Chapter 2

As the leader of the Northern Liang army, Qi Dangguo, a zhouchong duwei, found himself in a bit of a dilemma for a moment. Although he was one of the six adopted sons of the great zhuguo Xu Xiao, known as the "wolf dog" among the "one tiger, two bears, and three dogs," his relationship with the crown prince had not been particularly harmonious in recent years.

To be honest, Qi Dangguo, who came from a humble background, did not approve of the prince's fashionable and extravagant behavior in the state and counties. However, loyalty and righteousness came first. Since Xu Fengnian was the eldest legitimate son of his adoptive father, even if Qi Dangguo had to kidnap a girl for him, he would not frown once. Now, the problem was how to send Xu Fengnian back to the mansion. He couldn't just throw the noble crown prince onto a horse, could he?

Fortunately, a rider galloping madly toward him solved Qi Dangguo's dilemma.

The horse was entirely black, exceptionally tall and strong, once the king of wild horses. After being tamed, it was given to the young prince Xu Longxiang. The moment they met, the wild horse tried to trample its new master with its huge hooves, but it ended up being knocked to the ground by the young prince's punch. Since then, it had become as gentle and obedient as a well-bred lady.

Xu Longxiang, the young prince, galloped to a stop, jumped off the horse, and called out affectionately to his brother. When he saw no response, he naively assumed his brother was dead and burst into tears, his sobs heart-wrenching. Qi Dangguo, intending to explain that the crown prince was just exhausted, was pushed away by the young prince, stumbling and almost falling. Qi Dangguo, a fierce general of the Northern Liang army, was a testament to the extraordinary strength of the young prince.

The old servant, whom Xu Fengnian called "Old Huang," ran a few steps and spoke softly in a heavy Western Shu accent. Xu Longxiang immediately stopped crying and laughed, slapping Old Huang on the shoulder so hard that the old man fell into the dust.

The young prince, who was rough with outsiders, was very careful with his brother Xu Fengnian. He squatted down, picked up his sleeping brother, and slowly walked toward the city gate. The horse named "Black Tooth" followed, prancing like a spring colt, trying to nuzzle the red horse led by the old servant. However, the red horse, which was bony and lame, did not appreciate the attention and bit it, scaring Black Tooth away, though it did not run far, showing its reluctance to leave.

Initially, the people in Lingzhou were unsure who could make the young prince Xu Longxiang carry them into the city, followed by two hundred fierce guards from the mansion. When someone shouted "Crown Prince," the main street, wide enough for three carriages to drive side by side, immediately became chaotic. Especially the beautifully dressed young ladies, who disregarded their graceful demeanor, screamed and fled, lifting their skirts. Some shops displaying precious items to attract customers quickly put them away.

The news that "The Crown Prince is back" spread like lightning throughout the entire city of Lingzhou. The twenty or so brothels in the city were invigorated, and the madams and pimps were overjoyed, while the alluring courtesans gazed out the windows, sighing, "My love, you finally came back, I missed you so much."

A figure followed the two hundred iron cavalry into the city, tall and slender, wearing a white robe, with delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, fair skin, and a beautiful oval face, looking like a celestial being.

If not for the two swords at her waist, her unknown background, and her proud and aloof demeanor, some of the ruffians and rich young men would have already tried to tease her. This woman was too beautiful, even more so than all the courtesans in the city combined. Some of the fleeing noblewomen and wealthy young ladies, initially jealous, then admired her, thinking that if she were a young man, they would be willing to elope with her.

The woman in the white robe, slightly surprised, hesitated for a moment, then chose an old fortune-teller and asked, "Old sir, who is the person being escorted into the city by the Northern Liang cavalry?"

The old man, who was lamenting his inability to do business, was stunned by the beauty of the young woman. After a while, he calmed down and smiled bitterly, "Young lady, you must be from out of town. Here, there is only one crown prince, the eldest son of the Northern Liang King. Ordinary wealthy and powerful families' sons dare not call themselves crown princes, or they would be beaten black and blue. Even the princes of neighboring states would be beaten if they displeased our crown prince."

Hearing the old man call her "young lady," the woman's beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, but she did not contradict him. She looked at the slowly advancing cavalry and narrowed her eyes, a hint of killing intent in her gaze. She muttered to herself, "I didn't expect him to be a young master. Xu Jiaohua, is this what you often talk about, the nine false and one true, easy to deceive? Xu Xiao, the Northern Liang King, known as the Butcher who has captured over a hundred cities and killed three hundred thousand people, how could he have such an unambitious son?"

At the Northern Liang Mansion.

The crown prince's courtyard was even more luxurious than the king's. Just the large purple sandalwood dragon-carved desk by the window was a testament to this, with a four-foot-tall ancient blue bronze tripod and a hanging painting of a green dragon. There were also huanghuali wood and marble tables, set with writing materials and wine cups, and a mountain of famous calligraphy scrolls. The inkstones alone numbered over a dozen, each priceless, and the pens in the pen holder stood like a dense forest.

A large Ge Kiln flower vase on one corner of the table was filled with crystal ball white chrysanthemums, and a pair of gold-inlaid unicorn auspicious beasts were used for play.

The mansion had several underground heating systems, consuming a large amount of charcoal, so even in early winter, the room was as warm as late spring, and one could walk barefoot on the carpet without feeling cold. This was what a wealthy and powerful household looked like.

At this moment, Crown Prince Xu Fengnian was lying on a large bed, covered with a golden autumn money dragon quilt, his face haggard. By his bedside sat the great zhuguo Xu Xiao and the young prince Xu Longxiang. The only outsider present was the Daoist Master Zhao from Dragon Tiger Mountain, and the old servant surnamed Huang, carrying a long bag, sat by the door.

A golden-spotted ancient bronze Xuan德 furnace at the head of the bed burned dragon saliva incense to refresh the mind.

"Master, is my son alright?" Xu Xiao asked for the umpteenth time, no longer the decisive Xu Zhuguo on the battlefield but a father who doted on his son to the point of absurdity.

"Alright, alright, the crown prince is just exhausted from the long journey. He will sleep for half a day and then rest for a month, and he will be as lively as a dragon," the old Daoist said confidently, though he was initially heartbroken when the king saw his son so thin and immediately ordered the mansion's chief steward to bring out several high-quality elixirs from Wudang Mountain and other precious medicines, wanting to pour them all into his son's mouth.

The Daoist Master Zhao was terrified and spent a long time explaining that medicine was half poison and the principle of moderation. He also had a private intention to compete with Wudang Mountain and took out a small golden pill from Dragon Tiger Mountain to use, which finally calmed the king's concerns.

Crown Prince Xu Fengnian slept for two days and two nights before waking up, and his brother Xu Longxiang did not eat or drink for the entire time.

When the servants rushed to inform the great zhuguo, he hurriedly came to see his son, who, upon seeing him, immediately grabbed the Xuan德 furnace and threw it, jumping out of bed and cursing, "Xu Xiao, you scoundrel, you kicked me out of the mansion for three years. No wonder you always said I wasn't your real son."

Xu Xiao dodged the furnace, smiling sheepishly and apologizing.

But Xu Fengnian was not about to let go of the man who had made him endure three years of hardship. After smashing everything in the room that could be smashed, he chased his father outside, seeing a broom in the corner and picking it up to continue the chase.

The great zhuguo, despite being hit several times, still reminded him, "Put on your shoes, put on your shoes, it's cold, don't catch a cold." The courtyard was filled with laughter as one chased and the other fled, and the loyal servants and stewards, who were more influential than the governor of a state, all stood with their hands in their sleeves, looking up at the sky, pretending not to hear or see anything.

Xu Fengnian, exhausted, stopped chasing and bent over, glaring at his father. Xu Xiao stood far away, smiling cautiously, "Are you feeling better? If you are, let's eat first. You need strength to vent your anger."

On the doorstep, the young prince Xu Longxiang and the old servant Old Huang sat, grinning, one drooling, the other missing a front tooth, both looking silly.

Crown Prince Xu Fengnian, panting heavily, pointed at the seemingly high and mighty Northern Liang King Xu Xiao, "Damn it, I'll let you off today, but you better watch out."

Xu Xiao did not get angry, smiling, "Alright, alright, I'll wait. I won't fight back or argue, I'll let you vent your anger."

Still barefoot, Xu Fengnian threw the broom, which could sell for several dozen taels of silver, and came to the door. Seeing his silly brother, his eyes softened. Seeing the drool on his brother's chest, Xu Fengnian, without hesitation, wiped it away, saying softly, "Silly Longxiang, come, stand up and let me see if you've grown taller and stronger."

The young prince stood up seriously, and Xu Fengnian measured his height, slightly disappointed, smiling, "Not taller, not stronger."

The young prince then wrapped his arms around his brother's waist, lifting him up. Xu Fengnian, not surprised, felt the drool on his chest and laughed, "But you've gotten much stronger."

The great zhuguo, standing there, a man who had killed countless people in his military career, had tears in his eyes, turning his head and muttering, "The wind is so strong, where did the sand come from?"

The brothers returned to the room, and Xu Xiao immediately ordered the servants to bring the carefully prepared meal. There were two or three dozen servants carrying food trays, entering the room in a steady stream. Most of the dishes were vegetarian, with less spicy and heavy flavors, as kindly reminded by the old Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain.

After eating and sleeping well for three days, Xu Fengnian went to the famous Tingchao Pavilion in the mansion, carrying a purple bamboo fishing rod, having his brother Xu Longxiang carry a few embroidered stools, and the servants prepare a long tea table, with all kinds of delicacies and rare fruits. He also had the steward select four or five young and beautiful maids to massage his shoulders and back, enjoying the life of a crown prince.

The Tingchao Pavilion, as its name suggests, was built on the waist of Cool Mountain, which was expanded to twice its original size to create a lake, with the intention of making it a sea. The nine-story pavilion, towering into the clouds, was named Tingchao, and Crown Prince Xu Fengnian's hobby was fishing on the first floor. The pavilion housed tens of thousands of books, including many rare and unique editions, and lost martial arts manuals.

Fifteen years ago, before being enfeoffed as the Northern Liang King, Xu Xiao personally led the cavalry, carrying the imperial edict and the imperial sword, to suppress dozens of martial arts sects across the country. Except for the traditionally peaceful Dragon Tiger Mountain, rebellious sects like the Forbidden Purple Manor were completely destroyed.

It's worth noting that twenty years ago, the Forbidden Purple Manor was a top martial arts sanctuary in the martial world, producing four of the top ten martial artists in a century. In the end, the martial arts library and secret manuals, except for a few symbolic ones given to the imperial palace, were all confiscated to the sixth floor of the Tingchao Pavilion.

Fortunately, Xu Fengnian did not resemble his father Xu Xiao at all, and outside the jurisdiction, he did not dare to call himself the crown prince of Northern Liang. Otherwise, just this alone would be enough to bring him endless trouble, as the great zhuguo's enemies were as widespread as his disciples.

The lake was filled with ten thousand carp, and when bait was thrown, it created a spectacular scene of ten thousand carp rising to the surface, even impressing the emperor who came to avoid the summer heat.

Xu Fengnian lay on a wooden bed covered with luxurious Shu brocade, fishing for a while, and seeing his brother drooling again, he wiped it away.

He couldn't help but think of the white fox-faced beauty he had tricked into coming to Liang. She was a beauty whose smile formed a crescent moon. Xu Fengnian privately called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Initially, he praised her as the most beautiful woman, but after being severely beaten, he changed it to the most beautiful person.

Thinking of her, Xu Fengnian felt very happy, rubbing his brother's head and smiling, "I promised to help you trick the most beautiful person to be your wife. I did bring one back, a white fox-faced beauty, extremely beautiful, carrying two swords, 'Xiudong' and 'Chunlei,' both among the most famous swords in the world. Unfortunately, she's a man."