As the standard-bearer of the Northern Liang Army, Qi Dangguo, for a moment, felt a bit embarrassed. Although he was one of the six adopted sons of General Xu Xiao, the mighty pillar of the country, known as the "Wolfhound" among the six adopted sons, his relationship with the Crown Prince had not been particularly harmonious in recent years.


To speak frankly, Qi Dangguo, who came from a humble background in the military, did not quite approve of the Crown Prince's debauchery in the states and counties. But loyalty came first. Since Xu Fengnian was the eldest son of his adoptive father, General Xu, Qi Dangguo would not frown even if he had to personally abduct a girl for the Crown Prince. Now, the problem was how to send Xu Fengnian back to the palace. They couldn't just throw the esteemed Crown Prince onto a horse, could they?


Fortunately, a galloping rider came to solve Qi Dangguo's dilemma.


The horse was jet black all over, exceptionally strong. Once the king of wild horses, it had been tamed and handed over to the young prince, Xu Longxiang. At first sight, the wild nature of the horse was hard to tame. When it lifted its huge hooves, it seemed ready to trample its new master. But it kicked against an iron plate and was knocked over by a punch from the young man. Since then, it had become as gentle and obedient as a little jade.


Upon hearing the news, the young prince Xu Longxiang halted his horse abruptly, dismounted, and affectionately called out a few times to his brother. Seeing no response, he naively thought his brother was dead. He burst into tears, wailing loudly, tearing his heart out. Qi Dangguo kindly tried to explain that the Crown Prince was just overly tired, but he was pushed away by the young prince, stumbling and almost falling. Qi Dangguo was a fierce general who carried the flag for General Xu, which showed how extraordinary the strength of the young prince was.


The old servant known as "Old Huang," ran a few steps forward and whispered a few words in a heavy Sichuan accent. Only then did Xu Longxiang burst into laughter, slapping the old servant heavily on the shoulder, directly knocking the old man down onto the dusty ground.


The young prince wasn't gentle with outsiders, but he was extremely cautious with his brother Xu Fengnian. He squatted down, lifted his sleeping brother onto his back, and slowly walked towards the city gate. His mount, nicknamed "Black Tooth," trotted alongside like a playful kitten. It tried to nuzzle the red horse led by the old servant, whose physique was not inferior to its own, but the red horse, with its thin frame and a lame leg, did not appreciate the gesture. It opened its mouth and snapped, scaring Black Tooth into quickly backing away, but it hesitated to run far, showing signs of reluctance.


At first, there was uncertainty about who could allow Young Prince Xu Longxiang to enter the city, especially with two hundred fierce guards from the royal mansion behind him. Later, someone shouted in astonishment, "It's the Crown Prince!" This caused chaos on the main road in Lingzhou city, where even the bustling traffic with three carriages in parallel scattered in panic. Especially the beautifully dressed young ladies, regardless of their graceful demeanor, grabbed their skirts and screamed as they fled. Some big shops displaying their valuable treasures for sale immediately hid their goods.


The news of "The Crown Prince has returned" spread like thunder, at an astonishing speed, throughout the entire city of Lingzhou. The spirits of the twenty or so brothels in the city were lifted, and the madams and owners shed tears of joy. Some seductive courtesans sat at the windows holding their hearts, gazing longingly and murmuring, "My dear, you finally decided to come back. I missed you so much."


A person followed from afar after the two hundred Liangzhou iron cavalry entered the city. With a slender figure and dressed in white, she had picturesque eyebrows, phoenix-like eyes, and seductive almond-shaped eyes. Her skin was as white as jade, with a standard melon-seed face, extraordinarily beautiful, unlike anything mundane.


If it weren't for the two swords hanging from her left waist and her mysterious background, as well as her arrogant demeanor, combined with the terrifying rumors about the Crown Prince's return, some rogues and dandies who roamed the streets would have already gone up to flirt with her.


This woman was too beautiful, even more charming than all the courtesans in the city combined. Some panicked married women and wealthy young ladies, when they saw her, were first jealous, then admiring, with shy hearts secretly wishing that if this girl were a young master, they would willingly elope with her.


The white-robed beauty with a sword at her waist was slightly surprised. After hesitating for a moment, she chose an elderly fortune-teller and asked, "Old sir, who is the Crown Prince escorted by the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry into the city?"


The old man, who had been lamenting that he would no longer be able to do business, was stunned by the beauty of the girl before him. After all, he was getting older. Finally regaining his composure, he smiled bitterly and said, "Miss, are you from out of town? Here, we only have one Crown Prince, the eldest son of the Northern Liang King. The sons of ordinary wealthy and powerful families dare not call themselves Crown Princes. They would be beaten black and blue by him. Even the princes of the neighboring states would be thoroughly thrashed by our Crown Prince if they were slightly disrespectful."


Hearing the old man call her "Miss," the woman's extremely attractive eyebrows subconsciously furrowed, but she didn't refute anything. She looked ahead at the slowly advancing cavalry team, narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, and muttered to herself, "I didn't expect him to be a young master indeed. Xu Jiaohua, could this be the nine falsehoods and one truth you often mentioned for trickery? Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang, known as the butcher who has breached a hundred cities and slaughtered three hundred thousand lives. How come he has such an incompetent son?"


In the Northern Liang royal mansion, the Crown Prince's courtyard was even more luxurious than that of Prince Xu Xiao. Just looking at the decorations on the large mahogany table by the window could give a glimpse of its extravagance. Besides the four-foot-tall ancient bronze cauldron in navy blue, there was also a large painting of the Azure Dragon, a masterpiece.


There were also rosewood and marble tables, equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study and wine utensils. Famous calligraphy works were stacked like mountains, and there were over ten inkstones alone, all of inestimable value. The pens standing in the inkstone were as dense as forests.


On one corner of the table was a huge Ge kiln flower vase, filled with crystal white chrysanthemums, and there were even a pair of exquisite golden unicorns to play with.


The mansion was equipped with several charcoal stoves, consuming countless amounts of wood charcoal. Therefore, even in early winter, the rooms remained warm like late spring. Even walking barefoot on the carpet was fine. This was the epitome of a wealthy and grand mansion.


At this moment, the Crown Prince Xu Fengnian lay asleep on a large bed, covered with a luxurious brocade quilt in the color of autumn fragrance. His face was haggard. Sitting by the bed were Prince Xu Xiao, Prince Xu Longxiang, besides the outsider Zhao Tianshi from Dragon Tiger Mountain standing on the side, and the servant surnamed Huang carrying a long package sitting at the door. There was no one else present.


At the head of the bed was a bronze incense burner burning a revitalizing substance called dragon saliva.

"Master, is my son well?" Xu Xiao asked repeatedly, seemingly unfazed by the repetition. This was far from the decisive Xu Patriarch on the battlefield; he appeared more like a father overly indulgent with his son.


"He is well, he is well. The Crown Prince has just been fatigued from long journeys. After resting for half a day and recuperating for half a month, he will surely be as lively as a dragon and tiger," the old Taoist priest confidently reassured. He felt a pang in his heart. At first, when the Prince saw his beloved son looking so thin, he immediately ordered the housekeeper to bring out several furnaces of top-grade elixirs from Wudang Mountain and the precious medicines stored in the mansion, wishing to pour them all into his son's mouth.


This made Zhao Tianshi nervous, as he explained the principle of "half medicine, half poison" to the Prince, and even brought out the precious golden elixirs from Dragon Tiger Mountain to compete with Wudang Mountain, before finally dispelling the Prince's concerns.


The Crown Prince Xu Fengnian slept for two days and nights before waking up, while his brother Xu Longxiang did not eat or drink as he kept watch for two days and nights.


When the servants went to report the good news to the Patriarch, he hurriedly came to visit. However, upon seeing his son immediately grab the incense burner at the head of the bed and throw it over, he jumped out of bed and cursed loudly, "Xu Xiao, you damn bastard! You drove me out of the mansion. Three years! No wonder you always say I'm not your biological father."


Xu Xiao dodged the burner with a tilt of his head, wearing a guilty expression.


But Xu Fengnian was unwilling to let go of the main culprit who had made him suffer outdoors for three years. After smashing everything that could be smashed in the room, he chased after Xu Xiao all the way outside. Seeing a beautifully embroidered broom leaning against the corner of the corridor, he picked it up and chased after him, beating him with it.


Poor Xu Xiao endured a few blows before reminding him, "Put on your shoes, put on your shoes, don't catch a cold in the cold weather." The scene in the courtyard, with one chasing and one fleeing, was quite lively. Several stewards and servants from the main branch of the family, who were more popular than a county governor, all tacitly folded their hands and looked up at the sky, pretending not to hear or see anything.


Xu Fengnian was exhausted after chasing and beating for a while, panting heavily and glaring fiercely at his father, Xu Xiao. Xu Xiao stood at a distance, cautiously smiling, "Are you feeling better now? If you are, let's have a meal first. You need strength to vent your anger."


Xu Longxiang and the servant Huang sat on the doorstep, grinning foolishly. One drooled, and the other was missing a front tooth, both looking rather silly.


The Crown Prince was panting like a bull, pointing at Xu Xiao, who appeared superior in the eyes of outsiders, and cursed, "You old donkey grass, I'll spare you today. Just wait for me."


Xu Xiao was not angry either, smiling cheerfully, "Okay, okay, Dad will wait. I promise not to fight back or talk back, just let you vent your anger."


Xu Fengnian, still barefoot, threw away the broom that could sell for dozens of taels of silver and came to the door. Seeing his silly smiling brother, his eyes softened slightly. Seeing that his brother's chest was wet with saliva, Xu Fengnian didn't mind the dirtiness and naturally reached out to help wipe it, saying softly, "Silly Huang Man, come on, stand up and let me see if you've grown taller and stronger."


The young man stood up seriously, and Xu Fengnian smiled with a hint of disappointment, "Not tall, not strong."

The young man hugged his brother around the waist, and Xu Fengnian wasn't surprised at all, although his chest was soaked with saliva. He laughed heartily, "But you're a lot stronger."


Xu Xiao stood still, his eyes moistening slightly. This veteran of the military, who had killed countless people, was surprisingly emotional. He discreetly turned his head and muttered to himself, "It's just the wind, where did the sand come from?"


The two brothers returned to their room together, and Xu Xiao immediately ordered the servants to bring in the carefully prepared meal. There were two or three dozen servants alone who brought the food boxes, entering the room one after another. Under the Taoist priest's well-intentioned reminder, most of the dishes were vegetarian, with few spicy ones.


After enjoying delicious food, drink, and rest for three days, Xu Fengnian came to the most renowned pavilion in the mansion, the Listening to the Tide Pavilion, carrying a purple bamboo fishing rod himself. He had his brother Xu Longxiang bring a few embroidered stools and had the servants prepare a long tea table with various rare fruits and delicacies. He even specifically instructed the steward to select four or five beautiful maids in their prime to massage and serve them. This was the comfortable life that a Crown Prince should have.


The Listening to the Tide Pavilion's name itself carried some meaning. The Northern Liang royal mansion was situated on the entire Qingliang Mountain, and the lake on the mountain was expanded to double its size, intending to turn it into a sea. The pavilions and towers were built, and the tallest, most magnificent pavilion named Listening to the Tide Tower was erected, where Crown Prince Xu Fengnian's hobby was fishing on the first floor. Inside the tower were tens of thousands of books, including numerous rare editions and martial arts secrets that had been lost.


Fifteen years ago, before being appointed as the King of Beiliang, Xu Xiao personally led his iron cavalry, carrying the imperial decree and the sacred sword, to crush dozens of martial arts sects across the country, except for traditional ones like the Dragon and Tiger Sect. Even the arrogant Purple Forbidden Villa was directly destroyed.


It's worth noting that twenty years ago, the Purple Forbidden Villa was a top martial arts holy land in the martial world. Over the past century, it had produced four of the top ten masters of each generation. In the end, the villa's martial arts treasures, except for a few symbolic sets given to the imperial court, were all confiscated and stored on the sixth floor of the Listening to the Tide Pavilion.


Fortunately, Xu Fengnian didn't resemble his father Xu Xiao at all in appearance. Moreover, after leaving his jurisdiction, he dared not call himself the Crown Prince of Beiliang. Otherwise, just based on this point, it would have been enough to bring about his downfall. The enemies of the Crown Prince were as widespread as his disciples.

There were tens of thousands of ornamental carp in the lake. With a casual sprinkle of bait, it became a spectacular sight of carps leaping into the air. Even the emperor, who had been summering here in recent years, was amazed and couldn't help but admit his inferiority.


Xu Fengnian lay on a wooden couch adorned with exquisite Shu brocade, fishing for a while. Seeing his silly smiling brother drooling again, he reached out to wipe it away.


He couldn't help but think of that fox-faced beauty he had deceived into coming to Beiliang. She was the kind of woman whose smile curved like a crescent moon. Xu Fengnian privately called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Initially, he praised her as the most beautiful woman in the world, but she rebuked him harshly, so he compromised and changed one word from "beauty" to "person."


Thinking of this person, Xu Fengnian's mood improved. He rubbed his brother's head and smiled, "I once said I'd help you deceive the most beautiful woman into being your wife, and I really did bring one back, who has a fox-faced beauty, extremely beautiful, extremely beautiful. Carring two famous swords, 'Embroidered Winter' and 'Spring Thunder,' both among the best in the world. Unfortunately, the beauty is a man."