In the Yuzhi Prefecture at the border of Youzhou, the Tao family was a renowned aristocratic clan whose members excelled in both civil and martial affairs within Youzhou’s political circles. The Tao family was known for its simple and virtuous traditions. Tao Jinzao, the head of the family, was widely respected for his benevolence, having built public granaries to store food and repeatedly opened them to relieve famine in Youzhou. When the Northern Mang marshaled a million troops at the Beiliang border, many noble families in Yuzhi Prefecture followed the principle of “three burrows for a cunning hare,” secretly sending their young members and family assets out of Beiliang. Only the Tao family remained completely still.
A group of over a dozen riders made their way to the Tao family mansion in the dead of night during this early spring. In the darkness, the horses’ hooves struck the bluestone road lined with six archways granted by imperial decree, creating a particularly crisp and lingering sound. Tao Jinzao, a man over fifty, had received an unexpected secret report earlier and hurriedly got up, dressing in haste. The entire family mobilized, opening the main gate in full ceremony. More than a hundred family members knelt respectfully on the stone steps outside the gate. At the head of the riders was a young man completely wrapped in a heavy fur cloak. Behind him stood an elderly man with two long white eyebrows and a single arm, and a white-robed woman whose figure surpassed even the strongest warriors of the north. The dozen or so retinue behind them all carried short crossbows and cool sabers, and rode white horses.
Tao Jinzao’s two granddaughters, still unmarried, knelt side by side. Unable to resist, they stole a glance at the young nobleman who was smiling as he helped their grandfather up. He was truly refined and handsome, with a fine appearance and even finer bearing. They speculated whether he might be a young aristocrat from the Central Plains who had risen to prominence during the influx of scholars into Beiliang. They often heard stories of the refined and elegant scholars from the south, whose every movement exuded a scholarly aura, in stark contrast to the men of Beiliang. But of course, they were mistaken. While it was true that scholars from other regions had seized opportunities to occupy positions in Beiliang’s bureaucracy, aside from a few like Yu Luandao, no one else had the stature to command such a grand reception from the head of the Tao family. The young man who had captivated their hearts was none other than the Beiliang King, Xufeng Nian, who had come in secret with ten white horse riders to Yuzhi Prefecture.
Xu Fengnian and Tao Jinzao quickly entered the main gate. Seeing a child in a woman’s arms who was delicate and bright-eyed, Xu Fengnian removed a jade pendant from his waist and smilingly gave it to the child as a gift. Then Xu Fengnian dismissed the Tao family’s elders, women, and children to rest, leaving only Tao Jinzao and his son Tao Wenhai to accompany him. Without any pleasantries, Xu Fengnian lowered his voice and asked directly, “Have the last batch of spies from Fushui House, who came from Linzhou, been properly settled?”
Tao Jinzao, his heart still racing, calmed himself before reporting, “The twenty-six in this batch have all been placed in various locations. With three groups totaling eighty-one people, plus the four second-tier minor grandmasters and fifteen third-tier experts secretly dispatched from the Prince’s Mansion to Yuzhi Prefecture, they can support each other in the shadows. Everything is ready, just waiting for the Northern Mang assassins who sneak in to fall into our trap. Now, all the border checkpoints have been closed, and elite border troops with skilled crossbowmen and local scouts from Youzhou are patrolling extensively. Even if some slip through the lines, it will be difficult for them to penetrate deep into Youzhou to assassinate officials.”
Xu Fengnian nodded.
Dantai Jing, Sui Xiegu, and the White Horse Righteous Cavalry naturally would not participate in the secret talks. Only Xu Fengnian and the Tao father and son remained, sitting in an elegant room where lush green bamboo could be seen outside the window. At the end of last year, heavy snow fell across the lands of Liyang, and even more so in Beiliang. This year’s early spring chill was not as harsh as usual, but even so, Xu Fengnian did not take off his fur coat after sitting down. Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai were also given seats, but it was obvious that facing this young prince with a formidable reputation, even on their own turf, they were very constrained. Tao Jinzao, the aged family patriarch, was filled with awe, while Tao Wenhai, serving as the county magistrate of a middle county in Yuzhi Prefecture, was more in admiration than fear.
Soon, a graceful woman brought steaming ginger tea. After setting it down, she went to a corner of the room and knelt, skillfully and deftly opening a drawer box. She placed over a dozen kinds of precious spices on a small sandalwood table in front of her. On the sandalwood table, there was a typical set of “master and servant three pieces”—a bottle, a censer, and a box, with the censer as the master and the bottle and box as the servants.
Xu Fengnian cupped the ginger tea in both hands and took a sip, instantly dispelling some of the cold and warming his heart and spleen. In this rare moment of leisure, he instinctively looked toward the woman who gave off a quiet and peaceful aura. She was likely the kind of delicate and alluring woman described as having a soft frame and a full figure, dressed modestly yet tastefully. Her curves, from her chest to her waist and hips, and even the way her legs bent as she knelt, were not diminished by the winter clothing. Xu Fengnian naturally did not harbor any romantic thoughts or desires toward her, but such an exquisite woman was indeed pleasing to the eye. Xu Fengnian was an expert in the appreciation of refined arts, a connoisseur whose discernment could be called masterful. Otherwise, the Taian City would not have been so eager to acquire those paintings and calligraphy works that the young prince of Beiliang had once stamped as “forgeries” in his early years. With a single glance, Xu Fengnian could tell that the brass censer came from the hand of Huang Yong, a famous craftsman of the “Southern Casting” school. The censer was rich in ancient charm, calm yet strong, and after years of careful maintenance, it had developed a rare reddish hue, like the gleaming light of a famous sword. If there were no surprises, the ash inside the censer would be the residue of sandalwood burned over many years, accumulated over time—”ten years of incense, half a censer of ash.”
Xu Fengnian’s thoughts wandered, his gaze lingering on the young woman nearby. Tao Jinzao smiled knowingly. His eldest granddaughter had refused to marry for years, causing him to be mocked by old friends whose marriage alliances had failed, calling him “the Tao family has a daughter, a rare commodity.” Unlike his father, who was quick-witted, Tao Wenhai kept observing the “prodigal son who has turned his life around” with a mix of curiosity and depth. Because the Tao family had a hidden identity within the Fushui House, Tao Wenhai had long been involved in the transmission of military and intelligence information in Beiliang, especially in Youzhou. Compared to the sons of ordinary Beiliang noble families, Tao Wenhai’s curiosity about Xu Fengnian was richer and deeper.
Xu Fengnian returned to his senses and said frankly, “I apologize for my rudeness.”
The woman smiled sweetly.
Xu Fengnian took a heavy sip of ginger tea, put down the cup, and said gravely, “According to the intelligence brought by Chu Lushan from the Southern Court, the Northern Mang Empress had long ordered Li Mibi to prepare a plan where assassins would precede the troops. The Northern Mang martial world forces were divided into two parts. The majority of top experts and all the lower-level martial artists entered the army to serve, while the middle-level experts were assigned to Li Mibi, the head of Northern Mang spies, for precise assassinations of our Beiliang border generals and local officials. They would not go to Chu Lushan’s Beiliang Protectorate to seek their own destruction, but people like you, Tao Wenhai, who are indispensable to Beiliang yet lack personal protection, are the ideal targets for Northern Mang assassins.”
Xu Fengnian lightly turned the teacup with his finger, “The border areas north of Liangzhou are all fortified cities and military towns with great depth, making it difficult for the enemy to find opportunities. Youzhou, however, is much more complex. Although the Hulu Pass area is covered with a dense network of watchtowers and signal fires, their original purpose was mainly to delay the rapid advance of the Northern Mang army. They are not effective against the secret infiltrators and martial experts of the Northern Mang. Even if General Yan Wenluan and Youzhou General Huangfu Cheng have deployed sixteen elite cavalry units of about five hundred men each to hunt down the infiltrators along the border, it is believed that it will still be difficult to achieve results. The real battlefield in the Youzhou direction will still occur within the territory. Therefore, the Youfeng and Fushui House’s Youfeng and Ying soldiers must mainly focus on border counties and prefectures like Yuzhi Prefecture. However, despite the Youfeng and Ying soldiers being fully deployed, when the time comes, it is inevitable that we will be overwhelmed.”
Tao Wenhai glanced at his father, Tao Jinzao, who nodded. Tao Wenhai then said, “Your Majesty, my greatest concern now is that after the Northern Mang enters the territory, they will split their forces, each group led by one or several top experts. Even if our side has Youfeng and Ying soldiers secretly protecting, sacrificing their lives to pass on information before death, our nearby assassins will rush to the battlefield to surround and eliminate them. The fear is that the enemy will hide their strength during the previous attacks and actually have no intention of achieving a decisive blow and then retreating. At that time, we might suffer a second wave of heavy casualties. By the time we realize this, we will have to concentrate several main forces to intercept them, but by then, the enemy’s other elite forces might start acting secretly again, and we will naturally be stretched thin.”
At this point, Tao Wenhai hesitated, clearly somewhat hesitant. Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Speak freely.”
Tao Wenhai spoke directly, “After all, our Beiliang is just a sparsely populated corner of the land. This kind of war, which involves a mutual depletion of high-level martial experts, is not in our favor. In particular, the four major forces of the Northern Mang—Daode Sect, Qijian Le Fu, Gongzhufen, and Tibingshan—have all sent their elite forces to join in. Many notorious Northern Mang martial villains are also serving under Li Mibi. Our side is definitely at a complete disadvantage in terms of the number of second and third-tier martial grandmasters. However, precisely these types of characters can have the most decisive effect in the struggle of assassination and counter-assassination. Our large number of light cavalry riders will find it hard to play a role. To put it bluntly, we might be led around by the nose from start to finish, unable to even catch a glimpse of their coat tails.”
Xu Fengnian nodded and said, “In fact, the Northern Mang has clearly identified five first-tier experts, including the discipline master of the Daode Sect, the Grand Music Master of the Qijian Le Fu, the Little Thought of Gongzhufen, and two notorious martial villains on the list. Therefore, this time, the entire foundation of the Northern Mang martial world has been dug out for their emperor. Our Youzhou is the first touchstone for that old woman to clean up the martial world.”
Tao Wenhai and Tao Jinzao exchanged glances, both seeing deep concerns in each other’s eyes.
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Of course, the good news is that except for the ‘Half-Face Makeup’ Little Thought, the rest are only at the Jinguang and Zhixuan levels. Moreover, among the second-tier minor grandmasters, most come from the Qijian Le Fu. Although their cultivation level is not low, when it comes to life-or-death battles, they may not be as strong as the third-tier martial artists of Beiliang.”
Tao Wenhai could only smile bitterly; with enemies so strong, this didn’t seem like good news at all.
In the corner, the kneeling woman slowly mixed the incense ash and cut the sandalwood into small pieces. Her movements in lighting the charcoal and burning the incense were filled with a graceful elegance. Since the night’s conversation would certainly not be brief, her actions were unhurried.
Tao Wenhai carefully said, “Your Majesty, I dare to make a suggestion…”
Xu Fengnian soon said, “You want to call on the Wu family’s hundred riders and hundred swords to come to Youzhou to help?”
Tao Wenhai, somewhat embarrassed, nodded.
Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, “The Wu family swordsmen must stay with Chu Lushan to prevent any unexpected events. They cannot be moved now.”
Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai knew that the one-armed old man with the long eyebrows beside the Beiliang King was a swordsman who had become famous in Liangzhou. However, they naturally did not think such an expert would leave the Beiliang King’s side. The key was that even with their poor eyesight, they could see that the Beiliang King was acting strangely now, as if he had only achieved a pyrrhic victory after a major battle. If their guess was correct, then the sword immortal would be even less likely to leave. In fact, Xu Fengnian did hope that Sui Xiegu could help out, especially with Dantai Jing around, but the old man completely disregarded the situation in Youzhou, acting in a most undignified manner. As Sui Xiegu put it, wherever Dantai Jing was, he would be. The two of them together were over two hundred years old. As Sui Xiegu said, “Now that we can still look at each other a few times, of course, every extra glance counts.”
However, Xu Fengnian naturally would not sit idly by and let the Northern Mang forces show off in Youzhou. Besides mobilizing the Youfeng and Fushui House, and having the experts from the Listening-Tide Pavilion come out, he also sent Mi Fengjie, a master of the Sword-Hiding Pavilion at the Zhixuan level, to Youzhou. Mi Fengjie was to work with Fan Xiaochai, the granddaughter of Fan Baoshan, the former national general of the old Northern Han. Mi Fengjie’s Zhixuan level was not comparable to the Zhixuan of the Daode Sect. As for Fan Xiaochai’s current strength, facing any second-tier minor grandmasters from the Qijian Le Fu, even if she had to fight two at once, she could still win steadily. With her abnormal stubbornness, she might even fight three and end up in mutual destruction. In addition, the alchemists of the Guanyin Sect had quietly headed to Youzhou. They would not directly get involved in this mess but would try to keep an eye on those first-tier experts who appeared briefly during the battles. They would relay the military intelligence to the nearby Youfeng and Ying soldiers so that Youzhou could take targeted actions.
This war would certainly be a series of bloody small-scale battles connected together. Once the two sides met, it would be a matter of life or death, with no possibility of escaping unscathed. It would come down to which side could transfer their forces more quickly and secretly.
Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai only guessed that the Beiliang King was seriously injured, but Li Mibi of the Northern Mang knew it for certain. Therefore, Sui Xiegu was a key target for the Northern Mang. In Xu Fengnian’s view, besides the Gongzhufen’s Little Thought, who would be the backup plan to target Sui Xiegu, there should also be a hidden top expert. Of course, in Xu Fengnian’s eyes, “top” would naturally not be on the same level as the literati like Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai.
Xu Fengnian asked, “Do you have a detailed map of the Youzhou terrain here?”
Tao Wenhai quickly got up to fetch the map from the study, bringing back a large stack. It included the map of Youzhou’s territory and county maps. He spread the largest map of the entire Youzhou terrain on the table and placed the smaller four or five maps separately. These were not things that just anyone dared to keep privately. If discovered by the authorities, it would certainly lead to imprisonment. Xu Fengnian stood up, and Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai also quickly stood up. Xu Fengnian asked in detail about the distribution of the Northern Mang assassins in various counties of Youzhou, trying to find any gaps. Naturally, the three of them would occasionally talk about the terrain of various counties. Tao Wenhai was surprised to find that this prince was so familiar with the geography of Yuzhi Prefecture that even many locals could not explain clearly. Xu Fengnian could even name the garrison troops and their commanding officers off the top of his head, and even knew the backgrounds and military styles of those officers ranked no higher than the sixth or seventh level. Tao Wenhai couldn’t help but suspect that even his small county magistrate position was not hidden from the young prince. For a moment, his heart, which had just calmed down, was lifted again, fearing that he might leave a bad impression on the young prince.
The three of them chatted for nearly two entire shichen. The young woman, aside from occasionally replenishing incense, tea, and candles, remained obediently kneeling in a corner the entire time.
Her name was Tao Tanxiang. She wasn’t being so dutifully attentive for the sake of the Prince of Beiliang. In truth, she had long admired Xu Fengnian, even from the days when he was merely the notoriously infamous and seemingly useless young prince. Her father, Tao Xuanlong, had paid a hefty sum to acquire a famous painting that had circulated out of the Beiliang Prince’s Mansion—The Palace Beauties of the Dragon Palace, a masterpiece by an artist from the former Western Shu dynasty. When she saw the two oversized seals marked “fake” in seal script, she was utterly stunned. Who in the world could be so shamelessly reckless with such treasures? Esteemed connoisseurs would normally approach such a painting with reverence, treating it like a sacred relic. This painting was destined to be passed down through generations, and might still be admired on someone’s desk five hundred or even a thousand years from now. Didn’t that person fear eternal infamy because of those two characters? She became somewhat resentful after that. Every painting or calligraphy piece that bore the young prince’s seal, she urged her father to buy back at any cost. Ironically, at the time, Tao Xuanlong, who held no more than a minor seventh-grade official’s post, spent extravagantly to acquire these so-called “fakes,” which caught the favorable attention of Hong Shandong, the governor of Yan Zhi Prefecture, who saw him as a promising talent. Especially after the young prince became the Prince of Beiliang, Tao Xuanlong received another unexpected promotion.
Over time, Tao Tanxiang gradually accumulated no fewer than thirty paintings and calligraphies bearing Xu Fengnian’s seals. Not all of them bore the mark “fake.” Some bore Xu’s seal that was now praised by collectors in the capital as delightfully spontaneous, and others bore his simple yet expressive “phoenix” seal. One particular mother-and-child seal on the painting “Loquat” was especially unforgettable.
Thus, Tao Tanxiang gradually felt as though she had known this man for a long time.
She knew every piece of news about him that had trickled in over the years—from the Jianghu of Liyang, from the imperial court in the capital, and from the political circles of Beiliang.
She gently placed her hands on her knees, lifting her head to gaze Absentmindedly at the man who never once carried an air of overbearing authority. Every time he furrowed his brow in thought, every time he offered a warm smile, she carefully etched into her memory, as though collecting precious treasures.
Another shichen passed. Xu Fengnian smiled and asked the elderly Tao Jin’ao to go to bed first, then continued chatting with Tao Wenhai under lamplight. Their conversation broadened, no longer confined to Youzhou or even Beiliang, but expanding to cover the politics and military affairs of both the Liyang and Beiman dynasties, as well as the customs and cultures of the two great empires. Earlier, when Tao Jin’ao had departed, he had stopped by his granddaughter Tao Tanxiang and asked her to prepare tea and some snacks. Thus, during the subsequent casual conversation by the window on the small couch, she sat between the Prince of Beiliang and her uncle Tao Wenhai, creating a kind of amusing triangular dynamic.
When the sky began to lighten, Tao Wenhai, still full of energy and clearly not tired at all, finally rose to take his leave. He requested permission from the Prince of Beiliang to allow Tao Tanxiang to accompany him on a stroll around the Tao family mansion. Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded in agreement.
The two of them walked toward the Tao family library. Throughout their walk, they maintained a distance of two shoulders apart—no sense of intimacy or aloofness.
Xu Fengnian apologized gently, “Miss Tao, you’ve worked hard.”
She shook her head with a smile, “Not at all. Grandfather might be a bit disappointed, but I’m not. I’m very content.”
Xu Fengnian smiled knowingly and said frankly, “You won’t have any trouble finding a husband. These days, there are plenty of talented young men coming to Beiliang for official posts, and many of them are of excellent character and learning.”
Tao Tanxiang nodded softly, walking closer to the pavilion, and said, “The world values book collections based on their editions and completeness, for example, the highly prized Fengban editions, where a single page can be worth a hundred taels of silver and a complete set worth a thousand. But our family library doesn’t focus on that. Grandfather believes that nothing is more important than the words of the sages in the books. Rather than spending a thousand taels on a single Fengban set, it’s better to buy a hundred ordinary books. Therefore, the number of books in our library is no less than those grand libraries in the Central Plains. Moreover, any scholar who comes to borrow or read books is always welcome.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, “I’ve heard that your Tao family also fully supports the food and lodging of poor scholars seeking education. That’s rare. The tradition of scholarly wandering in Beiliang is far less developed than in the Central Plains, but Yan Zhi Prefecture, thanks to your family, rivals the southern regions.”
Tao Tanxiang spoke softly, “My father said that a prosperous and thriving family is like a healthy person full of vitality. But if the yang energy becomes excessive and is not regulated, it will eventually harm the internal organs. Therefore, our family’s annual acts of charity—relief efforts, book lending, and kindness toward neighbors—are all necessary treatments. One must not wait until the disease has penetrated deeply before trying to remedy it.”
Xu Fengnian teased, “Just by saying this, your father could easily serve as a prefectural governor.”
Xu Fengnian walked toward the main gate of the Tao family mansion. As he stepped across the threshold, he said to Tao Tanxiang, “You go back first. Staying up late is harmful for a young lady. I still have someone to meet at the archway.”
She smiled brightly and playfully replied, “It’s okay. I really want to know who in this world can make the Prince of Beiliang wait.”
Xu Fengnian simply smiled.
The two stood beneath an archway.
Who knew how long they waited, until finally, in the distance at the edge of their vision, a carriage appeared, followed by a hundred riders on white horses.
Tao Tanxiang turned her head and just then saw him smile.
She watched him quickly walk forward to greet the newcomers, but she did not follow. Standing still, she watched his back gradually recede into the distance.
The carriage and the cavalry halted neatly. Tao Tanxiang saw a young woman step down from the carriage, her features indistinct.
Xu Fengnian looked at the woman who had come all the way from Liangzhou Prince’s Mansion and gently asked, “Are you cold?”
She shook her head.
One rider among the White Horse Righteous Cavalry, suspiciously bold in his manner, did not dismount, merely exchanging a glance with Xu Fengnian before nodding slightly. Then he wheeled his horse around and rode away.
This knight bore neither sword nor bow.
But a heavy iron spear was slung across his back.
With this single rider and his spear,
the entire Youzhou remained in order.
Xu Fengnian borrowed a warhorse from the White Horse Righteous Cavalry, first lifting her onto the horse, then mounting himself behind her, and the two rode off together.
Xu Fengnian apologized gently, “I promised you before that I would show you all the sights of Beiliang.”
She leaned into his warm embrace and said nothing.
Xu Fengnian nudged the horse forward with his knees, galloping along the path the White Horse Righteous Cavalry had come.
Except for the two of them and the single horse, the surroundings were empty. Her face glowing with vitality, she raised both hands to her mouth and, in a childishly delighted manner, shouted, “Xu Fengnian is riding with Lu Chengyan on a white horse across Beiliang!”
A white horse galloping across Beiliang.
A thousand miles of joyous wind!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage