Xu Sheng looked at Xu Qinglin with a serious expression and said, “Qinglin, you should know that you have boundless prospects ahead of you, and your future has nothing to do with Dachu’s national fortunes. Dachu’s fortunes may decline, but your future must be brilliant — it absolutely must be.”

Xu Qinglin opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Xu Sheng continued, “I’m not letting you go to the capital anymore — you should understand what that means. Prince Yu’s side will certainly make a major move. The Xu Family has its roots deep in Jizhou, and unlike other families, whose presence in Jizhou City is mostly through branch households, our Xu Family has been here for generations.”

“Therefore, the choices available to the Xu Family carry a decisiveness that other families lack. The Elder Patriarch decided to send you to Prince Yu’s residence precisely because he is entrusting the entire future of the Xu Family into your hands. How can you afford to be soft-hearted?”

He paused, then said with some irritation, “Whether it’s Tang Pidi or Li Chi — they are both utterly insignificant people, minor figures. Would you really blame your father over people like them?”

Xu Qinglin immediately bowed and said, “This son would not dare.”

Xu Sheng softened his tone somewhat and continued, “You must remember — any person, any matter, is unimportant when placed before the interests of the family. The Elder Patriarch has placed great hopes in you, and so have your father and mother. Because of those hopes, do you know how many people within the family envy you?”

He patted Xu Qinglin on the shoulder. “You must also understand that no matter what your father does, it is all for your sake. Whether Tang Pidi lives or dies is no more significant than the life or death of an ant. The same goes for Li Chi.”

Xu Qinglin nodded again and said, “This son will keep that in mind.”

Xu Sheng said, “Furthermore — if Tang Pidi and his father are truly clean, then the law of the court has no way to touch them, does it? If Li Chi is truly clean, then there is nothing your father can do to him either, is there?”

He spoke in a tone that was both self-righteous and gravely serious. “Since they have genuinely violated the law of the land, why would you think your father has done wrong? Your father is not merely protecting you — he is also upholding the laws of Dachu.”

He suddenly smiled slightly and said, “From what I know, although that Li Chi has a close relationship with Xiahou Zuo, and Prince Yu’s residence also seems to have taken an interest in him, he is genuinely not clean…”

Xu Qinglin couldn’t hold back, and tentatively asked, “Father, you want to drive Li Chi out of Jizhou right now — is it also because Prince Yu’s residence wants to recruit him? Are you worried that in the future, his position within Prince Yu’s residence might become more important than mine?”

Xu Sheng glanced at Xu Qinglin and said nothing.

But his gaze had already given the answer.

Xu Sheng did indeed harbour that concern. Li Chi and Xiahou Zuo were so close that if Li Chi were to enter Prince Yu’s residence in the future, he would certainly be highly valued.

Those in Jizhou City who had reached a certain level of standing could all see it clearly: although Xiahou Zuo nominally held no heir’s title and did not live in the prince’s residence — living instead with his mother outside — Prince Yu’s regard for Xiahou Zuo far surpassed his regard for the official heir, Yang Zhuo.

Many people speculated that Prince Yu intended to pass his legacy to Xiahou Zuo in the future.

Now that the circumstances had changed dramatically, and Prince Yu’s ambitions were grand — he sought to transform a household into a nation — Xiahou Zuo’s future would not be as simple as merely being an heir. Even if not a crown prince, he would at least be an imperial prince.

So eliminating Li Chi while he was still a potential threat was far easier than trying to eliminate him after he had established himself within Prince Yu’s residence.

The Xu Family had staked a large portion of their future fortunes on Prince Yu, and Xu Qinglin was the key to whether the Xu Family could ascend another step — because his age was most suitable, and his talents were quite respectable.

In a few years, Xu Qinglin would graduate from the academy at just seventeen or eighteen years old, yet already a minister who had served the founding of a new dynasty. Could one not already envision what manner of glory he would command at thirty?

When great families plotted their affairs, they plotted not merely for what lay immediately before them.

“Qinglin.”

Xu Sheng’s wife looked at Xu Qinglin and said, “Your father’s thinking runs far deeper than yours. In all matters, listen more carefully to your father’s guidance — he would never lead you astray.”

Xu Qinglin bowed and said, “This son understands. Father does everything for my sake.”

The Madam nodded. “Good that you understand. If you wish to choose a rival, set your sights higher. That wild child called Li Chi is nothing more than dust beneath your feet. If you regard him as a rival, would you not be lowering your own standing?”

Xu Qinglin thought about it — it did seem to make some sense.

The Madam continued, “Your rivals should be those stronger than you, not those far beneath you. He has no qualification to stand in your path. You are still young, and there are many matters you cannot handle yourself, so your father will handle them for you.”

“This son… understands.”

Xu Qinglin lowered his head and said, “Everything is at Father’s discretion.”

Xu Sheng smiled and nodded. “Now that is my good son. Now that is the bearing befitting the future pillar and backbone of the Xu Family.”

He looked toward his wife and said, “You accompany Qinglin for lunch. I have an appointment with a general from the Military Preparedness Office — there is a matter recently that I can make good use of.”

He extended his arm, and his wife quickly went to the clothes rack, took down his outer robe, and helped him into it, then carefully straightened everything.

“Do take care going out, Master. Guard against the cold wind.”

“Father, travel safely.”

Xu Sheng smiled with a nod, then went out the door.

Within Jizhou City there was a Military Preparedness General’s Office, subordinate to the Jiedushi. The jurisdiction of the Military Preparedness General’s Office was the defense of Jizhou City — daily patrols within the city and public order, a large portion of which also fell under the General’s Office.

After curfew, the patrol officers from the Jizhou Prefecture Administration were merely assisting the Military Preparedness General’s Office.

In other words, if something happened on the streets during the day, it could fall under the Jizhou Prefecture Administration’s jurisdiction — but anything that happened on the streets at night after curfew belonged to the Military Preparedness General’s Office.

The general Xu Sheng intended to see was Jiang Gaolin, the general of the Military Preparedness General’s Office. This man was a trusted confidant of the Jiedushi, Zeng Ling — he could not otherwise have secured such an important position under Zeng Ling.

Within half an hour, at the well-known Apricot Blossom Tower in Jizhou City, Xu Sheng arrived first and had already reserved the largest private room and was waiting there.

Before long, Jiang Gaolin came upstairs in plain clothes, accompanied by a few attendants. Upon learning of this, Xu Sheng quickly went out to receive him.

The two of them drank together in the Apricot Blossom Tower for a full hour. What they said — only the two of them knew.

—

Four Pages Academy.

Li Diudiu had come again to feed the divine eagle and the dog. Gao Xining sat beside him in a small bamboo chair watching him, and though she couldn’t say exactly why, watching this foolish boy, she found her eyes filled with a smile.

“Oh, right.”

After Li Diudiu finished feeding the divine eagle and the dog, he turned to look at Gao Xining and said, “I suddenly remembered — Teacher Li from the Book Forest Tower once taught me some interesting things. Let me teach them to you.”

Gao Xining smiled and nodded. “Alright.”

Li Diudiu scooted over to Gao Xining’s side, broke off a small twig, and began writing and drawing on the ground.

“This is phonetic notation — it’s used to help children learn to read characters.”

He wrote down Gao Xining’s name, then added the phonetic spelling above it.

“But what use is this?”

Gao Xining asked curiously, “Wouldn’t it be simpler to just learn the characters directly?”

Li Diudiu scratched his head. “I haven’t fully figured it out myself, but I think it has at least one use — we can use these fancy phonetic symbols to substitute for actual characters. That way, between us, we would have a secret cipher.”

Gao Xining’s delicate little face flushed slightly. She looked at Li Diudiu and asked, “Why would we need a secret cipher?”

Li Diudiu said, “Why do you need a reason for everything? Just think of it as fun.”

Gao Xining nodded. “Alright, thinking of it that way — it really is interesting. Come teach me.”

Li Diudiu crouched down to write and explain, and while Gao Xining’s talent for martial arts was decidedly mediocre, her talent for learning things like this was astonishingly high. Li Diudiu had barely given a rough explanation when she had already almost grasped it — she could even deduce many of the tonal variations on her own.

She was just a little unsteady, which was understandable given that Li Diudiu had only been teaching for half an hour or so.

Gao Xining wrote Li Diudiu’s name on the ground, then added the phonetic notation above it.

“D as in ‘de,’ first tone — ‘diu,’ correct?”

Li Diudiu looked at it and sounded it out: “D as in ‘dui’… Li Duidui?”

Gao Xining burst out laughing — she didn’t quite know what was so funny, but she laughed until she was doubled over.

“So fun, this is so fun.”

Li Diudiu: “What’s so funny about that…”

Gao Xining: “Li Duidui, hahaha… Li Duidui!”

Li Diudiu: “Childish!”

Gao Xining said, “I’ll call you Duidui from now on.”

Li Diudiu thought of how he had once deceived people by claiming he had an elder brother named Li Dui and that he himself was named Li Diu — it really did feel like quite the coincidence now.

He said earnestly, “I don’t mind being called Li Duidui, but you have to have a name that only I can call you too. That would be like a secret within the cipher — something for us to use when we communicate through the phonetic notation.”

Gao Xining thought for a moment, then said very earnestly, “Then you can call me Gao the Beauty.”

Li Diudiu said, “How is it fair that I’m Duidui and you get to be ‘the Beauty’?”

Gao Xining said, “Because I’m beautiful.”

Li Diudiu said, “I’m also good-looking.”

Gao Xining: “You’re ugly. Right… how do you write ‘ugly’ in phonetic notation — ‘chi ou’? Hahaha — forget Li Duidui, when we communicate through our cipher from now on, you’ll be Li Chiou, and I’ll be Gao the Beauty.”

Li Diudiu: “Your name has nowhere near enough praise in it. I’ll be Li Chiou, and you’ll be Gao the Grand Beauty then.”

Gao Xining: “That’s so tacky…”

Li Diudiu suddenly let out a sigh and said, “Grand Beauty, let me say something serious — can you stop trying to find me a wife all the time from now on?”

Gao Xining thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

Li Diudiu froze. “You agreed just like that?”

Gao Xining let out a little huff. “You really are… so foolish.”

Li Diudiu said, “Why do you always think I’m ugly and foolish?”

Gao Xining thought he truly was a fool — the enormously foolish kind.

She was a bit older than Li Diudiu, and girls also tend to mature a little earlier than boys, so in her heart she had already come to know that she had feelings for this fool. But a girl’s sense of propriety kept her from saying it outright.

That would be so embarrassing — it wasn’t as if her name was Gao Diudiu.

But this fool was truly such a fool. He had absolutely no idea why she had agreed to stop trying to find him a wife.

Then Gao Xining suddenly had a thought — this fool had said he didn’t want her finding him a wife anymore. Could it be that he, too, had feelings for her? And so he didn’t want her to keep doing that silly thing?

The thought made Gao Xining’s face flush red again.

She nudged Li Diudiu’s shoulder with her own and asked, “Why?”

Li Diudiu said, “What ‘why’?”

Gao Xining said, “Why don’t you want me to find you a wife anymore?”

Li Diudiu thought about it and answered with great seriousness: “I believe that a man should first establish his career, and only then start a family — that is what a man ought to be thinking about. He shouldn’t be preoccupied with romance and sentimentality at such a young age. Too shallow! It doesn’t suit the character of Li Chiou. Don’t you agree?”

Gao Xining: “Suit your big head!”

She knocked him on the head, and in those bright, beautiful large eyes of hers, a trace of wistful grievance quietly appeared.

—