Xiao Rong didn’t think that apologizing was an act of self-degradation, but he also didn’t understand how important this matter was to Qu Yunmie.

If someone had asked Qu Yunmie to apologize for something he hadn’t done, he would have simply drawn his sword and killed the person.

In any case, the final outcome of this situation was good. Afterward, the soldiers returned with the wine, and Qu Yunmie ate and drank while also pouring Xiao Rong a cup. Xiao Rong, still thinking about what he had just said, was a bit slow in reacting. He eventually pushed his cup forward, accepting Qu Yunmie’s invitation to drink together.

This time, though, Xiao Rong was careful not to drink too much. While Qu Yunmie downed one and a half jars of wine, Xiao Rong only took two small sips, tasting it lightly.

Xiao Rong became unusually quiet, which Qu Yunmie found a bit unsettling. Normally, when they were together, Xiao Rong never stopped talking, constantly advising and cautioning him. Now that he had fallen silent, Qu Yunmie, holding his wine cup, took a good look at Xiao Rong.

After drinking too much, Qu Yunmie’s gaze became slightly hazy, while Xiao Rong remained sober and calm, his head lowered as he stared at his cup. As Xiao Rong bowed his head, a portion of his pale, delicate neck became visible. If Qu Yunmie hadn’t been looking at his face, he might have mistaken Xiao Rong for a woman just based on the slenderness of his neck.

‘How can a man have such a thin neck?’ Qu Yunmie thought to himself. He had never noticed before. His neck was so thin that Qu Yunmie could wrap his hand around it and still have some length to spare.

For some reason, this reminded Qu Yunmie of his youth when he and others endured the harsh outdoors together.

At that time, they were marching together, with no distinction between who was a king and who was a subordinate. He and Yuan Baifu, along with the others, would sleep in the same place without even a tent for cover. Late at night, someone would start telling lewd jokes, claiming that the way to judge a woman’s figure was by looking at her neck. A thin neck meant a thin waist, giving the illusion that only someone who had experienced it would understand.

Everyone laughed, teasing that he was exaggerating. They joked that if such a beautiful woman existed, she would never choose someone like him, a rough soldier. They said she would kick him out before anything could happen.

Later, the man who boasted like that died, and those who laughed at him also died.

Somehow, this long-forgotten memory resurfaced. Qu Yunmie’s gaze drifted downwards, settling on Xiao Rong.

Xiao Rong was still wearing his outer robe and sitting, so Qu Yunmie couldn’t see much.

Inexplicably, Qu Yunmie found himself staring at Xiao Rong for a long time without moving.

Xiao Rong looked up and saw Qu Yunmie staring directly at him. Puzzled, he asked, “My lord?”

Qu Yunmie blinked slowly and forgot what he had been thinking about just moments before.

He wasn’t quite drunk yet, so he put down the half-empty wine cup and said, “Get someone to bring me some sobering soup later.”

Xiao Rong replied, “Even medicine is three parts poison. Whether it’s wine or medicine, my lord, you should drink less in the future. Just go back and sleep, there’s nothing urgent to deal with today.”

Qu Yunmie nodded, seeming more agreeable than usual. However, instead of leaving immediately, he slowly raised his head and asked, “When are you going to Jinling?”

Xiao Rong blinked and answered, “As soon as Huang Yanjiong’s goods arrive, I will leave immediately.”

Qu Yunmie made a slow “oh” sound, then sluggishly said, “It won’t be many days then.”

Indeed.

Due to Zhou Liang’s defection, Huang Yanjiong began to doubt everything he had proposed. He took Huang Keji back to Jianning but didn’t take any action for the majority of the way, which caused great suffering for the soldiers who accompanied them—they endured much hardship on the journey.

Just when they suspected that Huang Yanjiong might not actually intend to kill Huang Keji, he suddenly made his move, only a little over 100 li away from Jianning.

It turned out that Huang Yanjiong had merely given up on shifting the blame onto Qu Yunmie, but had not given up on taking Huang Keji’s life. Huang Keji had suffered more than the soldiers on the journey—he stayed alert during the day and didn’t dare sleep deeply at night. After enduring the whole way, when he saw Huang Yanjiong finally act, he actually felt relieved.

Huang Keji’s martial skills weren’t bad, having grown up in the army, so he immediately escaped. Huang Yanjiong and his men chased after him but didn’t know that the soldiers accompanying them had already made contact with Huang Keji. Following Xiao Rong’s plan, they tore Huang Keji’s clothes, smeared blood on them, and threw them somewhere random.

This small piece of cloth made Huang Yanjiong and his men half-believe that Huang Keji had fallen into the dense forest, so they kept searching, hoping to find any trace of him.

However, by that time, both Huang Keji and the soldiers who helped him had already escaped in another direction.

Huang Keji and most of the soldiers headed directly to Yanmen Pass, while two others returned to report the news, informing them that Huang Keji was safe.

The reason for going to such great lengths, even putting Huang Keji in danger, was to make him a witness and gather real evidence of Huang Yanjiong’s cruelty toward his own kin. Meanwhile, the Northern Army couldn’t reveal themselves because if they did, things would become unclear, and Huang Yanjiong might twist the truth.

Xiao Rong wanted to separate Huang Keji from the Huang family, leaving all favors only with Huang Keji. As for Huang Yanjiong, since he dared to kill his own brother’s son, the Northern Army no longer needed to show him any mercy.

Huang Keji wasn’t foolish. He understood exactly what this meant—it meant that from now on, the Northern Army would treat him as one of their own. When the Northern King attacked Jianning, all of Huang Yanjiong’s possessions would return to him.

As for why Xiao Rong didn’t let him return to Chenliu and instead sent him directly to Yanmen Pass, Xiao Rong explained that if he returned to Chenliu, the plan could fail. Huang Yanjiong mustn’t find out that he had been saved by the Northern Army, or else Huang Yanjiong might not only refuse to send troops but might also find a way to assassinate Huang Keji.

Once the army for the campaign against the Xianbei was mobilized, things would be different. Huang Keji could appear openly in front of all the factions, letting everyone see the shocked and hypocritical face of his uncle, Huang Yanjiong. In public, Huang Yanjiong wouldn’t dare do anything, and if something happened to Huang Keji, people would immediately suspect him.

This was the explanation given to Huang Keji, and upon hearing it, he was so moved that he knelt before Xiao Rong in gratitude.

However, the truth was…

Xiao Rong wanted to marginalize him.

 

…

 

His status was too troublesome. At this moment, he seemed pitiful and helpless because he was caught between a rock and a hard place, but what would happen once the external dangers were eliminated? Could he really stay with the Northern Army without harboring any thoughts?

Even if this young man was truly very simple, some things wouldn’t just disappear because he chose not to act on them. He would always be Huang Yanqin’s son, and Qu Yunmie would always owe Huang Yanqin a debt of gratitude. This wasn’t something that could be erased with a mere apology. Qu Yunmie owed Huang Yanqin his life and the favor of being sheltered.

If someone wanted to take advantage of this, or if Huang Keji stayed in Chenliu and made a mistake out of carelessness, what would Qu Yunmie do then? Would he demote him or not? If he did, he’d seem heartless; if he didn’t, it would fail to satisfy the others.

So, it was better to let him go. For now, he could stay in the garrison at Yanmen Pass as a junior officer. After the campaign against the Xianbei, he could be sent to another city—whether as a commander defending the city or as a governor, he could choose.

Xiao Rong was willing to guarantee him a life of wealth and honor but didn’t want him to become a special case under Qu Yunmie’s command. After Huang Keji left, Xiao Rong had already told this to Gao Xunzhi, who sighed and nodded, agreeing that Xiao Rong had thought everything through carefully and that this was the best course of action.

By now, Huang Keji had probably already crossed the Yellow River. Huang Yanjiong couldn’t find his body and had likely guessed that he had escaped. Having failed to kill him and leaving behind such incriminating evidence, Huang Yanjiong was probably beside himself with frustration.

Even so, he couldn’t lose his composure. In moments like these, the most important thing was for him to remain calm. Also, he absolutely couldn’t let anyone know that something had gone wrong on his end.

So Xiao Rong wasn’t worried about him suddenly changing his mind. Perhaps he might hesitate to send troops, but as for sending gifts, he would certainly do it and do it immediately, just to prevent the North King from focusing on him any further.

It would likely happen in the next few days—maybe in one or two days, or at most three or four. The grand gifts from the Huang family would arrive soon.

Xiao Rong glanced at Qu Yunmie, who was silent with downcast eyes. After thinking for a moment, he spoke. “I won’t be gone for long. The literary gathering is still being prepared, and how could I miss such an important event? I’ll certainly return before it begins.”

The gathering was expected to start in mid-to-late June and end before July. In July, the grain collection would begin. Qu Yunmie had set the date to march in late July, and they would move quickly to join Yuan Baifu, Wang Xinyong, and others. If they marched swiftly, they could reach Yanmen Pass in less than half a month. The campaign against the Xianbei would begin in August, and if things went smoothly, they would return triumphant in October. If not, they would have to wait until next year to return.

Currently, the Xianbei Emperor was probably like an ant on a hot pan, knowing full well that the enemy was going to attack but unable to come up with any solution. The Xianbei had occupied the grasslands for several hundred years, and Shengle City and Shuofang City were currently their strongholds. Since the Xianbei proclaimed their empire, their nobles had stopped herding, and in the process of raiding the Central Plains, they had unknowingly turned themselves halfway into people of the Central Plains.

The people of the Central Plains could never abandon their homeland.

Everything that year was arranged tightly, with almost no days of rest. Others were preparing for a prolonged war with the Xianbei, and even Qu Yunmie wouldn’t arrogantly claim that this battle would be a sure victory. Xiao Rong had already made up his mind: this battle would definitely be a victory, and it had to be finished this year—it couldn’t be dragged into the next.

The situations in the world could change in an instant, and his clumsy tricks could only fool people for a short time. Once a certain point was reached, they would collectively realize the truth, and by then, it wouldn’t be the current peaceful coexistence, but a collective backlash.

This was Xiao Rong’s style: high investment, high returns, and high risks.

A normal person wouldn’t attempt to accomplish so much in a single month, and each of his actions seemed unrelated to the others. Certainly, Xiao Rong did all this because he wanted to quickly detach himself from his association with Qu Yunmie, but his personality played a significant role as well.

He wanted to rapidly strengthen himself and didn’t want to play the slow game of alliances and negotiations with others.

Even when the Huhar people broke through Yanmen Pass and Qu Yunmie watched as they slaughtered countless of his fellow countrymen, he didn’t really doubt himself much because he understood the concept that two fists couldn’t defeat four hands. He knew that, at that time, he had nothing.

However, it was after meeting Xiao Rong that Qu Yunmie began to frequently doubt himself, wondering if his own incompetence was the reason why Xiao Rong was always in such a rush to save him.

 

…

 

Even after being assured that Xiao Rong would definitely come back, Qu Yunmu still hung his head and didn’t say a word. If it wasn’t for his size, Xiao Rong would feel that he was looking at a lost dog.

Forget it, who’s a good dog that doesn’t move and bite?

 

… 

 

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong simply shifted Qu Yunmie’s attention. “Once I leave, military affairs and internal matters in the city will be entrusted to you, my Lord. There’s nothing left in the city that needs repairs. You can keep just one or two hundred soldiers in the city and send the rest back to the camp. You may choose as you see fit, prioritizing those who are average in battle but get along well with the city’s residents. These one or two hundred soldiers can serve as temporary patrol guards, handling minor thefts or helping citizens in need.”

Qu Yunmie nodded and then said, “I thought you would have them work on building Baibao Street.”

Xiao Rong laughed. “Repairing civilian homes at least adds some prestige to the Northern Army, but having them build Baibao Street would be a waste of their talents. Save them for future city defense construction. As for Baibao Street, I want the citizens to build it themselves. Two meals a day and a bit of wages should attract plenty of people.”

Of course, since other officials would have people work without compensation, merely posting a conscription notice would suffice.

Xiao Rong didn’t even need to offer wages, just providing two meals would bring a large crowd to do the work.

Still, that wouldn’t do. He couldn’t set that kind of precedent. Due to its unique history of development, the Northern Army operated independently of other powers, allowing them to form their own style. Xiao Rong had worked hard to establish this foundation and wasn’t about to shatter it by reverting to the old days of forced labor.

Though, given the tight budget, the wages would definitely be on the low side. Well, that’s just how the government works. Everyone, from top to bottom, would just have to make do and tighten their belts for now.

Qu Yunmie didn’t understand why Xiao Rong had so many rules—building was building, no matter who did it.

He still nodded in agreement.

At this point, Xiao Rong leaned in close to Qu Yunmie, slightly bending down to look up at him. His eyes curved with a smile as he asked, “While I’m away, can you handle this task for me, my Lord?”

Qu Yunmie was taken aback. “You want me to do it?”

Xiao Rong straightened up, nodding matter-of-factly. “Of course. Besides you, who else in this world has such high prestige, and is capable of rallying the entire city with a single call? With your sharp eyes and commanding presence, no one would dare slack off under your watch. Perhaps by the time I return, Baibao Street will already be finished.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

He admitted that sometimes he didn’t think things through enough, but he could still tell when he was being flattered. This was no different from coaxing a child into staying home to take care of the chickens and ducks.

He stared at Xiao Rong, about to say something, but suddenly changed his mind. Instead, he flashed a smile that made it seem like he had fallen for the flattery and then nodded heavily in agreement.

 

….

 

In front of Qu Yunmie, Xiao Rong said one thing, but when he was with Yu Shaoxie, his words were entirely different.

He entrusted the supervision of the play scripts and the promotion of the literary collection to Yu Shaoxie, praising him as the most reliable scholar in Chenliu City. He said that giving these tasks to him was as good as having them completed in advance.

After flattering Yu Shaoxie into a spin, Xiao Rong then went to Gao Xunzhi. He assigned the distribution of materials, the production of goods, negotiations with the aristocratic families, as well as the secrecy and supervision of woodblock printing, all to Gao Xunzhi. Any big or small issues arising in the city were also to be handled by him.

When it came to Gao Xunzhi, Xiao Rong didn’t offer any compliments because it wasn’t necessary. He truly entrusted the most important matters to him.

Without Xiao Rong saying it, Gao Xunzhi would’ve taken on the tasks anyway—after all, they were his responsibilities. It wasn’t Xiao Rong taking over his duties; it was more like Xiao Rong had delegated his own responsibilities to Gao Xunzhi. Gao Xunzhi carefully noted everything down, but when he looked at Xiao Rong, so fragile and frail, he couldn’t help but feel like sighing.

He still didn’t want Xiao Rong to put himself at risk, but one person’s opinion wasn’t enough to change anything.

More frustratingly, Xiao Rong wouldn’t listen to him even if he tried.

No, it’s best not to dwell on it—the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Both Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie simply didn’t understand what it meant to respect their elders.

 

…

 

After a moment of silence, he asked about another matter. “Who do you plan to take with you to Jinling?”

Although others couldn’t accompany him, Xiao Rong relented and said he could take one general along, as long as the person wasn’t too famous.

There were plenty of lesser-known generals in the Northern Army, and several names immediately came to Gao Xunzhi’s mind. However, Xiao Rong smiled and said, “I’m planning to take General Zhang.”

Gao Xunzhi paused. “General Zhang?”

Did they even have a general with the surname Zhang?

Xiao Rong replied, “General Jian’s brother-in-law, Zhang Biezhi, the young General Zhang.”

Gao Xunzhi: “…”

He’s considered a general?!

That troublemaker was just a deputy general, and only because his brother-in-law had given him the position! Since joining the Northern Army, that brat had been causing problems left and right, stirring up trouble with one person today and another tomorrow. He hadn’t accomplished much besides getting into trouble. How could Xiao Rong take someone like him to Jinling? This was complete nonsense!

Gao Xunzhi immediately voiced his opposition, but Xiao Rong simply thought the young man was perfect for the job.

Xiao Rong even squinted and smiled at Gao Xunzhi, saying, “Chancellor, rest assured, no one is more suitable to accompany me on this journey than General Zhang.”

 

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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