Although paper was expensive at the time, people were still in the habit of leaving a lot of blank space on letter paper.

The Buddhist’s Son came from a high background; he was the son of an official from Changan. Because of his affinity with Buddhism, his family sent him to Zunshan Temple. Later, due to his talent, the Old Abbot took a liking to him at first sight and personally raised him.

The belief that the Buddhist monastic community was a place of purity, where all the monks led simple, humble lives, was a huge misconception. Any temple with even a little bit of popularity was already rich, and Zunshan Temple, which was supported by the royal family, was no exception. According to reports, before the Hu people invaded the south, Zunshan Temple received thirty million copper coins in donations each year, which equated to seventy-five thousand gold ingots.

This wasn’t a one-time amount but a yearly figure. What the monks did with so much donation money remained a mystery, but one thing was certain: the Buddhist’s Son had lived a very luxurious life from a young age.

He had always been wealthy, and even now he wasn’t poor. So when he wrote letters, he was quite generous—he wrote four full pages with just some pleasantries. If Xiao Rong didn’t know that the Buddhist’s Son wasn’t aware of his plans, he might’ve thought that the Buddhist’s Son was deliberately cooperating with him.

 

…

 

In short, Xiao Rong tried his best to write in small characters, filling up the blank spaces on almost every page with his words. The young Emperor’s literary ability was limited. After Sun Renluan realized the Emperor was progressing quickly in his studies, he deliberately delayed his lessons. Out of thirty days in a month, the Emperor only spent ten days studying, the rest of the time was devoted to practicing calligraphy.

Fortunately, the Emperor had Heng Shun by his side. At that time, people had not yet suffered enough from eunuchs abusing power to establish rules banning them from learning to read.

Whenever the Emperor encountered words he didn’t recognize, Heng Shun would read them aloud for him. Gradually, Xiao Rong’s message began to make its way into the young Emperor’s mind.

In the first sentence, Xiao Rong taught the Emperor how to write this kind of invisible secret letter, by dipping the pen in orange juice. After the watermark dried, nothing would be visible. After a brief heating over fire, the characters would reappear, but the letter had to be burned immediately after reading because the words couldn’t disappear again once revealed.

The young Emperor’s mouth opened slightly. He was most shocked that the characters actually appeared as if by magic. Before he could fully process his amazement, Xiao Rong had already revealed the “magic” technique to him.

The young Emperor felt a bit confused. If this was true, shouldn’t Xiao Rong have kept it a secret? Why was he teaching him?

As if knowing how the Emperor would react, Xiao Rong explained his actions in the next sentence. He hoped the Emperor would use this method to communicate with him in the future. He didn’t need to write much—just a simple message to let Xiao Rong know he was safe.

His words were sincere and full of emotion. He wrote that the country was in disarray and the ruler had lost his dignity. Wolves and tigers roamed everywhere, threatening the empire that Emperor Wu had fought to establish through northern and southern conquests. The Emperor, despite his supreme position, was now like a prisoner, held captive and humiliated. Xiao Rong lamented that he was just a scholar with no chance to put his talents to use in Jinling due to his family’s situation. Fortunately, Qu Yunmie, being a foolish and brainless military man, had been tricked by his flowery words and was increasingly convinced of Xiao Rong’s loyalty. Even though the Northern Army wasn’t an ideal place to serve, the officials under Qu Yunmie’s command ostracized and isolated him. Still, for the sake of the Emperor and the Yong dynasty, Xiao Rong vowed that even if it cost him his life, he would not regret it!

He urged the young Emperor not to worry. Xiao Rong assured him that he wasn’t the only righteous man out there—many others longed for the Emperor to save them. Though their strength was currently small, over time, even a massive dike could be brought down by an ant. They would work to grow their forces, and one day they would storm Jinling, capture Sun Renluan, the treacherous rebel, and support the Emperor in regaining his rightful power.

He begged the Emperor to trust him and to remain low-key in Sun Renluan’s presence. The Emperor didn’t need to do anything—he just had to stay alive and wait for Xiao Rong to arrive with his forces.

In the meantime, Xiao Rong would continue to write letters to the Emperor under the guise of correspondence from Qu Yunmie and others. In his replies, the Emperor could write a few words using this secret method, so Xiao Rong would know that the Emperor was safe. If anything went wrong, such as a coup in Jinling or if the Emperor’s safety was in danger, he could use this method to send a message, and Xiao Rong swore he would stop at nothing to rescue the Emperor.

Since it wasn’t safe for the Emperor to constantly burn letters—this might arouse Sun Renluan’s suspicion—not all letters from Chenliu would contain secret messages from Xiao Rong. However, if they did, it would mean that their preparations were finally complete.

By the time Xiao Rong wrote the final sentence, his handwriting had become much messier, as if he had become emotionally charged. The young Emperor stared at that last line for a long time without moving.

—“Your Majesty may burn incense and bathe, sit solemnly in the Tai Chi Hall, and wait for your loyal subjects to eliminate the traitors. Soon, you will reign supreme and shine over all the lands.”

 

＊

 

That day, Xiao Rong had only brought two people with him to the palace, but when he returned, he was followed by a whole group of guards.

Seeing this display, everyone on watch instantly jumped into action. The guards, in particular, drew their swords, ready to fight at the first sign of trouble.

Xiao Rong saw their reaction and almost wanted to flick each of them on the forehead. After a moment of silence, he just smiled bitterly and turned around. “I’ve already arrived. Are you all still planning to come in with me?”

The leader didn’t answer but glanced at the guards behind Xiao Rong.

Xiao Rong immediately turned and loudly scolded them. “Return to your posts! What do you think you’re doing, drawing your swords under the Emperor’s feet!”

It was clear that they wouldn’t leave. Their sole task was to protect Xiao Rong, and even if he threatened to kill them, they wouldn’t budge.

Knowing this, Xiao Rong turned back around, his bitter smile deepening. “Sorry for the embarrassment. It was just a misunderstanding earlier, I hope you’ll put in a good word for me with the Grand Marshal when you return.”

As he spoke, he took out a few silver pieces from his sleeve—small silver chunks. Honestly, such a small bribe wouldn’t impress palace guards, most of them came from well-off families and didn’t care for such a tiny amount of silver.

Seeing this, the guards thought even less of Xiao Rong. They felt he was a pitiful figure, and they looked down on him even more. The Grand Marshal had instructed them to keep an eye on Xiao Rong, ensuring he didn’t interact with anyone on the way back. He hadn’t said anything about watching his residence. So they decided to escort Xiao Rong inside, leaving a few of the lower-ranking guards on duty, while the rest returned to report.

Xiao Rong went inside, and the guards followed like a swarm of bees. The last one even cautiously shut the door behind him, which left the few remaining guards outside feeling annoyed.

Did these people think they were some kind of big deal? They were just a bunch of barbarians and refugees from beyond the frontier. If it weren’t for the Grand Marshal’s orders, who would want to waste time watching them?

Ridiculous.

 

…

 

Whatever the outside guards were thinking, those inside couldn’t see it, nor did they care. They followed Xiao Rong into the Main Hall and, just like before, shut the door tightly.

Xiao Rong turned around, startled to see a whole group of men following him. He sighed, half amused and half frustrated, and asked them to disperse. “I’m fine. There was just a small misunderstanding today—nothing serious will happen for a while.”

Zhang Biezhi pushed through the crowd and was the first to question, “Nothing serious for a while? And what happens after a while?”

Xiao Rong lowered his head in thought for a moment and then replied with four words: “Act according to the situation.”

Everyone: “…”

If something happens, how are we supposed to “act according to the situation”?

Everyone’s expressions were tense. Xiao Rong looked at them and suddenly burst into laughter. “Look at how nervous you all are. I was just joking—it’ll be fine.”

 

Ah Shu was still worried and looked at him anxiously. “Young Lord just said there was a small misunderstanding…”

Xiao Rong said, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just unintentionally wandered into another palace without Sun Renluan’s permission, accidentally met the Emperor, and happened to exchange a few words with him.”

Ah Shu: “…”

The others: “…”

Was it really okay to be “unintentional” so many times?

Even their own people could tell this was made up, so the people in Jinling definitely knew better.

Ah Shu voice trembled, “W-Will they make trouble for you, Master?”

Hearing this, Xiao Rong suddenly raised his eyes and glanced at the group.

Then, as he sat down and poured himself tea, he said, “No. Openly causing trouble would mean confronting the King, and they can’t afford the consequences of that. Besides, I didn’t harm the Emperor, nor did I do anything out of line. Sun Renluan is still hoping to gain more benefits from me. If he were to fall out with me, all his plans from the past few days would be ruined. The losses would outweigh the gains. Causing me trouble would only make him look good, but it wouldn’t provide any real benefit. He’s not like Zhang Biezhi, he wouldn’t do something so foolish.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

What does this have to do with me?!

Everyone fell into deep thought, but one person was quicker on the uptake—the leader of the guards. He asked Xiao Rong, “But, Mr. Xiao, while they may not act openly, that doesn’t mean they won’t do anything in secret.”

Xiao Rong replied, “Hmm, that is indeed a risk.”

The man immediately panicked. “Then we should leave tonight!”

They could kill the guards outside and escape back to Chenliu!

Xiao Rong said, “No.”

“Why not?!”

Xiao Rong sipped his tea, then slowly answered. “I still have things to do, and besides, I am the Magistrate of Chenliu. Wherever I go, I am an honored guest. How could a guest flee like a coward? I entered here with dignity, and I will leave with dignity. That way, neither the King’s nor the Northern Army’s reputation will be tarnished.”

The guard leader: “…”

He really wanted to say that the King didn’t care about his reputation at a time like this. What the King cared about was Mr. Xiao’s life!

Then he realized something: Mr. Xiao probably didn’t care whether the King cared about this either. Even though he always spoke about being loyal to the King, he didn’t seem to take the King’s feelings into account at all.

… This was so difficult.

Xiao Rong had made up his mind, and no one could convince him otherwise. Even though they were so anxious they could climb the walls, they had no choice but to leave the hall. The leader of the guards thought to himself that they would need to hold a meeting later to discuss whether they should just carry Xiao Rong out of the city while he was asleep.

Just as he was about to step out of the room, Xiao Rong’s voice rang out behind him. “You’re not planning to report today’s events to the King, are you?”

The guard leader sighed. There wasn’t time for that anyway. Besides, the situation hadn’t escalated to the point where they needed the King to come and save them.

He turned around and honestly replied to Xiao Rong, “Please don’t worry, Mr. Xiao. We won’t.”

Xiao Rong made a small sound of acknowledgement and then asked, “You’re also not planning to secretly defy my orders, hoping the King will overlook it, are you?”

The guard leader: “…”

You really are half-immortal, aren’t you?

He stared at Xiao Rong, frozen. The latter saw his expression and understood immediately. Xiao Rong’s lips curved slightly, and his voice softened a bit as he continued, “Let me ask you one question: if the person sitting here wasn’t me, but instead Chancellor Gao, General Jian, or General Gongsun, and they made a decision that benefited the army, would you fully support them, or would you secretly undermine them according to your own judgment?”

The guard leader froze because he already knew what his answer was.

He opened his mouth, trying to explain, “This is different. We are here to protect you, Mr. Xiao. The King cares deeply about your safety…”

Xiao Rong raised a hand to stop his explanation. “Have you ever heard the saying ‘A general in the field does not follow orders from his ruler’? Don’t mention the King, and don’t mention my safety. When someone leads troops, their life is at the mercy of fate. You are first and foremost my subordinates and only then the King’s guards. If the same situation involved another commander, you wouldn’t dare to act first and report later. This isn’t because you follow the King’s orders—it’s because you don’t follow mine. You don’t trust me, and you’ve never truly regarded me as your superior.”

The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. No one dared to make a sound. They all watched as Xiao Rong pressed on relentlessly. Honestly, this scene was more tense than when Zhang Biezhi was being scolded. Back then, at least people dared to breathe. Now, even Zhang Biezhi was trying his best to lower his presence, afraid that Xiao Rong’s calm anger might suddenly turn on him.

The guard leader was stunned for a long time. Then, all of a sudden, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head to Xiao Rong. “Mr. Xiao, please calm your anger! I understand now, and I am willing to follow your orders!”

He said he understood, but Xiao Rong couldn’t be sure if he truly did. After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong didn’t tell him to rise. Instead, he continued, “I may be a scholar, but the moment I joined the Northern Army, I became a soldier too. You are my soldiers. Far from the south of the Huai River, I cannot rely on anyone. Even though the Northern Army has 400,000 soldiers and a King who commands them like a god, they are of no help to me. If something happens, the only people I can count on are you. If even you refuse to listen to me, then I will truly be alone, and I will lose this war, both open and covert.”

The guard leader’s head lowered even further. He felt deeply ashamed by Xiao Rong’s words. If Xiao Rong hadn’t enlightened him today, he wouldn’t have realized that he had always been following the King’s orders, forgetting that Xiao Rong was also a key figure in the Northern Army. Xiao Rong’s mission was for the Northern Army, yet they had been hindering him at every step instead of helping.

That was because, until now, they hadn’t had any real involvement. Xiao Rong had been handling everything on his own. Now that events were unfolding rapidly and Xiao Rong insisted on dancing with wolves, they suddenly had important tasks, and their perspective had naturally changed.

Xiao Rong valued them so highly that even the guard leader wasn’t the only one touched. The others were deeply moved as well. They all knelt, saying in unison, “We are at Mr. Xiao’s service!”

Among the ten men, the only one quick-witted was the leader. The others wore their thoughts on their faces. Seeing their expressions, Xiao Rong smiled slightly and told them to rise and rest. He promised that from now on, he wouldn’t go anywhere without them. He had no intention of throwing his life away, after all.

Hearing this, the guards were already satisfied. They left, preparing to rest and recover their strength. That night, they would take turns standing watch—no one would be allowed to sleep through the night.

Xiao Rong, meanwhile, happily continued drinking tea. Ah Shu knelt beside him, having learned Xiao Rong’s preferred tea-brewing method. He couldn’t help much in protecting Xiao Rong, but he could do his best to make his master more comfortable in daily life.

Master and servant were enjoying their peaceful moment together, but no one noticed that Zhang Biezhi’s expression was gradually changing.

At first, these personal guards of Qu Yunmie had been absolutely against Xiao Rong risking his life, but in the end, they not only apologized to him but also pledged their loyalty. When they realized Xiao Rong was willing to take a step back and bring them along, they even looked grateful.

Zhang Biezhi stared blankly at Xiao Rong.

So this was the power of a scholar? If he started studying now, would he still have time to catch up?!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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