Chapter 832: Matter Settled, Brush Off (Part 1)

That late autumn day in the second year of Xiangfu was destined to give rise to countless tales of the supernatural and strange. At the Imperial Observatory, the sun and moon rose, Buddhist chants wafted, long rainbows appeared repeatedly in the sky, and immortals hovered in mid-air. Meanwhile, at the Southern Military Camp in the capital region, the scene was equally horrifying. Two human powerhouses, like earthly gods, moved as swiftly as dragons plunging into the sea. Their battle tore the entire camp to shreds, sweeping through it like a hot knife through butter. General Wu Zhongxuan, the newly appointed Minister of War, suffered the heaviest casualties among his direct troops, with over a thousand dead or wounded. What ordinary people call "unacclimatized" usually just means feeling unwell; it is rare to see elite troops under Minister Wu losing limbs or even their lives to such an extent. Crucially, almost no one could identify the true identities of those two figures, which was the most humiliating aspect for the Southern Military Camp in the capital region.

As Xu Fengnian, the main culprit, descended from the Altar of Land and Grain, the Li family's armored soldiers, led by Li Shouguo and his son Li Changliang, resolutely guarded the main entrance, presenting a defiant stance that whoever wished to leave would have to step over the bodies of over a thousand men. However, the heavy cavalry, which had suffered over half their numbers on the street outside, had already quietly withdrawn after General Ma Zhongxian, the General of Andong, frantically galloped to deliver a secret imperial edict. But to avoid disturbing the residents of the inner and outer city and prevent greater panic, this cavalry unit, which had been severely weakened even before being deployed to the Liangliao battlefields, did not immediately leave the city for its barracks. Ma Zhongxian had rushed away from his father's sickbed in the Great General of Northern Pacification's mansion, not even having time to put on his military official's robes, let alone his iron armor. This illustrious General of Andong turned to look at the remnants of his forces, shrouded in a tragic atmosphere, his heart bleeding.

Ma Zhongxian, being intimately familiar with the capital's officialdom, knew that once the tragic news spread from his family's mansion to the imperial court and the common folk, people throughout Tai'an City would soon say that his father, who had lived long, chose to pass away precisely when the Prince of Beiliang caused chaos at the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory. They would say he was scared to death, literally frightened to death by that young man surnamed Xu!

Standing incongruously amidst the clanking of iron armor, Ma Zhongxian clenched his fists, his eyes red. He wished he could turn his horse around, give an order, and have that man named Xu chopped into mincemeat!

An old man in plain clothes walked through the "fragile" infantry square formed by the Li family's armored soldiers. Li Shouguo tried to interject a warning, but the old man smiled and waved his hand, walking directly towards the Prince of Beiliang who had stopped at the edge of the Altar of Land and Grain. The old man did not stand in front of the young man; they stood side by side, one facing north, the other south.

Xu Fengnian said indifferently, "I originally thought it would be Elder Tantian from the Chancellery who came here as a persuader. I didn't expect it to be His Excellency the Grand Chancellor playing the hard cop."

Qi Yanglong, the head of the Secretariat, looked up at the high altar, chuckling, "The Imperial Observatory is ruined just like that. What a pity."

Xu Fengnian replied, "Over a hundred thousand people from Beiliang died beyond the pass, everyone facing north as they perished. Is that not a pity?"

Qi Yanglong nodded, his voice grave, "To me, it's all a pity. The destruction of the Imperial Observatory is a pity for me, a scholar who loves to read history. The death of hundreds of thousands of Beiliang soldiers in battle is also a pity for me as a subject of Liyang, and it commands respect. It's just that now that I've come to the capital and been granted a robe by the court, I have no choice but to come here and nag the Prince."

Xu Fengnian's left hand, holding the saber, hung limply as his shoulder had been pierced by a long rope. Blood continuously flowed from his sleeve, dripping onto the ground along his fingers. His face, due to the chaotic surge of qi raging within him, alternated between deathly pale and glowing with a brilliant purplish-gold hue. As for the crack on his forehead, blood ran down his nose, adding a fierce intensity to the young prince's handsome features.

The young man, who alone had shaken the entire capital twice, said expressionlessly, "Three thousand men, for every one who dies, a thousand shi of Beiliang's grain and fodder from the Grand Canal will be deducted. Zhao Zhuan said this himself. Well, I might as well tell His Excellency the Grand Chancellor directly: three million shi of Grand Canal transport, if you dare to cut even one shi, thirty thousand Beiliang iron cavalry will march south into Guangling! After all, it's perfectly justified for a prince to quell rebellion. If your court doesn't care about the lives of Beiliang's people, I, Xu Fengnian, am very easy to talk to. I don't mind making you Liyang understand what 'unwavering loyalty' means!"

Hearing these sharp words, Qi Yanglong did not feign anger but kept his smile. "Prince of Beiliang, to be honest, regardless of my ancestral home, I, Qi Yanglong, have always considered Shangyin Academy in Guangling Province my home. Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun have already caused trouble on my land once, and that bastard Song Li and Kou Jianghuai caused trouble again. Next, it will be the turn of Wu Zhongxuan and Lu Shengxiang, these so-called famous generals, to stir things up. If they could achieve a quick victory, that would be one thing. No matter who wins or loses, as long as a victor emerges, it's good for the people of Guangling Province. My fear is that this stalemate will continue, exhausting all the young men and then the old veterans—that's still acceptable. But what if all the soldiers are used up? Won't that mean using the lives of common people to fill the void? Isn't that the truth, Prince of Beiliang?"

Xu Fengnian remained silent.

Qi Yanglong didn't sound like a high-ranking central official; rather, he was like a grumpy old man full of grievances, unable to stop talking once he found a young man to confide in. "Cao Changqing has a knot in his heart, a hurdle he can't get over, and even the Holy Duke couldn't persuade him. Of course, I'm not willing to waste my breath. As for those who lead troops for the court, I, as Grand Chancellor, can't sway them either. Besides, martial artists in this world establish their reputations on the battlefield, whether they die wrapped in horsehide or are enfeoffed as marquises and generals. They act according to their abilities and resign themselves to fate; that's their rationale. I, Qi Yanglong, cannot go nagging them with empty words about laying down their swords, just because I claim to pity the common people. Even if I persuaded Lu Shengxiang and Wu Zhongxuan, there would surely be Ma Shengxiang and Song Zhongxuan emerging, because ultimately, I cannot stop the general trend of the world."

Qi Yanglong suddenly turned, gazing intently at the blood-stained young man. "But I think speaking with you will be effective. There's no helping it, you're Xu Xiao's son, aren't you? That fellow Xu Xiao has always been very reasonable. Otherwise, to get that little girl Weixiong into the Academy, would he have been able to build a lake embankment over ten li long with gold and silver for my family? Before I came to the capital, I used to walk along that embankment every morning and evening, rain or shine! I don't know if Xu Xiao ever told you, but back when he led his troops across the jianghu, he passed by Shangyin Academy from Longhu Mountain, and made a discreet visit. He cornered me, an old man, in my room, took off that Beiliang saber... hmm, if I'm not mistaken, it's probably the one you're wearing now, slammed it heavily on my desk, and asked me if the name 'Xu Fengnian' was a good one. Of course, I gave him a thumbs up and said it was good, because it really is a good name. Then your father immediately became amiable, saying that I, Qi Yanglong, was indeed a scholar of great learning, and even turned to your mother to ask for the phrase 'full of stratagems' to bestow upon me. I was very happy, not because of that low-quality flattery, but because in the end, your father didn't chop me with his saber."

Xu Fengnian raised his right hand and wiped his face.

Qi Yanglong continued to look at the deeply significant Altar of Land and Grain. "You probably can't imagine how much silver Beiliang sent for that lake embankment. No matter how long an embankment is, with all the human and material resources of the flourishing scholarly Shangyin Academy available, how much silver would it truly need? But do you know how much your father secretly sent? A full three million taels of silver! So, Shangyin Academy not only gained a willow-lined lake embankment but also secretly acquired a library unrivaled in Jiangnan within the next five years, along with no fewer than two hundred sets of imperial editions of books. Besides that mountain of silver, there was also a light secret letter delivered into my hands. The handwriting was truly the ugliest I've ever seen, but for over ten years, when I had nothing to do, I'd often take it out and read it. The letter said that his eldest son was definitely good material for studying and would come to Shangyin Academy for schooling. Perhaps he would even become a Zhuangyuan for the old Xu family, which would truly bring glory to the family name. If a prince's son couldn't hold an official post, then being a Zhuangyuan as a mere decoration would still be good... When I first read that secret letter, I really wanted to write back and ask him: you, a martial artist who has killed countless scholars, are you out of your mind to want your son to be a literati? Your Xu family, in your generation, has reached the pinnacle of power, holding the Grand Pillar of the State and hereditary succession in your hands. Do you really lack a Zhuangyuan title? I even more wanted to ask him, what is three million taels of silver? So many people from the Eight Kingdoms died, how many scholars died? Can this little bit of silver compensate for a broken land and a sunken Central Plains?! You, the Butcher, don't want your son to be a prince, what kind of reasoning is that?!"

"Later, as I reread that letter, over time, the paper became more and more crumpled, but my heart grew increasingly calm."

"During this period, I heard that after the old emperor passed away, you dared to indulge in festivities at Qingliang Mountain, with fireworks visible throughout the city and music echoing across the mountains. Then you were thrown out of the prince's mansion, which led to your three years of travels. That's when I knew Beiliang would not be peaceful. I once hoped that while you pushed out Chen Zhibao, you would successfully inherit the title of Prince of Beiliang and remain so. But then you willingly chose to be a peaceful prince, willing to let a certain Liyang General enter Beiliang. In that case, Beiliang would be Liyang's Beiliang, and Beiliang's people would be Liyang's people. Half the nation's taxes would go to Liangliao, and half the Grand Canal transport would go to Beiliang, and the world would be at peace!"

Hearing this, Xu Fengnian twitched the corner of his mouth.

The old man gave a self-deprecating smile. "Of course, this is just the wishful thinking of a pedantic scholar."

The old man finally turned around, facing the densely arrayed Li family's armored soldiers alongside Xu Fengnian. He asked with a smile, "How do these Liyang elites compare to your Beiliang border iron cavalry?"

Xu Fengnian countered, "Do you really want to know the answer?"

The old man waited silently for his reply.

Xu Fengnian gave his answer: "Ten against ten, a fifty-fifty chance. A hundred against a hundred, Beiliang would surely win. A thousand against a thousand, you would be soundly defeated. Ten thousand against ten thousand, then there's no need to fight, is there?"

The old man smiled, "Is that so?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "It's just that I read more books than Xu Xiao, and I have a good temper."

The old man nodded, "Yes, yes, so today you first went to the Ministry of Rites to teach two Vice Ministers a lesson, then you came here alone, not even giving face to the Empress Dowager, and proceeded to slaughter inside and outside the Imperial Observatory. Even a large group of heavenly immortals were butchered. The Prince indeed has a very good temper."

Xu Fengnian retorted testily, "Just made friends, and now you're playing the elder again? Do you really think I don't have enough strength left to return to Xiamaiwei?"

The old man laughed heartily. "Alright, I've used Xu Xiao to get close to Your Highness enough. If I say any more, I won't be able to keep my old face. You, Xu Fengnian, can fight, and Beiliang's iron cavalry can fight even better. So, I won't be coy or play games anymore. I'll tell you the bottom line: whether it's the threat of deducting a thousand shi for every death, or the bold claim of three million shi of Grand Canal transport, these are merely the impetuous actions of a young emperor. I, as Grand Chancellor, dare not take them seriously, and I hope Your Highness won't either. However, I can guarantee that from late autumn this year to late summer next year, Liyang, especially Tai'an City, will send one million shi of Grand Canal transport to Beiliang, even if it means tightening their belts. If possible, an additional five hundred thousand shi might be sent. After that, there are only four words: 'Do our best!'"

Xu Fengnian frowned.

The old man sighed, "Know when to stop. Both sides need a way to back down. In the imperial court, from officials of the lowest rank to grand dukes in yellow and purple robes, and even those wearing python robes or dragon robes, no one has ever truly felt at ease."

Before Xu Fengnian could speak, the old man sighed with emotion, "I wonder if it's an illusion, but even though there are more and more young faces in the imperial court now, I always feel a sense of decline when I'm among them. Perhaps... perhaps after the white-robed monk Li Dangxin's almanac was rejected, Zhang Julu also felt this kind of sadness."

The old man turned and stared fixedly at the heavily wounded young man. "In that collection of poems by the Blue-Eyed Fellow, which may never circulate, he wrote that life has two great joys and one great sorrow: in the jianghu, finding chivalry in desperation is a great joy! On the battlefield, still raising a saber in a place of death is a great joy! But reading the phrases 'piles of white bones' and 'people suffering' which historians like to gloss over in their books, that is a great sorrow!"

The old man smiled. "It's a pity that Blue-Eyed Fellow died so early. He didn't know that on the Liyang Dynasty's geographical map, which he must have looked at countless times, there's a place where the names of hundreds of thousands of dead people are carved one by one onto stone tablets. The annals of history, perused by generations of scholars, will no longer only contain the names of winners and losers."

"Earlier, some fellow said he'd met you and boasted about it to me. Honestly, if it weren't for an imperial order I couldn't defy this time, I wouldn't have come here to be annoyed. What's so good about looking at you, Xu Fengnian? I'm just a grumpy old man, not some young lady smitten with a young hero."

"Heh, when I was young, I might have been even more handsome than you."

Xu Fengnian said, "Then it's settled."

The old man pushed his luck, asking, "So, when will Your Highness depart from the capital?"

Xu Fengnian walked forward. "The day after tomorrow."

The old man watched his retreating back and asked with a grin, "Not today, but how about tomorrow? Tai'an City isn't very interesting, you know."

Xu Fengnian stopped, turned, and said with a noncommittal smile, "Tomorrow? Alright, does His Excellency the Grand Chancellor want to see the stone tablets? Then I, this Prince, will personally take you there."

The old man's smile froze. "The day after tomorrow it is! Early that morning, I'll personally come knock on your door at the Xiamaiwei Post Station!"

Xu Fengnian ignored the rascal old man and walked towards the Imperial Observatory's main gate.

Behind him, the old man raised his hands and waved them to both sides. The Li family's armored soldiers quickly dispersed to the left and right, clearing a wide path.

Suddenly, the old man took a few quick strides to catch up with Xu Fengnian, grabbed his right hand, and held on tightly, refusing to let go.

Xu Fengnian turned to look at the old man, whose expression had suddenly turned solemn.

The old man lowered his voice, "Xu Fengnian, you must ensure that fewer people die in this world!"

Xu Fengnian tried to turn and leave.

The old man, with unknown strength, stubbornly held Xu Fengnian's hand, his face red.

Xu Fengnian could have easily pulled free with a slight flick of his sleeve, but for some reason, he sighed softly, nodded, and said helplessly, "Does it need to be said?"

Only then did the old man grudgingly release his hand.

After walking a few steps, Xu Fengnian heard the old man softly say, "If I didn't do this, how would I, Qi Yanglong, show my stance on saving the common people?"

Xu Fengnian's mouth twitched. He raised his right arm, extended his thumb, and pointed it downwards.

He watched the young man's retreating back.

The old man then added, "Hmm, he has a bit of my youthful demeanor."

Presumably thinking he was too far away for the young prince to hear his mumbles, when the Prince of Beiliang suddenly turned his head, the old man swiftly spun around with lightning speed, hands clasped behind his back, and quickly ascended the Altar of Land and Grain, as if eager to go sight-seeing there.

The old and the young walked away from each other, backs turned.

The old man's expression sobered. He silently mused to himself, "Blue-Eyed Fellow, if you were alive, would you clench your teeth and not release even one shi of Grand Canal transport, or would you override all objections and open up all transport? Regardless, I am not as good as you."

The old man stood at the top of the Altar of Land and Grain. Seeing the jarringly loose soil, he slowly crouched down.

Xu Xiao, Zhang Julu.

You two fought each other for half your lives. Now that you're dead and underground, you'll probably drink together, won't you?

At the main entrance of the Imperial Observatory, there was a girl, He He, biting into a scallion pancake with one hand and rubbing her sable hat with the other.

Xu Fengnian walked over, bent down, and helped adjust her sable hat.

Then a figure in a flowing crimson dress drifted like a butterfly, appearing before Xu Fengnian and twirling gracefully.

After she stopped, Xu Fengnian nodded and softly chuckled, "Still beautiful."

Xu Fengnian took one person's hand in each of his. "First, let's return to the post station. The day after tomorrow, we'll go home together."

Xu Yanbing had returned to the carriage by the Imperial Observatory's entrance at some unknown point and had already put away his Instant Spear.

Xu Fengnian wiped away a fresh trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled, "Back so soon? That spear, it's truly fast."

Xu Yanbing, momentarily bewildered, simply grunted. It wasn't until the young prince had settled into the carriage and it had traveled a good distance that Xu Yanbing finally understood, laughing and cursing, "Damn it, he insulted me without a single foul word!"

After his laugh, Xu Yanbing looked into the distance, lost in thought.

For some reason, neither the girl in the sable hat nor the woman in the crimson robe with a veiled hat got into the carriage.

Inside the carriage.

The blood-soaked young man took off his Beiliang saber, lifted the prince's python robe with both hands, and buried his head in it.

His shoulders trembled.

No expression was visible.

No sound of weeping was heard.