Volume One: Carefree Journey Among the Indistinguishable Leaves Chapter Sixty-One: Goblets of Gold and Pedestals of Silver

After the Crown Prince of Shu and his entourage departed, the crowd also began to disperse. Only then did Xue Lingfeng turn to Yang Ning and ask, “You don’t know the Crown Prince of Shu?”

“Why should I know him?” Yang Ning replied casually. “We walk different paths—there’s no reason to associate. Even if I did know him, there’d be no friendship between us.”

A faint smile appeared on Xue Lingfeng’s lips. “Your temperament is much like the General’s.” Mentioning Qi Jing, Xue Lingfeng’s eyes showed a hint of melancholy. Before Yang Ning could respond, he continued, “The city is under martial law these days. If you have no urgent matters, best not to go out.”

Yang Ning understood Xue Lingfeng was speaking out of concern. He thought to himself that the Tiger God Battalion was a resource left by the Marquis of Brocade himself, and nodded, “Thank you, Uncle Xue, for your advice. I’ll remember it.”

Xue Lingfeng seemed comforted, said no more, and led his men away.

Hardly had Xue Lingfeng left when Lei Yonghu approached, showing more respect than before. He clasped his hands and stammered, “Your...Your Highness, Madam couldn’t stay here long. She said she’ll come to thank you in person another day.”

Yang Ning had already noticed the woman leaving with her child and smiled, “It was nothing. No need for such trouble.”

“That was hardly a trifling matter,” Lei Yonghu said earnestly. “That was the Crown Prince of Shu. If our little lord really had run into him...he might not have been held accountable.”

No sooner had he finished than Yuan Rong’s voice sounded nearby, “Brother, you’ve truly offended the King of Shu this time.”

“Oh? Are you afraid, Brother Yuan?” Yang Ning glanced at Yuan Rong, thinking that his hesitation earlier must have been out of fear of the King of Shu. He said with a trace of annoyance, “The Crown Prince of Shu whipped you in the street, but you seem not to mind—your magnanimity is remarkable.”

Yuan Rong understood the mockery, but only smiled, saying nothing more.

Lei Yonghu thanked Yang Ning repeatedly before leaving with his men. Yang Ning couldn’t help but ask Yuan Rong, “Which household does this Lei Yonghu serve?”

“I’ve not seen him before,” Yuan Rong shook his head. “But he led the capital’s yamen officers here—if he’s not from the capital’s Prefect’s office, he must be connected to the Ministry of Justice.”

“Oh?” Yang Ning thought, in this imperial city, officials are everywhere; it’s easy to make both friends and enemies without realizing it.

Suddenly struck by a thought, he glanced around. Yuan Rong noticed and asked curiously, “Who are you looking for, brother?”

“I...I think I bumped into someone earlier—a woman, perhaps.” Yang Ning saw the street bustling with people and frowned. “I didn’t get a clear look. I ought to apologize, though.”

Yuan Rong laughed, “Brother, you don’t look much like a scion of the Marquis of Brocade; you seem more like one of us from the Ministry of Rites. You forced the Crown Prince of Shu to apologize in public, yet now you want to apologize yourself. If my old man knew, he’d praise you to the skies.”

“By the way, who exactly is this Crown Prince of Shu? How can he act so brazenly in the heart of the capital? And who is that Mr. Ximen?” Yang Ning frowned. Truth be told, he was more intrigued by Mr. Ximen; the man had easily thrown him several meters away—his martial arts were extraordinary.

Yuan Rong lowered his voice, “The King of Shu rules the Western River. For nearly a century, the Li family has dominated that land. The current King of Shu is the fourth generation. However...the present King, Li Hongxin, is the first to be granted the royal title by the court. The previous generations only crowned themselves.”

“So Li Hongxin is a feudal prince of Western River?” Yang Ning asked, brows furrowing.

“I’m speaking in private here—although Western River is part of our Great Chu, Li Hongxin is the local sovereign in all but name.” Yuan Rong’s voice dropped further. “And there’s a connection between this Li Hongxin and your Qi family.”

“A connection with the Qi family?” Yang Ning’s interest was piqued. “How so?”

Yuan Rong laughed, “It seems you aren’t well acquainted with your family’s past glory. After Great Chu split with Northern Han, Bashu and Western River became the court’s headache. Over twenty years ago, when your old Marquis of Brocade was alive, Li Hongxin’s father had just passed away, and the situation in Western River was unstable. The court immediately mobilized a hundred thousand troops with the old Marquis as commander, preparing to subdue Western River.”

“My grandfather led the army—naturally invincible!”

“Indeed.” Yuan Rong smiled. “The old Marquis swept through, not quite like a hot knife through butter, but certainly smoothly.”

“If that’s the case, how did the Li family survive in Western River?” Yang Ning frowned. “How did they remain its local rulers?”

“Li Hongxin was still in mourning when our army arrived. He quickly rallied troops—his family’s roots in Western River ran deep, and he managed to gather tens of thousands to resist. The region is mountainous and treacherous, with many strategic passes. Though young, Li Hongxin was skilled in warfare, deploying his forces to defend key points. It’s said he brought out all the family’s gold and jewels to encourage the Sichuan army. The further the Marquis advanced, the harder the fighting became.”

The road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven; the Chengdu Plain of Western River is surrounded by mountains. Breaking out is difficult, but so is breaking in, thanks to the natural barriers.

“In the war for Western River, both sides suffered heavy losses. But for a small region to contend with Great Chu was wishful thinking. If the campaign continued, the Marquis would have subdued Western River eventually.” Yuan Rong continued, “The court was determined to pacify the region. After half a year of war, the Marquis steadily approached Chengdu, and its fall seemed inevitable. Then the Northern Han lent the Li family a helping hand.”

“Northern Han?”

“Yes. They saw the court’s campaign in Western River as a golden opportunity and sent troops south. Our forces stood at the Huai River. From what I know, the court didn’t want to abandon the almost-won victory in Western River, planning to hold the Huai and finish off Chengdu before turning north. But Li Hongxin, at the end of his rope, suddenly lowered his banners, submitted to the court, and with the war heating up at the Huai, the court accepted his surrender, granted him the title King of Shu, and redeployed troops north.”

Yang Ning now understood the sequence of events. “So that’s how it happened. But the region was never fully cleared.”

“Which is why the Li family of Western River harbors no fondness for your Qi clan.” Yuan Rong said softly, “In the war for Western River, Chu’s troops killed many of Li Hongxin’s kin, and the Sichuan army wounded many under the Marquis. Since then, the Qi and Li families have looked askance at each other.” He glanced about and continued in a low voice, “Xue Lingfeng of the Tiger God Battalion was your father’s old subordinate. His own father fought alongside the old Marquis in the campaign and was wounded, losing an eye. Do you think Xue Lingfeng could be cordial with the Li family?”

Yang Ning now understood the situation. No wonder Xue Lingfeng had been so protective of him today, while Mr. Ximen regarded Xue Lingfeng with wariness—their enmity was longstanding.

Yuan Rong was about to elaborate further when he noticed Yang Ning’s gaze fixed on something across the way. He couldn’t help but follow it, and saw that Yang Ning was staring at a flower shop diagonally opposite. He knew the street was full of flower shops and Yang Ning was unlikely to be drawn by mere flowers. Looking closely, he saw a young woman outside the shop, admiring the blooms; she wore a pale green blouse, nothing extravagant, and her complexion was not especially fair, but she possessed a fresh, understated charm.

Yuan Rong immediately grinned and sidled up to Yang Ning, whispering, “Have you taken a fancy to that girl, brother? Good taste—she’s quite pretty.”

Yang Ning shot him a look, then strode toward the shop. Yuan Rong called out, “So eager, brother Ning? When pursuing a woman, don’t rush; let me teach you.” He added, “Weren’t we going to the Marquis of Martial Township’s estate? Are we still going or not?”

Yang Ning paid him no mind, crossing the street to the flower shop. The scent of blossoms filled the air, refreshing and pleasant. Like the other shops, this one had a flower stand outside, blooms in full glory. The florist was an old man, his face wrinkled like the soil in his flower pots, weathered by time. Seeing Yang Ning approach, he quickly greeted him, “Your Highness, would you like to buy some flowers? These are all the finest varieties—please take a look.”

Yang Ning’s earlier quarrel with the Crown Prince of Shu had drawn many onlookers, and his identity was well known by now. The flower seller had watched as well, and was pleased to see Yang Ning approach. Yet in the capital, high officials and noble sons were everywhere; Yang Ning’s status was not particularly unusual.

“I’m just browsing,” Yang Ning replied with a smile, stepping up to a flowerpot just a few paces from the young woman. He looked her over: her manner was graceful and her features delicate, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her simple attire matched her natural appearance, unadorned by powder.

“Your Highness, here we have Golden Plate, Layered Emerald, White Jade Ice, and inside, a cluster of Scarlet Hall—the pride of my shop.” The old man introduced eagerly, “If you find one you like, I’ll send it to your residence. It’ll look splendid, and you need only reward me as you see fit.”

“Oh?” Yang Ning thought the florist had a knack for names; these elegant names certainly caught the eye.

The old man continued his introductions: Golden Plate with golden-edged purple petals, Layered Emerald with petals stacked upon each other, White Jade Ice pure white as its name implied. Each bloom vied for attention, though Yang Ning knew little about flowers. He feigned interest, nodding as the old man spoke, all the while sneaking glances at the young woman. She was admiring a cluster of flowers with golden buds and pure white petals.

“Shopkeeper, how much for this Golden Goblet and Silver Stand?” the young woman suddenly asked, looking up at the old man, and at that moment finally saw Yang Ning standing beside him. Yang Ning was looking at her as well; their eyes met, and the girl grew flustered, lowering her head at once.