Chapter 3

After a refreshing bath, Xiang Tang, having shed the coarse clothes and straw shoes of a beggar, put on the fine silk and jade attire of a nobleman, shaved off his stubble, and revealed himself to be a rather handsome and eye-catching young master.

In Lingzhou, among the seven or so popular courtesans with exceptionally high standards, their jealousy and competition over him were not merely for the generous rewards from the young prince of Beiliang. Although this young master often spent money on buying poems, he was skilled in poetry, played Go, discussed embroidery, listened to music, and watched dances, making him a man who could warm a woman's heart.

In the Beiliang Prince's mansion, which young maid with slightly developed chests had not been touched by him? Yet, in private, they would only scold him with red faces and chattering mouths, none truly hating him. At least, this young master was not the kind who would kill a servant and throw the body into a well or chop it up to feed the dogs at the slightest provocation.

Li Fengzhou, the son of the governor of Fengzhou, who claimed to be a close friend of Prince Xu, was known for his cruel acts of throwing people into animal cages to be torn apart. In comparison, the prince's mansion was especially grateful to the young master.

If there was anyone in the Beiliang Prince's mansion who dared to glare at Xu Fengnian with undisguised hatred, it was the female servant Jiang Ni, who was now standing apart from the other smiling maids.

She entered the Beiliang Prince's mansion at the age of twelve, when the Grand Marshal had just destroyed the once mighty Western Chu Dynasty, leading the first attack on the imperial palace. Unlike the subsequent generals who stayed in the capital to enjoy the company of the royal family and their ministers, Xu Xiao had no interest in women, and did not even stop the loyal queen from hanging herself alongside the Western Chu emperor. There were even rumors that Xu Xiao personally provided the white silk for her to hang herself.

In Western Chu, Jiang was the royal surname, exclusive to the royal family. Thus, some people speculated about the origin of this young girl, but with the fall of Western Chu, these speculations gradually faded, and the dust settled.

Xu Fengnian was more aware than anyone of the secret identity of the Jiang surname maid. He glanced sideways at the now graceful and elegant Jiang Ni, waved away the other maids, and once they were far enough away, he said with a playful smile:

"Princess, are you disappointed that I didn't die in a foreign land? Don't worry, I haven't deflowered you yet, so I'm genuinely reluctant to die. Tsk tsk, Princess, your chest is getting more and more prominent. I think you should be called 'Uneven Princess' to match the scenery."

Jiang Ni, who had once been a princess and was now a maid bearing the hatred of a fallen nation, remained unmoved, her face stern and her eyes dark, wishing she could bite this rogue to death.

She had a dagger named "Shenfu," praised in history as worth twelve cities, hidden in her sleeve. If there was even a slight chance, she would not hesitate to cut off Xu Fengnian's head, even though she was usually too gentle to kill a chicken. However, she caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man in plain clothes and had to suppress her urge to act.

The man was in his thirties, standing nine feet tall, with a strong and handsome appearance, a face like a jade crown, and a demeanor like a towering tree. He often squinted, looking half-asleep. He was one of the six adopted sons of the Beiliang Prince, known as "Left Bear" Yuan Zuozong, a skilled warrior with a silver spear, unmatched on the battlefield, and considered one of the top three warriors in the entire dynasty. Some even said he was just a step away from the top ten. Facing this man, who was accustomed to using human heads as wine bowls, Jiang Ni did not dare to act rashly.

Before his travels, Xu Fengnian had shamelessly said, "I'll only give you one chance to kill me. If you fail the second time, I'll kill you."

Unfortunately, that year, when she had just grown up, she had tried to seduce him by putting on makeup and fine clothes, and managed to get him into bed. During their intimate moment, she stabbed him, but only hit his shoulder, not fatally. He just slapped her, got dressed, and said, "Next time, you won't be so lucky. Don't waste your chances."

"Your Highness, Your Highness, I finally see you! For three years, I've been unable to eat or drink!" A fat man, dressed in rich attire, rushed over, rolling and crawling, with real tears and snot on his face, looking like a complete scoundrel.

Jiang Ni's face showed no less disgust than when facing Xu Fengnian. Yuan Zuozong, who was protecting the young master, turned his head, looking at the man with disdain.

This fat man, who had managed to pass through the strict security to reach Xu Fengnian, was not just anyone. In fact, he was also an adopted son of the Grand Marshal, named Chu Lushan, one of the "three dogs" known as the "eagle dog."

The "three hundred and sixty most divine birds" white falcon that Xu Fengnian had shared hardships with for three years was trained by this fat man, who cared for it more than he would for a wife or a son.

Chu Lushan had a poor reputation in the Beiliang army, being smooth-talking and extremely lustful. He was the one who led Xu Fengnian to his first visit to a brothel, often saying that brothers were like hands and feet, and women were like clothes. In the past few years, he would frequently encourage Xu Fengnian to sleep with his beautiful concubines, showing a twisted loyalty.

"Unable to eat or drink? Chu Fatso, how come you look like you've gained dozens of pounds?" Xu Fengnian said with a cold smile, grabbing the fat man's neck.

The fat man, with a red face, cried out in a pitiful voice, "Your Highness, I've lost weight, I've lost a lot of weight! If you don't believe me, I'll go weigh myself right now. If I'm a pound heavier, I'll cut off a pound of flesh, and if I'm ten pounds heavier, I'll cut off ten pounds!"

Xu Fengnian released his neck, patted Chu Lushan's fat, trembling cheeks, and said with a smile, "Indeed, a good brother."

Chu Lushan, now a high-ranking general, was being slapped on the face, but he did not feel humiliated; instead, he looked extremely honored.

He leaned in, grinning, "Your Highness, I have a new concubine, with smooth and tender skin. I haven't dared to touch her yet, saving her for you. When will you have time to visit, have a drink, listen to some music, and then?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "Sure, sure."

The two men looked at each other and smiled, their expressions as cunning as could be. The saying "wolves in cahoots" perfectly described this pair of troublemakers.

Just as Chu Lushan was warmly greeting the young master about his three years away, the Beiliang Prince slowly approached. There were several Grand Marshals in the dynasty, but only one Grand Marshal, second only to the Grand General, who was only appointed during national crises.

Xu Xiao had a military career, leading from the front in his youth, to the point where the previous emperor had issued a special decree exempting him from personal combat. Later, during the campaign against Western Chu, he was hit by an arrow in his left leg, leaving him slightly lame.

Xu Xiao did not mind being called "Xu the Barbarian" by the literati, but if anyone dared to call him "Xu the Lame," it would be a matter of life and death. A trusted general of the Wu'an Marquis, who had fought alongside him against Western Chu, paid the price for a youthful indiscretion, being executed on a pretext, with his head displayed alongside those of Western Chu's generals on the city walls.

The Wu'an Marquis dared to be angry but did not dare to speak, and did not even protest to the emperor. Xu Xiao, with slightly gray temples, was not tall, and his appearance was unremarkable. In middle age, he was slightly lame, and now he was slightly hunched, as if bearing the weight of 300,000 souls.

Chu Lushan, a man with keen eyes and ears, immediately composed himself and prostrated himself on the ground. Yuan Zuozong, also an adopted son, had more backbone and simply bowed.

The Beiliang Prince, Xu Xiao, gently waved his hand, telling Chu Lushan to fetch a stool and sit down, and tried to sit on the wooden bed with his son, but was kicked in the buttocks by Xu Fengnian, who had a look of anger on his face. He had to awkwardly choose a stool to sit on.

Chu Lushan was drenched in cold sweat, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles, not daring to wipe his face.

Yuan Zuozong smiled in understanding. Xu Fengnian whistled, wrapped a piece of Shu silk around his arm, and called down the falcon he had trained, holding a glass of grape wine, and sighed:

"Little White, Little White, these three years have been hard on you. No wine, no meat, and almost being killed and cooked. I feel guilty."

The Grand Marshal looked ashamed, sighing repeatedly.

Jiang Ni, the maid with a beauty that could rival any in the land, sneered lightly. She thought, "This white falcon is just like me, unfortunate in her choice of master."

This rare bird only existed in the icy regions north of Jinzhou. Hunters who captured one could be pardoned for any crime except treason. Even the nobles of Western Chu would pay a thousand gold pieces for this creature, known as "Qingbai Luan," but it was still rare.

The one on Xu Fengnian's arm was even more extraordinary, being the best of the "Qingbai Luan," a "Six-Year Phoenix," rarer than a "Three-Year Dragon." A clan leader in Liangzhou once offered a thousand gold pieces and three beautiful women for "Little White," but was rudely told to go away by the arrogant Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian hummed, "Xu Xiao, I ask you, if your son is bullied, what should a father do?"

The Grand Marshal smiled, saying matter-of-factly, "Naturally, I would destroy their family and seize their wealth. If that's not enough, I would take their wives and treat them like cattle, and squander their wealth in a single day."

Jiang Ni's eyes darkened, her gaze filled with deep hatred.

Xu Fengnian took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, listing names of families and martial arts sects, and patted his father's shoulder, gritting his teeth, "Father, you always say a gentleman takes ten years to seek revenge, but a petty person does it immediately. These are my enemies. Take care of them right away."

Xu Xiao took the paper, praised his son's handwriting, and glanced at it, ready to say "no problem," but then read it carefully, his expression turning slightly bitter:

"Son, there are too many enemies here, over a hundred. Look, the governor of Huizhou, just because his son is a bit effeminate and travels with a beauty to Bilsuo Lake, you want to remove his hat? And the Langya Wang family in Guanzhong, just because a slave cursed the Beiliang barbarians while drinking, you want to exterminate the family? As for the Huyuan family in the martial arts world, what did they do to anger you, that you want to send them to Jinzhou and make Huyuan Qingfeng a government prostitute?"

Xu Fengnian looked at his beloved falcon, sighing, "Little White, you're lucky to have a master who cares about you. I'm the one who's miserable, with no father to love and no mother to care for. Living is a torment, it's no fun."

The Grand Marshal quickly smiled, "I'll take care of it, I'll take care of it, no questions asked."

After making the promise, Xu Xiao turned to Yuan Zuozong and Chu Lushan, his face darkening, and said, "Zuozong, prepare two battalions of elite cavalry, ready for orders. I'll go to the capital to request an imperial decree, essentially another campaign. Lushan, inform the officials along the way who are close to me. The names on the list are traitors and rebels. Kill those who need to be killed, but give it a good name, don't make a big fuss. After all, we're operating in others' territories, so take your time, a year and a half to plan, this is your specialty."

Yuan Zuozong bowed, "Understood."

Chu Lushan also stood up, bowing, his eyes fierce and face excited, "Lushan understands."

Jiang Ni sighed inwardly, thinking, "Will countless innocent people suffer for a ridiculous reason? How many families will be torn apart, never knowing the cause of their misfortune?"

But then, Xu Fengnian took back the paper and brought out another one, with only about a tenth of the names, and smiled, "Father, I can't really make you enemies with a dozen powerful families and half the martial arts world. Look at this one. These people are enough. They are all corrupt officials and unruly civilians. Killing them will be just and righteous, a way to accumulate virtue, better than building seven hundred pagodas."

Xu Xiao breathed a heavy sigh of relief, seeing his son about to get angry, and immediately put on a serious face to take the second paper, nodding, "If that's the case, there's no need to make a big fuss. I'll make sure you don't have to see or hear about it within a year. My son is indeed filial, knowing how to help me accumulate virtue."

Xu Fengnian put a half-peeled tangerine from his father into his mouth, mumbling, "Sure."

Xu Xiao gave a sharp look to his adopted son Chu Lushan, who took the paper and immediately left, moving quietly despite his weight.

Seeing his son's face gradually turn red, Xu Xiao felt deeply gratified and spoke softly, "Son, when I said you weren't my biological child, I meant you don't look like me, but you look like your mother."

Xu Fengnian just hummed in response.

The Grand Marshal, who had been living in Liangzhou for the past few decades to rest and recuperate, knew this topic was not well-received, so he changed the subject, "Huang Man'er doesn't want to go to Longhu Mountain. Help me persuade him, he listens to you."

Xu Fengnian nodded, "Understood. You go about your business, don't interfere with my fishing."

Xu Xiao chuckled, "Stay a bit longer, it's been three years since we last talked."

Xu Fengnian glared, "If you knew this, why did you kick me out of the house?! Get lost!"

The word "get lost" was said with the force of a dragon.

The pitiful and tragic Beiliang Prince immediately fled, not daring to stay.

For some reason, every time Jiang Ni faced the Grand Marshal, who seemed like a wealthy old man scolding his son, she felt a chill, a bone-deep cold, and did not dare to show any murderous intent towards this man, who was even more deserving of her hatred than Xu Fengnian.

At first, she thought it was because she was timid, but as she grew older and bolder, she became even more hesitant to act, as if this man, who had led the charge into the imperial palace in black armor, was the most terrifying person in the world.

She later learned that the previous emperor had personally promised to treat the Western Chu royal family well, even offering to make her father a king,