Chapter 97

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Handsome One

A few days later, Ouyang Xiu was playing Shuanglu under a tree with Wulang. Shuanglu was a very popular board game in this era.

A set of Shuanglu included a board, fifteen black and fifteen white pieces, and two dice. When playing, one would first roll the two dice, and the number rolled would determine how many steps to move. The player who first moved all their pieces past the opponent's and to the baseline would win.

Due to the large range of movement and the ease of turning the tide, the game had a strong element of fun and chance, yet it still required strategy. Therefore, people of all social strata in the Song Dynasty were very enthusiastic about this game. Unexpectedly, Wulang was an expert at it, and he and Ouyang Xiu were locked in a fierce battle. Chen Ke and Song Duanping were also watching and cheering on the side.

While they were laughing and chatting, the monk Xuanyu, who was meditating nearby, suddenly opened his eyes and said, "A group of horsemen has entered the village."

Sanlang and Song Duanping stood up abruptly, and Wulang also dropped the dice and stood up.

"Sit down," Ouyang Xiu laughed and scolded, "Don't be so jumpy. Even if those bandits had the heart of a bear or the courage of a leopard, they wouldn't dare to come and cause trouble at my door."

Chen Ke and the others, however, didn't share his confidence. They pulled out their weapons from under the table... all of them were straight knives made of fine steel, which they had taken from Xiao Guansuo and his men.

Looking at the young men holding their gleaming weapons and standing in readiness, Ouyang Xiu couldn't help but smile bitterly: 'They are truly a bunch of violent people.'

Climbing up the wall, they looked out from the courtyard of the ancestral hall. They saw several dozen cavalrymen slowly approaching on the country road, and Chen Ke and the others relaxed. If they were here to arrest someone, they wouldn't be so leisurely, and they certainly wouldn't be worried about trampling the crops.

As the cavalrymen drew closer, they could see that the leader was a young man in a white robe, asking people something. After a while, he dismounted, bringing only two attendants with him, and walked toward the ancestral hall where everyone was.

"Seems to be the son of some general," Chen Ke said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Probably here to visit Ouyang Gong."

"Being famous is really troublesome," Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard. "Help me deal with it."

"Alright." Chen Ke went out and met the young man in white at the entrance of the ancestral hall. He was taken aback; this young man was incredibly handsome... in the sunlight, his features, his face, his graceful demeanor, and his white robe were all dazzling, a rare beauty in the world.

Chen Ke had seen many people and was himself quite handsome, but compared to this young man, he felt quite ordinary. What was divine beauty? What was elegance and transcendence? What was the graceful demeanor of a celestial being? Just look at this young man, and you would know.

The young man was long accustomed to such impolite gazes. He smiled warmly and greeted, "Greetings, sir. I am Di Yong, sent by my father to visit Ouyang Gong. May I ask if he is at home?"

"Di Yong..." Chen Ke widened his eyes. "Your father is?"

"My father's name is Di Hanchen."

'So, it's the second son of Di Qing!' Chen Ke suddenly understood. No wonder, he was the 'Handsome One.'

Di Qing had long been known as the most handsome man in the Song Dynasty, but later, his second son took over that title. Di Yong was so handsome that he was called the 'Handsome One' of the Song Dynasty.

"I'll go inform him," Chen Ke said, turning to go inside, feeling a bit depressed: 'Does this guy even let other men live...'

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After being informed, Di Yong was invited in and paid his respects to Ouyang Xiu, presenting gifts and a personal letter from Di Qing.

Opening the letter, Ouyang Xiu said to Chen Ke and the others, "General Di asks you to return with his second son."

"Us?" Chen Ke was surprised. "How does General Di know about us?"

"Hehe, my father is also following orders," Di Yong smiled brightly. "The nobleman requires us to ensure your safety."

"..." Chen Ke looked at Ouyang Xiu, who nodded, and said, "We'll pack up and go with you."

The group went into the inner room and saw Zhao Zongji standing there with a gloomy expression. He and Di Yong knew each other, so he didn't go out to meet him, but he had heard everything they said outside.

Chen Ke and the others also felt gloomy. They all understood that the time to part had come... the young prince and they had come here under unusual circumstances, and it was only because Ouyang Xiu was in mourning in this remote area. They couldn't risk a major scandal by meeting Di Qing.

"All good things must come to an end," Chen Ke, the most carefree, patted Zhao Zongji's shoulder. "How will you go back?"

"You don't need to worry," Zhao Zongji said softly. "My guards have already found me, but they didn't want to disturb me, so they didn't come to fetch me."

"That's a relief," Chen Ke and the others sighed. "Where will you go next? Maybe we can meet up?"

"Nowhere else. If I hadn't run away, we would have returned to the capital long ago," Zhao Zongji shook off his sadness and smiled bitterly. "After I go back, I'll probably be confined to my room."

"Being a prince is different," Chen Ke laughed. "If it were us, we'd be beaten until our butts were bruised."

"I really envy you, being able to travel and gain knowledge," Zhao Zongji sighed. "Write to me often and let me know how you're doing."

"Of course," Song Duanping smiled. "Next time for the imperial exams, we'll go to the capital. Don't forget your promise."

"Of course," Zhao Zongji smiled. "I'll make sure to show you around, feed you, and take you everywhere in Bianliang City!"

"Until we meet again," Chen Ke and the others each hugged Zhao Zongji.

"Until we meet again," Zhao Zongji's eyes were red. Although such days would never come again, such friends could always be with him...

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Five days after leaving Luling, Chen Ke and the others followed Di Yong and met up with the 30,000 Western Army troops led by General Di Qing outside Changsha. These 30,000 troops were the main force used by Di Qing to quell the rebellion. Although the number was not large, they were the strongest army in the Song Dynasty.

Broadly speaking, the Song Dynasty's army was divided into the Imperial Guard and the Garrison Army. The Imperial Guard, as the main force, was further divided into three parts: the Hebei Army, the Western Army, and the Capital Garrison. The total number of all the Imperial Guard troops in the southern regions was less than any one of these three parts.

Originally, among the three parts, the Western Army was the weakest, but after the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Hebei Army quickly became corrupt, and the Capital Garrison had long become a mere formality. Only the Western Army, whether the regular troops of the four routes or the other tribal soldiers, strong men, and archery societies, maintained strong combat power in the battles against the Western Xia and the Qiang tribes of Qingtang.

This was an army that could endure hardship, dare to sacrifice, and fight deep into the desert for thousands of miles to expand the territory of the Song Dynasty! That's why the emperor let Di Qing choose his troops, and he unhesitatingly chose them.

However, the poor discipline of the Western Army was well-known even to Chen Ke. But when he entered the camp set up next to the city, he was surprised to find that the stockades and moats outside the camp were meticulously set up, and the tents inside were arranged according to the Eight Trigrams, orderly and neatly... making it impossible to tell that this was just a temporary camp during a march. The soldiers in the camp, though numerous, were not noisy, and when they moved, they formed ranks in an orderly manner, never encroaching on the road for cavalry.

This was a true army, Chen Ke couldn't help but admire. Compared to the two Guang troops that had retreated to Hengzhou City, it was like night and day.

In fact, the Western Army was still the same Western Army, and the old habit of not following discipline couldn't be changed. But under whose command made a difference. Under Di Qing, these unruly men from Guanzhong and Longxi all became obedient... not only because of his reputation and discipline, but also because the Western Army brothers were determined to support General Di and give the fighting men a chance to raise their heads and breathe freely!

These subtle things, Chen Ke and the others naturally couldn't appreciate, but they felt that walking in this camp was like walking on thin ice, with a sense of awe and respect for General Di Qing that was like the endless flow of the Yellow River.

Arriving at a heavily guarded tent, Di Yong asked them to wait while he went in to inform the general. A moment later, he returned and said, "The general is in a meeting. Please go see County Magistrate Chen first."

"Is my father really released?" On the way, Chen Ke and the others asked Di Yong about this, but Di Yong didn't know. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the camp, they heard this great news.

Following Di Yong to a nearby tent, they met Chen Xiliang, who was wearing a scholar's robe and was just coming out to fetch water.

Seeing Chen Ke and Wulang, he let go of the copper basin, which fell to the ground.

Chen Ke and Wulang's eyes also turned red.

They had once thought they would be separated forever. Now, seeing each other again, though they didn't burst into tears, Chen Xiliang held Sanlang with one hand and Wulang with the other, not letting go for a long time.

Father and son entered the tent together. Chen Ke introduced Xuanyu and Di Yong, and Chen Xiliang sincerely thanked Di Yong, saying, "This time, my son and I can reunite, all thanks to the general's protection. I want to thank him in person. Please convey my gratitude to the second son."

"Of course," Di Yong stood up and bowed. "County Magistrate Chen and his son have much to talk about. I will take my leave and come back later to visit."

After Di Yong left, father and son talked about what had happened since their separation. Not long after Song Duanping's reconnaissance, Chen Xiliang was interrogated daily. At first, the interrogations were indirect, but later, they directly asked about the whereabouts of the accounts. But Chen Xiliang insisted he had never seen them, and no matter how they tortured him, he did not give in.

Fortunately, because of his status as a civil official, they did not dare to go too far, so he did not have any scars. Later, a commander of the Western Army, holding an order from General Di, arrived in Hengyang County a few days before the main force, and took him to this place. He had only arrived the day before.

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The update is basically complete... I'm exhausted...

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