Chapter 18: After Achieving Success, It’s Better to Talk About Love
Hu Sheng seemed to be in a very good mood today. His brows and eyes, which originally held a sense of distance, had softened. Feng Shaoping also had a visible smile on his face. Seeing Zhao An’s greeting, he said familiarly, “The fruit from your home is very good. Brother Hu will definitely like it.”
“As long as you like it,” Zhao An replied casually, but his gaze never left Hu Sheng. He was also wearing black martial attire today, but both the fabric and the soft leather armor on his wrists and waist were brand new.
Seeing Hu Sheng like this, Zhao An couldn’t help but smile. His peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked in a light, lilting tone, “Is there something that’s made you happy today, Young Master Hu?”
There was a special light in Hu Sheng’s eyes, like a blade of wild grass that had been pressed under a rock finally pushing past the pressure to sprout anew. He looked at Zhao An and the corners of his well-defined lips curved up. “A battle report came from the north today. Our army won a great victory against the Xiongnu’s Left Wing, annihilating twenty thousand enemies and capturing forty thousand. Although we couldn’t press the advantage and wipe out the Xiongnu’s main force, this great victory will bring several years of stability.” Even though the rewards for meritorious service had nothing to do with him, he was genuinely happy about this great victory.
“That’s truly great news,” Zhao An said, his eyes widening and his face flushing. Being able to live in a relatively stable era was certainly reassuring. Moreover, this was a matter Hu Sheng cared about, and Zhao An’s emotions were mostly influenced by him.
Hu Sheng had once told Zhao An his origins, and today, just after meeting, he had told him this matter that should have been kept secret. But the feedback Zhao An gave him was always so straightforward that he didn’t even have time to feel a hint of regret.
Feng Shaoping, as the third person present, suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange. He had clearly invited Brother Hu out to get thoroughly drunk in celebration of this victory, but Hu Sheng, who had done a lot of the preliminary preparations and behind-the-scenes maneuvering for this great battle, was focusing most of his attention on the younger brother of Consort Li. This was truly a bit odd.
To assert his own presence, Feng Shaoping interrupted the sticky atmosphere between Hu Sheng and Zhao An. “Let’s go to Ruyi House first. I’ve had them prepare the best Pear Blossom White. We won’t go home until we’re drunk today.”
Zhao An had been delivering strawberries to Ruyi House for so long, but this was his first time eating here. He walked up the creaking wooden stairs to the second floor, which was made of wooden planks. There were several rooms with names like “Clear Wind,” “Light Rain,” “Falling Snow,” and “Cool Moon.” In a display of refined taste, some orchids were placed in the corridor, and a few heavily colored, magnificent landscape paintings were hung. The entire layout was in line with the classic, antique impression people had.
The restaurant was decorated this way to cater to the tastes of its customers. Compared to the peddlers and laborers served on the first floor, the people who could go up to the second floor of Ruyi House in Changxi County all had intricate connections to the officialdom. They were naturally scholars with a certain level of appreciation.
For example, as Zhao An walked past the entrance of the “Clear Wind” room, he heard the sound of a pipa being played and someone singing. Then he heard people softly discussing the artistic conception and meter of the lyrics, and how the songstress’s pipa skills were not good enough.
These people, with nothing better to do, treated composing poetry as a pastime, while many people in Zhaojia Village were still weeding in the rice paddies. Their feet were soaked in muddy water as they pulled out the weeds one by one, just so that the seedlings, which had already suffered a disaster once this year, could produce more grains.
Zhao An shifted his gaze from the private room’s entrance to the pedestrians outside the window. He couldn’t even see a single fat person. In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind.
“Young Master Zhao, what are you thinking about?” Hu Sheng was the first to notice he was distracted and asked.
Zhao An didn’t know what he was thinking either, just feeling a bit emotional. “It’s nothing. It’s just been a long time since I’ve been to a restaurant, and I feel a little melancholic. It reminded me of life in the countryside, the hardships of the farmers. Fortunately, the days are still peaceful. If things become chaotic again, I really don’t know how we’ll get by.”
“That’s right. We have to thank Brother Hu for preserving this peaceful and prosperous age,” Feng Shaoping, once again tactlessly, spoke before Hu Sheng could.
But with his interruption, Zhao An stopped thinking about it and asked curiously, “From what you’re saying, Young Master Feng, Young Master Hu contributed a lot to the northern war.”
Feng Shaoping looked a bit carried away. He glanced at Hu Sheng and, seeing no objection, said with a half-smile, “Do you really want to know, Young Master Zhao? Why don’t you ask Brother Hu to explain it to you himself?”
Zhao An actually had this intention as well, so he looked expectantly at Hu Sheng. “Can you tell me?”
“Let’s sit down first.” The three of them had already arrived at the entrance of the private room named “Firefly Glow.” Hu Sheng walked in first. “I’ll tell you slowly after we sit down.”
Feng Shaoping, who followed closely behind, was a little puzzled. He had brought this up as a joke, but he hadn’t expected Hu Sheng to actually be serious about explaining it to Zhao An.
He poured a cup of Pear Blossom White, sniffed it, took a sip, and with a handsome smile, said to Zhao An, “Actually, there’s nothing much to say about how we won this battle. It was just the result of years of long-term planning. We used the various Hu tribes, who had been suppressed by the Xiongnu for a long time, as spies and inside agents. Then we set up traps in advance on the routes the Xiongnu army had to take. Only with a force several times larger than the enemy’s could we achieve such a decisive victory.”
As for dispatching a large number of troops, he had his dear elder brother to thank for that. On one hand, his brother trusted his strategies very much; on the other hand, he was very worried about his own safety.
General Shang Xiqing of the Northern Garrison sending heavy troops to guard himself was also part of Hu Sheng’s plan. But he didn’t explain these secret negotiations to Zhao An one by one.
But even the parts he did mention were things he would never tell anyone else. For example, using smugglers to bribe the various Hu tribes with tea and salt, having them spread the method of brewing wine from cow and sheep milk throughout the entire steppe, and then using silk and exquisite jewelry to bribe the favored female slaves in the homes of the Xiongnu nobles, tempting the royal court’s aristocracy to indulge in drinking.
“What, does Young Master Zhao think I’m full of insidious schemes?” Hu Sheng asked teasingly when he saw that Zhao An had been silent for a long time.
Zhao An immediately retorted, “How could that be? I truly admire your ability to achieve victory from a thousand miles away, Young Master Hu.”
Hu Sheng took another sip of wine, a wanton smile on his face. “To ensure the success of these schemes, there’s actually a little trick. Do you know what it is?” After speaking, he picked up a piece of Hibiscus Chicken for Zhao An, who hadn’t touched his chopsticks for a long time.
Zhao An’s gaze followed Hu Sheng’s movements, like a sailor mesmerized by a siren. He ate the food Hu Sheng gave him and then honestly asked, “What little trick?”
“Of course, it’s because those who work for me have all been beaten into submission by me. Even though I’ve been away from the north for so long, they still don’t dare to defy my orders,” Hu Sheng said, then laughed heartily, as if he were joking, yet also as if he were describing the truth.
Zhao An saw that his emotions were purely joyful, and his blue eyes had become very bright, so he didn’t dwell on whether there was a deeper meaning in his words. After holding it in for a long time, he finally said the words that had been buried in his heart for a long time. “Your martial arts are so formidable, Young Master Hu. Can you teach me? Actually, I wanted to say this last time, but you left in such a hurry that I didn’t have a chance.”
Hu Sheng hadn’t expected Zhao An to bring this up. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly felt that Zhao An’s long and flexible body was indeed very suitable for practicing martial arts. But looking at Zhao An’s current expectant expression, his purpose was clearly not simple.
So why had he asked him to come for a drink when they met on the street today? Was it just because he was in a particularly good mood?
Hu Sheng suddenly began to doubt whether his sanity was still intact. From the first time he saw this person, he had felt that his appearance and temperament were outstanding. In their later interactions, he had felt that this person’s personality was so enthusiastic that it was almost hard to resist.
Since a great victory had been achieved in the north, he had fulfilled the ambition he had held since he was young. Perhaps it was time to consider matters of the heart. After the great victory, Shang Xiqing would surely have to face a series of problems from the imperial court. Even if he found time in his busy schedule to deal with him, at worst, he could take his men to the Nanyue Kingdom or to the sea. There would always be a place for them to stand. At this moment, a certain tacit understanding seemed to form between him and Zhao An.
Having made his decision, Hu Sheng unconsciously moved a little closer to Zhao An. “Of course I can teach you martial arts. It’s just that I can defeat many people entirely because of a little innate talent for strength. My martial arts are actually very crude. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” Zhao An said, a smile almost blooming on his face. “It’s still early. Why don’t we go to my place? We can even learn a few moves.”
As they spoke, the two walked out of the private room side by side. It wasn’t until Hu Sheng’s voice came from the corridor, “Can you ride a horse? I have a few fast horses stabled at Ruyi House. We can ride to your place together.”
Then came Zhao An’s voice, “I learned before, but I haven’t ridden in a long time.”
Feng Shaoping, who had been left behind, finally realized his superfluous status. He had been married and had a child, after all. He suddenly understood what the sticky atmosphere between Zhao An and Hu Sheng was all about.
