Prince of Yan, Zhu Di (Part 2)

Zhu Di chuckled softly. "Eunuch Lü truly understands my heart. Geng is a fierce tiger—he can only be released to kill, not kept at home. Xi is gentle and approachable, suited to guarding the household. But compared with Geng, he is somewhat too weak. If this continues, Geng will suppress him into a useless cripple. So I have given Xi a vicious dog, to take a few bites out of those tiger claws and fangs that do not know their place. Then the realm should be at peace, shouldn't it?"

Eunuch Lü smiled. "Your Highness is wise. Li Feng does understand the rules. The Second Prince personally provoked him twice, and both times he avoided it with little tricks. Though those methods were rather unsightly, they were effective. It would not have been good if he had injured the Second Prince, nor would it have been good if the Second Prince had injured him. As things stand now, it is quite good."

Zhu Di sneered. "Geng has too many martial artists under him, so his temper has grown ever more overbearing. Mm, the methods that boy Li Feng used against him are not bad, but they cannot be a long-term solution. The third and fourth dare not speak to Geng. Only Xi... Mm..." After calculating for a long while, Zhu Di suddenly sighed toward the heavens. "Ah, being master of a household is difficult—especially where one's children are concerned. A thousand tangled threads—where does one even begin? Do those unfilial brats not know how to share their father's burdens?"

Eunuch Lü was silent for quite some time before he cautiously said, "Your Highness, why not try letting go of some matters and allow the princes to handle them? They ought to learn how to manage affairs as well."

Cold light flashed in Zhu Di's eyes. He pondered for a while, then said quietly, "You mean, let them begin handling matters? Letting Geng reorganize military affairs is fine; that is what interests him. As for the others, only..." Eunuch Lü nodded lightly behind him, his face full of an indescribably strange expression.

Beaming with delight, Zhu Xi returned to his residence with Li Feng. Little Li, who had gone to the Prince of Yan's residence to report the news, was waiting outside the gates. The moment he saw Zhu Xi return, he sprang forward and repeatedly offered congratulations. "Congratulations, Master! Congratulations! This time, Master has truly held his head high! The Prince has given you six guards' worth of troops—what an enormous blessing! Let us see whether those people over there still dare act recklessly before Master... Ah, and congratulations to Deputy Commander Li as well! You defeated Murong Tian so thoroughly this time that all Yanjing City will be shaken. You are unquestionably Yanjing City's foremost swordsman!"

Li Feng waved with a grin. "Too kind, too kind. This is all thanks to the shopkeeper's... Ah, His Highness's good fortune. I merely used a few little tricks and let Murong Tian suffer a minor loss. It is nothing worth mentioning." Inwardly, Li Feng thought, This Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, is the truly formidable one. He holds everything in his grasp, yet pretends to know nothing. Heh, Zhu Geng still thinks his father knows nothing and lets him do whatever he wants. Well now, a huge iron plate has come crashing down—hasn't he lost his shirt?

Li Feng repeatedly warned himself, Zhu Di's schemes run too deep, far too deep. I must be careful in the future. If I make some mistake and he mobilizes several thousand troops against me, then even if I exhaust myself to death, I still will not be able to fight my way out.

Zhu Xi took Li Feng by the arm and laughed loudly. "Commander Li—oh, now it should be Adjutant Li—you are far too modest, far too modest! Hahaha! If not for you, our residence would have lost all face. Hehehe, serve me well from now on, and I will certainly not treat you poorly. What is a mere adjutant? Above that are military commander, regional commander, and other posts. When the time comes, I will recommend you with all my strength and surely let you soar like a dragon and phoenix."

Zhu Xi was overjoyed, so he made this promise before so many people. Li Feng naturally put on a show of thanks, then entered the residence hand in hand with Zhu Xi.

The sound of hoofbeats rose. Two richly dressed youths galloped over on fine horses, followed by more than a hundred burly men in brocade robes. They began shouting from afar, "Big Brother, Big Brother, wonderful news! We heard you received six guards' worth of troops? Now we will have plenty of prestige!"

Zhu Xi smiled and said to Li Feng, "My third brother, Zhu Ren, and fourth brother, Zhu Yi, have always been close to me. I heard they had gone hunting at the hunting lodge on Fragrant Hill recently. I did not expect them to rush back so eagerly today. They have arrived just in time to congratulate me." After introducing the two youths to Li Feng, Zhu Xi strode forward to greet them, laughing. "What timing you have! Why did you come rushing back at this very moment? Weren't you hunting? How many rabbits and pheasants did you catch? Bring them out today so we can drink and make merry."

Zhu Ren, whose nose was slightly hooked, leapt off his horse and boasted smugly, "Plenty of rabbits and pheasants, but I had another gain. I hunted a black bear that was sleeping foolishly in its cave. And in a village within Fragrant Hill, I found a girl sweeter than dripping honey. Hehe, I have already sent her back to my residence. This winter will be quite enjoyable."

Zhu Yi, whose eyebrows slanted upward slightly and whose eye sockets were ringed with a faint bluish black, also dismounted. Somewhat indignant, he said, "Stop showing off before Big Brother. I was the one who found that girl. I had only played with her for two days before you traded three dancers for her. If not for those sister blossoms of yours, would I have traded with you?"

Zhu Ren gave a strange chuckle. "Fourth Brother, you already plucked her first bloom, so why are you still arguing with me? Those sister blossoms of mine cost a great price to obtain from the Western Regions. Did you think they were easy to come by? We merely exchanged them for a little amusement. When you want them again, we can trade back."

Standing nearby, Li Feng clicked his tongue in amazement. At last, he understood what sort of people these two princes were. What shocked him was that both princes possessed fairly strong martial arts. They appeared to have undergone more than a decade of hard training. He truly did not know how they could maintain such standards while drowning themselves in wine and women. Even stranger, Zhu Xi seemed to know no martial arts at all, yet was instead gifted in literary talent and romantic elegance. Could Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, have arranged it deliberately?

Zhu Xi had already pulled Li Feng over and proudly introduced him to the two. "This is Big Brother's capable right-hand man, Li Feng. Just now, he gave Murong Tian a vicious beating. Hehe, I think Big Brother will not be able to get out of bed for at least a month." Zhu Xi was immensely proud, especially when he saw the envy mixed with jealousy in his two brothers' eyes.

The three princes entered the residence hand in hand, with Li Feng, Little Li, and several close guards following behind. They intended to drink and make merry. The game Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi had caught on Fragrant Hill was carried inside by servants and delivered to the kitchens. Zhu Xi was in excellent spirits. This time, he had given Zhu Geng a fierce slap across the face—and it had been Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan himself, who delivered that slap. Zhu Geng would find it difficult even to vent his anger. How could Zhu Xi not be happy?

After the group had settled in the warm hall of the rear courtyard, Zhu Xi rose to his feet, raised his wine cup, and smiled. "Today, I have an order to give as well. Beginning tomorrow, Little Li will oversee all internal affairs of the residence, while all external matters will be handed to Li Feng. From now on, everyone will address him as Manager Li... Mm, when Dugu Sheng and the others return, tell Dugu Sheng that he is now Deputy Commander of the Guards. The chief commander has been replaced by Li Feng. I imagine he should accept it. If he does not, then ask Dugu Sheng to leave."

Li Feng gave a dry laugh. He felt that the title Manager Li sounded rather like a eunuch's title, which made him deeply uncomfortable. Moreover, he had now clearly seen Zhu Xi's temperament: once he had someone new, he forgot the old. He was a man with little human feeling. To him, people were much like objects—once used, they could be discarded. Naturally, he would value useful things greatly, but as for useless things, there would naturally be no emotion left for them at all.

Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi paid no attention to this. These were Zhu Xi's own household affairs, after all. Their lecherous eyes swept back and forth over the maidservants in Zhu Xi's residence, as if judging whether any were worth setting their hands on. Given their usual conduct, they would probably directly ask Zhu Xi for people.

After a while, steaming hot game dishes were served. Everyone shouted and drank wildly, reveling to their hearts' content. Just as the drinking was at its liveliest, an old eunuch entered and directly announced Zhu Di's command, ordering Zhu Xi to take charge of part of the Prince of Yan's revenues. In other words, Zhu Xi could formally take over certain businesses under the Prince of Yan's residence and use his abilities to produce as much silver as possible. When Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi heard this appointment, their eyes went wide. Looking at Zhu Xi, it was as though they had seen a golden child statue.

Li Feng glanced at Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi and thought, Strange. Have these two princes been driven mad by poverty? Why are they so enthusiastic the moment they hear about money?

At that moment, in Zhu Geng's residence, Zhu Geng, who had just returned from the southern military camp, visited the unconscious Murong Tian. An elderly imperial physician sucked in a breath of cold air and said, "Your Highness, that kick was truly vicious. If the toe had shifted even three-tenths lower, General Murong would have been ruined for life. He would certainly have been impotent forever. If it had landed another inch toward the middle, General Murong's cultivation would have been finished as well. Judging by the force behind that kick, his dantian energy point would certainly have been destroyed."

The elderly imperial physician shook his head. "That person showed mercy. Otherwise, it would not have caused only this much damage."

Zhu Geng flew into a rage. Killing Intent flashed in his eyes as he seized the elderly physician by the neck and lifted him up. He roared, "Then should I thank that bastard? You old fool, get the hell out!" He flung the pitiful elderly physician straight out through the door.

Carefully lifting the blanket from Murong Tian's body, Zhu Geng, seeing Murong Tian's injury for the first time, could not help drawing in a breath of cold air. On Murong Tian's lower abdomen was a bluish-purple footprint raised half an inch above the skin. This had been caused by an unimaginably swift burst of tremendous force. Then he looked at the shattered armor placed beside Murong Tian's bed. Zhu Geng slowly exhaled and sighed. "That boy really did show mercy. Otherwise, if that kick had gone from below upward, it could have taken Murong's life on the spot."

Fierce light flickered in his eyes for a moment before Zhu Geng sneered. "Royal Brother, you have found yourself a fine helper. But this is not over. Once Murong recovers, we will settle things slowly. Do you think Murong is the only man under me? Hmph. At this year's New Year's Eve banquet, I will make you look good. Li Feng, Li Feng, Li Feng... I want to see whether you can still show your face in Yanjing City after making a fool of yourself before the civil and military officials. Lei Xiaotian, are you confident you can defeat that boy?"

A burly man with a short build, knotted muscles all over his body, a face covered in thick beard, and eyes that seemed to contain only black pupils answered in a deep voice, "Yes."

Zhu Geng looked at him without speaking. Lei Xiaotian sneered. "Li Feng is very strong. Perhaps he is even stronger than Murong. But my arm strength exceeds Murong's by thirty percent. His strength should not be a match for mine. Murong's swordsmanship is used to kill on the battlefield, while mine is precisely the swordsmanship used in the martial world to kill people. Li Feng uses the methods of martial artists. I will kill him."

A vicious smile appeared on Zhu Geng's face. "Kill him? No. Blood must not be spilled at the New Year's Eve banquet. Just cripple him. I want to see whether my eldest brother can still be so pleased with himself when he sees his capable subordinate crippled by you."

Zhu Geng paced several circles around the room before erupting into furious curses. "Father has gone senile! He actually handed Murong's six guards' worth of soldiers to Eldest Brother. Does Eldest Brother know how to lead troops? Does he know how to train soldiers? Does he know how to march and wage war? Six guards of elite troops! He truly has gone senile. Even if Murong made a mistake and mobilized troops without permission, I am still the commander of those troops! Those six guards' worth of soldiers should have been given to me no matter what."

Biting his lips hard, Zhu Geng gripped the purple-gold paperweight on the table. Under his tremendous strength, the lion-shaped paperweight was slowly crushed into a gold bar. Zhu Geng said darkly, "Has Father truly gone senile? Eldest Brother is so useless, yet Father still favors him so much? I am the most capable one in the Prince of Yan's residence, hmph. I will let Father know that I am the heir most suited to inherit the Prince of Yan's residence." Zhu Geng smashed the gold bar viciously onto the floor, shattering a large section of blue brick.

A young eunuch from Zhu Geng's residence rushed in at top speed, kowtowed, and cried out, "Master, we have just received word that the old Prince has handed some of the Prince of Yan's affairs to the Eldest Prince to manage. They include several fisheries, estates, forests in Liaodong, and shops in various places—roughly thirty percent of all the Prince of Yan's businesses."

Zhu Geng's eyes instantly turned blood-red. He launched a flying kick into the young eunuch's chest and howled madly, "You disaster star! Do you only know how to report such bastard news? Can you not bring me even one scrap of good news?" The enormous force sent the young eunuch, who was only thirteen or fourteen, flying a full hundred feet. He crashed heavily into the courtyard wall outside, and his little head burst against it like a rotten watermelon.

Zhu Geng suddenly seized Lei Xiaotian by the collar. With a flex of both arms, Lei Xiaotian had no strength even to resist before Zhu Geng lifted him one-handed. Zhu Geng stared at him icily and said in a low voice, "No matter what, kill him at the New Year's Eve banquet. Kill him for me. Kill that Li Feng. I want to watch Eldest Brother cry. The more viciously you strike, the better. The more cruelly you strike, the better. It would be best if you tear him into pieces for me."

Zhu Geng had already fallen into a half-mad state. Gritting his teeth, he cursed at the heavens. "Old bastard, you truly have gone senile! What is so good about Eldest Brother? You actually gave him thirty percent of the revenues to manage? Do you not know my army needs money? Without money, what am I supposed to use to wage war? Damn it, damn it... It must have been that old eunuch Lü who gave him this rotten idea. It must have been him. Otherwise, Eldest Brother never concerns himself with anything on ordinary days. He only knows how to drink and compose poetry all day long. He would never have made such a request."

Zhu Geng clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes blazing with fury. The sight chilled Lei Xiaotian to the bone; he feared Zhu Geng might simply tear him alive on the spot. Lei Xiaotian knew full well that he was not as sturdy as a black bear from Changbai Mountain. Zhu Geng would not need much effort to tear him apart.

Within the Prince of Yan's residence, Zhu Di sat on a cushioned couch and slowly tossed a secret report into the brazier before him, burning it into ashes. His face did not change in the slightest as he slowly leaned back against the couch. The old eunuch Lü stood obediently at his side, not daring to say a word.

After a long while, Zhu Di finally sighed. "So be it. Arranging people to watch one's own son is something I have no choice but to do. Who knows what the second child might do if he is not watched? Hehe, old and senile? He certainly enjoys cursing me... If he were not my son, I would have slapped him to death long ago. Useless thing. Manager Lü, once the New Year is over, mobilize thirty thousand troops and have the second child lead them north. Some Mongol tribes have recently begun colluding with one another again. Wipe them out for me. Within five hundred li, leave no survivors."

Eunuch Lü froze for a moment, then said quietly, "Sending troops out in the depths of winter may not be wise, Your Highness."

Zhu Di shook his head with some impatience. "Those Tatars can endure living in tents. If our soldiers cannot endure it, how can we rely on them in the future? Tell the second child to advance step by step, wiping out every tribe he encounters. Seize all their cattle, sheep, and horses and bring them back. Mm, seize the Tatar women as well. Send them to Liaodong and throw them into the lumber camps deep in the mountains to serve as prostitutes."

Eunuch Lü slowly nodded and accepted the order.

Cold light flashed in Zhu Di's triangular eyes as he said grimly, "My son, you want Lei Xiaotian to kill Li Feng at the New Year's Eve banquet, and even tear him to pieces. Hehe, you truly know how to find auspicious things for your father to deal with. On New Year's Day, you still want to see blood? Hmph. We shall see whether Lei Xiaotian is useful..."

After pondering for a while, Zhu Di sighed. "Those guards in Eldest Brother's residence who are truly useless should all be dismissed. Select a dozen or so skilled men from the Imperial Guard and send them in. Choose several eunuchs under your command whose training is sufficiently advanced as well. Little Li is clever enough, but unfortunately his skill is too poor. He cannot protect Eldest Brother... Secretly draw out a sum of silver from the inner treasury and hand it privately to Li Feng. Let Li Feng select a group of people from the martial world and station them in Eldest Brother's residence."

Zhu Di shook his head helplessly. "This second child... If Eldest Brother's strength is not increased, he would truly dare send men to assassinate Eldest Brother. Perhaps he might even turn his thoughts toward me. Heh, the bloodline of our Zhu family truly is..." After a sigh of emotion, Zhu Di slowly closed his eyes. "I am tired as well. Manager Lü, go rest too. All affairs depend on you."

Eunuch Lü slowly bowed, gently covered Zhu Di with a blanket, then quietly left the room and pulled the door shut behind him...

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