Thoughts weighing on the heart

The emperor's personal eunuch, carrying a whisk in his hand, came over, took the booklet, and respectfully handed it to the emperor.

Emperor Yuanjing put the book aside, took the booklet, and examined it intently.

As he watched, his eyebrows rose, and anger began to brew in his eyes.

"This is all nonsense. The people in the Ministry of Justice and the local government are becoming increasingly useless," Emperor Yuanjing scolded.

He glanced at Eunuch Liu, who trembled in fright.

Emperor Yuanjing slammed the book aside, his tone devoid of emotion, yet increasingly chilling, "What about the Nightwatchers's office?"

Eunuch Liu lowered his head and said in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, he's... he's in the back."

Emperor Yuanjing raised an eyebrow, picked up the booklet again, and continued reading.

As he watched, his tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed, and the anxiety between his brows gradually subsided; he became completely absorbed in the reading.

Emperor Yuanjing changed from a reclining position to a sitting position.

His expression grew increasingly serious, and his gaze became increasingly sharp.

The two chief eunuchs unconsciously slowed their breathing, both afraid of disturbing His Majesty and afraid of incurring bad luck.

In the end, when Emperor Yuanjing put down the book, the otherworldly air he had cultivated for twenty years had vanished, leaving only the majesty and ruthlessness of a human emperor.

Cold sweat was already beading on Eunuch Liu's forehead.

He had thought His Majesty would be satisfied, but it seems the opposite has happened?

"Pass on the order!"

Emperor Yuanjing's face was as cold as ice, and his tone was stern. "The magistrate of Taikang County has neglected his duties, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people from the surrounding areas of Dahuang Mountain. He shall be dismissed from his post, imprisoned, and executed next autumn."

"Lu Qing, a constable from the prefectural government, has been promoted to chief constable of the Six Doors."

He didn't mention Xu Qi'an because Xu Qi'an was already a convict, and his performance bonus had to be put last; rewards were his lifeblood.

"This servant obeys!" Eunuch Liu breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew.

After leaving the Jingxin Hall, he returned to his residence without saying a word, accompanied by the young eunuch, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Although it is unknown whether His Majesty's expression turned even more unpleasant after reading the later part of the text, according to His Majesty's decree, the latter part should have satisfied him. His Majesty's gloomy mood was due to other matters.

In the Jingxin Hall, Emperor Yuanjing stood by the window, silent for a long time.

"Pass down the order to lift the city restrictions on both the inner and outer city walls."

Xu Qi'an dragged his tired body back to the mansion; dinner was already over.

The front hall of the Xu Residence was brightly lit, where Xu Pingzhi and Xu Xinnian were waiting for his return.

"Nian'er, have the kitchen heat up the food and bring it up," Xu Pingzhi said.

With his rosy lips and white teeth, and handsome features, Xu Xinnian left the front hall, leaving only the uncle and nephew behind.

The candlelight flickered slightly, Second Uncle Xu's rugged, square face was cold and serious.

Not long after, Xu Xinnian returned. The cooks brought over the food, which had been kept warm in the pot, waiting for Xu Qi'an to come back.

Looking at his rugged second uncle and handsome younger brother, Xu Qi'an was momentarily dazed.

He was all alone in this world, without a cell phone, without a computer, without keyboard warriors, and without Japanese romance dramas.

They lived by candlelight or oil lamps every day, and even when they went to the toilet, they had to grumble and curse while lifting the hem of their clothes high.

Sometimes in my dreams, I dream that I have returned to my past life, woke up with a smile, and then stared blankly at the roof with its crisscrossing beams.

"I suddenly feel like drinking," Xu Qi'an muttered under his breath, taking the wine jug from the cook.

After the cooks had set out the food, Xu Pingzhi waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

Xu Qi'an kept drinking, not because he was reminiscing about his past life, but because he suddenly remembered a saying, "Home is where my heart is."

In this world, there will always be someone waiting for you to come home at night, warming up food for you in the kitchen.

No matter how tired, helpless, or lonely you are outside, once you come back here, you'll understand that you're not alone.

After drinking half a pot of wine, Xu Qi'an exhaled a long breath. "Sangbo has been bombed. His Majesty has ordered me to thoroughly investigate the case and redeem myself through meritorious service."

Xu Pingzhi nodded slowly. "I already know, but this is not something you can interfere with."

"I know, I'm only responsible for investigating cases, not for pursuing them," Xu Qi'an said helplessly. "I have to give it a try, otherwise I'll have no choice but to run away."

He never intended to pay the price for the imperial power; if the case couldn't be solved, fleeing was inevitable.

"This shouldn't implicate you, after all, I haven't committed any serious crime," Xu Qi'an said.

The reason he swore just now is that he finally found a home where he felt a sense of belonging, but he may have to say goodbye to it completely in the near future.

Xu Qi'an's crime was killing his superior, which is a capital offense, but it's far from the kind of punishment that would involve his family.

In Great Feng, collective punishment was a very serious offense, and ordinary people were not even qualified to be implicated.

To constitute the crime of "implicating an entire clan," the following conditions must be met: 1. Treason. 2. Causing significant damage to the state. 3. Causing significant damage to the royal family. 4. Choosing the wrong side!

Xu Pingzhi falls under the second category, losing tax revenue and causing significant losses to the national treasury. However, this is not the norm.

Those who can achieve the above four accomplishments are usually high-ranking officials in the imperial court. Only those of noble birth and high status are easily executed along with their entire families.

Therefore, "collective punishment" is also jokingly referred to as the privilege of the powerful.

Xu Qi'an is at most a death row inmate. He escaped, so he's just a fugitive. It doesn't implicate his uncle and aunt.

Second Uncle Xu nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that you can figure it out. You've always been stubborn since you were little."

That was me before, and that's me now. Xu Qi'an shook his head. "I'm not stupid."

Xu Erlang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If all else fails, you can go to Yunzhou."

Yunzhou?

Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

He knew Yunzhou; it was plagued by bandits and was also known as the Bandit Prefecture. Number Two was also based in Yunzhou.

Xu Erlang said, "Then you have a serious bandit problem and the least influence from the imperial court. Even if you are wanted, you will be safe there."

If one is ruthless enough, one can simply become an outlaw, which allows them to hone their Martial Dao and gain power. Many wanted criminals and desperate outlaws from the martial arts world like to gather in Yunzhou.

That makes sense. Compared to other regions, it's safer to stay in Yunzhou. The more chaotic a place is, the safer it is!

A sudden idea flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind.

If I were Commander Zhou, where would I run to?

He colluded with the Demon Race and destroyed Sangbo, perfectly achieving the heinous crimes of "exterminating the entire family" and "implicating three generations of relatives".

Nowhere is safe for him to hide, because the imperial court will not let him go.

Where should we hide?

Two choices: either leave Great Feng or hide in Yunzhou!

Yes, Yunzhou.

Xu Qi'an became excited and was about to pat his little brother on the shoulder when he heard his second uncle slam his fist on the table. "You're not allowed to go to Yunzhou."

The two brothers were startled.

"Why?" Xu Qi'an, surprised by his second uncle's reaction.

"What are you going to Yunzhou for? To become a bandit?" Second Uncle Xu said angrily. "The imperial court suppresses bandits every year. What if they send Cijiu to Yunzhou to suppress bandits in the future? Have you forgotten the agreement you two made that day?"

What agreement? Oh, fratricide. Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian lowered their heads in shame.

I'd really forgotten.

I didn't expect my second uncle to remember; it seems he really cares about it.

"Okay, okay, I won't go to Yunzhou, I'll go to the Western Regions," Xu Qi'an said.

The women from the Western Regions are both beautiful and passionate!

After finishing his meal, Xu Qi'an saw Xu Lingyue walk in carrying a bowl of steaming milk, her red lips slightly parted, her eyes gentle.

"Brother, have a bowl of milk to replenish your energy."

"Lingyue bought it herself; it's fresh milk for lunch today." Second Uncle Xu smiled sincerely, seeing the increasingly harmonious relationship between his son and nephew, and added:

"Lingyin drank two large bowls of water and got a beating from her older sister."

Xu Qi'an picked up the milk, smelled it, and almost vomited. The milk smelled fishy and rancid.

This is what fresh milk is like these days: no messy additives, pure and original flavor, at most it's just heated and sterilized.

But it doesn't actually taste good.

Although it tastes terrible, it was something that only nobles could drink on a daily basis, despite its unpopular flavor.

However, it is indeed nourishing, and for aristocratic children, milk is a daily necessity.

Could I try to improve the milk? And then make a fortune with my secret recipe? Well, I have no idea how to get rid of this taste. The teachers at school didn't teach me. Xu Qi'an sighed, and under his sister's eager gaze, downed his drink in one gulp.

They have deep feelings for each other.

Touching the still-warm bowl, Xu Qi'an suddenly recalled some past events.

When he was in middle school, his parents subscribed to milk for him, the kind that comes in glass bottles, and it was delivered to his doorstep every morning still warm.

Xu Qi'an didn't drink it himself, but put it in his pocket and gave it to the goddess. He originally thought this was love.

He later realized that he was actually a simp.

Suddenly, a mournful rain began to fall outside, soaking the withered branches and the stone slabs in the courtyard.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Xu Qi'an returned to his small courtyard, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

He lit an oil lamp, opened the window, and it was completely dark. Only a single candlelight stubbornly shone through, and the rain pattered softly.

The world is quiet, so quiet that it allows one to calm down and think about many things.

A cup of wine amidst peach blossoms and spring breeze, ten years of lamplight in the rainy nights of the martial world!

When the poet Huang Tingjian wrote this poem, he probably felt the same way, both missing certain people in their hearts.

Perhaps, it was also on such a quiet, bleak, and rainy night.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but after lighting the lamp twice, Xu Qi'an finally managed to pull himself out of his melancholy mood.

One cannot remain immersed in one's own world forever; there is still much to be done.

Xu Qi'an sat at the table, took out a small jade mirror, and typed in the message: "Heh, something's happened in the capital again."

P. S.: This chapter is from yesterday. I was busy during the day and still owe everyone a chapter, so I stubbornly stayed up all night and finally finished writing it. Time to sleep.