Telling stories

Wei Yuan's move was a bit shady. The middleman's profiteering is outrageous. However, this also shows that as long as chicken bouillon is mass-produced, it will definitely be incredibly profitable.

Could it be said that I stumbled upon a path to becoming a wealthy, unassuming man with a harem of wives and concubines?

"Indeed, everyone has their own expertise. If I had known, I wouldn't have messed around with things myself. I should have guided the Warlock at the Bureau of Astronomy while I sat behind the scenes and enjoyed the cut. It's too late now," Xu Qi'an sighed silently.

From the tax silver case to the Sangbo case, and now, he has offended too many powerful figures in the court and is inextricably linked with Wei Yuan.

Under these circumstances, all he could do was cultivate and assist Wei Yuan. The more stable Wei Yuan's position and the greater his power, the more benefits Xu Qi'an would reap. He simply didn't have much energy left to dabble in Alchemy.

Well, it's not that I don't have time at all. I'll talk about it when I have more free time later. For now, I should first try to reach the Spirit Refining Realm.

Huaiqing took a sip of tea, moistening his lips, and said in a calm tone, "The recent infighting among the various factions in the court has suddenly subsided. The reason is that Duke Wei and Chief Minister Wang have joined forces, attempting to purge all the factions, large and small, from the court."

"That's great!" Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up.

Huaiqing shook his head. "Father blocked it. The chaos in the court is beneficial to him. The more fiercely the factions fight, the more peacefully he can focus on his cultivation. If one or two factions become too powerful, the court will slip out of Father's control."

The fact that Huaiqing is telling me all this means she considers me one of her own. It feels like she trusts me too much. "Although I'm good at flattering you, I haven't flattered you that many times," Xu Qi'an nodded in agreement.

"Factional strife is a double-edged sword. It can safeguard His Majesty's position, but it can also disrupt the court. The more factions there are, the fiercer the fighting becomes. In the long run, no one will pay attention to state affairs; their minds will be filled with schemes and plots to bring down their opponents."

Throughout the conversation, Xu Qi'an kept observing Princess Huaiqing's expression. If she showed displeasure or aversion, Xu Qi'an would stop short of making a point.

Conversely, Xu Qi'an used his pseudo-historian knowledge to have a good chat with the princess, build rapport, and gain her more attention.

Princess Huaiqing, well-versed in history, narrowed her eyes and deliberately set a trap. "Wouldn't simply eliminating factional strife prevent future troubles?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head. "Without factions within the court, all sorts of strange things happen."

"Without factions within the court, all sorts of strange things happen." Princess Huaiqing pondered this phrase repeatedly, her eyes shining, and a smile unconsciously curving her lips.

Seeing this, Xu Qi'an immediately said, "This humble servant has some humble opinions; I wonder if the Princess would be interested in hearing them?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Huaiqing quietly straightened her posture and nodded, saying, "Please speak freely."

Xu Qi'an considered carefully before saying, "Actually, His Majesty's method of checking and balancing the court is somewhat inappropriate."

He saw Princess Huaiqing narrow her eyes, but she didn't stop him; she just stared straight at him. So he continued:

"To maintain balance in the court, you don't need so many factions; three equally powerful ones will suffice. Because in any field, a triangle is the most stable. Well, except for marriage."

"Triangle?" Huaiqing heard an unfamiliar word.

Xu Qi'an formed a triangle with his hands, and she exclaimed in realization, "This kind of structure often appears in the construction of palaces."

The eldest princess is indeed exceptionally intelligent. Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement and said, "If it's just two factions, they might form an alliance in secret, appearing to be irreconcilable on the surface but colluding behind the scenes. But if it's a three-way power struggle, it will be difficult for them to reach a consensus on their interests, and the court will be relatively stable, making it easier to maintain a balance of power."

Princess Huaiqing pondered for a long time, seemingly having figured something out. She chuckled softly, then quickly composed herself, resuming her aloof demeanor.

"The great Confucian scholar of the Cloud Deer Academy said you are a scholarly talent. I thought you were just good at writing poetry, but I never expected you to have such profound insights. Among all the scholars in the world, there are very few like you. The great Confucian scholar of the Cloud Deer Academy has keen insight; I underestimated you."

No, they just think my poetry is good. You didn't underestimate me; I'm a keyboard warrior, after all, pointing out the flaws in the world and stirring up emotions with words. With a single keystroke, I'm invincible.

Xu Qi'an responded with a reserved smile.

"Actually, besides the numerous factions, the court has another very fatal problem, Your Highness. Forgive me, my wording was inappropriate."

Princess Huaiqing smiled faintly and said, "Family members can talk behind closed doors; there's no need to hold back."

Her eyes, clear and bright like a still pool, gazed intently, expressing a strong desire to listen, but she didn't say anything.

Xu Qi'an was immediately relieved and said, "His Majesty can easily manipulate the officials in the court, such as their promotion, demotion, and dismissal, but he cannot control the lower-level officials and clerks, especially the latter, who are the main culprits behind the people's poverty."

This question seemed to touch on Princess Huaiqing's weakness, causing her to immediately become serious and interject, "I am also troubled by this problem."

"In fact, the problems with the clerks in the Great Feng Dynasty have accumulated to this day for two reasons: First, the intense factional strife in the court has led to neglect of management; to put it bluntly, they only fight and don't get things done. Second, His Majesty has been cultivating Daoism for twenty-one years, and the court's control over the lower levels has seriously declined, which has resulted in the clerks acting lawlessly."

Princess Huaiqing nodded. "You share my view. I have pondered this issue more than once, but unfortunately, I have no solution."

"Why is a princess thinking about such things?" Xu Qi'an said. "Regarding the affairs of clerks, my suggestion is centralized power."

Princess Huaiqing unconsciously spoke with a tone of inquiry when she heard the term "centralized power," because it was yet another unfamiliar concept.

"Although His Majesty currently holds a firm grip on the court, he maintains a state of infighting among various factions, which requires granting corresponding power. His Majesty's power is far too dispersed." Xu Qi'an didn't continue, believing that with the Princess's wisdom, she would understand the implication.

Similarly, how to change the status quo? The one who tied the knot must untie it. Either Emperor Yuanjing should repent and become diligent in his duties, or he should abdicate.

This is why Xu Qi'an interrupted the conversation; if they continued, they would inevitably have to talk about this taboo topic.

The two chatted for a long time. Princess Huaiqing was very impressed with the gong-wielding woman, and so was Xu Qi'an. This princess was not only intelligent but also very knowledgeable, quoting classic sayings. Talking to her was both pleasant and difficult.

Seeing that it was about time, Xu Qi'an took his leave. "We can't talk anymore. There's really not a drop left. If we keep talking, I'll have to start lecturing you on socialism."

Princess Huaiqing nodded, her eyes showing a hint of lingering interest.

After leaving Princess Huaiqing's palace, Xu Qi'an immediately went to find Lin'an. He was quickly informed and entered the residence under the guidance of guards.

It is now 9:30 AM, and Lin'an, dressed in a bright red dress, is playing shuttlecock with her palace maids.

If Xu Lingyin has a talent for food, then Biao Biao is exceptionally talented at playing; she can now kick shuttlecock better than Xu Qi'an, who is a martial arts practitioner.

Her fiery red skirt fluttered, her slender waist swayed, and her long legs seemed to have built-in GPS, always managing to catch the shuttlecock and kick it back into the air.

So if this girl had been born in his era, she would have been a nightclub queen, traveling and partying every day.

Skirts of this era were too conservative; everyone wore trousers underneath. Xu Qi'an, who hadn't seen anything, inwardly grumbled, but clasped his hands in greeting, "Your Highness."

Upon seeing Xu Qi'an's visit, she kicked the shuttlecock to a palace maid, hands on her hips, and said, "Didn't you say you'd come to pay your respects every day after the case was over?"

"This palace isn't a place I can just walk into whenever I want," Xu Qi'an said, walking towards the pavilion. Princess Lin'an followed him.

She took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, wiped her face, and messed up her originally delicate eyebrows.

"I'd like to go out of the palace for a while, will you come with me?" Lin'an returned the handkerchief to the maid and washed her hands again.

Xu Qi'an glanced at her sideways. "No."

Lin'an immediately glared and said, "You dog slave!"

The two started playing the same old trick of "training the eagle" again. Biao Biao tried to intimidate Xu Qi'an with her charming and amorous peach blossom eyes, while Xu Qi'an countered with his dead fish eyes.

As expected, she was the first to admit defeat. Her round face flushed slightly with embarrassment as she looked away and said angrily, "If it were Huaiqing, would you obey his every command?"

Huaiqing wouldn't let me do something so suicidal, would he? Kidnapping a princess out of the palace is punishable by death. Xu Qi'an pulled out a porcelain bottle from his robes:

"I recently stumbled upon a little gadget that enhances the flavor of dishes when added to them. It's called chicken bouillon."

He was quite casual in front of the princess, never using his humble title, and the second princess never cared about such things.

"Chicken essence. What a strange name." Lin'an chuckled. "Out of money again, aren't you? I'll reward you with another painting. Hmm, the warehouse sent over an ivory pen, supposedly quite valuable. I don't like writing, so I'll give it to you."

Xu Qi'an immediately replied, "Your Highness misunderstands. I did not come for the reward; I am here willingly to serve the princess like a slave."

Lin'an, who loved sweet talk, was immediately delighted. "Then what do you want?"

"Please convert this into silver, Your Highness."

"Money is fine too," the woman said, resting her chin on her hand and gazing at him with a smile. Her misty, peach-blossom eyes seemed to be looking at her lover.

"I'm so bored. I'm tired of playing shuttlecock. Tell me a story, like that Journey to the West story from last time."

"Yes, Your Highness. This time, let me tell you about borrowing the Banana Leaf Fan three times." Xu Qi'an sipped the tea served by the palace maid, moistening his throat as usual.

One day, Tang Sanzang and his disciples arrived at the Flaming Mountain, where flames roared and they couldn't fly over. The local earth god told Sun Wukong that to extinguish the flames, they had to ask Princess Iron Fan for the Banana Leaf Fan. Speaking of Princess Iron Fan, she was the wife of the Bull Devil King.

"The Bull Devil King? He's Sun Wukong's sworn brother." Biao Biao had a good memory and exclaimed in a sweet voice.

"Yes, so there's a little-known connection between Sun Wukong and Madam Niu."

What's the connection?

"Princess, please allow me to continue." Xu Qi'an glanced at the palace maid, "You wait outside the pavilion."

The palace maid obediently left.

Xu Qi'an was immediately relieved and continued, "When Sun Wukong arrived at the Banana Cave, Princess Iron Fan warmly welcomed him in, but refused to lend him the Banana Fan. So the two engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat."

Sun Wukong transformed into an insect and crawled into Princess Iron Fan's stomach, saying, "Sister-in-law, I'm already inside you."

Princess Iron Fan rolled on the ground in pain and gave in. She would offer up the Banana Leaf Fan as soon as Sun Wukong came out.

Sun Wukong said, "Sister-in-law, open your mouth, and I, Old Sun, will come out."

"At that moment, the Bull Devil King was outside the door and witnessed everything."

"Then who should he help?" Lin'an asked, troubled. "One is my sworn brother, the other is my wife. It's a difficult choice."

"No, the Bull Devil King and Princess Iron Fan have divorced."