Chapter 10

Bai Hu'er Lian closed herself off again, having just stepped into the Ting Chao Pavilion, the lake surface shattered behind her, and not only that, the entire lake began to sway, with countless koi leaping out of the water, leaving Yu Youwei in a daze.

The Shangyin Academy's curriculum was eclectic, but it strictly prohibited any talk of ghosts and spirits. However, the bizarre and strange scene before her made Yu Youwei doubt that it could be the work of human hands. Even Jiang Ni, who was accustomed to the sight of ten thousand koi leaping, frowned, unable to fathom the reason.

Xu Fengnian pondered for a moment, muttered a curse under his breath, and threw the cucumber he had been gnawing at into the lake.

The old groom, Lao Huang, came running over with his hands in his sleeves, probably to join the commotion.

This old servant had a rather special status in the mansion, having no family, but because he had taken care of the horses for the young lord and the second princess for many years, even the stern head steward Shen would slow down and nod when he saw the old groom. Lao Huang always had a simple, honest look on his face, with a gap-toothed smile, no matter who he saw.

Xu Fengnian invited Lao Huang to sit down, and the lake had already calmed down.

He had the servants prepare a black-roofed boat and took Jiang Ni, Yu Youwei, and Lao Huang to the center of the lake to drink wine and enjoy the snow. Lao Huang wasn't particularly interested, as he only cared about feeding the horses and sneaking a drink, so he was all smiles.

Once on the boat, Lao Huang set up the stove and added dry wood at the right time. The wine was not huangjiu but a local liquor from Lingzhou, a new brew from the estate outside the mansion. The wine had an unappealing layer of sediment on top, slightly green and fine like ants, hence the poor scholars of Lingzhou who couldn't afford good wine called it "green ant wine." It wasn't particularly refined, but the Grand Marshal enjoyed it.

The green ant wine truly gained fame due to the first line of the poem "Snow Appreciation" written by the second princess of the Beiliang Mansion at the age of ten: "Green ant new brewed wine, red clay small stove," which was highly praised by the scholars of Liang and widely spread, even shocking the literati of the capital, leading to a trend of warming green ant wine in winter.

Xu Fengnian had two sisters: the elder, Xu Zhihu, and the younger, Xu Weixiong. The name of the second princess lacked any feminine charm, but she was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, skilled in swordsmanship, and her poetry was a revelation, with a profound understanding. At sixteen, she entered the Shangyin Academy to study with Han Gazi, learning the art of strategy. The only flaw was that while her talent was outstanding, her appearance was plain, far less striking than that of the elder princess and the young lord.

Jiang Ni still didn't drink, as she hated green ant wine and anything related to that woman, her aversion second only to her hatred of Xu Fengnian.

Yu Youwei drank several bowls, and the rest were consumed by Xu Fengnian and Lao Huang.

At the Ting Chao Pavilion, the atmosphere was tense, with the Grand Marshal, wrapped in a thick fox fur, seeing the group board the boat and waving his hand, signaling the six or seven shadowy experts in the mansion to slowly withdraw, including three of the five guardian slaves.

As the alcohol took effect, Xu Fengnian, with blurred vision, pointed at Jiang Ni and then at Yu Youwei, and said with a grin:

"You, and you, in the end, have no real grudge, yet you act as if we are mortal enemies. Kill me? Fine, Jiang Ni, take out your talisman, and stab me. I want to see if my black tortoise armor is stronger or your dagger is sharper. How about a bet? If you win, the result is obvious, but if I win, you give me a smile, Princess Taiping. Is this a fair deal?"

Jiang Ni narrowed her beautiful eyes, eager to try.

Jiang. Talisman. Princess Taiping.

Yu Youwei, whose mother was a sword attendant to the previous emperor and whose father was a minor official of the Western Chu, trembled, causing Wu Meiniang in her arms to lazily call out.

Xu Fengnian threw off his thousand-gold fox fur, opened his shirt, revealing the dark blue armor he had worn since his return from his travels, and opened his chest: "Come, stab me."

Jiang Ni hesitated, ready to strike like a young leopard.

Lao Huang wasn't worried about bloodshed; the young master had initially suffered from lack of experience in the world, but became increasingly cunning over time.

In the end, she gave up the tempting opportunity and coldly laughed, "Would you make a losing deal? I'd rather believe in ghosts than you."

Xu Fengnian quickly put on his clothes and rewrapped himself in the fox fur, laughing, "Fortunately, fortunately, I was scared out of my wits. This wine really shouldn't be drunk too much. Lao Huang, let's go back, we've escaped from the gates of hell."

Jiang Ni's eyes were filled with regret.

Lao Huang followed the young master, laughing all the way.

On shore, Jiang Ni walked away in anger.

Yu Youwei didn't wear the sable fur he had sent to her courtyard but instead wore the only fox fur in the entire mansion, which he had given her, and gently patted Wu Meiniang's head, seemingly casually saying:

"You learned the Fengzhou accent to hide your identity, but a small test in the banana courtyard exposed you. On the boat, the half-true, half-false story of the Western Chu Princess Taiping revealed your true colors. Youuwei, you're not cut out to be an assassin. In the future, just be a caged bird. Look, I didn't lie to you; the snow here is truly beautiful."

After saying this, Xu Fengnian shouted the bandit's code, "The wind is tight, let's go," and ran away with the servant Lao Huang.

Yu Youwei, wrapped in the thousand-gold fox fur, stood still, unable to tell if it was the fox fur or the snow on her body.

...

In the sixth year of Qianyuan of the Linyang Dynasty, on the 28th day of the lunar month, the Beiliang King Xu Xiao and his son Xu Fengnian set out at dawn, with the four adopted sons—Chen Zhiliao and Chu Lushan not in the group—accompanying them, leading 300 iron cavalry in a grand procession to Jiuhua Mountain in Kunzhou.

Although this mountain was the bodhimanda of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, the Linyang Dynasty had always favored Daoism over Buddhism. Moreover, Jiuhua Mountain was remote, with no grand temples or Buddha statues to worship. Most importantly, the Grand Marshal had intentionally driven away casual believers, making Jiuhua Mountain appear particularly isolated.

At the top of the mountain was a Thousand Buddha Pavilion, with a ten-thousand-jin bell on the roof. The bell was struck 108 times a day, neither more nor less, morning and evening. Each time, it was struck 18 times quickly, 18 times slowly, and 18 times at a moderate pace, repeated twice, totaling 108 times a day, corresponding to the 12 months, 24 solar terms, and 72 climatic periods of the year, symbolizing the elimination of 108 troubles in Buddhism.

After the death of the princess, Xu Xiao, who had never taken a concubine, decided never to remarry. He personally visited the Thousand Buddha Pavilion on the mountain top every Qingming, Chongyang, and the 29th day of the lunar month, striking the bell twice a day.

Before entering the mountain gate, everyone dismounted and removed their armor, with Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian walking side by side, the four adopted sons—Yuan Zuozong, Ye Xizhen, Yao Jian, and Qi Dangguo—keeping a respectful distance.

Among the four, "Left Bear" was a vanguard general who could take the head of an enemy general from the midst of ten thousand soldiers as easily as picking something from a pocket, with top-notch martial skills and excellent military strategy.

Ye Xizhen was a scholar-general, skilled in overt strategies, planning from behind the scenes, in stark contrast to the scheming Lu Qiu.

Yao Jian, from a Daoist lineage, was skilled in geomancy, always carrying a tattered copy of the "Geographic Green Sack Classic," and enjoyed squatting on the ground to taste the soil. Qi Dangguo was the standard-bearer of the Beiliang iron cavalry under the Xu banner.

As for the eldest of the six adopted sons, Chen Zhiliao, known as "Little Butcher," his achievements were vast and significant.

That night, the six stayed at the ancient temple on the mountain top. On the 29th day of the lunar month, the Grand Marshal Xu Xiao struck the bell 108 times in the morning and evening. Before descending the mountain, at dusk, Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian stood on the veranda of the Thousand Buddha Pavilion, and the Grand Marshal softly said, "When you come of age, you will take over the bell striking."

Xu Fengnian nodded in agreement.

A mountain breeze arose, and the evening clouds dispersed, revealing the mountain peaks like islands in a sea. The wind rose again, and the peaks were hidden in the sea of clouds, a grand and majestic sight. Occasionally, thick mushroom-like cloud pillars would rise from the sea of clouds, slowly falling and dispersing into wisps of clouds, a unique scene of Jiuhua Mountain.

Xu Xiao pointed to the mysterious scene and said, "Few people can have a smooth and uneventful life for decades. Ups and downs are the norm, even for the three dynastic elders who are already one foot in the grave. Your father's glory was achieved through countless bold gambles, so he is most wary of the saying 'the higher you climb, the harder you fall,' fearing that a fall would drag you all down. As a general, being enfeoffed as a hetero-clan king is the pinnacle. As a minister, the Grand Marshal is the pinnacle. This unparalleled honor is rare in the four hundred years of the Linyang Dynasty."

In their field of vision, the scene was like waves in the sea, like snowballs rolling on the ground.

The Grand Marshal's voice was deep and resonant, with a hint of the intensity of green ant wine.

"Here, it's just between us, and perhaps your mother in heaven. There are no outsiders. I'll speak frankly. Li Yishan was right; success is easy, but fame is hard to maintain. I am already in a difficult position.

Three years ago, the court intended to summon you to the capital, and the emperor even considered marrying you to his most beloved twelfth princess. You would have become a nominal prince consort, but in reality, a hostage. I politely declined and sent you on a three-year journey, covering six thousand miles on foot, to silence the court, but this only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.

I am waiting. If the emperor does not give up, humph! I started killing at the age of ten and have been in the military for forty years. I haven't read many moral articles. When the time comes, it won't be Xu Xiao's fault if I am disloyal. Who dares to face the 300,000 Beiliang iron cavalry under the Xu banner in a direct battle?"

Xu Fengnian smiled bitterly, "Father, I have no interest in the imperial throne. You're old, don't go through all the trouble of fighting for the world just to make your son an emperor. It won't necessarily be more comfortable than being a prince."

Xu Xiao glared, "Then are you willing to be a worthless prince consort? Like that Yu family woman, a caged bird?"

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes, "Even if we rebel, you won't become an emperor. The land of Liang has never had the feng shui to produce a dragon. Has there ever been anyone who unified the world?"

Xu Xiao sighed, "Li Yishan said the same. If you were just a waste like Li Hanlin, I wouldn't care. Being a prince consort would be fine, living under someone else's roof, at least under the eaves of the palace.

Your second sister told me something before she left for the Shangyin Academy, hitting the nail on the head. A family may appear prosperous and grand, but it's useless if it's hollow inside, especially if there's no successor. The more wealthy and powerful a family, the more terrifying it is when the next generation is inferior, far more so than running out of resources.

So I'm not afraid of you being extravagant, but Fengnian, you've given me a huge problem. Tell me, do you have any plans to hold the Beiliang military command in the future? Your second sister can be your strategist, and Huang Man'er can lead the charge. With my six adopted sons, even if I die, the 300,000 iron cavalry won't fall apart."

Xu Fengnian countered, "What do you think?"

Xu Xiao pouted, "I'm old, and I've built a large estate. As an unfilial son, you should at least give me something to look forward to, right?"

Xu Fengnian said boldly, "That's no problem. Isn't it just about squandering the estate? It's my specialty."

At that moment, the hunched back of the Grand Marshal seemed to straighten slightly.

...

{Piaotian Literature}