Chapter 82

Leaving Qingcheng Mountain, Xu Fengnian hired four large boats and sailed down the Yanzi River.

The water here was extremely turbulent, with high mountains on both sides, steep cliffs, and the narrowest part of the river was no more than fifty zhang wide. The danger was second only to Kuimen Pass, where it was said that a Daoist sage had ridden a blue ox. This section of the river was a series of gorges within gorges, and rapids within rapids. Xu Fengnian, dressed in a white robe, stood at the bow of the boat and smiled at Yu Youwei, who was holding Wumei, saying, "We just passed through Shutan and Jian滩, where the Wudang Ancestor Lü Dongxuan hid the Heavenly Books and ancient swords. Don't think that's dangerous; the real danger is the Tongling Gorge ahead. Our four large boats are the limit; any larger, and even the most experienced boatmen would end up hitting the rocks and sinking. Back then, I and Old Huang were half-dead with fear, and I even got seasick, vomiting all over Old Huang. So the local fishermen say that Shutan and Jian滩 aren't really dangerous; Tongling is the real Ghost Gate. When the boat starts to shake badly, don't stand here."

Yu Youwei looked at the scene ahead, her face pale. Just as she was about to turn around, her eyes widened. She saw a small boat seemingly moving against the current.

Straight toward the lead boat, where the large spearman Ning Emei was stationed!

A young man in a green robe held a bamboo pole.

The young man held the pole with both hands, plunging it into the water, causing the back of the small boat to rise.

At the same time, the bamboo pole inserted under the large boat was lifted by the elegant young man.

The black bamboo pole bent into a crescent shape.

One end, the small boat remained steady.

The other end, the large boat was flipped upside down by the bamboo pole!

Is this green-robed man a Dragon King?

The boatmen on the other three boats were so frightened that their hearts nearly stopped.

A single bamboo pole on the river, shocking heaven and earth, making ghosts weep.

The small boat under the green-robed man's feet hit the water again, flowing downstream and disappearing.

Xu Fengnian's eyes widened, and he muttered to himself, "This skill is too overbearing."

——————

Reaching Xiongzhou, the capital was not far away.

In the current dynasty, six members of the royal family have their own fiefs. Except for the Huainan Prince Zhao Ying, who has always detested war, the other five princes have varying degrees of military power, each guarding at least one state. For example, the Jing'an Prince Zhao Heng, the Jiaodong Prince Zhao Sui, and the Langya Prince Zhao Ao. Two of them have even greater military power: the Guangling Prince, who is currently in the old capital of Western Chu, Dahuang City, controls half of the former Western Chu territory and has been suppressing the frequent rebellions, earning a notorious reputation. The Yanliao Prince, stationed on the old border of Southern Tang, commands a strong and well-equipped army, with many valiant generals, and has been vying with the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry for the title of the strongest army. After General Gu Jianchang was summoned to the capital, he completely retired, almost entering the capital alone, and his old subordinates were mostly under the command of these two powerful princes.

The smoke of the wars of the Spring and Autumn period had not yet dissipated, and the empire was just beginning to stabilize. It was a wise move to use the royal princes to protect the state, and there was no objection to this from the imperial court. The only exception was the non-royal Prince Xu Xiao, who caused controversy in the court. At the time, besides Gu Jianchang, many civil officials and strategists wanted the equally valiant Yanliao Prince to move to Northern Liang, but in the end, neither Gu Jianchang nor the Yanliao Prince led their troops north. Although the princes have great power, the *Zongfan Law* imposes many restrictions on them, especially those closer to the capital. For example, the Huainan Prince Zhao Ying of Xiongzhou and the Jiaodong Prince Zhao Sui of the Two Liaos, who are often punished for minor infractions, with many princes and nobles being demoted to commoners. The Yanliao Prince, according to the *Zongfan Law*, cannot easily enter the capital, even for the death of the previous emperor, and the current emperor refused his request to enter the capital, citing the ancestral rules. It is said that this prince faced north and paid his respects from afar, to the point of spitting blood and being bedridden for months, showing his filial piety, which moved the northern scholars who had previously had a poor impression of this arrogant and violent prince to lament and mourn.

In Magu City of Xiongzhou, the state governor and a group of civil and military officials came out thirty miles to welcome a person passing through Xiongzhou, with a grand procession.

The Huainan Prince Liu Ying did not leave the city, as the *Zongfan Law* stipulates that princes cannot leave their fiefs without permission, even for tomb-sweeping or hunting, which requires approval from the capital. The Jiaodong Prince once broke this rule, leading to the dismissal of the Jinzhou governor and the transfer of a group of military officials from the Two Liaos, with their ranks reduced and sent to the southern border under the Yanliao Prince's command. The first rule of the *Zongfan Law* is that "two princes shall not meet." The Huainan Prince Liu Ying is known for his strict adherence to the rules, never overstepping the boundaries of the royal family. When his descendants occasionally broke the rules and were punished, the gentle and refined Huainan Prince never spoke out. As a result, Liu Ying became the prince who visited the capital most frequently, receiving many rewards.

Dozens of former famous Northern Liang spies, including Fan Zhenhai, who once beheaded the head of Zijin Manor with a single strike, Han Laoshan, a disciple of the old martial arts master and spear expert Wang Xiu, and the one-eyed dragon Yang Chunting, who was known for his array of poisons that could defeat even the most formidable experts, surrounded a carriage.

Three hundred heavily armored cavalry rode with thundering hooves.

Xiongzhou's governor Yao Baifeng and everyone else bowed in reverence.

The curtain was not lifted, and no one stepped out of the carriage, but a hoarse voice said, "Enter the city."

No one dared to show the slightest sign of resentment!

After all, Yao Baifeng was a leading figure among the scholars of the three northern states and the head of the powerful Yao family in Xiongzhou. When Zhang Julu was a high-ranking official, he often sought advice from Governor Yao. The Yao family had produced five generations of leading Confucian scholars, known for their contributions to the development of Confucianism, from the concept of moral perception to the understanding of things, and the exploration of principles, which were on par with the Zhu family's Confucianism in the Southern Shangyin Academy, both highly regarded by successive emperors. Yao Baifeng dedicated his life to transforming family teachings into national teachings, with students all over the country. Despite his exalted status, he still bowed to the man in the carriage who did not even deign to show his face.

No wonder the Confucian scholars lack backbone; the Ten Great Noble Families have been decimated by this butcher. Who wouldn't be afraid?!

Moreover, when he took a young concubine at the age of sixty, the literati only saw it as a moral tale of gaining a beautiful wife, but the butcher bluntly called him old and indecent, which made Yao Baifeng so angry that he closed his doors to visitors for half a year until his students and disciples persuaded him to resume teaching.

Inside Magu City, the Huainan Prince Liu Ying, barefoot and with disheveled hair, stood alone in a pavilion, drunk and muttering to himself, appearing somewhat deranged.

Approaching the city gate, the old man from Northern Liang, who was called a "venerable old man," slightly hunched and lifted the curtain, looking sideways at the elderly Yao Baifeng and asked, "Old Yao, who is indecent, where is Liu Ying?"

The emaciated Yao Baifeng, who was particularly sore from riding, replied helplessly, "According to our dynasty's ancestral rules, the Huainan Prince should not meet you."

The Northern Liang Prince Xu Xiao squinted and said, "Oh."

The horsemen passed through the central avenue of Magu City, and everyone knelt, not daring to raise their heads.

Every so often, a voice would ring out.

Uninterrupted.

Making the officials like Yao Baifeng shudder.

"Jinzhou's Eighteen Old Camps, Green Mountain Camp, infantry Zhu Zhen, paying respects to the Great General!"

"Liuxi's Tian Guan Camp, cavalry Song Gong, paying respects to the Great General!"

"Pipa Camp, archer Gong Duankang, paying respects to the Great General!"

...

At this moment, Yao Baifeng and the others could not help but recall the final lines of the *Radiant Northern Liang Spirit Song*, which were truly awe-inspiring.

"Xu Xiao, in life, was a hero; in death, a mighty ghost. Laughing, he goes to the netherworld to summon his old troops, with a million banners to slay the King of Hell!"