Chapter 907: Full of Knives

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By Fenghuoxi Zhuhou

Outside Beiliang Pass, the sound of horse hooves echoed, ceaseless like the cries of old fledglings, and had resounded for twenty years.

Inside the pass, sounds of reading could be heard, like young phoenixes singing clearer than old ones.

These sounds of reading came from newly established academies.

Within Liangzhou City, the White Horse Academy was newly founded. Unlike the previously established Green Deer Cave Academy, which was located in scenic mountain forests, this academy was built in the bustling downtown area of Liangzhou City. Yao Baifeng, a grandmaster of Neo-Confucianism who had recently retired from the capital and returned home, was appointed as its head. Not only did the Prince's Mansion of Qingliang Mountain bestow six thousand scrolls upon it, but Prince Xu Fengnian of Beiliang personally gifted a plaque. Li Gongde, the Beiliang Circuit Commissioner, Lu Dongjiang, the new Governor of Liangzhou, and Huang Yan, the Governor of Youzhou, all made private book donations. For a time, Beiliang's high-ranking officials, dignitaries, and powerful clans and gentry eagerly followed suit, all priding themselves on donating rare editions to the White Horse Academy.

This allowed the White Horse Academy to accomplish an unprecedented feat: on the very day of its establishment, its library already boasted ten thousand volumes, thus the library was named "Myriad Scrolls." Concurrently, Yao Baifeng pioneered the addition of a Hall of Sages within the academy, housing statues of the Confucian Zhang Family Sage, the Ten Philosophers, and the Thirty-Six Worthies. Yao Baifeng also erected a stele and penned an essay clarifying the academy's founding principles, emphasizing that scholars admitted to the White Horse Academy should prioritize spreading the Dao and pursuing benevolence. Therefore, it did not teach the "prescribed arts" for imperial examinations, which general government academies considered fundamental to a successful career—a clear departure from the pursuit of official position and wealth through examinations. In addition to Yao Baifeng serving as the head, Bai Yu, the renowned "White Lotus Master" from Longhu Mountain in Jiangnan, and Xu Beizhi, the former Governor of Lingzhou, both assumed roles as deputy heads. Huang Shang, the master of Green Deer Cave Academy, and other prominent Confucian scholars from the Central Plains who had settled in Beiliang, also pledged to regularly visit the White Horse Academy to lecture. It was even rumored that Wang Jijiu, who had led thousands of scholars to Beiliang years ago, had promised to contact Shangyin Academy, ensuring that a "Jishang Master" would be recommended from Shangyin Academy—reputed as the "source of the world's scholarly seeds"—to teach in Beiliang for a one-year term, with a different master each year.

Consequently, the White Horse Academy, originally intended to admit only eighty students, found its threshold swamped and had no choice but to exceptionally recruit over two hundred young scholars, with roughly equal numbers of local Beiliang and out-of-town students. Lu Dongjiang, the Liangzhou governor, who was already a renowned intellectual and an upright official, was particularly enthusiastic. He made supporting the White Horse Academy his top priority upon taking office, opening all doors for academy affairs, acting as if he wished to turn the academy's lecture hall into his gubernatorial mansion. He would visit the White Horse Academy every few days and even allocated six hundred *mu* of fertile land from the Lu family's holdings, bestowing it upon the academy in the official name of Liangzhou. This immediately earned him respect from Beiliang's officialdom, which had previously held considerable grievances against the Lu clan. Even Song Dongming, the deputy commissioner who had become estranged from the Lu family, privately hosted a banquet again for this "Lu Boke," who was once renowned for his calligraphy that reached the emperor's ears.

In early autumn, a carriage slowly made its way through the bustling streets of Liangzhou City. The carriage was unremarkable, with no accompanying guards. The coachman, a middle-aged man, didn't quite look like a typical coachman. A corner of the curtain was consistently lifted, and the person inside quietly observed the street scenes, as if merely sightseeing.

Some shops had changed their signboards, some stalls had disappeared, some taverns still sold the "Green Ant Wine," and some inns had been passed down from father to son.

As the carriage passed a newly opened, auspicious shop, it slowly came to a halt. The coachman quietly awaited his master's instructions, not daring to speak on his own initiative to remind him that everyone at the academy was patiently awaiting his arrival.

The young man, holding up a corner of the curtain, gazed at the storefront. He remembered that whenever he returned from a journey, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, he would buy a large oil-paper parcel of braised beef from that very shop. It was also there that he met Miss Hehe. At the time, he never imagined that the shop's former owner was Huang Sanjia.

Back then, Miss Hehe's peculiar big cat was still alive.

He also remembered that it was in this vicinity that he reunited with Miss Dongxi after a long separation and first met the young monk from the North-South, who was intent on becoming a Buddha and forming relics. There was also a monk from Lan Tuo Mountain who insisted he go to the Western Regions and "dual-cultivate" with the White-Clad Bodhisattva, who would later be recognized as a peerless beauty at the gates of Xiangfan City. At that time, he felt it was a case of "an old cow eating young grass"—she was too shameless, and he would be at too much of a disadvantage, so he didn't agree. For a period afterward, he almost regretted it to the point of tearing out his guts and pounding his chest, but now, recalling the incident, he merely smiles it off. The female Bodhisattva, who for some reason grew a full head of black hair, and "her" whom he first met by the water's edge during his wanderings in the *jianghu*, mistaking her for an exiled immortal—these captivating women, when the opportunity for intimacy truly arose, no longer stirred romantic feelings in him. He still found them beautiful when he saw them, but felt no need to possess them, nor did he miss them when they were out of sight.

He lowered the curtain and said softly, "Steward Song, to White Horse Academy."

Steward Song was Song Yu, the head steward of the Prince's Mansion of Qingliang Mountain in Beiliang. In the Beiliang Circuit, he was truly one of a kind, with no equal.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of White Horse Academy. As Xu Fengnian stepped down, he suddenly asked, "Have there been fewer assassins breaking into Qingliang Mountain these past few years?"

Song Yu stood respectfully beside the young Prince, bowing slightly. He said calmly, "Your Highness, perhaps those incredibly foolish *jianghu* ruffians have finally come to their senses. This year, Qingliang Mountain has not had a single assassination attempt. It's so peaceful that many in the mansion are quite unaccustomed to it."

Xu Fengnian smiled. "Indeed, it's taken away much of the fun of 'fishing.' By the way, it seems there are also far fewer gallivanting *youxia* (roaming knights) making a public appearance?"

Song Yu chuckled softly. "It's rather difficult for *jianghu* masters nowadays to show off their skills in Your Highness's presence."

There was no elaborate welcoming ceremony from White Horse Academy. Xu Fengnian stood by the street, looking up at the academy's plaque, and remarked with emotion, "I never thought our Liangzhou would also see the day an academy opens its doors."

Song Yu said, "It's all Your Highness's achievement. Not everyone in the world is blind or has their heart obscured by lard; justice resides in people's hearts."

Xu Fengnian nodded seriously. "Song Yu, your flattery skills haven't diminished one bit over the years. When others compliment me to my face, it never feels as genuine as your 'return to simplicity.'"

Song Yu, who had personally followed Xu Fengnian for as many years as the latter had been the Young Prince, smiled brightly, seemingly recalling the absurd times in his early years, when he accompanied the Young Prince, intimidating men and dominating women.

Song Yu's flattery skills hadn't diminished, and his self-cultivation over recent years had only grown. Furthermore, being well-acquainted with the young Prince's temperament, he felt no dissatisfaction with the White Horse Academy's lack of a grand reception, naturally refraining from any tedious acts of demanding explanations. Besides, he knew better than anyone that the commander of Beiliang's cavalry, standing beside him, had been extremely generous to scholars in recent years; otherwise, this White Horse Academy, which burst into prominence after a long silence, could not have been established. There were not many, but also not few, wealthy and powerful princes in the Liyang Dynasty, such as the audacious Prince Zhao Bing of Yanfu, or the once flourishing Prince Zhao Yi of Guangling—but who among them could gather such learned scholars within their jurisdiction to teach and propagate knowledge? Even Jing'an Dao, which had the Green Faction in the imperial court and was located in the heartland of the Central Plains, close to Shangyin Academy, hadn't been able to establish a respectable academy, had it?

Song Yu subtly glanced at the surroundings near the carriage. In fact, besides their own, there were four or five other carriages, none of which displayed the opulence of the powerful and wealthy. Song Yu knew that today, in addition to the Prince's esteemed presence, six or seven generals were also simultaneously visiting the academy. This was no coincidence; it was because, at the suggestion of Deputy Head Xu Beizhi, White Horse Academy regularly invited military commanders to recount battlefield stories to the scholars. Not only was this unheard of in other academies, but it was probably an unprecedented oddity even at Shangyin Academy, the revered ancestor of all academies. How could a mere brute, in the eyes of scholars, possibly impart wisdom to them? Although these carriages were unassuming in appearance, the horses were all well-built, valuable steeds. To be precise, in the Beiliang border army, they would be classified as Class A or B, as they originated from Beiliang's Xianli and Tianjing pastures. They had simply entered the interior through special channels instead of being supplied to the border army. For such matters, neither the old Prince Xu Xiao nor the new Prince beside Song Yu would pursue the matter; they would turn a blind eye.

What was wrong with those aged generals, who had spent most of their lives in military service, owning a dozen or so fine horses after retiring from their military careers?

It was said that among the veteran Beiliang meritorious elders visiting White Horse Academy today were Wei Tieshan and Liu Yuanji, two long-serving deputy commanders who had recently returned to the border army but were temporarily without actual command.

The seven or eight generals, all of whom had been seasoned by the smoke and fire of the Spring and Autumn campaigns, were the first batch of veterans Xu Beizhi had graciously invited to White Horse Academy.

It truly must be said, in Beiliang's officialdom now, especially among civil officials, perhaps only the two young officials, Xu Beizhi and Chen Xiliang, could successfully invite these old-timers. Even Commissioner Li Gongde couldn't do it, nor could Song Dongming, the nominal Deputy Commissioner and de facto leader of Beiliang's civil officials, let alone Lu Dongjiang, the Liangzhou Governor and a "royal relative by marriage."

Because, to speak a truly pointed truth, among Beiliang's civil and military officials today, only these two young men are truly "dragon-followers"—loyal retainers who followed their lord from the beginning.

Generals like Ning Emei, commander of the Iron Buddha Cavalry, Huangpu Ping, Youzhou General, and Gu Dazu, Deputy Commander of the Infantry, were still a step below these two.

The true backbone of White Horse Academy was not Yao Baifeng, the grandmaster of Liyang's literary world, but Xu Beizhi, who had successfully retired from his post as Lingzhou Governor.

Song Yu, as the former steward of Wutong Courtyard and now the head steward of all Qingliang Mountain, was, of course, the young Prince's undisputed confidant. Most importantly, Song Yu was still relatively young, in his early forties. If nothing unforeseen happened, it was highly probable he would become a veteran elder of the Beiliang Xu family over three successive reigns, his influence self-evident. This had nothing to do with whether the man held an official rank or wore the yellow and purple official robes. If a prime minister's doorman could still be considered a third-rank official, how much more so the chief steward of a prince's mansion? Thus, Song Yu was very content and deeply grateful to the Xu family father and son.

Song Yu slightly slowed his pace, following Xu Fengnian towards White Horse Academy.

From the gates of White Horse Academy, a young scholar in a green robe hastily emerged, looking around. He paused slightly upon seeing Xu Fengnian and Song Yu. He was a recently enrolled student from Huainan, not one of those who had resolutely traveled to Beiliang with Wang Jijiu years ago. His ancestors were classmates with Yao Baifeng, having once studied together under Master Zhengyuan in Shangluo Commandery. Because of this connection, his grandfather, upon hearing that Yao Baifeng was leading the lectures at White Horse Academy, sent this eldest legitimate grandson to Liangzhou. Due to his honest and gentle character and profound family scholarship, the aging Yao Baifeng had entrusted this young man with various welcoming and escorting duties. Today, he was mostly responsible for leading the prominent figures of Beiliang's military into the academy. White Horse Academy had also received a last-minute message from Qingliang Mountain that the Prince was coming. To the young scholar, this was naturally a monumental event, yet the attitudes of Masters Yao Baifeng and Xu Beizhi left him somewhat bewildered—they were neither enthusiastic nor cold, merely telling him to guide the Prince once he appeared. However, the young scholar couldn't help but feel a bit troubled, as he didn't recognize the young Prince. But he soon relaxed, assuming that a Liyang Prince with immense power would surely travel with an astonishing retinue. To be honest, he was very curious about and somewhat admired the legendary young Prince. It was widely rumored in the Central Plains that "South Song, North Xu" referred to the brilliant literary works of Song Yushu of Western Chu and the elegant demeanor of Xu Fengnian of Beiliang, calling them the two unparalleled figures of their era, much like the "South Xie, North Li" of the Spring and Autumn period.

The young scholar looked at the white-robed man with a saber, accompanied by only one attendant. His intuition told him that the man before him was very likely Xu Fengnian, but how could someone traveling so lightly be the master of Beiliang's cavalry, who had successfully stirred up the great powers of the world?

Xu Fengnian ascended the steps and saw a simple wooden rack placed at the entrance, with a string of exquisite jade hooks tied to its crossbar, used for hanging sabers and swords.

During the early days of Green Deer Cave Academy's establishment, Xu Fengnian had promised its master, Huang Shang, that any Beiliang warrior, regardless of rank, wishing to enter a Beiliang academy must remove their saber.

At this moment, seven Beiliang sabers hung on the wooden rack.

Battle sabers hung on jade hooks on the wooden rack.

Xu Fengnian walked up to the wooden rack, looking at the battle sabers. Most were old and none were the latest "Xu Six Sabers." One battle saber, with a heavily worn sheath, might even be considered a unique, first-generation Xu Family Saber!

One should know that even in Qingliang Mountain, there wasn't a single first-generation Xu Saber left. Even when Xu Xiao was alive, he had sent people to the Central Plains to purchase such sabers with huge sums, but to no avail. This was because, firstly, few first-generation Xu Sabers were forged, totaling no more than seven thousand. Secondly, conditions were harsh at the time, and the forging process was very crude, resulting in sabers of poor quality that were easily damaged in battle and couldn't withstand many engagements. At that time, Xu Xiao led his troops on numerous campaigns, fighting many bitter and losing battles, worse off than stray dogs. Honestly, who had the time to remember to keep a few sabers as mementos? People didn't even know if they would survive, accustomed to a life of fighting to sustain fighting. It truly didn't matter whether the saber they wore was forged by themselves. One must know that during those wars, even Xu Xiao himself would directly strip armor from fallen enemies on the battlefield and don it.

During his lifetime, Xu Xiao only liked to boast to Xu Fengnian about his great achievements, telling him how many incredible victories he had won and how many famous generals from the Spring and Autumn Eight Kingdoms he had defeated.

Yet he never told Xu Fengnian how much hardship he had endured during those years, not a single word.

Many things, Xu Fengnian only heard much later, in casual conversations with people like Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong.

Sometimes, Xu Fengnian would also think that if he had children later and had the chance to watch them grow up, he would probably be like Xu Xiao: only tell them that their father had defeated many grandmasters of martial arts in his lifetime, and never mention how many injuries he suffered or how much blood he shed in those life-and-death battles.

Fathers and sons in this world are mostly like this.

Having never been a father himself, he couldn't fully comprehend his father's hardships.

As Xu Fengnian slowly unbuckled the saber from his waist, he turned to Song Yu and asked with a smile, "Steward Song, will your ten-year-old twins get tired of your nagging?"

Caught off guard by such a sudden question, the exceedingly clever Song Yu was still a little unprepared, but he quickly chuckled knowingly, "Naturally. Every time I tell those two children about how many great people their father has met, they always scoff and want to cover their ears. But when I tell them about Your Highness's various feats, the children find it fascinating, even if they've heard it many times."

Xu Fengnian had seen that pair of "jade-carved" siblings a few times in Qingliang Mountain. Unlike their elder brother, who had already come of age and become an official, and their second sister, who had married into Lingzhou, these two were lively and very mischievous, loving to run wild up and down the mountain. He heard that they now got along well with the young lady Chen Xiliang brought from Jiangnan Dao, Huyan Daguan's daughter, and the "Little Green Robe" who remained in the Prince's Mansion with Yu Xinlang. They often played and frolicked together. One morning, as Xu Fengnian was walking alone on the long causeway in the middle of the lake, a group of children were secretly squatting by the lakeside, fishing for carp with their crude homemade fishing rods. Their small wooden basin was already crowded with four or five plump brocade carp. He happened to stumble upon them, and deliberately coughed from a distance. Song Yu's youngest son immediately overturned the wooden basin, made everyone throw their fishing rods into the lake, and then they all bolted. Xu Fengnian, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, had no choice but to help these mischievous rascals retrieve their fishing rods and wooden basin from the lake, leaving them there.

The brocade carp in Listening Tide Lake had an extraordinary origin, coming from a large natural pool atop a majestic mountain in Liaodong. To Qi practitioners, these Sky Pond carp were not ordinary creatures; they were born with golden scales and carried the fortune of the human world. The Listening Tide Lake carp were said to be worth ten gold pieces each and had been a rare and coveted item for Beiliang's civil officials for years. In earlier times, the military generals who followed Xu Xiao were mostly rough-and-ready types, uninterested in such refined adornments. Those like Yan Jiexu, who had not yet defected from Beiliang to Tai'an City, disdained to ask for them. Only Li Gongde, years ago, shamelessly requested a few from Xu Xiao. Xu Xiao waved his hand, saying, "Go catch them yourself; however many you can catch, take them home." Li Gongde, who was already in the high position of Governor of Fengzhou at the time, actually went personally to catch them. In the end, he caught seven or eight and kept them in his own pond. It was said that his pond now contained hundreds of carp, creating an impressive sight. Of course, Xu Fengnian and Li Hanlin both knew well that every time Li Gongde smiled broadly at his pond, it wasn't because he genuinely loved those strangely auspicious brocade carp from the bottom of his heart, but because those carp were living silver!

After hearing this conversation, the young scholar was utterly astonished. He could not believe that the young man before him was indeed the Prince of Beiliang, the very person who had led Beiliang's cavalry to repel Beimang's army of a million.

After taking off the Liang Saber from his waist, Xu Fengnian gently hung it on the leftmost jade hook on the rack.

Whether by coincidence or not, with this, all six generations of Xu family battle sabers were now complete.

The young scholar, somewhat flustered, quickly bowed and said, "Dai Yuanjie from Fengtang Commandery greets Your Highness."

Xu Fengnian asked in surprise, "Fengtang Commandery in Jizhou? How is Master Jiao'an related to you? Are you a descendant of the Dai family from the 'Yuan' generation?"

Dai Yuanjie was even more surprised, not expecting a dignified Prince to have heard of his grandfather. Their Dai family had been a prominent household in Old Beihan for generations, with officials in high positions. For nearly three hundred years, their descendants had followed the eight-character generational naming custom: "Live simply to clarify ambition, live quietly to achieve far-reaching goals." By Dai Yuanjie's generation, it was precisely the 'Yuan' character's turn. However, like many prominent families of the Spring and Autumn era, the Dai family declined after the "unjust" war, which marked the victory of the strong and defeat of the weak. Their family members strictly adhered to the rules set by Master Jiao'an: "study but do not serve." The Dai family's library, "Eight Hundred Iron Swords Tower," was once one of the six great libraries of the Spring and Autumn period, especially treasured for its over a hundred types of imperially commissioned rare editions, and countless finely carved, manuscript, and collated copies. After Old Beihan was conquered by Xu Xiao's army, the Dai family's library, which had always welcomed outsiders, ceased to be open to the public; even family members could not easily enter to read books.

The young scholar, with his profound family scholarship, looked up and solemnly said, "Precisely, my grandfather!"

Xu Fengnian's expression was a little awkward. "Half of the imperially commissioned unique and rare editions in Listening Tide Pavilion were extorted by our Xu family from your Eight Hundred Iron Swords Tower years ago. If you've come to Beiliang this time to reclaim those books, I'll have them organized and returned to you, as far as possible, in their original number."

Dai Yuanjie heard this secret for the first time; his grandfather had never mentioned it to him. For a moment, he felt even more awkward than Xu Fengnian.

As a mere weak scholar, how could he possibly have the audacity to come to Beiliang and settle scores with this northwestern Prince after the autumn harvest?

Xu Fengnian smiled slightly. "Books just sitting in Listening Tide Pavilion would only gather dust; it's better to return them to your Dai family. However, let's be clear upfront: the books can be returned, but on the condition that your Dai family's library does not 'cherish its broom as self-treasure,' meaning it must be open to students of other surnames and scholars from out of town. You can discuss this matter with Master Jiao'an first. Of course, this is an unreasonable request, and Master Jiao'an might not agree, but it won't affect your studies at White Horse Academy, so please rest assured, Dai Yuanjie. If it truly doesn't work out, I'll donate those imperially commissioned books to White Horse Academy in the name of your Dai family. You can also explicitly state this matter to Master Jiao'an in your family letter."

After a moment of consideration, Dai Yuanjie felt relieved. He bowed again and said with sincere admiration, "Your Highness's generosity is immense!"

Xu Fengnian chuckled to himself, suppressing some words that were on the tip of his tongue. In truth, Xu Xiao had "borrowed" those books with a saber back then. Now, the matter of returning the books only seemed "immense" because the Xu family still possessed hundreds of thousands of Liang Sabers. Ultimately, the Xu family was in the wrong concerning this matter. However, Xu Fengnian didn't want to discuss such things with a descendant of the Dai family.

No matter how good a book, if no one reads it, it may look valuable, but in reality, it's the least valuable.

However, Xu Fengnian had also heard many peculiar remarks from Huang Longshi via Miss Hehe. Huang Sanjia had said that future scholars would find learning too easy, and thus would not value the painstaking efforts of their predecessors, leading to the helpless lament, "The ancients have already said everything there is to say."

Xu Fengnian followed the young scholar into White Horse Academy.

The young scholar inexplicably glanced back at the wooden rack.

After the Spring and Autumn.

The Six Xu Family Sabers.

Arrayed here.

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