Chapter 13: Lord Xiangliu Is Unhappy
"Imperial Princess, Lord Xiangliu is outside requesting an audience," Miaopu said, standing nervously on the floor.
"Who?"
"Lord Xiangliu."
Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat. It had been nearly three months since they last parted, and she hadn't had a chance to mention the matter of the city lord to him yet. Why on earth had he made such a grand and public entrance today?
"Tell the people downstairs that henceforth, whenever Lord Xiangliu comes to see me, there is no need to announce him. Just bring him straight in to meet me," Xiaoyao instructed Miaopu as she rose and walked toward the door.
Sure enough, at the entrance stood Xiangliu in his white robes and white hair, his tall figure upright. The ice crystal mask on his face emitted a cold gleam, making him look altogether cold, aloof, and solitary. Looking closer behind him, he had actually brought two attendants. Seeing Xiaoyao personally come out to greet him, Xiangliu bowed slightly, preparing to offer a formal salute. Frightened, she quickly dodged to the side and said with a smile:
"What are you doing? It's my fault—I didn't expect you to come today. I've already given instructions: from now on, when you come to see me, you don't need to wait for an announcement, just walk right in."
"What is the City Lord saying? How can the Imperial Princess Mansion be barged into so casually?"
"Are you blaming me for making you wait too long? Didn't I come out to welcome you myself, senior?" Xiaoyao tilted her head and blinked at him. "Come, I'll show you around and let you see how my residence looks."
"There's no need!"
"Did you come to see me about something? Then let's go to the back courtyard; the scenery is nice over there." With that, Xiaoyao led Xiangliu to the back courtyard.
"Miaopu put a lot of thought into this. This garden was built in the likeness of the Yiqing Garden on Mount Wushen. I named it 'Qing Garden'. Look at this pond—when I was little, I loved swimming in it, and Mother used to feed me honeydew right there." Xiaoyao's tone was flat...
Seeing the sorrowful expression on her face, Xiangliu was somewhat moved.
At that moment, Shanhu brought tea and led away the two attendants Xiangliu had brought. Both she and Miaopu retreated far down the covered walkway, leaving only the two of them sitting in the pavilion beside the pond.
Xiaoyao poured a cup of tea for Xiangliu and handed it to him.
"Lord Xiangliu, what brings you here?"
"You are the City Lord of Qingshui City, and I am right under your nose. It is only proper that I come to pay my respects," Xiangliu said formally.
"Are you blaming me for not discussing this with you in advance?"
"I wouldn't dare! The Imperial Princess holds the world in her heart, saves the dying and heals the wounded, and is loved by all. Ascending to the rule of Qingshui City is the will of the people. Why would you need to discuss it with me?"
"Must you speak to me like that?"
"Then how should I speak? City Lord?"
"You came into my Imperial Princess Mansion in such high profile today under the identity of Xiangliu—did you come specifically to pick a fight?" Xiaoyao was starting to feel displeased as well. "I didn't discuss it with you beforehand, but I merely went with the flow..."
"A fine 'going with the flow'! The Imperial Princess acts swiftly, employs brilliant methods, wins the hearts of the people, and cultivates her own faction. After all these maneuvers, I am truly deeply impressed."
"How have I played any tricks? I admit I utilized public opinion, but I merely guided it according to the situation. As for winning the hearts of the people, is it wrong of me to treat patients with all my heart and soul? I suspect someone tampered with this plague—didn't you suspect it from the beginning? Surely you don't suspect that I was behind it?"
"I have never thought that."
"It's best you didn't. If you had thought that of me for even a single second, your heart would be rotten and black."
"I didn't. I know you wouldn't."
Xiangliu's tone softened slightly, and he continued:
"When you returned this time, I distinctly felt you were very different from before, and I was also very glad for your transformation. Who would have thought that you hold grand strategies in your chest? From the current Qingshui City to Haowu Mountain, from your fief in the north to Haoling and even Xiyan—Imperial Princess, your appetite is truly not small! Could it be..." Xiangliu paused slightly. "...that you are here to pave the way for Cang Xuan, helping him encircle and annihilate my Chenrong Army?"
With a sharp *crack*, a teacup was fiercely hurled to the ground and smashed to pieces.
"Nine-Headed Demon, try saying those words again!"
Hearing the commotion, Miaopu made to step forward, but Shanhu grabbed her by the arm and shook her head.
Seeing Xiaoyao shaking all over with anger, her chest heaving up and down, and her eyes welling with tears that she stubbornly held back from falling, Xiangliu felt as though his heart had been violently clutched and gripped with pain.
"If not, what on earth are you trying to do? For the Chenrong Army? There's no need for that; the Chenrong Army has nothing whatsoever to do with you."
"Relation?"
Xiaoyao sneered. "Speaking of relations, you are the monster who has nothing whatsoever to do with the Chenrong Army! At best, you are merely Hong Jiang's adopted son, whereas Chicheng was my biological father!"
"What did you say?"
"You didn't know? Why are you playing dumb? Back then, why did Mu Fei hate me to the bone and painstakingly set up a death array to take my life? Did you not go investigate afterwards?"
Xiangliu was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Back in the great war between Chenrong and Xuanyuan, my biological parents drew swords against each other, and overnight I became an orphan. And you say these things have nothing to do with me? Afterwards, I used to wonder: were the men of Xiyan all dead, that they had to force my mother, a mere woman, to don armor and march onto the battlefield to die? But as it turned out, it was because no one could defeat my father. Grandfather seized his weakness, using my mother—his own biological daughter—as an arrow to force them into mutual destruction. His empire was built by stepping on the corpses of my father and mother. And you say this has nothing to do with me?"
Xiangliu gazed at the Xiaoyao before him, for the first time feeling she was utterly unfamiliar.
After a long silence between them, Xiangliu spoke:
"Then tell me, what do you want to do?"
Xiaoyao unrolled a spiritual map.
"I want to open up all the territories east of Haoling and south of Xiyan within the radiation range of my fief, and establish an independent kingdom of my own. Qingshui Town falls within this range; I admit that this place is a must-win for me. It's just that due to the plague, the progress has been much faster and the results much better than I anticipated."
Xiangliu looked at the map and said, "You want to become a third-party force. But the territory is too small and your strength too weak."
"Indeed, but the location is crucial. Besides, strength is something that can be grown bit by bit!" Xiaoyao glanced at Xiangliu and continued:
"The Chenrong rebel army is right within this territory. Within my sphere of influence, it brings you only benefits and no harm, doesn't it?"
"However, aren't you wholeheartedly helping Cang Xuan? Do you want to establish an independent kingdom, balance all the various factions, win over the Zhongyuan clans, devour the Chenrong rebel army, stabilize the situation of the realm, and then hand it all over to Cang Xuan on a silver platter?"
"What on earth is going on inside those nine heads of yours? Is the Chenrong Army something I can just swallow up whenever I feel like it? Besides, would I hand over the foundation I spent so much effort building just like that, casually giving it away? Am I really that magnanimous? When all is said and done, Cang Xuan is merely my cousin, not my husband. Why should I bind myself inseparably to him?"
"Haven't you been doing exactly that for the past few decades?"
"This is different. Helping Cang Xuan fight for the throne is an internal matter of the Xiyan royal family; it's either you die or I live. If Cang Xuan had failed, my uncles would undoubtedly have picked his bones completely clean, and as for me, unless I stayed hidden in Haoling forever, I wouldn't have had an easy life either.
Now, he is already the King of Xiyan, and I have done my utmost and tried my absolute best to help him, which fulfills the vow we made in our childhood. What reason do I have to continue trailing after him day in and day out as an emperor's companion?"
"So you are making plans for yourself, propping up this third-party force?"
"Yes, and no. A few days ago, Rushou came to see me—you remember, don't you?" Xiangliu nodded.
"He said Royal Father supports any well-considered decision I make, and that refers precisely to this. Royal Father originally intended to marry Anian off to Cang Xuan and then hand the entire realm of Haoling over to him, but I stopped it."
Seeing the look of astonishment on Xiangliu's face, Xiaoyao continued:
"It's not that Haoling cannot be given to him, but definitely not now. Furthermore, if he wants the world, he must take it himself through his own capability. Right now, although Cang Xuan has obtained the throne, his foundation is unsteady. To put it bluntly, he got this throne because Grandfather didn't want to watch his children and grandchildren slaughter one another, and thus forced it upon Cang Xuan using his own authority. My uncles and many court officials simply do not submit to him.
Then look at Zhongyuan: the four great households, the six major clans, and countless medium and small clans have roots that run deep and branches intertwined. If it were Grandfather, that would be one thing, but now—why should they willingly accept this young royal grandson to rule over them? Just by relying on marriage ties?
Marriage ties and bloodlines can indeed consolidate relationships, but in front of the throne, these things are utterly worthless. Look at my Royal Father and my Grandfather—when they drew their swords against their own kin and even their own flesh and blood, were they ever soft-hearted? Furthermore, if they blindly rely on marriage alliances, won't those people think Cang Xuan is just a pretty face who only knows how to bring women into his bed? And what's more..."
At this point, Xiaoyao suddenly struck the rakish pose of Wen Xiaoliu and continued:
"How many women can Cang Xuan possibly marry? Marry so many women, and even if Cang Xuan's physique could keep up, if he favors this one and slights that one, one clan will be dissatisfied today, and another clan will rebel tomorrow. Tsk... tsk... tsk..."
Xiangliu had been drinking tea, but at this, he spat a mouthful of tea all over the floor, coughing violently as he choked.
"What? Did I say something wrong? The thing Wen Xiaoliu is best at in medicine is treating infertility. Even if you, Lord Xiangliu, were to marry so many women, you wouldn't be able to hold your ground either!"
Gritting his teeth in exasperation, Xiangliu took a long time to squeeze out a sentence:
"I have never thought of marrying so many women!"
"Then how many women do you want to marry? Who do you want to marry?" Xiaoyao narrowed her eyes, asking with a half-smile.
"I... I see you're asking for a beating again!"
"Fine, fine, never mind then!
Speaking of Haoling, to the major clans of Haoling, Cang Xuan is merely a political hostage who drifted away to another state. Although he has followed Royal Father for many years and has some foundation in Haoling, and Royal Father intends to cultivate him, it probably won't be easy to make those clans willingly submit. Not to mention the Chenrong Army, who are at fire-and-water odds with him."
"Yet Cang Xuan's ambition is huge; his appetite extends far beyond Xiyan Mountain and Xuanyuan City."
"Ambition? Who doesn't have ambition? His ambition is ambition, but other people's ambitions aren't? As for the Zhongyuan and Xiyan courts, everyone is watching and waiting to see how he acts, how he governs the realm, and some malicious people are even waiting to see how he takes down Haoling. To the Haoling clans, Cang Xuan has become the 'other person' sleeping right beside their beds.
Royal Father also intended to cede the throne to Cang Xuan in order to avoid this head-on confrontation sparking warfare, but he was being too wishful. Not to mention that even ceding the throne cannot completely halt the clash of arms, who can say that after Cang Xuan takes over Haoling, there won't be a mantis waiting behind the cicada? By that time, if Royal Father wanted to take Haoling back again, it would be as hard as ascending to heaven."
"So, you want to prop up this third leg of the tripod?"
"Yes! I am the Imperial Princess of two nations, and also Cang Xuan's younger sister. My actions are the least likely to lean to one side. Haoling is my maternal home; the entire Xiyan royal family owes me a debt of gratitude; as for how the Zhongyuan clans will act, that depends on their own choice. And as for the Chenrong Army, I am the only daughter of the late Grand General and the disciple of you, their military strategist. Looking across the entire world, is there anyone more worthy of trust than me?"
Xiangliu thought for a moment, then replied:
"Next, it all depends on how Cang Xuan acts. Your existence invisibly acts as a check and balance against him, and also gives the people of the world another choice. In the future, even if Cang Xuan loses the hearts of the people, the Xiyan royal family will not be utterly defeated."
Xiaoyao looked at Xiangliu, smiled, and said nothing.