Chapter 746: A Few People Unmindful of Xu

After Xu Weixiong arrived at Huaiyang Pass, she went south the very next day, returning to Qingliang Mountain. Xu Fengnian, who remained, began to live a secluded life, not interfering in the affairs, big or small, of the Protectorate. Qi Dangguo, whose garrison was along the Qingyuan line, would occasionally ride over to help Xu Fengnian pass the time. The two often rode out of the pass under the guise of hunting, taking a few hundred elite cavalrymen to approach Tiger Head City slightly, gazing at the smoke of battle there. If they encountered small groups of Northern Barbarian cavalry during these outings, it was considered a good opportunity for Qi Dangguo's White Feather Guards, who were the most skilled archers and riders in the Northern Liang border army, to hone their skills. The Protectorate naturally dared not object, but secretly dispatched many units of white-horse skirmishers outside the pass as a precaution.

On this day, which was the Spring Equinox, thunder rumbled, and wheat stalks began to shoot up. An ancient saying went that the Yang energy ascends a total of forty-two thousand *li*. Xu Fengnian set out alone on horseback in the early morning. To avoid burdening the Protectorate and the skirmishers, he did not head north towards Tiger Head City, but leisurely rode east towards Fuling City. A unit of over fifty skirmishers, tasked with guarding him, dared not disturb the Northern Liang King's leisurely ride. However, likely wanting to witness the grandeur of Xu Fengnian, one of the world's four Grandmasters, the unit commander also used some ingenuity, allowing his fifty or so cavalrymen to patrol within two hundred paces of Xu Fengnian at their closest, but then requiring them to gallop away quickly, or face military law. This made Xu Fengnian, who had unintentionally become like a celebrity, not know whether to laugh or cry, but he pretended not to notice anything. Xu Fengnian looked up at the bright sky and suddenly smiled. When he was a child, he never understood why a cloudless sky was considered good weather; he always thought a sky with clouds floating in it was more beautiful, especially those vibrant, fiery clouds. As a child in Danlong Pass, which felt like a prison, seeing one would make him happy for days. He would watch with the little beggar, who he later learned was Zhao Zhu, for hours without getting bored. After that separation, Xu Fengnian always worried that the little beggar wouldn't be able to find food and might starve or freeze to death on the streets. He never expected to reunite with him many years later at Spring God Lake, finding that he had been living very well all these years, only that the little beggar had transformed into the esteemed Crown Prince of the Southern Frontier.

Xu Fengnian suddenly stopped his horse and turned to look south. In the distance, four riders were heading north, and after spotting him, they galloped straight towards him. Before they arrived, the commander of the white-horse skirmishers rode up to Xu Fengnian, dismounted, cupped his hands, and respectfully asked, "Reporting, Your Highness, those four riders appear to be martial artists filtered by the Fish Dragon Gang, heading to the border to enlist. Does your humble subordinate need to intercept them?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "No need. You may return to Huaiyang Pass first."

The commander immediately accepted the order without hesitation. Although it was a military duty assigned by the Protectorate, it was clear to everyone who held the ultimate authority in Northern Liang and whom the three hundred thousand border troops should obey. Moreover, who was their King? Did he truly need protection from these skirmishers? However, after the sturdy commander mounted his horse, he uncharacteristically said with a hint of shyness, "Your Highness, may this humble subordinate be so bold as to say, we have all heard about the events outside Gourd Pass in You Province. If there's an opportunity in the future, all of us Liangzhou skirmishers wish to fight alongside Your Highness at least once!"

Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded. The commander, looking excited, spurred his horse and rode off, thinking, "I've actually spoken to the King of Northern Liang! If I tell Commander and those rascals back at base, they'll be green with envy!" The commander galloped several hundred paces, then looked back at the lone rider, thinking, "Our King is truly the most charming person in the world, and so approachable! If he were in the Central Plains, how many young maidens would be falling over themselves for him?" The commander suddenly felt a bit indignant. Although he had heard that Qingliang Mountain already had two unofficial future princesses, both with good reputations, it still felt like too few.

After the skirmisher commander had ridden far away, the four "river-crossing dragons" quickly arrived. Upon seeing Xu Fengnian, the leading rider was a tall, white-haired, but hale and hearty old man. The old man, who carried a sword, scrutinized Xu Fengnian for a few moments, then asked with a smile, "Young man, do you happen to know where Huaiyang Pass is?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and concisely pointed out the way. The old man cupped his hands in thanks, then introduced himself with the unrestrained spirit of a martial artist: "This old man is from Qingsong Prefecture in Jiangnan. My friends in the martial arts world have given me the nickname 'Heaven Drum.' May I ask, young man, are you, like us, here to enlist in the Northern Liang border army?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "I am originally from the border army. My forefathers settled in Northern Liang."

The old man nodded, "So that's how it is. This old man was presumptuous."

The old man's smile was a bit helpless and self-deprecating. "It's not that this old man is long-winded, but rather that we four riders are unfamiliar with this place. When I heard that the Northern Barbarians were sending a million-strong army south to invade the passes, and having followed my late father and master to Jibei to fight barbarians beyond the Great Wall in my youth, I simply couldn't stand by. And then I heard rumors in the martial arts world that the Fish Dragon Gang, one of the ten great sects in the world, could help outsiders like us get recommendations to the Northern Liang border army. So, I brought my three disciples and rushed to Northern Liang. The Fish Dragon Gang only provided us with four temporary travel permits, and we've endured quite a bit of hardship on this journey north..."

One of the young men, who had a long sword hanging from his waist, angrily interjected, "Master, every time we encountered a group of Northern Liang border soldiers, they seemed to pride themselves on their combat prowess and looked at us as if we were no different from barbarians!"

Xu Fengnian's three journeys through the martial world were not for nothing; he immediately grasped the hidden meaning. This group must have had a conflict with the Northern Liang border army, relying on their martial arts skills, otherwise, they wouldn't have used the prefix "pride themselves on their combat prowess" but would have directly stated the latter part of the sentence. However, what Xu Fengnian found curious was that while the Fish Dragon Gang opening its doors to all sorts of martial artists was indeed authorized by Wutong Court and Fushui Pavilion, most of them were opportunistic low-tier masters who couldn't make a living in the Liyang martial world and thus drifted to Northern Liang seeking refuge. Those truly willing to enlist in the Northern Liang border army and possessing genuine skill were few, with only sixteen such individuals explicitly recorded in the Protectorate's archives so far. Yet, this elderly swordsman named "Heaven Drum," whom Xu Fengnian had never heard of, was a true Little Grandmaster. A genuine master of his caliber could easily found his own sect in the Liyang martial world, or even dominate the martial arts scene within a prefecture, not to mention effortlessly obtaining an official title from the Ministry of Punishments in the capital. Xu Fengnian subtly observed the four riders. Apart from the serene gaze of the master, a Second-Rank expert, the other three's gazes varied. The young man with the richly embroidered tassel on his sword displayed an arrogant demeanor; he had long heard that Northern Liang had an abundance of military scions, and this stranger of similar age, who appeared inexplicably at the border without armor or saber, was most likely one of them. The middle-aged swordsman was likely the senior disciple of the Jiangnan martial arts Little Grandmaster; his character was relatively mature and steady. He was subtly observing Xu Fengnian's hand on the reins, trying to find any traces of martial arts practice. His experience in the martial world was extensive, and he didn't believe that an ordinary person would be leisurely riding alone near here at a time when hundreds of thousands of Northern Barbarian troops were attacking Tiger Head City. As for the last person, a woman in tight black clothing with a veiled hat concealing her face, she was also curiously examining the young man before her, who resembled a Jiangnan scholar more than a Northern Liang man.

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "What others think isn't important; just be yourself. If we're talking about perceptions, for twenty years, hasn't the Liyang court and public always viewed Northern Liang as nothing more than barbarians?"

The young swordsman had perhaps barely tolerated the Northern Liang border army's attitude, but he absolutely could not stand the arrogance of a Northern Liang military scion his own age. He immediately flared up in anger. "The four of us, master and disciples, came all the way to this godforsaken Northern Liang to enlist, to fight and kill enemies, not to listen to cynical remarks from people like you! If it weren't for the fact that my master is a close friend of Hong Biao, the second guest elder of Huishan..."

The old man's face turned stern, and he stopped his disciple from speaking carelessly, "Chonghe!"

The young man named Chonghe turned his head away, silently sulking. In the Jiangnan martial world, he had always been a refined and courteous swordsman, and he shouldn't have been so rude and disrespectful. However, having arrived outside this desolate Northern Liang pass, where one could gallop for a full day without seeing a soul, he was truly unaccustomed to the environment and felt unbearably stifled. He thought of his home in the Central Plains; it should be the beautiful misty rainy season there now, with small alleys selling apricot blossoms, boats drifting on lakes, and courtesan houses lively with song and dance through the night. Even if he did nothing, simply practicing martial arts with his senior and junior disciples in the deep courtyards of his home would be enjoyable, far better than enduring wind, sand, and insults in this northwestern borderland.

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "How about I lead the way for you, Senior?"

The young man immediately muttered, "Offering kindness for no reason surely means ill intent. He must be trying something with our junior sister."

The old man glared at his outspoken disciple, then looked at Xu Fengnian, and without being overly polite, he laughed heartily, "That would be perfect! Once we're inside the pass and have presented our travel permits, I must treat you, young man, to a few *jin* of that Green Ant Wine. To be honest, this old man had heard of this wine long ago, but when I tasted it back then... well, the taste was not commendable. I never expected that now, having arrived in your Northern Liang, the more I drink it, the more I can't put it down! I bought two *jin* at Longkou Pass in Liangzhou and put them in my wine skin, but they were empty within two days. Now, the alcohol craving in my stomach is rebelling quite fiercely."

The five riders traveled together. The old man and Xu Fengnian chatted casually about the customs and traditions of Northern Liang. They both tacitly avoided probing into each other's identities, as revealing too much too soon was a great taboo in the martial world. However, the young swordsman soon couldn't restrain himself. In a voice neither too soft nor too loud, just enough for Xu Fengnian to hear, he said, "Junior Sister, the founding emperor of the Dafeng Dynasty once wrote a letter to the nomadic lord of the grasslands, saying, 'To the north and west of Jizhou, the land of the bowmen shall be under your command.' And 'To the south and east of Jizhou, the land of the cap and sash shall be ruled by Us, where all peoples farm and weave, and subjects and lords live in peace, all without tyranny.'"

The young woman's voice was gentle, "Senior Brother, didn't you already say that as soon as we entered Northern Liang?"

Xu Fengnian, riding ahead, laughed, "That's for me, this Northern Liang barbarian west of Jizhou, to hear."

The old man, riding alongside Xu Fengnian, smiled knowingly upon hearing this, "Young man, you have a good measure of tolerance."

Xu Fengnian joked, "It's also been painstakingly developed bit by bit, otherwise, I would have suffered internal injuries from holding it in long ago."

The young man named Chonghe clearly suffered severe internal injuries from holding it in.

Xu Fengnian suddenly asked, "Is the Hong Biao you are familiar with, Senior, the same Hong Biao who recently became the deputy general of the Rouge Heavy Cavalry?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed, it is him."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "Then after you present your travel permits at the Protectorate, Senior, you'll need to head south again for a distance, towards Chongzhong, to find General Hong. At that time, I'll arrange someone to guide you; otherwise, it would be quite difficult to meet General Hong. It's not that we Northern Liang are petty, but General Hong's current position is very special. Not to mention you, Senior, even many high-ranking Northern Liang border generals cannot simply gain access to that heavy cavalry unit."

The old man and Xu Fengnian then exchanged a knowing smile, with everything understood without words.

The two then began chatting about anecdotes from the Central Plains martial world. The old man was well-informed and talkative. He spoke of Huishan's current flourishing state, and when discussing the Rouge Rankings, the Scholarly and Martial Rankings, and the General and Prime Minister Rankings, he became visibly excited, unable to suppress his delight. "With your discerning eye, young man, you must know the intention behind placing the General and Prime Minister Rankings at the end. The General Ranking includes Liyang, Northern Barbarians, and your Northern Liang, while the Prime Minister Ranking only evaluates Liyang. This is likely the most significant evaluation since the fall of the Dafeng Dynasty. The ten generals ranked are not ordered by superiority: Liyang has four – Chen Zhibao, Cao Changqing, Gu Jiantang, and Lu Shengxiang. Northern Barbarians have three – Dong Zhuo, Liu Gui, and Yang Yuanzan. And your Northern Liang has Yan Wenluan, Chu Lushan, and Gu Dazhu. Additionally, at the end of the General Ranking, Xie Xichui, Kou Jianghuai, Tuoba Qiyun, Zhong Tan, Song Li, and others were also specially mentioned."

Xu Fengnian teased, "Yuan Zuozong didn't even make the list. I'm a bit unconvinced."

The young swordsman, perhaps naturally at odds with Xu Fengnian, couldn't help but interject to argue. "Northern Liang is truly insatiable! There are three generals in the ranking, and if you add Chen Zhibao, who entered Shu alone, that makes four, nearly half of the entire list! Furthermore, in the Martial Rankings, that young feudal lord has become one of the Four Grandmasters, and there's also the suddenly emerged Xu Yanbing. As for the Prime Minister Ranking, Chen Wang, the Young Protector from Northern Liang, and Sun Yin were simultaneously listed, alongside renowned officials and nobles like Yin Maochun. What more could your Northern Liang possibly want?"

Xu Fengnian, with an unperturbed smile, said, "That just goes to show, our Northern Liang has good soil and water. We don't just produce barbarians; we can also produce scholars who can turn the tide and govern the world for the benefit of the people."

That fellow immediately suffered internal injuries again.

The woman wearing the veiled hat quietly covered her mouth and smiled.

The old man sighed with emotion, "For all these years, this old man has found one thing truly astonishing: how Northern Liang, with its manpower and resources, manages to support three hundred thousand border iron cavalry whose combat prowess is unmatched in both nations."

Xu Fengnian said softly, "To contend with Northern Barbarians, Liyang boasts an army of eight hundred thousand, surpassing even the peak of the Dafeng Dynasty, with half stationed in Liangliao and half in Northern Liang."

For some reason, after hearing this, the four master and disciples, with the monotonous and desolate northwestern landscape filling their sight, inexplicably felt an indescribable complexity of emotions.

As they approached Huaiyang Pass, Xu Fengnian asked, "Senior, if you didn't know Hong Biao, who is a general in Northern Liang, would you still have come to Northern Liang?"

The old man was startled for a moment, then frankly replied, "Of course not."

Xu Fengnian nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.

But the old man quickly laughed, "However, since Xu Xiao's death, the confused accounts of the 'Unrighteous Spring and Autumn' have come to an end. I believe it's not just an old man like myself, with one foot in the grave, who thinks this way; many of the older generation feel the same. Ever since that young man surnamed Xu said those words in Taian City, as long as people weren't directly connected by a deep blood feud from back then, many outsiders have resolved their grievances. After entering Northern Liang, this old man has also heard many things and realized that many matters are quite different from what I had imagined. In the future, I will take the time to write to my old friends back home, telling them about a different Northern Liang. It turns out that here too, there are students reciting scriptures aloud, the sounds of roosters and dogs are heard, and there are..."

At this point, the old man suddenly burst out laughing, "...and there are also those wine-selling girls whom I regret not encountering thirty or forty years sooner."

Xu Fengnian said earnestly, "The women of Liang are just like that Green Ant Wine, fiery on the first taste; once you get addicted, it's hard to ever switch to another wine for the rest of your life."

The young man scoffed again, "Then why did your King of Northern Liang marry two women from other regions?"

Xu Fengnian was momentarily speechless. After a moment of silence, he turned his head and said helplessly, "This time... your swordplay is truly exceptional, striking a vital point. I concede."

The young man first looked smug, then put on a cool, stern face, but soon his lips curled up. Looking at this annoying Northern Liang military scion again, he didn't seem so bothersome anymore.

Huaiyang Pass, which now appeared in the five riders' view, was unlike Tiger Head City or Liuyuan Fuling. Since it was named a "pass" (*guan*), it implied that one man could hold it against ten thousand, and that once the beacon fires were lit, such a place would become a death trap, strategically vital and fiercely contested. Most passes mentioned in military treatises were like this: regardless of size, if one wished to pass quickly, these strategic choke points, built on perilous terrain, had to be captured to allow unimpeded deep penetration without fear of being cut off. Conversely, many imposing cities and large towns, while appearing grand and formidable, could be bypassed once hostilities began. Liyang had many such cities along its Liangliao defense line. This, however, did not mean their existence was meaningless; on the contrary, their presence, though not significantly hindering a large enemy army, was a deterrent in itself. For the Northern Barbarians, they were like a chicken rib – difficult to chew on: attacking them would incur severe losses, while bypassing them risked jeopardizing supply lines. However, while all cities are fixed, generals and military strategies are flexible. Ultimately, it would depend on whether the attacker or defender proved superior.

Northern Liang, lacking strategic depth, faced its greatest tragedy in that virtually every inch of its territory was a blood-soaked death trap.

Since Northern Barbarians were attacking Northern Liang with the full might of their nation, it was with the understanding that Northern Liang would force them to fight for every inch of land, yet they still intended to crush it with their overwhelming national strength.

At this moment, Xu Fengnian, outside Huaiyang Pass, felt an untimely concern. It wasn't about the formidable Northern Barbarian army, but rather the farming proverb, "An inch of wheat after the Spring Equinox is worth a thousand gold pieces." He thought about how many Northern Liang common folk would have little surplus grain this year, and recalled the children he met attending private schools when he passed through Daoma Pass years ago, who would probably now crave those thin-skinned, generously filled meat buns even more.

At this moment, the graceful woman wearing the veiled hat, suppressing her shyness, secretly gazed at the unnamed Northern Liang man. She had only one thought that made her feel awkward: if only he were the young Grandmaster she had longed for, the King of Northern Liang whom many of her close friends back home admired.

When they heard she was coming to Northern Liang, many well-bred young ladies who only knew needlework, usually so gentle and demure, almost eloped with her to Liang.

Her master laughed and said that such a scene, where men across the world would be filled with regret, probably only occurred many years ago when Li Chungang roamed the martial world with his green robe and sword.

Nowadays, among the beautiful maidens of Jiangnan, how many don't think of Xu?