Chapter 2: Sophora Fragrans (II)

What surprised Li Kuo the most was that Xue Bo, the imperial envoy who had come all the way from Chang’an, the capital, did not choose to return to the capital with Gao Xianzhi. Instead, he decided to stay in Shule and live and eat together with him.
Logically, these sons of noble families, raised in comfort from a young age, should not be able to endure the hardships of the frontier. After delivering the emperor’s orders to Gao Xianzhi, Xue Bo should have left this “barren land” of Anxi as soon as possible. Yet he showed not the slightest sign of aversion. On the contrary, he voluntarily lowered his status and ate, lived, and conversed with the soldiers of Shule’s army.
Take, for example, the incident when he captured the king of the Shi state single-handedly. Xue Bo showed great interest in it. When the two armies were facing off, this descendant of a prominent family from Jingzhao not only did not stand by but also led dozens of guards into the Shi cavalry ranks and fought fiercely. After a fierce battle, this imperial envoy managed to cut down thirteen heads. Aside from three guards suffering minor arm injuries, almost none of Xue Bo’s private troops were hurt.
This incident greatly increased the goodwill of Shule’s soldiers toward Xue Bo and his group. Most of the Shule soldiers came from poor backgrounds and despised those who used power to oppress others. On the contrary, they admired those who were capable and brave. Xue Bo’s fearless act of charging alone into enemy ranks shocked the Shule soldiers deeply. After that battle, no one ever mocked him again for his noble background.
However, such behavior raised serious doubts in Li Kuo’s mind. Logically, sons of noble families would practice some basic martial arts for self-defense. Horseback riding and archery were among the six classical arts and considered the foundation of a gentleman’s character, so it was normal for scholars to be skilled in them. But these skills were mostly superficial tricks that couldn’t hold up under real combat. Yet Xue Bo had shown such bravery in capturing the king of the Shi state, even surpassing many generals from military backgrounds, which was indeed suspicious.
Judging from Xue Bo’s situation, he was likely sent to Anxi under orders, probably out of necessity. At most, he might have been seeking some benefits or gaining experience through his position. It had nothing to do with taking the lead in fighting enemies and killing chiefs.
Could he have planned this all along? Why did he insist on joining Shule’s army during the campaign? And why did he stay in Shule after delivering the orders?
Li Kuo was extremely puzzled, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask these questions…
“Qilang, what are you thinking about?”
Seeing Li Kuo lost in thought, Ni Xin walked over slowly and placed a food box on the table.

“This is the new cheese cake I made. Don’t you like cheese cakes? I even went to a pastry shop in the East District to learn how to make them. Come and give it a try.”
Li Kuo smiled slightly, picked up a piece of the cake, and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, he praised, “Mm, not bad. It’s almost as good as the cheese cakes from Chang’an’s Zhenwei Xuan.”
“That’s about right!”
Ni Xin pouted and said, “I’ve been worrying day and night just to make this cake!”
“Hey, hey, young lady, can you stop using idioms randomly? That can’t really be called worrying day and night.”
Li Kuo found it amusing that she was using expressions carelessly and corrected her.
“What’s wrong? I’ve been thinking day and night about how to create a delicious taste, so of course I can’t sleep. Whenever I can’t make it, I sigh—that’s worrying day and night!”
Ni Xin refused to back down, raising her eyebrows and speaking slowly.
Seeing her stubbornness, Li Kuo waved his hand and said, “Alright, I can’t argue with you, so I won’t argue anymore.”
“What, are you also going to follow that imperial envoy, Lord Xue, and not return to Guanzhong?”
Seeing that Ni Xin was in a good mood, Li Kuo joked with her. This girl was quite interesting; ever since she followed him to Shule, she had found various excuses to stay. If he didn’t send her away, she might never leave Anxi in her lifetime.
“That’s my business. If I want to stay, I stay; if I want to leave, I leave. Why do I need to follow others? Besides, that so-called Lord Xue is clearly here because he needs your help. Do you think I can’t see that?”
Ni Xin straightened her back and crossed her arms, saying, “We’ve been traveling the world for so many years—what kind of people haven’t we met? Just wait. Within three days, this man will definitely come to visit on his own.”
“Not bad, not bad. That does have a bit of a heroine’s spirit,” Li Kuo praised, clapping his hands. “But, Miss Ni, I wonder what exactly Lord Xue, that imperial envoy, wants from me?”
Ni Xin glared at him irritably and said, “Do you think I’m some kind of half-immortal? How would I know what he’s thinking? But surely he’s an ally, not an enemy.”
After a brief pause, as if remembering something, she added, “At least for now.”
“Who knows if it’s good or bad!”
Li Kuo sighed, crossing his arms behind his back. “He holds the title of an imperial envoy, yet he insists on waiting until Gao Shuai leaves Anxi before meeting me privately. I’m afraid what they’re discussing isn’t anything good.”

These days, Li Kuo serves as the military commander of Shule, in charge of the local troops and civilians. His position isn’t particularly high, but it’s certainly not low either. Most importantly, as the military commander, he holds real military power, giving him significant influence both in terms of political deterrence and behind-the-scenes struggles. Moreover, since his own foundation is still weak and he hasn’t been tamed by anyone, if any high-ranking official in the court urgently needs military support, his army is likely to be deliberately drawn into their side.

“Why worry so much?”

Ni Xin snorted coldly, “Look at the situation—he’s the one who needs you. Since he’s asking for help, he’ll surely bend the knee. Don’t be fooled by his status as a nobleman’s son; his knees might not be as tough as those of a ronin who’s struggled through the jianghu. Just remember to keep a firm grip on the situation—leave the rest to me. If he dares to be stubborn or forceful, I certainly won’t mind punching a few holes in him!”

“Pfft!”

Hearing Ni Xin’s such “chivalrous” words, Li Kuo couldn’t help but laugh despite trying hard to hold back. “Look, this is our Miss Ni—truly a gem. If you were forced to become some embroidery lady or a delicate young lady who plays the zither and sips tea, that would be a real waste of talent.”

Just as Ni Xin was about to retort, the door creaked open. Zhang Yanji poked his head in and said, “Big Face, Brother Kuo—am I interrupting your ‘nice time’?”

He emphasized the word “nice time” so heavily that outsiders might think the two of them were up to something shady. Seeing him speak in such a vulgar manner, Li Kuo was both angry and amused.

“You brat, what do you want now? Hurry up and tell me!”