Chapter 819: Silent as a Cicada (8)

When Xu Fengnian was getting into the carriage, Xu Yanbing asked, "Why don't you go in and take a look?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "I'm not going into a place where Xu Xiao had to humble himself when he was young."

Xu Yanbing smiled knowingly and nodded, "The Grand General probably thinks the same."

The carriage headed towards Zhao's Urn, which was not far away. It was just after court had adjourned, and many carriages were approaching them. After all, besides the powerful Six Ministries, the capital also housed a multitude of other large and small government offices elsewhere.

Carriages and mounted officials passed by their unassuming carriage one after another.

Xu Yanbing parked outside the Ministry of Rites. The parking spots were already filled by the carriages and mounts of Ministry of Rites officials, making the once wide road leading to and from the yamen still extremely congested. There was nothing to be done; the Ministry of Rites was now a top-tier, highly esteemed, and prominent government department, with an exceedingly heavy volume of comings and goings. Many officials from other ministries who previously wouldn't even set foot there now frequently came to the Ministry of Rites to find a *Langzhong* or *Yuanwailang* to catch up and curry favor. As for Sima Puhua, the Minister of Rites, and Jin Lanting, the Left Vice Minister, one shouldn't even hope to see them, unless they were high-ranking officials like vice ministers from other departments. Besides, officials at the Vice Minister level generally wouldn't stoop to such crude methods to build connections.

So when Xu Yanbing simply parked in an arbitrary spot, a junior official from the Ministry of Rites quickly approached. However, he didn't immediately act condescending or hurl insults. Taian City was a deep pond full of dragons, and countless bloody lessons had taught them a principle: it was always right to be kind to others and to be patient when possible. Better to be a cowering turtle than a crane extending its neck, ready to be chopped off.

The junior official quickly congratulated himself on his caution. When he saw the attire of the young man who lifted the curtain, he immediately understood. As expected of someone from the Ministry of Rites, unlike the absurd and comical behavior of those two from the Ministry of War's Armory Department, this man quickly bowed deeply and respectfully declared, "This humble official greets the King of Northern Liang!"

Xu Fengnian stepped out of the carriage, nodded, and walked directly towards the Ministry of Rites yamen.

The Ministry of Rites official behind him still dared not rise until Xu Fengnian had entered the main gate.

He maintained a posture of humility, as if wishing to remain bowed until the end of time.

The one tasked with leading the young prince was an extremely unlucky *Langzhong* from the Ministry of Rites' Bureau of Sacrifices. He had coincidentally encountered the King of Northern Liang on a narrow path with nowhere to escape. His accompanying subordinates instantly put a significant distance between themselves and their *Langzhong* superior, showing not the slightest inclination to sacrifice themselves for justice.

Was it difficult to get into the Ministry of Rites nowadays? If one didn't have an acquaintance of sufficient rank to lead the way, would they be subjected to all sorts of difficulties by other Ministry of Rites officials who had harbored resentment for many years?

The facts were indeed the facts.

But would the person before them care about such trivial rules? When he was still the Prince of Northern Liang, he was already permitted to carry a saber into the imperial court!

So when the *Langzhong* of the Bureau of Sacrifices heard the King of Northern Liang say he wanted to see the old Minister, he dared not utter a word, bowing deeply and helping to lead the way. He only said that the Minister had an unalterable political discussion in the Imperial Study after court adjourned and that the King might need to wait a moment.

Xu Fengnian entered Sima Puhua's room and did not refuse the tea and water offered by the Ministry of Rites *Langzhong*.

Seeing the young prince pause to admire Minister Sima's beloved painting "Frog Sounds from Mountain Spring," the *Langzhong*, who was carefully handing over a cup of hot tea, suddenly recalled something. After the Northern Liang succession became hereditary, this young man was once accused of squandering treasures, wantonly scribbling inscriptions and signatures on priceless original calligraphy and paintings, even boldly stamping "FAKE" on them. Initially, countless officials in the capital and refined scholars from the Central Plains, upon receiving such works from the Northern Liang King's residence, would beat their chests in frustration, wishing they could drag the young man from the Wutong Courtyard and beat him soundly. Yet, within just a few years, their attitudes completely changed, and they were all smiling from ear to ear. The reason was simple: no matter how much the principled literati leaders resisted, any calligraphy or painting that had passed through the young prince's hands would at least double in price if you were willing to sell it. Even so, they were still hard to find on the market!

Thinking of this, the *Langzhong* felt a bit guilty. After Jin Lanting, who most despised Northern Liang, became the second-highest official in the Ministry of Rites, he had reluctantly sold several calligraphy and paintings publicly to show his loyalty. However, he had secretly kept one piece, the "Qingliang Scroll," thinking he would show it off when he retired from official life and returned home in old age. Or, perhaps, he would "low-price" it to his old imperial examination proctor at a crucial point in his career where his promotion was uncertain. Give it away for free? Dream on! "Qingliang Scroll," Qingliang Mountain—just those two words, "Qingliang," with their extremely special meaning, the *Langzhong* conservatively estimated were worth five hundred taels! Of gold!

After finishing his tea, Xu Fengnian walked to the desk and casually opened an exquisite sandalwood box. Inside were six neatly arranged ink sticks. He took out one: it featured a gilded design of two dragons spitting pearls, with the seal script "Huazhang Huancai" in the center. It was clearly a tribute ink stick from the imperial court of the former Southern Tang, made by the renowned ink maker Chu Zhi. Such rare items, having been passed around for decades, had now presumably found their way onto the desks of Liyang officials. However, compared to the displaced remnants of the Spring and Autumn period, who also left their homes, these inanimate objects seemed much luckier. They could endure until some appreciative scholar cherished them, while many people from fallen kingdoms could only die in unknown foreign lands.

Minister Sima Puhua still had not returned to the Ministry of Rites yamen. The *Langzhong*, suffering beside them, grew paler and paler.

A cough sounded from outside the door. The *Langzhong* from the Bureau of Sacrifices quietly stepped out and saw an *Yuanwailang* from the Bureau of Imperial Cuisine, with whom he had a good relationship. This *Yuanwailang* was a good-natured man who hadn't been promoted in a full ten years. The latter, with a long face, whispered, "Lord Liu, the Minister arrived at the yamen gate, but then turned and left, saying he had business at the Central Secretariat. He also said absolutely not to let the King know, and that we should just say today's political discussion is extremely long, and he might not leave the palace before noon. He also told us to host the King well, and that he would hold us accountable if anything went wrong."

Hearing this terrible news, the *Langzhong* nearly stomped his foot and cursed. Forcing himself to suppress the urge to flee on the spot, he took several deep breaths outside the room, as if his very heart and liver were aching.

At that moment, a sudden idea struck him. The *Langzhong* whispered something into the *Yuanwailang*'s ear. The latter looked troubled. The *Langzhong* patted the other's shoulder firmly and said in a resolute tone, "Go quickly!"

After giving his instructions, the *Langzhong* returned to the room treading on thin ice. He tried to explain the situation to the young prince as calmly as possible, his face full of sincerity and guilt. Even when he was caught in bed with a maid by his shrewish wife a few years ago, the *Langzhong* hadn't been so obsequious.

Xu Fengnian glanced at him, grunted noncommittally, and said, "Minister Sima isn't here, but Vice Minister Jiang and Jin Lanting should be, right?"

The *Langzhong* didn't bother to ponder the implied meaning of the two different forms of address, nodding like a pecking chicken. "Vice Minister Jiang is here, yes! He had initially taken leave but returned to the yamen temporarily to handle official business. Vice Minister Jin also returned directly to the Ministry of Rites after court adjourned; he's here too!"

Compared to the Minister's office, which stood out like a crane among chickens, the two Vice Ministers' offices, while still individual, were connected to those of several *Langzhong* and *Yuanwailang*, making them seem less uniquely grand.

The Ministry of Rites was inherently a place that taught people about rules, and its own regulations and red tape were meticulously demanding.

Xu Fengnian and the *Langzhong* walked towards the office of Jiang Yongle, the Right Vice Minister. The *Langzhong* found Jiang Yongle had just run back from outside, breathless and no longer caring about maintaining his composure or dignity in front of a subordinate.

When the *Langzhong* saw the Right Vice Minister, he had only one thought: "Oh, Vice Minister Jiang, take care of yourself. It's not that I deliberately want to drag you into this, but the Minister has already badly trapped me. If I don't trick and scare you back now, I probably won't see tomorrow's sun. Hmm, actually, that little rascal at home has a street idiom as his catchphrase, and now that I think about it, it's quite reasonable: 'In this world, it's about making sure your friend dies, not you.' Frankly speaking, if you, Vice Minister Jiang, happen to die suddenly, I will certainly do my best to carry your burden in the Ministry of Rites."

After inviting the King of Northern Liang into the room, Jiang Yongle closed the door and said nothing, simply dropping to his knees and refusing to get up.

Even Xu Fengnian was somewhat amused and exasperated. In fact, contrary to external perception, Northern Liang, from Xu Xiao to Li Yishan and then to Xu Fengnian himself, had long been aware of the posthumous title issue. Xu Fengnian's refusal to accept the imperial decree after his hereditary succession, to the point that even the eunuch delivering the decree could not enter Youzhou, was Xu Fengnian's duty as a son and a stance Northern Liang had to take. This didn't mean Xu Fengnian held any deep resentment towards Jiang Yongle, a minor figure in the Ministry of Rites. Moreover, at that time in court, among all civil and military officials, only Yao Baifeng, the Left Libationer of the Imperial Academy, spoke a word of justice for Xu Xiao. Everyone else—Grand Academician Yan Jiexi, Jin Lanting, Lu Shengxiang, and others—made far more ruthless proposals regarding the posthumous title assessment than Jiang Yongle. In fact, Xu Xiao and Li Yishan had laughed while discussing his "affairs after death," saying a negative posthumous title was absolutely unavoidable. Coincidentally, Xu Xiao, who rarely read books, would often go to the Wutong Courtyard when bored, pull out Ministry of Rites texts, and assign his own posthumous title. In the end, the two characters Xu Xiao chose for himself were precisely *Wu Li*!

"I, Xu Xiao, am a warrior. Why would I want the 'Wen' character, a beautiful posthumous title for a civil official? The character 'Li' (stern/harsh) is better: meritorious to the nation, but with excessive slaughter, so merits and faults cancel each other out. Let it be that I, Xu Xiao, settle an old score with Liyang and we are even!"

Of course, while Xu Fengnian harbored no hatred or murderous intent towards Jiang Yongle, it didn't mean he would be particularly pleasant to the Ministry of Rites' third-ranking official. However, to see such a dignified Vice Minister of Rites stubbornly kneeling there, presenting himself as a rogue ready for execution, was quite an eye-opener for Xu Fengnian.

Not long after, when the young prince exited the room, the *Langzhong* of the Bureau of Sacrifices faintly heard intermittent sobbing from inside.

The *Langzhong* felt a sense of relief, but deep down, also a bit of regret.

Xu Fengnian walked to the office of the Left Vice Minister of Rites. The door was wide open, and the elegant Jin Lanting sat calmly behind his desk, watching the young prince who had once been so high and mighty. Jin Sanlang, who had risen steadily in Taian City's official circles, showed no fear and met his gaze with a cold stare.

Jin Lanting narrowed his eyes and remained motionless, not even bothering to rise to greet him.

"You have succeeded to the throne of Northern Liang as a hereditary ruler, advancing further in your career."

"But I, Jin Lanting, am no longer that minor scholar from a small county!"

Next, the *Langzhong* of the Bureau of Sacrifices heard the King of Northern Liang say, "You all, stand back."

The young man, who commanded Northern Liang's 300,000 Iron Cavalry, stepped over the threshold but did not close the door.

But no one dared to look up and see what was happening inside.

Soon, a loud thud echoed from within the room.

The *Langzhong* of the Bureau of Sacrifices jumped, trembling all over.

It was unclear how much time passed, but then the young prince emerged from the room, casually patted his dust-free sleeves, and strode away.

The *Langzhong* of the Bureau of Sacrifices hesitated whether to enter the room, when he heard the Left Vice Minister, known for his meticulous demeanor, bellow at the top of his lungs, "All of you, get out!"

The entire Ministry of Rites yamen was filled with a bone-chilling cold, as if in the depth of winter.

Xu Fengnian walked towards the carriage. Noticing Xu Yanbing's curious gaze, he smiled, "No one died, but someone should feel worse than dead."

Xu Yanbing's expression was somewhat odd.

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "I didn't take off my pants. But if you have such a fetish, I can take you over there; that fellow is probably still weeping like a pear blossom bathed in rain."

Xu Yanbing quickly waved his hand, laughing heartily.

Xu Yanbing finally managed to stop laughing and asked, just as Xu Fengnian was about to get into the carriage, "Are we going to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau next?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "Yes."

Xu Yanbing suddenly looked sideways at a group of people in the distance on the main street. They were all riding horses. It had been some time since court adjourned, and the road wasn't particularly congested, but the imposing presence of those five riders was quite striking.

Xu Fengnian lifted the side curtain as Xu Yanbing turned his head. Of the five riders, only the one in front didn't look their way; the other four had unfriendly expressions. One of them even stopped his horse, held the reins with one hand, and leaned back slightly, full of arrogance and self-importance.

Xu Yanbing murmured, "Look at that old man's official robe. It seems to be the second-rank military court attire, only worn by the Four Pacification Generals, Four Garrison Generals, and the Minister of War."

Xu Fengnian said, "That should be Wu Chongxuan, who was previously conferred the title of General Pacifying the South. It looks like he's here in the capital to receive rewards; perhaps he's already become the Minister of War. No wonder his direct subordinates are so arrogant."

Xu Yanbing frowned, "How about I teach them a lesson?"

Xu Fengnian, separated from him by a curtain, shook his head. "Forget it. Wu Chongxuan still has some lingering connection with a certain person, after all. If there's a lesson to be taught, it'll be for that person to do it himself later."

Just as one wave subsided, another rose. As Xu Fengnian was about to ignore the challenging looks, the stopped rider raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Xu Yanbing said blandly, "My lord, you can't expect me to come all this way just to be a coachman, can you?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Alright. Just don't hit too hard."

Xu Yanbing asked, "Half dead?"

Xu Fengnian replied, "They're not unarmed civil officials, so hitting them wouldn't be glorious. But for a seasoned Southern Border general, 'half-dead' isn't enough. If you don't beat him nearly to death, you'd be disgracing the great reputation of their Southern Border elite forces, which are said to rival Northern Liang's Iron Cavalry."

Xu Yanbing, releasing the reins, couldn't help but laugh. "Is there really such logic?"

Xu Fengnian lowered the curtain and slowly said, "As long as Northern Liang's Iron Cavalry exists, that is the logic."

Xu Yanbing vanished in a flash. The next moment, he kicked the warhorse in its side. The Southern Border general, along with his horse, flew horizontally. The steed's four hooves flailed in the air before it crashed heavily some distance away, making a thunderous sound.

No one saw how Xu Yanbing moved. The sturdy general, who hadn't even fully fallen from his horse, was kicked another five or six *zhang* away. Fortunately, this street, second only to the Imperial Way in the capital, was wide enough, or he would have slammed into a wall.

Xu Yanbing planted his foot on the head of the dying general, looking at the other riders. Except for Wu Chongxuan, who calmly reined in his horse, they all looked furious and ferocious.

Xu Yanbing said nothing, merely grinding his shoe heel hard on the general's head.

*Northern Liang doesn't care if you're an official from the Ministry of War! Or a general from the Southern Border?!*

Wu Chongxuan subtly raised his riding crop, stopping the three agitated riders from attempting retaliation. The old general, now wearing his second-rank official robe with the lion emblem, rode slowly forward alone, looking down at Xu Yanbing. He asked knowingly, "Xu Yanbing of Northern Liang?"

Xu Yanbing replied indifferently, "Did you bring one or two thousand elite soldiers to station at the Southern Army Camp in the capital's vicinity? Otherwise, I'm afraid they won't even be enough for a late-night snack."

Wu Chongxuan twitched the corner of his mouth and turned to leave.

The three riders under his command galloped towards the general, whose fate was unknown, to clean up the mess.

Xu Fengnian sat inside the carriage, his hands tucked into his sleeves like an old farmer.

Inside his sleeves, his fingers were interlocked and trembling slightly.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau was almost there.

The source of the Capital White Robe Case was here!

Spring and Autumn Sword Armor died here!