Chapter 318 – Youthful Spring Garments (Part One)
Langya truly deserves its reputation as a place of talent and charm. While spring is still chillier elsewhere, here, warm breezes are already blowing, and flowers are about to burst into bloom.
In the early spring, the scenery is just right.
The spring wind caresses the body, stirring a hint of laziness in its warmth.
Ladies who adore beauty have already swapped into their light spring outfits, vibrant hues making them look more enchanting than the flowers. Their dark hair is elegantly styled, adorned with one or two shyly blooming flowers. Even without makeup, their natural beauty radiates a youthful vitality that’s hard to hide.
The ladies being charming, the young masters are equally impressive, their garments flowing gracefully, exuding an air of elegance, their sleeves trailing a faint fragrance.
Ding dang ding dang——
A few jingling bells rhythmically clinked as horses trotted by, their lively steps producing a cheerful melody that blended with the sound of hoofbeats, allowing passersby to sense their owner’s leisurely and pleasant mood.
A stir arose from the city gate, with the murmurs and cheers of the common people vaguely audible within the crowd.
“Is that the giant creature that devoured people back in Zhangjiang Village? Ugh, it looks really creepy!”
“Yeah, judging by its size, it must weigh at least six stones! No wonder it’s taken so many lives, even the government couldn’t handle it.”
“My wife’s from Zhangjiang Village. I heard that beast took four kids! The parents went into the mountains to get it, but ended up just leaving behind a pile of bones. I can’t even describe how horrific it was—just thinking about it makes my legs weak…”
On both sides of the street, many common folks gathered to watch, whispering as they gazed at the tiger being carried by four big men.
At that moment, another slightly smaller tiger was brought in, and those knowledgeable immediately recognized it as a female.
“Wow, I thought the creature terrorizing Zhangjiang Village was just a giant beast, but turns out it was a couple—one male and one female!”
“Not just that! Look at that female beast’s belly, it’s abnormally sunken, like a mare that just gave birth…”
People in the crowd chattered on, and patrons from nearby tea houses peeked out, startled by those two utterly dead beasts. Even in death, their imposing presence was enough to send shivers down the spine.
From the outside, the two tigers appeared remarkably intact, with dried black blood around their eyes.
Even those without the keen eyes of veteran hunters could tell how the tigers had met their end.
They had likely been shot through the eye with an arrow, piercing the brain and killing them on the spot.
A clean and efficient method, it ensured the tigers’ skins remained intact, making many commoners’ mouths water with envy.
One scholar remarked, “It’s rare to see such magnificent beasts. I wonder who was brave enough to take them down; they are truly a hero without equal.”
“Eh? You really don’t know?”
His friend was surprised, leaning against a second-floor tea house window, seemingly searching for someone.
“Why? Is there some insider info I’m missing?”
The friend chuckled gracefully, closing his fan and sighing lightly, “That day at the Elegant Gathering, a scholar boldly declared that martial men are a calamity to the nation, believing that Nansheng was nearly eradicated by the Southern Barbarians not just due to their strength, but because the Nansheng emperor overly trusted military generals, resulting in an unstable regime and internal troubles, leaving them vulnerable.”
Though Nansheng is also an enemy of Dongqing, it’s still an uncomfortable truth to acknowledge being beaten by outsiders.
Whether it’s Nansheng or Dongqing, neither wants to admit that the repeated loss of territory stems from their own weakness.
Once, the Great Xia Dynasty swallowed the nine provinces, bringing peace throughout the seas and earning the tribute from myriad nations. Who dared to raise their voice against such might?
The five nations proudly declare their legitimacy, all siblings from the same father.
Who would want to admit defeat to foreign tribes due to their own inadequacy?
It’s clearly due to neglect and internal vulnerabilities that allowed outsiders to take advantage.
That blame gets tossed around until it finally lands on the military generals.
Unlike Dongqing’s disdain for martial prowess, Nansheng tolerates its martial figures somewhat.
By Dongqing’s stringent standards, the treatment of militarists in Nansheng could even be considered generous.
However, the Nansheng emperor dug his own grave with his marriage alliances with the Southern Barbarians, directly and indirectly causing the death of many loyal military leaders, handing military power over to his own relatives and trusted eunuchs—those who would then secretly collaborate with the Southern Barbarians for petty gain!
When Nansheng’s army was out battling, the deployments made by the front lines would quickly be sold off by the emperor’s “confidants” to the Southern Barbarians. Under such circumstances, winning would require the Southern Barbarians to be blind, relying entirely on instinct to fight.
Regardless, this blame almost unanimously lands on the military generals, further intensifying Dongqing’s suppression of them.
The scholar, upon hearing his friend’s recounting, found no flaws in his logic.
However, he still couldn’t fathom how the conflict at the Elegant Gathering connected to the dead beasts below.
His friend continued, “Right after that scholar said this, someone threw a cup at his head, causing blood to ooze from his forehead!”
The scholar gasped in shock.
At the Elegant Gathering hosted by the governor, who had the audacity to openly attack someone?
“How could they dare?”
The friend clarified, “Not only did that person act, but he brazenly said something that nearly caused that scholar to explode with rage. Guess what he said?”
The scholar’s interest was piqued as he pressed on, “What did he say?”
The friend thought for a moment, mimicking the tone of that person to recount, “Just with your little bit of chicken strength, don’t even think about just throwing a cup at me; even if you hit me twice, I dare you to retract! With that sharp tongue, you’re just a pretty face that serves no purpose. Instead of wasting your energy talking here, you might as well go home and conserve your essence, so your wife doesn’t complain about you being unable to perform!”
The scholar winced upon hearing this, “That’s super harsh!”
The friend, feeling he had narrowly escaped, nodded in agreement.
Harsh? The scene almost spiraled out of control, with that scholar almost throwing aside his dignity, rolling up his sleeves to brawl.
And without saying more, the scholar surely didn’t manage to get any advantage.
“And that’s not all. After that person struck someone, they proceeded to proudly declare, ‘Scholars follow the teachings of the Sage Ancestors, learning the six arts of a gentleman. According to your views, archery and horsemanship are useless skills, so why learn them? Scholars use literature to govern a nation while warriors protect it with strength. Without scholars, the state loses its clarity and order; without warriors, the borders remain unsafe, and the nation is unprotected. Who’s more important than whom? How pretentious!’”
