Prince of Yan Zhu Di (Part 2)

Zhu Di chuckled, "Eunuch Lü truly knows my heart. Geng'er is a fierce tiger, meant to be unleashed to kill, not kept at home. Xi'er is kind and approachable, suited for guarding the home, but compared to Geng'er, he is too weak. If this continues, Geng'er will suppress him into uselessness. Therefore, I have paired Xi'er with a vicious dog to tear at the claws and teeth of the tiger that doesn't know its place. Then, the world will be peaceful, won't it?"

Eunuch Lü smiled, "Your Highness is wise. Li Feng indeed knows his place. The Second Prince provoked him twice, and he avoided it with minor tricks. Although those tricks were unsavory, they were effective. Otherwise, if he had injured the Second Prince, it would have been bad, and if he had been injured by the Second Prince, it would also have been bad. This current situation is quite good."

Zhu Di sneered, "Geng'er has too many martial artists under him, so his temper has become increasingly arrogant. Hmm, the methods that young Li Feng uses against him are quite good, but ultimately, it's not a solution. The Third and Fourth Princes dare not speak to Geng'er, only Xi'er... Hmm..." After pondering for a long time, Zhu Di suddenly sighed to the heavens, "Alas, ruling a family is difficult, especially concerning one's children. So many threads, where to begin? These unruly brats, don't they know how to share my worries?"

Eunuch Lü was silent for a while, then he cautiously said, "Your Highness, why don't you try to let go of some matters and let the princes try to handle them? They should also learn how to manage affairs."

Zhu Di's eyes shot out a cold light. He pondered and said in a low voice, "You mean, let them start handling things? Geng'er reorganizing the military is one thing, that's his interest. As for the others, there's only..." Eunuch Lü nodded gently behind him, his face showing an indescribable strange expression.

Jubilant Zhu Xi returned to the mansion with Li Feng. Little Li, who had gone to the Prince of Yan's mansion to deliver news, was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Zhu Xi return, Little Li immediately bounced over, congratulating him repeatedly, "Congratulations, Master, congratulations, Master! You've truly held your head high this time. The Prince has given you six guards, this is a momentous occasion! Let's see if those people dare to be presumptuous in front of you anymore... Oh, and congratulations to Deputy Commander Li. You defeated Murong Tian this time, the entire Yanjing City will be abuzz. The number one swordsman in Yanjing City, it must be you."

Li Feng waved with a smile, "You're too kind, too kind. This is all thanks to the shopkeeper... ah, the Prince's good fortune. I merely used a few small tricks to make Murong Tian suffer a minor loss, it's nothing." Li Feng secretly thought, "This Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, is the truly formidable one. He holds everything in his hands yet pretends to know nothing. Heh, that Zhu Geng still thinks his father knows nothing and lets him do whatever he wants. Now, a massive iron slab has fallen, and he's lost his investment, hasn't he?"

Li Feng constantly warned himself, "Zhu Di's schemes are too deep, too deep. I must be careful in my actions from now on, lest I make a mistake and he dispatches thousands of troops. Even if I exhaust myself to death, I won't be able to break through."

Zhu Xi, however, linked arms with Li Feng and laughed heartily, "Commander Li, oh, now it's Deputy General Li, you are too polite, too polite, hahaha. If it weren't for you, our mansion would have lost all face. Hehe, if you serve me diligently from now on, I will never mistreat you. What is a mere deputy general? There are higher military ranks like General and Commander-in-Chief. I will strongly recommend you, and you will definitely rise to prominence."

Zhu Xi was overjoyed, so he made promises in front of everyone. Li Feng naturally thanked him with feigned politeness and entered the mansion hand in hand with Zhu Xi.

The sound of horses' hooves arose, and two young men, dressed in bright, embroidered robes and riding spirited horses, followed by over a hundred burly men in Imperial Guard uniforms, galloped towards them. They were shouting from afar, "Big Brother, Big Brother, good news! We heard you got six guards? Now we'll have something to be proud of."

Zhu Xi smiled and said to Li Feng, "These are my third brother Zhu Ren and fourth brother Zhu Yi. They have always been close to me. I recently heard they went hunting at the hunting estate on Xiangshan Mountain. I didn't expect them to rush back today, it's just in time for them to congratulate me." After introducing the two youths to Li Feng, Zhu Xi strode forward to meet them, smiling, "What a coincidence! Why are you rushing back so eagerly? Weren't you hunting? How many rabbits and pheasants did you catch? Bring them today to go with our wine and entertainment."

Zhu Ren, with a slightly hooked nose, dismounted and boasted proudly, "Quite a few rabbits and pheasants, but I had another harvest. I hunted a black bear that was foolishly sleeping in its den, and I also found a girl in a village within Xiangshan who is as sweet as honey. Hehe, she's already been sent back to the mansion, so this winter will be enjoyable."

Zhu Yi, with slightly upturned eyebrows and dark circles around his eyes, also dismounted, saying indignantly, "Stop boasting to Big Brother. I was the one who found that girl. You only had her for two days before you traded her for your two dancing girls. If it weren't for your twin sisters, would I have traded with you?"

Zhu Ren chuckled sinisterly, "Fourth Brother, you've already plucked the first fruit from that girl, why are you still arguing with me? I spent a great deal of money to get my pair of dancing sisters from the Western Regions, do you think it was easy? We just exchanged them for fun, and we can trade them back when we want them again, can't we?"

Li Feng stood to the side, clicking his tongue in amazement. He finally understood what kind of men these two princes were. What surprised him was that these two princes also possessed considerable martial arts skills, appearing to have practiced diligently for over a decade. It was truly baffling how they managed to maintain such a level while indulging in their extravagant lifestyles. It was also strange that Zhu Xi seemed to possess no martial arts skills at all, instead excelling in literary talent and romantic charm. Was it possible that Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, had arranged it this way intentionally?

Zhu Xi had already taken Li Feng by the arm and proudly introduced him to the two brothers, "This is my capable subordinate, Li Feng. He just gave Murong Tian a good beating. Hehe, Big Brother estimates he won't be able to get up for at least a month." Zhu Xi was beaming with pride, especially seeing the envious and jealous looks on his brothers' faces, which made him even happier.

The three princes walked into the mansion hand in hand, with Li Feng, Little Li, and a few close guards following behind, preparing for a night of feasting and drinking. The game hunted by Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi on Xiangshan Mountain was carried in by the servants and taken to the kitchen. Zhu Xi was in high spirits. This time, he had given Zhu Geng a resounding slap in the face, and it was a slap from Prince of Yan, Zhu Di himself. It would be difficult for Zhu Geng to retaliate, so why wouldn't he be happy?

The group settled in the warm hall in the backyard. Zhu Xi stood up, raised his wine cup, and said with a smile, "Today, I have also decreed something. Starting tomorrow, Little Li will be in charge of all domestic affairs in the mansion, and Li Feng will handle all external matters. From now on, everyone will address him as Supervisor Li... Hmm, when Dugu Sheng and the others return, tell Dugu Sheng that he is now the Deputy Commander of the Guards, and Li Feng is the new Commander. I believe he will accept it. If not, then tell Dugu Sheng to leave."

Li Feng gave a dry laugh. He felt that the title of Supervisor Li sounded similar to that of a eunuch, and he felt quite awkward. Especially since he had seen through Zhu Xi's character – he was someone who forgot the old when the new arrived, a person devoid of human kindness. To him, people were like objects, to be discarded after use. Of course, he would value useful things greatly, but for useless things, there would naturally be no affection.

Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi paid no mind to these matters; they were Zhu Xi's own household affairs. Their lustful eyes were fixed on the maids in Zhu Xi's mansion, scanning for potential targets. Judging by their usual behavior, they would likely directly ask Zhu Xi for them.

After a while, the steaming hot game was served. Everyone cheered and drank heartily, reveling to their fullest. Just as they were drinking merrily, an old eunuch entered and directly announced Prince of Yan Zhu Di's decree, assigning Zhu Xi responsibility for a portion of the Prince of Yan's mansion's revenue. This meant Zhu Xi could officially take over some of the Prince of Yan's mansion's businesses and generate as much silver as his abilities allowed. Upon hearing this appointment, Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi's eyes widened, and they looked at Zhu Xi as if he were a golden idol.

Li Feng glanced at Zhu Ren and Zhu Yi, secretly thinking, "Strange, are these two princes desperately poor? Why are they so enthusiastic upon hearing about money?"

Meanwhile, in Zhu Geng's mansion, Zhu Geng, who had just returned from the Southern Great Camp, visited the unconscious Murong Tian. An old imperial physician said with a gasp, "Your Highness, this kick was truly vicious. If the tip of the foot had been even three fen lower, General Murong would have been ruined for life, definitely impotent. If it had been an inch further towards the center, General Murong's entire cultivation would have been finished. Looking at the force of this kick, his dantian and qi acupoints must have been destroyed."

The old imperial physician shook his head, "This person showed mercy, otherwise it wouldn't have resulted in just this."

Zhu Geng was furious. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He grabbed the old imperial physician by the neck and roared, "So, should I thank that bastard? You old fool, get out of here!" He lifted the pathetic old imperial physician and threw him out of the room.

Carefully lifting the quilt off Murong Tian, Zhu Geng couldn't help but gasp for air for the first time seeing Murong Tian's injuries. On Murong Tian's lower abdomen, a purplish-blue footprint was raised half an inch high. This was the result of an incredibly fast and powerful strike. Looking at the shattered armor placed by Murong Tian's bedside, Zhu Geng slowly exhaled and sighed, "That kid really did show mercy. Otherwise, if this kick had been delivered from bottom to top, it would have killed Murong on the spot."

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and Zhu Geng sneered, "Brother, you've found a good helper, but we're not done yet. When Murong recovers, we'll settle this slowly. Do you think I only have Murong under me? Humph, at this year's New Year's Eve banquet, I'll make you pay. Li Feng, Li Feng, Li Feng... I want to see if you'll still have the face to stay in Yanjing City after making a fool of yourself in front of all the civil and military officials. Lei Xiaotian, do you have the confidence to defeat that kid?"

A short, muscular man with a full beard and eyes that seemed to consist only of black pupils said in a deep voice, "Yes."

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

A vicious smile appeared on Zhu Geng's face, "Kill him? No, there should be no bloodshed at the New Year's Eve banquet. Just cripple him. I want to see if my elder brother will still be so smug when he sees his capable subordinate crippled by you."

Zhu Geng paced around the room a few times, angrily cursing, "Father is senile. He actually handed Murong's six guards to Big Brother. Does Big Brother know how to lead troops? Does he know how to train soldiers? Does he know how to march and fight? Six elite guards, he's truly senile. Even if Murong made a mistake and mobilized troops privately, shouldn't the commander of these troops be me? Those six guards should have been given to me no matter what."

Biting his lip tightly, Zhu Geng gripped the purple-gold paperweight on the table. The lion-shaped paperweight was slowly crushed into a gold bar by his immense strength. Zhu Geng said sinisterly, "Is Father truly senile? He dotes on Big Brother, such a useless person. I am the most talented in the Prince of Yan's mansion, humph. I will let Father know that I am the most suitable heir to the Prince of Yan's mansion." The gold bar was smashed to the ground by Zhu Geng, shattering a large piece of the bluestone brick.

A small eunuch from Zhu Geng's mansion ran in quickly, kowtowing and shouting, "Master, I just received news that the old Prince has handed over some affairs of the Prince of Yan's mansion to the First Prince. This includes several fishing grounds, manors, and forests in Liaodong, as well as shops in various locations, accounting for about thirty percent of the Prince of Yan's mansion's total businesses."

Zhu Geng's eyes instantly turned blood red. He kicked the small eunuch in the chest, roaring madly, "You bringer of disaster, do you only know how to report such damnable news? Don't you have any good news for me?" The immense force sent the thirteen or fourteen-year-old small eunuch flying ten zhang, crashing heavily against the outer courtyard wall, his small head exploding like a rotten watermelon against the wall.

Zhu Geng suddenly grabbed Lei Xiaotian by the collar, and with a surge of strength in his arms, Lei Xiaotian was unable to resist and was lifted up by Zhu Geng with one hand. Zhu Geng looked at him coldly and said in a low voice, "No matter what, at the New Year's Eve banquet, kill him, kill him for me. Kill that Li Feng, I want to see Big Brother cry. The more vicious your attack, the more brutal, the better. It's best if you tear him to pieces."

Zhu Geng had fallen into a semi-frenzied state. He gritted his teeth and cursed the heavens, "Old man, you are truly senile. What's so good about Big Brother? You actually let him manage thirty percent of the revenue? Don't my troops need money? Without money, how can I fight? Damn it, damn it... It must be that old eunuch Lü's bad idea, it must be him. Otherwise, Big Brother never manages anything, he only knows how to drink wine and compose poetry all day, he wouldn't make such a request."

Zhu Geng clenched his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury. Lei Xiaotian felt a chill in his heart, fearing that Zhu Geng would tear him apart alive. Lei Xiaotian knew clearly that he was not as sturdy as a bear from Changbai Mountain. If Zhu Geng wanted to tear him apart, it wouldn't take much effort.

Inside the Prince of Yan's mansion, Zhu Di, sitting on a soft couch, slowly threw a secret report into the charcoal brazier in front of him, burning it to ashes. Without any expression, he slowly leaned back on the couch. Old Eunuch Lü stood faithfully by his side, not daring to say a word.

After a long time, Zhu Di finally sighed, "Fine, arranging for people to monitor my own sons is also a last resort. Who knows, if the Second Prince isn't kept in check, who knows what he might do. Heh heh, old fool? Am I senile? He curses so happily... If he weren't my son, I would have killed him with a palm strike, useless thing. Supervisor Lü, after the New Year, mobilize thirty thousand troops and let the Second Prince lead them north. Those Mongolian Tartars have recently had some tribes colluding with each other. Go and raze them to the ground. Within five hundred li, leave no one alive."

Eunuch Lü was stunned for a moment and said in a low voice, "It might not be good to send troops in the middle of winter, Your Highness?"

Zhu Di shook his head impatiently, "Those Tartars can endure living in tents, if our soldiers cannot, how can we trust them in the future? Tell the Second Prince to advance step by step, raze every tribe he encounters, and seize all their cattle, sheep, and horses. Hmm, also seize the Tartar women and send them to Liaodong, throw them into the logging camps in the deep mountains as prostitutes."

Eunuch Lü nodded slowly and agreed.

A cold light flashed in Zhu Di's triangular eyes. He said grimly, "My son, you want Lei Xiaotian to kill Li Feng at the New Year's Eve banquet and tear him to pieces. Heh heh, you're really finding some auspicious things for your old father to do. During the New Year, you still want bloodshed? Humph, let's see if that Lei Xiaotian is useful..."

After pondering for a while, Zhu Di sighed, "The guards in the First Prince's mansion are truly useless, dismiss them all. Select a dozen skilled men from the 'Imperial Guard' to go in. You also pick a few eunuchs under your command who have sufficient skill. That Little Li, he's clever enough, but his cultivation is too poor, he can't protect the First Prince..." Secretly allocate a sum of silver from the inner treasury and privately give it to Li Feng, letting Li Feng select a group of people from the martial arts world to station in the First Prince's mansion.

Zhu Di shook his head helplessly, "This Second Prince, if he doesn't strengthen the First Prince's power, he will truly dare to send people to assassinate the First Prince, and perhaps even target me. Heh, our Zhu family's bloodline, truly..." After a sigh, Zhu Di slowly closed his eyes, "I am also tired, Supervisor Lü, you should go and rest. All matters depend on you."

Eunuch Lü bowed slowly, gently placed a blanket over Zhu Di, and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind him