Chapter 959: Old Man's Son

After a grand review and plaque hanging ceremony at the city walls, Grand Coordinator Li Gongde led Xu Fengnian towards the Grand General's Residence, located near the South Gate. The main imperial road traversed the city from north to south, with all civil and military offices situated on either side of the residence. Along the way, Li Gongde, one of the two city governors, spoke endlessly. He recounted the precise height of the formidable border city's main walls, the length of its fortified passages, the number of bed crossbows on the ramparts, and the exact inventory of arrows and armor, knowing every detail as if reporting how much silver was in his own boxes or how many copper coins were in his cabinets.

The Grand Coordinator could even rattle off details such as how many Northern Mang trebuchets a single section of the main wall could withstand, or how many Northern Mang soldiers could swarm an assault. He also had a clear grasp of troop movements along the central axis they walked, how to establish a second line of defense if the main gate were breached, and how small cavalry units would provide crucial support. Not only was Xu Fengnian impressed, but Chu Lushuan and Yuan Zuozong exchanged glances, while generals like Zhou Kang and Infantry Deputy Commander Gu Dazhu stared wide-eyed. Lingzhou, once known as the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall," was commonly said to have "power in the Zhong family, money in the Li family." Officials in Northern Liang knew this "iron rooster" was adept at governance and making money, but they had never heard of Li Gongde being so meticulous in his work.

As they neared the still-unfinished Grand General's Residence, Li Gongde suddenly chuckled, "The construction of Jubei City consumed all the massive timbers collected from the deep mountains of Western Shu and Nanzhao, which had been stored in Northern Liang for years. The colossal stones needed for the city nearly emptied Dayu Cave. Not to mention these distant efforts, I presume, Generals, looking south from this height, you can no longer see the two small mountains known as Dragon Head and Tiger Tail. From the initial gradual relocation of inner-pass garrisons to build the city outside the pass, to the subsequent rotation of most border troops, and countless civilians from within the pass—"

At this point, the old man paused, a knowing smile on his face.

Li Gongde, a civilian official whose reputation among Northern Liang's military commanders had once been exceedingly poor, now exuded an unconcealed vigor. There was no trace of the sycophantic official of the Xu family once seen in the Qingliang Mountain Council Chamber.

Back then, perhaps only Chu Lushuan, who was from the same master's lineage and held a lower rank at the time, was willing to interact with Li Gongde, then a provincial governor. The upright scholar Yan Jiexuan naturally disdained him, and even Tian Peifang, the former Liangzhou Governor who had since resigned, never brought himself to befriend him in earlier years. When Northern Liang first decided to build Jubei City, everyone mistakenly believed the young Prince intended not to truly put Li Gongde in charge, but rather to exile this Grand Coordinator, who had thrown Lingzhou's officialdom into disarray, outside the pass to be shelved. This would legitimately demote him and pave the way for trusted confidantes like Xu Beizhi, Chen Xiliang, or Chang Sui. Little did they know that Li Gongde would genuinely establish himself at Jubei City. Song Changsui, Tian Peifang, and Wang Linquan, who served as deputy supervisors for three specific aspects, all deferred to the Grand Coordinator, showing no intention of sidelining him. Li Gongde, in turn, quickly embraced his role, fulfilling expectations. It must be said that a man capable of becoming the leading civilian official in Northern Liang, when truly focused and practical, was unyielding and hands-on. As Li Gongde himself once reflected during a private chat with Song Changsui, he had "eschewed social engagements for career advancement, lived and ate with soldiers and craftsmen, and gained insights into surveying, ramming earth, materials, military regulations, and grain storage. Though not claiming omniscience, he was no novice, ultimately able to direct with his own hands, confident and poised, ensuring no major tasks were botched."

Li Gongde suddenly continued, a sly look in his eye, "Your Royal Highness, for tonight's celebration banquet, Qingliang Mountain must not skimp on expenses!"

Old Marshal Yan Wenluan, who had probably never spoken to Li Gongde his entire life, broke an unspoken rule and interjected, "Lord Li's request for funds this time is not excessive in the least."

Xu Fengnian pointed to the Northern Liang Transport Commissioner beside him and chuckled, "Our chief financial manager is right here. He has more say than I do now."

Xu Beizhi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and smiled, "Very well. I had originally set aside a box containing two calligraphies by the Great Feng Dynasty's painting master Sui Ying, a naturally formed green inkstone shaped like a Buddha's hand, custom-made by an old Southern Tang emperor, and a 'Wang Wu' jade seal from the late Qin Dynasty—fifteen or sixteen miscellaneous items in total. It wouldn't be hard to sell them for five or six thousand taels of silver. After the celebration banquet, Jubei City can first draw some funds from Lord Song at Qingliang Mountain. When I sell these items, I should quickly be able to fill that hole and even have some surplus, which will then be given to Lord Li."

As soon as Xu Beizhi finished speaking, everyone tacitly turned their gaze toward the young Prince.

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes.

The entire gathering erupted in laughter.

Xu Beizhi was perhaps the only person in the world who dared to openly mock their new King of Northern Liang in such a manner.

The subsequent celebration banquets were held in three separate gatherings. The military officers were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of veteran heroes who had participated in the Spring and Autumn campaigns: Yan Wenluan, Chen Yunchui, He Zhonghu, Liu Yuanji, and Lin Doufang. Yuan Zuozong, the youngest among them, was also present. To the Xu family of Qingliang Mountain and the Northern Liang border army, Yuan Baixiong was an indispensable figure. In military affairs, Yuan Zuozong was the only strategist comparable to the White-Robed War Saint, Chen Zhibao. Although Northern Liang boasted many famous and fierce generals, the only one Chen Zhibao genuinely admired was probably Yuan Zuozong. Chen Zhibao had stated multiple times that Yuan Zuozong was the most underestimated general in Liyang's military achievements during the Spring and Autumn campaigns.

Chu Lushuan, the Protector General of Northern Liang, personally led the other group, which included Wang Zhi, Cao Xiaojiao, Hong Xinjia, and Hong Biao. Yang Shenxing, the Deputy Military Commissioner of Northern Liang, also made an appearance at the banquet.

The third gathering was a literary banquet hosted jointly by Li Gongde, Huang Shang, and Tian Peifang. It was primarily attended by scholars and intellectuals, with several members of the Lu family interspersed among them.

Xu Fengnian moved from one banquet to another, drinking at each. Although he downed a cup of "green ant" wine at each stop, he only consumed about two small pots in total across all three events. The main reason was that no one pressured him to drink excessively. This was not surprising, as Xu Xiao himself had once said that the worst kind of people were those who, relying on their good alcohol tolerance, enjoyed pressuring others to drink. True enjoyment from drinking, he believed, came only when one got drunk on their own terms; otherwise, it was just suffering. Of course, while Xu Xiao said this, whenever he caught someone with less alcohol tolerance than himself, he would press them without hesitation. To those he urged to drink, he'd say, "You won so many battles back then, you must drink cup after cup! And for all the battles you lost, I, Xu Xiao, remember them all. Don't you think it'd be rude not to drink a few penalty cups today?" Or, "So-and-so, I hear your grandson just started school, you must drink for that! And I hear your son got beaten black and blue fighting over a woman? How frustrating for you, as a father, you need to drink to drown your sorrows!" However, despite Xu Xiao's unparalleled ability to pressure others to drink, whenever he drank at Qingliang Mountain, no matter how many people he drank with, he himself never failed to get drunk, often vomiting. In that regard, his own drinking etiquette was only so-so.

Do not think that hardened warriors, accustomed to life and death, would drink more wildly. In truth, when scholars let loose, that is when they become truly unrestrained and boundless. Xu Fengnian nearly couldn't extricate himself from the banquet. For instance, Huang Shang, the head of Qinglu Cave Academy, insisted they each drain three large cups. Then, Tian Peifang, now free of official duties, joined in, saying three cups were too many, and he would only drink two with the Prince. If Xu Beizhi hadn't been there to intervene, Xu Fengnian, even with his seven or eight jin capacity for "green ant" wine, would likely have collapsed. Finally, Xu Fengnian and Xu Beizhi, reeking of alcohol, emerged from the general's residence and slowly walked north along the main road.

Xu Beizhi softly said, "Before he got drunk, Li Gongde bought something from me."

Xu Fengnian was a little surprised and teased, "Has the sun risen in the west? Our Grand Coordinator has always only had a penchant for collecting gold and silver; he's always scoffed at antiques and curios."

Xu Beizhi dismissed the joke with a smile. "It's a small personal seal. Since it's from the Tide-Listening Pavilion's collection, the material is naturally excellent. In my opinion, it's been passed down through generations, and due to frequent use, the vermilion ink has permeated beautifully. But those are secondary. Do you know what the inscription says?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled helplessly, "How would I guess that?"

Xu Beizhi waved his sleeves, whether to dispel the smell of alcohol or his worries. "It's the four characters 'A minister's heart like water,' meaning integrity and purity, clear as water. If Yan Jiexuan hadn't left Northern Liang back then, and he had bought this small seal, or even Tian Peifang, whose reputation is quite good, I wouldn't be surprised. But for Li Gongde to buy these four characters, isn't that a bit comical?"

Xu Fengnian frowned.

Xu Beizhi smiled and asked, "Then, guess again, how much silver did Li Gongde pay for these four characters?"

Xu Fengnian suddenly understood. "For this celebration banquet, Li Gongde couldn't openly pay out of his own pocket, or it would appear he was overstepping his bounds. So he used this method to covertly provide funds for Qingliang Mountain?"

Xu Beizhi held up two fingers and wiggled them.

Xu Fengnian stifled a laugh. "Twenty thousand taels of silver? In earlier years, the only hero who could squeeze money out of Li Gongde was that fellow Li Hanlin. Back then, it was always Li Hanlin who paid for their visits to brothels, though he'd always get a good scolding from his father when he got home."

Xu Beizhi shook his head and chuckled, "Two hundred."

Xu Fengnian looked astonished. "Two hundred taels of silver? Oh, Uncle Li!"

Xu Fengnian burst into hearty laughter, calling Li Gongde "Uncle Li" for the first time. Ultimately, the Xu family's two generations, Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian, and the Li family's two generations, Li Gongde and Li Hanlin, shared a deep bond. To put it bluntly, when Yan Jiexuan defected from Northern Liang years ago, Xu Xiao had originally intended to make things slightly difficult for him, not excessively so, but certainly not to let him leave so easily. In contrast, there had been early rumors from the Liyang imperial court that the old Grand Preceptor Zhang Julu had intended to appoint Li Gongde as Vice Minister of Revenue, to oversee taxes in Guangling and Jiangnan. At the time, Li Gongde was merely a provincial governor. Although his rank and salary were equivalent to a Vice Minister, Liyang capital officials were always considered a grade higher, especially a powerful Vice Minister directly under the Emperor's eye. Therefore, the departure of a mere scholar like Yan Jiexuan was an unexpected boon for Liyang, while Li Gongde's decision to stay was baffling. As for the close friendship between Xu Fengnian and Li Hanlin, who had grown up playing together, it went without saying.

Xu Beizhi smiled, forcing a single word through his teeth: "Million!"

Xu Fengnian thought he had misheard. "What?!"

Xu Beizhi let out a soft breath, sighing, "It was two million taels of silver."

Xu Beizhi continued, "Li Gongde told me then that he had diligently accumulated this vast fortune throughout his life, intending to ensure his son, Li Hanlin, would never have to worry about food or clothing. But now, it's simply not needed."

Xu Beizhi turned to Xu Fengnian, raised his arm, made a fist, and patted his own chest. "That's how the old man patted his chest and told me, 'My son, Li Hanlin! A dignified cavalry commander of the Northern Liang White Horse Skirmishers! What does he need his father's silver for?'"

Xu Beizhi stopped walking, turned back to gaze at the residence, and repeated the old man's final words, "I, Li Gongde, can be looked down upon by anyone in this life, but never by my own son!"

Xu Fengnian rubbed his cheeks with both hands and softly asked, "Orange, do you think I should withdraw Li Hanlin from Liuzhou?"

Xu Beizhi angrily retorted, "Nonsense!"

Xu Fengnian smiled, looking towards Liuzhou in the west. "Li Hanlin would say the same."

North of Qingcang City in Liuzhou, Kou Jianghuai and Xu Longxiang had already launched their second head-on blocking action against Huang Songpu's large army.

Of the 1,200 Northern Liang White Horse Skirmishers dispatched to Liuzhou, only half remained.

Commander Li Hanlin had 600 comrades remaining under his command.