Xu Fengnian never expected that the moment he stepped off the carriage, he would be met with such a sudden and jarring tragedy. Fortunately, the eldest grandson of the Lu family, his future father-in-law, was not a stubborn and pedantic scholar, and quickly picked up the ancestral patriarch, leading them secretly into the estate through a side gate. The threshold of the Lu family was indeed far more imposing than that of ordinary officials, with the ground inside the mansion elevated significantly above the surrounding alleys. They bypassed the specially granted, first-class glazed porcelain screen wall, avoiding the central path, and instead took one of the six western side routes. In noble families, without rules, nothing can be properly established. The eaves of the side paths were a few inches lower, and the courtyard gates and ground level were nearly three feet below the central route, meant only for servants and attendants. Many Legitimatesons and Legitimategrandsons of powerful clans, from youth to old age, never once walked these paths.
Because the Lu family was expecting Xu Xiao and his party from Beiliang that evening, a curfew had already been imposed on the servants after nightfall, even relieving the guards of their duties. Yet many of the secondary household members and guest scholars might not strictly follow the rules. Xiangfan was known for its numerous pleasure houses and courtesans. After the famed courtesan Li Baishi left Qingzhou, the city was thrown into chaos as rival factions vied for the title of top courtesan. Xiangfan became a city of nightly revelry. Fortunately, the two great families of Lu and Wen, facing each other near the end of Yangfang Alley, ensured that many of the scandalous scholars and young nobles who returned with beauties did so from the opposite end, filling the street with the scent of perfumes and flirtation.
Years ago, Minister Wen Taiyi, who held the power of official appointments across the empire, returned to his hometown for ancestral worship and scolded the area as a den of vice, temporarily silencing the alley. But once he returned to the capital, his ignorant great-grandson, not yet of age, was the first to bring two courtesans home, and the alley quickly returned to its former state, worse than before.
Xu Fengnian followed behind Lu Dongjiang. Although the Prefect lived a life of luxury, indulging in food and clothing without effort, becoming a scholar required more than just idle talk and poetic banter—it was a laborious endeavor. The Lu estate was vast and deep, with courtyards upon courtyards.
Lu Dongjiang walked hastily, his mind in disarray, when he stumbled and fell to the ground. Xu Fengnian picked up the fallen lantern and followed silently, making no move to help. Lu Dongjiang, bruised and bloodied, sobbed into the dirt, unable to rise.
A man must have a spirit, a will to carry him forward. Once that spirit falters, all is lost. At the entrance of the estate, the senior minister Lu Feichi had mustered his last strength to maintain dignity before Xu Xiao, refusing to show weakness despite nearing death. Like a dying lamp, he might have flickered for another year or two, but now the flame had been snuffed out completely.
Xu Xiao sighed upon seeing the scholar’s head strike the ground. Xu Fengnian knelt beside him, placed the bamboo lantern in Lu Dongjiang’s hands, then hoisted the elder’s body onto his back. Lu Dongjiang sat on the ground, pale and tearful, wiped his eyes, stood, hesitated, and finally said nothing, continuing forward in silence.
Lu Dongjiang murmured, “The old ancestor has passed.”
Lu Chengyan stood at the entrance of the side courtyard. Witnessing this scene, she covered her mouth, stifling her sobs.
Before Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian, Lu Dongjiang still tried to maintain his noble composure. But seeing his daughter’s mournful expression shattered his restraint, and his lips trembled as he leaned against the courtyard wall.
Surprisingly, it was Lu Chengyan, who had first heard the news, who calmed herself first, gently consoling him, “Father, the old ancestor lived a full life. Just days ago, he told me he knew his time was short. If he saw us losing our spirits, he would not rest in peace.”
Lu Dongjiang nodded, wiping his face with his sleeve again and again, unable to turn to face anyone for a long while.
Xu Xiao said calmly, “Minister Lu lived a life without regrets. Few in the court have had the fortune of reaching the highest rank and retiring in peace. I’ve always had my criticisms of the former ministers, and I never missed a chance to mock them after I became a prince. But Minister Lu was an exception—I hold no grudge against him.”
Lu Chengyan, still managing a forced smile, invited everyone into the courtyard. Hearing those words, Lu Dongjiang wept silently again, glancing at the lantern, lost in thought. He had believed that his grandfather’s final words of wisdom had transformed him into a new man, entirely different from the Prefect of Taixi he had been before. But with his grandfather’s passing, he had regressed halfway to his former self.
Among the Beiliang party, aside from the Xu Father and son, there was General Yuan Zuozong, a famed cavalry commander from the Spring and Autumn Wars, and Han Laoshan and Xu Yanbing, the personal guards of the Beiliang King. But one figure caused Lu Chengyan’s pupils to narrow slightly. The young woman—Wang Dongxiang of Laoshan, whose father, Wang Linquan, had once served as a foot soldier under the great general!
At dawn the next day, Xu Fengnian, who had not slept all night, quietly left the mansion through the back gate, accompanied by Yuan Zuozong toward Yongzi Alley, with the silent assassin Yin shadowing them as always.
Walking through the alley, Xu Fengnian smiled slowly, “Brother Yuan, making Lu Chengyan the secondary consort of Beiliang is a move to secure the Lu family’s allegiance and encourage scholars to join us, like paying a thousand gold for a horse worth barely a hundred. It’s a fair deal, mutually beneficial. I have no qualms about this marriage. But dragging Wang Chudong into it—aside from the Wang family’s considerable wealth, it’s also meant to stabilize the morale of the old soldiers. Do you think we’re being too pragmatic?”
Yuan Zuozong replied calmly, “The Xu and Wang families—each willing to give and take. As for the young lady who already adores you, it’s even more so. It’s not being pragmatic. Besides, without Lü Qiu’er’s support over the years, the Wang family wouldn’t be where they are today.”
As Xu Fengnian reached a section of wall in Yongzi Alley, he continued, “The first time I came to Xiangfan, I encountered the scene of the Six-Pearl Bodhisattva leading a procession of ghosts out of the city. Later, I met the blind Go master Lu Xu here. I left too quickly then, not trusting my luck, and not believing that Go skill equated to governance ability. I missed the chance to meet this hidden genius, and I’ve regretted it ever since. If I had known he was the one who wrote the Fourteen Strategies of Er Shu, I would’ve dragged him to Beiliang by force.”
Yuan Zuozong chuckled, “That’s what I’d call being pragmatic.”
Xu Fengnian laughed softly.
Xu Fengnian sighed, “With Lu Feichi’s death, the Lu family will have to delay their plans for a while. That’s not the worst part. I fear internal strife may arise.”
Yuan Zuozong said calmly, “That’s why Lu Chengyan is keeping his death a secret, claiming only that the patriarch is ill, both inside and outside the family. This woman is no ordinary one.”
Xu Fengnian smiled bitterly, “Just watching her deftly handle Wang Chudong, you can already see the demeanor of a matriarch. Remember how she maneuvered effortlessly in the Wutong Courtyard? I knew she was no simple girl. I wonder who will ever be able to control her.”
Yuan Zuozong nodded seriously, “Indeed, the choice for the primary consort should be decided sooner rather than later.”
Xu Fengnian exhaled into his hands, smiling with narrowed eyes, “Before heading to Beiman, I spoke with Xu Xiao. Back then, I naively thought even if I had to grit my teeth and marry Yan Wenluan’s granddaughter, it wouldn’t be so bad. Now I’m finally relieved. She looks just like her father—rougher than a brute, and with a temper to match. Thinking about it now, I still shudder.”
Yuan Zuozong smiled faintly.
As Xu Fengnian strolled slowly down the alley, he said, “I heard that Gu Dazhuguo’s adopted son, Yuan Tingshan, wielding the supreme Fu blade, Nan Hua, slaughtered a Jinguang-level martial artist from the north. And Beiman’s Tuoba Chunsun, also at the Jinguang level, killed a Zhixuan-level master. The tides of fortune turn endlessly. If we met them now, we’d be lucky to escape ten streets unscathed.”
Yuan Zuozong replied, “Prince, Gu Jiantang became Minister of War because of his swordsmanship, but his obsession with the blade also prevented him from rising further in court. He’s proud by nature—nearly invincible as a general, but barely adequate as a statesman. The problem is, even if he knows his shortcomings compared to his adoptive father, his nature won’t allow him to change. Changing would cost him his cultivation.”
Xu Fengnian turned and smiled, “Brother Yuan, are you reminding me that I can’t have everything? That if I want to be a good Beiliang King, I shouldn’t be too obsessed with martial arts?”
Yuan Zuozong nodded solemnly.
Xu Fengnian fell silent. As they were about to turn out of Yongzi Alley, he suddenly said, “Brother Yuan, you know my nature. I often get stuck on things, refusing to back down. If I ever go down the wrong path and no one dares to tell me, please remind me. If words won’t work, strike me until I wake up.”
Yuan Zuozong replied seriously, “That will be difficult. In the future, you will be the Beiliang King. Even if I dared to defy you, I fear you might punish me by forbidding me from riding into battle. That would be a truly helpless situation.”
“Brother Yuan, could you at least try to be less serious when telling jokes?”
“Difficult.”
“Brother Yuan, I’m helpless right now.”
They exited the alley, the view opening up to reveal street vendors setting up their carts, selling early morning snacks. No profit, no rising before dawn—whether emperors or commoners, they all live by the same rule.
Xu Fengnian gazed at the gradually bustling street and murmured, “In truth, both Lu Dongjiang and Lu Chengyan know that if it weren’t for that lowly officer, who once groveled under the eyes of the ministers, now the Beiliang King Xu Xiao, who wields power far beyond the Lu family, the old patriarch wouldn’t have exhausted his last breath so soon. If we say the Xu family caused Lu Feichi’s death, it wouldn’t be unfair. I only fear that Lu Chengyan can suppress her resentment, but Lu Dongjiang may not be able to swallow his pride. Even a fair judge struggles with family matters. If the time ever comes for a painful choice between loyalty and kinship, I’ll likely be damned either way.”
Yuan Zuozong smiled, “As for being the villain, it might as well be Chulushan, who already has a notorious reputation. The Lu family won’t be satisfied with that, so perhaps it’s better for me to take the blame. Then they’ll have no choice but to submit.”
Xu Fengnian shook his head.
Rubbing his face, Xu Fengnian said, “Huang Longshi, Xun Ping, my master, Yuan Benxi, Nalan Youci, Zhang Julu, and now Lu Feichi, who passed away yesterday—they all once brought honor to the scholars of the world. Brother Yuan, you might not count, but people like me, Lu Xu of Yongzi Alley, the humble scholar Chen Xiliang, and the aristocrat Xu Beizhi—we all, whether friends or foes, could only watch helplessly as these great scholars faded into the distance. I wonder if there will be younger scholars in the future who will look at our fading backs?”
Yuan Zuozong rarely showed emotion openly, but now he sighed, “You say Chulushan is clever, yet his flattery of you is so excessive even a blind man could hear it. How clever can such a man be? And yet, if you call him foolish, he can compose poetry with eight rhymes at once, his verses flowing naturally. In terms of military command and troop leadership, only Chen Zhibao surpasses him slightly. I used to despise Chulushan, thinking him devoid of humanity. Now I feel slightly better, though I doubt I’ll ever truly trust him. Still, I must admit, such a man can be called a ‘master.’ As for him and Chen Zhibao, I don’t understand what they truly seek.”
Yuan Zuozong hesitated, about to speak, but Xu Fengnian had already run ahead to buy a steamed bun from a street vendor. Yuan Zuozong smiled. Perhaps it was better this way. After all, he wasn’t used to flattery.
What Yuan Zuozong had wanted to say was, “Though you may never become a master yourself, one day your back will be the very front of the Central Plains.”
All the people would look northward.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage