Explosion

Xu Xinnian exchanged his cousin's belongings for thirty taels of silver. He put the jade mirror into his sleeve, walked out of the dungeon, and met Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, who had been waiting for him, at the door.

Song Tingfeng said, "We've already prepared the passes for entering and leaving the capital. Since you haven't been there before, the two of us will lead the way."

Xu Xinnian bowed in thanks.

Song Tingfeng waved his hand. "As long as you can save him, everything is negotiable."

The three rode swiftly to the nearest gate of the imperial city. Song Tingfeng took out the pass from the Nightwatchers watchman's office and easily entered the imperial city.

They were constantly questioned by the patrolling Golden Guard, and then by the Feathered Forest Guards.

They finally arrived outside the palace, only to be stopped again.

The warrant issued by the Nightwatchers's office could only go this far. Further inside was the palace, which, although vast, was nominally the emperor's home.

Xu Xinnian said, "I am a student of the Cloud Deer Academy and an old acquaintance of the Princess. I have something to ask of you, and I hope you will inform her."

Everyone knew about the Princess's experience studying at the Cloud Deer Academy, so the guards didn't make things difficult for the three of them. They asked them to wait a moment before going inside.

A quarter of an hour later, the guard returned and said, "Come with me."

He led the three into the palace and warned them, "Don't look around, don't speak carelessly, and watch your words and actions."

Xu Xinnian lowered his head slightly, while Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, knowing the proper etiquette, walked quickly with their heads down.

Even after entering the palace, they could only walk on certain roads. If they went the wrong way and were questioned by the Imperial Guards, they could be attacked without any proof of identity.

After walking for a long time, we finally arrived at the Lanyue Palace, where the eldest princess resided. Two palace maids were already waiting in front of the vermilion gate.

The palace maid bowed, and after Xu Xinnian returned the bow, she led the three of them into the palace garden.

After passing through corridors and gardens, Xu Xinnian and his entourage were led to an elegant room for receiving guests.

A beautiful woman in palace attire sat at a table directly opposite the door, holding a book in her hands, sipping tea, elegant and leisurely.

"Your Highness, a guest has arrived," the palace maid announced, then turned and left.

Xu Xinnian bowed deeply and said in a clear voice, "Xu Xinnian of the Cloud Deer Academy greets the Princess."

The eldest princess smiled faintly and said, "What business do Cijiu?"

She did know Xu Xinnian; they had met a few times when they studied at the Cloud Deer Academy. It wasn't until she sent someone to investigate Xu Qi'an that she gained a more profound impression of Xu Xinnian.

Cijiu Xu Xinnian was stunned for a moment. He was not surprised that the princess remembered him. This princess was intelligent, talented, had a photographic memory, and knew very well how to win over people.

To his surprise, the eldest princess remembered his courtesy name, but he had never formally befriended her.

While it was somewhat impolite for the eldest princess to address him that way, it undoubtedly brought the two sides closer, which pleased Xu Xinnian greatly.

Xu Xinnian was no pushover; his emotions quickly calmed, and he said sincerely, "My Cijiu has encountered a great calamity; I beg the Princess to lend a helping hand."

The princess paused, a look of surprise crossing her beautiful face. "What happened?" she asked.

Xu Xinnian informed the Princess about the matter, and Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao filled in the gaps.

After saying this, Xu Xinnian bowed again. "My cousin is impulsive, but he is sincere. If he hadn't intervened, that poor child would have been humiliated by Zhu Yinluo."

"Where righteousness lies, one will not yield to power or disregard personal gain. My cousin is not a scholar, but his sincerity commands the utmost respect from us scholars."

His purpose in quoting classical sayings was to resonate with the eldest princess, who was also somewhat of a scholar.

The eldest princess pondered for a moment, then asked, "What was the result of Duke Wei's punishment?"

"Zhu Yinluo is dismissed from his post and will never be rehired. My cousin will be executed by being cut in half at the waist in seven days," Xu Cijiu voice.

The eldest princess remained silent, her aloof expression revealing nothing of her inner thoughts.

Xu Xinnian sighed inwardly. This princess was not a woman who was easily swayed; she was very opinionated and sometimes even a bit domineering.

Such people have their own principles when it comes to doing things.

"These are handwritten letters from my teacher, the Youping scholars Mubai and You Ping. Please help, Princess." Xu Cijiu intended to use her trump card.

He took out handwritten letters signed by three great Confucian scholars from his sleeve.

Clang.

A small jade mirror also slipped from the handwritten note.

Xu Xinnian calmly picked up the small mirror, put it away, and handed over the handwritten note.

The eldest princess took the letter, unfolded it, read it, and said calmly, "I understand, but the Nightwatchers's Office belongs to the royal family, yet it only obeys my father. I can only do my best."

Xu Xinnian took a deep breath. "Thank you, Princess."

After the palace maids saw Xu Xinnian and his entourage off, upon their return, the Eldest Princess ordered, "Send Nightwatchers watchman's office to inquire with Duke Wei and find out the conflict between the copper gong Xu Qi'an and the silver gong Zhu Chengzhu."

"Yes!" the palace maid replied.

Leaving the palace and the imperial city, Xu Xinnian bid farewell to the two gong players.

He rode slowly towards the outer city, a look of worry on his face.

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket with the eldest princess. She has agreed to this matter, but it remains to be seen how much effort she will put in."

"Father went to the Bureau of Astronomy; I wonder if those Warlock have any way to save my elder brother."

"I must pass the imperial examination next spring. I need to climb higher and gain more power, otherwise I won't be able to accomplish anything."

Xu Xinnian took off his water pouch, moistened his parched lips, and touched the small jade mirror hidden in his sleeve through his clothes.

It was nearly dusk when we arrived in Dongcheng.

Dongcheng Health Center is located in a slum, a place where the lowest rungs of Beijing's society gather, including peddlers, laborers, thieves, and bandits.

The residents he encountered along the way wore tattered winter clothes, had gaunt faces, and stared at him with the eyes of hungry wolves eyeing their prey.

But Xu Xinnian's scholar's robe kept these impoverished people, who were teetering on the edge of subsistence, alert.

The mud houses in this area are dilapidated and scattered haphazardly, with garbage everywhere along the roadside and a faint smell of feces and urine floating in the air.

It is obvious that flies will be everywhere in summer.

A sallow-faced, thin child mustered his courage and stepped forward, blocking Xu Xinnian's horse.

"Sir, please give me some money. I haven't eaten for seven days," the child said.

"You'd be dead long ago if you hadn't eaten for seven days, "Xu Xinnian subconsciously wanted to mock the other person, but swallowed it back.

He took a small piece of silver from his purse and tossed it over.

The child was pale and thin, with lifeless eyes. Seven days might be an exaggeration, but it's true that he hadn't eaten for a long time.

Upon seeing this scene, it wasn't just the child blocking the road whose eyes lit up; the eyes of the surrounding poor people and children also suddenly lit up.

It gleamed with greed and desire.

Seven or eight children followed suit and surrounded Xu Xinnian's horses, while the poor people quietly approached.

"Sir, please give me some silver."

I haven't eaten for ten days.

Adults and children surrounded the horses, making it clear they wouldn't let them leave without money.

Xu Xinnian's sharp gaze forced back a man who reached for his money pouch, and he shouted, "Silence!"

The noise stopped immediately, and everyone consciously remained silent.

"Get out!" Xu Xinnian shouted again, gathering his strength in his Dantian.

The children and adults surrounding the horses felt a strong sense of fear, and their instincts compelled them to stay away from the horses and not dare to approach them.

A Confucian scholar at the eighth level of the Self-Cultivation Realm can regulate the words and actions of others and master the most basic application of the Law Follows Speech be used as law.

Xu Xinnian shook his head helplessly, spurred his horse away from the area, and soon arrived at the Health Center.

He dismounted, fearing the horse might be stolen if it was tied up outside, and led it through the gate.

In the courtyard, an old clerk was sweeping the yard. He raised his aged face and asked, "Young master, what brings you here?"

Xu Xinnian asked, "Is it permissible to have one monk inside the hall?"

The old clerk replied, "You mean Master Hengyuan? He's gone. He's been gone for two days."

Xu Xinnian frowned. "When will you return?"

"I don't know. They said they've received news of my junior brother and need to leave for a few days," the old clerk shook his head.

Xu Xinnian left the health center and Dongcheng in disappointment.

At dusk, after having dinner, the eldest princess summoned the head guard of the manor to her study. The head guard brought with him intelligence gathered by the Nightwatchers watchmen's office.

The princess, dressed in magnificent palace attire, stood by the window, leaving her guards with an infinitely beautiful silhouette.

She listened quietly until the end, then asked, "Does Xu Qi'an have a grudge against Zhu Yinluo?"

The head guard shook his head. "I've specifically inquired, and the two should be complete strangers. However, the silver gong-wielder did privately express jealousy and dislike towards the bronze Xu Qi'an."

"Were Cheng's family members implicated and Imperial Academy of Music)?" the Princess asked again.

"No," the head guard replied.

The eldest princess remained silent, pondered for a moment, and then casually asked, "What do you think of this matter?"

The young head guard hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have inquired and found that when we assembled, Xu Qi'an, the gong- Xu Qi'an, was not late, but he was beaten by Zhu Chengzhu. It is clear that he was deliberately trying to cause trouble. Over the years, the Nightwatchers have indeed repeatedly committed acts of humiliation against the female relatives of convicted officials."

"Some who should have rushed into the Imperial Academy of Music were of little consequence, but those who shouldn't have been implicated often fell victim to its clutches."

Similar incidents are commonplace, but no one is willing to stand up for the families of convicted officials.

Officials who have fallen from grace are criminals, and when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down.

The head guard continued, "I also learned that Zhu Yinluo intended to force Xu Qi'an to make a move, and he succeeded, but..."

The eldest princess chuckled, "I just didn't expect that such a small gong could unleash such powerful energy."

The eldest princess said, "I understand. You may leave."

The head guard left the study.

The eldest princess stood by the window, gazing at the silent garden, her eyes serene.

late at night.

The moon cast its cool, clear light, reflecting its image on the tranquil Sangbo Lake.

The clanging of armor and the rhythmic footsteps echoed near Sangbo, belonging to the patrolling Imperial Guards.

A cold night wind blew, ruffling the surface of Sangbo Lake and creating shimmering silver fragments of light.

A delicately cut paper figure, no bigger than the palm of your hand, floated across the surface of Sangbo Lake on the wind and landed on a high platform in the center of the lake.

It remained silent for a few seconds, then wobbled to its feet, took short steps, and came to the temple gate, squeezing through the crack in the door.

A few seconds later, a faint light appeared from the crack in the door. A moment later, with a loud "boom," like a thunderclap, the blazing flames engulfed the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple.

The violent impact created a surge of waves, sending broken tiles, bricks, and beams dozens of meters away, crashing onto Sangbo Lake.

The explosion could be heard for hundreds of miles. The imperial guards patrolling near Sangbo felt the ground tremble and the flames that turned the sky red.

P. S.: The chapter from early morning is gone. There will be one or two more chapters tonight. One chapter will be a statement, and two chapters will be questions.