Chapter 29

Upon hearing the words "condescend to take up a position," Liang Xiao immediately understood the young man's intention. This was an invitation, to recruit him as a retainer. To put it more directly, it was to recruit him as a future supporter for the rebellion against the Han dynasty.

Rebellion is a grand undertaking, and of course, it requires careful planning. Historical records state that the Prince of Huainan harbored resentment over his father's death and always wanted to avenge him. However, scholars' rebellions often fail, and after ten years of effort, he was easily defeated by Emperor Wu of Han, losing even more miserably than King Liu Bi of Wu.

However, rebellion and execution were matters of the future. At present, the Prince of Huainan was a renowned virtuous prince, well-versed in learning, a fine writer, and a generous benefactor who respected scholars. He had organized a group to write books, and it was said that he had thousands of retainers. This was a vast retainer group, and while writing books was one aspect, spreading the Prince of Huainan's reputation was even more practical.

Clearly, the Prince of Huainan's recruitment of retainers was somewhat like Confucius recruiting students, teaching without discrimination. He would rather miss out than let go, and he wanted to recruit anyone with a bit of talent to bolster his influence.

For an ordinary commoner to be recruited by the Prince of Huainan's household, this was a huge honor. Logically, Liang Xiao should have been moved to tears and bowed in gratitude. Unfortunately, he knew this was a poisonous apple, beautiful to look at but deadly to consume.

However, Liang Xiao couldn't outright refuse. He and Tu Niu'er were being threatened by several swords, and they had stumbled upon their secret. If he said no, what if they killed them to silence them?

Liang Xiao racked his brains and decided to play dumb. "Make friends? We've only met once and don't know each other at all. Isn't that a bit hasty?"

"You don't know me, but I know you very well," the young man in brocade said. "You are Liang Xiao, born with long arms, skilled in crossbow shooting. You have only a widowed mother at home, who weaves fine brocade. He is Tu Niu'er, who has both parents and a sister named Tu Hua, who is eighteen and unmarried. They are currently planning to sell land to raise her dowry. You both live in Qingyunli, and his house is by the community tree. Have I said anything wrong?"

"Hey, how do you know so much about us?" Tu Niu'er was both surprised and pleased, but also a bit不服气 (unwilling to admit it). "We only know..."

Liang Xiao, sensing trouble, kicked Tu Niu'er hard without thinking. Unprepared, Tu Niu'er yelped, startling the young man in brocade. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing, nothing. He was injured today while saving me," Liang Xiao said, pretending to support Tu Niu'er and whispering in his ear, "If you want to live, shut up."

Confused, Tu Niu'er didn't dare to be careless and quickly closed his mouth.

The young man in brocade looked at Liang Xiao suspiciously. Even a fool could see there was something amiss.

Liang Xiao laughed and took the initiative. "You know us very well, but we don't know who you are at all. Your accent doesn't sound like you're from Guangling..."

Tu Niu'er rolled his eyes, and Liang Xiao glared at him, forcing a bright smile. Tu Niu'er, seeing this, stared blankly and had to cover his mouth, pretending to be in pain.

The young man in brocade laughed. "You're right, I haven't introduced myself, which is impolite. My name is Liu Ling, from the state of Huainan. My family has some wealth, and I've come out to travel and broaden my horizons. They are my attendants, and as for Lord Lei, you must have heard of his great name, so I won't elaborate."

Upon hearing the name Liu Ling, Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He knew of a Liu Ling, but not a prince, rather a daughter of Prince Liu An of Huainan. She was an unconventional and daring woman who had volunteered to be a spy in Chang'an for the Prince of Huainan's rebellion.

Could this be the same person?

Liang Xiao naturally glanced at the young man's neck and chest. However, the light was dim, and the young man's collar was high, so he saw nothing. His chest was slightly bulging, resembling both an underdeveloped girl and a well-built young man. However, the young man, feeling his gaze, touched his neck awkwardly, which made Liang Xiao even more suspicious.

This young man was likely a woman in disguise, and very possibly the daring princess. Disguising as a man wasn't unusual, and the name Liu Ling wasn't either, but having Lei, a famous swordsman of the Prince of Huainan's household, as an attendant was too obvious.

Strange, didn't they think this was too conspicuous? Or was their inherent scholarly air making them fearless?

Thinking of this, Liang Xiao became even more nervous. He was absolutely unwilling to join the Prince of Huainan's doomed rebellion. However, how to refuse was a delicate matter. He couldn't make them lose face or suspect that he had seen through something.

"Originally, I thought you were Liu Ling, it's a pleasure to meet you," Liang Xiao said, bowing. "To be recognized by you is a great honor, and I should serve you. However, I have an elderly mother at home. As the saying goes, 'While parents are alive, one should not travel far.' I will serve you after my mother passes away to repay your kindness today. Farewell, farewell!"

Liang Xiao said this and dragged Tu Niu'er away. An attendant grunted and extended his sword, blocking Liang Xiao's path. Liang Xiao had no choice but to turn around and look at the young man in brocade, Liu Ling, with an innocent face.

Liu Ling walked up to Liang Xiao, looking him up and down with a mysterious smile. "Liang Xiao, you're not being honest."

"I wouldn't dare," Liang Xiao said with a dry laugh.

"Parents should not be left alone, and one should not travel far. This shows your filial piety, and I shouldn't question it. However, if Liang Xiao is such a filial son, why are you out at this late hour, not staying with your mother, and breaking into the Hu family's house? Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble and causing your parents to grieve?"

Liang Xiao was startled, his scalp tingling. This was a direct threat. If Liu Ling killed him now and the Hu family reported it to the authorities, saying he had broken into their house, it would be a sure conviction. Hu Lai would be more than happy to help.

"This..." Liang Xiao pondered for a moment and sighed. "To be honest, I did this today out of necessity. You must have seen what happened earlier. Hu Lai is determined to kill me, and I had no choice..."

"So you couldn't defeat him face-to-face, so you came to assassinate him?" Liu Ling grunted, his face darkening, and his eyes filled with disdain.

Liang Xiao shook his head. "No, I really don't understand why Hu Lai wants to kill me. He has pursued me relentlessly, and I just want to know why. If I have wronged him, I would apologize or face him in a fair duel. Even if I die, I would do so willingly. This unclear situation is what confuses me."

Liu Ling was taken aback. "You don't know why Hu Lai wants to kill you?"

"No, I don't."

"That's strange." Liu Ling's curiosity was piqued. He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin, his eyes darting. "Is it because you're worried about not being able to work with Hu Lai that you're unwilling to accept my invitation?"

Liang Xiao, hearing this, nodded vigorously. "Exactly. If Hu Lai and I have a deep-seated grudge, wouldn't that put you in a difficult position? Hu Lai's martial skills and family background are far superior to mine. If I join you, wouldn't it be a great loss for you to lose such a capable person?"

"I understand. This matter shouldn't be forced," Liu Ling nodded. "Let me investigate first. If I can resolve the conflict between you two, we can discuss it then. If not, we'll have to part ways."

Liang Xiao bowed in gratitude and pulled Tu Niu'er away. Liu Ling, clearly feeling a bit regretful, personally escorted Liang Xiao to the door, bidding him a reluctant farewell.

None of them noticed that in a distant alley, Hu Lai was hiding behind a wall, looking surprised.

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