When Su Xiaoxu saw that young man come sweeping across the rocks, she couldn’t help but startled.

In her imagination, Li Chi ought to have been someone with an air of scholarly gentleness about him.

A place like this — how could any ordinary person possibly make it up here?

Not a single one of Chang Hang’s Dongye Army generals, for all their self-importance, had any ability like this.

If they had, Wu Naiyu would never have let Su Xiaoxu wait for him up here.

“Got a bit of a shock?”

Wu Naiyu saw her reaction and smiled. “The ordinary students of the Four Pages Academy are the common masses — at best, they might become a powerful court official in their day. But the troublemakers of the Four Pages Academy tend to go a little further.”

He looked at Li Chi and said quietly to Su Xiaoxu: “Him — he’s been the biggest troublemaker the Academy has produced in recent years.”

Then Wu Naiyu stood and cupped his hands: “Greetings, Prince of Ning.”

A prince, in most people’s understanding, ought to be an old and decrepit figure. Or if not decrepit, then at least steeped in stodgy convention.

And even if he weren’t that kind of proper Dachu royal prince of the Yang family, surely an improper one ought to look like Chang Hang?

But this Li Chi was different — he was like the boy next door.

Wu Naiyu smiled and said to Su Xiaoxu: “In twenty years, the Four Pages Academy has produced three remarkable talents. One is me. One is Li Chi. And the third…”

He glanced behind Li Chi and saw a young man — dark robes, long coat, hands clasped behind his back.

“Is probably him.”

—

One hour later. Dongye City.

Li Chi cupped his hands toward Wu Naiyu: “Then I’ll leave matters in your capable hands, Master.”

Then he turned to the He brothers — He Dengke and He Shanxue — and cupped his hands toward them as well: “And I’ll leave it to both of you, elder brothers.”

The three men returned the salute promptly.

After consulting with them, Li Chi’s first conclusion was that Dongye City was too important to leave unattended. It had to be garrisoned by capable men: to check any advance northward out of Qingzhou, and to complement Jicheng as north and south mutual supports, blocking any westward push from Yanzhou.

In the end, Li Chi decided: He Dengke would serve as Prefect of Jieshi Prefecture, and He Shanxue as Deputy Prefect. All surrendered Dongye Army soldiers would be turned over to these two to be reorganized and retrained.

To ensure the He brothers could stabilize Jieshi Prefecture, Wu Naiyu and his wife volunteered to remain in Dongye City for an additional year — helping the He brothers rebuild the force, turning Dongye City into a fortress in the southeastern corner of Jizhou.

Li Chi left Wu Naiyu three thousand Ning soldiers to assist with training.

With the situation in Dongye City resolved, the only remaining disorder within Jizhou was a small disturbance in the northwest.

A few days later, Li Chi and Tang Pidi led their forces back to Jizhou.

Tang Pidi sat on horseback, swaying gently with each step of his mount, looking as though he might doze off at any moment.

“You and Master Wu have been corresponding for so long — why didn’t you tell me?”

Li Chi lay on the flat-bed cart beside him, basking in the pale winter sun as he asked.

Tang Pidi glanced at him sidelong, said nothing, and exhaled quietly.

“My backside hurts.”

Even a man of his constitution could get a sore backside after hours in the saddle.

There were many ways to describe a man’s physical toughness — iron frame, bronze hide, that sort of thing.

To this day, no one had coined a dedicated phrase for… your backside is remarkably resilient.

Li Chi never had to worry about such things, because if there was any chance to lie down, he would never sit up. Unless it was a forced march, nothing in the world could pry him off his comfortable cart.

Of course, “comfortable” for Li Chi wasn’t lavish or ornate. Just a flat-bed wagon, some dry straw spread across it, lying on it with the smell of hay in his nose — that made him feel relaxed and grounded.

Seeing Tang Pidi mention his sore backside, Li Chi slid over to one side. Then he patted the spot he had vacated a few times.

Tang Pidi curled his lip: “I am the Grand General Who Raises Might of the Ning Army, commanding all three armies. Do you think I would lie around on a cart like this? If my soldiers saw me, what would they think?”

He said this, then lay down.

The two of them stretched out on the flat-bed cart in identical fashion — both with their hands behind their heads, both staring up at the sky.

Tang Pidi said: “The reason I didn’t tell you about the correspondence with Master Wu is because I didn’t think explaining the process was particularly necessary.”

Li Chi nodded. He understood what Tang Pidi meant.

But he still muttered: “Even if your explanation seems reasonable on the surface, it’s actually completely unreasonable — it doesn’t cover up the fact that from the very beginning, you only ever intended to use me as bait.”

Tang Pidi smiled.

Li Chi said: “You said a few other advisors have been brought in as well?”

Tang Pidi gave a sound of assent: “Hu Buyu of Yuyang in Yanzhou — when I was passing through on my return, he said he needed to settle his family first before coming. He’s probably already on his way. That man is untamed and solitary in temperament. Back when he was in Luo Geng’s army, Luo Geng had a love-hate relationship with him and eventually cursed him away.”

“Lian Xiwu of Shanzhou should be arriving in Jizhou soon — we’ll be able to see him once we’re back. And then there’s Ye Celeng from Jicheng — barring the unexpected, he’ll be coming too.”

Li Chi chuckled softly.

Tang Pidi said: “What are you laughing at?”

Li Chi said: “All these people — how did you track them down?”

“Through Gao Yuanzhang.”

At those four words, Li Chi froze.

He hadn’t even thought of that.

“Everyone I found came from the Four Pages Academy.”

Tang Pidi said: “You have such a great treasure right beside you — and he’s your father-in-law, no less — and you didn’t even think to ask him.”

Li Chi said somewhat sheepishly: “I genuinely forgot.”

Tang Pidi suddenly felt the need to choose his words carefully, and so he smiled and said: “A great treasure. Your father-in-law.”

Li Chi: “Shut your mouth!”

Tang Pidi said: “Fortunately, you have me.”

Li Chi glared at him: “Yes… no one else quite like you.”

Tang Pidi said: “When we get back, spend more time talking with your father-in-law. The old man carries the whole world in his chest.”

Li Chi gave a sound of agreement, then sighed.

“You know, it’s not that I don’t want to talk with Gao Yuanzhang, it’s just…”

Li Chi sighed: “If he weren’t my father-in-law, it’d be fine. But once that relationship is there — why does it make me so afraid of him?”

Tang Pidi said: “Gao Yuanzhang probably feels the same way you do. You don’t take the initiative to ask him, so he feels that if he takes the initiative to tell you things, it would be a little…”

Tang Pidi considered the right word.

Li Chi said: “Awkward.”

That wasn’t quite the most accurate word either.

Tang Pidi couldn’t find a better one, so he simply shook his head and said: “The old man has his pride. You don’t. What’s the harm in being a little more proactive?”

Li Chi said: “What do you mean I don’t have pride?”

Tang Pidi said: “You…”

Li Chi said: “Forget it.”

Tang Pidi said: “So why don’t you just ask—”

Li Chi said: “Think about it — we made it back in time for New Year’s after all. We took a little detour, and now Jieshi Prefecture is ours too. Feeling ever so slightly pleased with myself.”

Tang Pidi said: “It’s yours.”

Li Chi said: “But you’re the one who took it.”

Tang Pidi said: “However much territory I take — it’s all yours.”

Li Chi opened his mouth to respond, but Tang Pidi turned his head and fixed him with a stare: “Watch your position. You’re the Prince of Ning. On what grounds are you arguing with me?”

Li Chi: “But…”

Those words, coming from Tang Pidi’s mouth, sounded perfectly natural.

“Li Chi.”

Tang Pidi called his name.

Li Chi ignored him.

Tang Pidi said: “What, holding in a fart? Not talking?”

Li Chi said: “I’m the Prince of Ning. Why should I bother with you.”

Tang Pidi said: “I’ll give you one chance to say that again properly.”

Li Chi said: “I’m talking properly — what’s this threatening people for no reason…”

Tang Pidi said: “Have you thought about the matter of going south?”

Li Chi said: “I have.”

Tang Pidi said: “Tell me.”

Li Chi: “Hah!”

A moment later, Li Chi looked up at the sky and said: “I’ve never once been south. Never set foot beyond the Nanping River. There might be some flaw in my character.”

He paused.

Then laughed at himself.

“When I was small, traveling all over with my master, I never dared tell him — if I stayed in one place long enough, I’d start dreading the thought of going anywhere else.”

Tang Pidi looked at him sidelong.

Li Chi said: “I’ve always had a kind of dread about unfamiliar places. For instance, when my master said he was bringing me to Jizhou, I was terrified.”

He smiled: “Maybe at my core I’m just a coward, and too afraid to show it.”

After a slow breath, Li Chi said with a smile: “When I was seven or eight, my master and I lived in a small village for about ten months. That was the longest we’d stayed anywhere. I got used to the people in that village — the earthen slopes, the woodpiles, even the chickens and ducks and geese, the little yellow dog at the village entrance…”

Li Chi looked at Tang Pidi: “So when my master said it was time to leave, I didn’t expect I’d be as frightened as I was.”

Tang Pidi was quiet.

Li Chi said: “So when you ask me when I’ll go south — the most rational estimate, working it out, is probably another two to three years. And I think two or three years should be enough time for me to get over the fear.”

Tang Pidi asked: “You don’t want to go to the south of the river because you’re afraid everything you find there will be different from what you’ve known in the north — that you won’t find those earthen slopes, those woodpiles, that little yellow dog at the village entrance?”

Li Chi said: “I don’t know. I just have a kind of resistance to it.”

Tang Pidi said: “Then fine. I’ll go fight it.”

Li Chi started. He looked at Tang Pidi, thought for a moment, then asked: “Is there anything you’re afraid of?”

Tang Pidi answered: “Accomplishing nothing.”

Li Chi gave a sound of acknowledgment, then smiled: “And I’ve always just wanted to eat well and idle the days away — ha, still feels the same now.”

Tang Pidi looked at him and said, with absolute sincerity: “Pff!”

Li Chi thought: that was an unusually earnest pff.

Tang Pidi let out a long, slow breath, then smiled: “A person like you can never become what you dream of being. You want to eat and idle — but with that wretched temperament of yours, you’d rather everyone around you ate and idled while you went off and did all the work yourself.”

Li Chi curled his lip: “I’m lazy. Universally acknowledged. Who in all of Jizhou doesn’t know I’m lazy?”

Tang Pidi said: “Let me ask you something. You know how babies are born with an umbilical cord connecting them, right?”

Li Chi nodded: “Right.”

Tang Pidi said: “And you know that pigs, cattle, sheep, dogs — when they give birth, their young are also connected by an umbilical cord.”

Li Chi said: “What are you suddenly going on about?”

Tang Pidi continued: “Then do you know why birds, chickens, ducks, and geese — the egg-laying ones — don’t have an umbilical cord when they lay their eggs?”

Li Chi’s eyes narrowed.

Tang Pidi said, quite seriously: “Because with live births, having something connecting and pulling is fine. But not with eggs.”

Li Chi said: “You’re the one talking nonsense. Your whole mouth is nonsense.”

Tang Pidi smiled calmly: “Look at that — a man of your profound depth and experience, still getting riled up.”

Li Chi made a disgusted sound.

Tang Pidi burst out laughing.

He looked up at the sky and said: “You lived in a small village long enough to dread leaving. You lived in the north long enough to dread going south…”

He paused, then laughed again.

“What’s so frightening about the south? You’re the Prince of Men — you can’t play favorites. The north is yours, so why wouldn’t the south be too?”

Li Chi sighed: “If you put it that way… I suppose I’d better be properly proud of myself.”

Tang Pidi said: “You need to spread your grace equally. The north has already felt the Prince of Men’s warmth — don’t just wreak havoc in one place. If you’re going to wreak havoc, wreak it across the whole world. All of the magnificent Central Plains.”

Li Chi burst into laughter.

“Give it a couple of years.”

Li Chi said: “I’ve had enough of the withered vines and darkened crows on this side — let me go see some arched bridges and flowing streams and people’s homes.”

—