Chapter 849: New Year's Eve Vigil

The New Year season, for those in debt, is like a difficult hurdle to overcome. This year's New Year's Eve was particularly arduous for Xu Fengnian because Xu Weixiong had decreed that he must personally write all 365 couplets for Qingliang Mountain, with no two alike. This total did not even include the characters "Spring" and "Fortune." To achieve this, Xu Fengnian had to seek help from Song Dongming, Bai Yu, and even Wang Chudong, obtaining over three hundred couplet texts. He compiled them into a booklet, placed it on his desk, and simply copied them. Given that less than three years had passed since Xu Xiao's death, white-backed couplets should typically have been used. However, Xu Weixiong insisted on red-backed ones this year. Although Xu Fengnian was reluctant, even his aunt Zhao Yutai supported his second sister's decision. Xu Fengnian might be able to fight Cao Changqing and Deng Ta'a two-on-one, but he was completely outmatched by the combined will of these two women, and could only resignedly comply.

So, early in the morning, Xu Fengnian began writing furiously on the second floor of Wutong Courtyard. Lu Chengyan ground the ink, and Wang Chudong helped cut the Xuan paper. Of Xu Fengnian's three disciples, Lu Yunzhang couldn't last even a stick of incense in the study before running off to spar with Yu Xinlang. The eldest disciple, Wang Sheng, who had returned alone from Beimang, had a more composed temperament and helped his junior mistress, Wang Chudong. Only the little rascal Yu Dilong was nowhere to be seen. Everyone in the room knew why. Currently, almost all military officers in Beiliang's officialdom, especially in Youzhou's border regions, were aware of the young Prince's "leaning against the wall as he walked" anecdote. It was unclear whether it was Yan Wenluan or Chen Yunshui who blurted out the nickname "Xu the Second" for the Prince of Beiliang, implying that there was indeed someone who could defeat the young Prince. As for who it was or on what battlefield Xu Fengnian was defeated, the gloating old generals couldn't care less. So, Yu Dilong, completely oblivious to the trouble he had caused, was summoned by his smiling-but-not-smiling master to a secluded spot on the back mountain immediately after returning to Qingliang Mountain from Youzhou Pass. The master and disciple did not return together. Only the young Prince appeared somewhat refreshed, while the child surfaced much later, bruised and swollen-faced, full of grievance. He sat sulking for half the day in the lakeside pavilion of the Tide-Listening Pavilion, ignoring calls to eat. Finally, it was Lu Chengyan, the senior mistress, who personally intervened, taking the child's hand to ensure he ate a full meal. While devouring his food, the child nervously complained to her, saying his master had inexplicably beaten him and now wanted him to practice silent meditation. Yu Dilong asked his mistress what he had done wrong. Lu Chengyan looked at the resentful child, and her own minor grievances vanished. She supported the child, telling him not to mind his master and to come to her if his master ever took his anger out on him again. Yu Dilong, whose face was beaten to a pulp, grinned widely and agreed, then continued to eat. The child thought his senior mistress was incredibly kind, and his master even luckier.

Xu Fengnian wrote for almost three hours. After finishing, he still had to carry stools and ladders to post the couplets. Fortunately, Xu Weixiong didn't torment him further on this matter. Aside from the dozen or so places where Xu Xiao traditionally posted couplets himself—like the old residence, the Prince's Mansion main gate, Wutong Courtyard, and the Tide-Listening Pavilion—the rest were left to the mansion's stewards and servants. Xu Fengnian asked Wang Sheng to call Lu Yunzhang and Yu Dilong, instructing the youngsters to help set up ladders and stools, and to ensure the couplets weren't crooked. Each time they posted an inverted "Fortune" character, he would have his three disciples shout, "Fortune has arrived!" Wang Sheng was more reserved when shouting, but her expression showed her sincerity. Lu Yunzhang was the most perfunctory, and Yu Dilong had the loudest voice. According to old custom, the main gate's couplets were posted last. Afterwards, Xu Fengnian held a large bowl of rice paste, glanced at the sky, and looked down the street, expecting Huang Man'er, Yang Guangdou, Chen Xiliang, and the others to be returning soon.

The three disciples' efforts weren't in vain; each received an extra couplet. Xu Fengnian didn't ask what they would do with them, but he could roughly guess. Yu Dilong would surely send his to the tall scout who died outside the pass, arranging for someone to deliver it to his family. As for the thoughtless Lu Yunzhang, he would probably use his to flatter some general or captain in the Great Snow Dragon Riders. Wang Sheng, who was growing increasingly slender like an ordinary girl, might simply keep hers as a keepsake with no other purpose. Xu Fengnian suddenly asked with a smile, "How are Master's characters?"

Lu Yunzhang immediately grinned mischievously and replied, "Iron strokes and silver hooks, dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, deeply ingrained, a myriad of wonders..."

Xu Fengnian accepted the praise calmly, and when the young man could no longer come up with new flattery, he said with a smile, "You can speak plainly now."

The young man immediately whispered, "Master, could you write one more for me?"

Xu Fengnian said playfully, "Entering a temple to burn incense and pay respects to Buddha is a good thing. But if you visit every temple and bow to every Buddha, it begins to seem insincere. In officialdom, it's better to have one person willing to give you their full effort than two people giving you three or four parts of theirs."

The young man pondered deeply, then nodded vigorously.

Xu Fengnian turned to look at Yu Dilong, who flinched in fear and said with a pained expression, "Master, what is it now? I haven't spoken to anyone except the senior mistress!"

Xu Fengnian snorted, handed the porcelain bowl in his hand to the child, and said for no apparent reason, "Consider yourself lucky, kid."

Yu Dilong felt aggrieved but dared not speak.

Xu Fengnian looked into the distance: Lü Zu, Gao Shulu, Liu Songtao, Li Chungang, Wang Xianzhi, then himself, Xu Fengnian, and perhaps in the future, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, and then Yu Dilong's turn.

Just as Xu Fengnian was poised to become truly invincible, Xie Guanying, a figure on the Land Immortal Registry, emerged to meet the demands of the era, illustrating the principle that every force has its counterforce, adhering to the ancient heavenly laws. If Xie Guanying proved incapable, Hong Xixiang would have acted on behalf of heaven, though the latter simply chose not to interfere. By the time young people like Yu Dilong, Wang Sheng, and Lu Yunzhang burst onto the scene, presumably there would be no more so-called "heavenly beings." Humans would fight among humans, relying on their own abilities, not past lives, achieving great things, succeeding or failing, living or dying. However, for now, heavenly beings and mortals are not truly separated, and there is still a "will of heaven" at play. Xu Fengnian intuitively felt that those who could challenge Yu Dilong in the future not only existed but were very likely to emerge from the East Sea. As for their identity, Xu Fengnian wasn't interested. Wang Sheng and Lu Yunzhang, by Yu Dilong's side, would predictably only be like Wang Xiu and Fengdu Green Robe from Li Chungang's era of sole dominance, or Deng Ta'a and Cao Changqing from Wang Xianzhi's era. Yet, Xu Fengnian still hoped that Yu Dilong, especially on the day he himself was no longer alive, would not become an unbridled wild horse in the world, but rather someone with attachments. A "Wang Xianzhi" or "Xu Fengnian" completely unrestrained by destiny or suppression, if lacking reverence and only knowing rampant disregard, would undoubtedly be a disaster.

When Miss Hehe returned this time, she relayed several inexplicable sayings. They were both the drunken ramblings of Huang Sanjia and, arguably, the last words of Huang Longshi. They sounded like utter nonsense. The deceased old man said that the world in the future would be very interesting: ordinary people would be able to "fly with swords," traveling to the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening, traversing the Four Seas in a single day, even plucking stars from the sky and retrieving the moon from the sea. He also said that everyone in the future would be a scholar, reading more books in a year than the current Confucian Sage read in a lifetime. But sadly, future scholars wouldn't be true scholars; they would merely be "book-flippers." The books they read wouldn't be the sages' texts, nor would they be inspired to emulate the virtuous. The so-called empathy would be twisted. Many people, unwilling to be heroes themselves, would believe there were no heroes in the world, viewing others' sacrifices of life and limb as foolishness, and instantly forgetting the noble deaths of their predecessors... That seemingly interesting future world would, in fact, have lost many things that the ancient sages had so desperately hoped future generations would inherit. That is why Huang Longshi was willing to die in the present, to die in this world, to become a handful of yellow earth here.

In the martial arts world, Lü Zu refused to pass through the Heavenly Gate, Li Chungang declined ascension, and Wang Xianzhi was willing to lose to Xu Fengnian... In the imperial court, Zhang Julu left no retreat, Qi Yanglong resolutely emerged, and Tan Tanweng "clung to his post"...

Perhaps it was because they were all like Huang Longshi.

Finding life in death.

Xu Fengnian sighed softly, reached out and ruffled his eldest disciple's head, and said with a gentle smile, "Since you have the Joyful Sword, you should live joyfully and freely, not like... some people."

The young girl had grown up after all, and her master's affectionate gesture made her blush slightly.

Lu Yunzhang suddenly shrieked, "Master, Wang Sheng actually likes you, it's true, even a blind man could see it!"

The young girl, who was temporarily not carrying those six or seven swords, suddenly radiated killing intent. Having traveled thousands of miles into Beimang with White Fox Face, her swordsmanship had advanced by leaps and bounds, making her the most skilled among the three disciples at present. However, her inner thoughts were clearly revealed: if she fought with Lu Yunzhang, wouldn't that confirm his claim? Yet, ignoring him completely also felt like something she couldn't tolerate. Fortunately, at that moment, the sound of hoofbeats on the street came to her rescue. It was her master's younger brother, Xu Longxiang, the commander of the Dragon Elephant Army, returning to the provincial capital from Liangzhou. As Xu Fengnian descended the steps, he casually added, "Dilong, spar a bit with your junior brother. However Master beat you yesterday, you beat him the same way. Just make sure you don't miss dinner."

Yu Dilong was stunned for a moment.

The quickest-witted Lu Yunzhang had already run into the Prince's Mansion, shouting, "Fighting is fine, but let me get my weapon first!"

Yu Dilong quickly handed the porcelain bowl to a blushing Wang Sheng and went to intercept Lu Yunzhang. Wang Sheng, lowering her head, returned the bowl to Xu Fengnian and whispered, "Master, I'll go too."

Xu Fengnian, holding the bowl, said helplessly, "At least take the stools and ladders back, you three."

When Huang Man'er saw Xu Fengnian, he seemed somewhat timid. Xu Fengnian handed the bowl to Chen Xiliang, then chuckled and grabbed Huang Man'er's shoulder. The next moment, Xu Longxiang's body slid across the snow on one side of the street, sending countless snowflakes swirling.

Recalling those years, among the four Xu siblings, whenever there was heavy snow, Xu Fengnian loved to throw the slender Huang Man'er into the deep snow, never tiring of it. He would even hold Huang Man'er's feet and plunge him headfirst into the courtyard, making head-sized holes in the ground to form large characters of "Xu." Once finished, Xu Fengnian would stand with hands on hips, brimming with pride, while Huang Man'er sat in the snow, grinning foolishly. His eldest sister, Xu Zhihu, watching from under the eaves, would surely applaud or laugh heartily, while the precocious Xu Weixiong would purse her lips and feign disdain. Since Xu Weixiong wasn't keen on joining their snow fights and general mischief, Xu Fengnian and his eldest sister would make Huang Man'er stand still against a wall as a target. They would compete to see who could throw snowballs more accurately. Whenever Xu Fengnian precisely hit Huang Man'er's head with a snowball, the happiest one wasn't Xu Fengnian, but rather Huang Man'er himself. At such times, Xu Weixiong would roll her eyes.

Chen Xiliang was dumbfounded, but Yang Guangdou, the Prefect of Liangzhou who had spent over a decade in Qingliang Mountain, remained composed, having long grown accustomed to such sights.

Soon, Xu Longxiang ran up to Xu Fengnian, and without a word, squatted down and hoisted his brother onto his back. It looked as if he intended to run from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit before stopping.

Eating dumplings for the New Year was a rule set by Xu Xiao. When Wu Su was alive, she and her two daughters made dumplings together. After Wu Su's death, especially after the eldest daughter married far into Jiangnan and the youngest went far away to study, Xu Xiao handled everything himself.

This year's dumplings were made by these four women: Zhao Yutai, Xu Weixiong, Lu Chengyan, and Wang Chudong.

This year's New Year's Eve dinner also followed Xu Xiao's rule: the women would not leave the table. So, in addition to Xu Fengnian and Xu Longxiang, his three disciples including Wang Sheng, and close associates like Xu Beizhi, Song Dongming, and Bai Yu, as well as guests from afar like Chen Xiliang and Yang Guangdou, filled the large table. It was a rare and lively scene.

After dinner, it was time for keeping vigil on New Year's Eve.

Xu Fengnian walked alone to the entrance of the Prince's Mansion's great hall. In the center, where the master usually sat, two chairs were placed. One of the most criticized aspects of Qingliang Mountain Prince's Mansion, or rather, of Xu Fengnian himself, was that as a young prince, he would casually sit in Xu Xiao's seat during discussions with important Beiliang figures. Xu Xiao would then only be able to smilingly sit in a chair nearby, never finding anything amiss. Xu Fengnian stood at the hall's entrance, gazing at the dozens of old chairs lined up on either side, and then at those two central chairs, lost in thought. Soon after, Song Yu, the old steward of the mansion, brought in a large brazier. A small pair of tongs for stirring coals hung from a crack in its wooden frame. Xu Fengnian took the brazier, placed it at the foot of the two central chairs, and knelt down, skillfully stoking the faintly glowing charcoal. Keeping vigil was a man's task. Even though Xu Xiao was famously henpecked, this matter was non-negotiable. Of course, the old Princess Wu Su never competed with Xu Xiao on such matters; having married into the old Xu family, Wu Su was a Xu family daughter-in-law and never questioned the old Xu family's traditions. As Xu Fengnian knelt before the brazier, Xu Longxiang entered the hall carrying two large bags of charcoal. Keeping vigil meant staying up until dawn, so adding charcoal and stoking the fire was essential. The two brothers squatted together. Xu Fengnian said softly, "In the past, I would easily get sleepy during vigil. Xu Xiao, who never had the good sense not to boast about past glories, liked to ramble on, and I never made it past midnight. You'd leave with me too, so Xu Xiao was always here alone. Now that I think about it, Xu Xiao was quite pitiful, all by himself. Don't you think so, Huang Man'er?"

Xu Longxiang nodded.

Xu Fengnian then asked, "What do you think Xu Xiao would be thinking, sitting here every year at this time?"

Xu Longxiang shook his head.

Xu Fengnian hesitated, then murmured to himself, "When Cao Changqing was in Taian City, he told me I could go to Western Chu after the New Year to bring someone back. But I don't know how to even bring it up. Second Sister might not agree, and regardless of whether your two sisters-in-law agree, they will certainly have reservations. Not to mention generals like Yan Wenluan and Gu Dazu. Indeed, how can matters of state be treated as child's play? So many in Beiliang died fighting outside the pass; they died for Beiliang. But if it means accompanying me, Xu Fengnian, to stir up trouble in Guangling Road, defying the world's disapproval, what would that even mean? Even if I were stubborn and used my authority as the Prince of Beiliang to pressure them, I'm afraid Beiliang would already be disunited before the next war with Mang even began."

Xu Longxiang fell into contemplation, no longer foolishly and happily standing by his brother's side no matter the gravity of the situation, as he did when he was little.

In earlier years, for his brother, Huang Man'er even dared to defy Xu Xiao. Like the "peace and prosperity" celebration on Qingliang Mountain's summit after the old emperor's death, when Xu Xiao, for the first time, became utterly furious, Huang Man'er stood unmoving between his father and brother.

Xu Fengnian set down the tongs, drew back his hands and feet, and squatted before the brazier, gazing blankly at the charcoal.

Even Xu Fengnian was unaware that, under the night sky, groups of people would spontaneously and successively enter the provincial capital's gate.

Youzhou had Yan Wenluan, the commander of Beiliang's infantry, Deputy Commander Chen Yunshui, Prefect Hu Kui, General Huangfu Ping, Commander of the Ghost Cavalry Yu Luandao, and many others—a large group.

Lingzhou had the Strategy Commissioner Li Gongde and his son Li Hanlin, the newly appointed Prefect, Lingzhou General Han Laozhuo, Deputy Generals Wang Zhi and Huang Xiaokuai, and many others—again, a large group.

Liangzhou, besides Chen Xiliang and Yang Guangdou who were already at the mansion, had Dragon Elephant Army Deputy General Li Mofan, Liangzhou General Kou Jianghuai, and still a large group of others.

In Liangzhou, both inside and outside the pass, led by Beiliang Protector-General Chu Lushan and Cavalry Commander Yuan Zuozong, there were even more—a truly massive group.

On this New Year's Eve, civil and military officials from the Beiliang territory, for reasons unknown, successively arrived outside the Qingliang Mountain Prince's Mansion.

Xu Yanbing stood outside the main hall's entrance, his expression unusually grim.

Xu Fengnian slowly stood up, a wry smile on his face.

The lineup outside the gate at the foot of the mountain was tantamount to a forced remonstrance.

Since he was kept in the dark, it meant that no one, including his second sister and Chu Lushan, approved of his idea.

Xu Fengnian stood near the chair and turned to look at the main entrance.

Chu Lushan was the first to appear at the entrance, but he did not rush to step over the threshold.

Xu Fengnian collected his thoughts and said softly, his voice hoarse, "Come in, all of you."

Chu Lushan, Li Gongde, Yan Wenluan, Yuan Zuozong, Chen Yunshui, Gu Dazu...

Li Mofan, Yu Luandao, Kou Jianghuai, Cao Xiaojiao...

Song Dongming, Bai Yu, Huang Shang...

Xu Beizhi, Chen Xiliang...

Since too many people had entered the great hall, over a dozen additional chairs had to be brought in temporarily.

Xu Fengnian waited until everyone had a chair behind them before he sat in the chair Xu Xiao used to occupy in previous years.

Xu Fengnian gestured downwards with his hand.

Everyone sat down.

Xu Longxiang also chose a chair and sat to one side.

A powerful aura, no less than that of the top martial arts grandmasters like Cao Changqing, Deng Ta'a, and Tuoba Pusa, collectively manifested before the young Prince.

Xu Fengnian was not angered, only a little weary.

Chu Lushan, sitting next to Xu Longxiang, Yuan Zuozong, and Qi Dangguo, kept his head lowered, seemingly unwilling to look Xu Fengnian directly in the eye.

The reason for tonight's situation was largely due to him and Xu Weixiong; otherwise, who would dare to act in such a way?

Xu Fengnian sat upright, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Just as Xu Xiao had done in his time.