Besides, top-grade gold-brick tiles, glazed roof tiles, cedar, and other materials kept streaming in through a side gate in the northwest corner of Marquis Wuwen's Mansion, as if they were about to begin extensive construction. But this was an immense honor, too. The Hong family of Marquis Wuwen had suddenly become imperial in-laws, and their standing was now more firmly established than ever. After all, Lady Zhao's two sons included Hong Xi, the legitimate eldest son and the man all but certain to inherit the marquisate. He was no pushover now, either: he commanded the Divine Machine Battalion, one of the three Imperial Guard camps, and was a mysterious figure renowned for his martial prowess. Outside the window lay a neatly arranged grove of osmanthus trees. Moonlight shone through the shadows of the branches, illuminating the spotless ground below. Stone tables and stools stood in elegant profusion, with a rock garden nearby and water burbling through a pool. Hong Yi had long wanted to move out of the Marquis Mansion, but he had no source of income, for one thing, and as a member of the household, he couldn't simply leave whenever he pleased. Inside the chamber, the screens, beds, and rooms within rooms were all furnished with fine wood. It was spacious and comfortable. The maid was quick-witted and immediately followed her out. The two stood by the wall and spoke. But what does any of this have to do with me? When successful, help the world; when impoverished, cultivate oneself alone. I'm both impoverished and hard-pressed right now, so I can only cultivate myself. What do the affairs of those great figures have to do with me? Even if they mean to overthrow the Dagan Empire, I have no power to stop them. Eat from a bowl as big as the one you have. Trying to manage what you lack the ability to manage is the act of a reckless fool, not a sage. I should think about my own affairs instead. Hong Yi sent his soul drifting out. It passed through a short corridor and reached the outer room. Four maids slept on the beds there, breathing evenly, their eyes closed, yet their ears twitching faintly—alert as cats and dogs. They were clearly trained maids. Hong Yi could hear them. In other words, once Hong Yi passed the provincial examinations, even if he left with empty hands, a host of people would bring him money, silver, land, and offers of allegiance. Within half a year, he could build a substantial household of his own. Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, had merely eaten a token dinner before returning home. By rights, the entire mansion should have been settling down for the night, but the servants' hurried comings and goings suggested that the household was busier than ever. Hong Yi did not lie down. Instead, he sat cross-legged on his bed without lighting a lamp, eyes closed as he meditated in the darkness, turning things over in his mind. The person who entered had a head of silver hair, but hands like a sixteen-year-old girl's. She was the old woman who stayed by the First Madam's side, known as Nanny Zeng. The Marquis Mansion was bustling, but Hong Yi had fallen into deep thought. The inner room was where Hong Yi lived; the outer room was where the four maids who served him slept. As soon as Luo Yun left, Hong Yi had learned that Lady Zhao had bestowed the fine Osmanthus Chamber in the east wing of the Marquis Mansion upon him. She had also assigned four maids to serve him and instructed the accounts office to give him three hundred taels of silver. And now, ten steps away seemed only a blink away. Though he still couldn't roam a thousand miles in a single night, Hong Yi felt that he could already travel far from his body. "Consort Yuan... Ziyue... What are they planning? I'd guessed that Consort Yuan was from the palace, but I never imagined she was the Imperial Noble Consort herself. She leaves the palace late at night, has formidable martial skills, and goes to visit relatives... She also seems to have some connection with Ziyue. Could she be one of the Eight Great Demon Immortals of the World? But she's a princess of the Yuantu Kingdom... Could Ziyue also be from the Yuantu Bai Clan? They reincarnated in Yuantu before entering the Dagan Imperial Palace. Surely they weren't just looking for scriptures. Could they be plotting something?" At night, if anything happened, a light call would bring the maids in the outer room instantly to their feet, ready to await their master's orders. Besides, Lady Zhao's maiden family was no ordinary one either; it had produced scholar-officials for generations. By then, Hong Yi had gleaned a few more details from Luo Yun through indirect questions, strengthening his suspicions. The Consort Yuan he'd encountered at Qiuyue Temple on West Mountain was definitely the current Imperial Noble Consort, a princess of the Yuantu Kingdom. Hong Yi sat on his bed, surrounded by embroidered silk bedding and the heady fragrance of incense. Anyone who lay down on it would feel the luxurious comfort and never want to get up. This was the standard treatment for a young master of a marquis's household. The room was a hundred times better than the little courtyard in the northwest corner where Hong Yi had lived before. The Eight Great Demon Immortals of the World, Bai Ziyue, Consort Yuan—Hong Yi sensed that these figures were tied together by a deep conspiracy. Something major was bound to happen in the future. The moment Hong Yi's soul left his body, he felt as though he were swimming freely. He drifted through the room, flickering from place to place, here one moment and there the next. Within ten steps, he could reach his destination in the blink of an eye. He even felt a little like a ghost. Back when he'd first tried Night Roaming, Hong Yi had known that his soul could only drift along two or three feet above the ground, and that moving too quickly risked injury. The princess's visit to the mansion had called only for an incense altar to be set out in welcome. When the imperial consort visited, all the titled ladies had to kneel to receive her. Nanny Zeng raised a hand, signaling for the maid to follow, then went out. Hong Yi recalled studying Qian Daozi's painting of plum blossoms in the study and gaining a deeper understanding of the Amitabha Sutra, which had let him leave his body and roam by day. Now that he had finally settled down, he decided to test how much stronger his soul had become. This was a momentous affair—far more important than the princess's visit—and the etiquette was much more elaborate. Extensive construction was a necessity. Hong Yi calmed the jumble of thoughts in his mind, then remembered what Consort Yuan had told him. What if Lady Zhao is trying to win me over? She gave me a better room and even took the initiative to have the accounts office give me three hundred taels of silver. Since when has she been so generous? Even though I've made the princess's acquaintance, the princess has no say in the household's affairs. I can borrow her influence for a while, but not forever. Perhaps they're trying to put me at ease before slowly dealing with me later. Just then, a figure slipped into the room without making a sound. After entering, she tapped one of the maids, who immediately woke up. Seeing who it was, she whispered, "Nanny Zeng?" Once he passed the provincial examinations, things would be different. With that status, many commoners would come to serve him as household slaves, even place their land in his name to evade taxes. Dagan might be in a golden age, but the taxes were still heavy, and there were plenty of labor levies. What was more, a provincial graduate held a status equivalent to a local official. He could address the county magistrate as an equal and enter the yamen at will to meet local officials. Hong Yi's second older brother had gone south to serve as an official in a wealthy province. Hong Yi's mind churned with countless thoughts. There was only one reason for all this bustle: an imperial edict from the inner palace had arrived at dusk. The Empress Dowager intended to make the Marquis Wuwen household kin to Consort Yuan, and ten days later, Consort Yuan would return to her family in a ceremonial procession to ease her homesickness. Night gradually fell. Red lanterns were lit throughout Marquis Wuwen's Mansion, and everyone from top to bottom was busy. There wasn't a trace of the stillness that should have settled over an ordinary family home at night. Without the ability to roam beyond his body, he would never have noticed Nanny Zeng. She was highly skilled. "Keep a close watch on that boy. Report every move he makes, and find out where he practices martial arts and what techniques he uses. And..."
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