The carriage wandered aimlessly around the southern part of Feishou City. Finding a beef shop wasn’t difficult, and the food was barely edible. At first, Cao Wei hadn’t understood why the young girl looked so slovenly, but when he saw her wipe her greasy hands on her clothes after finishing the marinated beef, he could only roll his eyes in exasperation. The man surnamed Xu hadn’t disappointed Cao Wei’s expectations—he made no effort to hide his preference for beauty over friendship. He personally went to a silk shop to buy the girl several bright outfits. That wasn’t all; when he noticed the little girl staring intently at a pile of colorful cosmetic boxes, he pulled out a considerable amount of silver coins. This left Cao Wei somewhat overwhelmed, thinking to himself, “You, of all people, should be concerned with matters that determine the rise and fall of Beiliang, yet you have the leisure to accompany a young girl in indulging in food and play?”
The carriage exited through the northern gate of Feishou and hurried nonstop toward the next stop—Huangnan Prefecture. They arrived as dusk settled over this grain reserve city of Beiliang. The newly appointed Prefect Cai Junchen had only recently moved into the mansion once occupied by Song Yan, bringing his entire family with him. Suddenly transitioning from a refugee-ridden area to the lush and flourishing Huangnan, the man probably hadn’t fully adjusted yet. When the steward announced that the Prince of Beiliang had arrived, Cai Junchen practically flew out, nearly crawling in eagerness. Naturally, Xu Fengnian didn’t have to wait outside. Hardly had he entered the mansion when he saw Cai Junchen and Yu Rourou rushing toward him. Although Cai’s swordsmanship was mediocre, he at least had some basic martial skills. Poor Yu, the former Queen of Qingcang, struggled to catch her breath when she finally stopped, her cheeks flushed with exertion. Xu Fengnian waved a hand, sparing them both from kneeling, and led them deeper into the mansion. Glancing at Cai’s brand-new fourth-grade civil official robe, he teased, “Prefect Cai, I hear the townsfolk say you sleep in your official robes. I’m curious—can anything be more comfortable than the dragon robe you used to wear?”
Cai Junchen bowed with a broad smile: “Your Highness, I swear I’m not flattering you—it really is more comfortable. Wearing the dragon robe in Qingcang was just a fleeting thrill, one day at a time. I was afraid I might lose my head the next day and not know where to put it. I couldn’t sleep soundly. Now it’s completely different. This genuine cloud-sparrow official robe—my ancestors, going back ten or twenty generations, did hold office, but only minor posts. This time, I’ve truly brought honor to my clan. Once I settle the affairs of Huangnan to Your Highness’s satisfaction, I plan to revise the clan genealogy. I dare to humbly request that you, Your Highness, grant me a few lines of calligraphy—just a few dozen characters will do.”
Xu Fengnian nodded: “That’s a small matter. As long as you can control the four Wang families of Huangnan and avoid turning the prefecture into chaos, I’ll certainly help with the genealogy. As for the title of Lady Yu, I’ll bestow that as well.”
At the mention of “queen,” Yu Rourou, now the prefect’s wife, smiled sweetly. Perhaps the local environment had truly transformed her. Her former fox-like allure remained, but the “fox” had been replaced with “bright.” She had once seemed like a house with no windows, but now, with windows opened, she radiated openness and brightness. Cai Junchen, his fingers still fidgeting with his robe, was overjoyed. Then he heard the visiting Prince say, “Let me do a good deed to the end. Let me tell you straight—Huangnan is the top choice in all Beiliang for scholars entering government service, for the gathering of scholars and the establishment of academies. Keep a close eye on these matters, and I’ll grant you full authority to handle them. Just don’t let good fortune turn into disaster. As for the forty-six antiques, calligraphy, and paintings you secretly brought from Qingcang to Huangnan, I’ll pretend I saw none of them. You can use them to cultivate goodwill with the scholars coming to Beiliang. Later, when they attain official positions, no matter which state they settle in, if you want to win their favor, today’s one-ounce silver favor will cost you one ounce of gold.”
Cai Junchen stammered, unable to speak. Yu Rourou, no longer timid, smiled: “Your Highness, please rest assured. I’ve roughly calculated that these items, if sold cheaply, would fetch about two hundred thousand taels of silver. The Prefect’s Office will not withhold a single coin—they’ll all be spent on improving the people’s livelihood. Unfortunately, my husband is a stranger here, and he can’t sell them at a fair price. Otherwise…”
Xu Fengnian pointed at Cai Junchen and teased, “Prefect Cai, Lady Yu is far better at social graces than you. Putting her only in charge of the household is a waste. Let me add one more thing—you can only relax half your heart. I’ve already informed the heads of the Wang families of Shuijing and Lingsu—Wang Xihua and Wang Zhenlü. They’re refined scholars, and once they set a good example, selling at high prices won’t be a problem. The other half of your heart must remain tense. The four Wang families of Huangnan, despite my mediation, will naturally look down on you. It would be strange if they respected you. The social skills you honed in Qingcang won’t work here—you must be ready to start learning anew. Lastly, don’t think I’m here to force you into desperate measures. Making money is a slow process. As long as you solidify your position as Prefect of Huangnan, two hundred thousand taels? Even a county magistrate in a mid-tier county might not care. Truthfully, I know these belongings you painstakingly brought from Qingcang are meant for the Governor. How much you give is up to you—don’t hold back. I’m not as bad as outsiders think. If you give Li Gongde silver, he’ll take it, and he won’t dare accept it without delivering results. With his help as this ‘old Huangnan hand,’ you’ll find governing much smoother.”
Cai Junchen, unusually not expressing gratitude with words, simply nodded heavily. Xu Fengnian didn’t stay long, leaving after a meal. Cai saw him off at the gate, watching the young Prince of Beiliang board his carriage, heading toward Wang Xihua’s residence. But instead of returning directly to the mansion, Cai Junchen sat heavily on the doorstep. Yu Rourou, surprised, sat beside him, adjusting her full skirt and whispering, “What’s wrong? This isn’t like you.”
Cai rubbed his face and sighed softly: “My life has been through blood and fire in the refugee lands. Wearing a dragon robe as emperor—it was just a fleeting taste. But when it comes to real politics, I’m still a novice. Still, even if I’ve never eaten dog meat, I’ve at least seen dogs scratch the ground, or at least heard them bark. Wherever you are in office, isn’t it always the subordinates scrambling to guess the superior’s will? Afraid of bringing a pig’s head to the wrong temple, worshipping the wrong goddess? But now, as the Prefect of Lingzhou, it’s reversed. The mighty Prince of Beiliang is going out of his way to teach me how to govern, even paving the way for me? How much talent do I really have for governing a country? I’m the first to doubt it. I understand his intentions—using me, an outsider, to clean up Huangnan like buying a horse for its bones. But if you put someone else in my seat, it wouldn’t be hard. Beiliang may lack talent, but not that desperately. The Prince didn’t force us to sell everything—we’re being pushed to serve Beiliang willingly with our lives.”
Yu Rourou smiled: “Don’t you like it?”
Cai Junchen slowly stood, calm: “I’ve lived half my life, and for the first time, I can stand tall. It’s not like he’s sending me to die on the battlefield. Why wouldn’t I accept?”
Yu Rourou’s eyes sparkled, teasing: “If, just if, he takes a fancy to me, the ‘withered flower and broken willow,’ would you send me this time?”
Cai looked straight at her, his eyes firm: “Before, it was to survive. If in Beiliang it comes to that, I’ll die before I send you. A man can’t keep going backward.”
Yu Rourou laughed, her nose wrinkling playfully, no longer the seductive woman but a carefree girl, pouting: “You know he won’t, so you’re just saying sweet words to make me happy, right?”
Cai Junchen reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, his eyes red: “Wife, I’m sorry for these years.”
Yu Rourou suddenly turned, walking up the steps, her hands clasped behind her back, her steps light and nimble.
※※※
Inside the carriage, Cao Wei had squeezed into the farthest corner from the girl busily applying makeup, sarcastically remarking to Xu Fengnian: “Oh, Mr. Xu, I didn’t realize you were so good at buying people’s hearts!”
Xu Fengnian glanced sideways: “Didn’t you know when I bought your senior brothers to beat you up?”
Offended, Cao Wei gripped his sword: “You wanna die?”
Xu Fengnian added fuel to the fire: “When we reach Longqing Prefecture, I’ll give this sword away. You’d better enjoy it while you can.”
Cao Wei roared: “Not a chance!”
Xu Fengnian smiled: “You think I won’t take it?”
Cao Wei was about to speak when Xu Fengnian held up two hands and bent one finger: “Ten thousand elite cavalry, now only nine thousand.”
Cao Wei lunged like a hungry tiger, grabbing Xu Fengnian’s hand with only four fingers left, grinning: “Mr. Xu, Fengnian, Master Xu, Ancestor Xu! A gentleman’s word is his bond—one word, ten thousand horses. Say ten thousand, give twenty thousand, but never nine thousand! Business must be fair—no cheating the old or young! We heroes respect heroes—we must be bold!”
Xu Fengnian’s smile didn’t reach his eyes: “Want me to take back that thousand? Go sit in the corner and don’t bother me.”
Cao Wei chuckled: “The carriage’s not that big.”
Xu Fengnian pointed at the curtain. Without hesitation, Cao Wei rolled out of the carriage, then peeked back in: “Don’t forget—one ten thousand, not nine thousand! One less soldier and I’ll skin you alive!”
But Cao Wei forgot the presence of the ill-tempered assassin girl. A copper mirror flew out of nowhere and slammed him away. Cao Wei dared not even fart, sitting beside the coachman Xu Yanbing, grimacing in pain. Bored, he resumed his old game, cheerfully asking the world-class martial expert: “Master Xu, do you think I’m not more handsome than the one inside?”
Xu Yanbing remained silent.
Cao Wei wouldn’t give up: “It’s okay if you don’t admit that. But surely you’ll agree I’m taller and more imposing than Mr. Xu?”
Xu Yanbing still ignored him.
Cao Wei crawled beside Xu Yanbing, shamelessly slinging an arm around his shoulder, solemnly saying: “I know you’re an incredible expert—otherwise you couldn’t chase Hong Jingyan and Zhong Liang all the way to the border of Gusai Province. But I’m not bad either. I may not get along with the man inside, but I felt an instant connection with you. There are some things I must clarify first…”
Xu Yanbing chuckled softly: “Let me guess—you’re going to say I shouldn’t cheat you because you’re uneducated and naive. If I cheat you, you won’t hit me because you’re too kind. But if I lie about your looks, you’ll kill me?”
Cao Wei exclaimed: “Did Mr. Xu tell you that? Damn it! That bastard must’ve said a lot more to ruin my reputation! Master Xu, don’t believe him! That Xu fellow may not have many skills, but he’s a master at deceiving both men and women—he’s truly reached perfection!”
Even Xu Yanbing, cold-hearted as he was, couldn’t help but smile slightly, though he didn’t shake off Cao Wei’s paw. He simply said: “The Prince of Beiliang didn’t say much else—just that I should go with you to the Western Regions.”
Cao Wei bit his lip, silent.
Inside the carriage, Xu Fengnian was discussing the Fish Dragon Gang, which had risen in Lingzhou. The gang had become incredibly wealthy, growing from a third-rate force in Lingzhou to one of the top two elite gangs. As for how the Fish Dragon Gang made money, outsiders only knew it involved dangerous border trades. Xu Fengnian explained to the old man that he had arranged for the Fish Dragon Gang to trade with major bandit groups for horses—not the seasoned warhorses that were valuable but rare, but wild horses captured from the grasslands, regardless of quality or age. The gang paid high prices, and many border bandits had taken up the booming business of “horse smuggling,” though not directly with the Fish Dragon Gang, but through intermediaries with ties to them, naturally at a discount. Hearing this, the old man chuckled: “Using such a crude method to increase Beiliang’s supply of trained horses—won’t it be of little help?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head and smiled: “Geographically, whoever controls the refugee lands gains double advantage over Beiliang and Beimang. These ownerless wild horses are similar—doubling their numbers makes them significant. Besides, Xu Xiao once told me, managing a household is just three years new, three years old, patched up for another three. The word ‘patch’ tests the head of the household most. Now, with countless matters in Beiliang needing my attention, I have one principle: as long as I can turn silver into Beiliang’s military strength, even a single copper coin’s worth of business, as long as it doesn’t interfere with major affairs, I’ll do it eagerly.”
Yang Guangdou sighed: “Your Highness’s dedication is a blessing for Beiliang.”
Suddenly, Xu Fengnian noticed the girl surnamed He, who had finished applying her makeup, “enhancing beauty” by sticking two hairpins into her head. After putting down the mirror, she sat upright, giving him what she thought was a charming smile.
Yang Guangdou was startled, swallowing hard, unable to bear looking at her “beauty,” quickly turning away to pick up a book.
The old man thought to himself: Poor girl—this must be harder than assassinating a Xiantian-level expert!
Xu Fengnian’s composure had long been tempered by the girl Li Zi, who once pasted half a catty of rouge on her face. He smiled as usual, leaned down, and forcibly straightened the girl’s deliberately raised “graceful finger,” then gently scraped off some of the overly thick makeup.
Cao Wei, unfortunately, chose that moment to lift the curtain. Seeing her stiff “seductive” face, he was so frightened he mimed gouging out his eyes, muttering: “Damn it! One worse than the other!”
Xu Fengnian asked softly: “Where’s that big cat that likes bamboo?”
The girl lowered her eyes: “Dead.”
Xu Fengnian adjusted her crooked hairpins, patted her head, and said: “Then I’ll find you another from the bamboo forests of Xishu.”
The girl, who once sliced through Wang Mingyin’s chest with a single hand strike and kicked Liu Haoshi’s head around with her feet, sniffled slightly and shook her head.
The old man tactfully left the carriage, joining Cao Wei beside Xu Yanbing. Cao Wei teased: “Uncle Yang, got kicked out too?”
Hehehe.
Three soft laughs.
Cao Wei, wiser this time, jumped off the carriage like thunder before lightning, and sure enough, a slender arm pierced through the carriage wall. If he hadn’t fled, he’d have been gutted.
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