Chapter 84: Discord Between Brothers

Yang Lian had requested leave well in advance. Bian Hao, being relatively lenient with him, merely asked a few casual questions before granting the request. The three days passed in the blink of an eye. Yang Lian prepared his long saber and bow and arrows, setting off early in the morning to join the hunt.

The hunting grounds were once again in the Zhongshan area. Though much of the vast terrain belonged to the imperial hunting reserves, there was a stretch of over ten miles accessible to the public, which was where this hunt was to take place.

Just as Yang Lian stepped out of his door, he saw Zhou Ehuang and Li Congjia walking along the Qinhuai River. Both were on horseback, accompanied by two attendants. A cursory glance told Yang Lian that their horsemanship was poor; Li Congjia was barely passable, but Zhou Ehuang’s steed was moving almost sideways.

Zhou Ehuang, still dressed in men’s clothing, looked flustered. She watched others ride with such ease and agility and could not understand why she struggled so much. Li Congjia was too occupied with his own mount to assist her. Yang Lian stepped forward; having gained some experience in calming horses, he approached Zhou Ehuang’s pony, patted its head, and whispered a few words. To her surprise, the pony calmed down.

His seemingly miraculous touch left Zhou Ehuang astonished. Just as she was about to thank him, Yang Lian mounted his own horse and led the way toward the city gates. The hunting party was gathering at the North Gate, and as soon as Yang Lian emerged, he spotted several familiar faces.

"This hunt certainly has an impressive turnout," Yang Lian thought. His gaze drifted to Zhou Ehuang. She had been the one to invite him—did she have an ulterior motive? But upon seeing her clear, guileless face, he dismissed the thought.

Li Hongji, Zhou Hongzuo, Zhu Lingyun, and others were already there. Seeing Yang Lian arrive, they all wore strange, mocking smiles. Unfazed, Yang Lian rode slowly toward them.

"I didn't expect to see the Duke of Dongping at the hunting meet. My apologies for not paying my respects sooner," Yang Lian said as he approached, offering a salute with a faint smile that clearly irritated Li Hongji.

Li Hongji snorted. His defeat by Yang Lian at Zhongshan was a source of deep humiliation, but he could not openly seek revenge without it being too obvious. Seeing Yang Lian stirred his turbulent emotions; unwilling to speak further, he turned his head away to stare at the rising sun in the east.

Seeing his silence, Yang Lian turned to Zhou Hongzuo. As fellow officers in the Shenwu Army, it was clear that they were not on good terms, and seeing him with Li Hongji confirmed they were now in league.

"Commander Zhou, it has been a while. You seem to have grown thinner," Yang Lian remarked.

Zhou Hongzuo cupped his hands and replied curtly, "Thank you for your concern, Commander Yang."

As they spoke, Li Congjia and Zhou Ehuang arrived. Li Congjia, appearing nervous at the sight of Li Hongji, stammered, "E-elder brother."

"You can’t even ride a horse properly, yet you come to hunt?" Li Hongji retorted coldly, glancing at his sixth brother and then at Zhou Ehuang. He had heard rumors that their father intended to form a marital alliance with the Zhou family. He didn't have much interest in women, but he couldn't help but look at Zhou Ehuang twice; his brother was indeed lucky to have such a delicate beauty betrothed to a man as useless as him.

Li Congjia’s lips trembled. Having such an overbearing brother was stifling. Seeing Li Hongji humiliate his own brother so bluntly, Yang Lian could not help but interject: "Duke of Dongping, your archery and horsemanship are indeed peerless, and the Duke of Anding naturally cannot compare. But you are brothers. If you won't teach him, that is one thing, but to mock him so openly—is that all the magnanimity you possess?"

Zhu Lingyun was enraged and shouted, "Yang Lian, what is the meaning of this?"

"The point was made clearly enough. If the Chief of Military Guards cannot understand it, it seems he hasn't read many books," Yang Lian replied with a light smile.

Zhou Ehuang lifted her head, her bright, clear eyes fixed on Yang Lian. She couldn't quite fathom what kind of man he was, but one thing was certain: he was someone who feared no power and stood up for his friends. That was enough.

Li Congjia’s lips moved again, whispering, "E-elder brother."

Li Hongji sneered at his brother’s cowardice. "The world is in chaos. As a prince, you should be concerned for the nation. Look at you—is this how a man should carry himself?"

Li Congjia flushed red and clenched his fists, wanting to retort, but ultimately lowered his head.

Yang Lian scoffed inwardly. Li Congjia might not be much of a man—otherwise, he wouldn't have lost his kingdom and seen his wife suffer such humiliation—but with Li Hongji’s suspicious and narrow-minded nature, the country was doomed to fall under his rule as well.

Just then, the sound of a whip cracked through the air. A small red horse galloped toward them, ridden by a woman in a rugged, practical outfit. She brandished her whip with her usual arrogance—it was Princess Huairou, the beloved daughter of Prince Qi, Li Jingsui.

Princess Huairou clearly had not expected to see Yang Lian. She paused, surprised, and asked, "Why are you here?"

Yang Lian saluted her. "The Princess is truly imposing today."

Huairou looked pleased, cracking her whip with a spirited air. Suddenly noticing Li Congjia standing to the side with his head bowed and eyes reddened, she asked curiously, "Sixth Brother, why are you crying?"

Li Congjia wiped his eyes and looked up. "I am not crying," he insisted, though his eyes remained rimmed with red.

Yang Lian was speechless. He thought of the saying that a man's character at three can be seen at eighty; Li Congjia was born timid, but to cry over this was a sign of remarkably poor emotional resilience.

Zhou Hongzuo chuckled. It was said that Li Congjia’s double-pupil eyes were a sign of imperial destiny, but looking at him now, the strongest contenders for the succession were clearly Prince Qi and the Duke of Dongping—this boy who cried at the drop of a hat had no place in the picture.

Li Hongji cast a cold glance at Princess Huairou. Knowing her arrogance, he chose not to provoke her. She was just an overbearing young girl; winning would bring no honor, and losing would be a disgrace. He understood this well.

Li Hongji spurred his horse forward, followed by Zhou Hongzuo and Zhu Lingyun. Yang Lian watched their retreating backs with a cold smile. Li Hongji’s sharp, exposed ambition was not a good thing for the state, but for Yang Lian, it was a welcome development.

"I hear Prime Minister Sun is backing the Duke of Dongping for the succession. If he takes the throne with that temperament, heaven knows how many will suffer," Yang Lian said lightly.

Li Congjia stiffened. He squinted at Li Hongji’s retreating figure, biting his lip with a thoughtful expression.

Yang Lian moved forward, joined by Zhou Ehuang and Princess Huairou.

The gathering point was only two or three miles ahead. A crowd had already formed, mostly children of high-ranking officials. As Yang Lian scanned the group, he saw a sickly man approaching on a thin, tired horse. He looked as though a strong gust of wind could blow him over at any moment.

"Commander Yang, I did not expect to see you here," the man said. It was Zhou Ye, the eldest son of Zhou Ben and elder brother of Zhou Hongzuo.

"So it is Governor Zhou," Yang Lian replied, offering a salute. Before stepping down from his post, Zhou Ye had served as the Governor of Lujiang, so Yang Lian addressed him by that title.

Zhou Ye smiled, though his eyes were dim with a deathly pallor. He was a man terminally ill. Yang Lian wondered what kept him going, only to find Zhou Ye staring fixedly at him.

"Commander Yang, would you care to visit my residence after the hunt?" Zhou Ye invited.

"Since Governor Zhou has extended the invitation, how could I refuse?" Yang Lian accepted.

Zhou Ye nodded and rode off on his thin horse.

Princess Huairou, curious, leaned in and asked, "What did Zhou Ye say to you?"

"Nothing much. He invited me to his house for a meal," Yang Lian replied.

The Princess hummed and said, "Zhou Ye is trustworthy, but you should be wary of Zhou Hongzuo."

"Why is that?" Yang Lian asked.

Princess Huairou lowered her voice. "Although Zhou Hongzuo earned great merit for capturing the prince of the previous dynasty, Yang Meng, he, his father, and his brother were all officials under the former Southern Wu. When the Southern Tang replaced the Southern Wu, Zhou Ben died of grief, and Zhou Ye was left half-dead, as you see him now. My father and uncle may not say it openly, but they deeply respect them, while harboring nothing but contempt for a turncoat like Zhou Hongzuo."

Yang Lian nodded. That was it—if Zhou Hongzuo could betray the Southern Wu, he could betray the Southern Tang. Even if he were to eventually die for the country, who could guarantee his loyalty now?

By now, most of the party had arrived. After the organizers took a headcount, the group set off northward. Including the servants from their various households, there were over a hundred people moving in a long, bustling procession along the imperial road. Li Hongji, Zhu Lingyun, and Zhou Hongzuo were in high spirits, their guards and attendants charging along the road and forcing terrified merchants to scramble out of their way.

Princess Huairou chatted incessantly like a magpie, riding alongside Yang Lian. Zhou Ehuang followed behind Yang Lian, cautiously controlling her pony. She looked at the Princess from time to time, feeling a mix of envy and disappointment.

Yang Lian listened with a smile. Princess Huairou hadn't changed much; she seemed even more talkative, though he wondered if it was simply because they hadn't seen each other for a few days. Suddenly, he remembered Zhou Ehuang behind him. He turned back, looked at her tentative posture, and laughed. "Young Master Zhou, you really must practice your horsemanship more."

Zhou Ehuang bit her lip. Among everyone here, Yang Lian was clearly the most skilled rider. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with hope. "Could you teach me how to ride?"

Yang Lian was taken aback, then smiled. "If you are willing to learn, it would be my honor."

Zhou Ehuang’s eyes lit up, and a charming smile graced her lips. She nodded firmly. "Then let us start now."

Yang Lian pondered for a moment. "Let’s wait until we reach the hunting grounds."

A shadow of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she simply replied, "Oh," failing to notice that the crowd around them was quite dense.

Yang Lian gestured ahead and laughed, "Look, the Duke of Dongping and his group have ridden so fast they are already out of sight. We have fallen to the very back."

Zhou Ehuang looked around. Indeed, they were the slowest of the hundred-plus people. She nodded immediately and said, "Very well."