Chapter 513: A Cup of Wine, A Cup of Tea

The first year of Xiangfu.

This was destined to be a year that would leave a heavy, colorful mark in the history books.

First, the Edo produced Murong Tonghuang, an unparalleled Alliance Leader who held absolute control over the entire martial arts world.

Then, the Liangmang War was on the verge of breaking out; both sides were already flexing their muscles at the border, and a great battle was about to commence.

Following that, Western Chu raised an army, and Guangling Dao fell into chaos. Lu Shengxiang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, served as commander, and the Feudatory Kings rebelled; two veteran generals with meritorious service from the Spring and Autumn period were lost—one died in battle, the other remains trapped to this day—and hundreds of thousands of Liyang's elite troops were wasted.

After one event after another, the people of Liyang had become somewhat numb.

As if fearing that the shocks were not enough, a great earthquake also occurred within the Liyang Imperial Court.

The Censorate and the Six Ministries jointly impeached one person.

——Zhang Julu.

The Chief Councilor, Zhang Julu.

Originally thought to be merely a boring farce, no one expected Zhang Julu to be sent to Zhaoyu, and for the Imperial Court to announce the ten great crimes to the world.

Corruption in the imperial examinations, encroachment on fertile land, secret collusion with border troops...

In the end, a light imperial decree from the Emperor determined a miserable fate for this Chief Councilor who had opened a door for the impoverished scholars of the world—a fate that also chilled people to the bone.

——Execution of the nine familial exterminations.

Beimang.

Liuxia City.

A relatively large border city in the south of Beimang, it possessed several springs with excellent water quality, among which the Queshe Spring was ranked as one of the seventy-two famous springs in the world. Coupled with the endless stream of merchants on the Chama Ancient Road, tea houses stood in great numbers and tea pavilions were scattered throughout.

Near Yinding Bridge in the northeast corner of the city was a small tea stall by the water. It had no plaque, but a bamboo birdcage hung at the entrance, housing a green-feathered, red-beaked parrot. They say parrots mimic speech, but this simple-minded bird would call out "Eunuch, Eunuch" incessantly whenever it saw someone—wasn't it just asking for a beating?

The owner of the tea stall was an old man with the scholarly air of a literatus, his temperament cold and distant.

Originally, there had been a young assistant carrying a wooden sword who was very enthusiastic when greeting people, perhaps even overly so. The two had left for a period before the new year, and when they returned, only the old man with graying temples remained.

The old man, known as Huang Laotou, grew increasingly aged, and with his aloof temperament, when guests arrived, he would at most casually add a pot of tea and invite them to help themselves.

Fortunately, a graceful young girl had joined the shop, appearing to be Huang Laotou's granddaughter.

With the girl's appearance, one could eat a few extra mouthfuls of food just by looking at her.

By rights, the shop's business should have improved.

It was just that the girl's tea-brewing skills were mediocre, and worse, she had learned a few martial arts moves from somewhere and had a very impatient temper, having already knocked several guests unconscious.

Consequently, after a few days, the tea stall's business became increasingly desolate.

However, it was evident that Huang Laotou had considerable savings, as the tea stall had not yet gone out of business.

On this day, two groups of guests arrived at the usually quiet tea stall.

The first group consisted of only one person.

It was a middle-aged scholar in green robes, possessing an indescribable air of elegance and ease.

The second group consisted of two people, a man and a woman.

The man's appearance could be described as "toppling cities and states," and his bearing was even more peerless, having already caused countless people to cast sidelong glances.

The woman beside him had an ordinary appearance, and standing next to this man, she seemed to have no presence at all.

However, when someone truly shifted their gaze to the woman, they would discover that she carried an indescribable majesty, walking with the stride of a dragon or tiger. A single sweep of her gaze seemed capable of piercing through a person's heart, causing them to tremble.

"Cao Qingyi, why have you come as well?" Yu Liancheng and Xu Weixiong stepped into the tea stall and, upon raising their eyes, caught sight of Cao Zhangqing sipping tea.

Cao Zhangqing set down his teacup and chuckled, "I was handling matters in Beimang and suddenly thought of Huang Sanjia. After all, I have some history with him, and knowing he was about to leave, I came to take a look."

Immediately following this, he turned his gaze toward Xu Weixiong, looked her up and down, stood up, and bowed slowly: "Cao Zhangqing pays his respects to the Beiliang King."

"Mr. Cao is too polite," Xu Weixiong returned the salute.

Cao Zhangqing sighed, "With the support of Murong Wudi and Huang Sanjia, coupled with the emergence of many scholars and fierce generals in the four prefectures of Beiliang, and the intelligence and decisiveness of the Beiliang King, if nothing unexpected happens, the Beiliang King will be the future ruler of the Central Plains. I only hope you will treat the displaced people of Western Chu in Guangling Dao kindly."

Xu Weixiong frowned, "This King does not understand Mr. Cao's words. Not to mention that the momentum for the restoration of Western Chu is flourishing and it is highly likely to strike directly into the heart of the Central Plains, even if defeated, one should go and petition the Emperor of the Zhao Family."

Cao Zhangqing laughed.

Jia Jiajia, whom Xu Fengnian called "Hehe Girl," walked out expressionlessly. She looked coldly at Murong Tonghuang and the Female Liang King, her tone icy: "He wants you to go in."

"Go," Cao Zhangqing smiled slightly; he had already seen Huang Sanjia for the last time.

Yu Liancheng and Xu Weixiong stepped into the backyard of the tea stall, where an old man was lying on a rocking chair basking in the sun.

Yu Liancheng's gaze was as clear as fire, and he could already see that Huang Sanjia's lifespan was like a setting sun, nearing its end.

In reality, for this old man Huang Longshi, who knew five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future and possessed the strength of a Confucian Sage, whether he wanted to extend his life in the human world or seek longevity in the world was not a difficult task; he simply disdained to do so.

Yu Liancheng walked up to Huang Longshi and said calmly, "Huang Laotou, I have brought the person."

Huang Longshi nodded and fixed his gaze on Xu Weixiong, his tone also seemingly carrying an irrepressible sense of old age and exhaustion: "Originally, I chose Zhao Zhu. That boy is heroic and bold, possesses great Luck, and was favored by Nalan Youci and the Qilin Immortal. With us old fellows paving the way, he was very likely to become the ruler of the world."

Xu Weixiong merely said calmly, "I will do better than him."

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Huang Longshi's mouth: "I have labored in this world for decades, placing countless chess pieces. If you wish to take over these pieces, that is fine, but I must ask you a few questions."

"Please speak."

Following that, it was Huang Longshi asking and Xu Weixiong answering.

The scope of Huang Longshi's questions was very broad, ranging from how to govern the world and win the hearts of the people, down to the clothing, food, housing, and transportation of a three-person family, and how much grain one acre of land produces. Occasionally, he would even pose a few philosophical questions that were thought-provoking.

Most of the time, Xu Weixiong could provide answers that satisfied Huang Longshi without hesitation, truly answering with ease. For some questions that were too obscure and profound, she would have to ponder for a long time before giving an answer.

Huang Longshi was not in a hurry to press her, simply smiling as he watched this Female Liang King, becoming increasingly satisfied with her.

Zhao Zhu was valiant and possessed both literary and military talent. However, as the Prince of Yanchi, even though he had suffered some hardships in his childhood, his position was still too high; he could not quite see the common people beneath his feet, nor did he understand the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Moreover, he was very worried that if Zhao Zhu sat in that position, he would be as cold-blooded and cruel as the successive emperors of the Zhao Family and would play underhanded tricks.

As for this Female Liang King, she was quite beyond his expectations. Her own strategic talent was one thing, as she had been the most prominent figure at Shangyin Academy after all.

But she was actually able to look down.

She can see the common people.

She knows how much grain a mu of land can produce, knows the daily expenses of an ordinary family, knows the timing for sowing and harvesting, and knows how to make the people of the world live better...

Mortals place monarchs on an altar; if a monarch relies solely on power and is tyrannical and cruel, they will eventually face the disaster of being overthrown. Only by empathizing with the hearts of the people can one go far.

Seeing the two chatting with great interest, Yu Liancheng also retreated and sat down beside Cao Qingyi.

Cao Qingyi set down his teacup and suddenly chuckled: "I increasingly feel that the Zhao Family cannot hold onto this world."

"Oh?"

Cao Zhangqing said calmly: "Liyang has lost its deer."

Yu Liancheng said: "Are you not speaking up for Zhang Julu? Do you think he shouldn't have died?"

"Zhao Dun wants to pave the way for the Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan. For an emperor of a peaceful and prosperous age, if he has Zhang Julu in civil affairs and Gu Jiantang in military affairs, it would be very difficult to convince the masses. Therefore, he can only keep Gu Jiantang to maintain a balance between civil and military power. What's more, Zhang Julu promoted the imperial examination, opening the Longmen for children of humble families, and among his disciples appeared officials of the Yinhui era like Yin Maochun and Zhao Youling—not only capable ministers, but every one of them is a seasoned veteran. If Zhang Julu did not die, not only might the Chief Councilor's faction become too powerful, but there would be no way to appease those aristocratic clans who lost out due to the imperial examination. Furthermore, this Zhang Julu also offended powerful figures in the military and imperial relatives. Although it was all for the Zhao Family Imperial Clan and for the people of the world, once offended, they are offended. If he is not killed, it will not be enough to vent their anger."

Cao Zhangqing frowned slightly and let out a long sigh: "But... but these are not reasons for the Zhao Family to kill the hound once the hare is caught; it is truly chilling."

Yu Liancheng picked up his teacup and drank it in large gulps, drinking tea as if it were wine: "Then tell me, could Zhang Julu have avoided death?"

"No. Everyone wanted him dead, and Zhang Julu smeared his own name, leaving himself no way out. How could he live?"

Speaking of this, Cao Zhangqing sighed again: "He wanted to use his own life to warn those who come after: the rule that 'punishment does not extend to high officials' when civil ministers govern the country is complete bullshit. It is precisely because of this that I have a few more points of admiration for this Zhang Julu."

"That is the logic. I fear many clear-eyed people loyal to Liyang will now be chilled to the bone." Yu Liancheng poured a cup of tea and chuckled: "The time limit for the Zhao Family Emperor is almost up; I am going to the Capital for a trip."

"Why are you going to Taian City? To slaughter the Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan?" Cao Zhangqing said.

"Heh, I just don't want the Zhao Family Emperor to leave so peacefully, and by the way, see if I can save that Chief Councilor Zhang. But for a man who seeks his own death, who could save him?" Yu Liancheng chuckled, then patted Cao Zhangqing on the shoulder and said: "Old Cao, it's up to you all. Eliminate the tyranny of Liyang; the Central Plains belong to Great Chu."

"Hmph." Cao Zhangqing gave a cold laugh and brushed Yu Liancheng's hand away: "I don't believe you don't know what's going on with Great Chu. The current situation of confrontation with Liyang is but a fleeting moment, and it could be overturned in an instant. Instead, it is your Beiliang that looks like it will produce the first Female Emperor to unify the Central Plains."

"Just joking, the men of the Xu family are all single-minded, how could they want to sit on the dragon throne..." Yu Liancheng wore a smile and was about to tease Cao Zhangqing a few more times when he suddenly turned his head to look behind him, muttering to himself: "This Huang Laotou is quite generous, even more optimistic about Weixiong than I am."

"With the infusion of a Confucian Sage's energy, plus your guidance as Murong Wudi, I fear it won't be long before your Female Liang King can rank among the Martial Arts Grandmaster," Cao Zhangqing said.

In the courtyard, Huang Sanjia lay on a rocking chair, seemingly unchanged from before, but his whole person appeared to have aged several decades. He was hunched over, his hair completely white, like a withered old tree.

"Go, Xu Weixiong, do not let me down." Huang Sanjia waved his hand weakly: "By the way, bring my girl in on your way."

"Yes, Master." Xu Weixiong bowed deeply to Huang Sanjia, turned, and strode out, never looking back, nor even pausing her steps.

After Xu Weixiong left, Huang Sanjia picked up the wine cup on the stone table beside him, poured a cup of wine, looked toward the sky, and smiled freely, muttering to himself: "I am very happy to have met you all: Zhang Julu, Xu Xiao, Ye Baikui, Gu Jiantang, Nalan Youci, Li Yishan, Qi Yanglong, Cao Zhangqing, Li Chungang, Li Dangxin... Murong Tonghuang."

The old man spilled a cup of wine: "This cup of wine is to honor you all, to honor the Spring and Autumn, to honor your golden spears and iron horses, to honor your free-spirited style, and to honor your carefree life in the Edo."

The girl named Jia Jiajia walked into the courtyard expressionlessly. When she saw Huang Sanjia, who was white-haired and like a candle in the wind, a trace of uncontrollable panic and sorrow instantly appeared on her face, and she hurried to the latter's side.

"Girl, I am leaving. I have lived a free life, but you are the one I cannot let go of most. After I die, you must not cry, otherwise, this old man will feel heartbroken watching from below..."

Huang Longshi placed his hand on Jia Jiajia's head and stroked it, rambling on as an ordinary old man would when instructing a younger generation. It is unknown when, but the old man's voice grew weaker and weaker, then his head drooped, and he spoke no more.

A faint sound of sobbing soon came from the courtyard.

It seemed she wanted to be strong and not shed tears, but she couldn't help it; bean-sized tears fell *patter, patter*, which was truly heartbreaking.

Xu Weixiong poured a cup of tea, faced the small courtyard, and spilled it.

"This cup of wine is to honor you, Huang Longshi, to honor you for occupying the SpringandAutumnThreeLeaders alone, to honor your Three-Inch Tongue Killed Three Million, and to honor you for creating this brilliant Edo. How magnificent."