Chapter 881: Two People Carrying the Dragon

Xu Fengnian returned to Qingliang Mountain alone. Jiang Ni went to Wudang Mountain, saying she missed the vegetable garden there and wanted to plant something before the spring rain stopped, or it would be too late. Presumably thinking Xu Fengnian would go to Jubei City beyond the Liangzhou Pass, Xu Weixiong had Fushui House send him a "family letter." The message was simple and clear: no matter how urgent the military affairs outside the pass were, Xu Fengnian had to return to Qingliang Mountain first. There was no room for discussion. Xu Fengnian was torn between laughter and tears. He understood his second sister's good intentions; she feared that because he had caused such a stir bringing back the "little mud doll," he would feel guilty and avoid meeting Lu Cheng'an, the officially recognized princess consort of Beiliang, at Wutong Courtyard. In fact, Xu Fengnian had no intention of "avoiding responsibility." Some words, if unspoken, become a knot in the heart; if spoken, they leave a scar. Neither is necessarily better or worse. However, when Xu Fengnian first left Beiliang, he had already decided how to face Lu Cheng'an, not by saying she would remain the princess consort of Beiliang, but with three words. When Xu Fengnian walked out of Wutong Courtyard with her to the lakeside pavilion in Tingchao Lake, after she heard those three words, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she softly scattered some bait into the lake. Then, the young prince who feared neither Wang Xianzhi, nor the Emperor of Liyang, nor the Beimang army—Xu Fengnian, who feared nothing, not even immortals whom he dared to kill—sat beside her, looking a little awkward. Lu Cheng'an said nothing, and he didn't know what to say either. Two young Hukui, oblivious to the atmosphere, eagerly rubbed against him. Xu Fengnian shot them a fierce glare, and the two poor "little ones" immediately scurried out of the pavilion. Unwilling to leave completely, they sprawled on the steps, basking lazily in the sun, waiting for their master to change his mind.

Fortunately, Wangfu steward Song Yu rescued the Beiliang King, stating that Deputy Military Governor Song Dongming had important matters to discuss. Xu Fengnian, relieved, took his leave. Lu Cheng'an rose to see him off, softly saying, "My Lord, please write another couplet later and have someone deliver it to Wudang Mountain. Don't mention 'I'm sorry' anymore; it's truly unnecessary." Xu Fengnian was about to speak but stopped himself, then smiled. Perhaps this was the feeling of being family. He insisted on escorting her back to Wutong Courtyard first, casually asking about his father-in-law, Lu Dongjiang, along the way. Lu Cheng'an seemed to have come to terms with things; her words about the new Liangzhou Governor, with whom she had severed ties, showed neither deliberate distance nor excessive closeness. Xu Fengnian didn't know how to console her, mainly fearing he would overcomplicate matters. It's difficult for even an upright official to settle family disputes because balancing reason and emotion is so tricky. Logically, the Xu family had been very considerate of the Lu family, but the Lu family evidently felt their in-laws hadn't done enough. They never considered their family's struggle to adapt in Beiliang to be their own fault, but rather attributed it to insufficient support from Qingliang Mountain and Lu Cheng'an's failure to influence her husband.

After escorting Lu Cheng'an back to Wutong Courtyard, Xu Fengnian looked at her slender, delicate back. He hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. He then followed Song Yu to Song Dongming's dense cluster of official buildings, which stretched across the mountainside. Song Dongming, unlike his usual casual self, unexpectedly stood at the entrance to greet him personally. After Xu Fengnian and the Deputy Military Governor of Beiliang took their seats in the main hall, Song Dongming, without waiting for the clerks to serve tea, immediately came to the point. It turned out that after Lu Dongjiang was promoted to Liangzhou Governor, he instantly promoted more than ten Lu clan members into the Governor's Mansion. Several of these appointments involved fourth-rank official positions, which by rights should have been approved and confirmed by the Military Governor's Residence to take effect. However, Governor Lu's stance clearly indicated he intended to act first and report later. Truth be told, Song Dongming had previously neither approved nor disapproved of the resignation of the former Liangzhou Governor Tian Peifang and Lu Dongjiang's filling of the vacancy. Any ordinary official would have roughly understood Deputy Military Governor Song's bottom line. Xu Fengnian pondered in silence. Ultimately, the crux of the problem wasn't in the Liangzhou officialdom, which had just gotten a new head, nor even in Lu Cheng'an and Lu Dongjiang themselves, but in Xu Fengnian. His impression of the Lu family since arriving in Liangzhou two years ago hadn't been particularly good. Yet, because he didn't explicitly state his position on many matters, officials throughout Beiliang couldn't grasp their prince's intentions and could only yield and compromise everywhere. Especially with the appointment of Lu clan members to influential positions concerning Jubei City, the Beiliang official circles naturally dared not underestimate the Lu family. This time, Lu Dongjiang's exceptional promotion undoubtedly fueled the Lu family's arrogance. Song Dongming's face remained calm, but deep down, he couldn't help but feel some resentment. He had originally intended to befriend Lu Dongjiang, but he never imagined that this renowned scholar from Qingzhou, famous throughout the Central Plains, would be so aggressive, potentially disrupting the order in Liangzhou. Song Dongming was well aware that Bai Yu had objected to Lu Dongjiang becoming Liangzhou Governor, so Lu Dongjiang's actions were tantamount to a silent slap in Song Dongming's face. Bai Yu was probably watching from the sidelines at this moment. Xu Fengnian sighed and said little more to Song Dongming, only that the three appointments would be temporarily put on hold at the Military Governor's Residence and that he would personally visit the Liangzhou Governor's Mansion. Then Xu Fengnian changed the subject, smiling as he mentioned that Military Governor Li Gongde had also submitted his resignation, retaining only his position as supervisor of Jubei City's construction. Li Gongde had then recommended Song Dongming to be the second Military Governor in the history of Beiliang. Song Dongming did not agree, stating only that Beiliang still needed Li Gongde, a seasoned, steady, and reputable local official, as Military Governor. Otherwise, with the governors of Liang, Ling, You, and Liu Prefectures all being outsiders, his own promotion to Military Governor would add insult to injury and inevitably cause resentment among Beiliang's local scholars. Xu Fengnian did not press the issue, merely asking Song Dongming to reconsider.

After leaving the official hall, Xu Fengnian traveled lightly and simply to the Liangzhou Governor's Residence. Sitting inside the carriage, Xu Fengnian unconsciously stroked the dragon-tail jade pendant hanging from his waist. It was not surprising why Song Dongming would give up the easily attainable Military Governor position. Bai Yu, who arrived in Beiliang later than Song Dongming, now held a low official rank but significant influence in Qingliang Mountain. This "White Lotus Master" did not have a prominent official title, but he had gathered a group of like-minded young talents around him. Bai Yu lacked only a formal position. Once Song Dongming vacated the Deputy Military Governor's seat, Bai Yu would undoubtedly take it. Clearly, in Song Dongming's eyes, the Deputy Military Governor's position was like a critical pass that absolutely could not be yielded to the watchful Bai Yu. Otherwise, the latter, with legitimate authority, would truly rise in Beiliang's officialdom. Song Dongming was determined to remain in the Deputy Military Governor's seat for another two or three years. By then, once the war between Liang and Mang concluded and Beiliang's civil and military officials were rewarded for their merits, Bai Yu, whose official rank was insufficient, would be perpetually a step behind and thus unlikely to become a major threat to him in the future. Xu Fengnian smiled knowingly. He had no intention of exposing Song Dongming's private calculations; in fact, it was a good thing. It meant that Song Dongming was showing signs of rooting himself in Beiliang. As for whether Bai Yu would be treated unfairly, Xu Fengnian didn't concern himself with it. Besides, if Song Dongming could genuinely provoke Bai Yu's competitive spirit, it would be a tremendous boon for Beiliang.

When Xu Fengnian appeared outside the gates of the Governor's official residence, the clerks were terrified, scrambling to open the central gate to welcome the Beiliang King. Xu Fengnian quickly walked in and soon saw twenty to thirty officials of varying ranks from the Governor's Mansion surrounding Lu Dongjiang, who was wearing a purple robe. Xu Fengnian simply smiled at the sight. By law, a Liyang Governor was a third-rank official, and their official patch should be embroidered with a peacock. However, the Liangzhou Governor of Beiliang had historically been half a rank higher than those of Youzhou and Lingzhou, meaning they were a second-rank official. This had been reported and filed with the Ministry of Personnel in the Liyang court long ago, leaving no room for fault. Yet, no previous Liangzhou Governor in Beiliang had ever dared to openly wear the official attire embroidered with a second-rank golden pheasant. The rule in Liyang officialdom was that purple was for first and second ranks, scarlet for third and fourth, and green/blue for all others. Thus, there was an unbridgeable chasm between purple and scarlet official robes. In Tai'an City, taking the Department of State Affairs as an example, the Ministers of the Six Boards were all second-rank, truly purple-robed dignitaries. However, most Vice Ministers (left and right) in the Six Boards were third-rank and still forbidden from wearing purple. During the Yonghui era, only the left vice ministers of the Ministries of Personnel and War were elevated to second-rank. After the Xiangfu era, not only were the right vice ministers of these two ministries also promoted to second-rank, but even the left vice minister of the Ministry of Rites was elevated to second-rank this year, becoming a fixed rule in Liyang. Lu Dongjiang could be considered the first Governor in Beiliang to wear a purple official robe, making him one of the very few high-ranking Governors within the Liyang realm. If Xu Fengnian remembered correctly, currently, only the heads of Liangzhou in Beiliang, Qingzhou in Jing'an Province, Tangzhou in the Southern Borders, and Yuezhou on the southern edge of the Capital Region were second-rank officials. Therefore, it was reasonable to say that Lu Dongjiang was the third-most important civilian official in Beiliang, after the Military Governor and Deputy Military Governor.

A sudden meeting, filled with pleasantries and jovial conversation, left everyone feeling relieved—both the old faces at the Liangzhou Governor's residence and the dozen or so new officials surnamed Lu—after seeing the young prince, who maintained a gentle smile throughout. If Tai'an City was under the feet of the Zhao Emperor, then Liangzhou was undeniably the Xu family's doorstep. The position of Liangzhou Governor had been vacant for many years, with the Liangzhou Deputy Governor effectively serving as the Governor. The Liangzhou General had always been concurrently held by the Beiliang Protector. After Tian Peifang was promoted from Youzhou Governor to Liangzhou Governor, nothing changed; he advocated for laissez-faire governance. Lu Dongjiang, however, completely reversed this, immediately promoting over ten Lu clan members. Coupled with the appointment of Shi Fu, who had been dormant for many years, as Liangzhou General, this created considerable stir. With the two top military and political leaders of Liangzhou stirring up trouble, how could the well-informed Liangzhou officials remain unconcerned? Fortunately, after the Prince's discussion today, he showed approval for both the new and old groups of officials at the Governor's mansion. He named and commended seven or eight individuals, expressing high hopes for the new and appreciation for the old. For both sides, who were at loggerheads, he offered only praise and no criticism, showing no favoritism. This made the veteran officials of the Governor's Mansion especially grateful, even to the point of tears. They had genuinely feared that after Lu Dongjiang took charge, merely bringing in a dozen Lu family members wouldn't be enough; he would insist on forcing them all to the sidelines. If even the Prince had tacitly approved of this, then not even a deity could save their careers.

For some unknown reason, after seeing the Prince in person today, the older generation of officials in the Governor's mansion—who harbored anger towards the Lu family and thus considerable resentment towards Qingliang Mountain—found their accumulated grievances instantly vanish. Perhaps it was the sight of the young prince, conversing and laughing amiably from his chair, that involuntarily inspired such awe.

Xu Fengnian finally had a private chat with his father-in-law, Lu Dongjiang. Outsiders didn't know what the young prince said, but they only saw the Governor's face, already beaming, grow even more radiant. Afterwards, Lu Dongjiang voluntarily withdrew several irregular appointments. He also kindly comforted those clan members, promising them great wealth within three years. Moreover, for the first time ever, Lu Dongjiang solemnly admonished everyone to be more restrained during this period and never to disgrace the Lu clan's name. Besides reassuring his family, three Lu clan members were also removed from the family genealogy overnight. From that moment, Lu Dongjiang truly began to exude the demeanor of a Lu clan patriarch.

As Bai Yu stumbled out of a secluded mansion, visibly drunk, he suddenly saw a carriage curtain lift. He paused, then strode over, got into the carriage, and faced the young man with perfect composure.

Xu Fengnian, who had come to pick him up from the Deputy Military Governor's residence of Beiliang, teased, "Master White Lotus, aren't you afraid of incurring public wrath?"

Bai Yu, accustomed to squinting due to his eyesight, laughed and said, "A hot stove cannot be stoked. Is His Highness not allowing me to stoke a cold one?"

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile and changed the subject. "Li Gongde said he wants to resign as Military Governor, and Hu Kui, the Youzhou Governor, also wants to join the frontier army. Do you have any thoughts, Master White Lotus? If so, please speak freely."

Bai Yu, without hesitation, stated directly, "Your Highness, first tell me your thoughts, and of course, Deputy Military Governor Song's thoughts too."

Xu Fengnian also spoke frankly, "My original intention was for Lord Song to naturally ascend to Military Governor, and for you to fill the Deputy Military Governor position. However, Lord Song advised that the current situation in Beiliang already has too many 'out-of-town governors,' and there shouldn't be another 'out-of-town Military Governor.'"

Bai Yu leaned lazily against the carriage wall and scoffed, "Oh? That's simple then. After Military Governor Li resigns, Lord Song becomes the full Military Governor, let the new Liangzhou Governor Lu Dongjiang serve as Deputy Military Governor, and then let Song Yan, the Lingzhou Deputy Governor and a Beiliang native, become Youzhou Governor. As for the Liangzhou Governor..." At this point, Bai Yu extended a finger and pointed to himself. "Who else but me?"

Xu Fengnian remained silent. Bai Yu chuckled, "Such an arrangement in Beiliang would make things difficult for Lord Song. But if I asked for a slightly smaller official hat and went to Youzhou to serve as Governor, no longer serving under Lord Song's nose, that would truly make things difficult for Your Highness."

Bai Yu's smile faded. "Actually, the most suitable candidate for Liangzhou Governor isn't me, Bai Yu, but the former Lingzhou Governor, Xu Beizhi. Your Highness, rest assured, no matter what, whether Deputy Military Governor or Governor, I will not take either position."

Xu Fengnian wondered, "Then how will you position yourself, Master?"

Bai Yu lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and hooked it, allowing a refreshing breeze to enter the compartment. He sighed, "The key is not what I think, but how much courage Your Highness possesses."

Xu Fengnian grew more puzzled. "What do you mean by that, Master?"

Bai Yu said gravely, "Beiliang being a narrow territory is an old almanac. Now, with the vast Western Regions, including the fourth prefecture, Liuzhou, and adding a fifth prefecture beyond the Liangzhou Pass, with Jubei City as its fulcrum—that would be enough to accomplish something great."

Xu Fengnian's heart trembled, but he calmly said, "Beiliang occupying five prefectures—the imperial court will not agree to that."

Bai Yu smiled, "Things have come to this point; does it still require the imperial court's consent? I accidentally saw some hastily altered frontier army deployments. Youzhou, originally destined to merely observe the second Liang-Mang war, has surprisingly regained its prominence. Why? May I ask, of the Cai Nan and Han Lin from Lianghuai, Wang Sui from Beimang, and Gu Jiantang from Liangliao, how many have you met this time, Your Highness, when leading your army across the border to deal with these three factions? With how many have you reached an agreement? And how many have you reached an agreement with from the Northern and Southern courts of Beimang?"

A series of questions made Xu Fengnian's expression shift slightly.

Bai Yu didn't expect an answer, as if talking to himself. "If a certain someone becomes emperor, it doesn't matter where I, Bai Yu, serve as an official; it will all be fine."

Xu Fengnian answered irrelevantly, "Our scholars in Beiliang demand official positions with such righteousness. I am very pleased."

Bai Yu slightly widened his eyes, looking at the still blurry face, and smiled. "If Your Highness can allow all scholars in the world to avoid groveling, I would also be very pleased."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "My only fear is that the people of the world will be unhappy."

Bai Yu sneered, "Only one family, one surname will be unhappy."

Xu Fengnian was stunned.

Bai Yu said, "Perhaps Your Highness wonders why I, Bai Yu, would change my original intention. It's quite simple. I recently realized something: if a certain person becomes emperor, perhaps they will reign for only thirty or forty years, at most fifty or sixty, but that might be enough to bring two hundred years of peace to the world, two hundred years of favorable weather. That would be quite remarkable."

Xu Fengnian looked at the elegant scholar in white.

Just as Xu Xiao had seen Zhao Changling back then.

Both, in succession, wished to support the dragon.