Li Fuzhen closed her eyes, as if unwilling to face the calamity that was about to befall the Song family. Xu Fengnian’s expression remained calm, betraying neither joy nor anger, as he said to Song Yan, “Minister Song, there are some matters I must discuss with you.”
After speaking, Xu Fengnian turned and walked down the steps. Song Yan had just scolded his daughter, Song Huangmei, for her loose tongue, and now, faced with impending disaster, he subtly patted her hand, silently urging her not to panic. Forced to smile, he tried to appear composed. As he stepped across the threshold, Song Yan exhaled deeply, feeling a chill in the air.
He quickly followed the general of Lingzhou. Having long held a high position, Song Yan understood the art of concealment far better than the average carefree citizen. Many sons of noble families were not merely bullies who oppressed the weak; in daily dealings, they were respectful and courteous when dealing with officials like Song Yan, and adept at managing subordinates, often feigning profundity and speaking in cryptic, unsettling tones that made others wary. Yet, in Song Yan’s eyes, this was not true depth. True depth, he believed, was remaining unmoved by personal gain or loss, unshaken by worldly concerns, and maintaining composure regardless of the matter’s size. What Song Yan truly feared was that Xu Fengnian might be of the former kind—agreeable and fair when things went smoothly, but quick to bare his fangs when slighted, treating others as if they were nothing. Song Yan did not believe that the mere position of Taishou of Huangnan Prefecture could restrain the wrath of the heir to the “Jia Beiliang” household.
Xu Fengnian slowed his pace and walked beside Song Yan, teasing lightly, “Before, you insulted Xu Xiao. Now your daughter insults me. Is there a feud between the Song and Xu families?”
Song Yan looked somewhat embarrassed.
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “I’ve come back to tell you this: your daughter and a servant once tried to stop me from leaving the mansion, and suffered a little for it. That was the Song family’s fault. But I was worried that if she held a grudge and spread rumors, you might resent me. I thought it best to come back and clarify things. However, if that were the only reason, I wouldn’t have bothered to return and make a fuss over nothing. The real matter is that there are several hidden dens of Beiman spies that have been entrenched in Huangnan for years. With many scholars coming to Beiliang, there are also many disguised spies and assassins among them. Some Beiman spies who originally operated in the Central Plains have also begun to infiltrate Beiliang. Tonight, someone will clean up Huangnan Prefecture, and I will leave tomorrow morning. So I thought it best to inform you beforehand, to avoid you being caught off guard. On my way back, I noticed that the Ye Yuan Tower had started moving books.”
Song Yan, not wanting to incur the young man’s lingering resentment, disregarded etiquette and asked directly, “Your Highness truly does not bear any anger toward my daughter’s rudeness?”
Xu Fengnian countered, “Scolding someone in her own home is still better than those who stab from behind in Lingzhou. I have tolerated the latter until now without taking action. What do you have to worry about? If you truly feel guilty, just send me another five hundred books from the Ye Yuan Tower.”
Song Yan sighed, “It seems I have judged a gentleman with a petty mind.”
Xu Fengnian joked, “What kind of gentleman do you take me for? You people, once bitten by a snake, fear even a well rope for ten years. With my notorious reputation in Beiliang…”
Song Yan suddenly turned his head and saw the daughter of the Jinglue Governor rushing toward them. She stopped and looked at the two men, showing no intention of leaving. Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “Minister Song, I need to speak with Miss Li for a moment. Please wait at the back gate.”
Song Yan nodded and quickly walked away.
Li Fuzhen did not take another step forward. Her face cold, she asked, “What are you planning to do to the Song family?”
Xu Fengnian did not beat around the bush. “You actually want to know what I plan to do to Song Huangmei, right? Don’t worry, I…”
Li Fuzhen interrupted him, sneering, “You expect me to really feel reassured?”
Xu Fengnian said calmly, “Li Fuzhen, if I’m not mistaken, I don’t owe you anything.”
Li Fuzhen gritted her teeth, “If Hanlin meets misfortune at the border, I will hate you for the rest of my life!”
Xu Fengnian turned to leave, but was stopped again by Song Huangmei. This time, the swordswoman had learned from her mistake and timidly said, “Your Highness, I accept responsibility for my actions. Please don’t blame my father.”
Xu Fengnian reached out and pinched her cheek, saying, “You insulted me, and I took some liberties. Let’s call it even.”
Song Huangmei stood there stunned, only regaining her senses after a long while. Then she bounced over to Li Fuzhen, chattering like a little bird, “Sister Fuzhen, did you see that? This prince really has a killer aura! He touched me, and I was too scared to move. If it were an ordinary lecher, I’d have chopped off his hand already! You wouldn’t know, his two attendants are both very formidable. I was saying, a man wearing a Beiliang sword is truly heroic and handsome. Sigh, I think those rumors might actually be true. Sister, since you don’t practice martial arts, you wouldn’t know that in the Jianghu, there’s a saying about bold and spirited men. This prince must be a master swordsman! I wonder if he can fly on a sword and summon thunder.”
When Xu Fengnian reached the back gate of the mansion, Song Yan softly asked, “Do you need me to assist with the cleanup tonight in Huangnan?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, “No need.”
Song Yan said, “If Your Highness doesn’t mind this house being too gloomy, perhaps you could stay the night.”
Xu Fengnian laughed, “Are you afraid I might die suddenly in Huangnan?”
Song Yan, his thoughts exposed, chuckled. Xu Fengnian did not allow Song Yan to see him off, and climbed into the carriage, which quietly departed through the alley.
Xu Yanbing drove to a private residence in the southwest corner of the prefecture. Xu Fengnian pushed open the door and entered a narrow courtyard. On the cold stone floor knelt more than twenty people. Xu Fengnian interlaced his fingers, inwardly amused at finally feeling like a true prince. He said simply, “Rise.”
The twenty-odd figures wore a variety of garments—some were wealthy merchants in silk and fur, others were peasants in coarse hemp. One even wore a jade pendant reserved for government officials. Xu Fengnian walked over and pulled it off—it belonged to a county clerk of the ninth rank. He pocketed it without returning it. At the front stood a plain-looking woman. As soon as she stood, she knelt again, her voice trembling with fear as she carefully chose her words to report, “Your Highness, we have confirmed that there are three nests of Beiman spies hidden in Huangnan Prefecture, two of which have been operating for over a decade. According to General Chu’s plan, one group of Youqin will arrive at the Huangnan Prefecture at the hour of Shen, and another group of You Nu warriors turned Beiliang hawks will arrive at the hour of You. At your command, we can uproot these three malignant tumors.”
The Beiliang spy network was a mixture of many kinds, but those responsible for internal purges were all classified under Youqin. This particular Youqin was responsible for patrolling Beiliang, mostly composed of martial experts from the Beiliang Prince’s Mansion, such as Lü Qiantang and Shu Xiu, and others who had been involved in the assassination of Prince Zhao Kai. These were people who killed for martial secrets and wealth. There were also those who had committed capital crimes in Liyang and had no choice but to seek refuge in Beiliang for a chance at survival. However, recently, the intelligence network had been split in two, with half of the authority taken from Chu Lushan and given to Second Princess Xu Wei Xiong. Xu Wei Xiong had no interest in the old personnel and directly transferred nearly a hundred elite You Nu warriors from the Beiliang army to form the Hawks, who nominally worked in tandem with the Youqin but were also meant to check each other’s power. Thus, the Hawks and Youqin prowled the lands of Beiliang, targeting enemies to devour. As for matters beyond the borders, Chu Lushan still held most of the authority, and Xu Wei Xiong seemed to have no immediate intention of interfering. Xu Fengnian had little involvement in these two deeply corrupt institutions, but he had heard of their structure. For example, the spies in the courtyard were mostly “softshell turtles,” who had been stationed in one place for years without moving, and a few “shad fish,” who were slightly more mobile, traveling regularly between Liangzhou to deliver intelligence. Many of the softshell turtles never knew the identities of their comrades until their deaths. The fact that they had gathered so openly today was extremely unusual. Only when the leader, the woman known as Hei Li (Black Carp), explained that a high-ranking official would be coming to personally oversee the operation did they understand. But no one had expected the Beiliang heir himself to “visit their humble abode,” and they were all visibly nervous. These were not mere commoners who spread rumors—they had seen and heard many secret things with their own eyes and ears, and knew of the prince’s deeds firsthand.
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Hei Li, stand and speak. Originally, it was supposed to be Wang Tongque who would come to Huangnan, but I decided at the last moment to take his place. Don’t mind if an outsider like me gives you orders. Tonight’s operation, I’ll just be an observer—I won’t interfere.”
The woman, who had been in charge of Huangnan’s intelligence for so long, felt relieved and stood up. She was about to say a few polite words when the prince suddenly grabbed her neck, twisted it with a crack, and casually tossed her aside, his smile unchanged. Xu Fengnian continued, “I forgot to mention—Wang Tongque didn’t come because he couldn’t, not because he didn’t want to. He was killed on the way here by Chu Lushan’s men. This Hei Li had been secretly communicating with a Beiman official known as the Fishing Pole Master for many years. Huangnan has been rotten from top to bottom. I know that besides her, there are several others in this courtyard who have betrayed us to Beiman’s Spiderweb. We’ve come all this way, and originally, only a few insignificant underlings would die. That won’t do.”
The remaining people in the courtyard exchanged glances. The official with the jade pendant, an undercover agent known as a “softshell turtle,” stepped forward and looked at Hei Li’s corpse with a bitter, resigned smile, tinged with the sorrow of a rabbit seeing the fox’s fate.
Xu Fengnian ignored the traitor who had revealed himself and left him standing there. He stepped onto the veranda, hands in his sleeves, the jade pendant dangling from his sleeve as he cheerfully asked, “Is there anyone else who wants to die quickly? If you wait until I drag you out myself, you won’t get as merciful a death as Hei Li did.”
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence, and no one responded to the prince’s offer. Xu Fengnian then slowly called out three names. Three men were instantly cut in half by Hong Shuwen’s swift blade.
Xu Fengnian said, “According to intelligence reports, there is still a deeply hidden Beiman assassin among us, identity unknown. But it doesn’t matter. The entire intelligence network in Huangnan needs to be rebuilt from scratch. To save trouble and prevent future problems, we’ll just kill them all. Huangnan is a place that Beiman’s Spiderweb has invested heavily in. I believe the big fish here is worth more than all the Beiliang spies combined. This trade, Beiliang won’t lose.”
A fat merchant, surprisingly agile, lightly stepped with his toes and leapt toward the courtyard wall, but was struck in the back by Hong Shuwen’s short spear and impaled on the wall. Hong Shuwen walked over, grabbed his legs, and dragged him back into the courtyard.
With his death, the remaining “softshell turtles” and “shad fish” in the courtyard exhaled in relief. If this man had refused to reveal himself and insisted on dragging the others down with him, they would have had no choice but to stretch their necks and be slaughtered. They dared not resist the merciless Beiliang heir, for as spies, they had families to protect. If they died here today, they could at least say they died for Beiliang, blaming only the cunning of the Beiman spies. But just as everyone thought it was over, Xu Fengnian, following Xu Yanbing’s pointing finger, fixed his gaze on a plain-looking middle-aged man with an unremarkable face. “This fat man was willing to die for you to protect you, which shows your importance. Otherwise, if I were him, I’d take everyone else down with me. You are Han Shang, aren’t you? You did several great deeds on the border of Youzhou, contributing greatly to Beiliang. In recent years, you’ve had conflicts with Hei Li and were sidelined, achieving nothing for years. You were once considered the most innocent among us. But do you know when you revealed yourself?”
Han Shang smiled coldly and looked at Xu Yanbing. “I’ve long heard that the Prince’s Mansionis full of hidden experts. But even the Zi warriors of the Beiliang King have acted, except for one called Xu Yanbing, who has remained idle and unfathomable. Beiman guessed that this man’s cultivation is no less than Han Laoshan, the junior brother of the Spear Immortal Wang Xiu. Now it seems that is indeed the case. I had suppressed my heartbeat, convinced I had no flaws, yet I was still seen through. What a pity I can’t pass this information on. The mistake was not expecting the prince himself to come, and with Xu Yanbing in attendance.”
It wasn’t that Han Shang didn’t want to resist, but he knew it was futile against Xu Yanbing.
Before he could act, Han Shang suddenly blacked out, not even seeing how Xu Yanbing had struck.
Xu Fengnian tossed the jade pendant back to the official and smiled, “Wang Tongque, Huangnan has made up for its past.”
Wang Tongque caught the pendant, fastened it to his waist, and peeled off a mask. Only then did those in the courtyard realize this man had been the top spy in Huangnan for over a decade.
A man who had not revealed his true face to his wife and children for years.
He followed the prince into the house and softly asked, “Your Highness, why did you not let me continue to operate in the shadows? Although Huangnan will be cleansed tonight, there may still be filth in the future.”
Xu Fengnian said, “You don’t need to stay in Huangnan anymore. Say goodbye to your family and go to Youzhou.”
Wang Tongque nodded without hesitation.
Xu Fengnian suddenly added, “I know you’ve trained a disciple with a clean background, and Chu Lushan values him highly. Take him to Youzhou, serve for a few more years, train that young man, and when he’s ready to take your place, you can stop being a spy. Reunite with your family and live a peaceful life.”
Wang Tongque, a man hardened like steel, was momentarily stunned.
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Though when I say ‘ Rest assured,’ most people only feel more uneasy. But this time, I truly hope you can feel reassured. Beiliang has never wronged its loyal servants in the past, and it won’t in the future.”
The man suddenly smiled, “Your Highness, I accept your kindness, but my life has always been cheap. I’ve long been used to scheming and deception. If you suddenly tell me to tend flowers and grow grass, it would be more painful than death. Besides, in our line of work, unlike warriors who ride into battle, the older we get, the better we become.”
Xu Fengnian had no words.
Wang Tongque, for the first time, looked slightly embarrassed. “Your Highness, my ten-year-old son listened to a storyteller and became utterly fascinated by you. The boy is strong and dreams of joining the Fengzi Battalion as a White Horse Righteous Cavalry when he grows up.”
Xu Fengnian nodded with a smile, “Good. When he comes of age, I’ll let him join the Fengzi Battalion.”
Wang Tongque suppressed his excitement and whispered, “Your Highness, shall we plan tonight’s purge?”
Xu Fengnian waved a hand, “Han Shang is mine to deal with. The rest of Chu Lushan’s arrangements remain unchanged. Hong Shuwen will act with you tonight. Go now, there are still people in the courtyard needing your reassurance.”
Wang Tongque bowed and quietly left the room.
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