Inquire after one another

The path leading west to the small courtyard was lush and green. Fine blades of grass wove themselves between the rugged blue stone slabs, and upon close inspection even the narrow lane seemed imbued with a certain poetic charm, soothing both body and mind and making one forget the cares of ordinary days.

Yet from a distance, an empty hollow suddenly appeared outside Zhang Ling’s courtyard, and then a human head emerged from the ground, instantly sweeping away the pleasant mood Zhang Ling had at dusk. The head that rose from the earth wore a fawning smile that looked indecently sly, and a hand extended upward from below to greet him. “Junior Brother, hello!”

Zhang Ling’s face fell at once. “Where did this earthworm crawl out of?”

The disciple in the ground hurriedly corrected him. “It is an earth-dragon!”

Zhang Ling only smiled. He brought his foot down, and the earth-dragon’s head instantly withdrew. Even then, it did not forget to make a face. Zhang Ling then fumbled about his body and produced a small bottle. The moment he opened it, a pungent, stinging reek spread at once. He poured the contents straight down, and the earth-dragon, just as it had been about to peek up again, slammed headlong into the bitter fumes.

Coughing in the tunnel, the earth-dragon grumbled and cursed, “Why has the academy brought another one who does not know martial virtue? You son of a bastard...”

Zhang Ling, who had been exhausted all day, suddenly found fresh vigor rising in him. His eyes moved constantly over the courtyard until they finally settled on a large stone. Vital energy flowed through his body into his arms and legs. Planting his feet, he wrapped his arms around the boulder and lifted it up. As the earth-dragon swayed and tried to surface again, the boulder came crashing down with a thunderous boom, and the earth-dragon hastily withdrew its head. After that, only muffled sounds remained below.

Zhang Ling let out a long breath. “At last, I can sleep properly.”

The next day.

Inside the imperial capital, the crowds were as dense as ever, the carts and horses as countless as before. A carriage that looked plain on the outside yet was resplendent within rolled slowly along the main street toward the imperial palace.

Inside the carriage, a high-ranking official dressed in second-rank robes sat upright and proper. Beneath him, a maid knelt with her head lowered, skillfully applying fragrant ointment. Then she rose slowly and took her seat beside the official. Her eyes were empty, and her small, exquisite face was all the more endearing for it. The official slipped a hand into the maid’s collar and idly groped along the soft curves beneath, yet his expression never changed, as though he were some unshaken gentleman immune to temptation. The woman’s cheeks were only faintly flushed, that perfect degree of redness making her seem even more alluring. But the official knew nothing of tenderness or pity. Though the scene was richly intimate, he acted as though he saw nothing at all, closing his eyes to rest.

The woman fanned herself, spreading a sweet fragrance, her lowered gaze enchanting. Yet the official instead turned to speak with the man driving the carriage outside. “Han Yan, when we arrive at the prime minister’s residence later, no matter what the prime minister does, do not strike first.”

The middle-aged man driving the carriage did not understand at all. A mighty current of energy in his body quietly stirred, clearly triggered by the official’s words. Had an ordinary martial artist of some standing seen this, he would have been shocked beyond measure. This was a grandmaster of the highest rank.

Han Yan flicked the reins, and the horses immediately snorted in pain, eager to break into a gallop. But how could the middle-aged man allow that? He forcefully pulled them back into a slower pace before asking, “Minister Lu, why is that?”

In a single sentence, Han Yan revealed the official’s identity: he was none other than Lu Hongyan, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Lu Hongyan gave a soft laugh and did not answer. He only repeated his warning. “Just do as I say.”

When the carriage stopped before the prime minister’s residence, beside the stone lions at the gate, Lu Hongyan stepped down. The maid remained in the carriage to attend him, and the anxiety in her heart eased somewhat at last.

Lu Hongyan approached the guards and said, “Please announce me. Lu Hongyan requests an audience with the Prime Minister.”

The guards did not dare be negligent. For men who guarded gates, one need not be powerful, but one must at least know the great officials of the court, especially those who outranked their own masters. Of course, that left the small officials under them in an awkward position. To put it plainly, they could only bully the insignificant petty officers outside the gate, since who knew whether a visitor might be their master’s intimate friend or some rising talent? Thus they were courteous to everyone.

After one guard went inside to report, Minister Lu gave no thought to status or dignity and sat down right there on the steps, utterly at ease. He even beckoned Han Yan to sit as well.

The middle-aged man, however, suddenly regained some of his pride. He stayed far off by the stone lions and turned his head away, as if deliberately drawing a line between them.

The minister merely shook his head and smiled, neither angry nor offended, yielding to him as though indulging a beloved wife.

Lu Hongyan suddenly said, “Do you know which spears are the most renowned under heaven?”

Han Yan glanced back and said without haste, “In this age, the foremost famous spear is naturally the Winter Plum Spear of the Spear Immortal, Han Shan. Its searing inner force bursts forth in streams of red-gold light along the shaft, and he tempered his spear arts upon the snow-capped peaks of Mount Cang, condensing a cold inner force so pure that the spear tip gleams with white frost. It is said that it kills without spilling blood. But my defeat to him was not due to the spear itself, so I have nothing to say. Beneath the Winter Plum, of course, comes my own Daylight Gloom. After that is the Tiger Star Fox of the Heavenly Sea Sect’s Grand Master, Nie Yuanchao. As for those who follow, when it comes to spear arts, they are all beneath me. If someone is not as good as I am, I have never bothered to remember his name.”

Lu Hongyan laughed and cursed gently, “You, always so proud and always looking down on the heroes of the world. After losing to the Spear Immortal and Nie Yuanchao, you ran to me for years. I gave you a quiet little courtyard so you could ponder the spear path. Tell me honestly now: do you think you can match those two from years ago?”

Han Yan fell silent.

Lu Hongyan pressed the point, intending both to drive the lesson home and to wake him up. “Not even close!”

Just as Han Yan was about to speak, a guard from the prime minister’s residence came running out to announce them. Lu Hongyan did not care what else he had wanted to say, only gave him a look and motioned for him to follow.

The prime minister stands at the head of the officials, so his residence was naturally vast. Yet inside the estate, the furnishings were simple, with little ornamentation of carved jade or stone. Aside from that, there were many civil officials who had set aside the weapon racks filled with swords, spears, halberds, and other arms.

Han Yan looked on in fascination, thinking that there must be extraordinary experts within the prime minister’s residence, and that the prime minister valued them even more than Lu Hongyan valued him.

In the main hall, Prime Minister Xiao Qinhe paid no heed to his uninvited guest and continued sitting casually with a book in hand. Only after Lu Hongyan and his attendant bowed did the prime minister leave them hanging for a while longer before finally allowing Lu Hongyan to sit.

Han Yan stayed at his side. Seeing that no one attended the prime minister, he found it strange. From the weapons arrayed throughout the residence, there should have been skilled people here. Yet now that guests had arrived, none stood beside him?

The prime minister spoke first. “You, Lu Hongyan, suddenly come to see me. How unusual.”

As the saying goes, where there are no clear factions at court, the most bizarre things abound. Even under a flourishing reign, officials inevitably stand apart, each running their own affairs. When there is a chance to support a future emperor, even chickens and dogs may rise to heaven. Though the factions within the Chen court were now unclear, one thing could be said for certain: the prime minister and this minister were most definitely not of the same camp, which was why he spoke as he did.

Lu Hongyan answered respectfully, “Prime Minister, you bear the weight of state affairs day and night, serving as prime minister across two reigns and enjoying His Majesty’s full trust. But what you are doing now has gone somewhat too far, so much so that it has aroused His Majesty’s suspicion as well. It would not be an exaggeration to say that you are drying up the pond to catch the fish. Of course, I respect your self-sacrifice for the country, and I firmly believe that your intentions are indeed so noble. But if one spoonful of rice is divided and eaten, and in the end both sides are brought down while outsiders reap the benefit, could such a thing really be worth doing?”