The inscription's aftermath

Less than two months?

The members exchanged silent glances, secretly guessing the meaning behind those words—less than two months!

This is clearly an opinion, and it reflects some kind of time constraint, or time span.

However, what is crucial is what "less than two months" actually means.

The men exchanged glances, urging each other to ask, but they also knew that Duke Wei was currently furious, and none dared to provoke him. If it were something extremely bad, wouldn't that provide Duke Wei with a perfect outlet for his anger?

He'll be transferred to the border with a single official document, and then he'll be at peace.

Wei Yuan recalled his own years of Martial Dao cultivation. Even though he was praised by the Supervisor as the most promising genius to reach the first rank in the past five hundred years of the Great Feng, it took him three and a half months to advance from the Qi Refining Realm to the Spirit Refining Realm.

Xu Qi'an, who accomplished this feat in less than two months, was even more talented than Wei Yuan had anticipated. Previously, Wei Yuan admired Xu Qi'an for his character.

Temperament is also a kind of talent.

As for Xu Qi'an's cultivation speed, Wei Yuan had already been impressed when he heard that Xu Qi'an had filled his middle Dantian with qi.

Thinking that by the end of next spring, this kid should be able to advance to the Spirit Refining Realm. Advancing one rank every five months, this talent is on par with the Golden Gong.

In addition, given his innate suitability for the martial arts path, he may one day become the second Prince of Zhenbei—a third-rank martial artist.

Unexpectedly, Xu Qi'an's talent was even greater than he had anticipated.

Most importantly, Xu Qi'an unknowingly accomplished something truly astonishing:

The Qi Refining Realm involves dual visualization.

The Lion's Roar in Buddhist School is a unique skill, but it requires a visualization manual. This manual is far inferior to a genuine visualization manual, since the Golden Lion Roar diagram is only an aid to the Lion's Roar skill.

It is part of the set of unique skills.

Even so, Xu Qi'an's ability to perform dual visualizations at the Qi Refining Realm is still astonishing.

Wei Yuan, a man of vast learning and omniscience, quickly considered three possibilities:

One body, two souls.

There are many records in Buddhist countries in the Western Regions that after a highly accomplished monk passes away, he will be resurrected in the body of a child, who will not only have complete memories but also be naturally proficient in Buddhism.

This is because the remnant soul of a high-ranking monk merges with the newborn child. Such a Primordial Spirit is inherently stronger than that of ordinary people and possesses many wondrous abilities, including the ability to perform dual visualizations even in the most insignificant situations. This is because their Primordial Spirit is actually not insignificant at all.

Second, those who possess great personal fortune.

Such people are extremely rare. Anyone with great fortune is a powerful figure renowned in their region, such as the head of the Daoist School sect, the director of the Bureau of Astronomy, or the sorcerer of the Witch God Sect.

Third, the blessing of elders and wise people.

There's not much to say about these kinds of people; they're the chosen ones, different from ordinary people from the start.

"Ahem." Nangong Qianrou cleared her throat.

He was the representative chosen by the Jinluo faction. Yang Yan was not present, and Duke Wei's adopted son was the only one there. It seems that Duke Wei was reluctant to send his adopted son to the border.

"Godfather, is there anything I can do for you?" Nangong Qianrou asked, forcing herself to speak.

Wei Yuan glanced at him, closed the memorial, poured himself a cup of tea, and said leisurely, "It's nothing, just a small matter."

"A small thing? You almost couldn't control your expression just now," the fans thought to themselves.

Then, they noticed a change in Wei Yuan's mood. Although he still maintained a calm and collected demeanor, what had just been the calm before the storm was now a gentle breeze and warm sunshine.

It seems the secret letter contains good news. What exactly does it say? Nangong Qianrou asked curiously, "Father, what does the letter say?"

Wei Yuan smiled sincerely, "Xu Qi'an has made it to the Refining Spirit Refining Realm. The letter was sent by Jiang Luzhong from the border of Yunzhou. He should have successfully advanced to the Refining Spirit Refining Realm by now."

Wei Yuan did not reveal the matter of dual visualization.

"Impossible!" Nangong Qianrou almost shouted.

Xu Qi'an had just joined the Nightwatchers when he successfully caught his adoptive father's attention during the test of the Heart Gate. At that time, he and Yang Yan were by his side.

It can be said that Nangong Qianrou watched Xu Qi'an grow up and knew his background best.

When this person became Nightwatchers, he was still a peak Essence Refining Realm, a weakling who could be blown away with a single breath in Nangong Qianrou's eyes.

Although his godfather had said that this child had great potential, and Nangong Qianrou agreed, he still couldn't accept it.

In less than two months, he went from the ninth-grade Essence Refining Realm to the seventh-grade Spirit Refining Realm, which was the minimum standard for obtaining a Silver Gong.

"If Yang Yan were here, his mouth would be splitting open from ear to ear," Nangong Qianrou thought sourly.

Zhang Kaitai, who was also concentrating his sword intent, felt a similar sour feeling. He had previously thought about recruiting Xu Qi'an into his ranks, and he had even come up with a method—money and seduction.

Out of consideration for Jinluo's reputation, I didn't dare to carry it out.

"This Xu Qi'an is so talented! Given time, our yamen will probably have another Golden Gong (a high-ranking official)."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness he didn't get ruined by that Zhu incident."

Jinluo, who was present, was shocked but could not hide his joy.

If the Nightwatchers's Office were to produce another fourth-rank martial artist, its overall influence and strength would rise to a new level.

High-ranking martial artists are rare, and those cultivated by one's own forces are even rarer.

Apart from Nangong Qianrou, who was clearly jealous, most of the other Jinluo members present felt a sense of melancholy and resentment about the matter.

This is the advantage of having a good public image; it's more acceptable for someone with a higher moral standard than most Nightwatchers to become a high-ranking martial artist.

If a treacherous villain were to rise to a high rank, they would unconsciously feel wary. But there's no need to be so wary of Xu Qi'an. He was willing to kill his superior for a completely unrelated young girl; from another perspective, he was actually protecting his own bottom line.

If things continue like this, my godfather will probably adopt him as his godson. Yang Yan is such a quiet person, he won't compete with me for favor. That annoying Xu Qi'an is so slippery. Nangong Qianrou thought sourly.

Wei Yuan glanced at the drain in the corner, then waved his hand and said, "You may leave. I don't want a similar mistake to happen again. Qianrou, prepare the carriage; come with me to the palace."

The small court assembly will be held in half an hour.

Emperor Yuanjing did not attend the morning court sessions because it conflicted with his meditation and enlightenment time. He only held small court assemblies every few days, but not frequently.

The last small court assembly was four days ago.

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone-paved street, and Nangong Qianrou pulled hard on the reins, stopping the carriage at the palace gate.

Taking down the small stool hanging under the carriage, Nangong Qianrou disembarked to greet Wei Yuan, handed the reins to the Golden Guard guarding the city, and followed the figure in the large blue robe.

In the imperial study, Emperor Yuanjing, his hair now completely black, sat on a gilded chair, his gaze sweeping over the assembled ministers, and said in a voice devoid of emotion:

"I have already had the cabinet make a copy of the memorial sent back by the Yuzhou Provincial Administration Commission and distributed it to all my ministers. I would like to know your thoughts."

The Ministry of Revenue stepped forward first and declared loudly, "In my opinion, this is merely an isolated case in Yuzhou. Zhang Xingying's claim that there are spies in the Great Feng of Dafeng is utter nonsense."

The censor of the Ministry of Works echoed, "Zhang Xingying's statement lacks evidence and is not credible. A thorough investigation of the Yuzhou Canal Transport Office will suffice."

Several other officials seconded the motion, making their stance clear: the Grand Canal transport office would not be investigated.

The term "Grand Canal transport" has been synonymous with trouble since ancient times. It involves an enormous network of vested interests, spanning from the capital to the provinces, from the highest levels of government to the lowest levels of society, creating a complex web of relationships. There are far too many people involved.

Emperor Yuanjing looked at the Grand Secretary, "What do you think, Minister Wang?"

The Grand Secretary bowed and said, "I believe that a thorough investigation of the grain transport system in Yuzhou will suffice."

"Wei Yuan, do you have any objections?" Emperor Yuanjing looked at the man in blue.

"Your Majesty's opinion is the same," Wei Yuan replied.

The officials withdrew their gazes from Wei Yuan.

Grand Secretary Wang turned his head and glanced at Wei Yuan, his expression a mixture of tacit understanding and disappointment. At this critical juncture of the Capital Evaluation, anyone who dared to propose a thorough investigation of the Grand Canal transport office would be cutting themselves off from the officialdom of the Great Feng.

Neither of these two old rivals would make such a basic mistake, yet they both hope the other will.

Emperor Yuanjing nodded, his gaze deep and unreadable, and continued:

A memorial sent back by the Provincial Governor of Qingzhou stated that Yang Gong had erected warning steles in all the major government offices in Qingzhou, with the inscription. "You eat your food and labor, you take the people's blood and sweat. The common people are easy to oppress, but Heaven is hard to deceive."

The Qingzhou Provincial Administration Commission believed that the poem was powerful and thought-provoking, and had the effect of warning all officials. It suggested that the court order all prefectures to follow suit and erect warning steles.

What do you, my esteemed ministers, think?

Inside the imperial study, the officials stirred, whispering amongst themselves.

"What a fine poem! What a fine poem!" A censor stepped forward excitedly and exclaimed, "This poem is simply a stroke of genius, wonderful beyond words! This is the kind of poem our Great Feng should have, not 'A faint fragrance drifts in the twilight' or 'A boat full of sweet dreams presses down on the Milky Way'."

"Your Majesty is filled with righteous indignation and earnestly requests that Your Majesty issue an order to all prefectures to follow suit and erect warning steles in all major government offices."

The official's request was echoed by the assembled officials. Since it did not involve disputes over interests or factional struggles, the officials immediately became more relaxed and dared to speak up and express their opinions.

However, not everyone agreed with this opinion. Some people were unwilling to see Yang Gong become famous, after all, this Qingzhou Provincial Governor was a student of the Cloud Deer Academy.

However, many people hoped that the court would do this, as the news would greatly enhance the court's image in the eyes of the people.

This is similar to how scholars value reputation.

In recent years, from ordinary people to noble families, from commoners to local gentry, the criticism has been incessant. Erecting a warning stele can salvage some of the court's reputation.

The Grand Secretary stepped forward and said, "I propose that we follow the example of the Qingzhou Administration Commission."

Emperor Yuanjing actually meant the same thing. Although he pursued immortality, neglected state affairs, and amassed wealth excessively, he considered himself a good emperor.

"The reputation of Yang Gong as a great Confucian scholar is well-deserved. This poem was written during my reign and will surely be remembered in history. I will not only erect admonitory steles in the government offices of various prefectures, but I will also personally write it and have it copied," Emperor Yuanjing said with a smile.

"Yang Gong passed the imperial examination back then, and his poetry was among the best of his time." Chief Minister Wang smiled as well.

Wei Yuan was completely dumbfounded for a long time.

"You eat your food and toil, the people's blood and sweat. The common people are easily oppressed, but Heaven is hard to deceive." Isn't this the poem Xu Qi'an wrote at Wenxin Pass?

How did it become Yang Gong's?

Or is this originally Yang Gong's poem, Xu Qi'an heard it from his cousin Xu Xinnian?

Wei Yuan quickly dismissed this conjecture, saying that in terms of poetic talent, a hundred Yang Gong couldn't compare to one Xu Qi'an.

This poem only recently appeared, and the governor's entourage was traveling south, inevitably passing through Qingzhou. In other words, Xu Qi'an returned to Qingzhou, and this poem was transmitted from Qingzhou.

After figuring it out, Wei Yuan frowned, a question arising in his mind, "This poem was written by Xu Qi'an, so why did Your Majesty overlook it just now? Was it intentional, or did the Qingzhou Provincial Administration Commission deliberately omit Xu Qi'an's name?"

The memorials were sent back to the capital from the Qingzhou Provincial Administration Commission. These memorials were usually written by clerks in the government office, since the Provincial Administration Commissioner couldn't possibly do everything personally. In other words, it was possible that clerks, in order to curry favor with the Provincial Administration Commissioner, would deliberately ignore the original author. In the end, they could simply say it was an oversight when writing the memorial and get away with it.

"Once the matter is settled, Yang Gong's reputation will spread along with this poem. At that time, even if Yang Gong explains afterward, it is a question whether the news will spread and how effective it will be."

"Xu Qi'an's literary reputation should be unchallenged. He's still too high-profile, a bit too young." Wei Yuan sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report!"

P. S.: There are two events in the book review section: 1. Vote for monthly tickets and receive Qidian coins. 2. A book review contest with prizes for guessing the identity of Number One. The rewards are quite generous.