There was a book called ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, where the main character, too lazy to paint the fence, deliberately claimed that he loved painting the fence. This sparked the curiosity and rebellious spirit of his friends, and in the end, his friends worked for him for free for a whole day.

This was quite similar to Zhang Biezhi’s thought process. His sister and brother-in-law would often advise him, reminding him not to look down on others, but he never listened. Today, however, Xiao Rong did the opposite. Xiao Rong encouraged him to look down on himself, repeatedly emphasizing that he must look down on himself. Suddenly, Zhang Biezhi realized the lesson his sister and brother-in-law were trying to teach him. It was truly embarrassing. Not only were the onlookers laughing at him, but even Xiao Rong, whom he had looked down on, never treated him seriously.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was about a group of children, but, although Zhang Biezhi had grown up, his psychological age might not have been as mature as the children in the book. Over the years, Jian Qiao had suffered a lot because of him. If he could only see through this, he wouldn’t have been so frustrated every time he returned home.

 

…

 

Today was a special day for Zhang Biezhi, as his worldview was shaken. If Xiao Rong were merciful, he would’ve let him go, allowing him to spend the night in a daze to properly digest the new information he had received. The problem was that this was impossible.

When Xiao Rong saw he wasn’t answering, his expression subtly changed. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to?”

Zhang Biezhi paused for a second, his face gradually turning red. “You think you can play me like a monkey, how could I possibly want that?!”

Xiao Rong heard him and suddenly laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

Tomorrow they would arrive in Jinling, and Zhang Biezhi unexpectedly failed him at the last moment. Xiao Rong immediately launched a merciless attack. “A monkey, after a few months of training, can perform in a show. It flips and a crowd of people claps for it. But you? You’ve been in the army for so many years, but have you done anything that would make people want to clap for you? You eat more than a monkey, you use more expensive things than a monkey. If I could, I’d trade you for a hundred monkeys. At least I could open a circus and sell tickets. Unfortunately, no businessman would make a loss like that.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

Xiao Rong’s calm tone made Zhang Biezhi blush and grow furious. He held back his anger but he couldn’t retort the way Xiao Rong had spoken. He could only glare at him angrily. “You’re actually insulting me!”

Xiao Rong’s gaze shot over like a needle, piercing Zhang Biezhi’s face, making him instinctively take a step back.

Even Qu Yunmie would’ve felt scared of that look—it was not something to be taken lightly.

….

 

Xiao Rong stared unexpectedly at Zhang Biezhi, then suddenly stood up. “I told you not to flatter yourself. You’re not even worthy of being scolded by me! This trip to Jinling must succeed. Listen carefully, Zhang Biezhi.”

He repeated Zhang Biezhi’s name in a cold, sinister tone, then took a step forward, shortening the distance between them. Xiao Rong looked coldly into Zhang Biezhi’s eyes, causing him to forget how to breathe.

“If you dare ruin my plans, I don’t care who your brother-in-law is. Even if you were Qu Yunmie’s grandfather, I will make sure your soul perishes in Jinling! If you don’t believe me, just try it. Use your own life as the price and see how I can kill without shedding blood.”

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

Normally, he wouldn’t believe such threats, but Xiao Rong’s aura was truly terrifying. On top of that, the twenty guards outside were all Qu Yunmie’s personal soldiers. Zhang Biezhi had no doubt that if they broke into a conflict, those soldiers would draw their swords and help Xiao Rong kill him without even asking questions.

His life was so miserable.

In history, when he had betrayed there were many factors influencing him: Qu Yunmie’s stubbornness, his conflict with Jian Qiao, and his belief that it was all just a farce. After all, when everything first started, it all seemed like a joke—except only he treated it as one. Everyone else took it seriously.

Right now, however, those factors weren’t present. Zhang Biezhi was just a fool. He didn’t have a habit of senseless killing, and Qu Yunmie was truly battle-hungry and loved to deal with evil himself. Zhang Biezhi mostly just liked to bully others, and he had only taken a few lives in small skirmishes, no more than two handfuls.

So when Xiao Rong got serious, Zhang Biezhi hesitated. His blink rate suddenly increased, and he looked guilty. After a moment of silence, he unconsciously began stepping back, muttering softly, “When my brother-in-law finds out your true nature, he won’t spare you.”

Xiao Rong: “…”

Xiao Rong glanced at the bruise on Zhang Biezhi’s brow, and everything was unsaid but understood.

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

He felt even more wronged.

Xiao Rong was a sneaky villain! He wasn’t the upright and noble person people always spoke about. Many even praised him as the only gentleman in the Northern Town Army. Yet just listen to this! Would a gentleman threaten people like this?

Once Zhang Biezhi accepted the fact that Xiao Rong was a seductive, poisonous beauty, he no longer felt that admitting defeat was so embarrassing. After all, only he knew what Xiao Rong was really like—he was the only one who was clear-headed, while everyone else remained in the dark.

Pursing his lips, Zhang Biezhi muttered, “Fine, I’ll do it.”

He wanted to leave after saying that, but Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes and stopped him. “Wait.”

Xiao Rong asked, “How are you going to do it? Show me a rehearsal of what you will do.”

Before he spoke the truth, every action Zhang Biezhi made was natural. Now that the truth was out, his behavior would likely become stiff. Xiao Rong didn’t feel at ease and wanted him to perform perfectly in front of him before letting him leave.

So, that night, Zhang Biezhi was tortured until midnight.

He even got scolded for how he smiled at Xiao Rong. The more he practiced, the more resentment he built up. At a certain point, his resentment outweighed his fear of Xiao Rong, and that was when he finally passed.

Zhang Biezhi: “…”

Having traveled all day the day before and only sleeping two hours that night, Zhang Biezhi walked out of his room with dark circles under his eyes. His frustration was even greater than yesterday.

However, when he saw Xiao Rong sitting weakly by the table, Zhang Biezhi remembered that no matter how late he had been kept up, Xiao Rong had stayed up with him. Even when he’d left, Xiao Rong hadn’t planned to sleep right away. Instead, he sat at the desk, unrolling paper, ready to write something.

Aside from being beautiful, intelligent, and exceptionally famous, Xiao Rong had one more well-known characteristic: he was frail.

After all the exertion, even Zhang Biezhi, who was as strong as a small calf, couldn’t bear it. How could someone like this sickly scholar, who often fell ill and sometimes even coughed up blood, handle it?

Even so, Xiao Rong didn’t complain. He woke up earlier than Zhang Biezhi, and when Zhang Biezhi came down, Xiao Rong reminded him to hurry and eat breakfast, as they would leave immediately afterward.

Sharing hardship was the fastest way to strengthen the loyalty of subordinates. While Zhang Biezhi hadn’t yet reached the point of being fully loyal to Xiao Rong, his resentment did lessen a little. He sat down obediently and ate with the speed of a whirlwind.

Xiao Rong: “…”

He watched Zhang Biezhi eat eight pancakes in one sitting. He realized what it meant to be a growing boy who could eat his father out of house and home.

Xiao Rong’s complexion wasn’t great, and he noticed it himself. This time, it wasn’t Qu Yunmie’s fault, it was because he had been so exhausted lately that it started to affect him. However, he had just arrived at Huaiyin, and rest was still far off. Ah Shu worried about him and suggested hiring a carriage, since it was only a hundred miles. They could make it even with a late arrival.

As Ah Shu spoke, everyone looked at them in silence. They were all thinking the same thing, but were waiting to hear Xiao Rong’s opinion.

Xiao Rong thought for a moment, then decided to ride on horseback.

It wasn’t that he was really in such a hurry—being a couple of hours late didn’t matter much—but he felt that he needed to maintain this sickly appearance.

He hadn’t been to Jinling yet, and the last time he passed through Huaiyin, he had detoured through Wu County. He only passed by the outer walls of Jinling, but he had gathered plenty of information since then. The wealthy and powerful residents inside Jinling were all obsessed with beauty, and they loved a faintly sickly appearance, as though death were imminent.

If it had been months ago, Xiao Rong wouldn’t have had to fake anything—he could have shone brightly. Since moving to Chenliu, he hadn’t been sick at all. As long as Qu Yunmie didn’t push him, his body would heal quickly.

Originally, even if he were healthy, he would still need to pretend. Yet even pretending couldn’t compare to being genuinely pitiable. He would only stay in Jinling for a few days, so first impressions were crucial.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Rong’s subordinates had to follow, but looking at Xiao Rong’s frail appearance, even Zhang Biezhi was worried he might fall off his horse.

They left Huaiyin City at the second watch and reached the outskirts of Jinling by the first watch. Looking at the grand gates, Xiao Rong’s eyes narrowed slightly.

This was when the ancient capital began, even though there had been others who had established Jinling as the capital before. None of their forces were as rich and powerful as the Yong Dynasty’s rulers. Emperor Guangjia had nearly cut his country in half, but he was still incredibly wealthy. After arriving in Jinling, his first order of business was to reinforce the city’s defenses. Every year, he poured vast amounts of silver into the walls. The Han River served as a natural barrier, making the city hard to breach, and the massive walls were another layer of protection.

Emperor Guangjia reinforced the city out of fear, but he still died. After him, Sun Renluan also reinforced the defenses with a clear purpose: to lay out his strategic plan. If anything went wrong, they would fight a defensive war. Jinling was rich and had everything. After securing the city, they could hold out for at least five years, during which time they could be self-sufficient, while the enemy would be unable to withstand such a long siege.

In ancient warfare, especially in long campaigns, it was nearly impossible to last more than two months. Once two months passed, a retreat was inevitable, as reinforcements wouldn’t arrive in time. This was also the reason why Qu Yunmie’s plan to attack the Xianbei had to be concluded in October.

Thus, it was understandable that the Southern Yong court feared Qu Yunmie, not only because of his extraordinary military skills and large army, but also because he had taken control of the other side of the Han River. Defensive battles could restrain the barbarians, but they couldn’t cope with an enemy so close by.

However, in history, when Qu Yunmie broke into the Southern Yong Palace, there was almost no resistance. It only took about a month for him to break through. Was it because he was so powerful that he broke down the gates directly? No, it was because someone made a foolish mistake.

The law of conservation of energy applied everywhere. If there were a thousand smart people in history, there would be a thousand fools. The former provided intense and exciting, adrenaline-pumping struggles, while the latter provided a level of ridiculousness so absurd that one wondered how such people could live this long.

…

The security in Jinling was slightly better than in Huaiyin. At least here, they didn’t let him in without asking. Although the city guards were respectful, when they requested documents, they didn’t dare to raise their voices. They even informed him in advance that they were only checking and weren’t questioning his identity.

Xiao Rong: “…”

He looked at Ah Shu standing next to him, who understood the signal. Ah Shu then took out Xiao Rong’s documents and seal from his bundle. These were freshly made. After Xiao Rong left Xinan, he had asked a county magistrate to replace the original documents bearing the name Xiao Rong with new ones. He paid extra to have the name changed to his own. As for the current set of documents, they were stamped with the Great Seal of the Northern King, which was far more valuable than the one stamped with the county magistrate’s seal.

As for the seal, it was also hastily made. There was no position of the Governor of Chenliu before, and these people didn’t even know what the seal of the Governor looked like. In the end, Xiao Rong made a decision. Regardless of what other places did, they would create their own. From then on, whoever became the Governor of Chenliu would use this seal.

As for the possibility of being ridiculed, had they never heard the saying, “The victor is king, the loser is a bandit”? Once they became the legitimate rulers, even if they stamped a scarab on the seal, others would have to hold their noses and pretend to admire it.

….

After taking the unfamiliar seal, the city guard was confused about what kind of official position it represented when he heard Xiao Rong sitting on his horse, speaking to him with neither humility nor arrogance. “Please pass on the message that Chenliu’s Governor Xiao Rong, carrying a personal letter from the King of the North, has come to meet His Majesty and the Grand General.”

At first, the guard didn’t understand what the position of Chenliu’s Governor was. He wondered if this young man’s name was actually Chenliu Governor.

Then he remembered the recent news about the King of the North moving the capital to Chenliu, and suddenly, thud, the seal he was holding fell to the ground.

Xiao Rong: “…”

The words on the seal were carved in gold and weren’t cheap!

Under Xiao Rong’s reproachful gaze, the guard nervously picked up the seal, quickly apologized, and retreated to find his superior.

Next, the message was passed up the chain, until it finally reached the Southern Yong Palace.

Sun Renluan was holding a meeting with his officials. When he heard that Xiao Rong had arrived, they first fell silent, then the entire palace erupted in a flurry of activity.

The capital had been moved more than half a month ago, and at first, Jinling’s officials were completely opposed to it. Now, they had almost become numb to it, for no matter how angry they were, they could only just be helplessly furious.

They couldn’t initiate the war, especially not at this crucial moment when Qiu Yunmie’s army hadn’t moved for so long. Qiu Yunmie had trained them for many years to fight others, and they didn’t want to become scapegoats for the Xianbei.

In both war and negotiations, it was all about psychological warfare. The military strategy books all taught how to disturb the enemy’s mind, and when it came to supplies and shortening the frontlines, no one needed to be taught—every general already had their own plans.

Sun Renluan was particularly calm in this respect. He knew this wasn’t the time for a North-South war, so he wasn’t in a hurry. When he learned that Xiao Rong had come, carrying the King of the North’s personal letter, the officials who had just settled down began to feel nervous and fearful again. Although Sun Renluan was a little surprised, he guessed that Xiao Rong wasn’t bringing bad news.

Scouts from north of the Han River reported that Qiu Yunmie was vigorously constructing Chenliu, with many bizarre actions. He was very close to Xiao Rong, and sometimes they even went out for tea together.

Like those who knew Qiu Yunmie, Sun Renluan believed that Qiu Yunmie’s changes weren’t due to himself but were influenced by external factors. Sun Renluan had always been highly cautious of Xiao Rong, because it was clear that only Xiao Rong could’ve influenced Qiu Yunmie to this point.

Now, Xiao Rong has come to Jinling.

Had he come alone? With only a few dozen guards and an insignificant junior officer who seemed to be barely out of his youth? This surprised Sun Renluan greatly. Given that the capital had just moved, and after Yu Shaocheng’s defection, relations between the North and South were extremely tense. At this moment Qiu Yunmie actually sent Xiao Rong alone to Jinling, without sending enough soldiers to protect him? Was he not afraid something might happen to him?

Something felt off to Sun Renluan. If something was unusual, there was certainly an unknown reason behind it.

Sun Renluan immediately convened an emergency meeting, sending out many officials he considered to be useless, leaving only his trusted advisors and a few respected senior officials, including Yang Cangyi.

The group discussed for a long time. Even before Xiao Rong had truly entered the palace, their minds were already working overtime. As usual, it seemed that no matter how much they discussed, it was futile. They had no idea what Xiao Rong was actually here for.

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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