Princes and Rogues (Part 2)

PS: Helping a young friend with some advertising.

Treasure Sword www.cmfu./showbook.asp?Bl_id=13265

The book was very well written, full of flavor. It was also quite intense.

==================================================================

Eunuch Ma froze for a moment, then carefully sized Li Feng up. A bitter smile appeared on his face. Shaking his head, he pulled Little Li into the courtyard. Neither of them called for Li Feng to follow, so Li Feng could only stand lazily outside the courtyard, watching a dozen or so eunuchs return to their long benches and begin chatting listlessly. Not a single eunuch or Imperial Guard paid him any attention, and Li Feng could not be bothered to provoke them. Tilting his head back to look at the sky, he counted under his breath, "One, two, three, four..."

After quite some time, an old eunuch who had been constantly studying Li Feng finally could not hold himself back. He barked, "Hey, boy, what are you counting here? There isn't even a bird in the sky. Keep making such a racket and ruining the eunuchs' refined enjoyment, and you'll be in for it."

Li Feng lowered his head, grinned, and sidled over. With a flip of his palm, a handful of Bright Pearls appeared in his hand. Smiling, he said, "Ah, this humble fellow was counting how many mighty and imposing eunuchs there were here, preparing pearls to show filial respect to all of you. How would I dare disturb your refined enjoyment, honored eunuchs? This humble one is Li Feng. In the future, I hope all of you eunuchs will look after me, look after me well... I came to Yanjing seeking glory and wealth, seeking an opportunity to rise in the world. You are all His Highness's trusted people. Should an opportunity arise, I hope you will show me some care."

Li Feng gave a wicked grin, bent slightly at the waist, and waved his right hand from side to side. "These pearls come in all sizes. Honored eunuchs, how do you think they ought to be divided?"

The eunuchs exchanged glances. Slowly, slowly, smiles spread across their faces. Finally, they all began cackling like little hens. The old eunuch patted Li Feng's shoulder and laughed. "Ah, little brother Li Feng, you really know what is what. Fine, then—we brothers won't stand on ceremony over these pearls. If there is an opportunity in the future, we'll certainly put in plenty of good words for you." His sleeve brushed across Li Feng's palm, and Li Feng's hand instantly felt lighter. The pearls had already vanished.

The eunuchs beside them smiled until their eyes narrowed into slits. Seeing how generously Li Feng had spent, they immediately categorized him as one of those Aristocratic Clan sons born into wealth, who had attached himself to Zhu Xi in pursuit of rank and fame. How could they not fawn over him? Most men in this world pursued money, power, and women. They had the desire but lacked the strength when it came to women. As for power, they already held a little of that in their hands. Thus, all that remained was money. Whoever could give them a great deal of money was the one they would draw close to. It was that simple.

By the time Eunuch Ma emerged with Little Li, Li Feng was already sitting warmly among the eunuchs, chatting merrily with them. Li Feng casually picked out a few of the things he had experienced on the streets of Suzhou Prefecture and told them, leaving this group of eunuchs, who rarely went out, staring with their eyes wide. Even the old eunuchs occasionally exclaimed in astonishment, finding some of Li Feng's stories utterly unbelievable.

Eunuch Ma was stunned. He said softly, "This Li Feng certainly has his methods."

Little Li laughed. "He is skilled at eating, drinking, and womanizing—there is nothing he does not excel at. On top of that, he has superb martial arts, which is why our master took a liking to him. There is no need to worry about his background. When His Highness wanted to recruit him, he had the Soaring Dragon Secret Service dig through his history from top to bottom. There is guaranteed to be no problem. Other than being somewhat arrogant and strange, everything else is good."

Eunuch Ma shook his head with a bitter smile. "A little strangeness is no great matter, but excessive arrogance will cause trouble. The Second Prince is worrying that no one will stand against him. From what I see, this Li Feng is the sort who refuses to submit defeat. His appearance is soft on the outside but hard within. Once he sets his mind on something, he will carry it through even at the cost of his life. If he causes the two princes to clash head-on, that will be no good thing."

Little Li took everything upon himself. "Come now, Brother Ma, rest easy. I won't let him stir up trouble. That boy is no fool, either. The secret service reports from Suzhou Prefecture said that he fears death and has never fought anyone head-on. He only likes to strike people from behind with a club. Even if the Second Prince sends someone to trouble him, it definitely won't cause too much of a disturbance." With that, Little Li cupped his hands to bid Eunuch Ma farewell and headed toward Li Feng.

Eunuch Ma stood where he was, smiling bitterly. "Ha, striking people with a club from behind? What I fear is that he might club the Second Prince one day. Then things would truly become lively. Sigh, the guards in the First Prince's residence have never had major clashes with the Second Prince's people because they know their own strength falls short. Now this fellow has arrived, and I cannot fathom the depth of his martial arts. He is young and hot-blooded as well. What sort of trouble will he cause?"

When Li Feng saw Little Li approaching, he immediately stood and waved goodbye to the eunuchs with a smile. Little Li also bade each eunuch farewell with a beaming face before leading Li Feng toward the residence gates. As they walked, he asked Li Feng, "Ah, your methods are quite impressive. My brothers usually ignore everyone they see, so how did you become so popular?... Here, this is your waist token and your secret credential. Keep them safe. Carry the waist token on you; it will make it easier for you to travel inside and outside the city. This secret credential notes your identity, affiliation, and official rank. You would do best to leave it where you live."

After a pause, Little Li said, "The master thinks highly of you, so I have arranged for you to live closer to him. Of course, you cannot enter the inner courtyard. I will arrange for you to stay in that refined residence outside the master's inner courtyard. Commander Dugu is the only one living there now. With the two of you together, you can discuss matters if anything comes up."

Li Feng took the heavy waist token and tucked it into his belt. Holding the secret credential, he read aloud, "Li Feng, Thousand Household Officer of the Imperial Guard under the Prince of Yan's residence. How big an official is this Thousand Household Officer? Why not make this young master a Ten Thousand Household Officer?"

Little Li was furious. "Nonsense! Where is there any Ten Thousand Household Officer? I have a good relationship with Brother Ma, Eunuch Ma, and he gave you the title of Thousand Household Officer directly for my sake. Let me tell you this: as a Thousand Household Officer of the Prince of Yan's Imperial Guard, within the Prince of Yan's fiefdom, you have the authority to arrest, interrogate, and punish officials of the sixth rank and below on the spot. Do you think that is some small matter? Above you are three posts: Inspector, Pacification Commissioner, and Censor-in-Chief. Above the Censor-in-Chief is Chief Steward Eunuch Lü. Do you understand now? Do not offend the wrong person when the time comes."

Li Feng's shifty eyes swept over the two eunuchs who had just walked past. He sighed. "Sigh, there are still so many people with higher positions than mine? I do not want to become Chief Steward, but getting myself a Censor-in-Chief position would not be bad."

Little Li's expression turned very strange. He coughed and said quietly, "Little brother, becoming a Censor-in-Chief is not impossible, but the Censor-in-Chief must be a eunuch. Are you interested? If you are, I know a eunuch with very skilled hands. Castration would not hurt at all, and you would be walking again in half a month."

Li Feng's face turned ashen. He hurriedly shook his head. "Forget it, forget it. Thank you for your kindness, but this young master will at most play around as a Pacification Commissioner." What kind of bizarre official post was that? One had to be a eunuch to hold it? To cut that thing off just to become some minor official—Li Feng was reluctant indeed.

The two chatted and laughed in low voices for a while, gradually winding their way into the main courtyard of the Prince of Yan's residence. Just as they were about to leave, the side gate of the residence opened. The Second Prince, black all over and mountain-like in stature, had changed into a fitted martial outfit and rushed in with a crowd of subordinates. The two sides ran straight into each other.

When the Second Prince saw Li Feng, a malicious smile suddenly appeared on his face. He sneered, "Wasn't this fellow just now the one with broken bones, lying on the ground barking like a dead dog? How is he now alive and kicking, arriving at the residence? Little Li, tell me—was this fellow deliberately playing me for a fool just now? Hm? In all of Yanjing City, there is still someone who dares toy with me? This person has quite some nerve."

Little Li's face went pale. He hurriedly stepped forward and desperately explained, "Second Prince, Li Feng truly did not deliberately mock you. This was..."

Li Feng suddenly clutched his stomach and wailed, "Ah! Ah! Manager Li, quickly call a physician! My stomach hurts so badly. I may have suffered internal injuries. Save me! I have been beaten into internal injury!" Li Feng circulated his inner force to force cold sweat streaming down his face, and his complexion instantly turned grayish white. Trembling, he squatted down, weakly pointing at the Second Prince with his right hand. "Your Highness, your divine skill is invincible. This humble one is truly no match for you. With just a light touch from you, I became like this. Ow... This is your supreme inner art of striking the ox across the mountain, leaving your inner force behind!"

Hearing Li Feng shouting and wailing, more than a hundred patrolling guards immediately approached. The leading officers looked at Li Feng, who was squatting on the ground and howling like a mangy dog, then at the Second Prince, whose face was calm as still water and whose body had not moved in the slightest. Not knowing what had happened, they raised their hands to stop the soldiers and signaled for them to watch the excitement from the side. In the distance, several middle-aged men and old men dressed like scholars slowly appeared on the steps of the rear hall, smiling as they watched the commotion.

Li Feng howled for a while, then decided it was about time for him to faint. His body tipped to one side, and he fell to the ground stiff as a log.

The Second Prince had nothing more to say. He had indeed come for Li Feng. As soon as Zhu Xi and the others entered the city, he had received a report from the gate officials saying that Zhu Xi had recruited a young martial arts expert elsewhere. He had wanted to see just how formidable this young expert was. Who would have thought that the moment he met Li Feng, the fellow would start pretending to be a dead dog? He had chased him all the way to the Prince's residence, only for the brat to collapse straight onto the ground. How was he supposed to continue now?

The Second Prince cursed bitterly in his heart, If he were a hero, I, Zhu Geng, could knock him down without hesitation. If he were a wild beast, I would tear him apart directly. But this bastard... should I go up and punch him twice more? That would damage my own dignity. Should I grab him and tear him apart alive now? Damn it, would I still have the face to meet anyone afterward?... This hateful fellow has made me look utterly miserable. If word gets out that I beat someone who could not fight back and even shook him into serious injury, my reputation will suffer as well... Damn it, I did not use any strength at all when I struck him with my sword just now.

He stood there simmering with rage. Behind him, the fair-faced Murong Tian stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, let him go for today. At the New Year's banquet, the warriors from every residence will demonstrate their skills before His Highness. I will formally challenge him then and see what tricks he still has."

Zhu Geng fell silent for a moment before asking quietly, "This boy gives me a bad feeling. When the time comes, do not lose to him and tarnish your own reputation."

Murong Tian smiled. "Your Highness, since I began following you, I have gone into battle three hundred and fifty-nine times. When have I ever suffered defeat? Knocking him down will make exactly three hundred and sixty great victories." His right hand slowly curled into a fist, veins bulging as they displayed his powerful confidence.

Zhu Geng nodded slowly. "Fine, we will do that. When the time comes, humiliate this rogue properly for me... I want Father to see that my elder brother is worthless himself, and even those he recruits are inferior to my subordinates. Let us see whether Father will still be so partial, protecting my elder brother in everything."

Murong Tian said confidently, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I have already defeated every expert in the First Prince's residence. This newcomer will certainly be no match for me either."

Zhu Geng nodded, gave a cold snort, and cast a sideways glance at the trembling Little Li. Then he led Murong Tian and the others in great strides toward the main hall where Zhu Di discussed affairs. His stomach was full of pent-up rage, and Li Feng had provoked it until it surged upward like roaring flames. A killing intent nearly burst through his heart. He secretly resolved, There are still two old Changbai Mountain bears in the residence. When I return, I will tear them apart alive... Hmph, I still do not know what Elder Brother is saying before Father. I can use the excuse of reporting military affairs to see Father now, lest he sweet-talk Father into happiness again.

Only after Zhu Geng and his group had left did Little Li turn around and call for several guards to carry Li Feng. Shaking his head and sighing, he headed outside. As he walked, Little Li pulled faces and complained miserably to the guards. "Brothers, tell me, isn't this utterly unprovoked? The Second Prince actually beat our newly arrived little brother into serious injury the moment they met. That truly cannot be justified, can it? But what can we do? We are servants, while the Second Prince is our master. If he beat him, he beat him. What else can we do?"

The guards directly under the Prince of Yan showed slight changes in expression, and they too began to feel that it was improper. They all knew that the First Prince and Second Prince were competing for favor, but Zhu Geng had beaten Li Feng into "serious injury" without distinguishing right from wrong. That crossed the line.

Little Li said pitifully, "Sigh, please help me fetch a carriage, brothers. At least let us take my brother back to recuperate. Sigh, how pitiful. He merely happened to encounter the Second Prince on the road, yet he was beaten into this state with one punch."

The carriage arrived. Little Li climbed aboard with Li Feng in his arms and urged the driver to hurry away. Old Du, the dark-faced officer guarding the gate, shook his head and sighed for a while before returning to the gate. There, he was astonished to find that the Dragon Spring Sword placed beside the gate had vanished. He spun around in surprise and asked, "What is going on? Someone actually dared steal something placed at the Prince of Yan's residence gate? Who has such skill?"

A sharp-eyed soldier reported, "General, I saw that little brother who fainted pick up the sword himself with one hand as he passed it. Manager Li helped him onto the carriage, and they have already left... That little brother's injuries did not seem serious. The hand holding the sword was still very strong. This subordinate feared he might drop the sword, so I kindly wanted to place it in the carriage for him. Who would have thought that after pulling four or five times, I still could not pull it from his hand? His wrist strength truly is tremendous."

Old Du slapped his forehead and muttered, "Strange, strange. He was seriously injured and unconscious just now, so how does he have strength now?"

Back in the carriage, Li Feng had already rolled to his feet. Hugging the sword to his chest, he cursed, "Those guards at the Prince of Yan's residence are all damned bandits."

Little Li jumped in fright and shouted, "Do not spout nonsense! They are the dignified palace guards of the Prince's residence. How could they be bandits?"

Li Feng shouted righteously, "Just now, I was afraid the sword would get lost if I left it with them, so I grabbed it while passing by. This is a thousand taels of gleaming silver! A thousand taels! Who would have thought that some little soldier would actually try to snatch this young master's sword? Fortunately, I held it tightly. He pulled with all his might five or six times and still could not take it. Only then did this young master get my sword back. If he is not a bandit or a thief, then what is he? Damn it, just like that Second Prince, none of them are..."

Little Li clapped a hand tightly over Li Feng's mouth and cursed in a low voice, "Shut up! Do you not want to live? You dare criticize the Second Prince behind his back? Hmph, your act today was quite splendid." Little Li swiftly changed the subject, or who knew what nonsense Li Feng might say next?

Li Feng grinned smugly. "Of course it was. Wasn't it just pretending to be a grandson and begging for mercy? This young master learned that when I was three. When people were hunting me down and slashing at me, sometimes pretending to be a grandson would make a disaster pass. It was always better than taking a vicious beating... Heh, if I had not put on an act today, would the Second Prince have let me go? Would that whole group of experts around him have let me go? They would definitely have insisted on settling victory and defeat with me before they would stop."

Little Li glanced at Li Feng and asked seriously, "Then how do you judge your own skill? If you cannot handle the people the Second Prince sends out, I fear it will be difficult for you to get by in Yanjing City."

Li Feng lay back in the carriage compartment, one leg crossed over the other, and hummed, "As for something like that..."

Li Feng cursed inwardly, You dead eunuch really have no scheming at all. Even if I could defeat every subordinate of the Second Prince, even if I could punch the Second Prince to death, he is still the Prince of Yan's son. Would this young master dare fight him? If I fought privately and injured his people, they would certainly retaliate until I was dead and buried. It would be better to find an opportunity to formally accept his challenge before the Prince of Yan and defeat his man in one battle. With the Prince as witness, he would not dare act recklessly.

Li Feng did not answer Little Li's question and merely began humming a little tune to himself. Only after a long while did he say with a smile, "Running into me counts as his misfortune. He cares about face, but I, Li Feng, have never cared about such empty reputations."