That Wei guard naturally dared not open the door. Seeing Wei Pingzin seemed drunk with his temper flaring, he could only fearfully advise: “Young Lord, please don’t make things difficult for this humble one. The Marquis has given orders that unless he personally sends someone with a waist token, no one is permitted to enter this dungeon…”

Wei Pingzin viciously kicked the iron bars, seemingly carrying immense resentment and fury, cursing: “This Young Lord is his own son! Are this Young Lord’s words not even as effective as a broken token?”

The iron bars clanged and shook violently from the kick. The Wei guards resting deep in the dungeon, thinking some incident had occurred above, all hastily grabbed their blades and donned their caps to rush over.

Seeing it was Wei Pingzin causing a drunken disturbance, the minor supervisor guarding the dungeon also looked troubled, trying to pick some pleasant words to coax Wei Pingzin: “Young Lord, on such a joyous day, why come to the prison to encounter inauspicious air? Why not return early to accompany the Princess…”

“Clang!” came a loud crash—Wei Pingzin had heavily kicked the iron bars again.

Across the bars, his finger nearly poked the minor supervisor’s face, his alcohol-flushed face full of overbearing arrogance: “What thing are you? Now you’re managing this Young Lord’s affairs? It’s only because this Young Lord is in a good mood today that you can even speak a few words with this Young Lord. On ordinary days, you wouldn’t be worthy of offering to carry this Young Lord’s shoes even if you tried!”

The minor supervisor, thus pricked by Wei Pingzin’s words before his subordinates, looked somewhat embarrassed, but still turned and cupped his fists: “We humble officers act according to orders. Please, Young Lord, don’t make things difficult…”

Wei Pingzin’s heart was extremely frustrated. Too lazy to waste more words with these jailers who only repeated the same few phrases, seeing he couldn’t kick open the iron gate, he looked around, then directly picked up a stone from the ground and began forcefully smashing the lock chained to the iron gate.

With Wei Pingzin this drunk, the minor supervisor and his subordinates dared not harm him. Finally, the minor supervisor could only grit his teeth and shout: “Sound the bronze gong!”

On winter nights in the Northern Territory, standing outside overnight could freeze a person to death.

Therefore, there were no guards outside this dungeon—the jailers all kept watch inside. An iron gate blocked the entrance. If enemy forces attacked, they couldn’t break through immediately. When they struck the bronze gong at the dungeon entrance, nearby patrolling guards would know the dungeon was under attack.

After the subordinates clanged several times on the bronze gong hanging on the dungeon’s stone wall, Wei Pingzin also smashed the lock, tore off the chains fastened to the door in a few pulls, and staggered toward the dungeon depths.

The minor supervisor led men to try blocking him, but he drew the sword from his waist and hacked wildly, shouting: “Get lost!”

To avoid needlessly losing their lives, the minor supervisor and his subordinates could only retreat again and again, not daring to obstruct further.

—

In the Wei Manor study, Liao Jiang was discussing with Wei Qishan about seeing Xiao Li that afternoon. He shook his head: “Stubborn bones, obstinate temper—really like a wolf cub. If you trust him, you must trust him consistently. Once you’ve truly raised a whip to him, you can never pull him back!”

Previously, because of Xiao Li’s bravery in the Youzhou battle, the various volunteer armies knew that merging into Wei’s camp might only mean being used as expendable troops, so they all allied with Xiao Li.

At that time, though Wei Qishan generously let Xiao Li command those thirty thousand volunteer troops, he also sent Wei Pingzin as military supervisor to win over the other volunteer armies besides the Tongzhou forces, preventing them from all truly belonging to Xiao Li.

Wei Ang went along as his eyes, helping Wei Pingzin watch Xiao Li, and Xiao Li had never shown any dissatisfaction.

But when he again led the volunteer army to establish great merit, yet his subordinate general was trampled to death, and after he sought justice for his subordinate, he was then sent to guard Yanle Mountain—this truly touched Xiao Li’s reverse scale.

Wei Qishan noticed that when Xiao Li sought justice for his subordinate, Wei Pingzin remained stubborn and repeatedly insulted the volunteer army, ultimately causing all the volunteer armies to obviously favor Xiao Li. Out of various considerations, and to suppress Xiao Li’s prestige among the volunteer army, he made that decision.

As long as Xiao Li admitted he couldn’t hold Yanle Mountain, or fought a losing battle under the wolf riders’ surveillance, his military prestige would be greatly diminished and he could no longer pose a threat to the Wei clan.

But for Xiao Li, the former was just monitoring him—newly arrived, he could understand Wei Qishan not fully trusting him.

The latter, however, meant getting his subordinate officers killed, then forcing him to use either a defeat or an admission of incompetence to dilute the many merits he’d previously risked his life to earn for Wei’s camp.

This was beyond what he could endure.

He could be monitored, but when leading his subordinates charging into battle, gambling their lives for military merit, he couldn’t also be suppressed by the commanding general, who openly and secretly sabotaged him.

The reason was merely that he couldn’t divine superior intentions, that when the commanding general’s son killed his subordinate general, he didn’t bow his head and kneel to continue being an obedient dog accepting both favor and humiliation.

Without these subsequent events, even if he concealed Hanyang’s identity out of consideration for old loyalties, when the matter was exposed, given his temperament, he would likely have simply submitted to execution or dismemberment and asked Wei Qishan for forgiveness.

But with these later events, he was iron-willed in settling all grace and obligation with Wei Qishan.

Wei Qishan flipped through the latest battle reports from various regions on his desk: “Since the volunteer army besieging the city has withdrawn, continue detaining him for now.”

He raised his eyes to look at the trusted general who had followed him longest, saying: “On this southern campaign, I’ll personally take that unfilial son along. Let Yuan Fang accompany us. I’ll leave the Northern Territory for you to guard in my stead.”

Liao Jiang hesitated: “But your health…”

Wei Qishan waved his hand, indicating he need say no more: “A small ailment—can it really prevent me from mounting a horse? That Xiao youngster dares show such defiance only because his military achievements are currently at their peak, bullying my Northern Territory for having no capable men!”

He had given Xiao Li several chances, but the other side still showed no appreciation. Wei Qishan inevitably became angry too. He heavily slapped the tiger-skin covered armrest of his large chair: “Once my Northern Wei tiger generals establish several great merits and overshadow his glory, when he can no longer influence military morale, let’s see how he remains arrogant!”

Just as his words fell, bronze gong sounds rang from outside.

Wei Qishan’s expression turned cold and stern. Liao Jiang’s eyelids also twitched as he said: “It seems there’s trouble at the dungeon!”

In his heart, he wondered—could it be Xiao Li’s subordinates were so impatient they’d already come to break him out?

—

Inside the dungeon, Wei Pingzin swayed all the way to the cell holding Xiao Li. Seeing the man sitting upright in meditation, showing none of the dishevelment expected of someone imprisoned, his anger grew. He heavily kicked the cell door and turned back to shout at the subordinates who dared not approach due to his drawn sword: “Open this cell door for this Young Lord!”

The jailers naturally dared not. The minor supervisor glanced toward the entrance while trying to placate: “This… we truly cannot open it, Young Lord…”

Wei Pingzin, hearing them chatter on with this nonsense, found it as irritating as a swarm of flies buzzing in his ears. He directly slashed his sword toward them again. The subordinates hastily scattered like birds and beasts. The minor supervisor, whom he’d targeted, dodged the first sword but was quickly caught by his second.

Wei Pingzin pressed the sword against his throat, his patience exhausted as he coldly demanded: “Open the cell door!”

Cold sweat dripped from the minor supervisor’s forehead. He could only fearfully deceive: “This humble one has no key. This person is a serious criminal. We humble ones only guard him—the key is with the Marquis…”

Wei Pingzin now felt irritated whenever he heard the word “Marquis.” His sword moved downward, directly cutting the string of keys hanging from the minor supervisor’s waist. Taking those keys, he went to try them one by one at the cell door.

The minor supervisor and subordinates all wore expressions as if the sky were falling. The minor supervisor gave his subordinates a look, and one hastily ran outside to fetch reinforcements. That minor supervisor then crawled forward two steps and clutched Wei Pingzin’s foot, tearfully pleading:

“Young Lord! This cannot be done! Though this person’s hands and feet are shackled, it took over ten manor guards and a hundred tiger armor soldiers to subdue him that day. If you open this cell door and he harms the Young Lord, even a hundred deaths wouldn’t absolve us of blame!”

Wei Pingzin could no longer hear any of this. He directly kicked the man several times viciously. Though he hadn’t fought many proper battles, his martial skills had been taught by specialized masters since youth. Even drunk, his kicks carried considerable force.

That minor supervisor, kicked several times, painfully curled around his abdomen and could no longer hold him back.

Inside the cell, Xiao Li, who had been meditating with closed eyes, opened a pair of cold, desolate eyes and watched this farce outside the bars with a frigid gaze.

Wei Pingzin was trying keys one by one, but being drunk, his hands weren’t as steady as when sober. Combined with the sheer number of keys on the ring, he tried several times without finding the one for this cell door.

The lock on this cell door wasn’t like the common iron lock on the outer gate—it was forged from refined steel. When he lost patience and kicked it several times, then raised his sword to strike, he still couldn’t damage the lock.

When he looked up again and saw Xiao Li’s cold expression watching him like a jumping clown, thinking of the humiliation his subordinate rabble had given him at today’s wedding ceremony, the fire in Wei Pingzin’s heart surged upward uncontrollably.

He forcefully kicked the cell door again. His sword thrust through the gap between the bars, pointing directly at Xiao Li, drunkenly saying: “You bastard born of a whore, get over here to this Young Lord!”

He saw the sudden rise of killing intent in Xiao Li’s eyes—as if wanting to dismember him piece by piece—but only took it as having struck Xiao Li’s painful spot. His lungs, nearly bursting from all that anger, finally felt somewhat relieved.

He continued mocking: “What are you glaring at this Young Lord for? You think your shameful origins can be hidden? Anyone in Yongcheng will tell you about your Xiao family mother and son! Half the men in Yongcheng have crawled under your mother’s skirts, haven’t they? With that pretty boy face, why not inherit your whore mother’s trade and find a male brothel to make a living with that face?”

He seemed to have a headache from drinking too much. He saw Xiao Li stand, but everything reflected in his pupils seemed doubled.

Relying on his sword in hand, the iron bars as a barrier, and Xiao Li’s hands and feet shackled with heavy iron manacles making it impossible to harm him, he had no fear whatsoever. After thus humiliating him, his heart felt even more exhilarated.

Wildly slashing his sword through the cell door twice, he continued sarcastically: “I don’t know what the old man was thinking—seeing you had some circus tricks, he said you resembled his eldest son. I wonder if my late eldest mother, who came from a noble family of the previous dynasty, has visited him in dreams to resent him for comparing her son to a prostitute’s spawn…”

Xiao Li had walked to the cell door, no more than half a step from Wei Pingzin’s sword tip thrust inside.

Seeing this, Wei Pingzin tried to slash at him with his sword. Xiao Li’s expression was frighteningly cold and stern. He directly shifted to avoid that flawed strike, his shackled hands catching Wei Pingzin’s sword-wielding hand with the iron chain and forcefully yanking it inward.

The cold, rough iron chain seemed to tightly bite into his flesh. Wei Pingzin was pulled until his entire arm and half his shoulder were squeezed through the gap in the bars. His upper body and entire head were forced close to the bars due to that position. In an instant, only his screams filled the entire dungeon.

The minor supervisor and subordinates guarding the dungeon hadn’t expected that even shackled hand and foot, Xiao Li could still harm someone through the bars. Fearing Wei Pingzin might come to harm here and their heads wouldn’t be spared, they rushed over trying to restrain Xiao Li.

But Xiao Li, using that position, directly bent Wei Pingzin’s straightened arm backward behind his back. The dungeon immediately filled with pig-like screaming again.

His remaining length of iron chain whipped out through the gap in the bars, looped around Wei Pingzin’s neck, and tightened.

Wei Pingzin had one hand brutally twisted behind his back, his throat strangled by that chain cold as a viper. His face, already flushed red from alcohol, quickly turned liver-colored from suffocation. His remaining hand desperately clawed at the life-taking iron chain around his neck.

The rushing subordinates exerted all their strength pulling at the chain, prying at Xiao Li’s arm tightening the chain, but couldn’t budge him an inch.

Orders from above were not to harm or mistreat Xiao Li.

But now Wei Pingzin, due to those provocations, was nearly dying at Xiao Li’s hands. Just as the minor supervisor, in his frantic desperation, was about to order his men to use blades against Xiao Li to save Wei Pingzin, a stern shout finally came from the dungeon corridor: “General Xiao! Stop this at once!”

The minor supervisor, seeing who had arrived, was as relieved as seeing his own mother, hurrying forward: “Marquis, General Liao, you’ve finally arrived!”

Wei Pingzin was already strangled to the point of more breath leaving than entering. That hand clawing at the neck chain now reached toward Wei Qishan instead, struggling to speak: “Father… save… save me…”

Wei Qishan didn’t look at his only son, but at Xiao Li behind him, whose eyes were fierce as a wolf while strangling him with the chain: “You think you owe this Marquis nothing, yet this Marquis also believes he has never treated you poorly. After this Marquis refused to let you leave, this is your response?”

Liao Jiang, who had come along, also hurriedly said: “General Xiao, think thrice! Whatever misunderstanding General Xiao has with the Young Lord, think more of your brothers—if something happens to the Young Lord, they will certainly be implicated!”

The ferocity in Xiao Li’s eyes had never been so concentrated—it could truly be called an untamable bestial nature, sending chills through all the armored soldiers and guards outside the cell.

He strangled Wei Pingzin two more times viciously. Only when the other’s windpipe was nearly crushed by the iron chain did he finally release his grip.

Wei Pingzin collapsed sitting on the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for breath with great difficulty. His neck hurt severely—not only bruised from strangling, but the rough chain had also abraded his skin in multiple places.

Xiao Li stared coldly at Wei Qishan: “However noble your Wei clan’s lineage, it’s not as though I, Xiao Li, begged to join your Wei camp! My late mother has been dead for some time, yet today must still suffer such humiliation from your Wei clan—I am failing in my filial duty!”

Liao Jiang had wanted to mediate, but hearing Xiao Li’s words, his first thought was that this was finished.

Wasn’t Xiao Li openly tearing off all pretense with Wei Qishan?

But hearing him mention his late mother again, he suddenly felt the matter wasn’t simple.

That day when he came to resign after being captured, he hadn’t shown such great anger. Today, if he and Wei Qishan hadn’t arrived in time, the other would likely have truly strangled Wei Pingzin to death.

After Wei Qishan had secretly investigated Xiao Li’s background, he also knew a little. This was why Xiao Li never allowed the army to patronize prostitutes and was extremely disciplined himself—even at victory banquets, he absolutely wouldn’t touch those singing and dancing girls. Some informed generals had privately speculated this might be due to his late mother.

Today he nearly fought Wei Pingzin to the death—could it be Wei Pingzin foolishly used his mother’s past to humiliate him?

Liao Jiang tactfully said no more.

Wei Qishan had been somewhat angry in his heart, but hearing Xiao Li’s last statement, he withdrew his gaze and coldly glanced at Wei Pingzin.

Wei Pingzin, having walked through death’s door, was mostly sobered from his drink. Knowing he’d caused trouble again, he naturally dared not meet Wei Qishan’s gaze directly.

Seeing his son’s appearance, what did Wei Qishan still not understand?

His face tightened, but in the end only said: “This old man will give you an accounting.”

Having spoken, he turned and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Wei Pingzin was helped up from the ground by armored soldiers. Shuffling out of the dungeon, he saw Wei Qishan hadn’t gone far at all, but stood waiting for him in the wind and snow.

Wei Pingzin knew today’s punishment was unavoidable. His golden crown, disheveled from the earlier struggle, remained unstraightened. Walking over, he sullenly called out: “Father.”

Wei Qishan turned back with cold eyes, raising his hand to give him a heavy slap, striking Wei Pingzin so his feet stumbled, half his face quickly swelling, his mouth corner splitting open.

Yet he dared not utter a single word of protest. After turning his face back, he still only stood before Wei Qishan with head lowered, looking at his own toes.

When Wei Qishan coldly shouted “kneel down,” he obediently knelt in the snow.

This concerned father and son’s family affairs. Liao Jiang didn’t feel it appropriate to say much. Taking an oiled paper umbrella from an attendant and opening it, he said to Wei Qishan: “Marquis, the wind is strong outside.”

Before he could suggest Wei Qishan return to the study, a gentle female voice came from behind: “So husband is here with father.”

Liao Jiang raised his head to look, seeing Wang Wanzhen leading two maidservants, carrying a lantern, appearing at the intersection ahead. Though it was dark and the lamplight under the eaves wasn’t very clear, one could still see her left cheek was highly swollen, seemingly from being slapped.

Liao Jiang knew some secrets regarding Wang Wanzhen’s identity, but with her wearing the identity of a former Jin princess, being slapped to this extent on her wedding night was somewhat unjustifiable.

He lowered his head, not daring to look further.

After seeing the swollen mark on Wang Wanzhen’s face, Wei Qishan’s expression became noticeably colder.

Wang Wanzhen bowed to Wei Qishan: “When husband drank too much and didn’t return, I worried something had happened to him, so I searched him out. I’m glad husband is well.”

Wei Pingzin didn’t want Wang Wanzhen to see him in such a wretched state. Hearing her voice, he straightened his back, his gaze cold and contemptuous sweeping in that direction. After seeing her appearance clearly, he was dumbfounded.

Turning back to find Wei Qishan looking at him with an expression of wanting to crush him, Wei Pingzin was at a loss for words, instinctively saying: “I didn’t hit her! Earlier I only lightly patted her face a few times. Her maidservants, and Laifu and Laiwang all saw it personally…”

Wei Qishan directly kicked his son, sending him tumbling into the snow and mud. Coughing, he coldly ordered: “Someone come! Lock this unfilial son in the ancestral hall! When he knows his error, then release him!”

Having spoken, he departed in undiminished anger, supported by General Liao.

Several armored soldiers lifted Wei Pingzin to take him to the ancestral hall. He furiously stared at Wang Wanzhen, still gracefully holding her lantern at the intersection, gritting his teeth: “You schemed against this Young Lord!”

Wang Wanzhen’s bright, clear eyes looked at him, seeming somewhat sadly and sorrowfully covering her swollen cheek with her hand, gently saying: “Wanzhen didn’t know father was also here. I only came out searching because I worried about husband.”

Wei Pingzin was so angry he wanted to rush over and strike Wang Wanzhen again, but was held firmly by several armored soldiers.

Wei Xian, the Wei Manor attendant responsible for escorting Wei Pingzin, bowed to Wang Wanzhen: “The night is deep. Princess, please return to rest.”

Wang Wanzhen lightly nodded in acknowledgment.

On the return journey, the side of her face she’d forcefully slapped to swell still ached faintly in the cold wind, yet Wang Wanzhen’s lips slowly curved upward.

Whether Wei Pingzin liked her or not, she didn’t care.

Tonight’s humiliation Wei Pingzin gave her, compared to the suffering she’d endured in the theater troupe before, was nothing at all.

Madam Wei’s attitude toward her was already abundantly clear. After marriage, suffering grievances from Wei Pingzin was inevitable.

Only tonight, before Wei Qishan grew accustomed to or even weary of that mother and son’s suppression of her, by bringing her grievances into the open first, would it bring her the greatest benefit.

She was a princess acknowledged by all under heaven. The entire Northern Territory had to depend on her.

Once she had a child, what would the entire Wei clan amount to?