Chapter 65

Yuwēi, who was quite at odds with the old sword god whose words and actions were absurd, preferred to hug a cat and ride a horse, enjoying the scenery along the way in Heyang County. She glanced at Xu Fengnian, who was always whispering to the old Taoist priest, and couldn't help but move closer and ask, "Not being able to teach the graceful Lady Xu to write the 'Cooking Goose Post,' isn't it a great regret for Your Highness?"

Xu Fengnian was asking Grandpa Wei about the mysteries of the Molao Pass and other passes, hoping to use the wisdom of others to refine his own skills and soon transform the intangible Great Yellow Court into his own. Hearing Yuwēi's sarcasm, he said indifferently, "Do you believe that if I return to Yingchuan County, Jin Sanlang would willingly offer Lady Xu to this Prince to add fragrance and warmth to my bed? Even knowing that I would share a bed with Lady Xu, he would sleep more soundly and happily than usual."

Yuwēi ignored the vulgar words about adding fragrance and warmth to the bed and said disbelievingly, "He's gone mad?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and said mysteriously, "He hasn't gone mad. Jin Sanlang can't wield a sword, but he excels in reading the classics not to become a sage, but to understand human nature and social skills, making him a smart person."

Yuwēi found it terrifying. She had once been a noble's daughter in Western Chu and was familiar with the practice of gifting maids to build social connections, but the idea of gifting a wife to someone else was still shocking to her. What was even more surprising was that Xu Fengnian only caused trouble in the Yingchuan mansion, and it was said that Jin Lanting had fainted several times in anger. Could he really have gone mad? Yuwēi stroked the soft, round body of Wu Meiniang and remained silent. After three years of travel, one year of sword practice, and over a year of interaction before Xu Fengnian's travels, she realized they had known each other for five years. Yet, she found herself increasingly unable to understand this Prince. His antics were still absurd, but behind the absurdity, there seemed to be something hidden, which Yuwēi couldn't discern.

Xu Fengnian didn't reveal the secrets. When he encountered the red-armored man and the little Taoist priest, and after the old man Li Chunjiang defeated the enemy with two swords, he sent a secret letter to Lu Qiuer via a white falcon. After tormenting Jin Sanlang in the Yingchuan mansion to the point of near death, he sent another letter, promoting Jin Lanting to a higher rank. This was his own decision, and there was no personal recommendation from the Grand Marshal. In the Liyang Dynasty, Xu Xiao's words still carried more weight than Xu Fengnian's, but in the Xu family, Xu Fengnian's words were a hundred times more influential than Xu Xiao's. If Xu Fengnian said he wanted Jin Lanting to be a Yellow Gate Attendant, Xu Xiao would certainly agree. Lu Qiuer, who knew the dynamics within the Xu family, was just going along with it. When the spearman Ning Emei met Lu Qiuer on the way back to Beiliang, he was immediately assigned forty more light cavalry, which was unexpected by Xu Fengnian.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Ni was given an extra hundred coins to take care of the fine paper that Xu Fengnian had collected. The paper, on which the red-armored man's talisman and Sanskrit were copied, was also organized and stored in a book box by her. She was currently staring at a piece of paper with strange symbols but couldn't figure out the meaning. The old man in the sheepskin coat, while picking his toes, watched Jiang Ni frown and couldn't bear to see such a talented girl being wasted by that Xu boy. He advised her kindly, "Jiang girl, don't bother. That boy is just making things complicated. He didn't have good intentions when he gave it to you. In my opinion, you shouldn't even read books. He's not afraid that you'll memorize these secret manuals. Even if you do, what's the point? Reading books benefits him because he has already entered the realm of martial arts. The more he reads, the deeper his understanding. For you, the more you read, the more confused you'll be, and the harder it will be to start. Just focus on practicing the sword, and even Deng Tai'a wouldn't dare to look down on you."

Jiang Ni, without lifting her head, said, "Don't bother me. If I don't read books, will you give me money?"

The old sword god, feeling frustrated, said, "That boy isn't lying. You really are obsessed with money."

Jiang Ni, who was feeling depressed while looking at the paper, raised her head and glared, "What's it to you?!"

The eccentric Li Chunjiang loved the sight of the little girl being angry. He pointed to his head and smiled, "Be careful, or I won't return your divine talisman."

Jiang Ni put away the paper and picked up the "Thousand Sword Grass Outline," which the old man had dismissed as lowbrow, and read it carefully. Her memory was poor, and she couldn't remember even after reading something three times, let alone recite it like Xu Fengnian. As for the techniques and principles described in the manual, she understood only a fraction and found it very confusing and headache-inducing. The carriage suddenly stopped, and Jiang Ni's mood lifted. The first time it stopped, she saw Chen Zhileo in white sending them off. The second time, she saw a strange red-armored man blocking the road to assassinate Xu Fengnian. This time? Jiang Ni lifted the curtain and was somewhat disappointed. It turned out that the greedy Prince had seen a wine stall by the roadside and had gone to drink with the old Taoist Wei Shuyang.

The wine stall had a dusty apricot flower wine flag. After Xu Fengnian, Grandpa Wei, and Yuwēi sat down, he began to speak, "The apricot flower wine sold on the streets of Liangzhou is either heavily diluted or fake. This stall, though small, serves genuine wine. The well near the Immortal Crane Pavilion has excellent water, making the wine even better. The 'double distillation' method that has become popular in our area in recent years was passed down from nearby villages. The wine is fragrant and smooth, truly delicious! Waiter, bring two jin of apricot flower wine and as much beef as you have."

The stall owner and his assistant, who had already identified the young man as someone with plenty of money, were even more delighted to hear his praise of the apricot flower wine. To the wine seller, the wine was like a child, and which parent wouldn't be happy to hear their child praised? Moreover, everything the young man said was reasonable. The Immortal Crane Pavilion and the saliva well were well-known local landmarks, often visited by scholars from Yong and Quan states with their wives and concubines to recite poetry. However, these high-born individuals wouldn't visit roadside stalls, as the wine, though genuine, didn't match their status. The stall owner wasn't upset; today was a lucky day to have such a discerning young noble. From his accent, he was from Liangzhou. The stall owner cautiously glanced at the three attendants who didn't have seats. The woman was truly alluring, with a firm and shapely bottom that far surpassed his own wife's. The towering man with the large sword was intimidating, and the pale, sickly-looking man was ignored, as long as he wasn't a ghost. It was broad daylight, after all.

The stall owner, eager to serve, glared at the young assistant who was staring at the woman with the white cat, furious that he dared to look at her. Even he didn't dare to look directly at her. This brat had the nerve to do business! The owner kicked the assistant, bringing him back to his senses. He had heard that the young nobles from Beiliang were generous, but every time they caused trouble across the border, it was always the nobles from Yong and Quan who suffered. The local snakes couldn't match the over-the-river dragons from Beiliang. Especially the first-rate young noble, the Prince, whose arrogance and recklessness were unparalleled. Fortunately, they were just small traders and would never encounter such people.

The stall owner, who had heard many apricot flower poems but never read them, said with a mix of pride and flattery, "This young sir is clearly an expert. My grandfather said that the 'Yongzhou Geography' mentions our apricot flower wine."

Xu Fengnian poured a cup of clear apricot flower wine for Yuwēi and smiled, "Yes, 'Outside the Immortal Crane Pavilion, the newly dug well, the water is as heavy as crab yellow.' It's a praise for this wine."

The stall owner was truly impressed and praised, "Sir, your knowledge is vast."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "Then can you give us a discount?"

The stall owner immediately looked hesitant. Flattery didn't cost a penny, but lowering the price was a different matter. Every bit of profit was hard-earned. Fortunately, the young noble was just joking and said, "I was just kidding. Being able to drink this apricot flower wine is already a great pleasure."

Shu Xiu, who had become increasingly curious about the Prince, saw Xu Fengnian drinking cheap wine from a dirty bowl and was even more puzzled. Though she came from the southern wilderness and had been revered as a goddess, her life was far from the opulence of the Prince. Even after escaping her sect and wandering alone, she had never been short of admirers. Seeing Xu Fengnian so unconcerned with trivialities was truly perplexing.

Jiang Ni, following the old sword god, got off the carriage and sat on the bench opposite Xu Fengnian.

Yuwēi took a sip of the warm apricot flower wine, finding it quite good, different from the cool and refreshing Green Ant wine of Beiliang. She asked softly, "What's the story behind the saliva well?"

Xu Fengnian, savoring the sweet and fragrant taste, smiled and said, "Legend has it that on Wudang Mountain, there was a immortal who rested in a pavilion. Seeing the simple and kind-hearted people, he couldn't bear to see them suffer from thirst, so he spat into the well, making the water sweeter than any famous spring."

Yuwēi looked uncomfortable, "Saliva?"

Xu Fengnian laughed, "Some people's saliva might be sweet. I'd like to taste it, but I haven't had the chance yet."

Yuwēi's cheeks turned red, unsure if it was from the apricot flower wine or the Prince's drunken words.

The old man rolled his eyes and muttered, "Jiang girl, let's give up the carriage. Watching these two flirt and bicker all day is making me sick."

Jiang Ni, who didn't want to drink, said angrily, "Pay one string of coins! No, ten strings!"

Xu Fengnian, about to tease the little girl for her high demands, saw Ning Emei riding alone towards them. The brave general of Beiliang, thinking carefully, had abandoned his spear and dismounted, about to call out "Your Highness," but Xu Fengnian waved him off, "Come, have a drink. Waiter, bring two more jin of wine."

Ning Emei didn't hesitate, standing and drinking three large bowls of wine in quick succession, his face unchanged, clearly a man of great tolerance. This wasn't surprising, as the Beiliang cavalry was strict, but after each victory, they could drink to their heart's content. Few Beiliang generals and soldiers had poor drinking capacity.

Ning Emei, avoiding the frightening title of "Your Highness," had not been in a good mood since Chen Zhileo personally led three hundred iron cavalry to see them off, and he had been forced to stand with the two Beiliang tigers, Dian Xiongxu and Wei Fucheng. Since then, the Prince had not been in a good mood, and they hadn't had a chance to speak. Ning Emei, though of low rank, didn't care about improving his relationship with the Prince. However, he had insulted the faces of the former Grand Marshal Gu Jian棠's subordinates at the Yingchuan city gate, and he couldn't be sure that the deputy commander of the Eastern Guard wouldn't file a joint complaint against him for unauthorized action. As a Beiliang general, Ning Emei didn't need to worry about such trivial matters, but if the Prince thought he was rash, it would be unfair to the forty fallen comrades. So when he heard the horsemen stop, he rode alone to speak his mind, hoping the Prince wouldn't blame the Fengzi Camp, which had maintained the honor of the Beiliang army.

The stall owner and his assistant wisely stood far away.

This man, with his broad shoulders and heavy armor, exuded a commanding presence, not like an ordinary soldier. Could he be a general from Heyang County?

Ning Emei lowered his voice, "At the Yingchuan city gate, I punished those who closed the gate..."

Xu Fengnian interrupted Ning Emei, smiling, "General Ning, did you use your spear to knock down that deputy commander of the Eastern Guard? If I were there, I would have had you strip him of his armor and hang him on the city gate. If you think you've gone too far and are worried about causing me trouble, then those three bowls of wine, I regret inviting you. But if you still feel unsatisfied, I'll invite you to drink three more bowls. What do you say?"

Ning Emei suddenly felt a surge of heroic spirit, his eyes shining, making him look even more impressive, "Then I'll drink three more bowls!"