Near the city of Yangchun in the Hu Ting Prefecture, Xu Fengnian and Princess Pei were playing a game of chess inside the carriage, but Xu’s moves were somewhat disarrayed. Princess Pei’s skill had always been on par with the young prince, but today she had won two consecutive games easily. She couldn’t help but lift her gaze to glance at his expressionless face, wondering if it was homesickness that unsettled him—was it because of his eldest sister, Xu Zhihu, who had caused such a scandal that even the imperial court in the capital had been shaken?
Princess Pei herself came from a noble family, accustomed to the sibling rivalries and fraternal betrayals common within aristocratic households, where few families were truly harmonious. Regarding the most notorious widow in Jiangnan, Princess Pei had only heard rumors. Not long ago, she had been slapped by a young lady from a neighboring district who had cleverly coined the term “broken incense burner” to mock her. The incense burner, full of holes, was an allusion to a promiscuous woman, a metaphor not found in any classical texts. When the scholars from the two districts finally grasped the meaning, they were astounded, and the term “Xu Incense Burner” became increasingly popular throughout Jiangnan. Particularly among the noblewomen and young ladies from aristocratic families who had long detested Xu Zhihu, the term became a source of great amusement, often mentioned in casual conversation.
After Xu Fengnian resigned from the game, he did not ask for a rematch this time. Instead, he left the carriage and mounted a snow-white steed from the Western Regions. This fine horse had once been the leader of a wild stallion herd near the borders of Beiliang, and was undoubtedly the finest and strongest heavy horse in the world.
The young prince said to the officer Yuan Meng, who was riding slowly behind him: “Go tell General Ning that we will enter the city together.”
Yuan Meng’s expression brightened, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly. Normally, the Fengzi Squadron kept a distance of one li behind, but today the prince had decided to make a grand entrance, and Yuan was naturally delighted. As the leader of the hundred White Horse Righteous Cavalry, he had felt uneasy since the Reed Marsh campaign in Qingzhou, where the Fengzi Squadron had suffered heavy casualties and been unable to assist the prince effectively in battle. He had always felt a bit like a useless burden. Now, an opportunity had come! He turned his horse around and galloped away, soon reaching Ning Emi, who had taken up his halberd again after his arm healed, and said solemnly: “General Ning, the prince has ordered us to enter the city together!”
General Ning Emi, clad in black heavy armor, nodded, pulled down his visor, and pointed his Divination Character halberd toward Yangchun City. With a sharp kick to his horse’s flanks, he led the Fengzi Squadron cavalry in a rapid advance.
Dust flew into the air.
All the carriages and pedestrians on the main road turned pale at the sound of the ironclad cavalry approaching, and moved to the sides to allow the bold and swift riders to pass.
Xu Fengnian had barely stopped in Xiongbao Prefecture and rode hard, arriving two days earlier than expected at Yangchun City, known as the “earth lung” of the realm. The city’s soil was most suitable for growing peonies, which was why three of the top ten tribute peonies in the empire—Wei Zi, Yao Huang, and Xu Zhihu—were from Yangchun. Xu Fengnian gazed silently at the towering city walls as they drew closer.
The city guards and the common folk on the road all turned to look at the young man in white robes. Goodness, what a magnificent horse! Could it be a celestial steed? Not even the highest officials in Yangchun had such a mount. The gate guards, who were more experienced and knowledgeable, recognized the horse immediately. It was even more impressive than those ridden by generals, and was likely the steed of a top noble family in Yanzhou. They should be careful when asking for travel documents later, and better smile politely. If this young master was generous, perhaps he would even toss them some silver coins.
However, when several guards heard the thunderous sound of ironclad riders approaching, and saw a group of unfamiliar, battle-hardened cavalry charging forward, their expressions turned serious. One of them hurried to report to the city gate officer, while the others ordered the commoners to stop entering or leaving the city. After the ordinary people had moved to the sides of the city walls, the guards reluctantly stepped forward to fulfill their duty, holding their spears and trying to appear stern despite their fear. Among them, a squad leader, unusually tall for a man from Jiangnan, had the authority to carry a sword. He took two steps forward, swallowed hard to moisten his dry throat under the blazing sun, and was about to speak when a general in black armor and wielding a halberd, whose armor and equipment were distinctly different from those of the Yanzhou soldiers, charged to the city gate. Without applying much force, he placed his eighty-jin halberd on the squad leader’s shoulder, causing the sturdy man to stagger.
The foreign general, clad in black armor and riding a black horse like a god of death, coldly said: “Move aside!”
The trembling squad leader stammered: “General, any military unit entering the city must present the imperial seal and official documents from the Ministry of War.”
“General” was originally a title reserved for fewer than ten esteemed military commanders in the Liyang Dynasty, including the Longxiang, Piaoqi, and Fuguo, all of whom held the rank of Zheng Er Pin. Other generals who could be called “General” were rare, such as Xushou, who had recently been stripped of his title as Grand Marshal, and Gu Jiantang, a famous general from the Spring and Autumn Period who held the honorary title of Shang Zhu Guo. However, outside of Beiliang, any officer above the seventh rank was often flattered with the title of “General” by his subordinates. But in public, openly using the title could easily lead to disputes. It was clear that the small soldier from Hu Ting Prefecture was truly terrified of this imposing general whose origins were unknown. Goodness, how could he not be scared? The man was wielding a halberd! In the empire, how many warriors dared to wield a halberd? With a million armored soldiers, how many could even handle such a weapon?
Xu Fengnian looked up at the three characters inscribed in seal script on the city wall—Yangchun City—and pressed his lips together. With a single kick of his horse, he charged in.
The city gate officer, who had just finished half a pot of wine under the shade of a tree in the inner city, hurried over, seeing the thorny situation, his drunkenness instantly dissipated. He knew there was no point in trying to stop them directly, so he decided to try to mediate and stall for time until the authorities were informed, hoping to avoid being caught in the middle. Just as he was about to speak, something flew through the air like a rainbow, striking the stone pavement in front of him with a thunderous boom—a rare black halberd used in military formations! If he had taken one more step forward, he would have been impaled. He stood frozen in terror, and by the time he regained his senses, the young man in white robes on the white horse had already passed through the city gate, followed closely by two carriages. The general in black armor rode slowly past the officer, pulling out his Divination Character halberd.
The cavalry pierced through the city gate.
More than a hundred cold, curved swords were drawn, their sharp blades reflecting blinding light within the narrow gate.
No one dared to move.
Only after the cavalry had vanished from sight did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief. The citizens near the city gate, having witnessed the spectacle, began to murmur among themselves, speculating which noble family’s young master could be so arrogant. Yanzhou had always been home to powerful families. If not for the Spring and Autumn Wars, which had suppressed the influence of the Jiangzuo faction in Yanzhou, the Qing Party, which had recently risen to prominence in Qingzhou, would have been nothing. Before the wars, the Hu Ting Lu Clan, the Jiang Xin Yu Clan, the Bo Ling Yuan Clan, and the Gu Mu Xu Clan had all been top-tier aristocratic families, with eight chancellors serving the Song dynasty. After the catastrophic “nine out of ten lost” caused by the wars, these four families had retreated into obscurity, but the deep-rooted strength of Yanzhou, named after its vastness, was far beyond what Qingzhou could match.
Last year, a governor’s son from Qingzhou had wanted to marry a lame daughter from the Yu Clan as his principal wife, but was rejected. The Yu Clan bluntly stated that the governor’s family was a lowly clan unworthy of their lineage, and that marrying them would be no different from marrying livestock. Yet the governor, who had worked hard to rise through the ranks and become a powerful official in Qingzhou, could only leave in disappointment, unable to respond to the insult. The citizens of Yangchun counted on their fingers, trying to guess who this arrogant young master could be, but none of the four major families in Jiangnan seemed to have such a rude and impolite noble son.
After entering the city, Shu Xiu rode up to the prince and carefully said: “Your Highness, Master Li says he is hungry and wants to eat at that restaurant ahead.”
Xu Fengnian frowned slightly, then nodded and said: “Alright. Shu Xiu, ask for directions to the Lu residence later.”
The prince and his retinue dismounted and entered the restaurant, while the Fengzi Squadron remained mounted and stationed by the roadside.
The restaurant attendants, skilled in observing and listening, quickly ran out to greet the noble guests. They were led to the second floor, which was bustling with customers. The diners were divided into two groups: those near the windows were stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of the elite cavalry in the bustling street, while those farther away were straining to hear the comments of the window-side diners. As soon as Xu Fengnian and the old sword sage sat down and ordered some of the restaurant’s signature dishes and wine, they overheard some not-so-quiet whispers. There were two granaries in the realm: the remote Beiliang was the horse granary, while Jiangnan was the grain granary, rich beyond compare. For centuries, many of the prefectures in Jiangnan had produced outstanding scholars, and the region was known for its strong culture of debate and commentary. In the eyes of Jiangnan scholars, no one was beyond criticism, and no matter what happened, there was always something to discuss. In the three ten thousand students of the Imperial Academy in the capital, the most opinionated were mostly from Jiangnan.
Xu Fengnian sat expressionlessly, waiting for the food to arrive, while Shu Xiu had already asked for directions to the Lu family mansion and was now bowing respectfully beside him, reporting the details. Shu Xiu was a naturally seductive woman, the kind of beauty that made men think of passion and desire at a single glance. Especially now, as she bent over, her bosom was a breathtaking sight, like a pair of upright spring bamboo shoots, almost bursting out of her clothes.
Besides Shu Xiu, Xu Fengnian was also accompanied by Yu Youwei, who held a white cat, and Princess Pei, who was veiled but had a graceful figure. Their beauty was rarely seen in the world, causing the diners on the second floor to drool with desire. They were immediately filled with a strong urge to show off, their voices growing louder as they talked, hoping to be noticed by these rare beauties. Even a glance would be enough to make their hearts race. The Jiangnan region, filled with noble families, had always valued eloquence and philosophical discussions. Scholars and officials dressed in wide robes and broad belts, fanning themselves with feather fans and wearing crane robes. They looked down on riding horses, preferring to travel in ox carts to match their status. Even their book boys had to be chosen for their good looks and red lips and white teeth, and they wouldn’t dare to greet their friends from other noble families without a few maids skilled in playing the zither and brewing tea.
The second floor was filled with loud discussions and lively chatter.
“I heard that in a few days, the empty-headed prince of Beiliang will come to our Hu Ting Prefecture to visit his elder sister. This pair of siblings—one is unlearned, and the other is shameless. They’re a perfect match.”
“If this widow weren’t of loose morals, how could she have been called a ‘two-legged incense burner’ by the wife of Master Chengzhai? That description is truly brilliant. That slap was well-deserved! I heard from some people who were at the Baoguo Temple that after being slapped, this wanton widow actually smiled. She’s truly a woman from Beiliang!”
“You should speak more quietly. I heard that the empress who wrote the “Nüjie” wanted to support her niece, but after the Beiliang general went to the capital, she kept a low profile. There’s even a rumor that she went to the Changchun Palace. Hmph, this world is truly disheartening for scholars like us!”
“Even if that brute can dominate everything, can he extend his reach to Jiangnan? Prime Minister Zhang won’t chop off his claws!”
“That’s true. The Prime Minister is indeed remarkable and a role model for scholars across the land.”
“Master Chengzhai may have some minor faults, but he doesn’t miss the big picture. When reading his poem of cutting ties, one should raise a toast!”
“Indeed, we should all raise a toast. Come on, drink up!”
Suddenly, a man on the second floor stood up, walked to the table where the discussion was most heated, and with a single stroke of his sword, split the entire table in two. He said calmly: “You want to drink, huh? Today, I’ll make you drink until you’re full of urine!”
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