Li Yuchun, the Unbending Straight Man

I only wish my child were foolish and dull, so that he might rise to high office without disaster or hardship. Ouch, what a venomous mouth.

The poem expresses the poet's lament that he was too clever and wasted his life. He believes that if he were foolish, he could have risen to high office without any trouble.

This is a satire of the entire court of officials and nobles, calling them brainless idiots.

The surrounding officials exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions incredibly strange. They had come to see Minister Sun make a fool of himself, only to be unexpectedly betrayed.

It was incredibly painful.

The poem "The Case of Sangbo: A Gift to Minister Sun" is a satire of my foolishness, a mockery of my self-inflicted wound. He wants to nail my name to the pillar of shame. Minister Sun's mind is filled with the poem's title, and he is consumed by rage.

The highest pursuit of scholars is to be remembered in history, which is more attractive to them than teaching and educating people. But just as much as they desire to be remembered in history, they also fear being remembered in infamy.

How can I tolerate this?

This is intolerable.

"Guards, seize this scoundrel! Seize him!!!" Minister Sun trembled with rage, his face turning bright red.

His unauthorized attempt to Nightwatchers Xu Qi'an, the chief watchman, led to this subsequent development in the Sangbo case. Already filled with remorse and wanting to overturn the table, he couldn't stand the thought of someone kicking him while he was down.

Xu Qi'an's poem wasn't about hitting a stone, but about hitting a mountain. Even a seasoned official like Minister Sun was devastated.

The Ministry of Ministry of Justice officials swarmed forward, intending to arrest Xu Qi'an outside the imperial city.

"Lord Sun, please calm down." Wei Yuan's calm and gentle voice stopped the angry officials from the Ministry of Justice.

The man in blue robes walked over unhurriedly and stood in front of Xu Qi'an.

"Wei Yuan, this boy publicly slandered me and insulted a minister; according to the law, he should be exiled." The Minister of Ministry of Justice, suppressing his anger, said, word by word:

"Today, even you can't save him."

"Slandering the Minister is indeed a serious crime." Wei Yuan stared sternly at Xu Qi'an. Just when everyone thought he was about to reprimand the outspoken young man, he looked at Minister Sun seriously and said, "Telling the truth is not slander."

"You—" Minister Sun swayed, his trembling finger pointing at Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan smiled, turned and left. Xu Qi'an followed his father happily, escaping the encirclement of the Ministry of Justice officials.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again, turned around, and shouted, "Congratulations, Minister Sun, your name is known throughout the land, and your fame has spread throughout the Confucian world!"

Minister Sun was stunned. A few seconds later, he couldn't catch his breath and fainted.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency!" The officials of the Ministry of Justice panicked.

Back at the yamen, Xu Qi'an followed Wei Yuan into the Haoqi Tower, diligently serving tea to Wei Yuan and the two Jin Gong.

"Duke Wei, there are a few things I don't understand," Xu Qi'an asked.

Wei Yuan was a strategist and a wise man. It's always better to consult him before making a decision than to try to figure it out on your own. It's like asking your teacher for help when you have a question in school—it's convenient and quick.

"Why did Your Majesty order the Ministry of Justice to handle this case?" Wei Yuan asked, holding his teacup with a faint smile.

"If all the talent in the world were measured in bushels, Duke Wei would possess eight-tenths, while I and Cloud Deer Academy would share the remaining tenths," Xu Qi'an flattered.

"Pfft!" Jiang Luzhong spat out a mouthful of tea.

Yang Yan's lips twitched.

Wei Yuan's faint smile quickly widened, clearly indicating that he was very pleased with Xu Qi'an's flattery.

That's how intellectuals are; if you praise them with "Wow, that's awesome!" or "Dude, you're amazing!" they won't even bother with you.

But that doesn't mean scholars don't like being flattered; it just means they need to find a different way to do it. Xu Qi'an's flattery was very precise, using a method that scholars liked, making Wei Yuan feel comfortable.

Wei Yuan was a very proud scholar.

"The Ministry of Rites is a member of the Wang faction. If he is handed over to the Nightwatchers's Office for trial, it will implicate a large number of other members of the Wang faction," Wei Yuan said.

At that time, the court factions would be out of balance. The dominance of one or two factions was not what Emperor Yuanjing wanted, as it would hinder his control over the court situation. Especially given his years of cultivation, even if the royal faction colluded with the Demon Race, bombed Sangbo, and destroyed the ancestral image, what did the ancestral image matter compared to his own power? Xu Qi'an analyzed and extracted the core message from Wei Yuan's words.

This further worsened his impression of Emperor Yuanjing.

Emperor Yuanjing may have been a highly skilled emperor, but he was not a good one. The pseudo-historian Xu Qi'an divides emperors into three categories: wise rulers, mediocre rulers, and incompetent rulers.

A wise ruler is a good emperor who ensures that the people have enough to eat and wear.

A mediocre ruler is an emperor who has neither accomplished anything nor committed any major mistakes; most emperors in history fall into this category. In fact, from the perspective of the common people, a mediocre ruler who does not disturb the people is already a wise ruler.

A foolish ruler is an emperor who favors sycophants and alienates virtuous ministers, usually plunging the court and the country into chaos.

The reason why tyrants are not included is because the first three could all be tyrants.

In Xu Qi'an's eyes, Emperor Yuanjing was a foolish ruler because, as emperor, he only cared about his own power and status. The current chaotic situation of factional struggles in the court was actually caused by Emperor Yuanjing.

He cultivates Daoism and doesn't concern himself with court affairs, so he needs a chaotic court situation to solidify his position. Otherwise, he could easily be sidelined.

"There's one more thing I don't understand: why didn't the Ministry of Rites kill Zhou Chixiong to silence him?" Xu Qi'an said.

I thought it would be the Nightwatchers who would interrogate the Ministry of Rites, and then I would ask him questions. But I never expected Emperor Yuanjing to be so shrewd.

Wei Yuan shook his head. "Don't worry about these minor issues. The Sangbo case is over. His Majesty hasn't mentioned your matter, which means it's been put on hold."

Xu Qi'an smiled sincerely and immediately said, "I plan to invite my colleagues who are assisting me in this investigation to drink at the Imperial Academy of Music, but I don't have the money. I would like to ask Duke Wei for some funds."

This is similar to a company achieving a sales target and then having a meal together at a restaurant; naturally, the company pays for it.

Wei Yuan glanced at him. "Get lost."

After driving Xu Qi'an away, Wei Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Yang Yan, give him two hundred taels of silver as a reward from the government."

After saying that, he glanced at Jiang Luzhong and Yang Yan: "You two can go together."

Jiang Luzhong shook his head repeatedly. "Duke Wei, I won't go to a place like the Imperial Academy of Music."

Yang Yan also shook his head.

Wei Yuan didn't insist, leisurely sipping his tea. "With him here, I reckon there will be quite a few courtesans accompanying him."

As night fell, the Imperial Academy of Music) was brightly lit, and the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments echoed throughout.

In the Shadow Plum Pavilion, Fuxiang plays the zither, Ming Yan performs a dance, and Xiao Ya acts as the master of ceremonies—a lively scene indeed.

Yang Yan and Jiang Luzhong were each accompanied by a beautiful courtesan who served them drinks. Xu Qi'an raised his glass and said with a smile, "Everyone, don't be shy, eat and drink as you please."

The bronze and silver gong players were initially a little uncomfortable, as the presence of two gold gong players put them under considerable pressure.

But Jiang Luzhong was a seasoned drinker, knowing how to liven up the atmosphere. He kept raising his glass in greeting and even made lewd remarks, completely different from when he was on duty.

Gradually, the silver and bronze gongs loosened up.

There were only two people on the field who looked completely serious, not at all like they were there to solicit prostitutes: Yang Yan and Li Yuchun.

"You two are truly cut from the same cloth, befitting a superior Virtue," Jiang Luzhong joked with a smile.

"Jiang Jinluo's words are incorrect," Xu Qi'an said, having drunk quite a bit and getting a little tipsy, boldly teasing his two superiors:

"Yang Jinluo isn't interested in women, while the boss is just too hypocritical; there's a difference between the two."

Now, the atmosphere on the field was definitely relaxed, and everyone laughed heartily, filling the air with a joyful atmosphere.

The banquet lasted until 9:30 PM, when it finally ended. Jiang Luzhong left with the voluptuous courtesan in his arms, while Yang Yan returned to the yamen.

Li Yuchun also wanted to go back, but Xu Qi'an, Song Tingfeng, and Zhu Guangxiao risked their lives to keep him there, stuffed a pretty young woman into his arms, and locked him in the house.

As the "host," Xu Qi'an made sure everyone was settled before entering Fuxiang's room.

"Why are there so many people here today?" Fuxiang, who had just finished bathing, sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, drying her jet-black hair.

"It's all to keep the girls in the courtyard organized." Xu Qi'an took off his outer robe and sword, turned and left the room.

I'll be back later.

He tiptoed toward Li Yuchun's room, and then saw Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, who were also acting suspiciously, around the corner.

Xu Qi'an gestured with his eyes. "Are you here to eavesdrop too?"

The two nodded, then exchanged questioning glances. "Our boss is at the Spirit Refining Realm, be careful, control your breathing."

Finally, they slowly approached the window of Li Yuchun's room and found no sound of the bed rocking, but could hear conversation coming from inside:

"My lord, I've finished washing. You may go and wash now."

"Hmm," Li Yuchun replied in a slightly low voice.

After a long while, the woman's voice came from inside the room after she finished washing. "Master, the bed is warm now. What are you wandering around the room for?"

"The room is too cluttered, a complete mess. Staying in this room makes me feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles," Li Yuchun said with great distress.

"Huh?" The woman was taken aback. "It's already very tidy. I clean the house every day."

"No," Li Yuchun said seriously, "The teacups on the table should be arranged around the teapot at a specific distance. The potted plant by the window has been moved two inches to the left. The stools are too cluttered; they should be arranged in the same way as the teacups around the teapot. Shouldn't this painting on the wall be in the center? The screen was crooked; I just straightened it. Hmm, your embroidered shoes aren't neatly arranged either."

"How could these possibly be neat? Who could do that?" the woman said softly. "My lord, I've been waiting for you for quite a while."

Li Yuchun was displeased upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "Who says it can't be done? You just watch and learn. I will teach you how to tidy up a house."

woman. "???"

Under the window, Xu Qi'an and his two companions stared in disbelief.

He tiptoed away, Xu Qi'an: "The boss isn't married?"

"You've gotten married."

"Why does he seem like a complete novice?" Xu Qi'an said.

"This can't be her first time at the Imperial Academy of Music, can it?" Song Tingfeng was somewhat incredulous. Although he had worked under Li Yuchun for many years, he knew nothing about her private life.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to our room later and make a lot of noise."

"Great idea." Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao thought this method was excellent.

Therefore, the rocking of the bed in Yingmei Pavilion was particularly intense tonight.