Affection?
Lu Chengyan felt somewhat at a loss. She naturally understood the weight of affection, for within the grand aristocratic families, all methods of control boiled down to a balance of kindness and authority. The importance of affection was evident even in that formula—first kindness, then authority. Yet, when those words came from the old ancestor’s mouth, they carried a gravity far beyond what she had imagined.
Lu Feichi, the aged elder of the Qing faction who had seen the rise and fall of countless lives, turned his head to gaze at the meiziqing incense burner. Its spiral shape resembled mountain ranges, carved with the three immortal mountains of Penglai, Boshan, and Yingzhou. Three wisps of purple smoke curled mysteriously from the pierced mountains. Having spent many years in the old ancestor’s company, Lu Chengyan noticed the scent had thinned, and promptly went to add more charcoal. The incense was made from agarwood brought from the southern seas, blended with the unique water reed of Qingzhou, pressed into cakes. Thus, the fragrance was rich yet moderate, lingering without being overpowering or irritating. Lu Feichi withdrew his gaze and softly murmured, “To serve a ruler is like tending a tiger—those who serve emperors may be divided into three levels of wisdom. The greatest minds govern and benefit the people, the finest advisors a nation could have. Zhang Julu, the blue-eyed genius, is such a man. The middle tier can govern a province or oversee several commanderies. Employ them greatly, and they may bring chaos; employ them narrowly, and they are wasted. In this category are our Qingzhou’s Wen Taiyi and Hong Lingshu. If your father, Lu Dongjiang, can hone his abilities further, he might Reluctantlyqualify. The lowest are those who only know how to flatter and please their masters—mediocre in talent, yet skilled in reading expressions. Yan’er, do you know why the fates of great ministers throughout history have often been worse than those of lesser men?”
Lu Chengyan softly replied, “Because their achievements overshadow the ruler?”
Lu Feichi gave no clear response, merely saying calmly, “Can it be said that Xu Xiao, the King of Beiliang, does not overshadow the throne with his achievements? Yet why has this butcher lived until today, ruling vast lands with thirty thousand elite soldiers? Nothing more, nothing less, but the word ‘affection.’ When dealing with an emperor, affection outweighs strategy. Why do eunuchs interfere in politics? Why do imperial in-laws wield power? Is it not because the emperor cherishes those bonds? Xu Xiao’s relationship with the late emperor was less than father and son, yet more than brothers—an extremely rare bond. Thus, even after the late emperor’s passing, this bond has, to some extent, passed on to the current emperor. When the succession struggle began, Xu Xiao merely watched coldly—that was not a deed of merit, but a gesture of deep affection unknown to common men. Later, when Empress Zhao Zhi wished to wed the Beiliang heir as her princess’s husband, Wen Taiyi and others thought the emperor’s bond with Xu Xiao had ended, rushing to take advantage alongside old traitors like Sun Xiji. They were wrong—deeply mistaken! That woman Zhao Zhi is no ordinary schemer. In my view, half her motive was to test Xu Xiao’s limits, while the other half was to protect Beiliang and the Xu family. Even if Xu Xiao refused, she would not have truly taken offense. This time, when Xu Xiao came to the capital, did he not obtain the hereditary title after all? If it had been someone else—even the Prince of Yanxi—it would not have succeeded!”
Lu Chengyan carefully asked, “Old ancestor, then how much of this bond between Xu Xiao and the emperor remains today?”
Lu Feichi chuckled, “Not much remains. Even the deepest bonds cannot withstand Xu Xiao’s repeated provocations. However, as long as princes like Prince Yan and Prince Guangling still live, the bond remains. The late emperor forbade Gu Jiantang from becoming a king in Beiliang for a great reason—Gu is too smooth, never willing to make enemies. How could the late emperor trust him to reign thousands of miles away? Xu Xiao, that lame devil, knows how to conceal his sharpness beneath humility—a skill Gu Jiantang could never match. Earlier, some in the dynasty claimed that if Xu’s entourage were given to Gu Jiantang, he could also conquer the six kingdoms. That may be true, but the ending would inevitably be ‘the hound is cooked once the hare is dead.’”
The old elder, who had long enjoyed retirement in Qingzhou, smiled slightly and continued, “Let me tell you a little more, child. The reason we risked coming to the Spring Spirit Lake is because the unity our Qing faction painstakingly built over two generations has dispersed. That blue-eyed genius, Zhang Julu, has subdued old Wen in just a few years of governance. That alone would not be so bad, but old Hong Lingshu, who never gave up his ambitions, tried to push his unworthy sons forward before coming south—one to the capital as a high official, one as a commandery governor, and the illiterate one to wrest control of the Qingzhou naval forces from the Wei clan. All were thwarted by Zhang Julu. Worse, Zhang even handed Yangling Commandery to Wen’s favored disciple. Hong Lingshu has many virtues, but his heart is small. Though he saw through Zhang’s open ploy, he could not help but feel anger. Over time, he grew estranged from Wen, who already had his own grievances. The remaining Qingzhou elders in the court would not remain quiet either—some were secretly courted by Gu Jiantang, others flirted with old Sun Xiji of the fallen Chu dynasty. The future of the Qing faction is clear to all, yet when it comes to their own fates, they forget the greater picture. Our Qingzhou has long been described by ancients as a land of greed and betrayal.”
Lu Chengyan giggled, “If only old ancestor were still in the capital, none of them would dare act so recklessly.”
Lu Feichi patted her head with a sly smile, “You flatterer.”
The old man sighed, “I myself am no stranger to greed and betrayal. I can only mock these old fools in your presence. Who knows, tomorrow they may be whispering behind my back.”
Lu Chengyan huffed, “They dare! I’ll send Lu Dou to make their lives miserable!”
Lu Feichi stroked his beard and laughed heartily, “Few are truly wise in this world, and few are truly foolish. Your father’s descendants of noble houses fail to grasp this truth. In this era of peace, they no longer witness the brutal hearts of turbulent times. The loyal retainers in our Lu mansion, those who would tear out their hearts to weigh their loyalty, I suspect their hearts weigh little.”
Lu Chengyan nodded, “To read books rigidly makes one useless, but to read with insight makes all other pursuits inferior to scholarship.”
Lu Feichi laughed approvingly, “Your father should hear this.”
Lu Chengyan made a mischievous face, “No way! Dad will lecture me again about the sages saying this and that.”
Lu Feichi’s smile faded slightly. With Lu Chengyan’s support, he slowly rose and walked to the window, softly sighing, “It’s no surprise that Prince Zhao Xun lost to the Beiliang heir. But even Prince Jing’an, who had resolved to fight to the death, failed to stop him—that is interesting. Earlier, Chu Lushan claimed he would not retaliate even if you slapped him again. Yan’er, don’t mistake this for mere flattery. That smiling devil, Lu Qiu’er, meant every word.”
Lu Chengyan gasped in surprise, “He meant it? I thought it was just a joke!”
Lu Feichi smiled faintly, “That’s why I’ve decided to send you into the Beiliang Prince’s Mansion. I won’t expect you to be the principal wife, but I’ll ensure you at least become a concubine. In terms of boldness, old Wen and Hong have never matched me in their entire lives.”
Though often praised by her ancestor for her intuitive understanding, Lu Chengyan still felt deeply shocked upon hearing this, too stunned to speak.
Lu Feichi gently patted her hand, kindly saying, “Go, watch the incense burner. This matter cannot afford to lose its timing.”
Watching his granddaughter scurry to crouch before the burner and adjust the charcoal, the old man gazed at the lake. A gentle breeze brushed his face, his white beard fluttering, exuding a majestic presence. After a moment’s thought, he softly said, “Yan’er, tomorrow I will hand Lu Dou over to Chu Lushan. The fire in Xiangfan City is just right.”
Lu Chengyan obediently murmured an “Okay.”
Lu Feichi turned, picked up a piece of ginger from a food box on the shelf, and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, he asked, “I heard the prince is quite handsome?”
Lu Chengyan blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly, “Very handsome!”
Lu Feichi slowly chewed the spicy ginger, stroking his beard with a squint, “So, he must resemble half of my former charm?”
Lu Chengyan playfully stuck out a finger and drew a line across her cheek, teasing, “Old ancestor, you’re shameless!”
The old man did not get angry. He bent down to wipe the soot from his granddaughter’s face, affectionately saying, “A married daughter is like spilled water. You haven’t even married yet, and your loyalties are already shifting outward. All these years of spoiling you were in vain.”
Lu Chengyan suddenly teared up, sobbing, “I won’t get married! Never!”
Lu Feichi chuckled, “Silly girl. Let me give you one last piece of advice, my dear. Once married, follow your husband. If you truly wish our Lu family to prosper, after I’m gone, no matter what your parents say or what the clan demands, always put your husband first. That is the key to our family’s rise amidst Qingzhou’s chaos. As for your future husband, with his handsome looks, he managed to force Prince Jing’an into desperate measures. Half of that was his ability, and half was his lack of timing. But he is still young. As long as his vision and ambition grow, he may yet become a Beiliang King no less formidable than that lame Xu.”
The old man gazed at the stars, softly uttering a cryptic phrase that left Lu Chengyan puzzled, “From the north, look southward. A python devours a dragon.”
※※※
Xu Fengnian did not approach the campfire where General Ning Emei was stationed. Instead, he lay on the grass atop a hill, gazing at the dazzling Milky Way. Not long ago, he had given Qingniao the gift of a disciple from the Dragon and Tiger Mountains—an extremely rare treasure even within the Tianshi Mansion’s vast collection: the Dragon and Tiger Golden Elixir. Only two were in the box, said to prolong life and nearly equal to immortality, second only to the pills personally refined by Qi Xuanzhen. Long ago, the old swordsman Li Chungan had once gone to the Demon-Slaying Platform of the Dragon and Tiger Mountains to beg Qi Xuanzhen for the legendary pill said to revive the dead. Thus, when the old swordsman saw the two Dragon and Tiger Golden Elixirs, their fragrance filling the air upon opening the box, he asked Qingniao if she truly wished to use one. His meaning was that Qingniao’s injuries were already stable, and her survival was certain, so using such a priceless pill seemed wasteful. Unexpectedly, the young prince calmly replied, “I do,” and immediately asked when the second pill should be taken.
The old man in sheepskin sat beside the prince, chewing on a piece of licorice, and sighed, “The sky is like a dome, covering all lands. Who is not a frog at the bottom of a well?”
Xu Fengnian laughed, “Old master, this doesn’t sound like something you would say.”
The old swordsman sneered, mocking himself, “In front of the little doll, I naturally must maintain the image of a master, or how else can I trick her into practicing swordplay with me?”
Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes, mimicking the old swordsman by plucking a licorice stalk, shaking off the dirt, chewing it slowly, and mumbling, “Sweet. In the past, I often slept in places where even birds wouldn’t drop their droppings with Old Huang. Without beds or blankets, I would curse my mother when I had nothing else to do. When I was too tired, Old Huang would hand me this licorice.”
The old swordsman said calmly, “In the reed marsh, those few sword strokes you used—were they the Nine Swords of Jian Jiuhuang? Though I never saw the man himself wield his sword, the first eight were merely superior sword techniques. The ninth, however, was truly the work of a master. How long have you secretly practiced it?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, “I only saw the sword manual. I’ve never truly practiced it. I don’t know why I could use it during the day.”
Old Li looked half-doubtful.
Xu Fengnian sat up, turning his head to ask, “Old master, why didn’t you accept that sword case?”
The old swordsman laughed, “Then why don’t you eagerly read that unparalleled sword manual?”
Xu Fengnian lay back down, crossing his legs.
The old swordsman laughed loudly, “If heaven had not given birth to me, Li Chungan, the path of the sword would have remained dark for ten thousand years!”
Xu Fengnian helplessly said, “Go boast about that to Jiang Ni.”
The old swordsman stood up, kicked the young rascal’s legs down, and shouted angrily, “Get up! Let me show you whether I’m boasting or not!”
Xu Fengnian was momentarily stunned, unable to believe, “You’re going to teach me supreme sword techniques?”
The old man sneered, “What do the common people know of supreme sword techniques? Tonight, I shall directly impart to you the Two Sleeves of Azure Serpents!”
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