Chapter 0080 A Pleasant Event

Chapter 0080 A Pleasant Event

The mansion was usually quiet, and Xiao Rong's shout was like a sudden clap of thunder.

In an instant, nearby doors all opened. Even Chen, with her small, flour-covered hands, rushed out in a panic: "What dog? Which dog does Rong'er want to kill?"

Ah Shu: "…………"

Gao Xunzhi, who had finally started his single life next door, also came over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing a crowd in the courtyard, he was wondering what had happened when Xiao Rong, brandishing a sword and looking murderous, stormed out. It seemed as if he truly intended to take someone's life.

If not for the bloody hand he was holding up.

Gao Xunzhi was stunned: "Ah Rong!"

The King had only left less than half an hour ago. Why did you hurt yourself so badly!*

After a flurry of chaos,

the sword had been forcibly taken away by Gao Xunzhi. Xiao Rong sat at the table, with a doctor bandaging his injured hand. Meanwhile, Xiao Rong angrily pounded the table with his good hand while complaining to Gao Xunzhi.

"… I clearly said this sword shouldn't be sharpened!"

"He went ahead and sharpened it behind my back without telling me. Luckily, I just touched it with my hand. If I had held it close to my chest, you wouldn't be listening to me now; it would be the King of Hell!"

Gao Xunzhi: "……" Too many things to comment on.

He wanted to ask why Xiao Rong would hold the sword to his chest, why he had an unsharpened sword, and how his sword ended up with Qu Yunmie. Although Qu Yunmie was arrogant, violent, and increasingly deranged, he wasn't the type to steal things.

After a long silence, seeing Xiao Rong's furious expression, he decided not to ask any questions and instead tried to soothe him: "On the bright side, the blade is quite sharp now…"

Xiao Rong gave him a blank look, then glanced at his bandaged fingers, which resembled carrots.

Gao Xunzhi fell silent.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Rong managed to calm his voice slightly but still couldn't understand: "It only took one night. This sword is made of meteoric iron, yet he managed to sharpen it completely in one night. The King must have planned this for a long time. He must have found a blacksmith a month ago, waiting for the right moment to do it!"

Gao Xunzhi: "……"

Although he had recently found Qu Yunmie annoying, he still felt compelled to defend him: "Ah Rong, the King doesn't need a blacksmith. Most people who have been to war know how to maintain their weapons. The King takes care of his own weapons, and no one else can help because they don't have the strength."

Xiao Rong paused, looking at the now-sharpened Chi Long Sword, its edges smooth and razor-sharp, as if measured with a ruler. The craftsmanship was so subtle that it seemed machine-made.

From Xiao Rong's complaints, Gao Xunzhi deduced part of what happened last night. He shook his head with a smile: "This sword used to hang on the wall, and I didn't know it was such a fine weapon. Before leaving, the King thought long and hard and decided to risk angering you to sharpen the sword, hoping you could use it for self-defense in a critical moment. I don't know what meteoric iron is, but judging by the sharpness of the blade, the King probably didn't sleep at all last night. No other weapon has ever received such attention from him except the Snow-Drinking Spear."

Xiao Rong: "……"

He frowned tightly, still unhappy, but stopped cursing Qu Yunmie.

Just as Gao Xunzhi began to relax, he heard Xiao Rong say coldly: "Sixteen."

Gao Xunzhi looked up in confusion: "What sixteen?"

Xiao Rong: "I counted them. There are sixteen scratches on both sides."

Gao Xunzhi: "……"

Even though he was healthy, his eyesight at his age couldn't compare to that of a young man. He looked suspiciously at the sword, wondering how Xiao Rong could see so many scratches. Blinking, he tentatively asked: "Then… when the King returns, shall we ask him to polish it again?"

At that moment, Xiao Rong's hand was fully bandaged. He held his injured right hand in front of him, looking at the four carrot-like bandages, and snorted: "I doubt he'd dare not polish it."

With that, he stormed off, still fuming, but since this was his room, he didn't have anywhere else to go.

Gao Xunzhi watched Xiao Rong leave with a complex expression. After a while, he turned to look at the sword lying quietly beside him.

Ah Rong and the King's relationship was indeed improving. From initial respect and careful words, Ah Rong now almost rode the King's neck.

Such disrespect and arrogance should have bothered Gao Xunzhi as Qu Yunmie's prime minister and elder, but he only felt sweetness. He knew there was no one more devoted to the King than Ah Rong. If he had wanted to betray the King, he wouldn't have come to his side in the first place. With his unique abilities, Ah Rong could rule on his own, and no one could stop him. Ah, how wonderful.

What a beautiful pair of wise ruler and loyal subject, yet…

Gao Xunzhi's smile gradually faded, and he muttered darkly.

Qu—Yun—Mie!

You keep dreaming!!*

Qu Yunmie had left, but his presence lingered throughout the mansion.

The army set off at the third watch of dawn and stopped at midday.

By the time they could see the Taihang Mountains, they had already left Chenliu's territory, but all they could see was still flat land.

They took a simple break at noon, eating dry rations and feeding the horses without needing to light fires.

Qu Yunmie sat under a tree. At this point, his personal guards had taken over the duties of the sentries, following him wherever he went. Dong Fangjin brought over food and water. As the King, Qu Yunmie ate better than others; while others had bread, he had bread and jerky.

Looking at He Tingzhi not far away, he had already set up a small copper pot.

Qu Yunmie: "……"

Among the few people Xiao Rong mentioned, Qu Yunmie despised He Tingzhi the most. Even though Huang Yanjiong was his mortal enemy and cruel and despicable, Qu Yunmie still considered Huang Yanjiong stronger than He Tingzhi.

Because Huang Yanjiong had real skills and could face him in battle, even though he would lose quickly, he at least had the courage. On the other hand, He Tingzhi only excelled in flattery and exploiting others' misfortunes. He was neither skilled in literature nor martial arts, yet always used the names of the dead to glorify himself.

And the dead couldn't refute him, so whatever he said stood.

Qu Yunmie's disdain for He Tingzhi was evident on his face, and He Tingzhi could tell. So he stayed among his own people, avoiding Qu Yunmie.

As for how he behaved in front of other leaders, Qu Yunmie couldn't see.

Xiao Rong was gnawing on some hard jerky, and Qu Yunmie couldn't help but think that if Xiao Rong hadn't gotten drunk last night, he would surely be enjoying some meat soup today. But compared to that dance, even the finest nectar wouldn't have been a fair trade.

He wondered if Xiao Rong had noticed his sword being sharpened. Surely he must have? Ha, now let's see how he could dance for others with a sharp blade in hand. If he still insisted on dancing, Qu Yunmie sincerely hoped he would lose control and stab the audacious person watching him.

Just imagining this scene made Qu Yunmie feel vindicated.

Qu Yunmie didn't believe he was the first person to witness Xiao Rong's dance. After all, Xiao Rong mentioned that he practiced it for four months, had a teacher, and a dean. Not being able to perform it for anyone other than his teacher was a regret he carried. Since Xiao Rong finished his studies, he had been chasing after him. This meant he learned the dance before they met, not for him, but for someone else.

Something unexpected happened, preventing him from performing for the intended audience. So, on the eve of their departure, he danced for him instead.

"The Battle Array Dance," just hearing the name suggested that the original intended viewer was likely a general. Who was it? Did he know them? Were they in Southern Yong or beyond the Huai River? Could it be someone from another tribe?

Speculating about it only frustrated Qu Yunmie, especially since it was all in the past. Regardless, Xiao Rong was now his, and he danced only for him. Unless he could produce a second Chi Dragon Sword.

This mental victory was inconsistent; sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't. Sometimes Qu Yunmie convinced himself and moved on, but at other times, like now, when there was nothing to do, he would revisit the issue and feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction.

But this was wrong, he thought. He wasn't a greedy person. He had many flaws, but he never indulged in the greed common among nobles. Xiao Rong treated him well, so he shouldn't feel unhappy over such a trivial matter.

Qu Yunmie: "…"

Enough, no point dwelling on it. What's done is done.

In the afternoon, Agusega and others arrived at the palace with large bags of luggage. The Butu Clan numbered around eight hundred, with six hundred joining the expedition—five hundred warriors and one hundred support staff or medics.

The remaining two hundred were split between defending Chenliu and those unsuitable for battle, such as the elderly, sick, and pregnant. With the army gone, the mountains outside were less safe. Although it wasn't yet time for evacuation, signs had warned citizens that bandits might return, urging everyone to secure their homes and avoid unnecessary outings.

The rest of the Butu Clan stayed in the city, while Agusega and Danran moved into the palace. Gao Xunzhi insisted, considering them family of Qu Yunmie, and Agusega agreed, eager to practice her medical skills.

Xiao Rong was unaware that Agusega had set her sights on him. He tried to keep his gaze straight ahead but couldn't help glancing at the woman behind Agusega.

She wore plain linen clothes, with no adornments. Her hair was loosely tied with a wooden pin, and stray strands fell out, dry and brittle. Clearly, she was malnourished. But what caught Xiao Rong's attention first was her white hair. There was quite a bit of it, visible along her hairline, stark against the black.

Even Agusega didn't have any gray, yet this woman, only twenty-seven, looked so aged. Premature graying and age-induced graying are different. Premature graying doesn't hide youth, but this woman seemed much older, regardless of her hair.

Despite her aged appearance, she was still beautiful, with the soft grace of a southern lady. Qu Yunmie said she was originally from the north, from a wealthy family, with a father in government. But a tragedy struck, and she became a beggar.

Her life had seen extreme highs and lows, explaining her current state.

Agusega introduced her, "This is Sang Yan, Danran's mother."

Sang Yan showed no reaction to her name, keeping her head down, avoiding eye contact.

Typically, people would address her as Lady Qu, or if her status was lower, as Lady Sang. For relatives or peers, calling her by her surname would suffice. But Sang Yan lived among the Butu Clan, who called her Yan. Outsiders rarely saw her, so the issue of addressing her didn't arise.

This left Xiao Rong wondering how to address her. He dared not call her Lady Qu, fearing it might upset her.

However, soon he realized his concern was misplaced. Under the scrutiny of strangers, Sang Yan began rubbing her arms, prompting Agusega to take her away. Danran hurried after them, waving goodbye to Xiao Rong and Gao Xunzhi.

Gao Xunzhi smiled and nodded, then turned to Xiao Rong, "Yan—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Rong interjected, "It's fine, the King has told me everything. The palace is vast, so we won't cross paths. I'll instruct my grandmother's maids to look after her without disturbing the ladies."

Gao Xunzhi was pleased, and they both smiled. Then they turned to Song Shuo.

Song Shuo was lost in thought, suddenly noticing four eyes on him. "Why are you looking at me?"

Xiao Rong: "You don't plan to sneak over there—"

Be a nuisance?

But Song Shuo misunderstood, huffing indignantly, "Do you take me for a lecher? I wouldn't do that!"

Xiao Rong raised an eyebrow, "Just asking, why so defensive?"

Song Shuo: "…"

He wanted to say, "Why don't you ask the monk?" But then realized it wasn't necessary.

Some left, others arrived, leaving the palace's population unchanged. Guards patrolled day and night, and Xiao Rong's guard captain now oversaw the entire palace security. Di fazeng no longer followed Xiao Rong closely, focusing instead on monitoring the city's movements.

Zhang Biezhi envied and despised him, often coming to Xiao Rong to complain.

Xiao Rong looked at him speechlessly, "If you want me to dislike someone, use better tactics. I know you and Di fazeng don't get along, so I won't believe your accusations. Learn subtlety before coming to me with complaints."

Zhang Biezhi: "…………"

After leaving Xiao Rong's place, Zhang Biezhi genuinely started to think about whose words he should heed. He went through the list of people who often hung around Xiao Rong, and his eyes lit up. He turned around and went to find that person.

By evening, Xiao Rong was sitting down for dinner. Chen, who had been enjoying her meal, suddenly froze, then quickly wiped her mouth and turned to Xiao Rong, saying, "Rong'er, Di Fazeng was disrespectful to me."

Xiao Yi, who was eating a rib, nearly choked upon hearing this.

Xiao Rong: "……"

His hand holding the chopsticks froze mid-air. After a moment, he calmly turned his head and asked Chen, "Grandmother, how did he disrespect you?"

Xiao Yi's throat had just recovered a bit, but hearing Xiao Rong repeat those words so calmly, he started coughing again.

Chen recalled what Zhang Biezhi had taught her: "I spoke to him, but he ignored me. He didn't even look at me."

She added, "Biezhi is good; that child likes to talk to me. He even brought me two duck legs."

Xiao Rong smiled, "Grandmother, eat more. If you want duck, I'll have the kitchen prepare one for you tomorrow."

Chen nodded happily, "Good, good." ...

The next day, Zhang Biezhi came to the palace as usual. He walked into Xiao Rong's courtyard with high spirits, but less than a cup of tea later, he ran out in tears.

Di Fazeng happened to be leading a patrol nearby. Watching Zhang Biezhi run away, he remained silent for a long time before scoffing softly and continuing on his way. ...

Back home, Zhang Biezhi cried to his sister, "He scolded me! He said if my brain isn't enough, I should trade it with a pig's, because even a pig's brain is better than mine. He hasn't scolded me like that in a long time. It's all because of Di Fazeng, but I've had many conflicts with Di Fazeng before, and he never scolded me! Waaah, Sister, I'm so sad."

Zhang: "……"

"You shouldn't have gone to the old lady of the Xiao family and taught her to say bad things about Di Fazeng. You and Di Fazeng are colleagues. Colleagues can play around, but they shouldn't use schemes against each other. Honestly, do you really hate Di Fazeng that much?"

Zhang Biezhi replied fiercely, "Yes, I do!"

But the next second, he sniffled and whispered, "That's the old lady of the Xiao family. Who would take her words seriously?"

Zhang looked at Zhang Biezhi. Seeing him cry like this, she knew Xiao Rong must have scolded him harshly today. But her brother wasn't someone who held grudges, so after crying, he gradually calmed down.

He even reflected, "Involving others was wrong. But Xiao Rong was also too harsh! Can't he just talk nicely? Why does he have to scold me? Waaah—"

Seeing him about to cry again, Zhang sighed, "Times have changed."

Zhang Biezhi, with red, swollen eyes, looked at Zhang in confusion.

Zhang sighed, "After The King left, everything in this city was entrusted to Mr. Xiao and Mr. Gao. Now that Mr. Gao has fewer responsibilities, whether Chenliu remains stable depends on Mr. Xiao. Think about the immense responsibility he bears. Mr. Xiao is not much older than you. Do you remember your first time leading troops alone? Without your brother-in-law's support, how nervous you were? Have you forgotten that completely? For Mr. Xiao, this is also his first time bearing such a heavy responsibility. In the past, The King supported him, but now he supports The King. With worries in his heart, his temper flares up."

After finishing, Zhang lowered her eyes. Her husband was also a general on the battlefield. Even though she had been married to Jian Qiao for years, she still couldn't get used to these days of waiting at home.

Zhang Biezhi looked at his sister and was stunned. "But guarding Chenliu is not solely Mr. Xiao's responsibility. Chenliu is not only The King's fallback but also Brother-in-Law's and all the soldiers'."

Zhang raised her head, listening to Zhang Biezhi. She smiled gently, "Right, so you should work harder to help Mr. Xiao. We all have someone we want to wait for, and homes we must protect."

Zhang Biezhi pursed his lips and silently nodded. ＊

From that day on, Zhang Biezhi behaved himself. Xiao Rong didn't know about the conversation behind the scenes; he thought Zhang Biezhi had been scared straight by his scolding. Thinking back to that day, he was still angry. He felt embarrassed repeating those words, making an innocent old lady say such things. Zhang Biezhi, you deserve to be scolded!

Thus, a beautiful misunderstanding was formed. As the army continued to advance, Chenliu also arranged various matters orderly. The weather grew colder, and after a fall rain, the fifteenth day of the seventh month arrived.

At this time, there was no concept of the Ghost Festival, but even without calling it that, the middle of the seventh month was always a time for ancestral worship and remembering loved ones. Buddhism called it the Ullambana Festival, but the meaning was similar.

However, for the palace, the fifteenth day of the seventh month had another significance—it was the last day of the summer retreat. After this day, the Buddhist monk could leave his residence.

Xiao Rong had been extremely busy recently and hadn't remembered this event. But it didn't matter; someone else could remind him.

It had been raining for the past few days, making the morning chilly and the ground muddy. The palace grounds were slightly better due to the gravel, but they still got dirty.

Xiao Rong yawned, then got up and washed. Standing outside to brush his teeth, he heard faint noises. He lived deep within the palace, far from the main gate. If he could hear the commotion, it must be quite a scene outside.

Xiao Rong paused and immediately headed out. The closer he got to the main gate, the louder the voices became. By the front courtyard, it was a cacophony of voices.

Di Fazeng stood guard with his men, while Gao Xunzhi looked outside with a helpless expression. It didn't seem like a riot, but Xiao Rong was puzzled. When he saw outside, he was stunned.

At least a hundred monks sat at the palace gate chanting scriptures, and more were approaching, bowing every few steps to join them. The real noise came from the kneeling civilians.

On the first day after the summer retreat ended, the fervent fans of the monk could no longer contain their excitement. They blocked the palace gate, crying and begging the monk to appear. Some even threw money while calling out his name.

Xiao Rong: "…………"

The power of the monk was finally tangible.

Damn, Qu Yunmie isn't here! He should see how much stronger his hated monk is in this aspect!