Chapter Nine: Foundation

The general tested the blade, sprinkling some water on the whetstone, and continued to sharpen it until it could cut through hair effortlessly, at which point he expressed his satisfaction without turning his head, saying: "This is called the Qian Niu Dao. Thirty years ago, the late emperor summoned renowned craftsmen from across the land, and after several years of effort, three hundred blades were forged in total: two hundred of inferior quality, eighty of medium quality, and twenty of superior quality. Half of them are stored in the inner treasury, while the other half were awarded to generals and commanders. This one I possess is a superior blade, having beheaded fourteen men, which is not considered excessive, but look at this edge; it has not a single flaw. As far as I know, of the ten Qian Niu Dao blades originally granted, only this one remains, the whereabouts of the other nine are already unknown. Do you know why?"

Foundation of the building! Building seventeen!" The newcomer shouted loudly

Exactly

Luo Shuo said before leaving: "Do not say that I do not cherish brotherly feelings. The General is truly angry this time. There may be a chance to see you again before the expedition. Think about how you will speak; if you continue like today, even the gods cannot save you"

The servant may withdraw, leaving the father and son to face each other.

Lou Wen sat in the center chair, his belly rising and falling.

Is this character also written by you

On the other side, Lou Chu and Ma Wei were drinking with great enthusiasm. Ma Wei, filled with passion, exclaimed, "The hen crows at dawn, and women select scholars. The articles painstakingly written by hundreds of students from the three great academies are to be judged by a group of women? And in the future, they will also have to appoint ministers? Such a court..."

Luo Wen remained silent.

He lay down in his clothes, falling into a deep sleep

The foundation of the building must not be opened to persuasion, "Brother Ma, be cautious with your words"

The old servant was startled once again and hurriedly said: "Young Master Seventeen is not at home; he has gone out to meet friends."

Hey, at such a young age, you think too much. What you say is not entirely wrong, but also not completely right. Even if everything is as you say, what danger do I face that is worth your lamentation

The building's foundation did not offer much explanation, and after paying respects, it exited the selection hall

There are rampant rumors outside, claiming that the Grand General deliberately allowed the chaos in Qinzhou to occur, with the intention of personally leading troops to the west under the pretext of quelling the unrest, while in reality seeking to evade disaster. Furthermore, there are rumors suggesting that the Grand General intends to form an alliance with the Governor of Bingzhou, Shen Zhi, to carve out a territory for himself.

"Follow me," said the stranger, who appeared to be a servant from the manor based on his attire

The general surprisingly did not lose his temper in public, and everyone felt fortunate for Lou Chu

A renowned sword must be matched with a distinguished minister; it is likely that the master has fallen into disgrace, and thus the sword has also been lost

The general slowly lowered the knife in his hand and said, "Setting aside the rumors, what do you think?"

The general did not smile this time, but stared at his son for a while and coldly said: "When your mother committed suicide, I should have drowned you, allowing you to accompany her in death."

Lou Chu felt a heavy sigh of relief in his heart, and the tightly clenched fist in his sleeve could finally be relaxed

Who will be there

The sharp, grating sound of the knife being sharpened echoed incessantly.

"Both are biological sons, yet the difference is truly vast." The old servant sighed deeply, looking down at his coarse cloth garments, "I am just worrying for nothing; it would be better to go out tonight and win back the money lost over these past few days."

The general surprisingly did not immediately unleash his wrath, but instead stared at this unfamiliar son for a while before speaking: "Is this what you sent?"

Hey, you got yourself into this mess, so figure out how to clean it up yourself. Who would dare to speak kindly to you? You are entangling yourself, this is self-entrapment.

In deep reverence, it is said, "When a father is in difficulty, a son cannot remain silent. If he speaks and is not heard, the son bears no regret."

The area of the west corridor consists of guest rooms, and the building's foundation has been placed in the most rudimentary room, which contains only a small bed, without bedding, tables, chairs, or a chamber pot

Hmm. Lou Chu did not ask many questions, stood up to adjust his clothing, and followed this person out. After several twists and turns, they arrived at a room he had never entered before

"This is it, slaying a thousand bulls is unlikely, but beheading a few is not a problem." The general stood up, brandishing his sword as he approached his son, "I will now sever your head and take it to Qinzhou, so you can witness my great victory with your own eyes"

Ma Wei was taken aback. Lou Chu first raised his hand to stop the old servant from continuing, then stood up and cupped his hands towards his master, saying: "It is earlier than I expected. Originally, I was to meet the General tomorrow, but now I must return. Farewell, there is no need to see me off."

Louchu clasped his hands and said, "Please, elder brother, take me to meet the general."

The general was about to continue speaking when Lou Wen said, "You may call me 'Father'."

Lou Wen placed the gleaming knife on his son's shoulder, pressing it against his neck. Applying a little more force, he saw blood begin to seep out, then withdrew the knife and laughed, saying: "Haha, you truly have great courage, worthy of being a descendant of the Lou family. Very well, I will give you a chance; if you speak well, I will spare your life, but if you do not, it will not be too late to kill you again"

I believed that the Grand General would never rebel. This journey to Qinzhou is primarily to avoid disaster, with the intention of supporting Governor Shen of Bingzhou at the right moment to establish him as a regional power. Then, the Grand General will return to court, and together with Governor Shen, they will support each other, ensuring that the Emperor does not wish to act against the Lou family nor dares to do so

The old servant is cleaning the courtyard, occasionally pausing to listen to the sounds from the general's residence across the way. In truth, there is little to hear; he can only imagine the bustling scene, with guests bringing gifts lined up from the front courtyard all the way to the street. He envisions piles of money and silk stacked as high as mountains, with hosts and guests alike sporting protruding bellies and faces adorned with greasy smiles

Luo Chu appeared overly calm, Luo Shuo glanced at him a couple more times, snorted again, and then led the way back to the Grand General's residence

Lock him in the western corridor. If I die in Qinzhou, you will release him. If I return alive, kill him to accompany my mother.

You might as well say that I want to rebel. Hey, throughout my life, I have fought countless battles; in every campaign, there were always slanders. What was the outcome? Most of the territory of the dynasty was conquered by me!

With a bang, the courtyard gate was pushed open, startling the old servant

Clearly, summoning his son was not the most pressing matter for the general. The son was sent to an empty room, without tea or anyone inquiring about him, and he waited until the dead of night before being called out again to meet the general in the selection hall.

Now his judgment has not changed, but he feels that the gap between "name" and "reality" is not as significant as before

Many people secretly observed the building's foundation, astonished by his great audacity. Not only did he seem unconcerned, but he also boldly admitted it, with not a trace of fear in his words

At this smile, everyone in the hall looked at each other, both puzzled and horrified

Before he could finish speaking, the old servant of the Lou family rushed in, flustered, under the guidance of the Ma family's servant, saying, "Young Master, please stop drinking, there has been an incident at home!"

At one time, the late emperor and the general were as close as brothers; the more slanderous words there were, the more the general was trusted. However, the current emperor may not be able to distinguish which are slanders and which are truths

Haha, yes, a great man should aspire to the world, why concern oneself with the trivial matters of the makeup crowd? Come, let us drink, in the future...

Which Lord Ma?

The descendants of the Lou family have come in greater numbers tonight, with around fifty to sixty people arranged on both sides. Each person is hunched over with their shoulders drawn in, their eyes cast down. Despite the large number of people, there is not a single sound.

Ma Wei laughed heartily, then closed his mouth. Although this is his home, it is hard to ensure that no one will speak out of turn. "No need to ask, our Institute of Inducement is merely a facade; it must be some fellow from the Taixue who is ranked among the top—perhaps the princess is selecting a husband. What do you think, brother?"

Luo Shuo pondered for a moment, "That Yuefu Marquis left by Liang Chao? Is there anyone still alive in his family? How does Lou Chu relate to him... Hey, they really are a match, a pair of remnants from the previous dynasty"

Not long after, he was forcefully awakened by someone, sitting up abruptly to see a stranger holding a lantern.

Louchu walked up to his father, performed a deep bow to the ground, and suddenly saw that the gift he had sent to the residence had its lid opened, revealing a half bolt of silk neatly rolled inside. The candlelight illuminated it, and the large characters he had written on it were still there, particularly clear, and everyone in the hall had already seen it

Indeed, it was sent by the child

The Son of Heaven has long been wary of the Lou family, fearing that they are not so easily deceived and may not allow the general to leave the capital.

Hello, could you please elaborate on the origin of the Qian Niu Dao? I always seem to forget it

The general fell silent for a moment, his abdomen rising and falling more violently, and suddenly, he laughed

When I returned home, it was already dark. Lou Shuo was waiting at the gate, and upon seeing Lou Chu, he let out a grunt, saying, "Fortunately, I did not believe your words, or I would have almost been deceived by you and taken on the unjust blame you recommended."

If the general goes to Qinzhou, he will surely achieve a great victory; the only concern is that he may not be able to reach Qinzhou

"To seize what one desires, one must first engage with it." The Son of Heaven has granted permission along with an army of 100,000, thus it is indeed a matter of 'engagement'. If the Grand General leads the troops westward after a month, it is likely that the 'seizure' will occur.

The text of "Zhuangzi" states: "The butcher Ding has carved thousands of oxen, yet his blade is as if it has just been sharpened on a whetstone"

In the court, it is customary to address all young gentlemen of higher status as "General"

Louchu left with the old servant, while Ma Wei poured himself a drink. After a few cups of wine, he muttered to himself, "Brother Xu is young and impetuous; he must not ruin my grand plans"

Ma Wei did not understand what was happening, while the old servant at the door was greatly surprised, "Oh, how does the young master know... how could the young master..."

The general changed into casual home attire, rolled up his sleeves, and sat there seriously sharpening his knife. This was one of the few military habits he retained; he insisted on honing his own blade with his own hands

Horse, Lord Ma

Do you think the bandit forces in Qinzhou are so formidable that I will surely be defeated and may lose my life at their hands? The general's tone of questioning had softened.

The building's foundation shook, "The petty thief of Qinzhou is not a great threat; I believe the general has other difficulties to contend with"

Lou Chu, however, felt a measure of respect for his father. All along, he had somewhat looked down upon the Grand General, believing him to be merely a fortunate figure who, due to his connections with the emperor, had risen to prominence and held a high position, undoubtedly belonging to the category of those whose reputation exceeds their actual merit.

The Grand General personally led an army of 100,000 to quell the rebellion, and friends and old acquaintances came to celebrate and bid farewell, yet his own son sent mourning gifts instead

Luo Shuo was sent on a mission and was unwilling to return empty-handed. He said to the old servant: "Go and summon Lou Chu back immediately. Wait, you two follow along; even if it means binding him, you must bring him back."

The younger brother will reflect on this himself, and I would also appreciate it if you, elder brother, could speak well on my behalf

That is the character "奠".

The old servant was so frightened that he did not know what to do, and dared not ask further. He immediately took two steward servants from the residence to the Ma family. On the way, he cautiously inquired, but the two were equally perplexed, only knowing that the Seventeenth Young Master had gotten himself into serious trouble, and it was the General himself who wanted to see him

Next, let us see how the General will impose punishment. The Lou family has many descendants, and the General has never shown leniency towards those who err. Over the years, he has at least crippled five or six individuals, and the mistakes they made were far less significant than this one.

Why bother caring

Lou Shuo ignored the old servant and shouted into the house: "Lou Chu, come out, you have caused trouble!"

The old servant recognized that this was the Seventh Young Master Lou Shuo of the residence, and hurriedly dropped the broom, bent forward, and smiled apologetically, saying: "How does General Seven have the time to..."

What you mean is ... ...

The Marquis of Yufuhou.