Before dawn the next day, Xiao Rong set off.

Chenliu wasn’t far from Jinling, only about seven hundred miles away. At this time, the distribution of the cities was quite different from later on. The cities were concentrated in some areas and scattered in others. They traveled along the river, heading southeast. If they rode fast and didn’t stop, they would likely reach Huaiyin City by evening and cross the river.

Huaiyin City was only a little over a hundred miles from Jinling. By noon the next day, Xiao Rong would be able to enter the Imperial Palace of Jinling.

The meeting had to be held as early as possible. While it was still dark, with no signs of the sky brightening, Xiao Rong climbed out of bed. He carefully checked the things he had brought, including the letter he had asked Qu Yunmie to write, as well as a letter of greeting written by the Buddha’s Son, and some miscellaneous items he thought might be useful.

After confirming everything was in order, Xiao Rong arrived outside the Wang residence. Many people were already waiting there. Qu Yunmie, sitting on a tall horse, had been keeping his eyes on Xiao Rong since he appeared.

However, Xiao Rong didn’t notice. He first exchanged greetings with Gao Xunzhi and the others, telling them not to worry. Then, turning his head to check on the soldiers accompanying them, he was shocked to see a person with a face full of bruises.

In the dark of night, it looked even more frightening.

After staring for a while, Xiao Rong finally recognized the person as Zhang Biezhi, someone he had met before. Unable to help himself, he asked Jian Qiao beside him, “Who is this?”

There were no outsiders around, so Jian Qiao directly revealed Zhang Biezhi’s past, “I was worried this troublemaker might cause trouble for you on the road, so I taught him a lesson beforehand. Don’t worry, Mr. Xiao. All the people accompanying you have been carefully selected by me. They will only listen to your orders, not this troublemaker’s. If he misbehaves, you can deal with him like this—just beat him up.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

Zhang Biezhi looked extremely aggrieved and almost like he was about to cry. His brother-in-law was determined to teach him a lesson. To prevent his sister from interceding, he had tricked Zhang Biezhi into an empty tent in the military camp and beat him up. By the time his sister found out, the deed was done, and there was nothing she could do. All she could do was apply medicine to him while advising him not to misbehave. His brother-in-law really valued Xiao Rong. If Zhang Biezhi offended Xiao Rong, his brother-in-law might disown him when he returned.

Normally, Zhang Biezhi wouldn’t believe such talk, but Jian Qiao was acting so serious this time that it made him uncertain, and he found himself too afraid to act recklessly.

In the end, this was Jian Qiao’s private matter. While Zhang Biezhi looked a bit pitiful, Xiao Rong felt like an outsider and thought it was best not to interfere.

So he pretended not to have seen anything. After saying goodbye to everyone, he climbed onto his horse, skillfully took the reins, and with a firm command, rode off with the others.

….

This time, without the carriage, the journey back and forth took two days and two nights. If conditions had allowed, Xiao Rong would never have tortured himself like this. The problem was, there were no better conditions. The outward journey wasn’t too bad. A slight delay wouldn’t matter, but the return trip was uncertain. Who knew what the situation would be like then? As Gao Xunzhi and the others had said, if something unexpected happened and they needed to escape at full speed, Xiao Rong would rather ride alone than share a horse with anyone.

Today was relatively good. The weather was favorable, with clear skies, no wind, and no clouds. They rested for half an hour along the way and changed to a new batch of horses. Then, after dusk and before night fully set in, they reached the northern bank of the Han River—the Northern Yangzhou dock.

At this time, Yangzhou was not the same as the one described in the famous ancient poem “The Three-Month Smoke and Flowers of Yangzhou.” The Yangzhou in the poem no longer had its own name. It, along with other places, was collectively called Wu County. The Yangzhou of this era included all the cities near the mouth of the Han River, and during the unification of the North and South by the Yong Dynasty, it didn’t stand out much. However, after the Yong Dynasty moved South, Yangzhou became somewhat awkward.

Yangzhou was located right on the Han River. Unlike other cities, which had the river as a boundary, Yangzhou was centered on the river.

When the North and South split, Northern Yangzhou was called North Yangzhou, and Southern Yangzhou was referred to as South Yangzhou. Both banks of the river were heavily guarded. The Shen family’s army was stationed on the southern side, always watching the movements on the Han River, while on the northern bank, Qu Yunmie had stationed 80,000 troops. Qu Yunmie claimed there were 150,000 soldiers, but in reality, only 50,000 were combat-ready. The remaining 30,000 were logistics personnel and non-combatants, including the elderly, weak, and sick.

This shows just how much Qu Yunmie looked down on the military strength of Southern Yong.

As night began to fall, Xiao Rong hadn’t spoken much with Qu Yunmie during the journey. Now, looking at the calm Han River, Xiao Rong dismounted.

They weren’t wearing armor, and no one recognized them, so they didn’t need to be overly cautious while speaking.

Qu Yunmie also dismounted and asked Xiao Rong, “When will you return?”

Xiao Rong turned to look at the darkening river, with the opposite bank obscured by mist, rendering everything invisible. After a moment of silence, he turned back and replied, “At most, in seven days.”

Qu Yunmie said, “If I still don’t see you after seven days, I’ll come after you.”

Xiao Rong smiled lightly. “Fine, but similarly, in these seven days, I hope the King will trust me more and not act impulsively.”

Qu Yunmie responded reluctantly, “Alright.”

His answer was hesitant, but Xiao Rong didn’t notice anything wrong. He nodded to Qu Yunmie, then smiled casually, turning to lead his horse across the river. As soon as Xiao Rong moved, the soldiers selected by Jian Qiao also followed suit.

Xiao Rong, being a scholar, was completely inexperienced in military matters. He didn’t notice any small movements, but Zhang Biezhi was different. He would eventually lead a faction, which showed he had talent in military affairs as well.

With his battered face, Zhang Biezhi observed the atmosphere between Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong, feeling something was off.

He suspected that some of the soldiers among them might be Qu Yunmie’s informants, always ready to report back to him.

While Zhang Biezhi was still trying to figure out which of the soldiers were Qu Yunmie’s spies, he saw Qu Yunmie’s gaze shift to the group of twenty soldiers. The soldiers paused slightly behind Xiao Rong, exchanged brief looks, and then Qu Yunmie nodded at them. Only then did they resume following Xiao Rong.

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

It turns out all twenty of them were!

No wonder his brother-in-law had said these people would only listen to Xiao Rong and not to him. These were Qu Yunmie’s personal soldiers, of course, they wouldn’t listen to him!

Zhang Biezhi was stunned. He knew Xiao Rong was valued, but he didn’t realize just how much. Not only was the King of the North personally arranging to meet him, but even the guards assigned to him were Qu Yunmie’s personal soldiers.

He knew that regular soldiers and personal soldiers were different. Regular soldiers could be anyone with a bit of experience, and not necessarily skilled in combat. Personal soldiers, however, were always the ones who fought alongside Qu Yunmie, risking life and death together. Today, they were guarding him, and tomorrow they could be deputy generals.

These men were loyal and fearless and trusted by Qu Yunmie. Now, they were assigned to protect Xiao Rong.

Suddenly, Zhang Biezhi’s resentment faded. Perhaps his brother-in-law was right. This really was a good job.

His mind was somewhat muddled, but everyone could tell this journey was dangerous. Yet, Zhang Biezhi couldn’t see it. Now that he realized he had the same status as Qu Yunmie’s personal soldiers.   On the surface, he was even considered the leader of this group, so he suddenly felt very happy. Even when boarding the ship, he had a sort of childish excitement, like a schoolchild going on a field trip.

Shortly after, he threw up a terrible mess.

Xiao Rong: “…”

He looked at Zhang Biezhi with a bit of disdain. Although Xiao Rong didn’t say anything, his face clearly expressed everything. With a sigh, he turned to Ah Shu and said, “When we get off the boat, go see if there are any vendors selling oranges nearby. If there are, buy a few.”

Ah Shu agreed. Zhang Biezhi wiped his mouth weakly and said to Xiao Rong. “Thank you, sir.”

Xiao Rong: “?”

He looked at Zhang Biezhi with confusion, then suddenly understood. Turning to Ah Shu again, he said, “He wants some too, so buy a few for him as well.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

…

As soon as they disembarked, they were in Huaiyin City. Xiao Rong didn’t intend to reveal his identity here. He had arrived in a hurry to catch them off guard. If the Shen Family’s army detained him here, not only would he be delayed for an unknown period of time, but it would also give the Southern Yong court time to prepare. The essence of a clever strategy was to be steady, precise, and ruthless. If everyone was ready beforehand, there would be no room for him to act.

So, before boarding the ship, Xiao Rong had already made arrangements. The twenty soldiers were his guards, Zhang Biezhi was his cousin, and Ah Shu was still his servant. He was pretending to be a wealthy young man visiting distant relatives.

This was the story he would tell in Huaiyin City. Once they reached Jinling, he wouldn’t need to say that anymore and could reveal his true identity.

What Xiao Rong never expected was that he wouldn’t need to use his prepared story at all.

As soon as they arrived at the city gates with their reins in hand, it was almost curfew. There was no one in line, and the guard was shouting angrily at a farmer who had come back late. When the guard looked up and saw Xiao Rong and his group, his expression immediately changed, and he shoved the farmer aside, signaling his colleagues to move the city gates.

What was more surprising was that, while the guards didn’t bow and scrape to Xiao Rong, they did show obedience and fear. Xiao Rong was momentarily stunned but quickly hid it from his face, adjusting his expression to one of nonchalance as he entered the city.

As expected, the guards didn’t stop him or ask for any travel passes or documents. Not even the soldiers behind him were questioned.

They had entered the city without any trouble, which felt strange to Xiao Rong. He couldn’t figure out why this had happened. Once inside the city, it was just like in other cities—seeing so many horses on the road, the common people quickly scattered, not even looking twice at the riders.

Unable to make sense of it, Xiao Rong decided to not dwell on it for now. The important thing was to get some rest, as they would need to continue their journey early the next morning.

They casually found an inn. As soon as they entered, before the attendant could approach, the innkeeper glanced at them from behind the counter, then quickly tossed aside his abacus and hurried out with a sycophantic smile, addressing Xiao Rong as “Young Master” repeatedly. Without Xiao Rong saying a word, the innkeeper had already ordered the staff to bring the best food and wine. He even boasted that the best room in the inn was reserved for someone of Xiao Rong’s status.

Xiao Rong: “…”

Actually, Xiao Rong had originally planned to just have some plain porridge and simple dishes. As for the room, a regular single room would have sufficed.

After seeing the innkeeper’s overly flattering expression, Xiao Rong suddenly understood. He smiled gently. “Thank you, innkeeper. As I am traveling, I do not like to be disturbed. Do you understand what I mean?”

The innkeeper’s face broke into a grin so wide it seemed like he could catch a fly in the folds of his skin. “Of course, of course!”

He immediately ordered another servant to close the inn for the day and stop receiving guests.

Zhang Biezhi stood there in a daze, watching this scene. He often stayed in inns, but he never received this kind of treatment. Was it because Xiao Rong was handsome?

The innkeeper wasn’t just stopping new guests from coming in; it looked like he was about to kick out the current ones as well. Xiao Rong quickly stopped him, saying that since the people had already checked in, there was no need to worry about them. They wouldn’t dare to trouble him.

What could the innkeeper say? Of course, he repeatedly praised Xiao Rong for his kindness.

After they entered the so-called best room, the smile on Xiao Rong’s face gradually faded.

Ah Shu placed the bundle to the side, then quietly called out, “Young Master?”

Xiao Rong looked up.

Ah Shu was genuinely a little afraid. “Young Master, this place… could it be a scam?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. “Of course not. But we should still thank the innkeeper. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have noticed something.”

Ah Shu asked, puzzled, “What did you notice?”

Xiao Rong shook his head and didn’t answer.

When they had stopped at Xinan earlier, Xiao Rong hadn’t been in the best mental state, nor was his wallet in good condition. Although he had exchanged a bit of silver for travel expenses, just hiring a carriage and eating had already drained most of his savings. Everything else had to be kept to a minimum. For example, his clothes—he only had two sets. One was a blend of hemp and silk, with about one-tenth silk content. That was what he wore when meeting guests. The other was pure hemp clothing, which he didn’t mind wearing any way it came.

Fortunately, not all scholars were wealthy, so his appearance didn’t attract much curiosity. At most, people would remark on how, despite being so handsome, he still looked so poor.

…

He was different now. He had exchanged his old style for something far grander. All his clothes were made of silk, some even embroidered with works from Jiangnan’s skilled seamstresses. One outfit alone was worth a hundred gold.

Gao Xunzhi seemed to have a bit of a tendency to play stylist. He always liked to create looks for others and see them change clothes according to his wishes. Therefore, the clothes for Qu Yunmie’s army were all prepared by him. Later, when Xiao Rong arrived, Gao Xunzhi arranged his wardrobe as well.

Although Xiao Rong was an art student, he didn’t really care about the price of clothes, so he had no idea what kind of fabric Gao Xunzhi had picked for him. Although, just by feeling them, he could tell that these clothes weren’t cheap.

In addition to the clothes, there were accessories. The jade hairpin on his head and the clothing ornament on his outfit were also spoils of war from the Northern Army.

Before, Xiao Rong had no idea which noble family they belonged to, but the Northern Army had no queens or princesses. There were hardly any men who could wear such items. However, when someone as otherworldly as him appeared, they naturally made sure to present them to him.

Additionally, he had so many guards following him, each riding strong, sturdy horses. The most crucial point, the one that played a key role, was Xiao Rong’s unparalleled beauty.

Before, when people saw him, they guessed he must be a young master from some prominent family, but at that time, people would wonder, because he was traveling by donkey cart and didn’t look quite right. Now, both of those things had disappeared, and no one doubted him anymore.

Moreover, this was Huaian City, the closest place to Jinling. Although nowadays, when you mention the prominent families, they are often referred to as the XX family from such and such a place, the truly influential families were all gathered in Jinling. After all, the reason a family became a prominent one was because their ancestors had been serving in the court for generations.

This explains the actions of the city guards and the innkeeper, who had opened the way for him. They believed Xiao Rong was definitely the descendant of some prestigious family, with a government position, so they didn’t dare offend him.

It was indeed an unexpected delight.

Even passersby thought he was part of a noble family. Wouldn’t the real prominent families also offer him some preferential treatment just because of his face?

After thinking this through, Xiao Rong saw that Ah Shu was still standing there and urged, “Go out and see if there are any vendors selling oranges.”

Ah Shu had forgotten about it, but as soon as he heard, he quickly ran outside. Just before Ah Shu was about to leave, Xiao Rong added, “When you return, see what Zhang Biezhi is doing.”

Ah Shu replied, “Oh.”

Speaking of Zhang Biezhi, Ah Shu still felt a little awkward.

Before, Zhang Biezhi had spoken ill of Xiao Rong, and Ah Shu had turned around to see Xiao Rong and had repeated those bad words to him. At that time, Xiao Rong was busy and didn’t have the time to deal with it. Later, when he did have time, he couldn’t be bothered to argue with Zhang Biezhi.

Although Xiao Rong didn’t know just how foolish Zhang Biezhi was, the fact that he could speak ill of him in front of his servant showed that this person had truly gone too far. In Xiao Rong’s view, he and Zhang Biezhi were almost two different species. So why should he get upset with another species? It’s like a skunk farting in front of you—would you really argue with the skunk?

Xiao Rong understood it clearly, but Ah Shu wasn’t as generous. Even though Zhang Biezhi had been protecting them throughout their journey, Ah Shu still couldn’t bring himself to like him.

After curfew, the streets were empty. Ah Shu had to find the innkeeper, who then contacted someone he knew to help buy a basket of oranges. The oranges weren’t very sweet at that time, but they were quite sour. This kind of fruit was loved by common folk, but nobles didn’t seem to eat them.

However, the innkeeper was also a commoner. Normally, nobles wouldn’t come to his shop. Xiao Rong was the highest-ranking guest he had ever hosted, and his knowledge of nobility was limited to hearsay. Yet today, he encountered one for real, so he remembered well that nobles loved to eat oranges.

…..

Carrying the basket upstairs and thinking about what Xiao Rong had said, Ah Shu walked to Zhang Biezhi’s door. He knocked on the door, mimicking Xiao Rong’s usual manner. When the door opened, he handed Zhang Biezhi two oranges.

Seeing that Ah Shu still had a whole basket in his hands, Zhang Biezhi was speechless.

Forget it. This master-servant relationship ran deep.

He decided to follow what his sister had said and be more honest. After all, it was only a few more days, and once they returned, no one would be able to control him anymore.

Pressing his lips together, he grabbed the two oranges, muttered a vague thank you, and then slammed the door shut.

Ah Shu was taken aback that he actually thanked him, but then he snorted and, with his head held high, walked back to Xiao Rong.

Even when someone like him said the words “thank you,” it still sounded annoying.

 

…

 

Xiao Rong took the basket that Ah Shu handed over and picked out an orange that seemed decent. Just as he was about to peel it, Ah Shu took it from him. His hands were quick and efficient, so Xiao Rong didn’t bother to take it back.

He asked Ah Shu how Zhang Biezhi was doing, but Ah Shu didn’t understand exactly what he meant, so he could only answer honestly. “He just stayed in his room. As for what he’s doing in there, I don’t know.”

Xiao Rong blinked. “Why do I feel like he’s been unusually quiet throughout this trip?”

He hadn’t said a word, just silently followed behind him. Even when something curious appeared on the side of the street, Zhang Biezhi would just sit on his horse and stare at it intently. When his neck couldn’t turn any further, he’d twist his neck and then look ahead again.

This was a bit different from the mischievous troublemaker image he’d heard about.

Ah Shu noticed this as well. He tilted his head and said, “That’s true. Last time when we went to Xinan, he never stopped talking the whole way. This time, he hasn’t said anything—”

He stretched out the last word, then suddenly froze. “Master, could it be that he’s planning something against you?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

That guess was really a bit ridiculous. Zhang Biezhi still had a bright future ahead of him. How could he possibly want to end it so quickly?

Betraying Qu Yunmie might leave him with a slim chance of survival, but killing him here would make Zhang Biezhi the next Li Xiuheng. Before getting caught, he’d have to live like a mole, hiding from everyone.

….

Xiao Rong furrowed his brow, just as Ah Shu finished peeling the orange. Xiao Rong took the orange segments, which had a few white fibers on them, and gently squeezed them. Then he decided to address Zhang Biezhi’s issue first. “Call him over. I need to ask him something.”

Ah Shu was confused. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like the Master wasn’t happy about Zhang Biezhi’s sudden quietness. However, he didn’t dare to ask further and could only quietly go out to call him.

A moment later, Zhang Biezhi, listening to Xiao Rong’s questions, felt like the grievances he had suffered in his life were nothing compared to these past two days.

“I don’t cause trouble, and you still have complaints. How annoying you all are!”

However, Xiao Rong couldn’t see Zhang Biezhi’s grievances. He sternly told him, “You should behave the same way here as you always do. What did you say about me in front of Ah Shu last time? Weren’t you looking down on me then? Why are you listening to me now?”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

“I still look down on you!

“I’m not listening to you, I just… I just don’t dare to anger you!”

He froze, completely not understanding what Xiao Rong meant. What did it mean to behave the same in Jinling as he did before? He had almost forgotten how he was before.

Now, Xiao Rong was really getting angry. Looking at Zhang Biezhi’s nearly dazed expression, Xiao Rong couldn’t hold back his frustration. He had thought he brought along a natural ally, but instead, he had found himself a problem.

Since they were already here, replacing him wasn’t an option. Xiao Rong took a deep breath and patiently told him, “When we get to Jinling, you must continue acting the way you usually do. Be a not very smart, overly arrogant, and clueless Deputy General of the Northern Town Army. When the people of Jinling greet you, you will return the greeting, but your posture will be improper, and your actions will be half-hearted. When the people of Jinling joke with you, you’ll put them down and elevate the status of warriors, telling them you think warriors are the strongest in the world. When the people of Jinling invite me to a feast, you’ll loudly mock them, making sure they know you actually look down on me and that you’re only here protecting me because you were forced to, not because you want to.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

Xiao Rong wasn’t wrong. That was how Zhang Biezhi usually acted. Every point Xiao Rong mentioned was something Zhang Biezhi didn’t have to pretend to do because it was his true attitude.

Yet as he looked at Xiao Rong’s increasingly stiff expression, he realized, seeing it laid out like that, just how foolish his actions seemed. He felt like he made a fool of himself. Was this really how he acted normally?

No way!!!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

Support translation: