Chapter 351: Father and Son

A rare visitor arrived at the small willow-filled estate on Jingtu Mountain, and the white-robed man, its master, personally stood at the gate to welcome him. When he saw the hunchbacked old man step down from the carriage, a rare, genuine smile graced his face. He hurried forward respectfully and called out, “Father.”

The old man nodded, glancing around with a chuckle. “Didn’t know there was such a picturesque place on the border of Beiliang.”

Had the old man’s legitimate eldest son been present, he surely would have scoffed, “What picturesque scenery? Not even a single stream. What a pretentious joke.” To outsiders, this seemingly unremarkable father and son pair bore no resemblance to the titles of Beiliang King and the “Little Butcher.” The common folk, especially the elderly, often imagined these two “Yan Wangs” feasting on human flesh and drinking blood, shouting about killing tens of thousands the next day. Yet now, Xu Xiao was merely asking about the estate’s food supply and how they kept cool in the summer heat, while Chen Zhibao answered with a smile.

This was the first time Xu Xiao had visited the estate. Under Chen Zhibao’s protection, the servants had grown accustomed to a life of short-sighted comfort, and few recognized Xu Xiao’s identity. Fortunately, Xu Xiao was not the kind to flaunt his status and paid no heed to their ignorance. If someone like Li Gongde, the first governor of the new Beiliang Circuit, had been here, he would have wanted to gouge their eyes out and feed them to dogs. Chen Zhibao, however, remained calm and even refrained from explicitly revealing Xu Xiao’s identity throughout their stay, from entering the estate to sitting beneath the shade of the willows.

The estate had no towering walls on its perimeter. Beneath the gently swaying willows, father and son could see the endless expanse of yellow sands. A dainty maid brought a basin of ice-chilled lychees. The ice had been painstakingly chipped away from the ice cellar with small hammers. Lychees, a rare delicacy said to grow only in the southern jungles, were regularly delivered to the estate. Yet Chen Zhibao seldom tasted them himself, distributing them among the servants instead. This habit subtly refined the young girls’ palates, making them quite picky, and their speech and demeanor grew haughty. Occasionally, when they ventured out of the estate together for spring outings or lantern festivals, even the daughters of noble families would feel inferior to these maids, who, despite their lowly status, exuded confidence.

The elderly butler, who fretted over every trivial matter of the estate, had once mentioned this to General Chen. But the ever-amiable master merely laughed it off, so the issue was dropped. In private conversations with the young servants, the old steward would often remind them, “Our general enforces strict discipline in the army. You’re lucky to serve here. If you were in the Beiliang army, you’d have been stripped of your hides long ago.” The servants, especially the girls, who had never seen the general angry, would laugh and reply, “Even if the general killed us, we’d die happy.” The old steward, a retired soldier from the Beiliang army, would shake his head helplessly but also feel a sense of joy, thinking to himself, “What a blessing it is for us servants.”

Xu Xiao picked up a lychee, known as “Li Zhi” (meaning “departed from the branch”), peeled it, and popped it into his mouth. He turned to the pretty maid who lingered nearby and asked, “Little girl, how old are you?”

The maid had been stealing glances at the general when the old man’s question startled her. Few guests visited the estate, and she couldn’t quite place the old man’s identity—was he a current general from Beiliang or an official from one of the provinces? But he seemed kind enough. Even the most powerful officials dared not cause trouble at this estate. She smiled and replied, “After the New Year, I’ll be sixteen.”

Xu Xiao swallowed the lychee whole, seed and all, and laughed heartily, “Any sweetheart yet? If so, I’ll have your General Chen arrange a match for you.”

The maid, with her delicate oval face and faintly rouged cheeks, blushed and shyly replied, “No.”

Chen Zhibao, clearly in high spirits, unusually teased her, “Green Lacquer, if you ever find someone, I’ll be your matchmaker.”

The maid, whose heart belonged entirely to the general, misunderstood his words, thinking he meant to send her away from the estate. Her eyes welled up, but she dared not show her emotions in front of the guest. She looked adorably on the verge of tears. Xu Xiao found the girl lively and amusing and laughed heartily, while Chen Zhibao merely smiled and shook his head. Green Lacquer, flustered by their laughter, didn’t know how to react but soon relaxed and smiled again.

After his laughter subsided, Xu Xiao, as if testing her, picked up another plump lychee and asked, “Green Lacquer, do you know what this is?”

The sixteen-year-old girl, standing gracefully beneath the willow tree, replied with a smile, “Lychee.”

Xu Xiao nodded. “Lychee, once separated from its branch, changes color in a day, loses its fragrance in two, and its flavor in three. By the fourth or fifth day, all its qualities are gone. After ten days, it becomes unrecognizable, worse than the watermelons we sell for a few coins a catty here in Beiliang. ‘Li Zhi’—what a fitting name. Only a scholar could come up with something like that.”

The maid, fearing the guest might think poorly of the estate, quickly protested, “Old sir, our lychees are very fresh!”

Chen Zhibao said nothing, merely waved his hand, and the maid obediently stepped back, though a hint of childish indignation lingered on her face.

Once she was out of earshot, Chen Zhibao spoke slowly, “The southern The Post Road (postal road) you built, Father, aside from transporting imperial timber like rosewood and huanghua, and tributes like lychees and other delicacies, remains passable. The rest, however, is hardly worth mentioning. If not for Zhang Julu personally overseeing the beacon fire system, the Beacon Tower (watchtowers) would have been completely abandoned.”

Xu Xiao glanced at the fresh lychees on the ice tray and smiled, “It’s hard to prepare for danger when you’re at ease, just as it’s hard to be content with what you have.”

Chen Zhibao suddenly said, “Father, what if you and the Crown Prince came here for New Year’s Eve dinner this year? I could cook a few dishes myself.”

Xu Xiao teased, “In the end, you just want Wei Xiong to taste your cooking, don’t you?”

Chen Zhibao smiled helplessly.

In Beiliang, the sun set an hour and a half later than in the south, but it still set eventually. As father and son gazed at the setting sun, Xu Xiao, moved by the scene, softly said, “These years have been hard on you.”

As Chen Zhibao was about to speak, Xu Xiao asked with a grin, “How did your two fights with the Copper Man Patriarch of the Chess and Sword Bureau and the martial arts prodigy Hong Jingyan go?”

Chen Zhibao smiled. “Though the stories spread far and wide, I never fought either of them to the death. I didn’t even get to use my Plum Wine (plum wine spear).”

The famed white-robed general frowned. “Hong Jingyan is a formidable one. His fight with me was just a way to build his reputation. When he moves from the martial world into the military, he will surely become a great enemy to Beiliang.”

Xu Xiao rubbed his hands together and sighed, “The Northern Liang is full of talents.”

It was inevitable for generals to have their own factions within the military, but Chen Zhibao was never known to engage in political scheming or favoritism within Beiliang. Whether it was officials like Li Gongde, who took bribes at every opportunity, or former high-ranking officials like Yan Jie Xi, who had once been respected but later betrayed Beiliang, or even many scholars and literati, Chen Zhibao ignored them all. After leaving the bustling military life, he secluded himself in this quiet estate, never entertaining guests or seeking connections. One could not find a single flaw in the so-called “Butcher’s” adopted son. Privately, he lived a simple, desireless life, making him admirable, yet also a bit frightening to some.

Chen Zhibao glanced at the sky and softly said, “Father, it’s getting cold.”

Xu Xiao nodded and stood up, shaking his head. “I’m really getting old.”

Chen Zhibao had come to the estate gate to greet him and accompanied him all the way out. Even after Xu Xiao entered the carriage, the white-robed man remained standing there, motionless for a long time.

※※※

After General Gu Jiantang took command of the border, the entire army fell into strict order.

Yet rumors spread like wildfire among the troops—this famed general, known for his meticulous command, had taken in a lazy, good-for-nothing as his adopted son!

In the Liyang Dynasty, Gu Jiantang, who had conquered two nations, was second only to the notorious Beiliang King in military achievements. Unlike the Beiliang King, Gu Jiantang’s reputation rivaled that of any renowned scholar. He treated his soldiers like sons, respected the virtuous, and was a master strategist. Both the court and the common people praised him, with not a single negative word spoken. Even his many beautiful concubines were seen as a tale of celestial love. His eldest son, Gu Donghai, and second son, Gu Xishan, had joined the military at a young age and upheld their father’s honor with notable achievements, surpassing their peers. Remarkably, they kept their distance from the capital’s aristocratic wastrels, never mingling or feasting with them.

Such a general, whose only disadvantage compared to the Beiliang King was age, and whose greatest advantage would also be age, had taken in a reckless vagabond named Yuan Ting Shan. This baffled many.

Yuan Ting Shan, who had spent his life as a stray dog and a rat on the run, firmly believed he was destined for greatness. Even after becoming the adopted son of Gu Jiantang, the greatest swordsman in the land, he felt it was only natural, without the slightest sense of gratitude. He had nearly died at the hands of a young martial arts master in Jiangnan’s Baoguo Temple, fleeing all the way to the northern frontier. Though he still woke from nightmares, soaked in cold sweat, gripping the knife under his pillow, ready to kill, this fear only drove him to train harder. With secret martial arts manuals gifted by an immortal from Longhu Mountain, his cultivation skyrocketed, advancing at an astonishing pace.

Confident in his martial prowess, he recklessly challenged Gu Jiantang to a duel, Break in (breaking into) the military camp, killing eighty men before being captured by hundreds of elite soldiers. Yet this misfortune turned into fortune—Gu Jiantang agreed to fight him in the training ground. The general fought barehanded, while Yuan wielded a blade. But Gu Jiantang seized the sword with just two fingers, and no matter how hard Yuan tried, he couldn’t pull it free. A single kick from Gu nearly tore Yuan’s intestines, and he was tossed out like a barking dog. Yet ten days later, Yuan returned, alive and kicking, challenging again. This time, Gu Jiantang let his second son, Gu Xishan, fight him unarmed. Yuan nearly strangled Gu Xishan, so Gu Donghai took off his sword, grabbed two standard-issue blades from the rack, kept one, and tossed the other to Yuan. They fought over a hundred rounds, and Yuan’s arm was nearly severed. He grinned, admitted defeat, and afterward, casually took the excellent military blade with him.

A month later, Yuan returned for the third time, earning the nickname “Crazy Dog.” This time, he slashed Gu Donghai over a dozen times, but mercifully left him alive.

Yuan Ting Shan, brandishing his blade at the general seated atop the command platform, shouted, “Old man Gu, if you don’t kill me today, I’ll take your place one day!”

From that day on, the dog who escaped death became the Mad Dog (crazy dog) known along the border.

Later, this ruthless, unkillable young Mad Dog somehow won the heart of General Gu’s youngest daughter.

It was clear that Yuan Ting Shan was both an adopted son and half a son-in-law to the Gu family.

Though Yuan held no real military rank, he had obtained a nominal title of the sixth grade. Within a year, he used the general’s name to gather a hundred or so ruffians from the martial world. In the past six months, he had been provoking sects along the border, exuding an air of “obey or perish.” General Gu turned a blind eye. Nearly all second- and third-tier sects along the border were thrown into chaos by Yuan Ting Shan. Some sects, known for their rigid principles and stubbornness, were completely wiped out. Occasionally, he spared women and children, but Yuan, though he killed without blinking, never resorted to raping or abducting women.

This time, Yuan wiped out a small hundred-man sect that refused to yield, nearly annihilating them all. During the massacre, one of his henchmen, overcome with lust, stripped a helpless beauty and pinned her on a table. Yuan saw this and, in one stroke, killed both the man and the woman.

A woman secretly followed Yuan Ting Shan on his journey of sword-wielding glory, riding back to the military town. As she looked at the man lying lazily on his horse, she softly asked, “Why did you kill the woman too? Killing the rapist would have been enough.”

Yuan Ting Shan coldly replied, “Once a woman loses her virtue, living is just suffering.”

The woman gently said, “Perhaps she wanted to survive?”

Yuan snapped, “That’s not my problem!”

Before she could say more, Yuan angrily shouted, “Stop nagging me! Just because we haven’t even reached the house, you think you’re already my wife?!”

The woman, born into the highest nobility of the dynasty, was scolded by a man who had only recently been a common brute—but she didn’t get angry. She merely stuck out her tongue.

Yuan Ting Shan’s expression was unpredictable; he sat upright with a grin and asked, “By the way, where did you leave off last time when talking about the ‘Military Training Chronicles’ written by your father?”

Gu Bei Hu, the youngest daughter of the great general Gu Jian Tang, became interested and replied, “It’s about to discuss the nineteen essentials of marching.”

Yuan Ting Shan rolled his eyes and said, “Marching? I know that too. The essence is simply speed. Look at my men—they ride fast, draw their swords fast, kill fast, and rob money even faster. Of course, when the wind shifts, they run fastest of all.”

Gu Bei Hu, known in the capital for her spoiled and difficult temperament, seemed to be one of those cases where a villain meets his match. With Yuan Ting Shan, she was unusually gentle and obedient. She covered her mouth with a coquettish laugh and then spoke seriously, “Marching isn’t that simple. My father not only read extensively in military texts of past dynasties, but also carefully studied the tactics of several groups of marauding bandits during the Spring and Autumn Period who were skilled in marching. He told me that although these bandits could not grasp the larger situation, their strength lay in mobility. Their tactics were superior in movement, with each camp numbering thousands or even tens of thousands, advancing in alternating waves, with the elderly and weak in the center and the elite cavalry on the outside. When they marched, scouts scouted far ahead, and when they stopped, they rested their horses and gathered provisions—all following hidden rules. Moreover, my father greatly admired Lu Shang Xiang’s thousand riders capturing Luzhou in a snowy night, and Chu Lu Shan’s solo campaign into Shu. He often studied these victories by comparing them with geographical maps, analyzing them repeatedly. Not to mention other aspects, regarding maps alone, most armies relied on the Bureau of Military Affairs under the Ministry of War to provide maps before battle, but in my father’s army, before entering any region, his desk already had a precise and detailed map. During the Spring and Autumn Wars, my father personally destroyed two nations. When he entered the imperial palace, the first thing he seized was not the beautiful concubines or the gold and treasures, but the nation’s maps and books. From this, one can understand the cities and strategic points, the population, and the amount of taxes.”

She imitated the general’s tone, smiling with an air of age and authority, “All the details of a nation are in my hands.”

Gu Bei Hu spoke with great enthusiasm, but Yuan Ting Shan listened with drowsy disinterest. Originally, she had wanted to delve into the nineteen essentials of marching in detail, but seeing that the man she admired showed no desire to listen, she reluctantly gave up.

Suddenly Yuan Ting Shan said, “Hey, flat as a pancake.”

Gu Bei Hu glared at Yuan Ting Shan for his crude remark, quickly looking down at her own flat chest with a pout of Grievance.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Ting Shan, for once, said something human, “I’ve thought about it. Your chest may be small, but you’re still a capable wife. As long as you’re not jealous, it’s not bad to marry you as the main wife.”

Gu Bei Hu instantly became radiant.

Unfortunately, Yuan Ting Shan poured cold water over her, saying, “Let me get this straight—I will definitely take beautiful concubines in the future. If a man has money, not having three or four wives is just not right. It’s a waste of a life.”

Gu Bei Hu muttered under her breath, “Not a chance. If you dare to bring those lowly women home, one comes—I’ll kill her, two come—I’ll poison them both, three come—I’ll—I’ll go back to my father’s house and tell him!”

Yuan Ting Shan burst into laughter.

Seeing him happy, Gu Bei Hu also felt happy.

Her mother had once said that this was what it meant for a woman to be in love.

Yuan Ting Shan lowered his head, reached out, and touched the plain scabbard of his standard-issue sword. Looking up, he said, “My parents died in the chaos of war, and I don’t even know where they’re buried. In this life, I only recognized one master. Although his martial arts were nothing special, he treated me well. ‘One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.’ At least I know where the old man’s grave is. If you marry me, you’ll have to go with me to kowtow there a few times. The old man also loved his wine, so bring some good stuff—expensive stuff. Gu Bei Hu, do you think that as the daughter of a great general, doing something like this would be beneath you?”

The girl shook her head vigorously, biting her lip.

Yuan Ting Shan grinned, nudged his horse closer to hers, and with his calloused hand, gently tousled her hair.

※※※

Li Gong De, originally the second-in-command in a single province, had recently risen to become the second most powerful official in the entire Beiliang Circuit, and his demeanor had become deeply composed, rarely showing emotion. However, after receiving a letter from home, he began laughing uncontrollably, showering servants with silver rewards wherever he went. The steward carrying the silver behind him, already thin and weak, nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Li Gong De’s skill at squeezing money from the land was renowned even in the Liyang Dynasty—giving it away? Now that was a rare event!

The governor slowly strolled through the garden of his mansion, his usually stout frame, which would complain after only a few steps, now walking for miles with boundless energy. Without turning his head, he smiled at the steward, “Lin Wang, you know, I’ve finally saved face this time. My precious son has become an exceptional scout handpicked from thousands, and this time in the Northern Man territory, he killed countless barbarians. This kind of military merit is pure and unadulterated. Not only in Fengzhou, but even in all of Beiliang, you can’t find a single hand’s worth of such achievements. Tell me, how is my son Hanlin? Isn’t he a dragon among men?”

The steward, Lin Wang, dared not disagree. Thinking to himself, “Master, you’ve repeated this dozens of times already,” he still responded with a fervent, flattering tone, “Yes, yes, yes! Master’s words are spot on. If Young Master Hanlin isn’t a dragon among men, then no one in Beiliang deserves that title!”

But the old steward, who had long witnessed the young master causing chaos in Fengzhou, was genuinely astonished. Truly, the master’s ancestors must have been smiling, for such a son, who was neither scholarly nor particularly martial, had entered the Beiliang army less than two years ago and had truly made a name for himself.

Li Gong De frowned slightly, “You’re not being precise enough. Of course, you must exclude the two princes. Only then does my son come into play.”

Lin Wang quickly replied, “Yes, yes, yes!”

In Beiliang, there was a joke about this governor: he had three things he saw and three things he didn’t see. The three things he saw were opportunism, greed for money, and lust for beauty. The three things he didn’t see were not acting without seeing the rabbit, not crying without seeing the coffin, and not kneeling without seeing the Prince of Beiliang. The subtlety of this saying seemed neither great nor small, depending on one’s perspective. In the eyes of the opportunists in Beiliang’s officialdom, they all considered themselves disciples of this unshakable official, Master Li. The maids and servants, hearing that the violent young master was about to return home in triumph with distinguished military achievements, felt a mix of disbelief and dread. Since Li Gong De refused to kneel even to the Prince of Beiliang, having dared to ignore imperial edicts more than once—receiving them, turning around, and tossing them aside—it was easy to imagine how rebellious this border official was who had enjoyed a smooth career. As the saying goes, like father, like son. Before joining the army, Li Hanlin, as the son of Li Gong De and a hooligan companion of the prince, had lived up to his reputation as a wastrel, with a long list of misdeeds. Without those two golden tickets to immunity, he would have been executed long ago.

“Master, master! Reporting, master! The young master has entered the city on horseback!”

A gatekeeper rushed into the garden, tripping and falling flat on his face, which only made his loyalty seem more genuine. The head steward behind the governor watched this and sneered disdainfully.

Li Gong De’s aged face broke into a bloom of smiles. After a few coughs, he ordered the chief steward, “Lin Wang, go inform the mistress.”

Four riders entered the city, slowing their pace after entering.

Leading was Li Hanlin, flanked by Chong Tong Zi Lu Dou and the scion Li Shi Yue. The fourth was a common-born scout comrade named Fang Hu Tou, broad-shouldered and bear-bodied, with a fierce appearance, though he was the gentlest among the four. Before entering the city, the four riders had first visited the battlefield at Tizi Mountain beacon tower, delivering the compensation money to Ma Zhen Zhai’s family. Not only Ma Zhen Zhai, but nearly ninety percent of the fifty men in the unit had died. They had visited the families of every fallen comrade in the Northern Man territory. With half a month of leave, they had agreed to stay at Li Hanlin’s place for a few days first. Li Shi Yue said the main event would be visiting his home for a feast, intending to gain a few pounds of autumn fat before returning. This scout, whose father had once been a Beiliang general and who had recently become a squad leader, had always thought Li Hanlin was just a decently well-off young man.

When Li Shi Yue saw the imposing mansion of the Governor’s residence and watched the old man, dressed in his second-rank civil official’s robe, grab the new squad leader’s hand and weep openly in the street without regard for his official dignity, he was momentarily stunned. A woman dressed in the robes of a titled lady embraced Li Hanlin, crying and showing her concern.

Fang Hu Tou, only realizing later, had already dismounted, his horse led away by a servant. He nudged Li Shi Yue with his elbow and cautiously asked, “October, is our squad leader’s father also an official? How high-ranking is he compared to your father?”

Li Shi Yue chuckled softly and cursed, “You fool, this is our Beiliang Circuit’s Governor, a second-rank official! Is that high enough? My father is nowhere near that rank. Damn it, the squad leader isn’t honest. I was originally wondering why our squad leader shares the same name as that scoundrel Li Hanlin from Fengzhou. It turns out they are one and the same! Damn it, I’m glad I originally planned to introduce my sister to Lu Dou. If it were our squad leader instead, my sister would probably be scared half to death.”

Besides the governor’s close aides, there was also an extremely beautiful woman standing beside Li Gong De, resembling Li Hanlin somewhat, though perhaps due to her naturally cold gaze, she appeared slightly aloof despite her seductive eyes. Seeing her younger brother, who had never given her a moment’s peace since childhood, even with her cold temperament, she couldn’t help but cry silently, pinching Li Hanlin hard.

Beiliang women are often valiant, but there are also a few rare beauties. Yan Dong Wu is renowned in Beiliang for her intellect, while Li Hanlin’s older sister, Li Fu Zhen, is purely captivating in her beauty. Xu Feng Nian, as the heir prince, was extremely close friends with Li Hanlin and Yan Chi Ji. He had the advantage of proximity, yet he and Yan Dong Wu were always at odds, neither able to stand the sight of the other. As for Li Fu Zhen, who was merely pretty with no other remarkable traits, it was strange that she genuinely looked down on Xu Feng Nian even more than Yan Dong Wu did. The latter would sometimes get so angry that she would confront the prince with sharp words, while Li Fu Zhen couldn’t even bear to look at him. A couple of years ago, she had foolishly fallen head over heels for a poor scholar. At that time, Li Hanlin was still sulking over the prince’s betrayal, secretly leaving to travel the world.

Upon learning of this, Li Hanlin immediately took his hooligan servants and dogs to beat up the poor scholar who didn’t even know Li Fu Zhen’s background. Surprisingly, the beating didn’t help matters. After being beaten, the scholar learned of Li Fu Zhen’s noble background and, after waiting in ambush for several days, managed to hand a blood-stained handkerchief with a poem to Li Fu Zhen’s personal maid. The maid and her mistress wept together. If it weren’t for someone leaking the news, Li Fu Zhen might have actually fled with the scholar, taking gold and valuables with her. Li Hanlin had originally planned to secretly kill the bastard who dared to compete with the prince for his sister, but his sister was stubborn, going on a hunger strike and declaring that if he died, she would die too, wanting to be a pair of runaway lovers. After much pleading, they managed to dissuade her. Li Hanlin dared not push the man to his death, but secretly made his life miserable. To his surprise, the scholar only grew more determined. Even Li Gong De, who was still the governor of Fengzhou at the time, came to regard him with a bit of new respect. After discussing the pros and cons with his wife, they decided that trying to block the relationship was worse than letting it happen, like keeping a watchdog outside the house. Through some maneuvering, they first improved the scholar’s family status, then made him a minor official. When Li Gong De became the governor of the entire Beiliang Circuit, the scholar rode the wave of success and became an official himself. The difference between an official and a clerk is just one character, but it’s a world of difference.

Later, when Xu Feng Nian returned from his travels and rode out of Beiliang on a white horse, he no longer interacted with this woman who loved learning and not just a man’s looks.

She was also happy to avoid him, wishing the prince would never visit the Li residence again.

The several scouts who had faced life and death together strode into the mansion. Li Shi Yue and the others were not at all timid, and the experienced Li Gong De, with his sharp eye for people, not only did not get angry but was actually very pleased. After all, the military could shape a person, and the brothers his son had befriended would truly become the backbone of Beiliang in the future.

After meeting the elders in the mansion, Li Hanlin took a bath, changed clothes, and then had a hearty meal with Lu Dou and the others. When the mother saw her son, who used to fuss over food and throw chopsticks, finish three full bowls of rice without leaving a single grain, she felt another wave of sorrow. Sitting beside her son, she looked at him carefully, unable to get enough of him, murmuring, “You’ve gotten darker, and thinner too. You must stay for a while longer. If the army calls, your father might not dare to plead with the Prince of Beiliang, but I will!”

Li Hanlin, except for Lu Dou, who was mute, kept serving dishes to Li Shi Yue and Fang Hu Tou, making a joke with a grimace, “Mom, military law is strict. Why are you meddling? You know the saying—‘A kind mother often raises a failure.’”

The mother glared, “How can a kind mother raise a failure? Who dares to say my son is a failure? I’ll slap them right in the face!”

The governor stroked his beard and laughed, “That’s right, that’s right.”

After the sumptuous dinner, Li Gong De and his wife, understanding and considerate, though they had a thousand words to say, still restrained themselves and did not disturb the young people.

In a pavilion with upturned eaves, Fang Hu Tou was led through a maze of paths by someone to the toilet and finally returned, marveling, “Squad Leader, even your toilet is spacious and luxurious. Today, I must find a big bed to sleep in so I can tell the folks back home about it.”

“Look at you, so impressed by such small things!”

Li Shiyue picked up a grape and threw it over. Fang Hutou, laughing, caught it in his mouth. Li Shiyue threw another, treating him like a dog on a leash. Fang Hutou didn’t mind at all, playing along with great delight.

Lu Dou scolded them in his usual calm, emotionless tone, “Two silly fools.”

Li Fuzhen sat quietly and gracefully by the side, watching in stunned disbelief.

Of course, she would never know that over in Beiman, Fang Hutou had blocked blades nearly as sharp as Beiliang swords, and Li Shiyue, in desperate moments, had even used his bare hands to pluck several arrows from Fang Hutou’s body—among them, a crossbow bolt from a Crow Scout had pierced straight through his palm.

Li Fuzhen also had no idea what price they had paid as vanguard scouts, advancing northward and dismantling beacon towers one by one.

Suddenly, Li Hanlin turned to Li Fuzhen and asked, “Sis, do you still fancy that penniless scholar?”

Li Fuzhen’s expression grew slightly uneasy. Li Hanlin didn’t wish to embarrass his sister further and smiled sincerely, “Sis, as long as you don’t regret it, that’s fine.”

Li Fuzhen, feeling a strange distance from her brother, hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Li Hanlin turned his gaze outward beyond the pavilion, “Before, I had no right to speak, but now maybe I’m a bit better. That scholar is cunning and deep-minded. Two years ago, I thought so, and now even more so. After all, I myself am a bad person, and I can always recognize other bad people. But if you insist on loving him, there’s not much I can do. However, you missed Feng’ge. Sister, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

Li Fuzhen slowly lowered her head, her delicate fingers like chives gently pinching the hem of her skirt, asking softly, “Is it because he might become the Prince of Beiliang?”

Li Hanlin suddenly burst into laughter, “Forget everything I just said.”

Watching her younger brother go off to wrestle with Fang Hutou, Li Fuzhen felt lost and dispirited. She murmured a quiet excuse and left the pavilion.

Li Gongde arrived at a distance from the pavilion, standing far away.

Lu Dou kicked Li Hanlin lightly, who was still engrossed in arm-wrestling with Fang Hutou. Li Hanlin trotted over to his father with a grin, “Dad, something up? Did Mom tighten the purse strings again? Are you coming to your son for some cash to go drinking with the boys? How much do you need? Don’t ask for thousands—that’s way too much. I’ve only got less than a hundred taels left. Dad, make do with that?”

Li Gongde cursed him as a stinking brat and slowly walked away.

Li Hanlin hesitated for a moment, waved off Lu Dou and the others, then ran to catch up. He slung an arm over his father’s shoulder, walking alongside the old man who had been cursed endlessly in Beiliang, yet who remained in Li Hanlin’s heart the most heroic and mighty figure. Then, with a habitual grin, he made a gesture of raising a cup to drink, saying, “Dad, your son earned some silver. Not much, but I should still treat you to something. How about we go have a few jin of Lüyi wine?”

On that day, in a small, elegant tavern not far from the Li family estate, the Governor and his son, now a squad leader among the roaming scouts, drank and feasted together, spending barely a dozen taels of silver.

In those past years, the son often took thousands of taels at a time from places where the old man had deliberately hidden them, squandering them in Liangzhou or Linzhou without a care. Yet Li Gongde had never truly minded.

Even earlier, when he had to bribe his way into higher office, tossing out entire chests of gold and silver, Li Gongde had not flinched.

But on this day, having spent merely a dozen taels from his son, the old man felt a pang of regret so deep it hurt.