could not withstand any turmoil at this point. If, during a sensitive period of Liyang fighting on two fronts, there was even a hint of the subordinate asserting dominance over the superior within the central court, Song Tanglu, even knowing he would be accused of eunuch interference in government, would have to stir up trouble for some of those qualified to attend the small court meetings. It was probably truly Heaven's blessing upon Liyang that the Guangling Dao campaign initially failed. Two old generals, on whom the court had placed high hopes, one died with his entire army, and the other was easily captured like a turtle in a jar, becoming a laughingstock—both lost to youngsters who could almost be their grandsons. Fortunately, Prince Guangling Zhao Yi's trusted general, Song Li, was not only a lucky general to the current emperor's own uncle but also a lucky general for all of Liyang. He quickly recovered all lost territory along Guangling's eastern front, immediately crushing the arrogance of those Western Chu remnants who dared to boast about marching north all the way to the capital. And in the northwest, officials throughout the court were saying that the place called Hulokou in Northern Liang's Youzhou was suffering consecutive defeats, and that Northern Liang's iron cavalry were merely useless, embroidered pillows. Fortunately, Jizhou General Yuan Tingshan turned the tide, utterly routing over ten thousand elite cavalry of two Northern Mang commanders. With such a comparison, who in the world wouldn't curse the good-for-nothing Northern Liang border army and Xu Fengnian, who always seemed to be hiding somewhere, trembling with fear?

Song Tanglu naturally knew many secrets that even the vice-ministers of the Six Ministries should not and would not know. For instance, the heavy price Northern Mang's infantry paid to break through two small cities outside Youzhou Pass, the fact that no one surrendered when Hulokou's Wupu fortress fell, and the appearance of Xu Fengnian's Youzhou cavalry, even the Great Snow Dragon Riders entering the battlefield. However, these secrets were best kept buried. Song Tanglu also knew an even more "interesting" anecdote that he had to grit his teeth to bear: the current emperor enjoyed collecting "jade figurines," meticulously carved from various precious materials, exquisitely detailed and lifelike, ranging from one inch to four inches, with three height variations between each inch, totaling nine grades. Because of Song Li's widely known glorious military achievements in the capital, there was a two-inch tall jade figurine of "Song Li" standing on a desk in a secluded study of the emperor. And after Yuan Tingshan's achievements, he leapt from one inch six fen to three inches in height. Among the relatively new jade figurines were also Sun Yin, the Libationer who debated and tongue-lashed the scholars at the Imperial Academy's martial arts performance, and Fan Changhou, the "Chess Sage" who recently arrived in the capital, as well as Gao Tingshu, the second-rank graduate who was remarkably conspicuous in the Ministry of War's frontier affairs. And yesterday, Song Tanglu entered that small study, which only he, as the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and two on-duty eunuchs could enter, and discovered a brand new jade figurine. Even though no one else was in the room at the time, Song Tanglu, despite being the chief eunuch, only dared to sneak a glance. He found it was a very young, unfamiliar person, and unlike the other jade figurines, which all exuded high spirits, this "person" had closed eyes and was deep in thought, like a blind man. Before leaving the room, Song Tanglu guessed the person's identity: Lu Xu, the blind chess master who, at his most destitute, had to gamble for a living in the shabby alleys of Qingzhou, a figure with no record in the Ministry of Personnel.

Today, there was no grand court assembly, so Emperor Zhao Zhuan could practice his martial arts set only when the sky was faintly lit. The Empress had recently caught a slight cold and was unwell, so His Majesty specifically sent her to her maiden home to recuperate and relax. During this period, the Emperor had not favored any women. The common folk often spoke of the saying, "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are," though most didn't understand its true meaning, which essentially referred to such times. Even humble families had the saying that there are three ways to be unfilial, with having no heir being the greatest. For a vast and sprawling dynasty, a monarch without offspring was nothing short of an invisible disaster. The longer it dragged on, as countless bloody historical anecdotes clearly demonstrated, it could trigger unpredictable "heavenly changes." However, no matter how carefully Song Tanglu and the officiating eunuchs tried to persuade him, His Majesty refused, even smilingly telling Song Tanglu that while he might occasionally bestow his favor widely when the Empress was in the palace, he absolutely would not do so while she was ill at her maiden home.

Song Tanglu was genuinely impressed.

Moreover, how could His Majesty's daily martial arts practice be a mere idle pastime?

Song Tanglu believed what others might not: that from the very beginning of his reign, the current emperor had already begun preparing to become Liyang's longest-reigning monarch. The longest-reigning emperor of the Liyang Zhao family had sat on the dragon throne for thirty-four years. But that emperor had only ascended at the age of thirty-five. Song Tanglu believed the current emperor would find it easy to surpass that.

After finishing his practice, Zhao Zhuan began to stroll in small circles. During this time, he would speak to himself.

So Song Tanglu hunched his back and quietly retreated eight steps, no more, no less. This small rule had been established by the former Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Han Shengxuan. It was not a grand rule, but it was enough to make Song Tanglu, and even his successors, adhere to it until death.

Zhao Zhuan walked in circles, softly saying, "Sun Yin, who temporarily holds no official position, is correct: local vassal kings should not concurrently serve as military governors. But this change must be made slowly. First, in areas without vassal kings, add deputy military governors. Then, after half a year or a year, find two influential officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel to bring it up. Then, start with my elder brother (Prince Han), add deputy governors to his fiefdom, and extend it from there, making it a fixed rule. According to Sun Yin, it won't take too long. Just find a vassal king with a 'dirty backside' and have the censors impeach him, stripping him of the military governor title. The candidate Sun Yin suggested is not quite appropriate; it's too hasty. Hmm, in my opinion, Prince Han is a good target. Sun Yin, so young, yet he anticipates imperial intentions like an old fox such as Yin Maochun. If he weren't from Northern Liang, I'd have to continue observing him. Otherwise, I could restore his official position today, and even reserve a spot for him as a Chongwen Academy Scholar without a problem."

Walking slowly, Zhao Zhuan raised his hands to rub his temples. "Since Lu Shengxiang has become a powerful great general, he should resign from his post as Vice Minister of War. This would free up a position for that trusted lieutenant who has followed Gu Jiantang for many years. Firstly, this can curb the influence of military men from Guangling and Jiangnan. In such a large Ministry of War, Minister Lu Baixie, Vice Ministers Lu Shengxiang and Xu Gong, are all from that faction—this is truly improper. Furthermore, promoting Tang Tieshuang, who lacks neither military merit nor prestige, would also prevent Gu Jiantang from becoming another..."

Zhao Zhuan snorted coldly, not continuing to speak the name he had heard so often since childhood that it made his ears numb.

In fact, he harbored no great ill will toward that old man; on the contrary, deep down, he held different views than the late emperor. However, he had hidden it very well all these years. Otherwise, he would never have even approached that throne.

But as for that man's son, Zhao Zhuan truly felt a blockage in his heart every time he thought of him.

At this moment, he truly began to understand the late emperor.

In the previous generation, one was a monarch, the other a subject; one named Zhao, one named Xu.

These two young men of the current generation were remarkably similar.

Zhao Zhuan pressed his finger against his temple, stopped, and said in a very soft voice, chuckling, "The world envies and resents you for having the surname Xu, so they like to curse you; whatever you do, it's wrong. It seems no one dares to curse Me! Since you also feel that you cannot let your father die with unclosed eyes, fearing that people will call you and your father 'two-surname house slaves,' then I will let you die in peace."

Zhao Zhuan suddenly frowned, as if asking himself, "If I were in your position, would I rebel against Liyang and defect to Northern Mang?"

Zhao Zhuan shook his head, dismissing such meaningless questions. He laughed heartily, unable to stop the surge of pleasure. "What a pity, you will always be surnamed Xu, and I am surnamed Zhao. My imperial descendants, for generations to come, will forever bear the royal surname! As for you, you can lie down in history alongside the three hundred thousand iron cavalry of Northern Liang. After your death, I will surely instruct those historians to give you some 'pleasant' posthumous evaluations."

On Northern Mang's easternmost front, Wang Jingchong, a commander who had just suffered a defeat in Jibei, traveled west towards Gusai Prefecture with only two hundred personal cavalry, under the playful gazes of his colleagues.

His grandfather, who had lived to his seventies and was the head of a major Southern Dynasty family (designated by the character 'Yi'), had died. Yet his great-grandfather, already in his eighties and just a few years away from being revered as a centenarian, was still alive, although he had long ceased to handle family affairs and had been out of touch with Southern Dynasty politics for many years. This sight of a white-haired man burying a white-haired man seemed particularly awkward. However, the Wang family, often nicknamed "grass on the wall" in the Western Capital court, continued to prosper, no matter how strong the winds blew. Wang Jingchong remembered that before the "melon vine search" (sweeping crackdown) that terrorized everyone in the Southern Dynasty when he was a boy, many elderly Spring and Autumn remnants had begun preparing for their afterlife. Wang Jingchong's great-grandfather was not the first old man to wish to be buried back in his Central Plains homeland after death, nor was he the first to declare he would be buried in the Southern Dynasty to show favor to the Northern Court. His great-grandfather always did things unhurriedly, with a very slow temperament. To put it less politely, he followed the crowd, he was pragmatic. But Wang Jingchong knew that without his great-grandfather's "slowness" in many matters, and his authoritative words in times of crisis, the Wang family, let alone climbing from a D-grade gentry family to an B-grade aristocratic clan, would have vanished with any passing storm.

Wang Jingchong had a premonition that the successor to the family head position would be none other than himself.

As for why he and another commander had suffered losses in Jibei, it wasn't because Wang Jingchong and the other person were truly careless or negligent, nor was it due to their subordinates' low combat effectiveness, and certainly not because the Liyang Dynasty believed Yuan Tingshan's timing and location for deploying troops were exceptionally brilliant.

The inside story was that the Commissioner of Peace had sent them a message: in the Battle of Jibei, they were only allowed to lose, not to win, and only allowed a small loss, not a major defeat.

Wang Jingchong smiled as he galloped on his horse.

Yuan Tingshan, Gu Jiantang, you Liyang Dynasty just wait.

Old Chu Imperial Palace.

A man in a green robe, who had not been a Chess Attendant for many years, walked alone into the long-abandoned courtyard that remained unused. In its prime, this place was filled with national chess masters, and he was the most proud.

He searched for a long time but could not find the two chess containers from which he had countless times picked pieces to place on the board.

Before leaving the courtyard, he could only settle for taking two other old chess boxes, the only ones he still found somewhat familiar.

He softly said, "The next time I appear outside Taian City, I will tell the world that Chu had no 'femme fatale' back then."

On this day, the grand chess master Cao Changqing's Confucian Sage realm transitioned from the path of benevolent rule to the path of tyrannical rule.

To outsiders, Southern Xinjiang was a desolate and miasma-ridden barbarian land. Since the founding of Great Qin, serving as an official there had always been considered a daunting prospect. Emperors often banished disobedient but unkillable officials to this region. So, for Zhao Bing, who had luckily managed to become Prince Yan Che here instead of Prince Huainan, to diligently guard the frontier for so many years, strictly adhering to the princely regulations without complaint, and with no rumors of absurd behavior from his eldest legitimate son, the Crown Prince, or his other sons reaching the north, was quite impressive and earned much sympathy. Additionally, Zhao Bing consistently treated and honored officials within his jurisdiction, and many civil officials who came with a certainty of death but eventually returned north alive, universally praised Zhao Bing. Occasionally, Jiangnan literati would joke about Zhao Bing and Nalan Youci's "cut-sleeve hobby" (homosexuality), but Zhao Bing never showed any sign of embarrassment or anger. If not for the generally well-regarded Crown Prince Zhao Zhu greatly disappointing people in the Jingnan campaign, perhaps more people would have felt a closeness to Southern Xinjiang, as their expectations for Zhao Zhu were high. After all, this young man, who joined the army at a young age, enjoyed killing barbarians and building "jingguan" (pyramids of enemy heads). Compared to Prince Huainan Zhao Ying's heroic death in battle, Zhao Zhu's performance paled significantly, not to mention Prince Jing'an Zhao Xun's thousand-mile relief effort that resulted in almost complete annihilation.

Nalan Youci had always been an enigmatic figure, like "looking at flowers through mist." Some described him as a character who should only appear in historical romances. Rumor had it that his beauty surpassed that of women, and he utterly captivated Prince Yan Che Zhao Bing with his charm and strategies, which was why Zhao Bing was content to stay in Southern Xinjiang for twenty years. Others, however, asserted that Nalan, the most extravagant figure in Southern Xinjiang, had no fewer than five personal maidservants, each renowned for their captivating beauty. They were named Fengdu, Dongyue, Xishu, Sanshi, and Chenglv.

Southern Xinjiang never saw snow in winter, nor did it experience the biting spring chill that would send shivers down the spines of famous Jiangnan scholars.

On the top floor of a majestic thirteen-story密檐式阁楼 (tiered-eaved pavilion-style building), a handsome middle-aged scholar, thinly dressed, was having a group of beautiful women help him move and sun books. He sat serenely on a small zitan wood couch, leisurely reading a book.

He sat up, placing the yellowed book on his lap, and smiled at the shapely young beauty closest to him, asking, "You know there aren't many women in the world as beautiful as you, but I could easily find more, yet in the end, there are only five of you?"

The woman known as Chenglv turned, her eyes smiling into two crescent moons. "Master's learning is divine; how could this humble servant guess Master's thoughts?"

The scholar teased, "With your flattery skills, if you had entered the palace, you'd at most be a minor concubine."

The maid's smile grew even softer, her eyes filled with adoration, naturally alluring. "But this humble servant truly isn't deliberately saying good things to you, Master."

The man's smile was warm and gentle. He blinked, a little mischievous. "I know, I know. All five of you, stop working and go play downstairs. Let me, the master with divine learning, study by myself, eh?"

The five women left without any hesitation, lightly descending the stairs.

This scholar, who could be said to be more of a vassal prince than Prince Yan Che Zhao Bing himself, could only be Nalan Youci.

He looked down at the book, a gift from an old friend from years ago—just an ordinary, unremarkable Confucian classic. Unlike beautifully carved editions that became more valuable with age, this book, after more than twenty years, likely wouldn't even be accepted as a gift. Yet, Nalan, whose extravagance could rival anyone in Southern Xinjiang, had carefully preserved it for over two decades. Besides personally sunning the books, he would only take it out to read for two or three days a year from its sandalwood box. Zhao Bing had once privately asked, half-jokingly, if what he offered was inferior to an old book. Nalan Youci merely shook his head. Fortunately, Zhao Bing never minded such minor details.

Nalan Youci looked at the relic of his deceased friend, who had no tombstone, and chuckled softly. "So poor you could hear the clanging of copper coins, at least there were two or three coins clanking. But you were so pitiful you didn't even have a money pouch. When you and I traveled together through various states, at the time of our parting, you, who only had two books, gave me this one. How could Prince Yan Che compare to you? Would he truly be willing to give me half his fortune?"

Nalan Youci looked up, squinting at the sky. "Fengdu, Dongyue, Xishu, Sanshi, Chenglv—ten characters, thus ten people. This is all our painstaking effort. Over the years, three have been confirmed dead. Two are missing. That leaves five, one more than we anticipated. It's enough. For these last five people, Zhao Bing killed tens of thousands in Southern Xinjiang. As for Northern Liang, not counting the refugees, nearly ten thousand border troops died."

Nalan Youci reached up to rub his forehead, his expression profoundly conflicted, as if both sorrowful and satisfied. He softly chuckled, "You once said that since the age of wandering scholars, after centuries of evolution, they no longer wander but became powerful families. The word 'nation' (国家) used to have 'nation' first and 'family' second, but it turned into 'family-nation, family-nation' (家国家国), with 'family' first. You were just a poor scholar back then, and you told me you wanted to try to make scholars everywhere put 'nation' before 'family' again. For this, you set up this scheme, and in the end, besides those five people, only I know about it."

The tall building soared into the clouds, with wind blowing from all directions. A gentle breeze brushed Nalan Youci's face, disheveling the hair at his temples.

The book on his lap made a soft rustling sound.

Nalan Youci closed his eyes, listening carefully to the rustling of the pages. The corners of his mouth turned up. "You once earnestly asked me, 'Should the moment of death suddenly arrive one day, how will you contend with life and death?' I once cleverly replied, 'Life and death are minor matters; a true friend is paramount. Where my heart finds peace, there truly is a pure land, truly a lotus pond.'"

The spring breeze turned page after page.

Just like the deceased person turning the pages of a book.

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