To everyone’s surprise, after Wang Xionggui returned to the capital, His Majesty the Emperor did not fly into a rage. Instead, during the court assembly, he offered comforting words to this Guangling Dao Military Commissioner. However, upon learning that the Tangxi Sword Immortal Lu Baijie’s fate remained unknown and that he had not pledged allegiance to the rebellious Prince Zhao Bing, the young emperor’s expression seemed visibly moved.
Upon hearing this news, not only did Emperor Zhao Zhuan breathe a sigh of relief, but in fact, all court officials hailing from Jiangnan Dao felt a weight lifted from their shoulders. Among the four great aristocratic families of Jiangnan, the Lu clan, with Lu Daolin and Lu Baijie successively serving as ministers in the Liyang court, had risen to become the leading figure among the Jiangnan faction. If Lu Baijie, the de facto leader of the Southern faction, were to openly betray the Liyang Zhao imperial house, it would inevitably trigger a political catastrophe that would shake the very core of Liyang. It was likely that the other three prominent families of Jiangnan Dao, who shared close ties with the Lu clan, secretly wished—to varying degrees—that Lu Baijie would choose to die honorably for his country rather than live on in disgrace. At the very least, as long as no news of Lu Baijie’s defection emerged, it would be the best possible outcome in an otherwise unfortunate situation.
In truth, the performance of the military officers during the Chunxue Lou incident had been deeply disappointing.
General Yuan Tingshan of Jizhou—betrayed.
Song Li, a former officer of Chunxue Lou who had risen to prominence in the Liyang court by suppressing the remnants of Western Chu, a powerful general with the prestigious “Zhen” title—betrayed.
Qi Shence, a scion of the Guangling Dao aristocracy and a top talent from the Shangyin Academy, who had only just begun to make his mark—also betrayed.
Moreover, it was rumored that these three men each led a cavalry unit as vanguard forces, advancing toward the still-incomplete defensive line of Lu Shengxiang’s army south of the capital.
There were, however, some encouraging developments. Xu Gong, the newly appointed military governor of Lianghuai Dao, mobilized his troops southward to establish a north-south defensive line, securing several key passes and military towns in advance, ensuring the western gateway to the capital remained temporarily secure.
Two deputy generals of Jizhou, Han Fang and Yang Huchen, each led elite cavalry south at full speed, coordinating with the newly appointed Jing’an Dao military governor Ma Zhongxian to stabilize the central plains north of the Guangling River, preventing further unrest.
Cai Bai, the adopted son of the former military governor Cai Nan, was promoted to the position of Hezhou General upon the strong recommendation of Military Commissioner Han Lin. He swiftly led his troops to reinforce Xu Gong in Jizhou without hesitation.
Among the regional military officers, some were traitors, dreaming of securing glory by supporting a usurper, while others proved their loyalty in times of crisis, standing firm like sturdy grass in the wind.
After safely returning to his residence, Wang Xionggui, still the Guangling Dao Military Commissioner for the time being, declined his wife’s suggestion to immediately bathe and change clothes to dispel ill fortune. Instead, he summoned two stewards from his household and tasked them with inviting two individuals with whom he had long severed ties: Zhao Youling, the Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat, second only to the Chief Grand Councilor Qi Yanglong, and Yin Maochun, who had risen from the Hanlin Academy to become the Minister of Personnel. Both stewards were taken aback, for not only had their master made it clear he would have nothing to do with these two men, but even Yin Maochun and Zhao Youling, though related by marriage, had maintained a distant relationship, with no private interactions since their families were joined.
Thus, as the two stewards left the sparsely visited residence, they assumed their efforts would be in vain. Yet, to their surprise, shortly after their departure, a distinguished visitor arrived—Yuan Huo!
Like them, Yuan Huo had emerged from the “Yonghui Spring,” once a promising official under the illustrious Zhang Ju. In fact, in his early years, Yuan Huo’s talent had even surpassed that of Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, who had ranked in the top three of the imperial examinations. He had long been the favorite protégé of the venerable “Old Straightforward” (Tantan Weng). However, due to his overly carefree nature, profound erudition, and sharp wit, Yuan Huo was soon overtaken in the political arena by Zhao and Yin, and eventually left far behind by Wang Xionggui and Han Lin. After a brief resurgence during the transition from the Yonghui to the Xiangfu era, where he served as minister of two ministries, he quickly fell out of imperial favor and was demoted to serve as deputy military governor in the Liangliao Dao, where he achieved little. Neither Gu Jiantang nor Prince Zhao Sui of Jiaodong paid him much attention, and even the scholars of Liangliao held little regard for this increasingly indecisive “Mr. Agreeable.” Thus, Yuan Huo’s return to the capital stirred no waves, though the younger generation—whom he had once tricked into drinking as children—gathered at his residence for a lively reunion.
Wang Yuanran, Wang Xionggui’s youngest son and the capital’s most notorious playboy, had been introduced to the pleasures of courtesans by none other than Yuan Huo. For such trivial matters, Han Lin, the former Vice Minister of Justice renowned for his mild and upright character, had once severed ties with the irreverent Yuan Huo. Yet over the years, whether it was the idle scions like Wang Yuanran or the ambitious youths like Yin Changgeng, Yin Maochun’s eldest son, all found Yuan Huo’s lack of pretension endearing.
When Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun arrived one after another at Wang Xionggui’s study, four of the five most outstanding young men from the Zhang Ju era—save for Han Lin, who was serving as military commissioner in the distant northwest—were reunited.
Once seated, the four men fell into an unexpected silence.
As host, Wang Xionggui raised his teacup and said softly with a smile, “I offer tea in place of wine. From now on, I entrust Zisi to your care.”
“Zisi” was Wang Yuanran’s courtesy name, bestowed by the venerable Tantan Weng (Huan Wen). Yet all four men present knew the secret behind it: Wang Xionggui had initially hoped their mentor, Zhang Julu, would grant the name. However, Chief Grand Councilor Zhang had no interest in such ceremonial gestures and had never bestowed a courtesy name on anyone. In contrast, the learned Tantan Weng was always obliging, whether to colleagues or scholarly friends. His enduring political survival likely stemmed from such small but consistent acts of goodwill. Wang Xionggui had mentioned it casually, never daring to expect the Chief Grand Councilor to make an exception—especially given his son’s notorious reputation among noble youths, which he knew all too well. During annual New Year visits to the Chief Grand Councilor’s residence, Wang Yuanran and his brothers would tremble like mice in a cat’s den, not daring to utter a word. This was hardly surprising, for even Zhang Julu’s own sons stood petrified in his presence.
Yet, for reasons unknown, the name “Zisi” was indeed Zhang Julu’s creation, though he had discreetly conveyed it through Huan Wen, unwilling to make it public.
Wang Xionggui had been overjoyed, nearly moved to tears. But as a seasoned official, he dared not breathe a word of it, even to his wife and son.
Yuan Huo was the first to speak. “Why not? Zisi has turned over a new leaf, no longer the aimless youth he once was. As his elder, I’d be happy to help.” He then turned to Zhao Youling with a grin and asked pointedly, “Wouldn’t you agree, Minister Zhao?”
Zhao Youling shot him a glare but, under Wang Xionggui’s pleading gaze, nodded with a smile. “Of course.”
Only Yin Maochun remained silent.
During the Yonghui Spring, Yin Maochun had shone brightly, earning the favor of Yuan Benxi, the former imperial tutor of Liyang, who groomed him as a future grand councilor, valuing him even more than Song Dongming.
Having presided over the Hanlin Academy for over a decade, Yin Maochun was now the most celebrated statesman whose “disciples filled the realm.” In a way, his potential surpassed even that of Zhao Youling, who currently held a slightly higher rank and greater authority.
Wang Xionggui did not press Yin Maochun, nor did he dare to.
To his surprise, after setting down his teacup, Yin Maochun uttered a single word: “Agreed.”
Wang Xionggui suddenly said, “Our mentor once said: ‘A scholar’s duty is to govern the nation without shirking, to save it within his means, but never to plunge it into chaos.'”
Yuan Huo nodded. “If I recall correctly, he did say that.”
Wang Xionggui fell silent for a moment. “After the Western Chu rebellion was quelled, the chaos in the Jiang clan’s court in Guangling Dao—you three did not witness it firsthand, so you cannot imagine the true colors scholars reveal only in life-and-death situations.”
He laughed self-deprecatingly. “After our dynasty unified the Central Plains and compiled the histories of the fallen states, we often came across absurd anecdotes—how the water was too cold or the well too narrow, how one’s home lacked beams or white silk for hanging. I never quite believed them until now, when I saw and heard it all myself.”
Wang Xionggui rose and walked to the window, where snow swirled outside. “At the Chunxue Lou victory banquet, when Chen Zhubao, Zhao Bing, and Nalan Youci arrived together with their intimidating presence, backed by thousands of rebel troops below, only the Tangxi Sword Immortal stood forth and openly challenged Zhao Bing. And I, Wang Xionggui, a second-rank frontier official like Lu Baijie, though furious, dared not speak.”
He turned back with a smile. “I’ve often wondered—what would our mentor have said or done had he been there?”
Yin Maochun pondered deeply, while Zhao Youling smiled without a word.
Yuan Huo stroked his beard. “I suspect our mentor, who never raised a hand in anger, might have broken precedent and given Zhao Bing a thrashing.”
Yin Maochun burst into laughter, unrestrained for the first time.
Zhao Youling, a master of courtly decorum, also chuckled knowingly.
Wang Xionggui straightened his robes, turned to the window, and bowed solemnly.
Yuan Huo sighed, slowly rose, adjusted his attire, and bowed as well.
Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun exchanged a glance, stood together, and bowed.
Such is the way of scholars.
No matter what other scholars in the world may think or do, we disciples of Zhang Ju shall cultivate ourselves, regulate our families, govern the nation, and bring peace to the realm!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage