Chapter 513: Victory and Defeat

Li Gongde was placed by Sun Fulü outside the study corridor by Xu Hun, who was bound tightly and severely injured, his clothes stained with blood. A loyal retainer of Li Gongde stood beside him, glaring at Xu Hun like a predator ready to strike. This retainer was a genuine minor master of martial arts, naturally formidable in skill, and had long been renowned in the Jianghu of Linzhou, rivaling the Lotus Pond Gang leader known as the “Drunk Monkey.” However, one remained in the mansion of the Strategist enjoying wealth and comfort, while the other was wiped out overnight, leaving no intact corpse behind. It was evident that being a pampered house dog was far more comfortable than being a stray with no support.

Li Gongde appeared relatively calm, eyes closed in meditation, though the fists hidden within his sleeves clenched and unclenched. At the far end of the corridor leaned Hong Shuwen, a former cavalryman of the White Horse Guard, like a venomous snake waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When Hong Shuwen suddenly stood upright, Li Gongde’s eyes flew open. Seeing the young prince return with Xu Beizhi slung over his back, the scene was so far removed from what he had imagined that he momentarily lost his composure. Yet Li Gongde had long been seasoned in the treacherous world of politics and quickly composed himself, ordering his personal guard to leave first. This time, the old man did not posture or act condescendingly as an elder, but instead solemnly straightened his robe and knelt to the ground, his voice deep and firm: “Li Gongde has come in the dead of night to beg the young prince’s forgiveness. I implore you, for the sake of our twenty years of loyalty and kinship, to save Li Hanlin!”

Li Gongde could not see Xu Fengnian’s expression. The young prince seemed to first hand the drunken Xu Beizhi over to Hong Shuwen before striding forward quickly, helping the Strategist to his feet. But Li Gongde stubbornly kept his head bowed low, only hearing the prince’s anxious voice: “Uncle Li, why are you acting like this? How could I possibly deserve this? What has happened to Hanlin? Please, Uncle Li, rise and speak!”

Li Gongde’s voice trembled, tinged with sorrow: “Your Highness, if you do not promise to save my son Hanlin, Li Gongde will kneel here until I die!”

The wine-soaked Xu Fengnian roared: “I may not save others, but Hanlin is different—I cannot possibly watch him fall into danger! Why must you act like this? Could it be that you, the esteemed Strategist of Beiliang, have done something to betray the Xu family and feel guilty about it?!”

Li Gongde raised his head, tears streaming down his face: “Your Highness, for twenty years Li Gongde has remained utterly loyal to Beiliang, a truth the heavens themselves can attest to. The late General’s kindness to the Li family was like giving us new life. I dare say that aside from my undeniable crime of corruption, I have never harbored the slightest disloyalty to Beiliang or the Xu family!”

Xu Fengnian crouched beside the distraught Strategist, speaking gently: “Then, Uncle Li, you should rise and speak to me like a proper uncle. First, tell me who this bound man is, and why Hanlin needs my help. There are no outsiders here—just you and I, uncle and nephew. If there are things I cannot do, I will go to Xu Xiao. I refuse to believe anyone in Beiliang would dare harm Hanlin! Or bring shame to the Li family!”

Only then did Li Gongde shakily rise, wiping his tears with his sleeve. He pointed at Xu Hun and spoke sternly: “This man is Xu Hun, a trusted aide to Li Xifeng, the imperial envoy of the Golden Thread Workshop. He is also a secret agent of the Yangli court. A few years ago, Li Xifeng, that cunning old fox, pretended to meet me by chance and deliberately mentioned that Xu Hun was a distant nephew of a relative. Yet tonight, this Xu Hun had the audacity to sneak into my mansion and deliver a secret letter from the ‘Green-Eyed One’ himself. He claimed that if I were to defect to the court, my future rank would surpass even that of the despicable Yan Jiexi. He even said the Zhao Hook had already arranged a safe escape for my family. How could I, Li Gongde, ever betray such kindness? I captured the traitor on the spot. But alas, my poor son Hanlin has already been ordered to the Southern Court of Beiman. He is now being forcibly escorted eastward along the northern border and will likely enter the capital through Ji Province soon. Your Highness, though I have no intention of betraying Beiliang, the fact that Li Xifeng and Xu Hun targeted me shows that I must have failed in my duties as Strategist, giving them the illusion that I was vulnerable. Whatever punishment the young prince or the General decides to impose upon me afterward, I will accept it without complaint. But you know Hanlin’s character better than anyone. Once he reaches the capital, the Green-Eyed One and the Zhao Emperor will surely tear him apart limb by limb. Your Highness, you must save Hanlin!”

Xu Fengnian exhaled heavily and smiled faintly: “So that’s what happened. Uncle Li, don’t worry too much. Come, let’s go into the study and have some tea. I’ll immediately send messages to Xu Xiao, Chu Luxian, and General Huangfu Chēng in Youzhou. I promise you, Uncle Li, that Hanlin will return to you safe and sound!”

As Li Gongde was about to nod in gratitude, his eyes suddenly widened. The young prince, who had always been so amiable and smiling in his presence, suddenly extended his hand toward Xu Hun, a golden nugget who could potentially reveal many secrets. With a single palm strike, five fingers curled like hooks, he tore off half of Xu Hun’s face. Then, as if it were too much trouble, he delivered a final blow with a “Heavenly Hand” strike. Poor Xu Hun never even had the chance to utter a single word before dying instantly. Xu Fengnian casually wiped his bloodied hands on his sleeve, then carefully supported the Strategist with one hand and pushed the door open with the other. As the two crossed the threshold, Xu Fengnian paused, leaning back slightly, and smiled at Xu Yanbing: “Uncle Xu, please ask Hong Shuwen to send out those three secret messages immediately. The last one to General Huangfu Chēng—tell him I authorize him to mobilize two thousand light cavalry to intercept Hanlin. Oh, and have someone bring a pot of hot tea.”

Xu Yanbing nodded.

Li Gongde whispered: “Your Highness, Xu Hun is clearly no ordinary spy. Earlier, I tried to coax some information from him, and it seems he was personally involved in Yan Jiexi’s escape from Beiliang. With him in our hands, we could have pressured Li Xifeng and the Golden Thread Workshop into submission. It might have been wiser to kill him later.”

Xu Fengnian shook his head and smiled: “Uncle Li, you underestimate how tightly these fanatical spies keep their lips sealed. Besides, on our own turf in Beiliang, I don’t care about Li Xifeng or the Golden Thread Workshop. Even if we throw in the Zhao Hook spies, as long as we have a decent excuse, we can kill them whenever we want. They’re not my relatives, after all. This is a fight to the death between enemies—no need for sentimentality. It’s all about who’s ruthless enough. Our own Falcon and Falconry agents in the outside world suffer the same fate when captured by the Zhao Hook. That’s what makes them true ‘death agents’—they’re not called that for nothing.”

Li Gongde listened to the young prince’s calm and leisurely tone, glanced at the premature gray streaks in his hair, and said nothing.

Xu Fengnian smiled reassuringly: “If you think General Huangfu and two thousand elite cavalry aren’t enough, I can send another two hundred Falconry scouts and a thousand cavalrymen.”

Li Gongde hurriedly agreed: “Yes, yes. Ah, this mess has truly troubled Your Highness.”

Xu Fengnian waved his hand dismissively, and Xu Yanbing personally brought the tea. Xu Fengnian then gave him the order to mobilize more troops for an urgent mission beyond the border.

Xu Fengnian sneered coldly: “What a clever Li Xifeng—silent for years like a turtle hiding in Beiliang, only to suddenly make a grand move, digging at the very foundations of the Xu family. He gave the Zhao Emperor a daughter-in-law, yet still wasn’t satisfied. Now he dares to target even you, Uncle Li. Tonight, I’ll pay him a visit at the Golden Thread Workshop. He won’t be as lucky as Xu Hun.”

Li Gongde sighed deeply, looking at Xu Fengnian with sincerity: “Your Highness, though I did not commit these sins myself, I feel disgraced. I can no longer serve as an official and humbly request to retire to my hometown, living out my days as a humble farmer in Huangnan. In fact, I had already considered this before Your Highness arrived in Linzhou. The tides of the great river keep rising, and the hearts of the people of Beiliang now turn toward the scholars. I know my own limitations—I am poorly educated and have a terrible reputation. I cannot even maintain the dignity of a second-rank Strategist, let alone the position of Linzhou Governor I once held. When you first became the Linzhou General, I had hoped to assist you for a year or two before retiring, fulfilling a final wish of mine to serve two generations of the Xu family. It was partly out of duty, but also partly for my own selfish desires. But when you first moved into the General’s Mansion, I saw the chaos in the Linzhou bureaucracy right under my nose. That’s when I realized I was simply too old, too small, and too inexperienced. Better to resign with dignity than to be driven out in shame. Today, I beg Your Highness to grant me mercy and allow me to return home in peace.”

Xu Fengnian gently blew on the steam rising from his tea, smiling but saying nothing.

The study’s dim lamp flickered. Li Gongde cupped the teacup in both hands, warming them as the rising steam blurred the faces of the old and the young.

Li Gongde chose his words carefully: “Your Highness, my resignation is not merely to avoid suspicion. I truly know I am no longer fit for high office. Serving as the first Strategist of Beiliang was like being forced into a role I was never meant to play. As for my well-known love of power, I’ve had my fill of it. Now, with Beiliang expanding and taking on a new look, I may not be well-read, and I’m far behind scholars like Wang Xihua. But just the other day, watching Fu Zhen replace old peachwood charms with new ones, I realized something I had never understood before: even the finest old couplets, after a year of wind and sun, become worn and faded. They no longer bring joy, and are far less pleasing than fresh new ones. Now, with Beiliang full of youthful energy and flourishing talent, if Your Highness wishes to reform the bureaucracy, the essence of bureaucratic politics is simply to shift positions. If I step down, though I cannot promise that every official in Beiliang will be promoted, at the very least, those learned men favored by Your Highness can rise accordingly. This will be my final small contribution to Beiliang…”

Xu Fengnian interrupted: “Let’s not talk about this now. Uncle Li, you’re still young. Now is not the time to speak of retirement or leisure.”

Li Gongde hesitated, wanting to say more.

Xu Fengnian wore a mischievous grin: “I bet Zhang Julu and the court will offer you at least a Minister and a Grand Academician title, or else they’ll seem stingy.”

Li Gongde smiled: “I haven’t opened the secret letter, so I don’t know its contents.”

Then the Strategist placed the secret letter on the table. Xu Fengnian glanced at it casually, hearing Li Gongde’s first genuine laugh of the night: “If you ask me, a Minister of equal rank to the Strategist, plus a Grand Academician who can’t even mint coins, isn’t good enough. I’d rather have old man Huan Wen’s position. If the Chief Chancellor himself is willing to step down, I wouldn’t mind accepting that either. In that case, allow me to take back my words, and don’t stop me, Your Highness. I’ll leave for the capital tomorrow!”

Xu Fengnian took a sip of tea and laughed: “If the Zhao Emperor has the courage, then I won’t stop you, Uncle Li. After all, officials trained in Beiliang becoming the Chief Chancellor of the court will sound good. In the future, countless scholars will rush to Beiliang to serve, because Beiliang is a land of fortune and opportunity. I’d be happy for them to work hard for twenty or thirty years in Beiliang, accumulating merit and hardship, and then be politely accepted by the court to enjoy a comfortable retirement for ten or twenty years, receiving noble titles and posthumous honors from the emperor. What a wonderful thing! Beiliang’s Xu family benefits, and the Zhao family of the court gains prestige. Everyone is happy.”

Li Gongde smiled knowingly.

Xu Fengnian’s expression grew serious: “Uncle Li, you’ll remain the Strategist, and as for Hanlin, I promise to return him to Linzhou unharmed.”

Li Gongde wanted to speak again, but Xu Fengnian closed the teacup lid and placed it on the table, his expression clearly saying, “No more discussion. We’ll talk about everything after Hanlin returns!”

Li Gongde had no choice but to rise and take his leave, silently exiting the study.

Xu Fengnian walked him to the study door, then returned to his seat and closed his eyes.

This secret matter, once revealed, would shake the entire court and nation. It was a plan orchestrated entirely by Xu Fengnian, with Xu Weixiong and the Wutong Institute responsible for refining every detail. Li Xifeng, the Golden Thread Workshop master, had made a deal with Beiliang. His descendants remained in the capital as hostages. To escape Beiliang alive without arousing the court’s suspicion, he needed a flawless plan. Thus, Xu Hun was indeed a dedicated Zhao Hook spy. The two personal letters from Zhang Julu that Li Xifeng had obtained from the court were also genuine. Li Hanlin’s transfer to the Southern Court of Beiman was also true. Truth and falsehood intertwined, with complex interests and actions that could dazzle the eye. Especially on Beiliang’s side, not a single step could be wrong. The Yangli court could afford losses, but Beiliang could not. Victory meant the Golden Thread Workshop would shift from a court agency to a private asset of Beiliang, with countless spies hidden in Beiliang and its surroundings being rooted out. Even many Yangli spies infiltrating the border armies would be exposed. In this way, the mud and muck of Beiliang could be cleaned up. Xu Fengnian, as Linzhou General, had never been concerned solely with Linzhou’s military affairs. His true goal was to eliminate all threats to Beiliang’s bureaucracy, allowing scholars to settle down in peace.

If Li Gongde had resisted the temptation, Xu Fengnian had always told himself he would let the old man indulge in his love of power. If the worst had happened, even if there had been a betrayal like the Yan family before, Xu Fengnian had never intended to destroy the Li family. He would have merely arranged for Li Gongde to resign due to illness, allowing him to live comfortably as a wealthy man in Huangnan. As Li Gongde himself had said that night, his departure would allow Beiliang’s bureaucracy to be reshuffled according to the young prince’s wishes. Whatever Xu Hun did was at Li Xifeng’s command, and Li Xifeng’s guidance to Xu Hun was all orchestrated by Xu Fengnian in secret. As for Li Hanlin, the Falconry Captain, a group of Beiliang’s most elite Falconry agents had already been secretly following him, including six minor masters from the Prince’s Mansion (Prince’s Mansion) among them. Those Zhao Hook agents waiting outside the pass were doomed to die. Yet Xu Fengnian knew that with this, the four childhood friends who had grown up together, visited brothels together, and taken the blame together were now gone—none remained.

The Strategist slowly walked out of the General’s Mansion with his loyal retainer.

Li Gongde turned to look at the mansion in the night, slightly ominous in the darkness, and smiled: “What kind of man do you think the young prince is?”

The minor master hesitated for a moment: “A martial arts expert.”

Li Gongde chuckled, not pressing the cautious martial artist further, and muttered to himself: “Though ruthless men are called heroes, a man with feelings is not necessarily any less of a hero.”

The retainer dared not speak.

As Li Gongde approached his own mansion gate, he suddenly withdrew his foot from the step and smiled: “Let’s take a walk down the quiet Apricot Street (Apricot Street).”

Walking down the empty, desolate street, Li Gongde suddenly sighed: “All beings suffer, but the art lies in finding joy within that suffering. If others see you as pitiful, but you yourself do not feel the suffering, that is true skill.”

“I, like the General, am old now. Whatever I do now is for my descendants.”

In the study.

Xu Fengnian reached out and grasped the teacup.

The white porcelain cup shattered with a bang.

Half the tea splashed onto his clothes.

The appointment was set for the third day of the first lunar month at the General’s Mansion in Linzhou, and only arrived on the fourth.

He had deliberately mentioned the three secret letters in the corridor.

Xu Fengnian had given the Li family chance after chance.

Yet now, only one lonely letter remained on the table.

In this game of chess, Beiliang, with the advantage of terrain and people, could not lose—only win more or less.

But for Xu Fengnian himself, it was a loss no matter how you looked at it.

He had chosen to be alone.

As Xu Beizhi had said.