Chapter 40

Xu Fengnian suddenly turned his head and saw a slender figure standing at the end of the alley. In a flash, he quickly recognized the person's face and was taken aback—it was the delicate girl from the beef shop, holding a bamboo branch, her frail shoulders trembling, her eyes blankly staring at the prince with the sword. Xu Fengnian was neither smiling nor fierce, feeling quite awkward. If she were an accomplice to the assassin, he could have killed her, but such an innocent little girl didn't give the prince a chance to be troubled. She had already turned and run away. Xu Fengnian had no intention of pursuing her; for a girl from a humble family, not being frightened to death was already quite remarkable, and no one would believe her story even if she told it, and even if they did, no one would care.

In the Northern Liang, what else could Xu Xiao be if not an emperor in all but the nine-dragon robe?

Xu Fengnian found the little girl who lived near the temple. She was still fighting with a sugar-coated hawthorn, probably finding the hawthorn too sour, so she had only bitten off the outer layer of sugar, unwilling to throw it away but also unwilling to eat it, just holding it and waiting for him. Xu Fengnian unceremoniously took the hawthorn and finished it in a few bites. He then led the little girl to the beef shop three streets away, ordering three servings of braised meat. The shop owner was still very attentive, but Xu Fengnian did not see the girl with the bamboo branch, whose name was probably Jia Ji. On the way back to the Liang王府, Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "I'll show you something before you go home."

The little girl, curious, asked, "What?"

Xu Fengnian gently said, "It's a secret."

The little girl pouted, "My dad says secrets are all lies."

Xu Fengnian didn't mind, and took her back to the mansion. First, they went to the Wutong Garden. As soon as they entered the courtyard, he clapped his hands. Upon hearing the clapping, all the maids, including Hongshu, Luyi, and Huanggua, stopped their work and rushed out of the building, gathering in the courtyard, chirping and laughing, their faces full of anticipation. The little girl, though she had seen Hongshu before, was still dazzled by the sudden appearance of so many beautiful sisters. She only heard Xu Fengnian say, "The rules remain the same, go, and come back to the mountain top at about the same time tomorrow." The sisters burst into laughter, their faces beaming with joy, and they dispersed.

After sending the little girl back to her residence, Xu Fengnian walked alone to a music hall called "Chu and Shu Bowing Down," a five-story building. Inside, there were all kinds of musical instruments, including bells, drums, zithers, and flutes, with over a dozen major musicians and over 160 minor musicians, and a large number of singers and dancers. All these people were supported by the prince, and no one in the entire Liang region could afford to maintain such a music hall except for him. On the first floor, there was a large set of chime bells, consisting of 65 bells in eight groups, with a bell stand 2.5 meters high, arranged in three layers in a right-angled shape, creating a grand and majestic atmosphere. The largest bell was as tall as a person and weighed nearly 500 pounds. The term "luxury and splendor" often refers to the sound of chimes and the aroma of food, and the sound of chimes comes from here. The Liang Dynasty followed ancient rituals, with the emperor having eight rows of dancers, the princes six, the feudal lords four, and the scholars two. Therefore, the Liang王府 could have a dance troupe of six rows, totaling 48 dancers. Xu Fengnian, not focusing on his duties, was once obsessed with music, particularly the vulgar and soft music of Shu, and he was also skilled in the refined and elegant music of Chu, which was praised by the old scholars. The prince could play with all the courtesans in the Liang region, not just by throwing money.

The chime bell is the leader of all musical instruments.

Xu Fengnian lightly tapped the chime bell to test the sound, frowning. The chime bells in the mansion were exquisitely crafted, with a majestic shape, appropriate thickness, and a wide range of tones. However, since they were used only a few times a year, there was inevitably some deviation in tuning. More than half of the 60-plus chime bells were made by him and Xu Weixiong, and he was the most sensitive to the quality of the sound. If one were to say that Xu Fengnian was idle, it wouldn't be unfair to this prince from a noble family. Making chime bells was more time-consuming and demanding than taking a vicious dog and a vicious servant to the street to tease virtuous women. Would he really become a bell maker in the future? Not only chime bells, but Xu Fengnian also studied the sheng, improving the 13 and 17 reeds to 24 and 36, producing a sound like a young phoenix's clear call.

Xu Fengnian bent down and tapped the chime bell with his finger, producing a deep and resonant sound. When the sound weakened, he softly said, "Come out."

A double entendre.

Fish Youwei, who had been upstairs playing the yu (a type of flute) all day, walked down. After the winter solstice, it was a good day for playing the yu.

She was draped in a white fox fur, standing tall and elegant, free from any dust.

The little girl, Li Zi, sneaked in and followed the prince to the music hall where Chu and Shu music bowed down.

She could barely be considered a fresh and innocent girl, but in the Liang王府, where beautiful maids were abundant, she was not particularly outstanding. Even the dancers and singers kept as playthings by the prince could overshadow her. Fortunately, the little girl was not yet at the age where she would engage in jealousy and competition, only thinking about becoming a free and wandering female knight, unaware of the competition for beauty and favor.

The little girl giggled and hopped over to Xu Fengnian, curiously touching the large bell, her face full of admiration, "Xu Fengnian, you know about this too?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "I know a bit."

The little girl regretfully said, "I'm far behind. My mom always said I can't sing, and my voice is worse than the monks chanting in our house."

Xu Fengnian teased, "I already experienced that when I taught you to whistle."

The little girl tried to kick Xu Fengnian, but he dodged, and the little girl, still unsatisfied, started chasing the prince.

Fish Youwei, standing at the stairway, sighed softly, "This little girl is really bold."

After a bit of play, Xu Fengnian saw Qingniao standing at the door, looking a bit uneasy.

Xu Fengnian's heart stirred, and he put his hand on the little girl's head, pointing to Fish Youwei with his other hand, and smiled, "Li Zi, play with this Fish sister first, I need to go meet someone."

The little girl said, "Oh."

Xu Fengnian turned at the door and looked at Fish Youwei, instructing, "Take care of Li Zi. By the way, I need you to perform a sword dance in the next few days."

Fish Youwei frowned but did not refuse.

Xu Fengnian ran to the Wutong Garden, picked up two boxes of chess pieces, and headed to the lake.

He saw a woman leading a horse.

The servants and stewards behind him were all trembling, like mice in front of a cat.

Xu Fengnian jogged over, gave a look, and the servants, who had been silent like cicadas, were relieved and scattered like birds and beasts.

Xu Fengnian smiled flatteringly, "Second Sister, are you tired? Are you hungry?"

The woman, who had been flattered by the prince, glanced at the Xiu Dong knife on Xu Fengnian's waist, her eyes colder, and said nothing.

Xu Fengnian did not give up, carefully accompanying her, and said, "Second Sister, I carved a set of chess pieces for you on Wudang Mountain, 361 pieces for your 19 lines, take a look?"

In the mansion, the servants knew that the eldest princess, Xu Zihu, was afraid of the Grand Marshal, the Grand Marshal was afraid of the prince, and the prince was afraid of Xu Weixiong. It seemed that at the second princess, there was nothing to be afraid of, fearless of heaven and earth. As a woman, she dared to wield a sword and kill on the battlefield in the Liang region, and everyone in the mansion was terrified of her, who had both deep strategy and extraordinary talent. Jiang Ni, who was considered a proud and strong female servant, was thrown into a well for three days and three nights by Xu Weixiong. When she was pulled out, the once lively girl looked like a soulless ghost.

Xu Weixiong did not even look at the chess box and pieces, and continued walking silently.

Xu Fengnian called out, "Sister."

"Am I your sister?"

Xu Weixiong said coldly.

Xu Fengnian,