Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 3

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 3 – The Two Dimples

After taking a relaxing bath in a fragrant hot bath, taking off the hemp garment and straw sandals that made him look like a beggar or a refugee, putting on the brocade clothes and jade garment befitting of the son of a big family influential for generations, and shaving off his stubble, Xu Fengnian was actually quite a handsome, eye-catching gongzi ge [young master, elder brother]. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Lingzhou’s six or seven red-flower-chief [popular] pleasure house owners with no lack of vision and high aspiration, in order to compete for his affection, they schemed desperately for this Beiliang Wang Shizi’s extravagant gratuity. Although this Shizi Dianxia often spent money in vain in a no-good shady business of buying poetry [sorry, I have no idea], but he was proficient in petty talk, he could play chess [game of Go], chat about feminine arts [e.g. needlework], listen to guqin [zither] playing, and watch dance music. In short, he was a close friend who could warm the cavity in woman’s heart.

In the Beiliang Wangfu, which rookie maidservant with slightly bulging breasts has never been touched by him? But she could only blush in private and spoke a few words, no one really loathed him. At the very least, this young master [as in master/servant relationship] was not a ruthless guy, the kind of person who, at the slightest disagreement, would beat his servant to death, or throw him into the well, or make mincemeat out of him and feed it to the dogs.

A certain Li Gongzi of Fengzhou, adjacent to Lingzhou, was the son of the governor who claimed to have grown up wearing the same crotch of trousers as Xu Shizi, he was precisely the kind of master who liked to commit shady business that incited the wrath of Heaven by throwing people into a cage full of beasts to feed the animals. Comparing this pair, the people in the King’s Mansion were particularly deeply grateful toward this Shizi Dianxia. _{Translated by foxs}

If there was anyone in the King’s mansion who dared to look face-to-face with Xu Fengnian with glaring eyes, without concealing her hatred the slightest bit, it would be Jiang Ni, a maidservant who, at this moment, distanced herself from the smiling and acting cleverly to get what he desired from the servant girls.

She entered the Beiliang Wangfu at the age of twelve. At that time, the Da Zhu Guo had just destroyed the considered-themselves-unexcelled-in-the-world Western Chu Imperial Court. He took the lead to charge into the imperial palace. Unlike the Great General who was subsequently stationed in Da Huang [Great Phoenix] City and enjoyed the women in city as much as possible, from the imperial concubines at the top, down to the female members of the cabinet ministers, Xu Xiao was not a lecher, he was not interested in the Western Chu Emperor’s imperial concubines, so much so that he did not stop the Empress, who was ready to die to preserve her chastity by hanging herself to die together with the Western Chu Emperor for their country. It was even rumored that Xu Xiao personally presented a zhang [unit of length, equal to approx. 10ft or 3.3m] of white thin silk.

In Western Chu, Jiang was the imperial surname, belonging exclusively to the imperial household, hence it was inevitable that some people would speculate about this young girl’s origin, only with the annihilation of Western Chu, all kinds of speculation faded away, and dust turned into dust.

Naturally Xu Fengnian knew better than anyone else the secret identity of this maidservant surnamed Jiang. He cast a sidelong glance at the slender and elegant maidservant Jiang Ni, raised his hand and waved the rest of the maidservants away. Only after they had gone far that he said with a giggle:

“Why, Taiping Gongzhu [Princess Taiping, in this case, it means the emperor’s daughter] is very disappointed that I didn’t die in a foreign country? Don’t worry, since I haven’t helped you breaking the melon [deflower a virgin], I really don’t want to die. Tsk tsk, Gongzhu, your breasts are showing more and more peaks and ridges, up and down, I think it would be more fitting to call you Buping Gongzhu [taiping – peace and security, but literally means great/too much level/flat, buping – not flat, uneven (surface)].” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Jiang Ni, who used to be a princess in the past but today was reduced to be a maidservant bearing the hatred toward the enemy kingdom, did not show any movement of her inner feelings; wooden face, her pair of eyes gloomy, she really wished to bite this Dengtu Zi [famous lecherous character, skirt chaser] to death.

Hidden in her sleeve was a dagger, ‘Shen Fu’ [divine talisman], which history books praised for its beauty and was worth twelve cities. As soon as there was the slightest bit of chance, she, who could not bear to kill a chicken, would cut off Xu Fengnian’s head without the slightest hesitation. However, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man in casual [civilian] clothes, she had no choice but to fight with all she had to restrain the urge. _{Translated by foxs}

The man looked to be over the age of thirty, nine chi [Chinese foot, about 1/3 meter] tall, his appearance imposing, firm and resolute, his face was like a jade crown, like a jade tree facing the wind, squinting his eyes all the year round, as if he was sleepy. He was precisely Yuan Zuozong, the ‘Zuo Xiong’ [left bear], one of the six adopted sons of the King of Beiliang, the Bai Ma Yin Qiang [white horse silver spear], who has never met a worthy match on the battlefield. Within the entire dynasty [king’s court] army, definitely he could be ranked among the top three martial art masters, some people even say that he was only one sliver away from the top ten martial art masters’ level. Toward this killer god who was revered to habitually used human skull as a wine bowl, Jiang Ni did not dare to act blindly without thinking the slightest bit.

Before going through his wandering years, Xu Fengnian said shamelessly that I only give you one chance to kill me, if you can’t kill me the second time, I will kill you.

Only it’s a pity that that year, when she was a young adult, she copied other people by putting on rouge and wearing fancy dress to seduce him. With great difficulty she managed to trick him into bed, while making out, she stabbed down her blade, but it only stabbed his shoulder, it entered to the bones, but was not fatal. This fellow merely giving her a slap on the face. After putting on his clothes and got out of bed, he only said two sentences, the first sentence was, ‘Next time you won’t have such a good life, don’t waste it.’

“Dianxia, Dianxia, I finally see Dianxia. These past three years, Xiaode [lit. the little one; I (when talking to a superior)] could not drink or eat [orig. tea did not consider, food did not think about].”

A fat man in luxurious attire was rushing and running, to be precise, rolling and crawling, to pounce over, there were even genuine goods at fair prices snot and tears hanging on his face, looking very much scoundrelly.

The loathing expression toward Xu Fengnian on Jiang Ni’s face was not lost. But Yuan Zuozong, who personally protected the Heir Apparent, looked away in disdain and contempt, his eyes were brimming with intense derision. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Since this obese-like-a-pig fat man was able to pass through the heavy and strict security to come to Xu Fengnian, naturally his status was out of ordinary. In fact, he was the same as the number one ferocious man of the Northern Liang Army, the ‘Left Bear’, both were the adopted sons of the Great Pillar of the Kingdom, surnamed Chu, given name Lushan, was one of the Three Dogs, the Ying Quan [eagle dog].

The time when Xu Fengnian was going through trials and tribulations for a total of three years, his ‘three hundred and sixty feathered worms, the most divine spirited horse’ the snow-white gyrfalcon [bird species of China, Falco rusticolus], was trained precisely by this fat man, he took care of it more attentively than his wife and son.

Within the Beiliang army, this person’s public reputation has always been very lacking, his conduct was with honeyed words, a sword in the belly [idiom: hypocritical and murderous], lecherous as if his life depended on it. Whenever the Heir Apparent Xu Fengnian was strolling to the pleasure house, he was the one who led the way. It was said that brothers are like hands and feet, women are like clothes, for several years in the past, every few days, he would encourage Xu Fengnian to sleep with his beautiful concubine. It was indeed a sword-moving-sideways-along-the-sharp edge lesson in loyalty and devotion that the firmament could reflect. _{Translated by foxs}

“Tea was not considered, food was not thought about? Chu Pangzi [Fatty Chu], how come you look like you have gained several dozen catties?” Xu Fengnian said with a sneer, strangling the fat man’s neck in dead grip.

His neck pinched, the fat man turned red in the face, he yelled his grievance, “Dianxia, I lost weight; I lost weight all over! If Dianxia doesn’t believe me, Xiaode will go up the scale right away. If I gain one catty, I will cut down one catty of flesh, gain ten catties cut ten catties!”

Xu Fengnian loosened up his grip on his neck, he patted Chu Lushan’s plump and trembling cheeks, and said with a laugh, “You are indeed a good brother.”

Chu Pangzi, who usurped the Qian Niu Long Wu Jiangjun [thousand ox dragon martial/military general] position from his eminent position of the three-Pin rank, having his cheeks patted unceremoniously, the three-Pin rank was not a title like those scattered official position that were disseminated for the sake of appearance only; stationed anywhere in any prefecture or county, it could be reckoned as the first or second best high government official position, moreover, as the Qian Niu Long Wu Jiangjun holding tiger tally[1] over three thousand elite troops, not only this fat man did not feel disgraced, on the contrary, his face showed an extremely honored expression.

Pulling over his head, which was as big as a pig’s head, he laughed mischievously and said, “Dianxia, I just got myself a new concubine, her soft skin and tender flesh [idiom: smooth-skinned] is tight, with a pinch you can squeeze out water. I haven’t dared to enjoy it yet, I reserved it specially for Dianxia. I wonder if Dianxia has the time to honor us with your presence, to drink a bit of wine first, listen to a bit of little song, and then …?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, “Not a problem, not a problem.”

The two looked at each other and laughed; however much devious they wanted, they could be that much devious. There was an old saying villains collude together [idiom], which roughly means that this pair was a disaster.

At the warm moment when Chu Pangzi was enquiring solicitously about Shizi Dianxia’s well-being these past three years, the King of Beiliang walked in slowly.

Within the king’s court, there should be several pillars of the kingdom, but the Da Zhu Guo was the only one, second only to the Tian Ce Shangjiang [heavenly policy upper general], a position that could not be vacant only in times of national disaster.

Xu Xiao was in command of the armed forces, when he was young, he led the troops fighting at the head of his army, so much so that the late emperor issued an imperial decree that he was not required to personally lead disposition of troops into battle. Later, during the military campaign against the Western Chu, his left leg was shot by an arrow, which left him slightly limping afterwards. _{Translated by foxs}

Xu Xiao did not care about those Qingliu [lit. clear flowing water; fig. honorable person, untainted by association with disreputable influences] people of literary talent who mocked him as Xu Manzi [barbarian], but if anyone dared silently curse him as Xu Quezi [lame person], he would definitely find himself in a not-dead-not-stopping situation. The Marquis of Wu’an who once crusaded with him in Western Chu had a trusted aide, beloved lieutenant, full of youthful vigor, he paid the ultimate price. Xu Xiao randomly found an excuse to behead him in public, and his head was hung on top of the Western Chu imperial city wall, together with a row of famous Western Chu generals’ heads. Marquis Wu’an dared to be angry but did not dare to speak out, so much so that he did not submit half a word of protest to His Majesty the Emperor afterwards.

Xu Xiao, whose two temples were slightly graying, was not big and tall at all, his appearance was unremarkable even more. Middle age and slightly lame, now he was slightly hunchbacked even more, as if he was carrying the heavy burden of 300,000 ghosts and departed spirits who died in injustice.

Chu Pangzi was an adaptable man with the heart and guts whose eyes watched four sides and whose ears listened eight directions. Immediately he restrained his expression and crawled to kowtow on the ground. While also an adopted son, Yuan Zuozong must have a lot more unyielding character and backbone, he was merely bowing in accordance to ordinary etiquette.

Beiliang Wang Xu Xiao lightly waved his hand, he let Chu Lushan to pick up a stool by himself and sit down, while he himself tried to sit on the wooden couch together with his son, but was kicked on the butts by the having-angry-look-across-his-face Xu Fengnian, so he had no choice but awkwardly pick a wooden bench and sit on the side.

Chu Pangzi’s head was dripping with cold sweats, as if he was sitting on pins and needles, he did not dare to wipe it off. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Yuan Zuozong smiled knowingly. Xu Fengnian blew a whistle; he took a piece of Shu [Sichuan] brocade and wrapped it around his arm, and summoned the gyrfalcon that Chu Pangzi raised. He took a ceramic glazed cup full to the brim with grape fine wine, pretending to sigh and said:

“Xiao Bai [little white], oh, Xiao Bai, these three years have been hard on you. Wine you can’t drink, meat you can’t eat, you were even nearly killed and became stewed meat; I feel sorry for you.”

Da Zhu Guo looked ashamed, he sighed repeatedly.

Jiang Ni, the maidservant who, the more she grew up, the more she possessed the capable-of-causing-the-downfall-of-a-city [fig. (of a woman) devastatingly beautiful] appearance, let out a soft cold laugh; thinking that this snow-white gyrfalcon was as unfriendly as she was.

This kind of rarely seen flying feather only existed in the world of ice and snow areas north of Jinzhou [prefecture, northeast China]. If any hunter managed to capture one, he could avoid death penalty except for treason. In those days, even the influential officials of the Western Chu did not hesitate to spend a thousand jin of gold to seek to purchase this spiritual creature nicknamed ‘Qingbai Luan’ [pale luan, mythical bird related to phoenix], but still, it was possible to meet, but not possible to seek. _{Translated by foxs}

The one on Xu Fengnian’s arm was even more extraordinary, it was the top-quality among the Qingbai Luan, the ‘Liu Nian Feng’ [six-year phoenix], even more uncommon and rarer than the ‘San Nian Long’ [three-year dragon]. There was once a wealthy chief of a clan in Yongzhou, Liang territory who offered a thousand taels of gold and three beautiful women in exchange for ‘Xiao Bai’, yet he was scolded face to face by the domineering Xu Fengnian to get lost, undoubtedly the prestigious influential official who locally, wanting wind he would get wind, wanting rain he would get rain – was meeting with a nose-full of dirt.

Snorting, Xu Fengnian said, “Xu Xiao, let me ask you, if your son in being bullied by other people, as a Die, what would you do?”

With apologetic smile, Da Zhu Guo spoke as a matter of course, “Then it is natural to search his house and confiscate his possessions, and exterminate his entire family [ancient Chinese punishment]. If that still does not assuage his anger, force his wives and concubines to be like oxen and horses, take possession of his property and instantly squander it entirely.”

Jiang Ni, who has not left the Ting Chao Ting, looked sad, she could not hide the hatred-to-the-bones in the pupil of her limpid autumn waters eyes.

Xu Fengnian took out a small piece of paper from his bosom, full of surnames, clans, as well as Wulin schools and sects, big and small, written on it. Patting his father, King of Beiliang on the shoulder, he said through gritted teeth, “Die, didn’t you used to say that for a gentleman to take revenge, ten years is not too late, for lowly person revenge will not last overnight? These guys are my enemies, you have to put them in order immediately.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Xiao took the paper, before even reading it, he already praised my son has good handwriting, before taking a quick glance, and was about to heroically say no problem, and then he took a closer look, read from top to bottom without missing a word, and with a slightly bitter expression he said:

“Erzi [Son], these enemies are a bit too many, no fewer than a hundred. Look here, the Zongdu [governor] of Huizhou County, just because his son appeared a bit effeminate, taking a beauty to take a scenic tour around the Bi Luo Hu [lit. jade green conch lake], and saw you from a distance, must he take off his official hat? And then this Wang Clan of Langya [District] in Guanzhong, only because their servant cursed a few words about Beiliang Manzi [northern Liang barbarian] while drinking, you want their family exterminated? As for this Xuanyuan [two-character surname] Wulin family, what did they do to offend my Erzi, unexpectedly you want the entire clan to be send away to serve a penal sentence to Jinzhou [prefecture in Liaoning, northeast China]? Moreover, there is this girl you mention by name, Xuanyuan Qingfeng to serve as an official prostitute?”

Xu Fengnian looked at his beloved gyrfalcon pecking at the wine, he sighed theatrically and said, “Xiao Bai, oh, Xiao Bai, you are better than me, with a master like me who knows how to love you dearly. I am miserable, without Die’s dear love, without Niang’s [mom] affection, living is to endure hardship, life has no meaning.”

Da Zhu Guo promptly laughed, he said, “Die will do as instructed, Die will do as instructed, definitely there won’t be a differing opinion.” _{Translated by foxs}

After the promise was made, passing like thunder and moving like the wind [idiom: swift and decisive reaction] Xu Xiao turned around to face Yuan Zuozong and Chu Lushan. Apparently without any good expression, he said gloomily:

“Zuozong, go and prepare two divisions of Hu Ben [tiger energetic] armored cavalry, await orders and ready to move any moment. This king will immediately go to the top to request an imperial decree, nothing more than the horse stepping on Jianghu one more time. Lushan, go pay a visit to Daren [lit. big person, superior, government official] of prefectures and counties along the way who have good relationship with this king. The rebellious ministers and thieves on the list, kill those who should be killed, only maintain a bit of pleasant-to-hear reputation, no need to unfurl big banner and beat the drums; after all, you are working on someone else’s territory, no need to rush to complete it. I will give you a year and a half to plan slowly, you are good at this kind of thing.”

Yuan Zuozong bowed and said, “Accepting the order.”

Chu Pangzi also got up and bowed, cruel expression appeared in his eyes, his face was full of excitement, he said, “Lu Qiu’er [li’l ball] follows your order.”

Jiang Ni lamented inwardly; how many ordinary people would meet calamity for preposterous reason? How many pitiful people would have their family wrenched apart without knowing the cause of the catastrophe to the very end?

But right this moment, Xu Fengnian took back the piece of paper and took out another one, the number of people on the list was only about one-tenth. He laughed and said, “Lao Die [ol’ Dad], how can I really let you become the enemies of more than a dozen grand clans and half of Jianghu? All right, look at this list, these people are bad luck enough, the officials are all corrupt officials, the people are all rebels, killing them is perfectly legitimate, executing justice for the Heaven, surely you can accumulate virtue, surpassing building a 700-level Buddhist stupa.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Xiao heavily heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing his son’s anger was going to flare out again, immediately he deliberately pulled his face to appear serious and took the second piece of paper. He nodded and said, “Since this is the case, there is no need to muster large forces. Within a year, Die guarantee that this matter will be out of your sight and out of your mind. My son is indeed filial, he knows how to relieve Die’s worries and accumulate virtue.”

Xu Fengnian threw half of a tangerine that was peeled by Xu Xiao himself into his mouth, he mumbled, “That is true.”

Xu Xiao gave his adoptive son Chu Lushan a sharp look, the latter took the paper and withdrew immediately. He was fatter than fat, with more than two hundred catties of fat hanging on him, but he walked as quietly as flying on grass.

When Xu Xiao saw his son’s face gradually turning rosy, his heart was full of relief, he spoke softly trying to win favor, “Erzi, when Die said you are not my own child, I meant to say that you don’t look like Die, you take after your Niang.”

Hearing that, Xu Fengnian only humphed. _{Translated by foxs}

Knowing that this subject did not produce the desired outcome, the being-cooped-up-in-Liang-territory-for-the-last-more-than-a-dozen-years-to-recuperate Da Zhu Guo changed the subject, “Huang Man’er doesn’t want to go to Longhu Shan, help me to talk to him, he will listen to you.”

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, “Noted. You go and do your own thing, don’t hinder me from fishing.”

Xu Xiao chuckled and said, “How about a bit later? I haven’t talked to you for three years.”

Xu Fengnian glowered at him and said, “If you already knew this, why did you expel me to leave home?! Get lost!”

One character ‘get lost’ [gun] had the imposing manner of a dragon.

The pathetic and lamentable King of Beiliang immediately applied oil on his feet, he did not dare to stay any longer.

For some reason, every time Jiang Ni faced Da Zhu Guo, who in Xu Fengnian’s eyes was no more than an ordinary rich man who did not educate his children strictly, her entire body would tremble, leaving only the penetrating-the-bone icy cold feeling. Toward this man, who deserved her hatred even more than Xu Fengnian, she practically did not dare to reveal the least bit of murderous intent.

At first, she thought it was because she was a coward, but the older she got, the bigger her guts, yet the less she dared to act rashly, as if this Ren Tu [lit. person slaughter, mass murderer], who, in the past, had his entire body covered in black armor, was the first to spur his horse to charge into the imperial palace’s throne hall – was the most terrifying person in the world. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

She later learned that the late emperor of the current dynasty had personally pledged to treat the Western Chu royal family well, even to make her Fuhuang [father emperor] Wang [prince, lit. king, see note in Chapter 1 on aristrocracy], but Xu Xiao still, in front of Jiang Ni’s face, who at that time was snuggling in her Fuhuang arms, stabbed the Western Chu Emperor to death with one sword strike; her good and honest father who liked poetry and disliked fighting, and then threw a zhang of white thin silk to her Muhou [mother empress].

The Taiping Gongzhu Jiang Ni, whose real name was Jiang Si, has always been unable to understand the Ren Tu Xu Xiao, the Da Zhu Guo who said to her Muhou who originally intended to keep on living, “If you don’t want to sink down to become a plaything under the crotch, just kill yourself.”

But karma turned back, divine retribution is unfailing [idiom], this vicious and merciless man had two good-for-nothing sons, one was an idiot, the other was a white silk pants whose heart harbored no aspirations. _{Translated by foxs}

The idiot was born with supernatural strength, but even so, he was not the figure who could be the Beiliang’s three-hundred-thousand-men cavalry’s backbone. Then, if Jiang Ni killed the Shizi Xu Fengnian, who would succeed the king nobility in the future, no matter how much power he had before his death, how one person could be above ten thousand people, it would be difficult for Xu Xiao to avoid his prestige collapsing and falling apart, his descendants scattered. Therefore, Jiang Ni was willing to wait, she was willing to stay alive.

Xu Fengnian raised his arm to dismiss the Qingbai Luan on his hand, he tossed the small piece of Sichuan brocade that was full of holes dug by the sharp claws, and smiled at the Beiliang Wu Shen [martial/military god of the northern Liang] Yuan Zuozong, who has been standing respectfully by the side, and said, “Yuan San Ge [third older brother], go take a rest.”

Having never heard of such intimate form of address before, Yuan Zuozong started blankly for a moment, he hesitated, but in the end he still bowed and left.

Ting Chao Ting was finally quiet. Looking out, the picturesque scenery filled the eyes.

Instead of picking up the fishing rod, Xu Fengnian reclined on the couch, he spoke softly, “Jiang Ni, if you have a chance, you should go out and have a look around.”

The subjugated princess who did not delve into the implied meaning behind those words laughed in despise and said, “Shizi Dianxia’s tour this time was just to let a group of people suffer an indiscriminate disaster, it is truly a big masterpiece, worthy to be Da Zhu Guo’s gongzi.”

Xu Fengnian turned his head around and said with a laugh, “If that’s not the case, would I be able to wipe the house lizard for you?”

The corners of Jiang Ni’s mouth curled up in disdain, evoking the overflowing-the-heavens hatred in her heart. If it could be weighed on a scale, it would be a thousand jin [catty] hatred ten thousand taels enmity. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Do you know that when you are angry, it is exactly the same as when occasionally you are laughing happily? You have two dimples. I like this about you the most, so when you make your move to kill me later, I will get to see it a few more glances.”

Her face without any expression, Jiang Ni said, “You just wait, the next time when I kill you, I will laugh the happiest.”

Xu Fengnian sat up straight, he took out a handful of bait from a colored glass basin carved with phoenix, and tossed it into the lake outside the railings, stirring up countless koi fish to jump out of the surface of the lake. Watching this touching-the-spirit scene, with his back towards Jiang Ni, the Shizi Dianxia sighed with emotion and said, “That will definitely be the most moving scenery in the world.”

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[1] Tiger tally: a two-piece object made in the shape of a tiger, used in ancient China as proof of authority. One half of a tally could be issued to a military officer and this would be matched with the other half when verification was required.