Chapter 345: Love the House, Love the Crow—Enter Yanjing!

"The great victory at Hulao Pass shook the world."

"By the fourth year, they had reclaimed the lands south of the Yellow River; by the sixth year, Yan, Yun, and the Three Zhou were recovered, finally ending the Northern Wind Rebellion."

"That year was Yongxiang Twenty-Six, the twenty-sixth day of the ninth month; it took five days for the news to reach the south."

"On that day, I agreed to my daughter's long-delayed marriage, for I knew from then on—"

"The world would be at peace."

As Zou Lin spoke these words, his face showed emotion, and he continued:

"Moreover, at that time, the Lu Army was a righteous force, independent and unaffiliated; before being granted the title of Shaobao, it held only the fifth rank of the seventy-first grade in the military. Daqing's treasury was already empty, and northern salaries had long been withheld. Even when he was finally named Shaobao, he had already resigned from office to cultivate the Dao and had never received a single silver tael."

"Tell me, if he never accepted a single grain of Daqing's bounty, how can one claim he ate the ruler's food and bore the ruler's debt?"

Yu Wen Liqian, hearing this, seemed to understand.

When Daqing lost its northern lands, Lu Chen reclaimed the mountains and rivers and declared himself king—this was the natural cycle of Heaven's Dao, inevitable.

At least in the eyes of the northern people of Daqing, this was perfectly just.

Zou Lin's voice grew heated: "As for accusations of moral failure?"

"The Prince of Yan ruled over vast Yan lands, a regional lord; even the great city of Jiakangcheng had thirty towering structures."

"Yet the Prince of Yan's private treasury held only sixteen silver taels—his entire decade's salary."

The private treasury differed from the state treasury; it was where the monarch stored personal treasures and savings.

Sometimes, during natural disasters, monarchs would even lend from their private treasury to the state treasury for relief.

"According to the Yan court's official historians, the Prince of Yan owned only four sets of seasonal clothing, lived in three stone chambers on Mount Zhongnan, and ate merely three bowls of plain porridge daily."

"The incense offerings at Mount Zhongnan, collected annually, were used entirely for establishing private schools in Yan lands—benefiting countless students—while the Prince of Yan himself never took a single copper coin from them."

"Even now, the Prince of Yan remains unmarried, childless, and alone; the Lu family's bloodline survives only through him and his brother."

Zou Lin said no more, his tone heavy with meaning.

Wu Long, upon hearing this, fell into thought.

The Prince of Yan on Mount Zhongnan was indeed an extraordinary figure; history had never known such a monarch.

Xie Lingxuan, without notice, had become lost in the gaze of the stone carving, her eyes dreamy.

At that moment!

Du Hui smiled, breaking the quiet, and said calmly:

"I still recall a curious incident in Yanjing last year—still talked about with delight today."

"A performer in a theater quarreled with a female guest; the performer, a great martial actor, publicly stabbed and killed a man with his opera spear."

"He was arrested on the spot, caught red-handed—and yet…"

At this point, Du Hui stroked his beard and sighed.

While everyone was still lost in Zou Lin's words, none reacted immediately.

Yu Wen Liqian laughed: "Master, when did you start playing at mystery?"

Wu Long, after hearing this, replied frankly:

"Killing in broad daylight? In Qianyuan, it means only one thing: death."

Qianyuan placed great emphasis on criminal law, especially murder, second only to treason.

Since Du Hui had raised this case, there must have been a twist.

"Unless—"

Wu Long shifted tone, his voice probing: "Could the performer have had powerful patrons behind him, powerful enough to manipulate the law in Yanjing and bend it to their will?"

Wu Long's words carried speculation.

Yet!

Wu Long immediately dismissed his own guess:

"If he truly came from a noble family, how could he have ended up as a theater performer? Is there something suspicious here?"

Wu Long pinched his chin, brow furrowed, as if already immersed in the case.

"Perhaps—"

Wu Long continued analyzing: "The victim was no ordinary man; his death was not as simple as it seemed. Perhaps there were deeper power struggles involved. Or perhaps the woman held a special status, sparking fierce competition among suitors—and triggering the bloodshed…"

All manner of guesses!

Yu Wen Liqian looked at this Third Prince Wu Long, famed across nations as a bloodthirsty ruler.

He was just like a village idle chatterer—not only obsessed with stone-carving art, but fond of gossiping about trivial tales.

Indeed, rumors cannot be fully trusted!

Yu Wen Liqian thought to himself—even if this had happened in Han.

Open murder would still escape no law.

Clearly, though laws varied by state, all treated such crimes with the same condemnation.

Debts must be repaid; murder demands blood—this was natural justice.

Xie Chunan, as if already familiar with the outcome, stood silently, offering no further details.

The incident had still caused a great stir.

Du Hui smiled: "Your Highness's guesses are all wrong. This performer was merely the son of common folk, with a spotless background; the woman was ordinary, with no noble ties whatsoever."

"Yet the outcome was unexpected: the performer was not sentenced to death, but spared."

Wu Long responded readily:

"That makes no sense!"

Yu Wen Liqian's maid, beside him, showed clear displeasure, muttering under her breath:

"Hmph, those Yan folk are unruly—they know nothing of law. They must have relied on corrupt officials to get away with this, protecting each other and perverting justice."

Yet!

Du Hui shook his head, smiling, and revealed the truth:

"The performer was originally sentenced to death—but during the trial at the Yanjing Prefectural Office, an attending official happened to notice the performer's face was remarkably… handsome!"

The last two words were unexpected!

Yu Wen Liqian frowned slightly, puzzled: "Handsome?"

Could one be pardoned for murder simply because one was good-looking?

That was absurd!

Law must not be violated—not even by the Son of Heaven, nor by the lowliest subject.

Wu Long laughed harder, turned, and his gaze held amusement:

"Does Yan have such tastes for male lovers? That surprises me—I always thought only Chu had such customs."

Chu, the state famed for Confucianism, had schools everywhere and many male students.

Prolonged cohabitation and mutual study naturally gave rise to unusual "classmate" bonds.

The emergence of "Xianggu" pushed this phenomenon to extremes: men dressed as women, dancing gracefully, becoming a unique sight in Chu.

"Xianggu" meant "man like a girl," also a homophone for "husband."

These "Xianggu" establishments did better business than ordinary brothels.

"Your Highness jests—it's not that!"

Du Hui looked toward the white stone carving, protected by a railing, holding a book in posture.

"The reason!"

"The performer was spared because he bore a striking resemblance to the young Shaobao."

"Once this spread, crowds flooded the courthouse, all desperate to catch a glimpse of him."

"After further hearings, the case progressed!"

"It turned out the dead man was the performer's martial arts master—who had been having an affair with the performer's wife, meeting secretly for years."

"After discovering this, the master threatened him, plotting to poison him and seize his property. Enraged, the performer killed him by accident. Given the complexity of the case and the lack of intent to kill—"

"Four hearings were held, even drawing the attention of the Yan Wangfu. The sentence was downgraded from immediate execution, to death with reprieve, to exile, and finally, lifelong confinement within the theater."

"It is said that when he was taken to prison, the streets outside the courthouse were packed with people eager to see the young Shaobao's likeness."

"The performer knelt and bowed three times toward the Yan Wangfu before entering the theater."

Du Hui finished his vivid tale.

Wu Long found it novel—theater performers' scandals were common across states.

Lovers, thieves, rogues—everywhere they appeared!

But because this man resembled the young Shaobao, his fate changed.

Walking this path!

One could feel how deeply revered the Prince of Yan was among the people.

Yet he had ignored state affairs for ten years.

Yu Wen Liqian, thoughtful, spoke:

"Pardoning someone merely because of a resemblance to another—that invites controversy."

Xie Chunan picked up the thread: "That incident shook Yanjing—and even Daqing heard of it."

"But the most furious reaction came from Chu. Chu's Confucian scholars were outraged, claiming the verdict violated propriety and law."

"They argued that the dead cannot speak; truth is hard to recover. But murder in public is unforgivable, and the performer himself suffered no real harm—these were all fabrications."

Du Hui nodded slowly:

"During the trial, with insufficient witnesses and evidence, the performer's lawyer wrote one sentence on the court submission."

A statement with no apparent basis and no credibility.

"Someone who resembles the Young Protector cannot possibly be a criminal."

The reasoning is flimsy—the two have no connection whatsoever!

"Yet it is precisely this statement that has overturned the government office's rulings again and again."

"As for the truth of the matter, only the parties involved truly know why."

"But one thing is certainly true!"

Xie Chunan did not speak the rest.

Yet everyone understood—their high positions meant they knew the implication well.

Whether this matter was exploited by schemers to free the actor is beside the point.

But undeniably, the people of this land held their devotion to Prince Yan at near-blind levels.

Love the house and its eaves.

Unable to bear seeing this man who bore a resemblance to the Young Protector being mistreated, they all stepped forward.

Yu Ke recalled the scenes in Jiakangcheng—the people spontaneously tossing gold and silver onto his carriage to express their gratitude and reverence for Prince Yan.

The relationships of this world!

Often, they are this simple and pure—give me a peach, I return a plum.

The people repaid Prince Yan so deeply because he had once bestowed grace upon this land; his benevolent rule and achievements had long taken root in their hearts.

Given a sweet spring, they returned with nectar.

The group fell into a brief silence.

The coachman atop the bridge rang the horsebell.

The group snapped out of their brief contemplation.

Everyone understood—the horses had rested enough; it was time to depart.

Beyond Wangshenzhou lay the capital of Yan—Yanjing.

Those who had traveled here said Yanjing was the greatest city under heaven.

The wealthiest under heaven!

No one knew if it was true!

The four nations' embassies had long wished to see it, and this time, with Prince Yan's ascension, the spectacle would be unprecedented.

"Yu Ke, I take my leave!"

Yu Ke softly bid farewell, departing with her maid and Du Hui.

As Du Hui passed, he specifically called out to Yang Wenxian, who stood alone by the river, looking somewhat lonely.

"Wenxian, let's go!"

"To Yanjing—to meet Prince Yan!"

This conversation seemed to invigorate the old man; his voice brimmed with anticipation and excitement.

Yang Wenxian bowed and followed, but as he turned away, he couldn't help one last glance.

This prince of Qianyuan—Wu Long.

The general most admired by his "disciple," the famed Chu commander Wu Chengfeng.

Known as Qianyuan's "Pillar of Heaven."

Aside from the chancellor Gongsun Pingxi, this man led Qianyuan's military.

One of Qianyuan's rare commanders capable of leading massive armies.

Great generals are common; great commanders are rare!

Though Wu Long seems approachable, on the battlefield he has often ordered "massacres" and "live burials."

In the coming great war among the four nations, two outcomes are possible.

One: Han's elite "Han Wu Soldiers" versus Chu's "Flying Tiger Army."

The other: a total war of "massive army" campaigns to annihilate nations.

The formation of these two types of armies will be the core of future warfare.

To face such a man on the battlefield and unleash all one's knowledge—how exhilarating it would be.

"Pity."

Yang Wenxian sighed softly, turned away his gaze, and followed.

Wu Long watched Yu Ke's retreating figure grow distant.

He gazed at the river—ripples glinting, birds occasionally skimming past—his eyes holding an inexplicable expression.

"Let's go, Master Xie!"

"The more I think of this Prince Yan, the more curious I become."

Wu Long departed, and the others followed.

Su Yue, Xie Lingxuan's cousin, finally exhaled softly.

All present were great figures; she dared not interject, yet her heart raced, her cheeks flushed.

It seemed a wise choice to come out—every person here was from a different nation.

No commoners here!

She felt as if she had escaped the daily grind of Qingsheng's capital and glimpsed another world.

"Cousin, let's go!"

Su Yue gently urged Xie Lingxuan.

Xie Lingxuan cast one last lingering look at the stone carving, then turned and climbed ashore.

By the bridge.

The students reentered their carriages.

Chu did not depart first but waited for the other three nations.

After only a brief rest, hoofbeats sounded.

"Giddy—"

Yu Ke returned to the carriage and lifted the curtain to look around.

Several elderly fishermen beside her, bathed in the warm afternoon sun, seemed asleep.

They paid them no attention at all!

How could they sleep so peacefully, unafraid of bandits outside the city?

The four nations' caravan did not linger long in Wangshenzhou; after only one day of rest, they resumed their journey toward Yanjing.

After three days of travel.

Before their eyes!

A great city began to emerge.

Dominating the entire horizon, an awe-inspiring metropolis appeared.

Yu Ke stood on the carriage platform, her maid hastening to support her as the northern wind whipped her robes.

Her heart trembled!

Yanjing was far larger than she had imagined—even from afar, she could not see the ends of its walls.

Horses and camel caravans flowed endlessly along the road.

Twelve chariots could ride side by side!

The road was festive, as if celebrating a holiday.

People inside the carriages peered out.

As if unable to believe it!

When had the north risen to produce such a mighty city?

Martial Arts Recommendation: Start by Becoming Mei Chaofeng's Disciple!

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(End of Chapter)