Chapter 836: Return to Liangzhou

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Qi Yanglong did indeed go to Xiamawei Inn. He personally urged the young prince to leave the capital with his troops. However, just as the elderly man dismounted his carriage, the innkeeper rushed forward, holding a small cloth pouch with both hands. Unsure of the old man's identity, he cautiously asked, "Excuse me, sir, are you from the Secretariat...?"

The innkeeper's question was tactful. Instead of directly asking if he was the Grand Secretariat, he vaguely mentioned the office without specifying the title, allowing for a graceful correction if he was mistaken.

The old man nodded and hummed in acknowledgment, then asked, "Has the Prince of Northern Liang already left the capital?"

The innkeeper's knees nearly buckled. Fortunately, at that moment, the old man had already taken the pouch, weighed it, and wondered aloud, "A seal?"

The innkeeper, who had almost knelt, stiffened his back, flustered and red-faced. Xiamawei Inn had always been a place ordinary officials avoided like the plague. He had been assigned there to fend for himself last year after inadvertently offending a supervisor from the Ministry of War's Department of Personnel. How could he have imagined a day when he would speak face-to-face with the Grand Secretariat? When the prince had mentioned that Qi Yanglong from the Secretariat would visit Xiamawei that morning, the innkeeper hadn't taken it seriously, thinking that at most a third or fourth-rank official would arrive, which would already be a great blessing. Gritting his teeth, he disregarded any impropriety, his mind consumed with the thought that every extra word he spoke with Grand Secretariat Qi would bring more glory to his family. He asked tremblingly, "Grand Secretariat, would you like to come in and rest for a while?"

Qi Yanglong smiled, about to politely decline, when he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you have Green Ant Wine here at Xiamawei?"

The innkeeper nodded eagerly like a pecking chicken, "Yes, yes, yes!"

As the innkeeper led the Grand Secretariat into the inn's inner courtyard, he deliberately made a show of having many junior officials busy themselves. Qi Yanglong didn't expose his transparent intentions, allowing the innkeeper to lead him into the secluded small courtyard.

The innkeeper quickly brought out a rattan chair for the old man, explaining that the prince liked to recline in it to rest whether he had anything to do or not. He had heard from the previous innkeeper that the prince had done the same on his last visit to the capital, and seemed to have a special fondness for this chair.

Qi Yanglong lay on the rattan chair, appearing to be resting with his eyes closed. The innkeeper took two pots of wine from his subordinate, not daring to disturb him, and stood quietly under the eaves, bowing slightly.

After resting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qi Yanglong opened his eyes and softly asked, "What did the young prince say when he handed you the item?"

The innkeeper slapped his head and quickly said, "This humble one almost forgot! The prince did indeed instruct me that if the Grand Secretariat himself honored us with his presence, I was to tell you that this little item was temporarily borrowed from a scholar named Zhang, and it should now be returned to all scholars in the world. If the Grand Secretariat did not personally come to Xiamawei, then I was to say nothing."

Qi Yanglong paused, "A scholar named Zhang?"

"Blue-Eyed"? Certainly not. Zhang Julu would never have any personal dealings with Northern Liang. Even if such a relic were left behind, it would be given to Huan Wen.

Oh, then it must be the Yan Sheng Gong, the Sage of the Zhang family.

Qi Yanglong slowly stood up. After putting away the small cloth pouch, he took the two pots of Green Ant Wine from the innkeeper and asked with a smile, "Have you tasted this wine?"

The innkeeper looked embarrassed. "I only had a few sips yesterday. It's quite hard to drink, too strong, like fire burning down your throat."

As he said this, the innkeeper flattered, "Grand Secretariat, if you are to drink, please do so slowly."

Qi Yanglong simply smiled, dismissed the comment, and walked straight away with the wine.

Give money? The old man had no such thought. If he were to give money, how could this unnamed official dare to boast to his colleagues using the Grand Secretariat's name, or how could he, with a clear conscience, use this to further his career?

Tai'an City. A truly peaceful city, yet few here feel truly at ease.

At today's court assembly, the young prince who had turned back at the gates yesterday finally did not make another appearance, greatly disappointing the Rouge Army, whose presence was even more formidable than the day before.

Jin Lanting, the Vice Minister of Rites, had not attended the morning court for two consecutive days. He had taken leave from the old Minister of Rites, Sima Puhua, and would not be going to the ministry office recently. He closed his doors to visitors, reportedly not even meeting people like Gao Tingshu or Wu Congxian.

After Wen Taiyi, the Vice Minister of Personnel, and Ma Zhongxian, the General of Andong, were appointed as the Military Commissioner and Deputy Commander of Jing'an Province respectively, the current head of the Peng family swiftly took over as the Left Vice Minister of Personnel, and Li Chang'an, a high-ranking general of the Imperial Guards, replaced Ma Zhongxian as the new General of Andong.

Amidst the bustling dispersal of the morning court in the capital, eight hundred light cavalry, under the careful escort of the main cavalry forces from the Western Garrison of the Imperial Capital, were already on their way to the border of Jidong.

Everyone in the Western Imperial Cavalry seemed relieved that there wouldn't be any further trouble, remarking that inviting a god is easy, but sending one off is difficult – and this Northwestern prince and his eight hundred White Horse Volunteers were difficult to both invite and send off. It was rumored that General Ma Lulang, who conquered the north, had been scared to death, and one of his armies had suffered a great catastrophe two days prior, with bloodstains still uncleaned on the street outside the Imperial Astronomy Bureau. Furthermore, the private army brought by Wu Chongxuan, the Minister of War, to the Southern Imperial Camp was inexplicably severely damaged, reportedly stemming from a conflict with the young prince at the Ministry of War's office, where a fierce general from the Southern Borders was beaten half to death on the spot.

General Zhao Gui of Anxi, a member of the imperial clan, seemed to be gravely ill. He found it difficult not only to wear armor and ride a horse but even to get out of bed, leaving only Yu-chi Chang-gong, the Hu Cavalry Commander, as the mainstay of the Western Army.

After traveling over a hundred miles past the Western Imperial Camp, several Northern Liang cavalrymen turned their horses and stopped. Seeing this, the Western Imperial Cavalry, who had only dared to follow the eight hundred Northern Liang light cavalry from a distance, watched as Yu-chi Chang-gong himself rode out first to approach. Upon seeing the Prince of Northern Liang among them, he became apprehensive and slowly advanced.

Xu Fengnian, dressed in simple, elegant casual clothes with a white jade belt around his waist, gently nudged his horse forward, coming to stand alone beside Yu-chi Chang-gong. After a moment of silence, he looked at the sight of the Lyang cavalry troop galloping, raising dust, and said, "Commander Yu-chi, my journey to the capital earlier must have caused you trouble."

Yu-chi Chang-gong froze, his heart tightening. What was this? Was it courtesy before force? The Hu Cavalry Commander dared not reply for a moment, fearing that annoying this arrogant and overbearing plague god of the Xu family would bring trouble upon his two cavalry camps.

Xu Fengnian smiled slightly and said, "Further west, I expect Jizhou troops will soon greet us. You can see us off here."

Yu-chi Chang-gong, steeling himself, replied, "Your Highness, it's not that this humble officer is ungrateful, but there are indeed military orders from above that the Western Imperial Cavalry must escort Your Highness to the Jizhou border."

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Was it Wu Chongxuan or Tang Tieshuang?"

Yu-chi Chang-gong's expression turned awkward.

Just then, a lone rider galloped from the northeast.

Xu Fengnian sighed, slowly rode forward, and met the uninvited guest.

The two riders faced each other from about twenty paces apart. The man facing Xu Fengnian was slightly older than him, lacking both the decadent air of General Zhao Gui of Anxi and the battlefield aura of a martial artist like Yu-chi Chang-gong. If not for his presence here, he would appear as an ordinary scholar on the streets of Tai'an City.

The man shifted in his saddle, rubbed his backside a few times, and said in a hoarse voice, "I still can't believe it's really you. After I returned to the capital, I heard about a young swordsman named Wen Hua who challenged Qi Jiajie in Tai'an City. I didn't believe it either, so was that truly the guy I met back then?"

Xu Fengnian nodded. "That was him. But... he doesn't practice swordsmanship anymore."

The man's face turned bitter. "So, back then in Wuzhou, did you already know my identity?"

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "Several times after getting drunk, you told Wen Hua yourself that you were the eldest legitimate grandson of this dynasty's Great General. I'm not deaf... Wen Hua, of course, didn't believe it, just as he initially thought I was boasting without basis... Once I returned to Qingliang Mountain, I knew who you, Ma Wenhou, were. Generals with the title 'Conqueror of Peace' are few and far between in the Lyang Dynasty, and those surnamed Ma are from only one family."

The man murmured softly, "Back then, I couldn't afford good wine, and cheap wine made me tipsy and confused easily. What could I do?"

Xu Fengnian looked at the scholar he had met by chance in Wuzhou back then, his expression complex. At that time, Ma Wenhou was a scholar traveling thousands of miles alone with his books, fond of writing travelogues. He happened to meet Xu Fengnian and Wen Hua gambling at chess in an alley, lost all his money, and then clung to them. They spent over two months together. Wen Hua and Ma Wenhou seemed particularly incompatible, often clashing and getting red-faced over trivial matters. Wen Hua never believed that this stingy, impoverished scholar came from a prestigious family, while Ma Wenhou didn't believe that a wandering knight with a wooden sword could truly make a name for himself in this lifetime. However, Ma Wenhou, being away from home, was unwilling to use his family's widespread local connections and was constantly short on money. Furthermore, he was resentful that despite being taught by a national chess master of Lyang, he had never won a single game against someone named Xu. He remained entangled with these two rogues for almost three months until he eventually parted ways to travel south across the river to the Southern Borders.

Ma Wenhou looked at Xu Fengnian and asked directly, "If you hadn't known me, Ma Wenhou, would you have visited the General Who Conquered the North's mansion on this trip to the capital? Would you have come to demand an explanation?"

Xu Fengnian nodded. "Of course."

Ma Wenhou's expression was pained.

Xu Fengnian said indifferently, "The grievances of the older generation are there for all to see. If you feel you owe your grandfather Ma Lulang, or that the old score hasn't been settled and now it's my Xu family who owes your Ma family, you can certainly demand repayment from me, Xu Fengnian, in the future. Since you are the eldest legitimate grandson of the Ma family, I wouldn't find that strange."

Ma Wenhou suddenly roared, "Does Your Highness, the Prince of Northern Liang, think I will act as if nothing happened?!"

Xu Fengnian reached out and patted the Northern Liang saber at his waist, leaning back slightly, a sarcastic look on his face. "When you and I were both penniless, did you, Ma Wenhou, ever beat me in a game of chess? Now I, Xu Fengnian, am one of the Four Grandmasters under Heaven, and the Prince of Northern Liang with thirty thousand iron cavalry under my command. You want to arm wrestle with me? I doubt even a Vice Minister of the Six Ministries would have the nerve to defy me head-on, right? A Minister might just barely qualify. If you, Ma Wenhou, are truly capable, become a principal official of the Secretariat or the Chancellery, only then would you barely be qualified to be my opponent! Like 'Blue-Eyed' is comparable to my father, Xu Xiao! Anyway, Ma Wenhou, Ma Wenhou, do I need to wait for you a few years, or a few decades?"

Ma Wenhou's eyes were bloodshot.

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "What, not convinced? The Ma family's heavy cavalry of over a thousand men are nothing special. You're just a scholar; do you want to bring shame upon yourself?"

Xu Fengnian turned his horse's head, raised his hand, and waved.

This gesture was clearly full of sarcasm.

Ma Wenhou shouted, "Xu Fengnian, you're a bastard! Just you wait!"

Xu Fengnian completely ignored him and rode away.

In the distance, Yu-chi Chang-gong, who had generally observed the two's unpleasant meeting, felt a chill run down his spine for the Ma family's eldest grandson after hearing that remark. If the Prince of Northern Liang decided to kill him, it would be for nothing. His two thousand cavalrymen at most could only collect the body. This prince had caused such a stir in Tai'an City, yet no one had stepped forward to uphold justice. Now that he was outside the capital, what was the Ma family's eldest legitimate grandson, who had just lost his pillar of support, in his eyes? Yu-chi Chang-gong hesitated, finally abandoning the idea of continuing to "escort" the Northern Liang cavalry into Jizhou. With the Ma family's young master stirring things up, he, the Hu Cavalry Commander, was genuinely afraid of being made a scapegoat by the Prince of Northern Liang.

As Yu-chi Chang-gong ran off to try and curry favor with Young Master Ma, he coincidentally brushed past the young prince. The latter smiled, clasped his hands in farewell, and the flattered Yu-chi Chang-gong hastily returned the gesture.

Back with the group, Jia Jiajia sat on her horse, looking at Xu Fengnian with a puzzled expression.

Xu Fengnian took the mink hat from her head and placed it on his own, chuckling softly, "Is it only allowed for me to be Xu Xiao's son, but not for him, Ma Wenhou, to be Ma Lulang's grandson? There's no such logic in the world. When a person is alive, it's definitely better to have aspirations than none at all."

Xu Fengnian glanced at the lifted carriage curtain, and at the half of a beautiful face, he teased, "Alright, no need to hide anymore. The hangers-on have left. Even if you, Chen Yu, come out of the carriage and gallop on horseback, no one will mind you."

The White Horse Volunteers, or more precisely, the Phoenix Camp, had their Commander Yuan Meng ride up. This burly man, who had followed the young master on his travels through the jianghu back then, laughed and said, "Your Highness, those Imperial Capital cavalrymen were really cowards, so boring!"

Xu Fengnian glared. "Stop being sarcastic here. Does being arrogant within your own ranks make you a hero?"

Yuan Meng said with a mournful expression, "Your Highness, it's not that this humble officer can't bear to give up the position of Phoenix Camp Commander. If Your Highness permits me to go to the frontier as a commander to fight, I'll head straight for Hutou City!"

Xu Fengnian retorted exasperatedly, "Currently, Youzhou cavalry lacks generals. Resign as Phoenix Camp Commander and become a fourth-rank cavalry general. Will you do it?"

Yuan Meng grinned cheekily, "Hell no! This humble officer isn't stupid, I won't do it! Not even if you kill me! The cavalry generals in Youzhou aren't even as good as our Liangzhou border army's commanders. Only a fool would go, it'd be a demotion!"

Xu Fengnian said with a smirk, "Commander Yuan, that's quite a defiant statement! Fine, when we pass through Youzhou, I'll certainly have a good word with Yan Wenluan, Chen Yunchui, and Yu Luandao, so Youzhou will know there's a brave man like you, Yuan Meng, in Liangzhou."

Yuan Meng said ingratiatingly, "Your Highness, it doesn't matter with Marshal Yan and Deputy Marshal Chen, as they are merely infantry commanders and can't control this humble officer's official hat. But please, don't say that to General Yu. What if he becomes the deputy marshal of our Northern Liang Iron Cavalry in the future? What would I do then?"

Xu Fengnian laughed and cursed, "Scram!"

Yuan Meng slunk away.

As expected, Chen Yu then emerged from the carriage. However, her equestrian skills were ordinary, and fearing she might delay the march, she shared a horse with Xu Ying, who wore a veiled hat and a red robe. Xu Fengnian and Hehe Girl rode abreast with them.

Chen Yu asked curiously, "May I ask who that young master from a prominent family was?"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "One of the... friends I met during my earliest travels. Back then, apart from two others, he was the one I got along with best. Of course, my connection with him was a good one; with Xuanyuan Qingfeng from Daxueping, it was a bad one. In those three years, I met many people and experienced many things, most of which I just laughed off. For instance, I once met a yet-unfamous female martial artist, whose surname seemed to be Qi. She had a very good temper, and her martial arts, looking back now, were quite ordinary, but her chest... was really big. Every time she competed with someone, she would be restrained, feeling embarrassed... She was the only female martial artist I met in those three years who didn't speak ill of us. It's a pity, though, that there are no rumors of her in the Lyang jianghu now; perhaps she got married. As for the fellow just now, he also fell for a certain fairy back then. One time, that white-robed fairy dueled with another fairy. To us at the time, they fought with an air of immortality, but during the fight, his beloved fairy had her armpit clothing torn by her opponent's long sword, and after that, well, there was no 'after that'."

Chen Yu was completely confused. "Why was that?"

Xu Fengnian squinted, looking into the distance with a smile. "Because we all saw the fairy's... armpit hair."

Chen Yu was dumbfounded and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Xu Fengnian said with a grin, "Actually, there are many more interesting stories. For example, there was a guy who went to a martial arts competition for a bride just to join the fun. The only time he won was because his opponent suddenly had an upset stomach during the match. He, who rarely got to shine, chased and beat his opponent, stubbornly clinging to the guy's waistband, and the result... well, you can probably imagine the scene; it was unbearable to watch... Or, for instance, there was a young, handsome hero who would draw his sword to help when he saw injustice. He was very admirable and had a dignified appearance, but as soon as he opened his mouth, it was over. His speech was so coarse and incomprehensible, with a strange accent from who knows where. It was truly a pity. It just goes to show that traveling the jianghu and wanting to be a well-liked young hero is truly not easy, is it?"

Chen Yu was speechless.

Xu Fengnian saw a rider appear on a distant hillside, let out a loud laugh, and spurred his horse forward.

Jia Jiajia and Xu Ying also followed.

Chen Yu watched the retreating back figure.

She suddenly began to understand the young man's change of heart. The jianghu was a place where it was hard to die if one didn't want to, while the battlefield was a place where one might not survive even if they wanted to.

There was no superiority or inferiority between the two, but a difference of life and death.

This man named Xu Fengnian might not simply prefer the jianghu with its green robes and swords, and he might not truly detest the battlefields of war and iron horses, right?

Xu Fengnian seemed to have guessed Chen Yu's thoughts, suddenly turned his head, and chuckled, "The battlefield is actually the grandest jianghu, truly. One day, I will have a good fight there. A foe to ten thousand, a foe to ten thousand—where in the jianghu would you find ten thousand people to be your supporting cast?"

Any favorable impression Chen Yu had finally formed instantly vanished.

After Xu Fengnian turned his head, he saw that rider and called out with a smile, "Aunt!"

Then, in the distance behind the armored woman, another rider suddenly appeared with two people on horseback.

Yu Xinlang from Wudi City, holding a little girl in a green robe in his arms.

Xu Fengnian reined his horse beside his aunt Zhao Yutai. After Yu Xinlang rode closer, he chuckled, "If Your Highness doesn't mind, may I travel with you?"

Xu Fengnian frowned, "Lou Huang is not in Northern Liang."

Yu Xinlang gently stroked the little girl's head and calmly said, "It has nothing to do with my junior brother. I just want to see the land beyond the northwestern pass."

Xu Fengnian was silent for a moment, then smiled brightly. "It's good to see it now, while the Northern Mang barbarians haven't fully recovered and the border is relatively peaceful. Later, you might not be able to comfortably witness the desert winds and sands."

Yu Xinlang went straight to the point, "No matter. If there's real warfare and Northern Liang has need of me, I can certainly join the army."

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "Aren't you seeking revenge for your master? Aren't you afraid your fellow disciples will hold a grudge?"

Yu Xinlang said frankly, "Those are two separate matters. Besides, none of us are so petty. And anyway, when did my master, Wang Xianzhi, fall to the point where he needs his disappointing disciples to avenge him?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "That's true. That battle back then..."

Yu Xinlang quickly waved his hand with a bitter face. "What happened in that battle is a matter between you and my master. The outcome, whether victory or defeat, life or death, is also between the two of you... But if Your Highness says anything more, I'm afraid I'll be unable to resist fighting you, even knowing I'll lose. Then I'll be in an embarrassing position: too ashamed to go to Northern Liang, but if I don't go, this girl will quarrel with me."

Xu Fengnian nodded.

Zhao Yutai looked at Xu Fengnian with satisfaction.

To make a proud martial artist like Yu Xinlang "yield" in this manner was not merely due to the title of Prince of Northern Liang, nor even because of his thirty thousand iron cavalry, unrivaled under heaven.

Three riders going uphill, five riders going downhill.

Xu Fengnian suddenly asked Yu Xinlang, "I hear you are even more dedicated to sword practice than Lou Huang?"

Yu Xinlang nodded.

Xu Fengnian hesitated, then asked, "Have you ever considered something? Back then, when dueling with someone, the sword qi soared and the spirit was magnificent, and then the spectators clapped and cheered, 'Good sword, good sword!' Didn't that feel awkward? A bit of a buzzkill?"

Yu Xinlang was completely bewildered. "What's awkward about that? If it's boring, you can just ignore it. Besides, if I'm sparring with someone, it's usually a life-or-death confrontation, so I naturally wouldn't care what others think."

Xu Fengnian pursed his lips and muttered softly, "Practiced swordsmanship till he's foolish, what kind of young hero is that?"

Yu Xinlang asked with a smile, "What do you mean?"

Just as Xu Fengnian was about to speak with a grin, Chen Yu interjected, "Mr. Yu, I advise you not to listen to his explanation."

Yu Xinlang indeed turned his head, adopting a cool demeanor that suggested he was shelving the topic.

Xu Fengnian had no choice but to settle for the next best thing, turning to face his mother's sword attendant. He hadn't expected that his aunt would also smile and shake her head, saying, "I don't want to hear it either."

The young prince, meeting obstacles everywhere, was now a little melancholic.

A bored Xu Fengnian began to hum a little tune he had learned from someone in the bustling streets and alleys years ago.

"Don't say I'm penniless, my wide sleeves embrace the clean breeze. Don't mock me for having nowhere to sleep when tired, heaven and earth are my bed. Don't laugh that I have no fine wine when thirsty, the great river is my wine jug... There's no one as lucky as me in this world, no one as lucky as me..."

The little girl in the green robe listened to the tune and found it quite amusing.

But she looked around. Why was no one else laughing?

In the early winter of Xiangfu Year Two, after the arrogant prince who had caused such a stir in the capital left and arrived in Northern Liang territory, it was reported that Princess Sui Zhu, Zhao Fengya, died of illness.

This seemingly insignificant and unimpactful bad news quickly went unnoticed amidst the continuous stream of great tidings reaching Tai'an City.

Under the personal command of Grand Pillar State Gu Jiantang, the two Liaos' border army—with Prince Jiaodong Zhao Sui, his heir Zhao Yi, and Prince Liao Zhao Xiong, three imperial relatives, jointly assisting Gu Jiantang—used the Duoyan Elite Cavalry and Heishui Iron Cavalry as their main forces, totaling one hundred and sixty thousand cavalry. They marched north into the desert, achieving the first major victory after several failed northern expeditions in the early Yonghui era, beheading eighty thousand Northern Mang barbarians. Wang Sui, the commander who had previously been stationed in Northern Mang's Western Capital, rushed to the front line, which finally halted the signs of a great rout on the eastern front. He extensively delegated authority to two young and strong military generals, Qiu Dongna and Bo, pushing the border forward to the old boundary between the two dynasties. Xu Gong, the Vice Minister of War who was originally only inspecting the frontier on behalf of the emperor, led ten thousand light cavalry a thousand li deep into enemy territory. Jizhou General Yuan Tingshan and Deputy Generals Han Fang and Yang Huchen sent out all their elite troops, coordinating with Gu Jiantang, who was responsible for pinning down the Northern Mang's main forces. They engaged in fierce battles for half a month with the Northern Mang's Great Commanders, Shi Wei and Wang Jingchong, who commanded the two flanks, and Lyang achieved gains in both. If Prince Liao Zhao Xiong had not unilaterally advanced too aggressively seeking glory, and if Zhong Tan, who had been demoted to a commander of ten thousand on the eastern front, had not suffered a crushing defeat, Lyang's Two Liaos cavalry might have seized the opportunity to push straight into Northern Mang's heartland.

After Xichu of Guangling Province achieved fleeting overall victories, the disadvantage of dispersed forces began to show. On the eastern front, Kou Jianghuai struggled alone; although he thwarted several counterattacks by Song Li and Prince Zhao Yi, the western front's defenses were precarious under the reckless assaults of Wu Chongxuan's one hundred thousand Southern Borders army and several central plain forces. Lu Shengxiang, the commander-in-chief of the southern expedition who was supposed to coordinate from the center, also "recklessly advanced" by abandoning his post. However, compared to Prince Liao Zhao Xiong, he was much "luckier," succeeding in a nearly desperate dash directly to the eastern front's rear, decisively ending the seesaw battle there. Simultaneously, Chen Zhibao, the Prince of Shu's, ten thousand Shu soldiers inexplicably appeared north of the eastern front, perfectly positioned near a contingent of Xichu's eastern forces that were reinforcing the western front. This finally broke the undefeated streak of Xichu's young military sage, Xie Xichui. Xichu was forced to retreat along all fronts. Except for Cao Changqing's navy temporarily holding a superior position, all of Xichu's previous gains were effectively returned to Lyang.

During this period, the rumor that Prince of Northern Liang, Xu Fengnian, was about to marry a woman from the Lu family as his official consort for Northern Liang seemed to pass by even more quietly, without a ripple.

Lyang was more concerned with speculating which high-ranking military generals and regional officials would attend the festivities at Qingliang Mountain. The Lyang court, of course, hoped to clearly ascertain who truly constituted the new Prince of Northern Liang's core loyalists.

A more crucial underlying meaning was whether the new generation of Northern Liang elites eligible to enter Qingliang Mountain harbored more animosity towards the Lyang Zhao imperial family, or if those who remained neutral were more numerous.

As for the young prince's journey through Jizhou before entering Hezhou, the successive demonstrations of force by Deputy Generals Han Fang and Yang Huchen became a widely praised topic among the capital's populace. In contrast, the quietness of Prince Han Zhao Xiong, Military Commissioner Han Lin, and Regional Commander Cai Nan inevitably led to some private complaints.

After the Grand General's death, Qingliang Mountain Prince's Residence, which had not even used red-backed spring couplets, finally had a long-awaited festive atmosphere. Although no grand red lanterns were hung, the servants and maids in the residence smiled at everyone they met.

Lu Dongjiang, the head of the Lu family, who had previously grown increasingly distant from Qingliang Mountain, unusually took the initiative to visit the Prince's Residence, where he had a hearty drink with Song Dongming and Bai Yu.

Those Lu family descendants who had been sickly and dispirited in Liangzhou City finally perked up, interacting with others with renewed confidence.

Wang Linquan, who had transformed from Qingzhou's richest man into Northern Liang's god of wealth, had initially personally managed his increasingly busy business in Liuzhou but suddenly began to live a secluded life.

Lu Chengyan was not held back by her Lu family relatives and eventually became the official consort of Northern Liang, rather than Wang Chudong, whose family had made significant contributions to Northern Liang. This was indeed a surprise to the entire Northern Liang region.

Under the cover of night, at the peak of Qingliang Mountain, below White Crane Tower.

Xu Fengnian, Lu Chengyan, and Wang Chudong sat on stone stools. Xu Fengnian was playing "Song of the Spring God" on a leaf. Wang Chudong had placed a book on the stone table and rested her head on it. Lu Chengyan sat beside both of them.

Behind the three of them, Jia Jiajia and Xu Ying were happily soaring up and down around White Crane Tower.

By Listening Tide Lake on the mountainside, Zhao Yutai and Xu Weixiong held hands, sharing intimate conversations between women.

On the platform of Listening Tide Pavilion, Xu Beizhi and Chen Xiliang stood side by side, the two young strategists who were beginning to gain renown throughout the land, without speaking.

As night deepened, people dispersed.

Xu Fengnian walked alone to a simple, now uninhabited, small house.

There, it was as if a delicate, slender girl stood, glaring at him fiercely and saying, "I'm going to learn swordsmanship from Li Chungang and stab you to death with one strike!"

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