Xu Manor.
"Xingzhi, good news!"
A middle-aged scholar in official robes hurried into Xu Xingzhi's study.
"Zijing, what wind blew you here today?"
The moment Xu Xingzhi saw his visitor, a smile immediately spread across his face.
He set down his wolf-hair brush, stopped practicing calligraphy, and greeted him warmly.
A month of idling at home had shown him the warmth and coldness of the world.
Though the man had not left, the tea had already gone cold.
He was still a Langzhong of the Seed Selection Department, yet not a single subordinate had come to visit him. Every last one had become the Ninth Prince's tagalong.
Only Lu Zijing had come to see him time and again.
It allowed Xu Xingzhi to see clearly who his true friend was.
"Xingzhi, I truly admire your composure."
"With something this serious happening, you can still settle down and practice calligraphy."
Lu Zijing's words left Xu Xingzhi utterly bewildered.
"What happened?"
"Xingzhi, you don't know?"
"His Majesty, the Three Prime Ministers, and all the ministers personally went to the Seed Selection Department."
His Majesty, the Three Prime Ministers, and all the ministers had gone to the Seed Selection Department?
Xu Xingzhi's face instantly turned pale, and he sensed that trouble was brewing.
As the Seed Selection Department's Langzhong, what kind of thing was it for him not to be at the Seed Selection Department?
Xu Xingzhi swayed, his body trembling faintly, as though catastrophe were about to descend upon him.
Regret!
Such regret!
Had he known, he would have gotten so angry that he submitted a request for retirement and returned home to live out his old age.
Now that he had offended His Majesty, the Three Prime Ministers, and all those ministers, he feared that even retiring to his hometown would be difficult.
Yet Lu Zijing's next words hauled Xu Xingzhi out of hell and sent him soaring back into the clouds.
"Xingzhi, today your Seed Selection Department greatly showed its might before all those eminent officials."
"His Ninth Highness presented Sacred Emperor Rice, yielding seven hundred jin per mu. It truly is an auspicious omen!"
"What?"
"Seven hundred jin per mu!"
Xu Xingzhi was dumbfounded, his eyes filled with shock.
His heart-lake seemed to be churned by a pair of invisible giant hands, stirring up tempestuous waves.
Wasn't His Ninth Highness growing rice that could not form ears?
How had it suddenly come to yield seven hundred jin per mu?
Xu Xingzhi could not understand!
He could not make heads or tails of it at all!
"That's right. All those eminent officials saw it with their own eyes."
"His Ninth Highness naturally deserves the foremost credit, but as the Seed Selection Department's Langzhong, you certainly will not be left without benefits."
"So that was it!"
Xu Xingzhi abruptly rose to his feet. The movement was so forceful that he directly knocked over the memorial on the table.
The fallen memorial opened, revealing the three words: "Request Retirement."
Other than its title, the body was completely blank.
Xu Xingzhi had been writing that memorial requesting retirement for a month, yet he had only written the words "Request Retirement."
Lu Zijing froze for a moment when he saw the memorial.
"Xingzhi, you want to request retirement? That will not do. Right now, you are—"
Before Lu Zijing could finish, Xu Xingzhi picked up the memorial and burst into laughter.
"Zijing, don't worry. I was just writing it for fun."
"At sixty, I am at the age to spread my wings and accomplish great things. How could I request retirement?"
As he spoke, Xu Xingzhi tossed the memorial into the brazier.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
Before long, it burned to ashes.
After the two chatted for a while, Xu Xingzhi saw Lu Zijing off.
Xu Xingzhi calmed himself and took out his Agricultural School inheritance.
The Agricultural School inheritance that he had once regarded as a treasure was smashed heavily onto the floor.
"What use are you?"
"What use are you?"
"I studied you for an entire lifetime, yet I still cannot compare to His Ninth Highness."
"Alas—"
Xu Xingzhi paced back and forth through the study.
At times he sighed, at times his brows drew tight, at times his face lit up with delight, and at times he looked deeply troubled.
If one had not seen it with one's own eyes, it would have been hard to imagine that one person's expressions could be so colorful.
After hesitating for a long time, Xu Xingzhi finally revealed a resolute expression, made his decision, and strode out of the study.
"Madam, bring out my Cloud Drunk."
Seeing her husband demand Cloud Drunk so urgently, Madam Xu looked utterly curious.
"You brewed it for thirty years, and you could never bear to drink it."
"Why the sudden change of heart today?"
"I am not drinking it. I am taking it to give His Ninth Highness a gift."
Xu Xingzhi shook his head and spoke words that left Madam Xu utterly stunned.
A gift?
Would her husband, with his wooden fish brain, actually give someone a gift?
She touched Xu Xingzhi's forehead, her gaze full of concern and worry.
"Husband, are you ill?"
"Madam, rest assured. I am perfectly well."
"Didn't you always disdain giving gifts? Why today—"
"Madam, you do not understand."
"Those fly-camp, dog-scrounge sorts are naturally beneath my notice for gifts."
"But today is different. I am giving this gift for the welfare of the common people."
Xu Xingzhi stood righteous and awe-inspiring, open and aboveboard.
Madam Xu saw her husband sweep away his previous dejection and regain his unyielding backbone of old.
She wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes and smiled in relief.
Ninth Prince's Manor.
When Fang Heng returned to the manor—
Red knots had been hung upon the stone lions at the entrance.
The entire Ninth Prince's Manor had been decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments.
Led by Yun Menglan, everyone in the manor—maids, eunuchs, and guards alike—
knelt in two rows and performed a grand salute toward Fang Heng.
"Welcome home, Prince."
At the sight of this magnificent scene, a surge of heroic spirit rose naturally within Fang Heng.
"Rise."
"Reward everyone with ten taels of silver."
"Thank you, Prince!"
"Thank you, Prince!"
"Thank you, Prince!"
Voices like mountains roaring and seas crashing echoed throughout the manor.
Everyone beamed with joy, and the manor was bustling with life.
"Aunt Yun, bring the wine and drink a cup with me."
"Understood, Prince!"
"Prince sounds nice. Call me that a few more times."
"Prince! Prince! Prince!"
Yun Menglan's elegant, dignified voice echoed beside his ear.
It made Fang Heng feel so comfortable that he seemed to be seated among the clouds.
Prince—what a wonderful form of address!
"Prince, I offer you a cup."
Yun Menglan raised her wine cup. The amber-colored liquor reflected the rippling brilliance in her beautiful eyes.
Fang Heng did not take the cup. Instead, he chuckled.
"This cup is unsuitable!"
"Then this servant will go change it—"
Yun Menglan had barely risen when she felt her soft waist being domineeringly wrapped in Fang Heng's arms.
With a gentle pull, her tall, voluptuous body fell into Fang Heng's embrace.
Fang Heng lowered his head to gaze at the beauty in his arms. Her brows and eyes were gentle, like distant mountains painted in blue-green ink.
Beneath her moon-white palace gown lay exquisite, graceful curves.
Compared to a young maiden, she possessed an additional fullness, ripened to perfection.
Yun Menglan, in her thirties, was at the most beautiful time of a woman's life.
Yun Menglan was somewhat stunned, seemingly not expecting Fang Heng to launch such a sudden attack.
"How could a wine cup compare to Aunt Yun's little mouth?"
Fang Heng's tone was full of ambiguity as he extended a finger and pressed it against Yun Menglan's tender red lips.
Yun Menglan's eyes trembled faintly, and her pretty face flushed crimson, as lovely as peach blossoms in the second month.
She had never expected the boy she had watched grow up to tease her like this.
Nor did she resist.
She was His Highness's personal maid.
From the moment Consort Ning bestowed her upon His Highness, she had known—
her body would belong to His Highness sooner or later.
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