The last winter solstice before the reign title change in Liyang. A auspicious snowfall heralds a bountiful year; this winter, wheat will be covered with three layers of quilt, and the following year one can sleep on pillows of steamed buns.
On this day, there was no morning court session. The emperor led a grander procession of civil and military officials to the northern outskirts for the altar sacrifice. Unburdened by the early court, the officials were all in high spirits. The common people along the route, eager to catch a glimpse of the official pomp and aristocratic presence, were greatly impressed. Some townsfolk who had distant familial ties with high-ranking officials in the procession proudly boasted about their close relationships, while their neighbors, well aware of the truth, simply smiled knowingly. Others who lived several streets away listened in awe and amazement.
Sixty percent of the spectators were there to catch a glimpse of the newly appointed Minister of War, Chen Zhibao, while thirty percent were curious about the identity of the young heir of Beiliang. This was the nature of the common folk: even though their ears had grown calloused from hearing complaints about the young lord, when they actually witnessed him tear through a hundred zhang of earth along the imperial road, they were stunned and awed despite themselves. Even the Daoist priests from the capital’s temples claimed that such feats were achieved through the use of dark artifacts and were not worth mentioning, yet deep down, the people could not help but hold the heir of Beiliang in much higher regard. In Taian City, there were no fewer than ten thousand young noblemen who practiced swordplay and martial arts, but who among them had such ability? It seemed that this young man with white hair, who had come all the way from Beiliang, was not someone who could be easily trifled with.
While muttering to themselves, the people also had their own calculations in mind. In the future, when they joined in the trend of criticizing Beiliang, should they hold their tongues a little more and accumulate merit? If their words reached the ears of the Beiliang prince and his son, wouldn’t they end up in trouble?
Chen Zhibao wore a robe of bright red dragon embroidery, but unfortunately, he did not carry his signature plum wine spear. The emperor had specially arranged for him to ride alone at the head of the procession. Women of the capital, whether noble ladies or charming commoners, whether still unmarried or already married, were all smitten with him.
Nearby were the Princes Yanchi Zhao Bing, Guangling Zhao Yi, Jiaodong Zhao Sui, Huainan Zhao Ying, and Jing’an Zhao Xun. The six royal princes were practically overshadowed by Chen Zhibao alone.
The princes, all dressed in official yellow dragon robes, deliberately kept a distance from a white-haired young heir dressed in striking white dragon embroidery.
A young blind man, accompanied by his maid Xinghua, arrived at the roadside. He did not insist on pushing into the thick of the crowd but stood quietly at the outer edge of the throng of onlookers. When Xu Fengnian rode past on his horse, Xinghua softly reminded him. The blind Lu Xu, who had traveled from Xiangfan City, “looked up” and his expression turned solemn—ten games of Go played in Yongzi Alley from midday until dusk, a memory he would never forget. Xinghua carefully reached out to protect the scholar whom the old Prince Jing’an had ordered her to safeguard with her life. The old prince had only said that he wanted the scholar alive, and she did not wish for the new prince to ever wish him dead, or at the very least, not to die by her own hands. Xinghua and Lu Xu shared a deep understanding, and their conversations were free of restraint. She softly asked, “Master, do you know the heir of Beiliang?”
Lu Xu did not hide it and smiled, “I’m blind, so I can’t say we’ve met face to face. Back when I made a living by gambling on Go games in Yongzi Alley, I earned quite a bit of copper coins from Prince Xu. Ten games, and I earned one hundred and ten coins.”
Xinghua laughed, “Does he even know how to play Go? Didn’t he get utterly defeated by you?”
Lu Xu shook his head, “His Go skills are quite formidable. He played many unconventional moves, and I didn’t win easily.”
After staying for a while, the master and servant were about to leave when Xinghua suddenly turned around and fixed her gaze on an elderly scholar approaching from afar. An ordinary scholar whose true age was hard to discern was not particularly threatening, but the hidden aura around him made the secret agent Xinghua feel as though she were facing a vast, surging ocean.
Lu Xu patted her arm and bowed, asking, “Are you Master Yuan?”
The man approached a few steps, his voice soft and indistinct, “Yuan Pu, a minor editor in the Hanlin Academy.”
Lu Xu stood still, his expression composed, showing neither surprise nor fear.
Yuan Pu, or rather Yuan Benxi, took a few more steps forward, ignoring Xinghua, who was like a fierce tigress ready to pounce, and continued speaking in his vague but still refined Beijing dialect, “Master Lu, you’ve trapped yourself, and it’s a waste of talent.”
Lu Xu shook his head, “A new temple has a new atmosphere. even if the temple is small, the pilgrims and incense offerings won’t be too few. an old temple, no matter how large, leaks when it rains and leaks when the wind blows. even if you made me the abbot, i wouldn’t want to go. besides, in old and large temples, no matter how much incense is offered, there are bound to be more disputes. you might be driven out of the temple without even knowing when. besides, although i am blind and cannot recognize people, i know my own worth. i don’t want to become the next song family.”
Yuan Benxi seemed amused. Even with Nalan Youci, whose intelligence was considered his equal, he had never felt such a desire to talk, saying, “Master Lu, don’t forget why the old master of the Song family died and why the Song family’s temple collapsed.”
Lu Xu replied calmly, “Ordinary wealthy families harm their descendants with wealth. The Song family destroyed future generations with their scholarship; they deserved to perish long ago. Moreover, Mr. Yuan, don’t forget who used my knife to support the young phoenix of the Song family.”
Yuan Benxi smiled knowingly, then sighed, “I have selected more than ten potential chancellors, and Song Kelǐ is the least noticeable among them. This scheme is probably something even Nalan Youci could only conceive after leaving the capital.”
Lu Xu shook his head again, “Mr. Nalan’s plans are not confined to the capital, nor even to the court. He and you travel separate paths—one a narrow bridge, the other a broad road. Naturally, he doesn’t spend much thought on such matters, so it’s inevitable that he might overlook some things.”
Yuan Benxi fell into deep thought.
After a while, he slowly asked, “The heir of Beiliang has shown you favor. What will you do?”
Lu Xu countered, “To fulfill one’s duties according to one’s position—shouldn’t that be the basic principle of any strategist?”
Yuan Benxi smiled, “If anyone else said such lofty words, I wouldn’t believe them at all. But if you, Lu Xu, say them, I believe them seven or eight parts.”
Xinghua was merely a hidden agent from Xiangfan, and although she was talented, she could never have imagined that the old scholar conversing with Lu Xu was none other than Yuan Benxi, the chief strategist of the Liyang Dynasty, second only to the emperor himself. Even if she was not well-informed, she still knew of Nalan Youci’s reputation. Not only were there rumors of Nalan’s intimate relationship with Prince Yanchi, but Nalan was also undeniably one of the greatest strategists of the Spring and Autumn era. At this moment, Xinghua was troubled by how to report this encounter to Prince Jing’an Zhao Xun, how to remain impartial yet ensure that Lu Xu would not provoke any suspicion from the new prince.
Yuan Benxi asked, “Why haven’t you gone to Beiliang?”
Lu Xu smiled, “I wanted to go, but Xu Fengnian didn’t take me out of Yongzi Alley.”
Yuan Benxi laughed heartily, then turned directly to Xinghua and revealed a truth even Lu Xu did not know: “Liu Lingbao, everything I said just now during my casual chat with Lu Xu, you may report it truthfully to Zhao Xun. If you want to live a few more years with your master, don’t mention this sentence.”
Xinghua turned pale.
Yuan Benxi said, “Let’s part ways here.”
Lu Xu hesitated slightly, then said to Xinghua, “Thank Master Yuan for the ten-year life-saving talisman.”
Though puzzled, Xinghua still performed a respectful curtsy like any ordinary lady.
Yuan Benxi waved his hand and turned to leave.
Xinghua’s lips trembled as she softly asked, “Master, a life-saving talisman? What does that mean?”
Lu Xu replied calmly, “Our Prince Jing’an is naturally suspicious. Before he rose to power, he could endure and hold back, but once he achieves great success, he may become arrogant and begin to settle old scores. Master Yuan, however, is a figure he would never dare provoke no matter how powerful he becomes. His visit today was a gift of a life-saving talisman. Given to me, it naturally extends to you as well.”
Xinghua said solemnly, “This sentence will rot in my heart. Please rest assured, Master.”
Lu Xu suddenly reached out, gently ruffled Xinghua’s hair, and smiled softly, “Liu Lingbao, that name carries blessings.”
Xinghua suddenly smiled brightly, “May your words bring good fortune.”
Lu Xu turned his head slightly, as if gazing into the distance, and murmured to himself, “Beiliang…”
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